twitter.comThis entire Glee-Dux will be devoted to the return of Jonathan Groff. Nothing else happened, right?
Oh, I'm kidding. Of course I'll be covering the entire prom episode. How can I not? So much transpired, and I can hardly wait to dive in and pick apart all these new developments! In fact, let's not waste another second. Wait. I'm going to re-watch "Rolling in the Deep" one more time and then we can start…
WHAT WE LEARNED
Sue Is Still the Enemy: Whenever Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) is involved with the beginning of an episode, it just makes everything that follows a wee bit better. I laughed out loud when Sue requested that the glee club apologize to America for covering "Run Joey Run." Of course, that song was Rachel's (Lea Michele) first suggestion when Will announced that New Directions was performing at prom. And as you saw, those prom numbers were loaded with looks, poignant lyrics and double meanings.
Jonathan Groff Shows Us How to Make an Entrance: Who else got all warm and tingly when The Groff busted in on Rachel singing "Rolling in the Deep"? Especially when he growled this line: "Don't underestimate the things that I will do." C'mon! That was so an invitation for me to see what he could do. If you follow me on Twitter, you know I was freaking out about this number as soon as the low quality audio hit the net. But the actual scene was so much better. God bless you Ryan Murphy for bringing Jesse St. James back. He just adds a certain…something to Glee. The Groff is here and nothing hurts.
T-Glee-I-F: So, Glee's version of Rebecca Black's "Friday" is much catchier than the original. This is a fact. I mean, it didn't cause any hives or twitches like it usually does when I hear that song! I actually enjoyed the number! That's the magic of New Directions, I guess. The perfect performance to kick off prom, right?
A Step Forward for Brittana: I kept telling my Brittany-Santana fans to have a little faith during the last couple episodes, and that scene between the two of them after Santana (Naya Rivera) lost prom queen is exactly what I'm talking about. It wasn't the kiss and makeup we all hoped for, but you have to admit, it was very endearing for Brittany (Heather Morris) to support Santana and tell her to get back out there and support Kurt at the same time. Hey, at least it wasn't a step back. Still, even though Brittany flat out refused Artie's (Kevin McHale) prom invitation, the sight of them dancing at the end of the episode could mean reconciliation ahead for those two.
And Your Prom King and Queen Are: King and King? Well, if you indulged in the Glee Prom Spoilers Twittergate 2011 back in April, then you are well aware that Kurt (Chris Colfer) and Karofsky (Max Adler) were going to be crowned King and King. If you managed to avoid all those spoilers, then you are probably a ninja of some kind, and we salute you. Chris Colfer's wordless reaction to the result was positively heartbreaking, but we could hardly stand to see him finally break down and admit that the hate from the school was just too much. In the end, he found the strength to go back in there and stand shoulder to shoulder with the very man who bullied him. And even though Karofsky tearfully apologized to Kurt about what he did, he still wasn't ready to come out, and he left Kurt stranded on the dance floor. Thankfully, Blaine was there to swoop in and dance with his beloved. Darren Criss, where would we be without your endless charm?
The Best Double Date We Never Knew We Wanted: Rachel, Mercedes (Amber Riley), Jesse and Sam (Chord Overstreet) made a foursome that I could not have loved more. Whether it was just a sweet scene between Rachel, Amber and Sam about prom on a budget, or the preprom dinner at Breadsticks (where else?), this group date was a crazy amount of fun. Especially since the presence of Jesse led to…
Oh Hey, Superjealous Finn: It started with Finn (Cory Monteith) telling Rachel he still cares about her and that he doesn't trust Jesse. Then it led to smack-talking at Breadsticks. Finally, the sight of Jesse dancing and kissing up on Rachel led to an all-out brawl between the boys. Well, it was more lots of pushing and one swing, but still. We don't blame Finn for hating Jesse after what he did to Rachel and the glee club, but Rachel was right. He lost the right to be mad about who she's dating when he broke up with her.
