Holly Holliday
Encyclopedia
Holly Holliday is a recurring
fictional character
from the Fox
musical comedy-drama series, Glee
. The character is portrayed by actress Gwyneth Paltrow
, and appeared three times during the show's the second season. Holly is Paltrow's first-ever role in a scripted television show. The role of Holly was developed by Glee creator Ryan Murphy, a personal friend of Paltrow's, who suggested that she showcase her vocal and dancing talents ahead of the release of her film Country Strong, in which she played a country singer. She is a susbtitute teacher who sometimes works at McKinley High School, and while New Directions glee club director Will Schuester
(Matthew Morrison
) was out sick served as the club's temporary director.
Paltrow's portrayal of the character has received positive reviews and earned her a 2011 Emmy Award
for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. She sang the lead vocals on several musical numbers during her appearances including Cee-Lo Green's hit "Forget You", which she later performed live with Green at the 53rd Grammy Awards. Paltrow was featured in Glee: The 3D Concert Movie
after being filmed when she appeared as Holly in the 2011 Glee Live! In Concert!
tour performances on June 16 and 17, 2011 at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey and performed "Forget You!" along with the Glee cast. She also performed with them in London on June 29, 2011.
), Holly Holliday is a substitute teacher at McKinley High School at first subbing for an English class. After seeing her perform a rendition of Conjunction Junction in English class, Kurt Hummel
asks her to sub for the Glee club while their normal director Will Schuester
is out sick. Holly asks the kids what kind of music they would like to perform in the club noticing that Will's teaching style is very rigid and doesn't allow them to perform the music they want to sing winning over all the kids except for Rachel Berry with a rendition of Forget You, she later manages to convince Rachel to loosen up and they perform a number from Chicago
together. Holly quickly bonds with Sue Sylvester
over the fictitious Animal Hoarders leading Sue who is temporarily principal into firing Will Schuester and leaving Holly the permanent head of the Glee club. Holly turns to Will after he confronts her at school and reveals that she was once a more uptight teacher like Will until a student punched her in the face at which point she became more relaxed and care free. Will gets his job back but he asks for her help to modernize a number which results in the mashup of Umbrella/Singin' In The Rain
.
Holly later returns to McKinley High as a sex education teacher in Sexy
, when she brought it to Will's attention that the Glee club kids were ignorant to sex he invited her into the club to teach them about safe sex where she performed a rendition of Joan Jett's Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah) much to the chagrin of the new head of the celibacy club Emma Pillsbury
. When rehearsing a number of Prince's Kiss with Will the two share a kiss. She advises Puck and Lauren on the legality of their planned sex tape and helps Brittany Pierce
and Santana Lopez
come to terms with their sexual orientation and their feelings and reveals she had had same sex sexual encounters of her own during college, she then helps them perform Landslide
in front of the class. Carl Howell comes to Holly for an appointment to discuss his sex life with Emma where Emma reveals that she and Carl hadn't had sex yet because she was in love with Will. By the end of the episode she enters into a relationship with Will. She was at a meditation retreat during Original Song.
Holly makes her final appearance in season two in A Night of Neglect
by now firmly in a relationship with Will Schuester
she suggests that in order to help raise funds for the academic decathlon team which is composed of Glee club members Mike, Tina, Artie, and Brittany, they hold a benefit concert at the school featuring songs featured only by neglected artists.
She performs a cover of Adele
's Turning Tables. By the end of the episode, after realizing that he is still in love with Emma, Holly breaks up with Will and moves on to another town.
and scored a number 1 in Australia for her duet of "Cruisin'
". Her role was initially for two episodes where she was to portray a love interest for Will Schuester for a love quadrangle with Will, Emma and Carl however it was reduced to one episode. After the Substitute Murphy expressed interest in having Gwyneth return with the right storyline Gwyneth later confirmed her second appearance on the series as Holly Holliday and was supposed to appear in episodes 15 and 16 instead appearing in episodes 15 and 17. Paltrow made her final appearance of the season in A Night of Neglect. Murphy said that he considered Paltrow a muse and even when she wasn't in an episode he'd run ideas by her.
