Surfing Comedy: Glee – “Funeral”

Spoilers for this week’s Glee ahead, right after I dry the tears from my eyes.

I was just having a discussion with Dan about how Glee tends to be full of caricatures rather than characters, especially when it comes to Sue Sylvester. I think this episode did a fairly good job of rearing back and slapping me right in the mouth for ever saying such a thing. Because, seriously? I thought “Prom Queen” was going to be the best episode of the season, and “Funeral” just topped it tenfold.

There are two major plotlines running through this week’s episode. The first is that Will has hired Jesse St. James to be a show choir consultant, and this did-not-age-well supposedly-college-age-teen has convinced him that the way to win Nationals is to pick one person to focus the entire performance around. This, of course, leads to Santana, Kurt, Mercedes and Rachel competing against one another for the lead solo spot. The tone of this episode is rather somber, but Jesse’s antics while trying to practice his “Reality TV Judge” skills helps to pick it up a bit; it’s kind of obvious from the get-go, however, that Jesse is going to push for Rachel. The whole romance thing with Jesse makes no sense to me when Rachel is singing Barbara and thinking of Finn. Teenagers, go figure.

Of course, the part of the plot that the title is related to was the death of Sue’s sister. Becky’s mom comes to Will, with Becky, saying that Sue has kicked Becky out of the Cheerios, and Becky would like to be a part of the Glee Club. Will is pained to say no, as they’re only a few weeks away from Nationals, but immediately goes to confront Sue. This is when we find out that Sue kicked Becky off of the Cheerios because she reminds Sue of her sister, who passed away the night before.

Long story short, Finn and Kurt help to plan Jean’s funeral and assist Sue with cleaning out Jean’s room at the nursing home. Sue reveals to Will that she only let the glee club help with the funeral because she was afraid that nobody would show up for the funeral; at least with the glee club there, there would be people in attendance. Sue was proved wrong as many people from the nursing home and the community loved Jean. Finn and Kurt arranged to have some whimsical props set up, reminiscent of the Gene Wilder Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Jean’s favorite movie. After a eulogy that only a soulless monster would not tear up for (started by Sue, but finished by Will when she is too torn up to continue reading), the kids sing Jean’s favorite song, “Pure Imagination.”

Afterward, there is a bit of loose-end-tying. Finn breaks up with Quinn, Terri does one good deed to set things right with Will before revealing she’s moving to Miami, and Will decides that he is going to do have the glee club do group songs for Nationals instead of highlighting just one soloist. Sue also tells Will that she won’t mess with the glee club anymore because Will, like Jean, has a pure heart. There is also an extremely touching scene with Sue and Becky, where Sue tells Becky that she’s back on the team and will be captain of the Cheerios next year. She also asks Becky for a hug, which the girl happily gives. It’s a moment that really tugs at the heartstrings, especially after Sue’s eulogy asks for just ten more seconds to hold her sister. And I am totally getting teary-eyed just thinking about it again. Dammit, Glee.

 
The songs:

• “Back to Black” (Amy Winehouse) sung by Santana – This is the second Amy Winehouse song Santana has had a chance to perform. She does a great job with the raspy feeling of the song, but it’s a little… I don’t know. It’s lacking something. Maybe that’s intentional to make Rachel’s performance look better. 3.5/5
• “Some People” (from Gypsy), sung by Kurt – I am super disappointed. This performance left a lot to be desired. We finally have Kurt back in the New Directions and this is the best he can do? (Side note: He totally makes up for it in “Pure Imagination”). 3/5
• “Try A Little Tenderness” (Otis Redding), sung by Mercedes – Gurrrrrrl, you know I love you, sister. This was a fantastic song. Jesse St. James is kind of right about the lack of choreography, but Mercedes can belt out a song like nobody’s business. Sister has some pipes on her. 5/5
• “My Man” (from Funny Girl), sung by Rachel – As a tearful Kurt exclaims after Rachel is done singing, she might be annoying, but boy can she sing. Rachel does her best Barbara for this number — but the singing is a little too Barbara and not enough Rachel, and that’s the only reason this song doesn’t get a perfect score. 4.5/5
• “Pure Imagination” (from Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory), sung by the New Directions – Oh, Kurt. You so totally made up for your lackluster singing earlier. This was beautifully done, and very tasteful if you consider it was sung during a funeral. Willy Wonka is one of my all-time favorite movies, and the way they tied it into this episode was a great homage. 5/5

 
Quotes and other bits:
“I miss my sister. Every night at 10 or so, she used to call me on the phone; and when I asked her why, she told me her body told her… she wanted to hear my voice. I miss my sister. The smell of her shampoo. The way she could always convince me to read her another book. When you love someone like I loved her, there’s a part of you… it’s like you’re attached by this invisible tether, and no matter how far away you are you can always feel them. And now every time I reach for that tether I know there’s no one on the other end, and I feel like I’m falling into nothingness. And then I remember Jean. I remember a life lead with no enemies, no resentments, no regrets and I’m inspired to get up out of bed and go on. I miss my sister so much it feels like piece of me has been ripped off. Just one more time I want to hold her. Just ten more seconds— is that too much to ask? For ten more seconds to hold her? But I can’t and I won’t and the only thing keeping me from being swallowed whole by sadness is that Jean would kill me if I did. So for now I’m just going to miss her. I love you Jeanny. Rest in peace.”

About Tiarra

Tiarra Wantz is a comic book and sci-fi geek girl who enjoys reading, playing video games, creating typography art, and comparing everything to “that one episode of TNG where…” Tiarra lives in Las Vegas with the love of her life, Dan, where they live together with two cuddly kittens named Panda Face and Ser Pounce-a-lot and a precocious pup named Pippin.

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