I was on the fence about this series for the first half of the season. The lead is slightly annoying, the premise is often strained, and much of it is unpredictable. What kept me watching was the marvelous Alex Newell and some very solid musical numbers that featured some really good choreography.
My initial thought was it reminded me of those slick, utterly false shows like Ally McBeal and Picket Fences that only pretend to be quirky. And while I haven't necessarily changed my mind, there are times when the series transcends itself.
I got off the fence with episode 4, which focused on Alex's character and which, my girlfriend and I both immediately pegged as a step up. And the glitch episode was funny and had perhaps the best-filmed number of the series (matched in the final season by that whole single-take thing).
The cast is talented and doesn't seem to be auto-tuned, which gets extra points nowadays. The songs are often good, the choreography is generally excellent, and every once in a while the director does something really fancy.
The brittle lead is unfortunate but I'm getting used to her.
If you like musicals it's worth taking a look at.
My initial thought was it reminded me of those slick, utterly false shows like Ally McBeal and Picket Fences that only pretend to be quirky. And while I haven't necessarily changed my mind, there are times when the series transcends itself.
I got off the fence with episode 4, which focused on Alex's character and which, my girlfriend and I both immediately pegged as a step up. And the glitch episode was funny and had perhaps the best-filmed number of the series (matched in the final season by that whole single-take thing).
The cast is talented and doesn't seem to be auto-tuned, which gets extra points nowadays. The songs are often good, the choreography is generally excellent, and every once in a while the director does something really fancy.
The brittle lead is unfortunate but I'm getting used to her.
If you like musicals it's worth taking a look at.