And That's what you really missed with Jenna.
And Kevin an iHeartRadio podcast.
Welcome to and That's what You Really miss podcast. We are recapping. Hello Kevin, Hello, and hello Tally Oh, our dear friend is here.
So happy to be back on the pod.
We are so happy to have you here to recap this weird episode.
So as it happened, Kelly and I are together in Vegas, and you know, I was going to have to leave our group to come do this, and I was like, you want to come, come do this?
I got nothing to do, and so he walked tested.
Because Kelly also has a very important perspective in perspective because he was in the writer's room during this, and so you remember all of the shenanigans and debacles and things also the things that we may not know. And Jenna was not on the show.
Now, yes, that's right, I wasn't here. Okay, wait, let's get through all of the news and all that fun stuff so we can interrogate Kelly for all of his secrets.
So notes, by the way, and took notes.
Okay, I can't wait. All right, So this is season five, episode sixteen. This is Tested and this aired on April fifteenth, twenty fourteen, the.
Number one song in the country was still Happy. It's just I think it's literally like ten weeks at.
Number one or it's fine, and the number one movie is still Captain America Winter Soldier, as it should be.
And now the new format for every episode is to release a digital ep like that was some big revolutionary yeah, totally, featuring four tracks from the episode for digital download only.
And on April fifteen, the Ryan did a Q and A with some press outlets discussing them last few episodes of Scenism five and he gave a preview of what's to come in season six. Okay, so he talked about how they had to pivot after Corey's death, of course, and the writers decided to shift the show to New York or deciding to shift the show to New York gave them a fresh start and allowed Glee to return to its roots, which now after watching the last few episodes,
I agree. He also said that the final season is really its own story and its own location, and while the New York step will be alive, the final season is not New York centric at all, and he noted there will be a time jump for the final episodes,
which like after it feels a little erratic. I don't know if you feel like this, because we did find our roots again in this like New York spinoff esque back season five, and like it's so good and focused and clear and like we love everybody, and the storylines are like, oh, there's time to let them breathe and like there's enough forever, and then all of a sudden, it's like it's not that at all. Let's go to season Yeah, do you remember confusing?
It was like I don't. I do remember that sort of shift, and I think because there was the split, right, the graduation split that happened in season three four? Oh, yes, season three, and then so I do remember that sense of like, okay, let's get these kids out of school, like who was still there. Let's like kind of wrap that up and then and then like sort of explore this New York thing. This is This was a trend
always with the writers room and with Ryan. He just it was like always just he would pull that out of his brain without but sometimes with very little explanation. So he kind of just come in and be like, this is what we're gonna do now.
So you know.
It's like even though like him saying like in the press, like this is what season six is going to be, It's like that kind of stuff is always just I think percolating in his mind more so something he's bringing forth like you learn it, yeah, yeah, kind and that's not in any kind of nefarious way. It's just because he I think that's just how he works.
Like yeah, oh yeah.
I mean we've talked about that too.
When he's rewritten scenes on the spot or anything like that, his brain is always just.
There would be like there would be days and days of trying to break a story and it's just not coming out right, and just redoing it, and then after three days he'd just come in and he'd be like, this is what we're gonna do, and it would be like everything makes sense the right. Yeah, So there was definitely I definitely remember the energy of like let's shift more into this New York thing, Let's put them in in more like these like you said, there's more time,
there's more space for things to reade. It's like more like a real life application. You're not like in the microcosm of this school.
Enjoyed getting to do that.
I think there was definitely definitely an energy of like, okay, we're we can tell some adult storylines. We can't get these people into some like you know that we can start, their careers can begin, rather than it just being sort of in the in the microcosm of the school.
Well, speaking of adult conversations, this episode is mature, So.
With adult conversations. Oh yeah, Palm the crane is back to direct this. And I really enjoyed working with.
Paul because like a second time around.
Yeah, because Paul is like a very steady hand. He wasn't there all the time. He came in like pretty infrequently. Yes, but I will say too, I'll speak to the I liked him because the vibe on set. It was towards the end of a difficult year. You start to get a bit of senior itis, everybody does, and I distinctly remember him coming in and just being like.
We're still at work.
This is what we're doing.
Had a vision kind of.
Like the way he did it when he came in earlier on, when he did Public Master with us. I mean that was actually earlier on, but the same vibe we need for sure.
It was very and I think people were shocked because he's not like one of our oldest friends that come in there, because you know, we had great relationships with so many directors and he was newer, and so having somebody come in like as you know, we reference it like to our own home and then it's sort of like correcting the ship was a shock for some people, and I think it was very good.
I just want to note also before we get into the episode, there was a Variety article that came out this month and it it pegged the one hundred greatest TV performances of the twenty first century, and Naya Rivera is one of those one hundred.
Number seventy eight.
Yeah, that's right, seventy eight.
Girl deserved should be higher. But also there's think about this too. This is in the era of streaming where there's more TV than ever.
That's what I'm saying. Like that, then it's a crowded space and for her to make that mark is actually remarkable.
And they only pack one from each show, Yeah, one character from each show, and I think it's very I think that in a lot of ways, there's so many I think Glee's strength is its characters and its breadth of characters, and that's like really, I think what excites people about it, But when you look at the whole show, I think when it comes to Santana, there's like a real that's like a really important through line and arc.
I think she's kind of the character that changes the most that you you know, at the beginning, you know she's she's kind of starts as a stock mean girl. Then by the end of it, she is, you know, as intro complex as anyone ever was. And you know when you look at like Rachel and Mercedes and you know, Tina and Artie and Kurt, these characters are they kind of are they grow it, but they don't change. They're
more contained. Yeah, they they're who they are always. And I think with Santana, I'm very glad they highlighted Santana and Naya, but Santana because I think there's there's so much goes on in her, you know, coming to terms with her queer identity and yeah, and really like becoming a star and knowing star as someone who comes from the back is I think it's just uh, yeah, I'm glad they highlighted that, and I think it's well deserved.
