Five Shows I Won’t Be Watching (Anymore)

There have been times in the past that I’ve abruptly given up on shows, but now, facing an ever-crowding fall TV season, I’ve made the choice to abandon five shows I had previously planned on watching regularly. Three are in their second seasons and I’ve decided I’m not willing to make the investment, and the other three are older but just aren’t headed anywhere I want to go. This doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll stop watching them (though I certainly should), but I will definitely stop reviewing effective this past week. If you think I should continue watching any of these shows, or stop watching something else (aside from “Revolution,” which I can already acknowledge I detest but will keep watching), please say so in the comments below.

1. Once Upon a Time: I was never terribly impressed with this series, giving it a consistent C+ week after week, and the season two premiere showed me that it’s only headed downhill from here. This show had a cool premise but a very lacking presentation of is ideas. I’m meagerly invested in the characters, but I’m not attached enough to any of them to stay to see what becomes of them.

2. Treme: I’m not so eager to give up on this show because I think it’s the only legitimately good series that I’m planning to stop watching. That said, if generally slow Sunday night period dramas “Hell on Wheels” and “Boardwalk Empire” can sustain my interest and this show just can’t, then I think it’s not worth sticking by this well-executed but deathly boring show.

3. 2 Broke Girls: I know I’m merely the last one to jump on the bandwagon here and declare this show obnoxious and overdone. The main thing for me is that it’s just not funny anymore. I used to laugh, and now I don’t. Kat Dennings is great, but she’ll just have to entertain the millions of viewers who watch CBS comedies now.

4. Glee: This show has become so irritating that I can’t even stand it. I liked some episodes from season one and thought it could have gone somewhere, but its new focus on the extraordinary success of two annoying graduates in New York is making me hate it more than before, and there isn’t anything left that makes it worth watching. I’ll be glad to be rid of these characters if I can truly stay away.

5. Scandal: This series gets booted mainly because of another show that deals with a similar subject and is infinitely better. The second season premiere of this so-so show paled in comparison to Starz’s excellent “Boss,” and the characters proved too broadly drawn to make it sustainable. After only eight episodes, I don’t think I’ll even remember these characters in a few months.

What shows do you plan to give up on this season?

What I’m Watching: Glee

Glee: Season 4, Episode 3 “Makeover” (D+)

I’m getting so fed up with this show that I think I’m going to have to stop watching it before it drives me insane. My first point of contention with this episode is the meteoric rise of one Kurt Hummel. Applying to an interest at Vogue.com was enough of a stretch, but he managed not only to get accepted during the interview, but also to get caught breaking in and pardoned and then invited to have his opinion heard on a regular basis by Sarah Jessica Parker’s Isabelle. To call it unrealistic and ridiculous would be too kind. Blaine’s loneliness at McKinley does seem trivial by comparison, but that’s the problem with following the graduates on their improbable and preposterous post-high school journeys. Blaine’s speedy election with vice president Sam by his side was silly as well, and it’s about time he realized that Kurt was the only reason he transferred to McKinley and left an ideal private school situation. I’d like for Sam and Brittany to get together already since little is being accomplished in the interim. Will’s potential departure would likely be a good thing for the show, but I’m not sure exactly who or what would replace him, since the idea of Sue running the glee club does not appeal at all. Rachel offering to cook Brody dinner was so monumentally stupid, especially if she didn’t want to start a romance with him, and he totally went back on his word right away by kissing her less than thirty seconds after claiming that he wanted things to stay platonic. Finn’s arrival at that exact moment couldn’t have been more choreographed, and I’m only mildly curious to find out what comes next.

