Claudia Walrad

Staff Writer



For quite a while there, the only TV show known for featuring Journey’s anthemic “Don’t Stop Believin’” was The Sopranos - that is, until 2009 when Glee’s premier episode had New Directions belting out the rock standard on a high school stage. On a sadly similar note, both shows have had to deal with the shocking and unexpected loss of a beloved cast mate; The Sopranos’ James Gandolfini, and Glee’s Cory Monteith. While The Sopranos ended several years ago, Glee is only just starting production on their fifth season and, perhaps taking a nod from the show’s signature performance tune, the cast seems to be uniting in their grief as they return to the set.

During a recent round of interviews promoting his new novel, The Land of Stories: The Enchantress Returns, Chris Colfer revealed that the Glee family will pull together for emotional strength during this time of turbulence. He also spoke of how they will pay special attention to the memorial of both Monteith and the character of Finn. While Colfer won’t be on set till later this week, due to his book tour, he foresees that he will look to his co-stars for support in the absence of such a vital component of the Glee family.



The singer spoke of previous “bumps and dips” in the road to the show’s success, but none that quite compare to this recent devastating blow. The close relationships of the characters onscreen seem to mirror those of the cast offscreen, and one can only imagine the difficulty of a return to production.

This is all amidst a variety of gestures taken to pay tribute to the young and talented Monteith. FOX recently compiled a Memorial Card featuring memorable and loving moments that is sure to well up emotion from those who have never even seen Glee. A number of cast members have spoken openly on Twitter and in recent TV interviews about Monteith, including Darren Criss on Conan and the appearance of Jane Lynch on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, in which she emotionally recounts a story of Monteith travelling across the country to meet a fan who was ill. As Lynch fought back tears, she told Leno “he was just a real giver.”

Although Glee’s filming was pushed back a week, Colfer is aware that upcoming episodes will deal directly with the writing off of the character of Finn. It is not yet clear what the nature of the storyline surrounding his departure will be, but it appears that series creator Ryan Murphy is using this opportunity to speak out to his fans. The episode will deal directly with the circumstances surrounding Monteith’s death and will include a number of PSA’s featuring the cast.

Despite the heart-wrenching loss in his TV family, Chris Colfer appears to be looking towards the future; remaining upbeat that Glee will continue to provide joy and inspiration to its many fans worldwide. Much like the anthem he sings on the show, Colfer confides to Entertainment Weekly: “I’m assuming things will be very different, and I’m sure they’ll be difficult at first. But…. We’ll see. I think I’m positive.” It doesn’t look like he will stop believin’….

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