"New York" is the twenty-second episode and season finale of the
second season of the American musical television series ''
Glee'', and the forty-fourth overall. The episode was written and directed by series creator
Brad Falchuk
Bradley Douglas Falchuk (born March 1, 1971) is an American television writer, director, and producer, best known for co-creating with Ryan Murphy the comedy-drama television series '' Glee'', the drama series '' Pose'', the horror comedy '' S ...
, filmed in part on location in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, and first aired on May 24, 2011 on
Fox in the United States. With a $6 million budget, it was reportedly the most expensive episode of ''Glee'' at the time of broadcast. It garnered a
Primetime Emmy nomination for
Outstanding Costumes for a Series. The episode features an appearance by
Patti LuPone
Patti Ann LuPone (born April 21, 1949) is an American actress and singer best known for her work in musical theater. She has won three Tony Awards, two Olivier Awards, two Grammy Awards, and was a 2006 inductee to the American Theater Hall of F ...
as herself and guest stars
Jonathan Groff,
Cheyenne Jackson, and
Jake Zyrus
Jake Zyrus (formerly known under the mononym Charice; born 10 May 1992) is a Filipino singer and television personality.
In 2007, after some appearances on Philippine television, Zyrus sang on ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'', and the followin ...
. The McKinley High School glee club, New Directions, performs at the National
show choir
A show choir (originally known as a "swing choir") is a musical ensemble that combines choral singing with choreographed dance, often with an overarching theme. It is most relevant in the Midwestern United States and was popularized by the America ...
competition in New York City and finishes in twelfth place. While they are there, the glee club members see the sights, including
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street. Together with adjacent ...
and
Central Park
Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban park in the United States, with an estimated ...
.
Rachel
Rachel () was a Biblical figure, the favorite of Jacob's two wives, and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, two of the twelve progenitors of the tribes of Israel. Rachel's father was Laban. Her older sister was Leah, Jacob's first wife. Her aun ...
(
Lea Michele
Lea Michele Sarfati (; born August 29, 1986) is an American actress, singer, songwriter, and author. She began her career as a child actress on Broadway, appearing in productions of ''Les Misérables'' (1995–1996), ''Ragtime'' (1997–1999) ...
) and
Kurt (
Chris Colfer
Christopher Paul Colfer (born May 27, 1990) is an American actor, singer, and author. He gained international recognition for his portrayal of Kurt Hummel on the television musical '' Glee'' (2009–2015). Colfer's portrayal of Kurt received cr ...
) sing a song from a Broadway stage, as does their director,
Will Schuester
William Michael Schuester, often referred to as Mr. Schue, is a fictional teacher character and one of the two main Protagonist, protagonists from the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox musical film, musical comedy-drama series ''Glee (TV series), Gl ...
(
Matthew Morrison
Matthew James Morrison (born October 30, 1978) is an American actor, dancer and singer-songwriter, best known for his role as Will Schuester on the Fox television show '' Glee'' (2009–2015). He has starred in multiple Broadway and Off-Broadw ...
).
The episode, and the musical performances featured, received mixed reviews from critics. While a number of scenes were praised, including the epilogue after the club's return to Lima, Ohio, reviewers excoriated the fact that New Directions arrived in New York with their songs for the competition unwritten, and deemed it completely illogical. The original songs in the competition were met with a wide range of opinions, as were most of the covers. Five original songs and five covers were performed, all but one of which were released as singles; three of the originals and two of the covers charted on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100. Upon its initial airing, this episode was viewed by 11.80 million American viewers and garnered a 4.6/11
Nielsen rating/share in the
18–49 demographic. The total viewership and ratings for this episode were up significantly from the previous episode, "
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony connected with the final disposition of a corpse, such as a burial or cremation, with the attendant observances. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember and respect ...
".
Plot
The McKinley High School glee club, New Directions, travels to New York City to compete in the National show choir competition. Glee club director
Will Schuester
William Michael Schuester, often referred to as Mr. Schue, is a fictional teacher character and one of the two main Protagonist, protagonists from the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox musical film, musical comedy-drama series ''Glee (TV series), Gl ...
