Glee season 5, episode 6 “Movin’ Out” aired last night. In this episode, featuring the hits of Billy Joel, several McKinley seniors take a step towards life after high school. Read our full recap below.
Sue Sylvester has set up McKinley’s first ever career fair, mostly featuring disgusting and dead-end jobs. Will is naturally butthurt that no artistic careers are represented, and Sue tells him that she won’t support students – entering most competitive job market in history – in pursuing the fickle world of the arts, which is sure to crush their dreams of stardom and lead them to mediocrity and failure, just like Will. The look on his face shows us that some part of him agrees with her.
However, he squashes that part down and goes to try and inspire the glee club – he tells them that what Sue said is true – that attempting to perform can be impractical and uncertain, but people who really want something should still go after what they love. He tells them that the week’s assignment will focus on a “goofy-looking kid who struggled for years to make it in the music business” – I’m obsessed with the fact that Kitty victoriously hisses “it’s finally Marilyn Manson week!” – but no, the man in question is in fact the unlikely success story that is Billy Joel. Apparently Schue filled in Blaine and Sam on the plan, because they have a Billy Joel number already prepared to sing to the class before they both travel to NYC for college interviews – Blaine at NYADA for performance, Sam to Hunter College for an acting scholarship.
Blam begin the number “Movin’ Out” and they sing themselves from the choir room all the way to New York, catching public transport to Kurt and Rachel’s loft. By the way, I have a feeling the guy on the bus in the blue hoodie, the one Blaine gets all up in the face of, is significant in some way, like a secret cameo, but I can’t place it. Whatever. It’s like the cheesiest performance in the world, but they sound incredible – Billy Joel songs are so versatile, with such perfect melodies, that it’s kind of hard not to completely rock while singing them.
At the career fair, Artie notices Becky getting pretty involved, and asks about her plans after graduation – she thinks college is for suckers, apparently, but Artie goes on to tell her about colleges he’s researched which cater for disabilities. Sue interrupts the conversation by wheeling Artie away, and tells him not to interfere with Becky’s head. Artie tries later to give Becky pamphlets on colleges with Down’s Syndrome programs and she seems interested in spite of herself, but soon gets angry and defensive, and rejects the offer.
When Sam and Blaine meet the girls and Kurt at the diner, Blaine mentions checking out other college campuses, such as NYU and Columbia, saying he needs safety schools. Kurt is in complete denial that Blaine will go anywhere other than NYADA and is sure that Blaine will get in on the spot. Kurt encourages him to sing at Spotlight as an audition warm-up, and Blaine is embarrassed but plays “Piano Man.” Santana exists in this episode purely to eyeroll at her friends’ need to constantly sing their feelings – “seriously, you all need to be stopped,” and Sam plays the harmonica line as waitresses twirl while putting out the evening candles.
The song is a perfect Darren Criss performance that wouldn’t be out of place at one of his own concerts – it’s realistic to the point of being raw and slightly out of breath, and I can’t help wondering if this is meant to showcase his lack of a traditional musical theatre belt – possibly a clue that he might not get into NYADA. Kurt definitely states “There’s no way you’re not getting into NYADA!” a few too many times throughout the episode for the situation not to end in some deep irony.
Jake fills Marley’s locker with roses in an attempt to apologize for his transgressions, but she’s having none of it. He begs her for the chance to apologize, but she says that he shouldn’t have to – that she should have never expected him to change from his past ways.
Ryder also tells off Jake for screwing things up with Marley, but Jake claims that he is who he is and that they learn in glee to accept things the way that they are. It sort of feels like one of those situations where people criticise you so much that you start to believe it yourself – like he’s resigned himself to it – but still, when he tells Jake that he better start liking the real Jake Puckerman, I’m reminded how much I still ship it. Jake then starts to sing “My Life” in the locker room – some girls clad in towels come out of the men’s showers to dance with him – and then sings it in the choir room while sassing Marley and backflipping. Everyone kind of side-eyes him, and he then dances around school with more girls in half a minute than the tabloids pair Harry Styles with in a month.
Sam’s college interview is the WORST EVER and causes me so much second-hand embarrassment that I want to hide behind my hands. He tries to be a total social justice warrior, but makes himself sound naïve, stupid and obliviously privileged. I swear Sam used to be really, you know, good at dealing with people, and understanding personal issues? Guess that went out the window. But oh, Jesus.. “So you’re black… that must be interesting.. Do you know..” at this point I see where the joke is going and I cannot believe they’re doing it – “This is a shot in the dark.. do you know Mercedes Jones?”
