Extraordinary Merry Christmas
| "Extraordinary Merry Christmas" | |
|---|---|
| Glee episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 3 Episode 9 |
| Directed by | Matthew Morrison |
| Written by | Marti Noxon |
| Featured music | "All I Want for Christmas Is You" "Blue Christmas" "River" "Extraordinary Merry Christmas" "Let It Snow" "My Favorite Things" "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" "Christmas Wrapping" "Do They Know It's Christmas?" |
| Production code | 3ARC09 |
| Original air date | December 13, 2011 |
| Guest appearance(s) | |
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"Extraordinary Merry Christmas" is the ninth episode and mid-season finale of the third season of the American musical television series Glee, and the fifty-third overall. Written by Marti Noxon and directed by Matthew Morrison, the episode aired on Fox in the United States on December 13, 2011, and features the members of New Directions starring in a black-and-white Christmas television special that is presented within the episode itself.
Nine songs are performed over the course of the episode, eight of which come from the second Glee Christmas soundtrack album, Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album Volume 2. The episode has the same name as an original song on that album, "Extraordinary Merry Christmas", which was written for Glee by the show's executive music producer Adam Anders, song producer Peer Åström, and Shelly Peiken. The remaining eight songs are covers, and all nine were released as singles. Reviewers generally praised the music in the episode.
Although reviewers were polarized in their views of the episode as a whole, the special within the episode received mostly favorable comments, though the rest of the episode was deemed light on plot. Some aspects of the framing sequences were criticized, such as Rachel's excessive demands for Christmas presents despite the fact that she is Jewish. Upon its initial airing, this episode was viewed by 7.13 million American viewers and garnered a 3.0/8 Nielsen rating/share in the 18–49 demographic. The total viewership was up marginally from the previous episode, "Hold On to Sixteen".
Sue (Jane Lynch) recruits the glee club to sing at a homeless shelter where she will be volunteering to distract her from the first Christmas without her sister Jean, who died earlier in the year. Finn (Cory Monteith) tells Rachel (Lea Michele) that all he wants for Christmas is her. Rachel (Lea Michele) replies that he is also all she wants, but gives Finn (Cory Monteith) a long list of Christmas present suggestions. Her dialogue, "All I want is what I have coming to me. All I want is my fair share" is a verbatim homage to Sally's Christmas list scene with Charlie Brown in the Christmas classic, A Charlie Brown Christmas. Just as Charlie Brown is with Sally, Finn is appalled by how much Rachel wants, though she assures him that five of the items are enough. When she later hints that an early gift would not be amiss, he surprises her with the donation of a sow in her name to needy Africans. Rachel is unhappy, reminds Finn that she is a vegan, and recommends that he stick to her list to avoid embarrassment, while pointedly mentioning earrings.
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