Season 3, Episode 1: THE PURPLE PIANO PROJECT

A new school year begins at McKinley High School and for Finn, Rachel, Kurt, Mercedes, Mike, Santana, Britney, Puck and Quinn- it's senior year. Lots of things have changed. Finn doesn't know what he is doing after high school. Mercedes and Sam broke up due to Sam moving out of state because his Dad got a new job and Mercedes is now with Shane, the new kid in school. Santana and Britney have rejoined the Cheerios, Lauren has quit glee club and dumped Puck, and Will and Emma are now dating. Although nobody has heard from Quinn until she shows up at school with pink hair, a nose ring, a tattoo, and punk clothes. Quinn quits glee club and starts smoking as she joins a group of bad girls called the skanks. Quinn refuses to go back to the way she was or re-join the Cheerios with Santana and Britney. Will tells the glee club that they need 2 members to compete now that they have lost Sam, Lauren and Quinn and this year they need to try really hard to win Nationals. Will brings in three purple pianos that were donated to the school because they are a little old and Will tells the kids whenever they see the pianos around the school they have to sing a song to recruit new members. Sue is behind in the polls for her new government campaign. Tina and Mike start playing music and singing in the hallway and Sue interrupts and destroys the piano. A teacher thanks Sue and says its annoying when the arts kids think they can do whatever they want. Sue gets an idea and on Sue's Corner announces that if she wins the election she will cut ALL arts programs in schools so that kids can focus on study. Will and Emma are shocked and plan to do whatever they can to stop it now that Sue is rising in the polls. A purple piano shows up at lunchtime in the cafeteria and the glee club perform "We Got The Beat" which is followed by a food fight with everybody throwing food at the glee club. In the choir room the club is convinced that they should just give up. She announces herself as Sugar and says she would like to join because they suck and she can make them better. She seems up herself and really bossy and she auditions revealing she is a terrible singer. Will tells her he will get back to her and Rachel demands that they not let her join. Will goes to Beiste for advice and she tells him that if he wants to win then he should make sure he has a team of dedicated and good players. Rachel goes to see Quinn and tells her that she should rejoin the glee club because they are a family. Quinn says no but she looks as if she wants to. Rachel tells Quinn to take some time and come back when she is ready. Meanwhile- Sue makes Santana and Becky co-captains which they are both not happy about. Sue tells Santana is she wants this position she has to once again become spy for her against the glee club and Santana sadly agrees. Sue asks Santana to destroy the purple pianos and make it look like an accident. During Cheerios try outs, Emma films a video of Will explaining to her what taking away the arts will do and then he throws glitter on her. They post the video on YouTube. Rachel and Kurt are determined to put their New York City dreams into action and talk to Emma about colleges in New York. Emma suggests NYADA (New York Academy of Dramatic Arts) which is really competitive to get into so they should check out the competition at an introduction night for the students applying. Rachel and Kurt decide to perform a song at the night to scare the other kids competing against them and rehearse with "Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead." Kurt also wants Blaine to transfer to McKinley so they can be together more and Blaine finally does so they can. He then auditions for glee club in the outside lunch area with "It's Not Unusual" where the Cheerios join in and pour gasoline on the purple piano. Santana tells Quinn to throw a lit cigarette on the piano and Quinn does causing it to burn down. Rachel and Kurt go to the introduction night where they discover all of their competitors are exactly like them including a girl named Harmony who seems very sweet but not so much on the inside. She then performs a spectacular performance of "Anything Goes/Anything You Can Do" with the others for Rachel and Kurt. Kurt and Rachel retreat to the car and feel humiliated and depressed about the competitions talent. They wonder if they really are good enough and eventually decide that they just need to try harder by starting a successful school musical, joining extra curricular clubs and winning Nationals. Will decides to tell Sugar that she can't be in the club and Sugar gets mad and storms off. Sue then tells Will that his video has somehow caused Sue to go even higher ranking in the polls. Will introduces Blaine as the newest member of the glee club. He then kicks Santana out for lighting the piano on fire. Will tells Santana that the club needs loyalty to win Nationals and Santana decides to not protest and just leave. Rachel announces she has decided this years musical should be West Side Story and Kurt announces he will be running for senior class president. With one piano burnt, one destroyed and one covered in food, the glee club feel that everybody hates them and Will tells them that's okay as long as they have each other. Even though they still need 2 members to join glee club, they do a performance of "You Can't Stop The Beat." Quinn watches them with a look of sadness and regret as she shows that she does miss glee club and still cares for them all.
SONGS: We Got The Beat
Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead
It's Not Unusual
Anything Goes/ Anything You Can Do
You Can't Stop The Beat
NEXT EPISODE: I Am Unicorn- Shelby Corcrain returns to teach at Mckinly where she tries to help Quinn and make her a part of Beth's life. This brings up sad memories for Rachel as the glee club compete for roles in the musical.