I kind of knew I should be excited for the Glee finale last night but really, I was just dreading it all evening.  I don’t want Glee to be over for the year!  And then it started and all the Glee kids were sitting around Mr. Shue’s house crying and I was like … totally. 

But you know, in spite of a lot of serious stretches of the imagination–Really?  Quinn was only in labor for the exact length of Bohemian Rhapsody, and everyone else made it back in time for awards?  And really, you can just walk into a hospital, pick out a baby, adopt it, and take it home?  And really, there were only three teams at Regionals?  And REALLY, Olivia Newton John and Josh Groban came out to Ohio to judge a show choir competition?  Really?  Really.  This has been “Really?!?!?!” with OffColorTV.  Yeah, in spite of all of that, I still really enjoyed the episode.

One of the things that I did really like was that we got to see the whole performance at Regionals, and we got to see Vocal Adrenaline’s whole song.  Although … didn’t it seem like they sang more at Sectionals?  I don’t know.  But here’s what I DO think–Vocal Adrenaline was totally better than Nude Erections New Directions (Billy just got that for the first time this episode, btw).  And I thought that it was right that they won.  I liked that because sometimes, no matter how much you want it, you just can’t win.  And Nude Erections had a lot of setbacks there at the end, so even though I think they were definitely capable of better and more innovative numbers (i.e. the funk song, Proud Mary, etc.), it wasn’t unreasonable to think they’d kind of throw together the Journey medley, especially because they already knew they could rock out Don’t Stop Believin’, and because it really wasn’t about winning anyway.  So it was more meaningful to them, and that’s cool.

I thought it was totally random that Quinn’s mom showed up … actually, it was really fucked up.  Her mom totally didn’t stand up for her, took her dad’s side when he kicked her out, and only kicked HIM out when she found out he was cheating on her with a “tattooed freak”.  Which … did anyone else feel like that was a Sandra Bullock/Jesse James reference?  I did a little bit, but it could’ve been coincidence.  But anyway, her mom totally wasn’t there for her and seemed to only want Quinn to come back because she was alone, and I really felt like Quinn should’ve just told her mom to fuck off.  But … no one’s relationship with their mother is EVER that simple, so I suppose I can understand why she didn’t go there.

Puck in the delivery room was strange a little bit.  I sometimes feel like the show doesn’t know what to do with Puck having emotions–I felt like he probably should’ve been a little more intense and a little less openly freaked out, speaking only in terms of character consistency, but who are we kidding?  I would’ve been freaked the FUCK out, so I suppose we can give him a pass too.

Puck and Quinn standing in front of the nursery window talking was really sweet, and I loved how when she asked him if he had loved her, presumably at the time of the original fucking but maybe she meant everything after, that he said, “Yes.  Especially now.”  The “especially now” was maybe one of my all-time favorite Puck moments, and I have had many.  And Quinn was great in that scene too, with her hair all over the place and how surprised and happy she looked.

And awww, I love how she and Mercedes have become such good friends.  I didn’t see that one coming, but I like the two of them together a lot.

Before we really get into the music, let’s hit on the other stories quickly first.  Rachel asking Shelby to come teach at McKinley was a little odd, and also?  I don’t think it’s what the show intends for me to take from it, but Shelby being all, “Welp, looks like I missed my shot with you.  Too bad!  Mulligan!  I’ll just try it again over here with this new baby that’s going to obviously be good looking and able to sing.  Peace out!” makes me feel like she’s kind of a total bitch.  Just saying.

The Will and Emma story … well, I’m glad they revisited it in the finale because it was still clearly unresolved.  I loved Will venting to Emma about Sue and her being like, “Why are you telling me this, Will?”  Such a true-to-life reaction for that kind of thing.  And I was like, YEAH to her seeing someone else.  She’s completely adorable, of course someone (UNCLE JESSE!  HAVE MERCY!) would snatch her up, hymen and all.  But her yelling at Figgins was sweet, and totally what someone so prim and proper would do when they finally good and snap, and it was a cute way of letting us know that she still cared.  Also, nice cockblock, Rachel!

Alright, the last romance discussion will segue us right into the musical number, and that, of course, is Rachel and Finn.  I’ll admit, the kiss on the stairs didn’t do a TON for me, even if it WAS sweet.  Let’s just all agree that it was no Damon and Elena/Katherine and move on, okay?  But what did TOTALLY do it for me was when they were standing at opposite doors getting ready to go on and Rachel told Finn to break a leg, and he looked over at her and just said, “I love you.”  And then he smiled and he just looked so goddamn motherfucking adorable I almost died.

And when they came through the doors singing “Faithfully” and there was all that space between them but it was just full of electricity, and you could really FEEL it.  I don’t know what it was, but those two were really excellent during that whole little stretch.  And of course, Journey is a pretty great choice of band for Finn’s voice, which sounded even better when I was listening to the radio replaying clips this morning.

