Samcedes Episode Analysis: 2.17 Night of Neglect
by Akilah
Mercedes: "You have no idea what it feels like to work your butt off for something and have everyone, including your friends, ignore you," says Mike Chang. He's referring to The Brainiacs , a school organization he, Tina, Artie and Brittany are involved in that is more neglected than Glee club. Even their friends in ND are unaware of the Brainiacs upcoming competition in Detroit. Amongst the totem pole of "loser" school activities, the Brainiacs are lower than glee club. What's interesting here is that this concept even transcends to the "neglected" New Directions which has its own hierarchy of recognition, validation and appreciation of talent. On this totem pole, Rachel Berry would be on the top and Mercedes Jones would be close to the bottom. In this episode, we see Mercedes attempt to climb to the top.
Mr. Schuester and Holly Holliday come up with the idea to have a fundraiser concert to come up with the money New Directions and The Brainiacs need for their respective competitions. The theme is a Night of Neglect and the students are given the assignment to sing songs by neglected artist. "Someone whose brilliance isn't always appreciated," Mr. Schue says. "Someone like me," Rachel says. Rachel is the most recognized and appreciated member of ND, but the girl can't help but think everything is about her. Mercedes gives her the side eye.
Mercedes decides to sing Aretha Franklin. Her friends remind her that Aretha is the queen of soul, she is in no way neglected. But Mercedes clarifies, "I auditioned for this club singing Respect, and shes got none since." Aretha is acknowledged as being extremely talented, its just that the New Directions haven't used her. Perhaps she doesn't fit NDs "image." Mercedes can relate.
"Awesome, Mercedes. Awesome all of you guys. Those songs are great appetizers for my main course. Celine Dion's 'My Heart Will Go On.' Its going to be our finale," Rachel says. Tina says its the biggest song of all time. Rachel says that she herself is "the neglected artist" which in Rachel's mind means she can sing whatever she wants and it would still fit the assignment. You've got to love Rachel and her solipsism. Its so ridiculous that its funny.
"I was kinda hoping to do the closing number," Mercedes says, timidly. Rachel stares at her. Neither girl says a word. They are interrupted by Finn who informs them that Sunshine Corazon (Vocal Adrenaline's lead vocalist) is at McKinley. She wants to help the New Directions with the Night of Neglect fundraiser. The glee club agrees because she can bring her twitter followers who will buy tickets. Rachel isn't too happy about it since that means Sunshine will do the closing number.
"Mercedes you're okay with being bumped to the decidedly less glamorous middle spot, right?" Rachel says. Its both a demand and a challenge. Rachel seems to be fishing for support from Mercedes by having her also refuse Sunshine's participation in the Night of Neglect. But shes also asserting her dominance in New Directions by placing Mercedes below her on the diva totem pole.
The smile drops from Mercedes face. Shes caught off guard. "Sure... I guess." She says timidly. Puck, Quinn, Lauren and Finn look at her in disbelief. They can't believe that Mercedes is taking that level of disrespect. Mercedes doesn't want to rock the boat. She wants the fundraiser to happen so that New Directions get to participate in Nationals, and she also wants to help out her friends on the Brainiacs. "Absolutely," she affirms her acceptance of the middle spot. She looks completely deflated as she says it.
Lauren approaches Mercedes in the library. "Hey, Mercedes. Can I have your shoes. I promise to give you a pair of my dirty flip flops in return," Lauren says. Mercedes refuses. "Really, I'm surprised you didn't just give them to me considering how little you think of yourself." Mercedes looks shocked. Lauren saw right through her diva act. Mercedes really doesn't know her worth. She knows shes good, but she doesn't quite believe that she deserves everything she wants. "You're the most talented singer in glee club. Yet, you're constantly taking the backseat to everyone."
"What am I suppose to do. I'm tired of fighting with Rachel all the time." And this is really the source of Mercedes problem in ND. As long as Rachel continues to take control of the decisions in ND, Mercedes will never have a chance to shine. Mercedes' defeated attitude probably stems from being neglected over and over again. Shes not appreciated and its wearing her down.
"You're always singing about R-E-S-P-E-C-T, but respect isn't something you can ask for, you have to demand it. And you deserve it," Lauren says. And this is an important concept for Mercedes to learn. She can not wait around for others to give her what she wants, she has to take it. Lauren is on the right track, but she gets confused about what Mercedes should "demand." She names divas like JLo and Mariah Carey who are known for making ridiculous demands such as requesting bowls of solid color M&Ms.
"No matter how ridiculous those demands if people will meet them then you know you have it," Lauren says. "Have what," Mercedes asks. "Respect." And that's what Mercedes truly wants. She wants to be acknowledged as the talented young woman that she is and featured in performances. But with the help of Lauren, shes going about it the wrong way.
Rachel has been chosen to be the head of "Talent Relations." Her job is to make the featured performers at Night of Neglect happy. "Stars make demands like babies make messes in their diapers. They can't help it. All a star wants is to just feel appreciated and respected. They just want to feel like they're being heard," Rachel says. It is true. This is one of the reasons why Mercedes is so unhappy with her current status within ND. She feels like she isn't being heard. Earlier in the season we've seen her ideas shot down time and time again by Mr. Schuester and company. Mercedes really doesn't feel appreciated.
But Mercedes is trying to gain the feeling of respect and acknowledgement by playing "diva." She's acting out in ways she would imagine her favorite divas to behave. She makes demands to see if others will meet them. Shes clearly trying to push boundaries to see how much Rachel will do for her. She requests humidifiers and a large bowl of green M&M's in her dressing room. Rachel meets these demands, and even has Puck go out to get Mercedes a Puppy to dry her hands on, as she requested. Rachel has no problem with these antics, mainly because they don't address the real issue at heart.
Lauren says that Mercedes will be doing the closing number. Rachel corrects her. "Actually Sunshine will be doing the closing number because shes bringing in hundreds of people. So I'll go on before Sunshine because well, I'm me," Rachel says. Rachel knows how to get what she wants because she believes she is worthy. This is what distinguishes Rachel from Mercedes.
Mercedes is not happy about it, but instead of fighting Rachel for the closing spot, she makes more demands. "Mercedes wants to be carried in," Lauren says. They name divas who have been "carried in" before like Celion Dion, Cher and Lady Gaga. This move is passive aggressive. Mercedes is not really going after what she truly wants which is to close the benefit. Instead she makes an even bigger demand in order to feel a sense of respect. But it isn't real respect, so it can't really satisfy her.
During the Night of Neglect benefit, the performers are heckled by a group Sue specifically planted in the audience to do just that. Sunshine Corazon has canceled her appearance and everything is going wrong. The members of ND were able to keep some of the hecklers quiet by giving them saltwater taffies. When they run out of Saltwater taffies, Quinn asks how will they be able to stop the hecklers. "By being so good they can't heckle us, and I know just the right person for the job. Where's Mercedes?" Mr. Scheuster says.
Lauren tells ND that Mercedes has left the building. "Miss Jones has not appreciated the way shes been treated and refuses to go on." ND tries to do damage control. Rachel runs into the parking lot and finds Mercedes in her car. Its one of those rainy car scenes that Glee loves to do. These always signify some type of turning point or realization.
Mercedes says that she won't go on because her demands weren't met. "Have you ever read anything about Aretha Franklin. She was a gospel singer," Rachel says. Mercedes rolls her eys. Of course she knows this. "She went to a talent show. Nothing fancy, just a state fair. And the master of ceremonies hands her a tiara and calls her the queen of soul. And that's how she earned her crown. That's how she gained all of her respect. Not by requesting for special pillows, or food. But by doing what she loves best. Singing," Rachel says.
The problem is, Mercedes has done that. She has been singing her heart out and waiting for her moment of recognition to come but it never does. "I just don't get it. Why are you a bigger star than me?" Mercedes asks. "You always get the big solos, the moments in the sun. Why is it never me?"
"I don't know," Rachel says. "You're just as good a singer as I am."
"Yeah and everyone actually likes me," Mercedes says. And here it is. Mercedes biggest problem. The reason she isn't at the top of the diva totem pole in ND. She's too nice. She cares too much about what others think. She doesn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. She'd rather be a team player and get along with everyone than step on someone's toes to make it to the top. She's not willing to fight, not really. She'd rather people like her.
"That's your problem. Because I would rather be a star than be nice. And I'm not saying that its healthy or that its better than being loved. There's nothing that I wouldn't do for a chance to be in the spotlight." And Rachel means it. This is why shes at the top, because she is willing to fight for it. She doesn't care if everyone thinks of her as an entitled spoiled brat. Rachel is a star and she will do what it takes to make what she wants happen for her.
"I just really wanted that closing slot," Mercedes says. "Well, if you want that closing slot then get in there and take it from me," Rachel says. This is the only way Mercedes will get anything. She has to take it. Mercedes takes Rachel's words to heart in episode 3.03 when she fights for the role of Maria and eventually leaves ND to form the TroubleTones. At that point she is willing to fight for what she wants, even if that means hurting her friends feelings.
When Mercedes returns to the benefit she makes one last demand. "I demand that all of you get your butts out there and watch me sing." Mercedes wants them to hear her. She wants them to recognize her talent. She sings "Ain't No Way," by Aretha Franklin:
"Ain't no way for me to love you, if you won't let me/ I know that a woman's duty is to help and love a man, and that's the way it was planned/ It just ain't no way for me to love you, if you won't let me/ Stop trying to be something you're not/ If you need me to love you say you do/ Baby don't you know that I need you/ Ain't no way for me to love you if you won't let me."
The lyrics to this song speak to both of Mercedes season long story arcs; her fight for recognition within ND and her quest to find love. If we look at it from the perspective of wanting to be a featured vocalist in ND, then we see that the lyrics are speaking of loyalty and commitment while not recieving reciprocity. In the song, the narrator is trying hard to please the man she loves but she can't because he won't really let her in his head. He's keeping her out and not really communicating with her to let her know how she can love him properly. Within the Glee narrative, Mercedes has been waiting patiently, trying hard to be what she thinks ND wants her to be in hopes of being recognized and finally "loved" as a featured performer. She's being loyal and a team player, yet she isn't getting reciprocity. She tries to fit in and be what she thinks Mr. Scheuster and the ND leadership want her to be, but it still isn't enough.
If we look at the lyrics from the perspective of Mercedes wanting love and companionship, then we see the song as the first time Mercedes has let her guard down and admits to desiring romantic love. "Ain't no way for me to love you, if you won't let me," She sings. This is a song of frustration. Mercedes is finally ready to be loved but she sees no one who wants to love her. But she has finally said that she wants love and her arms are open here in this song. Her guard is down and shes ready for someone to come in. She just needs someone to hear her song and respond accordingly. But waiting is never fun.
When Mercedes finishes her song she gets a standing ovation. She walks off stage and sees Rachel, "Alright girl, time for the closing number. Go bring the house down," Mercedes says happily. Shes feeling good because she got the recognition that she wanted from her friends. "Are you kidding me. Nobody could follow that. The house has been brought down. That was the closing number," Rachel says. Rachel is not necessarily being generous. She's being honest. If she went on after Mercedes then she would look sub par in comparison. Rachel wouldn't humiliate herself like that. But it was Rachel's decision to not go on, so in a way she did allow Mercedes to have the closing number. Again, Mercedes gets nothing unless Rachel allows it to happen. For now this is good enough for Mercedes. She and Rachel share their usual hug, the one they always share after competing with each other. Its a hug that signifies that everything is right in ND and everything will go back to the way its always been. Its no wonder that when Mercedes is finally fed up with playing second fiddle to Rachel in episode 3.03, she refuses to hug the other girl.
In the end Mercedes, along with the help of Aretha Franklin, secure a patron to fund the Braniac's trip to Detroit. "That song and the weed I smoked immediately prior, it gave me a change of heart," Sandy Ryerson says. "Aretha is my Kryptonite." ND does well when it uses its neglected talent and tries on a different sound for a change.
Sam: Sam is mostly background in this episode. He is extremely quiet, more quiet than usual. When we first see him he's sitting in the choir room between Mercedes and Santana. He's currently dating Santana, but his body is turned away from her, like he's no longer attracted to her and/or unhappy in his relationship. He looks miserable, and its most likely to do with his upcoming homeless storyline. Based on what we know in 2.19, Sam has probably already been kicked out of his home or soon will be. Sam's hair is longer and more unruly than its ever been. Perhaps he hasn't been able to afford a hair cut.
Sam seems more reticent like he's holding back. He no longer appears to be the open and carefree kid he was in the beginning of the season. He doesn't do much talking but he makes a few gestures in the background that reveal his sense of humor. When ND confront Sunshine Corazon in the auditorium and accuse her of being a "horrible spy," Sam is seen making a "tsk, tsk, shame on you" gesture with his fingers. And when Mercedes comes back and decides to sing at the benefit after talking to Rachel she tells ND to watch her perform, you can see Sam snapping his fingers in a sassy way, being all diva like. Its very quick, the camera only shows his arms and hands before the screen changes.
Sam is the MC of Night of Neglect and introduces each artist.
Samcedes: In this episode we first see Sam and Mercedes sitting next to each other in the choir room. Sam's right knee and foot are pointed in Mercedes direction. It has been said that we point our knees and feet in the direction of the person we are attracted to. I feel that Sam has been attracted to Mercedes at least since episode 2.09, when he bumped his pelvis into her hip during "Dog Days are Over." I think Sam's attraction to Mercedes has been growing over time.
Sam introduces Mercedes before she performs "Ain't No Way." "Now, ladies and gentleman, Ms. Mercedes Jones." He smiles and says her name with such pride, as if he already admires her. Sam introduced everyone, but this was the first time the camera showed his face as he said the performer's name. Then we see him running to his seat so he can watch her sing. Its so cute. After Mercedes performs Sam is the first to stand up and applaud her. He jumps out of his seat and we see him smiling excitedly.
We can look at the lyrics of "Ain't No Way," from a Samcedes p.o.v.
"Ain't no way for me to love you, if you won't let me/ I know that a woman's duty is to help and love a man, and that's the way it was planned/ It just ain't no way for me to love you, if you won't let me/ Stop trying to be something you're not/ If you need me to love you say you do/ Baby don't you know that I need you/ Ain't no way for me to love you if you won't let me."
Mercedes is ready to fall in love and Sam is the right one for her but neither of them knows it yet. Sam needs someone to love him properly, which none of his girlfriends have done thus far. He needs someone to love him right, and Mercedes can do that but she can't unless he allows her to. "Stop trying to be something you're not," Sam has been trying so hard to be popular and be who he thinks other people want him to be, and not really who he is. He can only love Mercedes and Mercedes can only love him when/if he starts being his self. Really, they both have what the other needs, but they don't know it. Mercedes is finally open and ready for love, all we need now is for Sam to "stop being someone" he's not and take notice.
Also, Rachel tells Mercedes that it was the MC at the state fair who crowned Aretha as the Queen of Soul. Mercedes is clearly Aretha in this episode, and who is the MC? Its Sam! Mercedes wins over the audience and closes the benefit after Sam introduces her. Perhaps this is alluding to Sam turning Mercedes into a "queen." Perhaps he will give her confidence and encouragement she never had before.
Showing posts with label mercedes jones. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mercedes jones. Show all posts
Monday, January 30, 2012
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Samcedes Episode Analysis: 2.16 Original Song
Samcedes Episode Analysis: 2.16 Original Song
by Akilah
Sam: Santana has written a song for Sam titled "Trouty Mouth." The lyrics make fun of his lips. She sings it in front of the glee club in the choir room.
"Guppy Face, Trouty Mouth/ Is that how people's lips look where you come from in the South/ Grouper Mouth, Froggy Lips/ I love suckin' on those salamander lips/ Wanna put a fish hook in those lips so cherry red/ If you tried hard enough you could suck a baby's head"
Sam covers his mouth and even tries to make his lips smaller while listening to the song. His fellow ND members let out small chuckles. He finally explodes. He jumps out of his seat and tells Santana to stop it with the mouth jokes. We can assume that she regularly pokes fun of him, but he reached his breaking point during the song.
