‘Glee’ Recap: ‘Extraordinary Merry Christmas’ Brings the Spirit of the Season

'Glee' decked the halls and donned the gayest of apparel for tonight's fabulous 'Extraordinary Merry Christmas' holiday episode, and PopCrush has your recap right here! Isn't that the greatest gift of all? You're welcome!

The opening of the show was like unwrapping the very first present on Christmas morning; Mercedes led us into a top notch rendition of 'All I want for Christmas Is You' that would send Mariah Carey into early retirement. Yeah, we said it. Like a bow on top, it ended with a perfect Rachel/Finn kiss, which truly set the mood.

Poor Rory is spending his first Christmas away from his family back in Ireland, and sings Elvis' classic 'Blue Christmas' in their honor while a packed choir room looks on, decked out in their holiday best. Unfortunately, a handful of them seem to think he's missing the joy of the season and also his Christmas spirit.

Sue approaches New Directions about contributing the ultimate gift of song to the homeless, and they oblige, but only until... PBS approaches about doing a Christmas special on TV. Mr. Schue even wants Artie to act as director, and how can he turn that down? Especially when he already has big plans full of originality. You see, Chewbacca comes to him in a dream and reminds him of the one-and-only 'Star Wars' Christmas special, so the aspiring pro demands a 'Star Wars' theme of his own -- and also a little black-and-white camera action -- and what he's got in store is anything but traditional.

The group sets up a jaw-dropping set filled with lit Christmas trees, lifelike snow and an 'ice' rink, and Rachel breaks it in with the first practice performance, Joni Mitchell's 'River.' Unfortunately, Artie says her depressing song makes him want to kill himself, and that it's just not fit to appear in his show. Honesty is the best policy? And, he's got a different vision: Christmas at Kurt and Blaine's place. Sam tries to intervene, telling the director, "It's the sad things that make you see what's really important," but as Artie reminds him, it's Merry Christmas.

Back in the choir room, Blaine gets his first number of the episode and knocks 'em dead with a 'Glee' original (and Rachel's help) named for the seasonal show itself, 'Extraordinary Merry Christmas.'

As promised, the 'Glee' Christmas special was a show to be seen -- an episode within an episode. Shot with Artie's vision in mind, the cheery club gays, Kurt and Blaine, opened the show with a classic performance of ‘Let It Snow’ (Vaughn Monroe) that was so chilling, we were thanking our lucky stars for crackling fireplaces. A few minutes in, the doorbell rings and Rachel and Mercedes arrive at the house, dressed in their Sunday best. The hosts invite them to deliver a number in the living room, and the foursome gleefully belt out 'My Favorite Things' from 'The Sound of Music.'

When the doorbell rings again, it's Puck and Finn, and for whatever reason they're dressed like Luke Skywalker and Hans Solo. With global warming changing the face of the earth, the girls fear that Santa Claus won't be coming for a visit, but the boys assure them that 'Santa Claus Is Coming to Town' (Bruce Springsteen), complete with drums.

And he does. Sort of. Suddenly, the rest of the New Directions girls march into the house dressed like sexy Mrs. Clauses and skirt around the room with a little ‘Christmas Wrapping’ by the Waitresses. When Rory walks in, he forgets the script, on purpose, to read something that reminds him more of his homeland. Despite the less-than-cheerful attitude, it seems he really does understand that the spirit of Christmas goes deeper than presents and happy singalongs, and no one is too upset.

Elsewhere, at the homeless shelter, Quinn and Sam serve food as a different means of giving, and all seems well. But it wouldn't be a 'Glee' Christmas without the whole gang! As it turns out, Rory's poetic reading about the true meaning brought the rest of the group to then shelter as well, and they came bearing a song better than any caroling singers ever: Band Aid's 'Do They Know It's Christmas?'

Back at school, Finn gives Rachel a Christmas gift; a star named Finn Hudson, because "there's already a star named Rachel Berry." Together, they decide to return their expensive gifts for one another and joined Sam and Rory on the corner to collect money for those who truly need it, which leaves us all feeling warm and fuzzy as the show draws to a close for the season.