Glee: “Wheels” (PinkBananaWorld.com)

Back Glee: “Wheels”

Warning: The following review contains spoilers for all aired episodes of “Glee,” including the most recent, “Wheels”.

Over the course of its first eight episodes (well, to be honest, by the end of the pilot), Glee swiftly established itself as one of my favorite television programs to ever air, second only to Pushing Daisies. If its sense of humor–a pitch-perfect blend of wit, sweetness, and snark–its heartfelt characters, and its twisty plots weren’t enough (all things it shares in common with Pushing Daisies), its weekly musical numbers completely tipped it over the edge, bumping all other contenders down a notch or two. I mean, honestly, a television show about a high school glee club that, rather than having a special musical episode (Pushing Daisies had an assortment of musical numbers over its two-season run), is itself–every single week–a musical, and that has multiple Broadway stars in its cast and features others in guest appearances? At times, it feels like it was dreamt up just for me. Luckily, however, I’m not the only person who feels this way, as in most cases, the shows that seem too good to be true are not long for this world. Case in point, again: Pushing Daisies.

Why, you may ask, have I spent a full paragraph of this review stating what should have been painfully obvious, from the mere fact that Glee is the first series for which I have ever felt compelled to write weekly reviews? I’ve done so, because I want to make it very clear that when I say that the ninth episode of Glee, “Wheels,” which aired last night, is even better than I knew the show was capable of being, I mean it. I have adored the show to pieces from the start, but “Wheels” took the series to a new level of maturity and depth that is a natural outgrowth of what came before and also beautifully lays the groundwork for what are sure to be some fantastic future plot threads. As Ryan Murphy promised, the episode is definitely a “gamechanger” for the series. It strips down some of the more cartoony aspects of previous installments and focuses on character depth to a further degree than Glee has ever accomplished in the past, unveiling a number of revelations that not only make complete sense but also make each character a fuller human being. In addition, it addresses, underlines, and advances the series’ central themes of diversity, breaking barriers, and forming a family of misfits, without sacrificing the show’s unique comedic voice, or skimping on the music. This episode may actually feature the best collection of songs yet.

In examining “Wheels,” firstly I’d like to take a brief look at its various plot threads and how they intersect with and parallel one another, strengthening its central metaphor. Artie is, of course, at the forefront of the episode, and it’s about time, too. I had expected that we’d finally learn the source of Artie’s paralysis this week, and we did. We even have confirmation about how far said paralysis extends, in a scene that provides a beautiful encapsulation of Glee and its juxtaposition of cheeky comedy with honest, emotional drama. The line in question is a flawless example of minimalist writing, undercutting the seriousness of the situation without losing its impact, while also providing information the type of which people always wonder about but would probably never ask for fear of sounding inappropriate, as well as a wonderful character moment for Artie and Tina.

What I was not expecting, however, was how beautifully Artie would be used as the focal point for the episode’s central metaphor. At the start of the episode, Artie sings an acoustic version of Billy Idol’s “Dancing With Myself,” stripping it of its bouncy, pop sound, and exposing its rather lonely lyrics, much as the episode strips down the bouncy tone of Glee, exposing some of its deeper secrets. At this point in the story, Artie feels as if the rest of the Glee Club doesn’t really have his back. When Mr. Schuester tells them that Artie won’t be able to ride with them to sectionals unless they raise money for a “handicapable” bus, they simply assume he’ll be fine with being driven by his dad. It’s not that they dislike Artie; it’s just that though they are all different from the norm, none of them really understand what it’s like to be quite as different as he is–with the exception of Tina, or so he believes.

