Written by Matthew Hodgson and directed by Bradley Buecker, the episode aired on Fox in the United States on April 17, 2012, and features a tribute to the 1970s movie Saturday Night Fever and its Bee Gees–infused soundtrack.
After seeing that seniors Mercedes (Amber Riley), Santana (Naya Rivera) and Finn (Cory Monteith) are uncertain about what to do with their future, glee club director Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) and Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) attempt to motivate them through the 1970s movie Saturday Night Fever.
Wade Adams (Alex Newell), a transgender student from rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline and a fan of Mercedes and Kurt (Chris Colfer), asks their advice about performing while presenting as female.
They initially caution her against doing so, but Sue later convinces them to tell her to go ahead so that Vocal Adrenaline will lose their Regionals competition and not be competing against them at Nationals.
Mercedes and Kurt later regret this reversal, and go to the competition to renew their original advice, but are stopped by Vocal Adrenaline's director, Jesse St. James (Jonathan Groff).
Her former boyfriend Sam (Chord Overstreet) later shows her a YouTube video that he posted of her choir room performance, which has received very enthusiastic feedback.
Although Rachel, Will and guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury (Jayma Mays) suggest a number of colleges, Finn throws the brochures in the garbage.
"Saturday Night Glee-ver" is the fourth episode in the third season to be directed by co-executive producer Bradley Buecker, and the second to be written by Matthew Hodgson.
[8][9] In addition to Groff and Newell, recurring guest stars appearing in the episode include glee club members Sam Evans (Overstreet) and Joe Hart (Samuel Larsen) and cheerleader Becky Jackson (Lauren Potter).