Plot.

Opening sequence.

Kang and Kodos star in a fictional sitcom, entitled "Keepin' it Kodos". In it, Kodos is preparing their boss' visit by cooking dinner: Homer on a baking tray (continually eating himself), Bart on a skillet, Marge and Maggie in pies and Lisa in a soup. The boss gives the meal a delicious rating, but his stomach bursts ends up liberating Bart. Kang and Kodos are given a hyper-galactic promotion, much to the aliens' delight. Bart is sad about the loss of his parents and sisters, but Kang and Kodos decide to adopt him, which comforts Bart. The theme song from "Perfect Strangers" plays as the Treehouse of Horror logo appears on the screen; an alien tentacle stamps the "XV" underneath which makes it say, "Treehouse of Horror XV" in the fashion of the Mark VII Productions company logo.

The Ned Zone.

In a parody of "The Dead Zone", Homer tries to get his frisbee from the roof by throwing a bowling ball after it. The ball strikes a passing Ned on the head. When Ned recovers in Dr. Hibbert's hospital, he has a vision of Dr. Hibbert falling out of a window to his death. Homer then asks Hibbert to retrieve his frisbee from a ledge on the hospital. As Dr. Hibbert reaches for the ledge, he slips out of the window, causing Ned's vision to come true. Ned realizes that he can see the deaths of people whom he touches. After he gets out of the hospital, he attempts to save Hans Moleman from falling down but has a vision of him being eaten by alligators. In shock, he drops Moleman into an open manhole with dozens of alligators swimming in it. He also predicts the closing of the Rosie O'Donnell musical, but says he "didn't need special powers to know that was coming!"  A later vision depicts him shooting Homer, which horrifies Ned and he tries to conceal this from Homer. When Homer finds out, he taunts Ned and even gives him Chief Wiggum's gun to shoot him with, and says he could not even shoot him by accident. Ned refrains from shooting Homer, seemingly changing the future, but then has another vision of Homer blowing up Springfield by pressing the 'Core Destruct' button at the nuclear power plant. Ned tries to dissuade Homer from going to work, but Homer goes anyway because of ice cream cake for Lenny's birthday. Ned rushes to the power plant to stop Homer, and Marge follows him to force her husband to clean the garage. Unfortunately, Ned's warning is scrambled by static over the intercom, sounding as if he is encouraging Homer to press the button. In desperation, Ned grabs a nearby security guard's gun to shoot Homer, fulfilling the original prediction, but in his death throes, Homer presses the destruct button with his tongue. Ned has enough time to say "OH, YOU STUPID SON OF A--" before the power plant explodes and Springfield is destroyed. Ned, The Simpsons, and their still uncleaned garage go to Heaven as angels and meet God (again), who proceeds to give Homer "what he deserves" – his Frisbee.

Four Beheadings and a Funeral.

In a parody of "From Hell", taking place in 1890, London's prostitutes are being killed with swords in a series of unsolved murders by "Jack the Ripper" (referred as The Muttonchop Murderer). Scotland Yard's Inspector Wiggum challenges Master Detective Eliza Simpson and her easily amazed, goofy assistant Dr. Bartley to solve the crime. Their first piece of evidence is a bloody sword found by a "proper-Cockney flower girl", Marge. Simpson takes the sword to an oddities merchant (Comic Book Guy), who recognizes the sword as part of a set he had sold, called The Seven Swords of Osiris. He goes to check his dusty record books to see who he sold the swords to, but is killed by Jack the Ripper. Looking at the ledger, Simpson and Bartley discover the swords were sold to C. Ebenezer Burns, an industrialist who "makes coal out of babies". Bartley knows where to find Burns and tracks him down at Mao's (Moe's) Den of Inequity, an opium den. Burns instantly recognizes the sword, and tells Simpson that he sold them for opium to a "fat man with sideburns", and notices a man nearby who resembles the description, Homer. Simpson and Bartley chase him down and Homer gets caught by Wiggum, who happens to be at the opium den as well, to help Ralph Wiggum go to sleep.  Simpson and Bartley congratulate themselves for solving the crime, until they find another body, Selma, stabbed by another Sword of Osiris. Bartley first dismisses the body as having been killed days prior, pointing out the body as bloated and the face rotten, though Selma is alive long enough to say it was just "5 minutes ago". Simpson takes the sword and recognizes a certain scent on the sword handle. The next day, just before Homer is hanged for the murders, Simpson arrives, declaring Homer innocent due to the smell of eel pie on the handle, which Wiggum loves to eat. Officer Lou then reveals that Wiggum has muttonchops as well, exposing him as Jack the Ripper. He starts to explain that he just wanted to come up with a case that Simpson herself could not solve, but then flees in a hot-air balloon stolen from Professor Frink, but it gets pierced by a steampunk-style flying saucer flown by Kang and Kodos, who consider Earth's air fleet as destroyed. It is then shown that the whole story was an opium-caused dream by Ralph, which Wiggum reveals is part of an even crazier and fantastical dream that both of them are in.

In the Belly of the Boss.

In a parody of "Fantastic Voyage", at the "Invention Expo", Professor Frink creates a machine that shrinks objects. Maggie crawls inside a giant pill, thinking that it is a ball pit, which is miniaturized and swallowed by Mr. Burns. The rest of the family agrees to be shrunk within a craft and injected into Mr. Burns' body. Homer is the craft's captain, Lisa is in charge of science and research, Bart is in charge of security, and Marge is in charge of helping the deeps of the science. When Homer refuses to follow Frink's instructions, the ship gets stuck in Burns' heart. The crew manage to get the ship free from the outside and are able to reach the stomach by catching a ride on a nerve impulse, which Lisa calls "the body's information superhighway". They manage to save Maggie, but Homer is forced to leave the ship and save the rest on his own when their craft does not have enough power to save them all due to the addition of Maggie's extra weight. Homer becomes initially despondent at his family is forced to leave him behind, but finds consolation in finding a marshmallow in Burns' stomach. The submarine successfully escapes, but there isn't enough time to save Homer, who instantly returns to his original size inside Mr. Burns' skin, which makes them both yell in extra pain. Even though Homer complains that Mr. Burns needs several extra holes, Burns is confident that things will work out. The episode ends with Burns and Homer leading a dance to the tune of "I've Got You Under My Skin" (along with characters from all three segments and the opening sequence).

Reception.

The episode has received mixed reviews from television critics. Pip Ellwood Hughes was positive and said "In the Belly of the Boss" was the best segment of the three. Kevin Yeoman disliked the episode saying "much of it was old hat, and comfortably so. The best example of this is in the 'Treehouse of Horror XV' episode, which not only fails to elicit a single laugh, but also demonstrates how much the annual tradition had come to rely on spoofing pop-culture or horror films, rather than using the conventions of the genre to craft something funny and memorable. The execrable 'Four Beheadings and a Funeral' and 'In the Belly of the Boss' showing just how unfunny and lazily written these Halloween episodes can sometimes be." Chris Morgan of Cinema Sentries thought the quality of the episode was questionable. On John Hugar's top 25 Treehouse of Horror episodes he placed the episode at #21. He enjoyed "The Ned Zone" but thought "Four Beheadings and a Funeral" "bland" and "In the Belly of the Boss" done better before. When ranking the top 78 Treehouse of Horror segments Louis Peitzman was positive on the segments. He placed "The Ned Zone at #56 and said "it's fairly well done" but said "like so many early 2000s episodes, it goes too far." "Four Beheading and a Funereal was put at #49 and said "The distinctive look of the segment is great, and the murders are gruesome, but the mystery-solving itself isn’t worth more than a shrug." In the Belly of the Boss was placed highest at #44 and he thought it had its moments.

"Treehouse of Horror XV" is the first episode of the sixteenth season of "The Simpsons". It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 7, 2004. In the fifteenth annual "Treehouse of Horror", Ned Flanders' head injury gives him the power to predict others' deaths, Bart and Lisa play detective when a string of Victorian-era prostitutes are murdered by Jack the Ripper, and the Simpsons go on a fantastic voyage inside Mr. Burns' body to save Maggie. It was written by Bill Odenkirk and directed by David Silverman. Around 11.29 million Americans tuned in to watch the episode during its original broadcast.


Career.

Martin started learning the piano at the age of six, and joined his first professional band, Killing Floor, in April or May 1968. In 1969 Martin and Stuart McDonald were recruited by 17-year-old Darryl Read who formed a band for Emperor Rosko's brother (Jeff Pasternak) called Crayon Angels, which Read put together and played drums, while Rosko acted as manager. Martin later left Killing Floor to play alongside Gallagher, and is featured on several of Gallagher's albums, including "Blueprint", "Tattoo", "Irish Tour '74", "Against the Grain", "Calling Card", "Defender" and "Fresh Evidence". He also played rhythm guitar on one track, "Race the Breeze" from "Blueprint".  After leaving Gallagher's band, Martin and drummer Rod de'Ath formed Ramrod, after which Martin played with Downliners Sect and Screaming Lord Sutch, and also toured with Chuck Berry and Albert Collins.  Martin played in the Nickey Barclay band in London in the 1980s, alongside Barclay (ex-Fanny) on keyboards, with John Conroy (ex-Sam Mitchell Band) and Dave Ball on lead guitar (ex-Procol Harum). The band played across London on the blues rock circuit during the 1980s at venues such as The White Lion, Putney; The Star and Garter on Lower Richmond Road; The Golden Lion, Fulham and the Cartoon, Croydon.  Killing Floor released an album in 2004 named "Zero Tolerance", on which Martin participated.

