I Am Unicorn
Encyclopedia
"I Am Unicorn" is the second episode of the third season
of the American musical television series Glee
, and the 46th overall. The episode was written by series co-creator Ryan Murphy, directed by series co-creator Brad Falchuk
, and first aired on September 27, 2011 on Fox
in the United States. It features the return of Shelby Corcoran (Idina Menzel
) to the show to direct a rival glee club at William McKinley High even while New Directions, the current club, is having trouble recruiting members. Shelby also wants Quinn
(Dianna Agron
) and Puck
(Mark Salling), the biological parents of her adopted daughter Beth, to be a part of Beth's life. The director of New Directions, Will Schuester
(Matthew Morrison
) sets up a "booty camp" for the less capable dancers in the club, and auditions for the school musical, West Side Story
, begin.
The episode received mostly positive reviews, which ranged from okay to fabulous, with approval being given to the resurrection of neglected storylines from the show's first season
. One of these was the adoption of Beth, and critics were especially happy with the scene where Puck meets her, but there was widespread disdain for the explanation behind Shelby's return, that of starting a rival glee club. There were only three musical numbers in the episode, though all three were given positive notices, with the overall favorite being Blaine's performance of "Something's Coming" from West Side Story at the end of the episode. Although all three songs were released as singles, available for download, only "Somewhere
", sung as a duet by Menzel and Lea Michele
, charted on the Billboard Hot 100
, and none charted on the Canadian Hot 100
. Upon its initial airing, this episode was viewed by 8.60 million American viewers and garnered a 3.7/10 Nielsen rating/share in the 18–49 demographic. The total viewership and ratings for this episode were down from the previous week's season opener, "The Purple Piano Project
".
(Matthew Morrison
) institutes a "booty camp" to hone the dancing skills of New Directions members Finn
(Cory Monteith
), Mercedes
(Amber Riley
), Puck
(Mark Salling), Kurt
(Chris Colfer
) and Blaine
(Darren Criss
), and has Mike
(Harry Shum Jr.) instruct them. As he is too busy to direct the upcoming school musical West Side Story
, guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury
(Jayma Mays
), football coach Shannon Beiste (Dot-Marie Jones) and New Directions member Artie Abrams
(Kevin McHale) take charge of it.
Rachel (Lea Michele
) and Kurt audition, respectively, for the lead roles of Maria and Tony; she performs "Somewhere
" from the show, and he performs "I'm the Greatest Star" from Funny Girl. Kurt later eavesdrops on the directors and hears them question whether he is masculine enough for the role. He re-auditions and attempts to give a more masculine performance, but they are unable to suppress laughter at his acting. Kurt is also running for class president, and accepts campaign help from Brittany
(Heather Morris), who wants to highlight his unique character by comparing him to a unicorn. Kurt feels her proposed campaign materials highlight only his gay side, and is upset when she goes against his wishes and posts them anyway. He discusses his image problem with his father, Burt
(Mike O'Malley
), who recommends that he embrace his uniqueness. Kurt later changes his mind about his campaign's approach and apologizes to Brittany, but is surprised to learn that she too has decided to run for class president.
Shelby Corcoran (Idina Menzel
)—Rachel's biological mother, the adoptive mother of Quinn
(Dianna Agron
) and Puck's daughter Beth, and the former coach of rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline—is headhunted to coach a second glee club at McKinley High financed by Sugar Motta's (Vanessa Lengies
) wealthy and doting father. Shelby reaches out to Rachel, Puck and Quinn. She lets Puck see Beth, but rejects Quinn's desire to do likewise due to Quinn's bad-girl attitude, appearance and behavior. Cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester
(Jane Lynch
), who is running for Congress, convinces Quinn to feature in an anti-arts video for her campaign. In it, Quinn confronts Will and blames him for her transformation into a bad girl, but Will reprimands her, reminds her of how the glee club and its members have helped her in the past and tells her to grow up. After seeing a picture of a happy Beth and Puck, Quinn breaks down. She resumes her normal appearance, and Will and the New Directions welcome her back into the club. Puck tells Quinn he is proud of her, but Quinn reveals she is only pretending to behave in order to take Beth back from Shelby, and intends to pursue full custody.
To avoid competing with Kurt, Blaine auditions for a supporting role with a rendition of "Something's Coming", one of Tony's songs from the show. The directors are impressed, and ask if he will read for the part of Tony instead. Kurt, who was watching from above, silently walks out of the auditorium.
, and was filmed in five days, from August 22, 2011 through August 26, 2011. Broadway star Idina Menzel returns for the first time since the first season finale "Journey to Regionals", when her character, Shelby Corcoran, adopted Quinn's newborn baby, named Beth. On July 15, 2011, it was announced that Menzel would be returning to Glee in the third season "for a major arc that could span as many as 10-12 episodes". Series co-creator Ryan Murphy was quoted as saying, "I'm really excited [...] that Idina is joining the family again. We missed her last year and we're happy that she is coming back." The article also noted that her character, Shelby, would be "returning from New York to Ohio to join William McKinley High School as a new teacher". Menzel herself said that she would "be back and forth in Glee all throughout the season", which she was "very excited about". Shelby's adopted daughter is also appearing: Menzel tweeted that she was "shooting scenes with babies". The drawing of the "Clown Pig" that Puck brings for Beth was actually drawn by Falchuk and Agron.
