Glee on the Rocks: an unofficial Glee podcast

This is 4x17, "Guilty Pleasures." Sam and Blaine take the reins of the Glee Club, assigning the New Directions the task to tackle their musical guilty pleasures - the songs and artists they're too embarrassed to admit they love.  Over in New York City, Kurt's guilty pleasure isn't a song at all and Santana finally reveals Brody's big secret to Rachel. 

So tell us: what are your guilty pleasures?

Our wonderful sound engineer is Adriana.

This is 4x16, "Feud."  Close your eyes. Take it back to the early 2000s. The time of the great music feuds.  *Nsync vs. BSB.  Britney vs. Christina.  Madonna vs. Elton John??  We guess this was a feud.  And now, Finn Hudson vs. Will Schuester. 

Tensions are still raging between Finn and Mr. Schue, so The New Directions force them into a lesson about famous music feuds in order to sing out their feelings. Sue tries to bring Blaine back to the Cheerios, while Jake and Marley's relationship hit the rocks.  Over in New York, Santana uncovers Brody's side job. 

Our wonderful sound engineer is Adriana.

This is 4x15 - "Girls (and Boys) on Film." Glee hits us with another tribute, mash-up, and boys v girls episode all in one. Once more its the New Directions girls verses boys as they pay tribute to the music of the movies, you know, instead of rehearsing for Regionals.  Over in New York, Santana is stirring things up in the Bushwick loft while Kurt starts to confront his feelings for Blaine.

Glee also celebrates their 500th song in this episode.

Our wonderful sound engineer is Adriana.

Hey, Gleeks! This is a rerelease of 2020 episode covering S3E9, "Extraordinary Merry Christmas." And this time, it's actually the holidays. Enjoy. (And yes, that's our old theme music.)

This is S3E9, "Extraordinary Merry Christmas." The New Directions are asked to create a holiday special for their local PBS station, directed by their very own Artie; Sue looks for volunteers to help out at the homeless shelter she is apparently very invested in; Rory is still on the show.

Oh, and Blaine gives Kurt a little present.

This is 4x13 - "Diva." In order to pump the New Directions up for Regionals, Finn challenges the Glee Club to find their inner Divas.  Tina, still crushing hard on Blaine, crosses a line. Tired of Rachel's egoism, Kurt challenges her Midnight Madness - a fight club style sing-off between NYADA members.  At least the music is banging in this episode.

Our wonderful sound engineer is Adriana.

This is 4x12 - "Naked." With the Warblers out of Regionals, Tina proposes The New Directions put together a "Men of McKinley" calendar to raise the money to get to the competition. Good Guy Blaine Anderson helps Sam with his college admissions essay by showing him how much he's affected his friends over the years. In New York, Rachel earns a role in a student film, but finds herself caught up in a moral dilemma.

No tricks, just treats! Holy shit we're alive. Has it been an embarrassingly long time between episodes? Yep. Are we sorry about that? Sure are. But we're here and we've got a Christmas episode for you.

This is 4x10 - "Glee, Actually." Artie experiences a full It's a Wonderful Life dream sequence when he slips on some ice. Meanwhile, Sam and Brittany worry about the end of the world due to the Mayan Apocalypse. Over in New York, Dad of the Year Burt Hummel helps deliver the best Christmas gift ever to Kurt.

This is 4x09, "Swan Song." The New Directions are on shaky ground after the stunning events at Sectionals. Finn attempts to keep the Glee Club together by getting them ready for an upcoming holiday concert. In New York, Rachel prepares for the Winter Showcase and Kurt gets a second shot at auditioning for NYADA.

This is 4x08, "Thanksgiving."  Some of the Glee Club Alumni come home for the holidays and end up paired with the New Directions newbies to give them pre-Sectionals guidance. Meanwhile, Kurt and Rachel opt to stay in New York to avoid the heartbreak and drama of Lima, Ohio and host their own orphan's Thanksgiving, with a little help from Isabelle Wright and friends.  At Sectionals, the New Directions battle it out against the Warblers and Blaine connects with Kurt.

