Trouty Mouth is getting reeled back in!

Fox is now confirming what TVLine first told you last week: Three months after his high profile departure from Glee, Chord Overstreet has signed on to return to the show on a recurring basis.

The deal — which closed late Friday — calls for Overstreet to reprise his role as the sweet, sculpted Sam beginning with this season’s eighth episode (slated to early December).

“We love Chord and have always said that we wanted him back,” says exec producer Ryan Murphy. “So here’s an early Christmas present for all the Gleeks—Sam is coming back to McKinley, and just in time for sectionals!” Adds Overstreet: “I had the best time on Glee and couldn’t be more excited to be returning.”

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Glee made headlines over the summer when word leaked that the show opted not to pick up Overstreet’s series regular option for Season 3. Producers invited him back on a recurring basis, but he declined. “They offered me the chance to come back for a few episodes, but there was nothing guaranteed so I decided to dive into the music thing,” he told TVLine in August. “And that’s been my main priority the past two months.”

It’s unclear how Sam will be reintroduced — we learned in the premiere that he moved out of state with his family — or what his return will mean for exes Quinn and Mercedes. While I suss that out, feel free to speculate in the comments section. And while you’re there, take a stab at answering this question: Are you happy Sam’s back?!

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