| "Grilled Cheesus" | |
|---|---|
| Glee episode | |
 | |
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 3 |
| Directed by | Alfonso Gomez-Rejon |
| Written by | Brad Falchuk |
| Featured music | "Only the Good Die Young" "I Look to You" "Papa, Can You Hear Me?" "I Want to Hold Your Hand" "Losing My Religion" "Bridge over Troubled Water" "One of Us" |
| Production code | 2ARC03 |
| Original air date | October 5, 2010 |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"Grilled Cheesus" is the third episode of the second season of the American television series Glee, and the twenty-fifth episode overall. It was written by Brad Falchuk, directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, and premiered on the Fox network on October 5, 2010. Prior to its broadcast, series co-creator Ryan Murphy predicted the episode would be Glee's most controversial, as it focuses on religion and what God means to the members of the glee club. When Burt Hummel (Mike O'Malley) has a heart attack, the glee club rally around his son Kurt (Chris Colfer), attempting to support the Hummels through their various faiths. Meanwhile, club co-captain Finn Hudson (Cory Monteith) believes he has found the face of Jesus in a grilled cheese sandwich.
Murphy hoped to produce a balanced depiction of religion, and he, Falchuk and series co-creator Ian Brennan worked to ensure that there was an equality between pro and anti-religious sentiments expressed. The episode features seven cover versions of songs, each of which charted on the Billboard Hot 100, marking the series' one-week debut high in the US. Critics disagreed over the appropriateness of the musical performances, with some complaining of the tangential relationship between the numbers and religion, and others appreciating that the Glee versions brought new meaning to the songs.
"Grilled Cheesus" was watched by 11.20 million US viewers, and was the second most watched scripted show of the week among adults aged 18–49. It received mixed reviews, with Colfer and O'Malley receiving critical acclaim, and several reviewers praising Glee for successfully balancing opposing viewpoints. However, other reviewers criticized the episode for its lack of subtlety, and Lisa Respers France of CNN denounced "Grilled Cheesus" as an Emmy-submission showpiece for Colfer.