Glee: Oops, They Did It Again

Two days later, and the internet is still buzzing about Tuesday's Britney Spears episode of Glee. I don't need to be the one to tell you that "Britney/Brittany" was fantastic—Brittany S. Pierce (Heather Morris) danced and sung her heart out, Will (Matthew Morrison) got to perform with the kids, Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) delivered a record number of solid one-liners, and Carl the dentist (John Stamos) was even more charming than I expected him to be. Oh, and there was that one lady dancer with the man abs. Those were incredible!

Anyway, I need to burst the Britney bubble. The episode was fantastic because it was fun to watch—but it wasn't as groundbreaking as you might think. In fact, "Britney/Brittany" recycled a ton of last season's successful plot elements:

1. We already saw a brilliant episode dedicated to a pop diva: "The Power of Madonna."

2. We already saw the kids take performance-enhancing drugs—remember those super energetic mash-ups in "Vitamin D"?

3. We already saw Rachel (Lea Michele) dress sluttier in an attempt to impress Finn (Cory Monteith)—she donned a Grease-inspired catsuit in "Hairography." (Though the show did throw in a line about how this time Rachel's wardrobe makeover was different.)

4. We already saw New Directions work the school into a sex-crazed frenzy—they bumped and grinded to "Push It" in "Showmance."

I'm not saying that "Britney/Brittany" was bad. It was just... familiar. And I was a little pissed that Artie (Kevin McHale) didn't get to dance in his Britney-induced dream—now that would have been a plot element worth recycling.

One more thing: Jacob Ben Israel (Josh Sussman) needs to go. His "Big Gay Summer" documentary was a great way to start Season 2, and his occasional appearances as Rachel's stalker have been mildly funny. But watching him orgasm in public and butt-sweat all over Sue's office chair was too much. Gross. Awkward. Unnecessary.

Date：2010-10-3　【Return】