SHOOTJNG u'Vl1'T

1..UE REVIS ONS 10121/0i;

WRITTEN BY:

• RYAN MURPH
AND
BRAD FALCHU...-..--.
~
AND
(AN RENNAN
 Al BLACKNESS . In the void, a sound ... CLAPPING. In SYNCOPATIONAl
wit h FOOT STOMPI NG... a crazed crowd demanding a show.
Sudden l y , a slit APPEARS in the b:ackness ... which we now
realize is a black velvet cur-~ . AS-~ ~ !2:RVOOSTEENAGE
BOY peers out . His POV: i.: ' s .:e=:..=:,·::..::g... a :!UGE SOLD OUT
AUDITORIUM,everyone vibra-::i..~g wi=~ =~=:..pa1:0=y frenzy .
TITLES OP: EPCOT CE!i'l'ER, GLll C:.C'S llA~~ OXU..S, 1993 .

1 EPCO~ :-F.2,;.'i'?-E --
INT . BACKSTAGE -:;;.x- :.:--=:::-.,ccrs 1

The NERVOUS7EN, :u:. a -:t:X, ,c=s ~;:;= ::--=:.a= or so TEENS as

they stre-::ch, practice sca:es, e-::c. 0-..e-~:?.:. :..s e~en looking
in a .=ti.rro~r p=a~icing a ~:;GE~~ s=:-- F~.::Z.. SuCdenly,
their ~eac!'!e.r :.n,r ~ nD:.E?, 5Js t a_;:;p,ea:s. ==::.::. ~e tii.~ings,
claps her h=ds ::or tilei.::- atten-::-=.o::.
MRS . ADLER
Show circle, everybody .
The teens grasp hands in a circle =o=a J!:"s. ~~-er, .h-=.ch is
difficult to do because she's obese .
MRS. ADLER ( CO~~ :: )
Welcome to nat i onals.

- The ki ds whoop and scream with de:ig~-::.

MRS . AD:.E:l

the stage today. 3c-::: ~a~-::

CC!-_ :l
Fantastic . Use "'Cha~e.x=~~e...,;~~ ~-

guys to remember sc~~ - ~'cg.

PUSH IN ON THE YOONGNERVOGS-•-S,":...GZ 3~Y as she continues .
~ . ;o- -=?~ c::-!:-:
, ::
Glee c l ub isn • t abc::= c=eti-::ior:.
It's about somechi.ng deepe? --
realizing your po.:entia:. Uu..l.izing
you r gifts. Even by it:S very
definition in Mr. Webs-::er s book,
glee . . . is about opening yourself up
to joy .
(then, off their awe )
Eyeb rows up, everybody.
ANNOUNCER'SVOICE
Ladies and gentlemen . .. please
wel come to the stage, from Lima,
Ohio . .. The William McKinley High
Singsations!

-
 "Pilot" Blu e Rev i sions 10/21/08 2.

2 INT . EPCOT THEATRE-- DAY 2

A MIRROREDBALL DESCENDS. Horns BLARE. Hips SHIMMY.Clumps of

students whip around in succession, beaming with optimism and
enthusiasm, painting rainbows of joy with the ir arms as they
roar through a DISCO MEDLEY . '"Last Dance,'" '"That's The Way I
Like It,'" '"Disco Inferno'" -- all the classics are covered.
Their dancing is youthful, the kids are overwhelmed with joy.
The choir hi t s i ts f inal pos iti on as t hey bl eat '"You Should
Be Dancing . '" CLOSE on ou r NERVOUSYOUNGMAN near the back,
eyes open wide, partner in a dip: the world has jus t opened
up to him . SMASHTO BLACK. TI TLE UP. . .
11
GLEE11

3 INT. SCHUESTERAPARTMENT
-- DINNERTIME- - 2008 3

TIGHT on a HALF-EMPTYBOTTLEOF KRAFTLITE RANCHDRESSING.

WILL SCHUESTER-- thirty, naturally optimistic -- pours a
DOLLOPon his iceberg salad, then smi les at hi s wife TERRI
across the card table they use as a d i ning room.
WILL
How was work today?
TERRI
Quarterly reports came in this
morning -- our sales are up two
point three percent -- that's in
the top twenty of all of the Sheets
N' Things in the state .
WILL
Wow.
TERRI
I'm pr et ty sure movin g the
Primalo f t comf orters out front made
t he difference - - and we all know
whose decis i on t hat was.
They share a smi l e. Terr i f l ips through a POTTERYBARN
CATALOGUE,carefully marking items she's interested in with
COLORCODEDPOST- IT FLAGS.
WI LL
You're not going t o buy any of t ha t
stuff are you?
TERRI
Dreams are free.

r
 "Pilot" Blue Revisions 10/21/08 3.

WILL
I wish you could have seen Glee
Club rehearsal yesterday, Terr .
The new number is going to take us
to nationa l s . I'm feeling it .
(then , sexy)
You know, the District pays for the
trip to Orlando. Maybe I could
convince them to l et you tag along
as my "assistant."
TERRI
Wow. Epcot. You don't th ink they'd
put us up in the Grand Fl orid i an do
you? The Polynesian's nice too .
WILL
I think they usually get us rooms
at the Motel Six. Maybe I could get
them to book us at the Floridian if
I of fered to pay t he difference?
TERRI
Sure, maybe we cou ld trade in some
of your stock options . All I'm
going to say is they're hiring at
HWMenken .. .
WILL
I'm not going back to accounting,
Terri . Remember what happened? The
fluorescent l i ghts gave me rickets .
TERRI
All I remember is your paychecks
were twice as big . You were an
economics major in college, Will.
WILL
And when I tried it I was
miserable . I need something
more . .. creative .
(notic i ng the Post - Its)
Why does the lamp get a r ed one?
TERRI
Red is for accessories , yellow is
l uxuries , green is for necessities .
Terri pours what's left of the DRESSING on her salad . Then ,
pissed --
 "Pilot" Blue Revisions 10/21/08 4.

TERRI (CONT'D)
You need to get more when the
bottle i s half-empty .
WILL
Or half-full.
TERRI
Doctor Musky said I have to start
relaxing if we want to conceive.
You kn ow what s he told us about the
s hape of my uterus . I'm in charge
of two part-time employees . I don't
need the added stress of making
sure we have enough cond i ments at
home. Sometimes I think you care
more about those kids tha n you do
about me.
WILL
Baby , no . You're right. I'll stock
up on everything t omorrow .
TERRI
Don't go too crazy -- we need to
dip into the emerge ncy fund , the
muffler fell off the car again.
She exits wit h her cata l ogue, leaving him alo ne at the table .
4 EXT, MCKINLEYHIGH -- THE NEXT MORNING 4

TIGHT on the busted muffler , DRAGGINGalong the blacktop as

it pulls in to a parking space. QUICK CUT: Will exits the car,
brown bag l unch in one hand , briefcase i n the other, passes a
PACK OF JOCKS and a STUDENT-- KURT HUMMEL .
WILL
Making some new friends, Kurt?
PUCK, a MANCHILDanswers for him.
PUCK
Totally, Mr. Shue .
Will po ints at FINN HUDSON,a ha nds ome jock who looks too
kind to be hanging out wi th t he rest of the mot l ey crew .
WILL
You still owe me that report on
"Que Hace in su ver ano pasado",
Finn .
(MORE}
 "Pilot" Blue Revisions 10/21/08 s.
WILL {CONT' D)
(off Finn's confusion)
What you did last summer .
FINN
Almos t half way done with almost
all of it, Mr. Shue .
He smiles at them and enters the school , feeling good about
hi s connectio n with the student body. As soon as he's gone,
Puck SCOOPS up Kurt and carries him towards a DUMPSTER .
KURT
Please this is from the Marc
Jacobs Grunge collection.
FINN
Wait.
He pulls Kurt down, then gent l y pulls off the scared
freshman's sty l ish jacket, folds it under his arm.
FINN (CONT'D)
Ok.
Puck pi cks up a jacketless Kurt, TOSSES him in the dumpster .
5 INT . MCKINLEYHIGH -- MORNING 5

Will walks the halls . Typical Midwest student body. A few

KIDS greet Will with an "hola . " He passes the school's TROPHY
CASE and stops . We PUSH IN on A FRAMEDPICTURE OF MRS. ADLER:
"LILLIAN ADLER, 1937-1997 . " And then a quote : "By its very
definition , Glee is about opening yourself up to Joy."
Next to the photo tribute : a LARGETROPHY. PUSH IN on the
award, the engraving reads 1993 SHOWCHOIR CHAMPIONSHIPS,
ORLANDOFLORIDA -- WILLIAMMCKINLEYHIGH FIRST PLACE. The
trophy and all it represents HAUNTSWill.
6 INT . GIRLS BATHROOM
-- CONTINUOUS 6

FIND RACHELBERRY, at the mirror, maki ng herself up . Her

makeu p is way too THEATRICAL
. TWOCHEERLEADERS , SANTANALOPEZ
and QUINN FABRAY, check her out, laugh cruelly.
QUINN FABRAY
Getting ready for the tranny prom,
Rachel?
SANTANA
Get a stylist .
Rachel takes out her can of AQUANET and unapologet i cally
sprays her hair -- HEAVILY, gassing the girls away .
 11
Pilot" Blue Revisions 10/21/08 6.

