When it first premiered in 2009, “Glee” was a musical comedy about a misfit high school show choir, the New Directions, in Ohio. These days, the show centers on a handful of glee club alums trying to make it in New York City. In the 100th episode, which aired in March, the show ditched the New Directions glee club storyline and focused solely on life in the Big Apple. After a year marked by the passing of Cory Monteith (“Monte Carlo”), who played quarterback-turned-crooner Finn Hudson, the rocky fifth season of “Glee” drew to a close on May 13.
The finale found most of the characters’ dreams coming true. Former glee club star Rachel Berry (Lea Michele, “New Year’s Eve”) plays the lead role in the musical “Funny Girl” on Broadway and contemplates a move to Hollywood. In the episode, a Hollywood exec sends quirky writer Mary Halloran (Kristen Schaal, “30 Rock”) to help craft a television pilot based on Berry’s life. At the same time, New Directions diva Mercedes Jones (Amber Riley,) releases her debut album and plans a mall tour with pals Santana Lopez (Naya Rivera, “The Master of Disguise”) and Brittany Pierce (Heather Morris, “Spring Breakers”). Jones’ boyfriend Sam Evans (Chord Overstreet, “The Hole”) fulfills his dream of modeling for an ad on the side of a bus. And big shot “star maker” and socialite June Dolloway (Shirley MacLaine, “Downton Abbey”) organizes a showcase performance for teenage dream Blaine Anderson (Darren Criss, “A Very Potter Musical”).
Seven songs were covered in the hour, ranging from fun to sappy to triumphant. Jones and Pierce delivered an electrifying and hilarious performance of “Shakin’ My Head,” a “Glee” original, with lyrics like, “How come Jesus looks like a white guy / When he’s from Palestine?” Berry and Anderson each tackled heart-wrenching solos, singing Pink’s “Glitter in the Air” and John Legend’s “All of Me.” Evans, surrounded by bikini-clad models, took on Duran Duran’s 1980s classic “Girls on Film.” At his showcase, Anderson performed “No Time at All” from “Pippin” with Dolloway—MacLaine showed her singing chops in this fun, showtunes classic—and a surprisingly dynamic cover of Estelle and Kanye West’s “American Boy” with boyfriend Kurt Hummel (Chris Colfer, “Struck By Lightning”). The climactic performance was Bastille’s “Pompeii,” sung at episode’s end by the whole gang—a fitting conclusion that had many of the characters heading in new directions.
This season was mostly overshadowed by the death of original cast member Cory Monteith. Many wondered how a show about positivity—it is literally called “Glee”—could go on after such a major loss? The answer is still unclear. Monteith’s death was incorporated into the show when his character was killed off in an episode last fall. Since then, the show struggled to find its new voice without Monteith. When most of the original glee club members graduated at the end of the third season, the show split its narrative between the Berry-dominated New York storyline and the Hudson-dominated Ohio storyline. The Hudson character became the foundation for the show choir story and with him gone, little was left to be explored there.
It was no surprise when the show abandoned Ohio altogether earlier this season, the memory of Monteith still fresh in those high school halls. While the prospect of a New York-focused show seemed exciting, and perhaps heralding a more grown-up version of the show, many wondered how “Glee” would function without the glee club. In these last NYC-centric episodes, which were mostly solid and indeed more grown up, there was still a serious lack of direction. It was a treat to see such beloved characters singin’ and dancin’ in the Big Apple, but it seemed like it was all fun for fun’s sake. Now, with this finale, it appears “Glee” is leaving New York behind too, as it turns its focus to Michele’s Berry trying to make it in Hollywood.
Next season will be the show’s last, but with such a satisfying conclusion to many of its characters in this finale, it’s a wonder what story is left to tell. With the glee club no longer the focus and Berry’s lifelong dream to star on Broadway (rather unrealistically) satisfied this season, it seems this newfound Hollywood ambition was fabricated to fill out the final year of the show. “Glee” left behind some of its essential elements this season—a combination of tragic circumstances and a lack of creative direction—and it is unclear what next year will look like. The season finale tied up a lot of loose ends, making way for a revamped final season that will hopefully honor the show the best way it can.
“Glee” returns for a sixth and final season in 2015 on Fox.