When Puck performs "Big Ass Heart," Sam snaps his fingers and sways along. Santana doesn't like it and gives him a look, trying to control his behavior. He shrugs and makes a gesture that says, "what now!" Its quick but its confrontational. He's clearly growing tired of her crap. This relationship is officially making him miserable.
After Mercedes performs "Hell to the No," Santana says she wrote another verse to "Trouty Mouth." We see Sam pick up his notebook and flash the "Hell No," sign he created during Mercedes performance. He's finally starting to speak up for himself.
Mercedes: Mercedes wrote a song called "Hell to the No," and performs it for ND. She sings it with confidence.
"They tried to take away my tots/ I said hell to the no/ Yeah, 'cause I'm the one that calls the shots/ And I say hell to the no/ I'm not trying to diva out/ But this shows gotta stop so shout/ Try to make me change my eats/ But baby that just isn't me/ I'm a whole lot of/ oh, oh, oh, hell to the no/ Take me you can leave me but I won't ever change/ If you don't like the rules don't play my game/ Talk to me to get R-E-S-P-E-C-T, but if I don't, it's all in me."
This is Mercedes' anthem. She's a confident young woman who isn't going to let anyone change her. The song alludes to "Take Me or Leave Me," with its themes. Its a song of self-acceptance and willing everyone else around you to accept you too. Mercedes says if you don't like her than fine, she likes herself anyway. "Its all in me," as she says. Shes strong and independent, but shes also prideful.
Mr. Schue tells her its a great performance, but the song still isn't good enough for regionals. The group sings Rachel's original song instead. Again, Mr. Schuester tells Mercedes that she isn't good enough while Rachel is chosen as MVP again. Perhaps its not that Mercedes isn't good enough, it could be that she just doesn't match Mr. Schuester idea of what ND should be.
Mercedes finds herself in the same exact position at regionals as she was at sectionals. Shes background to Rachel and Finn but fills in on the high notes that no one but she can reach. The New Directions have not progressed at all. Especially not for Mercedes. No wonder she rebels in 3.03. Things were never going to change unless she forced them to.
Samcedes: Sam really likes Mercedes original song. He liked it so much that he decided to participate in it by writing "HELL NO," in his notebook and flashing it while she sang in front of him. I think Sam was really impressed by Mercedes confidence in this performance. Her song was all about being who she is no matter what people think, and Sam admired that. I think he found it incredibly attractive, since he is the opposite. He cares too much about what others think, that's why he allows himself to be so easily manipulated by people.
Sam put up the "HELL NO," sign after Santana said she had another verse of Trouty Mouth. Symbolically, Mercedes had inspired Sam to stand up for himself. He used Mercedes words to protect himself against Santana.
At regionals, Sam and Mercedes both like "Jesus is a Friend," the song performed by Oral Intensity. You see Mercedes smiling and clapping along. Sam closes his eyes and rocks his head side to side as he grooves to it.They are the only member of ND who seem to enjoy the song.
The two dance together in "Loser Like Me," and hop down the steps together as Sam has his arm around Mercedes.
by Akilah
Sam: Santana has written a song for Sam titled "Trouty Mouth." The lyrics make fun of his lips. She sings it in front of the glee club in the choir room.
"Guppy Face, Trouty Mouth/ Is that how people's lips look where you come from in the South/ Grouper Mouth, Froggy Lips/ I love suckin' on those salamander lips/ Wanna put a fish hook in those lips so cherry red/ If you tried hard enough you could suck a baby's head"
Sam covers his mouth and even tries to make his lips smaller while listening to the song. His fellow ND members let out small chuckles. He finally explodes. He jumps out of his seat and tells Santana to stop it with the mouth jokes. We can assume that she regularly pokes fun of him, but he reached his breaking point during the song.
When Puck performs "Big Ass Heart," Sam snaps his fingers and sways along. Santana doesn't like it and gives him a look, trying to control his behavior. He shrugs and makes a gesture that says, "what now!" Its quick but its confrontational. He's clearly growing tired of her crap. This relationship is officially making him miserable.
After Mercedes performs "Hell to the No," Santana says she wrote another verse to "Trouty Mouth." We see Sam pick up his notebook and flash the "Hell No," sign he created during Mercedes performance. He's finally starting to speak up for himself.
Mercedes: Mercedes wrote a song called "Hell to the No," and performs it for ND. She sings it with confidence.
"They tried to take away my tots/ I said hell to the no/ Yeah, 'cause I'm the one that calls the shots/ And I say hell to the no/ I'm not trying to diva out/ But this shows gotta stop so shout/ Try to make me change my eats/ But baby that just isn't me/ I'm a whole lot of/ oh, oh, oh, hell to the no/ Take me you can leave me but I won't ever change/ If you don't like the rules don't play my game/ Talk to me to get R-E-S-P-E-C-T, but if I don't, it's all in me."
This is Mercedes' anthem. She's a confident young woman who isn't going to let anyone change her. The song alludes to "Take Me or Leave Me," with its themes. Its a song of self-acceptance and willing everyone else around you to accept you too. Mercedes says if you don't like her than fine, she likes herself anyway. "Its all in me," as she says. Shes strong and independent, but shes also prideful.
Mr. Schue tells her its a great performance, but the song still isn't good enough for regionals. The group sings Rachel's original song instead. Again, Mr. Schuester tells Mercedes that she isn't good enough while Rachel is chosen as MVP again. Perhaps its not that Mercedes isn't good enough, it could be that she just doesn't match Mr. Schuester idea of what ND should be.
Mercedes finds herself in the same exact position at regionals as she was at sectionals. Shes background to Rachel and Finn but fills in on the high notes that no one but she can reach. The New Directions have not progressed at all. Especially not for Mercedes. No wonder she rebels in 3.03. Things were never going to change unless she forced them to.
Samcedes: Sam really likes Mercedes original song. He liked it so much that he decided to participate in it by writing "HELL NO," in his notebook and flashing it while she sang in front of him. I think Sam was really impressed by Mercedes confidence in this performance. Her song was all about being who she is no matter what people think, and Sam admired that. I think he found it incredibly attractive, since he is the opposite. He cares too much about what others think, that's why he allows himself to be so easily manipulated by people.
Sam put up the "HELL NO," sign after Santana said she had another verse of Trouty Mouth. Symbolically, Mercedes had inspired Sam to stand up for himself. He used Mercedes words to protect himself against Santana.
At regionals, Sam and Mercedes both like "Jesus is a Friend," the song performed by Oral Intensity. You see Mercedes smiling and clapping along. Sam closes his eyes and rocks his head side to side as he grooves to it.They are the only member of ND who seem to enjoy the song.
The two dance together in "Loser Like Me," and hop down the steps together as Sam has his arm around Mercedes.
Samcedes Episode Analysis: 2.15 Sexy
Samcedes Episode Analysis: 2.15 Sexy
by Akilah
Mercedes: She's barely in this one.
After Holly Holiday tries to give a condom demonstration by using a cucumber, Mercedes and Finn think they can get STDs from the vegetable. "I had cucumber on my salad at lunch." Mercedes says. This scene is mostly for laughs, but it also shows how innocent Mercedes is.
When Ms. Holiday visits the choir room Mercedes, embarrassed, shrinks into her seat and says, "Oh, no. Its the salad lady."
Sam: Sam's new girlfriend is cheating on him with her best female friend. Its pretty obvious that Santana is in love with Britney based on the girls performance of "Landslide," but he doesn't seem to notice, maybe because he doesn't care enough.
"Its pretty cool that our girlfriends are such good friends right," Sam says to Artie. "I wish you and I were that close." Its funny because he doesn't get it. Artie even knows something is going on. He gives Sam the side-eye. Again, this is partly due to Sam's inability to "read" certain situations.
When Santana approaches Brittany about starting a real relationship with her, Brittany tells her she can't because she's with Artie. Santana responds, "he's just a stupid boy." This reveals how Santana feels about Sam. He's just a "stupid boy," whom she can use as a beard and sexual object. He's nothing more to her than that. Sam may not be aware of the extent that he's being used, but I doubt he cares. He's also using Santana.
Samcedes: There's really nothing to say here. They both were background this episode, each getting about one or two lines. I can't think of anything.
by Akilah
Mercedes: She's barely in this one.
After Holly Holiday tries to give a condom demonstration by using a cucumber, Mercedes and Finn think they can get STDs from the vegetable. "I had cucumber on my salad at lunch." Mercedes says. This scene is mostly for laughs, but it also shows how innocent Mercedes is.
When Ms. Holiday visits the choir room Mercedes, embarrassed, shrinks into her seat and says, "Oh, no. Its the salad lady."
Sam: Sam's new girlfriend is cheating on him with her best female friend. Its pretty obvious that Santana is in love with Britney based on the girls performance of "Landslide," but he doesn't seem to notice, maybe because he doesn't care enough.
"Its pretty cool that our girlfriends are such good friends right," Sam says to Artie. "I wish you and I were that close." Its funny because he doesn't get it. Artie even knows something is going on. He gives Sam the side-eye. Again, this is partly due to Sam's inability to "read" certain situations.
When Santana approaches Brittany about starting a real relationship with her, Brittany tells her she can't because she's with Artie. Santana responds, "he's just a stupid boy." This reveals how Santana feels about Sam. He's just a "stupid boy," whom she can use as a beard and sexual object. He's nothing more to her than that. Sam may not be aware of the extent that he's being used, but I doubt he cares. He's also using Santana.
Samcedes: There's really nothing to say here. They both were background this episode, each getting about one or two lines. I can't think of anything.
Samcedes Episode Analysis: 2.14 Blame It On The Alcohol
Samcedes Episode Analysis: 2.14 Blame it on The Alcohol
by Akilah
Sam and Mercedes are background for the remainder of the 2nd arc of season 2, 2.14 - 2.16. Their respective story lines will reemerge in the 3rd arc, starting with episode 2.17
Mercedes: Mercedes decides to attend Rachel Berry's party because Santana and Brittany have decided to attend, which was only based on the assumption that alcohol will be served. At the party we see Mercedes playing beer pong, taking shots and dancing with friends while holding two red solo cups full of alcohol in her hands. Finn describes her and Tina as "happy girl drunks," and we see both girls sitting on the couch laughing.
Mercedes, like the rest of ND, gets a hangover the next day.
Sam: The first time we see Sam in the episode, he's making out on the couch with Santana at Rachel's party. Its clear that his relationship with Santana is predominately sexual. We see Sam slapping Santana's ass to the beat of Blaine and Rachel's duet. He's gotten much farther with Santana than he ever got with Quinn. He's able to explore his sexual side in this relationship, after being sexually repressed with Quinn.
Sam kisses Brittany during spin the bottle and Santana becomes possessive. It's not clear who shes really jealous of, Brittany or Sam.
Samcedes: After the group performs "Blame It on the Alcohol" Mr. Schuester has a talk with the club. Sam and Mercedes both give him a thumbs up at the same time. They are the only members of ND to do so.
Before performing "Tic Toc," Samcedes completes each others sentences. "We haven't had enough rehearsal," Sam says. "Or any at all," Mercedes completes.
Sam and Mercedes dance next to eachother for part of "Tic Toc."
by Akilah
Sam and Mercedes are background for the remainder of the 2nd arc of season 2, 2.14 - 2.16. Their respective story lines will reemerge in the 3rd arc, starting with episode 2.17
Mercedes: Mercedes decides to attend Rachel Berry's party because Santana and Brittany have decided to attend, which was only based on the assumption that alcohol will be served. At the party we see Mercedes playing beer pong, taking shots and dancing with friends while holding two red solo cups full of alcohol in her hands. Finn describes her and Tina as "happy girl drunks," and we see both girls sitting on the couch laughing.
Mercedes, like the rest of ND, gets a hangover the next day.
Sam: The first time we see Sam in the episode, he's making out on the couch with Santana at Rachel's party. Its clear that his relationship with Santana is predominately sexual. We see Sam slapping Santana's ass to the beat of Blaine and Rachel's duet. He's gotten much farther with Santana than he ever got with Quinn. He's able to explore his sexual side in this relationship, after being sexually repressed with Quinn.
Sam kisses Brittany during spin the bottle and Santana becomes possessive. It's not clear who shes really jealous of, Brittany or Sam.
Samcedes: After the group performs "Blame It on the Alcohol" Mr. Schuester has a talk with the club. Sam and Mercedes both give him a thumbs up at the same time. They are the only members of ND to do so.
Before performing "Tic Toc," Samcedes completes each others sentences. "We haven't had enough rehearsal," Sam says. "Or any at all," Mercedes completes.
Sam and Mercedes dance next to eachother for part of "Tic Toc."
Samcedes Episode Analysis: 2.13 Comeback (Part 2)
Samcedes Episode Analysis: 2.13 Comeback (Part 2)
By Akilah
Mercedes: While Sam was trying on a new persona, Mercedes was standing firm in who she is. In this episode we see Mercedes distinguish herself from her classmates as someone who refuses to conform to other people's expectations. She sings a song of self-acceptance and expresses her desire for someone to take her as she is.
Sue Sylvester is bored so she decides to destroy the glee club by having its members turn against each other. She goes for the obvious conflict, Mercedes versus Rachel. Sue asks both girls what it means to be a diva.
"Being a diva is all about attitude, something I know you're not short on," Mercedes tells Sue. "Its all about sassy fingers and shaking that weave and generally taking no nonsense from nobody." This is Mercedes philosophy. This is the face she shows the world. This is what she aspires to be. She's already a diva, but she doesn't quite fall in line with everything she said, at least not yet. Specifically the "taking no nonsense from nobody," part. Mercedes may not accept straight out disrespect, but she does allow the ND leadership to walk all over her sometimes. We'll see this in episode 2.17. But shes a work in progress.
Sue tells her that Rachel said she's not that talented. Sue has also told Rachel the same thing. Its lies, but its enough for both girls to fall for it. "Just when I thought we were friends," Mercedes tells Rachel. The frenemies are at it once again. There has been a "regression" in the Rachel/Mercedes relationship.
Mercedes sees Sam, as well as most of the other ND boys, walk into the choir room dressed as Justin Beiber. "Who bought tickets to crazy town." Mercedes says as she rolls her eyes and throws her head back. She hates inauthenticity. She's the only girl in ND, besides Lauren, who didn't dress like Rachel Berry via Britney. Mercedes is her own person and always will be.
Mercedes and Rachel sing "Take Me or Leave Me," these are Mercedes lyrics:
"Take me for what I am, who I was meant to be/ Take me baby or leave me/ A tiger in a cage can never see the sun, this diva needs her stage/ Baby lets have fun/ You are the one I choose, folks will kill to fill your shoes/ You'll love the limelight too, baby/ So be mine and don't waste my time/ No way can I be what I'm not/ Take me baby or leave me."
This song is about accepting who you are and telling your partner that they must accept you, flaws and all, or they can leave. Mercedes is who she is and will not change for anyone. She is authentic and hates inauthenticity. She is single, but from the song we learn the ground rules that Mercedes has already laid out for any future relationship. She knows her worth, and knows that anyone she chooses to be with is fortunate. She will not tolerate repression or someone trying to change who she is.
At the end of the song, Rachel and Mercedes hug. They are friends again. Mercedes talks about not taking crap, but shes very quick to make-up and pretend that all is well within ND. This hug is a contrast to episode 3.03, when Mercedes and Rachel compete for the role of Maria and Rachel wants to placate Mercedes with a hug. Mercedes refuses that time, finally no longer willing to accept second best. But this is still episode 2.13 and Mercedes isn't there yet. We will see Mercedes take steps toward becoming the diva she aspires to be in episode 2.17.
Samcedes: Sam goes from one repressive relationship predicated on popularity to another relationship that's even more repressive and is based solely on popularity and sex. Mercedes sings a song about being who she is and only accepting a relationship with someone who will accept her for all that she is. Sam desperately needs to listen to the lyrics of this song and learn a thing or two.
