This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Andrew: We've got a mission to find the best song that's ever been on Glee. There's no reason to it, so don't get mad at me. We got Andrew and Alison who on the show the Gleek of the Week who's the head on the show. Glacket by Glacket, we'll rank everyone. Gleek of the week, click, click, click of the week. It's click, click of the week. Uh, okay, well, here we are. Um, in Alison's absence, uh, I'm going to attempt a number of different formats going forward with the Glacket, um, to see what works, but I wanted to reach out to two notable Gleeks from the first round that the glisteners love. Um, first and foremost.

[1:10] Zach Fowls: First and foremost? Is that rude to say for the second guest?

[1:13] Andrew: It depends who's first and foremost.

[1:16] Zach Fowls: It depends on who you're introducing the second guest.

[1:18] Andrew: I was just like, I was just gonna say first and foremost because it just rolls off the tongue, and I was like, I feel like that's a jab to the second person.

[1:24] Zach Fowls: Um, if you get the maybe if you were like first and foremost, and last but not least.

[1:31] Andrew: Okay, okay. I'm gonna use that. I'm gonna use that. First and foremost.

[1:36] Andrew: Um, Zach Fowls, aka Sue Sylvester TikTok, and last but not least, loyal glistener and past Gleek of the Week for one singular competition almost two years ago.

[1:51] Pat Patrick: Yeah, insane. Um Pat Patrick? Where what are we going by? Pat or Patrick.

[1:55] Zach Fowls: See, I my friends call me Pat, so you can call me Patrick.

[2:01] Pat Patrick: Oh, okay. Maybe by the end of this recording I can call you Pat.

[2:05] Zach Fowls: Well, no, in real life, like I go by Pat, but you call me Patrick, and that's just kind of more natural now. I feel like the Gleeks know me as Patrick, so can we do P Diddy?

[2:15] Pat Patrick: What about P Sure.

[2:17] Zach Fowls: I mean, no, actually, no, you can't.

[2:20] Pat Patrick: Okay.

[2:20] Zach Fowls: Yeah, I feel like I mean, it's already been established at this point years ago.

[2:25] Pat Patrick: Yeah.

[2:25] Zach Fowls: That like I call Alison Alison, even though all of her friends call her Allie.

[2:32] Pat Patrick: Wait, really?

[2:33] Zach Fowls: Yeah.

[2:34] Pat Patrick: That's really weird.

[2:35] Zach Fowls: We talked about this very long ago.

[2:37] Pat Patrick: History.

[2:38] Zach Fowls: Okay. Yeah, that's some lore. Um, but oh my god, enough about me. How's everybody doing?

[2:44] Pat Patrick: Um, I'm good. I'm I'm very eager to talk about Glee. I feel like I talked to you not too long ago, Andrew, and I was kind of saying I've been in a little bit of a Glee hiatus. Um I haven't I haven't been engaging with Glee content as much lately.

[3:00] Pat Patrick: And then in prepping for this podcast, I feel like I um got like really deep into the rabbit hole again, and all these opinions and thoughts has kind of started bubbling up to the surface. So I'm like very primed to discuss Glee. But yeah, when people ask me how I'm doing, I typically just tell them that, like where I'm at with Glee at the moment. Because there's nothing else to talk about. We're on a little bit of a break right now, but yeah.

[3:29] Zach Fowls: I don't know what happened? Because when you said that to me, I was like, I also feel a similar way. And I just thought it was podcast related. But I was like, if I'm not regularly Zach, maybe you're maybe you agree with me here, but like I felt like this summer was so big for the Gleeks because like of the Leah Michelle thing, and then like all of the TikToks and stuff like that were kind of you know poking fun at um, you know, this fake show becoming reality and her becoming Funny Girl and then all the stuff resurfaced.

[4:02] Zach Fowls: And now I feel like we have to it it was just New Year's, so I feel like we need to do our like 2024 Glee predictions. Like what is the thing that is gonna draw the public back to talking about Glee again? Because last time I was Leah Michelle, and I feel like we're in a little bit of a lull. So I'm curious, like every year there's a new cycle, so what's it gonna be?

[4:24] Pat Patrick: I agree. I think that that Gleeks um rediscovered the show back in the pandemic times.

[4:31] Zach Fowls: Yeah.

[4:31] Pat Patrick: And so it was kind of big during then. And then I think yes, Leah Michelle hitting Funny Girl was the like apex and where it you know, where the show kind of where we're where people were talking about it, and then once it happened, they're just kind of like, oh, okay, all right, well, what else can we do here? Like, what else is there for reality of this show to come come true?

[4:54] Pat Patrick: So I do kind of feel like that there was a uh a drop off after that reality set in. Um I will say that um, you know, we're 14 years like 2024 is what is it, 14 years since that first pilot aired, or uh around when the pilot aired or whatever.

[5:14] Zach Fowls: Yeah.

[5:15] Pat Patrick: And honestly, I think that a reboot would be the thing that gets people back to talking about the show. I don't know if I'm ready for Glee Boot. I don't know if I'm ready for Glee Boot, but I know by the end of n uh you know, 2025, I mean, what is it? Quinn and Puck's kids gonna be old enough that they could be like, you know what? We might be running the show. We'll run the gambit. I'm not saying I want that. I'm just saying that might be the thing that people bring back. You know, Ryan Murphy apparently already is getting ready to like start a Broadway musical.

[5:46] Zach Fowls: Um not a Glee-related Broadway musical, but a Broadway musical, and and so I you know, anything's possible, but I think that the idea of either a musical or a reboot is gonna be the thing that goes, yeah. We're all talking about Glee again.

[6:02] Pat Patrick: Yeah, I feel like a celebrity, like one of the I feel like the, you know, unfortunately, there's been a lot of hardship that surrounds the celebrities of Glee. But like the Leah Michelle thing was a roller coaster of people being excited for her and people being not super excited for her.

[6:22] Zach Fowls: And I feel like both feelings made sense. Um, but like I I feel like the there's always something that it doesn't like uh art doesn't need to imitate life. I feel like for Glee to be part of the conversation again. I feel like the cast is so big that like maybe one of them will blow up or something like that.

[6:36] Zach Fowls: Like maybe one of them will get nominated for an Emmy or or something, and then like they'll be part of a big show, and you know, they'll have a moment and then it'll it'll bring attention back to it. But um, yeah, I don't I don't know, but I I know that there'll be something, and then we can look back at our little chat here and see see what exactly it was.

[7:02] Pat Patrick: But see who was right.

[7:03] Zach Fowls: It'll come.

[7:04] Pat Patrick: Yeah, see who was right. Well, I think um it's actually going to be Jane Lynch will lock Darren Chris and Kurt.

[7:11] Zach Fowls: Or not Kurt.

[7:12] Pat Patrick: And Kurt. Jane Lynch will lock Darren Chris and Chris Colfer in an elevator.

[7:20] Zach Fowls: And then it'll make national news. Either that or I have a feeling that maybe this episode will actually bring Glee back to the level ground.

[7:33] Pat Patrick: For sure. We have some hot takes ready, I think. So this, okay, will obviously be an iconic episode. But the past two episodes, which have not aired at the record at the time of this recording, but I've sent it to you. Do you have any thoughts on the Heather Morris episode and the episode with just Alison and I?

[7:55] Zach Fowls: The funniest aspect of the show or the recording was that Heather did not know the name of the shot's character.

[8:02] Pat Patrick: That's hilarious. I think she's correct for that. That's very, very funny.

[8:09] Zach Fowls: But I I liked the little insights that she would that like the small amounts of tidbits that I feel like she she was was giving in the show, which uh or about the show, which was um, which is always always kind of fun to hear, even if they're not juicy, it's always fun to hear how things are going on.

[8:29] Pat Patrick: Um what she was thinking about specifically when she was like when she got run the world. I thought that was um, you know, where she's like, I was sort of terrified doing this.

[8:39] Zach Fowls: And what I thought was interesting, but she was like, listen, I am not the best singer on the show. Absolutely not.

[8:44] Pat Patrick: Which, like, granted, you know, she's not, but it's the awareness that she knows that she's not, but she knows what her skills are in that show, and I thought that was cool. I don't know if I would agree that River Deep Mountain High is the best song that Glee's ever produced, but I do think it's probably up there.

[9:01] Zach Fowls: Um I agree that Borderland Open Your Heart is way better than Tell It.

[9:09] Pat Patrick: I uh tell him was a loss personally to me. I'll miss her.

[9:13] Zach Fowls: I don't really miss tell him.

[9:15] Pat Patrick: Um, as I race being higher than Vogue was my romance that's that's my villain order story.

[9:23] Zach Fowls: I think we need to consider the fact Buenos Aires versus Vogue, yeah.

[9:27] Pat Patrick: I will have to die by that, unfortunately, because that was like a week before I would just die by it.

[9:36] Zach Fowls: Um it will just be me laid right next to that decision.

[9:39] Pat Patrick: And um, because it was like literally a few days short of actually talking to Lindsay Pierce.

[9:45] Zach Fowls: So I was like already in the zone of like I'm ready to talk to this woman, I am obsessed with this performance.

[9:53] Pat Patrick: Um I stand by it. You were streaming here.

[9:59] Zach Fowls: I stream it more.

[10:01] Andrew: Uh we're back. Patrick just had a major kerfuffle with his audio. Um, and and we're officially back, and I think that you were supposed you were about to like drop the hottest take of all time, Patrick.

[10:15] Pat Patrick: Well, I definitely have hot takes of all time, but I'll I'll bring it back to the question you asked me, which was how did I feel about the last few episodes? And Zach was saying um how he really liked a lot of like kind of the behind the scenes stuff about what Heather talked about.

[10:31] Pat Patrick: Um, I really liked Heather's episode. I want to um, you know, give myself some cred um after I just had this big audio issue because I um said in the episode that I last recorded that the guests you would get are Jenna, Kevin, and Heather.

[10:50] Zach Fowls: And literally what happened Patrick Swan.

[10:56] Pat Patrick: And yet here you are just bringing it up, and it kind of makes you kind of look bad for bringing it up on your own volition.

[11:01] Zach Fowls: I was going to bring it up like praising you.

[11:04] Pat Patrick: And now you're like, I want respect.

[11:06] Zach Fowls: I'm praising my notes.

[11:09] Pat Patrick: But okay, well, uh glad that we're on the same page there. But no, like um, so I guess beyond that and the fact that I'm psycho or psychic.

[11:18] Pat Patrick: Um, I certainly uh liked what Heather had to say. And I thought that episode that you and Alison did um was a lot of fun too.

[11:29] Zach Fowls: Um I I think my favorite part about the Heather episode, though, and Andrew, we've already talked about this, is how when she was like predicting like what the future of her character would be, she was saying, like, like, uh, Rachel, like Leah Michelle's character that she couldn't remember, is going to like bring Brittany off the streets and like rehabilitate her.

[11:52] Pat Patrick: And I was like, that's not where I thought it would go, but I thought that was pretty funny.

[11:57] Zach Fowls: So um, yeah, that was like the memorable part for me. And also the shirt that she was wearing.

[12:02] Pat Patrick: I love it when uh we give Naya some love. That was an immediate like relief off of my shoulders that I was like, this this woman is coming into the recording wearing a shirt that's relevant to the conversation.

[12:15] Zach Fowls: She's already doing the work.

[12:17] Pat Patrick: Um, and also it's nice that she's like so willing to talk about her. I I feel like it must kind of be hard, especially because so much of when she has to talk about Glee, she has to talk about Naya.

[12:28] Zach Fowls: So I thought it was really great if Heather to like be really receptive to that by kind of saying, Yeah, let's talk about it.

[12:35] Pat Patrick: Like I have her face on my shirt, like I love this woman so much.

[12:39] Zach Fowls: Yeah. I know, and like that was like not, I mean, like, I don't know. I was like not even like considering, like, because I knew I was going to like ask her like what her relationship with like watching Glee is now.

[12:52] Pat Patrick: But like for whatever reason, I wasn't even like considering, like, oh, maybe she doesn't even want to fucking watch it anymore because of the pain and emotions that come with it.

[13:02] Zach Fowls: And so, yeah, but yeah, I thought that the talking about Leah Michelle's character, I am blanking on her name right now, but um the fact that Heather Morris um she wanted to like she had this idea of like actively like I don't know if she's actually thinking about like doing these scenes or if like there was a Glee boot that like this is like a potential like pitch that she would have, but like for Heather Morris to be like one of the one of the cast members, main cast members that is like very actively like hi, this is like not a nice person to work with.

[13:36] Pat Patrick: That I was like, the fact that you're kind of like tossing your hat into the ring of like this is what would be happening. I thought that was very interesting as well.

[13:43] Zach Fowls: Yeah, I had a lot of thoughts going through my head that I think you encapsulated it pretty well. But ultimately, uh I actually thought that some of Heather's funniest lines in the whole show were toward Rachel or toward like you know, so like I I could kind of see like their dynamic and a Glee boot being really funny still.

[14:06] Zach Fowls: Uh yeah, I love "Britney/Brittany." Simply, I mean, first and foremost, again, because of the Britney and Rachel stuff, I think it's so fun. I think my favorite was for sure when like Rachel is talking, and then Britney just goes, "I hate you." I hate you. I'm with Rachel on this one. Gross. Yeah. But I thought those episodes were great. I wanted to um also say that I not only listened to um the last episode of the Allison and then the episode with Heather, but I also re-listened to Zach's episode, and I definitely have some things that I want to say to him.

[14:48] Pat Patrick: Bring him.

[14:49] Andrew: Okay. Well, Zach is backstage right now. Zach, come on out.

[14:58] Zach Fowls: See what you have to say.

[14:59] Andrew: Okay, because like I want this recording and this podcast to be like fun for everybody, but um, I feel like there are some things you need to answer for. I will start it off by saying I loved your idea of what they should do if Glee were still making music today, what they would do. You said they should do an Abbotribut episode, and I loved that.

[15:18] Zach Fowls: A what episode?

[15:22] Andrew: Oh, yes. Um, but then I really need you to answer for your crimes. Um, I'm putting you on the stand now, and if you plead guilty to insanity, you will be unglanceled in two to three years. Why is "Britney/Brittany" a bad episode?

[15:45] Zach Fowls: Did I say that?

[15:46] Pat Patrick: That's uh well, I also heard you say that in Recovering Gleek's episode. And I that also like raised an eyebrow with me.

[15:53] Zach Fowls: You so you have no proof.

[15:56] Andrew: I do. Multiple audio files, as a matter of fact.

[16:03] Zach Fowls: The forgery.

[16:04] Andrew: Somebody used AI.

[16:05] Zach Fowls: Okay. Um, but if you were to have said that "Britney/Brittany" is that episode, why would you say that?

[16:09] Zach Fowls: Here's my thing about "Britney/Brittany." I don't like the episodes of Glee that are just joke factories. Um, that are just joke factories, and there's no plot like that connects anything. So when I watched "Britney/Brittany" for the first time, and I was like, I don't care enough about Britney Spears' music. Like I didn't grow up with Britney. It's okay. Not to say I don't like Britney Spears' music. I just I didn't grow up with Britney Spears. She was a little before my time. And so these, you know, so the songs didn't mean all that much to me. Um and I could see where they were like, okay, the Madonna episode worked so well, yeah, and part of why it worked so well was because we did things like, you know, like Jane Lynch recreating "Vogue" was so fun.

And they were like, okay, and we added costumes for you know, to pay homage to these characters, like to all of Madonna's eras. I get that. So I understand where they were like, okay, well, the next episode that's a tribute to an artist should be even bigger. We should do, we should make sure that like the thing that made the Madonna episode work, which they thought was "Vogue." Um, let's just keep doing it like that. So they instead just made an entire episode surrounded to Brittany S. Pierce, which is fine. It's a hilarious character, give her a bunch of one-liners, and then have all of these random music video recreations that don't tie to the plot all that much, and they're just not very good.

Like they're they're just they're fine. Like they're all they're they're great music videos. It's just it's just as a whole, they're just meh, like it's a it's a uh it's a forgettable episode for me in terms of how it fits into the whole show. Um, but there are moments in it that I think are very, very, very funny.

[18:03] Zach Fowls: Yeah, and I think that the idea of like a sex riot is wild. The fact that the kids are getting the kids, the fact that the kids are getting like um zoinked out of their minds by a dentist is wild. But the thing about that episode comparatively to the rest of the show is that it kind of played with the rules of what the show was supposed to be doing, and it kind of just went, no, we're gonna go in this way, we're gonna go in this way, we're gonna kind of make the illegalness happen and blah blah blah. And I think especially once Santana was like, put me under, and it doesn't matter because my dad's a doctor, I was like, Yeah, I was like, that's okay. So now we're just like like now that we're we're veering on this absurdity that the show hasn't done yet.

[18:54] Andrew: I'm so curious by this take because I mean, like comparatively to "Power of Madonna," which I think is a fine comparison to make, but like saying that I mean, are you saying that "Power of Madonna" moves plot more than "Britney/Brittany"? Because I feel as though when you actually do a compare and contrast, they kind of are moving plot forward like at a lesser so rate than an episode like "Duets."

[19:20] Zach Fowls: Well, and that's why "Duets" is a better, like overall, "Duets" is a better episode. "Duets," "Duets," "Duets" and "Silly Love Songs" are the best episodes of the second season. They're great. And also I think this is a uh completely tangential, but both episodes don't feature Sue Sylvester.

[19:38] Pat Patrick: Right.

[19:39] Zach Fowls: So I think that's what it must be for Zach.

[19:41] Andrew: But well, after the first 13 episodes, Sue just doesn't have a point in the show anymore.

[19:46] Zach Fowls: So, like, yeah, I think that all your critiques of that episode are good. I mean, I am um a big Britney Spears fan, so I thought it was like a fun episode, but also like I I think that what that episode also did, and this is why I really like the beginning of season two, and also why I really really agree that "Duets" is one of the best episodes, is it cut it it definitely starts shining the light on other characters and it expands the world beyond like this is just a show about Rachel and just a show about Will.

[20:18] Pat Patrick: Um, and I think that's why when I go back and watch season one, I think like as a season of television, I agree that season one is the best, and that like it drives plot, it makes sense, it hasn't broken any of like the rules that it's establishing for itself yet, and things like that. So, like season one is a very good season of television, but I think what I was really what I was really energized by in season two is that yeah, like Heather became a main cast member, Naya became a main cast member. They gave them so many more moments and they gave a lot of the other characters a lot more songs and a lot more opportunities to shine, and I think that was really fun.

