The glow faded pretty quickly for Fox's colorful musical comedy-drama about the triumphs and tribulations of the glee club at William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio. The first season was greeted rapturously by critics and viewers alike, but reaction to the second was more muted, and this third installment, which takes the original student stars to graduation as well as a national championship, continues the downward slide. All the familiar ingredients remain in place: romantic, sexual, and social issues, along with rivalries among students and faculty—especially nice-guy club director Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) and nasty cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch). And elaborately staged numbers, centered on the campus musical (West Side Story), a particular movie (like Saturday Night Fever), or the songs of specific superstars (like Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston) are inserted at every opportunity. Most of the cast continues, and the winners of the reality spinoff The Glee Project, Samuel Larsen and Damian McGinty, are introduced. But the formula already seems to be getting stale, with the humor conspicuously forced and the drama schmaltzy. By the time Lindsay Lohan and Perez Hilton show up as celebrity judges, the joke is on us. Hardcore fans will undoubtedly still embrace Glee, but this third run isn't likely to win many converts. Compiling all 22 episodes from 2011–12's third season, extras include several behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted and extended scenes, and the Glee Jukebox function for each episode. Given the show's popularity, this is a strong optional purchase. (F. Swietek)
Glee: The Complete Third Season
Fox, 961 min., not rated, DVD: 6 discs, $59.98; Blu-ray: 4 discs, $69.99 Volume 27, Issue 6
Glee: The Complete Third Season
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