The heart-pumping hour picks up pretty much where last week’s week’s penultimate episode left off — with the plane carrying Derek, Meredith, Lexie, Mark, Cristina and Arizona crash landing in the middle of nowhere.

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Press PLAY below to watch the chaotic opening minutes of the Season 8 swan song and then say a nice little prayer for the victims in the comments section below!

Click here to view the embedded video.

PHOTOS AND VIDEO | Fall TV Preview — Your Guide to What’s New!

Among new shows, the Sherlock Holmes-esque Elementary will air Thursdays at 10 pm after Person of Interest, while the Michael Urie-David Krumholtz comedy Partners has been slotted after How I Met Your Mother on Mondays.

RELATED | Fall TV Preview — Your Guide to What’s New

On tap for midseason: Undercover Boss, as well as new series Friend Me, Golden Boy and Mark Burnett’s latest reality gamble, The Job.

Still TBD: The fate of bubble comedy Rules of Engagement.

RELATED | Fall TV Grid — What’s On When? And Versus What? 

The complete schedule looks like this; new shows are in CAPS, click for details.

MONDAY
8/7c How I Met Your Mother
8:30 pm PARTNERS
9 pm 2 Broke Girls
9:30 pm Mike & Molly
10 pm Hawaii Five-0

TUESDAY
8 pm NCIS
9 pm NCIS: LA
10 pm VEGAS

WEDNESDAY
8 pm Survivor
9 pm Criminal Minds
10 pm CSI

THURSDAY
8 pm The Big Bang Theory
8:30 pm Two and a Half Men
9 pm Person of Interest
10 pm ELEMENTARY

FRIDAY
8 pm CSI: NY
9 pm MADE IN JERSEY
10 pm Blue Bloods

SATURDAY
8 pm Crimetime Saturday

SUNDAY
7 pm 60 Minutes
8 pm The Amazing Race
9 pm The Good Wife
10 pm The Mentalist

NOT RETURNING NEXT SEASON: CSI: Miami, A Gifted Man, How to Be a Gentleman, NYC 22, Rob and Unforgettable.

PREVIEW | Suburgatory Season Finale: The Mother Issues Come Out!

8 pm American Idol (Fox) | It’s Top 3 week and the Idol hopefuls are headed to their hometowns. Check out Michael Slezak’s song suggestions and the most recent episode of Idology!

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9 pm Criminal Minds (CBS) | Two-hour Season 7 finale: Going up against a gang of serial-killing bank robbers in D.C., the BAU tries to negotiate the situation unfolding inside the bank — but the stakes rise when one of their own is taken hostage. Count on the finale ending on a more festive (and bittersweet) note as a wedding takes place and the team bids adieu to Paget Brewster’s Prentiss one more time. Battlestar Galactica‘s Tricia Helfer, Ed‘s Josh Randall and October Road‘s Evan Jones guest-star, although you’ll see quite a few returning guest stars as well…

9 pm Ghost Hunters (Syfy) | Grant Wilson’s last investigation leads to team to Jason and Grant’s very own haunted property: The Spalding Inn. (And that’s what you call full-circle, folks.)

9:30 pm Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 (ABC) | After the success of her confidence lesson, Chloe teaches June how to be dabble in casual encounters. (Hopefully not on Craigslist.) However, Chloe’s sex life catches up to her when her sex tape with James leaks, putting his Dancing With the Stars popularity in jeopardy.

PREVIEW | Revenge‘s Emily VanCamp Teases a ‘Highly Anticipated’ Moment and Big Finale Showdown

10 pm Law & Order: SVU (NBC) | The detectives are drawn into the psychological realm of self-mutilation and ritual amputation (severed leg alert!), investigating two brothers (Sex and the City‘s David Eigenberg and Lost alum Patrick Fischler) in order to link two cases and find a missing woman.

10 pm Hot in Cleveland (TV Land) | If you’re already missing Desperate Housewives, you’re in luck. The late Mike Delfino (James Denton) guest-stars as a handsome truck driver that Joy tries to woo with a CB radio and an alternate personality.

VIDEO | Happily Divorced Sneak Peek: Dan Aykroyd Is Fran’s [Spoiler]!

Which of the above is must-see for you? Also, hit Comments to offer your own tune-in suggestions.

