It has been far from perfect and still a far cry from season one, but the creative quality of the current third season of “Glee” has represented a vast improvement over that of season two. Following the solid “Asian F” episode, “Glee” delivered its best hour since season one with last week’s “The First Time.”
It followed up with “Mash Off.” Though technically an uneven episode plagued by the inane Quinn/Puck/Shelby storyline and the most ridiculously-odd take on dodgeball in the history of pop culture, it also featured a compelling handling of Santana’s sexuality, with a rattled Finn setting the wheels in motion for an unwanted, humiliating “outing” of the conflicted lesbian character.
“Mash Off” also featured a welcome return to the contemporary music covers that fueled the show in its early days. The “Rumour Has It/”Someone Like You” Adele mashup will be the best performing single of the season, indicative of how fans longed for the show’s ability to deliver creative, vocally-strong takes on popular songs.
