Original airdate: December 9, 2009
Here we are, at the end of our journey through the first 13 episodes. It's been quite a ride but mostly the show has held up well. The reason I fell in love with this show was the oddball dark humour mixed with fun songs. I love jukebox musicals and this show is great for filling both of these. Unfortunately, I was in the minority at the time this first aired with a large chunk of the audience demanding more songs per episode which I argue was to the show's detriment that they listened. However, we're not there yet and this episode is great so let's forget the future and remain happy in the present with this awesome episode with the performance that just floors me every time.
The kids are worried about who they'll get stuck with now that Will is out as their teacher supervisor/choir leader role. Rachel interrupts because she thinks that Puck has been acting weird around Quinn. The other kids pretend that they don't know what they're talking about. Rachel says that she has a sixth sense and that she thinks there's something going on between them. The other kids peace out really quick while trying to deny everything.
Mercedes chats with Tina, Artie, and Kurt about how they're worried about Rachel figuring out about the whole Puck being the baby's real father thing as, you'll maybe recall, Puck blurted this info to Mercedes during the Ballads episode. Finally, we're getting the pay off from that. Santana and Brittany join the call and worry about who told when the others just assumed Santana did it since she is dating Puck and would be jealous. Santana corrects them that sex isn't dating which I call shenanigans on because she seemed awfully possessive of Puck when she told Quinn to back off her man when she invited him babysitting but I'll forgive it because it sets up Brittany's awesome one liner:
Everyone's reactions after are brilliant but no one acknowledges it and they just move on from it. Santana doesn't want to rock the boat though and Mercedes feels bad about spilling the beans to everyone. They all agree that they can't tell Rachel because she will tell Finn and then they have no shot at Sectionals and look, this is going to sound really mean but if they wanted Finn to be this amazing singer that would sink their entire performance if he wasn't there...they should've cast a better singer because right now, I don't get the stakes. Finn is mediocre at best and the only thing I buy his use for is giving them some cool points at school because he's a football player but for competitions? Yeah, they'll be fine. Especially if they still have Rachel.
Will is talking with Emma about Sectionals because if you recall, their wedding is the same day as the competition but Emma moved their wedding to later in the day so that she could take the kids for him. Will is nervous because he remembers that Ken was super upset about the idea of even moving the wedding again but Emma assures him that it's totally fine and she appealed to him as an educator. Then we get a flashback where Ken is super pissed and doesn't understand at all. Will is doesn't know this though and is happy. Emma looks awkward because she knows she trashed a relationship that she shouldn't have gotten into in the first place for a guy who is married and oblivious.
Rachel approaches Quinn and asks if she's had a full genetic test done on the baby because her cousin did and it turns out he's a carrier for Tay-Sachs disease which is a genetic disorder that is pretty awful if a child gets it. I googled it and it can cause nerve damage, paralysis and death which is scary. Quinn looks terrified but then Rachel remembers that the test is only run if you're jewish since the disease only affects them. Untrue, it actually affects French Canadians in Quebec and Old-Order Amish in the Pennsylvania area. However, pretty sure Quinn is neither of those either and this is Rachel's clever way of finding out if Puck is the father of Quinn's unborn child. Pretty clever.
Rachel watches as Quinn asks Puck to take her to get the Jewish test things for her baby because she's worried that Terri won't take it if there's something wrong with it. Their conversation is interrupted when Will pops in to announce that Emma will be taking them to Sectionals. They are skeptical but Will assures them that they will be great, no matter who takes them. Mercedes asks about their set list but Will says he can't help them now and leaves. I thought their setlist was...well set? Will handed it to Sue like last episode. This show really sucks at continuity.
Artie says that they have to do Proud Mary in wheelchairs because that's like the one song they made just for him. Finn says that Don't Stop Believing is a must and it is their signature but then, weirdly Tina asks about the ballad. Again, I thought they were doing True Colours and that she was the lead vocal on it. Was I smoking something and blacked out when something came up and that was no longer doable or something? No, no the writers are just bad at continuity again. Just the sheer bizarreness of having the character who was to sing their ballad ask what they should do for their ballad is next-level bad continuity.
