Ryan Murphy's legendary Glee took a ragtag group of misfits and made them infamous, so much so the world will never forget its impact. Glee took the unpopular and made it popular; it redefined the social status and showed audiences that the only thing getting in the way of dreams, life, love is ourselves.
Glee also didn't come without its hiccups. Any show can have its cringe-worthy moments, and Glee was no exception. From Sue Sylvester to divisive supporting characters and music, Glee had its share of bad moments that simply cannot be ignored. Here are the five reasons Glee is worth rewatching, along with five reasons why it shouldn't be touched ever again.
Not Worth It: It’s Insensitive
Times are changing, and with it, so is television. If The Office were released today, it probably wouldn’t receive the same recognition it got back in the day.
The same goes for Glee. It’s a show that garnered much attention and praise, but some of the jokes told by Sue Sylvester wouldn’t fly nowadays. Most of her quips were insensitive and the way she treated the other characters was borderline harassment and abusive.
Worth It: The Music Is Good
"Rolling in the Deep," "Dream On," "Sing," and "Don’t Cry For Me Argentina;" all these songs have one thing in common – they have great Glee covers.
Glee undoubtedly has a knack for taking a song and making it a powerhouse anthem. With dynamic voices from Lea Michele, Amber Riley, and many others, it’s hard not to recognize how talented these Glee actors and actresses were.
Not Worth It: But, The Music Can Be Also Bad
With good always comes the bad. While most covers of the show are splendid, there are some when the song choice wasn’t great or the person they picked to sing the song didn’t fit.
Take most of The Warblers songs or "The Rocky Horror Glee Show" episode, for example. Some of these songs were songs audiences could have gone without hearing and it would have been perfectly fine.
Worth It: The Writing
Without a doubt, Glee has to be one of the best-written musical-dramedy shows of its time. Its humor is top-notch, the drama serves to add to the juicy conflict throughout the show, and its style gives it a flair that no other shows can match.
The over-the-top insults given by Santana are iconic, Sue Sylvester’s broadcast is jaw-dropping, and every time Rachel Berry opens her mouth, something is worth hearing.
Not Worth It: The Cast Members' Pasts
The cast members of Glee have faced hard times. During and after Glee, it seemed like each cast member of the show appeared in the news in some way or another, and not in a good way.
Since Glee ended, there have been two heartbreaking deaths. While it may be fun to rewatch Glee, watching it knowing that two of the cast members are no longer here can make it a difficult sit.
Worth It: Klaine
Let’s face it, Klaine was as epic as couples come. From being friends to finally boyfriend and boyfriend, Klaine gave audiences all the angsty, teenage feels while also being simultaneously swoon-worthy.
They had incredible duets together, were each other first and last loves, and were fashion icons together. As much as television over-romanticizes love, their romance was one for the books.
Not Worth It: The Supporting Characters
Some of the best things television has to offer are the supporting characters that drive the plots forward. From The Mikaelsons in The Vampire Diaries all the way to Jean Ralphio in Parks and Recreation, supporting characters can be exciting, dangerous, and fun.
However, in Glee, some of the supporting characters were lackluster. April Rhodes was a trainwreck, Rory Flanagan had potential, Dave was a nightmare, and Holly Holiday was yet another failed love interest. They did not bring much of anything to the story and at times it was hard seeing them as anything but wasted effort.
Worth It: Representation
Out of all the things Glee got right, they did a fantastic job with representation. There were LGBTQIA+ characters, a diverse cast, and they didn’t shy away from how underrepresented people are treated on a daily basis.
It’s important to have representation in the media, especially for young viewers, and Glee was a perfect show for that reason.
Not Worth It: NYADA
High school came and went, and with it came NYADA...unfortunately. This new era of Glee brought dark times. For example, Rachel was constantly stressed with NYADA, as she tried to deal with overly-competitive peers, a strict Whoopi Goldberg, and Cassandra July giving her so much hardship that it was not even funny.
If only Glee could redo this part of the show and rewrite it for something else since it was so hard to watch.
It's universally acknowledged that the best part of a television show is the first couple of seasons. But, with Glee, the last season was a great, satisfactory ending to an otherwise all-over-the-place series. The show concluded the characters' storylines on a sweet note rather than butchering it like many other television shows.
Rachel Berry's story was redeemed, Kurt and Blaine got their happy ending, and Will Schuester lived out his dream – changing the lives of his students. It's a bittersweet ending, one worth rewatching over and over.