A Katy or a Gaga
The glee club splits into Katy Perry and Lady Gaga camps.
"A Katy or a Gaga" is the fourth episode of the fifth season of Glee, and the ninety-second episode overall. It features the debut of Adam Lambert as Elliott "Starchild" Gilbert and the return of Demi Lovato as Dani. The episode aired on Fox on November 7, 2013.
Quick Facts
- Series
- Glee
- Season
- 5
- Episode
- 4
- Director
- Ian Brennan
- Writer
- Russel Friend; Garrett Lerner
- Production
- 5ARC04
- Air date
- 7 November 2013
Facts from the source article.
Plot
Will Schuester tells the glee club that Throat Explosion will be their main competition at Nationals, then splits the members into two camps: those who feel a connection to Katy Perry and those who feel a connection to Lady Gaga. Each side has to perform a song from the other side’s idol to work on their weaknesses. Meanwhile, in New York, Kurt Hummel brings Santana Lopez and Dani into his band and holds auditions at NYADA. The only person who shows up is Elliott Gilbert, who goes by “Starchild” and wows Santana and Dani with his take on “Marry the Night,” but Kurt turns him down because he worries Starchild is too unconventional for a band aiming for mainstream appeal.
Rachel Berry tells Kurt not to compromise his artistic vision just to fit expectations, so Kurt changes his mind and asks Starchild to join. Kurt also talks a hesitant Rachel into joining the band, which she names “Pamela Lansbury.” Back in Lima, Sam Evans discovers that Penny Owen has a surprising taste for bad boys, so he takes over the Gaga assignment to try to reveal a different side of himself to her. Jake Puckerman grows frustrated with Marley Rose.
Bree asks Jake to help choreograph a Cheerios routine, and Wade “Unique” Adams worries Jake might get drawn to her. Marley refuses to change for Jake and instead joins Sam, Artie Abrams, Blaine Anderson, and Ryder Lynn in a performance of “Applause” while dressed as Katy Perry. Will finds the number disappointing and suspends Marley from glee club for a week for breaking the assignment’s rules.
Production
Filming for this episode kicked off on September 23, 2013, following a break after the previous installment, "The Quarterback," which centered on Finn Hudson's death. The cast had already started laying down vocals and running through choreography in the middle of the prior week. Adam Lambert appears here for the first time as Elliott "Starchild" Gilbert, a character Chris Colfer described as Kurt's rival. On September 26, Lea Michele posted a set photo on Twitter showing her alongside Lambert, Colfer, Naya Rivera, and Demi Lovato, all singing with a band.
Lovato reprises her role as Dani, Santana's girlfriend and coworker at the diner. Other familiar faces include cheerleaders Becky Jackson and Bree, plus school nurse Penny Owen. Co-creator Ryan Murphy promised the episode would feature "great costumes" and "great set pieces." Four tracks were released from the episode: Katy Perry's "Roar" and "Wide Awake," along with Lady Gaga's "Applause" and "Marry the Night."
Earlier media reports wrongly claimed Lambert would sing "Applause"; Lady Gaga corrected that on Twitter, saying he was "perfect for the song cause he's glammer."
Reception
The episode drew 4.01 million American viewers and a 1.5/4 rating in the 18-49 demographic, landing third in its timeslot and ninth overall for the night. Critical reception was mixed, but Adam Lambert’s performance earned widespread praise. Miranda Wicker of TV Fanatic rated the episode 3 out of 5, noting that the series’ return after Cory Monteith’s death “was sure to be a bumpy one” and required balancing pathos with forward momentum. She welcomed Lambert’s role as Starchild, stating, “Anything that gets more Adam Lambert on my screen is okay by me.”
MaryAnn Sleasman of TV.com gave a moderate review, calling the episode “a genuinely fun episode with a Glee PSA that wasn't completely lost in translation for once.” Katy Kroll of Rolling Stone highlighted Lambert’s “Marry the Night” number, describing it as a four-minute music video where he “struts, pouts, poses and literally swings from a chandelier,” adding, “Lady who?” Jocelyn Vena of MTV agreed, saying Lambert “blasts out like a real rock star” while swinging from a chandelier in a top hat, calling it “an A+ performance that would make Gaga proud.”
Rae Votta of Billboard was less enthusiastic about the episode overall but praised Lambert’s audition, noting it “puts previous over the top audition numbers on the show to shame with air humping, table posturing, and literal swinging on chandeliers with no regard for structural integrity.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Who directed A Katy or a Gaga?
A Katy or a Gaga was directed by Ian Brennan.
Who wrote A Katy or a Gaga?
A Katy or a Gaga was written by Russel Friend and Garrett Lerner.
More in Glee Season 5 Episodes
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced