Glee Puts A Ring On It

“Glee” is one of those rare gems that doesn’t come along every day. Fox hyped this puppy months before it’s premiere, even going so far as to debut the pilot episode a whole 3 months before the fall season started. It was apparent that the network had faith in the show, and with good reason – “Glee” is a triumph.The writer and creator of “Glee” is Ryan Murphy, who is also responsible for the equally quirky “Nip/Tuck”, and before that, “Popular.” Anyone who has ever seen “Nip/Tuck” can attest to the fact that the show was frequently over the top, outlandish, and silly, yet it worked because it was rooted in character-driven drama. The same can be said for “Glee.” On paper, the idea of an entire football team breaking out into a choreographed dance routine to Beyonce’s Single Ladies in the middle of a football game might seem silly, but yet here it works. And it brings a smile to your face. What can I say – this show just makes me happy.

For anyone who is just tuning into “Glee,” I recommend you get your hands on the first three episodes before jumping in, because there are a handful of subplots and characters being bandied about at almost lightning speed, so much so that if you aren’t sure who is who and what is what you’re going to be left in the dark. I’ll try my best to touch upon all the plots from last night’s episode.First up, Will (Matthew Morrrison) decides that other members of the group need to be spotlighted, and so he offers the solo at Nationals to the stuttering Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz), much to the chagrin of Rachael (Lea Michele). You see, Rachel knows she’s the best singer in the group, and she should be treated as such. The scheming cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) sees this crack in the foundation as her way to steal Glee Club’s star performer (by arranging a school production of Cabaret), so they won’t be able to compete at Nationals. Rachel falls for the ruse, expecting Will to cave and hand her the solo, but he sticks to his guns.