Loser Like Me (Episode)

Loser Like Me is the first episode of Glee's sixth season and the one hundred and ninth episode overall. It aired on January 9, 2015 as part of the season's two hour premiere.

The episode was directed by Bradley Buecker and written by Ryan Murphy, Ian Brennan, and Brad Falchuk. Source Filming on both this season and this episode began on September 3rd, 2014.

Rachel's TV show is cancelled after a single episode, so she returns to Lima only to find out that her fathers are getting a divorce. When she realizes that Sue has stripped McKinley of all arts, Rachel convinces the Lima Superintendent to reinstate the Glee Club. Blaine has also returned to Lima following his break-up with Kurt and subsequently getting kicked out of NYADA. He has also since become the director of the Dalton Academy Warblers. Meanwhile, Will is now coaching former rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline, and Sam is the assistant coach of the McKinley football team. Kurt misses Blaine and decides to do his NYADA third-year project in Lima helping Rachel with New Directions, but discovers that Blaine has moved on and is dating David Karofsky.

Plot
In L.A., Lee Paulblatt sits in his car, in front of a trailer, drinking coffee, with reviews of Rachel’s show That’s So Rachel next to him, which are all bad.

In the trailer, Rachel walks in to her publicist, Nancy, reading a review about her flopped show, stating that Rachel could work on TV. Rachel, unhappy, states that she wanted her to read good reviews, to which Nancy replies it wasn’t pessimistic. Lee Paulblatt walks into the trailer, not remembering Nancy, as they meet, and she gives him her card. As she walks out, he rips it up. Lee, looking disgruntled, saying he has been fired. He walks over to Rachel and says that he was right about people seeing reality shows, but not her one. Rachel is astonished by this. He continues, saying they may have had the worst TV show in history and they will not do a second episode as it they would get angry calls from many people. He says she’s the face of it all. Rachel, still optimistic, persists that she’ll do the best she can do. Lee, surprised, reveals she’s been fired. He says she has a slim chance of going back into show business and advises her to go home before strolling out. Rachel, talking to herself, says she doesn’t know where that is anymore. She then starts to sing Uninvited, walking to her set, where it is being taken down. She then takes a ride to the entrance of the studio, and is handed her items that she took with her. Outside the gate, she starts to cry.

Back in Lima, Rachel walks back into her old room, where she goes through her belongings. Her dad, LeRoy Berry, walks in and hugs her. She asks where her other dad, Hiram, is. Hesitating, LeRoy reveals that they have decided to divorce. LeRoy continues, saying they decided to tell her in person, after she went into seclusion, agreeing she had enough to worry about, which Rachel understands. He walks to the door, saying he’ll talk more over dinner. She admits that she doesn’t know how long she’ll be staying, to which he replies that she can stay for as long as she wants, but then reveals they put the house on sale. He then talks about how you must lose everything to find yourself, on the verge of crying. Rachel then begins to cry.

Rachel and Blaine go to Lima Bean, where they run into Mr. Figgins who turns out to be working there now, following his salary cut from Sue. Mr Figgins recognizes Rachel, who is in disguise, and states that Rachel has a far worse life than him, after her humiliation. Rachel sits with Blaine, and tells him how everyone knows her name, but not in the way that she wanted. Blaine reveals its been a few months after she went in hiding, and says she’s now accepted how life is. Rachel then questions why he is back, to which Blaine reveals that he and Kurt broke off their engagement, reason being their relationship started to crumble after being alone with each other in the loft. Blaine explains that he believed their relationship was different from the previous things people have said about break-ups. He then recounts how he became depressed, his grades slipping and being cut from NYADA, but is now coach of the Warblers. The two promise to make a difference. Blaine begins to sing Suddenly Seymour in a music shop, playing the piano. Rachel is at first downcast, but becomes happier as she starts to sing with him, ending with the other people in the shop applauding them, and both of them leaning against each other.

At William McKinley High School, Sue’s voiceover begins, explaining how after being declared Principal, test scores have gone up, while body mass indexes have gone down. She changed the school’s dietary system, shaming obese students, and unleashing hounds. She then reveals that she transferred the glee club members to different schools, with Will being in Carmel High, and changing the choir room to a computer room. She states that she’s proud that young people don’t need to know about the Humanities and Arts, while Rachel eavesdrops on her.

