And That's What You REALLY MissedWe've reached a "Thriller" of an episode, and that was just behind the scenes!
Kevin and Jenna give us all the scoop on making the Michael Jackson tribute, including the good, like Kevin and Harry's successful pitch to Ryan, and the "Bad" ... Jenna reveals why this episode brought back a lot of traumatic memories for her. She details why filming this episode had her questioning her self-worth.
Plus, Kevin admits that he and some of his co-stars went rogue, revealing the consequences of their actions, and the duo ranks the musical numbers!
And that's what you really missed with Jenna.
And Kevin an iHeartRadio podcast.
Welcome to you, and that's what you really miss podcast. This is Michael. Uh huh, jem it's a lot of that. This is the Kevin McHale episode No no, no no. Oh. Yeah.
This is season three, episode eleven Michael that originally aired January thirty first, twenty twelve.
Wow, wow, wow, lot going on. Yeah.
The number one song in the country was set Fire to the Rain by Adele.
The number one view was The Gray I don't not a real movie.
I remember this one. I remember the poster in my head.
Okay, so it was a real movie.
Then some Glee news. On the twenty ninth of January, we went to the SAG Awards because we were nominated for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Comedy Series. But we lost. We're sandwiched between two losses.
Correct, So the first year we lost, the second year we won, the third year we lost. Is that right?
I think we won the first year.
No, Kevin, we didn't win. This year. Modern Family won.
No, the first year we went. This was not the first year.
Oh that's right, you're right. So we won and then we were on the downward spy. Yeah, got it, that's right, that's right. Okay, good call, good call. But you look great in these photos. By the way. Oh thanks, I really like this look.
Yeah, I like it a lot. The hair, the makeup, the dress, it's all working.
Thanks, appreciate it. You know, think about about Hollywood hair and makeup. Look, you get really glammed up for award shows like this, and it's yeh are really pretty funny if you feel good about your look. So if you feel good about the dress that you're getting into and you're excited to go show it up, that's awesome. A lot of times a lot of stress around and there's not all the time, and you're like, oh okay, and then people are like, oh, but this looks really good on you, and you're like are you sure and they're like yeah, and you're like okay, and then you get in and you're like, I should have listened to my instinct, but we were so young and it wasn't until like I found my people that you know, kind of got me and was like, people like to really take a risk and be like you should do something like this editorial and looking and blah blah, blah, and there are so many looks that I was pitched and was like, Okay, let's try it. And then I get to the carpet and I'm like, never again, I just don't right, And I feel like half of my makeup never looked like me or my hair, and like nowadays, it would be so different if we were in this realm because we were very specific and we know what works and what doesn't. But finally, like this is one of them that I was like, this is like of the ten percent that I feel like I wasn't just trying to take a risk for the hell of it. Like I was like, oh, I really like this and this feels like me, but anyway, that's I.
Just I agree. Same for me for the outfit of this. My hair and makeup not so much. I love your what do they call that?
I don't know what it's called. This a little like bow tie ish thing. It's like shape Scott, but it's not. It's like I really like it. I like it a lot.
But yeah, we were like experimenting in real time, like in front of cameras and so like learning about what fits you, what compliments your shape.
Exactly, and like what is and what's not like what emanates your personality versus what doesn't. Yeah, a lot of them. Yeah, we went on so many carbets though. It's like hard to not take risks. I guess like you're like.
Whatever, yeah, that's always like I don't care, let's just try it. And so many times it did not work, especially for like the like things like teen Choice Awards, where it was like a little sillier, yes, you're like, sure, I'll wear this ridiculous thing.
Generally for my teen Joy's word ones, they all were very like me, whereas the very glamorous red carpets like the big award shows, I felt like I had to step it up, and so I was doing things that didn't feel quite.
Makes sense as yeah, yeah, but give less practice with that.
It's so true. It's so true, and you like there's more pressure, the stakes are higher.
Oh dear, And then you get on there and then there's just all these really famous people looking incredible and.
They're like, well, honestly, that's the good thing. They didn't have to look at us at all. True.
So this episode is a monster. There are so many songs, so much so that if you've watched it recently, anyone, like the dialogue is almost being cut off off so song can start. And on the flip side, songs are like being cut off in dialogues, overlapping so you can fit in everything.
And there was a deleted, fully shot number by the Warblers that we talked about and it's crazy because it's so good.
So it's gone so around this time as this episode, we never thought we'd do a Michael episode. Zach Woodley, the choreographer, and I had talked about it. I think during season two every he was standing outside the auditorium soundstage and he's like, do you think we're going to do a Michael episode? And I was like, I don't know. How do you feel about it? He's like, I don't think we should mm. He's like I'm trying to Yeah, It's like I don't. I'm like, you know what, I think you're right. And up to that point, I was like, we have to do Michael. We're doing all these themed episodes now. And then season three rolled around and when we had been talking to Ryan about, you know, we need to get back to doing different versions of songs that aren't just like straight up covers, he asked Harry and I, because we were the ones talking to him about Michael to come pitch to the writers crazy. So Harry and I were like, uh, okay, we met in his trailer. We threw together sort of like a little PowerPoint. But we did a lot of research on YouTube and different Michael songs that we like, not trying to inform any sort of story or anything, because yeah, we are not writers. We're not pitching storylines, plotlines anything like that. But here's a selection of music and different versions that you could do, and not even saying who's going to sing what parts, but just presenting ideas. Wow and so. And we had found, you know, covers online of people doing a cappella versions of songs, and a lot of the songs that we pitched did not make it in however, version they clearly understood what we were going for in terms of finding different versions of the songs because we had different just like there's a capella version of bad, there's an a capella version of I don't remember what the song was, now rock with you, I think. And so I was very relieved in the sense of, Okay, we're not doing straight up covers for most of these.