[21:00] Zach Fowls: And so um I was kind of into it because like I don't think that I needed every episode of Glee to drive a plot forward. Um, but I uh I understand kind of what you're saying, but I think what we can all agree is that them going to the dentist and getting high was much better than there being a gas leak in the choir room and then the puppet uh episode happening.

[21:22] Pat Patrick: So maybe we can uh all agree on that.

[21:25] Zach Fowls: There's some finger pointing.

[21:28] Pat Patrick: I disagree.

[21:29] Zach Fowls: I absolutely disagree.

[21:30] Pat Patrick: I think.

[21:30] Zach Fowls: I think I think "Puppet Master" is a really great episode.

[21:38] Pat Patrick: Com only but only for the sole reason to give for Blaine.

[21:42] Zach Fowls: I think it gives Blaine so much more of an interesting character than of the show.

[21:47] Pat Patrick: Yes.

[21:48] Zach Fowls: Like season two, Blaine is boring. Season three is boring. Season five, Blaine is bonkers.

[21:55] Pat Patrick: And I think wait, where do we stand on season four weekly Blaine?

[22:02] Pat Patrick: But Zach, yeah, it's funny you say that. Because you talked about that in your last episode as well. You were kind of talking about the the Blaine like character arc and stuff.

[22:12] Zach Fowls: And when I woke up from my nap after you were done talking about that, um that set you right to sleep.

[22:18] Pat Patrick: Yeah.

[22:18] Zach Fowls: Yeah, no, but uh I think that like that's again another fair thing to say, but by season five, I was so like just give me like music and numbers to like watch and stuff like that, as opposed to trying to redeem Blaine having a personality by doing a puppet episode. I have a lot of like one of my hot takes that I maybe can say for later it has a lot to do with Blaine. But um, yeah, I respect your opinion.

[22:54] Andrew: Um so that's what I'll leave it at. To answer your question about "Power of Madonna," it does a lot in terms of its plot, but it also gets uh the emotion of the characters a lot better than "Britney/Brittany" does, especially when you come to Sue, Santana, Finn, Rachel, Jesse. Like there's more in that episode.

[23:15] Zach Fowls: Um in terms of Blaine, I don't like season two, Blaine is fine. He's just kind of like, he's there.

[23:21] Pat Patrick: He is this Vunderkind style, you know, like nothing can touch him, and he's not, you know, I feel like I need to speak, speak for audience right now.

[23:33] Zach Fowls: What is that word that you just use?

[23:35] Pat Patrick: Wunderkind?

[23:36] Zach Fowls: I think it's also pronounced Wonder Kind. I could be so wrong, but it's like somebody that is like it's a it's an individual that is very, very young, but is very, very um knowledgeable and very good at their position.

[23:50] Pat Patrick: Um somebody as sort of like a like a like not a genius, but like a protege, a prodigy.

[23:57] Zach Fowls: That's what I mean.

[23:57] Pat Patrick: Yeah, like a prodigy.

[23:58] Zach Fowls: Okay.

[23:58] Pat Patrick: It's essentially another word for that.

[24:00] Zach Fowls: But he is kind of that, and he just kind of stays that. And I like Darren Criss just fine. I don't really like him as an actor, is cool, you know, whatever. But I think his skills shine better when he's allowed to be goofier. And so when you give him like late season four when he's in love with Sam, and then you give him season five where he's just kind of manic. I that is so much like that allows him to use what he has better than season two and three did, which is just sit in the choir room longingly or just give really terrible advice to Kurt versus season four and five allowed him to develop a little bit more to be like squirrely and and and just a little kookier.

[24:42] Pat Patrick: And so that's why I like "Puppet Master" a lot more than I do um and I was looking for care like when you have a character like Blaine who has not had a whole lot of development in you know in the first two seasons that he's there to have one where you're just kind of like okay, I attached to this character, I want to know a little bit more about him, and not this crying over his brother being better than him idea, not this crying over the fact that he moved schools for his boyfriend idea.

[25:10] Zach Fowls: Being emotional enough to warrant a solo, yeah, exactly.

[25:13] Pat Patrick: I would say yeah, just boring.

[25:15] Zach Fowls: He's just boring.

[25:15] Pat Patrick: And so when you give him season four or five, when he's just kind of like weird, I'm just like, yeah, okay. Doing something, but I think that I mean, without like actually like considering all the characters, I feel like I almost want to put like a blanket judgment on all the characters in season five and be like at that point for obvious reasons that like a lot of the characters had very random traits associated to them.

[25:42] Zach Fowls: That it was like treated more like a cartoon than you know, the realized season two.

[25:48] Pat Patrick: I agree, but that's why that because Blaine just didn't have a whole lot attributed to him. I think that's allowed him to have like that's why when random things appeared for Blaine, or you know, when they were like, he has this fun, stupid, you know, like trait, or he does this in his free time, or he gets weird about this. I'm like, okay, yeah, that makes sense because I didn't really know a lot about him in the first two seasons that he was there.

[26:12] Zach Fowls: We don't know a lot by the series finale, though.

[26:14] Pat Patrick: And we don't.

[26:16] Zach Fowls: Sue Line.

[26:18] Pat Patrick: I think that might be my favorite.

[26:18] Zach Fowls: That's a really good Sue Lion for sure.

[26:21] Pat Patrick: The Blaine, I still haven't really figured you out yet.

[26:25] Zach Fowls: I'm saying in the final episode of the series is like just a complete jab at the entire character.

[26:35] Andrew: But okay, wait. So enough about does anybody have any, I guess, general glee thoughts?

[26:39] Zach Fowls: Um now is your time.

[26:42] Pat Patrick: I feel like I've defended myself. And I feel like I have done a good job of defending myself, and I stand by what I say.

[26:48] Andrew: Um Patrick, are you okay with Zach's presence in in this recording?

[26:51] Pat Patrick: I totally am because you know I what I do respect, Zach, is that you can back up what you're saying, even if I don't like completely agree with you.

[27:02] Zach Fowls: You were gone for an entire half hour. So we were waiting hand in foot on you.

[27:07] Pat Patrick: And I think I think that you guys were plotting against me this whole time, really.

[27:12] Andrew: So I don't even like know exactly. I like to know not to drag you, Patrick, because this is beyond your control. I like to know where we are in the episode right now, but my recording is at 57 minutes, so I'm not entirely sure like what where we are in the episode.

[27:30] Zach Fowls: However, um, we're just gonna keep on going.

[27:34] Andrew: Um in terms of Glackettings, um, are we what are we feeling round two vibes? Like, what are the sort of songs that we're looking for in uh in a round three?

[27:42] Zach Fowls: Like, what are the qualities?

[27:49] Pat Patrick: Yeah, you on "Fo" and "Sue."

[27:52] Zach Fowls: "Vogue" and "Sue."

[27:54] Pat Patrick: Um I want group numbers. Um in the episode that I recorded, I had one competition, and neither were like uh a fun group number. They were both duets between characters I didn't really care about.

[28:08] Zach Fowls: So um, I and I actually like when I go through the Glacket and I think about which things I disagree with. I think that I definitely lean more toward the group numbers being more important or fun to me because like Glee is about a glee club. And I think that like every time that they found ways to like include multiple characters and multiple voices, and they did it either in a competition or in like a creative fun way. I think that's like really a lot of like what the essence of the show is about. And I I'm definitely like a uh I like a lot of the solos, but I think sometimes there's like an amazing Mercedes solo. And I'm like, yes, like Amber Riley is phenomenal. She killed that solo, but is that like as Glee to me as like "Wannabe"?

You know, like them like dancing around like stuff like that. Like sometimes it has gravitate toward like those a little bit more. So definitely some group numbers, and I definitely want some Santana because she's my favorite character. Um, and I'd love to comment on any number she's a part of. So I think those are my hopes.

[29:15] Pat Patrick: All valued Zach. Where do we stand?

[29:17] Zach Fowls: I agree with you in that I love the group numbers. Um I would I just I I kind of want to challenge. I feel like in the episode that I did um with you, Andrew, they were pretty easy. Like I would say, like, can we can we do a recap because I wrote it down?

[29:34] Andrew: Yes.

[29:35] Pat Patrick: A recap.

[29:36] Andrew: Okay, so Patrick, your um competition, your singular competition, which I I I still I'm so sorry that that was your singular competition in round one. Um, but it was "Ding Dong The Witch is Dead" versus "A Thousand Years," which to me and Allison initially, too long don't read. If you go back in the episode, Allison and I were like, oh, the choice is obvious, but you blissfully uh convinced us to vote in the in in favor of "Ding Dong," which I'm really happy about. Um and then Zach, your episode, your three competitions, so sorry, Pat. Um, but your three competitions were um "My Cup" versus "We Got the Beat," "My Cup" won. I believe you voted for "We Got the Beat," though. Um "Disco Inferno," you you could not convince us in the way that Patrick could.

So maybe maybe tonight, maybe tonight you I don't know. Um "Disco Inferno" versus "No Surrender." Um "Disco Inferno" obviously won. And then uh "They Long to Be Close to You" versus "Baby It's Cold Outside," which "Baby It's Cold Outside" won. So yeah, I I'm looking for, you know, some I'm looking for some challenges. Because I thought, you know, where I was like, yeah, Sam's solo is great, but "Baby It's Cold Outside" is just clearly better. You know, "Disco Inferno" is far superior to almost anything that the show wants to give us um for "No Surrender." And yes, I like "We Got the Beat" more than "My Cup," but you know, uh it it it kind of is what it is.

[31:08] Zach Fowls: I'm looking for like give me "River to the Mountain High" versus um uh um what is it? Uh someone like you "Rumor Has It." You know, like give me one pain. I want pain.

[31:19] Pat Patrick: Yeah, I kinda do too. I'm with you, Zach, because like I think the fun part about round two is specifically that like most of the songs have been vetted and are like pretty good.

[31:28] Zach Fowls: I was going to-

[31:28] Pat Patrick: Even if they're wrong.

[31:31] Zach Fowls: Yeah, yeah. Sure. Right? Because I was going through like the the Glacket and like all the losers, and like there are so many duds that we got through in round one where it's like, oh yeah, like we don't have to worry about those anymore. Those are kind of gimme's, but then like now, totally agree. Like I love to debate, like, I'd like to get some pain to like have some heartache. I want people to try.

[31:52] Andrew: Yeah, but Andrew, you're very against that. I remember because what was the there's one competition where you like made both go through or something uh because you couldn't decide.

[32:00] Pat Patrick: In round one, yeah.

[32:02] Andrew: I I really that's so interesting to hear, like specifically from like an audience per like someone that's listened to every single episode that they that you like the the difficult competitions because like that's like what one thing that going into round two that I was like they feel like how do I want to put this? Like all the songs that are through, I'm like, I want to protect a large majority of them when I can't, you know, and it's like is it fun still to be sending songs that I love away, you know, but I guess this is my cross to bear, and this is what I decided to do with my time and my energy.

[32:42] Pat Patrick: And um This is your fault.

[32:44] Zach Fowls: I get that because this is like your baby and your passion project, and but like me and Zach, we just love to listen and we love the drama. So like we're gonna be.

[32:54] Pat Patrick: So you want you want tears.

[32:56] Zach Fowls: Your favorite. Listen, you say your favorite character is Santana, and mine is Sue. And I feel like that is pretty much.

[33:02] Pat Patrick: Yeah, we like I'm coming, I'm coming at this from a very Sue place. Uh like I just I would rather I I would I would like things to burn. I would um I'm okay with murder.

[33:13] Zach Fowls: Okay.

[33:14] Pat Patrick: For the sake of the Glacket, I think it's like kind of like okay. Um, but I mean, okay, one question I did have before we start Glacketing is one of the songs in your episode, Zach was "No Surrender," a um quarterback episode that was the sent away. Um, "Make You Feel My Love" was a competition, "Make You Feel My Love" versus "Misery" was a competition that happened in round one. And um, in that episode, Alison and I in the Gleek the Week Adam, uh no, Luke, Gleek the Week. Luke. Um, we all agreed that like that song specifically "Make You Feel My Love" doesn't really uh work in a Glacket scenario, and that like it would be unfair to have go forward. But there are a number of songs from the quarterback that have made it to round two before we made the decision. Like, I'm thinking like "If I Die Young," "I'll Stand By You," um "Seasons of Love." Like, where do we stand on those songs um going forward in the Glacket?

[34:13] Zach Fowls: Are you asking, like, do any of the songs in the quarterback should should they just get pulled from the Glacket? Is what you're saying?

[34:19] Pat Patrick: Well, like, I mean, like, or is it unfair that "Make You Feel My Love" is not also in the Glacket?

[34:27] Zach Fowls: Um, I'm not really sure what my question is, really, but like I guess like what where do they those songs like do those songs the competitions that they're pulled in in round two? Is that an automatic W for the song that they're pulled against?

[34:42] Pat Patrick: I don't think so.

[34:43] Zach Fowls: Or like Right? Personally, no. Personally, I don't think so. I think "Make You Feel My Love" is one of the things like I understand why you would say, you know, oh, it's it's you know, it's unfair to put it up against anything else. I'd say that "Make You Feel My Love" is a fine cover. I think that where it's placed, why it's placed, what it does in the episode. I mean, obviously, it's like one of the best things Glee does is when you're able to use you know music to get through to your emotions, but like you're literally just like there's a camera on you, and you have to like this is Lea Michele's song to Cory Monteith. I understand why that doesn't go forward. But there are a couple songs, like "No Surrender" is a dud of a song. Like you know, "Fire and Rain." Like it's fine, you know.

[35:28] Pat Patrick: Like there's a lot that's where we disagree. I forgot to mention "Fire and Rain." I love "Fire and Rain." I love it as a I love it as a song, but like I also, and I think I maybe said this in my episode in the episode, I don't really like the quarterback all that much as like as an episode. I think that it's probably very, very difficult to have made. I think it's one of the hardest episodes to watch of the show, but like structurally, I just think it's kind of okay. Um definitely team um I I think that it's still art and it can still be like critiqued, and even though it was certainly like art, really emotional and stuff like that. And I think it's totally different too, Andrew, because you've like talked to the people about the episode, and like I think that you also have like an additional layer of empathy to that.

Um, and us as listeners who listen to that too, like it was really interesting to hear. But yeah, I think that you always said that like this is your Glacket or our Glacket, whatever. So, like I totally respect if like the the mood calls for like the matchup is like not like vibing, and it's like, hey, like let's just move this song through and leave this song behind because we don't want to like have to have this conversation, but we want to pay respect to the moment to the episode to the song and move it through.

[36:43] Andrew: Yeah, we could do that, but like I think it's I personally think it's fine to keep them in. I think that we could have kept "Make You Feel My Love" in, but like I don't think that the Glacket's missing anything without it. And I thought that your reasoning was really well thought out and really respectful, and it made a lot of sense. So yeah, I'm team like see where it goes and let the moment like feel the moment and then like make the decision with the people who are in in the zoom call.

[37:10] Zach Fowls: Yeah.

[37:11] Pat Patrick: Yeah, just completely wow. Saying everything that this entire journey has always been the vibes and we'll we'll keep it around.

[37:23] Zach Fowls: Can I say one song that I really hope that we do pull?

[37:27] Pat Patrick: Oh, please.

[37:28] Zach Fowls: I mean, yes. I want the same for you, Zach as well. There's one song. So I have some unfinished business. No. Um I wanna shout out uh the people who are on the podcast, the other Gleeks of the Week that are on the podcast with me when I did my first episode, Charlie and Lauren. They're my good yes internet friends now. And the inside joke is always that we will bring up how "So Emotional" got cut over "Fighter" um every single time that we're on the podcast. Um so which it's back by hashtag "So Emotional Gate." But the thing is it lost to "Fighter," and I know that "So Emotional" is also it was brought back, but I would love to get "Fighter" so that we could banish that song to hell together. Um I will vote against "Fighter" this no matter what the song is, I feel like. So I'm hoping we pull that one.

[38:21] Pat Patrick: Yeah, I I don't know. I'm the the more I've like streamed "Fighter" since that day, I've like, you know, this is okay. I like it. Not as much as "So Emotional," but like I have like a I think I just have that you know that's fair, and you know what? Maybe if we do pull it and I listen to it again, maybe maybe I'll have a change of heart.

[38:42] Zach Fowls: I just uh I don't know.

[38:44] Pat Patrick: So um Zach, two questions for you. Uh, where do you stand on "So Emotional" versus "Fighter"? And also what songs are you um manifesting?

[38:52] Zach Fowls: I think so I think "So Emotional" is a much better song than "Fighter."

[38:57] Pat Patrick: Okay, Zach, you're back at my good graces now.

[39:02] Zach Fowls: But there's still time.

[39:03] Pat Patrick: Zach and say I can really step in it again.

[39:06] Zach Fowls: Um I don't like "Fighter" only in the beginning of it. I think by the end of it, I I'm like, okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I get this. But his intro is probably the worst voice acting the show's had. Is after all that you've put me through, you think I despise you. Leaving me in, I want to thank you, because you make me that much stronger. I it's that was great. It's so bad.

[39:30] Pat Patrick: You're you're okay with "Puppet Master." I feel like that does that line up exactly.

[39:36] Zach Fowls: I don't know. I appreciate your controversial takes.

[39:40] Pat Patrick: I I really like I'm here for chaos.

[39:43] Zach Fowls: I'm just chaos.

[39:44] Pat Patrick: I I really I vibe with that a lot. And honestly, that was a really good Blaine impression. I I followed you on TikTok recently and on Instagram, and I I looked at some of the videos of you singing, and you're very talented. I think that you should add you should add Blaine to your uh repertoire.

[40:00] Zach Fowls: To my repertoire of characters.

[40:02] Pat Patrick: I I won't, but thank you. Um I have you know, I do so I I do these things at 54 Below where they're yeah, that was so cool. Jane Lynch, like they asked me to just bring Sue Sylvester TikTok to the thing, and they have me do they had me do "Vogue" in the first the second time I was there, they had me do "Vogue," and then they had me do "Physical." And they're the I'm we're I'm doing one in in in February.

[40:28] Zach Fowls: February, that's like soon after this episode's release.

