I love Glee.

Ok, I know I'm way late on this since every single site has already sung it's praises through and through, but can I just talk about how awesome Glee is?

I'm ashamed to say I missed the first glimpse of this amazingness back in May when Fox aired the pilot, so Wednesday was my first exposure to the program, and from the very beginning I loved it

Glee is both racy and self-deprecating while at the same time delivering Disney-Channel-TV-movie level schmaltz. Because of this, it strangely succeeds in being both envelope-pushing and heart-warming. Seriously, what other show would have a guidance counselor making gag reflex jokes to a teen and then have that teen go on and sing an earnest tear-filled rendition of Rihanna's "Take a Bow." Or have premature ejaculation gags right after a tender high school first kiss. It's like High School Musical: After Dark.

Speaking of which, have I mentioned the musical numbers? Interwoven throughout each episode are Glee Club renditions of pop hits of yesterday and today. Passed off as club practices and performances, the tunes also serve to further the plotline, like when Kanye West's "Gold Digger" is performed coincidentally right after Mr. Schuester goes house shopping with his greedy wife, or when the club circumvents Mr. Schuester and performs a hilariously scandalous rendition of "Push It" at the school assembly to literally push the limits of what a Glee Club should sing. Though not a traditional musical in the "I'm randomly and inexplicably singing my feelings out loud" sort of way, the musical numbers are so over the top and earnest that they still serve the same function even though they are ostensibly grounded in reality.

Beyond that though, the best part of the show are the characters themselves. Glee is full of hilarious caricatures of familiar high school archetypes: You have the queeny gay kid, the overachieving awkward girl, the doofy jock love interest, the bitchy cheerleader, the token sassy black girl, and a kid in a wheelchair (referred to as half of a person at one point). While at first you could write them off as tired stereotypes, which to a certain extent they are, each character is written with love and a fresh sense of humor which keeps them from feeling stale. Sure, the Asian girl is awkward, but she also mimes giving the crippled kid a blowjob during a dance number. The gay kid may be a queen, but he's also endearing and gets some of the best laughs of the show, and they don't come from playing off his limp-wristedness.

The greatest asset to the cast, however, comes in the form of the impeccable Jane Lynch. Hugely underrated and arguably one of the best comedic actresses/ power lesbians of recent record, she shines in her role as Sue Sylvester, William McKinley High's surly cheerleading coach and uber-villain, ceaselessly plotting to put an end to the Glee Club by any means necessary. Lynch's deadpan delivery of her hilariously evil lines made me literally LOL with almost everything she said. Even her facial expressions are amazing.
Exhibit A:

That stare is cold as ice!
Seriously though, the first scene where she is ultra-aggressively trying to intimidate Mr. Schuester into cancelling the Glee Club is comedic gold.

Glee is one of those rare shows that manages to be smart, sassy, and fresh without being too cheesy, too twee, or trying too hard. It's both honest and ridiculous, and its completely amazing. A+ DYNAMITE!