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shadowkatNot too bad tonight, some decent musical numbers. But the plot was all over the place. And so many inconsistencies. Watching Glee often feels like watching someone toss plot and character into a lettuce mixer, then poke their hand in and select something at random.
Glee is mainly theme driven, not plot or character driven. And purely theme driven stories tend to frustrate me. They can be done well - LOST and Once Upon a Time are theme driven stories, as is Parenthood. But these are built around a consistent theme, and the characters come first. They are character driven. And the theme is hardwired to the characters. It's not a new theme each week. Theme-driven tales remind me a bit of sketch comedy. And it is why I don't tend to like sketch comedy - because it is also based on theme, not character, not plot. It's...remember that show "What's My Line?" - the one with Drew Carey? Where he would select an idea or theme out of the hat and have the three people on stage enact it on the spot? Improve does this. And short stories do. I remember in school - they'd ask you to write a story around a "theme" or they'd request you find the theme of a book.
But for me? Theme was always the least interesting aspect. Stories like Glee - where each week we have a new theme, the songs are made to fit what that theme is, the characters as well, and the plot...it feels like a sketch comedy with music. It's hard to take any of it seriously. Or to feel emotionally attached after a bit. It's too jarring the jumps and leaps.
What works for me in Glee - is the musical numbers. Lea Michele has an amazing voice. Rachel - is like nails on a chalkboard, but I love Lea Michele's singing voice. Same deal with Matthew Morrison - he moves well and has a great voice, but I can't stand the character of Will Shuester. The best songs...were probably Lea Michele's two numbers - Your Face and Can't Live Without You. Although I liked "Marry Me Bill".
And Sue Sylvestrie was actually interesting and likable in this episode. But her character is so inconsistently written, that's hard to emotionally relate any longer. I keep wondering if she's on something. One week she's EVIL Sue, the next...wise and nice Sue. They need to show both at the same time, create more texture, and provide better motivation. Here, at least, her motivation made an iota of sense. But why was she supportive of Pillsbury? As if they were suddenly friends?? Or Shuester for that matter?
I guess you can say the story followed a defined plot arc, the romances had been building to this point. But...it still felt jarring in places. And as a result, I found myself emotionally detached. Murphy often does this to me with his stories, he reaches a point in them, in which I feel like he's all about the "MESSAGE", characters be damned. As if he's grown bored of them or something. They are there merely to push the message. He may be better suited to anthology or briefer works. The long form serial...doesn't appear to work well for him.
Glee is mainly theme driven, not plot or character driven. And purely theme driven stories tend to frustrate me. They can be done well - LOST and Once Upon a Time are theme driven stories, as is Parenthood. But these are built around a consistent theme, and the characters come first. They are character driven. And the theme is hardwired to the characters. It's not a new theme each week. Theme-driven tales remind me a bit of sketch comedy. And it is why I don't tend to like sketch comedy - because it is also based on theme, not character, not plot. It's...remember that show "What's My Line?" - the one with Drew Carey? Where he would select an idea or theme out of the hat and have the three people on stage enact it on the spot? Improve does this. And short stories do. I remember in school - they'd ask you to write a story around a "theme" or they'd request you find the theme of a book.
But for me? Theme was always the least interesting aspect. Stories like Glee - where each week we have a new theme, the songs are made to fit what that theme is, the characters as well, and the plot...it feels like a sketch comedy with music. It's hard to take any of it seriously. Or to feel emotionally attached after a bit. It's too jarring the jumps and leaps.
What works for me in Glee - is the musical numbers. Lea Michele has an amazing voice. Rachel - is like nails on a chalkboard, but I love Lea Michele's singing voice. Same deal with Matthew Morrison - he moves well and has a great voice, but I can't stand the character of Will Shuester. The best songs...were probably Lea Michele's two numbers - Your Face and Can't Live Without You. Although I liked "Marry Me Bill".
And Sue Sylvestrie was actually interesting and likable in this episode. But her character is so inconsistently written, that's hard to emotionally relate any longer. I keep wondering if she's on something. One week she's EVIL Sue, the next...wise and nice Sue. They need to show both at the same time, create more texture, and provide better motivation. Here, at least, her motivation made an iota of sense. But why was she supportive of Pillsbury? As if they were suddenly friends?? Or Shuester for that matter?
I guess you can say the story followed a defined plot arc, the romances had been building to this point. But...it still felt jarring in places. And as a result, I found myself emotionally detached. Murphy often does this to me with his stories, he reaches a point in them, in which I feel like he's all about the "MESSAGE", characters be damned. As if he's grown bored of them or something. They are there merely to push the message. He may be better suited to anthology or briefer works. The long form serial...doesn't appear to work well for him.