Vitamin D (Glee)
Encyclopedia
"Vitamin D" is the sixth episode of the American
television series Glee
. The episode premiered on the Fox
network on October 7, 2009. It was written by series creator Ryan Murphy and directed by Elodie Keene
. In the episode, glee club
director Will Schuester
(Matthew Morrison
) pits the male and female club members against each other for a mash-up
competition. Will's wife Terri
(Jessalyn Gilsig
) takes a job as the school nurse to stop him becoming closer to guidance counsellor Emma Pillsbury
(Jayma Mays
), but is fired after giving the students performance-enhancing pseudoephedrine
tablets.
The episode features mash-up covers of "It's My Life
" by Bon Jovi
and "Confessions Part II
" by Usher
, and "Halo
" by Beyoncé Knowles
and "Walking on Sunshine
" by Katrina and the Waves
. Both tracks were released as singles
, available for digital download
. "Vitamin D" was watched by 7.30 million US viewers, and received generally positive reviews from critics. Performances by Morrison, Mays and Jane Lynch
as cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester
attracted praise, as did the staging of the musical mash-ups. However, Aly Semigran of MTV
and Mandi Bierly of Entertainment Weekly
both noted critically that dramatic storylines in the episode dominated over the musical performances.
round of competition, director Will Schuester divides the club into boys against girls for a mash-up
competition. Cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester observes that head cheerleader Quinn Fabray
's (Dianna Agron
) performance standards are slipping. When Quinn blames her tiredness on her glee club participation, Sue renews her resolve to destroy the club, planning to sabotage Will's personal life. Sue tells Will's wife Terri that guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury has romantic feelings for Will. Determined to stay close to her husband, Terri takes a job as the school nurse, despite having no medical qualifications. She encourages Emma's boyfriend Ken Tanaka (Patrick Gallagher
) to propose to her, which he does. After asking Will if there is any reason she should not marry Ken, and being warned off Will by Terri, Emma accepts his proposal. Terri is still hiding the fact she experienced a hysterical pregnancy from Will, and upon realizing how much her life is changing due to her pregnancy, Quinn agrees to let Terri secretly adopt her baby.
Club member Finn Hudson
(Cory Monteith
) is exhausted by his extra-curricular activities, so Terri gives him pseudoephedrine
tablets, which Finn shares with the rest of the males in the glee club. The effects of the tablets enhance their performance, and they give an energetic mash-up of "It's My Life
and "Confessions Part II
". When Kurt
(Chris Colfer
) tells the girls the secret behind the boys' performance, they, too, request the tablets from Terri, and give a high-spirited mash-up of "Halo
" and "Walking On Sunshine
". Finn and Rachel (Lea Michele
) feel guilty for cheating, however, and agree to nullify the competition. When Principal Figgins (Iqbal Theba
) learns what has happened, he fires Terri and, angry with Will, appoints Sue as co-director of the glee club.
Recurring characters who appear in "Vitamin D" are glee club members Santana Lopez
(Naya Rivera
), Brittany Pierce
(Heather Morris), Mike Chang
(Harry Shum, Jr.
) and Matt Rutherford (Dijon Talton), former glee club director Sandy Ryerson (Stephen Tobolowsky
), Principal Figgins (Iqbal Theba
), football coach Ken Tanaka (Patrick Gallagher
), Terri's co-worker Howard Bamboo (Kent Avenido), and local news anchors Rod Remington (Bill A. Jones) and Andrea Carmichael (Earlene Davis). Joe Hursley
guest stars as Joe.
The episode features mash-up covers
of "It's My Life
" by Bon Jovi
and "Confessions Part II
" by Usher
, and "Halo
" by Beyoncé Knowles
and "Walking on Sunshine
" by Katrina and the Waves
. Both tracks were released as singles
, available for digital download
. "It's My Life / Confessions Part II" charted at number 7 in Ireland, 14 in the UK, 22 in Australia, 25 in Canada and 30 in America, while "Halo / Walking on Sunshine" charted at number 4 in Ireland, 9 in the UK, 10 in Australia, 28 in Canada and 40 in America. Michele has revealed that she practiced talking "manically" for several days in order to convey the effects of pseudoephedrine on Rachel. In order to portray the character in her altered state, she questioned: "How manic is the right amount of manic? What would Rachel be like on uppers? What would she sound like?" She deemed performing the mash-up piece in that state "so much fun".
