The Finn-Will Relationship, most commonly known as Winn, Fill, or Hudster, was the teacher-student relationship and father-son-like friendship between Finn Hudson and Will Schuester.
Overview
Finn's first interaction with Will is in Pilot, the first episode of Season One, when Will blackmails Finn into joining the New Directions. Since then, the two have shared a "father-son"-type relationship. In Season Four, their bond grows closer as Finn decides to help coach the Glee Club with Will, even taking over when Will goes to Washington.
Episodes
After Rachel tells Will to find a new male lead for New Directions, Will tries to recruit some football players, which he doesn't succeed at at first. Will then overhears Finn singing Can't Fight This Feeling in the shower and ends up blackmailing Finn into joining New Directions by planting marijuana in his locker. (Pilot)
Finn gets annoyed that the New Directions want to hire Dakota Stanley instead of Will as a show choir director. He then informs Will that he is thinking about quitting Glee as he is being called names by the football team and that his reputation is going down. Will tells him to stay in Glee at least a while longer as he is a good performer. He also says that if Finn quits the club, he'll regret it for the rest of his life because Will has been there. Finn then admits that Glee isn't fun anymore. Before he leaves the classroom, Will calls him back and says that he wants to talk to him about something. In the choir room, Will tries to teach Puck and Finn dance moves, but when it's Finn's turn to practice the choreography, he trips. After Will helps them master the choreography, Finn joins Acafellas. Right before they perform I Wanna Sex You Up together, Will adjusts Finn's bowtie, and Finn thanks Will for believing in him. (Acafellas)
Finn comes to Will and cries in Preggers.
After finding out about Quinn's pregnancy, Finn cries in Will's arms. Will ends up taking Finn out to dinner and offers Finn his support. Will mentions to his wife that he feels so bad for Finn and reveals Quinn's pregnancy to her. Finn also asks Will to coach the football team at dancing as he believes that it'll make them better players, and as a result, it will increase his chances of securing a football scholarship. (Preggers)
Quinn runs out of the choir room with morning sickness and Will turns to look at Finn as soon as she's gone.
Finn voices his concerns over Quinn dancing around so much not being good for the baby. Will gets it and offers to give Tina a few of her verses. Finn appreciates it. Then Will suggests Finn telling his mom about what's going on. Will reveals that Finn and Quinn are having a baby to Emma, even though he's not supposed to reveal that secret. (The Rhodes Not Taken)
Will notices that Finn looks drowsy and shows concern towards him by asking if he is okay. Finn simply tells Will that he is worn out.
After Finn and the rest of the guys perform It's My Life/Confessions Part II, Will is blown away by how amazing they were and he even touches Finn's chest as he's congratulating them. (He doesn't touch any of the other guys - only Finn.) (Vitamin D)
During Puck's performance of Sweet Caroline, Will nudges Finn. After choosing football over Glee, Will tries to get Finn to come back to New Directions. Will states that out of all the students he has ever taught, Finn reminds him the most of himself. Finn later rejoins the New Directions. He proposes a toast to Mr. Schue, saying he was right about football and glee being a killer combination. Will also tells him, "We are glad to have you back, Finn" and touches Finn's shoulder lovingly when he says it. (Mash-Up)
When Finn finds out that Quinn was lying to him, Will tries to get him to calm down. After he storms out, Will goes to find him and asks him to return to the group. Finn, still hurting, demands to know why he has to be the bigger man and wishes that things could go back to how they were before everything with Glee. Will tells him cryptically, You Can't Always Get What You Want and leaves his car keys behind. Finn goes to Sectionals, takes charge, and organizes the group. (Sectionals)
Will goes to each of the New Directions in turn and asks Finn why he stopped singing. Finn replies that it's because he started giving all the male leads to Jesse instead of him and that it shook his confidence. After Finn performs Jessie's Girl, Will congratulates him and says that New Directions should be inspired by his bravery. (Laryngitis)
Finn knocks on Will's open office door and is welcomed in. Will starts excitedly telling Finn about what he's found out online about Lady Gaga, but Finn doesn't want to do Lady Gaga. He doesn't like how they always do what the girls want to do. Will realizes Finn is right. Finn already has an idea for what the guys can do for their theatricality assignment instead. (Theatricality)
After the egging incident, Will stops Finn and the rest from attacking Vocal Adrenaline, by saying that violence isn't the answer. (Funk)
Before New Directions perform at Regionals, Will tries to motivate them by saying that they have something the other teams don't have and during this he makes fun of Finn's dancing ability. Also, before New Directions perform To Sir, With Love, Finn states that Will is like a father figure to him. (Journey)
