Mattress (Glee)
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"Mattress", also known as "Once Upon a Mattress", is the twelfth episode of the
American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...
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 ...
''. The episode premiered on the
Fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...
network on December 2, 2009. It was written by series creator Ryan Murphy and directed by
Elodie Keene Elodie Keene (born April 10, 1949, in Berkeley, California) is an American film director, television director, producer and editor. As a television director, her credits include '' ER'', ''NYPD Blue'', ''The Practice'', ''Ally McBeal'', ''Charmed ...
. In "Mattress", the
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 by trios or quartets. In the late 19th century it was very popular in ...
discovers that they are going to be omitted from the school yearbook. Club member
Rachel Berry Rachel Barbra Berry is a fictional character and one of the two main protagonists, alongside Mr. Schue in the Fox musical comedy-drama series ''Glee''. The character is portrayed by actress Lea Michele, and appears in ''Glee'' from its pilot ep ...
(
Lea Michele Lea Michele Sarfati ( ; born August 29, 1986) is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She began her career as a child actress on Broadway, appearing in productions of ''Les Misérables'' (1995–1996), ''Ragtime'' (1997–1999), ''Fid ...
) has the team cast in a local mattress commercial in an attempt to raise their social status. 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 protagonists from the Fox musical comedy-drama series ''Glee'', alongside his student Rachel Berry. He appeared in ''Glee'' fro ...
(
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 ...
) discovers that his wife
Terri Terri is an alternative spelling of Terry. It is a feminine given name and is also a diminutive for Teresa. Notable people with the name include: *Terri Allard (born 1962), American country/folk singer/songwriter *Terri S. Armstrong, American sc ...
(
Jessalyn Gilsig Jessalyn Sarah Gilsig (born November 30, 1971) is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her roles as Meredith Gordon in ''Heroes (American TV series), Heroes'', Kayley in ''Quest for Camelot'', Lauren Davis in ''Boston Public'', Gina Russo in ...
) has been faking her pregnancy. The episode features
cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...
s of four songs,
studio recording A studio recording, or a recording session is 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 In the cas ...
s of three of which were released as
singles Singles are people not in a committed relationship. Singles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series * ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe * ''Singles'' ...
, available for digital download, and are also included on the album '' Glee: The Music, Volume 2''. "Mattress" was watched by 8.15 million US viewers, ''Glee'' series high at that point. It received mixed reviews from critics. The conclusion of the fake pregnancy storyline attracted praise, as did Gilsig and Morrison's acting, however Liz Pardue of
Zap2it Zap2it was a website and digital media company that provided television program listings information for areas of the United States and Canada. Founded in 2000 by Tribune Media Services, the site has been owned by Nexstar Media Group since 201 ...
expressed dismay that so few songs were performed, while Raymund Flandez of the ''
Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...
'' deemed "Jump" "the only memorable song of the episode".


