Photos and the first Glee trailer for next week’s season three finale have been posted on TV Fanatic, but creator Ryan Murphy delivered some rather major season four scoop today in a Vulture interview:

All William McKinley High School seniors will be graduating… and returning in the fall!

“We had a meeting, and you know we’ve become like a family, and I said to them, ‘Anybody who wants to stay on the show will stay on the show,’” Murphy  said. “They’re all coming back. Anyone who is a regular is coming back. Everyone said yes.”

Murphy did add this doesn’t mean all characters will appear in all 22 season four episodes.

We’ll learn a lot more about the fate of Mercedes, Quinn and company on the finale, which is titled “Goodbye,” and then we’ll see where everyone is on Thursday nights this fall, according to the new Fox schedule.

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They are the champions, Gleeks.

This Fox comedy celebrated a victory at Nationals last night, but the mood is about to get a lot more sullen next Tuesday, courtesy of the aptly-titled season three finale, “Goodbye.”

The episode will center around graduating seniors and their post-William McKinley High School plans. It will also introduce Gloria Estefan as Santana’s mom. Get your first look at what’s ahead below via a trailer and a set of photos:

Glee Season 3 Finale Promo: “Goodbye”

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Glee is the champion, my friends. The show kept on fighting until the almost-end. Glee is the… okay. Enough of that. You get the picture, right?

While I didn’t love every single minute of tonight’s two-hour smorgasbord of song, season 3 is certainly attempting to finish stronger than it started.

Let’s talk about what I didn’t like from each of tonight’s two episodes and go ahead and get that nastiness out of the way, shall we?

First, from “Props,” I really wanted Tina’s dream to last longer. It had the potential to be silly and fun and to liven the show up a bit. Imagine how funny it would be to see Puck-as-Blaine belting out a show tune. Instead, we got a literal “sing a solo in someone else’s shoes” from Tina-as-Rachel and then Tina woke up and suddenly understood what it must be like to be Rachel Berry. Really? That’s the best you can do?

I liked Tina challenging Rachel because Tina’s right. She’s an original member of Glee and she’s been relegated to back-up dancer. Perhaps she’ll have her time to shine next season, but I couldn’t help but feel for the girl just a little bit. She deserves a standing ovation, too.

I was also a bit put-off with her pleading with Carmen Tibideaux on Rachel’s behalf, and that’s an irritation that carried over into Jesse St. James doing the same thing during “Nationals.” We all know Rachel will get into NYADA, but the begging and the muffins and the voicemails and the downright stalker-like behavior was too much. Tibideaux was right. Every second she spends on Rachel’s craziness is time she has to take away from another student who didn’t choke at the audition. Rachel needed to hear and understand that, and while I think she did, it was still over-the-top annoying instead of over-the-top funny.

“Props” also helped me define what it was about Coach Beiste’s domestic violence PSA that was so out of place, and I come at this from the place of someone who is a high school teacher and not only a casual viewer of the show. Mercedes, Santana and Brittany did not in any way, either now or two episodes ago, need to be involved as the impetus that made Beiste leave Cooter. Puck was enough for that.

Which is what happened to be my favorite part of tonight’s first hour.

The Puck/Coach Beiste scenes tonight were amazing. Mark Salling and Dot Marie Jones nailed their performances and had me near tears. What worked about Puck’s story line is that he didn’t even know he was helping her. In reality, while a teacher may share parts of his or her personal life with the students in his or her classroom, he or she would almost never do so in the manner in which the domestic violence story line was carried out on Glee. To do so would border on a violation of professional ethics.

And yes, I realize that this is the same show where the Spanish teacher who speaks no Spanish wants to move his wedding up six months so that high school students can attend, but still.

It’s not unlikely that in the course of helping a student like Puck, one who feels defeated and alone, realize his worth and value as a person, the teacher would also realize that the message she’s sharing with him applies to herself. That’s what happened tonight and that’s what redeemed that story line for me. THAT was good story telling. And it gave us the short, sweet, masterfully delivered line:

Beiste: You are loved, punkin. You are not alone. | permalink

Perfect for the two of them, right? Listen up, writers. I need more Dot Marie next season, okay?

Other things I loved: The New Directions finally won Nationals!

I knew it would happen. I knew it had to happen. The progression of their competitions over the past three seasons has pointed toward this moment. And their set had been flawless, right? While judges Lindsay Lohan and Perez Hilton, as themselves, were debating which show choir would win, I’ll admit there was a part of me, maybe the former choir member who now only sings in her car, who thought “Oh no! What if they don’t win!? What if Wade “Unique” Adams and Vocal Adrenaline out-shined them up there.” (Be sure to check out the Glee quotes page for LiLo’s verbal gems.)

