TV Talk: How 'Glee' lost, may get its groove back

Last year, FOX's hit musical comedy about the McKinley High School Glee Club rode a wave of critical and audience praise for its talented diverse cast, modern takes on well-known songs, campy quick-witted scripts, and joyous underdog bravado.

Since the show's September 2009 debut, the first season has gone on to garner several award nominations and wins--including 19 Primetime Emmy Award noms and a win as the Golden Globe's Best Television Series of 2010 for a musical or comedy.

But "Glee" has also faced some serious backlash. In the wake of its early bombastic success, the show was quickly accused of "letting the fame go to its head," so to speak.

This was demonstrated by the program's growing penchant for themed episodes ("The Power of Madonna" and "Theatricality" with Lady Gaga songs) and celebrity guest stars (Kristin Chenowith, Olivia Newton-John, Neil Patrick Harris, Josh Groban, etc.) that became more prevalent during the second half of the show's first season. The change in direction drew ire for moving the focus from the wonderfully quirky crew of motley characters to the choreography and big name guest stars.

Globe & Mail columnist John Doyle echoed the remarks made by fans and critics alike when he wrote:

"With this show we are witnessing the monster that is over-exposure eat alive the sweet, guileless talent that simply wanted to succeed.

It's impossible to maintain that lovable naiveté when the show is so preening in its camp, knowing awareness of its success."

The second season of "Glee" premiered Sept. 21, 2010 (along with news the progam was comissioned for a third season). Aside from a slight misfire with the Britney Spears themed episode "Britney/Brittany," which featured heavily contrived transitions involving a few too many doses of laughing gas, the first few episodes have harkened back to the show's former glory.

But showrunners Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk are still not out of the woods. After a fun but forgettable premiere that introduced new Glee club members and the love-it-or-hate-it Britney episode, the third episode "Grilled Cheesus," which tackled religious beliefs, landed the show with criticisms of being too preachy (debate: fair or not?).

But recent episodes like "Duets" and tonight's "The Rocky Horror Glee Show" may have put it back on track. "Duets" felt like a flashback to the first nine episodes of the first season, focusing entirely on the kids with no overshadowing guest stars and no gimmicks. The "Rocky Horror" episode showed how the Glee Club can tackle a theme without forcing the songs to work and without sacrificing real storylines about its true stars.

Despite the overblown GQ photo spread controversy, "Glee" has once again become fresh and relevant with storylines about its characters addressing issues like religion, fitting in, and even male body image.

Here's to hoping this is a sign that "Glee" is taking a step back in the right direction.

Sources:
Globe & Mail: These days, I'm watching 'Glee' with dread
EW: TV Recaps: Glee Cental