#jayma mays icon

[homosandhomies]

My favorite solo from each main character on glee (because why not)

SUE: Vogue. “WILL SCHUESTER I HATE YOU”

KURT: Rose’s Turn. Chris Colfer rarely got songs that highlighted ALL his vocal strengths. This song used everything. He had a strong head voice, an amazing mix, and he can EMOTE WITH EVERY INCH OF HIS LIFE. No wonder he got the Golden Globe.

QUINN: This Is A Man’s World. This scene is ridiculous, but out of context the song absolutely slaps. Diana can BELT and she deserved to do it more.

ARTIE: Stronger. Probably my favorite Britney song. Kevin ate. That is all.

PUCK: Only the Good Die Young. This song is so fun and I think Puck’s voice is very underrated. A good ol’ jam. Thank you for repping the Jewish community king ❤️

WILL: Sway. It’s a shame that we never talk about his voice because HOLY SHIT MATTHEW MORRISON IS INCREDIBLE. This man is so talented and we never acknowledge it because of Will Schuester’s shenanigans.

BLAINE: Somewhere Only We Know. You can hate Blaine all you want but you can’t deny the POWER of this song. The love in his eyes is sickening I am not okay right now

FINN: I’ve Gotta Be Me. Given the fact that Cory didn’t have any singing experience before, this song makes me so fucking happy because you can see how much he had grown as a singer, but also how proud he was of himself! Look at him go!!! (Bonus: If I’m bending the rules in terms of what qualifies as a solo I would 100% make his Paradise By the Dashboard Light. That was his undoubtedly his very best vocal performance. It’s SO FUCKING GOOD it makes me go batshit.)

RACHEL: My Man. “She may be difficult but boy can she sing.”

BRITTANY: Run the World. The dancing is definitely the more impressive part of this number, but it still sounds great! This song really highlighted Heather’s strengths, when most of her songs weren’t very memorable in my opinion.

MIKE: Cool. Maybe Tina should be a professional vocal coach because damn look at him go!! Idk why an Asian kid wanted to play the role of a leader of a white supremacist group but at least he sounds great 🤷‍♀️

MERCEDES: I Will Always Love You. Literally every single Mercedes song is perfect, so this was the hardest one for me. This means I had to base it on acting. And she DELIVERS here. It should be illegal to be this talented.

TINA: Because You Loved Me. The fact that this is one of TWO solos that Jenna actually got to finish infuriates me. She was ROBBED because she is an amazing singer.

SANTANA: Nutbush City Limits. LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, MISS NAYA RIVERA. HOLY SHIT. Finn saying before the song, “They say that true divas aren’t really mortal” is so true. This woman was an absolute icon and I will always be blown away by her talent.

JAKE: Let Me Love You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself). It’s so EARNEST and HEARTFELT and Jacob Artist popped off with the acting. And the falsetto!! God it’s just beautiful.

EMMA: Getting Married Today. This is a trio, not a solo, but it’s so fucking good that I HAD to do it. That is literally one of the hardest female songs on Broadway, and for some reason they had Jayma sing it even FASTER than the original version? I can’t imagine the stress of trying to do that, but she was perfect.

SAM: Copacabana. This is just a really fun song! Everyone’s having a good time and Chord sounds amazing.

RYDER: Your Song. This is my favorite Elton John song, and boy was it done justice. The acting is really good in this scene. The mix of anxiety and earnestness coming from Ryder is adorable. He had great chemistry with whoever that girl was. (On a storyline note, I hated how this all developed though. If it had gone my way, Unique would confess it was her, then Ryder would sing this directly to Unique.)

KITTY: Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours. I just really like this number. Obsessed with Becca’s high notes.

MARLEY: Wrecking Ball. The cheating storyline with Bree was so fucking stupid and shouldn’t have happened. That being said, Melissa ATE what they gave her and left zero crumbs. She really came in like a wrecking ball.

UNIQUE: I Know Where I’ve Been. THIS SONG MAKES ME GO FUCKING CRAZY!!! THE TRANS CHOIR!!!! THE ACTING!!!!! THE FUCKING HIGH NOTE!!!!!! IT’S JUST SO GOOD I CAN’T HANDLE IT!!!!!!! This is the best part of season 6, full stop. THE most underrated Glee song ever. I will not accept criticism towards this opinion.

[bowtiesnmusicals]

Here is my recap of the Even They Missed It! (Funk) episode of the podcast.

They are almost at the end of the first season!

Kevin said if you’ve made it this far on the podcast pat yourself on the back. Thank you for sticking with us. We are proud of you. We are thankful for you. Jenna said couldn’t do it without you. Kevin said they tricked each other into hanging out each week.

When this episode came out they were still on their first tour. They were performing at Radio City.

It was a big deal to perform at Radio City. Kevin said he remembers they got t climb on to the marquee to take pictures. Jenna doesn’t like heights so she didn’t join the rest of them.

Chris had his birthday dung the tour and they went to the Green House. Wild times.

They could see out of the stage door from their dressing rooms. They would talk and joke with the fans.

Jane and Matt came when they were in NYC. They said some crew also came because NYC was an easier place to get and as Kevin put it NYC is a destination.

Kevin said kids would chase their vans when they were shuttled to and from Radio City. It’s the most stereotypical image of a celebrity or fame. It was very surreal because they felt like a glorified cover band. Someone on the bus said this feels like feels like the beetles or well a taste of what they must have experienced.

Some girl chased them I flip flops. They were like someone please stop her before she gets run over. It was a safety issue. That being said it was cool to be performing at such an iconic venue in NYC.

They had an incredible impromptu rap party. They ended up at a little bar. The tables were moved out of the way so they had a dance floor. This was also the time that Ian and everyone came up on stage during Like A Prayer and surprised them. They also had a Radio City marquee cake.

Kevin convinced Naya to add a little extra hit to The Boy Is Mine. It was a Michael Jackson style hit and pose. Kevin said no one is going to know and no one did. Ryan thought the music skipped. Kevin laughed and said they weren’t playing it off a CD, it’s not going to skip. That’s not how this works.

Jenna said she didn’t hate this episode as much as she thought she would and Kevin said he hated it more. Kevin said he didn’t hate it. This was the first time he felt like an episode was filler. He said every time there is a song it feels weird and forced. Ambers face in the first choir room scene sums up his feelings. Amber is the scale of how cringey this episode it because she doesn’t hold back her reactions. She’s as doing heavy lifting in the eye region. Without her this would have been crazy and totally unacceptable.

The #1 is still O.M.G and the #1 movie is still Shrek Forever After.

Idina and Johnathan our vocal adrenaline Frozen friends are in this episode. Still no Jayma.

Kevin is pretty sure this episode was flipped with Theatricality. Jenna said you are correct. He has no idea why it was swapped. He thinks Ryan didn’t like this episode.

Elodie Keene directed this episode. She directed a lot of episodes in season 1.

Jenna thinks they may have switched Theatricality and Funk around because of the American Idol finale. I’m guessing she means they wanted to have the good episode air after the finale when more people would watch it because they stuck around after American Idol.

There were a lot of songs in this episode.

Kevin sighed when he said Will did Tell Me Something Good by Rufus and Chaka Kahn. Jenna laughed.

Kevin pointed out the vocals in this episode were mixed very strangely. In some episodes where they mix the lead vocal a little higher and it’s always worked. This episode it makes no sense. Another One Bites The Dust it sounds like Groff’s vocal is 70% of what you are hearing and everything else is buried underneath it. When it gets to Give Up The Funk you can’t even hear Amber’s adlibs at the end and she is wailing. She’s featured on screen singing but her vocal is buried underneath everything.

Jenna said there is a lot going on at this time. She feels like this around the time at the recording studio they would hear from Adam or Alex (Adam’s brother) he became the vocal producer for awhile and they would hear they would have to send the music to Sweden where they would make the tracks and mix them. It was a 24 hour loop where they don’t lose any time. Kevin said he thinks it was in post production when they messed with the vocals because they are different then the recordings. It’s the same actual vocals but the mix was different for the episode.

