Born This Way (Glee)
Encyclopedia
"Born This Way" is the eighteenth episode of the second season
of the American television series Glee
, and the 40th episode overall. It originally aired on Fox
in the United States on April 26, 2011. The episode was written by Brad Falchuk
and directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, and is a tribute to Lady Gaga
, the second such tribute to the artist in the show's history. Most of the major plots of the episode center around the topic of homosexuality
, as Kurt
(Chris Colfer
) lays the groundwork for his longtime bully Dave Karofsky
(Max Adler) to come to terms with his sexuality, and Santana
(Naya Rivera
) plots to run for school prom queen in the hopes of winning her love interest Brittany
(Heather Morris) from Artie
(Kevin McHale).
"Born This Way" attracted mostly positive reception from most critics of the show, as many felt that it was one of the better episodes of the season. However, the episode came under scrutiny by several conservative media critics, whom criticized the show's depiction of homosexuality. This episode featured cover versions of seven songs, notably a cover of "Born This Way
" by Lady Gaga
. Other musical works featured in the episode include cover versions of the Keane song "Somewhere Only We Know
" and "I've Gotta Be Me
" from the 1968 Broadway production Golden Rainbow
. The musical covers and performances were met with generally positive reception from critics, with several noting that it contained the best musical selection in a while. With the exception of "Barbra Streisand", all cover versions were released as singles available for digital download.
Upon its initial airing, the episode was viewed by 8.62 million American viewers, and garnered a 3.4/11 Nielsen rating/share in the 18–49 demographic, the lowest ratings and total viewership of the season. The episode's ratings and total viewership significantly declined from the previous episode, "Night of Neglect", which had previously been the low point in viewership.
co-captain Finn Hudson
(Cory Monteith
) accidentally breaks Rachel Berry's (Lea Michele
) nose. Her doctor (George Wyner
) recommends septoplasty
and elective rhinoplasty
; Rachel considers modelling her nose after Finn's current girlfriend Quinn Fabray
(Dianna Agron
), and the two girls duet on the mash-up "I Feel Pretty/Unpretty
". Both Finn and Puck
(Mark Salling) oppose her planned transformation. Puck tries to help her accept her nose as part of her Jewish heritage, and recruits Kurt Hummel
(Chris Colfer
), who convinces her to look to her idol Barbra Streisand
, who refused to succumb to pressure to alter her nose. Ultimately, Rachel decides against having surgery.
Club member Santana Lopez
(Naya Rivera
) uses Rachel's broken nose as a launching point to highlight the other group members' physical flaws. Aiming to help them achieve self-acceptance
, glee club director Will Schuester
(Matthew Morrison
) urges them to embrace their perceived flaws by printing them on T-shirts to be worn during a group performance of Lady Gaga
's "Born This Way
". He also encourages school guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury
(Jayma Mays
) to confront her OCD
; she begins treatment with a psychiatrist, Dr. Shane (Kathleen Quinlan
).
Santana, who is a closeted lesbian, decides to run for school prom
queen in the hope that she can win the love of her best friend Brittany Pierce
(Heather Morris), who is dating Artie
(Kevin McHale). She realizes that popular jock Dave Karofsky
(Max Adler) is also in the closet, after noticing him checking out Sam
(Chord Overstreet
), and hatches an elaborate scheme to attain her goals: she threatens to out
Karofsky unless he agrees to stop the bullying that drove Kurt from McKinley and the glee club. The pair form an anti-bullying club to make the school safer in order to entice Kurt back and bolster the glee club's chance at Nationals, though mostly to boost Santana's popularity before the prom. They also become one another's "beard" to bolster their heterosexual facades.
Karofsky issues an apology to Kurt at a group meeting involving Will, Principal Figgins (Iqbal Theba
), and their fathers. Though Kurt wants to transfer back to McKinley from Dalton Academy, he is hesitant until Karofsky admits privately that Santana's prom queen scheme is behind his change of heart and the anti-bullying movement; Kurt agrees to return, but only if Karofsky will start a school PFLAG club with him. As Kurt arrives back at McKinley, the Dalton Academy Warblers glee club that he had joined while he was away—fronted by his boyfriend Blaine Anderson
(Darren Criss
)—serenades him in farewell with a rendition of Keane's "Somewhere Only We Know
". Kurt marks his re-entry to New Directions with a solo performance of "As If We Never Said Goodbye" from Sunset Boulevard
.
As the race for prom queen intensifies, Lauren Zizes
(Ashley Fink
) begins campaigning against Quinn. She discovers that Quinn's first name is Lucy, and that she used to be an overweight outcast who had rhinoplasty before re-inventing herself and transferring to McKinley. Lauren attempts to sabotage Quinn's campaign by revealing her former image to the other students, but it backfires when Quinn's popularity actually increases amongst the girls like Lauren. Lauren apologizes to Quinn, but Quinn commends her for her confidence and pride. Brittany shows off her shirt to Santana, and gives Santana a shirt reading "Lebanese", believing that it reads "Lesbian". Santana balks at wearing it, and the two argue; Brittany finally storms off saying that if Santana loved herself as much as Brittany loved her, she would put on the shirt and dance with her. The episode closes with the club, minus Santana, embracing their identities and performing "Born This Way". During the song, Emma arrives wearing a T-shirt that acknowledges her own problems—it reads "OCD"—and she and Will join the performance. Karofsky and Santana watch from the audience, with Santana wearing her "Lebanese" shirt.
of TVLine
reported that the producers included two extra musical performances to fill the extended time slot. Series creator Ian Brennan
stated that he believed the extension was granted as there were two songs which would otherwise have been cut for length. He welcomed the additional 24 minutes of screen time, and commented: "We're always desperately cutting down our episodes. Even when we write them, and then in the editing room we're always throwing away stuff that I really love to get it down to time. [...] It will be just really interesting content-wise for us [to have an extension]."
The focus of the episode is Lady Gaga's song "Born This Way", which she approved for use in Glee before the song premiered. This will be the second episode to highlight Gaga's music, the first one being season one's
"Theatricality
". According to Monteith, the focus of "Born This Way" is the characters "embracing the things about [them]selves that [they] don't like and tailoring [their] performances around that." It features homophobic
Dave Karofsky starting to come to terms with his homosexuality. The plot arc
, which began in the season's sixth episode, "Never Been Kissed
", is intended by series creator Ryan Murphy to have a happy ending. He explained that, while someone like Karofsky could turn to drugs or alcohol or commit suicide, Glee is "by nature optimistic", so he plans to conclude the storyline positively. For fellow closeted character Santana, "Born This Way" set up the final three episodes of the season, which will increase focus on her love for her best friend Brittany. The episode additionally marked the first appearance of guest star Dr. Shane, "a very smart, cool and kind psychiatrist" who may become a recurring character. Other characters seen in "Born This Way" include glee club members Mike Chang
(Harry Shum, Jr.
