Glee

OK...so the plot line of the new Fox TV series "Glee" leaves a lot to be desired. In many instances, plot points from earlier episodes are ignored entirely in later episodes (like the mandate that all songs be about God or balloons after the club put on a sexed-up routine to "Push It" at a pep rally) and the story seems to be based more on recurring themes than a cohesive plot line. But who cares?! The real magic of the show lies in its two strong points: the characters and the music.

The characters are hilarious, and obviously a masterful fusion of great acting and clever writing. They are over the top, extreme, and purposefully cliché. Whenever any of the characters gets a section of internal dialogue in the show, it usually leaves me breathless with laughter.

The music is brilliant. Kudos to Fox for their continued clever use of iTunes that they started with American Idol. The cast covers songs from all genres and are unerringly original and 100% fun. I'm seriously impressed with all members of the cast. (Especially as it becomes apparent that ALL of the cast can sing, as Emma revealed in last week's episode). It makes me wish fervently that there had been a glee club in my high school.

So the plot is lacking...I really can't bring myself to care.

'Glee' may not be everyone's cup of tea, but in my opinion, it's a great feel-good teen comedy. The casting is without a doubt great, and each member brings something individual to the show - Lea Michele does an especially great job in her role as Rachel. I also think that the musical numbers add another dimension to the show - they are often fun and done well, and I think they are a good way of introducing many aspects of music to the younger generation... I like the way that this show deals with a wide range of different issues, such as bullying, loss, homosexuality and the various kinds of pressure that many teens face today. I would say that the only thing that lets down the show in places is an occasionally over-cheesy script - I think that some of the more emotional scenes have been slightly tainted by over-doing it a little on the dialogue front.

Overall, though, I have really enjoyed watching this show and at times I have found myself getting quite involved with the characters and their journeys - however I wouldn't recommend it for the cynical amongst us - you might find it quite tiresome...

None of the characters seem to have any sort of consistency. They keep changing their personalities to suit the episode plot. Same with the story line. There is no overall coherence to what it happening. Every episode pushes and pulls the plot to suit that particular episode. The characters aren't likable. What motivated them is as yet not understood, neither can the audience understand how they call connect together. Besides dedicated fans to the actors, I doubt if anyone likes the show. The songs are just smoke and mirrors to cover up a weak script, story and characters. The way they keep adding new characters and new plot twists and obstacles seem a desperate way to keep the drama alive. The casting seem totally senseless, Lea Michelle most certainly does not come off as a wanna be diva or stuck up goody two shoes. All she portrays is a very annoying girl of below average IQ. Brittany seems to stupid to be true (considering the show is trying to keep it 'realist'). Sue's character seems to have holes in it than a sieve and Miss Pillsbury is another awful caricature! And Chris Colfer is so squinty and whiny at times its painful to watch!

Even though it has lost its spark, Glee did something huge: it changed the way people see TV. With music, well written characters and a simple storyline, Glee changed the game. This show made people talk and made people sing. It could've been a mess from the beginning, but Ryan Murphy did a pretty good job until the last three seasons. I would like to remember Glee as a TV series that helped others in a way no other TV show could at that moment. We have to be honest, even if you hated it or liked it: before Glee there were no other show as open minded as this one. Glee, at the end of the day, is an optimistic, happy, and simple show. It doesn't try to be more than what it is, but as far as Glee can go, it had a pretty good run.

I will be the first to admit that i was slightly embarrassed that i was as hooked on Glee as i was yet the more i watched the more i began to realise its a teen drama with some good bloody covers. The music is the star of the show and the performances are generally top notch. The first 3 seasons are by far the best however season 4 is still very good. Unfortunately, the show begins to fall off in the latter series' and the storylines become duller which overall drag the other elements down with it. That being said, the early years of Glee are very hard to fault and if you give it a chance it might just surprise you.