When Finn gets kicked off the football team, Will sticks up for him saying he was only trying to help his handicapable friend. He also says that Finn is a good kid. When Will realizes that Coach Beiste only did it because of the way he acted towards her, he tells her not to take it out on Finn but instead of resolving the issue, Coach Beiste storms out of the room. Will then looks over at Finn showing concern and Finn looks worried still. By the end of the episode Finn is still not on the football team. (Audition)
Finn makes an announcement in front of New Directions and suggests to Will that they could pay tribute to Jesus in their music performances. Will says to the rest of New Directions that the songs don't have to about Jesus but they have to be songs involving spirituality. Will tells New Directions that Finn has become quarterback again and looks extremely chuffed about it. After performing Losing My Religion, Will is confused and mentions that Finn used to feel differently towards religion at the beginning of the week and Finn responds with "I used to think God was up there looking over me. Now I'm not so sure" showing that he may have given up on religion. (Grilled Cheesus)
Principal Figgins calls Will into his office because Finn walked down tha hallways only in briefs, his Rocky Horror costume. Will asks Finn why he did that and Finn explains to him. After facing suspension from Principal Figgins, Will tells Finn to leave the room. Then Will manages to get Finn's suspension reduced completely. (The Rocky Horror Glee Show)
Before Will announces who they'll be up against at Sectionals, he asks Finn for a drum roll and Finn obliges. (Never Been Kissed)
When New Directions try to get Will his job back, Finn says "Mr. Schue is the only teacher at this school who asks how your doing and actually wants to hear an answer." He also smiles when Will is given his job back. (The Substitute)
Finn shows annoyance with Quinn when she deliberately chooses to ignore the purpose of the acceptance assignment that Will has set. Finn then says he likes this lesson and starts performing I've Gotta Be Me. When he is finished, Will points out that Finn isn't afraid to show something they he is really bad at. Finn asks if he has gotten better at dancing but Will doesn't answer him. (Born This Way)
Finn lacks confidence, when it comes to dancing at Booty Camp, saying that he can't do the moves but Will tries to encourage him, saying that he knows Finn can do it. Eventually, Finn manages to learn at least some of the choreography to improve his dancing and when he finishes, he hugs Will. (I Am Unicorn)
Will and Finn are seen sitting together and watching The Troubletones perform Candyman. (Pot o' Gold)
A promo for this episode shows Finn talking to Will, in which he tells him that he loves Rachel and that he thinks they are ready to take the next step in their relationship. Even though this scene was cut from the episode it is presumed that Finn was going to Will for advice. (The First Time)
Finn says that New Directions need to bring Sam Evans back to help them win at Sectionals. Will says that no-one even knows where he is because he transferred. Then, Finn informs Will that Sam is living not that far away and he knows where he is living because Sam has Facebook. (Hold on to Sixteen)
He informs Will that he has met with a recruiter for the army, and that he just wants to do something special, like his dad. Will says he understands. Later on, Finn gets a bit angry with Will as he has already informed Carole and Burt about Finn's army plans for the future without consulting him first. (Yes/No)
Will performs La Cucaracha during a Spanish Class and Finn is one of the class members who assists him. Later on after performing Bamboleo/Hero, Will asks the New Directions boys why they are wearing boots and Finn informs him that David has been teaching them about Latin culture. Before Will performs A Little Less Conversation, Finn asks him why he is wearing a costume and Will responds by telling him he is an authentic Spanish Matador. (The Spanish Teacher)
Finn joins in when the New Directions say "Disco Sucks" and when they have been set the assignment he also says "c'mon Mr Schue, that's like something our parents would listen to." Also, some of the graduating seniors don't have future plans, so Will tries to help them by setting up a dance competition. Will selects three finalists, one of which is Finn (who looks rather shocked about it) and calls them into a classroom to confront them about what they want to do with their lives. Later on in Emma's office, Will is one of the people who assists Finn who gets handed several college applications. After Will notices that Finn threw all of them in the trash, he confronts Finn and takes him into an empty classroom. He hands the pamphlets that Finn threw out back to him. Finn tells Will he doesn't want to go to college because he feels that he isn't qualified enough to do anything. Finn also tells Will that he wants to feel the rush he does when he's on the field, or performing. Will then puts on Saturday Night Fever and tells Finn that he actually knows what he wants to do, but is worried about what people will think. He then leaves Finn to watch the video and after watching Finn makes a decision about his future. (Saturday Night Glee-ver)