(
Matthew Morrison
Matthew James Morrison (born October 30, 1978) is an American actor, dancer and singer-songwriter, best known for his role as Will Schuester on the Fox television show '' Glee'' (2009–2015). He has starred in multiple Broadway and Off-Broadw ...
) tasks the students with writing two original songs, then leaves on an errand. After spending hours trying to compose music, their only creation is "My Cup" by
Brittany
Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period ...
(
Heather Morris
Heather Elizabeth Morris (born February 1, 1987) is an American actress, dancer, singer, and model. She played the role of Brittany S. Pierce in the Fox musical comedy-drama series ''Glee''.
Early life
Morris was born in Thousand Oaks, Califor ...
),
Artie
Artie is a masculine given name, usually a diminutive of Arthur. Notable people with the given name include:
People
* Artie Bettles (1891–1971), Australian rules footballer
* Artie Butler (born 1942), American popular music arranger, songwrite ...
(
Kevin McHale), and
Puck (
Mark Salling
Mark Wayne Salling (; August 17, 1982 – January 30, 2018) was an American actor and musician known for his role as Noah "Puck" Puckerman on the television series '' Glee''.
Salling studied at the Los Angeles College of Music before wor ...
). Seeking fresh inspiration for their songwriting, they explore the city as they sing a mash-up of "I Love New York" and "
New York, New York
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
".
Meanwhile, Will has been visiting the theater where ''CrossRhodes'', the
April Rhodes
''Glee'' is a musical comedy-drama television series that aired on Fox in the United States for six seasons from 2009 to 2015. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing in the show choir competition circuit, while its membe ...
musical in which he is secretly involved, is located. He performs "
Still Got Tonight" from the stage. When Will returns, he finds that the glee club has been shaken after learning of his Broadway plans from
Dustin Goolsby
'' Glee'' is a musical comedy-drama television series that aired on Fox in the United States for six seasons from 2009 to 2015. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing in the show choir competition circuit, while its mem ...
(
Cheyenne Jackson), the coach of rival club Vocal Adrenaline. He reassures them that he has now fulfilled his dream of singing on a Broadway stage and chooses to stay with New Directions.
Encouraged by his fellow male glee club members,
Finn (
Cory Monteith
Cory Allan Michael Monteith (; May 11, 1982 July 13, 2013) was a Canadian actor and musician who played Finn Hudson on the Fox television series '' Glee''. As an actor based in British Columbia, Monteith had minor roles on television series bef ...
) asks Rachel on a date in Central Park. The two enjoy dinner at
Sardi's
Sardi's is a continental restaurant located at 234 West 44th Street, between Broadway and Eighth Avenue, in the Theater District of Manhattan, New York City. Sardi's opened at its current location on March 5, 1927. It is known for the carica ...
where they meet
Patti LuPone
Patti Ann LuPone (born April 21, 1949) is an American actress and singer best known for her work in musical theater. She has won three Tony Awards, two Olivier Awards, two Grammy Awards, and was a 2006 inductee to the American Theater Hall of F ...
. As the date draws to a close with Puck, Artie,
Sam (
Chord Overstreet
Chord Paul Overstreet (born February 17, 1989) is an American actor and musician. He is best known for his role as Sam Evans on the Fox television series '' Glee'' (2009–2015). He has starred in the Apple TV+ comedy series ''Acapulco'' since ...
), and
Mike
Mike may refer to:
Animals
* Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum
* Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off
* Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and document ...
(
Harry Shum, Jr.) serenading the two with "
Bella Notte
"Bella Notte" (Italian for "Beautiful Night") is a song for the 1955 animated motion picture ''Lady and the Tramp'' from Walt Disney Productions. The music is by Sonny Burke and the lyrics are by Peggy Lee. The song was performed in the film by ...
", Rachel feels torn between Finn and her dreams of being on Broadway, and leaves after refusing to kiss him. The next morning, after breakfast at
Tiffany's
Tiffany & Co. (colloquially known as Tiffany's) is a high-end luxury jewelry and specialty retailer, headquartered on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. It sells jewelry, sterling silver, porcelain, crystal, stationery, fragrances, water bottles, watc ...
