Special Education (Glee)
Encyclopedia
"Special Education" is the ninth episode of the second season
of the American musical television series Glee
, and the 31st episode overall. It was written by series creator Brad Falchuk
, directed by Paris Barclay
, and aired on Fox in the United States on November 30, 2010. In "Special Education", the McKinley High School glee club
New Directions competes in the Sectionals round of show choir
competition against the Hipsters and the Dalton Academy Warblers, while dealing with internal feuding that threatens to rip the club apart.
The episode shows the former member of New Directions, Kurt Hummel
(Chris Colfer
), at his new school Dalton Academy, where he joins the rival Warblers. With his departure, New Directions must find a new twelfth member to remain eligible for the competition. Club director Will Schuester
(Matthew Morrison
) decides to feature overlooked performers from the group for Sectionals, to the consternation of the usual lead singers, Rachel Berry (Lea Michele
) and Finn Hudson
(Cory Monteith
). The episode received a wide range of reviews, with a small majority commenting favorably; some viewed it as a lesser version of the first season's Sectionals episode. By contrast, the six songs covered during the show received generally favorable reviews, with the most praise going to "Dog Days Are Over" and "Valerie" as performed by New Directions, and "Hey, Soul Sister" as sung by the Warblers.
Upon its initial airing, this episode was viewed by 11.68 million American viewers and garnered a 4.6/13 Nielsen rating/share in the 18–49 demographic, up significantly from the previous episode, "Furt
".
competition is imminent,The first Sectionals event was seen in the season one
episode entitled "Sectionals
". and the New Directions glee club is one below the required minimum of twelve members now that Kurt Hummel
(Chris Colfer
) has transferred to Dalton Academy, home of Sectionals rivals the Warblers. At club director Will Schuester
's (Matthew Morrison
) behest, Puck
(Mark Salling) attempts to recruit from his football teammates, but they lock him in a port-a-potty
. He is rescued the next day by AV Club president and wrestler Lauren Zizes
(Ashley Fink
), and she agrees to join New Directions, though he has to bribe her first.
Will invites school guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury
(Jayma Mays
) to accompany him to Sectionals. She accepts, and suggests he consider featuring other club members instead of his usual choices, co-captains Finn Hudson
(Cory Monteith
) and Rachel Berry (Lea Michele
). Will gives the lead vocals for one song to duets competition winners Quinn Fabray
(Dianna Agron
) and Sam Evans
(Chord Overstreet
),The duets competition occurred in the season two
episode entitled "Duets
". which upsets Rachel and Finn, while Brittany Pierce
(Heather Morris) and Mike Chang
(Harry Shum, Jr.
) are given lead dancing roles on another number. When Brittany admits she is nervous about performing, her boyfriend Artie Abrams
(Kevin McHale) gives her a "magic comb" to boost her confidence. She and Mike commence time-consuming rehearsals for their dance routine, and Mike's girlfriend Tina Cohen-Chang
(Jenna Ushkowitz) suspects that they are having an affair; when Artie confronts Brittany about it, she confesses that she has been avoiding him because she lost his comb. Artie admits that the comb was never magical, and tells Brittany that she is magic.
Kurt attends his first meeting with the Dalton Academy Warblers. He learns that the setlist for Sectionals is selected by a council of upperclassmen, and is offered a chance to audition for a solo at Sectionals. He visits Rachel for advice, and at her recommendation sings "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" from the musical Evita. Kurt is not given a solo, and his friend Blaine
(Darren Criss
) suggests that he try to fit in rather than stand out.
Santana
(Naya Rivera
) tells Rachel that she and Finn had sex the previous spring, and Rachel is furious that Finn's claim to be a virgin was a lie. Emma counsels them, and then realizes that she should not attend Sectionals with Will since her boyfriend Carl (John Stamos
) would be hurt; she and Carl fly to Las Vegas
for the weekend.
At sectionals, the Hipsters and the Warblers perform first, the latter singing Train
's "Hey, Soul Sister
" with Blaine on lead. Despite much backstage drama, the New Directions set goes smoothly, with Quinn and Sam performing "(I've Had) The Time of My Life
" and Santana singing lead on Amy Winehouse
's cover of The Zutons
' "Valerie
"; Brittany and Mike receive several bursts of applause for their dancing. New Directions and the Warblers tie for first place, which means that both groups will advance to the Regionals competition.
Emma tells Will that she married Carl in Las Vegas, and despite his shock, Will says he is happy for her. Finn breaks up with Rachel after she confesses that she made out with Puck to get back at him over Santana. New Directions performs Florence and the Machine
's "Dog Days Are Over
" to celebrate the club's competition survival, with Tina and Mercedes
(Amber Riley
) singing lead.
": the a cappella
Warblers from Dalton Academy, an all-male
institution in Westerville
—they were seen in that episode performing the song "Teenage Dream
"—and the Hipsters from the Warren Township continuing education
program, which consists of seniors working toward earning General Educational Development diplomas. While Darren Criss sings lead on the Warblers song, the background vocals are sung by the Tufts Beelzebubs, a male a cappella group from Tufts University
in Medford, Massachusetts
, not the actors playing the Warblers on screen. The Beelzebubs had not yet met Criss at the time the episode aired. The scenes of the Warblers performance of "Hey, Soul Sister" were filmed in a theater over the course of two fifteen-hour days, according to Chris Mann, one of the actors: from the front on the first day, and from the back on the second.