When Will goes backstage to give New Directions their final pep talk, Finn stops him and takes over. He speaks on behalf of the New Directions and says that all the members want to win Nationals for Will after the kids had talked about it the night before the competition. Finn then says that even though Principal Figgins is awarding Teacher of the Year, Will is more like Teacher of a Lifetime to them. Later on Finn (along with Rachel) awards "Teacher of the Year" to Will. He then makes a speech in which he recalls that three years ago, he thought he had everything. This changed when he met Will and realized all he was missing. He praises Will for teaching his students how to dream and adds "As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing more important than that." During the performance of We Are the Champions, Finn pulls Will onto the stage to collect his award. The two then hug one another during the song for quite a long time. (Nationals)
Finn goes back to McKinley after visiting Rachel in New York. Broken-hearted about what has happened in New York, he is welcomed by Will and New Directions with open arms. Finn tells Mr. Schue about everything that happened to him in the army and with Rachel. In Finn's imagination, they sang The Scientist together with Emma, Santana, Brittany, Rachel, Kurt, and Blaine. (The Break-Up)
After the auditions for this year's musical, Grease, the eavesdropping Sue Sylvester hears the casting and immediately calls Will and Finn to Figgins' office. The issue Sue has is about Unique being cast as Rizzo. Finn defends their decision as to that Wade dresses and identifies as a girl. Will supports this by telling them that Shakespearean plays have had actors playing female roles and that Finn and Artie are entrusted to run the musical this year. Sue still doesn't agree and insults Finn. Finn stands up and reminds Sue about how they worked together but then accidentally calls Sue's baby a retard.
Finn told Will how much he liked helping to make children's dreams come true. Will responds to that telling him that it's called being a teacher. He advised Finn to stop calling him Mr. Schue and start calling him Will instead. Will liked what he saw in Figgins' office and invites Finn to be his replacement while he goes to Washington. (The Role You Were Born to Play)
Will tells the New Directions that he is leaving for Washington and about Finn taking over glee club. Overhearing Will's announcement about leaving and having Finn as replacement, Sue again asks them to go to the principal's office.
Sue points out that Finn can't take over glee, due to him not being a teacher. Will, in defense of Finn, tells her that Glee isn't a class and just an extracurricular activity. Finn tells everybody that he'll work harder and he'll take over for free. Seeing Figgins' approval, Sue leaves with rage. (Glease)
Despite Will not being in the episode, there are several parallels. Finn stops the fight between Jake and Ryder while Will stopped several fights (Santana and Quinn/Finn and Sam). Finn also used the diorama set that Will used in Saturday Night Glee-ver. At the end of the episode, he even used the show choir group circle with New Directions. (Dynamic Duets)
Finn is glad to see that Will made it to Sectionals. They both immediately rush to the stage after Marley collapses during the performance. (Thanksgiving)
Finn and Will are distressed as both of them help Marley and look at her in the choir room. Will talks about the New Directions maybe being disqualified, but Sue crushes them as she tells them that the Warblers have already claimed victory, leaving everyone, including Finn and Will, shocked. Both of them reassure the Glee Club that although the season is over, there's plenty of time to practice for next year leaving Sam to ask, "What about some of us that don't have a next year?" This leaves Will and Finn speechless. When Sue calls Finn and Will to the office, she asks for the key to the choir room, but Will doesn't want to give it. Eventually Finn gives in and hands the keys to her. When Finn packs up the choir room, he looks at the portrait of Lillian Adler (the former head of the Glee Club at McKinley) like Will did in the Pilot episode. (Swan Song)
In Artie's dream, Finn is still attending McKinley and still playing football, and Will is still the Spanish teacher but is also relying heavily on alcohol. Since glee club was never created, Finn never got the support and father-figure that he was missing in his life and wasn't able to help him with Quinn's pregnancy and his low grades. Also, Finn was never able to give Will the motivation he needed to not only be a good teacher, but a good leader. (Glee, Actually)
While talking to Rachel in Lima Bean, Finn considers telling Will about kissing his fiancée, Emma, and screams that because of it he is the worst person in the world. Later, while talking to Emma, he tells her that he feels guilty about the kiss and that he wants to tell Will about it, but Emma talks him out of doing so and when Will walks in on them talking he kisses Emma in front of Finn and you can clearly see Finn looking uncomfortable and confused and then invited Finn to go with him in the choir room.
