Five Things to Watch for When 'Glee' Returns

By Michelle Ruiz Posted Apr 13th 2010 11:35AM

After an excruciating 4-month hiatus, (thanks a lot, 'American Idol!') 'Glee' returns this week for a spectacular spring season on a new night -- Tuesday -- and a very-specific time -- 9:28e/8:28c. Based on the intelligence, we "Gleeks" at Popeater have gathered, the final nine episodes of the runaway Fox hit will be filled with high notes. Practice your vocal exercises as you check out our "5 Things to Watch for on the New Season of 'Glee'" after the jump. (We promise not to ruin all the fun, but beware of the occasional spoiler!)

Two Top-Notch 'Glee' Covers From Season 1

'Hope It Gives You Hell'

'Like a Prayer'

1. 'Glee-Fully' Giddy Romance

When we last glimpsed 'Glee' way back in 2009, hunky choir club director Will Shuester had ditched his pregnancy-faking wife Terri and was finally locked in his first kiss with the doe-eyed guidance counselor, Emma Pilsbury. In Tuesday's premiere episode, aptly titled 'Hell-o,' Mr. Shue and Emma fumble through a new romance, complete with smooches, swoons and their first proper date. Matthew Morrison, who plays Will, says of the relationship: "We're going to see where that goes." Still, don't expect Terri to go down without a potentially-dirty fight.

Another previously unrequited romance finally comes together when pregnant cheerleader Quinn goes public with her once secret baby daddy, the mohawked bad boy Puck, who announces to the New Directions: "We're officially together now."

That leaves the golden duo Gleeks are really rooting for -- resident jock and fearless leader Finn and over-achieving Streisand-in-training, Rachel. Now that Finn is no longer stuck with Quinn, he and Rachel can finally be together, right? Uh, not so fast. Conniving Cheerios coach Sue Sylvester plots to break up their budding romance by forcing cheerleaders-turned-glee-clubbers Brittany and Santana to trick Finn into a triple date. Also, according to Cory Monteith, who plays Finn, he and Rachel (Lea Michele) have different views on the high school hookup. "In one hilarious scene... she starts talking about all the things that she has planned for us that month," he said. "I think we make couples cereal bowls at 'Color-Me- Mine.'"

Even if he is forced to paint pottery, Monteith admits Finn feels "jealous" and "conflicted" when Rachel finds a new boyfriend in a special guest star. Which brings us to Number 2....

2. Guest Stars Galore

As Morrison says, "It's an exciting time to be on the 'Glee' set." Quite a few glorious guest stars come to McKinley High during 'Glee's' divine final nine episodes, including Olivia Newton-John, Kristin Chenoweth (in a return appearance) and fellow Broadway dynamo Jonathan Groff, who happens to be Michele's real-life best friend and former co-star in the Tony-winning 'Spring Awakening.' Groff plays Jesse St. James, Rachel's new love interest and star of the New Directions rival club, Vocal Adrenaline. "They're both very ambitious and very aggressive and very aware that they're talented... they're sort of a match made in heaven," Groff says.

Another major Broadway veteran, 'Rent' and 'Wicked' show-stopper -- and Mrs. Taye Diggs -- Idina Menzel, stops by as Vocal Adrenaline's choir director, Shelby Corcoran. According to Menzel, Mr. Shue should probably watch out: "She's pretty ambitious, pretty bold and pretty strong but she loves her kids ... she gives a lot of tough love."

Hollywood's new favorite showman, Neil Patrick Harris, will also make a much-anticipated guest appearance, revealing on 'Oprah' that he plays a villain named Bryan Ryan, who for some reason presents the New Directions with bedazzled jean jackets. Of his guest stint, NPH would only say: "Don't hate me."

3. New Directions for the 'New Directions'

A new mini-season means new hobbies for the lovable 'Glee' kids. Perhaps most notably, 'Single Ladies'-singing Kurt, who became a surprise kicker for the football team, joins the Cheerios, McKinley High's uber-competitive cheer squad. And football star Finn is now storming the basketball court (yes, that is Rachel wearing an iron-on 'Team Finn' t-shirt in the stands). Monteith says he's no Kobe Bryant, but adds, "I am tall, that is good. I once played basketball in a television show called 'Guy Likes Why' and so I got those two things going for me."

4. Bigger, Better Musical Numbers

After a big win at the Golden Globes, 'Glee's' musical numbers have gone A-list, with the Beatles, Lady Gaga and Madonna all getting the musical theater treatment in upcoming episodes. Michele promises there will be serious roof-blowing involved. "The arrangements that we've come up with are so incredible," she said. "Some of them have turned, really, into these epic numbers, especially the group ones." In Tuesday's premiere, the New Directions (and their rivals) take on tunes featuring "hell" or "hello" in the title, including the Beatles' 'Hello, Goodbye' and Lionel Richie's 'Hello.' Kurt dons a platinum Lady Gaga wig and Tina channels Gaga's infamous bubble get-up for the June 1 episode, which will feature renditions of 'Bad Romance' and 'Poker Face.' And Gleek dreams are bound to come true on April 20, when the Cheerios take on 'Ray of Light' and the glee club girls strike their best 'Vogue' poses in a sure-to-be classic episode entitled, "The Power of Madonna." Even Sue Sylvester straps a cone bra over her tracksuit for this one. Speaking of Ms. Sylvester....

5. Sue Sylvester

The fifth thing to watch for on the new season of 'Glee' is simply Sue. The deliciously diabolical cheerleading coach played perfectly by Jane Lynch is back -- and bronzed -- after she was suspended from school and banished to Boca Raton for leaking the New Directions's set list to their competition at regionals. Sue schemes her way back to school by -- once again -- blackmailing shady Principal Figgins. "He's forced to let her back, not only on campus, but back into her job with probably more power than before," Lynch says. Sue is no more willing to negotiate with her arch-rival Mr. Shue, nor does she plan to cease her endless mocking of his curly locks, in one scene telling him, "You've got enough product in your hair to season a wok." The more the glee club prospers, the more sinister Sue will become, but Lynch says when Sue gets bored, she'll start focusing her efforts on specific singers. "She always has to have an enemy and there always has to be a fight, so she'll find one," Lynch said. We wouldn't expect anything less.