Death.

After a period of illness including cancer and a number of strokes, Martin died peacefully in a hospital in Bournemouth, Dorset on 17 August 2012, aged 63.

Louis Michael "Lou" Martin (12 August 1949 – 17 August 2012) was a piano and organ player from Belfast, Northern Ireland, most famous for his work with the London-based band Killing Floor, and with fellow Irish musician Rory Gallagher.


Early life.

Dafni was born on November 11, 1913 in Zagreb, in what was then the largely-autonomous region of Croatia-Slavonia in Austria-Hungary. He came from an educated family that was Croatian and Jewish; he had two siblings. At the end the Great War, the region was united with the Serbia, to form the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.  In the early 1930s, Dafni was studying in Vienna, where his father was a diplomat: he was an keen athlete, a member of the student union and an activist in the Zionist youth movement.  In 1936, Dafni emigrated to Mandatory Palestine, then under British administration, and became one of the founders of kibbutz Ein Gev.

War service.

In 1940, he took up arms against the Nazis and joined the British Army. He served in the Greek Campaign and in the Battle of Crete, as well as in the North African Campaign.  In 1942, a new Palestine Regiment, was created and Dafni was one of its soldiers. He also volunteered for training for special operations.  In mid-March 1944, along with several other agents, Dafni was parachuted behind enemy lines into occupied Yugoslavia. He met up with the Partisans and kept the in contact with the Western Allies; he spent six months in Croatia.  For his war-service, Warrant Officer (Company Sergeant-Major) Dafni was recognised with a Mention in Despatches (MiD). He was also commissioned as an officer.  After the war he returned to his kibbutz, but in 1946, as a member of the Haganah, Dafni went to the United States to raise funds and purchase weapons for the defence of the Yishuv; one of his contributors was Bugsy Siegel. Dafni returned to the United States in 1948, now helping to raise funds for the newly established State of Israel.  In 1948, he was also appointed as the first Israeli consul in Los Angeles. From 1953 to 1956, he served as consul general of Israel in New York City. Later, he also served as consul general in Bombay, India, and also served as ambassador to Kenya (1969 to 1973) and Thailand.  For 13 years, from 1983–1996, Dafni served as assistant director, in Jerusalem, of Yad Vashem: Israel's official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust.

Family life.

Dafni was married to Rina (née Grossman) with whom he had two children, a son, Yoram, and a daughter, Avital. The couple later divorced and Dafni remarried twice.

Reuven Dafni (; born Ruben Kandt; Zagreb, 19132005, Israel) was a wartime British officer and special forces soldier and a soldier and diplomat for Israel. He was also one of founders of kibbutz Ein Gev and a longtime assistant director of the Yad Vashem memorial center.


Geography.

Peaceful Valley is located at (48.942689, -122.147401).  According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 17.0 square miles (44.0 km2), of which, 16.9 square miles (43.9 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.1 km2) of it (0.29%) is water.

Demographics.

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,448 people, 787 households, and 571 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 144.5 people per square mile (55.8/km2). There were 1,156 housing units at an average density of 68.3/sq mi (26.3/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 92.24% White, 0.29% African American, 2.21% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 0.20% Pacific Islander, 1.18% from other races, and 3.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.25% of the population.  There were 787 households out of which 45.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.9% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.4% were non-families. 18.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.11 and the average family size was 3.61.  In the CDP, the age distribution of the population shows 38.1% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 16.8% from 45 to 64, and 5.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.6 males.  The median income for a household in the CDP was $32,357, and the median income for a family was $34,141. Males had a median income of $31,853 versus $19,833 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $12,733. About 27.7% of families and 36.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 52.8% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.  Since the 1990s the community has experienced a considerable influx of Russians and Russian Americans, many of whom are evangelical Christians who were granted asylum in the United States. 34.7% of the children and 24% of the general population speak Russian as a first language and 12.2% of the population were born in Russia.

Peaceful Valley is a census-designated place (CDP) in Whatcom County, Washington, United States, near Kendall. The population was 3,324 at the 2010 census.


Background.

By 1985, there was a considerable amount of conflict between band members. Lead singer Joey Ramone went so far as to withdraw from the writing process, after having been a vital part of it on previous records. Joey recalled: "I'd had it with the Ramones. 'Mental Hell' is about that. Part of it came from breaking up with [then girlfriend] Angela. The other part of it was that I had really had it with the band." In later interviews, however, Joey stated that it was not the conflict that made him stop writing, but rather that he'd had "ideas on the backburner." Bassist Dee Dee Ramone claimed guitarist Johnny Ramone was the reason for much of the stress, alleging that Johnny did not want to do songs Joey wrote for multiple reasons: "Joey will present a great tune and Johnny won't do it because it's this or it's that. 'I'm not going to play minor chords. I'm not going to play lead. I'm not going to come to England.' For God's sake! That's why Joey gotta do his solo album."  Consequently, the somewhat recently added drummer Richie Ramone stepped up to the writing process, resulting in the hit song "Somebody Put Something in My Drink," released as a single and later appearing on the band's first compilation album, "Ramones Mania" (1988). "Joey was always encouraging me to write songs," explained Richie, "but I didn't really need the encouragement." This would be the first time the band featured the drummer as a songwriter since original drummer Tommy Ramone, with Joey reasoning that he wanted to make Richie feel like a part of the band; he felt past drummers had not been so much a part of the band, nor any good at writing, and called Richie a "regular Phil Collins." Johnny would later say the album needed better production quality, commenting that the guitar moments did not sound like he had performed them. "The producer on ["Animal Boy"], Jean Beauvoir," Johnny related, "was selected by the label, not us."

Marketing and promotion.

For the album's front cover, the band wanted to take a photo with a monkey from the Bronx Zoo. George DuBose originally took the picture in the zoo's monkey house, but this photo was rejected by the zoo director. The zoo would not allow the band to borrow a chimp for photographing, so DuBose decided to try hiring Zippy the Chimp, a baby chimpanzee who had appeared on "Late Night With David Letterman" and was successful. The resulting idea was to take the picture of the band standing in front of a gorilla cage with Punk Magazine founder Legs McNeil in a gorilla costume. Richie is holding Zippy, and DuBose had to refrain from flashing light so as not to frighten it. However, according to DuBose, the chimp was already out of control. "Zippy was getting wild," Dubose recalled. "He wasn't looking at the camera and was fucking around with the guys. I wasn't getting the picture because the chimp was out of control, so finally the trainer goes up to Zippy and whacks him across the face." The lack of flash resulted in a lowlighted, warmer colored photograph, which would be used as the album's cover.  In addition to touring, Sire Records and Beggars Banquet Records in the UK released four singles to help promote the album in hopes of receiving more radio airplay. The first single from "Animal Boy" was "My Brain Is Hanging Upside Down (Bonzo Goes to Bitburg)," issued by Beggars Banquet in June 1985. "Go Home Anne" was the B-side, produced by Ed Stasium and mixed by Lemmy Kilmister, lead singer of Motörhead. There were multiple explanations given for why the single was not released in the United States: the product manager at Sire Records explained that it was both a "financial and political" decision, while the parent company, Warner Bros. Records, claimed that "It just wasn't considered a good enough record." The single's jacket cover depicted President Reagan giving a speech at Bergen-Belsen concentration camp before going to Bitburg, but the image was removed from later pressings. British newspaper "Melody Maker" claimed it was removed because the band received pressure from "Moral Majority, the Patriotic League of the Alamo, and the SS."  The music video for "Something to Believe In" was a parody of both the Live Aid benefit concert and Hands Across America. The video was described by author Everett True to be "reassuringly foolish" and "a welcome return to [the Ramones'] old sense of humor." Several guests are featured in the video, including The B52s, Weird Al Yankovic, Spinal Tap, Ted Nugent, The Circle Jerks, Toni Basil, Rodney Bingenheimer, Holly Beth Vincent, and Afrika Bambaataa. Because the music video was praised by Warner Bros., they released "Something to Believe In" as a double A-side with "Somebody Put Something in My Drink." "Something to Believe In" was also released with "Animal Boy" in the United States and "Crummy Stuff" in the UK through Beggars Banquet.

Lyrics and composition.