Not a lot happens in this episode. The glee club gets bamboozled/slapped across the face by Jesse. Mr. Schue once again comes up with a last minute plan for the week. This helps Mercedes and Quinn connect over serious issues. Everyone else in glee club has lost their lines. Will and Sue have a fun revenge storyline.

Jesse transferred back to Carmel. Kevin said is it that easy to just swap schools like this and Jenna said no. Jesse goes back to Vocal Adrenaline. They randomly perform for the glee kids. They do Another One Bites The Dust. They are doing it as a strategy to psych out the competition. The episode title is said a million times in this episode.

Rachel is upset. We go into the choir room. Kurt says its going to take a lot more then that to send us into a funk. Kevins aid he felt bad for props because it must have taken for ever to set up the toilet papering of the room.

In retaliation Puck and Finn said they’ve got it. There is a funny voice over of PUck saying of course it would come down to us. Mr. Schue crosses the line many times this episode.

Puck and Finn slash all the tires on the Vocal Adrenaline Range Rovers.

Jenna had a Range Rover at this time.

Keven went to private school for a year. He remembers all the kids driving around in expensive cars. He was getting dropped off by his mom in their old car everyday.

Puck and Finn end up in Figgin’s office where they get in trouble. Shelby ends up not pressing charges. Finn said they will get jobs and pay back the damage they did to the cars.

Terri comes back and has inappropriate crush on Finn.

Jenna loves when Terri said they will just put it into the iTunes. Kevin said he feels like it was a nod to what they did this episode in real life. It’s no shade. They told then sometimes when they had a plot or buzzword for an episode they would just throw it in. He said that’s why all these songs in this episode don’t make any sense together.

Jenna said she feels like Loser was a pitch from Cory. Kevin said he could see Cory or Mark pitching the song. Kevin said eh wouldn’t think a Beck song would be in a Funk episode but here we are. Jenna said for the song itself and the way it was presented in the episode it was shot really well. Jenna says as a director she would be like what do I do with this.

Kevin said out loud no less then three times during this episode that it is a satire. He watched this episode with a friend who had never watched the show. He sat down halfway through he episode. If you were to watch this episode with no context its insane. Even with context the episode is odd. HIs friend didn’t understand that its a comedy. It was really enlightening for Kevin. His friend said everyone is mean to each other. Kevin said yeah its a satire.

Rachel slo-mo runs to Jesse and gets egged. Lea said it hurt. You can also see Lea’s stand in/double during parts of the scene. You can see the wig the stand in/double is wearing.

Kevin said for all the money Vocal Adrenaline has they are in the same outfits from the beginning of the episode. He said he is going to be a Debbie Downer this episode pointing out all the things that rubbed him the wrong way. He is a hater today. Jenna said it’s alright. We can all be haters of some episodes just not all of them.

Kevin said the weirdest part of the episode is the Sue and Will feud.

When Vocal Adrenaline toilet papers the choir room someone asks how did they bring in all their equipment. Sue said she gave them the keys. Kevin said this was nice because a lot of the time things happen and the show never addresses it. Sue goes on a rant about needing to blow out the wall to make room for her new trophy when she wins Nationals.

This rightly so pisses off Will which starts of an almost fever dream of a storyline.

Kevin and Jenna don’t remember the breaking of the trophy. They think it was a real, well plastic, trophy. He actually had to throw it. They told them to close their eyes because they didn’t want them getting pieces or particles. Jenna gasped when he threw it.

Will is mad. Rachel is upset bout the break up. Will starts courting Sue. They spend a late nights they are at the school by themselves. Sue comes into the choir room and Will says he needs to ask her some questions. He also complimented her skin for whet felt like an eternity. Kevin said Jane is so good and can sell anything. Kevin said he is never not flabbergasted at how good Jane is during all these weird situations. Tell Me Something Good made Kevin uncomfortable.

Jenna said she thought Matt looked good. Kevin said it made him feel like watching his parents flirting and he didn’t like that. Jenna agreed.

Jenna thinks the journal drawing of Will must have been done by Jason one of the crew members. He is an incredible artist. He would draw all of them in character and give them chards with their characters drawn on them.

Will brings Sue flowers to match her tracksuit. He then surprises with her favorite workout supplements or something. He then asks her out on a date. She shows up in her tracksuit and pearls. Jenna said the pearls got her.

Kevin said this storyline was actually very rewarding. They drag on the fake relationship and it comes to a satisfying end. Jenna said it was like the roles were reversed and that was fun to watch.

After this Sue has an emotional breakdown and stays in bed for 4 days. You see this with all the Cheerios falling apart without her. They don’t know how to do their high ponies without her. You see Brittany with JBI telling him to love her and her shirt is backwards. Santana is crying. It’s so good. Kurt says obviously Sue sucks but obviously some of these girls need the scholarships to go to college.

Ian was so excited to show off Sue’s house. He said she is going to be a hoarder but with trophies. He loves shows like Hoarders. He’s also obsesses with couponing. Jenna says the house stresses her out and she can’t look at it for too long.

With Brit and Santana, Sue brings the national’s trophy into Will’s house. It was cute because they are uncomfortable. Sue then says kiss me. Then she says no I’m not going to do this, even your breath smells of mediocrity. Jenna says this episode should have been called Funky not Funk.

Kevin said this whole episode to him is like a nod and wink. The writers knew what they were doing and knew how absurd some of the stuff was and referring it within it. They were slipping in inside jokes with the cast like the runs in Funky Town walking fun of the runs they would do and Ryan did behind the scenes. Some of the dances in Give Up The Funk were their personal (I’m not exactly sure what Kevin said here. I can’t understand him and listened to it several times.) dances they would do with each other.

Meanwhile, Terri and Will are officially divorced. This happened very quickly. Apparently the top of the paper says divorced. Kevin said sometimes the show feels like a cartoon to him and he likes it. Jenna said that is a very good analogy.

Sandy Ryerson reminds Will that Vocal Adrenaline has a weakness. They have never done a funk number and don’t know how to do it. Kevin said why are people still consulting with Sandy, he was touching under age boys in the pilot. Jenna said because Stephen Tobolowsky has to come back. Kevin said that’s fair he is a comedic genius. Jenna said he is a comedic genius even though Sandy shouldn’t be allowed back anywhere. Kevin said it’s not right that Will got his lesson from Sandy.

This kind of catapults the whole Quinn situation. Mercedes said she’s got the whole Funk lesson. Quinn says what about me. Everyone laughs. Mercedes thinks its funny. Quinn feels like she has lots of anger and passion that she has to share. This leads into This Is A Man’s World. This is one of the weirdest things we will ever witness on Glee. Kevin is losing its in the background. The unwed mothership connection is a play on Mothership Connection which is the band Parliament’s 4th album that contains Give Up The Funk. Kevin said see what happens when you put a song into iTunes. Jenna said you get a whole storyline. Jenna said the dance reminds her of the Waitress contraction ballet. It’s really weird. It’s inappropriate and uncomfortable. Jenna said she remembers when they filmed this and everyone was laughing and being like where are we are right now. Jenna said Dianna sounded great on this and was living her best life. Kevin said this is the most Dianna number. Kevin said remembers that on paper they ere like what is this number but they had a great time watching it.

Quinn has a moment before singing the song talking about being oppressed by the man. Cue Mercedes reaction, please don’t go here. Kevin said please Amber help us. Jenna said the thought oh boy. Kevin said Elodie was one for that. He feels like all of those shots were thrown in because she needed them. He remembered Elodie walking up to them and being like what are we going to do. He can picture Amber giving the reactions and Elodie telling her to keep doing that.

Quinn and Mercedes have a sweet scene later in the episode. Jenna feels like in spirit of 2023/2022 Black Lives movement, not giving glee credit, they just started to skim the surface of this a little bit. It’s a tiny droplet of water. She wa like okay glee. It’s a crazy episode and they still managed to sprinkle in something really meaningful. Quinn and Merceds find this common ground o feeling like they don’t bell and are on the outs. This is the beginning of the Quinn and Mercedes friendship. It’s unexpected but Jenna likes it. Merceds asks her parents if Quinn can move in. Kevin said especially after the Good Vibrations number.

