The Big Picture

• Don't overlook underrated Glee episodes; they offer character development, great musical numbers, and lively guest stars.
• "Grilled Cheesus" explores religion, "Tina in the Sky" highlights Tina, and "Big Brother" focuses on the Anderson brothers.
• From emotional storylines to catchy musical numbers, underrated Glee episodes like "Lights Out" and "Comeback" are worth a second look.

Glee, created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan, is known for its big musical numbers, the occasional wacky plotline (or two), great guest stars, and an award-winning ensemble cast. Every Glee fan has a favorite episode, song, and character, even if they claim they might not have a preference. The most popular Glee episodes are ones which often feature tributes to pop artists like Britney Spears, or even ones dedicated to musicals, such as the Rocky Horror Picture Show. While these episodes are fun to watch, they tend to overshadow some of the other episodes, which have just as notable musical numbers and a dash of that epic Glee drama.

These Glee episodes are the underdogs, ones which might not get that much attention when they aired, mixed reviews from critics and fans, and don't usually feature the latest pop songs. They shouldn't be taken for granted, because the most underrated Glee episodes have important points of character development, entertaining musical numbers, and lively guest stars.

10 "Grilled Cheesus"

Season 2, Episode 3

"Grilled Cheesus" is a Season 2 Glee episode, and it is considered to be one of the most controversial. Members of the Glee Club explore what religion means to them. Most Glee fans might have cringed at the sight of Finn praying to a grilled cheese with an image of Jesus. However, this episode isn't all that cringey. A rewatch can really make a big difference to how this particular episode is perceived. It's actually an interesting commentary on people's views on religion, and because of that, there is a lot to analyze and unpack.

Although Finn's storyline is at the center, it doesn't overshadow what is going on with Kurt. Probably the most poignant plot within "Grilled Cheesus," Kurt feeling helpless after his father is in the hospital after a heart attack. Chris Colfer's acting is phenomenal in this episode, as he brings out the swirling emotions of not knowing what will happen to his father. There are some pretty good musical numbers in this episode. Mercedes sings two powerful solos, "I Look to You" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water." The best group number is a catchy cover of Joan Osborne's 1995 hit, "One of Us," a fitting song to end this episode on.

9 "Tina in the Sky with Diamonds"

Season 5, Episode 2

As the title suggests, this episode of Glee is very Tina centric, which is awesome because Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz) is one of the most underrated members of New Direction. Tina is in the running to win the prom queen crown, and it's giving her a big ego boost. In a homage to the movie, Carrie, there are mean girls who have a plan to humiliate Tina in front of the school as she wins her crown. Tina isn't the only star in this episode. Demi Lovato makes a guest appearance as Dani, a potential love interest for Santana, and another bonus is plenty of Beatles' songs.

"Tina in the Sky with Diamonds" is the second part of a New Directions tribute to the Beatles. Standout performances include "Here Comes The Sun," "Hey Jude," and "Let It Be." The most emotionally stirring song is "Let It Be," which splits the song between New Directions singing for Tina, and Kurt, Dani, and Santana celebrating Rachel (Lea Michele) getting the lead role in "Fanny." Glee fans who love this underrated episode have pointed out how phenomenal Naya Rivera, Jenna Ushkowitz, and Kevin McHale's voices sound in this song.

8 "Lights Out"

Season 4, Episode 20

Most Glee episodes have the New Directions singing their hearts out and going all out on lighting. In "Lights Out," the power goes out at McKinley, and the Glee club members have to learn how to perform without just acoustics. Ryder (Blake Jenner) is continuing to fall in love with the mysterious "Katie," and is trying to figure out how to meet her. After being fired, Sue "secretly" misses her job as coach for the Cheerios. Meanwhile, in New York City, Vogue.com editor-in-chief Isabella (Sarah Jessica Parker) asks for Kurt's help to run a benefit party, and Santana rediscovers her love for ballet.

There's a ton of things happening plot wise, which can easily make for a messy episode. Even though there's so much going on, there is a tiny connection between everything that is happening in "Lights Out": facing personal trauma and learning how to adjust to change. The musical numbers of "Everybody Hurts", "At the Ballet", and "Little Girls" each reflect the emotions of Ryder, Santana, and Sue, respectively. Sarah Jessica Parker's guest appearance is iconic and gives off Sex in the City vibes.

7 "Big Brother"

Season 3, Episode 15

Blaine fans really love the Glee episode, "Big Brother." Coop Anderson (Matt Bomer), a successful actor and Blaine's brother, returns to Lima. Everyone except for Blaine is really impressed with Coop. The New Directions even get some acting lessons from him. Unfortunately, Blaine and Coop aren't on the best of terms. This leads to a series of brotherly banter, and some great duets between Coop and Blaine. While the Anderson brothers are fighting, Artie is helping Quinn learn how to navigate the world in her wheelchair, and Sue finds out she is going to have a girl who is at high risk for Down Syndrome. Rachel's plan to move to New York City after graduation causes a rift between her and Finn.

There are little moments of connection through "Big Brother," which make it a special episode. Becky, played by the incredible Lauren Potter, gives Sue the best advice a new parent can get: be patient. It's really sweet to see Artie encouraging Quinn, so she can get confidence about her moving her wheelchair around. The musical numbers are at their best between Blaine and Coop, as their voices work so well together on songs such as "Somebody I Used To Know" and "Hungry Like the Wolf/Rio."

6 "Comeback"

Season 2, Episode 13

Sue is in a state of depression and a concerned Emma (Jayma Mays) asks Will to let Sue shadow the Glee club for a bit. Although Sue loves New Directions, she still wants to take them down; this time, she'll do it from the inside. Rachel gives Brittany some fashion tips, and starts a Rachel Berry fashion trend at McKinley. Sam knows that Quinn might have cheated on him with Finn, and he wants to be her boyfriend.