, Rachel and
Kurt (
Chris Colfer
Christopher Paul Colfer (born May 27, 1990) is an American actor, singer, and author. He gained international recognition for his portrayal of Kurt Hummel on the television musical '' Glee'' (2009–2015). Colfer's portrayal of Kurt received cr ...
) sneak onto the stage of ''
Wicked'' and sing a duet of "
For Good
"For Good" is a musical number from the hit musical ''Wicked''. It is sung as a duet between Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West) and Glinda (the Good Witch of the South) as a farewell. The song's score and lyrics were written by composer Step ...
". Rachel realizes that her true love is Broadway and they vow to return to New York City for college.
At Nationals, Rachel encounters a nervous
Sunshine Corazon (
Jake Zyrus
Jake Zyrus (formerly known under the mononym Charice; born 10 May 1992) is a Filipino singer and television personality.
In 2007, after some appearances on Philippine television, Zyrus sang on ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'', and the followin ...
). She apologizes for having made Sunshine feel unwelcome at McKinley, and admits that she was jealous of her talent. She offers Sunshine her support, and reassures her as she opens for Vocal Adrenaline with "As Long As You're There".
The New Directions set begins with Rachel and Finn singing the duet he wrote, "Pretending", and an enthusiastic audience falls silent when the two of them kiss at its conclusion. The glee club closes with "Light Up the World" and receives a standing ovation. A jealous
Jesse St. James
''Glee'' is a musical comedy-drama television series that aired on Fox in the United States for six seasons from 2009 to 2015. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing in the show choir competition circuit, while its membe ...
(
Jonathan Groff) confronts Finn after the performance, and asserts that the unprofessional kiss will cost them the championship. New Directions is not one of the ten groups named to advance to the finals the next day, and finishes in twelfth place out of fifty competing show choirs.
Back in Ohio, Kurt recounts his experiences in New York City to
Blaine (
Darren Criss
Darren Everett Criss (born February 5, 1987) is an American actor, singer, and songwriter. He rose to fame starring on the television series '' Glee'' (2010–2015) and received Emmy and Golden Globe acting awards for his leading role as spree ...
), and they profess their love to each other. It is revealed that Sam and
Mercedes (
Amber Riley
Amber Patrice Riley (born February 15, 1986), sometimes known mononymously as RILEY, is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her portrayal of Mercedes Jones on the Fox comedy-drama series '' Glee'' (2009–2015). For her perf ...
) are secretly dating.
Santana (
Naya Rivera
Naya Marie Rivera (; January 12, 1987July 8, 2020) was an American actress, singer, and model. Recognized for her work on the popular musical comedy-drama series '' Glee'', she received various awards, including a Screen Actors Guild Award and ...
) and Brittany reaffirm their friendship, and Brittany tells Santana she loves her more than she has ever loved anyone. Rachel meets up with Finn and the two contemplate their Nationals kiss; Finn reminds her that she still has a year until graduation and kisses her.
Production
This was the most expensive ''Glee'' episode yet, at a reported $6 million. The budget exceeded the previous record-holder, "
The Sue Sylvester Shuffle", which was the episode that followed the 2011
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the gam ...
. It was also the show's first major out-of-state location shoot. The cast and crew filmed for five weekdays in New York City, from April 25 through April 29, 2011. Forty members of the crew were flown to New York along with the cast, and were joined there by sixty local crew members. All three of the show's creators—who also serve as executive or co-executive producers—were present:
Ryan Murphy,
Ian Brennan and episode writer and director
Brad Falchuk
Bradley Douglas Falchuk (born March 1, 1971) is an American television writer, director, and producer, best known for co-creating with Ryan Murphy the comedy-drama television series '' Glee'', the drama series '' Pose'', the horror comedy '' S ...
, along with executive producer
Dante Di Loreto and first assistant director Leo Bauer.
Ten locations were used during the New York filming, including
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street. Together with adjacent ...
,
Lincoln Center
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 milli ...
, the
Gershwin Theatre
The Gershwin Theatre (originally the Uris Theatre) is a Broadway theater at 222 West 51st Street, on the second floor of the Paramount Plaza office building, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Opened in 1972, it is operat ...
