Rumours (Glee)
Glee club performs Fleetwood Mac's Rumours amid spreading rumors.
"Rumours" is the nineteenth episode of the second season of the American musical television series Glee, and the forty-first overall. Written by series co-creator Ryan Murphy and directed by Tim Hunter, it first aired on May 3, 2011 on Fox in the United States. The episode features the return of guest star Kristin Chenoweth and is a tribute to Fleetwood Mac's 1977 album Rumours, with all songs covered in the episode taken from that album.
- Series
- Glee
- Season episode
- Season 2, Episode 19
- Overall episode
- 41
- Air date
- May 3, 2011
- Network
- Fox
- Writer
- Ryan Murphy
- Director
- Tim Hunter
Lore & Background
In "Rumours", the glee club is swept by rumors that strain friendships and relationships. Director Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) has them perform songs from Fleetwood Mac's 1977 album Rumours. The episode generated strong interest in the album: Rumours reentered the Billboard 200 chart at number eleven the week after the show aired in the US, and the Australian album charts at number two five days after the show aired in that country. The episode received mixed reviews from critics; Amy Reiter of the Los Angeles Times wrote that "the episode had its moments that made lovin' Glee fun", but called the Sue Sylvester subplot "tired". Many critics were impressed with how well the album's music was incorporated, including Erica Futterman of Rolling Stone, who wrote "the songs of Rumours fit the New Directions' drama in an organic way." The "Fondue for Two" segments were a favorite of reviewers and were developed from an idea by one of the show's fans.
Reader's Guide
The episode "Rumours" is significant as a tribute to a single album rather than a musical act, a concept the show's co-creators had long wanted to do. The idea for Brittany's "Fondue for Two" segments came from a Glee fan, Teresa Musumeci, who wrote a letter to Cory Monteith. The episode's musical performances received mostly praise, especially "Never Going Back Again" and "Go Your Own Way". Five of the six Rumours cover versions debuted on the Billboard Hot 100, and four were featured on the subsequent Glee: The Music, Volume 6 soundtrack album. Upon its initial airing, the episode was viewed by 8.85 million American viewers and garnered a 3.7/11 Nielsen rating/share in the 18–49 demographic, up slightly from the previous episode "Born This Way". The episode also aired in Canada, Australia, and the UK, with varying viewership numbers.
Elsewhere in Fleetwood Mac
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