GLEE: Kevin Reilly on the Plans for the Show’s Final Stretch
January 13, 2014 by Marisa Roffman
As GLEE gears up for its final season and a half, Fox boss Kevin Reilly has teased a little bit of what the future will hold.
“We do have GLEE through next season, and it will be the final season,” Reilly told reporters after his Press Tour session. “[GLEE creator] Ryan [Murphy]’s pitched the arc all the way through next season. For the second half of this year, the kids will graduate. We will go to New York exclusively for the second half of the year. And then he’s got some fantastic ideas of what we’re going to do next year for the final year.”
And with graduation, that means there will be some unspecified cast changes.
“Some are going to be graduating and moving,” Reilly acknowledged. “Creatively, it would be ridiculous if all of them moved to New York. Some will move on, and they’ll arc back in for special episodes, they’ll always be a part of it. And I think the way it will dovetail next season, we’ll see some familiar faces coming around in some capacity. But for this season, there will be a graduation, and several of the cast members will move on, and others will go to New York…[Once they graduate], we’re not going to be in Ohio for the rest of the season.”
But one person Reilly was OK with confirming would be sticking around? Jane Lynch (Sue).
“As long as there’s a show, there’s Jane,” Reilly said.
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Are you okay with moving to New York? Do you have any particular characters you hope make the trip?
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Filed under Glee, Glee Spoilers
I think it is too late, they should have done this last season. If they continue to put focus on their lesser actors nothing is going to change. That was the problem last season, very repetitive storylines, and songs that have no emotional attachment to the story and actors who are performers not actors. Plus they seem to think that putting ass and ab shots is a substitute for good storytelling. I think, based on the ratings, their old audience was more intelligent than that.
I also agree that it seems a little too late – and also begs the question, why did they invest so much time in the newbies, and extend the school year for months on end, if they were just going to have everyone go to NY? It just seems like such a colossal waste of time. That being said, I do think the show would be wise to narrow its focus and an all NY show based on the lives of Rachel, Kurt, Blaine, Santana, Mercedes, and Sam (with visits from other fan faves) would be preferable, I think, to what they’ve got going on now. I just hope they have some concrete plan of what the final season will look like, because it just seems like they have been floating along with no real plan since the second half of Season 4.
Of course they move they show exclusively to NY only when blam goes there… sigh.
They’ll hog all the screentime and ruin your favorites.
I’ve been yearning for more NY screentime with loads of Kurt, Rachel and Santana and now we are actually going to get more New York and it is going to be unwatchable because Blaine will be there. UGGGGGHHHHHH.
Why do they ruin everything?
Love the idea of more New York screentime. It has been a long time coming since Lima is such a huge yawn. However, if all they’re planning on doing is moving The Blam Show to NY and having Rachel (once upon a time wasn’t she the star of the show?), Kurt and Santana playing background to their lameness, I want nothing to do with it.
We need MORE Blaine!!! He’s the only reason I watch the show.
Still unbelievably pressed that we only get full-time NYC once RIB can make it all about Blam.
KLAINE IS THE BEST & CUTEST COUPLE ON THE SHOW.
Here come Blaine and Sam to ruin the only part of the show I don’t fast forward.
I’m also relatively sure the only people who like Klaine are 14 year old straight girls. All Blaine has done is tear down Kurt’s character development at every turn.
I love Blaine. I hate Blam.
Klaine in NYC! FINALLY!!!
Blaine haters can cry me a river while I swim in their tears.
What a waste of time to extend the school year to ridiculous lengths just to get rid of the choir room setting anyways and all the new New Direction characters they kept on trying to shove down the public’s face.
As illustrated by the Movin’ Out episode, moving Blam to New York is going to kill the only part of the show that is good. The show has been in steady decline since they have put more and more focus on Blaine and Blam (dating all the way back to part season 3).
