So this is how it’s going to be from now on?

Glee – once a jewel in the Fox crown and one of the most promising new shows on TV – has now found its level. And it’s not good! Last night’s episode, titled ‘Comeback’, was flat in virtually every way and once again highlighted all the key flaws of the series, problems that are simply not being seriously addressed by the show’s makers. Clearly everyone is happy Glee is a hit – so why change. Of course it’s that kind of flawed thinking that gets shows cancelled before their time (see Heroes, Ugly Betty, The OC and many more)

Glee boss Ryan Murphy again scripted last night’s show – but the zip and spark that was evident in the recent Valentine’s episode was totally missing. Instead we had more of Murphy’s trademark weaknesses – inconsistent characters (Brittany is now a fashion icon – since when?), flimsy plots (Puck trying to woo Lauren) and more Sue Sylvester craziness (the character has now gone so far it’s almost impossible to pull her back)

To be honest it’s easier for me to start with the one or two things I DID like about ‘Comeback’ rather than listing all the flaws since they number so many!

Okay, well – I did like the New Direction’s version of ‘Sing’ by My Chemical Romance. I must admit to only being vaguely aware of the song but it proved a worthy anthem and the best Glee track in ages. And to be fair, I also thought Sam’s version of Justin Bieber’s ‘Baby’ was pretty solid – displaying a charisma we haven’t yet seen from the large lipped jock. He actually looked and sounded like a star last night.

But as for the rest of the show – oh boy! Where to begin? This was an absolute mess of an episode. Let’s start with Sue Sylvester, who was absent from last week’s show, but unfortunately was center stage this time around (I never thought that too much Jane Lynch would be a bad thing). In recent weeks I’ve written about how cartoonish Sue has become and the trend continued last night – she’s a twirled mustache away from silent movie villainy.

Sue ended up joining the Glee club after slipping into a depressed state and almost overdosing on Gummi Bear vitamin pills (hmm, for a show so concerned with teen bullying aren’t suicide jokes a tad tasteless?). At first Sue tried to turn the club members against one another, notably Mercedes and Rachel who indulged in a ‘diva-off’ with a song from Rent (it was far from the show-stopper moment it was meant to be). Then she ended up getting into the spirit of the club and the music. But by show’s end Sue was back to being a baddie, taking the helm of Aural Intensity, New Directions key competitors at Regionals and on a mission once again to destroy the Glee club. It was all so pointless and lacking in stakes. Midway through Season 2 and Glee is already running out of storylines…

Meanwhile we had Sam trying to ‘win back’ Quinn following her recent dalliance with Finn. To say I don’t really care would be an understatement. The only juicy moment in the whole affair was seeing sneaky Santata sidling up to Sam and pouring poison into his ear. It was the only scene in the whole episode that had any kind of pop and fizzle.

Then there was Rachel and Brittany and the former’s desperate attempt to boost her popularity. The Glee Diva enlisted Brittany to adopt one of her clothing trends to make it popular at McKinley High – but of course it all went wrong and Brittany ended up getting all the credit. Wow, this plot had time-filler written all over it and was yet another waste of Brittany’s talents – a once promising character who’s been so criminally underwritten recently she’s now a complete bore.

The same goes for Lauren, whose dragged out relationship with Puck is so dreary you just want to reach for the fast forward button each time the two are together. We get it – he’s infatuated, she’s playing hard to get – but come on, give us a resolution guys! And as for Lauren’s ‘performance’ of ‘I Know What Boys Like’ – can someone please explain to me how someone can be a member of the Glee club when they can’t actually sing (paging Mike Chang). Lauren’s rendition was totally tone deaf – and as for Puck advising her to ‘imagine the audience naked’ to offset her nerves… wow, talk about hackneyed.

But I’m saving the worst scene of the show for last… yep, you know the moment I mean – it was where Mr Schu and Sue went to a children’s cancer ward to convince Sue that there were people worse of then her….

So here’s my take. I just think if you’re going to create a moment like this you have to do it with some degree of smartness otherwise the scene becomes exploitative / schmaltzy / awkward – and unfortunately Glee feel right into all three traps. I personally just found the whole scene excruciating, and pretty tasteless – using sick kids to boost Sue’s ego when the character is so one-dimensional in the first place really struck the wrong note for me. Glee can and should do better.

It’s funny – at the end of the episode my partner asked why we were even bothering with Glee anymore, as far as he’s concerned the show has become a real take it of leave it experience. I’m beginning to feel the same way – and I wonder how many other people are reaching the same conclusion. After such a promising start the show has really lost its way. Has Glee peaked? I think it may have…

But what do you think? Do you agree? Are you starting to tire of the series – and what were you best and worst moments from last night? Start commenting everyone…