Glee had multiple controversial storylines throughout its six-season run, but Rachel's Broadway twist in season 5 could have worked with one key change. Rachel Berry (Lea Michele) quitting Funny Girl was one of the most uncharacteristic moments in the entire series and contributed to the fifth season being the lowest point for a show that had already lost most of its popularity. A simple but major fix regarding her failure could have changed all of that and made for one of Glee's stronger storylines.
After the musical series' 100th episode, Glee was averaging less than three million viewers per week, a significant downgrade from its first two seasons. Cory Monteith's death may have been handled extremely well in his character, Finn Hudson's tribute episode, but it contributed to Glee's seventh season never happening. The inconsistency continued to get worse with each episode and introduced terrible storylines such as twerking- and puppet-themed installments. Many of the characters started to act entirely differently and became extremely unlikable, with Rachel being a prime example.
When Rachel's lifelong dream to star on Broadway finally came true, it felt deserved as a full-circle moment for the character. But she let the fame go to her head and quit the stage to star in a TV series called That's So Rachel. After her show was canceled, Rachel hit rock bottom and returned home to Ohio. Her character was ruined, and her failure made for a great, redeemable storyline. The timing was just bad. Rachel's failure would have been better depicted prior to her finding success in Funny Girl. Rachel not getting the part or receiving negative reviews could have been a major wake-up call for her. Throughout the sometimes-pioneering Glee, Rachel got everything handed to her, and she always got what she wanted. This could have been a perfect opportunity to show her that she can't always get what she wants, and her dreams will not always come true.
How Rachel's Story Would've Been Different In Glee Season 6
Season 6 was a major stepping stone for Glee. Audiences didn't just get to see many of their favorite characters return, but the show returned to its roots and to what made it popular in the first place. Many aspects of the series could never be taken seriously, but tackling important social issues made a difference. Rachel failing at Broadway before finding her success would be a new and better approach to seeing her return to Lima. After her success with voicing Elsa in Frozen, Idina Menzel could have returned as Rachel's mother to help guide her since she also never found Broadway fame. Many dynamics from season 1 should have been brought back to show viewers why they liked Glee in the first place.
Rachel was put through the wringer when Finn died, and she made other poor decisions like quitting college. Instead of getting a chance to return to Broadway, that would be the right moment to have her earn the part and begin to wrap up her Glee storyline in a more compelling way. It would have been a redeeming moment for her entire character arc. Rachel finding her success toward the end of her story would reflect how winning her Tony Award during the time jump was meaningful and earned. As with other hated Glee characters, like Will Schuester, Rachel Berry should have been a more sympathetic figure instead of having her negative qualities come out in full force.