Plot

Cheerleading coach
Sue Sylvester Susan "Sue" Rodham Sylvester is a fictional character of the Fox musical comedy-drama series, ''Glee''. The character is portrayed by actress Jane Lynch, and appears in ''Glee'' from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009, through t ...
(
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 ...
) convinces
Principal Figgins ''Glee (TV series), Glee'' is a musical comedy-drama television series that aired on Fox Broadcasting Company, 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 sho ...
(
Iqbal Theba Iqbal Theba ( ; born 20 December 1963) is a Pakistani actor, known for his recurring role as Principal Figgins in the show ''Glee''. Early life Theba was born in Karachi, Pakistan. He belongs to the Sindhi-speaking Theba tribe. Theba attend ...
) not to include a photograph of the
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 by trios or quartets. In the late 19th century it was very popular in ...
in the school
yearbook A yearbook, also known as an annual, is a type of Annual publication, a book published annually. One use is to record, highlight, and commemorate the past year of a school. The term also refers to a book of statistics or facts published annually ...
, as in previous years, glee club photographs have been heavily defaced in the library copy of the yearbook by fellow students. Club director
Will Schuester William Michael Schuester, often referred to as Mr. Schue, is a fictional teacher character and one of the two main protagonists from the Fox musical comedy-drama series ''Glee'', alongside his student Rachel Berry. He appeared in ''Glee'' fro ...
(
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 ...
) personally buys a meager section of advertising space in the book so that a photograph featuring at least two members can be included. Fearing unpopularity, the club nominates
Rachel Rachel () was a Bible, Biblical figure, the favorite of Jacob's two wives, and the mother of Joseph (Genesis), Joseph and Benjamin, two of the twelve progenitors of the tribes of Israel. Rachel's father was Laban (Bible), Laban. Her older siste ...
(
Lea Michele Lea Michele Sarfati ( ; born August 29, 1986) is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She began her career as a child actress on Broadway, appearing in productions of ''Les Misérables'' (1995–1996), ''Ragtime'' (1997–1999), ''Fid ...
) to represent them in the photograph. Rachel convinces Finn (
Cory Monteith Cory Allan Michael Monteith (; May 11, 1982 July 13, 2013) was a Canadian actor and musician. He made his acting debut in the television series ''Stargate Atlantis'' (2004), and had other roles in shows including ''Smallville'' (2005), and ''Sup ...
) to appear alongside her, but after being teased by his peers, he drops out. When it transpires that the school photographer (
John Ross Bowie John Ross Bowie (born May 30, 1971) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for playing Barry Kripke on ''The Big Bang Theory'' and Jimmy DiMeo on '' Speechless,'' in addition to over 100 film and TV credits. He appeared in ''What t ...
) is soon to direct a commercial for his brother-in-law, a local mattress store owner, Rachel convinces him to cast the glee club in it, believing that local celebrity status will prevent the other students from mocking them. Will is dismayed to learn that his close friend, guidance counselor
Emma Pillsbury Emma Pillsbury Schuester (previously Pillsbury-Howell) is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series ''Glee''. Portrayed by actress Jayma Mays, Emma appeared in ''Glee'' from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2 ...
(
Jayma Mays Jamia Suzette "Jayma" Mays (born July 16, 1979) is an American actress. She is known for playing Emma Pillsbury in the Fox musical series '' Glee'' (2009–2015) and for her starring roles in the films ''Red Eye'' (2005), '' Paul Blart: Mall ...
), has arranged to marry her fiancé, football coach Ken Tanaka ( Patrick Gallagher), on the same day the glee club will compete at sectionals. Will goes on to discover that his wife
Terri Terri is an alternative spelling of Terry. It is a feminine given name and is also a diminutive for Teresa. Notable people with the name include: *Terri Allard (born 1962), American country/folk singer/songwriter *Terri S. Armstrong, American sc ...
(
Jessalyn Gilsig Jessalyn Sarah Gilsig (born November 30, 1971) is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her roles as Meredith Gordon in ''Heroes (American TV series), Heroes'', Kayley in ''Quest for Camelot'', Lauren Davis in ''Boston Public'', Gina Russo in ...
) has been lying to him for months about her supposed pregnancy. She actually experienced a hysterical pregnancy and hid the truth from him for several months by wearing a pregnancy pad under her clothes, while planning to secretly adopt Quinn's (
Dianna Agron Dianna Elise Agron ( ; born April 30, 1986) is an American actress and singer. List of Dianna Agron performances, Her work spans screen and stage, and her accolades include a Screen Actors Guild Award and nomination for a Brit Award. Agron bega ...
) baby. Will walks out on her and spends the night at the school, sleeping on one of the mattresses given to the glee club in payment for their commercial. Sue informs Will that the club receiving payment for the commercial revokes their amateur status, and thus their eligibility to compete at sectionals. Quinn, who has been trying to convince Sue to let her appear in the cheerleaders' photographs despite being removed from the team due to her pregnancy, reminds Sue that as their coach she has often given the cheerleaders perks which would also render them ineligible for competition. She demands that Sue sacrifice one of the cheerleaders' six pages in the yearbook to the glee club. Sue agrees, and accepts Quinn back onto the cheerleading team, but Quinn tells her she no longer wishes to be a cheerleader. Will announces that he will not be accompanying the club to sectionals, as he was the one who accepted payment, and as such they will only be allowed to compete without his involvement. The glee club then has their group photograph taken for the yearbook, but the copy in the library is subsequently defaced by hockey player
Dave Karofsky David 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 Octo ...
( Max Adler) and football player
Azimio Azimio (''Kata ya Azimio'', in Swahili) is an administrative ward in the Temeke district of the Dar es Salaam Region of Tanzania. Temeke and Miburani wards encircle the ward on its northern border. Makangarawe and Tandika are to the west. ...
(James Earl).