Good Vibrations was not funk or funky. It’s wild. Amber sounds great. Kevin said of course those two would think a rap would make sense for funk. The dancing is A++. The two of them were probably the least coordinated dancers. Kevin said the least coordinated people. Cory would be the first to say he can’t dance. Zach got them move in sync and Jenna was like show they can do it. Zach would say I know you can do this, I know you are frustrated in other numbers but I’ve seen you do this before so you can do it.

Jenna wanted Vocal Adrenaline’s sweatshirt.

Kevin said the outfits in the last number were so wrong. Jenna doesn’t know what she was wearing. She said Kevin kind of looked like Justin Bieber. The shot the number in Long Beach. Kevin thinks Kristin Chenoweth was there that day. He thinks his friend was there and met Kristin that day. Jenna said she thinks he’s right.

The hands in front of the face move was Dianna thing.

They were crazy during this number and Elodie told them to just go for it.

Freeform rock out was when they got to do what they wanted. It’s Jenna’s worst nightmare. She doesn’t like improvising dance moves. This song isn’t her thing. She said Harry looked the best. Naya just did the Naya dance. They were just living their lives and were exhausted. They were like the end is near. Kevin was like lets just be tot the finale.

Kevin said he doesn’t feel like Jenna and him have a lot of memories because the well had run dry. Jenna said she was a little dead behind the eyes.

Tartie Takes:

Cringe Moments/Ouchies - Jenna: Will and Sue seduction. Kevin - Will overstepping and oversharing, the cut to Naya lying on the chairs. He said he thinks that sums up how everyone felt about the episode. You never see anyone laying on the chairs.

Worst Dance Moves - Kevin: Good Vibrations (It’s good and bad) Jenna: Give Up The Funk

Best Song - Another One Bites The Dust

Performance By A Prop - The trophies (Tina got hit by a trophy in a later season. It’s in the Chums bit)

Best Lines - Will saying, “Look nobody got hurt it was a harmless prank.” Then Sues says, “That’s what they said about a young man in Chicago in 1871 who thought he’d play a harmless prank on a diary cow of one Mrs. O’Leary. He successfully ignited it’s flatulence and the city burned William. That young terrorizes went on to be the first gay president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln.” Jenna said she had to rewind it three more times. Kevin said he did too. It’s so insane. Jane just killing it again. A runner up with a line Iqbal said to Idina. It was very inappropriate. Sue’s reaction to Will was absolutely flawless. It’s as absolutely flawless.

Shit We Found On TikTok:

Someone threw and incredible Glee birthday party. They had karaoke. People were dressed up in costume. They had themed food. They had gold star balloons. They were paper plates with the casts face on them. People in cheerios outfits. Fondue for 2. Trivia. it’s really good.

Next week is the finale of season 1. Kevin ended up in the hospital at one point during the filming of the episode.

[wankyicons]

— like or reblog if you save, please

[mckinlxyhigh]

© unbrokethan

season 3 - part 8

[misomeru]

reblog/like if saving/using :)

please credit if using

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[quinnfabraymybeloved]

even though nobody cares i am gonna rank s3 now too.

22) Mash Off

fuck finn hudson. fuck this episode. fuck whoever wrote this. worst thing ever. rumour has it/someone like you is fucking spectacular though.

21) I Kissed A Girl

see above.

20) The First Time

i hate west side story.

19) Pot o’ Gold

eh, i just didn’t really like it.

18) The Purple Piano Project

as far as season premieres go, this is their worst one. it gives us sugar motta though, so yay.

17) I Am Unicorn

sh*lby can fuck right off. no. i hate this woman.

16) Saturday Night Glee-ver

this may be controversial. this episode was just very middle of the pack to me.

15) Yes/No

finchel engagement?? disgusting. i hate it. but i quite like the performances in this episode.

14) Big Brother

i did not have a senior ditch day. i don’t know anyone that has. but goddamn i love matt bomer. somebody that i used to know? *chef’s kiss*

13) Props

miss tina cohen-chang gets an episode and THIS is what they do??? it gets points for the lil switcharoos they did, i thought they were fun.

12) Extraordinary Merry Christmas

i love christmas episodes <3 this one is really funky! the black and white!!

11) Dance With Somebody

so emotional is one of my favourite glee covers ever. i love everyone’s reactions during *that* blaine song too. but did this episode have a plot other than klaine cheating? i can’t remember.

10) Asian F

mike chang!!! an icon!! and jayma mays is just fantastic! and it has one of my favourite mercedes songs (spotlight 💞💞💞)

9) Nationals

yay!!! they did it!!! the setlist could’ve been better, but i am so proud of them that i don’t even care!

8) Graduation

aside from the quinn/puck kiss (🤮),, i love this episode!! but i do wish people had tried to help brittany graduate the way they did for puck! this episode has one of my favourite faberry scenes ever (💞the metro north pass💞)

7) Choke

pleek. the songs in this episode are fantastic. cry is one of rachel’s best songs. dot-marie jones is so very talented!!

6) Heart

aside from the god squad being dumb for the first little bit, this episode is just so cute!! sugar motta supremacy!!!

5) The Spanish Teacher

i am so glad someone finally told 👞 that he’s a bad teacher, and i am even gladder that it was santana. i also love ricky martin.

4) Prom-A-Saurus

i want to go to a dinosaur prom. this episode gives us the gayest glee duet ever (take my breath away) and i am so grateful for it.

3) Michael

gay bathroom scene. smooth criminal. never can say goodbye. slushee. thank you.

2) Hold On to Sixteen

the return of trouty mouth!! do the songs slap? yes. do i ugly cry because of mike and his dad? also yes. does this episode make me want to date tina cohen-chang? abso fucking lutely. (also,,, when quinn gets the girls back 🥺🥺🥺)

1) On My Way

even though i know it’s coming,, it always catches me off guard. this should not be one of my comfort episodes,, but it is. also,, faberry <3

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[wits-writing]

Bill & Ted Face the Music (Movie Review)

How I have missed having new movies to talk about!

And this is a most excellent movie to use as a return to reviews! (Thanks to the non-heinous decision to release it for digital rental/purchase, rather than force people to go into movie theaters as a pandemic continues to rage on.)

Bill & Ted Face the Music, from director Dean Parisot with a screenplay from the returning duo of Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon, pays tribute to and enhances the legacy of the previous two movies. In the decades since the end of Bogus Journey, Bill S. Preston, Esq. (Alex Winters) and Ted Theodore Logan (Keanu Reeves), have done everything they can think of to produce the song they were told would unite all of reality back in 1989. They’ve consistently fallen short of their destiny with Wyld Stallyn’s big song from the concert at the end of the last movie only amounting to a one-hit wonder. All other attempts have only led them further into obscurity and increasingly esoteric musical experiments.

When chasing this impossible destiny finally has their lives on the verge of falling apart completely and the pair are ready to quit, Kelly (Kristen Schaal), the daughter of Rufus, appears before them with a warning. Reality itself has started coming undone and will only right itself if the song is performed within a 77-minute time limit. Bill & Ted decide to take desperate measures and see if any of their own future selves succeeded where they’ve failed. Meanwhile, their own daughters, Thea Preston (Samara Weaving) and Billie Logan (Brigette Lundy-Paine), go on their own excellent adventure through the history of music to recruit the perfect band for the perfect song.

Face the Music is a multigenerational journey through that which binds us through time, a long-awaited reunion for the creative team and lead actors, and the final payoff of the destiny that kicked off the whole thing.

And against all odds… It works!

