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Recap - 'Glee': 'A Night of Neglect'

Mercedes in Glee

© Fox

The episode opens with Will telling the glee club they need to raise $5,000 to go to Nationals, as the money they got from the Cheerios has been hidden by Sue in offshore accounts. He announces that they are going to sell saltwater taffy to earn the money, but Santana points out that no-one will buy anything from them and reveals that she was slushied recently. Mike gets annoyed about the group moaning and explains that they have no idea what it's like to work hard and be ignored by everyone, even your friends. He explains that he is on the academic decathlon team with Artie, Tina and Brittany and they made it through to the televised finals in Detroit after beating a team including former McKinley student Sunshine. The foursome add that they already told the glee club. However, they say they can't go because they can't pay for the trip. Tina says they need at least $250 and Will suggests that the glee club will just have to sell more taffy.

Meanwhile, Sue calls a meeting in the middle of the night with Vocal Adrenaline coach Dustin, former glee club teacher Sandy, and Will's ex-wife Terri. She explains that she has been on a losing streak and cannot let New Directions win Nationals. She asks for help to destroy the glee club and calls her new army the 'League Of Doom'. She explains that they will target the club's self-esteem so that they implode. The trio raise certain objections but eventually agree to help out. Sue hands them pagers and tells them to await further instructions.

Will and Holly have a date, and Will points out that Holly is the first girlfriend he's had who hasn't been all over him to spend more time with him. Holly says she is both awesome and unavailable. Will asks her about his idea of selling taffy but she admits that he is thinking too small. She advises him to have a benefit concert, pointing out that the kids will feel less neglected if they fill an auditorium. At glee club, Will announces the plan for a 'Night Of Neglect' and explains that they will perform tracks by neglected artists. Elsewhere, Sue finds Dustin and says that he needs to break up Will and Holly. She then approaches Sandy and tells him about the benefit. The pair set up a "heckling club" together, which is attended by Becky, Jacob Ben Israel and Azimio.

The glee club members walk down the corridor discussing what they are going to perform. Mike will dance, Tina wants to sing Lykke Li, Mercedes will take on Aretha Franklin and Rachel wants to sing Celine Dion, explaining that Celine isn't neglected, but she is. They are interrupted by Finn, who asks if they remember Sunshine. She is in the building and Rachel accuses her of being a terrible spy. However, Sunshine explains that she is on the academic decathlon team and knows how it feels when no-one cares. She explains she wants to perform at the benefit and adds that she can persuade her 600 Twitter followers to come. She sings 'All By Myself' and the group is impressed. Rachel, however, doesn't want to let her take part, insisting that she must be a spy. Puck points out that they won't have a benefit without Sunshine's Twitter followers. Rachel agrees and sneakily asks Mercedes if she's alright with being bumped from the closing spot to the middle of the show. Mercedes agrees sadly as Lauren looks on. Later, Lauren approaches Mercedes in the library and tells her that she needs to learn to demand respect. She points out that people like Aretha, Jennifer Lopez and Mariah Carey make ridiculous demands because they know people will meet them. Mercedes agrees to let Lauren become her manager.

Will finds Emma, who is vigorously cleaning a table. He says he knows that OCD symptoms become worse under stress. Emma admits that Carl has left her and asked for an annulment. She tearfully asks when is too young to start looking back on life with nothing but regret and adds that she thought she'd be able to handle her OCD by now. Will takes her lunch, puts on her plastic gloves and cleans her grapes for her. He says she will beat her OCD one day but he will be there for her in the meantime. Holly watches from outside.

Meanwhile, Finn and Quinn approach Rachel and explain that they are the benefit heads. They ask her to become the head of talent relations and Quinn admits that they are having problems with one of the performers. It emerges that Mercedes, backed by Lauren, has made a list of demands such as a bowl of M&Ms, two dehumidifiers, and puppies to dry her hands on. Rachel agrees to take care of it. She sorts out all of Mercedes's demands but explains that Sunshine will have the closing spot. Mercedes agrees, but only if she can be carried everywhere on the day of the benefit.

Glee S02E17 'Night of Neglect': Holly Holiday dresses up in costume to teach a history lesson.
Later, Holly is teaching a class about Wallis Simpson and reveals that people thought she was a hermaphrodite, which wasn't true. She adds that she was a Nazi sympathiser. When the class is dismissed, Dustin enters the room and tries to seduce Holly. However, she rejects him because she is dating Will. Dustin insults Will, but Will overhears the conversation and threatens him. When Dustin leaves, Will points out that Holly didn't show up for lunch and is now being hit on by his arch-rival. Holly replies that she did turn up, but Will was busy with Emma. She insists that she is not the jealous type and, to relieve the tension, Will suggests that they practise a duet. However, Holly says she needs to clear her head and leaves.

