Glee/Awesome
- Rachel standing up to Quinn and the rest of the Celibacy Club by claiming that, not only does abstinence-only education not work, but that girls want sex as much as guys do.
- Rachel Berry's been leading up to her CMOA for thirteen episodes of Glee and did she ever deliver, knocking "Don't Rain on My Parade" out of the park at sectionals. Especially because she has to "belt it on the fly". She gets so much pressure on her, and you can just see it going through her face when she's behind the curtain. Then she steps through, and, well...belts it on the fly. Specifically, "Here I am!" The girl who has been begging for a moment to shine, has finally given it up, shown exactly how nervous she is, and then goes out and then damn well does it anyway? Yes.
- "Don't Stop Believin'" from the pilot. The holy matrimony of Crowning Moment of Awesome and Crowning Music of Awesome.
- And then the Regionals version ups the ante by giving nearly every singer in the group the lead at one point or another. Seriously, listen to the full version on the CD, the damn thing soars.
- The entire episode "Dream On" for being directed by Joss Whedon and guest starring Neil Patrick Harris, but especially the titular song in duet between Harris and Matthew Morrison.
- Will gets a moment after Sue bursts into the Glee club's room with a trophy in her hand, loudly talking about how she'll turn it into a trophy room. After she gives a little rant about how they have no chance at Regionals, Will walks up to her, grabs the trophy out of her hands, then throws it against the room's wall, smashing it to pieces. Shut UP, Hannibal at its finest.
- In "The Power of Madonna", Shue finally tells Sue to lay off his hair, and delivers two perfect ice burns within thirty seconds, seriously ticking Sue off for one of the few times in the series. Turns out it's her Berserk Button.
- Puck's response, in episode 4, to an opposing football player who's been taunting him with Your Mom jokes.
Puck: I had sex with your mother! Seriously! I cleaned your pool, then I had sex with her on your bed. Nice Star Wars sheets.
- Kurt Hummel's angry, breathtaking, showstopping take on "Rose's Turn".
- Kurt's "GET OFF OF MY RUNWAY!" gets numerous tropers every time.
- For this troper, it was as much of a Crowning Moment of Awesome for Chris Colfer than it was for Kurt. His acting was superb; walking down the hallways, he genuinely looked like he was about to either cry or punch someone in the face. The entire song is done so powerfully, and the emotion in it is just right...putting it simply, he didn't get that Golden Globe for nothing.
- Emma FINALLY standing up for herself, and verbally bitch-slapping Schuester in front of the entire staff.
Will: Emma, can I talk to you in private?
Emma: No, you can't. Will, we're going to talk about this here and now, because I have absolutely nothing to hide. Actually, did you know I was seeing a therapist? Do you know that? Did you know I've been trying to work through my OCD so I could be with you? Will, do you think that's fun for me? It's not fun, it's absolutely humiliating. And come to find out you've been fooling around with some woman named Shelby, and you slept with April Rhodes.
Will: How did you find out about that?
Emma: You're not denying it. Wow, okay. See, I thought we were trying to work through this. I thought when you said you were trying to figure out things on your own, I really thought you meant that. I'm not going to stand for this anymore. I'm not. I'm putting my foot down, and I'm finally sticking up for myself. You're a slut, Will. You're a slut. You're a slut, you're a slut, you're a slut. Everybody should know that. And you should know that I'm through with you.
- Tina yelling at Artie in The Power of Madonna.
- Tina's real CMOA comes when she confronts the principal in "Theatricality" - MY DAD IS KING OF THE VAMPIRES!
- Finn's Lady Gaga outfit. That is all.
- Burt Hummell gets his in Theatricality as well. Despite all the unfortunate implications between Kurt and Finn, Burt will tear you a new one, at the risk of his own happiness and girlfriend, if you say "faggy" in his house. Awesome, heartbreaking, and perfect.
- The club's performance at Regionals, which is a medley of Journey songs such as "Faithfully", "Any Way You Want It", and "Don't Stop Believing". Sure, they came in third place, but it was probably one of the most awesome moments of the series.
