TV: ‘Smash’ tries to turn ‘Hit List’ into ‘Rent’

By Meryl Gottlieb| mg986611@ohiou.edu| @buzzlightmeryl
Smash airs Saturdays at 8 p.m. (another time change) on NBC
Rating: 4/5

Tonight, I was truly torn as to whether or not I loved Smash or whether I hated for it for what it was trying to do. Fasten your seatbelts; it’s going to be an emotional ride.

Jimmy sings “High and Dry” as he watches himself meander through Adam’s nasty apartment — trying a little too hard, tone it down — go to Kyle’s (Andy Mientus) apartment and eventually end up at Karen’s (Katharine McPhee). Of course, his vocals are top-notch, but I was amazed that I did not hate this montage — and that’s saying a lot.

He goes to Karen’s window, asking her what he should do so he can be the man she loved. Then, he sees Derek (Jack Davenport), who stayed the night, and storms off.

Eileen (Anjelica Huston) and Agnes (Daphne Rubin-Vega) are feeling fairly confident that Bombshell has good odds for the Tony’s. Ivy (Megan Hilty) should be up for Best Actress in a Musical while also being nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her work in Liaisons, putting her up against Leigh (Bernadette Peters) who should get a nomination for Bombshell.

While Derek and Karen walk to the theater, they meet Tom outside who tells them he got a call from the police after he had tried to call Kyle earlier. Kyle DIED. Yes, that’s right. They killed off Kyle. I told myself that there was no way he would actually die from the car accident; yet, I was incredibly wrong. I honestly played that scene a few times to make sure that I heard Tom correctly.

And so begins where I was torn throughout the entire episode… the writers’ comparison of the Hit List misfortune to the tragedy that occurred around Rent’s opening, when its creator, Jonathan Larson, died before he got to see the show open on Broadway. I think the show handled Kyle’s death very well, writing and even acting wise. However, I am not so sure I liked how much they paralleled the events. I almost feel as if it trivialized what happened with Rent, yet I still think it did a good job. I’m honestly torn.

But it also makes me call in question whether or not the show brought in Jesse L. Martin and Rubin-Vega to make an even bigger impact and connection. For those of you who somehow don’t know all about the history of Rent, Martin and Rubin-Vega were two original cast members who had to suffer through losing Larson before the show opened. I remember in the beginning of the season, they compared Hit List to Rent but I never assumed they would go this far.

Throughout the episode, characters remember certain moments they had with Kyle. Tom remembers a night he serenaded Kyle with Billy Joel’s “Vienna;” Julia (Debra Messing) remembers storyboarding with him; and Karen remembers him sticking up for Jimmy (Jeremy Jordan) the night Bombshell opened.

The flashbacks got me, especially Tom’s moment, and I never ever liked the idea of those two being together. I was not a fan of the overt flirty banter, but it was such a sweet moment. The storyboarding moment evoked a different emotion: frustration. Everyone talks about Kyle’s talent in this episode, and that’s very true, but we never really got to see it that much. I remember Karen’s friends telling Kyle the story was weak and the songs were the only good thing. I remember Kyle being second to Scott (Jesse L. Martin) and Julia’s connection when they were all storyboarding.

They should not have waited to jam pack what Kyle meant to everyone into one episode. A little development over time would not have done any harm.

Scott is really adamant about not cancelling the show, saying they should honor Kyle’s work. However, Derek and everyone else feel they should cancel.

When Jimmy comes to get his things from back stage, he finally learns what happens. Oh, my poor baby! I cannot even imagine how he must have felt. My heart broke so many times this episode.

Tom wanted to dissolve his and Julia’s partnership so that she can op to do all the projects on her own without him having any stake in it, including Gatsby. Awh, he wasn’t a monster after all!! I knew it.

Despite being canceled, people are still lining up to see Hit List. Everyone decides to honor Kyle by just doing a staged reading of the show — another similarity to Rent. When Larson died, they decided to not cancel but instead have the cast do a staged reading. Stop it! My heart cannot take this.

Bernadette Peters performs a thirty-second clip of “At Your Feet.” I think it should have been shown on Bombshell’s opening night episode, but it tied in a suggestion Kyle had given Tom earlier, so I guess it fit.

Karen finds Jimmy in what he called his and Kyle’s spot that overlooks the city. He blames himself for Kyle’s death — something I understand but is too cliché and unneeded. Then, she makes it about herself!! GET OUT!!! No one needs you right now. Stop being so selfish. He is not upset because of you and Derek, which apparently didn’t even happen, his best friend just died. Before she leaves, Karen tells him she loves him. Oh good. Totally rooting for you two, not.

