Movie Reviews: Snow White and Prometheus Get a Hotel Room

by Jack Garcia

Our friend Brett got to be third wheel for Snow White and Best Exotic.  The first one we saw at the Megaplex in Salt Lake City and the second one we saw at the Cinemark in Provo.  For Prometheus, we actually went on a double date with another couple.  We'd probably see more movies, but goodness they are expensive!  I used to get free movies a lot so I didn't really notice... but man, oh man.  Pricey.  These movies were worth the money though.  For the most part.

Snow White and the Huntsman AVERAGE

Kristen Stewart and Chris Hemsworth star as the titular characters, and you might get the impression that they are the main characters.  You know, like important and stuff.  But really, they remain a mystery throughout the entire film.  Who are they?  What makes them tick?  And how come we don't get any real interaction from them?  By the end we are supposed to believe that the huntsman sent to kill Snow White is now in love with her, yet they barely interact at all.  Instead, the movie focuses on the evil queen played by Charlize Theron.  I hate to say it, but her performance was hit or miss for me.  At times she was perfectly sinister, yet sometimes she just started squawking at everyone like a spazz.  Not so pretty.

However, despite the lack of any character development, I was impressed with the visual aspect of the film.  There were beautiful costumes and some very imaginative fantasy elements including a mythical deer and some enchanting fairies.  The storyline was interesting enough and while I was watching it I was decently entertained.  Snow White has been locked in a tower her whole life and when she escapes, the evil queen hires a man to kill her.  He changes tunes however and with the aid of some dwarfs, helps Snow White to regain control of her kingdom.  It's all very epic and whatnot, I just felt that a movie titled Snow White and the Huntsman should have focused more on those two and perhaps given us a touch of romantic spark.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel ADMIRABLE

This is one of those movies that isn't exactly original--in fact, it's quite formulaic and neatly packaged with a ribbon--but it's satisfyingly optimistic with enough going for it to make you forget that it's not new.  It's the basic "let's travel abroad and learn something about our lives" movie that we've seen time and time again, but The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel does it with some very nice performances by some of the best British actors around.  I couldn't help but smile.

Various Brits in their golden years travel to India to stay in what they think is a luxury hotel.  Evelyn (Judi Dench) is a new widow doing something on her own for once, Graham (Tom Wilkinson) is searching for an old flame, Douglas and Jean (Bill Nighy and Penelope Wilton) have just retired and are at a lull in their relationship, Muriel (Maggie Smith) is there for an inexpensive hip replacement and both Madge and Norman (Celia Imrie and Ronald Pickup) are in need of romance.  Once in Jaipur, they all come to find out that the hotel isn't exactly what the brochure led them to believe, but the plucky, young owner Sonny (Dev Patel) has high hopes for his home for the "elderly and beautiful."  As the movie goes on, various relationships are formed and neglected, people find what they are looking for and what they weren't expecting, and everything works out for the better.

The actors all do a terrific job of bringing their characters to life and there are some very powerful scenes--some happy, some sad.  Other aspects of the movie are just plain cheesy and "feel-good," but in the end, who doesn't want to feel good?

Prometheus AWESOME!

Brian's already written a terrific review of this movie, but I'd like to add my own take on it as well.  Prometheus is so far one of the better movies to come out this year.  While not as impressive as Blade Runner or Alien, director Ridley Scott has really made a film to be proud of.  There's a perfect balance between the majesty and cinematic awe that makes a film art and the nail-biting, cringe-worthy action that makes a film entertaining.

Prometheus begins with a thoroughly perplexing but engaging scene of an alien man who poisons himself and collapses in pieces into water.  From there we are introduced to the scientists who have embarked on a journey into space where they are hoping to meet their makers.  It goes against traditional Christian ideas of deity, yet somehow allows for it at the same time.  Regardless of religious dogma, Elizabeth Shaw and Charlie Holloway (Noomi Rapace and Logan Marshall-Green) have earnest questions to ask the "engineers" as they call them.  Why was the human race created?  Is there a purpose to it all?  And as terrifying things begin to happen, the question changes to:  What have we done wrong?

Others on the ship have their own reasons for being there that are less faith-driven and perhaps more selfish and conniving.  There's Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron doing a much better job than she did in Snow White) who is quite mysterious and imposing, and then there's David (Michael Fassbender), the android, who is eerily lifelike and downright malicious when it suits him.  He's probably my favorite character--and Brian's as well--because there are so many sides to his coin. 