I may have held my breath while waiting for the announcement.

But, the New Directions were victorious, and they received a hero’s welcome of streamers and confetti instead of slushee facials, even from the hockey players who’d beaten Puck up just a few days before.

The New Directions aren’t the only ones who were victorious.

Sue got her Cheerios back and Will got Emma.

She was finally ready to have sex with him and told him so through a pamphlet left strategically on a desk where she knew he’d find it. How very quirky. And yet somehow perfect for the pair.

To make Will’s year even better, he was crowned Teacher of the Year in a ceremony that finally gave us the gang singing “We Are the Champions.” (Check out more songs on the Glee music page.)

But the best part of tonight was that it was a continuation of the circular trip the show has been taking over the course of the past few weeks. Rachel Berry said it best:

I mean, in a sea full of kids who are just desperately clinging to their own kind, we’re different. We took the time to get to know each other and reach out and accept one another. That’s our unique factor. And that’s what I love about us.

Tonight, once again, the show reminded us that this is a series about misfits, underdogs who find their places with each other in the murky waters of high school. Once again, we were reminded of what it felt like to be in high school, maybe on the fringe of the mainstream, but swimming along with everyone else. We found our places, right? I know I did. And our characters did, too.

In these final episodes of the season, we’ve seen a return to the stories of the characters we fell in love with in season one. We’ve also seen how, when done well, new characters can be sewn into the fabric of this show in a way that makes us root for them, too. Something tells me we may be seeing more Unique next season.

Cheers, writers, for giving me characters I still want to see go from underdog to top dog, even after that messy middle of the season.

What did you think of “Props” and “Nationals”? Which musical performance was your favorite?

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This fall, Glee is headed to Thursday nights.

But this Tuesday, New Directions are headed to Nationals.

And while all the talk surrounding tomorrow night’s two-hour event has surrounded guest stars and concussions – Lindsay Lohan as a judge! Characters switching bodies! – let’s not forget about the music.

Between New Directions and Vocal Adrenaline, viewers will hear covers of everyone from Lady Gaga to Meatloaf to The Who to Nicki Minjaj during the second half of the episode. Get your first listen below to Glee‘s takes on this classic artists, as we’ve posted the audio from all seven performances at Nationals:

Glee Cast – Edge of Glory

Glee Cast – Paradise By The Dashboard Light

Glee Cast – Pinball Wizard

Glee Cast – It’s All Coming Back To Me Now

Glee Cast – Starships

Glee Cast – Tongue Tied

Glee Cast – We Are the Champions

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Because it always make sense to plan your storylines around other shows…

Following the confirmation that Britney Spears will judge season two of The X Factor, Entertainment Weekly reports that Glee is planning its second tribute episode in honor of this pop superstar.

It will be the second installment of season four; it will feature eight Britney tracks; but, unlike the original Spears tribute, it will not center around Heather Morris’ Brittany S. Pearce.

Elsehwere, Chris Colfer appeared on Live! With Kelly this morning and discussed the casting of Sarah Jessica Parker and Kate Hudson more in depth. He confirmed that the former will serve as a mentor of sorts for Kurt in NYC next season, while the latter will do the same for Rachel.

Each actress will appear on multiple episodes and Hudson will be featured in many dance routines.

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Fox unveiled its 2012-2013 schedule this morning at the network’s Upfront presentation in New York City – and the major news is a major move for Glee:

It will at 9 p.m. on Thursdays this fall, following The X Factor results show.

Elsewhere: Mindy Kaling’s new sitcom will follow Zooey Deschanel and New Girl, while Kevin Williamson’s serial killer drama, The Following, will be held until midseason and air on Mondays. Visit TV Fanatic throughout the day for previews and clips from the following new shows…

——————————————-

MONDAY
8/7c Bones
9 pm The Mob Doctor (New Show)

TUESDAY
8 pm Raising Hope
8:30 pm Ben and Kate (New Show)
9 pm New Girl
9:30 pm The Mindy Project (New Show)

WEDNESDAY
8 The X Factor

THURSDAY
8 pm The X Factor
9 pm Glee

FRIDAY
8 pm Touch
9 pm Fringe

SUNDAY
8 pm The Simpsons
8:30 pm Bob’s Burgers
9 pm Family Guy
9:30 pm  American Dad

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On the heels of the announcement that Glee will be moving to Thursdays in the fall, Fox has announced two major season four guest stars:

Sarah Jessica Parker and Kate Hudson!

Details are scarce at the moment, but a network press release states that Hudson will appear on six episodes of the show, while Parker is rumored to play a mentor of sorts fo Kurt.

