Funeral (Glee)
Encyclopedia
"Funeral" is the twenty-first episode of the second season
of the American musical television series Glee
, and the 43rd overall. It first aired May 17, 2011 on Fox
in the United States, and was written by series creator Ryan Murphy and directed by Bradley Buecker. The episode featured Jonathan Groff
guest starring as Jesse St. James, who is brought in as a consultant to help the New Directions glee club prepare for the National Show Choir competition. Sue Sylvester
's (Jane Lynch
) sister Jean (Robin Trocki) dies unexpectedly, and the glee club helps Sue plan her funeral.
The episode received a wide range of reviews, from highly enthusiastic to harshly critical. The performances of the five songs covered were generally well-liked, though having four of them arranged as a series of auditions in the middle of the show met with disapproval. All five songs were released as singles, and three of them charted on the Billboard Hot 100
.
Upon its initial airing, this episode was viewed by 8.97 million American viewers and garnered a 3.6/10 Nielsen rating/share in the 18–49 demographic. The total viewership and ratings for this episode were down slightly from the previous episode, "Prom Queen
". Lynch was nominated for a Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series at the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards
for her work on the show, and submitted this episode for judging.
(Matthew Morrison
), director of New Directions, the McKinley High School glee club, hires Jesse St. James (Jonathan Groff
)—an alumnus of championship-winning rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline—as a consultant
to help them develop a strategy to win the upcoming Nationals competition. Jesse convinces Will to use Vocal Adrenaline's methodology, which is to identify the club's best performer and center the entire performance on that person, and Will decides to hold auditions to determine who will be featured. Santana Lopez
(Naya Rivera
), Rachel Berry (Lea Michele
), Mercedes Jones
(Amber Riley
) and Kurt Hummel
(Chris Colfer
) all audition, with Jesse and Will as judges. Jesse is highly critical of the performances by Santana, Kurt and Mercedes, while he praises his former girlfriend Rachel's performance. He tells Will that Rachel is the clear winner, which angers the other three. Ultimately, Will decides to ignore Jesse's advice and instead plans to do for Nationals what brought them victory at the Regionals competition: having the whole group sing original songs.
Cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester
(Jane Lynch
) is deeply upset by the death of her sister, Jean (Robin Trocki). She lashes out by having the glee club's flight to Nationals in New York City
rerouted so it has a layover
in war-ravaged Tripoli
, and kicks Becky Jackson (Lauren Potter
) off the Cheerios. Sue allows Finn Hudson
(Cory Monteith
) and Kurt to plan Jean's funeral
and help her sort through Jean's personal belongings, and agrees to have the glee club to perform at the funeral, as she believes no one will attend otherwise. While going through Jean's belongings, Finn and Kurt discover that her favorite movie was Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
, and arrange a funeral inspired by the film. At the funeral, an emotional Sue is unable to continue reading her eulogy
after a few sentences, and Will reads the remainder for her. The glee club then sings "Pure Imagination", a song from the film. Touched by his support, Sue later tells Will he is a good friend and he has what Jean had and she does not: a pure heart. She also says that she will no longer attempt to destroy the glee club. She announces that she is planning to run for the United States House of Representatives
, and for the first time, wishes him good luck. She subsequently apologizes to Becky, reinstates her as a member of the Cheerios, and tells her she will be captain of the squad in the fall. As a final act of reconciliation, Sue asks for and receives a hug from Becky.
Finn realizes his true feelings for Rachel during the funeral, and breaks up
with Quinn Fabray
(Dianna Agron
) afterward. He later thanks her for not quitting glee club because of their breakup; Quinn tells him that quitting would have ruined her "big plans" for New York, and refuses to tell him what they are. Finn sees Jesse and Rachel sharing a brief kiss on stage; after they leave, he brings a flower from behind his back. Will's ex-wife, Terri
(Jessalyn Gilsig
), who aided Sue's earlier plot to sabotage the glee club's flights, gives Will first-class
plane tickets to New York for the entire club, revealing that they were a donation from an airline executive. She tells him she is moving to Miami to start over with her life and to pursue her retail management career, and they say goodbye.
