Glee's got new schools and fresh faces but the same old problems.

                             Glee's got new schools and fresh faces but the same old problems.

Glee's Season 4 Premiere

The return of 'Glee' is something we've been wary about for months.
Season Four Opens With Carly Rae and in Search for 'The New Rachel' 
Sure, we all spend the better part of the Spring pulling our hair out in frustration over its failings, but then we get a few months off and suddenly we're hopeful -- nostalgic for Terri's crazy fake pregnancy and humming "Don't Stop Believing" when no one else is around.  We just have to know that Kurt and Blaine will be okay, and what New York will do to Rachel, and if they can still capture that lightning in a bottle of the perfect pop cover. And so we vow to put the past behind us and start afresh with "Glee," cautious but hopeful, as Season 4 begins.
The big question on everyone's mind, now that Rachel Berry is gone, is, "Who is the new Rachel?" Everyone wants a shot, and

We are young - Glee

Metacritic score of 77 out of 100

Glee received a Metacritic score of 77 out of 100 in its first season, based on reviews by eighteen critics. It was praised by critics in several round-up reviews of 2009 in television. James Poniewozik of Time ranked it the eighth best television show of the year, commenting: "when Glee works—which is often—it is transcendent, tear-jerking and thrilling like nothing else on TV." Entertainment Weekly's Ken Tucker ranked it ninth, calling it "Hands down the year's most novel show [and] also its least likely success",Lisa Respers France of CNN wrote that while ordinarily Glee's premise would have been "a recipe for disaster", the show has "such quirky charm and bravado that it is impossible not to get swept up".

Nancy Gibbs of Time magazine wrote that she had heard the series described as "anti-Christian" by a youth minister, and commented:

    It is easy to see his point, if you look at the specifics. [...] The students lie, they cheat, they steal, they lust, they lace the bake-sale cupcakes with pot in order to give the student body a severe case of the munchies. Nearly all the Ten Commandments get violated at one point or another, while the audience is invited to laugh at people's pain and folly and humiliation. ... It insults kids to suggest that simply watching Characters Behaving Badly onscreen means they'll take that as permission to do the same themselves. [...] And it's set in high school, meaning it's about a journey not just to college and career but to identity and conviction, the price of popularity, the compromises we must make between what we want and what we need."

Variety's Brian Lowry was critical of the show's early episodes, highlighting acting and characterization issues and deeming the adult cast "over-the-top buffoons", with the exception of Mays' Emma, who he felt offered "modest redemption". Though he praised Colfer and Michele's performances, Lowry wrote that the show's talent was squandered by its "jokey, cartoonish, wildly uneven tone", deeming the series a "one-hit wonder". Following the show's mid-season finale, Lowry wrote that while Glee "remains a frustrating mess at times", its "vibrant musical numbers and talented cast have consistently kept it on [his] TiVo must list" conceding that "even with its flaws, TV would be poorer without Glee."

As Glee's initial success pulled in a large audience, John Doyle of The Globe and Mail wrote that the early shows "felt fresh, mainly because the motley crew of kids had 

Glee - Season 1 - episodes 9-13

Glee - Season 1 - episodes 9-13

When Artie's chances of traveling with the group to Regionals are in question, Will challenges the kids to step out of their comfort zones and experience life from a different point of view. Meanwhile, the Glee Club hosts its first "diva-off" between Kurt and Rachel, and Sue reveals a softer side.Mr. Schuester splits the Glee Club into pairs to sing their favorite ballad, but when one kid gets sick, he's forced to step in and winds up in a sticky situation. Meanwhile, Finn and Quinn have to face the music when dinner with her parents goes awry.Concerned that Sue is up to no good, Will pays a visit to an instructor of a competing Glee Club to see what information Sue may be leaking, which leads to the club getting a look at their hair-rising competition. Meanwhile, Kurt gives Rachel a makeover to impress Finn, but he may have ulterior motives.When the Glee Club is left out of the yearbook because of budget cuts, everyone seems to be relieved that they won't have to suffer the ridicule of years past. Everyone except Rachel, that is, who wants her legacy cemented in print. Meanwhile, Quinn makes it her mission to be in the Cheerios yearbook photo, and Will and Terri's relationship is shaken to its core.