As soon as they're gone, Rachel takes herself in -- she's so

lonely. She pushes the feelings way down inside, regains her
determination and continues SPRAYING.
7 INT . WILL'S CLASSROOM
-- DAY 7

The room is decorated with MAPS of MEXICO. Will is running a

full classroom of STUDENTSthrough the conjugation of the
verb "to be." He spies the clock on the wall. RACKFOCUS to
the c lo ck -- 2:45. The BELL RINGS and everyone rushe s out .
WILL
Hasta manana.
Will excitedly loosens his tie, grabs a pile of SHEET MUSIC
from his drawer and is out the door before the last student.
8 INT. CHOIR ROOM-- DAY 8

Mckinley High's Glee Club sings "Sit Down You're Rocking The
Boat . " It's not much of a choir . Just five kids, all
OUTCASTS . One, ARTY ABRAMS,is paralyzed from the waist down.
Arty belts out his solo. The song ENDS, everyone turns to
Will for guidance . Until --
RACHEL
We suck.
WILL
It will get there we just need
to keep rehearsing .
RACHEL
Mr. Schuester -- do you have any
idea how ridiculous i t is to give
the lead solo in "Sit Down You're
Rocking the Boat" to a kid in a
wheelchair?
ARTY
I th ink Mr . Shue was using irony to
enhance the performance.
RACHEL
There's nothing ironic about show
choir!
She storms out. Slow PUSH IN on Will"s sad face as --
WILL (V .O. )
Rachel was right . .. we do suck. We
might have been the worst glee club
in the state.
(MORE)
 "Pilot" Blue Revisions 10/2 1/08 7.

WILL (V . O. ) (CONT' D)
I mean, really -- i t' s an
unbelievable story how we ended up
the way we did . I guess i t all
started with Mrs. Adler's
replacement . . . sandy Ryerson.
9 INT . AUDITORIUM-- DAY -- FLASHBACK 9

SANDYRYERSON, 35, with highlights and a paste l sweater

thrown over his shoulders, coaches the kids . It's a mess . For
some reason, every member of the choir is holding a STOOL.
WILL (V .0. )
Sandy loved props. In the span of
one year, McKinley became the
bottom feeders of the glee world --
we were a "stool choir . "
As the rehearsa l continues, girls begin DISAPPEARING.
They're dropping ou t, so are some of the bette r boy dancers .
WILL (V . O. ) (CONT'D)
Years passed . Glee was no longer a
place where you went with dreams of
being a star, it was a haven for
outcasts.
Finally, everyone has disappeared except for Rachel, Kurt ,
Arty, MERCEDES,TINA, who TWITCHESand HANK-- the last of
the "in crowd" still in Glee Club .
WILL (V. O. ) (CONT'D)
Slowly but surely, anybody who
could do a jumping jack defected to
McKinley High's nationally ranked
cheerleading squad, Cheer ios!
10 EXT. FOOTBALLFIELD -- DAY-- FLASHBACK 10
Highschool Bitch Goddess Quinn Fabray forms the top of the
Cheer i os ! pyramid . Beads of sweat drop down their faces. An
over-tanned, ponytailed WOMAN stares at a stopwatch .
WILL (V . O. )
Led by Sue Sylvester, Cheerios! had
placed third at internationals in
Pyongyang and had twice appeared on
Fox Sports Net . There was a rumor
that Sue had posed for Penthouse
magazine and too k horse estrogen,
but that was only a rumor .
The stopwatch reads 23 minutes. The pyramid trembles .

I
 "Pilot•• Blue Revisions 10/21/08 8.

SUE
(staring them down)
Don't disappoint me. Don't
disappoint me.
11 INT. CHOIR ROOM-- DAY -- FLASHBACK 11

Hank leans on the baby grand holding his stool, nervous, as

Sandy, now 45 and still sporting highlights despi te a bad
bald spot, enters, spraying breath spray in his mouth.
WILL (V. O.)
Glee Club languished, but still,
the school didn't care -- as long
as Sandy came in under budget. He
would probably still be teaching
today if he had been able to
control himself.
SANDY
This is a song about wanting
someone, Hank .
HANK
I don't know, Mr. Ryerson. I mean,
th is is kind of not cool anymore.
SANDY
Is that why you're here? To be
cool? Guess what, bud, stars aren't
cool, the y burn -- hot . Now sing.
Sandy starts playing the PIANO and Hank breaks into a
rendition of "Where Is Love?" from "Oliver!" When Hank gets
to the chorus, Sandy softly sings along with him, then takes
a hand off the keys and places it firmly on Hank's . ZOOMto
the closed glass doorway, revealing RACHEL, staring daggers .
12 INT . PRINCIPAL FIGGINS' OFFICE -- DAY -- FLASHBACK 12

A CRYING Sandy, a SECURITYGUARDbehind him, sits across from

a stern looking PRINCIPAL FIGGINS, 40s .
FIGGINS
My hands are tied, Sandy. We cannot
afford another lawsuit.
SANDY
But I'm not even gay!
As Sandy weeps gay tears --

r
 "Pilot" Blue Revisions 10/2 1/08 9.

WILL (V. O.)

There was a vacancy, and fate
ca l led on me to fill it.
13 INT. TEACHER'S LOUNGE-- DAY-- FLASHBACK 13

Will goes to get coffee, but there's no pot . He turns to his

buddy, KEN TANAKA,the history teacher/football coach.
WILL
Where's the coffee machine?
KEN TANAKA
Figgins got rid of it . Budget cuts .
I know for a fact they're still
getting hot java over at Carver. We
should str ike .
Sue Sylvester enters with LATTES.
SUE
Hello boys . Who needs a pick me up?
KEN TANAKA
wow, lattes!
EMMAPILLSBURY, the school guidance counselor, enters and
sits. Emma's pret ty , but she doesn't th i nk she is .
KEN TANAKA(CONT'D)
(flirty)
Hey Emma.
EMMA
(not flirty)
Hey, Ken .
(then, trying to be cool)
Hey , Will . What's with the latte s?
SUE
I felt jus t awful about Principal
Figgins cutting the coffee budget
to pay for a nutritionist for the
Cheerios.
EMMA
I heard you guys were six hundred
dollars over budge t on that.
SUE
Well, my performers didn't get on
Fox Sport Net last year because
they ate at The Sizzler .
 "Pilot .. Blue Revisions 10/21/08 10 .

EMMA
Since when are cheerleaders
performers?
Ken and Will share a look, th is could get ug ly . A long beat.
SUE
Your resentment is delicious.
She smiles seductively at Emma, exits. Ken, wearing a latte
mustache, checks out Sue's ass as she goes.
Emma pulls a HANDYWIPE out of her purse, starts CLEANINGthe
table in front of her . Will watches as she meticulous l y
scrubs her place setting, then takes her own plastic
silverware, plate and cup out of her bag. She notices the
stares, smiles nervous ly ho ping they won't talk about her
OCD, then puts her LUNCHon her plate and starts eating.
KEN TANAKA
I didn't see you at the singles
mixer last weekend, Emma.
EMMA
Oh, yeah, I didn't go. A pipe
exploded in my building. It was
wild. Fire trucks, police . I think
it was on the local news . Did you
see it Will?
WILL
Sure, maybe.
EMMA
I hate those mixers, anyway . Just
a big meat market. I gave one of
the firemen my phone number, but he
hasn't called yet .
Eye contact. Tanaka notices chemistry there . Then
EMMA(CONT'D)
Hey, did you hear they fired Sandy
Ryerson?
WILL
Really? Who's going to take over
Glee Cl ub?
14 INT . PRINCIPAL FIGGINS' OFFICE -- DAY -- FLASHBACK 14
WILL
I'd like to take over Glee Club .
 "Pilot 11
Blue Revisions 10/21/08 11 .

FIGGINS
You want to captain t he Titanic,
too?
WILL
I think I can make it great again .
There's no joy in these kids . They
feel invisible. That's why every
one of them has a Myspac e page .
FIGGINS
Sixty bucks a mont h . That's what I
need to keep the program up .
WILL
And you expect me to pay it?
FIGGINS
I'm certainly not going to . We're
not talking about The Cheerios
here , Will . They were on Fox Sports
Net last year . When Glee Cl ub
starts bringing that kind of
prest i ge to the school again, you
can have all the money you want .
Until then , sixty a month -- and
you've got to use the costumes and
props we already have. Oh, but we
need the stools for wood shop .
15 INT. SCHUESTERBEDROOM
- - THE MIDDLE OF THAT NIGHT 15

Wi l l stares up at the ceiling. Terri is ne xt to him , taking

up the whole bed, he's jus t got a sl iver of space .
WILL (V. O.)
Hiding the sixty dol l ars a month
from Ter r i was go in g to be hard.
But I had a bi gger problem. How was
I going to get these kids
motivated? One th in g I knew for
sure , we needed a new name . Sandy's
"Rhythm Explosion" didn't cut it .
Will pops up in bed , eyes wide with excitement he has it .
16 INT . MCKINLEYHIGH -- HALLWAY
-- DAY-- FLASHBACK 16

Will pins up a SIGN UP SHEET to reveal the NAMEprinted in

bo ld l ette r s -- "SIGN UP HERE FOR "NEWDIRECTIONS!" QUICK
CUTS: Shyly, Arty, Kurt, Mercedes and Tin a sign in , then
ex it, hoping no one picks on them . Fi na l ly Rachel proud ly
boun ces to the sheet, and begins to si gn in as we hear --
 "Pilot" Blue Revision s 10/21/08 12 .