Glee S02E17 'Night of Neglect': Tina performs.
On the day of the benefit, Kurt and Blaine arrive at McKinley. Artie and Brittany meet them and rush off, telling them to get seats quickly. Blaine realizes that Kurt misses them, but they are interrupted by Karofsky, who asks what they are doing there. Blaine says they all know what is going on, but a fight soon ensues. Santana arrives to break it up and Kurt yells that Karofsky is a coward when it comes to the truth. Santana asks what's going on but Karofsky says it is none of her business. However, Santana points out that he slushied her and threatens him until he walks off. She looks at her phone and, realizing that something is wrong, runs to the glee club. She informs them that Sunshine has just tweeted that she isn't going to the benefit, and neither are her followers. Puck says there are only six people in the audience and they should just give up, but Finn announces that the show must go on. Tina goes out to perform 'I Follow Rainbows', but Sandy is there with the heckling club and, backstage, she breaks down in tears. Artie says they should call off the benefit but Will says that they might have an unfriendly crowd at Nationals and they need to learn how to cope with it. He adds that he knows how to keep them quiet and Quinn hands out taffy so that the audience's mouths stick together. Mike gets up and performs a dance, and the group cheer when he returns backstage. However, Quinn points out that they are almost out of taffy. Meanwhile, Will asks where Mercedes is and Lauren announces that she has left the building because she is not happy about how she has been treated. Holly tells the club to find Mercedes while she deals with the hecklers.

Holly gathers the heckling club together and tells them that they have learnt to be mean because of the anonymity of the internet. She says they insult people to make themselves feel better. However, she points out that it makes them comfortable with insensitivity and reveals that someone they heckled has been crying for an hour. She says they could turn the "jeering into cheering". The hecklers appear moved but decide to go home instead of returning to the benefit. Meanwhile, Rachel finds Mercedes in a car outside. She tells her that Aretha earned respect by singing, not by making silly demands. Mercedes asks why Rachel is a bigger star than her and Rachel admits that she doesn't know, pointing out that Mercedes is just as good a singer. However, she says that she would do anything to be a star whereas Mercedes wants to be liked. Mercedes sadly admits that she wanted the closing slot and Rachel tells her to go in and take it.

Back in the auditorium, Sue approaches Sandy and takes him outside. Holly performs 'Turning Tables' on stage, while Sue berates Sandy for losing his heckling club. She tells him to go back in and heckle the glee club himself and Sandy agrees. Backstage, Rachel admits that she doesn't think Mercedes is coming back. However, Mercedes eventually appears and jokes that her only demand is that they watch her sing. She performs 'Ain't No Way' and Sandy worries: "Oh dear God, I love this song." Rachel watches from the wings and looks over sadly at Finn and Quinn. When Mercedes finishes, she tells Rachel to go and perform the closing number. Rachel smiles that no-one could follow Mercedes and they hug.

Glee S02E17 'Night of Neglect': Sue recruits Terri, Dustin and Sandy to destroy the glee club.
Later, Holly is speaking to someone in French on the phone but hangs up when she sees Will. Will thanks her for her help with the benefit, but Holly reveals that she has been offered a job teaching French in Cleveland for four months. Will asks if she has any feelings about leaving but Holly says Will knows she avoids commitment and knew it would end this way. Will admits that it still hurts and asks if she will ever settle down. Holly replies: "Maybe" but adds that it won't be with Will because he is in love with Emma. She adds that Emma feels the same way about him. Will asks if Holly will come back to visit and she tearfully replies: "I thought you'd never ask." Will goes to find the glee club and discovers Sandy there with him. Artie reveals that Sandy has offered to pay for their academic decathlon trip. Later, at a meeting of the League Of Doom, Sandy explains to Sue that Aretha is his Kryptonite. Sue is also disappointed in Dustin, and turns to Terri, explaining that her time has come.

The episode ends with the academic decathlon finals. It's a tie coming into the last question, and the McKinley students say hello to the glee club on air. The quizmaster announces that the final category will be "hermaphrodite Nazi sympathisers". Artie and Brittany look at each other and smile.


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