A Glee Reboot Is Actually A Chaotically Brilliant Idea

Rachel Berry, it’s time for your curtain call. Glee creator Ryan Murphy is teasing a potential reboot of the hit series, much to the delight of some and horror of others. In a new interview with People, the producer said he’s open to reviving Glee over a decade after ending its six-season run in 2015.

“That show is interesting because it’s come back around. So many young people now watch it. And I’m like, ‘Maybe we should revisit that show,’” he said. “My nostalgia and love for that show is enough that I’m like, ‘Well, maybe people would like to see a new incarnation of that in some capacity.’ I love that show, and I loved what it became and what it meant to so many people.”

Many reboot naysayers argue that they don’t want beloved shows to be revived because there’s such a low chance it could possibly live up to the original. And in some cases, a reboot may even destroy stories and character arcs, tarnishing our memories of the OG series, as some might say about Sex and the City’s sequel series, And Just Like That.

But let’s face it: when it comes to Glee, there is no legacy to be ruined.

Speaking as a certified Gleek (who even went to their arena tour), Glee was a complete fever dream with so many ridiculous storylines that would never fly on TV today, from Sunshine getting sent to a crackhouse to Sue Sylvester marrying... herself. And that’s not considering the musical numbers. For as many songs the cast made better than the original (sorry, Journey), there were just as many questionable choices in even more questionable contexts. (“Turkey Lurkey Time,” anyone?)

Glee was not a good show in the traditional sense, save for a few standout episodes per season (well, not Season 4). But the characters’ journeys, the cast’s undeniable talent, and the show’s sheer chaos made it magical nonetheless. If Murphy embraced the absurdity and dialed the camp scale up to 100, then a reboot will still work. It’s not as if our memories can be ruined: Matthew Morrison’s dance moves as Mr. Schuester are embedded in my brain, whether I like it or not.

What would make Glee hard to reboot is both the drama and tragedy that occurred on set and since the show ended. Many former cast members aren’t on good terms with each other, and on a heavier note, it’s hard to imagine a new show without Naya Rivera, who died in 2020, and her character Santana Lopez’s resilience and sharp tongue.

Also, there aren’t many plot ideas that would really make sense. Murphy already had McKinley High graduates take over the Glee Club from Mr. Schuester in the final season, which feels like the most natural storyline for a reboot. But then again, when has Glee ever made sense?

In fact, the stranger the plot, the more a reboot would succeed by channeling the show's original spirit. At that point, Murphy’s only hurdle is wrangling up as many original cast members as he could to return, because let’s face it, no one cares about new kids, as proven in Season 4. In Sue Sylvester we trust.