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Big Middle
Small Post at 9-15-2012 19:34 Author Only
Season 4
4x01: The New Rachel
In her first dance class at the New York Academy of Dramatic Arts, Rachel is intimidated and insulted by her demanding, trash-talking instructor, Cassandra July. When Rachel stumbles, Cassandra makes it clear she thinks Rachel sucks.
At McKinley, the returning New Directions students are basking in newfound popularity after their Nationals win: Artie's dating a Cheerio, Sam's swarmed by admirers, and a diva-like Tina has a freshman personal assistant (although she's down following a breakup with Mike Chang after their romance went long-distance). The big question on everyone's mind: Who will be the glee club's "New Rachel"?
Lonely after receiving no word from the Army-enlisted Finn in weeks, and tired of being teased for her elaborate grooming routine, Rachel's taken to wee-hours primping in the coed bathroom, where she encounters a hunky, shower-singing Brody Weston. A junior who's majoring in musical theater, Brody believes Cassandra's tough demands pay off, and he reminds Rachel that she's enrolled because she's among the best of the best.
Aimless Kurt visits McKinley, meets Sue's baby daughter Robin (named to evoke hope, springtime and "my favorite dead Bee Gee"), and encounters Sue's new Cheerio captain and "head bitch," Kitty. Wade Adams, aka Unique, transfers to McKinley and joins New Directions, but his presence only serves to fan his teammates' competitive fire. They plan a secret performance showdown in which Artie will determine the New Rachel -- and they'll present the winner to Will.
Songs used in this episode:
"Call Me Maybe"; "America/Americano"; "Never Say Never"; "New York State of Mind"; "It's Time"; "Chasing Pavements"
4x02: Britney 2.0
Facing a second senior year and missing Santana, Brittany plots to reinvent herself in her new captaincy of the Cheerios. But after calling Brittany's choreography to Britney Spears' "Hold It Against Me" "garbage wrapped in skin" and insisting that the Cheerios raise their academic standards, Sue kicks failing Brittany off as a poor example and puts Kitty in charge. "Tough love feels a lot like ‘mean,'" Brittany laments after being ordered to "lose the high pony." Skyping with Santana, Brittany notices little room in her girlfriend's new life for her.
At NYADA, Cassie bars Rachel from tango instruction when the class is a boy short, but Rachel insists on participating so she may one day play Evita or Roxie Hart. Cassie scoffs, saying Rachel's not sexy enough to pull off the seductive dance. Will and Emma attempt to counsel Brittany, believing she's suffering deep depression and a loss of identity as a result of being left back. Zombie-like Brittany insists she's fine, but to bolster her spirits, Will builds preparations for the upcoming pep rally around "Britney 2.0," hoping another tribute to Brittany's idol Britney Spears will reinspire her.
Kurt and Rachel move into a roomy loft outside the city while Kurt plots his future: prepping to re-audition for NYADA's winter semester, he hopes to land a job at fashion site Vogue.com. When Rachel tells Kurt about Cassie, he recognizes her as "Crazy July - the biggest train wreck in Broadway history." Recounting the legendary tale of how in Cassie's big Broadway moment as Lola in "Damn Yankees," she assaulted an audience member who forgot to silence his cell phone mid-performance, Kurt urges Rachel not to give in: "If she wants sexy, give her sexy."
Unique, planning to become insta-besties with Marley, warns her against crushing on Jake Puckerman - she and Tina explain that he is a serial "Womanizer," using Spears' hit song. Nevertheless, Marley accepts Jake's offer to "hang out sometime." Meanwhile, Rachel asks Brody to be her tango partner in dance class; despite Cassie's ban on upperclassmen, Brody agrees to help her.
Songs used in this episode:
"Hold It Against Me"; "Boys"/ "Boyfriend"; "Womanizer"; "3"; "Crazy"/ "(You Drive Me) Crazy"; "Oops I Did It Again"; "Gimme More"; "Everytime"
4x03: Makeover
Missing Kurt, Blaine has decided that it's his turn to shine at McKinley and throws himself into countless extracurricular activities, until he finally lands on a pursuit that excites him: running against Brittany for class president.
Meanwhile, Kurt faces his big interview at Vogue.com, meeting its editor and one of his fashion idols, Isabelle Wright (Sarah Jessica Parker). She's been impressed by his portfolio of his bold fashion choices, and hearing him speak so passionately about what fashion and style mean to him seals the deal: "Anybody who can pull off a hippo broach deserves to be here." He's got the job.
Artie agrees to be Brittany's vice presidential running mate when he realizes he can be the Dick Cheney to her George W. Bush. Brittany's empty platform of popularity makes Blaine realize he thinks his campaign should be about great ideas and making change - although his sincerity isn't shared by his schoolmates. When Sam admits he wishes Brittany had chosen him to balance her ticket, she "introduces" him to Blaine, and the two agree to team up as running mates.
Meanwhile, Will is feeling creatively dry on glee club lessons, and Sue suggests that it's because he actually achieved his dream of a national championship. She urges him to find a way out before the mundane daily grind of teaching destroys his spirit, and Will becomes caught up in the notion of joining a blue ribbon government panel to make a real change in arts education.
