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!

On My Glist: Glee’s Guest Stars!

Last week: I was fried and could barely think about doing anything but merely watching Glee. But Kristin Chenoweth rocked the episode in her return as April and Quinn had a nice moment with Mercedes before she made the episode with her rendition of Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful.”

This week: Kurt’s discovered Sue Sylvester’s personal private video of her doing exercise to Olivia Newton-John’s “Physical.” The Gleeks decide to post it on YouTube, where it becomes an instant smash. Sue’s retribution is swift. She drags Will into the Principal’s office and reveals that there is a Glist—a weekly ranking of Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in Glee. Santana is at the top and Rachel is at the bottom. The Principal recalls other incidents at other schools that did not end well and demands that Will find the culprit immediately…

…So everyone immediately blames Puck. He denies it. Will asks him if he did it. Puck says that while he tends to light things on fire and beat people up, he is not a liar. Will tells them to ‘fess up and to not let the stress get to them. They are getting a bad reputation. Artie thinks it might be good for them. Will’s assignment is for them to find songs that have been given bad wraps over the years and find what made them good in the beginning. He proves this by making “Ice Ice Baby” seem cool. Almost, but our singing Snowman we haul out for Christmas wins that prize.

In the cafeteria, Sue realizes everyone is laughing at her. She tries to tell herself it is all in her imagination but she is slowly crescendo-ing into a panic attack. And then appears Molly Shannon, who says she recently transferred from Fort Wayne. She’s not allowed to teach in Illinois anymore due to her drug problem and her tendency to deal to her students. She calls Sue an “embarrassment.” And that’s coming from her.

Rachel wants to boost her reputation. She wants to dirty up her reputation and recruits Artie’s help since he’s in the AV club.

Kurt calls in Artie, Mercedes and Tina. They were not even on the Glist. Artie asks why Brittany is in the classroom. Turns out she decided to take all her cold medicines at once so she can’t do much except sit there. She’s also disappointed that she’s only number 4 on the list considering she’s the Barney of the school. She was even with the janitor! So, Kurt lets her in on their scandal—they are going to disrupt the library.

How bad.

Please note the sarcasm.

Meanwhile, Sue goes to visit someone she knows with Down Syndrome. A sister perhaps? She apologizes for not realizing how bad it is to be laughed at and for not protecting the woman. The woman triggers a memory…

But we cut to Emma, who is staring at Sue. She wants a therapist. Emma is a little uncomfortable. Sue says she has a degree in therapy and advises Emma. She tells her about her issues and about Will’s latest dalliances—AKA both the original stars of Wicked. Sue tells Emma to give it to Will…in public.

Puck wears a Phantom mask as Rachel tells him his reputation went up when they were dating. She asks him to help with her song choice, “Run, Joey, Run.” She’s play the heroine and he’ll play the hero. He asks if he kills her. He doesn’t. Puck says he doesn’t try to be bad and that he didn’t make the Glist. He and Rachel share a moment, but Rachel remembers Jesse. Puck tries to get her to “put out” but she puts the kabosh on that repeatedly.

Sue walks Emma to the teacher’s lounge. Sue is afraid of the laughter. Out pops Molly, taunting Sue. Sue calls her out and Molly agrees. Sue then pushes Emma to go get Will. She interrupts him consoling a teacher who was just widowed. “Nobody’s safe, nobody’s self.” She tells him about his little foray into Oz and Will’s surprised. Emma’s trying to work through her issues for him. But he’s a “slut.” She then offers her condolences to the teacher before walking off.

Meanwhile…oh Lord, they are doing “Can’t Touch This,” aren’t they? Anyway, Kurt, Mercedes, Artie, Tina and Brittany enter the library and before…”Can’t Touch This.” The librarian is surprised. I’m surprised no one else has burst out laughing, because I am. Meanwhile, Artie is really good. Okay, when you say “We out of here,” you should’ve left. The librarian loved their performance and is going to get them to perform at her church’s Sunday service. Backfire!

