Glee's Lonely Hearts Club

By now, you'd think the kids of William McKinley High would have had enough of silly love songs. But we got a peek at Glee's emotional Valentine's Day episode, and we see that isn't so.

With cupid circling over more than one couple in crisis tonight, glee club director Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) asks his students to express their feelings through song. "My assignment to the kids is to have them perform love ballads," says Morrison. But for some, the holiday will prove painful. "It's high school, so the couplings are sporadic," explains Morrison, "just as it is in any real high school."

Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz), still hung up on Mike (Harry Shum Jr.), croons the classic "My Funny Valentine." "It's really romantic, but quite a scene," warns Ushkowitz. "Get ready for some drama!" For her part, Rachel (Lea Michele) is tired of pining away for Finn (Cory Monteith), especially when she discovers her ex still harbors feelings for Quinn (Dianna Agron). It's a turning point for her character, says Michele: "She decides to go back to being the old Rachel. And rather than being jealous, she becomes Finn's friend and helps him."

It sounds as though Finn will be needing all the help he can get after he sets up a kissing booth to raise money for New Directions' trip to Nationals in New York City — and contracts mononucleosis! But all that smooching has one benefit for Finn: With the girls of McKinley High lined up to suck face with the hunky footballer, Quinn reflects on what they once had before her pregnancy ripped them apart. "Finn was her first high-school boyfriend, her first love, and she messed up terribly," says Agron. "So there's always going to be a little wondering about what could have been."

There's also drama brewing among the boys of Dalton Academy, reveals recent Golden Globe winner Chris Colfer. Having spent weeks obsessing over Blaine (Darren Criss), Colfer's Kurt is about to discover his handsome Warbler crush may not be as perfect as he thought. "Until now, Blaine has been this Prince Charming, but there might be a fall of the king coming up," teases Criss. Colfer goes a little further, hinting that Blaine has a past we don't know about. "It's devastating for Kurt," he says. That will become evident by the dirty looks Kurt flashes to a rival for Blaine's affections.

With audiences wholeheartedly embracing Blaine (Criss' performance of Perry's "Teenage Dream" became one of Glee's top-selling singles), why mess with Kurt's dreamboat? Exec producer Brad Falchuk explains, "If we're going to be spending more time with Blaine, he can't just be this perfect guy. We have to start exploring his demons." Fortunately, Kurt will find some comfort when he cozies up with fellow singles Rachel and Mercedes (Amber Riley) for a Valentine's Day slumber party.

Meanwhile, as Glee continues to crack stereotypes wide open, Puck (Mark Salling) will serenade the club's newest member, Lauren Zizes (Ashley Fink), with Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls," as their previous game of "seven minutes in heaven" perhaps turns into something deeper. "We're going to push this relationship a little and see where it goes," says Falchuk. "They're both hilarious, and it's fun to see Puck with a partner who's tougher than he is."

Artie (Kevin McHale) may be the only guy whose love life seems to be on track. Following on the heels of the show's post—Super Bowl take on "Thriller," he'll again borrow from Michael Jackson's catalog and sing "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" as an expression of his affection for dimwit Britt (Heather Morris). "We're in love, and that's all that matters," says Morris. "Both our characters are handicapped in certain ways."

While the holiday will indeed prove crushing for some, Falchuk offers hints of hope. "Everybody will feel loved by the end of this episode," he promises, likening the unpredictable trajectory of Glee's romantic pairings to Disneyland's Space Mountain. "You can't get upset when there's a sudden drop. But when the ride comes to a stop, hopefully you'll be smiling at the end."

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Additional reporting by Carita Rizzo