Frozen: A Story of Sisterly Love…And a Lot of Snow

For its 53rd animated movie, Disney Studios looked to Hans Christian Anderson’s “The Snow Queen.” And then rewrote everything to make it more awesome than it already was.

So bundle up against the cold and SPOILERS!

We’re Not Gonna Take It Anymore!

Last week on The Glee Project: The ten finalists had their first assignment. They were judged by Darren “Blaine” Criss, who chose Matheus as the winner. He got to spend extra time with Darren and was featured in their video of Katy Perry’s “Firework.” Bryce pissed off the choreographer, Damian was fading into the background and Ellis was trying too hard to play up her young looks. They had to sing to remain in the competition, judged by Ryan Murphy. In the end, Bryce was the first cut. Eleven Gleekabes remain—who will not make it tonight? Find out!

The Gleekabes walk in to see their homework assignment is “Theatricality” and they have to perform Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance.” Alex believes he is theatricality and this challenge is his to lose. Everyone practices singing. Marissa says she needs some power in her line as Lindsay practices some dance moves. She’s going to rely on her Broadway background. Lindsay quotes the show as Emily calls her a phony. Takes one to know one, Emily. Matheus meanwhile is wondering who the guest judge will be.

To Dream the Impossible Dream…

Last week on Glee: Rachel lost her voice! Kurt tried to be straight!

Will goes to the Principal’s office and is introduced to Neil Patrick Harris (Brian Ryan). NPH and Will went to school together. We flashback to Glee way back then, with NPH singing “Daydream Believer” and he does magic! Like Barney! NPH says they may cut the Glee club because of budget worries. NPH was in Glee, he did shows and the cruise ship circuit. But he became a has-been, met Jesus—his social worker, turned his life around, and now runs a support group. We see Brenda (Molly Shannon) who turned to drugs after a bad audition. NPH says “Show choir kills.” NPH just wants to talk to the kids and the Principal forces him to. NPH tells the kids to write down their biggest dreams. He rips out Artie’s and throws it out. He tells them they will never happen and will never leave their town. As he mentions show biz dreams, Rachel and Kurt share a look. NPH uses Will as an example. NPH makes Tina cry! Will throws him out but not before NPH threatens to cut the Glee club.

In the library, Tina helps Artie get a book. He says he’s now considering a career behind the camera. She saw Artie’s dream—“dancer.” Tina tells Artie they should do an assignment on their own since Will was distracted by the awesomeness that is NPH to assign them one. And it’ll include dancing! Speaking of dancing, we see Rachel in the ballet studio. Jesse’s back! And talking to her! Rachel wants to play Evita, Funny Girl and Laurie from Oklahoma! She was practicing Laurie’s Dream Ballet. Jesse tells Rachel her performance of “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina” is an inevitability. They are back together again! He asks her what her dream is, what’s missing. Rachel says her mom. She doesn’t need to meet her, but just wants to know her name. The Dads never told her and Rachel never asked them. But Jesse pushes her to find her mom.

We see Tina and Artie practicing. Tina is very good a tap. He asks for some crutches he borrowed from a kid with cerebal palsy. He can stand up and then drags himself a few feet before falling. Artie kicks Tina out. Meanwhile, Will finds NPH, who is taking stock of Home Ec supplies. Will wants to convince NPH he’s wrong about Glee, take him out for a beer. For old time’s sake. NPH considers this. Can they go to New York to visit MacLaren’s? Can Brian Ryan be Barney’s doppelganger?

Rachel whispers that she found her mother in the library. She believes her mother is Patti Lupone. Rachel tracks Lupone’s movements in 1994 to discover she was in Ohio. Jesse is able to shoot it down so Rachel asks if he wants to hear how Bernadette Peters is her mother. Jesse asks why she’s scared and Rachel reveals her fathers’ kept everything about her. Jesse knows they have a starting point.

NPH and Will bond over beers. NPH says Terri was the one that got away. Will reveals they got married and divorced. You dodged a bullet there, NPH. Will credits Glee as giving him the strength and drive to get out of the marriage and something to live for. He fortune cookies about expressing yourself through Glee and NPH admits he’s living a lie. He misses performing. He sneaks off to see Broadway shows and a box of Playbills hidden, like porn. If this was Barney, it would be porn disguised as a box of Playbills. Will starts Billy Joel’s “Piano Man” and sings along. NPH joins in. Can we bring NPH back to Broadway? Please? Will tells NPH they are both trying out for a production of Les Mis.

Twilight. Blah.

Artie rolls along as Tina runs up alongside him. She apologizes, he apologizes. He says he’s hopeless, Tina doesn’t agree. She’s done research. She tells him not to give up on his dream. Aww. They kiss as the sun shines behind them and it’s sweet.

