Rumours (Glee)
Encyclopedia
"Rumours" is the nineteenth episode of the second season
Glee (season 2)
The second season of the musical comedy-drama television series Glee originally aired between September 21, 2010 and May 24, 2011 on Fox in the United States...

 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 41st overall. The episode was written by series co-creator Ryan Murphy, directed by Tim Hunter
Tim Hunter (director)
Tim Hunter is an American television and film director. Since the late 1980s he has mostly worked on television, directing episodes for dozens of televisions series includingBreaking Bad,Carnivàle,...

, first aired on May 3, 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, and it features the return of guest star Kristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth is an American singer and actress, with credits in musical theatre, film and television. She is best known on Broadway for her performance as Sally Brown in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown , for which she won a Tony Award, and for originating the role of Glinda in the musical...

. In "Rumours", the glee club is swept by rumors that strain the friendships and relationships of the members, so director 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...

) has them perform songs from Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...

's 1977 album Rumours
Rumours
Rumours is the eleventh studio album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac. Largely recorded in California during 1976, it was produced by the band with Ken Caillat and Richard Dashut and was released on 4 February 1977 by Warner Bros. Records. The record peaked at the top of both the...

. The episode is a tribute to that album, and all the songs covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...

 in the episode are from it. This generated strong interest in the album: Rumours reentered the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...

 chart at number twelve the week after the show was aired in the US, and the Australian album charts at number two five days after the show was aired in that country.

The episode received generally mixed to favorable reviews, though the latter were usually tempered with caveats. 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....

wrote that "the episode had its moments that made lovin' Glee fun", but called the Sue Sylvester subplot "tired". Many critics were impressed with how well the album's music was incorporated into the episode including Erica Futterman of 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...

, who wrote "the songs of Rumours fit the New Directions' drama in an organic way." The "Fondue for Two" segments were a favorite of reviewers, and were developed from an idea by one of the show's fans.

The musical performances received mostly praise, especially "Never Going Back Again" and "Go Your Own Way". Five of the six Rumours cover versions debuted 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 four of these were featured on the subsequent Glee: The Music, Volume 6
Glee: The Music, Volume 6
Glee: The Music, Volume 6 is the eighth soundtrack album by the cast of the American musical television series Glee, released on May 23, 2011 through the Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation and Columbia Records...

soundtrack album. Upon its initial airing, the "Rumours" episode was viewed by 8.85 million American viewers and garnered a 3.7/11 Nielsen rating/share in the 18–49 demographic. The total viewership and ratings for this episode was up slightly from the previous episode, "Born This Way
Born This Way (Glee)
"Born This Way" is the eighteenth episode of the second season of the American television series Glee, and the 40th episode overall. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on April 26, 2011. The episode was written by Brad Falchuk and directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, and is a tribute to...

".

Plot

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...

) revives the student newspaper
Student newspaper
A student newspaper is a newspaper run by students of a university, high school, middle school, or other school. These papers traditionally cover local and, primarily, school or university news....

 The Muckraker. She wants to publish libel about the McKinley High glee club
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—glees—by trios or quartets. In the late 19th Century it was very popular in most schools and was made a tradition...

 to cause conflict between the club's members and destroy it from within. 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...

's (Heather Morris) new internet talk show—"Fondue for Two"—gives the newspaper some grist when she seems to out
Outing
Outing is the act of disclosing a gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender person's true sexual orientation or gender identity without that person's consent. Outing gives rise to issues of privacy, choice, hypocrisy, and harm in addition to sparking debate on what constitutes common good in efforts...

 Santana
Santana Lopez
Santana Lopez is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Naya Rivera, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Santana was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...

 (Naya Rivera
Naya Rivera
Naya Marie Rivera is an American actress and singer known for her role in the musical comedy television series Glee, as cheerleader Santana Lopez.-Early life:...

) on it. Santana berates Brittany for her ill-chosen words, and 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:...

) nearly comes to blows with Sam
Sam Evans
Sam Evans is a recurring fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Chord Overstreet, and appeared on Glee starting with the second season premiere episode entitled "Audition", first broadcast on September 21, 2010, and ending with that...

