Though this week's "Glee" aired on Thanksgiving, the theme of the evening was superheroes -- a perfect excuse for tights, capes and some truly dynamic duets.
The episode saw Blaine struggling with his not-so-secret identity, torn between staying at McKinley and being surrounded by reminders of losing Kurt, or embracing the Dark Side and returning to Dalton to lead the Warblers to another victory. Though the dastardly Warblers stole the New Directions' Nationals trophy to get Blaine back on campus and tempted by the blazer of ultimate power, our hairgelled hero soon came to his senses and realized that McKinley was where he belonged -- mostly thanks to a pep talk from his trusty sidekick Sam. A David Bowie duet of "Heroes" ensued, and Blaine was well on the way to forgiving himself for cheating on Kurt. Turns out he had a one night stand with a random guy he met on Facebook while feeling insecure about whether he and Kurt were meant to be, and he's been guilt-tripping ever since. Young love ...
Ryder and Jake spent most of the hour locked in a bitter battle for Marley's affections, singing an aggressive version of The Clique's "Superman" (which ended in a sucker punch) before Finn helped them recognize their own personal kryptonite and admit their weaknesses. Turned out that Jake has always felt like an outsider because he's biracial and Jewish, while Ryder has struggled with reading because of his previously undiagnosed dyslexia. While Marley will probably continue to be a bone of contention between them, the two definitely ended the episode on better terms.
Frenemies Marley and Kitty had less of a genuine reconciliation, although they did perform a rousing rendition of "Holding Out For a Hero" and bonded over bulimia (yes, really). While Kitty apparently still couldn't resist unsheathing her claws for some passive-aggressive scratching, she did help Marley to change her superhero pseudonym from "Wall Flower" to "Woman Fierce." And Marley showed some surprising (if a little unsympathetic) decisiveness in her love triangle dilemma: After Ryder had to cancel their date to prepare for a meeting with a dyslexia specialist, the greedy girl made plans with Jake instead.
Finn even seemed to find his groove as Substitute Schue, doling out advice right and left. Could his advisory position become permanent? The episode ended with an uplifting performance of "Some Nights" by fun., which highlighted some of the new bonds that had been formed in the episode -- although Kitty still eyerolled her way through the number. Even Tina got a line!
"Glee" airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on Fox.
What did you think of "Dynamic Duets"? Do you want to see Marley with Ryder or Jake? Weigh in below!
