On Peaks, Suggestions and Six Ways to Improve Glee
Well, we reached a cultural apex last night, my friends. We’ve scaled the mountain that is Glee and reached our peak – the end of season one. Everyone’s favorite gleeks made it to Regionals and (spoiler alert) lost. But more importantly they learned a valuable lesson and (spoiler alert) won. Tears were shed. Songs were sung. Everything changed for a split second before everything was returned to the way it has always been.
Glee will be back in the fall for another shot at Sectionals and, if last night’s finale is any indication, season two will be a tidy little repeat of season one. That, I’m afraid, just will not do. The people behind Glee have a good thing going, but if they want the show to thrive beyond its teen audience, they need to seriously consider an overhaul.
Might I, in my infinite wisdom, make some suggestions?
Come up with a new story arc.
Every episode of Glee is essentially the same. The club comes close to being disbanded due to the meddling of someone on the outside. That someone is usually Sue. Mr. Schuester asks his little army of singing sensations to work on songs that will teach them a lesson and help them overcome that episode’s hurdle. Rachel sings. Finn sings. Sometimes someone else sings. On rare and painful occasions, Mr. Schuester tackles a hip-hop song. Problems are resolved and everyone learns a lesson. The episode ends with a touching group number.
It’s time to give the audience a little more. Playing the same conflict over and over and over is both lazy and tedious. We know that the glee club will survive because, well, the show is about the glee club. Therefore, throwing the club on the chopping block each week just does not give the show any kind of dramatic impact. It’s time to come up with a new formula, folks.
Explore your key characters.
There are a lot of characters on Glee, and at times there is some confusion as to who the key characters are. It’s easy to argue that Rachel, Finn and Mr. Schuester are the core of the show. And yet, entire episodes would go by with hardly a mention of Rachel or Finn. It’s clear that there was a desire to highlight other characters, but that should not happen to the detriment of the core. It’s time to give some depth to Rachel and Finn. Until now, they’ve been fairly flat characters, but there are countless opportunities to grow these two. What if Rachel decided to fight fire with fire? Seeing a darker side to her could drive the show in a new and interesting direction while giving the highly talented Lea Michele more to do than just play uptight and shrill.
Allow the story to dictate the music.
For a while, Glee the television show was merely a commercial for Glee the album. When you find yourself creating dialogue and story around a set of songs, it should indicate that you are doing something wrong. Yes, the Madonna episode was a lot of fun, but it didn’t serve much purpose when it came to furthering the plot. The best episodes of Glee are the ones that keep the storyline on the front burner. Let the music flow from that.
Let your couples simmer.
In last night’s finale we had three professions of love. Finn loves Rachel. Puck loves Quinn. Mr. Schuester loves Emma. Each of those professions should have been emotional high points in the season, but all three of them fell flat. The reason they fell flat is simple – it’s hard to care about a couple you’ve never been given the chance to know. Finn and Rachel were together for a hot minute before Jesse St. James showed up for a story arc that ultimately made no sense. Puck impregnated Quinn roughly nine months ago and their relationship was only ever hinted at. Sure, Schuester came close to deflowering Emma, but she is so seldom on the show it’s easy to forget she even exists.
If you want your audience to care about these couples, allow these couples to be. Let one of two of these couples find some happiness in season two before they are ripped apart. There’s a reason so many shows use the on-again-off-again plot for their core couples. It ups the stakes and keeps things interesting. But in order for it to work, there needs to be a point when the couple is actually on. We have yet to really see that on Glee.
Cut back on the use of guest stars.
Glee had no shortage of big name guest stars in its first season. Josh Groban, Olivia Newton-John, Kristin Chenoweth, Eve, Idina Menzel, Molly Shannon, and Neil Patrick Harris have all appeared on Glee. In the case of Kristin Chenoweth and Neil Patrick Harris, the guest stars outshone the regular cast. In the case of Idina Menzel, it was clear that she’d never stick around as Rachel’s mom because she’s a guest star. And guest stars, by their very nature, do not stick around for long. Glee has more than enough characters in its regular cast for the focus to remain on them. And the show is easily popular enough not to have to rely on stunt casting.