Finn asks Will how's it going finding Emma and Will tells him that no luck for now and that he doesn't have any leads. Finn asks what else he has been up to, because he's worried about him. Will tells him that he can't force him to do anything and now it is the time to take a step back and give Emma some space and that on the meantime, he's been catching up on a lot of old movies. Will tells Finn that if Emma really wants to be with him, she'll come back on her own. Finn asks Will how is him sitting in front of TV going to help her to come back, to which Will replies that he knows she's hurt, but he's hurt, too, and that he really appreciates Finn's concern, but tells him that it's time to leave it alone, to which Finn disagrees and tells him that it's time to take action, but Will just walks away. Later, to help Will, Finn goes for help to Sue and Artie. Since Sue doesn't want to help, Artie comes up with the idea of asking Emma's parents, but since they don't like people who aren't gingers, they pretend to be gingers and create a ginger club, which helps them find out where Emma is staying. Later, when boys are performing Old Time Rock & Roll/Danger Zone and girls are performing Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend/Material Girl, they are seen watching the performances together. Later, Finn runs into Will's office and tells him that he's found Emma and that she's been staying at her sister's house and tells him to go to her. Will says that he thinks Emma's made it pretty clear that she doesn't want to see him, to which Finn replies that he has to make her want to see him. Finn tells him that he doesn't have a choice, because if he wants to get her back, he has to do it now, because later there will be no chances left.
Later, Finn and New Directions sing In Your Eyes with Will, which implies that Will took Finn's advice and went after Emma.
In the wake of Finn's death, Will is seen in the teacher's lounge with Shannon, Sue and Emma. Emma looks devastated as she says that she cleared her entire schedule for students and faculty who need grief counceling, but not a single person has shown up yet. When Sue announces that she planted a tree in exactly the same location she caught Finn and Quinn making out for the first time, Will rolls his eyes in exasperation. He admits that Finn was "their" quarterback. In Glee rehearsal, he tells everybody that they have a chance to honor Finn by singing about it. He later comes into Emma's office, who tells him that she noticed something, even while at Finn's funeral: he didn't cry. (The Quarterback)
Talking to Sam in his office, Will says that Finn transformed the glee club when he joined it, and that Finn was their secret weapon. And that when Finn recruited Sam, he was looking for someone who could replace him once he graduated. Then Carole and Burt arrive and Carole mentions that Finn always said winning Nationals was the greatest accomplishment of his life. Carole looks at Will as she says it. Later, after Will takes the glee club to Los Angeles, the kids deal with Finn's memory and the plaque with Finn's portrait on it being stolen. Sam makes a speech on the school bus about how the plaque doesn't matter because Sam believes that Finn is there with them, and that when they're up on stage Finn will be sitting right next to Mr. Schue, cheering them all on. Will hears this and is shown smiling. Later, when Carole and Burt don't seem to be showing up for their Nationals performance and the kids are disappointed, Will says they're with them in spirit - just like Finn. Burt and Carole do show up at the last minute and they mention Finn in front of Will. The New Directions perform Finn's favorite songs, and during the third and final song in their Nationals set, the one that is supposed to be Finn's favorite song, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, a few flashbacks of Finn are shown, including Finn crying into Will's arms in Preggers. Will is implied to be thinking about that moment as he watches the performance from off stage. Sam holds up drumsticks in Finn's honor at the end of the performance and then everyone is excited after it's over, proud of themselves, except Will notices that Sam is not with the group. Sam is too sad, clearly over Finn, and Will comforts him. Back in Lima, Sam hangs the plaque back up on the glee classroom wall and Carole and Burt, along with the glee kids, discuss Finn and their loss at Nationals. Will is in the room during all of this. (City of Angels)