What I’m Watching: Glee

Glee: Season 4, Episode 2 “Britney 2.0” (C-)

This episode doesn’t exactly provide reassurance that this show can still be saved. Reusing a past plotline – Britney – isn’t awful in theory, but it comes from out of nowhere, with no present-tense relevance. To think that Rachel would stage her sex-appeal show to “Oops I Did It Again” is even more preposterous. The giant warehouse Kurt and Rachel are now renting in Brooklyn should provide them with many unrelated adventures, the first of which was the smooch between Brody and Rachel, which sure didn’t take long. Seeing Cassie’s YouTube-captured meltdown and Rachel bringing it up in front of her wasn’t terribly dramatic, and it might be worthwhile to see a broader picture of the school rather than just the one class if Rachel is going to continue to be such a prominent player on the show. A quick visit from Puck and a Skype shot of Santana isn’t going to suffice for following the lives of the other graduates, and things aren’t much more interesting at home in Lima. Brittany’s downward slope wasn’t engaging, and the only part of it that was decently effective was seeing Sam reach out to her as a friend. Far better was the dynamic between and performances by Marley and Jake. It’s a shame that Jake has been painted as such a womanizing bonehead that he can’t tell that dating Kitty when Marley clearly likes him is a bad idea, but this show has never been about doing the smart or right thing, at least not right away.

What I’m Watching: Glee (Season Premiere)

Glee: Season 4, Episode 1 “The New Rachel” (C-)

There’s a certain point at which shows have run their course, and it’s really best if those behind the show are aware of that fact. Similarly, characters can often take on the personalities of their show, as is the case with this series, which was all about underdogs to begin with and now is enjoying great popularity. Some of its more genuine characters, like Tina and Blaine, have begun to become aware of that, acting like they’re way too cool for school and thinking that they can replace Rachel while she’s at college. In one sense, it would be better for Rachel to be forgotten about altogether and not replaced, but it’s also hard to root for any of the supposed candidates for her slot since none of them were ever featured enough to be a true contender. There’s a heavy focus on both Rachel, getting taken down a peg on an hourly basis by a cruel Kate Hudson, and Kurt, who gets to go to New York City without a job just to see if he can make it there, while Finn, Santana, Puck, and Quinn are entirely omitted from the premiere. This show was supposed to be about following your dreams in Lima, Ohio, and setting half the show in New York City to follow just two characters is frustrating. Dean Geyer, best remembered as wannabe lunar accountant Mark Reynolds from “Terra Nova,” is being too obviously positioned as a force to come between Rachel and Finn, and his standing ovation complete with thunderous applause for Rachel’s solo was cringe-worthy. Back at McKinley, the new characters are overly unspecific tropes – the good girl and the bad boy – while personalities like Unique overwhelm all of the attention. It’s hard to imagine where this show is heading since it’s splitting off into so many irritating directions, and while I don’t see myself abandoning it just yet, I’m not just how much more I’ll be able to tolerate.

What I’m Watching: Glee (Season Finale)

Glee: Season 3, Episode 22 “Goodbye” (B-)

This finale tried hard to deliver the perfect sendoff for a handful of its characters, but, after last week’s spectacle of a victory, it felt kind of underwhelming. That may be due to the fact that the show isn’t eager to let its graduating characters go, and creator Ryan Murphy has even said that he plans to continue following some of the graduates in New York next year. That explains why Rachel has to take a midday train to New York instead of going to graduation parties so that she can burst out of Grand Central (not sure what train from Ohio got her to that particular station) and take in being in the big city. It does a disservice to the rest of the show’s ensemble that has eclipsed Rachel over the last two seasons. Brittany deciding that she won’t graduate because she has a 0.0 GPA is tossed aside as a comedic moment, and Kurt not getting into NYADA puts his future in extreme jeopardy, especially after his father danced to “All the Single Ladies” for him as a parting graduation present. Puck passing his test is really the only silver lining of the hour, since Rachel’s departure for New York means her separation from Finn as he prepares to go join the army. After an inconsistent season, this show feels more disjointed than ever before, and it’s hard to imagine that having a whole separate plotline in New York is going to improve the show, which will air on Thursday nights this fall.