"Animal Boy" featured a range of genres and musical elements that were completely new to the band and had not been featured on previous albums. Frequent use of synthesizers, as well as minimalistic "gimmicky" lyrics, caused critics and fans to feel as though the Ramones had strayed far away from their early, raw punk sound, despite "Animal Boy"s predecessor "Too Tough Too Die" being acclaimed for the band returning to their roots. "The main problem with "Animal Boy"," explained author Everett True, "was that there was no longer one discernible Ramones sound: it sounds as disjointed as the band members probably felt. The guitar parts could've been played by anyone, and Richie's drumming was slipping away from Tommy's original template. The Ramones were turning into a 9-5 job, night not day." The album begins with Joey singing "Somebody Put Something in My Drink," written by Richie, who stated that he came up with the lyrics while he was dating Frankie Valli's daughter and mistakenly drank after someone else in a nightclub. "Rolling Stone" editor David Fricke described Joey's vocal performance in the song as an "exaggerated wino growl while Johnny crushes the chord changes with his trash-compactor guitar." "Animal Boy" and "Apeman Hop" were compositionally similar to "Cretin Hop" from 1977's "Rocket To Russia," but were described by True to be "a thousandth as good." "Love Kills" was inspired by the Alex Cox biopic "Sid and Nancy" (also known as "Sid and Nancy: Love Kills"). The lyrics relate that the couple will never be able to win with drugs, despite the fact that the song's writer himself, Dee Dee, would later succumb to a heroin overdose. "Animal Boy"s fifth track, "She Belongs to Me," is a ballad written by Dee Dee and Beauvoir regarding unrequited love, and features heavy use of synthesizers, while earlier albums would have used a soft acoustic guitar or occasionally strings for ballad-type songs. Side A of the album concludes with "Crummy Stuff," played in a pop punk style, with repetitive lyrics based on the band's past of being chaotic and never meeting expectations.  Side B begins with one of the band's only politically based songs, "My Brain Is Hanging Upside Down (Bonzo Goes to Bitburg)." The lyrics encapsulated the feelings of Joey, Dee Dee and Beauviour while watching US President Ronald Reagan visit a military cemetery in Bitburg, West Germany to pay tribute to the victims of Nazism. In an interview with "East Coast Rocker", Joey explained: "What Reagan did was fucked up. Everybody told him not to go, all his people told him not to go, and he went anyway. How can you fuckin' forgive the Holocaust? How can you say, 'Oh well, it's OK now?' That's crazy!" Dee Dee also asserted that Johnny had made the band seem right winged. "It was the first time we could make a statement to show we weren't prejudiced," he explained. "We'd just had these skinheads at our gigs, punks walking around wearing swastikas." Johnny disliked the song and refused to play the song live, saying that Reagan was his favorite president of his lifetime.  "Mental Hell," the next track and the second written by Joey, dealt with his recent stress with the band and his relationship with his girlfriend, Angela, ending. Author Dave Thompson described "Eat That Rat" as "reaching back to their pure punk past." While "Eat That Rat" is one minute and thirty-seven seconds long, the shortest track on the album is the next song, "Freak of Nature," which clocks in at one minute and thirty-two seconds. Johnny explained that it was written by him and Dee Dee while changing reels in an open-reel audio tape recording at the studio. "Hair of the Dog," a piece about the guilt of alcoholism, is the third and final song written by Joey. The album's last track, "Something to Believe In," was influenced heavily by British pop, and was described by Susan Cummings of "Spin" as a "pseudo-AOR attempted teen anthem" and by author Scott Schnider as a "surging, yearning anthem."

Reception.

The album received mixed reviews from critics. Music critic Robert Christgau gave the album a "B+" and considered both "She Belongs to Me" and "Crummy Stuff" to be "defensive-sounding," but called "Something to Believe In" an anthem and praised "My Head Is Hanging Upside Down (Bonzo Goes to Bitburg)." "Rolling Stone" critic David Fricke deemed the album a "reductionist masterpiece" that "proves they still have a lot more to give," claiming that it rivaled previous albums "Leave Home" and "Rocket to Russia".  Eduardo Rivadavia, editor for AllMusic, later criticized the album for using more modern commercial conventions and for its heavy use of synthesizers and keyboards in an attempt to reinvent the band's style. Rivadavia specifically pointed to "Somebody Put Something in My Drink," which he claimed "wastes an aggressive vocal performance from Joey Ramone by supporting it with a shamelessly polished synthesizer backing track," and referred to "Something to Believe In" as "unbearably soft." He concluded that the album had been a "career low" for the Ramones, but still rated it three out of five stars.  In the United States, the album entered the "Billboard" 200 on June 21, 1986 at #146, and rose to #143 the following week. Despite staying on the chart for six weeks, the album's peak position did not rise above #143. It entered the UK Album Charts on May 31, 1986, where it stayed for two weeks and reached a peak position of #38. The album entered the Canadian charts on June 7, 1986 at #96, moving up to #94 a week later. The album returned to position #96 on June 21, leaving the chart on July 12. On June 11, it entered the Swedish Sverigetopplistan charts, where it remained on the chart for one week at #37.

Track listing.

Track listing adapted from the "Animal Boy" liner notes.

Personnel.

All information credited to Allmusic except where noted.  Ramones  Production and additional musicians

Animal Boy is the ninth studio album by American punk band the Ramones, released through Sire Records on May 19, 1986. Due to conflicts within the group, the album features less of lead singer Joey Ramone, both in performing and writing, and less performing from guitarist Johnny Ramone. Bassist Dee Dee Ramone wrote and sang more on this album than on previous albums, and Richie Ramone became the first drummer to write songs for the band since Tommy Ramone, the band's original drummer. The album spawned four singles, all of which charted on the UK Singles Chart, as well as other charts. In addition to singles, the band promoted their album using a music video for "Something to Believe In," which parodied the contemporary benefit concert Live Aid and Hands Across America.


Plot.

Quinn's (Dianna Agron) car accident has left her in a wheelchair, suffering from a severely compressed spine. On her return to school, she performs "I'm Still Standing" for the glee club with Artie (Kevin McHale), and tells them she is happy to have survived and they should not feel sorry for her: she has some feeling in her legs and is planning on a full recovery.  Principal Figgins (Iqbal Theba) informs Sue (Jane Lynch) that swim coach Roz Washington (NeNe Leakes) is now Sue's cheerleading co-coach. Sue makes a deal with Figgins: if she helps New Directions win the Nationals show choir competition, she can regain sole control of the Cheerios. Sue offers Will (Matthew Morrison) her assistance and takes over dance rehearsals. She is a harsh and insulting taskmaster, which upsets the glee club.  Cooper Anderson (Matt Bomer), Blaine's (Darren Criss) older brother and an actor in television ads, visits McKinley High and is treated as a celebrity by Blaine's boyfriend Kurt (Chris Colfer) and Sue. Blaine is unhappy, though, when after he and Cooper do an impromptu mashup of two Duran Duran songs in the choir room, Cooper finds fault with Blaine's singing. Sue recruits Cooper to give an acting master class for the club, which contains such bad advice that Blaine is appalled. Worse, Cooper subsequently criticizes Blaine's acting in a class scene.  Most of New Directions goes on a "senior ditch day" to Six Flags, but Artie takes Quinn to a skate park designed for people with disabilities to enjoy adventurous sports. Quinn has a great time, but when Artie broaches the possibility that she might always need a wheelchair; she asserts that she will walk again. Quinn is later assisted by fellow "God Squad" member Joe (Samuel Larsen), who has been praying for her. Quinn invites Joe to join new directions, which he does at the end of the episode.  Sue goes to the doctor to find out the sex of her baby, accompanied by Emma (Jayma Mays) and Will. The doctor says that Sue is having a girl, but her amniocentesis results show "irregularities". Sue later tells cheerleader Becky (Lauren Potter), who has Down syndrome, that Sue's baby will be "just like her"; Becky advises Sue to learn to be patient. Sue tells the glee club she will moderate her harsh coaching methods as long as they give her their all.  Puck (Mark Salling) wants Finn (Cory Monteith) to join him in moving his pool-cleaning business to California. Finn demurs, but later broaches the possibility to his fiancée Rachel (Lea Michele) as an alternative to New York. She is aghast, and says she needs him with her in New York; he replies that she needs to be sure she loves him for who he is, not who she wants him to be.  Kurt urges Blaine not to give up on Cooper, who is in the auditorium, and Blaine sings an emotional "Somebody That I Used to Know" to Cooper—and then with him. Afterward, Cooper apologizes to Blaine, and tells him he has always known how truly talented Blaine is. The two determine to be friends as well as brothers.

Production.

"Big Brother" is the fourth episode in the third season to be directed by Eric Stoltz, and the second to be written by Michael Hitchcock. Shooting began by February 10, 2012, and continued at least through February 21; it had ended before February 23, when shooting on the following episode commenced.  The news that Bomer had been cast as Blaine's brother appeared on January 27, 2012. Bomer had suggested to "Glee" co-creator Ryan Murphy that he consider using Gotye's song featuring Kimbra, "Somebody That I Used to Know", as a duet on the show. Murphy had already thought of doing the song, and a week later Bomer received a text from Murphy asking if he "wanted to come on the show to sing it". Bomer's scenes as Cooper were shot starting February 13. In addition, it was reported in early February that there would be a flashback scene featuring Cooper and Blaine when they were children; young actors were then being cast for the roles.  In addition to duetting on "Somebody That I Used to Know", Bomer and Criss perform a mashup of the Duran Duran songs "Hungry Like the Wolf" and "Rio" early in the episode. Criss also sings Christina Aguilera's "Fighter". These songs were released as singles available for digital download, along with two others from the episode, "Up Up Up" and "I'm Still Standing", both performed by Agron and McHale.  The amusement park scenes in the episode were shot at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. The roller coaster sequences were shot on the Viper ride.  Recurring guest stars appearing in the episode include Principal Figgins (Theba), coach Roz Washington (Leakes), glee club members Sam Evans (Chord Overstreet), Rory Flanagan (Damian McGinty) and Sugar Motta (Vanessa Lengies), cheerleader Becky Jackson (Potter) and recent McKinley transfer student Joe Hart (Larsen).

Reception.

Ratings.

"Big Brother" was first broadcast on April 10, 2012, in the United States on Fox. It received a 2.7/8 Nielsen rating/share in the 18–49 demographic, and attracted 6.76 million American viewers during its initial airing, a decrease of approximately 10% from the 3.0/8 rating/share and 7.46 million viewers of the previous episode, "On My Way", which was broadcast on February 21, 2012. Viewership increased in Canada, where 1.79 million viewers watched the episode on the same day as its American premiere. It was the tenth most-viewed show of the week, up five slots and almost 3% from the 1.74 million viewers who watched "On My Way" seven weeks previously.  In the United Kingdom, "Big Brother" first aired on April 12, 2012, and was watched on Sky 1 by 759,000 viewers. Viewership was down slightly from "On My Way", which attracted 763,000 viewers when it aired two weeks before. In Australia, "Big Brother" was broadcast on Thursday, April 12, 2012, a change from the Friday time slot used for the seventh through fourteenth episodes of the season. It was watched by 655,000 viewers, an increase of over 17% from the 558,000 viewers for "On My Way" on March 23, 2012. This made "Glee" the twelfth most-watched program of the night, up from fifteenth nearly three weeks before.

