The Glee Christmas Specials Melted my Brain

[@uncarley]

Parade’s best sale of the year is finally here for Black Friday/Cyber Monday! Go to: yourparade.com/UN-BF and use my code UN-BF for 50% off sitewide! (does not apply to Betsey Johnson collection)

[@aliceanesthesia1593]

i can't say this loud enough i will never have enough "looking back, glee was literally insane" related content in my life

[@aliceanesthesia1593]

bc omg it really was just insane start to finish and we all collectively accepted it

[@uncarley]

there's never enough!

[@sionellmccubbin953]

Absolutely bonkers we allowed that to air every week for 6 years 😭

[@h.r.9563]

And old man yesterday wistfully said he missed glee because they themed episodes things like neil diamond😂

[@greasyykhaleesi]

literally just crushed that 8 hour "finding the most glee-vil character in glee season 2" video and now this?? i'm eating well and I'm thankful ✨️

[@leahchamberlin9314]

Blaine always seemed older until they said he wasn't graduating with them in season 3 and I was like ok since when

[@uncarley]

right??? it feels like he is written more mature and older until he doesn't graduate then he regresses

[@captainbraddy]

They basically wrote him as a junior at Dalton but his character was so big they made him a sophomore.

[@jennilocke]

I was in glee fandom back when it was airing and we were all very confused about that lol

[@spongyanj]

They could've at least explained it away with him getting held back and Sue somehow being behind it with her Figgins blackmail

[@hotsexyangel]

@@spongyanjhonestly they could’ve just had him held back at McKinley since he switched schools. He could’ve been a junior at Dalton but didn’t complete something so he gets held back at McKinley 🤷‍♀️ it would be such an easy rewrite, why would they choose to regress him 😭😭

[@jpj0123]

“I don’t have proof but it’s feels bad” has now entered my useful soundbites

[@uncarley]

hahahha thank u

[@bellatrixau3809]

I was so waiting for you to mention the interaction between Marleys mum and Sue where she thanks Sue “for what you did for Marley and Me.” And sue replies something like “Idk what you’re talking about. I had nothing to do with the production of that movie.” 😂

[@adidi7789]

Same lol

[@noctap0d]

OMG this is hilarious 😆

[@spongyanj]

22:43 Glee is perfectly summed up by Carley still assigning Will Schuester as the Grinch of an episode in which Sue's storyline is literally her being the Grinch

[@renataaristimuno5269]

wow Carley is such a powerful woman. she just brought the world Christmas an entire month early😌

[@uncarley]

merry christmas!!

[@AtemHatake]

I’ve watched this video at least four times now

[@RuriSkyPrince]

I just realized this is technically Uncarley’s holiday special YT video. That fact brings me unbridled holiday joy.

[@uncarley]

omg

[@ragdollrose2687]

Ok but now I want a sapphic version of Baby, It's Cold Outside playing on the trope of queer women pretending to not be in love with their hot friend 😂

[@uncarley]

i love this

[@noellethompson2888]

Now THIS. this is an idea I can get behind

[@Blossom_Screen]

Except that the song is LITERALLY about the trope that women were not allowed to express outward interest towards someone MUCH LESS spend the NIGHT at the house of a man she’s unmarried to. The whole actual point of the song is that she wants to stay but is playing this cat and mouse dance with him in line with their social norms. The song was written by husband wife duo.

[@ragdollrose2687]

@ yeah, I get that but I want a gay one for gay women to sing it to my partner 🙃 that's all

[@whitneyhendrix8075]

@@Blossom_Screenthat actually makes it perfect for a sapphic version

[@Ndulwa_]

As somebody from Africa (who has never experienced starvation, thank you very much) I cackle everytime I think of them singing that song and how insanely offensive it was that they let it air, thank you Carley for reminding me of that gem😭

[@uncarley]

i can literally never forget it like santana girl why are you doing RUNS right now

[@Ndulwa_]

@@uncarley criminal!!!

[@r.coburn3344]

Yeah, Baby it's Cold Outside was written for a famously married couple to sing, and that line "hey what's in this drink?" Is a popular set-up of the time. The punch line, I have been told, is that there's never anything in the drink. The line had kind of the same effect of "did it just get hot in here?", different phrase but same kind of joke.