Mercedes says that being a diva is about attitude and taking no nonsense from nobody. Sam could learn from that as well. He's taken plenty of "nonsense" and disrespect from the girls he's been involved with as well as from Finn.
Mercedes could also learn from Sam. He proudly sings "Somebody to Love," and means it. He's vulnerable and wears his heart on his sleeve. Love is a good thing to Sam and he can teach Mercedes that opening herself up to that isn't so bad after all.
By Akilah
Mercedes: While Sam was trying on a new persona, Mercedes was standing firm in who she is. In this episode we see Mercedes distinguish herself from her classmates as someone who refuses to conform to other people's expectations. She sings a song of self-acceptance and expresses her desire for someone to take her as she is.
Sue Sylvester is bored so she decides to destroy the glee club by having its members turn against each other. She goes for the obvious conflict, Mercedes versus Rachel. Sue asks both girls what it means to be a diva.
"Being a diva is all about attitude, something I know you're not short on," Mercedes tells Sue. "Its all about sassy fingers and shaking that weave and generally taking no nonsense from nobody." This is Mercedes philosophy. This is the face she shows the world. This is what she aspires to be. She's already a diva, but she doesn't quite fall in line with everything she said, at least not yet. Specifically the "taking no nonsense from nobody," part. Mercedes may not accept straight out disrespect, but she does allow the ND leadership to walk all over her sometimes. We'll see this in episode 2.17. But shes a work in progress.
Sue tells her that Rachel said she's not that talented. Sue has also told Rachel the same thing. Its lies, but its enough for both girls to fall for it. "Just when I thought we were friends," Mercedes tells Rachel. The frenemies are at it once again. There has been a "regression" in the Rachel/Mercedes relationship.
Mercedes sees Sam, as well as most of the other ND boys, walk into the choir room dressed as Justin Beiber. "Who bought tickets to crazy town." Mercedes says as she rolls her eyes and throws her head back. She hates inauthenticity. She's the only girl in ND, besides Lauren, who didn't dress like Rachel Berry via Britney. Mercedes is her own person and always will be.
Mercedes and Rachel sing "Take Me or Leave Me," these are Mercedes lyrics:
"Take me for what I am, who I was meant to be/ Take me baby or leave me/ A tiger in a cage can never see the sun, this diva needs her stage/ Baby lets have fun/ You are the one I choose, folks will kill to fill your shoes/ You'll love the limelight too, baby/ So be mine and don't waste my time/ No way can I be what I'm not/ Take me baby or leave me."
This song is about accepting who you are and telling your partner that they must accept you, flaws and all, or they can leave. Mercedes is who she is and will not change for anyone. She is authentic and hates inauthenticity. She is single, but from the song we learn the ground rules that Mercedes has already laid out for any future relationship. She knows her worth, and knows that anyone she chooses to be with is fortunate. She will not tolerate repression or someone trying to change who she is.
At the end of the song, Rachel and Mercedes hug. They are friends again. Mercedes talks about not taking crap, but shes very quick to make-up and pretend that all is well within ND. This hug is a contrast to episode 3.03, when Mercedes and Rachel compete for the role of Maria and Rachel wants to placate Mercedes with a hug. Mercedes refuses that time, finally no longer willing to accept second best. But this is still episode 2.13 and Mercedes isn't there yet. We will see Mercedes take steps toward becoming the diva she aspires to be in episode 2.17.
Samcedes: Sam goes from one repressive relationship predicated on popularity to another relationship that's even more repressive and is based solely on popularity and sex. Mercedes sings a song about being who she is and only accepting a relationship with someone who will accept her for all that she is. Sam desperately needs to listen to the lyrics of this song and learn a thing or two.
Mercedes says that being a diva is about attitude and taking no nonsense from nobody. Sam could learn from that as well. He's taken plenty of "nonsense" and disrespect from the girls he's been involved with as well as from Finn.
Mercedes could also learn from Sam. He proudly sings "Somebody to Love," and means it. He's vulnerable and wears his heart on his sleeve. Love is a good thing to Sam and he can teach Mercedes that opening herself up to that isn't so bad after all.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Samcedes Episode Analysis: 2.13 Comeback (Part 1)
Samcedes Episodes Analysis: 2.13 Comeback (Part 1)
by Akilah
Sam: Mr. Scheuster writes "Regressar," on the board in the beginning of the episode. He says that it means to "come back." In this episode Sam tries to make a "comeback" into Quinn's heart. But what Mr. Schuester fails to point out is that "regressar" also means to regress. Sam's attempt to maintain Quinn's interests leads him to regress and undermine some of the character growth he has achieved thus far. This regression will put him into a new relationship that is an even more cynical version of the relationship he has with Quinn. But as the old adage goes, sometimes we take one step forward and two steps back. Let's look at Sam in 2.13.
Sam sees Quinn in the hallway and greets her with a kiss on the cheek. "I want to confirm our date on Friday at Color Me Mine," he says. Quinn stares at him in disbelief, "Wait, you were serious about that," she says. "It's painting coasters time," Sam says. Quinn looks at him like shes seeing him for the first time. Its as if she doesn't even know him or why shes dating him.
"So, we good for Friday?" Sam says. Quinn gives a reluctant "yeah." "I think so, I mean, I don't think I have anything else to do." Showing that she's not really interested in spending time with Sam. He's not enough to hold her attention any longer. She walks away with a fictitious smile, masking her disinterest in him.
Sam has a voice over and says "things have been weird ever since Quinn got Mono. People keep telling me that she must have kissed Finn, but I believe her when she told me what really happened." We then see Quinn and Sam sitting at the piano side by side, neither one looking at the other. Sam looks angry and is staring straight ahead. Quinn is looking out into the distance as she tells him her version of events. "I didn't kiss Finn, Sam. I saved his life." We see the story Quinn has fabricated. Finn is at his kissing booth and chokes on a gumball. Quinn comes to the rescue and sucks the ball out of his mouth.
"I totally almost choked on a gumball once," Sam says. Its sad to see how sincere he is. He desperately wants to believe her. He chooses to see the best in Quinn. We see Quinn's reaction and at first she looks guilty, like she knows she shouldn't be playing games with someone so earnest. Especially someone who really cares about her and sees the best in her. But then she laughs. She clearly thinks Sam is a joke.
"I just get the feeling that I'm losing her. I can't let that happen." We see Quinn greet Finn and she looks genuinely interested and happy to see him. Its a contrast to the way she greeted Sam earlier in the episode. Sam watches the whole thing, but he still isn't ready to admit what's happening. "Quinn's the best thing that happened to me since I got to this school." Sam doesn't say that Quinn is the best thing that ever happened to him because she isn't. He frames his relationship with her within the frame of "this school." The whole romance has been predicated on fulfilling certain social roles within Mckinely. Without the school, they have no frame and no relationship. Quinn has already given up her role as head cheerleader so Sam, as her popular football player boyfriend, has to give up his role as her leading man.
Sam knows that Quinn no longer has interest in him as he is, so he decides to become someone else. He picks a new role to play and this time its Justin Beiber. Sam performs "Baby," in the choir room. He says its an anthem and "sums up our generation." Really, "Baby" is Sam's anthem about Quinn. He sings acoustically with the guitar.
"I know you love me, I know you care/ Just shout whenever and I'll be there/ You want my love, you want my heart, and we will never ever be apart."
At this verse, Quinn looks disinterested. She rolls her eyes at Sam. Perhaps because these lyrics are not reflective of how she really feels about him. Her facial expressions read "no," as she looks at him. Sam then drops the guitar and the beat picks up.
"Are we an item, girl quit playing/ We're just friends, what are you saying/ Say there's another and look right in my eyes/ My first love broke my heart for the first time/ And I was like baby, no."
Quinn responds positively at this point. We can interpret this positive response as representative of the relevancy of the lyrics in this verse. This verse is much more reflective of what is actually going on in the Sam/Quinn relationship than the verse before, when Quinn responded negatively.
"For you I would have done whatever, and I just can't believe we ain't together/ I wanna play it cool but I'm losing you/ And I'll buy you anything, I'll buy you any ring/ Please stay, baby fix me/ And just shake me down until you wake me from this bad dream/ I'm going down, down, down/ I can't believe my first love won't be around/ I thought you'd always be mine, I'm gone."
The song sums up the Quinn/Sam relationship quite well. It is their theme song. Quinn was Sam's "first love" (or the closest thing he had to love at this point) who broke his heart "for the first time." He knows that he's "losing her" but isn't quite ready to believe it yet.
Finn and Sam have a confrontation in the locker room. Finn says that "Justin Bieber sucks," and is for 12 year olds. Sam tells him that he shouldn't be "picking up on other guys girlfriends." Finn takes a jab at Sam, "I didn't kiss your girlfriend. She saved my life." Sam is definitely being made a fool of and everyone knows it.
Finn sits next to Quinn in the choir room and assumes that she'll go out with him on Friday. Quinn tells him that she hasn't decided what shes doing yet. Apparently the two have talked about going out before. She was planning to go behind Sam's back again. But now that Sam has taken on this new persona, she has renewed interest in him.
Sam and some of the new members of the Justin Bieber Experience sing "Someone To Love," These are Sam's lyrics:
"For you I'd run a thousand miles, just to get where you are/ I just need somebody to love/ I don't need too much/ I don't need nothing else/ I promise girl I swear, I just need somebody to love."
Sam is someone who needs love and loves being in love. Love is an essential part of his existence. Sam is not someone who wants to be alone. He is proud to say out loud that he needs love. He's pretty much the opposite of our favorite diva, in this regard.
After watching the performance Quinn tells Finn that she can't do Friday. She then tells Sam that she'll be there for their date at Color Me Mine. Santana then approaches him. "So, how's everything going between you and Quinn," Santana asks. "Fine," Sam replies. Santana, always blunt, always able to "read" people and situations says, "No they're not."
Later, Quinn tells Finn that she chooses Sam. "Because of the Justin Bieber Experience?" Finn knows Quinn. She tells him that Sam is an artist, then flirtatiously whispers in his ear, "It really turns me on." If Quinn was ready to move on from Finn then she wouldn't still be flirting with him. Quinn is a girl who wants to maintain power. She doesn't want to let go of Sam and she doesn't want to let go of Finn either. Quinn wants to win, and by having both boys, she feels she can't lose.
At the library Sam shows Santana his James Earl Jones impressions. She gives him a backhanded compliment then tells him that his impressions reveal that he's actually a dork. She hit Sam at the jugular. He knows that he's a dork but tries so hard to hide it. He looks quite sad about Santana's statements, which is just what she wants.
"Which is where I come in. I hereby offer my services as a mistress." Sam tells her that he's dating Quinn. "News just in. She cheated on you." Sam denies it. "Look, I know you're dumber than a bag of wet hair," again, Santana harps on Sam's insecurities. She's very effective in her manipulation of him. She knows that she can get him to do what she want by focusing on the things he feels bad about.
"You know in your heart that she's lying. That gumball story was insane. You're choosing to believe it so you can still be with her." Santana may be a manipulative bitch, but shes honest when she wants to be and can read people like a book. Sam desperately needs to learn how to "read" people in order to become aware of their ulterior motives. This is one valuable thing that Santana will teach him in their miserable and fraudulent relationship.
Santana sweetens the deal, she offers sex and the chance "to show that pastry bag Finn that he can't mess with Sam Evans [...] because you have some buzz at this school." Santana KO's with a one-two punch. She hit on two things that drive Sam, his quest for popularity and the ability to beat Finn at something. But remember, when Sam lets those two things motivate him, he usually ends up in trouble. "Think about it," Santana says.
At the end of the episode Quinn asks Sam if she could borrow one of his shirts for their date. "We're not going to Color Me Mine, and I'm not your boyfriend," Sam says. Quinn is shocked, "Why." Sam turns to her and looks her in the face, "Because you can't look me in the eye right now and tell me that you didn't make out with Finn." Say what you will about Santana, but shes good for something. "I... I want to be with you Sam," Quinn says.
"Forget it okay. No harm no foul." Sam gives up Quinn pretty easily once he's willing to see the truth. He then speaks Navi but remembers that Santana told him not to speak it anymore. Again, Sam is choosing to be with a girl who wants to repress him, and he's going along with it in the name of popularity. This is a "regression" of his character.
Sam walks away from Quinn and the girl is left standing alone in the hall. She tried so hard to win, but ended up losing anyway. Its quite sad for Quinn more than it is for Sam. Having Sam in her life was never really about Sam, it was always about Quinn having control and winning her game. But she lost, again.
"I thought you'd always be mine. I'm gone," plays in the background. The Quinn/Sam union has officially ended.
by Akilah
Sam: Mr. Scheuster writes "Regressar," on the board in the beginning of the episode. He says that it means to "come back." In this episode Sam tries to make a "comeback" into Quinn's heart. But what Mr. Schuester fails to point out is that "regressar" also means to regress. Sam's attempt to maintain Quinn's interests leads him to regress and undermine some of the character growth he has achieved thus far. This regression will put him into a new relationship that is an even more cynical version of the relationship he has with Quinn. But as the old adage goes, sometimes we take one step forward and two steps back. Let's look at Sam in 2.13.
Sam sees Quinn in the hallway and greets her with a kiss on the cheek. "I want to confirm our date on Friday at Color Me Mine," he says. Quinn stares at him in disbelief, "Wait, you were serious about that," she says. "It's painting coasters time," Sam says. Quinn looks at him like shes seeing him for the first time. Its as if she doesn't even know him or why shes dating him.
"So, we good for Friday?" Sam says. Quinn gives a reluctant "yeah." "I think so, I mean, I don't think I have anything else to do." Showing that she's not really interested in spending time with Sam. He's not enough to hold her attention any longer. She walks away with a fictitious smile, masking her disinterest in him.
Sam has a voice over and says "things have been weird ever since Quinn got Mono. People keep telling me that she must have kissed Finn, but I believe her when she told me what really happened." We then see Quinn and Sam sitting at the piano side by side, neither one looking at the other. Sam looks angry and is staring straight ahead. Quinn is looking out into the distance as she tells him her version of events. "I didn't kiss Finn, Sam. I saved his life." We see the story Quinn has fabricated. Finn is at his kissing booth and chokes on a gumball. Quinn comes to the rescue and sucks the ball out of his mouth.
"I totally almost choked on a gumball once," Sam says. Its sad to see how sincere he is. He desperately wants to believe her. He chooses to see the best in Quinn. We see Quinn's reaction and at first she looks guilty, like she knows she shouldn't be playing games with someone so earnest. Especially someone who really cares about her and sees the best in her. But then she laughs. She clearly thinks Sam is a joke.
"I just get the feeling that I'm losing her. I can't let that happen." We see Quinn greet Finn and she looks genuinely interested and happy to see him. Its a contrast to the way she greeted Sam earlier in the episode. Sam watches the whole thing, but he still isn't ready to admit what's happening. "Quinn's the best thing that happened to me since I got to this school." Sam doesn't say that Quinn is the best thing that ever happened to him because she isn't. He frames his relationship with her within the frame of "this school." The whole romance has been predicated on fulfilling certain social roles within Mckinely. Without the school, they have no frame and no relationship. Quinn has already given up her role as head cheerleader so Sam, as her popular football player boyfriend, has to give up his role as her leading man.
Sam knows that Quinn no longer has interest in him as he is, so he decides to become someone else. He picks a new role to play and this time its Justin Beiber. Sam performs "Baby," in the choir room. He says its an anthem and "sums up our generation." Really, "Baby" is Sam's anthem about Quinn. He sings acoustically with the guitar.
"I know you love me, I know you care/ Just shout whenever and I'll be there/ You want my love, you want my heart, and we will never ever be apart."
At this verse, Quinn looks disinterested. She rolls her eyes at Sam. Perhaps because these lyrics are not reflective of how she really feels about him. Her facial expressions read "no," as she looks at him. Sam then drops the guitar and the beat picks up.
"Are we an item, girl quit playing/ We're just friends, what are you saying/ Say there's another and look right in my eyes/ My first love broke my heart for the first time/ And I was like baby, no."
