New Directionals!

Have you heard the marvelous news?! John Stamos is going to be Emma’s dental dandy on Glee next season. Sorry, Shu, but you are SOL unless this singing (yes singing!) dentist is a doosh. This is no Shu vs. Coach Ken deal. Is it just me, or does Stamos kind of look like he could be Puck’s dad?…I digress.

Spoiler Warning — rambling Glee finale thoughts after the jump…and the haiku portion of the post

Hey there, Glee subplots!
Easy come and easy go
Don’t stop believin’

I do love this damn show and I say it that way because, in the second half of the first season, they got on my nerves every other week. The problem is the writers brought in too many storylines. Maybe it was poor planning, maybe it was pandering to our oversaturated, Tweetable world that demands satisfaction, maybe they were high on critical-acclaim crack. That last one probably makes the most sense.

The second half of the season was full of subplots and stunt casting–as separate items, these two thing are great, but together…now that’s a whole different can of beans. They’re both short-term ratings boosters; give the people a warm fuzzy or a shock and they’ll be eating out of your palm for at least one more episode. I’ll admit that I am a total sucker for it, too. Hell, the episode was kind of crappy and I am still riding high off of that NPH guest spot. Not to mention the promise of future guests (the aforementioned Stamos, Rachel’s dads). Don’t get me started on the [ab]use of music in the second half. You seriously think I want to do a heartfelt cover of Pokerface…WITH MY MOM (I am still traumatized by the muffin lyric)? Sorry for the lame line, but you had me at hello (definitely not the episode “Hell-O”), Glee. You didn’t have to do all that crazy. I would’ve still tuned in if you didn’t do the Madonna or one hit wonders episode.

I really take issue with  plot points like Quinn’s baby or character development like Idina Menzel’s Shelby Corcoran (not to mention the glee club itself) and how they wipe them from the show in one (drawn out) swoop. Here’s Rachel’s mom. She’s been dying to finally connect with her bio-babe for 16 years–so much so that she develops the fucking most intricate plot ever by making one of her students transfer schools, pose as her daughter’s boyfriend, and eventually plant a cassette in her boombox. Yeeeah, but you know what, Rach’s not an infant so mama bear doesn’t really want to deal with all that and the BF will just transfer back and smash a raw egg on not-so-baby girl’s head. Oh, but there is this other baby that we’ve been passing around on this show like a damn hot potato. Want it? Cool. Thanks for singing on our show.

Seriously, Glee?!

When I take a critical look at the show, I learn that children are puppies that are useless to parents once they’ve lost the puppy glow and all people are selfish and incapable of learning from their experiences (I swear if hear the “I need to take time for me” line one more time). Take their little weepfest last night.

A: why the hell are you all down in the dumps when last week you got your damn groove back?

B: where do you get the cojones to rip off the “are we still going to be friends on Monday” bit from The Breakfast Club and completely miss the point? I am, of course, referring to the whole “we’re going to go back to our old ways and it will be as if glee club never happened if our funding gets pulled” deal.

Teens can be shallow, sure, but I think that’s the exception so why continue the stereotype that teens can’t coexist outside of their predefined cliques?

Why do I watch it, then? Because it is good, and it’s more than just the fun of the musical numbers (though, they are fab, if not slightly awkwardly transitioned into). Did you see the Lady Gaga ep, “Theatricality?!” The Kurt Hummel character/development alone is worth the frustration. The Terri teetering on the edge of pedophilia, the Shu hoe down, the Shu random “oh yeah he teaches Spanish” moments, the Artie safety dance, the virginity blue light special, even some of the way overdone Rachel-hating as a result of the way overdone Rachel-nagging. All those things are wiped away by a few great moments. I’ll even forgive you for the lame way you played out Regionals. I don’t have a problem with them losing but, as Shu pointed out, to a half-hearted Newton-John/Groban mash-up and a tired Queen cover–oddly enough, one that was tantamount to a fandango (Scaramouche!)?! I wonder if acclaimed director, Shelby Coco could’ve choreographed one more lift-pass in that number?

The fact that the finale essentially brought us back to where we were with this group at sectionals is proof that they had something and realized they lost their way a bit–that they can see the error of writing episodes just to incorporate songs/guests rather than incorporating songs/guests that support your episodes (or here’s hoping anyway). I am eager to see what the next season will bring beyond Uncle Jesse.

What are your thoughts?

By-the-by, since we’re talking finales, the United States of Tara finale was AWESOME! If you want to see everything done right on a show, that is the show for you.