23 thoughts I had while watching Glee for the first time
By Reed Gaudens
For six seasons and countless songs, Glee was a pop culture phenomenon. But we’re not all Gleeks. Here are 23 thoughts from a Glee newbie watching the series for the first time.
Every few years, a show comes along that captures our collective attention and defines its moment in time. You can trace back the biggest pop culture peaks to Breaking Bad, Stranger Things, and most recently Black Mirror. For a hot minute, the Ryan Murphy-created dramedy-musical Glee burned brightly, an unstoppable force in ratings and on the charts — and eventually also on a nationwide tour and the big screen.
In its heights, Glee provided a voice for marginalized teens and, not for nothing, revamped Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin'” for a new generation. But somehow, by some stroke of television misfortune, I missed its six-season run completely.
A little about me: I was a sophomore in high school when the sneak preview of Glee aired behind an episode of American Idol (Ellen’s season!). We talked about the pilot at length in my second period creative writing class (there were precisely eight of us, so we could pretty much do what we pleased). I remember exactly nothing about the episode now, but I do recall griping that they “sang too much,” to which a classmate quickly rebutted with duh.
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Obviously, I didn’t live under a rock. I came of age during Glee’s rise and fall and have a loose knowledge of its narrative and tunes. The one episode I do remember watching was the one in which Britney Spears appears because it’s our civic duty to ask how high when Britney instructs us to jump. Otherwise, I’m a Glee newbie, the furthest thing from a Gleek. However, I won’t stop believin’ now.
These are 23 unfiltered thoughts about the very first episode from a Glee first-timer.
1. The opening scene was meant to recall Bring It On, right? If so, it worked and if not, it still worked. Already invested, but expecting Kirsten Dunst, and I know I’ll be disappointed.
2. I’m also getting an intense Election vibe from the stylistic choices of the first act, especially Lea Michele’s introduction as the calculated and devilish Rachel Berry. If she’s going to channel Reese Witherspoon’s Tracy Flick, consider me all in.
3. “Your resentment is delicious.” Jane Lynch is an icon, and it’s beyond difficult to imagine anyone else could have played Sue Sylvester with the same campy, absurdist comedy style and timing.
4. All right, what’s the deal with this show and slushies?
5. Rachel posts singing videos on MySpace. I have entered a time capsule.
6. No hate intended to the incredible Dianna Agron, but I kind of wish Emma Roberts had played Quinn, if not only because I’m retroactively typecasting her as the HBIC thanks to American Horror Story: Coven and Scream Queens.
7. We’re 10 minutes in and have stakes for multiple characters established and motivations being tested. Ryan Murphy doesn’t mess around.
8. It’s hard to believe Glee’s pilot was filmed in 2009. It feels like it should originate from 1998 and looks like it’s from no later than 2005. Either way, the throwback appeal works in its favor.
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9. Now, I’m never one to criticize female characters and empathize with male characters, but Terri drives me insane. She’s controlling and completely devoid of any hold on reality. I know that we’re supposed to react this way and give all our sympathy to Will, but I find it challenging and troubling that this is my immediate response. I want to like her!
10. Pitch Perfect owes a lot to Glee.
11. Don’t quote me, but I feel like Mr. Schuester listening to Finn sing in the locker room shower would be super frowned upon.
12. See also: His extortion with the former glee club director’s medical marijuana. You know this is a Ryan Murphy show when ethics are play things for comedy.
13. “Oh, hell to the nah!” Mercedes is in the running for favorite character.
14. I take most of what I said about Terri back. Jessalyn Gilsig layers her performance of a character clearly written for Cheryl Hines with an impressive juxtaposition of emotion and satire.
15. Wait, where’s Darren Criss? I am completely and unabashedly in this for Criss, and I don’t care what you think of my intentions. (A quick Google search reveals he won’t appear until Season 2, Episode 6. Although it will be an agonizing wait for bae, getting there will be half the fun.)
16. There are a ton of unrealistic elements in play when it comes to Glee (like Rachel holding more power over her principal than typical for a student), but one of the — if not the — most unrealistic is that none of the students have mentioned how hot their teacher is? That would be the first thing my friends and I would talk about re: Mr. Schuester.
17. Past the halfway point and I’m growing angrier and angrier with teenaged, closeted me for avoiding Glee (but never missing an episode of 90210… adolescence was a time).
18. More Bring It On parallels at the Vocal Adrenaline show!
19. Emma is the most relatable character on this show, and I won’t hear otherwise. I’m sorry, but she’s the only one openly thirsting over Mr. Schuester, and she hates messes. Excuse me while I quote retweet with “same” in all caps. She’s endearing as hell, and Jayma Mays knocks the role out of the park.
20. I’m also blown away by Cory Monteith’s navigation of Finn’s Troy Bolton troubles. He’s a quietly impactful talent, though his scenes have a lingering sense of sadness now.
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21. Mr. Schuester quit glee club for accounting?! Not without a solo (if not markedly melodramatic) performance of self discovery in the spotlight!
22. Finn’s standing up for Artie, Emma’s helping Will realize his true passions, and the New Directions are rallying as a team. We love an inspiring redemption story! Also, Mercedes referring to Finn as Justin Timberlake couldn’t be truer for a handful of reasons we won’t get into.
23. Even though “Don’t Stop Believin'” will always be Lauren and Stephen’s song from Laguna Beach to me, their triumphant performance gave me full body chills. However, I’m still salty all these years later that Glee revived interest in the song so much that it was played everywhere. But I’ll forgive them and do what 15-year-old me never imagined: binge-watch Glee.
All six seasons of Glee are available to stream on Netflix.