BerryCap 3.06 “Mash Off”: The Berry Best

Too make a short BerryCap short, let’s talk about Rachel Berry and the WMHS student council election.

So after Rachel was afraid of losing the part of Maria she entered the race for student body president (or is it senior class president? I don’t think they’ve made that clear), much to the chagrin of Kurt who had also entered the race to beef up his NYADA application.

In “Mash Off” Kurt and Rachel haven’t been friends for weeks. While preparing for the dodgeball match, Rachel approaches Kurt and very sincerely admits that she misses him. But he tells her that she should’ve thought about that before she stepped all over him on her way to the top. And while I do understand that he’s hurt, he is acting awfully entitled in these moments. Kurt really did only run to look good for NYADA and not because of the self-righteous reasons he continues to spout. Also, let’s recognize that this is Rachel who has always choose the spotlight over friends making a concession. She’s starting to realize that maybe it’s the people who you have on your way to the top that really matter.

Later, during the presidential speeches Kurt vows to ban dodgeball considering that is violent and only encourages bullying.  Also taking into account that Kurt is the only nominee never made his campaign negative (I’m not sure where Rachel went negative, but feel free to refresh my memory), Rachel decides to concede and asks everyone to cast their vote for Kurt.

In the hallway as Rachel is taking down her campaign posters (Vote For the Berry Best), Kurt asks her why she withdrew from the race. She says she should’ve done it as soon as she she was cast as the musical lead and Kurt needs the resumé boost. She was so focused on getting herself to New York that she didn’t realize that part of her dream is going there with him. It was a really smart way of making her concession not really about him but more about her, her journey, and her relationship with Kurt. They hug, she pledges to help him win, and Hummeberry is back together, ya’ll.

Rachel also has a really sweet moment with Shelby in this episode. She approaches her birth mother about a recommendation letter, considering Shelby is a championship show choir coach. Rachel has already written the letter and she only asks that Shelby sign it. Shelby lets Rachel know how proud of her she is and Shelby taking a look at Rachel’s impressive resumé, Rachel asks if maybe Shelby will writer her own version of the letter.

It’s also really nice for Rachel to get some reassurance about her future. Shelby tells Rachel her chances are good and that all the girls who beat her out on her own auditions usually graduated from NYADA. Rachel doesn’t often get much support from friends or even teacher so it’s pretty great for her to get it here. Maybe the show can evolve the Rachel/Shelby relationship into a sort of mentorship. It’s a tricky relationship to maneuver and I don’t know if Glee can handle it but we can only hope.

And that’s what you missed on Glee… or however I’m supposed to end this.

BerryCap 3.05 “The First Time”: Put a Berry On Top

There were so many spoilers surrounding this episode for the last week or more so I really thought this BerryCap was going to be cut and dry. Plenty of thoughts had been swirling around my head in the days prior but after the episode aired I was kind of at a loss for words. It was really hard for me to separate the “Berry”-ness of it all from the show’s messages about having sex but I am going to try and make a whole ‘nother post about that… eventually. So, sorry this is a week late.

“The First Time”, as the title implies, was Glee’s Big Sex Episode. Also they’re preforming West Side Story (it is notable that a full musical production could be put together before the school election. What’s up with that, McKinley?).

The musical serves as the catalyst for all the sex talk. Artie, the director, questions the chemistry between his two leads (Blaine and Tony and Rachel as Maria, natch). He, rather inappropriately, asks them about their first times and when both answer that they have yet to have sex Artie questions whether they can play a role of “sexual awakening” without being “sexually awakened” themselves. Sure.

After rehearsal, we find Rachel supervising Finn who is helping her put up campaign posters: “Put a Berry on top of student government” it reads. Ain’t that the cutest! She questions whether he has decided who he’ll vote for: Rachel or Kurt. Finn says that he is still undecided because it’s hard to vote against his brother. (I’m not really sure why the writers keep trying to push the Kurt and Finn are brothers card, because uh, we never really see them interact that much… and Finn likes to keep shooting down his “brother”‘s boyfriend but I digress.) At least he’s helping Rachel put up the posters, right? That’s progress since the last time they discussed the issue and he embarrassed her in the hallway.

