The "Glee" Connundrum

When it first premiered, "Glee" seemed like a fun, new kind of show. It was a musical that had the trappings of modern comedy. And, it found a niche in showcasing the underdog. That first season seemed to solidify those things, but then something happened.

"Glee" fell prey to two problems. First, it seemed to try to hard from the second season on to connect with the mainstream. That meant playing the hottest modern music, brining in a large collection of "special guest stars," and connecting with current hot topics. That can be fun, but it also means the shows appear dated.

But the second problem looms largely, and better explains the reason that the ratings have waned. The show decided to latch onto a political topic and exploit a certain point of view. The initial goals for that were probably noble. But the result has been a show that seems to wedded to being about causes and political statements — often to the detriment of the narrative.

The show has taken a position about championing those that stand up for the rights of individuals, even when those ideas aren't popular. Of course, that's what makes Tuesday's episode a bit hypocritical. Though I don't agree with the politics of the show, I understand the idea of championing those that take a stand for what they believe in, even when it isn't the popular point of view. That has been a consistent through line for the show. But on Tuesday, they went against that idea when it came to religious beliefs and values.

Of course, it's not popular to hold those views in our world or in our society. Normally, that's where "Glee" champions those that stand for something, but here that wouldn't back the overall political viewpoint held by the showrunners. Hence the hypocrisy in the way the episode played out.

During its first year, I thought "Glee" would be a fun, quirky show I would love for a long time. Judging by the ratings, many felt the same. But now it appears to be a show that is trying to hard to be hip, and is too devoted to a certain set of political ideals. Hence the drop off not just in ratings, but in quality.