Thoughts on Glee

With everything that has been going on in my life, I have yet to comment on the second season of Glee other than to note my approval of the two hot guys who joined the cast last fall. I've been meaning to blog on the subject for months and there's no time like the present, right?

To start with, I should say that Chris Colfer has continued to impress the hell out of me. I was practically jumping up and down with joy when he won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in January. I don't think anyone deserved it more than he did and his acceptance speech was the high point of the evening.

I've loved the bullying story arc that is still unresolved. It's an important story and Chris played it beautifully, especially during the scene where Kurt finally confronted his bully Karofsky in the locker room.

I think one of my favorite scenes not only of the year but from any TV show EVER has to be the scene where Kurt's Dad gives him The Talk about sex. This was such a groundbreaking moment, to see a straight father sit down with his gay teenage son and discuss not only safe sex, but the emotional aspects of becoming sexually involved with another person. I honestly never thought I'd see a scene like this on network television. If Glee had ceased to air immediately afterward, it would have earned its place in history just with that scene.

What made this all truly spectacular was Mike O'Malley and Chris Colfer as the father and son in question. They were both pitch perfect as they had the uncomfortable but important conversation, and if it were up to me they would both be showered with every award possible just for this alone.

One of the best things about the new season has been the addition of Blaine Anderson to the cast of characters. Yes, Blaine is played by the incredibly sexy Darren Criss (see above), but that's only one reason to love this character. A far better one is that Criss is a talented actor and singer who has made Blaine truly come alive onscreen.

I could cite many examples of this, but I think the best one actually comes from this past week's episode. The scene I'm talking about is the one in which Blaine is listening to Kurt perform 'Blackbird' and there's no doubt as you're watching that you're seeing him fall in love with his fellow Warbler right before your eyes. Blaine doesn't say a word, but the dawning realization is all right there on his face and in his body language.

I've loved the way in which Kurt & Blaine have become friends (although Kurt was in love from the moment Blaine sang Teenage Dream to him) and how Blaine has tried to be a mentor to Kurt, and I'm excited to see where things go from here, now that they've finally become a couple.
With that said, I'm so ready to see Kurt back at McKinley High! All of the Warbler's performances tend to start sounding the same after awhile, with so little diversity in the singing, and I just miss seeing Kurt interacting with his old friends. I've loved seeing him become closer with Rachel since his transfer to Dalton and I'd like to see how that holds up when they're in the same glee club again.

What about the rest of the show, outside of Kurt and Blaine? Well, I've got to say that I'm incredibly disappointed with the way things were written for Will & Emma. Throwing Carl into the mix and then having Emma marry him so suddenly was not only wildly out of character for her, it also sort of ruined Emma & Will for me.

I liked the addition of Holly Holliday and I have to confess that I've never liked Gwyneth Paltrow more, but I don't see her being a long term character. If she's just in the mix to get Emma and Will back together, as seems likely, I'm less than impressed.

One truly fantastic decision they made this year was the casting of Dot-Marie Jones as Coach Beiste. At first, I thought the new football coach was going to be little more than a stereotype and a joke, but I quickly lost that idea. The writing has given Dot-Marie Jones a chance to shine both as a comic actress and in some surprisingly emotional scenes.

I also very much enjoyed the addition of Chord Overstreet as Sam Evans, though for somewhat different reasons:

Yes, he's fantastic eye candy, but I also loved how secretly dorky Sam was underneath the hot jock exterior. When he spoke Na'vi and did his McConaughey impression, I melted. I was especially excited when I thought that he was coming on to be Kurt's new boyfriend. My disappointment on that front was quickly appeased by the real chemistry that existed between Sam & Quinn, though. I really enjoyed that pairing.

Since then, they haven't seemed to know what to do with Sam. They trashed his relationship with Quinn to do a Quinn & Finn retread (boring!) and then paired him up with Santana, only to have her confess her love for Brittany. There is some truly interesting story to be told with the character of Sam, his insecurity, and his overwhelming need to be popular, but will they tell it?

Don't get me wrong, though, I love the whole Brittany/Santana relationship. It will be interesting to see where that goes. I've also enjoyed the Brittany/Artie match.

I have mixed feelings on the Puck/Lauren pairing. I love Lauren's complete confidence in herself and in her sex appeal, in spite of not looking like what is accepted in our society today as 'sexy', but I just feel like the pairing with Puck is too forced to be believable. They don't quite carry it off, somehow.

Where is Mercedes? Yes, she's physically present and has had a few great songs (I loved the duet of 'Take Me or Leave Me' she did with Rachel!), but she's had no character development whatsoever this season, outside of the tater tot thing. Give her a story already!

I also think they need to be very careful with Sue. She's always been deliciously over the top and I love Jane Lynch, but some of the character's actions this season have been a tad too much, even for Sue. If they made her a complete cartoon, that would be one thing, but they continually ground her with scenes in which we see that she is indeed human. So, why would she not care if she killed Brittany to win a competition, to give one example?

Overall, the show has had some great episodes this season and a few that weren't quite all that they could have been. I hope they'll move away from doing too many more episodes that revolve around the music of just one artist. It worked beautifully in the Madonna episode last year, but... well, let's just say Britney Spears is no Madonna.

Still, at this point I'd take a less than perfect episode of Glee over almost anything else on offer. It continues to be groundbreaking and remains my favorite show.

Books and Glee

Hello again! I really miss blogging on a regular basis, but every time that I think things are about to slow down a bit for me, it turns out that I'm mistaken. "Maybe this time..." (insert mental/aural flashback to Chenoweth singing that on Glee last season!)

First up, since I just mentioned Glee, I wanted to say that I was thrilled with Jane Lynch's win for Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series at this year's Emmy Awards. It was a much deserved honor for her, and I hope it's the first of many. I was sad that the show didn't win for Best Comedy, but at least it lost to another gay friendly show (I really do need to check out Modern Family).

More than anything, though, I was disappointed that Chris Colfer didn't win for Supporting Actor or Mike O'Malley for Guest Actor. Their scenes together as Kurt and his father, Burt, were the highlight of the television season for me. Maybe the problem is that they were nominated in the comedy category for scenes that were pretty intense and emotional? Still, there's always next year!

The upside to O'Malley's loss, of course, was that Neil Patrick Harris won for his own guest starring role on Glee. It was the first Emmy win ever for one of my very favorite actors (who, if you hadn't heard, is going to become a parent to twins with his longtime partner David Burtka! Luckiest kids ever!!).

There are only two weeks to go until the second season of Glee starts, and I can't wait. One nice thing about having had such a busy summer is that it really still seems like the season finale just aired a few weeks ago. It doesn't feel like I had to wait at all.