,
Central Park
Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban park in the United States, with an estimated ...
, and
Sardi's
Sardi's is a continental restaurant located at 234 West 44th Street, between Broadway and Eighth Avenue, in the Theater District of Manhattan, New York City. Sardi's opened at its current location on March 5, 1927. It is known for the carica ...
. LuPone made a guest appearance as herself in the Sardi's scene, which was shot in the morning on Thursday to accommodate her schedule—she had an 11:00 am rehearsal for another show. Washington Square Park, which was used on the final day of filming, had not been approved as a location by the city until after the production team arrived in New York. Di Loreto noted that the biggest challenge of shooting in the city was "the amount of people who can say no."
While some of the costumes for the New York shoot were prepared ahead of time, much of the costuming was done in New York, and the costumes for the episode received an
Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
nomination. Costume designer Lou Eyrich revealed that the plan was to have the costuming be a "little nod" to the "iconic New York places we were going to shoot", and with a "little bit of '50s, '60s flair", but not too "vintage". She said, "We landed in New York on a Saturday night, shopped all day Sunday, threw them in the clothes" for the filming that began on Monday. According to an article in ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly large ...
'', twenty-six outfits were found in a single day.
Filming continued back in Los Angeles, where episodes are typically shot, including a location shoot at the
Million Dollar Theater
The Million Dollar Theatre at 307 S. Broadway in Downtown Los Angeles is one of the first movie palaces built in the United States. It opened in 1917 with the premiere of William S. Hart's '' The Silent Man''. It's the northernmost of the collect ...
to film Morrison's scene where he sings "Still Got Tonight" on a Broadway stage.
The shooting for the episode—and the season—wrapped up in the early hours of May 12, 2011.
Recurring guest star Groff appeared in this episode as Jesse, as did Jackson as Vocal Adrenaline coach Dustin Goolsby and Zyrus as his star vocalist Sunshine. Other recurring characters included glee club members Mike Chang, Sam Evans and
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 first appeared in the season one episode "Wheels", first broadcast on November 11, 20 ...
(
Ashley Fink
Ashley Rae Fink (born November 20, 1986) is an American actress and singer. She is known for her roles as Lauren Zizes in the television series '' Glee'' and as Carter McMahon in ''Huge''.
Personal life
Ashley Rae Fink was born in Houston, Tex ...
), and Kurt's boyfriend Blaine Anderson.
The episode featured five original songs and five musical cover versions. Of the original songs, Morris and McHale performed "My Cup", Morrison sang "Still Got Tonight", a track from his solo album, Zyrus performed "As Long As You're There", Michele and Monteith sang "Pretending", and New Directions performed "Light Up the World", with solo vocals by Rivera, Morris, McHale and Monteith, and a short duet with McHale and
Jenna Ushkowitz
Jenna Noelle Ushkowitz (; born April 28, 1986) (born Min Ji []) is a South Korean-born American actress, singer, producer and podcast host. She is known for her performances in Broadway musicals such as ''The King and I'' and '' Waitress (musica ...
.
The cover versions included a brief performance of
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the " Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1940s, 1950s, and ...
's "
Theme from ''New York, New York''", a mash-up of
Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
's "I Love New York" and "New York, New York" from ''
On the Town'', "Bella Notte" from ''
Lady and the Tramp
''Lady and the Tramp'' is a 1955 American animated musical romance film produced by Walt Disney and released by Buena Vista Film Distribution. The 15th Disney animated feature film, it was directed by Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, and ...
'', Michele and Colfer on "For Good" from ''Wicked'', and
Usher
Usher may refer to:
Several jobs which originally involved directing people and ensuring people are in the correct place:
* Usher (occupation)
** Church usher
** Wedding usher, one of the male attendants to the groom in a wedding ceremony
** F ...
's "Yeah!".
All but the Sinatra number were released as singles, available for digital download, though "Still Got Tonight" had been released in late April in the lead-up to the debut of Morrison's album on May 10, 2011.
Reception
Ratings
"New York" was first broadcast on May 24, 2011 in the United States on Fox. It garnered a 4.6/11
Nielsen rating/share in the
18–49 demographic, and received 11.80 million American viewers during its initial airing.
