Never Been Kissed (Glee)
Encyclopedia
"Never Been Kissed" is the sixth episode of the second season
of the American television series Glee
, and the 28th episode overall. It was written by Brad Falchuk
, directed by Bradley Buecker and premiered on Fox
on November 9, 2010. In "Never Been Kissed", the glee club members are assigned a boys against girls singing competition. The bullying of club member Kurt Hummel
(Chris Colfer
) intensifies, but he meets a new ally in Blaine Anderson
(Darren Criss
), the lead singer of a rival glee club. Puck
(Mark Salling) is released from juvenile detention and forms a friendship with Artie Abrams
(Kevin McHale), and football coach Shannon Beiste (Dot-Marie Jones) is hurt when she learns that several of the students are visualizing her to quell their amorous moods.
The episode began a story arc about bullying which spanned the remainder of the season. It coincided with a spate of suicides among bullied youths, which reportedly gave the cast and crew additional inspiration to do their best work. Six songs were covered—four in the form of two mash-ups
—and all were released as singles which charted on the Billboard Hot 100
. Critics were less enthused by the mash-ups than the other performances; Criss's cover of "Teenage Dream
" was particularly well-received, and became the first Glee single to top the Billboard Digital Songs chart.
10.99 million US viewers watched "Never Been Kissed". It was one of six episodes that were submitted to the judges for Glee nomination in the Outstanding Comedy Series
category at the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards
. Jones received an Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series nomination for her work on the show, and submitted this episode for judging. Reviewers approved of her performance but were very critical of her storyline and polarized by the plotting of the bullying story, though they generally approved of the episode's Puck and Artie sub-plot.
(Matthew Morrison
) announces the second New Directions boys against girls singing competition.The first such competition is seen in the season one episode "Vitamin D
". He later sees shaken gay club member Kurt Hummel in the hallway—he had been slammed against a locker by school bully Dave Karofsky
(Max Adler)—and takes Kurt to his office to recover. Kurt criticizes both the school's failure to act against homophobic bullying and the lack of challenge in the club's competition; Will decides to modify the assignment to have the teams perform songs by groups of the opposite gender. Kurt is happier with the new spin, but the other boys are unreceptive to his ideas for their team. Puck is especially dismissive, and suggests that he go spy on the Dalton Academy Warblers, one of their competitors at the forthcoming Sectionals round of show choir competition. The girls' team decides on and sings a mash-up of "Start Me Up
/ Livin' on a Prayer
".
Kurt visits Dalton Academy and watches the Warblers perform "Teenage Dream". He is befriended by lead singer Blaine, who is also gay and encourages Kurt to stand up for himself. The next time he is attacked by Karofsky, Kurt confronts him in the boys' locker room, and as the argument intensifies he is kissed by Karofsky, which leaves Kurt stunned. After Kurt tells Blaine of this, he and Kurt later try to talk to Karofsky about the difficulties and confusion his homosexual feelings must be causing him, but he denies that anything happened and soon returns to bullying Kurt.
Puck has been granted early release from juvenile detention on the condition that he performs community service
. He picks Artie Abrams, a paraplegic
, to fulfill that service, and the two busk
in the school courtyard. They sing a duet of "One Love/People Get Ready" while Puck surreptitiously intimidates their schoolmates into giving donations. He then helps Artie get back together with Brittany Pierce
(Heather Morris), by setting up a double date with them and Santana Lopez
(Naya Rivera
). Puck's caseworker Joan Martin (Michael Hyatt
) had believed he was working to rehabilitate gang members, and tells him he will have to return to the detention center unless he finds an alternative type of service. Puck admits to Artie that despite his bravado, he was miserable when locked up and does not want to return; Artie convinces him to complete the required real community service and offers to tutor him in school.
Some members of New Directions, who need to cool their arousal while making out, discover that picturing football coach Shannon Beiste is very effective. When she finds out about their technique, Beiste is deeply hurt and submits her resignation. Will attempts to convince her to stay, and gives her a friendly kiss when she admits she has never been kissed. He then invites Beiste to watch the boys' competition performance; they apologize, dedicate their mash-up of "Stop! In the Name of Love
/ Free Your Mind" to her, and win her forgiveness.