Glee club is being disbanded and Sue plans to take over the choir room, so Puck asks if he could get Finn's plaque when they clear the place out. Will says the plaque is staying put. Later, Will decides to move Finn's plaque into the auditorium, next to Lillian's, and he calls this their new and final resting places. Will mentions how he has the memory of the people on the wall. He starts to cry and the Glee kids hug him. (100)
When the kids begin to perform Don't Stop Believin' as a gift/goodbye for Mr. Schue, Rachel sings the first line, and then where Finn would've sang the second line years ago, Kurt instead steps in. At this moment, Will smiles and looks up toward the ceiling, implying he is thinking about Finn in heaven. As Will Schuester says goodbye to the Glee choir room forever, it is shown that he is hearing the memory of Finn's voice, among the other Glee kids, in his head. (New Directions)
Will flies out to New York in order to see Rachel's opening night Broadway performance. He meets her in a back room and hugs her, tells her he always knew she'd end up here, and Rachel makes a comment about how "apparently some dreams do come true". He looks down at her Finn necklace and agrees, "apparently". She then touches it and tells Will she got him a seat tonight, and she knows it's weird but she'd always promised she'd get him a ticket. Will assures her it's not weird, it's lovely. She mentions that it's gonna be hard to get through the last song because she always thinks about Finn when she sings it. He tells her he's there for her and he's so proud of her, but then he gets a phone call from Emma and finds out she's in labor, so he has to leave and go home. He calls up Rachel the next morning and tells her he's had a baby boy who he's named Daniel Finn Schuester. (Opening Night)
Finn is briefly mentioned, when Will visits Rachel in the office next to choir room, saying he always thought that Finn would take over the club, after he went. (Loser Like Me (Episode))
Rachel reminds Will, who is now at Carmel High School coaching Vocal Adrenaline, how much McKinley High and the New Directions meant to him, trying to convince him to go easy on her newbie team so that they won't get overly discouraged. He looks at the framed portrait of Finn on the wall of the auditorium meaningfully as he agrees to do what Rachel asks. (The Hurt Locker, Part One)Songs
- Sang Together (In a Group Number)
| Song | Episode |
Solos with |
|---|---|---|
| I Wanna Sex You Up | Acafellas | Puck and Sandy |
| Like a Virgin | The Power of Madonna | Emma, Jesse, Rachel, and Santana |
- Related Songs
- Can't Fight This Feeling by REO Speedwagon (Pilot)
- Don't Stop Believin' by Journey (Pilot)
- You Can't Always Get What You Want by The Rolling Stones (Sectionals)
- To Sir, with Love by Lulu. (Journey)
- Sang Together (In a Group Number)
| Song | Episode |
Solos with |
|---|---|---|
| It's All Over | Asian F | Kurt, Mercedes, Mike, Puck, and Santana |
- Related Songs
- Stayin' Alive by The Bee Gees (Saturday Night Glee-ver)
- We Are the Champions by Queen (Nationals)
- Duets
- Sang Together (In a Group Number)
| Song | Episode |
Solos with |
|---|---|---|
| The Scientist | The Break-Up | Blaine, Brittany, Emma, Kurt, Rachel, and Santana |
Trivia
- Both Will and Finn had a storyline which involved a fake pregnancy (Quinn Fabray and Terri Del Monico) in Season One. They both thought they had gotten someone pregnant, though neither was actually getting a child.
- Terri noticed the alikeness between them and even tried to befriend Finn due to this. (Funk)
- They both made a love confession to someone in Journey.
- They both proposed to their girlfriends in Yes/No.
- Both have kissed Emma.
- Rachel has been romantically interested in both of them.
- Finn thought that Will was cool for putting the drugs into his locker in Pilot. (Goodbye)
- Both of them have had a grudge against Sue at some point or another.
- They both have coached the Glee Club at some point.
- A deleted scene from Season Four between Finn and Will can be watched here.
Gallery
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Glee Relationships | ||||
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Character relationship(s) displayed:
Adam
Artie
Becky
Betty
Blaine
Bree
Brittany
Brody
Burt
Cassandra
Chandler
Cooper
Dani
Dave
Elliott
Emma
Finn
Holly
Jake
Joe
Kitty Kurt
Lauren
Mario
Marley
Mercedes
Mike
Millie
Puck
Quinn
Rachel Rory
Roz
Ryder
Sam
Santana
Sebastian
Shannon
Shelby
Sue
Sugar
Sunshine
Tina
Terri
Unique
Will
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Finn-Will Relationship
Will-Finn Relationship
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