With an ''
American Idol
''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to ...
'' lead-in, and despite strong competition from the first hour of ''
Dancing With the Stars
''Dancing with the Stars'' is the name of various international television series based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing'', which is distributed by BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the form ...
Results'' on
ABC, which matched the ''Glee'' Nielsen rating/share for its two-hour broadcast, the total viewership and ratings for this episode were up by a third from those of the previous episode, "
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony connected with the final disposition of a corpse, such as a burial or cremation, with the attendant observances. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember and respect ...
", which was watched by 8.97 million American viewers and acquired a 3.6/10 rating/share in the 18–49 demographic upon first airing.
The episode was the top scripted show of the week among all viewers.
The episode's Canadian broadcast, also on May 24, 2011, drew 1.77 million viewers. It was the seventh most-watched show of the week, and ranked twice as high as "Funeral", which was watched by 1.58 million viewers. In the UK, the episode aired on June 13, 2011, and was watched by 2.61 million viewers (2.03 million on
E4, and 573,000 on E4+1). It was the most watched show on cable for the week, and again increased viewership on "Funeral", which was watched by 2.19 million viewers.
In Australia, "New York" aired on June 15, 2011, and was watched by 987,000 viewers, which made ''Glee'' the tenth most-watched show of the night. Viewership here declined from "Funeral", which was watched by 1.07 million and ranked seventh.
Critical response
"New York" was met with mixed reviews by many critics. Erica Futterman of ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' wrote, "We didn't actually expect the New Directions to win nationals, but the episode just felt like it was going through the motions rather than seizing the opportunity to do something truly spectacular."
''
The A.V. Club'' Emily VanDerWerff called the episode a "good piece of television", and gave it a "B+". She said it "wasn't as good" as the first-season finale, "
Journey to Regionals
"Journey to Regionals" is the twenty-second episode and first season finale of the American television series ''Glee''. The episode was written and directed by series creator Brad Falchuk, and premiered on the Fox network on June 8, 2010. In "Jou ...
", "largely because it wasted a lot of time on performances designed solely to show off how the show was actually in New York and also because it borrowed a lot of that episode's set pieces without finding anything remotely as powerful as the performance of 'Bohemian Rhapsody.
Robert Canning of ''
IGN'' gave "New York" a "good" grade of 7.5 out of 10 and stated, "while not as epic as Nationals in New York should have been, 'New York' was a decent close to an enjoyable season."
''
The Atlantic
''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science.
It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...
'' Meghan Brown said the episode was "an uneven end to an uneven season, with a few killer numbers, strange resolutions, and head-scratching plot devices", while her colleague Kevin Fallon opined that the season finale was "no exception" to ''Glee'' having "been undeniably frustrating in season two", though "there was still ample reason to tune in and enjoy".
Several elements of the episode were highlighted for their implausibility. The arrival of New Directions in New York without having their songs already prepared received widespread condemnation, including from VanDerWerff and the ''
Houston Chronicle
The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With i ...
'' Bobby Hankinson, and led Brown to write, "there is absolutely no universe in which that makes sense. At all. It was so logically unsound that it was distracting."
The notion that Rachel would not know that ''
Cats
The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members o ...
'' had closed eleven years before was derided by Brown and Amy Reiter of the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...
'',
while Rachel and Kurt's encounter with "the only friendly security guard in New York City" was mocked by Anthony Benigno of ''
The Faster Times'' and ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular ...
'' Sandra Gonzalez.
Several critics were disappointed that Quinn's ominous mention of plans for New York in "Funeral" came to nothing, including Benigno, who called her actual idea a "cockamamie sabotage plot", though he credited Agron's scene as a "great, wasted job in a great, wasted character", sentiments echoed by VanDerWerff and
James Poniewozik
James "Jim" Poniewozik (; born July 12, 1968) is an American journalist and television critic. He is the chief TV critic for ''The New York Times''. Earlier in his career, he wrote ''Time'' magazine's ''Tuned In'' column for 16 years.
Early life
...
of ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and event (philosophy), events that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various me ...
''.