Rachel brings up several boxes to investigate. She finds her baby teeth, Jesse finds her sonogram, Rachel finds her first singing trophy. Jesse is surprised it was when she was 8 months old. As Rachel is distracted, Jesse takes out a tape from his pocket. It says “From Mother to Daughter.” He tries to play it but Rachel freaks out. We cut from that to a woman singing “Big Spender” from Sweet Charity. Will meets with NPH. Both are trying out for Jean Valjean, first with “The Impossible Dream” from Man of La Mancha but now with Aerosmith’s “Dream On.” They argue until the director tells them to sing it together. And they do. They prance around what I assume will be the barricade scene and kill the song. The director rushes out.

Artie and Tina go shopping where Artie bought tap shoes. She goes to get pretzels but needs to leave him there. He says his doctor has started him on the therapy Tina suggested. He says they’re working, stands up and starts dancing. About time that got Kevin McHale out of that chair. He sings and dances to the “Safety Dance” in a mall. Is this a tribute to all the flash mobs Glee’s promotion teams sent out? They even have people taping it! It is a tribute to all the flash mobs! Wait, did I see Mercedes in one scene? The song ends and Artie’s in his chair, alone, as Tina gives him a pretzel. He says he’s going to dance someday.

NPH meets with Sue, saying he is going to be in Les Mis next month. He tells Sue that the Cheerios’ budget is crazy. NPH brings out research showing that the arts helps intellect while Sue argues that the country is obese and that sports help with teamwork and confidence. NPH is turned on, as is Sue. Even though he is still cutting half her budget.

What would Barney say?

Jesse runs in the rain to a car where Idina is waiting. He tells her he gave her the tape but she won’t listen to it. Jesse asks why she just doesn’t walk up to her and say, “Hi, I’m your mom.” A million fans are now screaming “I KNEW IT!” at their TV. She said she answered the ad, hoping to go to New York to become an actress. She never held Rachel and that’s her one regret. She signed a contract not to have any contact with her until she’s 18 but if she hears the tape, Rachel will try to find her.

Artie goes to speak to Emma to get therapy to adjust to his life walking. She tries to let him down gently, saying he may not walk for a long time. She agrees to let him see her once a week for a while. He leaves without Tina’s research. NPH announces that the arts matter and he gives him jackets, dance wear and sheet music from every Broadway show ever. Sue comes to congratulate the boys—Will got the role of Valjean while NPH is just a townsman. NPH reverses everything he just said and cuts the program.

NPH practices his one line, saying he is saving the kids from becoming bitter. Because cutting the one thing they have is taken from there. He tells NPH that these kids were labeled from the moment they entered the building. But he sees beyond that and sees stars. When stars die, they become black holes that suck everything. He tells NPH he’s creating thirteen black holes by cutting Glee. Will also gives up his role and lets NPH play Jean Valjean to remember what the arts can do for a person. NPH agrees to the swap and to not cut the Glee club. NPH ambushes the director.

Rachel goes home and Jesse plays the tape. And we here Idina Menzel’s voice start singing “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Mis. We cut to her singing it on a stark stage. Rachel joins her. This is slightly meta because Lea did play Young Cosette in the Broadway production of Les Mis. They slightly rewrote the song so that it’s not about a guy who left her, but her mother. At least it’s still keeping with the song’s theme. Aretha Franklin’s version? Completely missed the mark. She made it a “I will survive” song that it isn’t. The song ends as we see Idina in her car, rain beating against the window and Rachel crying in her room.

Tina and Artie talk. He pulls out of the routine. He fortune cookies he needs to focus on dreams he can make come true. Tina asks him to at least sing the song. Will announces Glee is saved. Puck asks if he died but NPH was going to be distracted by his lead role of Les Mis. He says he’s trading his one dream for their thirteen ones. Her dance partner is Mike, one of the other football players we never really see. Artie sings the song, “Dream a Little Dream of Me.” You should hear Miss Piggy’s rendition in MuppetVision down in Disney. Tina and Mike dance. Quinn offers support as they dance and Artie sings.

Next week: The Lady Gaga episode. And Finn moving in with Kurt.

That was legend…NPH was great, but when isn’t he? Even in the How I Met Your Mother episodes where Barney merely puts in an appearance. He and Matthew Morrison were great playing old rivals who could be friends, if they wanted to. Or weren’t so competitive. And I’m glad Idina is really Rachel’s mother and this isn’t really some ploy to bring down New Directions like I worried it was when Jesse first took out the tape. And everyone had been commenting on the similarities between Lea Michele and Idina Menzel before Idina was even cast! Also good character development for Tina and Archie. Now, we need to bring on some of Matthew Morrison’s Broadway co-stars. Marissa Jaret Winokur, Harvey Fierstein, Laura Bell Bundy, and/or Kerry Butler from “Hairspray” or Victoria Clarke and/or Kelli O’Hara from “Light in the Piazza.”

