Is Glee getting awesome again?

As is becoming habit I suppose, this is based on one single episode as the Super Bowl episode, awesome though it was, was sufficiently spoiled for me by all aptly named spoilers Fox released beforehand. And I admit it was my fault but two months is a really long time to wait and they didn't have to release everything. Yeah yeah, excuses excuses.

I'm sure my assessment of this episode has a lot to do with the fact that it was quite heavily Santana based and my love for Santana knows no bounds. (Though my reasons for this should be better addressed in another post. A very long post. Eventually. Perhaps after the promised-to-be-amazing Episode 15?) But Santana reasons aside, and I know how hard it is to put Santana anything aside, I feel like the writers marathon-ed those first thirteen episodes over the break and brought back a lot of what was missing and then added Mike Chang dancing in slow motion. Verdict? Awesome. For this episode at least.

A few things:

1. Reaction shots. I swear the reaction shots really make the episodes sometimes. I mean just look at Mercedes' face when Finn tells the club about his charity idea or Fat Bottomed Girls' Mr. Schue, Santana, and Rachel especially with her whole range of emotion. Then go back and listen to Finn say the word smooch. Gets me every time.

2. Friendships. It's something this show needs more of. Have Mercedes and Quinn said a single word to each other this season? Though rare, when they do it right, the friendships become the best part of the show. I want to see more of Mercedes and Kurt hugging in the background and supporting each other and less of Kurt telling Mercedes she needs to have a boyfriend to get over him. So yay for sleepovers and inviting Rachel in on the fun too. Also, does anyone else think Mercedes' onesie for the sleepover was inspired by Hemo's in Nuthin' but a Glee Thang? It probably wasn't because of timing and all, but I like to think it was.

3. A capella background music. We all wondered where it went, and now it's back. Let's just hope it stays.

4. Relaxed settings. As in something other than the choir room. I love scenes at the Grind Me Coffe House, in their rooms, and especially Breadstix. They are legally forbidden to stop bringing you breadsticks after all.

5. Puck singing and Mike dancing. Puck bothers me as a character. A lot. But the boy can sing which is great because most of the guys on the show can't. Also, Mike dancing. In slo-mo. For Tina.

6. Gold stars. I actually forgot this about Rachel. How sad is that?

7. And on the Fuinn relationship, I kind of sort of get it. I don't think Quinn was ever over Finn. Maybe she loved him and maybe she didn't, but I think it really broke her to realize she couldn't be with him and it was all her fault. I mean, she was going to raise her baby with him. And now he's free and Sam is boring. And Finn is feeling reckless. He's been the good boyfriend twice before and what did that get him? He just wants to have some fun before he goes back to do the sensible thing again, which he will, because he always does. Maybe I'm not too happy with the way it's being done, but I will take anything that makes Quinn relevant again.

And randomness, does anyone else think it was a cop-out to have Zoey get a divorce in How I Met Your Mother? After that super emotional (What are you talking about? I wasn't crying. I, uh, have naturally watery eyes is all.) Last Words episode, I guess I'm just a little disappointed.