Cheyenne Jackson
as Dustin Goolsby and John Stamos
as Carl Howell were originally supposed to have scenes in this episode—the Fox publicity included a photograph of a scene between Dustin and Will—but Jackson's was cut entirely, and only a brief shot of Stamos embracing Mays as Emma was retained in the final version. Recurring characters in this episode include glee club members Mike Chang
(Harry Shum, Jr.
) and Sam Evans
(Chord Overstreet
), school bullies Dave Karofsky
(Max Adler) and Azimio (James Earl), Stamos as Howell, and Darren Criss
as Blaine Anderson
, lead singer of the Warblers. Vicki Woodlee, mother of Glee choreographer Zach Woodlee, plays one of the Hipsters; as the youngest of the performers at 60, she had to wear a great deal of makeup to emulate an older person's appearance, including "pounds of powder". Zach Woodlee instructed those cast as Hipsters, the oldest of whom was 83, to limit their dance movements to seem more realistic. Scenes were filmed over the course of four days. Actress and former American Bandstand
member Bunny Gibson
plays another group member. Co-stars include Ashley Fink
, who appears as new glee club member Lauren Zizes
, Telly Leung and Titus Makin, Jr., who return as Warblers Wes and David, respectively, and Riker Lynch
, Eddy Martin
and Curt Mega, who debut as Warblers Jeff, Thad and Nick, respectively.
"Special Education" features cover version
s of six songs: "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" from the musical Evita, Mike + The Mechanics' "The Living Years
", Train's "Hey, Soul Sister", "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" from the film Dirty Dancing
, "Valerie" by The Zutons (although specifically a cover of the version by Mark Ronson
featuring Amy Winehouse), and Florence and the Machine's "Dog Days Are Over". Each song was released as a single, available for digital download
, with two separate versions of "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" released—one by Chris Colfer (Kurt) and the other by Lea Michele (Rachel). "Valerie" and "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" are included on the fifth soundtrack album Glee: The Music, Volume 4, released on November 26, 2010, and "Hey, Soul Sister" was included on the seventh soundtrack album, Glee: The Music Presents the Warblers
, released on April 19, 2011.
on CBS, Christmas In Rockefeller Center on NBC, Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas
and Shrek the Halls
on ABC, and CW's usual offering, One Tree Hill
. The total viewership and ratings for this episode were up significantly from those of the previous episode, "Furt
", which was watched by 10.41 million American viewers and acquired a 4.0/12 rating/share in the 18–49 demographic upon first airing on television on November 23, 2010.
In Canada, 2.32 million viewers watched the episode, ranking second for the week. In the UK, the episode was watched by 2.602 million viewers (2.218 million on E4, and 384,000 on E4+1), which made it the most-watched show on cable for the week.
was similarly laudatory, and said that the show was "back in top form"; she added that the episode "felt very reminiscent of the magic the first season provided".
Others were more tempered in their praise. James Poniewozik of Time
said the episode was "grounded" and "solid-if-not-spectacular", and highlighted how Glee "has developed into a broad ensemble, where any of several characters is capable of taking the spotlight, even an originally comic-relief character like Brittany." Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club
and the Houston Chronicle
Bobby Hankinson both liked the episode—VanDerWerff gave it a "B+"—but they, like Erica Futterman of Rolling Stone
who was less complimentary, were disappointed that it failed to measure up to the last time New Directions competed in Sectionals. VanDerWerff wrote, "When the show […] remains, at some level, a show about a bunch of kids who just love to sing and dance and maybe have wacky adventures on the side, it remains fundamentally strong, as it does tonight." He also stated, "The fact that the Warblers and New Directions tied, while probably necessary for whatever reason, is ridiculously anticlimactic and keeps this episode from an A- pretty much singlehandedly."
Amy Reiter of the Los Angeles Times
was disappointed with almost everything, and said the episode "felt more like a long, slow letdown after a season of gleeful highs". She added, "New Directions' sectionals performance wasn't a total fumble, but it wasn't the touchdown you might've hoped for either", and of the long-awaited opportunity to see other members featured in competition: "the anticipated shining moment turned out to be so dull." Reiter was one of a very few critics to note the absence of cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester in the episode, and only when she lamented the "relative lack of humor". Futterman merely remarked on Sue's non-appearance in passing; she came to the conclusion that "we got a spazzy, unfocused hour at the expense of emotional investment", and though Anthony Benigno of the Daily News complimented the "solid acting", he also wrote that "this is the first time the show's started to feel genuinely boring as opposed to, you know, gleeful." He made a general complaint as well: "This show is starting to suffer in a big way from making the music secondary to the plot." Robert Canning of IGN
gave the episode a 7.5 out of 10 rating. He said that the show "tried to make it all work, and while the hour was enjoyable enough, each storyline felt just a little bit shy of going from good to great."
