Let's hear it for Mercedes!
Tuesday's episode of Glee, "A Night of Neglect," shines the spotlight on one of McKinley High's many unsung heroes: Mercedes (Amber Riley). Within the show's ever-growing ensemble, Mercedes' screen time has taken a few hits, both in the scripts and in reality. The clever writers have frequently used the show to address its critics, incorporating meta story lines that mirror the public's reception to the show. (Remember Jacob's rant about Mr. Schue's rap stylingz?)
Here, they take a recurring complaint — that the show focuses too much on Rachel and Finn — and give Mercedes the diva moment we've seen bubbling up in her scorching performances since she grunted out Jazmine Sullivan's "Bust Ya Windows" back in the halcyon days of September 2009. Her closing number at the glee club's fundraiser, Aretha Franklin's "Ain't No Way," prompts Sandy "The Pink Dagger" Ryerson to abandon his treachery and exclaim, "Oh dear God, I love this song." And so did we.
It's a good time to reflect on Riley's maturing talent. Riley handles diva standards (see: "Proud Mary," "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" and "Beautiful") with the aplomb of a much more seasoned talent. But she is enough of a performer to sing something as whispery and vague as "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and imbue it with enough soul to allow it to anchor an episode about personal faith.
Our personal favorite is her blistering duet with Santana (Naya Rivera) on Ike and Tina Turner's "River Deep Mountain High." It's a song we love, and Riley and Rivera do it sufficient justice — unlike a certain Idol whose shiny talent couldn't cut through the tune's grubbier edge.
It might be argued that Riley's substantial pipes are still no match for those of her co-star, Broadway ingenue Lea Michele, but it's clear that each episode brings Riley closer to her own opening night at the Hollywood Bowl.
What do you think? Does Mercedes deserve more screen time? Sound off in the comments below.
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Let's hear it for Mercedes!
Tuesday's episode of Glee, "A Night of Neglect," shines the spotlight on one of McKinley High's many unsung heroes: Mercedes (Amber Riley). Within the show's ever-growing ensemble, Mercedes' screen time has taken a few hits, both in the scripts and in reality. The clever writers have frequently used the show to address its critics, incorporating meta story lines that mirror the public's reception to the show. (Remember Jacob's rant about Mr. Schue's rap stylingz?)
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