, despite rumors that his death would be paving the way for Kurt's return to McKinley High. Further details were eventually supplied by entertainment reporter Michael Ausiello
, who reported on April 19, 2011 that a "beloved character" would be dying in the "season's penultimate episode", and one week later that the character was female. Morrison confirmed in late April that there would indeed be a death, and added: "The episode right before the finale is called 'Funeral'. We were actually at a funeral home yesterday, shooting all day. It was a very taxing day." The day the episode aired, Lynch revealed in an interview that Murphy had conferred with her before proceeding with the storyline: "He took me aside at a party and said 'I want your blessing on this before we move forward.' I said, 'It sounds like a really great storyline.' It’s the thing that will break Sue Sylvester’s heart and get to where she lives." Lynch was nominated for a Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series at the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards
for her work on the show, and submitted "Funeral" to be the episode by which she would be judged.
Groff returns for the second of three consecutive episodes as Jesse. Terri's work colleague Howard Bamboo (Kent Avenido) also returns, and makes his only appearance of the second season after having featured in several episodes during the first. Other recurring guest stars in the episode include glee club members Mike Chang
(Harry Shum, Jr.
), Sam Evans
(Chord Overstreet
) and Lauren Zizes
(Ashley Fink
), cheerleader Becky Jackson (Lauren Potter), and in an uncredited appearance in a video shown during the funeral scene, Sue's sister Jean Sylvester (Robin Trocki). Additional guests include Becky's mother Donna Jackson (Kari Coleman
), and Jim Metzler as the Reverend who presides at the funeral.
"Funeral" features cover version
s of five songs: "Back to Black
" by Amy Winehouse
, sung by Rivera; "Some People" from Gypsy
, performed by Colfer; "Try a Little Tenderness
" by Otis Redding
, sung by Riley; "My Man" in the Barbra Streisand
version from the film of Funny Girl
, performed by Michele; and "Pure Imagination" from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
, sung by New Directions.
season finale on CBS
, The Biggest Loser on NBC
, Dancing With the Stars
Freestyle Special on ABC
, and the One Tree Hill
season finale on The CW. The total viewership and ratings for this episode were down slightly from those of the previous episode, "Prom Queen
"—which was watched by 9.29 million American viewers and acquired a 3.7/11 rating/share in the 18–49 demographic upon first airing on television.
The episode's Canadian broadcast, also on May 17, 2011, drew 1.58 million viewers. It was the fourteenth most-watched show of the week, and ranked two places higher than the previous week's "Prom Queen", even though it drew 13% fewer viewers than the 1.82 million recorded for that episode. In Australia, the episode was watched by 1.07 million viewers on June 8, 2011, which made Glee the seventh most-watched show of the night and the twenty-first most-watched for the week. This was up slightly from "Prom Queen", which attracted 1.04 million viewers on June 1, 2011, and was the eighth most-watched program of the night and twenty-sixth of the week. In the UK, the episode debuted on June 7, 2011, and was watched by 2.19 million viewers (1.76 million on E4, and 427,000 on E4+1), which made it the most-watched show on E4 and E4+1 for the week, and the most-watched show on cable for the week. This was up slightly over "Prom Queen", which aired on May 23, 2011, and was watched by 2.11 million viewers, again the most-watched show on cable for the week.
said it was "one of the best episodes ever", and MTV
's Aly Semigran called it "authentic" and "one of the very best" of the season if not the series as a whole. Robert Canning of IGN
wrote that it was "a great episode that truly showcased the talents of Jane Lynch" and rated it 8.5 out of 10. Rolling Stone
Erica Futterman said that the episode "felt like a recycled version of things we've seen previously" and added that the show is "not as entertaining when it's simply a showcase". Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club
gave the episode a "C" and characterized the funeral scene as "the highlight of an uneven episode". The Atlantic Kevin Fallon wrote, "Killing off Sue's sister seemed cruel, but ultimately paid off—it's too bad the episode completely derailed afterward, dying its own rapid death in turn." Anthony Benigno of The Faster Times
had little good to say, and singled out the writers for doing "such a crappy job" on the penultimate episode of the season.
