Glee: Hairography, Shmairography

This week’s episode was a hair-raiser–literally. After scrimmaging one of the other Glee clubs, New Directions–under Will’s command–mimics the competition and performs in outrageous wigs–what Rachel calls “hairography,” but what is really code to the rest of us for a failed attempt to look like Britney’s backup dancers. Rachel says that this type of show–put on by guest star Eve’s choir–is just a means to distract from their poor vocals and dance moves. Regardless, the opposing school’s rendition of Destiny Child’s “Bootylicious” entertains the masses–and the immense hair flipping certainly didn’t hurt their style.

But anyway, let’s backtrack.

Will believes Sue is up to something when she attacks him about handing over the sectionals set list. Emma suggests he pay the other directors a visit to see if Sue has been trying to leak their tunes. The two competitors are a school of thieves and a school for the deaf.

After Eve’s bootylicious performance, Will panics. This is unlike him, and I felt as if he was having an out of body experience all show. He has struggled before–fighting with Sue, with his feeling for Emma–but he has always stood by and encouraged the kids. In this episode, we see him doubt them, trying to mask their true selves through hair, which is fittingly the number he chooses as the final selection for sectionals.

Yet when the Gleeks later showdown with the school for the deaf, they are embarrassed by their hairography. Their competitors sing a moving “Imagine” by John Lennon, proving something I’ve known for years: this song really is one of the best of all time. Halfway through, Mercedes and the rest of the gang join their competition on stage, singing and signing in unison.

And now, some updates on what has now evidently become a love pentagon (join the club, Kurt). Quinn wants some alone time with Puck, so she convinces Kurt to give Rachel a makeover in order to distract Finn. When Kurt finds out Rachel likes Finn, he sabotages her new look–what Finn eloquently describes as “a sad clown hooker.” Really, her new getup was reminiscent of Sandy’s makeover in Grease, as she tries to seduce Finn to “You’re the One That I Want.”

Meanwhile, Quinn wants to keep her baby, as the lyrics in “Papa Don’t Preach” conspicuously imply. Terri intervenes, as she knows this will be toxic to her relationship with Will. To ensure her desired outcome, she has Quinn babysit for her demon nephews. But Quinn invites Puck over and his guitar and her singing put the boys right to sleep.

When Quinn later finds that Puck was sexting Santana all night, she loses all hope that her baby will ever have a stable and competent father–unless she gives the baby to Terri and Will.

Meanwhile, Will buys a minivan for the kid and throws hairography out the window for a semi-cheesy version of “True Colors,” to close out the episode. Oh and also, Sue is leaking the Glee set list to the competition, though it’s unclear if they actually took the bait.

Final thoughts:

• Will worried me, but came through in the end (I originally had in my notes, “But he’s supposed to hold the show together!!”)
• Is the show doing a good job at balancing its serious undertones and lighthearted spoof? This episode was heavy on the stoicism (Although, I did love the book, “How to Raise a Baby On Five Dollars”)
• Terri is so annoying. Will needs to end up with Emma. We’ve got a lot of emotional attachments and commitments to sever before that can happen– so I say, let the severing begin!

For another take on this episode, check out It’s All About the Hair by Matthew Turnier.

Season 1, Episode 11: Hairography (originally aired November 25, 2009)

For more on Glee, click here.

Wednesdays at 9pm on Fox

Photographs courtesy of Fox and IMDbPro