Robert Lawlor

Finales of musicals wrap great stories up in wondrous melody: sometimes in great joy and rapture and sometimes in heartbreaking reality. The finale of Glee will I'm sure be no different, and I wouldn't want it to be anything less than a mix of the joy and the sadness. I never dreamed that I would get the chance to write for BroadwayWorld or any professional website, so when I first got offered the position in season two, I wasn't sure if I would be any good at it. In that moment, I felt kind of circa Season 1 New Directions - an underdog aiming to make something special happen. I can't say for sure how good I've been at this, but I've enjoyed having this place, having this moment and sharing it with however many people have read these ridiculous recaps week to week for five years.

Last week was full of rises and falls among the world of the glee club, and while some were more tragic than others, like a certain mega musical once said: Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise. Just when things with The New Directions are looking up, the glee club is shocked to find their major rival Dalton Academy has lost their school in a fire leaving the Warblers without a school and a glee club. Will decides to help the Warblers out by bringing them on board to join the New Directions. Not everyone is on board with the Warblers joining the fold, including Sue, who makes it her mission to pluck every Warbler from the halls of McKinley.

Last week, Rachel kept quiet - shocking, I know - and the new members of New Directions moved to the forefront and rose their voices. Seems there was a blooming romance in Mason's eyes with Jane, but with his constantly present and bossy sister Madison in the way things weren't exactly easy. After turning to the other male members of New Directions for some sort of advice, Mason gave his sis an earful and ended up causing a little rift in the Twinning duo. Of course, the two couldn't really stay mad at one another after Mason delivered a killer performance - at a bar mitzvah, but more on that later. Afterward, Madison and Mason had a heart to heart and it our favorite Twinsies are back on twinning terms.

Last week, wedding bells rang for two of Glee's finest couples, and there was lots of bliss and good times for all involved. With Brittany and Santana's wedding, one didn't expect anything less than something grand, and it was certainly grand. Brittany planned a big wedding in the barn she was born in, and despite panicking over all the details and things that could go wrong, Brittany had her lady there to give her an open mind. Of course, Santana was determined to keep Sue from attending their wedding and ruining the spirit of their love with her usual ways, but in usual Sue form - she got her way in the end and made a big splash by bringing Santana's Abuela to boot. After some real talk, Santana's Abuela was on the bandwagon, and Sue was part of the Brittana walk down the aisle.

TGIGD - Thank God It's Glee Day, am I right, Gleeks? Last week, transitions were abound as Coach Bieste returned to the halls of McKinley, Rachel and Sam began to find where they stand in terms of being friends or being more than friends, while Blaine and Kurt continued moving toward reclaiming their epic love story. Despite support all around McKinley, Coach Bieste, now going by the name Sheldon, becomes the target of Vocal Adrenaline to get back at Will for not being the coach they wanted him to be. Despite his best efforts to teach Vocal Adrenaline a lesson, Will struggles to decide whether it's worth it to continue with his job at the price of his morals. Meanwhile, Rachel's childhood home goes up for sale and Rachel looks back on the memories gathering the current crop of glee clubbers and the former ones around for a party to say goodbye. Sam helps Rachel begin to put the past behind her, while possibly forming a new future together. Kurt and Blaine continue to get closer, dueting together and sharing a kiss - leading to Blaine telling Dave that there is no letting go of the romance he shares with Kurt. With Dave accepting and supporting Blaine's efforts, Blaine heads to McKinley to get his man back - only to be put off by Kurt going out with Walter.

Love is in the air, Gleeks! Last week, Brittany and Santana kicked off the Valentine's Day vibe with last week beginning to really get into planning their upcoming nuptials. Brittany attempted to get Santana's Abuela to make up with her and come to their wedding, but despite both of their attempts to get Abuela to step outside of her close minded ways, Abuela failed to see the fruits of their love

A funny thing happened on the way to doing last week's recap: I somehow ended up trapped in an elevator and was taunted by Sue Slyvester - isn't that the craziest thing? Anyway, just to give you a little recap of last week: Spencer and Kitty both decided to join the glee club, due in no small part from words of wisdom from Sam and Rachel respectively. The Warblers performed 'My Sharona' and 'You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)' while their captain of the ship, Blaine was trapped in an elevator with his lovely ex, Kurt, and forced to kiss and make up (literally) by Sue herself. Wow, she certainly got around last week trapping people in elevators stuff.

So, in case you've been living under a rock or not reading my recaps (how dare!), here's what you've been missing on Glee! Most of the original glee club has somehow found their way back to Ohio to help relaunch their favorite club and basically anger Principal Sue Slyvester to no end. Rachel, suffering from that harsh burn of TV cancellation (RIP That's So Rachel #gonetoosoon) has teamed up with Kurt, who is using getting glee club back up and running as part of his NYADA credits, to get the glee club back up and grooving.