Season grade: C+
Season MVP: Naya Rivera as Santana

What I’m Watching: Glee

Glee: Season 3, Episodes 20 & 21 “Props” & “Nationals” (C+/B-)

This double-decker of episodes came just as nearly every show is ending and this one airs its finale next week. The first episode described itself well by having Rachel tell Tina that her sudden interest in speaking up was awfully randomly-timed, since the genesis for such an episode was truly random. I imagine a whole lot of effort when into Tina’s dream in which each character had someone else’s face, and it was only mildly effective, with more effort clearly put into some body switches than into others. I felt the same way about having Lindsay Lohan and Perez Hilton guest star in the second hour, which must have cost a fortune and added nothing to the show. I’m glad that Sue’s efforts to get Kurt to cross-dress like Unique were unsuccessful, and crowning her MVP while giving New Directions the top trophy was a perfect compromise. Carmen Tibideaux arriving in the middle of Rachel’s performance was more than corny, and Jesse putting in a good word for her just so that she’d remember his failed audition didn’t add up. It was still fun to see New Directions win the trophy and then get to announce Will as Teacher of the Year, and singing “We Are the Champions” only dampened their modesty a little. Bieste finally leaving Cooter and Emma and Will finally having sex were decent subplots on this show that’s headed full force towards graduation, and a fourth season that hopefully won’t suck since the New Directions will look much different after their best and somewhat brightest head off to college.

What I'm Watching: Glee

Glee: Season 3, Episode 19 “Prom-asaurus” (C+)

There’s nothing like prom to make all the problems in the world go away. Brittany’s presidency kicked into full gear as she visited her appallingly strange beliefs on the school, deciding on dinosaurs as the theme for prom. Among her most compelling declarations were that a “Stairway to Heaven” theme would necessitate escalators to heaven, and that hair gel should be banned since it wasn’t invented until thirty million years after dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Rachel, Blaine, Kurt, Puck, and Becky were an odd crew to ditch the prom, and it’s no surprise that they eventually made their way back to McKinley to celebrate with their peers. Becky and Puck’s game of strip poker ended much better than I might have anticipated, and I enjoyed seeing Becky distract Sue so that Puck could spike the punch. Rachel being upset about the possibility of Finn and Quinn being crowned Prom King and Prom Queen together was understandable, though I don’t think it merited Santana and Quinn stuffing metaphorically stuffing the ballot boxes and declaring her the victor. Finn’s anger about Quinn being able to walk again made sense given the attitude she’s putting forth, and her regained ability once again proves that this show likes to sweep all of its problems under the rug and present the happiest ending possible. Sam and Mercedes concluding that everyone was happy was another such example. Kurt’s Prom Queen title being invoked even felt okay, stressing the notion that time, prom, and especially music heal all wounds. The big performances by Brittany, Santana, Joe, and Quinn were pretty terrific, I’ll admit.

What I’m Watching: Glee

Glee: Season 3, Episode 18 “Choke” (C+)

Those that don’t like it when this show feels too preachy will not be content with this episode at all. It boasted two deafening lessons in morality, one about domestic violence and the other about the importance of graduating high school. The casual jokes about Bieste’s injuries resulted in some deserved scolding from Sue and Roz, who finally got to agree about something, and the real kicker was the strong and shocking reveal that Bieste was in fact the victim of domestic violence, as spliced into the performance of “Cell Block Tango,” which was well-done but hardly appropriate for a high school performance. Finn’s elaborate plan to kidnap Puck and scare him straight was amusing, and it felt forced to have Puck’s father suddenly appear out of nowhere and teach him that graduation is crucial. Bieste moving in with her sister and Puck failing his test, coupled with Rachel’s botched audition, made for a horribly depressing episode. Kurt’s creativity proved effective as he wowed Whoopi Goldberg’s straight-faced judge, and it’s hard to believe that eternal performer Rachel would choke for the first time during the most important performance of her life. That twist throws a definite wrench in her future plans, and puts her path in serious jeopardy. The show’s characters seem fully aware that their time is coming, and graduation is only four hours away. It’s hard to tell what this show will be like once half the cast leaves, and, though I’m hardly impressed on a regular basis, I’m curious to see where it goes.

