Journey (Glee)
Encyclopedia
"Journey to Regionals" is the 22nd episode and first season finale of the American television series Glee
. The episode was written and directed by series creator Brad Falchuk
, and premiered on the Fox
network on June 8, 2010. In "Journey to Regionals", New Directions performs at Regionals in front of celebrity judges Josh Groban
, Olivia Newton-John
, Rod Remington (Bill A. Jones) and Sue Sylvester
(Jane Lynch
). Club member Quinn
(Dianna Agron
) gives birth to her daughter, Beth, whom rival glee club coach Shelby Corcoran (Idina Menzel
) adopts. Co-captains Finn
(Cory Monteith
) and Rachel (Lea Michele
) reunite, and director Will Schuester
(Matthew Morrison
) professes his love for guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury
(Jayma Mays
). Although New Directions comes in last in the competition, Sue persuades Principal Figgins (Iqbal Theba
) not to disband the club for another year.
The episode features cover version
s of nine songs, seven of which are included on the EP
Glee: The Music, Journey to Regionals
, released on June 8, 2010. The album charted at number one in America, setting the record for the shortest span between first weeks at the top of the Billboard 200
with different releases, charting only three weeks after the soundtrack album
Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers
also reached number one. While "Journey to Regionals" is the first episode of Glee to have none of its musical performances released as singles
, all six EP tracks charted on the Billboard Hot 100
and the Canadian Hot 100
.
"Journey to Regionals" was watched by 10.92 million American viewers and attained the highest finale rating for a new show in the 2009–2010 television season
. The episode was the most-watched scripted show of the week of broadcast in the 18-49 demographic, and received generally positive reviews from critics. Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club
deemed it among the best of the entire season, and Time
James Ponieowzik felt that the episode was a return to Glee roots, justifying its renewal for a second season. In contrast, Brett Berk of Vanity Fair
felt that "Journey to Regionals" was a mediocre episode, while Jean Bentley of MTV
found it uneven, representative of the season as a whole.
(Jane Lynch
) announces that she will be one of the judges at Regionals, along with Josh Groban
, Olivia Newton-John
, and local news anchor Rod Remington (Bill A. Jones), the glee club
members worry that New Directions will soon be disbanded. Principal Figgins (Iqbal Theba
) stands by his requirement that glee club must place at Regionals to continue, despite club director Will Schuester
's (Matthew Morrison
) protestation that Sue is attempting to sabotage them. Will turns to guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury
(Jayma Mays
), who reveals that she has begun dating her dentist, Carl Howell.
Rachel (Lea Michele
) kisses Finn
(Cory Monteith
) when he encourages her to be more optimistic. At Regionals, Aural Intensity is first to perform, singing a mash-up
of "Magic
" by Olivia Newton-John and "You Raise Me Up
" by Josh Groban. Will gives New Directions a pep talk, and Finn professes his love for Rachel just before going on stage. The club pays tribute to Journey
, performing "Faithfully
", a mash-up of "Any Way You Want It
" and "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'
, and "Don't Stop Believin'
.
Quinn's
(Dianna Agron
) mother, Judy Fabray (Charlotte Ross
), comes to watch Quinn perform. She tells Quinn that she kicked her father out of the house after she found out he was having an affair and invites Quinn to come back home. Quinn announces that her water has broken, and is rushed to the hospital, where she gives birth to a girl. Later, while looking down at their daughter, Quinn asks Puck if he loved her. He replies "Yes, especially now" indicating that he loved her at the time of Beth's conception and still does. While the other New Directions members accompany Quinn to the hospital, Rachel stays at Regionals to watch Vocal Adrenaline's performance of "Bohemian Rhapsody
". She asks their coach, her birth mother Shelby Corcoran (Idina Menzel
), to help coach New Directions, but Shelby tells Rachel that she's tired of coaching glee clubs, and is stepping down as Vocal Adrenaline's coach to settle down and start a family. Shelby adopts Quinn's baby, whom she names Beth at Puck
's (Mark Salling) request.