[@alliewithbooks]

This exactly! There’s historical and cultural context of that song that has kind of been lost so I get why people could be immediately put-off by it, but its intentions aren’t as evil as people assume.

[@ariana_thorne]

paused the video to make sure this comment was here bc omg I wish more people knew this!! it's easy to misread the song from a modern lense but it's a flirty song, a very easy to misread with a modern lense flirty song 😅

[@parisolivarious]

41:20 “Marley fainted during the Sectionals performance of Gangnam Style.” was so unexpected it gave me a physical whiplash

[@TheseVioletDelites]

"only a couple of them are unwatchable" CARLEY THERES ONLY FOUR 😂

[@yiguei]

I hadn't realized how we don't have season episodes anymore and omfg you broke a part of my brain

[@uncarley]

right???!

[@mesmoe-rizing]

Bob's Burgers still does holiday episodes!

[@mothturtle7897]

They're still alive and well in the UK but that's probably because they're released as specials rather than within an ongoing season.

[@NotD-kp3by]

It's probably cuz shows are released in bulk now and people binge stuff in a day

[@lauramis789]

Abbott Elementary has done a Halloween episode every season and nothing makes me happier

[@azeees]

29:06 i feel like you need to know that “extraordinary merry christmas” is an original glee song and suddenly it makes sense

[@catrionabruce3]

i literally had to double check when she said that cause i thought i had the wrong information...

[@Mbay14]

“I don’t have proof but it feels bad” perfectly explains the Glee experience as a whole & I wouldn’t have it any other way.

[@nothanks2575]

Rory not being a person in the it’s a wonderful life storyline he’s just the wise Irish spirit of chrismtas for Artie is so insane and when he says “Quinn texts and drives in every timeline😔” it kills me every time

[@jilliansmaniotto2326]

53:18 I love how over time, sue becomes the avatar for the audience. she gets increasingly more self-aware and calls out the most absurd aspects. then it really reaches its peak in the fever dream that is season 6, especially the Hurt Locker episodes. it’s fantastic.

[@jonathandown5709]

"canonically you are Jewish, so no you didn't" 😭

[@uncarley]

😈

[@narocadias]

@@uncarleyto be fair rachel would absolutely make up that lie, so it’s not a plot hole

[@joudyy1]

i’m taking these glee episodes and really hold space with them

[@uncarley]

im in queer media so thank u

[@joudyy1]

@ ^holds your finger n start tearing up^

[@lilacskies3991]

carley i was almost in tears because i couldn't find anything to watch. thank you for blessing us

[@allieeee6988]

i’m not one to leave comments normally but it’s been a drought for the past two days i swear. i binged season 1 of girl historians (her podcast) and my attention span can’t handle binging anything right now so i’m left with nothing but i was so relieved when i saw this

[@uncarley]

omg this is so kind thank you

[@uncarley]

@@allieeee6988you are SO NICE thank you

[@lilacskies3991]

OMG literally same. i love girl historians but it has ruined what's left of my attention span@@allieeee6988

[@lilacskies3991]

@@uncarley OMG YOU RESPONDED. not to sound insane but you have genuinely helped me through my depressive episodes. there are times when i don't even want to watch my favourite shows and youtubers but you and your podcast are a lifesaver. sorry to dump that but i just wanted to say i know you've said you have a job that contributes nothing to society but i disagree. anyways thank you for responding :) (also yas fellow toronto girly)

[@MiloW456]

Now we need a video on the PLL holiday episodes. The Christmas specials are bizarre, but the Halloween specials were so insane

[@uncarley]

the halloween eps are AMAZING

[@shinyy5184]

Never forget the romantic partners shirtless INCLUDING EZRA on the staircase for the Christmas special 😭

[@sofiastj]

@@uncarley Carley, now you gotta do it

[@arbyswitch5580]

Shouts out to the ravenswood backdoor pilot/founder's day costume party bc it was during the season that was the eternal November so they couldn't technically do another Halloween episode

[@mirandahynes4991]

28:08 the star wars theme was def a reference to the ill-fated televised star wars christmas special, which mainly focused on chewbacca finding his family. it’s iconic

[@uncarley]

okay i actually am gonna need to watch it

[@Linkedup02]

Bea Arthur is also there running the cantina

[@elenabe4718]

​@@uncarley you do but I'm not sure it exists anymore?

