Glee Gets Its God On, As Does Modern Family

This week’s Glee post is a little late, but I’m going to post it regardless. Last week I noted my disappointment with the direction the series has been taking this season, and this episode didn’t change my opinion. It was littered with odd songs paired with weak performances, and a theme worthy of an after-school special.

Grilled godly goodness.

According to the October 11^th issue of Us Weekly, the average songs per episode is being trimmed down from nine to six this season, since, co-creator Ryan Murphy says, “we’re concentrating more on the stories and giving the supporting characters bigger plot lines.” This would be great, of course, if the plotlines they devise aren’t so vapid as to center a whole episode on a grilled cheese sandwich.

Now, I have to admit, the Grilled Cheesus was a clever idea, but I didn’t like that it led to a preachy episode about beliefs. And dearest Fox Network, why is it the gay kid who’s the atheist, hmm? No way would Fox show a homosexual Christian, because to them that’s an oxymoron. But of course, we discover Kurt’s atheistic tendencies when his dad winds up in the hospital in critical condition after suffering a heart attack. This prompts the glee clubbers to send Kurt their prayers, which Kurt then shuns, thus sparking a conversation on religion and all different kinds of belief. Finn has his sandwich, Puck is a Jew for Jesus, and they even make a reference to the Flying Spaghetti Monster!

Lea Michele was only given one solo this time (praise Grilled Cheesus!), but I felt a little uncomfortable watching her sing to Kurt’s dad at his bedside, all the while calling him “Papa.” Did anyone else think it was weird that these kids were in his hospital room? Sure, they’re all in glee club with Kurt, but it never seemed like they were all that close to Kurt and he didn’t even seem to want their support in the first place.

As much as the religion theme irked me, I will continue to watch, if only to see the minor characters get their chance in the spotlight as promised. Last week’s concentration on Brittany was amazing, and I hope that this Artie/Tina/Mark love triangle will give Harry Shum Jr. a chance to shine as well. Although, if they keep running weak performances like Mark Salling’s “Only the Good Die Young,” I’ll just be forced to fast forward right through. Amen for DVR.

Did anyone else notice that Modern Family had an episode about Christianity vs. atheism this week? Unlike Glee, Family managed to keep the religious theme as only part of the plot rather than the crux of it, which made it bearable. It was also endearing the way they placed a curious and questioning Manny in between his Christian mother and atheist Stepfather, trying to clarify his own beliefs. It was lighthearted and fun, which made it much more successful than Glee’s ram-it-down-your-throat, Full House-esque tactlessness.