[Warning: This post contains spoilers from Glee's fourth-season premiere.]

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It’s been a prolonged off-season for Glee, with a Fox dramedy wasting no time in pulling behind a covers on a New York plcae in a fourth-season premiere Thursday.

Following a graduation of a core cast, New Directions returned to a half-empty choir room with a handful of uninformed faces as a newly minted champions started replenishing a ranks with faces both new and aged as returning members battled their possess arrogant egos and any other to turn a “new Rachel.”

So how did a bar — and McKinley — make adult for a waste of Mercedes (Amber Riley), Kurt (Chris Colfer), Finn (Cory Monteith), Rachel (Lea Michele), Santana (Naya Rivera), Quinn (Dianna Agron), Mike (Harry Shum Jr.) and Puck (Mark Salling)? By adding characters who scarcely resembled many of them circa Glee‘s initial season: Marley (Melissa Benoist), Kitty (Becca Tobin), Brody (Dean Geyer) and Jake (Jacob Artist) — and bringing Wade “Unique” Adams (Alex Newell) over to McKinley.

Here 13 highlights from “The New Rachel,” including Sue’s (Jane Lynch) new daughter.

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1. Rachel vs. Cassandra Jul (Kate Hudson): The ex-New Directions star gets off on a wrong feet roughly now with her new NYADA dance teacher. After her T.A. bails for Broadway, she pours herself a good unbending drink, that Rachel smells on her breath. “Cassie” after reveals that she’s not picking on Rachel, nonetheless instead motivating her to be a best that she can (see, it’s a good thing she’s being picked on). After a pep speak from NYADA youth Brody, whom she bumps into in a co-ed bathroom, she tells Cassie that she’s going to be a best tyro she’s ever had.

2. Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz) and Mike (Shum) have split given a long-distance thing was too hard. She still loves him though, and while she has tweaked her tattoo to simulate change instead of “Chang,” it’s transparent she’s not too happy about a separate notwithstanding being a one who severed a ties.

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3. Blaine (Darren Criss) vs. Tina vs. Brittany (Heather Morris) vs. Unique. The conflict to turn “new Rachel” doesn’t take prolonged to get underneath approach among a new (but not improved) New Directions. Wade “Unique” Adams (Newell) is in a brew after he transfers to McKinley to be some-more accepted. The conflict that ensues to be a new grand diva between crowns a expected leader interjection to Artie (Kevin McHale), who earnings to his directing passion eventually names Blaine a hero after a duel set to “Call Me Maybe.”

4. Rachel and Finn. It’s been dual months given Rachel has listened from Finn, and she vows (to Brody no less) that she’s not going to give adult wish on him notwithstanding his silence. 

5. Brody, an upperclassman majoring in low-pitched theater, is a new Mr. Nice Guy. In further to carrying good abs (which were on full arrangement in his initial scene), he supports Rachel apropos a star she came to New York to be — and her yearning enterprise to reason on to Finn notwithstanding their flourishing chemistry, usually like Finn did with Rachel in Glee‘s early days.

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6. Sue has a baby Robin — and a new “nanny.” Sue’s new daughter was named after her favorite member of a Bee-Gees, Robin, who gets an support from a coach’s new conduct dog in Kitty (Tobin). Kitty, Sue notes, is like a immature Quinn, usually she isn’t pregnant, manic depressive or in and out of a wheelchair. Ouch.

7. Brittany and Santana (Rivera) are still together — nonetheless are experiencing technical difficulties. “It’s tough to scissor over webcam,” Brittany says. That’s one and for a discontinued New Directions: More quips from H-Mo. 

8. Kurt and Blaine. Blaine tells his partner that he’s stranded and can’t be during McKinley anymore — observant that he doesn’t need acknowledgment to NYADA in sequence to pierce to New York. “In a year, I’ll be there, too. But right now it’s your time and you’re ready,” he tells Kurt, before rising into Imagine Dragons’ “It’s Time.”

9. Meet Marley Rose (Benoist), a newest member of New Directions who has a show’s second-best primogenitor in her mother, played by Trisha Rae Stahl (ER). Turns out her beloved mom usually so happens to be McKinley’s new lunch lady and a theme of barbs from everyone, including a newly renouned New Directions gang. Marley auditions to “New York State of Mind,” that is intercut with Rachel’s initial open NYADA performance. The lane earns both high marks, with Marley branch adequate heads to make a returning New Directions members take notice — and maybe consternation if they’ve usually met a new Rachel. Her initial large series as partial of a gang: Adele’s “Chasing Pavements,” that leaves Jake — who sneaks in to watch operation — in awe.

10. Speaking of Jake, a younger Puckerman has arrived. His New Directions try-out impresses both Wade and Sugar (Vanessa Lengies) — and Will (Matthew Morrison) — with a shining cover of a Fray’s “Never Say Never.” Turns out he also has a identical opinion problem in common with his comparison half-brother and it costs him what he wants most: a container in New Directions. Later, after reviewing his file, Mr. Schuester learns that Puck didn’t know he had a younger half-brother and wants Jake in a bar — nonetheless usually if he ditches a chip on his shoulder. “I’m not my brother,” Jake tells him, disappearing a deal.

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11. Back during NYADA, Rachel survives a “Freshman Reaping,” removing an ungainly and apparent station acclaim from Brody. The large test, however, is nonetheless to come: Will she acquire an invitation to a Winter Showcase during a finish of a semester?

12. Burt’s (Mike O’Malley) back — and with his blessing, Kurt is off to New York while he waits to reapply for NYADA. “New York is filled with people like you, people who aren’t fearful to be different,” Burt tells his son. “You’re going to feel during home there.” It’s a weeping farewell and one we wish doesn’t symbol a final of Burt. “You can always come behind … nonetheless we won’t,” Burt says as he watches his son take a initial stairs toward apropos a star he knows he is. Sniff.

13. After a shortest moody ever, Rachel and Kurt reunite in New York where a thought for what we know is entrance is born: roommates!

What did we consider of a Glee premiere? Do we like a new characters and New Directions 2.0? Hit a comments with your thoughts. Glee airs Thursdays during 9 p.m. on Fox.

Email: Lesley.Goldberg@thr.com; Twitter: @Snoodit