Something else that I wanted to discuss tonight was books. About a week ago, Lambda Literary wrote about some of the most anticipated LGBT books coming out this fall.

Leading the pack is the book I've been excited about for quite some time now, Armistead Maupin's Mary Ann In Autumn. It's coming out in November and I've been counting the days. My plan was to re-read the entire Tales of the City series in anticipation of the release, but a few months back I found out that a friend of mine had never read any of the books, so I lent them all to her at once and now I'm not sure when I'll get them back. I doubt I'll be able to restrain myself from devouring Mary Ann in Autumn the minute it's in my hands, so that plan is probably out the window.

What a year it has been, though. A new Tales of the City book and a new Stephen McCauley. I don't think I ever followed up on Insignificant Others here after I'd read it, but I really enjoyed it a lot.

The only thing that's really missing to complete this year for me is a new novel by Alan Hollinghurst! Or, if the fates wanted to really be generous, a new collection of stories in the Buddies cycle from Ethan Mordden.

I have to say, I love working in a bookstore. I geek out over books all the time and it's nice to be surrounded by co-workers and customers who act the same way. I love the way someone's whole face just lights up when they spot a new novel by a favorite writer.

Anyway, another book on Lambda Literary list is Michael Cunningham's new title, By Nightfall. I'm a bit ambivalent about that one. I loved The Hours and A Home at the End of the World, and I've got a copy of Flesh and Blood that I've been meaning to get to since forever, so you'd think I'd be more excited.

The thing is, I was filled with anticipation back in 2005 when his last novel, Specimen Days, came out. I really couldn't wait to get my hands on it, but then once I did I didn't like it at all. To be fair, I didn't get that far before I abandoned the effort, so I may give it a try again someday.

Oh, and there's a brand new literary prize out there for gay men's books. The Green Carnation Prize came into existence in reaction to some of the more mainstream lit prizes, as the Chair, Paul Magrs, explains:

“This all came about because, suddenly it was literary award season again and longlists were getting bandied about like crazy. And it’s annoying because those lists seem a bit ready-made, middlebrow, monotonous and obvious. Anyway, late July 2010 and there’s the usual palaver about the Booker Longlist. It was obviously going to be the same old gubbins and some of the same old names. And the same nonsense about ‘literary’ fiction being a separate, rarefied preserve, quite apart from other genres.

Anyway, we thought – wouldn’t it be fun and great to do something a bit different?

And then we thought – there’s no prize yet for gay men’s books in the UK. That’s a scandalous thought. There ought to be something that celebrates and publicizes the breadth and variety of their work.

Writing by gay men can be funny, exciting, harrowing, uplifting and challenging – and it can range right across the genres. It can also be created by men from all classes and races."

I'm all for another prize that brings attention to LGBT fiction (or non-fiction, as the case may be) and gives me more books to read! They've already announced this year's Longlist:

• Generation A by Douglas Coupland
• Bryant and May Off the Rails by Christopher Fowler
• Paperboy by Christopher Fowler
  
• In A Strange Room by Damon Galgut
  
• God Says No by James Hannaham
• London Triptych by Jonathan Kemp
  
• Mary Ann in Autumn by Armistead Maupin
• Children of the Sun by Max Schaefer
  
• Man’s World by Rupert Smith
  
• The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas
  
• City Boy by Edmund White
  

I loved City Boy but I haven't read any of the others yet. I did just pick up a copy of The Slap (which was also on the Booker longlist along with In A Strange Room) from the library, though.

One last thing tonight. I had an e-mail asking if I was ever going to write about the Noah/Luke/Reid story on As the World Turns again. Yes, I will. The truth is, though, that I haven't watched a single episode of the show since May. I have saved all the Luke episodes on my Tivo and I'll probably marathon them at some point in the (near?) future and write about the end of the story at that point. It's just a matter of finding the time.

Emmy Nominations for Glee

Things have been busy for me lately but I'm hoping to be able to blog again on a regular basis at some point in the near future.

In the meantime, I just wanted to mention that Glee has been nominated for 19 Emmy Awards! This includes nods for Matthew Morrison (Best Actor), Lea Michele (Best Actress), Jane Lynch (Best Supporting Actress), Chris Colfer (Best Supporting Actor), Mike O'Malley (Best Male Guest Star), Neil Patrick Harris (Best Male Guest Star) and Kristin Chenoweth (Best Female Guest Star), as well as a Best Comedy nomination.

I'm thrilled with all of these nominations, but I'm especially glad to see Chris Colfer and Mike O'Malley on the list. Their scenes together last season were so amazing and they both deserve to take home the Emmy next month.

The only thing that I'm a little disappointed with is not seeing Jonathan Groff's name among the nominees.

It should of course go without saying that if the brilliant Jane Lynch doesn't win for her work as Sue Sylvester, the Emmys will instantly lose all credibility.

Everything's Coming Up Kurt

Things are still busy and I'm trying to make time to catch up with most of my shows (I haven't been able to get to last week's LuRe episodes of As the World Turns just yet, for instance), but there is one series that I never fail to watch the night it airs. It should surprise no one that the show I'm talking about is Glee.

I really have to say that Mike O'Malley and Chris Colfer knocked it out of the park yet again in their final scene together on tonight's show. I can never get through one of their father/son moments without tears in my eyes! Don't bother voting, just send the Emmys to them now.

Kurt's insecurity over losing his dad because of his sexuality was very genuine, and I thought the show found the perfect balance between the humor of Kurt attempting to 'straighten up' and the very real emotions that were behind him feeling the need to do so. That's where Chris Colfer really shines, I think. I love his voice and he's incredibly funny, but he really kills me in the emotional scenes.

And how amazing was his rendition of 'Rose's Turn'?! One of my favorite Glee performances to date, I have to say. His butch attempt at doing Mellencamp's 'Pink Houses' in a deeper than normal voice wasn't bad at all, but it just wasn't Kurt. The minute the music for 'Rose's Turn' started, though, I gasped and clapped my hands in anticipatory glee (do you think moments like this could have something to do with why I'm still single?!).

I'm glad that Santana got to sing again in the episode, I really like her voice. I also really enjoyed there being more Puck tonight, too. Mark Salling pretty much rocks my world. The man just personifies hotness.

I did miss seeing Jonathan Groff's adorable mug as Jesse, though! (And by the way, how blind was I that I didn't see Finn's rendition of 'Jesse's Girl' coming from a mile away?)

Speaking of Jonathan, both Cheyenne Jackson and Michael Urie have joined Kristin Chenoweth in responding to Ramin Setoodeh's ridiculously homophobic Newsweek piece on gay actors being unable to successfully portray straight characters.

