Why I Am Sure I Will Be Abandoning "Glee" Somewhere In Season 3 Unless Stuff Really Changes
So Season 2 of "Glee" has ended (finally) and I have to say that the majority of the episodes this season were really . . . unwatchable at times. I found that watching it on my computer was actually the best method for "Glee" so whenever something unexciting happened, I would have the other side of my screen to amuse myself with.
Here's the thing: I liked "Glee". I watch virtually no current television so the fact that I watch "Glee" is impressive (other current TV? "Dexter" when it's on, "True Blood" when it's on (but my enthusiasm is waning), the new dubs of "FMA", . . . I used to keep up with "HIMYM" . . . I like "The Millionaire Matchmaker" way more than I should?)
The problem is, I think "Glee" had really become, if you will pardon the old-fashioned expression, "too big for it's breeches" and most of what I liked about the show, the reason I watched it, is gone. This became really clear to me the other day when I made a "Glee" playlist finally and found that season one songs outnumbered season two 2:1.
Here's why I can see myself stopping watching "Glee" soon:
1.) The humor, which is what initially drew me in, is being mitigated in favor of contrived tear-jerking moments.
The first episode of "Glee" I watched was episode 5. Why did I watch it? Mainly I thought, "Kristen Chenoweth is awesome and if she's appearing on this show it must be something." I was surprised to find the show really funny with a black sense of humor and a charming absurdity so I kept watching. The humor was also often peppered with references and such that were rather sophisticated for a show that I thought was for teenyboppers. Being that I have the pop culture knowledge of a 45 year old who stays semi-relevant, I appreciated the use of older references and jokes. Or even ones that seem out of place in a show about singing teens. One in particular that I remember was in the Madonna episode when Finn says, "Can't we do the male opposite of Madonna? Like Pantera?" I laughed my ass off but would the usual "Glee" crowd even get a metal reference? Probably not.
The thing is, in this season, it's all been toned down. The show is almost too self-aware that they might offend people and too aware of the population of preteen watching. All the absurdly funny political incorrectness and bad behavior is gone and while the references still pop up, they are few and far between. The comedy overall has taken a backseat to "drama." I put that in quotes because it can hardly make me feel anything if I can see the strings. Not to mention, the drama element has been used so much that it's now numbing. I feel like a main character could die and I wouldn't feel a thing.
2.) The music, which was once diverse and make to facilitate plot, is now overwhelmingly current pop hits that the story is built around.
Remember that first episode I watched? Some of the songs from it were: "Maybe This Time", "Alone, "Last Name", and "Somebody To Love" and while I will admit that aside from the country song that is a list of songs that I already love (classic rock and musicals? Yes, please) you can see a set of variety there. Now the songs sung on "Glee" are rather heavily made up of pop hits so current you can turn on the radio and hear them there too with the occasional musical song or, even more rare, classic rock or R&B. Pop songs aren't always the best for strong emotion but they will get the teenyboppers interested. If it weren't for "Thriller/Heads Will Roll", The Zombies, and the Fleetwood Mac songs, I would have drowned in pop entirely.
Also, often in the first season more than the second, characters would burst out into song when something happened plot-wise that would make them emotional enough to need to sing. Most of the songs sung in season two are done in a performance manner, only sometimes pertaining to the plot at hand. Moreso, these songs would be sung as part of a "theme" and everything happening would fit around this theme instead of any kind of continuous story. And while I would never accuse "Glee" of being continuous, is it wrong to want a little continuity every once in a while?
Which leads to my last point:
3.) I can't even care about anyone or their relationships.
Sarah and I have decided that it is nearly impossible to truly ship anything in the "Glee" fandom anymore. Character fluctuation has happened a lot in favor of facilitating whatever plot the writers are trying to make happen but it has reached it's extreme with this season. Aside from maybe Rachel, Finn, Kurt, Puck, and Shue, can you really accurately describe most of the cast's personalities with more than one or two words? Quinn is insecure. Santana is bitchy. Brittany is ditzy but good-hearted. Sam is a dork. Mercedes is confident and takes no crap. Whenever depth is given to a character it is usually for the episode and not really revisited so only one stark personality trait sticks out with the exception of the characters who got a lot of attention and development in season one. Remember when Artie had almost a full episode devoted to him? That kind of thing doesn't happen anymore so the characters are made simplistic in order to focus on many of them in short bursts of time.
This is also the nature of the relationships on "Glee." In season one there was a ton of development put into Rachel and Finn's relationship so when they finally got together, it actually meant something. Even Rachel's one episode thing with Puck made sense in the context of this developing idea. Also, Shue and Emma. Ditto.
This season that couple was Kurt and Blaine whose relationship was developed slowly so that when it actually happened, it would seem realistic. But there are tons of other side relationships occurring that pop up and it's hard to tell why they did. It's even harder to tell when the characters aren't developed enough to see the chemistry.
The last episode revealed that Sam and Mercedes have been secretly dating and while I saw it coming, it was only because of a brief nod to that idea two episodes earlier. While this could be a good thing in developing both of their characters, my first reaction shouldn't have been, "What the hell do they talk about together? Similarly, what do Tina and Mike talk about? And Artie and Brittany? And Puck and Lauren?" I shouldn't have to question. Is the answer, Glee club?
Anyway, I see the light at the end of the tunnel unless "Glee" can rectify some of these things and stop letting money get in the way of watchable television.
I will watch season 3 but I don't know for how long.
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