Another Top 10 Unforgettable Glee Moments

When “Glee” returned for season two, the second episode, “Britney/Brittany”, encapsulated everything that made the second season so joyous and enjoyable to watch. The entire “Me Against the Music” sequence is beautifully filmed and edited, and it serves to showcase Heather Morris’ incredible talent as a dancer. Oh, and did we forget to mention that Britney Spears herself shows up? Her cameo caps an already-mesmerizing musical number and sets a high precedent for the rest of the season and for more high profile guest stars to come. Britney will always e one of our favorites though!

We hope you had fun with that last entry, because things are about to get serious. The fourth season episode “Shooting Star” went in a bold direction, as the students were forced into lockdown during a school shooting (or what seemed like one, anyway). The lockdown sequences were directed with confidence and maturity, and the acting perfectly conveyed the characters’ feelings of fear and panic. It also wasn’t afraid to go to some dark places, like Artie convincing the class to film goodbyes to their parents. “Glee” wasn’t really a show to make you tense and fearful, which makes this scene even more jarring and unforgettable.

After Finn sees what looks like Jesus in the grill marks of his grilled cheese, he turns the Glee club to religion. At the same time, Kurt’s father Burt suffers a devastating heart attack and is placed in the hospital. Burt’s heart attack is of course horribly sad, and it makes for some beautiful scenes involving Kurt. That bedside talk regarding an undercooked chicken is particularly touching. But his heart attack also helps lead to some welcome character development for both Kurt and Sue, whose beliefs are directly tied to her sister’s Down syndrome. Isn’t it just like “Glee” to glean themes of faith and religion from a grilled cheese sandwich?

As fun as the bombastic musical numbers like “Me Against the Music” are, nothing beats a touching song from the heart. Such is the case with “The Quarterback’s” “Seasons of Love” from “Rent”. While we named “Make You Feel My Love” the number one unforgettable moment in our original list, we must also mention this beautiful sequence, which saw the New Directions saying goodbye to Finn. As much as it works within the context of the show, we can’t divorce fiction from reality. This is a beautiful send-off for actor Cory Monteith from both old and new cast members, and it sets the melancholic tone for the rest of the episode. Like a funeral, it’s both sweet and heartbreaking in equal measure.

“Glee” is not the type of show to resort to one-dimensional characters. In the first season, Karofsky was portrayed as little more than a bumbling idiot of a bully. Yet the writers expanded his character, and by the third, he was a tortured and bullied kid who resorted to suicide to solve his problems. The suicide attempt is dramatically paired with Blaine singing Young the Giant’s “Cough Syrup”, a haunting song about burying pain and feeling numb. While many point to “Teenage Dream” as Blaine’s defining moment, one could certainly make a case for this stirring scene. It’s a nicely edited and scored sequence that adds complexity to a one-note villain, while Darren Criss sings his heart out.

Speaking of “Teenage Dream”, how could we forget the heartbreaking rendition Blaine performs for Kurt in season four’s “The Break Up”? It serves as an intentional call-back to the legendary season two performance, which was sung with vitality and passion thanks to the budding feelings between Blaine and Kurt. On the other hand, this version is acoustic, raw, and darker (literally), which serves to illustrate their respective headspaces and relationship troubles. The stark contrast helps contextualize their break up, and it makes us yearn for simpler, happier times, like their first kiss.

One of the major storylines of the first season is Quinn’s pregnancy. Despite Puck being the father, Quinn leads Finn along and tells him that the baby is his, leading to this terrific cover of “I’ll Stand By You”. Spurred on by Kurt, Finn finally opens up and proves his commitment to his unborn child. It’s a touching sequence that helps build Finn’s character, and it allows us to feel his devotion and fatherly pride. It proved that Finn was a good man, despite Quinn’s lies, and it added further depth and dramatic tension to the pregnancy storyline,

Coach Beiste initially served as a bit of a joke character, especially in “Never Been Kissed” when the kids used her to cool off during make-out sessions. But over time, we saw that she was a complex and troubled woman stuck in an abusive relationship, and that despite her tough exterior, she was secretly pained and vulnerable. Despite being so imprisoned that she gives Cooter a second chance, she finally leaves him in a triumphant moment of self-love and respect in season three’s “Props”. And while a lesser show may have made her departure cheesy and cartoonishly uplifting, here it’s portrayed as painful and difficult. She loves her husband, but she loves herself even more - which is demonstrated by her later coming out as transgender and her eventually taking the steps to transition to a male and becoming Sheldon.

“On My Way” is quite a difficult episode to watch. Not only do we witness Karofsky’s suicide attempt, but the episode ends on an ambiguous and terrifying note when Quinn is involved in a horrible car accident. Wanting to know where her bridesmaid is, Rachel texts Quinn and inadvertently dooms her to paralysis, as Quinn gets distracted by the text and runs a stop sign. It’s a chilling note to end the episode on, especially considering the ominous “to be continued” that flashes across the screen following the accident. We only wish that something more emotionally impacting would have come of it, because her miraculous and speedy recovery was a little bizarre.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

“Pure Imagination”
“Funeral”

“Roots Before Branches”
“Goodbye”

Will Shuester & Emma Pillsbury’s First Kiss
“Sectionals”

Kurt Hummel Comes Out to Burt Hummel
“Preggers”

Finn Hudson Outs Santana Lopez
“Mash Off”

This was the moment we were all waiting for, and it was just as beautiful as we had imagined. As they’re preparing to take the stage at Regionals, Finn walks over to Rachel and proudly professes his love to her, leaving her literally speechless. The two then perform a gorgeous rendition of Journey’s “Faithfully”, complete with many longing looks and a spine-tingling reveal of the New Directions on stage. We’re not sure if this is the most iconic duet in “Glee” history, but it’s certainly up there. It was a great song choice, a great performance, and there was great meaning behind the song itself. It was a perfect end to a perfect season of television.