Songs used in this episode:
"Everybody Wants to Rule The World"; "Celebrity Skin"; "The Way You Look Tonight / You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile"; "Change Would Do You Good"
4x04: The Break-Up
While she and Jake half-competitively compare notes in the cafeteria about being poor, Marley's surprised to learn that Jake has been studying dance. As that pair's flirting suggests a potential romance, Brittany and Blaine commiserate about the state of their own relationships with their absent loves, Santana and Kurt.
Rachel and Finn share a tense morning in the wake of his surprise arrival in New York. Finn reveals what's happened to him over the past four months: as planned, he'd enlisted in the Army but only lasted 16 days after accidentally shooting himself in the thigh with his rifle (which he'd named "Rachel"). After a semi-honorable discharge, he backpacked through Georgia, too embarrassed to tell Rachel what had happened. Rachel urges him to move in with her, audit her classes and possibly pursue his passion for acting. She insists that something's been missing in her life since they parted, and she's determined not to let him go.
Santana visits Brittany, insisting that she's enjoying college and wants to stay closer to Lima for their relationship. She notices Brittany's increasing exhaustion due to long hours spent reading a series of post-apocalyptic Christian novels.
Blaine and Kurt plan to be together in New York in two weeks' time, but Blaine is still bothered by Kurt's distraction with his heavy new workload at Vogue.com. Meanwhile, after attending some of Rachel's classes, Finn sees that she's finally found the place she belongs and worries that there's no room for him in her new world.
Songs used in this episode:
"Barely Breathing"; "Give Your Heart A Break"; "Teenage Dream"; "Don't Speak"; "Mine"; "The Scientist"
4x05: The Role You Were Born to Play
Finn's working full-time at Burt's auto shop after his breakup with Rachel, feeling like a complete loser. Artie won't let Finn to wallow in self-pity, however: Hoping to help Finn find his way again, Artie asks him to help him co-direct the high school musical production of "Grease" and refuses to take no for answer. Reluctantly, Finn agrees.
At McKinley, Blaine, brokenhearted, doesn't think he has it in him to take a big role in the musical after his split from Kurt. His lament to "Hopelessly Devoted to You" turns into an audition, and Artie wants to cast Blaine as Danny Zuko, but Blaine's not up for a romantic leading role performance. Finn wants to back out because he doesn't feel qualified to direct, but Artie assures him the secret is surrounding himself with people who know what they're doing: he reveals that Mike and Mercedes have returned to McKinley to lend their talents as choreographer and vocal coach.
Will and Emma discuss their differences with a counselor, with Will making his case for Emma to join him while he's in Washington, D.C., and Emma resisting uprooting her life and career just to follow him. Their counselor - Shannon Beiste - urges them to resolve their problem through compromise. Will agrees: If Emma follows him now, he promises to follow her when she needs him to. Emma hesitantly consents.
Casting Danny Zuko proves a challenge: Finn turns to the football field looking for a fresh face and spots sophomore player Ryder Lynn, a loner who nevertheless has impressive moves. Although Ryder insists he's not musically inclined, Finn challenges him to try out for the musical.
Songs used in this episode:
"Hopelessly Devoted To You"; "Blow Me (One Last Kiss)"; "Juke Box Hero"; "Born to Hand Jive""; "Everybody Talks"
4x06: Glease
Will announces his sabbatical from McKinley to the glee club, revealing that Finn will replace him until he returns - after Sectionals. Sue summons Will and Finn into Figgins' office. She objects that Finn doesn't have the credentials or maturity to oversee the glee club, but Figgins and Will agree that Finn's simply an adult volunteer. Furious, Sue insists that if Finn remains in charge, her fragile peace with the school will be over, and she storms out in a destructive rampage.
Rachel tells Brody she's landed her first off-Broadway audition, but Cassandra warns Rachel from her own experience that the director will eat her alive - she doesn't think Rachel's been hurt enough in life to make the cut. Determined, Rachel encourages Cassandra to try out too, "to get back in the game." Cassandra offers Brody a teaching assistant position, and he accepts but puts off starting until after he can help Rachel prep her audition.
The glee girls get their "Grease" wardrobe, and Kitty insinuates that Marley's inheriting her mother's weight problems when her Sandy costume doesn't fit - but Kitty had secretly altered the costume beforehand. Claiming a desire to win new friends, Kitty invites the girls to a sleepover.
Marley asks her mom about her weight gain, concerned about a genetic connection, but her mother gently reminds her that even if that's true, Marley can choose her own course: "I didn't raise a victim or a quitter - I raised a star. You have control over your life and your body." They agree to a strict diet together.
