Mattress (Glee)
Encyclopedia
"Mattress", also known as "Once Upon a Mattress", is the twelfth episode of the American
television series Glee
. The episode premiered on the Fox
network on December 2, 2009. It was written by series creator Ryan Murphy and directed by Elodie Keene
. In "Mattress", the glee club
is omitted from the school yearbook. Club member Rachel Berry (Lea Michele
) has the team cast in a local mattress commercial in an attempt to raise their social status, but her actions inadvertently result in them becoming ineligible to compete at sectionals
. Club director Will Schuester
(Matthew Morrison
) discovers that his wife Terri
(Jessalyn Gilsig
) has been lying to him about being pregnant. Gilsig hoped that "Mattress" would be the episode in which "anti-Terri fans joined Team Terri".
The episode features cover version
s of four songs, studio recording
s of three of which were released as singles
, available for digital download
, and are also included on the album Glee: The Music, Volume 2
. "Mattress" was watched by 8.17 million US viewers, Glee series high at that point. It received mixed reviews from critics. The conclusion of the fake pregnancy storyline attracted praise, as did Gilsig and Morrison's acting, however Liz Pardue of Zap2it
expressed dismay that so few songs were performed, while Raymund Flandez of the Wall Street Journal deemed "Jump" "the only memorable song of the episode".
(Jane Lynch
) convinces Principal Figgins (Iqbal Theba
) not to include a photograph of the glee club
in the school yearbook
, as in previous years, glee club photographs have been heavily defaced in the library copy of the yearbook by fellow students. Club director Will Schuester personally buys a meager section of advertising space in the book so that a photograph featuring at least two members can be included. Fearing unpopularity, the club nominate Rachel to represent them in the photograph. Rachel convinces Finn
(Cory Monteith
) to appear alongside her, but after being teased by his peers, he drops out. When it transpires that the school photographer (John Ross Bowie
) is soon to direct a commercial for his brother-in-law, a local mattress store owner, Rachel convinces him to cast the glee club in it, believing that local celebrity status will prevent the other students from mocking them.
Will is dismayed to learn that his close friend Emma Pillsbury
(Jayma Mays
), the school guidance counsellor, has arranged to marry her fiancé, football coach Ken Tanaka (Patrick Gallagher
), on the same day the glee club will compete at sectionals
. Will goes on to discover that his wife Terri has been lying to him for months about her supposed pregnancy. She actually experienced a hysterical pregnancy and hid the truth from him by wearing a pregnancy pad under her clothes, while planning to secretly adopt glee club member Quinn Fabray
's (Dianna Agron
) baby. Will walks out on her and spends the night at the school, sleeping on one of the mattresses given to the glee club in payment for their commercial.
Sue informs Will that the club receiving payment for the commercial revokes their amateur status, and thus their eligibility to compete at sectionals. Quinn, who has been trying to convince Sue to let her appear in the cheerleaders' photographs despite being removed from the team due to her pregnancy, reminds Sue that as their coach she has often given the cheerleaders perks which would also render them ineligible for competition. She demands that Sue sacrifice one of the cheerleaders' six pages in the yearbook to the glee club. Sue agrees, and accepts Quinn back onto the cheerleading team, but Quinn tells her she no longer wishes to be a cheerleader. Will announces that he will not be accompanying the club to sectionals, as he was the one who accepted payment, and as such they will only be allowed to compete without his involvement. The episode ends with the glee club having a group photograph taken for the yearbook, which is subsequently defaced by their schoolmates.
. Recurring characters who appear in the episode are glee club members Brittany (Heather Morris), Santana Lopez
(Naya Rivera
), Mike Chang
(Harry Shum, Jr.
) and Matt Rutherford (Dijon Talton), Principal Figgins (Iqbal Theba
), football coach Ken Tanaka (Patrick Gallagher
), local news anchors Rod Remington (Bill A. Jones) and Andrea Carmichael (Earlene Davis), hockey player Dave Karofsky
(Max Adler) and football player Azimio
(James Earl). John Ross Bowie
guest-stars as school photographer Dennis, and Chuck Spitler plays his brother-in-law, mattress store owner Randy Cusperberg.