While "Comeback" has an eccentric range of songs, Glee fans might not have realized how awesome this episode is in terms of hidden gems. Sam is the perfect character to sing Justin Bieber songs. His solo of Bieber's "Baby" is cute and shows how much he adores Quinn. Yes, the Bieber songs are adorable, especially since Sam is dressed up similar to Justin. Glee has covered Rent songs before, but Mercedes and Rachel singing "Take Me or Leave Me" from Rent is the best one in Glee's song catalog.

5 "Sadie Hawkins"

Season 4, Episode 11

Glee has its share of prom episodes, but there is only one Sadie Hawkins dance episode. The girls get to ask the guys to the dance, which, of course, adds a bit of drama to the episode. Tina has a crush on Blaine, but Blaine doesn't feel the same way. Marley (Melissa Benoist) wants to ask Jake to the dance. Kitty is trying to take Jake away from Marley. Sam is more concerned about finding evidence that the Warblers are cheaters than finding a date for the dance. Kurt is thinking of joining Adam Apple's and develops a crush on the group's leader, Adam (Oliver Kieran-Jones).

"Sadie Hawkins" is full of really entertaining musical numbers like "Tell Him," which is probably one of the best high energy numbers of Glee's Season 4. The guys of Glee put on a fun boy band performance of the song, "No Scrubs," which features lead vocals from Kevin McHale and Darren Criss. There's also a Jonathan Coulton version of "Baby Got Back." This song is a bit controversial among Glee fans because many think it is weird. A JoCo song is going to be quirky, and it's a perfect cover for Adam's Apples, the NYADA show choir led by Adam, to sing because they have a reputation for being nerdy.

4 "The Rise and Fall of Sue Sylvester"

Season 6, Episode 10

Dalton Academy burns down, and the Warblers are without a school. Will decides to combine the Warbers and the New Directions, which proves to be more difficult than he thought. Rachel is trying to get back into NYADA. However, most of this episode is dedicated to Sue. Sue Sylvester is everyone's favorite Glee "villain" and this is one of her most underrated episodes. Sue's tragic downfall happens during this episode as her secrets cause her to get fired from her job. She accepts an interview but it backfires on her. Sue learns what people really think of her and how her mother really feels about her. Sue's journey in this episode leads her to decide to take a job as the coach for Vocal Adrenaline.

Carol Burnett guest stars as Sue's mother, Doris Sylvester, which elevates this episode to another whole level. The mother-daughter duet of "The Trolley Song" from Meet Me in St. Louis is delightful and shows a different side to Sue Sylvester as a character. The B-plot of the Warblers and New Direction coming together results in an inspiring and beautifully choreographed number, "Rise," which is an original song written for Glee by Darren Criss.

3 "Loser Like Me"

Season 6, Episode 1

Rachel finds out that her television show, "That's So Rachel", was rejected by the network. Downtrodden, Rachel returns to Lima and finds out that her dads are divorcing. She isn't sure what she wants to do next, and finds comfort in support from her friends. Rachel eventually realizes that she can rise above her failures and keep going. She advocates for McKinley to reinstate the Glee club, and she accepts a job as their coach.

Glee fans expected Rachel to find her way after "Fanny," and many might have found this episode to be disappointing, as Rachel's TV show doesn't take off. However, Rachel's character grows immensely just in this episode alone. She is a perfectionist and starts to find that she shouldn't focus on her failures. She literally learns to "let it go." Lea Michele's performance of "Let It Go" towards the end of the episode is just as soul boosting as Idina Menzel's (who also happened to guest star on Glee as Rachel's mom) performance in Frozen.

2 "Bash"

Season 5, Episode 15

This episode is pretty intense as it contains imagery related to hate crimes. It opens with a candlelight memorial for someone who has been assaulted for being a member of the LGBTIQA+ community. Rachel takes a big risk, and decides to quit NYADA. Kurt and Rachel have an argument during dinner and Kurt ends up walking home by himself. While he is walking home, Kurt sees someone getting violently attacked by a group of men. Kurt gets significantly injured after he defends the victim, and is hospitalized.

It's gut-wrenching to see Kurt go through this trauma. What is good is he doesn't have to deal with this alone and Glee fans see how supportive Blaine, Rachel, Sam, and Mercedes are helping him heal. Sondheim's music is healing, and this episode has four of the beloved composer's songs. "No One Is Alone" is a haunting melody sung by just the light of candles. "Not While I'm Around," which is sung by Kurt's friends at his hospital bedside, is so sad and just tear-inducing. Amber Riley gets two great solos in this episode, and her best one, "You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman," is uplifting and light-hearted, as she twirls on and near a carousel.

1 Jagged Little Tapestry

Season 6, Episode 3

When people think of female singer-songwriters from the 1990s, they often picture Alanis Morissette. And, when people think of "Tapestry," they may hum a Carole King song. Well, in "Jagged Little Tapestry," Kurt and Rachel assign the Glee club members a task of a mash-up song. Santana and Brittany take their relationship to another level. Kurt realizes that he still has feelings for Blaine and Sue meets Becky's boyfriend.

There are lots of tribute episodes in Glee, and this episode might not come up as the most popular one next to others like Lady Gaga or Britney Spears. "Jagged Little Tapestry" deserves a higher spot among the tribute episodes because it celebrates two great women who have made an impact on music in different genres. Alanis and Carol might not sound like they belong together in a mash-up, but they definitely do. Brittany and Santana fans will love this episode, as they have a duet and a big life-changing scene. Brittany and Santana's mashup of "Hand in My Pocket/I Feel the Earth Move" is one of the best duets of this episode.

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