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SPOILERS - Major Glee updates
Entertainment Weekly -
After a series of headlines about Glee’s future that didn’t exactly endear him to fans, a very humble Ryan Murphy on Thursday demonstrated that he can still deliver more than a few surprises — and lots of big entertainment value — on his Emmy-nominated series.
Murphy screened the first episode of season three for reporters that had him talking about feeling revitalized and passionate for the new season. But first, a spoiler alert! If you don’t want to read about what happens in the Sept. 20 episode and beyond, stop reading now. Here goes: The premiere episode next week features a surprise performance by The Glee Project runner-up Lindsay Pearce and the very unexpected ouster of Santana (Naya Rivera) from the glee club. For a show that’s under constant scrutiny by press (including — we admit it! — EW), Murphy was shocked but obviously pleased that these two major plot points managed to stay under the radar. In fact, Pearce’s number was shot last spring under a cloak of secrecy: the 20-year-old was literally snuck into a soundstage to make sure no one recognized her.
Don’t worry, Murphy reassured reporters: Santana will be back, as will Pearce. In fact, both the 20-year-old Pearce and fellow runner-up Alex Newell will each appear in two episodes this season while Glee Project winner Damian McGinty, 18, will debut in week 4 as a foreign exchange student who “shacks up” with Brittany (Heather Morris). (She looks at him as a leprechaun!) The show’s other winner Samuel Larsen will appear in episode 10 or 11 as a relative of Puck (Mark Salling).
Here are some other highlights from the episode directed by Eric Stoltz: It features four musical numbers, including a rousing cafeteria performance of “We Got The Beat” by the cast and a sexy solo by Blaine (Darren Criss), who (finally!) leaves the Warblers to be with his beloved Kurt (Chris Colfer) at McKinley High. Rachel (Lea Michele) and Kurt check their egos at the door, as they learn it won’t be so easy to get into a performing arts college after high school. And much to the despair of Will (Matthew Morrison), Sue (Jane Lynch) vows to cut all arts programming to public schools as part of her platform to run for a congressional seat.
And look who’s too cool for school these days? Quinn (Dianna Agron) dyes her hair pink, lights up the cigs, and vows never to sing again. (We’ll see about that!) Mercedes’ new boyfriend appears, too! If that’s not enough, Murphy jam-packs the episode with kneeslappers about tiny trophies, making cocoa babies and Will’s “macaroni hair.” He even quotes John F. Kennedy.
So what did Murphy learn over the last three months?
“I will never again say people are leaving,” Murphy declared, smiling. But he turned serious when admitting that maybe it wasn’t such a great idea to discuss the idea of a spinoff with so many people in Hollywood, which led to an explosion of stories about the show’s future and what it could mean to seniors Rachel, Kurt and Finn (Corey Monteith).
“It just snowballed,” Murphy admitted about the reaction. “It took a turn and got nasty … I think fans resented it.”
Instead, he and fellow Glee scribe Brad Fulchuk decided to “not talk about it” and “wait until spring to figure out” the next chapter — assuming a spinoff remains a possibility. (Hey, Fox is still in need of a strong Glee companion). In the meantime, he spoke about how there is a very real possibility that his McKinley High graduates will stick around Ohio and assume other vocations. Teacher, anyone?
Lastly, Murphy also teased that Gwyneth Paltrow may return for another episode but said there won’t be a sea of tributes this year. Right now, he’s only considering one two-hour tribute in the spring.
“I feel great about it again,” Murphy said of the show.
-----------
TV GUIDE -
Ryan Murphy's got a plan for Glee this year. It includes a full-time writing staff and a focus on stories over artist tributes. He even knows how it all ends for the McKinley High School seniors (though not all of the kids in New Directions are seniors.)
"The season ends with the core group, with many of them graduating and figuring out what their futures are," Murphy told reporters Thursday after a screening of the Season 3 premiere. After acknowledging that he made the mistake of prematurely talking about which actors he thought about writing out after graduation — "I've learned my lesson! I'm never doing that again!" — Murphy said he's refocused.
