'Glee' gets another year

When "Glee" started it's first season it had so much potential. It was funny in kind of a snarky way. The characters were amusing, the actors good a pulling off their roles. And there was really good music mixed into every episode.

I liked the love triangle of Finn-Quinn-Rachel (and maybe Curt deserves to be in there too) and I liked the love triangle of Will-his wife-Emma. I guess I can relate to Emma and Rachel having feelings for someone they will probably never stand a chance with, but it was fun to root them on.

I was excited to see where things would go with the couples as the show took a break mid-season.

But when it came back, something just seemed to be awry. The weekly plot of coming up with ideas for a song to sing at competition - or to teach some kind of lesson to the kids - just started to get old. Also, the couples I'd been longing to see together in the first half of the season where quickly torn asunder for really no good reasons.

Something about the second half of the season just felt a lot more superficial than the first half. And the music turned bad, too. It started to seem like the writers were coming up with plot points just so they could use as many different musical genres as possible. Finn and Puck get a job where Will's ex-wife works seemingly just to have a chance to sing Beck's "Loser." There has been no mention of the job since that very short scene.

The low lights for me this season were some of the bad renditions of the songs. Rachel sings U2's "One" in an episode and I may be biased as a huge fan of the band, but even people I know who listen to them casually said it was a bad mix. The "Loser" rendition was also bad as was a song from "Les Miserables" that was turned into a duet.

I haven't done an actually count, but the number of songs performed in each episode certainly seems to have gone up all in an attempt to sell more on iTunes.

In the season finale this week, the students lose the competion but get another year to make Glee work. Hopefully, the writers take it to heart or the show may only have another year.

Songs of 'Glee'

So after the first few episodes of "Glee," it's clear the music performances are an important part of the show. I don't think they always necessarily add to the plot, but they are often entertaining. The football players dancing to Beyonce's "Single Ladies" made me laugh more than anything else on the show yet.

I have a few suggestions of songs I'd like to see in the future.

"Here I Go Again" by Whitesnake - Journey has already become a mainstay on the show, so why not another '80s power ballad?

"The Boy is Mine" by Brandy and Monica - This song could be a showdown between Quinn and Rachel as they both continue to long for Finn, who seems unsure of which girl he really wants. Taylor Swift's "You Belong With Me" or "Teardrops on my Guitar" would also be good songs for Rachel, but Swift is kind of overplayed right now. Or maybe it's just overplayed in my car on the way to work.

"Jump" by Kriss Kross - This would complete the really super cheesy hip-hop songs from my childhood. The writers already used "Poison" by Bel Biv DeVoe and "I wanna sex you up" by Color Me Badd.

"What Have I Done to Deserve This?" by the Pet Shop Boys - Finn can sing this when he discovers that you can't really get a girl pregnant by sitting, clothed, in a hot tub, but that it can happen when your best friend sleeps with your girlfriend.

"Faith" by George Michael - I don't have a scenario for this song, but I just think it would be funny to see Will Schuster sing and dance to it. He could even wear a little cross earring like George Michael does in the music video.

"Boys Don't Cry" by the Cure - Football Coach Tanaka can sing this when Emma breaks his heart.

"Save Me" by Aimee Mann - The lyrics to this song are perfect for the misfit kids in the glee club.

"Creep" by Radiohead - Puck can sing this when Quinn again denies his advances and that her baby is actually his.

"I Want You to Want Me" by Cheaptrick - This song has be sung in a bunch of movies, but I still really like it and think it would be perfect for like have the cast to sing - Rachel to Finn, Emma to Will, Tanaka to Emma,Kurt to Finn...you get the picture.

"Perfect Day" by Lou Reed - This song is just lovely and would be perfect for when any of those involved in the unrequited love situations actually end up together.

I can't think of a perfect song for when Will finds out his wife is lying to him about her pregnancy and scheming to get a teenage girl's baby. And I also can't think of any good songs for Artie (the wheel chair guy,) Mercedes (the black girl,) or Tina (the Asian girl) so hopefully their characters get a little better develops as the series goes on.

Glee-full Wednesdays

Last week after I read a surprisingly depressing book, I said I needed to find something to make me laugh.

I found it in "Glee." It's a new hour-long comedy on Fox Wednesday nights at 9 p.m. Usually when I watch a new show it takes a few episodes for it to grow on me, but "Glee" had my attention at episode one.

The main reason I wanted to watch the show is Jane Lynch who has had minor roles in more movies and television shows than I can mention. She is best in kooky, off the mark characters like the ones she played in Christopher Guest's "Best in Show" and "A Mighty Wind." Her role in "Glee" as cheer coach Sue Sylvester is a perfect fit.

Another stand out is Jayma Mays, who plays a guidance counselor who might be a little bit misguided about her own life. She starred as Betty's competition for Henry in "Ugly Betty" for a couple seasons, but her vulnerable role as Emma suits her better than the scheming ex-girlfriend role, especially with her wide-open doll eyes.

Of course, the main plot of the story is that Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) is trying to make glee club into something cool, with no budget, little talent and a wife who wants him to give up teaching altogether. His group so far is made up of an overacheiver (Lea Michele), a football star (Cory Monteith), as well as actors Kevin McHale, Chris Colfer, Amber Riley and Jenna Ushkowitz.

As with most high school shows, there are the same clique cliches - the cheerleaders, the football players, the nerds - but it's just funnier than most high school series. One of the things I love about the show so far is that some of the laughs are understated. You really have to listen to the dialogue to catch it all.

Hopefully this is a show that will last past the first season because it's pretty funny. Oh yeah, and the last episode brought back some memories of junior high with Bel Biv DeVoe and Color Me Badd renditions.