In not-really-shocking-but-still-kind-of-staggering-news, Ryan Murphy has announced that Glee will say goodbye after season six. TV Line reports that Murphy spoke openly about his plans to end the series at an FX-honoring event at the Paley Center last night:
“The final year of the show, which will be next year, was designed around Rachel and Cory/Finn’s story,” he told reporters. “I always knew that, I always knew how it would end. I knew what the last shot was — he was in it. I knew what the last line was — she said it to him. So when a tragedy like that happens you sort of have to pause and figure out what you want to do, so we’re figuring that out now.”Fox and Murphy and the very social media-savvy Glee cast were eerily silent about the show’s chances for renewal after season four, so it was kind of a surprise when Fox announced that it had decided to pick up the show for a fifth and sixth season. Add that to the very newbie-heavy season four, and speculation began that the show could go on and on and on, with new casts and new writers/producers, for years and years. But Cory Monteith‘s death changed everything. Much of Glee fandom thought the show wouldn’t come back for a fifth season at all. Murphy has said on other interviews that this season will still be a tribute to Finn in many ways, and last night he said that the final episode — even the final scene, which was supposed to be a Finn/Rachel scene —will honor him as well.
Like I said, the news isn’t really a huge surprise, and all of us (me, especially) have taken Glee to task loads of times over the years for its mistreatment of lesbian and bisexual women (and female characters, in general), but it hits my heartparts in a bittersweet way to know that the end is set and drawing near. Despite its many failings, Glee has pushed forward LGBT television more than any network TV show ever, and as of now, there’s no show to step in and fill its place.
How do you feel about the news that Glee will end after season six? What are your hopes for the final two seasons?
How do you feel about the news that “Glee” is ending after season six?