Scott never actually canceled the show, and Julia is not OK with that. She says he is exploiting Kyle’s death so he can save his career. And she’s right. He is, but he is also helping everyone get through this difficult time. Cancelling the show won’t make anyone feel better about losing Kyle. Nevertheless, she said Hit List is “all he has left,” implying she will not be doing Gatsby with him.

And now comes Jimmy’s flashback. He and Kyle discuss the second act and how to use a new song, “The Love I Meant to Say.” In the flashback, Kyle mentions how Jesse will finally learn something after Amanda’s death, paralleling Jimmy and Kyle’s relationship. All of these references and connections are just too much.

Jimmy joins the cast right as they get to where “The Love I Meant to Say” will be performed. Instead of continuing the staged reading, he wants to perform the song, just like what happened with Rent! This song was so beautiful. Rarely do I pick out song lyrics, but I can’t help but to give a special mention of the last lines: “Sorry, that’s the word I want to sing to you/ The other word is stay.” I’m fine; these are tears of joy. But in all seriousness, that song was so incredibly beautiful and fit the context of both shows — Smash and Hit List — so well. Not to mention that Jimmy finally showed some emotion as his eyes filled with tears toward the end. I’m going to go cry in a corner now. As you can see, Karen remains unchanged.

Derek pleads Ivy to not leave him because of Karen, but she brings up a good point: there will always be a “Karen” with him. Well, that storyline is finally put to rest. Thank goodness.

Jerry (Michael Cristofer) has committed to Hit List after seeing the staged reading. Looks like Bombshell will have competition at the Tony’s after all. I cannot wait for that showdown!!!

The theater housing Bombshell dims its lights to honor Kyle, a tradition typically only done for Broadway veterans.

Though it could not avoid the clichés, I think this is one of the best episodes Smash has had in a while.

TV: ‘Glee’ is not so “wonder-ful” after all

By Meryl Gottlieb| mg986611@ohiou.edu| @buzzlightmeryl
Glee airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on Fox
Rating: 2/5

Glee’s tribute episode to Stevie Wonder fell flat. Storylines were weak, performances were not very good, and the guest stars — who only had minute-long scenes — stole the show.

Will (Matthew Morrison) makes it Stevie Wonder week after talking with Rachel (Lea Michele) about her “wonderful” opportunity to possibly play Fanny Brice on Broadway. I’m surprised they even got an assignment because his delivery was so full of bad puns to Wonder’s songs that I already started to hate the episode — and I usually love puns.

Extra side news that will come into play later: Brittany (Heather Morris) has been accepted to MIT; Will and Emma (Jayma Mays) are going to get married after Regionals — clearly showing that his marriage is second to Regionals; and Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz) has been weightlisted at a veterinary school in case her performing dreams don’t work out. Yes, they are all as ridiculous as they seem.

Kurt (Chris Colfer) is panicking over Burt’s (Mike O’Malley) upcoming test results. You know, because they gave Burt cancer a few months ago and never talked about it since.

What better way to get over your dad’s illness than to return to your old high school for a week? Mike (Harry Shum Jr.) and Mercedes (Amber Riley) return as well to help the glee club prepare for Regionals. You know, because they have nothing better to do.

Artie (Kevin McHale) tells Kitty (Becca Tobin) he was accepted into the Brooklyn Film Academy but asks her not to tell anyone. However, she performs “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours” to tell the club of his news. The entire time she directs almost every action toward Artie. I don’t know what’s going on this episode but that happens a lot, and I don’t approve.

Artie says he is not going to the school because his mom is nervous about him going to New York City.

Mercedes tells the glee club that they lost Sectionals because they were fearful, especially Marley (Melissa Benoist). The group performs “Superstition” with Marley popping in every now and then to belt out a lyric. This would have been a great performance had Marley not butted in. Her overacting during performances is just too much, and it needs to end.

Burt’s cancer is gone! Thank goodness. O’Malley’s guest appearances are always something to look forward to, and I am glad they won’t be filled with sadness.

To celebrate, Kurt sings “You are the Sunshine of My Life” to Burt in the choir room. It was an OK performance. The choreography was distracting, and it just seemed like it was trying too hard.

Whoever runs the wardrobe department must have run out of fabric because Cassandra (Kate Hudson) was running around with only a bra and a jacket this episode. Seriously, you have no other ideas?

