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Opinion: In defense of the ‘Glee’ finale

By Shana (@shanacanttweet) at 7:45 pm, May 24, 2012

When “Goodbye” finished airing we were all in shock. So was I. For months we were led to believe Kurt, Rachel and Finn were headed to NY. And then, we get this thrown into the last fifteen minutes of the episode.

Kurt did not get in. Finn did not get in. Rachel got in. I couldn’t believe Glee was actually doing this, and for a good 15 minutes I tried to tell myself Kurt and Finn were pulling a prank on Rachel, but then it really sank in. And while it pains me to see Kurt’s dreams get crushed, I don’t think that means this was a bad episode. It’s actually a very realistic scenario.

Yes, Kurt’s audition was great, but the competition is hard. And yes, Rachel choked, but she made an impression. She showed tenacity, persistence and willpower. And those are qualities measured highly in that world. Don’t get me wrong here, I don’t think Rachel deserves it more than Kurt does, but she doesn’t deserve it any less either. As far as Finn goes, I really want to see his audition. I’m wondering why he was so sure of himself, since that’s not really in Finn’s nature. I feel bad for him, but I don’t believe acting was really his big dream.

Of course, I had some problems with the episode. Not with anything that was in it, but with things we didn’t get to see. No reaction of Kurt not getting in, no Blaine comforting Kurt, no inner dialogue for Mercedes and Mike and nothing what so ever on the rest of the seniors, living their life after McKinley. Yes, they made their plans, but we got to see Rachel arrive in NY, and I wish we could have seen something like that for all the seniors.

That being said, I loved the Finchel scenes. Many people are complaining how they get all the screen time, and like I said, I wanted more screen time for the other characters too, but I don’t necessary want less screen time for Finn and Rachel. Like it or not, Rachel really is the main character, she has always been. And the way Ryan Murphy has been talking about season 4, it seems like she always will be.

The Finchel car scene was the most heartbreaking moment in the entire season. I don’t want to trade it for anything. And yes, I was crying along with Rachel, cursing the writers for doing this to her. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t good television. It wasn’t predictable, we had some great acting on Lea’s part and Gloria Estefan did an amazing job. But, most importantly, Will Shuester didn’t rap.

I’m sure many of you won’t agree with this post, so sound off in the comments or go here to tell me on Tumblr.

This article was written by a Hypable user! Learn more and write your own right here.

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http://www.facebook.com/aaccss Alex Smith

I agree.

Glee from the start was about Rachel Berry. People hated Rachel so they added more characters and had an ensemble show. That was why season two sucked. That is why season three sucked. People complain about the show sucking, so they return to Rachel Berry being the center of attention. People are still mad.
- sarahd15
  
  The reasons as to why people “hate” Rachel have always annoyed me, they never seemed like good enough reasons, or they just seemed to hate her purely because she IS the main character and IS so talented that she gets more screen time. Rachel Berry is the main character, and will continue to be the show runner until Lea Michele steps away from Glee. She is too talented of an actress and singer for Fox/Ryan Murphy to not take advantage of her for as long as possible. And again, she is the main character!
  - rdh014
    
    She is talented yes, but not the main character. It was, and always will be an ensemble cast.
    - Hehedied
      
      Agree it’s called GLEE for a reason, she even get more screen time then Finn… I thought he was also the main character.
      - sarahd15
        
        He is a main character, but she is the #1 main character! And he gets plenty of screen time, especially since he is dating the main character. He’s had less songs this season which I’m ok with, I personally want to hear other male leads (because in my opinion he is not the starring male singer in the Glee club. He use to be, but not anymore).
    - guest
      
      She IS the main character. The next main characters are Finn and Kurt, then Will and Sue. And it still and always was an ensemble cast as well.
    - sarahd15
      
      Incorrect. Rachel Berry is the main character. I don’t understand why I have to keep explaining that, rewatch the pilot episode if you must. She is the main character!! After her comes Finn. But the show is suppose to be centered around her.
  - http://about.me/dshana Shana Debusschere
    
    Truth!
- Kate
  
  Wasn’t it an ensemble cast from the start? I do recall there being more than Rachel Berry in the pilot. So what’s this bs about them adding more characters because people hated Rachel?
  