Recurring guest stars appearing in the episode include Principal Figgins (Iqbal Theba
), Coach Beiste (Jones), cheerleader Becky Jackson (Lauren Potter
), student Sugar Motta (Lengies) and Menzel as Shelby. Second season series regular Mike O'Malley
, who plays Burt Hummel
and also appears in the episode, is listed in the Fox press release as a guest star for this episode and receives a like credit in the episode itself.
Three singles were released from the episode: "I'm the Greatest Star" from Funny Girl sung by Colfer, and covers of "Something's Coming" and "Somewhere" from West Side Story—the former sung by Criss, and the latter a duet between Michele and Menzel.
on CBS
, which earned a 4.2/12 rating/share in the 18–49 demographic, and also by the second episode of New Girl, which follows Glee on Fox, and brought in a 4.5/11 rating/share and 9.28 million viewers. The Glee numbers were down from the previous week's season opener, "The Purple Piano Project", which netted a 4.0/11 rating/share and 9.21 million viewers.
In the United Kingdom, "I Am Unicorn" was watched on Sky1 by 1.00 million viewers, down 170,000 on the season premiere. In Australia, the episode drew 729,000 viewers, which made Glee the fifteenth most-watched program of the night. In Canada, 1.50 million viewers watched the episode, and it was the eighteenth most-viewed show of the week, down eight slots and 28% from the 2.10 million who watched "The Purple Piano Project".
Robert Canning, thought it was merely "okay"; he gave it a score of 6.5 out of 10, and Amy Reiter of the Los Angeles Times
said she "felt vaguely underwhelmed" and that the episode "lacked emotional resonance". In contrast, The A.V. Club
Todd VanDerWerff gave the episode a "B", and called it "a marked improvement over the season premiere", and complimented the way it "gave nearly all of the storylines an emotional core". Anthony Benigno of The Faster Times
characterized it as "one of the tightest, best-made, most well-acted, and entertaining hours" from Glee in a very long time, and BuddyTV
John Kubicek said that it was "quintessential Glee" and that "the show is once again a magical, fabulous unicorn." Bobby Hankinson of the Houston Chronicle
was "charmed", "moved", and "excited for what's to come."
The reappearance of storylines left dangling at the end of the first season was noted with approval by Samantha Urban of The Dallas Morning News
and VanDerWerff, who both mentioned not only the big one about Quinn and Puck and baby Beth but also Artie's love of directing, and variously added Rachel and Shelby, and movement on the Will and Emma relationship. The fact that Shelby had been hired to form a second glee club at McKinley, however, was greeted with derision by both reviewers—Urban called it "mind-bogglingly idiotic"—and others as well. Reiter found the idea incomprehensible, and Vanity Fair
Brett Berk wrote, "Given Will's ongoing struggles to fill his own crooning baker's dozen, this is about as realistic a plan as Michele Bachmann starting a rival chapter of PFLAG at Liberty University." Vicki Hyman of The Star-Ledger
characterized the notion of "Shelby deciding to give up a burgeoning Broadway career because she was missing her daughter grow up" to take a part-time job in Lima as "ridiculous", and the whole scenario as "more than a little bizarre".
The effect of Shelby's advent on Puck evoked the most praise. Benigno called the segment where Puck meets Beth "the best scene of this very young season", The Hollywood Reporter
Lesley Goldberg said it was a "top moment", and Abby West of Entertainment Weekly
dubbed it "the sweetest scene of the night". VanDerWerff also called it "very sweet" and expressed hope that "the show will come up with something for him to do after mostly relegating him to weird comic relief last season." The effect of her return on Quinn was greeted with less enthusiasm. Reiter was "not thrilled" by the possibility of a custody battle between Quinn and Shelby and called Quinn's plan "half-baked", and Canning dismissed it as "clichéd drama". Kubicek expressed interest in seeing "where this goes", and VanDerWerff noted that Quinn has been "grieving giving up her child all this time and she didn't even know it", and characterized it as a "fairly powerful storyline".
