On My Way (Glee)

"On My Way" was first broadcast on February 21, 2012 in the United States on Fox. It received a 3.0/8 Nielsen rating/share in the 18–49 demographic, and attracted 7.46 million American viewers during its initial airing, an increase over the 2.8/8 rating/share and 6.99 million viewers of the previous episode, which was broadcast on February 14, 2012.[15][16] Viewership increased slightly in Canada, where 1.74 million viewers watched the episode on the same day as its American premiere. It was the fifteenth most-viewed show of the week, down two slots but up about 1% from the 1.72 million viewers who watched "Heart" the previous week.[17]

In the United Kingdom, "On My Way" first aired on March 29, 2012, and was watched on Sky 1 by 763,000 viewers. Viewership was down over 3% from "Heart", which attracted 792,000 viewers when it aired the week before.[18] In Australia, "On My Way" was broadcast on March 23, 2012. It was watched by 558,000 viewers, which made Glee the fifteenth most-watched program of the night, down from fourteenth two weeks before, when the previous episode, "Heart", aired. Actual viewership declined less than 1% from the 563,000 viewers on March 9, 2012.[19]

There was a strong and varied reaction to the episode by reviewers. Erica Futterman of Rolling Stone described it as "an emotional rollercoaster that at times may have been jarring or heavy-handed, but overall did what a winter finale should: gave us plenty of surprises, while setting things up for the future".[20] IGN's Robert Canning was "won over by a powerfully acted and directed story" and gave the episode a "great" rating of 8.0 out of 10; he noted that "as is often the case, the smaller stories involving Karofsky and Quinn were more successful than larger arcs like Rachel and Finn's".[21] Bobby Hankinson of the Houston Chronicle said that rather than "a million different storylines" there were a few "really good ones" and added, "It was chaos, but controlled chaos."[22] The A.V. Club's Emily VanDerWerff wrote, "The sequence in which Karofsky prepared himself for death was, unquestionably, one of the best things Glee has ever done." She added that it was "all the more a shame" that it occurred in an episode that did not know how to make effective use of "the impact of that moment", and she gave the episode as a whole a "D" grade.[23] In a similar vein, James Poniewozik of Time said, "the beginning of the episode was a very effective 15 minutes or so of television", but said that was also the episode's problem.[24] Michael Slezak of TVLine noted that the show's "audacity" allowed it "to tackle some of the most important issues of the day with a headiness and honesty that aren’t merely refreshing, but absolutely necessary", and added, "If I’ve got any complaint with the episode, it would have to be that for a show that’s billed as a musical comedy, there certainly weren’t many laughs, and the musical interludes seemed like something of an afterthought".[25] In a similar vein, Billboard's Rae Votta wrote, "Any thoughts that Glee is, in fact, a comedy should be soundly crushed by now. It's a fantastical reality, and sometimes you laugh at that, but other times you cry."[26]

Max Adler (pictured) was praised for his portrayal of Dave Karofsky in this episode

The sequence where Karofsky attempts suicide was greatly praised on many levels; Slezak called it "as devastating as anything I’ve seen on TV this year".[25] Canning wrote that "the initial locker room scene was heartbreaking" and "Max Adler's subtle facial expressions were brilliant".[21] Crystal Bell of HuffPost TV applauded Adler "for doing such an amazing job" on the suicide scene. She stated, "I would have preferred if Karofsky's storyline would have been the focus of the entire episode."[27] BuddyTV's John Kubicek was critical of the entire storyline, and wrote that teen suicide was "one of those incredibly sensitive issues" that "shouldn't be taken on so directly by a light, silly musical comedy like Glee".[28] VanDerWerff commented that "as the show got the little details of Karofsky's desperate act just right, the whole thing took on a weight", and singled out the scene "where the teachers talked about what had happened and the smash cut to Karofsky's father screaming at him to get up" as "heart-wrenching"; she added, "This was the Glee I had first loved, the Glee that could blend music and romance and comedy and highly volatile drama into one cocktail", though she also said that the episode had failed to "pay off those emotions".[23] Bell declared that "best scene in the entire episode is when Kurt visits Karofsky in the hospital".[27] Joseph Brannigan Lynch of Entertainment Weekly called it "one of the most touching scenes of this season" and "guileless, well-acted and eye-watering".[29] Votta wrote, "As always, Kurt and Karofsky's scenes shine as the strongest in whichever episode they're featured."[26]