  The first season was great because of the writing, it had a story. Rachel was not the main focus; her endless struggles were not highlighted in every episode. Rachel was NOT the main character. This was an ensemble from the start. While you might not understand how some people don’t see Rachel as the main character, I can’t see how people claim she is. This is about a Glee CLUB, not this little princess trying to make it big. If that was the case the show would have been much more focused on her from the very beginning, which I don’t think it was.
  
  The other actors are just as talented as princess Lea. Jenna Ushkowitz has been in show business since she was very young. She is a fantastic singer, she’s been on Broadway. The rest of the cast was not used as they should have been; I’m more likely to buy songs sung by any of the other cast members because they’re so rarely highlighted (Naya Rivera in particular). I enjoy most of their voices far more than Lea belting out every song; it gets old.
  
  The first season built up a personal connection to the characters for me; I enjoyed them all. The following seasons have turned their focus to the endless Finchel saga and pushed every other character into the background. Honestly, Rachel is the character I care least about because she’s the only character we now see. And if season 4 focuses far too much on her journeys in New York I will not be able to watch anymore.
  - Mia
    
    Although you’re entitled to your opinion, I hope you don’t see Lea Michele in a bad light just because her character is given the bigger plots.
    - Kate
      
      She seems like a sweet person in interviews at least, but she does seem to be placed on a pedestal. That’s what bothers me.
  - http://about.me/dshana Shana Debusschere
    
    I don’t argue with the fact that the other cast members are just as talented as Lea. But I do believe Rachel has always been the main character. She get’s most screentime, most songs and most story.
    - Kate
      
      I didn’t feel that she got as much screen time in the first season as she has in the second and third. There were story lines for all the characters (Quinn’s pregnancy, Mr. Schue’s marriage issues, Kurt’s process of coming out, etc). Every episode did not center on Rachel and Finn.
      
      Maybe it’s just the fact that the writers seemed to abandon the idea of actually giving a plot to the show and focused on cramming in as many songs as possible and therefore Rachel got the most air time because she sings nearly every song.
      - http://about.me/dshana Shana Debusschere
        
        There has been some sort of ‘more rachel evolution’, but season two still had a lot of Kurt and Blaine, Santana and Brittany, Quinn/Finn or Quinn/Sam storylines. And this season has been mostly about Rachel ever since ‘Choke’, before that, I think it wasn’t that dramatic. It’s true she gets most of the songs, but that has always been the case..
- guest
  
  It was from the start BOTH about Rachel Berry’s journey AND an ensemble show.
http://twitter.com/purplehrdwonder Caitlin Kelly

My problem with the finale was less the specifics (though I had plenty of issues with those) and more an overall lack of concern that left me bored.

Beginning with season 2, the writers have done a spectacular job of eroding my personal connection to the characters by creating crazy plots that led to incoherent storytelling, destroying continuity, ditching character development in favor of more guest stars and Top 40 songs, and so on. With all that going on over the last two seasons, by the time we got to this episode–which should have been very emotional–I couldn’t find it in me to care.

And that makes me sad because I really did care about these characters once and want to again.
- http://about.me/dshana Shana Debusschere
  
  Can’t argue with that. If you feel disconnected from the characters, I completely understand you wouldn’t enjoy the finale.
Emma

Another thing is that it’s only an hour long show with commercials, so it’s really only around 40-45 minutes. They can’t fit in everything that every single person wants to see, so they gave everyone a little time, but the biggest focus was on Rachel. This makes sense because, like you said, she’s the main character. I feel like quite a large number Glee fans don’t understand that the show isn’t about what they want, it’s about what the showrunners want. The showrunners also have to take into consideration the fans that aren’t as vocal, and it seems to me like most of these fans aren’t as upset with Rachel being the center of attention.
- http://about.me/dshana Shana Debusschere
  
  Yes, that’s completely true. I think they would have made everyone content if it had been a 2 hour long (1h30) show, but that probably wasn’t possible.
Theaterboy1