Critics were divided on Kurt's storyline as he faced being perceived primarily as gay both when auditioning and when running for class president. VanDerWerff said it was "the most consistent" storyline, and Canning called it "the most familiar story", but also described Kurt as "by far the most interesting and most layered" character, his stories "delivering the most emotional connections", and this episode's installments "entertaining territory". Kubicek stated that there were "tons" of wonderful "Kurt moments" in the episode. Benigno called Kurt learning to embrace his gayness yet again on the show "kind of awkward", and Hyman asked "Was this Kurt Accepts He's Special 3.0 or 4.0? I can't keep track." Votta summed up Kurt's audition quandary: "Kurt is fighting typecasting, and while the ninjitsu, fingerless gloves and climbing routine might have been an attempt to butch it up, instead Kurt played right into expectations with the over-the-top Funny Girl piece." His attempt to rescue the situation by reauditioning via performing a Romeo and Juliet scene with Rachel evoked laughter from the three directors and Rachel herself, but as Votta points out, Kurt was "not actually being bad as Romeo". Jayma Mays, who plays Emma, one of the directors in that scene, stated in an interview that she thought Kurt was "good". Kurt finding himself in competition with Blaine was also touched on, but several reviewers were unhappy with the revelation that Blaine was not a senior like Kurt, as had been implied in the previous season. VanDerWerff wrote that Blaine "seems to have simultaneously gotten younger and had a complete personality transplant over the summer", Votta noted "the continuity-bending plot point that he's somehow a Junior and not a Senior like his boyfriend", and Urban allowed her exasperation to show: "Oh really, Glee? Blaine's a junior? Blaine's younger than Kurt? Fine. FINE." MTV
Jim Cantiello went into rhyme to express his dismay: "It's hard to keep my bearings straight / And oh, how it makes my heart ache / Kurt and Blaine were gonna move to New York together / But now they'll have to wait", referring to a scene in the "New York
" episode where Kurt discussed the planned move with Rachel.
Goldberg was pleased that having Brittany volunteer to run Kurt's campaign included an acknowledgment that he "went through hell" the previous year, and praised "Brittany logic" in general. Respers France loved that Brittany, in helping Kurt find his magical inner unicorn, was able to find her own. Reiter enjoyed the "delicious dose of Brittany-isms", which she called "the best part" of the episode, and Kubicek said that there were "tons of wonderful" Brittany moments. For Hyman, the "one sit-up-and-take-notice moment" was the confrontation between Will and Quinn where he told her to grow up. Respers France thought "Sue Sylvester's attempt to use Quinn against the glee club was hilarious", but VanDerWerff was unhappy with Quinn being coopted into "Sue’s ridiculous run for Congress". Reiter wrote that it was "hard to muster much sympathy for Quinn" in the episode given the scene with Quinn and The Skanks: "Flushing someone's head in a public toilet, threatening to cut them, and shaking them down for their lunch money are orders of magnitude more chilling than the face-full-of-slushy bullying we're used to seeing."
The duet of "Somewhere" featuring Rachel and Shelby was generally complimented. Both Benigno and Rae Votta of Billboard
compared it favorably to their previous duet, Lady Gaga
's "Poker Face
", from season one. Benigno gave the performance a "B+", while Michael Slezak of TVLine
gave it an "A−" and praised their "powerful, evocative voices". Rolling Stone
Erica Futterman was not impressed, and characterized it as "Lite FM snooze that does nothing to showcase these Broadway belters in a new and exciting way". Amy Lee of The Huffington Post
called it "pretty bland", and said it was "getting annoying" that Rachel "sings every song as if she's Barbra Streisand". The Wall Street Journal
Raymund Flandez, however, called the duet "pitch-perfect" and "so sublime it makes you catch your breath".
Kurt's choice of "I'm the Greatest Star" to audition for the role of Tony—the one song not from West Side Story—drew comment: Benigno ascribed it to Kurt's "ability to make a talented ass of himself", while Slezak was of the opinion that Kurt was "way too savvy, and way too hungry for the role" for that kind of misstep. Despite these plot-related issues, both reviewers gave the performance an "A", and Benigno noted both that "he nails it" and "last half of the song is a singing clinic." VanDerWerff was not fond of the reliance on "gimmicky staging", though Futterman called it "an impressive physical performance", Votta stated that "Kurt sounds flawless and the performance is captivating" and Flandez complimented his "captivating high notes after high notes", and added, "He's a star unicorn, and he knows it." Lisa Respers France of CNN
wrote that Kurt "was amazing singing Streisand, and for the first time I realized that he really is as big a star as Rachel."
Blaine's rendition of "Something's Coming" was the most enthusiastically welcomed. It was the favorite number of Lee, VanDerWerff and Futterman; Lee said it was "the best song", and added, "he's kinetic, impassioned and generally delightful as Blaine-playing-Tony." VanDerWerff was even more complimentary with "by far the best performance", and Futterman called it "the winning musical number of the episode". Both Slezak and Benigno gave it a "B+", and the former complimented Criss's "breathless charm and boyish enthusiasm", while the latter maintained that the actor is "at his best when he's doing goofy pop numbers with kind of an off-beat twist". West gave the song an "A−", and said "Blaine just knows how to own the stage and your TV screen", while both Votta and Respers France wrote that he was the "perfect Tony".
, and none charted on the Canadian Hot 100
or in England or Australia. The duet version of "Somewhere" appeared at number seventy-five, the fourth time the song charted in the Hot 100. By contrast, "Something's Coming", the episode's other song from West Side Story, has never appeared in the Hot 100, and failed to chart there again.
Glee (season 3)
A third season of the Fox musical comedy-drama television series Glee was commissioned on May 23, 2010 while the first season aired. It premiered on September 20, 2011, and is being produced by 20th Century Fox Television and Ryan Murphy Television, with executive producers Dante Di Loreto and...
of the American musical television series Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
, and the 46th overall. The episode was written by series co-creator Ryan Murphy, directed by series co-creator Brad Falchuk
Brad Falchuk
Brad Falchuk is a television writer, director and producer. He is best known for his work on the television series Nip/Tuck, Glee, and American Horror Story.-Early life:...