Michael Urie:

Look, I'm not from f*cking Vienna [He's playing a Viennese character currently on stage]. We're all actors, and the audiences get it. When I saw Sean Hayes in Promises, Promises, it was a full house and everyone was completely in love with him. And I saw it at a Wednesday matinee full of tourists. They've all seen Sean in Will & Grace, and they loved him and believed in his relationship with Kristin. It worked.

And to attack, to quote Ugly Betty, someone [like Groff] recently 'hatched from the gay egg' is unconscionable and he should strung be [up]. [Groff] made everyone want him in Spring Awakening. And Cheyenne was f*cking Elvis in All Shook Up. He was sexy and hot. He's always playing straight. And people buy tickets to see him. No straight critics accuse Sean Penn of not being able to play Harvey Milk or [criticize] Tom Hanks in Philadelphia.

Cheyenne responded with this:

''That's because when straight actors play gay, they're so 'brave.' Why is it so f*cking 'brave'? It's a part and he's a good actor. I hope we can get to the day where the best actor gets the part. End of story.''

I love that both guys are so quick to come to Jonathan Groff's defense in particular, since he is newly out and Setoodah seemed to take a special delight in ripping apart his ability to portray a straight character post-coming out (though apparently he was just fine at playing one successfully in Spring Awakening before he came out, which as Chenoweth pointed out is a pretty contradictory statement).

I think it's interesting that no one has really pointed out that if anything, it's the writing for Jesse that is making the character come across as something other than the stereotypical straight character. Jesse loves Sondheim, he refers to himself as a drama queen, he's in show choir and ballet, and he praises Olivia Newton John's 'Physical' for its groundbreaking depiction of sexual fluidity. None of that is about Jonathan Groff's personal life, that's the writer's take on the character!

Did it ever occur to Setoodah that the way Jonathan is playing the part likely has nothing to do with his own sexuality and everything to do with how he's being directed? I honestly think it would be surprising if the character of Jesse wasn't bisexual and I suspect Groff has been asked to portray him with that in mind.

What Setoodah is really saying is that no one would buy Groff as being attracted to women, and that's just ridiculous since there's plenty of chemistry between him and Lea Michele.

Anyway, next week is another Glee episode I've been waiting for with great anticipation. Three words: Neil. Patrick. Harris. Yes!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to watch Kurt's version of 'Rose's Turn' at least once more before bed.

It'sThat Time of Year Again

It's time again to vote for the AfterElton Hot 100! I can't believe a whole year has gone by already. I submitted my choices the other day, and this year some very hot celebrities (including more than one of my own nominees!) are sharing their picks with us.

Nicholas Rodriguez, the openly gay cutie who played Kyle's pre-Fish boyfriend Nick Chavez on One Life to Live last year and starred in the Washington D.C. production of Light in the Piazza last month, weighed in with his choices. Nicholas has pretty good taste in guys, I have to say, with the likes of Cheyenne Jackson, Hugh Dancy, and Jake Gyllenhaal on his list. I still don't get the Taylor Lautner thing, though! Even with an incredible body he doesn't do anything for me.

Today, Scott Evans (a.k.a. number one on my own Hot 100 list) shared his picks and as if it wasn't already enough that he's the hottest guy around, he won me over even further by leading off with the incredibly sexy Zachary Quinto. Just the thought of Scott and Zachary in the same room together is enough to make my pulse race!

Among others, such as out Olympic cutie Matthew Mitcham, Scott also chose Lee Pace and noted that he still can't believe Pushing Daises is gone! Wow, so Scott is beautiful, he has great taste in men, and now in TV shows! Where do I find a guy like that for myself?

Speaking of Lee Pace (whom I'd love to see on my TV screen again!), he made hottie Cheyenne Jackson's list as well. Cheyenne wrote that he'd met Lee at Promises, Promises, the new Broadway show that Lee's former Pushing Daisies co-star, Kristin Chenoweth is doing.

I love that Lee went to see Kristin in the show! Hey, is it too soon to start begging for a Pushing Daisies reunion movie?

John Amaechi, the out former NBA player, shared his top guys as well, and I really liked most of his choices. He, too, picked Zachary Quinto, and he threw in Neil Patrick Harris, John Barrowman, and two guys I wish I'd thought of when I was doing my own list: the smoldering Gael Garcia Bernal and Russell Tovey, the adorably sexy (and out!) British actor.

The list I found to have the most in common with mine, though, was that of Brad 'Cheeks' Bell. Cheeks is an Internet celeb who is also Adam Lambert's ex, and he chose Scott Evans, Brett Claywell, Michael Urie, Jamie Bamber, and Matthew Mitcham, among others. He also put Chris Colfer on his list, which I think is awesome! Chris isn't really my type, and yet I think when I'm watching him as Kurt I am sort of half in love with how funny and talented he is.

For the second year in a row, they're also taking nominations for the Hottest Out Gay/Bi Men poll, the Hottest Men of Color poll, and the Hottest Men over 50.

I can't wait to see the full lists! Go vote today (if you're a gay or bisexual man) and in the meantime, you can check out the first three years of the Hot 100 while you wait.

Chenoweth, O'Malley, and Colfer Do It Again

Ah, Glee night. I have to admit that I was a bit nervous this week. After all, how do you follow up one of the best episodes in TV history? Last week's Madonna episode was pure magic.

Luckily, they were off to a good start tonight with the return of Kristin Chenoweth as April Rhodes. I still get chills when I listen to the version of 'Maybe This Time' that Kirstin and Lea Michele performed during Chenoweth's first appearance on the show.

Her return visit was just as fantastic, musically speaking, and Cheno also got to demonstrate her excellent comedic timing once again. Still, I have to say that I really enjoyed that they didn't make the whole episode about April. This show should never revolve around the guest stars and I'm glad that the writers seem to get that. April's return was just one of tonight's plots and it didn't eclipse the other stories.

Kristin and Matthew Morrison performed two more duets, Springsteen's 'Fire' and, best of all, a mash up of Burt Bacharach's 'One Less Bell to Answer' and 'A House is Not a Home'. I can't tell you how much I loved the second duet! Those two just sounded so incredible together. I once again had chills.

Kristin, with the glee kids backing her, ended the show with 'Home' from The Wiz, another great performance. Her voice is just so very beautiful, I could listen to her sing all day long and never tire of it.

By the way, if you're a Kristin fan you should check out tomorrow's Live with Regis and Kelly. They're doing Broadway Week on the show and Chenoweth will be there tomorrow doing something from her new Broadway show, the revival of Promises, Promises! It's as close as I'm going to get to seeing her in the show, so I'm looking forward to it.

As I said, April's return was just one of tonight's plots on Glee. There was also a plot about Sue trying to make Mercedes lose weight to stay in the Cheerios, which culminated in Mercedes singing Christina Aguilera's 'Beautiful', and there was the Kurt/Finn plot. I was especially looking forward to the latter story because Mike O'Malley was returning as Kurt's dad, Burt, and I've been blown away by every single scene he and Chris Colfer have done together so far.

