Big Brother

Big Brother is the fifteenth episode of Glee's third season and the fifty-ninth episode overall. It premiered on April 10, 2012.

This episode debuts Matt Bomer's appearance as Blaine's older brother Cooper. In the episode, Quinn's return after her car accident causes the New Directions to be in shock as she comes back in a wheelchair. Artie and Quinn become close friends due to the incident. Sue is told that if she can't win another National Championship, Coach Roz will eventually be the coach of the Cheerios, causing Sue to co-direct the New Directions with Will, training them in Booty Camp. Along the way, Cooper also shows himself in Lima, eventually causing Blaine to be sick and tired of him. Finn and Rachel face problems when Rachel wants Finn to move to New York with her, but he wants to seek a dream in California.

The episode was directed by Eric Stoltz and written by Michael Hitchcock.

Plot


By Finn's locker, Rachel is asking if Quinn had never gotten into the accident, would they be married at that exact moment. Finn tells her that of course they would be. Rachel admits how sad and guilty she feels about Quinn's car-crash, just in the moment Quinn rolls towards them, since she is in a wheelchair for now. Quinn, much to Finn and Rachel's surprise, seems to be okay with the situation, she's currently in, and tells them that she has never been happier. Artie shows up and he and Quinn race to the choir room, while performing I'm Still Standing.

After their performance, Quinn addresses the whole of the club, saying not to feel sorry for her and that she will be out of the wheelchair and dancing with them by Nationals, making Artie feel uncomfortable. With tears in their eyes, the club stands up and hugs her, showing their support.

In Figgins' office, Sue is told that Roz is now co-director of the Cheerios as he feels that her commitment to having a child is now pushing her career back, and that the National championship can give the school extra money. After Roz leaves, she tells him that if she can have the New Directions win Nationals, the school will receive $10,000. She has him agree that if she can have the group win, she gets to run the Cheerios by herself.

In the auditorium Sue is now in charge of Booty Camp and is cracking down hard on the club. She's annoyed by Brittany and Santana dancing off to one side, Rachel practicing as if dancing on Broadway, and Puck pretending to be a rooster. She blows her top when she sees Mercedes texting and ends up throwing her phone into the seats and destroying her phone. She lays down her rules to them, scaring the whole group.

In the hallway, Kurt, who has been noticing that Blaine has been acting strangely, he asks him what's wrong. Blaine reveals that his brother is in town. Kurt is surprised that he didn't say anything but is interrupted with the arrival of Cooper. Kurt recognizes Cooper from a National commercial and tells him that he has the jingle from it as his ringtone. Sue sees him and asks for Cooper to sign her breast, also telling him that she thinks he is a great actor and a Disney prince. Blaine, Kurt, and Cooper begin to leave, but are interrupted again by Sue, who begins to talk with Cooper.

In the staff room, Will confronts Sue on her treatment of New Directions after he is sent complaints. She tells him that her hormones are getting the better of her, which is leading to her treatment of the kids. Emma tells her that she should speak to her doctor. She tells the two that she is finding out the sex of her child later in the week. Emma suggests that she and Will come with her for emotional support. She agrees.

In the choir room, Sue surprises the club with Cooper, telling the club that he is Kurt's older brother when he is actually Blaine's, thinking that she is doing them a favor of seeing someone who has done what they want to do, and suggests that he give the club a class in performance and acting. Rachel suggests that Cooper and Blaine do a song together, much to Blaine's annoyance, but he ends up getting into it (Hungry Like the Wolf/Rio).

At Breadstix, Cooper is trying to give Blaine advice on his performance, putting his dancing down. Blaine gets annoyed and asks why he constantly has to put him down. This shocks Cooper and he apologizes, saying his intentions are just a way for him to feel closer to his brother.

In the library, New Direction's seniors and Tina are discussing where they should have their Ditch Day. Rachel gets emotional and asks why they are all ignoring how Quinn is sitting with them in a wheelchair while they plan what is supposed to be the best day of their high school lives. Quinn tries to comfort her saying that what she said before is true, she is honestly happy as she is and that this is her lot in life, but not to worry as she will be walking. The two hug and then Quinn suggests they go to Six Flags, Puck declares that this is where they shall go.

After everyone leaves, Puck calls Finn back and talks to him about a proposition to start a pool cleaning business in Los Angeles together. Finn tells him that he has always planned on going to New York with Rachel, but says he'll go help out with a job that he has in Lima.