This is 4x07, "Dynamic Duets."  The Dalton Academy Warblers are back with a brand new leader and that leader is not even remotely bi-curious. They've also stolen the New Directions'  Nationals trophy in attempt to lure Blaine back to Dalton. Jake and Ryder continue to fight over Marley, who honestly has enough to deal with. Meanwhile, there is no New York in this episode.  Oh, and Lighthouse guy is in this episode.

This is 4x06, "Glease." It's time for the McKinley High production of Grease! Unique is pulled out of musical by her parents, so Santana is called in to fill the role.  Sue and Kitty battle over who gets to be the most offensive character on the show this week, and Kurt and Rachel agonize over seeing their exes as they return to McKinley to support their friends.  Meanwhile, Mr. Schue finally lets the Glee club know about his plans in D.C. and selects Finn to replace him as leader of the New Directions.

This is 4x05, "The Role You Were Born to Play." It's time for Grease auditions at McKinley. Marley and Kitty, and Jake and new-recruit Ryder Flynn compete for the coveted lead roles of Sandy and Danny.  Artie enlists Finn to co-direct the musical while Mike and Mercedes return to lend their expertise.  Meanwhile, Blaine scrapbooks his feelings.

This is 4x04, "The Break Up."  This episode we're joined by certified Gleeks and hosts of The Gleek of the Week podcast, Allison and Andrew.

Things are not sunshine and roses (red or yellow) for the main couples on Glee.  Blaine is feeling left behind in Lima while Kurt is off building a new life in New York, Brittany and Santana struggle with the Glee-alities of a long distance relationship, and Rachel is growing closer with Brody at NYADA.

This episode is a doozy, y'all.  Where were you when the break up happened?

Social links for Gleek of the Week!

This is 4x02 - "Britney 2.0." Brittany's back, baby! Actually she never left, she's still there roaming the hallways as a super senior.  In order to cheer Brit up, Mr. Schue sets an assignment for the New Directions to revisit the music of Britney Spears.  Over in the NYC timeline, Rachel attempts to prove to her dance instructor, Cassandra July, that she does in fact have sex appeal. Kurt applies for a very important internship.

This is 4x01 - "The New Rachel."  The new season begins with old friends and new faces, and a whole lot of storylines, as Glee attempts a soft reset. Back in good old McKinley High, the Glee Club is both competing amongst themselves over who will become the new Rachel (instead of just being equal players) and holding auditions for new members.  Over in New York, Rachel Berry clashes with her new dance teacher (guest star Kate Hudson) and meets a hunky upperclassman who may or may not ever go to class, Brody.

This is S3E22, "Goodbye."  Senior year for (some) of the New Directions is coming to an end and so is season 3 of Glee.  Rachel, Finn, and Kurt find out whether or not they've been accepted to college, Kurt and Blaine struggle with the path of their relationship, and everyone has to contemplate just what the future holds.

This is S3E21, "Nationals." Nationals are here and naturally things aren't going 100% for The New Directions.  Mercedes falls ill just before the big day and last minute rehearsals turn chaotic. Rachel hopes for a second shot at NYADA and even Unique has doubts about her talents.

This is S3E20, "Props."  As Nationals approaches, Tina is rightly feeling pushed aside and overlooked, despite being one of the original New Directions.  Rachel invites Carmen Tibideaux to Nationals to watch her perform in hopes of making up for her failed audition.  Meanwhile, Unique has become a sensation for Vocal Adrenaline.

This is S3E19, "Prom-asaurus." It's time for another Glee prom! As graduation approaches,  it's up to Senior Class President Brittany to plan the best night ever for her pals and the school. Elsewhere, Blaine, Kurt, Rachel and others stage an Anti-Prom party in revolt.  Rachel vies for Prom Queen against Santana and Quinn.

Kevin McScale: .75 - for showing up in the episode and being the 4th lead in "What Makes You Beautiful."
Klainedex: 6 - for being a couple, being over the top, being themselves, being boyfriends, and being supportive.
Coulda Shoulda Woulda Scale: they coulda just not rehashed the plot from Prom Queen.

