LsUCIFER

With the series on its usual holiday break, I'm sure many fans are in withdrawal right now, so maybe this will fill the void (at least temporarily). Regardless of the strength of each individual season, it's virtually impossible to argue the fact that Glee is one of the top 3 TV series of all time, and probably the most culturally influential show of all time - boldly confronting issues such as bullying, the "clique" mentality and discrimination, open displays of male and female homosexuality, domestic abuse, eating disorders...just far too many relevant social issues to list. It's one of the rare shows to have crossover success to the big screen with its live concert feature (and the eagerly anticipated sequel), as well as its effect on the recording industry, surpassing Billboard records set by the Beatles and Elvis Presley as early as its second season. I know I'll get some strong protestation from the High School Musical fans here, but that's what open discussion forums are for.

But back on topic, is season 4 the best season to date?

Season 1 will always hold a place in our hearts because that is where we meet all of the core characters. Despite its many high points, at this point the series was still finding its footing and showed some inconsistency. It introduced us to the "Finchel" romance, which, much to the delight of everyone, carried over to real life in 2012 (you know you were all longing for it since day 1). To appease the haters, I will grant that High School Musical's Troy Bolton is a stronger male lead than Finn, but there's no doubt that Lea Michele is this generation's Streisand, so that balances things out.

Season 2 was far too erratic. It seemed like the show began to lose some of its original charm, and it tried way too hard with the constant shuffling of romances amongst virtually every cast member. On the plus side, season 2 did introduce us to the Dalton Academy Warblers, and more importantly, Blaine. Not only did this add the strongest male vocalist to the show, but it initiated the romance between Blaine and Kurt. While all of the Glee CDs were great, season 2 just may have been the strongest season in song choice/performance.

Season 3 was a train wreck. The show had lost its way to the point that a 4th season was not a given - and what a travesty that would have been. They just tried too hard with the introduction of new characters that just went nowhere. Sugar Motta, anyone??? The introduction of new cast members from the spinoff "The Glee Project" seemed promising, but was totally mishandled. GP runner-up Lindsay Pearce's Harmony character only gets two episodes? WTF??? She was the one cast member with the potential to adequately replace the soon graduating Rachel Berry!!! Glee Project winners Damian McGinty and Samuel Larsen have their 7 episode arcs extended, but prove to be nothing more than background characters. And the most irritating Glee Project contestant of all, the cross dressing Alex, ends up getting not only his 2 episode arc, but an extension into season 4 and transfers from Vocal Adrenaline to McKinley High to join New Directions??? Nevertheless, bringing a cross dressing high schooler into the mix is one of the boldest cultural achievements in network television history - again proving why Glee ranks amongst the top 3 tv shows of all time.

That brings us to Season 4...just when it seemed the show may be at its end, the brilliant minds behind Glee find a way to revitalize the show and create a formula that will keep it solid for many years to come. While the graduation of Rachel, Finn, and Kurt could have led to the show's demise, moving Rachel and Kurt to New York was a stroke of genius. The move to New York also delivers new recurring characters played by Oscar winner Whoopi Goldberg and Oscar nominee Kate Hudson - two of the strongest supporting cast members to ever grace the show with their presence. And do I even have to mention the addition of Rachel's hunky new love interest - Brody? More importantly, the writers brought in a strong new class of performers to replace the departed - the Quinn-esque Kitty, the "new Rachel" Marley, Puck's younger brother Jake, and the impressive season 2 Glee Project winner Blake - perfectly cast as Ryder!!! Immediately we are introduced to the new love triangle between Marley, Jake, and Ryder, along with ample interference by Kitty! With the producers finally settling on a winning formula for the transition of graduating characters and the introduction of solid new characters who will be around for years to come - a formula that will ensure as many new seasons of Glee as the creators desire. Clearly, in my opinion, this makes season 4 the best.

For those who had dreams of a High School Musical series and feel like Glee stole your thunder, please keep the discussion civil. I understand your frustration and pain, but it's hard to argue against Glee in light of its massive cultural influence.

She's was pretty decent just a few years ago.

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I don't know if you're an alter/former poster or not, but you're definitely my favorite new poster.

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Cocomo,

Thanks for the kind words. And have you come to grips with the fact that, whether you're ready to acknowledge it or not, you are a closet Team Jacob guy? :cheers:

I figured that most of those questions are answered in the book, but I guess when you turn a short book into 3 movies, you are going to leave a lot of unanswered questions in the initial phases - thus you are left with viewers like myself scratching their heads. However, having seen Jackson's work in the LOTR trilogy, he's earned the benefit of the doubt.

