Lea Michele | Glee | Season 4

 

"The New Rachel"

Rachel begins school at NYADA, where she bonds with junior Brody Weston and accidentally offends her tough dance instructor, Cassandra July, who begins to push Rachel as much as she can. At McKinley High, the rebuilding of New Directions begins; Wade "Unique" Adams transfers schools to join the group, who have become popular after winning Nationals. Tina, Brittany, Blaine, and Unique compete to see who will be "The New Rachel". Kurt aids director Will Schuester in finding potential recruits, which includes the timid Marley Rose and Puck's half brother Jake, who refuses to join the group when he is not allowed to finish his audition song. Marley is welcomed into New Directions, but is upset when she hears them making fun of an obese lunch lady, whom she reveals is her mother. The glee club members apologize, and their actions motivate head cheerleader Kitty Wilde to deem them unpopular once more. Blaine encourages Kurt to go to New York and follow his dreams.

"Britney 2.0"

Sue kicks Brittany off the Cheerios due to her bad grades and replaces her with Kitty, causing Brittany to become depressed. Hoping to cheer her up, Emma convinces Will to have New Directions perform Britney Spears' songs to help Brittany find inspiration. Brittany reveals to Sam that she misses Santana, who is attending University of Louisville. Sam tells Brittany that he will be her friend, and Britany later convinces Sue to reinstate her on the Cheerios. Rachel confronts Cassandra for picking on her students; Cassandra explains that she wants to show them the harsh realities of the show business world. Marley expresses a romantic interest in Jake, and the two share a romantic moment. Puck returns after being called by Will; he meets Jake for the first time and encourages him to join New Directions. Jake later tells Marley that he is joining the group, but she is upset to learn that he is dating Kitty.

"Makeover"

Blaine and Sam run against Brittany and Artie for the student council and win. Sue advises Will to seek a new project, deducing that he has lost his passion after achieving his goal at leading New Directions into winning Nationals; Will later tells Emma that he is considering joining a blue ribbon government panel to improve on arts education nationwide. Kurt gets an internship in New York at Vogue.com working for Isabelle Wright; the two give Rachel a makeover, after which Isabelle advises him to consider pursuing a career in fashion. Blaine is distraught over Kurt's absence and confides his frustrations to Sam. Rachel starts to warm up to Brody and invites him to her and Kurt's apartment for dinner. The two share their first kiss, but are interrupted by a knock on the door. Thinking it is Kurt, Rachel is surprised to instead see her former fiancé Finn.

"The Break Up"

Finn, who has been discharged from the Army, feels out of place in Rachel's life at NYADA and becomes suspicious of Brody. Feeling left behind in their relationship, Blaine briefly cheats on Kurt before realizing his error, and he surprises Kurt by visiting him in New York City. Finn and Kurt confront their respective partners; Blaine admits his infidelity, and Rachel admits to kissing Brody. The following day, Finn leaves without telling Rachel and returns to Lima, where he reunites with Will and meets the new members of New Directions. Santana and Brittany break up due to the long distance between them. Jake breaks up with Kitty after she mistreats Marley. Will is accepted into the government panel, which requires him to move to Washington for several months, but Emma is reluctant to leave Lima. Rachel returns to Lima to confront Finn, lambasting him for hiding from her for months, and breaks up with him.

"The Role You Were Born to Play"

The McKinley High production of Grease is being cast, and after Artie recruits Finn to help him direct, he calls in McKinley graduates Mercedes and Mike to help him and Finn with auditions for the musical. Competitors for the lead role of Danny include Jake and football player Ryder Lynn, who is struggling with his grades. Meanwhile, Kitty auditions for the lead role of Sandy to spite Marley, while Sue objects to Finn's plan to cast Unique for the female role of Rizzo. The cast list for the musical is announced, with Ryder as Danny, Marley as Sandy, Jake as Putzie and Kitty as Patty. Finn agrees to take over New Directions while Will is in Washington, while Emma decides to stay in Lima; Will and Emma agree to visit each other on weekends, and to marry once Will has returned.

"Glease"

Sue opposes to Finn's new role as interim director of New Directions, citing his age and lack of qualifications, and declares her truce with the glee club to be over. The McKinley High production of Grease opens, and Santana returns to replace Unique, who has been pulled out to perform by her parents. Rachel lands an audition for an off-Broadway production, and she and Kurt return to Lima to watch the musical. While they are away, Cassandra seduces Brody to spite Rachel. Kitty convinces Marley that she is genetically predisposed to be overweight and that she needs to induce vomit in order to maintain a healthy weight. Ryder finds Marley trying to vomit in the bathroom; he convinces her against inducing vomit, and later kisses her backstage as Jake looks on. The New Directions celebrate the positive reviews of Grease, and Will says his goodbyes to the glee club as Finn officially takes over.

"Dynamic Duets"

As Kitty and Ryder join New Directions, Finn assigns the glee club members to perform duets. Jake and Ryder, who have been competing for Marley's affections, are paired by Finn, who advises them to share their deepest fears with one another. Jake admits that he feels insecure over being mixed-race and Jewish, while Ryder admits that he cannot read properly. Finn convinces Ryder to take a test, after which Ryder learns he is dyslexic. Kitty pretends to befriend Marley, who decides to date Jake. The glee club's Nationals trophy is stolen by Hunter Clarington, the new captain of the Warblers. Blaine visits Dalton and is given a tempting offer by Sebastian and Hunter to rejoin the Warblers. Despite contemplating, Blaine ultimately decides to stay at McKinley, and he and Sam return to Dalton to steal back their trophy.

"Thanksgiving"

In preparation for Sectionals, Finn enlists McKinley graduates Quinn, Mercedes, Santana, Mike, and Puck—who are all home for the Thanksgiving holiday—to mentor the new members of New Directions. Ryder agrees to no longer romantically pursue Marley now that she is dating Jake, while Kitty falsely tells Quinn that Jake is pressuring Marley into having sex with him. Santana discovers that Kitty has given Marley laxatives in order to further Marley's bulimia, and expresses her concerns to Quinn. Rachel and Kurt celebrate Thanksgiving in New York; Rachel confronts Brody for having sex with Cassandra, but Brody reminds Rachel that she ignored him when Finn briefly visited her. Isabelle advises Kurt to mend his relationship with Blaine, and Kurt agrees to meet with Blaine during Christmas to determine the status of their relationship. At Sectionals, Marley begins to feel sick and collapses on-stage before their first song is finished.

"Swan Song"

In the wake of Marley's collapse, the New Directions leave the stage to tend to Marley, disqualifying them from the competition; the Warblers are declared the winners of Sectionals. With New Directions' performance season over, Sue claims the choir room and auditorium for her own use, while the dejected glee club members take up other extracurricular activities. Brittany and Sam begin dating. Finn starts to contemplate his future with the glee club upon their loss and disbanding, but Rachel advises him to never give up on his dreams, after which Finn convinces the New Directions to regroup. In New York, Rachel gets invited to perform for the Winter Showcase by Carmen Tibideaux as the tension between her and Cassandra increases. At the showcase, Carmen gives Kurt a second chance to audition for NYADA by having him perform for the showcase's audience. Kurt's performance receives a standing ovation, and he is admitted to NYADA.

"Glee, Actually"

A tribute to the film Love, Actually with five different storylines all dealing with the holidays. Sam and Brittany reveal to each other that they believe in the 2012 Mayan apocalypse, and live as if it's the end of the world. The Puckermans, including half-brothers Puck and Jake and their mothers, come together for Hanukkah; Puck reveals that he will be staying in Lima. Artie suffers a head injury in which he slips on ice and experiences a dream sequence in which he reflects on what may have happened if he was never in a wheelchair and glee club never formed. In his black-and-white vision, Artie sees Rory as his guardian angel, reminding him of who he was to the glee club. Kurt spends Christmas with Blaine and his father in New York; Burt reveals that he has prostate cancer, but his chances for survival are very high. Sue struggles to get a Secret Santa present for Marley's mother, Millie, but has a change of heart after seeing Marley and Millie struggle.

"Sadie Hawkins"

Tina convinces Blaine to organize a Sadie Hawkins dance at McKinley, and Finn advises the female members of New Directions to perform to the people they want to invite to the dance. Tina sings to Blaine, having developed a crush on him, but Blaine declines her invitation, having himself developed a crush on Sam, who is investigating whether the Warblers cheated at Sectionals. Brittany convinces Marley to invite Jake, who becomes conflicted when Kitty also invites him. Puck convinces Jake to go with Marley and ends up going with Kitty himself. At the dance, Sam reveals to Blaine and Finn evidence that the Warblers had used steroids to enhance their performance. With Rachel preoccupied with Brody, Kurt decides to join NYADA's glee club, the Adam's Apples, to make new friends. He meets and forms a friendship with Adam, the leader of the group, and later asks Adam out on a date.