I absolutely loved Kurt's rendition of 'A House is Not a Home', which he sang directly to Finn in front of the entire glee club. What a moment: sweet, sad, and heart wrenching. I've always wished that we'd seen Kurt sing 'I Honestly Love You' to Finn last fall in the episode entitled Ballad, but tonight more than made up for that.

Don't get me wrong, I don't want or expect a Kurt/Finn pairing at all. I do love the way they're writing this, though, with Finn uncomfortable with Kurt's feelings but not at all hateful towards Kurt about it. I think Kurt has to go through this sort of hopeless crush on an unobtainable straight boy before he can look for someone who is truly interested in him. We've all been there and it's more about us being ready for something than it is about the straight guy we think we love.

I really like Chris Colfer's voice a lot, his solo version of 'Defying Gravity' is my most played song Glee song to date and his rendition of 'A House is Not a Home' was beautiful. I love that Kurt is getting more solos at last!

The same goes for Mercedes. Of course, I'd still like to see Artie, Tina, Puck, Quinn, and Santana get more solo parts, too. One of the best things about this week was that Rachel didn't have any solos! I love Lea Michele, but Rachel and Finn get almost all the solos and it's time to spread the wealth a bit.

Anyway, tonight we found out that Kurt had set up his father with Finn's mother and the two had really hit it off. Kurt was of course envisioning himself and Finn sharing a room together (and was planning to decorate accordingly), but things took a somewhat different turn and Kurt was left hurt by seeing his father bond with Finn over sports.

Once again, O'Malley and Colfer's scene together was some of the best work I've seen, as Kurt expressed his hurt at seeing his dad bond with 'the son he always wanted'. I especially loved the following exchange:

Burt: Look, Kurt, I love you. And I am sympathetic to all your stuff. But come on, buddy, we've got a deal here, right? I don't try to change you, you don't try to change me. You are my son, and a little guy talk with some other kid isn't going to change that.

Kurt: Guy talk? I'm a guy.

Burt: Come on, you know what I mean.

What's great about this story is that it feels so realistic. Kurt has the sort of dad that many gay teens would love to have, someone who is very supportive and who truly loves him no matter what, and yet they're very different people. It makes perfect sense that Kurt would be insecure about their bond as father and son.

I seriously think that Chris Colfer should not only be nominated for an Emmy but take home the statue on the strength of Kurt's scenes with his dad alone. Mike O'Malley should get one as well. These two are doing some amazing work.

The Power of Glee

Could I ever express just how much I loved last night's episode of Glee? It might quite possibly have been the most perfect hour of television I've ever experienced.

Now, I'm not a Madonna fanatic. I like Madonna's music but I've never been one of those gay guys who completely worship her. Even so, I've been looking forward to this episode of Glee since I read that it was in the works and last week's sneak peek of Sue Sylvester doing 'Vogue' just left me in even greater anticipation.

It turned out to be far better than I'd hoped it would be. All of the musical numbers were fantastic this week, so much so that it's hard to pick a clear favorite! I guess if I had to choose just one I'd say 'Like A Virgin'. I really loved the mix of all the voices on that and it was great to see Santana getting a chance to sing! Plus, it just worked so well with the story and those scenes were very well done. After watching that, I think I have to take back what I said last week about Will and Emma being more sweet than sexy!

Then again, I might have to pick '4 Minutes' as the number I enjoyed most because I loved, loved, loved seeing Kurt and Mercedes get a chance to shine and I'm thrilled with this Cheerios storyline for them! Chris Colfer and Amber Riley sounded incredible together and there was just something so right about seeing them both in Cheerios uniforms! It should be interesting to see how this all plays out. I think the conflict is even better than the whole football team/glee club set up from last fall.

This was just a brilliant episode all around, the humor was there in full force ("When I pulled my hamstring, I went to a misogynist."; and Rachel's little "No!" when Jesse challenged Finn to a sing off in the parking lot after school totally killed me!) the stories all moved forward, and I'm intrigued by Jesse joining New Directions.

I'm totally falling for Jonathan Groff in a big way! He's one of those guys who is both sexy and adorable all at the same time, and he's so funny! I love how smarmy and conceited Jesse is!

As if I wasn't already in Gleek heaven by the end of the hour, the previews for next week show that Kristin Chenoweth is back as April Rhodes! I knew she was returning, I just didn't realize it would be this soon.

I love this show so much! It won a much deserved GLAAD award this week for best TV Comedy, by the way, and I loved what Ryan Murphy had to say:

Out writer/co-creator Ryan Murphy accepted the award with cast members including Jane Lynch, whom he thanked for using the show's "national platform" to talk about her engagement to her longtime partner Lara Embry -- "they're registered at Tiffany's," he joked -- and tipped his hat to her fellow out cast member Chris Colfer, who plays Kurt.

"We have so much love for our own Chris Colfer, who at age 19 when the media came calling, Chris was true to who he is instead of waiting to announce (that he's gay) at 40 when it doesn't matter," Murphy said. "This show is about arts education and inclusion, and we are using the show in a great way.

"Chris' character will never be the victim," said Murphy, who noted that next year the out character "will have a boyfriend, and they are going to be prom kings and be popular."

I may not have mentioned this yet, but I love Glee. No, really, I LOVE Glee. If you could marry a TV show, I'd be down on one knee with a ring. I also love everyone involved with it. It's one of those perfect combinations of talent that are so rare that they just create magic.

Let There Be Glee

I didn't think it was possible that four months could go by so very slowly, but at long last the wait is over: Glee is finally back!

Tonight's episode was everything I'd been missing since last December: hilarious, heartfelt, and boasting some great musical performances. My personal favorite from tonight was Finn's version of The Doors 'Hello, I Love You'. I think it's my favorite Finn song ever, actually. There was just so much energy to the performance.

A close second, though, was Rachel & Jesse's version of Lionel Richie's 'Hello'. They sounded fantastic together, and Jonathan Groff is, to use a phrase that totally fits my new found crush on him, so dreamy!

After four months, I'd forgotten what scene stealers both Brittany and Kurt are! They're each masters at one liners that catch you completely off guard and make you laugh out loud. Chris Colfer is also fantastic at conveying what Kurt is feeling without saying a word, as in the scene tonight where Finn was performing the above mentioned song for the rest of the glee club and Kurt just had this "God, I want you!" look about him.

Tonight also saw the debut of two new characters: Jesse, the male lead of rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline, and Shelby, the coach of said rival. Jesse is being played by openly gay actor Jonathan Groff, whose voice I'd already completely fallen in love with thanks to the Spring Awakening cast album, and it took about three seconds for me to fall in love with the rest of him tonight!

