'Glee' Preview of Tear-Jerking Tribute to Cory Monteith Released

By Emma Koonse, Christian Post Reporter Friday, October 04, 2013

"Glee" viewers got a glimpse of what is in store for the Cory Monteith tribute episode, scheduled to air next week.

The entertainment industry was rocked after Monteith was found dead in his hotel room in Vancouver, Canada on July 13. An autopsy revealed that the 31-year-old died from a toxic combination of heroin and alcohol.

Almost four months after the actor's death, the teaser was released on Thursday featuring a glum cast, including Monteith's co-star and real-life girlfriend Lea Michele.

Furthermore, the 33-second video saw an desolate hallway at William McKinley High School before a procession of student mourners walking behind a football helmet. All the while, Michele is heard singing a somber rendition of Adele's "Make You Feel My Love."

The preview included the words, "The hardest word to say is goodbye." Watch it on YouTube " target="_blank">here.

"Glee, a farewell to Finn," the ending caption read.

According to Fox Entertainment's chairman Kevin Reilly, the series would "deal directly" with Monteith's death in relation to his character, Finn.

Moreover, "Glee" screenwriter Ryan Murphy revealed that the tribute episode features extremely raw and heartfelt performances by the cast.

"Almost everything in that episode is from the first take of every performance because the actors and the crew had a really hard time shooting it," he said, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"I've never seen a crew that you can't continue shooting because they've left the room sobbing," Murphy added. "It was very hard. I struggled even working on it because what you're seeing is what they felt not just about Finn but Cory."

The short clip provided a follow-up to the initial hint given to viewers last week. Ahead of the "Glee" season premiere on Sept. 26, Murphy tweeted the first image from the new season without Monteith.

The black-and-white photo featured a close-up of the actor's face and the caption, "The hardest word to say is 'goodbye.'"

However, the series is not slated to air a tribute episode for Monteith until the third week of its current fifth season.

"Glee" kicked off the season with its two-part Beatles tribute episodes, starting with "Love, Love, Love" which aired Sept, 26, while "Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds" will air on Oct. 3.

Monteith's tribute episode, entitled "The Quarterback," is set to air on Thursday, Oct. 9 at 9 p.m. EST on Fox.