There are certain things that just pair together well - peanut butter and jelly, Liza and a cabaret, Kurt and Blaine - oops, did I say that last one out loud? Anyway, there's also certain things that get paired together that you didn't realize how weirdly perfect that fit. Tonight, Alanis meets Carole - yes, you heard me, Ms. Jagged Little Pill meets the recent Broadway season's singer/songwriter darling in an epic mash up. It looks like it's going to be quite the tapestry being weaved tonight in song. Join me as I continue my quest of LIVE recapping to the very end, and enjoy some Carole King while I'm at it.

My dearest fellow Gleeks, When I first signed on to recap Glee way back during season two, I never imagined what this experience would be like and just how grateful I would be to bring you all the wonderful world of Glee from my odd, ridiculous, and sassy perspective. As we enter the final season, I want to thank you all for being with me through this journey and I hope that you've enjoyed it half as much as I have. Tonight, we begin a season of goodbyes, but let's enjoy the season ahead with all the music, drama, and lord knows what else. Let's embark on this last midnight train going anywhere, Gleeks.

Last year, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron brought The Sound of Music starring country star (and former American Idol winner) Carrie Underwood in the leading role of Maria live to millions of people across the country. With this live performance featuring Broadway vets like Christian Borle and Laura Benanti in supporting roles, America was exposed to a small taste of what happens eight times a week on Broadway. To some, The Sound of Music Live was their first big exposure to the magic and wonder of Broadway, perhaps leading young viewers to bigger and grander things.

And here we are, Gleeks - about to bring the curtain down on season five, and what it season it has been - graduations, swan songs, Broadway openings, engagements, and everything in between. Strike up the orchestra for the eleven o'clock number, as we kiss season five goodbye. Mister Conductor, if you please! Rachel gears up to meet the writer of his TV project, who is planning to crash the Monday dinner tradition where Sam and Mercedes are also gearing up for big chances for themselves. Brittany shocks everyone by coming for a visit after getting Tom Hanks-ed on an island after losing her passport. The writer for Rachel's project arrives and proves to be more unique than Rachel was anticipating. Mercedes heads out on a mall tour with Brittany as her back up dancer, and Artie filming the whole thing to document the big event. Mercedes hits the stage and performs her brand new single - "Shakin My Head" for her adoring mall going public, which includes Sam there for support. June and Blaine meet for rehearsal for the upcoming showcase, and Blaine's guilt about lying to Kurt rears its head, but June refuses to hear it. Blaine's guilt leads him to belt out some "All of Me" by John Legend, when Kurt arrives to surprise him with lunch, when the truth comes out, and Kurt gets upset about being lied to and storms out.

The old saying goes that you can't teach old dogs new tricks; but tonight, it's time to give that old saying a Glee twist. Watch our old dogs try and learn some new tricks - will they succeed? Will they fail? Will there be at least one fabulous ballad? Absolutely! Kurt is starting to feel like he has not a lot going for him while everyone else has tons going on, including Rachel who is battling a blind item about her diva behavior, but with Santana's help and a random lady with a dog in her purse - Rachel finds a cause to champion and stop those pesky rumors. A sweet old lady comes to the Spotlight to put up a poster for a production of Peter Pan at a senior home, which causes Kurt to open up to his new found friend, Maggie Banks (June Squibb) - a former Broadway diva with a flop on her past. Maggie offers an invite to visit rehearsal, and Kurt seems keen on the idea. Rachel, Artie, Sam, and Mercedes visit a dog shelter as Rachel spearheads a chance to change her image with a furry friend, while Sam longs for a furry friend, but gal pal Mercedes is not okay with this. When the dogs get rowdy, Sam busts out his guitar and a little "Melt with You" by Modern English with his pals and some puppies adding to the fun of an 80's classic. Santana continues her PR quest for Rachel and sets up a chance for "Broadway Bitches" to take off, and Kurt is upset when Rachel doesn't want to include him in a performance for her brand new charity.

