I've never seen the show. Would it be totally out of character for them to die of a drug overdose after secretly battling with a heroin addiction? I'm not being sarcastic here; it seems like they could try and bring some awareness to the issue...
Applause, applause! Make it whats called a "teachable moment." ive never seen it either but I gather a lot of young kids watch it. They need to see that drugs are not fun, theyre the surest way to death.
I'd put his ashes in an urn and have the others act to the urn as if he was alive. Or CGI his head on another actor like the Sopranos did for that twunt Livia.
No way bring in a new Finn. I like the idea a writer had at ew.com. She suggested they have him die on the show, but show the cast one year in since his death so that it wouldn't be too hard on the cast if it were fresh news. I, like the writer do not want to see Lea have to sob over a casket. No way. Nobody could take that.
agreed VIP. His character will likely be killed off-not sure they will use a drug storyline though, but it would be a teachable moment and a brave thing to do. This would be a great opportunity to make something good of a terrible loss and a way of reaching out to youth.
It might be in bad taste to kill him. Maybe just have him write a dear John letter and have her cry about that. Certainly they would never just replace his character....I don't believe that they would even consider that for a second, so I think it's silly to even speculate about that!!
I agree with @VIP. It seemed last season that they were setting up a reunion between Finn & Rachel. Considering how directly the show has handled other serious issues I can't imagine this will be much different. If they do kill him off it will be heart wrenching to watch because you know the actors will be showing raw emotion over his death.
You can't bring in a new Finn. The show would go down hill faster than it already is. I predict that this will be the shows last season. The only thing the show can do to try and save it would be to explain Finn's death.
The show has always incorporated issues relevant to teens -- bullying, texting while driving, eating disorders, etc. So having a beloved character die senselessly wouldn't be *that* odd and address a legitimate "issue" -- the immortality teens feel, that young people don't just die without a reason.
I don't think it would be unreasonable to have Finn die in some completely random way such as a car accident, brain aneurysm, mugging gone wrong, etc. But, please, no drug or alcohol involvement. No secret addiction or accidental prescription pill overdose -- just steer clear of all that business. Don't plumb his personal demons for ratings.
But I also wonder, can they just "send" Finn off somewhere (Peace Corps, reenlisting in the military, backpacking through Europe) and then kind of close out his story line? Maybe there's some footage somewhere that got cut of him and Rachel embracing, happy, that they can reuse. It would be acrobatic editing, to say the least.
Honestly, the show doesn't have any great options, and avoiding criticism of exploitation will be tough.
I would bring in a really bitchy Canadian woman named Hax. The character is supposed to be 16, but looks about 45. She will try to destroy the Glee club with her negative attitude towards life. Despite the mourning, the Gleeks come together for a sing off. It doesn't work, so they douse her with water. As she slowly melts, they realize the power of friendship, and sticking together.
After everything I've read about him over the years, and as open as he was about his addiction issues, I think they should have him die by OD. It would bring it to the forefront make it teachable and I think it's something Cory would have approved of.
I want my check if they use my idea. ;| At the beginning of the show have all of the actors in the shot. Jane Lynch can explain how they have lost Cory, and maybe give a little speech about how devastating addiction is. Then, have a montage of his scenes and a goodbye. At the end of the episode and goodbye, Jane should say another bit about getting help for addiction before it is too late. Do not replace his character, but they could introduce a new person if they wanted.
@Tracy. I haven't watched the show, I only know what I've read online or glimpsed at the checkout stand, but this sounds like one of the best suggestions to me.
Kill him off. He could die of an OD if they really want to go there. People could be shocked. Or, he could have gone back into the Army (off screen) and die there. But no - they can't recast. That would be poor taste.
Doesn't filming begin next week? At least it was supposed to. Considering how fresh all of this, it seems cruel to the cast to kill him off and have a funeral, but I'm not sure another way around it. They can't not have the Rachel character mourning, even if they sped up time by a year, the writers are going to have to state that Finn is dead.
Shipping him off somewhere seems like a copout, and even if they did that, someone will have to break the news to Rachel that he's joined the army or whatever. That seems ... half assed and cruel too.
