Why Glee Is Filled With Awesome and Suck.

I've noogied Adam a fair number of times (figuratively) IRL because I think he's occasionally contrarian when it comes to the "it" movie or TV show of the year (yeah, yeah, I get the hatred for Diablo Cody -- seriously, have people stopped using "shenanigans" in everyday parlance?). So I tread on hypocritical water when it comes to my critique of Glee. But I have good reasons. And I'm willing to admit that there are some redeeming things about it. Some. But overall, OMG. People. This show is terrible.

THE WIN:

1. Lea Michele's voice. Glee's magical sword (think Legend of Zelda for the reference). The show basically lives because it found an actor who can alternate effortlessly between youth and maturity with a simple switch of her head voice. I mean, for realz, she made me want to listen to a Celine Dion song, and I haven't wanted to do that since Celine sang with that chubby Asian girl playing violin. Best to date: Her take on Defying Gravity.
   
2. Puck. Even though Mark Salling continues in the rich history of waaaay overaged dudes playing high school people, the show somehow has gotten the Puck character just right. He's not hyperarticulate (although I loves me my D. Creek dialogue -- RTR K.Will!), but he's not an idiot, either. He's hormonal. And ultimately, surprisingly, that makes him one of the more believable -- and fun characters.
   
3. Quinn. Someday, I'll do a write-up of why I think the Star Wars movies had a fundamental flaw in them -- in short, it has to do with characters who don't change (see Jedis). But Quinn's the opposite. Although Glee's central romance is supposed to be Rachel and Finn (I think), Quinn has gone through the most compelling, and most dramatic, character arc so far. She was the queen bee until her pregnancy -- and along the way the fleece was lifted from her eyes on Sue, on Gleeks, on Puck, and on herself. To me, it's no wonder that she's lately been the center of the show.
   
4. Brittany. The best airhead since Amanda Seyfried in Mean Girls.
   
5. Kurt, his dad, and yes, the actors who play them. Mike O'Malley was kinda bril on My Own Worst Enemy. I forgot how he wasted airtime on Yes, Dear because of it. Mikey continues that streak with his portrayal of Kurt's dad, and with Chris Colfer, the two have created the most affectionate and real family dynamic so far on the show.
   
6. Jane Lynch. The Sue character teeters on the brink of caricature, but Jane Lynch's delivery keeps it well within the merely absurd. I can't wait for her inevitable villain song (cue Alan Menken -- update me some Poor Unfortunate Souls, stat) to cement her status as one of the all time greatest b's on TV.
   

THE SUCK:

1. Cory Monteith's voice. You're telling me that the producers found Lea Michele, but they paired her with Cory Monteith's singing? Nuh uh. No way. Some people were out cold on Sudafed or something when they auditioned him. Really.
   
2. Mr. Shoe's wife. I've complained about this before. Mr. Shoe's wife is a horribly written and horribly acted character. It demeans the show, and it demeans Will to keep such an unlikable and UNNECESSARY character around. Will couldn't have been single? Really? And FYI, the fact that I put this at number 2 should just show you how much I hate Cory's singing.
   
3. Plotlines that go nowhere. Where should I start? The AcaFella's? The fact that Mr. Shoe originally blackmailed Finn into joining the Glee Club? Puck and Rachel's hookup (this one should have gone on much longer -- RIPE for comedic gold)? Emma's dirt aversion? Kurt being on the football team? Tina's secret reveal to Artie? There were so many promising subplots, but for some reason, the show has decided to stick with the stupidest -- the pregnancy switcheroo for Will's heinous wife. It's like Lost at its suckiest when new stuff was introduced only to be forgotten an episode later. This is some of the worst TV writing I have seen in a long time -- especially in a show that frustratingly has great ideas to boot.
4. Emma's office. I admit. This is a minor pet peeve. But no way in hell would the schools guidance counselor have a glass office.
   
5. Mercedes. I had some nice hopes that Mercedes would be a great high school girl with some messy hormonal outbursts ever since the whole L'Affaire Kurt. Instead, she's devolved into a bland black diva 3-snap stereotype.
   
6. Sandy Ryerson. Offensive in every way. Including wasting Stephen Tobolowsky on a character that should never have made it past Standards & Practices, even at a moral dumping ground like Fox. And I like Family Guy. So there you go.
   
7. Another token minority character in a position of authority. Consider it another pet peeve, but with a twist. Glee has had some awesome moments. I loved that Sue tried to split the club in two based on race and other minority characteristics -- just to bait Will and his softie consciousness to figure out how to call her out. It's times like this when Glee glides on cringeworthy absurdism. But most of the time -- as embodied by the principal -- it falls back on stupid token stereotypes to fill its Benetton quota. Seriously: watch almost any show. The character who's in a position of authority is typically a minority character. That character is the least interesting, but hey, at least it shows a broken glass ceiling. Right? Pfft.
   
8. The nagging feeling that Kurt won't ever get a boyfriend. Speaks for itself.
   
9. Using the school musical to lure Rachel away. Another minor point. But one that leads to a bigger point: In a world of Show Choir -- the school musical would naturally overlap in terms of members. That Rachel somehow had to choose -- and that she would be the only one -- was a dumb way to try and wedge her from the group. And as the show has shown -- there has been no interesting subplot involving Rachel since that weak attempt. I love Lea Michele, and I love Rachel, but the show has no idea what to do with her as a lead protagonist. And it's obvious.
10. Mr. Shuester rapping. It was fun once. It has sucked ever since.