Glee: You Can’t Always Get What You Want – Except This Time

It was a big week for the Glee kids as sectionals loomed right around the corner, but it wasn’t without a bit of last minute drama that they were actually able to get there.  Somehow Rachel begins to sniff out the pregnant love-triangle going on between Puck, Quinn, and Finn.  When she confronts the rest of the group, who Mercedes had happened to inform already, they decide it’s best to not let Rachel in on the secret.  Rachel pulls the ultimate Jedi mind trick with Quinn and is able to prove to herself enough that Puck is the true father.  We also learn that Emma has decided to push back her wedding with Ken in order to take the squad to sectionals despite Ken’s adamant disapproval of such action.  That’s more drama than a Fergie performance in Baltimore.

During a meeting to determine the sectional set list, Mercedes challenges Rachel for the spot to perform a ballad, belting out her version of And I’m Telling You from Dreamgirls which quickly wins the group over and brings Rachel to wave her white flag quicker than Zanzibar in 1896.  However, the pre-sectional meetings do not end there as Rachel decides to tell Finn that Puck is the real father of Quinn’s child.  After they both admit to the validity of Rachel’s accusation, Finn quits the group.

The group arrives at sectionals without Finn and to their absolute amazement the other two schools perform their exact set list, including another Proud Mary performance done on wheelchairs.  Emma calls Schu to let him know what is going on and he subsequently confronts Sue who disregards any allegation that she was involved.  Schu immediately finds Finn and tells him the group can’t win without him (Although I think there is a large population of Glee-ers who would disagree) and leaves him a little hint as to what the replacement song should be.  And of course, Finn takes the bait and arrives to save the day – no making up ensues.

The McKinley kids start of with Rachel performing Don’t Rain on My Parade as the group walks out onto the stage.  They then decide to represent for the Rolling Stones and do a solid rendition of You Can’t Always Get What You Want.  Afterwards, the judges make a quick and artificial decision without either competitor school able to admit to their cheating. We finally watch Figgins put a foot down and suspend Sue after the schools let him know that Sue had leaked the Glee club’s song list.  Schu is, naturally, reinstated.

Will shows up to the wedding later that day to find Emma alone at the table.  Ken has decided to let her feel what he has felt and decided to leave her – the guy clearly doesn’t know anything about the best you could ever do…EVER.  Emma informs Schu that she had submitted her resignation to the school.

Schu walks to the Glee room to find out how the kids did at the sectionals. It doesn’t take long for kids to part like the Red Sea to reveal a championship trophy.  In all his excitement Will starts discussing regional set lists.  He is quickly cut off so that the kids could perform a little Kelly Clarkson: My Life Would Suck Without You. During these final moments we watch Schu dramatically run down the school hallway in search of Emma, coming to a post-separation epiphany brought on by an American idol’s song.  He catches her right at the door and they embrace immediately – with tongue.  End scene.  On to regionals!

For another take on this episode, check out Their Lives Would Suck Without Him by Alyssa Martino.

Glee returns to Fox in April 2010.

Season 1, Episode 13: Sectionals (originally aired December 9, 2009)

For more on Glee, click here.

Wednesdays at 9pm on Fox

Photographs courtesy of Fox and IMDbPro