RACHEL 'S VOICE

Hi . My name's Rachel Berry , and
I'll be singing "On My OWn" from
the seminal Broadway classic "Les
Miz."

17 I NT. AUDITORIUM-- DAY -- FLASHBACK 17

Wi l l smiles from his audition perch .
WILL
Fantast i c . Let's hear it .
She begins to sing in the spotlight . The song continues over :
18 INT . AUDITORIUM DAY -- FLASHBACK 18
Rachel finishes writing her name . After it, she draws a big ,
cartoon STAR.
RACHEL( V. 0 . )
You might laugh because every time
I sign my name I put a gold star
after it . But it's a metaphor, and
metaphors are important . My gold
stars are a metaphor for me being a
star.
She turns around, very self - satisf i ed. Puck throws a Big Gulp
at her head, drenching her .
19 INT. SCHOOLHALLWAY
-- DAY-- FLASHBACK 19
Rachel speed walks down the hall, on a mission.
RACHEL(V. O.)
And just so we're c le ar, I want to
clear up that hatef ul rumor that I
was the one who turned Sandy
Ryerson in because he gave Hank
Saunders the solo I deserved .
That's horsepucky .
20 INT . PRINCIPAL FIGGINS' OFFICE -- DAY -- FLASHBACK 20
Rachel sits across from Figgins , crying melodramatically.
RACHEL
.. . and he was touching Hank ,
caressing him .. . it was so wrong!
Principal Fi ggins, upset growing, hands her a Kleenex .
 "Pilot*' Blue Revisions 10/21/08 13.

RACHEL(V. O. ) (CONT'D)
I am NOT homophobic . In fact, I
have two gay dads .
21 INT. MCKINLEYHIGH -- DAY FLASHBACK 21

Rachel is at her locker .

RACHEL( V. 0. )
See , I was born out of love .
The locker door slams back revealing a FAMILYPORTRAIT of
RACHEL betwee n her TWODADS, one black and on e Je wish .
RACHEL(V. O. ) (CONT'D)
My two dads screened potentia l
surrogates based on beauty and IQ .
Then t hey mixed their sperm
together and used a turkey baster .
To this day, we don't know whic h
one is my real dad, which I think
is pretty amaz ing .
The locker door slams shut taking us to --
22 INT. DANCECLASS -- DAY FLASHBACK 22

PANNINGA ROWOF LITTLE GIRLS, trying to tap . They are sweet

and un t alented.
RACH EL ( V. 0 . )
My dads spoi l ed me in the arts, I
was given dance lesson s, vocal
le ssons ... anything to give me a
competitive edge .
REVEALLittle Rachel at the en d, grinning manical ly an d ta p
dancing like a fiend .
23 I NT. RACHEL'S ROOM-- DAY-- FLASHBACK 23

Rachel i s at her computer .

RACHEL(V. O. )
You might t hink that all the boys
at school would tota ll y want to tap
this, but my MySpace schedule keeps
me way too busy to date .
She type s vig or ously .
~ ---- ----------- -- ------------------

"Pilot" Blue Revisions 10/21/08 14 .

RACHEL (V.O.) (CONT'D)

I try to post a MySpace video every
day, just to keep my talent alive
and grow i ng.
WHIP PAN to reveal Rachel, still singing "On My Own. "
RACHEL (V.O . ) (CONT'D)
Nowadays, being anonymous is worse
than being poor. Fame is the most
important thing in our culture now .
24 INT . SCHOOLGYM-- DAY 24
Quinn, Santana and the cheerleaders are huddled over a laptop
with wireless, dying laughing at Rachel's MySpace entry .
RACHEL (V .O.)
And if there's one thing I've
learned, it's that no one is gonna
just hand it to you.
25 INT. RACHEL'S ROOM-- DAY -- FLASHBACK 25
Back to the computer . Rachel, biting her lip, scrolls through
her feedback, all nasty notes from The Cheerios.
"Why don't you die already?" "Your videos make me want to
kill my entire family . " "Please get sterilized." Rachel is
hurt . We stay on her as the la st mournfu l notes of "On My
Own" reverbera te .
26 INT . AUDITORIUM-- DAY -- FLASHBACK 26
Rachel has just finished .
RACHEL
Thanks so much, I enjoyed
performing for you .
WILL
(moved by her talent)
Very nice Rachel.
RACHEL
When do we start rehearsals?
27 INT . AUDITORIUM-- THE NEXT DAY 27

TIGHT, at ground level, on a pair of Hush Puppy covered FEET.

PAN UP to reveal Will , singing "Si t Down" as he patient l y
demonstrates some choreography to the glee club .
 "Pilot" Blue Revisions 10/21/08 15 .

SHIMMY,SHUFFLE STEP, HOP -- he's good . The kids are another

matter . They're in costume .
WILL
Pretty simple stuff -- any
questions?
MERCEDES
I'm not wearing this.
WILL
Those costumes are good luck . The
'93 team too k nat i onal s wea ri ng
them .
MERCEDES
I know -- I can still smell them .
Whoever wore this dress before me
clearly had the s tin k ass . I want a
new costume .
WILL
I'll take it to the dry cleaners
for you .
MERCEDES
You can take it to the moon, baby --
everyone knows you can't get stink
ass out of polyester .
Rachel shakes her head, unable to hide her frustration .
MERCEDES(CONT'D)
You want to be startin' somethin' ,
Britney?
Staredown, unt i l Rachel breaks and s torms ou t.
28 EXT. FOOTBALL FIELD -- DAY 28

The Cheerios are running t hrough a rout i ne . They could open

the Olympic s . They finish, breathing hard , hop i ng for praise .
SUE
That's sloppy ! You're sloppy
babies !
They wilt . PAN UP, to find Rache l , sitting high up in the
stands. She stares down longingly at The Cheerios . . . the
popular ones. REVEALWill climbing up . He sits ne xt to he r.
"Pilot" Blue Revisions 10/21/08 16 .

WILL
You're the best kid in there,
Rachel -- but that comes with a
price. The other kids are looking
to you for guidance . You've got to
be more optimistic .
RACHEL
You sound like my dads -- "power of
positive thinking" and all of that .
I know I'm just a sophomore but I
can feel the c lock ticking away . I
don't want to leave high school
with nothing to show for it .
WILL
You get great grades, you're a
fantastic singer ...
RACHEL
Everybody hates me.
WILL
And you think Glee Club is going to
change that?
RACHEL
Being great at something is going
to change it. Being part of
something special ... makes you
special. Ri ght?
WILL
What if I give you all the solos?
RACHEL
Glee club i sn't about solos -- it's
about duets, it 's a team sport. I
need a male lead who can keep up
with me vocally.
WILL
Maybe if I tutor Arty a little ...
RACHEL
Look, Mr. Shue. I really appreciate
what you're trying to do, but if
you can't get me what I need , I'm
sorry .. . I'm not going to make a
fool of myself. I can't keep
wasting my time with Glee -- i t
hurts too much .
 "Pilot " Blue Revisions 10/21/08 17 .

Will ponders his next move when A WHISTLE BLASTS.

KEN TANA.KA
Schuester ! Figgins wants you .
29 INT . PRINCIPAL FIGGINS' OFFI CE - - DAY 29
WI LL
But we just s tarted rehearsals .
FIGGINS
My hands are tied, Shue, I need the
auditorium . Alcoholics Anonymous
wants to rent it out for their
afternoon meetings . Lots of drunks
in this town, and they're pay i ng me
ten bucks a head.
WILL
Give me two months . I f we show at
Regionals, Glee stays, i f not the
bar's open in the auditorium .
FIGGINS
What is i t with you and this club,
Wil l? I like to see pa s sion i n my
t eache r s , but thi s is bor der i ng on
obsession . I t's t i me to let i t go .
You've only got f i ve ki ds -- one of
them's a cr i pp l e .
WILL
Then I guess you've got nothing to
worry abo ut .
FIGGINS
Fine , two months -- but you're
running detention for free to make
it up to me.
WILL
Deal.
Off Will , having no idea how he's going to pull this off --

END ACT ONE

 "Pilot" Blue Revisions 10/21/08 18 .

ACT TWO

30 INT . SHEETS N' THINGS -- DAY 30

Terri is showing HOWARD
how to fo l d a FITTED SHEET.
TERRI
You've got to st i ck your hands in
the corners l ike th i s, s ee?
HOWARD
I can't do it . I 'm dyslexic. Maybe
I should just st i ck to towels and
washclot hs .
TERRI
If you can't fold a fitted sheet
you can't work at Sheets N' Things,
Howard .
INTERCOMVOI CE
Associate to returns .
TERRI
Make sure they have a rec e ipt .
Howard sl i nks off as Wi ll arrives . Terri smiles .
TERRI (CONT'D)
To what do I owe th i s pleasure?
He goes to kiss her, she pulls away, makes sure no one saw .
TERRI (CONT'D)
Not at work .
Wil l hide s his hu r t and holds up a deli bag .
WILL
We've be e n fight i ng so much I just
thought I ' d bring you a peace
offering . Roast beef on
pumpernickel -- your favorite .
TERRI
rs this mayo? If my diabetes comes
back I can't get preg nan t. What do
you want , Will? I know you
something's up.
WILL
I just wante d to tell you that I
have to start wor king la t e for the
ne xt couple of months .
(MORE)
 11
Pilot" Bl ue Revisions 10/21/08 19 .