, and first aired on September 27, 2011 on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
in the United States. It features the return of Shelby Corcoran (Idina Menzel
Idina Menzel
Idina Kim Menzel is an American actress, singer and songwriter. She is widely known for originating the roles of Maureen in Rent and Elphaba in Wicked.-Early life:...
) to the show to direct a rival glee club at William McKinley High even while New Directions, the current club, is having trouble recruiting members. Shelby also wants Quinn
Quinn Fabray
Quinn Fabray is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Dianna Agron, and has appeared in Glee since its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. She is a former cheerleader at the fictional William McKinley High School in...
(Dianna Agron
Dianna Agron
Dianna Agron is an American actress, best known for her portrayal of Quinn Fabray on the television series Glee.-Early life:Dianna Agron was born in Savannah, Georgia, and raised in San Antonio, Texas and San Francisco, California. She is the daughter of Mary and Ronald S. Agron, a general...
) and Puck
Puck (Glee)
Noah "Puck" Puckerman is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Mark Salling, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Puck was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian...
(Mark Salling), the biological parents of her adopted daughter Beth, to be a part of Beth's life. The director of New Directions, Will Schuester
Will Schuester
William "Will" Schuester, often referred to as Mr. Schue, is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Matthew Morrison and has appeared in Glee since its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Will was developed by Glee...
(Matthew Morrison
Matthew Morrison
Matthew James "Matt" Morrison is an American actor, director, musician, and singer-songwriter. He is best known for starring in multiple Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, including his portrayal of Link Larkin in Hairspray on Broadway, and most notably for his Emmy and Golden Globe nominated...
) sets up a "booty camp" for the less capable dancers in the club, and auditions for the school musical, West Side Story
West Side Story
West Side Story is an American musical with a script by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and choreographed by Jerome Robbins...
, begin.
The episode received mostly positive reviews, which ranged from okay to fabulous, with approval being given to the resurrection of neglected storylines from the show's first season
Glee (season 1)
The first season of the musical comedy-drama television series Glee originally aired on Fox in the United States. The pilot episode was broadcast as an advanced preview of the series on May 19, 2009, with the remainder of the season airing between September 9, 2009 and June 8, 2010...
. One of these was the adoption of Beth, and critics were especially happy with the scene where Puck meets her, but there was widespread disdain for the explanation behind Shelby's return, that of starting a rival glee club. There were only three musical numbers in the episode, though all three were given positive notices, with the overall favorite being Blaine's performance of "Something's Coming" from West Side Story at the end of the episode. Although all three songs were released as singles, available for download, only "Somewhere
Somewhere (song)
"Somewhere" is a song from the 1957 Broadway musical West Side Story which was made into a film in 1961. The music is composed by Leonard Bernstein with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and takes a phrase from the slow movement of Beethoven's 'Emperor' Piano Concerto, which forms the start of the...
", sung as a duet by Menzel and Lea Michele
Lea Michele
Lea Michele Sarfati , known professionally as Lea Michele, is an American actress and singer. Michele began working professionally as a child actress on Broadway in productions such as Ragtime and Les Misérables. She originated the role of Wendla in the musical Spring Awakening and currently plays...
, charted on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, and none charted on the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
. Upon its initial airing, this episode was viewed by 8.60 million American viewers and garnered a 3.7/10 Nielsen rating/share in the 18–49 demographic. The total viewership and ratings for this episode were down from the previous week's season opener, "The Purple Piano Project
The Purple Piano Project
"The Purple Piano Project" is the premiere episode of the third season of the American musical television series Glee, and the 45th overall. The episode was written by series co-creator Brad Falchuk, directed by Eric Stoltz, and first aired on September 20, 2011 on Fox in the United States...
".
Plot
Glee club director Will SchuesterWill Schuester
William "Will" Schuester, often referred to as Mr. Schue, is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Matthew Morrison and has appeared in Glee since its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Will was developed by Glee...
(Matthew Morrison
Matthew Morrison
Matthew James "Matt" Morrison is an American actor, director, musician, and singer-songwriter. He is best known for starring in multiple Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, including his portrayal of Link Larkin in Hairspray on Broadway, and most notably for his Emmy and Golden Globe nominated...
) institutes a "booty camp" to hone the dancing skills of New Directions members Finn
Finn Hudson
Finn Hudson is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Cory Monteith, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Finn was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
(Cory Monteith
Cory Monteith
Cory Allan Monteith is a Canadian actor and musician, best known for his role of Finn Hudson on the Fox television series Glee.-Early life:...
), Mercedes
Mercedes Jones
Mercedes Jones is a fictional character from the Fox popular musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Amber Riley, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Mercedes was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and...
(Amber Riley
Amber Riley
Amber Patrice Riley is an American actress and singer best known for her role on the series Glee as Mercedes Jones.-Early life and career:...
