New NDA Act Proposes Direct US-Somaliland Security Cooperation
New NDA Act Proposes Direct US-Somaliland Security Cooperation
The most high-profile American delegation in over a decade is currently in Hargeisa, capital of the strategically located Republic of Somaliland.
Somaliland – a politically isolated democracy in the Horn of Africa – last welcomed an American visit of this magnitude in February of 2008, when former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer paid a brief visit. Control of…
mbernip replied to your post: Potentially unpopular Glee opinion...
I’m not sure if it’s an unpopular opinion, but I totally agree with you, Steph! I love the new New Directions :) Just like you said, it really does seem like they’re a very close group and very supportive of each other, which I think is really cool.
Yep yep! The ladies on FYGleePodcast used a good example of why the dynamic between them is so much nicer now, actually:
When Kurt had his deal with being voted Prom Queen, Blaine was the only one to run after him, and the others kind of went their own ways and were all wrapped up in their own stuff. Whereas when Tina was Carried, the whole group ran after her and supported her in going back out there, with even Kitty lending her her dress.
So yeah, it's not that I doubt the old crew meant (and still do mean) a lot to each other, but I feel like new ND is... more mature as a group, in a way. Where the old crew took a long time to grow out of their cattiness toward each other and truly become friends with no underlying rivalry, the new ND are already kind of there. They have their relationship drama on occasion, but as friends, they're great. And it's a lot more my speed :)
As a group, I honestly prefer the new ND to the old. By a not insignificant margin.
Don't get me wrong, as individual characters, the originals were MUCH more engaging and better developed and they're the ones I care about most. But as a group, new ND is just SO much more cohesive and genuinely supportive of each other, and there's not all the dramatic infighting all the time. Not that they never have any conflicts, but you don't have the constant struggle to find the "biggest star" of the group. Sure, Blaine was dubbed the ~new Rachel~ by Artie, but it's not like he actually gets all the solo spotlight (especially in competitions), nor does he ever act as though he should. Same with Marley- sure she sings a fair amount, but you never feel like she's *the diva* of the group. There is no one *special special snowflake* of the group, and no one suggesting that there SHOULD be. And so you get all these great genuinely group numbers where they're just having fun and being friends and taking turns with the solos, and it's a dynamic I much prefer to the old one of the constant infighting and struggle for *the spotlight* :)
This was something the FYeahGleePodcast had made me realize a while ago, but it only reinforced it listening to On Our Way, which I love!
The scene with Marley, Blaine, Unique, and Sam singing together really encompasses what I've loved so much about this season: It's about the friendships -- and friendships that I believe. That group was a mix of the old and new kids, there were hints of background friendships we haven't seen much of (lots of Blaine/Unique moments, for instance) plus the continuation of the friendships we have seen (more casual touching with Blaine and Sam; Unique and Marley are BFFLs), and the fact that Marley wrote the song because she wanted them to feel better...
The newbies singing about being Outcasts is probably the biggest joke all season. They are not outcasts. We never ever see them struggle. We've seen a few incidents with Unique and that's it. There is absolutely nothing to root for with them. They don't deserve to win at all. I hope they don't. They lost sectionals. Ryan keeps pushing that they are outcasts and underdogs but we never see them treated as such. There is no hierarchy anymore. Everyone seems equal. It's like they rushed three seasons worth of build up and storyline and pushed it all into one season with the new ND. It doesn't work. That song is pretty good but has no emotionl significance at all. Would've been perfect mid season last year!! Oh glee
My overwhelming adoration for the new New Directions continues. If they keep doing cutesy, quirky alternative numbers with heart and silliness that make you smile till your cheeks ache then I shall be a happy girl.
I've been wanting to make this post forever but after seeing This is the New Year, I had way more to say so yey!
Now, I LOVE the old ND. Don't get me wrong, they were the first, the originals and set the bar for everything we've seen since BUT I've never been one to buy into the fact that you need constant conflict and negative events to tell a compelling story with an ensemble cast.
YES, Glee is a weird-ass "comedy" (haha) about high school and growing up and learning and creativity and recognising the beauty in originality and with that, it's never going to be sweetness and light but that's where the OLD ND lost some of my affection and where the NEW ND have gained my love.
It would usually always be Rachel and Finn out front. We'd get Mercedes kicking ass with her big jaw dropping note and every now and then people like Puck and Santana would get a line...
I'll always CHERISH Don't Stop Believin' and Somebody to Love etc because that cast combination had unreal amounts of chemistry and sold those songs like it was nobody's business but here's where my love for the new lot comes in...
Now, I was one of THOSE people... the "no I don't want any new kids. Urgh go away. I want the old ones back."
It speaks volumes when I say that my favourite episodes of this season have been Sadie Hawkins, The New Rachel, Britney 2.0 and Dynamic Duets. Being a Kurt/Rachel fan from the beginning and always watching for them, it says a lot that my favourite episodes have been ones that haven't really heavily featured NYC or my (initially) favourite characters.