A few reviewers remarked on how the Hipsters seemed to be a reflection of the New Directions crew in fifty years, with Futterman getting into specifics: "We see future Rachel start the number with a cane and future Mercedes break through to finish the song off with a riff, and it's hard not to be endeared to them." Poniewozik wrote that Rachel's "silent reminder to Kurt to smile on stage was a perfect, sweet little moment", a sentiment shared by Tim Stack of Entertainment Weekly
. Poniewozik also noted that "Lea Michele had some of her strongest non-singing moments of the season by showing not just how Rachel dealt with her problems with Finn but with being on the periphery of the group." The storyline that featured the disintegration of the Rachel–Finn relationship, when commented on at all, was viewed unfavorably; VanDerWerff called it a "stupid twist".
Brown praised the addition of Fink as Lauren to New Directions, and declared, "I hope she's on the team for keeps", while Poniewozik was pleased that "the episode used Lauren for comedy without simply making her the butt of jokes". Brown also wrote, "Kurt's arc was subtler this week, and thereby about 50 times more interesting. I […] am impressed that Glee handling his acclimation to Dalton so truthfully." Canning was similarly impressed, and called Kurt at Dalton "the most solid story" of the episode. There was little approval among reviewers for the "canary in a cage" metaphor in the scene between Kurt and Blaine at the end of the episode, with Kurt the "canary" in his new Dalton cage; Hankinson characterized it as "super ham-fisted", and others were nearly as harsh.
echoed Kurt's words in the episode; she said "Rachel really is as talented as she is irritating", but wished she "didn't always look like she's crying while she's singing", and added that she was "really digging Kurt in a lower register". Futterman noted that Rachel, as is usual with her "power ballads", "uses the time to grapple with the latest obstacle to her future stardom, while we see Kurt deliver a clear, restrained take. Benigno called Michele's voice "astounding", and added that her solo alternated "with Kurt's audition with the Warblers, which is predictably outstanding", and gave the song a "B+". Even those who disliked the song or the composer were won over by the performance: Berk gave it three stars out of five, and Burns thought it was "fantastic"; both liked the song's tag-team presentation.
The performance of Train's "Hey, Soul Sister" by the Dalton Academy Warblers received even more praise than "Don't Cry For Me Argentina". Benigno called it flawless, and gave it an "A++", and Hanh Nguyen of Zap2it
gave it her "top prize" of the night. Berk gave it four stars out of five, Burns said "the Warblers sounded fantastic and fun", and Harper said she loved it, and that, like the audience on the show, she "would have given it" a "standing ovation". Stack said he "sorta" hated the song "from sheer overexposure", but "Darren Criss sold it for me with his choreography and acting", and gave it a "B+". Pat Monahan, the lead singer of Train, said: "Loved it! I thought they did an amazing job."
The praise was more tepid for Sam and Quinn's "(I've Had) the Time of My Life". Benigno called it "solid", but added "overkill knocks it down to a solid B." Both Futterman and Stack said the number "fell a little flat", though Stack said the duo had "great physical chemistry". Fallon characterized it as an "adorable duet". Berk gave it five stars of five, his best grade for the episode, and called it "oozy, curdling perfection", while Reiter was the least impressed, and wrote that their "voices (and romantic interplay) seemed wan and thin."
The New Directions closing number at Sectionals, "Valerie", received the most commentary, with Santana's solo given enthusiastic praise, though Brittany and Mike's dancing was also lauded. Hankinson, who had tepidly called songs "nice" up to this point, shifted gears and said, "Then Santana burns the roof down with a rendition of Amy Winehouse's 'Valerie'. It was awesome." Raymund Flandez of The Wall Street Journal
echoed that fervor: "But then Santana came on and killed. With an on-spot rendition of Mark Ronson/Amy Winehouse's 'Valerie,' and wearing a Snooki bun, Santana was electrifying behind the mic, in an energizing display that revved up the audience", and added, "Brittany and Mike's pas de deux rocked". Benigno opined that "Brittany and Mike Chang handle the moves (extraordinarily well), but the vocals here are what steal it. Naya Rivera (Santana) is completely outstanding on lead vocals, and I can't understand why she hasn't gotten a solo before this"; he gave it an "A". Stack was slightly less generous with an "A-", and wrote that it was a "great song choice for Santana"; he gave "bonus points for the phenomenal Mike/Brittany choreography", while Harper said that their dancing "totally made the song". Nguyen liked the dancing, but she was critical of how the song sounded, as she felt "it lacked something and didn't really feel worthy of the standing O", while Futterman said "Santana's sassy vocals are a perfect echo of Winehouse's, but the rest of the song feels a bit like a circus". Reiter felt the entire song "seemed kind of tacked on", both the dancing and Santana's solo.
"Dog Days Are Over" was the favorite song of several reviewers, including Hankinson, who said "it was the exact brand of high-energy jubilation that I love the most." Harper was also enthusiastic: "This performance for me represents what I like about New Directions—and why Kurt needs to come back asap. Everyone got to do their own individual thing, yet they still work really well as a group. I give it best song of the night." In Semigran's view, "From the cute choreographed claps to the unconventional (but oddly fitting) choice to have Tina and Mercedes sing the tune, I wish they'd save this one for regionals. It was a winner", while VanDerWerff wrote, " 'Dog Days Are Over' is right in this show's wheelhouse, so, naturally, it hits the song out of the park." Benigno gave the song a "B+", and Berk awarded three stars out of five, while Stack gave it an "A", and said series creator Ryan Murphy "chose the perfect gals to pull off this cover."