Critical reception.

The episode received mixed to positive reviews, though most reviewers expressed enthusiasm for guest star Bomer as the elder Anderson brother. Jeff Dodge of "BuddyTV" wrote that the episode was "very strong", while "The A.V. Club" Emily VanDerWerff, although she gave the episode a "B" grade, called it "forgettable" aside from Bomer's performance, which she described as "absolutely terrific". Erin Strecker of "Entertainment Weekly" characterized the episode as a "laugh-out-loud funny" and Rae Votta of "Billboard" expressed similar sentiments, though she also said there was "definitely room for improvement" after a show that was "more fluff than substance", albeit "delicious fluff". "Washington Post" Jen Chaney described it as a "pretty lackluster episode".  Bomer received plaudits from most reviewers. Crystal Bell of the "Huffington Post" called his appearance "perfect casting" and Bomer as one of her favorite guest stars. Strecker and VanDerWerff praised the "hilariously bad acting advice" in Cooper's master class, and VanDerWerff said that the storyline of Blaine being "overshadowed by his charismatic older brother" worked "because the actors were so damn committed to it". "Houston Chronicle" Bobby Hankinson was not fond of Cooper's appearance, and described it as "an old-school sitcom cliche to introduce long-lost or oft-neglected family members". Dodge noted that Bomer's role "didn't overshadow everyone else, like some guest stars do".  Quinn's storyline received widely divergent commentary. Hankinson thought the writers had missed an opportunity to "do something hugely daring" and also reduce the size of the cast. Raymund Flandez of "The Wall Street Journal" characterized their message as "Move on, folks, nothing to see here", added that "there wasn’t even a scratch on her face" and concluded that it was "nice to know that touches of irony haven’t left the show". Strecker called Quinn "a walking wheeling PSA about texting dangers in general". Dodge said that one of his "favorite scenes" of the episode was "when Artie tries to get Quinn to wheel herself up a steep ramp outside McKinley". VanDerWerff noted the pair's "chemistry" as friends, and "Rolling Stone" Erica Futterman described "Quinn's kids-in-wheelchairs bonding scenes with Artie" as the "second best thing about the episode". Michael Slezak of "TVLine" expressed the wish that the extras in the scene in the skateboard park "had actually gotten a chance to, um, speak like real humans, not just like props for a kicky musical number". VanDerWerff's summation was that the episode "gave Dianna Agron more shades to play than she’s usually asked to, and that was a good thing".  While Sue's pregnancy storyline continued to be unpopular with some reviewers, Bell included, the discovery that her daughter might have Down syndrome and her telling Becky about it led Bell to state that she had "always felt that the relationship between Sue and Becky was one of "Glee" finest accomplishments". Strecker noted that "their scenes together are always some of my favorites", and commended the episode's "poignant heart-to-heart"—which Dodge also praised as "very touching"—where Becky gave Sue the advice to "work on her patience". VanDerWerff thought that Sue's storyline was one of several in the episode beyond the two main ones—Blaine and Cooper's conflict and Quinn's post-accident return—that the show "kept piling" on, to its detriment. Another, described by MTV's Kevin Sullivan as "silly", had Puck trying to recruit Finn to clean pools with him in California.

Music and performances.

The musical performances were given a middling to positive response overall, and the final song, "Somebody That I Used to Know", received the most enthusiastic reception. Bell called it the "highlight of the episode", and it was Hankinson's favorite performance: "Bomer and Criss did a fantastic job bringing it to life". Futterman said that "it was initially disconcerting to envision" two brothers singing about a "former love", but she noted that it "was less weird in context". Flandez felt that with the song's conversion to a "Cain-and-Abel therapy session", despite being "gorgeously sung", it was nevertheless "the most disappointing duet ever", but Slezak gave the performance an and wrote, "I bought the sibling angst in the room, and Matt Bomer really is a charismatic fella, no?" Strecker gave the song an "A" and stated, "Shout-out to the Glee writers this episode for not only picking fun songs, but also tracks that were all really great lyrically in terms of moving the plot forward."  Gotye was initially reported to have been unimpressed with the "Glee" rendition of his song, but later stated that his words had been taken out of context. On April 22, 2012, two Australian newspapers, the "Sunday Mail" and the "Sunday Herald Sun", quoted him as having said, "They did such a faithful arrangement of the instrumentals but the vocals were that pop Glee style". The Mail's quote continued after a comma with "ultra-dry, sounded pretty tuned and the rock has no real sense, like it's playing to you from a cardboard box." The Herald Sun's continuation of the quote came after a period: "It made it sound dinky and wrong." Gotye said in an interview the next day that he had been referring to "this xylophone hook in my song—it's kind of dinky not just in the cover version but the original song". He added, "I thought it was really clever to transpose the song to two guys... It was a great idea." In an interview published ten days later, "Glee" executive music producer Adam Anders said that although the iTunes version of the song that the show released was "very true" to Gotye's, that in the episode itself, "the reality is, it was drier".  The two songs performed by Artie and Quinn were not reviewed as enthusiastically. Both Futterman and Slezak approved of the harmonies in "I'm Still Standing", though Futterman thought the number felt "more subdued than we'd expect", and Slezak wrote that "the song choice was a little bit of a groaner" before he appended a "B" grade. Chaney gave the song a "C" and said that "something about this segment wasn’t as dynamic as it should have been". Votta and Strecker both described the performance as "pleasant", the latter also added a "B−" grade. Strecker gave a "B" to the other song, "Up Up Up", which she said was "mostly background music" and the song itself "not particularly memorable". Chaney's "B" was far more complimentary: she characterized the performance as "the most energetic set piece of the night" which "made nice use of the infectious Givers song". Futterman thought that "the sugary vocals work well for Artie and Quinn", but Votta wrote that "the vocal is so indistinct it could be anyone".  The other performance by Criss and Bomer, the Duran Duran mashup of "Hungry Like the Wolf" and "Rio", was given a modestly positive reception. Strecker gave it an and called it a "real treat" with "some truly fun choreography". Slezak, on the other hand, described the choreography as "peculiar", and graded the song a "B". Sullivan wrote, "On paper it may not have seemed like the best idea, but honestly, it kind of rocked." Chaney noted that "they were fun to watch", but gave the performance a "C"; she said that "something about this cover sucked all the cherry ice cream smile out of the originals", though she wondered whether she was biased by her "lifelong appreciation of Duran Duran". The solo by Criss on "Fighter" received a wider range of opinions. Both Chaney and Slezak gave the song a Chaney said he sang the song "with conviction" and complimented the "visually alluring" boxing and shower scenes, as did Slezak. Strecker wrote that "the energy and emotional punch totally resonated" and gave the song an though she also stated that "the talk-singing at the beginning was a little weird". Votta said that "vocally, Darren Criss embodies the song", but she characterized the staging as "too jagged and haphazard to make an impact", and the transitions not "as smooth as they could be". Flandez called the song choice "unsuitable" and "puzzling", and VanDerWerff said the performance was "completely ridiculous".

Chart history.

Of the five singles released for the episode, three debuted on North American top 100 charts. "Somebody That I Used to Know" sold 152,000 digital downloads in the US, and was number twenty-six on the "Billboard" Hot 100. One other single charted on the Hot 100: the mashup of "Hungry Like the Wolf" and "Rio", which debuted at number ninety-eight. "Fighter" did not enter the "Billboard" Hot 100, but peaked at number two on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart. Three songs charted on the "Billboard" Canadian Hot 100: "Somebody That I Used to Know" debuted at number twenty-one, "Hungry Like the Wolf / Rio" at number eighty-one, and "Fighter" at number eighty-five.  The same week as the "Glee" single charted, "Somebody That I Used to Know" moved from second to first on the US "Billboard" Hot 100—it had already been at number one in Canada—selling 542,000 copies in a single week, the fourth-highest ever weekly digital sales to that point. Sales were aided by the "Glee" performance and also by Gotye and Kimbra's performance of the song on "Saturday Night Live" at the end of the week.

"Big Brother" is the fifteenth episode and spring premiere of the third season of the American musical television series "Glee", and the fifty-ninth overall. Written by Michael Hitchcock and directed by Eric Stoltz, the episode first aired on Fox in the United States on April 10, 2012. It features the introduction of special guest star Matt Bomer as Blaine Anderson's (Darren Criss) elder brother Cooper, and the revelation of how badly injured Quinn Fabray (Dianna Agron) had been in the automobile accident that had ended the previous episode, "On My Way".


Plot.

