Share your thoughts on tonight’s Glee here. A FULL recap will be posted IMMEDIATELY after the episode…..
Click to Read my Pre-Cap.
Click to Listen to Songs from Shooting Star
Unlike most of Glee’s Very Special Episodes, Shooting Star didn’t leave me wanting to punch out my TV. Well, mostly not. Well shot, and beautifully acted, the scenes in the choir room as Will, Beiste and the kids wait out the lockdown are excruciatingly tense and moving. Forget the sensational plot and the crazy twists. What redeems this episode in the end, is how the relationships between the kids in the interim and aftermath of the crisis are explored. Each character has a different reaction to the experience. Bonds grow stronger, as the kids learn that everything they know and love could be gone in an instant.
My issues with this episode: Ryan took the premise of a school shooting to the brink and then fudged as he usually does. The big twist? Becky is the shooter. She’s so scared to graduate, that she brings a gun to McKinley with the intention of killing herself–or something–in Sue’s office. The weapon goes off accidentally–twice–which plunges McKinley into panic mode. Also panicking is Sue. In a ploy to protect Becky (neither is hurt in the incident) she hides the evidence and stays mum, even as the school falls apart around her. But eventually–anticipating Becky being grilled by police–she goes to Figgins with a story of how a gun she keeps in her desk for protection accidentally went off while she was cleaning it.
If Ryan wanted to create a story with balls, he would have had a student bring the gun to school with the intention of killing his classmates. Because that’s how 99.9% of school shootings in this country go down. He wouldn’t have necessarily had to kill someone off, but if producers are going to delve into a serious subject, at least have the guts to take it to a logical conclusion. Sue is ultimately fired from her position, and I only hope that some lame ass plot device–the gun was really fake or something–isn’t concocted to get her and Becky back in the picture.
Also, as a side note, Ryder’s online girlfriend is not only FAKE, but likely a fellow Glee clubber. In other dumb subplot news, Beiste professes her love for Will. How season 2 of her.
On with the recap. The episode begins backstage in the auditorium, as Will announces New Directions’ competitors for Regionals. DRUMROLL. From Indianapolis, it’s the Hoosier Daddies! (wha wha wha) And from Our Lady of Perpetual Loneliness, in Battle Creek MI, The Nuntouchables? Which of these Glee clubs do you think Idol alum, Jessica Sanchez’s character will be heading? Hm. Will likes their chances against both clubs, but remind the kids they have a lot work to do.
Brittany interrupts the class with an “important” announcement which involves one of her wacky conspiracy theories. And this one is a retread. She’s convinced that a deadly asteroid is headed straight for Lima. “Didn’t we just go through this at Christmas?” Blaine asks. Undeterred, Brittany announces that she’s named the death bomb Tubbington-Bop. Of course, the kids have questions. Like: Is it an asteroid or a comet? ” Both. “Why isn’t NASA involved?” Because you can’t trust them. And hey, how about that meteorite that hit Russia with no warning? ” Why the kids aren’t laughing in her face at this point, I can’t quite figure out. Brittany plans to spend the rest of her time on earth making things right with someone she loves, her fat cat, Lord Tubbington. Sam is not impressed.
Back in the choir room, Brittany shares her thoughts on the impending doomesday with Marley, Ryder and Unique as they hang out around the piano: “I’m really surprised that Jesus Christ Superstar chose to end the world this way, instead of the way he killed off the dinosaurs which was a global yeast infection.” Uhm.
Will asks Glee clubbers who are worried about death asteroids to raise their hands. Pretty much nobody, except for Sam and Unique (kinda). But it doesn’t matter, because the whole deal has sparked an idea for a class assignment. Either the club will head to Regionals OR there are only two days left to live. In either case, it’s important to cut to the chase. The boss man himself, SPRINGSTEEN says that he plays every show as if it’s his last. So the assignment is “Last Chance.” No matter what, the kids are going to need to sing as if their lives depended on it.