When John Ritter died suddenly during 8 Simple Rules, they had a death episode about it and it was pretty tough. The whole season was about the family dealing with his death.
No matter what direction they go in, the writers are in a really tough spot. Personally, I hope they delay production and let some time pass. Maybe the show can come back in January or Feb instead of September.
@Faith, 8 Simple Rules handled it really well, I thought. They went on hiatus for a while so that the show could regroup and figure out what they'd do without Ritter. I don't know if Glee can go on hiatus that easily, though.
I truly hope that they either break the 4th wall and address this directly or at least mirror life with the character. To send Finn off to never be seen again like Bobby being sent to the attic on AMC would be a slap to the face of Cory's memory. The writers have an amazing opurtunity to REALLY show kids how dangerous this drug really is. It's a growing epidemic and shying away from it will only make it worse.
Given the show's proclivity for messages to teens and such, I think an od or drunk driving related accident is very doable. Finn was partying it up in college worth Puckerman and they could integrate something about he and Puck partying, Puck or Cory driving drunk and being killed that route. If Puck was driving it would showcase his remorse and possible attitude change at the loss and responsibly of his friend's death. If Finch was driving, then focus on the dangers of drunk driving in college. If they want to use the drug route, that can occur that way too as college is all about experimentation and can showcase the dangers of experimenting as such in college.
My question is how would the writer's write in a drug overdose. It seems like a pretty random thing to add in the story line especially if Finn wasn't openly struggling with drugs. That's like sending leah's character to live in antarctica but it'll make the story line make sense cause she wrote a note?
Someone at another forum had the perfect idea IMO: (like NomNom said), 'send' the character off somewhere with an implication he'll never be back and 'send' Rachel off to be with him so Finn/Rachel are together and live happily ever after offscreen. It saves them the awfulness of having to grieve for Finn on-camera and it lets Lea Michele out of the show so she doesn't have to be forced to stay on it.
I think they have to address it directly-I have seen the suggestion someone made here of having Jane Lynch or Matthew Morrison talk about it--and then I think they have to write the character off somehow and I can't imagine them writing Lea Michelle off--maybe she gets the lead in Funny Girl and goes on to become a star in his honor or something. It is hard for them to fast-forward a year because the kids on the show would have graduated.
I have confidence in the writers that they will do it in a way that is fair and honest--there are so many young fans that know what happened--it is important to do it right.
I'd like them to do some kind of concert episodes showing his best performances with the cast--there are a lot of them.
It is kind of strange that on the show, Finn finds out his father died alone in a hotel--he thought he died in the military--and then this happens.
Still sad about this-he was a talented young man and seemed to be a good person.
I've never seen the show, but why not do what soap operas do when they have to replace an actor? In the first new episode, have a voice-over that says: "The role of Finn is now being played by ______________." Then at the end, they can have a dedication to Cory.
Finn's character was pretty lost and trying to find himself for a good part of the season. I think writing off his character with a death is best. Car-accident, falling asleep at the wheel or being hit by a drunk driver maybe? Like someone said he and Puckerman were living it up partying.
Though they did do a car accident due to texting with Dianne A's character already...
I read the show will be delaying production on a website somewhere, don't remember which...
Personally, I don't know that I will be able to watch the show anymore...
Unrelated allegedly the Glee Project was canceled due to low ratings.
If some of you haven't seen the Glee cast perform you outta check it. Amazing.
I remember the 8 Simple Rules "death" episode. It was horrible and painful to watch, even though it was shot months after his death you could tell that it was still very raw with the cast. I don't know if I could handle watching Lea Michele grieve for Cory through the show. I honestly think that this is something that she and the rest of the cast need to decide as they are the ones that have worked side by side with him since the very first episode.
I like the idea of Finn moving somewhere, and Rachel eventually following him as it gives Lea the chance to gracefully leave the show. But the writers need to give the audience some credit. We are all aware of the circumstances surrounding his death, and to disregard both that, and Cory's memory would be disrespectful.
Lea does strike me as a "show must go on" type of person, and I'm sure Cory wouldn't have wanted her to give up her role on the show. But she does have an album out soon and some time out of the limelight would give her time to heal. I hope the writers make decisions that look after the people, and not just the show. The last thing we need is having the cast rushed back to work and dealing with painful things on screen, which will only do more harm in the long run.