, directed by Bradley Buecker, and premiered on November 9, 2010. It launched a story arc about bullying, which Glee co-creator Ryan Murphy had been building to for a season and a half. He explained that he wanted Kurt to reach a point where he would not accept the abusive treatment he received any more, and planned to follow the developments through the rest of the year, as all of the other characters were affected. The revelation that Karofsky's antagonism stemmed from his own homosexual feelings was based on a personal acquaintance of Murphy's. After the episode had been written, a spate of suicides occurred around the nation among teenage victims of bullying, which Murphy said added extra significance to "Never Been Kissed" and "ignite[d] the cast and the crew to do their best and push themselves with the story."
The episode introduced Criss as Blaine, a gay member of a rival glee club, the Dalton Academy Warblers. In September 2010, a casting call was released for an actor to portray a "cute, charismatic, gay high school junior" who would lead a competing glee club. Criss had auditioned for Glee several times before, once for the role of Finn Hudson
. The character breakdown for Blaine was the first he believed he had a chance of securing, and indeed his audition was successful. Blaine was introduced primarily as a mentor to Kurt. Criss explained, "At this point, Kurt's [sexuality] has been such a sense of discord in his life. Blaine finds [being gay] empowering. He embraces who he is, and sees Kurt [struggling with] the same things that he had to deal with, and I think he wants to impart that knowledge." Murphy described Blaine as a character with "great self-loathing" and regret for having run away from his own tormentors; he intended this to form part of his story arc for the season, as Blaine tries to set right some past mistakes. Neither he nor Criss knew whether Blaine would eventually become Kurt's boyfriend—a role originally intended for new club member Sam Evans
(Chord Overstreet
) until the producers decided to change Sam to heterosexual and paired him with Quinn—but based on the characters' chemistry and the "immediate outcry" from fans who wanted to see them as a couple, Murphy later decided to pair them romantically.
Other recurring characters who appeared were glee club members Sam and Mike Chang
(Harry Shum, Jr.
), Principal Figgins (Iqbal Theba
), jock bully Dave Karofsky, cheerleader Becky Jackson (Lauren Potter
), students Jacob Ben Israel (Josh Sussman
) and Lauren Zizes
(Ashley Fink
), and Coach Shannon Beiste. Although Beiste's physical appearance was used as comedy in the episode, Jones was not offended; she called it hysterical, said "it serves a purpose for the message" and hoped "maybe it will make people think outside of the show." Murphy intended her storyline to highlight the fact that bullying can be damaging without necessarily being overt. He stated: "Th[e] episode is completely about accountability. If you can change any young impressionable minds and make them aware of the consequences of their actions and all different forms of cruelty, I think that’s a great, great gift." Telly Leung and Titus Makin, Jr. guest starred as Wes and David respectively, two additional members of the Dalton Academy Warblers. Hyatt guest starred as Joan Martin, Puck's probation officer.
The episode featured cover version
s of "Teenage Dream" by Katy Perry
, "One Love/People Get Ready" by Bob Marley & the Wailers
, and mash-ups of The Rolling Stones
' "Start Me Up" with Bon Jovi
's "Livin' on a Prayer", and The Supremes
' "Stop! In the Name of Love" with En Vogue
's "Free Your Mind". All of the songs performed were released as singles, available for download
, and "Teenage Dream" and "One Love/People Get Ready" are featured on the soundtrack album
Glee: The Music, Volume 4
. "Teenage Dream" was later also included as the opening track on the seventh soundtrack album, Glee: The Music Presents the Warblers
. The background vocals of "Teenage Dream" were provided by collegiate a cappella
group the Beelzebubs
from Tufts University
.
to many regular viewers being away on Schoolies week
. In Canada, 1.97 million viewers watched the episode, placing twelfth for the week. In the UK, the episode was watched by 2.64 million viewers (2.20 million on E4, and 438,000 on E4+1), which made it the most-watched show on cable for the week.
". Jones received an Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series nomination for her work on Glee second season, and submitted her performance in the episode for final judging.
's Lisa Respers France thought it was Glee best episode thus far and IGN
's Robert Canning rated it 9 out of 10, which signifies an outstanding episode, Linda Holmes of National Public Radio dismissed it as "one of the most facile and emotionally inauthentic episodes the show has ever produced", and Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club
deemed it a failure on "almost every level." The Huffington Post
Leah Anthony Libresco found it an "extraordinarily counterproductive" response to the string of teenage gay suicides in early 2010. Bobby Hankinson of the Houston Chronicle
and James Poniewozik
of Time
approved of the storyline in principle—the former opined that Glee willingness to raise mainstream awareness of such issues was "incredibly courageous", and the latter appreciated that it would span a multi-episode arc—but both were critical of its depiction in practice.
Many elements of the plot were highlighted as being problematic. Holmes felt that Karofsky's swift transition from bullying to kissing Kurt was absurd and "emotionally unsound". Libresco disapproved of Will for treating Kurt's upset as the key problem, rather than the unchecked bullying which provoked it. She found Blaine's advice to Kurt "misleading and dangerous", especially the suggestion that targeted children should be held responsible for confronting their attackers and putting themselves at risk of further injury, rather than for protecting themselves. VanDerWerff and Poniewozik were critical of Dalton Academy: the former found its tolerance unrealistic and the latter was disappointed that Glee declined to depict a flawed high school tackling bullying in favor of creating "an almost otherworldly paradise". Poniewozik also noted that the storyline was inherently flawed, as the show had previously treated bullying in a light-hearted manner, but opined that its saving grace was the focus it placed on Colfer, "probably the strongest actor with the most interesting character among the Glee kids".
Further praise for Colfer's performance came from Stack and Canning, who approved of the episode for its depiction of there being no simple solution to the bullying. Amy Reiter of the Los Angeles Times
commented that it was testament to the writers and cast that Karofsky's kiss startled the audience as much as it did Kurt, and commended the transitioning of Karofsky from a faceless jock into "a nuanced character with a back story and hidden motives of his own." MTV
's Aly Semigran wrote that, should the episode inspire a single teenager to have courage in the face of discrimination, or re-consider bullying, it would be an impressive accomplishment.
The Beiste storyline was met with criticism. Reiter questioned why Beiste was made to look to high school students to "gauge her own desirability", an element she found "hazy and creepy". Poniewozik criticized the depiction of Beiste as an object of pity, and felt that Will's behavior was worse than the students' when he acted with "amazing condescension" and kissed her. Both Poniewozik and Semigran disliked the way viewers were made complicit in Beiste's humiliation by being invited to laugh at her expense, and Holmes criticized Glee for denying Beiste dignity, with the observation that such a plot would never have been given to Kurt. VanDerWerff commented negatively on the way Glee plays up Beiste's "masculine nature" while simultaneously lecturing viewers against mocking her. He called the kiss "somehow both heartfelt and completely horrifying". Canning praised Jones in her "best performance this season", as well as Beiste's "raw and real" confession to Will.
The Puck sub-plot received generally positive reviews. Poniewozik called it the "best and most authentic of the night", with praise for Salling's performance, and Canning felt that it served well as a comical break from the episode's other storylines. Brett Berk of Vanity Fair
enjoyed the additional depth given to Puck, and he, Stack and New York
Rebecca Milzoff commented positively on Puck's budding friendship with Artie. VanDerWerff deemed it the episode's "least objectionable" storyline, though wrote that the awkward inclusion of their duet, the abruptness of Artie's feelings for Brittany, and the "forced nature" of the scene in which Puck confesses that he does not want to return to juvenile detention all "conspired to keep the storyline from lifting off."
said they served "no real purpose".
BuddyTV
's Jen Harper enjoyed the harmonies and simple arrangement of "One Love/People Get Ready", and Anthony Benigno of the Daily News gave it an "A", with praise for the vocals. Entertainment Weekly
Tim Stack of graded it "B-". He called it a "nice performance", but incongruous in context, a concern shared by Erica Futterman of Rolling Stone
, who preferred Salling's rendition of "Only the Good Die Young
" in the episode "Grilled Cheesus
".
Perry expressed approval of the cover of her song, "Teenage Dream", through the social networking website Twitter
. Harper found the choreography uncomfortable viewing, and Hanh Nguyen of Zap2it
agreed that the performers appeared to be "rockin' out a bit too much to it", but felt that the song worked "remarkably well" overall. Futterman deemed it the best song of the episode, and appreciated that it was more understated than numbers performed by rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline during the show's first season. Stack went further and called the performance one of his favorites on Glee; he enjoyed the choreography and arrangement and graded it "A+". Benigno again gave the song an "A"; he called it "flawless" and an improvement on Perry's original.
The girls' Bon Jovi–Rolling Stones mash-up was received favorably by Stack and Milzoff—the former graded it "A", the latter called it "brash and fun", and both writers appreciated the black leather costumes. While Harper also liked the costumes and the energetic performance, she felt it "paled in comparison" to the last mash-up the girls performed, in the season one episode "Vitamin D
". Futterman commented that the costumes and choreography overwhelmed the vocals, to the point of being "a little too Miley
and not enough Glee". Benigno called the song a "cacophony" and gave it his lowest performance grade of the episode, a "D". He suggested that Glee had been responsible for "reviving the mashup fad", but hoped the girls' performance would serve to end it again. The boys' Supremes–En Vogue mash-up was graded "A" by Stack, who liked the combination of artists. Harper preferred the girls' costumes but felt the boys gave the better performance, while Futterman found it overly-sentimental in context, but also preferred it to the girls' song. Benigno gave it a "C", and commented, "Not quite the debacle the previous mash-up was, but given how fantastic this episode was, the sendoff should've been better."
, and appeared on other musical charts. On the Hot 100, the show's rendition of "Teenage Dream" debuted at number eight, and sold 214,000 copies in its first week, the best first week sales number for any Glee Cast single. It was the first Glee single to top Billboard Digital Songs chart, and debuted at number ten on the Canadian Hot 100. "Teenage Dream" was also the first single since the pilot's "Don't Stop Believin to be certified gold in the US. The other three songs on the Hot 100 were "Start Me Up / Livin' on a Prayer" at number thirty-one, which also made number twenty-two on the Canadian Hot 100; "Stop! In the Name of Love / Free Your Mind" at number thirty-eight, which also made number twenty-eight on the Canadian Hot 100; and "One Love/People Get Ready" at number forty-one, which also made number thirty-two on the Canadian Hot 100.
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 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 28th episode overall. It was written by 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:...
, directed by Bradley Buecker and premiered 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...
on November 9, 2010. In "Never Been Kissed", the glee club members are assigned a boys against girls singing competition. The bullying of club member 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...
) intensifies, but he meets a new ally in Blaine Anderson
Blaine Anderson
Blaine Anderson is a fictional character from the American musical comedy-drama television series Glee. Played by Darren Criss, Blaine was introduced in the sixth episode of the second season as the openly gay lead singer of the Dalton Academy Warblers, a rival show choir to New Directions, the...
(Darren Criss
Darren Criss
Darren Everett Criss is an American actor, singer-songwriter, musician, composer, and a founding member and co-owner of the theater company StarKid Productions. He currently portrays Blaine Anderson, an openly gay high school student, on the FOX television series Glee...
), the lead singer of a rival glee club. 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...
(Mark Salling) is released from juvenile detention and forms a friendship with Artie Abrams
Artie Abrams
Artie Abrams is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Kevin McHale, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Artie was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
(Kevin McHale), and football coach Shannon Beiste (Dot-Marie Jones) is hurt when she learns that several of the students are visualizing her to quell their amorous moods.
The episode began a story arc about bullying which spanned the remainder of the season. It coincided with a spate of suicides among bullied youths, which reportedly gave the cast and crew additional inspiration to do their best work. Six songs were covered—four in the form of two mash-ups
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...
—and all were released as singles which 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...
. Critics were less enthused by the mash-ups than the other performances; Criss's cover of "Teenage Dream
Teenage Dream (Katy Perry song)
"Teenage Dream" is a song by American recording artist Katy Perry. It was released as the second single from her third studio album of the same name on July 23, 2010 through digital distribution. Perry and Bonnie McKee wrote many songs with a youthful theme in mind, but they were rejected by...
" was particularly well-received, and became the first Glee single to top the Billboard Digital Songs chart.
10.99 million US viewers watched "Never Been Kissed". It was one of six episodes that were submitted to the judges for Glee nomination in the Outstanding Comedy Series
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series
The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series is an Emmy given to the best television comedy series of the year.-Winners and nominees:...
category 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...
. Jones received an Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series nomination for her work on the show, and submitted this episode for judging. Reviewers approved of her performance but were very critical of her storyline and polarized by the plotting of the bullying story, though they generally approved of the episode's Puck and Artie sub-plot.
Plot
Glee club director 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...
) announces the second New Directions boys against girls singing competition.The first such competition is seen in the season one episode "Vitamin D
Vitamin D (Glee)
"Vitamin D" is the sixth episode of the American television series Glee. The episode premiered on the Fox network on October 7, 2009. It was written by series creator Ryan Murphy and directed by Elodie Keene. In the episode, glee club director Will Schuester pits the male and female club members...
". He later sees shaken gay club member Kurt Hummel in the hallway—he had been slammed against a locker by school bully 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 takes Kurt to his office to recover. Kurt criticizes both the school's failure to act against homophobic bullying and the lack of challenge in the club's competition; Will decides to modify the assignment to have the teams perform songs by groups of the opposite gender. Kurt is happier with the new spin, but the other boys are unreceptive to his ideas for their team. Puck is especially dismissive, and suggests that he go spy on the Dalton Academy Warblers, one of their competitors at the forthcoming Sectionals round of show choir competition. The girls' team decides on and sings a mash-up of "Start Me Up
Start Me Up
"Start Me Up" is a song by The Rolling Stones featured on the 1981 album Tattoo You. Released as the album's lead single, it reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #7 on the UK Singles Chart.-Writing and recording:...
