Was it just me, or was last night's episode of Glee kind of....good? I have to admit, it accomplished things I didn't think were possible-- character development (Sam) that actually seemed genuine and compelling, humanizing Quinn a little more in the face of her recent behavior, utilizing Rachel in a way that wasn't as grating as it could have been, wonderful performances from the actors portraying Artie, Brittany, and Santana, and of course what most impressed me, an episode featuring April Rhodes that didn't make me want to throttle something.
Last night was like a throwback to season one-- lots of different things were happening, but none of them really felt forced like they have lately. I think they did a great job of not beating us over the head with the Fleetwood Mac theme (the real theme was rumors and the damage they can cause, another subtle nod to the infinitely better composition of early season one), and I genuinely enjoyed the use of the school newspaper and Brittany's internet talk show (which I would totally, totally watch) as a medium to forward this plot.
Brittany and Artie's bust-up was genuinely heartbreaking (him calling her stupid was mean, but her reaction made me even sadder); Santana is somehow still compelling with her refusal to acknowledge her sexuality; Rachel's comment about "forgiving your first love anything" actually made sense in the context of Quinn and Finn (though I'm wondering how long they'll stay together while seemingly wanting to punch each other in the face); Schuester's plot was actually interesting-- he quit the boy band (which we were supposed to believe could have been his "big break") out of obligation to his impending family, but he doesn't have that commitment now, and I'm interested to see if maybe when they're in New York for Nationals he gets the Broadway bug and decides to ditch the New Directions for a bit; and of course, Sam. Sam just broke my heart this episode, not only because who knew Chord Overstreet could act, but because the whole story line was just so real and so true to many families. I thought they made it really moving and accessible without being over the top in the usual Glee fashion.
Overall, Glee answered the May sweeps call better than I ever expected. I hope that this carries over into the three remaining episodes, because if it does I may be able to forgive some of season two's more spectacularly stupid moments.
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