SOUND OFF: Let It GLEE! The Highs & The Lows Of The Final Season Premiere

By: Pat Cerasaro Jan. 09, 2015

Today we are spotlighting the most exciting events showcased in the epic 2-hour premiere episode of the final season of GLEE.

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Homecoming
You've come a long way, baby. Unexpected, nearly instant adulation resulting from the pilot premiere was soon followed by a vociferous fan base quickly forming to herald and champion the first full season of the series, GLEE began big - and sank nearly as precipitously. The ratings behemoth that commanded 12 million viewers for its second season slowed to entertaining a mere third of that number as the fifth season came to a close, signaling the make-it or break-it moment for the groundbreaking, genre-smashing FOX musical dramedy. That moment arrived tonight via the two-hour premiere of a brand new season, which was announced late last year as being the last - and, at only 13 episodes as opposed to the 22-episode order of previous seasons, a relatively limited time in which to wrap it all up. And, there is a heck of a lot to wrap up - and so very many choices in ribbons, bows, wrapping paper and gift accoutrement with which to do so. Beginning with an acid-black depiction of the Hollywood fame machine as experienced by new TV star Rachel Berry (Lea Michele) - torn business cards, bitchy publicists, Carrot Top (no, really) and a revolving door of network execs included - the apt and obvious allusions to the real-life plight of GLEE was amply addressed from the get-go - to impacting effect. "Epic flameout," says it all.

Alanis Morissette's moody and Middle Eastern-influenced dirge "Uninvited" kicked off the musical numbers in the premiere, following a bleak and unexpected dramatic scene depicting Rachel's unceremonious firing from her failed live TV sitcom, THAT'S SO RACHEL. Slow-motion camerawork as Rachel left the sunny LA set provided a compelling visual juxtaposition, while the somber message of the ballad offered Michele the opportunity to emote to the rafters - or, in this case, the Hollywood skies. Nonetheless, the true emotional centerpiece of the first section of the premiere episode, "Loser Like Me" - written by series creators Ryan Murphy, Ian Brennan and Brad Falchuk, directed by Bradley Buecker - resided in the lovely Ohio reunion of former roommates and NYADA attendees Rachel and Blaine (Darren Criss) - especially their sumptuous and exciting duet in the form of up-by-the-bootstraps musical theatre mainstay "Suddenly Seymour" from beloved Alan Menken/Howard Ashman musical comedy LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS. And, just as suddenly, GLEE reminded us why it has held our attention and hearts for six seasons and 110 episodes thus far. Without any doubt, the combination of Michele and Criss is magical, particularly when performing emotionally oversized Broadway classics.

Apparently, a whole lot has happened at McKinley High since we last saw her - most importantly, the tumultuous reign of tyrannical sports-obsessed overlord, cheerleading uber coach-turned-principal Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch). "You two have just entered Sue Sylvester's Thunderdome... you will beg for death, but it will not come." Scary, no?! And, the actual reality scarily follows suit: what was sporadically an open, honest and somewhat free environment in which students felt safe to express their true selves now has become a HAVEN for athletes and jocks only, with the onetime nationals-winning GLEE club disbanded, the music program dissolved altogether and Mr. Schuester (Matthew Morrison) now an instructor at another academic institution altogether, the home of famed GLEE club competition Vocal Adrenaline, no less. Van Halen's "Dance The Night Away" gave us a glimpse of the polished, if mechanical musical mise en scene being crafted by the corps - "The most famous GLEE club in the world," actually, as Schuester himself says when commiserating with Rachel. To wit, the sensitive and touching scene shared between the two characters - ostensibly the very core of the series as it now exists, especially following the unexpected death of lead Cory Monteith which inextricably left a gigantic emotional and dramatic hole in the show and its subsequent trajectory - was a gem. Appreciably, Tony Award-winner Brian Stokes Mitchell re-appeared as Rachel's kind father, LeRoy, to also aid in helping her to find her way back to herself - and back to the GLEE club, as it happens. Fate? Destiny? Necessity? Maybe a bit of all three. Whatever the case, let it be.

