[Warning: This story contains spoilers from Thursday's "Thanksgiving" episode of Glee.]
New Directions faced its first challenge as a team Thursday on Fox's Glee when McKinley High's repopulated club faced the Dalton Academy Warblers at Sectionals.
Under the leadership of fill-in coach Finn Hudson (Cory Monteith), the recent graduate called in some friends to help his fresh-faced squad prepare for the big event, with Quinn (Dianna Agron), Santana (Naya Rivera), Mike (Harry Shum Jr.), Puck (Mark Salling) and Mercedes (Amber Riley) spending their Thanksgiving break in Ohio.
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Using their experience having won Sectionals (during Glee's first season), the graduates are paired up with the newbies: Mike with Ryder (Blake Jenner); Santana with Marley (Melissa Benoist); Quinn with Kitty (Becca Tobin); Puck with his younger half-brother Jake (Jacob Artist); and Mercedes with Wade (Alex Newell).
Determined, Finn suggests the club take on "Gagnam Style," and professes that they won't lose Sectionals for the first time under his watch. Santana notices that Kitty is fueling Marley's weight issues and brings it to Quinn's attention. Kitty, however, has already painted a completely different picture about Marley and claims a similar story to Quinn's high school experience with Puck, setting the two former friends against one another.
Meanwhile, new bromance pals Jake and Ryder are still on course despite some jealousy issues over Marley as well as Ryder's role front and center during the intense Sectionals performance. Jake tells Ryder he went out with Marley and offers to end it with her but admits he didn't want to "hump her and dump her." Good guy Ryder, meanwhile, gives him his blessing but asks Jake not to take everything from him, including the dance solo for "Gagnam Style," which he ultimately winds up relinquishing for the best of the squad since Jake is the better dancer.
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At Sectionals, the Warblers cover Flo Rida's "Whistle" and One Direction's "Live While We're Young" with impressive choreography that leaves Marley worried. Marley eventually spills to Jake that she hasn't slept in days and is sweating when it's not hot and feels if they don't win, it'll be her fault.
It all comes to a head at the end of the otherwise flawless performance when Marley faints at the end of the PSY cover, putting New Directions' status at Sectionals in jeopardy as they're forced to leave the stage early, turning the competition into a two-part episode where they may face disqualification.
Check out the promo for next week's episode, below, and hit the comments with your thoughts on if you think New Directions can pull out a victory after Marley's mishap. Glee airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on Fox.
Email: Lesley.Goldberg@thr.com; Twitter: @Snoodit