Idina Menzel, original Broadway cast member of both Rent and Wicked, is playing Shelby, and she had a seriously sexy scene with Mr. Schuester tonight. Now don't get me wrong, I love Will & Emma together, but they're more sweet than sexy, and it was very hot to see Will getting so passionate with someone!

I think things are going to get very interesting with Vocal Adrenaline coming into play more, and next week's Madonna themed episode definitely looks exciting!

Speaking of which, the Sue Sylvester 'Vogue' video was awesome! I completely loved it. I especially liked that they tweaked it a bit to fit Sue ("Will Schuester, I hate you"). I've been looking forward to Sue finally singing and it didn't disappoint!

Oh, Glee. Don't ever leave us again!

The Future Looks Bright

I usually avoid spoilers, but when I saw a headline hinting at Glee's Kurt getting a boyfriend on the show, I had to know more!

Show creator Ryan Murphy gave Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello a hint of what the near future will hold for some of the characters, including Kurt Hummel, and it sounds fantastic:

“We just announced we’re doing a nationwide search for the season 2 cast, and [a boyfriend for Kurt is] one of the three roles that we’re adding. And we’re going to make them a power couple. We’re not going to do the whole hiding in the shadows thing. We’re going to make them popular, and out and proud and glamorous. Like prom king and king. We’re doing the opposite of what’s been done.”

How awesome does that sound? I can't wait to see this. We've come so far from the first gay teen who was a regular character in primetime! Jack McPhee's one kiss per season and barely there storylines were a mere decade ago on Dawson's Creek, but it seems light years away from the gay teen power couple we'll soon be watching on Glee.

The rest of Murphy's preview was pretty exciting, too, so check it out. I just wish we didn't have to wait until April for new episodes to begin airing.

Award Season Begins

The Golden Globe nominations were announced today and if I were given to making bad puns I'd say that they were very Gleeful.

Yes, the show that has become such a favorite of mine (some might say obsession!) received nods for Best Television Series, Lead Actor for Matthew Morrison and Lead Actress for Lea Michele, all in the Comedy or Musical category.

The incomparable Jane Lynch also got a nomination for Best Supporting Actress in Television (if she hadn't, I think outraged Glee fans would have stormed wherever it is that the Hollywood Foreign Press has its headquarters), a category which includes Drama, Comedy or Musical, and TV movies and Mini-series, so it's a huge field. She's nominated against Chloe Sevigny, Jane Adams, Rose Byrne, and Janet McTeer, and I'd be shocked if that Golden Globe wasn't hers on January 17th.

Glee should win hands down in the rest of these categories as well, though there is some tough competition. Lea Michele is nominated against Toni Collete for her brilliant work in The United States of Tara, for example, and comedy heavy hitters like Courtney Cox and Tina Fey, as well as Edie Falco for Nurse Jackie, a show I've been meaning to check out. Lea is definitely the new kid on the block in this category.

The same goes for Matthew Morrison, who is nominated against Alec Baldwin, Steve Carell, David Duchovny, and Thomas Jane.

The show itself is nominated against 30 Rock (which has won enough awards for one lifetime, if you ask me), Entourage (is that really still on?), The Office, and another freshman series, Modern Family. I've been meaning to check out that last one, which has a gay couple who have adopted a baby in the supporting cast, but I haven't yet.

The only thing that really made me sad about the nominations, as far as they related to Glee, was that Chris Colfer wasn't included in the list. He's truly done some amazing work as Kurt, and I can't believe that anyone seeing his performances in the episodes 'Wheels', 'Preggers', and 'Ballad' would disagree. Well, maybe next year.

There were some other, non-Glee related nominations that thrilled me. For instance, Neil Patrick Harris was nominated as Best Supporting Actor in Television for How I Met Your Mother. You may recall that he lost the Emmy this year to Jon Cryer (!), so hopefully the Golden Globes will make up for that bit of ridiculousness.

Colin Firth and Julianne Moore are both nominated for their roles in A Single Man, the new film adaptation of the wonderful novel by Christopher Isherwood.

Another favorite of mine, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, is finally getting some Award attention! He was nominated for Best Actor in a comedy or musical for his role in (500) Days of Summer, which I have not yet seen. But having seen him in The Lookout, Mysterious Skin and Brick, I'm convinced that this is but the first of many nominations for him. In fact, I'm surprised that it has taken this long!

Finally, Sigourney Weaver is getting another chance at recognition with a nomination for Best Actress in a TV movie or mini-series for her stellar performance in Prayers for Bobby. Once again, though, she's up against the amazing Jessica Lange, who won out over her at the Emmys. I'm hoping that this time Weaver will go home with the prize.

Just when you thought that this was enough excitement in the Awards world today, The Writers Guild of America also announced their nominees! Glee was nominated for Best Comedy (up against Modern Family, The Office and 30 Rock again, with Curb Your Enthusiasm replacing Entourage; are we sure that show is still on?).

The WGA awards have a category for Best New Show (I like that idea! So many Emmys and Golden Globes go to shows that are nominated again and again, while a lot of new shows barely get noticed!) and Glee was also nominated in that category, too, along with Modern Family, The Good Wife, Hung, and Nurse Jackie.

Dustin Lance Black got a nomination for Pedro, the film he wrote about Real World star and AIDS activist Pedro Zamora.

The WGA Awards also recognize Daytime Dramas, and this year's nominees were One Life to Live, The Young and the Restless, All My Children, and... As the World Turns?!

How on Earth anyone can justify the nomination of As The World Turns in a writing category is beyond me, and from what I understand about the current state of All My Children, the same applies there. Days of Our Lives has been far better lately than it has been in recent years, certainly far more deserving of a nomination than As the World Turns.

I understand that there aren't that many shows to nominate and since most of them aren't very well written at the moment, there are bound to be badly written shows included. But why go straight for the bottom of the heap?

Truthfully, though, there should be no competition at all. The writing on One Life to Live blows all the rest of the daytime soaps out of the water.

Glee Book Auction

Several of the cast members of Glee have autographed books to be auctioned off in support of 826LA, a non-profit center in California that runs youth writing and tutoring programs.

If you're a fan of Glee or of Chris Colfer, Lea Michele, Kevin McHale, Dianna Agron, or Jenna Ushkowitz, take a look! They'd also make great holiday gifts for Glee fans, and it's for a really good cause.

Let's Talk

I don't usually watch talk shows. When I was younger, I'd tune in for at least part of The Rosie O'Donnell Show nearly every day after school, but other than that I've never been a big fan of the genre. I usually will watch a show only if there's a guest on that I specifically want to see. These days, that means recording it on the Tivo and fast forwarding through everything but the interview in question.