Production

"Mattress" was written by series creator Ryan Murphy and directed by
Elodie Keene Elodie Keene (born April 10, 1949, in Berkeley, California) is an American film director, television director, producer and editor. As a television director, her credits include '' ER'', ''NYPD Blue'', ''The Practice'', ''Ally McBeal'', ''Charmed ...
. Recurring characters who appear in the episode are glee club members Brittany Pierce (
Heather Morris Heather Elizabeth Morris is an American actress, dancer, and singer. She played the role of Brittany S. Pierce in the Fox musical comedy-drama series ''Glee''. Early life Morris was born in Thousand Oaks, California, and raised in Scottsdale, ...
),
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 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 began her career as a child actress and model, first appearing in ...
),
Mike Chang Michael Robert 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, " Pr ...
(
Harry Shum Jr. Harry Shum Jr. (born April 28, 1982) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Mike Chang on the Fox television series '' Glee'' (2009–2015), Magnus Bane on the Freeform television series '' Shadowhunters'' (2016–2019), and Dr. ...
) and Matt Rutherford (
Dijon Talton Dijon Hendra Talton (born September 17, 1989) is an American producer, actor, singer and director. He won several awards as part of the cast of ''Glee'', and has since continued to play small roles on television and film, as well as producing th ...
), Principal Figgins (Iqbal Theba), football coach Ken Tanaka (Patrick Gallagher), local news anchors Rod Remington (Bill A. Jones) and Andrea Carmichael (Earlene Davis), hockey player Dave Karofsky (Max Adler) and football player Azimio (James Earl). John Ross Bowie guest-stars as school photographer Dennis, and Chuck Spitler plays his brother-in-law, mattress store owner Randy Cusperberg. The episode features
cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...
s of "
Smile A smile is a facial expression formed primarily by flexing the muscles at the sides of the mouth. Some smiles include a contraction of the muscles at the corner of the eyes, an action known as a Duchenne smile. Among humans, a smile expresses d ...
" by
Lily Allen Lily Rose Beatrice Allen (born 2 May 1985) is an English singer, songwriter, and actress. List of awards and nominations received by Lily Allen, Her accolades include a Brit Award, alongside nominations for a Grammy Award and a Laurence Olivi ...
, "
Jump JuMP is an algebraic modeling language and a collection of supporting packages for mathematical optimization embedded in the Julia programming language. JuMP is used by companies, government agencies, academic institutions, software projects ...
" by
Van Halen Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1973. Credited with restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene, Van Halen was known for their energetic live performances and the virtuosity of their guit ...
, "
Smile A smile is a facial expression formed primarily by flexing the muscles at the sides of the mouth. Some smiles include a contraction of the muscles at the corner of the eyes, an action known as a Duchenne smile. Among humans, a smile expresses d ...
" by
Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is considered o ...
, and "
When You're Smiling "When You're Smiling" is a popular song written by Larry Shay, Mark Fisher and Joe Goodwin. First published in 1928, popular recordings were made by Seger Ellis (1928), Louis Armstrong (1929), and Ted Wallace & His Campus Boys (1930). The lyri ...
" by
Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...
.
Studio recording A studio recording, or a recording session is 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 In the cas ...
s of each of the songs except "When You're Smiling" were released as singles, available for digital download, and are also included on the album '' Glee: The Music, Volume 2''.
Jessalyn Gilsig Jessalyn Sarah Gilsig (born November 30, 1971) is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her roles as Meredith Gordon in ''Heroes (American TV series), Heroes'', Kayley in ''Quest for Camelot'', Lauren Davis in ''Boston Public'', Gina Russo in ...
referred to the confrontation between Terri and Will in "Mattress" as "The Reckoning". She described it as sad to shoot, as she and Morrison were so invested in the storyline, and explained: "What I hope is conveyed is that you see the child inside Terri. You see the fear." Gilsig commented that viewers had been wondering why Will was taking so long to discover Terri was not actually pregnant, explaining: "I think people have been asking 'How slow is this guy?!'. But n "Mattress"Will finally reflects that he is a fully evolved human being and puts two and two together." She noted that while Will and Emma "are adorable together", she still believes in Terri and Will as a couple as: "I think that she really loves him. People do crazy things out of deep, deep insecurity. She's obviously flawed, but I think she has love in her heart." While fan reaction to her character had previously resulted in a backlash Gilsig found "tough", she hoped that "Mattress" would be the episode in which "anti-Terri fans joined Team Terri".


