I guess the best way to talk about Monteith is to talk about what his show has meant to me. As some of you who read this blog regularly may know, I write recaps of Glee every week, or at least have for the past year. I started watching the show during the first season, but it became far more dear to me during the second season. I was living away from my home state for the first time then, and though it may sound silly for a 26-year-old to have gotten pretty homesick in his favorite city in the world, it definitely happened quite frequently when I first moved, and in a weird way, Glee helped that. I was still finding my groove with all of the characters (they can be pretty sporadic) and I felt like, as they were establishing themselves in a new way, I was establishing myself in a new way. Granted, they were high school students and I was in my mid-twenties, but in real life we were the same age, so I felt like we could commiserate and they were a wonderful, friendly place for me to check-in with each week, even as I missed my family and friends.
And that's occasionally what television is, and that was the wonderful world that someone like Cory Monteith helped create. We all use television for different reasons: to laugh, to cry, to waste a few hours, to scare us, but on occasion, we need it because it's something consistent, something welcoming and something we can count on each week to be there. It might not always look the same, but it's always there. It's like an old friend that you can call up and will be at your apartment with cookie dough and tequila at a moment's notice-it's there for you when you need it.
Like every woman and gay man who watched the show, I had a huge crush on Cory and Finn Hudson by proxy. The baby brown eyes and the thick chestnut hair, not to mention the 6'3" frame, were all a completely crushable package, and while Chord Overstreet and Darren Criss came to stand alongside him in the smitten department, Monteith was definitely the first. I wanted to figure out some way to celebrate Monteith in a totally Gleekable way, so if you'll permit me, I'm going to do a Top 10 Finn moments to close out this post, but I first want to say RIP Cory, and thank you for being there for me. I'll be watching for you in the next.
10. "Finn's Kissing Booth" (Episode #2.12)
I loved the swagger that Cory Monteith brought to this moment. Occasionally Finn forgot that he was a football-playing, rock song-singing stud, but not in this episode.
9. Finn Starts Dressing Like Will (Season 4)
The casting department on Glee oftentimes has some silly decisions to make (there's no way McKinley High can afford all these outfits), but this decision was a massively successful one. I loved the way that Finn subtly thought that by wearing Mr. Schu's favorite sweater-set combos, he'd be a better coach for the Glee club. Oh, and as I mentioned in many a recap, Cory Monteith could rock these outfits better than Matthew Morrison.
8. "Hello, I Love You" (Episode #1.14)
This episode in general was a huge hit musically for me, from Lea Michele's cheeky "Hope it Gives You Hell" to Jesse's duet with Rachel in "Hello" by Lionel Richie. But the rocker quality that Cory Monteith brought to this Doors classic was probably the best of the bunch. Finn didn't get nearly enough solos after Season One, but this was a reminder of why he should have.
7. "Losing My Religion" (Episode #2.3)
One of Monteith's most impressive episodes (who can forget the Grilled Cheesus?), this is probably my favorite solo number of his. He brought a sad and even angry theme to the song, which was so appropriate for his character, and found the bitterness that the R.E.M. classic requires.
6. Finn and Kurt in the Basement (Episode #1.20)
I know this may seem an odd moment to bring up, but this is one of the best moments in the entire series (for me, certainly the best-acted moment in the entire series) from a technical standpoint, and so I have to mention it. The later moments of Finn's redemption from his angrily spitting out a homophobic slur at Kurt wouldn't have nearly been as dramatic if he hadn't had this moment. I love the way that Monteith, when Mike O'Malley (who should have won an Emmy for this episode) confronts him, instantly realizes the mistake he's just made but knows he can't talk himself out of it. Finn and Kurt would go on to be one of the best and most meaningful relationships on the show, which would start with...
5. Finn Dons His Lady Gaga (Episode #1.20)Finn ended this episode in a way that not only would happen on Glee, but I think would happen in real life (as a gay guy, while I never had a straight male friend dress up in drag for me, I've had all of them get a bit outside of their comfort zones with helping me in the coming out process, so I can definitely relate to Finn's grand gesture). I love that the show didn't keep him in the Kiss ware, but went full throttle with Gaga to show his support of Kurt.
4. Finn's Dancing (Entire Series)
I don't know if this is because Monteith was a poor dancer in real life, or if it was because it was a great quirk for a strong athlete to oddly be terribly uncoordinated, but this brought us everything from Rachel's broken nose to at least a dozen Brittany and Santana one-liners, and so it had to make the list.
3. "Don't Stop Believing" (Episode #1.1)
I'm not putting it at Number One for two reasons: one, this was a group effort, though Monteith's affable charm and goofy demeanor were part of what sold this, and two, I didn't give up watching the show after the first episode or the first season, and I know that this, the moment everyone relates back to when talking about loving Glee, was just the beginning, and not the end, of the great ride on this show.
2. "Finn Tells Rachel Goodbye" (Episode #3.22)
Acting-wise, this is Monteith's series high-point, but personal love for a different moment required me to put this at Number Two. Still, it doesn't get more gut-wrenching than Finn, growing up on the spot, giving up Rachel so that she can go and pursue her dreams. Relating back to the main point, I feel so badly for Lea Michele for so many different reasons upon this news-losing her off-screen boyfriend and then likely having to act it out for the world to see since Rachel and Finn were reconnecting. Sad, sad, sad.
1. "Finn Dances with Kurt" (Episode #2.8)
I remember sitting in my Bronx apartment weeping and cheering during this moment, the big climax of the "Furt" storyline, with Finn, once so afraid to share a room with Kurt, now dancing with him at a wedding. This was a beautiful end to this story, with Kurt gaining some confidence, Finn some perspective and tolerance, and it ended with them being the brother they both always wanted. Lovely.
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