End of an era: ‘Glee’ didn’t stop believing
THE CAST of “Glee”
Six seasons and hundreds of song numbers later, musical-comedy/drama “Glee” bid its viewers adieu in a bittersweet, if characteristically fantastical, series finale.
The teary-eyed performances, if anything, felt genuine; the actor-singers’ last numbers were the memorable parts in a shorter-than-usual season. Story-wise, though, a lot of wish-fulfillment scenarios were presented in this fan-pleasing ending.
Happy resolutions capped off the series, which had its share of highs and lows, bringing together the eclectic bunch from McKinley High one final time. Whether or not one had a love-hate relationship with the characters, which often behaved infuriatingly and implausibly, they’re some of the most distinct on TV, and they waved their misfit-underdog badges proudly for six long years.
Rachel Berry (Lea Michele) got to win, finally—in life, as in the Tony Awards, five years later, or in 2020. Her old glee club coach Mr. Schuester (Matthew Morrison), proud to have been proven right, was the school’s principal, while his frenemy—but eventual ally Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) was now the US vice president. Yes, that last one’s far-fetched, but also typically “Glee.”
The song performances, well, it’s a good lineup—not exceptional like the show’s other themed episodes, but a fitting batch for a sendoff.
Reunited lovebirds Kurt (Chris Colfer) and Blaine (Darren Criss) performed “Daydream Believer” at the Harvey Milk Elementary School; an emotional Morrison gave a heartfelt cover of Crosby, Stills and Nash’s “Teach Your Children”; Mercedes (Amber Riley), prior to becoming a pop-R&B diva, gave a soulful rendition of “Someday We’ll be Together”; Michele likewise evoked emotion with “This Time.”
The unexpected duet by Lynch and Morrison was a playful version of “The Winner Takes It All,” which reiterated that the years of rivalry toughened both pivotal, unrelenting characters—and true enough, the more things changed, the more Sue and Mr. Schue stayed the same.
It would have been great if everyone performed “Don’t Stop Believin’” again as the final number, but OneRepublic’s soaring self-help ditty “I Lived” was a good, optimistic choice.
The loss of Cory Monteith, who died in 2013, affected the show tremendously; without his everyguy vibe and presence, the show just wasn’t the same anymore. Placeholders for his arc just felt contrived—more than usual here—and nothing quite filled that void.
“Glee,” however, focused on its other underappreciated characters, as well as its signature gay archetypes. The Kurt-Blaine relationship, while it had its iffy, perplexing moments, nonetheless gave viewers a couple to root for—and they are endgame, Blaine’s stunt-y relationship with Kurt’s tormentor-friend Karofsky (Max Adler) notwithstanding.
With a couple of blink-and-you’ll-miss appearances from old cast members, the ending repeatedly reminded viewers of the value of dreams, as it showed the many realizations of those underdogs’ unyielding ambitions.
It’s the end of an era, and while often uneven, “Glee” provided crucial escape with its song-and-dance presentations, as well as with its relevant, “loser”-friendly storylines. Its creativity and energy will, sorely and surely, be missed.
(“Glee” reruns air Saturdays, 8 p.m. on ETC.)
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‘Appalachian Outlaws’
In the second season of “Appalachian Outlaws,” Tony Coffman taps his two best diggers to meet a 2,000-pound ginseng order from New York City. It airs on History, Thursdays at 10 p.m.
‘MTV Movie Awards’
This year’s “MTV Movie Awards” will air live Monday at 8 a.m. from the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, California. The main show will be re-aired at 7:30 p.m.
It will be hosted by Amy Schumer and will feature the cast of “Avengers 2.”