, and appeared on other musical charts. The show's rendition of "Dog Days Are Over" debuted at number twenty-two on both the Hot 100 and Canadian Hot 100, and pushed the original version of the song by Florence and the Machine ahead of it to number twenty-one on the Hot 100, up from number fifty-eight in the previous week. The other songs on the Hot 100 were "Hey, Soul Sister" at number twenty-nine, which also made number thirty-two on the Canadian Hot 100; "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" at number thirty-eight, which also made number thirty-nine on the Canadian Hot 100; "Valerie" at number fifty-four, which also made number seventy on the Canadian Hot 100; and "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" in the Lea Michele version, at number ninety-seven.
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 musical 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 31st episode overall. It was written by series creator 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:...
, directed by Paris Barclay
Paris Barclay
Paris K.C. Barclay is an American television director and producer. He has directed over 100 episodes of television to date, for series including NYPD Blue, ER, The West Wing, CSI, Lost, The Shield, House M.D., Law & Order, Monk, Numb3rs, City of Angels, Cold Case, and more recently The Mentalist,...
, and aired on Fox in the United States on November 30, 2010. In "Special Education", the McKinley High School glee club
Glee 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...
New Directions competes in the Sectionals round of show choir
Show choir
A show choir is a group of people who combine choral singing with dance movements, sometimes within the context of a specific idea or story.-History:...
competition against the Hipsters and the Dalton Academy Warblers, while dealing with internal feuding that threatens to rip the club apart.
The episode shows the former member of New Directions, 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...
), at his new school Dalton Academy, where he joins the rival Warblers. With his departure, New Directions must find a new twelfth member to remain eligible for the competition. 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...
) decides to feature overlooked performers from the group for Sectionals, to the consternation of the usual lead singers, Rachel Berry (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...
) and 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:...
). The episode received a wide range of reviews, with a small majority commenting favorably; some viewed it as a lesser version of the first season's Sectionals episode. By contrast, the six songs covered during the show received generally favorable reviews, with the most praise going to "Dog Days Are Over" and "Valerie" as performed by New Directions, and "Hey, Soul Sister" as sung by the Warblers.
Upon its initial airing, this episode was viewed by 11.68 million American viewers and garnered a 4.6/13 Nielsen rating/share in the 18–49 demographic, up significantly from the previous episode, "Furt
Furt
"Furt" is the eighth episode of the second season of the American musical television series Glee, and the 30th episode overall. It was written by series creator Ryan Murphy, directed by Carol Banker, and premiered on Fox in the United States on November 23, 2010...
".
Plot
The show choir SectionalsSectionals
"Sectionals" is the 13th episode of the American television series Glee. It premiered on the Fox network on December 9, 2009. The episode was written and directed by series co-creator Brad Falchuk, and serves as the mid-season finale for the show's first season. "Sectionals" sees the glee club win...
competition is imminent,The first Sectionals event was seen in the season one
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...
episode entitled "Sectionals
Sectionals
"Sectionals" is the 13th episode of the American television series Glee. It premiered on the Fox network on December 9, 2009. The episode was written and directed by series co-creator Brad Falchuk, and serves as the mid-season finale for the show's first season. "Sectionals" sees the glee club win...
". and the New Directions glee club is one below the required minimum of twelve members now that 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...
) has transferred to Dalton Academy, home of Sectionals rivals the Warblers. At 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...
's (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...
) behest, 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) attempts to recruit from his football teammates, but they lock him in a port-a-potty
Portable toilet
Portable toilet are simple portable enclosures containing a chemical toilet which are typically used as a temporary toilet for construction sites and large gatherings and events. Most of the portable toilets have black open-front-U-shaped toilet seat with cover...
. He is rescued the next day by AV Club president and wrestler 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:...
), and she agrees to join New Directions, though he has to bribe her first.
Will invites 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 accompany him to Sectionals. She accepts, and suggests he consider featuring other club members instead of his usual choices, co-captains 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:...
) and Rachel Berry (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...
). Will gives the lead vocals for one song to duets competition winners 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 Sam Evans
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:...
),The duets competition occurred in the season two
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...
episode entitled "Duets
Duets
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....
". which upsets Rachel and Finn, while 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) and 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...
) are given lead dancing roles on another number. When Brittany admits she is nervous about performing, her boyfriend Artie Abrams
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) gives her a "magic comb" to boost her confidence. She and Mike commence time-consuming rehearsals for their dance routine, and Mike's girlfriend Tina Cohen-Chang
Tina Cohen-Chang
Tina Cohen-Chang is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Jenna Ushkowitz, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Tina was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian...
(Jenna Ushkowitz) suspects that they are having an affair; when Artie confronts Brittany about it, she confesses that she has been avoiding him because she lost his comb. Artie admits that the comb was never magical, and tells Brittany that she is magic.