The New Directions glee club is in Chicago for the national show choir competition, but Mercedes (Amber Riley) is sick in her hotel bed with a bad fever and stomach pains, possibly due to food poisoning. Will (Matthew Morrison) drafts Quinn (Dianna Agron) and Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz) into the Troubletones number to add vocal heft with Mercedes sidelined, and Sue (Jane Lynch) starts medical measures to restore her to health. During final rehearsals, fights break out among the New Directions members, but are easily resolved because the intensity of their focus is on winning.  On the day of the show, Rachel (Lea Michele) is accosted by Jesse St. James (Jonathan Groff), her former boyfriend and current director of rival show choir Vocal Adrenaline. Jesse tries to hurt her confidence by bringing up her failed NYADA audition before Carmen Tibideaux (Whoopi Goldberg), but she realizes his intent and that his own uncertainty is showing.  The Nationals judges are introduced: Lindsay Lohan, Perez Hilton, and Chicago alderman Martin Fong (Rex Lee). New Directions is the first group to compete, and Mercedes arrives just in time to go onstage with the group, healthy again thanks to Sue. The Troubletones lead off with "The Edge of Glory". Rachel then performs "It's All Coming Back to Me Now". Carmen arrives during the number, for which Rachel receives a standing ovation. The finale is "Paradise by the Dashboard Light", which also brings the audience to its feet, and gets an approving whistle from Carmen. Later, in the lobby, Jesse approaches Carmen and recommends Rachel for NYADA.  Mercedes and Kurt go to the Vocal Adrenaline dressing room to wish lead singer Wade "Unique" Adams (Alex Newell) good luck, but he tells them that he that he has chosen not to perform because he can no longer take the pressure of his new celebrity status. Kurt suggests that Unique, Wade's transgender alter ego, might be able to handle what Wade is unable to, and the teen starts to get ready. On stage, Unique and Vocal Adrenaline perform "Starships" and "Pinball Wizard". The judges name Unique the Nationals MVP, but they award the Nationals trophy to New Directions, with Vocal Adrenaline in second place.  Back at McKinley, the glee club members are treated as heroes by the school. Sue is restored as sole coach of the Cheerios, displacing co-coach Roz Washington (NeNe Leakes). At their apartment, Emma (Jayma Mays) and Will have sex for the first time. Principal Figgins (Iqbal Theba) arranges with Finn and Rachel for New Directions to perform the next night at the Teacher of the Year ceremony, which is won by Will. The group congratulates Will and performs "We Are the Champions".

Production.

The episode was written by co-executive producer Ali Adler and directed by Eric Stoltz. Shooting of the episode had begun by April 18, 2012, and continued at least through April 27, 2012; the final episode of the season began filming the following Monday, April 30, 2012.  The final day of shooting the Nationals competition scenes, April 26, 2012, was also the day that the show celebrated filming its 400th musical performance.  The New Directions portion of the competition includes three songs: Lady Gaga's "The Edge of Glory" performed by the Troubletones, Celine Dion's "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" sung by Michele, and a group performance of Meat Loaf's "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" with Monteith and Michele as primary leads. These three songs were released as singles for digital download, along with an additional four from the episode: Nicki Minaj's "Starships" and The Who's "Pinball Wizard", both performed by Newell with Vocal Adrenaline, as well as Queen's "We Are the Champions" performed by New Directions featuring Monteith, Michele, Agron, Colfer, Naya Rivera and Mark Salling, and Grouplove's "Tongue Tied", also by New Directions. "The Edge of Glory" and "We Are the Champions" are also featured on the soundtrack album "", with the former song retitled "Edge of Glory" in both single and album releases.  Special guest stars include Goldberg as NYADA dean Carmen Tibideaux, Groff as Vocal Adrenaline director Jesse St. James, and actress Lindsay Lohan and gossip columnist Perez Hilton as themselves, in the role of celebrity judges for the competition. Rex Lee plays Alderman Martin Fong, another judge.  Recurring guest stars appearing in the episode include glee club members Sam Evans (Chord Overstreet), Rory Flanagan (Damian McGinty), Joe Hart (Samuel Larsen) and Sugar Motta (Vanessa Lengies), Principal Figgins (Theba), football coach Shannon Beiste (Dot-Marie Jones), cheerleader Becky Jackson (Lauren Potter), synchronized swimming coach Roz Washington (Leakes), retiring teacher Mrs. Hagberg (Mary Gillis) and Vocal Adrenaline transgender lead vocalist Wade "Unique" Adams (Newell).

Reception.

Ratings.

"Nationals" was first broadcast on May 15, 2012 in the United States on Fox, as the second hour in a two-hour special evening with "Props" having aired in the first hour at the show's regular broadcast time. It received a 2.5/7 Nielsen rating/share in the 18–49 demographic, and attracted 6.03 million American viewers during its initial broadcast, slightly lower than the 2.5/8 rating/share and 6.09 million viewers during "Props" in the hour before, but a significant decrease from the 2.7/8 rating/share and 6.67 million viewers of the previous week's episode, "Prom-asaurus", which was broadcast on May 8, 2012.  In Canada, which also aired the episode as the second hour of a two-episode special on the same day as its American premiere, viewership rose significantly, by over 16% to 1.56 million viewers from the 1.34 million viewers for the first hour. "Nationals" was the tenth most-viewed show of the week as compared to "Props", which had been fourteenth most-viewed. "Nationals" viewership was still down by over 5% from the 1.65 million viewers who watched "Prom-asaurus" the week before.  Although the United Kingdom also aired these two episodes together, "Nationals" aired in the show's regular time slot, while "Props" aired an hour earlier than usual. Viewership fell in the second hour, though it remained higher than the previous week. "Nationals" first aired on May 17, 2012, and was watched on Sky 1 by 776,000 viewers. This was down slightly from the 795,000 viewers in the earlier hour, but was an increase of over 4% from the previous week's episode, "Prom-asaurus", which attracted 744,000 viewers.  In Australia, "Nationals" was broadcast on May 24, 2012, a week after "Props" aired, rather than on the same night as in the other three. It was watched by 618,000 viewers, up slightly from the 607,000 viewers for "Props" on May 17, 2012. "Glee" was the seventeenth most-watched program of the night for the second week in a row.

Critical reception.

The episode was given positive reviews by most critics. Michael Slezak of "TVLine" described it as a "spectacular hour of jaw-dropping musical numbers and satisfying plot developments", and "The A.V. Club" Emily VanDerWerff called it "one of the finest episodes the show's ever done and perhaps the best it's done since the season one finale". She gave it an "A" grade. Jeff Dodge of "BuddyTV" said that episode gave "quality to go along with some great music", and "Entertainment Weekly" Erin Strecker wrote that the evening's two episodes were a "return to form for the show". Rae Votta of "Billboard", on the other hand, said that by having "Props" and "Nationals" air back to back, "they both lose their individual potent high points and come out blander than they deserve", and characterized "Nationals" as "jarring and strange".  Both "Huffington Post" Crystal Bell and "Washington Post" Jen Chaney wanted to "be honest" about Vocal Adrenaline vs. New Directions in the competition: Bell said that Vocal Adrenaline "put on the better show" and Chaney wrote that they were "better than New Directions": "their dance moves were sharper and more in sync, and Unique's Minaj-esque magnetism factor sold the whole thing". VanDerWerff wrote that he "could quibble that Vocal Adrenaline had stronger choreography overall" or that he "found Unique a more engaging performer than Rachel", but that as "New Directions also used its whole ensemble better than Vocal Adrenaline did", he felt that "either outcome seemed reasonable". Dodge simply stated, "We all knew that New Directions would win and they'd get their happily ever after, but it was exciting to see it finally all play out." Bell wrote that "seeing the judges debate behind-the-scenes kind of takes away the entire title", though she appreciated Lohan's "Freaky Friday" reference. VanDerWerff said that the judging scene "wasn't very good", and Votta described it as "mostly waste[d]". Futterman wrote that there was "not really any emotion" in Lohan's lines, though Strecker thought that the "lines they gave her were pretty funny—if not a bit sad".  Reviewers were critical of what Votta called "a really regrettable sequence where Emma leaves a pamphlet about losing her virginity on Schue's desk and then they finally have sex". Bell characterized it as "weird and uncomfortable, and the reasoning was horrendously misogynistic", and VanDerWerff thought that making it part of the post-Nationals victory montage as "a little too creepy, at best". Votta thought that though the victory segment "should feel joyous", it instead feels "awkward and emotion-less". Will's being awarded "Teacher of the Year" was called "surprising" by Strecker, who hearkened back to him having "discovered that he wasn't so good" at teaching Spanish "a few months ago". Bell asked how it was "possible" for Quinn to so rapidly recover her ability to walk and then dance, something also touched on by VanDerWerff, who was again critical of "Fox's rampant abuse of the Twitter hashtag thing" by displaying onscreen hashtags during the episode. Strecker praised Jesse's scenes, and said she "couldn't stop cracking up".

Music and performances.