Now, all that being said, I could’ve done with a little less of what Billy referred to as “The Finn Show” during the performance.  I know Finn is the supposed “main dude” or “leading man” or whatever the show choir equivalent is, but I thought we had kind of moved beyond that where other people were important too.  I suppose I understand the thought of trying to bookend the season with Finn starting and finishing out as the most important guy.  But I really felt strongly like Kurt and Artie especially got utterly screwed, along with Mercedes.

BUT.  Was it or was it not The Sex when Puck stepped up from behind and started the next verse?  I’ll go ahead and tell you–it was.  And I liked that Santana got more singing time, because I like her voice a lot.  And Brittany was really on display with her dancing, so that was fun too.  At least there was a little love, and everyone got to have a little moment during “To Sir, With Love.”  And also?  Kurt’s little sailor cap made me giggle.

That whole song was really great, and I loved when they went around and talked about how Glee had changed their lives.  It was really a nice end to the season, and summed up their year nicely.  And Mr. Shue getting teary-eyed … well, let me say this.  Him crying in his car, while I appreciate the reality of his shitty car, was awkward at best.  “Awkward” is actually the nicest word I can think of to describe it.  But him crying at “To Sir, With Love” was really touching and seemed legit.  There might’ve been something in my eye during that scene–it was pretty emotional. 

And you know, I never would’ve imagined myself saying this, but I actually really loved that Sue swooped in to save the day.  I love Sue as a heartless, ruthless, and relentless archnemesis, but we’ve seen over the course of the season that she does have her moments, as well as her own twisted good intentions.  And occasionally, Sue gets put in her place, either by You Tube or by bigger fish taking over her pond, and she has those tiny moments of compassion.  And really, I think that Sue, cruel and unusual as she is, actually does intend to TEACH her students things, so I think it made sense that she could admire Mr. Shue for his educating, even if she doesn’t like him all that much personally.

And also, I can totally relate to Sue not wanting to live in a world without a nemesis.  Shit, I always have a nemesis.  My previous nemesis lived in the apartment below me and was a fucking bitch (long story), and she moved out and I kid you not, the NEXT DAY, I had a new nemesis.  Also a fucking bitch.  I pick a nemesis when I play Mario Kart online, for godssake, so I definitely get it.  I thought the show did a nice job of mixing hate and admiration and the necessity of archnemeses into one believable ball of awesome.

Okay.  Last thing and then I’ll wrap it up and we’ll talk.  When Mr. Shue (accompanied by Puck, and it is it me, or does he get EXPONENTIALLY hotter while playing a guitar?  He’s already so hot I hardly see how it’s possible, and yet it happens EVERY TIME!) did the ukelele version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, I was like … meh.  It’s been pointed out around the internet that by now, doing that song that way is overdone and a cliche.  I don’t disagree with their point, but I think there’s a more important point here, and it’s this.  I really think that song should be retired, not because of overuse but because of ER, much like one retires a jersey in sports to recognize the awesomeness of the player who wore that number.  I didn’t even really watch ER, I’d just catch it here and there, but I did happen to see the episode where Doctor Green died, and that song was playing, and I’m not kidding, I cried my fucking eyes out!  It was the first, and best, time I’d ever heard that song and there is a part of me that wishes it had been the last time, because it was perfect enough to justify that.  Still, hearing it now only reminds me of that particular episode of ER (back when it was still ER, and not some shitty hospital show of the same name where C-list acting careers went to die), so maybe another song would’ve been preferable.  Like I said, retire it.

Also, is it me, or are ukeleles just generally awesome?

Okay, so in all, I’d say this was a really good episode.  Sure, a ton of things didn’t make any sense at all (see the second paragraph, and also, think about Sue voting for Nude Erections to win, Josh Groban liking them best, and then explain the scoring to me), but I would also say that if you’re watching this show for the logic, you’re always going to be sorely disappointed.  That’s not what it’s about, and even though it’s hard to put a finger on what it IS about, whatever “it” is, they do it well.

And I liked the decision to not have Nude Erections win Regionals, or even to be the best team there.  I thought Vocal Adrenaline outdid them, and I didn’t feel like they were robbed at all.  And I think the show would’ve blown the proverbial load if they went ahead and let the glee club go all the way (hahaha, LOAD, hahaha, GO ALL THE WAY … see what I did there?  Man I’m hilarious).  This leaves somewhere for the show to go.  I have a friend who is a Yankees fan (I have pledged my allegiance to the Cubs, for those wondering–I even started following them on Twitter in an attempt to be a better and more informed fan), and he said that sometimes he thinks it would be better to be a Cubs fan than a Yankees fan because you always have the hope and the excitement, even if you never win, whereas with the Yankees, it’s always EXPECTED of them to win a title, and anything less, no matter how good they actually do, it’s always a disappointment.  Whereas some years when the Cubs win the playoffs, even that is exciting.  And I get that.  So I’m actually glad that there are still plenty more titles to be won for the first time for our little glee club.

Alright, that’s it for me.  What did you guys think?  Favorite moments?  Favorite lines?  Things I forgot?  Thoughts on the episode?  Feelings on the songs?  Feelings on all the confessions of love?  Lay it on me in the comments, and as always … don’t stop believin’ [fade to black]. [/Obligatory Sopranos reference.]