The New Directions have wasted no time finding new clubs to join to give their days a sense of purpose. Artie’s the drum major for marching band, Blaine and Tina are on the Cheerios – due to Sue’s need to get a diversity quota into her team for some upcoming press – best boyfriends Jake and Ryder are doing basketball, and Unique has joined roller hockey. When they break the news to Finn, he’s very upset, especially at Blaine and Tina, for letting themselves be sucked in by Sue, and at Artie, who was the one to convince him to come back to McKinley to teach in the first place.
Due to “Emperor Sylvester’s” new regime, the only time Finn has been able to secure for rehearsal is 9:54 p.m. on Friday night, but he encourages them all to be there, ready to rehearse. Marley pipes up that she will be, and Tina shuts her down, saying they’d all be there if Marley hadn’t cost them Sectionals. After Tina stalks out, the group looks apologetically at Finn, and all wander off in their separate ways. Unique, at least, looks sorrowful about it, wishing it wasn’t so, and Blaine lingers until the last before eventually shaking his head in resignation and exiting as well. Finn and Marley are left alone, staring helplessly at one another as the lights are turned out on them.
Brittany accosts Sam cheerfully at his locker, saying she’s set up a date for them because she’s established that the lesbian blogger community know she’s still one of them and that love is love. They kiss and I just don’t care, whatever, make it stop.
It’s time for the Winter Showcase in the Round Room at NYADA, and as Carmen announces the first performer, Rachel paces outside, getting ready to go on. Brody joins her, but when he tries to give her a pep talk, she smiles indulgently and says that she thinks she has this in hand, elaborating about how she knows where her talents lie and in this situation, when she’s given a stage and the opportunity to sing, she knows she can’t be beaten. Brody is shocked at how calm she is, and she laughs, grinning and saying that she’s terrified, but that she knows what she’s doing. “I’m just going to go out there like I’m never going to get a chance to sing again.” Brody is impressed, and takes her hand to wish her luck. Instead, she grabs his face and kisses him, telling him that she’s going to start doing more things as if she won’t have another chance to.
Rachel takes the floor, in a long white dress, and she looks like an angel. “Hi, I’m Rachel Berry, and I’m just going to sing for you,” she coyly introduces herself to the audience with a little shrug, and she starts to sing. She does “Being Good” by Barbra Streisand, and she’s very still and very powerful. She doesn’t use a microphone, she doesn’t need to, and she really shines. When she finishes, the small room explodes into a standing ovation, and her face crumples like she’s going to cry. Brody leads the call for an encore, but soon the whole crowd demands it, and after she exchanges a look with Carmen, who nods approval, Rachel asks the band for a new song, and she tells the audience that she will sing them her favorite holiday song. From a nit-picking point of view, I liked the feel of the encore in that it seems really realistic that when she’s asked unexpectedly, it isn’t like telling Brad to hit it, she exchanges quite a few words with the band leader and picks a very well known carol that an orchestra would potentially be well-versed in.
She goes on to sing “O Holy Night,” which starts quieter, but reaches a flawless crescendo, bewitching the audiences as we pan over their faces. Unlike in “Being Good,” where we stayed on Rachel the whole time, this number is inter-cut with scenes of Finn sorrowfully packing up all of the glee club’s trophies and staring at their Lillian Adler plaque. The inscription – “By it’s very definition, glee is about opening yourself up to joy,” seems to fit Rachel perfectly here, and she has everyone in the room in awe, including Brody and Kurt. Carmen takes the time, in this very pure moment, to cast a glance over Kurt and take in his reactions. Rachel receives another standing ovation, and she just closes her eyes and takes it in before running over to hug her friends. Carmen, looking very pleased, thanks Rachel, and deems her performance superb. She invites the audience to take an intermission, and when they return, she announces, they will hear a performance from Mr. Hummel. This is news to Kurt, whose goes from delighted for Rachel to dead shock.
Out in the hallway, he is frantic, calling Carmen insane, but Rachel assures him that the dean has decided to give Kurt a second chance and wants to see how he performs under pressure. The pair throw around song ideas from Kurt’s repertoire, and when Kurt suggests “Being Alive” from Company, Rachel closes her eyes and whispers “yes,” revelling in the perfection of it. Kurt claims he can’t do it without a costume or props – he doesn’t seem to realise that this is what has been holding him back – and Rachel assures him that he doesn’t need any of his “bells and whistles.” She admits to him that her favorite performance by him, ever, was when he sung them “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” claiming that the simplicity and emotion of it still gave her chills. Kurt is still doubtful, still needing to have a reason, or a character to play. “Who am I supposed to dedicate this to? Carmen?” “To yourself,” Rachel says, staring at him incredulously.
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