Will is trying to find the person who made the Glist. Now, he’s focusing on Finn. Before moving on to Mercedes. She explains she’s not angry, she’s sassy. Tina blames Puck. Puck defends his innocence, saying he’d be number one. Quinn blames Rachel but Will doesn’t believe it. Kurt believes Will’s been watching too much Law and Order. And he has to worry about his ranking. Artie says they’ll have to do something worse than Rachel’s personality—admit to posting the video. Kurt agrees.

Meanwhile, Sue confides to her journal that the video is a hit and she believes it’s karma. She gets a call—it’s Olivia Newton-John. Sue hangs up, believing it’s a hoax. She vows to be nicer when Olivia tries again. She convinces Sue it’s her. She heard her daughter Chloe (shout out?) laughing at something and it turns out it was Sue’s video. Olivia knows what it’s like to be a laughingstock. “Physical” had a music video that took the song down with it. I thought she meant Xanadu. Seriously, that was a train wreck. I thought the people who made “Phantom of the Paradise” had done too much acid until I saw “Xanadu.” Wow. Anyway, back to Olivia and Sue—collaboration time!

Will walks the hallways and has to deal with his philandering ways. Even Coach scolds him for it and Sue just walks by saying, “Slut.”

Artie tells Kurt not to scream if Sue hits him. And Sue approaches. Kurt meets her halfway. He admits to posting the video. She thanks him and he’s shocked. So they hit the internet. They find Olivia Newton-John and Sue Sylvester. Singing “Physical.” Only this time with ripped guys instead of the original overweight ones. The gang demands more.

We go back to Glee. Will is still focused on the Glist. If another goes up and says that the Principal will have the fate. Finn says the perp will not come forward and they’re going to have to take it. My money’s now on Jesse. Rachel plays her video, complete with Santana and Brittany as angels. Jesse, Finn and Quinn are surprised to see Puck in Rachel’s video. Except then it turns into Jesse. Before becoming Finn. I love Jonathan Groff’s face. Jesse, Puck and Finn are outraged. Finn thinks it was an attempt to improve her standings. Finn asks if her reputation is more important than her relationship. He and Jesse leave.

Sue is back with Jeanine. She praises Sue in the video. Sue praises her, saying she needed an attitude change. Sue flaunts her success in front of the teacher’s lounge. Sue is giving her half of the profits to the nursing home. They read a book together. It is adorable and fleshes out Sue’s character. I love these moments, when the show the bad guy is human.

Will brings flowers to Emma. Aww. That’s not going to make up for your romp with two Tony-winners. He apologizes. He doesn’t want to be that person. Emma can’t accept his apology. But she does mention the relationship working and thanks Will for the flowers. Will, as he leaves, focuses on Quinn. He questions her. He said he realized it when he felt what it was like to lose what you value—your significant other, your reputation. He tells Quinn that high school will end and she’ll do amazing things. His pep talk works. He tells the Principal that no one would cop to the Glist but that his point was made. The Glists stopped. The Principal agrees to call it a victory.

Jesse finds Rachel at her locker. He reveals he asked about her before dating her. He said that no matter her faults, they all said they trusted her. He says he should’ve been enough for her and she responds that she knew he’d break her heart. He says she broke his first. He tells her not to talk to him at ballet club.

Rachel, Jesse, Finn and Puck sing “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” We see Jesse and Rachel at ballet. Finn leaves. Puck leaves with Quinn, hand in hand. The others leave, Jesse is the last.

Next week: Rachel makes a list of her own, Puck shaves his head and Kurt and Brittany? She really does get around!

This was a great episode. And let me just say, for it’s first season “Glee” has managed to land first rate guest stars. From Josh Groban early on to Molly Shannon and Olivia Newton-John in this one, I am looking forward to the Joss Whedon-directed, Neil Patrick Harris-guest-starring episodes.

And maybe John Barrowman next season? Please? Producers?

And by the way, my money was still on Jesse. Is he still a double agent or not? (Okay, I missed the Madonna episode, so that may answer my question whenever I get a chance to sit down and watch it).

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.”