Over the last two days there have been three interviews I really liked, so I thought I'd mention them.

The first was Adam Lambert's appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show yesterday. If there was a talk show I'd watch with any regularity, it would definitely be Ellen's. Not only do I think she's just an amazing person, period, but she's just so funny and yet still someone that seems like she could put anyone at ease instantly.

I had no intention of watching American Idol again this season, since I know there could never be another Adam Lambert and I think anything else will pale in comparison, but with her replacing Paula Abdul as the fourth judge, I might check it out.

Anyway, Adam and Ellen talked about the controversy over the AMAs and Adam again said he felt like there was nothing to apologize for but that he hadn't wanted to offend anyone. Ellen pointed out that if someone was going to be offended by a display of sexuality, they should be offended by all such displays. In other words, if you're not going to be offended by a man and a woman doing something risque, or two women, then you can't cry foul just because it's two men.

Adam: "I think, too, that... people aren't used to seeing gay men portrayed that way on TV. I mean, the gay male image in the media tends to be very cliche and safe. And I think I got up there and had a little bit more energy..."

This is a very good point. I'm so sick of hearing homophobes say that they're fine with gays as long as they don't 'have to see it'. They apparently don't realize how bombarded we all are by heterosexuality everywhere we look. It's time they got over it and realized that them not wanting to see it is their issue, not ours, and we're not sacrificing our equality because they have issues.

After their chat, Adam performed Whataya Want From Me, the song that I am currently obsessed with and listening to several times a day. There are some other songs on his CD that I really love, but that particular one is definitely the best.

The next talk show appearance was by the person whose song was my obsession for the last few weeks, Chris Colfer. I don't even know how many times I've listened to his version of Defying Gravity from Glee since I bought it. Of course, I listen to all of the songs from Glee quite a bit, but something about Colfer's version of that song just gets to me.

Anyway, he was on The Tonight Show last night and I was very surprised by how relaxed and funny he was. I say this because I saw him a few weeks back on The Bonnie Hunt Show and he just seemed so nervous then! Last night, he seemed completely at ease and he was incredibly funny, cracking Conan up with his impression of the kid from The Omen and just generally being quick witted.

Colfer has really blown me away with his portrayal of Kurt. The scenes between Kurt and his father in the episodes 'Preggers' and 'Wheels' were amazing, and Chris impressed me even more with the scenes between Kurt and Finn in 'Ballad' where they bond over the fact that they've both lost a parent. Even beyond those episodes in which he played a big role in the week's story, there are several small scenes in other episodes that seem to stand out more than they would in the hands of a less capable actor.

It's funny, I expected to love Glee for the humor and the music, and I expected to drool over Matthew Morrison (and Mark Salling, aka Puck, was an added bonus in that department!), and I certainly do. I didn't expect, though, that there'd be this completely unknown actor who'd impress me this much and make the character of Kurt truly mean something to me.

Finally, rounding out the trifecta of talk, I recorded this morning's The View to see Kristin Chenoweth. There are certain personalities on that show that really get under my skin, so I have to really like someone to watch them when they visit that particular talk show!

Kirstin was there to promote her new Lifetime Christmas movie, Twelve Men of Christmas, which looks pretty cute and has a bunch of hot, shirtless guys in it! That, plus Cheno, what more could you ask for? Well, maybe a song or two, but even without that, I'll be tuning in.

They talked about her Emmy win for Pushing Daisies and how she asked for work during her acceptance speech. I still can't believe that no one has given this woman the lead in her own show now that she's free!

She briefly mentioned her upcoming return to Broadway in Promises, Promises, but they changed the subject before she could really say anything more about it. That was annoying, especially since they gave far more attention to the fact that she'll be a guest judge on American Idol this season.

The best news is that she'll also be returning to Glee as April Rhodes, which should be pretty fantastic.

Defying Gravity

Last night, after what felt like several months but was in reality only a few weeks, Glee returned with a new episode. I've never not liked an episode of Glee, of course, but this one has to stand out as one of the best yet.

First, the musical numbers were fantastic. I completely loved Artie's Dancing With Myself and the final number, Proud Mary, was a nice surprise since it wasn't included in the soundtrack that was released last week.

Best of all, though, was the 'Diva-off' between Kurt and Rachel, with each singing Defying Gravity so that the rest of the kids in glee could vote on who should sing it at Sectionals. I'd heard their duet of the song from the soundtrack, but I really loved hearing them each do it solo. Lea Michele was as amazing as she always is, but I particularly loved Chris Colfer's version and was glad to see that it was available on iTunes.

The stories are just as great as the music on this show. Kurt standing up for his right to sing a song that is traditionally a woman's song, with the backing of his blue collar dad (played again by the wonderful Mike O'Malley), was a surprisingly moving story, especially when Kurt ended up throwing the competition in the end after he saw how upset his Dad was by an anonymous phone call telling him that his son was a fag.

I liked that Kurt's father, though worried for his son's safety, didn't for a second try to get him to back off of following his dream of singing the song. The best part was that when Kurt told his father he'd lost on purpose, he also said that he wasn't going back in the closet for anyone, that he was proud of who he is, but that he loves his father more than he loves being a star. I got a bit misty eyed, I have to say.

It's also interesting to know that this story came out of Chris Colfer's own personal experience. Last week he was on The Bonnie Hunt Show and told her that every year in high school, he'd begged to be allowed to sing Defying Gravity but was never allowed to because it was a 'girl's song' and people were uncomfortable with that.

Seeing Artie and Tina's characters developed a bit more finally was also a highlight of the episode. They were the only two of the original characters who haven't really been given much of a back story yet and I think we've all been waiting for it.

The most surprising thing, though, was that Jane Lynch's Sue Sylvester also brought a tear to my eye when we saw that she does indeed have a heart. I, like Mr. Schuster, was dreading the outcome of Sue letting a student with Down Syndrome onto her Cheerios squad. What horrible thing could she be plotting?

As it turned out, Sue has an older sister with Down Syndrome, whom she visited and read to at the end of the episode. If Jane Lynch doesn't get an Emmy for playing Sue, there is no justice in the world. Who else could give such a stellar performance week after week as the tough as nails Sue Sylvester and then turn around and in one scene give us a completely different picture of the same character while making it absolutely believable?

This show just has everything: great musical performances, talented actors and actresses, it's hysterically funny, and it has real heart at the center of it all.

A Bit of Music

I've been suffering from Glee withdrawal and have taken to my sickbed these past few days. Well, at least that's what I'm choosing to blame being sick on!