During the pre-vote discussion, the other celebrity judges insult Sue for her lack of fame. Aural Intensity is named runner-up, and Vocal Adrenaline wins, with New Directions coming in last. Emma argues with Figgins about the club's future, but he remains intent on disbanding it, since it failed to place. Will has accepted their loss, and professes his love for Emma and kisses her. Sue overhears New Directions' performance of "To Sir, with Love
" in appreciation of all that Will has done to help them grow. It is revealed that Sue voted for New Directions to win, and has agreed to end her blackmail of Principal Figgins in exchange for giving New Directions at least one more year to prove themselves and win Regionals. She explains to Will that she may not like him, but she respects his work with the students. Will tells the club of its extension, and performs Israel Kamakawiwoʻole's version of "Over the Rainbow
" with Puck in celebration.
and Twitter
to attend the filming of Regionals at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, California
. In the episode, both Josh Groban and Olivia Newton-John reprise their roles from earlier in the season, appearing as themselves to judge the Ohio Regionals round of show choir
competition alongside Sue and Rod Remington. Series creator Ryan Murphy explained: "The theme of Regionals is celebrity judges. Sue is now a nationwide celebrity. And Olivia and Josh only like choirs that sing their songs, so that's funny. They wanted to do something that played against what people think about them... to play against type. So we gave them an opportunity. And it's funny to have Sue as a judge when she doesn’t really know about [music], and she has it out for that darn Glee club."
Other recurring characters who appear in the episode are glee club members Santana Lopez
(Naya Rivera
), Brittany (Heather Morris), Mike Chang
(Harry Shum, Jr.
) and Matt Rutherford (Dijon Talton), Principal Figgins, Vocal Adrenaline lead singer Jesse St. James (Jonathan Groff
), Vocal Adrenaline coach and Rachel's birth mother Shelby Corcoran, and Quinn's mother Judy Fabray. Emma's new love interest does not appear in the episode, but will become a major character from early in the show's second season, played by John Stamos
. Will and Emma's kiss in "Journey to Regionals" was unscripted. Falchuk chose not to inform Mays that it was planned to ensure authenticity in her reaction.
Glee: The Music, Journey to Regionals
, an EP
containing songs from the episode, was released on June 8, 2010. It features cover version
s of Journey's "Faithfully" and "Don't Stop Believin'", as well as a mash-up of "Any Way You Want It" and "Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin'". "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen
is also on the EP, as is "To Sir, with Love" by Lulu
and Judy Garland
's "Over the Rainbow" as reinvented by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole. The EP debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200
selling 158,000 copies, and at number two on the Canadian Albums Chart
, selling 14,000 copies. It entered the Irish Albums Chart
at number 14, climbing to number 1 in its second week of release, becoming the fourth Glee cast release to top the Irish charts. In America, Journey to Regionals was the cast's third number one album, charting only three weeks after Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers
, and beating its own record for shortest span between first weeks at the top position with different releases, previously held with Glee: The Music, The Power of Madonna
and Volume 3 Showstoppers.
"Journey to Regionals" is the first episode of Glee to have none of its musical performances released as singles
. Despite this, all six EP tracks charted on the Billboard Hot 100
and the Canadian Hot 100
, the highest-charting being "Faithfully" at number 36 in the US, and "Over the Rainbow" at number 31 in Canada. A mash-up of Newton-John's "Magic" and Groban's "You Raise Me Up" is also used in the episode, but does not feature on the EP. Groff was injured during the filming of "Bohemian Rhapsody", receiving a five inch scar during the staging of the performance. Glee costume designer Lou Eyrich took inspiration from 1960s
girl group
s for the outfits worn by the show choirs, selecting black and fuchsia sequined dresses for Vocal Adrenaline, and Betsey Johnson
's "Goldie" brocade
halter dress for New Directions.
to lead in the 18–49 demographic in its timeslot, attaining a 4.6 Nielsen rating. The series' 18–49 viewership was up 18 percent on the previous episode, giving Glee the highest finale rating for a new show in the 2009–2010 television season
. "Journey to Regionals" was the fourth most-watched show of the week in the 18-49 demographic, the highest scripted show, and the sixth most-watched program amongst all viewers. In the UK, the episode was broadcast on Monday 14 June, 2010, and was watched by 2.354 million viewers (1.952 million on E4, and 402,000 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.
