Picture this, it’s March 20, over 10 years ago, and the series finale of Glee, titled “Dreams Come True” has aired. The world would never be the same after that moment. A whole decade has passed since the last New Directions performance, the last Sue Sylvester scheme, and the last journey through McKinley High. But for many fans, Glee never truly ended – it lives on through its music, its unforgettable characters, and the memories we made along the way.
For me, the show was more than just a TV series. It was a phenomenon. At 10 years old, I was lucky enough to see the Glee tour live, experiencing the magic of hearing those voices in person. It was a moment that solidified my love for the show, and even now, I find myself revisiting its best performances, its most ridiculous plotlines, and its iconic one-liners. Of course, Glee’s legacy isn’t without controversy. Over the years, discussions about its behind-the-scenes drama, questionable storylines, and cast tragedies have shaped the way we look back on it. But despite its flaws, Glee was a show that meant something. It celebrated difference, championed underdogs, and, for better or worse, left an undeniable mark on pop culture.
GROWING UP WITH ‘GLEE’
Glee wasn’t just a TV show – it was an experience, and nothing proved that more than Glee Live at the MEN Arena on June 23, 2011. I was beyond excited to see my favourite show’s cast perform all the hits in person, and the energy in the arena was electric. Hearing songs like “Don’t Stop Believin’” and “Teenage Dream” live, surrounded by thousands of other fans who loved the show just as much as I did, was unforgettable. Seeing the cast bring their on-screen personas to life on stage made Glee feel even more real, and for that night, it truly felt like being part of something special. It’s a memory I’ll always treasure, and it’s part of why I believe Glee should be left as it is – nothing could ever recreate the magic of that time.
Glee was the first TV show after Doctor Who that I became truly invested in. My introduction to it came by chance – I first caught a clip during a Sunday repeat of Season 1 episode “The Power of Madonna” on Channel 4, as the New Directions performed “Like A Prayer” in the episode’s conclusion. Something about the show instantly amused me, and I soon found myself seeking out older episodes. Before long, I introduced it to my Mum, asked for the DVDs up until that point and it quickly became a weekly TV fixture for us both. During Season 2, I would beg to stay up late every Monday to watch it, until, in a cruel twist, the rights were sold to Sky for Season 3 onwards, locking me out of the experience. I drifted away from the show around Season 5, losing interest in many of the storylines, but I couldn’t resist returning for its final season – and I must admit, it was worth it.
Glee wasn’t Glee without some truly bonkers plotlines along the way. This was the show that once dedicated an entire subplot to Mercedes smuggling tater tots into school like a black-market dealer. Then there was Sue Sylvester’s bizarre obsession with Blaine and Kurt’s relationship, which escalated to the point where she locked them in a fake elevator and forced them to kiss – a moment that still feels wildly out of place in the Glee universe.
Despite my waning interest in Glee by Season 5, the final season managed to pull me back in with a mix of nostalgia and fresh energy. One of its biggest strengths was the return of familiar faces. Seeing characters like Rachel (Lea Michele), Kurt (Chris Colfer), and even Coach Beiste (Dot-Marie Jones) reclaim their places at McKinley gave the season a real sense of closure. The show also introduced a new group of misfits who felt like classic Glee underdogs. Roderick (Noah Guthrie), with his powerhouse vocals, Jane (Samantha Marie Ware), the trailblazing Warbler, and Myron (Josie Totah), the hilariously over-the-top theatre kid, were all fantastic additions. They embodied the spirit of the original New Directions while bringing something new to the mix.
Glee also continued to push boundaries with its progressive storytelling, something the show had always done well. One of the standout episodes was “Transitioning”, which focused on Coach Beiste’s journey as a transgender man. The way the show handled this storyline was both heartfelt and important, offering a powerful representation of identity and acceptance. An emotional performance of “I Know Where I’ve Been” was a highlight, and the episode as a whole was a reminder of Glee’s ability to tackle serious, real-world issues with care and sincerity. Even in its final season, the show was still breaking ground and making space for stories that deserved to be told.
