My inner show choir nerd was looking forward to this premiere for weeks and I was not disappointed. Last season’s finale wrapped up most of the first season’s plot lines and built up the buzz and excitement for the second season.
In the second season premiere, appropriately titled “Audition”, old and new viewers alike can easily see that the New Directions kids do not quite fit in to the social scene at their school. In an effort to try to spark interest into the glee club, New Directions try to appear “cool” by performing songs right off the current popular music charts.
Several new characters have made an appearance in the season two premiere. Characters that challenge the attention-seeking Sue and Rachel, and another athlete-turned-performer makes his way into the cast. Each new character is an obvious rival to some of our favorite characters on the show:
- Sunshine Corazon (played by YouTube sensation, Charice), the talented exchange student who threatens Rachel’s stance in the spotlight.
- Sam Evans (played by Chord Overstreet), the new football player with a great voice, jeopardizes Finn on the field and on the stage.
- Shannon Bieste (played by Dot Jones), the school’s tough new football coach, challenges Sue Sylvester’s place in the athletic department.
The music in the premiere is appealing to those who enjoy the popular music as well as a few show tunes. “Audition” featured music by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, Travie McCoy, as well as Beyonce and Lady Gaga. For the show tune lovers, we have a sampling from “Dreamgirls” and “A Chorus Line”.
Overall, “Audition” appeared to be a good start to this new season of Glee. The use of the newer and more popular music seems to be an excellent device to bring new people into the Glee fan base, besides those of us who love show choir and spontaneous singing. The new music trend is set to continue next week in a tribute to the music of Britney Spears.
Glee airs Tuesdays at 8pm on Fox.
