Last month, the news hit like a shockwave: Glee was renewed not just for Season Five but also Season Six!
It’s surprising since viewership has been dwindling almost as quickly as the criticisms have been growing.
I’ll admit, I was a diehard fan from the beginning. I watched the shows, bought the CDs and discussed each episode in detail with fellow Gleeks. But over the last season, something has been happening.
Some blame it on the split characters and storylines between New York and Ohio.
I think creator Ryan Murphy is simply spread too thin between Glee, American Horror Story and The New Normal.
What Glee has done well:
Ryder’s story of sexual abuse at the hands of a female babysitter. Ryder’s male friends laughed. And many viewers were disgusted that it was written this way. Good.
We need boys to know that this is, in fact, a crime – and not a teenage fantasy-come-true. But this mindset is not going to change overnight and some might not ever “get it.” Murphy was making an important point, not an ABC Afterschool Special.
The NYADA Winter Showcase episode was an example of Glee’s music at its finest. And the inclusion of Sarah Jessica Parker and Kate Hudson in the New York scenes was fun and fabulous.
The Sadie Hawkins episode was fun with the snappy dialogue and crazy scenarios Gleeks love.
The discovery of a steroids cheating scandal at Sectionals was just icing on the cake.
Where Glee went so very, very wrong:
Sue had a baby with a sperm donor. We don’t know who or why since she’s not exactly mommy material. Then they gave it Down Syndrome and made it all-but disappear.
And it’s not the only one with a vanishing act. Joe-dreadlocks keeps skipping class. And where was Brittany last week?
Finn’s college party blowout came out of nowhere. Especially since the last time we saw him he wasn’t even registered and was focused on marrying Rachel.
Meanwhile, Mr. Schue’s wedding had every one of the students all over the hotel in every possible sexual combination. Do we need to remind Murphy that half of these kids are supposed to be 17? I’m not saying teenagers aren’t having sex. But the treatment of the subject was just a little too casual for this show.
And when did every kid who didn’t excel in academics become a functioning idiot? Sam and Brittany didn’t start out this stupid. But now I’m wondering how they manage to dress themselves in the morning.
Glee has two seasons ahead. And Murphy needs to smarten Glee up before it loses its fans completely.
Unless that was his plan all along.
According to Big Bang Theory’s Sheldon, “They can’t just cancel a show … They have to help the viewers let go. … Heroes gradually lowered the quality season by season ‘til we were grateful it ended.”
We could be in for a long season five.
