Variety PANS 2 new eps of GLEE...- Page 2

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 9/9/09 at 11:20pm

I definitely agree the wife character is horrible to the point that she is detrimental to the show. She's too ridiculously terrible and there is no real comic payoff to it, it's more annoying that the Matthew Morrison character stays with her.

[heo1128]

Posted: 9/9/09 at 11:28pm

^Completely agree. They should have made her at least likeable albeit a little annoying, and not just painfully awful. I want Matthew Morrison's character to be with someone else, but I don't really want him to leave his wife because he needs to be a good guy. Way to go writers, way to go.

[WestVillage]

Posted: 9/10/09 at 9:56am

Last night was my first exposure to GLEE ... and my last. I turned it off at the first commercial break. Unwatchable. Just plain bad.

[CRS14]

Posted: 9/10/09 at 10:10am

I was thoroughly entertained last night. The menstruate line by Jane Lynch had me on the floor.

All I ask from TV is to be entertained, and I certainly was. And Lea singing Rihanna was pretty refreshing.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 9/10/09 at 10:21am

Just finished watching last night's Season 1 Premiere of GLEE and I could NOT stop laughing. This was NOTHING like the Pilot, which I thought was serviceable but not up to the hype. Season 1's first episode was INSANE! The writing is deliciously twisted and shockingly refreshing for a show most assume is for the young ones. Oh, those little hidden gems in the writing -- some of which I had to rewind and listen to again. Jane Lynch is in her element (and she knows this and is quite vocal about it). All of the characters... every single one, is a cartoon stereotype which the show embraces and showcases. I hope it keeps its twisted tone and doesn't go 'mainstream' and 'safe' as most on here want it to be. As for the comments regarding the character of the wife -- just look at the entire opening sequence of their house hunting. Writing at its deliciously twisted finest. THIS is what gets people like me to laugh like fools and LOVE a show like this. Even those colored drink tosses into Lea Michele's face. PERFECTION! Its equivalent to a stage 'blackout': END SCENE. Nothing more is needed to be said.

Kudos to the twisted writers of this show. We (heck, I) need(ed) something like this.


NOTE: even the character promo ads for the series with all of the actors doing the "L" finger sign on their foreheads is a beautiful homage to Glee Club members and what they represent: LOSERS! A beautiful tribute and captures the serie's tone.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 9/10/09 at 10:26am

I thought those "twisted little comments" tried waaay too hard to be edgey and cynical.

[heo1128]

Posted: 9/10/09 at 10:45am

Yeah, it seems like the writers are trying to be Judd Apatow. Definitely agree they're trying too hard.

Posted: 9/10/09 at 11:47am

I will give this show a few more chances, but it had better get better. The show seems to jump between really broad (and un-funny) humor, and more subtle, interesting humor. But those moments are few.
I agree with previous posts; The character of the wife is simply annoying. Not interesting, not funny, not entertaining.

[Craww]

Posted: 9/10/09 at 11:58am

Judd Apatow, really? That's such a typical Pop Culture Clueless Broadway Fan kind of comparison. Like, "Who's a snarky writer? That popular guy who makes all the movies with the schlubs and the shrews! What's his name? Judd Apatow, that's it."

The writing isn't anything like Apatow. It's totally in line with what Ryan Murphy's shows have been doing since before people thought Judd Apatow defined the zeitgeist. I think it's fair to say the writing is trying too hard, definitely. But I think it tries too hard on its own merits.

newayz, I loved it. I get a lot of the critiques. Maybe especially about Terri being too despicable to tolerate. The total selfish sincerity the lines are delivered with crack me up, though. "I'm on my feet 4 hours a day 3 times a week here, and now I have to go home and cook dinner for myself?"

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 9/10/09 at 12:34pm

I tried giving it another shot after only being "meh" about the pilot. It's a little better, but it still hasn't drawn me in. I really didn't care for how artificial the performance numbers sounded, especially with the terrible lip syncing. I don't know if that was a stylistic approach or just bad editing/production, but I really didn't like it. I feel as if the number is supposed to be taking place in real time/real performance then make it feel and sound as such.

I don't care for some of the direction. The one random scene so far in each episode shot with the hand-held camera style has bugged me to no end. I'm personally not a fan of the hand-held camera work in most instances, and if you are going to use it, you better have a good reason, such as Arrested Development, which was meant to be documentary style shooting. There is little to no reason for Glee to be using this technique, especially since the remaining 99% of the show is shot with normal stationary cameras.

I also think they are writing themselves into a corner with the fake pregnancy story line. The lie will be exposed, there's no way around that, in which case you end up with Matthew Morrison's character either just walking out on her, or worse yet forgiving her and looking like a giant, spineless push over.

