Dog Days (“Special Education” S2 E9)

And That's what You Really Missed with Jenna.

And Kevin An iHeartRadio podcast.

Welcome to my and That's what You Really miss Podcast recap edition.

Hi Kevin, Hey Jenna, Thanks every much for being here today. We have It's a fat episode because it's a competition episode.

I was thinking about this in the shower this morning, and I was thinking, why does it feel like a fat episode? And it is because it's a competition. But when you watch it, it may not feel as fat to people as it does for us like it felt. I watched it and I was like, oh, that was a good episode, solid episode. Didn't feel as full as it felt back.

No, All I think about when I see us on stage is how long we were on that stage doing that.

Dance well exactly and in that theater. And I think it's because we were in those theaters for such a long time that the shooting feels so full. Because anytime you're at a competition, you're like, we're in for it, We're in for it. You know it's going to be a long one. You know this episode is going to take forever. So much rehearsal for these numbers, I mean, it was it's a lot so, but.

I will say this episode has so many I feel like classic Glee numbers in it. Yes, like when I think about Glee, I think about some of these numbers specifically, and I didn't even remember they were all in one episode. Yes, agreed, important episode in Glee her.

History it is, I also noticed, and we'll we can talk about it when we get there, but we this is when the dialogue gets really fast. We start speaking so fast. Really, I mean, go back and watch our scene we're the cheerleader. I'm speaking so fast, and I remember it because I feel like Leah said the tone with that because of Rachel. But then everybody kind of caught onto that, and then it was like if you don't you realize, if you don't say your line's that fast, they'll get cut.

And we also have to fit in extra music, so there's a lot of story that has to happen, and so we have to just talk quickly, like it's a Shonda Rhyme show.

And I remember after Glee was over and I had a bunch of auditions which I didn't book, I would speak so quickly and I could not rid myself of the Glee tone or Tina because we are so used to speaking so freaking fast.

Yep, Okay. I had the exact same experience minus the first audition I had during Glee. I was sitting down and didn't move my legs, and I realized halfway through, like the second scene or something, and then I completely psyched myself out and I completely screwed up the entire audition because then I was all in my head thinking about my eggs, and it's like, well, I don't know what to do with my legs now. Anyway, that's the side of the point, okay. Season two, episode nine, Special Education.

Only girl in the World fail.

I love that song. The number one movie was still Harry Potter and Death The Allis Part one and.

In Glean News this Week. On November thirtieth, twenty ten, same day as the episode Glee, the volume Glee the Music Volume four was released. The album featured eighteen tracks from nine episodes in season two minus episode two, Season two episode five. It was on iTunes and CD. And it's crazy that we're already at a.

Volume four this was my favorite album cover that we had.

I loved this one. I thought it was very cute.

Yeah, I don't know why loved this album packaging.

We have our favorite, one of our favorite directors back. Yes, mister Paris Barclay.

The one and only Paris. I knew it too. Happy to the episode is like, I think Paris did this.

I try the same thing. It took me a minute for some read. I always think Beeker does these now, but we haven't gotten there yet.

No, if Paris directed the shit out of this, yes he did, because it is also I feel like this script must have been long because there's a lot happening in it, so that's probably why we were and he covered all of that and more.

Yes, okay, we have some songs. We have an array of songs. We have don't cry from me, Argentina. We have the living years. We have Heyesel's sister. We have had the time of my life. We have Valerie and dog days are over. That is all.

That's right. That's a lot of music, and we were playing long versions of those competition songs, so that ate up a lot. I remember in the scripts when you would start to see the song in the script, and it was written differently, like how long? How much of the script is this taking up? She knew it would cut into all the other storylines.

The living years is very funny, and I forgot about that.

Memory so funny. I can't wait to talk about that one.

Okay.

So in this episode, it's sectionals, but the Glee Club may be falling apart at the same time as some relationships start to crumble. Kurt is adjusting to his new life as a Warbler, and Emma surprises Will with some news about her and doctor Carl.

Totally forgot about this too.

Oh yeah, I did too.

You didn't remember, Okay.

You know, living in a small town, moving quickly.