Anyway, Rachel is feeling confident because she’s sold out three night of the musical, she’s tied for first place in the polls for the presidential race, and she has a boyfriend. It is a wonderful thing to see Rachel Berry happy, since it usually doesn’t last very long.

Finn mentions that an Ohio State football recruiter is coming to the game on Friday night to watch him play. Rachel is supportive even though it’s a reminder that their lives are on different paths. Finn also says that his mom and Burt are going to be out of town tonight and invites Rachel over. She’ll be there are six.

Rachel sings some duets with Santana for the musical; Finn goes to Puck for some condom advice but Puck says he doesn’t use them and it works about 99% of the time. K.

Now Finn and Rachel are sitting down to dinner at his house. He cooked; she praises it saying it was the best fake meat she’s ever had (because it wasn’t fake). She proposes a toast to the last four months of their drama-free relationship. He offers dessert of Sara Lee pound cake (which also is probably definitely not vegan) but she thinks they should take it into the living room by the fire and get a little more intimate. They share meaningful looks; I sprain an eyeball.

The couple is getting cozy by the fireplace when Finn inquires why Rachel thinks now is the right time to have sex. She’s honest; she tells him she thinks it’ll help her WSS performance, but she loves him too. Finn freaks out and leaves. Boo hoo.

Oops, I forgot to mention that Rachel brought her own condoms as “every modern girl should”. Get it, girl.

Rachel calls a meeting with the Glee girls (minus Mercedes, unfortunately) asking for advice. She tells them about what happened with Finn and they all tell her she was basically horrible. Quinn says that Rachel should just wait to have sex because virginity is something you can’t get back (woo! purity myth!). Santana also says she should wait because having sex with Finn is like “being smothered by a sweaty, out of breath sack of potatoes that someone soaked in body spray”. But Tina says that her first time with Mike was wonderful because they were “in love”. Cue “I Have a Love” playing over Tina telling them all about it and then Rachel walking slow motion down the halls of McKinley towards Finn. Barf.

It’s opening night of West Side Story and Rachel and Blaine apologize to each other for not being able lose it. They watch Santana and the others preform ‘America’ and wonder how a bunch of virgins is supposed to follow that. Because acting ability is directly correlated to the amount of sex you have and Tony and Maria don’t come out until after ‘America’?

Then Rachel has an epiphany. Really the show is about having a soul mate and since both have boyfriends they’re good to go. I’m so glad Rachel came to this realization just 2 minutes before she goes out on stage. And I find it completely ridiculous that Rachel, who has had the a strong connection to the role of Maria since she was seven would really ever think that West Side Story was even remotely about sex. Don’t you love it when Glee sacrifices characterization for some contrived plot point?

Blah blah blah, the play is great. We don’t see it, but everyone was wonderful apparently. Rachel goes over to Finn’s house. Unfortunately Finn’s mental incapacity extends to his assuredness in football and the OSU recruiter wasn’t there to see him play but there for Mercedes’ boyfriend, Shane. He has a proper meltdown about the future and having no plans or dreams since he’s not good enough to go to OSU for football or NYADA for singing (or anywhere for braininess). Rachel tells him together they’re figure out new dreams for him and then offers her virginity to him as a consolation prize. Okay, not exactly. But she does tell him he’s special because she’s “going to give him something no one else is ever going to get.” So. Kind of.

They make out and look at each other deeply and then the scene fades to black over his shoulder. And that’s it. The Big Sex Episode. Good job with that, Glee.