), Puck
Puck (Glee)
Noah "Puck" Puckerman is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Mark Salling, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Puck was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian...
(Mark Salling), Kurt
Kurt Hummel
Kurt Hummel is a fictional character and one of the male leads in the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. Series creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan initially conceived of him as a fashionable gay countertenor who is routinely bullied at school...
(Chris Colfer
Chris Colfer
Christopher Paul "Chris" Colfer is an American actor and singer known for his portrayal of Kurt Hummel on the television series Glee, for which he won a 2011 Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and was also nominated twice for an Emmy...
) and Blaine
Blaine Anderson
Blaine Anderson is a fictional character from the American musical comedy-drama television series Glee. Played by Darren Criss, Blaine was introduced in the sixth episode of the second season as the openly gay lead singer of the Dalton Academy Warblers, a rival show choir to New Directions, the...
(Darren Criss
Darren Criss
Darren Everett Criss is an American actor, singer-songwriter, musician, composer, and a founding member and co-owner of the theater company StarKid Productions. He currently portrays Blaine Anderson, an openly gay high school student, on the FOX television series Glee...
), and has Mike
Mike Chang
Michael "Mike" 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, "Preggers", first broadcast on September 23, 2009...
(Harry Shum Jr.) instruct them. As he is too busy to direct the upcoming school musical West Side Story
West Side Story
West Side Story is an American musical with a script by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and choreographed by Jerome Robbins...
, guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury
Emma Pillsbury
Emma Pillsbury is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. Portrayed by actress Jayma Mays, Emma has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Emma was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
(Jayma Mays
Jayma Mays
Jayma Suzette Mays is an American television and film actress, and singer. Mays' most prominent roles include that of Emma Pillsbury on the American television series Glee, recurring appearances on Ugly Betty and on Heroes as characters named Charlie.- Life and career :Mays was born Jamia Suzette...
), football coach Shannon Beiste (Dot-Marie Jones) and New Directions member Artie Abrams
Artie Abrams
Artie Abrams is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Kevin McHale, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Artie was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
(Kevin McHale) take charge of it.
Rachel (Lea Michele
Lea Michele
Lea Michele Sarfati , known professionally as Lea Michele, is an American actress and singer. Michele began working professionally as a child actress on Broadway in productions such as Ragtime and Les Misérables. She originated the role of Wendla in the musical Spring Awakening and currently plays...
) and Kurt audition, respectively, for the lead roles of Maria and Tony; she performs "Somewhere
Somewhere (song)
"Somewhere" is a song from the 1957 Broadway musical West Side Story which was made into a film in 1961. The music is composed by Leonard Bernstein with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and takes a phrase from the slow movement of Beethoven's 'Emperor' Piano Concerto, which forms the start of the...
" from the show, and he performs "I'm the Greatest Star" from Funny Girl. Kurt later eavesdrops on the directors and hears them question whether he is masculine enough for the role. He re-auditions and attempts to give a more masculine performance, but they are unable to suppress laughter at his acting. Kurt is also running for class president, and accepts campaign help from Brittany
Brittany Pierce
Brittany Susan Pierce is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Heather Morris, and has appeared in Glee from its second episode, "Showmance", first broadcast on September 9, 2009. Brittany was developed by Glee creators Ryan...
(Heather Morris), who wants to highlight his unique character by comparing him to a unicorn. Kurt feels her proposed campaign materials highlight only his gay side, and is upset when she goes against his wishes and posts them anyway. He discusses his image problem with his father, Burt
Burt Hummel
Burt Hummel is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Mike O'Malley, and first appeared on Glee in the fourth episode of the first season, "Preggers". Burt was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
(Mike O'Malley
Mike O'Malley
Michael Edward "Mike" O'Malley is an American actor and playwright who has appeared in films and television series. He hosted Nickelodeon GUTS, and he starred in the CBS comedy Yes, Dear...
), who recommends that he embrace his uniqueness. Kurt later changes his mind about his campaign's approach and apologizes to Brittany, but is surprised to learn that she too has decided to run for class president.
Shelby Corcoran (Idina Menzel
Idina Menzel
Idina Kim Menzel is an American actress, singer and songwriter. She is widely known for originating the roles of Maureen in Rent and Elphaba in Wicked.-Early life:...
)—Rachel's biological mother, the adoptive mother of Quinn
Quinn Fabray
Quinn Fabray is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Dianna Agron, and has appeared in Glee since its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. She is a former cheerleader at the fictional William McKinley High School in...
(Dianna Agron
Dianna Agron
Dianna Agron is an American actress, best known for her portrayal of Quinn Fabray on the television series Glee.-Early life:Dianna Agron was born in Savannah, Georgia, and raised in San Antonio, Texas and San Francisco, California. She is the daughter of Mary and Ronald S. Agron, a general...
) and Puck's daughter Beth, and the former coach of rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline—is headhunted to coach a second glee club at McKinley High financed by Sugar Motta's (Vanessa Lengies
Vanessa Lengies
Vanessa Lynne-Marie Lengies is a Canadian actress best known for starring in the drama American Dreams as Roxanne Bojarski...