- Will finally bitching out his wife upon learning she was faking her pregnancy. His anger is completely justified and it was about time someone gave Terri what was coming to her.
- YMMV indeed on that one. It was kind of terrifying, and it reeked vaguely of domestic abuse. It wouldn't have been surprising if Shue had hit her in that scene.
- And yet he didn't. He cornered her and lifted her shirt up, sure... to confirm that she was really lying to him about being pregnant with his child. After what seems to be years of emotional abuse at her hands. Seriously, just moments later she outright tells him "This marriage works because you don't feel good about yourself!" pretty much admitting she's willing to make him miserable and downtrodden just so he'll stay with her. He flipped out without losing control and doing what many viewers would be shouting at the TV for him to do if he were a wife standing up to a husband as manipulative as Terri. That in itself is commendable and adds to the awesome of the moment.
- Indeed. If the genders were reversed, the first reaction would probably have been to cheer Wilmina on for standing up to Terry. As the Double Standard Rape (Female on Male) trope mentions, gender doesn't mean much when it comes to any sort of abuse, emotional, physical, or what have you. Let's face it, Terri was abusing him. She was manipulating him, taking advantage of him, and otherwise crippling him for her own benefit. Sure, maybe she was scared she'd lose him... but that's the same excuse abusive partners make - that they'll change, that they don't want to lose what's 'theirs'. Compared to what Will has done? He supports her, he's changed his lifestyle, he's given up things he loves and owns for he, he's done as much as anyone could ask of in a partner.
- Yeah, besides having an emotional affair with another woman he was just perfect.
- Normally I hate the idea of cheating, and I normally don't condone it, but...when he's that miserable, can you really blame him? Especially since she then goes on to try and break him and Emma up, even though they've gotten a divorce. Seriously, in the Britney Spears episode, she just shows up, yells at Emma about how much of a home wrecker she was, and then says to him about how she knows he's going to go back to her. I'm sorry, what? He would have broken up with her as soon as he found out about the fake pregnancy, even if he wasn't in love with Emma.
- Yeah, besides having an emotional affair with another woman he was just perfect.
- And, let's face it, it's a moot point now, anyway. Will lost Emma again, looks like for good.
- YMMV indeed on that one. It was kind of terrifying, and it reeked vaguely of domestic abuse. It wouldn't have been surprising if Shue had hit her in that scene.
- Finn beating the crap out of Puck for knocking up Quinn, and then bitching out Quinn for lying to him. It scared the club, but they both deserved it.
- Sunshine's audition for the glee club with "Listen", from Dreamgirls. Not only does she knock the song out of the freakin' park, but she does so after Rachel lures her to a crack house for her first audition, showing Rachel she's better than her.
- The funny thing is, she sounds way better than Beyoncé. The song's not in the original Dreamgirls and was only added to the movie to give Beyonce a showstopper...where she spends three minutes straining her vocal range and sounds like a screeching cat. Sunshine made this song good.
- Kurt gets yet another one in "Duets". After being told that singing a duet with a new member a Glee will get the said member bullied for singing with "the gay dude" he decides - no matter how much it breaks his heart - to let Sam go and sing a duet by himself and sings (or, should I say, owns) "Le Jazz Hot" from "Victor/Victoria"
- Artie's What the Hell, Hero? speech to Tina when she tells him she fakes her stutter to avoid interacting with people.
- Kurt shouting at Will during Britney/Brittany, for - once again - ignoring what the gleeks wanted. Would be more awesome if, instead of sending Kurt to principal's office Will actually listened for once.
- YMMV on that one. Yes, calling Will out for not listening to them was good, but Kurt was way out of line, and honestly, he wouldn't have been being a good teacher if he hadn't sent Kurt to the principal's office or not- however warranted, screaming at and personally insulting a teacher is not a proper action by anyone, let alone a student.
