Madonna and the cast of "Glee"
Gleeksters, we couldn't have a Madonna episode without a heavy dose of s-e-x.
We learned essentially three things this episode. First, that Sue Sylvester worships Madonna (and that her parents were Nazi hunters, she's 29 and she secretly covets Will Schuster's curly coif after her own blonde ambition mishap). And second, that everyone at William McKinley High just needs to appreciate and empower women, and in the case of Rachel, Emma and non-woman Finn (dubbed 'Finnocence' by eventual seductress Santana) empowerment means getting rid of that pesky v-card.
With these somewhat flimsy openers, we entered the fantastical world of Madonna, where plot is but a contrivance, songs like "Frozen" play in the background and extras in the hallways dress in outfits from the various Madonna eras.
Aside from the weird stilt-tastic Cheerios performance of "Ray of Light," all the musical numbers lived up to the hype, from the girls in bustiers and suits doing "Express Yourself," to the boys around the piano crooning a surprising "What it Feels Like For a Girl," as well as Mercedes and Kurt's energetic pep rally performance of "4 Minutes" and the show-stopping ensemble take on "Like A Prayer," the episode reinforced the depth of talent on the Glee cast — even Santana got some solo vocal lines on the deliciously choreographed "Like a Virgin," and girlfriend can sing — as well as exalting the power of the Material Girl.
And sure, Sue's "Vogue" video was shot-for-shot brilliance, but it felt a little deflated to me since it was played last week.
Of course, when trying to be like Madonna, what we really learn is that Madonna wants us to be true to ourselves. Hence Sue loses the wigs and Rachel and Emma decide to be like a virgin for a couple more eps, at least. But at least there's a little more girl power going on, and all is peaceful in New Directions.
I think next week will bring the drama, with the real fallout from Jesse St. James's transfer to the squad and Kurt and Mercedes joining the Cheerios, and in my perfect world a sing-off for Rachel's heart between Jesse and Finn.
So what did you think, Gleeksters? Did any of your favorite Madonna songs get overlooked? Is Santana right about Jesse being a spy? Did you dig Rachel's bedtime capelet? When you pull your hamstring, do you go to a misogynist?
The top performance of the episode (and one of Glee's best ever): "Like a Prayer"
