Off Pitch
Coming off his successful stint as executive producer of ‘Nip/Tuck,’ Ryan Murphy knows how to come up with compelling characters to drive the show’s cult following. After the risky yet successful launch of ‘Glee,’ following ‘American Idol’ in May, it was lauded all summer as one of fall’s best shows. With nine out of the 13 fall episodes having already aired, ‘Glee’ sometimes disappoints by the end of certain episodes and with some of its characters.
Because of the large cast, we don’t see the more compelling characters that much. With 12 actors fighting for screen time each week, not including the recurring characters, it can get crowded, confusing and stray from the main storyline. The main character we see each week is Rachel Berry, played by Broadway actress Lea Michele.
Rachel is the character we’re supposed to be rooting for to come out on top, as she strives to be the lead singer of the glee club. But it’s hard to root for her as the series progresses because of her wannabe diva attitude. We also have to deal with her sometimes not-so-silent love for fellow glee-mate Finn (Cory Monteith).
More characters we could live without include the adult cast. The character that needs to go as soon as possible is Terri Schuester (Jessalyn Gilsig), who is probably the worst on the show. Her storyline about faking a pregnancy and keeping the truth from her husband, glee club director Will (Matthew Morrison), is downright spiteful. The adult character we all wish we could see more of is Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch). Her performance shines with insults and attempts to sabotage glee club.
Another nail in the ‘Glee’ coffin is the lack of consistency between episodes. The Oct. 14 episode, ‘Throwdown,’ was the best yet, with Sue and Mr. Schuester splitting the glee club down the middle and competing against each other. While the best part of the show was the conflict between Mr. Schuester and Sue, it was edge-of-your-seat laughter for the entire hour. This past week’s episode, ‘Mash-Up,’ was lackluster the whole way through. The humor wasn’t as successful, with an unbelievable subplot of Rachel and Puck (Mark Salling) being in a relationship, and a focus on finding a wedding song mash-up for William McKinley High School teachers Emma and Ken.
‘Glee’ is no doubt a hit in the eyes of the Fox executives. By all means, they were right to keep the show around for the rest of the season. The series is a fresh idea and a great alternative to all the lawyer, doctor, sci-fi shows on the air now. The acting can be polished a bit, and some of the stories can be carved out, but it’s a good show overall. The songs are great and not just put in for the actors to show off their singing talents. The songs’ availability on iTunes right before each episode airs keeps you singing along as you wait for the next episode.
Published on October 25, 2009 at 12:00 pm
