"Glee" (creative commons)

I think it's safe to say that the finale of “New York” was a reflection of what is truly so frustrating and awesome about the show itself. I’m not saying that this episode was bad, but I was expecting so much more. As a viewer, I have to be honest that I wasn’t as religious in watching “Glee” this season. Occasionally I would watch it when it aired but most of the time, I would wait for it to appear on Hulu the next day. While speaking with Andrew Chung a Junior at the University of Southern Calfornia, he thought, "that the last couple episodes really picked up the rest of the season.”

New York was the moment the Glee Club was working towards throughout Season 2. But when their moment came to shine, they blew it. Within minutes into the beginning of the episode, we quickly learn that it was just days before the competition and the New Directions hadn’t even started writing the lyrics to the original songs they would later perform. Don’t get me wrong, Brittany’s (Heather Morris) “My Cup” was truly the most intimate song I have ever heard dedicated to the holder of liquids, but can anyone really expect to win nationals after preparing for only a day? I hate to admit it, but maybe my least liked cast member Jessie St. James (Jonathan Groff) was right when he stated in the previous episode, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know we were in this to win the good-try ribbon at nationals. We’re in it to win the whole damn thing. And there’s only one way we can do that.”

Meanwhile, Rachel (Lea Michele) and Kurt (Chris Colfer) explore New York…literally, they enjoy a bagel breakfast outside of Tiffany’s and sneak onto the set of "Wicked" at the Gershwin Theatre where they perform “For Good,” without getting into trouble. Regardless, I thought their performance was extremely powerful and hands down, the best song of the show. Lea Michelle and Chris Colfer compliment each other so well, even more so, as they both share the same dream of living in New York after High School, yes Kurt, Blaine can come too. Instead of getting his students focused, Mr. Schuester (Matthew Morrison) goes on his own adventure paying a visit to the theatre where “Crossrhodes” will be playing. Here, Mr. Schuester is told “he has got it [talent].” Later, after one sabotaging talk with Sergeant Handsome, we find out that Will is willing to give up his dream because unlike the coach of Vocal Adernaline, Schuester loves his Glee Club [insert group hug here].

Meanwhile, Finn (Cory Monteith) is searching for a way to win back Rachel’s heart and out of all people, Puck (Mark Salling) suggests that he takes her out to a nice dinner like they do in romantic comedies. Patti Lupone, Rachel's idol, makes an appearance as a guest star. Unfortunately for Patti, she didn’t get a chance to be a star like Gwyneth Paltrow did, maybe you’ll have better luck next time, Patti! Lupone does give Rachel some valuable advice though, to “never give up on her dreams,” which at the end of the night has her hold back from kissing Finn…even when the boys are oddly serenading them on the streets of New York.

A major part of this episode was realizing how much Rachel has grown and matured this season, in the process of wanting her dream to become a reality so badly, she finally was able to set aside her jealousy in order to “make things right”…yes, that means no more crack houses Sunshine Corazon (Charice Pempengco). It was refreshing to see Rachel Berry’s softer side become so prevalent over the course of the last couple of episodes; let's hope it sticks next season.

Speaking of Sunshine, that girl can definitely sing. But, I wasn’t impressed with Vocal Adrenaline’s performance this year. I liked last years “Bohemian Rhapsody” much better.

Don’t think I forgot about you, Quinn (Dianna Agron). I thought just maybe after Quinn’s "Lucy Caboosey" secret was out, she would try and look past her flaws and stop covering them up in an attempt to be perfect. But after Finn breaks up with her, viewers see that Quinn is just as obsessive, if not even more, insecure than Rachel is. Don’t worry though Quinn, your new haircut will make everything better, thanks Santana!

I’m really hoping that the Glee Club shys away from Nationals next year. Just because “Glee” takes place in the setting of small town Ohio, doesn’t by any means suggest that its message or impact will be small as well. Come to think of it the most interesting storylines were those which stayed within the halls of William McKinley High School and at times Dalton Academy.

As Andraé Vigil-Romero a recent graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles and intern at Ryan Seacrest Productions eloquently stated while I briefly interview him: “The show "Glee" plays an integral role in the representation of the current youth generation. It addresses pressing issues of gender, sexuality, ethnicity, race, teen pregnancy, and many others of our time. I think that it is important to have an open dialogue about these types of subjects because it educates people on the things that are either happening to themselves or those around them. This current season of “Glee” was pretty impressive in intertwining musical covers while tackling these hot button issues. What I find to be most admirable is that the Executive Producer Ryan Murphy uses this show as a vessel of communication to combat stereotypes and norms that have been brought on by society. For instance, with the recent LGBT suicides and peer bullying that have become more widely noticed in the media, he crafted the character of Kurt Hummel into a storyline that addressed that topic. I think that on a more surface-level, it is an extremely entertaining show and gives new life to old music and popularizes music that would otherwise not be known to the current generation. The finale was upsetting, but definitely not unexpected because the New Directions group needed to lose the National Choir Champion[ship] for the show to progress. Had they already accomplished this feat during season two there would be nothing for them to really fight for. Moreover, I am excited to see how the characters continue to develop and how the producer will look to the media and society to find episodes to create.”

I think it's safe to say that the New Directions is a place where outcasts can go to feel like they're part of something. While Vocal Adrenaline and the other groups all have a certain competitive edge, New Directions is powerful because every member is fighting a personal battle. They all have their differences, but it's their passion for singing that brings them all together and makes them a force to be reckoned with. The Glee Club has always placed those around them before the advancement of the club in many instances, such as putting on a funeral and helping Sue cope with the death of her sister Jean. Additionally, the New Directions are seen exemplifying this trait yet again as they support their fellow team member Sam both financially and emotionally as he struggles to pay for prom despite the fact the club was trying to raise money to fund their trip to nationals. 

Like Andraé mentioned above, we all knew that in order for the show to advance, this season wasn’t about winning. Brittany sums this up best in her extended scene with Santana, when she expresses the joy she has in sharing another year with the Glee Club. Oh Brittany, “when did you get so smart?”

This summer, hopefully, the incoming new writers for “Glee” will bring fresh story ideas and new perspectives to keep “Glee” as interesting and unpredictable as the previous seasons where viewers were eager to tune in every week. 

What did my fellow Gleeks think of the season finale? Did you secretly miss Sue Sylvester? Is Samcedes going to be the new "it" couple next year at McKinley? Comment below!

Reach Staff Columnist Sarah Ayad here