Time to say goodbye to the worldwide phenomenon. The show that brings music back to TV. The show that significantly impacts the music industry in both creative and commercial way. The show that celebrates diversity in so many ways, and the underdogs and their differences. The show that has touched, inspired, and saved millions lives around the world—that celebrates just who we really are, no matter what. Sounds like it’s more than just a TV show, ha!
by Adam MS:
Last week, I just finished watching the penultimate episode of #Glee S06E11 “We Built This Glee Club”—which was really great—and that’s when I saw the promo for the 2-hour series finale (TONIGHT, 8/7 on FOX). And it instantly just brought me to surprisingly joyful tears. Mostly because they cover “I LIVED” by #OneRepublic, which in my opinion and apparently seems to be the popular opinion as well—is the most perfect farewell anthem for the show. The music and the lyrics are just perfect (literally) for saying goodbye to the whole six years worldwide phenomenon. And I was genuinely surprised that Ryan Murphy, Alex Anders and Adam Anders (Executive Music Producers) chose this song for the goodbye—BRAVO!!! Which brings me to my point of this article—the curtains are closed, and it’s time to finally say goodbye to #Glee. And after seeing that promo, I decided I had to write this farewell notes personally. Because for me as well as for millions other people—#Glee IS NOT JUST A TV SHOW!
The Part I of #Glee 2-hour series finale is entitled “2009”—and just like the title, it all started in 2009. I was a sophomore in college (Jakarta, Indonesia), and one morning in campus I heard from one of my good friends about a comedy musical series that began to get attention from critics and viewers in the U.S. Primetime television—it’s called #Glee. English is not my native language, but I know what #Glee means, and when I heard it, I was instantly picturing a joyful show that—I think at the least—would make me smirk if I watched. My curious gene for music seemed to really trigger me to finally spent the whole weekend watching it on the internet.
When I started watching, #Glee already aired its 4th episode of its freshman season entitled “Preggers”—THE most important episode of the show for me (and apparently for the co-creator #RyanMurphy as well—according to an interview I read)—which in that episode, Kurt Hummel (played by the fantastic Chris Colfer) came out of the closet as a gay teenager. But it’s not only the inspiring storyline that touched me, it’s also the funny musical performance which featuring the hilariously iconic memorable performance of Chris Colfer covering #Beyonce’s mega hit “SINGLE LADIES”—and it suddenly got me thinking, that I was right—“this show is freakin’ hilarious, and I have to wacth it from the pilot.”
FINALLY I watched the first three previous episodes, and after watching the pilot—and I believe I speak to every #Gleeks (literally) or any other who have seen Glee when I say this—I was hooked with their fresh brilliant and phenomenally cool rendition of #Journey’s “DON’T STOP BELIEVING”—I really was. And the episode was very hilarious too. Dealing with high school misfits and underdogs and popularity status and all. And just like that, through the power of music and amusing comic storylines, I have become a huge fan, instantly. Just like millions other viewers around the world—I’m in love with the show ever since. And I never missed every single episode every week (literally) until the very end of its run. I’m a real #Gleek—always have been, always will be.
By its very platform #Glee is a traditional TV Show with 42 minutes (or so)-run every week on a very mainstream US Network TV—which airs on FOX International in Asia (FOX Premium, FX, Starworld, etc) when I first watched. In term of platform, the combination of comedy, soapy (high school) drama and MUSICAL performance—#Glee may have set the bar and foundation so high (and I’m referring to the short-lived #SMASH & soapy #NASHVILLE—though on a different genre—that tried too hard to aim the same level, and the new hit #EMPIRE—that seems really promising on this). But by the most common standard, #Glee’s storylines are not far different from any other high school shows (Film or TV)—at least that’s what at first I thought how the show would be. But as the time passed by, #Glee has grown so much, especially AND ESPECIALLY in this final season. Because—and I quoted this from Buzzfeed Columnist, Louis Peitzman—“while critics and audiences largely abandoned Glee, at some point between its celebrated pilot episode and its truncated final sixth season, those who have stuck around are witnessing something genuinely transgressive for major network primetime television. It’d be challenging to think of another network series that has celebrated the beauty of difference better.” Because #Glee—truly is at one of its very best this season.