[@manband20]

@@uncarley Carrie Fisher was coked out of her mind singing this crappy dollar store Christmas song while people in awful wookie costumes stare at her with awe. it's incredible.

[@ripvanTwinkle329]

​@elenabe4718 the entire thing is on KZbin I'm pretty sure Edit: yeah it's still there just search star wars holiday special

[@xcamuwux]

ive always thought it was crazy how burt invited blaine, kurts cheating ex, to ny to celebrate christmas with them like if my dad did that to me id be furious also u missed the part when marleys mom thanks sue for "what you did for marley and me" and sue says "i dont know what ur talking about i had nothing to do with the making of that film" such a great vid tho i LOVE glee!!!!

[@DilutedH2SO4]

Santana as Santa is my EVERYTHING

[@uncarley]

YEs

[@geisantts]

absolutely love that mother never forgives and never forgets about the rachel getting into nyda after choking... cause same

[@Politoed89]

also, i recently binged 911 (for anyone who doesn't know, that's also written by ryan murphy and brad falchuk), and i just want you to know that show ALSO has a christmas special called 'buck, actually' that does the intertwining plot thing. he did it twice. the audacity.

[@LukaWukaWatcher]

The 911 version is much better at least

[@mackhag]

the fact that the iconic oh holy night is not sung during a christmas episode is insane. miss maam really ate on that one

[@KylaA5952]

Yes queen, an hour of brainrot while I enter data

[@uncarley]

happy to help!

[@holocynth]

“she texts and drives in every timeline” made me laugh out loud omggg. what?! finishing glee in like a month when i was 13 really took away from my ability to critically process anything that was said or done on that show and i wouldn’t have it any other way

[@weepingladybug]

I told my husband I was a bit of a “Gleek” in high school (I’m almost 30 now) and he cried out in cringe

[@uncarley]

fair

[@teastainsonmyteeth]

when going out with a kinda new group of friends to see wicked over the weekend we were talking about the wicked songs in glee when i said i'd never watched glee before and my friend was SHOCKED saying i was the exact type of person she'd expect to have watched glee... did not know how to react to that lmao

[@manale9366]

what? im still a proud gleek and im 22

[@kaylamatters]

*John Legend Voice* "Let me call you an Uuuber" made me CACKLE

[@sjohnson088]

46:13 your proof is when will sings la cucaracha in a sombrero with maracas and santana says he’s being racist 😭

[@uncarley]

amazing i feel vindicated

[@sassylittleprophet]

"I want to bring everyone together... what brings everyone together? I know! Racism." Like... *WILD* take wtf

[@onderlauren]

i watched the season 3 christmas episode while i was on shrooms and it moved me so much i sobbed

[@uncarley]

oh no baby

[@detectivekg]

the writers were literally obsessed with having the most unserious setups possible so they can have a scene where artie is walking like. it happens AT LEAST 3 times

[@NotD-kp3by]

The way I saw this title and immediately thought "who on earth would put themselves through that??" And then I saw it was Carley and was like "yep that makes sense"

[@RamenKitsune]

Carly, I would never ever be so audacious to guess what your next video is. I'm here for the ride and trust your guidance completely. Dance dj.

[@uncarley]

thank you mama

[@catvalentine4317]

Omg, your pic 😂😍 havent watched mpgis in ages!

[@Politoed89]

personally heartbroken that glee never covered "grandpa's gonna sue the pants off of santa" from the grandma got run over by a reindeer christmas special

[@uncarley]

hahahah

[@Anna-B]

Glee Christmas is iconic and I will be watching all of them this year, as is tradition

[@uncarley]

you must!!