[40:30] Pat Patrick: Yes and I asked them I said can I not sing Sue because you know the way that they write um women and female presenting voices like they're just all over the map. And I like vocally cannot do that. And so I was like can I do this song instead and it's a Blaine song. I was like I'll still do it as Sue but I was like that's my voice style a lot then yeah um so that I will be doing a Blaine song for this next one a plug all the Gleeks need to go see you next month.

[41:03] Zach Fowls: I know but here I am still campaigning for a live performance of "A Little Girls" and or "I Still Believe" "Super Bass," which I feel like could you do Blaine and Sue that was the one I pitched um in the when I when I did the one I did "Physical" in I actually hosted it but I would flip back and forth between myself and Sue and I was like the culmination of that is "Super Bass" and "I Still Believe," but they just uh we went with "Physical" instead and I was like okay whatever and then they were like do you want to do it for the third this one and I said no the joke is over.

[41:37] Pat Patrick: Um it's okay. The song that I think I I want to pull because I want to smash everybody is um "Any Way You Want It" "Love and Touch and Squeeze In." That's that next to "Thriller" is my favorite of the mashups it is an impeccable song.

[41:52] Zach Fowls: Did I agree that's like a top 10 for me probably I think I get chills every time I watch that performance. When they when they do I love the medley, the journey medley. When they do the counterpoint where Mercedes sings, you know, um, when she's when she just belts at that last note, and they sing the na nahs with the um "Any Way You Want It."

[42:16] Andrew: I mean it's impactful. So good. I remember seeing that live and updating my Facebook status to being like, there is no way the Glee Club will lose. And I'm like 10 minutes later, I'm like, I can't believe the Glee Club lost. And people were like, you ruined the episode for me. Spoilers, and I was like, it had to be sad. But I remember how we're gonna be posting the same Facebook status tonight when we pull any way you want it versus like rumor has it. There's no way that'd be hard. That'd be hard. But I kind of I'm for it. Me and Zacrophor, we're the people to do it because we'll rip off the band-aid and make the choice. So yeah. I you're stronger than I am. You're more of a fighter than the casting.

Are we ready for the first song? What I'm afraid. Okay. Uh okay. I mean, it's a safe, it's a safe one for me. It's a safe one for me. Okay. Like it's like not, we're not starting off real strong. Um, it's from my favorite episode of the damn show. Um Brittany and Britney. No, go on. It's no one's favorite Brittany. Okay, go on. What is it, Andrew? It's from my favorite episode, Asian F.

[43:29] Pat Patrick: Oh, I love that one. Whoa! Okay, wait, I love this one. So when you try this, but you don't succeed.

[43:38] Andrew: Wait, I feel like Patrick, you were you voted in this. You we called you for this.

[43:41] Pat Patrick: Yeah, I put this through.

[43:49] Andrew: When you feel so tight, but you I like that the season one promotional photo is and the tears come streaming down your face when you lose something you can't replace when you love someone, but it goes to waste could it be well guide you home and bones and I will try to fix you.

[43:49] ♪ Musical number: "Fix You" — performed by Coldplay ♪

[43:49] Andrew: And I will try to fix you. I was curious where my recording ended. We did not get the Ms. Corker in I hear you're looking for star power. Well, here I am. I love it. Okay, tell me that that is not. Didn't that like tug at your heartstrings a little bit? I feel like I I know that everybody that listens to the damn podcast is watch the damn show Glee. But I urge everybody to stop this episode, watch this, because I feel the video aspect is so important here.

[46:51] Zach Fowls: Yeah, for sure. Um Zach, what are you feeling about Fix You?

[46:55] Zach Fowls: I have I you know, I I like Fix You just fine. Um I I haven't watched Asian F in a while, so it was fun to remember what that what what the episode was doing. Um I like that the cast list only has the like five five characters and right and I never understood why I mean it's it's not for another couple of episodes where Blaine's like your Officer Krupke had them on the floor. I'm like, Officer Kruppke is not a funny character. I was like, where where in the world are we are are we getting that? Also, Kurt could have played somebody like Baby John or somebody else in the music. I feel like even like Chino, I mean totally thought Chino for sure, right? Like I think that that would have obviously not honoring um races when when they're uh casting West Side Story. Um so I think that Kurt would have made a good Chino living in that world.

[47:52] Pat Patrick: But I I think that I think um I know Mike sang cool for his audition, but Riff dies at the end of Act One, so he doesn't sing cool in the musical. Kurt could have sang cool in the musical. Like I don't I don't know why he wasn't cast in that. Officer Krupke doesn't even sing anything in the show. Now, like maybe that's because he sang a terrible audition song. And if you wanted to go for Tony, why didn't you sing something's coming? Like Blaine saying something coming, and then went, I'm not gonna audition for Tony. The lead up to this plot is really messy, um, and also accentuated by my least favorite plot of all time, which is Bert running for Congress.

[48:35] Zach Fowls: Um it's not really that's your least favorite comparison. Could I can I tell a story about this song? So I um I was a theater kid in high school, and we went to like in Illinois, we do like theater fests where like all the high schools get to like bust their theater department, yeah, to like um like one of the state schools, and then like there are some schools that get to bring their shows or whatever, but then they always have like these different workshops.

[49:06] Pat Patrick: So there's workshops that are like, oh, like dance and singing and stage production, whatever. And there is one that me and my best friend Casey signed up for, and it was um like it I forget what it was called, but it was like deconstructing glee. And so like we go there, and like the whole thing is just like talking about glee, and it's like all these like high school girls who are just like talking about glee, and we kind of like this, right? Exactly, but they play this song because this episode just came out, and so they play this song, like they project it, and they're like, How does this make everybody feel? And then there are like these girls that would stand up and be like, I remember when like it's really hard when you don't get cast in the show, and then like like people like stand up and like comfort them because they were like crying because they related to Glee so much because they didn't get the part that they wanted, like Marseille Mercedes didn't get Maria, and I was like dying laughing inside because I was like, Are we really doing this right now? Like we're 17.

[50:10] Pat Patrick: But like it was I forget what else we did, like that was glee-related in that workshop, but I always think about that, and then I was gonna bring up this story and kind of make that joke because like those girls are being so dramatic. But when I was watching that clip again, like really that is such like a quintessential experience for like a theater kid. It's like you're walking down the hall, you're not sure are you gonna get cast or are you not? And I do think that they did a a really good job, just kind of like I like it when Glee to your point before Zach, when it's like, what is this show about? Like, why are they like getting high off of like dentist stuff? Like, yeah, I feel like sometimes yeah, it can miss the mark there, but sometimes they do a good job like actually capturing a feeling.

[50:53] Andrew: And I really like the song for that reason, and I think that um Matthew Morrison is a phenomenal talent, and we need to lay off the Matthew Morrison hate.

[51:08] Zach Fowls: No.

[51:08] Andrew: I think this ends now.

[51:12] Zach Fowls: Okay, specifically because the casting announcement. When I saw Matthew Morrison cast in Chicago, I was like already excited. I was like, thank God. Like this is gonna be such a fun performance. Then I saw he's performing it in Japan and he's doing the entire performance in Japanese. Can we chill on the hate for this man? He's officially redeemed himself.

[51:38] Pat Patrick: Here's my thing. I think I don't like his voice on this song.

[51:43] Zach Fowls: Um I like his falsetto in other songs like Night Fever, one of my favorites.

[51:48] Pat Patrick: Um I think Matthew Morrison is the sole cast member that has chemistry with every single cast. He's the only cast member that can sing, act, and dance. And I'm gonna put that out there.

[52:00] Zach Fowls: Right. Are we are we gonna look at a list for that one?

[52:04] Pat Patrick: Or like all of them can do all three, but he is really good at all of them.

[52:09] Zach Fowls: Like there are people on the show who can really sing, but their acting isn't as good.

[52:14] Pat Patrick: There are people who can't dance. He's so talented.

[52:17] Andrew: And okay, this is I just need to get this out there, and then I promise we won't talk for like an hour after every single song. But on the topic of Matthew Morrison, the reason why people don't like him is because the the public used to love him and love Will Schuster. And then the public used to love Justin Timberlake, and then the narrative now is that we don't like either of them, but I think we displace our dislike of Justin Timberlake onto Will Schuster and Matthew Morrison. That's my that's my take.

[52:52] Zach Fowls: Okay.

[52:53] Pat Patrick: Okay.

[52:54] Zach Fowls: I disagree, but you know, I I think that I think that the Will Schuster of the pilot is a completely different character than Will Schuster of Journey.

[53:04] Zach Fowls: I think that he's I don't. There are some very questionable things that that character does outside of the pilot. I think his desperation in the pilot makes sense. But like the character that they're singing my life would suck without you. Um that character is completely inconsistent. And I think the hatred for the character comes from the fact that he like there are five different versions of Will Schuster's that exists.

[53:31] Pat Patrick: Yeah, and that's Morrison, I don't think is strong enough to play how wild all of them are.

[53:38] Zach Fowls: Um I think he can do sincerity really well. I think he has comedic moments, really like strong comedic moments, but then there are moments where he's just I just there are moments I'm just like he's just really not not good at this.

[53:54] Pat Patrick: He's got really bad line readings in some of this stuff.

[53:56] Zach Fowls: And that's not to say that we shouldn't have to be able to do it.

[53:58] Pat Patrick: Wait, can you point?

[53:58] Zach Fowls: Can you point to a bad Matthew Morrison line reading just out of curiosity?

[54:03] Pat Patrick: Yeah.

[54:05] Zach Fowls: I know, I know.

[54:06] Pat Patrick: Um because I really appreciated what you said about like saying like he has a good falsetto and being like night fever. I I just want I want a nuanced conversation.

[54:16] Zach Fowls: I think that he's actually pretty bad at like talking to Emma half the time.

[54:21] Pat Patrick: Like I don't really believe they're in love.

[54:23] Zach Fowls: You know, that they're like an actual relationship.

[54:27] Pat Patrick: I remember I remember it uh I'm thinking of it where he's he's like he says he starts off guy, it's right after an argument. I think it's in Silly Love Songs, or it's either in the I it's either in Silly Love Songs or it's in the first Christmas episode, and he just says, guys, enough about this. And it's just it's very like it's a very actor-y voice uh comparatively to um some like some of the other things that he is given where like him in Pregers or not Pregars um sectional is when he rips off the baby bum. He yeah, he balances that so well.

[55:07] Zach Fowls: Well, I mean, when you're when you're looking into the eyes of acting masterclass Jesselyn Gilsig giving an Oscar-worthy performance for a television show.

[55:17] Pat Patrick: He she elevates without it.

[55:20] Zach Fowls: I think both of them are just like art.

[55:22] Pat Patrick: That is they did that that show is like that that scene itself is like ripped out of like an HBO show.

[55:29] Zach Fowls: It's just like the best of the best.

[55:30] Pat Patrick: I love it.

[55:31] Zach Fowls: I love it, I love it.

[55:32] Pat Patrick: But then there are some other things, like I said, that he does that are just kind of like some of the later stuff that he does, like in some of those later episodes.

[55:40] Zach Fowls: I'm just kind of like you were you did this in one take.

[55:40] Pat Patrick: You did this in two ticks.

[55:46] Zach Fowls: It wasn't it's not a strong.

[55:48] Pat Patrick: Do you and again, I don't want to spend an hour talking about every one of these songs, but I I do enjoy having this conversation. Would you a credit that to lazy acting or lazy writing slash directing?

[56:02] Zach Fowls: I think it would be lazy writing slash directing.

[56:04] Pat Patrick: Yeah.

[56:05] Zach Fowls: I think so too.

[56:06] Pat Patrick: I think what I'm getting at is he's like a triple threat. Like, I think that like you can be like Matthew Morrison can do all three really well. And sometimes he gets bad songs, sometimes he gets bad writing, bad direction.

[56:18] Zach Fowls: Maybe sometimes he flops a thing, like not everyone's perfect, but I don't know. I think that like the hate for Will Schuster like bled too much into the hate for Matthew Morrison. And granted, I know that he did get embroiled in some controversy and stuff like that. But I think that like we can let like the oh my god, Will Schuster's cringe and creepy, blah blah blah. Like it's like he did what he had to do or what he was given, and I don't know. I do I don't want to like say no Will songs moving forward just because he's cringe, you know. Aside for bad acting, is the beginning of the Grinch when he said all the windows were I'm just like we don't have that's absolutely terrible. And Matthew Morrison, if you're listening, I still love you.

But I also think his acting attributes to the fact that nobody knows what Will Schuster is. Like they could not pinpoint the character after the show. Well he becomes much more of an enigma as the series goes on. Well, again, it kind of it's sort of like Sue where they just don't know what to do with her. They don't know what to do with the adults in the show. I think that I enjoy episodes later on when his entire purpose is potentially being inspired by Emma saying something and then going into the choir room and writing something on the board, and that is the last we hear from him for the next 45 minutes. They totally do like there's a lot of Will Schuster erasure, even like them not really including him at all on the Glitore, I think is like yeah kind of funny.

That's crazy to me. But again, you get he has the most chemistry with every single character in that show. He is I think that's a great point. He's the number one, like they could not have found a better person to play that. Sometimes too much chemistry with Diana Agron. Well, he puts his hand on her button. I'm like, come on. You know what I mean? He's touching that girl way too much. We rewatch Bust the Moon. I would touch her. Alright, cut that, but no. I think we can all sign off on that. We would all touch Diana with consent. Diana, can I give you a card, please? Yeah. So Diana, please. I just want to be embraced by your aura. I'm really proud of us for having a nuanced conversation about Will Schuster hate.

Good job, guys. I also think it's because I keep getting people telling me I look like Will Schuster in a wig when I put on two. Like what like that's the comment that I'll get the most. I feel like I have to back him up. I feel like I have to be there. Okay, yeah. I mean, that's fair. But you ultimately, I think slaps, and whatever comes against it, I think that's great too. Artie's harmony, and then it's so good. Wait, is oh that's Artie's the best more is like credited on the track. Yeah, it's a beautiful harmony. Thank you. I completely that was in the recess of my mind that Kevin because Kevin McHale's also like on like girls just want to have fun randomly as well, right? Yep. Yeah. It's a really well done number for the episode.

I don't I don't love Matthew Morrison on it, but I think it's a it's if I listen to it when it ha what like when it appears, I'm like, oh yeah, I remember this I'll sing along. I like it. I think I'd like the video, the video more. Legal note, legal note, legal note on my part. Um, is that, and my mom would hate me for sharing this legal note right now. But I remember I think it was actually like coming home from Christmas, and I guess the year that this episode this was like 2011 episode, so Christmas 2011. We were on our way back home from my aunt's house, and um we were obviously listening to um Glee the Music Volume 7, the green one, uh the the second green one for those unaware. Right. Um and like a line green.

I remember this the lime green one, thank you. With all the seven on it. I do know it's the seventh one because there's a seven on it. But um, but we were listening to Fix You and my mom was like, Can you go back to that fix you song and just leave me alone in the car? And I had called your mom. No, wait, the you haven't even gotten to the full gag. Oh no. My sister needed to explain to me that my mom was just getting high in the car listening to fix you, Glee Cast Rush by Glee Cast. Good for her. Okay, we all know 2001 before that was okay. Um, but all that to be said, I like Fix You again from my favorite episode, the damn show. And also we mentioned this early watching this performance, but I completely forgot that Patrick, you voted on this company.

And I think what I said is that um they really don't give Emma's storyline about her OCD a lot of justice. And I'm not saying that the storyline was like the absolute best, but I thought that like they gave a the old college try to actually put some weight and like emotion on like Emma really struggling with OCD, and I think that the acting that she does is good, and I think the song fits that, and I thought it was a good choice of song, and so I think there's a lot of things going for this. Like if there's a really big good banger song, like I'll definitely vote against Fix You, but I don't know. It has it has a few elements to it that I think the casual geek might overlook until they really think about it, and then they'll they'll maybe have a little bit of love for the song like I do.

So a little bit of love. I like a context for that competition. It was fix you against I want to break break free, being the only Masonola from season six. Which do you stand by that decision? I do because I I think that um that was a great performance by Mason. What's his name? Billy something. Um Billy, I always want to say his last name is Drayfus, but that's just something. Billy Lewis Billy Lewis Jr. Yeah. I thought he did a great job, but like uh, you know, I for all the reasons we've talked about why kind of like fits fix you pulls up my heartstrings a little bit. Um that's that's why I I picked it. So I stand by that one. Let's see if fix you lives to see another round against Fix. Okay.

Another another song from Glee the Music, volume seven, the green one with a seven honor. So we'll see. Um I I don't know. I think this is a fun competition. Very different songs. Let's see. You are gonna know what it is.

[1:03:19] ♪ Musical number: "ABC" — performed by The Glee Cast ♪

[1:05:45] Zach Fowls: That was so much better that I I I never reach for this for some reason. I love that song. I hope where they do it. Good. That's a song. Um, I hate to put the cart before the horse and you know, talk about the competition at hand. Yeah, I feel it feels much easier than I thought. Yes, of course. Yeah.

[1:06:08] Patrick: Okay. What what are your initial thoughts? I have to I have like a big season three bias. I agree that season three is not the best season of the show, but season three ugly when they were all seniors. I was also a senior in high school, and it was very like I felt so on top of the world at that point in my life, and like I think a lot of the characters did too, and it was kind of like so like I know I was like a lead in my school play, and then like they were like winning nationals, and like there was like so much excitement in my life, and um, you know, watching the characters go through that and stuff. Um, I I loved it. I don't know. I I just loved season three, I think for that reason. Um I really like that season three is like all of the characters are like really into their own.

Like season two was so much like okay, it's actually not just about Rachel and Finn and Will. Like there are other characters, and then season three, I think like brought that even further where there's a lot of moments that the other cast could shine. And the whole purpose of this number is that Rachel's not in it. Um and there's like Mercedes, and like you kind of got to hear some of the other voices and stuff like that. And I just I have like a really special love for all the competitions, especially the season three competitions. So I really love this one. I love that it's goofy that Mike and Kurt get to do stuff. I like that Tina gets her her time to shine. So yeah, I absolutely love this one.

It was so fun. I think it's so much what Glee's about, like the group numbers. I said I wanted both. So yeah, more displayed. And that like Diana Agron, like just like, and this is like not, I feel without obviously like actually sitting down to consider all of the the Glee songs, but Diana Agron, like just having a random line just thrown in there, yeah. Reading writing arithmetic are the branches of the learning tree, and then she's she's done but more.

