On the August 14 episode of The Glee Project, Blake, Ali, and Aylin compete for a 7-episode arc on Glee! After 10 weeks of competition, it all comes down to this night!

Theme: “Glee-ality.” Each contestant had to prove they had the “x factor” needed to win a 7-episode arc on Glee. 

Homework Assignment: “You Can’t Stop the Beat” from the musical Hairspray. Seeing as how the song requires a big production, all former contestants were brought back to help with backup vocals as Aylin, Blake, and Ali fought to come out on top.

Mentor: Chris Colfer is said to be the inspiration behind The Glee Project. Chris first auditioned for the role of Artie, but didn’t land the part (obviously). He later met with Ryan Murphy who felt he needed to created a role for Chris — Kurt Hummel. Chris loved how Blake kept his intensity throughout the entire performance, while Aylin kept her voice up the entire time. Chris was a fan of Ali due to her fun, upbeat “character” throughout. Chris could not choose a winner, so he chose all three. (Is this foreshadowing of how Ryan will choose a winner as well? Let’s hope not.)

Music Video: “Tonight Tonight” by Hot Chelle Rae was selected as the music video with a high school prom as the backdrop. On of last season’s winners, Damian McGinty, was an extra in the video. (I was definitely not a fan of Damian last season and I’m still not this season. At least he won’t be back on Glee!)

Last Chance: The finalists had to perform before Ryan, as well as Glee cast members and the eliminated castmates from their season (Talk about pressure!). The contestants were able to choose their own songs for their final performances. Ali sang “Popular” from Wicked, showcasing her theatrical talent. Aylin sang “Rolling In The Deep” by Adele, showing off an amazing voice that I was totally unaware she possessed. Blake sang “I’ll Be” by Edwin McCain and it was a-maz-ing! The singing was top-notch — and he read a poem, calling himself “that guy” — telling Ryan exactly what he wanted to hear all season.

Blake is crowned the winner and wins 7-episode on Glee, a recording contract and the ability to tour!

What do YOU think, HollywoodLifers? Did the right person win?

– Christopher Rogers

On the July 31 episode of The Glee Project, viewers were plagued with a shocking elimination!

The six remaining contestants were introduced to the theme of “romanticality” and got ”More Than Words” by Extreme as their homework assignment! They are all told to pair up and Blake picks Ali while Michael picks Shanna. Lily, hurt that Blake didn’t choose her, and Aylin, left without a partner, end up merging as a same-sex couple!

Darren Criss served as guest mentor and picked Blake as the winner of this week’s assignment.

Following their homework assignment, the contestants were instructed they would be shooting a music video for “We Found Love” by Rihanna – and they’d be doing it in pairs again. As the winner of the homework assignment, Michael gets to pick his mate first. He picks Ali because he wants to continue to explore their connection. Darren rearranges the other couples and puts Shanna with Aylin and Michael with Lily.

Blake has a hard time harmonizing in the studio, and Shanna isn’t 100% like she’s been all season. But everyone else has one of their best weeks yet!

Everyone does well during the video shoot except for Aylin and Shanna. They were unable to portray real chemistry as a couple and ended up making their scene look like a dance rather than mere romance.

The Bottom 3

Aylin – “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” by Roberta Flack: Aylin forgets a number of words, but Ryan Murphy doesn’t seem to care because he’s loving the idea of having a young muslim woman on Glee.

Blake – “Losing My Religion” by R.E.M.: Blake ended up in the bottom three for his inability to harmonize. Blake’s performance is cute and decent, but Ryan wants him to come back next week and showcase a more vulnerable side.

Shanna – “Stronger” by Kelly Clarkson: Shanna gives a powerhouse performance with intensity, power and confidence! It’s clear why Shanna has been the frontrunner from the start. My only aggravation was when Ryan asked Shanna what type of character she’d like to play on Glee — one that’s never been on TV before — she said “an athletic girl who joins everything.” Huh? (Surely you can come up with something more original than that, right?)

Oh yeah, and Shanna throw Michael under the bus by professing that he should be in the bottom three instead of her!

Not Called Back: Shanna

This is pretty shocking, except for the fact that Oxygen decided to show a preview for next week’s episode — minutes before the elimination was announced — featuring only Blake and Aylin.

What do YOU think, HollywoodLifers? Did the right contestant go home? Sound off below!

– Christopher Rogers

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On the July 24 episode of The Glee Project, contestants were pushed to their limits as their music video was to be completed — all in one shot!