Quinn responds positively at this point. We can interpret this positive response as representative of the relevancy of the lyrics in this verse. This verse is much more reflective of what is actually going on in the Sam/Quinn relationship than the verse before, when Quinn responded negatively.
"For you I would have done whatever, and I just can't believe we ain't together/ I wanna play it cool but I'm losing you/ And I'll buy you anything, I'll buy you any ring/ Please stay, baby fix me/ And just shake me down until you wake me from this bad dream/ I'm going down, down, down/ I can't believe my first love won't be around/ I thought you'd always be mine, I'm gone."
The song sums up the Quinn/Sam relationship quite well. It is their theme song. Quinn was Sam's "first love" (or the closest thing he had to love at this point) who broke his heart "for the first time." He knows that he's "losing her" but isn't quite ready to believe it yet.
Finn and Sam have a confrontation in the locker room. Finn says that "Justin Bieber sucks," and is for 12 year olds. Sam tells him that he shouldn't be "picking up on other guys girlfriends." Finn takes a jab at Sam, "I didn't kiss your girlfriend. She saved my life." Sam is definitely being made a fool of and everyone knows it.
Finn sits next to Quinn in the choir room and assumes that she'll go out with him on Friday. Quinn tells him that she hasn't decided what shes doing yet. Apparently the two have talked about going out before. She was planning to go behind Sam's back again. But now that Sam has taken on this new persona, she has renewed interest in him.
Sam and some of the new members of the Justin Bieber Experience sing "Someone To Love," These are Sam's lyrics:
"For you I'd run a thousand miles, just to get where you are/ I just need somebody to love/ I don't need too much/ I don't need nothing else/ I promise girl I swear, I just need somebody to love."
Sam is someone who needs love and loves being in love. Love is an essential part of his existence. Sam is not someone who wants to be alone. He is proud to say out loud that he needs love. He's pretty much the opposite of our favorite diva, in this regard.
After watching the performance Quinn tells Finn that she can't do Friday. She then tells Sam that she'll be there for their date at Color Me Mine. Santana then approaches him. "So, how's everything going between you and Quinn," Santana asks. "Fine," Sam replies. Santana, always blunt, always able to "read" people and situations says, "No they're not."
Later, Quinn tells Finn that she chooses Sam. "Because of the Justin Bieber Experience?" Finn knows Quinn. She tells him that Sam is an artist, then flirtatiously whispers in his ear, "It really turns me on." If Quinn was ready to move on from Finn then she wouldn't still be flirting with him. Quinn is a girl who wants to maintain power. She doesn't want to let go of Sam and she doesn't want to let go of Finn either. Quinn wants to win, and by having both boys, she feels she can't lose.
At the library Sam shows Santana his James Earl Jones impressions. She gives him a backhanded compliment then tells him that his impressions reveal that he's actually a dork. She hit Sam at the jugular. He knows that he's a dork but tries so hard to hide it. He looks quite sad about Santana's statements, which is just what she wants.
"Which is where I come in. I hereby offer my services as a mistress." Sam tells her that he's dating Quinn. "News just in. She cheated on you." Sam denies it. "Look, I know you're dumber than a bag of wet hair," again, Santana harps on Sam's insecurities. She's very effective in her manipulation of him. She knows that she can get him to do what she want by focusing on the things he feels bad about.
"You know in your heart that she's lying. That gumball story was insane. You're choosing to believe it so you can still be with her." Santana may be a manipulative bitch, but shes honest when she wants to be and can read people like a book. Sam desperately needs to learn how to "read" people in order to become aware of their ulterior motives. This is one valuable thing that Santana will teach him in their miserable and fraudulent relationship.
Santana sweetens the deal, she offers sex and the chance "to show that pastry bag Finn that he can't mess with Sam Evans [...] because you have some buzz at this school." Santana KO's with a one-two punch. She hit on two things that drive Sam, his quest for popularity and the ability to beat Finn at something. But remember, when Sam lets those two things motivate him, he usually ends up in trouble. "Think about it," Santana says.
At the end of the episode Quinn asks Sam if she could borrow one of his shirts for their date. "We're not going to Color Me Mine, and I'm not your boyfriend," Sam says. Quinn is shocked, "Why." Sam turns to her and looks her in the face, "Because you can't look me in the eye right now and tell me that you didn't make out with Finn." Say what you will about Santana, but shes good for something. "I... I want to be with you Sam," Quinn says.
"Forget it okay. No harm no foul." Sam gives up Quinn pretty easily once he's willing to see the truth. He then speaks Navi but remembers that Santana told him not to speak it anymore. Again, Sam is choosing to be with a girl who wants to repress him, and he's going along with it in the name of popularity. This is a "regression" of his character.
Sam walks away from Quinn and the girl is left standing alone in the hall. She tried so hard to win, but ended up losing anyway. Its quite sad for Quinn more than it is for Sam. Having Sam in her life was never really about Sam, it was always about Quinn having control and winning her game. But she lost, again.
"I thought you'd always be mine. I'm gone," plays in the background. The Quinn/Sam union has officially ended.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Samcedes Episode Analysis: 2.07 The Substitute
Samcedes Episode Analysis: 2.07 The Substitute
by Akilah
Mercedes: Kurt is livid as he tells Mercedes about Rachel taking over the glee club since Mr. Schue has been absent. Mercedes tries to comfort him, "We'll forget all about it tonight while bowling." Mercedes confidence that they'll "forget about it" indicates that they usually forget about their problems when they hang out together. They are each other's comfort and companionship. Except this time, Kurt has other plans. "I can't, Blaine asked me to hang out." Mercedes is disappointed, she has been "looking forward to it all week." Hanging out with Kurt was suppose to be the best thing about her week. I imagine when she's with him he helps her "forget all about," the crappy things going on in her life, whether those things be ND, school or anything else.
Mercedes asks Kurt if he and Blaine are secretly dating which Kurt denies. "It's just nice to have someone to talk to," he says. Mercedes pauses and her facial expression changes. She looks insulted. "What is that suppose to mean," she asks. Mercedes has always been his confidant, and he's always been hers, but now it sounds as if hes saying that he can't talk to her. "It means someone like me," he says. These two are not communicating like they use to. Mercedes just isn't enough for Kurt any more, and when they do talk, sometimes their words are misconstrued. Kurt says that he wants to communicate with someone who understands him, who is also gay, but Mercedes only hears rejection.
Its another day and Mercedes is going over her plans for their shopping trip. Again, Kurt has other plans. "Oh, I forgot," he says. He forgot to communicate with her that he and Blaine were going to see Rent at the community theatre. "Blaine got us tickets." Mercedes is confused, "Us, as in all of us?" Kurt tells her no, that Blaine could only get two tickets. Once again, Mercedes plans with Kurt have been canceled because of Blaine. Blaine is taking away Mercedes best friend.
Mercedes goes to dinner with Kurt and Blaine who are putting her to sleep with their conversation about gay issues. Blaine takes notice that Mercedes is not interested in the topics they are discussing so he suggests talking about things that interests her. Mercedes perks up, but Kurt suddenly takes over the conversation again, and its back to things that Mercedes doesn't care about.
This is when the communication between Mercedes and Kurt really gets bad. Shes listening to him talk to Blaine but all she can hear is "gay, gay, gay, gay, gay..." She and Kurt no longer speak the same language. Communication between these two has completely fallen apart.
Mercedes is hurt and angry, but she won't admit this to herself. One thing about Mercedes is that she has a lot of pride. She can't handle being vulnerable or allow people to think that she needs them. She has so many walls up that its hard for her to even know what's really going on in her heart. Being a person who is prideful and afraid of being vulnerable, shes a master of deflection. So Mercedes deflects her hurt and loneliness and anger onto tater tots.
I doubt Mercedes was crazy about tater tots before Kurt started dissing her. The tater tots seem to symbolize Mercedes relationship with Kurt. As soon as Kurt cancels their plans and tells her that he can't talk to her the way he can talk to Blaine, Mercedes sees tots and focuses on them. She'd rather not think about what's happening between her Kurt. She doesn't want to deal with the pain of losing him so she turns her attention to something else. When Kurt rejects her for the second time, Mercedes goes to get tots but they are suddenly snatched away by Santana and the other Cheerios via Sue Sylvester. Sue has banned tots from the school. Mercedes tots are gone and there is nothing that she can do about. She can't make the tots come back, just like she can't bring back the old comfortable relationship she had with Kurt. Kurt is being snatched away from her, just like the tots.
Mercedes rather have people think shes angry and obsessed with food than allow them to see her as vulnerable and in need love and companionship. She rebels against the tots ban, starting a protest in the cafeteria, then barging into Sue's office to beg for her tots. Its no use. Tots are gone forever.
Mercedes may not be able to admit her feelings to herself or anyone else, but Kurt can see right through her. He says that he knows she's been lonely and jealous of his relationship with Blaine. He then tells her that he's gotten her a gift. He set her up on a date with Anthony Rashad, a cute black football player. She questions why Kurt picked him. "No reason," Kurt says. "So it doesn't have to do with the fact that he's one of 5 black guys at this school?" Kurt denies it, but its obvious that his race was the main factor is why he picked Anthony. Mercedes is suspicious of Kurt. She doesn't trust him with this aspect of her life.
"I can't take this anymore," Mercedes says. Kurt assumes shes talking about being single and lonely. "Trust me Mercedes, love is just around the corner." Mercedes claims that she wasn't talking about that but about tots. This is a lie. Mercedes was talking about being single and lonely, she just can't admit that to herself or to anyone else.
In the last scene between Kurt and Mercedes, Mercedes is going on about tots, shes even snuck some into the school. Kurt then gets real with her. "You have to stop this," he says. "You're substituting food for love. And most importantly, you're substituting me for a boyfriend." Its harsh. Its true what he says, but its also unfair. Up until recently Kurt was perfectly fine with playing substitute boyfriend/girlfriend with Mercedes, and he'll do it again in 2.08. What makes it worse is that Kurt now has someone else, but Mercedes is more alone then ever.
Kurt offers her reassurance. "You will find somebody, Mercedes," he says. Mercedes is quiet as she listens to him and doesn't reveal too much in her body language or facial expressions. She's closed off from him. "You're right," she says while wearing a small smile. "I gotta go." She walks away but Kurt asks where shes going. She says shes going to check out that Rashad kid, but we never see Rashad again. As she walks off, she looks like shes willing herself not to cry. She gives Kurt a little wave and mouths bye. Kurt watches her as she walks down the hall. Its a sad moment and feels more like a break-up scene than two friends having a spat. I think this was the point where Mercedes feelings for Kurt started to change. He may have been honest with her but he hurt her feelings, and the relationship she had with Kurt was suppose to keep her from getting hurt in the first place. Mercedes got dumped by her substitute boyfriend. Things have changed between Kurtcedes. We won't see these two alone together anymore. From now on there is always at least a third party present when they interact.
I want to talk about the mash-up at the end of the episode, "Singing in The Rain" and "Umbrella." The final song in every episode of Glee speaks to one of the themes of the episode. This mash-up speaks about dedication and loyalty in love and friendship, but also about being ready to let go and move on. Its sung by Mr. Schue and Holly Holiday, but its really a conversation between Kurt and Mercedes. "Singing in the Rain," represents Kurt. In 2.04, when Kurt was going to duet with Sam, he mentioned male duets like the ones seen in "Singing in the rain." "Umbrella" represents Mercedes. Let's look at the lyrics.
Singing in the Rain: "I'm singing in the rain, what a glorious feeling, I'm happy again, I'm laughing at clouds, so dark up above, the sun's in my heart, and I'm ready for love."
Kurt has been going through a lot lately. His father had a brush with death, he's been getting bullied and harrassed by Karofsky, and he's been lonely. He meets Blaine and suddenly he's "happy again." He's found a boy just like him who he can talk to, who takes away his loneliness, and whom he can possibly fall in love with. Blaine is the "sun" in his heart, that the song talks about. He's "ready for love," and that makes everything else endurable. Despite the tough things in his life, "the rain," he can still sing and dance in it. There are still "clouds" and its "dark up above" but he's happy. He stands right in the middle of the rain and knows that everything is ok. He doesn't want or need an "Umbrella," because he's perfectly fine in the rain. He's ready to face the world head on.
Umbrella: "You have my heart, we'll never be worlds apart, with you I'll always share, these fancy things can never come in between, you're part of my entity here for eternity, when the world has dealt its cards, together we'll mend your heart, you can stand under my umbrella."
Mercedes is guarded, but when she lets someone in she really shows them love and compassion. She took in Quinn when Quinn needed a home, and she tried hard to reach Kurt when his father was in a coma. Mercedes love is like an Umbrella. The relationship she has with Kurt is an "umbrella" because its suppose to keep them both from getting hurt. This "umbrella" protects them from the rain of disappointments and hard times in their lives. Mercedes was not ready to let go of Kurt in this episode, he has her "heart," she'll "always share" with him, and he's part of her "entity here for eternity." Mercedes wants to stay under the umbrella with him, but he doesn't want it anymore. Kurt is "singing in the rain" he doesn't want or need an umbrella because he has the "sun" in his heart and he's "ready for love."
Sam: He's barely in this episode. He's even missing from one of the choir room scenes. I've got nothing.
Samcedes: When Rachel takes over Glee club and asks ND which song they would like her to perform for Sectionals, Santana jumps out of her chair ready to attack her. To the left and right of her are seated Sam and Mercedes. When she jumps up, they both grab her and pull her back. Samcedes working together as one. These two are the only characters besides Brittany who know how to handle Santana.
During the mash-up of "Singing in the Rain/Umbrella," Mercedes and Sam are dance partners. They share an "umbrella." Kurt may not want to share Mercedes umbrella anymore but Sam does. At least that's what we see visually in the performance. Really, they look good together and so comfortable while performing.
Kurt tells Mercedes several times in the episode that she'll be finding love soon. This is foreshadowing for Samcedes. The narrative is letting us know that Mercedes will be getting a love interest, but who that would be was still unknown.
by Akilah
Mercedes: Kurt is livid as he tells Mercedes about Rachel taking over the glee club since Mr. Schue has been absent. Mercedes tries to comfort him, "We'll forget all about it tonight while bowling." Mercedes confidence that they'll "forget about it" indicates that they usually forget about their problems when they hang out together. They are each other's comfort and companionship. Except this time, Kurt has other plans. "I can't, Blaine asked me to hang out." Mercedes is disappointed, she has been "looking forward to it all week." Hanging out with Kurt was suppose to be the best thing about her week. I imagine when she's with him he helps her "forget all about," the crappy things going on in her life, whether those things be ND, school or anything else.
Mercedes asks Kurt if he and Blaine are secretly dating which Kurt denies. "It's just nice to have someone to talk to," he says. Mercedes pauses and her facial expression changes. She looks insulted. "What is that suppose to mean," she asks. Mercedes has always been his confidant, and he's always been hers, but now it sounds as if hes saying that he can't talk to her. "It means someone like me," he says. These two are not communicating like they use to. Mercedes just isn't enough for Kurt any more, and when they do talk, sometimes their words are misconstrued. Kurt says that he wants to communicate with someone who understands him, who is also gay, but Mercedes only hears rejection.
Its another day and Mercedes is going over her plans for their shopping trip. Again, Kurt has other plans. "Oh, I forgot," he says. He forgot to communicate with her that he and Blaine were going to see Rent at the community theatre. "Blaine got us tickets." Mercedes is confused, "Us, as in all of us?" Kurt tells her no, that Blaine could only get two tickets. Once again, Mercedes plans with Kurt have been canceled because of Blaine. Blaine is taking away Mercedes best friend.
Mercedes goes to dinner with Kurt and Blaine who are putting her to sleep with their conversation about gay issues. Blaine takes notice that Mercedes is not interested in the topics they are discussing so he suggests talking about things that interests her. Mercedes perks up, but Kurt suddenly takes over the conversation again, and its back to things that Mercedes doesn't care about.
This is when the communication between Mercedes and Kurt really gets bad. Shes listening to him talk to Blaine but all she can hear is "gay, gay, gay, gay, gay..." She and Kurt no longer speak the same language. Communication between these two has completely fallen apart.