Songs used in this episode:
"Greased Lightnin'"; "Look At Me I'm Sandra Dee"; "Beauty School Drop Out"; "Look At Me I'm Sandra Dee Reprise"; "Beauty School Dropout"; "There Are Worse Things I Could Do"; "You're the One That I Want"
4x07: Dynamic Duets
Blaine - in his new identity as Nightbird - calls to order the first Society of Superheroes meeting. The McKinley kids are dressed as their own crusading creations: Asian Persuasion (Tina), Blonde Chameleon (Sam), Tarantula Head (Joe), Sweet 'N' Spicy (Sugar), Queen Bee (Becky), The Human Brain (Brittany) and the very Professor X-like Dr. Y (Artie). Blaine ignores Tina's prodding to contact Kurt and reports that the glee club's Nationals trophy has been stolen, replaced with a laptop message from a mystery man among the Dalton Academy Warblers.
Jake asks Marley out but is rebuffed by Ryder, who already has a date with her and warns that he won't let Jake hurt her. Tempers flare, but Finn breaks up their scuffle. Ryder and Kitty join the glee club, qualifying it to compete in next week's Sectionals. Finn grasps at straws for a theme - singing Foreigner songs in foreign languages while wearing foreign wardrobe - but the students aren't impressed.
As the SoS's advisor, Coach Beiste gets into character as The Beiste-master and suggests Finn try it himself: "Clark Kent was a great guy, but it was Superman who inspired them." Meanwhile, Sebastian leads Blaine to the Warblers' new mastermind: Hunter Clarington (Nolan Gerard Funk), a former military academy champion choir leader recruited by Dalton. The trophy was bait: Hunter plays on Blaine's feelings of alienation from New Directions and his desire to escape painful memories of Kurt to lure him back to the Warblers. Against the backdrop of Kelly Clarkson's "Dark Side," Blaine is seen slipping back into his blazer, feeling tempted.
Finn becomes The Almighty Treble Clef, "uniter of glee clubs." With simmering archrivalries threatening the club's harmony, Finn uses an Avengers analogy: powerful individuals are even more effective as a team. For the new "Dynamic Duets" theme, he pairs enemies Jake and Ryder and Marley and Kitty as duet partners.
Songs used in this episode:
"Dark Side"; "Superman"; "Holding Out For A Hero"; "Heroes"; "Some Nights"
4x08: Thanksgiving
Making her first return visit to McKinley for Thanksgiving, Quinn strolls across the auditorium stage and is joined by a guitar-playing Puck on a mashup of Simon & Garfunkel's "Homeward Bound" and Phillip Phillips' "Home," and gradually they're joined by more harmonizing alumni: Mike, Santana, Mercedes and Finn. "Home for the holidays," says Quinn, as the former classmates join in a group hug. "Just like we promised."
Marley recalls her longtime dream of stepping onto a stage to perform for a crowd - and her dream's about to come true at Sectionals. She vows not to let up on her weight-loss efforts before the competition, out of concern about letting down the glee club - especially Jake and Ryder.
At Breadsticks, the alumni note the absence of Rachel and Kurt, not expecting them to show. Later, Finn pairs them up with his students to help master whatever's necessary for Sectionals. Finn plans PSY's "Gangnam Style" to be the centerpiece of their performance, and he needs the students to up their game to compete with the Warblers. Jake admits to Ryder that he hung out with Marley, but offers to pull back if it will put them at odds again; though disappointed, Ryder doesn't object.
Kurt and Rachel agree that returning to Lima feels sad and unproductive, so they plan to indulge each other at their first New York City Thanksgiving away from home. Meanwhile, Mike leads the guys in their dance training: Ryder demonstrates smooth moves, but Jake's footwork isn't so hot - Ryder gets the dance lead. Quinn, Santana and Brittany offer an improvised example of their uncanny dance synchronicity for the newbies to The Supremes' "Come See About Me." Kitty reveals intense hero worship of Quinn, who notices that Marley seems under pressure. Kitty assures her she's been trying to help Marley, and she leads Quinn to believe that Marley's distraction stems from another case of a good girl dating a Puckerman - something Quinn knows all too well.
Songs used in this episode:
"Homeward Bound" / "Home"; "Come See About Me"; "Whistle"; "Live While We're Young"; "Let's Have a Kiki" / "Turkey Lurkey Time"; "Gangnam Style"
4x09: Swan Song
Immediately after Marley's onstage fainting incident at Sectionals, the glee club carries her backstage, both concerned for her health and unsure how to proceed with their performance. As Santana accuses Kitty of getting into Marley's head and causing her to starve herself, Will joins them backstage and tries to rally them to return to the stage before they're disqualified - a rule Finn was unaware of - but a gloating Sue reveals that the judges have already declared the Dalton Academy Warblers the winners.
Meanwhile, Kurt and Rachel worry about their friends back in Lima but choose to focus on their own futures. Kurt's going the extra mile to prepare for his next NYADA admission audition, while Rachel assures him that as a freshman she stands virtually no chance to get a Golden Ticket to Carmen Tibideaux's Winter Showcase, traditionally the starting point where superstars launch their careers. She is later shocked when Carmen hands her one of the elite handwritten invitations to perform.