What I’m Watching: Glee

Glee: Season 3, Episode 17 “Dance with Somebody” (C)

I’m all for tributes to Whitney Houston, though I’ve never been too knowledgeable about her music, but this show really needs to improve its plot if it’s going to aim so high with the music. The notion that Whitney’s death was like Princess Diana’s death for these kids is an intriguing one, though I’m not sure the comparison stands for the greater populace. Everyone’s definitely starting to feel like the end is near, and it’s hard to imagine what the show’s going to look like if characters start going in and out a revolving door. Joe talking to Sam about Quinn is the ultimate example of the show going through so many changes, as Sam was an import who stopped by as a recurring guest star long after the show had already established itself. The moral that Christianity is outdated and has to be modified to accommodate modern temptations is a strange one to include alongside Quinn and her struggle to deal with handicapped life. Kurt’s painfully obvious flirtation with a cute guy was inexcusable, and his treatment of Blaine was harsh. Of course, just like Burt, Blaine was only being distant because he doesn’t want Kurt to leave, and though he’s become less central this season, his absence is going to be felt once he does (not necessarily inevitably) depart. Will trying to move up his wedding so that the glee club members can attend is inappropriate, and something tells me that this crew would manage to make it back to Ohio to attend their mentor’s big day.

What I’m Watching: Glee

Glee: Season 3, Episode 16 “Saturday Night Glee-ver” (C+)

I suppose it’s a good a time as any to do disco. Starting with Blaine tapping his foot in class and walking out to just go nuts and dance has an appeal, since this show sometime stalls, and its musical numbers help rescue it from slumps. This episode, however, was all over the place, and while the theme was that no one knew what was ahead, it felt extremely discombobulated. Will’s selection of Finn, Mercedes, and Santana seemed somewhat random, as Emma doesn’t seem to be doing all that much as a guidance counselor since half the school has apparently forgotten to start thinking about their futures. Using the “Saturday Night Fever” suit to encourage enthusiasm was a decent ploy, and it’s good to see Sue working with Will to get them excited about what the students perceive as a long-since-trendy fad. Finn making his decision to go with Rachel was sweet, and I’m sure they’ll have plenty of bumps along the way to go. Brittany released Santana’s sex tape was a bit extreme and rather poorly-handled, but I suppose a cheerleading scholarship fixes everything (not quite). The introduction of the latest random new character brought in from “The Glee Project” was intriguing, the cross-dressing Unique, who so infuriated Jesse St. James during his performance but whose fellow team members didn’t seem to mind or even notice that he was garbed in women’s clothing. Characters from other schools can only be so involved in this show, but I suspect that Unique will return and play a bigger part soon.

What I’m Watching: Glee

Glee: Season 3, Episode 15 “Big Brother” (B)

If there exists an award for perfect casting, it should go to whoever had the brilliant idea to have Matthew Bomer play Blaine’s brother. He has a terrific screen presence on “White Collar,” and here he charms effortlessly as Blaine’s celebrity commercial star Cooper Anderson. It’s understandable that Blaine would have some sibling superiority issues with him, and those were evident in the master class and even in their first performance, but that’s all worth it for their sensational duets. I wasn’t as keen on the sing-speaking that launched Blaine’s solo song as he was fighting with Cooper, and, however entertaining it may have been, invoking “NCIS,” a show on another unrelated network, was a bit random. Cooper recommending that people not go to college and not go to New York was more than a little surprising, but there are other more pressing problems circling for everyone to grasp. Quinn’s wheelchair state serves as a cautionary tale for the dangers of texting while driving, but it turned unnecessarily preachy in the middle when Quinn insisted that Finn stop texting while walking. Ultimately, it’s likely to be a dramatic plotline, as Quinn seems so set that she’s going to regain the use of her legs and her normal life, despite warnings from Artie and Joe. Finn and Rachel’s argument about where their futures are headed is likely to persist as an issue, and it’s unclear whether or not they’ll be able to whether it. Sue’s pregnancy news was unexpected, but she handled it well, especially in her scene with Becky and I suppose that if this pregnancy plotline is going to be taken seriously, better it be dramatic than overly comedic.

