I started watching Glee just recently and am now half way through the first season.
So far I like it, but it’s not the type of show which I can watch episode after episode without getting bored. It’s a very fun, happy, colorful and chipper type show, but the plot is often very shallow and black and white. What I like about it are the ingenious routines and the singing is amazing as well. Every episode is a like a mini musical. That in itself, I think, is Glee’s strength but also its weakness. See, I like musicals, but not ALL musicals. And I have a similar feeling with Glee: I like it, but not ALL of it. If you know what I mean.
The shallowness and black & whiteness of the plot is really part of the storyline and the characters in the series. Especially some of the characters just annoy the heck out of me and every single time they’re on I’m just like: just go away. My main point of irritation: Mr. Schuester’s wife! OMG! Can you say twat?! If I ever become like that, please just kill me. The other thing I don’t like about it is how stereotyped all the high school kids are. I can see why they made it this way. The series it self is utterly over the top and in musicals you also get these heavily stereotyped characters, but after two episodes: I get it! I get why the kid in the wheel chair feels left out, I get why the black girl wants more R&B and why the gay kid has troubles with his dad, or why the cheerleader can’t tell her parents she’s pregnant. Then there is the story line, which is just a bit too much of the same old same old high school troubles that we’ve seen on numerous other shows like Saved by the Bell. It’s just that in Glee’s case, the emotional moments are replaced and intensified by songs.
But of course there is also plenty to like. The songs are very well picked and I like how they switch between the actual scene and the actors actually pretending to be performing the song in front of an audience. That’s some clever production there. I think Mr. Schuester is adorable as the caring teacher (plus easy on the eyes, which helps) and I love Sue Sylvester. I crack up every single time she utters a single line. It makes me wonder what she’s actually like, as it seems to me that she’s just making up all of that hard talk. It will be interesting to see what her back story is, if there is any.
To sum things up: Glee is a complete no-brainer and I like that from time to time. No scratch that: I need that from time to time. So even though there are moments when I go: gah! The next moment I’m laughing my ass off. And that makes for some weird looks when you’re watching it on the train.