Glee: Original Song

"Original Song" is the sixteenth episode of the second season of the American television series Glee, and the thirty-eighth episode overall. It was written by Ryan Murphy, directed by Bradley Buecker, and premiered on Fox in the United States on March 15, 2011. McKinley High's glee club, New Directions, decides to prepare original songs for the Regionals competition against the Dalton Academy Warblers, and Westvale High's Aural Intensity coached by Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch). Blaine (Darren Criss) finally shows his affection for Kurt (Chris Colfer). Rachel (Lea Michele) tries to repair her relationship with Finn (Cory Monteith) and faces off with Quinn (Dianna Agron). New Directions wins the Midwest Regional Show Choir competition, advancing to the upcoming Nationals competition in New York City. "Original Song" garnered mostly positive reception. Critics praised the interaction between Kurt and Blaine, as well as most of the original songs in the episode. Mark Perigard of the Boston Herald called it a "great" episode "filled with so many good moments". Cover versions of six songs were featured, including "Raise Your Glass" by Pink and "Blackbird" by The Beatles. The episode also featured an extensive selection of original songs, more so than any previous episode of Glee. The musical performances, cover versions, and original songs in the episode were met with generally positive reviews from critics. With the exception of "Jesus Is My Friend" and "Only Child", all songs were released as singles available for digital download. Upon its initial airing, this episode was viewed by 11.15 million American viewers and garnered a 4.2/13 rating/share in the 18-49 demographic, according to the Nielsen ratings. The total viewership and ratings for this episode declined slightly from the previous episode, "Sexy".