Chris Colfer, the Golden Globe award-winning actor (for Glee), New York Times best-selling author (for The Land of Stories book series), and film writer/producer (Struck By Lightning) can now add yet another impressive achievement to his rapidly-growing resume – television screenwriter.

For the first time, Glee recruited one of their own cast members to write an original script for the show, and who better to start with than the multi-talented Colfer! He penned Season 5’s penultimate episode, “Old Dog, New Tricks”, which heavily features two of the young man’s two favourite things in the world: old people and animals (Have you seen the cute pooch Chris just adopted? Say hello to Cooper Colfer!)

Feeling left behind in the midst of his friends’ recent career successes, Kurt finally gets thrown a bone in the form of the lead role in Peter Pan, the musical (after auditioning with a touching rendition of “Memory” from Cats. The quirky catch? It’s a production performed by the Lexington Home for Retired Performers production of Peter Pan, with special guest stars that include 2014 Academy Award nominee June Squibb, Tim Conway, and Billy Dee Williams. The ensemble’s performance of Madonna “Lucky Star” proves that the elderly can have fun and a boy can fly (and me thinks that Mr. Colfer presented his case for being the boy who wouldn’t grow up in NBC’s upcoming live musical event of Peter Pan quite terrifically).

Meanwhile, Rachel’s reputation is in need of repair after bailing on a performance of Funny Girl to read for a television pilot, so Santana (who is now realizing a future in public relations a la Olivia Pope from Scandal) steps in to help restore her image by hosting a charity benefit for rescue dogs, cheekily called “Broadway Bitches”. An inspired performance of Eddie Money’s “Take Me Home Tonight” from the NYC crew and the retirement home performers features a bunch of adorable dogs up for adoption.

Enamoured by the animal shelter dogs (the puppy love is so strong, he, along with Rachel, Mercedes, and Artie, serenades them with “I Melt With You“), Sam adopts a pound pup by the name of McConaughey (alright alright alright), whose unruly behaviour in the apartment he shares with Mercedes lands him in the dog house with his girlfriend. But he and Artie share some nice moments of puppy bonding with McConaughey as they try to train him to become an obedient little dog (“Werewolves of London“).

Colfer’s debut as a TV writer is equal parts hilarious, endearing, and clever. “Old Dog, New Tricks” is guaranteed to make Glee fans laugh, smile, and wish for more storylines created by him. Bravo, Chris on a job well done!