Glee Episode 520 Recap: The Untitled Glee Season Finale Project

Hi everyone! Welcome to the 20th recap of the fifth season of Glee, a show about teenagers falling in and out of love and bursting into song while trying to make their theater dreams come true.

Wait. I don’t think we need a picture. That’s actually what this show is about.

Also, I’m going to level with you guys: I’m kind of phoning it in this week. I am already in California for A-Camp 2014 and there’s just a lot of pre-camp prep going on here.


This week’s episode is all about the end of the Gleesters’ second school year in New York City. Yup it’s Spring 2014 in New York City and all the kids have big changes coming up. But wait, didn’t the class of 2013 graduate from high school like six episodes ago? Oh right it definitely did because the 2013 academic took a season and a half and 2014 academic year is only six episodes. Time is an illusion.

We open on the whole gang at the apartment in Bushwick. Who’s apartment exactly is it at this point? I don’t know I thought Rachel moved out and was living with Star Child Glambert but I guess she actually still lives there.

It’s dinner with just a pinch of salt and a dollop of homosexuality

Also Sam isn’t eating carbs because: modeling career. Toxic. Mercedes is like “Okay you can starve yourself if you want but just don’t fuck anyone because that food truck is closed for business for anyone but me and also including me!”

We're gonna start with this small dildo and slowly work bigger and bigger

We’re gonna start with this small dildo and slowly work bigger and bigger

So anyways Rachel explains that this big deal TV writer from FOX  is coming for Monday Dinner to observe them all to create a show all about Rachel. Isn’t that just the most? To say the least? Artie asks if it’s normal for a TV writer to observe the potential star like this. Kurt asks if she absolutely has to crash dinner. Lizz asks if they’ve thought about making garlic mashed potatoes because that shit is delicious and feeds a crowd.

It's gefilte fish and if you don't like it you can get the fuck out.

It’s gefilte fish and if you don’t like it you can get the fuck out.

Just then the door bell rings. Who’s at the door? It’s not that writer… It’s Brittany!

Wait. I thought this was the door to Whitney Mixter's apartment....

Wait. I thought this was the door to Whitney Mixter’s apartment….

So although Brittany was last seen with two tickets to Lesbos with Santana, she explains that she never went to Lesbos because she lost her passport and also doesn’t know where Santana is. This is realistic because queer women notorious lose their passports but absolutely absurd because girl-girl couples always know where each other are at every minute of every day.

The gang says that Santana is out shooting another Yeast-I-Stat commercial which is double absurd because everyone knows lesbians just use plain yogurt or garlic to cure yeast infections. Basically what seems to have happened here is that they hired Heather Morris for an episode and then when Naya Rivera got written out of the episode they didn’t know what to do.

So how exactly do you get the yogurt up there?

So how exactly do you get the yogurt up there?

Just then the TV writer walks in and even though she has a name, Mary Halloran, she’s basically supposed to be a terrible overdramatic hipster version of Lena Dunham, sans bird. You might also know her as The Daily Show correspondent Kristen Schaal or Mel from Flight of the Concords. We’ll call her Shlena Shlunham.

But no time to chitchat, just existing in this world gives Shlena Shlunham the fucking runs so she’s off to bathroom.

I'm here to replace... um.. her name is "Santana" I think?

Every party needs a pooper that’s why we invited you

After she finishes pooping back and forth forever Shlena Shlunham sits on Rachel’s floor with her type writer and starts writing out her ideas for the project. It becomes apparent quickly that she is much less interested in the truth than she is in making good television because, duh, television. Like literally that’s the point but whatever.

The punchline is that Rachel is sad and Shlena Shlunham is batshit.

Don't put this in your asshole.

I love this turd


At the New York Mall Mercedes is doing a show with Brittany as her new backup dancer!

Check out my bisexual backup dancer!

Check out my bisexual backup dancer!

Mercedes sings a brand new song of her album aka a Glee original song called “Shakin’ My Head.”  It’s a pretty fun song with a lot of God in it so I feel weird about that. Regardless, I am super happy to see Brittany back dancing.

http://youtu.be/Y4jc8k8hYds


Elsewhere at NYADADADADA Blaine preps for his big showcase with Old Lady Moneybags aka June Dolloway. He’s like “I need Kurt” and she’s like “Grow the hell up, no you don’t.” This inspires Blaine to sing “All of Me” which is good but boring because it’s literally on the radio every minute of every day.

http://youtu.be/DxdyIVHkECc

Just then Kurt walks in and he’s so fucking excited to talk about Blaine’s big showcase and how he’s definitely totally going to be a part of it.

Ready and waiting.

Ready and waiting.

Blaine tells Kurt that he can’t actually be in the show and Kurt freaks the fuck out and throws a perfectly good lunch on the floor. Maybe some words were said about trust but I can’t remember because I’m too distracted by yet another stupid neckerchief.

There not just for boy scouts, okay?! OKAY?!

There not just for boy scouts, okay?! OKAY?!


Across town Sam is at the Treasure Trailz Hair Removal model search. I know that sounds like I made it up but seriously I didn’t.

Sam stands around snapping a rubber band around his wrist to keep from popping a boner because not having sex with Mercedes is basically impossible for him. Everyone know the best solution for being sexually aroused is repeated negative stimuli. That always works.

Nick package bro.

Nick package bro.

Anyways so the model audition is hot and heavy because the model agency head, Charlie Darling, wants to rub up against a young guy. Fortunately Sam gives the camera lots of sex to the tune of “Girls on Film.” I think we’re to believe this is part of his pent-up sexual frustration but I’m choosing to believe Sam is actually just really talented from his Chippendales days.

http://youtu.be/Us354YCVKVQ

In the end, Charlie Darling ends up climbing on top of Sam and being all sexy on him. Funny, I would think an agency exec would be more professional but what the fuck do I know. Slash this feels like sexual harassment in the workplace.

This is going to be just like an episode of MTV's Undressed

This is going to be just like an episode of MTV’s Undressed


At home, Kurt and Rachel try to convince Mercedes to break up with Sam.

This is a Friendtervention. We're all here because we care about you.

This is a Friendtervention. We’re all here because we care about you.

Similarly Artie and Blaine try to convince Sam to break up with Mercedes. Everyone needs to mind their own business.

Yeah I mean having a long distance girlfriend will seriously eat up my "Call of Duty" time

Yeah I mean having a long distance girlfriend will seriously eat up my “Call of Duty” play time


The next day Shlena Shlunham goes around talking with all of Rachel’s friends.

She stuffs donuts into her bra with Artie.

This is how I make them D cups.

This is how I make them D cups.

She tells Blaine he needs a complete name change.

This is mahogany. I specifically asked for cherry.

This is mahogany. I specifically asked for cherry.

And bonded with Brittany.

Ummm I'll have sex with you!

Ummm I’ll have sex with you!

Blah blah blah twenty-something year-old hipster. Blah blah blah this joke is old.

After all this goes down Kurt tells Rachel that Shlena Shlunham is batshit crazy but Rachel still insists she needs to move out to LA and do a TV show. That she is basically done playing Fanny. Which seems obnoxious based on how long they’ve been saying it’s the only role she’s ever wanted and her biggest dream ever.

Brittany is a beaver head

Brittany is a beaver head


The next night the gang all gets together for a table read of The Untitled Shlena Shlunham Project. This, of course, doesn’t make any sense because it’s not like Rachel’s friends are going to be playing the characters based on them. But whatever maybe they just want to all read together.

Story time is like so last year

Story time is like so last year

So the faux-episode opens and, just as you may have guessed, it’s basically a wonky spoof of Girls. Rachel is eating a cake in the bath tub complaining that her Gay NASA Dads forgot her birthday. As a side note I probably would have loved it if Rachel’s dads were astronauts instead of stereotypical show tune singing stage dads. Kurt shows up in a dinosaur suit because, why not, and then they just say “Hashtag” over and over again.

Furries and Feeders unite!

Furries and Feeders unite!

They crew decides this is stupid and flips to a few scenes later where we find Blaine and Brittany have just slept together even though he’s gay. This feels a lot like when The L Word did all those theoretical sex match ups of characters you would never actually see together.