Terron R. Moore of ''Ology.com'' gave the episode a "C+", and likened Quinn's dropped plot to Will leaving for Broadway and Rachel disowning her love for Finn: "the fact that none of this happened—and the fact that we know none of it would ever happen—is just another issue I have with the show. I hope that next season, it actually grows a pair."
Finn and Rachel's date in New York was praised, though not everyone was happy with its ending. Gonzalez liked LuPone's short guest spot, and hoped it would be "a lesson to producers in how to deal with guest appearances in the future".
Canning said the date had a "sweet comical tone", and thought the episode was "the best the series has done so far with this couple".
Reiter felt Rachel was making a "false" choice in her refusal of Finn at the end of the date, and wondered "couldn't she at least have asked him" if he would consider coming to New York.
At the competition performance, Poniewozik said of the end of "Pretending", "I may not be that invested in Finn/Rachel, but the startling moment where the audience disappeared in the middle of their kiss made me feel like I was."
Benigno called the moment "awesome", and VanDerWerff was also pleased.
Those reviewers who singled out the show's final segment, set after the return to Ohio, did so with compliments. Poniewozik wrote that the episode "did a really fine job handling its epilogue, in which New Directions had their hopes crushed, went back to Lima—and found that it was a pretty awesome experience regardless. Brittany connected with Santana, a brief scene that reminded me how far both characters have come this season. Kurt didn't get a championship, but he has Blaine, and he has a taste of what life can be like for him after graduation."
Canning said it was a "nice denouement, putting everyone at peace for having failed to reach the top ten at Nationals and getting their hopes high for next year."
Hankinson credited Brittany with some of the funniest lines in the episode as well as the most important scene—in the epilogue with Santana—and he was impressed with her lead vocals throughout. He concluded, "She's the M.V.P. of the night and possibly the season."
Music and performances
The musical performances received a mixed reaction from critics, both as a whole and individually. Poniewozik said the songs "mostly felt like padding, without anything that offered a strong connection of contrast with the story."
VanDerWerff called the music her least favorite element of the episode, and was only complimentary about "Bella Notte".
Brittany's original song, "My Cup", was called "light and fun" by Benigno.
Kubicek characterized it as "another brilliantly absurd original song",
and Canning said it was a "hilarious performance".
While Brett Berk of ''
Vanity Fair Vanity Fair may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Literature
* Vanity Fair, a location in '' The Pilgrim's Progress'' (1678), by John Bunyan
* ''Vanity Fair'' (novel), 1848, by William Makepeace Thackeray
* ''Vanity Fair'' (magazines), the ...
'' stated that it was "amazingly horrible", he nevertheless gave it three stars out of five.
The mash-up of "I Love New York" and "New York, New York" was typical of the range of reactions songs received. Benigno gave it a "C" and wondered whether it was bad that he "thought this was a joke song before
erealized it was a mash-up".
Gonzalez gave it a "B" and said it was "not
erfavorite".
Futterman called it an "infectious, high-speed mash-up" and Hankinson listed it as one of the four favorite songs from the episode, though Kubicek said the on-screen performance "would make any real New Yorker want to kick
ew Directionsin the shins".
Most reviewers were highly critical of the inclusion of Morrison's "Still Got Tonight", the second single from his solo album. VanDerWerff called it "way too self-indulgent" and Kubicek characterized it as "shameless self promotion".
Gonzalez said the song "isn't half bad" and gave it a "B−", while Benigno was more generous with a "B+", despite his belief that it did not belong in the episode.
Futterman called it "a generic-sounding pop melody".
The use of "Bella Notte", by contrast, was generally approved of, though Kubicek thought it was "kind of weird that they weren't really there", and Berk gave both of its two stars out of five solely due to the "spectral singers".
VanDerWerff thought the song was "well-performed", and Benigno gave it a "B+"; she had a very different take from Kubicek, as he found the imaginary appearance by the male club members hilarious.
Although Kurt and Rachel being allowed on the stage of a Broadway theater was deemed improbable in the extreme by many critics, most were willing to suspend disbelief and enjoy their duet of "For Good". Futterman wrote that the performance brought events "full circle from their season one drama around singing 'Defying Gravity'. It's a fitting song for friendship and Kurt and Rachel nail it."