- This exchange is more a Crowning Moment of Fridge Brilliance than anything. When Kurt stands up to go to the principal's office, you can see that he's wearing a skirt, which probably made his day more difficult than usual. Four episodes later, when the season takes up its anti-bullying storyline, Schuester comments that Kurt has been "belligerent, pushing people away" because of the treatment he faces. For the writers of Glee, this was an uncharacteristically subtle way to link the two incidents and give a Continuity Nod.
- The opening of "The Rocky Horror Glee Show" with Naya Rivera's lips singing "Science Fiction Double Feature."
- Sue's confetti cannons. Putting the Magnificent in Magnificent Bastard.
- Kurt standing up to Karofsky in "Never Been Kissed"
Kurt: You going to hit me? Do it.
Karofsky: Do not push me.
Kurt: Hit me, because it's not going to change who I am. You can't punch the gay out of me any more than I can punch the ignoramus out of you!
Karofsky: Get out of my face!
Kurt: You are nothing but a scared little boy who can't handle how extraordinarily ordinary you are!
- All the dialog leading up to that exchange, especially "I am talking to you!" and "You're not my type."
- One for Darren Criss/Blaine his version of "Teenage Dream" becomes the show most downloaded song in a week.
- Bieste rebuffing Sue when she threatened to disband the football team. Especially because it happened right after "Never Been Kissed"
- Will and Mike's performance of "Make 'Em Laugh", nicely adapting nearly all of the original choreography into a duet, including running up the walls.
- The choreographers for the Singing In The Rain/Umbrella mashup number. Dancing through actual water on stage. (The kids get one for that as well)
- Word of God mentioned that they went through hundreds of umbrellas as they needed new ones every take (they broke pretty easily) and that that sequence was at least 6 hours long too shoot.
- The choreographers for the Singing In The Rain/Umbrella mashup number. Dancing through actual water on stage. (The kids get one for that as well)
- Rachel, blowing off Dakota Stanley in 1x03. "You're fired. And I'm taller than you."
- Oh my god, the mattress commercial.
- "Furt" has Artie and Mike standing up to Karofsky, Sam jumping in when they're taken down, and then Bieste stepping between the two and holding them apart.
- Again and again for Sue as she handles Karofsky's bullying Kurt really well, culminating in her resigning so she could watch out for him in the halls and report anything that happened. And because the principal's office smells funny.
- And then telling off her mother for abandoning her and her sister, and saying they've made their own family without her.
- And Burt for going after Karofsky and holding him against the wall with a choke. It's pretty obvious that if Kurt hadn't told him to stop Burt would have beat the crap out of him.
- Again and again for Sue as she handles Karofsky's bullying Kurt really well, culminating in her resigning so she could watch out for him in the halls and report anything that happened. And because the principal's office smells funny.
- The fact that Artie (Kevin McHale) still manages to be a damn good performer while in a wheelchair is a CMOA in itself.
- An Understated one but in retrospective still quite impressive, in “Never Been Kissed” Puck and Artie together manage to something than the whole Glee club was unable to do in 2x01, actually excite and impress their fellow students with their musical talent to the point the whole cafeteria actually join to hear them sing and actually joins in
- Will finally being a teacher and telling Rachel that just because she's talented it doesn't make her the star of the club and that she needs to stop her diva act in "Special Education."
- Mike and Britney's dance routine at Sectionals. Finally two of the best dancers in the cast get to perform together, and it's glorious. Special mention to Heather Morris landing a backflip in high heels.
- And a deserving mention of Quinn, Sam and Santana for being the lead vocals. About time someone else beside Rachel shows some talent and get the Glee kids a place at Regionals.
- The Sue plot in "A Very Glee Christmas". First we have a green and stealthy Sue complete with Brittany Loo Who, and then there's the "Welcome Christmas" scene, still parralelling the original work. Awesome.
- Bieste continues to prove how absolutely awesome she is by somehow getting Artie an incredibly obscure device that can allow him to walk. Doubles as a Crowning Moment of Heartwarming.