"Vitamin D" was nominated for the best "Comedy Series Episode" award at the 2010 PRISM Awards. It received generally positive reviews from critics. Shawna Malcom of the Los Angeles Times
noted that she preferred the boys' performance to the girls', commenting: "Their number had the same heart-soaring power as "Don't Stop Believin'
" [performed in the pilot episode
]." Malcom enjoyed Sue's character development in the episode, claiming that, "In less skilled hands, there’s no doubt Sue would be an over-the-top disaster. But thanks to the incomparable Jane Lynch, I can’t wait to see what trouble the character stirs up next." Aly Semigran of MTV
also enjoyed the boys' performance more than the girls', and gave the episode a mostly positive review, writing that it moved the series' storylines to "a whole new level". She felt, however, that the episode "didn't have nearly enough singing". Mandi Bierly for Entertainment Weekly
similarly noted that: "So much happened in this hour that the musical numbers, though enjoyable, were almost an afterthought." Bierly favoured the girls' performance, and praised Morrison's acting, commenting: "Matthew Morrison communicates so much with his eyes. There’s a softness and a longing in them that I’m always surprised Emma (Jayma Mays) matches."
Mike Hale for the New York Times praised Mays' performance, noting: "Jayma Mays registered Emma’s devastation with just the slightest widening of those enormous eyes. In fact all the best non-singing moments in the episode were hers." Hale was less impressed with the rest of the episode, deeming the pregnancy storyline "so boring that is hardly mattered". He noted that: "For many viewers, the best moments in the episode probably came very early on and involved Jane Lynch’s Sue Sylvester, who still got all the best lines." Jarett Wieselman for the New York Post
agreed with this assessment, opining that although the episode was "filled with more brilliant moments than ever before", the stand-out scene was Sue writing in her journal, which Wieselman deemed "jam-packed with so many one liners, it acted as a vacuum, sucking the smart out of everything else on TV from 9:05 to 9:07 pm." Fellow New York Post critic Maxine Shen deemed the episode her favorite of the series so far. Anna Pickard of The Guardian
called the pseudoephedrine storyline "relentlessly silly [...] but joyfully so", preferring the boys' performance to the girls' as "some excellent comedy helped me forget about Finn's dodgy autotuned vocals for once".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
. The episode premiered on the 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...
network on October 7, 2009. It was written by series creator Ryan Murphy and directed by Elodie Keene
Elodie Keene
Elodie Keene is an American film/television director, producer and editor. As a television director her credits include ER, NYPD Blue, The Practice, Ally McBeal, Charmed, Felicity, The Wire, House, M.D., The Closer, Nip/Tuck and among other series.She has won three Primetime Emmy Awards, two for...
. In the episode, 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...
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...
) pits the male and female club members against each other for a mash-up
Mashup (music)
A mashup or bootleg is a song or composition created by blending two or more pre-recorded songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the instrumental track of another...
competition. Will's wife Terri
Terri Schuester
Terri Schuester is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Jessalyn Gilsig, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Terri was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian...
(Jessalyn Gilsig
Jessalyn Gilsig
Jessalyn Gilsig is a Canadian actress known for her roles in the television series Boston Public, Nip/Tuck and as Will Schuester's ex-wife Terri Schuester in Glee...
) takes a job as the school nurse to stop him becoming closer to guidance counsellor 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...
), but is fired after giving the students performance-enhancing pseudoephedrine
Pseudoephedrine
Pseudoephedrine is a sympathomimetic drug of the phenethylamine and amphetamine chemical classes. It is used as a nasal/sinus decongestant and stimulant, or as a wakefulness-promoting agent....
tablets.
The episode features mash-up covers of "It's My Life
It's My Life (Bon Jovi song)
"It's My Life" is Bon Jovi's first single from the album Crush. It was released on May 23, 2000. It was written by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, and Max Martin. The song hit #1 across several countries...
