Rumours

Rumours is the nineteenth episode of Glee's second season and the forty-first episode overall. It aired on May 3, 2011.

The episode is a tribute to Fleetwood Mac, similar to the Britney Spears, Madonna and Rocky Horror episodes. The title is taken from the Fleetwood Mac album Rumours (the album the episode is a tribute of), hence the British-English spelling.

Sue progresses her devious plan and sparks anger in the Glee Club by resuscitating the school newspaper and posting rumours. April suggests Will joins her on Broadway and also suggests he asks the Glee Club to perform songs from Fleetwood Mac's album, Rumours. Things stir up when Finn and Rachel suspect something shifty related to Sam, and Santana still finds it hard to come out.

The episode was directed by Tim Hunter and written by Ryan Murphy.

Plot
The episode opens with Brittany's brand new internet talk show, "Fondue For Two." After gossiping with Mercedes and Tina for a few minutes, she apparently outs Santana by saying she is "playing for the other team." Mercedes and Tina look at each other, pleased with the new gossip, and it is presumed they spread the news around quickly. The show is then posted on YouTube, for everyone to see. Then the episode cuts into a scene in the school hallway where Rachel gives Sam chapstick and asks him out for the prom. He awkwardly says that he's not sure he's going, and then says that she isn't his type. Rachel appears a little upset, but gets over it quickly enough.

Terri runs into Sue at The Lima Bean, where Sue is ordering a cup of mocha powder and paying with a euro while given strange looks by the customers nearby. She's "deep under cover" and is dressed like David Bowie. She tells Terri she's resuscitated the school newspaper - The Muckraker - and the publication will now be ignoring facts. They discuss and come up with a plan to destroy Will and the New Directions Glee Club. Terri's goal is to get Will out of the Glee Club and says she has an idea.

Sue Sylvester revives the school newspaper and decides to print a few inflammatory blind items, mostly about the Glee Club kids. Brittany, Jacob, and Azimio are all journalists for the school paper. The first copy of the Muckraker is out, and it contains the rumor that Sam and Quinn are seeing each other on the side at a motel, as well as Brittany's comments about Santana "playing for the other team." Brittany wasn't referring to Santana being gay, but instead was referring to Santana as playing for the Glee club. Santana is still angry at this, and so is Finn about the rumors between Sam and his girlfriend; he knows Quinn could cheat on him, as it has happened before.

Rachel then accompanies Finn while he spies on the motel from his car. They have a conversation, and Finn questions himself why he's with somebody he can't even trust. He asks Rachel to explain karma to him, and when she does, he looks very worried. They see Kurt leaving Sam at the motel. As well as Rachel and Finn finding this out, a camera-wielding Jacob and records all of this, taking many photos. The gang talks about the possibility of Kurt cheating on Blaine with Sam. Quinn comes to Sam's defense and insists that "Sam's not gay," but refuses to explain further. Finn looks a little suspicious of Quinn, wondering why she was being so defensive. The next day, Rachel sees Sam wearing Kurt's "Earth Day" jacket. Rachel decides to confront Kurt about his rumoured, romantic relationship Sam, and he only responds that talking about gossip is a waste of time and they should focus on Nationals instead, storming off.



Meanwhile, April returns to McKinley after a failed attempt to make it on Broadway. She asks Will for help getting back there by helping work on her new musical, Crossrhodes: The April Rhodes Story, offering him to go on the road with her. Will tells April about the drama in the Glee club. She talks about how Fleetwood Mac used their issues to help make great music. Will grabs a copy of Rumours and says he's wanted to do a lesson based on one album for a long time. They also perform Dreams for the kids.

Artie warns Brittany about Santana manipulating her. He thinks she's trying to break them up and accidentally calls her stupid. His comment hurts Brittany's feelings because Artie was the only one in the school who had never called her that, and she breaks up with him, crying as she runs off. Shortly after the break-up, Artie performs a version of Never Going Back Again with Puck backing him up on guitar. Santana brings a devastated Brittany to the choir room, and says she's found a song that captures her feelings. Santana sings Songbird with only the two of them in the room (and Brad, according to Santana, who is "just furniture," but quickly turns to apologize to him). Brittany wants her to come on Fondue for Two, so she can tell Santana how she feels, and then ask her to prom. Santana agrees. However, Santana doesn't show for the Fondue for Two episode. Afterwards, Jacob grills Santana about her relationship with Karofsky, while Brittany sadly watches. Santana assures him their relationship is going strong.



Finn and Rachel spy on Sam again. Finn talks about Quinn's comment regarding Sam just before they see Quinn leave Sam at the motel, giving him a big hug on her way out. Finn looks devastated on learning that Quinn was with Sam, in a motel.