The soundtrack was another highlight, proving that Glee still had plenty of musical magic left. From emotional ballads to big showstoppers, the final season delivered some of its best performances. But what truly made it special was the way it wrapped up the story. The final three episodes were exceptional, balancing essential Glee nostalgia with satisfying resolutions. “2009” was a love letter to the show’s beginnings, including a touching tribute to Cory Monteith‘s Finn, “Dreams Come True” gave the characters the endings they deserved, and the last moments on the auditorium stage felt like the perfect farewell. After years of ups and downs, Glee managed to stick the landing, and for that, I’ll always appreciate it.
THE MUSIC OF ‘GLEE’
If you are a close follower of my annual Spotify Wrapped reveal, then you will know that every year there is a 90% chance that my Top Artist of the Year will always end up being the Glee Cast. It’s a simple fact. No Glee song has ever made it into my Top 5 of the year, though the Glee Club end up at the top of the artist rankings without a doubt. The one year when Hamilton took over saw Glee demoted to second place, which would have taken hours of listening to beat.
Many of my peers like to poke fun or make light of my listening habits, but it is fundamental that a lot of these infamous covers are great, and sometimes miles better than the original recordings. A few that come to mind include “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”, “4 Minutes”, “Somebody To Love”, “Rumour Has It / Someone Like You”, “Gives You Hell”, “Maybe This Time”, and “Seasons of Love”. The latter of the list appears in Season 4’s episode “The Quarterback”, an episode dedicated to Cory Monteith’s Finn Hudson, after the actor sadly passed away in July 2013. The episode didn’t air until the following Fall but the emotional weight of the tribute made it one of the most memorable episodes in Glee‘s history.
The competition episodes always brought high stakes, big emotions, and some of Glee‘s most memorable performances. The setlists were always entertaining and made for some great storytelling, whether it was their underdog status in the early seasons or their rise to national contenders.
SHOULD ‘GLEE’ BE REBOOTED?
Absolutely not. Glee was a product of its time, lightning in a bottle that worked (and sometimes really didn’t) because of the era it existed in. A reboot would struggle to capture the same mix of chaotic energy, cultural impact, and accidental camp that made the original so unique. Beyond that, Glee’s formula wouldn’t land the same way today. The show thrived on its messiness, rapid-fire pop culture references, and bizarre tonal shifts, but modern audiences are less forgiving of outdated humour and inconsistencies. Plus, we’ve moved past Glee’s brand of representation, what was groundbreaking then can feel shallow now, especially compared to more nuanced queer and diverse storytelling in shows like Sex Education or Heartstopper.
If anything, the closest thing we will ever get to a Glee revival has been and gone, funnily enough, the Disney+ hit series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series was a piece of television ahead of its time. Creator Tim Federle definitely took notes from Glee – the mix of camp, meta-humour, heartfelt character arcs, and, of course, the musical performances. Plus, the show embraced LGBTQ+ representation in a way that felt natural and refreshing, evolving from where Glee left off. It also tapped into that same chaotic-yet-charming energy, but with a bit more sincerity and less cynicism than Glee sometimes had, playing to a lot of the FOX series’ strengths and building on the existing High School Musical IP for a new generation of fans.
Beyond that, the idea of a Glee reboot feels especially uncomfortable given the tragedies that have followed the show. Since its end, Glee has been overshadowed by the heartbreaking deaths of Cory Monteith and Naya Rivera, each leaving a lasting impact on both the cast and fans. The weight of these losses makes the idea of revisiting the show feel more like reopening old wounds than celebrating its legacy. Even former cast members have expressed hesitation about the idea, on their And That’s What You REALLY Missed podcast, Kevin McHale and Jenna Ushkowitz acknowledged that while nostalgia for Glee still exists, the tragedies surrounding the series make a revival feel wrong. Any attempt to reboot Glee would struggle to separate itself from the real-life heartbreak that has come to define its legacy just as much as its on-screen moments.
SOME OF MY FAVOURITE GLEE ANTHEMS
I thought I would end this love letter to the show by sharing some of my favourite Glee editions on Spotify:
Glee is available to watch on Hulu in the US and on Disney+ in the UK and Ireland.