- And then there's Kurt and Blaine having a whale of a time as they blatantly flirt their way through a wonderful male-male version of 'Baby, It's Cold Outside' in the Dalton common room.
- Finn singing "Hello, I love you" in Hell-O.
- "4 Minutes" from The Power Of Madonna was this for Kurt and Mercedes. You see the Cheerios start to do a routine and then Kurt and Mercedes bloody swagger in, and they completely own the song. It comes from out of nowhere, and it just drives it home that Finn and Rachel aren't the only talented people in Glee club. And Kurt looks damn fine in that Cheerios uniform.
- In "Sue Sylvester Shuffle" when, for the first half of the big important game, the Glee Club (including the girls except the three Cheerios) was the entire football team. Tina taking the ball and running was epic, and you'd think they'd have made Lauren a full member after the way she bulldozed some of the opposing players.
- Finn: It's funny Karosky, you're always calling guys gay and yet... you never seem to have a girlfriend."
- Puck: Are you ready for this? Rachel: Let's kick some ass!!
- From the same episode, the fully reunited team playing in their zombie makeup to distract the other players. One guy thinks he was bitten in a tackle, and then by the end everybody distracts the other team by chanting "BRAINS! BRAINS! BRAINS!"
- "Sucks to be you." Oh, Brittany.
- Come on, the mere fact she stood up to Sue is a Crowning Moment in itself (granted, Finn and Quinn helped).
- The other members of New Directions finally giving Santana a taste of her own bitchy medicine in "Silly Love Songs."
- Lauren gives Santana a double dose when she thrashes Santana in a catfight.
- Then it just gets hilarious as her beating of Santana just turns Puck on.
- Come on, mad props to Rachel for finally, FINALLY putting the bitch In. Her. Place.
- Lauren gives Santana a double dose when she thrashes Santana in a catfight.
The truth is, Santana, you can dish it out, but you can't take it. Okay, maybe you're right, maybe I am destined to play the title role in the Broadway musical version of Willow, but the only job you're going to have is working on a pole!
- Kind of crosses over with Funny Moment along with Backstabbing the Alpha Bitch, which is always nice.
- New Directions finally winning Regionals and ending their original song "Loser Like Me" with the famous slushee attack shown in the Glee promos. The Take That at Sue was also totally sweet.
- It's not just a Take That, it's basically the club SCREAMING "Screw you, we're awesome!" right in her face.
- Blaine finally getting a clue and kissing Kurt. It's about damn time.
- That kiss is a meta CMOA as well, because it's Glee taking the trope But Not Too Gay, kicking it in the balls, and making it run away while crying like a little girl. On FOX.
- Also when Sue slapped the judge.
- I found Mercedes' song "Hell to the No" to purely be MADE of this!!
- Kurt FINALLY telling Blaine that him getting every solo is boring, overdone and unfair.
- Santana's Badass Boast towards Karofsky.
Santana: First of all, anything you do became my business when you decided to toss that slushie up in my grill.
Karofsky: I think I can take a couple of queers and a girl.
Santana: Ha. See, here's what's gonna go down. Two choices: you stay here and I crack one of your nuts - right or left, that's your choice - or you walk away and live to be a douchebag another day. Oh, and also? I have razor blades hidden in my hair. Mm-hm. Tons, just all up in there.
[Karofsky flees]
Blaine: We could have handled that.
Santana: It was more fun doing it together. {{[[[Pet the Dog]] cracks the sweetest smile we have ever seen on her.}}]
- Especially potent as Santana has just barely started to confront her own homosexuality.
- Blaine shoving Karofsky should count as one, but is overshadowed by Santana.
- It was also disproportionately hilarious.
- While some might have found it hilarious, this troper thinks that it was really awesome that Blaine was willing to take on a guy about twice his size--particularly given what we know now after Prom Queen about his history of being beaten up for his orientation. Simply put, he was mad as hell and he wasn't gonna take it any more, as well as being the White Knight for his boyfriend. I think that qualifies as awesome.
