Yes, I am one of those people who squeals uncontrollably about Glee. That's something you're going to have to accept about me. I bought the Christmas album on Black Friday, and I have been eager to see which songs are actually in the episode.
In the teaser, we learn that Brittany still believes in Santa, which really endears her character to me, because I also clung to my belief in Santa well into my teen years. Also, Will is mopey, because it's his first Christmas since his divorce and Emma married John Stamos. I'm sorry, I still can't fault Emma for that one. John Stamos is hot.
The episode officially opens with the Glee Club decorating a tree and singing "The Most Wonderful Day of the Year", aka the Island of Misfit Toys song. It's sweet, because they really look like they're having fun, and the song is appropriate for their characters. Alas, the tree and all its adornments are either stolen or trash.
Will wants the club to do something for the less fortunate, so they try caroling in classrooms to raise money, but no one wants carolers in their classroom. Which is a shame, because I like the Glee rendition of "We Need a Little Christmas," which the Muppets did not write-- turns out it's from the musical Mame.
There's a bizarre but amusing scene of all the Glee Club members visiting a mall Santa. Brittany asks Santa to give Artie the ability to walk. Awkward.
There's a very pretty snowy rendition of "Merry Christmas Darling" from Rachel to Finn, followed by the best version of "Baby, It's Cold Outside" I have ever heard, sung by two extraordinarily talented young men. Yay for the show for having a male duet of that song, when they could have so easily given it to Rachel and Finn. But that would have been just eh, and this is amazing. They have such chemistry.
Meanwhile, Sue Sylvester is trying to steal Christmas. She replaced every name in the faculty Secret Santa with her own name. The only other time I've seen someone do that was on Lois and Clark, when Jimmy Olson was under the influence of magical rat toys that made everyone act like spoiled children.
After Will calls Sue a grinch and confiscates her gifts to give to charity, she decides to embrace her grinchiness, so she paints herself green, dons a Santa suit, and has Becky dress up as Max the rein-dog. Which seems kind of demeaning, in my humble opinion. So they steal all the charity gift. Brittany interrupts them, playing the role of Cindy Lou Who, and she buys the excuse about the light that won't light, because I guess she's never seen How the Grinch Stole Christmas. And she doesn't recognize Sue under the green makeup. Sometimes I wish they would afford Brittany a little bit of brain power. Just a little, come on.
On the album, Will does "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" with k.d. lang, somewhat inexplicably. Actually, k.d. lang sings the song, while Will narrates the story. It's not really as good as it could have been. Here, k.d. lang's vocals play as Sue steals Christmas. But "Mr. Grinch" is replaced with "Sue the Grinch." It's not like that on the album. Seems unnecessary.
Then there's a dramatic re-break-up scene with Finn and Rachel at a Christmas tree lot. They sing "Last Christmas." That song has always kind of gotten on my nerves, but I like how Lea Michele sings it like she means it.
Extremely bizarre scene where the Glee Club has decided to go all Gift of the Magi (their phrase) in order to help the kids-- the girls are selling their hair and the guys are selling their watches. How exactly is that going to work? Do people buy hair these days? Turns out none of them have ever actually read Gift of the Magi. Will gives a little speech about how life sucks. When you're little, Christmas is the best day of your life, and for the rest of your life, you try to get that magic back.
Coach Bieste becomes Santa to gently break the news to Brittany that even Santa can't give Artie the ability to walk again. And tells the story of a little girl who wanted more than anything to look like the other girls. It's a surprisingly heartwarming, if somewhat bizarre, scene.
And just when Sue thinks she has thoroughly crushed the Glee Club's spirits, she hears them singing... you guessed it... "Welcome Christmas." Which is so NOT on the Christmas album! Pleasant surprise, but man, I would listen to it all the time in my car if it was on the album! It's a really nice scene, and I LOVE how they changed the line "just so long as we have we" to "just so long as we have GLEE." I love this show, and I will not apologize for it!
Artie has been given a gift of a "Re Walk." I did not know such a thing existed. Pretty neat. At first I thought Sue must have bought it when her heart grew three sizes, but apparently it was Coach Bieste. Sue's good deed was to break into Will's house, decorate, and return all the charity gifts. And she got him a razor. Along with some of the Glee kids, because apparently their families don't care if they spend Christmas Eve with their teacher.
Bizarre, and yet heartwarming... that's Glee.
Visuals: 3 out of 5
Spirit: 4 out of 5
Nostalgia: 1 out of 5 (for the Grinch references)
Humor: 4 out of 5
Music: 5 out of 5
overall: 4 out of 5
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