For the most part, I thought Glee finished up its first season the way Glee would: With performances so good, they prevented the gag-reflex I have at Journey songs and pomp-rock such as Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” It’s all about balance: I’ll forgive the use of the ukulele for the astute use of “To Sir With Love.”
One development sticks in my craw, however. Shelby Corcoran ends up with Beth? After spurning the requests of her real, neglected daughter, Rachel? I couldn’t get past this. It was impossible to fully adore that absolutely adorable baby, knowing that the kid is going to be raised by a woman who spurned her teenage daughter.
Saying that what she really wants is “a house, and a garden, and a dog,” Shelby settles for a newborn, adopted child… when she has her own child, Rachel, upon whom she could lavish some of that love. Strikes me as selfish.
Glee is going to have to do a lotta tap-dancing around this issue next season to make it all work out so that we can truly feel happy for Ms. Corcoran, as far as I’m concerned.
What do you think?
Follow: @kentucker
Same reaction…Shelby already has a daughter in Rachel…and I think you meant baby Beth.
I felt absolutely the same way. The mother/daughter relationship was feeling unsatisfying even before the baby issue came up. These two meet, sing, and then the Mom says “back off”? In an otherwise wonderfully written show, this was a total misfire.
Mark
MyFabulousDisease.com
Come on guys, this isn’t Leave it to Beaver. Sometimes bad people get good things, and you feel happy for them whether they deserved it or not. Maybe the baby will bring Shelby to realize that she should open her heart to Rachel too.
But it was random the way she decided she didn’t want to know Rachel in the Gaga episode. That was poor writing.
She didn’t deserve it, but I’m still happy for her.
I think that the writers dropped the ball on this (and other) plot(s). I totally agree that this was a weird twist that felt random and was done to keep the characters in the background for future. It didn’t make any sense that Q/P would give her their baby when they really don’t know her, at all. Plus I assume that the process to adopt is fairly involved and regulated. At the very least, (unless this is the future conflict that the writers want to create), You’d think that Q/P and Shelby would’ve had a discussion with Rachel to see how she would feel about: her birth mother – who concocted a plan to get manipulate her daughter (to fall for a guy who was going to dump her all along) to seek her out (in violation of the agreement that she had made with her fathers who wanted her) just to reject the idea of just getting to know her as a person just because they “missed their time” even when said daughter was begging her her to at least be a friend or mentor. The Shelby character got off way too easy. Just like there really wasn’t a satisfying resolution to Jesse’s character as well. Did he care for Rachel at all (like we were kinda being led to believe or not? Did he even speak a line last night? Was it edited out?) C’mon writers! the performances continue to be great, but unless they get the writing/continuity tightened up, I’m worried that this show will go off the rails much like Ryan Murphy’s “Nip Tuck” did, as the stories/characters/guest stars got sooo annoyingly inconsistent that I gave up on what started out as a great show…..
Given Ken’s vast experience as an unwed mother and dealing with being an adopted daughter I am not sure how any of us can question him. but here I go!!
That she reached out to Rachel only speaks of her need for family and to have more in her life. Both Rachel and Shelby came in with fantasies that poisened the reality. Both of theme realized playing house with a grown woman, was not what she was not that fantasy and is pretty honest and self aware. Selfish is pretending you are something you are not because you feel bad. She was honest with Rachel as was Rachel with her the whole time. Rachel has loving parents. Now Beth has a loving mom who is ready to raise a child. And I suspect she will also have a loving overly attentive big sister in Rachel as these two WOMEN figure out what relationship works for both of them vs the fantasy both created that did not work.
I realize Glee needs deeper thinking than say 30 Rock.. so I will forgive you for your pendantic attitude, I thought the solution was elegant in it understood the REAL complexities of adoption vs some TV Writer’s Utopian assumptions.
Why is it so horrible for Ms. Corcoran to be happy and adopt a child. The reason that she said no to Rachel was becasue she already had great parents and a family and could not give her the love that was alredy given to her by her fathers. I loved that Beth was adopted by her and it should not have ended any other way.
Why are you all bothering to respond to a troll like “nodnarb”? This is obviously the highlight of his or her day.
Keh, I have to disagree with your characterization of Rachel as being a “woman.” She’s a sixteen-year-old high school student who was desperate for the attention of her mother. There is still a Whole lot of growing and maturing to be done, and the guidance of a female mother-figure is something that she probably really needs. That Shelby rejected her because Rachel could not give Her what She needs (to have raised a baby) was very selfish and short-sighted. I agree with Ken and thought the adoption resolution was trite and pointless. I do not think it dealt At All with the complexities of adoption or biological birth parent-child relationships. It was the perpetuation of that stale Hollywood myth that all problems can be resolved and past histories invalidated with a spanking brand new baby!! But it’s not like it couldn’t have worked and achieved the elegance you saw in it if it had been done carefully and thoughtfully. It was too rushed and I just didn’t get it. When these kind of intense and complex subjects are not handled well, it’s irritating to the viewers.