) wealthy and doting father. Shelby reaches out to Rachel, Puck and Quinn. She lets Puck see Beth, but rejects Quinn's desire to do likewise due to Quinn's bad-girl attitude, appearance and behavior. Cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester
Sue Sylvester
Susan "Sue" Sylvester is a fictional character of the Fox musical comedy-drama series, Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Jane Lynch, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Sue was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian...
(Jane Lynch
Jane Lynch
Jane Marie Lynch is an American comedian, actress and singer. She gained fame in Christopher Guest's improv mockumentary pictures such as Best in Show and is currently best known for playing the role of Sue Sylvester in the television series Glee...
), who is running for Congress, convinces Quinn to feature in an anti-arts video for her campaign. In it, Quinn confronts Will and blames him for her transformation into a bad girl, but Will reprimands her, reminds her of how the glee club and its members have helped her in the past and tells her to grow up. After seeing a picture of a happy Beth and Puck, Quinn breaks down. She resumes her normal appearance, and Will and the New Directions welcome her back into the club. Puck tells Quinn he is proud of her, but Quinn reveals she is only pretending to behave in order to take Beth back from Shelby, and intends to pursue full custody.
To avoid competing with Kurt, Blaine auditions for a supporting role with a rendition of "Something's Coming", one of Tony's songs from the show. The directors are impressed, and ask if he will read for the part of Tony instead. Kurt, who was watching from above, silently walks out of the auditorium.
Production
The episode was written by series co-creator Ryan Murphy, directed by series co-creator Brad FalchukBrad Falchuk
Brad Falchuk is a television writer, director and producer. He is best known for his work on the television series Nip/Tuck, Glee, and American Horror Story.-Early life:...
, and was filmed in five days, from August 22, 2011 through August 26, 2011. Broadway star Idina Menzel returns for the first time since the first season finale "Journey to Regionals", when her character, Shelby Corcoran, adopted Quinn's newborn baby, named Beth. On July 15, 2011, it was announced that Menzel would be returning to Glee in the third season "for a major arc that could span as many as 10-12 episodes". Series co-creator Ryan Murphy was quoted as saying, "I'm really excited [...] that Idina is joining the family again. We missed her last year and we're happy that she is coming back." The article also noted that her character, Shelby, would be "returning from New York to Ohio to join William McKinley High School as a new teacher". Menzel herself said that she would "be back and forth in Glee all throughout the season", which she was "very excited about". Shelby's adopted daughter is also appearing: Menzel tweeted that she was "shooting scenes with babies". The drawing of the "Clown Pig" that Puck brings for Beth was actually drawn by Falchuk and Agron.
Recurring guest stars appearing in the episode include Principal Figgins (Iqbal Theba
Iqbal Theba
Iqbal Theba is a Pakistani-American actor. Theba currently has a recurring role as Principal Figgins in the show Glee.-Life and career:Theba became a familiar face in the 1990s when he appeared in various TV shows and commercials in the United States....
), Coach Beiste (Jones), cheerleader Becky Jackson (Lauren Potter
Lauren Potter
Lauren Potter is an American actress best known for her role as Becky Jackson on the hit show Glee.-Biography:Lauren was born May 10, 1990 in Inland Empire, California, U.S.A. She is currently 21 years of age...
), student Sugar Motta (Lengies) and Menzel as Shelby. Second season series regular Mike O'Malley
Mike O'Malley
Michael Edward "Mike" O'Malley is an American actor and playwright who has appeared in films and television series. He hosted Nickelodeon GUTS, and he starred in the CBS comedy Yes, Dear...
, who plays Burt Hummel
Burt Hummel
Burt Hummel is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Mike O'Malley, and first appeared on Glee in the fourth episode of the first season, "Preggers". Burt was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
and also appears in the episode, is listed in the Fox press release as a guest star for this episode and receives a like credit in the episode itself.
Three singles were released from the episode: "I'm the Greatest Star" from Funny Girl sung by Colfer, and covers of "Something's Coming" and "Somewhere" from West Side Story—the former sung by Criss, and the latter a duet between Michele and Menzel.
Ratings
"I Am Unicorn" was first broadcast on September 27, 2011 in the United States on Fox. It garnered a 3.7/10 Nielsen rating/share in the 18–49 demographic, and received 8.60 million American viewers during its initial airing. It was beaten for the second week in a row in its timeslot by NCISNCIS (TV series)
NCIS, formerly known as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, is an American police procedural drama television series revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts criminal investigations involving the U.S...
on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, which earned a 4.2/12 rating/share in the 18–49 demographic, and also by the second episode of New Girl, which follows Glee on Fox, and brought in a 4.5/11 rating/share and 9.28 million viewers. The Glee numbers were down from the previous week's season opener, "The Purple Piano Project", which netted a 4.0/11 rating/share and 9.21 million viewers.
In the United Kingdom, "I Am Unicorn" was watched on Sky1 by 1.00 million viewers, down 170,000 on the season premiere. In Australia, the episode drew 729,000 viewers, which made Glee the fifteenth most-watched program of the night. In Canada, 1.50 million viewers watched the episode, and it was the eighteenth most-viewed show of the week, down eight slots and 28% from the 2.10 million who watched "The Purple Piano Project".