Mercedes is hurt and angry, but she won't admit this to herself. One thing about Mercedes is that she has a lot of pride. She can't handle being vulnerable or allow people to think that she needs them. She has so many walls up that its hard for her to even know what's really going on in her heart. Being a person who is prideful and afraid of being vulnerable, shes a master of deflection. So Mercedes deflects her hurt and loneliness and anger onto tater tots.
I doubt Mercedes was crazy about tater tots before Kurt started dissing her. The tater tots seem to symbolize Mercedes relationship with Kurt. As soon as Kurt cancels their plans and tells her that he can't talk to her the way he can talk to Blaine, Mercedes sees tots and focuses on them. She'd rather not think about what's happening between her Kurt. She doesn't want to deal with the pain of losing him so she turns her attention to something else. When Kurt rejects her for the second time, Mercedes goes to get tots but they are suddenly snatched away by Santana and the other Cheerios via Sue Sylvester. Sue has banned tots from the school. Mercedes tots are gone and there is nothing that she can do about. She can't make the tots come back, just like she can't bring back the old comfortable relationship she had with Kurt. Kurt is being snatched away from her, just like the tots.
Mercedes rather have people think shes angry and obsessed with food than allow them to see her as vulnerable and in need love and companionship. She rebels against the tots ban, starting a protest in the cafeteria, then barging into Sue's office to beg for her tots. Its no use. Tots are gone forever.
Mercedes may not be able to admit her feelings to herself or anyone else, but Kurt can see right through her. He says that he knows she's been lonely and jealous of his relationship with Blaine. He then tells her that he's gotten her a gift. He set her up on a date with Anthony Rashad, a cute black football player. She questions why Kurt picked him. "No reason," Kurt says. "So it doesn't have to do with the fact that he's one of 5 black guys at this school?" Kurt denies it, but its obvious that his race was the main factor is why he picked Anthony. Mercedes is suspicious of Kurt. She doesn't trust him with this aspect of her life.
"I can't take this anymore," Mercedes says. Kurt assumes shes talking about being single and lonely. "Trust me Mercedes, love is just around the corner." Mercedes claims that she wasn't talking about that but about tots. This is a lie. Mercedes was talking about being single and lonely, she just can't admit that to herself or to anyone else.
In the last scene between Kurt and Mercedes, Mercedes is going on about tots, shes even snuck some into the school. Kurt then gets real with her. "You have to stop this," he says. "You're substituting food for love. And most importantly, you're substituting me for a boyfriend." Its harsh. Its true what he says, but its also unfair. Up until recently Kurt was perfectly fine with playing substitute boyfriend/girlfriend with Mercedes, and he'll do it again in 2.08. What makes it worse is that Kurt now has someone else, but Mercedes is more alone then ever.
Kurt offers her reassurance. "You will find somebody, Mercedes," he says. Mercedes is quiet as she listens to him and doesn't reveal too much in her body language or facial expressions. She's closed off from him. "You're right," she says while wearing a small smile. "I gotta go." She walks away but Kurt asks where shes going. She says shes going to check out that Rashad kid, but we never see Rashad again. As she walks off, she looks like shes willing herself not to cry. She gives Kurt a little wave and mouths bye. Kurt watches her as she walks down the hall. Its a sad moment and feels more like a break-up scene than two friends having a spat. I think this was the point where Mercedes feelings for Kurt started to change. He may have been honest with her but he hurt her feelings, and the relationship she had with Kurt was suppose to keep her from getting hurt in the first place. Mercedes got dumped by her substitute boyfriend. Things have changed between Kurtcedes. We won't see these two alone together anymore. From now on there is always at least a third party present when they interact.
I want to talk about the mash-up at the end of the episode, "Singing in The Rain" and "Umbrella." The final song in every episode of Glee speaks to one of the themes of the episode. This mash-up speaks about dedication and loyalty in love and friendship, but also about being ready to let go and move on. Its sung by Mr. Schue and Holly Holiday, but its really a conversation between Kurt and Mercedes. "Singing in the Rain," represents Kurt. In 2.04, when Kurt was going to duet with Sam, he mentioned male duets like the ones seen in "Singing in the rain." "Umbrella" represents Mercedes. Let's look at the lyrics.
Singing in the Rain: "I'm singing in the rain, what a glorious feeling, I'm happy again, I'm laughing at clouds, so dark up above, the sun's in my heart, and I'm ready for love."
Kurt has been going through a lot lately. His father had a brush with death, he's been getting bullied and harrassed by Karofsky, and he's been lonely. He meets Blaine and suddenly he's "happy again." He's found a boy just like him who he can talk to, who takes away his loneliness, and whom he can possibly fall in love with. Blaine is the "sun" in his heart, that the song talks about. He's "ready for love," and that makes everything else endurable. Despite the tough things in his life, "the rain," he can still sing and dance in it. There are still "clouds" and its "dark up above" but he's happy. He stands right in the middle of the rain and knows that everything is ok. He doesn't want or need an "Umbrella," because he's perfectly fine in the rain. He's ready to face the world head on.
Umbrella: "You have my heart, we'll never be worlds apart, with you I'll always share, these fancy things can never come in between, you're part of my entity here for eternity, when the world has dealt its cards, together we'll mend your heart, you can stand under my umbrella."
Mercedes is guarded, but when she lets someone in she really shows them love and compassion. She took in Quinn when Quinn needed a home, and she tried hard to reach Kurt when his father was in a coma. Mercedes love is like an Umbrella. The relationship she has with Kurt is an "umbrella" because its suppose to keep them both from getting hurt. This "umbrella" protects them from the rain of disappointments and hard times in their lives. Mercedes was not ready to let go of Kurt in this episode, he has her "heart," she'll "always share" with him, and he's part of her "entity here for eternity." Mercedes wants to stay under the umbrella with him, but he doesn't want it anymore. Kurt is "singing in the rain" he doesn't want or need an umbrella because he has the "sun" in his heart and he's "ready for love."
Sam: He's barely in this episode. He's even missing from one of the choir room scenes. I've got nothing.
Samcedes: When Rachel takes over Glee club and asks ND which song they would like her to perform for Sectionals, Santana jumps out of her chair ready to attack her. To the left and right of her are seated Sam and Mercedes. When she jumps up, they both grab her and pull her back. Samcedes working together as one. These two are the only characters besides Brittany who know how to handle Santana.
During the mash-up of "Singing in the Rain/Umbrella," Mercedes and Sam are dance partners. They share an "umbrella." Kurt may not want to share Mercedes umbrella anymore but Sam does. At least that's what we see visually in the performance. Really, they look good together and so comfortable while performing.
Kurt tells Mercedes several times in the episode that she'll be finding love soon. This is foreshadowing for Samcedes. The narrative is letting us know that Mercedes will be getting a love interest, but who that would be was still unknown.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Samcedes Episode Analysis: 2.05 The Rocky Horror Glee Show (Part 2)
Samcedes Episode Analysis: The Rocky Horror Glee Show 2.05 (Part 2)
by Akilah
Sam: Sam doesn't know what the role of the "creature" is and Quinn defines it for him. "He's a cute blond like you, you'll be perfect for the part," she says. Santana, who is a Cheerio like Quinn, adds "You better start working on those abs." Sam is surrounded by pretty popular girls who are flirting with him and focusing on his good looks. Sam, wanting to impress them, plays along. "Are you kidding me, you can cut glass with these babies," he says. He continues to brag, "I don't have a problem showing off my body."
In the locker room he works out with Finn and Artie and discusses his strick diet. He says that if he skips gym or eats a hotdog, he hates his self for a few days. Its an extremely unhealthy body image to have. Finn questions him on it and Sam responds that if he "wants to be popular and win Quinn for good," then he "has to look the part." This statement shows that Sam is playing a role. He doesn't quite know who he is yet and he's allowing other people to direct him in the play called high school. But the statement also shows that Sam is motivated by popularity, so much so that he's willing to push his body to extremes in order to meet unrealistic expectations of his body. He thinks everything is based on his looks, including his relationship with Quinn. Its quite sad.
Sam may have talked a good game about being comfortable showing off his body, but when its time to get on stage in his little shorts, he's completely insecure. Later, back in the locker room with Finn (his proxy) who is also having body image issues, he lifts the weight off Finn's shoulders both literally and figuratively (Finn was bench pressing, and Sam helped to remove the weight above him). Sam reveals that he also has body image issues. Finn tells Sam that he's perfect, but Sam doesn't agree. Sam then tells Finn to "just be you, and the sexy will flow through."
Why can't Sam take his own advice? Perhaps because he can only recieve validation from others. He's not his own man yet, he still looks to others for guidance and direction, and what people think matters way more than what he thinks. He looks at his perfect abdomin in the mirror and sees fat that clearly isn't there. Maybe this has to do with the symbolic dyslexia. There's a disconnect between what's acutally there, and what he percieves to be there.
Its clear in this episode that Sam is very insecure and is using his body to compensate for his lack of self confidence and sense of identity. Sam is operating on a shallow level. He's shallow with his self, focusing on the physical because he doesn't really know his true (deeper) self yet. He's shallow in his relationships, believeing that the main way to win Quinn is through his body and good looks. He's shallow with other people, not in a malicious way, but in the way that he can't see what's underneath the facade they present to him. Sam is unable to "read" or see beyond the surface of his self or other people. But he is only at the beginning of an incredible arc of character growth.
Samcedes: When Quinn tells Sam that he's cute like Rocky and Santana makes a comment about his abs, Mercedes, who is only sitting one seat away, shakes her head and scrunches up her face in disgust. The conversation is so shallow that its repulsive. Mercedes is anything but shallow, and can't stand to see it in other people. I think its safe to say that she didn't think much of Sam at this point. She probably just saw him as another pretty popular kid, lacking substance. But who can blame her? Sam is playing the role convincingly. Its no wonder she didn't take notice of him until he was mature enough to leave the popularity game behind.
I don't have much commentary about Mercedes and Sam playing Frank and Rocky because I haven't seen the movie. But I do know that Frank created Rocky to be his lover. Perhaps it suggest that Sam is Mercedes perfect man. Unfortunately, the two never interact in the ND production, at least not in what was shown.
by Akilah
Sam: Sam doesn't know what the role of the "creature" is and Quinn defines it for him. "He's a cute blond like you, you'll be perfect for the part," she says. Santana, who is a Cheerio like Quinn, adds "You better start working on those abs." Sam is surrounded by pretty popular girls who are flirting with him and focusing on his good looks. Sam, wanting to impress them, plays along. "Are you kidding me, you can cut glass with these babies," he says. He continues to brag, "I don't have a problem showing off my body."
In the locker room he works out with Finn and Artie and discusses his strick diet. He says that if he skips gym or eats a hotdog, he hates his self for a few days. Its an extremely unhealthy body image to have. Finn questions him on it and Sam responds that if he "wants to be popular and win Quinn for good," then he "has to look the part." This statement shows that Sam is playing a role. He doesn't quite know who he is yet and he's allowing other people to direct him in the play called high school. But the statement also shows that Sam is motivated by popularity, so much so that he's willing to push his body to extremes in order to meet unrealistic expectations of his body. He thinks everything is based on his looks, including his relationship with Quinn. Its quite sad.
Sam may have talked a good game about being comfortable showing off his body, but when its time to get on stage in his little shorts, he's completely insecure. Later, back in the locker room with Finn (his proxy) who is also having body image issues, he lifts the weight off Finn's shoulders both literally and figuratively (Finn was bench pressing, and Sam helped to remove the weight above him). Sam reveals that he also has body image issues. Finn tells Sam that he's perfect, but Sam doesn't agree. Sam then tells Finn to "just be you, and the sexy will flow through."
Why can't Sam take his own advice? Perhaps because he can only recieve validation from others. He's not his own man yet, he still looks to others for guidance and direction, and what people think matters way more than what he thinks. He looks at his perfect abdomin in the mirror and sees fat that clearly isn't there. Maybe this has to do with the symbolic dyslexia. There's a disconnect between what's acutally there, and what he percieves to be there.
Its clear in this episode that Sam is very insecure and is using his body to compensate for his lack of self confidence and sense of identity. Sam is operating on a shallow level. He's shallow with his self, focusing on the physical because he doesn't really know his true (deeper) self yet. He's shallow in his relationships, believeing that the main way to win Quinn is through his body and good looks. He's shallow with other people, not in a malicious way, but in the way that he can't see what's underneath the facade they present to him. Sam is unable to "read" or see beyond the surface of his self or other people. But he is only at the beginning of an incredible arc of character growth.
Samcedes: When Quinn tells Sam that he's cute like Rocky and Santana makes a comment about his abs, Mercedes, who is only sitting one seat away, shakes her head and scrunches up her face in disgust. The conversation is so shallow that its repulsive. Mercedes is anything but shallow, and can't stand to see it in other people. I think its safe to say that she didn't think much of Sam at this point. She probably just saw him as another pretty popular kid, lacking substance. But who can blame her? Sam is playing the role convincingly. Its no wonder she didn't take notice of him until he was mature enough to leave the popularity game behind.
I don't have much commentary about Mercedes and Sam playing Frank and Rocky because I haven't seen the movie. But I do know that Frank created Rocky to be his lover. Perhaps it suggest that Sam is Mercedes perfect man. Unfortunately, the two never interact in the ND production, at least not in what was shown.
Samcedes Episode Analysis: 2.05 The Rocky Horror Glee Show (part 1)
Samcedes Episode Analysis: 2.05 The Rocky Horror Glee Show
by Akilah
Mercedes: "That's part of the arts," Mr. Schuester says. "Doing things people say you can't do, for the sake of self expression." Mercedes takes this message to heart.
The episode begins with Mr. Schuester assigning roles for each ND member to play in the school musical, "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." There are no auditions. Mr. Schue just dumps people into roles that he thinks will "fit" them. Artie plays the guy in the wheelchair. Sam is the sexy blond "creature," Rocky. And Schue wants Kurt to play Frank-n-Furter, the "sweet" transvestite. Kurt refuses. He doesn't want to be stereotyped.
The only people in the cast who pick their roles are Rachel and Finn. Rachel volunteers herself and Finn to play Janet and Brad. Mr. Schue immediately agrees, going along with the status-quo. There are five girls left in ND but only 2 roles. He tells the girls that they will have to double up on Magneta and Columbia. Rachel thinks its a fine idea, since she doesn't have to share her staring role with anyone. "It will preserve your voices," she says as she turns around and looks at Mercedes. Mercedes body language looks defeated and depressed. "I want to preserve you in a jar, in my basement," she says. Its a harsh statement but it shows Mercedes growing resentment towards Rachel and the leadership of ND. Mercedes is tired of being over looked.
The other girls laugh at Rachel's expense, especially Quinn, who is sitting between Mercedes and her new boyfriend Sam Evans. Her chair is much closer to Sam's then it is to Mercedes, symbolizing the distance growing in their relationship as she pursues her quest for popularity and power. Quinn's relationship with Sam is an extension of this.
When the role of Frank opens up, Mercedes jumps at the opportunity. She asks Mr. Schue, meekly, if she could have the part. Mercedes explains to him that shes always dreamed of having a starring role in a musical. She quotes "Rocky Horror," "don't just dream about it, be about it." So she takes initiative and opens herself up to possible rejection because she wants it so badly. Wanting the role of Maria did not come out of thin air in 3.03.
Mr. Schue is shocked that Mercedes wants that role. He doesn't say anything. Its clear that she is not his idea of Frank-N-Furter. He just doesn't see it. He doesn't reject her, nor does he give her the role. Its Sue Sylvester who tells Mercedes "yes."
When Mercedes gets on stage and plays Frank-N-Furter, she is full of confidence and strength. She's wearing a risque outfit and is comfortable with her body. "I'll look sexy in that outfit," she says when giving reasons for wanting to play Frank. And she does. Her security and confidence in her body is juxtaposed to Sam and Finn's insecurity. Sam talked a good game about wanting to show off his abs, but when it comes time to perform, he's more than uncomfortable. Its an interesting contrast that transgresses expectations. Sam is a muscular, blond male athlete with a socially deemed "perfect" body. Yet, he's insecure in it. Mercedes is an "overweight" black woman who is very comfortable in her own skin, and doesn't have a problem showing it off on stage.
