Glee: "On My Way" Review

Note: Full spoilers for the episode follow.

Glee has tackled the issue of bullying and gay bashing before, so I was a bit cynical last week when it looked like we'd be rehashing that territory again with Karofsky. I even expected a suicide attempt. But that cynicism was won over by a powerfully acted and directed story. Unfortunately, the performances of the episode didn't measure up.

I've stated before that I think Glee often does smaller, one-off stories better than their multi-episode arcs. Though the Karofsky story has carried through multiple episodes, Tuesday's segments felt more like one of those successful mini stories. The initial locker room scene was heartbreaking. Max Adler's subtle facial expressions were brilliant. As Karofsky unknowingly walked through the room, his wary smile turned to confusion then shock then panic, all within one, uncomfortably long shot. This made the more rapid editing of Karofsky making his way back through the boys in the room all the more unsettling.

Then came Karofsky's breakdown, aided by further attacks via Facebook. All this was soundtracked by Blaine's cover of Young the Giant's "Cough Syrup." The tone and lyrics ("I'm losing my mind, losing control") were a nice fit. It was all very powerful and moving. And the effects of Karofsky's suicide attempt also resonated strongly through the rest of the group. Things got close to becoming a little too preachy, especially with Schuester's group chat about things to look forward to in life, but it never really went over the line into "a very special episode" territory."

Oddly, this relatively strong storyline was a part of Glee's winter finale, which meant we also had to sit through performances at Regionals. The episodes tied the songs in thematically, with most being about living through things and celebrating life, but the overall performance were bland and flat. Sebastian was been a fine nemesis this season, but he was a weak voice that doesn't deliver a very convincing performance. And the New Directions choices weren't all that memorable either. These songs and their performances did a disservice to what was going on with Karofsky.

Really, Regionals just got in the way-- because what came next was just as engaging as the first half of the episode. I love me a good cliffhanger, and "On My Way" delivered a nice one. Sure, in retrospect, there was a lot of storytelling manipulation going on, but it was subtle enough not telegraph anything until we saw Quinn in the car with her cell phone. The last few episodes have highlighted how Quinn had turned her life around. This week, she confessed that she was looking forward to graduating from Yale at the top of her class. She also rejoined the Cheerios and heard that Sue Sylvester had always admired her. Things were looking up for Quinn. She was on her way. Nice job in lulling us into some happiness for her, Glee.

"On My Way" was an episode where the music and performances were the least effective part. And, as is often the case, the smaller stories involving Karofsky and Quinn were more successful than larger arcs like Rachel and Finn's. Does anybody care if they get married? If you're coming back for anything in April, it's to see what happens to Quinn and whether the cast will be singing in her recovery room or at her deathbed.

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