), Sam Evans and Lauren Zizes, Kurt's boyfriend Blaine Anderson, school bully Azimio (James Earl),
Principal Figgins, and Karofsky's father, Paul (Daniel Roebuck
).
In addition to "Born This Way", the other songs covered in the episode were Keane's "Somewhere Only We Know", "As If We Never Said Goodbye" from the musical Sunset Boulevard, a mash-up of "I Feel Pretty" from West Side Story
and "Unpretty" by TLC
, "I've Gotta Be Me
" from the musical Golden Rainbow
, and Duck Sauce
's "Barbra Streisand
". All but "Barbra Streisand" were released as digital
singles for the episode. "Somewhere Only We Know" was included on the series' seventh soundtrack, Glee: The Music Presents the Warblers
, and "As If We Never Said Goodbye", "Born This Way" and "I Feel Pretty / Unpretty" were included on the series' eighth soundtrack, Glee: The Music, Volume 6.
on CBS
, The Biggest Loser
on NBC
, No Ordinary Family
on ABC
, and One Tree Hill
on The CW. The last half hour of the episode had 8.5 million American viewers, as well as a 3.4/9 rating in the 18-49 demographic, despite airing alongside with a rerun of NCIS: Los Angeles on CBS
, Dancing with the Stars on ABC
, The Voice on NBC
, and Hellcats
on The CW. The total viewership and ratings were the lowest of the second season of Glee, and was down from those of the previous episode, "Night of Neglect", which was watched by 9.80 million American viewers and acquired a 3.8/11 rating/share upon first airing. In the UK, the episode was watched by 2.52 million viewers (2.087 million on E4, and 433,000 on E4+1), becoming the most-watched show on E4 and E4 +1 for the week, and the most-watched show on cable for the week.
both considered it to be an improvement from the previous episode. Futterman wrote that it "gave us the charm, wit and just-zany-enough-to-be-plausible plot lines we were sorely missing after last week's predictable" episode, and added, "Even better: the episode didn't feel as long as the 90 minutes it clocked in at." IGN
Robert Canning gave the episode a "great" rating of 8 out of 10. While he said the episode was entertaining, he felt that it did not need to be an hour and a half. Emily Yahr of The Washington Post
agreed about the extended length, and did not like what she called "lame attempts to fill time", which she said "detracted from what started as a decent episode". She did, however, cite several "promising storylines", including Rachel's, and noted, "Usually, New Directions leader Rachel Berry is a caricature of all things annoying—but this episode, we see her genuinely struggling with wanting to love herself the way she is". The Houston Chronicle
Bobby Hankinson summed it up as follows: "Not an epic episode, just sort of … meh." Amy Reiter of The Los Angeles Times reacted more positively and wrote, "The 90-minute episode had a lot of laughs, a lot of heart, some good lessons, character development, a few good numbers and more than a few surprises."
The A.V. Club
Todd VanDerWerff gave it a "B", and wrote that he "finally got a sense that, yes, this second season has been building toward something and has been trying to tell an emotional story, as well as a humorous one. 'Born This Way', for the first time in a long time, made me feel like I could say I was a fan of Glee without a million qualifiers." Gary Mills of the Florida Times-Union felt that the episode didn't live up to its hype, but also said that he wasn't disappointed. Brett Berk of Vanity Fair
reacted positively, and noted that by "focusing on what makes these lovable dorks, well, lovable dorks—and not pop, or high-school, superstars—tonight's episode, if a bit tidily, reminded us that these are supposed to be kids". Matt Zoller Seitz of Salon thought that "Born This Way" was "the show's best episode to date", and "an epic about a hero returning from a long journey, walking serenely through halls that once scared him, and performing with such skill and sincerity that his friends stared at him with love and awe." Aly Semigran of MTV
had mixed emotions. She criticized the abrupt changes of the storylines in the episode, and thought that the episode "was a noble effort" but "it didn't quite work the way it was supposed to." Raymund Flandez of The Wall Street Journal
stated that the episode "sounded just the perfect notes" and called it "the best episode yet". He continued: "The night held wonderful gems: A clear message. Witty repartee (…). Great character build up. And tailored songs that carried emotional heft."
Several critics praised the development of Santana. Hankinson wrote, "My goodness, Santana. It's as if all the writers sat around a room, identified the best lines of tonight's episode and then decided to give them all to Santana. Fantastic." VanDerWerff called Santana the highlight of the episode: "The best thing about this episode is Naya Rivera
's work as Santana and the story the three writers have cooked up for her. Rivera's really come into her own this season, going from just a generic bitchy cheerleader to an actual character who has motivations and might be a better villain for the show than Sue." He added, "the storyline of Santana realizing she was in love with Brittany and, thus, is probably a lesbian has been nicely plotted and surprisingly deep. The reveal about Santana hasn't washed away her less savory qualities; indeed, it's heightened them, to a degree, as she struggles to be true to herself and still maintain her status as the hottest girl in school." Jenna Mullins of E! Online wrote of Santana, "This episode just cemented my love for her. The insult spew in the beginning of the episode was awesomely mean." She also said that Santana's "inner monologue is often more entertaining than other characters' outer monologues". CNN
Lisa Respers France considered Santana the episode's highlight, and went on to write, "She embraced her inner lesbian (sort of) and rattled off the best [lines] like 'the only straight I am is straight-up [bitch].' You gotta love that."
Some critics reacted negatively to the episode. Scott Pierce of The Salt Lake Tribune
felt that the show has jumped the shark starting from this episode. He felt that the Kurt storyline had some major flaws, and that the messages being sent have been mixed. The episode garnered criticism from a number of conservatives, who found the depiction of homosexuality abrasive. In an interview with ABC News
, conservative media critic Dan Gainor felt that it was Ryan Murphy's "latest depraved initiative to promote his gay agenda." He added: "This is clearly Ryan Murphy's vision of what growing up should be, not most of America's. It's a high school most parents would not want to send their kids to."