Speaking of transgressive, Mercedes is playing a transvestite, an individual who appropriates and takes on attributes of the opposite gender in a socially unacceptable manner. By playing Frank, Mercedes transgresses the role of transvestite. She isn't male, she isn't white, and she isn't thin. She's not at all what Will Schuester imagined for this role. But he is the one who said that the arts are about "doing things people say you can't do for the sake of self expression." Well, Mercedes is doing it.
On the theme of transgressive, Mercedes' Frank is terrifying to Rachel and Finn's Janet and Brad. Mercedes is powerful, confident and strong. Rachel and Finn's Janet and Brad react in an exaggerated version of their real reactions to Mercedes and Santana's "Rive Deep, Mountain High" performance. Mercedes is frightening as Santana and Brittney stand behind her, flanked on either side of her, participating in the seduction and eventual submission of Rachel and Finn's Janet and Brad. Hello, TroubleTones!
Speaking of Santana and Mercedes, its clear in this episode that the two girls, who may not be friends yet, are much more comfortable around each other than before. When Dr. Carl comes to audition for the role of Eddy, he says he doesn't want to play Frank-N-Furter because he would feel uncomfortable grinding up on kids. Santana raises her hand and wears a cheeky expression. Mercedes rolls her eyes and doesn't hesitate to pull the other girl's hand down. Santana does not protest. I don't know any other character, besides Brittany, who could come into Santana's personal space and shut her down before she has an opportunity to insult someone or embarrass herself. They may not be friends, but they understand each other and have developed a mutual respect.
by Akilah
Mercedes: "That's part of the arts," Mr. Schuester says. "Doing things people say you can't do, for the sake of self expression." Mercedes takes this message to heart.
The episode begins with Mr. Schuester assigning roles for each ND member to play in the school musical, "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." There are no auditions. Mr. Schue just dumps people into roles that he thinks will "fit" them. Artie plays the guy in the wheelchair. Sam is the sexy blond "creature," Rocky. And Schue wants Kurt to play Frank-n-Furter, the "sweet" transvestite. Kurt refuses. He doesn't want to be stereotyped.
The only people in the cast who pick their roles are Rachel and Finn. Rachel volunteers herself and Finn to play Janet and Brad. Mr. Schue immediately agrees, going along with the status-quo. There are five girls left in ND but only 2 roles. He tells the girls that they will have to double up on Magneta and Columbia. Rachel thinks its a fine idea, since she doesn't have to share her staring role with anyone. "It will preserve your voices," she says as she turns around and looks at Mercedes. Mercedes body language looks defeated and depressed. "I want to preserve you in a jar, in my basement," she says. Its a harsh statement but it shows Mercedes growing resentment towards Rachel and the leadership of ND. Mercedes is tired of being over looked.
The other girls laugh at Rachel's expense, especially Quinn, who is sitting between Mercedes and her new boyfriend Sam Evans. Her chair is much closer to Sam's then it is to Mercedes, symbolizing the distance growing in their relationship as she pursues her quest for popularity and power. Quinn's relationship with Sam is an extension of this.
When the role of Frank opens up, Mercedes jumps at the opportunity. She asks Mr. Schue, meekly, if she could have the part. Mercedes explains to him that shes always dreamed of having a starring role in a musical. She quotes "Rocky Horror," "don't just dream about it, be about it." So she takes initiative and opens herself up to possible rejection because she wants it so badly. Wanting the role of Maria did not come out of thin air in 3.03.
Mr. Schue is shocked that Mercedes wants that role. He doesn't say anything. Its clear that she is not his idea of Frank-N-Furter. He just doesn't see it. He doesn't reject her, nor does he give her the role. Its Sue Sylvester who tells Mercedes "yes."
When Mercedes gets on stage and plays Frank-N-Furter, she is full of confidence and strength. She's wearing a risque outfit and is comfortable with her body. "I'll look sexy in that outfit," she says when giving reasons for wanting to play Frank. And she does. Her security and confidence in her body is juxtaposed to Sam and Finn's insecurity. Sam talked a good game about wanting to show off his abs, but when it comes time to perform, he's more than uncomfortable. Its an interesting contrast that transgresses expectations. Sam is a muscular, blond male athlete with a socially deemed "perfect" body. Yet, he's insecure in it. Mercedes is an "overweight" black woman who is very comfortable in her own skin, and doesn't have a problem showing it off on stage.
Speaking of transgressive, Mercedes is playing a transvestite, an individual who appropriates and takes on attributes of the opposite gender in a socially unacceptable manner. By playing Frank, Mercedes transgresses the role of transvestite. She isn't male, she isn't white, and she isn't thin. She's not at all what Will Schuester imagined for this role. But he is the one who said that the arts are about "doing things people say you can't do for the sake of self expression." Well, Mercedes is doing it.
On the theme of transgressive, Mercedes' Frank is terrifying to Rachel and Finn's Janet and Brad. Mercedes is powerful, confident and strong. Rachel and Finn's Janet and Brad react in an exaggerated version of their real reactions to Mercedes and Santana's "Rive Deep, Mountain High" performance. Mercedes is frightening as Santana and Brittney stand behind her, flanked on either side of her, participating in the seduction and eventual submission of Rachel and Finn's Janet and Brad. Hello, TroubleTones!
Speaking of Santana and Mercedes, its clear in this episode that the two girls, who may not be friends yet, are much more comfortable around each other than before. When Dr. Carl comes to audition for the role of Eddy, he says he doesn't want to play Frank-N-Furter because he would feel uncomfortable grinding up on kids. Santana raises her hand and wears a cheeky expression. Mercedes rolls her eyes and doesn't hesitate to pull the other girl's hand down. Santana does not protest. I don't know any other character, besides Brittany, who could come into Santana's personal space and shut her down before she has an opportunity to insult someone or embarrass herself. They may not be friends, but they understand each other and have developed a mutual respect.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Samcedes Episode Analysis: 2.04 Duets (part 2)
Samcedes Episode Analysis: 2.04 Duets (Part 2)
by Akilah
Sam: Sam’s dyslexic. He reveals this in the previous episode. So that means that his perception of words sometimes gets skewed and he has a hard time reading. But this is symbolic. Within the Glee narrative, Sam’s perception of people is a little bit off. He can’t always see people for who or what they are. He definitely can not read them. Sam takes people at face value, not really understanding that they may have deeper motivations. This inability to “read” people allows him to be easy to manipulate. In this episode Sam is bounced around all over the place. He’s in and out of people’s schemes and doesn’t even know it. Its going to take Sam quite a while before he gains a clear perception and becomes his own man. But for now, this is where he’s at, so let’s take a look at him in 2.04.
When Mr. Schue introduces Sam as the new member of ND, Finn is so excited that he jumps out of his chair and stands side by side with Sam. He then tells Sam where to sit. Finn sees Sam as someone he can direct, and at this point, Sam is cooperating.
Sam replaced Finn as QB, but he also replaces Finn as Kurt’s new unrequited love interest. Kurt approaches Sam about doing a duet, and also accuses him of dying his hair. When Kurt learns that Sam has never heard of the classic musicals that feature male duet partners, he says “Maybe you are straight.” Sam replies by saying “What,” as if he didn’t quite catch what Kurt said. Its obvious that Kurt is accusing Sam of being a “closet case” and is trying to get closer to him romantically. But Sam can’t see this. Again, he’s unable to read people and see through to their motivations.
Finn approaches Kurt and doesn’t want him to take advantage of Sam, but he and Rachel plot and make their own plans for using Sam. They decide that Sam should win the competition so that ND can blieve in him. This act of generosity is completely shallow and surface. Finn and Rachel don’t really want anyone else to “win” or lead in ND but them. Sam is just a tool in their quest to keep power. Letting Sam win is just a symbolic gesture to keep the rest to the club from rebeling against them. Sam is nothing more than a tool in their quest to hold onto the leadership in ND.
When Finn confronts Sam about singing with Kurt, Sam doesn’t see the big deal. Finn tells him that if it got out, that he could jeopardize his popularity. Sam says that Finn is confusing his head, since Finn is the one who told him that Glee club is cool, now he’s telling him that it potentially marks him for bullying. Finn has been manipulating Sam since day one. Sam just doesn’t have the perception skills to be able to see this.
Sam tells Finn that he gave Kurt his word and in his “world, that’s that.” Its refreshing and immediatley sets him apart from Finn and other members of ND. Sam is willing to embarrass his self in order to maintain his integrity. He’s loyal and trustworthy. Let’s compare this to what Finn did to Artie in 2.03. No wonder Finn is taken aback. He thought Sam was just a blond version of himself.
We learn that Sam is primarily motivated by two things, popularity and integrity. These two things can’t always co-exist, as Sam learns when he leaves the locker room and is attacked by slushies. Welcome to New Directions.
Quinn witnesses this and helps him clean up. There’s attraction and they do a lot of eye gazing. They are a perfect picture, until Sam opens his mouth. He speaks in Navi and Quinn is not impressed. She rolls her eyes and looks embarassed for him. But Sam continues. He can’t quite pick up on the fact that she doesn’t like it and thinks he’s behaving like a dork. Again, Sam’s perception of what’s going on around him is limited.
When Kurt tells Sam that he won’t be doing a duet with him, Sam asks Quinn to be his new partner. They reharse in a classroom that has a solar system model, and Sam points out “Venus, the planet of love” and looks at Quinn. Quinn tells him that its really “Mars, the planet of war.” Sam mistakes war for love. Again, his perception is off. Quinn is completely aware of what this is and isnt feeling love, but war with herself. Sam is just a small part of it. She rejects Sam’s kiss and lets him know that he’s not really in her plans. Sam is in and out of people’s plans and he doesn’t really have much of a say in any of it.
Finn and Rachel manipulate Sam and Quinn into performing together. Rachel uses the promise of popularity and power to influence Quinn, and this makes her agree to sing with Sam. He now has a purpose and can be part of her plans. But Sam can’t really see this because he can’t really see Quinn. He’s blinded by her. He tells her that she should wear sunglasses to cover her eyes, because they are such a distraction.
Can we talk about their duet song for a minute. Its called “Lucky,” thats when you get something that you really haven’t earned. Well, Sam and Quinn win the competition and it was not something they earned. They only won because Rachel and Finn voted for them and “threw” the competition. See, everyone else voted for themselves, so the only way anyone could win is if Rachel and Finn voted for them. They chose Sam and Quinn before they even performed. “Lucky,” indeed.
What we learn about Sam in this episode is that he’s loyal, honorable (Kurt described him as such), and has integrity. But he’s also driven by popularity, trusts people too easily, and isn’t able to see deeper than surface level with most people because he can’t read their motivations. Sam has a lot of growing to do, but he also has strengths that many adults never possess.
Samcedes: Sam and Mercedes meet for the first time in this episode and there are a few Samcedes moments. Clearly when Mercedes sees Sam for the first time, she thinks he’s cute.
And during her performance with Santana, Sam was checking out her ass when she did the booty shake. At the end of the performance he looks at Mercedes and Santana and licks his lips.
Before Kurt performs his solo, Mercedes and Sam are sitting next to each other in the choir room.
And the best Samcedes moment of the episode was after Rachel and Finn perform their awful duet. Mercedes is the first to respond to it. “Okay, do I even need to say it…” she says, but guess who finishes her sentence. “That was really rude,” Sam says, as if answering Mercedes question. These two are on the same wavelength and don’t even know it.
by Akilah
Sam: Sam’s dyslexic. He reveals this in the previous episode. So that means that his perception of words sometimes gets skewed and he has a hard time reading. But this is symbolic. Within the Glee narrative, Sam’s perception of people is a little bit off. He can’t always see people for who or what they are. He definitely can not read them. Sam takes people at face value, not really understanding that they may have deeper motivations. This inability to “read” people allows him to be easy to manipulate. In this episode Sam is bounced around all over the place. He’s in and out of people’s schemes and doesn’t even know it. Its going to take Sam quite a while before he gains a clear perception and becomes his own man. But for now, this is where he’s at, so let’s take a look at him in 2.04.
When Mr. Schue introduces Sam as the new member of ND, Finn is so excited that he jumps out of his chair and stands side by side with Sam. He then tells Sam where to sit. Finn sees Sam as someone he can direct, and at this point, Sam is cooperating.
Sam replaced Finn as QB, but he also replaces Finn as Kurt’s new unrequited love interest. Kurt approaches Sam about doing a duet, and also accuses him of dying his hair. When Kurt learns that Sam has never heard of the classic musicals that feature male duet partners, he says “Maybe you are straight.” Sam replies by saying “What,” as if he didn’t quite catch what Kurt said. Its obvious that Kurt is accusing Sam of being a “closet case” and is trying to get closer to him romantically. But Sam can’t see this. Again, he’s unable to read people and see through to their motivations.
Finn approaches Kurt and doesn’t want him to take advantage of Sam, but he and Rachel plot and make their own plans for using Sam. They decide that Sam should win the competition so that ND can blieve in him. This act of generosity is completely shallow and surface. Finn and Rachel don’t really want anyone else to “win” or lead in ND but them. Sam is just a tool in their quest to keep power. Letting Sam win is just a symbolic gesture to keep the rest to the club from rebeling against them. Sam is nothing more than a tool in their quest to hold onto the leadership in ND.
When Finn confronts Sam about singing with Kurt, Sam doesn’t see the big deal. Finn tells him that if it got out, that he could jeopardize his popularity. Sam says that Finn is confusing his head, since Finn is the one who told him that Glee club is cool, now he’s telling him that it potentially marks him for bullying. Finn has been manipulating Sam since day one. Sam just doesn’t have the perception skills to be able to see this.
Sam tells Finn that he gave Kurt his word and in his “world, that’s that.” Its refreshing and immediatley sets him apart from Finn and other members of ND. Sam is willing to embarrass his self in order to maintain his integrity. He’s loyal and trustworthy. Let’s compare this to what Finn did to Artie in 2.03. No wonder Finn is taken aback. He thought Sam was just a blond version of himself.
We learn that Sam is primarily motivated by two things, popularity and integrity. These two things can’t always co-exist, as Sam learns when he leaves the locker room and is attacked by slushies. Welcome to New Directions.
Quinn witnesses this and helps him clean up. There’s attraction and they do a lot of eye gazing. They are a perfect picture, until Sam opens his mouth. He speaks in Navi and Quinn is not impressed. She rolls her eyes and looks embarassed for him. But Sam continues. He can’t quite pick up on the fact that she doesn’t like it and thinks he’s behaving like a dork. Again, Sam’s perception of what’s going on around him is limited.
When Kurt tells Sam that he won’t be doing a duet with him, Sam asks Quinn to be his new partner. They reharse in a classroom that has a solar system model, and Sam points out “Venus, the planet of love” and looks at Quinn. Quinn tells him that its really “Mars, the planet of war.” Sam mistakes war for love. Again, his perception is off. Quinn is completely aware of what this is and isnt feeling love, but war with herself. Sam is just a small part of it. She rejects Sam’s kiss and lets him know that he’s not really in her plans. Sam is in and out of people’s plans and he doesn’t really have much of a say in any of it.
Finn and Rachel manipulate Sam and Quinn into performing together. Rachel uses the promise of popularity and power to influence Quinn, and this makes her agree to sing with Sam. He now has a purpose and can be part of her plans. But Sam can’t really see this because he can’t really see Quinn. He’s blinded by her. He tells her that she should wear sunglasses to cover her eyes, because they are such a distraction.
Can we talk about their duet song for a minute. Its called “Lucky,” thats when you get something that you really haven’t earned. Well, Sam and Quinn win the competition and it was not something they earned. They only won because Rachel and Finn voted for them and “threw” the competition. See, everyone else voted for themselves, so the only way anyone could win is if Rachel and Finn voted for them. They chose Sam and Quinn before they even performed. “Lucky,” indeed.