" by Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
and "Confessions Part II
Confessions Part II
"Confessions Part II" is a song by R&B singer Usher, and co-produced by Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox for Usher's fourth album Confessions. Written by Usher, Dupri and Cox, the song is a confession of a man to his woman about his impregnated mistress, a continuation of "Confessions Part I"...
" by Usher
Usher (entertainer)
Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
, and "Halo
Halo (Beyoncé Knowles song)
"Halo" is a song recorded by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles for her third studio album I Am... Sasha Fierce . Columbia Records released the song as the fourth single of the album, to mainstream radio in the United States on January 20, 2009. It was composed by Ryan Tedder, Evan Bogart, and...
" by Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
and "Walking on Sunshine
Walking on Sunshine (song)
"Walking on Sunshine" is a song written by Kimberley Rew for Katrina and the Waves' 1983 eponymous debut full-length album. The re-recorded version was at first released on the band's 1985 self-titled album as the album's second single and reached No. 4 in Australia, No. 9 in the United States,...
" by Katrina and the Waves
Katrina and the Waves
Katrina and the Waves was an English pop rock band, best known for their 1985 hit "Walking on Sunshine" and their 1997 Eurovision Song Contest victory with the song "Love Shine a Light".-Pre-history: The Waves and Mama's Cookin' :...
. Both tracks were released as singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, available for digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
. "Vitamin D" was watched by 7.30 million US viewers, and received generally positive reviews from critics. Performances by Morrison, Mays and 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...
as 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...
attracted praise, as did the staging of the musical mash-ups. However, Aly Semigran of 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....
and Mandi Bierly 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...
both noted critically that dramatic storylines in the episode dominated over the musical performances.
Plot
Believing the glee club are becoming complacent ahead of the forthcoming sectionalsSectionals
"Sectionals" is the 13th episode of the American television series Glee. It premiered on the Fox network on December 9, 2009. The episode was written and directed by series co-creator Brad Falchuk, and serves as the mid-season finale for the show's first season. "Sectionals" sees the glee club win...
round of competition, director Will Schuester divides the club into boys against girls for a mash-up
Mashup (music)
A mashup or bootleg is a song or composition created by blending two or more pre-recorded songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the instrumental track of another...
competition. Cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester observes that head cheerleader Quinn Fabray
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...
's (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...
) performance standards are slipping. When Quinn blames her tiredness on her glee club participation, Sue renews her resolve to destroy the club, planning to sabotage Will's personal life. Sue tells Will's wife Terri that guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury has romantic feelings for Will. Determined to stay close to her husband, Terri takes a job as the school nurse, despite having no medical qualifications. She encourages Emma's boyfriend Ken Tanaka (Patrick Gallagher
Patrick Gallagher (actor)
-Career:Gallagher is best known for his television roles as Det. Joe Finn in Da Vinci's Inquest, the alcohol salesman in Entourage, Leon in The Line, Farhod the Fierce in Pair of Kings, and Ken Tanaka in Glee, and his film roles as Awkward Davies in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World...
) to propose to her, which he does. After asking Will if there is any reason she should not marry Ken, and being warned off Will by Terri, Emma accepts his proposal. Terri is still hiding the fact she experienced a hysterical pregnancy from Will, and upon realizing how much her life is changing due to her pregnancy, Quinn agrees to let Terri secretly adopt her baby.
Club member Finn Hudson
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:...
) is exhausted by his extra-curricular activities, so Terri gives him pseudoephedrine
Pseudoephedrine
Pseudoephedrine is a sympathomimetic drug of the phenethylamine and amphetamine chemical classes. It is used as a nasal/sinus decongestant and stimulant, or as a wakefulness-promoting agent....
tablets, which Finn shares with the rest of the males in the glee club. The effects of the tablets enhance their performance, and they give an energetic mash-up of "It's My Life
It's My Life (Bon Jovi song)
"It's My Life" is Bon Jovi's first single from the album Crush. It was released on May 23, 2000. It was written by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, and Max Martin. The song hit #1 across several countries...
and "Confessions Part II
Confessions Part II
"Confessions Part II" is a song by R&B singer Usher, and co-produced by Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox for Usher's fourth album Confessions. Written by Usher, Dupri and Cox, the song is a confession of a man to his woman about his impregnated mistress, a continuation of "Confessions Part I"...