[Full Review Under the Cut]

To be honest, the initial trailer for this movie did not win me over to this series revival. Seeing the leaders of the idyllic 28th century roll their eyes as Bill & Ted repeated the iconic “Be excellent to each other! Party on dudes!” had me worried this would be mean-spirited in a way that goes against the core of the previous movies. There’s a sincerity in those movies about these two dudes’ optimism and perseverance being able to overcome anything, from passing history class to coming back from the dead. This movie being about what happens when that attitude finally gets worn down by the years of banging their heads against the wall to complete the single most important task in the universe. Ted especially feels the weight of the years catching up with them, being the one to suggest giving up before the strict time limit gets laid out in front of them.

Doing nothing but chasing the success they were promised in their youth begins to threaten their ability to see outside themselves. Hints of that show early on with them and their wives all in couples counseling together. Which becomes more apparent as they travel to increasingly dire futures for themselves. The older Bills and Teds we see have lost even more of their charming positivity, often happy to insult, trick, or threaten their past selves for their own benefits. It’s a humorous literalization of how people look back on their own mistakes or deal with their fears of the future and as a bonus gives us a chance to see Winters and Reeves play increasingly bizarre versions of their classic characters. Though Bill & Ted’s struggle against their inadequacies only account for half the story of this movie.

The other half comes from Billie and Thea’s adventure through time. The duo is introduced as the only people left in the world still believing in their dads’ abilities to make the prophesized song. Growing up around every sonic formulation Wyld Stallyns ever created gave them a passion for and encyclopedic knowledge of music that’s unmatched, even by their dads. Lundy-Paine and Weaving embody the Millennial versions of Winters and Reeves’ Gen X archetypes. They carry on the positive spirit their dads have lost with a gift for recognizing the finer details of music across all genres and figuring out how and why it fits together.

That passion takes them on a journey through history that also reflects a maturation of how this film series approaches history compared to Excellent Adventure with who the girls recruit along the way. I won’t give away when they go or who they recruit, but it speaks to a more complete understanding of history than the original movie had with its time travel story. Though I will say it includes an extended cameo by a time displaced Kid Cudi as himself, who ends up being one of the best comedic performers in the entire cast.

As much as I love this movie, it’s far from flawless. There are two subplots that feel clumsy in their execution. One involving Ted’s dad, Jonathan Logan (Hal Landon Jr.), not believing Bill & Ted ever went on any of their adventure through time, space, heaven, and hell, which simply resolves when circumstances force him to believe it. More frustrating is the involvement of Princesses Joanna and Elizabeth (Jayma Mays and Erinn Hayes, respectively), Bill & Ted’s wives, or rather the lack thereof. The best I can say is that they at least aren’t damseled like they were in Bogus Journey, but that doesn’t make up for them being almost aggressively sidelined by the plot of this one. In a movie that hinges on Bill & Ted’s connection to their families, these subplots being so thin is hard to ignore.

For every frustration those subplots caused, there was some amazing new or returning element from the series to prop things up again. When the time comes for Bill & Ted Face the Music to bring all of its threads together for the concert finale across time and space, I was left amazed how well it paid off what all three movies have told us about Bill & Ted’s destiny. The twist they manage to put on the payoff is simultaneously clever and touching, even if it’s a little easy to guess early on. It creates such a warm, comforting atmosphere within the movie that’s difficult not to give into as it plays out.

This is worth every cent of what the digital rental/purchase costs, especially if you’re a fan of the previous Bill & Ted movies.

Be excellent to yourselves, watch it, and party on dudes!

If you like what you’ve read here, please like/reblog or share elsewhere online, follow me on Twitter (@WC_WIT), and consider throwing some support my way at either Ko-Fi.com or Patreon.com at the extension “/witswriting”

[rxndomsicons]

trial and error s01e12 / like or @theblindsided

[tibby]

thoughts on emma pillsbury. sue sylvester. cassandra july. brody whatever his last name was.

the incredibly offensive ocd portrayal of emma is so wild to watch in 2020 but jayma mays hot and she deserved better than will...also a perfect janet rocky horror :) sue sylvester is a terrible human being but one of the most iconic tv characters of the 2010s and for that (along with her hatred of will schuester) i kinda have to stan. didn’t watch past s3 so have no thoughts on cassandra or brody.

[doomonfilm]

Review : Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020)

As a child of the 1980′s, there are certain cultural things that I am almost obligated to be a fan of, and somewhere high on that list are the Bill & Ted movies.  As a fan of the first one, I was over the moon when a sequel was released two years later, but if someone would have told me then that, nearly three decades later, the pair of films would become a trilogy, I would have laughed long and hard.  This sentiment only grew stronger with each passing year that Keanu Reeves became an icon, while Alex Winter (unfortunately) was veering towards the realms of an afterthought.  Then, in 2019, the announcement of Bill & Ted Face the Music went from rumor to greenlit project, and even with the world shutting down, the film still found its way into the hands of moviegoers, answering many of our ‘what if?’ questions about the franchise.

In the year 2020, Bill S. Preston Esquire (Alex Winter) and Theodore ‘Ted’ Logan (Keanu Reeves) are still struggling with the their prophesized task of uniting the world through a Wyld Stallyns song.  Unbeknownst to the duo, their inability to fulfill the prophecy is causing damage in the space time continuum, specifically in the form of a collapse that is displacing people and objects randomly throughout time and space.  At the behest of The Great Leader (Holland Taylor), Kelly (Kristen Schaal), the daughter of Rufus (the late George Carlin), travels back in time to bring Bill & Ted to The Great Leader, who informs them that they have until 7:17 PM that day to write the song before the space time continuum fully collapses.  Unsure of themselves, and scared at the possibilities of losing the Princesses (Erinn Hayes and Jayma Mays), the duo begins travelling throughout their lives in hopes of finding a version of themselves to give them the universe-saving song.  Meanwhile, Bill & Ted’s daughters, Thea (Samara Weaving) and Billie (Brigette Lundy-Paine), secure Kelly’s time traveling device in hopes of securing the most righteous band they can, but as the legend-filled roster prepares to assist Bill & Ted, all parties find themselves not only rushing to beat the clock, but to avoid Dennis Caleb McCoy (Anthony Carrigan), an android sent by The Great Leader to kill Bill & Ted prior to their failure, should they fail.

For a film that could have easily sat back and played the nostalgia hand, Bill & Ted Face the Music is a surprisingly insightful look into the process of self-fulfillment, unconditional love and finding ways to support your family while achieving your hopes and dreams.  Seeing the Bill & Ted characters in a grown-up capacity, while strange at first, ultimately opens the door for viewer self-reflection as well, especially for those that grew up fans of the original two movies.  While there are echoes of the previous two movies (journeys through time to collect important figures, a pit-stop in hell), these moments are auxiliary to the main focus, which finds Bill & Ted literally attempting to take command of their loves and lives by a symbolic (and literal) examination of all aspects of both.  While the duo are quite literally ‘facing the music’ of fulfilling a universal destiny, they also find themselves equally ‘facing the music’ of how even the most sincere, openly loving people can still leave those close to them unfulfilled and wanting more, which further illustrates the fact that we’re never too old to rediscover ourselves.

The casting callbacks throughout the film are wonderful, with Missy, Mr. Logan, Deacon, the Grim Reaper, The Great One and even Rufus all making appearances throughout the run of the film without succumbing to the trope of fan service.  We are also treated to the original phone booth as well, while simultaneously seeing the improved technology that occupants of the future now use in place of the phone booth, similar to how many of us have evolved from using phone booths and house phones in our modern world.  Putting the educational journey into the hands of Thea and Billie also works beautifully, as this duo takes a journey down the halls of musical prowess rather than historical figures.  Even the joke of Bill & Ted’s musical ability has evolved, with the duo now brave enough to pick up a litany of standard and obscure instruments, covering a wider base of genres than the pure rock we knew them for, and somehow still finding themselves unable to fulfill their assigned destiny.

Production-wise, all of the expected beats are hit, and narratively, the chaos of time travel takes a much bigger placement in the driver’s seat than in previous films.  The real joy comes from seeing Bill & Ted interact with the many different versions of themselves that they encounter, be it run-down alcoholic versions, super-buff prison inmate versions, or even deathbed Bill & Ted, all of whom are given distinct personalities while still fitting into the classic Bill & Ted mold.  Being able to pull so many previous members of the cast back into the story definitely helps as well, as their years of working with one another not only jumps off the screen, but gives the new characters a safe foundation to work with as they integrate themselves into the story.

