"
The Rhodes Not Taken" is the fifth episode of the
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television series
GleeGlee 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...
. It premiered on the
FoxFox 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...
network on September 30, 2009 and was written by series co-creator
Ian BrennanIan Brennan is a television writer, actor and producer. He is best known for his work on the television show Glee.-Early life:Brennan is the son of John and Charman Brennan. His sister, Sarah Brennan, is one of the founders of in Chicago...
and directed by
John ScottJohn Stuart Scott is an American television director who has directed episodes for several well-known series including Glee, The Office and Chuck.- Television work :...
. The episode features
glee clubA 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...
director
Will SchuesterWilliam "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 MorrisonMatthew 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...
) recruiting former star April Rhodes (
Kristin ChenowethKristin Chenoweth is an American singer and actress, with credits in musical theatre, film and television. She is best known on Broadway for her performance as Sally Brown in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown , for which she won a Tony Award, and for originating the role of Glinda in the musical...
), hoping to improve the club's chances in the wake of Rachel's (
Lea MicheleLea 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...
) defection to the school musical.
FinnFinn 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 MonteithCory Allan Monteith is a Canadian actor and musician, best known for his role of Finn Hudson on the Fox television series Glee.-Early life:...
) flirts with Rachel in an attempt to convince her to return, and although Rachel is angry when she discovers Finn's girlfriend is pregnant, she ultimately rejoins the club.
Special guest star Kristin Chenoweth played April, and performed on three of the episode's six musical tracks.
Studio recordingThe term studio recording means any recording made in a studio, as opposed to a live recording, which is usually made in a concert venue or a theatre, with an audience attending the performance.-Studio cast recordings:...
s of four of the songs performed in the episode were released as singles, available for
digital downloadA 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...
, and two appear on the album
Glee: The Music, Volume 1Glee: The Music, Volume 1 is the debut soundtrack album by the cast of the musical television series Glee, which airs on Fox in the United States. It features cover versions from the first nine episodes of the first season and was released on November 2, 2009 by Columbia Records and 20th...
.
The episode was watched by 7.32 million U.S. viewers. It received mostly positive reviews from critics, with Chenoweth's appearance and the performance of
QueenQueen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
cover "
Somebody to Love"Somebody to Love" is a song by British rock band Queen. Written by lead vocalist and pianist Freddie Mercury, the track featured on their 1976 album A Day at the Races, and also appears on the band's compilation album, Greatest Hits...
" in particular receiving praise. Raymund Flandez for
The Wall Street JournalThe 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....
, Mike Hale of the
New York Times and Denise Martin for the
Los Angeles TimesThe 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....
all deemed "Somebody to Love" the show's best musical number since the staging of
Journey'sJourney 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...
"
Don't Stop Believin'"Don't Stop Believin is a popular song by the American rock band Journey, originally released as a single from their 1981 album Escape, which became a #9 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 on its original release. It re-entered the UK Singles Chart in 2009 as a result of increased prominence of digital...
in the
pilot episode"Pilot" is the pilot episode of the television series Glee, which premiered on the Fox network on May 19, 2009. An extended director's cut version aired on September 2, 2009. The show focuses on a high school show choir, also known as a glee club, set within the fictional William McKinley High...
.
Plot
With lead singer Rachel Berry (
Lea MicheleLea 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...
) no longer part of New Directions, the McKinley High glee club, director
Will SchuesterWilliam "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 MorrisonMatthew 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...
) grows concerned about the club's forthcoming performance at Invitationals. He discovers that April Rhodes (
Kristin ChenowethKristin Chenoweth is an American singer and actress, with credits in musical theatre, film and television. She is best known on Broadway for her performance as Sally Brown in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown , for which she won a Tony Award, and for originating the role of Glinda in the musical...
), a member of the club during his own high school days, never actually graduated, and convinces her to return to school in order to get her diploma and join the glee club. Having failed to achieve her
BroadwayBroadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
dreams, April is now an alcoholic, and goes about winning the favor of the existing club members by unconventional means, including getting
KurtKurt 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 ColferChristopher 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...
) drunk and teaching
MercedesMercedes 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 RileyAmber Patrice Riley is an American actress and singer best known for her role on the series Glee as Mercedes Jones.-Early life and career:...
) and
TinaTina 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) to shoplift. After
guidance counselorA school counselor is a counselor and an educator who works in elementary, middle, and high schools to provide academic, career, college access, and personal/social competencies to K-12 students...
Emma PillsburyEmma 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 MaysJayma 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...
