Glee S4 Ep21 – Wonder-ful

Back in New York, the Mean Gays accost Rachel in the halls of NYADA (we assume it’s NYADA – have we ever seen the same hallway twice?). They’re now the Mean Exposition Gays and they drop some pertinent information. Rachel’s competition for Franny Brice? Sutton Foster (who’s willing to get a prosthetic nose) and Meryl Streep’s daughter Mamie Gummer (who cares if she can’t sing!). In addition, Rachel needs a teacher to sign off on her extra curricular activities – and golly, they hope Cassie July doesn’t find out what’s up with Rachel’s potential good fortune! She might try to sabotage her most hated student’s future!

This is all immensely pointless, including the part where the MEGs go and tell Cassie exactly what Rachel is up to. Gosh, I wonder what happens?!

Even though she was totes mean to them, the nicest kids on the block give Mercedes a hand as she commands their attention on stage. Though Kurt is going through a rough time (cue sympathetic look from Blaine), the grads are happy to be there to help them. Why did they lose Sectionals? Fear. Or Marley passing out and the Warblers cheating. More amnesia. Anyway, Mercedes wants Marley to do some “her” vocal runs while she hits her in the solar plexus with a maraca, and everyone misses the week Blaine and Sam ran Glee Club.

She tells them to shake off their fear, dedicates this one to Kurt, and boom – “Superstitious” begins. Surrounded by a circle of singing and dancing New Directioners – plus Kurt and Mike – Mercedes takes the first round of the song, dancing with Jake and then Tina and Kitty. Next up, Blaine, who proves he doesn’t really need much vocal coaching. He dances with a few people, including sharing a flirty little moment with Kurt. Then Marley takes over, throwing down some vocal runs to show she’s not afraid anymore. It’s a great number, showing off some serious range for three of the better singers on the show.

Mercedes throws away all my good will towards her after that tremendous number by cornering Jake in the hallway. She (and Mike) want Jake in her video! He’s a triple threat! He needs to stop hiding his light under a bushel like Jesus! Be a leader! Jake points out he’s Jewish and a sophomore, but Mercedes and Mike insist he stop waiting to be ordered around by a senior and be a star!

Side bar: I realize this was the way old New Directions worked, but new New Directions isn’t a Survivor-like battle for supremacy. They sang to a cat as a favor to Sam and Brittany, okay? Mercedes and Mike seem completely blind to the passage of time and it’s a little irritating.

The Hudmels wait for news about Burt’s health.

In the doctor’s office waiting room, Kurt is about to lose his damn mind as they wait for the final test results. He gets on Burt for wearing dark colors, and his dad shows his own signs of wear as Carol clings to his arm. Everyone ‘s terrified – and when the doctor shows up, he gratefully skips the small talk. They were aggressive with Burt’s cancer and all that treatment paid off. He’s in remission!

Everyone celebrates, embracing happily. Burt tells his family that he wasn’t ready to leave them. He needs to stick around – to watch Kurt get married, to play with his grandbabies. To have old people sex with Carol! There’s still a lot for him to do. They share another group hug, tearful and overjoyed.

World’s Greatest Dad is okay! Cue the confetti!

Or this being Glee, cue the song! Kurt invites his dad to the choir room, where everyone is gathered. Kurt once sang a song for his dad in this room, when he was in the hospital. But today? They are celebrating the wonderful gift that is the second chance. And Kurt is going to sing a song his dad used to sing to him when he was little: “You Are the Sunshine of My Life.”

With Kitty, Marley, and Tina on background vocals (and shimmying dance moves), Kurt serenades his father. It’s bright and happy and a very different Kurt than we’ve seen all year; I think the Ohio air is better for him, or maybe it’s the fact that he’s wearing light-colored clothing. He’s open and silly and alive – a weight has clearly been lifted now that he’s gotten the all clear on his dad’s health. Burt loves it of course, and they end the song in a tight hug.

I’m beginning to think Cassie gets paid by the insult.

We follow up that feel-good moment with a trip to NYADA, where Rachel is running lines with herself in an empty classroom. Cassie stalks in – wearing what appears to be a tuxedo jacket over a bra – and proceeds to smack talk her into a little  stain on the floor. Seems the callback is the same day as her dance final! But Cassie is willing to compromise. Tomorrow at 6am, she will perform the hardest ballet routine ever conceived so Cassie won’t fail her. Then? Cassie will be attending her callback so she can watch her choke!

Fun times.