GLEE - Episode 11 - Hairography

What's going down?

"Here's the problem with Sue Sylvester - you never quite know where you stand." We open as Sue brags to Will about being named "cheerleading coach of the decade" by "Splits" magazine and demands to see Glee's list song list for sectionals. What is she really up to? At rehearsals the club are too busy practising to even notice the ever dumb Brittany filming them. "Sue didn't tell me to do this," she blurts out when eventually caught. So it seems as if Sue's plan to take down Glee is finally swinging into action. After she asks Will about the other competing schools the penny finally drops as he realises she's leaking their set list. Emma suggests that he go over to Jane Adams Academy and suss out if they're involved.

Jane Adams is a little different to McKinley High as Will has to have a full body search before he can even enter. As he goes into the principal's office, played by guest-star Eve, we see her ask a student why she decided to rob a bank: "because that's where they keep all the money," she's promptly told. The principal is less than impressed that Will thinks they might be involved in cheating and points out that they don't even have an auditorium to practice in or their own costumes. Feeling guilty Will invites them to practise at McKinley, to instil a little friendly competition, though the principal tells him that they're "gonna take them anyway." While they might be a reform school, they ain't half bad, as Will sweats in his seat as the girls perform "Bootylicious" by Destiny's Child. Rachel, however, reassures him that all they were watching was smoke and mirrors, "hairography" if you will. They simply whip their hair around to distract from their mediocre vocals and choreography. This isn't quite enough to convince Will as he gives them the next number, the title song from the Broadway musical "Hair", as well as wigs.

Puck utilises his best skills as he steals a baby book from a bookstore for Quinn. She admits that she's pretty messed up over what to do once it's born, though it's obvious that deep down she likes having his support. He tells her "no pressure", which is just what she needs right now as Terri is giving her an extra dose of psycho. She questions that whether her indecision is not whether to keep the baby but who to keep it with. In order to give Puck a proper chance and take him for a "test drive" she needs a way to distract Finn, which, let's face it, shouldn't be too hard. She turns to Kurt and asks if he'll give Rachel a makeover to help boost the club. Kurt declares that's it going to be a challenge what with her dressing like a grandma and a toddler at the same time but he takes it on, unaware of Quinn's ulterior motives.

Despite now sleeping with a pillow between them, Will tries to make things intimate again with Terri. She promptly reprimands him and tells him that if he really wants intimacy he should ask her how she's feeling about the pregnancy. He eventually relents, saying that it'll "all be worth it once she shows up." Cue much guilt from Terri as it becomes clear she's finding it hard to keep up the facade. Her plan, like Quinn's, is to find something to distract him with.

Kurt becomes particularly violent as he gives Rachel a makeover. When she questions his motives he tells her she "needs something to distract from her horrible personality." However, - he claims he wants to help her and will ensure that every boy in the school will do a double take as she walks past. Rachel admits though that there's only one boy she wants to impress; she's in love with Finn. Kurt suggests she dress more like a ho - after all, what did Sandy have to do to get Danny?

Terri has found the perfect distraction for Will; a car similar to the one he had in high school that he can rebuild. However, their moment is ruined as Kendra turns up dragging Quinn behind her. Turns out that she wants to keep the baby after all. Terri goes into overdrive as she tells her sister that she can't lie to Will anymore but she just doesn't know how to tell him. Kendra tells her that she has nothing to worry about, she'll let Quinn babysit her kids and as soon as she sees how hard it is to bring up a baby she'll be handing it to her on a plate.

Angry at Will's invitation to the Jane Adams Academy, the Glee director of Haverbrook School for the Deaf marches into his office. He declares that his club is just as under-resourced and that McKinley shouldn't discriminate against the deaf. Schue relents and agrees to scrimmage number two.

Rachel turns up at school completely made over in order to catch Finn's eye. She invites him to her house to give him some hair tips for their new number. This proves great for Quinn's plan as she invites Puck along to help babysit Kendra's children.

At rehearsal Brittany offers to show the club how hairography should be done, which seems to mainly involve looking like you've just been hit by a taser; "it's like cool epilepsy," apparently. Will catches Sue spying and the two have yet another showdown in the middle of the corridor. He tries to have it out with her, yelling that she needs to stop trying to ruin Glee club. Sue doesn't bite though and simply tells him he's "going to get her an updated set list by 5 o'clock tomorrow." If there's anything on that list that involves demeaning, fruity hair tossing, she's cutting it. Uh oh. Will refuses to give her the list, which means that she's back as co-director - looks like there's trouble ahead for Glee.

