10/11/13 Update: Here are the 5 PSA that were done for the #RememberingCory episode last night and at the end I have included the performances from the episode. The show was a very fitting tribute and cathartic for the fans who will miss both Finn and Cory. It was truly heartbreaking and yes I cried with loss. They also didn’t say how he died and I felt that it was important to separate Finn from Cory. So might call that a copout but from a character point of view it would have not made any sense to have him have a drug issue. Kurt says at the beginning of the episode “Who cares how he died” and he is right. The episode is about grief and dealing with the loss of a loved one. I will also say that it was one of the best episodes that the show has had in years. I can only hope that the loss of Finn will get the writers of the show can finally get the show back on track. So We say goodbye to both Cory and Finn and a fitting quote on the plaque that was hung on the wall of the choir room “The show must go . . . all over the place . . . or something.”
Todays post is not about trying to get people to my website. It’s about me saying goodbye to both Cory Monteith and Finn Hudson. I needed to share my thoughts and experiences. I never knew Cory but I can say that I knew Finn Hudson and it’s heartbreaking to lose someone so young. I think that is why it’s really so sad for me. Cory was just way to young to die and I’m not ashamed to admit that I get emotional about things. Death maybe a part of life but when you lose someone it never gets any easier.
I will say that I am a Gleek. I have watched Glee from when it first premiered the pilot episode in May 2009 before the first season started and while I liked it I was not super overwhelmed. It could have been because they played the promos to death but I like the pilot I just didn’t love it. I am not a big show musical fan but the first time that I heard the cast cover the Journey song Don’t Stop Believin’ for the first time made me believe that the show might just work.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WxPyUzWSPA
Living in Southern California has given me access to a lot of events that take place here. That summer FOX brought some of the cast to San Diego Comic Con. While I agree the show was an unusual choice for SDCC I was excited non the less. We were treated to something special. We were the first audience to see the second episode and I must say at that moment it really clicked for me. I was a Gleek period. After the episode producer Ian Brennan and Brad Falchuk brought four members of the cast attended Lea Michele, Dianna Agron, Matthew Morrison and Cory Monteith. Cory’s charm was very present to all of us. While he was one of the oldest cast members you would have never know this. I think the reason that he played Finn so well was that the character resembled him in so many ways.
I watched every episode of Glee and was fortunate enough to see the cast at events in the Los Angeles area. They included two Paley Festival appearances.
The second season spring premier at The Grove
and both of the live concerts.
Cory was at all of these events and always charming. He always seemed happy and seemed to not take for granted the success of the show.
While Glee has had it’s up and downs creatively the one thing that always kept the show going was the cast. Cory was obviously not the strongest singer although he improved quite well as the show went along. The thing that you could relate to in Finn was that he always seemed to embody the best of what the Glee Club could be. While I was never the quarterback Finn was had a big heart and would always try to do the best he could. After season 3 and Finn graduated they wisely brought him back to McKinley High to help mentor the new members of the Glee Club. While the show had lost a lot creatively with the 4th season Cory always did the bet he could with what was given to him.
In real life Cory had been fighting addiction from his early teens. Obviously most of the public did not know of his battles with his personal demons. We found out when he left to go to rehab before the 4th season had ended. The producers wrote Finn out of the last few episodes and would bring him back in season 5. Sadly Cory died of an overdose on July 13th 2013. I was in shock as was everyone else. It seem obvious that the final act for the show would be Rachel and Finn getting together in the end and getting married. While that is pure speculation on my part it does seem to be the path that was being set up in the story.
My job in post production involves working on Glee for FOX Home Video. We had done most of the work on season 4 of Glee prior to Cory’s death but about a week later we had to do some more versions. The first episode I had to watch because there was new audio was the fourth episode “The Break Up”. To say that it was difficult to watch was an understatement. It was just devastating. I did get a new perspective of Cory while re-watching season 4. Every time he was onscreen I could not help but focus on him. You can never imagine that a person so young would die. Many shows have lost cast members before but rarely so young. While going through the fourth season again after his death there was a very ironic and strange thing that I discovered. The first big hit that Glee had been Don’t Stop Believin’ and the last song that Finn was in was the same song that Lea Michele did for her Broadway audition. While Cory didn’t technically sing it as he and the others were backup vocals it was his last musical performance on the show.
While there has been a lot of debate about the tribute episode Thursday, I hope that Finn does not die of an overdose. From a character stand point this would make no sense. Finn and Cory are not the same. While we have grieved for Cory we now need to grieve for Finn and need to have closure of his character. It will be a very difficult episode to watch. For four season we have fallen love with both Cory and Finn. The toughest thing is that fact that he was so young and that sadly his demons won makes it even more painful. We all have addictions in life, some are a lot worse than other and some people are able to cope with them better than others. The only thing that I can share with you is the photos of Cory from the events that I attended. They will remind me of the time that we all had with Cory Monteith. The great thing about people in the arts is that we always get to revisit the gifts that they have left for us and future generations. Cory may have not been the best actor but he did touch a lot of lives with the show and the songs. It’s very tough to say goodbye but it’s a fact of life. It’s a sad reminder that our time on this planet is very short. I think that the song Homeward Bound/Home is the last time that we really had the original cast together for one last song. The song for me has a much different meaning now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJByHxbIjPo
The most important thing we can do is to make sure that if you or someone you know has problems make sure to get help. There is always someone there for you. You are not alone. Life is very tough but in the words of the Beatles “And in the end, the love you take Is equal to the love you make” Make sure that you do. Thank you Cory for sharing Finn Hudson with us.
Here are links to help if you need them.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
The Trevor Project For LGBT Youth
SAMHSA Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration
Cory Monteith Charities that he worked with and you can donate to
Here are the songs from last nights episode.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvrae89lEzk&list=PL0cVfmrNmtrqJkvTwchDrwBsiBKzkP1o2
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