Glee continues on toward its mid-season finale with “Mash Off, which sees Finn, Rachel, Mr. Schuester and Shelby Corcoran (Idina Menzel) looking to smooth things over with a little friendly competition between the New Directions and the Troubletones. Meanwhile, Santana struggles with her mean streak, while Kurt and Burt Hummel struggle to make headway in their respective political campaigns!
Don’t have the time to spare? Then here's what you missed on Glee’s “Mash Off!”
As Puck stands at his locker, he observes Shelby Corcoran (Idina Menzel) walking down the hallway and thinks to himself about how he’s in “grown up” love with her, as she makes him want to be a family man. But who needs families, when Puck’s daydreams quickly devolve into a fantasy recreation of Van Halen’s “Hot for Teacher,” which in and of itself becomes a performance that Puck puts on with Finn, Blaine and Mike Chang for the rest of the New dDrections! Rachel questions the song choice as Puck observes Shelby down the hall, but covers by saying he just really digs Van Halen.
Will and Emma seethe watching Sue’s latest campaign commercial smearing Burt, but none more so than Kurt, who drops by her office to give the Cheerios Coach a piece of his mind. She won’t apologize, but points out to him that his rivals are performing better in their own student council campaigns by having chosen specific causes to champion.
Looking to smooth a few things over, Will and Shelby make nice on the feud between the New Directions and her Troubletones, and mutually agree that the best way to channel their energy would be through a “Mash-Off,” for which they gather all the mutually trash-talking students in the auditorium with an acoustic version of Lady GaGa’s “You and I” mashed with Eddie Rabbit & Crystal Gale’s “You and I!" The performance only incenses Puck further, as he offers up a pumpkin instead of an apple after class, and attempts to convince a reluctant Shelby that something will again happen between them.
At the suggestion of Finn, the group resolves to pull out some Hall & Oates for their mash-off, offering up the lead to newcomer Rory Flanagan (Damien McGinty). Quinn on the other hand volunteers to leave the New Directions for the Troubletones, looking for a way to get closer to Shelby and Beth after her Child Protective services call failed. All of this takes place as Finn and Rory further their friendship by Finn explaining the concept of trash-talking, which he fails miserably to demonstrate on “from Lima Heights” Santana. But who needs trash talk, when they can settle things with some good old fashioned dodgeball?
Before the big game, Rachel finds Shelby alone and asks for her mother’s signature on a NYATA recommendation of her own drafting, before relenting to her birth mother’s praise and inviting Shelby to write the letter in her own words. This inspires Rachel to reach out to Kurt before the game, still angry over her decision to run for council, but the matter remains unsettled as the game begins! The game itself becomes a mash-up performance of Pat Benatar’s “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” and Blondie’s “One Way or Another.” Santana ultimately wins the day, but goes a bit too far in pummeling poor Rory, while Kurt protests the bullying.
As the Troubletones meet, Mercedes chooses Adele as the artist for their mash-up, and quickly finds her assertive leadership clashes with Santana’s ruminations on destroying Finn. The group take a vote and elect Mercedes club president, while Santana agrees to try making nice. She finds Finn and Rory in the hall to apologize with a partially sincere rant that quickly turns into a scathing condemnation, at which Finn fires back that Santana should come out of the closet with her feelings for Brittany, stopping her cold as the other students look on! Finn reasons that Santana’s own self-hatred provides the fuel for her bullying, and vows to see her at the Mash Off.
Another one of Sue’s ridiculous Burt-smearing campaign convinces the man that Will needs to fight fire with fire as his campaign manager, but that isn’t the only leveled playing field! As Shelby assembles a crib and Puck tends to Beth, he elects to come clean about his and Quinn’s efforts to alert child services, realizing that Beth was no accident, rather destined to wind up with Shelby.
On day one of the Mash Off, the New Directions go first with their ‘80s-style mash-up of Hall & Oates “You Make My Dreams” and “I Can’t Go For That.” All goes well until the time arrives for the Student Council President speeches, who each make a fair case. Mulleted hockey player “Rick the Stick” wants to be able to boss around teachers, while Brittany offers a legal end to tornadoes at McKinley, as well as topless Tuesdays! Kurt on the other hand stands strong in his refusal to resort to false promises and smear campaigns, sticking to his guns that he can bring an end to bullying, most notably through banning dodgeball!
Moved by his speech, Rachel announces her resignation at the microphone, and that the students should vote for Kurt. She confesses later that her dream of making it to NYATA won’t mean anything without Kurt’s achievements earning him a place at her side, and the two resume their friendship.
Having had difficulty getting a hold of her, Quinn drops by Shelby’s apartment with a gift, only to face Shelby’s wrath as the elder woman reveals her knowledge of Quinn’s schemes, and kicks Quinn out of the apartment claiming she’s not comfortable with the teenager being around Beth anymore. Puck, on the other hand…
Burt, Sue and Will all call Santana into Sue’s office and extend their hands offering help, revealing that a student who overheard Finn and her argument in the hall brought the news to her father who outs Santana and even questions Sue’s sexuality in a smear commercial of his own. It all leads into the climactic mash up of Adele’s “Someone Like You” and “Rumours,” as Santana delivers a powerhouse emotional performance that culminates in her slapping Finn for his role in outing her to the community!
And that's what you missed, on Glee! Looking for and advance look at the next episode "I Kissed a Girl"? Look no further, with the latest promo! Why wait those pesky two weeks?
So did Glee's "Mash Off" have you mashing your hands together clapping, or scrambling your brains? What did you think about the episode? Join us next week for an all-new episode of Glee on FOX!