"I have my passion for it back," he said. "Things took a bit of a nasty turn and now I feel great about it again." No word on who is coming or going, you'll just have to wait and see where things end up in the finale. And that spin-off you heard about is still on the shelf — and if resurrected, it might not be what you thought (originally, it centered on Rachel and Kurt making a go of it in New York.) "I don't know what it would be and I don't know who would be on it," Murphy said.
But let's talk about this season already! Spoilers from the premiere and beyond... read at your own risk:
Rachel will reunite with mom Shelby (Idina Menzel) — sorta. Shelby's got a new gig as a teacher at WMHS who arrives in Episode 2. Murphy said she'll be involved be a "juicy" story with Quinn (Dianna Agron)... who, by the way, has a whole new look and group of friends this year. (We know you've already seen the pink hair.)
Not only will we be seeing Mike Chang's (Harry Shum) parents this season, we'll also be hearing him sing! That's right, not dance... sing! By the fourth episode, he'll have performed two numbers, Murphy said.
Tina's not the only junior in New Directions. You'll find out who the other one is in the first couple minutes of the premiere.
Mr. Schuester (Matthew Morrison) and Emma (Jayma Mays) are together. But they could be closer. A lot closer. Make of that what you will.
Lauren Zizes (Ashley Fink) isn't gone. Yes, maybe she'll be in slightly fewer episodes, and yes, she does cut ties with the group — for now. In later episodes, Murphy said she "has a major story with Chris Colfer." So there you go.
Quitting time. Zizes isn't the only one leaving the glee club, but there will be a new addition as well.
They mean it: No guest stars! It might seem like the show has been casting up a storm — between new student Sugar, Mercedes' boyfriend Bubba, Mike and Emma's parents — but these are minor roles that will be used "sparingly," Murphy said. Well... Gwyneth Paltrow, who just won an Emmy for her guest-starring role as Holly Holliday last weekend, could be back. Maybe.
They mean it, Part 2: One tribute episode! If all goes according to plan, a special two-hour tribute episode will happen in the spring and it's an act they've been trying to license for a year and a half.
Damian + Brittany? Damian McGinty, the Irish lad who co-won The Glee Project with Samuel Larsen, enters the picture in Episode 4 as a foreign exchange student who Murphy said is "shacking up with Brittany [Heather Morris]... she thinks he's a leprechaun with magical powers." Whether or not they're hooking up remains to be seen, but so far Murphy likes what he sees. McGinty's character is no hotshot sophomore either -- he's already been shoved into a locker 25 times.
As for Samuel... he's more of a man's man. As in, he's going to be a relative of Puck (Mark Salling) — "which will be fun," Murphy said -- who arrives much in later in the season.
One more Glee Project tidbit: There is a surprise guest from the show in the season premiere. And it's pretty amazing. Sorry, nothing else. Okay, one more tease: He or she will be the star of a rival choir in sectionals. Last thing: No plans for Cameron Mitchell on the show — at least this season. (He quit, people!)
Tom Jones anyone? Mr. Vegas gets a nice nod in the premiere, but who and where one of his songs is sung may be a little unusual.
-------------
AOL TV -I got a chance to preview the 'Glee' Season 3 premiere episode (Tues., Sept. 20, 8PM ET on Fox), and it looks nothing like 'Glee' Season 2 ... in a good way.
Co-creator Ryan Murphy was on hand at the screening to talk about getting back to basics with the show -- more focus on the core group of characters and the show, and less about movies, products and mall tours. "Things took a bit of a nasty turn," Murphy admits when talking about the hiccups of Season 2. With all the other stuff going on, the show lost its way a bit (OK, a lot) and they know it. "Frankly I think the fans resented it."
Now it appears to be somewhat back on track with a season premiere that made me laugh, sing along a bit and, most importantly, start to care about these characters again.
I don't want to spoil anything for fans, but after the jump there are a few teases and some scoop on who's sticking around, who's returning and a few surprise guest stars fans will really love. There's also a well-marked spoiler or two for those of you who just can't get enough 'Glee.'
The episode starts with Jacob (a.k.a. Jew-Fro) catching us up on what everyone's been up to, which is pretty quick painless thanks to the roving reporter hand-held camera style. The biggest changes? Mercedes (Amber Riley) tells him his gossip is old, that she's no longer with Sam (Chord Overstreet) since "his dad got a job out of state," and that she's got a new man. Hello, LaMarcus Tinker! No, he doesn't say much (yet), but he's there, and that's more love than Mercedes has gotten in a while.
