On July 13^th, 2013, fans of Fox’s hit series, “Glee,” were shocked and saddened to learn that the star of their favorite TV show was found dead due to a drug overdose. Cory Monteith was a 31-year-old actor who played the show’s male lead, Finn Hudson. His sudden death was tragic and traumatizing, and strongly struck the writers, producers, and actors of the hit show. Monteith’s friends, family, and fans were absolutely devastated and his on and off screen love, Lea Michele, was utterly heartbroken. Everyone doubted that the show could continue without its shining star; however, “Glee” continued even with this horrible loss, and on October 10^th, the show paid tribute to Cory and his character, Finn.

“Glee” dedicated its third episode of this season, “The Quarterback,” to Finn Hudson. It displayed the different ways the characters on the show coped with the death of their friend, brother, and mentor. Glee is a show focused on music, and the characters paid tribute to Finn through a series of meaningful songs. Some of the songs sung by the cast were “Seasons of Love” from the musical Rent, “I’ll Stand By You” by the Pretenders, “Make You Feel My Love” by Bob Dylan, and “If I Die Young” by The Band Perry.

Although this hour of television was very touching, it lacked an explanation for the death of Finn Hudson. There was no reference to a drug overdose, let alone any reason for the death of Finn at all. While this upset many critics and fans, all in all, the episode was successful in saying goodbye to Glee’s main character. During commercial breaks throughout the episode, recordings of the Glee actors and writers were shown, encouraging those who know addicts, or may be ones themselves, to call for help before it is too late. Monteith was too young to die; he had problems with drugs in the past, but had recently completed rehab, so no one could have predicted a relapse so soon. Cory Monteith will always be remembered as a compassionate and talented actor who touched the lives of many through his portrayal of Finn Hudson, and Glee most definitely will not be the same without him.