Lynch as Sue received high praise for her acting. Canning wrote that she "stole the episode" and "perfectly portrayed a woman [whose] hard heart was trying terribly not to break, but not being able to stop it." BuddyTV
John Kubicek stated, "it's impossible for me to say that Lynch wasn't exceptional, because her slow breakdown and attempt to cover-up her emotions was well done and fit perfectly with the character." Respers France commented that "we got to see the range and complexity of Sue Sylvester", and Sandra Gonzalez of Entertainment Weekly
said that Lynch did an "outstanding job of delivering even the funniest quips with an underlying sense of sadness". Sue's characterization in the series was criticized by several reviewers, however. Amy Reiter of The Los Angeles Times stated that the "consistent inconsistency of Sue's character is wearing thin", and that "our sense of her fails to advance, wandering endlessly between pure evil and pure love for her sister." Futterman called the episode a "too-little-too late attempt at redemption for Sue's poor characterization this season." VanDerWerff wrote that the episode "feels very self-consciously like a way to just remove her character from the table for the season finale", that "it feels very self-consciously like an attempt by the show to address the fact that the character doesn't make any sense", and criticized the death of Jean: "killing her solely to right a wayward character arc is lazy writing, and no amount of actor commitment can wholly save it." Fallon described the funeral plot line as "pure, classic Glee: Egregiously random, emotionally manipulative, wholly unnecessary to plot development, and, in the end, deeply moving."
The secondary plot line, about the auditions for New Directions soloist at Nationals, was roundly criticized. Canning called it a "faux drama", though he added that Jesse was "a delight to despise", and VanDerWerff said it was "completely ridiculous to do this with Nationals coming up" in a week's time, and "constructed almost entirely" to make Jesse a "jerk". Houston Chronicle
Bobby Hankinson also hit on the lack of preparation for the upcoming competition and stated that it seemed "like a very bad idea" to be going without a setlist already decided on, much less with songs unwritten. He said the four audition numbers were "awkwardly paced", though he thought they were "fantastic"; Reiter said they "stood out like glinting gems in a somewhat muddy episode". Canning and VanDerWerff also criticized the block of four songs in the middle of the episode which, as VanDerWerff put it, "stops the show cold". James Poniewozik
of Time
was unhappy for another reason altogether: "Having four people stand up and sing solos into a microphone may be music; but it ain't a musical."
Poniewozik wrote of Will's Broadway plans that "his ambitions, and guilt over them, make a much more believable and compelling conflict than Matthew Morrison has had to convey for much of the season." VanDerWerff complimented Morrison on his portrayal of Will: "every time the show hands him anything to play that's something that makes vague sense, he does a good job with it." Other kudos for the actors were provided by Respers France, who highlighted the "further great acting" seen during "Finn and Quinn's moment in his truck", and E! Online Jenna Mullins, who called the scene where Finn and Kurt help Sue with her sister's room "positively heartbreaking", and the trio of characters "magnificent". Although Canning stated that "Terri leaving lacked much punch", Poniewozik commented that it was "satisfying to see her realized as an adult for once".
wrote that it was performed "with raspy sensitivity", and went "deep into the emotional truth of the song". Kubicek was less enthusiastic, and called it "pretty good, but nothing groundbreaking or special", and Semigran called it "decent". Benigno said that "Rivera's delivery gives this song its smoldering swagger" and gave it an "A−", and Poniewozik praised Rivera as "really impressive".
"Some People" received adequate to good reviews. Gonzalez missed Kurt's usual charisma and thought the performance "a bit lackluster", and Benigno called it "kind of a boring cover". It received their lowest grades of the show, "B" and "B−", respectively. Kubicek stated, "Kurt has a unique voice that sounds positively beautiful with the right melodic song, but this is a terrible song for his style", and Vanity Fair
Brett Berk added, after he gave it two out of five stars, that it was "not the best showcase of Kurt's talents". Futterman and Reiter referred approvingly to Kurt's "upper register", and both Reiter and Respers France said he "ripped it" on his song.
"Try a Little Tenderness" received a stream of bouquets from the critics. Kubicek raved that Mercedes "gave 100% of what she has to offer, which is pure greatness", and Respers France said she "stole the night" and was "amazing". Berk broke his own scale of one to five stars with six stars, and praised "the unstinting instrument that is Mercedes' voice". Gonzalez gave it an "A" and called it "pure perfection", but Benigno was more restrained with a "B+", and wrote "she hits a little too hard for my taste" and "the vocals … threaten to engulf the song itself".
"My Man" was also lauded. Flandez called it "heartstopping", and Futterman summed up with, "she nails the Funny Girl closer, making it one of Rachel's top performances on the show". Berk called it "good singing" and gave it three stars out of five, and Gonzalez gave it an "A−". Benigno was more generous with an "A" grade, and said, "even by Lea Michele's standards, the vocals here are fan-fucking-tastic". Hankinson agreed: "Rachel truly nailed the most difficult song she's ever sung."