After class, Ryder reveals his secret text relationship to Jake, sharing an amazing development with him. It turns out SHE GOES TO MCKINLEY. What a coincidence! A pretty girl strolled by his classroom–totes resembling the blond pictured on his online girlfriend’s profile. I THINK WE ALL KNOW WHERE THIS IS GOING. He was just about to run out of the classroom to catch up with her, when Beiste cockblocked him. Oh Ryder. You B Dum. When loverboy reveals that he’s ready to say those three little words, Jake rolls his eyes and advises that he slow down. But if he insists on pursuing her, he’ll need a plan.
Cut to Brittany cooing to Lord Tubbington, as Sam sits by watching. She’s worried that she’s not making it clear how much she loves him, because he won’t say “I love you” back. Sam has a bright idea. Why doesn’t Brittany bring the churlish feline to school so that the entire Glee club can sing a love song to him. Uhm. that sounds like a plan.
Ryder finds his online pal at her locker. He’s assuming that she recognizes him from their chats. But she’s just flipping out about a relatively good looking and popular guy showing an interest in her. “I’m freaking out right now!” she says as he leads her to the choir room. She becomes really confused when she sees the band. Our boy Ryder, is of course, oblivious as he launches into a rendition of Elton John’s “Your Song” that’s pretty much a note by note rendition of the usual. But without the awesome singing. OH LOOK SILENT PIANO GUY AKA BRAD IS BACK! Ahem.
Girlfriend is thrilled, but not for the reasons Ryder thinks. It’s very romantic, And she loves his arms. And when he says that after all of the Iming and texting he wanted their first meeting to be really special, she’s like “Uhm. What the heck are you talking about?” He calls her Katie and she’s confused, “But my name’s not Katie..it’s Marissa.” Ryder shows her the photo “she” sent him. She admits that’s her, but she didn’t send it. Then she had to spell it out for him. “OMG SOMEONE IS CATFISHING YOU!” she exclaims, “It happened to Manti Te’o.” She’s not the least bit creeped out that someone has been using her photo to catfish? Because I would be freaked out. She’s so sorry that someone is effing with him…but hey, why doesn’t he call her anyway?
Instantly, Ryder assumes Jake and/or Marley are the Catfishers. He angrily confronts them in the hallway. “You didn’t have to humiliate me,” he says, “You didn’t have to make me feel so pathetic.” They both insist they would never do anything like that. Ryder walks away, unconvinced. He’s the biggest dumbass ever, but I still feel bad for him.
Cut to the auditorium where the club has gathered to sing “More than Words” to Lord Tubbington, as he sits like a king in a cat box. Alrighty then. Sam and Brittany croon together while the kids light candles. They have no idea what’s going on until Brittany approaches the box. Many WTF glances are exchanged. That was kind of random.
Will enters the boys locker room, which Beiste has festooned with lights and a romantic little-Italy style ambiance. “Like our favorite movie, Lady and the Tramp,” she coos. Uh oh. Dinner is a prelude to a confession she wants to make, and if you can’t see this coming from a mile away? I can’t help you. The Tubbington-Bop talk has her thinking she should say what she feels sooner rather than later. After reminding Will that he was her first real kiss and the first guy to make her feel like a girl (You remember all that nonsense back in Season 2, right? When Will pity kissed her?) she confesses that she wants her next kiss and more to be from him. Ugh. First the pity kiss, then a husband who abused her, now she’s behaving pathetically in front of Will. When Will gently reveals that he and Emma have been back together for a few weeks. (WHERE IS EMMA? Did she quit? On extended sick leave? What the heck?) Beiste bolts from the room in tears, leaving her crush to chew on his al dente pasta.
Ryder’s phone rings. It’s the Catfish! He wants to know why she lied. She pleads with him not to be mad. She only fibbed about her name and her pic. She was just a shy person who wanted to get close to him. He cares about her, but he’s sick of being strung along. Either she meet him face to face, or stop texting him. They agree to get together the next day, in front of the choir room, at 3:30.
President, Brittany S. Pierce informs her fellow Astronomy Clubbers that Tubbington-Bop is not an asteroid after all. It is a dead lady bug at the end of her telescope. And her telescope is not a telescope…it’s a Pringles can. Well, THAT could be a problem. “HALLELUJAH, WE’RE SAVED,” declares Brittany. But due to the shame her grave mistake brought to the club, she’s disbanding it. Oh Astronomy club, we barely knew ye.