WILL (CONT'D)
I'm moni toring a f ter-school
detention. I made a dea l with
Figgins so he wouldn't kill Glee
Club .
TERRI
I'm on my feet six hou r s a day
here , then you want me to come home
and cook dinner for myself?
WILL
Things are a l i ttle hard at school
right now. I guess I just wanted to
come by to talk to you about it .
Before Terri can respond , Howard returns .
HOWARD
This lady wants to return these
sheets, but something tells me
we've got another bedwetter .
He holds up t he sheet -- there's a HUGESTAIN in the middle.
TERRI
We'll talk about it over dinner ,
okay?
Will smiles, nods as they exit . Suddenly , as he goes to
leave, he hears a FAMILIARVOICE coming from the aisle .
MALEVOICE (O.S . )
And two-hundred is the highest
th r ead count you have?
Will peeks through a display to see Sandy Ryerson talking to
a STOCKBOY. Will tries to sneak out, but
SANDY
Will iam?
WILL
(faking it)
Sandy . Hey!
SANDY
Well hello . How are things? I hear
you took over Gle e Club .
WILL
Yeah, I hope you're not too upset.
 "Pilot " Blue Revisions 10/21/08 20.

SANDY
Are you kidding? Getting out of
that swirling eddy of despair was
the best t hing th at ever happen ed
to me. Don't get me wrong, it
wasn't e asy at first . I mean, be ing
d ismissed for what I was accused
of? My lo ng dis tan ce girlfriend in
Cleveland nearly broke up wi t h me.
It 's taken me to/eeks to get over my
nervo us breakdown .
WILL
Did t hey put you on medication?
SANDY
Better -- medical mariJuana. It 's
genius. And as lo ng as I t ell my
Doctor Feelgood t hat I ca n 't sleep,
I can get as much as I want . I've
found the system to be qu i te
lucrative.
WILL
You're a dr ug dea le r?
SANDY
I make five times more than I did
teaching. I keep some for myself
and take money baths wi t h t he rest .
WILL
But who do you sell it to?
31 EXT. MCK
INLEY HIGH -- UNDERBLEACHERS- - DAY -- FLASHBACK 31
Sandy hands a BAGGYof weed to KEN TANAKA,who gladly pays
him while looking over his shoulder .
32 INT. SHEETS N' THINGS -- PRESENT DAY 32

SANDY
You want in?
WILL
No -- I mean I tried it once in
college, but you know, Terri an d I
are tryi ng to get pregnant.
Sandy tries to STUFF a bag of weed in Will's blaz er j acket.
WILL (CONT'D)
Sandy, no!
~---- -- ---- ---------·-·

"Pil ot " Bl ue Revisions 10/2 1 /08 21.

SANDY
Take it -- I do the packag i ng
myself, and t he firs t sample's
free. You're coach i ng those tone
deaf spazcases, you're going to
need it.
(flirty)
Cal l me.
Wi l l , head down, sneaks out of t he store .
33 I NT. SUE SYLVESTER'S OFFICE DAY 33
TIGHT on a bot t le of PLEDGESPRAYEDon an already gl istening
TROPHY. Sue's pol i s hi ng one of her many pri zes . There's a
knock, Will enters .
WILL
Hey, Sue. Can I have a sec?
Sue's face contorts. Will is the enemy. As soon as she
spins around, though, a huge smile splays across her face.
SUE
Sure, buddy. Corne on in.
34 EXT. BREEZEWAY
-- DAY 34

Emma moves quickly down the breezeway, steps straight into a

WADOF GOOEYCHEWINGGUM . She starts to panic, sits down on a
bench, l ooks at the gum, can ' t touch it . Will shows up .
WILL
Hey, Emma, can I have a sec?
(then)
What is that, gum?
35 EXT. TRACK- - DAY 35

Ken jogs around the track. Will jogs up next to him.

KEN
Hey, dude. You got c hol esterol
problems too? My doctor said start
running or give up Hometown Buffet .
WILL
I actually needed your help wi th
something.
36 INT. SUE SYLVESTER'S OFFICE -- DAY 36

They're sit ti ng now. Sue fights to suppress evil laughter.

 "Pilot" Blue Revisions 10/2 1 /08 22 .

SUE
You want to talk to my Cheerios
about joining Glee Club?
WILL
I need more kids, performers -- and
all of the best ones are in the
Cheerios . I figured that some of
them might want to double up .
SUE
Ok, so what you're doing r i ght now
is called "b lurring the lines . •
High school is a caste system . Kids
fall into certain slots -- the
jocks and the popular ki ds up in
the penthouse, the invisi bl es and
the ones who play World of Warcraft
on the bottom floor .
WILL
Where do the glee kids l ie?
SUE
Sub-baseme nt .
37 EXT. BREEZEWAY
-- DAY 37
Emma's on a bench, her fo ot up in Will's face as he SCRAPES
t he gum off the bottom of her shoe with a CREDIT CARD.
EMMA
Sue's not wrong -- but I don't
thin k anything is set i n stone .
Kids do what they think is cool,
which is not always who they are .
You just need to find a way to get
them out of their boxes .
WILL
How do I do t ha t ?
EMMA
They follow the leader . Get a
coup le of the popular kids to sign
up and the rest wil l fall in line .
38 EXT. TRACK -- DAY 38

WILL
Just let me ta lk to them.
 Blue Revisions 10/21/08 23 .

KEN
I don't know, dude . I can't imagine
any of my guys wanting t o join Gl ee
Club . Last month t hey held down one
of their teammates and shaved off
his eyebrows because they found out
he watched Grey's Anatomy .
WILL
All I'm asking for is an
introduction .
KEN
Fine but you've got to put in a
good word for me with Emma.
39 EXT. BREEZEWAY-- DAY 39

Wil l f i nishes cleaning Emma's shoe .

WILL
There you go, Cinderella.
EMMA
Thanks, Will. I have t rouble wi t h
stuff like that. Messy things .
They share a smil e. He knows. A beat, t hen
EMMA(CONT'D)
It's nice, how much you care about
Glee, about those kids.
40 INT. SUE SYLVESTER'S OFFICE - - DAY 40

SUE
If you really care about them,
you'll leave well enough alone .
Child r en like to know where they
stand . Let your glee kids have
t he i r little club, but don't
pretend that any of them are
something they're not .
Off Will, real i zing Sue's an obstacle he will always have to
go around, we CUT TO:
41 INT . LOCKER ROOM-- THE NEXT DAY 41

The FOOTBALLTEAM is chang i ng . Ken BLOWSHIS WHISTLE.

 11
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Blue Revisions 10/21/08 24 .

KEN TANAKA
Circle up. Mr. Schuester is going
to talk to you . You don't listen,
you do laps, you mouth off , you do
laps .
Will takes center stage . He's endearingly nervous .
WILL
Hey, guys . I think I know most of
you from Spanish class, but I
wanted to talk to you about
something e l se -- music . Who are
some of your favorite musicians?
PUCK
Lil' Wayne .
JOCK #1
usher.
WILL
Great . All o f those guys started
somewhere, right? I'm here to offer
you guys a chance to b e l i ke your
heroes, get up on stage .
ANGLE ON Fi nn ... silently rivete d ... i n s pired even . But he is
too afraid of peer pressure to show it .
WILL (CONT'D)
Gl ee Club needs gu ys .
The guys loo k at each other -- is this dude serious? Then --
PUCK
I can sing .
WILL
Really? That's fantastic .
PUCK
Wanna hear?
He gets up and stands next to Wi ll. He closes his eyes as if
about to sing, then FARTS. The c rowd goes wild . Puck FLEXES
his biceps . Ken glares at him and MOUTHS"Laps . "
WILL
I ' m going to hang a s i gn -up sheet
by the door to the locker room for
anybody that's interested .
 "Pilot 1
' Blue Revisions 10/2 1 /08 25 .

The guys grumble. Ken BLOWSHIS WHISTLE again .

KEN TANAKA
Dismi ssed .
They disperse . Will looks into Ken's eyes .
WILL
You been sleeping okay? Your eyes
look bloodshot .
Ken s hr ugs . As soo n as Will's gone though, a PARANOIDKen
pull s out a tiny bottle of VISINE and drops some in his eyes.
42 INT . LOCKER ROOM-- TWODAYS LATER 42

Will , filled wi th hope, wal ks up to the New Directions! sign-

up sheet . Peop l e have signed up! The sheet r eads : "Gay l ord
Weiner . " "Butt Lunch . " "Dick Taco . " A few lines down, just
"Penis . " Will deflate s. PUSH IN on hi s despa i r as --
WILL (V. O. )
I honestly t hought that was t he end
of the very brie f fever-dream that
was New Directions!
He hears something . . . an echoing voice from the locker room
singing REO Speedwagon's "Can't Fi ght this Feeling . " Wil l
follows it .
43 I NT. LOCKERROOM CONTINUOUS 43
Someone is a l one in the showers . Will stands listening,
hidden i n the shadows .
VOICE (O. S . )
"And even as I wander/I'm keeping
you in sight . .. "
It's FINN HUDSON
. Will i s wildly impressed .
WILL (V . O.)
I sudde nl y realize d why I had
wanted to do this thing in the
first place . .. it was seeing a gift
in a kid that t hey didn ' t eve n know
they had. It was pure talent .
Wi l l' s eyes wi den . Something occurs to him .
WILL (V. O. ) (CONT'D)
What I did then was the blackest
moment of my life .
(MORE)
 "Pilot 1
' Blue Revisions 10/2 1/08 26 .