I'm going to be real honest with you, Gleeks - I'm not quite sure what to say to intro this week's recap - I could reference "Only A Older Woman" from Boy from Oz because of Shirley MacLaine being involved in helping make Mr. Blaine Warbler into a star, but how many of you would get that reference? So, let's just get on with the show and see where the stars take us, shall we? Now, quiet please, there's a lady up there. Yes, another Boy from Oz reference - look it up, especially given Hugh Jackman is our Tony 2014 host! Rachel is soaking in the stardom of being a Broadway diva - autographs, photos, rumors of a Tony nomination. Rachel has signed with a fancy high power agent who doesn't seem to think that Rachel has much of a future beyond Fanny, leaving the Broadway diva shocked. Kurt informs Blaine that a wealthy socialite (Shirley MacLaine) is coming, and he's been picked to perform for her - and he's recruiting his fiance to join him in singing "Story of My Life" by One Direction. Santana and Mercedes chat as Mercedes laments about how her record company doesn't hear her sound, while Santana laments having no real direction, thus prompting Mercedes to ask Santana to help her with her music - channel the power of "River Deep, Mountain High" y'all. Rachel goes about her Broadway schedule, while performing "Wake Me Up" by Avicii as she ponders her future beyond Fanny, which seems empty. After the show, Rachel is approached by someone from FOX about auditioning for a pilot for them, but the audition is happening at the same time as a performance, leaving our Broadway diva with a big dilemma. ..Does this diva need her stage or is she seeing the glitz and glamour of Hollywood?

Curtain up, light the lights - it's opening night of Funny Girl and Rachel Berry is going out there a Broadway wannabe, and coming back - well, the greatest star, darling. Before we dive into an evening straight out of season one of Smash - (RIP Ivy Lynn) - let's have a round of applause for the one and only, Matt Tamanini for stepping in like a chorus girl getting to go on for the lead role for the first time last week! So, without further ado, let's get this show on the road - it's Broadway or Bust for Ms. Berry! Rachel gets a blast from the past in a dream where she is back at McKinley performing "LoveFool" by the Cardigans to an audience made up of flashbacks of her friends, as well as bored beyond all reason Becky, Karofsky, Sue, and Jacob Ben Israel. Rachel awakes from her dream, completely horrified. Holy stage fright, Batman! Kurt tries to keep Rachel in check from her self doubt, putting her on a lock down from online and putting her in a love zone - only love for Ms. Berry before opening night. Back at McKinley, no that is not a typo, Sue corners Will and tries to get him to take her as his plus one to New York for Rachel's opening so that she can visit New York and to save her credibility. Will agrees to take Sue along, but only if she pays the too pregnant to attend Emma back and attends Rachel's big Broadway debut. Sue and Will get in touch with the Big Apple with a little "NYC" from Annie.

We all know our favorite Ohioans turned New Yorkers have been having all kinds of big fun since they arrived, but as we know, New York while magical, can also be a rough and tumble kind of town. Tonight, the less than gleeful side of New York rears its ugly head, leaving our favorite former glee clubbers to pick up the pieces. Tonight's episode will deal with some harsh subject matter, so viewer discretion is advised. Sam, Rachel, Kurt, and Blaine attend a candle light vigil and channel the emotion into "No One Is Alone" from Into the Woods as they pay their respects. The producer of Funny Girl gives the company a pep talk, wanting and demanding a hit from his actors. Rachel discusses her scheduling conflicts with NYADA with her producer, who gives her a pass to finish out the year with a critique from the staff. Mercedes catches Sam watching Facts of Life, and joins him for all the 80's girl-school fun. Sam has tried everything to sleep better, even getting Blaine to read him Star Wars fan-fic, but nothing seems to work. Sam asks Mercedes about why she broke up with him, and her answer doesn't stick, as the two go at it on the couch. The weekly pot-luck dinner continues, as news of a neighbor being gay bashed (and lucky to be alive) breaks the joyful mood, but talk quickly turns to the winter critique at NYADA, which is challenging the NYADA hopefuls to Sondheim. Sam brings Mercedes to the East River to make some wishes, and their cute couple status begins to rise even more. Mercedes tells Sam she's willing to give them a chance, but wants it to be taken slowly with boundaries and rules to be implemented. Mercedes, being the strong independent woman she is, channels all of that ferocity into "You Make Me Feel like a Natural Woman".