/ Livin' on a Prayer
Livin' on a Prayer
"Livin' on a Prayer" is Bon Jovi's second single from their Slippery When Wet album. Written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora with Desmond Child, the single, released in late 1986, was well-received at both rock and pop radio and its music video was given heavy rotation at MTV, giving the band...
".
Kurt visits Dalton Academy and watches the Warblers perform "Teenage Dream". He is befriended by lead singer Blaine, who is also gay and encourages Kurt to stand up for himself. The next time he is attacked by Karofsky, Kurt confronts him in the boys' locker room, and as the argument intensifies he is kissed by Karofsky, which leaves Kurt stunned. After Kurt tells Blaine of this, he and Kurt later try to talk to Karofsky about the difficulties and confusion his homosexual feelings must be causing him, but he denies that anything happened and soon returns to bullying Kurt.
Puck has been granted early release from juvenile detention on the condition that he performs community service
Community service
Community service is donated service or activity that is performed by someone or a group of people for the benefit of the public or its institutions....
. He picks Artie Abrams, a paraplegic
Paraplegia
Paraplegia is an impairment in motor or sensory function of the lower extremities. The word comes from Ionic Greek: παραπληγίη "half-striking". It is usually the result of spinal cord injury or a congenital condition such as spina bifida that affects the neural elements of the spinal canal...
, to fulfill that service, and the two busk
Busking
Street performance or busking is the practice of performing in public places, for gratuities, which are generally in the form of money and edibles...
in the school courtyard. They sing a duet of "One Love/People Get Ready" while Puck surreptitiously intimidates their schoolmates into giving donations. He then helps Artie get back together with Brittany Pierce
Brittany Pierce
Brittany Susan Pierce is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Heather Morris, and has appeared in Glee from its second episode, "Showmance", first broadcast on September 9, 2009. Brittany was developed by Glee creators Ryan...
(Heather Morris), by setting up a double date with them and 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:...
). Puck's caseworker Joan Martin (Michael Hyatt
Michael Hyatt
Michael Hyatt is a British-born film and television actress. Before Hyatt's work in film and television, she enjoyed memorable performances on stages throughout the country, particularly in Ragtime on Broadway.-Early life:...
) had believed he was working to rehabilitate gang members, and tells him he will have to return to the detention center unless he finds an alternative type of service. Puck admits to Artie that despite his bravado, he was miserable when locked up and does not want to return; Artie convinces him to complete the required real community service and offers to tutor him in school.
Some members of New Directions, who need to cool their arousal while making out, discover that picturing football coach Shannon Beiste is very effective. When she finds out about their technique, Beiste is deeply hurt and submits her resignation. Will attempts to convince her to stay, and gives her a friendly kiss when she admits she has never been kissed. He then invites Beiste to watch the boys' competition performance; they apologize, dedicate their mash-up of "Stop! In the Name of Love
Stop! In the Name of Love
"Stop! In the Name of Love" is a 1965 song recorded by The Supremes for the Motown label.Written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland–Dozier–Holland, "Stop! In the Name of Love" held the number-one position on the Billboard pop singles chart in the United States from March 21, 1965...
/ Free Your Mind" to her, and win her forgiveness.
Production
"Never Been Kissed" was written by series co-creator Brad FalchukBrad 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:...
, directed by Bradley Buecker, and premiered on November 9, 2010. It launched a story arc about bullying, which Glee co-creator Ryan Murphy had been building to for a season and a half. He explained that he wanted Kurt to reach a point where he would not accept the abusive treatment he received any more, and planned to follow the developments through the rest of the year, as all of the other characters were affected. The revelation that Karofsky's antagonism stemmed from his own homosexual feelings was based on a personal acquaintance of Murphy's. After the episode had been written, a spate of suicides occurred around the nation among teenage victims of bullying, which Murphy said added extra significance to "Never Been Kissed" and "ignite[d] the cast and the crew to do their best and push themselves with the story."
The episode introduced Criss as Blaine, a gay member of a rival glee club, the Dalton Academy Warblers. In September 2010, a casting call was released for an actor to portray a "cute, charismatic, gay high school junior" who would lead a competing glee club. Criss had auditioned for Glee several times before, once for the role of 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...
