'Glee': Jane Lynch tries on Ann Coulter, David Bowie for size

Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) is mostly predictable. Aside from a soft spot for her sister and the rare random act of kindness, she's "Glee's" resident villain -- doing her best to thwart Mr. Schuester (Matthew Morrison) and the glee club at every turn.

On Tuesday's (May 3) episode, the Fleetwood Mac-inspired "Rumours," Sue didn't have tons of screen-time, but she did leave an impression: First as a spot-on "Ziggy Stardust"-era David Bowie, complete in sparkly unitard and make-up.

But just as soon as we got comfortable with Sue as the Starman, she morphed into right-wing talking head Ann Coulter -- complete with long bottle-blond hair and shoulder pads.

Why Coulter?

In February, Lynch told the New York Post that Coulter would never be invited to guest star on "Glee" because she's far too polarizing.

"Oh, no, that would never happen," said Lynch. "She's not funny... but maybe Sue would be friends with her."

So perhaps this was a way to invoke Coulter's spectre without drawing too much fire.

Still, this wasn't the first time the show worked in a Coulter reference. In season 1's "The Power of Madonna," Emma Pillsbury (Jayma Mays) -- talking about the dearth of female role models -- deadpanned: "Right, and it makes sense. Look at their [the girls in glee club] role models. You've got Britney Spears with her shaved head and Lindsay Lohan looking like something out of 'Lord of the Rings' ... Ann Coulter."

Come to think of it, maybe showrunner Ryan Murphy (with an assist from Lynch) is doing his level best to draw Coulter's fire, after all.