Night of Neglect - Part 1 of 4 - Respect

Episode Synopsis:  The New Directions find themselves short on cash when they discover that the money to fund their trip to Nationals is supposed to come from the Cheerios’ budget…which is, naturally, holed up in an offshore account.  But never fear, Mr. Schue is here—with taffy.  And some harebrained idea to sell it in mass quantities.  Thankfully, Holly Holiday puts an end to that nonsense and suggests that they host a benefit concert instead: Night of Neglect.  Coincidentally—but not really—the WMHS Brainiacs (aka: Tina, Mike, Artie and Brittany… I know) are also strapped for cash and hop onto fundraising bandwagon.  Oh, and Mercedes goes completely Vh1 Divas on the club and makes irrational demands at the behest of one Lauren Zizes.  Meanwhile, Sue enlists three of Mr. Schue’s enemies to—big surprise here—ruin the concert and all things Glee.  Sunshine Corazon (this one came out of left field with Brainiac Brittany) returns to sing the finale at the concert and promises to invite her 600 Twitter followers but, again, big surprise, she drops out at the last minute.  Carl leaves Emma, Emma goes into OCD overdrive, Will comes to her rescue (this time without taffy) and Holly realizes that he’s still in love with Emma so she leaves for Cleveland.  And that’s what you missed on Glee. 

I don’t know about you, but the first thing I think about when I put on a benefit concert is how to make the biggest spectacle of myself.  Tired of fighting Rachel and Sunshine Corazon via the New Directions for the coveted finale spot, Mercedes is relegated to a piddling middle slot…much like this outfit.  It’s so ho hum.  Where’s the neon?  Where are the giant novelty accessories?  Where’s the patent leather? 

Ah ha!  Found it!  It doesn’t get much better than a hot pink fedora and I love that boom box necklace. 

But it isn’t long before Lauren, with a little help from Aretha, encourages Mercedes to stop acting like a fabulous, sparkly doormat and demand some respect, a la the Queen of Soul.  Cue diva Mercedes.  She is so teen chic here and even though she’s in a monochromatic palette, the studs in her vest and textured scarf make it interesting. 

I love, sincerely and genuinely love, a good fascinator.  And while this doesn’t quite top Aretha’s gigantic sparkly bow hat, it’s still awesome.  Granted, there’s a lot of sparkle going on here, but would you expect less from a diva?  Navy is such a great color on her, too, and lends a bit of restraint to all the sequins.

And let’s please take a moment to honor those lovely peep-toe, sling back, platform stilettos.  Awesome.

I actually thoroughly enjoy Lauren's ensemble and really dig the mustard cardigan.  The vintage floral print is feminine, but the dark colors rein it in a bit—it’s a nice change from her usual punky, sort of thug-esque outfits.

Like this one.

Forgive me for stating the obvious, but…wasn’t Christmas a while ago?  Put that outfit back under the tree.

Finn and Quinn, as organizers of the benefit, were not only on the receiving end of Mercedes’ demands (like fluffy puppies), but were apparently required to remain joined at the hip for the entire episode.  The flannel is a huge yawn on Finn, but I really like Quinn’s outfit.  That is a great blazer and the stripes keep the rest of the outfit from falling flat.  Oh, and hi Puck.  We missed you in this episode!

Quinn is flawless here.  Her hair was just perfection throughout the whole episode and I love the printed dress and cardigan combo.  Finn, on the other hand, is obviously just a lost cause.  Seriously, try on a sweater or a long sleeved shirt.  Just give it a shot. 

Oh, thank God, he found a shirt he can’t unbutton.  Quinn, again, totally hits it out of the park with the mix of colors and print.  If that isn’t the picture of your perfect Midwestern prom queen, I don’t know what is.

Leave it to Rachel to pull Mercedes from the brink of a diva disaster—but then again, it takes one to know one.  This outfit, however, is not exactly diva-friendly.  Every fiber of my being instinctually likes anything pink, but the magenta tights paired with the floral dress come off a tad garish.

I only wonder why it took her so long to wear a dress with ponies on it.  How sweet is this dress?  It has that whimsical-yet-slightly-off quality that is 100% Rachel.  Another slightly-off quality?  Those white tights. 

Well, it’s not her best outfit and at first glance I thought that was a Playboy bunny on her sweater.  On the other hand, she looks so pretty and sweet in all the soft pinks and I really like her pink plaid skirt. 

I really wish there were a better shot of this dress because it’s so pretty.  So simple and feminine, it was the perfect number to wear while Mercedes took the spotlight in all her glittery glory. 

Night of Neglect - Part 2 of 4 - Rescue Me

In an attempt to save the New Directions’ dreams of Nationals, Mr. Schue announces that his fundraiser of choice is taffy selling.  Taffy.  Seriously?  They would’ve been better off with Puck’s magic brownies from season one.   But he must be trying to really hard to pitch this idea to them because he looks like he walked straight out of a Wrangler jeans ad.  

Well, hello, Mr. Rogers.  It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood, isn’t it?

Okay…so, I see we’ve been nosing around Artie’s closet for some inspiration…

But he does clean up awfully nice in his suit despite the dull color scheme.  He needs to learn to embrace a brighter color palette.   

Who’s better to rescue than a damsel in distress?  The moment he hears that Hot Dentist Carl has left Emma, Will swoops in, cleans her grapes and promises to be there for her as she compulsively cleans in her super cute apron and matching cardigan with velvet detailing and pearl buttons. 

Holly rescues Mr. Schue and the New Directions (from himself and imminent failure, respectively) and suggests hosting a benefit concert while dining at Chez Schuester.  It kind of looks like she’s in her pajamas…and if I were having a slumber party with Will Schuester, that definitely wouldn’t be my choice of nightwear.     

You can’t beat a good costume!  You just can’t!  Love it.  

Not only did Holly rescue the Glee Club from a guaranteed flop of a fundraiser and a commissioned gang of hecklers, but she did it while in this stunning little number.  The floor length, one-shoulder gown seems a bit more Gwyneth than Holly, but it’s gorgeous all the same.  The gold teardrop earrings and matching cuffs were spot on, too.  Brava, Holly!

Kurt and Blaine, being the lovable Warblers they are, went to the show to support Kurt’s besties.  Nothing notable here, but I’m intrigued by the pop-up boutonniere Kurt’s sporting.  What…what is that?  Is it a design?  Is it an animal?  I have no idea.

Their visit to the hallowed halls of WMHS is marred by an unpleasant run in with Karofsky.  Fortunately, Santana, with razor blades all up in her hair, arrives just in time in a smokin’ outfit.  I’m not crazy about the fur vest or the tribal-like jewlery, but she looks outrageously good in this dress.  Truly, truly outrageous (that one’s for all the Jem fans!). 

Night of Neglect - Part 3 of 4 - Think

It’s like a moth to a flame, if the moths were Tina, Mike, Artie and Brittany and the flame was a sorely underappreciated, underfunded club.  First Glee Club, now the Brainiacs.  And I couldn’t believe Brittany was a Brainiac…but I could believe she was an expert on cat diseases.  I could also believe that Tina would wear something as ridiculous as this dress, that Brittany would wear a shirt that just says “happy,” and that Mike and Artie would wear what they probably wore the day before, but just in different colors. 

Mike and Artie are, again, less than thrilling in their ensembles of choice, but to make up for it, Tina wore a bib and Brittany whipped out her sheepskin vest.  Because, you know, it’s still chilly outside. 

Oh, for crying out loud, again with the bibs!  Tina, you look like a lost pilgrim.  Brittany…well…thank you for not wearing a bib.

Tina did finally get her act together in time for her performance, though.  Can’t say it’s a keeper, but this dress, with the v-neckline and poufy skirt, it's infinitely preferable to her Mayflower get up. 

I love, love Artie’s rainbow colored sweater vest!  Brittany is super cute with the bandana around her neck and Tina discovered what a real collar is.  

Night of Neglect - 4 of 4 - Chain of Fools

Most people find a partner in crime when they want to engage in some light to moderate evil plotting, but not Sue.  No, she forms the League of Doom.  That’s right, a league.  Of doom. 

Enter Dustin Gooslby, Sandy Ryerson, and Terri Schuester, otherwise know as Sergeant Handsome, the Pink Dagger, and Honey Badger.  Like Tina, Dustin likes to stick to black-centric outfits.  Unlike Tina, his execution is much better.  Sandy’s wardrobe is reminiscent of the Easter Bunny.  Terri definitely wins this round hands down—the gray jacket fits perfectly and her hair looks like a Pantene ad. 

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again—you can’t beat a good costume.  And I love this!  That hat just cracks me up!  And speaking of crack, in a surprising twist, Sandy donates his drug money to the Brainiacs.    

And of course, behind every great mastermind is an even greater selection of tracksuits.  I know she switches the colors to liven it up or at least prove that she does change her clothes on a regular basis, but I’d really like to bedazzle at least one of them.

Not only does Sue have her League of Doom, but she sends an ad hoc sub-committee, the Hecklers Club, to the concert to heckle all the performers.  Nothing particularly outstanding here…just Jacob Ben Israel’s super intense fluff of hair.

Ah, Sunshine Corazon.  How random was her appearance?  Her outfit was just a bit too busy for my taste but I really liked everything from the waist up.  The stripes and military coat pair well together and I like the little flounce detailing at the bottom of her jacket.  The floral skirt, however, we can do without.

As for the last link on our chain of fools: Sam.  Why?  Because he’s so darn cute with his trouty mouth and Beiber hair, but didn’t manage to finagle himself into at least one performance.   

Mini-Recap: Night of Neglect

Here's what you missed on Glee: a benefit may be a good idea to raise money, but you may want to name it something better than "A Night of Neglect". The Gleeks learned that the hard way when no one showed up. Heck, the orchestra and the giant gospel choir didn't even watch. Will made eyes at Emma. Brittany is the ringer on the Brainiacs. Sue put together a team to take Will down and it looks like Terri "Honey Badger" Schuester is Sue's only hope.  Gwenyth Paltrow and Sunshine Corazon were back, but only a minor moment for Sunshine.

Song of the Night: Let's give this one to Mercedes for having the final number with "Ain't No Way"

Brittany Bon Mots: Apparently her savant like knowledge of cat diseases makes her a ringer on the Brainiac team.

How Sue Sees It: "How do you manage to enter a building without setting off all the fire alarms?"

Number of Track Suits: 4

Melodramatic Rachel Solo of the Week: She didn't even sing this week! I know. Weird.

Best Outfit: Second only to the glitter mic, Rachel's pony dress was best.

Tune in on Friday for a full-recap from Kristina.