) warns Will that April is corrupting the students, Will asks April to become
soberSober usually refers to sobriety, the state of not being under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. It may also refer to:-Computers:* Sober , variety of computer virus* SOBER , family of synchronous stream ciphers...
, and she vows to do so.
Club member
FinnFinn 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 MonteithCory Allan Monteith is a Canadian actor and musician, best known for his role of Finn Hudson on the Fox television series Glee.-Early life:...
) is concerned for his future, having been told by his girlfriend
QuinnQuinn 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 AgronDianna 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...
) that she is pregnant with his child. Emma suggests that instead of aiming to attend college on a football scholarship, Finn should utilize his musical talent. Believing Rachel's participation to be the glee club's only chance at success at Invitationals, Finn feigns romantic interest in Rachel and takes her on a date. Rachel, realizing she is unhappy performing in the school musical and excited over Finn's interest in her, returns to the glee club. Meanwhile, Kurt, Mercedes and Tina are informed of Quinn's pregnancy by
PuckNoah "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), who pretends Finn fathered the child though he is the actual father. Finding out about Quinn, Rachel becomes furious with Finn and confronts him, asking if he is actually attracted to her at all. Finn insists the kiss they shared was honest, but Rachel is unconvinced and defects from glee club once again, returning to the school musical, where she is given full artistic control. At Invitationals, a drunk April, accompanied by the glee club, performs
Carrie UnderwoodCarrie Marie Underwood is an American country singer-songwriter and actress who rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol, in 2005...
's "
Last Name"Last Name" is the title of a song composed by country singer Carrie Underwood, Hillary Lindsey and Luke Laird. It is the third single from Underwood's second studio album, Carnival Ride. It was released in the United States on April 7, 2008, by which point the song had already charted...
" for a packed auditorium and receives the
standing ovationA standing ovation is a form of applause where members of a seated audience stand up while applauding after extraordinary performances of particularly high acclaim...
she always dreamed of. Because she had performed drunk, Will tells April during intermission that she is no longer in the glee club. This leaves New Directions without a lead singer for their next number, but Rachel offers to go on in April's place—she has quit the musical, and wants to rejoin the club—and they all perform
QueenQueen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
's "
Somebody to Love"Somebody to Love" is a song by British rock band Queen. Written by lead vocalist and pianist Freddie Mercury, the track featured on their 1976 album A Day at the Races, and also appears on the band's compilation album, Greatest Hits...
".
Production
Chenoweth guest starred in the episode as former glee club member April Rhodes. April is an "alcoholic and bad influence on the glee club members", described by Chenoweth as someone who never graduated, but was "kind of the deal" in her high school glee club. She explained that April didn't become the "big star" everyone expected her to, and so is brought back by Will to become part of the glee club again.
Chenoweth was previously acquainted with
Glee creator Ryan Murphy, having appeared in his 2006 film
Running with ScissorsRunning with Scissors is a 2006 American comedy-drama film based on Augusten Burroughs' 2002 memoir of the same name, written and directed by Ryan Murphy, and starring Joseph Cross, Annette Bening, Brian Cox, Joseph Fiennes, Evan Rachel Wood, Alec Baldwin, Jill Clayburgh, and Gwyneth Paltrow with...
. Murphy commented that he loves writing for Chenoweth, and enjoyed pitching songs she had never sung before. She found singing in three different styles, as required by the role, to be "fun and challenging", and though she had never before sung "Maybe This Time", after singing it on
Glee, she went on to use it in shows as her opening number. Chenoweth stated that she would love to return to
Glee in the future, a sentiment shared by Murphy. She commented: "they are all working hard to figure out stories all the time. It'd be great for it to make sense for her to come back. This part is like nothing I've had the chance to do on TV." It was confirmed in October 2009 that Chenoweth would reprise the role, which she did in "
Home"Home" is the 16th episode of the American television series Glee. The episode premiered on the Fox network on April 27, 2010. It was directed by Paris Barclay and written by series creator Brad Falchuk...
".
Asked to explain Finn's actions in flirting with Rachel to entice her back into the glee club, Monteith explained: "Finn is not only strangely attracted to Rachel, but he respects what she chases after in her life. He's walking a thin line and trying to be somebody for everybody, and she's an example of someone truly following her dreams and that's attractive."
The episode features
cover versionIn 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 "
Don't Stop Believin'"Don't Stop Believin is a popular song by the American rock band Journey, originally released as a single from their 1981 album Escape, which became a #9 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 on its original release. It re-entered the UK Singles Chart in 2009 as a result of increased prominence of digital...
by
JourneyJourney 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...
