All I Want For Christmas is..GLEE!

To wrap up the first part of the second season of the very popular show Glee, they made the Christmas episode with a bittersweet twist. Although there were a few cry-worthy moments, the episode ended on a very happy note and makes you wish there was another episode next week..but instead we have to wait for the much anticipated episode to come on February 6, 2011! 2 WHOLE MONTHS AWAY!

Glee group, New Directions, performing in classrooms to raise money for a local charity.

In this Christmas episode, A Very Glee Christmas, the faculty as well as Glee club try to gather holiday spirit by doing a secret santa with all of the faculty and singing Christmas carols around school to raise money for a local homeless charity.  The secret santa goes AWOL as Sue steals the bin with all of the names of the faculty and replaces them with her name on every piece of paper.  This is noticed when they all go to exchange gifts and turns out everyone has a gift for Sue...hmmm who rigged the secret santa? Meanwhile, in Glee club, Finn tries to help them cope with being hated at school even though they have won Sectionals twice, still no one notices them and they still get slushies thrown in their faces.

Kurt and Mercedes throwing slushies during a photo shoot to promote Glee.

Finn tosses a low blow Rachel's way as she tries to get back together with him and try to show him how much she loves him by singing to him, twice. When Finn sees how hard she is trying to win him back, he tells her to stop and that he wants to permanently break up because she is the second girlfriend of his that has cheated on him with fellow Glee club member Puck. Also in Glee club this week we find out that the weird cheerleader Brittany still believes in Santa. While all of the members of New Directions tries to tip-toe around her so she doesn't find out that Santa in fact isn't real, she visits him and tells him she wants Artie (who is in a wheelchair after a car accident) to be able to walk again. While obviously this is a long shot and is impossible to achieve, they have to dress up football Coach Beiste as Santa and sit Brittany down and tell her Santa can't being Artie new legs.

Glee group plus Mr. Schuester (front row, first to the left) and Sue Sylvester (smack in the middle).

The miracles in this episode, happen in the last few minutes. Along with Sue rigging the secret santa event, she also stole all of the presents and toys that Glee club came up with to being to local charities. After she witnessed the singing group singing a beautiful Christmas carol for the faculty trying to come up with more money to try and make a difference in others lives who are less fortunate than they are, Sue  makes it up to Mr. Schuester and by returning the gifts and bringing some holiday spirit to his home as he is alone for the holidays after he just recently divorced his wife. 

Songs that were performed in this episode include "The Most Wonderful Day of the Year" from the movie Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer, "We Need a Little Christmas" by Mame, "Merry Christmas Darling" by the Carpenters, "Baby, It's Cold Outside" by Frank Loesser, "You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch" and "Welcome Christmas" from the movie How the Grinch Stole Christmas, "Last Christmas" by Wham. Along with these songs are a few added ones and they can all be found on the Glee: The Christmas Album.

Coming Soon on Glee:

~Thriller by Michael Jackson

~Bills, Bills, Bills by Destiny's Child

~Misery by Maroon 5

~Black Eyed Peas

~Lady Antebellum

~Katy Perry

~Celine Dion

Sectionals!

Santana and Artie singing at Sectionals.

In this week's episode, Special Education, the New Directions Glee team competes at sectionals against Dalton Academy. The episode starts off with New Directions member, Kurt Hummel transferring schools and performing with Dalton Academy's glee team. With the New Directions team being dowm one member, team member Puck is on the hunt to find them another member. After he announces to the school football that there is one spot open to sing and dance for their Glee club, he gets punished and they put him in the porta potty and tip it over. It's fate when Lauren finds him and helps him out and she makes a deal with the devil that she will join their team if he makes out with her. And New Directions found their final member.

New Directions performing "(I've had) The Time of My Life" and "Valerie" at Sectionals.

At sectionals, the New Directions team watches as Dalton Academy, including their ex-member Kurt, perform "Hey Soul Sister" originally sung by Train. They cheer him on and as they are performing he gets a tip from old friend, Rachel Berry, to smile and not be so nervous! The other songs that were sung in this episode include "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes and "Valerie" by Amy Winehouse and those were the two songs that New Directions sang at the competition. Their fellow competitor, Glee club team The Hipsters (made up of old people), sang "The Living Years" by Mike and the Mechanics. Also performed in this episode was "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" by Evita which was performed by Rachel and Kurt as his tryout song to sing a solo at sectionals, and he didn't make the part, and "Dog Days Are Over" by Florence and the Machine which was sung by the New Directions Glee club at the end of the episode.

Dalton Academy (The Warblers) performing Hey Soul Sister at Sectionals.

