Blame It on the Alcohol

Blame It on the Alcohol is the fourteenth episode of Glee's second season and thirty-sixth episode overall. It premiered on February 22, 2011.

It's alcohol-awareness week at McKinley High and Principal Figgins wants the school to be aware of the dangers of underage drinking, in this case, asking Will to prep the Glee Club with a song that will make the kids aware of the dangers of underage drinking during an assembly. As Rachel continues to prepare better original songs for Regionals, she decides to find her inspiration and song by organizing a party for the Glee Club (including Blaine and Kurt) at her place, getting everyone drunk and hungover besides Finn and Kurt. Will also decides to join in with the drunk fun when he goes with Beiste to a twisted cowboy bar.

The episode was directed by Eric Stoltz and written by Ian Brennan.

Plot
Principal Figgins believes the student body needs to learn about the dangers of underage drinking, so he encourages Mr. Schuester to have the Glee Club prepare a song about under-age drinking. Puck finds out that Rachel's parents are each away for the weekend, and tries to talk her into throwing a drinking party at her house. Finn comes in and Rachel sings him her original song My Headband, Finn then tells her to get a better inspiration. Trying to get a good song for the regionals, Rachel throws a private party for the Glee club. During the party, Rachel allows Puck to break into her parents' liquor cabinet. Because of Puck, everyone at the party, but Kurt and Finn, of the glee club are partying and are drunk. Finn then shows Rachel the type of drunks the girls can get. Quinn and Lauren are the "angry drunks." Santana is the "weepy-hysterical drunk." Brittany is the "stripper drunk" and Tina and Mercedes are the "happy drunks" as Rachel is categorized as the "needy drunk."



Rachel reacts by suggesting they all play a game of Spin the Bottle. Brittany and Sam kiss, which is broken up by Santana saying, "No me gusta" While it's Rachel's turn, the bottle lands on Blaine (who isn't in the Glee club but still comes) and him and Rachel share a very passionate kiss. Blaine then questions his sexuality. After their kiss, Rachel and Blaine drunkenly perform the song Don't You Want Me on karaoke. It is said later in the episode by Kurt that Blaine and Rachel made out the rest of the party. Kurt takes Blaine, who is still very drunk, home and lets him sleep in his bed fully-clothed. Burt walks in and sees Blaine in Kurt's bed.

A few days later, Kurt attempts to ask Burt for advice about Blaine and Rachel's kiss, but Burt is more concerned with the fact that Blaine was in his bed, behavior he feels to be inappropriate. Kurt hits back at his father by saying that if Finn invited a boy for a sleepover, Burt would not mind. Burt makes Kurt promise never to invite another boy overnight. Kurt asks his father to educate himself about gay intimacy in case Kurt ever needs to come to his father about sex.

Meanwhile, the Glee Club members come to school with a very bad hangover and perform the song Blame It (On the Alcohol). Will is impressed with their realistic acting, but feels that their song glorifies drinking. Rachel then says that drinking isn't dangerous if you have a proper designated driver. Puck says that almost every advertisement at NASCAR is about alcohol. Will agrees that driving whilst drunk is dangerous and then he informs them that alcohol poisoning kills about 400 people every year. Santana starts crying and Brittany grabs hold of her arm and wraps her arms around her to comfort her. Santana buries her face in Brittany's shoulder whilst Brittany whispers something in her ear. The rest of the Glee Club seem confused by Santana's tears. Will then tells the kids to try and find a song that shows the dangers of drinking, but the kids tell him that it's useless. Meanwhile, Will and Shannon indulge in a little fun of their own to reduce their stress and perform the song One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer at a cowboy bar.

Once home, Will drinks more beer as he grades papers [giving them all A+'s no matter what] and drunk dials a phone number that he believes belongs to Emma. Rachel goes on a date with Blaine, making Kurt jealous and angry. Kurt confronts Blaine about dating a girl, as he believes he is gay, as Blaine has said he is, but Blaine replies that Kurt is lucky that he is so secure in his certainty about his sexuality. When Kurt reminds Blaine that Karofsky threatened to kill him, Blaine icily compares Kurt to Karofsky for questioning his right to explore the possibility of a different sexual orientation. At the assembly, New Directions perform Tik Tok but it all goes downhill when Brittany and Santana throw up from intoxication onto a horrified Rachel. After the performance, Sue gets on the school intercom and plays the message Will left her, not Emma. On the message Will expresses to Emma how he "loves the way she eats with plastic gloves." and "I rode a bull and was thinking of you." Later, Principal Figgins awards the club with coupons for half off frozen yogurt for their performance saying that he didn't know the kids in the glee club were also such good actors (he believed that Brittany and Santana throwing up were special effects and that no one was really drunk), and their performance scared kids into not coming to school drunk for the first time in weeks. Will convinces the whole club to sign a pledge to not drink until after Nationals, but if they do he offers to drive them home from wherever they are.