Rachel hops up proudly to proclaim her ideas for a ballad but then Mercedes steps up to take her down a notch. They get a bit heated but Emma suggests that they let Mercedes give it a try. Mercedes is rude to Brad the piano guy asking if she even has to say what song and like...yeah you kind of do. They need to know what to play. Anyway, it's And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going from the Dreamgirls musical. It's really good, no shade to her on that front but then she over the top rudes out to Rachel with this bitchy "Thoughts?" even though Rachel looks very happy with her performance. Rachel compliments her and says she can't wait to see her perform the song at Sectionals and then they hug it out so all is good.
Finn tells Rachel that her giving the ballad lead to Mercedes was really cool of her since he knows how much she wants it. Finn waxes poetic about how excited he is for Sectionals and says that with the baby and winning the competition, things have got to get better for him. Rachel looks guilty and he asks what's up so she decides to let him know the truth.
Cut to Finn's insane flip out on Puck as they get into a fight in the choir room. Will pulls them apart because Emma probably didn't want to deal with this shit. Quinn demands to know who told him and Kurt says that obviously, it was Rachel. Rachel denies it but Finn is like "yeah it was Rachel but who the fuck cares when Quinn and Puck had sex behind his back and then made him think he was responsible for the fallout of that which is just the worst possible thing you could do to someone. Will tries to get him to calm down but Finn wants to know from them that it's true and Quinn finally admits it. Finn tearfully asks if she made up the stuff about the hot tub and oh honey, of course, she did we had this sex ed talk way back when I recapped Preggers. Puck retorts that he was stupid enough to buy it which makes Finn want to knock his lights out again and I can't blame him. Quinn says sorry but Finn is out and then he kicks a chair.
Rachel apologizes to Quinn about outing her to Finn but Quinn is not mad at her because she just did what she was too afraid to do. Rachel admits that she only told him because she wanted to break them up and Quinn says that now neither of them have him. Then Quinn asks her to leave because she just wants to be alone. Puck shows up though and acknowledges that she's upset but he wants to be there for her and the baby. Quinn thanks him but wants to handle it by herself because she can't handle anymore stress in her life right now.
The kids are getting on the bus that will take them to Sectionals and Will wants Emma to call him when the kids are performing. Then UGH! Jacob Ben Israel shows up because he's filling the void that Finn left behind and I'm thankful that this is pretty much the only time we really have to deal with him. Emma asks if he's heard from Finn but Will hasn't heard anything. Then Will thanks her before the kids leave.
At Sectionals, Emma tells them that they've drawn performance slot 3. The kids freak out that they are last but Rachel assures them that it's the best spot to get. When she did auditions it was always best to be first or last because with first, everyone has to out do you and if you're last, you're fresh in the judge's mind. Kurt asks her if she got any of those parts and she obviously did not. Emma is still with Rachel on this because she wants them to stay positive.
However, we cut to the Jane Adam's girls performing And I'm Telling You which is odd because they literally just picked that song the day before competition which is, in and of itself bizarre. Then they also perform Proud Mary in wheelchairs which is a weirdly specific detail to also copy. They all have "we're screwed" faces on. Emma calls Will in a panic and he is finally vindicated in his belief that Sue was leaking their setlist.
Will calls her out in the hallway but Sue denies everything despite all of his proof. Sue then basically brags about how his club is going to lose the competition, fail, and be disbanded thus returning the extra funds that were taken from her over-funded club.
Will then goes to find Finn who is cleaning out his football locker since the season is over and he obviously wants to clear out when Puck wouldn't be there. Will tries to convince Finn to go because they apparently have no shot at winning without him and I again call the biggest bullshit on that. Both in terms of the reality of the situation and because that is an insane amount of pressure to lump on a kid who is already under an insane amount of pressure and heartache. Finn rightfully asks why he always has to be the one to shove his feelings aside and be the bigger person and how he wants everything to go back to before, like it never happened. Will tells him that he can't always get what he wants. Then he leaves his car keys for Finn.
