Glee-Cap: Goodbye

This is it, Gleeks – the moment that four years of high school leads to – graduation. For some – it's the beginning of a whole new adventure, for some it's the end of old dreams and the beginning of new ones, and for some – it's time to really face the music and the future. Gleeks, I give you the graduates of William McKinley High – class of 2012.

 

Mr. Schue walks into the choir room to find the original members – Kurt, Artie, Rachel, Tina, and Mercedes revisiting their first number together – "Sit Down You're Rockin The Boat" from Guys and Dolls for their fellow glee clubbers. Mr. Schue begins the assignment of "goodbye" with a version of "Forever Young" setting the stage for the goodbyes that lay ahead. Burt surprises Kurt with a graduation present – his own performance of the infamous "Single Ladies" dance that brought them to the road of acceptance. Blaine and Kurt begin talking about the issue of long distance relationships, but Kurt assures Blaine that he'll never say goodbye to him and they will make things work. Kurt presents his goodbye via "I'll Remember" by Madonna making sure to dedicate to the men in the room who taught him no matter what – gay or straight – they're friends.

 

Rachel makes Kurt and Finn promise they will read their letters from their respective schools together in the choir room. Meanwhile, Santana begins to second guess her choice of attending Louisville and decides to present this to her mom (Gloria Estefan) and Brittany during dinner at Breadstixs – her mom assures her that college is the best option, while Brittany reveals she isn't graduating, much to Santana's shock and chagrin. The seniors perform "You Get What You Give" by the New Radicals for the underclassmen, allowing them to know this is now their glee club to have and hold. Rachel and Finn's wedding plans are moving forward, but also seem to stall at the same time, while Mr. Schue comes clean on how he originally got Finn into glee club in the first place. The underclassmen, led by Artie, perform "In My Life" by The Beatles with a special added thanks to Finn.

 

Quinn and Rachel look back on their past before looking to their future, while Quinn decides to help Puck get his confidence back up for his retest – helping him study and giving him a kiss for luck. Roz goes to Sue to propose they stand up to Principal Figgins and overthrow him, to which Sue seems mildly interested, before sharing a final moment with Quinn. Puck anxiously awaits his test score with the rest of the graduating seniors, who all exclaim with joy when Puck gets a C and is allowed to graduate. The seniors take the stage on last time as Finn and Puck perform "Glory Days" – claps fly, and the class of 2012 is graduated.

 

Kurt, Rachel, and Finn meet in the choir room to open their letters, but only Rachel's garners good news – she was accepted into NYADA and New York bound. While cleaning out her locker, Santana is surprised by her mother who gives her a graduation present – money she's been saving for her to attend college, which she urges her to use to go to New York. On the day of their wedding, Finn drives Rachel to the train station and demands she head to New York, leaving their relationship hanging in the balance. The rest of the glee club bids farewell to Rachel, who performs "Roots Before Branches" as she transitions from Ohio to New York– a new adventure on the horizon.

 

A chapter in the book of life has closed, but where will the road take our favorite former glee clubbers and the rest of the glee club? We'll see now, won't we? Until the fall, my dear Gleeks – I bid you a happy summer vacation and all the best to all the graduates.