Despite their previously mentioned day and night career trajectories, seeing Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves working together again is a joy to behold, as their undeniable chemistry is stronger than ever, and any sense of an ego is not visible to the viewer.  For as talented and accomplished as Samara Weaving and Brigette Lundy-Paine are, it’s fun to see them fall into a sort of female Beavis and Butthead situation, where they can let their guard down and just go along for the incredibly silly ride.  Kristen Schaal is hilarious as always, finding ways to milk her comedic moments without upstaging the stars or hamming things up.  William Sadler also falls right back into his old ways as the Grim Reaper, including my favorite sequence of all where he shows how upset he is for being sued after trying to take the Wyld Stallyns name away from Bill & Ted.  Erinn Hayes and Jayma Mays step out a bit more as the Princesses, even getting a chance to play older versions of themselves at times (albeit it dialogue-free).  Amy Stoch, Hal London Jr. and Beck Bennett also sit right back into their respective characters, while Holland Taylor steps in wonderfully to replace the large void left in George Carlin’s absence.  DazMann Still, Jeremiah Craft, Daniel Dorr and Sharon Gee all meet the task of playing their respective legendary musician roles, while Kid Cudi finds the humor in the task of cameoing as himself.  Appearances by Jillian Bell, Dave Grohl, Anthony Carrigan, Patty Anne Miller and Win Butler round things out, with a few fun faces popping up in the credits as well.

If you’ve ever had an inkling of enjoyment for any of the movies in the Bill & Ted franchise, then Bill & Ted Face the Music was made for you.  It may not win any awards this trophy season, and it certainly won’t reinvent the way that we look at movies, but it will entertain you, and it may even remind you of a simpler, more innocent time that we enjoyed as film fans. 

[miasswier]

miasswier’s ultimate glee ranking: no 9

9: Sectionals

Written by: Brad Falchuk Directed by: Brad Falchuk

Overall Thoughts: I adore this episode. It’s in my top three favourite episodes of season one. Everything about it is pure Glee – the Glee I fell in love with, and which still makes me cry like a baby and shout “that’s my fucking show you guys!” to this day. It’s the clubs first competition and it’s so incredible to watch them go out there and, against all odds, actually win. It makes my heart swell just thinking about it. Dear god I love this episode.

What I Like:

Is it a cop out to say everything? Probably. But I really want to say everything. (Okay, no, there are some things I don’t like. But can I say almost everything?)

Mercedes standing up for herself and delivering one of her very best solos of all time. To the point where even Rachel can’t tell her that she’s not good enough and Rachel should step in. It’s amazing to watch. Mercedes literally takes my breath away.

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I think Rachel was in the right to tell Finn about Quinn and Puck. I know she did it for the wrong reasons, but this had really gone on long enough. Finn wasn’t the father of Quinn’s baby, and he had every right to know that. As much as I adore Quinn (and I do) she was most definitely, 100%, without a shadow of a doubt, in the wrong about keeping this a secret from Finn for so long.

The phone conversation between most of the Glee club. It’s so awesome to see them all as friends outside of the club. The fact that Brittany and Santana were a part of it just made it even better. And, speaking of…

The official beginning of Brittana! I know it was shitty of Brittany to say that, but this is still the first time it’s explicitly stated that something beyond friendship is happening between the two cheerleaders. It’s still so amazing to me to watch where they are here in season one, knowing where they’ll end up. I love Brittana so much you guys.

Emma standing up for the Glee club to the other choir directors. It’s always so awesome to watch Emma stand her ground and really give someone a good shellacking. She’s rarely given the opportunity to be assertive, and it’s too bad because Jayma Mays plays it so well.

Anna Camp’s cameo! I always forget that she’s in this episode and it’s always such an awesome surprise when she shows up (even if her character is ableist as fuck)

I don’t care for Will and Emma, but I still sob watching Will run down the hall trying to catch Emma before she leaves. Blame it on the nostalgia?

Miss Hitchens going to admit that her team cheated. She’s a minor character, but it’s really nice so see that, even though she made a mistake, she’s willing to own up to it and learn and grow.

Quinn telling Puck that she doesn’t want to be with him just because Finn broke up with her. It was really grown up and just a really awesome moment.

Quinn and Rachel talking, and Quinn admitting that she isn’t mad at Rachel. It’s sweet, but I also appreciate that it ends with Quinn asking Rachel to leave.

The fact that Finn and Rachel aren’t shown to get together in this episode. Even if it’s implied in the next one, it’s nice that they didn’t jump straight from Finn/Quinn to Finn/Rachel within seconds. Plus, it’s such a jam-packed episode that there really isn’t time for it.

Terri talking about going to therapy. That’s one thing I’ve always appreciated about this show – how they normalize the idea of going to therapy, and eventually being medicated. This only got better as the seasons went on.

I know I already mentioned Will and Emma, but that whole ending montage is just absolutely fantastic.

The whole competition set list is fantastic. One of their best competitions, by far.

Sue getting suspended. Let me be very clear: I love Sue. But she’s a little shit, and Principal Figgins actually doing his job for once is really refreshing.

What I Don’t Like:

Emma pushing back her wedding to go to Sectionals. Come on, Emma. She’s right not to be surprised that Ken left her.

Um… that’s basically it.

Songs

And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going: THIS SONG YOU GUYS. Chills. Literal chills. And tears. So many tears. I love Mercedes Jones so fucking much oh my god. She’s just so incredible and so talented and just… WOW.

Don’t Rain on My Parade: This is the Rachel solo. I mean, we all know it. She kills it, she sounds amazing, and she blows everyone, including the viewer, away. It’s nice, too, because she’s barely done any show choir ballads yet – it’s mostly been top forty, which I personally don’t like her voice in that much. This song is more in her wheelhouse, and is absolutely fantastic.

You Can’t Always Get What You Want: I mean, it’s no Don’t Stop Believing, but it’s still fantastic. The choreography is simple, which makes it believable that they just put it together. Finn and Rachel sound really good, which makes it one of the few “group numbers” in which I have no objection of them taking lead. Overall a strong closing number (even if the implication is that they actually closed with Somebody to Love)

My Life Would Suck Without You: This cover literally makes me weep, okay? Everyone doing the dances from iconic performances, singing together and sounding awesome, just being so goddamn happy that they won; then pair that with Will running to try and catch up with Emma, his future fucking wife? I’m weak, okay? Weak. Also, much like Jump, this is one of those Glee songs that I’m just like… this is my show, okay? This is my fucking show and I love it so much.

Final Thoughts: Amazing episode, 10/10 would recommend. Seriously. It’s just… awesome. I just watched it and I feel like watching it again, that’s how good it is.

[mikethemovieguy]

Orion Pictures' BILL AND TED FACE THE MUSIC and Weezer have released a most excellent music video for Weezer's new original song, "Beginning Of The End (Wyld Stallyns Edit)". The video brings together Weezer with iconic duo William "Bill" S. Preston Esq. (Alex Winter) and Theodore "Ted" Logan (Keanu Reeves) to rock out to Weezer's characteristic pop melodies and SoCal rock sound.

10K Projects will release Bill & Ted Face The Music, The Original Motion Picture Soundtrackon August 28, 2020. Full track listing below and pre-order the soundtrack here: https://billandted.lnk.to/soundtrack

The stakes are higher than ever for the time-traveling exploits of William "Bill" S. Preston Esq. (Alex Winter) and Theodore "Ted" Logan (Keanu Reeves). The now middle aged best friends set out on a new adventure to seek the song that will set their world right and bring harmony in the universe, with the helped by their daughters (Samara Weaving and Brigette Lundy-Paine), a new batch of historical figures and a few music legends. The film also stars  Kristen Schaal, Erinn Hayes, Jayma Mays, Holland Taylor, Kid Cudi, Anthony Carrigan, Jillian Bell, Beck Bennett, William Sadler, Hal Landon Jr. and Amy Stoch. 

