Rachel (Lea Michele, L) and Kurt (Chris Colfer, R) return to McKinley High to coach the glee club. (Jennifer Clasen/FOX)
It’s comforting to watch the Season 6 premiere of “Glee” and realize that, seriously, some things never change. Rachel Berry is still a well-intentioned monster. Football players and cheerleaders run McKinley High School. And, wouldn’t you know it, happiness hater Sue Sylvester is still trying to get rid of that pesky glee club.
But this is the last time the Ryan Murphy dramedy can repeat itself, because “Glee” kicked off its final season on Friday night. In a savvy move, the writers are allowing art to imitate life, making all of its characters underdogs once more — fitting, now that the show has gone from Fox’s triumph to being burned off on Friday nights.
However, “Glee” triumphantly wore the underdog label in the beginning, so why not come full circle? Back in 2009, no one thought a little show on Fox about a glee club could do very well. Then it shocked everyone by becoming a pop culture sensation, with top-selling songs and soundtracks and real-life tours. It was nominated for all the prestigious awards. Stars from Britney Spears to Gwyneth Paltrow clamored for guest roles. There was an episode after the Super Bowl.
“Glee” was all the rage, and then, it wasn’t anymore — the show got smug, the story lines went off the rails, actors left and ratings dropped. Now, the final 13-episode season is quietly airing on Fridays.
Glee Club alumnaes return to McKinley High in the second part of the premiere. (Jennifer Clasen/FOX)
* Rachel (Lea Michele): After ditching her dreams of Broadway for the promise of starring on her own TV show in Los Angeles, Rachel faces the harsh truth. Her pilot is, quoting the now-fired network president, “the worst television show in history.” So she has a meltdown and goes into hiding for six months, emerging unemployed and as a laughingstock in the industry.
* Kurt (Chris Colfer): He got wedding jitters and broke up with Blaine, so his life is a mess. To make things worse, Blaine is now dating Dave Karofsky, the kid in high school who tormented Kurt about being gay. That turned out to be because Karofsky was closeted and struggling with his own sexuality, but still he tortured Kurt for years. Now, Dave has a new haircut and wants them all to be friends.
* Blaine (Darren Criss): When he got dumped by Kurt, he had a breakdown and got cut from acting school. Though he’s dating Dave, life still isn’t great.
Coincidence! All of these various events have led Rachel, Kurt and Blaine back to Lima, Ohio, to try to get their lives back on track, so the characters can all be together again. For Blaine, that means being the head coach of the Warblers glee club back at his old school. For Rachel and Kurt, that means kickstarting the New Directions at McKinley High after the evil Sue Sylvester (now principal) got rid of all the arts classes.
But Rachel uses her failed TV pilot money to fund a new club, and to help her and Kurt get back on their feet. Of course, this means they’ll compete against Blaine’s club, or their old coach Will Schuester, who is currently at a new school coaching Vocal Adrenaline. So just like every “Glee” season, the climactic moment will arrive at regionals or sectionals or nationals or another big singing competition.
Anyway, the writers are ending in the smartest way possible by making its main characters start from scratch yet again. Plus, there are lots of appearances from old glee club members, as nearly everyone (Brittany, Mercedes, Santana, Puck, Quinn, Artie) returns in the second episode. There’s also a brief tribute to cast member Cory Monteith (better known as football player and singer Finn), who died in 2013.
Oh, and Rachel sings “Let It Go” from “Frozen” in the closing minutes of the first hour.
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