Apart from all the great character-work and thought-provoking questions, Prometheus is also a horror movie set in space and there are plenty of moments to make you squirm in your seats.  At one point Elizabeth discovers she is pregnant with an alien baby, and her self-given C-section is probably one of the most disturbing and intense roller coaster rides I've experienced in a movie theater.  This movie really is something awesome.

Movie Review: 'Prometheus'

by Brian Kesler
Rating: 4/5

Ridley Scott is hit-or-miss for me. Two of his films have moved into the realm of greatness, particularly for their visual appeal: 'Blade Runner' (the Director's Cut, of course) and 'Alien.' His newest movie is a prequel of sorts to the latter and though the film isn't quite an instant classic, it's right up there with the visuals.

'Prometheus' starts right away by utilizing modern visual effects in order to heighten the impact of certain ideas. In fact, more so than most movies from the past several years, this film is particularly good at pushing bold effects with flooding imagination. In the opening, following a sequence of images of lush and beautiful landscapes played against the triumphant musical fanfare of life's wonders, we witness a strange - almost human - man poisoning himself. The camera takes us into his veins and we travel with the poison through his blood stream, seeing his DNA strands burst and snap before our eyes. This artistic freedom is a great tool. It's so easily (and frequently) abused. But once in a scattered while, a director's imagination coupled with this tool makes way for greatness.

The photography is some of the best of the year thus far, with dark indirect lighting and pops of florescent colors illuminated from strategic points, reflecting on the actors' faces as they maneuver through the shadows. It's particularly successful in the first fifteen minutes or so as David, an android, walks through the empty corridors of the spaceship Prometheus amidst scientists in hibernation. His steps ring out and become muddled echoes in the dark hallways. He observes the sleeping humans with - is it jealousy? Curiosity? He sits in the darkness, with the light of Lean's film 'Lawrence of Arabia' projecting across his face from a monitor. He idolizes Peter O'Tool and pays close attention during his favorite scene: Lawrence extinguishes a match between his fingertips and a fellow soldier does that same, not realizing it would hurt. "It damn well hurts," "Certainly it hurts," says Lawrence, "What the trick, then?"  "The trick, William Potter, is not minding that it hurts." David arranges his hair to be just like O'Tool's - blonde locks and all. He walks through the silent corridors and repeats O'Tool's line, "The trick, William Potter, is not minding that it hurts. The trick, William Potter, is not minding that it hurts. The trick, William Potter, is not minding that it hurts." 

The film might give Noomi Rapace - of 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' fame - first billing, but it is Michael Fassbender's performance of the bitter and longing android David that makes the film. Ridley Scott's direction soon gets sloppy, and the script is not perfect in the least, but there are moments of greatness, mostly to do with David's relation to the other characters. He is pushed around and used as a tool, and he resents it enough to get revenge on the biggest offender. I won't spoil the fruit of the vengeance, but it is quite horrifying. By the end of the film, David is decapitated, but still alive and in working condition. His motionless, bodiless head talks with the same coolness as ever. Noomi finds him and stuffs his head into a duffel bag, not willing to leave him behind. As she zips up the bag, she says, "Sorry." His eyes light up and he smiles, his head being closed in with the zipper and says, "It's alright."

The film deals with the the battle between Darwinism vs. Creationism as the scientists believe, not just that they have found life outside Earth, but the very creators of Earth and the human race. Who knew meeting our creator could be so terrifying? There are plenty of movies with the same story structure: Scientists discover artifact, study alien body, alien body turns out to be alive, alien terrorizes and multiplies. The difference between the rest of those films and this one is this movie's joy at the prospect of the discovery of our roots and the reasons for existence and the mysteries of the universe. A scene in which David watches a holographic simulation of the creation of the galaxy is particularly awe inspiring. David walks directly into the midst of the hologram and revels in its brilliance, almost dancing among the stars and moons that move through his body.

There are many places to find faults with 'Prometheus.' The music - aside from the fanfare - is overpowering when the tension would be better built in silence. A scene in which one character performs a Cesarian on herself to rid an alien parasite from her womb is a roller coaster ride, but would be even more powerful with no gimmicky score to tell us what we're supposed to be feeling. The middle section of the film is sloppy and places horror/action above paced storytelling. Also, the film is disinterested in following through on the many questions it asks, but that doesn't much hurt the effectiveness of the thematic elements.

