New Special On Cory Monteith's Death Somehow Just Broke Our Hearts Even More

On December 3, the US network Reelz aired a new TV special reenacting the tragic death of "Glee" actor Cory Monteith, who died at the age of 31.

The special was part of the new Reelz series, "Autopsy: The Last Hours Of …" and features in-depth examination of the events and circumstances leading up to Monteith's death on July 13, 2013 in a Vancouver hotel room.

Monteith was known for his role as Finn Hudson, a popular and likable high school jock, on Fox's musical comedy, "Glee."

Monteith struggled with drug and alcohol addiction for over his half is life. He was on break from filming the show due to substance abuse shortly before his death.

Now, in this new special, forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Hunter and some reenactment actors take viewers through Monteith's death step by step.

As the official coroner's report of Monteith's death concluded in 2013, Hunter states the actor died from a toxic combination of heroin and alcohol.

Drug paraphernalia and empty champagne glasses were found on the scene, as is reenacted in the special.

Hunter additionally notes that it was Monteith's bout of abstinence that made the combo deadly, for he had recently been in rehab, and supposedly sobering up over the last year — a fact that was also highlighted in the original report.

The 2013 coroner's report read,

Heroin is classified as an opioid drug; individuals typically build up a concentration tolerance to this type of drug over time. After a period of cessation from opioid drug use, a previously tolerated drug-concentration level may become toxic and fatal.

So while it's not new news, it's heartbreaking to be reminded Monteith's death came from a moment of relapse on the road to recovery.

The episodes depicts Monteith attending an Alcoholic's Anonymous meeting the week before his death.

In the year-and-a half leading up to his overdose, Monteith was dating his "Glee" co-star Lea Michele.

Earlier this year, "Glee" show runner Ryan Murphy opened up about his last conversation with Monteith, who he worked with for four years, and said,

We hugged, and the last thing he said was, 'I love you, man, and thank you for helping me get better.'

Citations: What The Cory Monteith Autopsy Special Revealed About His Death (Refinery29), The Globe And Mail