While New Directions was having tryouts -- with a huge turnout -- back in Lima, Ohio, the breakout star of this "Glee" season premiere wasn't even in the state. Kate Hudson debuted as Rachel's brutal dance teacher, Cassandra July, at NYADA, and she may prove even worse than Sue Sylvester. At least Sue was usually doing her thing from the sidelines. Cassandra may well have the power to end Rachel's dreams.
Critiquing her performance, EW's Ken Tucker saw Cassandra as a stock "Glee" character. He wrote, "She fulfills the now time-honored Glee convention of being a character who says lots of viciously cruel things, cutting until other characters bleed emotionally, so that other subplots can literally sing the praises of tolerance, love, and anti-bullying."
She did get a chance to do a requisite song and dance number to prove to the students that she could outperform any one of them. At least Rachel succeeded in impressing Carmen Tibideaux (Whoopi Goldberg) and keeping her spot. But New York was proving brutally lonely for her.
Back in Lima, Kurt was having a tough time deciding where his future was taking him, so he kept winding up back at high school and hanging out with New Directions. That is, until Blaine convinced him he needed to go to New York as well and pursue his dreams, even if he wasn't in NYADA. So, at her lowest point emotionally, Kurt arrived to pick Rachel up. And now the two of them can start their New York adventures together.
New Directions were at the top of the heap for a minute, but new member Marley Rose -- and her obese mother who works in the cafeteria -- quickly ended that. The group tried to fit in with the cool kids, but ultimately felt bad about making fun of the fat cafeteria lady, because that's apparently what the cool kids do.
Follow all the drama as "Glee" continues on Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on Fox.
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