Kurt attends his first meeting with the Dalton Academy Warblers. He learns that the setlist for Sectionals is selected by a council of upperclassmen, and is offered a chance to audition for a solo at Sectionals. He visits Rachel for advice, and at her recommendation sings "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" from the musical Evita. Kurt is not given a solo, and his friend Blaine
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...
) suggests that he try to fit in rather than stand out.
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:...
) tells Rachel that she and Finn had sex the previous spring, and Rachel is furious that Finn's claim to be a virgin was a lie. Emma counsels them, and then realizes that she should not attend Sectionals with Will since her boyfriend Carl (John Stamos
John Stamos
John Phillip Stamos is an American actor, singer and musician best known for his work in television, especially in his starring role as Jesse Katsopolis on the ABC sitcom Full House. Since the cancellation of that show in 1995, Stamos has appeared in numerous television films and series. From 2006...
) would be hurt; she and Carl fly to Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
for the weekend.
At sectionals, the Hipsters and the Warblers perform first, the latter singing Train
Train (band)
Train is an American pop rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1994. The band currently comprises a core trio of Patrick Monahan , Jimmy Stafford and Scott Underwood ....
's "Hey, Soul Sister
Hey, Soul Sister
"Hey, Soul Sister" is a song by the American rock band Train, written by Patrick Monahan, Amund Bjørklund, and Espen Lind. It was released as the lead single from the band's fifth studio album, Save Me, San Francisco. The song reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and is their highest...
" with Blaine on lead. Despite much backstage drama, the New Directions set goes smoothly, with Quinn and Sam performing "(I've Had) The Time of My Life
(I've Had) The Time of My Life
" The Time of My Life" is a song composed by Franke Previte, John DeNicola, and Donald Markowitz. It was recorded by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes, after having been selected to be the finale song for the 1987 film Dirty Dancing, by choreographer Kenny Ortega and his assistant Miranda Garrison...
" and Santana singing lead on Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse
Amy Jade Winehouse was an English singer-songwriter known for her powerful deep contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres including R&B, soul and jazz. Winehouse's 2003 debut album, Frank, was critically successful in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize...
's cover of The Zutons
The Zutons
The Zutons are an English indie rock band from Liverpool. They were formed in 2001 but did not release their first album, Who Killed...... The Zutons?, until May 2004. They achieved their biggest hits with "Why Won't You Give Me Your Love?" and "Valerie", both taken from their second studio album...
' "Valerie
Valerie (The Zutons song)
"Valerie" is a song by the English indie rock band The Zutons from the band's second studio album, Tired of Hanging Around . Released as the album's second single on 19 June 2006 in the United Kingdom, along with their previous single "Why Won't You Give Me Your Love?", it gave The Zutons their...
"; Brittany and Mike receive several bursts of applause for their dancing. New Directions and the Warblers tie for first place, which means that both groups will advance to the Regionals competition.
Emma tells Will that she married Carl in Las Vegas, and despite his shock, Will says he is happy for her. Finn breaks up with Rachel after she confesses that she made out with Puck to get back at him over Santana. New Directions performs Florence and the Machine
Florence and the Machine
Florence and the Machine is the recording name of English musician Florence Welch and a collaboration of other artists who provide music for her voice. Florence and the Machine's sound has been described as a combination of various genres, including rock and soul...
's "Dog Days Are Over
Dog Days Are Over
"Dog Days Are Over" is the second single released by Florence and the Machine from their debut album Lungs. It was originally scheduled for release on November 24, 2008 through Moshi Moshi Records in the UK but was later pushed back for release on December 1, 2008...
" to celebrate the club's competition survival, with Tina and Mercedes
Mercedes Jones
Mercedes Jones is a fictional character from the Fox popular musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Amber Riley, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Mercedes was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and...
(Amber Riley
Amber Riley
Amber Patrice Riley is an American actress and singer best known for her role on the series Glee as Mercedes Jones.-Early life and career:...
) singing lead.
Production
The competitors for Sectionals were announced three episodes prior in "Never Been KissedNever 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...
": the a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
Warblers from Dalton Academy, an all-male
Single-sex education
Single-sex education, also known as single-gender education, is the practice of conducting education where male and female students attend separate classes or in separate buildings or schools. The practice was predominant before the mid-twentieth century, particularly in secondary education and...
institution in Westerville
Westerville, Ohio
Westerville, once known as "The Dry Capital of the World", is a city in Franklin and Delaware counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 35,318 at the 2000 census.-Early history:...
—they were seen in that episode performing the song "Teenage Dream
Teenage Dream (Katy Perry song)
"Teenage Dream" is a song by American recording artist Katy Perry. It was released as the second single from her third studio album of the same name on July 23, 2010 through digital distribution. Perry and Bonnie McKee wrote many songs with a youthful theme in mind, but they were rejected by...
"—and the Hipsters from the Warren Township continuing education
Continuing education
Continuing education is an all-encompassing term within a broad spectrum of post-secondary learning activities and programs. The term is used mainly in the United States and Canada...
program, which consists of seniors working toward earning General Educational Development diplomas. While Darren Criss sings lead on the Warblers song, the background vocals are sung by the Tufts Beelzebubs, a male a cappella group from Tufts University
Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
in Medford, Massachusetts
Medford, Massachusetts
Medford is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States, on the Mystic River, five miles northwest of downtown Boston. In the 2010 U.S. Census, Medford's population was 56,173...
