Glee: The Sue Sylvester Shuffle

"The Sue Sylvester Shuffle" is the eleventh episode of the second season of the American musical television series Glee, and the thirty-third episode overall. It was written by Ian Brennan, directed by Brad Falchuk, and was broadcast immediately following Super Bowl XLV on February 6, 2011. In the episode, an effort to dispel student rivalry forces the McKinley High football team and glee club to unite. When cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) withdraws her squad from the halftime show of a championship football game, the disparate groups must come together to perform a routine and win the game. Reportedly the most expensive post-Super Bowl episode ever produced, "The Sue Sylvester Shuffle" cost $3–5 million. It featured over 500 extras, including an array of stunt artists. News anchor Katie Couric guest-starred as herself, provoking controversy by making a jibe about television personality Dina Lohan. The episode featured cover versions of five songs, including a dance performance of "California Gurls" by Katy Perry and a mash-up of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" with "Heads Will Roll" by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Series creator Ryan Murphy had considered using the episode as a musical tribute to Jackson. The performances were met with mixed reception from critics. With the exception of "California Gurls", each of the numbers were released as singles, available for download. The "Thriller / Heads Will Roll" mash-up was the highest charting in all regions, peaking at number seventeen in Australia. In the US, the episode was watched by 26.8 million viewers, and was the highest-rated scripted TV broadcast in three years. It received a mixed response from critics, who differed over its accessibility to the Super Bowl audience. Several criticized the repetitive theme of football versus glee club rivalry, finding "The Sue Sylvester Shuffle" below typical Glee standards.