The Power of Madonna
Season One, Episode Fifteen
Episode Guide
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The Power of Madonna is the fifteenth episode of Glee's first season. It was broadcast on April 20, 2010 and featured songs only by Madonna. It is the first tribute episode the show has produced and also the first episode with an Extended Play album created for the episode.

It is written and directed by Ryan Murphy.

Contents 1 Plot 2 Songs 2.1 Background Songs 3 Guest Stars 4 Trivia 5 Errors 6 Gallery 7 Videos 8 Quotes 9 Navigational 10 Comments

Plot

Cheerios coach Sue Sylvester is revealed to be a major Madonna fan, praising her powerful example and asking her Cheerios to emulate Madonna (including dating younger men and using their first names only, "A La Madonna") so that

they will be more empowered in their performance as cheerleaders. By blackmailing Principal Figgins, she arranges for Madonna tunes to blast through the school intercom (except in Emma's office, with Sue justifying that Emma does not have the confidence to take control of her body and sex appeal like Madonna does).

Will Schuester sees the Cheerios performing a routine with stilts to the tune of Ray of Light after overhearing the girls in New Directions discussing difficulties they are having in relationships and life. Rachel, for example, asks the other girls for advice if a guy (who vaguely implies she is still dating Jesse St. James) is pressuring her to have sex. Will is inspired to declare a Madonna-only assignment for the week, to restore the girls to equal status. The boys dislike the idea, with the exception of Kurt, who along with Mercedes, want to do a multimedia presentation honoring Madonna.

The girls sing Express Yourself with most of the male members remaining unimpressed, except Kurt. Meanwhile Santana, decides to bring it upon herself to take Finn's virginity. Initially Finn is hesitant to accept because he still has feelings for Rachel Berry. Santana informs him that Rachel is already planning to have sex with Jesse, who she is still dating. Furious, he confronts her and after resigning himself to the fact Rachel is dating Jesse, agrees to do a mash-up of Borderline and Open Your Heart that also recaps issues in their relationship.

A music-video cover of Madonna's Vogue video starring Sue Sylvester in the Madonna role (which also features Kurt and Mercedes) is intended as a makeover after Sue admits to the two best friends that she is secretly jealous of Will 's hair after an incident that happened to her as a child.

Three people decide to have sex for the first time and with their chosen partners (Finn & Santana, Rachel & Jesse, and Emma & Will) they sing Like a Virgin. Rachel and Jesse decide not to go ahead, but Finn pushes through to losing his virginity with Santana, and he later hides this from Rachel because "it meant nothing". Also, Will and Emma don't go through with it. She wanted to, but freaked out and ran out of his house with no shoes on.

Meanwhile, Jesse surprises Rachel and New Directions by transferring to William McKinley High School so that

he and Rachel can be openly together. There is resistance from the group, especially from Finn because he has feelings for Rachel and says "What the hell! It seems like now everybody is doing things just to hurt my feelings!" Kurt and Mercedes are resistant as well because this will mean even fewer solos, and the suspicion that Jesse is a spy for Vocal Adrenaline.

In retaliation for this move, Kurt and Mercedes accept Sue's offer to the Cheerios, who wants to add their musical talents to the Cheerleading performance (and further undermine Will) and perform 4 Minutes with them during a school assembly. They tell Will that they were unhappy about never having solos, and will be in both groups.

The boys sing What It Feels Like For A Girl, although Puck is uneasy with the song choice. They decide to treat the girls better and Artie, in particular, apologizes to Tina for his prior misogynistic behavior towards her. The two kiss for the first time since their fight about Tina's stutter.

The episode ends with Finn apologizing to Rachel and saying 'I really liked you. And I could have had you but I blew it.' Rachel shocked by what he said replies 'You really liked me?'. However, before Finn could even answer,

Jesse enters and Finn welcomes Jesse into New Directions and letting him and Rachel know he won't interfere in their relationship even though he "really liked" Rachel. He also says "I'll try and stay away from your girl." The entire Glee club, now with Jesse part of the group, sing Like A Prayer backed by a gospel choir, with Kurt and Mercedes each having solo.

Songs

All songs are by Madonna unless stated.

• Express Yourself sung by New Directions Girls.

• Borderline/Open Your Heart sung by Rachel and Finn.

• Vogue sung by Sue.

• Like a Virgin sung by Will, Emma, Santana, Finn, Rachel, and Jesse.

• 4 Minutes by Madonna ft. Justin Timberlake and Timberland. Sung by Kurt and Mercedes.

• What It Feels Like For a Girl sung by New Directions Guys.

• Like a Prayer sung by New Directions.

• Ray of Light danced by the Cheerios.
• Burning Up sung by Vocal Adrenaline. Cut from the episode.

