Glee Review: The Club Loses Its Voice

“Glee Club has lost its voice. Time to get it back.”

Rachel explains to Will that she is tired and, so is her voice, of carrying the glee club—she actually bugged the room to prove that other members haven’t been singing. In hopes of finding their voices again, Will assigns the club “soul exposing” solos that show where they are in their lives right now. Rachel begins the solos by singing “The Climb” or at least tries to because she loses her voice.

Finn accompanies Rachel to the doctor, who tells her she has an infection and antibiotics should clear it up. The doctor also recommends that she have her tonsils removed and Rachel asks Finn’s opinion. He tells her that she should ask her boyfriend and “why can’t you see that he’s not into you like I am?” We learn that Jesse is on spring break with Vocal Adrenaline friends and Rachel still cares deeply for Jesse. Finn then performs “Jessie’s Girl.”

On her third day of antibiotics, Rachel, who still isn’t feeling better, is afraid she will have to go through with the surgery and fears she might have lost her voice for good. She tells Finn, “I’m like Tinker Bell. I need applause to live.” Finn has had enough of Rachel feeling sorry for herself, and brings her to visit his friend Sean, a former football player who was paralyzed from the chest down. Sean explains to Rachel that he is more than one thing. He is good at math and singing. Later, Rachel’s voice has returned and she visits Sean again to thank him for showing her she’s more than her voice. She offers to give him singing lessons and they start by singing “One” which is also what the glee club performs to end the episode. One my favorite things about Glee is the group performances—the ensemble cast always looks like they are having so much fun and love being together!

Puck’s mohawk is shaved by his dermatologist who thought he saw a suspicious mole. Fear not Puck, mohawk or no mohawk, you are still gorgeous! Sans his signature look, he is less intimidating at school and the dorks strike back by throwing him in a dumpster. Puck is quite depressed until he comes up with an idea—date Mercedes to regain his popularity. Or as he puts it, “Get ready black girl from glee club whose name I can’t remember right now, the Puckster is about to make you his.”

Puck attempts to convince Mercedes to join forces so he can improve his image. He doesn’t quite help his case when he says, “I’m a sex shark. If I stop moving, I die.” Mercedes shoots him down saying, “You’re top 40. I’m rhythm and blues.” Later to try to win Mercedes over, Puck announces he joined a black church and listened to Sammy Davis Jr. music. He performs “Lady Is A Tramp” and pulls Mercedes up to join him. Wow! LOVED this performance by Puck and Mercedes! Why don’t they let him have more solos?

Quinn, who is stuck living with Puck and tired of listening to his “insane theories about Super Mario Brothers,” tells Mercedes to go for it. But she warns her that Puck is using her for popularity and to beware of a jealous Santana.

Mercedes and Puck start dating and Puck’s popularity is restored. Santana and Mercedes share a heated performance of “The Boy Is Mine.” Later, Mercedes is not happy when she witnesses Puck seeking some revenge by throwing some nerds in the dumpster. She shocks Sue and Puck by quitting the Cheerios to be true to who she really is. Mercedes tells Puck that she doesn’t like him as the guy who throws “dweebs in the dumpster” and “doesn’t think he does either.”

Kurt is hurt again when his father, Burt, shows up at school to bring Finn to a game. Kurt reveals to Sue that he is afraid he might lose his dad because of his sexuality. Sue tells him, “so you like showtunes, doesn’t mean you are gay.”

In a very un-Kurt like manner, he begins to dress more macho and decides to sing “Pink Houses” for his solo. Brittany enjoys his solo and the pair end up making out at Kurt’s house. His dad interrupts and encourages Kurt to be true to himself.

Burt shows up at school again to tell Kurt that he is taking Finn out again because he is having a hard time without his father. An upset Kurt performs an extremely well done “Rose’s Turn.” Burt appears at the end of his song and explains he didn’t go out with Finn. In a touching scene, Burt tells Kurt that “your job is to be yourself and I will love you no matter what.”

Next week: Neil Patrick Harris guest stars as Will’s old rival and Rachel searches for her mother.

For another take on this week’s episode, check out Dude, Where’s My Mohawk? by Stephanie Jaar.

Season 1, Episode 18: Laryngitis (originally aired May 11, 2010)

For more on Glee, click here.

Tuesdays at 9pm on Fox

Photographs courtesy of Fox and IMDbPro