I agree completely with this!
- http://about.me/dshana Shana Debusschere
  
  Thank you!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=646371872 Elizabeth Lee Hammons

I agree. My only problems were: 1.) We have no idea what Kurt will be doing and 2.) That was the most ridiculous graduation ceremony ever. Seriously, if Kurt had got any good news at all after he was turned down by NYADA, even just that he managed to get in at a local community college would be fine. But looking back, Rachel and Finn’s scene in the car was some of the best acting I have ever seen from Lea and Cory. Probably the best in that episode.
- http://about.me/dshana Shana Debusschere
  
  Agreed. But I would have traded my graduation for theirs in a second. We were all in chairs, didn’t get to go on stage, and had to listen to half an hour of classical music.
http://twitter.com/heliconian_julz julzjulzjulz

I agree with this. I feel like they needed to make this a double episode so we could see more from the other seniors.
- http://about.me/dshana Shana Debusschere
  
  YES! That would have been perfect! There just wasn’t enough time.
http://twitter.com/Mikelolpinky Adam Ten

I liked the episode because now Blaine and Kurt can be together now seen Kurt not going to new york
- Hehedied
  
  Agree.. I didn’t want Kurt to go.. Not just yet. They can write Rachel out.. But I still care about everyone else… Maybe it was best to let Rachel to leave so other characters can be the main focus.
Mike81

I’m elated to read about people coming to the defense of Glee’s Finale. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it was a work of pure genius! So much is getting lost in the lament of “what should have been” that I believe many people are missing out on what was actually there. What about the comic relief of Bert’s graduation present to Kurt? I laugh every time I think about it! What about the concern Quinn shows for Puck in helping him get his self-esteem back? There are so many more themes I could bring out. As for the loose ends, season 4 has to have somewhere to start; Ryan Murphy left us with quite a number of possibilities. I think the frst chance people get to watch the finale again, they should do so. Too many people came to the episode Tuesday evening with too many preconceived ideas that were not fulfilled. Watch it again with an open mind and you might have a whole new experience!
- BlueBronze
  
  I honestly didn’t expect too much from it. By that, I mean I didn’t think “Kurt’s going to NYADA, Rachel’s not, Puck is going to LA”… lalala. But the thing is, by the end of the episode I realized the real problem was that whatever they wrote would come out of left field because there wasn’t enough of a setup the rest of the season for the characters’ futures. Not to mention that the whole process’s timeline really threw me off.
- http://about.me/dshana Shana Debusschere
  
  Thank you! Exactly how I feel! :-)
http://profile.yahoo.com/ZLABO2EKD6WYPJPYPQ647GBYEY Amber Benson

The complaints weren’t about that Finn and Kurt didn’t get into colleges in NY as this article seems to infer, rather, it was just a poorly written episode. Characters were sidelined for a billionth Finchel scene. Mercedes an original member barely got anything to do or resolution, everyone rallied around Puck to help him pass but no one even bothered to ask or help Brittney, while all of Rachel’s friends rocked up to the train station to say goodbye knowing the fact that she would have had to break up with Finn to do so. Oh, and Rachel goes to NY to find an dorm and that’s meant to take the whole Summer? Quinn gets another new characterization and seemingly dumps Joe just so she can hook in with the boy who took her virginity because it would help him pass a test. Finn decides to join the army to honour his father, a plot point that had been brought up twice in the whole show. While Sam, a confirmed senior earlier in the season, is now suddenly a junior without so much as an explanation. And then there’s Kurt, a character who did a fantastic audition and doesn’t get it but Rachel who stuffed up does. These is not good writing, it’s terrible and an embarrassment.
And now we are left with countless unresolved story lines (they’re not cliffhangers despite what some fans may think), which are unlikely to be resolved due to Ryan Murphy’s inability to manage a series…
- http://about.me/dshana Shana Debusschere
  
  Ok, strong response. And I agree with most of the things you said. But I’m going to try and counter it anyway! :-D
  
  Ok, here we go:
  
  “Characters were sidelined for a billionth Finchel scene.”
  