With New Directions out of competition for the rest of the school year, Sue quickly claims the music room - and all of its contents - as her own. Finn and Sue battle over the glee club's Nationals trophy, which she wants to run over with her Le Car. Figgins tells Finn and Will that there's no longer a location for the glee club to practice: they must turn over the key to the music room to Sue, who confides to Becky that she finds it an empty victory. But Sue receives the guilt-relieving validation she sought when piano player Brad tells her how much he hates the glee kids and that he finally feels free.
As Tina and Artie begin to heap blame for the defeat on Marley, Finn tries to keep the glee club motivated by prepping for the upcoming holiday concert - but they were expecting a triumphant Sectionals coda, not "a pity party." Finn wants to regroup and start focusing on next year, but graduating seniors like Sam, Artie, Tina and Blaine don't have a next year.
Songs used in this episode:
"Something Stupid"; "All That Jazz"; "Being Good Isn't Good Enough"; "O Holy Night"; "Being Alive"; "Don't Dream It's Over"
4x10: Glee Actually
Sue reflects on the holiday season, imagining it as a setting for a series of plot lines sandwiched between commercials breaks, much like the movie "Love, Actually" - "which is a movie that I don't think anyone cares for but is constantly on cable."
After an angry, humiliated Artie slips on the ice and cuts his face, Finn helps him to the nurse's office, where he stews about being helpless and pitied and wishes he never had to be in the wheelchair. As he tries to rest, he slips into a fantasy in which his legs are completely mobile. Surprised, he tests his legs and walks around McKinley, quickly realizing that reality has changed when no one is surprised at his mobility.
After Artie realizes that Tina still has her old stutter, a guardian angel appears to him in the form of foreign exchange student Rory, who grants Artie's wish that his accident had never happened. However, this means that he never joined glee club, so some resultant changes - like Tina getting over her stutter, and Becky learning self-respect - have never happened, either. Finn and Puck are both bullies, terrorizing Kurt, who's been avoiding school and has yet to graduate and has never met Blaine; Will never started the glee club and lives in an alcoholic haze, still married to Terri, while Emma actually married Coach Tanaka; Rachel is still in Lima working as a librarian, never pursuing dreams of stardom. Rory reveals to Artie that, without his accident, he'd focused on football and never became the glue that held the glee club together.
Artie tries to set things right, assembling his friends to convince them they should be in glee club together, offering a performance of Jose Feliciano's "Feliz Navidad" as an example - but Finn deems it "so gay." Artie learns that Quinn never got out of her own wheelchair without his support and ultimately died of a broken heart. The shock brings Artie back to reality, where his mother has come to pick him up, and this time he graciously accepts Finn's help back into the chair, realizing that it's part of who he is and how he's affected his friends.
Songs used in this episode:
"Jingle Bell Rock"; "Hanukkah Oh Hanukkah"; "White Christmas"; "Feliz Navidad"; "The First Noel"; "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"
4x11: Sadie Hawkins
Sam's determined to prove that the Dalton Academy Warblers cheated to win Sectionals, but it's not his theorizing that makes Blaine uncomfortable. At the student council board meeting, Tina proposes a Sadie Hawkins Day dance in which the girls are empowered to ask the guys to be their dates - a plot hatched by the Too Young To Be Bitter Club, whose membership includes Tina, Sugar, Lauren Zizes and Becky.
Kurt realizes NYADA resembles high school with cliques and a pecking order. With Rachel's time increasingly occupied by Brody, he seeks out new friends through extracurricular activities, particularly intrigued by Adam's Apples, the college show choir.
Wondering if anyone will ask them to the dance, and feeling vulnerable, the glee guys get a taste of what things are like for the girls. Coach Beiste commiserates with Finn, who is struggling to find lessons to keep the glee club motivated in the absence of competitions. She suggests building an assignment around the Sadie Hawkins dance - when she was a student, it gave her confidence and inspired her to try out for football. Finn announces a "Ladies' Choice" lesson, with each glee girl inviting the guy she likes to the dance in song, and Kitty's excitement worries Marley, who fears she's going after Jake again.
Rachel's giddy after allowing Brody to spend the night but is mortified when Kurt expresses interest in Adam's Apples - she warns that joining show choir results in social and career suicide at NYADA, dooming him to a fate "as a dancing teapot at Disneyland." Still intrigued by the show choir, Kurt encounters Adam, the group's Brit-accented founder who tries to charm Kurt into joining with a group performance: a soft rock interpretation of Sir Mix-A-Lot's "Baby Got Back."
Songs used in this episode:
"Tell Him"; "I Don't Know How To Love Him"; "Baby Got Back"; "No Scrubs"; "Locked Out Of Heaven"; "I Only Have Eyes For You"
4x12: Naked
Hunter Clarington assaults reporters when the media surrounds him and grills him about the steroid allegations against the Dalton Academy Warblers - but the scandal means New Directions is back in the running for Regionals, again needing to raise money for their travel budget. Tina proposes shooting a calendar featuring the sexy men of glee club.