BILL & TED FACE THE MUSIC will be released on demand and in theaters on August 28, 2020.

Bill & Ted Face The Music (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) track listing: 1. Big Black Delta - "Lost in Time" 2. Alec Wigdahl - "Big Red Balloon" 3. Weezer - "Beginning Of The End (Wyld Stallyns Edit)" 4. Cold War Kids - "Story Of Our Lives" 5. Mastodon - "Rufus Lives" 6. Big Black Delta - "Circuits Of Time" 7. POORSTACY - "Darkest Night" 8. Lamb Of God - "The Death Of Us" 9. FIDLAR - "Breaker" 10. Culture Wars - "Leave Me Alone" 11. Blame My Youth - "Right Where You Belong" 12. Wyld Stallyns (feat. Animals As Leaders, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah) - "Face the Music" 13. Wyld Stallyns - "That Which Binds Us Through Time: The Chemical, Physical and Biological Nature of Love; an Exploration of The Meaning of Meaning, Part 1"

[jillmckenzie1]

Be Excellent To Each Other

Bill & Ted Face the Music is streaming on Prime

Let’s talk about trilogies. Specifically, how unbelievably hard they are to pull off. It’s difficult enough to pull off a good movie, considering you need a strong script, solid direction, and competent actors. To pull off a decent sequel, you need to build on the world you first established and go in a new direction yet one that’s not so new it undoes the first film. To do all of that, and add a third film wrapping up everything? It’s easier to climb up Mount Everest blindfolded and naked.

Even the most prestigious and profitable franchises have trouble with this. Consider that:

  All three Star Wars trilogies have problematic entries. Return of the Jedi is only two-thirds of a good movie, Attack of the Clones is a nightmare, and The Rise of Skywalker stinks up the joint like bad sushi.

The MCU has the hastily tacked together Iron Man 2, along with the barely there Thor: The Dark World.

The Matrix is a flat-out science fiction classic. The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions lurch between ponderous speeches and not quite as cool as they should be action sequences.*

The Godfather and The Godfather: Part II are literally two of the greatest films ever made. The Godfather: Part III isn’t.

Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins finally makes Bruce Wayne a compelling character, while The Dark Knight gave audiences a terrifying Joker and a hero breaking his own moral code. The Dark Knight Rises, on the other hand, takes big swings and has big misses. Also, a bad guy that sounds like Sean Connery locked in a bathysphere.

  Years of merciless bludgeoning at the hands of greedy, incompetent, or misguided filmmakers has taught us that the third entries of a series usually blows chunks. When a film comes out that defies the odds…well, it can be a little breathtaking. The insane part isn’t just that Bill & Ted Face the Music is a trilogy-capper made with intelligence and deep silliness. No, the insane part is that it’s the end of a trilogy that gets better with every entry. This trilogy never drops in quality.

To bring you up to speed, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure concerns Bill S. Preston, Esquire (Alex Winter), and Ted “Theodore” Logan (Keanu Reeves) a pair of high-school himbos living in San Dimas, California. To pass a critical history test, they get their hands on a time-traveling phone booth, gain a futuristic mentor in Rufus (George Carlin) and meet a wide variety of historical personages. A few years pass, and in Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, the guys are killed by their evil robot duplicates, sent to Hell, befriend Death (William Sadler), and learn their true destiny; to write a song capable of uniting humanity.

So much for that. Years have passed, and the guys have failed to write The Greatest Song In The History of The World. Their fame has flagged, and they’re reduced to playing weddings. Their marriages to the princesses Joanna (Jayma Mays) and Elizabeth (Erinn Hayes) are also in bad shape. An amusing scene in marriage counseling shows us that Ted & Bill** need to be together constantly, even during therapy.

There’s good news and bad news, though. The good news is that, somehow, the guys managed to procreate. They’re the proud papas to Billie (Brigette Lundy-Paine) and Thea (Samara Weaving). The bad news is that since Bill & Ted’s band Wyld Stallyns failed repeatedly in writing The Song, reality itself is beginning to collapse. Kelly (Kristin Schaal) is the daughter of Rufus, and she arrives from the future to tell them that now would be a good time to get in gear and write The Song.

Only…it’s hard. Really, really hard. So hard that Bill & Ted come up with another idea. They’ll “borrow” the time machine, travel to the future, and “borrow” The Song from their future selves. It should be simple. Only it’s not. There’s the part where they learn that their future selves live increasingly miserable lives. And the part where Billie and Thea “borrow” another time machine to put together a supergroup of the greatest musicians in history to help their dads, but run into a little snag. And the part where the princesses “borrow” a time machine and learn their futures with Bill & Ted might not be most triumphant. And the part where Bill & Ted are being hunted by Dennis Caleb McCoy (Anthony Carrigan), a murderous robot that really just needs friends.

Bill & Ted Face the Music never leans hard into nostalgia. It never feels like a cheap cash grab. Instead, it’s like getting snuggles from a dopey Golden Retriever. The dog might not know his name or what the word “sit” even means, but he’s a sweetheart who’s all about wanting to show you how much he loves you.

Each of the three films in the Bill & Ted trilogy was helmed by a different director.*** Of the three of them, Face the Music’s Dean Parisot has made the most polished installment. As the director of the second-best Star Trek movie of all time, Galaxy Quest, Parisot has the skill to make this kind of tomfoolery look good. While the pacing drags just a little in the first half-hour, once the film gets going, it moves at a breakneck pace.

You have to be very smart to write characters that are this kind of dumb. Screenwriters Ed Solomon and Chris Matheson are, and as the writers of all three films, they know exactly when to go up to the line. Their script is gloriously silly. Multiple characters travel through numerous timelines at the same time, but Matheson and Solomon always make sure we know what’s happening and when. Better yet, the script is infused with infectious optimism. The idea that friendship and a kickass song can save the world never feels cheesy. Instead, it feels right. Along with that blast of hope, there’s a blast of self-awareness in this script. Bill & Ted are two guys told over and over in the first two films that they were special, beautiful and unique snowflakes. In Face the Music, they have to reckon with the fact that their life plan didn’t work out. Instead of doubling down and trying harder, we see their perspective shift. They grow and change. That’s what good writing is all about.

With 29 years between installments, you can be forgiven for wondering if Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves can smoothly step back into these iconic roles. A great deal has changed for them. Reeves has become the greatest action star in American movies, while Winter has made a number of outstanding documentaries. Winter’s return is a little smoother as Bill, and he’s just as goofily charming as ever. Reeves is a bit stiff as Ted, but he’s just as game as ever to get ridiculous. Perhaps my favorite performances were Samara Weaving and Brigette Lundy-Paine as Thea and Billie. They go beyond imitating Reeves and Winter and are an effective comic duo in their own right. Speaking of which, William Sadler returns (and very nearly steals the show again) as Death. Sadler has such a willingness to do absolutely anything to make us laugh. He’s so good at comedy that I wish he’d do more of it. Kid Cudi plays himself, and his comic timing is precise and perfect. There’s not a false note in this cast and everyone shows up to play.

As much as I love the film, it’s not perfect. It takes some time to really get into the groove, and it’s hampered by some problematic pacing. Speaking of problematic, let’s talk about the character of Grom. She’s a cavewoman, and she’s played by Patty Anne Miller, a wildly talented drummer who’s worked with Beyoncé and CeeLo Green. Someone with the chops that Miller has should absolutely be celebrated. The film choosing a superband with a majority of POC (Jimi Hendrix, Louis Armstrong, Ling Lun, and Mozart, along with Grom.) is cool. But having a Black woman play that particular role, a cavewoman? Eh…not a good look. Swap her out for someone like either Sylvia Robinson or Sister Rosetta Tharp, and you have something excellent.

Bill & Ted Face the Music is more than a skillful way to close out a beloved franchise that doesn’t quite get the respect it deserves. It’s a guitar riff of delightful, positive energy that had me smiling for nearly the entire run time. While there’s a lot to be cranky about these days, Bill & Ted reminds us that we can face the future with a cheerful grin.