What I’m Watching: Glee

Glee: Season 3, Episode 14 “On My Way” (B-)

Let’s start from the beginning. I still don’t understand why Sebastian is a featured character on this show, and this episode was particularly manipulative in terms of his character because of his initial threat of posting a doctored photo of Finn on the internet and his almost immediate three-sixty shift to playing nice following Karofsky’s suicide attempt. He’s an inconsistent character who wouldn’t seem likely to be influenced by a cruel remark made to Karofsky after purposely throwing rock salt into Blaine’s eyes. Pairing his preparation with Blaine singing was an interesting but relatively effective choice. Kurt’s closing pep talk to Karofsky was fairly inspiring, and it’s great to see them move forward positively after all their negative interactions in the past. Regionals was full of great performances from all involved, and it’s nice that New Directions can get so excited after the show has now repositioned them as the frontrunners rather than the dark horses. Sue telling Quinn about her pregnancy and her admiration for her, followed by her invitation to rejoin the Cheerios, was a familiar trope in which a character is seemingly headed for redemption, only to have it all taken away by something like texting while driving. I don’t think that anyone is going to find out before Finn and Rachel tie the knot, much to their parents’ chagrin, but it’s sure to impact everyone in a big way once the news breaks. I’m not yet sure whether this development is a stunt or if it will help strengthen the show, and we’ll have to see how that plays out in coming weeks.

What I’m Watching: Glee

Glee: Season 3, Episode 13 “Heart” (B)

This episode was a whole lot of fun, but, as usual, I have to take issue with some of the progress in the plotlines. To start with the good, I enjoyed the focus on Sugar and her Valentine’s Day bash at Breadsticks. Having Artie and Rory battle for her affection was a blast, and their performances were both highly entertaining. As soon as Rory announced to everyone that he wasn’t able to renew his visa, I thought that was the certain end of his arc on this show, but it seems that it may just have been a ploy to try to get with Sugar. His departure would be timed perfectly with the arrival of another winner of “The Glee Project,” Samuel Larsen, here to play God Squad singer Joe. Aside from the convenience of having a new kid in town, I have to commend the show for rather seamlessly incorporating these arranged guest stars into the universe of the show. Finn and Rachel’s engagement announcement was met with expected hostility, and it was fun to see Rachel’s dads trying to scare them into getting too close and then having a big fight. I still don’t think they’ll ultimately work out, but it’s a relationship work watching. It seems that Mercedes and Sam’s time is up, but what a way to go out! I liked Mike and Tina’s performance of “L.O.V.E.” and the vocal valentines were a blast too. It’s sweet that Santana and Brittany were able to have their relationship recognized enough not to be stifled by Figgins. I do have to really object to Karofsky courting Kurt since it’s such a character shift, and it wouldn’t kill Kurt to be just a little less clueless. The Whitney Houston dedication was a nice emotional touch on which to end the episode.

What I’m Watching: Glee

Glee: Season 3, Episode 12 “The Spanish Teacher” (B)

This show has had its share of big-name guest stars, and I’m happy to report that is among the better of those installments. Though it’s a bit hard to believe that Will is so terrible at Spanish that he doesn’t understand the meanings of basic words, it was fun to have Ricky Martin on board for an hour as former tooth model and current night Spanish teacher David Martinez. Giving him the chance to perform to “show them how it’s done” was a convenient treat, and his duet with Santana worked well too. This episode was a decent examination of each person’s passion and how that truly drives them, and I think that it’s great that Emma was the one to receive the tenured position. It’s hard to have any sympathy for Will when, like usual, he’s only thinking of himself and being cruel to Emma. His half-hearted pamphlets hardly seem like a fitting apology, but I suppose she’s not nice to anyone being nice to her, so she’ll take affection realized too late. Emma also had a good solution ready for Sam and Mercedes, and it appears that their week off from each other just resulted in Mercedes going to lunch with her current boyfriend as usual. Sue’s baby dreams incurred some mean comments from more than one person, and what I enjoyed most about that plotline was her description of her future child as either Little Sue or Little Sylvester. It shouldn’t be long before Finn and Rachel’s engagement comes to light, and based on the reaction from Mercedes and Kurt, I don’t imagine it will be positive from most.

