Entertainment

'Glee' Stars Then & Now Because Heading Into Season 6 The Cast Has Really, Really Changed

It’s hard to believe that Glee is starting Season 6 — its final season — mid-year, and all of our favorite ex-students at McKinley High School will soon be fading memories (cue Kurt singing the popular song from Cats). Glee began airing in 2009, and a lot has changed since the first season started on Fox. The Glee cast has grown up, they’ve matured, they’ve fought — we may never really know what happened between Naya Rivera and Lea Michele — they’ve had children, and they’ve lost one of their own.

Because it is almost time for the show’s final season, it seems only right that they return to their roots and really focus around McKinley High School, or more specifically, the glee club, which initially brought the group of misfits together. It is already known that Rachel will return to McKinley after a failed television career, and we are also promised that old series regulars, like Puck and Quinn, will return as guest stars on the show.

As an homage to the show's legacy — because even if it has fallen off the wagon a little in the recent seasons, it still paved the way for shows of its kind — let’s look back at the cast from the beginning of the show, and now.

Images: Tyler Golden/FOX

Rachel Season 1

Rachel as an ingénue, as I am sure she’d like to be referred to.

Images: FOX

Rachel Now

Just five seasons later, Rachel’s dream came true.

Images: FOX

Kurt Season 1

Back when he was called “Porcelain” by Sue.

Images: FOX

Kurt Now

It only took five seasons, but the costume department became much kinder to him.

Images: FOX

Blaine Season 2

Don’t you still get excited when you think of Blaine singing “Teenage Dream” with the Warblers.

Images: FOX

Blaine Now

He’s always looked good in a suit.

Images: FOX

Santana, Brittany, and Quinn Season 1

Still waiting for an explanation on why the “Cheerios” wore only their cheer uniforms to school, and nothing else.

Images: FOX

Santana Now

Her wardrobe, though.

Images: FOX

Brittany Now

She’s a genius, you guys!

Images: FOX

Quinn Now

Quinn is a walking Anthroplogie ad.

Images: FOX

Mercedes Season 1

Mercedes might be a touring recording artist now…

Images: FOX

Mercedes Now

But she still owns the same style she’s always owned.

Images: FOX

Sam Season 2

I have a theory about Sam. He’s like a fine wine…

Images: FOX

Sam Now

He only gets better with age, am I right?

Images: FOX

Tina Season 1

Remember when Tina had that bizarre “goth” phase and then it just stopped (along with her stutter)?

Images: FOX

Tina Now

Now she’s still saying really inappropriately timed things, but now in more colorful clothes.

Images: FOX

Puck Season 1

Pass. The. Ball. Puck.

Images: FOX

Puck Now

Damn.

Images: FOX

Artie Season 1

Artie’s look then and now has surprisingly not changed that much.

Images: FOX

Artie Now

He did get a more updated haircut, because the Bieber sweep is so 2000-and-late.

Images: FOX

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