''
The Wall Street Journal
''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'' Raymund Flandez described it as "so sublime that it could have fit so easily in the cast version of the musical's CD".
While Benigno wished the song had started two-voice harmony sooner, he gave it an "A−" and called it "friggin' lovely".
Among the less favorable comments, VanDerWerff felt that the song itself was "pretty weak".
Usher's "Yeah!" by an unnamed all-female
a cappella
''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...
group received variant opinions. Aly Semigran of ''
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
'' said that the group "nailed" the song, but Benigno found the track and performers annoying and gave it a "D−".
Futterman noted, "the arrangement feels flat and the dancing is overexaggerated", and Hankinson called this song and the Vocal Adrenaline offering, "As Long As You're There", "meh".
The latter song also garnered divergent opinions, from Kubicek's "neither fun nor interesting" to Gonzalez's award of an "A+", her best grade of the show.
Futterman wrote that Sunshine handled her ballad with "masterful skill and unbelievable ease".
The two original songs sung by New Directions were rated from excellent to abysmal. Benigno gave each song a "B+"; he called the duet, "Pretending", "lovely".
The nicest thing Kubicek wrote of it was that it sounded as if the lyrics had been "written by a lovesick teenage boy", and he called "Light Up the World" a "trainwreck".
Berk was even harsher: "When the show has carte blanche access to every amazing song in the history of popular music, there's something terribly humiliating about watching the kids sing this shit tune as their finale, and do so with such desperate conviction."
Gonzalez gave "Light Up the World" a "B+", but said it sounded a "bit too much" like "Loser Like Me", and while Benigno thought it had a better melody than "Loser" and also made "much better use of the Gleeks as a whole", he criticized the chorus for its similarity to "Let It Rock" by Kevin Rudolf.
Semigran said it was an "uplifting, if not rather lackluster pop song", yet Hankinson called it his favorite number in the episode.
Chart history
Three original songs and two cover versions that were featured in the episode debuted on numerous musical charts. The two original songs sung by the main ''Glee'' cast did best, with "Light Up the World" debuting at number thirty-three on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100, on an issue dated for June 11, 2011.
It sold 86,000 copies in the United States in its first week since its release as a digitally downloadable single, and "Pretending" was in fortieth with 79,000 sold.
[Peak chart positions for season 2 singles in the United States: "Light Up the World", "Pretending", "For Good", "I Love New York / New York, New York", and "As Long As You're There" ] The third single, a cover of "For Good" from ''Wicked'', charted at number fifty-eight, and the other cover, the mash-up "I Love New York / New York, New York", debuted at number eighty-one. The third original song, "As Long As You're There", sung by
Charice
Jake Zyrus (formerly known under the mononym Charice; born 10 May 1992) is a Filipino singer and television personality.
In 2007, after some appearances on Philippine television, Zyrus sang on '' The Ellen DeGeneres Show'', and the followi ...
, was number ninety-three.
In the Canadian Top 100, "Light Up the World" debuted at number twenty-six, "Pretending" at number forty, "For Good" at number seventy-nine, and "I Love New York / New York, New York" at number eighty-one.
Of the nine songs that were performed in the episode, four were featured on the eighth
soundtrack album
A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television show. The first such album to be commercially released was Walt Disney's ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' ...
of the series, ''
Glee: The Music, Volume 6'': the three original songs, "Light Up the World", "Pretending", and "As Long As You're There", plus the cover of "Bella Notte".
The album was released the day before the episode aired, and debuted at number four on the US
''Billboard'' 200 and number one on ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...
'' Soundtracks chart. It sold 80,000 copies in its first week,
which was the second-lowest opening sales figure for a ''Glee'' release next to the extended play ''
Glee: The Music, The Rocky Horror Glee Show'', and lower than the 86,000 sold by ''
Glee: The Music Presents the Warblers'' in its first week the previous month.
The album was also at number four on the ''Billboard'' Canadian Albums chart.
References
External links
"New York"at
Fox.com
*
{{Glee episodes
2011 American television episodes
Glee (season 2) episodes
Television episodes set in New York City
Television episodes written by Brad Falchuk