The series centers on a
show choir and
glee club at the fictional William McKinley High School in
Lima, Ohio. Spanish teacher
Will Schuester (
Matthew Morrison) takes over the club after former teacher
Sandy Ryerson (
Stephen Tobolowsky) is fired for inappropriate conduct. Will's attempts to restore the renamed "New Directions" to its former glory are made difficult due to marital issues with his wife Terri Schuester (
Jessalyn Gilsig) and his developing feelings for his co-worker, guidance counselor
Emma Pillsbury (
Jayma Mays). Will must also defend the glee club's existence from scheming cheerleading coach
Sue Sylvester (
Jane Lynch) and at times, school Principal
Principal Figgins (
Iqbal Theba). The series gives focus to the lives of the eventual members of the New Directions: their romances, their love of singing and desire for popularity clashing with their membership in the low-status club, and the many vicissitudes that come with high school and teen-hood. The
first season follows the New Directions competing for the first time on the show choir circuit, from their win at the Sectionals competition (episode 13) to their loss at Regionals (episode 22). Social issues explored in this season include
sex,
relationship problems,
homosexuality,
teenage pregnancy,
disabilities, and
acceptance. The inaugural members of the New Directions include
Rachel Berry (
Lea Michele), an ambitious performer driven by her dreams of becoming a
Broadway theatre star;
Finn Hudson (
Cory Monteith), the school's sometimes-slow-witted star
quarterback;
Artie Abrams (
Kevin McHale), a boy with a
physical disability;
Kurt Hummel (
Chris Colfer), an effeminate, openly gay boy;
Mercedes Jones (
Amber Riley), an aspiring vocal diva whose talents go unrecognized;
Tina Cohen-Chang (
Jenna Ushkowitz), a shy goth longing to be popular;
Noah "Puck" Puckerman (
Mark Salling), a delinquent in need of direction; and
Quinn Fabray (
Dianna Agron), a popular cheerleader who experiences a
teenage pregnancy. The
second season follows the club through wins at Sectionals (episode 9) and Regionals (episode 16) before losing at the Nationals competition in New York City (episode 22), while dealing with relationship problems,
religion,
homophobia,
bullying,
rumors, teenage drinking, and death. Club members promoted to the main cast this season include
Santana Lopez (
Naya Rivera), a snarky, cynical cheerleader struggling with her sexuality;
Brittany S. Pierce (
Heather Morris), a ditzy, promiscuous cheerleader who later dates Santana; and Kurt's father
Burt Hummel (
Mike O'Malley). Characters like
Santana Lopez and
Kurt Hummel brought in LGBTQ+ storylines which was new to primetime television. This show helped to set a foundation in media while addressing themes of coming out, bullying, and acceptance. Additionally, the show featured multiple characters from multiple different backgrounds such as
Mercedes Jones and
Mike Chang, showing ethnic imbalances and inequalities within high school settings. The
third season follows the club through wins at Sectionals (episode 8), Regionals (episode 14), and their first win at Nationals (episode 21) in
Chicago, while dealing with
gender identity,
adoption,
domestic abuse,
teenage suicide, bullying, disabilities,
texting while driving, and
college prospects. Two club members were promoted to the main cast:
Mike Chang (
Harry Shum Jr.), a soft-spoken athlete-turned-dancer with unsupportive parents, and
Blaine Anderson (
Darren Criss), a Dalton Academy transfer student who dates Kurt. Terri (Jessalyn Gilsig) was written out of the series while Burt (Mike O'Malley) returned to recurring status. At the end of the season, the McKinley High class of 2012 graduates. The
fourth season introduces a new generation of McKinley students while following certain graduates from the previous season, notably Rachel and Kurt at the fictional New York Academy of the Dramatic Arts (NYADA) in New York City. The season follows the club through their loss and subsequent reinstatement at Sectionals (episodes 9 and 12) before winning at Regionals (episode 22), marking their third consecutive appearance at Nationals. Rachel and Kurt, meanwhile, navigate NYADA and their lives as aspiring performers atop their relationships with Finn and Blaine. Issues explored in the season include sex,
bulimia, gender identity,
child molestation,
dyslexia,
school violence, and
pregnancy scares. Former main cast members Emma (Jayma Mays) and Quinn (Dianna Agron) are credited as guest stars, while previously recurring glee club member
Sam Evans (
Chord Overstreet) was promoted to the main cast. The
fifth season, unlike previous seasons, continues the school year begun in the previous season. The New Directions finish second at Nationals (
episode 11) before they are permanently disbanded by Sue Sylvester, now school principal (after framing Figgins in episode 1), for budgetary reasons (
episode 12). Following graduation, the show jumps several months forward in time to focus on the alumni's lives in
New York City for the remainder of the season, including Rachel's successful Broadway debut. Throughout this season, the club and its alumni deal with relationship issues,
death and
mourning,
anger issues,
body image,
gay bashing, and
intimacy. Several cast members dropped to recurring guest stars as of this season: Amber Riley (Mercedes), Mark Salling (Puck), Harry Shum Jr. (Mike), and Heather Morris (Brittany). New main cast members included glee club members introduced in the fourth season:
Marley Rose (
Melissa Benoist), a kind teenager who develops an
eating disorder;
Unique Adams (
Alex Newell), a shy, nerdy teenager who becomes more bold and glamorous after coming out as
transgender;
Ryder Lynn (
Blake Jenner), a
dyslexic teen;
Jake Puckerman (
Jacob Artist), a
biracial teen struggling with
anger issues;
Kitty Wilde (
Becca Tobin), a
Christian mean girl. Cory Monteith died in the summer before the fifth season was shot; Finn subsequently died off-screen in
the third episode. The
sixth and final season sees Rachel return to McKinley after her television pilot fails and deciding to reconstitute the New Directions with all-new students and help from Kurt. Will now coaches rival club Vocal Adrenaline, while Blaine coaches the Dalton Academy Warblers. All of the new main cast members from the fifth season have returned to guest star status in the final season, as well as Santana (Naya Rivera) Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz); Mercedes (Amber Riley) rejoins the main cast, and
Coach Beiste (
Dot-Marie Jones) joins the main cast for the first time. Social issues faced by the characters this season include
gay marriage, gender identity, and
transitioning. The New Directions wins Nationals, Sue is fired as principal, and McKinley High is repurposed as a
magnet arts school with Will as principal and Sam as director of New Directions. The finale jumps five years into the future: Rachel has married
Jesse St. James (
Jonathan Groff), won a Tony Award, and is a surrogate mother for Kurt and Blaine (who are themselves Broadway stars). Artie has directed Tina in a film, Mercedes is a highly successful recording artist, and Sue has just been re-elected
Vice President of the United States. The McKinley auditorium is renamed after Finn. ==Cast and characters==