Our wonderful sound engineer is Adriana. Get vaxxed. Take care of each other.

This is S3E18, "Choke."  It's time for Rachel Berry and Kurt Hummel to audition for NYADA and things don't go exactly according to plan for either performer.  The Glee girls discover a tragic secret about Coach Beiste while the boys of The New Directions help Puck pass a test with a musical aide.

Our wonderful sound engineer is Adriana.

This is S3E17, "Dance With Somebody." The kids of McKinley celebrate the music of the legendary Whitney Houston with a second tribute episode in a row. Kurt and Blaine hit a rough patch in their relationship when Kurt meets someone at a record store.  Santana and Rachel find common ground while Quinn and Joe grow closer during Quinn's physical therapy.

Our wonderful sound engineer is Adriana.

This is S3E16, "Saturday Night Glee-ver."  We've got another tribute episode on our hands as the Glee Club celebrates Disco and the John Travolta classic Saturday Night Fever.  Mr. Schue is worried that Finn, Mercedes, and Santana aren't sure what to do post-graduation; Mercedes and Kurt meet a student looking for advice.

Kevin McScale: .25 - Uhm, we think he was in this episode.
Klainedex: 4 - Basically for the dip; they don’t sing to the each other, there's no duet, no conversation, but they do look at each other.
Coulda Shoulda Woulda: Shoulda had a real guidance counselor talk to Finn about his options.

Our wonderful sound engineer is Adriana.

This is S3E15, "Big Brother." McKinley High is all abuzz when Blaine's famous and handsome big brother, Cooper Anderson, arrives on the scene.  Quinn returns following her accident and bonds with Artie during Senior Ditch Day, and Finn and Rachel experience trouble in paradise.

We're joined this episode by a special guest - Gigi aka Neaf.

The Indices

Kevin McScale: 5 - Artie had 2 songs, a whole plot, and was funny without being a dick. He was really at his peak here.
Klainedex: 6 -  For Margaret Thatcher dog.
Coulda Shoulda Woulda: Cooper shoulda come back. Full stop.

**Trigger/Content Warning: Discussions of a suicide attempt, bullying over sexuality, and major car accident**

This is S3E14, "On My Way."  The New Directions battle The Warblers at Regionals in the mid-season finale of Season 3.  Rachel and Finn are still planning to get hitched after the performance despite the very real misgivings of their friends and family. Dave Karofsky faces bullying at school while Quinn regains her status as a Cheerio.

The Indices

Kevin McScale: 2 - he was allotted some seconds of singing  and one whole line
Klainedex: 6.5 - really solid and adorable background moments
Coulda Shoulda Woulda: Coulda be a great time to introduce Queer Quinn, and to hear more from the Queer characters in the emotional fallout of Karofsky’s suicide attempt

This is S3E10, "Yes/No." Sam and Mercedes continue to enjoy the fruits of an ongoing, multi-episode storyline as their flirty summer romance lingers into the school year.  Finn learns the truth about his father, while Mr. Schue gets the help of the New Directions to propose to Emma.

Kevin McScale: 5 - the ever elusive 5 for a full song and a real storyline. Congrats, Kev.
Klainedex: 1 - some background eye lovin’, but really nothing else.
Coulda Shoulda Woulda Index: Shoulda had Emma leaving Will, or just having more autonomy in general.

Our wonderful sound engineer is Adriana.  Like/rate/review/subscribe on your favorite podcast platform.

Every episode we break down the highs and lows of the writing, the music, and the cultural impact of a network TV show that only ran 6 seasons and ended 5 years ago.

This is S3E9, "Extraordinary Merry Christmas." The New Directions are asked to create a holiday special for their local PBS station, directed by their very own Artie; Sue looks for volunteers to help out at the homeless shelter she is apparently very invested in; Rory is still on the show.

Oh, and Blaine gives Kurt a little present.