The seven remaining contestants were introduced to the theme of tenacity by getting Destiny’s Child’s ‘Survivor’ as their homework assignment! (Isn’t it about time we get a Destiny’s Child reunion in the works?)

Amber Riley served as guest mentor and picked Ali as the winner of this week’s assignment. This makes two for two for Ali. She also won during last week’s theme of theatricality.

Following their homework assignment, the contestants were instructed they would be shooting a music video for ‘Eye of the Tiger’ by Survivor. However, the catch would be that the entire group would have to finish the music video in one shot — no mistakes or the entire group must reshoot the video.

This seemed funny at first until the group had to reshoot the video at least 30 times before completing. Aside from Abraham face planting through the locker room doors, Michael not knowing how to jumprope, and Lily learning how to strip, completion relied on Ali sinking a basketball through the net. That poor girl. It took over 30 times before Ali came up with the clever idea of the group lifting her up for the final dunk!

The Bottom 3

Michael - “Brick” by Ben Folds Five – Michael is so adorable and his performance was quite entertaining. But Ryan Murphy ends up telling Michael, ”You’re not as good as Blake.” Ouch!

Abraham – “Man in the Mirror” by Michael Jackson: Abraham did okay with this performance. His voice was a bit squeaky, but it wasn’t horrible. Ryan is tired of his excuses.

Lily – “I’m the Greatest Star” from Funny Girl: Lily does an awesome job with this performance. She plays up the musical theater comedy and admits to Ryan that Aylin hurt her feelings and “can’t take her own medicine.” Ryan admits to loving a good cat fight and eggs her on for next week.

When the performances were all said and done, Abraham stormed back on stage to demand a spot on Glee. While I found his demand to be pushy and over the top, Ryan & Co. admit that they could see all three of the bottom contenders in a spot on Glee.

Not Called Back: Abraham

I’m not shocked. Abraham may never know if his tirade got him eliminated, but what I do know is that Blake and Michael (the only boys left in the competition) are much more easier on the eyes, so I don’t mind seeing Abraham go.

What do YOU think, HollywoodLifers?

– Christopher Rogers

Follow @ChrisRogers86

On the July 10 episode of The Glee Project, love was slushied to death as the season’s power couple got destroyed!

The remaining nine contestants were given their homework assignment, ”Now That We Found Love” by Heavy D and the Boyz, after it was announced it would be “fearlessness” week. Jane Lynch entered as this week’s guest mentor and sent all the contestants into a tizzy — for real!

Hopefully, the producers of Glee Project won’t ever force a rap song upon these contenders again as Nellie flubbed the lyrics, rear ends were slapped, and everyone looked wildly uncomfortable!

Lily came out on top as Jane’s pick for the win this week, namely because she “demanded her attention.” Jane then announced the music video assignment as a mashup of ”Hit Me With Your Best Shot” / “One Way or Another” by Pat Benatar and Blondie!

Let’s point out that this week was highly enjoyable for the mere fact that Michael and Blake were both ordered to wear professional swimsuits in the spandex-y fashion! Sure, everyone else wore one too, but I definitely didn’t notice as my eyes were heavily transfixed on the torsos of these hunky gentlemen.

It must be noted that the contestants were also given the right of passage into Glee by getting slushied this week!

After both assignments were completed, the contestants were lined up to find out who would be in the bottom three. Whittled down to four, Charlie is said to be consistently making bad acting choices, Aylin laughs too often when she should be taking the competition seriously, while Nellie and Michael are both good, but they take too long to get there. Michael gets called back, but probably because he looked so good in his bathing suit!

The Bottom 3

Aylin – “Take a Bow” by Rihanna: Aylin gave a powerhouse performance, making Ryan Murphy wonder why she landed in the bottom three to begin with. Ryan even called Aylin a “game changer.”

Charlie – “It’s Not Unusual” by Tom Jones: Charlie gives an off-the-wall performance by making up his own lyrics, “It’s not unusual to say I could be on Glee / Although it’s been four weeks now in the bottom three / But Ryan Murphy, oh I know that you’ll agree.” Fortunately for him, the mentors loved the performance!

Nellie – “If I Were a Boy” by Beyonce: After Nellie gave the best performance of the season, Ryan asked, “What the h–l is the problem with this girl, does she not know she’s a star?” The judges admit they are tired of telling Nellie how great she is.

Not Called Back: Charlie

I totally agreed with the judges choice this week. Charlie has been in the bottom three for the past four weeks and it was clearly his time to go. While he’s a good performer, Charlie doesn’t seem to have what it takes to be a television star. Glee requires more than great musical performances, it needs great acting as well — something Charlie lacked. Unfortunately, his departure also subsequently ended his relationship with Aylin. Aww!