The one group number, "Pure Imagination", received reviews that touched on the song itself as much as the performance. Fallon called it "unsettling yet touching" and Poniewozik described it as "odd but perfect". Berk, on the other hand, characterized it as "pure dreck". Benigno felt that while the song was "really quite good", the "stupidity of the scene" it was in detracted from it, resulting in a grade of "B+", while Gonzalez, when she gave it an "A−", said she hadn't been a "huge fan of the cover" when she heard it before the show aired, but it grew on her in context. Futterman wrote, "The New Directions break into a restrained, tender take on "Pure Imagination" with lush harmonies on the chorus that's exactly right for the moment."
: "Pure Imagination" debuted at number fifty-nine, "Back to Black" at number eighty-two, and "My Man" at number ninety-four. "Pure Imagination" was the only song to make the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 at number eighty-seven.
Of the five songs that were featured in the episode, three were featured on the eighth soundtrack album
of the series, Glee: The Music, Volume 6
: "Pure Imagination", "My Man", and "Try a Little Tenderness". The album was released on May 23, 2011, and debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200
, selling 80,000 copies in its first week, which was the second-lowest opening sales figure for a Glee release next to the extended play
Glee: The Music, The Rocky Horror Glee Show
, and lower than the 86,000 sold by Glee: The Music Presents the Warblers
in its first week the previous month. The album was also at number four on the Canadian Album charts.
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 43rd overall. It first aired May 17, 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 was written by series creator Ryan Murphy and directed by Bradley Buecker. The episode featured Jonathan Groff
Jonathan Groff
Jonathan Drew Groff is an American singer-songwriter, stage, television and film actor. He originated the role of Melchior Gabor in the stage musical Spring Awakening and appeared as Jesse St...
guest starring as Jesse St. James, who is brought in as a consultant to help the New Directions glee club prepare for the National Show Choir competition. 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...
's (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...
) sister Jean (Robin Trocki) dies unexpectedly, and the glee club helps Sue plan her funeral.
The episode received a wide range of reviews, from highly enthusiastic to harshly critical. The performances of the five songs covered were generally well-liked, though having four of them arranged as a series of auditions in the middle of the show met with disapproval. All five songs were released as singles, and three of them 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...
.
Upon its initial airing, this episode was viewed by 8.97 million American viewers and garnered a 3.6/10 Nielsen rating/share in the 18–49 demographic. The total viewership and ratings for this episode were down slightly from the previous episode, "Prom Queen
Prom Queen (Glee)
"Prom Queen" is the twentieth episode of the second season of the American musical television series Glee, and the 42nd overall. It aired May 10, 2011 on Fox in the United States. The episode was written by series creator Ian Brennan, directed by Eric Stoltz, and featured the return of guest...
". Lynch was nominated for a Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series at the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards
63rd Primetime Emmy Awards
The 63rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, honoring the best in primetime television programming from June 1, 2010 until May 31, 2011, was held on September 18, 2011, at the Nokia Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles, California. Fox televised the ceremony within the United States. Actress Jane Lynch hosted...
for her work on the show, and submitted this episode for judging.
Plot
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...
), director of New Directions, the McKinley High School glee club, hires Jesse St. James (Jonathan Groff
Jonathan Groff
Jonathan Drew Groff is an American singer-songwriter, stage, television and film actor. He originated the role of Melchior Gabor in the stage musical Spring Awakening and appeared as Jesse St...
)—an alumnus of championship-winning rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline—as a consultant
Consultant
A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
to help them develop a strategy to win the upcoming Nationals competition. Jesse convinces Will to use Vocal Adrenaline's methodology, which is to identify the club's best performer and center the entire performance on that person, and Will decides to hold auditions to determine who will be featured. Santana Lopez
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:...
), Rachel Berry (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...
), Mercedes Jones
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:...
) and Kurt Hummel
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...
) all audition, with Jesse and Will as judges. Jesse is highly critical of the performances by Santana, Kurt and Mercedes, while he praises his former girlfriend Rachel's performance. He tells Will that Rachel is the clear winner, which angers the other three. Ultimately, Will decides to ignore Jesse's advice and instead plans to do for Nationals what brought them victory at the Regionals competition: having the whole group sing original songs.