Cassandra confronts Rachel about her audition, saying she will be there to make sure she chokes. My favorite moment of the night comes when she teases Rachel about how she found out about her callback, saying she had spoken with Barbra Streisand at Target. Sass.

Mike and Mercedes praise Jake (Jacob Artist) for his talents, telling him to be more of a leader in the glee club. He and Mike perform “I Wish” to show off his vocal and dancing abilities. I wish this episode were over already.

Mercedes’ record deal is in jeopardy. Her producer loves her vocals but wants her to show more skin for the cover of the album, something she is not comfortable doing. He tells her that if she does not redo the photo-shoot, the CD will not be released. What a jerk.

Katey Sagal plays Artie’s mom!!! She is probably the best TV mom anyone could ever ask for; she certainly was the best moment of tonight’s episode. Kitty told her about Artie’s acceptance and also finds out that he was lying about his mom being worried. In fact, he felt guilty leaving her behind after all she has done for him since his accident.

This was such a sweet scene. Sagal is perfect in everything she does, and I’m thrilled Artie finally had some sort of a storyline.

Instead of harping on Rachel more, Cassandra brings in her NYADA classmates to celebrate her callback by singing “Uptight (Everything’s Alright).” It was the best performance of the night, but I was really annoyed with Cassandra’s sudden change in character. She’s been mean to Rachel the entire season and now she likes “Schwimmer?” Not cool.

Mercedes stuck her ground and refused to redo the shoot, however she no longer has a record deal. With a terrible pun from Will, she sings “Higher Ground.” She gave a great performance; I was just overly done with the episode at this point.

Blaine (Darren Criss) asks Burt for permission to marry Kurt. Yes, that’s right, marry. They are not even dating right now, and I’m not sure Kurt has ever really forgiven him for cheating either. To the Klainers’ despair, Burt does not approve because he feels they are too young. Thank goodness someone is thinking clearly.

Cassandra tells Rachel that she was hard on her all year because, on the first day, she knew Rachel was special. Oh come on! I am going to miss the hostility.

As is the typical format of the show, the glee club performs “For Once in My Life” as a finale for the episode. Everyone is decked out in orange or yellow and the number was just not my favorite. Not to mention the fact that every two seconds, the camera focuses on Artie and Kitty looking at each other. Gag.

Next up, Regionals, because what else do these characters care about? Let’s all rejoice that this monstrosity will soon be over for a few months!

TV: Barney gets a hilarious “Bro Mitzvah” on ‘How I Met Your Mother’

By Meryl Gottlieb| mg986611@ohiou.edu| @buzzlightmeryl
How I Met Your Mother airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on CBS
Rating: 4.5/5 

After tonight’s episode, there are only two more episodes before How I Met Your Mother’s season eight finale. I know, I’m devastated too folks. However, we got a great episode tonight, and I cannot wait to see the finale because I know it is going to be amazing, and I may cry. Scratch that; I will cry.

I already whimpered when Bob Saget began the episode narrating that it would be the story of the night Barney’s (Neil Patrick Harris) life fell apart. My baby! Except, his worst night is one of the show’s best nights.

Six hours earlier, he and Robin (Cobie Smulders) prepare to go to dinner with his mother (Frances Conroy). Robin is very nervous about going, especially because she has to be alone with her until Barney returns from dropping off the $5,000 catering deposit.

He tells her not to worry because what could possibly happen? Kidnapping, that’s what. Marshall (Jason Segel) and Ted (Josh Radnor) kidnap him for his bachelor’s party.

It’s his “bro-mitzvah” — his right of passage as a bro. As a person of the Jewish faith, I have to say that these references were hilarious! I laughed so hard that I cried a little. Puns included a bro-maka (yamaka), a bro-del (dreidel) and a Bro-rah (Torah) that is written in He-bro (Hebrew). Perfection. I definitely approve.

However, Robin is less than excited because now she has to spend the evening alone with his mother. Isn’t it everyone’s dream to spend the night with their mother-in-law?

Barney has said several times that he knows Marshall and Ted will fail planning his bachelor’s party because they won’t be able to make it awesome enough, and they didn’t. They are staying at a run-down hotel that is ten miles outside of Atlantic City, and they have a clown for entertainment. I can’t even describe how much I love Ted and Marshall; they are such adorable dorks.

Barney apparently told his mother that Robin is a virgin, prompting a ton of virgin jokes that were top-notch. Frances Conroy, you rule on American Horror Story and you’re hilarious on HIMYM. Is there anything you can’t do?

