A Statement About the Glee Madonna Episode

Per my new TV watching philosophy, I did not watch the Glee Madonna episode until 6 days after it aired.

If you've got a problem with that, please take it up with the complaints department.

So yes, I watched it this morning under the glare of an oh-so-very-cranky beagle, who insisted on growling at me every time I shifted even slightly. This might have shaded my view of the episode, but it's hard to say either way.

While Ken Tucker called The Power of Madonna one of the best hours of television all year, and Tim Stack seems to be waxing poetic, I have to say that I found the episode itself to be lackluster.

The music was great-- how could it not be with a marching band rendition of 4 Minutes and a gospel choir backing up Like A Prayer?-- but the plot was hugely underserved by the Madonna madness.

The best stunt episodes are those that a) are stunts and b) advance the story in a meaningful way. See: Alias episode Phase One, Buffy episodes Hush and Once More, With Feeling. Even Mad Men's season-ender Shut the Door, Have a Seat took a new, almost screwball tone and blew the doors off the building.

The Power of Madonna, as told by Glee simply rehashed old plot points with very impressive musical numbers. Finn and Rachel have a difficult relationship. Finn is horny and is easily led (this point is genuinely getting old for me). Rachel is potentially betraying the group by dating Jesse. Mercedes and Kurt are criminally underused within the choir and do their best to put their talents front and center. Quinn is a bitch. Will and Emma need to take a step back while both of them reevaluate their relationship and themselves. Artie and Tina are cute, but have a little way to go before they can be together.

Show me the new storytelling and plot advancement in that list. Please. Every point was covered either before the break or in the last episode that aired.

Now I'm not saying that the episode wasn't entertaining. But beyond adding Jesse to the choir (?!) and giving a little more of Sue Sylvester's life-motives (hello, hair bitterness!) this was nothing more than a sexy redux of everything we already know.

Glee is bright and shiny and was fresh once-upon-a-time, but if they don't start putting plots to bed (literally and figuratively) and moving forward, I'm going to have a hard time tuning in for season 2.