 (Chord Overstreet
Chord Overstreet
Chord Overstreet is an American actor, singer and musician, best known for his role as Sam Evans on the television series Glee.-Early life:...

) over another item that pairs Sam and 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...

). Although Quinn and Sam both deny it, Finn plans a stakeout with Rachel's help to see if it is true. Their surveillance of a shabby motel instead finds Sam and 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...

) leaving a room, after which Sam goes back inside alone.

April Rhodes (Kristen Chenoweth) visits Will to ask for his help with her new Broadway project: a one-woman show entitled CrossRhodes. He tells her about the current glee club tensions, which she likens to Fleetwood Mac when they made their Rumours
Rumours
Rumours is the eleventh studio album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac. Largely recorded in California during 1976, it was produced by the band with Ken Caillat and Richard Dashut and was released on 4 February 1977 by Warner Bros. Records. The record peaked at the top of both the...

album. Will and April sing "Dreams
Dreams (Fleetwood Mac song)
"Dreams" is a song written by singer Stevie Nicks, for the group Fleetwood Mac's 1977 album, Rumours. The song was the only U.S. number one hit for the group, and remains one of their best known songs.-Background and writing:...

" to the club, and he assigns them to perform songs from the album, to focus them back on music.
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) confronts Brittany about the true nature of her relationship with Santana. This leads Brittany to break up with Artie, and he sings "Never Going Back Again". Santana then further opens up to Brittany about her true feelings, by singing "Songbird
Songbird (Fleetwood Mac song)
"Songbird" is a popular song by Fleetwood Mac. It first appeared on the 1977 album Rumours.One of four songs written solely by Christine McVie on the Rumours album.-Eva Cassidy version:...

" to her. She agrees to go on Brittany's online talk show to let Brittany ask her to the prom, but she backs out at the last minute. Brittany later overhears Santana claim in an interview for The Muckraker that she is in love with Dave Karofsky
Dave Karofsky
David "Dave" Karofsky, often referred to as 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 October 21, 2009...

 (Max Adler), her running mate for prom king and queen.

Most of New Directions, minus Kurt and Sam, meet for coffee and speculate about the absent pair. Quinn maintains that Kurt would never cheat on his boyfriend 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 states that Sam is not gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....

. When Finn and Rachel resume their stakeout that night, they see Quinn leaving the same motel room, and Sam giving her a hug before going back inside.

The next day, the newspaper has an item about Finn and Rachel, who were spotted on their stakeout. Quinn is furious with Finn, and Finn is already mad about seeing Quinn with Sam. They confront each other, then sing a barbed version of the duet "I Don't Want to Know" as their glee club assignment. Quinn then gives an ultimatum: if Finn wants their relationship to continue, he cannot sing any more duets with Rachel. Rachel has other ideas, and later sings "Go Your Own Way
Go Your Own Way
"Go Your Own Way" is a song written by Lindsey Buckingham and performed by Fleetwood Mac. It was released in late 1976, the first single from their then forthcoming Rumours and peaked at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the group's first top ten hit in the U.S...

" to Finn, who accompanies her on the drums. The subsequent recriminations end in the revelation that Sam was at the motel because his parents are unemployed and his family lives there now that their house has been foreclosed on—Kurt was bringing Sam some clothes, and Quinn was helping Sam babysit his younger brother and sister. Sam storms out. When the club discovers from Quinn that Sam has pawned his guitar, they buy it back for him and offer their support. Sam brings his siblings to a glee club rehearsal, and everyone sings "Don't Stop
Don't Stop (Fleetwood Mac song)
"Don't Stop" is a song by the rock group Fleetwood Mac, written by vocalist and keyboard player Christine McVie. Sung by Christine McVie and guitarist Lindsey Buckingham, it was a single taken from the band's 1977 hit album, Rumours. It is one of the band's most enduring hits, peaking at number...

".