As Barney requested in the bro-rah, the Karate Kid has to appear. So, Lily (Alyson Hannigan) brings Ralph Macchio to the party. Except, Barney prefers William Zabka, who played the bully in the movie, saying he is the true Karate Kid. Of course he thinks that. I love him.

Let’s all just take a moment to appreciate Macchio’s cameo. He was so hilarious, and Barney’s hatred of him was excellent. Everyone continually compared Barney and Macchio, to which Barney always replied, “I am nothing like Ralph Macchio,” in a way only Barney could. Except lines like “Self-shake” and “Incredi-wait for it-ble” make it pretty obvious they are similar.

Also, let’s not forgot the wonderful Hannigan. Continuing a long tradition, Lily is all over Macchio, and, as always, it’s hilarious. Hannigan has that craziness down pat.

Ted and Marshall did hire a stripper, and it’s Quinn (Becki Newton). Oh snap. Of course, it’s incredibly awkward because she showed up to Barney’s bachelor party not even a full year after they broke up. Just to annoy him, she does a strip show for everyone but Barney, even the clown.

Barney is having such a terrible time that he calls the party off. As they drive back home, Macchio makes remarks about how much of a loser Barney is for not even gambling when he was ten miles from Atlantic City. That crazy twitch of his begins, and he whips the car around as he clenches the catering deposit money in his hand. Oh no. That is not going to go over well with Robin.

Another great nod to HIMYM history: Barney goes to play Xing Hai Shi Bu Xing. Except, this time, he does not do well. He loses all of the catering money and then tries to win it back by taking out a loan with a Chinese man who wants Marshall as collateral.

Ted yells at Barney for not caring about his friends. When Barney tries to go after him, he runs into Robin who is then incredibly upset when Quinn gets out of the car. She throws her ring at him and tells him it’s over. NNNNOOOOOOOOO. Oh my goodness. I had to pause the show so that I could probably yell and cry over this.

However, things are not what they seem. Everything was Robin’s plan! WHAT! So that heart attack I had thinking they broke up was for nothing. No show, well besides American Horror Story, has ever thrown me the way HIMYM does.

No one could figure out how to give Barney the best night of his life since he makes every night awesome, so Robin suggested giving him the worst night. That’s terrible but seeing them plan this was hilarious. Everyone was in on it: Quinn, the Chinese men at the casino, Barney’s mom and Macchio. Just like one of Barney’s plays, Robin planned “The Barney.” That flashback of the gang planning the whole thing was hilarious. Watch it and see why you love the cast and the show.

Barney actually loved the whole thing. Though, he points out that they still did not get the Karate Kid right. Or did they? The clown reveals himself to be William Zabka. That was just the cherry on top of a phenomenal night.

Tonight’s episode reminded me of why I loved the show: it’s hilarious; the cast is amazing; and it played on the time card again. HIMYM is great because it is a show about time. They can present something as if it’s real and then rewind and show what really happened. For the millionth time, I would like to highlight how amazing the cast’s chemistry is with one another. They are all respectively hilarious, but put them together and they are unstoppable.

TV: Hit List rocks ‘Smash’

By Meryl Gottlieb| mg986611@ohiou.edu| @buzzlightmeryl
Smash airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. on NBC
Rating: 3.5/ 5

Here is something I never thought I would say again: Smash was ok. Seriously! The songs, of course, were amazing and some of the storylines were not that bad. I think this is a major milestone for them.

And yet, the first “oh really” moment was the opening scene: Kathie Lee Gifford was wearing a Marilyn wig. Because of Agnes (Daphne Rubin-Vega) and Eileen’s (Anjelica Huston) plan to get to the Tony’s, they are running an intense publicity campaign since ticket sales aren’t exactly what they want. This publicity campaign is running Ivy (Megan Hilty) ragged. And that’s her storyline — definitely not enough of her tonight.

For this Kathie Lee segment, Ivy does her version of “The 20^th Century Fox Mambo.” Finally! I have waited so long for her version, and I loved it!

Eileen tells Tom (Christian Borle) about Julia’s (Debra Messing) plans for Gatsby, so he goes to her and tells her to call it off with Scott (Jesse L. Martin) so they can do it together. Ok, this is the first time I dislike Tom. I cannot get over how selfish he is being, making it the first time I relate to Julia. I know; I don’t know what’s gotten into me either.

When Julia tells Scott about this, he tells her to obviously keep doing it as a play because Tom is just scrambling now that he does not have the director gig anymore. He also informs her that if Hit List does not take off, his career will be done if he does not have something strong like Gatsby to follow up with next season.