Yeah, they were very versatile and well done in finding different renditions, and I really like human nature even with core playing. It was so great.
It was beautiful. It was also it was so weird. We're friends of all the writers and everything by this point, right, and so you go into like the writer's room on the lot, which is someplace sometimes i'd go to hang out at lunch or something, but yeah, never infringe on their work, and you're never a part of the work. It was very, very strange. They're all sitting on the sides of this boardroom looking table, looking at us. Right, Okay, so was Ryan and there. I don't remember. I don't think so. I feel like you would have remembered that. But it was, Yeah, it was everybody else, Brad and Ian and God, and it was They were obviously all very very nice, and we were very much trying to make the point of we're not trying to tell you to do your jobs. Ryan told us to come do this. Sorry we're here, but you're like some ideas, if you want to think about this.
Well, of all the people pitching, it's like the two of you are the most kind of like humble and just music musically driven and know Michael the best, so it makes sense to me. It didn't come out of nowur.
It's not like, of course, I think both of us were like felt really protective over like, if we're going to do this, we need to really do it right, and I think we did. I think we did do some cool things in this episode. Not all of them, but I think there are a lot of really cool okay versions.
I also, yeah, to hear your thoughts. I'm excited to hear your thoughts. Okay.
So Alfonso had the duty of directing this Mammoth episode, Alfonso Goon.
We have a special appearance by two Cellos for one of the most iconic numbers that we did in this episode, and there's a lot.
Okay, Jennet, let's switch off.
Okay.
First song was want to be starting something bad? Yes, scream never can say goodbye human Nature? Ben Smooth Criminal?
Did you pitch Ben?
Hell?
No?
Okay, that's what I thought. I just can't stop loving you just here. I had to know you wanted to know who to be mad at? Yeah, exactly black or White? And the deleted I want you back. Before we get into this episode, I just want to talk about something because this is the beginning of Jenna Unhinged. It happens for this episode, and it happens for a Spanish teacher, and you'll see Tina in I want to be starting something and bad, and then she disappears and nowhere to be found, and nobody says anything because the episode had already been written. We shot this in between the holiday season, so we shot the first half on the after Thanksgiving and we shot the second half when we returned. Now, as you can see, Tina wasn't didn't need to be there. There was no issue on her not actually being in any of these numbers, and that was written. So when I saw this script, it had already been a few episodes of Tina aside from Hold On to six, a few episodes of TEENA just really not doing anything at all. I started to lose my mind a little bit. And people started to act out around this time, and had started to act out around this time. Everybody, right, none, And I'm not going to generalize that, but I just say that because I'm not going to name names. So a lot of people started acting out and I thought, well, if they're going to act out, then I'm really pissed because I have no storylines then why the f should I not start acting out and then maybe getting some storylines. And this was really bad for me mentally because maybe Kevin, you can speak to this a little bit. We weren't getting written for. I wasn't getting written for. I felt there were a lot of characters, new characters coming in and Tina. They never really understood what to do it to begin with. And I feel like maybe in the later seasons when people go to New York, there's more time and room for a Tina, But like earlier on, I felt very underused and it started to I started to question my worth. I started to question my talent and if I was if I belonged there, and if I was expendable and so, and I was made to feel that way a little bit. So it was a combination of those things that basically I became unhinged and I was acting out. I was talking back, acting in a way that I would never in my that Jenma's character would normally not. And I talked about characters like integrity, like I would never do that again, but like it was really bad, and so the producers at some point I remember having going in to do the scene I think where you become unhinged actually, or maybe it was a little bit before that. I think it was the scene where you became unhinged in the show to Dartie, and I was like, I want to get out of this day. I want to get out of this. So I just I said I wasn't coming out of my trailer. And I don't remember this. I started, I started to tell our ad that I think I was having starting to have panic attacks. I remember that I wasn't really having a pancake. I was just really really upset that day and really wanted to get out. And I think there was something else that triggered it in the beginning of the day. And I think maybe somebody else made to comment, or maybe it was just me. Maybe I'm not blaming you know, I mean not to blame anybody else, but there was something that I just said, I can't be here anymore. This day is getting And these Michael D's were really long. And you could come back from a break a Christmas break, right, So imagine coming back from trying to feel revived and feel refreshed and renewed to come back to your job and excited. And then you come back and you're like, this ship is the same and I'm miserable here right now. So imagine that, and then imagine being called into the producer's office and being said, we don't know what's going on with you. We can't legally say anything that we think that's going on with you, but we think you should take a vacation. And so they didn't ask how I was doing, They didn't ask if I needed anything, they didn't ask why. They just said I needed to go away. Granted, look, I was getting I got I was getting paid anyway. He wasn't paid vacation. And then there was like rumors that had started around and I'm sure you were around some of that, and there were obviously when you're not there and they're not and you're not able to tell people why you're going, like I just went home after that, literally went home, and nobody tells you, like you can't tell anybody. This is why the rumors start. And granted, I was also in a relationship at the time that I had very much had a life outside of the show that not a lot of people knew about, except maybe for you, because we lived together yeap, And there was like a whole other life happening for me, and so there was a time where I felt like I was out of control. And then I actually started to have panic attacks because I started to spiral that I wasn't there to defend myself and I didn't know what was being said about me. And there's a few of you guys that I had pulled side, and we went to lunch or whatever and like just talked about what was going on and my feelings about everything. And I talked to a few cast members on text and phone calls trying to explain, and some people were very supportive. Some people were actually just trying to explain to me that like that I can't act out like other people can because I'm not in a position of that and so maybe I could lose my job, and so they were looking out for me. But all to say, we would live in a we if that happened today into twenty twenty three, twenty twenty four, it would have been a very different conversation.