    *Though the freeway chase in Reloaded is genuinely cool.

**Isn’t it jarring to read it like that?

***Stephen Herek directed the first film and went on to a long and steady career as a journeyman director. Peter Hewitt directed the second film and immersed himself in family films, for the most part.

The post Be Excellent To Each Other first appeared on The Denver Guide.

from Blog https://ondenver.com/be-excellent-to-each-other/

[mckinlxyhigh]

s01e10 - part 4

©  fromistake

[4yourexcitement]

10 years ago today we were introduced to a rag tag group of losers who, with a song in their hearts, were just looking for a place to belong as they made their way through high school in Nowhereville, Ohio. We met a young teacher trying to rediscover his passion for teaching. We came across your usual high school jocks and cheerleaders, we had our first run-in with a slightly scary, slightly crazy cheerleading coach, and we heard that iconic song for the first time closing out the episode.

Yes today marks 10 years since Glee’s pilot aired. How little we knew then the impact this show about a high school glee club that was littered with song and dance numbers that ran the gamut from top 40 pop to rap to classic rock to Broadway staples would have on our lives. And it’s not just our lives that it changed, it also changed the TV landscape… bringing musicals back to TV, opening up mainstream TV to LGBT issues, and raising awareness of issues from the value of arts education to texting and driving.

Let’s take a look at where the cast are now.

Dianna Agron – Quinn Fabray

Credit: FOX

Credit: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images North America

Dianna became a household name as the Queen Bee head cheerleader Quinn Fabray with the seemingly picture perfect life… little did we know from that very first episode. Following her character’s high school graduation at the end of season 3, Dianna only appeared in a handful of episodes for the rest of Glee’s run. Since landing Glee, Dianna has had a number of film roles. They include The Hunters (2011), I Am Number Four (2011), The Family (2013), Zipper (2015), Bare (2015), and The Crash (2017). She also made her London theatre debut as Dahlia in the play McQueen in 2015. Dianna married Mumford & Sons’ Winston Marshall in 2016.

Chris Colfer – Kurt Hummel

Credit: FOX

Credit: Chris Colfer/Instagram

Chris was a cherub-faced 19-year-old when Ryan Murphy created the role of Kurt Hummel for him and just like his character, Chris is not taking ‘no’ for an answer and forging his own career as a storyteller. Chris won a Golden Globe for best supporting actor for his portrayal of the fashion-forward countertenor in 2011. During the Glee 2011 hiatus, Chris wrote and starred in the film Struck by Lightning. Chris adapted the film’s script into a novel, which was published in November 2012. While working on the Struck and during breaks in the Glee Live! in Concert! tour through North America, the UK and Ireland, Chris was working on his draft for The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell, the first in his fantasy children’s series and earning him his first New York Times Bestseller’s list entry. The novel has spawned five sequels, two picture books and a couple of companion books, not to mention a number of other Bestseller’s list entries. It was announced last year that the first book was being adapted for film. Chris will not only serve as writer and executive producer, but will also make his directorial debut on the project. He also released his second Young Adult novel – Stranger than Fanfiction – in 2017. Although his writing has kept Chris largely busy since Glee wrapped, he has had a guest spot on Hot in Cleveland and guest starred in Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie.

Jane Lynch – Sue Sylvester

Credit: FOX

Credit: Andrew Toth/WireImage

When Glee debuted 10 years ago, Jane Lynch was probably the best-known cast member. It’s hard to imagine anyone else in cheer coach and Will Schuester/Glee club antagonist Sue Sylvester. Jane had some of the best one-liners throughout the series, with many still littering social media today. From 2013, Jane has hosted NBC’s game show Hollywood Game Night (on which a number of her Glee castmates have appeared) for which she was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Host in 2018. That same year was also nominated for Outstanding Guest Actor for her role in The Marvelous Mrs Maisel. Jane executive produced and starred in the comedy web series Dropping the Soap, earning an Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series Emmy nomination for her performance. Her autobiography, Happy Accidents was published in 2011, and Jane returned to the stage, making her Broadway debut as Miss Hannigan for a limited engagement in 2013 in the Annie revivial and touring her cabaret show, See Jane Sing, which debuted in 2015.

Jayma Mays – Emma Pilsbury

Credit: FOX

Credit: NBC

Jayma played the germaphobe McKinley High guidance counselor, who always had a motivational leaflet on hand for any occasion. Her infatuation with Will Schuester provided her with much angst in the first few seasons, but her patience and long-suffering was finally rewarded, notwithstanding her runaway bride escapade. Jayma starred alongside Neil Patrick Harris in the two Smurf movies and had lead roles in the TV series The Millers (2013-2015) and Trial & Error (2017-2018). Jayma and husband Adam Campbell welcomed their son, Jude in August 2016.

Kevin McHale – Artie Abrams

Credit: FOX

Credit: Roc Nation

Former boy band member, Kevin took on the role of wheelchair bound Artie Abrams. Since Glee wrapped in 2015, Kevin spent some time in the UK hosting the comedy panel show Virtually Famous for its first three seasons. He also played supporting roles in the independent film Boychoir and the docudrama miniseries When We Rise, which detailed the history of US LGBT rights advocacy from the 1970s to the 2010s. On the music front, Kevin joined fellow Glee star Darren Criss in Katy Perry’s celeb-filled video for her 2011 hit “Last Friday Night “(T.G.I.F.)” and has recently my working on new solo work, with his song “Help Me Now” released at the end of March. Kevin can also be heard every Thursday with best friend and Glee co-star Jenna Ushkowitz on their podcast Showmance – part of the Ladygang Network, of which fellow co-star Becca Tobin is co-creator of.

Lea Michele – Rachel Berry

Credit: FOX

Credit: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Lea starred as the Broadway-obsessed, New Directions-lead diva, Rachel Berry. Following Glee’s end, Lea joined Ryan Murphy’s new Fox comedy horror series, Scream Queens. Lea played Hester Ulrich for the show’s two seasons. In 2017 she starred as Valentina Barella in ABC’s ill-fated sitcom The Mayor, which despite positive critical acclaim, was cancelled after one season. Lea made her feature film debut in 2011’s New Year’s Eve. Lea has released two studio albums: Louder (2014) and Places (2017), and has recently teased work beginning on a new album. She promoted Places in 2017 with the mini tour An Intimate Evening with Lea Michele, which took her to nine cities in the US as well as Toronto, Canada and London, UK. She teamed up with fellow Glee-alum Darren Criss for the LM/DC Tour in 2018, which saw the pair perform across North America, the UK and Ireland. Lea has also penned two books: the New York Times Bestseller Brunette Ambition and You First: Journal Your Way to Your Best Life. Lea married president of clothing brand AYR, Zandy Reich earlier this year.

Cory Monteith – Finn Hudson

Credit: FOX

Credit: rederick M. Brown/Getty Image

Cory played the lovable giant Finn Hudson, McKinley’s star quarterback who also slayed it on the drums and could nail any classic rock song. While working on Glee, Canadian native starred in Monte Carlo and Sisters & Brothers, both were released in 2011. Cory made no secret of his struggles with addiction, both before and during Glee. Cory was found dead in a Vancouver hotel in July 2013. His two films, All The Wrong Reasons and McCanick were released posthumously. The cast and crew paid tribute to both Cory and Finn in the season 5 episode, “The Quarterback”.

Matthew Morrison – Will Schuester

Credit: FOX

Credit: Getty Images

The role of McKinley High’s inept Spanish teacher who revives the glee club was played by Matthew Morrison. Matt released his first solo studio album in 2011. The self-titled album was followed up in 2013 with the release of Where It All Began, a collection of Broadway standards. Matt also starred in The Muppets (2011) and the film adaptation of bestselling book, What To Expect When You’re Expecting (2012). Matt returned to the Broadway stage in 2015, performing the title role of J.M. Barrie in the new musical Finding Neverland. The role earned him two Broadway.com Audience Awards: Favorite Actor in a Musical and Favorite Onstage Pair (with Laura Michelle Kelly). He has had recurring roles on The Good Wife and Grey’s Anatomy and earlier this year, Matt was one of the dance captain’s in BBC One’s The Greatest Dancer. He married Renee Puente in 2014. The couple welcomed their first child, Revel in 2017.

