"Feud" is the sixteenth episode of the
fourth season of the American musical television series ''
Glee
Glee may refer to:
* Glee (music), a type of English choral music
* ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy
* ''Glee'' (Bran Van 3000 album)
* ''Glee'' (Logan Lynn album)
* Gle ...
'', and the eighty-second episode overall. Written by
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and directed by Bradley Buecker, it aired on
Fox in the United States on March 14, 2013.
Plot
In New York City,
Rachel Berry (
Lea Michele) confirms that she is not pregnant, and
Santana Lopez
Santana Lopez is a fictional character from the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox musical comedy-drama series ''Glee (TV series), Glee''. The character was portrayed by Naya Rivera, and appeared in ''Glee'' from its Pilot (Glee), pilot episode, first ...
(
Naya Rivera) remains convinced that Brody Weston (
Dean Geyer) is hiding something. Unbeknownst to them, he is moonlighting as a
gigolo
A gigolo ( ) is a male escort, call boy or social companion who is supported by a person in a continuing relationship.
The term ''gigolo'' usually implies a man who adopts a lifestyle consisting of a number of such relationships serially rat ...
to pay his NYADA tuition.
In
Lima
Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...
, New Directions, noticing tension between
Will Schuester (
Matthew Morrison
Matthew James Morrison (born October 30, 1978) is an American actor, dancer, and singer, best known for his role as Will Schuester on the Fox television show ''Glee'' (2009–2015).
He has starred in multiple Broadway and off-Broadway produ ...
) and
Finn Hudson
Finn Christopher Hudson is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series ''Glee''. The character was portrayed by Cory Monteith and first appeared on television when ''Glee'' premiered its pilot episode on Fox on May 19, 2009. ...
(
Cory Monteith) (Finn kissed
Will's fiancé in ''
Diva
Diva (, ) is the Latin word for a goddess. Diva is a name from Roman mythology, and is associated with the nouns divus, diva, which means god, goddess, and the adjective divinius, which means divine or heavenly. It has often been used to refer t ...
''), decides to assign them a week of songs covering musical feuds.
Wade "Unique" Adams
Unique Adams is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series ''Glee'' who first appeared in " Saturday Night Glee-ver", the sixteenth episode of the show's third season. Portrayed by actor Alex Newell, Unique is notable for ...
(
Alex Newell) confronts
Ryder Lynn (
Blake Jenner) over interfering in the relationship between
Marley Rose (
Melissa Benoist
Melissa Marie Benoist ( ; born October 4, 1988) is an American actress and singer. Her first major role was Marley Rose on the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox musical comedy drama ''Glee (TV series), Glee'' (2012–2014), in which she was a serie ...
) and
Jake Puckerman (
Jacob Artist), and they fight after Ryder refers to Unique as a boy.
Artie Abrams (
Kevin McHale) suggests that they express their feelings through song, and they duet on "
The Bitch Is Back" and "
Dress You Up", but Ryder still struggles to accept Unique as a girl. Meanwhile, Marley reconciles with Jake, but he acts hostile towards Ryder for betraying him by kissing Marley.
In NYC, Santana confronts Brody at NYADA, performing "
Cold Hearted" to mock him. Upon learning about this, Rachel and
Kurt Hummel (
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 crit ...
) kick Santana out of their apartment. In Lima, Will and Finn duet on "
Bye Bye Bye" and "
I Want It That Way
"I Want It That Way" is a song by American boy band Backstreet Boys. It was released on April 12, 1999, as the lead single from their third studio album, ''Millennium''. It was written by Max Martin and Andreas Carlsson, while Martin and Kris ...
", and although Will forgives Finn, he tells Finn that their relationship can never be the same. Marley later convinces Finn that he is a natural leader and encourages him to get a teacher's degree. Santana eventually discovers Brody's secret and calls Finn, who travels to NYC and confronts Brody in a motel, threatening to tell Rachel the truth if Brody doesn't leave her alone. When Brody attempts to prevent Finn from leaving, they get into a fight, with Finn beating Brody and saying "Stay away from my future wife!"
Cheerleading coach
Sue Sylvester (
Jane Lynch
Jane Marie Lynch (born July 14, 1960) is an American actress, comedian, and singer. Known for playing starring and recurring roles in comedic television, her accolades include one Golden Globe, five Primetime Emmys and two Screen Actors Gui ...
) attempts to force
Blaine Anderson
Blaine Devon Anderson is a fictional character from the American musical comedy-drama television series ''Glee (TV series), Glee''. Played by Darren Criss, Blaine was introduced in the Never Been Kissed (Glee), sixth episode of the Glee season ...
(
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 (TV series), Glee'' (2010–2015) and received a Primetime Emmy Awards, Primetime Emmy Award and ...
) to rejoin the Cheerios, and after he refuses, she initiates a series of attacks on his personal life. Blaine challenges Sue to a duel, and they sing "
I Still Believe" and "
Super Bass". Sue is elected the winner and welcomes Blaine into the Cheerios, naming him co-captain alongside
Becky Jackson (
Lauren Potter), unaware that this is part of Blaine and
Sam Evans's (
Chord Overstreet) plan to prevent Sue from further threatening the glee club once they graduate.