You’d think Fox would take a hint from the people’s choice and realize that it is Kurtchelana that the audience wants more of. And Klaine is just a horribly written uneven couple. Chris is the best young actor on the show, and even he can no longer carry Darren through scenes–they have no chemistry, and consider Chris has fantastic chemistry with just about everyone he shares scenes with (from Lea, Naya, and Mike O’Malley to guest stars like the guy who portrayed drunk Santa, Adam Lambert, and Oliver Kieran Jones), it would appear that Darren is the weak link in Klaine. I wish they would let Chris act opposite an actor who can hold his own against Chris instead of having him attached at the hip to an actor who admits to riding on Chris’ coattails just to please the whiny and abusive fangirls.
They better not get rid of Jenna. If they do, it would be one of the most unfair things this show has ever done, forr 4 years they have neglected tha character of Tina and now they are saying that Darren and Chord are going to NY, and that not all the graduates are leaving for New York, no need to be a genious to realize who they’re talking about, besides, they are bringing Amber back but not keeping Jenna?
I swear if they ditch her I am so done with this show
I don’t mind Sam going to New York if they stop dumbing him down the way the were last season, and if he’s not infected with the virus known as Blaine. I love New York, and I really don’t want Blaine there ruining it, dragging Kurt down with Klaine, and hogging the limelight.
LOL, omg. You guys are so pressed. Let me get this straight. You’ve whined and complained for a season and a half because you wanted all NY all the time. Now that they’re doing just that you’re going to bitch and moan because it’s not going to solely focus on Rachel, Kurt and Santana?? Selfish much? Also, I love how you pick and choose who won from the PCAs as “proof” of who the fans like. Since Lea didn’t win her main award I guess that means no one really likes her, amirite? Look, you can dislike Blaine all you want, but he IS popular with the majority of the viewing public. The fact that Darren was nominated three times, more than any of the other cast members is pretty telling, seeing as how getting on the ballot on the first place was also fan-nominated. Just, jesus. Get your life.
Fun Fact! Rachel is Kurt’s primary screen partner, not Blaine, and if you’re worried about him not getting the screen time you feel he so justly deserves, then perhaps you should focus your ire on the fact that Rachel takes over almost all of Kurt’s story lines (even his own band!!) and he is but an accessory, rather than zero in on Klaine who have had less than a handful of scenes all season. But you don’t care, because Rachel isn’t a dude, and you’re just mad that Kurt is going to end up with Blaine and not the jock of your choice. Also? It’s 2014. Pretty sure we can stop with the “Klaine fans are all a bunch of 14-year-old girls” comments as though being young and female is just the worst possible insult of all time.
Can’t wait! I love Blaine and Klaine and Blam (and Rachel, Santana, and Mercedes are all my female faves). I haven’t been excited for Glee in a long time!
I don’t care much either way about Sam, but I am thrilled that Blaine is finally going to be in NY with Kurt! 🙂
Didn’t you know @Karen? Everyone who ships Kurt with someone who is not Blaine is a 20-something intellectual… definitely not silly teenage girls. What did y’all expect? That the seniors would never graduate? That Blaine and Kurt would live in different cities for the rest of the series? Anyway, I’m excited. It’s about freaking time.
I thought Movin’ Out was fab. Such a great dynamic in the loft. Looking forward to Glee: The NY Years, and especially Klaine! <3
Blam and Blaine are going to ruin what remained the 5 watchable minutes of glee.
Proud non-blaine-fan who also swims in tears of klainers that lost to Delena, btw.
That’s the spirit, Anna! We’ll try to cheer ourselves up by watching our fave canon couple get married, and by the fact that for years to come one of the things that Glee will most be remembered for is its groundbreaking portrayal of two teenage boys in love.
