7 Days

To read the script for this episode, go to 7 Days.

7 Days is the 7th episode of Season 1 of Glee: NDNG. The script was released on the 13th of June, 2021.

Restarting the Glee Club was Beth's dream, and now her new dream is getting to Nationals, but Coach Stanton's given Beth and the other Cheerios 7 days to prove that they have everything together before she makes them give up Glee Club entirely. Can they handle the pressure? Meanwhile, there’s a new arrival or two, and Beth's still furious at her leading man and crush, Ricky, because she heard him making fun of the Glee Club, but she didn't hear what came after! So, that crush may be dying, but Misty and Jude are only crushing harder to make up for it. Shawn keeps chickening out of taking charge, and James is getting exasperated, Logan's shrinking back into his nerdy shell, and Liam keeps chickening out of going to Math tutoring, but, if he does, he's in for a surprise!

This episode introduces Franky Hawthorn and Reuben Campbell, and Reuben's expectations, which lead to tension between the two, and continues the plot of Ricky making fun of the Glee Club, the Cheerios struggling to find a balance, Liam's problem with Math, and Shawn's trouble taking charge.

## Plot

We open on Beth walking to school, nowhere near as perkily as usual. Quentin is concerned, fussing over her until he sees Lyra. Beth insists that he go talk to them. She pops various legal pills in her locker, until she's caught by Ricky. A parallel of the last episode ensues, with Ricky offering to take Beth's stuff and even singing It Must Be Love. Beth is embarrassed. She throws his letterman jacket back in his face and leaves. Franky and Reuben witness the scene, mid-conversation. When Reuben leaves, Franky and Misty get talking. Franky is cagey about how he knows Reuben. Watching the scene furiously, Jude is about to go over, but Liam stops him, because they're only talking and Jude and Misty aren't even together. Both are going to catch each other up on missed rehearsals but Jude decides against it, deciding to ask Misty instead. Liam reminds him that he's still in trouble for laughing with the jocks. Franky grows less cagey with Misty when the conversation turns to music, then Glee Club. With some convincing from her and Viola, he agrees to consider joining. Misty leaves, leaving Franky staring after her.

In the teacher's lounge, Shawn keeps the others updated on the Ricky and Beth situation. Winstanley is confused by how he and Ivan know so much about their students' lives, and is dismissive of the idea of trusting high schoolers and being involved in their problems. James enters, to Shawn's delight, and he gives the latest update from the previous scene. Both are worried for Beth. Reuben enters, immediately getting into conflict with Winstanley over whether the arts are valid subjects and a viable career. Reuben says they have no benefit, Winstanley says they have more than learning about old dead bigots. He boasts about a talented student of his (presumably Logan), then exits to supposedly plan a lesson. Ivan is incredulous. Everyone else soon makes their excuses and goes (Shawn and James together). Ivan doesn't make excuses, but he still goes, leaving Reuben alone.

Shawn and James walk to the former's classroom, discussing Reuben. James is glad Shawn briefly defended the school, and wants to see more of the same confidence from him, especially in helping the club. Shawn is resistant, but James insists, before he goes. When the sophomores come in, Shawn has to enlist Quentin's help to make them be quiet. Shawn asks Liam about the Math tutoring, and Liam reluctantly admits that he didn't go. When he goes to his seat, he insists that nothing's wrong, before Aubri can say anything. Shawn and Liam sing Coward in a dream sequence, backed up by the sophomores, like accusatory muses. The class advances on both of them, taunting them, yet even in his imagination, Liam brushes Aubri off. It's Quentin who eventually calls them off. Both are relieved that they only imagined it.

In Reuben's first class with the juniors, he's hard on a distracted Beth, who was late. Ricky leaps to her defence, until she tells him to stop. Meanwhile, Misty is cold with Jude, to his confusion, but she still agrees to help him catch up, once he's apologised. They flirt for a while, then conversation turns to Beth. Even Misty isn't sure she'll be okay.

As the juniors leave History, Ricky tries to check on Beth, but she tells him to leave her alone. Misty and Jude see Franky, and Jude's still jealous. When the jocks from the previous episode start talking about Reuben, Franky defends him and is slushied for his trouble, just as Reuben appears. That's when it's revealed that Franky's his son. The culprits run away. Franky's embarrassed, less than thrilled that their relation's been revealed. He goes to wash the slushy out, while doing a voiceover explaining that the same thing seems to happen at every school he goes to. It's implied that he has a crush on Misty, but he thinks she's dating Jude. He tries to quietly make his way into Music, but Winstanley immediately notices. He thinks he's seen Franky before, but Franky says he's new. When the class starts, Winstanley's impressed by Franky's guitar skills and they start chatting. Winstanley's sympathetic to him for having Reuben as a father. He also tries to get Franky to join the Glee Club, but Franky's resistant because of what Reuben might think.

During cheer rehearsals, Damien showers Beth with sympathy, but she says she's sick of pity. Oddly, Ophelia seems to have the approach she likes best. Isabel hopes they've given up on Glee, but Damien says otherwise. Isabel tells them they have 7 days to prove their full commitment to the Cheerios, or they'll be kicked off the team. Damien purely worries about not seeing Liam, Ophelia pretends she isn't freaked out, and Beth is in shock. She throws herself into rehearsal, but the shock doesn't go away.

