The actress made her first appearance on our favorite glee club comedy as Holly Holiday, the hippest substitute at McKinley High, who helms the club when Mr. Shuester comes down the flu (and Rachel tries to rule song selections with an ultra-diva attitude). Paltrow attempts to help the show choir modernize and voice their opinions of what songs to perform -- most of which come straight from the Top 40 radio chart. Ironically, three of the four musical numbers in this episode were Broadway classics.
First she sold her country-music song on the CMA Awards; then Gwyneth Paltrow helped make this week’s Glee crisp, fresh fun. Her turn as substitute teacher Holly Holiday was a hoot — Paltrow played her commitment-phobic character with total commitment, without ever making it seem like a straining effort.
Glee always benefits when strong actors invade its space, and Paltrow is one of the first guest stars to go toe-to-toe with Jane Lynch and come out looking refreshed, not squashed. As they sat side-by-side watching Animal Hoarders, they made the script sound like swift improv, and earlier, Paltrow had handled the obligatory Glee-style put-down — “You’re, like, 40″ — by delivering the retort with a wet-towel snap: “Top 40, sweet cheeks.”
Your full Glee TV Watch, courtesy of Glee-master Tim Stack, is now available for your enjoyment. But I’m on Paltrow Watch this week. When her Holly took down Rachel (“You’re a total drag”), Paltrow executed a 180-degree mood swing, from sarcasm to enthusiasm, with the sort of ease the rest of the cast deploys during the musical numbers.
Speaking of which, Paltrow’s performances were fun — literally kicky. But it was the quick, carefully-thought-out throwaway moments — Holly dressed as Mary Todd Lincoln, with Paltrow doing effusive “bipolar” shtick — that made this episode one in which the guest star both stood out and meshed with the cast.
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