Eve, the Jane Adam's teacher and the Deaf School teacher are chatting about how they might actually win this thing when Emma confronts them and shame them for stealing setlists. The Deaf guy goes with the fact that Don't Stop Believing is a super popular song that anyone can do and he's not wrong. Eve's tactic is to go with the sympathy angle since she can't really claim the same with the wheelchair choreography and everything. Seriously dumb move. Two words. Plausible Deniability. The deaf guy gets it. Eve tries to pour on how much a win would mean for them but like, teaching a bunch of girls who are already troubled that they can only win by cheating is not a good lesson. Emma agrees with me and calls them both out for being shitty role models. Eve is properly chastised but I don't think the deaf guy gives a fuck because his kids start singing Don't Stop Believing in the next shot.
Rachel gets up, unable to take any more and asks the rest of the club to meet her in the green room in five minutes. We then cut to Kurt calling Santana out for leaking the setlist to Sue. (Actually, Will gave her that but I suppose they did change their ballad which was somehow copied as well.) Santana denies leaking it but Brittany confesses while pleading ignorance as to what she would do with it. Santana then claims that she likes being in glee club because it's the best part of her day so she wouldn't try to mess it up for them.
Rachel believes her and then decides that they have to pull something together as they're going on in an hour. Excuse you? An hour? How long is this fucking competition between only 3 glee clubs? Jane Adam's are done and the Deaf Kids have already sung one song. They'd maybe have 10 minutes at most. What is this hour shit? Are people waiting an hour between performances at an amateur, high school competition? I call the highest of shenanigans. I still love this episode though.
Rachel asks Mercedes if she has any other songs in her repertoire but Mercedes says she doesn't have anything else that she could pull off without practice as she does. Rachel tries to protest but the club agrees. Rachel is their star and the only one who could belt something awesome on the fly. Quinn says it's settled and that they can close with Somebody to Love since it's a crowdpleaser and one they've already rehearsed and performed together. The third song is still up in the air.
Cue Finn walking in at this exact moment and gives them a song that he came up with and found sheet music for. Now, I love this song but no way they could learn a new song like this in the time they have and sound rehearsed but I'm going with it because it's going to be awesome. He recruits Mike, Matt, Brittany, and Santana to choreograph a dance for them which again I call bull on but just go with it. Finn gives them a pep talk about believing in themselves and they all welcome him back. Finn asks if he can take Jacob Ben Israel's spot back and he doesn't pass up the chance to be gross saying he only did it for a chance to get into Rachel's pants.
Puck tries to be all cool with Finn and make up but Finn rejects his truce and it's honestly the most badass thing he has ever done or will ever do if I recall correctly. Rachel asks if he's ok and he says not to worry about him but to focus on her chance to be the star. Then playfully tells her not to screw it up. Thanks for the added pressure, Finn. Did you learn that from Will?
Anyway, cut to the best performance ever as the announcer introduces New Directions and Rachel comes out with Don't Rain on my Parade by Barbara Streisand from Funny Girl. It's honestly amazing, even if you can hear her breathing at a lot of parts, it just kind of adds to the reality that a high schooler is singing this since it is on the fly. Even with the over breathing, it's a phenomenal performance and I still get chills when she sings it and introduces the rest of the club with the line "I'll march my band out!" I love it, I love it, I LOVE IT!
Next, they launch into You Can't Always Get What You Want by the Rolling Stones which is another super favourite of mine. It's a callback to the convo he had with Will which is nice but this song is just super tied with my own childhood. Literally, any time I would whine about wanting something my parents would just start singing this song to me. It's a thing that's stuck with me so much that I do the same thing to my kids now even though it used to really piss me off when I was in their shoes. I don't care. You can't always get what you want but if you try sometimes, you'll find, you get what you need and sometimes what you need is to hear this sobering piece of advice when you're annoying your parents. Love you, kiddos!
The judges are deliberating over the performances and Anna Camp is here which is funny to me because she was in the movie Pitch Perfect which is also about singing competitions and that I always thought had a lot of similarities with Glee in certain areas or vice versa I'm not sure which came first to be honest. I just find it funny to see her here because this was my intro to her originally but watching this episode now, I'm like OMG! It's Anna Camp from Pitch Perfect!
Moving on, everyone is bitchy and grumpy about the whole thing for comedic effect. Anna Camp is really rude about all the deaf kids and how they couldn't sing. The news anchor defends them but also acts creepy about the Jane Adam's girls. The third person is a politician and she's super not pleased to be here.
