Glee and Sadness

     Reality shows are not my favorite. I have seen a few, but never an episode of American Idol. So, I missed all the commercials for Glee. I started watching the show because it appeared on Hulu. I saw the first episode, completely unsure what I should be expecting.

     Glee almost immediately captured my heart. Maybe it was the likable and relatable characters. Maybe it was the energy and sound of the music. It could have been the impressive run-on sentences of the borderline psychotic cheerleading coach. Or the way the show was ready to deal with difficult topics. By the third episode, Curt was coming out of the closet. By the fourth episode, teen pregnancy entered the picture.


     That first season was a catharsis for me. I have to admit, my high school life was largely a negative experience. I had some good teachers, a few friends. For part of one year, I even had people to eat lunch with. But, mostly, high school was a desperate and lonely experience for me.


     But Glee had (has) people coming together. It had (has) people to identify with. (I’m going to stick with past tense, even though the show still has seasons coming.) It had songs that were these mini stories you could get lost in. They were familiar and new expressions of heart. And there was drama and humor surrounding the music.

     Finn Hudson was not a character I identified with. At first, he seemed like some jock unwillingly caught up in the Glee club. Charismatic, athletic, everyone’s high-school crush. I’m really not familiar with what that’s like. But early on, they hinted the character was a good person, and he really shows himself to be a hero and a good friend by the end of the first season. He became a character I could respect and even admire.


     It is my understanding that Cory Monteith, the actor who played Finn, had a good heart and was well loved; that he expressed some of Finn’s best qualities, though he had his own set of difficulties. It was hard to read the news that he had died. It was harder to see confirmation that it wasn’t a hoax.


     I’ve lost people in my life. I’ve been to more funerals than is comfortable to discuss. I hope that the people who suffered the most from Cory’s death are able to find some measure of comfort with their loved ones. The only thing I can offer is this: Cory brought a depth to his character. The way he portrayed Finn brought honesty and heart to the show. He had human fallibilities, but he was hard at work becoming a better person. This is a trait to be admired.


     Cory, Finn. I don’t really know which one I’m talking to at this point. But you were a voice of growth, of honesty, and of heroic friendship. You were a voice of hope and, though you’re gone, your voice still sings true.


     You are greatly missed.