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...
) is deeply upset by the death of her sister, Jean (Robin Trocki). She lashes out by having the glee club's flight to Nationals in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
rerouted so it has a layover
Layover
In transportation, a layover, also known as lays over or stopover, is some form of a break between parts of a single trip.-In mass transit:...
in war-ravaged Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
, and kicks 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...
) off the Cheerios. Sue allows 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:...
) and Kurt to plan Jean's funeral
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
and help her sort through Jean's personal belongings, and agrees to have the glee club to perform at the funeral, as she believes no one will attend otherwise. While going through Jean's belongings, Finn and Kurt discover that her favorite movie was Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is a 1971 musical film adaptation of the 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, directed by Mel Stuart, and starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. The film tells the story of Charlie Bucket as he receives a golden ticket and visits Willy...
, and arrange a funeral inspired by the film. At the funeral, an emotional Sue is unable to continue reading her eulogy
Eulogy
A eulogy is a speech or writing in praise of a person or thing, especially one recently deceased or retired. Eulogies may be given as part of funeral services. However, some denominations either discourage or do not permit eulogies at services to maintain respect for traditions...
after a few sentences, and Will reads the remainder for her. The glee club then sings "Pure Imagination", a song from the film. Touched by his support, Sue later tells Will he is a good friend and he has what Jean had and she does not: a pure heart. She also says that she will no longer attempt to destroy the glee club. She announces that she is planning to run for the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
, and for the first time, wishes him good luck. She subsequently apologizes to Becky, reinstates her as a member of the Cheerios, and tells her she will be captain of the squad in the fall. As a final act of reconciliation, Sue asks for and receives a hug from Becky.
Finn realizes his true feelings for Rachel during the funeral, and breaks up
Relationship breakup
A relationship breakup, often referred to simply as a breakup, is the termination of a usually intimate relationship by any means other than death. The act is commonly termed "dumping [someone]" in slang when it is initiated by one partner...
with 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...
(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...
) afterward. He later thanks her for not quitting glee club because of their breakup; Quinn tells him that quitting would have ruined her "big plans" for New York, and refuses to tell him what they are. Finn sees Jesse and Rachel sharing a brief kiss on stage; after they leave, he brings a flower from behind his back. Will's ex-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...
), who aided Sue's earlier plot to sabotage the glee club's flights, gives Will first-class
First class (aviation)
First class is a luxury travel class on some airliners that exceeds business class, premium economy, and economy class. On a passenger jetliner, first class refers to a limited number of seats or cabins located in the front of the aircraft which are notable for their comfort, service, and privacy...
plane tickets to New York for the entire club, revealing that they were a donation from an airline executive. She tells him she is moving to Miami to start over with her life and to pursue her retail management career, and they say goodbye.
Production
The episode was written by series co-creator Ryan Murphy and directed by Bradley Buecker. Two months before it aired, Murphy confirmed at PaleyFest 2011 that there was a death planned before the end of the season, but that it would not be recurring character Dave KarofskyDave 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...
, despite rumors that his death would be paving the way for Kurt's return to McKinley High. Further details were eventually supplied by entertainment reporter Michael Ausiello
Michael Ausiello
Michael Ausiello is an American television industry journalist and actor. He was a Senior Writer at TV Guide and its companion website, TVGuide.com. On May 28, 2008, Ausiello left TV Guide for Entertainment Weekly and posted his first blog for Entertainment Weekly on July 2, 2008...
, who reported on April 19, 2011 that a "beloved character" would be dying in the "season's penultimate episode", and one week later that the character was female. Morrison confirmed in late April that there would indeed be a death, and added: "The episode right before the finale is called 'Funeral'. We were actually at a funeral home yesterday, shooting all day. It was a very taxing day." The day the episode aired, Lynch revealed in an interview that Murphy had conferred with her before proceeding with the storyline: "He took me aside at a party and said 'I want your blessing on this before we move forward.' I said, 'It sounds like a really great storyline.' It’s the thing that will break Sue Sylvester’s heart and get to where she lives." Lynch was nominated for a Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series at the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards
63rd Primetime Emmy Awards
The 63rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, honoring the best in primetime television programming from June 1, 2010 until May 31, 2011, was held on September 18, 2011, at the Nokia Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles, California. Fox televised the ceremony within the United States. Actress Jane Lynch hosted...
for her work on the show, and submitted "Funeral" to be the episode by which she would be judged.