- Also, according to Hold On To Sixteen, Blaine is a boxer and started the Dalton branch of Fight Club. The amount of restraint Blaine had shown in that scene, knowing that Blaine could have royally fucked Karofsky up.
- Just because it's hilarious doesn't mean it's not touching.
- Episode 2.18 where Santana decides how she'll get Brittany back once and for all - by blackmailing Karofsky, one of the school bullies and closet homosexual, into being her beard so that they may both become prom king and queen, because if he doesn't, she'll tell everyone that he's gay. She makes use of her bitchiness by starting an anti-bullying club with him, starting by stopping Karofsky's friend, Azimio. What's more, Santana makes Karofsky apologize to the Glee Club, as well as to Kurt, in order for them to get Kurt back into McKinley so that they have a shot at Nationals. And it damn well succeeded. Of course, getting Brittany to switch back to Santana has yet still to happen.
- Kurt's shirt in the "Born This Way" number simply says "Likes Boys." Betting is now open as to when replicas start flooding in.
- Kurt in the "Born this Way" routine. Period.
- Britanny calling Santana out on her insecurity over wearing the shirt in "Born This Way" after Brit just got called out by Santana in "Sexy". Brit has apparently grown a brain and a pair of balls during this season.
- Kurt's shirt in the "Born This Way" number simply says "Likes Boys." Betting is now open as to when replicas start flooding in.
- Kurt bluntly calling Rachel out on the damage her Finn-motivated spying and concern trolling over his supposed 'infidelity' with Sam is doing to the club in the run-up to Nationals, and then flatly refusing to get involved in the gossip mill, in 'Rumors'.
- Rolling In The fucking Deep. My god Johnathan Groff managed top his cover of Bohemian Rhapsody.
- His entrance. Love him or hate him, the boy knows how make an entrance.
- Kurt's reentrance into the Prom - the boy stood up to an entire crowd of haters and said, basically, I am who I am, and you can't change me. "Eat your heart out, Kate Middleton," indeed!
- Who else wanted him to end his speech with Well, Screw you, kids!
- Mad props to Puck, Artie and Sam for making Friday into something silly and fun to listen to.
- Brittanys speech when she learned that Mercedes didn't have a date to the prom.
So? I don't have a date. I am just going to dance. Then all your dates are going to ignore you, and come dance with me. So, your dates are really my dates. [Fistbumps the air]
- Even better later when she is seen slow-dancing with a random girl. That is a girl that just don't give a shit.
- I'm going to give one to Karofsky for apologising to Kurt and one to Kurt for accepting.
- In “Funeral”, Finn proposes to participate in Jean’s funeral in order to emotionally back up Sue. After managing to convince the other members, Jesse makes a snide remark about how “The show must go on” Finn answers with a firmly that they WILL help Sue, never wavering from his conviction. Talk about Took a Level in Badass
- In fairness, Jesse did have a point: A week before Nationals is not when you should be organizing a funeral when you have no songs. But yes.
- Am I the only one who noticed that this is one of the first times that he's actually lived up to his status as leader? He definitely earned back some of the respect he lost in the whole Quinn-Sam-Rachel thing circa Silly Love Songs.
- I nominate Jesse's Take That against Finn. I'm pretty sure a lot of viewers share his complaints about Finn being the lead male singer of New Directions when he is the weakest amongst the guys, except for Mike (whose dancing is miles better than Finn's).
- Lauren Potter and Jane Lynch's "Not Acceptable" PSA, powerfully making the case that the word "retard" is just as offensive as any other slur.
- And yes that does include words such as fag, kike and even nigger. As someone who has been hounded for years with this word, thank you Glee.
- The final Glee Live Klaine skit in Dublin. Not only do Brittany and Santana kiss, but so do Kurt and Blaine! Fandom is going crazy.
- You know that the show has good song writers when they manage to make Friday sound good.