Brittany welcomes Marley to her Internet show "Fondue for Two," and Marley is put on the spot when Brittany suggests she make her feelings for Jake known to him. Later Brittany and Sam discover they've earned, respectively, the highest and lowest SAT scores at McKinley (Brittany's high score was the result of creating random patterns out of the test answers). She consoles Sam by assuring him his great body will earn him a good future, while she makes ambitious academic plans for herself as "one of the smartest people in America."
Rachel lands a leading role in a student film but must commit to appearing in a topless scene - her divided natures literally argue out her options in her head as two Rachels, dueting on the Natalie Imbruglia song "Torn" until she ultimately decides to do it.
When Sam walks the halls in a Speedo, Blaine suggests he's overcompensating for his SAT flop. Sam conducts a "seminar" in which he offers tips and techniques for posing for the sexy calendar, warming the glee guys up with "bro-ga" - "yoga for bros" - and working out to a mashup of The J. Geils Band's "Centerfold" and Nelly's "Hot In Herre." Finn and the girls are impressed by the guys' efforts, but Artie remains dubious about the shirtless photos.
Songs used in this episode:
"Torn"; "Centerfold" / "Hot in Herre"; "A Thousand Years"; "Let Me Love You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself)"; "Love Song"; "The New Year"
4x13: Diva
Kurt realizes that ever since Rachel claimed victory at NYADA's Winter Showcase, her self-centered, demanding and prima donna-ish behavior has escalated to an all-time high, further encouraged by enabling sycophants in class. He decides that it's up to him to bring her back down to earth.
As Emma frets over wedding details in advance of Will's return from Washington, Finn is concerned that the inexperienced newbies of the glee club aren't fierce enough to want to crush their competition. Emma suggests using Will's tactic of pitting them against each other to bring out their competitive sides through "Diva-Offs," so with her help, Finn introduces "Diva Week." Unique embraces it instantly, promising to take Tina down - and when Tina fires back, Marley agrees that she needs to be challenged, and Brittany leads the group in a faceoff to Beyoncé's "Diva."
When tensions flare between Kurt and Rachel, he challenges her to a "Diva-Off" at the school's Midnight Madness event. Rachel cockily suggests that Kurt was only allowed to audition for NYADA because she was his friend, and he counters by saying that it was actually his performance everyone noticed. When he suggests that her victory in their high school "Diva-Off" was because he threw the competition to spare his dad embarrassment, her confidence takes a major hit.
Tina continues to obsess over Blaine, catering to him when he suffers a cold, and he proves that men can be divas too by doing his best Freddie Mercury - in full leathers - on Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now." Santana visits with her college cheerleading squad to provide a diva lesson with Ike and Tina Turner's "Nutbush City Limits" - but she also wants to call Brittany out for not telling her she's dating Sam, and to show off her new girlfriend. Privately Santana approaches Sam and warns him she intends to break them up, but Sam doesn't intend to give up so easily, and they Diva-Off to "Make No Mistake, She's Mine." It's a draw, but Santana vows she'll never let Brittany go.
Songs used in this episode:
"Diva"; "Don't Stop Me Now"; "Nutbush City Limits"; "Make No Mistake(She's Mine)"; “Bring Him Home”; "Hung Up"; "Girl On Fire"
4x14: I Do
A guilty Finn confesses to the visiting Rachel - who's in town for the Valentine's Day wedding of Will and Emma - that he kissed Emma in a heated moment. Rachel tries to calm him down, advising him to tap his acting skills by playing the part of supportive best man. Finn admits his fear of facing Will with Emma, but the stress of wedding planning has her in frantic OCD overdrive - she snaps at him to play his role and otherwise give her a wide berth. Will returns to McKinley from Washington D.C., and he asks Finn to sing a song in lieu of a best man speech, while the glee kids will provide the rest of the wedding entertainment.
Marley gives Jake an early Valentine's Day gift, and Jake fields less-than-helpful suggestions from his brother Puck, but Ryder offers a winning tip: stretch the gifting into a Valentine's Week. In class Jake offers a tribute to Marley with the glee guys backing him: the couple duets on Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's "You're All I Need to Get By." Meanwhile, Finn and Rachel find themselves experiencing some familiar chemistry.
As the chapel fills up, Santana's still stinging from losing Brittany to Sam, while Quinn is feeling burned by men in general. Assigned to be the escort of Emma's niece Betty ("The Glee Project" Season 2 runner-up Ali Stroker), Artie's surprised to find the acerbic Betty less than thrilled to have him as her date, even though she's also in a wheelchair. Jake scores again with Marley by giving her peonies, her favorite flower, but Jake's successes are really fueled by Ryder's close attention to every detail about Marley. Kurt and Blaine have a steamy backseat hookup in the parking lot, but Kurt balks at labeling it a reunion.
As Emma preps to walk down the aisle, Sue shocks her by wearing an identical wedding gown - revenge on Will for letting Finn run the glee club. Emma has a panic attack as the big moment nears, with "Getting Married Today" from Company providing a musical backdrop to her meltdown as she jumps in a taxi and flees the church. In full bridal regalia, Sue walks down the aisle to deliver the crushing news to Will.
