Zor is a Gleek
A show about a Glee club has already won a Golden Globe, several other awards and is now up for 19 Emmy nominations. Could it really be that good?
After the first season of the show, I have to admit that I really enjoyed it. At first I wondered how this show could possibly generate any interest. However, after watching the pilot, I began to see the mountain of potential the show had. Right off the bat, there were 3 things that I fell in love with:
Slushie
Flat-out, characters getting slushies to the face. Who comes up with this? I’ve dreamed up some cruel and awesome ways to demoralize and humiliate people… but to buy a slushie for the sole purpose of throwing it in someone’s face? Brilliant. My worry is that they would overuse the gag and have it lose its novelty (especially considering they dedicated an entire episode to it). Thankfully, there was always enough time lapse between slushie attacks to keep it fresh and unexpected.
Jane Lynch
Sue Sylvester is hands down the BEST character of any comedic TV Series. She is a megalomaniac cheerleading coach and antagonist to the success of the Glee Club. Jane Lynch is flawless in this character and the writers did a phenomenal job with her development. She’s one of those characters you want to hate because of how brutal she treats people, but can’t stop loving her because of how awesome she really is. With quotes such as
”So you like show tunes. It doesn’t mean you’re gay. It just means you’re awful.”
”I will no longer be carrying around photo ID. Know why? People should know who I am.”
”You don’t deserve the power of Madonna…. Simply put, you have all the sexuality of all those pandas down at the zoo who refuse to mate.”
there is absolutely nothing to hate about her character. Even at moments when it seems they’re going to take her in a different ‘softer’ direction, she comes back in perfect form. If there is only one reason somebody should watch this show, it should be for Sue.
”You’re dealing with children. They need to be terrified. It’s like mother’s milk to them.”
The Music
Here’s where the show really hit its mark. Adam Anders deserves MAD props for his musical direction on the show and providing the viewers with songs that we forgot we loved and musical arrangements of those songs make us love them again. How he cranks out so many of them are beyond me. The guy did 70 songs in the first 13 episodes! In comparison, it takes Jack White of the White Stripes, who never has writer’s block, 2 years to produce an album with 16 tracks.
Needless to say, the talent on the show singing these arrangements are superior. Most of the cast come from Broadway and/or Musical backgrounds and not the reject line of American Idol. Feels good knowing the whole show isn’t completely auto-tuned (there are still points when you can catch them using it) and is backed up by actual talent. The only proof I really need to provide is this rendition of Pokerface:
Now that the show is catching on, many artists are willing to lend their tracks to the show. This will give season 2 a chance to expand even further.
Now for some honorable mentions that made season 1 legen…wait for it… dary!
Neil Patrick Harris
The formidable icon NPH guest starred in an episode. In my opinion, nothing further needs to be stated. Except that him and Matthew Morrison did a duet of “Dream On” which kicked some serious ass.
The Power of Madonna
An entire episode dedicated to the music and lifestyle of Madonna. Whether you admit to liking her or not, it was an episode in which you actually appreciated her music.
Olivia Newton John/Josh Groban
The two of them guest starred in an episode and returned for the season finale. During the season finale, it was obvious they were having a ton of fun with being on the show and were able to poke fun at themselves. Good on them!
Theatricality
At first, when this show was announced as the Lady Gaga episode, I wasn’t all that thrilled. The episode was entitled as Theatricality and while Gaga does it well, it didn’t compel me to keep watching… until they did a KISS number. This, for me, became one of the defining moments of why I loved this show so much. Yes, I am also admitting to being a closet KISS fan.
After one season the show has produced awards, nominations, a gillion fans, multiple album releases and over seven million digital sales of the songs. My one hope for the show is that it follows in the footsteps of Arrested Development – end while you’re still on top.
Really, no comments on this yet? I guess Tommy Zor fans just don’t know a good show when they see one
aside from all the commentary on many blogs explaining why this show has had such a positive effect on people and society due to the way it validates things that have been uncomfortable/taboo… What you did here was assess why the show is great simply for being a good show.
Yes indeed it is a good show
And the fact that it’s been much more than that for many (read an article from a mom who thanked the show for playing a part in making it just second-nature for her kid to just accept people who are different) elevates the show to something pretty darn amazing.
I absolutely love this show. It’s phenomenal and catchy, and if nothing else, escapist.
Janel Lynch is comedic genius. The only time I’ve not liked her in a role was in Role Models, and even that had its moments.
Season two was a disappointment, however. It took all the best moments that season one was building up to, and shattered them down. It focused too much on the background characters that are significantly less interesting than the featured stars and it turned Kurt into a villain (even though in the first season it was hinted at that he was a less-than-friendly guy by sabotaging Rachel with Finn ).
Anyways. I still love the show and I am still excited for the next season.
I guess it’s an okay show if you’re into musicals and that sort of thing. One thing, though: the audio mixing really pisses me off. They bust out into song on, say, a football field, or, inside a gymnasium, yet the audio track is so pristine and clean you can tell it was recorded in a studio with one of those spitguard things in front of the microphone. You can’t, like, even PRETEND to try to match the ambiance of the surroundings in which they’re singing?
Yes, I will admit to this atrocity. However, the bigger crime for me is the audio delay/sync during many of the scenes. It got significantly better as the season went on, but something they will hopefully fix for good in season 2.
Serves all of you right for watching a fucking show about singing and dancing! This is the kind of shit that gets quality shows like Arrested Development cancelled! Shows aimed at women and gays should be removed from television. Ryan Murphy had one good show and it’s over, and it certainly wasn’t this one… [yes, I know Ryan Murphy is gay, don't bother telling me. That's not a problem, but singing and dancing is.]
never seen it, never will. fuck this faggot-ass show
Jane Lynch is amazing, but I hate this show.
I feel the same way about Jodi Foster and Contact.
@Zor
Fuck you. Jodie Foster is the best actress alive, and Contact is the 4th best sci-fi movie of all time. (/Alien/2001/Aliens)
@ Tommyv2 Hey asshole, I love Jodie Foster. I was slamming Contact.