  True. I did mention in my article that I had problems with the episode because they left out so much of the other characters. But, since the pilot, I believe it has been clear that the Finn and Rachel storyline was going to be one of the most poignant one in the series. While I do not approve of cutting screen time on all the other characters, I don’t mind Finchel scenes at all. (Except for when they kiss 25 times in one episode while Kurt and Blaine have one scene were they hold hands.)
  
  I don’t understand why Mercedes didn’t have her inner dialogue moment, but she got a bit of resolution. She’s going to LA, to be a background singer. And while it was just a throw a way comment, at least we know what she’s up to. But yes, I did wna
  - guest
    
    “everyone rallied around Puck to help him pass but no one even bothered to ask or help Brittney”"
    Brittany didn’t share or confide that with anyone until it was way too late, although the Principal brought it up with her. Besides, Puck was one class away from graduation, Brittany was several classes away from graduation. They were both in different situations.
    - guest
      
      Just adding on to what you said :)
      - guest
        
        “Quinn gets another new characterization and seemingly dumps Joe just so she can hook in with the boy who took her virginity because it would help him pass a test.”
        Were Joe and Quinn ever officially together? Afterall, he’s in 10th and she’s in 12th, leaving for Yale.
      - guest
        
        She’s cheated before. Not exactly a new characterization for her either.
    - http://about.me/dshana Shana Debusschere
      
      Indeed, though to me that still doesn’t explain why shuester wasn’t worried about Brittany in the disco episode.
- http://twitter.com/purplehrdwonder Caitlin Kelly
  
  I agree with most of this and think the loose ends are more a result of failings in the last several episodes. They could have shown Mike Chang getting his acceptance letter or Mercedes hearing about her recording contract in a previous episode and give them fair time to celebrate then, and just mention it again in the finale. After all, who gets college acceptance letters AFTER graduation?
  
  If the show had better pacing, they wouldn’t have had to leave ALL the reveals until the finale, thus giving all the stories more room to breathe and not feel unresolved–and yes, I agree there is a difference between a cliffhanger and an unresolved storyline.
Michaela Eyler

I completely agree that some of the story lines were just dropped at the end. I feel like there should have been a montage or something of each of the seniors arriving at their final destination. I needed the writers to deliver that image to me of the seniors reaching their goals. As for Kurt, I’m devastated. The thought of it still tears me up. Chris Colfer just hits a certain chord for me and I want his portrayal of Kurt to get everything he wanted. As an avid Darren Criss and Klaine worshipper, I wanted a sense of completion for the Klaine relationship and I was left confused. I was crushed by the last 15 minutes and I cried with Lea Michele. However, I am a Gleek who wants happiness through the whole show with every character. While that may be unrealistic, that theme is something I want in their relationships as a fan. I still love Ryan, Ian, and Brad, but their ending made this summer without Glee even more unbearable. While I don’t think it was the worst episode ever or even a bad episode, I was simply let down and the episode did not fulfill my expectations.
- http://about.me/dshana Shana Debusschere
  
  Oh, I hear you! I’m really crushed to see Kurt’s dream get killed. But I have a feeling he’ll make it next year. I think it was a big mistake to leave his plans for next year out of the finale, but maybe it’s supposed to make us long for season 4 or something.
- guest
  
  Most of the kids typically wouldn’t arrive at their “final destination” until August (Rachel was an exception) or actually, much later in life. It would make sense to start season 4 with all of that.
Samantha

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!
- http://about.me/dshana Shana Debusschere
  
  You’re welcome! :-)
KristenKranz

I didn’t think we would see any of the seniors going off to their post-graduation plans because, well, they still have 3 months of summer vacation before school starts. Rachel leaving makes some sense, because she does need to visit the school before she moves in, but the rest of the seniors should be able to enjoy summer vacation together before running away for their Fall plans. I wish we could see them making plans for an epic summer together, but I didn’t expect to see them all going their separate ways just yet. I also wish we would have seen more of Kurt’s reaction & Blaine’s comforting him, but perhaps it was meant as a cliffhanger to keep us interested for next year… Either way, I liked the finale & I can’t wait to watch Season 4.
- Mia
  