[@homegrowncozycrochet]

Hill I’m Willing To Die On: The crescendo of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas is “Hang a shining star upon the highest bow.” But Judy Garland’s crescendo comes after the line, “Through the years we all will be together/If the fates allow,” landing on the soul crushing “Until then we’ll have to muddle through somehow.” It is also my favorite Christmas song.

[@gracesw9906]

The “muddle through” lyric is the only valid version of the song and i will DIE ON THAT HILL

[@ina2703]

27:03 as a homeless person who was just talking about this- u can say homeless! we don't care, most of us call ourselves homeless anyway. i think "unhoused" works better for talking about people with no shelter/on the streets. honestly, half+ of my homeless friends probably don't even know the term "unhoused" is a thing

[@gds5959]

chris colfer appreciation gang because wow one of the best actors on that show

[@doitsushine92]

today has sucked because i had to miss work due to my stupid chronic pain and my stupid body but then i saw this getting posted and it was like the clouds parting to reveal a rainbow in the sky thank you miss uncarley for keeping me well-fed with the gleek content

[@uncarley]

im happy to provide!!

[@sdpc9182]

It never ceases to amaze me that they cast Amber Reilly when the star is supposed to be Michele. She blows her away consistently!

[@arbyswitch5580]

Yeah lea has great Broadway vocals (duh, that's the core of her career) but once Glee pivoted away from doing a whole lot of musical theatre vibes (nearly immediately???) it didn't make sense that she was still the center of attention... I chalk it up to Lea being a heinous diva IRL and Ryan Murphy letting her. -also racism obviously like fr thats very clearly a significant problem at play here, I genuinely believe that Ryan Murphy doesn't know how to work with Black people without falling into patterns of otherization and tokenization and I think he did that to Amber-

[@abbytaegusuga]

ALSO the reason why the season 5 Christmas episode was “not canon” is cuz season 4 & 5 takes place in the same school year cuz they refused to let Blaine graduate so by December season 5 they were so wildly behind the timeline. They were BARELY in April-May around that time not even at Nationals yet lol so they had to do a “non-canon” Christmas episode just to shoehorn one in that season lol

[@BellaLin27]

Girl omg the tv special in season 3 is a direct reference to the Judy garland Christmas special from the 60s (?) and if you haven’t seen it you must. Her kids are on it, it is chaos and Liza minelli being Liza minelli. It’s absolutely required holiday viewing for me lol.

[@MarthaRose92]

One of the craziest things about Glee is imagining the off screen parents. “Hey honey, where is Tina?” “Oh she’s at her Glee club teacher’s house.” Also Extraordinary Merry Christmas is a Glee original song.

[@episkeyss]

the way hearing the opening notes of Klaine’s Baby It’s Cold Outside instantly transports me straight back to 2010 is so powerful……

[@lucille_2010]

i've never ever seen an episode and yet i am compelled to watch uncarley Glee videos every time

[@WhoisIzsy]

Carley has to be in the glee sequel/reboot if they ever make one

[@uncarley]

PLEASE

[@victai163]

the gleequel...

[@michelcomenta]

I used to be a Gleek, I was obsessed with this show, the actors and everything that involved it and today I can see that it was a Riverdale but every episode was a musical lol

[@coolm3th]

I have been playing a glee drinking game for literal years because it's the only way my friends will watch it because it's so insane. I love retroactively looking at the chaos that is glee, thank you for this

[@FootlessJo]

You are such a delight Carly. Thank you for keeping me company with your videos when I’m sick! 💜

[@shannnonrae]

i used to lock myself in my room every christmas and watch all the glee christmas specials so you don’t understand what this video means to me

[@uncarley]

what a beautiful tradition

[@DanDanRodsMA]

"Whos ready to sit on my lap?"- Santana gave me a heart attack when she said this lmaoooo

[@caseycoyle8209]

As someone who watched Rudolph every single day multiple times a day between the ages of 2 and 4 I understand you Carly Uncarly

[@uncarley]

we just get eachother

[@dobbyssock1086]

I watched the "unaired" Christmas episode exactly once and it hasn't left my brain since. I would really like it to, but alas.