Well, let's talk about sectionals, yes, and the setlist. So the fact that we don't have a setlist at is.

Is recurring theme here. Will Shuster is it very questionable teacher?

Exactly? His name? Prep is not great?

So but I guess it's like an extracurricular though, right, Like he's a Spanish teacher. So glee club is yeah.

But it's this main thing, let's be real.

I guess you're right.

So he invites Emma as his plus one to sectionals and then she's like totally totally guesses, I don't know how guesses how mister Shue is what the setlist is going to look like. And she's like, let me yes, it's gonna be a solo from Rachel and Finn and it's going to be you know, Mercedes pulling out the

I think she has it. Yeah, it's one of those things where that's the show commenting on itself exactly exactly.

So he agrees, and he's like all right, and he thinks that the duet partner should take the lead on this one, and it's gonna be Sam and Quinn, which is very cute Ken and Barbie akah, and then Quinn has this very harsh line to Rachel and I noticed that this was like I felt this one, I like a gut punch and I was like, oh wow, that wasn't mean, like we got we got mean.

For a sec that happens a couple of times in this episode.

Yeah, yeah, yeah for sure, and Mike and Mike and Brittany are gonna have a dance solo, which is gonna be great, and then Rachel is very upset about it, which we'll see later. But uh, Finn and Rachel are also like, what are you trying to throw this competition? And everybody starts kind of arguing, and Santana spills the truth about her and Finn hooking up and Finn's whole lie.

Do you remember filming the scene? No, I just remember it is because everybody had a lot of different people had dialogue and we had to cover. Oh maybe this whole thing about talking faster is checking out because I remember we had we rehearsed it over and over and over, so everyone got their shit tight because there was so much because I think Paris probably went into this knowing the script was long. And also this this scene takes you a lot of places. It's mm hmm, wait, everybody,

It's cute, It's really cute. It is very cute, and also her just standing in the corner was also very funny, just by herself paralyzed with fear.

The other thing is, we're down a member because Kurt's gone, right, so shee enlists Puck because everyone likes him or is afraid of him, and so he goes on this pretty funny journey to get the one and only Zis, which is Ashley Fink, who ends up becoming a part of the Glee Club for a long time and Glee fam forever. So that was also like a very outside of the show monumental thing. You know, it was a big personal change for us in a great way.

It was. It was very exciting and I forgot about I totally had forgotten about that.

What is it with everybody ending up in a porta potty? I do like it. It makes me feel better that, you know, Puck gets into a port after twenty four hours. Yeah, praying to Buddha Alla Satan.

My gosh. But it's very exciting to have Zics there. And Ashley think obviously, who really becomes a very important part of the glee club, doesn't she? Ye? Okay, So Puck's in the get stuck in a poor body. And then we get to sectionals where we do have a so.

We have a set list, but everybody hates each other. Everybody everyone's unhinged.

Yeah, stuff gets weird, and and then we have people who are performing weird weird numbers. Can we talk about the numbers of the other glee clubs?

Yes? Please talk about the Living Years?

Okay? So the Living Years is by the Hipsters, which so ian to write that was so the lead singer of the Hipsters is Luanne, who was our other two Davis who was our lyric Master and amongst them thousands of hats that he wore. But Luanne was kind of took over Tim when things got a little too crazy for him and he had time. Yeah, And so Leanne was on set with us, and then she starred in The Hipsters and that's actually her singing too.

I believe. I think you're right because so then the other woman who's singing in it, do you remember this, uh huhm is the one singing the Circle of Life and the Lion King. That's right, And they a lot of those people in the Hipsters were a part of that choir for the Circle of Life.

Right, Kevin good memory. Oh what a.

Special time because when Lunn.

Is the nicest, I know, the sweetest.

Person, and that came up somehow and I remember going up to is this true? And she was sort of like, She's like, yeah, it is. She was like, why haven't you led with that? That is the coolest thing. We were so starstruck the rest of the day and I felt so bad that they all had to be dressed up like that. These are legends. It was funny.

What theater were we in in La? Do you remember?

No idea?

Hard to say? Okay, we did.