Derek (Jack Davenport) is holding auditions for Jimmy’s (Jeremy Jordan) understudy, and Sam (Leslie Odom Jr.) gets it! I am so excited. I love Sam and am so happy he gets to do something. There are so many great secondary characters that do not get enough attention, especially Bobby (Wesley Taylor).

Kyle’s (Andy Mientus) parents are in to see the show, and I have never seen worst acting. Even the extras are bad! You would think they would audition a few more people. How do these people even get hired?! His mother was so insanely annoying.

Julia tells Tom that she is doing Gatsby with Scott, and he plays the lawyer card because she took the rights out in their company name. I’m disgusted with his actions. The two battle it out in a Q&A, which Ivy moderates, and Tom ends up saying that they are breaking up. After, she begs him to let her do Gatsby because it’s the first thing that has made her happy in years. Ouch. I actually like the deterioration of their partnership. I’m sad they won’t be working together, but it has finally given Julia a storyline I do not detest.

Hit List has a special preview to entice producers to sign onto the project. Here, we actually get a preview of what the show would be like, unlike the Bombshell opening night episode. And it was amazing!!! I honestly prefer Hit List to Bombshell. Sure, Bombshell is great and I love Ivy, but its music pales in comparison.

Two new songs were performed: “Don’t Let Me Know” and “The Goodbye Song.” “Don’t Let Me Know” shows Amanda stealing Jesse’s songs and her rise to fame. “The Goodbye Song” is the finale and is just another amazing song to add to the list of my favorites from the show. Karen (Katharine McPhee), of course, looks awkward but everyone else in the cast is phenomenal.

Agnes had her and Eileen go so Eileen could think about her next project. Eileen admits she liked Hit List. Oh man. I don’t know how she would get the money to produce both but that would make for great drama. However, she must be torn because after the publicity campaign, Bombshell’s sales are going up.

Looks like there will be a showdown at the Tony’s after all.

The show would have been phenomenal for everyone if Jimmy had not gotten high before the performance, causing him to mess up choreography and miss cues. One of the cues he missed was when Amanda is shot by the Diva and he is supposed to catch Karen. I didn’t feel bad; I laughed a little. Is that mean?

Derek says he is replacing Jimmy because of all the stunts he’s pulled, which prompts Jimmy to make a speech at the after-party. He tells Kyle’s boyfriend about how Kyle cheated on him and then he makes a crack about Karen being emotionless. I’m not a fan of Jimmy, but that was good.

Ivy has been blowing Derek off because of her “busy schedule.” He sits at the bar alone until Karen comes over. All of a sudden she seems in to him and tells him to walk her home. Oh brother. What is this fascination with Derek all about? Why do both Ivy and Karen keeping going back and forth with him?!

After Jimmy’s stint, Kyle has decided to cut Jimmy out of his life. He sings “The Last Goodybe” as he packs up an army duffle bag — oh how thespian of you. He takes the bag to Adam’s house because apparently Jimmy has been staying there! What on earth!?! Kyle gives a great performance here.

Right as he finishes, headlights fill his face and everyone can guess a car hit him. I was more surprised by this than I think I should have been. For some reason, I think I actually jumped. Kyle’s character really lacks depth, but I was just starting to like him again. What purpose will his injury serve? Who knows? That would mean there would be thought behind what the Smash writers do and let’s not give them that much credit.

TV: Terrible storylines are taking over ‘Glee’

By Meryl Gottlieb| mg986611@ohiou.edu| @buzzlightmeryl
Glee airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on Fox
Rating: 2/ 5

Before I begin, I have to rant for a moment about the atrocity Glee is turning into. As I have mentioned and felt for quite some time, they are trying to address way too many issues. Again, you do not need to be some social justice platform. You are a television show; try entertaining us for once or give us material that means something. How dare you do a school-shooting episode and then NOT address it after. How dare you bring up something like molestation and make it some side storyline. Cut it out and look at what you are doing. Yes, you can address tough issues but only if you actually explore them and don’t just do them to do it. I am thoroughly depressed that it was renewed for two more seasons. Darren Criss and Naya Rivera: get out while you can!

But I digress…

The lights are out at McKinley, yet school is still in session. Oh, totally realistic. And, of course, Will (Matthew Morrison) turns it into an assignment: unplugged week.

Ryder (Blake Jenner) is still talking to this person online. I am so DONE with this storyline! Why is this getting so much play? Why is it taking forever for them to tell us who it is? Why should we care?

