View source for A Very Glee Christmas

{{Good article}}
{{Infobox television episode
| series       = [[Glee (TV series)|Glee]]
| image        = A Very Glee Christmas.jpg
| image_size   = 250
| season       = 2
| episode      = 10
| airdate      = {{start date|2010|12|7}}
| production   = 2ARC10
| guests       = 
*[[Iqbal Theba]] as [[Principal Figgins]]
*[[Dot-Marie Jones]] as [[Shannon Beiste]]
*[[Harry Shum, Jr.]] as [[Mike Chang]]
*[[Chord Overstreet]] as [[Sam Evans]]
*[[Darren Criss]] as [[Blaine Anderson]]
*Jernard Burks as the mall Santa
*[[Max Adler (actor)|Max Adler]] as [[Dave Karofsky]]
*James Earl as [[Characters of Glee#Azimio|Azimio]]
*[[Ashley Fink]] as [[Lauren Zizes]]
*[[Lauren Potter]] as [[Becky Jackson]]
| writer       = [[Ian Brennan (writer)|Ian Brennan]]
| director     = [[Alfonso Gomez-Rejon]]
| music        = "[[The Most Wonderful Day of the Year]]" <br />"[[We Need a Little Christmas]]"<br />"[[Merry Christmas Darling]]"<br />"[[Baby, It's Cold Outside]]"<br />"[[You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch]]"<br />"[[Last Christmas]]"<br />"[[Welcome Christmas]]"<br />"[[My Favorite Things (song)|My Favourite Things]]"
| episode_list = List of Glee episodes
| season_article = Glee season 2
| prev         = [[Special Education (Glee)|Special Education]]
| next         = [[The Sue Sylvester Shuffle]]
}}
"'''A Very Glee Christmas'''" is the tenth episode of the [[Glee season 2|second season]] of the American musical television series ''[[Glee (TV series)|Glee]]'', and the thirty-second episode overall. It was written by series co-creator [[Ian Brennan (writer)|Ian Brennan]], directed by [[Alfonso Gomez-Rejon]], and premiered on [[Fox Broadcasting Corporation|Fox]] on December&nbsp;7, 2010. It served as the mid-season finale of season two—nearly two months elapsed before the next episode was aired—and featured [[Artie Abrams|Artie]] ([[Kevin McHale (actor)|Kevin McHale]]) trying to keep his girlfriend [[Brittany Pierce|Brittany]]'s ([[Heather Morris (actress)|Heather Morris]]) belief in Santa Claus intact, and [[Sue Sylvester|Sue]] ([[Jane Lynch]]) rigging the faculty Secret Santa gift exchange so she gets all the gifts, though she later becomes a Grinch when the gifts are repossessed.

The episode features seven songs, two of which come from the television special ''[[How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (TV special)|How the Grinch Stole Christmas!]]''. The creators of ''Glee'' received permission from the estate of [[Dr. Seuss]] for the use of characters from ''[[How the Grinch Stole Christmas!]]'', but were not allowed to use them in promotional photographs. Most of the songs featured in the episode had been released on ''[[Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album]]'' four weeks prior to airing, including "[[Baby, It's Cold Outside]]", which debuted at number fifty-seven on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] after the episode aired, despite not having been released separately as a single. "Welcome Christmas", the other song to chart after the episode aired, was the only song from the episode not on the album, but it was released as a single, and it debuted at number thirty-seven on the [[Canadian Hot 100]].

The episode received generally positive reviews from critics, most of whom seemed to have judged it with different criteria from their normal because it was a holiday episode, while the music fared somewhat better, especially the rendition of "Baby, It's Cold Outside" as a duet between [[Kurt Hummel|Kurt]] ([[Chris Colfer]]) and [[Blaine Anderson|Blaine]] ([[Darren Criss]]), which was extensively praised. Upon its initial airing, this episode was viewed by a hair under 11.07&nbsp;million American viewers and received a 4.4/13 [[Nielsen ratings#Ratings/share and total viewers|Nielsen rating/share]] in the [[Nielsen ratings#Demographics|18–49 demographic]]. The total viewership and ratings for this episode were down from the previous episode, "[[Special Education (Glee)|Special Education]]", which was watched the week before by over 11.68&nbsp;million American viewers and received a 4.6/13 rating/share in the 18–49 demographic.

