The Rocky Horror Glee Show

The Rocky Horror Glee Show is the fifth episode of Glee's second season and the twenty-seventh episode overall. It premiered on October 26, 2010. It pays tribute to the 1975 film, The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

An EP, Glee: The Music, The Rocky Horror Glee Show, accompanying the episode was released on October 19, 2010. Seven songs from The Rocky Horror Picture Show were covered in this episode.

Will decides to have to the glee club perform The Rocky Horror Picture Show for the annual school musical after learning of Emma's newfound love for the cult classic. Despite Sue's usual scheming, the members of New Directions inject their distinctive style to the show's timesless tracks. As casting begins, Emma calls in Carl who auditions for the role of Eddie, much to Will's dismay. His audition song in the choir room surprises the Glee Club, and so Will gives in. As casting progresses, Will finds it hard to find the right people for the parts because the musical is very controversial. Will the musical go through as planned? Or is Will's choice and motivation to produce the school production questionable?

The episode was directed by Adam Shankman and written by Ryan Murphy with assistance on the story from Tim Wollaston.

Plot


The episode opens with the red lips of glee club member Santana in a black background as she sings Science Fiction Double Feature. In the McKinley High auditorium, the New Directions members rehearse The Rocky Horror Show, singing There's a Light (Over at the Frankenstein Place), which is interrupted by Dr. Carl Howell, who accuses club director, Will Schuester of trying to steal his girlfriend, school guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury.

The episode continues in flashback format, with Will recalling the events leading up to Carl's accusation. When Will learns that Emma and Carl attended a midnight screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show which has helped to lessen some of her obsessive–compulsive behaviors, he decides to direct a school production of the musical, with members of New Directions as the cast members.



The club co-captains Finn Hudson and Rachel Berry take the lead roles of Brad and Janet. Kurt Hummel is asked to play Dr. Frank-N-Furter, but refuses. Instead, Mike Chang volunteers to play Dr. Frank-N-Furter, and Sam Evans is cast as Rocky. While Sam is secure in his own body image, Finn feels self-conscious at the prospect of appearing in his underwear.

News station managers, Tim Stanwick and Barry Jeffries, about producing an undercover exposé of the school play, approach Sue Sylvester in her office, which could land her an Emmy. As they rehearse Damn It, Janet, when Rachel sung her first few lines, Sue entered the choir room and convinces Will to involve her in the production. Will also takes Emma on as costume designer, but when Mike's parents refuse to let him play a transvestite, Will informs Sue that the show is cancelled. Upon learning that Carl is a Rocky Horror Picture Show fan, Sue manipulates him into helping to save the production. He auditions with the song Whatever Happened to Saturday Night?, however feels that it would be more appropriate for him to play Eddie than Frank-N-Furter. Inspired by the words in the script "Don't Dream It, Be It," Mercedes Jones claims the role of Frank-N-Furter.

Mercedes performs Sweet Transvestite during a dress rehearsal, and Will grows increasingly jealous of Carl as he joins the production. Will decides that he will play Rocky instead of Sam, and asks Emma to rehearse the provocative Touch a Touch a Touch a Touch Me with him, conveniently forgetting the disturbing fact that one of his students will be singing the number to him during actual performances. Will is later called into Figgins' office, where he learns that Finn has been suspended for walking through the hallway in his underwear, attempting to become comfortable in his costume. He is able to convince Figgins to reduce Finn's punishment, and the episode returns to the present moment as Carl confronts Will over his private rehearsal with Emma.

Cheerleader, Becky Jackson alerts Will to the fact that Sue is planning an exposé of the show. He confronts Sue, but concedes that his motivations in putting on the production were questionable. He cancels the show which angers Sue as she will no longer win her local emmy with the news exposé. Will also tells Emma that he will cease interfering with her relationship.

Will tells New Directions that they will still perform the musical, but for themselves rather than for an audience as Rocky Horror embodies what the club is about. The episode ends with the glee club performing Time Warp.

Rocky Horror Show Cast

 * Dr. Frank-N-Furter - A Scientist
 * Mike Chang
 * Mercedes Jones
 * Janet Weiss - A Heroine
 * Rachel Berry
 * Emma Pillsbury (Stand-in only)
 * Brad Majors - A Hero
 * Finn Hudson
 * Riff Raff - A Handyman
 * Kurt Hummel
 * Magenta - A Domestic
 * Quinn Fabray (1)
 * Santana Lopez (2)
 * Columbia - A Groupie
 * Tina Cohen-Chang (1)
 * Brittany Pierce (2)
 * The Criminologist - An Expert
 * Artie Abrams
 * Sue Sylvester (Stand-in only)
 * Rocky Horror - A Creation
 * Sam Evans
 * Will Schuester
 * The Great Dr. Everett V. Scott - A Rival Scientist
 * Artie Abrams
 * Eddie - Ex Delivery Boy
 * Carl Howell
 * Mike Chang
 * Usherette Trixie
 * Santana Lopez
 * The Transylvanians
 * Mercedes Jones
 * Tina Cohen-Chang
 * Quinn Fabray
 * Artie Abrams