When discussing season three Ryan Murphy initially said that there would be no guest stars during the season including Gwyneth Paltrow returning as Holly Holliday. Gwyneth initially said she would not return for Glee in season three she said to Glamour magazine "No, I don't think so. I don't think I should. Though it's honestly been one of the best jobs I've ever had." However she later stated that she would love to return to Glee revealing to Bang Showbus "[I] love doing that show and [Holly] Holliday is probably the most fun character I've ever gotten to play." Murphy also stated that he had plans for Gwyneth to return in season three. In the first season Finn mentions Gwyneth Paltrow naming her daughter Apple when suggesting baby names to Quinn.
songs and that the songs they sing sound like somebody else's favourites. She reveals in "The Substitute" that she used to be more structred however after being punched in the face by one of her students she decided to become more care free and move from town to town as a relaxed substitute teacher. She claims in "Sexy" to have never had a relationship that lasted more than 48 hours. She was at a meditation retreat during Original Song.
When she returns as a sexual education teacher it's also shown that she is a highly sexual person. She claims to have had same-sex sexual encounters at her "all girls college where the only industry in the town was the manufacturing of softball equipment" but does not identify as lesbian or bisexual. She also claims to have made a sex tape with American author J.D. Salinger. She says that she knows a lot about sex but not a lot about romance, her relationship with Will is one of her first real relationships. She seems to enjoy meditation bringing Santana and Brittany to a meditation room in "Sexy" and going on a meditation retreat during "Original Song."
as part of the love quadrangle with Emma Pillsbury and Carl Howell in her first appearance. However this storyline was pushed back until her last two episodes Sexy and A Night of Neglect. Soraya Roberts of The Daily News disliked the pairing describing Holliday as a home wrecker in the prolonged separation of Will and Emma. Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club
also disliked the couple and felt that Paltrow and Morrison lacked chemistry. The character was depicted as having never had a relationship that lasted more than 48 hours aside from her eventual relationship with Will Schuester which ended because she felt that he was still in love with Emma Pilsbury.
" earned her an Emmy Award
for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series and attracted critical praise. Entertainment Weekly
's Tim Stack said that her performance was emmy worthy and one of her best ever performances. E! Online's Kristin dos Santos also said it was an Emmy-worthy performance and that she received some of Glee's best one-liners ever. Todd VanDerWerff of the A.V. Club wrote that Holly injected an effortless sense of fun, despite much of her plot being nonsensical. The Atlantic Meghan Brown commented that Paltrow "brought a massive spark to what could have been a one-note role", and her Atlantic co-author Kevin Fallon wrote that her energetic performance saved an episode which may have been "in shambles without her presence."
Robert Canning of IGN noted that Paltrow's casting could have been distracting, but instead she fit the role "seamlessly", and CNN
's Lisa Respers France compared her performance favorably to Britney Spears
cameo in the episode "Britney/Brittany
". Brett Berk of Vanity Fair
found her "surprisingly great", and James Poniewozik of Time too expressed surprise at her performance, stating that while her casting was somewhat distracting, she was able to make Holly a sympathetic character without overdoing her neediness and commitment-phobia.
Jen Chaney of The Washington Post
suggested that with her Glee appearance, her "mission to charm the American public may be complete."
However The National Alliance on Mental Illness
(NAMI) took offence to the scene in which Paltrow role plays Mary Todd Lincoln
during a history class, which, it stated, "mocked and trivialized bipolar disorder
". NAMI encouraged people to contact Murphy and Fox TV to convey their disappointment with the scene.
Her subsequent appearances garnered more mixed responses from critics while many preferred her appearance in Sexy such as The Washington Post's Lisa de Moraes who said that she was better integrated into this episode, and Raymund Flandez of the Wall Street Journal who called her return "infinitely better" than her first appearance, explaining, "Back then, she was a puzzle, a loony bin. Here, she's sly and quick-witted, appropriately adult and seductively saucy in an episode that showcased more of her comedic timing, than her stiff dance skills. All the better for us." however Soraya Roberts disliked her return saying that Paltrow's appearance in "The Substitute" was "relatively fresh", in "Sexy" she was "acting almost like a cardboard cutout version of her former self, overly enunciating her lines [and] treading carefully around her choreography" and Poniewozik said that he found Paltrow's scenes "labored and ridiculous" and that she failed to bring realism to the character. While Sandra Gonzalez of Entertainment Weekly
had mixed feelings about Holly's return.
also reviewed it positively. Cee-Lo Green stated he was flattered, and was unaware that Paltrow was such an accomplished vocalist. Benigno loved her rendition of "Conjunction Junction" as well saying it was a glorious ten seconds. Benigno graded "Singin' In The Rain
/ Umbrella" a "B". Stack said that he loved the mash-up and gave it an "A-".
"Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)" was subject to more mixed reviews with Gonzalez finding it lacking vocally, and Roberts describing it as a "leather-clad hair whipping mess". She deemed Paltrow's dancing in "Kiss" rigid and she found her performance of "Landslide
" pretty but uninspired. Gonzalez gave Landslide a B+ wishing that Santana rather than Holly had sung lead do its relevance to her character. Stevie Nicks said that Paltrow sang the song beautifully. Her cover of "Turning Tables
" was criticised for "lack[ing] the texture that made Adele's version so heartbreaking", and for Paltrow not being a strong enough singer.
Recurring character
A recurring character is a fictional character, usually in a prime time TV series, who appears from time to time during the series' run. Recurring characters often play major roles in an episode, sometimes being the main focus...
fictional character
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the 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...
musical comedy-drama 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...
. The character is portrayed by actress Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Kate Paltrow is an American actress and singer. She made her acting debut on stage in 1990 and started appearing in films in 1991. After appearing in several films throughout the decade, Paltrow gained early notice for her work in films such as Se7en and Emma...
, and appeared three times during the show's the second season. Holly is Paltrow's first-ever role in a scripted television show. The role of Holly was developed by Glee creator Ryan Murphy, a personal friend of Paltrow's, who suggested that she showcase her vocal and dancing talents ahead of the release of her film Country Strong, in which she played a country singer. She is a susbtitute teacher who sometimes works at McKinley High School, and while New Directions 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...
) was out sick served as the club's temporary director.
Paltrow's portrayal of the character has received positive reviews and earned her a 2011 Emmy Award
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming...
for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. She sang the lead vocals on several musical numbers during her appearances including Cee-Lo Green's hit "Forget You", which she later performed live with Green at the 53rd Grammy Awards. Paltrow was featured in Glee: The 3D Concert Movie
Glee: The 3D Concert Movie
Glee: The 3D Concert Movie is a 2011 American 3-D concert film directed by Kevin Tancharoen. It is based on the Fox television series Glee and features the cast performing during the Glee Live! In Concert! tour.-Synopsis:...
after being filmed when she appeared as Holly in the 2011 Glee Live! In Concert!
Glee Live! In Concert!
Glee Live! In Concert! is a concert tour performed in character by members of the cast of the popular television series, Glee. The tour, created by series creator Ryan Murphy was designed due to the overwhelming response to the series. The show reached North America, the United Kingdom and Ireland...
tour performances on June 16 and 17, 2011 at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey and performed "Forget You!" along with the Glee cast. She also performed with them in London on June 29, 2011.
Storylines
In her first appearance on Glee, (The SubstituteThe Substitute
The Substitute is a 1996 action-crime-thriller film directed by Robert Mandel and starring Tom Berenger, Ernie Hudson, Marc Anthony, William Forsythe, Raymond Cruz, and Luis Guzmán.-Plot:...
), Holly Holliday is a substitute teacher at McKinley High School at first subbing for an English class. After seeing her perform a rendition of Conjunction Junction in English class, 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...
asks her to sub for the Glee club while their normal 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...
is out sick. Holly asks the kids what kind of music they would like to perform in the club noticing that Will's teaching style is very rigid and doesn't allow them to perform the music they want to sing winning over all the kids except for Rachel Berry with a rendition of Forget You, she later manages to convince Rachel to loosen up and they perform a number from Chicago
Chicago (musical)
Chicago is a musical set in Prohibition-era Chicago. The music is by John Kander with lyrics by Fred Ebb and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse. The story is a satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice and the concept of the "celebrity criminal"...
together. Holly quickly bonds with Sue Sylvester
Sue Sylvester
Susan "Sue" Sylvester is a fictional character of the Fox musical comedy-drama series, Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Jane Lynch, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Sue was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian...
