Glee-cap: Journey to Regionals

Remember how last week everybody was in a funk? It got worse with the announcement that Sue Sylvester was going to be on the panel of "celebrity" judges for regionals. See, Will? I TOLD you it was a bad idea to mess with Sue's emotions. Hell hath no fury like the fury of Sue Sylvester scorned. Plus, there was the ultimatum delivered by Principal Figgins, namely, place at Regionals or the club is disbanded. At a meeting to decide their set list for regionals, everybody pretty much sat around crying instead. The situation was so futile even Will cried - in his car, as "Don't Stop Believin'" played on his radio.

But wait!!! That gave him some inspiration. "JOURNEY" he wrote on the blackboard the next day. It's not just the winning that matters, he told the dejected crew, but the journey they have taken to get there. What better way to express that than through (wait for it) the music of Journey?? New Directions' Regionals setlist included "Faithfully" "Anyway you want it/Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin'" and of course, "Don't Stop Believin'". They came, they sang, they conquered. But was it enough??

Quinn went into labor just as Vocal Adrenaline took the stage. Jesse rocked out to "Bohemian Rhapsody" - and Quinn was rushed to the hospital. Yeah, "Bohemian Rhapsody" rocked (Jonathan Groff, I kind of love you now). This is serious competition. There was one other group (called "Oral" something or other. I keep wanting to call them "Oral Fixation" but that's not what it was.) which was kinda odd because it was supposed to be Midwest regionals. Where was Chicago, huh??? Did we or did we not just bring the world the most recent American Idol??

Rachel talked to Shelby and tried to convince her to come co-direct New Directions with Mr. Shue. But alas. Shelby told her she wanted a life, a house, a dog... a family. Jokingly, I said, as Shelby, "I'm going to adopt Quinn's baby!!" And later, she DID. I am pretty sure you can't just walk into the hospital and adopt a baby like in one day, but whatever. She adopted her and named her "Beth" just like Puck wanted. At least she didn't go with Jackie Daniels.

The regionals "celebrity" judges were Sue, the news guy, Josh Groban and Olivia Newton-John. Olivia wanted to vote for Oral whoever, because they did a mashup of Olivia and Josh songs. She disparaged New Directions for their ragtag appearance and lack of production values, only to be defended by... Sue. Cut to the stage for the announcement. Oral whatever was announced as the runner up, leaving New Directions face to face with Vocal Adrenaline (another perfect moment for a West Side Story style dance rumble, yes?)

And, the winner is....

Do you need to ask?? This show follows the Whedon model of not allowing any of our beloved characters to be too happy. So naturally, the winner was Vocal Adrenaline. New Directions did not place at all, and so was disbanded. Emma went to bat for the kids with Figgins. "Some things are worth fighting for," she tells Will, and she is totally not talking about their relationship, either (maybe). Will tells her he loves her (then you shouldn't have been slutting it up, Shue) and "dentist or no, this is not over." The kids call him to the auditorium before this conversation can go any further.

They sing a very heartfelt rendition of "To Sir With Love" and who is that lurking around in the background?? Sue Sylvester, of course! She confronts Will in the choir room, as he is packing his stuff up (which is weird, actually, because he has an office somewhere else, doesn't he?). She tells him she came mainly to gloat, but that really, although she had won, she was not sure she wanted to live in a world where she couldn't make fun of his hair and try and thwart his every movement. Because of that, and because what Olivia Newton-John and the others said back at judging really hit home, Sue convinced Figgins to give the Glee club another year.

Which we really pretty much knew, since the danged show is renewed for two more seasons. Still, hooray! One more year! Will tells the group the news, and broke out his ukelele to sing "Over the Rainbow"in the style of the Hawaiian singer Israel Kamakawiwo'ole. Rachel takes instant charge, telling them they'd better start rehearsing for sectionals, but Will tells them to take the summer off and enjoy themselves.

One more thing though - when Sue was talking to Will, she said during judging, it was easy to make the decision over who should win and it cut to her filling in her ballot. Her choice for #1?

New Directions.

Happy summer, Gleeks!