Coming up on GLEE! The Christmas Episode entitled, A Very Glee Christmas, with a CD already out to promote it, it will be a killer episode and one to remember! After next week's episode, the show is taking a break over the holidays and will restart again on February 6, 2011 with some much anticipated new artists to add to the list! Michael Jackson, Black Eyed Peas, Katy Perry, Celine Dion, and Lady Antebellum to come soon in 2011!

Sue Sylvester Memorable Quotes:

Sue Quotes from Episode 7: The Substitute

~~Sue: You make the underflaps of my breasts burn, like when i used to rub them with poison sumac.

~~Sue (Speaking to Will, Glee Club teacher): I suggest selling yourself on Craigslist under the heading 'Men seeking Men with buttchins.'

Sue Quotes from Episode 8: Furt

~~Sue: By the power invested in me by a website I hereby pronounce you Sue and Sue. You may kiss yourself.

~~Sue: I just prefer to think of the homeless as outdoorsy. So shine on urban campers!

New Substitute and a Wedding!

Gwyneth Paltrow as Holly Holliday on Glee.

Gwyneth Paltrow made her first appearance on Glee in the episode that aired two weeks ago in "The Substitute." Paltrow played the character Holly Holliday who was a substitute teacher in place of Mr. Schuester when he got ill. Also in the episode the school principal was MIA so cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) took over the school. The episode focused on Holly Holliday's character and when she helped out with the Glee club New Directions, she showed the kids a new way of looking at music and making it fun while adding their say and having their opinions heard. She started with her debut on the show and sang "Forget You" by Cee Lo Green.


Other songs sung on this episode were "Make em Laugh" by Donald O'Connor, "Nowadays/Hot Honey Rag" from Chicago, and "Singin in the Rain/Umbrella" by Gene Kelly and Rihanna featuring Jay-Z.


Will Schuester and Holly Holliday singing "Singin in the Rain/Umbrella."

It was reported that Cee Lo Green watched the episode and heard Paltrow singing his song, and he said
"I was pleasantly surprised and impressed. I had no idea she was a vocalist in the least bit, she did a great job." Green was quoted saying this to a Hollywood Reporter at the Grammy nomonations concert in LA. What a compliment to Paltrow considering she just sang her first live song on national television one week before the episode aired.


Kurt's dad and Finn's mom getting married.

 On last week's episode, Kurt's father and Finn's mother got married! It was an emotional episode for all of the Glee club members. Sam and Quinn's relationship moved to the next level when he offered her a promise ring and said he loved her and wanted to marry her some day. He also said he wanted to be exclusive and up their "cool-ness" on the social ladder. Along with Kurt and Finn's parents getting married, Sue Sylvester decided she wanted to get married also...to herself. Now I know what you're thinking, how the hell is this possible? Well with Sue, anything is possible and she definately pulled it off. With her mother in tow, played by Carel Burnett (who is a supposed Nazi-hunting mother on the show), Sue pulled off her own wedding and indeed married herself.


Carol Burnett and Jane Lynch singing "Ohio."

A song that the New Directions Glee club sang at the wedding included the showstopping "Marry You" by Bruno Mars as they each walked down the aisle with wife-to-be following behind. Finn Hudson sang "Just the Way You Are" by Bruno Mars to his future step-brother Kurt Hummel, letting him know that it doesn't matter that he's gay, the Glee club will always love him the way he is. Another song in this episode was "Sway" by Michael Buble which was sang by Glee club coach Mr. Schuester.

Never Been Kissed?

Glee's girl group sang in a competition against the boys.

Glee's group of boys competing against the girls. 

After a debatable Rocky Horror Show episode on Glee, the week off really did the show justice. After a week break, this week's Glee episode was titled "Never Been Kissed" relating to more than one character on the show.


The character Coach Shannon Beiste (pronounced "Beast"), who is played by actor Dot Jones, was the star of this week's episode. Jones was supposed to come on the show as a guest star and only be in less than half of the show, but as the show has gone on this season she has already exceeded the amount of episode she was supposed to be in.  She is now a reoccurring character in the show, and is a fan favorite.  In this week's episode she played the Coach and Teacher that has never been kissed as well as Chris Colfer's character, Kurt Hummel.  Sam and Finn, the stud football players on Coach Beiste's team, used Beiste as an ice breaker in their relationships with respective girlfriends Quinn and Rachel.


Their girlfriends do not want to have sex with them so in order not to get, ah-hem..too excited, during their make-out sessions, Sam and Finn have been imagining Coach Beiste in unfortunate outfits and situations to distract them from their abstinent girlfriends. For example, Coach Beiste was shown stretching and dancing as a ballerina to distract Sam from his new girlfriend Quinn.

Coach Beiste

Blaine

This not being the only thing going on in the show, elsewhere, the Glee singing group decides to have another annual girls vs. boys sing and dance-off.  While also learning who their competition is going to be at the next tournament, the boys decide to send Kurt, the gay character, to an all boys school to scout their Glee group.  Upon Kurt's arrival he met another gay boy at the school, Blaine played by Darren Criss, who showed him around and helped him realize he wasn't the only other gay man in town.  Also the all boys school performed a phenomenal performance on Katy Perry's hit song Teenage Dream.