The kids are listening in and don't think it sounds very good for them. Eve approaches them and says they were really good but they don't want to hear it. She apologizes and says she's going to the judges to tell them they don't deserve to win since they cheated. The judges come out then, Anna Camp congratulates them on their performance but is rushed away by the grumpy politician who just wants to get the hell out of there. Eve tries very weakly to inform the judges about her cheating but they made their decision so she's like "Meh, I tried." Like, you can still say no to the trophy if you do win but whatever.
Will is at home getting ready for Ken and Emma's wedding when Terri runs into him. She says she's been seeing a therapist which is super good. He hopes it works out for her but is clearly not interested. Terri complains that she is taking responsibility for her actions but clearly wants to everything to go back to normal. Will cannot go back because she did a terrible, shitty, unforgivable thing to him.
At the wedding that looks cheap and super empty, Will walks in to find Emma in her wedding dress alone. He doesn't know how to read the room so Emma has to tell Will that the wedding is off. Moving the wedding for Sectionals was the last straw so he dumped her. Good for him. I'm honestly glad he stood up for himself and didn't settle for being treated like a crap consolation prize. Will is still clueless because he totally bought the lie that Ken was fine with it because it was for the kids. Emma points out that it was never for the kids. She did it because she knew it would make him happy. Then she says she's quitting because she can't see Ken without feeling ashamed and she can't look at Will without feeling heartbroken. Will tries to stop her from leaving and says that he left his wife and she's like yeah, "just" and leaves anyway.
Sue is in Figgins office and he let's her know that the other choirs told him what she did but she's still trying to deny everything. She totally expects to be let off the hook for this and I can't blame her because she has gotten away with some serious shit so far. However, Figgins' hands are apparently untied and he fires her from the Cheerios and suspends her from the school. He asks Will if he has anything to add but he's pretty darn happy that Sue will be gone. Of course she won't, she will haunt this show until it's dying day and traumatize me completely but that's in due time. Figgins reinstates Will as head of the glee club.
Sue confronts Will and congratulates him for a game well played. She then tells him that she's going to take a break but then come back in full force to take him down. Will is unfazed.
The kids welcome Will back by showing off their big trophy because they won sectionals, something that we were only allowed to find out in this moment. He congratulates them all and tells them that they earned this trophy fair and square but warns them that they have Regionals to worry about so they need to get back to work.
The kids have something else in mind, they want to sing him a big number as a welcome back present. They perform My Life Would Suck Without You by Kelly Clarkson and it's a cute little performance that has them going through all the choreography that they performed throughout the season so far. The performance seems to make Will think about Emma and it intercuts with him running down the hallway looking for her. He finds her and kisses her and then they both look at each other and smile. And that's it.
I have to point something out, this show was not expected to be a hit. It was a very niche market and FOX didn't have much faith in it, often booting it aside for American Idol episodes that ran overlong. So, when this episode aired, no one knew if it would ever come back. This could have been the end of glee as we know it. Looking back, I think I could have been very happy with this; like I was with Freaks & Geeks which is just the most fantastic show. I was gutted when it was cancelled but I can look at it now and go, this is nice, it's a nice little ending that leaves hope for the characters which is exactly how I feel about this ending. It's nice, we get the resolution to the Will and Emma drama, the baby drama, and the glee kids won so things are looking up for them. Everything is hopeful and uplifting with this end.
At the time, I wanted there to be more. I craved more and so did a lot of other people because not only was it renewed for a second season but they ordered a full first season which meant nine more episodes would be made for season 1. I and all the other gleeks out there were ecstatic. More episodes! More songs! More sweet moments! Would Sue come back for revenge? Would Terri try to mess up Will and Emma's budding relationship? Would Finn really get with Rachel? Could the writers keep this concept fresh? Where would they go? Well....I guess we'll find out soon when we check out Hell-o but let's just say that I'm less than pumped now. There are some great episodes still but Ryan Murphy tends to get bored and if you think they had trouble with continuity in a tight 13 episode block well, strap on in because you're in for a bumpy ride.