“[The episode] is really juicy,” previews creator Emily Kapnek. “We have a lot of really exciting cliffhangery stuff and interesting plots that we’ve got boiling.”

To make sure we cover them all, let’s take a look at how the children of Chatswin will be honoring the women who gave them life — and what secrets both parties might be harboring!

RELATED | Fall TV Grid: What’s on When? And Versus What?

SHEILA | Because the town loves their moms so much, “Everybody competes to be the most mother-loving and throw the most appreciative Mother’s Day celebration,” says Parker Young, who plays Sheila’s himbo son, Ryan. For his ultracompetitive character, that means “pampering Sheila and making her feel like the queen that she is.” But is she even the mother she claims to be? Ryan’s sis, Lisa, recently discovered an adoption video that their parents made, and she’ll learn something even more shocking in the finale. Here’s a theory: Could Ryan actually be the adopted child? Whatever Lisa finds out will “make for an exciting beginning of the next season with our family,” Young teases. (Oh, and sorry, but since, as the actor notes, “during Mother’s Day, you can’t be chasing girls,” we shouldn’t expect any hints of romance between Tessa and Ryan. But there’s always next season!)

DALLAS | Dalia has been “a little bit stung by [her mom's] relationship with Tessa,” says Kapnek, so look for her to continue to pull away — all the way to Israel, in fact, and without Dallas. “Our finale focuses on a really great moment for Dallas where she realizes that she has to put the same effort into her relationship with Dalia as she does with Tessa. So we will see more Dallas and Dalia in Season 2.” The former Mrs. Royce will even take a cue from her neighbor across the street, George, and try “to have a more meaningful relationship” with her daughter. Good luck with that.

PHOTOS AND VIDEO | Fall TV Preview — Your Guide to What’s New

TESSA’S MOM | It’s actually George’s current squeeze, Eden, who “continues to pick at the mother wound” when Tessa is left feeling a void during the episode’s festivities, reveals Kapnek. While George is satisfied with Tessa’s answer about the poem she wrote earlier this season, “Eden says, ‘Don’t be an idiot. That can’t possibly be all there is.’ And she refuses to let it die.” Thanks to her prodding and probing, “that can of worms” will be opened, setting in motion some new stories for George and Tessa.

“The road is inching us” toward meeting the mom, says Kapnek. And when we do, “we want to see this woman and understand in a heartbeat, almost at first glance, why she and George wouldn’t work together. … We talk about what kind of neurotic mess would she be. Is she sort of quirky? Is she an artist? Is she immature? And what kind of a person is too narcissistic to be able to put your kid before [yourself]?”

Though Emily VanCamp isn’t spilling – we’ve got our theory — she does reveal that it will lead to a scene that will make a certain ‘shipper group very happy.

RELATED | Fall TV Grid: What’s on When? And Versus What?

In the episode titled “Grief,” “One of the most beautiful moments of the season happens between Jack and Emily, and it’s a moment that’s been highly anticipated,” she tells TVLine. The (let’s call them “estranged”) childhood pals, while dealing with a painful loss, come together “out of despair and sadness, and it has to do a little bit with the big grave that I’m digging,” says the actress.

So by the end of next week’s season finale, will Emily finally choose between her former love and her current fiancé, Daniel? Well, there wouldn’t be much of a love triangle if she did, but she will open up her heart – to viewers. “There’s a lot more clarity as to who she feels for, and what her intentions are,” previews VanCamp.

PHOTOS AND VIDEO | Fall TV Preview — Your Guide to What’s New

Besides, Emily will have more important things on her mind in the season-ender than matters of the heart. Like, that little revenge scheme of hers.

“[The finale is] very focused on the white-haired man played by James Morrison (24), who is amazing,” she raves. “He’s the nicest guy to work with, and he plays a great villain. We really duke it out in the finale, in a big way.”

RELATED | ABC Schedule Revealed: Revenge Moving to Sunday

The mystery man, first spied in one of David Clarke’s prison photos, is crucial as he has “some key information and is responsible for some very key elements of the story,” VanCamp teases. He will also set the stage for next season’s elevated level of vengefulness.

