Yep, four seasons in, I have finally jumped on this "gleek" bandwagon. My new passion for this show should be my guiltiest of guilty pleasures, but the more I watch it, the less I'm embarrassed.
Still, for all the looks I get when I tell people about my new favorite show, when I have Glee soundtracks blasting from my Volvo or why I have to be home by 9 on Thursdays, I feel I need to defend myself. So, as they say... this is for the haters.
The show defines itself as a comedy drama. And if it really isn't a perfect combination of the two, I don't know what is. (Okay, fine. I know I could name some but for the sake of this argument, please...) To start, the writing, which is the most important part of anything, is really good. In story lines and story arcs but also in dialogue. It's kind of smart and filled with what I can only assume must be musical and broadway puns that I don't always get; but it's also full of hilarious one liners, when delivered by Blaine, Kurt or Brittany, make an entire scene.
Speaking of characters, all the actors are kind of amazing. Not including the girl who plays Tina Cohen Chang (sorry), they all have me believing in this world of McKinley High, full of the worst bullies, the most self-conscious teens and the most incredibly talented high school students you'll ever meet. Darren Criss, Chris Colfer and Lea Michele are probs the best, but truly they're all excellent.
So I feel these aforementioned things are basics to keep an audience coming back to a show. Now, here are Glee's signature elements. The things that lead me to binge watch all three and a half seasons in two weeks...twice.
The show is silly in a way I haven't seen before in dramedies. It's kind of a ridiculous comedy. Sometimes events will take place causing me to roll my eyes or think "that wouldn't happen' but as soon as I do, there already making fun of themselves for it in some way. I love a show that can make fun of itself.
Next, the singing and choreography. Absolutely at the center of my obsession. And this is something, I reluctantly understand, is not for everyone. For me, however, whenever the dialogue was slightly missing, or the one-liners weren't quite coming through, and I was just about to hit the "Back to Browse" button on Netflix, the Glee Club that is the New Directions, or even The Warblers, break out into an amazing rendition of a song I love or forgot I loved or didn't know I loved and I fall in love with the show all over again.
The music coordinators and composers on this show are nothing less than genius. And you might think I'm exaggerating but their talent needs no embellishment. The songs chosen play to strengths of the actors who sings the various parts. On top of that, they usually choose songs that play into the context of the show perfectly, making you wonder how that song could ever be about anything but these characters and the show.
You know that feeling you get when you're watching a TV show or movie, and something comes over you at some point that says you can let go and trust this movie or TV program to do what it needs to do. You don't have to be concerned that it's going to fumble the ball or disappoint you. It has your back and all you have to do is watch and enjoy.
This is a rare feeling and almost unheard of in TV shows. Even more so on networks since requiring writers to put out 22 episodes regardless of what it does to a storyline has ruined some of the best shows.
However, when I watch Glee, I am dangerously close to this feeling. I am not completely there yet, but I never thought I would be this close.
The remainder of this season will be crucial. As is the problem with all TV shows based around high school students, eventually the characters have to graduate. This is what happened last season when half the cast graduated and went different ways. What they've done for the first part of this season has been admirable. They've managed now to get three of our graduates in one city (New York!) and some of the others hang around the school a lot for various plot points. And for the most part, it works. We get to split time between some new and old glee clubbers still at McKinley High. But we also get some of our old favorites in a new environment, facing new problems and dealing with different people.
Now, it's clear they can't do this forever. After this season's graduating class, I'm pretty sure the audience won't care about the McKinley glee club at all. All of our favorites will have graduated. It'll be interesting to see what the writers do with it. But like I said, I'm really near throwing my hands up because I'm pretty sure/ extremely hoping that they will deliver whatever changes flawlessly. And I absolutely cannot wait.
So, for those of you sleeping on Glee, you should check it out. Even if you don't like it, it's probably not for the reason you think. It really is something quite special.
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