What I’m Watching: Glee

Glee: Season 1, Episode 10 “Ballad” (B+)

After receiving a comment from reader Richter Scale on my review of last week’s episode, I’ve decided to go into this show each week with a focus on entertainment and the best things this show has to offer. As a result, I think I enjoyed this installment more than some of the recent ones (thanks!). Putting Kurt and Finn together is probably what people really want to see, and I’ll admit that it’s enjoyable to hear Kurt proclaim his adoration for Finn via voiceover while still being a good friend and helping him try to be an able father and boyfriend to Quinn, even at the risk of his own happiness. His frequent implications that girls just make everything complicated are entertaining, though he’d be better served to hit Finn over the head with a mallet to get his point across. Unfortunately, Finn isn’t too subtle with his very overt ballad, and the consequences of his confession result in his being even more closely united with Quinn. Casting Gregg Henry as her father was great, and it’s always fantastic to have him on a show, even if he’s playing drama rather than comedy (see “The Riches” for excellent instances of both). Rachel falling for Will isn’t too spectacular, though the combination of her narration, the Pepper flashbacks, and Terri using her as a maid make it work. Emma’s awe-struck reaction to Will’s attempt to send a message to Rachel wasn’t helpful for Will but was really funny – “You’re a very good performer! He’s very good!” – and it’s nice to see her on the show, even if only for a moment. The staff really is taking a backseat to what Mercedes hilariously deems “Babygate,” and Sue doesn’t even appear in this episode. Fortunately, there are plenty of new interactions which make up for that. Mercedes and Puck bonding is just one of those, and her aggressive declaration of “get something through your Mohawk” was hilarious. The episode’s strongest asset was singing itself out with a great performance of “Lean on Me,” and seeing Artie get a few solos was nice. This show knows how to save the best for last and close out the episode on a high note.