'Prometheus' may not be as good as 'Alien,' and may make some in the audience squeamish in its relentless gore, but it is more intelligent than the average monster movie. It asks its audience to question the reason for our existence, features bold performances from Fassbender and Charlize Theron, and has a glorious orchestration of photography, visual effects, and production design. It is worth it to see in a theater where its visual glory can be appreciated.

Movie Review: 'Snow White and the Huntsman'

 

by Brian Kesler 
2.5/5 

The storyboard has taken over the role usually reserved for the script. Instead of creating solid characters and using them to navigate a story, Hollywood's newest trend is to create a world, creatures, costumes, etc. and set up visuals in which to drop in some soulless characters whose only function is to take us from one cool looking place to another. The entire premise of 'Snow White and the Huntsman' revolves around the heart's triumph over surface beauty, yet ironically this movie relies solely on art direction. There is no heart. 

The film deviates from the Brothers Grimm fairy tale only in tone and in certain plot developments. For the most part it follows the same structure. So, I feel no need to tell you the story except to say that the Queen has a brother whom she uses as a right-hand man, the Prince is replaced by the Duke's son, and the Huntsman is a romantic interest. If you've seen the trailer, you already know the visual splendor of the film, so I won't go into that except to say it is very imaginative in that department.

It is not imaginative, however, in its use of characters, and the acting is less than amazing. Charlize Theron spends much of her screen time screeching when she should be controlled, vicious, sly, and understated. She plays fear rather than power and it's an unfortunate choice. I was hoping to say her performance saved the picture, but it doesn't come close. Kristen Stewart is too demure to play a kick-ass version of Snow White, and she is certainly not fairer than the Queen. That's not a slight on Kristen Stewart, but the fact is there is none fairer in the land than Charlize Theron. Besides that, however, Stewart comes across as stoic and dreamy. I don't know what she's fighting for. I don't know anything about her character at all. Nothing. She and Chris Hemsworth, as love interests, have no chemistry. There is nothing going on with them, no reason to want to see them together, no sex, no intrigue, no passion. I'm not even sure they know anything about one another, which dampens the impact of emotional sequences near the end. Sometimes I wonder if writers in Hollywood still understand the concept of relationships. You see, you have to set up an intriguing relationship between two people first, before you set up the prospect of the parties not being together. Otherwise, why should we care?

The dwarfs are played well enough, but they have nothing particularly special about them. They aren't individuals. They're the dwarfs. Although greatly simplified, one quality of the Disney 'Snow White' that makes it so memorable are the individuality of each of the seven dwarfs. They are their own person and it was satisfying to grow to love each of them for their own quirks and personalities. Unfortunately, the same idea wasn't applied here.

It is possible to have a visually imaginative film that also fully develops its characters. Look at 'Spirited Away,' for Christ's sake. It is the definition of a "visual movie," and its characters are rich and well defined. On that subject, there is a scene of 'Snow White and the Huntsman' that is directly stolen from 'Princess Mononoke.' It is not a coincidence, it is not an homage, it is flat out infringement. It is a moment that takes place with a white stag, and I'm dying for Studio Ghibli to call it out.

The Gleek Critique: "Goodbye" Episode

Santana and her mother (Gloria Estefan) on Glee.  Image property of Fox.

by Jack Garcia

In the Season 3 Finale of Glee, we say "goodbye" to several of our favorite characters (although temporarily because most of them are rumored to return next season) as they graduate from McKinley High School.  So what are everyone's future plans?

Well, Mercedes is off to Los Angeles to sing backup for an Indie label and Mike is going to be dancing in Chicago.  Quinn is off to Yale, but not before saying a tearful goodbye to Coach Sue and giving Puck one final kiss.  That kiss gave Puck the moxy he needed to pass his Geography test and therefore scrape up enough credits to graduate.  Now it's off to California to clean pools.

Not everyone will be graduating though.  Brittany, the lovable ditz with the best one-liners, has a 0.0 GPA and is being held back a year.  Santana discovers this while the couple are having dinner with Santana's mother, Maribel (Gloria Estefan), at Breadstix.  She's upset that Brittany will be stuck in Lima for another year... and she's also unsure of her own future plans.  She's been accepted on a cheerleading scholarship to Louisville, but her heart is set on being a performer.  Ultimately she decides to go to New York and pursue being an actress, and her mother supports her decision.