"Teenage Dream" performed by Blaine and his all boys academy. 

Kurt Hummel was among the two characters that had never been kissed. While also being one of the two shocking things that happened this episode, one of the burly football players who always throws slushies at the Glee group members, shows a new side as he kisses Kurt. And the other shocking part of this week's episode was when Mr. Schuester kissed Coach Beiste because no one had ever showed affection for her before and it was her first kiss!

While there were many firsts this episode, there will also be another first in the next episode. Titled "The Substitute" referring to Gwyneth Paltrow's new character who is a sub teacher for Mr. Schuester when he gets sick and has to be out of school for a couple days. The shocker is that Paltrow sings, and it happens more than once! Here is a little preview of whats to come for next week's episode:

Gwyneth Paltrow singing "Forget You" with the Glee kids. 

A Little Less Glee...

A little less Glee...a little more about the actors! This week there wasn't a Glee show but instead I learned more about the actors and what they do outside of the show. 

Lea Michele--The star hit of Glee is not only an amazing voice, but she is also a spokesperson for the charity PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). She will NEVER be seen wearing any fur on the show, and of course off of it, for now she will just stick to her Rachel Berry wardrobe, which consists of ugly sweaters and plaid skirts. 

Matthew Morrison--The one and only Glee coach and Spanish teacher, Will Schuester bared all for the Broadway Cares/Equity Fight AIDS charity event. Down to his undies, he was one of many other guest stars that performed at the event. 

Cory Monteith--Not only did this actor who plays Finn Hudson on the Glee show sing and dance his way into our hearts, he also doodled his way in too!  Cory doodled a picture for the NF, Inc charity and his drawing along with a few other celebrities' drawings will be up for auction on bay to raise money for the cause. NF, Inc is an organization that raises for families and individuals that have been affected with neurofibromatosis, which is a genetic disorder that can cause tumors. 

Mark Salling--The stud that plays Puck on the show volunteers and helps out with the James Hunter Wildlife Rescue charity. What can be hotter than that?

Jane Lynch--She may play the evil cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester on Glee, but she has a softer side as well. She is an advocate among many others for the PETA charity organization, and she also is up to host the Do Something Charity Awards. 

Amber Riley--She plays sassy Mercedes on the hit show and she has become a big star through the show. She was asked at the 67th Golden Globes to sign a Chrysler car for charity. Among that, she has done other things as well. She has appeared at the Marine Corps Toys for Tots and donated several things.

Chris Colfer--On the show he plays gay character, Kurt Hummel, and in real life he is a positive young man who is willing to share his struggles to help them get through rough times because there is always something better in the end.  He is openly trying to help kids and teenagers with their bullying issues and is willing to share problems that he has had with it as well.

YOU CAN VISIT THE SET OF GLEE FOR CHARITY!

Four fans will win a VIP pass to the set of Glee, get a tour, and a meet and greet with their very own Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch!). The proceeds of this amazing event will go toward ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) of Southern California. It is an advocate for liberty, equality and guardian against government abuse. What an amazing event and even better benefits!

With all of the amazing charities and hard work that these actors and actresses do off of the set, don't forget that there is another Glee show airing next Tuesday! You won't want to miss this one...Gwenyth Paltrow guest stars as a substitute teacher who has a fling with Mr. Schuester!!!

Glee...and Rocky Horror?

This last episode of Glee was titled The Rocky Horror Glee Show. This personally wasn't my favorite episode because I am not particularly a Rocky Horror Picture Show fan. But as always the Glee club has such good vocals that it doesn't matter what the episode is about just as long as they sing like they do every other week.

Of course included in this episode was drama, music and more music. It featured the very popular rendition of the 1973 musical The Rocky Horror Show, by staging it as their own yearly musical. There were a few dramatic issues in this episode along side the well-performed songs. Among them, was the fight for Emma, the school counselor, between Will Schuester, the Glee club teacher and Spanish teacher, and Dr. Carl Howell, played by John Stamos (you might remember Dr. Carl from the legendary Britney Spears episode). Another issue this episode was with body image. Finn, the male vocal lead, and Sam, the new and hot addition to the club, both suffered from body image issues. Finn who is not only the male lead in Glee club but is also a football star, was self conscious about displaying his body and wearing only underwear during a portion of the musical. He felt that his body didn't live up to the hype it should with being a standout athlete and the stud singer in Glee club. 

"Hot Patootie" performed by Dr. Carl Howell, character played by John Stamos. 