Becky, stays behind for a girl to girl chat with Brittany, whom she confesses she’s always looked up to. “Let’s both not ever graduate,” begs Becky. “The world out there is really scary. Someday, they will make me leave here and I don’t know what I’m going to do.” Brittany explains that she aced her SATs and can go to any college she wants. They both have to move on. She promises that if she really prepares herself, the world won’t seem like such a scary place. Even the pinky promise they share doesn’t alleviate her anxiety. “I love you Brittany,” she says as they hug it out.
Will convinces a heart- broken Beiste to join the class as they prepare the glee club’s first annual “Thank God The World Isn’t Ending” practice. Threatening to rap again somehow convinces her to join in on the fun. Go figure.
And just as Will kicks off the class with a hearty “LET’S GET STARTED”. A gunshot rings out. A scream. Footsteps. A panicked shout and then ANOTHER gunshot. Will tells the frightened members to spread out and find hiding places. Beiste shuts the door. Blaine pushes a piano in front of it. The lights are turned off. We see panic in the hallway. The shift in tone is sudden and shocking. McKinley is in lockdown.
Back in the choir room the only sound is a ticking metronome left in the middle of the floor, measuring the silence and the fear. The direction goes all cinema verite, here, as a hand held camera jerkily pans the room. The kids are hiding behind instruments, cowering in corners. There are sniffles. “Are we even sure there’s a gun…” Blaine begins, but Will quickly shushes him. Marley begins crying. Will stands up and instructs the kids to tweet and text everyone they know, without telegraphing their whereabouts. (How is it Will is sushing everyone, but he gets to talk?). Will is clearly terrified, but is trying not to show it as he attempts to keep the kids calm. A phone goes off. More shushing. “I love you guys,” he says. As the kids continue texting, there are loud footsteps outside of the choir room. There’s a bang on the door Somebody tries to open it. The kids collectively hold their breath. Could it be the shooter? It’s like we’re right inside the room with them. It’s truly terrifying. There’s a loud slam followed by a cry. Will shouts out in alarm. Kitty and Marley are sobbing. Others try to comfort them.
Sam crawls across the room. Beiste and Will order him to stay put. Brittany is in the bathroom without her phone. He wants to go get her. Will and Beiste won’t let him pass. They push him away, and he takes a seat next to Blaine, who notes that Tina is also MIA.
Cut to a darkened girls locker room. There’s a shower running. Inside a stall, Brittany is standing on top of a toilet, crying as silently as she can. Like the others, she is terrified. The camera lingers on her. Cut to the hallway, which is dark and quiet.
Back in the choir room, Marley is frantically texting her mom, the lunch lady, who isn’t answering. She breaks into anguished sobs. “It’s OK, it’s OK,” sooths Jake. Cut to the cafeteria kitchen where a cell phone is buzzing relentlessly on a countertop. Marley’s mom is in the corner, tears welling in her eyes, much too frightened to retrieve it.
Marley is crying so hard, she can barely breath. “Nobody would hurt your mom,” Kitty reassures her, “Everyone really likes her.” Remember when Kitty used to mock her? It must be guilt gripping the mean girl. As Marley sobs, Kitty confesses to taking in her Grease costumes so she’d think she was fat. “I’m so sorry,” Kitty’s voice cracks. The girls hug and cry in each other’s arms. Kitty becomes hysterical and crawls across the room to find Unique. The group tries to quiet her down. The kids are losing it. Sam stands up. He’s GOT to find Brittany. As he lunges for the door, Will and Beiste physically restrain him. Sam is screaming now. The camera pans across the room. The kids are hugging their knees, even more frightened than before. Will and Beiste finally restrain him, with a hand over his mouth. “Listen. You are putting everybody’s life in danger,” says Beiste. “LOOK at them. ” Sam is sobbing and sobbing and sobbing. “Sam it’s OK,” she says. He’s instructed to go sit with Artie. Next are shots of Marley’s mom and Brittany staying as still as they can. Just waiting… Back in the choir room, the metronome continues to tick.