Some shows that dealt with a death AS a death have done it very well, but many have not lasted long after. Most that did badly afterwards brought in annoying or zany people to fill the space (but not assume the role). I'm thinking of NewsRadio, which did Phil Hartman's death pretty well, but floundered with Jon Lovitz; and 8 Simple Rules, which brought in too many extra characters and storylines (parents, man-child brother [David Spade], will she date the principal?) and lost its focus. West Wing handled John Spencer's death well, and managed after, but it was always a good ensemble. I'd suggest NOT filling the role OR the space, and letting the vacancy be tangible all season, because real death is.
8 Simple Rules was a mediocre show but when John died, it seemed to go up a notch based on his comedic history and Katey Sagal carrying the show afterward. RIP Jack Tripper. @WUWT, I agree about West Wing and John Spencer. He was a key cast member and they handled that very well.
No new Finn, that will send the show even further into the basement. The idea of a broken 4th wall episode is interesting as so many kids identify with the Finn character and Glee is an issues-driven show. I'll be interesting to see how this plays out.
I've never seen the show. Would it be totally out of character for them to die of a drug overdose after secretly battling with a heroin addiction? I'm not being sarcastic here; it seems like they could try and bring some awareness to the issue...
ReplyDeleteApplause, applause! Make it whats called a "teachable moment."
Deleteive never seen it either but I gather a lot of young kids watch it. They need to see that drugs are not fun, theyre the surest way to death.
I'd put his ashes in an urn and have the others act to the urn as if he was alive. Or CGI his head on another actor like the Sopranos did for that twunt Livia.
ReplyDeleteNo way bring in a new Finn. I like the idea a writer had at ew.com. She suggested they have him die on the show, but show the cast one year in since his death so that it wouldn't be too hard on the cast if it were fresh news. I, like the writer do not want to see Lea have to sob over a casket. No way. Nobody could take that.
ReplyDeleteConsidering they've set up Finchel to be the endgame, unfortunately I think they're going to have to kill off his character :(
ReplyDeleteReplace him with Corey Feldman.
ReplyDeleteFSP, FTW!
DeleteThey should kill off his character and have an episode dedicated to him where they mourn his death.
ReplyDeleteAgree skimpy. Keep it simplr. Car accident. Dont mix up real life with reel life.
Deleteagreed VIP. His character will likely be killed off-not sure they will use a drug storyline though, but it would be a teachable moment and a brave thing to do. This would be a great opportunity to make something good of a terrible loss and a way of reaching out to youth.
ReplyDeleteIt might be in bad taste to kill him. Maybe just have him write a dear John letter and have her cry about that. Certainly they would never just replace his character....I don't believe that they would even consider that for a second, so I think it's silly to even speculate about that!!
ReplyDeleteThe Dallas dream sequence
ReplyDeleteI agree with @VIP. It seemed last season that they were setting up a reunion between Finn & Rachel. Considering how directly the show has handled other serious issues I can't imagine this will be much different. If they do kill him off it will be heart wrenching to watch because you know the actors will be showing raw emotion over his death.
ReplyDeleteYou can't bring in a new Finn. The show would go down hill faster than it already is. I predict that this will be the shows last season. The only thing the show can do to try and save it would be to explain Finn's death.
ReplyDeleteThey could have his character die of a drug overdose or leave town for some reason.
ReplyDeleteThe show has always incorporated issues relevant to teens -- bullying, texting while driving, eating disorders, etc. So having a beloved character die senselessly wouldn't be *that* odd and address a legitimate "issue" -- the immortality teens feel, that young people don't just die without a reason.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it would be unreasonable to have Finn die in some completely random way such as a car accident, brain aneurysm, mugging gone wrong, etc. But, please, no drug or alcohol involvement. No secret addiction or accidental prescription pill overdose -- just steer clear of all that business. Don't plumb his personal demons for ratings.
But I also wonder, can they just "send" Finn off somewhere (Peace Corps, reenlisting in the military, backpacking through Europe) and then kind of close out his story line? Maybe there's some footage somewhere that got cut of him and Rachel embracing, happy, that they can reuse. It would be acrobatic editing, to say the least.