Critics mostly reacted with acclaim for the mash-up of "I Feel Pretty / Unpretty". Gonzalez gave the performance an "A" and commented: "While part of me would have said that pairing Rachel and Quinn for a duet would vocally be like putting a pit bull in a cage match with a Maltipoo, it actually worked! There was a surprisingly balanced and incredibly lovely tone." All three writers of The Atlantic review praised the mash-up: Patrick Burns said it was beautiful, and noted that "the arrangement was clever, the ladies sounded great, and the song was placed perfectly into the plot of two characters who were restored a bit of their depth in this episode", Brown stated that the song was lovely, and Kevin Fallon felt that it was "unexpectedly gorgeous and haunting", and noted that it was "yet another example of how skilled the music directors are at these mash-ups." Semigran felt that it was the best performance of the night, and TV Line Michael Slezak gave the piece an "A", and said that it was a "vocally and visually stunning set piece for the unlikeliest of duet partners." Flandez commented that the song "floated like gossamer between Rachel and Quinn as they beautifully poured the sentiments of ugly ducklings", and Futterman wrote, "It's a poignant moment, and the inclusion of West Side Story 'I Feel Pretty' makes for a great pop/theater mash-up that reminds us of what Glee is at its heart."
Kurt's performance of "As If We Never Said Goodbye" was also met with critical acclaim. Brown stated that the song was "absolutely stunning in every conceivable way." She thought that he had the emotional connection, the musicality, and the storytelling ability "down pat". Gonzalez gave the song an "A−" and wrote, "Kurt apparently picked up a few helpful notes ... from his Warbler brothers and emerged an even better solo singer than I recall. ... Most enjoyable, however, was a tenderness Kurt added to the song that I don't think could have been duplicated by any other member of this ensemble." Slezak commended Kurt's voice, gave the song an "A", and said, "I feel like we haven't had too many strong musical moments from Kurt this season, but this number, which pushed Chris Colfer's falsetto to impressive heights, went a long way to erase the deficit." Erica Futterman thought that it was "a sweeter moment than last season's 'Rose's Turn', but the high notes and big vocals are still there." Berk gave it three out of five stars and called it "lovely, and properly sentimental". Zoller Seitz called the performance "spellbinding" and concluded, "Chris Colfer turns 'As if We Never Said Goodbye' into a valentine to self-knowledge and self-improvement—and a young, gay singer's dream of treating the world as a stage and commanding it like a star."
The New Directions' rendition of "Born This Way" was strongly approved by Lady Gaga
. On her Twitter
account, she wrote, "I really loved Glee Born This Way episode. I admire the show for being brave+fighting for such modern social messaging. Never back down." Gonzalez gave the performance a "B+", and commented that it wasn't her favorite group number, mostly because she felt the song "wasn't [Lady Gaga's] best effort". Berk was less kind about the song, and called it a "crappy but thematically admirable Gaga tune", though he gave it three stars out of five. Slezak gave it an "A−" and approved of the rendition: "it was nice to see and hear Tina, Mercedes and Kurt on lead vocals—instead of, say, Blaine, Rachel, and Mr. Schue."
The duet of "I Gotta Be Me" by Finn and Mike was considered to be "shockingly adorable" by Berk, who gave it four stars out of five. Slezak was less impressed: "The jazz band arrangement and the Mike-teaches-Finn-some-moves choreography was cute, I guess, but it's not a good sign that I spent half the number focusing on Mike's matching green t-shirt and shoe laces." He went on to question the song's inclusion—"In an episode about confronting one's greatest teenage insecurities, I wonder if there might have been a better choice for a solo than the popular football player with the cheerleader girlfriend lamenting his inability to dance"—and ultimately gave the performance a "B−". Futterman also commented on the song's selection, though from a slightly different angle: "In theory it's charming—and there are definitely moments of the 'I can dance/You can't dance' exchange that were enjoyable—but we couldn't ever imagine this song as something Finn would have voluntarily picked."
"Somewhere Only We Know", as performed by Blaine and the Warblers, received an "A+" from Gonzalez, who loved the song and commented that she was "going to miss the Warblers". Slezak gave the performance a "B", and said that he "can't be too mad at another pretty song sung well by Darren Criss." The performance was acclaimed by Futterman, who wrote, "While the rest of the Warblers maintain their stoic facade, Blaine shows enough emotion to make this bittersweet Keane tune a simple, yet powerful, performance."
The flash-mob mall performance of "Barbra Streisand" was deemed to be pointless by Gonzalez, and she gave it a "C", her lowest grade of the episode. Futterman enjoyed the performance, thinking that it was "the episode's most fun moment and beats out last year's 'Safety Dance' for Glee numbers done in a mall." Slezak also reacted positively to the performance, giving it a "B+".
, on a issue dated for May 4, 2011. It sold 73,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release as a digitally downloadable single. The mash-up of "I Feel Pretty / Unpretty" was the highest charted single featured in the episode, debuting at number twenty-two on the Billboard Hot 100. It also peaked at number thirteen on the Digital 100 charts and sold 112,000 digital downloads in the United States in its first week of release. It was the highest charting Glee single on the Billboard charts since "Loser Like Me
", which debuted at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and sold over 210,000 downloads in its first week. "Somewhere Only We Know" peaked at number forty-two on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, and it sold over 75,000 copies within its first week. The fourth single, "As If We Never Said Goodbye", charted at number eighty.
In Ireland, two of the songs debuted on the Irish Singles Charts on an issue dated May 5, 2011. The mash-up peaked at number thirty-seven, while the cover version of "Somewhere Only We Know" trailed behind at number forty-seven. On May 6, three of the singles appeared on the Canadian Hot 100
. The "I Feel Pretty / Unpretty" mash-up peaked the highest out of all the singles, debuting at twenty-eight. It was followed by "Born This Way" and "Somewhere Only We Know", which debuted at number thirty-one and fifty-two on the charts, respectively.
Glee (season 2)
The second season of the musical comedy-drama television series Glee originally aired between September 21, 2010 and May 24, 2011 on Fox in the United States...
of the American television series Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
, and the 40th episode overall. It originally aired on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
in the United States on April 26, 2011. The episode was written by Brad Falchuk
Brad Falchuk
Brad Falchuk is a television writer, director and producer. He is best known for his work on the television series Nip/Tuck, Glee, and American Horror Story.-Early life:...
and directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, and is a tribute to Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
, the second such tribute to the artist in the show's history. Most of the major plots of the episode center around the topic of homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
, as Kurt
Kurt Hummel
Kurt Hummel is a fictional character and one of the male leads in the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. Series creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan initially conceived of him as a fashionable gay countertenor who is routinely bullied at school...
(Chris Colfer
Chris Colfer
Christopher Paul "Chris" Colfer is an American actor and singer known for his portrayal of Kurt Hummel on the television series Glee, for which he won a 2011 Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and was also nominated twice for an Emmy...
) lays the groundwork for his longtime bully Dave Karofsky
Dave Karofsky
David "Dave" Karofsky, often referred to as Karofsky, is a recurring fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Max Adler, and has appeared in Glee since its first season episode "Mash-Up", first broadcast on October 21, 2009...