I don't think it would have happened correct in the first place. Yes, you're a crack.
So it's very upsetting to watch this episode for multiple reasons, because it takes me back to a time where I really was not in a good place with the show. We didn't have a good relationship and being treated that way and treating the show that way, you know, like taking accountability for the way I was acting and treating the show that I loved so much that way. But it's like being in a bad relationship at the time. It felt like being in that relationship was like this was bringing out the worst in me, not the best. And so anyway, I love this episode, the content of it and your performance and a lot of people's performances in this episode, but it takes me back to a very very specific place, and it's very strange, very very strange.
Yeah, I can't like, I can't imagine to a certain extent because yeah, I mean I guess I was there. Yeah, But I also what I find most striking about what you just said was that we were doing a scene and then you had the thought, I just need to get out of here, because that's not you like you, especially when you're at work. You're there to work, you're giving one hundred percent, We're going to do it. And for you to get to a point where you felt like I'm going to get out of the work day, like it's not a normal rational thing to have, which means like you were at point, yeah, like you had to physically separate yourself from the situation.
Yes, I couldn't be there anymore. I actually physically, like physically couldn't be there anymore.
And I think it was also a lesson for all of us. Unfortunately in this god you were somehow always in the position of like being is not the right word, but like the person who got the brunt of some things on behalf of all of us from like the higher ups, Like we sent an email and like the first season or something when we had concerns about something and was signed all of us, but it came from Jenna's email, and then she got in trouble because she sent the email, but it was from all of us. So there were things like that happening. And I remember being on set and people being like crew members being like it is Jenn, Okay, what's happening with gentlemen, she's signed, It's not it's not as because it ended up being the way a lot of things were dealt with, meaning they weren't dealt with, and then that person just disappeared from the episode. Yes, and I think that watching you sort of crack when you're not someone who ever would normally, and then of course you're acting out because we see other people act out, and then they get whole episodes written about them, or they get time off to go do other jobs, and they're having storylines, and so then you feel it's like this, you feel gas lit. Because I have to say, when the term gas light became such a huge term a couple of years ago, I thought back to many instances of watching people being gaslet, whether it was cast a cast producers to cast of producers. Totally, there were so many instances of that and I didn't know what I was observing, and then being able to put that word to it, Yeah, was pretty mind blowing for me. And I think this is one of those moments where yes, and I don't necessarily think theres anyone to blame, because you look back and like, we didn't have the dialogue or the knowledge or the time or the time to really think deeply about these things and care for people. Now we do because we talk about it when we're not working, and.
Everyone knows, yes, yeah, you know, that's totally right, It's totally there, really isn't anybody to blame that. It was just a collective effort of things and from the I mean I remember even on the tour there was some drama going on at one point, and again it's not my story to tell, but there were some cast that was going to actually be sent home and multiple cast members and it really was very minimal and it happened for like a thirty minute thought process. I think it went through like in us being like that can happen. You can't send them home, Like it's just not gonna that. We can't do that. But it's like just the thought process of where they were at the time. The producers were at the time going like we'll just extricate it from is the issue and like not deal with it, you know what I mean. It was kind of like, oh, that's how things are handled, you know.
And it makes sense in a small way because like we don't have the time or money to waste, so like let's just remove the problem, right, But then that goes to reinforce all the things like what you were feeling that you're expendable.
Totally like okay, I'll get kind of right. Instead of being asked how we are and if there's anything that we need or could help with, or how can we find a solution. So anyway, I don't want to spend too much time on it, but Tina disappears, and it's I think it's an important topic that you know, like other people I'm sure went through we saw people crack and you know, obviously those are in our stories to tell. But this is our podcast, so I get to tell my.
I mean there were yeah, there were several and sometimes if you caught someone on the right day, they were understanding about things. But mm hmm, yeah, a lot of the time was just like you're crazy and ungrateful, that's it.
I think it was like you guys are making so much money, like I mean relative right, you know, and look look at you and your you know, look at your life, and so it's a it was a hard balance to find and it was really this was really the darkest time. This is my dark time of way.
I do think it's important that you talk about it for a number of reasons. And one I know we keep referencing how like, oh, when we do the Michael episode, I keep saying, like the wheels have fully fallen off. I think this story is very indicative of the time because it wasn't just you who like it was everything, and I think you were like the shining example of how everyone in every department was sort of cracking awesome, right, Like it sort of felt like, yeah, oh, she's the most identifiable thing that's going on right now, so we'll.
Just pick that one and get it rid of it for the moment.
And yeah, because there's a moment too where I guess we'll just talk about it now when we were shooting black or white, she just talked about that now. Yeah, so we were shooting black or white. It was taking a really long time, and a lot of us were sort of I think in Jenna's company in terms of none of us were acting the most professionally because we I don't for whatever reason, we were all tired and it sort.
Of had it.