Honestly, the show doesn't have any great options, and avoiding criticism of exploitation will be tough.
I would bring in a really bitchy Canadian woman named Hax. The character is supposed to be 16, but looks about 45. She will try to destroy the Glee club with her negative attitude towards life. Despite the mourning, the Gleeks come together for a sing off. It doesn't work, so they douse her with water. As she slowly melts, they realize the power of friendship, and sticking together.
ReplyDeleteAfter everything I've read about him over the years, and as open as he was about his addiction issues, I think they should have him die by OD. It would bring it to the forefront make it teachable and I think it's something Cory would have approved of.
ReplyDeleteSend him to the Bermuda Triangle for a vacation with a few members of the Illuminati.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI want my check if they use my idea. ;| At the beginning of the show have all of the actors in the shot. Jane Lynch can explain how they have lost Cory, and maybe give a little speech about how devastating addiction is. Then, have a montage of his scenes and a goodbye. At the end of the episode and goodbye, Jane should say another bit about getting help for addiction before it is too late. Do not replace his character, but they could introduce a new person if they wanted.
ReplyDelete@Tracy. I haven't watched the show, I only know what I've read online or glimpsed at the checkout stand, but this sounds like one of the best suggestions to me.
DeleteCount - they only did that Livia CGI thing for one episode. And that was creepy enough.
ReplyDeleteKill him off. He could die of an OD if they really want to go there. People could be shocked. Or, he could have gone back into the Army (off screen) and die there. But no - they can't recast. That would be poor taste.
ReplyDeleteReplace him with the chalk outline of a dead body.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't filming begin next week? At least it was supposed to. Considering how fresh all of this, it seems cruel to the cast to kill him off and have a funeral, but I'm not sure another way around it. They can't not have the Rachel character mourning, even if they sped up time by a year, the writers are going to have to state that Finn is dead.
ReplyDeleteShipping him off somewhere seems like a copout, and even if they did that, someone will have to break the news to Rachel that he's joined the army or whatever. That seems ... half assed and cruel too.
When John Ritter died suddenly during 8 Simple Rules, they had a death episode about it and it was pretty tough. The whole season was about the family dealing with his death.
No matter what direction they go in, the writers are in a really tough spot. Personally, I hope they delay production and let some time pass. Maybe the show can come back in January or Feb instead of September.
@Faith. I think I read Adam Lambert saying he was supposed to start filming next week, but that it's up in the air now.
Delete@Faith, 8 Simple Rules handled it really well, I thought. They went on hiatus for a while so that the show could regroup and figure out what they'd do without Ritter. I don't know if Glee can go on hiatus that easily, though.
ReplyDeleteI truly hope that they either break the 4th wall and address this directly or at least mirror life with the character. To send Finn off to never be seen again like Bobby being sent to the attic on AMC would be a slap to the face of Cory's memory. The writers have an amazing opurtunity to REALLY show kids how dangerous this drug really is. It's a growing epidemic and shying away from it will only make it worse.
ReplyDeleteGiven the show's proclivity for messages to teens and such, I think an od or drunk driving related accident is very doable. Finn was partying it up in college worth Puckerman and they could integrate something about he and Puck partying, Puck or Cory driving drunk and being killed that route. If Puck was driving it would showcase his remorse and possible attitude change at the loss and responsibly of his friend's death. If Finch was driving, then focus on the dangers of drunk driving in college. If they want to use the drug route, that can occur that way too as college is all about experimentation and can showcase the dangers of experimenting as such in college.
ReplyDeleteMy question is how would the writer's write in a drug overdose. It seems like a pretty random thing to add in the story line especially if Finn wasn't openly struggling with drugs. That's like sending leah's character to live in antarctica but it'll make the story line make sense cause she wrote a note?
ReplyDeleteSomeone at another forum had the perfect idea IMO: (like NomNom said), 'send' the character off somewhere with an implication he'll never be back and 'send' Rachel off to be with him so Finn/Rachel are together and live happily ever after offscreen. It saves them the awfulness of having to grieve for Finn on-camera and it lets Lea Michele out of the show so she doesn't have to be forced to stay on it.