Groff returns for the second of three consecutive episodes as Jesse. Terri's work colleague Howard Bamboo (Kent Avenido) also returns, and makes his only appearance of the second season after having featured in several episodes during the first. 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:...
), cheerleader Becky Jackson (Lauren Potter), and in an uncredited appearance in a video shown during the funeral scene, Sue's sister Jean Sylvester (Robin Trocki). Additional guests include Becky's mother Donna Jackson (Kari Coleman
Kari Coleman
-Career:Coleman has acted in recent television programs including Julie in Sons & Daughters, Mrs. Deborah Hauser in Veronica Mars, Mrs. Clark in According to Jim, Penny Hadcoate in Judging Amy, Woman in The Tick, Interviewer in Charmed, Mona in ER, Marcy Katz in JAG and Rebecca Wainwright in...
), and Jim Metzler as the Reverend who presides at the funeral.
"Funeral" features cover version
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...
s of five songs: "Back to Black
Back to Black (song)
"Back to Black" is a song by English recording artist Amy Winehouse. It was released on April 30, 2007 as the third single from her second studio album, Back to Black. It was written by Winehouse and Mark Ronson...
" by Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse
Amy Jade Winehouse was an English singer-songwriter known for her powerful deep contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres including R&B, soul and jazz. Winehouse's 2003 debut album, Frank, was critically successful in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize...
, sung by Rivera; "Some People" from Gypsy
Gypsy: A Musical Fable
Gypsy is a musical with music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. Gypsy is loosely based on the 1957 memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, the famous striptease artist, and focuses on her mother, Rose, whose name has become synonymous with "the ultimate show business...
, performed by Colfer; "Try a Little Tenderness
Try a Little Tenderness
"Try a Little Tenderness" is a love song written by Jimmy Campbell, Reg Connelly and Harry M. Woods, and recorded initially on December 8, 1932 by the Ray Noble Orchestra followed by both Ruth Etting and Bing Crosby in 1933...
" by Otis Redding
Otis Redding
Otis Ray Redding, Jr. was an American soul singer-songwriter, record producer, arranger and talent scout. He is considered one of the major figures in soul and R&B...
, sung by Riley; "My Man" in the Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
version from the film of Funny Girl
Funny Girl (film)
Funny Girl is a 1968 romantic musical film directed by William Wyler. The screenplay by Isobel Lennart was adapted from her book for the stage musical of the same title...
, performed by Michele; and "Pure Imagination" from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is a 1971 musical film adaptation of the 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, directed by Mel Stuart, and starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. The film tells the story of Charlie Bucket as he receives a golden ticket and visits Willy...
, sung by New Directions.
Ratings
"Funeral" was first broadcast on May 17, 2011 in the United States on Fox. It garnered a 3.6/10 Nielsen rating/share in the 18–49 demographic, and received 8.97 million American viewers during its initial airing, despite airing simultaneously with the 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...
season finale 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...
, The Biggest Loser on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, Dancing With the Stars
Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars is the name of several international television series based on the format of the British TV series Strictly Come Dancing, which is distributed by BBC Worldwide – the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the format has been licensed to over 35 countries...
Freestyle Special on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, and the One Tree Hill
One Tree Hill (TV series)
One Tree Hill is an American television drama created by Mark Schwahn, which premiered on September 23, 2003, on The WB Television Network. After its third season, The WB merged with UPN to form The CW Television Network, and, since September 27, 2006, the network has been the official broadcaster...
season finale on The CW. The total viewership and ratings for this episode were down slightly from those of the previous episode, "Prom Queen
Prom Queen (Glee)
"Prom Queen" is the twentieth episode of the second season of the American musical television series Glee, and the 42nd overall. It aired May 10, 2011 on Fox in the United States. The episode was written by series creator Ian Brennan, directed by Eric Stoltz, and featured the return of guest...
"—which was watched by 9.29 million American viewers and acquired a 3.7/11 rating/share in the 18–49 demographic upon first airing on television.