So many different theaters and we skipped around every competition, didn't a lot of the time.

I remember by the dress, but I can't remember this one.

So Jenna, do you remember we did not learn a lot of this choreography until the night like the night before I think we had maybe thirty minutes what and then the morning of we learned most of it. No, and that going over, I remember Zach looking so panicked because it was one of those things where we were so overscheduled where we didn't have time to learn the actual competition dance. And I remember it was Ashley's first competition with us, and we're like, we are so sorry.

Remember, And I also when watching this was like, I don't know what I'm doing in this in this number and it made sense, that makes sense now. It was very off the cover. Yeah, this is when it started to get really crazy. But think about it, we had so much to shoot. There were so many things going on, and then a whole sectionals to boot and a whole new choir that's going to be around for a very long time. Yeah, so there's a lot blessed Paris Barklay's heart for taking on this monster episode.

That edit really made us look great.

Great, and also it felt so smooth. It didn't feel clunky like well, like it was when we were shooting in No. I'll tell you that.

This is I want to have. Have the scene though in the greenroom right before we performed.

There's a whole thing happening. Tell me about it.

Well, it's way if you've been listening thus far to us on the podcast, these green room scenes are the band of our existence because there are about eighty of us and one room, and the camera has to shoot everybody from every angle right right. However, we were in there a hot minute. But this was not a bad experience at all.

No, it was not.

And I think we were getting better each time, and this was even better than the time before. And there was so much drama going on and people yelling at each other, and it was so fun to watch and also be a part of.

It was really fun to watch, I think because Paris did it very strategically. Yes, everybody wasn't in every part of it, and that's what it was. It was corners. Tina and Mike were in a corner and Heather are hardy in Brittany.

We were tied together. Yeah, we were. Our story was happening in one section.

But like you shot it and you just see like maybees icys in the background of Tina and Mike and that's it. So we didn't feel as a monster where you're in the room every time somebody's you know, coverage is getting shot. And I think that might have also been a part of it, was that we'd done it before and we were like, let's do this better.

A side note, Will being so mad at everyone and be like I'm ashamed of you scares me every time.

It was big.

What teachers talk like that to their students.

I've had teachers yell at us before. I had like that.

Yeah, this is the second time in that in the episode where he's I.

Know, and then the way he speaks to Rachel about it. I mean, look, she wasn't being a team player. But I have to say it was aggressive.

It was very aggressive.

It was scary. You're right, it was a little scary. It wouldn't fly right now.

No, no, I remember were watching it. I watched this episode last night with my parents because.

I'm in teching, Oh that's cute.

And he starts yelling and I just burst out laughing, like what. I'm like, I can't take it now, what is this? I cannot believe.

It's a lot, but we are acting a bit a fool and not everybody. Everybody's very much out for themselves in this episode.

And teens are teening, that's right.

So amidst all of this, like, let's let can we talk about the Tina, Artie and Brittany of it all? Because and then we'll go back to sectionals. This is funny. I forgot this was in this this part of this whole storyline. Tina convinces Artie that Mike and Brittany are having an affair.

Also updating the list of this is now up there with favorite scenes that we've ever done. I completely forgot about this scene completely.

Totally did too, except for the costume when I was like, oh right, it was funny.

I love this scene.

I love this scene too. I just forgot how fast we talk.

Yeah, but I liked it because it also it was so I remember filming that and it was a note we all had that we had to talk faster. This is all coming back to me now and that makes it so much easier in terms of you don't have to think about it, you just do it. And the comedy you know, is written. Yeah, exactly, and it's nice for us to get the I like Tina and Artie and cahoots being like, look, I'm just setting you know what's up, and then Arty confronts Brittany, and Brittany's acting

So funny. I mean, the cole itself of that whole storyline could have just flown on its own, but then to add this whole thing Heather was very, very funny.

I like that calls apart at the actual in the competition.

Yeah, oh yeah, so Britain. Brittany Artie is like you you've been adultrous? Is that a word?

Adultrius? Even an adultrius?

Adultrius? And Brittany doesn't know what that means.