And testing it to Naya's abilities as an actor, because I mean, as we'd tell you, like as we've gotten to like New York episodes, how good she is at everything comedy, drama, singing. Obviously everybody is, but like.
Put her up against Leah too, like they're going head to head in this entire season, and like they just make each other better because they're so they're both excellent. So let's talk about the songs we have Addicted to Love and that's performed by Arty.
I want to know what love is performed by Mercedes and the church choir.
Love is a Battlefield by Blaine and Kurt, and.
Let's Wait a While performed by Arti and Mercedes with Sam and Julie.
Yes, that's right.
That was funny. That really did come in at the end, there, didn't they with their little.
Groups so funny when we get to that, I haven't I have memories for filming that.
Yeah, I feel like we're going to get into this episode and there's just so much for you to share. Kevin and obviously Telly behind the scenes what was happening, But like because there's there's there's like very clear storylines, but like I want to hear about Kevin's experience in this. So this episode marked Kurt's hundredth appearance. Everybody's trucking along. Now everybody's making their hundred and.
The apartment scene where Artie informs the guys of his STD. The end credits of Glee, specifically Frenemies can be seen on the t.
That's in my notes.
I got that.
I've noticed that too.
That's great. I didn't see that. That's really funny. During the original broadcast of this episode, Leah, Darren, Court and Ryan tweeted live because that's what we were doing.
That is so funny. I didn't mean to the point.
It was detrimental, to the point where like people would be taken out of scenes to have to go like sit in the office, and it was such a problem. Yeah, it was so weird. Anyway, this episode marked the end of my streak. Every episode since the premiere, I would be absent from the next two episodes, as well as multiple episodes. Kevin, Wow, this is the time we've talked about it. Where I Paul Ryan months before this asked if I could do a movie.
He said yes.
Not everybody in production was stoked about that because it would be an issue to work out the schedule. It was not thrown down the chain like it was supposed to be, and I was supposed to be off this week because.
I was working based on what we recapped last week. It seems like they thought last week you were supposed to be off.
Yes, because I was barely in that episode, and I was one of the main storylines in this episode, which I think you can see, and what I will critically say of myself not the greatest performance because I was stretched so that I was in Connecticut, flying to LA doing those weekend things, and then we were also doing exteriors in New York at the exact same time.
You're very you used to be very solid deprecating, and you still are, but not quite as badly. I'm worrying, and and not even on the show, like I feel like as we rewatched, like we've actually taken more credit where it's due. That we were working hard and we were like, okay, I could watch that again, like that that's fine. Now we don't like to watch ourselves. But I think you did grain this episode. I would never
have known. I never would have known, and I feel like it was interesting and different and like everybody was involved, and I really enjoyed this whole boy storyline that was kind of driven by Artie's STDs.
It was really fun to we were not getting into this now, I guess, but it was. It was very fun to film with all the boys because that didn't normally happen and we were all New York together.
And we you know, it is different, like we don't get to see that, like you see boys versus girls, right, like we've seen that throughout through the test of time. Ugly, but like to watch a whole storyline, like an a storyline happened with just the guys and like Leah's in one scene I think in this whole episode. Yeah, it's it's really fun. And you guys got to go Serendipity.
It was a full day at Serendipity.
I'm so jealous. I'm so jas.
I had never been before, so that's one of those threes. So I had to come in from Connecticut. I think they had to start filmed something earlier than if I remember correctly. Then we shot those two scenes in Serendipity the back half of the day because I wasn't be able to make it earlier.
Okay, before we get into the too, tell you I'm curious to hear, like what was going on in the writer's room, Like was.
There any talk of the scheduling?
Oh no, okay, yeah, this this scheduling debacle feels to me like indicative of the follies of Glee and the so many balls in the air that summer bound to be dropped somewhere along the line. You know, this is later in the season. I think, what episode is this in the season? Yeah, sixteen, So we're like getting we're in the back half now, and the writer's room was like a log jam at this point. So it's like we are we are putting out acts of the next
episode while we're rewriting and finishing the previous one. And you know, it's like there would be times when we're filling like three episodes at once. Yeah, kind of finishing this, doing that, getting that, because the songs all have to be cleared, and then there's a union in New York, and then there's a unit in a back in LA and so you know, at this time, it's like I
was the script coordinator, so I was balanced. I was juggling many scripts at a time, yes, and you know, and then revisions and then this and that, so It's hard to pinpoint exactly like what was going on with this episode because this was sort of the time of year where everything was happening, things were moving, we were getting to the end of the season, trying to land the plane.
So yeah, for sure, I remember it was ever hectic.
It was just that we had to keep we had to keep a balance, We had to keep things, we had to keep things clear, everything, We had to know what we.
Were doing well, and to shoot multiple episodes because you're in New York. You have to take advantage of so many talent being in.
New York at what you need. You need the episode in advance.
Yes, strong, right, So this was yeah, we would I remember too. I think there were maybe two or three New York units, but it was we kind of have to get a few episodes up and then and then you know, plan the week in New York and shoot a few of those all at once.
Got it.
The official Fox publicity summary for this is when the boys get tested for STDs. Already tests positive for a disease and he's forced to tell his sexual partners. Meanwhile, Kurt and Blaine have relationship issues when Blaine puts on his freshman fifteen.
