RECAP: Glee Stages a Comeback

This week's Glee was called "Comeback," and for good reason. Rachel and Sue made attempts to reconstruct their image by doing some damage control. The episode starts with Emma and Will finding Sue attempting to commit "Sue-i-cide." She tells them she's got no reason to live, so they convince her to join the Glee club. No one's happy about it, but she agrees.

Quinn convinces Sam that she only contracted mono from Finn because she was saving his life. He was choking on a gumball and she did the heroic thing and dislodged it. She's cooling on him, and he knows it. Sam decides to win her back by forming "The Justin Bieber Experience," a one-man show dedicated to singing the songs of the pop superstar.

Listen to all the tracks from Glee's "Comeback" episode here

At the same time, Rachel is trying to stage her own comeback, and she pays Brittany to tell people she’s following her fashion habits. Brittany's trend-du-jour? Wearing leg warmers on the arms.

Meanwhile, New Directions gets an assignment from Will: Sing an anthem. They're indifferent to the subject, and are more interested in bashing Sue as a new member of the club. Sam delivers Justin Bieber's "Baby" to the group with some Bieberrific dance moves and everyone, Quinn included, is impressed. Puck, Mike and Artie approach him afterward and ask to join. Puck is still intent on hooking up with the big gal of his dreams, Lauren, and wants that Bieber edge. After some hesitation, Sam agrees, and the guys join forces.

Sue's intentions come to light, and they're nefarious as usual. She aims to bring the Glee club down from the inside, and pits Rachel and Mercedes against each other. It's some real low-down Iago type maneuvering, but it works. The girls eventually have a "Diva-off," and engage in a singing battle. They compete with the song "Take Me Or Leave Me," from the musical Rent. By the end of it, they both realize it's more of a duet than a battle, and become friends again. They seem to know what we already do- that their voices are clearly the strongest on the show.

The Justin Bieber Experience delivers their song ("Somebody to Love") to the group, and the gals are floored. Quinn is once again enamored with Sam, who's finally exhibiting some true artistic abilities. Meanwhile, Puck gets some confidence to approach Lauren, but she continues to lead him on. Behind the tough talk, she seems a vulnerable person underneath. When Puck asks what it will take to win her affection, she says she wants to sing a solo and needs some support. He tells her to go with the old trusty "Envision everyone in their underwear" method, and her confidence begins to grow. She musters up some charisma and dials up a respectable version of the Waitresses classic, "I Know What Boys Like."

Will still thinks Sue is in need of help, so he takes her away from the glitz of the Glee club to the hospital's pediatric cancer ward. She's hesitant, but he insists it's important for her comeback. He's right. They sing an inspiring song with inspiring children, and Sue is clearly moved. Aside from her favoritism with Becky, the scene stands out in the series, and for a moment you see not only the compassion at the heart of Sue Sylvester, but the empathy of actress Jane Lynch, playing the role of the mean-spirited coach.

At this point things begin to unravel, as Santana successfully uses her own devious tactics to break up Sam and Quinn. Rachel, who so desperately wants to be somebody again, is told by Brittany that she's not a trendsetter. However, Finn tells her that she inspired him after talking about how the group needs to pursue an original song for regionals, and the spark continues to stay lit between them. Sue leads the group on the My Chemical Romance song "Sing," but afterward tells Will that she finagled the job of coaching Aural Intensity, and so would be his direct competition. Good or bad, Rachel and Sue prepare their resurgence.

NEXT WEEK: Party time, as Gleeks and faculty alike blame it on the alcohol.

Justin Starling (@CitadelNow) for Citadel Digital © 2011