The first promotional banner for "Glee's" tribute to the late Cory Monteith was released on Thursday. It bears a simple message: "The hardest word to say is 'goodbye.'"
On Thursday, executive producer Ryan Murphy released the banner via Twitter. The banner features a black-and-white image of Cory Monteith, in addition to the seven word-message.
The tribute episode to the late Cory Monteith, and to his character, Finn Hudson, will air on October 10. The episode will be called "The Quarterback," which is a reference to Finn's starring position on the McKinley High football team.
"There are so many incredibly well written and powerful scenes," co-star Kevin McHale recently told TVLine of the episode. "When [the cast] got the script, we were all reading it together and we were like, 'Did you get to that one scene.' And when you see it everyone will know what that one scene is.
Some recurring characters that fans have not seen in awhile will also return to take part in the heart wrenching farewell tribute. Dot Marie-Jones, who plays Coach Beiste, will be returning for the episode. Marie-Jones said earlier this year that she wasn't sure how often she will appear in the upcoming season, but she will return to say goodbye to the beloved cast member. Romy Rosemont, who plays Carole Hudson-Hummel, Finn's mother, will return for the tribute.
It has been rumored that the return of old characters could mean that the episode will feature a funeral scene where many people from Finn's past will return to pay their respects. The actors most likely want to return to say a tearful goodbye to Monteith, who died an untimely death at the age of 31 due to a drug and alcohol overdose. Lea Michele, Monteith's real-life and on-screen girlfriend, was seen wearing a "Finn" necklace on set for the tribute episode, similar to the "Cory" necklace that she's often seen wearing as a testament to her late boyfriend. Michele will sing a tearjerking song at the end of the tribute episode. Michele will only appear at the end of the episode. "Glee" airs on Thursdays at 9 p.m. on Fox.