Adam Rose/FOX Yay, Christmas!
Glee gave us a gift of an episode tonight, and it was full of good will and great cheer. And plenty of festive songs that put us right in the mood for the holiday season. In fact, you might as well just quit working/schooling now because according to Glee, it's time for Christmas!
WHAT WE LEARNED
Black-and-White Makes Everything Better: Was it just because the look was so retro, or was that holiday special within a holiday special extra delightful? How could you not smile as Kurt (Chris Colfer) and Blaine (Darren Criss) welcomed us into their home for a little visit? Each minute was cheesier than the last, and we couldn't possibly pick which number to favor, but it doesn't even matter! New Directions showed us the right way to celebrate the holidays: good songs, good friends and Star Wars characters. Oh, and Cheerios dancing round in revealing outfits, of course.
Glee Can Still Teach a Lesson: Yes, the holidays are all about spending time with loved ones and singing catchy songs, but this is also the time to think about those in need, like Sam (Chord Overstreet) and Rory (Damian McGinty) did. And while we certainly enjoyed the Glee holiday special (see above), we thought the scene in the homeless shelter with all of New Directions was particularly heartwarming. All it took was a quick convo between Sam and Quinn (Dianna Agron) to remind us that not everyone has the means to have a good holiday. And if we can get some good Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) lines out of the same scene, then that's the best Glee gift we can think of. Oh! And Emma (Jayma Mays) made a quick appearance! We miss you, Miss Pillsbury. Of course, something tells us we'll be seeing a lot more of you real soon. And in case you didn't hear, Glee will donate 100 percent of the sales of the "Do They Know It's Christmas?" single to the Band Aid Trust.
A New Bromance Is Born: Damian did tell us that he and Sam bond over being away from their families, but we had no idea it would this bromantic. Especially since Rory also wanted Sam to be his Valentine's Day sponsor as well. We know there are people out there who are still convinced that Sam is gay, so we know they are taking this bromance and running with it all the way to the speculation bank.
Finchel Continue to Warm Our Hearts: How cute was Finn's gift to his girl? What'd we tell you? Not the pig, although we did adore how Rachel took a liking to it and named it Barbra. It wasn't the star that we loved the best; it was the fact that he named it Finn Hudson because there was already a star named Rachel Berry. And sure, Kurt and Blaine's gift-exchange scene might have been cut for time so we don't really have anything to compare it to, but when Finchel decided to give back instead of indulging in materialistic items, they just zoomed to the top of our nice list. Speaking of giving back, because Glee put us all in such a festive mood, we just wanted to let you all know that you can go here to adopt an angel for Christmas and help the less fortunate have a truly special holiday.
Rewind Moment: Blaine's smile when Sue called him "young Burt Reynolds."
ONE-LINERS
"Holy crap, I'm dating Kim Kardashian."—Finn
"You said you considered homeless people urban campers."—Artie to Sue
"Gosh, that song was so depressing. I may actually be dead by now."—Santana to Rory
WHAT LIES AHEAD
Matt Morrison Behind the Camera Again: If you enjoyed the look and flow of tonight's episode, then you partially have M.M. to thank. And he'll probably be directing again, but only if he doesn't have to be Will Schuester at the same time. "I would like to [direct again] in a way that I didn't have to act in it. There's just so much to learn in that realm, and I feel like having to act in it at this stage kind of takes away [from directing]. I get super stressed. But it's something I would definitely love again."
Santana's Storyline Amps Up: Gloria Estefan coming on as Santana's mom is not just for musical reasons, obviously. Our source tells us that Mrs. Lopez and her daughter's interactions regarding Santana's sexuality have the big emotional punch that the fans of her coming out storyline have been waiting for. From what we hear, tears will be shed. And not just by us viewers.
No More Mashups? Blasphemy: Some of the best numbers in Glee history have been mashups, but Adam Anders, Glee's musical executive producer would do away with them forever if it was up to him. " No, please God. No more mashups," he tells us semi-jokingly. "They're so difficult and we have so little time and I want everything to be so good that I'll kill myself trying to make those." But never fear, Anders will always be around to work his Glee music magic. "Gloria Estefan is going to be a lot of fun," he says. "And we've got some other themed shows coming up that are just amazing."
Synchronized Swim Team Time: If you haven't prepared for the epic-ness that will be the McKinley High Synchronized Swim team, you still have plenty of time over the hiatus to do so. In the meantime, check out this absolutely adorable photo that Dianna Agron tweeted. It involves Darren Criss and his biceps. You are welcome.
Are you all feeling extra festive after tonight's episode? What did you think of Matt Morrison's first directorial effort? How will you deal with the looong hiatus? Hit the comments, Gleeks! We'll see you next year!