The episode received generally positive reviews from critics. Darren Franich of Entertainment Weekly
called it "just about perfect", writing: "this was one of those high-energy episodes that narrowed its song focus [...] and found a just-right mix of cynicism and optimism, of banal reality and glam performance." Raymund Flandez of The Wall Street Journal
commented: "It's been a long premiere season of ups and downs, and this last show is a warm embrace that — let’s face it — you just don't want to let go." The Houston Chronicle
Bobby Hankinson deemed the episode "awesome", observing: "While it was light on the usual humor, it was heavy on emotion, and I think that's ideal for a season finale. Glee ended its freshman season with a real wallop that took a couple of unexpected turns before pulling nicely into a satisfying finish." Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club
graded the episode "A-", deeming it among the best of the entire season. He felt that: "On its own, 'Journey to Regionals' is a fantastic episode of Glee. As a capper to the season, it mostly works." While VanDerWerff had some issues with the episode, including Shelby's sudden decision to adopt Beth, he summarized that: "for once in this back nine, the good stuff absolutely overwhelms the stupid stuff." Jessica Derschowitz of CBS News
felt that: "Glee wrapped up on a high note, leaving some of the season's less-appealing plotlines behind and heading towards the promise of more performances and more amazing Sue Sylvester one-liners next season."
Time
James Ponieowzik wrote that with "Journey to Regionals", Glee "returned to its roots, balancing its weirdness, snark and bombast with intimate stories of small-town high school life. And it, too, by showing what it can be at its best, made its case for staying around another year." IGN
's Eric Goldman rated "Journey to Regionals" 8.5/10, signifying a "great" episode. He felt that while it did not match the standards of the mid–season finale episode "Sectionals
", it was "still a very satisfying wrap up to the first year of Glee." Gerrick D. Kennedy of the Los Angeles Times
noted that he "went into the finale peeved at how incredibly messy last week's episode was", but overall he deemed the finale a success. Vanity Fair
Brett Berk found "Journey to Regionals" a fulfilling, albeit "pretty mediocre" episode, describing it as having "a sense of narrative cohesion that went beyond the writers’ usual throwing-flatware-down-the-garburator modality". Jean Bentley of MTV
found the episode representative of the first season as a whole, explaining: "Much like the entire first year of the show, the uneven episode started out with a promising, action-packed plot, impressed with a couple of flashy musical numbers, then got too cheesy for its own good and petered out with an overly sentimental song." Fellow MTV writer Aly Semigran noted: "I was hoping for a little more excitement from the episode, though it all did feel very full circle for so many of our characters we've come to know and love. Here's to hoping Glee can get back its stellar momentum in season two."
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 was written and directed by series creator Brad Falchuk
Brad Falchuk
Brad Falchuk is a television writer, director and producer. He is best known for his work on the television series Nip/Tuck, Glee, and American Horror Story.-Early life:...
, and 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 June 8, 2010. In "Journey to Regionals", New Directions performs at Regionals in front of celebrity judges Josh Groban
Josh Groban
Joshua Winslow "Josh" Groban is an American singer-songwriter, musician, actor, and record producer. His four solo albums have been certified at least multi-platinum, and in 2007, he was charted as the number-one best selling artist in the United States with over 21 million records in that country...
, Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...
, Rod Remington (Bill A. Jones) and 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...
). Club member Quinn
Quinn Fabray
Quinn Fabray is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Dianna Agron, and has appeared in Glee since its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. She is a former cheerleader at the fictional William McKinley High School in...
(Dianna Agron
Dianna Agron
Dianna Agron is an American actress, best known for her portrayal of Quinn Fabray on the television series Glee.-Early life:Dianna Agron was born in Savannah, Georgia, and raised in San Antonio, Texas and San Francisco, California. She is the daughter of Mary and Ronald S. Agron, a general...
) gives birth to her daughter, Beth, whom rival glee club coach Shelby Corcoran (Idina Menzel
Idina Menzel
Idina Kim Menzel is an American actress, singer and songwriter. She is widely known for originating the roles of Maureen in Rent and Elphaba in Wicked.-Early life:...
) adopts. Co-captains Finn
Finn Hudson
Finn Hudson is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Cory Monteith, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Finn was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
(Cory Monteith
Cory Monteith
Cory Allan Monteith is a Canadian actor and musician, best known for his role of Finn Hudson on the Fox television series Glee.-Early life:...