- From Season 3 - "Sue Sylvester, you just got glitter bombed." As Emma perfectly explained it, Will went from a man of words to a man of actions in that sparkly attack on his anti-artistic opposition and it was glorious!
- Will finally kicking someone out of the club when Santana participates in burning one of the club's new pianos.
- Blaine, Adorkable dancing, polo shirts, and all, finally taking his place as a member of New Directions during "You Can't Stop The Beat."
- I was rather pleasantly surprised by the Season 3 opening episode. When Rachael and Kurt go into the mixer for potential students of the school of the arts they want to go to, the other students put on an amazing performance of a mash up of the songs Anything Goes and Anything You Can Do that is not only fantastic, but also leaves Rachael and Kurt's puffed up egos drained leaving potential for less pride coming from their directions. This may be my favorite performance of the series.
- Will's "The Reason You Suck" Speech to Quinn, saying it's completely her own fault how bad her life sucks, and she should grow up and deal with it.
- Kurt whips out a pair of sai swords during his performance of "I'm the Greatest Star". Granted he only uses them for a few moments, but it's till a moment everybody (including Chris Colfer) has been waitign for!
- And speaking as someone who owns a pair of those, twirling them around at that speed is very hard.
- After Kurt explains the whole "unicorn" thing to his dad:
"You know what a unicorn without a horn is? A friggin' horse."
- Only Burt Hummel could say something that makes no sense yet at the same time, makes perfect sense.
- Mash-Up is one CMOA right after the other: Will taking off his shirt to rap, Puck singing "Sweet Caroline", Emma finally getting a number, Will and Sue's dance... O, and:
Rachel: Choosing us over the team is gonna get a slushie on your face every day.
Puck: Bring it.
- And:
Kurt:It's called "Taking one for the team" (Throws the slushie on his own face). Now get out of here. And take some time to think wether or not any of your friend from the football team would have done that for you.
- For me, Mash-Up counts as a Crowning Episode Of Awesome.
- Mike's performance of "Cool", showing how far his singing has come, while still having great dance moves.
- Britney's "Run the World" flash mob.
- Will telling off Emma's parents for their demeaning treatment of her.
- Burt Hummel in "Pot O' Gold." Everything - just everything. Goes from one second changing a tire to the next second finding out his son, over whom he's always been a Papa Wolf, has to raise money to fund the school musical. Does he buy add space in the program? Well, yes, but he also does even better; he gets together with several other local buisness people to donate the funds so that the musical can go on. We see him say he wants to see Sue lose - he then decides that he's going to enter the Congressional race as a write in candidate against her, and telling her point blank that bullies don't have a good track record against the Hummels. Burt Hummel is a badass mechanic/political candidate. (Doubles as a Crowning Moment of Heartwarming - especially when he mentions that the Glee club saved Kurt's life.)
- "The First Time" is another episode-wide CMOA. The tastefully-handled subject of having sex for the first time, the awesome songs from West Side Story, the brilliant editing job of overlaying the performances with important scenes, the Aesop of stepping out of your comfort zone to find yourself, Santana in a red dress, etc. The episode just had so much going for it, it's possibly a CMOA for the entire series.
- Kurt's speech in "Mash-Off", calling dodgeball modern-day stoning.
- YMMV, as many viewers found that speech mind-bogglingly stupid.
- Shelby banning Quinn from seeing Beth because of the latter's selfish motives.
- The girls singing "I Kissed A Girl" in the episode by the same name to stand up for Santana against the guy trying to "straighten [her] out." Even Sugar gets in on it.
- Puck's "The Reason You Suck" Speech to Quinn.
- Kurt, who had earlier talked about wanting to stuff ballot boxes to ensure his future and having an "ends justify the means" mentality not only not doing that but standing up in the choir room to publicly concede the election and congratulate Brittany - considering his earlier "NYADA or managing a Sonic Burger" monologue that had to hurt, but he did it. Doubles as a Crowning Moment of Heartwarming, particularly with the "Rule wisely; rule fabulously," and Brittany's hugging him.