The episode's Canadian broadcast, also on May 17, 2011, drew 1.58 million viewers. It was the fourteenth most-watched show of the week, and ranked two places higher than the previous week's "Prom Queen", even though it drew 13% fewer viewers than the 1.82 million recorded for that episode. In Australia, the episode was watched by 1.07 million viewers on June 8, 2011, which made Glee the seventh most-watched show of the night and the twenty-first most-watched for the week. This was up slightly from "Prom Queen", which attracted 1.04 million viewers on June 1, 2011, and was the eighth most-watched program of the night and twenty-sixth of the week. In the UK, the episode debuted on June 7, 2011, and was watched by 2.19 million viewers (1.76 million on E4, and 427,000 on E4+1), which made it the most-watched show on E4 and E4+1 for the week, and the most-watched show on cable for the week. This was up slightly over "Prom Queen", which aired on May 23, 2011, and was watched by 2.11 million viewers, again the most-watched show on cable for the week.
Critical response
"Funeral" was met with a wide range of reviews, from highly enthusiastic to harshly critical. Lisa Respers France of CNNCNN
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...
said it was "one of the best episodes ever", and 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....
's Aly Semigran called it "authentic" and "one of the very best" of the season if not the series as a whole. 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...
wrote that it was "a great episode that truly showcased the talents of Jane Lynch" and rated it 8.5 out of 10. 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 said that the episode "felt like a recycled version of things we've seen previously" and added that the show is "not as entertaining when it's simply a showcase". Todd VanDerWerff of 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...
gave the episode a "C" and characterized the funeral scene as "the highlight of an uneven episode". The Atlantic Kevin Fallon wrote, "Killing off Sue's sister seemed cruel, but ultimately paid off—it's too bad the episode completely derailed afterward, dying its own rapid death in turn." 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...
had little good to say, and singled out the writers for doing "such a crappy job" on the penultimate episode of the season.
Lynch as Sue received high praise for her acting. Canning wrote that she "stole the episode" and "perfectly portrayed a woman [whose] hard heart was trying terribly not to break, but not being able to stop it." 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 stated, "it's impossible for me to say that Lynch wasn't exceptional, because her slow breakdown and attempt to cover-up her emotions was well done and fit perfectly with the character." Respers France commented that "we got to see the range and complexity of Sue Sylvester", and Sandra Gonzalez 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...
said that Lynch did an "outstanding job of delivering even the funniest quips with an underlying sense of sadness". Sue's characterization in the series was criticized by several reviewers, however. Amy Reiter of The Los Angeles Times stated that the "consistent inconsistency of Sue's character is wearing thin", and that "our sense of her fails to advance, wandering endlessly between pure evil and pure love for her sister." Futterman called the episode a "too-little-too late attempt at redemption for Sue's poor characterization this season." VanDerWerff wrote that the episode "feels very self-consciously like a way to just remove her character from the table for the season finale", that "it feels very self-consciously like an attempt by the show to address the fact that the character doesn't make any sense", and criticized the death of Jean: "killing her solely to right a wayward character arc is lazy writing, and no amount of actor commitment can wholly save it." Fallon described the funeral plot line as "pure, classic Glee: Egregiously random, emotionally manipulative, wholly unnecessary to plot development, and, in the end, deeply moving."
The secondary plot line, about the auditions for New Directions soloist at Nationals, was roundly criticized. Canning called it a "faux drama", though he added that Jesse was "a delight to despise", and VanDerWerff said it was "completely ridiculous to do this with Nationals coming up" in a week's time, and "constructed almost entirely" to make Jesse a "jerk". 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...
Bobby Hankinson also hit on the lack of preparation for the upcoming competition and stated that it seemed "like a very bad idea" to be going without a setlist already decided on, much less with songs unwritten. He said the four audition numbers were "awkwardly paced", though he thought they were "fantastic"; Reiter said they "stood out like glinting gems in a somewhat muddy episode". Canning and VanDerWerff also criticized the block of four songs in the middle of the episode which, as VanDerWerff put it, "stops the show cold". 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...
of 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...
was unhappy for another reason altogether: "Having four people stand up and sing solos into a microphone may be music; but it ain't a musical."
Poniewozik wrote of Will's Broadway plans that "his ambitions, and guilt over them, make a much more believable and compelling conflict than Matthew Morrison has had to convey for much of the season." VanDerWerff complimented Morrison on his portrayal of Will: "every time the show hands him anything to play that's something that makes vague sense, he does a good job with it." Other kudos for the actors were provided by Respers France, who highlighted the "further great acting" seen during "Finn and Quinn's moment in his truck", and E! Online Jenna Mullins, who called the scene where Finn and Kurt help Sue with her sister's room "positively heartbreaking", and the trio of characters "magnificent". Although Canning stated that "Terri leaving lacked much punch", Poniewozik commented that it was "satisfying to see her realized as an adult for once".