“What his character does is broaden the whole spectrum of revenge. Suddenly it’s not just me trying to get revenge on the Graysons; it’s this massive community of people who are responsible for [bringing David Clarke down], [Emily] realizes at the very end. It’s going to be a very, very good Season 2.” (With reporting by Matt Mitovich)

To think that an assembly of lookie-loos almost threw a wrench in this TV season’s most romantic reunion.

Because as excited as Once Upon a Time stars Ginnifer Goodwin and Josh Dallas were to film the season-ending epiphany reached by Storybrooke’s Mary Margaret and David — that they really are Snow White and Prince Charming — precautions had to be taken to make sure game-changing moment didn’t leak out sooner than expected.

“Oh my gosh, it was incredibly intimidating,” Goodwin tells TVLine of shooting the momentous moment when Mary Margaret and David realize their true identities, thanks to the dark curse being (partially) lifted by Emma. “And what made me very nervous about that scene was we had a huge crowd of people watching us film [in the town of Steveston, BC], so I was very concerned that we were giving something away by yelling each others’ names across the street.”

As such, Goodwin suggested that she and Dallas instead use nonsense words that to the camera would look like they’re saying “Snow” and “Charming,” then drop in the real names in post-production. But for one, the likes of “Marming” (an example she gave) weren’t quite cutting it. And two, the director and crew, she says, “ended up feeling that the crowds of people couldn’t actually hear us, given all of the elements.”

RELATED | Season Finale Ratings: Once Upon a Time Hits a 10-Week High

Dallas, meanwhile, says that he wasn’t nervous about the scene but instead was caught up in the “joyous” significance of it.

“That was the biggest moment of all [Season 1], particularly for David and Mary Margaret,” he says, “because it’s them all of a sudden realizing who they actually are. All of these memories come flooding back of who they are in fairytale land and their history there – but combined with the new history that they have in Storybrooke. When all of that came together, it hit them like a ton of bricks.”

RECAP | Once Upon a Time Season 1 Finale: Something Bad Is Coming

So to answer one question coming out of the finale, yes, Mary Margaret and David now know who they really are but also retain memories of their brief yet significantly angsty time together there in Maine. Which is good, because, well, someone has to teach the school kids, right? And you can’t leave Granny confounded at the diner by an electric mixer.

“We don’t know anything about what’s truly going to happen next season,” Goodwin acknowledges, “but from what I understand, our characters will remember everything about both worlds, so it will be a whole new show!”

RELATED | Glee (Hour 1) Recap: Being (Rachel) Is Believin’

If you happened to be suffering from Amazonian dengue fever or the H1N1 supervirus and weren’t able to tune in, here’s what you missed on Glee:

* After a series of slight setbacks — food poisoning for Mercedes, a fist fight between Puck and Sam over committment to choreography, and a “death slot” of having to go first — New Directions took the stage at Natioals and completely killed it with a 1-2-3 punch of “Edge of Glory,” “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now,” and “Paradise by the Dashboard Light.” (Yeah, that last ditty is dreadful, and awfully sexual for a high-school show-choir set — then again, Glee is never too worried about age-appropriateness of its musical numbers — but Finn and Rachel pulled a Tim Gunn and made it work.)

* Vocal Adrenaline lived up to its name, too, putting Unique front and center for renditions of “Starships” and “Pinball Wizard” with choreography so dazzling poor Rachel was left with her mouth agape in the audience. Of course, the transgender teen wouldn’t have even taken the stage had it not been for an emotional boost — and lipstick advice — from competitors Kurt and Mercedes.

* The good karma from that act paid off when judges Lindsay Lohan, Perez Hilton, and 51st Ward Alderman Martin Fong chose New Directions as the National Show Choir Champions over Vocal Adrenaline (while giving the MVP prize to Unique).

* NYADA dean Carmen Thibodeaux succumbed to Rachel’s pleas and showed up for New Directions’ performance, rising to her feet and whistling with delight along with the rest of the audience when their set came to an end. Plus, Vocal Adrenaline coach/Rachel’s ex Jesse put in a good word for Ms. Berry with La Thibodeaux (for whatever it was worth). Looks like Rachel might be heading to her dream school after all, though let’s hope that Kurt being relegated to sub-supporting-player status at Nationals doesn’t hurt him any.