ReplyDeleteI think they have to address it directly-I have seen the suggestion someone made here of having Jane Lynch or Matthew Morrison talk about it--and then I think they have to write the character off somehow and I can't imagine them writing Lea Michelle off--maybe she gets the lead in Funny Girl and goes on to become a star in his honor or something.
ReplyDeleteIt is hard for them to fast-forward a year because the kids on the show would have graduated.
I have confidence in the writers that they will do it in a way that is fair and honest--there are so many young fans that know what happened--it is important to do it right.
I'd like them to do some kind of concert episodes showing his best performances with the cast--there are a lot of them.
It is kind of strange that on the show, Finn finds out his father died alone in a hotel--he thought he died in the military--and then this happens.
Still sad about this-he was a talented young man and seemed to be a good person.
Car accident. Short and simple. Dont drag it out. Fans are still hurting terribly. Cant believe they already cremated him. Its only been four days.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen the show, but why not do what soap operas do when they have to replace an actor? In the first new episode, have a voice-over that says: "The role of Finn is now being played by ______________." Then at the end, they can have a dedication to Cory.
ReplyDeleteI think they need to kill Finn off. However, I can't imagine how hard that would be for his former co-stars, especially Lea Michele.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely no replacement.
ReplyDeleteHis family may not want a public service message.
Finn's character was pretty lost and trying to find himself for a good part of the season. I think writing off his character with a death is best. Car-accident, falling asleep at the wheel or being hit by a drunk driver maybe? Like someone said he and Puckerman were living it up partying.
Though they did do a car accident due to texting with Dianne A's character already...
I read the show will be delaying production on a website somewhere, don't remember which...
Personally, I don't know that I will be able to watch the show anymore...
Unrelated allegedly the Glee Project was canceled due to low ratings.
If some of you haven't seen the Glee cast perform you outta check it. Amazing.
Original cast that is.
ReplyDeleteI don't watch Glee, but I agree, having him die is the best...just as long as they don't bring in Jon Lovitz as his replacement.
ReplyDeleteI remember the 8 Simple Rules "death" episode. It was horrible and painful to watch, even though it was shot months after his death you could tell that it was still very raw with the cast. I don't know if I could handle watching Lea Michele grieve for Cory through the show. I honestly think that this is something that she and the rest of the cast need to decide as they are the ones that have worked side by side with him since the very first episode.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of Finn moving somewhere, and Rachel eventually following him as it gives Lea the chance to gracefully leave the show. But the writers need to give the audience some credit. We are all aware of the circumstances surrounding his death, and to disregard both that, and Cory's memory would be disrespectful.
Lea does strike me as a "show must go on" type of person, and I'm sure Cory wouldn't have wanted her to give up her role on the show. But she does have an album out soon and some time out of the limelight would give her time to heal. I hope the writers make decisions that look after the people, and not just the show. The last thing we need is having the cast rushed back to work and dealing with painful things on screen, which will only do more harm in the long run.
Some shows that dealt with a death AS a death have done it very well, but many have not lasted long after. Most that did badly afterwards brought in annoying or zany people to fill the space (but not assume the role). I'm thinking of NewsRadio, which did Phil Hartman's death pretty well, but floundered with Jon Lovitz; and 8 Simple Rules, which brought in too many extra characters and storylines (parents, man-child brother [David Spade], will she date the principal?) and lost its focus. West Wing handled John Spencer's death well, and managed after, but it was always a good ensemble. I'd suggest NOT filling the role OR the space, and letting the vacancy be tangible all season, because real death is.
ReplyDeleteno new finn...write him off..
ReplyDelete8 Simple Rules was a mediocre show but when John died, it seemed to go up a notch based on his comedic history and Katey Sagal carrying the show afterward. RIP Jack Tripper. @WUWT, I agree about West Wing and John Spencer. He was a key cast member and they handled that very well.
ReplyDeleteNo new Finn, that will send the show even further into the basement. The idea of a broken 4th wall episode is interesting as so many kids identify with the Finn character and Glee is an issues-driven show. I'll be interesting to see how this plays out.
I think that they should just have him disappear- it would be kind of in bad taste to kill him off at this point.
ReplyDelete