Glee S5 E4 – “A Katy or a Gaga”

The Katys have to be Gagas – are they ready to strip down and be weird?

(Sorry for the delay kids – the flu bug bit hard!)

After a baseball hiatus, Glee was back for episode four – “A Katy or a Gaga” – that settles us down in a groove between the ups (Kurt and Blaine get engaged) and the downs (the passing of Finn). This is the middle, where the residents of Lima and New York muddle through life and learning with a thumping soundtrack.

With the news that their main competition is “Throat Explosion” – a show choir mimicking the methods of the Green Berets and now the misfits the New Directions used to be – Will is determined to throw the kids out of their comfort zones. Those who identify with Katy Perry will be doing a Lady Gaga number and vice versa. No one looks very happy about this deal, which either shows the assignment is working as it should, or that the kids think it’s dumb.

I’m going to let you guess which one.

Back in New York, everyone’s working the same shift at the diner (which means no one is getting served cause they’re chatting) and Kurt announces he is starting a band. Apparently Adam kicked him out of the Apples because he got engaged – whoa, sore loser – and so Kurt is ready to undertake a new musical experience. Dani wants in, as does Santana, but Rachel bows out. She’s got a lot on her place, what with “Funny Girl” and still recovering from Finn’s death so she’s not going to join in the fun. But the other girls are ready for open auditions!

The halls of McKinley find Sam chatting up Nurse Penny. He gets the low down on her likes and dislikes – mostly that she has a “musical dark side” thanks to a parade of ex-dickhead boyfriends. Sam, meanwhile, goes on about his fave show “True Jackson VP” and its wholesome sweetness. Clearly, there is some discord here for the two potential love birds, as he asks her out but she already has plans. With an ex-boyfriend, for yet another hard rock concert. Uh oh.

Sam goes to his bestie for advice. Sam is a bad ass – football, guitar, hillbilly handfishing – but he also likes sweet things, because they relax him. He’s well-rounded! But he’s a Katy and Penny looks like a Katy but she’s a Gaga! The humanity. Luckily, says Blaine, they have their assignment to be Gagas – so maybe Sam can use the exercise to win Penny over! Genius!

Not a Katy, nor a Gaga but a Lambert!

Oh look, NYADA! A few musicians, Dani, Santana and Kurt, all waiting for folks to audition for their band – and no one else. Seems people aren’t lining up to tryout for a band without a name (Santana likes Apocalipsticks). They had one person sign up, but they were a no-show. Kurt’s okay with that – who names themselves Starchild?

Well, possibly someone played by Adam Lambert…

Enter Starchild himself, all decked out in tight black sparkles, looking like the ring master for a drag goth circus. He makes it work – as does his work on the song “Marry the Night” by Lady Gaga, which he proceeds to rock against all four walls, the floor, the ceiling and a few spins on the chandelier. Dani and Santana are delighted by the fantastic performance but Kurt…doesn’t look so happy.

Adam Lambert is an amazing performer and he brings it times ten, all sexy and fun and charismatic. He rocks the room and we can’t wait to see what else he does with the role.

Despite his enthusiasm, Starchild gets a “thanks but no thanks” from Kurt. He thinks the man’s style is a little too over the stop and hello Irony! Kurt, you of all people should be welcoming of this guy and his risk taking (not to mention he made his own costume)! I suspect Kurt is going to get a life lesson before the end credits roll…

Bree and Sue have a very strange conversation, each wearing parts of a Gaga costume, about Bree messing with the Glee club via messing with Jake who is apparently a weak link due to his wandering eye. Sue hates the week’s assignment and asks a good question in the middle of the madness: why must we choose between our idols?

Anyway, Bree is messing with the Glee Club, yada yada.

Marley and Jake, speak of the devil, are chatting in the hallway about upcoming plans. Mostly her ideas about them, much of which center on musicals from the 50’s, puppies, kittens and rainbows. He seems…less than enthused but quickly capitulates to her wishes. Which she notices. Which is probably not a direction anyone wants this ship to sail in.