I love this show not only because I'm a huge fan of Musicals, but because it promotes supporting your children's individuality, tolerance, acceptance, and going after your dreams. It's a show the whole family can enjoy and loyal followers like myself have named themselves GLEEKS! I had the opportunity to attend with some friends and my Not Hubby an advance screening at the GROVE shopping center in Los Angeles some time ago to see an advance screening of the second half of the 1st season premiere episode.
As you can see in the picture below I'm wearing a Gleek tee shirt that my family got for me for Christmas along with the soundtrack since I'm probably the biggest Gleek in our family. My teen won't admit to liking the show since he's into the Rap music and wants to appear that he's tough at all times, but I know he does.
My favorite episodes of the entire first season have to be “Dream On” Directed by the great Joss Whedon and Written by the great Brad Falchuk and the of course now famous MADONNA Episode "The Power of Madonna."
The episode "DREAM ON" surprises us with not only guest actor Neil Patrick Harris, but also a flashback to Will Schuster’s past. This flashback shows us that Will wasn’t always the hip and talented stud that ruled the halls of Mckinley. Will geekily watches NPH (sporting a mullet, oh the 80’s) not only sing, but performing one of his trademark magic tricks. In total awe, Will is the gleek we all are as he is in absolute admiration of NPH’s character, Brian Ryan.
Brian has been tasked the duty to make budget cuts in the school and he has his eye on the glee club. Why? Along the way in life, Brian pursued a career in entertainment that was short lived. He is no longer the mullet headed boy that sang with passion. He is jaded. Brian informs us that he now owns a used hummer dealership, then immediately follows with, “Don’t give me that face, global warming’s a theory.” Brian then asks to meet the glee kids claiming to want to give them a dose of reality. Upon meeting the kids, Brian asks them to write down their biggest dreams. Then he literally crushes them, wadding up one of the kid’s papers then tosses it in the trash. He knows they all want to be performers and says he wants to spare them the disappointment. Rather than speak of his own failure, he attacks Will by saying not being able to cut it as a performer professionally, Will is forced to teach and enforce his dreams on others.
At the conclusion of this speech, the episode splits into 3 storylines. Glee, having an ensemble cast, works best when focusing on one or a particular group of kids at a time. It is then when we get the best stories and extensive character development. This treat has been rare, but is guaranteed when Brad Falchuk (who also worked with Ryan Murphy on a little show called NIP/TUCK) is writing. Let us hope Mr. Falchuk will be bringing us more episodes in the next season.
The first of the plots involves Artie, the wheelchair bound member of the club. Artie’s dream is to be a dancer. We learn this as Tina reveals that she picked up the wadded piece of paper that was thrown into the trash. Tina suggests they team up to do a dance number for the club. The budding relationship between these two characters is one of my favorite parts of the show because neither of them is the jock or star. They are just a couple of gleeks that found each other and have something special. Their next scene is both Artie and Tina practicing their dance together in the glee club room. Frustrated by being bound to the wheelchair, Artie tries to walk in arm crutches. Just as he is beginning to walk, he falls literally flat on his face. Embarrassed and frustrated, he shuns Tina by demanding she go away as he lies helpless on the ground. Later, they meet up and reconcile with their first kiss. It is a sweet moment that has been a long time coming since Artie first expressed interest in Tina earlier in the season. Then there comes my favorite part of the episode. Artie and Tina are at the mall shopping for shoes. Artie tells Tina that he has begun some new therapy and wants to show her something. He says that he has dreamed for years what he would do if he could walk. At this moment Artie lifts himself out of his chair and walks over to a giant stereo system and states that now all he wants to do is dance. This brilliantly leads to a dance number set to “Safety Dance”. The number is staged like the popular trend of flash mobs. The scene jumps between handheld cameras and actual filming. The number is fun, creative and just plain gleeky. At the conclusion of the number, it is revealed that the whole thing was a fantasy sequence of Artie’s imagination. And what an imagination! He then tells Tina with childlike hope, “I’m gonna dance someday, y’know.” It's my favorite sequence in the episode. If you haven't seen it check it out here:
Artie’s next scene takes him to the guidance counsellor’s office. He brings research regarding new therapies for people with his condition. The guidance counselor, not knowing what this means to Artie, gives a dose of reality by telling him advances in the research could take years. Artie is so crushed by her response that he wheels out of the office leaving his research. The final scene is the dance number Artie and Tina planned with each other. Artie changes his mind about doing the dance and tells Tina to get another partner. He sings the number “Dream a Little Dream of Me” as he watches Tina and Mike Chang tap together. The cast is dressed in light blue as the number is pure melancholy.