, "
Maybe This TimeCabaret is a 1972 musical film directed by Bob Fosse and starring Liza Minnelli, Michael York and Joel Grey. The film is set in Berlin during the Weimar Republic in 1931, under the ominous presence of the growing National Socialist Party....
" and "
CabaretCabaret is a musical based on a book written by Christopher Isherwood, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. The 1966 Broadway production became a hit and spawned a 1972 film as well as numerous subsequent productions....
" from
CabaretCabaret is a musical based on a book written by Christopher Isherwood, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. The 1966 Broadway production became a hit and spawned a 1972 film as well as numerous subsequent productions....
, "
Alone-Céline Dion version:Céline Dion covered "Alone" for her 2007 album Taking Chances. It was released as the second single in Europe and North America, and third in the United Kingdom...
" by
HeartHeart is an American rock band who first found success in Canada. Throughout several lineup changes, the only two members remaining constant are sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson. The group rose to fame in the 1970s with their music being influenced by hard rock as well as folk music...
, "Last Name" by Carrie Underwood and "Somebody to Love" by Queen.
Studio recordingThe term studio recording means any recording made in a studio, as opposed to a live recording, which is usually made in a concert venue or a theatre, with an audience attending the performance.-Studio cast recordings:...
s of "Maybe This Time", "Alone", "Last Name" and "Somebody to Love" were released as singles, available for
digital downloadA 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...
. "Maybe This Time" charted at number 100 in Australia, and 88 in the US, "Alone" charted at number 94 in Australia, 58 in Canada and 51 in the US, and "Somebody to Love" charted at number 65 in Australia, 33 in Canada and 28 in the US. "Maybe This Time", "Alone" and "Somebody to Love" also feature on the album
Glee: The Music, Volume 1Glee: The Music, Volume 1 is the debut soundtrack album by the cast of the musical television series Glee, which airs on Fox in the United States. It features cover versions from the first nine episodes of the first season and was released on November 2, 2009 by Columbia Records and 20th...
.
Reception
The episode was watched by 7.32 million U.S. viewers and attained a 3.2/9 rating/share in the 18-49 demographic. It was the most viewed episode of the season since its fall return with "Showmance". It was the twenty-sixth most watched show in Canada for the week of broadcast, with 1.45 million viewers. In the UK, the episode was watched by 1.89 million viewers (1.48 million on E4, and 410,000 on E4+1), becoming the most-watched show on cable for the week, as well as the most-watched episode of the series at the time.
The episode received mostly positive reviews from critics. Robert Bianco for
USA TodayUSA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
wrote of Chenoweth's guest appearance: "Her presence may not make much sense, but that's probably all right. If it means hearing Chenoweth sing, we can put up with any explanation the show cares to offer." Raymund Flandez for
The Wall Street JournalThe 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....
was equally positive regarding Chenoweth's role, praising her "powerful voice", "kittenish mien" and "commanding presence". Flandez deemed the performance of "Somebody to Love" the show's best number since "Don't Stop Believin debuted in the
pilot episode"Pilot" is the pilot episode of the television series Glee, which premiered on the Fox network on May 19, 2009. An extended director's cut version aired on September 2, 2009. The show focuses on a high school show choir, also known as a glee club, set within the fictional William McKinley High...
. Mike Hale of the
New York Times similarly stated that "The Rhodes Not Taken" was "the best episode musically since the pilot", calling the performance of "Somebody to Love" "truly rousing". Jarett Wieselman for the
New York PostThe New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
called the episode: "the smartest, funniest, heart-warmingest, song-tastic-est episode of the show yet."
The
Los Angeles TimesThe 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....
Denise Martin also enjoyed the episode, writing: "I don't know how
Glee keeps topping itself—it just does!" Martin too praised the performance of "Somebody to Love", writing: "Love or hate Queen, when New Directions sings it, it's magical. And it's the first time since 'Don't Stop Believin' that I got goosebumps. Something about kids singing songs, raising all those arms, makes everyone—can't just be me!—giddy and hopeful. They're not as technically skilled as [rival glee club] Vocal Adrenaline—yet—but that only makes their underdog story more real." Tim Stack of
Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
also called "The Rhodes Not Taken" the best episode of
Glee so far, deeming all the musical numbers "fantastic". Eric Goldman for
IGNIGN 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...
rated the episode 8.5/10. He felt that Chenoweth was "terrific" as April, and that the character was a "hysterical creation". Goldman assessed that the episode "soared" musically, though felt that its resolution was "rushed" and "forced", suggesting that the series has yet to find the right balance between music, comedy and drama.
External links
- "The Rhodes Not Taken" at Fox.com
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...