Directed by Ryan Murphy Written by Ian Brennan, Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk
Starring: Dianna Agron, Chris Colfer, Jessalyn Gilsig, Jane Lynch, Jayma Mays, Kevin McHale, Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Matthew Morrison, Amber Riley, Mark Salling, Jenna Ushkowitz
Optimistic high school teacher Will Schuester tries to refuel his own passion while reinventing McKinley High’s Glee Club and challenging a group of outcasts to realize their star potential. Going up against McKinley’s cruel high school caste system and facing harsh criticism from everyone around him, Will is determined to prove them all wrong.
The new musical comedy that perfectly embodies the name it’s given, Glee is an exciting new show on Fox with a fresh talented cast with witty dialogue to support its unique take on teen angst. Former Glee club star, now Spanish teacher Will Schuester (Morrison) is assigned to the club after former director Sandy Ryerson was fired for his inappropriate behavior towards the make students. There are noly a few members in the Glee club: Rachel (Michele), Mercedes (Riley), Kurt (Colfer), Artie (McHale) and Tina (Ushkowitz). Will must now find a way to revitalize the team with new members before being canceled as a club altogether.
However, Will faces mounting challenges thanks in large part to Sue Sylvester played by the always funny Jane Lynch. Sue is the director of the cheerleading team, Cheerios, and finds the Glee club a distraction and a financial strain on the school budget. Her sole purpose is to see that club dismantled and she will stop at nothing to see it happen. Meanwhile, Rachel, the best student in the club threatens to quit until Will finds a male counterpart able to match her talents as performer.
The first episode does a nice job setting up storylines with various characters, mostly involving Will as he contends with both Sue and Rachel, each one more concerned with their own well being than the club itself. Lea Michele is excellent as the over bearing and star seeking Rachel whose only interest in the club is because she believes it will launch her career. Rachel’s intentions in future episodes will become a deterring factor for the team, and will provide for some great dramatic and funny scenes between her and Will.
To prevent the club from being taken away, Will holds auditions with the football team believing that one of them is likely talented but laying low out of fear of being humiliated by his peers. That’s where Finn (Monteith) comes in who blows Will away with his stunning performance. He can both sing and dance, and his popularity makes him the perfect candidate for the club. In addition, Rachel is immediately attracted to Finn, however, she realizes that he’s off limits because he is taken with Quinn, the queen bee of the school and head cheerleader. Quinn and Rachel are rivals for Finn’s affection, and eventually Quinn will join the team to keep an eye on Finn while also spying on the club for Sue Sylvester.
The appeal of Glee comes not only from its various characters but the performances the actors are capable of pulling off. The choreography is captivating and a thrill to watch. The music used is usually a mesh up of two different songs, either hip hop fused with rock or heavy metal fused with rap; it’s never the same type of music.
Jayma Mays is also delightful as Emma, the mysophobic guidance counselor who crushes on Will. The scenes between the two are great to watch. When Will decides to quit the Glee club after his wife Terri, who remains unsupportive and domineering in their relationship, argues that he won’t make enough money, Emma urges him to reconsider, which he does. It’s a nice moment.
In future episodes, it will be interesting to see if Glee can balance the more emotional moments with the quirky humor of the show. If one overshadows the other it can take away from certain storylines that require you to feel a certain about a character or moment, but hopefully Glee will find a balance. There are a lot of stellar performances from the first episode and if this is what future episodes will look like, than Glee is off to a promising and exciting season.
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GLEE PILOT - Glee Season 1 Episode 1