Rachel (Lea Michele) and Kurt (Chris Colfer) tell Santana (Naya Rivera) they are worried she is wasting her time by not throwing herself into the performing world. To which she responds, “What is wrong with trying to figure things out?” Nothing! You are my favorite because she is the most realistic character — and the sassiest.

Not to mention that Rivera’s performance tonight was outstanding! Her wit was amazing as always — I live for those one-liners — and she could gather up raw emotion for scenes about her past and future. Brilliant. Love you. Please find something better worth your talents.

For Will’s assignment, Sam (Chord Overstreet) and Ryder sing “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’,” which Artie (Kevin McHale) was texting through the entire time, prompting Sam to go on a rant about how our society is so wrapped up in technology and blah blah. My goodness the storylines tonight were a bit intolerable.

Sam’s backlash prompts Artie to come up with the idea to do a Stomp-style version of “We Will Rock You.” Gee, I really enjoyed how much this song fit into the storyline; Glee is always so amazing at that. Oh, wait; no it’s not. Where do they always get the time to choreograph, set up, learn the lyrics and do the performances for all of these songs? Does no one at McKinley actually have classes?!

Sarah Jessica Parker is back as Isabelle and she is fantastic! Not only is she adorable, fashionable — as expected — and wise, but she is also the only one to mention Kurt’s father since it was announced that he had cancer in December. Seriously. Has no one thought to bring that up again?

Isabelle invites Kurt (Chris Colfer) to help her organize the New York City Ballet Gala and even allows friends to come too. Gee, I wonder who he will choose.

Sue (Jane Lynch) is now a personal trainer. Thus, we must cut to a montage of girls in the class being sexually exploited as they thrust in their weird ‘80s-wannabe workout outfits. However, I approve because Blaine (Darren Criss) was there!!!!!! My goodness. I need to compose myself after watching that. I mean just look at him:

 

 

 

 

 

Yumz. Yeah. He’s that amazing. Anyway, he goes to beg Sue to come back because he is worried about the messages Roz (NeNe Leakes) is telling the Cheerios, like losing a rib for flexibility. I’m loving Roz’s one-liners.

Ryder sings “Everybody Hurts.” I’ll give him one thing: that boy can sing. He’s not too hard on the eyes either. For some reason the writers felt that a montage of being slushied was appropriate for being hurt. Oh really. That’s the worst thing they have all been through?! I’m so done.

Ryder then confesses that his babysitter molested him when he was 11-years-old. Sam and Artie do not understand why he is ashamed of it, thinking that he should proud he got some action at such a young age.

And here is what is wrong with our society. We live in a sexist rape culture. Men can be sexually harassed too. Just because they are supposed to be macho and tough doesn’t mean they can’t be shaken up about something that is incredibly mind-altering. Men are allowed to have feelings too.

Kitty (Becca Tobin) and Ryder go to dinner, and she tells him she was molested by her friend’s brother. Because she waited to tell, no one really believed her. Ok, I can now finally confess that I like Kitty as a character. She finally has some depth and Tobin’s acting in this episode was great.

So I’m assuming the writers now expect us to want Kitty and Ryder to get together. After tonight’s episode, it’s pretty apparent in the direction they are heading. I think these two would actually match up fairly well. I do not approve of Murphy using a molestation storyline to put these two together, but I don’t approve of most things he does.

Becky (Lauren Potter) pleads Sue to come back, but Sue says she enjoys personal training more because she finally gets the respect she deserves. That dialogue magically flows into Sue performing “Little Girls” from Annie. What a coincidence. Lynch was recently announced to play Ms. Hannigan on Broadway. Sure, the song fits but it wasn’t needed. I love Lynch, but I just was not pleased with them putting this into the show.

Santana, Rachel, Kurt and Isabelle sing “At the Ballet” from A Chorus Line. Anyone that does not love this musical — like me — probably hated that five-minute segment. I do not understand why they did the full song; even I felt like it went on too long. Although, I adored baby Kurt, Rachel and Santana at the ballet studio. Also, SJP did a phenomenal job! I usually don’t like her voice, but I must say it sounded great.

Isabelle gives Santana advice that everyone needs to hear: “Baby steps are OK.” Thank you! I still don’t understand how society expects us to decide at 18-years-old what we want to do for the rest of our life. She’s like the cool mentor everyone needs but no one knows where to find.

Ryder is still talking to the online girl because she somehow got him to open up. He is so fascinated with this girl that he blows Kitty off who had asked him out. I feel as if it would be too obvious if Kitty were Katie, so I’m not going to hands down guess that, but I’m starting to lean that way.

