I was checking out movies/videos at HMV with my buddy Vince (as I usually do on a Saturday) when they so happened to be playing back GLEE on the TV screens. I fell in love. I watched the scene that set up the song, "Don't stop believing" by Journey. It's a great song to the start of the series and so appropriate to the premise of the story. Thereafter, I downloaded season one and the following week purchased it. And then I promoted the series to my sister. It's just so much fun.
My enjoyment of GLEE has waned these past few days (I've been quite busy) but I wanted to write about its impact.
It's strange to me. Strange in the sense that, as a kid, I used to watch all the musicals that played on television over the Christmas holidays. I used to enjoy them. We used to sing to them in fact. I can still remember when Elaine and I (Elaine is my sister) would sing "Doe a deer a female deer" as my cousin Alice would conduct our singing. I was maybe 8 at the time. And I can also recall my friend Doug (passed away in 2008) whom would always be referencing theatre and musical numbers. It's funny that I've forgotten how much fun singing and dancing is. So serious as I am in serious matters ... :(
Well GLEE has been enjoyable. So I wanted to write about what makes it fun and a joy to watch. But I also wanted to write about what it has lost these past few episodes, i.e. since the restart of Season One (after the Sectionals).
Episode 1
- Introduce Will Shuester (Shue) whom wants to take on the Glee club, Will was a past Glee club member when he attended McKinley school
- Glee club was a popular club when Shue was a member, it has gone afoul since then and Shue wants to bring it back to it's former glory
- Introduce Sue Sylvester whom is the antagonist to the Glee club, she runs the Cheerios cheerleading squad, nationally competitive
- Shue calls the new club "New Directions" and opens for auditions
- Introduce Mercedes (black girl, chubby, big voice) sings Aretha Franklin's RESPECT
- Introduce Kurt (white boy, skinny, gay) sings Celephane from Chicago Musical
- Introduce Tina (asian girl, average, shy) sings I kissed a girl by Kate Perry
- Introduce Rachel (jewish girl, average, star) sings On my own from Les Miserable
- Shue promotes Glee but finds resistence from the administration/teachers and the kids themselves
- Rachel doesn't want to participate unless they can find a male counterpart to keep up with her
- Shue makes a plea to the Football team for guys and discovers the quarterback to have musical talent
- Shue connives (is this a word? ... haha) and get Finn to participate
- Rachel takes a liking to Finn, and the team find that they are sounding pretty good
- Finn is suspect as peer pressure forces him to question his allegiance even though he enjoys singing
- Shue's wife announces that she is with child and questions Shue's ability to provide for their growing family as a teacher
- Shue decides to get out of teaching when Emma Pilsbury shows Shue how happy he was when he was part of the Glee club, Shue reconsiders
- Shue overhears the Glee club performing and "it would kill me to miss you win the nationals" and decides to stay
Analysis:
The story works because:
1. musicals have become unpopular in mainstream television/film
2. a club that performs something that is unpopular will also be construed as unpopular despite the fact that music is always popular in school
3. the tension of the characters to "fit in" (to find a niche) is prevalent and many people can relate to it
4. singing and dancing is fun but not necessarily cool
These are the principle factors that make this a compelling TV show. What puts it over the top (what makes it good) is that it begins as a comedy. The show presents the kids as misfits whom just want a place to shine (show their talents) and have fun. A major component of comedy is exaggeration. Musicals are inherently exaggerations. Breaking into song because song is the only way to express yourself is wonderful but not really "normal" behaviour. That's why a musical is a little strange to some people. But all people love music. So to satirize the "Musical high school" theme is ingenious. Problem is that the show has stopped being a satire. The comedy has disappeared (part of being popular) and now it's less edgy than it was.
The drama has definitely improved but the comedy is being lost in it. I'm not sure that I consider it an improvement. Don't get me wrong, I like the drama. Some of it is done very well. But the comedy has really taken a nosedive. The best comedy is when there is a serious undertone beneath the surface. And in like manner, the best dramas have really insightful comedic moments that give the audience a respite from the seriousness but also highlights the message. I think the comedy (it's appeal) has been defanged (satire). It's become so popular that it's no longer "wickedly enjoyable".
That is just my take on the current series.