[1:08:04] Zach Fowls: Okay, I was gonna ask that. Is she the one she's okay? That is her. Incredible. Um, yeah, I just I just love it.

[1:08:15] Pat Patrick: Yes. Here's my thing about that. My control. I first off, I agree with you about season three. Um I think season three has the best music in the show. Um, because they're really and I I listened to Kevin and Jenna's podcast about this episode in particular, and they talk about how much more difficult all of the music became, how um especially this um conversation was about childhood and then uh teenagehood and then adulthood and and whatever else. What I like about season one. I wish that they would have set it up in this way where season one's about you know the creation of the Glee Club, how all these characters exist, the second season being about the identity of the characters, and the third scene being about the fact that they all now have to come together and it's about the finality of all of them being together.

I wish that they would have kind of played with that a little bit more. Um but I do like how we, you know, how they weave in and out so like a character like Mercedes and a character like Mike Um and Tina and Quinn all get different things to do in this season that push them very differently. Um I don't understand why they're why we if they're trying to go Mike Chang is gonna like he needs to prove to his dad that's why why didn't they give him the same sort of dance solo that they did for Calabri? I mean he's impeccable in that.

[1:09:36] Zach Fowls: Yeah.

[1:09:37] Pat Patrick: I know that they were probably like, oh well, Mike Chang's dad didn't they didn't know he was gonna show up, but I'm like, but but he still could have like they still could have given him something to do. Because the dad was like, you are amazing, so great. Like I'm convinced, and I'm like, you didn't Mike You didn't really get to see him. Well, I think I I think it's like corner like kind of like drilled home with like Man in the Mirror, that Mike does have like the last line that it's like I'm gonna show you dad fist in the air. Right, but again, he doesn't prove that change. Just like Mike that change but it it's more of just like it's it doesn't like it doesn't prove that he's good. I mean, like, yes, he's good, but it doesn't prove that he is what he knows he is, which is Valerie, which is Bubbletoes, which is sure you know, these other things that he's proven, even Riff and West Story, like this competition is just kind of he's one of the leads on the song, which is great.

[1:10:33] Zach Fowls: Um, I also I know it's a controversial topic. I know that people are upset that the Troubletones don't win this competition. This song proves that they absolutely that New Directions deserved it. Because I agree. I agree because the strength because the structure, because the structure of all of these, like every single dance number is so like there's there's more to do, there's more versatility in all of them. Also, they utilize the club so much better than the Troubletones. Make them win the best, like when they won nationals, it's because all everyone was featured and stuff like that. Like, I'm yeah, I'm so on board with that because I had I could write an essay about it, but Zach, we went from like really I don't think having similar opinions to like really aligning right now.

[1:11:23] Pat Patrick: And um I I love that I kind of don't like that you're getting along, to be honest.

[1:11:28] Zach Fowls: Well, he's I kind of liked it better being like the middle person.

[1:11:31] Pat Patrick: Well, he calls it is that like like when when when uh like Mercedes and Santana do um Survivor, I will survive, it's just them, and you get sugar sometimes. Then you get these fun, like twirly dance moves, you get some nice like pop and rock dance moves that's very stylistically different than what I Demon and Zelda's character would have given early vocal adrenaline. I think they were playing with what they had, which is great, but the fact that New Directions was able to utilize the entirety of the club in one number, and then also on top of that, give them moves that fit their club the best and showcased all of them in various different moments. And then on top of that, the arrangement of the song was so good. Like Jenna Ushkowitz has not sounded better in the show up until this point.

[1:12:19] Zach Fowls: I know because I was like, okay, no, continue your thoughts.

[1:12:22] Pat Patrick: Jenna Agron, I here's the thing. I don't know why anybody listening to Diana Agron goes, give her a black person to sing. Like give her a song by a black person. And she doesn't usually do it well, but Michael Jackson numbers are her best numbers. I beg to do her. Her weird, her weird, like they both have these incredible, like um, their their tone is so crisp in these numbers, they're very forward, they're very like everything is open, and it made like the the they sound great in this number specifically. They don't said they haven't sounded better. Diana Agron eventually will sound better when you give her never can say goodbye. But Jenna Ushquitz up until this point has not sounded better on the show.

[1:13:05] Zach Fowls: And it's because and what I liked, what Kevin McHale said is you can't do Michael Jackson, you cannot redo his voice, so you have to completely do it differently, and that's exactly what Jenna Ushkowitz does on this number. She just does it differently, and it makes it less of like a like um, you know, like a soul style 60s boy band, and it's now more of like an 80s rock number, and Jenna always sounds great on 80s rock numbers.

[1:13:31] Pat Patrick: Yeah. I mean, uh going into this into this performance, I was like, alright, like hung up is already seeing light of day in in round three. And I'm and when we when that decision was made, I was like, okay, Tina has her representation, and round three, I'm almost like ready to strike everything else that it is like a Tina led, you know, the few and far between. But like any other Tina number to make room through True Colors, True Colors has yet to be pulled for for this round two. But like I was ready to be like, okay, like that's your representation. You have hung up. You like just sit over there and we'll get to you when we get to you. But like, because just to make room for other characters that might not have as much, I guess, like representation in future rounds, but um, yeah, I don't know. This feels like very obvious to me then.

[1:14:25] Zach Fowls: Like, no, uh, Tina Girl needs a little bit more in her corner um to fight with uh for future rounds. ABC is a is such a brilliant number. She sounds so good. I don't know why I don't stream this more often.

[1:14:43] Pat Patrick: Yes, because you guys are saying Jack with like the 80s rock, like so yeah, I I would vote 100% for ABC. I'll I'll give my maybe like throwaway vote to um uh fix you because I I I do love it and wanted to have a little bit. It's here's the thing Jenna Ushkowitz in this number is kind of how you know like Leah Michelle sounds so good on like alt rock, like when she sings Alanis in season five or when or season six and she sings creep in season four, like she's just like those are songs you just don't anticipate Leah Michelle to be good at, and she is, and so that's how I feel like Jenna Ushquitz is when you give her these like rock 80s numbers, she always knocks it out of the park.

[1:15:28] Zach Fowls: I I hate to be like devil's advocate at all during this conversation, however, you know, just for the sake of doing that and being an asshole. Um, I do have a I think 80s or 70s Tina number that I do not like her sound on.

[1:15:44] Pat Patrick: Is it I don't know how to love you?

[1:15:48] Zach Fowls: Well, we said the same one, but yeah.

[1:15:50] Pat Patrick: That's not great. In retrospect, I I mean like told Jenna Ushkowitz herself, loved it. But like upon like listening to it again, I'm like, you know, would I stream the original in favor? I think so, not to discredit her performance. I I do like that song, and I was gonna bring up how I was sad that it didn't make it through, but I agree it's weaker of the Jenna performances. I'm just saying she's a very superstar person, okay.

[1:16:15] Andrew: Andrew, we went to Catholic High School. Like, we have to I mean I need to honor where I came from, but the one that I wanted to point to um is prod Mary.

[1:16:27] Pat Patrick: I don't think Oh yeah, I I could do around that.

[1:16:30] Zach Fowls: Yeah, I I just think that I I again I feel like such an asshole even bring this up, but just because we're talking about this very select subgenre of Jenna Ushkowitz music, and I'm like, she you know, she didn't think you get Kevin and um Amber Amber on the track, like exactly my point stuff like that, and then like Jenna does it, and you're like, oh okay.

[1:16:51] Pat Patrick: But that's me, but that's and I left a good job in the city, but that's because Jenna was trying to emulate a sound she doesn't have when it came to ABC. She's not trying to emulate the sound of Michael Jackson, she's doing her voice comparatively to like what Kevin and Jenna or Kevin and Amber have, which are very soulful voices. Jenna doesn't necessarily have not have soul. She just her upper register is just thinner, and so when you give her when she tries to open up and expand on those higher notes, and she tries to do what the others are doing, she's not like it doesn't sound like her.

[1:17:24] Zach Fowls: And so it's not that technical. But like I don't, I don't think like I think the average like person who doesn't know a ton about music or doesn't like think about it a lot. Like it's fun to like to hear that because that totally makes sense. Then you can kind of think about yeah, like when like characters are doing sounds that they can't do, it kind of falls flat. And those are probably a lot of the songs that aren't gonna make it through um the bracket.

[1:17:49] Pat Patrick: So I will say though, out of all of the characters that they did have on the show, Jenna, and they needed a third one, Jenna was the obvious choice because no other character in that group outside of Naira could have done it, but they didn't know her voice at that time.

[1:18:02] Zach Fowls: Yeah, but I also think that that Jenna's on the track as well. I think predominantly I understand what you're saying, that like she can do that sound uh more than I guess a a number of other uh cast members, but I feel like they were valuing plot more than oh sure, maybe sound, and then it made more sense for Tina, who had a big episode that episode right, that like it would make sense for Tina to have a solo number in that number.

[1:18:33] Pat Patrick: I think if they reduced her in the number and they just gave her a few of those moments, I think it would have been better rather than having her keep going and keep like jumping in rather than like the way that they used Diana Agron's voice in ABC would have been better if they would have just used Jenna's in that way on Proud Mary.

[1:18:52] Zach Fowls: Yeah. Well, well, um, votes are have been cast, I believe.

[1:18:56] Pat Patrick: Yeah.

[1:18:56] Zach Fowls: I Patrick, you're going to pity vote.

[1:19:02] Pat Patrick: I feel like that's like that's a huge Andrew move.

[1:19:04] Zach Fowls: We can do a pity.

[1:19:11] Pat Patrick: I will do ABC twice just to make up for that right.

[1:19:14] Zach Fowls: Oh wow.

[1:19:15] Pat Patrick: Okay, now now the beef is back on.

[1:19:17] Zach Fowls: I I do want to pairing Rami and Zach fight to the death. So hopefully we get that next.

[1:19:22] Pat Patrick: Well, I'm I'm manifesting.

[1:19:23] Zach Fowls: I feel as though the second one will be a big floozy, big you know, contention, but then the last one maybe not so much.

[1:19:31] Pat Patrick: Okay.

[1:19:32] Zach Fowls: Okay.

[1:19:33] Pat Patrick: Another Jenna Ushkowitz.

[1:19:35] Zach Fowls: Oh my god.

[1:19:37] Pat Patrick: Lead, if you could believe it.

[1:19:42] Zach Fowls: All five.

[1:19:43] Pat Patrick: We're really uh uh dissecting her voice tonight.

[1:19:46] Zach Fowls: Um it's a another season three Tina.

[1:19:53] Pat Patrick: Uh here we go.

[1:19:54] Zach Fowls: That's our unique factor.

[1:19:56] Pat Patrick: And that's what I love about her.

[1:19:58] Zach Fowls: I love this.

[1:20:00] Pat Patrick: So stupid.

[1:20:04] Zach Fowls: Oh no I have cried.

[1:20:08] Pat Patrick: Silent's full of pride.

[1:20:13] Zach Fowls: Leah Michelle looks great in this.

[1:20:15] Pat Patrick: I I love the fit.

[1:20:17] Zach Fowls: It's a cute fit.

[1:20:17] Pat Patrick: And I'm usually not a bang's Rachel kind of person, but I love Bang Rachel.

[1:20:22] Zach Fowls: Yeah, that's that crap.

[1:20:28] Pat Patrick: Uh he's the music.

[1:20:30] Zach Fowls: Close my eyes, feel the rhythm.

[1:20:35] Pat Patrick: Is this not 80s?

[1:20:36] Zach Fowls: This is a hole.

[1:20:37] Pat Patrick: I love it of my heart.

[1:20:42] Zach Fowls: What a feeling.

[1:20:57] Pat Patrick: Take your passion and make it happen.

[1:21:04] Zach Fowls: Pictures come alive now dancing through.

[1:21:12] Pat Patrick: What a feeling.

[1:21:20] Zach Fowls: What a feeling.

[1:21:22] Pat Patrick: I am being spawned.

[1:21:27] Zach Fowls: Pictures come alive.

[1:21:30] Pat Patrick: You can dance like feeling.

[1:21:39] Zach Fowls: What a feeling.

[1:21:43] Pat Patrick: I can have it all have it.

[1:21:56] Zach Fowls: Let's go to National Him banging on the top of the bus.

[1:22:03] Pat Patrick: That bus must have smelled.

[1:22:09] Zach Fowls: I thought the same thing.

[1:22:10] Pat Patrick: I was like, I was like a great battery.

[1:22:13] Zach Fowls: Yeah, he made all made a whole bunch of one stew about nothing.

[1:22:18] Pat Patrick: Um I just I don't know. Every time I watched this performance, I just remember how exciting watching this specifically, this performance, because it was back to back. I don't know if you're with nationals. And so this was the end of like part one of this like major glee night. And then we were about to go into quite possibly, I would be okay with maybe the best episode. I don't know. I said that about Asian F, but I really love Nationals as well. It's a it's a it's a good uh encapsulation of the entire series. But I don't know. I just like had a good time watching that. What do we think?

[1:22:55] Zach Fowls: Last Dance is a really stellar number. Um as a song in in general, it's a stellar song. Um I like this cover better than I like the original. It has a little bit more of a groove to it, a little more funk. I don't my cons for the number. I don't know why they threw Leah Michelle on the top harmony when she clearly has a lower register than Jenna Ushkowitz.

[1:23:19] Pat Patrick: Um I think she's gonna get Adam Anders on the line.

[1:23:22] Zach Fowls: I will. Um, I think Leah Michelle sounds a little shouty and when they're paired together. I also don't love that they jump like when they do the chorus for the first time, they put them on the harmony rather than in the release version on Spotify. It's just one vocal on the melody. Um small gripes, small gripes, but uh like they jumped into that harmony pretty quickly, and I was like, oh okay, it's a little off, but you know, not bad.

[1:23:47] Pat Patrick: Um love that um uh love when they all get on the bus, love that Mike runs, opens a door, you know, the guys are there to help them on. Love that randomly sues the one driving the bus rather than Beast Love that, you know. And I think that there's like a really fun like uh picture from that day of shooting where it's like a selfie from Jane Lynch and they're all behind her, and I'm like, yeah, love this. It would make more sense that Beast drives the bus.

[1:24:10] Zach Fowls: Um, just because Beast is, I'm assuming, um uh trucker's insured, or like has a trucker's license comparatively to Jane Lynch, but you know But I could also see that Beast like could be a little bit too reckless behind sure.

[1:24:27] Zach Fowls: I think that like if you can drive a car, you can drive a bus.

[1:24:31] Pat Patrick: Yeah.

[1:24:31] Zach Fowls: I think Emma very similar vehicles when they're boiled.

[1:24:35] Pat Patrick: My only sad thing is that Emma is not on the bus.

[1:24:38] Zach Fowls: That's the only thing is like I don't see J Miller.

[1:24:40] Pat Patrick: I've never even realized that.

[1:24:42] Zach Fowls: But every single other character is on a bus, and I'm just like, ugh, it would make my heart smile if Emma was on that bus.

[1:24:49] Pat Patrick: Wait, have you realized this before?

[1:24:53] Zach Fowls: Why aren't you on the damn bus?

[1:24:54] Pat Patrick: Wait, Zach, you've noticed this before this very night.

[1:24:58] Zach Fowls: Yeah. Uh but she's in nationals, like she's there in Chicago.

[1:25:01] Pat Patrick: She is not on the bus.

[1:25:03] Zach Fowls: Well, okay, wait, but I also don't think she's maybe she drove herself.

[1:25:06] Pat Patrick: She's OCD.

[1:25:07] Zach Fowls: Yeah. I don't know if you remember this, Zach, but it's a big part of Emma's character that she's like OCD.

[1:25:12] Pat Patrick: I'm pretty sure Glee forgets that she also was OCD.

[1:25:15] Zach Fowls: Um I my um uh well she gets on the bus at uh for sectionals, so I don't understand why um famously famously gets on the bus for sectional.

[1:25:24] Pat Patrick: With the green coat uh that's that's uh season two.

[1:25:28] Zach Fowls: I'm at for season one, but that's red red coat, right?

[1:25:32] Pat Patrick: No, she's in the green coat.

[1:25:34] Zach Fowls: No, she might be in a red coat.

[1:25:35] Pat Patrick: No, she's in a green coat.

[1:25:37] Zach Fowls: When when she said I think she's in a green coat because they don't do the bus rides other times.

[1:25:44] Pat Patrick: Or maybe it's a red coat.

[1:25:46] Zach Fowls: Wait, and doesn't like Mr. Schuster like call back to the color of the coat in a later episode, and he's like, You were wearing that greenslash red coat.

[1:25:54] Pat Patrick: No.

[1:25:55] Zach Fowls: I I I don't think no, but I do know there is one. There is a moment that um Tina has the same coat as Emma in like and it's the green checkered coat.

[1:26:00] Pat Patrick: And it's the green coat that she has in sectional season two.

[1:26:10] Zach Fowls: I remember that one.

[1:26:11] Pat Patrick: Okay. Wait, so what's the final vote?

[1:26:13] Zach Fowls: I have the answer in front of you.

[1:26:15] Pat Patrick: I don't remember.

[1:26:15] Zach Fowls: I think it might be red.

[1:26:17] Pat Patrick: In season one, I think sectionals, she's got a red coat, but in season two, I think it's the green coat.

[1:26:23] Zach Fowls: The green coat either appears in season two episode episode, or it actually or it appears in girls and boys on film.

[1:26:33] Pat Patrick: I don't remember.

[1:26:34] Zach Fowls: I don't remember. I think that you're right that it's the red coat, but like I don't remember.

[1:26:38] Pat Patrick: I can't place the green coat anymore now.

[1:26:40] Zach Fowls: So maybe if it was a green coat, maybe I I don't know.

[1:26:43] Pat Patrick: What is it, Andrew?

[1:26:44] Andrew: Um so it's a red coat.

[1:26:48] Pat Patrick: That's season two or season one?

[1:26:50] Andrew: That's season one.

[1:26:50] Pat Patrick: That's season one.

[1:26:51] Andrew: Okay.

[1:26:52] Pat Patrick: And then yeah.

[1:26:53] Zach Fowls: Season two.

[1:26:53] Pat Patrick: That's what we don't remember how much yeah.

[1:26:55] Zach Fowls: But season two is the checkered coat.

[1:26:58] Pat Patrick: Is a green checkered coat.