. The character breakdown for Blaine was the first he believed he had a chance of securing, and indeed his audition was successful. Blaine was introduced primarily as a mentor to Kurt. Criss explained, "At this point, Kurt's [sexuality] has been such a sense of discord in his life. Blaine finds [being gay] empowering. He embraces who he is, and sees Kurt [struggling with] the same things that he had to deal with, and I think he wants to impart that knowledge." Murphy described Blaine as a character with "great self-loathing" and regret for having run away from his own tormentors; he intended this to form part of his story arc for the season, as Blaine tries to set right some past mistakes. Neither he nor Criss knew whether Blaine would eventually become Kurt's boyfriend—a role originally intended for new club member 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:...
) until the producers decided to change Sam to heterosexual and paired him with Quinn—but based on the characters' chemistry and the "immediate outcry" from fans who wanted to see them as a couple, Murphy later decided to pair them romantically.
Other recurring characters who appeared were glee club members Sam and 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...
), 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....
), jock bully Dave Karofsky, cheerleader Becky Jackson (Lauren Potter
Lauren Potter
Lauren Potter is an American actress best known for her role as Becky Jackson on the hit show Glee.-Biography:Lauren was born May 10, 1990 in Inland Empire, California, U.S.A. She is currently 21 years of age...
), students Jacob Ben Israel (Josh Sussman
Josh Sussman
Josh Sussman is an American actor, best known for his role as Hugh Normous in Wizards of Waverly Place and his role as Jacob Ben Israel in Glee.-Biography:Sussman grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey...
) and 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:...
), and Coach Shannon Beiste. Although Beiste's physical appearance was used as comedy in the episode, Jones was not offended; she called it hysterical, said "it serves a purpose for the message" and hoped "maybe it will make people think outside of the show." Murphy intended her storyline to highlight the fact that bullying can be damaging without necessarily being overt. He stated: "Th[e] episode is completely about accountability. If you can change any young impressionable minds and make them aware of the consequences of their actions and all different forms of cruelty, I think that’s a great, great gift." Telly Leung and Titus Makin, Jr. guest starred as Wes and David respectively, two additional members of the Dalton Academy Warblers. Hyatt guest starred as Joan Martin, Puck's probation officer.
The episode featured 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 "Teenage Dream" by Katy Perry
Katy Perry
Katy Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...
, "One Love/People Get Ready" by Bob Marley & the Wailers
Bob Marley & The Wailers
Bob Marley & The Wailers were a Jamaican reggae, ska and rocksteady band formed by Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer in 1963. Additional members were Junior Braithwaite, Beverley Kelso, Cherry Smith and Aston and Carlton Barrett...
, and mash-ups of The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
' "Start Me Up" with Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
's "Livin' on a Prayer", and The Supremes
The Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
' "Stop! In the Name of Love" with En Vogue
En Vogue
En Vogue is an American female R&B vocal group from Oakland, California assembled by music producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy.The group has won more MTV Video Music Awards than any other female group in MTV history, a total of seven, along with four Soul Train Awards, six American Music...
's "Free Your Mind". All of the songs performed were released as singles, available for 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 "Teenage Dream" and "One Love/People Get Ready" are featured on 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 4
Glee: The Music, Volume 4
Glee: The Music, Volume 4 is the fifth soundtrack album by the cast of the musical television series Glee, which airs on Fox in the United States. It was released on November 26, 2010, by Columbia Records and features cover version performances from the first half of the second season...
. "Teenage Dream" was later also included as the opening track on the seventh soundtrack album, 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...
. The background vocals of "Teenage Dream" were provided by collegiate a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
group the Beelzebubs
Beelzebubs
The Beelzebubs, frequently referred to as "The Bubs", are an all-male a cappella group from Tufts University that performs a mix of pop, rock, R&B, and other types of music while spreading their motto of "Fun through Song." They have toured in Europe, Asia, and North America, and they competed in...
from Tufts University
Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
.
