First there was the fan uproar over the loss of graduating senior "Glee" kids like Rachel (Lea Michele), Finn (Cory Monteith) and Kurt (Chris Colfer), leaving the show runners scrambling to find a spin-off or a recently-confirmed "cool" plot device to keep their favorites on the show next year. Now there's news that there could be a new series regular for Season 4: the predatory Sebastian (Grant Gustin), who has set his sights on wrestling Blaine (Darren Criss) away from Kurt (Chris Colfer). Will throwing a wrench into another "Glee" couple anger fans even more?
Sebastian Smythe
Sebastian first appeared in the "Glee" episode "The First Time," when he made his first bold proposal to Blaine. Not flustered by Kurt's appearance at all, Sebastian was happy to urge both guys in the couple to let loose at a gay bar. Of course he was hoping Blaine would let loose with him.
Sebastian returned in even more abrasive style in "Hold on to Sixteen," getting into a verbal cat fight with Kurt over who would end up with both a Nationals trophy and Blaine. The story with Blaine was still a bit ambiguous, as in both episodes he seems both excited by and completely uncomfortable around the uber confident Sebastian.
Fans React
The writers at E!Online seemed to think that "Klaine" fans would be outraged by the news of Sebastian having a bigger role on "Glee." While there were some grumblings about messing with the happy couple, most of the commenters were more upset about promoting a guy with only two episodes under his belt while established characters like Sam (Chord Overstreet) and Karofsky (Max Adler) haven't gotten that honor.
There were more dissenting votes at TV Fanatic, including a lament that the inclusion of graduating seniors like Rachel and Finn with newer cast members and existing cast members was already going to be too many characters to handle. With the addition of Sebastian, things get even more complicated.
"Glee" fans over at TV.com seemed excited about the new stud in town, however. The Blaine/Kurt romance has definitely been "sickeningly sweet," and hasn't ever really clicked right, partially due to the writers constantly changing Blaine's personality. A little love triangle, flirtation and jealousy could definitely liven things up. While it's better to have controversial drama than character boredom, though, some fans are already suffering from Warbler overload and have no interest in adding another one to the show.
What's the Story?
While "Glee" star Criss isn't in a hurry to see Kurt get hurt, as an actor he's not against the idea of some Blaine/Sebastian drama. "If that did happen, I'd be open to the idea. Shake it up a little bit." According to certain sources, however, Sebastian's crush on Blaine "lessens in upcoming episodes." This begs the question of what will be the point of adding Sebastian to the roster, then, though it may be all about his singing and dancing skills.
After initial news broke, the backpedaling began, however. Actor Grant Gustin himself tweeted: "Thanks for all the congrats but this news is not official as of yet. I would love to be sticking around. I'll be waiting for official word." This may not arrive until May. We're guessing the fan reaction to this "leaked" news, along with Sebastian's appearance in the upcoming Michael Jackson episode, is going to be helping the show make the decision on recruiting Sebastian full-time to "Glee" or not.
What do you think, "Glee" fans? Are you excited by the idea of Sebastian trying to steal Blaine away, or are you hoping another character will earn a coveted "season regular" spot?
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