) 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...
) reunite, and 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...
) professes his love for guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury
Emma Pillsbury
Emma Pillsbury is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. Portrayed by actress Jayma Mays, Emma has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Emma was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
(Jayma Mays
Jayma Mays
Jayma Suzette Mays is an American television and film actress, and singer. Mays' most prominent roles include that of Emma Pillsbury on the American television series Glee, recurring appearances on Ugly Betty and on Heroes as characters named Charlie.- Life and career :Mays was born Jamia Suzette...
). Although New Directions comes in last in the competition, Sue persuades 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....
) not to disband the club for another year.
The episode 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 nine songs, seven of which are included on the EP
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, Journey to Regionals
Glee: The Music, Journey to Regionals
Glee: The Music, Journey to Regionals is the second extended play by the cast of musical television series Glee. Containing six songs from the season one finale "Journey to Regionals", it was released on June 8, 2010, the same day the episode aired. Half of the tracks are cover versions of...
, released on June 8, 2010. The album charted at number one in America, setting the record for the shortest span between first weeks at the top of the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
with different releases, charting only three weeks after the 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...
Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers
Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers
-Sales and chart performance:The album debuted at number one on the American, Australian, Canadian, and Irish charts. It sold 136,000 copies in its first and 63,000 in its second week of release in the US, and saw the Glee cast beat the record previously set by The Beatles in 1966, for shortest...
also reached number one. While "Journey to Regionals" is the first episode of Glee to have none of its musical performances 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...
, all six EP tracks charted on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
.
"Journey to Regionals" was watched by 10.92 million American viewers and attained the highest finale rating for a new show in the 2009–2010 television season
2009–2010 United States network television schedule
The following is the 2009–2010 network television schedule for the five major English-language commercial broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 2009 through May 2010. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new...
. The episode was the most-watched scripted show of the week of broadcast in the 18-49 demographic, and received generally positive reviews from critics. 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...
deemed it among the best of the entire season, and Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
James Ponieowzik felt that the episode was a return to Glee roots, justifying its renewal for a second season. In contrast, Brett Berk of Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
felt that "Journey to Regionals" was a mediocre episode, while Jean Bentley 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....
found it uneven, representative of the season as a whole.
Plot
When cheerleading coach Sue SylvesterSue 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...
) announces that she will be one of the judges at Regionals, along with Josh Groban
Josh Groban
Joshua Winslow "Josh" Groban is an American singer-songwriter, musician, actor, and record producer. His four solo albums have been certified at least multi-platinum, and in 2007, he was charted as the number-one best selling artist in the United States with over 21 million records in that country...
, Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...
, and local news anchor Rod Remington (Bill A. Jones), the 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...
members worry that New Directions will soon be disbanded. 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....
) stands by his requirement that glee club must place at Regionals to continue, despite club 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...
's (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...
) protestation that Sue is attempting to sabotage them. Will turns to guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury
Emma Pillsbury
Emma Pillsbury is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. Portrayed by actress Jayma Mays, Emma has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Emma was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
(Jayma Mays
Jayma Mays
Jayma Suzette Mays is an American television and film actress, and singer. Mays' most prominent roles include that of Emma Pillsbury on the American television series Glee, recurring appearances on Ugly Betty and on Heroes as characters named Charlie.- Life and career :Mays was born Jamia Suzette...
), who reveals that she has begun dating her dentist, Carl Howell.
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...
) kisses Finn
Finn Hudson
Finn Hudson is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Cory Monteith, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Finn was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
(Cory Monteith
Cory Monteith
Cory Allan Monteith is a Canadian actor and musician, best known for his role of Finn Hudson on the Fox television series Glee.-Early life:...
) when he encourages her to be more optimistic. At Regionals, Aural Intensity is first to perform, singing 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...
of "Magic
Magic (Olivia Newton-John song)
"Magic" is a hit 1980 song performed by Olivia Newton-John, from the soundtrack to the film Xanadu. The song was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts for four weeks beginning on 2 August 1980...