Okay, there's three big storylines here, like really big storylines, and they all intertwine in some way, which which is why I appreciate these the smaller cast, the more focused storylines, because they're intertwining. But they have their own thing, like already you have your own thing at school. Sam's dealing with the STD thing, but then also Mercedes, and then Blaine's also there but dealing also with Kurt and feeling insecure,
and they're all really beautiful. Thought, everybody's performances were excellent in this this episode. So Kevin Arty is a ladies man, so I guess like you have found your stride. Yes, rolling down those hallways.
A new set.
We love, a new set. I felt very important because that set was built for Artie and that yes, that was an La got it and so addicted to Love was in La downtown in La As. My story about this, and I've referenced it before, is that when I was doing that montage and addicted to love of cooking up with all the girls in my dorm room, that's when Roger the ad came over to me and said, Taylor Swift is here. What and if you see some of those shots. We were going very quickly. All the girls
were there. I was, you know, like switching one wolf butter for another. It's hot under those lights. I was a little stanky with the wools, you know, sweaty comb over happening. And then Roger Taylor Swift is here and like we had known each like we knew each other. Yeah, and and.
Everybody is dead silent.
I've like, everyone is so eerily quiet. I look up. I'm like where like I knew. I thought maybe she was like on Paramount and she wanted to see us, Like fine, he said no, no, right behind me, he moves and she just peaks around and it's like, hey ah, she was filming something on one of the other stages. And so then like you know, we hug, we chat for a little bit, and then I'm so like weird, I'm doing all these weird gesticulations because I'm like, I
probably smell. I became so self conscious. Oh my god, that was going on. And it was like a really small unit because it was just like a little set with so it was not like at the full crew. Did make me feel very famous, like Taylor fifty and I'm in my head, I'm like I'm so sorry, I'm the only one here. Like, I know you probably wanted to see like somebody else, but like I'm well she.
Was like friends with like actual friends with like a bunch of our casts.
Yeah that's super nice and like cool and yeah no we chatted crack some jokes and I.
Just wow, that's exciting.
Yeah it was.
I loved that. I feel like that was the Glease set sometimes felt like a clubhouse in that way where it's like people would just roll up and roll in and totally totally.
Yeah did in one direction, like why aren't they shooting on there for a little while? Or am I am? I like crazy?
Well what happened is around like the VMA's and a war that people would shoot certain things for those or touring footage. You when people have like the screen the footage on the screen that the use for tours, they soundstages, and sometimes they'd be a paramount and so they would sort of come over or we'd hear about it and like, oh, well we know them, and we would try to go.
Implement find them, right, get on the golf cart and find them.
Okay.
So Addicted to love was great, Kevin. I really liked it that was really fun. It seemed like there was a lot of moving parts though to do that, and like a lot of like little bits of segments shot here and there and everywhere.
I guess I'm critical of my performance because and addicted to love. I'm like Luke Edgemond had me like singing from You're singing and like recording that was so hard but also so satisfying. But the effort and Amber is really good at this because Amber can sing with zero effort and sounds so good.
Hmm.
The effort was you'll act it out. The effort was not on my face.
I got it, I saying yeah yeah.
And there was one shot literally I have all these dancers around me and we're downtown and I'm lit. It's like I'm a star of the show, right, and there's nothing happening on my face. My face is not moving. And last night and I was watching it, like I'm so tired, so I'm trying. I probably thought I was giving something. I probably was trying my hardest, but nothing show. No.
Yeah, but I don't I actually I didn't notice that. I thought you did great. And I also think that you know more than we know. You know what I mean, like, you know, more like I would have been like, yes, he produces those vocals looking like that, because like it's TV.
Oh I wish I created those vocals at ease with my face just like this is nothing. I don't know. I was dying in that recording booth.
Yeah, well that was hard and that sounded great. It was a great opening number if you asked me.
I love Also, it's like it's like classic Arty in a way or two right, so it's like it's okay, it feels a little effortless because at this point it's like it just felt like right in the wheelhouse, like this is what we expect from already love it.
You know, so Artie is dating Vanessa and Jessica, but his real love is Julie, who is doing the narration of his short film. What a pretentious dick. I just love it because I can't imagine being in the writer's room for that being like it just laughing, like how how pretentious this all was? I filmed school. It's so much fun.
I also we got to film that in the editing room. Oh.
We went to a real like one of.
The actual editing base of Glee. It was like one of those like buildings, and it was on a Saturday, and I felt I also just need to say, if there's any crew that listened to this, I'm sorry. I felt so like guilty and personally responsible for us having to work Saturdays. Even though the scheduling conflict was not.
My your fault.
Yeah, I still felt responsible for because those are our family.
I know, I get it, but it was really wasn't your fault, Like nobody you you got approved, they said, yes, that's I know, Ryan, and then your pay grade so help.
Like Ryan was so great about anytime I passed him on the lot, He's like, are you good? Is everything scheduled?
Like he was constantly like I'm barely alive, I'm barely breathing, but yeah, you made it work, you know.
But he personally really pushed it through, and I obviously that was that's great. I wouldn't have been able to do that if he had not done that.
So everybody thinks that everybody's gonna go get tested. You I'll go to Serendipity, which is, if you don't know, like a famous tourist spot in New York where you get the famous frozen hot chocolate. Used to go in college. It was like a big treat and you guys got to shoot there, which I was very jealous about.
I also just love the idea of these for it like like young adult, like let's go to Serendipity.
And Blaine trying to feed Kurt this chocolate, Like, wholease eat it?
It's so and the truth is that Kevin is Blaine in this episode.
Fully did you get to eat the hot chocolate?
I had never been to Serendipity before, damn and so on. They kept bringing us new ones every take because I have fresh and you you know, I was in there every time. I left that place so bloated. I'm severely lack close intolerant. They are delicious, though, I'm like, that's not sewing me down today. It was like the second scene when we're there at the end of the episode and they bring me that like one with the banana in it. That whole scene we were fully out of character.
