As Glee prepares for it’s comeback, longtime Gleeks are asking one question: Can the Gleeboot capture the chaotic and unfiltered magic that made the original series unforgettable?
the show that never played by the rules
When the world was introduced to Glee back in 2009, viewers were instantly met with a show that like Sue Sylverster wasn’t exactly interested in playing by the rules. The jokes were outragerous, the characters were messy and Sue had the ability to deliver an insult so effortlessly that you not only quoted it but you wondered how the writers ever managed to get away with it.
And yet, somehow, between the slushies, questionable choices, romance and musical numbers, Glee managed to teach its audience something. It taught us that being different wasn’t something to be ashamed of. That finding your people mattered. That sometimes the very things that made you an outsider were the things that made you extrodinary.
different decade, different audience
But here’s where things get complicated. Could that same show exist today? Television audiences have changed. Social media has changed the way we react to entertainment. For example, some influencers started watching The Vampire Diaries and ranted about how all the characters were bad. Well, yeah, its a supernatural show with vampires, witches, werewolves and hybrids, oh my! Bloodshed should be expected, if it wasn’t then you’d be dealing with serious brooding, thrilling. There’s also The Office, half the things that Michael Scott said and did would not do well in today’s world because jokes that once sparked laughter now ignite controversy.
doN’T STOP BELIEVIN IN TAKING RISKS
For longtime Gleeks, the concern isn’t simply whether the revival will feature familiar faces and which renditions they’ll choose. No, it’s whether the writers will still be willing to take risks. Because Glee without its chaotic, unfiltered personality wouldn’t be the Glee we fell in love with.
And heres something the new viewers entering the choir room need to understand. You don’t have to agree with every joke, every character or every storyline to appreciate what a show is trying to say.
Being a gleek was never about being perfect
The original series was far from perfect. Some of it’s jokes people would agree aged poorly, and even longtime fans can admit that. But it’s willingness to be messy was part of what made it memorable. And while everyone deserves the opportunity to discover what makes Glee special, expecting the series to abandon it’s entire personality to avoid offending anyone would defeat the entire purpose of bringing it back. Because being a Gleek has never meant taking everything seriously.
Sometimes it means laughing at something outragerous, recognizing the lesson underneath it and accepting that this show has always been unhinged. And frankly? That’s exactly how we liked it.
To the new generation, you’re welcome to join the Glee Club. But before you walk through those doors, understand one thing, Glee was never about being perfect. It was about being unapologetically yourself.
And if the revival forgets that, then maybe we’ve lost the very special thing that made us Gleeks in the first place.
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