" by Olivia Newton-John and "You Raise Me Up
You Raise Me Up
"You Raise Me Up" was the debut single from Westlife's fifth studio album, Face To Face.This version is considered by many to be the most popular , of all the various versions of the same song. The single peaked at #1 on the UK Singles Chart, making it the band's 13th Number One. It was the first...
" by Josh Groban. Will gives New Directions a pep talk, and Finn professes his love for Rachel just before going on stage. The club pays tribute to Journey
Journey (band)
Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco by former members of Santana. The band has gone through several phases; its strongest commercial success occurred between the 1978 and 1987, after which it temporarily disbanded...
, performing "Faithfully
Faithfully (song)
"Faithfully" is a popular song and power ballad by the band Journey, and the second single from their album Frontiers. It was written by Neal Schon, Steve Perry and Jonathan Cain. It peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving the band their second consecutive top twenty hit from Frontiers...
", a mash-up of "Any Way You Want It
Any Way You Want It
"Any Way You Want It" is a popular song performed by Journey released on the album Departure as the opening track, as a single in 1980 and was rerecorded with Arnel Pineda and Deen Castronovo for their 2008 album Revelation. The song was written by frontman Steve Perry and guitarist Neal Schon....
" and "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'
Evolution (Journey album)
Evolution is the name of Journey's fifth studio album. It was released in April 1979 on Columbia Records.The album was their highest charting album to date, selling three million copies in the US...
, and "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...
.
Quinn's
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...
) mother, Judy Fabray (Charlotte Ross
Charlotte Ross
Charlotte Ross is an American actress, who is perhaps most widely known as a cast member of NYPD Blue from 2001 to 2004.-Early Years:...
), comes to watch Quinn perform. She tells Quinn that she kicked her father out of the house after she found out he was having an affair and invites Quinn to come back home. Quinn announces that her water has broken, and is rushed to the hospital, where she gives birth to a girl. Later, while looking down at their daughter, Quinn asks Puck if he loved her. He replies "Yes, especially now" indicating that he loved her at the time of Beth's conception and still does. While the other New Directions members accompany Quinn to the hospital, Rachel stays at Regionals to watch Vocal Adrenaline's performance of "Bohemian Rhapsody
Bohemian Rhapsody
"Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock band Queen. It was written by Freddie Mercury for the band's 1975 album A Night at the Opera...
". She asks their coach, her birth mother Shelby Corcoran (Idina Menzel
Idina Menzel
Idina Kim Menzel is an American actress, singer and songwriter. She is widely known for originating the roles of Maureen in Rent and Elphaba in Wicked.-Early life:...
), to help coach New Directions, but Shelby tells Rachel that she's tired of coaching glee clubs, and is stepping down as Vocal Adrenaline's coach to settle down and start a family. Shelby adopts Quinn's baby, whom she names Beth at Puck
Puck (Glee)
Noah "Puck" Puckerman is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Mark Salling, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Puck was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian...
's (Mark Salling) request.
During the pre-vote discussion, the other celebrity judges insult Sue for her lack of fame. Aural Intensity is named runner-up, and Vocal Adrenaline wins, with New Directions coming in last. Emma argues with Figgins about the club's future, but he remains intent on disbanding it, since it failed to place. Will has accepted their loss, and professes his love for Emma and kisses her. Sue overhears New Directions' performance of "To Sir, with Love
To Sir, with Love (song)
"To Sir With Love" is the theme from the 1967 film To Sir, With Love. The song was written by Don Black and Mark London."To Sir With Love" was initially recorded by Lulu for the film of the same name...
" in appreciation of all that Will has done to help them grow. It is revealed that Sue voted for New Directions to win, and has agreed to end her blackmail of Principal Figgins in exchange for giving New Directions at least one more year to prove themselves and win Regionals. She explains to Will that she may not like him, but she respects his work with the students. Will tells the club of its extension, and performs Israel Kamakawiwoʻole's version of "Over the Rainbow
Over the Rainbow
"Over the Rainbow" is a classic Academy Award-winning ballad song with music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by E.Y. Harburg. It was written for the movie The Wizard of Oz, and was sung by Judy Garland in the movie...
" with Puck in celebration.
