Gleeks of the world (yes, that's really what we're called) rejoice! I come to you now with my inaugural (albeit it very late)Glee post and we certainly have a lot to cover.
From the moment I watched the pilot back in May, I knew we had something truly special on our hands (a weekly musical dramedy?! No way!!) The incredibly written and produced first episode, complete with an AMAZING final number (the immediately downloaded and heavily repeated "Don't Stop Believin'"), shattered all my expectations and completely raised the bar on what a superb pilot should be.
We were introduced to kindhearted and sensitive teacher Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) and his wife Terri (Jessalyn Gilsig). Will is a high school Spanish teacher who offers to run a failing glee club full of misfits and social rejects. Of these outcasts we find Rachel Berry (Lea Michele of Broadway's Spring Awakening), a star in her own mind and ripe with unbelievable talent, yet she remains unappreciated and is lost in the harsh social hierarchy of the high school world. To compliment her, Mr. Schuester creatively convinces football star Finn Hudson (Cory Monteith) to join the club and sing, despite his hesitations. If the plot sounds vaguely familiar (cute, popular jock enticed to sing in a school production amidst protest from his peers), you might recognize it - or embarrassingly admit to recognizing it - from Disney's High School Musical. Think of Glee as a smarter, edgier, wickedly funny version of HSM.
Finn's girlfriend, Quinn Fabray (Dianna Argon), is head cheerleader and leader of the school's celibacy club. She isn't keen on Finn joining Glee and becoming close to Rachel as he inevitably does. Coach of the girl's cheer squad (called the Cheerios) is Sue Sylvester (played by the scene stealing Jane Lynch), and she quickly becomes the enemy of Glee as she detests any attention the club gets, especially if it's diverted from cheer. Also at the school, we meet Emma Pillsbury (Jayma Mays), a germaphobic guidance counselor who appears to have a romantic connection with Will.
Glee is so many things at once. It's a high school drama, a wicked satire, and a Broadway musical all rolled into one jam packed hour of television. It's remarkable to believe that the show runners are able to juggle them all and make it work, but they do (and pretty spectacularly too).
Admittedly, the first few episodes after the pilot struggled to find a successful balance, but the show definitely discovered its groove and it is soaring high right now. The musical numbers are inspired and Kristen Chenoweth's guest spot in "The Rhodes Not Taken" was sheer brilliance (If you haven't downloaded "Maybe This Time" yet, do it right now!). And, in the season's breakout performance, Jane Lynch as Sue is so gut-bustingly hilarious you'll wish she was in every single scene. Each line she spits out is so expertly crafted and delivered, that if she isn't nominated for an Emmy next year something is horribly wrong.
So far we've learned that Quinn is pregnant, but not by Finn. She managed to convince him that the child is his, even though they've never fully had sex (something to do with premature ejaculation and a hot tub). Will's wife Terri, who we thought was pregnant, turns out to not be and is lying to Will about it in order to keep him in line. Terri has an agreement with Quinn to take her baby once she gives birth, and pass it off as her own (although I'm not exactly sure how that is going to work). I'm actually not too crazy about the whole pregnancy story line and I fear its dragging down the entire show. It just seems that whenever an episode is zipping along, the pregnancy subplot floors the brakes and causes all the momentum to come to a screeching halt. It's one of the few kinks in an otherwise spectacular show.
So there it is Gleeks, the first installment of Glee Weekly! What is your favorite performance so far? And do you agree with me about the pregnancy story line?
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