Luckily, the first volume of the soundtrack was released this past week and it included a few songs that haven't been performed on the show yet, so that helped bridge the gap a bit. For the record, I love Kevin McHale's Dancing With Myself and especially Chris Colfer & Lea Michele's take on Defying Gravity. I can't wait to see them on the show! The latter song is clearly going to be related to a big moment for Kurt.

Speaking of music, AfterElton has a look at Adam Lambert's first music video. It's not for the first single from his upcoming album, but rather for Time for Miracles, a song he did on the soundtrack of the new movie 2012. Honestly, this particular song doesn't impress me all that much, but having loved every one of Adam's performances on American Idol, I'm very excited for his album (which is called For Your Entertainment) to be released in two weeks. I think his own album will be more... well, Adamesque than this particular song is.

He looks and sounds great in the video, though, even if it is more about promoting the movie than anything else.

Glee and a Chris Colfer Interview

Another great episode of Glee tonight. The musical numbers were both fantastic, Sue Sylvester was back with a vengeance (her journal entry made my week, I was laughing so hard!), and they continue to develop the supporting cast in new ways each week. Quinn and Rachel's moment in the hallway was very well done and part of a series of steps that they're taking to make Quinn more than just the cheerleader villainess that she seemed to be in the pilot.

With all of that said, I think next week is going to be the best episode yet, at least based on the previews! They looked hysterical, with Jane Lynch's Sue Sylvester joining Will as 'Co-Captain' of the Glee club!

I've become a fan of the entire cast since the show started, but among the younger cast I think Chris Colfer is the one who stands out the most for me. He seemed likable enough in the first few episodes, but starting with the episode where Kurt came out to Mercedes and then the following week where he told his father he was gay, Colfer really gave some beautiful performances that made a fan out of me.

I'm far from the only person who feels this way, of course. From what I understand, fans of Colfer and his character have already dubbed themselves Kurtsies!

Advocate.com has a new interview up with Colfer which you should definitely check out if you're a fan of the show. Among other things, Chris talked about his own high school experience:

Your character, Kurt, is the show’s fashionista and a key member of New Beginnings. How similar was your high school experience in Clovis, Calif.?
It was similar in the sense that I was definitely teased a lot in high school and I was definitely at the bottom of the food chain: total underdog, complete "Gleek." I was never like Kurt at all; I wish I was now that I watch the show, but I was never fashionable. I wish I was like Kurt in high school! [Laughs]

Were you in your high school drama club?
I was in drama, speech and debate, president of the writers' club, I was editor of our school's literary magazine ... I pretty much did everything.

You wrote, directed, and starred in a musical spoof of Sweeney Todd called Shirley Todd. What can you tell me about that?
[Laughs] The end of my senior year, my school did this thing for the seniors called the Senior Show where one senior was designated to do whatever he wanted for however much time on the stage -- they get their own show in a sense. All the other kids previous to me had done SNL-type skits and gags and that type of stuff. But I was dead serious that I wanted to do a show that would be funny and adult, so I wrote this spoof called Shirley Todd, which is Sweeney Todd except all the roles were gender-reversed, so I was Mr. Lovett rather than Mrs. Lovett, and it took place in modern-day punk-rock London. It was a lot of fun.

Were you out in high school?
Oh, no. People are killed in my hometown for that.

Well, they got the name of the Glee club wrong (it's actually New Directions, not New Beginnings), but it's still a good interview. I think Chris sounds like someone I'd love to hang out with.

From what I've seen online, a number of people in the gay community have been complaining that Kurt is too stereotypical as a gay character, that he just confirms preconceived notions instead of confronting them. While I do want to see more diversity in onscreen representations of LGBT characters, that shouldn't preclude ever depicting characters like Kurt. People who get offended by such a character seem to only want gay characters on TV who are stereotypically masculine (or 'straight acting' to use a term I loathe) rather than a balance that reflects real life.

Just off the top of my head, there are currently gay male characters on Greek, Brothers and Sisters, One Life to Live, and As the World Turns who aren't 'stereotypical' (which to these complainers seems to be a term interchangeable with effeminate), so what's wrong with having a character like Kurt who is into fashion and singing?

Some people seem to think that creating such a character is a setback to gay rights or possibly even homophobic in and of itself, and I think that's just as bigoted a viewpoint as those who think all gay men should be depicted as flamboyantly as possible. They're just flipping the message around and saying that being less than 'straight acting' is somehow shameful.

Personally, I love the character of Kurt, if you couldn't tell. I love everything about Glee, except for the fact that it only airs once a week!

Glee Does it Again

With each new episode of Glee, I come away convinced that the show has reached a new high that it will be hard to top. Last night was no exception, filled as it was with more hilarious one liners from Sue Sylvester and a riotously funny climax where the entire football team busts a move on the field to Beyonce.

Best of all, though, was Kurt. After last week's amazing episode, I didn't think Chris Colfer could possibly impress me more than he already had, but I was wrong.

Last night's episode started with Kurt and two friends recording themselves doing the choreography from Beyonce's Single Ladies video (for Youtube, perhaps?) before being interrupted by Kurt's father.

This was the first time we'd seen his dad, though we found out last week that he'd given Kurt a new car in exchange for a promise to stop wearing form fitting sweaters that stop at the knee. We also knew that he had later taken said car away after discovering Kurt's tiara collection. So, we were obviously prepared for someone who wasn't very accepting of the person his son is.

When his dad walked in on the Single Ladies dance, Kurt tried to get him to believe that the unitard he was wearing was all the rage with jocks as work out gear and one of his friends 'helped' by claiming that Kurt was on the football team now, as a kicker.

Later in the episode, Kurt approached Finn after Glee rehearsal. Before Kurt could ask him his favor, Finn jumped to conclusions and told him that he already had a date to prom but was flattered, since he knew dances were important to teen gays. This could have been done in a mean spirited way, but instead it was perfect, showing Finn to be not only at ease with Kurt's sexuality but with the fact that Kurt might even be interested in him.

Kurt quickly denied that he was gay, though, and then said he just need to ask for a favor. The next scenes were on the football field, where we found out that the two guys had been 'rehearsing' together for Kurt's 'audition' as kicker, which was about to take place.

To the derisive laughter of the team, Kurt started in on his 'warm up', which was the Single Ladies dance routine, only culminating this time in a perfect field goal at the end, which shut the team right up. The coach quickly announced that they'd found their new kicker, while Kurt gave a beauty queen wave to the team. It was beyond hilarious. I watched those scenes three times before I even finished watching the rest of the episode, I loved them so much.

Later, for his own reasons, Finn asked Mr. Schuster to help loosen up the losing football team by teaching them to dance, which lead to Kurt teaching them the Single Ladies routine during practice. When the game finally arrived, the team was losing 6 to nothing before Finn convinced the guys to do their 'ring on it' play.

