The episode includes cover versions of six songs. These songs got mixed reviews from music and television journalists. The cover version of Cee Lo Green's "Forget You" and mash-up of "Singin' in the Rain" with Rihanna's "Umbrella" was given good reviews. Both covers' charted on the "Billboard" Hot 100. Paltrow's guest appearance was given positive reviews. The sub-plots of the episode did not get good reviews. Aly Semigran of MTV, Robert Canning of IGN and "Entertainment Weekly"s Tim Stack all thought that "The Substitute" is the best episode of the season. "Time"s James Poniewozik said that the episode was an "okay" episode. Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club said it was better than the previous two episodes. The National Alliance on Mental Illness gave positive reviews for the episode's definition of bipolar disorder. Paltrow won the 2011 Primetime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series" for her acting.