First of all, I am neither 14 nor am I straight. Second of all, I love when people make huge sweeping generalizations: Blaine ruined the show! No one actually likes klaine beyond the rabid fans! General Audience does not want anymore songs by Darren Criss! These fall under the category of logical or rhetorical fallacies for numerous reasons and cannot actually be used to asses a valid argument. Unless you have actually spent time creating a sample data set by poling the general audience members with unbiased questions, identifying and eliminating the outliers, and then creating an actual statistical statement that represents the collected data, you cannot make these generalizations. You can state your own opinion such as “Blaine ruined Glee for me,” but do not be presumptuous and figure you can speak for all of the general audience. Here are some facts: Teenage Dream, which featured Blaine and Darren Criss, was one of the all time best selling songs for Glee, Darren Criss’s songs continue to sell higher than several of the other people that sing, including Chris Colfer, you may not have liked Movin’ Out but Piano Man and Just The Way You Are were the highest grossing songs for that episode, according to itunes, and the last half of the Christmas special was the worst viewed second half of an episode not shown on a holiday in Glee’s run, which did not feature Blaine as a lead.
As for my opinion, I am excited for there to be a more fleshed out New York part as it was getting a little tiresome with the constant “how can Kurt and Santana bolster Rachel in this episode,” story line.
I would have loved an all NY show with Rachel, Kurt and Santana. Maybe a few appearances from Artie, Mercedes and Brittany. But Blaine and Sam have killed any excitement I have about an all-NYC Glee. They have completely taken over the show, and yet I don’t understand what is so special about their characters that warrants the pedestal that the writers have placed them on. Whereever Blam goes, Glee goes. If Blam are in Lima, 80% of Glee takes place in Lima. If Blam are in NY, 100% of Glee takes place in NY. Such a slap in the face to Rachel, Kurt and Santana, three characters with depth and very large fanbases, played by critically acclaimed actors. I don’t understand this obsession Glee writers have with a silly bromance.
Love the idea of all NY but loved it LAST season when Cory was alive. Too little way too late! Also hate the idea of Blam in NY, especially Sam how is nothing more then his abs and his too long unwashed hair!
I hate this idea because it means Blam takes over NY and ruins the only part of the show I like. I HATE Sam and that crap in Moving Out with Rachel was the breaking point for me. Sam in New York means I won’t be watching past episode 510. Goodbye Glee!
If only they had done this last season when Cory could have been part of it. I don’t mind Blaine, thrilled Mercedes is going but HATE Sam! Chord is about as useful and entertaining as the Newbies. Who decided he was a leading man? He was so much better in the back ground! I’ve hardly watched this season and Sam means I have ZERO interest in watching.
YES Blaine and Sam are finally moving to NY!!!!
It was about time this happened
You know we’re always being told how popular Darren’s songs on Glee are, and how he’s their biggest money-earner – so I thought I’d do a little investigating and find out how true that actually is. Here’s the results:
Songs Darren has in the top 100 (US itunes)
No.7 – Baby it’s cold outside (duet with Chris Colfer)
No.33 – It’s time (solo)
No.37- Somewhere only we know (solo with Warblers)
No.58 – Teenage Dream (solo with Warblers)
No. 83 (solo with Warblers)
Note that all of these songs (except maybe ‘It’s Time’ are from the time when Darren was at the height of his popularity, also Teenage Dream is not one of the all-time highest selling glee songs that people assume it is)
Songs Darren has in top 100 (UK itunes)
No.10 – Somebody that I used to know (duet with Matt Bomer)
No. 30 – Somewhere only we know (solo with Warblers)
No. 42 – Teenage Dream (solo with Warblers)
No. 54 – Raise your glass (solo with Warblers)
No.56 – Don’t you want me (duet with Lea Michele)
No. 81 – Cough Syrup (oh look, a bona-fide solo)
No.85 – Hey, Soul Sister (solo with Warblers)
No.87 – Perfect (duet with Chris Colfer)
No. 96 – It’s not right but it’s okay (solo with ND)
It seems that the Warblers were very popular in the UK! Again, these date from when Darren was undeniably popular on the show.