- Blaine finally calling Finn out on his treatment of him for the entire season. Particularly awesome because, though the boy had been practicing his boxing when Finn walked in, he doesn't hit him or anything, he just asks him what the deal is and why he's been so alienated the entire school year.
- The Jackson Medley in "Hold on to Sixteen" put the 'team' in 'team effort'.
- The Christmas special is both this and a Crowning Moment of Funny due to just how accurate it is to an old 60s Christmas special.
- On "Mash-off", Santana spends the first half of the episode harassing Finn and laughing when he attempts to talk back. Then, right after she throws a really mean Backhanded Apology on his face, he basically takes her feelings and wipes the floor with them. Without even raising his voice.
- Not only choreographing "Summer Nights" spot on like the movie, but filming it at the high school where the movie was made. Complete with Sam doing the final notes of the song looking out over the back of the bleachers with the somewhat hazy split screen of him and Mercedes. They set out to do an homage to Grease and damn if they didn't do it right! (Only thing missing was Pink Ladies jackets, but you can't have everything.)
- In "Michael" when Artie lays the smack down on how he really feels to Mr. Schue. However you might feel about the whole "getting revenge versus getting even" debate, you have to admit that was an AWESOME speech. Go Artie.
- Not just the speech, but the subsequent dream sequence. Harry Shum jr. and Kevin McHale knocked that shit out of the park.
- In "The Spanish Teacher" when Santana tells Will off for basing his entire curriculum on The Theme Park Version of Latin culture, and forcing him to admit that he has no real interest in teaching Spanish and took it because it was the only teaching job he could get at the time.
- Mike Chang in Asian F. Russ Tamblyn couldn't have played a better Riff. His version of Cool is possibly the best song of the episode.
- Wade ignoring Jesse and performing has his (female) alter-ego Unique. Not only does he get to perform the way he always wanted to, but he defies both Sue's and Jesse's expectations by bringing down the house!
- Kurt's performance of "Not The Boy Next Door" for his NYADA audition. Wow. Just. Wow.
- No, seriously, just WOW. Chris Colfer usually gets one bombastic showstopping number a year - think "Rose's Turn" from S1 and "As If We Never Said Goodbye" from S2 - but "Not the Boy Next Door" might be the mother of them all. As soon as he tears away that top outfit, he transforms from a nervous, awkward high-school kid to a supremely confident, insanely talented superstar capable of commanding the attention of a sold-out theater.
- Beiste finally having the balls to leave her abusive husband, giving him a cold stare through his self-hating monologue, slamming a knife down on the table and informing him that she has been sleeping with one under he pillow, and when he demands to know who is going to ever love her more than he did, she bellows right back: "ME!"
- Her duet with Puck is awesome, singing Taylor Swift's "Mean" about their respective lives.
- The fallout from the Nationals Competition: New Directions wins, and are welcomed back to McKinley by cheering crowds and confetti. Sue manages to beat Roz and gets sole control of the Cheerios back. Rick the Stick loses his bet with Finn, who now has $1000 for his and Rachel's honeymoon. Emma sleeps with Will. And the unspoken guarantee that the club is going to be around for years afterwards because of this victory.
- The part where Carmen Tibideaux tells Rachel, who was convinced by Tina to go and change her mind, how much time she takes away from other students. It was quite refreshing for this troper to see such an authority figure tell Rachel the reality of the situation - that she's no more special than the next kid waiting in line to audition, who have hopes and dreams of becoming famous.
- Seconded oh-so-hard. Rachel's had that coming all series. Too bad the writers didn't follow this through and never brought it up again.
- Congressman Burt Hummel, general awesome dad that he is doing the Single Ladies dance for his son's graduation present. This is a man who could barely sway at his own wedding, and just... wow. He's not Mike, but that was still impressive! The whole scene is also a Crowning Moment of Heartwarming.
- Burt Hummel has fucking GUTS!!!