This week’s Glee featured the songs of music legend Stevie Wonder, what viewers got in return was one of the best episodes of season four. With the students at McKinley gearing up for regionals and the future, they receive a visit from three glee club alum. Meanwhile, in New York Rachel faces her second “Funny Girl” callback and has another encounter with Cassandra July.
A scene from the "Glee" episode "Wonder-ful." This week’s Glee featured the songs of music legend Stevie Wonder, what viewers got in return was one of the best episodes of season four. With the students at McKinley gearing up for regionals and the future, they receive a visit from three glee club alum. Meanwhile, in New York Rachel faces her second “Funny Girl” callback and has another encounter with Cassandra July.
Here’s what you missed on "Glee":
Rachel gets closer to being Fanny Brice: The episode opens with Rachel calling Mr. Schuster to let him know that she had her callback for “Funny Girl” and the role of Fanny Brice has now come down to her and two other girls. At NYADA she runs in to what may be two of the schools sassiest students who tell her that she doesn’t stand a chance at getting the role because in order to audition she needs a teacher to sign off and that means getting past Cassandra July (they also inform her that her competition for the role is Sutton Foster and Meryl Streep’s daughter Mamie Gummer). The students then run off and inform Cassandra of Rachel’s callback, in hopes of ruining it for the freshman (seriously, who are those kids? Jealous much?).
When Rachel is practicing he lines in a NYADA dance room, Cassandra enters, informing Rachel that her callback is the same day as her dance midterm (apparently Rachel has still been in Cassandra’s class this whole time). Cassandra informs Rachel that she will let her go to the callback, but that she will be there with Barbra Streisand herself, she tell Rachel that she knows she tends to choke under pressure and that she wants to be there to see it happen. She then informs Rachel that she will take her midterm the next morning at 6 A.M. and that she will be expected to perform one of the hardest ballet numbers there is.
When Rachel arrives the next day, she is surprised to see a dance hall full of her peers. Confused, she asks Cassandra what is going on, and in a total change of personality (seriously she might be bipolar) Cassandra informs Rachel that they are helping her through her midterm celebrating, because when someone gets a callback it deserves to be celebrated. They then begin dancing and singing to Stevie Wonder’s “Uptight” (well, Rachel barely dances, I am not even sure this was her midterm anymore) and in the end Cassandra leaves the room with a smile on her face.
Mike and Mercedes return: In preparation for regionals, the glee club is graced with the presence of some McKinley alum. Mike and Mercedes return to help the students be better than they were at regionals, Mercedes as a vocal coach and Mike for dancing (Kurt was there to but we will get to that in a minute).
Mercedes returns with some news of her own. She is preparing to release the debut album she has been working on in Los Angeles. At one point, Mike and Kurt find her in the auditorium yelling to someone on the phone. As she hangs it up she informs them that her producer had her do a photo shoot for the album cover, but that she will not get her album released until she redoes the shoot and shows some more skin. After Kurt and Mike tell her that she does not deserve that kind of treatment, Mercedes abandons the offer and instead burns her own CD saying she will sell it on her own.
Kurt comes home for his dad: Kurt has returned home to Ohio to accompany his dad to his doctor’s appointment that will determine if he is cancer-free of not. Leading up to the appointment, Kurt begins to develop some OCD like tendencies; touching his nose so many times, stacking sugar packets at the Lima Bean, and wearing only light colored clothing.
When Kurt is in the waiting room at the doctor’s office with Burt and Carole (Yay they’re back!) he is pacing the floor and then gets angry with his dad for wearing a dark colored undershirt. Burt snaps at Kurt telling him to knock it off because he is nervous enough without Kurt’s superstitions nagging him. The doctor enters the room and delivers the good news that Burt’s treatments have worked and he is cancer-free. Everyone celebrates and Burt tells Kurt and Carole that he is so happy and can’t wait to see Kurt get married and have kids (my heart melted) and that he can’t wait to have ‘old people sex’ with Carole (I laughed out loud).
Kurt then brings his dad to McKinley and the choir room to sing him a song that he says Burt always sang him as a kind, “You are the Sunshine of my Life.”
Artie has some news: The Glee club begins talking about their future (apparently Tina wants to be a veterinarian, as she has been wait-listed at Columbia for the major) yet Artie keeps quite through the discussion. It is Kitty who is able to get Artie to tell her what’s wrong. Artie has been accepted to a film school in Brooklyn, but he says that he isn’t going to go because his mom is worried about him living in New York without her around.
One day when Artie comes home he finds his mom (played by Katey Sagal) on the couch talking with Kitty. It turns out that Artie never told his mom about getting in to film school, and he was the one afraid of leaving her. In the end his mom tells him that he will go to film school in New York and that he doesn’t need to worry about her.
Blaine knows what he wants: Even Kurt admits that one of the perks of being home is seeing Blaine (although he makes it very clear they will not hook up like they did at the wedding) and Blaine clearly is seeing the same perks. While at the Lima Bean with Mercedes and Mike, Blaine delivers one of the best lines of the season as Kurt walks to their table telling him, “By the way you look cute today… and I mean like dirty cute,” (payback for Kurt’s “I’ll see you downstairs” at the wedding?).
Throughout the episode it seems as though Blaine always has a careful eye on Kurt and clearly has something on his mind. At one point, Blaine is sitting in the auditorium and Burt walks in indicating that Blaine asked him to meet him there. Blaine gives Burt a rainbow pin so that Burt can show his support of gay marriage in his congress seat. After Burt gratefully accepts the present, Blaine drops a bomb and asks Burt for his permission to ask Kurt to marry him.
When Burt turns and says no to Blaine, Blaine looks like a kicked puppy. Burt explains that he does not deny that Kurt and Blaine will get to that point someday, but that they are not ready yet. He explains to Blaine that he thinks Blaine needs to see the difference between actual marriage and the idea of marriage. As Burt leaves the room he tells Blaine that he will be okay, when Blaine asks how he knows Burt replies, “When two people love each other like you to do, everything works out.” Seriously Blaine, maybe you two should officially get back together before you go popping the question.
At the end of the episode, Blaine stops Kurt in the hall and tells him that he wants to ask him a serious question (a collective, “Don’t do it! Not like this! Papa Hummel said no!” rang through the Glee fandom). Kurt gives Blaine his full attention and tells him he can ask him anything. Luckily, Blaine simply asks Kurt if he will stay around for regionals, Kurt quickly says of course. As the two walk down the hall with linked arms (we are getting there people! We have contact again!) Kurt says, “How could I not says ‘yes’ to you?.”
Next week, we are poised with the season four finale. The glee club is off to regionals and Rachel is off to her callback. The promo for the episode indicates a surprise wedding (no, I am not convinced that this is Kurt and Blaine), Ryder continuing his search for his internet friend, and MIT telling Brittany that she is the most brilliant mind since Einstein? I am sure the episode is set to leave us with plenty of cliffhangers as we patiently await season five.