My premature forecast for ‘The Glee Project’

It’s no secret that I’ve been following ‘Glee’, therefore, I’ve obligated myself to finding out its next cast member (at least for seven episodes) by tuning into the ‘The Glee Project.’

The show started with 12 youngsters all vying for a chance to be on Glee. So far, seven down and five remain -- Alex Newell, Damian McGinty, Hannah McIalwain, Lindsay Pearce and Samuel Larsen. The last casualty on the show, the conservative Cameron Mitchell, left voluntarily because of last week’s theme which centers on sexuality. And Cameron's decision somewhat rocked the Glee universe because it led to the  extension of supposed-to-be-ousted Damien’s stay on ‘The Glee Project.’

With the number of contestants dwindling down, and the show about to reach its climax, many can’t help but speculate how things will end. Among the speculators is Philippine Daily Inquirer’s Nestor Torre.

Earlier today, I read Torre’s attempt to figure out who is most likely to win Ryan Murphy’s competition. While Torre has hit the mark with most of his predictions on ‘American Idol’, he wasn’t ready to make a bold prediction for ‘The Glee Project’. And the reason being is that  ““The Glee Project” is different from “AI,” because it’s out to discover, not the best singer, but the best “total performer” whose inclusion in the new cast of “Glee” will enable the hit show to tackle stories and themes it hasn’t highlighted before.”

Torre went as far as analyzing the chances of the remaining contenders. He said, Damien, Lindsay and Samuel are safe but not edgy choices, so that leaves us with Alex, the black gay, and Hannah, the fat yet funny singer.But Torre was quick to add that there may not be enough room for another plus-size songbird in ‘Glee’ with Lauren Zizes and Mercedes Jones around.

That leaves us with Alex. However, Torre was quick to point out that “the show already has its resident gay.” And when the words ‘Glee resident gay’ come to mind, I think of Kurt Hummel. Not sure if Torre heard about it, but Chris Colfer won’t be returning to the show. And with no word if Darren Criss and Max Adler would be sticking around, Glee is momentarily gay-less. And Alex is a perfect fit for that void. The only thing hurting this kid’s chances is his dislike for slushies. I mean, you’re joining Glee and you don’t like slushies? Have you been watching the show Alex? At least try to do some research before joining contests so you know what you’re getting into!

With that said, it seems that the safe choices could work after all. And here are the things going for Samuel, Lindsay and Damien.

Samuel – Ah, the dreads. There’s something about them that makes you cool and different at the same time. Of all the contenders, Samuel is the most mysterious and gives off the impression that he’s better off as a lone wolf. Plus, during the episode where they were making a video of ‘Mad World,’ he had a sign hanging from his neck that says misunderstood. Okay, so he’s mysterious, a loner and misunderstood. Those are slushie-worthy qualities. If Murphy considers making a character for Samuel, he’ll most likely play the silent rebel.

Lindsay – She’s an annoying, fake, competitive and ambitious know-it-all. Sounds like Rachel Berry right? And with Lea Michele gone, New Directions will need a new Rachel that’ll keep them motivated in order for them to return to Nationals. And Lindsay could be their gal. A character with Rachel Berry-like qualities doesn’t exactly offer anything new, unless you consider the fact that Murphy could make Lindsay’s character a freshman. And freshmen will always be at the bottom of the high school food chain. Rachel, even with all the slushies thrown at her face, never really got a lesson in humility or the like, probably because she’s a senior and was mature enough to deal with all the hardships one can experience in high school. Lindsay’s character, if ever she wins, could handle things differently since she still has a lot of growing up to do. She can even start off as this meek girl that’ll eventually turn into Berry 2.0.

Damien – The Irish guy who gets his diction and accent right when he starts crooning. Even though he was supposed to be evicted in the last episode, it doesn’t mean that Damien is no good. The guy had his spurts of brilliance throughout the run of ‘The Glee Project.’ It’s just that, when this guy is at the top of his game, he’s almost unbeatable. But when he sucks, he sucks big time, just like in the last episode. That’s why it’s not unusual for Damien to be in the bottom three in one episode then excel in the next. And you definitely can’t fault him for being at the right place at the right time. Cameron leaving doesn’t take anything away from Damien. Actually, it just might have given him a better chance of winning it all. After revealing that he was supposed to be evicted, Damien will be viewed by many, including his competitors, as someone who is merely lucky. That, in turn, makes him an underdog. And a guy with a foreign diction and accent seems like a suitable underdog, isn’t he? As for his potential character, writers can easily produce funny material revolving around his English and Irish culture, injecting a new brand of humor to the show. And New Directions can use another foreign exchange student on their team since Sunshine Corazon decided to sing for Vocal Adrenaline.

My pick: Damien. With Colfer, Cory Monteith and Chord Overstreet gone, there are fewer dudes on the show, so there’s a good chance that the winner of 'The Glee Project' could be a guy. I like underdogs and Damien happens to be one. And if ever he wins, I have a good feeling the jokes about his English and culture will be hilarious.