(S01E14) Hello, indeed! 'Glee' is back, and Mr. Schuester declared that New Directions needed an exciting new re-introduction to vault them into the next level, regionals. After all the glory and greatness of winning sectionals, McKinley's glee club was back to basics, thanks to reality setting in -- slushees in the face again! -- as well as Figgins reinstating Sue, who renewed her attacks on Will.

If that sounds like a spoiler to you, you haven't been paying attention to the groundwork laid in the first thirteen episodes. For more on the latest from Ohio's little singing group that could, read on after the jump.

(S0408) "Born in blood, both of us." - Dexter on his and the Trinity Killer's creation of their "dark passengers"

Dexter and the Trinity Killer aren't the only ones on the show who have been paying back their anger for the pain the world has dealt them. The audience is in on the same game.

We've been sitting through weeks of boring and dry subplots about secret affairs and office romances that we couldn't care less about if we were actually one of their co-workers. But now we've been rewarded for our patience with some seedy and very interesting details about Dexter's main prey, the Trinity Killer, a man held in a very weak cage of despair and anger.

(S04E07) "We all have secrets, Debs. Some of them shouldn't be found out." - Dexter to Debra

While preparing this post, I had to double check the time stamp on this week's episode because "7" just seemed too early. It literally felt like we were more episodes into the season. I even looked out my window to make sure the Earth had not been sent into some kind of time paradox where time runs backwards, the sun comes out at night, and golf is America's most watched sport.

Then when I looked over my notes for the recent episode, I realized why. "Slack tide" indeed.

This week's episode did have some very great moments that showed glimmers of the show's glory days, but the rest got bogged down in the same sidetracks that have dragged the rest of the season down with it. The plots may be in different pieces, but they are all in the same garbage bag as they float through the Gulf Stream.

Last night's Glee -- "Mash-Up" -- was one of the best of the season, but it may be that it was merely an appetizer and that next week's show is going to be the big enchilada (hmm... I must be hungry). Anyway, the show won't be back until November -- after the World Series --- and based on Fox's previews, it looks like a lot is going to happen.