It was a really hard shoot and it sounds so ungrateful and brady, and I'm fully aware of that because some of it was. I think a lot of it was like because you get used to your little bubble and everything's taken care of for us, and like, we do have these fancy expectations. Yes, so we're shooting this episode. The cameras haven't moved. We've been shooting for eight hours, and we were all a little confused as to like, normally the number, this number is not complicated, why this is taking so long, Like we have so much to do, Like how do we speed this up? And then we decided as a group, this is also we would never normally do this. Somebody texted Brad, somebody texted Ryan, oh my god, saying similar things of like somebody needs to get to set because we don't know what's going on. No one's spoken to us in hours. We're doing the same thing over and over, and normally the last shot we would do is steady cam Andrew would get on the stage and do all the close ups. Like we haven't even done that. We've already been shooting.
This for eight hours. That's a really long time.
And so they show up, both of them, and they're like, what's going on? And we explain it, like okay. Then they go talk to Alfonso in the camera department and they come back and sort of just lay into us because like you your job is not to be concerned about what the cameras are doing, like your job like and also they're like well we heard your dance was sloppy and they had to call zach in and that's why it's been taking right And maybe it was I don't I don't know. And so there was like a full breakdown in communication. Oho, and that was the last time Ryan ever came to set until the very end of the show. Oh he stopped coming to set. Wow, because something had broke us. I mean something had broken Yes, in so many different levels, Yes, yes, yes, because I think he was done with us, like you guys are just like shitty and braddy, Yeah, and like how dare you complain? And to an a certain extent, I think he's right, right, yeah, yeah, wow, And so I think, yeah, it was that's what was going on underneath this.
Entire beautiful episode of Michael. Yeah. And to be fair, like on a show likely like you know when you said, like Elidie Keane came in for the first time early in season one and asked like how do we do this? And we kind of like tell these structures like this is kind of how it's done. I'm sure you've heard, like you know, and this is generally our formula because it's never been done before. There was a sense of ownership over our house that we were like, this is how things are done, and not that we implied it in that kind of dominant way, but like, this is how it's usually done. There's the you know, we had the structure of how we do musical numbers, right, so when it's not being done like that and things are not moving and in the interest of the show, you're like, we're not going to make our day, We're gonna have to come back into this another day. Like there was that kind of mindset that we were in, which agree, it's not our job, like that is not our job. But in the way that things had been handled previously to this with other directors and things like this felt kind of normal. I don't know, not justifying it, but I'm just kind of it.
Also felt like we've done a lot of like crazy complicated numbers, even in this episode, and this was one of the more straightforward ones, right this, Yeah, like there is a formula to it, and like if something is more complicated, we are understanding of that. But again, our job isn't. As we were told by a producer at some point, our job was to show up on time our lines and and that's about it.
Well, we did a lot more than that.
Leah said in twenty seventeen and watch What Happens Live that this episode was her least favorite to shoot because it was really hard.
Okay, well at tracks ye see even yeah, this is rough.
It was all of us. But that being said, I think this episode is very good.
There's not a lot that actually happens plot wise because it's all about Michael.
Let's take care of some of these plot things real quick and then also talk about some of these fun facts because the biggest things that happened were and is still waiting for Rachel to respond about getting engaged. Quinn gets into Yale, which is wild. See you later, Quinn like how? And then Kurt and Kirk.
Gets into Yaha is in the finals for Ernada and Rachel is Rachel Yeah yeah.
And so then because Rachel feels like she's before she found out she was a finalist, she feels like she has nothing left but Finn. So then she decides to say yes to the marriage proposal, and then she finds out she's a finalst.
And he's like, did you tell Finn?
And so that's sort of like the story, right minus we'll talk more about the Warblers and the Regionals, but Darren, but that's not so that doesn't really change the trajectory of a lot of these characters exactly.
So this was originally scheduled to premiere on January twenty fourth, but it had been pushed because of the state of the Union. I remember that, yeah, I.
Do too, and Brad had mentioned since before the second season ended they were planning and doing a big tribute episode that they've been wanted to do since the first season, but did not reveal the name of the artist, which I think is why some of us were speculating for so long about if we were going to do a Michael episode. And I also think the line where we're all sitting in the library and talking about how great Michael is and Rachel is talking about how she didn't get it, I think that was Ryan's voice, which I think was really valuable in this way, because he, I don't think was the biggest Michael fan and he didn't get it. It was not his thing, and so like through Rachel could voice, which I thought was also really cool to have, like, not everybody's gonna like the same thing, Let's just have a contrariant.
To talk about it. Yeah.
But on December sixth, the same day the Hold On sixteen was airing that featured three Jackson family songs, Ryan announced that they had finally obtained the rights to do a Michael Jackson tribute.
Episode, filming yan on December twelfth, twenty eleven, and then we both of the last two shooting days before the vacation ran a couple of the horse passed in the night that was bad was one of them, with the final night not ending it until three in the morning, which makes sense because then you don't have to turn around. You don't need the twelve hour turnaround legally or contractually, so they could work until we get it done essentially because we don't have to come back to work the Wednesday, and filming had not yet completed when in the twelfth episode with Raheemar and the Spanish teacher began filming on January sixth, So we were doing two episodes in parallel, and the last final Michael Jackson's number was shown on g January thirteenth, So this was over a month. So does that mean that this is the longest episode over Super Bowl or Super over two months?
No super Bowl? I mean there's and neck. Yeah, okay, okay, well, I mean we even started the thirteenth episode and we're still shooting this episode. We had moved on two episodes. Yeah, the Warblers number I Want You Back was cut for time.