Speaking of the other schools, acapella sensations The Warblers from prep school Dalton Academy also made a memorable appearance, with Blaine and Rachel revisiting the uniform-outfitted compatriots for a spirited rendition of Ed Sheeran's recent radio hit "Sing", which was accented by a funky and spunky accompaniment-spare orchestration - with high-flying results (literally and figuratively, in this instance). Additionally, fellow NYC transplant Sam (Chord Overstreet) has also returned to his hometown after finding fame and semi-fortune in the Big Apple, now coaching along with big-hearted Coach Beiste (Dot-Marie Jones). Another shake-up resided in the reveal that Blaine and Kurt (Chris Colfer) have considered separating after having become engaged last season, with first signs of the eventual fissure depicted in a stormy scene shared between the always appealing performers - who, thankfully, make their shared scenes carry more weight than they are provided with; especially in the premiere. Then, to make things worse, Dave Karofsky (Max Adler) returned - Kurt's formerly suicidal, closeted biggest bully before and now an out and proud gay club regular, especially on "Country Bear Night", as it were. And, as we learned in the second hour, Karofsky has not ended his reign of terror on thwarted Kurt - no, no; he begins dating Blaine just as Klaine severs their ties together. "What changed? Is it something I did?" could very well be two questions that apply to the uneven run of GLEE up until now - especially the wildly erratic events of the last season or two. In retrospect, there were undeniably many sweet highs - but a lot of sour lows, too. As for last night's highs: Lea Michele's passionate performance of FROZEN international smash "Let It Go" was a wittily designed sequence - loose leaf snowstorm-strewn - that reminded us of GLEE at its very best, whether compared to S1 or S5. Brava.

Cue the new characters. Although the addition of several new students in previous seasons has ranged from a social media frenzy (Darren Criss) to a big "So What?" (everyone else), this year's new featured players similarly run the gamut as introduced in the second part of the premiere, "Homecoming" - written by Ryan Murphy and directed by Bradley Buecker. Broadway BOOK OF MORMON baby Samantha Ware made her first appearance as sassy Dalton Academy Warbler Jane, leading a big-voiced rendition of the Janelle Monae/Big Boi jam "Tightrope" and bringing it to Great White Way-worthy heights. For the first girl Warbler, she certainly made her vocal mark in addition to making school history all the while. Evoking the first appearance of Finn Hudson (Monteith) in the pilot, the angelic voice of Noah Guthrie as Roderick was first heard from afar, only to be possessed by a unsuspecting source (and making a SILK purse out of a sow's ear in the form of Wilson Pickett's "Mustang Sally"). Conversely, Marshall Williams is a confidant, masculine and athletic new addition to the series - and his character, Spencer, just happens to be gay as opposed to identifying himself by his sexuality first and foremost. As he sagely points out to Kurt, it is a demarcating sign of the times - and emblematic of the generation gap that already exists between those who have graduated high school and those who have just entered it. In just the last six years, gay marriage has gone from legal in only a handful of states to being legalized in the majority of America - and society mirrors that appreciable acceptance. Also, Max George injected some fresh 2015 energy into his limited time onscreen, too - and brother/sister combo Mason and Madison (Billy Lewis, Jr. and Laura Dreyfuss) may prove a formidable addition to the new New Directions in time. We shall see - and see very soon, since the rest of the season will air continuously with no breaks for the next several weeks leading to the big finish.

The old guard also returned for the Season Six premiere - joining Rachel, Blaine and Kurt were Mercedes (Amber Riley), Quinn (Dianna Agron), Puck (Mark Salling), Artie (Kevin McHale), Santana (Naya Rivera), Brittany (Heather Morris) and Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz). Subsequently, the DayGlo neon, animation-flecked rendition of 80s camp classic "Take On Me" (A-ha) proved to be suitable fodder for fun and frolics, if somewhat underwhelming as the first song of the new season to bring the majority of the original New Directions together in song. So goes the song selection of the premiere episodes in general - "Mustang Sally", "Take On Me" and "Dance The Night Away" were admittedly weak selections when we consider the songstacks of premiere episodes in seasons passed (remember last season began with The Beatles?). The filler was outbalanced by the aforementioned strong showings of "Let It Go", "Sing" and "Suddenly Seymour", though the new cast members unquestionably made the most of their performance showcases, especially "Tightrope". Ariana Grande and Iggy Azalea's ubiquitous summer chart-topper "Problem" was thankfully allotted an animated singing (and dancing) by the Unholy Trio - aka Brittany, Quinn and Santana (with some quick-spitting help from Artie, natch). The episode closed with the New Directions joining with familiar and fresh faces for a new edition of the catchy Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes hit "Home". And, with that, we are.

What will the final 11 episodes of GLEE bring? Stay tuned to BroadwayWorld for each and every update as we count down to the big GLEE-bye.

Photo Credits: FOX

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