'Glee' star Cory Monteith 1982-2013

Cory Monteith may not have been the strongest singer on Glee, but what he lacked there, he shined in other places, in particular his ability to shift easily from dumb jock to lovelorn Finn in one of the shows few center pieces, the on/off again relationship with Rachel. 

I started to give up on Glee after season two, though I continued to watch it through season three. When FOX moved the show opposite the ones I watched on NBC Thursday for its fourth year, I almost never watched it. But on occasion, I would get caught up in the show if I was flipping channels. 

Part of the reason was I left the show was –even in the hyper-reality that is all TV series- because it had stepped away from its premise. Season one’s struggles of Kurt coming out, of Finn’s love for Rachel, despite (what I felt anyway) her really not seemly to care; nothing was going to stop her from going to New York and Broadway, and how bully Puck became the man he is destined to be was central to that season, along with other great stories. By season two and three, the show moved away from some of these character-centric ideas and became more story driven. 

Still, while I believe Kurt and his coming out, his relationship with Blaine remains the series heart, the soul of the show solely belongs to Monteith and his unique ability to keep the show and Finn firmly planted in reality –something the show in its current incarnation needs desperately. Some will say he was never a strong actor either, but I would disagree with that. He clearly had a talent that made you frustrated with Finn and his naivety about his love for Rachel. The fact that the producers never made it creepy was perhaps because of Monteith. Just look at his performance from season 4’s The Break Up episode where he finally and sadly realizes that Rachel had moved past him. It was a terrific, grounded accomplishment from an underrated actor.

His death leaves a big hole in the series for season five, which will soon go back into production –though this tragedy may delay that, as well, perhaps, the season opener which is scheduled for September 19. And even though Finn had graduated, Monteith was still a main cast member. I have faith that the producers and writers of the show will do an appropriate tribute to Cory Monteith, and perhaps in doing so, bring the shows concept back to the reality that made season one of the show its best.

As for Monteith’s family, his friends and fellow cast members of Glee, I send my condolences. It is always sad when addiction wins, and you want to hit someone, or something, just to understand the reasons why it does. But life, as always, is fragile and at times, unfair. Love sometimes is not enough to keep people from the grip of addiction. And that, in the end, is saddest part of all.