5 Little Known Reasons Why Glee is Cooler Than You Think

By Daniel Bowen / September 16, 2012

Breaking Bad is my favorite current programme on TV€ The reason I started off this post this way is to give myself a little street cred, and to hook in all the curious readers out there who have very strict views about the show on TV with probably the worst current reputation, Glee. You probably think I€™m already mad, but if you made it this far into the post (particularly if you are male and a conservative) then thank you€ and feel free to call me an idiot in the comments section. You will probably think I€™m more mad when I tell you Glee is my second favourite show (just beaten by Breaking Bad)€ right now you€™re probably wondering what drugs I€™m on, right? But seriously, it€™s the most FUN thing currently on television, and sometimes, in-between episodes of Breaking Bad, Homeland and The Walking Dead, I need a little positivity or I may just go kill myself. Just know that I used to hate Glee too, and I avoided it for almost a year (not that I am proud of that fact), but the reasons on this list, particularly reason number one, drew me into this show after watching a particularly bad episode, and hooked me forever€

1. Joss Whedon Directed an Episode

Yes, you read that correctly. Back at the end of Season 1, Joss Whedon, director of this year€™s coolest movie (perhaps the coolest movie of all time) The Avengers, co-writer of this year€™s coolest scary movie, Cabin in The Woods, and creator of the two geekiest but most well-loved shows on television, Firefly and Buffy- directed an episode. And it was that very episode that made me go from Glee-hater, to Glee-lover. The episode was entitled €œDream On€ and featured none other than one of the coolest men currently on television, and Joss Whedon€™s friend and Dr Horrible€™s Sing Along Blog star, Neal Patrick Harris (yes€ Barney from HIMYM). And guess what, it was good€ Rachel wasn€™t anywhere near as annoying than in the first episode of Glee I ever watched (and still my least favourite) €œMattress€, and they finally found a good use for Mr Schue€ singing an Aerosmith song opposite NPH. Not only this, but Glee has had other, well known, frequent directors with a good amount of geek cred. Erik Stoltz, of Pulp Fiction and Mask fame (the guy who was cast as Marty McFly before being fired) has directed 9 episodes€ most of them good. And Tate Donovan (Marisa€™s dad from The O.C and voice of Disney€™s Hercules) has directed two€ one good, one bad. (He was also in Friends and was once engaged to Jennifer Aniston€ weird). Also, if you are a Whedon or Buffy fan€ Marti Noxon, the Buffy show-runner from season 6 onwards wrote 2 episodes of Glee and served as consulting producer on the series in season 3.