Production
"Journey to Regionals" was filmed in April 2010, with fans of Glee invited through FacebookFacebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
and Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
to attend the filming of Regionals at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
. In the episode, both Josh Groban and Olivia Newton-John reprise their roles from earlier in the season, appearing as themselves to judge the Ohio Regionals round of show choir
Show choir
A show choir is a group of people who combine choral singing with dance movements, sometimes within the context of a specific idea or story.-History:...
competition alongside Sue and Rod Remington. Series creator Ryan Murphy explained: "The theme of Regionals is celebrity judges. Sue is now a nationwide celebrity. And Olivia and Josh only like choirs that sing their songs, so that's funny. They wanted to do something that played against what people think about them... to play against type. So we gave them an opportunity. And it's funny to have Sue as a judge when she doesn’t really know about [music], and she has it out for that darn Glee club."
Other recurring characters who appear in the episode are glee club members 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:...
), Brittany (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), Principal Figgins, Vocal Adrenaline lead singer 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...
), Vocal Adrenaline coach and Rachel's birth mother Shelby Corcoran, and Quinn's mother Judy Fabray. Emma's new love interest does not appear in the episode, but will become a major character from early in the show's second season, played by John Stamos
John Stamos
John Phillip Stamos is an American actor, singer and musician best known for his work in television, especially in his starring role as Jesse Katsopolis on the ABC sitcom Full House. Since the cancellation of that show in 1995, Stamos has appeared in numerous television films and series. From 2006...
. Will and Emma's kiss in "Journey to Regionals" was unscripted. Falchuk chose not to inform Mays that it was planned to ensure authenticity in her reaction.
Glee: The Music, Journey to Regionals
Glee: The Music, Journey to Regionals
Glee: The Music, Journey to Regionals is the second extended play by the cast of musical television series Glee. Containing six songs from the season one finale "Journey to Regionals", it was released on June 8, 2010, the same day the episode aired. Half of the tracks are cover versions of...
, an EP
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...
containing songs from the episode, was released on June 8, 2010. It 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 Journey's "Faithfully" and "Don't Stop Believin'", as well as a mash-up of "Any Way You Want It" and "Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin'". "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
is also on the EP, as is "To Sir, with Love" by Lulu
Lulu (singer)
Lulu Kennedy-Cairns, OBE , best known by her stage name Lulu, is a Scottish singer, actress, and television personality who has been successful in the entertainment business from the 1960s through to the present day...
and Judy Garland
Judy Garland
Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
's "Over the Rainbow" as reinvented by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole. The EP debuted at number one 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 158,000 copies, and at number two on the Canadian Albums Chart
Canadian Albums Chart
The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS...
, selling 14,000 copies. It entered the Irish Albums Chart
Irish Albums Chart
The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically...
at number 14, climbing to number 1 in its second week of release, becoming the fourth Glee cast release to top the Irish charts. In America, Journey to Regionals was the cast's third number one album, charting only three weeks after Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers
Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers
-Sales and chart performance:The album debuted at number one on the American, Australian, Canadian, and Irish charts. It sold 136,000 copies in its first and 63,000 in its second week of release in the US, and saw the Glee cast beat the record previously set by The Beatles in 1966, for shortest...
, and beating its own record for shortest span between first weeks at the top position with different releases, previously held with Glee: The Music, The Power of Madonna
Glee: The Music, The Power of Madonna
Glee: The Music, The Power of Madonna is the first extended play by the cast of the musical television series Glee. It contains eight songs from the season one Glee episode, "The Power of Madonna", which was a tribute episode dedicated to American recording artist Madonna...
and Volume 3 Showstoppers.
"Journey to Regionals" is the first episode of Glee to have none of its musical performances 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...
. Despite this, all six EP tracks charted on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
, the highest-charting being "Faithfully" at number 36 in the US, and "Over the Rainbow" at number 31 in Canada. A mash-up of Newton-John's "Magic" and Groban's "You Raise Me Up" is also used in the episode, but does not feature on the EP. Groff was injured during the filming of "Bohemian Rhapsody", receiving a five inch scar during the staging of the performance. Glee costume designer Lou Eyrich took inspiration from 1960s
1960s in music
For music from a year in the 1960s, go to 60 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69This article includes an overview of the major events and trends in popular music in the 1960s....
girl group
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
s for the outfits worn by the show choirs, selecting black and fuchsia sequined dresses for Vocal Adrenaline, and Betsey Johnson
Betsey Johnson
Betsey Johnson is an American fashion designer best known for her feminine and whimsical designs. Many of her designs are considered "over the top" and embellished...