Background Songs

• Justify My Love by Madonna
• Frozen by Madonna
• Burning Up by Madonna

Guest Stars

Special Guest Star

• Jonathan Groff as Jesse St. James

Guest Cast

• Iqbal Theba as Principal Figgins
• Naya Rivera as Santana Lopez
• Josh Sussman as Jacob Ben Israel
• Heather Morris as Brittany
• Harry Shum Jr. as Mike Chang
• Dijon Talton as Matt Rutherford

Co-Stars

• Lauren Potter as Becky Jackson

Trivia

• Chris Colfer commented that this episode was one of the cast's favorite but the hardest work
• Dijon Talton stated that Like A Prayer was his favorite song from the episode.
• Ryan Murphy was eager to do a tribute episode to Madonna, having worked with her in the past. Madonna gave her full cooperation and allowed the show to have access to her entire music catalogue.
• The choir in the Like A Prayer scene was brought in by Amber Riley who plays Mercedes. You can see her dancing with her mother.
• When Emma is talking to Will about role models she mentions Britney Spears and her "shaved head" is a bad role model for the kids. This is funny because in the second episode of the second season there is an episode dedicated to her and Emma talks of how she is a great role model for rebirth and defeating adversity.
• Brittany's line, "Mr. Schue, is he your son?" was ad-libbed by Heather Morris.
• This is the episode that Jane Lynch submitted in her 2010 Emmy bid for Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (she won).
• When Quinn is doodling Rachel, there are hearts around Rachel and her name for some odd reason.
• Amber Riley's mother was one of the members of the choir during Like A Prayer.
• When Brittany is suggesting that Santana should date Finn because he is younger, she said his birthday was three days before her's which would mean he is actually three days older than her, not the other way around. This is probably scripted to be a Brittany error which is characteristic for her.

Errors

• When Rachel is talking to the female Glee members about her date with Jesse you can see Brittany rubbing Santana's hand and when the angle switches back after the flashback of the date Brittany isn't rubbing her hand, but when the angle switches again she is still rubbing her hand, indicating they never dropped hands.
• In the final lines of "Express Yourself" there is a jacket in front of the girls on the side angle, but it is gone when the camera switches back to the front view.
• When the Glee girls perform Express Yourself they are wearing tight corsets. When you look at Quinn, she has an almost perfectly flat stomach, even though in the scene before, she has a noticeable baby bump. But, in one picture, you can clearly see the baby bump pop under the corset. Note this could be possibly justified because the Express Yourself performance was supposed to be at least partially a fantasy
• When Rachel, Jesse, Finn, Santana, Emma and Will are performing Like A Virgin in one of the angles with Jesse and Rachel, you can see Lea's tattoo on her left shoulder.

Gallery

Videos

Quotes

“	Brittany: Mr. Schue, is he your son?	”
—Brittany (about Jesse), The Power Of Madonna

“	Jesse: Just come out so we can talk. Or sing about it.	”
—Jesse to Rachel, The Power Of Madonna

“	Somewhere in the English countryside, in a stately manor, Madonna is weeping.	”
—Sue to the Cheerios after a performance that displeased her, The Power Of Madonna

“	You think this is hard? I'm passing a gallstone as we speak! That's hard!!!	”
—Sue to the Cheerios after a performance that displeased her, The Power Of Madonna

“	Quinn: Would you please stop talking? You're grossing out my baby.	”
—Quinn to Rachel, The Power Of Madonna

“	Sue: As Madonna once said, I'm tough, I'm ambitious and, if that makes me a bitch, okay; pretty sure she stole that line from one Sue Sylvester. No, really, I said it first.	”
—Sue to the Cheerios, The Power Of Madonna

“	Emma: Lindsay Lohan looks like something out of the Lord Of The Rings.	”
—Emma to Will, The Power Of Madonna

“	Santana: I mean for me. Its win-win for me.	”
—Santana to Finn, The Power Of Madonna

Navigational

v - e - d Glee Episodes

Season One Pilot • Showmance • Acafellas • Preggers • The Rhodes Not Taken • Vitamin D • Throwdown • Mash-Up • Wheels • Ballad • Hairography • Mattress • Sectionals • Hell-O • The Power of Madonna • Home • Bad Reputation • Laryngitis • Dream On • Theatricality • Funk • Journey Season Two Audition • Britney/Brittany • Grilled Cheesus • Duets • The Rocky Horror Glee Show • Never Been Kissed • The Substitute • Furt • Special Education • A Very Glee Christmas • The Sue Sylvester Shuffle • Silly Love Songs • Comeback • Blame It on the Alcohol • Sexy • Original Song • A Night of Neglect • Born This Way • Rumours • Prom Queen • Funeral • New York Season Three The Purple Piano Project • I Am Unicorn • Asian F • Pot o' Gold • The First Time • Mash Off • I Kissed a Girl • Hold on to Sixteen • Extraordinary Merry Christmas • Yes/No • Michael • The Spanish Teacher • Heart • On My Way • Big Brother • Saturday Night Glee-ver • Dance with Somebody • Choke • Prom-asaurus • Props • Nationals • Goodbye Season Four The New Rachel • Britney 2.0 • Makeover • The Break-Up • The Role You Were Born to Play • Glease • Dynamic Duets • Thanksgiving • Swan Song • Glee, Actually • Sadie Hawkins • Naked • Diva • I Do • Girls (and Boys) on Film • Feud • Guilty Pleasures • Shooting Star • Sweet Dreams • Lights Out • Wonder-ful • All or Nothing

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