Season 3, Episode 6: MASH OFF

The episode opens with Puck speaking in voice over that he's in love with Shelby and wants to make it work. Puck talking about his fourth period Geometry with Shelby leads to a performance of "Hot for Teacher." Rachel disapproves of the subject matter. Puck assures Will he just digs Van Halen. We see one of Sue's ridiculous political ads attacking Burt. Will is frustrated by her tactics. Kurt is upset by Brittany's class president campaign and Sue's dirty campaigning against Burt. Sue thinks he should start slinging mud. Both of McKinley's choirs have drawn the same Sectionals competition. Will and Shelby think they should channel the competitive spirit of the two teams. New Directions and The Troubletones are summoned to the auditorium. The two clubs start bickering until Will and Shelby come out singing a mash-up of Lady Gaga's "You and I" and Eddie Rabbitt's "You and I". The point is combining two conflicting things can be nice. They want each group to but together a mash-up, with the idea to have a Mash Off. Shelby tells Puck it isn't a good idea for them to be together. He says he's in love with her and has compiled a three-reason list: "You're hot." "I'm hot." and he wants a father figure for Beth and why not her real father. She struggles to be convincing, as she thinks it's a crush he'll get over. Finn thinks New Directions should mash up Hall & Oates (one of the few musical groups that stuck together through thick and thin) and wants to give Rory the solo. Rory is at first nervous. Blaine assures him it's perfect. Quinn is pushing Puck about getting Beth from Shelby. Quinn tells Shelby she wants to join The Troubletones. Shelby says she'll think about it. Finn tries to get Rory into trash talking The Troubletones, mostly Santana, which leads to an after school dodge ball challenge. Rachel wants Shelby to sign a letter of recommendation she wrote for herself for NYADA. Shelby signs it and tells Rachel she is proud of her. Rachel suggests maybe Shelby will want to write the letter herself and is stunned when Shelby tells her that other kids without her resume don't have a chance in hell of getting into NYADA. This makes Rcahel think about Kurt and how she betrayed him. Rachel tells Kurt she misses their friendship. He isn't having it. During the dodge ball game, the two teams sing a mash-up of Pat Benatar's "Hit Me with Your Best Shot" and Blondie's "One Way or Another." Albeit already winning, The Troubletones team up on Rory, giving him a bloody nose. Kurt comes to his defense. Mercedes suggests The Troubletones go with Adele. She tells Santana to lay off New Directions and nominates herself to be president. She gets the votes and Santana appears to lighten up. Santana approaches Finn to apologize, then proceeds to trash him for several minutes. She walks away and Finn yells the real reason she's acting this way is that she won't come out of the closet. She's in love with Brittany, and is terrified Brittany might not love her back. He calls her a coward for not admitting who she really is. After another over-the-top Sue attack on Burt, Burt is furious at Will for letting Sue get away with this. He wants to start fighting fire with fire. Puck seems to be getting comfortable with Beth. He proceeds to break down and reveals to Shelby what Quinn tried to do to get Beth taken away. He says he no longer considers Beth an accident and wants to be a part of her life. New Directions goes first in the mash-up; a combination of "I Can't Go for That" and "You Make My Dreams", complete with wigs and outfits. The senior class presidential speeches begin. A hockey player, Rick "The Stick" Nelson is first, promising teachers will have to answer to students. Brittany follows with a promise to go topless on Tuesdays. Kurt pledges to ban dodge ball at McKinley. This receives a modest response. Rachel withdraws her candidacy and urges everyone to vote for Kurt, the only non-negative candidate. Kurt asks Rachel why she did it. She thinks being president would put him over the top for acceptance into NYADA. She doesn't want to go unless he was there. Shelby says she isn't sure Quinn joining The Troubletones is a good idea. She confronts her about what it really means to be a mother. Quinn calls her a "cash whore" for giving up her child for money. Shelby tells her to leave. She wants Quinn nowhere near Beth, and says she hopes this is a wake-up call for her. Santana is called into Sue's office where Burt and Will are waiting. They tell her another candidate in the race has a niece who overheard her conversation with Finn. He is running an attack ad against Sue where he asks why she promoted a lesbian to be Cheerios captain and specifically identifies Santana. Santana becomes devastated.. She states she hasn't told her parents yet and run out of the room crying. The Troubletones perform a mash-up of "Rumour Has It" and "Someone Like You". Afterwards, seeing Finn whispering to Rachel, Santana jumps off the stage and yells at him for the fact everyone is going to know about her now. Everyone is shocked as Santana slaps him.
SONGS: Hot For Teach
You And I/ You And I
Hit Me With Your Best Shot/ One Way Or Another
I Can't Go For That/ You Make My Dreams
Rumour Has It/ Someone Like You
NEXT EPISODE: I Kissed A Girl- The Troubletones and New Directions come together to help Santana with her forced coming out. The two clubs are given the same assignment to sing songs empowering women. The senior class president election approaches and somebody is caught messing with the ballot which causes New Directions to have a major setback for Sectionals.