==Plot==
The William McKinley High School faculty hold a [[Secret Santa]] gift exchange, but cheerleading coach [[Sue Sylvester]] ([[Jane Lynch]]) tampers with the selection process to ensure that she receives all the gifts. Glee club director [[Will Schuester]] ([[Matthew Morrison]]) sends the club, New Directions, to carol around the school to raise money for a local homeless charity, but they are met with abuse from students and staff alike, and return empty-handed. At Dalton Academy in [[Westerville, Ohio]], former New Directions member [[Kurt Hummel]] ([[Chris Colfer]]) sings a duet of "[[Baby, It's Cold Outside]]" with his friend [[Blaine Anderson]] ([[Darren Criss]]) to help him rehearse it for the [[Kings Island]] Christmas Spectacular. Will visits Kurt to seek his advice on a gift for Sue, and Kurt reveals that he has fallen in love with Blaine.

Glee club co-captain [[Rachel Berry]] ([[Lea Michele]]) twice attempts to make amends with her estranged boyfriend [[Finn Hudson]] ([[Cory Monteith]]), who is still upset that she cheated on him with his best friend [[Puck (Glee)|Puck]] ([[Mark Salling]]), and he officially ends their relationship. Club member [[Artie Abrams]] ([[Kevin McHale (actor)|Kevin McHale]]) discovers that his girlfriend [[Brittany Pierce]] ([[Heather Morris (actress)|Heather Morris]]) still believes in [[Santa Claus]], and encourages the other members to visit a [[Santa's workshop|Christmas grotto]] to help reinforce her belief. To Artie's dismay, Brittany asks the grotto's Santa to restore Artie's ability to walk, which he agrees to do. Hoping to maintain her faith, Artie convinces football coach [[Shannon Beiste]] ([[Dot-Marie Jones]]) to go to Brittany's house dressed as Santa and explain that this particular wish cannot be granted. Santa's visit is not a success, and Brittany loses her Christmas spirit, but she later finds a gift for Artie underneath her Christmas tree—a [[ReWalk]] mobility device that allows him to stand and walk with the assistance of forearm crutches—which he demonstrates for the glee club. As Brittany tells the group that it must have come from Santa, Coach Beiste secretly observes the demonstration and smiles.

Will and the other faculty members discover Sue's deception and reclaim their gifts with the intention of donating them to the homeless charity. Incensed, Sue dresses as the [[Grinch]], with her favorite cheerleader [[Becky Jackson]] ([[Lauren Potter]]) as Max, and steals back the presents while she vandalizes the choir room's Christmas decorations. The club members are stunned by the theft and destruction, but Will encourages them to give a private performance for the faculty, which proves successful and garners many charitable donations. Sue overhears their performance of "Welcome Christmas", and she comes to regret her actions. She returns the presents to Will at his apartment, and brings the New Directions members to decorate a new Christmas tree and spread holiday cheer.

==Production==
[[Image:Ted Geisel NYWTS 2 crop.jpg|thumb|200px|right|This episode makes use of several characters and events from ''[[How the Grinch Stole Christmas!]]'' by [[Dr. Seuss]] (''pictured'').]]
The episode was written by series co-creator [[Ian Brennan (writer)|Ian Brennan]] and directed by [[Alfonso Gomez-Rejon]]. The creators of ''Glee'' received permission from the estate of [[Dr. Seuss]] for the use of characters from ''[[How the Grinch Stole Christmas!]]'', but were not allowed to use them in promotional photographs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2010-11-30-glee30_ST_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip|title=First look: A New Direction on 'A Very Glee Christmas{{'-}}|date=November 30, 2010|first=Gary|last=Levin|work=[[USA Today]]|publisher=[[Gannett Company]]|access-date=December 8, 2010}}</ref>

Recurring characters in this episode include glee club members [[Mike Chang]] ([[Harry Shum, Jr.]]), [[Sam Evans]] ([[Chord Overstreet]]) and [[Lauren Zizes]] ([[Ashley Fink]]), school bullies [[Dave Karofsky]] ([[Max Adler (actor)|Max Adler]]) and [[Azimio]] (James Earl), football coach Shannon Beiste, cheerleader [[Becky Jackson]] ([[Lauren Potter]]), [[Principal Figgins]] ([[Iqbal Theba]]), and [[Blaine Anderson]] ([[Darren Criss]]) lead singer of the Dalton Academy Warblers.<ref name="nalc">{{Cite press release|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/listings/20101122fox02/ |title=(GLE-210) "A Very Glee Christmas{{"-}} |work=The Futon Critic|access-date=February 29, 2012}}</ref>