Not everyone will be going to New York either.  Finn, Rachel and Kurt are all awaiting their acceptance letters and when they arrive they wait to open them all together.  Finn goes first and is sad to learn that he wasn't accepted into The Actor's Studio despite what he thought was a good audition.  Kurt has equally depressing news:  he wasn't accepted into NYADA.  Rachel is last to open her letter and after all the disappointment she feels guilty to say that she was accepted.  Despite her flopped audition, it looks like Carmen Tibideaux gave her a second chance after all.

So what will Kurt do now?  He's going to stick around for a year and audition again.  He and Blaine had earlier decided not to split up despite Kurt's moving away, so now they won't have distance as an obstacle anymore.  But one couple does split up, and it's the biggest shocker of the episode.

Finn is driving Rachel to what she thinks is her wedding when they pull up at the train station instead. He tells her that she's going to New York to scout out apartments and tour her new school.  Her dads are meeting her there.  She's confused, telling him that she'll wait to go to New York when he's accepted into The Actor's Studio, and that's when he drops the bomb that he's enlisted in the army and he's going to Georgia.  He loves her, but he can't marry her.  He loves her, but he can't get in the way of her dreams.  So it's with a sad farewell that Finchel breaks up.  The episode ends with Rachel boarding the train and arriving in New York City.

A perfectly bitter-sweet ending to the season.

The Pros:

• Aw... the original glee club kids sang "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat" again!  Just like in the pilot! :)
• Burt Hummel is the best dad ever.  The end.  His "Single Ladies" dance was hilarious and awesome all wrapped up into one.
• Finn and Puck's "Glory Days" by Bruce Springsteen was a great graduation song.  And I gotta say, I wish more graduation ceremonies were like the Glee graduation ceremony.  There was so much musical energy!  My high school graduation was a snore...
• Kurt sang Madonna's "I'll Remember" as his final farewell to the New Directions.  It was good and I was happy that he and Blaine are still together.  I love them.
• The Quinn/Puck kiss made me happy!  Those two need to get together again.  They were good for each other I think.  None of this Quinn/Joe crap.  Blegh.
• "You Get What You Give" by New Radicals and "In My Life" by the Beetles were good songs.
• Mr. Schuester hasn't sung in a while and I liked his "Forever Young" by Rod Stewart.  It had kind of a country feel and it was very touching.
• Roz Washington always cracks me up!  And her plan to join forces with Sue to bring down Principal Figgins next season sounds pretty interesting... hee hee.
• I'm glad Glee went the realistic route and Finn didn't get into The Actor's Studio.  There is no way in hell that would happen...
• The breakup wasn't necessarily a positive thing, but I thought the scene was one of Glee's best dramatic moments.  It was simply shot with no annoying piano accompaniment and I thought the actors performed very well.  It was heartbreaking, but it had to be done.  On that note, Rachel's final song ("Roots Before Branches" by Room For Two) was the perfect ending to the episode and I can't wait to see what she does in New York City.  You're a star, Rachel Berry.  You can do this.

The Cons:

• I wanted a Kurt/Blaine kiss and I didn't get it.  What a bummer.
• I thought I would cry more than I did, but I guess they are all coming back next season anyway.  This episode really could have been better.
• I feel really bad for Kurt.  He nailed his audition and got really high praise, so that rejection letter must have really blindsided him. 
• Gloria Estefan's special appearance was fun and all, but I wish she would have sang.  Her acting is only so-so.

From the Queue: 'Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro'

by Brian Kesler

Hayao Miyazaki is one of the great storytellers; his imagination is unsurpassed. Films like 'Spirited Away,' and 'Ponyo' have taken us to worlds and introduced us to characters and creatures nobody but the brilliant mind of Miyazaki could dream up. He got his start directing the third movie in the 'Lupin the Third' series. In Japan, 'Lupin the Third' is unimaginably popular, and it has been for over forty years. It started as a manga (comic book) series, which was a spin-off of a series of novels, and has been translated into several films, animated and live action, four television series, yearly television specials, video games, and even a musical.

In this 'Lupin' film, we have the great high-strung action of the manga series intertwined with the visual imagination of Miyazaki. Lupin is the world's greatest thief, a cocksure goof off who likes to send a calling card to warn the owners of desired items of his intentions to rob them. He does this to make the attempt more challenging and fun for him and his sidekick, Daisuke. This time, his victim is the evil Count Cagliostro, who is holding a beautiful princess captive in a tall tower and plans to use her to discover the secret treasure of the Castle of Cagliostro. Lupin wants the treasure, and the girl.