I agree with R.J.
And, to me, it felt like they were trying to make it a happy ending, when it really wasn’t, at least not for Rachel. I didn’t understand the episode where Shelby rejected Rachel, because Rachel needed help from her (the costume) in pretty much their only meeting. Then she says, “Rachel doesn’t need me for anything.” And I guess you could say that she meant Rachel didn’t need her emotionally, but I disagree with that too.
So true, it is so awful how she neglects Rachel who is loving her unconditionally, and now she deserves this baby??? NO way!!!
Rachel is actually supposed to be-suspending all belief, considering how Lea looks and sounds as mature as anybody in their early 20s-only 15. She has a way long way to go before adulthood. And even up in this final episode she was still reaching out to Shelby, wanting her to be in her life, even as just a coach, and Shelby rejected her without even realizing the emotional implications, selfishly saying she wanted her own picket fence life and family, without giving Rachel a chance.
Everyone – hold your horses on all the “Rachel has two dads and therefore needs a mom” stuff. Now THAT’s some problematic same-sex parent bashing!
I didn’t have a problem with the show giving Beth to Shelby because she didn’t “deserve it,” but because the plot line dropped completely — Shelby searched Rachel out, cried after her, and then, suddenly and with little explanation – left her alone to deal with the news. Second, was Jessie a spy on New Directions or a way of getting Rachel to connect with Shelby? The Shelby plot didn’t gel and wasn’t resolved. You’re right Ken that the show does have a lot of explaining to do. How about paying some attention to the loss and grief (or lack thereof) that Quinn and Puck might be feeling?
oommmmmggggggggg…. stop whining, ken tucker. for supposedly liking glee, you only seem to nitpick at everything.
The thing is, Glee is rarely ever wonderfully written. It has a cast of pretty faces with prettier voices, and a knack for hiring AWESOME guest stars. And of course it has Jane Lynch. But other than a few scenes between Kurt and his dad that always left me in tears, the writing is at best inconsistent, and at worst a blatant rip off of Murphy’s earlier (better) show, Popular.
Hey Ken! No, I didn’t really have a problem with Shelby adopting baby Beth. Shelby is Rachel’s biological mother only – she is not Rachel’s Mom. It’s not fair to expect Shelby to bond with a grown daughter she gave up to other loving parents to raise. Plus, Shelby has seen that a loving family can be created through adoption. Why shouldn’t Shelby raise a child now, if she wants? I hope Glee shows Rachel’s Dads next year!
But Rachel doesn’t even have a Mom. She has too Dad’s. I think for a girl you want a Mom, that female rolemodel. And, since she found her and then knew where her talent came from it intensified her need to have her Mom in her life.
LOL! I think you meant “two.” Evangelical homeschooling is bad, mmmkay.
@sadasavi: I understand that Rachel needs a Mom. But I was talking about Shelby’s needs. Shelby is the birth mother – she is not Rachel’s Mom – and it isn’t fair to expect her to automatically bond with a grown daughter she gave up when that daughter tracks her down.
I’d agree with you if Shelby wasn’t the one who broke the written agreement between her and Rachel’s dads, went to extreme lengths, by harassing Jesse, to inform Rachel of her identity and then let her badly down!
She’s a selfish woman who gave up her biological daughter for money, reconnected with her against her adopted parents wishes because Rachel was her only option of having a family and abandoned her again when she realized that adopting a newborn, which she can mold to her likings, would fit better in her image of a perfect picketed family house!
She doesn’t deserve Beth.
I agree with Shelley. Just because Shelby had trouble bonding with her grown daughter doesn’t mean she will be a bad mother. I think Shelby wanted to bond with Rachel and then realized she wouldn’t really be bonding as Rachel’s mother, more as her friend. Plus, Shelby was a surrogate. Most children never even meet their surrogate mothers.
@nodnarb – Apparently so is the public school social conditioning that creates a belief in stereotypes.
Oh, honey, I went to private school! My family would not let me anywhere near poor people.
What is it with people like you that post the most rude and disgusting comments to complete strangers, beside the fact that you have no common courtesy or class? What, no one in real life takes you seriously because you’re a loser so you have to go online and harrass people that you don’t have to actually face? Loser. I know you do it for a reaction out of people but NASTY people like you are exactly what’s wrong with society today.
@nobnarb – Aaaahhhh, that explains it then. Your “parents” shipped you off to private boarding school so you grew up not knowing what a real family was like. Not feeling the love from your rich parents huh? Oh, but at least you can correct grammar mistakes…makes it all worth it in the end.
“Too” vs “two” would actually be a spelling mistake (and a pretty embarrassing one!), not a grammar mistake. But keep trying, poor public school kids. We’re all rooting for ya!