Critical reception
Reviewers generally received this episode positively, though some, like IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
Robert Canning, thought it was merely "okay"; he gave it a score of 6.5 out of 10, and Amy Reiter of the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
said she "felt vaguely underwhelmed" and that the episode "lacked emotional resonance". In contrast, The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
Todd VanDerWerff gave the episode a "B", and called it "a marked improvement over the season premiere", and complimented the way it "gave nearly all of the storylines an emotional core". Anthony Benigno of The Faster Times
The Faster Times
The Faster Times is an online newspaper launched by Sam Apple on July 9, 2009. Many print newspapers were going out of business and reporters were losing their jobs. The New York Times reported that in this climate, Apple was able to recruit professional writers guaranteeing them 75% of revenue...
characterized it as "one of the tightest, best-made, most well-acted, and entertaining hours" from Glee in a very long time, and BuddyTV
BuddyTV
BuddyTV is an entertainment-based website based in Seattle, Washington, which generates content about television programs and sporting events. The website publishes information about celebrity and related entertainment news through a series of articles, entertainment profiles, actor biographies and...
John Kubicek said that it was "quintessential Glee" and that "the show is once again a magical, fabulous unicorn." Bobby Hankinson of the Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
was "charmed", "moved", and "excited for what's to come."
The reappearance of storylines left dangling at the end of the first season was noted with approval by Samantha Urban of The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News is the major daily newspaper serving the Dallas, Texas area, with a circulation of 264,459 subscribers, the Audit Bureau of Circulations reported in September 2010...
and VanDerWerff, who both mentioned not only the big one about Quinn and Puck and baby Beth but also Artie's love of directing, and variously added Rachel and Shelby, and movement on the Will and Emma relationship. The fact that Shelby had been hired to form a second glee club at McKinley, however, was greeted with derision by both reviewers—Urban called it "mind-bogglingly idiotic"—and others as well. Reiter found the idea incomprehensible, and Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
Brett Berk wrote, "Given Will's ongoing struggles to fill his own crooning baker's dozen, this is about as realistic a plan as Michele Bachmann starting a rival chapter of PFLAG at Liberty University." Vicki Hyman of The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to The Jersey Journal of Jersey City, The Times of Trenton and the Staten Island Advance, all of which are owned by Advance Publications.The Newark Star-Ledgers daily...
characterized the notion of "Shelby deciding to give up a burgeoning Broadway career because she was missing her daughter grow up" to take a part-time job in Lima as "ridiculous", and the whole scenario as "more than a little bizarre".
The effect of Shelby's advent on Puck evoked the most praise. Benigno called the segment where Puck meets Beth "the best scene of this very young season", The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
Lesley Goldberg said it was a "top moment", and Abby West of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
dubbed it "the sweetest scene of the night". VanDerWerff also called it "very sweet" and expressed hope that "the show will come up with something for him to do after mostly relegating him to weird comic relief last season." The effect of her return on Quinn was greeted with less enthusiasm. Reiter was "not thrilled" by the possibility of a custody battle between Quinn and Shelby and called Quinn's plan "half-baked", and Canning dismissed it as "clichéd drama". Kubicek expressed interest in seeing "where this goes", and VanDerWerff noted that Quinn has been "grieving giving up her child all this time and she didn't even know it", and characterized it as a "fairly powerful storyline".
Critics were divided on Kurt's storyline as he faced being perceived primarily as gay both when auditioning and when running for class president. VanDerWerff said it was "the most consistent" storyline, and Canning called it "the most familiar story", but also described Kurt as "by far the most interesting and most layered" character, his stories "delivering the most emotional connections", and this episode's installments "entertaining territory". Kubicek stated that there were "tons" of wonderful "Kurt moments" in the episode. Benigno called Kurt learning to embrace his gayness yet again on the show "kind of awkward", and Hyman asked "Was this Kurt Accepts He's Special 3.0 or 4.0? I can't keep track." Votta summed up Kurt's audition quandary: "Kurt is fighting typecasting, and while the ninjitsu, fingerless gloves and climbing routine might have been an attempt to butch it up, instead Kurt played right into expectations with the over-the-top Funny Girl piece." His attempt to rescue the situation by reauditioning via performing a Romeo and Juliet scene with Rachel evoked laughter from the three directors and Rachel herself, but as Votta points out, Kurt was "not actually being bad as Romeo". Jayma Mays, who plays Emma, one of the directors in that scene, stated in an interview that she thought Kurt was "good". Kurt finding himself in competition with Blaine was also touched on, but several reviewers were unhappy with the revelation that Blaine was not a senior like Kurt, as had been implied in the previous season. VanDerWerff wrote that Blaine "seems to have simultaneously gotten younger and had a complete personality transplant over the summer", Votta noted "the continuity-bending plot point that he's somehow a Junior and not a Senior like his boyfriend", and Urban allowed her exasperation to show: "Oh really, Glee? Blaine's a junior? Blaine's younger than Kurt? Fine. FINE." MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
Jim Cantiello went into rhyme to express his dismay: "It's hard to keep my bearings straight / And oh, how it makes my heart ache / Kurt and Blaine were gonna move to New York together / But now they'll have to wait", referring to a scene in the "New York
New York (Glee)
"New York" is the twenty-second episode and season finale of the second season of the American musical television series Glee, and the 44th overall. The episode was written and directed by series creator Brad Falchuk, filmed in part on location in New York City, and first aired on May 24, 2011 on...
