Season 2, Ep 9 - Special Education
With an extra ticket to Sectionals in hand, Will invites Emma to join
them at the competition; she accepts. She then surprises him by
correctly assuming that his set list will (as usual) feature starring
roles for Rachel, Finn, and Mercedes. Will thinks there is nothing
wrong with showcasing the team’s strongest players, but Emma reminds
him that New Directions is a “constellation of stars,” and he shouldn’t
ignore those who don’t “burn quite as obviously bright.” Will takes her
comment to heart. In the choir room he tells the kids the one clear
advantage they have over their competition this year is their dance
skills, therefore he wants to feature Brittany and Mike’s “sweet moves”
in their performance. He also says that he’s decided to let Sam and
Quinn (who won the class’s duets competition) take the featured leads
at the competition. Rachel is baffled by the news; amid the ensuing
infighting, Santana reveals that she and Finn slept together last year.
Rachel looks to Finn for a denial; she’s disappointed. At Dalton
Academy Kurt seems to be fitting in with his new (identically dressed)
classmates quite well; despite the realization that his individuality ⎯
prized in New Directions ⎯ seems to be frowned upon in his new Glee
Club. At McKinley, Brittany confesses to Artie that the thought of New
Directions’ success or failure resting on her shoulders has her
paralyzed with fear; Artie boosts her confidence by giving her a comb
which he says is magic: “you comb your hair with it, and you can’t
lose.”
In his office Will meets with Puck; he says that after
Kurt’s departure the group needs at least one more member. He charges
the intimidating football player with recruiting another singer. At
Dalton Academy, Blaine invites Kurt to audition for a solo for
Sectionals. Puck tries to convince the other football players to join
the Glee Club; his efforts result in him being locked in a
port-a-potty. In the choir room the kids seem to be losing confidence
in Mr. Schue’s new set list; Rachel stages a passive/aggressive protest
against it. Will has had enough; he tells the kids they are all being
poor sports: instead of complaining about their lack of solos, they
should be happy that their team is “bursting at the seams” with talent.
Puck enters the room with Lauren Zizes; after she rescued him from his
portable-toilet prison, he invited her to join the Glee Club, and she
accepted.
Tina finds Artie at his locker; she tells him that
she thinks Brittany and Mike are having an affair. Artie doesn’t
believe it: he thinks the two dancers just want to shine at Sectionals,
and have been busy rehearsing. A glum Rachel sits alone in the
auditorium; Kurt walks in. He says he needs her help; he tells her
about his opportunity for a solo at Sectionals, and asks for her advice
about what song to sing at his audition. Continuing her self-indulgent
pity-party, she wonders if he’s ever fantasized about his own funeral;
he hasn’t but clearly she has. She says he should pick a song that is
all about him. She suggests the perfect number: “Don’t Cry for Me
Argentina” from Evita; as Kurt sings it for the Warblers,
Rachel stands alone and sings it from the auditorium balcony. After his
audition, Kurt learns he didn’t make the cut. Blaine, while supportive,
explains that being a Warbler is all about being part of a team: “the
collective voice.” Kurt’s song choice was “inherently narcissistic.”
Artie notices that Brittany is avoiding him; he worries that Tina may
have been right. As the Glee Club boards the bus for Sectionals,
tensions run high: Artie is mad at Brittany; Finn and Rachel aren’t
talking; and Tina is avoiding Mike. Will confesses to Emma that he’s
having second thoughts about the changes he’s made. Emma tells Will
that she can’t go with them to the competition. Ever since “Rocky
Horror” Carl has had issues with Will. Seeing as how the couple hopes
to take their relationship “to the next level,” she’s decided to stay
behind.
In the lobby prior to the competition, Will continues
to doubt his decisions regarding the new New Directions’ set list.