"Naked"

The New Directions are reintegrated into the show choir competition after the Warblers are disqualified for using steroids to enhance their Sectionals performance. To raise money for the bus, Tina proposes they make a sexy "Men of McKinley" calendar with the male members of New Directions. Sue tries to prevent the calendar from being released, but Finn blackmails her with her own nude photoshoot for Penthouse. After discovering that Artie is self-conscious about his body, Sam convinces Tina to change the themes of the calendar to make Artie more comfortable. Meanwhile, Brittany and Ryder separately try to convince Marley and Jake to declare their feelings for one another. After being called by Kurt, Quinn and Santana visit Rachel in New York to advise her not to shoot a nude scene for a student film project. In the process, Santana voices her interest in moving to New York City.

"Diva"

Concerned New Directions doesn't have the killer instinct to win at Regionals, Finn assigns the club to let loose their inner divas. Tina struggles with her romantic feelings for Blaine. With Will away, Emma is distressed over preparations for the upcoming wedding; Finn briefly kisses Emma to calm her down. Kurt objects to Rachel's arrogant attitude and challenges her to a sing-off for bragging rights at NYADA. Kurt is declared the winner, shaking Rachel's confidence, but Kurt reassures her of her talent and encourages her to audition for an upcoming production of Funny Girl. Santana returns to Lima to perform for New Directions and attempts to undermine Brittany and Sam's relationship. Sue reveals that she knows Santana has dropped out of college and offers her an interim coach position for the Cheerios, but Santana instead decides to relocate to New York and move in with Rachel and Kurt, much to their surprise.

"I Do"

Past and present New Directions members return to Lima to attend Will and Emma's Valentine's Day wedding, where they are invited to be the singers. Emma is extremely anxious about the wedding and is unable to go through with it, leaving Will at the altar. Will leaves to search for her, but agrees to proceed with the wedding reception. Kurt and Blaine briefly rekindle their relationship, causing a jealous Tina to accidentally reveal that she's in love with Blaine. Ryder is disappointed when Jake voices his belief that he'll have sex with Marley. Santana and Quinn get drunk and flirt with each other, while Finn confronts Rachel and proclaims that they are meant to be together. That night, Finn and Rachel, Kurt and Blaine, and Santana and Quinn have sex. Marley decides not to have sex with Jake, but ends up getting kissed by Ryder. Rachel returns to New York City and reunites with Brody; she is later seen taking a pregnancy test.

"Girls (and Boys) On Film"

Reeling from being left at the altar, Will states that movies and films are another way to calm people down from the day-to-day anxieties, and assigns the New Directions to perform songs from their favorite movies. Marley confesses that Ryder kissed her on Valentine's Day, angering Jake. Finn tricks Emma's parents into revealing that she's at her sister's house, and convinces Will to fight to get her back. Emma admits to Will that she ran away because she feels she doesn't know Will anymore; they agree to take their relationship slowly. Will is enraged when Finn admits that he kissed Emma to calm her down before the wedding. While Adam, Kurt, Rachel and Santana are snowbound, Santana voices her suspicions that Brody is a drug dealer after finding a large amount of money in his possession, irritating Rachel. Santana later discovers that Rachel may be pregnant after discovering a pregnancy test.

"Feud"

After visiting a clinic, Rachel discovers that she is not pregnant. Santana remains convinced that Brody is hiding something and confronts Brody at NYADA, causing Kurt and Rachel to kick her out of their apartment. As tensions rise between Will and Finn, the New Directions members deal with their own conflicts by performing songs created by feuding artists. Since working with Will is untenable, Finn decides to leave New Directions. Ryder starts online chatting with a mysterious girl named Katie, who convinces him to make amends with Marley and Jake. Sue forces Blaine to rejoin the Cheerios, unaware that he and Sam are scheming to prevent her from further threatening the glee club after they graduate. Brody is revealed to be a gigolo; Santana discovers Brody's secret and informs Finn, who travels to New York to confront him. Finn beats Brody in a motel and threatens to tell Rachel the truth if Brody doesn't leave her alone.

"Guilty Pleasures"

While Will is out sick, Sam and Blaine take over the glee club and assign the New Directions to perform their musical guilty pleasures in order to strengthen their bond between its members. Blaine admits to Sam that he has a crush on him; Sam reveals that he's known for a while and respects Blaine's feelings as they reaffirm their friendship. The New Direction girls confront Jake for his plans to perform a Chris Brown song, leading to a discussion about differentiating an artist's personal life from their work. Santana returns to Rachel and Kurt's loft, while Brody moves out after his fight with Finn. Santana reveals to Rachel that Brody was a gigolo, after which Rachel confronts Brody at NYADA to cut off their relationship. Rachel later thanks Santana for not giving up on trying to make her see the truth.