Also, today, the third Glee CD was released! I need to go order it and I encourage everyone else to do so as well. And yes, it is available for download on iTunes.

Quote of the Episode:

“I sound like someone put tap shoes on a horse and then shot it.” –Artie

Hello, Glee, It IS You We’ve Been Looking For

Last time on Glee…Way back in December…Will discovered his wife wasn’t pregnant, just borrowing a soap opera cliché. Finn learned that Quinn’s (Prissy Cheerleader’s) baby was really Puck’s. The gang went to Sectionals, where their entire set was stolen by their rival schools. Finn comes in to save the day and they rock their performance, winning. Sue gets suspended and goes away, promising revenge. Meanwhile, Will wins Emma.

And now…The Return of Glee!

Kurt, Rachel and Mercedes walk down the hallway, reveling in their win. They feel powerful, on top of the world…And then a jock tosses a slushy in their faces. Same old Glee. Meanwhile, Will learns Glee, despite their win, is still on the bottom of the food chain. He fights for the auditorium, but the Cheerios need a place to practice in the winter. Will wonders who is couching the Cheerios. Sue is back! With more insults. She has been reinstated, much to Will’s shock.

Meanwhile, Finn voiceovers that football season is over and now he is trying basketball. But he’s off his game. He and Rachel are dating and she even has his and hers calendars made up complete with all their dates. But he’s not listening. He still isn’t over Quinn, who is having issues with Puck and her pregnancy. Finn is confused.

As is Will. He wants to know how Sue got reinstated. We see her at dinner, slipping a roofie into the Principal’s drink and then blackmailing him. She’s back and she’s got the power.

Will relates a story of how Bell wanted everyone to answer the phone with “Ahoy, ahoy” while Edison thought “Hello” was better. He segues this into how the club has not moved in their position in the school. He tells them that New Directions has to go in even newer directions. He tells them to find songs with “Hello” in the title.

Will then goes to visit Emma and there is adorable awkwardness. Will goes for a kiss. Emma protests that she has to put her face on and grabs a case. Will stops her, saying he doesn’t need that to kiss her. He then asks her to go out on a date so they can get to know each other. Like that Will cooks. Emma agrees.

Sue scolds Britt and Santana about how they didn’t bring down Glee. She tells them to mess with Rachel and get her to leave. No Rachel, no Glee. Sue, didn’t you try this before? And failed? Cabaret? Ring a bell?

Will continues to mentor Finn, comparing their respective loss of fatherhood. He tells Finn that he is a new man and it’s time to get to know him. Finn gets to sing whatever he wants. He sings Morrison, singing to Quinn and then Glee. After his performance, Britt and Santana asks him a date. He wants to know which one. They respond: “Both.” Somewhere, Barney is trying to get to Ohio to tell Finn to go for it.

After the commercials, Rachel catches Finn talking with Santana and Britt. She asks what they want and he replies the time. She and Finn have a pow-wow where Finn tries to let her down. Rachel lets him have it, saying he was humiliated when Quinn dumped him and that she’s the only one who can see him for him. But he can’t see her for her and she runs off crying. She’s so pissed, she decides to focus on the “hell” part of the assignment and lets Finn have it. Will, though, isn’t thrilled. He tells the group that while they won Sectionals, so did Vocal Adrenaline. Vocal Adrenaline—the group that performed “Rehab” in the pilot from May—has been the winner at Nationals three years running. This, he says, is the big leagues.

Rachel takes this seriously and goes to a music store to find the perfect “Hello” song. She is looking over Lionel Ritchie when someone finds her. It is Jesse St. James AKA Lea Michele’s Spring Awakening co-star Jonathan Groff! He’s also part of Vocal Adrenaline. He tells Rachel that her performance at Sectionals was flawed but she has talent. He reveals he’s a senior looking to go out in a blaze of glory and head off to UCLA. He flirts with Rachel and performs “Hello” with her. As they finish, the crowd applauds and Jesse asks her out on a date. A bell rings.

We cut to the date. Britt and Santana send their plates back, even though they ate most of the plates. They are rude to their waitress and then start talking about how Finn could increase in hotness by losing Rachel. He’s sitting right across from them. They tell him he pays for dinner, they make out for him. Barney thinks this is a win and sends this message to Finn. But when Britt and Santana trash talk Rachel, he sticks up for her. They banish Finn to the car. Meanwhile, Will and Emma’s date is going better. They dance and Will sings! He and Emma collapse on the couch, kissing but Emma stops. She reveals she’s still a virgin, throwing Will for a loop. She doesn’t think he’s okay with it, but he insists he is. He says they’ll watch a movie but it’ll have to be either Armageddon or Bad Boys as those are the only DVDs Terri didn’t take. Emma looks torn as explosions go off in the background.