WILL (V. O. ) (CONT'D)

It was worse than when I ran over
Terri's yippy dog on prom night .
And l i ke then, what happened next
was messy and no acc i dent .
44 INT. WILL'S EMPTYSPANISH CLASS -- DAY 44
Will coolly slides Sandy's bag of marijuana across the desk.
WILL
Wanna tell me how long you've had a
drug problem?
REVEALFinn, across from him . Really about to lo se it .
WILL (CONT'D)
Look , i f it were up to me, we
wouldn't have mandatory bi-weekly
afternoon locker checks .. .
FINN
But I've never seen that before,
Mr. Shue ! I swear! I t isn't MINE!
I ' l l pee in a cup!
A beat . Will is momentarily stymied by this , then --
WILL
It wouldn't make any difference,
possession is eight-tenths of the
la w. I'm pretty sure th i s much pot
is a felony . You'll get kicked out
of school, lose your football
scholarship ...
FINN
Wait, I was gonna get a
scholarship? To where?
No idea . A beat. Struggling , getting back on track --
WILL
You could land i n prison, son .
FINN
Oh my God . What is my mom gonna
say?!? Pl ease don ' t tell my mom.. .
 "Pilot" Blue Revisions 10/21/08 27.

WILL
I see a lot of myself in you. I
know what it's like to struggle to
make good life choices, and I don't
want to see you throw away
everything you have to offer t he
world . I just expected more out of
you, Finn.
FINN looks up, destroyed .
FINN (V .O.)
That really got to me, when Mr.
Schuester sa id that . Because every
day of my life, I expect more out
of myself. See, I might look
confident and everything? But I
really struggle with the same thing
others kids do ... peer pressure,
bacne ...
45 EXT. FINN'S HOUSE-- AFTERNOON-- FLASHBACK 45

A rundown split-level with a brown, patchy lawn. Ten-year-old

Finn and his MOM, CAROLE, bring in groceries from a Honda .
FINN (V . O. )
I never knew my dad . He died in
Iraq when we were fighting Osama
bin Laden the first time .
46 INT . FINN'S HOUSE -- AFTERNOON-- FLASHBACK 46

QUICK CUTS: young Finn puts away the groceries, up set as his
mother battles a bill collector on their rotary wall - phone .
FINN (V .O. )
My mom and me, we're real close .
But being a single parent can be
hard. The only good time for Mom
was when we splurged a little bit
and ordered Emerald Dreams.
HEAR the doorbe ll r ing as --
47 INT. FINN'S HOUSE DAY -- FLASHBACK 47

-- the door opens on a GUY with a mullet and gas-stat io n

flowers.
FINN (V. O. )
Darren was good to her , and he was
cool about letting me hang out .
 11
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Blue Revisions 10/21/08 28 .

48 EXT. FINN'S HOUSE-- DAY -- FLASHBACK 48

Carole's in a lawnchair, watching as Darren teaches young
Finn how to apply Emerald Dreams . As the green paint sprays
across the lawn, Darren sings along to Journey's "Lovin'
Touchin' Squeezin" which blares from a boombox.
FINN (V.O.)
That was the first time I really
heard music.
Young Finn sings along.
DARREN
You gotta voice, buddy. Seriously.
If I had your voice, my band would
still be together . Stick with it .
49 EXT. FINN'S HOUSE-- DAY -- FLASHBACK 49

Young Finn plays football with himself on the now beautiful,

green front lawn, throwing the ball across the yard and
running to try to catch it, as Carole sits despondent on the
stoop , staring into the distance .
FINN (V .O. )
My mom took it real hard when
Darren left her for that girl he
met at Sam's Club .
The EMERALD DREAMStruck passes, blasting Jou rney, a cute
BLONDEGIRL inside. Carole grabs the ball away, runs after
the t ru ck and whips the football at it. It thumps against the
back of the truck, which keeps driv i ng . She remains stand i ng
in the road, crying, destroyed. PUSH into Young Finn's
reaction.
FINN (V.O.) (CONT'D)
It was at that moment I decided to
do whatever it took to make my mom
proud of me . . . make her feel all her
sacrifice was worth i t .
50 INT. WILL'S CLASSROOM
-- DAY 50

we're back at the weed accusation . ANGLE: tears roll down

Finn's cheeks. Will feels awful .
 "Pilo t " Bl ue Revisions 10/2 1/08 29 .

WILL
Look. We have two options . I'm
running detention now, so you can
do six weeks after school . .. but
that'll be on your permanent
record .
FINN
What's the other option, Mr. Shue?
51 INT. AUDITORIUM-- DAY 51

MOVEdown a line of SNAPPING FINGERS. The Club is lined up

on stage, snapping, tapping the ir feet and s inging the "ba-
dum, ba - da-da-da - dums" from the top of "Summer Lovin' . "
Rachel stands nearby, confident, head bopping to the beat.
PINN
Summer lovin', happened so fast .
RACHEL
Summer lovin', had me a blast .
FINN
Met a girl, crazy for me.
Rachel tosses down her sheet music and SASHAYStowards Finn.
RACHEL
Met a boy , cute as can be .
They're looking at each other, she's in love, he's taken
aback by her enthusiasm . The CHORUSkicks in and the whole
gang performs a couple of verses. PUSH IN on Will ... riveted.
This is working. After a lyric or two , the group stops , looks
to Will for direction . Before he can speak
MERCEDES
Hold up, I'm not down with this
background singing nonsense. I'm
Beyonce, I ain't no Kelly Rowland.
WILL
It's jus t one song, Mercedes.
KURT
And it was the first time we have
ever been good .
The rest of the crew agrees . Even Mercedes has to agree .
 "Pilot" Blue Revisions 10/21/08 30 .

MERCEDES
Ok, you're good white boy, I'll
give you that .
Rachel smiles up at him, totally smitten . Finn doesn't know
what to make of any of this, he is completely bewildered .
Will doesn' t care about any of the drama . He just sees, for
the first tim e, a glimmer of hope .
52 INT. TERRI'S CRAFT ROOM-- NIGHT 52
Half - fini s hed craft projects EVERYWHERE: raggedy straw
wreaths, a wan-looking gingerbread house, the Pi lgrims first
Thanksgiving in macaroni . Will and Terri silently put
together an AMERICANGOTHIC JIGSAW PUZZLE.
WILL
You usually don't l et me i n your
craft room .
TERRI
Isn 't this fun? And challenging!
Every Wednesday we' l l have puzzle
night . I know how important it is
for yo u to have a creative out l et.
Terri smi les sweetly, making the effort. A lo ng beat .
WILL
The kids have been working so hard .
I was thinking about taking them on
a field trip next Saturday . Carmel
Righ's perform i ng a showcase down
in Akron . Carmel's going to be the
team to beat at Regio na ls . I
thought you might want to come
chaperone it with me.
TERRI
Saturday? I can't, Will . We're
living paycheck to paycheck . I had
to pick up an extra shift at work .
WILL
How much of that paycheck goes to
your Pottery Barn credit card?
TERRI
(after a beat}
I don't know what you're talk i ng
about.
He gets up, walks towards the close t .
 "Pilot" Blue Revisions 10/21/08 31.

TERRI (CONT'D)
Don't go in the Christmas closet .
WILL
I was looking for my jacket
yesterday . ..
He opens it up, it is filled to the brim with Pottery Barn .
WILL (CONT'D)
We can't afford this stuff, Terri.
TERRI
But we could, Will. I'm a shoo-in
to be promoted during the Christmas
rush at Sheets 'N Things, I reek of
management potent i al. And they're
still hiring at H.W. Menken, it's
not too late ...
WILL
My passion is teaching, Terri, for
the last time I don't want to be an
accountant .
TERRI
Dr . Phil says people can change.
(welling up)
I'm not wrong for wanting a real
life, Will . It's hard not having
the things you need.
WILL
We need three mahogany toilet brush
ho l ders?
TERRI
They're Balinese/ It's not a bad
thing to want more for yourself.
You said you needed an outlet . Well
this is mine. Pottery Barn is my
Glee Club.
Strangely, he feels for her. She leaves, then turns at the
door.
TERRI (CONT'D)
I understand your interest i n those
kids, sweetie, I really do. It's
about you, trying to recapture your
glory days . But I 'm not the hot
cheerleader anymore and you're not
the golden boy .
(MORE)
 ''Pilot' ' Blue Revisions 10/21/08 32 .