I was like, that's Kevin and I'm like no, like I was not.
You guys are having a good time.
See another location, so we're going to use it a couple of times.
You are going to use it a couple of times. Square Park, so already finds out that you all go get tested and then already actually is the one called back because and you find out you have chlamythia, you have an SDD because you haven't been using protection in your early twenties. Like I don't know what world you were living in in two thousand and eight, but like everybody was using protection by that point, at least in my world.
Yes, No, that's what I don't know. I don't know what was wrong with him.
Especially with like you're sleeping with multiple people. Yeah, not even like your girlfriend, Like, oh, it's not just kiddy.
Like what he's got it? But he's always had issues with women.
Yes, yes, totally.
He doesn't know how to operate, to function properly with I think it's just he's easily and if anyone likes him, he likes them, you know. Yeah.
I mean the whole date thing with Julie because like obviously she said she doesn't work, which sweet Stephanie, she's so good in this. I love her so I think she's so interesting to watch and so fun. But like she says, no, she doesn't date anybody she works with, and then she may changes her mind after already finds out he has comdia and you have this you are this std which we will get to, and she decided, she's like, let's go out. So you guys go on
a date, but you're like extremely paranoid about it. Now, how do you operate as already in that scene where you're like I'm talking about like assuming that we're gonna have sex, yeah, on a first date. I know you're in college. I get it, you're in college, but like, how do you operate like that? And just how do you make that work?
I think he's just he's spiraling. He's fully spiraling because I also love of the like slapstick comedy of the hearing anything related to STIs when he watched The Diner and Chris just being so straight delivering those lines.
So good.
My favorite Arty is already spiraling, Like that's great. That is my favorite one to play, and like him trying to like think he's being considerate bringing up sex in advance because he's just been houring so he thinks everybody's the same way he is, right right? How good is she?
So good?
So funny, She's so good and.
Unassuming, very just really really interesting, And I thought she was a great pairing for you.
I had her back because she was I'm dying.
To know about this suit. Now. I thought you wore this once in Washington Square, Park. I didn't realize this makes an epic return. Multiple times in this episode.
Heat appeared.
I had fittings and it was not comfortable. It was pretty stiff. It smelled like the inside of a new like inner tube.
Did they have to fit it like around the chair in the chair?
Like do they have to consider that on me?
Now?
It was the one the image that you had in your head of Washing Square.
Park.
I also noticed I'm wearing my own coat in that shot because it was so cold and already didn't have a jacket, and I was like, I'm wearing mine.
These guys all look really cold in this episode, like when Cord when you guys are doing the Janet song and Chord is down by the river breath Jennet, I could see their.
Brass we had in the water in the winter.
It was a big conversation. They gave us long john so we all had long Johns under everything we were wearing. We had those human pads eating and the pockets of everything that we were wearing. But those only last so long. Then they ran out and then it was like I remember being in those trailers outside that carousel in Brooklyn and we were all just like don't calls to the
very last second, please please. The heat was turned up all the way in the trailers, like we're fragile, we're not used to New York.
It reminds me of like the Super Bowl episode when we were shooting at night and they had those heaters and then like Michael Mally's jacket like lin on Bier, because he was like too close to the heater. No, it would be like up again, our cheeks would be like up against that heater. I can't even imagine shooting in the winter in New York.
Because you're out there and you're on the water, so there's a breeze and it is.
Oh my god. Y'alla did a good job though, because while you were performing that number, like I didn't, I wouldn't. I didn't see it on you like you did a great job.
That me the interesting thing about that scene. I wanted to see if either of you caught it. But it's.
Julie's reaction to what's happening. Mm hmm.
Oh.
I was like fully expecting her to be like, I'm out of here.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you all.
Are weird because she's like, we were having that because we're so used to we all sing all the time. The characters are singing all the time, and when things a music columba breaks out in real life when we're not in a parent setting, we've never questioned it and we don't ask what this looks like to everybody else, like is it in our heads? Is it a dream sequence?
Like we don't really know? And all who doesn't do the show often, and with Stephanie, who this is her first episode, there was this conversation of like, do I acknowledge that he's singing at me about that's wait a while after I just told him I don't want to have sex, but now he's singing about right, And I think Paul was like, yeah, react, like how you would react if something they just started singing at you.
Yeah.
And I really.
Joyed it because we don't often have a character that's not in our world join the world for the whole episode like that. It's very uncommon. Yes, she did great.
The break of like her being like what the is going on? And then cut to her singing.
I bet even better.
That as like a yeah. I was like, oh, this is very funny that these people are just singing the middle of the night walking around.
Well, good job, Kevin, thank you, yes, very good.
When I'm in that diner scene the date that is when so Andrew Brooks was a PA on the show. He's now a producer. He worked on Modern Family. He was the new Telly, the new Megan. And because I was so tired I had I had come from the airport straight to set to film that scene, and my brain was so fried that that whole little conversation that I have with her about sex, I couldn't retain, Like my brain was you, I'm sure you've had this happen to you, like so tired that it does not stick YEP.
It had never happened to me on the.
Show like that.
That was my problem one.
So I had so literally the camera would be like sound speed rolling, and I'm like, Andrew, say say it to me, and so he would he would come in and he would say the speech to me. I'd repeat it back really quickly and like okay, go and then they would call action and I would have to just get it out and then and then between each take I had him come back because I couldn't get through it. I was staring at her and I'm like, I'm so sorry.
It just doesn't no like there's there's And then you get like frustrated at yourself too, so like the emotion and the frustration and then the panic that you're like everybody's looking at me, just get it out there. All want me to just like get this so we can go home and move on, is like it's it's stabilitating.
