Season Two of the hit TV show Glee starts right off of the New Directions’ regionals loss last season, but it’s a new school year with new show choir competition, new love interests, and new songs to sing. Some of our past storylines really unravel this season, such as recently divorced William Schuester is still pining after guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury, Finn and Rachel’s on-again, off-again romance, and Kurt dealing with his sexuality and even moving to an opposing glee club this season to escape bullying.
Let’s start with introducing our new characters this season:
Blaine Anderson is the lead vocalist in the Warblers, the Glee Club at an all-boys school called Dalton Academy. He quickly becomes Kurt’s main love interest. Our next addition is to the New Directions themselves, Sam Evans, who they make to be a somewhat heartthrob and new male interest for (eventually) multiple women. The only other brand-new member is a new football coach who has a rough beginning at William McKinley High School. Shannon Beiste is not the typical female character, but I think that’s something that adds a lot of interest to her character. Two not-so-new characters are Santana Lopez and Brittany S. Pierce. These two girls were widely known as Quinn’s entourage in the first season, but they became much more prominent and fan favorites immediately.
The general plot direction this season, of course, can never be summed up in a succinct entirety, but this is the most important footnote:
Quinn and Sam quickly become a will-they-won’t-they situation, and they are dating for a while until she cheats on him with Finn, her (turns out) fake baby daddy, but that ultimately doesn’t really end up anywhere but a fling. Rachel is largely heartbroken and chasing after Finn after she messed things up by cheating on him with Puck, which she only did because Finn lied about being with Santana before they were even together. Kurt moves to an all-boys school after his closeted bully Karofsky kisses him and taunts him afterward. Santana and Brittney are also hiding who they really are, being in love and trying to push each other away constantly. Emma is married to Carl (played by John Stamos), who is really forgettable, besides bothering Will for a few episodes. Emma cannot make the next steps in her relationship due to her mental illness, so they divorce. Artie and Tina break up before the first episode, which created Tina and Mike’s relationship and Artie and Brittney’s.
With original songs getting thrown into the mix, competitions are at a new level this season, especially when they make it all the way to nationals. Here’s a recap:
Our competition at sectionals is the Warblers and the Hipsters. It ends in a tie between the Warblers (with newest addition Kurt) and the New Directions. They secure this tie with non-original songs (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life, performed by Quinn and Sam, and Valerie, performed by Santana Lopez. In regionals, they start dabbling in songwriting. They also won this show choir competition, sadly beating the Warblers this time. They sing Get It Right, performed and written by Rachel and Loser Like Me performed and written by the collective.
Everyone’s heads are up and nationals are looking great for the New Directions. They have new original songs written, and tension is at its peak between Rachel and Finn, right before they go to perform on the big stage in New York City. These two perform a beautiful, yearning love ballad called Pretending. This ends in a kiss that consequently makes them lose the competition. The glee club, unknowing, follows them up with their other song Light Up the World. They didn’t even place in the top ten, which puts Rachel and Finn back together, but creates a temporary drift in the club.
Lastly, we have our top ten favorite performances this season:
Valerie – Santana Lopez
Back to Black – Santana Lopez
I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You – Blaine Anderson
Somewhere Only We Know – Blaine Anderson
Turning Tables – Holly Holliday
Don’t You Want Me – Rachel Berry, Blaine Anderson
Take Me Or Leave Me – Rachel Berry, Mercedes Jones
When I Get You Alone – Blaine Anderson
River Deep, Mountain High – Santana Lopez, Mercedes Jones
I’m a Slave 4 U – Brittney Pierce
Honorable Mentions:
Landslide – Holly Holliday, Santana Lopez, Brittney Pierce
Lucky – Quinn Fabray, Sam Evans
Last Christmas – Finn Hudson, Rachel Berry
