How Glee became unbearable in 10 uneasy steps...Part 1: Klaine

When Glee debuted in May of 2009 as a pilot episode promo, I was enamored. Not having been exposed to the whole High School Musical phenomenon that obviously influenced the development of this show, Glee was a breath of fresh air in the stagnant studio-audience piffle that was passing as high entertainment (I'm looking at you, Two-And-A-Half Men). About high-school-age kids, but clearly written for a more mature audience (especially given its constant TV14 rating), the show was the underdog just as much as the "kids" at McKinley High. It's easy to forget how pessimistic the entertainment media was about another show that featured actors breaking out into song (the whole Cop Rock stigma), but when the show aired, and first episode highlight "Don't Stop Believin'" became a US Top-5 record (going on to selling over a million singles), all bets were off, and by the time the show's first season opening came in September, Glee quickly went from a Freaks and Geeks with music to a veritable franchise.

I was obsessed with the show - and there was a lot to be obsessed with. At the beginning with just Matthew Morrison as the teacher Mr. Shue, and six Glee kids (as the "New Directions"), along with comedic nemesis Jane Lynch, the tightly written show with thoughtful and original music choices made the show the juggernaut it deserved to be. Chris Colfer's Kurt Hummel was the most fully-developed young gay character on TV, connecting with LGBT youth that still to this day look to the show for insight on their struggle emotionally and physically at school. Lea Michele's diva-to-be Rachel Berry had the vocal chops to carry the "big" musical-style songs of the episodes, while Amber Riley's Mercedes Jones brought belting out loud soul to the table. Kevin McHale had years of boyband experience and a versatile voice to wheelchair-bound Artie, and Jenna Ushkowitz was able to support the group and have a female character that wasn't trying to steal the spotlight. And then there's Cory Monteith, who as football quarterback Finn Hudson was brought in by Shue to bring school cred to the group, and a potential love interest to Rachel.

As the show progressed that first season, the cast and writers' ability to introduce new and interesting characters, transform songs into something new, and shuffling mulitple storylines like a soap opera reasonably well propelled it to one of the highest rated shows of the season. The catty one-liners of each episode were faithfully retold over and over by Gleeks like me, and the songs, released initially on iTunes then eventually on CDs, peppered the Billboard chart.The music especially was a highlight of the show, because the makers took chances with more obscure songs (like Jill Scott's "Hate On Me"), unique and fresh arrangements (like the ballad turn on Lady GaGa's "Poker Face"), and inventive "mash-ups" which were my favorite part of the show (like Regionals "Any Way You Want It/Lovin Touchin Squeezin'" Journey medley).

Season two upped the ante, spewing out songs left and right, and while keeping the "special episode" to medium level (having a Britney Spears episode to be a sequel to last season's Madonna tribute, and the Rocky Horror Picture Show ep) and keeping guest stars to bona fide singing stars like Kristen Chenoweth, Idina Menzel, and actor with singing chops Neil Patrick Harris. And during all this, the characters became more nuanced, and heavier subjects could be explored. The story arc of the bullying of Kurt by closeted football jock Dave Karofsky was one of the most intense portrayals of teen life on network TV. While Chris Colfer gave 100% and more towards this, as he had been so consistent during the series, Max Adler's stunning acting work with the brutal yet so vulnerable Karofsky character jumped by leaps and bounds from the original slushy-throwing extra he started out with. The culminating episode, "Never Been Kissed", was (and still remains) the best single episode the show had ever done, and had all the things that Glee needed - a focus on one subject (through two intertwined plotlines), great acting but both the "kids" and the "teachers" (especially Adler, Colfer, and Dot Marie Jones' Coach Beiste). And the episode introduced Blaine Anderson to the world. Played by Darren Criss as a student at rival school Dalton Academy, Blaine was written on the show beautifully as a mentor figure to Kurt (as well as a "boycrush" for the isolated kid), as well as the leader of McKinley's competition put in a totally positive and sympathetic light. In fact, Dalton's Warblers were Glee distilled to its purest form, with acappella arrangements that reinvented their songs. In fact, "Teenage Dream" became Glee's first megahit after "Don't Stop", achieving their first #1 sales record and sending tons of fans into awe of Blaine (and IMO being the inspiration itself for NBC's The Sing Off acappella talent show).

