GLEE-wind - Recap from Ep 11 "Hairography" airing 11/25!
- Duration: 2:45
- Published: 2010-02-16
- Uploaded: 2010-12-10
- Author: FoxBroadcasting
All-new episodes return this fall on FOX!
| Title | Hairography |
|---|---|
| Series | Glee |
| Caption | New Directions join Haverbrook Deaf Choir to perform "Imagine" in American Sign Language |
| Season | 1 |
| Episode | 11 |
| Airdate | |
| Production | |
| Guests | * Eve as Grace Hitchens |
| Writer | Ian Brennan |
| Director | Bill D'Elia |
| Music | "Bootylicious" "Don't Make Me Over" "You're the One That I Want" "Papa Don't Preach" "Hair" / "Crazy in Love" "Imagine" "True Colors" |
| Episode list | List of Glee episodes |
| Prev | Ballad |
| Next | Mattress |
Singer Eve guest-stars as Grace Hitchens, director of the Jane Addams Girls Choir, and So You Think You Can Dance contestants Katee Shean, Kherington Payne and Comfort Fedoke appear as members of her group. The episode features covers of eight songs, including a mash-up of "Hair" from the musical Hair and "Crazy in Love" by Beyoncé. Studio recordings of all but one of the songs performed in the episode were released as singles, available for digital download.
"Hairography" was watched by 6.1 million US viewers and received mixed reviews from critics. Raymund Flandez of The Wall Street Journal deemed the mash-up performance one of the worst of the season, with Zap2it's Liz Pardue agreeing that it was "hideous". So You Think You Can Dance contestants Katee Shean, Kherington Payne and Comfort Fedoke appear as members of Grace's club.
Eve was contracted to appear in two episodes of Glee, having been offered the role of Grace after Whitney Houston declined to appear. Discussing her casting, Eve stated: "I got asked and I'd heard the buzz about the show. When the first pilot episode came out, I figured it was something different and something we haven't seen on TV before. I didn't want to turn it down!" She commented that she would have loved to have seen Whitney Houston appear in the show, explaining: "I think it would've been different in a sense because she's an original diva. She would've brought a whole other energy, which would've been amazing." Comparing her character Grace to McKinley High glee director Will, Eve explained: "For me especially, I come from a harder place. I'm the teacher of a reform school. I'm used to being very strict." and "You're the One That I Want" from Grease. Yoko Ono was hesitant about allowing Glee the rights to "Imagine". Series music supervisor P.J. Bloom explained: "It was very difficult to convince Yoko Ono that it was the right thing to do. She needed to truly understand how the music was going to be used. The added component of us wanting to have a deaf choir signing the song made for this incredibly poignant moment. ...It really took a lot of convincing to get her on board and realize that it was a great, great moment, and a tribute to John and his song." Jenna Ushkowitz has commented that the performance of "Imagine" brought the cast and crew of Glee to tears, and that several cast members got "Imagine" tattoos afterwards as it was "such a nice checkpoint in our lives." Studio recordings of all the songs performed in the episode except "You're the One That I Want" were released as singles, available for digital download. "Imagine" charted at number 82 in Australia, 49 in Canada and 67 in America, while "True Colors" charted at number 47 in Australia, 38 in Canada and 66 in America. "Don't Make Me Over", "Imagine" and "True Colors" are also included on the album .
The episode received mixed reviews from critics. Raymund Flandez of The Wall Street Journal was critical of New Directions' mash-up performance, deeming it one of the worst performances of the season. He enjoyed the deaf choir's rendition of "Imagine", but wished that New Directions had not interrupted and joined in with them. Mike Hale of the New York Times also disapproved of New Directions joining in with the deaf choir, writing that "Imagine": "was shaping up to be the best thing in the episode" until New Directions "torpedoed the moment." Liz Pardue of Zap2it felt that with "Hairography" Glee "wasn't at its best", deeming the writing less sharp than usual and observing that the pregnancy storyline dulled the episode for her. Pardue felt that New Directions were "butting in" to the Haverbrook performance of "Imagine", which she found "a little insulting", observing: "Good intentions, but cringe-y outcome." Pardue also criticized the mash-up of "Hair" and "Crazy in Love" as "hideous".
Gerrick D. Kennedy for the Los Angeles Times was generally more positive regarding the episode's musical performances, however was critical of the ongoing pregnancy plot, noting that he cringed whenever Quinn appeared on screen. Conversely, Bobby Hankinson of the Houston Chronicle enjoyed Quinn in the episode, writing: "I love that she can keep her Mean Girls edge while being heartbreakingly sad or as joyful as she was singing "Papa Don't Preach". He countered criticism of the portrayal of New Directions' rival choirs, suggesting: "at this point, everyone needs to realize that this show takes its jabs at everyone, but it always has a wink and a hug and lots and lots of love behind it." Entertainment Weekly Dan Snierson reviewed the episode positively, calling the "Imagine" performance "a classic feel-good Glee moment, teeming with sappy but undeniable heart", while Aly Semigran of MTV deemed it her favorite musical moment from the show, feeling that it: "honored the classic song in such a respectful way."
Category:Glee (TV series) episodes Category:2009 television episodes
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