over the fictitious Animal Hoarders leading Sue who is temporarily principal into firing Will Schuester and leaving Holly the permanent head of the Glee club. Holly turns to Will after he confronts her at school and reveals that she was once a more uptight teacher like Will until a student punched her in the face at which point she became more relaxed and care free. Will gets his job back but he asks for her help to modernize a number which results in the mashup of Umbrella/Singin' In The Rain
Singin' in the Rain (song)
"Singin' In the Rain" is a song with lyrics by Arthur Freed and music by Nacio Herb Brown, published in 1929. However, it is unclear exactly when the song was written with some claiming that the song was written and performed as early as 1927. The song was listed as Number 3 on AFI's 100 Years.....
.
Holly later returns to McKinley High as a sex education teacher in Sexy
Sexy (Glee)
"Sexy" is the fifteenth episode of the second season of the American television series Glee, and the 37th overall. It was written by Brad Falchuk, directed by Ryan Murphy, and premiered on Fox on March 8, 2011. This episode mainly revolves around the topics of sex and adolescent sexuality...
, when she brought it to Will's attention that the Glee club kids were ignorant to sex he invited her into the club to teach them about safe sex where she performed a rendition of Joan Jett's Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah) much to the chagrin of the new head of the celibacy club 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...
. When rehearsing a number of Prince's Kiss with Will the two share a kiss. She advises Puck and Lauren on the legality of their planned sex tape and helps 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...
and 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...
come to terms with their sexual orientation and their feelings and reveals she had had same sex sexual encounters of her own during college, she then helps them perform Landslide
Landslide (song)
The country group Dixie Chicks then covered "Landslide" on their 2002 Home album. This rendition, featuring the group's trademark two- and three-part harmonies reached the Top 10 of both the pop and country charts as well as several other charts. It became the Dixie Chicks' only number 1 single ...
in front of the class. Carl Howell comes to Holly for an appointment to discuss his sex life with Emma where Emma reveals that she and Carl hadn't had sex yet because she was in love with Will. By the end of the episode she enters into a relationship with Will. She was at a meditation retreat during Original Song.
Holly makes her final appearance in season two in A Night of Neglect
A Night of Neglect
"A Night of Neglect" is the seventeenth episode of the second season of the American musical television series Glee, and the 39th episode overall. It was written by Ian Brennan, directed by Carol Banker, and aired on Fox in the United States on April 19, 2011...
by now firmly in a relationship with 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...
she suggests that in order to help raise funds for the academic decathlon team which is composed of Glee club members Mike, Tina, Artie, and Brittany, they hold a benefit concert at the school featuring songs featured only by neglected artists.
She performs a cover of Adele
Adele
Adele is a female given name of European origin used in English, French, German and Italian with a meaning of noble, kind, and tender...
's Turning Tables. By the end of the episode, after realizing that he is still in love with Emma, Holly breaks up with Will and moves on to another town.
Creation
The role was created specifically for Gwyneth Paltrow by her close friend Ryan Murphy who suggested the character to demonstrate her singing and dancing abilities ahead of her then upcoming film. Country Strong Murphy said of Paltrow "Gwyneth is a great singer. She's done it a little bit but I really want to show it off and show everyone how great she is," it wasn't the first time Paltrow had sung on screen she played a karaoke singer in 2000's DuetsDuets
An original motion picture soundtrack CD was released on September 12, 2000 by Hollywood Records. The CD contained twelve tracks including the original music composed for the film by David Newman....
and scored a number 1 in Australia for her duet of "Cruisin'
Cruisin' (song)
"Cruisin" is a 1979 single written, produced, and recorded by Smokey Robinson for Motown Records' Tamla label. One of Robinson's most successful singles outside of his work with The Miracles, "Cruisin'" was a Top 10 Billboard Pop hit, peaking at number four not only on the Billboard Hot 100 but on...