Then we get the scoop on Lauren Zises (Ashley Fink) from Puck, who cracks that she's "the one that got away ... really, really slowly." When asked about the decision to let Fink go, Murphy made some excuse about New Directions only being allowed to have 12 members (which even he admits is a dumb excuse they made early on), then promises we haven't seen the last of her.
"Lauren's coming back for really major storyline," he teased, before dishing that she'd have big scenes with Kurt (her real-life pal Chris Colfer).
If you're still freaking out about your favorite stars leaving the show, don't be. Well, at least not yet. After being quoted saying the main stars were leaving to make room for new blood, then very publicly back-tracking, Murphy joked: "I will never again say people are leaving. I've learned my lesson -- never again!"
But the premieres does put quite a bit of emphasis on class, noting who is a senior, and therefore graduating, and who's a junior sticking around McKinley for a bit longer. Also with talk already of choosing colleges and making a plan, Murphy quickly ruled out having the show follow Rachel (Lea Michele), Kurt (Colfer) and Finn (Corey Monteith) off to college.
"We would never do 'Glee' the college years ... the show is always going to be in that choir room," he promised, before noting that maybe they could become teachers at the school. Hmmm ...
As for huge tribute episodes and big-name guest stars -- both of which are great but cause the focus of the show to get a little blurred -- Murphy reassured us again that the emphasis is on the core group this season. They're only working on one "huge" tribute episode for now, slated to air in spring, which they're hoping can be a 2-hour event. Any guesses?
And even though Gwyneth Paltrow won an Emmy for her guest starring role on the show, her Holly Holliday isn't a shoe-in to come back. All Murphy would say is, "Gwyneth might return."
But fellow guest star Idina Menzel -- who plays Rachel's biological mom, Shelby, who also adopted Quinn and Puck's baby girl -- will definitely return in Episode 2 for an "unexpected, dramatic and juicy" turn involving new bad girl Quinn. And then she's sticking around McKinley for quite a while. "She becomes a teacher at the school," Murphy said, adding that she'll be in more than six episodes this season.
And, yes, that's on top of using his series stars more as well, including those that fans complain are underutilized. Mercedes has her new man, and Murphy dished that Mike Chang (Harry Shum, Jr) has already had two big songs this season, and they're only just shooting Episode 4.
A few semi-spoilery premiere details:
There's a Go-Go's hit, a Tom Jones classic that makes us want to do The Carlton, some wickedly good show tunes and something with a beat that's unstoppable.
Mr. Schue and Emma (Wemma!) are in full couples mode, settled into their routine which includes packing each others' lunches in the mornings in complimentary classic lunchboxes: Superman for him, Wonder Woman for her.
Quinn's new "ironic tattoo" involves one of Fox's biggest stars and regular punchlines.
If you loved 'The Glee Project,' get happy -- there's already someone from the show in this episode, and their scene is phenomenal. New Directions better get their guns ready and find some group harmony, because there's some new competition from that reality competition in town. Murphy says that same person is the star of their school's choir, and will "probably be in Sectionals."
Rachel and Kurt are truly on the page, acting as sounding boards for each other on what the future holds and how to get out of Lima, Ohio. So much so that Emma assumes they've finally decided to be together ... you know, because that's pretty much the only coupling combo the glee club hasn't explored.
We'll see Blaine out of his Warblers uniform and into some equally preppy and adorable red pants and a bowtie. And yes, that matters.
Sue is in fine form, running for public office on a platform that naturally aims to make Mr. Schue's nickname-filled life even more miserable.
Someone gets kicked out of New Directions. (Dun, dun, dunnnnnnnnn!)
Santana's got some new Cheerios competition: Sue's trusty #2, Becky.
And now some very spoilery Season 3 details:
So yes -- the 'Glee Project' kids are coming! They're really coming! Murphy confirmed that beyond the person in the premiere episode, we'll also be seeing co-winners Damian McGinty and Samuel Larsen. Damian will play a sophomore foreign exchange student "shacking up with Brittany," who, of course, is totally mystified by him and his Irishness. We won't see Sam until Episode 10 or 11, but he'll likely play one of Puck's relatives. Alex doesn't come on until later as well ... so who does that leave? (You do the math.)
