I posted a short while ago that I had been watching Glee, and had found myself surprised that I was rather enjoying it. Like many other people (I imagine) I had certain preconceptions as to what the show would be about — misconceptions, as it happens. Misconceptions fuelled by media coverage of the phenomenon of “gleeks”, and endless playing of their version of Don’t Stop Believing on the radio.
Watching the show with an air of objectivity, i.e. having ignored most of the coverage about it because of my misconceptions it was cheesy and lame, has surprised and delighted me with its quality. I’m genuinely enjoying it — cheesy songs and all — and have come to care about the characters. As I’ve said on a number of occasions before, caring about the characters in something is the one thing that will keep me watching or playing something, even after said piece of media in question might have long outstayed its welcome with other people. And I can see how Glee could easily rub people up the wrong way. It’s an acquired taste, but one I have well and truly acquired with aplomb.
Glee is good at high school angst. Above all else, outside of all the cheesy songs and elaborate dance routines, it’s about teenage troubles. And some surprisingly weighty issues, too — I’d assumed that it would all be a bit Disney, judging by the saccharine, autotuned nature of the music. But in the space of the season and a quarter that I’ve watched so far, the show has taken in teen pregnancy, homosexuality, bullying, infidelity, abstinence, discrimination and a wealth of other topics, and it’s handled them all in a surprisingly sensitive manner. Most of the “dealing with” said issues involves singing a song that is tangentially related to the issue in question, but somehow this never seems too forced. Sure, if you’re going to go over it with a fine-tooth comb and pick apart exactly why a high school could never have the budget to pull off some of the productions they do, you’ll come away feeling slightly I satisfied by the whole experience. But accept it for what it is — a heavily stylised depiction of high school that blends realism with escapist fantasy — and there’s an incredibly satisfying, well-written and, at times, very touching show underneath.
It’s a show of great characters, too. Mr Shuester (or however you spell it) is a great lead. While there’s an element of “cheesy choir leader” about him by the nature of his character’s role, he’s a deep, interesting and flawed character who presents an interesting counterpoint to the colourful adventures of the teen stars. Sue Sylvester, too, makes a brilliant “villain”, and is all the more powerful for being a very complex, unpredictable character. It would have been easy to leave her as nothing but a heartless bitch, but even well into the second season, she continues to surprise.
Barring a few missteps early in season 2 — the themed episodes based on Britney Spears and the Rocky Horror Show were a bit silly in that they felt far too shoehorned in, even for a show about retrofitting pop songs to express your inner angst — the show is fairly consistently great. Said theme shows were followed up by some brilliant episodes, however, with the eighth entry of the second season providing one of the most genuinely moving moments I’ve seen in a TV show in recent years. (I shan’t spoil it for those who intend to watch it, but suffice to say for those who have seen it, it’s the bit where that song “You’re Amazing” is used, if that’s what that song is actually called. I’d check, but, you know, I can’t be arsed. You know the one I mean.)
I will be following Glee with interest as it continues — particularly as the high school nature of it means that the entire cast of kids will theoretically have to be replaced over the course of the next few seasons.