Critical reception

Glee received a Metacritic score of 77 out of 100 in its first season, based on reviews by eighteen critics. It was praised by critics in several round-up reviews of 2009 in television. James Poniewozik of Time ranked it the eighth best television show of the year, commenting: "when Glee works—which is often—it is transcendent, tear-jerking and thrilling like nothing else on TV." Entertainment Weekly's Ken Tucker ranked it ninth, calling it "Hands down the year's most novel show [and] also its least likely success",Lisa Respers France of CNN wrote that while ordinarily Glee's premise would have been "a recipe for disaster", the show has "such quirky charm and bravado that it is impossible not to get swept up".

Nancy Gibbs of Time magazine wrote that she had heard the series described as "anti-Christian" by a youth minister, and commented:

    It is easy to see his point, if you look at the specifics. [...] The students lie, they cheat, they steal, they lust, they lace the bake-sale cupcakes with pot in order to give the student body a severe case of the munchies. Nearly all the Ten Commandments get violated at one point or another, while the audience is invited to laugh at people's pain and folly and humiliation. ... It insults kids to suggest that simply watching Characters Behaving Badly onscreen means they'll take that as permission to do the same themselves. [...] And it's set in high school, meaning it's about a journey not just to college and career but to identity and conviction, the price of popularity, the compromises we must make between what we want and what we need."

Variety's Brian Lowry was critical of the show's early episodes, highlighting acting and characterization issues and deeming the adult cast "over-the-top buffoons", with the exception of Mays' Emma, who he felt offered "modest redemption". Though he praised Colfer and Michele's performances, Lowry wrote that the show's talent was squandered by its "jokey, cartoonish, wildly uneven tone", deeming the series a "one-hit wonder". Following the show's mid-season finale, Lowry wrote that while Glee "remains a frustrating mess at times", its "vibrant musical numbers and talented cast have consistently kept it on [his] TiVo must list" conceding that "even with its flaws, TV would be poorer without Glee."

As Glee's initial success pulled in a large audience, John Doyle of The Globe and Mail wrote that the early shows "felt fresh, mainly because the motley crew of kids had a kind of square naďveté." Doyle notes that the early success took Glee away from its original characters and plot, focusing more on celebrity guests. "The gaiety is gone from Glee. You should have set it in its prime, mere months ago".

Glee - Season 1 - episodes 14-22

Sectionals is finally here for the Glee Club, but when Quinn's secret unravels, the club may not be able to recover in time to compete. Meanwhile, Sue's scheming hits an all-time high, and with Emma and Ken's marriage looming, Will makes a decision that could change his life forever.Fresh off their monumental win at Sectionals, New Directions is on top of the world. With an extra spring in their step, they get to work on new numbers for Regionals. But when Rachel and Finn's budding romance hits a bump in the road after she becomes involved with a competitor, Jesse St. James, it threatens to derail the entire club. Mr. Schuester pays a visit to Shelby Corcoran, coach of Vocal Adrenaline, to confirm Jesse's motives. Meanwhile, Will is newly single, but is he ready to take his relationship with Emma to the next level? And to top it all off, Sue ...
 Mr. Schuester is concerned that the girls in the glee club are being disrespected and bullied by the guys. Looking to Madonna and her musical message of equality as inspiration, he challenges the entire team to choose Madonna songs as their next assignment in the hopes that the girls embrace her strength, independence and confidence and that the guys will see the error of their misogynistic ways. The glee club takes the assignment to heart as they perform some of Madonna's greatest hits, including "Express Yourself" and "Like A Prayer." Meanwhile, Kurt and Mercedes ...When Kurt sets his dad, Burt, up with an unexpected partner his plan for a nuclear family may backfire. Sue demands that the Cheerios! go on a crazy diet in preparation for a big interview with "Splits" magazine and April Rhodes returns to save Will and the glee club.Mr. Schuester starts an investigation when a salacious list about members of the glee club circulates the halls of McKinley High. Meanwhile, Sue is mortified when a video of her performing the Olivia Newton-John classic "Physical" surfaces.When a sore throat affects Rachel's singing voice, she goes into panic mode. Meanwhile, Kurt tries to change his persona to impress his father, and Puck makes a strategic move to elevate his social status.In an episode directed by Emmy Award winner Joss Whedon, Mr. Schuester's former high school nemesis, Bryan Ryan, causes trouble for the glee club. Meanwhile, Rachel struggles with a life-long personal issue, and Artie's dreams take him on an adventure.
Mr. Schuester encourages the glee club to express themselves using the music of Lady Gaga. Meanwhile, Rachel has a life-changing encounter, and Tina embraces her inner Go