"A Very Glee Christmas" features [[cover version]]s of seven Christmas songs: "The Most Wonderful Day of the Year" from ''[[Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (TV special)|Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer]]'', performed by New Directions; "[[We Need a Little Christmas]]" from ''[[Mame (musical)|Mame]]'', with [[Amber Riley]] on lead vocals; [[Frank Loesser]]'s "Baby, It's Cold Outside", sung by Criss and Colfer; "[[Merry Christmas Darling]]" by [[The Carpenters]], sung by Michele, "[[Last Christmas]]" by [[Wham!]], sung by Michele and Monteith; and "Welcome Christmas" from ''[[How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (TV special)|How the Grinch Stole Christmas!]]'', also by New Directions.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.vanityfair.com/online/oscars/2010/12/the-gay-guide-to-glee-season-2-episode-10-a-very-glee-christmas.html |title=The Gay Guide to ''Glee'': Season 2 Episode 10, "A Very ''Glee'' Christmas{{"-}} |date=December 8, 2010 |first=Brett |last=Berk |work=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]] |publisher=[[Condé Nast Publications]] |access-date=December 8, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101218042507/http://www.vanityfair.com/online/oscars/2010/12/the-gay-guide-to-glee-season-2-episode-10-a-very-glee-christmas.html |archive-date=December 18, 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="RS"/> Another song from ''How the Grinch Stole Christmas!'' is heard in the episode—an arrangement of "[[You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch]]", soundtracked by [[k.d. lang]], and with the lyric "Mister Grinch" modified to "Sue the Grinch".<ref name="Buddy"/> "Last Christmas" had been released previously as a [[charity single]] in late 2009,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Glee-Cast/e/B002U0FLUW/digital/|title=Glee Cast: MP3 Downloads|website=Amazon |access-date=December 8, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite press release|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/glee-gets-in-the-holiday-spirit-with-festive-new-single-available-today-exclusively-on-itunes-73057877.html|title=Glee Gets In The Holiday Spirit With Festive New Single, Available Today Exclusively On iTunes|date=November 24, 2010|publisher=[[PR Newswire]]|access-date=November 21, 2010}}</ref> and is included on ''[[Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album]]''.<ref>{{Cite press release|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/glee-the-music-the-christmas-album--available-november-16-105757288.html|title=Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album − Available November 16|date=October 26, 2010|publisher=[[PR Newswire]]|access-date=December 3, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101029034329/http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/glee-the-music-the-christmas-album--available-november-16-105757288.html| archive-date=October 29, 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref> "Welcome Christmas" was released as a single, available for [[Music download|digital download]], separately from the album, which otherwise includes all remaining tracks and six additional songs not heard in the episode; a different version of "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" was recorded for the album, which featured Morrison along with lang and used the original "Mister Grinch" lyric.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/952659/glee-to-ring-in-holidays-with-christmas-album |title={{-'}}Glee' to Ring in Holidays with 'Christmas Album{{'-}} |date=October 26, 2010 |first=Jason |last=Lipshutz |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc |access-date=October 27, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101027132058/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/952659/glee-to-ring-in-holidays-with-christmas-album |archive-date=October 27, 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Reception==

===Ratings===
"A Very Glee Christmas" was first broadcast on December 7, 2010 in the United States on Fox. It earned a 4.4/13 [[Nielsen ratings#Ratings/share and total viewers|Nielsen rating/share]] in the [[Nielsen ratings#Demographics|18–49 demographic]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2010/12/08/tuesday-finals-one-tree-hill-adjusted-up-raising-hope-adjusted-down/74810|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101210112542/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2010/12/08/tuesday-finals-one-tree-hill-adjusted-up-raising-hope-adjusted-down/74810|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 10, 2010|title=Tuesday Finals: ''One Tree Hill'' Adjusted Up; ''Raising Hope'' Adjusted Down|work=TV by the Numbers|last=Gorman|first=Bill|date=December 8, 2010|access-date=April 9, 2011}}</ref> and received a hair under 11.07&nbsp;million American viewers during its initial airing. It won the 18–49 demographic against an ''[[NCIS (TV series)|NCIS]]'' rerun on CBS, ''[[Minute to Win It]]'' on NBC, the ''[[A Charlie Brown Christmas]]'' special on ABC, and ''[[One Tree Hill (TV series)|One Tree Hill]]'' on CW. The total viewership and ratings for this episode were down from those of the previous episode, "[[Special Education (Glee)|Special Education]]", which was watched by over 11.68&nbsp;million American viewers and received a 4.6/13 rating/share in the 18–49 demographic upon first airing on television on November 30, 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2010/12/01/tuesday-finals-glee-rudolph-the-grinch-adjusted-up/73991|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101204093500/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2010/12/01/tuesday-finals-glee-rudolph-the-grinch-adjusted-up/73991|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 4, 2010|title=Tuesday Finals: ''Glee'', ''Rudolph'', ''The Grinch'' Adjusted Up|work=TV by the Numbers|last=Gorman|first=Bill|date=December 1, 2010|access-date=April 9, 2011}}</ref>

