Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
If there was ever a time to sing an emotional ballad against an elaborate background no one else will see, it would be now. At the end of the month, Glee will be leaving Netflix.
Glee first premiered in May of 2009. Over the course of its six seasons and 121 episodes, it changed the pop culture landscape. It wasn’t long before the music of the show was topping the Billboard Hot 100. At a certain point, the series became so popular and successful that it had its own spinoff reality show, concert tour, movie and five albums. All that for a show about outcast high schoolers and endless Journey covers.
We all need a dose of optimism from time to time, and that’s what Glee has always offered. Want to experience the joys and sorrows of McKinley before this gem leaves Netflix? We have you covered. Here are the 10 episodes of Glee you absolutely have to watch before the series disappears from this streaming giant.
Season 1, Episode 1: 'Pilot'
Has a show ever come out of the gate swinging as hard as Glee? Directed by Ryan Murphy and written by Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan, the pilot immediately captured the cutthroat loneliness of high school in its own signature, exaggerated way. In this world run by cruel Cheerios and marked by red slushies, Glee’s first episode did what it did best. Among this dark cynicism, it offered a quiet pinprick of hope and acceptance for a group of chronic outsiders. Watch New Directions’ first performance of “Don’t Stop Believin'” and just try not to get goosebumps.
Season 1, Episode 11: "Journey to Regionals"
Glee started it’s all-encompassing obsession with Sectionals, Regionals, and Nationals early. But no episode better captured the underdog ethos of competitive show choir than this early installment written and directed by Falchuk. Heading into Regionals, things have never looked more dire for the New Directions. Quinn (Dianna Agron) the powerhouse is close to giving birth to her daughter which will kick her out of the competition; longtime rival Sue (Jane Lynch) is one of the judges; and to add to the stress, whether or not New Directions wins will determine the future of the club. It’s a perfect episode that pits everything against our heroes only to see them triumph. Plus, it contains some truly excellent songs.
Season 2, Episode 2: "Brittany/Britney"
Fox’s juggernaut often walked the line between heartfelt drama and a celebration of the sheer joy of music. This episode was all about fun. Written and directed by Murphy, this one centers around the greatest dancer on the show, Heather Morris’ Brittany. While under anesthesia from Dr. Carl (John Stamos), Brittany starts to hallucinate starring in various Britney Spears music videos. It takes her all of 10 seconds before she pulls her bestie Santana (Naya Rivera) into her drug-addled daydreams, and it isn’t long before the rest of the glee club follows. Long before praising Britney Spears was in vogue, Glee was celebrating her as the iconic goddess she is. Spears herself even cameos in the episode, which is all the more reason to watch.
Season 2, Episode 6: "Never Been Kissed"
For all the truly excellent moments in Glee, there’s a lot of “What the heck just happened?” Enter “Never Been Kissed”, director Bradley Buecker and writer Falchuk’s episode that just barely tips its way to the good side of Glee. On the WTF front, this episode revolves around the glee club using Coach Beiste (Dot-Marie Jones) to cool off their sex drives as well as Beiste’s shocking first kiss. But on the other swoon-worthy front, it contains the introduction of dreamboat Blaine (Darren Criss). Blaine’s cover of “Teenage Dream” was so well-received that it was the first Glee song to top the Billboard Digital Songs chart. No wonder Kurt (Chris Colfer) fell for him.
Season 2, Episode 18: "Born This Way"
Madonna. Britney Spears. And once again Lady Gaga. In Season 2, Glee once again bowed down to pop goddesses in this second tribute to Gaga written by Falchuk and directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon. After Santana uses Rachel’s broken nose as an excuse to mock every member’s physical flaws, Mr. Schue (Matthew Morrison) tries to do damage control. That means the glee club performing “Born This Way” wearing T-shirts that spell out their biggest insecurities. As Ms. Pillsbury (Jayma Mays) comes to terms with her OCD, Santana slowly starts to admit that she’s a lesbian, accepting a “Lebanese” shirt from Brittany. It’s an episode that’s equally sweet, silly, and uplifting.
Season 3, Episode 6: "Mash Off"
Though it was short-lived, the Troubletones were a welcome and powerful addition to this show. No one could ever say that Mercedes (Amber Riley), Santana, Brittany, Quinn (Dianna Agron), and Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz) were properly utilized in New Directions. This rival glee club gave them a chance to shine under the direction of Shelby Corcoran (Idina Menzel). Directed by Eric Stoltz and written by Michael Hitchcock, this episode is a great showcase for the endless talent standing in the background of Glee.
Season 3, Episode 21: "Nationals"
It finally happened. After 64 episodes, the New Directions finally won Nationals. Glee’s first massive win honestly works best if you watch every episode up to “Nationals.” That’s how you can best appreciate the hard work, bullying, and self-evaluation that went into this victory. But seven episodes into this curated binge watch, you can still get the same effect. Be sure to grab some tissues. Director Eric Eric Stoltz and writer Aki Adler’s celebration will make you happy cry.
Season 5, Episode 3: "The Quarterback"
There is truly no episode of this Fox drama more profound than this one. Following the tragic death of Cory Monteith, the episode revolved around the death of Finn Hudson. Brilliantly, Murphy, Brennan, and Falchuk’s “The Quarterback” never reveals how Finn dies. Rather, it focuses on the tragedy of this needless loss of a young man’s life as well as his friends and family’s reaction to his death. In its focus on the bizarre nature of grief, the episode serves as one of the most honest reflections on death to ever grace television.
Season 5, Episode 12: "100"
It’s the 100th episode, and once again the glee club is in jeopardy of being shut down by principal Sue Sylvester. Directed by Paris Barclay and written by Murphy, Brennan, and Falchuk, “100” sees the return of fan favorites Holly Holliday (Gwyneth Paltrow) and April Rhodes (Kristin Chenoweth). Both episodes in this two-parter are worth your time, but this one does an excellent job of capturing the musical magic that made Glee a hit. Also, who doesn’t love a Rachel versus Mercedes diva off?
Season 6, Episode 12: "2009"
It’s another Barclay, Murphy, Falchuk, and Brennan collaboration. In Glee‘s second to last episode, the dramedy goes back to when it all started: the year 2009. Revisiting the insecurities of our favorites after we’ve spent six seasons watching them grow is a truly lovely experience. It also serves as a nice reminder for life. Sometimes to really appreciate where you are, you have to look backwards.