– Chris Rogers

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Adapting to change is not always easy, as displayed in the July 3 episode of The Glee Project, where the final ten contestants struggled to overcome challenges, and one was sent packing! So which of this season’s contestants just couldn’t adapt?

This week’s episode was jam-packed with changes, beginning with Charlie and Aylin deciding to just be friends and work on “kicking each others asses.” (Charlie’s words, not mine.)

Robert Ulrich, Glee/The Glee Project casting director, handed out this week’s homework assignment, “You Oughta Know” by Alanis Morissette, with a twist! Lines would be handed out randomly, so no line stealing from Mario!

Kevin McHale made a triumphant return to the reality hit and threw the second curveball of the night — each contestant would be singing the homework assignment as a solo! Of course, editing threw all ten performance together as though it were a group effort anyway, so where’s the excitement in that? Aylin won the homework assignment and got some one on one time with Kevin.

The third twist of the night came when the contestants were not told any information about the big group number until they sat in the recording studio with vocal producer Nikki Anders! The song is revealed as Jessie J’s “Price Tag.” And there’s a chance they kept the song hidden for good reason. “Now I know the title of the song” is Blake’s reaction. Shanna doesn’t know it at all. Huh? Does she not listen to the radio?

During the video shoot, Charlie makes a decision to stay in character — the entire time — as “Scott Campbell, a terrible human being,” and ends up giving off yet another terrible vibe.

Mario receives constructive criticism on his acting, or lack thereof, by video director Erik White. And surprise, surprise, Mario is stunned by this critique!

The final twist of the episode came when the bottom three became a bottom six! These bottom six were paired up to do duets instead of solo last chance performances and Ryan Murphy, Glee/The Glee Project co-creator, picked the bottom three from there.

The Bottom Six

Ali and Abraham – Katy Perry “Last Friday Night”

This was squeaky, irritable, and certainly became awkward when Abraham started to take his clothes off. Ryan may love Ali’s humor, but her voice reminds me of Alvin, Simon, and Theodore — or all three mashed together!

Mario and Charlie – Elton John and George Michael “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me”

How awkward was this duet? The boys started signing with their backs turned to one another, and ended the song embracing one another — with Mario’s head nestled on Charlie’s bosom.

Blake and Nellie – Foreigner “Waiting for a Girl Like You”

Perfect, flawless, and entertaining! If Blake doesn’t win the whole competition, I’d be shocked!

The Bottom Three: Abraham, Charlie, and Mario.

Not Called Back: Mario

What do you think, HollywoodLifers? Did the right contestant go home?

– Chris Rogers

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Sex is not always a fun time, as proven by the June 26 episode of The Glee Project where contestants lost their mojo in the wake of “sexuality week.” So which of this season’s contestants was found to be least sexy?

Surprise guest mentor Naya Rivera may be extremely confident in her sexuality on Glee, but the contestants on season two of The Glee Project have a lot to learn if they hope to reach Naya’s caliber!

The cast struggled through a rendition of Color Me Badd’s “I Wanna Sex You Up,” but Charlie won simply by beat boxing through the song! Apparently, it’s the way to Naya’s heart, so Charlie should thank Mr. Sexy himself, Justin Timberlake, for that one!

Charlie’s win must have inflated his ego a bit as he flirted with Aylin throughout his entire vocal recording, winking and shooting her smiles from inside the studio. This was a big no-no in the mentors’ eyes and sent Charlie directly to the bottom three! Do not pass go, do not collect $200! So who else made the bottom three?

The Bottom Three

Tyler — “Smile” by Charlie Chaplin – This was Tyler’s third performance in the bottom three. Obviously, Tyler isn’t equally as talented as the other contestants. While the fact that Tyler is transgendered appeals to Ryan Murphy, it certainly shouldn’t be a reason to keep him around any further! Ryan chose not to critique Tyler as he finds him to be a admiral person.

Michael — “Lucky” by Jason Mraz – Okay, Michael certainly has the hotness factor going, but forgetting the lyrics twice in one episode? That’s a big no-no! Yes, his smile could make anyone look past his mental capacity for memorizing lyrics, but what will Ryan do when Michael forgets his lines on Glee? You all know Lea Michele won’t put up with that!