The newest Muckraker leads with a story about Finn and Rachel seen being together. Quinn confronts her boyfriend about the news, and Finn says he was just talking to Rachel about a duet while they were staking them out. She assures him she wasn't cheating on him, but neither seems to trust the other one. At glee rehearsals, Finn and Quinn perform I Don't Want to Know. Rachel makes a comment that it makes more sense for her to be paired with Finn for nationals. Quinn responds that she doesn't trust Rachel, and the only way she'll stay with Finn is if he doesn't sing with Rachel.



Brittany interviews Will, asking primarily gossipy inappropriate questions. She asks questions given to her by Sue, including one about Will leaving Glee. Cut to Sue teaching the Muckraker staff about the importance of "making stuff up." Will comes to see her and Sue asks him about why, exactly, he's helping April. Will and April are working on a song: nice to meet you, have i slept with you from her upcoming show while Emma watches. She wants Will to go with her to Broadway, but he says he needs to be with the kids at Nationals. She tells him Nationals is the kids' dream, not his.

Emma is making progress with her OCD. She says Will was the one who inspired her. She thinks Will has a gift and thinks April's offer is one he shouldn't turn down. She thinks Will should at least give it a shot, but he says "I can't do that to the kids." He begins to cry as he talks about the fact; Emma and the kids saved his life, but he wants to go "so badly."

At Glee rehearsals, Rachel sings Go Your Own Way with Finn on drums. Afterwards, Quinn rips Rachel for singing a love song to her boyfriend, and everybody begins to blame Sam for this whole situation (except for Santana, who blames Rachel, of course). He says he isn't doing anything inappropriate with either Quinn or Kurt. The truth is that his father lost his job, then they lost their house, so his family now has to live in a motel. He then angrily storms out.



Rachel and Finn go to see Sam in the motel. He reveals that his father has been laid off and they were evicted from their new home. Finn brings Sam some clothes. Sam says that Quinn found out because they go to the same church, and Kurt only knows because Sam got a job delivering pizzas at night and delivered one to Dalton Academy. Sam thinks he might have to leave Glee Club. At this point, Finn brings in Sam's old guitar, which he had to pawn. Sam begins to cry and his little sister comforts him. Rachel and Finn now have sympathy for Sam, for they now know the truth. The kids then ask Will if the Muckraker story about him leaving is true. He tells them he is going to Nationals with them. Sam brings his younger siblings into the choir room. Sam sings Don't Stop with the rest of the gang backing him up. Will watches from the seats with April and has a worried look on his face as the episode closes to an end.

Unreleased Songs

 * Nice to Meet You, Have I Slept with You? by Glee. Sung by April Rhodes and Will Schuester
 * It's 10 am and I'm Drunk by Glee. Sung by April Rhodes

Background Music

 * The Chain by Fleetwood Mac. Played during Finn and Rachel's stakeout scene.

Special Guest Star

 * Kristin Chenoweth as April Rhodes

Guest Stars

 * Harry Shum Jr. as Mike Chang
 * Chord Overstreet as Sam Evans
 * Ashley Fink as Lauren Zizes
 * Josh Sussman as Jacob Ben Israel
 * James Earl III as Azimio Adams

Co-Stars

 * Cathy Doe as Barista
 * Ryan Heinke as Stoner Brett
 * Cody Hamilton as Stevie Evans
 * Ava Chelsea Ingram as Stacey Evans
 * Lauren Potter as Becky Jackson
 * Connie Ventress as Patron

Absent Cast Member

 * Mike O'Malley as Burt Hummel

Trivia

 * Brittany's new found love of journalism stems from Heather Morris's life. Heather took journalism in college before dropping out.
 * This is the fourth episode (after Throwdown, Home, and Duets) in which two duets are sung by the same people in the same episode.
 * After Artie calls Brittany stupid, she seems to get smarter in every episode after this one. Santana even asks her how she got so smart in New York.
 * During Quinn and Finn's performance of I Don't Want to Know, Quinn is seen wearing the same hairpin that Rachel wore in The Rocky Horror Glee Show.
 * Last time Quinn sings in Season 2.
 * First time that Quinn sings a duet in two episodes in a row.
 * During the stakeout scenes that take place in Finn's truck with him and Rachel, Fleetwood Mac's The Chain is heard as the background music.

Errors

 * You can see that the comments section is disabled on Brittany's "Fondue For Two" video. Yet later, Brittany states that the comments say her questions are "too gossipy."
 * Quinn's outfit changes from the scene in the hallway to her performance of I Don't Want to Know.

Quotes
"Once a story is out, it's out forever."

"Brittany: Boxers or briefs? Panty hose or lace panties?

Will: Who gave you these questions to ask?

Brittany: Coach Sylvester says I'm not at liberty to say. She said that right after she finished writing down these questions."