Glee Season 2: Audition Episode Review

Audition

Season 2, Episode 1

First of all, I didn't realize just how excited I was until it actually started when I almost started hyperventilating. Haha. Oh Glee, I've missed you. I can't believe I survived the hiatus! Haha.

There was a lot to be concerned about coming into the season - a possible sophomore slump. Yes, I admit, I was very nervous coming into this one but I was surprisingly pleased with this episode. I mean, I truly expected a repeat of the disappointment that was Hell-O, but I'm happy to say that it somehow reached my expectations. It was far from being the best, but the episode was solid enough.

THE GOOD: 

- I loved the way they opened the show with Jacob interviewing Will and the Glee club. It was a creative way to catch up with them, and I appreciated how the show acknowledged the criticisms and comments from critics and viewers itself in the script. I mean, Will Schuester getting busted by forum users for rapping? Brilliant. Ha!

- Shannon Beiste (Dot-Marie Jones) needs to be given a big golden statue for her epic performance. Seriously. I've never latched onto a character as quickly as I did with her, she's epically - genuinely real and I love it. Her crying in the locker room was probably the saddest thing I've ever seen. I surprisingly cared about Coach Beiste more than I was expecting to. I have a feeling she's going to be one of my favorites this season - Sorry Ken Tanaka! Haha. 

- Quinn back on Cheerios shows promise. I'm not entirely stoked about her forgetting her progress from the first season, but I did miss bitchy Quinn and I'm not going to lie about it. Her presence was amazing because I think she summed up so much just in that "Bitch, I'm back" strut down the hallway in her uniform.

- Quinn and Santana's cat fight was so intense. That fight was everything.. and more! Haha.

- Sunshine (Charice) and Sam (Chord Overstreet) were more than worthy additions to the cast. I was so ready to tear them both down because they were going to disrupt the dynamic of the original Glee members, but both of them performed decently. Sam's introduction was pretty hilarious - especially when Puck mentioned something about his mouth and tennis balls. Go figure! Haha - and his singing was surprising. Charice, on the other hand, was decent. I'm a little worried about her acting ability but it was hard for me to tell because she had like three or four lines. The singing, however, was amazing.

- Rachel during the bathroom scene when she thought Sunshine didn't speak English. 

- Finn trying out for the Cheerios was HILARIOUS! Haha. 

- Mike and Tina are adorable - although it was a little odd that Mike just dances basically shirtless in front of the kids. Haha. I can't wait to see them this season.

- And how can I forget the amazing Brittany and her "intelligence"! Haha. I laughed hysterically when she, out of nowhere, said "Stop The Violence" during Quinn and Santana's catfight. Ha!

THE BAD:

- There was that aura missing with this particular episode.. something intangible that I cannot describe. It was pretty obvious that they put way too much into the episode and tried to add all the characters on the first one that it almost seemed like a really rubbish souffle. Haha.

- Oh yes, Rachel freakin' Berry is back! But her sending Sunshine to a crack house was pure mean. Out of everything Rachel could have done, they pick this? I just think this was going way over the top, even for Rachel. What happened to her growth? She never went that far in Season 1.

- Artie on the football team. I like Artie, and I'm sad for him that he lost Tina. But it's not plausible for him to be on the team. Plain weird.

- No Emma!

THE MUSIC: 

EMPIRE STATE OF MIND was really well done. Minus Artie's rapping, it sounded great, and I loved the way they performed it - yes, in the middle of lunchtime. I also enjoyed how they incorporated Sunshine and Sam into the scene with Rachel and Finn.

TELEPHONE. Let me say that the scene leading up to it was brilliant. Rachel was fantastic, and I was so pleasantly surprised to see that Charice wasn't a bad actress - she wasn't good but not bad. Now, while the song itself may have been autotuned and I think they could have picked SO MANY OTHER SONGS other than another Gaga song, I loved Rachel's reaction. We see Sunshine clearly having a blast while they were singing together not noticing the burning jealousy in the blatantly threatened Rachel's eyes. Funny scene.

EVERY ROSE HAS ITS THORN was okay, I suppose. It wasn't terrible, but I wasn't immediately like "Oh wow, what a good voice!" like Finn's shower scene last season. Glad Sam got to do Billionaire so he could show what he can do.

BILLIONAIRE was surprisingly nice. I think it was performed well, and I really liked the way it was done - just like guys hanging out. Oh, and it looks like there may be a Sam/Puck bromance in the future. Maybe we can call them SUCK! Haha. Of course, I'm kidding.

LISTEN. Maybe I watched too many YouTube videos of her singing this song, but it was a little underwhelming. It was brilliant vocally, but her motions throughout the song were distracting. The overall treatment of that scene reminded me of Rachel's Taking Chance, but with less movements. I found most of her mannerisms a bit over-the-top. She sounded amazing, like I said, but I guess I put my expectations way too high.

WHAT I DID FOR LOVE. Lea Michele, you are a genius. Though I didn't like the context, this was probably the song of the episode. It was heartbreaking but moving. As usual, she sounded phenomenal. It was perfect and I couldn't ask for more. The very end of the song with her looking into the Glee club room, knowing what she would have to face? Genius.

Download music HERE.
Watch the preview for next week HERE.