Why didn't they keep this one and cut Ben? That's the question. Did they have to cut keep Ben in so they could see Blaine so he could talk about his surgery next week before he goes away? Because why can't you do that without a song? It was a short scene. I think it would have been too short. It was they really jumped into that. I don't know, I don't know, I don't know.
We did all kinds of weird scenes, you know, it wouldn't have been that weird if.
Curabout in the next episode about it?
Could you imagine like people just sitting around a hospital bed and start singing Ben to you? Like, how if in real life, if it was just these kids singing Ben, I would be like, you.
Need to go.
I'm trying to they patches.
Yeah, okay, Well that's the question that I need to know about. And the reason why Darren was written off getting eye or that Blaine is off getting eye and injury was that Darren could go do how to succeed in business without really trying on Broadway, booked and busy, biked and busy. See, he was allowed to do stuff.
I just about to say that, just about to say it. There were there were double standards left and right. M h and it was sometimes a little hard to deal with.
Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah.
And that has nothing to do with, honestly, the people who were getting allowed to do things, because that's not on them. They got to do this and they approval anyway, I know. Although in the end of the episode, Will state that they would do Michael Jackson songs at Regional's. Obviously by the end of the episode they're like, we're not going to do Michael. And this is the last episode, last tribute episode with Ryan as the official writer on the script.
Which makes sense.
Also, Kurt was seen in will Spanish class in this episode, but Kurt takes French and girl Jesus, he was taking French, so.
I will say, I take it back though, because I was allowed to go do Gaga's music video, So I take it. I take that back. That's rude. She was allowed to go do that. It wasn't a long run, but it was like two days.
Off, but Lady Gaga personally called Ryan Murphy though.
Well, that's the only way I was to do it. You're right, there's no way I would have been like, hey, Ryan, can I do it in a Lady Gaga music video and him be like yeah, Jenna, sure, you're actually like a crazy person, but go ahead, go on.
That's what I mean. You literally had to have Gaga personally called to get your approval to get you to do something. But also I get it's not normal to be able to do other jobs while you're doing your.
Job, but it's also yeah, it's just not what happens. But because the show was so massive and we were so many people that everybody wanted to do something and anyway, okay.
Yeah, I mean I had There was every single summer for the first like four years, there was a movie that I was like booked to do but couldn't end up doing because the schedule ended up.
A tour and like yeah, okay, okay, oh wait did we talk about your performance and scream? Okay. So this inspired several reviewers to write of their regret that Kevin could not dance more often on the show. Holley Lou Other reviewers called him a sorely underused Glee resource. I've heard that before, and called the number the fast dance moment of the episode. Agreed. Another reviewer said this number is evidence of already only a junior. There is life in directions after McKinley's current seniors graduates, and they are correct, there is life after here. We are, okay, So let's talk about the Warblers, Kevin, because that's mainly the.
Because we're back, they're back in the glee club, and so we decide that we're going to do Michael Jackson and then you know, I want to be starting. Something happens and we all get to like where those different looks of Michael, which was fun.
Can you rate each number done for this? Like? How? How? What? What you would give it each? No, A, B, C D. I'd give this number a B. Okay, just curious. I don't know which ones you're going to say are well done and not?
Maybe plus maybe I think it's fine. It was very glee was it was?
Yeah? I like that we can pay a.
Monster all the different looks and things like that, and the dancing in the hallway was nice.
Yeah, that's that was good. That's really fun.
And I also think over time too, if you look, shooting dance is really hard, and Alfonso is such an incredible cinematographer, like his vision for things, and I think with each episode he gets better and better and more creative with shooting dance, and so I think a lot of these things are really beautifully done.
Great.
There's a great scene in the line of Bean which I loved, where Sebastian shows up. It's like he's always here. It's very good. And come to find out, yeah, Blaine has given up the secret to Sebastian, who's now the captain. Somehow of the Warblers that we do directions were planning on doing Michael Jackson. So Warblars are going to do Michael Jackson and so starts all this feud and we get our first Santana and Sebastian fight, and this is wildly sanely inappropriate. And also Santana looks like she she doesn't lose. No one can keep up with her, and she's taken aback.
Yes, which is so yes, she's on her match.
Like the ease at which Sebastian can just throw out racist comments is pretty incredible.
Oh my god, so we decided, so we're going to do we can't do my goal at regionals. Now, we can't do it because Warburgs are going to do it. But but Will's brilliant assignment for the week is what would Michael Jackson wonder? Where he got that idea?
And I also like, instead of worrying about the set list for Regionals, I want to talk about getting you in the right headspace for you. It was like, no, we should be worrying about the set list. Maybe he should be worrying about the set list for once. We're too busy working on his proposal to Emma. Oh god, a lot of proposals.
Okay. Blaine's idea though, is to take to the streets and off to the Fox Parking Paramount parking lot we go. We shot this in the middle of the night. We didn't have any choreography for it. Well, we did have choreography, we just didn't know it. So Zach and Brooke, who did this whole episode like they did every other episode, had to do an enormous amount of Michael Jackson number and we knew.
That, Like, because we were so busy shooting, you couldn't get all of us into rehearsal at the same time. So some of us knew different parts of this going into it, but we didn't know where it was going to be staged, how it was going to be used. Right until some of the people didn't know any of it. And so we got in there right the sun was still up, right. We got in there post lunch, I believe we had a late lunch. Was this This was the last number we shot I think before Christmas Break.
That's correct, because then I came back Christmas Break for one scene and so yes, this was the last number and this was the one that we were into three am, I think. And uh, ironically, this looks like very Sharks and Jets west Side Story esque, which you know Grant was obviously a West Side Story recently, and it's very like I liked it.