[1:26:59] Zach Fowls: But she doesn't go in sectionals.

[1:27:03] Pat Patrick: I don't remember when the green turn coat was.

[1:27:06] Zach Fowls: Wait. I just said I needed to look back at what the song we're discussing is.

[1:27:11] Pat Patrick: Anyway, those are my thoughts on those.

[1:27:13] Zach Fowls: Those are my thoughts on Flash Dance.

[1:27:14] Pat Patrick: I love it.

[1:27:14] Zach Fowls: It's sorry. It's like, wait, what color coat was she wearing?

[1:27:18] Pat Patrick: Um I what's my thoughts on flash dance or coat gate?

[1:27:27] Zach Fowls: Please.

[1:27:28] Pat Patrick: Um do you have any final thoughts on coat gate? Is there anything more to be said?

[1:27:33] Zach Fowls: I think it was uh black and blue.

[1:27:37] Pat Patrick: Wait a minute. I saw the white and gold.

[1:27:40] Zach Fowls: Wait, what? Um, no, so flash dance, I I think that like I haven't watched Glee in a while, and I I think I'll always come back to the show just because it's like so joyous, like genuinely, like there are so many great moments where you just really feel happy.

[1:27:58] Pat Patrick: And granted, we just got like two really happy upbeat songs in a row, but I just love that. Like, I love I love that the actors can really catch the excitement uh catch the excitement of what like seniors in high school would be thinking going to nationals for their Glee Club.

[1:28:13] Zach Fowls: And I really do feel like despite a lot of uh stuff that's come out about cast members not liking each other and blah blah blah blah. Like I think genuinely you can really tell that for much of the show, at least for sure the first three seasons, these people were really excited to be doing what they were doing.

[1:28:31] Pat Patrick: Yeah, I think that you can like you can tell it there, even though maybe that was like the 50th time that they shot that or something like that. Like it's it's a really infectious number, and I think that um I agree with a lot of what Zach said. Like, I don't know if I always like am like a hundred percent on board with like the vocal arrangements, but beyond that, like I I don't have like a ton of critique, like I think it's a fun one, but it's definitely not one that I really care about going far.

[1:28:59] Zach Fowls: I kind of hope that we maybe get like a better one.

[1:29:03] Pat Patrick: You're ready to leave this behind.

[1:29:05] Zach Fowls: I I like it a lot, but like uh it's not like one that I'll cry about losing, I think.

[1:29:11] Pat Patrick: Sure.

[1:29:11] Zach Fowls: Oh, I will bring tears.

[1:29:13] Pat Patrick: So then I really hope that we don't put this in the water.

[1:29:15] Zach Fowls: Wow.

[1:29:16] Pat Patrick: Fife, fight, fight, five, if I fight.

[1:29:17] Zach Fowls: Um, do we feel any type of way about this attention Cohenberry plot?

[1:29:25] Pat Patrick: Um, the fact that you know it's like a Tina plot, it's a Rachel plot guised as the Tina plot.

[1:29:34] Zach Fowls: Um, and then it wraps up in a way that it's like, I helped you out, girl. I talked to Whoopi. Things are looking good. Look, things are looking up for you, baby.

[1:29:42] Pat Patrick: I don't have much else to say because you really encapsulated what it was. I don't know why I just keep on doing this. That I'm like we'll we'll give you we'll give you an episode. We'll we'll give you, but it actually's like it's all about Rachel and like moving Rachel's plot forward, and also we're going to pretend like you're going to be the lead next season, even though you're not. You know, so like I think she comes in fourth in the new ret Rachel competition.

[1:30:07] Zach Fowls: God, nothing is sacred, nothing is sacred.

[1:30:11] Pat Patrick: Um, flash dance, I love it.

[1:30:13] Zach Fowls: And I have a legal note.

[1:30:14] Pat Patrick: Here's my legal name.

[1:30:15] Zach Fowls: Whoop whoop boop boop boop.

[1:30:17] Pat Patrick: Um, I don't know if I said it last time that we pulled this, literally in April of 2021, but I will say it again. Um, but uh I remember at the end of Promosaurus, um, they said they were like, go to Glee on YouTube right now, and you can get a special sneak preview of a performance next week. And I you bet your ass that I ran to the computer and I checked it, and I saw it the second that it uploaded this performance, and I commented first.

[1:30:45] Zach Fowls: And I was indeed the first person on YouTube to comment that.

[1:30:51] Pat Patrick: So I don't know.

[1:30:54] Zach Fowls: And my mom smoked a joint in my honor.

[1:30:56] Pat Patrick: She was like, good on you, kid. You really did something.

[1:31:02] Zach Fowls: Um, okay, flash dance.

[1:31:04] Pat Patrick: We kind of feel like sweet though, but Andrew, genuinely, like I remember so much of like what I was doing when I watched a lot of these episodes.

[1:31:11] Zach Fowls: I'm like, so that that's just like I I think that I'll never have a show like that again.

[1:31:17] Pat Patrick: So I think that this is like part of why I proxy of the show so much.

[1:31:21] Zach Fowls: Yeah. Being just like a during very formative years as well.

[1:31:26] Pat Patrick: That it's like, yeah, I don't know because I feel that same way. I'm like, I don't think I can watch another show with the same lens anymore because I'm like looking at it through like, oh, this is jobs for people. This is not like a universe that I'm getting a peek into. This is totally something that people are doing for work.

[1:31:45] Zach Fowls: Um okay, against Flashdance.

[1:31:48] Pat Patrick: We have Oh, Wowie Zaui.

[1:31:51] Zach Fowls: Kind of in line with um a quarterback song.

[1:31:55] Pat Patrick: I think it's like quarterback adjacent.

[1:31:59] Zach Fowls: Where um this is yesterday.

[1:32:02] Pat Patrick: No, it's worse than yesterday.

[1:32:04] Zach Fowls: It's um it's all stand by you.

[1:32:06] Pat Patrick: So it's it's uh an a four for four on um season three numbers, if that's a hint.

[1:32:14] Zach Fowls: Oh and does anybody feel like they have an educated guest on like a heavy emotional song that I feel it's not it's not without you, is it?

[1:32:24] Pat Patrick: God, it's you are so off the money with this one.

[1:32:28] Zach Fowls: Oh, it is quarterback adjacent.

[1:32:30] Pat Patrick: It is indeed coffee.

[1:32:38] Zach Fowls: I have thoughts.

[1:32:39] Pat Patrick: Alright.

[1:32:42] Zach Fowls: Just gathering on a zoom to watch this on a Tuesday evening at 9 06.

[1:32:48] Pat Patrick: I'm losing my mind, losing my mind, losing cut.

[1:32:53] Zach Fowls: Oh these fishes on the sea, they're staring at me.

[1:33:06] Pat Patrick: Whoa, oh If I could find a way to see this straight, I'd run away to some fortune that I should have found by now.

[1:33:24] Zach Fowls: I'm waiting for this call zero to come down.

[1:33:32] Pat Patrick: Calm down Life's too short to even care at all.

[1:33:51] Zach Fowls: Whoa.

[1:33:55] Pat Patrick: I'm coming up now, coming up now out of the blue o zombies in the park, they're looking for my woe.

[1:34:07] Zach Fowls: Whoa, oh dark world aches for a splash of the sun.

[1:34:13] Pat Patrick: Whoa.

[1:34:14] Zach Fowls: Oh if I could find a way to see this straight, I'd run away.

[1:34:29] Pat Patrick: And so I'm run out to the things they said to risk told me.

[1:34:38] Zach Fowls: I'm waiting for this call serve up to come down.

[1:34:47] Pat Patrick: One more spoon of cuff syrup now.

[1:34:54] Zach Fowls: One more spoon of cuff syrup now.

[1:35:03] Pat Patrick: Um who would like to lead discussion on that.

[1:35:11] Zach Fowls: Well that seems says you had thoughts.

[1:35:13] Pat Patrick: So I do, but they're not as nice as probably what you guys are gonna have to say about it.

[1:35:19] Zach Fowls: So I'm I I guess I will reserve to I will reserve to speak later about it.

[1:35:24] Pat Patrick: Just because I think that both of I especially Pat right now, I think that you have things that you're just like, I I think you have more. Do you want to take the leader?

[1:35:36] Zach Fowls: I chewed up a little bit, but I think it's because like it's just like genuinely so sad.

[1:35:42] Pat Patrick: And like the thing is, um drama show person, like I love like Degrassi, I love Gui, like One Tree Hill, like I think those are like a lot like teen high school drama shows are really fun for me.

[1:35:55] Zach Fowls: Um, and I think that like this song, like I don't know a hundred percent if I'm like a hundred percent down with like how they chose to like tackle the storyline, but I think it was like really well acted.

[1:36:10] Pat Patrick: Um, and I really I was thinking about how it's really interesting how they had Blaine sing the song over um Kurofsky, you know, planning to off himself.

[1:36:24] Zach Fowls: Um, because like you were saying, you guys were saying before, like Blaine was kind of the archetypical, like perfect gay, you know the word that you used again.

[1:36:34] Pat Patrick: Wunderkind.

[1:36:35] Zach Fowls: Yeah. Kind or whatever. But like, yeah, I think that like that was really um interesting, like as I look at it now, being like this person who had such a different like experience, I guess, coming out, and um, you know, how like it's like juxtaposed against this.

[1:36:56] Pat Patrick: But um, yeah, I think that I really, really like the cover. I think the vocals are really great.

[1:37:01] Zach Fowls: Um, I think to add a little bit of um lightness to it, these characters do end up dating um and but our cousins in season six.

[1:37:12] Pat Patrick: Sure.

[1:37:12] Zach Fowls: Which I I I've brought that fact up, the cousin thing, and it's apparently a point of contention.

[1:37:20] Pat Patrick: It's up in the air if that's actually factual.

[1:37:23] Zach Fowls: Right if they're actually cousins or not.

[1:37:27] Pat Patrick: But I mean, whatever.

[1:37:28] Zach Fowls: I'm not delving into that conversation in regards to cough syrup.

[1:37:33] Pat Patrick: Um, but I mean, obviously, okay, so this is just without a doubt, just audio-wise, I think we can all agree. Very, very good.

[1:37:43] Zach Fowls: And I think like what like one of the top like Spotify, just like statistically, like when you look at like the Spotify Glee Cast numbers, is cough syrup is like right up there, I believe.

[1:37:56] Pat Patrick: Um, and also I think there's no denying, I just want to like set the the platform. There's no denying what this song did in terms of um, you know, just like making uh change and like showing a storyline like this on a major television show at the time.

[1:38:16] Zach Fowls: Um that it did impact change and you know Max Adler's performance is incredible.

[1:38:22] Pat Patrick: All that being said, um there are like some like more lighthearted holes to be poked at during this number.

[1:38:30] Zach Fowls: Um, I mean, I'm constantly distracted by the profile pictures of Kurofsky's Facebook friends and that people that all of them I don't know why you would accept the friend request of someone that their profile pictures of them yelling.

[1:38:46] Pat Patrick: I don't know. Maybe they're not the best person to be friends with on Facebook.

[1:38:50] Zach Fowls: Or like people like typing like hashtag hashtag asterisks, yeah.

[1:38:55] Pat Patrick: Sorry, asterisk.

[1:38:57] Zach Fowls: I don't know. I just think that because I think No, that's it's ridiculous.

[1:39:01] Pat Patrick: Yeah, it being juxtaposed with like the heaviness and like seriousness of the entire scene that we're seeing something not as well thought out that it could be.

[1:39:18] Zach Fowls: That's always driven me a little bit wild because you talked, um I don't remember I was listening to a podcast episode maybe it was oh it was the when you guys were on together where you're talking about like Mercedes Disco Inferno and like the YouTube comments were like so stupid, and it's like why can't writers on YouTube and be like what people actually would say totally, yeah.

[1:39:43] Pat Patrick: Like that doesn't um I always think about that too when I watch the number.

[1:39:47] Zach Fowls: So I think there's certainly some things to poke fun at. And it's never really like I've never thought this before watching it this time around, but I think that Blaine could have worn something different for this performance.

[1:40:00] Pat Patrick: That I think that it's a little bit too um stereotypical Blainey.

[1:40:05] Zach Fowls: Um that I think that if we got like a little bit more loosened up, which I think that the number is, like it's a very it's not a very tight uh Blaine number that we're kind of like used to that like he's getting a little gritty with it.

[1:40:18] Pat Patrick: That I think that was ref I wouldn't like it more if that was reflected in his wardrobe instead of like this feels like an outfit pulled right out of season five, personally.

[1:40:29] Zach Fowls: That's like this feels like a Blaine cartoony um Easter Sunday season five.

[1:40:34] Pat Patrick: Yeah, yeah, like yeah, totally that's an interesting point.

[1:40:37] Andrew: Um, Zach, you have been silent. What what are your thoughts?

[1:40:42] Zach Fowls: I'm gonna say you're all then. Um I have never really enjoyed Ryan Murphy's outside of maybe season one, Ryan Murphy's like black and white view of high school.

[1:40:53] Pat Patrick: So this whole scene in like this really is very like black and white, like, you know, the gay kids are beaten down and the high school jocks are the bullies, and then they treat it as such, but they're like, Yeah, they write Facebook comments on their walls about you know this blah blah blah.

[1:41:10] Zach Fowls: And I'm like, that's not really how that would happen.

[1:41:12] Pat Patrick: Yeah, and we've already kind of dealt with this already, you know.

[1:41:16] Zach Fowls: Um I always find it interesting that Kurofsky was the choice. I don't like that Kurofsky's the choice uh to be the gay character because they go from the stereotypic like bullied who's actual or bully characters in the closet.

[1:41:28] Pat Patrick: Those characters do exist absolutely, but they already did it with Santana, and I found that much more interesting, where they're like, She's a bully, and it's because she's like hurt and she's upset, but her personality doesn't change.

[1:41:41] Zach Fowls: What I love about Santana's character is she just doesn't change as a character. She just kind of starts like she's not as vicious.

[1:41:49] Pat Patrick: She's more just like aware.

[1:41:53] Zach Fowls: Um Kurofsky, and then also not bumping Kurofsky up to being a series regular, also kind of places this in this weird like they don't he's not in the season up until this episode.

[1:42:06] Pat Patrick: Right, he's not even in school with school, he does appear in first time, and he's also in the episode before heart as well.

[1:42:16] Zach Fowls: But I think it's worth noting that this is his final appearance before season five opening night in Rachel's nightmare.

[1:42:23] Pat Patrick: That that's crazy.

[1:42:25] Zach Fowls: And this all happens in the first 10 minutes of the episode, and then they don't deal with it until the very end of the episode.

[1:42:30] Pat Patrick: I think the reason I don't like this song, because I can picture like that whole episode in my head, and just kind of like, oh, it's because it's almost as if they felt it was necessary to exploit this idea that this happens, and then they just don't deal with it afterwards.

[1:42:45] Zach Fowls: They're just like, oh, we don't really need to talk about it, we don't have the repercussions of this anymore.

[1:42:49] Pat Patrick: Like, oh, we've dealt with the fact that characters do almost commit suicide because they're getting bullied for being gay.

[1:42:54] Zach Fowls: All right, let's get this out of the way.

[1:42:56] Pat Patrick: And then we do an entire competition, and then on top of that, the wedding, and then we bring Kurt back in for this thing, and then we'll end it with, you know, and I'm just like, I remember it happening, and I'm just fine.

[1:42:56] Zach Fowls: I remember it happening in the episode and going like I remember it's starting being like, Oh my god, this is what this episode's gonna be about, and then they just don't bring it.

[1:43:18] Pat Patrick: And I'm just I felt cheated from the emotion because it just it happens so quickly and then it leaves so quickly.

[1:43:25] Zach Fowls: I like Blaine's voice in this, and I think I said it in my episode. I like Darren Chris's pitchy, and I like his pitchiness.

[1:43:31] Pat Patrick: I like that he doesn't always hit the mark, and Cough Syrup is the perfect song for him to play around with his vocals.

[1:43:38] Zach Fowls: It doesn't have to be pristine. I like I like the the more raw version of his voice.

[1:43:43] Pat Patrick: I like his voice during I'm not gonna teach a boyfriend how to dance with you, the acoustic version of Teenage Dream, when his voice doesn't have like he again, he's another one of those alt-pop, like that's what his voice sounds the best on, and he's more about the performance than he is about the notes, and so I always like when they give him songs that allow him to do that.

[1:44:02] Zach Fowls: It feels like to me, this song, the way that they would have written the script is that they didn't have the suicide mixed in like textually with the song, and I could be so wrong, but if I'm looking at it from a text point of view, it just seems like they would have had this is the suicide, and then afterwards, here is the song, and the editor or the director decided that they had to splice them together, so the customer wouldn't have known like maybe maybe if the customer had an idea, maybe that they were like that this was some sort of somber song, they would have thrown it in a different outfit.

[1:44:41] Pat Patrick: I mean, at this point, like I Blaine is like racking up those solos per episode like nobody's business.

[1:44:47] Zach Fowls: I feel as though, like, I think at least that it's evident that those two have always been interlinked, that it's like sure.

[1:44:58] Pat Patrick: I don't see a version of this episode where it's like the intention was Blaine gets a random solo that he's trying to test something out for regionals, you know, which they do, but like this felt like what was the point of that in especially specifically in this huge episode, like you're saying, where they're they have so much ground to cover that it's like at let it be at least like assisting something.

[1:45:22] Zach Fowls: Right.

[1:45:22] Pat Patrick: I don't disagree with you there.

[1:45:24] Zach Fowls: I'm just saying, from a per like a point of view of looking at it from the script, my thought is that maybe they just have the song, yeah, and they have the like the oh the the directions of this is what's happening, and the director and editor decided to go like this.

[1:45:39] Pat Patrick: So maybe if the costumer looked at the script and said, Okay, this is what's happening, I understand they're not getting it, like they didn't put it together that maybe this is weaving in and out, yeah, you know, or that they're connected, or I'm my thought is that maybe they would have loosened up the outfit a little more, or they may have gone with something that matches the tone of what it's supposed to be a little bit more.

[1:46:01] Zach Fowls: That's my thought, because that's the only thing the way that I can justify how horrid that outfit is we're talking so much about outfits today, which I wasn't anticipating.