It's Friday and Rachel appears to have taken Kurt's advice about Sandy too seriously. She struts out of her bathroom in full slutty Sandy gear singing "You're the One That I Want." However she doesn't get quite the response she was hoping for as her leading man stops her, saying she looks like "a sad clown hooker." He explains that he's more into her natural look, as that's what's really great about her. He also adds that just the other day Kurt asked him the kind of girls he likes. Now it all makes sense. Kurt made her look ridiculous because he too is still in love with Finn.

Babysitting the terrible triplets is proving to be a bit too much for Quinn and Puck as they sit tied to chairs. Once free they give them a "real live music video" in order to calm them down. Puck whips out his guitar as Quinn sings "Papa Don't Preach" - how very fitting. It becomes clear that there really is something there between the two of them as he tells her that they can definitely do "this parenting thing". While Quinn's plan has well and truly worked, Kendra's has failed as she returns home to find the kids tucked up in bed.

Back at school there are yet more showdowns. As Rachel demands to know why Kurt set her up to look like a fool, she finally realises his true feelings for Finn. He tells her "that there's no hope for either of us. He loves Quinn; they're having a baby together. We're nothing but distractions. The sooner we realize that the better." At least Rachel's a girl, though. Further down the corridor Santana tells Quinn to "keep her paws off her man." While Quinn thought she and Puck were playing house, turns out he was sexting her the whole time.

The kids perform their mash up of "Hair" and "Crazy in Love" by Beyoncé as Haverbrook School watches on. It's obvious that Hairography simply isn't working for them and that instead they do just look crazy. As their competition perform "Imagine" the McKinley kids get up and sing alongside them, bringing us the first tear jerker of the night.

Afterward, Quinn grabs Puck's phone to get proof of the sexts to Santana. His excuse? He still wants to be with her but she hasn't given it to him since he knocked her up. The boy has needs and she just isn't filling them: "I'm going to be a good dad, but I'm not going to stop being me to do it." Realising that neither he nor Finn is ever going to be able to be a proper Dad to the baby, she tells Terri that she can have her daughter as she knows Will will be. As Quinn leaves the Schuesters she hugs him, leaving him to tell Terri his big news. He's decided to sell the car and has bought one which is much more family friendly.

Now that Puck's out of the picture, Quinn asks Finn if the two could be in love again. Firstly he admits that he went over to Rachel's house but says that nothing happened between the two of them. As Rachel and Kurt look on, the pair make up as they exchange declarations of love.

Will eventually gives in and hands Sue a copy of their set list for sectionals. She seems happy for once with it, especially the latest addition where the kids are simply sitting on stools. However, in typical Sue Sylvester style she does leak the list, even advising the two rival schools to split the songs between them, to make it look like it's McKinley who have stolen the songs. We close as Tina finally gets to take the lead and sing "True Colours."

11 o' clock number

It looks as if the kids may have some real competition at sectionals after watching their rivals compete. Though this is the second time we've seen Rachel and Finn attempt "You're The One That I Want" I really do want to see them get a chance to perform it properly. Once again Glee made me cry this week as the Glee club got up and sang as well as signed "Imagine" alongside the school for the deaf. And after always being in the shadow of both Rachel and Mercedes we finally get to see Tina get her own number, proving that she has just as good a voice.

Quote of the week

Kurt: "You're extremely talented, Rachel. Watching you perform is amazing, but sometimes it's hard to appreciate what a good singer you are because all I'm thinking about is shoving a sock into your mouth."

Final thoughts

With just two more episodes before Glee takes its mid-season break, we are no closer to seeing anything get resolved. Just when we thought it could be the end for Quinn and Finn, they manage to work things out. Personally I'm still rooting for a Rachel/Finn and Quinn/Puck ending. Is Will ever going to find out that his wife's pregnancy is fake? And how much longer can it be before Terri really does go crazy? Finally with their set list leaked what are the club going to do when they arrive at sectionals and hear the other two schools performing their numbers?

 

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