Cory Monteith 'Glee' Tribute Episode: Finn Won’t Die Of Drug Overdose

Finn Hudson, the Glee character played by the late Cory Monteith, won’t die of an overdose, show creator Ryan Murphy revealed – though that was the original plan. “We were going to have his character die after an accidental drug overdose,” Murphy said. “That was something we had considered. But we have decided that we’re not going to have him pass from that. “

Since Monteith’s tragic death, Glee fans have speculated as to how Finn will be written off the show. Murphy confirmed that the character will die, but suggested the audience might never know how, saying that a cause of death may not be revealed at all. “How somebody died is interesting and maybe morbid, but we say very early on in the episode, ‘This episode is about a celebration of that character’s life,’” Murphy said. “That might be weird for some people, but it felt really exploitative to do it any other way.”

Murphy also said that the cast and crew is beginning to film the tribute episode now, having finished the first two Beatles-tribute episodes of the season already. “There’s been tears on set. It’s been hard for a lot of people,” Murphy said. “I think it turned out to be a lovely tribute, and it’s a very heartfelt look at how young people grieve.”

Following the third episode, Murphy said that the cast and crew – as well as the program – will go on hiatus for a few weeks while the writers figure out their next move for the season. “We loved Cory and we loved Finn and it feels like a huge loss and a huge heartache not to have either of them around,” Murphy said. “We’re trying to craft an episode that’s not just about us grieving but about a lot of the young fans grieving.”

Monteith was found dead of an accidental overdose in his Vancouver hotel room on July 13. He was 31 years old.

The fifth season of Glee premieres September 26 at 9:00 pm.

— Ava Butler