Glee Is The New Heroes. Discuss.
Glee, Glee, Glee. Are we watching you disintegrate before our very eyes? After the creatively-cruddy Britney Spears episode, I began to be concerned. After the Rocky Horror Show, I started to actively worry. And now Susan Boyle has been confirmed to join the Glee-tards for their holiday episode, I'm convinced: Glee is the new Heroes.
Allow me to explain. If there are two things I love in this world, it's comic books and musicals (imagine how excited I must be for the disaster-prone Spider-Man musical!). If there's a superhero punching the hell out of a bad guy, or intricately-choreographed dance number, I'll be there, front row. But though my love is intense, it's not blind or uncritical. And I can't help but see that the same malady that dragged Heroes down from a beloved new series to a laughable butt of a joke is about to infect Glee.
· Both shows had a crackerjack first season that instantly captured the imagination of viewers and became a breakout hit. Both shows were rewarded with healthy dollops of Emmy nominations and acclaim. And both shows hit the skids almost immediately upon their second season.
·Both shows became slaves to stunt casting that lead nowhere (Look, it's Uhura! Look, it's Britney!), both shows have sketchy paternity issues that become ridiculous by the end (Sylar is a Petrelli! Wait, no he's not! Will's wife is faking her pregnancy! Because why not!)
·Both shows have beloved bad guys that they don't know what to with (Sylar is pure evil! No, he's good! No, he's bad! No, he's murky! Sue Sylvester loves Madonna! But she hates teen sexiness! She's a relentless gorgon who hates the Glee Club! Except when she doesn't! Except when she does!).
·Both shows have meandering plot lines that sluggishly circle around themselves until they finally realized something needs to happen (Sylar is very slowly driving from Central America! There is a deadly virus! Let's talk at boring length about it! New Directions are going to Nationals in New York! Because they said so, I guess!).
And there's plenty more I could talk about. Here's a nota bene to Ryan Murphy and the two other creators of Glee: I don't care about the special guest stars, the special theme episodes or any other superfluous fluff. I just want to know more about the characters and their lives, their struggles, their successes. Keep a clear sense of who each character is and how they act; what killed Heroes in the end, in my mind, is that the characterization for each person became so muddled and twisted that we ultimately didn't care what they did because it would undone or reversed in a few episodes. I still care about Glee, but it's getting harder and harder with every new stunt and out-of-character action.
And while I'm making requests, let's get more Sondheim up in this piece. I'd kill to hear Chris Colfer do "Not While I'm Around."
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Comments
great points, and i wonder if the problem doesn't lie with ryan murphy himself? during the production of season one, he was busy directing 'eat, pray, love' and wasn't as involved as he is this year, at least during the first half. now that he has more time to devote to 'Glee' he seems to be willing to let just about any idea be incorporated into an increasingly overstuffed show. and unfortunately, freely talking to the press about any/every new development (we have all read by now that susan boyle will be playing a lunch lady, a part which was originally offered to JLo). The show is still a fave, but i hope they can course correct before too long.
I agree with you on many levels -- especially when it comes to Heroes. There is, however, a clear distinction between the two shows. Heroes was supposed to be a serious sci-fi drama that became so confusingly pointless that it ended up being boring and unwatchable. But Glee is meant to be over the top. It is a totally ridiculous, unrealistic comedy/musical -- and I personally enjoy every second of it. If you can't just accept it for the hysterical train wreck that its, you're better off not watching.
I always worry about good new shows. I wonder if they throw everything they've got into Season One. Then, once it's successful. uh-oh, we have to do this 26 more times this year. Then 26 more times next year. How do we keep on top? 30 Rock has done OK, but it's more "line driven" than "plot driven". Glee is crappy in theme episodes (Madonna, Brittney, Rocky Horror -- which I expected so much more from) and great in their traditional role (Duets was a fantastic outing). This is high school. Get back to that.
the question drives me crazy. I think its bull and heres why. Pretty much EVERY concern raised about the second season applies to the first season. Glee was bombarded by guest stars in its first season. So has the second season. And i would argue britney wasnt stunt casting it was a cameo. But i can see this point somewhat. As far as the bad guy with a soul, that portrayal of sue has been going on since we met her sister in the first half of season one, and the writer explicitly cites the maddona episode which was SEASON 1. The issue abourt paternity issues? Just sloppy reasoning. That plotline began in the SECOND EPISODE for crying out loud! Really the fake pregnancy plotline hasnt been around SINCE THE SECOND HALF OF SEASON 1! As far as the meandering repetitive plotlines - did you watch the first season? Where in the first half every other episode had a glee club shake up? (rachel is leaving, april is joining, april is leaving, rachel is back, sue is co coach of the club, now shes not.) The show has meandered and been repetitive pretty much since the start. Some other complaints - glee is preachy. Again did you watch season 1? the episode "wheels" is basically an after school special. Or the show is over the top and plays loose with reality - again i point to the writers example of the pregnancy plot from SEASON 1! notice a trend here? I underatnd if people hate the show but dont act like these issues plaguing it are new. Theve been there pretty much since day 1. The show has seriouys flaws but it ALWAYS has. Maybe this may have more to do with its so popular now its not cool to like it anymore? I dont know but these problems people bring up have been there for quite a while, people are just to blind to see it.
Is this still on?
I thought this whole show was a stunt.
So.. I know you're right and there are way too many frivolous episodes so far this season to prove your point, but there are still some good character driven eps (like Duets & Grilled Chesus) to give me hope that they'll get out of this slump soon.
I sad to hear abt the Susan Boyle casting... seems really reaching right now. Let's hope a lot of characters (I'm looking at you Will Schueshter) start acting like real people and quick.
It's pretty simple. When Glee focuses on the kids (Duets), it excels. When it focuses on the grownups and their inexplicable need to act less mature than teenagers (the Rocky Horror episode), then it fails.
Both series were (or have the potential to be) undone by character derailment. After seeing Schu become a massive jackass in the Rocky Horror Picture Show episode, I wouldn't be surprised if he pulled a Nathan Petrelli and ruined everyone's lives. Heroes got off track and is now dead to the world. Glee, keep your characters (and storyline) moving straight ahead.
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