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Been on facebook lately? Found many status updates have had something to do with living with hepatitis or waterboarding? Then Glee, the TV-musical phenomenon that’s just made its way over here, can’t have eluded you.
Judging on appearances, you would think it was a cheesy formatted-for-TV version of High School Musical. But labelling it so would be underestimating its intelligence. If you’re familiar with Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s work on Nip/Tuck, you know they are experts in teleplaying the big issues in an alternative light. While Nip/Tuck was groundbreaking, cutting edge and at times morbid, Glee is at the other end of the spectrum to “open us up to joy” (if you recognise that, you’re already a Gleek).
Glee deals with standard high school melodrama – you’ve got your bullying, popularity and teenage angst. But never has a high school show covered all of these in such a tongue-in-cheek manner with infectious bounciness. Credit must go to the far-reaching levels of humour Glee manages to insert throughout a standard episode; you may laugh at something as childish as ‘PENIS’ written on a sign-up sheet, but then you have Sue Sylvester’s elaborate and genius one-liners (“That was the most offensive thing I've seen in 20 years of teaching — and that includes an elementary school production of Hair”) or the little background details you blink and miss (leaflets in Emma’s office include “DIVORCE: why your parents stopped loving you” and “My mom’s bipolar and she won’t stop YELLING”). In any case, whoever declared that Americans don’t get subtler humour just needs a dose of Glee to be proved wrong.
Of course, humour alone isn’t what hooks you. For the writers to be able to set up story arcs for a half-season and introduce all characters in an episode or two is harder to master than you’d think. We’re already aware of the Emma-Will-Ken love triangle, Teri’s fake pregnancy, Rachel pining after the attached Finn and the all important Will and Sue rivalry. Who wouldn’t want to tune in again?
I’ve managed to go on this long without mentioning Glee’s crowning glory – its music. Sure, some may find the overt miming distracting, but just look back at the closing number of the second episode – the undeniably superior version of ‘Take a Bow’ – as an example. Does it even matter? I challenge you not to have your heart swell with excitement and your eyes fill with tears just like Will watching the Glee kids rising from the ashes in ‘Don’t Stop Believin’ (both the Glee cover and original currently hold number 5 and 6 in the charts – a testament to the weight this show is only beginning to hold).
Finally, there’s the brilliant ensemble cast. With characters including Rachel walking the tightrope of obnoxious yet likeable, Mercedes (“I’m Beyonce – I ain’t no Kelly Rowland!”) and Kurt (“You need to call me before you dress yourself...you look like a technicolour zebra") making the most of their golden material, it’s no wonder that Glee is making waves – and I’m sure will continue to do so for many a TV season.
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