Laryngitis (Glee)
"Laryngitis" | |
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Rose's Turn" ""One | |
Production code | 1ARC17 |
Original air date | May 11, 2010 |
Guest appearances | |
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"Laryngitis" is the eighteenth episode of the American television series Glee. The episode premiered on the Fox network on May 11, 2010. It was directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon and written by series creator Ryan Murphy. In "Laryngitis", glee club member Puck (Mark Salling) dates Mercedes (Amber Riley) in an attempt to raise his social status. Kurt (Chris Colfer) is jealous of the time his father is spending with Finn (Cory Monteith), and Rachel (Lea Michele) worries about her future when she is diagnosed with tonsillitis. Mike O'Malley guest-stars as Kurt's father Burt, and Zack Weinstein appears as disabled former football player Sean Fretthold.
The episode features cover versions of seven songs, five of which were released as singles, available for digital download, and three of which are included on the soundtrack album Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers. "Laryngitis" was watched by 11.57 million American viewers and received mixed reviews from critics. Emily VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club, Bobby Hankinson of the Houston Chronicle, Vanity Fair's Brett Berk and James Poniewozik of Time all enjoyed the episode, noting that it came after several lesser-quality episodes since the show's return from its mid-season break. In contrast, Lisa Respers France of CNN felt that "Laryngitis" was lecturing in tone, and more sad than it was comedic. Henrik Batallones of BuddyTV and Entertainment Weekly's Darren Franich both expressed concern with the disability plot, the former finding it forced and the latter questioning whether Glee honors its disabled actors, or uses them shamelessly.
Plot
When glee club member Puck (Mark Salling) has his mohawk shaved off at the insistence of his dermatologist for medical purposes, he discovers he is no longer considered a credible bully. He realizes that Mercedes (Amber Riley) has become popular since joining the cheerleading squad, and resolves to date her. Mercedes initially attempts to dissuade him, but after the two sing a duet of "The Lady Is a Tramp", she warms to him. Puck's former girlfriend Santana (Naya Rivera) is jealous, and she and Mercedes sing "The Boy Is Mine". When Mercedes realizes that Puck has returned to being a bully, she breaks up with him and resigns from the cheerleading squad.
Meanwhile, Rachel (Lea Michele) realizes that some glee club members are faking their singing. She tells glee club director Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison), complaining that she is doing most of the work, exhausting herself and getting ill in the process. She reveals the non-participants as Finn (Cory Monteith), Quinn (Dianna Agron), Puck, Brittany (Heather Morris), and Santana. Will gathers the students and gives them a new task for the week: each club member will have to do solos, and each must choose a song that best represents their feelings.
Rachel then confronts the non-participating glee members and insults them, but when she starts to sing Miley Cyrus's "
In the meantime,
Rachel eventually recovers her voice after taking the antibiotics her doctor prescribed. She goes back to Sean's house to thank him again, and offers to give him singing lessons. They start singing U2's "One", and the scene switches back and forth between her duet with Sean and the full glee club's performance of the song on stage at school.
