Glee - Episode 2.01 - Audition - Recap

It’s been one long summer, waiting the return of Glee. The season premier episode started with a sort of summer recap itself when Jacob goes around shoving a microphone in the Glee member’s faces asking about their summer adventures. We learn a few things like that Puck had a vasectomy for having impregnated Quinn, and that he is still pining after her and that Tina and Mike hooked up over the summer and it has left Artie heart broken.

We soon learn there had a been a 10% budget cut to give more funds to the athletics department, and with the cut comes a new female football named coach Beist (pronounced Beast). Sue’s reply to the entire situation is "female football coach, like a male nurse, sin against nature.” Sue spends the entire episode trying to sabotage Beist by teaming up with Shuester to prank her, bullying her, trying to give her dog poop cookies, and even having Brittany accuse Coach Beist of touching her inappropriately.

The first song of the Episode is “Empire State of Mind” sang in the schoolyard. Sadly, no one pays attention to them, and they walk away unnoticed. So, Finn and Rachel make it their personal goal to enlist more members for Glee. Finn is posting sign-up sheets in the boy’s locker room when he hears Sam, a new student, singing in the showers. Rachel ends up singing with Lady Gaga’s “Telephone” with Sunshine after encountering her in the girl’s restroom. After their duet, Rachel seems a little intimidated by her, and does not hide it when she goes and tries to tell Kurt and Mercedes that Sunshine may outshine some others and that they should attempt to scare her away from Glee.

Finn and Artie approach Sam about joining Glee. They join the other guys from Glee in the practice room, and before Sam does a version of “Billionaire,” Puck comments on his large mouth, and asks him how many tennis balls he can fit in his mouth. Sam quickly retorts, “I don’t know. I’ve never had any balls in my mouth. Have you?” Sam leaves the boys impressed with his wit, confidence, and voice.

Finn takes Artie to football, after Artie pleads with him, because he wants to try out and get abs in an attempt to win Tina back. The whole thing blows up in Finn’s face, because Beist is upset and kicks Finn off the team. Finn feels he has lost his identity and tries out for Cheerios in what must be the most embarrassing try-out ever.

Quinn also tries out for Cheerios, and Coach Sue is immediately against it, until Quinn gives her a bit of an idea of the publicity Cheerios by exploiting her. When Quinn makes captain by telling Coach Sue about Santana’s boob job, Santana flips out and fights Quinn until Shuester pulls them apart.

In the end they do not gain Sunshine or Sam. Rachel had sent her to a Crack house instead of auditions, but after she apologizes, Sunshine auditions (with “Listen”) anyway. The club loves her, but then Vocal Adrenaline approached her and they steal her from New Directions, and she says her decision partly had to do with how Rachel treated her. Sam declines his invite to Glee after Finn is kicked off the football team, and Glees seems to lose its cool factor.

The episode raps up nicely with Rachel singing “What I Did For Love.” They show Tina and Mike dancing, as Artie lurks in the background; Quinn and Sue chatting, and they show Santana at the bottom of the cheerleader pyramid; then the Glee club at practice and Rachel walks in.