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" gives "Glee - Season 4 (Part One)" a 8."
Written by on 23 February 2013.
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Glee - Season 4 (Part One)

There are many high-school shows who try to reinvent themselves when their characters graduate. Some succeed, some fail miserably. Glee manages to squeeze in between by keeping all of the cast members while also adding new ones. The show that always had a large and rather unstable cast, just got bigger. But bigger turns out be better with the show's fourth season that doesn't only breathe new life into a train-wreck of a show, but also stabalizes itself. As if the Glee writers woke up and realized the past few seasons have been inconsistent, messy and impulsive, the new season lacks nearly all of it. Yes, it does feel like some storylines are still put in without a thought, but opposite to the previous years, those storylines actually find natural resolutions. I'm not joking, Glee actually makes the wait worth your while.

The season starts with Rachel (Lea Michele) moving to the Big City. There have been a million stories about going to New York and this one doesn't specifically add anything to the stable, except for Kate Hudson. Famous guest star number 348349 has some of that same wit and spark that make Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) and Santana Lopez (Naya Rivera) so entertaining. Hudson delivers it with great class and does so while busting some impressive moves. Suddenly, Rachel is no longer the top of the class or even remotely good, which is refreshing. That freshness wears off as soon as Nyada allows Rachel to have a solo or when she gets a roommate from Lima who gets preferential treatment from the college that's only restricted to Glee-members.

Far away from the show-within-a-show-that-was-originally-planned-as-a-spin-off-but-then-wasn't, are the new kids on the block. They're actually exact copies of the previous class but that's somewhat understandable. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Meet Marley Rose (Melissa Benoist), pretty, thin and with a bittersweet voice. Benoist is so perfect you wonder if this show is still about underdogs. It is kinda, but only really pretty underdogs. Look at Jake (Jacob Artist), mysterious, strong jawed, big eyes and a voice that's not unpleasant to hear. Ryder Lynn (Blake Jenner) has Bieber-hair, is athletic and can carry a tune. Kitty Wilde (Becca Tobin) is Sue's new right hand, sharp as a nail and mainly interested in fulfilling Quinn's (Dianna Agron) legacy of Queen Bitch. The only real unique addition to the club is, well, Unique (Alex Newell), the cross dressing boy who belts out a tune like it's breakfast. Such a controversial topic doesn't really ask for a big storyline in America, even though the glimpses into his life are well worth it. Luckily, the other new members all have their own baggage to claim. Marley is afraid to become just as big as her mother, Jake's mixed ethnicity excludes him from the groups and Ryder has his own personal demons to tackle. Yes, these three are mainly designed to occupy the hungry teen fans who want their love triangle, but they developed enough to stand alone.

Does this mean the other characters that are on the Glee club get less screen time? You bet. But for such a big cast it's admirable that everybody gets their moment in the spotlight. In 'Thanksgiving', Kurt (Chris Colfer) gets advise from Sarah Jessica Parker, Blaine (Darren Criss) tries to figure out his life in Lima without Kurt, Santana has to let her roots in Lima go, Sam (Chord Overstreet) becomes the hero and savior of the Glee club and Brittany S. Pierce (Heather Morris) gets her second 'Britney' episode, which is even better than the last. The real highlights of the first half, however, are Finn (Cory Monteith) and Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz). Finn is lost in the world after high school which is relatable for guys his age. His part on the show grows significantly and it's interesting to see his character overgrow the simple role of Rachel's love interest. Tina, for the first time in the series, becomes a full fleshed human being and easily has the best lines out of everyone. Who knew the stuttering nerd from Season 1 could become a witty, sharp and most of all tough girl?

The show still pretty much revolves around couples and songs. If you're not fan of impromptu musical numbers, diva behavior or mindnumbing pop songs without any meaning or purpose, Glee still isn't the show for you. But more than ever, Glee has become a character drama, where everyone has a place and a voice. Stories go deeper than before, from heartbreaking to sheer rewarding. Personally I've watched Glee with much criticism throughout the first three years, but the maturer, bigger, yet more personal version of the show hits all the right notes. Rachel says it best in a phone call with Finn; "Glee is, it's about the love for the music. It's about people like Puck and Artie, not just singing together, but actually being friends. And Brittany and Mike dancing just for fun when no one else is around. It's even about the romances. You know, they come and go but they're just as important." Surely, this is a theme that will most likely be betrayed as soon as the producers can find a big star to guest or decide they don't like a character, but for the first part of season 4, it's absolutely true.
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