No longer will I be ashamed to like this show, watch this show, talk about this show or re-watch this show on my iPod… because I love this show. It is official, I am a full-fledged “Gleek” and I am proud to wear that title as a badge of TV viewing honor.
Glee is not a show that deserves to have the channel changed when someone walks in the door or to be hidden in your DVR and erased immediately after viewing. No. Instead be proud that this once thought to be “guilty pleasure” is now, in fact, a very well-written, wonderfully performed and acted, extremely intelligent and damn funny original show.
Sure it contains some of the mainstay clichés of all high school based entertainment material, i.e cheerleaders and jocks are bullies and mean to the lowly nerds, but it is the characters within these clichés that make them so much more than a one-dimensional setup for a cheap laugh.
The prime example of this is the coach of the Cherrios, the award-winning, ESPN televised and nationally recognized cheerleading squad, Sue Sylvester, who happens to be played by one of the funniest women in Hollywood right now, Jane Lynch. Lynch has made her comedic bones in movies like “The 40 Year-old Virgin,” “Talladega Nights” and “Role Models” and has shown in those just how capable she is at stealing scenes with her dry wit and perfect timing. Her role as the hard-nosed and ultra-competitive Sylvester had me laughing so hard that I could barely breathe and that is quite an accomplishment for any show, not just one about a struggling high school glee club.
Of course, I would be remiss if I did not mention the rest of the cast who clearly are the reason why this show will and has become a smash hit with a cult-like and loyal fan base.
The star of the glee club Rachel Berry, played by the supremely talented Lea Michele, was a bit off-putting and abrasive in the first few segments of the first episode, but this beautiful girl has really grown on me. She has certainly show her vocal chops in these first two episodes with her versions of “On My Own” from Les Miserables and Rhianna’s “Take A Bow,” both of which are goosebump-raisingly good.
The male leads played by Cory Monteith as Finn Hudson, the jock turned glee club star, and Matthew Morrison as Will Schuester, the former glee club star and now teacher/glee coach are perfectly casted. Finn is trying to balance life as Mr. Popular with the life that makes him truly happy, that of course being performing on stage. His struggles with his newfound attraction to his co-star Rachel, who has secretly been pining for him since his first performance, and the celibacy-preaching and cheerleading girlfriend Quinn are just a few that he faces and ignores at the same time,
Mr. Schuester, meanwhile, is struggling in his own right with a baby on the way that really isn’t on the way, because his insane wife is having a hysterical pregnancy. He wants to provide for his family, but he also wants to be happy and Glee Club and teaching are what the things that do that for him.
The supporting cast is great as well with Kurt the effeminate and fashionably conscious male support, Artie the talented, but sadly (and endearingly) crippled nerd, Mercedes the big voiced diva and Tina the punk-rock and socially awkward outcast make up the rest of the misfit Glee crew. Jayma Mays is hilarious and so damn cute as Emma Pillsbury, the obsessive-compulsive clean freak and the guidance counselor who is madly in love with Will, but who has her own suitor in the gym teacher and football coach Ken Tanaka, played by Patrick Gallagher.
Glee kept up with the high bar that it had set for itself in the sneak preview episode a few months back and seemed to somehow surpass it as well. From the great performances of Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab” and Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” in that first episode to the great covers of Kanye West’s “Golddigger” and Salt n Pepa’s “Push It” in the season premiere, it looks as though this shows show choir take on modern hit songs will be a hit in itself.
Fox has finally found something other than “The Simpsons” and “Family Guy” that it can hang its hat on and hopefully it does so for seasons and years to come… with the fan and critic reaction, it seems very likely that “Glee” will make it all the way to Nationals.
“Glee” Season Premiere Approval Rating: 5 out of 5
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