This week’s post is a mixture between our usual first reactions (“Class Discussion”) and our meta link collections (“High Notes”).

Instead of sharing just one first reaction with you, I put together a whole list of first reaction posts from Tumblr. Many of them are still very raw and full of random observations and unfinished thoughts, and therefore an excellent basis for further meta.

First reactions

• callie-quite-contrary
• gleekto
• lettersfromtitan
• likearumchocolatesouffle
• mockanddee
• noneofthisisplausible
• rainbowrites
• shadowwolf210
• sothinky
• teiledesganzen
• tilia-cordata

I also have a bunch of links with meta/thinking about more specific topics and characters. Many of those posts have sparked further discussion, so make sure you also check out the replies/reblogs.

Creating the atmosphere of “Shooting Star”

• Metronome heartbeat
• …plus metronome meta (and control and the lack thereof)
• Set-up of the episode + camera work
• More on the camera work…
• …and yet more camera work…
• …and on other elements of setting the atmosphere

Becky (and Sue)

• Becky is a tough kid who fell through the cracks a little bit while people’s attention was elsewhere, and got very scared and then tried to protect herself
• What “Lady and the Tramp” and “The Lorax” have to do with Sue Sylvester
• How accurate was Becky’s assumption that she couldn’t go to college?
• …plus some extra info about how the American school system treats people like Becky

Blaine

• Messages this episode sent about Blaine
• Possible reasons why Blaine behaved the way he did after Will shushed him…
• …more possible reasons for Blaine’s behavior…
• …and even more possible reasons why Blaine did what he did!
• Blaine and the piano

Brittany

• Black holes, and Brittany is preparing for the worst (again and again)
• Trauma is isolating (even if you’re not actually alone)

Tina

• Tina is on the outside of the choir room because she’s the only “old kid” who hasn’t changed her behavior in the glee club since the first bunch of them graduated

Further mixed meta

• Mixed observations/meta and lots of screencaps of the sets
• …plus some more commentary on the screencaps
• Stories within stories…
• …plus further commentary
• Last messages from the New Directions kids
• Angel sex and angel gender
• Safe spaces

Bonus (because this has been a hard episode for a lot of reasons, and maybe you need it)

• Gif set with hugs…
• …and more hugs yet

Editors’ Note: Episode reactions (‘Class Discussion’) at Deconstructing Glee come from a rotating panel of contributors from all around the globe. Let us know if you’d like to be part of our Secret Society of Superheroes, here! We could still use more contributors for the final episodes of the season.

‘High Notes’ are a collection of meta quotes and links that caught our attention in the first few days after a new episode aired. Our selection of them is of course entirely subjective and limited to what we actually read and doesn’t imply that other pieces weren’t equally noteworthy. Please feel free to recommend such things to us after the following episodes, especially longer pieces that haven’t been posted on Tumblr (but no guarantees that we’ll use them).

– This post was written and compiled by Andrea (TeileDesGanzen).