After six drama-filled and musically inspired seasons, Glee has come to an end. Glee didn’t go out at the height of the show’s fame but it wrapped up in a way that showed why the show connected with audiences in the first place. The show had heart, was relatable and brought out the dreamer in all of us.
The Glee revolution started back in 2009. A group of unpopular and slushy covered high school students sang “Don’t Stop Believin’” in the William McKinley auditorium and changed television. It was in that magical moment that Glee became a breakout success and now as fans say goodbye, it’s time to look back at what Glee gave to us. Awkward musical numbers included.
Glee has always been a show about embracing that strange side of yourself and appreciating the talents that are within everyone, even when it might seem impossible to take center stage. This show wasn’t afraid to be different. It had musical numbers, over the top characters and yet still felt like it could be happening at any high school around the United States.
Creator Ryan Murphy wasn’t afraid to tackle timely issues or topics that seemed too hard to handle in an hour-long episode. From drugs, pregnancy to personal sexuality, Glee covered it all but in a way that felt real and was relatable. It was in those moments that the show shined because it was about more than just singing.
This show wasn’t without its bad moments. The seasons that focused on new club members and the original crew traveling to New York City felt out of place and lost many fans. We had fallen in love with the choir room and the hallways of McKinley High leaving that environment didn’t feel like Glee but in the end, we returned to the place where everything started and saw how each character arrived in the club. Which was the perfect way to say goodbye.
It’s hard to end a show that went on for six seasons and had so many highs and lows, especially after losing Cory Monteith, whose presence never truly left the show. Seeing him again as the group performed their first number was emotional but was the perfect way to honor Monteith and everything he did for Glee.
So, in short, thank you Glee. Thank you for giving us one last auditorium performance and a chance to say goodbye to our favorite characters and the hallways of McKinley. Thank you for daring to be different, for teaching us all to embrace who we are meant to be, for telling us it's ok to be unpopular and for leaving behind a musical and television legacy.
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