Glee – Episode 2-12 Review

Reviews, Shows

Two Glees in one week? Yes, please! Glee followed up Sunday’s killer post-Superbowl episode with a Valentine’s Day themed episode last night, and I was really into it. There was lots of unrequited love, a range of love songs and a pretty awesome cat fight. What more could a gleek ask for?

You Make the Rockin’ World Go Round

First of all, Puck is still seriously crushing on Lauren. I don’t know why, but I’m just not that into Lauren. A big part of it is the glasses – I didn’t feel quite so annoyed with her when she took them off. I also didn’t particularly care for the character that actress played on the short-lived series Huge, so there’s also that. That said, I did like her storyline this week.

Puck was trying to convince Lauren to go out with him but she was playing hard to get, so he “serenaded” her with Queen’s “Fat-Bottomed Girls”. Yep. So here’s the thing – I love Puck, I love Queen, and I loved that performance. But was it a teensy bit offensive? Well, Lauren thought so. She told him it was the first time anyone had ever sung her a love song, and it made her feel like crap. Ouch.

Lauren stood Puck up for their date at Breadstix, which I thought was a little cruel. Was it revenge, or is she just messing with him? I’m not really sure. The best part of the whole storyline, though, was what it brought out in Santana. As we know, Santana has always considered Puck to be hers – remember her awesome “The Boy Is Mine” performance with Mercedes? – and on top of seeing Puck go after Lauren, she was having a pretty crappy week. Everyone thinks she’s a bitch!

OK yeah, Santana is a total bitch. And she knows it. But bitches have feelings too! Which we saw, as she sobbed to Brittany saying “I just try to be really, really honest with people…but I just think that they suck, you know?” I know, Santana. I know.

Santana really shone in this episode – her facial expressions are the best, she can deliver sass like no one else, and she got into a fight with a girl three times her size. That’s gutsy. Plus she’s from Lima Heights Adjacent, which in case you didn’t know is the wrong side of the tracks, and she fights dirty! She might have lost the fight, but I’m giving her extra points if any of her biting drew blood.

It’s In His Kiss (That’s Where It Is)

Meanwhile, Finn (or Finny Bear, as we’re all now going to call him) was feeling on top of the world after winning the big football game. Was he acting like a total douche? Yeah, I’d place him somewhere above Ted Mosby from HIMYM but still far below Scott Disick of Kardashian fame. After all, Finn’s a high school kid who’s back on top of the social pyramid. That’s going to cause the ego to swell.

Finn set up a kissing booth to “help glee club” by raising money, and to trap Quinn into kissing him again. There was lots of petty drama that resulted in Sam supervising a kiss between Quinn and Finn, and not noticing the major fireworks it produced. I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve always liked Finn and Rachel better. Even in this episode, I liked Finn’s moments with Rachel better than his moments with Quinn.

Finn and Quinn kissed again, but not before Santana had figured out the whole thing and slyly infected Finn with mono. Yes, in the world of Glee mono has a ten minute incubation period and will not incapacitate for months, therefore causing them to miss regionals. That’s Glee, deal.

Stop in the Name of Love

You know what I’m loving lately? The friendship between Rachel, Kurt and Mercedes (and sometimes Blaine) that Kurt’s transfer to Dalton Academy has brought out. People have been hard on Rachel this season, partly because her character kind of went off the rails and partly because a lot of people really dislike Lea Michele. But I think Rachel has been rather cute and likable lately, so I’m going to suggest trying to separate the actress and the character and giving Rachel Berry another shot. Because I thought she was really good this week.

Blaine confided in Kurt that he was going to seduce his crush on Valentine’s Day, and Kurt was sure that meant him. Because, like, they sing duets and Blaine smiles at him a lot and he knows his coffee order, guys! Oh, Kurt. You know who knows my coffee order? The good people at the coffeeshop around the corner from my house, and the good people at the bakery next door to my office. You know who doesn’t know my coffee order? My boyfriend. Blaine knew Kurt’s coffee order because they constantly go get coffee together, not because they’re in love.

I have to say, though, I really loved the Kurt/Blaine storyline. Of course Kurt thought Blaine was in love with him. Kurt is a teenage boy with a serious crush and a flair for the dramatic. But what I really loved was how Blaine serenading the assistant manager at Gap was doomed from the beginning. Blaine has been a great source of guidance and comfort for Kurt, but he really needed that humiliating moment to knock him off the pedestal Kurt had created. I mean, the fact that the guy wasn’t even out at work, was totally embarrassed and got fired, and wouldn’t even date Blaine anyway because (unlike many other television characters) he understands the norms of society and wouldn’t go out with a high school kid made the whole thing brilliant.

In the end, Kurt confessed to Blaine that he’d been misreading Blaine’s signals just as Blaine had misread Gap Boy’s. And he wisely compared them to the characters in When Harry Met Sally (one of my two favorite movies of all time) because, yeah, they end up together.

Rollercoaster of Love

Much like love, this episode of Glee did have a few ups and downs. One thing I loved? Artie and Mike’s performance of P.Y.T. Amazing! Plus I liked their little chat about how awesome it is that guys like them ended up with girls like Brittany and Tina.

The episode hit a bump for me, though, when Tina tried to return the favor. What was that? Why was she crying so much? Who thought that fit in with the rest of the episode? Luckily, Rache’s rendition of “Firework” redeemed things for me. Does this mean Rachel is really over Finn? Should she date someone else, or actually stick to her idea of giving up romance to pursue her dreams?

The final scene of Kurt’s Lonely Hearts Club meeting at Breadstix was adorable. I like that we’re getting to see the glee kids outside of school a lot lately. Plus, I’m intrigued by that glance Santana and Sam shared.

What did you think of “Silly Love Songs”? What was your favorite performance? What Glee couple are you dying to see happen? (Or, dying to see end?) Do you miss Emma Pillsbury as much as I do? Now, check out these highlights – for an episode that didn’t include Sue, there sure are a lot.

  • “Oh my god, I made up the whole thing in my head, didn’t I?” – Kurt, finally realizing that he and Blaine aren’t dating
  • “Can I be honest? Just, with the hair…I think they do.” – Kurt, when Blaine’s crush says no one at work knows he’s gay
  • “Please. I’ve had mono so many times, it turned into stereo.” – Santana (Best line of the night!)
  • Santana’s candy striper outfit
  • Mercedes’ monkey onsie pjyamas 
  • All of Brittany’s adorably quirky non-Cheerios outfits
  • Blaine delivering the lyric “Sometimes it [love] doesn’t come at all” to Santana as she sits by herself
  • “Finn only wears that gassy infant look when he feels guilty about something.” – Santana


    You can follow Jill at her blog, couchtimewithjill.com, or on Twitter @jillemader Jill has been an avid fan of TV since the age of two, when she was so obsessed with Zoobilee Zoo that her mother lied and told her it had been canceled. Despite that setback, she grew up to be a television aficionado and pop culture addict.