Cut to outside. It’s a beautiful bright day. But there is panic as teachers attempt to clear the premises. Tina is scampering behind Principal Figgins, BEGGING to be let back into the school to find her friends. Nobody can re-enter the school until the police give the all clear. She’s left alone, sobbing hysterically.
Back in the choir room, Blaine asks Artie what he is doing, shot from the POV of a camera phone. “If we don’t get out of here, people need to see this, ” he says. Blaine hugs his knees, closes his eyes and buries his face in his arms. He’s too stricken to face the camera. But Ryder wants to talk, “I love you dad,” he says, “Thanks for everything, I know I don’t always let you know…but you taught me a lot.” This is about the time I began crying. Marley instructs her mom to look under the false bottom in her desk drawer, where she’ll find a notebook filled with songs she wrote. She’s never told anyone, but she’s really proud of them.
“Mom, Puck,” says Jake, “I love you guys.” Will orders them to turn it off. Sam swats the phone and the scene goes dark.
Back in the girls locker room, Brittany is still shivering in the toilet stall. A door opens. Footsteps approach. Brittany stifles a cry. She is so scared. It’s a man. Then a voice. It’s Will. (This confused me a little. Why was it suddenly safe to leave the choir room?) Brittany bolts out of the stall and flings herself into his arms, crying. Stalls open and more kids emerge.
Meanwhile, Even though he realizes his online girlfriend is a fake, Ryder still wants to talk to her. She’s the only one who understands him. He dials and a phone in the choir room begins to ring. It’s coming from somewhere in the room. Ryder can’t believe it. He’s shushed and told to hang up the phone. But he’s in such disbelief, he continues to let it ring. He finally hangs up, clearly upset. The Catfish is clearly a member of New Directions!
Will quietly leads Brittany and the others back to the choir room. (Again, exactly how is this move suddenly safe?) A black clad swat guy waves them into the room. Sam and Brittany have a tearful reunion. And at that moment, a voice rings out, “All clear! All clear!” Beiste turns on the lights. Sobs of relief fill the room, Sam hugs Will from behind. Beiste lifts Artie back into his chair. There’s a group hug and more grateful sobbing.
“I love you guys.”
“I love you all”
Will breaks away to finally turnoff the ticking metronome. The scene dissolves as the kids get on their phones to call their loved ones.
Next scene. Principal Figgins is conducting a locker search. Police comb through possessions. The gun hasn’t been found yet. There are now metal detectors at the entrance (I guess those graduates aren’t going to be able to breeze in whenever they want.) Sue passes through with a “seriously?” as a cop passes a wand over her body. She breezes into the teachers’ lounge, with a box of donuts. Will watches the security check through a window. “I’ll never forget the kids’ faces when that gun went off,” he says, “Something was taken from them–their innocence, their idealism. Their feeling of safety.” It turns out, the day after the shooting, half the students didn’t show up.
Sue rolls her eyes, “I haven’t seen this level of over-reaction since Janet Jackson showed her saggy fun bag at the Superbowl.”
“What if it wasn’t even a gun?” Sue poses. “The cops didn’t find one.” Beiste, who grew up on a farm, swears she knows a gunshot when she hears one. What’s more, she doesn’t feel safe knowing there’s a kid out there somewhere still packing. Will says not to worry. Either the kid took the gun home and won’t be able to bring it back because of the metal detectors, or the cops will find the gun where it was stashed, and the offending kid will be expelled.
When Sue hears that every student will be interviewed, her face changes. “No kid is going to be expelled,” she says. “Because it was my gun.” With that, she turns and walks out of the room.
WHAT?
Cut to Principal Figgins office. Sue explains that her gun is registered. She’s sorry, but she feels safer with a gun stashed in her drawer–even if it is clearly against policy to have it. Sue insists that it’s a different world now than when she began teaching. “The safety net of the public mental health system is gone,” she says, “Parents with troubled kids are too busy working 3 jobs to look after them. And the gun yahoos have everyone so worked up Obama is taking away their guns, that every house has a readily available arsenal.” Is that supposed to be some kind of serious statement on gun control? Because it’s silly and over stated.