In Canada, 2.37&nbsp;million viewers watched the episode, which ranked fifth for the week. This was a slight increase over the 2.32&nbsp;million viewers who watched the "Special Education" the previous week, though it had ranked second in that week.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bbm.ca/_documents/top_30_tv_programs_english/2010/nat11292010.pdf |title=Top Programs - Total Canada (English): December 6&nbsp;- December 12, 2010 |publisher=[[BBM Canada]] |access-date=October 25, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110905042852/http://www.bbm.ca/_documents/top_30_tv_programs_english/2010/nat11292010.pdf |archive-date=September 5, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://bbm.ca/_documents/top_30_tv_programs_english/2010/nat11292010.pdf |title=Top Programs - Total Canada (English): November 29&nbsp;- December 5, 2010 |publisher=[[BBM Canada]] |access-date=August 17, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110905042852/http://www.bbm.ca/_documents/top_30_tv_programs_english/2010/nat11292010.pdf |archive-date=September 5, 2011 }}</ref> In Australia and the UK, the episode aired after Christmas, in the new year. The episode's Australian broadcast, on February 7, 2011, drew 769,000 viewers, which made ''Glee'' the seventeenth most-watched program of the night; it failed to place in the top fifty in the weekly viewership rankings.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/blogs/the-tribal-mind/the-ratings-race-week-7-20110206-1ai2o.html|title=The ratings race: Amazing scenes as Pay TV beats Channel Nine|date=February 6, 2011|first=David|last=Dale|work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|publisher=[[Fairfax Media]]|access-date=October 25, 2011}}</ref> Here, viewership registered a steep 23% fall from the previous episode, "Special Education, which attracted 1.02&nbsp;million viewers when it aired on January 31, 2011, and ranked twenty-seventh for the week.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/blogs/the-tribal-mind/the-ratings-race-week-5/20110131-1aana.html|title=The ratings race: Week 5|date=January 31, 2011|first=David|last=Dale|work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|publisher=[[Fairfax Media]]|access-date=March 5, 2011}}</ref> In the UK, the episode was watched by 2.20 million viewers (1.89 million on [[E4 (channel)|E4]], and 315,000 on E4+1), which made it the most-watched show on cable for the week, but the lowest-viewed episode of the season so far, and down over 15% from "Special Education" in the previous week, which received 2.60&nbsp;million viewers.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.barb.co.uk/whats-new/weekly-top-30/? |title=Weekly Top 30 Programmes w/e 20 Mar 2011|publisher=[[Broadcasters' Audience Research Board|BARB]] |access-date=March 28, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.barb.co.uk/whats-new/weekly-top-30/? |title=Weekly Top 30 Programmes |publisher=[[BARB]] |access-date=March 21, 2011}}</ref>