Amber Riley – Mercedes Jones

Credit: FOX

Credit: Getty Images North America

With a killer set of pipes and a huge dose of diva, Amber Riley played the unstoppable Mercedes Jones. Amber put her years of Glee dance training to use, taking out the Mirror Ball trophy on Dancing with the Stars. She starred as Addaperle, the Good Witch of the North, in NBC’s live performance of The Wiz in 2015. Amber then came across to London and made her West End debut as Effie White in Dreamgirls, a role that won her the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 2017. Later that year she was a judge on BBC One’s musical talent show Let It Shine. She also joined forces with Beverley Knight and Cassidy Janson as Leading Ladies. They released their first album, Songs from the Stage at the end of 2017.

Mark Salling – Noah “Puck” Puckerman

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Credit: Earl Gibson III/Getty Images

Mark played McKinley’s resident “badass” Puck. A bully who has been in and out of juvie, he’s Finn Hudson’s best friend and teammate on the football team, however, this doesn’t stop him from knocking up Finn’s girlfriend Quinn. But this relationship does bring him to the New Directions as a way to be closer to Quinn. Mark released the studio album Pipe Dreams in 2010 where it received modest success reaching 29 on the US Indie chart. In 2013 Mark was accused of sexual battery, which was settled out of court. He was later arrested and charged with possession of child pornography. He died by suicide in January 2018 before he was sentenced.

Jenna Ushkowitz – Tina Cohen-Chang

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Jenna starred as the stuttering emo/goth Tina Cohen-Chang, though both of these attributes didn’t last beyond the first two seasons. Jenna released an autobiography, Choosing Glee in 2013. She returned to the stage in 2015 and 2016 as Julia Sullivan in The Wedding Singer in Pittsburgh and in a limited run as Dawn Williams in Broadway’s Waitress, respectively. Jenna has also turned to producing. She executive produced the documentary Twinsters in 2015, which premiered at the South by Southwest festival and she won her first Tony last year for her work as a producer on the Once on This Island musical revival. In 2016 Jenna founded the At Will Radio podcast network with Will Malnati. She hosted the podcast Infinite Positivities. More recently she has joined Glee best friend and costar Kevin McHale as co-hosts of the Ladygang Network podcast Showmance. Jenna also founded Kindred: The Foundation for Adoption with fellow adoptee Samantha Futerman.

Heather Morris – Brittany Pierce

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In what was only meant to be a background role, Heather Morris so endeared ditzy cheerleader Brittany Pierce to the fans and the Glee writers that she quickly became a series regular. Heather provided the voice of Katie in Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012) and has starred in Spring Breakers (2013), Most Likely to Die (2015) and Folk Hero & Funny Guy (2016). Heather appeared in the 2017 season of Dancing with the Stars, being eliminated in the sixth week of the competition. Heather gave birth to her son, Elijah with Taylor Hubbell in 2013. Heather and Taylor were married in 2015 and welcomed their second son, Owen in 2016.

Naya Rivera – Santana Lopez

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The third member of the Unholy Trinity, Naya starred as Latino spitfire Santana Lopez. Naya made her feature film debut in 2014 in the horror film At the Devil’s Door. She had a recurring role in the third season of Devious Maids (2015) and has starred in the YouTube Red series Step Up: High Water (2018-). Naya signed with Columbia Records in 2011 to produce a solo album. Her single “Sorry”, featuring then-boyfriend and rapper Big Sean was released in 2013, though the album was never produced. Naya has also published a memoir: Sorry Not Sorry: Dreams, Mistakes, and Growing Up. Naya married Ryan Dorsey in 2014. They have a son, Josey, who was born in 2015. Naya and Ryan eventually divorced in 2018.

Harry Shum Jr. – Mike Chang

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The dancing jock with a surprising voice, Harry starred as Mike Chang. Known for most of the first season as “Other Asian”, it was his relationship with Tina from the second season that brought Mike into the heart of the glee club and their fans. Harry was involved in a number of web series during Glee’s run, including Step Up 3-D and Mortal Kombat: Legacy. Since Glee he has starred in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny and the hit 2018 film Crazy Rich Asians. He is best known for his role as the warlock Magnus Bane in the Freeform/Netflix series Shadowhunters, which ran from 2016 and the series finale airing earlier this month. Personally Harry married actress/dancer Shelby Rabara in 2015. The couple’s first child, Xia, was born earlier this year.

Chord Overstreet – Sam Evans

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Chord joined the cast early on in season 2 as transfer student Sam Evans. While Chord starred as Nick in the 2015 film 4th Man Out, he has largely focused on his music career since Glee wrapped. In 2016, Chord toured with Glee season 5 recurring guest Demi Levato and Nick Jonas, opening a series of their Future Now Tour dates. He released a series of singles between 2016 and 2017, along with his debut EP Tree House Tapes in mid 2017. In 2018, he created alt-pop-rock group Overstreet. They released singles “Wasted Time” and “Carried Away” Last month they debuted new song “All Nighter” and their debut album Man on the Moon is due out later this year. They are currently touring around the US at selected cities.

Darren Criss – Blaine Anderson

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With a failed audition for Finn Hudson behind him, Darren Criss was cast as rival glee club Dalton Academy’s lead singer, Blaine Anderson, in season 2’s sixth episode, “Never Been Kissed”. Initially a short guest stint as a role model-type character for Kurt, the chemistry between Darren and Chris Colfer and the fan response to both Darren and his debut song “Teenage Dream” soon saw him join the regular cast. Darren made his Broadway debut in a three week stint as J. Pierrepont Finch in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying in January 2012. He went straight from Glee into rehearsals for Broadway’s Hedwig and the Angry Inch, taking the stage for 12-weeks in 2015. He reprised the role for the San Francisco and LA legs of the US tour in 2016. He has starred in the films Girl Most Likely (2012) and the upcoming WWII drama Midway. The film All You Ever Wished For, which was filmed straight after his first Hedwig run and received limited cinema release, will be available on DVD from next month. Darren teamed up with Ryan Murphy again as Andrew Cunanan in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, a role which won him a slew of awards in the past award season including the Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG for Best Actor in a Limited Series.

  Darren’s first solo tour, Listen Up, played to sold out venues in Glee’s 2013 summer hiatus. He formed the band Computer Games with his brother Chuck last year. They released their debut EP Lost Boys Life and played a few concerts around the US and in Mexico. They are set to release some new tracks over the next few months. Darren released his second solo EP Homework at the end of 2017. He toured with co-star Lea Michele throughout 2018 as well as performed intimate solo sets in London and Sydney. Darren realised a long-held dream in 2015, with the launch of Elsie Fest – a Broadway and pop music festival. The festival has been held annually in New York City. Darren married long-time girlfriend Mia Swier earlier this year. They opened the piano bar Tramp Stamp Granny’s in LA last year.

Honorable Mentions

Guest star Grant Gustin (Warbler Sebastian Smythe – 2011-2013) has gone on to star as Barry Allen/The Flash in The CW’s The Flash and other Arrowverse shows. Melissa Benoist (Marley Rose – 2012-2014) currently appears as Kara Danvers/Supergirl in The CW’s Supergirl and other Arrowverse shows. Becca Tobin (Kitty Wilde – 2012-2015) has starred in a number of Hallmark movies and created the podcast Ladygang with Keltie Knight and Jac Vanek. This has spawned an E! TV series and podcast network. The ladies are about to embark on a limited tour of the US.

4YE Glee 10 Years On: What Have The Cast Been Up To Since Glee Wrapped? 10 years ago today we were introduced to a rag tag group of losers who, with a song in their hearts, were just looking for a place to belong as they made their way through high school in Nowhereville, Ohio.