"Shooting Star"

After Brittany predicts that a meteor will strike Lima, Will assigns the kids the theme "Last Chance" to inspire them to live each day as if it could be their last. His lesson prompts a confession from Coach Beiste, who confesses that she has feelings for Will, but he reveals that he has gotten back together with Emma. Ryder spots Katie at school, only to discover that her name is Marissa and that she never texted Ryder. While the glee club gathers in the choir room, two gunshots are heard, and the school goes into lockdown. As Will and Beiste try to keep the students calm, Kitty breaks down and admits to Marley that she altered her Sandy costumes; they embrace. Ryder calls Katie's phone, and it rings inside the choir room. After the police clear the area, Sue announces that the gun belonged to her and misfired, in order to cover up for Becky, who had stolen her father's gun and brought it to school. Principal Figgins is forced to fire Sue, but Will remains convinced of her innocence.

"Sweet Dreams"

Rachel psyches herself up for her audition to play "Fanny Brice" in an all-new Broadway production of Funny Girl. She gets a surprise visit from Shelby, who advises her against performing one of the musical's songs. After Finn advises her to sing something meaningful to her, Rachel performs "Don't Stop Believin'", dedicating the song to her friends – visualising their original performance ("Pilot") during the audition. She impresses the producers and she is invited for a callback. Marley suggests to Will that they perform original songs at Regionals. Roz replaces Sue as coach of the Cheerios, while Blaine becomes suspicious that Becky knows more information about Sue's dismissal. Beiste encourages Will to make amends with Finn, who has settled into new life as a college student at The University of Lima with Puck. While he initially takes to the school's party atmosphere with ease, Puck encourages Finn to dedicate himself to becoming a teacher, and Finn later meets with Will to reconcile.

"Lights Out"

Will discovers that the lead singer of rival glee club The Hoosierdaddies is Frida Romero, who has a powerful voice. McKinley High loses power, and New Directions performs acoustically while electricity is unavailable. Ryder continues his effort to meet "Katie" and admits to Jake that he told her his biggest secret. After being encouraged by Jake to share it with the club, Ryder reveals that he was sexually abused by his female babysitter when he was a child. Kitty consoles Ryder, revealing that she transferred to McKinley after being molested by her best friend's older brother. Isabelle recruits Kurt to help out at a company-sponsored event to raise money for charity; Rachel and Santana join along, during which Santana is inspired to sign up for extension classes at NYADA. Unimpressed with Roz's coaching style, Blaine and Becky try to convince Sue to return to the Cheerios, but she refuses. Becky later meets with Principal Figgins, as she wants to tell him something important.

"Wonder-ful"

Will encourages the New Directions to perform Stevie Wonder songs to celebrate the wonderful things in their lives. Rachel worries when Cassandra finds out about her Funny Girl audition, but is surprised when Cassandra congratulates her; Cassandra tells Rachel that her bullying and apparent hate was meant to push her into becoming a better artist. Mercedes, who is recording her first album, returns to Lima with Mike and Kurt to help the New Directions prepare for Regionals. Mercedes cancels her contract when the record label tries to force her to change her image, and instead plans to pursue her dreams through different means. Kurt discovers that Burt's cancer is in remission. Artie has been accepted into a film school in New York City, but is scared of how his mother will react to him living by himself. Kitty steps in by telling Artie's mother about his feelings on leaving; Artie's mother later confronts him and shows her support, after which an emboldened Artie decides to go to New York.

"All or Nothing"

Rachel has her Funny Girl callback whilst the New Directions take on the Hoosierdaddies and the Waffletoots at Regionals. Ryder refuses to perform at Regionals unless "Katie" reveals themselves; Marley initially takes the blame, but Unique confesses to Ryder that she is actually "Katie", having created a false identity to get closer to him. Blaine remains determined to propose to Kurt. After being dubbed a mathematical genius at MIT, Brittany returns to McKinley with a new arrogant attitude; she refuses to perform and breaks up with Sam, who gets Santana to return to Lima and intervene. After talking with Santana, Brittany reveals that she has been offered early admission at MIT and emotionally says goodbye to the glee club, as she will be leaving after Regionals. New Directions ultimately win Regionals, and they return to the choir room, where Emma arrives with an officiant to announce that she and Will are getting married immediately. As the New Directions celebrate Will and Emma's marriage, Blaine holds a jewelry box behind his back.