Finn approaches Rachel and apologizes. Rachel accepts it but tells Finn she found someone else. She reveals that her new beau is the lead of their competitor, setting alarms off in Finn’s mind. Rachel doesn’t find anything suspicious and thinks that Finn’s just jealous. He goes to find Will and tells him they have a problem.

Santana and Britt get reamed for failing in keeping Finn’s attention. But they impress her by revealing about Rachel’s new relationship.

We cut to Vocal Adrenaline’s rehearsal, singing “Highway to Hell.” Will sneaks in. And there is Idina Menzel! HI IDINA! She isn’t thrilled and tells them to put on a show face. She says they want it so bad, it should hurt. Will goes to talk to Idina. She is surprised that not only is the competition is there, but that they are competition. He talks about Jesse and Rachel’s relationship, saying they might be spying on them. Idina says they aren’t and that the heart wants what the heart wants. This leads to…

Will and Idina making out on the couch? He does stop, making Idina question herself or Will’s sexuality. They go to Will’s kitchen where Idina reveals she lives for Vocal Adrenaline. She hasn’t been on a date but notes that she did see Will back in the pilot. Will says he understands about work, saying that Glee played a part in bringing down his marriage. Idina asks how long he’s been divorced for. He isn’t yet and he’s dating Emma…She tells him to slow down. He went from one relationship to another. She tells him to take a breather and gives him her number.

At school, four of the original Glees confront Rachel about her relationship with Jesse. They are suspicious too. Rachel pleads for relationship—how often could she get this chance. The gang tells them to dump him or she’s out. She says they won’t be able to replace her. Kurt says they can. Mercedes tells Rachel that she knows Rachel always wanted them to succeed and be something great. She asks if that’s still true.

Glee’s on DVD!

Rachel goes to see Sue. She introduces her to the McKinley High Old Maids club. Sue says that Finn went on a date but she’s flirting with Jesse St. James but that the club is betrayed. Rachel is floored. Britt and Santana gives Sue the information. One girl reveals that was in love with an opposing wrestler but her team was against it. She crushed him. Sue encourages Rachel to think of herself and go after Jesse. Or join the Old Maids Club.

Emma sets up a perfect table as Terri walks in. Emma says she is surprising Will. Terri insults Emma and Emma tries to kick her out. Terri says she’s there to get the rest of her DVDs and finds “The Jazz Singer” on the TV. She asks about it and Emma tells her that Will says “Hello” is their song. Terri reveals that the song was their prom song. She tells Emma to look it up in the yearbook. She knocks a spoon out of place and leaves.

Rachel goes to visit Vocal Adrenaline. She is surprised when a spotlight turns on, saying she has a rape whistle. Jesse tells her to calm down and turns it off. She asks if he is just dating her to get one up on Glee. He reintroduces himself, not as Jesse St. James, star of Vocal Adrenaline. But as Jesse, the guy who is crazy about Rachel. They kiss and Jesse shares a look with Idina in the shadows.

Back at school, Emma shows Will his yearbook. He realizes why Emma left without eating the other night. He says he forgot about the night and Emma believes him. She echoes Idina’s earlier statement: Will’s only been in one relationship and he’s entered a new one on the heels of the old one. He needs time. He agrees to take it, discover who he is alone. She says that when he’s ready, maybe she will be too. He leaves her so she can cry.

At Finn’s locker, Rachel tells him that she and Jesse are over. She was taking one for the team. He says that he hopes they can be a couple now. That he was thinking about them and wants to be a couple. Rachel says no, because the team doesn’t need the drama. She’s thinking about the team. Finn tells her that he won’t just go away.

And Glee performs “Hello, Goodbye.” Emma watches as Will is dejected. Rachel looks ready to cry during the performance and walks off after the song is over.

Did they get Benny Ninja to do Sue’s “Vogue” video? Or is that archive footage from the original Madge video? Or am I imagining Benny? Wonder if he’ll be on ANTM this season…

The Madonna episode is going to be WIN.

Next week: Madonna.

GLEE IS BACK! I’d say that was worth the wait, though it would’ve been nicer back in January so I didn’t have to wait. Anyway, this new love triangle is going to be interesting. And Idina was great. Can’t wait to see more from her.

Quote of the Episode:

“That was a surprise attack like a Pearly White Harbor.”