[@singingtheawesomenes]

I did go to a public high school where in the last day of school before chirstmas break, the acapella and select (madrigal) choir did go around the school caroling for teachers who bought carols. The money went back to the music program for stuff like busses and equipment. Honestly some of my favorite hs memories are singing all day at school and eating too many candy canes

[@maureenodonoghue]

Me realizing Mickeys “Once Upon a Christmas” is based on the Gift of the Magi????!!! The one where Mickey sells his harmonica to buy the gift for Minnie, and Minnie sells her locket for Mickey’s gift. 🤦‍♀️ This connected so many dots for me. 😅

[@kellymahaffey5137]

I literally paused the video to look to see if I was alone in this realization.

[@RuriSkyPrince]

2 minutes since posting and right in time for my lunch break. She never disappoints 😭✨

[@uncarley]

im so glad!

[@charlottea8555]

Such a relief to find someone who hates Band-Aid's "Do they know it's Christmastime at all" as much as I do

[@516wanderlust]

Despite how odd and badly aged these can be, I watch them every Christmas. 🎄

[@uncarley]

it's tradition

[@iammehowru]

Stan which is a streaming service in Australia that I dont think has a us equivalent, makes playlists every year of just christmas episodes of all the tv shows they have, and its so fun

[@kaiyajo23]

I LOVED all of your Riverdale videos so as soon as I saw Roberto’s face I went “NO!” out loud 😭 I had no idea they were connected !! That’s insane

[@lospigeons]

i love how the writers of glee used their free will to their advantage, and it really shows

[@mabsie2249]

53:39 the original version featured the lyrics “have yourself a merry little Christmas. It may be your last”

[@uncarley]

oh my god

[@jennilocke]

The black and white part of season 3 xmas was my shit back in the day, i loved when glee would lean into the fever dream stuff

[@TalysAlankil]

i think the season 5 special's premise of being an "unaired christmas episode" was because they had fallen out of sync with real time, so early season 5 was the spring of the previous school year instead of being the fall of a new school year. so they came up with this idea to still have a christmas episode in the middle of a non-christmassy timeline. also i think it's really funny to describe later season episodes as "they picked the songs first and wrote the episodes around them" i'm pretty sure we know for sure that that was the process for at least the later half of the show

[@uncarley]

that makes sense!! they couldn't do a canon christmas ep

[@dtjunction]

I’m so happy to be here!! I was rewatching the book ranking of last year! A true comfort video and you’re a true comfort person. Thank you ❤

[@uncarley]

omg thank you!! im making one for this year too

[@elianah9610]

IT’S TURKEY LURKEY TIME!! 🦃🍽

[@uncarley]

YES

[@bashfulnath]

The best moment in tv history i won’t hear otherwise

[@Beep974]

MOTHA….. (imgonnaletchuhaveit) let’s have a kiki

[@frongychair]

I was bracing myself the whole time for turkey lurkey time but it was a Thanksgiving ep not Christmas lmfaoo

[@livelollobotomy]

49:04 burt hummel fans remember where they were when burt was diagnosed with prostate cancer

[@atlantictiger]

Why am I just putting together that it’s so funny to pair your characters with rhyming names - like I don’t think I’ve heard someone say “Quinn and Finn” out loud before 😂😂😂

[@realemmcee]

the new york people could have had a totally chill christmas if kurt and rachel just hadn't interrupted santana's bath.

[@Cynoate]

Carley, im begging you. Watch Bones, it's such a good show and some of the plot lines are insane

[@mariboechat11]

and when i tell you "extraordinary merry christmas " is an original song...

[@uncarley]

IT IS????

[@mariboechat11]

@ YES

[@musicandloveismylive]

I was looking for this post! Exactly what I was thinking as well.

[@DoogeIsDeranged]

The way I start to uncontrollably foam at the mouth every time Carly uploads is actually insane - but not as insane as these Glee Christmas specials! 🎄❤

[@LorraineVirginie]

The even more wild thing about having Arti sing feliz navidad is that it WILL IS A SPANISH TEACHER! It would’ve actually made narrative sense for HIM to sing if it they just wanted it on the album.

