| "Journey to Regionals" | |
|---|---|
| Glee episode | |
 | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 22 |
| Directed by | Brad Falchuk |
| Written by | Brad Falchuk |
| Featured music | "Magic / You Raise Me Up" "Faithfully" "Any Way You Want It / Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'" "Don't Stop Believin'" "Bohemian Rhapsody" "To Sir With Love" "Over the Rainbow" |
| Production code | 1ARC21 |
| Original air date | June 8, 2010 |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"Journey to Regionals" is the twenty-second episode and first season finale of the American television series Glee. The episode was written and directed by series creator Brad Falchuk, and premiered on the Fox network on June 8, 2010. In "Journey to Regionals", New Directions performs at Regionals in front of celebrity judges Josh Groban, Olivia Newton-John, Rod Remington (Bill A. Jones) and Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch). Club member Quinn (Dianna Agron) gives birth to her daughter, Beth, whom rival glee club coach Shelby Corcoran (Idina Menzel) adopts. Co-captains Finn (Cory Monteith) and Rachel (Lea Michele) reunite, and director Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) professes his love for guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury (Jayma Mays). Although New Directions comes in last in the competition, Sue persuades Principal Figgins (Iqbal Theba) not to disband the club for another year.
The episode features cover versions of nine songs, seven of which are included on the EP Glee: The Music, Journey to Regionals, released on June 8, 2010. The album charted at number one in America, setting the record for the shortest span between first weeks at the top of the Billboard 200 with different releases, charting only three weeks after the soundtrack album Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers also reached number one. While "Journey to Regionals" is the first episode of Glee to have none of its musical performances released as singles, all six EP tracks charted on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Canadian Hot 100.
"Journey to Regionals" was watched by 10.92 million American viewers and attained the highest finale rating for a new show in the 2009–2010 television season. The episode was the most-watched scripted show of the week of broadcast in the 18-49 demographic, and received generally positive reviews from critics. Emily VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club deemed it among the best of the entire season, and Time's James Ponieowzik felt that the episode was a return to Glee's roots, justifying its renewal for a second season. In contrast, Brett Berk of Vanity Fair felt that "Journey to Regionals" was a mediocre episode, while Jean Bentley of MTV found it uneven, representative of the season as a whole.