bowieec

Glee this ain't. And that's a good thing. Nails the highs and lows of trying to get by and teach in a public school in today's environment. The comedy is heightened, at times verging on full on satire. The lead character, the English teacher, is gay, so of course there's going to be some focus on lgbt+ issues with him and in the high school itself. But the show enjoys making light of both extremes in our polarized society, left and right. If lgbt+ is all it takes for you to not want to give this, or any show a shot, then I suppose it's not for you. And by that same token, good luck in life if that's all it takes. But for others, I hope you'll give it a try, especially the second episode. The episode seems to be playing out somewhat like a feel good cliché movie, and then there's a hilarious reveal.

Also, somebody commented that they thought this was going to be a wholesome workplace comedy. First off it's on FX. Do you not know what their brand is? And it's a TV MA show. Do your homework. Silly criticism. It's FX - which tends to mean it's daring and groundbreaking in some way. There's some mild swearing and adult content. Move on.

The first few episodes I wasn't quite sure what to expect of this series. There's a lot of over the top silliness. Ruby's character is the most consistent and real of the cast. A few of her workmates are one note stock sketch comedy characters. But there are still laughs to be had with pretty much all of them. By episode 3, it's clear what the program is at its core. This is a truly heartwarming show, focusing on empathy, humanity, and just old fashioned kindness, connection and contact. I may have even had a tear in my eye during the finale episode, which I never expected. I do hope there's a season two. So glad I watched the first series all the way through!