I remember, I liked this much more than I remember. It actually looks like I don't.
What do you give this one? I give this one an A minus? Right, Well, okay, I think it's good. I think it's yeah, yeah, yeah. I like how it does that job.
And I think it's being able to take myself away from.
Like it.
Yeah, shit storm. Objectively, I think it's pretty good.
And that was Grant's first slushy throw into Blaine's face, which was meant for Kurt but had rock salt in it, which we'll find out later. Well.
Speaking of which, so we're all talking about Blaine is in the hospital, has to get surgery. Everyone's pissed off, and then Will is like, we don't I don't condone violence, we can't retaliate. Blah, blue blue, blue, blue.
Blue, you know, Artie, He says something correct this time he does already gets fired up and gets really mad. He did filming this really, I love this scene for you. I felt so awkward.
I don't know. I think there's something about like filming it where the the tension has to rise enough for like already.
To pop off like that. Oh I see.
And so it always felt like I was trying to make it happen, and I think it was also made me just my possible lack of skill at the time, where it didn't feel right, nothing felt right, and then it felt like I oun't know where I'm just like blowing up, and then everybody's quiet, and I felt really awkward for some reason being in front of all of you, because like you and I didn't have moments like this really yeah, So I wasn't used to it, and then here I am. I'm like, is this right? Is this what Aardie would say?
Is this right? Like?
Am I doing this correct? I didn't feel like I was meeting the moment as well.
As I wanted to. You did, and it came out great. I've got it where it really worked and it's a really good segue into the best number of the episode, Scream Budget another dream moment for Ardie. Did you know that you were gonna dance in this episode or when did you find out?
No, And we did not pitch scream. I did not pitch me dancing for the record.
Cool but Ryan Mustard and Ryan knows how much you love Michael too, so he loved to do that for people. He loved to give people what they want, the people they want.
It was really I felt it felt really special to be able to do that with Harry. It was also terrifying because then I was gonna have to dance next to Harry, like, watch Harry, That's how it's supposed to look. No, I'm literally leaning over it because I'm falling.
No, no, no, you did great. But it was so much fun.
I mean, we were shooting that all day on one of our smaller stages and people kept coming in to watch, and it was just a blast, Like I hadn't made a proper music video since my old boy band days.
Yeah, what it was that daylight? Tell me about it.
It felt just like that. It was just the music video.
And how many rooms did you guys shooting because there were three different It looked like there were three different sets, right, like the big room, the tunnel, and then there's one other one like the walkway or whatever was it? Were they different or did they reset it?
The walk The catwalk was in the same place as like the bigger room. They just put in the catwalk. And then yeah, that tunnel looking thing with the door coming up, that was obviously one. And then there was a little setup of us like we were holding our headphones and like screaming. That was the first thing we did that day. And then there was a gigantic green screen where we did like us floating, and we did all the stuff of us where they placed us on a ceiling and stuff like that. We did all that chance was.
Did you were you in harnesses? Were you floating?
No? We were laying down basically on this on a box or something a box.
Yeah, shot from above. I was like, did they break in harnesses because that looked awesome? Yeah, I couldn't.
I was actually very worried about how all the CG was going to look because it's a TV show, Like, I mean, the show's already expensive. How much can they really time and money can they dedicate to this? But we also because of the Michael Jackson estate, couldn't do certain things. We had to stay below a certain percentage of matching like shot for shot or doing the same movements making the song sound the same. So things legally had to be different enough. And I remember us talking about it because there were obviously things in the actual music video that Harry and I had talked about doing in it, and so we just sort of like just a moment where I'm sitting sort of like meditating ish or it's not exactly the same. So I was like, maybe I can get away with this if I change how I'm sitting a little bit, and just like threw it in hoping things like that would make it in m But I love I was very very.
Proud of that it looks awesome it looks really really cool. It's my favorite number of that episode and for multiple reasons. But I was excited for you to do another dance number and also the two of you. It's just so great and it's like it's different. It's right, it's actually a music video versus very separate. Yeah, but it's it totally worked, and it actually gave like the episode some dynamic and like, really you kind of rabbed me up a little bit for the rest of it. I was like, Okay, here we go, so I do.
Personally, I was very excited to see what we're going to be wearing because in the actual music video they have those crazy like puffy pointy shirts on and things I.
Know, and they did a really great jobs, very cool. Were they like plastic here like silicon and puffs?
No, they were.
I believe it was soft.
It was almost like, yeah, it was like those nineties things that, like you were popular for a little bit.
Shoulder path.
No, Like I don't know how to explain it. It's almost like soundproofing material.
But yes, yes, what you're talking about.
Yes, And I loved like them making Harry look like Janet a little bit like this in the eyeliners.
It's so good eyeshadow. You guys like, dope, great child. I loved it. It was very great job. You should be very proud of that. I am proud of that one. Good. I give that one an A plus. I do too. And then Quinn gets into you.
Quin gets into Yale. I love this scene though, the scene between Rachel and Quinn when Rachel asked for advice Diana's best work. Love it.
Yeah, it's really good and it's kind of true. Like watching this back now, you're like, girl, you guys are eighteen, not even eighteen years old. It's but it's so right, Like you think the person you're within high school and some people are in high school, like that's it. They're the one like you think your life's sober after high school, whereas Quinn was actually the voice for reason being, like you have so much ahead, like look to it because kids need to hear that a little bit, Like everything feels like the end of the world in high school. And so I just I wish I had kind of more perspective on what was to come versus like how much how much energy I put into everything there? And that's not like a bad thing, right, but like you, just the stakes are so high. The stakes are just so.
