What I’m Watching: Glee

Glee: Season 2, Episode 12 “Silly Love Songs” (B+)

I’m happy to report that I thoroughly enjoyed this second installment of “Glee” from this week, and I can even stand behind some of the logic regarding a few of the plotlines. That’s not entirely true, of course, but this episode was wholly entertaining, so I can forgive any considerable stretches of the imagination. It’s somewhat staggering to recognize just how many couples there are on this show, and I like how the jovial “previously on” segment put it: “It’s more like a love pentagon.” This episode wisely chose to spread its focus and look at a whole slew of characters, giving many supporting players a prominent spotlight. The duet between Mike and Artie was fun, and Will’s assignment to sing love songs was actually an appropriate, reasonable one. I enjoyed Puck’s courting of Lauren, and the flirting and fireworks between Quinn and Finn was absolutely magnificently done. Everyone turning against Santana was an unexpected surprise, and I liked how she both tried and succeeded to get her revenge. What worked about this episode was that it showcased high school popularity through the lens of relationships, and it’s enlightening to be reminded that Quinn once was the Queen Bee and that Finn’s status as quarterback of a winning team makes him the most popular guy in school. Kurt’s crush on Blaine was rather uncomfortable to watch in this episode due to the latter boy’s clear ignorance of this blatant truth, and while the Warblers performance in Gap was fun, it’s going to be hard to sustain having Kurt go to a different school forever, even if he does maintain occasional meet-ups with his fellow divas. In any case, this is a positive review, so let’s let that one slide.