Drop Kick Me Jesus (Through the Goalposts of Life) would have been an easy work-in.
Well this is the one where I have finally given up on Glee. When it started it was bright and fresh, with engaging storylines that had you hooked. The first half of the season had the pregnancy, the revelation that it wasn’t Finn’s, the fake pregnancy, Kurt coming out, Will’s crumbling marriage and subsequent attraction to someone else who ended up getting engaged to someone else. Amongst other things (eg. trying to establish the Glee club, the run up to regionals …) and it was all worked into the tunes. The songs were relevant.
But now what do we have? Nothing? What ongoing stories do we have? The number of songs has gone up and the amount of story has gone down. I’d argue that it started with the introduction of artist-specific shows that were worse cases of product placement than any instance of a cola can with the logo pointing at the camera. The Britney one had to be the worst episode of the show yet. They didn’t even attempt to work the tunes into the story, instead having almost all of them taking place in a dream state.
It all seemed to go wrong after the midseason break. Does anyone know if anyone left the production crew? Any other changes? Because the show lost its heart. It went away for a bit and it was never the same again.
I’ll post here verbatim criticism that I saw on another forum that I think sums it all up perfectly:
I won’t even start on the ham-fisted attempt at dealing with religion in the most recent episode.
Tastes vary, but I actually prefer a minimum of ongoing plotlines in light vehicles. Save them for Mad Men and other dramas- sometimes I just like to be entertained.
I can definitely see where some would consider the religion ham handed, but remember the core audience is teenagers- not much more inclined or accustomed to applying intellect to entertainment than Tyler Perry audiences so you can’t be too terribly subtle or nuanced. Within those parameters (a musical sitcom marketed to teens) I thought they did a decent job (I won’t say outstanding, but decent) and appreciated there was no deus ex machina of his father jumping up and singing in the hospital room or a last minute tearjerker followed by conversion by Kurt.
I completely agree with this. Last week was Dr. Jesse -> Britney Song, Dr. Jesse -> Britney Song, Dr. Jesse -> Britney song. This week was Here’s what I’m feeling -> Song, Here’s what I’m feeling -> Song, Here’s what I’m feeling -> Song. It’s like they’re not even trying to advance a plot. The show has existed for no other reason these last two weeks but to serve up musical numbers.
Yeah, I’m close to giving up on Glee. It used to be smart and funny!
Yeah, I’ll keep watching for now because there are still laugh-out-loud moments for me in almost every episode. But the show’s storytelling took a big drop in quality after the first half of season 1. They got too popular for their own good, I think.
It used to be a show about a bunch of misfits who had music in common. Now all the misfits are getting prettier and skinnier. Hell, even the dude in the wheelchair is on the football team now. And instead of taking show tunes or older music and giving it a modern twist, they are paying homage to music from today or last week. :rolleyes:
It seems that they had a great formula going and then abandoned it for a bigger cut of iTunes sales.
Salon article: “Glee” could be great – if it weren’t so awful
My favorite of their criticisms:
The above was particularly about Papa Can You Hear Me, which while Lea Michelle sang it well it neither improved nor varied anything Streisand did, thus why not just play Streisand’s version? The article did praise Brittany for saving the episode (an episode I quite liked as mentioned) with the book report, and I agreed it added much needed surreal levity to it.
For reasons I’ve already expressed this is to me the strongest “if you haven’t jumped the shark then you at very least have on the water skis and know where he’s pinned”. Get Artie off the football team yesterday.
Hey, you take that back, young lady! I grew up in LA and in a real church. Yes, one where everyone dresses up, the choir makes you want to dance, one where when the preacher really gets into it, the organ chimes in to second everything he says. A church. In Los Angeles.
Re: Glee’s plot sucking. I always thought the show itself was stupid, and the only things I really found enjoyable ever were Sue’s character, and the songs. I didn’t care about the pregnancy drama bullshit, and the Shuster/Emma thing is not interesting to me now, and never was. Look, I already know the two are going to end up together; the tension doesn’t even work. When I watch the show, half the time I’m thinking, “Just make some snappy jokes, then start singing.” Maybe I’m the kind of jackass they’re pandering to.
Dot Jones (Coach Biest) has been in several interviews lately. Because Jane Lynch is so tall you can’t tell how big Jones is, but she’s 6’3 (she used to be 6’4 but lost an inch due to knee surgeries) and won 15 world armwrestling championships before suffering a shoulder injury. Cite.
Strangely, she said on one TV spot she was bullied in school due to her height. It’s one reason she became so athletic.
Sorry I’m late to the party; my internet connection finally got strong enough for Hulu. (Darn my clinical class that lasts until 8:00 on Tuesdays!)
Ok, they’ve got me back. Finally some heart and, uh, soul. I didn’t cry the way I did during pretty much every episode of season one, but I did get a little teary.
Officially? No, probably not. But if you’re sweet and polite and don’t piss off the nurses, it’s amazing what you can get away with. I had 17 people in my recovery room an hour after my c-section! We lit a candle, too. Either the nurses didn’t notice or they pretended not to notice.
I don’t think he was in ICU at that point, just the regular floor. If he’d been intubated or had complicated IV’s, he’d be in ICU, but as a “stable but critical” patient, he’s probably just on the regular floor. It’s the unstable ones that get the ICU.
From your keyboard the the ears of Grilled Cheesus!
Yeah…ew.
Next week is the Rocky Horror show ep so we know one male cast member is going to get alot of screentime in a pair of gold speedos. :):):):):):):)
From this site:
You ever see a man wear a hat in it?
Did you ever even see a white person attending?
Other than Jake and Elroy.
Some of the old guys, yes. But no, not a chick hat with feathers.
Yes. He played the trumpet for our choir.
Did anyone else find it odd that the titular Cheesus had no grill lines, yet was supposedly made on a George Foreman grill, which has a bunch of parallel grilling bars?
In order to make a grilled cheese with an even amount of toasting like the Cheesus, don’t you need a flat skillet or pan?
There was a comment about how Finn had ruined it by trying to use it to dry his shoes, but yes, you’re right. But how else can the writers work in the product placement?
Would you trust Finn with using the actual stove? Sorry, small appliances only.
No. It’s a prop for a TV show.