Songs used in this episode:
"You're All I Need to Get By"; "Getting Married Today"; "Just Can't Get Enough"; "We've Got Tonite"; "Anything Could Happen"
4x15: Girls (and Boys) On Film
In a black-and-white art deco fantasy sequence, Will and Emma duet Fred Astaire-style to "You're All the World to Me" from Royal Wedding, singing and dancing on the walls and ceiling. But Will wakes up with a start, revealing that it's all a dream after falling asleep with the TV on.
Will's inspired to assign his students a movie-themed assignment - singing songs from their favorite films - while Artie's already got movies on the mind and is about to make his first micro-budgeted film. Finn urges Will to amp up his search for Emma, but Will insists that she should have her space and that Emma will come back to him if and when she's ready. Sue reveals that Emma's used all her vacation days, but if she has any insight into her whereabouts, she refuses to tell Finn, so Artie advises him to pressure Emma's parents to give up her location.
Brittany and Blaine propose kicking off the glee club's guys vs. girls mash-up week with a shared movie number before the gender showdown, with Blaine offering up "Shout" as it appeared in National Lampoon's Animal House by Otis Day and the Knights (a performance that marks Glee's 500th musical number).
Santana suffers through a snowbound weekend in New York with her roommates geeking out over musical theater, and her open hostility unnerves Rachel - but not as much as her baby-themed movie marathon choices, as Rachel continues to sweat out the possibility that she's pregnant. Kurt opts for Moulin Rouge!, envisioning himself dueting with Blaine on "Come What May." Still, as they watch the real movie scene, Kurt tears up but tries to conceal the reason from possible new guy Adam, though Santana bluntly reveals that it was Kurt and Blaine's dream to sing the song to each other at their wedding.
Songs used in this episode:
"You're All The World To Me"; "Come What May"; "Shout"; "Old Time Rock and Roll" / "Danger Zone"; "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" / "Material Girl"; "In Your Eyes"; "Unchained Melody"; "Footloose"
4x16: Feud
Since Finn's revelation that he kissed Emma, a seething Will passive-aggressively berates him, while Finn's frustration has him at the boiling point. The New Directions students force them into a lesson on famed musical feuds, demanding they perform a number about rivalry together so they can heal and reteam to lead the glee club to Nationals.
A relieved Rachel determines she's not pregnant, but Santana urges her to use the scare to take a deeper look at where her life's going, especially her relationship. Meanwhile, Brody's secretly working as a paid escort, trysting with clients to Marina And The Diamonds' "How to Be a Heartbreaker" as Rachel ponders how to deal with her feelings for him.
Sue tries to enforce a contract that would bring Blaine back to the Cheerios, but Blaine resists - although Sue's not-so-veiled threats give him pause. Meanwhile, Ryder's entered an online relationship with a mystery girl named Katie_xoxo and is sharing personal secrets, including how Unique angrily confronted him about causing a rift between Marley and Jake that's threatening the harmony within New Directions. Ryder's insistence that Unique is actually a guy doesn't help. Katie suggests Ryder settle their differences with a musical feud number.
When Finn resists the feud lesson, Will tells Finn he only put him in charge of the glee club because he pitied him when his life was falling apart - but Finn betrayed his trust. Now he insists Finn play along so he can kick his butt. Santana trashes Brody despite Rachel's defense, believing that Rachel is underselling herself by being with him. Sue wages a reign of terror against Blaine, prompting a challenge or a feud-off: she'll tear up his contract if he beats her in their Mariah Carey vs. Nicki Minaj showdown, but vows that he won't win.
Songs used in this episode:
"How To be A Heartbreaker"; "Bitch Is Back"/"Dress You Up"; "Cold Hearted"; "Bye Bye Bye"/"I Want It That Way"; "I Still Believe"/"Super Bass"; "Closer"
4x17: Guilty Pleasures
After spotting Sam swiping macaroni from the cafeteria, a still-crushing Blaine assumes his family's facing financial trouble again and offers him money, but Sam reveals that the pasta's actually for his savant-like macaroni portraits of celebrities and friends. Blaine's inspired to suggest a "guilty pleasure" theme - sharing their musical shame - to the glee club, starting with Sam and Blaine's Wham! tribute, "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go."
Trying to get Kitty to become part of the team, curtail her meanness and use her blonde-inherent "magical powers" for good, Brittany invites her to her online chat show "Fondue For Two" to become more vulnerable by confessing her guilty pleasures. Kitty hesitantly whispers her secret shame to Brittany as Tina watches the show intently online.
In New York, Kurt reflects on his own guilty secret: a mocked-up "boyfriend arm" he bought online to wrap around him as he sleeps (and named "Bruce"). Meanwhile, Sam confesses to Blaine that he secretly loves the music of Barry Manilow, and Blaine urges him to announce to the glee club that he's a Fanilow. Tina demands to know Kitty's secret shame: her love of the Spice Girls stands revealed and, to Kitty's surprise, the rest of the glee girls are in total agreement.
