Last night, FOX aired the much buzzed about emotional season finale of the pop culture phenomenon Glee. The finale episode, titled "Goodbye" saw the kids of New Directions bid farewell to the graduating seniors as one chapter of their lives came to an end, and a new one was about to begin. After the finale episode aired, the blogosphere was flooded with negative feedback in regards to the result of how some of the characters' storylines concluded at the end of the hour. While I felt that the episode was rather over-hyped, I actually found the creative decisions of Ryan Murphy to be plausible.
Glee first began as a little show about a group of distinctively unique high school students with a love and passion for music. When the series debuted in 2009, it was very much a show about underdogs. After a rather slow start, the series took off around episode 13 of the first season. Upon entering its second season in 2010, Glee was by then an integral part of the entertainment industry, a factor that the creators of the show took note of and exploited. It did what past shows on television like Cop Rock couldn't do, which was incorporate musical theatre in a television series. In season two, the show that once boasted unique characters and good storytelling was replaced with a giant pop culture glorifying stereo system that was nothing but loud and sometimes even annoying. With Justin Bieber and Britney Spears tribute episodes, and big name guest stars like Gwyneth Paltrow, it was no secret that the show lacked direction in its sophomore year. Season 3 was very much about returning to the basics, with Murphy even promising at the start of the season that there would be no tribute episodes or big guest stars this season. Gone were the Katy Perry and Lady Gaga song covers and in place of them were Broadway showtunes from Tony Award winning musicals such as "West Side Story" and "Anything Goes." In a way, the show tried to return to a more simpler time before it became a hit, but even that did not work. Halfway through the season, in an episode titled "Big Brother," Glee finally seemed to have gotten its groove back. With guest stars returning to enhance and not disrupt the story, and Top 40 songs returning to its repertoire, things were finally starting to improve. It seemed that the writers finally found a way to incorporate pop culture into the show without making it overshadow the characters and narrative of the series.
I must admit that I stopped watching the show after the Season 2 finale, but found myself being drawn back to it again when the Matt Bomer episode "Big Brother" aired. I've always found a strange connection to the series because of my background with music and theatre, and Rachel Berry has always been the one character that I connected with strongly. Rachel may be annoying and a little too full of herself at times, but her talent and ambition to fulfill her dream makes up for her flaws. As much as viewers want to deny it, Rachel is the shining star of Glee, and for me she has been the one part that kept me coming back each week for more. I found myself smiling when she placed that gold star next to her name on the audition sign-up sheet; cheering her on when she belted "Don't Rain On My Parade" at sectionals, and even felt my heart breaking a little for her when she choked at her NYADA audition. She is a girl with a big dream to make it in a competitive industry, and her drive and ambition is hopefully what will help her succeed.
In the finale episode last night, both Finn Hudson (Corey Monteith) and Kurt Hummel (Chris Colfer) learned that they were not accepted to the colleges that they applied to in New York City. The only person who got into college was Rachel Berry. Rachel was willing to defer her acceptance for a year to help Finn and Kurt get in so that the three of them can go together, but alas Finn decided that the right thing to do was to let her go because he knew that the only thing holding Rachel back from her dreams was him. It was an emotionally invigorating conclusion to the season, and a perfect way to open up the next chapter in these character's lives. Life is not perfect and you can't have it all, and Ryan Murphy did a brilliant job at showing that in the episode.
While Glee may not be the most well-written show on television, there is one thing that I will always enjoy about it (besides the music of course), and that is the message it gives to all the dreamers out there to never give up. While some watch the show for the relational drama between the characters, others do for the musical numbers. But as for me, I watch the show for the inspiration that I receive every time I see Rachel Berry standing in the middle of New York City with her eyes glowing as she realizes that perseverance and hard work will indeed move you towards achieving your dreams.
No comments:
Post a Comment