When Will then charges each member of the Glee Club with spending three hours a day in a wheelchair like Artie, what he is doing is not only exposing them to a perspective they have never appreciated before but also encouraging them to notice just how similar their situations really are. In the eyes of the rest of the high school, all the Glee kids are handicapped, and so this action brings the team closer together than they have ever been in the past. It also brings Artie and Tina, in particular, closer together. We learn that Artie has had a thing for Tina, because he sees her as the only other person in the group who has a disability like him, namely a stutter. This is why her revelation to him that it is not real–that she used it as a deliberate cover to keep people at a distance–stings him so badly. In desperately hoping to find someone just like him, Artie is ironically the only character in the episode who doesn’t pick up on how alike they all are, in their differences. This is certainly understandable, as no one else in the group has as debilitating a physical impairment as he does, but it does add an interesting and subtle nuance to him, that he does have this flaw–an inability to see fully past his handicap, even while the other Glee kids start to embrace him as an equal. What he fails to realize is that Tina’s shyness has been just as crippling to her as his immobile legs are to him, and that she likes him regardless of his wheelchair, and maybe even more so because of it and the strength of character it has given him. It is one of Glee’s greatest strengths that things aren’t as simple as they seem. We empathize with Artie, who feels truly betrayed, but also with Tina, who has opened up in a way she never has before to someone who has inspired her, and finds herself not receiving the reaction for which she’d hoped.

Stepping into Artie’s shoes also affects the other Glee kids–some directly, some indirectly. When Will gives the solo in Wicked’s “Defying Gravity” to Rachel, Kurt instantly protests but is only taken seriously when his dad–quickly becoming one of the best parents-to-a-gay-child characters in television history–takes a conference with Principal Figgins and Mr. Schue. Although Burt Hummel doesn’t really understand his son, he is willing to fight for him and his rights with the same ferocity he would if Kurt were being excluded from a sport he wanted to play, and that is an extremely powerful message. Upon hearing Burt out, Will realizes the hypocrisy of how he has been unfairly and inadvertently discriminating against Kurt’s desires to break down barriers and sing a girl’s part, even as he was scolding the other kids for not being more understanding of Artie and what makes him different. He holds a “diva-off” between Rachel and Kurt, to determine who will get the part. The song itself, of course, is filled with lyrics that suit this episode to a tee: “I’m through accepting limits/’Cause someone says they’re so…It’s time to try defying gravity…” Rachel ultimately wins, when Kurt cracks on the high F, but we later learn that, like Tina and her stutter, Kurt has faked his vocal gaffe. He didn’t do it, however, due to not believing in himself or as an act of retreat into the closet, but as one of love for his father. He realizes that, underneath his dad’s gruff exterior, he, Kurt, is actually stronger than him and while he has spent a lifetime dealing with name-calling, Burt can’t handle hearing other people mock his son, as the crank caller did. He realizes how much harder it would be on Burt if his son sang a girl’s part in front of thousands of people, so he chooses his battles, places himself in his dad’s shoes–much as they all did for Artie–realizes his dad’s disabilities, and protects him by letting Rachel have the song. Kurt allowed himself a taste of his dream of defying gravity and then does something even braver and more mature–he postpones it for someone he loves.

On the surface, the Rachel/Finn/Quinn/Puck thread may have had less to do with overcoming disabilities, but when thought about from another perspective, Quinn’s pregnancy is a vast obstacle which she and Finn have to surmount. And the experience of riding in wheelchairs does indeed change these four characters’ outlooks. On one level, as in “Mash-Up,” they again find themselves in a situation where they are at the mercy of the other kids in school–sometimes they seem to be the direct targets of the other kids’ cruelty, while other times, the other kids’ casual dismissal of people who are lower than them, both in the high school hierarchy and from a physical standpoint, leads to their being hurt, having food dumped on them, etc. This new view of the world inspires each of the characters in a number of ways. For Rachel, the prospect of losing “Defying Gravity” may not be quite as awful as it otherwise would have been, and it also leads her to come up with a brilliant, albeit deceitful, idea for Finn to get a job. For Finn, it gives him the tools to become a wheelchair-bound busboy. Like Tina and Kurt, he is faking a disability for his own specific reasons, though his, like Kurt’s, are of the more ultimately noble variety. He wants to help his girlfriend, the future mother of what he believes to be his unborn child. Meanwhile, Quinn’s experiences further soften her. Whereas the old Quinn would have most likely continued to push Puck away until he provided her with the money he stole from the bake sale, the softer Quinn who has been gradually affected by her Glee Club experiences, finds herself drawn to Puck–a decent guy, despite it all–and in the end, tells Puck to return the money, because she won’t steal from a friend. Her categorization of Artie as a friend alone constitutes leaps and bounds of growth, as does Puck’s drive to help Quinn, who is actually pregnant with his child.

