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Darren Criss: Graduation on Glee Doesn't Necessarily Mean Goodbye

Darren Criss, who is not leaving Glee to host The X Factor, is very excited for graduation. While gleeks sweat it out over who may or may not be coming back next season, Criss is sitting pretty, seemingly unworried about what could potentially be a gut-wrenching send-off, a tearful sayonara, an abrupt peace-out to some of the show's original cast members.

Yes, Criss' Blaine is a junior, but the actor says he doesn't see the finale — which has not yet been written — as a goodbye at all. "This goes back to the beginning of the season where everyone was in a huff about people graduating and leaving, but I don't think it's a matter of saying goodbye so much as it is about moving on," he told TVGuide.com. "It's about having a departure point and having grown into another person from the person you were when you started high school."

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"[Series boss] Ryan Murphy is a big believer in the idea that high school is a machine where you come in as one person and you exit another," Criss continued. "This last season is more about growing and learning new things and being a new person and bringing that to the next step in your life. I don't think it's a hard-fact farewell per se as it is cathartic change and the beginning of a new chapter. You have every conceivable kind of plot point that could yield those changes between [Finn and Rachel's] engagement, Quinn's car accident... so many things that are yielding new life."

And before we get to cap-and-gown day, there is still Nationals! Disco! Whitney Houston! Prom! We asked Criss to tease the three stories he's most looking forward to:

Blaine and Kurt get serious about New York. You'd think that Rachel was the only member of New Directions planning to head East given the lack of talk between Kurt and Blaine about Kurt's post-grad future. Is Klaine's love so strong that there won't even be a question about committing to a long-distance relationship? Is Blaine in denial about Kurt leaving Lima to enroll in the New York Academy of Dramatic Arts (NYADA)? Real talk is on its way! "That's coming up for sure," Criss said. "Those are the biggest stakes for Kurt and Blaine and that's something they're about to learn to deal with." Needless to say, Blaine will be supportive though, right? "Who knows? I have no idea. It's going to involve music, I can tell you that!"

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Prom, Take 2! Last year, prom didn't go so well for Kurt, who was unexpectedly voted prom queen by his idiot classmates. This time, things are going to be a lot less dramatic for the couple. "It's a dinosaur-themed prom because Brittany is class president and she's managed to get her wacky ways through," Criss said. "Kurt and Blaine obviously didn't want a do-over of last time, so they're going to take matters into their own hands. They're going to do something very different to make sure it doesn't happen that way again."

It's all about... Finn! Finn? Yeah, Finn! "Whereas Kurt and Rachel have the NYADA thing, which is an exciting next step, I like that Finn's future is a little bit more uncertain. As a fan of the show, I'm curious to see what happens for him," Criss said. "He's pretty interesting. One of my jokes — something that never seems to be acknowledged -- is that Finn happens to be an extraordinary percussionist. It's never addressed! He's always like, 'I don't have any talents,' and I'm always thinking, well, he's a really good drummer, he should consider doing that!"

What do you think, Glee fans? Is Criss on to something? Will everyone be back next season on Glee? What do you hope the future holds for Kurt and Blaine?

Glee airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on Fox.