Glee - A Wedding - Review - "Review and Fav Song Poll"

Glee, “A Wedding,” was written by Ross Maxwell and directed by Bradley Buecker. It was a fun, heart-warming episode with only good surprises – DOUBLE wedding, anyone?! However, it was also rather song-light for me, with the first song not happening until 30 minutes into the episode. The best part of the episode was seeing all the cameos of people we haven’t seen yet this season. However, I was very disappointed not to have even a glimpse of either Jayma Mays (Emma) or Dianna Agron (Quinn). Both are notable absences who would be very unlikely to have missed the wedding. Couldn’t they have even photoshopped them in? Grabbed them for an hour to get one shot?

The best part of the episode is perhaps what Glee does best – other than sing and dance – it sends a positive message. It also doesn’t shy away from pointing out that Brittany (Heather Morris) and Santana (Naya Rivera) have to cross state lines to Indiana to get married because it’s still not legal in Ohio. Of course, that means that they can get married in the barn where Brittany was born!

One thing that every girl enjoys is shopping for dresses! So it was great to have a double shot of Say Yes to the Dress in the middle of the episode! It was hilarious to watch Brittany freak out over everything, but especially over Santana seeing her in her wedding dress and giving them bad luck. Another thing that Glee does well is supply useful information, like the fact that that tradition comes from the time of arranged marriages.

I loved that Burt (Mike O’Malley) officiated. Burt has long been one of my favorite characters, so I was thrilled to have him back. As always, he did the best possible job. It was also great to have Carole (Romy Rosemont) and see the two of them as the happy couple. There’s a tribute to Finn (Cory Monteith) in their commitment to living every day to the fullest. Of course, they are supportive of Rachel (Lea Michele) and Sam (Chord Overstreet). I liked that that support is really just expressed by them smiling and encouraging the two to take the dance floor.

Was anyone surprised to see Santana’s Abuela (Ivonne Coll) show up at the wedding? I was surprised that that was how Sue (Jane Lynch) was going to ensure her invite to the wedding though! I loved that we see Sue use her evil for good! I did really like that neither Abuela or Santana had to abandon their beliefs or principles. Glee is too smart for that. Abuela still doesn’t believe in two women being together and Santana still objects to organized religion, but they put family ahead of all of that. I love Ivonne Coll and she delivers a terrific performance here. If you like her, and you like quirky shows that push boundaries, do yourself a favor and check out Jane the Virgin.

Of course, the biggest surprise is Brittany and Santana’s plan for a double wedding. Walter (Harry Hamlin) also tells Kurt (Chris Colfer) not to waste time – as Burt and Carole do later in the episode. He’s not mad that Kurt wants to go to the wedding with Blaine (Darren Criss) he’s just jealous of the time they have that he wasted. If he doesn’t get together with Sheldon Beiste (Dot-Marie Jones) before the end of the series, I’m going to be very upset!

Kurt and Blaine reunite before the wedding, but are still caught absolutely flat-footed when faced with tuxedos. Of course they say yes and our wife/wife, husband/husband wedding is a go. I quite liked how they cut the vows together.

The wedding itself is the celebration you’d expect. I wish that they had made this a two part episode with an entire hour for the ceremony and reception because there just wasn’t enough singing and dancing for me. Especially when we finally get Mike (Harry Shum Jr) back! We do get lots of Sugar Motta (Vanessa Lengies) which was fun. Another notable omission was Brad Ellis as Brad the piano player.

Ken Jeong is hysterical as Pierce Pierce. His toast is the most awkward thing ever! It was great to see the “mom” guest stars – Jennifer Coolidge (Whitney Pierce), Gloria Estefan (Maribel Lopez), Gina Gershon (Pam Anderson), and Rosemont – take the stage as the Troubletones. I loved Pierce Pierce leaping on Whitney at the end of their song and rubbing his face on her! We also get treated to Sue and Beiste slow dancing together.

Once again, Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz) finds herself out of step with everyone else. The wedding has her thinking about her own situation and what she lost with Mike. They’ve reconnected – via texting! – over the last year, so she proposes to him. He sensibly refuses her. I have to admit to being disappointed that this power couple is going to remain the one that got away. However, I did love Tina and Arte (Kevin McHale) vowing over their picnic lunch that if they’re still single at 30, they’ll marry each other! I’m hesitant to root for them though because I like Arte with Kitty (Becca Tobin). I wonder if we’ll have time before the end of the series to have any closure there.

The episode ends with a final surprise wedding present from Sue. She’s got honeymoons for both couples. Brittany and Santana will be going away for a month, but Kurt and Blaine only get a weekend. With only 5 episodes left in the series, it looks like Santana and Brittany may only make it back for the series finale.

What did you think of the episode? Were you satisfied with the couples that got together and those that didn’t? Did you like the surprise of Kurt and Blaine getting married too? Were you surprised? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to vote for your favorite song!

About the Author - Lisa Macklem

I do interviews and write articles for the site in addition to reviewing a number of shows, including Supernatural, Arrow, Agents of Shield, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Forever, Defiance, Bitten, Glee, and a few others! Highlights of this past year include covering San Diego Comic Con as press and a set visit to Bitten. When I'm not writing about television shows, I'm often writing about entertainment and media law in my capacity as a legal scholar. I also work in theatre when the opportunity arises. I'm an avid runner and rider, currently training in dressage.