Why We Fell Out Of Love With ‘Glee’

Glee is returning tonight for its sixth and final season tonight. The musical comedy series was more than just a hit when it debuted in 2009. It was a pop cultural phenomenon that charmed an entire nation, sparked countless conversations, and inspired a glee club craze. Now, though, it’s kind of a sad, tired show that has to figure out how to end gracefully while tactfully addressing the fact that one of its brightest stars died from a tragic drug overdose.

So, what went wrong? How did we fall out of love with Glee? To figure that out we have to go back and remember why we fell so fast and hard for the quirky show in the first place. We fell for the songs, yes, but also for the characters. The show featured a sprawling ensemble of interesting and multi-dimensional characters all dealing with complex social issues. The musical numbers infused each episode with an extra shock of wit or with an apt emotional moment. Oh, and the show was just good. It was sharp, it was fun, and above all, it was entertaining.

There are certain moments from the first two seasons that I can still think of with, well, glee. Over the years, the musical numbers might have gotten more grandiose, the guest stars might have gotten flashier, and the musical selections might have become trendier, but nothing can replace the glorious thrill of watching the original New Directions, clad in matching red t-shirts, singing “Don’t Stop Believing” for the first time.

The best musical numbers aren’t about razzle dazzle or vocal acrobatics. They’re about characters finding the courage through song to unleash parts of their souls they could never otherwise reveal. “Don’t Stop Believing,” in all its kitsch, was the perfect song to cap off the show’s pilot and set the tone for the rest of the series. It was saying that Glee wasn’t going to be about the polished song and dance stars; it was going to be about the underdogs who desperately need a space to assert that they belong.

For a while, that was the focus of the show. However, when the show immediately became a juggernaut, it became tough to juggle this spirit with the corporate machine surrounding it. You could sense that the powers that be felt the need to constantly top themselves. More often than not, they did this with famous guest stars whose very presence on the show proved that Glee was no longer about the underdogs; it was about the “cool kids.”

The last few seasons of Glee have been woefully uneven. The plot has been fractured between the original high school in Lima, Ohio and the New York theater scene. This season, though, the writers are doubling down and focusing on Rachel (Lea Michele)’s journey. This could be good or bad. After all, the show has evolved to that point, but it also means that Glee isn’t about a glee club anymore. It’s about a young woman trying to become a star.

Glee is against the ropes right now, and that might be precisely what the show needs. It’s an underdog show once more. Hopefully this season, it remembers that at its heart, Glee isn’t a show about fame, money, or status. It’s a show about finding hope, joy, and acceptance. It’s a show about how singing along like a doofus to Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” is the one thing that can turn everyone into a rock star. [Watch Glee Seasons 1-4, Season 5]

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vN2mkeCjlw]

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[Photos: Everett Collection]