Props (Glee)

"Props" is the twentieth episode of the third season of the American musical television series Glee, and the sixty-fourth overall. Written and directed by Ian Brennan, the episode is the first of two new episodes that aired back-to-back on Fox in the United States on May 15, 2012. It features New Directions preparing a heavily props-dependent routine for the impending Nationals competition, an extended sequence in which Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz) has a vision of the glee club having swapped roles, including herself as Rachel, and an appearance by special guest star Whoopi Goldberg as NYADA dean Carmen Tibideaux.

The episode received mostly positive reviews overall, though reaction to the musical performances was not as strong. The body-swap sequence was given an enthusiastic reception. The scenes featuring Coach Beiste (Dot-Marie Jones) and Puck (Mark Salling) were also much praised, and in particular the pair's acting was highlighted. Their performance of the song "Mean", by contrast, received the most divergent reactions from reviewers, yet it was the one song from the four singles released from the episode to chart in North America, and debuted on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100.

Upon its initial airing, this episode was viewed by 6.09 million American viewers and received a 2.5/8 Nielsen rating/share in the 18–49 demographic. The total viewership was down significantly from "Prom-asaurus" the week before.