Entertainment Weekly -
After a series of headlines about Glee’s future that didn’t exactly endear him to fans, a very humble Ryan Murphy on Thursday demonstrated that he can still deliver more than a few surprises — and lots of big entertainment value — on his Emmy-nominated series.
Murphy screened the first episode of season three for reporters that had him talking about feeling revitalized and passionate for the new season. But first, a spoiler alert! If you don’t want to read about what happens in the Sept. 20 episode and beyond, stop reading now. Here goes: The premiere episode next week features a surprise performance by The Glee Project runner-up Lindsay Pearce and the very unexpected ouster of Santana (Naya Rivera) from the glee club. For a show that’s under constant scrutiny by press (including — we admit it! — EW), Murphy was shocked but obviously pleased that these two major plot points managed to stay under the radar. In fact, Pearce’s number was shot last spring under a cloak of secrecy: the 20-year-old was literally snuck into a soundstage to make sure no one recognized her.
Don’t worry, Murphy reassured reporters: Santana will be back, as will Pearce. In fact, both the 20-year-old Pearce and fellow runner-up Alex Newell will each appear in two episodes this season while Glee Project winner Damian McGinty, 18, will debut in week 4 as a foreign exchange student who “shacks up” with Brittany (Heather Morris). (She looks at him as a leprechaun!) The show’s other winner Samuel Larsen will appear in episode 10 or 11 as a relative of Puck (Mark Salling).
Here are some other highlights from the episode directed by Eric Stoltz: It features four musical numbers, including a rousing cafeteria performance of “We Got The Beat” by the cast and a sexy solo by Blaine (Darren Criss), who (finally!) leaves the Warblers to be with his beloved Kurt (Chris Colfer) at McKinley High. Rachel (Lea Michele) and Kurt check their egos at the door, as they learn it won’t be so easy to get into a performing arts college after high school. And much to the despair of Will (Matthew Morrison), Sue (Jane Lynch) vows to cut all arts programming to public schools as part of her platform to run for a congressional seat.
And look who’s too cool for school these days? Quinn (Dianna Agron) dyes her hair pink, lights up the cigs, and vows never to sing again. (We’ll see about that!) Mercedes’ new boyfriend appears, too! If that’s not enough, Murphy jam-packs the episode with kneeslappers about tiny trophies, making cocoa babies and Will’s “macaroni hair.” He even quotes John F. Kennedy.
So what did Murphy learn over the last three months?
“I will never again say people are leaving,” Murphy declared, smiling. But he turned serious when admitting that maybe it wasn’t such a great idea to discuss the idea of a spinoff with so many people in Hollywood, which led to an explosion of stories about the show’s future and what it could mean to seniors Rachel, Kurt and Finn (Corey Monteith).
“It just snowballed,” Murphy admitted about the reaction. “It took a turn and got nasty … I think fans resented it.”
Instead, he and fellow Glee scribe Brad Fulchuk decided to “not talk about it” and “wait until spring to figure out” the next chapter — assuming a spinoff remains a possibility. (Hey, Fox is still in need of a strong Glee companion). In the meantime, he spoke about how there is a very real possibility that his McKinley High graduates will stick around Ohio and assume other vocations. Teacher, anyone?
Lastly, Murphy also teased that Gwyneth Paltrow may return for another episode but said there won’t be a sea of tributes this year. Right now, he’s only considering one two-hour tribute in the spring.
“I feel great about it again,” Murphy said of the show.
-----------
TV GUIDE -
Ryan Murphy's got a plan for Glee this year. It includes a full-time writing staff and a focus on stories over artist tributes. He even knows how it all ends for the McKinley High School seniors (though not all of the kids in New Directions are seniors.)
"The season ends with the core group, with many of them graduating and figuring out what their futures are," Murphy told reporters Thursday after a screening of the Season 3 premiere. After acknowledging that he made the mistake of prematurely talking about which actors he thought about writing out after graduation — "I've learned my lesson! I'm never doing that again!" — Murphy said he's refocused.
