‘Glee’ season 5: Adam Lambert, graduation, and ‘Funny Girl’; reasons to watch beyond tonight

Tonight on “Glee,” we give a formal goodbye to Cory Monteith and his character Finn during what is probably going to be one of the most emotional hours of the entire fall. If you’ve watched this show since the very beginning, then this will probably feel even more like an emotional gut-punch.

But we’re going to have a lot more on this episode tonight, so for the purposes of this article we want to touch on something a little bit different: Why you should keep watching after tonight. We’ve seen countless “Glee” fans say that they are done after this episode airs, and to an extent we get it that everyone felt that Rachel should be with Finn, and that nobody is really that interested in the newbies at McKinley High. This is inevitably what happens anytime that you bring in new actors as “replacements” for the old ones and keep the setting the same.

But, there are still reasons to tune into what is a show that has occasionally has its moments. First of all, the music! You have a whole heap of Lady Gaga / Katy Perry music coming up when the show returns on November 7, and later that same month there will be a tribute to Billy Joel. While none of these artists are new to the “Glee” world, there is quite a bit that can be done with them (though we don’t really like the idea of Katy and Gaga being pit against each other).

Also, guest stars! Adam Lambert is going to be making his much-hyped appearance on the first episode back, and will work exclusively with the folks in New York City including fellow guest star Demi Lovato. While we’ve heard all sorts of rumors about how long he is going to stick around on the show, we would caution you to not believe everything that you are hearing. Just remember how many “Glee” stories about Adam this fall have been wrong already; so much changed in planning thanks to the Cory tribute, so it’s hard to separate old and new rumors. What we’ll says is that he will be a glam rocker of-sorts, and perform Gaga’s “Marry the Night.”

Finally, there is also still graduation looming for the senior class of McKinley. An upcoming episode will focus on the futures of Blaine and Sam, and after these characters do get their diplomas, the shift to New York will be even more dramatic. After all, how much of McKinley do you really need to see at that point?

Oh, and there is also Rachel Berry and “Funny Girl.” While she will experience tragedy tonight, there is a light at the end of the tunnel of her that is worth sticking around for.

Photo: Fox