The Glee goes on and on (and on and on…)

When Cory Monteith is looking you square in the eye, talking all earnestly about how exciting the rest of this season of Glee will be, it’s kind of hard not to believe him. Hell, he could look me earnestly in the eye and tell me about that time he rode a unicorn, and I’d believe him. He’s just that great. (Honestly, if there’s anyone in the world more perfectly cast than him, I want to meet them.) So when I got my grubby little paws on the screeners of the next two episodes of Glee, hot off interviewing and meeting the cast with Keith, I was, like, 99% excited.

I only say 99% because there’s always that niggling one percent of you that listens to the naysayers. Was the pilot really not as phenomenal as I had thought it was at the time? Will my ardor have cooled in the ensuing months? Did all the ads and teasers cause me to unfairly build this show up in my head so it can never achieve the standard of perfection I now unwittingly hold it to?

But children, let me tell you, I have seen the promised land. I have watched those two episodes, and I am here to tell you that the 1% was totally right. It was not as good as I was expecting — because it was infinitely better.

There is so much for everyone to look forward to these next two episodes, and not just that itty-bitty “Golddigger” clip you’ve been replaying obsessively. (Yes, I know you’ve been doing it — so have I.) There’s some absolutely fabulous development for Kurt’s character, as well as, and I kid you not — Quinn and Puck (remember Finn’s douchey best friend from the football team? That guy). As for the adults, Jane Lynch is phenomenal, which isn’t even a surprise anymore. The real shocker to most people is going to be Jayma Mays as the neurotic counselor Emma who is still helplessly in love with Will, despite her most valiant efforts. She’s by turns heartbreaking, hilarious, and consistently beyond charming. The only real weak link in the cast of characters, as far as I’m concerned, is Will’s wife Terri, who, while well-acted, inches closer and closer to that sociopathic borderline.

But what everyone should look really, really forward to is the songs, of course. From the aforementioned “Golddigger” to the absolutely hilarious rendition of “Push It” to a version of “Take A Bow” that I actually (major shocker here) liked. I was disappointed that the leaked “Bust Your Windows” was not in these episodes, but that means I only have more to look forward to, right? And you guys — look forward to a version of “Single Ladies” that’s going to put Joe Jonas’s and Justin Timberlake’s to shame.

If these two episodes are any indication, my fellow Gleeks and I have nothing to worry about. Glee continues to be charming, honest, heartbreaking, and yet ultimately uplifting fun that’s a long-needed feel-good show with depth instead of being just a guilty pleasure.

Take that, haters.

Clacked by Julia Hass
on Aug 24, 2009 @ 16:00 EST5EDT