Glee Season 5 News: Creators Believe That Cory Monteith Farewell Episode Is The Hardest Thing They Have Done; “There Was A Lot Of Crying And A Lot Of Hugging,” Says Director

The creation of the Cory Monteith farewell episode entitled 'The Quarterback' did not come easy for its producers and most specifically, its actors and actresses. From the writing down to the actual filming of the scenes, the crew had a difficult time memorializing Finn Hudson, one of the pivotal characters in hit series, 'Glee'.

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

Episode director Brad Falchuk recalled 'The Quarterback' as the "hardest thing" he's ever done. The director had no choice but to urge the cast to express their real feelings in front of the camera:  "My job as a director was to keep everyone in that grief because I didn't want anything fake in the episode, and I didn't want anyone to pretend they were sad. I wanted them to be sad about what they were sad about and to stay in that for the two weeks it took to shoot that - and to keep pulling everyone back and to take care of them when they went there - was a lot. I had a hard time. I'm more proud of it than anything I've ever done. It's for Cory."

Since the episode revolves around raw emotions, the screenwriters think that they've done lesser rewrites for the episodes as compared to others. Santana Lopez (Naya Rivera) also had a connection with Finn Hudson in the series. For the actress, the episode serves as a form of closure:  "[Cory's death] is heartbreaking and it's even harder to have to mourn the loss of your friend on camera when it's not acting, per se. It's a real thing and it's trippy in that way. It's tough. but at the same time it's good that we're doing it because the fans loved him just as much as we do. It will be good to get a sense of closure and be included in it. I feel like that's what Cory would have wanted."

In the episode, the reason for Hudson's death was not mentioned. Even the topic of drug addiction did not surface except for brief Public Service Announcements (PSA)  about helping affected people cope with their addiction.

Falchuk added that it was meant to be that way:  "There is no mention of addiction at all in the episode. This episode is about grief, it's not about any message. It's about what it means to lose a friend. It's not about how that friend is lost, it's just about how people react to that loss."

The director finished by describing the ambiance of the set: "There was a lot of crying and a lot of hugging, a lot of taking a moment. And lot of quiet. It was a very quiet set."