Glee has had, in my view, a pretty bipolar level of quality. The hype before it was released here in the UK made it seem like a new, exciting, vibrant show. The idea of a programme having new renditions of songs every week ppealed to me. The fact that it was billed as having an equal ratio of pop songs to showtunes really appealed to me.
When Series 1 began, I was a little underwhelmed. It wasn't too funny. The characters were pretty standard. But that was made up for by the generally impressive vocal performances and arrangements, Sue Sylvester, and the fact that it still seemed the show had "heart".
As the series moved on, it gained momentum. It went up in my books, I can tell you that much. It developed its own quirky sense of humour, Rachel's persistent diva-ness began to grow more amusing and the pregnancy storyline was quite interesting. The show was promoting acceptance of the outcasts, the geeks, the losers. It had become a really solid, well performed, unique TV show. The renditions of songs from musicals were especially brilliant. I still think the best performance so far is Kristin Chenowerth and Lea Michele singing "Maybe This Time".
I had a few niggling issues though. And gradually those issues have grown. They've corrupted the show, lessened my enjoyment of it and besmirched the series as it has gone on.
1) Relationships
This was the first thing that really bothered me. Throughout the whole series you were made to root for Will to leave his wife for Emma. Yes, his wife is a crazy, selfish harpy, but they are still married.Gradually, the show's presentation of relationships has worsened. Take Rachel: she's gone from Finn, to Puck, to Finn, to Will, to Finn, to Jesse, with no lasting repercussions, no condemning of the fact that you should't flit from relationship to relation ship like that. Even Will has had it off with two women immediately after he left his wife and the show has had no consequence or condemnation of it. It makes relationships seem dispensable and insignificant.
2. The Story is Going Nowhere
This has become an issue more in the second half of this series. Everything since they won sectionals and Will left his wife has been almost pure filler. The songs simply draw out a very insubstantial plot, most episodes are driven by the pointless, shallow romances; flippantly thrown in to mask the fact that the writers can't write a whole episode. Mercedes and Kurt joining the cheerios, when they've spent the whole series learning to accept their uniqueness? Amber making an utterly pointless return? Kurt's dad and Finn's mum falling in love just like that? Please. Have some respect for your audience.
3. The "HSM" Factor
This has nothing to do with the misspelt abbreviations for the ships of our wonderful British navy. No. It's the High School Musical factor. That is: the message is supposedly all about accepting the outsiders for what they are, saying you don't have to be popular or beautiful. But that's totally undermined as all of the main characters are played by very attractive actors and actresses, who have their voices autotuned. Heck, even when they try to return to that message, it's done ineloquently and unoriginally i.e. the performance of "Beautiful" this week. Good pop song, hardly an inspired choice though. And the delivery hardly original either.
4. Less Showtunes!
The show has had progressively less songs from musicals, which really upsets me! Musical numbers have been the highlights for me. Their gradual disappearance signals the dumbing down of the show, and how it's becoming gradually more commercial, losing the heart and flare that endeared it to me at first.
So there are what I think are the four key factors in the decline of Glee. I'll keep watching. Until the end of this series at least. See if everything I've raised is resolved. I haven't looked up what happens next, so we'll see. If I'm honest, I don't anything will change. Maybe you disagree though.
Question: Do you think Glee has gotten worse as it's gone along? Why?
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