As with the episode, the musical performances were mostly received with enthusiasm by reviewers. VanDerWerff wrote that the "big performances" were "all aces". Of the seven songs, the one that received the fewest comments was "Tongue Tied", which Strecker described as "montage music" and graded a "B". As Chaney noted, it "wasn't a number so much as a musical celebration of New Directions' championship status", but it nevertheless received an "A−" grade from her and from Slezak. "Rolling Stone" Erica Futterman called it a "spirited take on Grouplove".  Of all the songs performed in competition, "The Edge of Glory" was given the most mixed reception. Chaney gave the song a "C" grade, and said that while it "started strong" the energy level was "lacking", a word that Futterman used to describe the performance as a whole, to which she added "emotionless and rushed". A diametric view of the song was evident in the "A−" grades given by both Slezak and Strecker, and the latter also complimented the "different" arrangement while both were enthusiastic about the entire set of three songs: Slezak said New Directions "completely killed it", and Strecker said this song "kicked off what was a truly an all-time great performance". That performance continued with "It's All Coming Back to Me Now", which was widely praised. Dodge said that it, like the prior song, was "covered to perfection". Although Chaney said she hated that song, she wrote that Michele hit it "out of the park" and gave it an "A", the same grade Strecker gave with the encomium "outstanding", and added that she then "rewatched three times". An "A" was not sufficient for Slezak, who declared that it was "one of Glee's five best vocals ever" and gave it an "A+". Futterman "loved" the song except for its ending, which she described as "an abrupt cliffhanger".  The New Directions set closed with "Paradise by the Dashboard Light". While a number of reviewers, including Chaney and Dodge, questioned the choice of the song for a variety of reasons, they expressed enthusiasm with the final result. Jyll Saskin of MTV called it a "quirky yet catchy song choice" that "was the episode's standout", and both Slezak and Strecker gave it an "A" grade; the latter said it was the "real group number" of the three and added, "The vocals, choreography and energy were all top-notch." Chaney's grade of "A−" came with the declaration that "this may have been Finn at his absolute best" and Futterman said he did "a surprisingly decent Meatloaf"; Futterman added that the "already theatrical song is somehow made better by the show choir arrangement". VanDerWerff described it as "one of the better New Directions group performances".  The two Vocal Adrenaline performances were generally very well received; as noted above, Bell and Chaney used very similar words to explain why they thought Vocal Adrenaline was "better" than New Directions. "Starships", the first number, was also the more praised of the two: "Houston Chronicle" Bobby Hankinson said that it "stole the show" for him, and was the best musical number of the night. Flandez called it "an electric and sassy delivery" by Unique, and Strecker asked "is there anything she can't do" before she gave the performance an "A−". Futterman thought it felt "more subdued than the warp-speed of Minaj's hit" though she added that the "stage acrobatics trump everything anyone else does", and Saskin said it "was fun to watch, but the vocals don't add much to the original version". Slezak gave it an "A" grade and praised the "dazzling" choreography of both numbers. "Pinball Wizard" was called "turbo-charged from beginning to end" by Flandez, and both Strecker and Slezak gave the song a "B+" grade; the former's enthusiasm was tempered by the arrangement, which was not very "different from just karaoke of the original", and the dancing on the pinball machines as "a bit much for my taste". Futterman said that Unique "riffs the hell out the song", but added that "the robot dancers of Vocal Adrenaline make it hard to glean any personality from the performance". Dodge wrote, "This one I'm liking even less than the first", but Saskin said, "Mercedes needs to watch out, because Unique sure can belt it out!"  The episode's closing number, "We Are the Champions", received excellent grades: A from Slezak and Chaney, and an "A−" from Strecker. Saskin wrote that it was "a new "Glee" classic", and Chaney said it "worked wonderfully as an assertion of the New Directions' championship status". Futterman described the performance as "rife with emotion" and added, "It's moments like this that are pure and straight to the show's original appeal", while Strecker complimented the song choice and how "it really showcased the group's harmonies". In December 2012, "TV Guide" listed the rendition as one of "Glee" best performances.

Chart history.

Two of the seven singles released for the episode charted on the "Billboard" Canadian Hot 100: "It's All Coming Back to Me Now", which debuted at number seventy-five, and "Paradise by the Dashboard Light", which debuted at number ninety-four. Neither song charted on the US "Billboard" Hot 100, but two other singles from the episode affected the charting there of songs by the original artists. "Tongue Tied" sold 22,000 copies in the "Glee" version, and did well enough in the Grouplove original to re-enter the "Billboard" Hot 100 at number seventy-four, close to the song's previous chart high of sixty-nine, while "Starships" sold 18,000 in the "Glee" version and 174,000 in the Nicki Minaj original, which moved from six to five on the Hot 100, matching its highest chart position to date. "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" charted at number one at the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles on June 2, 2012.

"Nationals" is the twenty-first episode of the third season of the American musical television series "Glee", and the sixty-fifth overall. Written by Ali Adler and directed by Eric Stoltz, the episode is the second of two new episodes that aired back-to-back on Fox in the United States on May 15, 2012. It features New Directions facing off against Vocal Adrenaline at the Nationals show choir competition in Chicago, and several special guest stars: Whoopi Goldberg as NYADA dean Carmen Tibideaux, Jonathan Groff as Vocal Adrenaline director Jesse St. James, Lindsay Lohan as herself judging the competition and Rex Lee playing a Chicago alderman who is another of the judges.


Background.

In March 2009, the band announced that Riot Entertainment had signed the group to a worldwide deal for the release of a new album. According to guitarist Rich Ward, Riot is the only label worthy of releasing the album. According to lead vocalist Chris Jericho, "For the first time, Fozzy has a ballad on the album and a 14-minute prog rock-inspired tune called 'Wormwood'". According to Jericho, the song 'Broken Soul' is a "'70s-type Southern rock-type ballady-type tune". In June 2009, the band was finishing the last details of the album.

Release and reception.

The album was released through Riot! on January 26. The album did not chart on the Billboard 200, it did however, chart on the Heatseekers Album charts, reaching # 6 at its peak. The album sold a little over 2000 copies in its first week.

Singles.

Martyr No More.

On September 8, 2009, the band released the first material from the album, "Martyr No More", along with the album art and a release date of January 26, 2010.  "Martyr No More" was used as one of the official theme songs for the 2010 WWE Royal Rumble pay per view.

Let the Madness Begin.

On October 16, 2009, the band released the second single from the album, entitled "Let the Madness Begin".  Rich Ward on "Let the Madness Begin"  "[That particular track] is all about the balance between a really good, classic melody and a great, classic rock riff. That was our focus for the whole record, but I think 'Let the Madness Begin' is probably the one song on the album where I think that balance is best.  "Sometimes when you're trying to write a heavy album, you find that sometimes you'll end up compromising the melody for the riff, because obviously, the riff is so important for the drum part. On some rock albums, the vocals become the focus, and then the music takes a backseat. We tried to find that fine line where the music was important and the melody was important. We treated them as equals, and I think 'Let the Madness Begin' was that perfect balance between hard rock melodic vocals and a big metal riff."  On July 22, Fozzy released the music video for their second single, "Let the Madness Begin", which was a compilation of the band performing the song from multiple concerts in the U.S. and U.K. in the early portion on 2010.

Broken Soul.

In March 2010, Fozzy released their third single, "Broken Soul".

Chasing the Grail is the fourth studio album from the heavy metal band Fozzy, released on January 26, 2010. It is their first album since the release of "All That Remains" five years prior, and is their first and only album as a four-piece.


History.

First and second building.

The first station in Kolín was built according to the design of chief engineer Anton Jüngling, who in 1844 submitted for approval a construction project with a budget of 40 526 guldens. The Klein Brothers Entrepreneurship began with the construction in early 1845. Against the original budget, the Klein Brothers Entrepreneurship offered a discount of 21⁄2 percent. Kolín station was not fully appreciated at its beginnings, although its location near the Elbe was indicative of the industrial boom of the city. The station was built near the Elbe on the embankment, which was protected by a stone pavement in case of flood ranged from 2 to 3 fathoms. It was a small railway station with leight of 200 fathoms with three tracks, classified as IV. category station with order number 21.  The reception building was built of bricks, the one-storey center of which was adjacent to two ground-level wings. It was 25 fathoms long, 6 wide. The roof of the building was covered with an English slate. Towards the track area there was a ground-floor annex that was covered with sheet metal. On the ground floor of the building was an engineer's office, a post office, a shelter of the pump servicer, the dispatcher and switchman flats. In the annex there was a waiting room with a cash desk. The original reception building survived at the same place for about 85 years, though it did not serve the original purpose later. Opposite the reception building behind the rails, a water tower was built with 5 fathoms deep well. From there the hand pump pumped water into the tank in the tower. The water was then led to two water cranes, from which the steam locomotive was pumping water. A steam pump was located in Pardubice. At the station, a carriage house was also built for two backup machines with a length of 20 and a width of 6 fathoms. However, this house was soon replaced by a warehouse.  The ceremonial opening of the Emperor Ferdinand Northern Railway took place on 20 August 1845. The first train arrived in the afternoon, was towed by locomotives ""Prague"" and ""Olomouc"". A locomotive ""Bohemia"" rode as a vanguard for five minutes, accompanied by the chief engineer Jan Perner. The stops of the ceremonial train at the small railway stations was shortened to the minimum. Even though battalions were flying in Kolín, the music was played in the presence of the honorary division of the Palombini Regiment. Even at the opening ceremony, the station was not fully appreciated by the locals. The Kutná Hora citizens welcomed the solemn train in Záboří nad Labem, according to the locals with the joy that the track was not run through their town. On 1 September 1845 passenger transport started, and a freight transport followed a month later.  Prior to 1855, a private siding to the Coal Company of Emperor Ferdinand I was built at the station. This company also ran the shops in the stations. In 1858, a magnificent rebuilding has changed station over time to a huge railway junction. In 1861, the original water tower was replaced by a new one. Hand water pump carrying water directly from Elbe was replaced by a steam one. Both pumps, however, did not survive a major reconstruction in 1871. In 1869, Imperial Royal Privileged Austrian State Railway Company ("StEG") and Austrian Northwestern Railway ("ÖNWB") companies agreed on two separate railway stations adjacent to each other with a newly built departure building, because of intersection of ÖNWB new line. The new building was designed by ÖNWB architect Carl Schlimp. It was a ground-level tract, ending with vertical winged wings. On both sides the covered platforms were adjacent to the building, the building was situated in an island position between the two StEG and ÖNWB stations. The southern platform was operated by StEG, the northern one by ÖNWB.  The junction of the Austrian northwest railroad between Golčův Jeníkov and Kolín was put into operation on 6 December 1869, to Mladá Boleslav on 29 October 1870. In 1871, the construction of the second railway from Pečky to Kolín took place, in 1885 railway line from Přelouč to Kolín was led. According to the timetable of the northern branch of StEG from 1868, the train Nr. 4 with regular departure from Kolín at 9:28 arrived in Pardubice at 10:38. In the opposite direction, train Nr. 3 with regular departure from Kolín at 5:48 arrived in Prague at 7:37. After the completion of the new reception building, the original building served just for residential purposes. Between 1872 and 1886 the station was named New Kolín.  In 1908, the construction of the second track of the Austrian northwest railroad from Kolín to Sedlec u Kutné Hory (current location of Kutná Hora main railway station) was launched, a year later to Velký Osek. Original IV. class railway station had suddenly become an important traffic junction. At that time there was an industrial boom and within a few decades the Kolín town was transformed into an industrial city with lots of factories, even though the railway station was not fully appreciated at first. In 1909 Austrian private railway companies ÖNWB and StEG were nationalized by the Austrian Federal Railways company, which became the sole owner of Kolín station. Before the First World War, lever frame system was installed in the station. In the stations in the direction of Prague and Záboří nad Labem was installed a gate semiautomatic block.