Give Mark Salling (Puck) and Heather Morris (Brittany) more screen time.
She’s hysterical and he’s just hot.
It may not seem like it, but I like Glee. The show, like its group of high school crooners, has a lot of heart. It also has a lot of potential to be a truly amazing television show that does not exist solely to push album after album of cover music. The cast is talented. The concept is just campy enough to be both enjoyable and accessible. And, heck, they sing Madonna music from time to time.
So use your summer wisely, Glee. Figure out how to push the show to the next level. I know you can do it.
And more importantly, Mr. Schuester knows you can do it.
I want to know more about Rachel’s dads!
This! So totally this. I hope the make more use of Brittany.
I have been arguing these points for months, but no one seems to listen. Don’t get me wrong, I loved Chenowith as April, but she truly was a guest star at first, when we had only one. Now, they introduce new characters quickly and frantically, and because they are guest stars, they vanish. What was with Molly Shannon, anyway? She hardly had any lines and was in a scant two episodes. Makes you wonder if she is coming back, or if she had her turn. And they are talking about more, even adding Susan Boyle. And of course, if the guest star can sing, they have to sing. To sell an album.
You are right about the plots. They are already tired. They need to work on the characters. There were about five episodes in a row that they narry mentioned Quinn and the baby, and all of a sudden, Shelby was adopting her. I still don’t know when Rachel broke up with Jesse St. James. And Rachel, the more I watch the show, the less I like her. Apparently she is a diva in real life, too, and it is coming across. She is not sympathetic. They let the other characters sing, but when it is show time, they push them all aside to make way for Rachel and Finn.
And the story with Emma made me mad because it was so sweet in the first 13 episodes, and then, Mr. Shu became a bit of a ‘ho, kissing Idina, flirting with Sue, ect., and all of a sudden we are back to “oh my God, I love you Emma!” and I just don’t buy it. Not one bit.
They also have to lose Sandy, and Terry, and that other guy from the bath store.
And the music on the first thirteen episodes (before it took off) was catchier and more fun. Now, they are really pushing overly dramatic crowd pleasers (like songs from Les Miz, Total Eclipse, Over the Rainbow) and these are great once in a while, but you need to limit them to make them special.
One thing they started to do that I wish would continue would be give each character a signature sound – kind of like Artie always seems to do new wave artists ( dancing with myself, safety dance) and Quinn started with the girl groups from the sixties. It was fun to give each character a theme music.
But they have a hit, and they are going to milk it with concerts and albums and unfortuately, the masses are just going to follow and not really care about improving it, and still buy anything related to it, so it probably won’t change.
I really want to love it. But I like it. I honestly think I like listening to the albums more than watching the show. I almost want to fast forward to the next song.
And what is going to happen when the kids have to graduate? Do they get new kids, or do they lose the teachers? Just a thought.
Though, I think the second April Rhodes episode was my favorite. Here singing One less Bell to Answer , and then “Home” from the Wiz.. and her version of “Fire” with Mr. Shu. Wow. Just Wow. They should keep her.
Do these points meet with your approval?
I think it’s high time you and I took over the show, Doug!
Sparky! I just read that Kristin Chenowith is leaving Promises Promises on Broadway to go back to Glee… and they way she said it, it seemed like it might be a more regular gig. That makes me happy!
This show lost me when they cut short the baby switch plot then promptly forgot the entire thing. It was an umbrella story that would’ve affected most every character on the show and could have had enormous ripple effects for months to come.
Instead, they resolved it with a 90 second confrontation between Will and Terry culminating in his leaving her. There was no emotional pay-off: Terry and her conniving sister disappeared; Finn and Puck were cool with each other within the space of an episode and Quinn came out smelling like a rose. Cheat, cheat, cheat. That’s unbelievable, especially when dealing with nasty beings like teens.
And if the producers do anything different next season, could it please involve less scream time for Mercedes (or better yet, just write her off the show)?
GLEE is the best musical TV show on earth `