MTV's Kevin P. Sullivan wrote that the episode "jammed in Regionals, something that used to matter", and did so without any "meaningful buildup to the competition".[30] Poniewozik described the competition showdown as "unconnected with the episode we began watching", and Canning said that "Regionals just got in the way" and the performances "did a disservice to what was going on with Karofsky".[21][24] Votta characterized the McKinley victory as "so secondary to the point of this episode that it feels completely anticlimactic", and VanDerWerff summarized, "When New Directions hoists that trophy aloft at the end, it’s about the least compelling victory for the group yet."[23][26]

VanDerWerff said that Morrison had "a nice moment when he underplays the scene where he talks about how Will once contemplated suicide after getting caught cheating on a test", though while Lynch thought the "idea of the scene was nice", it was "more awkward than meaningful".[23][29] Slezak called it "the worst moment of the episode", and criticized the "utter lack of context" regarding what else Will might have been going through.[25] Kubicek described it as an "embarrassingly uncomfortable speech", and Will's implicit comparison of cheating on a test to the stresses of teenage homosexuality was "just wrong".[28] VanDerWerff thought that the next part of the sequence had "a smallness, a realness to the scene that's kind of beautiful, really", and that it feels "like they're actual high school kids"; Votta commented that "as the kids admit all the things they are looking forward to", it reminds viewers why they are "rooting for this ragtag bunch".[23][26]

The wedding of Rachel and Finn did not excite interest among reviewers. Votta said the plot "continues to feel exhausting" and was "small in comparison to the other threads going on", and Raymund Flandez of The Wall Street Journal called it the "most preposterous of all" the storylines.[26][31] VanDerWerff wrote, "I can buy that Finn and Rachel would be that stupid as to think getting married would perk everybody right on up", as could Votta, who likened it to "people needing to find [something] positive to focus" on, "even if that supposedly positive thing is its own train wreck".[23][26] The Washington Post's Jen Chaney wondered why the showed "squander[ed] the presence of Jeff Goldblum and Brian Stokes Mitchell for the second week in a row".[32]

Reviewers were divided on the cliffhanger ending which showed Quinn (Agron, pictured) moments before she was in a serious automobile accident

Bell lauded the "brilliant conversation between Quinn and Sue toward the end where Sue told Quinn that she admired her".[27] Lynch though that Kurt was "out of line" when he "declared Quinn didn't know what it was like to truly suffer". He noted that she was "kicked out of her house and disowned by her father while pregnant" and added, "she's suffered plenty for a teenager". He said about the episode's final scene, which ended as the car Quinn was driving was about to be hit by a rapidly moving truck, "you can't help but feel sucker-punched when something like this happens".[29] Flandez called it a "cowardly ending", but Canning praised the "good cliffhanger", and the "subtle enough" storytelling that did not "telegraph anything" before the closing sequence.[21][31]

A number of reviewers praised Sebastian's villainous ways despite his decision to abandon his blackmail attempt. Futterman noted that people had just gotten "used to the idea of a well-played villain on the show", while Amy Reiter of The Los Angeles Times expressed doubt about a complete conversion: "We'll see how long that lasts."[20][33] Slezak called him a "gem when it comes to delivering spicy one-liners", though he was less enthusiastic about the character's vocal solos, as was Canning, who nevertheless hailed Sebastian as a "fine nemesis".[21][25]

Absent more screen time for the Karofsky storyline, Bell said that the episode "felt more like a PSA" as it "plugged everything from The Trevor Project to Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation".[27] Flandez stated that "this incredibly monumentous message of hope became sullied with unexpected product placements: Edible Arrangements, Peanut Butter & Co., even Sex and the City 3."[31] Sullivan was unsure whether the God Squad's plan to bring "an Edible Arrangement to Karofsky" was a "poorly timed joke or product placement", but deemed it "regrettable either way".[30]

The musical performances were given a mixed response by reviewers. Canning wrote that "the performances of the episode didn't measure up" to the non-musical material, and "were bland and flat", while Chaney characterized them as "often lackluster" and added that they were part of "the most boring regionals competition ever".[21][32] Hankinson, however, called it a "night of very solid performances".[22] Chaney said that Criss "did a fine job" with the first number, "Cough Syrup", which was sung during the Karofsky suicide sequence, and gave it a "B".[32] Futterman said Blaine "flawlessly deliver[ed] the vocal".[20] Lynch called it a "chilling rendition" that was "hard to shake" and gave it an "A−", the same grade given by Slezak, who wrote, "taken on its own, Blaine's vocal was strong and passionate—perhaps better than the original".[25][29] Hankinson said it was the "best" of the episode, and added that the "scene was really, really well done and carried maximum emotional punch".[22]