But there are even more nuances to this truly remarkable episode. We even discover some further humanity to the other blonde cheerleader, Brittany, who is good friends with Becky Jackson, a girl with Down’s syndrome. Even more stunning, however, is Sue Sylvester’s reaction to Becky when she enters the try-outs for Cheerios replacements. To Will’s complete befuddlement, after summarily rejecting a number of awkward auditioners, Sue immediately allows Becky onto the team. He spends the entire episode suspicious of Sue, questioning her motives, particularly when Artie decides to use the bake sale money to pay for wheelchair-accessible ramps for the school rather than renting a wheelchair-accessible bus for one night, but Will discovers that Sue has already donated her own money to pay for ramps, so that Artie could travel with the team. In one of the last moments of the episode, Glee provides us its most profound revelation yet–that Sue has an older sister with Down’s. She visits her at the hospital and displays a compassion of spirit no one would have thought capable of her–a fascinating thread that has been building for the past few episodes. She tenderly reads Little Red Riding Hood to her sister, her voice full of love and warmth. Who would have ever expected, Sue, originally the most cartoonish of villains, would be revealed to have such a kind heart? What is so gorgeous about the writing here is that it opens whole new levels to Sue as a character and so many questions, as well. Like each other character on the show who initially seemed like a cliche, Glee peels back her facade here to show the real person inside Sue Sylvester, and leads us to wonder what causes Sue to act the way she does. Was the need to take care of and protect her sister earlier in life what inspired her to construct the formidable exterior she projects? Did she worry she would seem weak otherwise? While I don’t expect this gentle side of Sue to come out in every episode, these are questions that would provide engrossing fodder for future plotlines.

Another brilliant Sue moment occurs when Will scolds her for being too hard on Becky during practice, and she points out to Will that again, he is being hypocritical. If she changed her behavior for Becky, she would be discriminating against her just as assuredly as if she had never invited her onto the team in the first place. Will continues to also be a terrific character, because he does his best but is not always right. As a teacher, he is never idealized, as I’ve mentioned in the past. He has his flaws and makes mistakes just like everyone else, but sometimes, his good intentions lead to great results.

“Wheels” is an enormous success on every level. From a writing standpoint, it shows off the incredible depths Glee’s creators are capable of mining from these increasingly interesting and complex characters, and the number of themes and plotlines they can weave around and through them. As far as acting goes, it is a wonderful spotlight for a number of the actors who haven’t received as much attention in the past–particularly the wonderful Kevin McHale and Jenna Ushkowitz, as Artie and Tina, respectively–as well as some who have. Chris Colfer is more spellbinding than ever as Kurt, sounding sublime on “Defying Gravity” and projecting newfound maturity and depth in Kurt’s relationship with his father. And the ingenious Jane Lynch’s scene with her sister delicately blends the Sue Sylvester we know with this new Sue Sylvester we are only now beginning to meet. And on top of all that, the episode closes on one of the series’ best group numbers to date, “Proud Mary,” in which the Glee Club triumphantly unites as a family to perform a fantastically choreographed number on wheelchairs, in support of Artie, all the more impressive due to how hard they had to work to learn to operate the chairs, something which Artie has to deal with most of every day of his life. More than ever before, Glee is pure gold.

Published Date: 11/13/2009
SECTION: Entertainment | REGION: Burlington, VT
SOURCE: rob will review...

Category: TV, TVTV: Glee, TV: Glee

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