Watching television shows can show young artists what works on film and what doesn't. Effective ways to tell stories and ineffective ways. Luckily for young filmmakers, there are countless examples of what doesn't work at their disposal. For example, Glee. Glee has a surprisingly large fan base for a show of such poor quality.
There is no continuity, limited character development, and almost none of their songs advance the plot. And that is the short list. There are a plethora of cliches, stereotypes, and too large of an ensemble cast to work with. So, why do I come back every week? Why do I plan to tune in again on November 8th? Why? In this post not only do I want to explore the things Glee does that are ill fated, but I want to find out what draws the viewer in. What makes them come back? The best way to go about this is to go through an episode, highlighting not only the things they do wrong, but the things that engross a viewer.
It will remind me what works in film, and what doesn't. Hopefully it will help my group with our trailer as well. So, onward! Glee has been in syndication since 2009, and is on its fourth season. It was created by Ryan Murphy, Ian Brennan, and Brad Falchuk. The last episode to air before a hiatus, was the anticipated (and dreaded) The Break Up.
The Break Up, heavily revolves around long distance relationships and whether or not the couples should "break up". The episode opens in Ohio with two seniors, Blaine ( Darren Criss) and Brittany (Heather Morris), talking about how they miss their boyfriend and girlfriend, both of which graduated in the spring. Meanwhile, in New York City, Rachel (Lea Michele) and Kurt(Chris Colfer), (Blaine's boyfriend) are visited by Finn, Rachel's maybe kind of sort boyfriend. There is no continuity, so I'm not really sure if they are dating. This is problem number one, a regular viewer should be able to tell what kind of relationship two main characters have, be it romantic or friendship. I can't really do that with Rachel and Finn. Strike one, Glee.
The episode then shifts back to Ohio, where Kurt and Blaine are talking on the phone for the first time in a while, I'm guessing it has been a week or two. Blaine feels lonely without Kurt around, and Kurt is having the time of his life in New York. Conflict alert. Similarly, Finn feels isolated from Rachel in New York. Cue first musical number featuring a nifty little montage.
Surprisingly, this piece works well with the plot. In the midst of the montage, Blaine is courted online by the mysterious Eli C. and Finn is isolated as he watches his girlfriend live out her dreams. Moving forward, later that night Kurt and Rachel are surprised when Blaine shows up at their door. And guess what? He's just in time to go a Karaoke bar! How deliciously fun! So the ragtag gang makes their way to CallBacks. Upon arriving Rachel meets her "super cool' college friend Brody and the two sing a flirty duet in front of Finn, Rachel's kind of sort of but not really boyfriend. Is that tension I'm feeling? Now this is a good song, but is really necessary? Its purpose is to show how separated Finn and Rachel are, which was achieved minutes earlier in Barely Breathing. Is it worth spending time on something conveyed minutes earlier? We are heading towards ad nauseum territory.
While at this bar, Blaine asks to sing a song. He dedicates it to his true love, Kurt. Blaine sings Teenage Dream,the first song Blaine ever sang to Kurt. So it is actually a romantic gesture. Blaine breaks down crying, something is very wrong. So we go to commercial break.
On the way home, Kurt, Blaine, Finn, and Rachel all talk with their respective partners.Blaine admits to Kurt that he cheated and Rachel tells Finn she kissed Brody. And I feel a song coming on! Oh goody. Let's not discuss our issues, why not sing about them in a very introverted manner. Take it away, Finn.
We now encounter my second problem with Glee, which is exemplified with Blaine's cheating scandal. Blaine's action are out of character, from what we know. The thing is I can't confidently say that Blaine's action were out of character, on in character for that matter because I know nothing about Blaine Anderson. Nothing. Actually, I do know something about Blaine Anderson, he was the victim of a hate crime. But sadly, since 2010, Blaine hasn't done much but sing Katy Perry songs and look pretty. Furthermore, Blaine isn't the only victim here. There are so many characters. Last season, there were fifteen regular characters and twenty one recurring characters. My second problem is there are so many characters, so many that you can't keep track, or develop them. Strike two, Glee.
Glee can never be simple or really develop anything. Now, I pose a question. Did you notice that I only covered what happened in one location? I've only covered New York, not Lima, O-H-I-O. This is Glee's third and final strike. The show is ambitious. It has so many stories to tell, but it always falls short. It fell short when it was in one location. Quinn was pregnant in season 1, no one mentioned it in season 2. Many stories are tossed aside, abandoned. Strike three, Glee. Learn to write story arcs you can complete.
I'm going to give a quick rundown on the rest of the episode. So while all those break ups are happening in New York, a similar fate is in store for our Ohioan friends. Santana (Naya Rivera) and Brittany, another couple, discuss the merits of a long distance relationship. Brittany feels left behind by Santana, and Santana wants to be mature. After, a nice long tearful goodbye. (I might have cried. OK, I did cry.) and some Taylor Swift, the two break up.
Meanwhile, Jake and Kitty, a kind of worthless couple, are entangled in a love triangle with a sophomore named Marley. Jake realizes that Kitty is catty and breaks up with her. More relationship problems! Those problems don't end with the students even the teachers are effected. Will Schuester, the Glee club sponsor that needs an adult friend, gets a new job in D.C. He asks his fiancee Emma, to come with him. She refuses and the two fall out. Cue the last song! Full of flashbacks and all things sad!
There are many problems with Glee, but what brings in the viewer? Why can I see all its fault but still watch it?
The thing is when Glee gets it right, it gets it beyond right. In this episode alone I can pick out a few examples. In The Break Up, besides the strong acting, the cinematography and lighting shine the brightest. Specifically, Blaine and Brittany feel left behind, so in group shots, like in Don't Speak, Blaine is behind and alone, running to catch up and blurry. Blaine is visually left behind. An example of lighting is in The Scientist. The lights, besides being aesthetically pleasing, help the story flow. Blaine and Santana, who were at "fault' in their relationships, are covered in shadows, while their partners are bathed in light. Blaine was wrong, Kurt didn't do anything. (etc) It's interesting and shadows in previous numbers symbolizing the pain to come, and the shadows contrasting light, exemplifying the pain they have caused.
So I guess at that end of the day, Glee can get something right. The show does a lot wrong but it does some things right. There is a lot it can teach us not to do like over complicate our stories and disregard continuity, but it can also teach us what to do. Technical things like symbolic lighting and varied/expressive camera shots.
I think it is best summed up in The Scientist, originally by Coldplay, "Nobody said it was easy/ No one ever said it would be this hard..." It sums up watching Glee perfectly.
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