'Bunheads' pirouettes back onto TV

Right out of the gate, the dance portion of "Bunheads'" winter premiere nailed it.

"It's Oh So Quiet" was right up there with some of the other outstanding routines we've seen on the show so far.

But of course, the episode was about far more than wowing us with great choreography. We had to find out how Michelle would return to Paradise after that memorable "Oh captain, my captain" exit.

An entire summer has gone by (and it is a little weird now to think that they put on a performance of "The Nutcracker" in May or June), and Fanny and the dance students moved on without Michelle - or tried to, anyway.

Fanny kept the studio closed throughout the summer, while Truly... well, Truly created a tiny house inside a box, just big enough for people. Then there was that priceless moment when Melanie and Ginny were unexpectedly joined by Fanny at their restaurant table (a bit like those times when you might run into your teacher outside of school, and it would freak you out).

Boo's mother was pregnant, taking advantage of bed-rest by catching up on that hot new show "Friends." ("I don't even know who the 'Friends' are.")

Ginny basically took her mother's place as a realtor, though most viewers were probably hoping for that "Smash" crossover where she would be revealed as Ivy's little sister.

Sasha was hiding from her broken home in Boo's house after a summer at Joffrey, and she had a blossoming romance with Roman.

As for Michelle, she was doing this:

That, combined with making wisecracks about her roommate's much older boyfriend, pretty much summed up her post-Paradise life.

But just when she was out, a viral video pulled her back in. A viral video of the mace incident from the summer finale.

A magic show meltdown ("The very fact that they came to a show means they want to see something, you don't have to keep asking them over and over if they want to see something!"), a visit from Fanny and one wedding video later, Michelle had decided she belonged in Paradise.

Can we stop right here and acknowledge the brilliance of that video with Hubbell, not to mention how terrific Alan Ruck is in every scene? Easily the most romantic quickie Vegas wedding in TV history.

And the icing on the cake? Fanny's class performing a routine to the tune of the infamous viral video.

Michelle is back and all is right with the world.

Are you looking forward to the rest of this season as much as I am? Share your thoughts here or post a comment.