Ryder begins chatting online with a girl named Katie Fitzgerald (
Ginny Gardner), who convinces him to make amends with his friends. Ryder calls Marley, Jake, and Unique and apologizes to them. They are joined by
Kitty Wilde
Kitty Wilde is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series ''Glee''. The character is portrayed by actress Becca Tobin, and appeared for the first time during the first episode of the fourth season, " The New Rachel", first ...
(
Becca Tobin), who reminds them that, after the seniors graduate, they'll be taking over glee club. Ryder and Jake lead New Directions in a performance of "
Closer" to celebrate their strengthened bond, and Ryder later messages Katie to thank her. However, when he asks if they can meet, he hears typing coming from the school library before Katie mysteriously goes offline.
Production
The episode was written by ''Glee'' producer
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and directed by co-executive producer Bradley Buecker.
Recurring characters in this episode include glee club members Wade "Unique" Adams (Newell), Marley Rose (Benoist), Jake Puckerman (Artist), Kitty Wilde (Tobin) and Ryder Lynn (Jenner), cheerleader
Becky Jackson (
Lauren Potter) and NYADA junior Brody Weston (Geyer).
Nine songs from the episode are being released as six singles. These include three
mash-ups,
NSYNC
NSYNC ( ; also stylized as *NSYNC or N Sync) was an American vocal group and pop boy band formed by Chris Kirkpatrick in Orlando, Florida, in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich. The group consists of Kirkpatrick, JC Chasez, ...
's "
Bye Bye Bye" with
Backstreet Boys
Backstreet Boys (often abbreviated as BSB) are an American vocal group consisting of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, and cousins Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson (musician), Kevin Richardson. The band formed in 1993 in Orlando, Flori ...
' "
I Want It That Way
"I Want It That Way" is a song by American boy band Backstreet Boys. It was released on April 12, 1999, as the lead single from their third studio album, ''Millennium''. It was written by Max Martin and Andreas Carlsson, while Martin and Kris ...
" performed by Morrison and Monteith,
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...
's "
The Bitch Is Back" with
Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
's "
Dress You Up" sung by Jenner and Newell, and
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey ( ; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Songbird Supreme" by ''Guinness World Records'', Carey is known for her five-octave voc ...
's "
I Still Believe" with
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian rapper, singer, and songwriter. Regarded as the "Queen of Rap" and one of the most influential rappers of all time, she is noted for her ...
's "
Super Bass" performed by Criss and Lynch, and the individual songs
Tegan and Sara
Tegan and Sara () are a Canadian indie pop duo formed in 1998 in Calgary, Alberta. The band is led by identical twin sisters, Tegan Rain Quin and Sara Keirsten Quin (born September 19, 1980). Both musicians are songwriters and multi-instrumentali ...
's "Closer" sung by Jenner and Artist,
Marina and the Diamonds' "
How to Be a Heartbreaker" performed by Geyer and Michele, and
Paula Abdul's "
Cold Hearted" performed by Rivera.
Reception
Ratings
The episode was watched by 5.37 million American viewers and received a 2.0/6 rating/share among adults 18–49. The show finished third in its timeslot against ''
Person of Interest
"Person of interest" is a term used by law enforcement in the United States, Canada, and other countries when identifying someone possibly involved in a criminal investigation who has not been arrested or formally accused of a crime. It has no leg ...
'' and ''
Grey's Anatomy
''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series focusing on the personal and professional lives of surgical internship (medicine), interns, residency (medicine), residents, and attending physician, attendings at the fictional ...
.'' This was a decrease from the previous episode "
Girls (and Boys) On Film", which was watched by 6.72 million viewers and received a 2.4/7 rating/share among adults 18–49.
2.73 million viewers watched this episode via DVR, bringing the total viewership to 8.10 million and a 3.2 18-49 rating.
Critical reception
Tierney Bricker of ''
E! Online
E! Entertainment Television is an American basic cable television network. It is owned by the NBCUniversal Media Group division of Comcast's NBCUniversal. The channel focuses primarily on pop culture, celebrity based reality shows and movies. ...
'' praised Will and Finn's "boy-band off", saying "'Twas awesome!" She also complimented Finn's realized dream and confrontation with Brody. She ranked this episode as one of Thursday's "Best TV Moments."
Erin Strecker of ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' was less thrilled about Will and Finn's musical performance, saying "The number was 100% ridiculous but honestly had 100% of the things I wanted to see once I heard the song happening. Schu on strings! Schu with
JT hair! The girls being crazed fans!" Erin complimented Finn and Will's storyline, but then said "Perhaps because the plotline was so serious, the rest of the episode was completely silly", specifically talking about Blaine's subplot.
Jane Lynch
Jane Marie Lynch (born July 14, 1960) is an American actress, comedian, and singer. Known for playing starring and recurring roles in comedic television, her accolades include one Golden Globe, five Primetime Emmys and two Screen Actors Gui ...
submitted this episode for consideration due to her nomination for the
at the
65th Primetime Emmy Awards
The 65th Primetime Emmy Awards, honoring the best in prime time television programming from June 1, 2012, until May 31, 2013, were held on Sunday, September 22, 2013, at the Peacock Theater, Nokia Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles, California. CBS ...
.
References
External links
"Feud" at
Fox.com
*
{{Glee episodes
2013 American television episodes
Glee season 4 episodes
Television episodes written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa