Summary
This is the inevitability of change.New Directions won Nationals and now most of them are graduating... and there's nothing left to prepare for or sing about, it's just time to say goodbye.
Haven't they come a long way? Kurt and Quinn have grown a good foot between them, lost about a foot of hair between them, and have actually spoken to each other. The endless days of jamming out have come to an end, and you're going to cry when you hear the songs they've saved for farewell.
The Upperclassmen - graduating seniors - of New Directions are (alphabetically by surname): Rachel Berry (NYADA), Mike Chang, Jr. (Joffrey), L. Quinn Fabray (Yale), Finn Hudson, Kurt Hummel, Mercedes Jones, Santana Lopez (U. Louisville), and Noah Puckerman. Additionally, the 2012 McKinley Valedictorian and Salutatorian are Quinn Fabray and Mike Chang. You'll notice there's at least two names missing; we'll address one of them later.
Will gives the members of New Directions one final assignment: perform songs to say goodbye to each other. He starts by singing "Forever Young". The graduating seniors as a group perform "You Get What You Give", and tell the underclassmen that it is now their glee club. The underclassmen, joined by Will, sing "In My Life" to express their gratitude to the seniors.
Kurt reflects on how his experience at McKinley High has enabled other students to be openly gay. His father meets him in the school auditorium and recalls the evolution of their relationship. Tina and Brittany then join him on the stage to help him re-enact the turning point, which serves as Kurt's graduation gift: the "Single Ladies" dance. Kurt and Blaine pledge to remain a couple, despite being in different cities in the fall.
Mercedes has been offered a recording contract as a backup singer and will be moving to Los Angeles; Mike has accepted a scholarship to the Joffrey Ballet in Chicago. Both revelations upset Santana, who has a cheerleading scholarship from the University of Louisville, yet wants to be a performer like them. Brittany announces that she will not be graduating, and Santana tells her mother, Maribel (Gloria Estefan), that she will stay in Lima. Maribel later gives Santana the money that she had been saving for Santana's college education, saying she trusts her to follow her dreams.
Quinn helps Puck study for the test he needs to pass in order to graduate. She tells him that with all they went through, they are bonded for life, and she kisses him. Emboldened, Puck passes his test. Later, Quinn returns her cheerleading uniform to Sue, and the two have a tearful farewell.
Will tells Finn that he had planted marijuana in Finn's locker in order to blackmail him into joining the glee club, which Finn thinks makes him "even cooler". Finn is disappointed that the Army refused to change his late father's dishonorable discharge to an honorable one, and wonders to his mother, Carole, whether his father would be proud of him if he became an actor.
After the graduation ceremony, Finn, Kurt, and Rachel gather to open their acceptance letters—Finn for the Actors Studio and Kurt and Rachel for NYADA. Finn and Kurt are rejected, while Rachel is admitted; she decides to defer her admission for a year to help the other two reapply so the trio can go to New York together. She gets into Finn's car to go to their wedding, but instead of driving to the wedding venue, Finn drives her to the train station. He tells her that he loves her too much to marry her if it means she has to give up her dreams; he also reveals that he will be joining the Army. Will and the glee club meet them on the train platform to say goodbye, and a crying Rachel sings "Roots Before Branches" as she boards the train for New York.
Next Season: Change is upon us; New York, new students, and new problems. And a season tinged with sadness, for it is the final season for a man taken too soon.
Songs performed
- "Sit Down You're Rocking The Boat" from Guys and Dolls, sung by the original New Directions
- Forever Young by Rod Stewart, sung by Will to New Directions
- "I'll Remember" by Madonna, sung by Kurt with New Directions
- Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) by Beyoncé, performed by Burt, Brittany, and Tina to Kurt
- "You Get What You Give" by New Radicals, sung by the Upperclassmen to the Underclassmen
- "In My Life" by The Beatles, sung by the Underclassmen to the Upperclassmen
- "Can't Fight This Feeling" by REO Speedwagon, sung by Finn
- Glory Days by Bruce Springsteen, sung by Puck and Finn
- Roots Before Branches by Room For Two, sung by Rachel and Finn with New Directions
Tropes include
- Call-Back:
- The "Help the Kids" flyer is still hung in Will's office, and is given a shot-remake when he reveals to Finn that he planted pot on him.
- Rachel appearing in New York is similar to the last time that happened in a season finale on the show.
- Kurt's wearing his insect broach again.
- Celebrity Paradox: Santana's mom reveals that Santana used to dress up like Uncle Jesse on Full House - Jesse was played by John Stamos, who played Carl on Glee, a character that Santana pretended to be attracted to.
- She's also played by Gloria Estefan, whose music has been performed.
- End of an Age: The last episode and season with the original glee club as series regulars.
- Flashback: Two to the Pilot, and one to "Preggers". These episodes are both referenced, too, as are others.
- Graduate from the Story: Finn, Rachel, Kurt, Puck, Santana, Mike, Quinn and Mercedes.
- Ode to Youth: Forever Young, I'll Remember, You Get What You Give, In My Life, Glory Days, Roots Before Branches.
- Put on a Bus: Dianna Agron, Mark Salling, Amber Riley, and Harry Shum Jr. end their tenures as regular cast members, each making at least one appearance in the following three seasons.
- Damian McGinty exits as well; he would make a cameo next season.
- Throw the Dog a Bone: After lamenting that his own mother didn’t even attend a single football game or concert for his entire high school journey, Puck’s mom finally appears at his graduation ceremony, watching his son receive his well-earned diploma.