Ratings
During its original broadcast, "Never Been Kissed" was watched by 10.99 million American viewers and attained a 4.6/13 Nielsen rating/share in the 18–49 demographic. Its rating was a season low to that point; however, Glee was the top-rated show for the night of broadcast in all under-50 categories. It was the most-viewed scripted show of the week amongst adults 18–49, and ranked twenty-first amongst all viewers. In Australia, the episode was watched by 1.081 million viewers, a decline from previous weeks, which was attributed by David Dale of The Sydney Morning HeraldThe Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald is a daily broadsheet newspaper published by Fairfax Media in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1831 as the Sydney Herald, the SMH is the oldest continuously published newspaper in Australia. The newspaper is published six days a week. The newspaper's Sunday counterpart, The...
to many regular viewers being away on Schoolies week
Schoolies week
Schoolies or schoolies week refers to the Australian tradition of high-school graduates having week-long holidays following the end of their final exams in late November and early December."Toolies" refers to older revelers who participate in Schoolies week but are...
. In Canada, 1.97 million viewers watched the episode, placing twelfth for the week. In the UK, the episode was watched by 2.64 million viewers (2.20 million on E4, and 438,000 on E4+1), which made it the most-watched show on cable for the week.
Accolades
Glee was nominated in the Outstanding Comedy Series category at the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards: "Never Been Kissed" was one of six episodes submitted for consideration, paired with the season's fourth episode, "DuetsDuets (Glee)
"Duets" is the fourth episode of the second season of the American television series Glee, and the 26th episode overall. It was written by series creator Ian Brennan, directed by Eric Stoltz, and premiered on Fox on October 12, 2010...
". Jones received an Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series nomination for her work on Glee second season, and submitted her performance in the episode for final judging.
Critical response
"Never Been Kissed" received mixed reviews from critics, who were polarized by Kurt's storyline. While 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...
's Lisa Respers France thought it was Glee best episode thus far and 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 Robert Canning rated it 9 out of 10, which signifies an outstanding episode, Linda Holmes of National Public Radio dismissed it as "one of the most facile and emotionally inauthentic episodes the show has ever produced", and 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 a failure on "almost every level." The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
Leah Anthony Libresco found it an "extraordinarily counterproductive" response to the string of teenage gay suicides in early 2010. 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...
and 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...
approved of the storyline in principle—the former opined that Glee willingness to raise mainstream awareness of such issues was "incredibly courageous", and the latter appreciated that it would span a multi-episode arc—but both were critical of its depiction in practice.
Many elements of the plot were highlighted as being problematic. Holmes felt that Karofsky's swift transition from bullying to kissing Kurt was absurd and "emotionally unsound". Libresco disapproved of Will for treating Kurt's upset as the key problem, rather than the unchecked bullying which provoked it. She found Blaine's advice to Kurt "misleading and dangerous", especially the suggestion that targeted children should be held responsible for confronting their attackers and putting themselves at risk of further injury, rather than for protecting themselves. VanDerWerff and Poniewozik were critical of Dalton Academy: the former found its tolerance unrealistic and the latter was disappointed that Glee declined to depict a flawed high school tackling bullying in favor of creating "an almost otherworldly paradise". Poniewozik also noted that the storyline was inherently flawed, as the show had previously treated bullying in a light-hearted manner, but opined that its saving grace was the focus it placed on Colfer, "probably the strongest actor with the most interesting character among the Glee kids".
Further praise for Colfer's performance came from Stack and Canning, who approved of the episode for its depiction of there being no simple solution to the bullying. Amy Reiter of the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
commented that it was testament to the writers and cast that Karofsky's kiss startled the audience as much as it did Kurt, and commended the transitioning of Karofsky from a faceless jock into "a nuanced character with a back story and hidden motives of his own." 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 wrote that, should the episode inspire a single teenager to have courage in the face of discrimination, or re-consider bullying, it would be an impressive accomplishment.
The Beiste storyline was met with criticism. Reiter questioned why Beiste was made to look to high school students to "gauge her own desirability", an element she found "hazy and creepy". Poniewozik criticized the depiction of Beiste as an object of pity, and felt that Will's behavior was worse than the students' when he acted with "amazing condescension" and kissed her. Both Poniewozik and Semigran disliked the way viewers were made complicit in Beiste's humiliation by being invited to laugh at her expense, and Holmes criticized Glee for denying Beiste dignity, with the observation that such a plot would never have been given to Kurt. VanDerWerff commented negatively on the way Glee plays up Beiste's "masculine nature" while simultaneously lecturing viewers against mocking her. He called the kiss "somehow both heartfelt and completely horrifying". Canning praised Jones in her "best performance this season", as well as Beiste's "raw and real" confession to Will.
The Puck sub-plot received generally positive reviews. Poniewozik called it the "best and most authentic of the night", with praise for Salling's performance, and Canning felt that it served well as a comical break from the episode's other storylines. 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...
enjoyed the additional depth given to Puck, and he, Stack and New York
New York (magazine)
New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...