  I would love to see them all hang in the summer too :) what a cool way to keep the cast together for a few more episodes!
- http://about.me/dshana Shana Debusschere
  
  I see your point, and you’re probably right. I would have settled for some more intake on their plans for next year.
rdh014

Speaking as a theater major who auditioned for many universities: that is not realistic for Rachel to get in. At all. It is a TOUGH industry. If you choke, and screw up your audition, you’re done. No second chances. That first impression is all you get, and no director in their right might would reconsider her. There is NO WAY she should have been accepted, and it annoys me that Murphy actually decided that was a valid plot point. I can handle Kurt not getting in; again that is some TOUGH competition and it is very unlikely for either of them to get it. Both should have been auditioning all around the US and not just going for one school It’s just stupid writing in my opinion and completely illogical.
- http://www.facebook.com/emza62333 Em Filer
  
  THANK YOU. As a fellow theater major, this has been driving me CRAZY all season.
- http://about.me/dshana Shana Debusschere
  
  I don’t think we know about second chances. When I didn’t got excepted I let it be. I just don’t have it in me to do what Rachel did. Very few people do. I stand by what I wrote. I think when you go through such lengths to get a second chance, you get noticed. But I don’t know how that exactly goes down here in the US, and since you’re a theatre major, I’ll take your word for it. :-)
hpatdh33

I thought the last episode and this whole last season was crap, but the last 15 minutes were great! I thought it was realistic (Fin and Rachel breaking up) and that scene was so unexpected, I love that they finally did something shocking and heartbreaking.
LilyLuna

I don’t see how Rachel getting dumped in a car by Finn is more heartbreaking than Karofsky’s suicide attempt in “On My Way”…..most heartbreaking moment of the season?

I do agree that it was a left curve and made for good, unpredictable television, I’m not sure I can take another season of Rachel whining about not having Finn, that’s how she was for a large part of season two.

I did love some moments of this episode, like Burt’s gift for Kurt which was just so heartwarming (and a bit funny too!). I also liked the plotline with Santana and her mother, but I don’t understand why Santana can’t go to New York *and* attend college. And “Sit down you’re rockin’ the boat” was such a bittersweet moment, I was really glad they did that. It was cut very well with the flashbacks to the pilot episode.

That said I also thought the episode was a mess, plot-wise. It had it’s good moments, but overall it felt choppy and confusing and I was left unsatisfied. This episode had alot of potential to be a fantastic celebration of what the show has achieved in the past 3 years, but instead it serves as a reminder of why the show is dying.
- http://about.me/dshana Shana Debusschere
  
  Ok, the most heartbreaking moment, that’s definately a personal opinion, but I think I cried more with this scene than during “On My Way”. For me, it just felt closer or something, I can’t really explain..
  
  I agree with you on the Santana plotline. NYU, or Columbia or also colleges! But maybe it’s because she didn’t write an application on time, or doesn’t have a scholarship, I don’t know..
  
  The plot was a bit messy, I’ll give you that, and I did miss a lot of things in this episode, but I hope they’ll be in season 4.
Tomas

It was a great episode and way more heartbreaking than Karofsky’s suicide attempt
- IrishMike15
  
  Are you joking?
- http://twitter.com/Tarah94 Tarah
  
  Sorry but a Finchel breakup is NOT more heartbreaking than a suicide attempt.
http://twitter.com/Tygridia Tygridia

“But, most importantly, Will Shuester didn’t rap.”
- http://about.me/dshana Shana Debusschere
  
  Glad you can appreciate my attempt at humour. :-)
  - http://twitter.com/Tygridia Tygridia
    
    I loved it and thought the same during the episode!
    - http://about.me/dshana Shana Debusschere
      
      Haha!
      http://iamjustanotherfangirl.tumblr.com/post/23646838247
      - http://twitter.com/Tygridia Tygridia
        
        I’m in love with you! #JustSaying
      - http://about.me/dshana Shana Debusschere
        
        Ooh, thank you! Wasn’t expecting so much positive feedback when writing this article! :-)
http://twitter.com/jessefntc4987 Amber Carney