What I’m Watching: Glee

Glee: Season 3, Episode 11 “Michael” (C)

It’s strange to have these themes of college and marriage couched in an episode that’s supposed to be all about Michael Jackson. I’m not overly familiar with Jackson’s entire repertoire, so this episode was only mildly amusing in that respect for me. What was most concerning, however, is the fact that Blaine had to get eye surgery and no one felt the need to tell a grown-up that Sebastian purposely attacked him with a rock salt-spiked slushie. This goes far beyond any issues of fair competition and winning competitions with musical spirit – Sebastian seriously injured him, and the fact that everyone is treating their not reporting him as “taking the high road” is very much flawed. In terms of characters, Sebastian was always aggressive, flirting with Blaine right in front of Kurt after telling him he’d be fine cheating, but for him to be so physically violent and rude doesn’t quite track. The Warblers were never such a nemesis for New Directions, and despite their impressive skills, I think they’re among the weaker competition that the group has had in terms of storytelling. Santana is definitely good to defend any of her wronged friends, and Artie did a great job of that as well. I enjoyed Puck’s comment that Blaine was like a modern day eggs benedict. Quinn managed to pull herself together and get into Yale, which is a positive development, while Kurt and Rachel are still in the running for NYADA and have more hurdles to overcome later. Hopefully Finn’s impulsive proposal and Rachel’s acceptance won’t lead to their undoing now that she still has her sights set on NYC.

What I’m Watching: Glee

Glee: Season 3, Episode 10 “Yes/No” (B-)

I feel like this show is constantly at war with itself, unsure of whether it wants to tell compelling stories or to be a rocking musical. This episode was above average in some ways in that it spun some intriguing tales, yet I’m not sure overall that it was terribly uneven, throwing in some unexpected and unsupportable twists to create intriguing drama. Coach Bieste eloping puts a pin in that particular plotline without really showing us the run-up to it, and serves only as a way to introduce the idea of marriage to Emma, who did a marvelous job with her marriage number. It’s not often enough that we get to see and hear her sing. Will’s decision to propose was nice, and I’m glad that he ultimately went through it with a romantic and choreographed performance, since it seemed for a bit like his resolve was going to be damaged by her obnoxious parents. Love was in the air for everyone, starting with Mercedes and Sam, who performed a fun update of “Summer Lovin’” from “Grease.” That’s another thing we never really got to see, with Sam and Mercedes suddenly dating before he suddenly left and then her new relationship started without any background either. Becky, whose life is apparently narrated by Helen Mirren, took center stage in a way that she never has before as she went for Artie, and it’s nice to see that Sue is capable of being kind when the occasion calls for it, as opposed to when she was hurling insults at Artie. Finn’s interest in the Army and subsequent proposal to Rachel felt awfully rushed and from out of nowhere, though I made the mistake of visiting TVGuide.com this morning and the proposal had been spoiled on their home page. I think that Will needs to stop asking students to be his best man and these kids need to remember that they’re still in high school.

What I’m Watching: Glee

Glee: Season 3, Episode 9 “Extraordinary Merry Christmas” (B-)

This episode was fun in a lot of ways, mainly for some of the song choices, but it was also rather peculiar. The main thing that was strange was the black-and-white movie directed by Artie and basely loosely on the concept of the “Star Wars Holiday Special,” widely known to be one of the most horrendous things ever produced (though admittedly I’ve never seen it). It was fun to see Blaine and Kurt singing “Let It Snow” and fitting in quite well to their homey surroundings, though at the same time, it was flat-out strange. Mercedes and Rachel stuck out a bit more, though their rendition of “My Favorite Things” was pleasant, and Finn and Puck were amusing dressed up as Luke and Han, with no copyright infringement intended. Ultimately, this show likes to spotlight its special guest stars, which is why Rory and Sam get much more screen time than others, deciding that sad things are okay to help remember Christmas and that they should celebrate the holidays together. Rachel’s list of suggested gifts to Finn was a bit too unbearable, and getting her a pig wasn’t smart. Getting her a star named after himself because there’s already a star named Rachel Berry was overwhelmingly sappy but just the kind of thing Finn might do. Sue’s desire to have the kids volunteer with her makes some sense given her sister’s absence, but her character is so rarely featured on this show that to have her be mainly nice for an hour seems like a waste. Blaine’s excitement at being called a young Burt Reynolds, however, was priceless.

