In some stunning recent news, Fox has decided to greenlight a third season for Glee even though the first season hasn't even finished yet. This isn't exactly unprecedented, but it's still pretty amazing considering how much of a long shot Glee looked like when Fox premiered it last spring. I would be less surprised if this show wasn't still such a daring program. I was actually a bit concerned when the stupendously cheesy opening posited Principal Figgins as a believer in vampires, only to see it turn into a clumsy segue into an episode dominated by the legacy of Lady Gaga. During those first ten minutes it really looked like Glee Season 1.5 had lost its brain on the way to capturing its #1 ratings slot, but then Ryan Murphy's script hit us with three very well-played, emotional stories that proved this series still has its heart in the right place.

There was a lot of important plot in this episode. Rachel puts the pieces of the puzzle together concerning the identity of her biological mother and confronts Shelby about it. The two have a few good scenes together that mostly put that thread on the shelf but definitely opens the show up to revive it at the right time, and of course to bring the fabulous Idina Menzel back for another couple songs. I'm really glad that Rachel has been given consistent depth over this first season. She could have easily devolved into a silly cartoon character (much like Figgins), especially considering how the characters have been shuffled around in the second half of the season.

The other big development in "Theatricality" was the inevitable explosion between Kurt and Finn. Their parents decide to move in together, which forces Kurt and Finn to share a bedroom, much to the latter's chagrin. It's all a bit silly in the usual fashion and interior decorating sorts of ways, but when the pressure mounts for Finn both at school and at home, he loses control. I admire how Glee has been brave enough to take on the subject of homophobia without a filter. Pushed to his limit, Finn reveals that he's completely aware of Kurt's crush on him and that it makes him extremely uncomfortable, so much so that Finn breaks out the "F" word (well, the other "F" word) in their ensuing argument. When Burt walks in on the fight, it prompts a pretty heavy monologue and the end of the Hudson/Hummel cohabitation.

Sandwiched in between these two intense stories is the next chapter in the Puck and Quinn baby drama. Realizing that his immature, bad boy lifestyle is keeping him from having a chance to be a part of his daughter's life, if even for a brief time, Puck decides to clean up and express himself without posturing. He bares his emotions to the entire glee club via the sentimental Kiss ballad "Beth". It was sweet and I'm glad it was handled economically instead of taking up half the episode as that plot has in previous chapters.

And hey, with the sheer effort and awesome costumes, Glee even got me to like Lady Gaga for a while.

Best Moment: There were a lot to choose from this week, but Finn's confrontation with Kurt was just too intense to ignore.

Favorite Song: Rachel and Shelby singing an acoustic rendition of "Poker Face". It boiled what is a fundamentally good pop song down to its simplest components.

Episode Rating: 4.5/5- Tina's vampire/goth semi-story was all kinds of hokey but most of "Theatricality" worked a lot better than it seemed it would at the outset. I'm a bit disappointed that the boys went for Kiss, especially since there was a brief mention of David Bowie early in the episode. Maybe over the next couple seasons we'll get a full-on Bowie episode. A guy can dream.