's "Goldie" brocade
Brocade
Brocade is a class of richly decorative shuttle-woven fabrics, often made in colored silks and with or without gold and silver threads. The name, related to the same root as the word "broccoli," comes from Italian broccato meaning "embossed cloth," originally past participle of the verb broccare...
halter dress for New Directions.
Reception
In its original broadcast, "Journey to Regionals" was watched by 10.92 million American viewers, and tied with the 2010 NBA Finals2010 NBA Finals
The 2010 NBA Finals was the National Basketball Association championship series for the 2009–10 season. The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Los Angeles Lakers, champions of the Western Conference and defending NBA champions, and the Boston Celtics, champions of the Eastern Conference...
to lead in the 18–49 demographic in its timeslot, attaining a 4.6 Nielsen rating. The series' 18–49 viewership was up 18 percent on the previous episode, giving Glee the highest finale rating for a new show in the 2009–2010 television season
2009–2010 United States network television schedule
The following is the 2009–2010 network television schedule for the five major English-language commercial broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 2009 through May 2010. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new...
. "Journey to Regionals" was the fourth most-watched show of the week in the 18-49 demographic, the highest scripted show, and the sixth most-watched program amongst all viewers. In the UK, the episode was broadcast on Monday 14 June, 2010, and was watched by 2.354 million viewers (1.952 million on E4, and 402,000 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.
The episode received generally positive reviews from critics. Darren Franich 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...
called it "just about perfect", writing: "this was one of those high-energy episodes that narrowed its song focus [...] and found a just-right mix of cynicism and optimism, of banal reality and glam performance." Raymund Flandez of The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
commented: "It's been a long premiere season of ups and downs, and this last show is a warm embrace that — let’s face it — you just don't want to let go." The Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
Bobby Hankinson deemed the episode "awesome", observing: "While it was light on the usual humor, it was heavy on emotion, and I think that's ideal for a season finale. Glee ended its freshman season with a real wallop that took a couple of unexpected turns before pulling nicely into a satisfying finish." 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...
graded the episode "A-", deeming it among the best of the entire season. He felt that: "On its own, 'Journey to Regionals' is a fantastic episode of Glee. As a capper to the season, it mostly works." While VanDerWerff had some issues with the episode, including Shelby's sudden decision to adopt Beth, he summarized that: "for once in this back nine, the good stuff absolutely overwhelms the stupid stuff." Jessica Derschowitz of CBS News
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
felt that: "Glee wrapped up on a high note, leaving some of the season's less-appealing plotlines behind and heading towards the promise of more performances and more amazing Sue Sylvester one-liners next season."
Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
James Ponieowzik wrote that with "Journey to Regionals", Glee "returned to its roots, balancing its weirdness, snark and bombast with intimate stories of small-town high school life. And it, too, by showing what it can be at its best, made its case for staying around another year." 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...
's Eric Goldman rated "Journey to Regionals" 8.5/10, signifying a "great" episode. He felt that while it did not match the standards of the mid–season finale episode "Sectionals
Sectionals
"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...
", it was "still a very satisfying wrap up to the first year of Glee." Gerrick D. Kennedy 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 he "went into the finale peeved at how incredibly messy last week's episode was", but overall he deemed the finale a success. 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 found "Journey to Regionals" a fulfilling, albeit "pretty mediocre" episode, describing it as having "a sense of narrative cohesion that went beyond the writers’ usual throwing-flatware-down-the-garburator modality". Jean Bentley 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....
found the episode representative of the first season as a whole, explaining: "Much like the entire first year of the show, the uneven episode started out with a promising, action-packed plot, impressed with a couple of flashy musical numbers, then got too cheesy for its own good and petered out with an overly sentimental song." Fellow MTV writer Aly Semigran noted: "I was hoping for a little more excitement from the episode, though it all did feel very full circle for so many of our characters we've come to know and love. Here's to hoping Glee can get back its stellar momentum in season two."
External links
- "Journey to Regionals" 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...