Well, but that's when having a great relationship with the crew comes into play, because I was always you know, I like the secrets and gossip and so I was always very like tapped into how the crew was feeling, and so when it was going on, I was very communicative about because if somebody had shown up and done that, it's.
Like, well, why did you agree to you this movie?
If you can't do both of these jobs like that is unprofessional and so I never want to be that person. And in my memory, I was trying to like to those that was closest to be like I'm so sorry, yeah, barely hanging on. I'm going to try to get this as quickly as possible, so I do not keep you here because it was also the last end of the day.
It's also very of course it was last ye day. It's very out of character for you. So like everybody would be the most forgiving for Kevin because you are friends of the whole crew. You respect them so deeply. You don't act out, you know what I mean, You're there for them. So like everybody's like, okay, you just have to remember that. It's hard to remember in that moment, of course, but like people are like very I'm sure very forgiving of you.
That's what you know. It was nice to remember that. I'm like, I know they know me. Yeah, yeah, like I'm being irresponsible, Like I'm just having a night, Like thanks for dealing with me.
Let's talk about these other storylines. So Kurt and Blaine, uh, this whole montage of Blaine like living for all of this food. I was like, are they talking to me? Because the three of us love to eat so wow, And it is true in New York, like you can get anything in the tip of your fingers and the freshman fifteen. I don't know if that's like not like PC to say anymore. I don't know, but I at the time, it was such a thing. Right, you go to college and everybody happens.
Yeah, it's a new relationship.
Yeah, the love, the love handles. Yeah, some people are like yeah, happy and you know what I mean, it happens, but Blaine gets the freshman fifteen. My favorite scene of that whole thing was when Kurt is now getting in shape in class and everybody's complementing him and Blaine is eating those chet pups and the.
Dust is ever wear that sweater and like on the bench and like it was just like whoa, Like the prop department must have had all of that cheeto doest because I was like, I don't think A really, I don't think the biggest bag of Cheetos would produce this.
Also, in what world are you allowed to do? Like in class you're in a stage combat? No, I don't know. He's just sitting there watching his like Muscley boyfriend. I mean, let's talk about that for a second. Kurt with the body tea he really.
What is the deal? Because like when did that happen to Chris?
It was like these arms this, but this shirtless.
And that they got Chris to go shirtless too in a scene was I was like, wow, like genuinely impressed he was willing to do that.
Yeah, I also think this storyline when it got towards the end, I was like, it's relatable to everyone. But I also do think there is like a particular, particular, oh my god, particular form of body dysmorphia in the gay community that I myself might have. I was surprised because when this was happening, it was actually on the show.
I didn't think too much about it. I don't think as a person, And then it was very relatable and I really loved that that was one of these storylines, especially in a gay relationship.
Yeah, for sure.
Now you know, he's watching his boyfriend do all these things and that makes a feel insecure, so that he's taking it on the food. And then because he's taking it on the food, it's like this specious cycle, like now he doesn't want to be into with yeah, boyfriend or fiance because he doesn'teel great.
Well yeah, I mean even from last like the last episode, when you know Blaine is kind of like trying to find his own way here and then he's find his way with food. But Kurt is still really thriving and he's still and he's feeling very insecure about it, and then finding the adult website on there was also it's fine. It was it was a little about of left field, like I don't think we needed that to fuel the rest of the Yeah, yeah, it was the thing that like it was the climax of the conflict, right.
Yeah. I liked how the food was really kind of the metaphor the way into their dynamic and how they're dynamic, shifting and changing. So the porn thing felt a little bit Yeah, I felt a little bit like do we need this? Is this like hat? Yeah, and then it was also kind of like, oh well it's okay, you can do whatever you want. And then they kind of moved on to so it kind of.
Felt like we didn't quite Yeah, I didn't quite live out its thing if it was.
I felt like it felt like maybe like let's stick with the like food thing or like figure on hold that way, it felt like it just threw a wrench in that.
Yeah, it did lead us to love is about a Field though, Yes, very a very and we get this wonderful duet with with Kurt and I mean who doesn't love the lyrics?
Like I was like there was one of those times where because I think, especially like where you know and where I was in the process in the writer's office, it's like you're kind of like you're churning out these scripts and there's five to seven songs an episode, and you're just sort of like and you're pitching songs and whatever, and you know, sometimes you write a scene to fit the song, and sometimes you find the song doesn't fit
the scene. But I was sort of like, wow, this song is really feels applicable this.
Situation in this episode, and I was like, I don't, I don't. I wish I knew which way it was.
And ambers in the church too, I was like, oh, this is really I was these songs are kind of perfect, and like sometimes it felt sometimes it didn't feel like that when you were when the script was developing. It kind of felt like, okay, and then we'll sing this song or you know, oh he's you know, I don't know, so I did. I did appreciate that.
Their real fight that they had was also very good, and like Kurt the whole time is also I think keeping it together. He has like a really great perspective about this, minus the porn thing. Was weird, but then he gave up on it. But it's not. He's doing a really good job of not making Blaine feel bad
about himself. Blaine's making himself feel bad and right, and it's not, it's it is nice to see and he Blaine even acknowledges that in high school he was like the man right and to see that and to not be able to do anything about it. And then the person that you're looking at and that comparing yourself against is also handling it really well. Yeah, there's no fault. He's not there's nothing wrong with him.
He's he's not about and he's like when we when are we like against when we're we against each other, like we're I'm in this with you, I'm your teammate. I'm supposed to tell really, but it is real. Like when you are in your own spiral, nobody can help you, you know what I mean, or like very few people can help you get out of that, or like you get that on your own, you know, like it's a
hard thing to recover from. Like when the person you're staring at, like you said, Kevin is the one that is triggering some of these things, right, right, I.
