Glee - The Blacklash

Richard Dower

Ken Tucker, valid points imo:

http://watching-tv.ew.com/2010/10/12/glee-season-2-episode-4/

When Glee premiered, I was a big supporter of the show — it struck me as fresh, innovative, funny, and occasionally touching. Now in its second season, Glee regularly makes my skin crawl — it srikes me as repetitive, preachy, mawkish, and only occasionally funny.

From the comments I’m reading on EW.com and elsewhere, some of you feel the same way.

So what’s happened to Glee? Well, it became a huge hit. That means it acquired more creative freedom from its network. And that freedom became its trap. Glee has been indulging its worst instincts. I don’t mean the much-derided theme-shows — I actually enjoyed the Britney Spears episode more than any other this season thus far. I mean ones like last week’s “Grilled Cheesus,” which approached the subject of faith with all the tedious even-handedness of a United Nations meeting. No point of view was left behind: Believers and non-believers; religions galore were celebrated; and Kurt’s dad had to go into a coma to prove that the combined force of gargantuan Glee good-will, when dampened with tears, could provide salvation. If the episode had been any more loudly inspirational, I would have fallen asleep. All that, plus we were tortured with a Glee cover of a Billy Joel song.

I keep watching Glee not only out of professional duty, but out of genuine curiosity about where the show is headed each week, and in search of reasons for why and how it’s become so strident.

meoklmrk91

As much as I love the show, and I really do, I have to concur. I was skeptical but watched the first episode and I was pleasantly surprised. I have continued to watch it religiously since. But your right the second season, while not abysmal is definitely rather boring. The song choices are uninspired to say the least, although I loved the Britney Spears episode, the comedy seems to have been replaced with, well, whining. I'm really not sure whats going on as the episodes are still been written by show runners Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan, every episode of the last season was written by them and the same is true for this season. The show just seems direction less now, last year there was so much going on that the sectionals and regionals almost seemed like a subplot, this year the nationals are taking a front seat story wise and as well all know it won't be until the end of the season it all seems a little premature. That and the juvenile teenage relationship stuff is what I find most annoying.

Richard Dower

My opinion?....BAD idea Fox guaranteed two seasons before the first even ended, it was The OC all over again!

We all know what happened there, they dialed it in each week in the knowledge they had money going into their bank accounts regardless, it's a BAD idea giving shows guaranteed seasons like this as imo they don't work as hard to write it good and stay on the air.

Glee has been too hyped and oversold, too much talking from the actors and show runners, much to much info about every possible story arc been given away weeks and months in advance. It's starting to belive it's own hype.

Syferus

95% of the non-forum posting viewers have no clue what's going to happen next week, let alone next month. It's a short-sighted point to make that because spoilers are out there that they have any real effect on the show. Spoilers in all their many forms are prevailent if you want to find them, but most of the time it's very easy to avoid them if they bother you. You're essentially jumping down a flight of stairs and then blaming the stairs for your injuries. I've watched every single episode of the show thus far and I can only even tell you the name of the next episode because there's a thread on this forum emboldened with it.

Don't forget that you're part of a very special breed and that most people just flick their tv or pc on for 42 minutes of fun once a week and not much else, be it Glee or indeed any other show.

There's also a palpable sense on this board (and probably elsewhere too) of wanting to knock the popular kid off his perch. Everyone loves a trier, but success always seems to breed contempt.

nommm

Last few weeks have been a bit **** to be honest. Admittedly the show was a bit hit and miss towards the end of the last season but it's missing it's original spark. Even Sue isn't as funny as she once was . Hopefully it will get back on track soon. Grilled Chessus started out funny but just became overcliched and cheesy after awhile and I usuallly love cheesy and cliched!

watna

I agree completely with the link. I loved the first half of the first season but stopped watching half way through the second half. I just couldn't watch anymore. I've only just caught up on the last few episodes to regionals and the start of season 2. I regularly have to turn off the episodes and come back to them because they make me really uncomfortable. The grilled cheesus episode in particular I found preachy and awkward.

It still has a lot going for it and I really hope it picks up.

Motley Crue

I agree, because I liked what the show did for the first half of the first season, and I liked hearing Queen and Journey covered

I hated the first episode of the new season and aside from Rocky Horror have really gone off this season completely - too much popular influence, rap and hip hop, RNB and just generally using clichéd songs

I've enjoyed the odd exceptions, Finn singing REM and Sam singing Poison...but I think that, yes, there should be more rock and I also think that should be more reconsideration of other musical styles, country, opera even and especially metal...maybe the odd Metallica, Alice In Chains or Pantera song done in the right way

S.M.B.

Do you actually expect that of Glee?