In the choir room, Misty checks on a quiet Logan. Magnolia soon puts a stop to their conversation, lying to get Logan's attention. She makes him say she's prettier than Misty. Ivan and Shawn come in, and Ophelia tells Ivan everything Isabel said, as well as asking him to check on Beth. He assures her he'll handle everything. When he tries to talk to Beth, she cheerfully brushes him off. When Lyra references the events of Invitationals, Quentin is quick to defend Beth, then says that they won't get far with traitors like Ricky on the team. Beth agrees, announcing that anyone who isn't committed to the club has the chance to leave. No one does. Beth and Misty sing Love Song, the former directing it at Ricky, the latter using it to flirt with Jude. (Franky watches from the doorway.) During their standing ovation, Ricky is greatly enthusiastic, but Jude doesn't even stand, though he *clearly* loved it.

After rehearsal, Misty asks Jude what he thought of the performance. Jude feigns disinterest. The subject turns to Franky, who Jude knows likes Misty. Misty wonders why he cares. Jude tells her how she draws people in and wonders if it's all real. Misty says yes, but Jude tells her that everyone's acting. He even quotes Shakespeare, convincing Misty that she understands him even less, let alone his feelings. To make things clearer, Jude sings Dancing's Not A Crime, though he deliberately leaves out 'I want to be your boyfriend' to Misty's exasperated amusement. The catch-up continues as if nothing happened.

Franky rushes to Reuben's car, late, lying that he was catching up on work with some friends. Reuben's glad to hear it. They discuss extracurriculars, but they have very different ideas for them. Reuben is immediately dismissive of the Glee Club, sure it won't get them anywhere in life. He calls Franky an idealist and warns him to stay away from the club. Franky defends Winstanley when Reuben criticises him.

The next day, Beth goes to her locker in much the same fashion as the day before, but without Ricky tailing her. Damien is concerned by the look of her, but protects her feelings, as well as trying to protect her from Ricky, but Beth sends him away to get her a water. Ricky is equally worried and continues trying to explain everything, but Beth won't listen. As she starts to leave, Ricky sings If I Could Turn Back Time. Beth soon turns back to join/argue.

At the next rehearsal, Liam's looking over Math homework, Damien watching him. Despite his father's warning, Franky enters, to Winstanley and Misty's delight. Beth arrives late and unprepared, tripping in the doorway then zoning out as she tries to talk to Shawn., but she refuses to sit rehearsal out. During the first runthrough, she entirely misses her cue, to her own horror and Quentin's confusion. The second try is better, until Beth stops everything, insisting that it's wrong, despite no one else (except Magnolia) being able to find anything wrong with it. The club soon break into an argument, only Shawn and Ivan checking on Beth until she starts passing out. Ricky catches her, then moves away, leaving her watching him longingly while everyone else fusses. Her close friends notice. In the commotion, Reuben notices Franky. Beth insists that she can't go home because she has cheer rehearsal, but James won't hear it.

When James leaves the nurse's office to call Shelby, Ricky enters. Beth isn't happy, but she lets him sit with her anyway. When he tries to explain again, Beth starts to argue, until it takes a toll on her. Ricky immediately stops defending himself, more concerned about her, but Beth says they can still fight. Ricky refuses. He wonders what Beth's secret is, and she tells him about the (legal) stimulants. Beth confesses just how burnt out she is, leaning on Ricky's shoulder. When James re-enters, he's surprised to find Ricky, and even more surprised when Beth says that Ricky can stay. Despite not forgiving him, she says she doesn't hate him.

At dinner, Reuben is cold with Franky, to his confusion. Franky continues to lie about where he was and what he was doing. Reuben brings up the incident in Glee Club, both pretending they didn't witness it. Reuben says the club's nothing but bad news, and Franky nearly gives the game away by saying Beth's name. Reuben preaches about honesty and trust, before revealing that he saw Franky. Franky tries to defend it. During the conflict, we find that he was expelled from a previous school. He storms to his room, where he starts singing Snow in Venice, ending in the auditorium. He's surprised to find that Winstanley was watching. They talk, starting with Franky revealing that he was adopted, which has a strange effect on Winstanley. Franky tells him what his father said at dinner, angering Winstanley. He insists Franky has too much talent to waste, and tells him he doesn't have to do everything his father says. Franky agrees to come back to the club.

In Beth's bedroom, she's frantically writing rehearsal notes, but she gives up, singing Under Attack, backed up by Franky. She continues writing, until Ricky comes in, to her surprise. He gently takes her notebook away, reminiscing. The two chat, on better terms, but it soon goes back to before. Ricky's just about to start explaining when Shelby enters. Both go to hide Beth's notebook, their hands touching as they do so. Neither pull away, and Shelby notices. Shelby knows all about recent events, but she's more amused than anything by the situation. When she leaves, Beth lets Ricky explain. A flashback reveals that he DID defend the club. He's mad at himself for not doing enough, but Beth forgives him. When Beth asks about Glee, Ricky's cagey but excited.

When Beth returns to school and the choir room, she finds Ricky and Quentin leading the club through a number, with Shawn's help. When they catch her watching, they're insistent that she can't yet, until Ricky's got them into position for Since U Been Gone. The performance moves Beth to tears, concerning Ricky greatly, so he's relieved to be told that they're happy-tears. Quentin pulls them both into a group hug, before pulling away, though Ricky and Beth continue, Ricky kissing her forehead. When they remember themselves, Beth tells the club to run the number from the top.