No, but she's like, I have I'm so sorry, I'm so ashamed of the way I behaved.

And then Mike's like, what's going on? And I'm like, you're a jerk to Mike, and and that convinces Alreadie because Alartie wasn't so convinced that they were having an affair, but now we're sure of it because now already thinks that Latina said that Mike tastes like lipsmackers, which Brittany Brittany used, and then it falls apart, and then Brittany admits that she didn't cheat on him, but that she lost the comb.

So sweet, it's really sweet.

The comb is really sweet. It's just you finding a way for her to be awesome. And then she goes out and is awesome.

Also, we kiss and then I smile and my parents start laughing. Why and I'm like, just because you look so dorky. Oh my gosh. It's like, I can't watch these episodes with my parents anymore.

No, you can't.

You can't do it. It is weird though, because we were filming. I wasn't with my family while we were doing this, and I've never like watched the show with them before.

Right, right, very rare to watch the episode with your parents, right, There's just so many things too inside things that you're like laughing at, Like I watch it with David and I laugh and I'm like, oh, I remember that, and he's like what, and I'm like, never mind, Yeah.

I'm laughing at all the wrong moments I have nothing to do with. It's actually happening on screen exactly. So now that Rachel knows that Finn did sleep with Santana, they're obviously having some huge, huge blowout falling out. Artie and Brittany are possibly on the fritz, and so are Mike and Tina, and then we have Emma and will.

Yeah, fair enough.

Fair enough, And so then we go and all mayhem, you know, breaks loose. I'll help breaks loose, and then we get to perform Jenna.

Oh my gosh, these numbers are number one, very cute. But I didn't remember that whole thing until just now that you remind when you reminded me that we didn't learn it, and that's why it feels such a mess in my mind.

I think it.

Flew in like a like a quick math calculus test and then out of my brain.

Yeah, the short memory was strong during those days. Term is non existing.

No, I don't know, but I will say Valerie goes down in history her story and is I well number one couldn't watch it. I had. I watched it, but I had a really really hard time watching it. I had a hard time watching it, really hard time. Yeah, really hard time. But it's a great number. It's so good.

My eyes are watering.

I know me too. But also Heather and Hair, Oh my god, are you joking? Why didn't they get to do that more?

What's wrong with them?

Why are they It's stupid how good that number is. And they did like a lightened version of it on tour, but that version is so good. Between Nia and then the two of them, You're like, why is this number not the best numbering?

I mean it is. It's that is up there. That is a huge, huge, I mean I also I like shouted when Nia walks across the stage and she leans back and she does her like lazy stripper shoulder thing. Because after each take we'd go up to her and be like, no, you gotta get even crazier, like drag her, make this shit drag. And the one that made it

Just so funny and they worked. Oh that worked, just worked. And she's saying the shit out of this song. I know, what a wild I don't even remember her recording this, Like, I don't think she even told anybody. She just like went and did it.

Yeah of course, okay, yeah, it's like I got I got this, don't worry about yeah.

Yeah, like nothing that number. And then sweet Sweet Time of your Life, which we didn't do that on tour, did we?

No, we didn't.

Wasn't it talked about on tour and I was like, we're not doing this on time.

I think maybe but it didn't. It didn't happen. But those two together are just cute, cute pair also like the most beautiful humans, like what they both look stunning singing this adorable song. I didn't remember any of those backgrounds happening the end of that song.

I did clearly was not singing them either.

No, I was because this all makes a lot more sense now because we were in pure chaos at this time.

Yes, yes, barely making it.

And if we mark us down and all the notes that everyone's taking, things just start to get crazier. And I think this is the beginning of that agreed agreed because like it, this is where the practicalness practicality of making this show was butting up against the head of what was scheduled, Like we were supposed to be doing these episodes in eight days.

Oh, I never read it.

There was just no way we could do that. So then we started shooting multiple episodes at the same time.

And poor Ashley Fink for joining at this point.

Oh my god.

Okay, So one of the other fifteen storylines is that we talked about then and Rachel, you know, finding out about Santana. Well after the competition, they make up and everything seemingly is okay, right, they they apologized they were wrong, but then there's no more lying. So she had to fess up and admit that while they were fighting, she made it out with Puck and I don't know that. I feel like this is the valid response because he

Who knows.