What I’m Watching: Glee

Glee: Season 3, Episode 8 “Hold On to Sixteen” (C+)

There’s something about this Sectionals competition that feels extremely rushed and put together at the last moment. While it’s enjoyable to see Sam’s Trouty Mouth again, bringing him back from across state lines feels like a stunt, and more one the show would pull than just one the New Directions would. His return exposes some deeper problems with the show, such as how Mercedes’ promotion to the top spot in a new group has meant that she’s barely on the show, and that the glee club really isn’t together at all. It was good to see Blaine stand up to Finn, but everyone seems to make peace awfully quickly. That’s especially true of Rachel and Quinn, who are sharing secrets now and encouraging each other, and somehow Shelby managed to convince Quinn that what she did with Puck wasn’t exactly wrong, and that it’s more about making the most of your high school years. I’m glad to see Mike’s father realize, thanks to Tina, that dancing is Mike’s passion, going so far as to encourage him to apply to whatever dancing school he’d like, but that plotline was ruined for me when Tina said that she had already sent in applications to schools on his behalf. That’s a bit too much to believe, and the show could have done without it. There’s nothing like a Sectionals finish without a hokey and mostly unprompted reunion between the two groups as they make peace and move on to whatever the next big competition or social hurdle may be.

What I’m Watching: Glee

Glee: Season 3, Episode 7 “I Kissed a Girl” (B-)

This episode is an improvement over last week’s hour, choosing to have its characters embrace the positive in diversity and move forward strongly with their lives. The all-female rendition of “I Kissed a Girl” in response to one particularly smarmy guy was particularly effective, and Santana got a lot to do in this hour that utilized her talents well, first acting in an entirely standoffish manner, and then displaying some true emotion and embracing her newly revealed lifestyle, in the face of harshness from a close family member. It was extremely sad to see Coach Bieste’s one true love ditch her in favor of Sue, and I’m glad that she’s decided not to give up, especially since it gives the adults on this show something productive to do. This was our first glimpse of Dot Marie-Jones singing, and it was a fairly effective performance. The results of the election are nothing too surprising, and Rachel trying to help Kurt win by stuffing the ballot box wasn’t entirely shocking either. Her not being able to compete at Sectionals feels somewhat fitting given the ever-decreasing role she’s had on this show as time has gone on, and I’m sure that they’ll be fine without her. I’m most worried about what Quinn is going to do with the information that Puck stupidly shared with her. The one to blame is really Shelby, who shouldn’t have called a student during school hours to come to the hospital and then slept with him. I doubt Idina Menzel will be sticking around for much longer at this point.

What I’m Watching: Glee

Glee: Season 3, Episode 6 “Mash Off” (C+)

After an episode all about love and waiting for the right time, now we have an installment about the power of words. While Sue’s over-the-top campaigns were actually quite funny, the show somehow crossed a line somewhere in the middle with the sudden involvement of Santana’s sexuality and Burt coming in to address the situation with Sue. Speaking of elections, Rachel withdrawing from the race in the middle of her speech felt a bit forced, and I’m surprised that Kurt isn’t more offended since she essentially boiled it down to doing him a favor so that he’d have something to put on his college application. Mercedes is becoming far too much of a diva, and I think she worked better on the show in a supporting capacity rather than her new leadership position which for some reason included staff member Shelby in the vote. Finn and Santana have never been meaner to each other, and I think they both took it way too far, resulting in Santana getting extremely hurt and taking out her fury on him. I do hope that Puck’s crush on Shelby won’t head anywhere beyond where it’s already gone, and, for that matter, Shelby sticking around for a while might not be the best idea. Quinn is not going to take being cut off from her daughter well, and the mash off was hardly as interesting or exciting as it should have been. Hurtful words aside, there’s too little competition, and the clubs seem a bit too tranquil to each other, musically speaking.