Third building.

In 1918, Czechoslovak State Railways were established and the station got a new again. With the independence of Czechoslovakia, the Olomouc-Prague railway became the main railway line in the country. The station was no longer able to serve the increasing traffic demand. At that time there was still the original reception building from 1845 and the newer building from 1871. The Ministry of Railways had decided that the Kolín railway station will have to be rebuilt to meet the new conditions.  A brand new building was designed by architect Vladimír Weiss in a functionalist style but it was built between 1938 and 1939, way after the previous plan, by Dr. ing. V. Mrha company at the place of the original reception building from 1845. In connection with the construction of the new reception building, a reception building from 1871 was also laid down and the platforms were built on an extra-level island. The reception building consisted of an oblong one-storey building, which was situated along the tracks. The larger part of the reception building occupied the central courtyard, which served as a departure hall. From there, the stair led to the subway to the island platforms. The symbol of the new railway station was the emblem of the winged wheel in which the clock was placed, it was located above the entrance.  In the summer of 1939, the station was used for long-distance national connections from Prague Wilson Station (central) to Havlíčkův Brod and Jihlava. Connections with regular departure from Kolín at 8:27 and at 17:15 arrived in Jihlava at 10:24 and at 19:07. On the territory of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, the state railway company Českomoravské dráhy was established during the Second World War, but changing the owner was just formal. On 18 April 1945 Kolín station was bombed by Allied air forces. The freight and marshalling yards were most damaged during the raid. Bombing also damaged adjacent factories, especially "Draslovka" (Kalliwerke A.G.), which produced Zyklon B for usage in concentration camps. The station post office was also damaged.  After the end of World War II, the administration of the station passed to Czechoslovak State Railways. In the morning of 16 May 1945 President Edvard Beneš was welcomed there, as he used a train on his return from the war exile in Great Britain. At the head of the special train No. 11.554 was locomotive 387.032, the train was accompanied by an armored train "Moscow". By special timetable, the train stopped in Kolín with a ten-minute stop. The expected train stay at the station was from 12:28 to 12:38 (the timetable was probably not met). In addition, the armored train was accompanied by a condensing locomotive Class 52. The war-damaged railway station is documented in a film that Česká televize ("Czech Television") announced on the "Hledání ztraceného času" program. At 5 o'clock in the afternoon of 15 June 1945, a freight train collided with a passenger one in the station, 27 people died. Station Kolín has not maintained its status of significance for decades. The proof may be a timetable issued one year after the end of the war. Ex 31 "Ostravan" passed the station. Also during World War II several connections from Prague to Ostrava and Brno were passing through the station. In the 1944 timetable, this was the case for express trains No. 3 and 9.  In the 1960s, the station was equipped with Soviet-type signal light. In the intermediate station section from Kolín to Pardubice, the automatic block signaling was already operating, also in the opposite section to Prague. On the other hand, a semi-automatic block with track gates was still used in the stations in direction to Havlíčkův Brod. Here the automatic block signaling appeared only in the 1980s. The symbol of the 1960s was Pannonia Express, which traveled through the station from Berlin to Sofia via Kutna Hora. In 1969/1970 it was Ex 56 "Pannonia" and Ex 57 "Pannonia". Trains were obligatory to be booked and had relatively high speeds at that time. They were already driven by electric locomotives E 499.1.  The modernization of track and station security equipment was also connected with an electrification of the station, althrough steam traction continued to take place on the line from Kolín to Havlíčkův Brod. Bratislava express train was driven by a steam locomotive of the 498.1 series, the Brno and Znojmo expresses by steam locomotive series 464.0. Trains to Golčov Jeníkov and Čáslav for the change were hauled by a steam locomotive of the 354.1 series. In the 1970s, train passengers could occasionally meet the prototype locomotive T324.001. This locomotive spent almost all of its life at the station. The wreck of this machine was shut down in Kolín depot on 28 May 1976.  In the 1980s, a "Pragotron" passenger information system was installed at the station.  After finishing the construction work on the I. Czech transit railway corridor, the station remained in a dilapidated state. Most of the stations on the track were not included in the corridor works, including Pardubice hl.n.. Revitalization of Kolín station took place several years later and was completed at the end of 2009. The most significant investment was the replacement of the original relay alarm system with the modern ESA11 computer-based interlocking. The first and second track tracks allow a speed of 120 km/h (higher speeds can be passed through tilting units). A new two-storey administrative building, called "No. 2", was also built. The platforms No. 2 and No. 3 with a total length of 400 meters were rebuilt and extended. Reconstruction also underwent the expedition building within the Czech Railways project "Živá nádraží" (Live stations). The selection process for the reconstruction of the building was won by AŽD Prague in 2006. The reconstruction was divided into several stages, where the original station security system was replaced by the modern one. On 20 April 2016 the prototype of the M 260.001 "Silver Arrow" arrived at Cologne Station. It symbolically recalled the Slovenská strela ("Slovakian Bullet") from 1936/1937, which regularly traveled (not stopping) to the station. This elegant motorcar never got into regular operation.  The railway accidents of passenger and freight trains in the station and in its immediate vicinity have also occurred in modern history. On 28 November 2009 passenger train No. 2103 from Prague to Pardubice, formed by a 471 electric unit, derailed when entering the station. The accident caused no injuries and the damage to the ramp amounted to one million crowns.  In the front of the station there is the city bus terminal.

Kolín railway station is a railway station in the city of Kolín on the Elbe river in Central Bohemian Region, Czech Republic.


Early life.

Zhang was from Northern Shanxi. She was the daughter of Zhang Qi. She became the first spouse of the future Hongxi Emperor in 1396. On her marriage, her father was posthumously enfeoffed as Count of Peng. In 1404, her spouse was made heir apparent and Zhang was elevated to crown princess (). She gave birth to 3 sons and a daughter.

Empress.

On 7 September 1424, her spouse ascended the throne as the Hongxi Emperor, and 29 October, she was made empress. She was described as wise, good and capable, with a great knowledge of all events both inside and outside of the palace, and was held in good confidence of the emperor, who allowed her to participate in state affairs.  In 1425, her son succeeded to the throne as the Xuande Emperor. He granted his mother the title of Empress Dowager. She was a dominant presence during the reign of her son, and accompanied him on his trips around the empire.

Regency.

In 1435, Zhang's son was succeeded by her eight-year-old grandson, Emperor Yingzong of Ming, and she was granted the title Grand Empress Dowager. A regency was formed consisting of Zhang Fu (Duke of Yingguo), as well as three grand secretaries: Yang Shiqi, Yang Rong and Yang Pu, with Empress Zhang as the head of the regency council and regent. She was never formally given the title of regent: when she was asked to, she responded that there was no ancestral precedence for such a thing in the dynasty. Though she refused the title, however, she still acted as regent, and held council with her ministers, listened to their views, and reserved the final say to her.  She kept her position as regent of China until her death in 1442.

Empress Zhang (1379–20 November 1442), was a Chinese Empress consort of the Ming Dynasty, married to the Hongxi Emperor. She first served as the Empress Dowager after the accession of the Xuande Emperor. She later served as the Regent of China during the minority of the reign of her grandson, Emperor Yingzong of Ming, from 1435 until 1442.


First generation (NB-7; 1993–2005).

