Glee, Vol. One: Road to Sectionals

Glee fuses adolescent soap opera, the comic pettiness of academic politics, and exuberant song and dance. (While it would be better if the songs weren't so glossily produced, it's impossible to deny the pep and talent of these young performers.) Somehow, the characters manage to be cartoonish yet multidimensional; even the nicest characters are capable of being jerks and the most manipulative have moments of sympathy or grace. For example, Will's wife, Terri (Jessalyn Gilsig), fakes a pregnancy because she's afraid Will is about to leave her for Emma--but as absurd as this scenario is, it's carefully grounded in enough moments of desperate yearning that it becomes completely compelling… particularly when Terri seizes on the unwanted pregnancy of lead cheerleader Quinn (Dianna Agron) as the solution to her problem. Throw in vividly colored costume designs and blisteringly funny rants from Sue, and it's easy to see why Glee became an unexpected hit. Volume One: The Road to Sectionals collects the first 13 episodes, along with a smattering of extras that range from charming (the principal leads the audience on a tour through the school) to inane (bland factoids about the actors' favorite colors). --Bret Fetzer

Stills from Glee (Click for larger image)