Rebecca Milzoff commented positively on Puck's budding friendship with Artie. VanDerWerff deemed it the episode's "least objectionable" storyline, though wrote that the awkward inclusion of their duet, the abruptness of Artie's feelings for Brittany, and the "forced nature" of the scene in which Puck confesses that he does not want to return to juvenile detention all "conspired to keep the storyline from lifting off."
Music and performances
Reviews of the episode's musical numbers were also mixed, with the mash-ups less favorably received than the other performances. Canning felt that the songs intruded on the storytelling. Hankinson wrote that the mash-ups were "shoehorned in [to an] already over-stuffed hour", and Emily Yahr of The Washington PostThe Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
said they served "no real purpose".
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...
's Jen Harper enjoyed the harmonies and simple arrangement of "One Love/People Get Ready", and Anthony Benigno of the Daily News gave it an "A", with praise for the vocals. 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...
Tim Stack of graded it "B-". He called it a "nice performance", but incongruous in context, a concern shared by Erica Futterman of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, who preferred Salling's rendition of "Only the Good Die Young
Only The Good Die Young
"Only the Good Die Young" is a song from Billy Joel's 1977 pop rock album, The Stranger. The song was controversial for its time, with the lyrics describing a boy who tries to convince a Catholic girl who is a virgin to have sex with him....
" in the episode "Grilled Cheesus
Grilled Cheesus
"Grilled Cheesus" is the third episode of the second season of the American television series Glee, and the 25th episode overall. It was written by Brad Falchuk, directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, and premiered on the Fox network on October 5, 2010...
".
Perry expressed approval of the cover of her song, "Teenage Dream", through the social networking website 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...
. Harper found the choreography uncomfortable viewing, and Hanh Nguyen 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...
agreed that the performers appeared to be "rockin' out a bit too much to it", but felt that the song worked "remarkably well" overall. Futterman deemed it the best song of the episode, and appreciated that it was more understated than numbers performed by rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline during the show's first season. Stack went further and called the performance one of his favorites on Glee; he enjoyed the choreography and arrangement and graded it "A+". Benigno again gave the song an "A"; he called it "flawless" and an improvement on Perry's original.
The girls' Bon Jovi–Rolling Stones mash-up was received favorably by Stack and Milzoff—the former graded it "A", the latter called it "brash and fun", and both writers appreciated the black leather costumes. While Harper also liked the costumes and the energetic performance, she felt it "paled in comparison" to the last mash-up the girls performed, in the season one episode "Vitamin D
Vitamin D (Glee)
"Vitamin D" is the sixth episode of the American television series Glee. The episode premiered on the Fox network on October 7, 2009. It was written by series creator Ryan Murphy and directed by Elodie Keene. In the episode, glee club director Will Schuester pits the male and female club members...
". Futterman commented that the costumes and choreography overwhelmed the vocals, to the point of being "a little too Miley
Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus is an American actress and pop singer-songwriter. She achieved wide fame for her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana....
and not enough Glee". Benigno called the song a "cacophony" and gave it his lowest performance grade of the episode, a "D". He suggested that Glee had been responsible for "reviving the mashup fad", but hoped the girls' performance would serve to end it again. The boys' Supremes–En Vogue mash-up was graded "A" by Stack, who liked the combination of artists. Harper preferred the girls' costumes but felt the boys gave the better performance, while Futterman found it overly-sentimental in context, but also preferred it to the girls' song. Benigno gave it a "C", and commented, "Not quite the debacle the previous mash-up was, but given how fantastic this episode was, the sendoff should've been better."
Chart history
All four of the cover versions featured 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...
, and appeared on other musical charts. On the Hot 100, the show's rendition of "Teenage Dream" debuted at number eight, and sold 214,000 copies in its first week, the best first week sales number for any Glee Cast single. It was the first Glee single to top Billboard Digital Songs chart, and debuted at number ten on the Canadian Hot 100. "Teenage Dream" was also the first single since the pilot's "Don't Stop Believin to be certified gold in the US. The other three songs on the Hot 100 were "Start Me Up / Livin' on a Prayer" at number thirty-one, which also made number twenty-two on the Canadian Hot 100; "Stop! In the Name of Love / Free Your Mind" at number thirty-eight, which also made number twenty-eight on the Canadian Hot 100; and "One Love/People Get Ready" at number forty-one, which also made number thirty-two on the Canadian Hot 100.
External links
- "Never Been Kissed" 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...