* Mr. Schue got a double reward for his efforts: Being named Teacher of the Year at McKinley High (with an emotional glee club performance of “We Are the Champions” as part of the ceremony) and finding a pamphlet from Emma titled “When It’s Finally Time to Have Intercourse.” Plus, New Directions returned to their school as hometown heroes, receiving a confetti slushie from members of the hockey team! Who’dve thunk it?

Anyhow, now that we’ve covered all the pertinent plot details, let’s review the best quotes from the episode:

“This sniping is as expository as it is wrong.” –Sue, responding to Schue’s comment that she only wanted to help New Directions win Nationals so she could present the $10,000 prize to Figgins and get back sole coaching responsibilities for the Cheerios

“I always go to the yelling place: I have rage.” –Santana, apologizing for shouting to end the Sam-Puck fight

“Most people don’t realize I lost 10 pounds during that performance.” –Jesse, discussing his legendary Nationals rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody”

“Wait? This thing isn’t even televised?” –a game Lindsay Lohan, appalled to discover that her gig as Nationals judge wouldn’t do much to boost her public image

“I wish everyone would wait until they were at least 29 years old, with solid employment and a 401K retirement plan.” –Principal Figgins, offering his views on teen marriage

“Thank you, Mrs. Hagberg: Go softly into that good night.” –Principal Figgins, offering unintentionally ominous good wishes to a retiring colleague

Plus, Mrs. Hagberg touting her upcoming episodes of Intervetion and Hoarders in her retirement speech

And now, onto letter grades for the episode’s musical numbers!

The Troubletones, ‘Edge of Glory’ Grade: A-

Rachel and New Directions, ‘It’s All Coming Back to Me Now’ Grade: A+ (One of Glee’s five best vocals ever? I say “Yes!”)

Finn, Rachel and New Directions, ‘Paradise By the Dashboard Light’ Grade: A

Unique and Vocal Adrenaline, ‘Starships’ Grade: A

Unique and Vocal Adrenaline, ‘Pinball Wizard’ Grade: B+

New Directions, ‘Tongue Tied’ Grade: A-

New Directions, ‘We Are the Champions’ Grade: A

Now it’s your turn. What did you think of “Nationals”? Was this the best night of music in Glee history? What were your favorite moments? And did New Directions deserve the win? Hit the comments with your thoughts!

Definitely through | Despite being at the bottom of the leaderboard last night after a ghastly mistake twinged her back and adversely affected their scores, Katherine Jenkins and Mark Ballas sailed into the finals on a surge of good will from the voting audience. As Katherine pogoed around the stage in glee at the news, Tom Bergeron noted, “I’m no doctor, but her back looks better now.” William Levy and Cheryl Burke, who performed their samba as the judges’ encore choice, also progressed to next week’s ultimate dance-off.

The rest of the hour | Alanis Morrissette premiered her new single, “Guardian.” (Think more “Thank U” than “You Oughta Know.”) Former DWTS pro Julianne Hough, along with her Rock of Ages co-stars Diego Boneta and Mary J. Blige, performed a medley of songs from the upcoming movie version of the rock musical. Anyone else think that Hough, breathless from performing and sporting frizzed-out ’80s hair, still tossed to commercial with more presence and enthusiasm than Brooke? Carrie Underwood later took the stage to sing “Good Girl” in a peacocky, shiny dress that featured webbing and feathers, but somehow worked. Strange.

Couples in Jeopardy
Maria Menounos and Derek Hough
Donald Driver and Peta Murgatroyd

The audience booed heavily when Maria and Derek were announced as being in trouble, but the pair seemed to expect their fate. Their competition did not; during the recap of the previous night’s performances, Donald made it very clear that he didn’t want to go anywhere. “Hell yeah, I want to make it to the finals,” he said in an incredulous falsetto. As it turns out, he got his wish — much to the audience’s dismay. When Maria and Derek were sent home, the boos reached a crescendo. But the oft-injured Extra host, who cried so often, held it together. “I learned how strong I was. I learned to persevere,” she said, head held high. Her partner offered this take: “She’s not just a champion at dancing, but a champion of life.” Um, Derek, she’s not a champion of dancing. You guys got sent packing. But we know what you mean.