Here we are, at the end of our journey through the first 13 episodes. It's been quite a ride but mostly the show has held up well. The reason I fell in love with this show was the oddball dark humour mixed with fun songs. I love jukebox musicals and this show is great for filling both of these. Unfortunately, I was in the minority at the time this first aired with a large chunk of the audience demanding more songs per episode which I argue was to the show's detriment that they listened. However, we're not there yet and this episode is great so let's forget the future and remain happy in the present with this awesome episode with the performance that just floors me every time.
The kids are worried about who they'll get stuck with now that Will is out as their teacher supervisor/choir leader role. Rachel interrupts because she thinks that Puck has been acting weird around Quinn. The other kids pretend that they don't know what they're talking about. Rachel says that she has a sixth sense and that she thinks there's something going on between them. The other kids peace out really quick while trying to deny everything.
Mercedes chats with Tina, Artie, and Kurt about how they're worried about Rachel figuring out about the whole Puck being the baby's real father thing as, you'll maybe recall, Puck blurted this info to Mercedes during the Ballads episode. Finally, we're getting the pay off from that. Santana and Brittany join the call and worry about who told when the others just assumed Santana did it since she is dating Puck and would be jealous. Santana corrects them that sex isn't dating which I call shenanigans on because she seemed awfully possessive of Puck when she told Quinn to back off her man when she invited him babysitting but I'll forgive it because it sets up Brittany's awesome one liner:
 |
| I miss the days when I enjoyed Brittany, MVP of one-liners |
Everyone's reactions after are brilliant but no one acknowledges it and they just move on from it. Santana doesn't want to rock the boat though and Mercedes feels bad about spilling the beans to everyone. They all agree that they can't tell Rachel because she will tell Finn and then they have no shot at Sectionals and look, this is going to sound really mean but if they wanted Finn to be this amazing singer that would sink their entire performance if he wasn't there...they should've cast a better singer because right now, I don't get the stakes. Finn is mediocre at best and the only thing I buy his use for is giving them some cool points at school because he's a football player but for competitions? Yeah, they'll be fine. Especially if they still have Rachel.
Will is talking with Emma about Sectionals because if you recall, their wedding is the same day as the competition but Emma moved their wedding to later in the day so that she could take the kids for him. Will is nervous because he remembers that Ken was super upset about the idea of even moving the wedding again but Emma assures him that it's totally fine and she appealed to him as an educator. Then we get a flashback where Ken is super pissed and doesn't understand at all. Will is doesn't know this though and is happy. Emma looks awkward because she knows she trashed a relationship that she shouldn't have gotten into in the first place for a guy who is married and oblivious.
Rachel approaches Quinn and asks if she's had a full genetic test done on the baby because her cousin did and it turns out he's a carrier for Tay-Sachs disease which is a genetic disorder that is pretty awful if a child gets it. I googled it and it can cause nerve damage, paralysis and death which is scary. Quinn looks terrified but then Rachel remembers that the test is only run if you're jewish since the disease only affects them. Untrue, it actually affects French Canadians in Quebec and Old-Order Amish in the Pennsylvania area. However, pretty sure Quinn is neither of those either and this is Rachel's clever way of finding out if Puck is the father of Quinn's unborn child. Pretty clever.
Rachel watches as Quinn asks Puck to take her to get the Jewish test things for her baby because she's worried that Terri won't take it if there's something wrong with it. Their conversation is interrupted when Will pops in to announce that Emma will be taking them to Sectionals. They are skeptical but Will assures them that they will be great, no matter who takes them. Mercedes asks about their set list but Will says he can't help them now and leaves. I thought their setlist was...well set? Will handed it to Sue like last episode. This show really sucks at continuity.
Artie says that they have to do Proud Mary in wheelchairs because that's like the one song they made just for him. Finn says that Don't Stop Believing is a must and it is their signature but then, weirdly Tina asks about the ballad. Again, I thought they were doing True Colours and that she was the lead vocal on it. Was I smoking something and blacked out when something came up and that was no longer doable or something? No, no the writers are just bad at continuity again. Just the sheer bizarreness of having the character who was to sing their ballad ask what they should do for their ballad is next-level bad continuity.