They break up?

Yeah, a big deal and it felt big. I felt it.

Yeah, I felt it, especially during dog Days when she takes the next off and takes the cat underto and and and and also Emma and Will done because Emma tells Will that they did not get engaged. They got murred. They got murried in Vegas and that's the end of it.

Too quick, too quick, How does that happen? But the good news is is that the Glee Club one, so did the Warblers because we needed the Warblers to stay on the show.

So that's right, Well, because Kurt's there.

Yeah, let's talk about the Warblers, Jenner.

Let's talk about it. So they do Hayesel Sister, which I vaguely remember this number. They didn't do it on tour. They did do it on tour. This also did really well I remember on the charts. But they so the Warblers in preparation for sectionals. Kurt is there, Kurt is joining, and he's all these ideas, as Kurt would do and as new Directions would, but they have a much more rigid system in place where they have to audition for solos.

Yes. And so Kurt discovers that, oh, everyone has a voice here. I have ideas, but okay, I will audition, because Blaine says, we, you know, we respect that you've adapted to this, because your ideas got shot down so quickly. And so he turns to Rachel to help him prepare for his audition, and they do. Don't cry for me, urgent.

Somehow Rachel does the number when she's helping her.

Of course, when when the shot when she's up on that balcony out of nowhere, still singing, I burst out laughing. It was like what And my mom and dad are like what, what's so funny? I was like, why is she on the balcony? Now? How did she get there? She's still no I know why she is. Oh, but I just mean like she was singing on the stage and.

Then ended up just in a balcony and she's.

Hold the music, please let me get upstairs to get to this balcony.

Gotta do it. She's got to be on a balcony.

That's when I remember it's a satire, you know, right right, just a gentle hilarious in your face. But Kurt doesn't get the solo and it's fine, and he goes on to perform with the Warblers, and we as the new directions, are all so excited and happy watching him, and it was so sweet and he was sweet. Curt and Rachel have this really nice scene at the concessions stand at the competition where they catch up a bit and it's it's really really He's like, why are you being so

He was her only real competition, which is very sweet. But yes, there it's fun to see. It's fun to switch it up. You know, somebody's you know, a competition now and you know, on the other side of it. And then Kurt is worried because Pavarotti is not singing and he's not doing well, and Blaine says he's just molting and he's growing a new coat of feathers, which metaphor, yeah, exactly for Kurt molting his old old directions and growing

Yeah.

So so that's really it. So now we're we're headed to sectionals with Kurt as a Warbler and we're up against Dalton and sorry Regional original sorry, And and that's that's where we are. That's where we're going. And then we do dog Days are over the most fun number.

And dog Days was a moment if you're keeping track of the show, Like I've now said a billion times, we start doing numbers differently after dog Days. And maybe this happened because we didn't have time to learn a number. I'm not sure why this, it could have been that.

Just run around the stage.

Yeah, seuce. We also, i think learned that very last minute. Yes, but it works so well and it's really the first time so far in thirty two episodes that we've done anything like that where there is a lot of running around and just freeform. We were doing what we wanted to do.

And for people who we haven't said this yet, free form rock out ter that Zach coined where he'd be like, Okay, we're gonna walk in a line, we're gonna get in a diagonal, you're all gonna clap your hands, and then this is eightcounts of free form rock out, and that meant you could do whatever you want free accounts. Yes, it's more like thirty two probably, but it was always a fun free form rockout. That's right. It's always there's always time for free form rock out.

You can use it in any sort of you can use it in everyday life, you know, just you can like, I don't know what to do, but just free form rock out. Whatever you want. You can't go wrong every time order free rock free form rock out.

But it's true, you're you're totally right. I think it was a lot of like, Okay, there's not a lot of time to choreograph, and it actually works. It's okay, we don't it doesn't have to be perfect. It's like, don't stop believing. When we had the nth version where we finally were like, okay, this is slightly choreographed, but this is also very free. It's very free. That's where New Directions thrives. So I enjoyed watching this because everybody looks like they're having a blast.