The second storyline involves Rachel’s dream to meet her mom. Jesse (her evil boyfriend, planted by a rival glee club) convinces Rachel to do some serious research to find her mom. It is a shame that he is a plant, their moments together are sweet and were it not for his evil intentions I would say they belong together. Rachel, like all adopted children dreams her biological parent is a celebrity maintaining all the qualities she likes most about herself. Her fantasizing leads her to create fake histories and ideas to avoid searching for the truth. Jesse eggs her on to do real research. At this moment we know there is a higher motive involved that goes beyond his personal gain. Going through what Rachel refers to as her dads’ Rachel Berry Museum one gets the desire to meet her dads that love her more than some parents love their own children. Jesse takes this moment to plant a tape and an idea that the tape holds Rachel’s mom’s voice. The next scene is Jesse meeting with Shelby (Idina Menzel and the coach of the club’s rivals Vocal Adrenaline). Here it is revealed that Shelby is Rachel’s mom. Shelby explains to Jesse how and why she did what she did and why Jesse is planted with the club and Rachel. Shelby did it all for a dream. For a dream she gave up her child, and has had regret ever since that moment. Jesse sneaks into Rachel’s room and forces Rachel to listen to the tape. The tape begins with Shelby singing “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserables. This leads to a musical number being a duet between Shelby and Rachel. Though it is a fantasy number, during the number neither one stares the other’s in the face. It is a beautiful concept that illustrates they have a love for each other even though they never met. This plants the seed for what will be a dramatic meeting.
The third and most advertised storyline is with Will and Bryan Ryan. After the speech Bryan gives the kids and threatens to cut glee, Will invites Bryan out to a drink. Sitting in a bar they reminisce of old times and Will makes an argument that glee is about expressing yourself to yourself and not about Broadway or success. During this conversation, “Dreamweaver” is playing in the background. Bryan confesses in tears that he isn’t happy. Though he tells everyone he hates show choir, he has a secret stashed collection of play bills that is his box of porn. Will puts a coin in the jukebox and they do a duet of “Piano Man”. It fits them reminiscing and where they are in their lives. After the duet, Will suggests they both try out for a local production of Les Miserables. At the audition, they both show up with the same audition song. The director tells them they will have to sing it as a duet since he runs a dry cleaner and can only keep it closed 30 min at a time. What is interesting is that we are now half way through the show and “DREAM ON” is the 1st full musical number. Make no mistake, Glee is musical show, but sometimes it is crammed with so much music that we lose a story or character development. Here we have it all. The number is epic with both actors singing and performing their hearts out to the point where they fall to their knees on the stage panting. The director’s response? Hurrying away to reopen the dry cleaning store he hollers back, “We’ll let you know.” Next, it is revealed that Bryan Ryan was tasked by none other than Sue Sylvestor to give glee club the axe. Bryan throws down some statistics about school and programs for arts, but Sue throws down her own statistics. Both have excellent and valid arguments and I am so glad we see both sides equally. Sports do teach and enhance social and problem solving skills. Singing can improve pitch and help people pick up foreign languages easier. Children are obese and should be forced to have a physical education. And likewise children lash out recklessly when they are unable to express themselves, which is why the arts are valuable in school.
Bryan begins getting involved, until he learns that he lost the lead to Will. His lack of success again jades him and Bryan again threatens to cut the club. Will talks with Bryan letting him know that cutting glee turns the kids into black holes that drain the life force of all around them. Will then offers his lead part to Brian to keep glee open. Brian unashamedly accepts. That is difference between Will and Brian. Will selflessly wants dreams to keep going, whereas Brian just cares about his own dream. Will explains this to the kids saying he is trading his dream for his kid’s 13 dreams.
Aptly titled Dream On, this episode is what Glee is all about. Whether it’s being an entertainer, finding your mother, or even just walking, dreams are what make us. I encourage everyone to become a GLEEK!
It premieres again in September on FOX! Check your local stations for exact dates and times!