Santana signs up for a NYADA extension dance program so she can reintroduce herself to her artist self. As she warms up, she sees her younger ballerina self who asks her to not forget her again. All the feels. I love her.

Even with the lights back on, Will has the glee club do an a cappella version of “Longest Time.” What a bunch of How I Met Your Mother copycats. I definitely preferred Barney and Ted’s version to their version. The song is wonderful originally — I mean it is Billy Joel — but they are not an a cappella group.

Also, is no one going to mention that Brittany (Heather Morris) is M.I.A.? Are they already writing her out because of Morris’ pregnancy?

Film: ‘The Place Beyond the Pines’ is Worth Visiting

By Will Ashton | wa054010@ohiou.edu
The Place Beyond the Pines| Directed by Derek Cianfrance | Rated R
RATING: 4/5

Coming off of Blue Valentine, one of the best movies of 2010, director Derek Cianfrance’s follow-up picture, The Place Beyond the Pines, had a lot to live up to. Fortunately, his newest effort meets expectations, and then some.

Luke (Ryan Gosling) is a motorcycle stunt driver living comfortably on his own until he learns that he has a son named Jason with Romina (Eva Mendes). Despite her insistence otherwise, Luke becomes determined to be the father that his dad never was. In an effort to make some quick money, he joins Robin (Ben Mendelsohn) in robbing banks across town.

But, after making one dangerous mistake, Luke gets entangled with Avery Cross (Bradley Cooper), a cop who changes his life, and his own, forever.

A multi-generational study on fathers and sons and the decisions we make for and because of them, the movie is a highly ambitious and audacious multi-character study about consequences. With Blue Valentine, Cianfrance made himself a director to watch for. With The Place Beyond the Pines, however, he solidifies himself as one of the best new visions in Hollywood today.

Cianfrance’s greatest strength lies in realism. Everything he paints on screen, so far, feels like a window into the lives of somebody we may or may not ever know. His talents for creating a sense of authenticity through his compelling characters helps make some of the sillier elements of the script, written by Cianfrance, Ben Coccio, and Darius Marder, appear believable.

While not quite on par with the caliber they were in Blue Valentine, Cianfrance is still able to pull in some strong performances from his cast. In particular, Cooper, Mendelsohn, and Gosling provide some solid, and surprisingly restrained, acting.

At two-and-a-half hours, The Place Beyond the Pines is a film that actually feels like it deserves its bloated running time. However, a film separated in three separate acts, the third section of his film is, undoubtedly, the weakest. Plot elements, despite their presentation, start to ring a little false and the characters introduced in this act are not as developed as those presented in the two before.

Additionally, the editing throughout the film appears oddly lazy. Often, the film will rely too heavily on fade cuts, which rarely add anything to the film and eventually become distracting. However, several bank-robbing scenes are edited with great ferocity and tension. It should also be noted that this movie begins with a 5+ minute one-shot that, while it’s no Boogie Nights, is still extremely impressive.

The film doesn’t quite hit the same level of his previous effort, but The Place Beyond the Pines is still a highly engaging and compelling look at the lives of others. It demonstrates, once again, that Cianfrance should have a very promising career ahead of him.

TV: Bombshell opens on ‘Smash’

By Meryl Gottlieb| mg986611@ohiou.edu| @buzzlightmeryl
Smash airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. on NBC
Rating: 2.5/ 5

“Opening Night” featured some great moments (courtesy of Megan Hilty) but more so terrible ones (courtesy Katharine McPhee and the return of Emory Cohen). While I love watching this train wreck unfold, I can honestly say I will not miss this show once it is cancelled, which it most likely will be. I will miss Hilty and a few of the actors (the very underappreciated and wonderful Wesley Taylor, who plays Bobby), but I can always wait for their next Broadway appearance.

Before opening night, Ivy (Megan Hilty) is afraid to read any reviews of her performance, but in this age of the ever-present media, she cannot escape them.

Julia (Debra Messing) is running ideas by Tom (Christian Borle) for their next project. Because nothing screams musical like Lord of the Flies or The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Seriously; those were her suggestions.

Hit List has sold out for the rest of its run, and the cast has been invited to Bombshell’s opening night, to Karen’s (Katharine McPhee) dismay.

Tom is asked to be the director for a revival of City of Angels — as long as his Bombshell director reviews are good. However, this would be a full time job, leaving no time for a new collaboration with Julia. Oh heavens; what will he do?