Kurt wants to protect Rachel from the knowledge of Brody's secret life as an escort until after her "Funny Girl" audition, and Santana uses the leverage to get him to make more space for her in the apartment. Rachel reveals that Brody didn't even give her a reason for their breakup, and to cheer her up, Santana recruits her into a practical joke spree against Kurt. Instead, they discover the boyfriend arm (which he refuses to loan them). Sam proclaims his Manilow love with a performance of the singer's "Copacabana," and the other glee guys confess that they, too, are Fanilows. The girls assign Spice Girls identities, but Tina shocks Marley into action when she reveals that Jake is planning to sing a Chris Brown song - given Brown's abusive history with pop star Rihanna, she thinks it's an insensitive selection. Meanwhile, Sam urges Blaine to step up and reveal the REAL secrets he's hiding.
Songs used in this episode:
“Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go”; "Copacabana"; “Against All Odds”; "Wannabee"; "My Prerogative"; “Creep”; "Mamma Mia"
4x18: Shooting Star
As Will reviews the competitors for Regionals, Brittany interrupts with an urgent announcement warning that a giant asteroid - or meteor, or comet - is headed directly for Lima. She advises the glee club to make amends with their loved ones, as she plans to with her cat, Lord Tubbington. Will uses her doomsday scenario to prompt the students to bring a sense of urgency to their performances.
Ryder tells Jake that he believes his mysterious online connection Katie_xoxo is actually a student at McKinley. He introduces himself to the girl he believes he's been communicating with, and she appears thrilled that he's broken the ice. Ryder pulls her into the music room to serenade her with Elton John's "Your Song" - but though she's impressed, Ryder's crushed to discover he's been "Catfished." The real Katie_xoxo has only been using a photo of this girl, whose name is Marissa. Humiliated, Ryder tries to place the blame on Jake and Marley, pulling away when they insist they're innocent.
Brittany stages an elaborate candlelight performance of Extreme's "More Than Words" to express her feelings to Lord Tubbington. Meanwhile, Shannon arranges a "Lady And The Tramp"-style dinner for Will in the locker room. Inspired by Brittany's asteroid prediction, she puts her heart on the line: now that she and Will are both single, she wants him to be the man in her life. He reveals that he and Emma have been reunited for about a week but offers to discuss Shannon's feelings. She only grows upset and flees.
Ryder gets a text from Katie_xoxo, who promises to explain everything if Ryder will meet her the next day in front of the choir room. Brittany reveals that what she thought was an asteroid was just a dead ladybug on the lens of her telescope, which is actually a Pringles can: false alarm. Becky confesses her true feelings to Brittany: she looks up to her and doesn't want her to graduate, and she's fearful about the two of them entering the real world. Brittany explains she has no choice but to move on, as Becky will one day - and if she really prepares herself, the world won't seem so scary.
Songs used in this episode:
"Your Song"; "More Than Words"; "Say"
4x19: Sweet Dreams
Although he originally feared going to college, believing it to be solely for "smart people," Finn's discovered that it's an ideal environment for a kid like himself to experiment with being an adult. Amid frequent outbreaks of the Harlem Shake, he also discovers he has a new roommate: Puck, who's joining him at college despite not being enrolled.
Preparing to audition for her dream role as Fanny Brice in a Broadway revival of "Funny Girl," Rachel takes stock of her lifelong desire to star in the musical and her hero worship of its iconic original lead, Barbra Streisand - Streisand was once an unknown Jewish girl who sang in her high school choir and made it big, so why can't Rachel follow in her footsteps?
As Roz Washington returns to McKinley to take over coaching the Cheerios after Sue's firing, Shannon urges Will to finally offer forgiveness to Finn. In the wake of the shooting scare at the school, Marley's worked up the courage to unveil her secret collection of original songs but worries that her friends' odd behavior may stem from post-traumatic stress disorder: due to her high SAT scores, Brittany's being recruited by MIT, Tina's adopted a steampunk style, Sam appears to have taken on the character of his "smarter twin brother" Evan, and Unique has started taking birth control pills.
Will reveals the theme of Regionals: "dreams." He plans to tackle the theme literally with a set list of songs including "dream" in the title, trumping Marley's hopes that the glee club could perform one of her songs - Will doesn't want to leave any room for error. In a private meeting, Blaine insists that the "dream" medley will be a flop and plots an alternative, but still Marley can't push her own dream through.
Songs used in this episode:
"Next To Me"; "Fight For Your Right (To Party)"; "You Have More Friends Than You Know"; "Outcast"; "Don't Stop Believin'"
4x20: Lights Out
As Ryder frets over why Katie_xoxo has yet to reveal herself to him, Will worries that their Regionals rivals the Hoosier Daddies have a ringer in big-voiced Frida Romero (Jessica Sanchez) and decides New Directions needs to go bigger than ever with an epic stadium rock style. But an unexpected power outage at McKinley - during which Figgins insists the students remain in school - changes Will's plan: "It's Unplugged week."