[1:46:11] Pat Patrick: Um, I think that like what is interesting is that like that scene doesn't usually like me, and maybe like what is interesting about like doing this system of like the glacket and stuff is like it's weird because sometimes I feel like what I imagine happens before and after the scene does impact how I feel about the song, and if I want to go through, and like sometimes it doesn't, and I think that's like the first time I think I've really like watched that isolated as like just good vocal performance song that like really is like a good song choice for what's going on, and then kind of just like going from like a really happy song to seeing like Dave Kurofsky like crying over a belt on his bed, it's kind of like jarring.

[1:46:58] Zach Fowls: But like I totally agree, Zach, and it's interesting because like um and maybe Andrew, I don't know how you feel because you do this every week, but like how often is it where you're thinking about what happens before and after the the song plays, and then it like influences how you feel about the song because everything that both of you said and all the critiques of it, I have said myself when I've talked about this, and then there are like looking at the video just now, I didn't really think about how like the episode kind of was executed in a really sloppy after school special way.

[1:47:34] Pat Patrick: But the actual performance of Blaine and the Kurofsky, despite the stupid Facebook comments and stereotypical bullies, I thought like was really well done, but I completely agree the episode was yeah.

[1:47:50] Zach Fowls: I think that like I think that Glee needed to have an episode where they tackled this subject.

[1:47:59] Pat Patrick: I think that it was just shoehorned, unfortunately, into this episode, whereas you know, the episode after this, they have Blaine's brothers in town, and we're gonna completely undermine Quinn being in a wheelchair.

[1:48:13] Zach Fowls: Where it's like maybe that could have been the regionals episode, and we could have devoted an entire episode to like it more so after school special, instead of, you know, hi, we're going to package this an insanely large subject matter that like into 45 minutes, but like not include like a competition episode where we have like two Warblers numbers in the episode too.

[1:48:41] Pat Patrick: Where it's like we don't like that's crazy that we have we still need to get to that.

[1:48:45] Zach Fowls: It reminds me very similarly. I wish that it was the way that the first time is where they intercut so much of what's happening.

[1:48:54] Pat Patrick: And they don't do that, yeah.

[1:48:56] Zach Fowls: And they don't, and I wish I wish like this had happened.

[1:48:59] Pat Patrick: Like, what if it had happened during the competition itself?

[1:49:02] Zach Fowls: And that song was one of the competitions.

[1:49:04] Pat Patrick: Right.

[1:49:04] Zach Fowls: You know, like but we somewhat lead uh like lead into that, like where like how do we get the uh Kurofsky into the show naturally and lead him into this place so that way we can get him into so that way we can get him to the point of this song happens tangentially to this, and then they find out during the competition, and then the re the back half of the episode has to deal with.

[1:49:31] Pat Patrick: I think there's so many number of ways that this could have been more effectively done.

[1:49:38] Zach Fowls: I don't feel like when they were brainstorming and storyboarding for season three that they were like planning this out, and that's kind of how I felt a lot about like seasons three, four, and on, where it was kind of like I felt like especially season three, they just did like subject matter of the week.

[1:49:55] Pat Patrick: Like they had a whole episode about Spanish in schools, which isn't like a thing to not talk about, but it kind of I kind of felt like that was like uh wait, we're we're already we've written seasons uh or episodes 10 and 11.

[1:50:09] Zach Fowls: Shoot, uh Ricky Martin wants to do an episode now.

[1:50:11] Pat Patrick: Let's write an episode about a vehicle for Ricky Martin.

[1:50:14] Zach Fowls: I kind of I think it's a great episode.

[1:50:16] Pat Patrick: Who I think a ghost just said that.

[1:50:21] Zach Fowls: It's a great will.

[1:50:23] Pat Patrick: It's a like it it reminds me similarly to blame it on the alcohol.

[1:50:26] Zach Fowls: It is a great episode for Will.

[1:50:28] Pat Patrick: It is a truly great character study on the on Will Schuester.

[1:50:33] Zach Fowls: Yeah, I can't deny that.

[1:50:34] Pat Patrick: I don't know if I would naturally group that episode and blame it on the alcohol personally.

[1:50:40] Zach Fowls: Well, because you get the you get these two, like you get this character that you thought you knew in season one, and then realize that he's not good at anything that he does.

[1:50:47] Pat Patrick: So let's give him these like, oh, he doesn't know how to handle his emotions without like understanding what it's like to be in a relationship because he hasn't been in one, like he's hasn't been single since he was 16.

[1:50:59] Zach Fowls: He's not good at the job that he got hired for, even though he's an economics major in college, you know.

[1:51:05] Pat Patrick: Like it's a fun deconstruction of a character you thought you knew.

[1:51:09] Zach Fowls: But again, those episodes are few and far between because the rest of the show just kind of throws the random personality trait at him.

[1:51:16] Pat Patrick: They're like, eh, we just need you to say this dumb thing.

[1:51:19] Zach Fowls: Yeah, you know, and they start using Artie for that later in the in the show.

[1:51:23] Pat Patrick: Oh my god, don't you get we started on the show?

[1:51:24] Zach Fowls: But that's a whole other conversation.

[1:51:26] Pat Patrick: Um yeah, Artie, who really had a lot to do in the Cough Syrup performance.

[1:51:31] Zach Fowls: Um bringing it back to that.

[1:51:34] Pat Patrick: Do we have I don't do we have any final thoughts about Cough Syrup before we make a decision?

[1:51:40] Zach Fowls: No.

[1:51:41] Pat Patrick: I mean, do I have anything here?

[1:51:43] Zach Fowls: Yeah, I mean, I guess like my main question to y'all is the same, similar to the question I asked earlier about like I'm obviously this is kind of uh sisters not twins with um the quarterback songs.

[1:51:56] Pat Patrick: That it's like should uh a song like this be honored?

[1:51:59] Zach Fowls: Because it's like, oh yeah, this is really uncomfortable to bring up.

[1:52:02] Pat Patrick: And I'm really glad that like it's the two of you that I'm watching it with.

[1:52:06] Zach Fowls: Because like I don't want to be watching this on a random Zoom with people that like I don't know where the vibes are.

[1:52:11] Pat Patrick: Of course, for obvious reasons.

[1:52:13] Zach Fowls: Um so like where where does this song fall in going forward on the Glacket with you?

[1:52:21] Pat Patrick: I think that we can debate.

[1:52:23] Zach Fowls: I think that we can talk about it because I know what I'm gonna go for.

[1:52:26] Pat Patrick: You're going to be able to do it.

[1:52:27] Zach Fowls: I don't know if you're on Flashboard too.

[1:52:28] Pat Patrick: I'm going Cough Syrup.

[1:52:30] Zach Fowls: Oh wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow.

[1:52:35] Zach Fowls: Um here, let me explain why, I guess. Because like to your point, Andrew, like I I think that like I I'd be fine with either of them going through. I don't like feel like really strongly, but I I think that like for each group of people that enters into this podcast and stuff like that, there's probably different things that like we care about. And from what I've been learning through discussion with Zach, like you do care more or seemingly about like the story driven elements and like what you like are um like uh the episodes that you like and that I like are completely different and stuff like that. So I definitely I think when I'm thinking about like a song that goes should go through in the Glacket and stuff like that.

I think that the best ones should have an element of there was some type of like importance to it. Um I I think that that's like a a factor that I consider. I definitely consider like how good the vocals were. I I I try to like think like, is this a a song that like to me was representative of something in Glee? And I think that actually both of these do that really well. Um but I think that Cough Syrup, I think is one that like speaking for a lot of the fans. I think it's like important to a lot of people. And like I I don't it doesn't really mean so much to me like neither of these do. But I think that like a song that's representative of like what Glee is and means, I would give my vote to Cough Syrup because I think it like does it is attached to that message of something that was really important.

But is that the only reason why to bring it through and stuff? No, that's just kind of how I'm leaning right now where I'm like yeah like I feel like there's lots of fun throwaway numbers that we put through like we just put through ABC. Like I'm fine putting through one that's like is attached to something heavier but I loved Flashdance. It was a fun one to look back on to if you went with that one I don't think I'd be angry that my votes for Cough Syrup.

[1:54:38] Zach Fowls: Um you know to your point okay I'm sorry really delaying the vote. Glisteners at home are really biting their nails. I would I'm still pushing through Flashdance just so that way Andrew has to make the decision. But I will say um what I the thought of pushing Cough Syrup which is great means that the important conversation of what it's doing and what it does in the show has to happen again when you put it into the next round when it gets pulled again. And I think those are like you know that means a third opportunity to talk about um what the show was doing at that time again on a conservative network in 2012. Yeah um which was super important or 2011 I don't remember exactly but you know um to deny Glee of what it did specifically for you know LGBTQIA plus representation is you know I mean that's no small feat.

And so to be able to talk about that again a third time when this gets pulled again is is I mean like that's that's meaningful. That is something that's that's very important. However, Flashdance is a better song, and it is a I just it's um it's awesome and your opinion is wrong.

[1:55:54] Andrew: Wow believe it, Andrew. What is it? What is it going to be? I I really loved everything that you said, and then you've stamped it with everything that you say is wrong. I'm just kidding, you know, I'm just kidding. But no, I I would not be mad either way. I mean like I'm not mad either way either. I mean you have to you have to talk about it again to like Zach's point. Like for me, it was like I haven't thought about the song in forever, I haven't talked about it. Like to me, it's like this is like a hallmark moment in season three that I think was impactful and shocking. Let's bring back foe, ever. But like I I can see your point, Andrew, not wanting to like bring us to the next round and have to talk about it again.

Like it we've had the conversation. I don't I don't know. I this is obviously we're so uh far into the this recording, and like here I am, like posing a a new challenge. But it's like, am I just going to be pulling like am I sending away songs that I just don't want to talk about? And like that's the that's like moral compass vibes.

[1:56:52] Zach Fowls: Um but not maybe not even moral compass, but just like it's just like what's I feel like that discredits Glacket, then that puts onus on what Andrew wants to talk about, which I don't want to do, you know, like I don't want that to be what's guiding this. So what a feel. Um so the verdict is I think it's I think it is Cough Syrup. Um because I stream it more. I I think that the the lasting impression of this song in this performance is obviously so much more than Flashdance um and I also feel better knowing that ABC is recently going through um that Jenna Ushkowitz is having uh you know she can't she can't win them all you know she never wins anything so uh I I feel okay with that and like I mean I just need to get the fuck over it to a sense of like hey do you do you want to be sharing your screen in a zoom and watching Cough Syrup again I think that's a feature me problem that I will need to get over.

[1:58:03] Andrew: I don't think it it's just invite us back. Right exactly I think that it doesn't like there's so many songs that like I would have voted for over Cough Syrup. Like I think Flashdance wasn't like enough for me but like yeah if if like Rumor Has It or like Valerie came up I would be like that's your that's what I'm thinking that's what I'm at least like hoping for for like a a round three competition that it's like Cough Syrup just somehow gets graced in a competition with Somebody to Love or like Paradise by the Dashboard Light or something where it's like okay this feels like now is your time Cough Syrup goodbye.

[1:58:41] Zach Fowls: I think a good a good wrap up moment that I would like to say to you for this is like to me the happy joyous bolstrous big moment songs I think are the ones that will go farther because I think that they are better.

[1:58:59] Pat Patrick: Yeah.

[1:59:00] Zach Fowls: And like the the sad ones, the quarterback ones. I think a lot of those are really great songs, but I don't really think any of them are like I don't think If I Die Young were up against Valerie. I would pick Valerie up with my eyes closed, you know? I think that like over time, like it's really honorable, I think that you're trying to give some of the songs a cover heavier subject matter, like the time of day and like the respect. But I think like what we will see is that like the iconic songs will go to the top and then it'll really be a bloodbath. And right now it's just kind of like, yeah, we might decide right now in round two to give some songs their moment and other songs not, even though they're you know, really sensitive to a lot of people. So Cough Syrup is going through, so suck it, Zach.

[1:59:49] Pat Patrick: Oh wow. Again, a really iconic stamp at the end of a really nice sentiment. Um I can't believe that I don't again, I don't know how long we're into this recording because of the famous kerfuffle that I feel like that only lasted maybe 30 minutes. So I feel we are in two hours into this episode going into the final. Does anybody need a bathroom break? How are we feeling?

[2:00:13] Zach Fowls: I've already peed.

[2:00:14] Pat Patrick: Okay.

[2:00:16] Andrew: Final competition.

[2:00:17] Zach Fowls: Oh, wowie Zowie.

[2:00:19] Pat Patrick: Another season three, if you can imagine.

[2:00:20] Andrew: Okay, wait, but like season three is my thing.

[2:00:23] Zach Fowls: We've already said season three at this point. Give us a give us a hint so we can guess what it is.

[2:00:27] Pat Patrick: Um it's an emotional one, but like it's like I mean not good emotional.

[2:00:33] Zach Fowls: It's it's a cry.

[2:00:34] Pat Patrick: It's not so emotional.

[2:00:36] Zach Fowls: Um, but it's it's is it Perfect?

[2:00:39] Pat Patrick: I know people cry during this one, but it's not like not for a similar reason as like quarterback and Cough Syrup.

[2:00:43] Zach Fowls: Oh, because bad.

[2:00:45] Pat Patrick: No, no.

[2:00:49] Zach Fowls: What?

[2:00:50] Pat Patrick: Is in the first half or the second half of the season?

[2:00:53] Zach Fowls: Um I wanna give you a hint that would immediately give it away.

[2:00:58] Pat Patrick: Okay.

[2:00:59] Zach Fowls: Do you want the we don't have all the time?

[2:01:02] Pat Patrick: I it's yeah.

[2:01:03] Zach Fowls: It's quite possibly hours in the um that hits too hard.

[2:01:10] Pat Patrick: It's okay, so you say you're asking first half or later half, and it's as far into the later as you can possibly get.

[2:01:19] Zach Fowls: Is it Roots Before Branches?

[2:01:20] Pat Patrick: It's Roots Before Branches.

[2:01:22] Zach Fowls: Very good.

[2:01:23] Pat Patrick: The last song of season three.

[2:01:24] Zach Fowls: I love this one.

[2:01:26] Pat Patrick: I love the conversation before this episode of the song.

[2:01:30] Zach Fowls: So the echo is good before the song, exactly.

[2:01:33] Pat Patrick: No, no, no, but many things to do and say, but I can seem to find the way what I wanna know how.

[2:01:59] Zach Fowls: Oh do I reach for the stars when I don't have a means to carry me that fellowships to know who I am before know I wanna be taking sense to live like I see a place in this world for me.

[2:02:59] Pat Patrick: Sometimes I don't wanna feel and forget the pain is real for my head in the cloud.

[2:03:10] Zach Fowls: Oh, I start to run and then I fall thinking I can get in out without my feet on the ground.

[2:03:21] Pat Patrick: There's always a sea, the further, the more that it rains, the more I will grow.

[2:03:34] Zach Fowls: I've got a hands the fellow and chase to know who I am before I know who I want to be in faith to take chances to live like I see a place in this world for me.

[2:04:06] Pat Patrick: Whatever comes, I know how to take it.

[2:04:18] Zach Fowls: The way can come and do its best Roman north and south east and west to be standing I'll stand in if I have a roots before and sh to know who I am before I know who I'm gonna be taking sense to live like I see a place in this gotta have all the shit to know who I am before I know who I wanna be in fate to take chances and now I guess a place in this world I've gotta have roots before that original not that original a a Rolo but a Finchel on the Spotify and Apple Music.

[2:05:51] Pat Patrick: Um but I need to give a shout out to my main girly, the little girl with the Disney store bag in the final frame, just completely just staring at Lea Michele walking down the damn sidewalk.

[2:06:05] Zach Fowls: Um I I don't know. How do we want to start this this conversation?

[2:06:10] Pat Patrick: I mean, I'm tempted to start it with like, what did what did Rachel do that entire summer? Like, what is what is our headcanon of like what she did in the city uh uh before August Niada starts?

[2:06:24] Zach Fowls: Probably did nothing.

[2:06:25] Pat Patrick: Probably did nothing.

[2:06:27] Zach Fowls: I that always drove me crazy.

[2:06:30] Pat Patrick: But like, why couldn't they have just been like, hey, we had a lovely summer together? Okay, now it's time to go, and I'm not coming with you.

[2:06:40] Andrew: Why are you having like we graduated yesterday? You have to go on the train to look at dorms and never come back to Ohio all summer. Goodbye. And here's my thing. Pat, you don't live in New York, do you?

[2:06:54] Pat Patrick: No, I live in Chicago.

[2:06:56] Andrew: Okay, city. I'm from Missouri, so I don't know. We're I'm right below where you were. Um Andrew, you can speak to this then. Um, she walks so much. Like from Grand Central to East 42nd, then all the way up to where the plaza is, then walks down, and I'm just like, but you live in Bushwick.

[2:07:17] Pat Patrick: Well, she—what are you doing?

[2:07:19] Andrew: No, she moved to Bushwick after her route.

[2:07:23] Pat Patrick: Okay, after having the entire school.

[2:07:26] Andrew: Yeah. Um, he's Niata, and what school allows you to come in to the next one?

[2:07:33] Zach Fowls: Where is Niata?

[2:07:35] Andrew: Before the Niata is canonically NYU. I mean, like, there in there's a scene in the new Rachel when she's walking around. I think there's like a number of scenes actually that she's walking around Washington Square Park area. But then it's nowhere near where she's at.

[2:07:50] Pat Patrick: Well, I mean, yeah. She just didn't take the train from Grand Central down to the dorm rooms. And I think that I think they're like immediately following the sequence of her leaving Grand Central and just spiraling in front of the change group, which I am obsessed with that pulling focus.

[2:08:07] Zach Fowls: I was about to say I finally—I was finally like, the change group, are they trying to insinuate that she's going through change?

[2:08:15] Andrew: Change.

[2:08:16] Zach Fowls: But I think like directly after that spiral shot, she's walking like near like Madison Square Park, I feel. Like I feel like she's like on like 24th or 25th Street. Then I'm like, you are really getting the steps.

[2:08:30] Pat Patrick: No, it's over by that app.

[2:08:31] Zach Fowls: No, no, no. Let me pull it back up and show you in this shot.

[2:08:35] Andrew: Okay. Um, but yeah, I mean, all that to say she definitely is.

[2:08:39] Pat Patrick: Oh no, wait, you can see the Empire State Building in the background.

[2:08:42] Zach Fowls: Right. Is that what you're talking about? When you can see the Empire State Building, it's right.