Rachel hops up proudly to proclaim her ideas for a ballad but then Mercedes steps up to take her down a notch. They get a bit heated but Emma suggests that they let Mercedes give it a try. Mercedes is rude to Brad the piano guy asking if she even has to say what song and like...yeah you kind of do. They need to know what to play. Anyway, it's And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going from the Dreamgirls musical. It's really good, no shade to her on that front but then she over the top rudes out to Rachel with this bitchy "Thoughts?" even though Rachel looks very happy with her performance. Rachel compliments her and says she can't wait to see her perform the song at Sectionals and then they hug it out so all is good.
Finn tells Rachel that her giving the ballad lead to Mercedes was really cool of her since he knows how much she wants it. Finn waxes poetic about how excited he is for Sectionals and says that with the baby and winning the competition, things have got to get better for him. Rachel looks guilty and he asks what's up so she decides to let him know the truth.
Cut to Finn's insane flip out on Puck as they get into a fight in the choir room. Will pulls them apart because Emma probably didn't want to deal with this shit. Quinn demands to know who told him and Kurt says that obviously, it was Rachel. Rachel denies it but Finn is like "yeah it was Rachel but who the fuck cares when Quinn and Puck had sex behind his back and then made him think he was responsible for the fallout of that which is just the worst possible thing you could do to someone. Will tries to get him to calm down but Finn wants to know from them that it's true and Quinn finally admits it. Finn tearfully asks if she made up the stuff about the hot tub and oh honey, of course, she did we had this sex ed talk way back when I recapped Preggers. Puck retorts that he was stupid enough to buy it which makes Finn want to knock his lights out again and I can't blame him. Quinn says sorry but Finn is out and then he kicks a chair.
 |
| Hey now, the chair did nothing wrong! |
Rachel apologizes to Quinn about outing her to Finn but Quinn is not mad at her because she just did what she was too afraid to do. Rachel admits that she only told him because she wanted to break them up and Quinn says that now neither of them have him. Then Quinn asks her to leave because she just wants to be alone. Puck shows up though and acknowledges that she's upset but he wants to be there for her and the baby. Quinn thanks him but wants to handle it by herself because she can't handle anymore stress in her life right now.
The kids are getting on the bus that will take them to Sectionals and Will wants Emma to call him when the kids are performing. Then UGH! Jacob Ben Israel shows up because he's filling the void that Finn left behind and I'm thankful that this is pretty much the only time we really have to deal with him. Emma asks if he's heard from Finn but Will hasn't heard anything. Then Will thanks her before the kids leave.
At Sectionals, Emma tells them that they've drawn performance slot 3. The kids freak out that they are last but Rachel assures them that it's the best spot to get. When she did auditions it was always best to be first or last because with first, everyone has to out do you and if you're last, you're fresh in the judge's mind. Kurt asks her if she got any of those parts and she obviously did not. Emma is still with Rachel on this because she wants them to stay positive.
However, we cut to the Jane Adam's girls performing And I'm Telling You which is odd because they literally just picked that song the day before competition which is, in and of itself bizarre. Then they also perform Proud Mary in wheelchairs which is a weirdly specific detail to also copy. They all have "we're screwed" faces on. Emma calls Will in a panic and he is finally vindicated in his belief that Sue was leaking their setlist.
Will calls her out in the hallway but Sue denies everything despite all of his proof. Sue then basically brags about how his club is going to lose the competition, fail, and be disbanded thus returning the extra funds that were taken from her over-funded club.
Will then goes to find Finn who is cleaning out his football locker since the season is over and he obviously wants to clear out when Puck wouldn't be there. Will tries to convince Finn to go because they apparently have no shot at winning without him and I again call the biggest bullshit on that. Both in terms of the reality of the situation and because that is an insane amount of pressure to lump on a kid who is already under an insane amount of pressure and heartache. Finn rightfully asks why he always has to be the one to shove his feelings aside and be the bigger person and how he wants everything to go back to before, like it never happened. Will tells him that he can't always get what he wants. Then he leaves his car keys for Finn.