===Critical reception===
[[File:Heather Morris by Gage Skidmore.jpg|thumb|left|150px|The belief of Brittany (Heather Morris, ''pictured'') in Santa Claus was called "the linchpin of the hour" by Joel Keller.<ref name="AOL"/>]]
The episode received generally positive reviews from critics, most of whom seemed to have judged it on different criteria from their normal because it was a holiday episode. ''[[The Atlantic]]''{{'s}} Kevin Fallon may have called it "sickly oversweet", but maintained "that's exactly what you want at Christmas". His colleague Patrick Burns wrote, "Holiday episodes tread a dangerous line between sweet and saccharine, but this episode splits the difference perfectly."<ref name="ATL"/> The title of the article they wrote with Meghan Brown, "''Glee'' Does Christmas: Cheesy but Charming", found echoes in other reviews: both Amy Reiter of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' and Anthony Benigno of the ''[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]]'' also thought the episode was quite cheesy, but Benigno characterized it as "the good kind of cheese; the kind you'll eat for antipasti before grandma and grandpa bring out the roast beef on Christmas dinner", and Reiter's bottom line was that it "may not have been the most wonderful episode of the year, but it did feature moments that twinkled and shined like the lovingly trimmed family tree."<ref name="LAT">{{cite news|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2010/12/glee-recap-secret-santas-and-christmas-miracles.html|title='Glee' recap: Secret Santas and Christmas miracles|first=Amy|last=Reiter|date=December 8, 2010|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=September 4, 2011}}</ref><ref name="Daily News"/> ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]''{{'s}} [[James Poniewozik]] was less enthusiastic when he noted that ''Glee'' delivered an episode "that touched on all the requisite holiday bases but that felt perfunctory", and added that it was "generally ho-ho-hum".<ref name="Time">{{cite magazine|url=https://entertainment.time.com/2010/12/08/glee-watch-the-dickensian-aspect/|title=Glee Watch: The Dickensian Aspect|first=James|last=Poniewozik|date=December 8, 2010|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|access-date=September 4, 2011}}</ref> Robert Canning of ''[[IGN]]'' gave it a "great" 8 out of 10, but stated that "the episode as a whole was lacking just a bit to turn it into an absolute classic", and ''[[The A.V. Club]]''{{'s}} Emily VanDerWerff gave the episode a "B−" and wrote, "I guess I'd say that I thought the episode worked moment-to-moment, without working as an overall narrative", but also stated that it was "positively filled with stupid moments".<ref name="IGN"/><ref name="AV">{{cite web|url=http://www.avclub.com/articles/a-very-glee-christmas,48607/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101210111931/http://www.avclub.com/articles/a-very-glee-christmas,48607/|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 10, 2010|title=A Very Glee Christmas|first=Emily|last=VanDerWerff|date=December 8, 2010|work=[[The A.V. Club]]|access-date=October 6, 2019}}</ref>

Joel Keller of ''[[AOL TV]]'' wrote that "the linchpin of the hour was Brittany's belief in Santa Claus."<ref name="AOL">{{cite web|url=http://www.aoltv.com/2011/10/04/glee-season-3-episode-3-recap/|title={{-'}}Glee' Season 3, Episode 3 Recap|first=Joel|last=Keller|work=[[AOL TV]]|publisher=[[AOL]]|date=December 8, 2010|access-date=October 24, 2011}}</ref> The ''[[New York Post]]''{{'s}} Jarett Wieselman called it "adorably realized by actress Heather Morris", and Canning said she "perfectly played up Brittany's innocence and joy surrounding everything Santa".<ref name="IGN"/><ref name="NYP1"/> Brown was less enthusiastic, and wrote that she was tiring of the "look how dumb yet kind-hearted Brittany is" plots.<ref name="ATL"/> Keller approved of the Artie and Brittany coupling, and said it was "way more fun to watch than Rachel and Finn and all their angst", and Canning felt that the episode's heart was Artie working to keep Brittany from becoming disillusioned about Santa.<ref name="AOL"/><ref name="IGN"/> He also wrote, "shining in this storyline was Dot Jones as Coach Beiste. Her scene as Santa, and then her knowing expression as she watched Artie walk, were the best moments of the episode."<ref name="IGN"/> Burns agreed: "Coach Beiste's performance as the Santa Claus bearer of harsh reality was quite moving. It's nice to see her get to show her acting chops and refreshing to see her character's vulnerability."<ref name="ATL"/> Poniewozik also agreed, and said Jones "has been remarkable", "taking every ridiculous moment Glee has thrown at her and finding the true emotion at the core of the absurdity, which is what Glee at its best does." However, he was disappointed by how the storyline played out: "it didn't feel right that after the story the episode built around Brittany, it then felt that we needed to see Artie on his feet for it to be a truly happy ending."<ref name="Time"/>

Bobby Hankinson of the ''[[Houston Chronicle]]'' was critical of the "really tedious Rachel/Finn back and forth", and Canning wrote that the "only thing that really dragged the episode down was Rachel trying to win Finn back".<ref name="IGN"/><ref name="HC"/> Keller asked rhetorically, "Do we still care about Rachel and Finn at this point?", and later stated, "nice as 'Last Christmas' was, I'm glad Finn didn't fall for it."<ref name="AOL"/> Benigno noted that Finn's few lines in the episode really counted.<ref name="Daily News"/>