The episode features cover version
s of "Smile
" by Lily Allen
, "Jump
" by Van Halen
, "Smile" by Charlie Chaplin
, and "When You're Smiling
" by Louis Armstrong
. Studio recording
s of each of the songs except "When You're Smiling" were released as singles, available for digital download
, and are also included on the album Glee: The Music, Volume 2
. Jenna Ushkowitz deemed "Jump" one of her favorite songs on the album, explaining that it was fun to perform on mattresses and comparing it to "Proud Mary", performed in the episode "Wheels
", which utilized wheelchairs as props.
Jessalyn Gilsig
referred to the confrontation between Terri and Will in "Mattress" as "The Reckoning". She described it as sad to shoot, as she and Morrison were so invested in the storyline, and explained: "What I hope is conveyed is that you see the child inside Terri. You see the fear." Gilsig commented that viewers had been wondering why Will was taking so long to discover Terri was not actually pregnant, explaining: "I think people have been asking 'How slow is this guy?!'. But [in "Mattress"] Will finally reflects that he is a fully evolved human being and puts two and two together." She noted that while Will and Emma "are adorable together", she still believes in Terri and Will as a couple as: "I think that she really loves him. People do crazy things out of deep, deep insecurity. She's obviously flawed, but I think she has love in her heart." While fan reaction to her character had previously resulted in a backlash Gilsig found "tough", she hoped that "Mattress" would be the episode in which "anti-Terri fans joined Team Terri".
"Mattress" was watched by 8.17 million US viewers, Glee series high in the 2009–10 television season
at the time of its original broadcast. It achieved a 3.6/9 rating/share
in the 18-49 demographic, again the show's season high at the time, and a 4.3/12 rating/share with adults 18-34, both its series high and the highest rating in the demographic for the night of broadcast. In Canada, it was the ninth most watched show for the week of broadcast, attaining 1.8 million viewers. The episode received mixed reviews from critics. Entertainment Weekly
Dan Snierson wrote that "Mattress" "felt like a step forward after last week's
all-over-the-place hair toss," calling the "poignant" ending "one of Glee best". In contrast, Mike Hale of the New York Times wrote that with "Mattress", Glee appeared to be "taking a break" ahead of the midseason finale episode "Sectionals
". Liz Pardue of Zap2it
was relieved that "Mattress" brought the fake pregnancy storyline to an end. She noted, however, that she was still unsatisfied with the episode, as the conclusion to the storyline should have come sooner, and there were too few songs featured.
Bobby Hankinson of the Houston Chronicle
called the episode "pretty good" noting that he "wasn't crazy about any of the songs" but enjoyed the plot development, particularly the confrontation between Terri and Will. Raymund Flandez of the Wall Street Journal was happy to see the "convoluted" fake pregnancy storyline end, and called the performance of "Jump" "lively" and the stunts "incredible", though felt it was "the only memorable song of the episode". Gerrick Kennedy for the Los Angeles Times
noted that in previous reviews, he had "never been shy of [his] disdain for Mrs. Schuester", but that his hatred of Terri "vanished" once the lie was over, praising the confrontation between Will and Terri. Aly Semigran for MTV
praised both actors, especially "a devastated Matthew Morrison" for "nail[ing] just what a scary, sad, and life-altering moment that [was]." She deemed "Jump" both "delightful" and the "giddiest musical number on the show to date".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television series Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
. The episode premiered on the Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
network on December 2, 2009. It was written by series creator Ryan Murphy and directed by Elodie Keene
Elodie Keene
Elodie Keene is an American film/television director, producer and editor. As a television director her credits include ER, NYPD Blue, The Practice, Ally McBeal, Charmed, Felicity, The Wire, House, M.D., The Closer, Nip/Tuck and among other series.She has won three Primetime Emmy Awards, two for...
. In "Mattress", 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...
is omitted from the school yearbook. Club member 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...