 And at the end of the episode - the kiss heard round the world. After confronting Karofsky about his continuous harrassment, Kurt found out why when he got kissed (his "first" kiss). Adler was robbed not getting an Emmy for this, and while the shock reveal surprised most everyone (including myself, the show not being spoiled constantly as yet), a new fandom was born: Kurtofsky. People able to see through the abusive nature of Dave's actions and seeing a future common in dramatic story arcs like this where the "bad guy" transforms and atones for his previous behavior, showed promise since at that time, Kurt's character had been almost eunuch-like, and a contrasting and complex character like Karofsky's held infinite story paths, as long as it was treated reverently.

The original Blaine character was written as a boy who's confident and nonchalant with his sexuality (helped by Dalton's antibullying creed), but still was allowed to be non-perfect (ex: his pursuing of Gap Guy). And I was digging the Warblers' vocal performances even better than the Glee Kids' increasingly overproduced numbers. At this time, while Kurt was pining for Blaine, the nature of the relationship clearly at the start was written as a friendship, a mentoring, learning friendship, and there were equally as many paths that storyline could take as well.

While that was happening, the bullying at McKinley was becoming more and more intense, with Karofsky insanely paranoid about Kurt outing him, and as his desperation grew, he threatened that if Kurt would spill the beans on him "he would kill him". Now putting myself in Kurt's place, its absolutely  right to have been terrified, even though as an outside observer I know kids (and even adults) that use that phrase flippantly. Even so, the story arc came to a head where Dave was expelled (with Kurt still keeping his "secret"), only to return after parental meddling got him reinstated. Even with promises to protect him, Kurt took his dad and new stepmom's (Finn's mom, whole other storyline there) offer and transferred himself to Dalton.

During the interim, Adler and Karofsky's character had their spotlight on Glee's "Sue Sylvester Shuffle" Super Bowl episode, where Dave was forced (along with the rest of the non-New Directions members of the football team) to join performing with Glee kids. Again, Adler put in a remarkable performance, and with Max Adler's experience (he's one of the only actors on the show to had really been in a glee club) and assumed singing ability, I was really optimistic (as were many burgeoning "Kurtofsky" shippers) to the potential for the writers to carefully take his character through the transformation into a "good guy" that I was rooting for. See, there are a ton of gay youth out there, and while we were "born this way", not all of us are born "fabulous". Sexuality does not pin you into a stereotype, and the concept of a sports-driven, cocky, and admittedly masculine presence could (and for a time was) be a beacon for the untold number of gay kids struggling with themselves, but only seeing one "kind" of gay person on the TV (which is an unarguable force for exposure and understanding). As great as Kurt's character is (and definitely an icon for many), Dave's path could be just as inspiring. At first, I believed in this, even given Karofsky's initial and total resistance (which I felt gave it more realism).

..and then it all went wrong.

I could try to rationalize the evolution for my frustration and eventual disdain for the show as a puerile reaction to not getting the "shipper storyline" I wanted. However it's way more than that. As the second half of the second season progressed, the quality of the show worsened and worsened, while even though the performances of the cast itself was consistently Grade-A, the writing and production became more cartoonish, more stereotypical, and more of a "product" cowering to younger rabid fanbase wishes rather than concentrating on delivering a show worthy of its awards. It wasn't just one thing that caused Glee's descent into almost-parody. Here's 10 of my biggest reasons (not in any order).