Leo (Emory Cohen) is back and worse than ever. One of the first things he says is a remark about seeing Ivy naked. Gross. Also, that haircut. Wow. That’s bad.

Insight into Jimmy’s (Jeremy Jordan) past is supposed to be a main focus of tonight’s episode; except, nothing is a surprise. That mysterious guy is Adam (David Call), Jimmy’s brother, who is the one that got Jimmy into that bad boy life after issues with their dysfunctional family took a turn for the worse. And, of course, Kyle (Andy Mientus) is the one who saved him.

Jimmy could have been such a great character had someone put a little bit of thought into him. Why does this show excel in writing beautiful lyrics, yet is terrible in attempting to write a simple storyline? They need a dramaturg and bad.

Whoever thought pairing up Adam and Ana (Krysta Rodriguez) is, well, an idiot. Do not put her in harm. She is one of the few characters I can tolerate. Also, he is NOT that good looking so I do not see the strange attraction she has to him.

Julia pitches doing a Great Gatsby musical to Tom who is only hesitant because he might get that directing job. Oh, backstabbing is always a great way to go.

Eileen (Anjelica Huston) and Richard (Jamey Sheridan) officially break it off and only Agnes (Daphne Rubin-Vega) is upset. Honestly, was anyone rooting for that couple? There was no chemistry between those actors, so how did this become a storyline?

Let’s take a moment to reflect on Karen’s outfit for the opening. As a friend of mine would say: “Look at your life. Look at your choices.” Is that flapper style really working for you? I know nothing about fashion and even I know you look ridiculous. Ivy, on the other hand, looked fabulous.

Before the curtain rises, Ivy quickly talks with her mom, Leigh (Bernadette Peters), about her nerves. For the first time, a truly great mother-daughter moment happened as all the adorableness flowed from Hilty and Peters. Love those two.

Unfortunately, we only got to see the curtain rise before a cut to commercial. Seriously?! No montage of those wonderful performances? Nothing?! What a rip off.

But I was incredibly excited to see Hilty’s version of “Don’t Forget Me.” It is WAY better than McPhee’s, which even Karen could tell as she looked uncomfortable, again.

WHY was Rosie O’Donnell in the audience? What purpose did that serve? Of all the celebrities to choose, you choose Rosie. “Look at your life. Look at your choices.” Then to add insult to injury, Rosie is the one to spill the beans to Julia about Tom’s possible directing gig.

While that guest actor was terrible, Rubin-Vega was amazing in her role as the pushy PR agent. I think her scene, as she waited for the reviews to come in, was the only realistic scene that has ever been on the show. Finally, some insight as to how the Broadway world actually works; it only took 27 episodes.

When Julia confronts him, Tom explains that he wasn’t expecting her to wait around while he worked for the Angels production. He wanted to focus on his directing career. However, his dream is crushed when the reviews come in and praise everything but his directing. Then, he wants to consider doing Gatsby, which Julia doesn’t fall for.

Karen and Ivy are acting all chummy in the bathroom, giving each other half-hearted compliments about the other’s talents. The two then duo to “That’s Life,” in which Ivy confirms that she is way better than Karen – singing and performing wise. They sound great together, but McPhee just pales in comparison to Hilty’s vocals.

An altercation occurs between Jimmy and Adam at the opening, which Eileen solves by coolly dumping a bucket of ice on them. Ha! I wish it had been a giant glass of wine.

Karen tells Jimmy she is scared of him and that he can’t change despite the fact that he says he is trying. My goodness, I hate her more and more. She is way too judgmental and just terrible.

Derek (Jack Davenport) wants to take Hit List to Broadway this season, putting it in direct competition with Bombshell at The Tony’s. Oh my goodness. FINALLY a storyline I can get excited about! Derek, you wonderful British man you.

Upon Ivy’s questioning, Karen tells Ivy that Derek had asked her out a few weeks ago, meaning he came to Ivy after Karen rejected him, again. Awh, I was actually ok with their relationship this time. Now, Ivy is irritated and gives Derek the boot, which leads to him hooking up with that one dancer who announced their past relationship a few episodes back.

Scott (Jesse L. Martin) tells Julia to do Gatsby as a play since the New York Times review praised her as a playwright, not a simple book writer. Ok, another storyline I could get into.

Tom and Kyle leave together to go hook up. NO. STOP IT NOW. Not ok.

Eileen tells Agnes to double the advertising budget so that Bombshell can sweep The Tony’s. Listen, I love your enthusiasm but you need a reality check.