" episode where Kurt discussed the planned move with Rachel.
Goldberg was pleased that having Brittany volunteer to run Kurt's campaign included an acknowledgment that he "went through hell" the previous year, and praised "Brittany logic" in general. Respers France loved that Brittany, in helping Kurt find his magical inner unicorn, was able to find her own. Reiter enjoyed the "delicious dose of Brittany-isms", which she called "the best part" of the episode, and Kubicek said that there were "tons of wonderful" Brittany moments. For Hyman, the "one sit-up-and-take-notice moment" was the confrontation between Will and Quinn where he told her to grow up. Respers France thought "Sue Sylvester's attempt to use Quinn against the glee club was hilarious", but VanDerWerff was unhappy with Quinn being coopted into "Sue’s ridiculous run for Congress". Reiter wrote that it was "hard to muster much sympathy for Quinn" in the episode given the scene with Quinn and The Skanks: "Flushing someone's head in a public toilet, threatening to cut them, and shaking them down for their lunch money are orders of magnitude more chilling than the face-full-of-slushy bullying we're used to seeing."
Music and performances
The episode's musical performances were well-received by most reviewers. All three were Broadway songs, two from West Side Story and one from Funny Girl—the concentration on show tunes disappointed Reiter, and Canning felt they were all "too bland", but others were happy with the selections including Hankinson who said he was "loving the Broadway-bend to these first two episodes", and added, "all three of tonight's numbers were hands-down fantastic."The duet of "Somewhere" featuring Rachel and Shelby was generally complimented. Both Benigno and Rae Votta of Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
compared it favorably to their previous duet, Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
's "Poker Face
Poker Face (Lady Gaga song)
"Poker Face" is a song by American recording artist Lady Gaga from her debut album, The Fame. Produced by RedOne, it was released as the album's second single in late 2008 for some markets and in early 2009 for the rest of the world...
", from season one. Benigno gave the performance a "B+", while Michael Slezak of TVLine
TVLine
TVLine is a website devoted to information, news and spoilers of television programs.-History:In late 2010, Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello announced that he would be leaving EW after nearly two years in their employ to establish a TV-centered website with MMC, the media company founded by...
gave it an "A−" and praised their "powerful, evocative voices". Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
Erica Futterman was not impressed, and characterized it as "Lite FM snooze that does nothing to showcase these Broadway belters in a new and exciting way". Amy Lee of The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
called it "pretty bland", and said it was "getting annoying" that Rachel "sings every song as if she's Barbra Streisand". The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
Raymund Flandez, however, called the duet "pitch-perfect" and "so sublime it makes you catch your breath".
Kurt's choice of "I'm the Greatest Star" to audition for the role of Tony—the one song not from West Side Story—drew comment: Benigno ascribed it to Kurt's "ability to make a talented ass of himself", while Slezak was of the opinion that Kurt was "way too savvy, and way too hungry for the role" for that kind of misstep. Despite these plot-related issues, both reviewers gave the performance an "A", and Benigno noted both that "he nails it" and "last half of the song is a singing clinic." VanDerWerff was not fond of the reliance on "gimmicky staging", though Futterman called it "an impressive physical performance", Votta stated that "Kurt sounds flawless and the performance is captivating" and Flandez complimented his "captivating high notes after high notes", and added, "He's a star unicorn, and he knows it." Lisa Respers France of CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
wrote that Kurt "was amazing singing Streisand, and for the first time I realized that he really is as big a star as Rachel."
Blaine's rendition of "Something's Coming" was the most enthusiastically welcomed. It was the favorite number of Lee, VanDerWerff and Futterman; Lee said it was "the best song", and added, "he's kinetic, impassioned and generally delightful as Blaine-playing-Tony." VanDerWerff was even more complimentary with "by far the best performance", and Futterman called it "the winning musical number of the episode". Both Slezak and Benigno gave it a "B+", and the former complimented Criss's "breathless charm and boyish enthusiasm", while the latter maintained that the actor is "at his best when he's doing goofy pop numbers with kind of an off-beat twist". West gave the song an "A−", and said "Blaine just knows how to own the stage and your TV screen", while both Votta and Respers France wrote that he was the "perfect Tony".
Chart history
Only one of the three cover versions released as singles debuted on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, and none charted on the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
or in England or Australia. The duet version of "Somewhere" appeared at number seventy-five, the fourth time the song charted in the Hot 100. By contrast, "Something's Coming", the episode's other song from West Side Story, has never appeared in the Hot 100, and failed to chart there again.
External links
- "I Am Unicorn" at Fox.com