After a summer marred by controversy and cast changes, it would appear as though all is quiet on the GLEE front. And while the cone of silence that seems to have ensconced the Paramount Studios Lot as hundreds of hard working and talented cast and crew members busy themselves with shooting the show’s much-anticipated third season may be music to the publicity department at Fox’s ears, it’s not to us. Which is why we thought now might be as good a time as any to offer up a sneak peek at GLEE Season 3. Oh, and not just any sneak peek, but rather a Lea Michele-infused one direct from Fox’s recent All-Star Summer TCA Party in Los Angeles. See for yourself, after the jump.
Before we get into the new season, we’d be remiss if we didn’t ask you about the recent controversy surrounding the reported spin-off from earlier in the summer.
Lea Michele: You know what’s so funny is that I feel like so many people are looking so far ahead, and honestly for me, I know what is coming up for Rachel this season and I’m so excited for that so I try not to get too far ahead of myself and I’m just focused on what I have to do right now.
What specifically are you excited about as we look towards GLEE’s third season?
I know that I have some really great story lines with Chris Colfer and Darren Criss. I know that I’m going to be in the high school musical which I can’t say but it’s one of my dream roles — not Fanny Brice [of FUNNY GIRL fame]. So I know that I’m doing that and I know that they’re going back to a lot of classic songs. From the first script it was not a lot of top 10 songs but older songs which I love and am so excited to sing and lots of broadway. So I’m super excited about that.
What’s Rachel’s relationship status in terms of Finn and is there any fallout from last May’s surprising kiss?
He’s there, handsome as ever [Laughs], but I think we’re still paying for it [the kiss] a little bit. It seems like the two of us are still together in the first episode, but you never know with Finn and Rachel what could possibly happen.
Are you looking forward to Rachel’s graduation this season?
Well, unless I flunk, which I can work out you know. I can fail my classes, so I’ll see how I feel, and then decide! Obviously I can’t be on the show forever, but I think I look fairly young… right… I think so?!
Do you think this will be the year that we finally get to meet Rachel’s two Dads?
You know what, what the heck? Like really, I really hope so! For me, my dream of meeting Rachel’s dads would just be even if she was performing on stage, taking a bow, and then she’d just waves and there they were her dads in the audience, Elton John… and… one of them is African American so I’ve always had trouble about thinking who that would be. But it would be a great way to just easily slip it in, but he won’t tell me when Ryan [Murphy].
One of the things Ryan Murphy has gone on record about is the notion that this third season will see a refocusing on the show’s core characters. Do you welcome that versus last season’s penchant for big name guest stars and theme episodes?
Here’s the thing, I love focusing on the main characters, but I still love our guest stars. It’s a great opportunity for people who may not be singers to get to come on and sing and have fun and for that I really hope that they continue to bring people on. As for the theme episodes, they are incredibly hard so if we don’t do too many of those I think I would be okay.
Between the show, the tour and now the 3-D movie do you ever worry that GLEE has hit its peak?
I feel like every time we feel that it’s the peek, then next month we’re meeting President Obama. So every time I’ve kind of felt that “Oh my God it can’t get any better than this…” it does. 
GLEE returns with brand new episodes this Tuesday September 20th on Fox at 8PM (Global TV in Canada). Catch up on past episodes you may have missed for free online at clicktowatch.tv