This is S3E8, "Hold On to Sixteen."  It's time for Sectionals, y'all. The New Directions battle The Troubletones and The Unitards (with Harmony reappearing for another episode) for a spot at Nationals. Sam Evans returns to McKinley High in order to help his old buddies, who are short a few members to compete, and Quinn Fabray comes to a decision about Shelby. Also, Sebastian Smythe returns for some more flirting.

Kevin McScale: 1.5 -  Kevin was...in the episode and got to sing a bit?
Klainedex: 6 - catching that Klaine date at the Lima Bean.
Coulda Shoulda Woulda Index: Honestly we need more Sebastian.

Our wonderful sound engineer is Adriana.

Everyone hanging in there?

This is S3E7, "I Kissed a Girl."  After being outed by Finn, Santana works towards self love and acceptance, getting a little help from The New Directions during "Lady Music Week" in the process.  Meanwhile, accusations of cheating swirl around the student class president election and Coach Beiste worries about her relationship with Cooter.

Kevin McScale: . 5 - was Kevin even in this episode?
Klainedex: 6 - for the full duet of "Perfect." But 7.5 for the eye contact.
Coulda Shoulda Woulda Index: 50s - Brit should have sung "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"

Listener's Note: We recorded and edited this episode before Naya Rivera's tragic passing, which is why there's no commentary about it.  We held off posting as we took time to deal and gather our thoughts.

The next episode is "I Kissed a Girl," which heavily features Santana in an important storyline.  We're going to wait a little bit before recording it to give ourselves, and our listeners, a little more time to decompress.  First we're going record a tribute episode of sorts - more on that soon.  For now, please enjoy this episode and remember Naya in your favorite way.

This is S3E6, "Mash Off."  The New Directions are still quibbling with The Troubletones and the only way to solve it is, you guessed it, a mash off competition.  The result is one of the greatest Glee covers of the whole series:  Rumor Has It/Someone Like You.

Kevin McScale: .5 - for injuring Darren during the dodgeball scene
Klainedex: 2 - one point for standing on the choir room chairs, and one for Blaine's face during the student council speech
Coulda Shoulda Woulda Index: 30s - the lack of an actual storyline with Rachel and Shelby; honestly would have paid money to see Finn lift Blaine a la Dirty Dancing

Our wonderful sound engineer is Adriana, and this episode is sponsored by you, our Patrons.

Please rate/review/subscribe!

This is S3E5, "The First Time."  Power couples Kurt and Blaine and Finn and Rachel go down to bone town because the teenage director of their high school musical told them they should. Meanwhile, Dalton has a new Warbler in the form of one Sebastian Smythe, and the New Directions finally put on West Side Story without a single drama nerd's help.  It's not half bad, actually.

Kevin McHale Scale: 3.5 - for screen time and storyline, but a downgrade for no song
Klainedex: 9.5 - we mean, did you SEE this episode??
Coulda Shoulda Woulda Index: 15 - honestly they needed to lose some more clothes

Our wonderful sound engineer is Adriana, and this episode is sponsored by you, our Patrons.

Glee on the Rocks is available wherever you get your podcasts.  Please rate/review/subscribe!

Hello!  Welcome to the first installment of what we're calling the Voices of Glee episodes.

We wanted to do this in recognition of the long history of Black/Brown/POC/Queer voices being excluded from the media.  From writers, directors, and producers, to journalists, commentators, and reviewers, and every position of influence and authority in between.

This episode is hosted by Monica, Ambre, and Julien - three more Glee fans who come from different backgrounds than your usual hosts, but who have just as strong of opinions.  We loved listening to their conversation about Glee and we're sure you will too.

There was much to talk about so this episode has been split into two.  This is Part 1.  Part 2 will be posted on Tuesday.

Is everyone remembering to lotion up after washing your hands 54x a day?

This is S3E3, "Asian F."  In an episode touted as "Mike Chang-centric," we've got Mercedes tired AF of standing in Rachel's spotlight, Kurt and Blaine competing for the same role but being cute AF doing so, and Mr. Schue meeting Emma's rude AF parents.  Also, Mike has parents!

Kevin McHale Scale: 0.5 for was he even in this episode?
Klainedex: 7 - for the flowers
Shouda Coulda Wouda Index: low 40s - where was the script supervisor anyway?

Our wonderful sound engineer is Adriana, and this episode is sponsored by you, our Patrons.

We know times are strange right now, but are they as strange as an episode of Glee? (Yes, we're being facetious, the world is scary. STAY HOME.)

This is S3E2 - "I Am Unicorn."  Kurt is running for Student Body President and campaign manager Brit wants him to lean into the unicorn.  Schue makes some of the New Directions attend Booty Camp and Shelby Corcoran returns to shake things up even more.

Kevin McHale Scale: 2.5 - you decide why
Klainedex: 6 - purely for the fondness of their looks
Shouda Coulda Wouda Scale: 60s - for the ball dropped on Quinn, and those missing Kurt and Blaine conversations

Our wonderful sound engineer is Adriana, and this episode is sponsored by you, our Patrons.

Welcome to Season 3 of Glee, and of Glee on the Rocks.  By Executive Order we've decided to just give ourselves seasons too, because why not?  We're professionals.

This is S3E1, "The Purple Piano Project." Once again, the New Directions are looking for members and Mr. Schue has them perform in public to recruit.  Meanwhile, Kurt and Rachel discover other talented teenagers and Blaine Warbler becomes Blaine Anderson.

Kevin McHale Scale: 0 - not a great way to start a new season
Klainedex: 8 - for the locker scene, the song, the Lima Bean date and the fact that this is only the first episode

Our wonderful sound engineer is Adriana, and this episode is sponsored by you, our Patrons.

We've made it to the Season 2 finale!  Today we're talking S2E22, "New York."  Nationals is finally here and the Glee Club is super prepared for it.  They're so prepared that instead of rehearsing for months leading up, they're writing the songs the day before. But hey, it's Glee.

Kevin McHale Scale: 1 - really just for Bella Notte and showing up to work.
Klainedex: 7 - a 5 for the "I love yous" and an extra 2 for Kurt talking about moving to New York with Blaine.

Our sound engineer is Adriana, and this episode is sponsored by you, our Patrons.  And a special thank you to Adriana, for raising the bar for our podcast.

Friends!  Countrymen!  We are returned.

Today we're talking about S2E21, "Funeral."  The New Directions have almost made it to Nationals in New York, but first they had to make an honestly heartfelt pit stop at a funeral.  Meanwhile, Mercedes, Kurt, and Santana all get solos.  Yay!

This episode rates a 0.5 on the Kevin McHale Scale.  It was a 1 for him showing up to work, but half a point off for the podcast.   And it rates a full 0 on the Klainedex for it not even really existing.

The holidays are upon us, but we have a new episode for you first.

Today we're talking S2E20, "Prom Queen." Junior Prom has arrived for the New Directions and everyone is worried about dresses, dates, and spiking the punch bowl.  Also, Jesse St. James returns and looks great in a skinny scarf.

This episode rates a solid 4 on the Kevin Scale for having two songs and a whole subplot, and a 7 on the Klainedex, for going on two dates, a romantic dance, and heartfelt conversations.  Happy Holidays!

Hello! Yes, it's us. Recovered from Thanksgiving (not really) and back with a new episode for you.

Today we're talking S2E19, "Rumours."  Gossip abounds in and out of the choir room, and April Rhodes return to potentially steal Mr. Schue off to the Great White Way.

This episode rates a 2.5 on the Kevin Scale for getting a solid song, and a 1.5 on the Klainedex, for Blaine spiritually being a part of the show.

Available now wherever you get your podcasts. 

This week on Glee on the Rocks we're talking S2E18, "Born This Way." 

This extra-long episode (theirs, not ours) is chock full of your Glee favorites: Klaine on staircases, Klaine hugging, and Klaine telling each other their feelings.  Also, we get Quinn's backstory and everyone reveals their insecurities.