From its very first moments this movie is an electrifying adventure. The great advantage of animation is that impossible situations can be realized and believed: When Lupin drives his little yellow car up a steep, rocky cliff to surpass the enemy, or when he looses his grip as he's climbing the castle wall and runs down the wall to keep from falling to his death, or in my favorite scene, when he and the count sword fight while maneuvering through the gears of an enormous clock tower. The final sequence, in  which the princess is cornered and must sidle along the minute and hour hands of the clock may remind some viewers of a more recent film, 'Hugo.'

I haven't seen the other 'Lupin' films, or any of the television series, but I'd imagine this is the best, if not only for Miyazaki's great talent at realizing the intricacies of his mind, limited only by holding true to the nature of the original work. This film seems like your run of the mill 1970s action flick, but the story maneuvers and twists in ways you'd never have guessed. That unpredictability, that constant discovery and total immersion is, I've decided, the cause of great admiration for Japanese storytelling in the United States. It is so unlike American storytelling, which almost always follows a pattern. Miyazaki is the pinnacle Japanese storyteller, along with Kurosawa. His films remind us what storytelling was invented for in the first place: Distinct and lively characters set against the backdrop and a plot of pure imagination.

The Gleek Critique: "Nationals" Episode

Will and Emma on Glee. Image property of Fox.

by Jack Garcia

The kids are in Chicago and things aren't going so well.  Mercedes is sick, the boys are all fighting, Puck is trying to study and Quinn's newly rehabilitated legs are struggling with the dance moves. Will is really worried that the kids won't win and he can't bear the thought of a second Nationals defeat.  And to make things worse, Jesse St. James is harassing Rachel and she's just stressed that Ms. Tibideaux isn't there to watch her perform.  Luckily she has Finn to cheer her up with a Chicago glass mug that he plans on smashing at their upcoming Jewish wedding.

Now it's time for the competition!  New Directions performs first in what they call "the death slot" but they pull it together and perform amazingly well!  And after a pep talk from Kurt and Mercedes, the drag queen Unique is the star of the Vocal Adrenaline performance.  The celebrity judges include blogger Perez Hilton, actor Rex Lee and actress Lindsay Lohan, desperately trying to make a comeback.  She's devastated to find out the event isn't televised nor does she get a spinning judge's chair like on NBC's The Voice.  After a comedic debate, the winners are announced:  Unique wins MVP but Vocal Adrenaline as a whole gets second place.  Who gets first?  NEW DIRECTIONS!

The kids are ecstatic and they return to McKinley High as champions.  Instead of slushies in the face they get confetti thrown at them.  Everyone is kissing and hugging.  There's champagne and cake.  A giant trophy to put up in the choir room.  Finn made a bet with the hockey team that they would win so he's rolling in dough.  Sue gets to give a big ol' check to Figgins, securing her spot as Cheerios captain.  Hopeful lower classmen are asking for Rachel's autograph in the yearbook.  Emma Pilsbury decides she's ready to have sex with Will.  The good vibes just keep coming!

And to top off the happiness, Principal Figgins asks Rachel and Finn if the group will perform at the school's awards assembly where they present Mr. Schuester with the Teacher of the Year Award!  Oh, and how could I forget the other good news:  Ms. Tibideaux showed up and even Jesse told her that she should give Rachel a spot in NYADA.  We'll see what happens...

The Pros:

• I love the Troubletones!  You know, the short-lived all-girl group they formed earlier this season...  Anyway, I love them and I loved their version of Lady Gaga's "Edge of Glory."  I even love the random female backup dancers that are in no way part of the glee club.
• The New Direction set list continued with a Rachel Berry solo, sung to Celine Dion's "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" and then ended with a fantastic and rousing number of Meat Loaf's "Paradise By The Dashboard Light"!  It was so so so so good!
• Wade's female persona Unique shone once more as she led Vocal Adrenaline in their performances of Nick Minaj's "Starships" and The Who's "Pinball Wizard."  He really is something else... and he more than hinted that he'd be going to McKinley High next season.
• The "when it's finally time to have intercourse" pamphlet made me happy!  Yay!  Go Emma and Mr. Schue!  And I loved when Sue asked Emma, "Why do you look different?" after they did the deed.
• The group's cover of Grouplove's "Tongue Tied" was a fun soundtrack to their victory at Nationals and I really loved their rendition of Queen's "We Are the Champions."