And by the way we’ve never gotten to see Brittany sit up naked in bed with her actual girlfriend. So.

Wouldn't this just be so much better if Santana could be here?!

Wouldn’t this just be so much better if Santana could be here?!

The final scene they read has everyone at a coffee rave. It’s a rave but instead of drugs everyone is drinking coffee.  That sounds like my kind of rave.

My Super Sweet Sixteen: Glee Edition

My Super Sweet Sixteen: Glee Edition

After all this reading everyone agrees that the script sucks. Actually Brittany loves it which makes sense because she has a really keen grasp on new media.


Outside the apartment Blaine and Kurt sit around feeding pigeons, completely ignoring the fact that pigeons are disgusting creatures which carry disease and could literally kill you at any moment.

See it's just like we have urban chickens!

See it’s just like we have urban chickens!

The two decide that instead of being jealous and fighting about the showcase they should just trust each other and go instead and have sex.

Gay sex time?!

Gay sex time?!


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Lizz

Lizz is a consumer, lover and writer of all things pop culture and the Fashion/Style Editor at Autostraddle.com. She is also full time medical student at Brown University in Providence, RI. You can find her on the twitter, the tumblr or even on the instagram.

Lizz has written 261 articles for us.

10 Comments

  1. Oh man this episode was so disappointing. Sam gets sexually harassed at work and he thinks he cheated. The whole Rachel TV Show plot was unbelievably painful and I hated all the smarmy cheesy feel-good wrap ups for these characters. Terrible way to end this story.

    I read somewhere that Ryan Fucking Murphy was going to dedicate the last season to the new dumb shit kids nobody likes so everything is terrible and wrong.

    • The storylines from this episode sent such conflicting messages. June threatens to destroy Blaine’s career if he dares to sing with Kurt, then she falls in love with their performance and wants to take all the credit for their duet. Kurt and Blaine have these tense, serious discussions that sound a lot like trouble in paradise, about trusting someone with keeping your heart safe and flying out of the nest for the first time, but then they’re perfectly fine.

      I felt so confused by the end!

  2. Great recap for an senseless episode. So many things didn’t make sense, but especially everything regarding Sam. I don’t even like the kid, but ignoring the fact that he was sexually harassed and then sending him back to Ohio for no reason?

    It was great to see Brittany, but she was underused and didn’t even bother to explain her absence well. Though, I don’t think they were saying she didn’t go to Lesbos AT ALL, just that Mercedes thought that’s where she’s been since Santana came back without her. The two of them were still missing for ten months, so I’m assuming they went to Lesbos. Also, Mercedes actually said that her and Brittany were meeting up with Santana in Reno and that Santana was gonna be on the tour with them (so Santana isn’t in LA), so at least there’s that. All the tolerable characters together… offscreen.

    Only one more season left, and hopefully it’s short.

  3. Those Santana reaction gifs were perfect! I’m so glad that she at least got to be part of this episode recap, judging all of this week’s ridiculousness just like she would have done on the show. Because I missed seeing her with Brittany so much, I’m going to let Santana join me in my comments about this episode.

    This was the season finale, but by the end of the episode it seemed like almost nothing had happened! What a complete mess.

    Brittany’s guest appearance felt so pointless because the entire purpose of her visit was missing without Santana there. As I was watching the episode, I kept on realizing that almost every one of Brittany’s scenes was meant to have been with Santana. Brittany was originally there in New York to come back and surprise Santana at the apartment. And it would have made a beautifully romantic reunion scene, complete with sweet lady kisses. “Shakin’ My Head” was supposed to have been a Troubletones reunion. And we would have seen Brittana singing and dancing together. I’m so upset about all of these missed Brittana opportunities.

    And that Brittany and Blaine scene. I thought it was going to be way worse than it actually was (real-life instead of fake-script), so that was a bit of a relief. But it was still disturbing.

    My first response was

    Then I was feeling

    My final thought was

      • Thanks so much! I’ve been planning that post for the last couple of days. It took a lot of Internet searching to find the right combination of gifs! I felt like this recap really needed a lot more of Santana’s presence since the episode was completely lacking.

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