(Max Adler) to come to terms with his sexuality, and Santana
Santana Lopez
Santana Lopez is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Naya Rivera, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Santana was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
(Naya Rivera
Naya Rivera
Naya Marie Rivera is an American actress and singer known for her role in the musical comedy television series Glee, as cheerleader Santana Lopez.-Early life:...
) plots to run for school prom queen in the hopes of winning her love interest Brittany
Brittany Pierce
Brittany Susan Pierce is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Heather Morris, and has appeared in Glee from its second episode, "Showmance", first broadcast on September 9, 2009. Brittany was developed by Glee creators Ryan...
(Heather Morris) from Artie
Artie Abrams
Artie Abrams is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Kevin McHale, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Artie was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
(Kevin McHale).
"Born This Way" attracted mostly positive reception from most critics of the show, as many felt that it was one of the better episodes of the season. However, the episode came under scrutiny by several conservative media critics, whom criticized the show's depiction of homosexuality. This episode featured cover versions of seven songs, notably a cover of "Born This Way
Born This Way (song)
"Born This Way" is a song by American recording artist Lady Gaga, from her second studio album, Born This Way. Written and produced by Gaga, Fernando Garibay, Jeppe Laursen and DJ White Shadow, "Born This Way" was developed while Gaga was on the road with The Monster Ball Tour...
" by Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
. Other musical works featured in the episode include cover versions of the Keane song "Somewhere Only We Know
Somewhere Only We Know
"Somewhere Only We Know" is a song performed and composed by English alternative rock band Keane, officially released as their third commercial single, and appearing as the opening track of their debut album, Hopes and Fears as the first single...
" and "I've Gotta Be Me
I've Gotta Be Me
"I've Gotta Be Me" is a popular song that first appeared in the Broadway musical Golden Rainbow, which starred Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé. The musical opened in New York City at the Shubert Theatre on February 4, 1968, and closed less than a year later, on January 11, 1969...
" from the 1968 Broadway production Golden Rainbow
Golden Rainbow
Golden Rainbow is the title of a Broadway musical that opened in 1968. It starred Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé for its entire run until it closed in early 1969....
. The musical covers and performances were met with generally positive reception from critics, with several noting that it contained the best musical selection in a while. With the exception of "Barbra Streisand", all cover versions were released as singles available for digital download.
Upon its initial airing, the episode was viewed by 8.62 million American viewers, and garnered a 3.4/11 Nielsen rating/share in the 18–49 demographic, the lowest ratings and total viewership of the season. The episode's ratings and total viewership significantly declined from the previous episode, "Night of Neglect", which had previously been the low point in viewership.
Plot
During dance rehearsals for the upcoming Nationals competition, New Directions glee clubGlee club
A glee club is a musical group or choir group, historically of male voices but also of female or mixed voices, which traditionally specializes in the singing of short songs—glees—by trios or quartets. In the late 19th Century it was very popular in most schools and was made a tradition...
co-captain Finn Hudson
Finn Hudson
Finn Hudson is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Cory Monteith, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Finn was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
(Cory Monteith
Cory Monteith
Cory Allan Monteith is a Canadian actor and musician, best known for his role of Finn Hudson on the Fox television series Glee.-Early life:...
) accidentally breaks Rachel Berry's (Lea Michele
Lea Michele
Lea Michele Sarfati , known professionally as Lea Michele, is an American actress and singer. Michele began working professionally as a child actress on Broadway in productions such as Ragtime and Les Misérables. She originated the role of Wendla in the musical Spring Awakening and currently plays...
) nose. Her doctor (George Wyner
George Wyner
George Wyner is an American film and television actor. He is probably best known for his role as ADA Bernstein on the series Hill Street Blues. Wyner graduated from Syracuse University in 1968 as a drama major, and was an in-demand character actor by the early 1970s. To date, Wyner has made guest...
) recommends septoplasty
Septoplasty
Septoplasty is a corrective surgical procedure done fix to straighten the nasal septum, the partition between the two nasal cavities. Ideally, the septum should run down the center of the nose. When it deviates into one of the cavities, it narrows that cavity and impedes airflow. Often the...
and elective rhinoplasty
Rhinoplasty
Rhinoplasty , also nose job, is a plastic surgery procedure for correcting and reconstructing the form, restoring the functions, and aesthetically enhancing the nose, by resolving nasal trauma , congenital defect, respiratory impediment, and a failed primary rhinoplasty...
; Rachel considers modelling her nose after Finn's current girlfriend Quinn Fabray
Quinn Fabray
Quinn Fabray is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Dianna Agron, and has appeared in Glee since its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. She is a former cheerleader at the fictional William McKinley High School in...
(Dianna Agron
Dianna Agron
Dianna Agron is an American actress, best known for her portrayal of Quinn Fabray on the television series Glee.-Early life:Dianna Agron was born in Savannah, Georgia, and raised in San Antonio, Texas and San Francisco, California. She is the daughter of Mary and Ronald S. Agron, a general...
), and the two girls duet on the mash-up "I Feel Pretty/Unpretty
Unpretty
"Unpretty" is a 1999 single recorded by TLC. Produced by Dallas Austin and co-written by Austin and TLC group member Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins. "Unpretty" was the second single released from FanMail. It became the group's fourth U.S...
". Both Finn and Puck
Puck (Glee)
Noah "Puck" Puckerman is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Mark Salling, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Puck was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian...
(Mark Salling) oppose her planned transformation. Puck tries to help her accept her nose as part of her Jewish heritage, and recruits Kurt Hummel
Kurt Hummel
Kurt Hummel is a fictional character and one of the male leads in the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. Series creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan initially conceived of him as a fashionable gay countertenor who is routinely bullied at school...
(Chris Colfer
Chris Colfer
Christopher Paul "Chris" Colfer is an American actor and singer known for his portrayal of Kurt Hummel on the television series Glee, for which he won a 2011 Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and was also nominated twice for an Emmy...
), who convinces her to look to her idol Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
, who refused to succumb to pressure to alter her nose. Ultimately, Rachel decides against having surgery.
Club member Santana Lopez
Santana Lopez
Santana Lopez is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Naya Rivera, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Santana was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
(Naya Rivera
Naya Rivera
Naya Marie Rivera is an American actress and singer known for her role in the musical comedy television series Glee, as cheerleader Santana Lopez.-Early life:...
) uses Rachel's broken nose as a launching point to highlight the other group members' physical flaws. Aiming to help them achieve self-acceptance
Self-acceptance
Self-acceptance is defined as affirmation or acceptance of self in spite of weaknesses or deficiencies.Although this term has been often understood in a common sense way, researchers have defined it formally in terms of positive and negative self-concepts...
, glee club director Will Schuester
Will Schuester
William "Will" Schuester, often referred to as Mr. Schue, is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Matthew Morrison and has appeared in Glee since its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Will was developed by Glee...