That said, there are a few aspects I do like. Jane Lynch is indeed giving a fantastic performance and I actually do want to find out more about her and her hatred towards the Glee club. Is it just not wanting to be removed from the top tier of attention and glory, or is there something more behind her motivations?

[wickedfan]

Posted: 9/10/09 at 1:13pm

The show is typical Ryan Murphy, which I love and am kind of iffy about at the same time, because he can either work out the kinks (eg Popular) or over time he'll make it too over the top (eg Nip/Tuck). People should definitely watch Popular if they want to know what kind of tone Murphy is going for with this show: twisted, occasionally broad, humor with a touch of heart. It's definitely an acquired taste. There are people who hated Popular, while I think it was one of the greatest high school shows on television. But even that show took about 5 or 6 episodes to find its grounding. Once it did, though, it really took off. I think there's a lot of potential in Glee and after last night's episode, some of that potential was realized. I, personally, am going to continue watching.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 9/10/09 at 1:28pm

I'll say I haven't written it off completely yet, but it's not on my "must see" list. I do have a friend who has filmed a couple of episodes, I think as a member of a competing choir, so I know I'll be watching those once she tells me the air dates are.

[broadwayboy101]

Posted: 9/10/09 at 1:33pm

The people that seem to have major problems with Glee seem to be the ones that are only interested in masterpieces of television. Glee doesn't set out to be the most amazing show ever to hit the tube, it just sets out to be what it is - a fun hour filled with laughs and an easily followed plotline. Nothing more, nothing less.

[TheatreFreak05]

Posted: 9/10/09 at 10:26pm

How did the Hair line go again?

[lull89]

Posted: 9/10/09 at 10:32pm

The raunchy cover ends

Cut to Sue, Will, and the Principal staring at each other in the office.

SUE: Let me be the one to break the silence. That was the most offensive thing I've seen in twenty years of teaching, and that includes an elementary school production of Hair.
Updated On: 9/10/09 at 10:32 PM

[TheatreFreak05]

Posted: 9/10/09 at 10:32pm

Thanks!

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 9/10/09 at 10:36pm

I loved the post "Push It" chat.

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 9/10/09 at 10:57pm

I thought the show was perfectly fine as a second episode. The pilot was great because it had the benefit of time to develop and properly establish itself and its tone. As a series, it will have to work to create actual storylines and find a way to build on what was established in the pilot. Give it a few episodes to find that footing, then we can really see if it has legs. (sorry for the metaphor.) As it is, it's an enjoyable hour of television.

[singalongsong2]

Posted: 9/10/09 at 11:07pm

I agree, Brody.

The show is hilarious. I love the quirky/snarky/fun vibe. It definitely suits my sense of humor. BTW, Jane Lynch is fantastic!

Posted: 9/11/09 at 9:39pm

I woulda enjoyed the Hair line more if I hadn't seen/heard it 12+ times on ads for the show. Not the show's fault though, probably just means I watch too much tv :P

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 9/11/09 at 10:30pm

This show is not good.

[dented146]

Posted: 9/12/09 at 1:53am

Based on the reaction I received from a number of friends who are middle aged and NOT the target audience( I was surprised they even tuned in) I have to say that the show is likely to be a big fat hit.

My friends couldn't care less if the musical numbers were perfect but everyone loved the characterizations and the quirkiness.

[AKTFan]

Posted: 9/12/09 at 8:46am

I enjoyed the second episode of GLEE more than the pilot, and I liked the pilot a lot. And hopefully one reviewer's comments from Variety won't make a difference whether people watch it or not. Watch it, then decide for yourselves if its for you or not.

If you watch Nip/Tuck and remember what seasons 2 and on are like, then you probably know what Ryan Murphy is doing with the tone and direction of the show. Granted, its not going to be THAT over the top, but still its very quirky and light-hearted fun. Sure, its not always going to be believable, but really it is an hour of pure laughs and escapism.

[jamoca5]

Posted: 9/12/09 at 5:01pm

I agree with the Variety review. This show is just horrible. When I first heard that there would be a series about high school kids in a show choir, I thought, "Great, something I could relate to!" But I was highly disappointed when I saw the pilot last spring. I thought it was way too campy, the characters had too much of a caricature feel... It was just awful.

But almost all of my friends who saw it said it was great. So, I figured that there had to be something about this show that must be good if everyone loves it so much. I gave it a second chance (or, rather, I tried). I couldn't sit through the whole episode. It sucked that much.

[Sparklesss]

Posted: 9/12/09 at 7:32pm

I didn't think it was as good as the pilot episode, but not terrible...I do think it needs to get better and agree the wife character is beyond annoying. I was impressed with Lea on "take a bow" though..