By Rebecca Miller ’13, Contributor

After what many could call a disastrous third season, Glee has returned with a revamped cast and what will hopefully be a much-improved story line.

The new season’s story line, as of the first few episodes, is split into two parts, with one following Kurt and Rachel in New York City, and the other back at McKinley High School, following what remains of the NewDirections after the graduation of a large number of the original cast at the end of last season. As the season opens, New Directions is in the middle of a post-National Champions high, which has brought their social status up by leaps and bounds. However, their numbers have been depleted, so they audition new members. One of them, Marley Rose, played by Melissa Benoist, is the daughter of a McKinley lunch lady, and has a powerful voice that quickly brings her comparisons to Rachel. Another is the Puck’s half-brother, Jake, played by Jacob Artist, who has a huge chip on his shoulder and is not even sure if he wants to be in the glee club. The cross-dressing lead singer of Vocal Adrenaline last year, Unique, played by Alex Newell, one of the Glee Project’s first season’s runner ups, has joined the group as well after transferring from Carmel High. There is also a new Cheerio, Kitty, played by Becca Tobin, who is out to take Brittany’s position as Head Cheerio.

The other major additions to the cast are in New York. At NYADA, Rachel meets her match in washed-up former Broadway star turned dance teacher, Cassandra July who is played by Kate Hudson. Although she is still pining for Finn, Rachel also meets cute upperclassman Brody, played by Dean Geyer. Kurt, after being turned down from NYADA, will soon begin an internship at Vogue.com, working for Isabelle Kempt, who will be played by Sarah Jessica Parker.

So will all of these new characters and storylines mean a revitalization of Glee? Over the first couple of episodes, the show certainly seems to be better. After last season’s stale story lines that stretched any credibility Glee ever had– seniors only applying to one school, finding out final college decisions at graduation- this season at least seems to feel logical. The biggest struggle Glee may have

is trying to work in the stars of the show who are in neither New York nor back at McKinley, but were a big part of the first three seasons. Through the first two episodes, no one has mentioned Mercedes of Quinn, Finn has only been seen in flashbacks, and Santana has shown up only during a video chat with Brittany.

Glee probably only has one season left in it. After

all, once this season ends, there will not be a single original cast member left at McKinley, except for Will Schuester, Sue Sylvester, and Emma Pillsbury. Though Glee will never get back to where it was at the beginning of the first season, there is reason for some cautious optimism that it can at least become enjoyable again.