Recap / Glee S 3 E 20 Props

How to test how good your cast is

Summary

In a change, the opening rundown provides the plot of the episode; namely, that Tina has pretty much been ignored since the series started. This episode will address that, as we start with Kurtcedes in Sue's office, being chastised over Unique leading Vocal Adrenaline to their Regionals victory and thus making them ND's opponent once again. Therefore, to counterattack, Sue wants Kurt to dress in drag. Yes. Sue produces a 20's style flapper dress that we know Kurt will not wear, however he does have precedence, as we cut to Klaine as Snooki and the Situation from Jersey Shore thus in no way dating this episode in the least as we hit the Title Card.

As Tina continues to get ignored, even in her own episode, we cut to Rachel and did you really think she was gonna let choking stop her from NYADA? Seems getting elected Prom Queen reignited her drive as we see her write in her diary that it's her destiny while we cue up the appropriate Mraz; afterwards, we see Rachel's going for the badgering route, blowing up Madame Tibideaux's voice line. From there, we cut to the choir room, where Will reveals the song lineup for Nationals. Sue, after some insanity involving Flashdance, produces the Title Drop, saying it's the best way to get props. And this causes Tina to finally up and leave, after a token attempt at affirmation by Will calling her the costume girl, she essentially calls herself a living prop. Mike tries to calm her down, only for Tina to correctly say that Rachel complaining means claiming stardom, whereas her complaining is selfishness. Glorious double standard is glorious. Mike does make a point though, in that it's the seniors' last year, while she graduates next year. Rachel, taking another tact, goes for the bribe. Smart Rachel, smart. She then offers Tina ego before Tina reveals she wants one moment to be her. Funny you mention that... Cut to the mall, where after we see Klaine get their massage on, we cut to Tina at full boil. Unfortunately, being at full boil sometimes means you don't watch where you're going, as we see Tina trip and bounce her head off the bottom of a fountain. Kinda brutal to watch. Klaine pull her out of the fountain... though a different kind of Klaine. Yes folks, if Tina wants to be Rachel, then she can be, while the rest of the cast becomes each other. After the break, we see Rachel!Tina being lead down the school hallway by Pinn!Klaine and let's go ahead and reveal the entire switcheroo: Finn is Kurt, Kurt is Finn, Puck is Blaine, Blaine is Puck, Quinn is Sugar, Sugar is Quinn, Santana is Artie, Artie is Santana, Mercedes is Brittany, Brittany is Mercedes, Joe is Mike, Mike is Joe, Sam is Rory, Rory is Sam, Will is Sue, Sue is Will, and of course, Rachel is Tina [dressed in S1 attire to make the change more noticeable]; you can clearly tell the cast is having a ball. This all leads back to the choir room where, after some encouragement from Kurt!Finn, Tina goes into the rare Jenna solo, a bit of Celine, getting an ovation. Now, as cool as it would be to have the switch for the entire episode, it's sadly cut short as we return to reality, the actual Klaine pulling Tina out of the fountain as we go to break.

We return to see Sue act out her insanity, a rehearsal for the signature Flashdance number. Everyone correctly points out that the props are the only thing people would see. Sue is displeased while Kurt has an idea. And now, Mood Whiplash as we cut to the lounge where Brittana and Mercedes approach Beiste, who as we know is still with abusive husband Cooter the Recruiter. Beiste offers the token excuse that he's changed, and of course a cut to him screaming proves otherwise. She dismisses concerns as we cut to the locker room where all of ND sit, Sue producing a clandestine video of VA rehearsing perfectly. She firmly believes that dressing in drag is the way to win; Puck expressing disbelief. Cut to Rachel on stage, Tina arriving to explain both the dream and her subconscious telling her to tell Rachel to talk to the Madame herself. After Rachel apologizes, Tina says everyone has a part, and maybe this is hers. Next season will disprove that in a major way. Back to the choir room, where Sue has, as you'd expect, has gone overboard with the props, now calling for dwarves. This finally causes Will to reign her in; now, remember two seasons ago where Puck said he could dress up in drag and people would think he was hot? Here's the payoff, as he arrives in full regalia. Everyone is traumatized and this is all Will can stands and he can stands no more, finally dismissing her craziness. We cut to Puck at his locker; unfortunately for him, he forgot what school he went to, as resident boil on the ass on McKinley Rick "The Stick" arrives to drive home the Badass Decay. Puck goes for the attack, but some minions hold him back as we go to break. We return to Rachtina driving, making small talk involving the wedding (remember that?). Rachel then reveals her insecurities over a possible rejection, essentially saying she doesn't wanna be a Lima Loser. She shakes that off as Tina asks for a duet before graduation. Cut back to the school as the hockey team arrives near the dumpsters, Rick and Puck getting it on. It's fairly one-sided at first, the hockey team putting Puck in the dumpster, only for Puck to leap out for a second wind... and produce a switchblade. Okay, it's a fake but clearly we've just gone to a different place. Fortunately, Beiste arrives to break things up; we cut to the locker room where it's revealed that Nelson had called Puck a Lima Loser and that hit his Berserk Button. He then finally erupts, calling himself a nothing and revealing his mother basically doesn't care. He breaks down in Beiste's arms as we go to break.