What we learn about Sam in this episode is that he’s loyal, honorable (Kurt described him as such), and has integrity. But he’s also driven by popularity, trusts people too easily, and isn’t able to see deeper than surface level with most people because he can’t read their motivations. Sam has a lot of growing to do, but he also has strengths that many adults never possess.
Samcedes: Sam and Mercedes meet for the first time in this episode and there are a few Samcedes moments. Clearly when Mercedes sees Sam for the first time, she thinks he’s cute.
And during her performance with Santana, Sam was checking out her ass when she did the booty shake. At the end of the performance he looks at Mercedes and Santana and licks his lips.
Before Kurt performs his solo, Mercedes and Sam are sitting next to each other in the choir room.
And the best Samcedes moment of the episode was after Rachel and Finn perform their awful duet. Mercedes is the first to respond to it. “Okay, do I even need to say it…” she says, but guess who finishes her sentence. “That was really rude,” Sam says, as if answering Mercedes question. These two are on the same wavelength and don’t even know it.
Samcedes Episode Analysis: 2.04 Duets (part 1)
Samcedes Episode Analysis: 2.04 Duets (Part 1)
by Akilah
Sam and Mercedes finally meet in this episode
Mercedes: We first see Mercedes in the choir room, sitting next to Kurt, the two are laughing and joking. Sam is introduced as the newest member of ND and she and Kurt both give him an appraising look. They both seem to approve of him. Kurt tells her that Sam is gay because he dyes his hair platinum blond. Mercedes looks at Sam with a quizzical expression on her face, trying to see what Kurt see but she doesn’t. She tells Kurt, “You’re crazy.” Again, we see that these two are interpreting the world and things around them differently. Mercedes just doesn’t see what Kurt sees.
When Mr. Schue announces the duets competition, Mercedes turns to Kurt to ask who he’s going to sing with. Her question almost appears to be an invitation. I think she wants Kurt to sing with her. Kurt give her a look like he’s considering choosing Mercedes but his eyes lower, and he glances a the back of Sam’s head. Kurt loves Mercedes, but he really wants a boyfriend, and at this point, getting a boyfriend is more important to him then singing with her. This is an example of where Kurt is at this particular moment in his life. He’s ready to branch out of the comfortable pseudo-romantic relationship he has with Mercedes, so he can find an actual significant other. Mercedes is losing Kurt.
But someone else enters Mercedes life, that person is Santana. When Santana approaches Mercedes about doing a duet, Mercedes glares at her. “We can’t stand each other,” she says. Mercedes goes to her locker and angrily turns her combination and opens it. “I don’t get what the big deal is. Its just a free trip to Breadstix.” Mercedes is clearly angry here. She may not get along with Santana but I don’t think that’s where all of her anger is coming from. I think she’s partly upset because Kurt rejected her. She didn’t ask Kurt to sing with her, but she assumed that he would. Its obvious that Mercedes sees performing a duet as an act of friendship and affection. That’s why she asks Sanatana “why would I want to do a duet with you,” if “we can’t stand each other.”
Santana sees duets differently. She tells Mercedes straight up that “its a competition.” Then gives her something that I think Mercedes has been missing at McKinley, respect and validation. “We are the two best singers in this school!” Mercedes begins to open up, “our voices do sound good together,” she says and Santana agrees. “We will be the undisputed top bitches at this school!” Hello TroubleTones! Glee likes to do these episode parallels. In 2.04 Mercedes and Santana join forces for the first time. In 3.04, Mercedes and Santana create the TroubleTones. There are more parallels between 2.04 and 3.04 but I’ll discuss that when we analyze 3.04.
When we get to the duet we see Mercedes and Santana performing (“River Deep, Mountain High”) with so much confidence and badassness that Rachel and Finn twitch in the face and shift uncomfortably in their chairs. They have already schemed amongst themselves to have Sam Evans win the competition. But these girls are throwing a wrench in their plans. Mercedes and Santana are usually ignored in ND, but what they learn from that duet is that when they come together, they are a force to be reckoned. When its over, the girls just know that they’ve won. They are confident about it. Everyone in ND looks impressed but Finn and Rachel look scared. Its ND leadership against TroubleTones leadership, the prequel round.
Mercedes and Santana sit with each other during Mike and Tina’s performance. They are still confident that they’ll win. “I’m ready to get my Breadstix on,” Santana says. She and Mercedes fist bump. Mercedes wants to win the competition but she also joins in Mike and Tina’s song like the rest of ND, and Santana can’t understand that. Santana’s anger and resentment is so much more pronounced than Mercedes’ at this point.
I think Santana sees the worst in people first before she can see the good in them, and that’s why she can look at ND, especially its leadership, and see all the hypocrisy. Lets take a look at some of that hypocrisy. Rachel tells Quinn that she thinks it would be good to have healthy competition in ND, you know, a good “number two.” Really, Rachel? Mercedes and Santana are obviously her Finn’s real competition. But Mercedes and Santana are unacceptable. They don’t fit the mold of ND “leadership.” So Rachel and Finn create something superficial and non-threatening, something that conforms to their vision for ND, in the form of Quinn and Sam. ND is full of all types of hypocrisy, but Mercedes isn’t quite ready to see it like that, but Santana is.
When its announced that Sam and Quinn are the winners, Mercedes is shocked, but Santana rages. She jumps out of her chair, ready to attack. Mercedes has to pull her back and comfort her. Santana is full of all this anger, but Mercedes isn’t there yet. She will be eventually.
At the end of the episode, we see the last duet. Its between Rachel and Kurt. Kurt didn’t want to duet with Mercedes but he ends up doing a duet with Rachel. This is interesting. I wonder how Mercedes felt about that. There is one reaction shot of Mercedes and its very strange. Her eyes read, “what the hell is this,” but her mouth is frozen into some type of half smile.
The thing is, duets are a form of communication. When Santana approached her about a duet, Mercedes was surprised to learn that she and Santana speak the same language, that they can communicate. On the other hand, Rachel was able to communicate with Kurt in a way that Mercedes wasn’t. The communication breakdown between Mercedes and Kurt continues.
by Akilah
Sam and Mercedes finally meet in this episode
Mercedes: We first see Mercedes in the choir room, sitting next to Kurt, the two are laughing and joking. Sam is introduced as the newest member of ND and she and Kurt both give him an appraising look. They both seem to approve of him. Kurt tells her that Sam is gay because he dyes his hair platinum blond. Mercedes looks at Sam with a quizzical expression on her face, trying to see what Kurt see but she doesn’t. She tells Kurt, “You’re crazy.” Again, we see that these two are interpreting the world and things around them differently. Mercedes just doesn’t see what Kurt sees.
When Mr. Schue announces the duets competition, Mercedes turns to Kurt to ask who he’s going to sing with. Her question almost appears to be an invitation. I think she wants Kurt to sing with her. Kurt give her a look like he’s considering choosing Mercedes but his eyes lower, and he glances a the back of Sam’s head. Kurt loves Mercedes, but he really wants a boyfriend, and at this point, getting a boyfriend is more important to him then singing with her. This is an example of where Kurt is at this particular moment in his life. He’s ready to branch out of the comfortable pseudo-romantic relationship he has with Mercedes, so he can find an actual significant other. Mercedes is losing Kurt.
But someone else enters Mercedes life, that person is Santana. When Santana approaches Mercedes about doing a duet, Mercedes glares at her. “We can’t stand each other,” she says. Mercedes goes to her locker and angrily turns her combination and opens it. “I don’t get what the big deal is. Its just a free trip to Breadstix.” Mercedes is clearly angry here. She may not get along with Santana but I don’t think that’s where all of her anger is coming from. I think she’s partly upset because Kurt rejected her. She didn’t ask Kurt to sing with her, but she assumed that he would. Its obvious that Mercedes sees performing a duet as an act of friendship and affection. That’s why she asks Sanatana “why would I want to do a duet with you,” if “we can’t stand each other.”
Santana sees duets differently. She tells Mercedes straight up that “its a competition.” Then gives her something that I think Mercedes has been missing at McKinley, respect and validation. “We are the two best singers in this school!” Mercedes begins to open up, “our voices do sound good together,” she says and Santana agrees. “We will be the undisputed top bitches at this school!” Hello TroubleTones! Glee likes to do these episode parallels. In 2.04 Mercedes and Santana join forces for the first time. In 3.04, Mercedes and Santana create the TroubleTones. There are more parallels between 2.04 and 3.04 but I’ll discuss that when we analyze 3.04.
When we get to the duet we see Mercedes and Santana performing (“River Deep, Mountain High”) with so much confidence and badassness that Rachel and Finn twitch in the face and shift uncomfortably in their chairs. They have already schemed amongst themselves to have Sam Evans win the competition. But these girls are throwing a wrench in their plans. Mercedes and Santana are usually ignored in ND, but what they learn from that duet is that when they come together, they are a force to be reckoned. When its over, the girls just know that they’ve won. They are confident about it. Everyone in ND looks impressed but Finn and Rachel look scared. Its ND leadership against TroubleTones leadership, the prequel round.
Mercedes and Santana sit with each other during Mike and Tina’s performance. They are still confident that they’ll win. “I’m ready to get my Breadstix on,” Santana says. She and Mercedes fist bump. Mercedes wants to win the competition but she also joins in Mike and Tina’s song like the rest of ND, and Santana can’t understand that. Santana’s anger and resentment is so much more pronounced than Mercedes’ at this point.
I think Santana sees the worst in people first before she can see the good in them, and that’s why she can look at ND, especially its leadership, and see all the hypocrisy. Lets take a look at some of that hypocrisy. Rachel tells Quinn that she thinks it would be good to have healthy competition in ND, you know, a good “number two.” Really, Rachel? Mercedes and Santana are obviously her Finn’s real competition. But Mercedes and Santana are unacceptable. They don’t fit the mold of ND “leadership.” So Rachel and Finn create something superficial and non-threatening, something that conforms to their vision for ND, in the form of Quinn and Sam. ND is full of all types of hypocrisy, but Mercedes isn’t quite ready to see it like that, but Santana is.
When its announced that Sam and Quinn are the winners, Mercedes is shocked, but Santana rages. She jumps out of her chair, ready to attack. Mercedes has to pull her back and comfort her. Santana is full of all this anger, but Mercedes isn’t there yet. She will be eventually.
At the end of the episode, we see the last duet. Its between Rachel and Kurt. Kurt didn’t want to duet with Mercedes but he ends up doing a duet with Rachel. This is interesting. I wonder how Mercedes felt about that. There is one reaction shot of Mercedes and its very strange. Her eyes read, “what the hell is this,” but her mouth is frozen into some type of half smile.
The thing is, duets are a form of communication. When Santana approached her about a duet, Mercedes was surprised to learn that she and Santana speak the same language, that they can communicate. On the other hand, Rachel was able to communicate with Kurt in a way that Mercedes wasn’t. The communication breakdown between Mercedes and Kurt continues.
Samcedes Episode Analysis: 2.03 Grilled Cheesus
Samcedes Episode Analysis: 2.03 Grilled Cheesus
by Akilah
Episode 2.03 Grilled Cheesus
Sam and Mercedes haven’t met yet. That won’t happen until the next episode. So, no Samcedes.
Mercedes: There’s a lot going on here. Mostly its about her relationship with Kurt but its also about Mercedes herself and how she relates to the people she loves.
A lot has been said in the fandom about how “horrible” Mercedes was to Kurt in this episode by “shoving religion down his throat.” I don’t agree with that view. I think Mercedes was being the best friend that she knew how to be. Mercedes shared her spirituality (the thing that gives her hope and strength) with Kurt in his time of need. It just happened to be something that Kurt was unresponsive to.
This episode is where the break down in communication between Mercedes and Kurt begins, and it only gets worse as the season progresses.
When Kurt says that he doesn’t go to church because most churches are homophobic, Mercedes says, “I don’t see anything wrong with a little church in here.” This is the problem. They’re talking but they aren’t listening. The communication breakdown has begun. Quinn on the other hand is completely on board with Mercedes. She gives Kurt the stink eye and says “I agree” to Mercedes statements. She adds that God gives her strength. Quinncedes is sitll on at this point in the season. They have the same world view, they speak the same language.
After Kurt’s dad has a heart attack, Mercedes says that she’s “been struggling with what to say to Kurt all day.” This is an admission that she really doesn’t know how to communicate with him. She goes on to say that she rather sing what she feels and picks “I turn to you” which she says is about “turning to God.” This is a nice gesture, and she’s completely sincere in her attempt to cheer Kurt up but the song ultimately means nothing to him because he doesn’t believe in God.
Kurt says that believing in God is like “adults believing in Santa Clause.” Its a rejection of Mercedes gesture. Mercedes may not have listened to Kurt when he gave her reasons for not liking church, but Kurt didn’t listen to the lyrics of that song, because if he had he would have understood how important her belief in God is. He would have seen more than just “Santa Clause for adults,” and wouldn’t have insulted her so. I don’t think they are hurting each other intentionally, its just that they don’t know what else to say or do.
The two never really communicate until the end of the episode when they both start to listen to each other and compromise. Kurt agrees to go to church and Mercedes sings a song to him that isn’t about God, but about finding something to hold onto. That means something to Kurt because he does have something he holds onto, and that’s his father.
What we see here is that Kurt and Mercedes have different communication styles and world views. They both love each other so they try to work through it, but unfortunately, the two continue to have a break down in communication through out the season, and ultimately grow apart.
What I get from Mercedes in this episode is that she loves with tenacity. Her love is not superficial and she doesn’t give up easily. She didn’t just pray for Quinn and hope the girl would be ok, but she gave Quinn a home to live in and support throughout her pregnancy. She didn’t just give up when Kurt insulted her and rejected her help. She kept at it, rightly or wrongly, until Kurt was receptive to her love and support. If Mercedes loves someone, she truly loves them. She is not halfway, nor is she wavering in her affection. Does this sound like anyone else?
Sam: We only see Sam after Finn (his proxy/foil) prays to Grilled Cheesus to make him QB again. We see the football game and Finn decides to play leader and change Coach Bieste’s play. He convinces Sam to cooperate and what ensues is calamity. Sam gets trampled over and dislocates his shoulder. Finn is now QB. Finns character flaws (selfishness and inflated ego) end up hurting Sam who, as his proxy, may very well be a representative of Finn’s better self.
What’s important here is that when Sam follows behind Finn and takes direction from him, he ends up getting hurt. We’ll see this come up again in later episodes.
Samcedes: There is 0 interaction because they haven’t met yet. Mercedes interaction with Kurt leads itself to Samcedes and Klaine. The two have always been tight and super close. They were each other’s company and support in the jungle that is ND. In “Grilled Cheesus,” that dynamic becomes interrupted and pushes Kurt (him especially in this episode) and Mercedes towards feelings of isolation and loneliness. Neither one is really comforted until they find their significant others in Blaine and Sam.
by Akilah
Episode 2.03 Grilled Cheesus
Sam and Mercedes haven’t met yet. That won’t happen until the next episode. So, no Samcedes.
Mercedes: There’s a lot going on here. Mostly its about her relationship with Kurt but its also about Mercedes herself and how she relates to the people she loves.
A lot has been said in the fandom about how “horrible” Mercedes was to Kurt in this episode by “shoving religion down his throat.” I don’t agree with that view. I think Mercedes was being the best friend that she knew how to be. Mercedes shared her spirituality (the thing that gives her hope and strength) with Kurt in his time of need. It just happened to be something that Kurt was unresponsive to.
This episode is where the break down in communication between Mercedes and Kurt begins, and it only gets worse as the season progresses.
When Kurt says that he doesn’t go to church because most churches are homophobic, Mercedes says, “I don’t see anything wrong with a little church in here.” This is the problem. They’re talking but they aren’t listening. The communication breakdown has begun. Quinn on the other hand is completely on board with Mercedes. She gives Kurt the stink eye and says “I agree” to Mercedes statements. She adds that God gives her strength. Quinncedes is sitll on at this point in the season. They have the same world view, they speak the same language.