In the choir room, Cooper is giving his master class. As he teaches, everyone writes down what he is saying, except Blaine who can't believe what he is saying. When he has the club do a scene from NCIS, Blaine gets fed up and yells at Cooper, who says that he didn't do it properly, thinking he was acting.

Outside the staff room, Artie is trying to get Quinn to come up the "steepest ramp in Lima." He urges her on all the way to the top, telling her it's just like giving birth, trying to get her to enjoy herself. After she successfully climbs it, much to her delight, the two talk in the hallways, Artie telling her that if she goes to Six Flags, she will be very sad as she will be stuck in the chair. He suggests that he come with him on ditch day to a skate park. She agrees.

At the doctor's, Will and Emma wait with a nervous Sue. She tells them that the thought that a boy could be growing inside of her disgusts her. After they are called in by the doctor, she reveals that she is having a girl, but that there are irregularities, meaning the baby will likely have Down syndrome.

At Puck's job, he tries to convince Finn again by saying that there will be a lot of hot women with pools and what will he be doing in New York, if going there is his dream or just Rachel's.

In the hallway, Cooper talks with Blaine about his upcoming audition for what he believes to be the next Transformers movie. As he continues to brag, he pushes Blaine to the limit and Blaine gets angry at him. When storming off, he begins to sing Fighter, through the hallways, in the boys locker rooms and in the auditorium.



Artie takes Quinn to a skate park, where everyone is disabled, telling her this is where disabled kids come to spend their Ditch Day. The two begin to sing Up Up Up as it cuts back and forth between the skate park and Six Flags. As the two begin to leave the park, Artie confronts Quinn on what will happen if she doesn't walk again, Quinn turns it down saying she will but Artie pushes the fact that she may not walk again causing her to snap back at him. She leaves him behind.

Becky confronts Sue on her discovery of the baby being a girl. Sue hugs her and tells her that she is a girl and will be exactly like 'her'. After they break apart, Becky gives Sue some parenting advice, to learn to be patient, which is shocking to Sue.

At Quinn's locker, she drops her books all over the ground after she isn't able to see where she is putting them. Joe appears and picks them up for her. As she goes to roll off, he tells her that he has been praying for her, but not for her to get better, but to accept where she is now. She thanks him, and suggests he come along to Booty Camp. While there, after Quinn introduces Joe to the club, Sue tells them that she is sorry for being harsh, and that she is there to make sure they get the first place trophy. She also reveals that she hopes her child will soak up their optimism and view on life so she can lead a happy life, even with her as a mother.

Kurt surprises Blaine at his locker with a stuffed dog that he had taken from the toys Finn had won Rachel at Six Flags. He tells Blaine not to give up on his relationship with Cooper and says that maybe talking isn't working, and that he should tell him his feelings in the one way he truly knows how.



He begins to sing Somebody That I Used to Know. Cooper joins in the auditorium. After the song, Cooper tells Blaine how sorry he is for what he has done to Blaine, and says that he had always done what he thought was best for him, knowing since he was young how talented he is. He reveals his audition was cancelled and will be staying longer. Blaine tells him that he will go get a camera and will film a scene so they can send it to the casting director.

At Finn's locker, he confronts Rachel about the idea of moving to California, and that he thinks that moving to NYADA isn't a paired dream, but is more one sided. He says that she can audition for TV shows and musicals, while he can support her, instead of being in New York where he wouldn't be able to. Rachel turns this idea down, causing Finn to leave.

Background Music

 * MMMBop by Hanson. Danced to by young Blaine.

Special Guest Star

 * Matt Bomer as Cooper Anderson

Guest Stars

 * Iqbal Theba as Principal Figgins
 * NeNe Leakes as Roz Washington
 * Chord Overstreet as Sam Evans
 * Damian McGinty as Rory Flanagan
 * Samuel Larsen as Joe Hart
 * Vanessa Lengies as Sugar Motta
 * Lauren Potter as Becky Jackson
 * Fey Hauser as Doctor

Co-Stars

 * Jeanine Anderson as Waitress Sandy
 * Cole Massie as Mickey
 * Ann Russo as Nurse
 * Leilani Sarelle as Mrs. Tennison
 * Ravi Sinha Smith as Little Blaine
 * Dylan Sprayberry as Little Cooper