The Regionals songs by the Warblers were given a lukewarm reception. "Stand" was characterized by Lynch as "bouncy fun, but in a bland, forgettable sense", and "Glad You Came" as "rather unmemorable"; both songs received a "B−" grade.[29] Slezak gave the two songs a "C+", and called Sebastian's lead vocals "as bland as a bowl of plain lasagna noodles", and Canning described his as "a weak voice that doesn't deliver a very convincing performance".[21][25] Votta described "Stand" as "lackluster and mild", but called "Glad You Came" the "strongest Warbler number since Blaine's defection". She added, "It's catchy and well-choreographed, and if Sebastian's addition to the Warblers spurred them to finally take their in-Dalton dance-heavy and exuberant performance style to competition, then it's a welcome one."[26] Hankinson noted that the Warblers "performed two wonderful songs" that were new to him.[22] Flandez and Chaney, among others, wished it were Blaine leading the Warblers, not Sebastian.[31][32]

Chaney wrote that the mash-up of "Fly" and "I Believe I Can Fly" was "an unexpectedly lovely mix" and gave it a "B+".[32] Futterman said it "seamlessly" wove the two "into an uplifting and thematically appropriate mash-up", and credited Santana and Blaine with "an impressive job on Minaj's rap verses, while Rachel, Artie and Mercedes split tastefully understated solos".[20] Slezak credited "solid vocals from Artie, Finn, Rachel, and Mercedes, and some not terrible rapping from Blaine and Santana", but he thought the number "lacked the epic scope you want from a Regionals showdown" and disliked the song "I Believe I Can Fly"; his grade was a "B−".[25] Votta characterized the mashup as "just off" and "better visually than it is just to listen to the track".[26] Lynch said Santana had "attitude to spare" in her rap and New Directions "harmonized wonderfully on this very re-listenable mash-up", and gave it a "B+" grade.[29]

Slezak said that the vocals on "What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger)" were "fantastic" and graded the song an "A−".[25] Flandez called the Troubletones "fine, fierce and fabulous", though Chaney wrote that the rendition was "a fairly routine take".[31][32] Chaney and Slezak both wondered about the extra girls in the number, but Lynch simply said, "Nice to get a little Troubletones action separate from (but still part of) the New Directions".[25][29][32] Lynch's grade was a "B", in part because Mercedes's voice "seemed strangely buried".[29]

Reviewers of "Here's to Us" differed on what they felt worked and didn't. Lynch said the song "seemed the wrong fit" for Rachel—"not horrible, but a misfire"—and gave it a "B−".[29] Chaney was more critical of the song itself when she gave her "C+" grade and described it as "so bland" that it "had little emotional impact" despite Michele's "determined ferocity".[32] Votta called the number "pretty" but said the placement of the boys in the balconies was "cute but not really compelling as a staged performance".[26] Slezak stated that it was "hard to find any fault with Lea Michele's vocal performances" and gave it a "B+", and Futterman wrote, "It's bouyant [sic] and celebratory, and Rachel kills it."[20][25]

Of the six singles released for the episode, five debuted on US and Canadian top 100 charts. The mash-up of "Fly" and "I Believe I Can Fly" was the highest debut in the US at number fifty-six on the Billboard Hot 100, followed by "Cough Syrup" at number sixty-five, "What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger)" at number sixty-six, "Here's to Us" at number seventy-three and "Glad You Came" at number ninety.[34] The chart order was different on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100, where "(What Doesn't Kill You) Stronger" had the highest debut at number fifty-one, "Fly / I Believe I Can Fly" debuted at number fifty-nine, "Here's to Us" at number sixty-four, "Cough Syrup" at number sixty-seven and "Glad You Came" at number seventy-four.[35]

The singles also had an effect on the charting of the original versions of three of the songs. Kelly Clarkson's "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" moved back into first place from fourth on the Billboard Hot 100, and from fourth to third, equalling its previous best showing, on the Canadian Hot 100. It was beaten there by The Wanted's "Glad You Came", which was that chart's "greatest gainer", and moved from number twenty-six to number two, its highest position on the Canadian chart to date. "Glad You Came" also made a big jump in the US, and went from number eighteen to number five. "Cough Syrup" by Young the Giant debuted on both charts, at number ninety-five in the US and number eighty-two in Canada, and was the first time the group had been on the Billboard Hot 100, though the song had previously "bubbled under" the chart at number 117.[34][36]