[2:08:46] Pat Patrick: Yeah, this is that is that right here. I know this 7-Eleven. That's near Madison Square Park.

[2:08:54] Andrew: So, yes, you're correct. So this is another we can do a Rachel Berry walking tour, and you can get all your steps for the year.

[2:09:03] Zach Fowls: Right. So she goes all the way down there, and then she pops all the way back up to um the that Apple store.

[2:09:09] Pat Patrick: Well, she pops over by the Schubert alley close to and then she goes to the plaza. And then and then the plaza. And then there's the Apple store. And there's a girl. And there's Baby Girl.

[2:09:21] Zach Fowls: There's Baby Girl at the game.

[2:09:24] Pat Patrick: You were closer a couple frames ago. She doesn't know what she's doing, what she's doing. She's a little girl in the big city.

[2:09:31] Andrew: Uh yeah. Um this song. What is your head canon, uh, Andrew, before we talk about that?

[2:09:38] Andrew: Oh wow. Uh question has been turned from the case. I would love to hear. I've I'm I feel like me and Zach have been dominating a lot of the conversation.

[2:09:46] Pat Patrick: So that's what I'm saying. I mean, that's why I wanted—I needed someone to dominate the conversation this episode in Alice.

[2:09:54] Andrew: Right. I initially I was like, should I give Zach his own episode? Should I give Pat his own episode? And I was like, no, I need both of them to feel truly safe. Um like there's not gonna be a dull moment. Um, but uh I guess yeah, what does she do in the entire damn? I mean, I guess she could be. Does she know anybody?

[2:10:11] Pat Patrick: She knows Patti LuPone. She brushed shoulders with her in Sardi, so it's like maybe she just like doesn't even acknowledge it when season four comes around that she's been like a la Aubrey Plaza nowadays, that she's bunking with Patti LuPone in Upper West Side. Um, and she doesn't even bring it up to Kurt at all when he moves there.

[2:10:35] Andrew: I don't know. I asked you the question, and I didn't even have a fun response myself, but I think it's just like um it it's one of those things where like why did the writer's room decide to do what they did? Like it didn't make sense. It's like you're getting shipped off to New York this for the whole summer to look at dorms. Like these people are getting paid how much?

[2:11:00] Pat Patrick: Right, as we found out, not a lot, but like this is your job. Like make a compelling statement. I don't know.

[2:11:08] Andrew: Well, because like it in canon, dads are meeting her in New York to help look for dorms, right? That's in the conversation.

[2:11:17] Zach Fowls: So I don't know. Where was damn Jeff Goldblum and uh Brian Stokes Mitchell in that final scene? That would have been fun. Could you imagine? She gets off the train and they're there.

[2:11:30] Pat Patrick: I don't know. I like it. That would have been cute. I love that she opens the door from Grand Central, that woman trying to walk out with the phone, like is just mad that she's just standing in the doorway.

[2:11:39] Andrew: Which, like, valid. True to form. It would be a—that would be Rachel Berry's first true moment in New York that she's inconveniencing a white lady.

[2:11:48] Zach Fowls: Yeah.

[2:11:49] Andrew: Um I don't know. Uh legal notes with this performance. I like I love that they're all there for Rachel, but I kind of hate that they're all there for Rachel. I'm like, I wanna see the goodbye for like Quinn, you know. And I'm like, like what who was left when Quinn went to New Haven? You know what I mean? Like, I wanna see like who was gone. Like, was Rory already like deported or um dip roared?

[2:12:17] Pat Patrick: Decorary did.

[2:12:19] Andrew: Um I Andrea, I love that because I thought like the same thing. Like every time I watch this, I'm just like, why are they all there? Why is she the first one to go? Is it because she's the main character?

[2:12:27] Zach Fowls: Right. See, here's my—that is the thing that bothers me about this performance. And what kind of bothers me about just kind of Glee as a whole, especially after the first season, where Will, who is the main character of the show, stopped being the main character of the show and they threw it on to Rachel. And like I get it, I get that like she's sort of taking up the mantle of where he couldn't go. But like when you lose Will as your central character, you lose the like sadness that the show has, which is what Glee always is, which is where the like ironic statement of the title of Glee comes from is that there's always an undercurrent of sadness to these characters.

[2:13:06] Andrew: And so when it's just Rachel and like she gets the final shot versus like, why aren't we looking at Will watching the train go as well, you know? Like, I'm always picturing how they could include that perspective in this because it's not all about chasing your dreams, and I think that's where I—that's where the show falters for me.

[2:13:28] Pat Patrick: Yeah, is when it's all about these kids, like where everybody gets to be happy and everybody chases their dreams and everything is achievable. And I'm like well, no, I mean, I don't—I've said this in like past episodes that like I'm kind of more okay with that because like it's like built up that like achievable dreams like opening for Beyoncé, which is not even a dream to be had because Beyoncé doesn't even have an opener, is a reality that these characters are presented with that like they're just like so absurdly huge that it's like okay, this is kind of just the world that we're living in that kind of where those are like there are so many like jump the shark moments, and then like once they did it for one character, they had to do it for all the other characters.

[2:14:12] Zach Fowls: But I completely agree. Like, I wish that Glee would have been able to contain itself more, and I think that if it didn't get as popular as it got, it would have ended up being a much better show in the long run because they ended up making a lot of choices um in season two and stuff like where they were chasing like well, we have to do these songs because they're popular and they'll sell more, and we have to we have to add in these characters because like people will buy merchandise and like them, and you know, like I think that like I just kind of accepted the reality of that, and like in my mind, I think that they built enough of a world where I can kind of like think about where the show could have gone and and should have gone.

[2:14:55] Andrew: Um, but then like the absurdity that happens throughout the show and stuff like that. Like sometimes it's fun to watch and sometimes it isn't. But I think what Glee does really well, and I can't think of many other shows like it, is it's like I kind of understand why they fell into the holes that they did, and like I'm okay with it enough, but I could talk for hours, and clearly we are talking for hours about like what it really could have been if it if it wasn't subjected to like having to explode and be the biggest thing ever.

[2:15:30] Zach Fowls: Um because yeah, I would have loved to see a Glee where no one's dream came true, and you followed these characters into a more organic state of being, because that's what happens to teacher kids in high school. They don't—you know really and that's what I really liked about when the show would present it with like this idea, and I've always believed it this way. And I know that I think Adam Anders may have said it, where it was like when the characters perform specifically, it's not like actually a little bit. That's how they're viewing it, yeah, rather than like what's legitimately there.

[2:16:07] Pat Patrick: And that's very—I was thinking about that specific note. Sorry to cut you, but like during this performance, that it's like, yeah, like it's like Rachel's not actually singing this damn song in the on the train, and she's probably not even sounding that good and polished, you know.

[2:16:19] Andrew: No, and that's what I love about like that's the—that's where I love like when in it reminds me of like Dream On when like they're doing the flash mob, yeah, and then Artie immediately comes back into like sitting in the chair. It reminds me, I don't know, um, Pat, if you know much about the musical Spelling Bee, but it reminds me a lot of my favorites, yeah.

[2:16:36] Pat Patrick: It's my—it's it reminds me a lot of what Spelling Bee does, which is the kids come into this um like their own internal monologues where they can sing and dance and be this thing and solo and exactly, and then they jump back to being like, hey, you're in a spelling bee like spell the word.

[2:16:36] Andrew: Exactly, and then they just have to jump back into reality. Like when you have all of Ostrovsky singing the I Love You song, and that's the emotional, and then it just immediately comes back into oh, you're standing and you spelling a word. Like that's what girl, what is the word two things that's called?

[2:17:10] Zach Fowls: Uh, chimerical.

[2:17:11] Andrew: Um yeah, she sings. And um right, and so uh that's where I wish Glee would have continued to push itself is like you can expand the bound and the world of the show, but at the end of the day, you just have to bounce right back into reality. It's not like community where the show etches a different world as the show continues to build and build and build and build, but there's always an emotional core at the end of the community, and it starts and ends almost the same way with the kid with the group at the desk.

[2:17:45] Zach Fowls: This is a show that has built itself as a soap opera spoof on movies like Election. And so when you get into like that world, but then you start bouncing it off, and you're trying to go, oh, now we're an after-school special, now we're a parody of things, and now we don't know what we are. So we're—and it's like you're looking—you're losing it, you're losing it. Come back.

[2:18:08] Andrew: Lost the plot.

[2:18:10] Zach Fowls: I don't know. If it was consistent with what it was doing, it would be so much fun, like less fun to talk about.

[2:18:17] Andrew: I feel that it's like the fact that exactly. We if it was a tight show that was so good and perfect, we would not be debating all this random stuff.

[2:18:27] Pat Patrick: And that's the thing. The first 13 episodes are what this—like the first 13 tight and perfect. And even the back nine are okay, but they're nowhere near what that first 13 was doing.

[2:18:39] Zach Fowls: The roots of the first 13 are so memorable.

[2:18:42] Andrew: They were, man. I mean, it's just it's so much of a like oh what could have been for sure.

[2:18:46] Pat Patrick: Yeah.

[2:18:47] Andrew: Um Roots is a fine song.

[2:18:49] Zach Fowls: Right, thanks.

[2:18:50] Pat Patrick: Roots.

[2:18:50] Andrew: Oh, yeah. What do we think?

[2:18:55] Zach Fowls: That's like the point of this.

[2:19:00] Pat Patrick: No, I mean, I don't do much editing anymore anyway. I just like let it run, and I'm like, I don't cut anything out.

[2:19:07] Andrew: So this is a good thing.

[2:19:09] Pat Patrick: Part one part two. Um I like Roots Before Branches. I think it's a great—it's one of my top, it's like top 20% of Rachel solos for me. It's not like the most amazing, but I do like it. And do you again it's like I was a senior in high school and I just graduated and I was like, oh, like Wanderlust like the world's so big. So gotta have a roots before branching.

[2:19:32] Zach Fowls: Do you actually stream it though?

[2:19:34] Pat Patrick: Yeah, for sure.

[2:19:35] Zach Fowls: You do.

[2:19:35] Pat Patrick: Okay.

[2:19:39] Andrew: Okay, okay. Zach, do you have any specific?

[2:19:43] Zach Fowls: I'm kind of like empty brain with this one. I love the conversation that they have right before this where things like have to go, like break like that breaks my heart. That is the best acting Corey does in the show, is that conversation right there.

[2:19:59] Pat Patrick: Well, I think it's such a net—it's such a real conversation too.

[2:20:02] Zach Fowls: It's so adult. Well, because the damn actors, I think that they really, like at this point in the in the series as well, that it's like end of season three, these two people are dating, that it's like they're writing, and Iglea is very guilty of this, more so than other shows, that it's like they're really pointing at specific things about the actors. And I feel like this in this case, it's like not as terrible as, you know, um saying that Becca Tobin has like lizard ears or something. Um that they're writing toward like, hey, if we write this a very emotional scene for Leah Michelle and Corey Monteith, it will be extra good. It will become, you know, be that extra.

[2:20:44] Andrew: Well, and especially because they have to go into the like I remember at that time there they weren't there might have been a spin-off series that was supposed to happen that never did actually happen. And they didn't know if who was going into New York who wasn't. And I'm assuming at this point they knew that they weren't like out of the three years that they had built up together on the show now were just not going to happen. And so it also just kind of feels like a farewell from for him to her.

[2:21:11] Pat Patrick: Yeah. Um so it's a I mean, like, but the song itself is kind of like it's okay. It's good. Amber Riley gives Leah Michele a hug, and you can tell it is the fastest hug she wants, like she wants to be over. I mean to that point. I'm like I've never like considered this before tonight, but like could that group have been not to be like a contrarian about like everything when it comes to this show, but like could that group have been boiled down? Like could that group have been like Kurt, Will, Finn, Quinn, maybe even Mercedes? Like, could they I don't I don't think Quinn and Rachel are that close.

[2:21:48] Zach Fowls: I mean, they had like a scene earlier in the episode. That's the reason that I don't bringing it up that it would be like, hey, call back to this thing in the same episode. Um I think it could have been Will, Finn, Blaine, Kurt, and possibly Tina.

[2:22:05] Pat Patrick: Oh Sugar. I think Joe. Joe's really solidified his slot in that grouping as well. I think he has number one slot. Well, and I don't know why Shelby Corcoran wasn't there.

[2:22:19] Zach Fowls: Right. Right. I know that maybe Idina was busy, but just made an appearance.

[2:22:25] Pat Patrick: Yeah. And then Quinn grabs Beth and jumps on the train to New Haven.

[2:22:31] Zach Fowls: Yeah. Where was Susie Pepper? And Rachel helped relocate Quinn. Where was Mr. Ryerson?

[2:22:37] Pat Patrick: Yeah. He's driving the train.

[2:22:40] Zach Fowls: All aboard.

[2:22:44] Pat Patrick: Yeah, he's driving the train. Sue. You know, they're best. She and Rachel. Why was Sue not there?

[2:22:49] Zach Fowls: Sue doesn't like Rachel. No, I'm just thinking that it's like, this is obviously like, hey, we're highlighting our entire cast. Here you go. Why is Sue especially both weren't there? Why was Emma not there?

[2:23:07] Pat Patrick: Emma's there.

[2:23:08] Zach Fowls: Oh, she is.

[2:23:09] Pat Patrick: Yeah. I think she's wearing yellow.

[2:23:11] Zach Fowls: Or was she wearing red?

[2:23:17] Pat Patrick: Um okay. Any final thoughts about Ruth Perfection?

[2:23:22] Zach Fowls: I'm hopeful that a better song is there, but if it's something like it's not easy being green, I'm just gonna go. It's already gone into the sky. I've never gotten a nice song. If we get a Naya song that sucks, I'm pushing forward Roots Before Branches just.

[2:23:34] Pat Patrick: Wait, list one. Well, Andrew's gonna uh I'll have to pull a nice song so we can talk about it.

[2:23:42] Zach Fowls: Oh yeah, not. Not a Naya song, but a song that I feel very well should have been sang by Naya, given who the artist is.

[2:23:54] Pat Patrick: Is that a good season three?

[2:23:56] Zach Fowls: No.

[2:23:57] Pat Patrick: Well, what is it?

[2:23:58] Zach Fowls: It's a season one.

[2:23:59] Pat Patrick: We're really going against the green.

[2:24:01] Zach Fowls: Oh wow. What's the context?

[2:24:04] Pat Patrick: Um, so this we had final episode of season three. Now we're going first episode of season one. Pilot, dare I say?

[2:24:14] Zach Fowls: Oh.

[2:24:16] Pat Patrick: And a song wait. That could have been sang by Naya, considering who sings it originally.

[2:24:27] Zach Fowls: Huh?

[2:24:28] Pat Patrick: Is it on my own?

[2:24:29] Zach Fowls: No.

[2:24:31] Pat Patrick: Remember all the Oh, it's rehab.

[2:24:34] Zach Fowls: It's rehab. See, I want to but I wasn't sure if that was episode one or episode two.

[2:24:41] Pat Patrick: No, it's episode one, baby. They try to make it go and rehab a lesson.

[2:24:52] Zach Fowls: No, no, no. Yes, I'm in that way. I come back to go. No, no.

[2:25:00] Pat Patrick: I ain't got the time. We try to make it go and rehab. I had to be at home with Bay Quid. I've got seven to nothing about that you can teach me.

[2:25:36] Zach Fowls: I did get on that side. I think that the time that I think somehow.

[2:26:11] Pat Patrick: Um, okay, I feel like we've been talking a lot about arrangement, and I feel like this might be without looking at a list, famously, which I've been Allison included, uh, we do. I feel like this is my favorite, like, arrangement. I really just love specifically like the Ohio, Ohio, Ohio at the beginning. I think that's such a specific choice. And obviously, with the um like the context of like, I guess this song was like almost like an audition piece for um like the vocal arrangement. I feel like Zach, um, you could speak more to this, but like it was like an audition essentially for uh the oh my god, why am I blanking on his name? Your friend.

[2:26:57] Zach Fowls: Tim.

[2:26:58] Pat Patrick: Tim Davis. That um that like he like nailed this assignment and he was like, okay, he got the job, right?

[2:27:06] Zach Fowls: Right. Do I have that right?

[2:27:08] Pat Patrick: Yeah. Okay. And I think he's I think they speak about that in the episode.

[2:27:11] Zach Fowls: Yeah. Or the episode with um Kevin Magina as well, but yeah. Um it's uh it's a it's such a bizarre arrangement, like such a great arrangement, and it's so unassuming, which I love.

[2:27:22] Zach Fowls: Yes. I love that it's so because it does have the SATV choir, you know, when they do the Ohio, and then it just comes out of nowhere that they hit rehab. And for like that's what I think is so funny about this, like the pilot episode. One of the funniest things about the pilot episode is that like it's a high school choir singing rehab by Amy Winehouse, and they're doing this insane choreography, which at the time I was kind of like, oh yeah, whatever. But like just the other day, I had a friend of mine. Uh we have a mutual friend who was really big in show choir in her high school, and it looks exactly like this.

[2:28:00] Pat Patrick: Flips and all?

[2:28:02] Zach Fowls: Flips and all, and I'm just kind of like, oh yeah, that because I, you know, show choir is just huge in high school. I didn't go to a big, you know, I went to a Catholic high school, so um, you know, our show choir, we didn't name a show choir, it was chamber choir. So it was pretty small, but like I the like that that idea is is absolutely true. And so the fact that you have just the like you have this insane song and you have all these insane moves, and they're all in high school. Yeah, like hilarious. And then the joke or the the punchline then becomes the reaction of all the students.

[2:28:41] Pat Patrick: I mean, so good.

[2:28:43] Zach Fowls: Well, it's so well. I know, and I I love this number so much. I do stream it. I think that the the video is also Chef's Kiss. I think that it's like so hard as the series goes on that like vocal adrenaline needs to like live up to the rehabs and the mercies that like when you get to like even like season as early as like season two finale, with like as long as you're there with you know like sunshine, you know, just being trotted out, belting, and then them doing, you know, I from what I recall, unimpressionable choreo, at least to like this like standard that they set with with rehab in the first episode.

[2:29:28] Pat Patrick: Yeah, I I think it was just so difficult to live up to. My my thought is Jesse St. James is sick in this number. So he can't, he's not there, obviously.

[2:29:37] Zach Fowls: Oh, right, right, right.

[2:29:38] Pat Patrick: My thought is that, especially with vocal adrenaline, they always seem to showcase, they always seem to do perform numbers showcase around what they have, which is always smart. But when you have when you don't have a standout vocalist, you use the entire ensemble, which is what they do for rehab. When you have somebody like Jesse St. James, who is not only charismatic, but he can sing and he can dance, give him something like Bohemian Rhapsody. When you have um Sunshine, who can't really do a whole lot other than sing, you're gonna just put her as front and center. But you wanna make sure you're it's not like where New Directions has somebody like Rachel, and then they also have club full of Sam's and Tina's and Blaine's and Kurtz, yeah, and Mercedes.

Um so you have to build an entire set around her. And then when you have unique, who's got an incredible voice and has a lot of energy, but then you need to, you don't believe in her enough that you have to start doing things like bringing out pinball machines to cover up what you don't think is there. I think that truly is where the downfall of vocal adrenaline comes from. It's like they don't you like they don't utilize what they know their machine of acquire can be, they'll build it around a star performer, which is what Jesse says early into the show. You build it around one person versus New Directions always finds a way to showcase every single person, which is why they always like which is why when you first see them and uh in in sectionals, and Rachel is the thing that kind of holds them all together, and they do cute little choreography, you start getting inklings of they have something.

Then when you hit them in in regionals and you have Kurt and Poppins and Tana singing, you're like, oh, they actually bring out more, and then they double down on that in sectionals of season two, where they're like, No, we're gonna we have vocalists like Quinn and Sam and Santana. They bring out and then Santana, and then they bring out Brittany and Mike to do you know the number. And then when they do nationals, and that's when they falter, where they're like, they don't really have a set person to build around except for Rachel and Finn. Yeah.

[2:31:45] Zach Fowls: When they've been trajectorying to let's use the entire club. And so then when they put that back in sectionals when all of them are being utilized together for the Michael Jackson Medley, and then when they do regionals again, where it's even more expansive, where you have Santana, Rachel, Blaine, Finn, Artie, Mercy, like you have all these, so that way when you hit Paradise by the Dashboard Light, almost every single person in that set is used outside of Mike and Quinn, which is stupid. Um it really showcases how much the show and how much this world of show choir is an ensemble of people comparatively to like vocal adrenaline or the warblers. It's not you can't just have one singular unit of people that all look the same.

You can't have one show choir that is built around the strengths of a singular person. You have to utilize everybody because every single person matters to the team. And that's they never they don't always put it that way. They don't always say it, but it's there every like if you watch all the competitions back to back to back, that's kind of what they're doing.

[2:32:57] Pat Patrick: Yeah. Anyway, I love rehab, it's good. I love it. I know that we're also officially three hours into this recording. So delirium is really hitting it, at least for me. Um Pat, what are you what are you thinking about rehab?

[2:33:14] Zach Fowls: I actually kind of feel like rehab is one of the vocal adrenaline numbers that I think is like the most realistic for like a high school show choir. Like granted, the vocals are obviously like super produced and like whatever, and blah blah blah, like the they're all professional dancers and stuff like that. But like when when you watch videos of like high school show choirs and stuff like that, I think like um, yeah, a lot of like moving in unison and moving as a unit and things like that is a lot more common than um maybe like yeah, like pinball machines and doing like flips in the air and stuff like that, like how vocal adrenaline like kind of came to be. So in a way, I kind of felt like when they did this in the first episode, it was kind of like, yeah, like of course these are like professional people, and there's no way a high school is gonna be that good.

But I kind of thought it was like realistic to a degree, and obviously it set them up to like you know what it could be and stuff like that. So um yeah, a lot of what Zach said though, I I certainly agree with, like as I said in the beginning of the episode, I was just really, really I I gravitate toward the group numbers and I gravitate toward the numbers, and like it's not just the Rachel show, you know, and it's like not just the like the thin show or whatever. Like that's why I I really even though I think season two is where Glee certainly started to falter, like I was so excited that like there were other cast members being featured, it made the show so much more interesting because there you do get racial fatigue and stuff like that.

[2:34:50] Zach Fowls: So I'm a big group number guy, and I think this is a really good group number, but I think it doesn't really do much for me in terms of like when I think Glee, I don't really think "Rehab" because like none of the Glee clubbers are in it. Like it's like a professional organization like that. That's interesting. So it's like I really like it, and I can appreciate what it is for what it did for the show in the first episode. I can appreciate, you know, how good it is, but like I don't think it should go super far into the Glacket because it's not really to me like Glee. It's like professional dancer singers put into the show and you watch and you're like, wow, good. I think that again, without looking at a list, I feel as though this like feels like the most realized show choir sound of the series as well that it's like trying to get at is like that seems like the most like high school show choir to me, which I think is working in its favor.

No, I really love it. And also, I feel like I really like the fact that the guy that does the flip during this number does eventually come back like a few episodes later, and like he's like the waiter and he's been like held back. And I just love the fact that it's actually the same actor as well. That it's like that shit just like wouldn't be happening like three or four seasons down the line, which is fine because like fatigue. But whatever. It's one of the clever ways that in the first season Glee was very much like it knew what it was doing, versus later when they use Sue to like kind of call out what the show does. Yeah, versus like when they bring him back and he's like, Oh yeah, I'm a fourth year senior, yeah, and they've just been holding me back.

And because when you watch the first episode, you're like, those are clearly adults, and he's like, Yeah, I am an adult. That's what I am point. Right. So that's what I thought was really funny when it first happened. It's such a smart thing, it's such a smart and funny way to just be like, Yeah, we get it. We know that they look like adults, and this is why this is them like kind of like justifying it, yeah. Right, but in a way that's smart, not in a way where it's just like where Glee just lampshades itself all the time, where they're just like, you know, where Sue is, you know, Sue was like the only members of you don't know in this in here, the band, you know, they just keep you know, where they just are like, Yeah, characters can just call it out and call it out and call it out.

I did there is one moment that Sue does where she's like, um, where you guys just where she's talking to Tina and Artie about and it's um about Valedictorian, and she's like, You guys usually just sit in the back of the choir room going, Blaine, you can't do that, or Kitty, are you serious? It's so good. I always love jokes like that, but I but this is a very smart way to do it. Yeah, yeah. Um and Lee isn't that as smart as the show goes on. That's that's true. Um I mean, do we want to vote? Are we ready to vote?

[2:38:00] Andrew: Yeah.

[2:38:03] Zach Fowls: Okay. Where I'm gonna vote first this time, if that's okay. I'm gonna say I'm gonna say "Rehab." My rehab baby girl.

[2:38:14] Pat Patrick: I am going to say "Roots Before Branches" for the reason that I said before, which is like I don't really view "Rehab" as a Glee song. It is, but like it's none of the you don't know anyone who's singing it. So I and I do really like "Roots Before Branches." I know it's not going through, and then I'm gonna lose this one, and that's okay. So I think "Rehab" is excellent, but like I hope it doesn't go super far because it's like not the Glee Club, it's professional singers and dancers that were hired to do a skit in episode one.

[2:38:49] Zach Fowls: Um no, because they're all adults that have been held back, and they're right.

[2:38:55] Pat Patrick: So win the Glacket for that.

[2:38:57] Zach Fowls: Uh well, I also think that it's also getting like pilot bias as well.

[2:39:02] Pat Patrick: Which I know I think excellent. I'm gonna put my vote to the losing one, but yeah, I I'm not mad, just I hope it doesn't go to like round five because it's not a Glee club song.

[2:39:14] Andrew: Sure.

[2:39:15] Zach Fowls: Come on.

[2:39:17] Pat Patrick: Come on.

[2:39:18] Zach Fowls: It's the name of the game. You're both making compelling arguments. However, I do think that I will have to go with "Rehab." That's to no one's surprise. But thank you for giving "Roots Before Branches" a second thought.

[2:39:34] Pat Patrick: I just I wanted to say that to be nice.

[2:39:36] Zach Fowls: I knew it was "Rehab" the moment I heard it.

[2:39:39] Pat Patrick: I don't.

[2:39:40] Zach Fowls: I don't need you to feel validated.

[2:39:44] Pat Patrick: I am thoroughly exhausted.

[2:39:47] Zach Fowls: You took "Flashdance" away from me.

[2:39:48] Pat Patrick: Um I can't believe that's fine.

[2:39:50] Andrew: All right, I'll take.

[2:39:52] Zach Fowls: Yeah, I guess.

[2:39:53] Pat Patrick: That's okay.

[2:39:54] Andrew: So yes, Andrew.

[2:39:55] Zach Fowls: Must be one of the longest ones you've gotten.

[2:39:57] Andrew: I am sorry. Even without my tafu, I think probably still one of the longer ones.

[2:40:02] Zach Fowls: I think it is the longest one without you know fully considering the entire backlog.

[2:40:09] Andrew: But I'm just like looking at all the songs that are in front of me, and I'm like, oh wow, this was all, yeah, this was all this same recording that we covered all six of these.

[2:40:18] Pat Patrick: Um, which is my choice.

[2:40:20] Andrew: You know what? And I have fun, but I am tired. It's also 10:16 at night.

[2:40:25] Zach Fowls: Um thank you so much for joining.

[2:40:28] Andrew: I want to recap the songs in this episode. Just to do it.

[2:40:32] Zach Fowls: Uh huh.

[2:40:34] Andrew: Um "Fix You." No fixing the fact that it's not going to round three.

[2:40:41] Zach Fowls: Um wait, what I have to slick out of order.

[2:40:43] Andrew: If "Fix You" is against "ABC," right?

[2:40:46] Zach Fowls: Uh huh.

[2:40:48] Andrew: And here I am like completely forgetting. "ABC," um, easy as one, two, three as it goes into round three. If you want to interject with any other fun little quips that you have, by all means, it's up to you.

[2:40:57] Zach Fowls: There it's yours.

[2:40:59] Andrew: Okay, gosh. Um delirium is really setting in though.

[2:41:03] Zach Fowls: Um "Flashdance, What a Feeling."

[2:41:05] Andrew: The feeling is loss.

[2:41:07] Zach Fowls: Uh the four panel.

[2:41:09] Andrew: You go into the hospital and you see "Flashdance" on the um on the hospital bed.

[2:41:16] Zach Fowls: "Cough Syrup."

[2:41:18] Andrew: I don't even want to make a joke for this one.

[2:41:22] Zach Fowls: Waiting for this cough syrup to go on up to round three.

[2:41:27] Andrew: The joke that it's going into round three. That's the joke.

[2:41:31] Zach Fowls: Oh, okay.

[2:41:32] Andrew: "Roots Before Branches."

[2:41:37] Zach Fowls: Oh, okay, yeah.

[2:41:38] Andrew: Oh, okay.

[2:41:40] Zach Fowls: You want to go ahead?

[2:41:41] Andrew: No, no, no.

[2:41:42] Zach Fowls: "Roots Before Branches."

[2:41:44] Andrew: This tree is being cut down.

[2:41:47] Zach Fowls: Wait, Pat, what did you say?

[2:41:49] Pat Patrick: The roots before grant the roots are staying in the ground. They're not branching off.

[2:41:52] Andrew: They're not branching off anymore.

[2:41:57] Zach Fowls: Um I was gonna say, not before it goes, not before um, not before "Rehab."

[2:42:03] Pat Patrick: They tried to make you go to round three, and I said yes, yes, yes.

[2:42:10] Andrew: Um, okay.

[2:42:11] Pat Patrick: They tried to get a song sung by an actual cast member to go to round three, but they said no, no, no.

[2:42:19] Zach Fowls: Oh my god.

[2:42:21] Andrew: Get over.

[2:42:22] Pat Patrick: Shut up!

[2:42:22] Andrew: They provided a good villain.

[2:42:26] Pat Patrick: No.

[2:42:27] Andrew: I will not, I will Andrew. When I talk to you in the future, I will not bring up this competition like I bring up so emotional every time I speak to you.

[2:42:35] Pat Patrick: So emotional over "Rehab."

[2:42:38] Andrew: Um I'm so emotional over "Rehab."

[2:42:41] Pat Patrick: The "Rehab" was a fighter and it got through.

[2:42:44] Andrew: So um, I also have an announcement for all the lovely patrons of the podcast that um every this is the seventh episode of round two, and every seven episodes of round two, um a patrons will be able to vote on the past 21 songs, uh, one of which will be returning for round three.

[2:43:09] Pat Patrick: Um, and so "Love Song."

[2:43:12] Andrew: I'm I mean, I don't want to like tell you to vote for a "Love Song."

[2:43:12] Pat Patrick: "Love Song."

[2:43:21] Andrew: But "Love Song" is included in the 21 that have been um sadly sent away.

[2:43:27] Pat Patrick: Um, included in this list is also from tonight.

[2:43:32] Andrew: "Fix You," uh "Flashdance, What a Feeling," and "Roots Before Branches." If you feel a type of way, go to Gleek of the Week, uh go to sorry, go to patreon.com slash Gleek of the Week Pod, become a patron, and um you could effectively change the course of the Glacket forever, ever, ever.

[2:43:52] Pat Patrick: Um, and also, I mean, I just need to shout out the fact that we are also doing um monthly Glee Project recap episodes for season two with um Risen from the Dead, Alice and Dodge, who will be joining me um every month there.

[2:44:08] Andrew: Um episode two is out right now as you're listening to it.

[2:44:12] Pat Patrick: And you can also really support the podcast that way, and it's really nice and kind.

[2:44:17] Andrew: And um, you know, I it's little to it's it's so dirt cheap that we do this podcast for.

[2:44:25] Pat Patrick: So if you want to help a artisanal homegrown podcast such as this, I would suggest that you do so.

[2:44:32] Andrew: It's very little money if you can afford it.

[2:44:35] Pat Patrick: Anyway, Zach and Pat, thank you so much for joining me.

[2:44:39] Andrew: Is there anything that you would like to um promote? Anything that you would like to leave on? What are we thinking?

[2:44:47] Pat Patrick: Go see Zach's show in 54 Below.

[2:44:50] Zach Fowls: Thank you.

[2:44:51] Pat Patrick: Don't go anywhere near Illinois.

[2:44:54] Zach Fowls: Don't don't.

[2:44:56] Pat Patrick: Yeah, don't come to me.

[2:45:00] Zach Fowls: Actually, no, promote what I what I really did like is I a few people friended me on Instagram after I did my last episode and we talked on Instagram about Glee, and I thought that was really, really fun. So if anyone wants to talk to me about Glee, um friend me on Instagram because I have a lot of fun talking to the people that I've met through this podcast.

[2:45:23] Pat Patrick: Um yeah, I love the Gleek of the Week community. Andrew, you do an excellent job keeping us, and yes, I am a patron, so I would advocate to become a patron because it's really worth it. It was very fun being the first to find out about Jenna and Kevin and Heather and stuff like that.

[2:45:42] Zach Fowls: So I'll promote the Gleek of the Week Patreon and I'll promote friending me on Instagram so that we can talk about Glee. Those are my two things.

[2:45:52] Pat Patrick: And C Z and third one.

[2:45:56] Zach Fowls: Do we have a date for that, Zach?

[2:45:58] Zach Fowls: Um it's February the 9th, I think. I think it's the second Sunday of February.

[2:46:07] Pat Patrick: If you follow Zach on Instagram.

[2:46:10] Zach Fowls: You will be posting all those details, I imagine.

[2:46:14] Zach Fowls: It will be happening, I promise you.

[2:46:16] Andrew: Um, but also, yes.

[2:46:18] Zach Fowls: Um wait, did uh delirium is really setting in. Did you say your Instagram Pat?

[2:46:23] Pat Patrick: Oh, it's um at PattySalmon, P-A-D-D-Y-S-A-L-M-O-N. I just want people to effectively be able to find you.

[2:46:31] Andrew: And also, thank you for promoting the Patreon. One final thing about Patreon, if you could imagine. In the next episode, I will be joined by two Glee cast members um together. And just like this one, they will be helping me do the Glacket.

[2:46:46] Pat Patrick: Patrick, you are doing the hours though.

[2:46:48] Andrew: Not for three hours. I'm keeping them for a tight hour.

[2:46:52] Pat Patrick: I'm I don't think we're gonna have a nuanced conversation like we really had today.

[2:46:56] Andrew: But this is part one and two.

[2:47:01] Pat Patrick: I just like no, I want there to be a balance in round two of like maybe like this is fun, but like every once in a while, some behind the scenes stuff of like how goofy was Leah Michelle on set. You know, I'd want to know that I want to know.

[2:47:13] Zach Fowls: Goofy.

[2:47:18] Andrew: I don't know, delirium again, setting in. I don't know if that's the right word to describe that woman.

[2:47:23] Pat Patrick: Anyway, um any final notes to leave it on.

[2:47:27] Zach Fowls: Vibes, how are you feeling going into the restful night?

[2:47:31] Pat Patrick: Do not DM me avoid at all.

[2:47:36] Zach Fowls: Wait, are you really not do you not want that?

[2:47:38] Pat Patrick: No, I'm totally fine. You can do that.

[2:47:39] Zach Fowls: Oh, okay.

[2:47:40] Pat Patrick: DM away.

[2:47:42] Zach Fowls: Yeah, I'm I uh I I answered almost literally everything. So if you ever want to chat about anything, you can find me.

[2:47:52] Pat Patrick: Anything.

[2:47:53] Zach Fowls: Most people have probably seen your TikTok by now, but your TikToks are so funny.

[2:47:56] Pat Patrick: And you like our TikTok.

[2:47:58] Zach Fowls: I need to get back into them.

[2:47:59] Pat Patrick: I really do need to get back because I just because I didn't want to do it during the strike, and I just have not gotten back into it.

[2:48:05] Zach Fowls: I do, I do um I'm driving this this campaign train for you to uh talk to Kevin and Jenna.

[2:48:14] Pat Patrick: I think I know I need to.

[2:48:16] Zach Fowls: I need to. I'm gonna I'm gonna promote um the fact that Susu's gonna run for presidency in 2024 and then and then and then we'll talk to Kevin and Jenna.

[2:48:27] Pat Patrick: Hi tag that's how it makes it happen.

[2:48:31] Andrew: Okay.

[2:48:32] Andrew: Anyway, um on the count of three, we're gonna say bye.

[2:48:39] Pat Patrick: One, two, three.

[2:48:42] All: Bye.

[2:48:48] Andrew: Gleek of the Week.