Production

The show's co-creators Ryan Murphy, 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 Ian Brennan
Ian Brennan (writer)
Ian Brennan is a television writer, actor and producer. He is best known for his work on the television show Glee.-Early life:Brennan is the son of John and Charman Brennan. His sister, Sarah Brennan, is one of the founders of in Chicago...

 had long "wanted to do an episode" that would be a tribute to a single album rather than to a "musical act". Glee had covered "Landslide" by Stevie Nicks
Stevie Nicks
Stephanie Lynn "Stevie" Nicks is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her work with Fleetwood Mac and an extensive solo career, which collectively have produced over forty Top 50 hits and sold over 140 million albums...

 several weeks earlier in the episode "Sexy
Sexy (Glee)
"Sexy" is the fifteenth episode of the second season of the American television series Glee, and the 37th overall. It was written by Brad Falchuk, directed by Ryan Murphy, and premiered on Fox on March 8, 2011. This episode mainly revolves around the topics of sex and adolescent sexuality...

"; Nicks had visited the set to watch the song being filmed, and stayed for six hours. This relationship helped them obtain the rights to cover the songs on the 1977 Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...

 studio album from which the episode is named.

The idea for Brittany's "Fondue for Two" segments in the episode came from a Glee fan. Teresa Musumeci went to the 2010 Glee Live! In Concert!
Glee Live! In Concert!
Glee Live! In Concert! is a concert tour performed in character by members of the cast of the popular television series, Glee. The tour, created by series creator Ryan Murphy was designed due to the overwhelming response to the series. The show reached North America, the United Kingdom and Ireland...

 show at Radio City Music Hall in New York, and she had a letter delivered to Cory Monteith that mentioned she was writing her own internet program: "More like a Youtube show called 'Fondue for Two. According to wsvn.com, "Heather Morris who plays Brittany admits the idea came from a letter", and the show later sent Musumeci an autographed copy of the script and an autographed cast picture in thanks.

Chenoweth's reappearance marks her third time on the series as April. She last appeared in the season one
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...

 episode "Home
Home (Glee)
"Home" is the 16th episode of the American television series Glee. The episode premiered on the Fox network on April 27, 2010. It was directed by Paris Barclay and written by series creator Brad Falchuk...

". Murphy explained the reason for her return as the failure of her attempt at an all-white musical production of The Wiz
The Wiz
The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard of Oz" is a musical with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls and book by William F. Brown. It is a retelling of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in the context of African American culture. It opened on October 21, 1974 at the Morris A...

. Other recurring guest stars in the episode include glee club members Mike Chang
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.
Harry Shum, Jr.
Harry Shum, Jr. is an American dancer, actor, and choreographer. He is best known for his role as Mike Chang on the FOX television show Glee. He has appeared in dance films such as Stomp the Yard, You Got Served, Step Up 2: The Streets and Step Up 3D...

), Sam Evans
Sam Evans
Sam Evans is a recurring fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Chord Overstreet, and appeared on Glee starting with the second season premiere episode entitled "Audition", first broadcast on September 21, 2010, and ending with that...

 (Chord Overstreet
Chord Overstreet
Chord Overstreet is an American actor, singer and musician, best known for his role as Sam Evans on the television series Glee.-Early life:...

), and Lauren Zizes
Lauren Zizes
Lauren Zizes is a recurring fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series, Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Ashley Fink, and has appeared in Glee since the season one episode "Wheels", first broadcast on November 11, 2009. Lauren was developed by Glee creators Ryan...

 (Ashley Fink
Ashley Fink
Ashley Rae Fink is an American actress, known for her role as Lauren Zizes in the television series Glee, and also as Carter McMahon in Huge.-Personal life:...

), school bully Azimio (James Earl), school reporter Jacob Ben Israel (Josh Sussman
Josh Sussman
Josh Sussman is an American actor, best known for his role as Hugh Normous in Wizards of Waverly Place and his role as Jacob Ben Israel in Glee.-Biography:Sussman grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey...

), and 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...

). Additional guests include Sam's sister Stacy and brother Stevie, played by Ava Chelsea Ingram and Cody Hamilton respectively, a barista
Barista
A barista is a person, usually a coffee-house employee, who prepares and serves espresso-based coffee drinks.- Application of the title :...

 played by Cathy Doe, and a coffee shop patron played by Connie Ventress.

