Not So Gleeful

I saw a few of the ads for Glee and those, plus a recommendation from Jaynee (who saw the episode they ran in the spring) had me adding to the old DVR. I figured it was always fun to try new things and it really did look fun.

The singing bits are great. Everyone has a great voice and the arrangements and dancing are a fun combination of typical glee club stuff with the leeway they get from being on TV. The rest? I'm struggling to find any redeeming value.

Let's look at the plot points, shall we? (Spoilers may ensue if you haven't watched last week's episode.)

First, we have the single guidance counselor in love with the married teacher. This wouldn't be terrible if the married teacher was quick to say, "Hey, I'm married." But he doesn't. In fact, he flirts, asks her out, and even if you try to say he's being friendly and it's platonic...just no. The filming set up, music, etc. all imply that there's more to come. So, one adulturous affair coming up. Check.

Throw in the ditzy, desperate wife of aforementioned teacher. So desperate, in fact, is she to be pregnant that she has her body giving off symptoms. After a visit to the doctor to confirm that there's nothing happening does she tell the teacher? No, of course she doesn't. She does at least let him quit the second job he took to try and pay for her dream house that she was insisting they move out of the apartment for because of the baby. In the previews for coming episodes you see belly padding and the sister encouraging her to continue the lies and they'll go get her a baby. Cause that's the stuff of good marriages that make up suitable homes for children.

Then you have the "chastity club" that is basically cheerleaders teasing football players sexually. Of course, it gets better when the other side of the major cheerleader-football player-glee girl triangle comes and then says that "studies show abstienence doesn't work" and that "girls want sex just as much as boys." Great messages there.

Follow up with football player/glee guy (love triangle member) who apparently hit and killed a mailman when he was studying to take his driving test and uses that image to keep himself from going to far when "grinding" with his cheerleader girlfriend. Did he report the accident? From what they show, I'm thinking no.

Finally, you have the clearly dimwitted principal who, oh hey! Happens to be the religious character, giving a list of acceptable songs for the glee club to sing (after a risque version of Push It at the assembly) and they all have either Jesus or Clowns in the title.

I'm going to let it record tonight's episode. I don't know if I'll be able to bring myself to watch it. Either way, I'm not guessing it's going to be long in the rotation. It's already high on my list of worst TV ever.