Charlie  – “I Get a Kick Out of You” by Cole Porter – Charlie was asked to sing in the bottom three as his flirting with Aylin, along with him trying to tell the director how to shoot the group’s music video, were found to be unprofessional. Charlie gave a pretty bizarre performance, but Ryan seems to be attracted to his “hot mess” persona.

Not Called Back: Tyler

What do YOU think HollywoodLifers? Did the right person go home?

– Chris Rogers

With the second season of The Glee Project well underway, tension is mounting and contestants are getting catty — and I say, bring it on! Having a surprise mentor in the form of Cory Monteith felt like getting two cherries on my ice cream sundae! The 11 remaining contestants seemed to share my sentiments as they rocked out to Kelly Clarkson’s “My Life Would Suck Without You” during this weeks theme of vulnerability on June 19!

Cory, dubbed as someone who could write the book on vulnerability, carefully watched the Glee hopefuls perform the pop hit. It wasn’t that difficult, seeing as how the contestants just leaned against the wall, doused with a spotlight, as they sang their given line. I understand the song required raw emotion, but where was the pizzaz? This is a competition to fight for a spot on Glee after all!

In Cory’s eyes, Lily took her line in the wrong direction and made it “too sexy.” Nellie came out on top and won a one-on-one mentoring session with the man who embodies Finn Hudson!

Following the theme of vulnerability, the contestants were given REM’s “Everybody Hurts” for their music video assignment! The song brought out some unexpected moments including Charlie’s odd decision to steal Mario’s walking stick while acting out a scene! (I must say that the theme of their video was bullying, but Charlie’s tactics seemed a bit inappropriate — and beyond what was called for.) Mario, on the other hand, has a hard time taking criticism and chastised vocal coach Nikki Anders for questioning his vocal ability. How dare her!

Left in the bottom three were Charlie, Mario, and Lily!

Lily started the sing-off with Duffy’s “Mercy” in which she used her sex appeal to win over Ryan Murphy & Co. Except it was her sex appeal and cocky demeanor that lead Ryan to reveal that Lily is “not an under dog, and that’s what Glee is all about.” Of course, the tears started flowing and Lily demanded that ballads and vulnerability are her strong suit! Thus, Ryan was impressed with her candor and openness.

Charlie was up next with Coldplay’s “Fix You.” His rendition was so far from the “karaoke” version that Ryan, including myself, felt scared, but relieved all at once. And his voice is definitely one-of-a-kind! Ryan found the performance to be “inspired.” We’d have to agree! As Charlie walked from the stage, Ryan was overheard saying “I could not have loved him more.” (And in that second, we knew we’d get at least another week with the cane stealer!)

Mario finished out the sing-off with “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” While his performance was mediocre at best, it was his questioning by Ryan and Nikki that made for entertaining television! Ryan & Co. found Mario’s “I’m classically trained” defense mechanisms as overbearing and inappropriate for the series. Yet, tears began flowing (is that a guarantee to be saved in reality TV?) and all was alright in the world again!

Ryan gleefully (pun intended) chose to keep everyone around for another week, yet I’m sure he regretted that decision after seeing this episode air live! Mario was spotted berating his fellow contestants on their “off-pitch voices” just moments after leaving his “save me” performance!

What do YOU think, HollywoodLifers? Did Ryan make the right decision? Who do you think should have went home?

– Chris Rogers

More on ‘Glee’:

1. ‘Glee Project’ Preview: Lea Michele Surprises Season 2 Hopefuls
2. ‘Glee’ Season Finale: Finn Made A Big Mistake With Rachel
3. ‘Glee’ Recap: Did Rachel & Finn Stay Together After Graduation?

The second season of The Glee Project has been upon us for a few weeks and already the emotions have been everywhere. With no real front runner as of yet the contenders take on bullying and this may be the episode that puts someone ahead of the race.

With two more contenders gone, the competition gets extra fierce on Tuesday, June 19 at 10 pm ET/PT. This week, the contenders explore the theme of “Vulnerability” alongside “Glee” series regular Cory Monteith (Finn Hudson) by performing Kelly Clarkson’s “My Life Would Suck Without You” for the homework assignment.

Then, music video producer Erik White comes to The Glee Project headquarters to draw upon the contender’s raw emotion in a discussion centered around bullying, in preparation for the main challenge: a music video of “Everybody Hurts” by R.E.M.

So HollywoodLifers, Are you excited for tonights episode? Who is your current favorite of the season? Sound off below!

Also stay tuned for out EXCLUSIVE interviews with Tyler and Charlie. Where they talk about their journey so far on the show!

Russ Weakland

Follow @mrsandwich96
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