All six songs from Rumours covered in the episode were released as singles, available for digital download. Chenoweth and Morrison were featured on "Dreams", McHale sang "Never Going Back Again", Rivera covered "Songbird", Monteith and Agron duetted on "I Don't Want to Know", Michele sang "Go Your Own Way", and the glee club combined on "Don't Stop". The episode also included a portion of an original song, "Nice to Meet You, Have I Slept with You?"—written by Brennan and Adam Anders
Adam Anders
Adam Anders is a music producer who has sold more than 60 million albums and developed songs for motion pictures and television programs.Anders’ work has earned him Grammy Award nominations, a People’s Choice Award and two Golden Globe Awards...

 and sung by Chenoweth and Morrison—which was not released. "The Chain
The Chain
"The Chain" is a song from Fleetwood Mac's best-selling album Rumours. "The Chain" is unique in being the only song credited to all five members of the Rumours-era Fleetwood Mac lineup: Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, Christine McVie, John McVie, Stevie Nicks; this is partly because John McVie...

", also from Rumours, was used as backing music in the second motel stakeout scene.

Ratings

"Rumours" was first broadcast on May 3, 2011 in the United States on Fox. It garnered a 3.7/11 Nielsen rating/share in the 18–49 demographic, and received 8.85 million American viewers during its initial airing. It was the third most-watched scripted show of the week among adults aged 18–49. The total viewership and ratings for this episode were slightly up from those of the previous episode, "Born This Way
Born This Way (Glee)
"Born This Way" is the eighteenth episode of the second season of the American television series Glee, and the 40th episode overall. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on April 26, 2011. The episode was written by Brad Falchuk and directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, and is a tribute to...

", which was watched by 8.62 million American viewers and acquired a 3.4/11 rating/share in the 18–49 demographic upon first airing.

The episode's Canadian broadcast, also on May 3, 2011, drew 1.49 million viewers and was the eighteenth most-watched program of the week. It dropped three places from the previous episode, which attained 82,000 more viewers. In Australia, "Rumours" was watched by 959,000 viewers, which made Glee the twelfth most-watched show of the night. The episode was the thirty-second most-watched program of the week, but ranked fifth in the 16–39 demographic. Viewership again increased from "Born This Way", which drew 805,000 viewers and ranked fourteenth on the night of broadcast. In the UK, the episode was watched by 2.50 million viewers—2.07 million on E4, and 432,000 on E4+1. It was the most-watched show on E4 and E4+1 for the week, and the second most-watched on cable. Here, viewership registered a slight decline on the previous episode, which attained 20,000 more viewers and ranked first on cable.

Critical response

"Rumours" was met with mixed to favorable reviews from the critics, though many of the latter listed significant caveats. 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....

wrote that "the episode had its moments that made lovin' Glee fun". 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....

Aly Semigran said "It wasn't a perfect episode, but it was certainly an improvement over the last few". 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...

"had a whole ball of tissue" in her hand by the time the cast sang the "Don't Stop" finale, and concluded, "Well played, Glee."

Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...

James Poniewozik
James Poniewozik
James Poniewozik is an American journalist and television critic. He writes Times Tuned In column and has a blog with the same name.Originally from Monroe, MI, Poniewozik attended the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, graduating with a BA in English. He subsequently attended the graduate program...

 said "while 'Rumours' had its flaws ... the structure allowed the show to serve the stories, rather than feeling like the stories were there to service the songs", and particularly praised how "the songs were integrated into the drama". Semigran and Erica Futterman of Rolling Stone concurred with the latter point, and Futterman wrote that "despite a forced theme premise, the songs of Rumours fit the New Directions' drama in an organic way." The Atlantic Kevin Fallon called the episode's focus on the Fleetwood Mac songs "a refreshing change of pace". Robert Canning of IGN
IGN
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...

liked the album concept, but felt it "didn't fully deliver". He gave "Rumours" a "good" rating of 7 out of 10, and wrote, "What made the episode at least mildly entertaining were the comedy bits. Brittany's 'Fondue For Two' segments were fantastic". Most other reviewers were similarly smitten with the "Fondue for Two" segments, including the aforementioned Reiter, Poniewozik, Semigran, and Respers France.

Futterman praised the return of Chenoweth's character April Rhodes, and 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 said that she "brings such lightness, humor and zaniness that's endearingly button-nose cute". Fallon wrote, "Chenoweth's every sly smirk, eyebrow tick, and note sung—well, that was my week's highlight." Reiter was unenthusiastic: she acknowledged "Chenoweth's amazing pipes", but added "her character, which was thin to start with, has kind of worn out its welcome". The subplot of Will thinking about going to Broadway with April was roundly criticized: both Meghan Brown of The Atlantic and 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...

said there was no tension at all because the viewer knows that he will stay. 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...

