Glee 1.05&6

[hazelk]

I didn’t discover fandom until about ¾ the way through Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s first run. Before Buffy my main fandom was old Hollywood movies, especially musicals and before that it was books. Say you like musicals and often the first thing people seem to think of are stage shows but when I say it I’m really just talking old school film musicals, the ones with happy endings however ridiculous the plots. With virtuoso tap dancing and songs that were already hits back in the day. Those movies are like family, I could sit stone-faced through the greatest performance of Wicked or Les Miz but find the good in the crappiest RKO or MGM non-classic.


I know Glee has its faults but it’s still like coming home. Plus this weeks episode was utterly hilarious and a Bechdel triple threat to boot. Last week’s jumped through all kinds of cheese hoops to service its guest star but what a star! Kristen Chenoweth played a musical comedy drunk finding unlikely redemption. It was utterly unbelievable but then she opened her mouth and tentatively began to sing “Maybe This Time.” The accompaniment rises, the lights go down, the spotlight comes on. It’s that inevitable transition from the mundane that I love most. The unreal that makes it all real. That and virtuoso dancing which hasn’t really been Glee’s thing, it’s been a singers’ show until this week. Mighty Harry Shum! I’m home.

Comments

[thirdblindmouse]

Heh, I went through a similar series of stages: novels -> old movies (especially musicals, especially Astaire/Rogers) -> TV shows. As far as modern musicals go, I really wish Joss Whedon would go back to writing fun things like Doctor Horrible instead of Dollhouse. I'm not sure I could bring myself to watch Glee.