Critics had widely divergent views of Sue's storyline. Keller wrote, "They made Sue Sylvester into a cartoon character." Though he called Sue's destruction of the choir room "a fun little parody to watch", he added, "in the grand scheme of what was a pretty damn good episode, it was too much of a distraction", and worried that the role of Sue was becoming "a big fat joke".<ref name="AOL"/> While Canning also noted the shift in tone "from despicable Sue to cartoony evil Sue", he enjoyed her "attempt to hijack Secret Santa", and said it was "another fun reason to love to hate Sue Sylvester".<ref name="IGN"/> Hankinson felt that the Grinch was "the perfect touchstone for the heartless Ms. Sylvester and Jane Lynch's lanky frame made the physical humor (think gliding around the base of the tree on her belly) really sing."<ref name="HC"/> Poniewozik called Sue's transformation "pretty amusing to watch", admitted that he doubted he would "have been able to resist the urge to put the rangy Jane Lynch in that classic role" and called Brittany as Cindy Lou Who "unexpected, clever and surprisingly touching".<ref name="Time"/> Several reviewers commented favorably on Becky playing Max, including Canning, who wrote "it was all worth it to realize Becky is and always will be the Max to Sue's Grinch", and ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''{{'s}} Tim Stack declared, "I totally love how Becky is becoming Sue’s little minion. It’s both adorable and hilarious."<ref name="IGN"/><ref name="EW"/>

===Music and performances===
{{multiple image
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| footer = The duet "Baby, It's Cold Outside", sung by Kurt (Colfer, ''left'') and Blaine (Criss, ''right''), was the most enthusiastically received song of the episode.
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The episode's musical performances received generally good marks, though some more than others. Canning described it as "an average song selection", and wrote: "There are literally thousands of holiday songs to choose from and the ones sung in 'A Very Glee Christmas' could have used some more of Santa's magic."<ref name="IGN">{{cite web|url=http://uk.tv.ign.com/articles/113/1138979p1.html|title=Glee: "A Very Glee Christmas" Review|first=Robert|last=Canning|date=December 8, 2010|work=[[IGN]]|access-date=September 4, 2011}}</ref> Some reviewers commented on the songs themselves rather than the performances, including Wham!'s "Last Christmas", which Canning described as "a terrible song in any season", while Jen Harper of ''[[BuddyTV]]'' stated that she loved Wham!<ref name="Buddy">{{Cite web|url=http://www.buddytv.com/articles/glee/glee-recap-how-sue-the-grinch-38824.aspx|title={{-'}}Glee' Recap: How Sue the Grinch Stole Christmas|date=December 7, 2010|first=Jen|last=Harper|publisher=[[BuddyTV]]|access-date=October 23, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101227171434/http://www.buddytv.com/articles/glee/glee-recap-how-sue-the-grinch-38824.aspx|archive-date=December 27, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="IGN"/>

Benigno called "The Most Wonderful Day of the Year" a "perfectly pleasant opening that the Gleeks sing while they decorate their tree".<ref name="Daily News">{{cite news|url=http://articles.nydailynews.com/2010-12-08/entertainment/27083690_1_santa-claus-brittany-roast-beef|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120614052723/http://articles.nydailynews.com/2010-12-08/entertainment/27083690_1_santa-claus-brittany-roast-beef|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 14, 2012|title='Glee' episode recap: 'A Very 'Glee' Christmas' has Artie walking, thanks to present from Brittany|first=Anthony|last=Benigno|date=December 8, 2010|work=[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]]|location=New York|access-date=September 4, 2011}}</ref> Canning deemed it "the episode's most successful song" and added that it "would have been a great tone setter if the rest of the episode hadn't focused on heartbreak, hate and grinches".<ref name="IGN"/> Harper said that the song "got the episode off on the right holiday foot", and Stack gave it a "B" and wrote that its performance "almost felt like the beginning of a real holiday musical. It was a little cheesy but also kind of charming and sweet."<ref name="Buddy"/><ref name="EW">{{cite magazine|url=http://tvrecaps.ew.com/recap/glee-s2-ep10-christmas/|title='Glee' recap: Holiday Spirit|first=Tim|last=Stack|date=December 8, 2010|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|access-date=September 4, 2011}}</ref> The next song, "We Need a Little Christmas", Benigno declared "fun but too short". He added, "If there's one thing this number teaches us, it's that Mercedes is being woefully misused on this show and can carry a number as well, if not better than she can finish one."<ref name="Daily News"/> Stack said that the "little taste" included in the show "sounded promising", and Harper "totally loved this song".<ref name="Buddy"/><ref name="EW"/>