Trivia

 * Right after this episode, the Bio Channel aired a special about the evolution of the series. It was called "Glee: Don't Stop Believing." The special interviewed Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan, as well as Matthew Morrison, Jane Lynch, Cory Monteith, Lea Michele, Chris Colfer, Jayma Mays, Jenna Ushkowitz, Dianna Agron, Darren Criss, and Mike O'Malley.
 * This is the first episode where both Mercedes and Rachel aren't featured in any songs.
 * This episode marks the point when all the pairs in the cancelled duet competition in the episode Ballad ended up doing at least one duet (Finn and Kurt did A House Is Not a Home in Home; Puck and Mercedes sang Lady Is a Tramp in Laryngitis; Santana and Brittany sang Me Against the Music in Britney/Brittany and I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) later in Dance with Somebody; Tina and Mike had Sing! in Duets and L-O-V-E in Heart; and lastly, Artie and Quinn with I'm Still Standing and Up Up Up in this episode).
 * It is revealed in this episode that Nationals will be held in Chicago.
 * Sue calls Emma Barbara Gordon, or Batgirl from the DC Comics, since they both have red hair.
 * Tina is the only junior that is present when the seniors talk about senior skip day. However, Rory and Sugar are also present at Six Flags.
 * This episode drew a 2.7 rating 18 - 49 with 6.76 million total viewers. Source
 * The NCIS scene they acted from was the nineteenth episode from the first season, "Dead Man Talking."
 * This episode also aired on the same day as National Sibling Day in the United States.
 * Before the episode aired, GleeOnFox's YouTube channel uploaded the promo in which you can see Quinn in her wheelchair, but this trailer was later removed and replaced by a similar one, but without Quinn. This was probably to surprise the audience with Quinn's fate.
 * In the rollercoaster scene, Rory is the only Glee member that's not sitting next to another member.
 * Mercedes is the only member who was not on the rollercoaster, however can be seen waiting in line a few people back.
 * In this promo and various other promos that are similar, Rachel says "If you're gonna be my husband?" but in the episode, she just said "If..?."
 * This is the sixth episode (after Throwdown, Home, Duets, Rumours, and The First Time) in which two duets are sung by the same two people.

Errors

 * In the scene where Cooper references NCIS, they refer to the character Abby as 'Agent Sciuto.' This is incorrect, as she is actually a Forensic Scientist.
 * In the scene where the glee club is rehearsing the scene from NCIS, Lea Michele's wrist tattoo is visible.
 * At one of the rehearsal scenes, Sue refers to David Martinez as the "night-school Polynesian janitor" to which Santana replies that "he's actually Puerto Rican." This is wrong since David himself in The Spanish Teacher said he is from Ohio, and has grown up from Chilean parents who grew up speaking Spanish. This is, however, one of Sue's many instances at getting ethnicities wrong, the other being Santana's, as she has stated she doesn't know which ethnicity she truly is, even though it's been said she is Latina. His portrayer, however, is actually Puerto Rican.
 * When Brittany is taking a picture of Cooper and Rory, the lens of the camera is covered. It couldn't have been an example of Brittany's dullness, because Cooper or Rory are of normal intelligence and should then have pointed it out to her.
 * Blaine's and Cooper's sleeves on their shirts keep on rolling down but then in other bits of the scene you can see their sleeves rolled up.
 * When Rachel is showing the ticket to go in the park for Senior Ditch Day, you can see Kurt is holding a balloon and in the next scene where Rachel gets a balloon you can see Kurt is just running.

Quotes
"Rachel: Look, I need to be in New York and I need you with me. I can't do this without you. Finn: I just want you to be really sure. I want you to be really sure that you are in love with me and not who you want me to be."

"It's in my DNA to be intense, okay, just like it's in Porcelain's DNA to poop rainbow glitter."

"Blaine: Can't you just support me? Cooper: I'm sorry. Are you talking to me right now? Because I can't tell if you are talking to me if you don't point your finger."

"Other choices I can plan ahead of time: screaming all my lines! Because I'm really intense. And the things I'm feeling are really intense! Because I'm a really intense actor! Nicolas Cage, right?"

"Cooper: The key to a dramatic scene is pointing. When people are really emotional, they point their fingers a lot. Blaine: That's not true at all. That's ... that's terrible advice. Cooper: Excuse me, guys, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Blaine. Are you an internationally beloved spokesman for the internet's fastest growing credit score website?"

"Sue: Will you sign my breast? Cooper: My pleasure. "Keep on dreaming. Yours ... Cooper Anderson.""

"Sue: Hey, Mercedes, who you texting? Mercedes: I'm not texting anyone, I'm donating to the Obama campaign..."

"I could have easily become one of those creepy memorial pages in the yearbook, but by the grace of God, I'm here. Believe it or not ... this is the happiest day of my life."

"Blaine: Thanks for saying that Coop, and I know you really mean it because, you weren't pointing your finger at me or speaking really loudly to be intense."