In New York, Kurt reveals that he’s in his third year at NYADA, where the assignment is a work study program, requiring him to go work around the world. He reveals he’s already figured out an internship and then goes on about how he’s started speed-dating following his break-up with Blaine, having yet to get over him.

At Dalton, Rachel and Blaine walk to the choir room, as Blaine asks for advice on how to coach the club. Upon their arrival, and the Warblers and Blaine begin to sing Sing. At the end of the performance, Rachel applauds them, telling them how incredible it was and how thankful she is for it, as it brought her out of her misery.

On the McKinley football field, Coach Beiste is shouting at the players, while Sam is shown to have become the water boy for the team. When a member asks for water, another player comes and insults him, calling him a “homo.” Rachel, appalled, tells him that she’s tried hard to not let people like him call others that. Sam assures her, that its alright, as Spencer, is gay. Spencer, drinking the water, says that he is a postmodern gay, and the positive representations in the media have revealed who he really is: an arrogant jerk. He then tells Rachel her show sucked and throws the cup at Sam’s head. Sam, smiling, tells Rachel that he doesn’t mind being treated badly by him. Rachel notes how good the players are and it is revealed that Sue transferred talented players from different states to McKinley, providing homes for them and their families. Rachel questions the fairness of this the for people who don’t play sports, to which Sam agrees, stating she should talk to Sue.

Rachel goes to Sue in her office, only to have Sue insult her show, saying it exceeded her expectations of failure. Rachel changes the subject to the glee club, and they have a debate on how much it is needed. Sue tells Rachel that she was the face of the Arts, but not anymore, and kicks her out.

Kurt waits in a restaurant for his date, where he has a flashback of his break up. In the flashback, Kurt is sitting, when Blaine comes and sits opposite from him, saying he found a date for their wedding. Kurt, annoyed, ignores what Blaine said and questions why he’s always the first one to arrive. Blaine repeats what he said, but Kurt ignores him again, by saying they should order. Blaine starts to ask what's wrong, and Kurt reveals that it has been exhausting living with Blaine since Blaine moved back in. They begin arguing. When Blaine questions if Kurt wants to marry him, Kurt snaps that maybe he doesn’t. Blaine, feeling betrayed, starts crying, asking what happened to their relationship. After Kurt says that they should break up, Blaine says he’ll never forgive him. Back in the present, Kurt's date walks in. Noticing that he’s crying, he asks what's wrong. Kurt apologizes to him, and walks out.

In Will’s apartment, Will dances for his toddler son, Daniel, asking whether they’re good for Vocal Adrenaline. He talks about how they are completely different from the New Directions and how he feels happy to come home to see his son, and starts to dance with him. The scene then cuts to Vocal Adrenaline performing Dance the Night Away. Rachel walks in while they are performing the song, astounded by how synchronized they are.

At the end, they walk out, when Will talks about how they’re getting better, he says that he’s available if any of them need his help. Rachel walks on stage, where Will is pleasantly surprised by her visit, stating that she’s a star and her show wasn’t bad, to which Rachel says she’s now unhireable. They both begin talking about their lives, Rachel saddened, but understanding about Will’s transfer, and they sit. Rachel tells him not to give a speech, but Will counter-proposes a different way. He compares life challenges to the bending of a bow, saying the more pressure there is, there is more potential to do more amazing things, saying that the right arrow is the purpose of it all. Rachel says he’s still got it, but that her own bow broke.

In Will’s apartment, LeRoy, Blaine, Sam and Will are gathered around the TV, with Rachel questioning what's happening. They tell her they’re going to watch “That’s So Rachel.” She advises against it, but they tell her to watch. The start of the show begins with "Surt" and Rachel moving into an apartment, similar to Bushwick’s, inherited by Surt. When they enter, it is revealed that three other people are already living in it. Real-life Rachel states how bad it is, but Blaine is optimistic. Next, a scene shows "Nittany" bringing cats to the apartment; for Rachel’s tryout of the musical Cats. Real-life Rachel states how she hated that part. "Surt" then appears and crawls towards the cats. A camera piece falls on top of him, and the characters act to the sudden situation. Real-life Blaine asks where the singing is, to which Rachel reveals that the producers cut it out. Another scene shows "Bartie" talking to Rachel about how he got mugged, and then making a joke about his disability. At this point, real-life Rachel asks to pause it, saying the show is a monstrosity. The others tell her she shouldn’t be held back by the show, stating she’ll be judged by what she does now.

