I have been watching Glee faithfully, like any lover of musicals, high school dramas, and gayness is obliged to.
But lately I gotta say my dedication is slipping a bit. Recent episodes have displayed tell-tale symptoms of both After School Special-itis and Dialogue and Action Inconsistent With Previously Established Character Trait-iosis. Both were strongly evident two weeks ago in "The One About How You Should Be Understanding Towards People With Disabilities."
Of course a TV show can convey a message about how society discriminates against people with disabilities and that is wrong, see Friday Night Lights, but I not enjoy being pummeled over the head with that message to the point that humor and consistency suffer. Like, I absolutely do not buy that Sue, whose character is the best one on the show because she is so hilariously amoral and without human feeling, all of a sudden has a disabled sister who turns her into a soft-focus, patiently reading-aloud person.
And frequently, the show seems to have the problem of knowing what emotional arc it wanted the characters to go on -- these two should have a touching moment but then have a tiff and break up, etc. -- but not bother to think of a way to get them to that place that is believable within the context of the show. For instance, just a few weeks ago Curt did the Beyonce Single Ladies dance on the football field in front of the whole school. But now he's worried that his dad won't be able to handle the homophobic backlash that would result from him singing a girl's part at a glee club competition? Umm, no.
Tragically, this problem reminded me of that seemingly promising but now dead-to-me show, Heroes. At the end of season 1, SPOILER ALERT IF YOU ARE REALLY BEHIND they had the idea that the one brother should sacrifice himself by flying up into outer space, carrying his brother who was about to explode like a nuclear bomb, thereby saving the world. Good idea! Except it made NO SENSE because the nuclear-bomb brother could fly all by himself. God help me, Glee, if you go that way I am going to ... be sad. Very sad. :(
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2 comments:
I agree with you on this. I have found myself to be less "Oh sweet, Glee is on!" and more "I guess it is something to do at 9pm on a Wed. while I eat graham crackers like there is no tomorrow." Maybe it is also because, you really can't say everything with a mash up.
I'm still addicted. If you need some character consistency for Sue, you could always focus on why the fuck her sister seemed to be living in a nursing home. plus, i was glad someone finally admitted that the auditorium isn't accessible and it was explained that someone had to carry wheelchair guy down the stairs. That loose end had been bothering me all season.
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