The Cons:

• How the hell is Jesse St. James the director of Vocal Adrenaline anyway?  He was in high school two seasons ago.  Wouldn't he need some sort of degree?  But I did like his suit jacket. :)

The Gleek Critique: "Props" Episode

Will Schuester dressed as Coach Sylvester on Glee.  Image property of Fox.

by Jack Garcia

Unique is now a show choir celebrity making Vocal Adrenaline all the more powerful when it comes to Nationals.  Sue wants Kurt to dress in a flapper's gown as Porcelina... and she's also making the choir use a bunch of dorky props like a welder's mask and leg warmers.  But even when Puck decides to take one for the team and dress in drag, it doesn't look like they have what it takes to beat their arch rivals.  In the end, however, they realize that their "unique factor" is their ability to come together as a team.

Being a team player isn't always easy to do though.  Tina is tired of being ignored in the glee club and she finally speaks her mind.  Rachel thinks she's being ridiculous, but Tina just wants to have her moment in the spotlight.  She wants to be Rachel.  And after a horrible trip and fall into a mall fountain, she IS Rachel!  What?  Yeah... it's trippy.  Rachel and Tina have switched places and so has everybody else.  Puck is Blaine and Blaine is Puck.  Finn is Kurt and Kurt is Finn.  Weirded out?  It gets weirder!  Artie and Santana have swapped.  Mercedes and Brittany have swapped.  Quinn and Sugar,  Mike and Joe, Sam and Rory, Mr. Schuester and Sue! WHAT IS GOING ON!?

Well, it was just a crazy hallucination, but it helps Tina realize that sometimes it's okay to sway in the background.  She's only a junior and she can shine next year.  So she encourages Rachel to speak to Carmen Tibideaux, the NYADA judge.  Rachel has already tried calling multiple times, so the two of them set out on a mini road trip to speak to her in person.  Rachel begs Ms. Tibideaux to see them perform in Chicago, but it doesn't seem like she's going to give Rachel the second chance she's asking for.


Meanwhile, Santana, Brittany and Mercedes find out that Coach Beiste is still with Cooter and they confront her about it in the teacher's lounge.  She tells them that she's given him a second chance, even though things aren't getting any better at home.  It takes Puck to have an emotional breakdown for her to realize that they both need to start believing in themselves.  You see, Puck gets into a fight with one of the hockey players when he calls Puck a "Lima loser."  After Beiste breaks up the fight and talks with Puck she makes the decision to finally leave Cooter for good. And sensing a kindred spirit in Puck, she talks his geography teacher into giving him a second chance on the final exam he bombed.

With Beiste in tow, the episode ends with the kids all on the school bus heading toward Chicago where they will compete in the National Show Choir Competition.

The Pros:

• Kurt dressed in drag in a Halloween flashback was awesome!
• Jason Mraz's "I Won't Give Up" performed by Rachel Berry was a nice start to the episode.  Despite what some haters say, I still love Rachel's voice!  I'm glad she's determined not to give up on her dreams!  (Although 14 messages to Tibideaux's voicemail is a little much...)
• Go Tina!  Demand some attention!  You're an original member!!  And didn't she kick some Celine Dion ass on "Because You Loved Me"?
• Seeing the characters all dressed like one another was pretty awesome!  So funny!  Blaine looks sexy with a mohawk!!  Ha ha.  It was even funnier than when Mr. Schue got sick and saw everyone as little children last season...
• "Cooter was in 21 Jump Street?  I didn't know he was an actor."  Oh Brittany.  You are so dumb and I love it!
• The fight scene was very well-done!  And Puck's breakdown scene in the locker room with Beiste was one of the most emotional scenes I've seen on Glee in a while.  Mark Salling did a great job with it.  I was literally in tears.
• Second-most emotional scene followed closely after when Beiste left Cooter.  The Beiste/Puck duet of Taylor Swift's "Mean" was perfect for their situations... and Beiste sounded a hell of a lot better on it than she did on "Jolene" earlier this season.
• Tina and Rachel come together on their little road trip to see Carmen Tibideaux and it's further solidified with their first duet together when they sing "Flashdance...What a Feeling."  Fun and adorable and it left the episode on a high note.  We are now ready for Nationals!

The Cons:

• Puck is one ugly woman!  Yeesh... "Some things can't be unseen" is right, Artie!
• Mullet-boy was one of the worst actors I've ever seen on Glee.  And that's saying something.