, not the actors playing the Warblers on screen. The Beelzebubs had not yet met Criss at the time the episode aired. The scenes of the Warblers performance of "Hey, Soul Sister" were filmed in a theater over the course of two fifteen-hour days, according to Chris Mann, one of the actors: from the front on the first day, and from the back on the second.
Cheyenne Jackson
Cheyenne Jackson
Cheyenne Jackson is an American actor and singer. He started in regional theater when he moved to Seattle, and after moving to New York City, made his 2002 Broadway theatre debut understudying both male leads in the Tony Award-winning musical Thoroughly Modern Millie...
as Dustin Goolsby and John Stamos
John Stamos
John Phillip Stamos is an American actor, singer and musician best known for his work in television, especially in his starring role as Jesse Katsopolis on the ABC sitcom Full House. Since the cancellation of that show in 1995, Stamos has appeared in numerous television films and series. From 2006...
as Carl Howell were originally supposed to have scenes in this episode—the Fox publicity included a photograph of a scene between Dustin and Will—but Jackson's was cut entirely, and only a brief shot of Stamos embracing Mays as Emma was retained in the final version. Recurring characters in this episode 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...
) and Sam Evans
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:...
), school bullies 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) and Azimio (James Earl), Stamos as Howell, and 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...
as 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...
, lead singer of the Warblers. Vicki Woodlee, mother of Glee choreographer Zach Woodlee, plays one of the Hipsters; as the youngest of the performers at 60, she had to wear a great deal of makeup to emulate an older person's appearance, including "pounds of powder". Zach Woodlee instructed those cast as Hipsters, the oldest of whom was 83, to limit their dance movements to seem more realistic. Scenes were filmed over the course of four days. Actress and former American Bandstand
American Bandstand
American Bandstand is an American music-performance show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer...
member Bunny Gibson
Bunny Gibson
Kathleen "Bunny" Gibson is an actress and former regular dancer on the American Bandstand television program...
plays another group member. Co-stars include 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:...
, who appears as new glee club member 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...
, Telly Leung and Titus Makin, Jr., who return as Warblers Wes and David, respectively, and Riker Lynch
Riker Lynch
Riker Anthony Lynch is an American singer-songwriter, musician, actor, dancer, and is the singer and bassist of the band R5 with his brothers Ross Lynch and Rocky Lynch, sister Rydel Lynch, and best friend Ellington Ratliff....
, Eddy Martin
Eddy Martin
Eddy Martin is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as One Love in the movie Rebound, and as Joaquin in the Nickelodeon original show Just Jordan, which he stars as a friend for Lil' JJ....
and Curt Mega, who debut as Warblers Jeff, Thad and Nick, respectively.
"Special Education" features cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s of six songs: "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" from the musical Evita, Mike + The Mechanics' "The Living Years
The Living Years (song)
"The Living Years" was written by Mike Rutherford and B. A. Robertson, and recorded by Rutherford's English rock band Mike + The Mechanics. It was released in January 1989 as the second single from their album, Living Years. The song was a top ten chart hit around the world. It peaked at number one...
", Train's "Hey, Soul Sister", "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" from the film Dirty Dancing
Dirty Dancing
Dirty Dancing is a 1987 American romantic film. Written by Eleanor Bergstein and directed by Emile Ardolino, the film features Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey in the lead roles, as well as Cynthia Rhodes and Jerry Orbach...
, "Valerie" by The Zutons (although specifically a cover of the version by Mark Ronson
Mark Ronson
Mark Daniel Ronson is an English DJ, guitarist, music producer, artist and co-founder of Allido Records. He currently works with his band under the music alias of Mark Ronson & The Business Intl....
featuring Amy Winehouse), and Florence and the Machine's "Dog Days Are Over". Each song was released as a single, available for digital download
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...
, with two separate versions of "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" released—one by Chris Colfer (Kurt) and the other by Lea Michele (Rachel). "Valerie" and "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" are included on the fifth soundtrack album Glee: The Music, Volume 4, released on November 26, 2010, and "Hey, Soul Sister" was included on the seventh soundtrack album, 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...
, released on April 19, 2011.
Ratings and viewership
"Special Education" was first broadcast on November 30, 2010 in the United States on Fox. It received a 4.6/13 Nielsen rating/share in the 18–49 demographic, and attracted over 11.68 million American viewers during its initial airing, and thus won its time slot despite airing simultaneously with network specials, including Rudolph the Red-Nosed ReindeerRudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (TV special)
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a Christmas television special produced in stop motion animation by Rankin/Bass. It first aired Sunday, December 6, 1964, on the NBC television network in the USA, and was sponsored by General Electric under the umbrella title of The General Electric Fantasy Hour...
on CBS, Christmas In Rockefeller Center on NBC, Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (TV special)
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! is a 1966 American animated television special directed by Chuck Jones. It is based on the homonymous children's book by Dr. Seuss, the story of The Grinch trying to take away Christmas from the townsfolk of Whoville below his mountain hideaway...
and Shrek the Halls
Shrek the Halls
Shrek the Halls is a television special that premiered on the American television network ABC on Wednesday, November 28, 2007. The thirty minute Christmas special included the following: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz and Antonio Banderas reprising their roles from the feature films. The...
on ABC, and CW's usual offering, 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...
