Sweet dreams Cory.
Rachel psyches herself up for what she believes will be the most important audition of her life: a chance to play "Fanny Brice" in an all-new Broadway production of Funny Girl. She gets a surprise visit from her mother, Shelby, who offers some very valuable advice. Finn begins to settle into his new life as a college student at The University of Lima. While he takes to the school’s party atmosphere with ease with new roommate Puck, it takes heartfelt conversations from friends to put his priorities back in order. Meanwhile, Marley, tries to work up the confidence to suggest that Mr. Schue look at her original music as an alternative for Regionals.
Next Time: Glee on the cheap.
Songs
- Next To Me by Emeli Sande, performed by Rachel and Shelby
- Fight For Your Right (to Party) by The Beastie Boys, performed by Puck and Finn with the Delta Kappa Chai
- You Have More Friends Than You Know by Mervyn Warren and Jeff Marx, performed by Marley, Blaine, Sam, and Unique
- Don't Stop Believin' performed by Rachel with an imagined version of the original New Directionsnote
- Outcast, Glee original, performed by New Directions
Tropes:
- Book Ends: This ends up being the last episode to feature Cory Monteith as Finn, and so the last with the original six kids from the Pilot. They perform Don't Stop Believin' together one last time.
- Double-Meaning Title: Several people are finding their dreams, Rachel is achieving hers, and Sue is going through dreams. The theme for Regionals: Dreams. With added meaning in hindsight.
-
Harsher in Hindsight:- Finn starts working towards his dream. Then he dies.
- The realization that it was probably Puck who found Finn dead between now and 5.03.
- I Call Him "Mister Happy": Puck and his "hello jiggles".
- Ivy League for Everyone: Brittany, the literal poster child of The Ditz, gets an offer for MIT.
- Meaningful Name: Only in hindsight does one notice that the last episode Cory appeared in was called Sweet Dreams.
- Put on a Bus & Real Life Writes the Plot: Both tropes apply here, though at the time, Cory was just entering rehab. Unfortunately of course, it turns into a Bus Crash after Cory's death.
- Shot-for-Shot Remake: The Don't Stop Believin performance to the one in the Pilot. Just look at the page image.
- The Cameo: Mark Salling as Noah Puckerman, Idina Menzel as Shelby Corcoran, Amber Riley as Rachel's hallucination of Mercedes Jones.
- UnPerson: This was the last time Finn was mentioned until 5.03.
- Wacky Fratboy Hijinks
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What Could Have Been: In addition to the rewrites needed to accommodate Cory entering rehab, the common consensus was had Finn lived, he would've continued his job as Will's assistant, eventually helping ND to a Nationals win, and leading to the original ending with Rachel saying "I'm Home". - Wild College Party: Finn and Puck's parties, full of fratbros and college chicks.
