Glee Season 1 Episode 19 Review

This episode begins with Will being summoned to Principal Figgins’ office.  While there he is introduced to the newest member of the school board.  His arch rival Bryan Ryan *played by Neil Patrick Harris*.  Apparently he made Will’s life a living hell in high school by getting every solo in the Glee Club as well as every girl he wanted.  He is there to audit the school’s budget and cut some of the extra curricular programs.  He’ll most likely cut the Glee Club.  He has turned a leaf since his show choir days and now for four nights a week he runs a show choir conversion group that The new teacher Brenda *Molly Shannon*from last week is in it.  He wants to speak to the group.  Though Will objects, Principal Figgins makes him.

In the choir room…  Will introduces Bryan Ryan to the kids. As he begins his speech he tells them to take out a piece of paper and write down a dream that they have that means so much that they can’t admit to anyone else.  He then takes that paper and throws it away telling them that the dream will never happen.  91% of them will spend their lives living in their same county.  *He’s just a major Debbie Downer the entire time*.  Will kicks him out because of this.

In the library… Tina comes over to help Artie reach a book and they begin to talk about their future.  She tells him that she saw what he wrote on the paper when she went back to get her book bag.  Artie wanted to be a dancer.  To cheer him up she decides that since Mr. Scheuster was too busy with Bryan Ryan to give them an assignment that they could do one on their own. A dance number.

At a dance studio… Rachel is practicing her ballet.  As she spins around she sees Jesse St. James.  They begin talking about what her real dream is.  As they talk and walk down the hall she reveals that her real dream is to meet her mom.  Jesse says that they should find her and he won’t stop until they do.

In the choir room… Artie and Tina are practicing their dance routine.  It doesn’t go well at first.  Frustrated, Artie stops the practice and asks Tina to hand him some crutches that he received from a kid with cerebral palsy.  She helps him up out of the chair and he tries to walk.  He takes a step and then falls.  Defeated and embarrassed, he tells Tina to go away and that she pushed him to try it.  She says that she is sorry and leaves him there.

In the Home Ec room…  Will finds Bryan doing inventory on the Home Economics supplies.  He offers to buy him a beer and/or convince him that he is wrong about the Glee Club.

Back in the library…  Rachel comes up to Jesse to let him know that she has found her mother. After doing some research she thinks that her mother is Broadway legend Patty Lupone.  Rachel believes this to be true because of the roles and songs that she sung.  After doing the math to see if it is possible, she believes it is.  Her birthday is December 18, 1994.  1994 was a big year for Patty.  She did a show in Akron, Ohio 9 months before she was born.  When Jesse questions her theory she asks him if he wants to see proof that Bernadette Peters is her mother.  She just doesn’t want to find out that her mother was some teenager that got pregnant like Quinn or just some girl that would give up her daughter for some money.  He wants to do a real investigation, like CSI.  Her fathers have kept every single piece or paper related to her in a file cabinet in her basement.  They start there.

In a Bar… Will and Bryan are at the having some beers and talking.  As they make small talk Will says that all the girls wanted Bryan.  Bryan doesn’t agree. When pressed by will as to which girl got away he says that it was Terri *Will’s soon to be ex wife*causing Will to almost chokes on his drink!  He tells Bryan that he married her and that it just didn’t work out.  He goes on to tell him that music and the glee club helped him get over the hurt.  After this, Bryan begins to cry and tells him that he’s living a lie.  he still loves Music and performing.  3 times a year he tells his wife that he is on a business trip and sneaks off to New York to see a bunch of Broadway shows.  he even has a box of Playbills hidden in his basement, like porn.  Will is perplexed by this and gets an idea.  He goes over to the jukebox and begins to play ‘Piano Man‘ By Billy Joel.  This is what Bryan Ryan sang as his solo for sectionals and wants him to sing it again there to cheer him up.  After the first few bars he begins to sing along.  The two make it a duet as they sing karaoke style.  Afterwards, Will tells him that he should give it another shot and that the local theatre company is holding open auditions for Les Mis *one of my favorite plays. I remember going to see it om Broadway with my high school Choir on a trip to New York my Junior or Senior year. Shouts to Sumter High School Choir, We the best!!!!*  and that they should both try out. 

The next day… Tina catches up to Artie and apologizes to him about what happened the day before.  Artie apologizes as well for his reaction.  She tells him that she did some research on new ways to treat spinal cord injuries.  She just doesn’t want him to give up on his dream.

At Rachel’s house…  Rachel and Jesse are going through some of the things that she brought up from the basement.  While Rachel is not looking, Jesse slips a tape into one of the boxes and pretends that he found it there.  The tape is titled “From mother to daughter”.  He goes to play the tape but she stops him because she doesn’t think that she’s ready yet and asks him to leave.