Eve, the Jane Adam's teacher and the Deaf School teacher are chatting about how they might actually win this thing when Emma confronts them and shame them for stealing setlists. The Deaf guy goes with the fact that Don't Stop Believing is a super popular song that anyone can do and he's not wrong. Eve's tactic is to go with the sympathy angle since she can't really claim the same with the wheelchair choreography and everything. Seriously dumb move. Two words. Plausible Deniability. The deaf guy gets it. Eve tries to pour on how much a win would mean for them but like, teaching a bunch of girls who are already troubled that they can only win by cheating is not a good lesson. Emma agrees with me and calls them both out for being shitty role models. Eve is properly chastised but I don't think the deaf guy gives a fuck because his kids start singing Don't Stop Believing in the next shot.
Rachel gets up, unable to take any more and asks the rest of the club to meet her in the green room in five minutes. We then cut to Kurt calling Santana out for leaking the setlist to Sue. (Actually, Will gave her that but I suppose they did change their ballad which was somehow copied as well.) Santana denies leaking it but Brittany confesses while pleading ignorance as to what she would do with it. Santana then claims that she likes being in glee club because it's the best part of her day so she wouldn't try to mess it up for them.
Rachel believes her and then decides that they have to pull something together as they're going on in an hour. Excuse you? An hour? How long is this fucking competition between only 3 glee clubs? Jane Adam's are done and the Deaf Kids have already sung one song. They'd maybe have 10 minutes at most. What is this hour shit? Are people waiting an hour between performances at an amateur, high school competition? I call the highest of shenanigans. I still love this episode though.
Rachel asks Mercedes if she has any other songs in her repertoire but Mercedes says she doesn't have anything else that she could pull off without practice as she does. Rachel tries to protest but the club agrees. Rachel is their star and the only one who could belt something awesome on the fly. Quinn says it's settled and that they can close with Somebody to Love since it's a crowdpleaser and one they've already rehearsed and performed together. The third song is still up in the air.
Cue Finn walking in at this exact moment and gives them a song that he came up with and found sheet music for. Now, I love this song but no way they could learn a new song like this in the time they have and sound rehearsed but I'm going with it because it's going to be awesome. He recruits Mike, Matt, Brittany, and Santana to choreograph a dance for them which again I call bull on but just go with it. Finn gives them a pep talk about believing in themselves and they all welcome him back. Finn asks if he can take Jacob Ben Israel's spot back and he doesn't pass up the chance to be gross saying he only did it for a chance to get into Rachel's pants.
 |
| My feelings exactly |
Puck tries to be all cool with Finn and make up but Finn rejects his truce and it's honestly the most badass thing he has ever done or will ever do if I recall correctly. Rachel asks if he's ok and he says not to worry about him but to focus on her chance to be the star. Then playfully tells her not to screw it up. Thanks for the added pressure, Finn. Did you learn that from Will?
Anyway, cut to the best performance ever as the announcer introduces New Directions and Rachel comes out with Don't Rain on my Parade by Barbara Streisand from Funny Girl. It's honestly amazing, even if you can hear her breathing at a lot of parts, it just kind of adds to the reality that a high schooler is singing this since it is on the fly. Even with the over breathing, it's a phenomenal performance and I still get chills when she sings it and introduces the rest of the club with the line "I'll march my band out!" I love it, I love it, I LOVE IT!
Next, they launch into You Can't Always Get What You Want by the Rolling Stones which is another super favourite of mine. It's a callback to the convo he had with Will which is nice but this song is just super tied with my own childhood. Literally, any time I would whine about wanting something my parents would just start singing this song to me. It's a thing that's stuck with me so much that I do the same thing to my kids now even though it used to really piss me off when I was in their shoes. I don't care. You can't always get what you want but if you try sometimes, you'll find, you get what you need and sometimes what you need is to hear this sobering piece of advice when you're annoying your parents. Love you, kiddos!
The judges are deliberating over the performances and Anna Camp is here which is funny to me because she was in the movie Pitch Perfect which is also about singing competitions and that I always thought had a lot of similarities with Glee in certain areas or vice versa I'm not sure which came first to be honest. I just find it funny to see her here because this was my intro to her originally but watching this episode now, I'm like OMG! It's Anna Camp from Pitch Perfect!
Moving on, everyone is bitchy and grumpy about the whole thing for comedic effect. Anna Camp is really rude about all the deaf kids and how they couldn't sing. The news anchor defends them but also acts creepy about the Jane Adam's girls. The third person is a politician and she's super not pleased to be here.