When Ryder tells Jake about the deep, dark secrets he's shared with Katie_xoxo, Jake suggests that the secrets aren't going to go away - maybe Ryder should share them with people he actually knows. In New York, Rachel and Kurt confront Santana: having learned that along with working at Coyote Ugly she's bouncing at a lesbian bar and working as a cage dancer in another, they worry that she's squandering her talents, but Santana insists she needs time to figure out her life path and blows off their concern.
Sam breaks the seal on the Unplugged theme with an acoustic performance of the Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" with harmonizing assist from the glee club. When Artie balks at performing without the use of his synthesizer, Sam - who entertained his family during many nights when the power was shut off - calls out all the students on their overreliance on technology.
At Vogue.com, Isabelle reassures Kurt that while his admission into NYADA has cut into his internship hours, he still has a job there thanks to the quality of his work - BUT she needs his help wrangling celebrities for the New York City Ballet Gala, a high-profile charity event she's organizing. Meanwhile, Sue's found a new career as a personal trainer for pampered and privileged trophy wives. Blaine tells her he's concerned about Coach Roz's dubious instruction (like rib removal) and the fact that the students are still unsettled about the mysterious gun incident, and he urges Sue to reveal whatever secret truth lies at the heart of it.
Songs used in this episode:
"You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'"; "Everybody Hurts"; "Little Girls"; "At The Ballet"; "We Will Rock You"; "Longest Time"
4x21: Wonder-Ful
Good news is in abundance for the glee club: Rachel calls Will to tell him she's one of the finalists for the role of Fanny Brice in "Funny Girl" and credits him for helping her to get there; Will has re-proposed to Emma, and she's re-accepted; Brittany's touring MIT on early acceptance; and Tina's been wait-listed at a veterinary school. The rash of "wonderful" news prompts Will to build his latest lesson around the positivity of the music of Stevie Wonder.
Kitty confronts Artie about his apparent depression, believing that he's hopelessly longing for her, but he reveals that he was accepted into film school in New York but won't be going - and he swears her to secrecy. Meanwhile, Kurt sweats out the results of his dad's latest medical tests, returning to Lima in hopes that Burt's finally cancer-free. His arrival coincides with Will's recruitment of Mercedes and Mike to help New Directions step their game up for Regionals. Kitty's exuberant performance of "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)" is capped by her revelation of Artie's secret to the glee club, which upsets him: apparently his mom is freaking out at the prospect of him being on his own in the big city, but Kitty surprises him with sweet words of encouragement.
At the coffee shop, Mercedes is excited about her upcoming album, while Blaine notices that Kurt's acting a little OCD with his sweetener packets. Kurt loses his cool when questioned about his and Blaine's relationship, but his friends realize he's upset about his dad and offer their support - especially Blaine. Rachel learns that she needs her NYADA teacher to sign off on skipping her dance midterm so she can go to her Broadway callback: Cassandra July could have the power to shatter her dreams.
Recognizing that the glee club's fears held them back at Sectionals, Mercedes prompts them to push their limits during a rendition of "Superstition" - especially Marley. Noticing Jake's standout dancing, Mercedes and Mike want him to appear in her debut music video.
Songs used in this episode:
"Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours"; "Superstition"; "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life"; "I Wish"; "Uptight (Everything's Alright)"; "Higher Ground"; "For Once In My Life"
4x22: All or Nothing [SEASON FINALE]
Brittany's interview at MIT results in two contrasting revelations: while the staff determines that from her test scores Brittany appears to have little to no academic ability, the numbers she's doodled on the back of her notepad to get them out of her head appear to be of great scientific significance when viewed in various sequences. Believing that she might be a singular, Einstein-level intellect in some respect, the MIT plans a unique proposition for her.
Will reveals that the Regionals competition will now be held in the McKinley High auditorium and reminds New Directions that they need to bring everything they've got to the stage: "All or Nothing." Ryder is preoccupied wondering about the still-mysterious identity of his "catfish," Katie_xoxo. Meanwhile, performing Celine Dion's "To Love You More," Rachel auditions for the role of Fanny Brice in "Funny Girl." She pours everything into her performance, ending with tears running down her cheeks, but the reaction of the casting team is utterly unreadable.
Sam urges Blaine to reconsider his plan to ask Kurt to marry him, but Blaine is determined: not only is he going to go through with it, he wants Sam to be his best man. As Joe and Sugar return to the glee club, Will runs down the set list, but Brittany insists on changing everything to showcase her, unleashing a ridiculous set of demands based on her new confidence in her "megawatt star power." When her friends are stunned by her behavior - including Sam, whom she dumps - she says she's just embracing Will's "All or Nothing" mentality.
Brittany dramatically quits the Cheerios, burning her uniform in front of Coach Roz and posting a manifesto filled with reasons why she can't be on the squad anymore. Ryder demands that Katie_xoxo reveal herself or he won't participate in Regionals. Finally, Marley admits that it was her, despite her previous insistence that she wasn't responsible, and Ryder's shock is compounded when Jake defends her.
Songs used in this episode:
"To Love You More"; "I Love It"; "Clarity"; "Hall of Fame"; "All Or Nothing"
descriptions from: IMDb, FOX, tv.com & wikipedia
image from: Facebook
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