". When 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...
) tells the girls the secret behind the boys' performance, they, too, request the tablets from Terri, and give a high-spirited mash-up of "Halo
Halo (Beyoncé Knowles song)
"Halo" is a song recorded by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles for her third studio album I Am... Sasha Fierce . Columbia Records released the song as the fourth single of the album, to mainstream radio in the United States on January 20, 2009. It was composed by Ryan Tedder, Evan Bogart, and...
" and "Walking On Sunshine
Walking on Sunshine (song)
"Walking on Sunshine" is a song written by Kimberley Rew for Katrina and the Waves' 1983 eponymous debut full-length album. The re-recorded version was at first released on the band's 1985 self-titled album as the album's second single and reached No. 4 in Australia, No. 9 in the United States,...
". Finn and 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...
) feel guilty for cheating, however, and agree to nullify the competition. When 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....
) learns what has happened, he fires Terri and, angry with Will, appoints Sue as co-director of the glee club.
Production
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:...
), Brittany Pierce
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), 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...
) and Matt Rutherford (Dijon Talton), former glee club director Sandy Ryerson (Stephen Tobolowsky
Stephen Tobolowsky
Stephen Harold Tobolowsky is an American actor. He is well known for his role as Ned Ryerson in Groundhog Day, as well as portraying Commissioner Hugo Jarry in Deadwood for nine episodes and Bob Bishop in Heroes for eleven episodes over the second and third seasons...
), 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....
), football coach Ken Tanaka (Patrick Gallagher
Patrick Gallagher (actor)
-Career:Gallagher is best known for his television roles as Det. Joe Finn in Da Vinci's Inquest, the alcohol salesman in Entourage, Leon in The Line, Farhod the Fierce in Pair of Kings, and Ken Tanaka in Glee, and his film roles as Awkward Davies in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World...
), Terri's co-worker Howard Bamboo (Kent Avenido), and local news anchors Rod Remington (Bill A. Jones) and Andrea Carmichael (Earlene Davis). Joe Hursley
Joe Hursley
Joseph Hursley is an actor and musician living in Los Angeles, California.-Background:Hursley was born in Austin, Texas. His grandfather, Frank M. Hursley co-created the long running soap General Hospital. His father Greg Hursley is an architectural photographer and his mother, Kelle, is a nurse...
guest stars as Joe.
The episode features mash-up covers
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...
of "It's My Life
It's My Life (Bon Jovi song)
"It's My Life" is Bon Jovi's first single from the album Crush. It was released on May 23, 2000. It was written by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, and Max Martin. The song hit #1 across several countries...
" by Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
and "Confessions Part II
Confessions Part II
"Confessions Part II" is a song by R&B singer Usher, and co-produced by Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox for Usher's fourth album Confessions. Written by Usher, Dupri and Cox, the song is a confession of a man to his woman about his impregnated mistress, a continuation of "Confessions Part I"...
" by Usher
Usher (entertainer)
Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
, and "Halo
Halo (Beyoncé Knowles song)
"Halo" is a song recorded by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles for her third studio album I Am... Sasha Fierce . Columbia Records released the song as the fourth single of the album, to mainstream radio in the United States on January 20, 2009. It was composed by Ryan Tedder, Evan Bogart, and...
" by Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
and "Walking on Sunshine
Walking on Sunshine (song)
"Walking on Sunshine" is a song written by Kimberley Rew for Katrina and the Waves' 1983 eponymous debut full-length album. The re-recorded version was at first released on the band's 1985 self-titled album as the album's second single and reached No. 4 in Australia, No. 9 in the United States,...
" by Katrina and the Waves
Katrina and the Waves
Katrina and the Waves was an English pop rock band, best known for their 1985 hit "Walking on Sunshine" and their 1997 Eurovision Song Contest victory with the song "Love Shine a Light".-Pre-history: The Waves and Mama's Cookin' :...