You also sounded fit me.

No, oh, thank you, that's very nice. This is the first Florence song, and this is where I found my love for Florence in the machine. I had no voice when I was recording this.

That sounds good. Whatever was happening, they did a good job. They helped us a lot when we needed.

You did they really did, and somehow it worked. But yes, that was a very exciting number.

You and Amber sounds so good together too.

I mean, you know, sing with people who make you better.

No, but not everybody's tones, you know fit together nicely, and your voices just fit together. Do you remember recording this, like do you lose your voice?

I was having vocal problems all of season two, starting from Asian Camp, and they wanted me to do Getting to Know You at Asian Camp with Harry Live, and I was like, I was struggling, and that was really scary because like it's like your moneymaker. Yeah, and I was still struggling or around this time, and it was because I think recording and singing live are so different, and I wasn't technically doing it properly, and I think

And we get to do it on tour, which is one of my favorite moments of the entire show.

So much fun to do it on tour and Amber and I got to sing it live. It was really fun.

Fun. We did it again because this version worked so well the performance and Ryan liked it so much that we did it again for fun. That's a fun song.

We are young, Yes, thank you. I mean we did it a lot, and then even in the New Class, like later later seasons, we did it for this is the New Year, remember that.

And it was always we were doing dog Days. It was always a dog Days reference.

That's right, that's right. That's a good point. Good point. Well, that is special education and all of its goodness. Great episode, really really solid.

I really enjoyed this, me too. TARTI takes let's do it, okay, cringe moments, Jenna, I would say the Cadbury Egg and the Asian kiss Asian kiss.

David said to me, why is it an Asian kiss? And I was like, have you not been watching right? And yes, the sicy thing. She's like, she won't perform without her sugar. Yeah, it's like, yes, we have all these like, yeah, cliches of stereotypes. If you will, that would never never okay, fair enough, best dance move, I mean obviously, Valerie, Valerie, Harry exceptional, like what that's insane? Okay, best song. We can't pick one, so you have to pick one and I have to pick one and we die.

All right, I'll do it because you probably won't want to do it. So I'll say dog Days.

Okay, and I'll say Valerie and we'll switch. Great.

Yeah, yeah, both are true. We're copainting, yes.

Yes, best performance by a prop.

Also the warbler bird, Pavarotti.

Karate, yeah, sweet Pavaratti.

Best line, Brittany.

First of all, she says, well, I went to motocross practice, okay, thrown away and I was like, I cannot miss that line.

Oh god, I have never forgotten that line. It's so good.

Okay. Second one already admits that the Magic Home wasn't magic, and he said, that wasn't magic. I found it on the floor and ran into you in the hallway on the way to tossing it in the trash, and Brittany says, you let me comb my hair with it. So witty and quick, you guys, so quick.

My favorite line, I would I think I would have to go with the motocross as well, though, I'm gonna I'm gonna second that.

Great, great, great, great, how he went on the talk on the talk and Liu of Succession coming to an end.

Don't worry, no spoilers here.

Okay, great, because I'm not caught up yet.

Yeah, there's I got a lot of people sent this to me, and it is a duet with Arty and Arty Abrams and kendl Roy.

You guys look like a wonderful pair.

I mean, we could be related.

We wow.

It's our versions of honesty together and it's a little painful, but mostly it feels like an honor, you know. And the only time that Artie or myself will have anything to do with Kendle Roy.

This is from Spidey t crch.

And this is great. Thank you for making this absolute beauty. Somebody's like, wait, why do the harmonies work? I mean a little bit, it's you know they do. These comments are really funny, but don't read the comments if you haven't seen the finale of Success.

I'm not gonna want I can't. I can't.

Okay, but that is maybe one of the most creative and crazy polls. Two worlds colliding that should have nothing to do with one another. But thank you Spidey for posting that because it's great.

Everything to do with you.

You got to look it up.

Okay, it's a little hard though, that is special education. Thanks for joining us for that very full episode, and don't miss next week because we're it's Christmas time.

And 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 five stars. See you next time.