Production
Recurring characters who appear in "Laryngitis" are Kurt's father Burt Hummel (Mike O'Malley), glee club members Santana Lopez (Naya Rivera), Brittany (Heather Morris),
The episode features
Reception
Ratings
In its original broadcast, "Laryngitis" was watched by 11.57 million American viewers and attained a 4.8/12
Critical response
The episode received mixed reviews from critics. Lisa Respers France of CNN felt that "Laryngitis" highlighted a trend of Glee storylines becoming progressively sadder, rather than comedic. She wrote that the plotlines came across as lecturing, and concluded: "I still heart Glee, which is clearly one of the best shows on television right now. I just think they may want to lighten the life lessons a bit or spread them out more over several episodes rather than clobbering us all at once."[13] Henrik Batallones of BuddyTV wrote that he was uncertain what to make of the episode, noting: "Sure, there were some high points, and it was a pretty enjoyable watch, but unlike the last few episodes this one left me a little high and dry." Batallones observed that the Sean storyline felt "totally forced into the episode, making Rachel's epiphany [...] very forced and unnatural."[14] Entertainment Weekly's Darren Franich was also troubled by the storyline, noting: "It seems like the height of vanity to basically use this storyline to teach Rachel an important lesson about being herself. [...] Glee has used disabled actors before, and I think it's worth debating whether the show honors that or uses it shamelessly."[15]
Emily VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club graded the episode "B+". While she had been disappointed with several episodes since the show's mid-season break, VanDerWerff noted: "Glee still has its inconsistencies, but it's getting back to the show I so enjoyed last fall." She wrote of the Sean storyline that it: "should feel offensive but mostly skates away from actually being so because it treats the paralyzed character with a great deal of respect".[16] Bobby Hankinson of the Houston Chronicle also noted that he had been underwhelmed with the show since its return, but loved "Laryngitis", writing: "The story focused exclusively on the kids—not Mr. Shue or Sue Sylvester—and the performances were realistically small-scale. [...] All that classic Glee charm came washing over me once more and it was glorious."[17] Gerrick D. Kennedy of the Los Angeles Times similarly stated: "When Glee is at its best, you get episodes like this week's. There were no gimmicks, no over-the-top productions, no unnecessary stars [...] It was just great storytelling and superb finger-snapping music."[18] Vanity Fair's Brett Berk deemed "Laryngitis" a "truly successful episode", but also highlighted the show's inconsistency in quality since its return.[19] James Poniewozik of Time called "Laryngitis" the first episode of Glee since its mid-season break that he enjoyed "(mostly) without reservation."[20] Eric Goldman of IGN rated the episode 8.8/10, deeming it one of his favorite episodes of Glee, "with some of the funniest material the show has delivered thus far."[21]
References
- ^ "(GLE-118) "Laryngitis"". The Futon Critic (Press release). Retrieved February 29, 2012.
- ^ The Wrap. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
- Tribune Media Services. Archived from the originalon August 9, 2016. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
- ^ a b Weinstein, Zack (March 18, 2010). "Zack's not letting his injury keep him from acting (He's going to be on Glee!)". Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. Archived from the original on May 26, 2010. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
- ^ Emmer, Gene (May 3, 2010). "Interview With Zack Weinstein". New Disability. Retrieved May 14, 2010.
- Tribune Media Services. Archived from the originalon August 9, 2016. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
- ^ "Glee Cast". Apple Music. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
- ^ "Glee: The Music, Vol. 3 Showstoppers (Deluxe Ed.)". Barnes & Noble. Archived from the original on June 30, 2012. Retrieved April 21, 2010.
- ^ Siedman, Robert (May 12, 2010). "Tuesday Finals: Lost, NCIS Adjusted Up; Good Wife, V, Glee Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on August 14, 2017. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
- Broadcasters' Audience Research Board. Retrieved June 18, 2010.
- BBM Canada. Archived from the original(PDF) on March 2, 2012. Retrieved June 18, 2010.
- ^ "Consolidated Metropolitan Top 20 Programs" (PDF). OzTAM. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 19, 2012. Retrieved June 18, 2010.
- ^ Respers France, Lisa (May 12, 2010). "TV recap: 'Glee' makes us happy and sad". CNN. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
- ^ Batallones, Henrik (May 11, 2010). "This Week on 'Glee': Is It Just Me, Or Did Something Weird Just Happen?". BuddyTV. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
- ^ Franich, Darren (May 12, 2010). "'Glee' recap: Did I disappoint you?". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
- ^ VanDerWerff, Emily (May 12, 2010). "Glee: "Laryngitis"". The A.V. Club. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
- Hearst Corporation. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
- ^ Kennedy, Gerrick D. (May 12, 2010). "'Glee': The boy is mine". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
- ^ Berk, Brett (May 12, 2010). "The Gay Guide to Glee: Episode 18, "Laryngitis"". Vanity Fair. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
- ^ Poniewozik, James (May 12, 2010). "Glee Watch: Free to Be You and Me". Time. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
- ^ Goldman, Eric (May 12, 2010). "Glee: "Laryngitis" Review". IGN. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
External links
- "Laryngitis" at Fox.com
- "Laryngitis" at IMDb