“The First Time” really wasn’t about sex, but about love. Gag. Actually more accurately it was about virginity. The episode pushed forward a lot of notions about that word that are frankly pretty sexist. The “losing” and “giving” and “taking” rhetoric that surround that word needs to stop and I was hoping that Glee, a self-proclaimed progressive show, might take it upon itself to debunk some of those myths. Unfortunately it wasn’t the case and I shouldn’t have had any hopes that it would be different considering that Glee really is only progressive when it comes to white males.

Maybe things will change. Maybe the new female writers haven’t shaken things up enough yet. Who knows? All I know is that Glee should stick to more comedy instead of preaching in these “very special episodes”.

BerryCap 3.04 “Pot O’ Gold”: Seeking A Rachel Berry Solo

This should be a fairly short Rachel cap considering she was in the episode for a total of five minutes. Probably not even five minutes. But a lot of stuff went down that will certainly have an impact on our girl in the future so let’s dig in.

In summary Rachel’s role was diminished to being upset about the cancellation of the musical, being excited about it not being canceled after all, and taking the brunt of Santana’s annoyance at not being featured on more solos.

Santana says she’s only had one solo (“Valerie”) so technically, by those standards, Rachel’s only had two. Yes, Lea Michele has sung more songs in Glee‘s run so far, but if we’re not taking into account audition songs and practice pieces then the only two songs that qualify as Rachel Berry competition solos are “Don’t Rain on My Parade” and “Get It Right”.

And if everyone is going to keep complaining that Rachel gets all the solos, the writers should probably give her a solo to back up those accusations. Rachel didn’t sing a line in “Pot O’ Gold” and has only participated in duets in the previous episodes this season. The girl hasn’t had a solo since “Funeral”!

I understand that Rachel is not an easy person to love. She’s eager and direct and it puts a lot of people off, including most of her Glee-mates, which is pretty sad when it’s been her objective since day one to be included. yet we sit here, 48 episodes into the series and she still hasn’t managed to win many of the Glee members over.

Moreover, Santana’s accusation of the glee club’s performances becoming “The Blaine and Rachel” show comes after a performance by Blaine. Just Blaine. Rachel didn’t do a thing besides praise his performance and she gets criticized for that. Last season when she didn’t welcome in new members she was chastised (we’re going to ignore that crackhouse business because, wow, way to make your character two-dimensional, writers), but this season many members of the glee club have been resistant to Blaine joining the glee club while Rachel has been supportive yet somehow this is wrong too.

It would be wonderful if everyone could sing equally (I can’t remember the last time I heard Quinn or Tina’s voices), but at the end of the day why is the blame placed on Rachel? Mr. Shue is the teacher and ultimately he decides what song/singer choices will benefit them the most. It is a competition and “fairness” isn’t what comes first. You wouldn’t expect a football coach to play every team member equally, so why demand it from the glee club?

Beyond the constant “Rachel Berry Show” accusations, Rachel and Kurt shared an icy little exchange in the beginning over Rachel running for president but it seemed to be mostly dramatics. During the audition of newcomer, Rory, they seemed to be on slightly better terms. Hopefully we’ll actually get some words over the issue next week.

In the closing seconds of tonight’s “Pot O’ Gold”, Rachel’s ex-boyfriend, Puck was seen locking lips with her birth mother, Shelby. While not directly involving Rachel at the moment, it’s sure to come out later in the season and, well, let’s just hope Rachel’s dads still have that therapist on retainer (and maybe Rachel should give Quinn that therapist’s number too).

From the promo following the episode, it seems like next week will be a big episode for our girl. Still no word on any solos though.

BerryCap 3.03 “Asian F”: The Rachel Berry Show

I’ve decided that each week I’m going to try to do a recap of Glee, but only focus on the story that pertains to Rachel. Let’s see if I can keep it up.

Last night’s Glee, entitled “Asian F” was touted as “Glee’s best episode ever” all week by various media sources. Except for Mike Chang’s sweet storyline about following his dreams into the musical and a bit of back-story for Emma, I cannot see how they came to this conclusion. (Spoilers to follow.)