The Slap Heard Round the Net: Even though we knew it was coming, Quinn (Dianna Agron) slapping Rachel wasn't any less hard-hitting. No pun intended. OK, pun kind of intended. Anyway, Quinn is so upset about the stress of being pretty that she wants to transfer. Remember when I said what follows the slap was even more shocking? Yeah, Quinn wants out. And as you saw in the promo, it now could mean just out of glee club instead. But forget all that for a moment, because how sweet was Rachel helping Quinn mop up her tears? Also, isn't it just perfect that Rachel wasn't even mad about the slap because she loved the drama? I really do love that crazy girl.
Loaded Looks Every Which Way: Rachel's absolutely beautiful performance of "Jar of Hearts" was pretty much sung directly to Finn. And based on the looks exchanged between the two, they were both feeling the pain. Regret? Anger? Lovesick? I saw a little bit of all that in each of their eyes. Then again, I see angels, rainbows and world peace in the eyes of Jonathan Groff, so, there is that.
Big Ups to the Whole Cast: I just want to applaud the entire cast for making this episode both fun and full of emotional depth. I loved seeing Burt (Mike O'Malley ), Finn, Blaine and Kurt were hanging out and talking about tuxes, but that scene quickly turned into much more than just prom ensembles. It's the jumps from quirky to heavy that make Glee special, and I love watching the cast handle so much in one scene. Side note: Sue is her own dentist, and that's also awesome.
Rewind Moment: Some homeboy had a bluetooth in his ear while dancing with his date. Who are you talking to, man?
ONE-LINERS
"William, I'm devastated, positively horny with grief."—Sue
"I'm just going to dance. And then all your dates are going to ignore you and come dance with me. So, your dates are really my dates." —Brittany
"I am crazy about you." —Blaine
"They must have sensed I was a lesbian. Do I smell like a golf course?" —Santana
"Dude, that rocks! It's like gay Braveheart." —Finn
"When I'm done rehearsing, I'd like your feedback. Tell me if I was brilliant or simply outstanding." —Rachel
"They say that the best time to start any business is during a recession. I don't know why or even what a recession is, but it's my understanding that we're in one." —Jesse
"I'm going to show them that it doesn't matter if they are yelling at me or whispering behind my back, they can't touch me. They can't touch us or what we have." —Kurt
WHAT LIES AHEAD
New Directions Lights Up the World: In case you somehow missed our boy Ryan Seacrest premiering an all new original track from Nationals, be sure to check it out posthaste! The song is called "Light Up the World," and I can only assume you'll be putting it on your workout play list after the first listen. It's quite the upbeat jam.
I Continue to Be Cryptic: I love Finchel fans because they are so happy to be getting any kind of info on their favorite couple, even when it's confusing and very vague. I know that the item in Spoiler Chat yesterday cleared it up a bit more, and I promise, things will be crystal clear by the end of the finale. And by that I mean Finn and Rachel enthusiasts will finally understand all the clues I've been giving them. However, other things won't be crystal clear, and we might have to wait until season three for more answers. Another cryptic hint? I know, you hate me. I don't do it to torture you guys...I do it to save some of the joy of watching the surprises unfold for yourself!
New York, New Song: New Directions isn't the only one busting out in original songs. Matthew Morrison will be singing "Still Got Tonight," a song from his new album in the Glee finale. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Mr. Schuester will sing it all alone on an empty stage while in New York. Perhaps an ode to his ever present dream to be on Broadway?
Tears. Just Lots of Tears: From what I hear, a lot of the actors cried while recording some of the songs for next week's episode, titled "Funeral." This Glee death will definitely not be the same as the death of Pavarotti in "Regionals." And let's not forget that the fan base of a certain couple will not like this episode one bit. I anticipate lots o' tears and sniffles for a couple different reasons next week. Fortunately, Mike O'Malley is here to assure us it is not his character that's dying. "I'm just glad a secret didn't leak out that I was dying. Whenever you hear that someone is going to get killed off, everyone in the Glee cast worries that they are the one to get killed off," he tell us before jokingly adding: "All of us are going to die one day, but I hope it's not at least until season nine."
Well, what did everyone think of Glee's take on prom? For those who have already been, was it better than your high school prom? And yes, I will join you all in squealing over The Groff's big return. See you all in the comments!