Rachel and Kurt run into each other; he tells her he didn’t get his
solo, adding that while he loves Dalton Academy, he thinks his
individuality is underappreciated. Rachel tells him about her current
problems with Finn; she’s shocked to learn that he already knew about
Finn’s hook-up with Santana. As the competition begins, the elderly
Hipsters sing a simple and surprisingly moving rendition of Mike and
the Mechanics’ “The Living Years”; the song ends to big applause, and
the New Directions’ kids share apprehensive looks. Next Blaine, and the
Warblers perform an a capella version of Train’s “Hey Soul Sister”; at
first Kurt seems exceptionally nervous, but thanks to some
encouragement from Rachel (from the audience), he quickly gets
acclimated. The song ends and Rachel, Mercedes, and the others lead the
audience in a standing ovation. Kurt is thrilled by the support of his
friends.
In the green room the New Directions kids prepare for
their performance; Quinn is nervous, but Sam assures her she’ll be
great. Artie confronts Brittany; he accuses her of “adultery,” and
wonders how she could betray him. She doesn’t know how he found out,
but says she never felt more awful about anything. Mike wonders why
Artie is so worked up; Tina calls Mike “a jerk,” and storms off. Rachel
confronts Finn about being the last to know about him and Santana; Finn
counters that what happened with Santana happened while Rachel was
dating Jesse, so she doesn’t have the right to be mad at him. Tensions
escalate: Rachel refuses to perform with Finn; Artie says he won’t
share the stage with Brittany; and Tina feels the same way in regards
to Mike. Will has heard enough. He tells the kids he’s ashamed of them;
he’s come to realize that at the end of the day they are all alone, and
the only hope any of them have is to become a part of something bigger
than themselves. He says: “this Club is that.” He encourages them to go
out on the stage, and sing together like it’s the last time: “remind
yourselves that you’re not alone.” His message seems to have resonated
with them. In the wings backstage, Artie asks Brittany why she cheated
on him; she seems confused by the question. He reminds her that she
just admitted to committing “adultery”; she’s even more confused, and
clearly doesn’t understand the definition of the word. She thinks
“a-dolt-ary” refers to her being stupid: ”a dolt.” She confesses that
she’s been avoiding him because she lost his “magic comb,” and was
afraid to tell him; he’s relieved. He reassures her that the comb was
never magic, but she is; they kiss. Sam and Quinn begin their duet.
They sing the iconic “The Time of My Life” by Bill Medley and Jennifer
Warnes; while they struggle a bit at first, the two singers find
comfort in each other, and soon they are hitting their stride. The
others join in, and everyone on the stage seems united by the music;
the jealousy and rivalries seem to melt away. The song slams to a
finish, and is met with deafening applause. Next, led by Santana’s
vocals and Brittany and Mike’s dance moves, New Directions performs
Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse’s “Valerie”: the song is pure fun. As it
ends, Kurt leaps to his feet with applause; the whole crowd joins in.
Afterwards
the judges announce the winners; to the surprise of most, New
Directions and the Warblers end up in a tie: both teams will advance to
Regionals. The next day a proud Will carries the Sectionals trophy
through the halls; he shows it to Emma, who breaks her own good news:
she and Carl eloped to Las Vegas, and are married. Will tries to hide
his devastation; he tells Emma he’s happy for her. Finn and Rachel
talk; it seems like their shared victory has mended all. They hug; Finn
tells her he loves her, and promises: “no more lying, ever.” Rachel
says she needs to confess something: while they were fighting she
wanted to make him feel as bad as she felt. To that end she had a
make-out session with Puck, who ⎯ still feeling guilty about sleeping
with Quinn behind Finn’s back ⎯ called a halt before things went too
far. Finn can’t believe what he’s hearing: he knew Rachel was a lot of
things but he never imagined she was so mean; he breaks up with her.
Later in the choir room, Mike and Tina make up; Will enters with the
trophy, and tells the kids that nothing makes him feel more special
than being with them. To celebrate their victory, Will offers Rachel
the chance to sing a solo; she uncharacteristically defers to Mercedes
and Tina, who begin singing Florence and the Machine’s “Dog Days Are
Over.”
Become a fan of TV3 on Facebook
,
on Twitter .