Glee, S4, Ep4 “The Break-up: Couples Meta”

Yes, Kurt. Exactly how we feel.

So, we’ve survived the Glee Hiatus of 2012! (Yours truly also managed bronchitis, a hurricane and a Nor’easter in that time period because apparently I like to multi-task.)  Tonight we return to Lima, Ohio (presumable a few weeks after the depressing and distressing events of “The Break-up”) to find out what’s going on with our favorite non-coupled couples.

So what went wrong?  Will there be reunions in the future or are Finchel, Klaine, Wemma and Brittana no more?  How about a little meta…

Wemma (Will and Emma):

New Direction’s bored and uninspired leader Will Schuster isn’t feeling bad about his fiancee Emma – he’s feeling blah about his job.  Now that they’ve reached their ultimate goal of winning Nationals, what’s next?  Will is a guy who has demonstrated in the past that he is always looking into the next yard for greener grass.  Without something to chase, Will is clearly out of sorts.  And hungry.

Emma, on the other hand, is content in her life.  Her place at McKinley, being engaged.  Things are shaping up to form the foundation of security that Emma seems to crave.  Not exactly a perfect match, though one might imagine the yin-yang of their relationship can work to keep each of them grounded.

Or it can be the thing that pulls you in different directions.

Together but apart – will Wemma survive Will’s D.C. move?

When Will hears about a blue ribbon panel in Washington, D.C. regarding arts education funding, his ears perk up.  A new goal!  Something meaningful!  Something he can be enthused about!  A quick visit to “guidance counselor” Emma (not fiancee Emma) and Will is happily talking about this potential new goal.  Emma’s smile flickers, but she supports his ambitions.  When he gets the appointment, Emma is genuinely thrilled.

Right up, that is, until Will assumes that Emma is coming with him to Washington.

It’s his dream, not hers.  She’s not going to D.C. – she has a job in Lima, a job she loves.  Will doesn’t take the hint and pushes a bit more; she’s his fiancee.  He wants her there!  Emma’s anger grows.  And grows.  Did he expect her to follow him like an obedient dog?  All through Emma’s past relationships, it’s been about her suppressing herself.  With Will, she’s truly herself.  Any suggestion that she’s there simply to respond to him – clearly Emma is having none of it.

She walks away angrily, delivering a truly great line.  When Will says they have to talk about it, Emma responds, they “have talked about it.  You just didn’t like what I had to say.”

Emma showed a lot of growth in this scene; the result, I think, of Emma growing in her relationship with Will.  For the first time, she has acceptance and room to bloom.  When Will treats her like an accessory, she is righteously angry.  A healthy reaction, really.

Is it a threat to their relationship?  Only if Will doesn’t realize he’s asking for more than Emma taking an “extended vacation” to follow his dream.  He needs to trust Emma to do what’s right for herself, and stand up for her feelings.  It’s the real way to prove he truly loves her.

Will, for his part, still confuses Emma with Terri I think!  That train wreck was a series of bad decisions on top of a bad match with very little truthful communication between the two.  He’s momentarily forgotten that Emma is a partner, not a glorified roommate.

Do I think they’re done forever?:  No.  Because they didn’t break up!  They’re also a couple who’s story has been told – now we’re getting the struggles two people go through together as they combine their lives.