The episode features the start of a new school year at McKinley High, but Principal Sylvester (Jane Lynch) has disbanded all the arts.

Following the epic failure of the first episode of her semi-autobiographical live TV series, Rachel Berry (Lea Michele) has decided to reinstate the arts and reviving New Directions at McKinley with the help of her best friend Kurt Hummel (Chris Colfer).

Blaine Anderson (Darren Criss) is the coach of the Dalton Academy Warblers, because he started failing all of his NYADA classes and got kicked out after the break-up of his relationship with Kurt Hummel (Chris Colfer).

Returning recurring characters that appear in the episode include McKinley High's ex-principal Figgins (Iqbal Theba), former bully Dave Karofsky (Max Adler), the Superintendent Bob Harris (Christopher Cousins), the showrunner of Rachel's series Lee Paulblatt (Jim Rash), and one of Rachel's dads LeRoy Berry (Brian Stokes Mitchell).

Three new recurring characters were introduced: the new lead singer of Vocal Adrenaline, Clint (Max George), new student Roderick (Noah Guthrie), and Spencer Porter (Marshall Williams), a gay jock who plays football.

Actress and singer Amber Riley, who plays Mercedes Jones, returns to the main cast in this episode, although she is absent.

Melissa Benoist, Alex Newell, Blake Jenner, Becca Tobin, Jacob Artist, Naya Rivera, and Jenna Ushkowitz (Marley Rose, Wade "Unique" Adams, Ryder Lynn, Kitty Wilde, Jake Puckerman, Santana Lopez, and Tina Cohen-Chang respectively) were demoted to recurring guest stars.

Lauren Hoffman from Vulture said that the episode was "filed by emotion" and that it was "funny, smart, extremely meta, and genuinely touching at time".