Reception

"Mattress" was watched by 8.15 million US viewers, ''Glee'' series high in the 2009–10 television season at the time of its original broadcast. It achieved a 3.6/10 rating/share in the 18-49 demographic, again the show's season high at the time, and a 4.3/12 rating/share with adults 18-34, both its series high and the highest rating in the demographic for the night of broadcast. In Canada, it was the ninth most watched show for the week of broadcast, attaining 1.8 million viewers. The episode received mixed reviews from critics. ''
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, ...
'' Dan Snierson wrote that "Mattress" "felt like a step forward after last week's all-over-the-place hair toss", and called the "poignant" ending "one of ''Glee'' best". In contrast, Mike Hale of the ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' wrote that with "Mattress", ''Glee'' appeared to be "taking a break" ahead of the midseason finale episode " Sectionals". Liz Pardue of
Zap2it Zap2it was a website and digital media company that provided television program listings information for areas of the United States and Canada. Founded in 2000 by Tribune Media Services, the site has been owned by Nexstar Media Group since 201 ...
was relieved that "Mattress" brought the fake pregnancy storyline to an end. She noted, however, that she was still unsatisfied with the episode, as the conclusion to the storyline should have come sooner, and there were too few songs featured. Bobby Hankinson of the ''
Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, 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''. ...
'' called the episode "pretty good" noting that he "wasn't crazy about any of the songs" but enjoyed the plot development, particularly the confrontation between Terri and Will. Raymund Flandez of the ''
Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...
'' was happy to see the "convoluted" fake pregnancy storyline end, and called the performance of "Jump" "lively" and the stunts "incredible", though he wrote that it was "the only memorable song of the episode". Gerrick Kennedy of the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' noted that in previous reviews, he had "never been shy of isdisdain for Mrs. Schuester", but that his hatred of Terri "vanished" once the lie was over, praising the confrontation between Will and Terri. ''
MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
'' Aly Semigran praised both actors, especially "a devastated Matthew Morrison" for having "nailed just what a scary, sad, and life-altering moment" it was. She deemed "Jump" both "delightful" and the "giddiest musical number on the show to date".


References


External links


"Mattress"
at Fox.com * {{good article 2009 American television episodes Glee season 1 episodes Television episodes written by Ryan Murphy (producer) Television episodes directed by Elodie Keene Television episodes about advertising