Glee "Audition": Too uncool for school

The best thing about the season 2 premiere for Glee ("Auditions") was the self-mockery in the opening and bits sprinkled throughout. If it wasn't obvious before, school blogger Jacob Ben Israel is now officially a stand-in for TV critic and gossip bloggers -- JBI's like the bizarre lovechild of Alan Sepinwall and Perez Hilton. The meta-commentary and self-awareness was refreshing, something Ryan Murphy explored often on Nip/Tuck, and I hope they find a way to keep it part of the festivities.

But while Glee has started eating at the cool kids table in the high school lunch room of primetime television, New Directions has not moved one iota. In fact, by episode's end, they're possibly worse off than before. Placing last at regionals will do that to you. So even if the show is no longer an underdog, the characters remain so, making their eventual entry into nationals this year that much sweeter. Whoops! Am I giving away the season's plot already? I don't know for sure they make it to nationals, but they're already making a big deal about it being in New York city this year, and an episode featuring the kids in NYC is already being written in all of our heads. (Right?)

There's always a danger in introducing new characters for a 2nd season, but I'm down with the three we meet here - Coach Beiste (Dot Jones), the Bieber-like Sam (Chord Overstreet) and filipino exchange student Sunshine (Charice Pempengco, the former "most talented kid in the world" -- a titled bestowed by daytimers Oprah and Ellen).

Musically, it's become quite clear that if they're not going to surprise me with song choices by this point, it ain't gonna happen. That ship has sailed and it's auto-tuned it's way to middle-of-the-road + Broadway show tunes island.

Glee - Episode 2.01
1. "Empire State of Mind" - Glee Cast [Jay-Z version]
2. "Telephone" - Glee Cast w/ Charice Pempengco [Lady Gaga version]
3. "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" - Chord Overstreet (Poison)
4. "Billionaire" - Glee Cast
5. "The Power" - Snap!
6. "Listen" - Glee Cast w/ Charice Pempengco
7. "What I Did For Love" - Glee Cast

Previously: "Journey" (Episode 1.22)