Note: Do not read on if you have not seen Season 3, Episode 14 of Fox's "Glee," entitled "On My Way."
For an episode that was supposed to be all about Regionals, "Glee" flipped a switch on its audience and, instead, turned out an episode that I don't think anyone saw coming.
Suicide attempt? Check. A potentially fatal car accident? Check. Regionals win? Who cares!
"On My Way" managed to fit several important story lines into about 42 minutes, and while I wish they would have trimmed some of the Regionals fat (I mean, does anyone really care about Regionals anymore?), I'm happy that Dave Karofsky was brought back from oblivion, bringing to light one of the more tragic realities that gay teenagers face.
In a cruel sense of poetic justice, the tormenter became the tormented as Dave Karofsky had to deal with the outcome of being seen with Kurt at Breadstix. He was bullied, emotionally and physically. His mother even told him that he could be "cured" from his "disease."
Karofsky decided that the only way to escape his pain would be to commit suicide. It's an emotionally heavy scene, and I have to applaud Max Adler for doing such an amazing job.
I was reading some of the early comments on Twitter, and I was shocked by how many people called this scene "unrealistic." They think that because he was only bullied once, it's unrealistic for him to try and kill himself.
Are you kidding me? It only takes one hurtful act to change the way people feel about themselves, and whether he was bullied for one day or one hundred days, that's not the point. The point is that he felt so alone, so hurt and so awful that he tried to kill himself -- and that is never okay.
While I applaud "Glee" for using Karofsky's story line to drive home this message, I do think that it should have had more screen time. "On My Way" felt more like a PSA. It plugged everything from The Trevor Project to Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation.
Honestly, I would have preferred if Karofsky's story line would have been the focus of the entire episode. Why did we have to spend 10 minutes watching everyone sing at Regionals? Why were Regionals even necessary? So that we could see how Sebastian changed his devious ways in light of Karofsky's tragedy? Or so we could see New Directions take home eternal show choir glory? To me, it all felt so unnecessary.
There was a heaviness throughout the entire episode. At one point, I truly thought that Karofsky was going to try and kill himself again, only to succeed in the end. The scene between him and Kurt was almost too perfect.
Thankfully, Kurt is the only character who didn't get caught up in Regionals hoopla. He was the only one that managed to place the importance of Karofsky's suicide attempt above winning Regionals.
The best scene in the entire episode is when Kurt visits Karofsky in the hospital. "I'm really happy that you're alive, David," says Kurt. "Yeah, me too," replies Karofsky. Dave Karofsky truly looks helpless, and it's absolutely heartbreaking.
It's also a powerful image, seeing Kurt support his former tormenter. There's a reason that Kurt has always been my favorite "Glee" character, and this scene highlights it perfectly. Kurt, unlike Rachel and Finn, has grown tremendously over the past three seasons.
Kurt tells Karofsky to imagine his life in 10 years, when he's living the life of his dreams. Karofsky imagines his life as a successful sports agent, with a handsome partner and a young son. It's a truly beautiful moment between the two.
If only that moment wouldn't have been overshadowed by "Glee" next shocking -- and heartbreaking -- drama. Remember when I said that I felt this ominous force throughout the episode? Well, I had no idea that "Glee" could go from depressing to downright bleak in a 42-minute span.
Amidst winning Regionals, suicide attempts and Sue being pregnant (yes, you read that correctly), we learn that Rachel and Finn are serious about the whole marriage thing, So serious, in fact, that they decide, in light of Karofsky almost dying, that they want to get married immediately after Regionals.
Even though their parents are strongly against it, the entire glee club comes to the court house to support them.
After having a change of heart -- and being welcomed back into the Cheerios -- Quinn decides that she too wants to be a part of the Berry-Hudson wedding. Unfortunately, Quinn never makes it to the wedding.
While answering an urgent text from Rachel (It read: WHERE ARE YOU???), Quinn gets blindsided by an oncoming car. End scene. It certainly gives a new meaning to the episode title "On My Way."
This is where "Glee" has its second PSA moment of the night: Kids, don't text and drive!
Now, I'm not going to sugarcoat this "Glee" fans, but there is a chance that Quinn Fabray might not make it. It's a shame, especially after how much they've redeemed her character in the last few episodes. But, then again, maybe that was the writers' plan all along. After all, it looks like actress Dianna Agron isn't signing on for Season 4.
This did feel like a sendoff for poor Quinn, who's been put through more drama in three seasons than Rachel's dads during a Barbra Streisand marathon.
There was this brilliant conversation between Quinn and Sue toward the end where Sue told Quinn that she admired her.
"You proved that it's never too late to turn your life around." I mean, talk about foreshadowing. Just when Quinn finally got her life together -- she's going to Yale, she made up with Rachel, she's a Cheerio again -- something happens that throws a wrench in her plans.
Maybe death is too heavy for "Glee," but then again, they did kill off Sue's sister in Season 2. However, I don't think the writers actually have the guts to kill one of their main characters. Like Sue said, I think that she'll once again have to turn her life around.
Looks like teen Jesus finally found his way on the glee club. It's only a matter of time before Mercedes and Sam recruit him in light of Quinn's accident. I can already see the God Squad (the moral compass of McKinley) praying around her beside, à la "Grilled Cheesus" in Season 2.
Because I don't feel like any of the other plot points are even as remotely important as the above, here are a few other "Glee" observations from "On My Way."
- All Rachel really cares about is winning Regionals and getting into N.Y.A.D.A. Is this really surprising? Why is Finn even marrying her? Do they even have any concept of real life? Where are they going to live? How are they going to support themselves? Okay, I'm through acting like my Jewish grandmother. I just don't have the emotional bandwidth to care about these two. Their actions make me anxious.
Notable Quotables:
"Well, if it isn't an old Barbra Streisand and a young Betty White. Where is gay Cyclops? Still stumbling in?"
-- Sebastian
"That's show choir terrorism."
-- Rachel
"I, Sue Sylvester, am with child."
-- Sue
"In the last week, you either enjoyed a really delicious curry or received a hug from principal Figgins."
-- Sue
"I want to be there to see 'Sex and the City Part 3.'"
-- Sugar
"I just want a song."
-- Tina
"i admire you for all of the ways you're not like me. You proved that it's never too late to turn your life around."
-- Sue
"It isn't going to be easy. There are going to be days where life just sucks, but you're going to get through this."
-- Kurt
"We screwed up big time. We tried playing these reverse psychology games on them."
-- Burt
"Even Patti Lupone herself couldn't talk Rachel out of marrying Finn."
-- Hiram