High, I thought her after she does her number, which I think was also so sweet, I mean, beautiful, great. I her speech made me feel things because it did give me that whole perspective of when you're in high school. It's the first time I've actually really felt that, like graduation is coming and when you're in high school. All these things I've been made such a big deal on the show, all these high school things, is how high school feels a lot of the time. And to be able to put that perspective, We're like, you guys are so young, and your whole life hasn't life hasn't even started yet, and you already feel like you've.
Lived it right, right, right, It's so true. It's so true. Yeah.
So I really liked like, in between all these crazy numbers and the spectacle of the episode, you have some quinn wisdom.
It was very nice and grounding, I mean, and granted, she did have a baby already, so that's right, she's lived the worldly one. Oh god, Okay, so Quinn's beautiful number and then human Ature, which, oh my goodness, how cute are they? Why do they have so much chemistry, I know, and like just the both of them on that song. I love that song. It's one of my favorite next songs. And then the two of them doing it with the guitar. It was just a perfect harmony of all the things lining at once. It was really really well done.
And that was also that number was exactly what things like Harry and I had talked about right right right or it is a different enough version, you're not trying to be Michael, and it fits them so well, and it was just really beautiful. And this sounds like on that song.
She's ss of frequent all things, but like to hear her singer. Michael's song was really.
And just those little runs that she's adding and like what, oh, bud.
Out of here?
And they sound so nice together because their tones are so different. Butda man, I loved it. And then Amberg door Mercedes cheets on her. Man she does, but I'm not even mad at it. Oh no, we don't, ye know, sorry on the show. We need our Sam and saies together. It's very cute. I want to say. I was very happy to see some more Michael Mallley, some Burton Kurt. That's sweet Kurt, getting his acceptance or acceptance run.
Yeah, oh god, they get me every time. They get me every time.
The Kurt had a lot of like fiery funny stuff this episode that seen with Curt and Santana, and Kurt's like plotting all the way He's going to take revenge on Sebastian, and Satana's the voice of reason for once.
She's like, I just.
Like I got to make it out of here, and you can't get in trouble. So she plots and has one of the most iconic performances in Glee her history.
It's funny to hear Grant talk about it as one of the least rehearse scenes that they've ever done, and I get what he's saying behind it, because like I know those numbers that but that's all that. Then that's like a testament to Nya and Grant and the talents they are that we're given kind of this like playing field and this map to like go like just cat and house. It get closer and closer until the end and then basically like they had like free rein And I like those numbers because if you know your character well enough, you know you want like you just let people go and the two of them obviously are you need no direction? And and then like the two cellos also watching them go literally like fiercely go at each other. It was so cool. It was such a great number.
I loved NYA starting like right where they are and it was sort of like come and get me. And then those I thought that the simple things like how that room looked, the chairs looking how that you know, how they were organized in a circle. It just looked so beautiful and it was different than what we would normally see, which is also just refreshing.
Nice.
Yeah, her showing up in that like Fedora and stuff is crazy but hilarious. And kudos to Andrew Mitchell for that one. Yes, the steady cam creator those shares, and then probably Corey behind him moving the chairs her crews amazing.
You slipped over bed. Just wait, you have to you have to rate smooth criminal a rate human nature A minus. Yeah. Okay, and then that happens and we've already covered it. Rate it f F not an Asian f F. Oh and never you can say goodbye.
Yeah, I'd give that B plus.
I give it B plus plus. Yeah, it's really sweet. Yeah, I think it's sweet. I think it's sweet. We just can't give everything in a uh being so gentle.
Oh, so Rachel and Finn stay back, right, everyone's going to like confront the war Yeah, the Warblers, and Finn like, we'll meet you there. I have a full number plan, don't worry about it, and launches into I just can't stop loving you. By the way, I think they both sound incredible.
Yeah.
I didn't really remember this number that well, probably because.
We weren't there. I think they sound great. I'm like, I could I could have done about this one.
I do think it fit well.
They needed it for the storyline, but.
Their storyline really well, I don't know. I know.
Here's the thing. I think the thing was, it felt like there were all these really cool numbers that we had never seen done before. We saw Smooth Criminal in a different you know, like with the circle, you know kind of cat and house thing. We saw your Guys' music video. We saw Sam with the guitar and Mercedes. We you don't see a lot and so it felt a little to Rachel and Finn asque to me that was like, could have done something else. But I'll say it was a great number and it moved a plot along, so like, you know, I'm not gonna yeah you want it.
But an acting number they had they had to get brooken, Zacha break.
It's true, and they was sweet. They they were just very sweet and it was very emotional. What do you get it? What do you rate this? I give this like a B minus.
Yeah, I think I agree. Okay, but they sound very good, very good. And I like hearing Leah up there, you know, just popping and doing those super high notes real quick.
Yeah, that's like, it's very satisfying. What's the song she does in Journey when they do Faithfully? Oh my god, she sounds good up there. Probably it is not easy, but no, she sounds very good there. Okay, So Rachel says yes, and they're going to get wild engaged. They are engaged, and then you have black and white, which we.
I would just like the publicly state. I also don't think I should have done the wrap.
There was nobody else to do it, Kevin, nobody else to do.
It seeing me saying the line, or have somebody else do I'm not going to spend my life being a color. Mmm mmm that doesn't sit right with me.