Songs Darren has in top 100 (Australian itunes)
No.27 – Somebody that I used to know (duet with Matt Bomer)
No. 40 – Teenage Dream (solo with Warblers)
No. 57 – Baby it’s cold outside (duet with Chris Colfer)
No. 58 – Somewhere only we know (solo with Warblers)
No.77 – Don’t you want me (duet with Lea Michele)
No. 78 – Raise Your Glass (solo with Warblers)
No. 93 – Last Friday Night (solo with ND)
No. 95 – Cough Syrup (solo)
No. 97 – It’s not right but it’s okay (solo with ND)
Interestingly enough he has less songs in the top 100 in the US.
Want to know who has songs that consistently sell far more than Darren Criss?
Lea Michele, Amber Riley, Naya Rivera, Cory Montieth, Mark Salling, Dianna Agron, Kevin McHale, and even Chord Overstreet has some. Interestingly enough some of the newbies have quite a few songs in the top 100 as well – Jacob Artist does particularly well. Yes, Chris doesn’t show up AS much in the top 100 but as he consistently gets less solos than anyone else (except maybe Jenna) it’s hardly surprising.
However, probably the second best-selling single after Don’t stop is the Chris Colfer/Lea Michele duet, Defying Gravity. It’s in the top five in UK/US, and top ten in Australia.
Anyone interested in seeing Canada’s results, I can add to this.
So, Darren Criss, not quite the Glee money-earner we are always being told he is.
Sorry, No.83 in the US is Raise Your Glass.
Finally!!! The move to NY-only is so long overdue!!! The NY side with Kurt, Rachel and Santana has long been the best part about Glee, and I can’t wait to see Blaine there too. Not too happy about Sam going to NY because he’s so boring (and the whole Blam thing is kinda annoying), but oh well – if it means getting all-NY-Glee then I’ll even take Sam. Anyway, this news makes me sooo happy! For over a year now I’ve had to skip over parts of each episode because I just found the McKinley scenes unwatchable (everything about McKinley in season 4 and 5 was just incredibly boring and repetitive, and I don’t care one bit for any of the newbies) so it’ll be really great to be able to watch full episodes again! YAY for NY-only Glee!!!
As for those saying Blaine will ruin the NY side – no, he won’t. I know some of you have an irrational hate towards Blaine/Klaine, but saying he’ll ruin the NY side is just making me eyeroll. They need more than just three characters in NY, and Blaine will be a good addition. No, he did not ruin the character of Kurt – the writers did that by not giving him enough focus and screentime last season. The writing for Klaine (or Kurt/Blaine as individuals) is far from perfect (and there are lots of things I wish I could change about it), but it’s been like that for all the couples on Glee. Sadly, this is not a well-written show. Luckily, Chris and Darren have great chemistry to make up for it!
This is really exciting!!! Kurt, Rachel and Santana are my favorite characters (along with Blaine) so I look forward to seeing them get more screentime. Also, the lima side has been so very boring since the arrival of all the bland newbies so I’ll be glad to see them gone again. Can’t wait for Kurt and Blaine to both be in the same place again. Here’s to hoping for lots of great songs (Kurt solo please! And a Kurt/Santana duet!!!) and fun storylines in New York for the rest of season 5 (and I hope they will stick with the NY-only format for season 6 as well – please don’t ever bring McKinley back after this, Glee!!!).
Why is it that every comment section on Glee turns into fans bickering about what character “deserves” screentime. The fact is we all have our favorites, but narrowing the focus to a select few in NYC should actually help everyone get more focus since there are fewer characters to compete with.
The problem here is that Klainers see Darren and Chris as having a lot of chemistry and the rest of us don’t see that – so, yes, Blaine has ruined Glee for us because he has been featured heavily to the detriment of Kurt and others. That is our opinion and it is just as valid as a Klainer opinion. If everyone had equal time, there would not be so much frustration directed at Blaine. I love the old cast and look forward to NY – just hope Blaine does not take it over.