Unreleased Songs

 * Planet, Schmanet, Janet from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Sung by Carl Howell with Emma Pillsbury

Special Guest Stars

 * John Stamos as Carl Howell
 * Barry Bostwick as Tim Stanwick
 * Meat Loaf as Barry Jeffries

Guest Stars

 * Iqbal Theba as Principal Figgins
 * Harry Shum Jr. as Mike Chang
 * Chord Overstreet as Sam Evans
 * James Earl III as Azimio Adams
 * Max Adler as Dave Karofsky
 * Bill A. Jones as Rod Remington

Co-Stars

 * Lauren Potter as Becky Jackson
 * Earlene Davis as Andrea Carmichael

Absent Cast Members

 * Mark Salling as Noah Puckerman
 * Jessalyn Gilsig as Terri Del Monico
 * Mike O'Malley as Burt Hummel

Trivia

 * The letters in the title-card resemble the original Rocky Horror Show colors.
 * This is Glee's first tribute episode honoring a musical as opposed to a singer or band. The second was West Side Story in The First Time and the third was Grease in Glease.
 * This is the first episode that contains a wordplay with the word "Glee" in its title, the others being A Very Glee Christmas, Saturday Night Glee-ver, Glease, and Glee, Actually.
 * Lea played the role of Janet in a benefit concert, with Matthew playing Brad, months before the airing of the episode.
 * Amber Riley said the costume she wore was very tight, but in it, she felt like a man in a dress.
 * While filming, Chris Colfer said he got jealous of Chord's abs.
 * The two news representatives who visit Sue mention a news story on "Africanized killer bees." The same story was mentioned by Emma in Preggers.
 * Chris Colfer's hair had to be glued down for him to play the mostly-bald Riff Raff.
 * As of Season Two, this was Dianna Agron's favorite episode to do, mainly because of the costumes.
 * The ‘Chimp Wedding’ (as seen in the news broadcast at the start of the episode) could be a reference to the wedding Brad and Janet attend at the beginning of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
 * Matthew was in the Broadway revival of The Rocky Horror Picture Show in 2001, playing a Phantom.
 * Barry Bostwick, who plays Tim Stanwick in this episode, plays Brad in The Rocky Horror Picture Show film. Meatloaf, who plays Barry Jeffries, plays Eddie in The Rocky Horror Picture Show film. One of his songs was also featured in the show's third season (Paradise by the Dashboard Light).
 * Sam mentions a Men of McKinley calendar. Later, in Season Four, Tina initiates the same calendar to raise money for Regionals.
 * When Jayma first moved to LA, she played Janet Weiss in a small theatre production.
 * The Rocky Horror Show's creator, Richard O' Brien, was disappointed at the show for having changed the word "transsexual" to "sensational," claiming that the show decided to "dilute down" the themes of the musical. Source
 * Puck was absent in this episode, meaning he was still in juvenile detention.
 * The episode was referred to as "Ab-ilous" by Jayma Mays.

Errors

 * Continuing the show's confusion between the musical and the film adaptation established in The Rhodes Not Taken, the song "Science Fiction Double Feature" was sung by a pair of usherettes as opposed to the disembodied lips in the film, the orchestration of the musical simply called for a small rock combo as opposed to the full orchestra and band shown, and the "Criminologist" is simply the "Narrator" in the musical.
 * Just before they are rehearsing the Janet! Dr Scott! Janet! Brad! Rocky! Grrr! scene, Artie (playing Dr Scott) says Eddie? I've seen him. This line is said by Brad in the original movie and should, therefore, have been said by Mr Schuester (actually by Finn but due to his absence in this scene Mr Schue says Finn's lines)
 * Just after Sweet Transvestite Carl breaks through the wall on a motorcycle and says Mr Director, I take that wall out right? to which Mr Schuester responds You're two acts early, Carl. You're supposed to bust though the dinnerparty scene. This is not correct because in the original 1975 movie, Eddie breaks through just after I can make you a man in the Creation scene and not the dinnerparty (Eddie is actually dead by the time of the dinnerparty...)

Quotes
"Give me some chocolate, or I will cut you."

"It's that time of the year again when parents encourage their little boys to dress like little girls and little girls to dress like whores."

"Kurt: So what are you going to be for Halloween this year?

Brittany: I'm going as a peanut allergy."

"Can I wear some gold board shorts above this? I think these are too short, and I'm afraid of showing some nuttage."

"Sam: Where are you going?

Finn: To show everyone how hot and sexy I am."

"Damn those Cool Ranch Doritos."

"My parents aren't comfortable with me dressing up as a tranny."

"Kurt: There is no way I'm playing a transvestite in high heels and fishnets and wearing lipstick.

Santana: Why, 'cause that look was last season?"

"Yeah, earlier today Artie asked if he could make a gigantic omelet when I’m done with the ostrich eggs I’m smuggling in my bra."

"Carl: You all have a hole to fill and I'm just trying to help fill it.

Santana: Wanky."

"We've lost the true meaning of Halloween... FEAR!"