Thought it was again like sort of talking about how like the storylines are growing up a little bit, like this is this shows like how much more secure Kurt feels in the environment and like how much more mature, like he's matured in this year he's had out of school, Like you can tell he's ahead of Blaine now, who's kind of like trying to catch up, Whereas at the beginning of their relationship was really kind of like Kurt was the anxious one trying to get at Blaine, and
like Blaine was so cool, calm and collected, and so it's cool to see this kind of switch because it feels like, oh, this is kind of what happens when you when you get out into school. You can your whole personality can change totally all of a sudden in a different you know, you're fish in a different pond.
You find he's like dropping in, like after they've kind of like started to find their footing, like Kurt and Rachel, you have.
To take stage combat.
It was it was a an elective in the theater in my minor, like or in my major, Like you don't have to take it, but there's electives within your major that you can take Okay.
It's definitely a moment where I was like, they're like proper fencing.
Though, I was like, are we doing stage combat or fencing? Because those are two mystery.
Was like one thing, and then I'm like, wait, is that guess? Those are like they're fully like in gear, like properly. I was like, this is I don't know if this is drama school or if it's just just for the image.
We're a little confused.
I did how hot though, did Chris like when he pulled off that mask and then just stared at Darren like what's wrong?
I know? And honestly, Darren's hair looked really good after his mask. I was like, they look great.
I did a break into what was the Madonna James Bond song? They do that in the music video.
I was like, I also thought it was funny too. I think there were two two things in this storyline that sort of made me feel the passage of time, one being like, oh wow, crow nuts, and then the other was the porn thing, because I feel like the just the landscape of porn has changed so much, like this feels very outdated. Even just to be like, oh, there's a sight up on.
Your Yeah, and adults like.
Yeah, but seeing the cro nuts was really fun and all. And I did notice that I forgot that this was the episode where they're the guy selling the euros is named Aristotle, which Michael Hitchcock wrote it because that's my name. But the funniest thing is, like, it was all very endearing, and I loved watching Darren to eat all the food. But there was that one scene where it was like he was it's like, trying to make Darren look fat is like no, no amount of TV magic.
When he is like literally was protruding like like a big exhale, and I was like, come on, you guys.
They're waking at work, I know. I was like, this guy could not look fat if you tried. So funny, great job. I thought they both did such a great job with this story. There's something so lived in about Curtain Blaine. Yeah, I haven't watched This was the first episode of Glee I've watched in maybe two years, and definitely the first so late in the series series. I think I've only watched episodes from like watch seasons one or two in the last like five or six years.
So but there's yeah, there's something just so grounded about them like that it's always and similar like what I was saying about with your number. It's like, oh, this is this is it? This is classic Cardy, Like this is classic Curtain Blaine. Like they're so lived in and it's so it's like yes, so you can kind of like drop in anywhere and feel like a consistency of character.
Well, speaking of we have Sam and Mercedes who are back together now and had this really wonderful, heartfelt episode of like storyline last episode about being together and like questioning.
Yeah, can you guys catch me up just a look because I had I had a question about this. You know, Sam obviously has made his run of girls. And my question for you guys is does Sam Sadies is cute? Like I dig it, I like it. I can't remember though, like does it feel earned?
Yeah? And people fans love I mean, I love Sam Sadies, but yeah, it does feel earned exactly.
It's like it was there and it was like on and I really like their chemistry and I like bought into it. But I was just like, yeah, did this happen because they were the only two that hadn't been together or like did it feel like a natural progression.
No, that was natural. They found their way back to each other in this context in New York, and it's like so satisfying.
So it's Sam, Blaine and Mercedes living together in that house.
Yeah, So Blaine and Kurt try to live together when Blaine moves to New York, and then they decide that it's better that they actually separated and in separate, separate locations. And then Mercedes is that she's gonna move and she's gonna work on her album and focus on music. And at the same time, Sam was crashing on the cow of of everybody at the loft, and so Sam, Blaine, and Mercedes are all roommates. Mercedes and Sam were like, Okay,
we got to like figure this out. We're going to be friends, and then immediately like jump on each other. And so now they are fully dating. After last episode where they were questioning being together, there were some questionable things that Sam did. I won't mention, yeah, but yes, so it definitely does. And this and this whole storyline. I think Amber actually did work with Brad and the writers and you guys too to navigate because I think she really was adamant about Mercedes being a virgin.
Yeah. I think I remember hearing an interview or article.
On show.
Yeah yeah, and I listened to that and it's like, and yeah, I think that it's great that she felt ownership and like could advocate for the character in that way. And also it does it feels like an example of like, okay, this is this is an important point of view, and it feels right like this the end, like it kind of feels like if they had had if they had done it by the end, uh, feels like that the tension would have been gone. Like not not that it's conflict,
but you know, like the conflict of it. And I think it's I think that like it does feel like Mercedes that she stick sticks to her guns. And I also like that, you know, her faith factors into it a lot. And I think that a show like Glee, I think that, like I love that there's space for that, and like, you know, I'm not a religious person, but I think that it's great to know that like people in this environment, like are there that does exist that's
represented and that's important to her. So I think I really appreciate it. I appreciated the whole arc of this story and and uh, and the fact that, yeah, Amber felt like she could she could voice her opinion advocate for the character in this.
Way on the religion aspect of it. I also did like that when she, you know, she mentioned that she prayed on it and came to it, and then at the end Sam goes, I also prayed on it, but I can go back to that church, yes, and remember how to get there.
That was what I prayed in the bathroom. That was the only true lol of the episode. I laughed so hard at that.
We find the chord has some really good l moments and like these later episodes, he's really killing it.
Yeah, he's he's really just like thrown into comedian, like the comic side of all this. It's so good. I liked that again, those two characters are together and both are mentioning religion or praying in their own different ways and how it applies to them to how to make their relationship work. And I also feel like the same way that this storyline from Mercedes feels really true to
her character. It is also nice to see Sam grow into this as well, because yeah, he's been a bit of a hoe and he has sort of I would say, like the normal cliche guy reaction to being like, it's not going to happen until marriage. But and I liked that what was found surprising, which I think was like, you know a lot about Court as a person too, you never know what's going to come out of his mouth.
Totally has that quality where his reaction isn't like, oh, we're going to break up, it's like, well, I can't get married right now because he still wants to be with her, and so he space to go away and then when he comes back to be like, I'm cool with this.
It's so cute. It's really sweetline.
Just the best their chemistry.
Yeah, and it really is.
It felt like a new flavor of like the sex story that we've explored on Glee too totally and like it you'd think, like like I sort of thought, like, haven't we covered this already? And it's like, yeah, we have, but like with Rachel and with Kurt and with you know, Fan Men, Mike, and but it's like, but this is Mercedes. This is how it happens for Mercedes, and this is what her perspective is. And I think like a lot of people can relate to that, Like I was also
a urgent until I went to college. Like, I think that that that it's nice to explore that as well.
I think that Mercedes. I thought actually that Mercedes was going to end up having sex with Sam at the end. For some reason, I thought that's where it landed. So like I do appreciate also because that's where it was like headed kind of with her scene with Rachel, and like I just thought, like, oh, this is this is going to make sense to her. She's preyed on and she's found like that, like she doesn't have to do
everything that the church asks her and that. But like I also did appreciate the way that it turned out, but it's not what I thought it was going to be. And Sam making it okay actually just was even more satisfying and sweet and made me love this couple even more. And I don't know what happens to them. I don't remember, but I'll be really sad if and when they break up.
One of my favorite scenes in this episode it was between Mercedes and Rachel because there hasn't been a lot of yeah, talk about Finn for a long time. Yeah, and that little scene they didn't even say a whole lot.
Yeah.
It was mostly Mercedes, and I thought how it was written was like real and true to life, like how it would be, and how Leah and Amber performed that scene was really beautiful amongst friends, and it was one of those lines of like this feels real in a way of like this would be the same conversation that you would be having, yes, someone in this position in realize. Yeah, And I thought, you know, yeah, Leah was only in two scenes, I think.
But they were she was very present.
They had a really nice connection in both of those scenes, and for different reasons in each scene. But I thought, that's.
Also like the fact that something else almost happened with her in Sam.
Yeah, yeah, and it was like a very real I.
Think it's to get her to the place where she admits like she almost had something but like isn't ready yet or like we don't know when when the next time is going to be that she's gonna find somebody. Because even if I can imagine in the writers room too, like even if we were going to give Rachel a new romantic partner, how hard that would be for her but also with her fans, So I'd imagine.
Man, I was excited, like not excited. It meant a lot to see that scene.
Yes, definitely exactly. I think it was important. And then we also had when when we're Stadies takes Sam to the church and she needs she mentions the church cushion, which is hilarious because it's bad hurts, but we also get to see her Mercedes sing I want to Know What Love Is? Another Amber banger.
I remember walking out to this one in the writer's office.
So good. And then also Tiny and Ashley in the choir. Amber always seems to get all those friends and family into her songs when there's backup singers.
Jordan who's in the background. I used to go to Ambda and Hollywood used to have these like showcases and some of the most incredible singers, and I would go all the time because one of my best friends was going there. And then Jordan was one of the best singers there. He's in that choir. He's just a beast.
Was that in l A?
Yeah, this version is so good. Another like this happened.
There's a lot that happened. Are you still enjoying New York thoroughly? I love this. I love this. I don't feel like it's too chaotic. I feel like their real life storylines. I feel like they're a little more adult, They're a little bit more easier to connect to and enjoying watching all of you guys. Yes, yes, even with right exactly, even though Kevin was in a crazy suit, you did and I loved.
Also, like it's I think it's still it's great that there's like still all those ways to make it so Glee, like the opening too with the guys, Oh my god, the old time opening, and like it's just so hilarious. There's just ways to make it silly, you know that that are always so like, yeah, looks so cute, but it's funny too, Because I was again I couldn't exactly
place this in the storyline of the whole thing. And then in that scene with Rachel at the end where she says something about her opening night, and then I realized, like, oh, right, she's in Funny Girl and sah, and I was like, that is so like outlandish and like kind of that's like where Glee is, like it's big and grand, sort of like ridiculous in the clouds sort of like you know, it's not super realistic that Rachel's going to get a lead in a Broadway show.
But but.
In in comparison to this episode, that's what made this feel so grounded.
It's like.
That like lofty sort of like, yes, we're the best in the world kind of face living their lives how it is, and you know, Rachel's still morning and everyone trying to figure out their life and people are trying on new hats, like and people are in environments.
So it's more insular for sure.
Okay, so the performances or songs, and it didn't feel like we were missing songs like I didn't.
No, No, it felt like the right I think four is like we're a sweet spot with Glee. Yeah, unless it's like a competition episode.
Hmmm.
I'm addicted to love A plus.
I liked how the girls were the backup backup answers too.
It was great any faces, I was into it.
Yeah.
I like recreating some of the music video on the auditorium stage. That was nice.
Yeah, that was cool. I want to know what love is A plus A plus so good love is a battlefield. Ay, let's wait a while. I solid I.