Kurt and Blaine's duet on "Baby, It's Cold Outside" received many more reviews than the other songs, and the greatest praise. Wieselman called it his "far and away favorite" song of the episode.<ref name="NYP1">{{cite news|url=http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/popwrap/lea_michele_becomes_holiday_staple_LQe2lOpgiFZjx8TQZhqqfK|title=Lea Michele becomes a holiday staple|first=Jarett|last=Wieselman|date=December 8, 2010|work=[[New York Post]]|access-date=September 4, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111130020434/http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/popwrap/lea_michele_becomes_holiday_staple_LQe2lOpgiFZjx8TQZhqqfK|archive-date=2011-11-30|url-status=dead}}</ref> Stack declared it the "complete and total highlight of the episode and one of the best moments of the second season". He gave it an "A+".<ref name="EW"/> Hankinson said it was the show's "best musical number", and described it as "well-performed, sweet and wonderfully choreographed"; he added: "It was bold, without being gimmicky".<ref name="HC">{{cite news|url=http://blog.chron.com/tubular/2010/12/glee-christmas-no-grinch-left-behind/|title=Glee Christmas: No Grinch left behind|first=Bobby|last=Hankinson|date=December 8, 2010|work=[[Houston Chronicle]]|access-date=September 4, 2011}}</ref> ''[[The Atlantic]]''{{'s}} Meghan Brown and Patrick Burns were both enthusiastic: Brown said "Kurt's sweetly sexy duet with Blaine was near-perfect" and "the vocals and choreography gave Chris Colfer and Darren Criss a real chance to shine", while Burns called it "adorable".<ref name="ATL">{{cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2010/12/glee-does-christmas-cheesy-but-charming/67651/|title={{-'}}Glee' Does Christmas: Cheesy but Charming|first=Meghan|last=Brown|author2=Burns, Patrick |author3=Fallon, Kevin|date=December 8, 2010|work=[[The Atlantic]]|access-date=September 4, 2011}}</ref> Erica Futterman of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' wrote that it was "full of sweet harmonies and has an ideal undercurrent of romantic tension", though Harper "wasn't feeling any chemistry between them"; she felt the performance was "a little overacted", but noted that "their voices seem to like each other".<ref name="RS">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/glee-playback-the-new-directions-celebrate-a-very-glee-christmas-20101208|title={{-'}}Glee' Playback: The New Directions Celebrate 'A Very ''Glee'' Christmas{{'-}}|first=Erica|last=Futterman|date=December 8, 2010|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|access-date=September 4, 2011}}</ref><ref name="Buddy"/> Benigno was also less enthusiastic; he gave the song a "B−" and felt there was "something missing" from the rendition: "these two could have sang this number in their sleep and it kind of sounds like they did".<ref name="Daily News"/>

Rachel's performance of "Merry Christmas, Darling" had a good reception, but with caveats. Futterman wrote that "she nails the sentiment with her restrained take—but we'd love to move past Rachel's phase of singing Lite-FM ballads while watching everyone in bliss around her".<ref name="RS"/> Benigo called it "nice and fun" and Michele's voice "still a thing of wonder", and he gave the song an "A−", but added he was weary of "Rachel In Anguish Face".<ref name="Daily News"/> Stack gave it a "B" and said Michele "did a great job as usual", but noted it wasn't a favored holiday song.<ref name="EW"/> Of the reviewers who actually discussed Rachel and Finn's performance of "Last Christmas", both Benigno and Stack were enthusiastic and gave grades of "B+" and "A−" respectively. The former called it "one of the more fun songs" in the episode, and the latter described the performance as "really fun and had great production design".<ref name="Daily News"/><ref name="EW"/> Futterman felt that Michele's vocals were "a bit diva-esque for the simple pop tune", but noted that there were "sweet moments".<ref name="RS"/>

Of the two songs from ''How the Grinch Stole Christmas!'' featured in the episode, the first, a voiceover vocal of "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" sung by k.d. lang, based on a version of the song by artist Aimee Mann, as Sue wreaks havoc on the choir room, confused some reviewers, who thought that it was sung by Lynch herself. Benigno was one of these, though he said it was "thoroughly enjoyable", gave the song a "B+", and approved of the change in lyrics from "Mr. Grinch" to "Sue the Grinch".<ref name="Daily News"/> Harper also approved of the change, and admitted she thought Lynch had sung it until [[Google]] set her straight.<ref name="Buddy"/> Futterman called the song a "weirdly fitting moment" that "nevertheless fell a bit short of being fully realized".<ref name="RS"/> The second song, "Welcome Christmas", was welcomed by reviewers: Benigno described it as "really, really lovely" and gave it an "A".<ref name="Daily News"/> Harper cheered, and noted that the song "was sung very much like a real glee club, without people getting to showboat individually".<ref name="Buddy"/> Futterman characterized it as a "note-perfect performance", and wrote: "The layered harmonies and simple sentiment—'Christmas will always be, just so long as we have glee!'—tie the episode up with a bow, smoothing out the bumps that came before it."<ref name="RS"/>

