Glee Season 6 Episode 11 Review: We Built This Glee Club

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What is it about a glitzy Sectionals performance that gets me all giddy? Watching Glee Season 6 Episode 11, the penultimate episode in the series, and knowing that this was the last time we'll see the New Directions in competition just has me feeling a little weepy. 

My emotional reaction makes almost zero sense because it's not like this was even the best Sectionals episode we've ever had in the show's six-season run, but man. I'm sad that this is ending.

Maybe that's a normal reaction when you've dedicated six years of your life to a TV show, through all of its good moments and bad. All things have to end eventually, Glee included, but it really feels like we just sailed away.

Sectionals episodes are always good if for no other reason than their extra-heavy dose of Glee music. Tonight was no exception. Roderick's "Take Me To Church" followed by the entire group coming together for "Chandelier" were beautifully done. In fact, Roderick is pretty fantastic as long as he's singing and not trying to act. 

The same goes for Spencer. That's part of the reason why their scenes together tonight were among my least favorite. The other part of that is because they're the new new class and I just can't care much about them. 

Spencer sprained his ankle and he's willing to go full Varsity Blues for the New Directions. Meh. Roderick comes up with a plan to keep Spencer from getting himself shot up with cortisone so he can dance horribly which includes Spencer not having to dance at all and it ends up being amazing and stealing the show. Meh.

I mean, it was great. The performance was great. But we didn't need that setup in order to have Roderick go rogue and change their choreography, complete with putting Myron in a nudey-suit and a wig to have him dance around like the girl from Dance Moms who performed in Sia's original video.

He could've done all that without having Spencer injured. A simple "hey, guys, I have an idea..." right before going on stage after a few earlier discussions about being afraid their set wasn't enough would've sufficed. Basically anything to prevent Spencer and Roderick from having to act. 

Anyway. It all worked out. The New Directions won Sectionals and Sue claimed credit for ensuring Will Schuester will always have a job at McKinley High School. Because of course she did.

When Will and Sheldon were the only two people to stand up for her during her Geraldo Rivera interview, Sue set in motion a plan to guarantee Vocal Adrenaline would lose at Sectionals, and she did it from the inside. By choosing a set list she new the judges would dislike and staging choreography which would remind one of them of a traumatic event, she tanked Vocal Adrenaline's chances at winning without their even knowing.

It actually made sense and it was kind of sweet in that Sue Sylvester sort of way. What was sweeter was that Will refused to thank her which set her on a mission to scheme up new ways to ruin him. It's a game of cat and mouse that won't end and somewhere, they both have an understanding of their friendship and what it means. 

There was a little finality there. Closure for Will and Sue. They are friends and always will be, but they have dastardly ways of showing it. They'll continue their song and dance as long as they're both breathing. Some things will never change.

Rachel, however, will. She'll grow and change and adapt and ultimately come out better for it. She already has.

Jesse St. James returned to ask Rachel to star opposite him in the Russell Simmons Broadway production. Sam urged her to return to college and get her education. 

It was Kurt who helped her see the light.

By coming home to Lima, Rachel got a do-over, an opportunity few people get, and she didn't squander it. Kurt told her she was standing at the same crossroads she was at a year ago and that the chance to go back and choose a different path is so very rare.

She listened and made a choice which gives everyone the best of all worlds. 

Rachel will return to NYADA and then pursue Broadway, but in the meantime, she might pursue Jesse. No one's complaining about that. Having her end up with Jesse is still a solid promise for her future.

It may not be the way we would've ended the series, but we don't get the chance to have our ideal ending where Rachel walks into the choir room and tells Finn she's home. 

Oh, Finn. I watched those closing flashbacks as the new New Directions moved the "old guard's" trophies into the trophy case eager to catch a glimpse of Cory Monteith. It didn't seem right to leave him out, and for a second there I thought that's what they'd done. Then there he was, standing next to Rachel staring at their shared win. 

Ending this without him next week is going to be so bittersweet.

What did you think of "We Built This Glee Club?" Are you ready to say goodbye to the New Directions? 

Glee Season 6 Episode 12 and Glee Season 6 Episode 13 will air next Friday night as a two-hour Glee series finale. See all your favorite moments from the series now and watch Glee online!

We Built This Glee Club Review

Editor Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
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User Rating:

Rating: 4.4 / 5.0 (19 Votes)

Miranda Wicker was a Staff Writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in 2017. Follow her on Twitter.

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Glee Season 6 Episode 11 Quotes

We make really great music together, Rachel. We always have.

Jesse

[to Rachel] You know, we all support you. We always do. Just please think about the future, and not just, like, the next month or the next big ticket out of here. Look back at yourself from the future and ask yourself if dropping out of NYADA is something you're proud of.

Sam

Glee Season 6 Episode 11 Music

  Song Artist
Listen To Your Heart Glee Cast iTunes
We Built This City Glee Cast iTunes
Mickey (Vocal Adrenaline) Glee Cast iTunes