Having a gun and shooting it are two different things, says Figgins. Flashback to what went wrong: As Sue was completing her daily safety check of “Uma Thurman” (Yes, that’s what she calls her gun!) it accidentally went off. The she dropped it, and it went off again. Sue panicked and got rid of the shell casings. And she hid the marks in the wall with posters and a tub of protein powder. (None of this makes sense, of course. Wouldn’t nearby students have heard shots coming out of the room? Don’t police have methods of tracing gunpowder? Warning: Glee Logic dead ahead.)
Sue attempts an apology. It took her a couple of days to come to her senses. But she confesses, knowing that due to the school’s zero tolerance policy, she’ll likely lose her job. “It’s funny how this stuff works out,” she says, “An entire career doing the right thing-winning. I sent Cheerios off to the Ivy league. I educated girls who are the CEOs of fortune 500 companies. They’re mothers, gold medalists. I’ve coached two Grammy winners, an internet billionaire and a lesbian secretary of state. But all I’ll be remembered for is this one thing. It will be the first line in my obituary.” Goodbye, Sue.
“I couldn’t sleep” confesses Blaine, walking with Tina down the hallway. “Neither could my mom or dad.” So they stayed up all night talking and crying and hugging each other. WAIT. BLAINE HAS PARENTS! AND THEY CARE ABOUT HIM! This may be the most important piece of information to come out of this episode. Tina’s parents wanted her to stay home this week. But she said no way. She knows it sounds crazy, but she wanted so much to be in the choir room with everybody, rather than safe outside. Blaine assures her that she did not. “It was the most scary thing in my life,” he says.
But it’s not that Tina wanted to be there. No. It’s that she couldn’t get to her friends, or do anything to help them. “Or to even say goodbye.” Blaine tries to reassure her, “The important thing is that nobody got hurt.”
“Everybody in that room is my family,” says Tina, “And I didn’t want the last thing you guys heard from me to be some snarky comment about how I never get solos.” Tina breaks down completely as Blaine pulls her into a hug. He’s crying too. “Oh I love you Tina,” he grins through his tears, pulling away to look Tina in the eyes, “You were there in the choir room with us,” he whispers. As he takes her hand, the two head down the hallway.
Cut to Kitty insisting to Ryder that she would never Catfish him. Like ever. Jake stands by, observing the exchange. “I’m not into guys who look like life size cartoon wieners,” Kitty adds, “Now excuse me, the thought of dating you makes me drier than the cast of Hot in Cleveland.” She huffs away. THANKS FOR SHARING! Still, Ryder is still convinced Kitty is the one. Kitty and Katie are practically the same name. Jake wonders if being Catfished by Kitty is so bad. She’s been much cooler lately. Maybe she was just afraid to be honest. AS IF.
“What if it’s that bass player with a bowl cut,” says Jake conspiratorially. “Or maybe Brad the piano player!” IF ONLY. Ryder will find out soon, at 3:30 in front of the choir room. Yes, with all the crazy shit going down at McKinley, Ryder and his fishie are keeping their date!
Cut to the library. Will is putting together an online dating profile for Beiste as she looks on. Is this a good use of company time and resources? “Nobody ever meets anybody on this,” Beiste grumbles cluelessly. The time for her to get out there is now, insists Will. Bieste thanks her friend for the solid. But it’s Will who is grateful–he couldn’t have endured the “horror” of the shooting without her by his side. “I love yous” are exchanged, followed by a friendly kiss. As they sit together in the afterglow, Beiste’s profile gets a hit. It’s a football coach from Oregon named…Ken Tenaka. Memba him? Beiste replaced him as McKinley’s football coach in Season 2. META.