TERRI (CONT' D)
High schoo l is over, okay? For both
of us , It's time to move on.
She exits. Off Will, we CUT TO:
53 INT . TEACHER'S LOUNGE-- BULLETIN BOARD-- DAY 53

Will PINS up a CHAPERONE SIGN UP SHEET. Emma secretly watches

hi m from a table occupied by TWOOTHERTEACHERS . As soon as
he's gone , she heads for the sheets , checks it out.
Then , making sure no one is looki ng, she uses her napkin to
CLEAN the PEN hanging from the sign and voluntee r s her
services . She looks at her name on the sheet and smiles,
excited for the opportunity to spend time with Will as we .. .

END ACT TWO

I
 11
Pilot" Blue Revisions 10/2 1/08 33.

ACT THREE

54 EXT. PRACTICE FIELD -- DAY 54

Puck SLAMSinto a practice dummy, hard . He looks across the

field where he sees Coach Tanaka gesturing wildly at Finn.
Finn slumps back onto the field as Puck catches up to him .
PUCK
What's going on?
FINN
Oh. Um, I just have to miss
practice Saturday.
(bad lying)
It's my mom. I gotta, like, help
her cook. Do... things.
PUCK
Why?
FINN
Um, she just, like , had surgery.
PUCK
What kind of surgery?
FINN
She, um, had to have her prostate
out.
Puck nods empathetically.
55 INT. TEACHER'S LOUNGE-- DAY 55

Will is flipping through "Jazzhands!", t he Glee Club supply

catalog . It's suddenly SMACKED out of his hands.
KEN TANAKA
You stole my quarterback!
WILL
Finn's got a great voice, Ken . He
wants to express himself . He won't
have to miss games or anything .. .
KEN TANAKA
You're SCREWINGUP MY LIFE! !!
WILL
Ken, you hate football. What's this
really about?
 11
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...........
56 EXT. SCHOOLPARKING LOT -- AFTERNOON-- FLASHBACK 56
Emma is cleaning her door handle with Purell sanitizer before
she touches it . Ken suddenly sidles up .
KEN TANAKA
Hey , Eminem. Soooo ... I got me some
tickets to Monster Tr uc ks th i s
weekend .
(sexy)
Loge t i ckets .
EMMA
No thanks, not my thi ng .
KEN TANAKA
Truc kzilla vs . Truckasaurus . And
ge t t hi s ... the trucks breathe fire .
Emma pauses, wanting to be kind. Then with a deep breath --
EMMA
Ken, you know how every time you
ask me out I tell you I'm on my
period?
KEN TANAKA
Which doesn't bother me.
EMMA
Or I say I'm suffering from cluster
headaches? Or how I'm allergic to
ni ghttime? None of those th i ngs are
true. I'm just not intereste d in
dating you.
KEN TANAKA
What do I have to do ... to get your
f i ne behind i n my Scion?
EMMA
Fine Ken, make me say it -- I like
somebody else, okay? There's
nothing I can do about it , he's not
even available, it's just something
I have to deal with.
Ken suddenly real i zes who they're talking about. Hurt, he
turns to go, then comes back, LICKS HIS HANDand SMEARSIT on
her CAR DOORHANDLE . Off Emma's horror --
 "Pilot" Blue Revisions 10/ 21/08 35 .

57 INT. TEACHER'S LOUNGE-- DAY 57

KEN TANAKA
You're right , I'm over-reacting .
The herd will take care of it .
WILL
The herd?
KEN TANAKA
The student body . The second
someone tries to rise above, be
different, the herd pulls him back
down . And hey, thanks for putting
in a good word for me with Emma,
dude. Guess you just want her for
yourself .
He exits. Off Wil l , confused -- does he?
ASS EXT. PARKINGLOT -- MORNING ASS
Arty is LIFTED into the bus with a HYDRAULICELEVATORas the
kids inside watch, disinterested.
58 INT. CARMELHIGH LOBBY-- DAY 58

Packed to the rafters and bubbling with excitement. SNAKEto

a long line at the concessions stand. REVEALRachel and Finn,
standing together, uncomfortable . Finally, Rachel speaks up .
RACHEL
You're very talented .
FINN
Thanks .
RACHEL
I would know -- I'm very talented,
too . I think the rest of the team
expects us to become an i tem -- you
the hot male lead, me the stunning
ingenue who everyone roots for.
FINN
Oh, wel l, I have a girlfriend .
RACHEL
(clenching her jaw)
Really? Who?
FINN
Quinn Fabray.
 "Pilot" Blue Revi sions 10/21/08 36 .

RACHEL
Cheerleader Quinn Fabray? The
president of th e "Celibacy Club?"
59 INT . QUINN'S LIVING ROOM-- NIGHT -- FLASHBACK 59

Finn i s MAK ING OUT with Qui nn on the couch . He tr i es to get

up her s hirt, but she stops him , pulls away, t hen gets down
on her knees. He's ex c ited for a beat , but then --
QUINN
Let' s pray, Finn .
60 INT . LOBBY-- DAY -- PRESENT 60

FINN
Yeah, for like three months . She's
cool.
RACHEL
Like an icecube.
PULL BACKrevealing Emma and Will in l ine . Will sees someone
walk away wit h a frankfurter.
WILL
Those hotdogs look like th ey've
been there a while.
EMMA
You want to go halvsies on a PBJ?
WILL
That sounds perfect.
She reaches i nto her purse , puts on a PAIR OF RUBBERGLOVES
then pulls a sandwich out of a CAREFULLYWRAPPEDsheet of TIN
FOIL before ha nding half to Will . As they walk away, he
grins then takes a bi te .
WILL (CONT'D)
I haven't had one of these i n a
long time -- my wife is allergic to
nu ts .
EMMA
That 's sweet of yo u -- not eating
something because s he can't . How
long have you guys been married?
 "Pilot" Blue Revisions 10/21/08 37.

WILL
Five years last March -- but we've
been together since highschool . She
was my first girlfriend, actually .
EMMA
Wow. Love at first sight.
WILL
For me it was. You know when I
really knew she was the one? I
failed my trig final senior year
and she literal ly covered my car
with those little smiley face
stickers. There must have been ten
thousand of them .
(then, wistful)
I drove that Geo until every one of
them fell off.
Emma smiles, somewhat disappointed -- how could she possibly
compete with this superwoman .
WILL (CONT'D)
She used to be filled with so much
joy . Like this ray of sunshine.
EMMA
And now?
WILL
You don't want to hear about my
marital problems .
EMMA
(too eager)
No, I do. I mean, people tend to
like to ta lk to me ... I'm a guidance
counselor.
WILL
Okay, here's the thing . Terri rides
me -- hard -- and I've always
appreciated it . I figure she just
wants me to be better. Lately
though I keep asking myself, better
at what? Making money? Being
upwardly mobile? I love her , but
we've .. . grown apart . We've just got
to get back on the same page ...
The house lights flash on and off. Showtime.
 "Pilot" Blue Revisions 10/21/08 38 .

61 INT . CARMELHIGH AUDITORIUM-- AKRON-- DAY 61

State of the art and PACKED. PAN DOWNto rev eal all the
Mckinley High Glee Clubbers, reading programs, a little
nervous. Will picks up on this, leans in to address the row .
WILL
Okay, now I've heard these guys are
pretty good, but I honestly don't
think t hey've got the talent we've
got. But let's be a good audience,
guys, give 'em some of that ol'
McKinley High respect.
Emma smiles shyly, Will is a great teache r. Suddenly, the
lights go down and the audience erupts with anticipation.
Lights start whizzing around as an announcer bellows:
ANNOUNCER
Ladies and gentlemen . .. welcome to
the Carmel Hi gh Fall Invita tional
Showcase . We'd like to remind you
that video-recording and flash
photography is prohibited.
The curtain rises and the Carmel High Glee Club is revealed
with their backs to the audience, they are wearing
stunningly beautiful couture dresses and black tuxes . The
Mckinley High Glee Clubbers share a worried look -- by
costume comparison, they look like homeless people .
ANNOUNCER(CONT'D)
AND NOW .. . let's give a warm Buckeye
State welcome to last year's
regiona l charnpions . . . Vocal
Adrenaline!
And the show begins. Vocal Adrenaline begins to roar thro ugh
"Rehab," the quick-paced Amy Winehouse number.
VOCALADRENALINE
"They tried to make me go to Rehab,
I said 'No, No, No .. . "
They look like they've been doing th is for years. All these
kids could be on Broadway . Rachel's eyes are sa ucers . This is
the most amazing thing she's ever seen.
The group splits in two, and the guys come down to the
center. THREE MIRROREDPANELS turn around from the back of
the stage, revealing THREE HORNPLAYERS, who blast the
trumpet part as the rest of the band pulls away .
 "Pilot" Bl ue Revisions 10/21/08 39 .