This episode rates a solid 0 on the Kevin Scale for not even being able to remember anything he did in the episode, and a 6 on the Klainedex, for that hug. 

Available now wherever you get your podcasts.

Happy October, y'all. In this episode of Glee on the Rocks we cover S2E17, "Night of Neglect."

Maybe you thought we'd skip this travesty, but we didn't.  We're professionals. Once again the Glee Club doesn't know how to budget and needs to raise money for Nationals, so Holly Holliday tells them to put on a benefit concert. Because nothing could possibly go wrong there.

This episode rates a whole .25 on the Kevin Scale and a 1.5 on the Klainedex for good coats.

Thanks again to our sound engineer Adriana. Theme song by Wishonmusic.

We've been looking for you forever.  We should practice.  We thought we were.  We think it's adorable. We think you're adorable. *ahem* Anyway.

That's right, this week is S2E16, "Original Song." The New Directions take original songs (see what they did there, with the title of the episode? genius) to Regionals while Quinn's entirely storyline...uh...sucks.  Also, a bird dies.  Nothing else happens.  Except for the best kiss in all of the Glee's history.

This episode rates an astounding 0 on the Kevin Scale, which is fine, because we hit a 9 on the Klainedex.  And this week we'd like to introduce the Cockblocking Keyboard Scale, which rates our first 10.  But at what cost?

We'd also like to say thank you to our newest helping hand, Adriana, who has so very kindly and graciously taken over sound editing and engineering for us. A bazillion thanks to her.

This week we're talking S2E15, "Sexy." Holly Holliday returns to McKinley and discovers that the Glee Club is woefully undereducated about sex.  We also discuss Emma and asexuality, and of course, Blaine talking to Papa Burt about Kurt.  Because he wants to bone. You know what's next though right? "Original Song."

This episode rates a paltry .5 on the Kevin Scale and a solid 6 on the Klainedex. 

This week's episode is S2E14, "Blame It On the Alcohol." 

McKinley is under the throes of a teenage drinking crisis and the Glee Club is there to solve it with the power of K Dollar Sign Ah.  Blaine might be bisexual and poor Papa Burt has to deal with his son bringing a boy home for the first time. Sort of.

This episode rates a 2.5 on the Kevin Scale and a middle of the road 5 on the Klainedex. 

Don't call it a comeback.

This week's episode is S2E13, "Comeback." Don't remember it?  Neither did we.  And we just watched it. Sue has a new plan to destroy the Glee club and Brit becomes a fashion icon.  That's...about it.  The sweaters are cute though.

This episode rates a 2.5 on the Kevin Scale and sadly, the Klainedex is straight up nonexistent this week. 

We need to talk about the pink sunnies.

This week's episode is S2E12, "Silly Love Songs." It's Valentine's Day at McKinley High and the New Directions are celebrating with those classic emotions of jealousy, infidelity, and mono.  Over at Dalton, Kurt has Feelings for Blaine (duh), but Blaine has Feelings for a Junior Manager at the GAP (dang).

This episode rates a 3 on the Kevin Scale and a whopping 7 on the Klainedex. Available now wherever you get your podcasts.

This week's episode is S2E11, "The Sue Sylvester Shuffle." The McKinley High football team and the New Directions have to band together for a one-night-only Superbowl half-time performance extravaganza. Also, Blaine loves football and Kurt loves scarves. Now talk at us while we podcast.

This episode rates a 2.5 on the Kevin Scale and a 4 on the Klainedex.

Available now wherever you get your podcasts. Theme song by Wishonmusic

Hark! Are those jingle bells in the air? Or are we covering a Christmas episode in the middle of year?

Yep, today's episode is S2E10, "A Very Glee Christmas." At McKinley, it's discovered that Brit still believes in Santa and has a very special wish this year.  Meanwhile, at Dalton, Kurt and Blaine have their first Christmas duet. Hearts flutter. 

This episode rates a 4 on the Kevin Scale and a 6 on the Klainedex.

Available now wherever you get your podcasts. Rate, follow, and subscribe on your social media network of choice.