Don't be an April fool, Glee is taking a new direction, and getting in touch with the big, bad Apple in a bigger and better way. Glee club maybe dunzo, but there's brand new adventures to be had in the city that never sleeps! Let's see how our new graduates blend into New York - you're not in Ohio anymore, Gleeks! This is New York -dream big or be crushed. Like Ivy Lynn, you know? Rachel starts getting the star treatment she has been so desiring thanks to one of her producers, who gives her on call, twenty-four seven town car service. Where is Ms. Berry headed? 'Downtown' - of course! Meanwhile, Kurt is helping Blaine adjust to the city, with Artie and Sam finding their way together, as well. Of course, the star herself makes a grand entrance and joins the gentlemen. Rachel brings her best gays for the ride, while Sam and Artie are left to find other means of transportation. Poor little Artie and Sam - missing out on all the luxury that Ms. Berry is getting accustom to. Blaine and Kurt share a cute and lazy Sunday morning with breakfast, and of course, a little standard for good measure. Klaine is taking to couple life in the city swimmingly, and belt out a little 'You Make Me Feel So Young'. Just when things begin to move a little cozier, Sam enters and ruins the moment, prompting Kurt to push Blaine to talk to Sam about his couch surfing. Artie has loved the city life, but when his backpack and laptop are stolen, Artie is left cold. Blaine tries to talk to Sam about his current situation, and finds that Sam isn't finding the love of the big city that everyone else has been. Blaine drags Sam out of the apartment and into the big city looming before them - and what better way to do then with a little 'Best Day of Your Life'. Blam sure does love a good up-lifting duet, you know? Blam has taken Manhattan - well, at least, Times Square by storm. Are those Sam's little town blues melting away? Time to make a new start of it, Sam Evans - the force is totally with you.

Tonight marks part two of Glee's 100th episode and how do we begin? With the age old question of kill, marry or bone. The less you know, the better.Follow up by classic Sue Sylvester insults and off screen team up with Holly Holiday to make up 'team gorgeous'. Um, sure? Tina's monologuing about not being asked to the dance…shocker! Now she has big dreams of getting to New York only to be upstaged by Blaine yet again who has revealed he has gotten into NYADA congratulations you go Blaine coco. Tina is knocked out into a Friends inspired opening and dream sequence. Delightfully cheesy just how we love glee with Sam hanging in his undies every other scene. Now the first big number of the night is Dreamgirls classic 'I Am Changing' sung by powerhouse Mercedes and the charismatic Kurt. It is their attempt to mend the bond between Rachel and Santana. Kurt and Mercedes voices blend very well together to bring a great performance with everyone enjoying it except Santana who seems to be too busy not being blinded by the spotlight to let the message sink in. Rachel seems to be listening though so we will see where this goes as we go into our first break but not before getting a glimpse of Mr. Brittany S. Pierce who looks like she's up to no good.

How does one measure a hundred episodes of Glee? In group numbers, in Blaine's hair gel, in Fondue for Two, in diva-offs, in mash-ups, and oh so much more. Tonight marks the 100th episode of Glee and with some familiar faces and some remixed Glee classics - this episode is sure to mark the next dynasty in Glee. Here's to the New Directions old and new, and to Glee! Mercedes and Rachel return to McKinley to say goodbye to the legacy of glee club, and each is acting like the diva they are - apparently nothing has changed. Will is set to celebrate 100 lessons of glee club with remixed classics from the past, and what better way to that then with some help from April Rhodes (Kristin Chenoweth). April is up to her usual boozy ways, and what better way to raise a glass to New Directions than with a little 'Raise Your Glass', which Blaine is quick to point out was in fact a Warblers number, but what would a New Direction be without a good Warbler?

Let the sunshine in, Gleeks! No, there's not going to be a production of Hair this week - thank god. This week, the Gleeks are hitting the land of sun, surf, and celebrities. You guessed it, Gleeks - the New Directions are hitting LA! It's Nationals time, and the battle is on to win one for the home team, including several departing seniors. Will New Directions come out victorious or will LaLa land send them packing as fast as a Jennifer Aniston comedy after opening weekend? It's Nationals in LA, Gleeks! Get into it! Will calls Sam to his office and instills in him confidence to be the leader that Finn once was, despite Sam being unsure of such a title. Carole and Burt stop by the choir room, and instill their own confidence into the glee club with memories of Finn, but with optimism and fun as their main point. With the Hummel-Hudson's as chaperones, the glee club gets psyched for Nationals with 'I Love LA'. Once in LA, the glee clubs hits the sightseeing tour and really feel the love for the City of Angels. Once at the hotel, the glee club gets a familiar visitor in Mercedes, who has finally found success in music. The New Directions meet their competition in Throat Explosion and their leading man, Jean Baptiste (none other than Broadway's Skylar Astin). Ryder asks Marley about why she seems to have given up on her love of music, but doesn't really like that Marley is considering this Nationals to be her swan song. The New Directions sneak onto the stage to have a moment the night before performance, where Sam calls to mind Finn's promise that they'd make it to Nationals and win, and plans to keep that promise. Jean Baptiste and Throat Explosion crash the moment, and despite the gauntlet being thrown, respect the memory of their loss and struggle as a club over the years, but also reminds them that everyone is waiting to see if they can overcome their circumstances.