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Needless to say, it’s a total flop, and back at the loft, Rachel encourages him to try elsewhere. Sam admits that he doesn’t want to go to college, and when Rachel says that he doesn’t have to, he says he’s felt societal pressure about it his whole life, like its the only success route. Rachel tells him something very astute – “In life, it’s not about knowing what you want, it’s about knowing what you can cross off your list of that you don’t want” and is generally very attentive to him, serving him food and pouring him drinks. They’re very natural together, more than I ever expected, and it makes me wonder if Sam is reminding her of Finn.
Sam tells her that he does know what he wants: his childhood dream of male modeling. We see a flashback to child Sam practising posing, and a flash forward to his fantasy – sitting outside a studio in LA and seeing himself in an underwear ad on the side of a bus. Rachel is very considerate of Sam’s description of modeling as form of expression, in fact, she looks utterly charmed. Sam expects to be mocked, but Rachel immediately starts setting up a photo shoot so that he can apply to agencies.
Rachel organises for the Funny Girl production photographer, Barbara Brownfield, to come take pictures of Sam at the loft. The photographer is impressed with Sam’s look, despite the truly bizarre Blaine-style outfit he comes out in. She shoots him in several different styles, and then in his underwear. Rachel comes over to put some oil on his chest and there is a weird tension and look between them, which, wow. If that’s going to be a thing, wow, weird, but the chemistry is definitely there.
Artie makes Becky meet him in the auditorium, where he and the band sing “Honesty” to her. She takes it as a sexual advance again, because apparently that joke isn’t old and weird yet. Artie shuts that down immediately, and says that she needs to be honest with him and with herself about her graduation. Becky admits that she wants to go to college, but is scared of being bullied like in school. Artie says that the environment will be better, and that she will have a support network of professors, counselors and friends.
Sue soon calls Artie into her office via the PA system. She tells him again to stop meddling with Becky, and he retorts that Becky told her himself that she wants to go to college. Sue says Artie’s a fool for not thinking that Sue has not already done all this research herself for Becky – contacted the schools and such – but Sue claims that Becky isn’t ready. When Artie tells Sue that maybe Sue just isn’t ready to let her go, and that he’s gotten permission from the Jackson family to take Becky to visit a program at the University of Cincinnati, Sue accepts, and tells him to ask the school tough questions, and to report back.
Marley helps out in the kitchen and we see her mom for the first time this season. She talks to her mom about Jake’s crazy behaviour, from begging to apologise to acting the victim. She admits that she’s glad it ended before she slept with him, and her mom scars her for life by making some sexual innuendos. She goes on to tell Marley that, for her first time, to hold out for a good guy, someone that she really trusts, not just likes, which seems like a blatant set up for Ryder to come back into the picture.
Sure enough, Ryder soon begs Marley to go out with him, listing all the reasons for how good and sweet and decent and pure he is. She tells him that she needs to take a break from guys, but that she will think about it. I honestly can’t think too hard about the Jake/Ryder/Marley triangle or I get very angry at Marley, because remember how she dumped him because he was seeing a dyslexia specialist and she was having a fit of bad-girl whimsy? It seemed horrible then because he had been so lovely, but now he seems kind of creepily intense – he begins to sing “An Innocent Man” to himself in the mirror and then continues in front of the glee club. Everyone, including Schue, gives him even more of a hardcore side-eye than they gave Jake. At the end of the song, he asks Marley out, she says yes, and Jake storms out.
Kurt commandeers the planning of Blaine’s NYADA audition with Carmen Tibideaux. Blaine says that he has to tell Kurt something, sounding anxious. “If you’ve cheated on me again, I’m not taking sex addiction as an excuse,” Kurt replies glibly, at which point, fifty seven ‘Blaine Sexual-Compulsive Anderson’ meta writers punched the air, because it legitimately sounds like something that they’ve talked about – but the issue is that, apparently, Blaine doesn’t want to audition for NYADA. He says that he feels restricted, since NYADA only teaches performance, and that he may want to experience other options in college – teaching, or maybe pre-med. “Of course!” Kurt stares at him. “How could I forget the numerous conversations we’ve had about you wanting to be a doctor?” His sarcasm is light and not too mean, but completely valid and hilarious.
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Blaine’s issues seem like something that could be a legitimate concern, and that he was torn between what Kurt wanted him to do and what he wanted (we’ve certainly been there before enough times,) but he backs up his reasoning with really flimsy excuses, like a childhood love of playing “Operation,” so Kurt’s theory that Blaine is just scared and vulnerable is probably the truth. Shame, I would have liked to see Blaine actually make a move into something like law or media because, unlike Sam, he actually is a little social justice warrior, and I think if you asked him what was most important, he’d want to make a difference. However, Kurt claims that Blaine is a performer and a performer only, and that even if he fails at NYADA, he will find the spotlight.
The “University of Cincinnati” is so recognisable as the main public walkway at Paramount Studios that for a few seconds I think we’re still in commercial. But no, there’s Artie and Becky walking around with an advisor. They later attend an independent living class, where students with Down’s Syndrome learn bill-paying and financial budgeting skills. The group is enthusiastic about the college and about Becky, and she is invited to stay and watch the class, swiftly brushing off a guy who’s slightly sleazily putting the moves on her already.