"I have my passion for it back," he said. "Things took a bit of a nasty turn and now I feel great about it again." No word on who is coming or going, you'll just have to wait and see where things end up in the finale. And that spin-off you heard about is still on the shelf — and if resurrected, it might not be what you thought (originally, it centered on Rachel and Kurt making a go of it in New York.) "I don't know what it would be and I don't know who would be on it," Murphy said.
But let's talk about this season already! Spoilers from the premiere and beyond... read at your own risk:
Rachel will reunite with mom Shelby (Idina Menzel) — sorta. Shelby's got a new gig as a teacher at WMHS who arrives in Episode 2. Murphy said she'll be involved be a "juicy" story with Quinn (Dianna Agron)... who, by the way, has a whole new look and group of friends this year. (We know you've already seen the pink hair.)
Not only will we be seeing Mike Chang's (Harry Shum) parents this season, we'll also be hearing him sing! That's right, not dance... sing! By the fourth episode, he'll have performed two numbers, Murphy said.
Tina's not the only junior in New Directions. You'll find out who the other one is in the first couple minutes of the premiere.
Mr. Schuester (Matthew Morrison) and Emma (Jayma Mays) are together. But they could be closer. A lot closer. Make of that what you will.
Lauren Zizes (Ashley Fink) isn't gone. Yes, maybe she'll be in slightly fewer episodes, and yes, she does cut ties with the group — for now. In later episodes, Murphy said she "has a major story with Chris Colfer." So there you go.
Quitting time. Zizes isn't the only one leaving the glee club, but there will be a new addition as well.
They mean it: No guest stars! It might seem like the show has been casting up a storm — between new student Sugar, Mercedes' boyfriend Bubba, Mike and Emma's parents — but these are minor roles that will be used "sparingly," Murphy said. Well... Gwyneth Paltrow, who just won an Emmy for her guest-starring role as Holly Holliday last weekend, could be back. Maybe.
They mean it, Part 2: One tribute episode! If all goes according to plan, a special two-hour tribute episode will happen in the spring and it's an act they've been trying to license for a year and a half.
Damian + Brittany? Damian McGinty, the Irish lad who co-won The Glee Project with Samuel Larsen, enters the picture in Episode 4 as a foreign exchange student who Murphy said is "shacking up with Brittany [Heather Morris]... she thinks he's a leprechaun with magical powers." Whether or not they're hooking up remains to be seen, but so far Murphy likes what he sees. McGinty's character is no hotshot sophomore either -- he's already been shoved into a locker 25 times.
As for Samuel... he's more of a man's man. As in, he's going to be a relative of Puck (Mark Salling) — "which will be fun," Murphy said -- who arrives much in later in the season.
One more Glee Project tidbit: There is a surprise guest from the show in the season premiere. And it's pretty amazing. Sorry, nothing else. Okay, one more tease: He or she will be the star of a rival choir in sectionals. Last thing: No plans for Cameron Mitchell on the show — at least this season. (He quit, people!)
Tom Jones anyone? Mr. Vegas gets a nice nod in the premiere, but who and where one of his songs is sung may be a little unusual.
-------------
Co-creator Ryan Murphy was on hand at the screening to talk about getting back to basics with the show -- more focus on the core group of characters and the show, and less about movies, products and mall tours. "Things took a bit of a nasty turn," Murphy admits when talking about the hiccups of Season 2. With all the other stuff going on, the show lost its way a bit (OK, a lot) and they know it. "Frankly I think the fans resented it."
Now it appears to be somewhat back on track with a season premiere that made me laugh, sing along a bit and, most importantly, start to care about these characters again.
I don't want to spoil anything for fans, but after the jump there are a few teases and some scoop on who's sticking around, who's returning and a few surprise guest stars fans will really love. There's also a well-marked spoiler or two for those of you who just can't get enough 'Glee.'
The episode starts with Jacob (a.k.a. Jew-Fro) catching us up on what everyone's been up to, which is pretty quick painless thanks to the roving reporter hand-held camera style. The biggest changes? Mercedes (Amber Riley) tells him his gossip is old, that she's no longer with Sam (Chord Overstreet) since "his dad got a job out of state," and that she's got a new man. Hello, LaMarcus Tinker! No, he doesn't say much (yet), but he's there, and that's more love than Mercedes has gotten in a while.