Mmm.
Well there was this. It was a really my biggest concern for the Michael episode was did we have the right people for the job?
Right? I get that, I get that, do you know what I mean? Yeah? Yeah yeah, But that's why the different versions. How so you had to do the different versions?
Yeah?
Yeah, because that was the impetus of like, if we're going to just like cut and paste here.
It's not gonna work.
It's not gonna work. Yeah, because none of us can sing.
Like that, right, Like, well nobody can.
Well anybody's the only one who I think had like the full capability of like range and pocket to sing it straight up Michael song obviously, But the rest of us.
You have it. You have it, Kevin, you have it, you have it.
You can fake it, okay, oh my god. But I do have to say the memes that have come out of us, our faces Michael warping into each other are great.
Terrifying, Yeah, very terrifying. What would you rate this number black and only b mm hmm. It's fine, And we did, we take the higher road, and we let Sebastian know that we have them on tape, but we don't. You know, Santa Stana had more work under her boob and you know it didn't. We're not going to use it and we're not going to do my goal and we're not going to tell on him because we want to play. We want a fair game. So I don't agree with that. But no, see why, I see.
Why the bigger when they go low, we go low.
Stop it. Cut it out. Sebastian is a terrible person.
Cut it out.
He did do terrible things, and I don't think that it was right. Let's do some tardy jakes cringe moments. Sebastian's comments to Santana at the top of this episode, We're alarming.
Yeah, I would say that, coupled with I just I feel like when students get injured at the school, like I was getting physically harassed for years, it seems like, and then all of a sudden, it's everybody else is getting in trouble when or not getting like it was felt like it was not. There's not an equal scale here.
Well, welcome to Glee. Yeah, best and smooth scream. Yeah that's right, song scream and smooth I.
Would say smooth criminal. But I am also partial to human nature.
I love oh close third Close thirds by prop The entire Scream set totally the underboob tape recorder from radio.
It's very good, very funny. Best line so that scene where.
Santana and Kurt are talking about how then get revenge, and Santana goes, well, today's youre lucky day because Auntie Snacks just arrived on the Bitchdown Express. Now, my suggestion is that we drag him bounding gag to a tattoo parlor for a tramp stamp that reads tips appreciated or congratulations you're my one thousand customer. Funny, so funny, so good. There was a lot of good, like random quotes in this episode, Yes, there were.
Kurt had some good ones. Uh live here, god, yeah, can we talk about that.
Kurt does say I take a lot of crap from a lot of people, but I refuse to take it from Sebastian the criminal Chipmunk.
Stop. That's funny, poor Grant. I know he really got it. I mean we all don't. But yeah, it's a right of passage.
It is.
You didn't really doglee until they made fun of you for real.
Truth?
Yeah, performance, Kevin McCain, I don't know. Yes, Kevin, take it. You were an episode you sang on almost every song.
Okay, just take it.
It was great. Great job in this episode. Thank you very much. It's like pulling teeth with you. I know.
So shit. We found on the TikTok her name is Demi DeVito.
Oh my god, it's very good.
Did an entire scene basically playing a range of characters from like Rachel, Will, Emma, Quinn, Mercedes Finn with current songs and how they'd be used in the show. And it is so like the start of the scene with the song. It is so accurate. So you can if you watch it, you can visualize the entire scene. You know exactly how right she is. Very good, so accurate, very good. Someone said, who's going to tell me Glee had a new season? Exactly? It does make me jealous, so because well, Will doing water is horrifying and absolutely what would have happened?
But no, that's exactly it's like ice ice baby. Yeah, like what.
Wow, I just see this is brilliant. Thanks for people for being creative and funny and tagging us in these things, because.
What what so good? No, these are really really good, so good. Come back next week because we have a very special guest with us to do a recap. I don't think we would have guessed to recap with us yet. We haven't asked one cheees with us, and she's going to recap the Spanish teacher. So come back and let's talk all things Ricky Martin, because I don't want to hear about your experience on this episode.
Hot hot, hot hot, Jenna, thanks for opening up about this time in.
Your life, my dark times of Glee.
Yeah, I'm sorry that we had to watch this episode.
It's fine. I come I come out of a hole, and I come out better, bigger, and better than ever.
So don't want to have a question. Yeah, now, we seven people acted out, they got episodes.
Did you get an episode out of this? Stay tuned in a few short episodes. Tina's going to sing a big Seleen Dion song. She's gonna have a whole episode where she falls in a sout. It is glorious. So let me tell you act out get an episode.
The squeaky wheel, Jenna, that was the thing. I didn't know the phrase, the squeaky wheel. What does it get the oil or whatever? Yeah, something like that until this, until I worked on Glee. Because oh yeah, the bad behavior was rewarded.
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, but we've learned and we've grown. We have.
But Ryan talked about this, you know, like we we all would have done things differently. We were all trying to figure it out on every level.
It's so true. It is really so true. There's no really nobody to blame. It was just a learning, a collective learning effort that again I wish I hadn't gone through it. Just be like I wish I didn't have to go through it, but I'm okay, you got a song out of it. I just like, how's it going over there?
You're also not the first person to get punished and get PTO, and I started to lose my mind. I'm like, well should I.
Do as well as well? There was a point though, where you're like, am I gonna be back? Are they gonna bring me back? Yeah? Gary, Okay, well come back next week and we'll find out if change it comes back.
And that's what you really missed. Thanks for listening and follow us on Instagram at and that's what you really miss pod. Make sure to write us a review and leave us five stars.
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