“Glee” is being hailed by critics as new and fresh and like nothing we’ve seen before (except for those other critics who’re saying it’s a show you’ll either love or you’ll hate) but what I’m enjoying – in addition to the singing and dancing and good performances all around – is that everything about it is kind of old-fashioned. Retro.
Take sad high school stereotypes we all recognize and give them some fine memories in spite of themselves. Of course so far it’s the viewing audience who realize the characters are having the times of their lives. In real life, the kids would be too loaded down with angst to notice right away that their differences are their strengths.
What a colorful assemblage of characters the producers and writers offer – one of every kind of not-popular kid and a few of the ones who run things in every high school.
I admire the storytelling – based on solid narrative, and oh those quirky twists!
The misfits try to make a place for themselves using their unusual talents and interests, with the popular kids swatting them back, using age-old high school hierarchy as their main tool, along with some nefarious schemes hatched up by the wonderfully evil cheer-leading coach. All this is mixed with enough new music and fresh dialogue and situations to add the right elements to hold the interest of a whole family.
Forget about the family for a minute. Matthew Morrison? Girl, please.
Ó Anita Garner 2009