The crowd is now losing i t . Some ki ds in the aud ien ce are

standing, Vocal Adrenaline has groupies, they are trying t o
scream above the tidal wave of pi t ch - perfect sound .
Now the whol e cho i r is moving, formatio n a ft e r s t unni ng
formatio n , t he k ids are having the t ime of the ir l i f e,
possessed by the disease known as "show face . "
Finn canno t be l ie ve what he's looking a t . Kurt is nea r t ears .
Merce des sh akes her head back and forth in horror .
The big finish now. Sudden l y, two male Adrenal i ne members
star t executing Olympic -worthy BACKF LIPS ACROSSTHE STAGE.
Voca l Adrenaline hits their final pos i t ion. sweaty, panting,
looks of complete ecstasy on t heir f aces, they know they are
spec i al . A moment of silence, then t he audience leaps to its
feet in a dea fening ova t i on .
Only t he New Directions remain in t heir seats . Wi ll looks
ashen , Emma looks sick t o her s t omach . PUSH IN ON Ti na, who
t hrough her stutter finally says somethi ng .
TINA
We' r e d-d -d- d-d-doom ed.
HEAR a STEEL DRUMVERSION OF "Don 't Worry Be Happy ." *
A61 EXT. SCHOOL-- DAY (LATER) A61 *
The song contin ues as a dejected Fi nn heads acros s campus *
to wa r d hi s car . Sudden l y , we r eal iz e the source of the music *
a s Finn passe s THE STEEL DRUMCLUB, pr a ct i cing t he song i n *
th e court yard. *
Finn walks on , turns a corne r an d STOPS. There is Puck with *
his f oot ball posse , aim i ng PAINTBALL GUNS at him . Fin n t ur ns *
aro und , but t her e are jocks behind him now too with guns . *
He' s en c i rc le d. *
PUCK *
Chicks don't ha ve prostates . I *
looked i t up . *
Al l the boys COCK t heir gun s. *
PUCK (CONT'D) *
You broke th e rules, Finn . I don't *
know what t hey a r e exa c tly , but by *
hanging ou t wi t h those Gle e *
r ejects , you b r ok e a big one . And *
for that , yo u mus t be puni shed . *
 "Pilot" Blue Revisions 10/21/08 39A .

Suddenly, Finn is belted by paintballs, on his chest on his *

back. HIGH ANGLE, down: it 's like Sonny Corleone in "The *
Godfather ." *
62 INT . SCHUESTERAPARTMENT
-- LATE AFTERNOON-- LATER 62

A wary Will enters to find a CONGRATULATIONS BANNERdraped in

the ENTRYWAY. Terri skips out of the kitchen, two PLASTIC
FLUTES of what appear to be CHAMPAGNEin her hands.
TERRI
There's my baby!
WILL
Wow, honey, this is amazing.
But ... what's the congratulations
for? The kids haven't won anything
yet .
TERRI
(with quiet emotion)
I'm pregnant, Will .
Will needs a moment -- really? He's OVERWHELMED.
WILL
Oh my God, Ter, this is it -- we're
going to become ... a family .
Terri nods sweetly, tears of joy in her eyes. He reaches for
her with emotion, she falls into his arms.
 "Pilot" Blue Revisions 10/2 1/0 8 40.

CU on he r face . . . hoping th i s is enough to get them over the

hump of their rocky marriage, hoping they can make it .
CU on his face . . . his joy has given way to real i ty . It's time
to grow up. There's someone coming that's more important than
his dreams now .
63 INT . CHOIR REHEARSALROOM-- DAY 63

The kids are absolutely SHOCKED

. Then --
ARTY
You're leaving us? When?
Reveal Will, addressing them .
WILL
I've gi ven my two weeks notice. I
promise I'll find a replacement
before I go .
MERCEDES
Is this 'cause those Carmel kids
were so good? Because we can work
harder .
RACHEL
This isn't fa ir , Mr. Schuester
we can't do this wi thou t you.
FINN
Does t his mean I don't have to be
in this club anymore?
Will is so moved, t his is harder than he thought it would be.
WILL
This isn't about you guys . Being an
adult is about having to make
difficult choices . It's not li ke
high school, sometimes you have to
give up the things that you l ove .
One day you guys are going to grow
up and understand that .
(then, with emotion)
I have loved being your teacher .
Thi s doesn't matter to them -- all they understand is that
they ' re losing the one person at th is school who believed in
them - - and Will knows it . He exits as we - -

-. END ACT THREE

 "Pilot" Blue Revisions 10/2 1/08 4 1.

ACT FOUR

64 INT . AUDITORIUM-- AFTERNOON 64

Dark and deser te d . Wi ll is on s tage , pac k ing up some sheet
music from a lectern into hi s battered briefcase .
He goes to leave, stops in the middle o f the stage, l oo ks ou t
at the empty seats. This is the last time he'll be here. 360
REVOLVEAROUNDHIM. He smiles softly, remembering his youth,
his dreams . He starts to exit . Suddenly , as he does --
THOOMP. A single hot SPOTLIGHT turns on , aimed at the place
he was just standing . It's eerie, strange .
Will stares at the spotlight, a place that once gave him such
strength . Slowly, he move s toward it with purpose. He picks
up his guitar and begins to play Peter, Paul and Mary's
"Leaving on a Jet Plane". Standing in the spotlight he starts
to sing. He looks out at the house, magnetic , moved .
WILL
"All my bags are packed, I'm ready
to go. I'm standing here outside
your door. I hate to wake you up to
say goodbye . But the dawn is
breakin', it 's early morn . The
taxi's waiting, he's blowing his
horn . Already I'm so lonesome I
could cry . . "
INTERCUT WITH:

65 EXT. SCHOOL COMMONS

-- DAY 65

PUSH IN on a wide view of Emma, back to us, sitting at a

table . We come around, reveal she ' s looking at l ast year's
Mck inley High yearbook . A picture of Wi ll, smiling dream il y
at her. She takes a Sharpie , draws a heart around it.

66 INT . AUDITORIUM-- DAY 66

The song con tin ues. Will belts i t out , confidence growing .

WILL
"So kiss me and smile for me. Tell
me that you'll wait for me . Hold me
like you'll never let me go . I'm
leavin on a jet plane . I don ' t know
when I'll be back again. Oh, babe,
I hate to go . "

-~
 "Pi lot " Blue Revisions 10/21/08 42.

67 INT . DETENTION-- DAY 67

SLOWSOAR OVER the tables , filled with the odd student doing
time. FIND Will at his station, filling out an application.
REVEALit's for a position at H.W. Menken. As he sadly wr i tes
down his information --
68 INT. TEACHER'S LOUNGE-- DAY 68
A group of TEACHERSgossip. The camera glides by them --
BARB, A HOME-ECTEACHER
I heard he's having a baby, t hat 's
why he gave Figgins his notice.
-- to find Emma, overhearing this. Shattered in many ways.
69 INT. AUDITORIUM-- DAY 69

Will continues to sing, pou nding his boots in beat with the
rhythm as --
70 INT. HALLWAY
-- DAY 70
-- Emma races down the empty corridor on a mi ssion as --
71 INT. AUDITORIUM-- DAY 71
Will finishes the number. It was t he performance of his
life ... that no one hea rd. The curtain behind him is closed,
the music was all in his mind. As THE MONTAGE ends . ..
72 INT . AUDITORIUM-- DAY 72
Click . Will closes his Bic pen. His application is finished.
FEMALEVOICE
Need help grading those papers?
He looks up to reveal Emma standing there, a bit breathless.
WILL
It's an application to H. W. Menken.
They're hiring .
(self conscious)
C'mon ... accounting is sexy.
A moment, then with direct eye contact
WILL (CONT'D)
I'll miss you .
~ ---- -- ---- --- - - -------------------------------- -

"Pilot" Blue Revis i ons 10/21/08 43 .

EMMA
Before you leave, can you do me a
favor? I made an appointment for
you tomorrow . In the career center .
You need some guidance .
WILL
I'm hav i ng a kid, Emma. I need
better benefits, more money for
things I never had.
EMMA
Ju st come, Wi ll. For me?
He hesitates, nods. She exits. As he watches he r go --
73 INT . HALLWAY
-- DAY-- LATER 73

Fi nn retrieves a textbook from hi s locke r . He slams it shut,

and Rachel is right there , startling him .
RACHEL
Didn ' t see you at Glee Club today .
FINN
Is that st il l hap pening?
RACHEL
I've taken over . I'm interim
director, but I expect the position
will become permanent.
Quinn walks by with Santana. Brightly
QUINN
Hi, Finn. Hi RuPaul . What are you
doing talking to her?
RACHEL
Science project. We're lab
part ners .
Fin n is so r e l ieved to be helped out. Quinn is suspicious.
QUINN
Christ Crus aders, tonight at fiv e .
My house.
She exits . A beat, then
FINN
I shou ld go . I can't do Glee
anymore, it conflicts with --
 "Pilot" Blue Revisions 10/21/0 8 44.

RACHEL
Your reputation? You've really got
something, Finn, and you're
throwing it away. It took years of
discipline and hard work to get
people to look at me. And all you
have to do is roll out of bed and
people can't take their eyes off
you . I'd kill for that.
FINN
I'm gonna be late ...
RACHEL
You can't worry about what people
th ink of you, Finn. You're better
tha n all of them .
She gently squeezes his hand, then walks away. Off Finn
74 EXT. FOOTBALLFIELD -- DAY LATER 74

Finn and Puck, in PRACTICE PADS, walk off the field. Tanaka's
pred ictio n proved to be correct -- Finn has rejoined the
herd.
PUCK
What do you want me to do,
apologize? That's not me, dude .
Look, if I joined the Flag Team,
you'd beat the crap out of me. I
just don't understand why you did
it .
FINN
Schuester told me he'd give me
enough extra credit to pass Spanish
if I joined the club -- I had no
choice. If I failed another class
I'd be off the team . But I quit,
okay? It's over.
PUCK
Cool . And as a welcome back to the
world of the normal, I got you a
present .
They arrive at a LARGE, BLUE PORT-A-POTTY surrounded by the
JOCK GANGwho threw Kurt into the dumpster.
FINN
What's that noise?
 "Pilot" Blue Revisions 10/21/08 45 .