At the Open Audition…  Will and Bryan are getting prepared and find out that they are trying out for the same part and are planning to sing the same song.  As they argue the director then tells them to sing it as a duet.  They decide on ‘Dream On‘ By Aerosmith.  After this stellar performance the director walks out and says that they’ll let them know.

Later at the mall… Artie buys a pair of tap shoes. As they going around Tina asks if he wants a pretzel, since they are upstairs he waits for her to return.  Before she goes he tells her to wait because he wants to tell her something.    He went to the doctor and started on some of the treatments in the research that she gave him.  It’s beginning to work!  He puts both of his feet on the ground and  as he helps him up he begins to walk, to her amazement.  He walks over to the stereo and turns the music up and begins to dance! Break dance and hip hop at that!!! He’s a part of a flash mob  similar to this  *Seems to good to be true right?*  Actually that was only a vision or dream that Artie wanted to happen, as they cut back to a scene of him sitting in his wheelchair alone while waiting on Tina’s return.

In Coach Sylvester’s office… She tells Bryan that she thought he would have put an end to the glee club.  *He seems to have other plans*as he tells her of his return to the stage in Les Mis, he has decided to examine not just the glee club but all of the extra curricular activities and her Cheerios budget is way out of control.  He has done some research and discovered that music and the arts help kids learn.  She quips back that 1/3 of American teenagers are obese and only 2% of high schools require any form of daily physical activity. She goes on to say that sports teaches teamwork, problem solving, and social skills.  She feels that what she does makes a difference.  Bryan seems to be turned on by her and they decide to go to her secret room upstairs *like Letterman* and have sex.  He’s still cutting half her budget though.

Later that night…  Jesse gets into the car with his old instructor and tells her that Rachel has the tape but won’t listen to it.  he has started to actually like her.  He doesn’t seem to understand why she can’t just go up to Rachel and tell her that she’s her mom. * Yep!! The Vocal Adrenaline instructor is Rachel’s mom!! They actually do look alike.*She says that she can’t because of a contract that she signed stating that she can’t contact her until she turns 18.  Rachel can only contact her, that’s why she wants her to listen to the tape.  She feels that once she hears it she will have no choice but to come and find her.  She then goes on to tell him about how she came to be Rachel’s mom.  she answered an ad in the paper.  For 9 month’s work she would have enough money to live in New York for 2 years.  She eventually failed as an actress, and her only regret is giving up Rachel.

In Miss Pillsbury’s office… Artie goes to see Miss Pillsbury because he’s going to need help adapting to his new lifestyle once he begins walking.  He gives her the research to look over.  She breaks the news that it may not happen because his injury is irreversible and even if it’s not, the research is in it’s infancy and probably could take at least 10 years before it can even be tested on humans.  Before he leaves feeling rejected, she tells him that maybe they should start meeting once a week anyway.

In glee practice… Bryan tells the club that he took some of the money from the Cheerio budget and bought them new costumes because he feels that the arts matter.  He gives them some custom made denim jackets, tear away dance wear and sheet music from every Broadway show for the last 50 years.  The kids as well as Mr. Scheuster are shocked at his change.  Coach Sylvester comes into the room to congratulate Will.  He thinks it’s because of the new things but it’s only to tell him that he won the role in the play over Bryan. He is clearly upset about not getting the lead part and decides that he is going to cut the Glee club.

At the Theatre… Will confronts Bryan to try and have him reconsider cutting the program.  He goes on to tell him that the kids may not be stars but they shine like them. If he cuts the program he is not only cutting out their lights but creating 13 black holes.  He then tells him that he wants him to take his lead part so that he can remember what it’s like to be a star.  They strike a deal, if Will gives him the part then he won’t cut the program.

In Rachel’s room… As she is coming out of the bathroom, she sees Jesse queuing up the tape.  he feels that she’ read to hear it, presses play and leaves.  As the tape starts and Rachel hears her mother’s voice she sits down on the bed nervously.  her mother begins to sing ‘I Dreamed a Dream‘ from Les Mis, also sung by Susan Boyle on the tape as well as inter-cut scenes with Rachel on stage.

Later at school… Artie is telling Tina that she should find another partner to dance with and that he has come to the conclusion that he will never walk again and that he’s okay with it and he’ll still sing his part just no dancing.  Mr. Scheuster tells the others about Bryan not cutting the program because he traded his part so that they could keep the club. He then asks Tina to come up to perform.  The final performance of the night is the club on stage in a dress rehearsal for regional.  Artie begins to sing ‘Dream a little Dream of Me‘ originally sung by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong but most recently remade by Michael Buble.