- Will's former high school nemesis, Bryan Ryan, causes trouble for Glee Club. Rachel struggles with a life-long personal issue.
- In an episode directed by Emmy Award winner Joss Whedon, Mr. Schuester's former high school nemesis, Bryan Ryan, causes trouble for the glee club. Meanwhile, Rachel struggles with a life-long personal issue, and Artie's dreams take him on an adventure—Fox Publicity
- Open with Will called into Principal Figgins' office. Sitting there is Bryan Ryan (Neil Patrick Harris), a show choir rival of Will's back in high school. Ryan is now a member of the school board and is evaluating which programs to cut to save budget. He appears set on cutting Glee since he now deems it a waste of time.
A flashback to the 1980s shows Bryan singing lead in a choir rehearsal while doing magic tricks, impressing ladies and taunting a geeky-looking Will.
Ryan talks to the Glee kids and asks them to write their dreams down on a piece of paper. Once they do, he grabs Artie's and throws it into the trash. He tells them in no uncertain terms that none of their dreams will really come true, quoting figures that 90%+ of them will never leave the county. Will angrily asks him to leave and Ryan responds that this has made his decision easier.
Tina asks Artie about what he wrote for his dream. He lies, but Tina tells him she found his paper in the trash and saw that it read "dancer." She thinks he should dance with her that week in a duo: "You were hot in 'Proud Mary.'" Since Will never set an assignment, Tina thinks it should be dancing.
Jesse returns from spring break and visits Rachel, who is rehearsing ballet. He tells her he missed her and they seem to make-up. He asks about her true dream and Rachel says she wants to know more about her birth mother. Jesse says he "won't stop until" he helps make this dream come true.
Artie is unsatisfied by a first attempt at tap dancing in his chair with metal clipped to the wheels. He tries to stand with braces and falls violently to the floor. He yells at Tina that she pushed him too hard and tells her to leave him on the floor.
Will asks Ryan to go for a beer so he can convince him Glee should be saved.
Rachel tells Jesse her improbable theory that Patti LuPone is somehow her mother. Jesse thinks they should investigate further and she tells him her dads have kept records about her life, and the couple decides to investigate.
At the bar over beer, Will and Ryan tell high school stories. Ryan admits to having had a thing for Will's ex-wife. Eventually Ryan breaks down and admits that he badly misses performing, describing his "porn-like" stash of Playbills under the house and lying to his wife so he can sneak off to catch Broadway shows. Will suggest they both try out for a performance of Les Miserables and the two sing "Piano Man" in the bar.
Tina catches up with Artie, and they both apologize to each other. She tells Artie she has done some research into spinal cord injuries and says she's heard about new treatments. She hands him a bunch of literature and tells him not to give up on his dream, and then kisses him.
While they look through Rachel's files, Jesse sneaks an audio tape from his pocket into the pile. It says "From Mother to Daughter." Jesse rushes to play it, but Rachel says she isn't ready.
Will and Ryan both try out for the Les Mis lead, Jean Valjean. Ryan copies Will's rehearsal idea and the two end up performing "Dream On" as a duet for the director.
Tina and Artie are at the mall where Artie is excited that he's just bought tap shoes "as an investment in the future." Tina offers to go upstairs to get them pretzels when Artie reveals he has been trying new therapies that are working. He rises out of his chair and leads an ensemble/flash-mob dance performance of "Safety Dance" in the mall atrium. As the song ends, we suddenly cut back to Artie sitting quietly alone in his wheelchair, the dance being just a daydream.
Ryan and Sue have a budget-related debated over athletics and the arts. Though Ryan is going to cut half of Sue's Cheerios budget, he is turned on and the two go to a secret room to have "anger sex."
We see Jesse sitting in a car with Shelby, the Vocal Adrenaline coach. Shelby reveals she is actually Rachel's biological mother and she originally sent Jesse to seduce/befriend her in order for Rachel to hear the tape. Jesse is starting to actually like Rachel and doesn't want her to be hurt. Shelby says by the terms of her surrogacy contract she can't legally contact Rachel before she turns 18. Shelby said she answered an ad saying for "nine month's work," so she could pay for two years stay in New York. She never got to hold Rachel and says despite failing as an actress, not being part of Rachel's life is her only regret.
Emma and Artie have a conversation about his dream to walk. Emma is brutally honest with him about the timeline of the experimental treatments Tina mentioned. Artie leaves the pamphlets and rolls out, completely dejected.
A giddy Ryan shows up at Glee practice and tells the kids they have gotten some of the Cheerios' budget. As he is handing out sheet music and jackets, Sue comes in and tells them she's heard Will got the lead in Les Mis and Ryan was given a role with one line. Ryan immediately changes his mind and says, "I'm cutting the program."
Will gets Ryan to keep Glee's funding in exchange for the lead role of Jean Valjean.
Jesse all but forces Rachel to listen to the tape. It is Shelby singing "I Dreamed a Dream" which turns into a duet between the characters.
Artie tells Tina she should perform with someone else. He has come to terms with his limitations and is okay with the possibility of never dancing again. She reluctantly agrees and asks that he sing lead vocals instead.
Will tells the kids about his sacrifice for the good of the group. This leads into Tina's breakout that has her tap-dancing with Mike Chang ("Other Asian") to Artie singing "Dream a Little Dream of Me."
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