Thank You, GLEE: An Open Letter to the Cast & Crew

Image Description: "Glee" logo with ASL ILY sign in place of L.

Tonight, the last episode of Glee will air, thus ending six seasons of the lovable underdog singing group. In the past weeks or so, Twitter was aflame with the hashtag, #GleeToMe where fans could express what the show meant to them. I would like to join and share my Glee memories and thank the cast and crew for six wonderful seasons.



As a faithful viewer, I watched every single episode since its launch in May 2009. There were days where I would record the show knowing I would not be home in time. Other days I would depend on Hulu to watch the episodes, especially when I was away at college and did not have access to TV in the dorm. Yet I did not miss one.

Who would have thought that a television show showcasing an underdog singing group of high school students would have turned out to be such a sensational hit? What made us viewers fall in love with the McKinley students? Perhaps we identified ourselves with one or two characters? Did it make us recall our high school years (minus the slushy attacks)? Why did we keep on cheering for the Glee club in spite of Sue's attempts to bring it down?

Then there's #GleeToMe. What does Glee mean for me?

In the beginning, I saw Glee as an escape from reality - it's not often one sees someone breaking out into song-and-dance moments singing Broadway show tunes.

I also saw it as a 'what-if' chance to relive high school through them. Being Deaf, and mainstreamed at my local high school, I missed out on many classic high school moments and dramas. Watching Glee gave me the opportunity to see what life might have been like had I had access to communication sans barriers.

The show also reminded me of the kinship I developed as a member of my high school's Drama club, especially when we collaborated with the Choir kids on the school musicals.

In later years, Glee provided more and more. I saw the show as a chance to get music in an accessible format. While I knew "of" many of the classics and current chart toppers, I didn't know what the lyrics were and how they were sung. Glee gave me that chance whereas the music videos on MTV barred me from that chance. Through Glee, I had access to a wide repertory of music, and I used the Glee club as a bridge to access the original artists' music. I do believe that Sue Sylvester's "Vogue" music video was the first captioned music video that I remember seeing.

Through Glee, I now had access to over 700 songs with closed captioning.

I rejoiced at Glee's attempts to erase boundaries and introduce nontraditional casting to the show. We had the glee club from the Haverbrook School for the Deaf prove to audiences that Deaf kids can sing and dance just as well as their peers. We have had a character with Downs Syndrome become a recurring character. We saw many Broadway veterans come and go but not without strutting their skills. (I've had the wonderful opportunity of meeting two of those guest stars and singing a duet with one of them). We had a female character take the bold step and open up her true self as a man. In short, Glee took the ropes and dared to go where other television shows might have held back.

What have I learned from Glee? Friendship, being true to oneself, responsibility, building and keeping relationships (and losing them), striving for one's goals despite falling short on multiple occasions.

For me, I saw Glee as an opportunity to fill in lost incidental learning opportunities in the real world. Being Deaf, I would miss out on social cues and nuances as well as incidental information not acquired from direct contact with people. So I thank Glee for filling in that gap in my social life. That and having accessible music are the two factors that had the most impact on me as a viewer.

I would like to thank Mr. Schuester and Ms Sylvester and the Glee club for being such an influential part of my life these past six years. They were portrayed brilliantly by the inspiring cast of young stars.

Also, I would like to thank all the guest stars that came by to liven up the show with their presences.

Thank you to Brad Falchuk, Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan for sharing their creation with us for six seasons, and to all the crew who made the show the hit that it was.

Thank you to all of my fellow viewers for creating life off-screen with your passions.

Thank you for reminding me to never stop believing. Thank you, Glee.