TV Review of "Glee" Season 1, Episode 16: "Home"

Tonight's episode of Glee, "Home," was beautiful and fantastic. Such emotion and realistic dialogue and directing let the actors really shine. Here are my thoughts on what I loved, what I hated, and what I thought just worked really well for the show and the characters.


Things I loved
I loved finn's mom's scene where she's explaining letting go of her husband/finn's dad and that their home hasn't really been the home it would've been with finn's dad weren't missing. So spot on in dialogue and beautifully acted by both Cory and Romy (the actors playing Finn and Carole). So accurate. My mom was riveted on Finn's mom and I was riveted on Finn's reaction to the chair.

I loved the Mercedes and Quinn scene. So touching. Another example of fantastic and accurate writing. When Quinn said that eating to keep her baby healthy and strong made her ask why isn't she willing to give herself that kind of care and attention... so spot on.

I love how Mercedes's "Beautiful" ballad was powerful, yet toned down from the high pitch of Aguilera's equally amazing, but different, version. Amber Riley really hit the emotion and the music.

And I loved how Will Schuester is acknowledging and feeling his loneliness – the loneliness that comes from having been in the same serious relationship since when he was 16.

What I hated
On another note, I hated how the investigative reporter never interviewed any students or faculty, or even Sue herself since he interrupted her in her office right before she was about to put her foot in her mouth. A good reporter lets the subject speak for itself. And a good reporter never goes and tells the subject how the article is going to turn out.

I didn't really care for the song selection, either. And while I love Kristin Chenoweth's talent and energy, the songs they gave her didn't pop the way it could have with different songs and thematic ties. The music-in-story seemed a little forced and disjointed and even Kurt's rendition of "A House is Not A Home" was pretty painful, thanks to it coming out of nowhere and being infused with both the parent-dating drama and the Kurt has a crush on Finn drama.

What I thought worked
How nice was it to have a break from the kid's angsty love lives and other melodrama going on. In other words, thank you, writers, for putting Rachel and Jesse in the background this episode. They're talented and all, but Glee needs this to be an ensemble cast with ensemble scenes, not designated "stars." And Glee needs to show that it knows it has the potential to be more than just the music – and the music is only as good as the emotions tying it to the story.

It was also nice to see a responsible, competent and sane school nurse on the premises. When she showed up on the screen telling Mercedes that her mother was on her way to pick her up, and said it all calmly and with sympathetic understanding, well, that was a not insignificant moment for me.