I like watching Glee, but certain times when I watch it I can't help rolling my eyes at just how ridiculous it is. I mean, it is okay that they want to burst into song all the time, how they can pull off Broadway numbers perfect without even rehearsing, how the other cast members know when to come in and blend perfectly and dance around, making the right faces at the right time when the camera cuts to them so it looks like they are a slick moving, breathing music machine.That's fine, because this is a musical, and they only have 40 minutes to squeeze everything they need to squeeze into an episode. Which means song numbers take priority and all other aspects of school, like lessons, homework, breaks are 30 second cutaways. Why can't I make the banal and boring aspects of my life into 30 second cutaways too? Oh right, I'm not in a musical dramedy. Must be awesome being in one.
But you are telling me a polished act like this has problems winning Regionals, when their competition is obviously not at the same level? That the whole school hates them just because they are the Glee club despite constantly pulling off impromptu covers that would pretty much fill concert halls, and where we actually see students rocking along and smiling to it as well? Surely they must have some fans somewhere, especially since the whole sports hall can racuously sing along to Brittany's rendition of Tik Tok.
I get it, it's a show about struggling misfits, and they are trying to show you that even outcasts can become stars, but these people aren't misfits by a long mile. They are ridiculously talented.
It seems that what's really keeping people from signing up for Glee club is not how loser it is, but rather because it's too awesome. If everyone in the club sang like Rachel or Mercedes, I wouldn't touch the club with a ten foot pole because next to them I sound like bad karaoke. Even their second stringers like Santana can compose and pull off sultry numbers like "Trouty Mouth", which was my personal favourite of the season because it was hilarious. Yeah, Blaine is awesome, but he will never top Santana in a nurse outfit. Sorry.
Even the people who can't sing can dance their socks off, and their musicians can play freaking anything upon being asked to "hit it!" They are supposed to be invisible, but are somehow always present for all rehearsals, musical numbers, even impromptu last minute things like Rachel calling up Finn for a secret chat. Do these people even have day jobs apart from sitting in the glee homeroom/auditorium all day? Then where were they when Sue the Grinch stole all the Christmas gifts? Hah!
And, you know how Mr Shue is always fighting with Sue and haggling Principal Figgins about the budget, when their budget is so sick their auditorium can have among other things, an AV club doing special effects like water pouring from the ceiling and flooding up the whole place just for them to do a remix of "Umbrella". And they have all these costume changes and crazy props, but who pays for them?
No wonder they have to sell toffee to fund a bus to their competitions. If that's the case why not just do less elaborate rehearsals? Like, keep it real guys. The club is so freaking talented, you could do just about anything and it would still be good. At times, I have to suspend my disbelief so much Glee just becomes story, okay music video intermission can stop watching for awhile, story.
Bad plot devices also rule the day in Glee. Like, Artie on the football team? I know, the show is all for inclusion and giving people chances, but Artie on the football team just because he wants abs like Mike Chang? He's in a wheelchair for goodness' sakes. What is he going to do, obstruct the opposing team because you cannot manhandle a disabled individual? Doesn't anyone even realise its dangerous to have him on the field, not just for Artie but for all the other players as well? People run at high speeds on the field hello. Like, don't insult the wheelchair bound. I mean, it's bad enough that he has to roll himself around while the rest of the cast is dancing on their musical numbers, which is still believable though barely so.
The relationships in the show are also as tangled as a spider's web. Finn is sleeping with Quinn who slept with Puck who actually likes Quinn and because of that Finn and Puck are still best friends, and they can perform in the same glee club like it's the most normal thing in the world. And then Puck sleeps with Finn's second girlfriend Rachel, and they are still best friends! And Finn goes back to Quinn, but there is now Rachel who likes Finn who Puck also slept with. Are you mindfucked now? I most certainly am. If anything, they must be giving each other crabs or something.
And why doesn't anyone date outside of the Glee club? There would be a lot less fighting, so that Mr Shue will not be conveniently hanging around to break it up, because the school is only so big and they always fight at the lockers.
It's for the music, yes it's for the music. Must. Remind. Self.