Glee (And/Or Gay) Until Graduation…

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Yep, here’s another Glee post, but this one is quite serious.  Creator/Writer/Director Ryan Murphy has put out the word that when his current New Directions members graduate at the end of the 2012 season, they’re outta there!  The one new member who is rumored to remain is Sam (Chord Overstreet), since he just joined up.  No, it won’t affect Sue Sylvester’s perpetual “get rid of the Glee club” agenda, but it will affect viewership.  It’s just a general rule of thumb that if you start a series with a core cast, you end it with them, no matter how old they are in real life, which many cast members are in their 20’s.  Then again, it might be a good idea to bring in new blood.  I just fear Glee will meet with what is going to happen to American Idol, sure, you can bring in new people/judges, but it’s not going to fully recover your ratings.  Murphy should take a lesson since his series, in my opinion, has replaced Idol in the Fox food chain.  I mean The Simpsons kids have all remained the same age for over 20 years and they are still going strong; which yes, it’s animated, I get it.  However, there are problems with Murphy’s dream scenario.  Will another Lea Michele come along, no less, a newly-named Billboard triple-threat Lea Michele will come along?  Absolutely not!  Where will we be without Brittany and Santana?  I guess new Cheerios will rule the school.  Kurt has moved on to Dalton Academy, but where will we go from there, add another gay kid who gets bullied???  It’s all really silly, but I do see a hint of sense in Murphy’s logic.  Maybe Murphy senses his show has met some harsh criticisms this season and he’s preparing with a back-up plan, who knows.  I just hope nothing happens to Jane Lynch in the next two years, no Sue, no Glee!  Am I wrong?

Don’t Dream It, Glee It!

I really liked The Rocky Horror Glee Show!  Sure, there were some questionable lyric changes and such, but it was solid episode.  Glee has really topped itself so far this season; only 5 episodes have aired, and it won’t slow down.  I think it’s interesting Sue Sylvester went the political, culture warrior route in bashing New Directions this week.  In reality, a high school putting on Rocky Horror as a musical, probably wouldn’t fly, and in the end, it didn’t fly at McKinley High. 

The episode was about Will’s attempt to win Emma back; she and her new beau, Carl, played by John Stamos, are avid Rocky Horror fans.  So Will thought he could win her back if the Glee club staged the show.  As the episode was taking shape, there were rumors of some original Rocky movie cast members would be guest starring.  Barry Bostwick (Brad) and Meat Loaf (Eddie) made the scene as TV station managers who want Sue to do an expose’, as part of her “Sue’s Corner” commentary, to expose how wrong it is for a school to stage Rocky Horror; and Sue naturally goes along with it.  She wants the show to go on, despite casting difficulties, and the now infamous risque subject matter.  And that’s where many Rocky Horror fans, like myself, find fault. 

You would think a show as popular as Glee could get away with the racy lyrics, but they did not.  The biggest change many fans are crying foul about is, one, Mercedes decides to take on the role of Frank N Furter after Mike Chang’s parents object to the script and two, the “transsexual” line in “Sweet Transvestite” is changed to “sensational”.  However, Mercedes playing Frank N Furter is a revelation and she says she learns how to “Dont dream it, be it”.  It’s somewhat justified.  The other number that met lyric changes is “Toucha Toucha Toucha Touch Me”; Emma helps Will, after Will decides he should play Rocky instead of Sam.  It all goes back to “these kids shouldn’t have to deal with the adult implications” theory, which is silly.  What is refreshing is that the show is continuing to push, albeit a subtle push, that Brittany and Santana are a couple.  They hide and watch Emma and Will, taking on the Magenta and Coumbia commentary of the song. 

The other numbers are pretty good; the opening of the episode has the infamous lips singing “Science Fiction Double Feature” complete with the pause, the title, and the cast listing.  I applaud Finn/Cory Montieth’s Brad; he got the dorkiness and the awkwardness down to a tee.  He doesn’t want to strip down as the show calls for.  John Stamos shined as well, performing an impromptu “Hot Patootie” with the kids; he’s not just Uncle Jesse anymore.  I’m bummed we didn’t get to see the full performance of “There’s a Light”, but that’s what album sales and downloads are for, guilty as charged!  And I must admit, I got a little teary-eyed as I was watching “Time Warp”; it’s probably the best number of the show, duh!  So congrats to Ryan Murphy and Adam Shankman, the director of this episode, it may have not been perfect, but it hit the spot. 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

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Sophomore Year Can Be Annoying…

I had an interesting sophomore year in high school.  I got to march in the marching band instead of playing percussion in the pit.  I dated a guy who would turn out to be gay; are you shocked?  I went through the hell of chemistry class.  I guess not a terrible (to add insult to injury, my sophomore year in college, I totally gave up and I nearly got kicked out!).  So the second year of a TV series can be nearly as iffy.  

I don’t want to say it, but Glee is really suffering through a sophomore slump, as evidence by this week’s lackluster duets episode.  I understand, we are only 4 episodes into the new season, the season premiere was eh, then 2 incredible episodes, Brittney/Britney and Grilled Cheesus; then episode 4, we finally see Brittany and Santana make out, the newest Glee clubber Sam come out of his shell, and Kurt is continuing to nurse his Dad back to health/crushing on the new boy.  Noticeably missing from episode 4, Mark Salling/Puck????  Nothing major, he’ll be back in a few weeks; and really if he was gone, would we care?  Glee is easily the new American Idol, theme weeks? hello?!? and the talent far surpasses most of what we saw on Idol last year.  I think the only reason Glee is going to roll on is their demographics: teens, tweens, theater geeks, and wannabe glee clubbers.  The nostalgia of the songs New Directions takes on keeps me around; I just think the something needs to change.  Oh, of course, I’m jazzed about The Rocky Horror Glee Show episode in two weeks; I just hope Ryan Murphy can deliver on the non-theme weeks.  I guess there just hasn’t been a total “wow” moment this season; Kurt’s crisis episode has been the highlight.  It all comes down to what do the viewers want, good acting, good songs, or both?

Balance is everything, I’ll stand by Glee!