Don’t say “diva” like it’s a dirty word. I mean, if living legend Aretha Franklin was more than happy to be front and center for VH1′s “Divas Live” extravaganza, then who are the rest of us to treat it like a common four-letter word, right?
Okay, so diva-dom might also be about milquetoast Emma Pillsbury reducing Cheesecake Factory managers to tears, and Rachel Berry’s runaway ego stomping around New York City like King Kong after an expensive blowout at the salon. It could even prompt Tina Cohen-Chang to withhold her “soup” from an ailing Blaine Anderson. Yikes!
Those opposing sides of the diva coin got scrutinized in this week’s Glee, a mostly lighthearted, music-packed hour with a moral that came from the mouth of Kurt Hummel: “Hold the nightmare, but bring the diva. Your work speaks for itself.”
If you were too busy reading Martha Stewart Weddings to catch the episode, here’s what you missed on Glee:
* Kurt, infuriated by Rachel’s increasingly inflated, post-Winter Carnival sense of self-importance, decided she needed to be “taken down a notch.” His strategy? Challenge her to NYADA’s “Fight Club” for vocalists — Midnight Madness — where he indeed proved triumphant “by the closest margin in history.” A dejected Ms. Berry couldn’t get her mojo back and decided to skip an open call for Funny Girl, not because she lost, but because she feared success would turn her into a monster and alienate her friends. Kurt, though, like a good BFF is supposed to do, helped Rachel realize that — with an occasional dose of real talk — she might be able to have it all. (Silent applause.)
* Finn, worried about New Directions’ changes at Sectionals, turned to Emma for advice. Her plan? Diva Week! Still, as the guidance counselor helped Finn whip his glee club into shape, and as he helped her put the finishing touches on her upcoming wedding ceremony, the Best Man began to develop strange feelings for the bride. When “Miss Pillsbury” had a panic attack, Finn snapped her out of it by planting a kiss — on her lips! That’s not gonna make next week’s nuptials awkward or anything…
* Speaking of wrong-minded romantic pursuits, Tina continued her pining for Blaine, right down to knocking him out with cold medicine and then straddling him to rub Vicks on his smooth, mucus-filled chest. (Eeep!) Somehow, Blaine’s lack of romantic interest made Tina a little angry, but she channeled those feelings into a lively cover of Madonna’s “Hung Up” and won Diva Week in the process. (Sorry, Unique!) Now, though, Blaine’s taking his McKinley bestie as his date to Will and Emma’s wedding, and I get the sense that she’s still holding on to the very weird idea of “a sexless thing” to get her through the school year. This doesn’t make any sense to me, but I’ll play along and see where the writers take us.
* Finally, Santana returned to McKinley, determined to create a rift between Brittany and Sam, but by the end of the hour, realized that it wasn’t her ex-girlfriend’s new relationship that was bugging her. The recent college dropout really pined for The Big Apple, and Brittany helped her realize that a bus ride to Manhattan was her destiny. A final-act rendition of “Girl on Fire” found the Lady Lopez bursting out of McKinley’s doors and emerging from a New York City subway, then heading to Kurt and Rachel’s place. Guess what, bitches? She’s moving in! (And let’s be honest, they could use an extra income to help pay what’s got to be extraordinary rent — even in distant Brooklyn.)
I’ll be back overnight to update this post with grades for every musical number and a rundown of the week’s best quotes, but until then, let me turn things over to you. What did you think of “Diva”? What was your fave musical number? Take our poll, sound off in the comments, and for all my Glee-related recaps and commentary, follow me on Twitter @MichaelSlezakTV!
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