Zack Handlen called the entire scenario "ludicrous", made even more so by the highly compressed time frame, and their dress rehearsal "bizarre", criticisms echoed by Brown.

Sue's scenes were generally not well-liked. Although Canning wrote that the newspaper "delivered on the laughs", 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...

Sandra Gonzalez characterized the newspaper subplot was "neither important nor substantive" and was unimpressed with the "random, frightening costume changes", and Reiter said Sue's storyline was one that "felt as tired as secondhand news". Poniewozik said that the episode "recognized that she is not really a character but a human obstacle", which he suggested was "a better way for the show to use her".

According to Hankinson, "One of the best parts of the episode centered around Brittany and Santana, but I think all the principals—Artie, Finn, Rachel, and Quinn too—did a great job portraying the tension and distrust pervading the team." 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...

felt the show was "absurdly preachy" on the matter of rumors, though he said the episode was "decent". The scene in the motel room with Sam, Rachel, Finn and Sam's brother and sister was called "arguably the most affecting scene of the entire episode" by Handlen, and Poniewozik wrote that "Chord Overstreet sold Sam's feeling of loss". Canning felt otherwise: "It may have had a better impact if we cared more about Sam or if Chord Overstreet had delivered more believable tears, but as things were, it was just some ordinary, blah drama."

The developments in the relationship between Brittany and Santana received considerable attention. John Kubicek of 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...

thought the plot was pointless, and said it "boiled down to: I'm not ready to come out. I'm ready. Now I'm not again." He added, "If you're going to have Santana question herself, at least show it and don't have it all happen off screen." Both Hankinson and Respers France were impressed by the acting of both Morris and Rivera. Hankinson wrote, "It feels like their relationship is developing organically", while Respers France commended Morris for Brittany's breakup scene with Artie, and Rivera for far surpassing her expectations.

Music and performances

All of the musical numbers were generally praised, though not every number was received with the same enthusiasm. Benigno was disappointed that there was "nothing special" in any of the arrangements, but Futterman saw the performances from a different perspective: "They're not as visually stunning, but they're vocally some of the more impressive renditions Glee has done all season." She said of the "Dreams" rendition by Chenoweth with Morrison, "The harmonies and bare-bones arrangement make for one of Glee most faithful covers yet." Most critics welcomed the Chenoweth version. Gonzalez gave the song a "B+" and Brett Berk of 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...

awarded it four stars of five; both praised Chenoweth but criticized Morrison. Semigran and Kubicek simply gave kudos to Chenoweth alone. Benigno wondered why the pair were trying to imitate Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham
Lindsey Buckingham
Lindsey Adams Buckingham is an American guitarist, singer, composer and producer, most notable for being the guitarist and male lead singer of the musical group Fleetwood Mac. Aside from his tenure with Fleetwood Mac, Buckingham has also released six solo albums and a live album...

 when both are better singers than those two, and gave the song a "B".

Hankinson wrote, "I enjoyed all the smaller numbers tonight because I felt like the kids really sold the performances and infused some nice emotional context." Of these, "Never Going Back Again" received the most consistent approval. Futterman said it was "better than Artie's post-Tina 'Stronger
Stronger (Britney Spears song)
"Stronger" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, taken from her second studio album Oops!... I Did It Again . It was released on November 13, 2000, by Jive Records as the third single of the album. After meeting up with producers Max Martin and Rami in Sweden, the singer recorded...

, and Kubicek declared it "proof that he's quite good at hitting emotional notes", while Semigran said she was "blown away". Both Gonzalez and Benigno gave it an "A−", while Berk gave it all five stars. Berk also gave five stars to "Songbird", which Gonzalez again gave an "A−", while Benigno was slightly less generous with a "B+". Futterman described Santana's vocals as "raw and restrained", and called her rendition of the song a "heartbreaking performance", but while Semigran called it "sweet enough", she also wrote "Rivera's voice doesn't pack quite the punch the tune requires". Kubicek, however, said it was "easily the best song from the episode".

