'Glee' Season 4, Episode 12: 'Naked' Recap

Breaking news as the Warblers are stripped of their titled due to using performance enhancing drugs, meaning the New Directions are off to Regionals.

The team celebrates, but Finn points out they lost 3 weeks of prep time, and they still need to raise money for the bus. Everyone offers up ideas on how to raise the money, but Tina has the ultimate thought: “The Men of McKinley” calendar. Six guys, two pictures each. Finn thinks it will work, so he puts Tina in charge.

Brittany invites (forces?) Marley to appear on her web show “Fondue for Two”. Brittany gets Marley to admit she likes Jake, and tells her to share her feelings with him.

In Principal Figgins office, he reveals Brittany has received a near-perfect score on her SATs, while Sam has received the lowest score possible.

In New York, Rachel is offered a lead role in a student film, but she must commit to a topless scene. She is hesitant about it, debating her inner good girl. This leads her to sing “Torn” by Ednaswap, a duet with her other self, before finally agreeing to do it.

Back at McKinley, Sam struts around the school wearing nothing but a skimpy swimsuit. Blaine confronts him, asking if he’s just compensating for his low SAT scores.

Sam summons the other boys into the locker room for a session of “broga” and grooming tips for their upcoming calendar shoot. Artie points out that not all the boys have “CW bodies”, and asks if they have to be shirtless. He leads everyone in a mash-up of “Centerfold/Hot in Here” by The J. Geils Band and Nelly, while Artie slinks away.

In the teacher’s lounge, Sue confronts Finn, accusing him of being a smut peddler and she won’t stand for that. But Finn calls her a hypocrite, pointing out the rumors that Sue posed for Penthouse back in the day, and he wasn’t opposed to hunting down the pictures. She promises that he’ll never find the pictures, but he’s up for a challenge.

Back in New York, Brody, having finally moved in with Rachel and Kurt, struts around the apartment naked to show his support for Rachel doing the topless movie scene. Kurt isn’t so sure it’s a good idea, pointing out how much she’s changed.

In the auditorium, Marley tricks Jake into coming. She wants to look into some songs for regionals, and finds a song she wants to sing with him: “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri.

After their duet, they kiss… and she almost admits her feelings for him.

“I love… I love… this song. I love this song, but it’s not right for regionals.”

Finn summons Artie to the library and charges him with the task of hunting down Sue’s steamy pictures, and he agrees. He expresses his concerns about posing for the calendar, but Finn tries to make him feel better about it. He still doesn’t want to, so Finn says he doesn’t have to, and thanks him for being so honest.

In the boys’ locker room, Jake and Ryder strike poses while Tina and Kitty show up and reveal their ideas about the photo shoot. They leave and Jake comments that Kitty looked ready to jump Jake’s bones, but Jake says he’s been only focus on Marley lately. He tells Jake about the duet, and how it felt like she was going to admit her feelings. Jake tells him to tell her first.

Jake sings “Let Me Love You” by Ne-Yo to the New Directions, mainly Marley, who is moved to tears.

Back in New York, Quinn and Santana pay Rachel a surprise visit. Kurt called and asked them to do an emergency intervention regarding the nude scene. Quinn tells her the “2-2-2” rule. They both tell her how bad of an idea it will be, and that she will regret it and it will haunt her the rest of her life.

In the McKinley locker room, the boys begin their shoot. Blaine confronts Sam about his attitude, and Sam reveals that his body is the only thing that makes him special. Blaine tells him that everyone will still love him, even if he lets his body go a little.

In the teacher’s lounge, Finn drops an envelope in front of Sue, claiming he found the magazine. She tells him she has nothing to be ashamed of, and goes to open it, finding it’s not the magazine she thought it was, and Finn pulls out a tape recorder, having caught her confession to posing.

“Checkmate.”

In Emma’s office, Blaine gets Sam to stop by. Emma gives Sam a list of colleges that don’t require SAT or ACTs scores. He says he can’t afford it, but then she pulls out a list of scholarships that only require an essay.

In New York, Rachel is on set of the film, but chokes when it’s time to drop her robe. She doesn’t feel comfortable with all the crew there, but the director won’t dismiss them. So Rachel requests the crew take their shirts off to help her feel more comfortable. But it doesn’t help. She tells the director she’s not ready. The director fires her.

Rachel, Quinn, and Santana sing “Love Song” by Sara Bareilles as the shirtless crew accompany them.

Blaine tries to help Sam on his essay by showing him a video he made of everyone sharing their thoughts on what Sam means to them. Sam is moved to tears and hugs Blaine in appreciation.

Later in the hallway, Sam approaches Artie and says they have two photos they need to fill. He says he doesn’t want to be the only one not shirtless, so Sam tells him that there will be pictures of the other guys fully clothed as well.

The boys end up raising $350 towards their $400 goal.

Jake gives Marley a copy of the calendar with “I Love You” written in it, and she tells him she feels the same. They kiss.

Everyone performs “This is the New Year” by A Great Big World, having a good feeling about this year.