". Her role was initially for two episodes where she was to portray a love interest for Will Schuester for a love quadrangle with Will, Emma and Carl however it was reduced to one episode. After the Substitute Murphy expressed interest in having Gwyneth return with the right storyline Gwyneth later confirmed her second appearance on the series as Holly Holliday and was supposed to appear in episodes 15 and 16 instead appearing in episodes 15 and 17. Paltrow made her final appearance of the season in A Night of Neglect. Murphy said that he considered Paltrow a muse and even when she wasn't in an episode he'd run ideas by her.
When discussing season three Ryan Murphy initially said that there would be no guest stars during the season including Gwyneth Paltrow returning as Holly Holliday. Gwyneth initially said she would not return for Glee in season three she said to Glamour magazine "No, I don't think so. I don't think I should. Though it's honestly been one of the best jobs I've ever had." However she later stated that she would love to return to Glee revealing to Bang Showbus "[I] love doing that show and [Holly] Holliday is probably the most fun character I've ever gotten to play." Murphy also stated that he had plans for Gwyneth to return in season three. In the first season Finn mentions Gwyneth Paltrow naming her daughter Apple when suggesting baby names to Quinn.
Characterization
Holly has been depicted as very carefree and relaxed in contrast with the more uptight Will Schuester. Her catch phrase is "I thought you'd never ask". In her first appearance she gave Noah Puckerman answers to a pop quiz she was going to give in her class, helping him to cheat and told Rachel Berry that she was too uptight and needed to relax more, winning her over with a dance number. She listens to the kids and what music they want to listen to noting that they do a lot of JourneyJourney (band)
Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco by former members of Santana. The band has gone through several phases; its strongest commercial success occurred between the 1978 and 1987, after which it temporarily disbanded...
songs and that the songs they sing sound like somebody else's favourites. She reveals in "The Substitute" that she used to be more structred however after being punched in the face by one of her students she decided to become more care free and move from town to town as a relaxed substitute teacher. She claims in "Sexy" to have never had a relationship that lasted more than 48 hours. She was at a meditation retreat during Original Song.
When she returns as a sexual education teacher it's also shown that she is a highly sexual person. She claims to have had same-sex sexual encounters at her "all girls college where the only industry in the town was the manufacturing of softball equipment" but does not identify as lesbian or bisexual. She also claims to have made a sex tape with American author J.D. Salinger. She says that she knows a lot about sex but not a lot about romance, her relationship with Will is one of her first real relationships. She seems to enjoy meditation bringing Santana and Brittany to a meditation room in "Sexy" and going on a meditation retreat during "Original Song."
Relationships
Holly was initially planned to be in a relationship with Will SchuesterWill 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...
as part of the love quadrangle with Emma Pillsbury and Carl Howell in her first appearance. However this storyline was pushed back until her last two episodes Sexy and A Night of Neglect. Soraya Roberts of The Daily News disliked the pairing describing Holliday as a home wrecker in the prolonged separation of Will and Emma. Todd VanDerWerff of 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...
also disliked the couple and felt that Paltrow and Morrison lacked chemistry. The character was depicted as having never had a relationship that lasted more than 48 hours aside from her eventual relationship with Will Schuester which ended because she felt that he was still in love with Emma Pilsbury.
Reception
Paltrow's performance in "The SubstituteThe Substitute (Glee)
"The Substitute" is the seventh episode of the second season of the American television series Glee, and the 29th episode overall. It was written by Ian Brennan, directed by Ryan Murphy, and premiered on Fox on November 16, 2010...
" earned her an Emmy Award
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming...
for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series and attracted critical praise. Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment 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...
's Tim Stack said that her performance was emmy worthy and one of her best ever performances. E! Online's Kristin dos Santos also said it was an Emmy-worthy performance and that she received some of Glee's best one-liners ever. Todd VanDerWerff of the A.V. Club wrote that Holly injected an effortless sense of fun, despite much of her plot being nonsensical. The Atlantic Meghan Brown commented that Paltrow "brought a massive spark to what could have been a one-note role", and her Atlantic co-author Kevin Fallon wrote that her energetic performance saved an episode which may have been "in shambles without her presence."
Robert Canning of IGN noted that Paltrow's casting could have been distracting, but instead she fit the role "seamlessly", and 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...
