Do You gLee?

I have a confession to make. I am a gLeeker. What's a gLeeker, you ask? A gLeeker is someone who loves the show gLee. All I have to say is are you watching this show? If not, you should be. That's all there is to it.

Now I know that the premise of the show sounds a little goofy. A show about a glee club? How is that even remotely interesting? Well, add some high school drama, a hysterical, crass cheerleading coach, romance, snappy writing and throw is a talented cast and you've got one hell of a show.

When I first heard of the show I was a bit skeptical. My husband and I have this thing where we find it uncomfortable and awkward to watch people just randomly burst into song which is going to happen on a show focused on performing. I even admit that I sometimes fast forward through the singing because, well, it's just silly to watch someone walking through the high school hallways singing because unless you go to the Cincinnati School for the Creative and Performing Arts, when does this happen? That's right, never. But when they are singing in performance arenas... all bets are off. I will totally watch that because, well, they are amazing. All the kids have singing backgrounds and while they lip sync on set that is really their voices you are hearing.

But it's not the singing that keeps this gLeeker coming back. No, it's the crass, cold, uncaring Sue Sylvester, played by Jane Lynch. Sue is the coach of the cheerleading squad, the Cheerios and it's her sole mission in life to ruin the glee club as they are taking money from her Cheerios. Sue doesn't care what she says or who she says it to which makes me instantly love her. I can't tell you how many times I wish I could just say half the things that come to my mind like Sue does. She easily steals every scene that she's in. She just can't help it. Her one liners keep me laughing for days. Here is just a sampling of Sue's one liners...

"You think that was hard? Try auditioning for Baywatch and being told they are going in a different direction. That was hard."

"You'll be adding revenge to the long list of things you're no good at, right next to being married, running a high school glee club and finding a hairstyle that doesn't look like a lesbian."

"I, for one, think intimacy has no place in a marriage. Walked in on my parents once and it was like seeing two walruses wrestling."

"I'll often yell at homeless people: 'Hey, how is that homelessness working out for you? Try not being homeless for once.'"

Those are just a few of Sue's zingers, but I think it's pretty clear the writing is another reason to fall in love with the show. It is smart writing that keeps you wanting to come back. I can't stand watching a show that is poorly written. This is not just just slap stick comedy, it's smart comedy.

What I like most about the show though is that it is fresh. There is nothing else like it on TV (and don't throw that High School Musical crap in my face). The show is well written, funny and still has that sense of drama that every show centered around high school must have. The kids deal with situations that I believe many kids in high school face today. Teen pregnancy, learning to accept who they are vs. what they "should" be, their sexuality, etc. The show takes these issues and faces them head on without being preachy or stereotypical. It's hard to find quality programming like that these days.

Unfortunately this last episode of gLee was the season finale so if you are thinking about picking up the show, try to catch it in re-runs and watch the second season which starts this spring. I promise you won't be disappointed! Even my husband who mocked me for watching the show is now a fan!