Glee Episode 9 was the long awaited return of Glee after a World Series break. But Glee Episode 9 came after the Glee club sang at the World Series, and released their first album, so the show was still on everyone’s minds. For Glee Episode 9, the gang returned with a diva-off, a new look at established and underused characters, and material that made a disabled activist group unhappy.
In Glee Episode 9, one of the less often seen glee kids, the handicapped Artie, got put into the spotlight because there was no wheelchair-accessible bus for sectionals. So Will got another one of his misguided “diversity” ideas and made the glee club get around in wheelchairs themselves, while using a bake sale to raise money for a handicapable bus.
Artie got his first song in Glee Episode 9 as a result, but it didn’t come without controversy. For the first time, a Glee episode got some protests, because disability groups have only now realized that Artie isn’t played by a handicapped actor. As such, songs like Artie’s “Dancing With Myself” and a performance of “Proud Mary” with everyone in wheels got disability advocates and actors upset.
While Artie tried to power through anyway, and got closer to fellow underused club member Tina as a result, it was also Kurt’s time to belt out his pipes in Glee Episode 9. Of course, he wanted to belt them for a song usually sung by a girl – Wicked’s show-stopping “Defying Gravity.” Glee Episode 9 built up to Kurt and Rachel competing to sing the Broadway hit – although those who bought the Glee soundtrack already heard them perform it.
Glee Episode 9 isn’t the first one to allude to Wicked, since one of it’s original stars, Kristen Chenoweth, was memorably on the show weeks ago. But “Defying Gravity” was a fitting anthem to someone like Kurt – though it didn’t come without a cost to him or his father.
This was all just the tip of the iceberg in Glee Episode 9, which also made room for the latest Finn/Quinn/Puck triangle mess, and Sue’s suspicious motives in hiring a lisping new Cheerio. As written by creator Ryan Murphy, Glee Episode 9 was one of the more emotionally manipulative episodes of the show, which is bound to move some – most likely due to Kurt and his dad – and annoy others.
But since the show has been away for a while – despite a fair share of promotion during the break – Glee Episode 9 certainly put on a big show to mark its return.
Next week things get even wilder, when Rachel’s long standing clashes with Will turn into a crush, of all possible things.
Sources
Television Without Pity- “Proud Mary Keep On Burning”
USA TODAY- “Glee wheelchair episode hits bump with disabled”
TV Guide Magazine- “Glee: Wicked-ly Good”
