'Glee' countdown: Out with Gwyneth, in with Charice?

Praise Grilled Cheezus or say it ain’t so? In tonight’s first new Glee after an agonizingly long hiatus, Gwyneth is making her last appearance of the season as Mr. Schu’s on-again-off-again flame Holly Holliday. But she’s not going out quietly: In a move that the American Idol judges would no doubt call risky, Gwynnie’s taking on iron-lunged Adele’s power ballad “Turning Tables.” While the acting-singing double-threat doesn’t quite match Adele’s power (but really, who can?), it sounds like Gwyneth put a softer spin on the song and pulled out another hit. How do you think her cover stacks up to the original?

Returning to McKinley is Charice as Rachel’s rival in divadom, Sunshine Corazon. After defecting to Vocal Adrenaline earlier in the season, Sunshine’s back to lend her atomic vocals to help New Directions get to Nationals… but are her intentions pure, or does she have payback on the mind? Rachel did send her to a crack house before, and that’s one of those things that aren’t easy to forgive and forget. It turns out Rachel does have reason to be suspicious, though, because Sue is calling together an evil meeting of the minds, including Vocal Adrenaline director Dustin Goolsby, played by Cheyenne Jackson (!).

If Matthew Morrison had his way, Holly Holliday would become a series regular — do you want her to return next season, or have you had enough of Gwyneth the singer? Would Charice be a more welcome regular? Before, during, and after the episode, sound off about the return of Glee here, and check back early in the morning for our recap!

UPDATE: Sandra’s recap is live!