The first Glee of 2012 was titled "Yes/No," and that seems appropriate since half of it made me say "Yes!" with delight while the other half had me shaking my head, muttering "No." There was some fun, light-hearted entertainment courtesy of Will's sudden desire to propose to Emma and Sam's quest to get Mercedes back. But, in the words of Artie describing Rachel's performance, parts were "a little overwrought for my taste."



So let's look at what worked and what didn't on Glee.

YES: Sam and Mercedes' "Summer Loving"

This is the kind of ridiculous, over-the-top, hilariously cheesy stuff I want to see from Glee all the time. It was so much fun, and I was also thrilled to see Rory getting some lines (since he is now Sam's BFF) and Sugar Motta being embraced as a part of the group.

NO: Artie and Becky

I'm sorry, but the whole "Becky having a crush on Artie" storyline made me feel as uncomfortable as it made everyone else in New Directions. It's easy to say that everyone should just treat her like they treat everyone else, but actually doing it is somewhat problematic.

YES: Helen Mirren as Becky's Voice

I was still really hoping Helen Mirren would voice Lord Tubbington, but hearing her give the voiceover narration of Becky was pretty darn hilarious.

NO: Will's Creepy, Pathetic Devotion to New Directions

It was a little weird that he immediately had his kids help him plan the proposal, but asking Finn to be his Best Man? Will desperately needs to make some grown-up friends.

YES: Emma's "Wedding Bell Blues"

I love this song and will forever associate it with Richard and Emily's vow renewal on Gilmore Girls, but Glee did it justice, especially with the hilarious sight of Coach Beiste and Sue Sylvester in bridesmaids dresses.

NO: NeNe Leakes as Coach Washington

Would it have been so bad to get an actual actress to play Sam's coach instead of Real Housewife of Atlanta NeNe Leakes? The writing was pretty funny, but she was an embarrassingly terrible actress.

YES: Sam on the Synchronized Swim Team

Clearly Glee looks for any excuse to get Chord Overstreet as naked as possible (playing Rocky, stripping and now this), but it's hard to argue with something that works so well.

NO: The Story of Finn's Dad

I'm on record as hating when Glee gets way too real and serious, and the speech about Finn's dad coming back from the war, developing a drug problem and dying from an overdose was so out-of-the-blue tragic that it felt very unnatural on this show.

YES: Samcedes

I know we didn't get any real closure on this couple but I love Sam and Mercedes together and I was happy to see that he's the man of her dreams, not Shane.

NO: Will's Doubts

For about a nanosecond in this episode Will reconsidered proposing to Emma because of her crazy parents warning him about how nuts she is. It seemed weird and forced, especially since he got over it in no time.

YES: Will's Proposal

Speaking of ridiculous, over-the-top, cheesy fun, this proposal had me smiling. Yes, there's no way the kids could've choreographed such an elaborate routine in no time, and the visual of Will literally walking on water was insane, but from the moment Artie wheeled himself full steam ahead into the pool, I loved it.

NO: Finn's Proposal

Sorry, Finnchel fans, but I do not approve. No one in high school should get engaged. On the bright side, I feel like Glee actually knows what a terrible idea this is. Finn only seems to want to get married because he doesn't know what else to do, which I hope Rachel will realize and tell him. The boy is sad and aimless, but proposing is not the answer.


Still, despite the uncomfortable moments of drug overdoses, dating a girl with Down Syndrome, a teenage proposal and the worst acting Glee has ever seen by NeNe Leakes, there was plenty of upbeat fun to be had this week. I just wish Glee would focus more on the fun and less on the drama.


(Image courtesy of FOX)