Sometimes, a media project goes so far off the tracks in the final few moments that you can't believe what you just saw. I see no greater way at the moment to start this series of posts than the finale of the first season of The Glee Project. Two weeks ago, after my favorite contestant Hannah was cruelly sent home, I predicted that Samuel would win the contest. Ryan Murphy was crazy about having a conservative Christian character and a romantic lead. The tall, thin, handsome alternative kid with Jesus tattooed on his neck seemed like a perfect fit. Surely he was a shoe-in to win, right?

He was. But so was Damian. And Lindsay. And Alex. What does that mean? That means there were co-winners and runner-up prizes. Sam gets seven episodes. Damian gets seven episodes. Lindsay gets two episodes. Alex gets two episodes. The prize for winning was supposed to be seven episodes. Now contestants on the show get eighteen episodes, not counting the rumors of eliminated contestants like Marissa, Hannah, and Cameron also being offered bit parts on the show. Why have a competition that claims one person will win if everyone wins?

Here's what I think happened. Ryan Murphy wanted to create a lot of buzz about his reality series to increase the hype for the third season of Glee. He wanted to be true to the underdogs do good storyline and brought that fictional conceit into the reality show. If everyone is a winner and no one is a loser, than anyone can be a winner in real life. It's the lynchpin of Glee. Even when those kids fail miserably every year in trying to win nationals, get beaten up by the jocks/cheerleaders/Sue Sylvester, and have their money ripped away every week by the principal, they're still winning. Why not fulfill those fantasies with four real young performers?

Why not? Because it makes for bad reality TV. If no one wins, then why did we watch? Save the bonus castings for after the show is wrapped. There is no reason why Ryan Murphy couldn't say in a few weeks that he was so impressed with Damian, Lindsay, and Alex that he is going to cast them in smaller arcs on the show.

Why is it so bad to have multiple winners on a show about finding a new underdog? They're going to have a season 2. Does this force them to give out this prize to all of the finalists on future seasons? Or are they going to act like these four kids--one with a horrible attitude, one with no relatability, one who was told he's not a great singer, dancer, or actor, and one who is told that he has no acting range--are so amazing that they never have to award multiple wins again? It's a joke. It's a horrible way to end what was otherwise a worthwhile reality show.

What do you think? Did Ryan Murphy jump the shark ala the carver appearing on Nip/Tuck? Or did he do just the right thing with this 4 winner decision?