Girl Power! Were We Taken with Glee’s Female Empowering ‘Sadie Hawkins?’

Glee returned from its winter hiatus on January 24 with the disappointing, trying-too-hard-to-be-romantic “Sadie Hawkins” episode. Let's break it down: Tina wants Blaine; Blaine is crushing on Sam (who still loves Brittany). Meanwhile, Rachel and Brody are moving too fast, Kurt is smitten with a new guy, and New Directions find a way to take down The Warblers. What worked, what didn’t? Here’s how “Sadie Hawkins” scored on Broadway.com’s Glee Report Card.

NEW STUDENT
Adam (Oliver Kieran-Jones): “A senior, founder and fearless leader of the Adam’s Apples [NYADA’s show choir]”. He's also Kurt's new beau.

HONOR ROLL
Best Number: “Tell Him” performed by the ladies of New Directions. The number really embodied the theme of Sadie Hawkins: it was retro, fun and empowering.

Best Pep Talk: “Life’s not about waiting to be asked and neither is this dance. Now, get out there and get what’s yours. Just remember one thing, the worst he can say is no.” —Coach Beiste to the Sadie Hawkins wallflowers

Best Dressed at Sadie Hawkins: Tina. Her character’s storyline this week may have been a holy mess, but at least she looked flawless in her asymmetrical midnight blue frock.

Scene with the Most Heart: The moment Blaine and Tina excepted that they were in love with guys who don't love them back. Still, neither of them gave up their foolish crushes.

Relationship of the Week: Marley and Jake. We have been back and forth about this budding couple, but their openness, respect and admiration for each other during the dance really moved us…this time around.

Star of the Episode: By default, Jenna Ushkowitz as Tina Cohen-Chang. She had a big solo (“I Don’t Know How To Love Him”) and a pretty pivotal dramatic arc. The only issue: why would this girl fall in love with her gay best friend this late in the game? Especially after dating this.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION
“Young guys, like you, think you have to hit a homerun every time, but as long as you’re getting on base, you’re always in a position to score.” —Puck, clearly not talking about actual baseball

PROM NIGHT
“The most awkward night of heavy petting we’re likely to get until we wake up in a nursing home getting groped by an orderly.” — Tina explaining why prom isn’t all it's cracked up to be

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
“Stage combat majors are the jocks, the classical acting majors are the preps and the ballerinas are the mean girls.” — Kurt decoding the cliques at a performing arts college

DETENTION
It’s quite a list this week: Tina thinking she can have a real romantic relationship with gay Blaine; Rachel for asking a guy to move in with her after a single night together; Kitty offering her body to both Puckerman brothers, and Adam for telling Kurt he’d make a great Brick in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

A FOR EFFORT:
The Adam’s Apples performance of “Baby Got Back” didn’t quite work. Was it worth all the controversy? Not really.

FINAL GRADE
C