As the other team watched in amazed confusion and the stands went crazy with dancing of their own, the football team did the Single Ladies routine before Finn made a pass to his buddy Puck and they scored a touchdown. Then, of course, it was up to Kurt, who kicked the winning field goal as his dad went wild with pride in the stands.

Of course, it's only in the movies or on TV that anything like this could ever possibly happen, but that doesn't make it any less wonderful to watch.

The best was yet to come, though. At the end of the episode, Kurt's dad told him how proud he was of him. Kurt was glad that he'd made his dad proud, but said that he had to tell him something, that he couldn't lie anymore. Being in glee and in football had shown him that he could be anything- "And what I am is... I'm gay."

Again, Chris Colfer played this scene so perfectly. Kurt's fear in saying those words to his father was crystal clear, as was his determination that they finally be said. The way he said 'gay', suddenly softer than the rest of his speech as if he was stumbling over the word itself, was somehow right on the mark.

Surprisingly, Kurt's dad was accepting. He told Kurt that he'd known since his son was three years old and only wanted a 'pair of sensible heels' for his birthday! He said that he didn't love the idea, but that if it was who Kurt was, he couldn't do anything about it and still loved him just as much. He did pause to ask if Kurt was sure, though, as if there might still be a glimmer of hope that his son was just confused.

At first, it seemed like this reaction was a bit too implausible, given what we knew about Kurt's dad from last week: that he'd bribe his son to, essentially, dress less 'gay'. But I think the real clue to his character came when he was watching Kurt take the field to kick the ball during the game. Kurt's father looked almost afraid and said to himself "He's so little."

I think, then, that anything he might have done to try and make sure his son fit in more with the rest of the guys at school was out of fear that he'd end up hurt if he didn't. The end of the show demonstrated that this is a father who, though he doesn't really understand his child at all, still loves him very much and accepts him because he can't change him. That certainly sends a great message.

Kurt and his Dad nearly moved me to tears, after another episode that had me laughing out loud for most of the hour. Glee does this mixture of hilarity and heart so well that they've already ruined me for other shows. This is hands down my favorite series on the air.

The best part is that with each passing week, the characters are given more depth. Kurt, of course, over the past two episodes has grown into a fully realized character, but even the supporting cast is beginning to move beyond their own high school stereotype. For instance, two of the teen 'villains' on the show, football player Puck and cheerleader Quinn, were both made a bit more human by their own stories this week.

This show has it all at the moment: an incredibly talented cast (especially, it must be said again, Jane Lynch as Sue Sylvester!) and fantastic writers.

As you can imagine, I'm more than a little bit excited for next week, when Kristin Chenoweth guest stars! Just when it seemed Glee couldn't get any better!

Great Scenes on Glee

I just finished watching this week's episode of Glee and I had to write about how impressed I was by Chris Colfer's performance as Kurt.

First of all, it was another great episode with enjoyable musical performances and laugh out loud moments. The incredible Victor Garber made his debut in the role of Will's father and their scenes together were perfect and surprisingly sweet.

Even the guest appearance by Josh Groban as himself (which I wasn't thrilled about beforehand, since I don't want to see this show become all about This Week's Special Musical Guest) turned out to be surprisingly funny, specifically in his second scene where he tried to pick up Will's alcoholic mother while speaking of himself in the third person.

I know that some are bothered by the character of Sandy (and I am, too), the closeted former Glee club teacher who was fired in the pilot for coming on to a male student, and who made a return appearance this week. I think the negative stereotype he represents is at least balanced out by Kurt and by Rachel having gay fathers, though, so it doesn't bother me as much as it would otherwise.

Besides, most of the characters on the show are comedic stereotypes to a certain degree, but there's a lot more to them, as we're finding out. Maybe Sandy will turn out the same way, though I'd also be more than fine if we just never saw him again since I don't think his particular stereotype is all that comedic.

Now, on to what I really loved about the episode.

Last week, I noted that I'd like to see the Glee kids, aside from Finn & Rachel, get some character development. I never really doubted it was coming, of course, since this was only the third episode of the series. I was just hoping it would be sooner rather than later. My wish was granted this week with Mercedes and Kurt's subplot, which lead to an unexpectedly moving scene.

The cheerleaders, or Cheerios as they're called, have infiltrated the Glee club on Sue Sylvester's orders, with the mission of bringing it down from within so that the cheer team can have its full budget restored. Sue, who was on the strike team that helped bring down Noriega in Panama (!), advised her girls to target the members of the club individually.

Mercedes and her friendship with Kurt was their first striking point, as they encouraged the lonely young woman to believe that there was a chance that Kurt could become more than just a friend.

Now, Kurt is written as someone that is pretty obviously gay: he's into fashion, he's in Glee club, he plans to take Mercedes to a Sound of Music sing along. It would be easy to assume that he's already out, but this is high school, the place where no one wants to stand out as different in any sense.

So, Mercedes quickly became enamored of Kurt, who thought they were just hanging out. Rachel and Tina tried to warn Mercedes, staging a 'gaytervention' to let her know that Kurt wasn't capable of returning her feelings, but Mercedes didn't want to hear it.

At a fundraising car wash, Mercedes pointed out that she and Kurt had been out three times already and asked if they should just make it official that they were dating. Kurt, looking like a deer caught in the headlights, admitted that he was in love with someone else. He was staring over her shoulder at Finn as he said this, but Mercedes thought he meant Rachel and Kurt quickly agreed that he'd loved Rachel for years.

This lead to Mercedes smashing his car window and performing a rousing fantasy rendition of Bust Your Windows before telling Kurt that he'd busted her heart.

Later in the episode, Mercedes apologized to Kurt for breaking the window and told him that he and Rachel would have cute, if loud, babies together. Kurt, clearly struggling with his feelings, admitted that he'd lied to her. He didn't like Rachel, he was gay.

Mercedes asked why he hadn't just told her, and he admitted that he'd never told anyone before. She told him not to be ashamed of who he was and that he should tell the kids in glee, at least, since the whole point of the club was to express what was inside of you.

Kurt told her that he couldn't do that, that he just wasn't that confident.

It's important to remember than even those whom the world pegs as gay from the start have to experience coming out and that it can be just as difficult for them as for anyone else. I thought these scenes were beautifully done (and clearly, Kurt's coming out process is far from over, so we'll be seeing more in future episodes) and Chris Colfer actually moved me to tears in the final scene between Kurt and Mercedes.

The way he played the scene was perfect, from Kurt's nervousness and fear, to the obvious catch in his voice as he said the word gay, and the pain in his eyes as he said that he couldn't tell anyone.

I've come to think of Glee as being fun and hilarious, but this was the first time that I saw how capable they are of delivering truly powerful moments on an emotional level as well. Each week, I love this show more and more.