) has the team cast in a local mattress commercial in an attempt to raise their social status, but her actions inadvertently result in them becoming ineligible to compete at 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...
. 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...
(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...
) discovers that his 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...
) has been lying to him about being pregnant. Gilsig hoped that "Mattress" would be the episode in which "anti-Terri fans joined Team Terri".
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 four songs, studio recording
Studio recording
The term studio recording means any recording made in a studio, as opposed to a live recording, which is usually made in a concert venue or a theatre, with an audience attending the performance.-Studio cast recordings:...
s of three of which were released as singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, available for digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
, and are also included on the album Glee: The Music, Volume 2
Glee: The Music, Volume 2
Glee: The Music, Volume 2 is the second soundtrack album by the cast of the American musical television series Glee, featuring songs from episodes nine to thirteen of the show's first season. It was first released on December 4, 2009 in Australia by Columbia Records...
. "Mattress" was watched by 8.17 million US viewers, Glee series high at that point. It received mixed reviews from critics. The conclusion of the fake pregnancy storyline attracted praise, as did Gilsig and Morrison's acting, however Liz Pardue of Zap2it
Zap2it
Zap2it is an American website and affiliate network that provides news, photos and video, local TV listings and movie showtimes. The site is produced by Tribune Media Services , part of the publishing division of the Chicago-based Tribune Company...
expressed dismay that so few songs were performed, while Raymund Flandez of the Wall Street Journal deemed "Jump" "the only memorable song of the episode".
Plot
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...
) convinces 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 include a photograph of 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...
in the school yearbook
Yearbook
A yearbook, also known as an annual, is a book to record, highlight, and commemorate the past year of a school or a book published annually. Virtually all American, Australian and Canadian high schools, most colleges and many elementary and middle schools publish yearbooks...
, as in previous years, glee club photographs have been heavily defaced in the library copy of the yearbook by fellow students. Club director Will Schuester personally buys a meager section of advertising space in the book so that a photograph featuring at least two members can be included. Fearing unpopularity, the club nominate Rachel to represent them in the photograph. Rachel convinces 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:...
) to appear alongside her, but after being teased by his peers, he drops out. When it transpires that the school photographer (John Ross Bowie
John Ross Bowie
John Ross Bowie is an American actor and comedian best known for playing Barry Kripke in The Big Bang Theory, and modeling as the benefits spokesperson for Target Corporation "Ben E. Fitz". He has also appeared in commercials for Progressive and appeared in the film What The Bleep Do We Know?...
) is soon to direct a commercial for his brother-in-law, a local mattress store owner, Rachel convinces him to cast the glee club in it, believing that local celebrity status will prevent the other students from mocking them.
Will is dismayed to learn that his close friend 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...
), the school guidance counsellor, has arranged to marry her fiancé, football coach Ken Tanaka (Patrick Gallagher
Patrick Gallagher (actor)
-Career:Gallagher is best known for his television roles as Det. Joe Finn in Da Vinci's Inquest, the alcohol salesman in Entourage, Leon in The Line, Farhod the Fierce in Pair of Kings, and Ken Tanaka in Glee, and his film roles as Awkward Davies in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World...
), on the same day the glee club will compete at 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...
. Will goes on to discover that his wife Terri has been lying to him for months about her supposed pregnancy. She actually experienced a hysterical pregnancy and hid the truth from him by wearing a pregnancy pad under her clothes, while planning to secretly adopt glee club member Quinn Fabray
Quinn Fabray
Quinn Fabray is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Dianna Agron, and has appeared in Glee since its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. She is a former cheerleader at the fictional William McKinley High School in...
's (Dianna Agron
Dianna Agron
Dianna Agron is an American actress, best known for her portrayal of Quinn Fabray on the television series Glee.-Early life:Dianna Agron was born in Savannah, Georgia, and raised in San Antonio, Texas and San Francisco, California. She is the daughter of Mary and Ronald S. Agron, a general...
) baby. Will walks out on her and spends the night at the school, sleeping on one of the mattresses given to the glee club in payment for their commercial.