(Matthew Morrison
Matthew Morrison
Matthew James "Matt" Morrison is an American actor, director, musician, and singer-songwriter. He is best known for starring in multiple Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, including his portrayal of Link Larkin in Hairspray on Broadway, and most notably for his Emmy and Golden Globe nominated...
) urges them to embrace their perceived flaws by printing them on T-shirts to be worn during a group performance of Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
's "Born This Way
Born This Way (song)
"Born This Way" is a song by American recording artist Lady Gaga, from her second studio album, Born This Way. Written and produced by Gaga, Fernando Garibay, Jeppe Laursen and DJ White Shadow, "Born This Way" was developed while Gaga was on the road with The Monster Ball Tour...
". He also encourages school guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury
Emma Pillsbury
Emma Pillsbury is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. Portrayed by actress Jayma Mays, Emma has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Emma was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
(Jayma Mays
Jayma Mays
Jayma Suzette Mays is an American television and film actress, and singer. Mays' most prominent roles include that of Emma Pillsbury on the American television series Glee, recurring appearances on Ugly Betty and on Heroes as characters named Charlie.- Life and career :Mays was born Jamia Suzette...
) to confront her OCD
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Obsessive–compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts that produce uneasiness, apprehension, fear, or worry, by repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing the associated anxiety, or by a combination of such obsessions and compulsions...
; she begins treatment with a psychiatrist, Dr. Shane (Kathleen Quinlan
Kathleen Quinlan
Kathleen Denise Quinlan is an Academy Award and Golden Globe-nominated American actress, mostly seen on television and in motion pictures.-Personal life:...
).
Santana, who is a closeted lesbian, decides to run for school prom
Prom
In the United States and Canada, a prom, short for promenade, is a formal dance, or gathering of high school students. It is typically held near the end of the senior year. It figures greatly in popular culture and is a major event among high school students...
queen in the hope that she can win the love of her best friend Brittany Pierce
Brittany Pierce
Brittany Susan Pierce is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Heather Morris, and has appeared in Glee from its second episode, "Showmance", first broadcast on September 9, 2009. Brittany was developed by Glee creators Ryan...
(Heather Morris), who is dating Artie
Artie Abrams
Artie Abrams is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Kevin McHale, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Artie was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
(Kevin McHale). She realizes that popular jock Dave Karofsky
Dave Karofsky
David "Dave" Karofsky, often referred to as Karofsky, is a recurring fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Max Adler, and has appeared in Glee since its first season episode "Mash-Up", first broadcast on October 21, 2009...
(Max Adler) is also in the closet, after noticing him checking out Sam
Sam Evans
Sam Evans is a recurring fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Chord Overstreet, and appeared on Glee starting with the second season premiere episode entitled "Audition", first broadcast on September 21, 2010, and ending with that...
(Chord Overstreet
Chord Overstreet
Chord Overstreet is an American actor, singer and musician, best known for his role as Sam Evans on the television series Glee.-Early life:...
), and hatches an elaborate scheme to attain her goals: she threatens to out
Outing
Outing is the act of disclosing a gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender person's true sexual orientation or gender identity without that person's consent. Outing gives rise to issues of privacy, choice, hypocrisy, and harm in addition to sparking debate on what constitutes common good in efforts...
Karofsky unless he agrees to stop the bullying that drove Kurt from McKinley and the glee club. The pair form an anti-bullying club to make the school safer in order to entice Kurt back and bolster the glee club's chance at Nationals, though mostly to boost Santana's popularity before the prom. They also become one another's "beard" to bolster their heterosexual facades.
Karofsky issues an apology to Kurt at a group meeting involving Will, Principal Figgins (Iqbal Theba
Iqbal Theba
Iqbal Theba is a Pakistani-American actor. Theba currently has a recurring role as Principal Figgins in the show Glee.-Life and career:Theba became a familiar face in the 1990s when he appeared in various TV shows and commercials in the United States....
), and their fathers. Though Kurt wants to transfer back to McKinley from Dalton Academy, he is hesitant until Karofsky admits privately that Santana's prom queen scheme is behind his change of heart and the anti-bullying movement; Kurt agrees to return, but only if Karofsky will start a school PFLAG club with him. As Kurt arrives back at McKinley, the Dalton Academy Warblers glee club that he had joined while he was away—fronted by his boyfriend Blaine Anderson
Blaine Anderson
Blaine Anderson is a fictional character from the American musical comedy-drama television series Glee. Played by Darren Criss, Blaine was introduced in the sixth episode of the second season as the openly gay lead singer of the Dalton Academy Warblers, a rival show choir to New Directions, the...
(Darren Criss
Darren Criss
Darren Everett Criss is an American actor, singer-songwriter, musician, composer, and a founding member and co-owner of the theater company StarKid Productions. He currently portrays Blaine Anderson, an openly gay high school student, on the FOX television series Glee...
)—serenades him in farewell with a rendition of Keane's "Somewhere Only We Know
Somewhere Only We Know
"Somewhere Only We Know" is a song performed and composed by English alternative rock band Keane, officially released as their third commercial single, and appearing as the opening track of their debut album, Hopes and Fears as the first single...
". Kurt marks his re-entry to New Directions with a solo performance of "As If We Never Said Goodbye" from Sunset Boulevard
Sunset Boulevard (musical)
Sunset Boulevard is a musical with book and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Based on the 1950 film of the same title, the plot revolves around Norma Desmond, a faded star of the silent screen era, living in the past in her decaying mansion on the...
.
As the race for prom queen intensifies, Lauren Zizes
Lauren Zizes
Lauren Zizes is a recurring fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series, Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Ashley Fink, and has appeared in Glee since the season one episode "Wheels", first broadcast on November 11, 2009. Lauren was developed by Glee creators Ryan...
(Ashley Fink
Ashley Fink
Ashley Rae Fink is an American actress, known for her role as Lauren Zizes in the television series Glee, and also as Carter McMahon in Huge.-Personal life:...
) begins campaigning against Quinn. She discovers that Quinn's first name is Lucy, and that she used to be an overweight outcast who had rhinoplasty before re-inventing herself and transferring to McKinley. Lauren attempts to sabotage Quinn's campaign by revealing her former image to the other students, but it backfires when Quinn's popularity actually increases amongst the girls like Lauren. Lauren apologizes to Quinn, but Quinn commends her for her confidence and pride. Brittany shows off her shirt to Santana, and gives Santana a shirt reading "Lebanese", believing that it reads "Lesbian". Santana balks at wearing it, and the two argue; Brittany finally storms off saying that if Santana loved herself as much as Brittany loved her, she would put on the shirt and dance with her. The episode closes with the club, minus Santana, embracing their identities and performing "Born This Way". During the song, Emma arrives wearing a T-shirt that acknowledges her own problems—it reads "OCD"—and she and Will join the performance. Karofsky and Santana watch from the audience, with Santana wearing her "Lebanese" shirt.