The standout song this week came from John Stamos' character, Dr. Carl Howell. He tried out for the knock-off play and sang the song "Hot Patootie" with the Glee club members and his girlfriend Emma as Mr. Schuester watched in disgust. Other songs that were sung in this episode include "Science Fiction/Double Feature," "Dammit Janet," "Sweet Transvestite," "Over at the Frankenstein Place," "Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a Touch Me," and "Time Warp" all from The Rocky Horror Show.

Original Rocky Horror Picture Show.

SUE SYLVESTER MEMORABLE QUOTES:

Head Cheerleading Coach Sue Sylvester.

Sue Sylvester Memorable Quotes from fifth episode "The Rocky Horror Glee Show:"

~Sue: We've lost the true meaning of Halloween: Fear. 

~Sue: Children must know fear. Without it, they'll try Frenching Grizzly Bears or trying to live in Florida. 

If you're really a Glee fan, don't forget to order your Glee inspired t-shirts.

Get them now while supplies last!

(My personal favorite is the shirt the Glee club members wear while performing the first song of the second season, "Empire State of Mind.")

http://www.looneytees.com

Shirt they wore while performing "Empire State of Mind."

Team Puck and Team Finn shirts!

Glee Season 2--Off to a Great Start!

Glee kicked off its first four episodes with a huge fan base, one that was not expected by producers at all. Averaging about 9.5 million viewers for the first season of Glee, this year we have gathered an average of 12.1 million viewers just from the first four episodes that kicked off the second season. That is a magnificent jump from the first season of the show who's number of viewers were going up and down drastically from episode to episode. This season Glee has maintained a gradual amount of fans that are here to stay and see what their vocals can bring us in each and every episode.

The songs this season have been chart toppers on iTunes and are only getting better and better each episode. Within the first four episodes that have aired this season, Glee has averaged about seven to eight songs per episode as opposed to last seasons average of five to six songs per episode. The songs are the main entertainment factor of each episode and can make or break each episode. If the songs are just so-so, the episode will only be okay. But when the songs are sung just as good as the originals, the episode is significantly better because of it.

"One of Us" sang by the Glee club.

In the third episode, "Grilled Cheesus," the songs included "Only the Good Die Young" by Billy Joel, "I Look to You" by Whitney Houston, "Papa, Can You Hear Me?" by Barbara Streisand, and "One of Us" originally performed by Joan Osborne.


In the fourth episode, "Duets" a few of the songs included "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" by Elton John and Kiki Dee, "River Deep-Mountain High" by Ike and Tina Turner, and one of my personal favorites "Lucky" by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat.

"Lucky" sang by Glee club members Sam and Quinn.

New and old relationships have blossomed on the third and fourth episodes of the second season. Crowd favorites Finn and Rachel (Finchel) have grown closer physically and emotionally and have realized what they need to do to make their Glee club even better and give them a chance of winning. Newcomer Sam and head cheerleader Quinn started off as partners in a duet singing competition in the fourth episode, and ended the episode with passion toward one another after they won the competition (by singing "Lucky" in the video above) and got a free dinner to Breadsticks! Also, fellow cheerleaders Santana and Brittany were caught making out but their relationship was in jeopardy when Santana went off to sing with Mercedes for a better chance to win the duet singing competition.



SUE SYLVESTER MEMORABLE QUOTES:

Head Cheerleading Coach Sue Sylvester.

Sue Sylvester Memorable Quotes from first episode "Audition"
~Sue (talking to cheerleader Santana): Boobs Mcgee, you're demoted to the bottom of the pyramid, so when it collapses, your exploding sandbags will keep everyone safe from injury.
~Sue (talking to cheerleader Santana): A person that has to pump her naughties full of gracy to feel good about herself clearly doesn't have the self-esteem to be my head cheerleader.


Sue Sylvester Memorable Quotes from second episode "Brittany/Britney"
~Sue (talking to Glee club coach Mr. Scheuster): Don't let your own recklessness blind you to the fact that Britney Spears is a genius pop culture provocateur and a gateway drug to every out of control impulse ever created.


Sue Sylvester Memorable Quotes from third episode "Grilled Cheesus":
~Sue (talking to Mr. Schuester about performing religious songs): If your students wanna praise God, I suggest they enroll in Sweet Holy Mother of God Academy on St. Jesus Street.
~Sue (talking to Emma and referring to her red hair): I realize you're only half orangutan, but I'm still allergic to your lustrous, ginger mane.

So much more to come from Glee this season. The rumors have recently been confirmed that Gwyneth Paltrow will play a substitute teacher in an episode soon to come, which will make counselor Emma very jealous. Other rumors that have yet to be acknowledged and confirmed by producers of the show include guesses for the Super Bowl episode in early 2011. The guesses include Bruce Springsteen, Celine Dion, Yanni, and New Kids on the Block. Could this show get any better???