Sue informs Will that the club receiving payment for the commercial revokes their amateur status, and thus their eligibility to compete at sectionals. Quinn, who has been trying to convince Sue to let her appear in the cheerleaders' photographs despite being removed from the team due to her pregnancy, reminds Sue that as their coach she has often given the cheerleaders perks which would also render them ineligible for competition. She demands that Sue sacrifice one of the cheerleaders' six pages in the yearbook to the glee club. Sue agrees, and accepts Quinn back onto the cheerleading team, but Quinn tells her she no longer wishes to be a cheerleader. Will announces that he will not be accompanying the club to sectionals, as he was the one who accepted payment, and as such they will only be allowed to compete without his involvement. The episode ends with the glee club having a group photograph taken for the yearbook, which is subsequently defaced by their schoolmates.
Production
"Mattress" was written by series creator Ryan Murphy and directed by Elodie KeeneElodie Keene
Elodie Keene is an American film/television director, producer and editor. As a television director her credits include ER, NYPD Blue, The Practice, Ally McBeal, Charmed, Felicity, The Wire, House, M.D., The Closer, Nip/Tuck and among other series.She has won three Primetime Emmy Awards, two for...
. Recurring characters who appear in the episode are glee club members Brittany (Heather Morris), 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:...
), 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 (Iqbal Theba
Iqbal Theba
Iqbal Theba is a Pakistani-American actor. Theba currently has a recurring role as Principal Figgins in the show Glee.-Life and career:Theba became a familiar face in the 1990s when he appeared in various TV shows and commercials in the United States....
), football coach Ken Tanaka (Patrick Gallagher
Patrick Gallagher (actor)
-Career:Gallagher is best known for his television roles as Det. Joe Finn in Da Vinci's Inquest, the alcohol salesman in Entourage, Leon in The Line, Farhod the Fierce in Pair of Kings, and Ken Tanaka in Glee, and his film roles as Awkward Davies in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World...
), local news anchors Rod Remington (Bill A. Jones) and Andrea Carmichael (Earlene Davis), hockey player Dave Karofsky
Dave Karofsky
David "Dave" Karofsky, often referred to as Karofsky, is a recurring fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Max Adler, and has appeared in Glee since its first season episode "Mash-Up", first broadcast on October 21, 2009...
(Max Adler) and football player Azimio
Azimio
Azimio is an administrative ward in the Temeke district of the Dar es Salaam Region of Tanzania. According to the 2002 census, the ward has a total population of 61,182....
(James Earl). John Ross Bowie
John Ross Bowie
John Ross Bowie is an American actor and comedian best known for playing Barry Kripke in The Big Bang Theory, and modeling as the benefits spokesperson for Target Corporation "Ben E. Fitz". He has also appeared in commercials for Progressive and appeared in the film What The Bleep Do We Know?...
guest-stars as school photographer Dennis, and Chuck Spitler plays his brother-in-law, mattress store owner Randy Cusperberg.
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 "Smile
Smile (Lily Allen song)
"Smile" is a song by British recording artist Lily Allen from her debut studio album, Alright, Still. It was written by Allen, Iyiola Babalola and Darren Lewis in 2004, while sampling The Soul Brothers' "Free Soul". The song was released as the lead mainstream single of the album in March 2006...
" by Lily Allen
Lily Allen
Lily Rose Beatrice Cooper , better known as Lily Allen, is an English recording artist and fashion designer. She is the daughter of actor and musician Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. In her teenage years, her musical tastes evolved from glam rock to alternative...
, "Jump
Jump (Van Halen song)
"Jump" is a song by the American rock group Van Halen. It is the only single the group released in their career to reach number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It was released in 1984 as the second track on the album 1984...
" by Van Halen
Van Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
, "Smile" by Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
, and "When You're Smiling
When You're Smiling
"When You're Smiling" is a song by Larry Shay, Mark Fisher, and Joe Goodwin , and made famous by Louis Armstrong, who recorded it at least three times, in 1929, 1932, and 1956...