Production
The episode was extended and ran for 90 minutes, as opposed to the usual 60 minutes. Michael AusielloMichael Ausiello
Michael Ausiello is an American television industry journalist and actor. He was a Senior Writer at TV Guide and its companion website, TVGuide.com. On May 28, 2008, Ausiello left TV Guide for Entertainment Weekly and posted his first blog for Entertainment Weekly on July 2, 2008...
of TVLine
TVLine
TVLine is a website devoted to information, news and spoilers of television programs.-History:In late 2010, Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello announced that he would be leaving EW after nearly two years in their employ to establish a TV-centered website with MMC, the media company founded by...
reported that the producers included two extra musical performances to fill the extended time slot. Series creator Ian Brennan
Ian Brennan (writer)
Ian Brennan is a television writer, actor and producer. He is best known for his work on the television show Glee.-Early life:Brennan is the son of John and Charman Brennan. His sister, Sarah Brennan, is one of the founders of in Chicago...
stated that he believed the extension was granted as there were two songs which would otherwise have been cut for length. He welcomed the additional 24 minutes of screen time, and commented: "We're always desperately cutting down our episodes. Even when we write them, and then in the editing room we're always throwing away stuff that I really love to get it down to time. [...] It will be just really interesting content-wise for us [to have an extension]."
The focus of the episode is Lady Gaga's song "Born This Way", which she approved for use in Glee before the song premiered. This will be the second episode to highlight Gaga's music, the first one being season one's
Glee (season 1)
The first season of the musical comedy-drama television series Glee originally aired on Fox in the United States. The pilot episode was broadcast as an advanced preview of the series on May 19, 2009, with the remainder of the season airing between September 9, 2009 and June 8, 2010...
"Theatricality
Theatricality
"Theatricality" is the 20th episode of the American television series Glee. The episode was written and directed by series creator Ryan Murphy, and premiered on the Fox network on May 25, 2010. In "Theatricality", glee club member Tina Cohen-Chang has an identity crisis...
". According to Monteith, the focus of "Born This Way" is the characters "embracing the things about [them]selves that [they] don't like and tailoring [their] performances around that." It features homophobic
Homophobia
Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
Dave Karofsky starting to come to terms with his homosexuality. The plot arc
Story arc
A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. On a television program, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story...
, which began in the season's sixth episode, "Never Been Kissed
Never Been Kissed (Glee)
"Never Been Kissed" is the sixth episode of the second season of the American television series Glee, and the 28th episode overall. It was written by Brad Falchuk, directed by Bradley Buecker and premiered on Fox on November 9, 2010. In "Never Been Kissed", the glee club members are assigned a boys...
", is intended by series creator Ryan Murphy to have a happy ending. He explained that, while someone like Karofsky could turn to drugs or alcohol or commit suicide, Glee is "by nature optimistic", so he plans to conclude the storyline positively. For fellow closeted character Santana, "Born This Way" set up the final three episodes of the season, which will increase focus on her love for her best friend Brittany. The episode additionally marked the first appearance of guest star Dr. Shane, "a very smart, cool and kind psychiatrist" who may become a recurring character. Other characters seen in "Born This Way" include glee club members Mike Chang
Mike Chang
Michael "Mike" Chang, Jr. is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor and dancer Harry Shum, Jr., and has appeared on Glee since the fourth episode in the first season, "Preggers", first broadcast on September 23, 2009...
(Harry Shum, Jr.
Harry Shum, Jr.
Harry Shum, Jr. is an American dancer, actor, and choreographer. He is best known for his role as Mike Chang on the FOX television show Glee. He has appeared in dance films such as Stomp the Yard, You Got Served, Step Up 2: The Streets and Step Up 3D...
), Sam Evans and Lauren Zizes, Kurt's boyfriend Blaine Anderson, school bully Azimio (James Earl),
Principal Figgins, and Karofsky's father, Paul (Daniel Roebuck
Daniel Roebuck
Daniel James Roebuck is an American television film actor, writer and producer, primarily in films, soap operas and television.-Life and career:...
).
In addition to "Born This Way", the other songs covered in the episode were Keane's "Somewhere Only We Know", "As If We Never Said Goodbye" from the musical Sunset Boulevard, a mash-up of "I Feel Pretty" from West Side Story
West Side Story
West Side Story is an American musical with a script by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and choreographed by Jerome Robbins...
and "Unpretty" by TLC
TLC (band)
TLC is an American musical trio whose repertoire spanned R&B, hip-hop, soul, funk, and new jack swing. Originally consisting of singer Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, rapper-singer Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and singer Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas it found success in the 1990s while also enduring a series of spats...
, "I've Gotta Be Me
I've Gotta Be Me
"I've Gotta Be Me" is a popular song that first appeared in the Broadway musical Golden Rainbow, which starred Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé. The musical opened in New York City at the Shubert Theatre on February 4, 1968, and closed less than a year later, on January 11, 1969...
" from the musical Golden Rainbow
Golden Rainbow
Golden Rainbow is the title of a Broadway musical that opened in 1968. It starred Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé for its entire run until it closed in early 1969....
, and Duck Sauce
Duck sauce
Duck sauce is a condiment with a sweet and sour flavor and a translucent orange appearance similar to a thin jelly. Offered at Chinese-American restaurants, it is used as a dip for deep-fried dishes such as duck, chicken, fish, spring rolls, egg rolls, or with rice or noodles. It is often provided...
's "Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand (song)
“Barbra Streisand” is a disco house song by American-Canadian DJ duo Duck Sauce. It was released on 10 September 2010. The song peaked at number one in Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Finland, Switzerland and Austria...
". All but "Barbra Streisand" were released as digital
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
singles for the episode. "Somewhere Only We Know" was included on the series' seventh soundtrack, Glee: The Music Presents the Warblers
Glee: The Music Presents the Warblers
Glee: The Music Presents the Warblers is the seventh soundtrack album by the cast of Glee, a musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States. Released through Columbia Records on April 19, 2011, it contains thirteen covers: eleven accompanying performances from the...
, and "As If We Never Said Goodbye", "Born This Way" and "I Feel Pretty / Unpretty" were included on the series' eighth soundtrack, Glee: The Music, Volume 6.