Want a solid musical episode. Yeah, I like it, and like what a variety of songs.
I know. I did feel like I was getting taken back actually the eighties nineties? Yeah for sure, is this like an eighties episode? And we didn't talk about it.
That's why the sort of eighties last week was sort of.
Sometime totally we're not like actually doing it, but we're doing it. But it really wasn't a sound time because if that was a sound time, we would have done more. Sometimes Okay, let's do some tarty takes. So we got some cringe moments. I mean the fact that I mean, Sam was such shaming you, which it was like.
It was like there was such a funny awareness. And I also loved his reaction, like which tested positive and it was like he was taking it personally, like he wouldn't watch it.
It was very it was very tinic and chang in the choir room. I will say, wait.
My favorite moment of the entire episode is when Sam and Mercedes are on their date and then Alartie and Julie walk in.
He's like, don't touch her? Touch Like why not? It's like why would I touch him?
Such a great moment. It's so funny in this episode. Yeah, okay, so I wouldn't say like anything like too cringey.
Some of the I mean, like I said, some of the Blaine Kurt like with the with the porn and the the body stuff felt a little a little outdated and it was a cringe e really Yeah.
Okay, they round it out nicely, like they.
Came back and yes, agreed.
Yeah there was that Man of Rexia comment, which is funny, but yeah, it didn't feel like it didn't feel like completely gratuitous.
Agreed. Best dance move.
Love is a battlefield yet. I mean they're in those lines with the things that.
The and they're like singing out of like off the beat of what the choreo was. I was like, get it, you boys, get it.
Looked like it was probably the most fun to Yeah, rehearse.
And shoot get it squirrels. Okay. Best song.
I woke up this morning with Let's Wait a While in my head. So I don't know if that's because it was the last one in the episode but or it's just such a great song, but that one stuck with me. And then also I want to know what.
I want to know what love is. I think it is my top.
Yeah, I think that's been a while, or I want to know what love is. I was just really excited to do a Janet.
Oh yeah, I was like Kevin's living well.
I always feel like I'm complaining about how hard a song was to record.
But you were given very difficult songs.
But you do like that song was not in my range. I will just tell you. And Luke was doing this thing, I'm like, I'm singing this with amber and it's sitting in the most uncomfortable place in my voice.
Yeah, that's it's.
Too high for me to like.
Bey Anyway, I thought you did great.
He did a great job.
He sounded great. Best performance by a prop.
I mean, let's have an honorable mention to the Cheeto.
Dust and to the frozen.
Food, the Sunday all the food for.
Sure food okay, c.
The outfit was truly this is a funny thing. I really remember too about the std acostume was the images on it are all from I remember it would think it was about season five and the writer's office. We called up the art department. We were like, we have this hallway, it's so bare, like, can you send us some posters to put up? And they got all these old McKinley posters and blew them up and put we put them on the walls and one of them was an STD poster, so that was all from a McKinley
high set dressing poster. And they got onto the big suit.
Oh my god, that's great. What a great little Yeah, okay, the best line.
For me it was Sam's I tried to pray, but I didn't go to that church because I couldn't find it.
Yeah. Same and don't touch.
Him, don't touch him, Yeah, don't touch them performed MVP. Oh well, Kevin, I give you, I give you MVP. I mean, yeah, you get.
It, especially knowing what was going on behind the scenes.
Well exactly. Additionally, yeah, I did it.
Yeah, everybody was great.
I thought everybody is doing their best work, right, Yeah, it really is.
And I think it's like when it's so like when you're able to concentrate like that, and it's really just we're dealing with five characters here, like everybody got time to shine. Yeah.
I'm into it. Yeah, I'm so into it.
So shit, we found on TikTok this week because Lady Gaga has an Ab'm coming out doing press and no one told me about this. I just happened. I don't ever watch these it's the Vanity Fair.
Oh the live detectors. I love those.
I've never watched a full one before, and for some reason, I wanted to watch gagas. And then at the very end of it, she's asked if she is a gleek, and she she's asked if she liked doing drag Race more or Glee. She's like, well both, but I didn't get to go on Glee drag Race. And then she's asked if she's a gleek.
Well, if they like her photo, if they like her episode of Glee, yeah, and if she is a gleek. She's like, what's a gleek? But then she's like, I am a.
Gleek, yes, and she said she loves all the casts. He loves the show. I mean, girl, I.
Love it said. You can see her brain working when she gets asked the question, because she's like, what is that? How would you do?
No?
Yes, I am it is me.
I am that to this new era, this new Gaga era, I'm really enjoying.
He's got whatever she's got going on to that.
Base browse, the look like it's it's phenomenal.
We're still for a new album.
Got it's about time?
What is it? Like, how would you define gleek?
Yes, yes, GK I love Glee?
Yes? How would you? Yes? I love Glee?
How would you do?
To be fair? Like nobody's telling Gaga like what a gleek is? Like get over?
But they did, they didn't know.
But still like come on, like she's expected to know what a greek is?
She remembered because look, Gaga was always there for us, oh gay TV reperformances, she was like interviews, she was there like I and obviously you guys were buddies.
Okay, that's the episode. Thanks for joining us, Telly.
This is a joy, a pleasure, and really, I don't you know, I don't think I would have hopped into season five, episode sixteen had I not been here. But it was great. It was really fun to watch and always great to talk with you guys, and also just to revisit, to revisit such a you know, big part of our lives from this vanas point of you know, ten, ten and twelve years down the line. It's it's fun, it's a good opportunity to reflect. So thank you.
You were there just as much as we were.
Yes, you were true, that's what you really missed.
Thanks for listening and follow us on Instagram at and that's what you really miss pod. Make sure to write us a review and leave us by stars. See you next time.