maharg said:It's definitely not the same show it started as in any way. Watching the pilot and watching a new episode is like night and day on every level. A lot of people (including me) feel a bit betrayed by that massive tone shift, because we were all a part of hyping this show to high heaven and then what we got in the end wasn't what we expected. Whether that translates into lost viewers in the long run remains to be seen.
This is definitely how I feel as well - it's clear though that the newer format is holding an audience, unfortunately. I'm not sure I've enjoyed an episode this season - last week's particularly was a complete shambles. This one was better but, even so, it's never been the same since the first season which, for me at least, is a real shame.
I will forever remember Murphy citing this show as a show "about the importance of arts education in high schools." How far we've come since then.