‘Glee’ Recap: Kurt Sings “Lucky Star”, Rachel Goes To The Dogs & June Squibb Guest Stars

Lisa Timmons | May 7, 2014 5:44 am

Last week on Glee, Rachel (Lea Michele) had a close call with her Funny Girl producer when she sneaked away to Los Angeles for a TV show audition. She kept her job but by the skin of her teeth, and this episode continues to work to repair her image in the eyes of her producers, as well as the public. Meanwhile, Kurt (Chris Colfer, who wrote the episode) feels he’s been playing second fiddle to everyone else and takes an opportunity to find his own spotlight.

These kids need so much attention, don’t they?

At lunch, Kurt is clearly feeling left out in the conversation between Blaine (Darren Criss), Santana (Naya Rivera) and Rachel, as the latter discovers a blog that discusses her playing hooky from Funny Girl to audition for other roles. Santana’s blonde now, by the way.

During the conversation, Santana tells Rachel the only way to turn her image around is to employ a publicist. They mention Angelina Jolie‘s publicist as being pivotal in turning her image around, which incidentally, is absolutely not the case. Rachel admonishes a woman who has jammed her dog into her purse and decides in the spur of the moment that this will be her charitable cause.

A cute little old lady comes into the Spotlight diner to ask if she can hang up a poster advertising her nursing home’s upcoming production of Peter Pan. The woman, (June Squibb) is named Maggie Banks and is a retired Broadway legend. She and Kurt chat, and he confesses to her that lately, he feels like a supporting character in a movie about his friends’ lives. The “men in the white coats” arrive to escort her back to the home where she’s living.

Rachel visits a dog shelter to ask if she can host an event. She’s accompanied by Mercedes (Amber Riley), Sam (Chord Overstreet) and Artie (Kevin McHale). With all the dogs barking, Sam busts out his guitar to sing, Modern English‘s “Melt With You” with the rest of the gang.

Back at the loft, Santana suggests that Rachel walk around the block with some dogs so she can be spotted by the paparazzi and promote Broadway Bitches, her newly founded dog rescue charity. Kurt arrives to hear the news that the event will have a performance component. When he asks to be a part of it, he learns that it’s just going to be the ladies. Naturally, Kurt feels excluded, so he heads to see Maggie at the Lexington Home for Retired Performers.

Kurt arrives to the nursing home just in time to catch Peter Pan rehearsals. The elderly woman playing the role of Peter dies while in the harness, suspended above the other performers. After the shock wears off, Kurt offers to take on the role. Not wanting to allow any old schmuck into their production, they audition him with a song. He chooses “Memory” from Cats and is joined by the rest of the residents, including guest stars Tim Conway and Billy Dee Williams.

Meanwhile, Sam has brought home a dog named Mcconaughey, which proceeds to tear up the apartment. Mercedes arrives to see the place is a disaster and wants Sam to take the dog back, but eventually relents to let him try and make it work.

Rachel’s staged paparazzi moment attracts several photographers and all goes well until the pooches take off after a guy with a hot dog. The two girls recover after the incident in the loft, where Kurt arrives to announce to an unenthusiastic Santana and Rachel his role in Peter Pan. Naturally, the show’s opening is at the same time as Rachel’s event.

Sam attempts to train McConaughey with Artie via a montage set to the tune of Warren Zevon‘s “Werewolves Of London.” After their pointless session, they give the dog a bath and clean up the apartment.

At rehearsal, Kurt’s co-stars bicker. Maggie gets flowers because her defense attorney daughter won’t be able to make it to opening night because of work. When Kurt chats with the nurse, she learns that Maggie sends herself flowers.

Back at their apartment, Mercedes sees Sam and McConaughey chilling on the couch and they have an argument. Ultimately, they wind up tasked with finding a new home for the poor dog. Lesson to be learned? Compromise is hard, boys and girls. And never bring home a pet to your better half when your relationship has barely spanned four episodes.

Kurt enters an office and introduces himself to Maggie’s daughter, Clara. She lets him know her mother used to forget her at school because Maggie was career-obsessed, and brings up other bad memories. Kurt butts in and does his best to get Clara to come to the production, but she shows him the door. Kurt confesses that his mother died when he was little and encourages Clara to reconnect with her before he leaves.

Rachel’s event appears to be going off without a hitch until a woman wants to adopt the three-legged dog that’s needed for a photo-op later. They have a little kerfuffle and the woman says she recognizes Rachel from the blog. She calls Rachel out for using the dogs to make herself look good.

At the retirement home, Peter Pan Kurt gets ready in his dressing room and tells Maggie that he wants to be each other’s family. Kurt calls Rachel to apologize, and discovers she’s actually in the audience. The show opens with their rendition of Madonna‘s “Lucky Star.” Even Clara has shown up for the performance, and conveniently reconciles with Maggie immediately after.

When the show ends, everyone finds out there’s a bus outside to take the old folks to join Rachel’s event at the Spotlight diner. This all seems logistically impossible, but whatever. Everyone sings, “Take Me Home Tonight” by Eddie Money for the dog adoption and it looks like McConaughey finds a home at the last minute.

Rachel is completely vindicated when a bubbly blonde news anchor for the imaginary NY Theater News shows up to interview her about the event. Santana introduces herself as Rachel’s publicist, which I’m guessing might be the direction her character is now going. Then again, who knows. This is, after all, the same show that spent several episodes building up a relationship between Santana and Demi Lovato‘s character Dani — and where the hell has she been?

In next week’s Season 5 finale, it looks like Brittany makes a visit to New York…and ends up in bed with Blaine? Until then…

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