[@myladyofmercy14]

have i ever watched glee? no. did i click on this the second i saw it? yes.

[@uncarley]

u r a true supporter

[@JosefinaQB]

I can’t believe this is the episode that made me realize the change they made for Blaine’s age- like yeah I totally remember him being older than Kurt at first but when they all graduate and blain and some other stay in school it still feels like not surprising? Ykno? But still is kind of surprising cuz now it rlly does make sense that Blaine has always been more mature to an extent and at some point it’s like they just took all his coolness away

[@macdaniels9887]

I was dreadfully bored this morning and it's rainy and it's gross muddy rain that smells wet and not good, and this is exactly what I needed to do my cleaning thank uuu

[@anyoneew27]

thank u carley, yet another beautiful combination of my favorite things (glee, christmas, and long form comedic analysis)

[@rosesthornsandreads]

i haven't had anything to watch besides full episodes of greys anatomy ALL WEEK this is so exciting

[@milliereeves2215]

I love the subtle differences between Christmas in the US and Canada and Christmas in the UK, it always shocks me. Not knowing the Christmas song Mary Boy Child is insane to me. I live in Wales and you can't escape that song at Christmas here.

[@berrygoreteeth]

ive watched thus video every day since it was uploaded something about the chaos soothes me. i literally fall asleep. to this video now like its a bedtime story. luv u carley happy holidays

[@felienmusic]

"This doesn't matter but I need you to know" made me like this video hahaha Also, 'Extraordinary Merry Christmas' is a glee original hahaha

[@cryptidferrets]

preemptively saying that if mr schue isnt awarded the episode grinch award in all of these youre watching them wrong, and yes this is including the glee christmas special where sue is the literal grinch in full green facepaint.

[@otaylor0834]

there are a lot of glee videos out there BUT not enough about the monstrosities that were the glee christmas specials, thank you for your service queen 🫡

[@jessicawold]

they do not mention that the bones are people in every episode of bones, they are just bones

[@uncarley]

okay good to know honestly

[@lakegroce685]

As I age, I feel myself not liking Christmas as much anymore but I’ll watch any Christmas related thing you make.

[@maddie-ob7wb]

Carley it’s like you KNEW i was 1) sitting down for lunch and 2) all alone because i’m one of the only people on campus who hasn’t left for thanksgiving yet

[@bashfulnath]

I don’t know what I would do with my life without you

[@uncarley]

omg thank u

[@MiloKuroshiro]

Fun fact: I was really into the first season of Glee when it was airing, but the Christmas episode in the season 2 made me drop the series as soon as I saw Grinch-Sue and never go back

[@shidandfard4582]

nooooo you gotta pick it back up!! season 3 is the best!!!

[@alexandragabitto2573]

The minute I saw Jane Lynch The Grinch in the thumbnail I immediately made room in my calendar for this video 😂

[@Chikorita2Chante]

I've only watched like 10 episodes of Glee, to hang out with my sister. This does not stop me from enjoying people taking about it. Thanks for this gem! Also, I love and hate Bones. Would love if you talk about our fave autistic (allegedly) turned weirdly traditional wife one day.

[@pepe_fairy]

I downloaded this vid and listened while on a roadtrip today, amazing timing! Laughed in the car out of nowhere like a maniac many times

[@arsonvamp]

perfect font choice for the grading system thing, i love it lmao

[@eimz0146]

Please do a whole video on Do They Know Its Christmas. All the versions. The fact they're still doing it in 2024!

[@renataaristimuno5269]

honestly “previously unaired christmas” has enough feral energy to justify an hour/long commentary video on it. you’re telling me that dozens of kids beat down Santa’s door just to ask for presents? and Detective Wilden wants to break into some college students’ Bushwick apartment to steal their stuff?? what was in the water???

[@uncarley]

im gonna need a full documentary

[@crocgurl420]

best way to begin Thanksgiving morning is to walk Carly’s Christmas special ON Glee Christmas specials. yay yay

[@elitettelbach4247]

I didn’t actually realize that we as a society have lost the plot on holiday episodes because of the rise of streaming, but you have made some really compelling points.