Glee: Acafellas

It's a given that any new show takes time to find its legs, but some are more obvious about it than others. Glee has the makings of a fantastic show and tonight was a great example of what works for it and what holds it back. At its best, Glee is emotionally genuine and full of bite, a high school comedy that captures the hard edges of young people who are aware of "adult" side of life. At its worst, it's a broad network program that plays into cliche and distracts itself too easily.

First off, there are some nicely heavy bits of drama in Glee that promise to pay dividends as the show progresses. I have high hopes for the Kurt character, an openly (if stereotypically) gay teen who outs himself three episodes deep into the series. I would love to see a proper love interest introduced into his thread if only because I don't think it's ever been done so matter-of-factly on primetime network TV. After all, Glee is a show about misfits being defiantly proud. Let's give the gay character a boyfriend and see them holding hands while walking down the hall to Algebra.

That's really what this whole episode was about, at least when it was on task. After the kids knock Will's choreography he pouts by skipping Glee rehearsals in favor of his side project, a men's acapella group consisting of him and some of the other teachers. It's apparent by now that the entire cast of Glee can sing, even the schlubby gym coach. I'm just waiting for Jane Lynch to dust off those pipes from A Mighty Wind.

This episode was almost entirely hip hop, which is fine, but I really don't want Glee to turn into fictional high school American Idol. To date, the best performance on the show was "Don't Stop Believing" in the pilot. The only good that can come from such a high density of New Jack Swing is a reminder of Matthew Morrison's Broadway chops.

I'm actually pretty impressed with how quickly Glee is taking care of the rote plot points of its genre. The whole rag-tag performing group conceit is charming in itself, but the "be yourself" lesson could have easily become the foundation for the entire first season. By the end of "Acafellas" the gay kid is out, the cheerleader takes the first necessary step to being the prettiest geek in school and the club is unified in freakdom. Now maybe we can get on with deeper stories and turn this ensemble cast into a stunning group of young performers.

Best Moment: Kurt's coming out scene. It had just the right level of seriousness, which is extremely necessary when his character is surrounded by tiara jokes.

Favorite Song: "Bust Your Windows". Amber Riley puts some nice restraint on her sultry vocals and I generally prefer the songs in Glee that bust into surreal stage territory.

Episode Rating: 3.5/5- The jokes are still hit or miss (Hit: the cheerleader crying when her tanning privileges get revoked. Miss: The cougar bits.) I'm also conflicted about Glee's first big guest star, Josh Grobin. A bit unnecessary and shameless, but nicely undercut by creepiness. Glee is starting to shape up, but it's still got a ways to go.