Then we get the scoop on Lauren Zises (Ashley Fink) from Puck, who cracks that she's "the one that got away ... really, really slowly." When asked about the decision to let Fink go, Murphy made some excuse about New Directions only being allowed to have 12 members (which even he admits is a dumb excuse they made early on), then promises we haven't seen the last of her.
"Lauren's coming back for really major storyline," he teased, before dishing that she'd have big scenes with Kurt (her real-life pal Chris Colfer).
If you're still freaking out about your favorite stars leaving the show, don't be. Well, at least not yet. After being quoted saying the main stars were leaving to make room for new blood, then very publicly back-tracking, Murphy joked: "I will never again say people are leaving. I've learned my lesson -- never again!"
But the premieres does put quite a bit of emphasis on class, noting who is a senior, and therefore graduating, and who's a junior sticking around McKinley for a bit longer. Also with talk already of choosing colleges and making a plan, Murphy quickly ruled out having the show follow Rachel (Lea Michele), Kurt (Colfer) and Finn (Corey Monteith) off to college.
"We would never do 'Glee' the college years ... the show is always going to be in that choir room," he promised, before noting that maybe they could become teachers at the school. Hmmm ...
As for huge tribute episodes and big-name guest stars -- both of which are great but cause the focus of the show to get a little blurred -- Murphy reassured us again that the emphasis is on the core group this season. They're only working on one "huge" tribute episode for now, slated to air in spring, which they're hoping can be a 2-hour event. Any guesses?
And even though Gwyneth Paltrow won an Emmy for her guest starring role on the show, her Holly Holliday isn't a shoe-in to come back. All Murphy would say is, "Gwyneth might return."
But fellow guest star Idina Menzel -- who plays Rachel's biological mom, Shelby, who also adopted Quinn and Puck's baby girl -- will definitely return in Episode 2 for an "unexpected, dramatic and juicy" turn involving new bad girl Quinn. And then she's sticking around McKinley for quite a while. "She becomes a teacher at the school," Murphy said, adding that she'll be in more than six episodes this season.
And, yes, that's on top of using his series stars more as well, including those that fans complain are underutilized. Mercedes has her new man, and Murphy dished that Mike Chang (Harry Shum, Jr) has already had two big songs this season, and they're only just shooting Episode 4.
A few semi-spoilery premiere details:
There's a Go-Go's hit, a Tom Jones classic that makes us want to do The Carlton, some wickedly good show tunes and something with a beat that's unstoppable.
Mr. Schue and Emma (Wemma!) are in full couples mode, settled into their routine which includes packing each others' lunches in the mornings in complimentary classic lunchboxes: Superman for him, Wonder Woman for her.
Quinn's new "ironic tattoo" involves one of Fox's biggest stars and regular punchlines.
If you loved 'The Glee Project,' get happy -- there's already someone from the show in this episode, and their scene is phenomenal. New Directions better get their guns ready and find some group harmony, because there's some new competition from that reality competition in town. Murphy says that same person is the star of their school's choir, and will "probably be in Sectionals."
Rachel and Kurt are truly on the page, acting as sounding boards for each other on what the future holds and how to get out of Lima, Ohio. So much so that Emma assumes they've finally decided to be together ... you know, because that's pretty much the only coupling combo the glee club hasn't explored.
We'll see Blaine out of his Warblers uniform and into some equally preppy and adorable red pants and a bowtie. And yes, that matters.
Sue is in fine form, running for public office on a platform that naturally aims to make Mr. Schue's nickname-filled life even more miserable.
Someone gets kicked out of New Directions. (Dun, dun, dunnnnnnnnn!)
Santana's got some new Cheerios competition: Sue's trusty #2, Becky.
And now some very spoilery Season 3 details:
So yes -- the 'Glee Project' kids are coming! They're really coming! Murphy confirmed that beyond the person in the premiere episode, we'll also be seeing co-winners Damian McGinty and Samuel Larsen. Damian will play a sophomore foreign exchange student "shacking up with Brittany," who, of course, is totally mystified by him and his Irishness. We won't see Sam until Episode 10 or 11, but he'll likely play one of Puck's relatives. Alex doesn't come on until later as well ... so who does that leave? (You do the math.)
You mean Blaine?
.
