Co-creator Ryan Murphy is right when he says Glee should have ended sooner than it did. Murphy recently went on Glee stars Kevin McHale and Jenna Ushkowitz's revamped podcast, And That's What You REALLY Missed, in which the actors rewatch every episode and discuss them in detail. Murphy's most poignant comments were in relation to Cory Monteith, one of Glee's lead actors, who tragically passed away in 2013.
However, with hindsight, Murphy believes Glee should've ended after Monteith's death. "If I could do it all over again, knowing now what I do know, I probably would’ve said, 'You know what? We’re gonna take a year off, and then we’re gonna check in and see'. I would not have done that now," Murphy told And That's What You REALLY Missed. Murphy added that the cast and crews' "hearts all kind of broke," explaining that "the spirit and joy of it left the building." While Glee's continuation was obviously well-intentioned, the spark did start to fade away, which was evident in later seasons, proving Murphy's idea that the series would have benefitted from ending earlier.
Why Glee Was Eventually Canceled
After Glee's ratings continued to decrease after each subsequent season, and especially after the tragic passing of Cory Monteith, Murphy announced in October 2013 that the series would be ending after its sixth season. The show had produced great storylines like Kurt's coming out, but by the time Monteith passed away, it became clear that the quality of the series was no longer there. In preparation for its first season without its star, a month-long break was taken during production. This led to season 5 being two episodes shorter than normal. Season 6 saw its episode count reduced further to 13 and came to an end in March 2015, nearly two years after Monteith's passing.
How Glee Handled Cory Monteith's Death
Creators Brad Falchuk, Ian Brennan, and Murphy wrote a tribute episode for Monteith and his Glee character Finn Hudson, titled "The Quarterback," named for his position on the school football team and Finn's leadership skills during performances in the Glee Club. Having initially decided to give Finn the exact same fate as his actor, the writers decided to have Finn pass away without mentioning a cause of death. The episode had current and old Glee Club members coming together to pay tribute to their fallen friend. Widely considered to be one of the show's greatest episodes, "The Quarterback" paid tribute not only to Finn but to their real-life co-worker and friend.
However, Murphy partly regrets the tribute episode with hindsight. "I would not have done that now," Murphy told And That's What You REALLY Missed. "I felt like it was way too raw and way too soon." Still, Glee received pioneering praise throughout its run, including for "The Quarterback," and the show continued to mention Finn numerous times. The most notable references included Finn's love interest, Rachel, getting a tattoo of his name, the Glee Club performing his favorite songs, and the school's auditorium being dedicated in his honor during Glee's finale.