It's been a difficult month for actress Lea Michele, along with the rest of the cast and creators of "Glee," who have been faced with the task of both mourning the death of Cory Monteith and pressing forward with the show's upcoming fifth season.
While going back to work has helped, Michele and the show's writers are focused on the season's third episode, which will write Monteith's character, Finn Hudson, out of the show.
"That episode will deal directly with the incidents involved with Cory's passing and the drug abuse in particular," said Kevin Reilly, the entertainment chairman at FOX.
The show's producers have given Michele, who was dating Monteith at the time of his death July 13, the "final word" on the episode.
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"Lea wants it to reflect the truth, to warn people what can happen" with addiction, a source close to the show said.
“The producers are still going back and forth on what they want to do and clearing music for his tribute," another source added. "But most of all, Glee’s creative team is looking to Lea to give the final word on decisions that are being made for this season’s third episode, which will be an emotional tribute to Cory. The meetings are lengthy and Lea is a part of them to make sure everything is just right.”
The fifth season will premiere September 26 with two Beatles episodes, and the Monteith tribute, in which Finn dies, will air October 10. The show will then go on hiatus until after the baseball postseason.