's Lisa Respers France compared her performance favorably to Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
cameo in the episode "Britney/Brittany
Britney/Brittany
"Britney/Brittany" is the second episode of the second season of the American television series Glee, and the 24th episode overall. Written and directed by series creator Ryan Murphy, it premiered on the Fox network on September 28, 2010, and pays tribute to Britney Spears...
". 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...
found her "surprisingly great", and James Poniewozik of Time too expressed surprise at her performance, stating that while her casting was somewhat distracting, she was able to make Holly a sympathetic character without overdoing her neediness and commitment-phobia.
Jen Chaney 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...
suggested that with her Glee appearance, her "mission to charm the American public may be complete."
However The National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Alliance on Mental Illness
The National Alliance on Mental Illness was founded in 1979 as the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. NAMI is a nation-wide American advocacy group, representing families and people affected by mental illness as a non-profit grass roots organization and has affiliates in every American state...
(NAMI) took offence to the scene in which Paltrow role plays Mary Todd Lincoln
Mary Todd Lincoln
Mary Ann Lincoln was the wife of the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, and was First Lady of the United States from 1861 to 1865.-Life before the White House:...
during a history class, which, it stated, "mocked and trivialized bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder or bipolar affective disorder, historically known as manic–depressive disorder, is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated energy levels, cognition, and mood with or without one or...
". NAMI encouraged people to contact Murphy and Fox TV to convey their disappointment with the scene.
Her subsequent appearances garnered more mixed responses from critics while many preferred her appearance in Sexy such as The Washington Post's Lisa de Moraes who said that she was better integrated into this episode, and Raymund Flandez of the Wall Street Journal who called her return "infinitely better" than her first appearance, explaining, "Back then, she was a puzzle, a loony bin. Here, she's sly and quick-witted, appropriately adult and seductively saucy in an episode that showcased more of her comedic timing, than her stiff dance skills. All the better for us." however Soraya Roberts disliked her return saying that Paltrow's appearance in "The Substitute" was "relatively fresh", in "Sexy" she was "acting almost like a cardboard cutout version of her former self, overly enunciating her lines [and] treading carefully around her choreography" and Poniewozik said that he found Paltrow's scenes "labored and ridiculous" and that she failed to bring realism to the character. While Sandra Gonzalez of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment 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...
had mixed feelings about Holly's return.
Musical numbers
Paltrow's rendition of "Forget You!" garnered positive critical reception, Anthony Benigno of the Daily News preferred it to the original saying that Paltrow's deeper voice gave it more oomph. Erica Futterman of Rolling Stone found her rendition "charming and sassy", Megan Vick of BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
also reviewed it positively. Cee-Lo Green stated he was flattered, and was unaware that Paltrow was such an accomplished vocalist. Benigno loved her rendition of "Conjunction Junction" as well saying it was a glorious ten seconds. Benigno graded "Singin' In The Rain
Singin' in the Rain (song)
"Singin' In the Rain" is a song with lyrics by Arthur Freed and music by Nacio Herb Brown, published in 1929. However, it is unclear exactly when the song was written with some claiming that the song was written and performed as early as 1927. The song was listed as Number 3 on AFI's 100 Years.....
/ Umbrella" a "B". Stack said that he loved the mash-up and gave it an "A-".
"Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)" was subject to more mixed reviews with Gonzalez finding it lacking vocally, and Roberts describing it as a "leather-clad hair whipping mess". She deemed Paltrow's dancing in "Kiss" rigid and she found her performance of "Landslide
Landslide (song)
The country group Dixie Chicks then covered "Landslide" on their 2002 Home album. This rendition, featuring the group's trademark two- and three-part harmonies reached the Top 10 of both the pop and country charts as well as several other charts. It became the Dixie Chicks' only number 1 single ...
" pretty but uninspired. Gonzalez gave Landslide a B+ wishing that Santana rather than Holly had sung lead do its relevance to her character. Stevie Nicks said that Paltrow sang the song beautifully. Her cover of "Turning Tables
Turning Tables
"Turning Tables" is a song by the English singer-songwriter Adele from her second studio album, 21 . The song was written by Adele and Ryan Tedder and it was produced by Jim Abbiss. The pop song was written in the key of C Minor...
" was criticised for "lack[ing] the texture that made Adele's version so heartbreaking", and for Paltrow not being a strong enough singer.