" by Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
. Studio recording
Studio recording
The term studio recording means any recording made in a studio, as opposed to a live recording, which is usually made in a concert venue or a theatre, with an audience attending the performance.-Studio cast recordings:...
s of each of the songs except "When You're Smiling" were released as singles, available for digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
, and are also included on the album Glee: The Music, Volume 2
Glee: The Music, Volume 2
Glee: The Music, Volume 2 is the second soundtrack album by the cast of the American musical television series Glee, featuring songs from episodes nine to thirteen of the show's first season. It was first released on December 4, 2009 in Australia by Columbia Records...
. Jenna Ushkowitz deemed "Jump" one of her favorite songs on the album, explaining that it was fun to perform on mattresses and comparing it to "Proud Mary", performed in the episode "Wheels
Wheels (Glee)
"Wheels" is the ninth episode of the American television series Glee. Written by series creator Ryan Murphy and directed by Paris Barclay, the episode premiered on the Fox network on November 11, 2009...
", which utilized wheelchairs as props.
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...
referred to the confrontation between Terri and Will in "Mattress" as "The Reckoning". She described it as sad to shoot, as she and Morrison were so invested in the storyline, and explained: "What I hope is conveyed is that you see the child inside Terri. You see the fear." Gilsig commented that viewers had been wondering why Will was taking so long to discover Terri was not actually pregnant, explaining: "I think people have been asking 'How slow is this guy?!'. But [in "Mattress"] Will finally reflects that he is a fully evolved human being and puts two and two together." She noted that while Will and Emma "are adorable together", she still believes in Terri and Will as a couple as: "I think that she really loves him. People do crazy things out of deep, deep insecurity. She's obviously flawed, but I think she has love in her heart." While fan reaction to her character had previously resulted in a backlash Gilsig found "tough", she hoped that "Mattress" would be the episode in which "anti-Terri fans joined Team Terri".
Reception
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...
at the time of its original broadcast. It achieved a 3.6/9 rating/share
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
in the 18-49 demographic, again the show's season high at the time, and a 4.3/12 rating/share with adults 18-34, both its series high and the highest rating in the demographic for the night of broadcast. In Canada, it was the ninth most watched show for the week of broadcast, attaining 1.8 million viewers. The episode received mixed reviews from critics. 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...
Dan Snierson wrote that "Mattress" "felt like a step forward after last week's
Hairography
"Hairography" is the eleventh episode of the American television series Glee. The episode premiered on the Fox network on November 25, 2009. It was written by series creator Ian Brennan and directed by Bill D'Elia. The episode introduces New Directions' rival glee clubs, the Jane Addams Girls Choir...
all-over-the-place hair toss," calling the "poignant" ending "one of Glee best". In contrast, Mike Hale of the New York Times wrote that with "Mattress", Glee appeared to be "taking a break" ahead of the midseason 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...
". Liz Pardue of Zap2it
Zap2it
Zap2it is an American website and affiliate network that provides news, photos and video, local TV listings and movie showtimes. The site is produced by Tribune Media Services , part of the publishing division of the Chicago-based Tribune Company...
was relieved that "Mattress" brought the fake pregnancy storyline to an end. She noted, however, that she was still unsatisfied with the episode, as the conclusion to the storyline should have come sooner, and there were too few songs featured.
Bobby Hankinson of the Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
called the episode "pretty good" noting that he "wasn't crazy about any of the songs" but enjoyed the plot development, particularly the confrontation between Terri and Will. Raymund Flandez of the Wall Street Journal was happy to see the "convoluted" fake pregnancy storyline end, and called the performance of "Jump" "lively" and the stunts "incredible", though felt it was "the only memorable song of the episode". Gerrick Kennedy for 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 in previous reviews, he had "never been shy of [his] disdain for Mrs. Schuester", but that his hatred of Terri "vanished" once the lie was over, praising the confrontation between Will and Terri. Aly Semigran for 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....
praised both actors, especially "a devastated Matthew Morrison" for "nail[ing] just what a scary, sad, and life-altering moment that [was]." She deemed "Jump" both "delightful" and the "giddiest musical number on the show to date".
External links
- "Mattress" 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...