Many reviewers appreciated the pointed "I Don't Want to Know" performance. Kubicek called it "quite entertaining", Gonzalez felt the "angry singing" was "hot" and gave it an "A−", the same grade as Benigno, who said the song had "a bit more oomph than the original", though he added that Finn "sings with the subtlety of an artillery barrage" and he was happy with Quinn's "strong foundation in the back". Futterman wrote that it was "better than Quinn and Sam's 'Lucky
Lucky (Jason Mraz song)
"Lucky" is a song by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat. It is the third single from Mraz's third studio album We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. The song has been on the Billboard charts as well as on the other music charts worldwide....

, but Berk gave the song only two stars out of five, the same grade he gave to "Go Your Own Way". Although both Kubicek and Gonzalez criticized Rachel's motivations in singing the song, the latter still gave it an "A" and noted "if I had to listen to someone cover this song, it'd be her". Semigran called it "one of Lea Michele's strongest outings all season", while Benigno said "this is one of those rare times her balls-to-the-walls delivery works with the arrangement instead of distracting from it" and gave it an "A". Hankinson was "particularly fond" of the song, and added that it had "great energy".

The group finale of "Don't Stop" received good grades—"A" from Gonzales and "B+" from Benigno, and four of five stars from Berk. Kubicek found a bright spot in that Sam got to sing a solo. The performance received encomiums such as "pretty great" from Semigran and "inspired" from Futterman. The portion of an original song for the April Rhodes musical sung by April and Will, "Nice to Meet You, Have I Slept with You?", received little commentary, though Flandez made specific mention of "her operatic range, and their charismatic stage presence".

Chart history

Five of the six Rumours cover versions debuted 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...

: "Go Your Own Way" debuted at number forty-five, "Songbird" at number sixty-eight, "Don't Stop" at number seventy-nine, "Never Going Back Again" at number eighty-one, and "Dreams" at number ninety-two. The sixth, "I Don't Want to Know", did not chart. The first four Glee songs on the Hot 100 also charted on the Billboard 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...

: "Go Your Own Way" debuted at number thirty-one, "Don't Stop" at number sixty-five, "Songbird" at number seventy, and "Never Going Back Again" at number eighty. The peak positions attained by "Songbird" and "Go Your Own Way" were fifty-four and thirty, in the UK and Australia respectively. Out of the six songs from Rumours that were featured in the episode, four were also featured on the eighth soundtrack album
Soundtrack album
A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television program. In some cases, not all the tracks from the movie are included in the album; however there are rare cases of songs in the trailers that do not appear in...

 of the series, Glee: The Music, Volume 6
Glee: The Music, Volume 6
Glee: The Music, Volume 6 is the eighth soundtrack album by the cast of the American musical television series Glee, released on May 23, 2011 through the Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation and Columbia Records...

: "Songbird", "Don't Stop", "Go Your Own Way", and "Dreams".

The episode also sparked renewed interest in Fleetwood Mac and its most commercially successful album, and Rumours reentered the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...

 chart at number twelve, the same week that Nicks' new solo album In Your Dreams
In Your Dreams (album)
In Your Dreams is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter and Fleetwood Mac vocalist Stevie Nicks, released on May 3, 2011 by Reprise Records...

debuted at number six. The two recordings sold a little less than 30,000 and 52,000 units, respectively. Music downloads accounted for ninety-one percent of the Rumours sales. The spike in sales for Rumours represented an uptick of 1,951%, and it had the highest US chart entry by a previously issued album since The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...

' reissue of Exile on Main St.
Exile on Main St.
Exile on Main St. is the tenth British and 12th American studio album by English rock band The Rolling Stones. Released as a double LP in May 1972, it draws on many genres including rock and roll, blues, soul, R&B, gospel and country. The release of Exile on Main St. met with mixed reviews, but is...

entered the chart at number two on June 5, 2010. In Australia, the interest had an even more profound effect: five days after the episode aired, the Rumours album entered the Australian charts at number two, and was at number three the following week. Most sales came from digital downloads. In all, the album was in the top forty for nine consecutive weeks. Rumours received its 13x Platinum certification in Australia at the end of May 2010.

External links

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