Ratings
"Born This Way" was first broadcast on April 26, 2011 in the United States. It averaged a 3.4/11 Nielsen rating/share in the 18–49 demographic, and also averaged nearly 8.62 million American viewers during its initial airing. The first hour of the show garnered 8.3 million American viewers and a 3.3/9 rating in the 18-49 demographic, despite airing simultaneously with a rerun of NCISNCIS (TV series)
NCIS, formerly known as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, is an American police procedural drama television series revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts criminal investigations involving the U.S...
on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, The Biggest Loser
The Biggest Loser: Couples 4
The Biggest Loser: Couples 4 is the eleventh season of the NBC reality television series entitled The Biggest Loser. The contestants competed to win a $250,000 prize, which was awarded to Olivia Ward, the contestant with the highest percentage of weight loss. It premiered on January 4, 2011...
on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, No Ordinary Family
No Ordinary Family
No Ordinary Family is an American television series on ABC. The 45-minute science fiction comedy-drama was produced by ABC Studios for the 2010–11 television season. The series ran from September 28, 2010 to April 5, 2011, on Tuesdays at 8 pm ET/PT...
on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, and One Tree Hill
One Tree Hill (TV series)
One Tree Hill is an American television drama created by Mark Schwahn, which premiered on September 23, 2003, on The WB Television Network. After its third season, The WB merged with UPN to form The CW Television Network, and, since September 27, 2006, the network has been the official broadcaster...
on The CW. The last half hour of the episode had 8.5 million American viewers, as well as a 3.4/9 rating in the 18-49 demographic, despite airing alongside with a rerun of NCIS: Los Angeles on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, Dancing with the Stars on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, The Voice on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, and Hellcats
Hellcats
Hellcats is an American cheerleading comedy-drama television series that originally aired on The CW in the United States from September 8, 2010 to May 17, 2011...
on The CW. The total viewership and ratings were the lowest of the second season of Glee, and was down from those of the previous episode, "Night of Neglect", which was watched by 9.80 million American viewers and acquired a 3.8/11 rating/share upon first airing. In the UK, the episode was watched by 2.52 million viewers (2.087 million on E4, and 433,000 on E4+1), becoming the most-watched show on E4 and E4 +1 for the week, and the most-watched show on cable for the week.
Critical response
"Born This Way" was given a positive reception by many critics of the show. Erica Futterman of Rolling Stone and Sandra Gonzalez of Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
both considered it to be an improvement from the previous episode. Futterman wrote that it "gave us the charm, wit and just-zany-enough-to-be-plausible plot lines we were sorely missing after last week's predictable" episode, and added, "Even better: the episode didn't feel as long as the 90 minutes it clocked in at." IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
Robert Canning gave the episode a "great" rating of 8 out of 10. While he said the episode was entertaining, he felt that it did not need to be an hour and a half. Emily Yahr of The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
agreed about the extended length, and did not like what she called "lame attempts to fill time", which she said "detracted from what started as a decent episode". She did, however, cite several "promising storylines", including Rachel's, and noted, "Usually, New Directions leader Rachel Berry is a caricature of all things annoying—but this episode, we see her genuinely struggling with wanting to love herself the way she is". The Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
Bobby Hankinson summed it up as follows: "Not an epic episode, just sort of … meh." Amy Reiter of The Los Angeles Times reacted more positively and wrote, "The 90-minute episode had a lot of laughs, a lot of heart, some good lessons, character development, a few good numbers and more than a few surprises."
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
Todd VanDerWerff gave it a "B", and wrote that he "finally got a sense that, yes, this second season has been building toward something and has been trying to tell an emotional story, as well as a humorous one. 'Born This Way', for the first time in a long time, made me feel like I could say I was a fan of Glee without a million qualifiers." Gary Mills of the Florida Times-Union felt that the episode didn't live up to its hype, but also said that he wasn't disappointed. Brett Berk of Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
reacted positively, and noted that by "focusing on what makes these lovable dorks, well, lovable dorks—and not pop, or high-school, superstars—tonight's episode, if a bit tidily, reminded us that these are supposed to be kids". Matt Zoller Seitz of Salon thought that "Born This Way" was "the show's best episode to date", and "an epic about a hero returning from a long journey, walking serenely through halls that once scared him, and performing with such skill and sincerity that his friends stared at him with love and awe." Aly Semigran of MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
had mixed emotions. She criticized the abrupt changes of the storylines in the episode, and thought that the episode "was a noble effort" but "it didn't quite work the way it was supposed to." Raymund Flandez of The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
stated that the episode "sounded just the perfect notes" and called it "the best episode yet". He continued: "The night held wonderful gems: A clear message. Witty repartee (…). Great character build up. And tailored songs that carried emotional heft."
Several critics praised the development of Santana. Hankinson wrote, "My goodness, Santana. It's as if all the writers sat around a room, identified the best lines of tonight's episode and then decided to give them all to Santana. Fantastic." VanDerWerff called Santana the highlight of the episode: "The best thing about this episode is Naya Rivera
Naya Rivera
Naya Marie Rivera is an American actress and singer known for her role in the musical comedy television series Glee, as cheerleader Santana Lopez.-Early life:...
's work as Santana and the story the three writers have cooked up for her. Rivera's really come into her own this season, going from just a generic bitchy cheerleader to an actual character who has motivations and might be a better villain for the show than Sue." He added, "the storyline of Santana realizing she was in love with Brittany and, thus, is probably a lesbian has been nicely plotted and surprisingly deep. The reveal about Santana hasn't washed away her less savory qualities; indeed, it's heightened them, to a degree, as she struggles to be true to herself and still maintain her status as the hottest girl in school." Jenna Mullins of E! Online wrote of Santana, "This episode just cemented my love for her. The insult spew in the beginning of the episode was awesomely mean." She also said that Santana's "inner monologue is often more entertaining than other characters' outer monologues". CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
Lisa Respers France considered Santana the episode's highlight, and went on to write, "She embraced her inner lesbian (sort of) and rattled off the best [lines] like 'the only straight I am is straight-up [bitch].' You gotta love that."
Some critics reacted negatively to the episode. Scott Pierce of The Salt Lake Tribune
The Salt Lake Tribune
The Salt Lake Tribune is the largest-circulated daily newspaper in the U.S. city of Salt Lake City. It is distributed by Newspaper Agency Corporation, which also distributes the Deseret News. The Tribune — or "Trib," as it is locally known — is currently owned by the Denver-based MediaNews Group....
felt that the show has jumped the shark starting from this episode. He felt that the Kurt storyline had some major flaws, and that the messages being sent have been mixed. The episode garnered criticism from a number of conservatives, who found the depiction of homosexuality abrasive. In an interview with ABC News
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
, conservative media critic Dan Gainor felt that it was Ryan Murphy's "latest depraved initiative to promote his gay agenda." He added: "This is clearly Ryan Murphy's vision of what growing up should be, not most of America's. It's a high school most parents would not want to send their kids to."
