One question is on every "Glee" fan's mind: will the show get back on track this season? After a Golden Globe win for Best Television Series (Comedy or Musical) and a semi−successful start to its second season, it seems the answer is yes, as "Glee" returned from its winter hiatus in nearly full force.
Coming off the smash success it found last year, "Glee" ushered in a host of new characters during the first half of its second season, including Blaine (Darren Criss), a much−needed love interest for Kurt (Chris Colfer); Coach Bieste (Dot−Marie Jones), the new football coach; and Sam Evans (Chord Overstreet), a new member of New Directions and the new top dog on campus.
Unfortunately, more isn't necessarily better. Many Gleeks were disappointed by the ridiculous plot lines, mainly centering around coach Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison), and the overall lack of authenticity in first half of the season. Although there were brief shining moments — episodes like "Grilled Cheesus" and "Furt" and arcs centered on Kurt's sexuality in the context of a heteronormative culture — the season thus far has been more spectacle than substance.
Co−creator Ryan Murphy ("Nip/Tuck," 2003−10) thankfully seems to have recovered (whether momentarily or not is anyone's guess) from the hype that "Glee" received in its first season by returning to the celebrated warm and endearing aspects of the show. The first two episodes this year have shown a positive shift in the direction that "Glee" will hopefully be headed for the remainder of the season.
In "The Sue Sylvester Shuffle," which aired after Super Bowl XLV to a record 26.8 million viewers, Sue (Jane Lynch) again attempts to end the glee club at William McKinley High School once and for all. She moves the regional cheerleading competition, in which a few glee club members planned to perform, to the same night as the football championship, forcing members to choose between cheerleading and the glee club. At the same time, Coach Bieste and Mr. Schuester join forces to eradicate enmity between their respective group members by forcing the football players to join and perform with the glee club during the half time show.
"Silly Love Songs," the Valentine's Day episode, follows the recent pattern of themed episodes and was warmly received by fans. Mr. Schuester assigns the students to sing a love song to someone within the group and characters and viewers are serenaded throughout the episode. New couples strengthen their bonds, old couples rediscover sparks and affairs begin, heightening the drama all around.
These starter episodes mark a significant shift from the first half of the season. With just these two episodes it is visible that "Glee" is capable of creating a heart−warming and character−driven, as opposed to plot−driven, show.
Scenes such as the Kurt, Rachel (Lea Michele) and Mercedes (Amber Riley) sleepover bring smiles to our faces as we watch our favorite characters laugh and confide in each other. Their friendship is a drastic shift from what we saw in the first season, concerned only with themselves, and fans will certainly want to see more of the like.
Pointless bickering between glee club members has been nixed and replaced by pointed, realistic concerns, and Mr. Schuester's role also seems to have been minimized to nothing but the hollow shell of a moral center. This may be for the best, for his lines leave much to be desired and the cheery, honest corniness he inflicts on New Directions is misplaced and worn out.
What will never change is the show's music, its defining characteristic. The songs thus far have been as successful as ever, even getting some help from the Tufts Beelzebubs who have been recording vocals for the Dalton Academy Warblers. "Glee" has demonstrated more caution in song choice, returning to its habit of mixing old and new while also picking up on newly released singles such as Katy Perry's "Firework." Michele put on an excellent performance in "Firework," but it is too soon to record a song still playing on the radio.
"Glee" has indeed rediscovered some of what it lost during the first half of this season, and as the show progresses I will be holding onto my seat in hopes that it maintains its ground. With any luck, our beloved characters will grow, finding new friendships, relationships and drama along the way. And maybe even hold off on the autotune — ah, but who am I kidding?
