| "Acafellas" | |
|---|---|
| Glee episode | |
 | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 3 |
| Directed by | John Scott |
| Written by | Ryan Murphy |
| Featured music | |
| Production code | 1ARC02 |
| Original air date | September 16, 2009 |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"Acafellas" is the third episode of the American television series Glee. The episode premiered on the Fox network on September 16, 2009. It was directed by John Scott and written by series creator Ryan Murphy. The episode sees glee club director Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) form an all-male a cappella group, the Acafellas, neglecting the club in favor of dedicating his time to the new endeavor. New Directions struggle with choreography, and resist attempts at sabotage by members of the cheer squad. Mercedes (Amber Riley) harbors romantic feelings for Kurt (Chris Colfer), who comes out as gay.
Singer Josh Groban guest stars as himself, John Lloyd Young appears as wood shop teacher Henri St. Pierre, and Victor Garber and Debra Monk play Will's parents. The episode features covers of seven songs, including the instrumental piece "La Camisa Negra" performed on guitar by Mark Salling. Studio recordings of two of the songs performed were released as singles, available for digital download, and two of the tracks also appear on the album Glee: The Music, Volume 1.
The episode was watched by 6.69 million US viewers and received mixed reviews from critics. Entertainment Weekly's Tim Stack and The New York Times's Mike Hale welcomed the return of Stephen Tobolowsky as Sandy Ryerson, while Ryan Brockington of the New York Post and Raymund Flandez of The Wall Street Journal praised Riley's cover of Jazmine Sullivan's "Bust Your Windows". However, Rachel Ray, reviewing the episode for The Independent, deemed it "overhyped [...] uninspired, confusing and with a simple plot to boot."[1]