. The total viewership and ratings for this episode were up significantly from those of the previous episode, "Furt
Furt
"Furt" is the eighth episode of the second season of the American musical television series Glee, and the 30th episode overall. It was written by series creator Ryan Murphy, directed by Carol Banker, and premiered on Fox in the United States on November 23, 2010...
", which was watched by 10.41 million American viewers and acquired a 4.0/12 rating/share in the 18–49 demographic upon first airing on television on November 23, 2010.
In Canada, 2.32 million viewers watched the episode, ranking second for the week. In the UK, the episode was watched by 2.602 million viewers (2.218 million on E4, and 384,000 on E4+1), which made it the most-watched show on cable for the week.
Critical reception
"Special Education" received a wide range of reviews from television critics, though there seemed to be more positive than negative responses. The most enthusiastic reviewers were from The Atlantic, where both Kevin Fallon and Patrick Burns declared it the "best episode of Glee all season", and Meghan Brown suggested that the show should "just do competition episodes from now on". Aly Semigran of MTVMTV
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....
was similarly laudatory, and said that the show was "back in top form"; she added that the episode "felt very reminiscent of the magic the first season provided".
Others were more tempered in their praise. James Poniewozik of Time
Time
Time is a part of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change such as the motions of objects....
said the episode was "grounded" and "solid-if-not-spectacular", and highlighted how Glee "has developed into a broad ensemble, where any of several characters is capable of taking the spotlight, even an originally comic-relief character like Brittany." 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...
and 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 both liked the episode—VanDerWerff gave it a "B+"—but they, like Erica Futterman of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
who was less complimentary, were disappointed that it failed to measure up to the last time New Directions competed in Sectionals. VanDerWerff wrote, "When the show […] remains, at some level, a show about a bunch of kids who just love to sing and dance and maybe have wacky adventures on the side, it remains fundamentally strong, as it does tonight." He also stated, "The fact that the Warblers and New Directions tied, while probably necessary for whatever reason, is ridiculously anticlimactic and keeps this episode from an A- pretty much singlehandedly."
Amy Reiter of the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
was disappointed with almost everything, and said the episode "felt more like a long, slow letdown after a season of gleeful highs". She added, "New Directions' sectionals performance wasn't a total fumble, but it wasn't the touchdown you might've hoped for either", and of the long-awaited opportunity to see other members featured in competition: "the anticipated shining moment turned out to be so dull." Reiter was one of a very few critics to note the absence of cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester in the episode, and only when she lamented the "relative lack of humor". Futterman merely remarked on Sue's non-appearance in passing; she came to the conclusion that "we got a spazzy, unfocused hour at the expense of emotional investment", and though Anthony Benigno of the Daily News complimented the "solid acting", he also wrote that "this is the first time the show's started to feel genuinely boring as opposed to, you know, gleeful." He made a general complaint as well: "This show is starting to suffer in a big way from making the music secondary to the plot." Robert Canning of 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...
gave the episode a 7.5 out of 10 rating. He said that the show "tried to make it all work, and while the hour was enjoyable enough, each storyline felt just a little bit shy of going from good to great."
A few reviewers remarked on how the Hipsters seemed to be a reflection of the New Directions crew in fifty years, with Futterman getting into specifics: "We see future Rachel start the number with a cane and future Mercedes break through to finish the song off with a riff, and it's hard not to be endeared to them." Poniewozik wrote that Rachel's "silent reminder to Kurt to smile on stage was a perfect, sweet little moment", a sentiment shared by Tim Stack 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...
. Poniewozik also noted that "Lea Michele had some of her strongest non-singing moments of the season by showing not just how Rachel dealt with her problems with Finn but with being on the periphery of the group." The storyline that featured the disintegration of the Rachel–Finn relationship, when commented on at all, was viewed unfavorably; VanDerWerff called it a "stupid twist".
Brown praised the addition of Fink as Lauren to New Directions, and declared, "I hope she's on the team for keeps", while Poniewozik was pleased that "the episode used Lauren for comedy without simply making her the butt of jokes". Brown also wrote, "Kurt's arc was subtler this week, and thereby about 50 times more interesting. I […] am impressed that Glee handling his acclimation to Dalton so truthfully." Canning was similarly impressed, and called Kurt at Dalton "the most solid story" of the episode. There was little approval among reviewers for the "canary in a cage" metaphor in the scene between Kurt and Blaine at the end of the episode, with Kurt the "canary" in his new Dalton cage; Hankinson characterized it as "super ham-fisted", and others were nearly as harsh.
