Lindsay Lohan graces 'Glee' season ender

For your quick refresher on Lindsay Lohan and "Glee": The show last year took a wicked poke at her mom (effectively calling her a world-beating loser) in a post-Super Bowl episode and her mom took a poke back.

Just another dust-up in the dustbin of tabloid nonsense, and it was all quickly forgotten. But there Tuesday night was Lindsay herself, as a judge at Nationals on "Glee." What gives?

Sweeps and career rehab are what gives. "Glee" needs attention and so does Lohan. Symbiosis trumps Mom. (Sorry, Mom, but that's the biz.)

Tuesday night's two-parter ("Finals" was the last hour) was all about "forgiveness," "redemption" and "comebacks" -- words that have been crowding Lohan on her sad, mad scramble back from show biz purgatory for years now. "Is there anyone better at making a comeback?" she spat at fellow judges Rex Lee and Perez Hilton. "I'm in full image re-branding mode here, people."

In fact, it was a little unclear why she was there, aside from that self-plug, and a few lines -- competently delivered -- and a wave to the crowd. Viewers may have sensed that there was a bigger idea in the works here, but there was not. Just another sweeps stunt, another dumb outing, another wasted opportunity. Lohan has miles to go on this rehab tour. Chalk this one up as a wasted stop along the way.

(At least -- spoiler alert! -- New Directions won Nationals.)