Glee Season 2 Premiere: Gleeks Rejoice, Meet New Cast Members

September 21^st, 2010 - "Gleeks" across the globe were reunited with the show which made remixes of top 40 hits, classic songs and show tunes trendy: Glee.

Viewers were introduced to the delicate alliance forged between Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) and Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) at the conclusion of season 1. United against a common enemy-the new football coach-Sue and Schu declare war against the school program causing the 10% cut to their respective program budgets. Dot Jones is both formidable and endearing as Coach Shannon Beiste, and seems to be the latest Glee character willing to take on resident bully. The enduring war between Sue and Schu was one of the best qualities of season 1, and I was relieved to see that by the end of episode 1 Sue and Schu seemed to be on the outs once again.

The song selection was top-notch as always, and it appears that season 2 will give "Gleeks" the same assortment of hit songs they enjoyed in the premiere season. Early in the episode, the cast added a rendition of Jay-Z and Alicia Key's "Empire State of Mind" to their repertoire. Tonight's episode also featured Lady Gaga's "Telephone" during a sing-off between Rachel (Lea Michele) and a potential rival-who was later stolen by Vocal Adrenaline-in the lady's restroom.

The Glee season 2 premiere was also a swift reminder of the selfish, destructive nature of the Glee cast's most irritating member: Rachel Berry. With Quinn (Dianna Agron) returning to the upper ranks of high school society after the adoption of her daughter and her return to the "Cheerios" cheerleading squad, I can only hope that this season will see the downfall of Rachel; season 1 documented the loss of power and prestige of the wayward cheerleader, and her final acceptance into the Glee club ranks.

One the best scenes for a positive message came in the way of Sue's tendency towards relentless verbal assault. Her instructions for Santana (Naya Rivera) to remove her "juicy, vine-ripened chest fruit" after lecturing her about her decision to have breast implant surgery over the summer delivered both the addictive, insulting charm Sue is known for and a strong message to young women about body image.

The new members of the cast stand to bolster the already impressive amount of talent on the Glee payroll. Chord Overstreet joins the crew as "Sam," the replacement Quarterback and potential new member of the Glee club's singing ensemble. According to Amy Wilkinson of MTV News, John Stamos will be appearing during season 2 in the role of Emma (Jayma Mays) new beau, and Britney Spears is rumored to be making an appearance during the course of the season.

Sources,

Amy Wilkinson, "'Glee' Season 2 Premiere: Meet The New Cast Members!," MTV News