I wasn't a massive Marley fan to begin with (and I'm not her biggest fan still but she's growing on me) and I didn't really feel that great about the newbies early on because I didn't like not having the old group there. I missed them and resented the MASS newbie take-over with characters I didn't care for or know much about... we're still learning about them and if it was ONLY them then I don't think I'd have as much passion but that's what I think is clever.
We're FINALLY getting to see Tina and Artie and Britt and Sam and Blaine in a more focused way. We not only get that but what they've done with Finn this year is pretty ingenious. I have fallen in love with him all over again and I haven't even given Schue a second thought.
The new ND structure is so much more balanced than before. They each get their turn. There isn't really a leader that takes over everything but what I DO like is the way Blaine is centered at the beginning of their big group songs and seems to be their "leader" in the sense that he's got experience of leading a show choir, he's multi talented and flexible and seems to slot into the leader role without being imposing or tyrannical (ahem, Ms Berry, haha). He's quite focused and sensible with his performing so it works brilliantly. Aside from that, Sam is their almost self appointed freedom fighter, standing up for the club and really supporting all of them which I AM FALLING IN LOVE WITH. I adore that he's done it more than once now, noticing a problem and really dedicating himself to helping (Britt, Blaine, the Warbler issue etc).
The BEST thing though is how they are genuinely close. You can see that. Yes, they've had typical teenage issues and some fall outs but there's none of that confusion when they sing together about how they can stand to be in the same room as each other. Ryder and Jake had issues but sorted it out. Britt had problems but they helped her. Kitty and Marley have had a spat and YES, Kitty's the exception but she's the comedic exception... she's the ultimate bitch, the one who is there for a reason we can't understand but who (in a very Santana-esque way) is STILL sticking around regardless. You need a token bad girl/guy and watching her in all of the group numbers singling herself out and pretending she hates them all - bloody hilarious.
Everyone gets a chance to sing, to shine and to show off. Britt's getting way more this year too and she is FINALLY being written as someone people can actually LIKE instead of hypocritical, cruel without realising and pretty damn irritating. She's so loveable this season.
Tina's shaping up to be a serious player too. She single handedly arranged the Sadie Hawkins dance, she's speaking out and is the person behind the calendar to help raise money for Regionals. She's feisty and sweet and teenage... she's wonderful.
I also love that they are focusing a little more on friendships and actually REMEMBERING them. How many times did we get annoyed that the writers seems to forget that Kurt and Mercedes were best friends etc. Sam and Blaine are the BEST example this year. Friendships are AWESOME and WAY more important in some respects than relationships so it's lovely to see them getting more of a focus. There's the whole Marley and Unique thing too - they seem to gravitate towards each other...
I just love the authenticity of it this year instead of it feeling forced like "oh look we're an amazing group of friends singing this kick ass power ballad, look how close we all are" and then the next episode they'd be telling each other how much they all sucked or someone would be fighting or having some else's baby or stealing someone else's boyfriend/girlfriend etc.
There's still time for the writers to screw the new New Directions up (or course, it's Glee) but they've shown AGAIN with the magical perfection that is "The is the New Year" that there's a lot of genuine love between the characters. It's all very sweet and genuine and I am smitten with it all to be honest.
I believe in their crushes in a very John Hughes kind of way. I can do without TOO much sickening sweetness like Marley/Jake but I believe in their little coupledom. I believe in the disagreements and their problems because they're normal and relatable.
I am watching - at the moment - for the McKinley arc: for Blaine and Sam's friendship and Blaine's development, for Tina's growth and how she's learning her own heart and how she has an actual voice, for Unique's fabulousness and how she fits in wonderfully, for Finn's constant good natured leadership (and handsomeness, holy wow), for Ryder's terrible dancing etc.
They've still got a way to go to make the newbies fully grown characters but we've known the likes of Kurt and Rachel and Finn for 4 seasons now - we've known Marley and Kitty and Jake etc for only 11 episodes...
I'm all on board and the NYC arc was going to be this season's only saving grace for me. Rachel Berry has been replaced by some Lea Michele wannabe in overdone eye-liner, spectacular one liners about female empowerment and independence but then is consistently contradicting herself and becoming insufferable. She is completely unrecognisable to me now. Kurt is become less relatable to me too and I am so so so so SO VERY sad that I don't root for him anywhere near as much as I did. I mean, Hummelberry were SO unbelievably wonderful and natural as friends, they had so much heart and warmth and spark. Now, I don't see it as much. Kurt's my darling and I adore him but the writers have made him this saint Kurt who I wish would just make a mistake sometimes. I think it's because we get little snippets of him nowadays and I see him in terms of Rachel more than in terms of himself but there's something not the same about him and I miss giving my heart to his character...
Still, there's time, but for now, I'll go watch This is the New Year again on repeat... :)
