Photo Courtesy of Werlystennyson- Wikimedia Commons
With a reboot of Glee (2009-2015) in the works, loyal fans of the original series doubt whether a reboot could capture the same feeling as the original series.
Ryan Murphy, the co-creator and director of Glee (2009-2015) has been threatening to reboot the show for the past several months. This Gleek’s worst nightmare came true on Oct. 21 when the reboot confirmation hit my line. According to Variety, “Disney shared nothing aside from the fact that the series is being produced by 20th Television and will air on Hulu and Disney+.”
The original show, in my opinion, is one of the greatest pieces of entertainment to be produced for television. The show is described by IMDB as “a group of ambitious misfits try[ing] to escape the harsh realities of high school by joining a glee club headed by a passionate Spanish teacher.” It is a musical comedy that perfectly encapsulates being a high school student in the 2010s.
Variety states that the show “tackled topics such as sexuality, race, disability, mental health and more,” which was particularly important and necessary representation in the time period it ran. Glee (2009-2015) has become an icon for the queer community through the show’s queer couples Brittney S. Pierce and Santana Lopez, along with Kurt Hummel and Blaine Anderson. In the later seasons, Unique Adams was the first transgender character to be portrayed on the show, according to the series’ Fandom Wiki.
Glee (2009-2015) worked so well in the time that it was on air because it was equal parts progressive and problematic. Many of the jokes and plotlines would not be appropriate by today’s standards. For example, the coach of the Glee Club, Mr. Shue, had few to no boundaries with his students. In the pilot episode, he goes into the boys’ locker room and watches a student sing in the shower. While that plotline is creepy and odd, it also adds to the ridiculousness and craziness the show cannot replicate. With today’s political climate, Glee (2009-2015) would not be able to succeed as well as it did 17 years ago; that is why this Gleek is terrified for this newly announced reboot.
A Glee (2009-2015) reboot will also not work without the original cast. A few of the actors who played a character in the main ensemble have unfortunately passed away, according to Screenrant, including Corey Monith, who played Finn Hudson; Naya Rivera, who played Santana Lopez; and Mark Salling, who played Noah “Puck” Puckerman. Corey passed away while the original show was still on air.
For me, the show cannot work without Santana Lopez. She was one of the integral characters in the show. She was arguably one of the most iconic characters and had a bright future at the end of the series finale. I am quite nervous for how Ryan Murphy will write in her absence for the reboot.
As of Oct. 25, the members of the original cast that have confirmed their return in the reboot according to Variety are Lea Michele, who will reprieve her role as Rachel Berry; Heather Morris, who plays Brittney S. Pierce; and Chord Overstreet, who portrays Sam Evans.
There is no good, concrete reason as to why the show needs to be rebooted. Why does every movie or show need a reboot, revival, or a sequel? Take the movie The Devil Wears Prada (2006) as an example. A classic early 2000s movie, it is filled with iconic lines, characters, and wardrobe. In my opinion, it has remained culturally relevant all on its own because of those things. Yet, the sequel The Devil Wears Prada 2 (2026) arrived in theaters earlier this year and for me, it did not deliver to the same caliber the original did. Part of that reason is because the sequel took away all the character development of the female protagonist, Andie Sachs, portrayed by Anne Hathaway, that was seen at the end of the first movie.
Overall, I fear for the future of the Glee (2009-2015) franchise and hope the reboot follows through.