Sam meets a booking agent – played by Tyra Banks – at top modelling agency House of Bichette. She trusts the photographer who shot Sam’s pictures, and she likes his look, especially his eyes, which apparently have the Midwestern vacant gaze of a cow, and his unusual mouth, which he resentfully identifies as “trouty” for her. Tyra Banks- I’m pretty sure she’s not playing herself, but she also isn’t given a name – explains that Sam needs to get better pictures, and, in a manner that drifts between realistic truth bomb and mystical craziness, explains that the career is not glamorous or that financially viable, and that the word he’ll hear the most is “no.” Sam takes this on the chin, and she likes his attitude, so she invites him to provide new pictures – in a week, after he’s lost ten pounds, a request which Sam is perplexed by.
At home, the loft has acquired a small piano – apparently a thank-you gift from Blaine and Sam for having them stay. Santana is supremely pissed off that Kurt and Rachel will now sing all day, all night, and at any given opportunity. Rachel brushes her off and attempts to feed Sam, who morosely refuses to eat anything other than “Mentos and flavored air.” The others all tell him how stupid the situation is, and that he should look for another agency. Blaine says that maybe this is an argument best made in song, to Kurt cries “yes!” and to which Santana groans – this is what she’s afraid of, every argument and discussion and meal turning into a sing-along. “You don’t have to sing, Santana,” Blaine smiles smugly at her, as Kurt adds “but I dare you not to!” and begins the opening to “Just The Way You Are.”
The group goes line by line, in different pairings, and it’s one of the most organic and beautiful performances ever done on the show – certainly the best this season. I forgot how good Rachel and Blaine sound together, and it doesn’t suffer that fake quality of many Glee performances, where the singers are backed up by lots of magical instrumentals that we can’t see. It’s just them, and Blaine’s single piano line, and their own vocal harmonies. Rachel sings to Sam, Kurt definitely notices, and Sam pulls Rachel up to dance with him.
Kurt and Sam also share some lines and they sound flawless together, and I’m reminded that after Finn cock-blocked their duet in season 2, they’ve never actually sung together. Ugh. RIP that entire plotline. We could have had it all, rolling in the deep, etc. Anyway, Rachel and Sam also sound amazing together – Chord’s voice is criminally underused on this show, it’s stunned me since his very first episode – and then, of course, Santana prances back in from her sulk, belting out into a hairbrush and joining in. While Blaine plays, Kurt twirls Santana around and Sam and Rachel continue to waltz, gazing at each other a little. As the song ends, everyone kind of notices with wide eyes, but nothing about it is mentioned aloud… for now.
Back at McKinley, Sue calls Becky in to talk about her trip to college. Becky admits she loved it and that she wants to go, that she is ready and has outgrown high school. Sue is sad to lose her, but wants to help write the application essay. Meanwhile, Ryder is getting really intense really fast, which Marley is clearly uncomfortable with. Jake, faking-jovial, asks them if this situation is for real, Ryder says yes, Jake says cool and drapes himself over some random girls, wandering off. Marley tells Ryder that they’re not officially Going Out and that she still needs time.
Sue and Becky set up an arts stand for the career fair. Will asks why Sue changed her mind, and she admits that everyone deserves a shot at their dreams, but as she still finds it irresponsible, she continues to undermine the idea while objectively doing what is right. The club overhears and delusionally defends themselves, claiming they’re all going to be big stars. “Of course you are,” Sue tells them patronisingly, “Isn’t that right, William?” Will, who clearly knows this isn’t going to be true for all of them, is saved from answering by Blam returning and talking about their time in New York. Why did Blaine have to audition at NYADA, by the way? Kurt and Rachel auditioned at McKinley… Sam tells the group that Schue conveniently neglected to tell them that Billy Joel never went to college, and reveals that he wont be going to college either.
Sue tries to peace out, saying she cannot imagine what goes on in their heads. Becky tells her “they’re nuts – every one of them is crazy,” at which Will gets a wicked grin. Sue, channeling Santana earlier in the episode, demands that no one start to sing – “No. No. Over my dead body will you inexplicably shoehorn in another Billy Joel song just to punctuate one of your weekly lessons that inevitably veers off into a saccharin barrage of angst and affirmation.” The whole glee club is grinning at each other by the end of this spiel as they break into “You May Be Right,” and they trash the career fair, dance through the halls, and end up on the stage singing and dancing with a massive group of other students, who apparently still hate and bully them except for every single time that the show needs people to bulk up performance numbers.
Next week, Glee presents season 5, episode 7 “The Puppet Master,” in which I have legitimately no idea what the hell is going on. Puppets? Yay?
