"Glee: Rocky Horror Picture Show Episode" Television Review

"Glee: Rocky Horror Picture Show Episode"

Television Review

By our guest blogger, Catherine Fuentes

I admit that I was worried walking into this episode of "Glee."  I hated the last episode that aired two weeks ago, but my favorite episode this season was the Britney Spears theme. So, would another theme – of a far more iconic nature – be pleasing? Or would it fall flat?

I liked it. I actually really liked it. I’m not a "Glee" purist, so when the show does something totally different and pushes the envelope, I feel I’ll receive it well. At least by my "Glee" logic, if they’re doing something big and lofty, all of the overly saccharine moments that I don’t care for seem to exist on a much smaller and more tolerable level.

My main question gearing up to the episode was, why? Why "Rocky Horror Picture Show"? "Glee" is fundamentally about kids in a public high school, and I can’t imagine a school putting on a reproduction of the show – without changing some lyrics and acting cues (which, of course, "Glee" had to do, and as great as the original is, I feel I have to tip my hat to them in that regard). And Mr. Schuester seems too much of a stickler to do what’s good and appropriate for a bunch of teens to perform this in a school setting. Well, lucky for me, my question was addressed early on. Mr. Schuester was trying to impress his "Rocky Horror Picture Show" loving crush, Emma, and one-up her boyfriend, Dr. Carl. I was already pleased to have an episode that seemed like it would focus on the drama of the adults.

Most importantly, Sue Sylvester appeared – and played a substantial role! Embedding herself as an investigative reporter tackling why McKinley High was performing the show, she joined the cast. Sue as journalist--I really couldn’t have been happier. Sue as expert pumpkin carver--again, totally happy. Sue’s prominence in this episode leads me to two important points: (1) Never leave and (2) Where’s Coach Beiste?

I’ve criticized "Glee" in the past for being over the top when they didn’t need to be – take Kurt’s "Victor/Victoria" over-stylized number from the last episode. But here was a subject when they needed to be over-the-top, and I felt they delivered. From the opening singing lips to the title frames, "Glee" was hitting up the details. The costumes (Kurt looked flawless), the dancing, the singing, everything these kids did was great.

Another thing I loved, which I often applaud "Glee" for doing, is reimagining musical numbers (remember my emphatic love of Kurt’s Beatles rendition a few episodes back). I wouldn’t have ever imagined Mercedes to play the role of Frank N Furter, but I am so glad she did. It was nice seeing a new spin on something so classic.

I loved the musical numbers of the adults, as well. It was great to see John Stamos perform so well as Carl, and the scene between Will and Emma in the classroom, with Santana and Brittany eavesdropping as part of the choir, was a high point of the episode for me.

However, the true high points came in Sue’s witty lines, and the show-closing rendition of “Time Warp.” The energy was high, the choreography was great, the singing was on point, and more importantly, it looked like a lot of fun.

Otherwise, the music was good. Of course, the original "Rocky Horror Picture Show" is a classic, and hopefully a generation who may have never seen the original will be compelled to check it out. Yes, the "Glee" version was good and was bright and cute, but the original is great. Not surprisingly, all Tuesday night, the Fox Movie Channel was playing the original movie on loop.