In the Lima City School District, Rachel talks to Superintendent Harris about the importance of the arts in schools. He agrees, but confesses that he can’t do it, as there is no money to fund it, and the budget has already been set. Rachel asks if she can give the money leftover from her show. He thinks about it, but is also worried as he feels Sue’s been going for his job. Finally, Harris allows the McKinley glee club's reinstatement, but only if she runs it, to Rachel's surprise.

Rachel walks to her room, seeing Kurt sitting on her bed, crying. Rachel goes to hug him. He then talks about how he showed up in front of the loft, after they agreed to meet up after six months. It cuts to a flashback, showing him standing in the rain, no one else showing up, believing their friendships were their most important thing, excusing Rachel and Blaine from it. Rachel saying it could be an excuse, because he’s alone, but Kurt says he realised that Blaine was the love of his life. He asks Rachel if he could meet up with Blaine, to which Kurt says he wants to stay in Lima and Rachel asks her to help her with the glee club. Sue watches them from the entrance of the choir room, asking whats happening. Rachel says they reinstated the glee club, to which Sue retorts that they gave an efficient computer lab for a glee club. Sue learns they’re both running the club. She states how she’s surprised how two of the most promising graduates have come back to high school. She mentions how she came to New York for Rachel's opening night, to walk out the performance, and have sex all around her apartment, believing she was doing something nice. Sue expresses that the battle between her and Will will be nothing compared to what she will to do them, insulting each of them. As she walks out, she throws things around.

In a club, Kurt waits for Blaine, saying he needs to be clear with him. Blaine comes in and they hug. Kurt is grateful that he came and tells Blaine that he wants him back and to be forgiven by him. Blaine, hesitant, reveals he has a boyfriend. Kurt surprised, feels nauseous. When Blaine says Kurt knows him, Kurt’s immediate thought is Sebastian Smythe. But, it turns out to be David Karofsky. Dave and Blaine kiss, to an astonished Kurt.

Kurt asks how they met, Karosfky saying they met in this club, David doing the electric slide with Blaine watching him. They had begun talking, mostly about Kurt, as Blaine was still angry with him at the time. David reminding him about how he helped him through his tough time. Then, they had started dating. Blaine calls themselves “Yogi and Boo Boo" to which Kurt is disgusted. Blaine and David hope they can be good friends. Kurt excuses himself to go to the restroom. Blaine notices the peculiar behavior that Kurt portraits. Kurt locks the restroom door, walks to a cubicle, begins to cry, sliding to the ground.

Rachel settles into her new office at McKinley as the glee club director. Will stops by while she is decorating, and reflects on how he thought Finn would be the one to take over. Rachel tells him she's only going to be around for a short while, expressing that she still has interest in Broadway and wants to go back. Will supports her and brings her the “Help the Kids” notice, putting it on the wall. He reminds her that she’ll be competing against Blaine and him at Sectionals. He leaves, saying she’ll like it there. She starts to sing Let It Go, as she walks out the office to put the glee club sign-up sheet up on the main board in the hallway, with scenes of her singing in the auditorium, the staff room and her room. She places a large golden star next to the sheet, finishing the last line of the song, “The cold never bothered me anyway” with a small smile before walking away.

Songs

 * Glee: The Music, Loser Like Me is an album accompanying the music from this episode.

Background Songs

 * Poison Arrow by ABC. Background music during Blaine's, David's, and Kurt's scene at Scandals.
 * Loser Like Me (Acoustic Version) by Glee. Background music during Rachel's and Blaine's scene at Lima Bean.

