This blog post might seem about 5 years out of date but I recently re-watched Glee and like when I finished Pretty Little Liars, I had so many thoughts about it throughout, I just had to get them all written down! For the most part, I loved Glee when I was a teenager and even now it was nice to watch each day - it's pretty lighthearted and I love anything with music involved but I couldn't help but pick up on a few things that maybe now wouldn't be okay. I've seen quite a lot online and read many Twitter threads highlighting the same sorts of issues so I thought I'd share some of the areas I found problematic this time round, and I'd love to hear your thoughts if you've been a fan of Glee too.
Where was the continuity?
The main thing that comes to mind with Glee that I had to mention is that there seemed to be absolutely no continuity. The amount of times they seemed to start a storyline to then move on in the next episode and it to never be brought up again. 1. Where did all the backup dancers come from during the big numbers? 2. Marley's eating disorder came and went, and Kitty didn't suffer the consequences of leading someone down that path intentionally. 3. Quinn and Puck seemed to forget their big quest to get their daughter back in the later series' and she's never mentioned again. 4. One minute Rachel was given up for adoption, the next we find out she was a surrogate baby? 5. What happened to Sue's baby? 6. Ryder's sexual abuse claims are mocked and then forgotten about? There are a few other things I could mention but those are the the ones that stick in my head. I just think certain topics should have either been explored more and focused on or not brought into it at all.
Why did Will have no friends his own age?
Not that I'm exactly the poster girl for friendships and have loads of friends myself, but why did Will have no one else his age?! Even at his and Emma's wedding, the main guests were the Glee club! So many teenagers that he seemed to rely on just as much as they did him, and I can't help but think it's just a bit weird. Not wrong, but unhealthy. We just didn't see much of his life outside of the club and I think that would have probably helped me warm to his character.
Coach Beiste
I think Coach Beiste played by Dot-Marie Jones was such an interesting character and I think they had so much room to really do something with her but I can't help but feel a little disappointed in how things ended for her. Not that I don't think a transgender storyline isn't important, of course it is, but why was it not done from the start? It literally came out of nowhere and didn't create the discussion it should have. When we first meet Coach Beiste, she's obviously portrayed as quite a tomboy and one of her main issues was that men never found her as attractive as other women and then all of a sudden in one episode she says she's going to transition and everything else is forgotten about. Whilst I'm sure this was a storyline written with the best intentions, I just don't think it was executed well at all.
Rachel GAVE UP BROADWAY!
Well I suppose technically she didn't...she did go back to it eventually and she even won a Tony award in the final episode so it's not like it was all for nothing but SO much of the show was focused on her becoming a star of Broadway and once she got there, she kinda wasn't interested. She soon got bored of doing show after show and was on the lookout for the next thing, that being a TV show that failed after the pilot and then she had to pretty much start again in the hope of someone giving her another chance. Whilst Broadway might not be all glitz and glamour, I just think it was so out of character to give it all up for little reason, so quickly. It was then just annoying to watch her whine episode after episode because of something that was her own doing. Can you tell I take the show seriously? 😂
Series 6 - why?
I actually started to really enjoy Glee from series 4 when the majority of the Glee club left and we got to see them start this whole new chapter of their lives. I thought the episodes with Rachel in New York along with Santana, Kurt & Blaine were some of the best and I just think it added a whole new dynamic to a show that had mostly just been set in a school for years. From the start of series 6 though, it all seemed to go downhill. I think it could and should have been wrapped up nicely at the end of series 5. Having that one extra series meant that Blaine and Kurt could split up again, Rachel could have another crisis over Broadway and Sue could yet again try and destroy the Glee club. So many characters from previous series were also cast aside with no explanation or goodbye, and it just all seemed a bit silly.
So that's a few things I found problematic with Glee, a nice cheery post today! In all seriousness, it's not like it's a bad show, I actually enjoyed it the majority of the time but it's hard not to pick up on a few things now that I'm a little older and I like to think, much more mature. If you were ever a #gleek or have watched the series recently, I'd love to know your thoughts too!
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15 comments
I've never watched Glee before, but I've heard so much about it. I hate when series go on too long, it's similar to Pretty Little Liars, that didn't need the extra series either. This was a great read xx
Hannah | luxuryblush
I think I'm one of the very few people who hasn't watched it x
I totally agree, Pretty Little Lies just went crazy towards the end! Sometimes it's like they just don't know when to stop so storylines just get silly xx
Despite it's flaws, it's still a fun show worth a watch x
I tried to get into Glee when it was first on TV and I never managed to. I do struggle with shows with no continuity though x
Sophie
www.glowsteady.co.uk
I've watched Glee as a teenager and recently toyed with the idea of going back and watching it on Netflix. But, like you, I found so many things wrong with it that I just don't think I can. I like it, it's fun and interesting but jumps from crisis to crisis without following through on important issues as you mentioned.
Great post! I remember watching Glee years ago and I absolutely loved it and got fully obsessed but I never noticed any of this. I only got up to season 4 but I'd love to give it a re-watch despite all of these problems!
Jenny
http://www.jennyinneverland.com
I'm planning to re-watch from the start because I genuinely can't remember anything! xD The only person I always seem to remember is Becky because she was so sassy!
Daisy xoxo | TheDeeWhoLived
I really couldn't get past the first season - don't hate me! x
Yeah this was all over the place sometimes! Found it hard to stick with at points xx
So true, so many big stories they introduced just got forgotten about and they did them no justice. It's a shame as it started out as a really fun show xx
I'm glad I re-watched it so you definitely should if you get chance! It's hard not to view it from different eyes this time round though now I'm older, still love all the music though haha xx
Haha yeah I love becky's sass xx
Haha I can see why! I struggled more this time round x
I've recently watched the first series for the first time and... Yikes? For quite a bit of it? I don't think it aged well. After reading this I don't think I'd want to continue (I mean, I didn't anyway tbh) as it doesn't seem to get much better in terms of consistency and sensitivity.
Cora | http://www.teapartyprincess.co.uk/
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