The first-generation Kia Sportage was developed with a Mazda Bongo engineering base platform. It shares many mechanical components such as the engine, transmissions (early versions), and differentials with the Mazda line of vehicles. This was during Kia's alliance with Ford and Mazda, which involved Ford/Mazda providing technology and Kia providing inexpensive manufacturing facilities for Ford.  Early in 1994, an experimental project was attempted between Kia Motors and Daimler-Benz AG. A small number of converted three-door convertibles into two-door pickups, designated GLL200, were produced. Actual production numbers have never been verified, but were rumored to be no more than 25 units assembled. All were test marketed through franchise dealerships in Seoul, South Korea, and Taipei, Taiwan. The collaboration was soon abandoned as Daimler unexpectedly withdrew before a formal agreement was achieved.  From 1995 to 1998, the Sportage was built by Karmann in Germany; European buyers received German-built versions in that period, while the rest of the world received South Korean-built versions. It was launched in Asia in July 1993 and European sales started two years later.  The Sportage was sold in either a five-door SUV or a three-door soft-top convertible. Kia initially developed the wagon in standard length form, but in circa 1996, the company released an extended length version. This stretched model—mainly sold in Asian markets under the name "Sportage Grand", but also as the "Grand Wagon"—featured a longer body utilizing the same wheelbase, an increase in luggage capacity from, and the relocation of the spare wheel from the tailgate to underneath the floor.  Kia offered three Mazda-sourced engines in the Sportage, beginning with the 2.0-liter "FE DOHC" inline-four gasoline unit producing and the 2.0-liter "RF" inline-four diesel rated at. Diesel-engined models were mostly restricted to European markets, as was the more basic single overhead camshaft (SOHC) version of the 2.0-liter "FE" gasoline inline-four. Delivering, this gasoline engine was available from 2000 onwards. In North America, the 2.0-liter "FE DOHC" engine produced and had optional four-wheel drive. The 1997 model year Kia Sportage was the world's first production vehicle to be equipped with a knee airbag.  This first-generation model (1993–2002) sold in low numbers, even domestically in South Korea, and models after Hyundai's 1998 partial takeover of Kia (1997–2002) were recalled twice for rear wheels dismounting while driving. The first-generation Sportage was discontinued in South Korea in 2002, and in North America after the 2002 model year. By 2003, most international markets had discontinued the Sportage range, although it remained on sale in some developing countries until its second-generation replacement arrived in 2005.  The Kia Sportage scored the lowest possible result in the Australian ANCAP crash tests – one star out of five. As well as a failure of the seat belts, the vehicle structure collapsed.

Second generation (JE/KM; 2005–2010).

After a two-year hiatus, the Sportage returned in model-year 2005, sharing an Hyundai Elantra-based platform with the 2005 Hyundai Tucson. A 2.0 L straight-4 diesel engine was available in the United Kingdom. Pricing started at just over US$16,000. Fans of the original pre-Hyundai Sportage and critics complained that it was considerably larger than the original Sportage and had none of its off-road capability, the two keys to its success. However, buyers of the second-generation model were likely to favor the available V6, with 178 lb·ft of torque (241 N·m). Overall fit/finish and quality was noticeably improved over the first-generation model.  A facelift model of the second generation was introduced in May 2008. From 2007, it was manufactured at the Žilina Plant in Slovakia. A second facelift was introduced in the UK in early 2009, only a few months after its first facelift.  The Sportage was named as one of the most reliable vehicles from the 2009 Consumer Reports reliability survey. The Kia Sportage ranked second in the "20 least expensive 2009 vehicles to insure" list by Insure.com. According to research, the Sportage is one of the least expensive vehicles to insure. Low rates tend to reflect a vehicle's safety.

Safety.

The second-generation Sportage earned a top rating of five stars in crash tests by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. However, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) judged it merely acceptable for frontal and side-impact crash, performance, and poor strength of its roof in a rollover.

Third generation (SL; 2010–2015).

The SL series Sportage was released to Asian and European markets in April 2010, the North and Central American markets in August 2010, and the Australian market in October 2010, for the 2011 model year. Two engines were available, a 2.0-liter Hyundai R diesel engine with, and a 2.0-liter "Theta T-GDI" gasoline engine. In China, it was released by Dongfeng Yueda Kia in October 2010 and called the Sportage R, and was to be built and marketed alongside the previous generation rather than as a replacement for it.  The Sportage won the 2011 "Car of the Year" (originally "Auto roku 2011 na Slovensku") in Slovakia and "Truck of the Year" nomination of International Car of the Year. It was top of the JD Power Survey for 2012, the only car in the survey to score five stars across all categories, from mechanical reliability to ownership costs and the dealer experience. In South Africa, it took the 2013 Standard Bank People's Wheels Award for "SUVs and Crossovers – City & Suburban".  The third generation received a facelift for the 2014 model year that included new headlamps and fog lamps.

Safety.

The third-generation Sportage received a "Top Safety Pick" rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in the United States. Earning the award became tougher in 2010 when IIHS added the rollover crash test, which measures roof strength and is twice as stringent as the federal requirement. To pass this test, a vehicle's roof must be able to withstand the force of three times the vehicle's weight (acceptable rating). The federal standard requires a roof to hold 1.5 times the vehicle's weight.

Fourth generation (QL; 2015–present).

Kia unveiled its newly redesigned Sportage at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2015, and brought it to market in 2016 (as a 2017 model in North America). The company said the contrasting sharp edges and smooth surfaces were inspired by modern fighter jets.  There are three gasoline engines, as well as one diesel engine in the line-up. The gasoline options are a 1.6-liter, 2.0-liter or 2.4-liter, offering around 97 kW/161 N⋅m, 120 kW/200 N⋅m and 138 kW/241 N⋅m respectively, while the diesel is a 2.0-liter turbo that will produce around 135 kW/400 N⋅m. A 130 kW/265 N⋅m 1.6 T-GDi turbo-gasoline with an optional seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, and a 136 kW/400Nm 2.0 R-Series diesel. Front- (FWD) and all-wheel drive (AWD) configurations are available.  In North America, the new Sportage is offered with three trim levels (LX, EX, and SX). Much like the previous model, it is available with two inline-four engine choices, a naturally aspirated 2.4-liter and a turbocharged 2.0-liter. The 2.4-liter produces and, while the turbocharged engine makes and, with small differences in performance dependent on whether FWD or AWD is configured. Both engines are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.

Kia KX5 (Chinese version).

In China, the fourth generation Sportage was sold as the Kia KX5, the third generation model was sold alongside as the Sportage R, while the Kia Sportage name was used on a separate model developed from the second generation Hyundai ix35 chassis and also sold alongside.  The Kia KX5 received a facelift in 2019 conducted by Dongfeng Yueda Kia that would exclusively be sold in China only.  Available from March 2019, the front fascia was completely restyled with headlamps integrated with the grille and the rear end of the KX5 was also slightly redesigned for the Chinese market. Despite the exclusively restyled exterior, the wheels of the Chinese version are the same as the ones on the international Kia Sportage facelift.

Safety.

The 2017 Sportage received a "Top Safety Pick" rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Awards.

The Sportage won the 2016 Red Dot Award for Car Design.

Sales.

The Sportage was Kia's best selling model worldwide in 2016, overtaking the Rio.

The Kia Sportage is a compact crossover SUV (compact SUV until 2004) built by the South Korean manufacturer Kia Motors since 1993.


History.

The area of Grantsville was originally populated by the Goshute tribe.  Grantsville was originally called "Willow Creek", and has also been called Twenty Wells, due to the natural wells that give fresh water to the area. Grantsville was settled by Mormon pioneers in 1850. The present name after Col. George D. Grant, a Mormon leader, was adopted ca. 1853. A post office called Grantsville has been in operation since 1864.

Geography.

Grantsville is bordered on the south by South Mountain, which separates Rush Valley from Tooele Valley. To the north is Stansbury Island, and on the east are the Oquirrh Mountains and the Great Salt Lake and on the west side the Stansbury Mountains. SR-138 passes through the city, heading northwest to intersect with I-80 and east to Stansbury Park.  The climate is hot during the summer and cold and snowy during the winter. Although Grantsville can be affected by lake-effect snow off of the Great Salt Lake, most of the time it is too far southwest.  According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 19.34 square miles (46.2 km2), of which, 19.2 square miles (46.1 km2) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km2) of it (0.22%) is water.

Demographics.

As of the census of 2011, there were 9,063 people, and 2,916 households in the city. The population density was 459.8 people per square mile (180.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 95.7% White, 0.1% African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, and 2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.1% of the population.  Recorded in the 2000 census: There were 1,856 households out of which 49.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.4% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.7% were non-families. 15.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.24 and the average family size was 3.62.  In the city, the population was spread out with 36.7% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 17.4% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.4 males.  The median income for a household in the city was $45,614, and the median income for a family was $50,433. Males had a median income of $38,715 versus $24,548 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,681. About 4.3% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.6% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education.

Grantsville is in the Tooele County School District and has two elementary schools (Grantsville and Willow), Grantsville Junior High School, and Grantsville High School. There are also a few preschools.  Due to a fire on July 13, 2009, Grantsville Elementary School was forced to close until a new elementary school was built. The new school opened for the 2011–2012 school year.

Events.

The Old Folks Sociable is the traditional social event of the year. The Old Folks Sociable idea started in 1875 when professional photographer Charles Savage and LDS Church Presiding Bishop Edward Hunter inaugurated "Old Folks Day" to honor fathers and mothers. The first Old Folks Sociable held in Grantsville was on January 6, 1884. This annual event is believed to have been canceled only twice in its 125-year history.  The Old Folks Sociable honors all residents and former residents who are 75 years and older. Grantsville High School, home to the Old Folks Sociable, becomes a gathering place for high school class reunions and family reunions. The Sociable is also a celebration of Grantsville's heritage. For residents and former residents it is a walk down memory lane. Events include a 5K run, a car show, a program, a reception for honored guests, a dinner, and a dance. All residents and former residents (eighteen years and older) are invited to attend. The Old Folks Sociable is held each year during the month of March.

Grantsville is the second most populous city in Tooele County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 8,893 at the 2010 census. The city has grown slowly and steadily throughout most of its existence, but rapid increases in growth occurred during the 1970s and 1990s. Recent rapid growth has been attributed to the nearby Deseret Peak recreational center, the Utah Motorsports Campus raceway and to the newly built Wal-Mart Distribution Center located just outside the city. It is quickly becoming a bedroom community for commuters into the Salt Lake valley.