After Kurt’s dad has a heart attack, Mercedes says that she’s “been struggling with what to say to Kurt all day.” This is an admission that she really doesn’t know how to communicate with him. She goes on to say that she rather sing what she feels and picks “I turn to you” which she says is about “turning to God.” This is a nice gesture, and she’s completely sincere in her attempt to cheer Kurt up but the song ultimately means nothing to him because he doesn’t believe in God.
Kurt says that believing in God is like “adults believing in Santa Clause.” Its a rejection of Mercedes gesture. Mercedes may not have listened to Kurt when he gave her reasons for not liking church, but Kurt didn’t listen to the lyrics of that song, because if he had he would have understood how important her belief in God is. He would have seen more than just “Santa Clause for adults,” and wouldn’t have insulted her so. I don’t think they are hurting each other intentionally, its just that they don’t know what else to say or do.
The two never really communicate until the end of the episode when they both start to listen to each other and compromise. Kurt agrees to go to church and Mercedes sings a song to him that isn’t about God, but about finding something to hold onto. That means something to Kurt because he does have something he holds onto, and that’s his father.
What we see here is that Kurt and Mercedes have different communication styles and world views. They both love each other so they try to work through it, but unfortunately, the two continue to have a break down in communication through out the season, and ultimately grow apart.
What I get from Mercedes in this episode is that she loves with tenacity. Her love is not superficial and she doesn’t give up easily. She didn’t just pray for Quinn and hope the girl would be ok, but she gave Quinn a home to live in and support throughout her pregnancy. She didn’t just give up when Kurt insulted her and rejected her help. She kept at it, rightly or wrongly, until Kurt was receptive to her love and support. If Mercedes loves someone, she truly loves them. She is not halfway, nor is she wavering in her affection. Does this sound like anyone else?
Sam: We only see Sam after Finn (his proxy/foil) prays to Grilled Cheesus to make him QB again. We see the football game and Finn decides to play leader and change Coach Bieste’s play. He convinces Sam to cooperate and what ensues is calamity. Sam gets trampled over and dislocates his shoulder. Finn is now QB. Finns character flaws (selfishness and inflated ego) end up hurting Sam who, as his proxy, may very well be a representative of Finn’s better self.
What’s important here is that when Sam follows behind Finn and takes direction from him, he ends up getting hurt. We’ll see this come up again in later episodes.
Samcedes: There is 0 interaction because they haven’t met yet. Mercedes interaction with Kurt leads itself to Samcedes and Klaine. The two have always been tight and super close. They were each other’s company and support in the jungle that is ND. In “Grilled Cheesus,” that dynamic becomes interrupted and pushes Kurt (him especially in this episode) and Mercedes towards feelings of isolation and loneliness. Neither one is really comforted until they find their significant others in Blaine and Sam.
Samcedes Episode Analysis: 2.02 Britney/Brittany
Samcedes Episode Analysis: 2.02 Britney
by Akilah
Sam doesn’t even appear in this episode, so of course, there are no Samcedes moments. And Mercedes is barely there, so this won’t be long.
Mercedes: I don’t even think she gets lines in this episode. We see her in the background in the choir room sitting alone in more than one scene. Perhaps giving the viewer a visual of her impending loneliness and isolation. When she does sit next to someone its either Kurt or Santana. When she and Santana sit next to eachotehr they’re singing along to Rachel’s “Only exception.” Foreshadowing for their number in Duets perhaps?
She and Kurt sit next to each other as Kurt praises the power of Brittany Spears to help Rachel “Blossom” (by dressing in Britney’s sexy school girl outfit from Baby One More Time). Mercedes seems to agree and she and Kurt do a funny little finger wiggle type of hand shake. Kurtcedes is alive and well in this episode. Kurt is the one to suggest Britney Spears songs which Will is vehemently against. This storyline is laying the groundwork for season 3 ND rebellion against Will, which creates the Trouble Tones.
Also, Mercedes has perfect teeth, we learn after Doctor Carl gave all the kids a plaque test. It should come as no surprise being that shes the daughter of a dentist.
Sam: He doesn’t appear in this episode, but his proxy Finn is heavily featured. I won’t go into too much detail about Finn here, but just make a comment about how Sam is Finn’s proxy/foil/replacement.
In the previous episode Finn tells Artie that he’ll get him on the football team. That backfires and he ends up being kicked off, with Sam taking his place. In this episode Finn decides to try-out again for Football. When Artie approaches him about helping him get on the team as well, Finn reneges on his word and tells Artie that he (Finn) has too look out for his self. Its a sad moment and is there purely to show an aspect of Finn’s personality and his character flaw (selfishness). Really, Finn’s dismissal of Artie is pretty unneccessary since 30 seconds later Coach Bieste walks in the locker room and puts them both on the football team. I point this out so I can later discuss what Sam does in a similar situation in 2.04 Duets. Sam is a lot like Finn, but he’s also Finn’s opposite.
Samcedes: I won’t get into it now, but just like Sam and Finn are similar but also opposite in many respects, Finchel and Samcedes are similar and opposite in many ways too. This will be something I would like to touch on when the new episodes air. But I’ll leave all the Finchel/Samcedes parallels alone in season 2 episode analysis.
by Akilah
Sam doesn’t even appear in this episode, so of course, there are no Samcedes moments. And Mercedes is barely there, so this won’t be long.
Mercedes: I don’t even think she gets lines in this episode. We see her in the background in the choir room sitting alone in more than one scene. Perhaps giving the viewer a visual of her impending loneliness and isolation. When she does sit next to someone its either Kurt or Santana. When she and Santana sit next to eachotehr they’re singing along to Rachel’s “Only exception.” Foreshadowing for their number in Duets perhaps?
She and Kurt sit next to each other as Kurt praises the power of Brittany Spears to help Rachel “Blossom” (by dressing in Britney’s sexy school girl outfit from Baby One More Time). Mercedes seems to agree and she and Kurt do a funny little finger wiggle type of hand shake. Kurtcedes is alive and well in this episode. Kurt is the one to suggest Britney Spears songs which Will is vehemently against. This storyline is laying the groundwork for season 3 ND rebellion against Will, which creates the Trouble Tones.
Also, Mercedes has perfect teeth, we learn after Doctor Carl gave all the kids a plaque test. It should come as no surprise being that shes the daughter of a dentist.
Sam: He doesn’t appear in this episode, but his proxy Finn is heavily featured. I won’t go into too much detail about Finn here, but just make a comment about how Sam is Finn’s proxy/foil/replacement.
In the previous episode Finn tells Artie that he’ll get him on the football team. That backfires and he ends up being kicked off, with Sam taking his place. In this episode Finn decides to try-out again for Football. When Artie approaches him about helping him get on the team as well, Finn reneges on his word and tells Artie that he (Finn) has too look out for his self. Its a sad moment and is there purely to show an aspect of Finn’s personality and his character flaw (selfishness). Really, Finn’s dismissal of Artie is pretty unneccessary since 30 seconds later Coach Bieste walks in the locker room and puts them both on the football team. I point this out so I can later discuss what Sam does in a similar situation in 2.04 Duets. Sam is a lot like Finn, but he’s also Finn’s opposite.
Samcedes: I won’t get into it now, but just like Sam and Finn are similar but also opposite in many respects, Finchel and Samcedes are similar and opposite in many ways too. This will be something I would like to touch on when the new episodes air. But I’ll leave all the Finchel/Samcedes parallels alone in season 2 episode analysis.
Samcedes Episode Analysis: 2.01 Audition
Samcedes Episode Analysis: 2.01 Auditon
by Akilah
Mercedes: As far as Mercedes is concerned, it looks like the groundwork is being laid for Rachel to come in between her and Kurt and steal Kurt away from her. There is a scene with Mercedes and Kurt in the choir room alone, and then Rachel barges in ranting about Sunshine being a better singer than her. Kurt and Mercedes give her the side eye. Kurt calls Rachel a horrible person. Then Rachel literally places herself in between Kurt and Mercedes, foreshadowing Hummelberry and the slow parting of the ways between Mercedes and Kurt.
I think Mercedes had two arcs in season 2, one arc was resolved while the other carried over to season 3. Mercedes first arc was about her loneliness and desire for a boyfriend. Not only does Mercedes want a boyfriend, but she wants to be desired and wanted (this is important for her storyline in season 3 as well, i.e. Sam wooing). We see a glimpse of this in season 1 when she leans against the lockers and watches Puck and Santana kiss. She asks Kurt if he’s ever been kissed and he we learn that he’s never been kissed either. These two form a close friendship, but in season 2 we learn that they are partially substituting each other for significant others.
As Kurt moves towards Blaine, Mercedes becomes more isolated, making her desire for a partner more pronounced. RIB may not have known who they were going to pair Mercedes up with, but they did know that they were going to give her a boyfriend before season 2 ended. It just happened to be Sam.
Mercedes’ second story arc was her wanting to be acknowledge and recognized for her talent in Glee. We see her take small steps towards this but she is not very confidant in herself. She knows she is as good as Rachel but she doesn’t believe that other people will acknowledge that. That story carries over to season 3 and we get the TTones. I don’t understand how some people don’t understand where Mercedes anger came from in Asian F. Its been boiling under the surface since season 1. Her outburst was bound to happen.
So I will definitely be writing about things pertaining to these arcs in my posts about each episode.
Sam: Sam is one of the most well developed characters on Glee. He probably has the best character growth arc while still maintaining consistency. We see this if we look at Sam in 2.01 compared to Sam in 2.19. He’s a different guy, but still maintains the core characteristics and principals that make him so lovable as a character. That’s hard to achieve on this show.
Lets take a look at how Sam begins. He is introduced to us as a kid sitting in the courtyard, taping his foot along to New Directions. He’s wearing a Letterman Jacket (interesting considering the plot for Yes/No) from his old school, we know this because the colors are Blue and Gold, not Mckinley red. This tells us that this kid is a jock and wants everyone to know it. He may even be trying too hard, who wears their old Letterman jacket to their new high school? I think this goes along with the bleach blond hair. The kid wants to be popular so bad that he sorta makes these awkward choices.
His audition song choice is interesting. He sings “Billionaire” a song about conspicuous consumption. The song is about wanting so many unnecessary material things just because you want it. By the end of the season, Sam just wants a house to live in and food to eat. This is such an interesting song choice that its hard to resist not seeing this as foreshadowing. I don’t think RIB really knew what they were going to do with Sam at this point, but what we do know is that they did a wonderful job of evolving him as a character.
Here’s the important thing about Sam that we learn in 2.01. Sam is Finn’s foil/proxy. He literally takes Finn’s place as quarter back of the football team after Finn has been kicked off. This is important to the narrative of Glee season 2 and 3 and possibly season 4. Sam as Finn’s proxy/replacement is also important romantic relationship wise. Think about who Sam has had relationships with and who Finn has had relationships with.
They are both an unrequited object of desire for Kurt. Kurt gives up on Finn in Season 1 and flirts with the idea of being with Sam in season 2 but gives that up rather quickly. Next there is Quinn, and Sam has a relationship with her that is nothing more than Finn/Quinn v.1 before Rachel showed up. Except Sam doesn’t know it, he’s completely earnest. Next Sam gets with Santana whom he possibly loses his virginity to as Finn did. But it isn’t until he finally becomes his own man that Sam dates someone that Finn hasn’t, Mercedes. The funny thing is, he ends up with Rachel’s foil/proxy. So, in a way, he is still following the trajectory of Finn’s relationships. He finds his match when he gets out of the popular kid dating pool.
Sam as Finn v.2 (but better) is something that I will be looking at and analyzing in these episode discussions. The sad thing about the fandom is that no one really takes the time out to properly analyze Mercedes story lines, and Sam only fairs a little better than her in that department. I think there is a lot to be said about these two characters.
Samcedes: They haven’t met yet.
Mercedes: As far as Mercedes is concerned, it looks like the groundwork is being laid for Rachel to come in between her and Kurt and steal Kurt away from her. There is a scene with Mercedes and Kurt in the choir room alone, and then Rachel barges in ranting about Sunshine being a better singer than her. Kurt and Mercedes give her the side eye. Kurt calls Rachel a horrible person. Then Rachel literally places herself in between Kurt and Mercedes, foreshadowing Hummelberry and the slow parting of the ways between Mercedes and Kurt.
I think Mercedes had two arcs in season 2, one arc was resolved while the other carried over to season 3. Mercedes first arc was about her loneliness and desire for a boyfriend. Not only does Mercedes want a boyfriend, but she wants to be desired and wanted (this is important for her storyline in season 3 as well, i.e. Sam wooing). We see a glimpse of this in season 1 when she leans against the lockers and watches Puck and Santana kiss. She asks Kurt if he’s ever been kissed and he we learn that he’s never been kissed either. These two form a close friendship, but in season 2 we learn that they are partially substituting each other for significant others.
As Kurt moves towards Blaine, Mercedes becomes more isolated, making her desire for a partner more pronounced. RIB may not have known who they were going to pair Mercedes up with, but they did know that they were going to give her a boyfriend before season 2 ended. It just happened to be Sam.
Mercedes’ second story arc was her wanting to be acknowledge and recognized for her talent in Glee. We see her take small steps towards this but she is not very confidant in herself. She knows she is as good as Rachel but she doesn’t believe that other people will acknowledge that. That story carries over to season 3 and we get the TTones. I don’t understand how some people don’t understand where Mercedes anger came from in Asian F. Its been boiling under the surface since season 1. Her outburst was bound to happen.
So I will definitely be writing about things pertaining to these arcs in my posts about each episode.
Sam: Sam is one of the most well developed characters on Glee. He probably has the best character growth arc while still maintaining consistency. We see this if we look at Sam in 2.01 compared to Sam in 2.19. He’s a different guy, but still maintains the core characteristics and principals that make him so lovable as a character. That’s hard to achieve on this show.
Lets take a look at how Sam begins. He is introduced to us as a kid sitting in the courtyard, taping his foot along to New Directions. He’s wearing a Letterman Jacket (interesting considering the plot for Yes/No) from his old school, we know this because the colors are Blue and Gold, not Mckinley red. This tells us that this kid is a jock and wants everyone to know it. He may even be trying too hard, who wears their old Letterman jacket to their new high school? I think this goes along with the bleach blond hair. The kid wants to be popular so bad that he sorta makes these awkward choices.
His audition song choice is interesting. He sings “Billionaire” a song about conspicuous consumption. The song is about wanting so many unnecessary material things just because you want it. By the end of the season, Sam just wants a house to live in and food to eat. This is such an interesting song choice that its hard to resist not seeing this as foreshadowing. I don’t think RIB really knew what they were going to do with Sam at this point, but what we do know is that they did a wonderful job of evolving him as a character.
Here’s the important thing about Sam that we learn in 2.01. Sam is Finn’s foil/proxy. He literally takes Finn’s place as quarter back of the football team after Finn has been kicked off. This is important to the narrative of Glee season 2 and 3 and possibly season 4. Sam as Finn’s proxy/replacement is also important romantic relationship wise. Think about who Sam has had relationships with and who Finn has had relationships with.
They are both an unrequited object of desire for Kurt. Kurt gives up on Finn in Season 1 and flirts with the idea of being with Sam in season 2 but gives that up rather quickly. Next there is Quinn, and Sam has a relationship with her that is nothing more than Finn/Quinn v.1 before Rachel showed up. Except Sam doesn’t know it, he’s completely earnest. Next Sam gets with Santana whom he possibly loses his virginity to as Finn did. But it isn’t until he finally becomes his own man that Sam dates someone that Finn hasn’t, Mercedes. The funny thing is, he ends up with Rachel’s foil/proxy. So, in a way, he is still following the trajectory of Finn’s relationships. He finds his match when he gets out of the popular kid dating pool.
Sam as Finn v.2 (but better) is something that I will be looking at and analyzing in these episode discussions. The sad thing about the fandom is that no one really takes the time out to properly analyze Mercedes story lines, and Sam only fairs a little better than her in that department. I think there is a lot to be said about these two characters.
Samcedes: They haven’t met yet.
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