1.) Klaine and the fangirl influence

As I mentionned, Blaine's character was written as a platonic mentor for Kurt, even reinforced by the "Gap Guy" and "Kurt, you aren't sexy" episodes. Darren Criss did an admirable job developing Blaine's character, and if written differently may have eventually gotten me onboard for a Klaine pairing. But I feel that Ryan Murphy and all didn't anticipate the Elvis-like passion his debonair boy would create. It didn't help that Darren's sexuality (as a straight man) was heralded (not of his own fault) throughout the media and Glee's forums, giving younger girls a boy-crush that not only seems harmless (as a "gay boy", one who can commiserate with them), but more importantly one potentially available to them (not "on the other team"). Through my experience reading a ton of forum, blog, and video review material, I am convinced that the pairing of the boys was pushed by the almost eunuch-like non-threatening appearance of the two characters. How else can you explain Blaine's sudden turnaround after Kurt sings a funeral dirge to a freaking bird? As the second season ended, Blaine fervor was at an all-time high, and as the third season started, the most gobsmacking of Glee writers' plot inconsistencies happened . As Kurt transferred back to McKinley (with interactions with a "reformed" Dave), the Klaine relationship was clumsily interjected, since the Warblers lost to New Directions, their presence would be nonexistent for Nationals.

As season three started, we find Blaine transferring to McKinley. What. The. Actual. Fuck. With all the background story of how great a school Dalton is, and Kurt's family's struggle with affording it giving the impression that Blaine's parents are either well off or he enjoys a scholarship, why on earth would a high school boy want (or even be allowed) to plop himself into public school again, with absolutely no reason other than that Kurt is there (even though he categorically denied it on that episode). With that completely inconsistent plot point put behind it, he also was revealed as a junior, making him younger than Kurt. Which throws the whole mentorship thing out the window. It was clearly done to appease the rabid girls to promise his presence in the assumed season four. Meanwhile, his presence in New Directions was growing to Lea's diva-like dimensions, resulting in Kurt's character almost seeming like an afterthought. Attempts to dirty up his character were misfire, as attempted rape (on "The First Time"'s bar parking lot scene) or possible treachery (giving rival Warbler Sebastian spoiler tips) didn't stop his deification amongst his very very vocal and connected fanbase. The nadir of this was the "Dance With Somebody" episode, where a distant (and revealingly unsexual) Blaine gets all victim after Kurt gets an admirer (who was written and portrayed so stereotypically nelly that there was not an iota of a possibility), and the transformation of Kurt from bullied but complex kid to some sort of cheating lothario was complete. It makes me ill. And I LIKE Darren Criss. A LOT. I admit his acting needs a bit of nuance (mostly because the writers are making his character totally cartoonish - ex the repetitive "punching bag" scenes), and his singing while stellar has been overused and not inventively so (another topic I'll cover later). Even the resolution to the "cheating" plot was hastily tied up, and I believe RIB+6 (the writers) think we won't notice if they just jerry-rig the character to whatever test audience feedback they get.

Meanwhile a large chunk of the people "shipping" the pair ("Klainers") are so obsessed with keeping the pair together like Ken and Barbie that even thoughts of pairing either with someone (and especially Kurt with Dave) brings furor to the level of threats. And isn't that what got people upset over Dave's character to begin with?  In any "soap" style drama (which Glee intertwines with comedy on a 90210 style level), people are pairing in so many ways (as Kurt's fourth-walling-ly compared New Directions to Fleetwood Mac), yet Kurt and Blaine are to be stuck like Lego until the end of time. And yet portrayed in such a non-sexual way that it's Ricky and Lucy-ish. I mean, if you check out most of the third-season scenes in the choir room, the two boys aren't even usually sitting with each other. Again, what the actual fuck? And with the amount of snogging going on between various ND members (including the new Jesus freak guy), Klaine's passion gets to peck on the cheek intensity just about all of the time. And if I did ship Klaine, I would be furious at Ryan Murphy just for that. He's devaluing a gay relationship into a whitewash because I feel he doesn't want to lower his ratings (or his fangirl mouthfrothing). It's like "well, as long as Blaine is this sterile, I have a shot, and he's sweeter than my beerswilling hillbilly boyfriend".

But like all tween-girl phenomena (I'm looking at you, Bieber), their base always grows up and leaves. Look and New Kids On The Block. Look at the Backstreet Boys. Hell, look and Bobby fucking Sherman. And after his use is done, Murphy will just kick him to the curb. Sad. At least I feel Colfer is branching out on his own and has such potential after this stint on this show.

Well that's it for part one. Yay. Next time, how "special guests" completely took over Glee.