Mixed emotions in ‘Glee’ farewell

LOS ANGELES, USA – Hit US television show “Glee” drew a surge in viewers for an episode paying tribute to the late actor Cory Monteith, ratings showed Friday, October 11. But the teary farewell also got mixed reviews.

According to the Nielsen ratings, as cited by Variety, about 7.4 million “Glee” fans watched the Thursday night episode of the musical show, dedicated to the 31-year-old Canadian star who died of an accidental drug overdose in July.

The Twittersphere inevitably went mad throughout the 3rd episode of the series’s 5th season, in which fellow ‘Glee’ club members teared up in front of Finn Hudson’s old locker.

Monteith played Finn Hudson, a star football player in his high school who devotes his energies to one of the less-glamorous organizations in the campus, its glee club.

‘Flawed tribute’

But critics were divided over how well the episode handled the emotions.

People magazine called the show “beautiful,” and hailed the “dignified” decision not to specify how the character had died. The episode was “an hour that was very moving – how could it not be? – but also very kind,” the magazine said.

The Hollywood Reporter called it “a respectful memorial and cathartic hour for the cast and viewers alike.” But it also said: “Though the show chose to not reveal the cause of Finn’s death, viewers all knew the cause of Monteith’s, and to bypass that teachable moment seemed not only like a missed opportunity, but nearly irresponsible.”

Entertainment Weekly called it an “earnest, flawed tribute to the life [not the death] of Cory Monteith.

“One of the challenges facing the producers and actors was managing the reality blur of Monteith and Finn, the characters’ grief and their own, and this was one moment where they got it wrong,” went the magazine’s review.

And Variety added: “The sendoff is emotional and heartfelt, but also feels like a missed opportunity.”

Monteith, who had struggled in the past with substance abuse and checked into a rehab facility in April, was found dead July 13 in his Vancouver hotel room in western Canada. – Rappler.com