Throwback Thursday, a weekly article in which we look back at our
favourite TV episodes from over the years.
For this week's Throwback Thursday, I've decided to take us back to 2009, to relive the beginning of my greatest TV love, Glee. It's far from the greatest show ever, even I'll admit that, but there were so many wonderful things about the campiest show on TV, that I couldn't imagine my first Throwback Thursday being about any other cancelled show.
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| The iconic slushie moment. |
Glee drew in over 9 million viewers when it premiered on FOX on May 19th, 2009. A fresh concept, it certainly paved the way for the likes of Nashville, Smash and Empire, creating a musical television show platform. It was this musical element which first caught my attention and encouraged me to watch the show; I'd never seen the cast before, I had no idea who Ryan Murphy was and the word 'glee' itself was even relatively unknown to me. More importantly than the musical element though, it was a show that would inspire many of us to embrace being an outcast or at least just who were are. Featuring an ensemble of misfits and minorities, it would be hard for someone to not find themselves amongst the diverse group. Some critics may say it was unbelievable and a stretch too far, but for the community of Gleeks across the globe, the diversity was its special feature.
It's certainly a strange sensation watching the Pilot again. I've seen it numerous times over the past few years but a lot has changed since my last viewing; the two primary examples being that Cory Monteith has since died and Mark Salling arrested. Additionally it's conflicting to see the characters in their first scenes, yet knowing how they'll end up. This was a time when I adored Rachel Berry, I found her ambition and talent to be inspiring. Fast forward a few seasons and I would develop a love-hate relationship towards her instead. Take Will Schuester as another example, watching the Pilot I can see why I once saw him as a warm and charming character, but then I'd later consider him self-righteous and annoying. It's an odd feeling to in many ways to fall back in love with the characters, some of whom I'd fallen out of love with during the course of the show's six seasons.
The plot of the first ever episode is essentially that William McKinley High School's Glee Club teacher, Sandy Ryerson, is fired for inappropriate behaviour (in actual fact it's for not giving Rachel Berry the solo) and so the focus is on Spanish teacher Will Schuester as he takes over the reigns and tries to build something special. It's pretty simple, and then combined with the infusion of songs and (at times inappropriately) funny dialogue, there's enough going on to make very enjoyable viewing. The very first episode sets up the general premise, primarily, and introduces viewers to the cast of misfits and stereotypes. It's easy to follow and entertaining for sure.
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| Chris Colfer in his baby-faced youth. |
Although the show fed into these stereotypes throughout, featuring the likes of a fashionista gay kid, a diva black girl and a dopey jock, it must be remembered that what society needed back then was very different from what we may need now (and that the show did show different facets to these stereotypes at times). This is particularly relevant in regards to the LGBTQ+ community, of course. In 2009, there were obviously, and had already been, a number of gay TV characters, but Kurt was, in my opinion, overdue, particularly for my generation. We needed even a stereotype then, someone we could at least remotely relate to in terms of sexuality. Now, fortunately, and probably thanks to the likes of Kurt paving the way, we have Empire's Jamal and How To Get Away With Murder's Connor, to remind us that stereotypes aren't completely representative. Kurt spends the Pilot as almost a background character, with his most memorable scene being one of bullying. He was just a regular closeted kid who was targeted by bullies, and its so easy when you re-watch the first episode to see why so many fans immediately felt a connection towards him.
Glee celebrated the underdog, the misfit, the bullied, like Kurt. It was a show for those who didn't fit the standard model that society (and TV) often told us we should be. The Pilot makes this very evident with mentions to the social hierarchy and being a misfit throughout. Nowadays most TV fandoms would say a show changed their life, and most likely it did. With Glee it was on a whole other level though; it wasn't just a gay storyline, or a one-off tragedy putting someone in a wheelchair, or any of the other beautiful features of Glee. It was who the characters were. There was someone for everyone, pretty much. Even Rachel was in many ways a relatable character. Spending the episode wanting to pursue her dreams and rightfully be praised for such, she highlights the inner star potential within us all. Perhaps I'm putting the show on a pedestal, perhaps I'm not.
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| The legend that is Jane Lynch. |
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| Dianna Agron and Naya Rivera in their brief Pilot roles. |
Although Kurt was immediately my hero from the Pilot, my love is truly with Santana Lopez (and Naya Rivera). I've always felt an appreciation and admiration for the Latina community, and so it was almost inevitable I would like Santana to some degree. Combine that with a sassy defence mechanism that we both shared to cope with our sexuality shame, and you have the makings of my TV obsession right there. Her role in the first episode could be missed if you blinked, as she appears in only a couple of scenes and for brief moments, but for a huge fan like me, her presence is known. Even Quinn Fabray takes a backseat role in the Pilot, though thankfully the showrunners decided to utilise her further throughout the rest of the season and beyond (let's not talk about how the showrunners treated her in later seasons though).
In the midst of the cast and the drama though, the most iconic thing about the show (and specifically the Pilot) is a certain Journey cover. As soon as the "da da da da" starts, I felt a chill down my spine. This was the song that started it all. It may have been at the end of the episode, but it was its anthem. It became our anthem, every misfit, theatre geek etc etc. It means varying things to different people but ultimate the message is the same; believe in yourself always. It's a simple message that would resonate throughout the show for six seasons. It may be cheesy, especially the performance, but that's why we loved it. Those iconic red t-shirts and the cringey hand gestures make it the performance we remember most. It was camp, and feel-good, and flawed, and real, and it was electrifying. I recall just sitting in awe, my eyes fixed at the TV. It's hard to even explain, and the more you watch it, the more difficult it is to say exactly why it's so magical. It just is. It's power is in what it represents and what it became. A legacy of its own, way beyond the expectations of the critics of 2009.
Sometimes I feel alone in Glee meaning so much to me, and then I remember all the people I've met along the way through the show. I interacted with so many people on social media (I had over 3,000 followers on my Glee fan Twitter account at one point which was a big deal to me at the time) who had very personal reasons, just like me, for connecting with the characters. I knew people who were developing feelings for their female friends like Santana, and people who had always been very shy and introverted like Tina. Each character was important to someone, and changed people's lives for the better. I'm almost certain that I'm not alone in feeling like Glee was a soundtrack to my life, as cheesy as that sounds. A very strong example of this that comes to mind is my coming out. Like many other closeted teens, I'd set various dates over the years to tell my parents, and each time I backed out. I decided, very dramatically I can say in retrospect, that I would finally do it on the day that the final episode aired. It sounds ridiculous, I know, but it felt like the right way to end that chapter of my life; one of sexuality shame and finding my identity. That may be my individual story, and my goodbye to Glee, but there's millions of others out there. So thank you Glee and everyone involved, for everything you did for the LGBTQ+ community and for every other misfit in the world. I will never stop believing in the power of the underdog!It seems like a fitting way to end by quoting Rachel's iconic line from the Pilot. It resonates perfectly with the show's fandom; we were united by Glee and in many ways it made us feel special because it made us comfortable, happy and accepted, even if only within a beautiful community of our own. "Being a part of something special makes you special". I sincerely hope you enjoyed my first ever Throwback Thursday and apologise for taking more about the show's impact than the Pilot itself. Let me know in the comments section if you're a Gleek and what the show means to you.
