What I’m Watching: Glee

Glee: Season 1, Episode 15 “The Power of Madonna” (B+)

While a tribute episode to Madonna doesn’t particularly excite me personally, it does prove that these kids can really sing. Hearing Rachel belt out the opening to “Like a Prayer” is simply magnificent (check out the clip embedded below), and that’s one of the moments I’ll now think of all the time when I think about this show. Giving Sue a chance to shine is also fun, and her performance was quite hilarious. She definitely made more cruel jokes about Will’s hair than ever before, and he even tried to respond with a lame comeback about her hairstyle. What was particularly cool about the storyline of this episode, even if it was hopelessly non-diegetic (I know that’s not what we’re going for here – what happens in the midst of a song isn’t supposed to be interpreted as real; just noting it), were the parallel plotlines with the three couples, each with one member waiting nervously to be deflowered by another party. Even more interesting was the way they all panned out, with Rachel not being ready and later changing her mind, Finn going through with it but saying that he didn’t feel anything because it didn’t mean anything, and Emma not being ready either, but having Will be completely okay with that. The decision of Kurt and Mercedes to join the Cheerios is a bit of an odd though entertaining one, and that can’t last for too long. Giving Arty and Tina some amusing scenes was a nice treat, and the whole theme of men treating women with respect was highly enjoyable.