I guess when you have a show with such a big cast, it's inevitable that you feel like you're being bombarded with stuff.
Firstly, Sam leaving is something they obviously hadn't foreseen and had to work around. It's actually a shame, because I liked his character. But we've got Blaine on the New Directions now (as abrupt and shakily-reasoned as his transfer was) so I'm sure he won't be missed or even mentioned again. On the other hand, I'm not at all a fan of Puck and Lauren splitting up. Hopefully there will be more scenes between them, with him trying to rebuild the relationship. And Mercedes' new boyfriend? Well, he's a football player so I imagine he'll show up in the football-related scenes as well as just being a background prop for Mercedes. I doubt he'll be of much significance though.
Secondly, Sue and Santana resetting was just downright infuriating. Hopefully it's headed somewhere enjoyable, because their character development just went straight out the window. On the other hand, at least Will isn't taking their crap this time. Santana being kicked out of New Directions was when I first said to myself "Okay, this season's going somewhere!".
Thirdly, I actually like that they took Quinn in such an extreme direction. It fits her character and I like "the skanks", and I was very pleased that the subplot with her isn't resolved yet.
Fourthly, what is the relationship between Will and Emma now? They seem to be more or less living together and sharing a bed, but Will had that one line which implied that they haven't actually had sex yet. It was a nice reveal, but there are obviously some key moments which happened offscreen and I'm taking it as a given that we'll be filled in on that in later episodes in the season. Hopefully they'll stay an item and progress together rather than splitting up AGAIN.
Fifthly, yay for Kurt and Rachel! I was surprised to see so little of Finn, Artie, Puck and Brittany but there was no way they'd all fit into one episode. They'll have their storylines and moments as it goes on.
Finally, the preview for the next episode looks much stronger. "West Side Story" (while I'm not sure how they're going to pull it off with 10 people) is a good fit for them and a good way to make them all compete with each other. I'm calling it now; Blaine as Tony, Tina as Maria, Mercedes as Anita, Puck as Riff, Mike as Bernardo. Then Finn, Kurt and Rachel need to adjust to not being the leads this time. But seriously, that show has considerably more than 10 characters!
Idina Menzel coming back is very welcome, because unlike other guest stars (cough*Paltrow*cough) she actually has a significant role in the lives of some main characters and is an enjoyable presence without it feeling too forced. I hope that she and Kurt have some moments for some reason. I just imagine she'd be a good coach for him, and there's obviously the subtext of Kurt (and Chris Colfer's) love of Wicked.
So yeah, I have mixed feelings but I think there's every chance of improvement now that all the groundwork is set. At least they seem aware of what the show needs to become, and are taking steps to do so. I just wish they'd be a bit less abrupt about the between-seasons stuff.