Music and performances
The musical performances and cover versions in the episode received generally positive commentary. Gonzalez stated that she loved the song choices, and Meghan Brown of The Atlantic felt that this episode carried the best selection of music of a Glee episode in a long time. Flandez commended that they are "tailored songs that carried emotional heft".Critics mostly reacted with acclaim for the mash-up of "I Feel Pretty / Unpretty". Gonzalez gave the performance an "A" and commented: "While part of me would have said that pairing Rachel and Quinn for a duet would vocally be like putting a pit bull in a cage match with a Maltipoo, it actually worked! There was a surprisingly balanced and incredibly lovely tone." All three writers of The Atlantic review praised the mash-up: Patrick Burns said it was beautiful, and noted that "the arrangement was clever, the ladies sounded great, and the song was placed perfectly into the plot of two characters who were restored a bit of their depth in this episode", Brown stated that the song was lovely, and Kevin Fallon felt that it was "unexpectedly gorgeous and haunting", and noted that it was "yet another example of how skilled the music directors are at these mash-ups." Semigran felt that it was the best performance of the night, and TV Line Michael Slezak gave the piece an "A", and said that it was a "vocally and visually stunning set piece for the unlikeliest of duet partners." Flandez commented that the song "floated like gossamer between Rachel and Quinn as they beautifully poured the sentiments of ugly ducklings", and Futterman wrote, "It's a poignant moment, and the inclusion of West Side Story 'I Feel Pretty' makes for a great pop/theater mash-up that reminds us of what Glee is at its heart."
Kurt's performance of "As If We Never Said Goodbye" was also met with critical acclaim. Brown stated that the song was "absolutely stunning in every conceivable way." She thought that he had the emotional connection, the musicality, and the storytelling ability "down pat". Gonzalez gave the song an "A−" and wrote, "Kurt apparently picked up a few helpful notes ... from his Warbler brothers and emerged an even better solo singer than I recall. ... Most enjoyable, however, was a tenderness Kurt added to the song that I don't think could have been duplicated by any other member of this ensemble." Slezak commended Kurt's voice, gave the song an "A", and said, "I feel like we haven't had too many strong musical moments from Kurt this season, but this number, which pushed Chris Colfer's falsetto to impressive heights, went a long way to erase the deficit." Erica Futterman thought that it was "a sweeter moment than last season's 'Rose's Turn', but the high notes and big vocals are still there." Berk gave it three out of five stars and called it "lovely, and properly sentimental". Zoller Seitz called the performance "spellbinding" and concluded, "Chris Colfer turns 'As if We Never Said Goodbye' into a valentine to self-knowledge and self-improvement—and a young, gay singer's dream of treating the world as a stage and commanding it like a star."
The New Directions' rendition of "Born This Way" was strongly approved by Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
. On her Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
account, she wrote, "I really loved Glee Born This Way episode. I admire the show for being brave+fighting for such modern social messaging. Never back down." Gonzalez gave the performance a "B+", and commented that it wasn't her favorite group number, mostly because she felt the song "wasn't [Lady Gaga's] best effort". Berk was less kind about the song, and called it a "crappy but thematically admirable Gaga tune", though he gave it three stars out of five. Slezak gave it an "A−" and approved of the rendition: "it was nice to see and hear Tina, Mercedes and Kurt on lead vocals—instead of, say, Blaine, Rachel, and Mr. Schue."
The duet of "I Gotta Be Me" by Finn and Mike was considered to be "shockingly adorable" by Berk, who gave it four stars out of five. Slezak was less impressed: "The jazz band arrangement and the Mike-teaches-Finn-some-moves choreography was cute, I guess, but it's not a good sign that I spent half the number focusing on Mike's matching green t-shirt and shoe laces." He went on to question the song's inclusion—"In an episode about confronting one's greatest teenage insecurities, I wonder if there might have been a better choice for a solo than the popular football player with the cheerleader girlfriend lamenting his inability to dance"—and ultimately gave the performance a "B−". Futterman also commented on the song's selection, though from a slightly different angle: "In theory it's charming—and there are definitely moments of the 'I can dance/You can't dance' exchange that were enjoyable—but we couldn't ever imagine this song as something Finn would have voluntarily picked."
"Somewhere Only We Know", as performed by Blaine and the Warblers, received an "A+" from Gonzalez, who loved the song and commented that she was "going to miss the Warblers". Slezak gave the performance a "B", and said that he "can't be too mad at another pretty song sung well by Darren Criss." The performance was acclaimed by Futterman, who wrote, "While the rest of the Warblers maintain their stoic facade, Blaine shows enough emotion to make this bittersweet Keane tune a simple, yet powerful, performance."
The flash-mob mall performance of "Barbra Streisand" was deemed to be pointless by Gonzalez, and she gave it a "C", her lowest grade of the episode. Futterman enjoyed the performance, thinking that it was "the episode's most fun moment and beats out last year's 'Safety Dance' for Glee numbers done in a mall." Slezak also reacted positively to the performance, giving it a "B+".
Chart history
Several of the cover versions featured debuted on numerous musical charts. The show's rendition of "Born This Way" debuted at number forty-four on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, on a issue dated for May 4, 2011. It sold 73,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release as a digitally downloadable single. The mash-up of "I Feel Pretty / Unpretty" was the highest charted single featured in the episode, debuting at number twenty-two on the Billboard Hot 100. It also peaked at number thirteen on the Digital 100 charts and sold 112,000 digital downloads in the United States in its first week of release. It was the highest charting Glee single on the Billboard charts since "Loser Like Me
Loser Like Me
"Loser Like Me" is a song performed by the cast of American television series Glee, taken from their sixth soundtrack album, Glee: The Music, Volume 5. The song was written by the series' music producer Adam Anders, Swedish pop music producer Max Martin, and Peer Åström, Savan Kotecha, and Johan...
", which debuted at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and sold over 210,000 downloads in its first week. "Somewhere Only We Know" peaked at number forty-two on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, and it sold over 75,000 copies within its first week. The fourth single, "As If We Never Said Goodbye", charted at number eighty.
In Ireland, two of the songs debuted on the Irish Singles Charts on an issue dated May 5, 2011. The mash-up peaked at number thirty-seven, while the cover version of "Somewhere Only We Know" trailed behind at number forty-seven. On May 6, three of the singles appeared on the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
. The "I Feel Pretty / Unpretty" mash-up peaked the highest out of all the singles, debuting at twenty-eight. It was followed by "Born This Way" and "Somewhere Only We Know", which debuted at number thirty-one and fifty-two on the charts, respectively.
External links
- "Born This Way" at Fox.com