I’m not saying #Glee is the best TV Show of all time—but I’m saying: #Glee is one of the best TV Shows of all time. Of course #Glee has its ups and downs especially after so many missteps since the first half of Season 3 through the first half of season 5, but one amazing thing that #Glee never lost it since day one is—its ability to push the envelopes for several important real social issues. And I couldn’t agree more with Mr Peitzman who said and I quote, “From the first episode, Glee reflected the (heightened) realities of life for those who don’t fit in — the eccentrics, the gays, the people of color — in conservative Lima, Ohio. And while there’s no denying that the series has made some missteps over the years, there’s also no denying Glee’s influence.” And more he added, “That relentless enthusiasm for the outsider is a stunning reminder of why Glee matters: It’s a series that, at its best, gave impressionable young people a reason to love being different.” And it’s so true, that Glee refutes “normalcy”. —and that’s all what makes #Glee is so ground-breaking and critically acclaimed (Hello—2 Years in a row as BEST TV COMEDY/MUSICAL as voted by the #HollywoodForeignPressAssociation aka the #GoldenGlobes including 2 other Globes for Jane Lynch and Chris Colfer in acting category, also winning 6 out of 39 #EMMY nominations—but since I’m a press people I’m more into the first one, ha!—you can google how #Glee accolades has become today. And don’t make me start with its records-breaking music!)
My point is, #Glee is so ground-breaking it makes you become loyal to watch it every week even though sometimes your friends told you “you really still watch #Glee?”. Because every week, I always hope that the writers will always come up with another new ground-breaking issues that related to our real daily social lives. And #Glee has done it more often than any other show in the history of television, since day one. #Glee has become the voice of those who got a wedgy in high school. The representation of the misfits, the underdogs, the out-cast, the minority. #Glee is, and has always been a fun entertaining potrayal of anything but differences. And in the end—as Mr Peitzman wrote in his column—“otherness has proven to be Glee’s biggest constant, whether in the form of gay and bisexual characters, trans characters, characters with disabilities, characters of color, fat characters, or any number of characters on the series who weren’t straight white cis men. These representations were rarely perfect, but they happened. Without them, would we see two tween boys kissing on The Fosters, or Connor (Jack Falahee) doing something to a man’s ass that made his eyes water on How to Get Away With Murder? As we move forward toward, ideally, increasingly complex and thoughtful portrayals of diversity, let’s tip our hats to the shows that helped paved the way: Glee is high on that list”—or dare I say, #Glee is atop the list.
So thank you Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Iann Brennan for creating one of the most iconic high school shows that will ever be on our TV. And thank you for all the wonderful cast since the pilot to the newest ones who have brought all of the inspiring characters to life. And last but not least, thank you so much to all of the hundreds of Glee crew behind the scenes who never get the fame-credits as much as the cast and creator do over the past six years—they’re all the real unsung heroes behind the whole six years phenomenal run of Glee. Because of the show, millions of lives around the world (including me) have embraced and celebrated their true colors, and lived their lives based on one thing we all share in common … LOVE. So to you all, I am personally (millions other’s lives as well) indebted forever. It’s been an “Aaaaaa-MAZING!!!” Journey!
MAKE SURE TO WATCH THE FINALE TONIGHT, Folks! x
(Wrote this notes last Friday Night at Yahoo!-Labs in New York, after streaming the Annual #PaleyFest which held a special farewell for the #GleeCast in LA. Anyone who missed the panel could watch it on Yahoo!-LIVE. Image: FOX)
~ The Adam's Corner ~ 
March 21st, 2015 → 11:42 AM
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