75 INT. PORT- A- POTTY -- CONTINUOUS 75

Arty SLAMShis wheelchair into the door, trying to escape .
76 EXT. PORT-A-POTTY -- CONTINUOUS 76

PUCK
We got that wheelchair ki d inside ,
we' re gonna flip it .
FINN
Isn 't that kind of dangero us?
PUCK
He's already in a wheelchair. Come
on, we saved you the first roll.
Everyone looks at Finn, waiting, laughing, exp ecting him to
follow through . Finn HESITATES as Arty continues his BANGING .
Is he going to do it? Then, after a few l ong beats, Finn goes
to the port-a-potty and OPENS THE DOOR. Arty wheels out.
ARTY
Thank you, thank you so much. Oh my
God, the sme l l ...
PUCK
What the hell. I can't be l ieve
you're helping out this loser .

FINN
Don't you get it? We're all losers .
Everyone in this school, hell
everyone in this town. No one has
any money, most of our parents are
divorced or hate each other . Only
half the kids who graduate ever go
to college and maybe two l eave the
state to do it . Our footbal l team
is one and seven and the only win
we have is against that school for
the deaf.
Finn's passion just roars out of him .
FINN (CONT'D)
I'm not afraid of be i ng called a
loser because I can accept that
that's what I am. I am afra id of
tu rni ng my back on something that
actually made me happy for the
first time in my sorry l i fe .

I
 "Pilot" Blue Revisions 10/21/08 46.

A beat, then a confident Finn starts to wheel Arty away .

PUCK
What .. . so you're quitting to join
Homo Explosion?
FINN
No. I'm doing both. You can't win
without me. And neither can they .
As they go, Arty licks his finger, touches his ass and makes
a SIZZLING SOUND. Finn isn't smiling, t ho ugh : he hears
something. He look s to t he other end of the field and sees
his mom's ex DARRENstanding beside his EMERALDDREAMSTRUCK,
hosing down the fie ld . There's a new HOTTIE in the cab and
Jou rney's "Don't Stop Believin'" i s BLASTING from a BOOMBOX.
Finn takes the sounds in, r emembers how much the mu sic of
that time touches his SOUL. Then, as if struck by a lightning
bolt of INSPIRATION, he wheels Arty away .
77 INT. AUDITORIUM -- CONTINUOUS 77
The club i s rehears in g a danc e move. There's an argument .
RACHEL
I know what I'm talking about. I
won my f irst dance competition when
I was three months old .
Finn slams Arty throug h the doors, which fly open.
KURT
This is a closed rehearsal .
FINN
Look, I owe you guys an apology . I
shouldn't have quit.
MERCEDES
Whatever. I'm about to quit . Take
myself to Ponderosa.
FINN
For too many yea rs , I've been a
total douchebag . I don't want to be
the guy who just drives around
throwing eggs at people .
RACHEL
That was you?
 "Pilot" Blue Rev i sions 10/21/08 47.

KURT
You and your fr i ends t hrew pee
balloons at me.
FINN
I know .
KURT
You nailed all my lawn fu r ni t ure to
my roof.
FINN
I wasn't there for that, but I'm
really sorry. Look , tha t i sn't who
I am and I'm tired of it . This is
what I want to be doing . With you
guys . I use d to t hi nk that this was
l i ke the lames t t hi ng on earth. And
maybe it is, but . .. there's a reason
why we ' re all here . It's because we
all want to be good at something.
They're taken aback . Then :
FINN (CONT'D)
Arty, you play guitar, right? Think
you could recruit the jazz band?
ARTY
Sure.
FINN
Mercedes . We need new co s tum e s .
And they have to be cool . Can yo u
do t hat?
MERCEDES
DAMN, don't you see what I got on?
FINN
Great . Rachel, you ' re gonna
choreograph .
She smiles despite herself, thrilled to use her talents .
FINN (CONT'D)
Tina, what are you good at?
TINA
W- w- w- w-w-w- .. .
FINN
We'll figure out something fo r you .
 "Pilot" Blue Revisions 10/2 1/08 48.

MERCEDES
What are you br ingin ' to the table,
Jus tin Timberlake?
FINN
I've got the mus ic .
Off the kids, their interest piqued , we hear :
EMMA'SVOICE
I want to show you something .
78 INT. EMMA'SGUI DANCEOFFICE -- THE NEXT DAY 78

Wil l sits wait ing as Emma grabs a VI DEOCASSETTEfrom her

de sk, puts it in the VCR.
EMMA
I did a l ittle research . This is a
tap e they had in t he l i brary of th e
'93 team at Nationals i n Epcot .
The GRAINYIMAGEbegins to play on the screen . After a few
seconds she PAUSES the tape, just as the camera catches a
CLOSE UP of a JOYFUL young BOY, his mouth open in mid-song
(we should remember this featured face from the opening) .
EMMA(CONT'D)
Do you know who t ha t i s ?
Will just stares with quiet emotion -- this is hard for him .
EMMA(CONT'D)
It's you , Will -- happier than I"ve
ever seen you.
WILL
(softly)
That was the greatest moment of my
l ife .
EMMA
Why?
WILL
I loved what I was doing. I knew
before we were half - way thro ugh
with that number that we were go ing
to win. Being a part of that, in
that moment . .. I knew who I was in
the world. The only time I"ve felt
that way since then was when Terri
told me I was going to be a father .
(MORE)
 "Pilot" Blue Revisions 10/21/08 49 .

WILL (CONT'D)
(then)
I need to provide fo r my family.
EMMA
Provide what? The understanding
that nothing is more important than
money? Or the idea that the only
life worth living is one t hat
you're passionate about?
That hits Will right where he lives . PUSH IN on his face as
the first notes of a Glee Club VERSION of "Don't Stop
Believin'" begins to play . . .
79 INT . HALLWAY
-- DAY 79

Will walks down the hallway, passing t he auditorium . He

hears singing . He pauses, then sneaks in the door . New
Directions is on stage in new costumes, cute cut-up tops over
torn jeans and Chuck Taylors. Fin n and Rachel sing a capella
in front of the choir, who hums a simple ha rmony.
FINN
"JUST A SMALL TOWN GIRL/ LIVING IN
A LONELY WORLD• . • / SHE TOOK THE
MIDNIGHT TRAIN GOING ANYWHERE . • . "

RACHEL
"JUST A CITY BOY/ BORN AND RAISED
IN SOUTH DETROIT • .. / HE TOOK THE
MIDNIGHT TRAIN GOING ANYWHERE • •• "

It's JOURNEY. And it's incr edib ly emotional ... beca use the
kids are really FEELING it . Arty wails a sick guitar lick,
and the JAZZ BANDsurges in . The choir starts to dance beh i nd
t hem . They look and sound really different ... what they lack
in expertise they make up for in sweet youthful enthusiasm .
Everyone starts to sing:
EVERYONE
"WORKING HARD TO GET MY FILL/
EVERYBODY WANTS A THRILL • •• /
PLAYING ANYTHING TO ROLL THE DICE
JUST ONE MORE TIME .. . "

PUSH IN on Will, unseen in the back of the theatre,

overwhelmed by what he's seeing . For a moment he can't move .
He slowly moves to the kids as --
The New Dire cti ons have found the ir groove as they cont inu e
practicing "Don't Stop Believin' . " The jazz band sinks their
teeth into the chorus, and the choir sings in a piercing
seven-part harmony . Even Tina has found a place here -- she's
a HUMANBEAT BOX.
 "Pi lot " Blue Revisions 10/2 1/08 so.

As they move through their positions, they share looks across

the stage, laughs and smiles between them, breathless,
sweating . . . they're on fire .
EVERYONE(CONT'D)
"DON'T STOP BELIEVING •.• HOLD ON TO
THAT FE-E-E-ELING • .. STRE-E-ET
LIFE . •• PE-E-OPLE . • • "

Fin n and Rachel share a look that hints of something to come .

EVERYONE(CONT'D)
"DON'T STOP BELIEVING. • • HOLD ON TO
THAT FE-E-ELINGJ DON'T STOP/ I I"

They hit their final position, hold it, panting through

ecstatic smil es. Sudden l y, the sound of someone CLAPPING.
The kids see Will, standing there, smiling at them . A moment .
Then after a beat of careful deliberation --
WILL
Good, guys . It's a 9, we need a 10.
Finn, I think if we worked on i t,
you could hit a high E. Rachel,
easy on the jazzhands and let's try
to get those bangs out of your
face . Mercedes , sometimes when you
sing, it looks l ike you're in pain .
MERCEDES
'Cuz it HURTS to be this good.
REVEALSue standing in the back of the auditorium; she's in
one doorway, Puck is in another. Their expressions hint
future powerplays to come. They exit.
FINN
(to Will)
So ... does this mean you're staying?
WILL
(with emotion)
It would kill me to watch you win
Nationa l s without me.
Huge smiles . Then, overwhelmed with pride and pote ntial:
WILL (CONT'D )
From the top .

END PILOT