. Both tracks were released as singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, available for digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
. "It's My Life / Confessions Part II" charted at number 7 in Ireland, 14 in the UK, 22 in Australia, 25 in Canada and 30 in America, while "Halo / Walking on Sunshine" charted at number 4 in Ireland, 9 in the UK, 10 in Australia, 28 in Canada and 40 in America. Michele has revealed that she practiced talking "manically" for several days in order to convey the effects of pseudoephedrine on Rachel. In order to portray the character in her altered state, she questioned: "How manic is the right amount of manic? What would Rachel be like on uppers? What would she sound like?" She deemed performing the mash-up piece in that state "so much fun".
Reception
The episode was watched by 7.30 million U.S. viewers and attained a 3.2/8 rating/share in the 18-49 demographic. Glee maintained its ratings from the previous week, despite all of the other new Wednesday night shows of the season declining by double-digit percentages. It was the eighteenth most watched show in Canada for the week of broadcast, with 1.61 million viewers. In the UK, the episode was watched by 2.008 million viewers (1.608 million on E4, and 400,000 on E4+1), becoming the most-watched show on E4 and E4 +1 for the week, and the most-watched show on cable for the week, as well as the most-watched episode of the series at the time."Vitamin D" was nominated for the best "Comedy Series Episode" award at the 2010 PRISM Awards. It received generally positive reviews from critics. Shawna Malcom 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....
noted that she preferred the boys' performance to the girls', commenting: "Their number had the same heart-soaring power as "Don't Stop Believin'
Don't Stop Believin'
"Don't Stop Believin is a popular song by the American rock band Journey, originally released as a single from their 1981 album Escape, which became a #9 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 on its original release. It re-entered the UK Singles Chart in 2009 as a result of increased prominence of digital...
" [performed in the pilot episode
Pilot (Glee)
"Pilot" is the pilot episode of the television series Glee, which premiered on the Fox network on May 19, 2009. An extended director's cut version aired on September 2, 2009. The show focuses on a high school show choir, also known as a glee club, set within the fictional William McKinley High...
]." Malcom enjoyed Sue's character development in the episode, claiming that, "In less skilled hands, there’s no doubt Sue would be an over-the-top disaster. But thanks to the incomparable Jane Lynch, I can’t wait to see what trouble the character stirs up next." Aly Semigran of 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....
also enjoyed the boys' performance more than the girls', and gave the episode a mostly positive review, writing that it moved the series' storylines to "a whole new level". She felt, however, that the episode "didn't have nearly enough singing". Mandi Bierly for 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...
similarly noted that: "So much happened in this hour that the musical numbers, though enjoyable, were almost an afterthought." Bierly favoured the girls' performance, and praised Morrison's acting, commenting: "Matthew Morrison communicates so much with his eyes. There’s a softness and a longing in them that I’m always surprised Emma (Jayma Mays) matches."
Mike Hale for the New York Times praised Mays' performance, noting: "Jayma Mays registered Emma’s devastation with just the slightest widening of those enormous eyes. In fact all the best non-singing moments in the episode were hers." Hale was less impressed with the rest of the episode, deeming the pregnancy storyline "so boring that is hardly mattered". He noted that: "For many viewers, the best moments in the episode probably came very early on and involved Jane Lynch’s Sue Sylvester, who still got all the best lines." Jarett Wieselman for the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
agreed with this assessment, opining that although the episode was "filled with more brilliant moments than ever before", the stand-out scene was Sue writing in her journal, which Wieselman deemed "jam-packed with so many one liners, it acted as a vacuum, sucking the smart out of everything else on TV from 9:05 to 9:07 pm." Fellow New York Post critic Maxine Shen deemed the episode her favorite of the series so far. Anna Pickard of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
called the pseudoephedrine storyline "relentlessly silly [...] but joyfully so", preferring the boys' performance to the girls' as "some excellent comedy helped me forget about Finn's dodgy autotuned vocals for once".
External links
- "Vitamin D" at Fox.comFox Broadcasting CompanyFox 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...