Haven't read all 8 pages so I'm going in unbiased here. I went in expecting to like it. Enjoyed all of the LOTR films, and I didn't read The Hobbit. Not to go all OT Baller on you, but when I got my 80" TV I rewatched the LOTR movies countless times in HD for the sheer spectacle of it. So I REALLY expected to love The Hobbit in 3D IMAX. I was not disappointed by the viewing experience, but overall I'd give the movie about a 7/10. The whole premise of getting Bilbo to join the quest just seemed unsubstantiated. He doesn't appear to really know crap about Gandalf, and Gandalf never really gives any indication of why Bilbo would be suited to the task. I started out excited, glad to see some old characters introduced quickly, then they lost me with the "dwarves invade Bilbo's house" scene. It dragged on far too long and I didn't find it entertaining at all.
As far as the majority of the movie, the first thing that came to mind was the epic scene in Clerks 2 when Randal describes the LOTR movies. What was The Hobbit about? Walking. It was a long walk to give an excuse to throw in a few effects-laden action scenes.
One thing REALLY bothered me about the dwarves, and that was the inconsistency in their appearance. In general, the hobbits look like hobbits, the orcs look like orcs, the goblins look like goblins, the wizards look like wizards, the elves look like elves...and the dwarves virtually all look different. If you didn't show their size, I couldn't pick more than a half dozen dwarves out of a lineup. Primarily, Thorin did not look dwarf-like at all. It's like they tried to make him look like a shorter Aragorn-type character. Heroic, on the short side, but in no way dwarf-like.
I understand they did a lot of work with Andy Serkis in adding more sensors to increase the number of responsive facial muscles in Gollum to make him appear more life-like. Brilliant work by Serkis, as expected, but I would rather have seen them try to make the eyes more life-like and not so cartoonish.
Another thing that really bothered me was that, when all seems lost, the giant eagles swoop in to save everyone. Hey Gandalf, before we hopped on these ponies for the 500 mile journey, why the f**k didn't you mention you had a flock of giant eagles at your beck and call??? And eagles...if you were going to fly us to safety, in clear view of our mountain destination that is now still 100 miles away, couldn't you have just dropped us off at THAT mountain??? WTF???
I already know the answer to that: we have to stretch a 300 page book out into 9 hours of screen time.
All of that being said, I will most certainly watch it again multiple times on blu-ray or cable. And I will by all means watch the next 2. Better than most popcorn fare, but just a bit less than I expected.

She was smoking hot in the movie "Grind." Couldn't believe it was the same chick. And yes, hated her on HIMYM.

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quote: too remarkable to leave out...Bella kissing Jacob in Twilight:Eclipse. kill yourself

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If we're going to limit it to TV then, the ultimate has to be when Blaine cheated on Kurt on Glee.

This one's a movie, not TV, but too remarkable to leave out...Bella kissing Jacob in Twilight:Eclipse.

Cocomo,

I sincerely apologize if I ruined any of it for you. I guess I should have put "spoilers" in the title instead of just putting it directly before each statement - cause obviously once you read that far I already had you enthralled and you couldn't help but read further. It seems Taylor Lautner's abs made quite an impression on you, and while you're trying to be coy, let's just go ahead and put you on the Team Jacob list. :cheers:
Vampire Academy, in a vague sense, does capture some of the appeal of both a Harry Potter type environment and a Twilight feel. Aside from humans, their alternative reality world consists of the Moroi, who are mortal vampires who feed only on volunteer human feeders, and they possess some magic related to a personal affinity with one of the elements (fire, water, etc.). The other type of vampires are the Strigoi - immortal, evil vampires with a real taste for human blood and death. A Moroi can become a Strigoi by killing. In between lie the Dhampir, a race of human/Moroi hybrids, with no affinity for blood or magic but strength and agility superior to mere humans. The Dhampir act as the guardians of the peaceful Moroi. There are also Alchemists, who are no fans of the Vamps but have held a testy alliance with them over the centuries and use their skills for "cleanup duty" to help keep their world secret. Thankfully, once the 6 books of the Vampire Academy series were complete, the author came up with a spinoff series with the main Alchemist character, while still involving many of the main characters of the VA series!
Vampire Academy (there are more than one, but the center of attention for this series is St. Vladimir's Academy), is a boarding school for the education of the Moroi and the training of the Dhampir guardians.
Since I've already spoiled it for you, Dimitri is Rose's Dhampir instructor, and love ensues. Despite the requisite love stories, the Vampire Academy series thrives on action, chiefly the battles against the evil Strigoi and some corrupt Moroi. Don't want to spoil any more for you, but that is a brief outline. I'll keep you posted on further updates when the movie is cast, filming starts, release date, etc. !

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Angry Twilight fan, perhaps?
I know you Twiehards are a loyal breed - and this is just conjecture because Vampire Academy hasn't even hit the screen yet - but these are very valid points


Tha fvck is this shite?

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FootballNostradamus,

I'm sorry if I have offended you or other Twihards. I can understand your defensiveness since VA has yet to come out and your "Saga" is not only complete, but a masterpiece love story that surpasses even Titanic. I'm just trying to make a case with valid points. While I can appreciate that I've angered you because it appears that I've dissed your series, that was not my intention. Feel free to discuss, but please do so without vulgarity. And for the record, were you Team Edward or Team Jacob?