Musical commentary
While the placement of the four solos together in the middle of the episode was questioned, the songs themselves were met with approbation: VanDerWerff called all four "really good performances". Santana's rendition of "Back to Black" was declared "spot on" by Futterman, and Raymund Flandez of The Wall Street JournalThe 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....
wrote that it was performed "with raspy sensitivity", and went "deep into the emotional truth of the song". Kubicek was less enthusiastic, and called it "pretty good, but nothing groundbreaking or special", and Semigran called it "decent". Benigno said that "Rivera's delivery gives this song its smoldering swagger" and gave it an "A−", and Poniewozik praised Rivera as "really impressive".
"Some People" received adequate to good reviews. Gonzalez missed Kurt's usual charisma and thought the performance "a bit lackluster", and Benigno called it "kind of a boring cover". It received their lowest grades of the show, "B" and "B−", respectively. Kubicek stated, "Kurt has a unique voice that sounds positively beautiful with the right melodic song, but this is a terrible song for his style", 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 added, after he gave it two out of five stars, that it was "not the best showcase of Kurt's talents". Futterman and Reiter referred approvingly to Kurt's "upper register", and both Reiter and Respers France said he "ripped it" on his song.
"Try a Little Tenderness" received a stream of bouquets from the critics. Kubicek raved that Mercedes "gave 100% of what she has to offer, which is pure greatness", and Respers France said she "stole the night" and was "amazing". Berk broke his own scale of one to five stars with six stars, and praised "the unstinting instrument that is Mercedes' voice". Gonzalez gave it an "A" and called it "pure perfection", but Benigno was more restrained with a "B+", and wrote "she hits a little too hard for my taste" and "the vocals … threaten to engulf the song itself".
"My Man" was also lauded. Flandez called it "heartstopping", and Futterman summed up with, "she nails the Funny Girl closer, making it one of Rachel's top performances on the show". Berk called it "good singing" and gave it three stars out of five, and Gonzalez gave it an "A−". Benigno was more generous with an "A" grade, and said, "even by Lea Michele's standards, the vocals here are fan-fucking-tastic". Hankinson agreed: "Rachel truly nailed the most difficult song she's ever sung."
The one group number, "Pure Imagination", received reviews that touched on the song itself as much as the performance. Fallon called it "unsettling yet touching" and Poniewozik described it as "odd but perfect". Berk, on the other hand, characterized it as "pure dreck". Benigno felt that while the song was "really quite good", the "stupidity of the scene" it was in detracted from it, resulting in a grade of "B+", while Gonzalez, when she gave it an "A−", said she hadn't been a "huge fan of the cover" when she heard it before the show aired, but it grew on her in context. Futterman wrote, "The New Directions break into a restrained, tender take on "Pure Imagination" with lush harmonies on the chorus that's exactly right for the moment."
Chart history
Only three of the five cover versions 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...
: "Pure Imagination" debuted at number fifty-nine, "Back to Black" at number eighty-two, and "My Man" at number ninety-four. "Pure Imagination" was the only song to make the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 at number eighty-seven.
Of the five songs that were featured in the episode, three were 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...
: "Pure Imagination", "My Man", and "Try a Little Tenderness". The album was released on May 23, 2011, and debuted at number four on the US 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...
, selling 80,000 copies in its first week, which was the second-lowest opening sales figure for a Glee release next to the extended play
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
Glee: The Music, The Rocky Horror Glee Show
Glee: The Music, The Rocky Horror Glee Show
-Credits and personnel:Persons responsible for the project are as follows.*Adam Anders – arranger; engineer; producer; soundtrack producer; vocals*Alex Anders – engineer*Nikki Anders – vocals*Peer Åström – arranger; engineer; mixing; producer...
, and lower than the 86,000 sold by Glee: The Music Presents the Warblers
Glee: The Music Presents the Warblers
Glee: The Music Presents the Warblers is the seventh soundtrack album by the cast of Glee, a musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States. Released through Columbia Records on April 19, 2011, it contains thirteen covers: eleven accompanying performances from the...
in its first week the previous month. The album was also at number four on the Canadian Album charts.
External links
- "Funeral" at Fox.com