Ummm. So sorry Nat, to ruin all your fancy detective work. The original ‘Teenage Dream’ was no. 1 on US iTunes and the song “debuted at the eighth position on the Billboard Hot 100, surpassing “Don’t Stop Believin'” for the highest first-week sales of any Glee song, and first top ten by Glee Cast on the chart since “Don’t Stop Believin'”. You’re probably thinking of the acoustic version of ‘Teenage Dream’ that Darren also performed during ‘The Break-Up’. The fact that you’re actually trying to say that people like Dianna and Kevin have sold more than Darren is just laughable. Let’s see the breakdown of their songs, then. Or would that ruin all your biased “statistics”? iTunes sales are not a good barometer of anything these days, anyway, because NONE of their songs are selling. I think last year they only managed to get one song in the Top 10. But thanks for the laugh, mate!
The problem, though, Bee, is that you make it out like there are Klainers and then “the rest of us” as though there are only two groups of people, when, in fact, there are Klainers, there are those who dislike/hate Klaine, and THEN there is the “rest of us”. Because the general audience is quite clearly not as invested in Klaine as either of the other two groups. I can admit that I am biased when it comes to Blaine and Klaine, and it would be nice if you guys could acknowledge the same. While I would watch a show of just Klaine, I recognize that my wants are not what everyone else wants, and so I don’t presume to speak on behalf of everyone. The *majority* of people either like or are neutral about Klaine.
Yes, there are people who like Klaine, but it is not as large as a fandom as some may think. Just look at the ratings decline between the first 2 episodes this season, the big Klaine engagement. So my guess is that the general audience may not be made of a lot of Klainers. Song sales are down overall because no longer do the songs enhance a story. They seem to be putting in songs,maybe hoping they would go on tour again, for itune sales. S1 and S2 songs were so great because you can listen to them and know exactly what the story was. Can anyone say that about the last 2 seasons?
I don’t like the idea of Blaine and Sam going to NY. I was in love with Blaine during season 2, and in season 3 he kind of bored me but I still loved him a little; but in season 4 Blaine became insufferable as he sang on every episode. I also think him and Kurt don’t have that chemistry they used to have that made us fall in love with them. Regarding Sam, he just became boring. I mean, that kid’s love life is just ridiculous. He was first introduced during season 2 as a love interest for Quinn and their relationship was soooo goood and cute and they had sooo much chemistry, but the stupid writers decided to ruin that lovely relationship by putting Quinn back in Finn’s arms and making Sam date Santana for a while. During season 3 Sam was in love with Mercedes and I also liked their relationship, but after that I started to hate Sam after he ‘fell in love’ with Brittany. It was just stupid, they had no chemistry and it felt like a forced relationship. Aaaand we reach the actual point where Sam is currently in love with Nurse Penny. I kind of ship them but it’s just because of her ’cause she’s kinda cute. I’m pretty sure he’s going to be with someone else after he moves to NY so it’ll be another crash on highway Sam we’ll be forced to watch. And don’t make me start talking about his horrible hair. I know it sounds like I hate him but I don’t, I just think he’s toxic for the show and his presence should be minimal and Blaine should sing less.
I think the show lost it’s luster after the original cast graduated. The first season set in NY was okay and it worked for awhile the back and forth between NY and Lima, OH, but I was really disappointed they didn’t bring back Brittney (Heather Morris) and Lord Tubbington this season. I just miss her off quirky comments and of course her show from her bedroom “Fondue For Two” I laughed at every single one of those she did. When I heard she wouldn’t be back and they were adding a bunch of new cast members I kinda lost interest. I haven’t missed an episode, So I stuck with it, but the show is no longer fresh or funny as it used to be. A lot of the new actors try too hard and thy seem phony. I do however love Kitty Wilde played by (Becca Tobin) she picked up a lot of the comedy slack for Jane Lynch who I’m sure the writers ran out of fresh material for. I think it was becoming increasingly difficult for them to come up with mew material for Lynch that wasn’t just the same old stuff or insults etc… Jane Lynche was and has been the best character on Glee from the first episode. I will miss her tirades and comedic genius. I’m certain fans agree it’s time to wrap things up. In fact, they could’ve done it this season, but perhaps Season 6 will be really great and will give this great show the send off it deserves