===Chart history===
{{See also|Glee discography}}
Most of the Christmas songs featured in the episode had been released on ''[[Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album]]'' four weeks prior to airing. There were two exceptions: "Welcome Christmas" did not appear on the album but was released as a single, and "Last Christmas", which was on the album but had originally been released as a charity single a full year before the episode aired. The top song from the show on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] was neither of these: "Baby, It's Cold Outside" debuted at number fifty-seven once the episode aired, despite not having been released separately as a single;<ref name="US">Peak chart positions for season 2 singles in the United States: "Baby, It's Cold Outside" and "Welcome Christmas" {{Cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/2010-12-25/hot-100?order=gainer|title=Hot 100: Week of December 25, 2010 (Biggest Jump)|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|publisher=[[Prometheus Global Media]]|access-date=June 13, 2011}}</ref> it had jumped from number one hundred thirty to number twenty-seven on ''Billboard''{{'s}} Digital Song chart that same week,<ref name="ChartWatch">{{cite web|url=http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/chart_watch/70736/week-ending-dec-12-2010-whos-naughtynice/|title=Week Ending Dec. 12, 2010: Who's Naughty & Nice|date=December 15, 2010|first=Paul|last=Grein|work=Chart Watch|publisher=[[Yahoo! Music]]. [[Yahoo!]]|access-date=June 13, 2011}}</ref> and debuted at number fifty-three on the Canadian Hot 100.<ref name="Can">{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/2010-12-25/canadian-hot-100?order=gainer|title=Canadian Hot 100: Week of December 25, 2010 (Biggest Jump)|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|publisher=[[Prometheus Global Media]]|access-date=June 13, 2011}}</ref> "Welcome Christmas" debuted at number fifty-nine on the Hot 100, and at number thirty-seven on the [[Canadian Hot 100]]. "Last Christmas", when it charted in December 2009, debuted at number sixty-three on the Hot 100,<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/2009-12-19/hot-100?order=gainer|title=Hot 100: Week of December 19, 2009 (Biggest Jump)|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|publisher=[[Prometheus Global Media]]|access-date=June 13, 2011}}</ref> and number sixty-two on the Canadian Hot 100,<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/2009-12-19/canadian-hot-100?order=gainer|title=Canadian Hot 100: Week of December 19, 2009 (Biggest Jump)|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|publisher=[[Prometheus Global Media]]|access-date=June 13, 2011}}</ref> but in December 2010 reappeared at number thirty-five on the Digital Songs chart<ref name="USDigit">{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/2010-12-25/digital-songs?order=gainer|title=Digital Songs: Week of December 25, 2010 (Biggest Jump)|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|publisher=[[Prometheus Global Media]]|access-date=June 13, 2011}}</ref> alongside "Baby, It's Cold Outside", "Welcome Christmas", and two other songs from the episode.<ref name="ChartWatch"/><ref name="USDigit"/> The album itself reached number three on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] chart; it sold over one million copies, and was certified platinum.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/949240/boyles-gift-keeps-giving-on-billboard-200-tron-hits-top-10|title=Boyle's 'Gift' Keeps Giving on Billboard 200, 'Tron' Hits Top 10|date=December 15, 2010|first=Keith|last=Caulfield|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|publisher=[[Prometheus Global Media]]|access-date=December 15, 2010}}</ref><ref name="riaa">{{cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=Glee&format=&go=Search&perPage=50 |title=RIAA Gold & Platinum |publisher=[[Recording Industry Association of America]] |access-date=July 15, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130225031458/http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS |archive-date=February 25, 2013 }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20101204111225/http://www.fox.com/glee/recaps/season-2/episode-10 "A Very Glee Christmas"] at [[Fox.com]]
*{{IMDb episode|1628280|A Very Glee Christmas}}

{{Glee episodes}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Very Glee Christmas, A}}
[[Category:2010 American television episodes]]
[[Category:American Christmas television episodes]]
[[Category:Glee season 2 episodes]]