On a Fox programming conference call this morning, Kevin Reilly, Entertainment President of the Fox Broadcasting Company, said season four will focus on a “show within a show,” and confirmed that the series will switch between storylines in New York City and storylines in Ohio.

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Glee aired a mostly positively-reviewed episode this week, one that took viewers to the William McKinley High School prom and, more importantly, also took them back to season one, where the focus was on fun, engaging characters, not Public Service Announcements.

Can the series build on that momentum as it inches closer to the May 23 season three finale? It will have two hours to try next Tuesday, as Fox has combined the episode “Props” and “Nationals” into one giant event.

The former will feature Tina bumping her head and envisioning her friends swapping bodies with each other, as teased in this freaky Glee photos. The latter will welcome Lindsay Lohan as a judge and take New Directions to Chicago for the competition of their lives.

Will they come out on top?!? Watch the following Fox teaser now:

Glee Promo: “Nationals”

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Oh, Glee, I knew you had it in you! Last week, you had me longing for the show that was and this week, you reminded me that you’re still that show. When you want to be.

Here, you gave me my characters back. And you didn’t force a message down my throat like it was some sort of bad tasting medicine. In fact, there was no message at all! The smile on my face right now is as big as Rachel Berry’s!

“Prom-asaurus” was fun. It was light. It had good music. It almost made me forget how parts of this season have made me so very unhappy. It was a tribute to the characters and who they’ve become over the past three seasons.

Brittany S. Pearce is everyone’s favorite not-so-dumb ditz. She picked “Dinosaurs” for the prom theme, declared war on hair gel and gave a performance that looked like something out of a Flintstones movie.

Rachel and Kurt were together again, planning the anti-prom after Finn agreed to help Quinn campaign for their titles as prom king and queen.

We got to learn about Blaine and just why he has such an affinity for hair products through gems like this:

How do you think I feel with Brittany’s insane ban on hair gel? It’s prom. There’s gonna be balloons all over the place, not to mention the taffeta and the silk blends. The sheer amount of static electricity in that room is gonna be terrifying. You’ve never seen my hair without gel. It’s baby-hair fine. I’m gonna look like Medusa! It’s not funny. I don’t want to go. (More Glee quotes here!)

Finn’s the nice guy who loves his friends and his girlfriend and struggles with making them all happy but makes the right decision in the end.

Puck, who has always had a soft heart despite his hard exterior, escorted Becky Jackson to the prom and made her dreams come true with a cardboard crown. She returned the favor by helping him spike the punch.

Santana and Quinn, despite their mean girl tendencies, have grown up. Quinn walked again, just like she said she would.

I loved every minute of Brittany’s silliness because it wasn’t meant to be serious, including that crazy performance of “Dinosaur,” which was definitely the most bizarre song I’ve heard on this show in a while.

Rachel was portrayed as a hurting teenager who is, for once, unsure of her future while the rest of the crew are shoring up their own. She’s always been so sure of her life’s path and now she’s struggling with figuring it out. Her opening monologue made me remember what it was like to be a teenager whose hopes had just been crushed. Her shock at being crowned prom queen felt genuine, just like it should for her character, the proverbial underdog. At her core, she’s still the same insecure girl she was at the show’s beginning, just as Quinn will always have a touch of Queen Bee in her.

Finn’s speech to Rachel and the other anti-prom attendees about how prom sucks without them and it’s one of their last times to be together as a group worked. It made me remember what it felt like to be at my own prom with my own friends enjoying the end of high school.

Kurt is happy. Finn is happy. Rachel’s happy. Puck’s high school dream has come true and he has bested Coach Sylvester. Puck is happy. Even if he may not graduate.

Maybe I’m a big sap. I’m kind of okay with that. Tonight, for this week at least, I’m happy. Glee got back to its roots.

There were no PSAs. We didn’t have three prominent story lines fighting for attention and being given equal weight despite their gravity not being equal.

There was just good, clean, character-driven story telling and I liked it.

What did you think of “Prom-asaurus”?

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Tomorrow night, Glee goes to prom.

A week from tomorrow night, Glee goes off its rocker. Or Tina does, at least.

On the episode titled “Props” – part of a two-hour event that will include a trip to Nationals, featuring guest stars Lindsay Lohan and Perez Hilton – Tina will smack her head and suddenly see the world a tad differently. Meaning what, exactly?

Well…

Yeah. We’ll also be treated/scarred for life by shots of Puck as Blaine, Mike as Joe and Sugar as Quinn.

Click through these photos now and sound off: Are you excited for this episode?

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