Sam and Brittany meet in the hallway. They hug and kiss. “You feeling any more normal?” asks Brittany. “Not really,” Sam answers glumly. “I was genuinely scared in the choir room while you were out here all alone.” Sam nuzzles her forehead as he sweetly says, “I couldn’t stop thinking about you,” Brittany confesses, “You’re all I kept thinking about too.” Sam is surprised that it wasn’t Lord Tubbington. Seriously he’s jealous of an overweight cat? “Look, he’s your cat. If he’s important to you…he’s important to me too.” Complimenting the fake wedding the two had during the Mayan calendar scare, it was now time to start a fake family. “Did you bring me a fake baby?” asks Brittany. (Ha. Heather Morris was already pregnant at the time as she spoke those lines.) No fake baby. Instead, Sam produces a fat cat from his duffel bag. A female he dubs Lady Tubbington. She’s got the most hilarious meow. Brittany wants to know how long she’s been cooped up in his bag. “A while,” Sam admits, uncomfortably.
“She’s amazing,” says Brittany, “I love you.”
“I love YOU.” returns Sam.
Bram. Now closer than ever. Their shared sense of kookiness as adorable as ever.
Back in her office, Sue is packing up. Will walks in. He wants to know why she did it. He doesn’t accept the reasons she gave to Principal Figgins. There MUST be something else. “Bringing a gun to school? That’s not you.”
And then we flashback to what REALLY happened. “I was scared coach,” says Becky, “About graduating, being out in the world, with nobody to protect me.” Sue tries to calm her down. But to no avail. Becky PULLS OUT A GUN….
“I don’t know what to tell you Will. I stand by my actions,” says Sue, back in the present.
Cut to Sue approaching Becky, asking for the gun, which she got from her dad. (Developmentally disabled child in the house? Don’t bother locking up that gun!) “I wanted to be ready,” cries Becky, becoming more agitated by the minute. “I completely understand,” says Sue.
“So that’s it,” says Will, “This is how it ends. Give me something so I can talk to Figgins! Let me help you.”
Becky picks the gun up off of her lap. It goes off. She drops it and it fires again as it hits the floor… “I’m sorry coach,” Becky cries hysterically. Sue comforts her, as pandemonium erupts outside.
Cut back to the present. “Keep an eye on Becky,” asks Sue, “She’s tough. But like all the kids, she gets scared sometimes.” With that, and a “thanks buddy”, Sue takes her box of belongings and leaves the room.
Out in the hall, the clock reads 3:30 as the bell rings. Ryder searches the halls for his catfish, but she’s nowhere to be found. He hears footsteps. But drat, it’s only Sue and her box. “Shouldn’t you be at the mandatory school assembly?” she asks. Ryder confesses that he was waiting to meet somebody and wonders why Sue isn’t writing him up. “I would,” she says, “But I don’t work here anymore.” And with that. Sue has left the building.
Finally…a song. The kids gather at a “secret” Glee club meeting. Sam is playing guitar. Blaine and Tina enter the room hand in hand. Ryder remains outside, waiting for his Catfish, who appears to be blowing him off. Inside, the kids sing John Mayer’s “Say”
“Say what you need to say…” The kids hug and comfort each other as they sing. Ryder eventually gives up and joins the group, even as he remains certain the person betraying him is in the room. The song ends in a montage of more bits from the videos Artie took in the choir room during the crisis.
“Mom, dad,” says Sam, “I love you guys, and there’s a cat in my backpack in my locker. Please feed her for me.”
“Whoever watches this,” says Unique, “Never stop being yourself.”
“Mom and Dad, I just want you to know,” Kitty says tearfully, “that I love you and this has been the best year of my life, even though…maybe it didn’t seem like it.”
Artie closes the scene, “I just want to say that I’ve had the best experience of my entire life in this room. And I love these people more than anything.”
Fade to black, people.
Whoa. As I said in my pre-cap, this episode gave the actors an opportunity to shine. Just for that reason, I’m happy that this episode exists. Newbies, whom I constantly rag on, proved themselves here–Becca Tobin and Melissa Benoist were standouts. Chord Overstreet and Heather Morris were amazing, as was Jenna Ushkowitz who finally got something to sink her teeth into, albeit briefly. Lauren Potter, who plays Becky, broke my heart. Darren and Blake deserve shout outs too. Sometimes Glee just works, in spite of itself.
Photo Gallery
