“The Music In Glee” Review – 1.22 “Journey”

“And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true.”

What a finale. Hard to believe the season’s finally over – and an awesome season it was. It had its ups and downs, its highs and lows, but in the end all us Gleeks can safely say that one thing we all can agree on is that we loved the music. And while all good seasons must come to an end, at least Glee got to end its first one in style. They might not have won Regionals, but as the Schuester himself put it, “If this is only about winning for you guys, then I owe you an apology – ’cause I’ve failed you.” Our glee clubbers came out with a bang (not to mention Beth), and they performed their little hearts out. Did anyone see that audience going crazy? And while I feel “Journey” lacked the intensity of “Sectionals”, the musical numbers were great picks, and I especially enjoyed the Journey medley.

What am I waiting for? Let’s get to the good stuff:

Faithfully - 4/5 STARS

When I saw my first glimpse of Faithfully in the “Journey” sneak peek, my first thought was, Oh, jeez. How are they going to put on a show with that? But, I love the chance for character development it gave us (although it felt like they squeezed Finn and Rachel together again just for this number), and I really do like the song. While not as catchy of an opener as Don’t Rain On My Parade was for Sectionals, it does work as a nice lead-in for New Directions’ overall “Journey medley” performance.

Any Way You Want It / Lovin’ Touchin’ Squeezin’ – 4/5 STARS

With this one we’re back up to a catchy-ness similar to You Can’t Always Get What You Want, which I like. I also like that, even though they’re doing an overall medley, this one’s a mash-up (can’t get enough of my mash-ups). The performance was fun to watch (as was Will bopping around backstage), and I felt as it showed ND’s new prowess (and heart, can’t forget *heart*) on the stage really well. Plus, it’s always a gas watching Brittany dance.

Don’t Stop Believin’ (Regionals Version) – 5/5 STARS

Other than Bohemian Rhapsody of course (I’m such a traitor), this number is what I was looking forward to the most. Bringing us around full-circle musically, we get to take a trip down memory lane to the pilot episode, only this time around we get the whole cast. I’m a bit partial to the pilot episode, especially the Don’t Stop Believin’ number at the end, so naturally I was a bit leery of another performance of it. I didn’t want anything to take away from the initial magic of it, you know? But it was amazingly well-done and enjoyable (Santana’s voice was quite a vocal contribution), and very fitting not only for a Journey medley but for the season finale. I wasn’t disappointed with this one.

Bohemian Rhapsody – 4/5 STARS

I hadn’t a clue in the world before this episode that the Bohemian Rhapsody scene would be integrated with Quinn giving birth. Needless to say, I hadn’t expected it. It was a little on the dramatic side for me, and in places made me want to stifle a laugh rather than tear up or gaze in awe. So, I wouldn’t say that splicing the two scenes together was a flawless move, but at the same time it didn’t really take away from VA’s creepily beautiful rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody or Dianna Agron’s killer delivery (ha, punny), While the actual performance was strangely colorful and strangely eerie, I will say that the lyrics, and great climactic energy, suited the scene well.

To Sir, With Love – 3/5 STARS

I’m a sucker for “character perfect” songs, and this choice was pretty much perfect for the kids to sing as their send-off to Will. And the lack of choreography, choosing to utilize those chairs again, was a nice change of pace (especially since, aside from the hospital waiting room, they’ve all been up on their feet dancing for so long). The only way it didn’t really click with me was I didn’t feel all that…moved. In an episode filled with tear-jerking moments, I would have expected this scene to be one of the biggest tear-jerkers, and with this song, I just didn’t feel it. On a side note, Sue watching from the back of the theater was a great touch.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow – 5/5 STARS

This song, while a classic, is one of those that tends to be overdone and over-heard. But, I absolutely love Matthew Morrison’s voice and how he lends his own style to the songs he sings, and this one is no exception. It also fits Will’s character, and best represents the success (no matter how small it may seem) his glee kids have grown to achieve. Some simply performed acoustics are refreshing to see and hear after an episode filled with extravagant vocals and visuals, and I thought it was kind of cool that at the end of Sectionals the kids sang for Will, now at the end of Regionals Will’s singing for them.

Your ears itching to give these songs another listen? Head on over to Glee The Music to hear your favorites from episode 22, “Journey” again.

Image Credit: Glee-France