Music and performances
The musical performances in this episode were mostly praised by critics, though there was little said about the quality of the abbreviated performance by the Hipsters in competition. There was near-universal approval for the first song heard, "Don't Cry For Me Argentina", which Stack called "totally beautiful" and gave an "A-"; he, like Burns, who said it was "fantastic", loved having "Rachel and Kurt get a chance to sing together". Jen Harper of BuddyTVBuddyTV
BuddyTV is an entertainment-based website based in Seattle, Washington, which generates content about television programs and sporting events. The website publishes information about celebrity and related entertainment news through a series of articles, entertainment profiles, actor biographies and...
echoed Kurt's words in the episode; she said "Rachel really is as talented as she is irritating", but wished she "didn't always look like she's crying while she's singing", and added that she was "really digging Kurt in a lower register". Futterman noted that Rachel, as is usual with her "power ballads", "uses the time to grapple with the latest obstacle to her future stardom, while we see Kurt deliver a clear, restrained take. Benigno called Michele's voice "astounding", and added that her solo alternated "with Kurt's audition with the Warblers, which is predictably outstanding", and gave the song a "B+". Even those who disliked the song or the composer were won over by the performance: Berk gave it three stars out of five, and Burns thought it was "fantastic"; both liked the song's tag-team presentation.
The performance of Train's "Hey, Soul Sister" by the Dalton Academy Warblers received even more praise than "Don't Cry For Me Argentina". Benigno called it flawless, and gave it an "A++", and Hanh Nguyen of Zap2it
Zap2it
Zap2it is an American website and affiliate network that provides news, photos and video, local TV listings and movie showtimes. The site is produced by Tribune Media Services , part of the publishing division of the Chicago-based Tribune Company...
gave it her "top prize" of the night. Berk gave it four stars out of five, Burns said "the Warblers sounded fantastic and fun", and Harper said she loved it, and that, like the audience on the show, she "would have given it" a "standing ovation". Stack said he "sorta" hated the song "from sheer overexposure", but "Darren Criss sold it for me with his choreography and acting", and gave it a "B+". Pat Monahan, the lead singer of Train, said: "Loved it! I thought they did an amazing job."
The praise was more tepid for Sam and Quinn's "(I've Had) the Time of My Life". Benigno called it "solid", but added "overkill knocks it down to a solid B." Both Futterman and Stack said the number "fell a little flat", though Stack said the duo had "great physical chemistry". Fallon characterized it as an "adorable duet". Berk gave it five stars of five, his best grade for the episode, and called it "oozy, curdling perfection", while Reiter was the least impressed, and wrote that their "voices (and romantic interplay) seemed wan and thin."
The New Directions closing number at Sectionals, "Valerie", received the most commentary, with Santana's solo given enthusiastic praise, though Brittany and Mike's dancing was also lauded. Hankinson, who had tepidly called songs "nice" up to this point, shifted gears and said, "Then Santana burns the roof down with a rendition of Amy Winehouse's 'Valerie'. It was awesome." 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....
echoed that fervor: "But then Santana came on and killed. With an on-spot rendition of Mark Ronson/Amy Winehouse's 'Valerie,' and wearing a Snooki bun, Santana was electrifying behind the mic, in an energizing display that revved up the audience", and added, "Brittany and Mike's pas de deux rocked". Benigno opined that "Brittany and Mike Chang handle the moves (extraordinarily well), but the vocals here are what steal it. Naya Rivera (Santana) is completely outstanding on lead vocals, and I can't understand why she hasn't gotten a solo before this"; he gave it an "A". Stack was slightly less generous with an "A-", and wrote that it was a "great song choice for Santana"; he gave "bonus points for the phenomenal Mike/Brittany choreography", while Harper said that their dancing "totally made the song". Nguyen liked the dancing, but she was critical of how the song sounded, as she felt "it lacked something and didn't really feel worthy of the standing O", while Futterman said "Santana's sassy vocals are a perfect echo of Winehouse's, but the rest of the song feels a bit like a circus". Reiter felt the entire song "seemed kind of tacked on", both the dancing and Santana's solo.
"Dog Days Are Over" was the favorite song of several reviewers, including Hankinson, who said "it was the exact brand of high-energy jubilation that I love the most." Harper was also enthusiastic: "This performance for me represents what I like about New Directions—and why Kurt needs to come back asap. Everyone got to do their own individual thing, yet they still work really well as a group. I give it best song of the night." In Semigran's view, "From the cute choreographed claps to the unconventional (but oddly fitting) choice to have Tina and Mercedes sing the tune, I wish they'd save this one for regionals. It was a winner", while VanDerWerff wrote, " 'Dog Days Are Over' is right in this show's wheelhouse, so, naturally, it hits the song out of the park." Benigno gave the song a "B+", and Berk awarded three stars out of five, while Stack gave it an "A", and said series creator Ryan Murphy "chose the perfect gals to pull off this cover."
Chart history
Five of the seven cover versions released as singles debuted 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...
, and appeared on other musical charts. The show's rendition of "Dog Days Are Over" debuted at number twenty-two on both the Hot 100 and Canadian Hot 100, and pushed the original version of the song by Florence and the Machine ahead of it to number twenty-one on the Hot 100, up from number fifty-eight in the previous week. The other songs on the Hot 100 were "Hey, Soul Sister" at number twenty-nine, which also made number thirty-two on the Canadian Hot 100; "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" at number thirty-eight, which also made number thirty-nine on the Canadian Hot 100; "Valerie" at number fifty-four, which also made number seventy on the Canadian Hot 100; and "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" in the Lea Michele version, at number ninety-seven.
External links
- "Special Education" at Fox.comFox Broadcasting CompanyFox 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...