We return to see Madame Tibideaux, as some poor unfortunate soul is unlucky enough to perform in front of her. After his dismissal, Rachtina approaches; unfortunately for Rachel, after 14 messages, the Madame has had enough of her and it goes as well as you'd expect. From there, we cut to Beiste and CtR and it seems Puck's breakdown got to her, as after slamming a kitchen knife down, she finally leaves the bastard. Now this being Glee, the verbal leads to the vocal, as Puck and Beiste vent via Taylor, odd duet partners, but united in their anguish. Afterwards, Beiste reveals she got Puck another shot at the one test that's keeping him from graduating. After the break, we start the home stretch with the ND juniors making their outfits. Sugar complains about it, only for Tina to tell her doing the work will lead to the rewards. Mike then walks by, him and Tina sharing a smile as we cut to Sue and Will going over the setlist as Shannon arrives to volunteer as a chaperone, confirming she left CtR. Cut to Rachel telling Finn about Tina giving her the idea to visit the Madame. She then gets wise, saying that in a sea of kids clinging desperately to their own kind, they took the time to become more than friends. She and Tina then breakout the Irene Cara to close up for the week. What a Feeling indeed. Speaking of...

Next Time: Nationals 2012, and for half of New Directions, one final chance to get it right.

Songs from the episode

• I Won't Give Up as originally sung by Jason Mraz (sung by Rachel Berry)
• Because You Loved Me as originally sung by Céline Dion (sung by Tina Cohen-Chang as Rachel Berry)
• Mean as originally sung by Taylor Swift (sung by Beiste and Puck)
• Flashdance! (What a Feeling) as originally sung by Irene Cara (sung by Rachel Berry and Tina Cohen-Chang)

This episode contains examples of

• Advertised Extra: Deconstructed in this episode with Tina. After several years of being a backing singer, she finally gets tired of being sidelined for Rachel and tells the club how neglected she feels.
  • And then Reconstruction when she, by the end of the episode, decides that she doesn't mind being back up afterall.
  • In season 4, however, she resumes complaining about her lack of stardom, making this trope zigzagged all in all.
• Attractive Bent-Gender: While Puck in a dress is, to Sue, the "ugliest woman I've ever seen," Santana is strangely turned on.
• Badass Decay: Lampshaded when a Jerk Jock breaks Puck by talking about how he used to be the most popular footballer in McKinley, and now is kinda soft.
• Bizarro Episode
• Break Them by Talking: ...Puck reacts to the above Jerk Jock's speech very badly, threatening him with a knife. Then again, this guy did beat him pretty hard and then throw him in the dumpster for no freaking reason.
• Call-Forward: Rick calls Puck's aimless Season 4 character by saying he'll be that guy hanging out in front of the 7-11 picking up high school girls. Also Harsher in Hindsight given Mark Salling's later legal trouble.
• A Day in the Limelight: This episode marked the only Tina-centric episode.
• Entitled Bitch: Well, Bastard. For some, Rachel demanding that she be given another shot at auditioning for the prestigious performing arts school NYADA despite the fact that she was allowed to audition twice before and still fluffed it up. Her pushy, constant phone calls asking for a fourth shot, and even following the dean of the school to talk about why she deserves to go to this school doesn't exactly help either. While we're meant to root for Rachel's plight, many fans find it a wonder that she got accepted in the school by the end of season 3. Especially seeing as Kurt, who delivered a fantastic audition, didn't.
• Fire-Forged Friends: Rachel and Tina overcome their differences by the end of the episode, even singing a duet together.
• Fridge Brilliance: Well, you have Puck singing "Mean" which is pretty funny when you know that the boy in that music video is based on Kurt Hummel (yes, from this show), and so the antagonist in the song (i.e. who you'd sing it to) is Puck. Ouch. Except... there's some role-swapping in this episode... and Puck ends up as Blaine, a more svelte version of Kurt. *slow clap*
• "Freaky Friday" Flip: The main plot device of the prop side.
• Gender Bender: Sue becomes Will, Will becomes Sue, Santana becomes Artie and Artie becomes Santana.
• Jerkass: Cooter, to new heights in his final appearance (before barely being mentioned again).
  • Also the Jerk Jock who challenges Puck in this episode.
• Little People Are Surreal: One of Sue's ideas is to "rent" 18 diverse little people for a New Directions dance number.
• Mood Whiplash: From the light and comical Tina scenes to the much heavier scenes dealing with Domestic Abuse and Parental Abandonment.
• Mutually Fictional: Mercedes mentions going to see the film 21 Jump Street. In that film, Channing Tatum curses the TV show Glee for making it so all the hippies and gay kids are now the popular kids at the school they go to, as well as being a Take That! in return for the one Mike delivered last season.
• Odd Friendship: It sort of makes sense that Beiste and Puck bond in this episode (over a Taylor Swift duet, no less), but it doesn't make the teacher-student bond any less unintentionally strange.
• Parental Abandonment: Puck's dad bailed when Puck was little, and although is mom is still around, she's never attended a football game or a concert.
• Reality Subtext: Santana and Artie switching with each other in Tina's dream (complete with Santana!Artie getting a ponytail despite wearing the male Cheerios uniform). Their respective actors, Naya Rivera and Kevin McHale, are quite close in real life.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Tina gives one to the entire Glee club.
• "Take That!" Tit-for-Tat: With 21 Jump Street — in season 2, Mike (whose actor plays perpetually-sidelined Cable in the Step Up films) asked Santa for Channing Tatum to stop being in stuff. In 21 Jump Street, Tatum's character curses Glee for allowing the weird kids to be cool.
• Wham Line: "Oh my God, I'm Rachel Berry!"
• Whoopi Epiphany Speech : A mild version here, and not as effective as it falls on deaf ears.
  I am a very busy woman. Every moment I spend deleting yet another one of your voicemails about lost hopes and dreams takes time away from another student. What makes you think you are entitled to any more attention than the other hundreds of people with the same hopes and dreams?