The kids are listening in and don't think it sounds very good for them. Eve approaches them and says they were really good but they don't want to hear it. She apologizes and says she's going to the judges to tell them they don't deserve to win since they cheated. The judges come out then, Anna Camp congratulates them on their performance but is rushed away by the grumpy politician who just wants to get the hell out of there. Eve tries very weakly to inform the judges about her cheating but they made their decision so she's like "Meh, I tried." Like, you can still say no to the trophy if you do win but whatever.
Will is at home getting ready for Ken and Emma's wedding when Terri runs into him. She says she's been seeing a therapist which is super good. He hopes it works out for her but is clearly not interested. Terri complains that she is taking responsibility for her actions but clearly wants to everything to go back to normal. Will cannot go back because she did a terrible, shitty, unforgivable thing to him.
At the wedding that looks cheap and super empty, Will walks in to find Emma in her wedding dress alone. He doesn't know how to read the room so Emma has to tell Will that the wedding is off. Moving the wedding for Sectionals was the last straw so he dumped her. Good for him. I'm honestly glad he stood up for himself and didn't settle for being treated like a crap consolation prize. Will is still clueless because he totally bought the lie that Ken was fine with it because it was for the kids. Emma points out that it was never for the kids. She did it because she knew it would make him happy. Then she says she's quitting because she can't see Ken without feeling ashamed and she can't look at Will without feeling heartbroken. Will tries to stop her from leaving and says that he left his wife and she's like yeah, "just" and leaves anyway.
Sue is in Figgins office and he let's her know that the other choirs told him what she did but she's still trying to deny everything. She totally expects to be let off the hook for this and I can't blame her because she has gotten away with some serious shit so far. However, Figgins' hands are apparently untied and he fires her from the Cheerios and suspends her from the school. He asks Will if he has anything to add but he's pretty darn happy that Sue will be gone. Of course she won't, she will haunt this show until it's dying day and traumatize me completely but that's in due time. Figgins reinstates Will as head of the glee club.
Sue confronts Will and congratulates him for a game well played. She then tells him that she's going to take a break but then come back in full force to take him down. Will is unfazed.
The kids welcome Will back by showing off their big trophy because they won sectionals, something that we were only allowed to find out in this moment. He congratulates them all and tells them that they earned this trophy fair and square but warns them that they have Regionals to worry about so they need to get back to work.
The kids have something else in mind, they want to sing him a big number as a welcome back present. They perform My Life Would Suck Without You by Kelly Clarkson and it's a cute little performance that has them going through all the choreography that they performed throughout the season so far. The performance seems to make Will think about Emma and it intercuts with him running down the hallway looking for her. He finds her and kisses her and then they both look at each other and smile. And that's it.
I have to point something out, this show was not expected to be a hit. It was a very niche market and FOX didn't have much faith in it, often booting it aside for American Idol episodes that ran overlong. So, when this episode aired, no one knew if it would ever come back. This could have been the end of glee as we know it. Looking back, I think I could have been very happy with this; like I was with Freaks & Geeks which is just the most fantastic show. I was gutted when it was cancelled but I can look at it now and go, this is nice, it's a nice little ending that leaves hope for the characters which is exactly how I feel about this ending. It's nice, we get the resolution to the Will and Emma drama, the baby drama, and the glee kids won so things are looking up for them. Everything is hopeful and uplifting with this end.
At the time, I wanted there to be more. I craved more and so did a lot of other people because not only was it renewed for a second season but they ordered a full first season which meant nine more episodes would be made for season 1. I and all the other gleeks out there were ecstatic. More episodes! More songs! More sweet moments! Would Sue come back for revenge? Would Terri try to mess up Will and Emma's budding relationship? Would Finn really get with Rachel? Could the writers keep this concept fresh? Where would they go? Well....I guess we'll find out soon when we check out Hell-o but let's just say that I'm less than pumped now. There are some great episodes still but Ryan Murphy tends to get bored and if you think they had trouble with continuity in a tight 13 episode block well, strap on in because you're in for a bumpy ride.
Comments
Post a Comment