I agree with you. The things you said about how all of the seniors should have gotten at least a little inner monologue and a scene of where they’re heading should have definitely been included. A shot of Quinn visiting Yale, Mercedes at UCLA (I think that’s what it was), Mike at his college, Finn touring the Army base and so on. If they had two hours I feel like they could have done this and it would have been a much better ending with more closure for everyone…oh well though. I definitely still enjoyed it how it was :)
- http://about.me/dshana Shana Debusschere
  
  Thank you. I agree, a 2 hour finale would have been better, but that probably wasn’t a possibility.
Tulsi Patel

I agree that having rachel and finn have more screen time made did not make this episode worse. I don’t think this episode was realistic though. I remember when I was applying to college, I applied really early in my senior year and was able to get my acceptance letters by march. In the show, these students get their acceptance letter after they graduate. Also I, like most students i’m sure, applied to more than one college. I’m sure Kurt would have been able to get into other schools in New York, he should have had a back up plan. Finn could have also applied to other schools in New York. Lastly why the heck was Rachel going off to college before her friends…does she start school in the summer?
- http://about.me/dshana Shana Debusschere
  
  I agree it would have been smarter for the characters to entry for multiple colleges. But as far as the acceptance letters, last year I had an audition in july, so it really depends on the school.
  
  And Rachel wasn’t starting college, she was going to check out dorms with her dads.
  - Tulsi Patel
    
    Ah I must have totally missed that when I was watching the show.
    - http://about.me/dshana Shana Debusschere
      
      Can’t blame you, everything went down pretty fast.
Jujubes

I actually really liked the episode, with 2 exceptions:

1) why was the whole glee club there to see Rachel off? I think it would have been more powerful with just her anf finn (plus realistically speaking, what kind fo a douchey boyfriend tells all your friends he’s breaking up with you?) It was overkill too, since they al had really nice goodbyes before.

2) Why wasn’t The graduation Song in there?!?! Hello!!

Other than that I found it pretty realistic in terms of who got in and didnt and yes, rachel is a main character. The supporting ones are great don’t get me wrong, btu I never understood why this has been upsetting fans of late.

Despite all this, I’m not sure I’m going to watch Glee anymore. Smash is far superior in terms of acting, storyline and generaly cohesiveness.

We’ll see.
Crbarra97

YOU ARE AN AMAZING HUMAN BEING, BECAUSE I TOTALLY FREAKING AGREE WITH YOU.
- http://about.me/dshana Shana Debusschere
  
  Wow! Thank you! :-)
jad9486

Agree, Agree, Agree!!!!!!!!!!!!
- http://about.me/dshana Shana Debusschere
  
  Thanks!
Wolflight26

I mostly agree with you in all of this, but my only real problem with Rachel getting into NYADA instead of Kurt, was just the fact that it seems that Rachel gets everything that he doesn’t. There was the Defying Gravity solo, Finn, Blaine for a little while there, and for few episodes there, the possibility of being Class President. Now, yes I realize that half of those things didn’t pan out for Rachel in the end, but she seems to get everything that she goes for. I don’t think that that is a very good portrayal of the actual process. A) Most people don’t get the second chance that she received, though I do admire her for her determination in the matter; and B) There are many people who are as talented, dedicated, and, in some ways, privileged as Rachel was through this series, who don’t get their dreams to come true this smoothly. I did enjoy the way this episode went, but I think it would have been a more realistic idea to have her not make it and then see how she uses her determination to accomplish her dreams after the fact.

I was also made that Blaine didn’t get to hug Kurt at all. Kurt is such a good friend if her was really as emotionless about his rejection as the episode portrayed.
http://twitter.com/BlahJoe Joe

I don’t understand how anyone could be disappointed, I’ve slowly lost interest in Glee (though still watching it) however the finale made me love it again… it had great musical numbers, simple ones, which reminded me of Season 1 (not too much autotune thank goodness) and Rachel’s ending song was fantastic.
Really missing it not being on after being depressed about how bad Glee has gotten, love it again now!

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Opinion: In defense of the ‘Glee’ finale

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