Starring

 * Chris Colfer as Kurt Hummel
 * Darren Criss as Blaine Anderson
 * Dot-Marie Jones as Shannon Beiste
 * Jane Lynch as Sue Sylvester
 * Kevin McHale as Artie Abrams (Absent)
 * Lea Michele as Rachel Berry
 * Matthew Morrison as Will Schuester
 * Chord Overstreet as Sam Evans
 * Amber Riley as Mercedes Jones (Absent)

Special Guest Star

 * Brian Stokes Mitchell as LeRoy Berry

Guest Stars

 * Iqbal Theba as Principal Figgins
 * Max Adler as Dave Karofsky
 * Jim Rash as Lee Paulblatt
 * Max George as Clint
 * Carrot Top as Bartie
 * Jim J. Bullock
 * Marshall Williams as Spencer Porter
 * Noah Guthrie as Roderick Meeks
 * Christopher Cousins as Superintendent Bob Harris
 * Heather Mazur as Puclicist Nancy

Co-Stars

 * Michael Busch as Barry
 * Al Carabello as Ricardo
 * Alan Considine as John
 * Karen Constantine as waitress
 * Barrett Crake as Rich
 * Josiah Davis as player
 * Romel de Silva as overweight student
 * Jacy King as Janet
 * Shanna Malcom as Infiniti
 * Michael Segovia as kid
 * Kacey Spivey as Nittany
 * Fred Stoverink as Scandals bouncer
 * Myko Olivier as Skylar
 * Mason Trueblood as Really Gay Warbler
 * Austin Brue as Other Really Gay Warbler
 * Alex Mentzel as Warbler #1
 * JP Dubée as Warbler #2
 * Max Wilcox as Warbler #5
 * Nick Fink as Warbler #6
 * Rilan Roppolo as Warbler #7

Trivia

 * This episode was watched by 2.34 millions viewers with 0.7 rating, improved 21% from the previous episode. However, this is a sharp decline from previous season premiere.
 * This makes this episode the lowest watched Glee season premiere.
 * Along with Homecoming, this is the second two-part season premiere, the first being Season Five's.
 * However this is the first two-part season premiere to air on the same day.
 * This also the second time two episodes air on the same day, the first being Props and Nationals.
 * This is the first and only season premiere where Artie and Tina don't appear.
 * This is the fifth episode ever to be written by all co-creators, the other six being Pilot, Showmance, The Quarterback, 100, 2009, Dreams Come True.
 * Starting in this episode Dot-Marie Jones and Amber Riley were promoted to regular cast, and Naya Rivera, Jenna Ushkowitz, Becca Tobin, Alex Newell, Jacob Artist and Blake Jenner were demoted to recurring cast while Melissa Benoist was unable to reprise her role due to other commitments.
 * However, Amber is not present in this episode.
 * This episode marks the first appearance of Clint, Spencer Porter and Roderick Meeks.
 * This is the third episode named after an original song that's been done on Glee, following Extraordinary Merry Christmas and All or Nothing.
 * While the song Loser Like Me is not actually in the episode, an instrumental version of the Season Five version is used as a background music in Rachel and Blaine's scene at the Lima Bean.
 * This is the fourth season premiere where Rachel has a solo.
 * When Will mentions to Rachel that he thought that Finn would be coaching the New Directions, is a reference to the planned storyline which would feature Finn being the new director.
 * With this episode, Rachel sings in a duet in every season premiere, and each of them with a different person: Finn (in Don't Stop Believin'), Sunshine (in Telephone), Kurt (in Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead), Marley (in New York State of Mind), Santana (in A Hard Day's Night), and Blaine (in Suddenly Seymour).
 * The purple piano shown during "That's So Rachel" is a reference to The Purple Piano Project.
 * This is the first episode to feature a co-star singing a duet or any song that is released on Glee.
 * Myko Olivier as Skylar sings Sing with Darren Criss as Blaine.
 * Rachel was supposed to sing Karma Chameleon by Culture Club in this episode, but it got cut. Source
 * The Klaine flashback scene in this episode was originally meant to be much longer, but for unknown reasons it was shortened. Source
 * This episode marks the final appearance of LeRoy Berry.

Cultural References

 * The title of Rachel's pilot, "That's So Rachel," is a reference to the Disney Channel series That's So Raven.

Errors

 * In the scene where Rachel is setting up her office, Mr. Schuester shows up and says that Rachel will be facing against him and Blaine, but how would he know if he were facing them at sectionals, if it's always been different.

Quotes
"Rachel: What am I supposed to do?

Lee: Do what everyone who just failed miserably does: blame everyone else, and then go home."

"They said you have to lose everything before you can really find yourself."

"You see, positive representations of gays in the mass media has given me the confidence I need to be myself, which, turns out is kind of an arrogant jerk. Oh, and your show sucked."

"You smell like a nursing home."