While waiting for Blaine, Rachel and Kurt make a bet about whether or not he will still be interested in kissing her sober. Rachel kisses sober Blaine, making him realize he is indeed gay. Instead of being heartbroken and depressed by this, she is quite joyful and tells Kurt that she is inspired to have had relationship with a man who turned out to be gay since it's "songwriting gold." Blaine also thanks Rachel for making him certain about his sexuality.

Background Songs

 * Goodbye Sadness by Astrud Gilberto. Background music during the intro to Rachel's party.
 * Like a G6 by Far East Movement feat.The Cataracs & Dev. Background music during Rachel's party.
 * Johnny Are You Queer? by Josie Cotton. Background music during the spin-the-bottle game at Rachel's party.
 * So Far Away by Carole King. Background music.
 * How Can I Be So Thirsty by Jerrod Niemann. Background music sung by the Country Cover Band at the Country Bar Will and Beiste go to.
 * I Feel The Earth Move by Carole King. Background music at the end of the episode.

Guest Stars

 * Iqbal Theba as Principal Figgins
 * Dot-Marie Jones as Shannon Beiste
 * Harry Shum Jr. as Mike Chang
 * Chord Overstreet as Sam Evans
 * Darren Criss as Blaine Anderson
 * Ashley Fink as Lauren Zizes
 * Lauren Potter as Becky Jackson
 * Rob Giles as Guitarist

Co-Stars

 * Ari Stidham as Drunk Kid
 * Tyler Vogt as Rick Denham
 * Anthony Marciona as Dancer

Absent Cast Member

 * Jessalyn Gilsig as Terri Del Monico

Trivia

 * Brittany finally gets to sing a song by Ke$ha, as she predicted back in Britney/Brittany.
 * When they shot Tik Tok, it was Heather Morris' birthday and she got amazing praise for her dancing, which Heather says was the best birthday gift anyone ever gave her.
 * This is the fourth episode which has the same name of a song featured in it (The first was Home, the second was Dream On and the third was Silly Love Songs).
 * At the party, Blaine shouts, "Best party ever. Whooo!" Darren Criss was in Katy Perry's video for Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F) and says the same line in the video. The cast later covered Last Friday Night, with Blaine singing lead.
 * This episode is the first time we see Blaine's hair without hair-gel in its curly state.
 * The first episode to feature an original song, being My Headband.
 * This episode marks the first time we see Blaine not wearing his Dalton uniform. Instead, we see Blaine in his cut-off jeans, which later become a recurring theme in his attire.
 * This is the first episode in which Lauren Potter (Becky) appears in the opening credits under "guest starring."
 * Two background songs in this episode (So Far Away and I Feel The Earth Move) would later be covered in the third episode of Season Six, Jagged Little Tapestry.

Errors

 * When Rachel spins the bottle, it points to the opposite side of the circle even though Blaine is only two places away from her.
 * Right after Rachel asks Blaine out, Kurt picks up his cup and takes a drink but in the next shot, both cups are on the table again, and then when it shows Kurt again, his cup is still in his hand.
 * When Rachel asks Blaine out, he is wearing a red scarf while he is walking talking on the phone with her but when he sits on the table, there is no scarf around his neck.
 * Will's original phone call to Sue is different from the phone call that plays over the speaker.
 * During the party we see Blaine without hair gel, but during Prom-asaurus he says that no one has.
 * While at the Lima Bean, the Barista says "Two medium drips," when Kurt and Blaine have different coffee orders.

Quotes
"I told my mom I had the flu and she made me a traditional tea made out of...panda hair."

"I need to close my locker and it's going to sound like a gunshot."

"Blaine Warbler, I'm gonna rock your world!"

"Have I ever told you how great you are?"

"Figgins: Ke-dollar sign-ha! Will: You mean Ke$ha."

"Everybody drink responsibly!"

"Will: On top of the page, there's my cellphone number. Sam: YES!!!"

"I can't believe what you did to my body! I used to have abs!"

"Who told you that hairstyle was cool? Geronimo?"

"Rachel: I was expecting a little snog as the evening came to a close, but I guess the time wasn't right. Kurt: Or the blood alcohol level."

"It looks like the 'Rachel Berry House Party Train-wreck Extravaganza' is officially a go."

"Rachel: Besides, you only want a place to have sex and get drunk. Puck: Yes, there's name for that: a party. Rachel: No! My dads they left me alone in my house because they trust in me to be responsible. Puck: No... they left you alone because you suck and are a total bore.""

"And now, performing the hit single 'Tik' and also 'Tok', by rapper 'Key' dollar sign 'Ha', The New Directions."

"Rachel: There’s some brandy and vermouth and port wine and scotch in here, and also a little bit of Kool-Aid and some crumbled up Oreos. Santana: Oh my God, this tastes like cough syrup. Rachel: And there's also cough syrup in here."