What do you think? Did the right contestants get axed? Who’s your favorite to go all the way? Tell us about it in the comments!

Indeed, “Props” turned out to be a two-Kleenex affair, thanks to terrific work by supporting players Dot Marie Jones (expect another Emmy guest-starring nod) and (more surprisingly) Mark Salling, plus a script that winkingly acknowledged fan complaints that Ryan Murphy & Co. all too often ignore some of Glee’s original players in favor of new and more-hyped flavors.

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In case you bonked your head in a shopping-mall fountain, here’s what you missed on Glee:

* Tina, frustrated by three years in the background of New Directions, threatening to quit before Nationals, suffering a head injury, and discovering (via body-swap dream sequence) that it’s a lot of hard work being the star. Yep, Ms. Cohen-Chang (not Asian No. 1, thanks very much) got a newfound appreciation for Rachel Berry after walking a mile in her saddles shoes.

* Rachel, with an assist from Tina, tracking down NYADA dean Carmen Thibodeaux, and imploring her to come watch her perform at Nationals as part of a second-chance audition. (Yeah, the Broadway vet brushed off the over-eager high-schooler, but Rachel’s speech about her life’s passion — and the fact that, c’mon, she can’t not go to college in the fall — makes me think the duo will meet again (and soon).

* Puck and Beiste unofficially teaming up to work through their issues: Besite comforting Puck over the idea that he wouldn’t be graduating, his spiraling life and his general lack of self-worth, realized she needed to leave abusive Cooter once and for all. The scene of Beiste holding a sobbing Puck, and her subsequent confrontation with her wretched spouse, were pretty remarkable. Where was the hashtag #BeisteIsTheNewSue?

* Oh, and Sue pushed Kurt to dress in drag to counteract Vocal Adrenaline’s transgender sensation Unique. But Mr. Schue finally put his foot down and demanded an end to Sue’s crazy ideas for props and gimmicks as the New Directions crew boarded the bus for nationals.

Anyhow, now that we’ve covered all the pertinent plot details, let’s review the best quotes from the episode:

“You already have the lady gait and the lady voice. You have to start smoking, though, because this dress is a Size 2.” –Sue, trying to convince Kurt to wear a flapper dress for Nationals

“I am your father.” –Sam, flipping up the top of his Flashdance welding mask

“Jennifer Beals is spinning in her grave.” –Sue, witnessing the Flashdance choreography gone awry

“Maybe basic sheet-metal work is just too much for your 12th-place choir.” –Sue, addressing Schue’s concerns that her welding-dancing vision might be dangerous and impossible

“Cooter was in 21 Jump Street?” –Brittany, hearing Mercedes say she saw Beiste at 21 Jump Street with Cooter

“I don’t even know if I’m welcome in Chicago after I body-slammed Refrigerator Perry in a bar fight.” –Beiste, making excuses for not chaperoning New Directions at Nationals

“Without a doubt, you’re the ugliest woman I’ve ever seen.” –Sue, witnessing Puck in drag

“You and me, we’re badasses. Nobody thinks anything hurts us, but it does.” –Beiste to Puck (Admit it, you cried after this one)

“It takes a lot of crystals to make something shine.” –Tina, explaining to Sugar why she shouldn’t resent being a supporting player

“William, I can taste your Axe body spray.” –Sue, not appreciating Will’s close proximity

And now, onto letter grades for the episode’s musical numbers!

Rachel, ‘I Won’t Give Up’ (sung to…herself!) Grade: B

Tina (as Rachel), ‘I’m Everything I Am Because You Loved Me’ Grade: A-

Beiste and Puck, ‘Mean’ Grade: A

Rachel and Tina, ‘Flashdance…What a Feeling’ Grade: A-

I’ll be back to update this post in the a.m. with more plot details, as well as a rundown of the week’s best lines, but until then, I turn things over to you.

What did you think of “Props”? Hit the comments with your thoughts!

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Still feeling inadequate about his lack of income, Criss confesses to his live-in love that he fears she’ll ultimately “bail” on him. (Of course, this is 30 Rock, so said “serious” conversation is shrouded in funny.)

Press play below to watch the twosome quibble — and also learn something new about Liz Lemon (hint: she really loves a certain food)!