Not everyone needs a female role modoel. In fact, as I remember, most of the girls I knew in my teen years (me included) had very cantankerous relationships with their mothers. Those were not the days of blissful female bonding. And even as an adult, I find I have an easier time relating to men than women. To each his own, but I think it’s a myth people pass around that you need to have a man and a woman to create a well balanced and functional child. What I think is that you need two individuals who will balance each other out…
Looks like that private schooling isn’t paying off. Grammar mistake = A term used in prescriptive grammar for an instance of faulty, unconventional, or controversial usage. Now let me put that in terms that you and your expensive, but clearly inferior, education can understand – Too was spelled correctly but used in the wrong context. Hope this helps clear that up for you. Oh, and if I were your parents, I’d demand a refund.
Couldn’t agree more.
Oh, and as for the silly grammatical dance – I went to private school and public school, and I think both of you are buffoons to even comment on that. Stick to the point!
Wendy, stop hitting on me! I don’t do fat.
@nodnarb
You know there are free clinics that can remove that grammatical stick up your posterior.
Accidental substitution of Homonyms is a common typo, even when the writer is fully aware of the actual proper usage. It is not necessarily an indication of education. Though an uneducated person needing to compensate might try to ASSume otherwise.
Free clinics? Heavens! I thought we covered this. That’s for poor people.
PS: Since you’re so smart, KEH, it was the original commenter’s flippant dismissal of all gay parents that drew my ire.
@nodnarb
Returning biggotry with biggotry helps no one, and your comments certainly do little to enlighten or offer an opening for understanding, thus you are just being part of the problem.
In Utopia the perfect family is one with a Mom and a Dad because it offers modeling of typical gender relationships. However since we don’t live in Utopia, I loving single parent or living gay parents are better than disintersted or abusive parents of the typical gender set. Meaning until we can place childen with demographic vs people, parents can only be judged on person by person basis.
@nodnarb–if a person has two male parents, they don’t have a female parent. That is not dismissing the two dads (as worthless/ineffectual or whatever you thought it to mean), it is a simple statement of fact, and there is no need for you to be incensed. Even if there were, your choice to stoop to name-calling and insults does nothing to further your cause or point. You might want to consider that the next time you have a difference of opinion, and I certainly hope you don’t engage in such childish behavior with your actual acquaintances.
Thanks for your (well-written) explanation. Perhaps I was a tad too hasty. For the record, with my actual acquaintances, all we do is engage in childish behavior. But that’s because we don’t take criticism so seriously. And we drink far too much vodka.
@Actually–you may be right that some girls don’t need or want mother-figures, but Rachel clearly did. Shelby’s abrupt rejection, while perhaps understandable, was irresponsible in light of the fact that it was Shelby who went to great lengths to seek Rachel out. She roped in an impressionable and sensitive high school student and then cast her out because, well, Rachel could not provide Her with the daughter She needed. Ugh, what a jerk character.
Again, RJ took the words right out of my mouth.
As for nodnarb, you’re spelling brandon incorrectly. Letters traditionally go from left to right. Clearly, this invalidates and is more important than any consideration of your actual logical arguments.
And poor does not equal unintelligent or ignorant, and vice versa, as you have clearly shown.
OMG seriously this is an internet forum where people should be discussing the issues at hand, not something as trivial as “too” and “two”. It is a common mistake that can be made while typing quickly. It is called a typo, get over it.
Now as for your comment, Shelly, I completely agree with you. Yes, Ms. Corcoran should not have gone to seek her daughter if she had no intention of really being there for her. But I guess she just acted on impulse and realised the consequences later. Which all in all was pretty stupid and that is the real problem I had with the storyline – they tried to tie that story way too quickly, and it just felt rushed. But, I knew that the new baby Beth really could not be taken care of by Quinn and Puck – they would make just awful parents. I don’t care how mature this whole incident has made Quinn she is not ready to be a mother. And as for Puck, he will change his ways mighty quick. This works out well for Ms. Corcoran and Beth.
And as for someone who went to boarding school, they do teach us better manners than nodnarb.
I agree Shelby should be able to adopt Beth. She can still be somewhat of a mom to Rachel but Rachel has parents and Beth needs a mom and Shelby needs a baby.
In all fairness, Shelby only donated eggs- she did not carry the baby and then “give it up.” It’s like a sperm donor for men– there was little emotional connection there from the beginning. Shelby was longing that feeling of caring for a baby. She just realized that what she was desiring was more for the need to be a mom for a baby than to jump in a “support” a teenager. I think with time she could open up more with Rachel, and once she has her emotional needs satisfied being a mom to Beth, I think she will be able to be more available to Rachel. We know that Shelby is coming back next season, so hopefully, there will be more scenes with her and Rachel!
Shelby does not have a daughter. Shelby gave birth to Rachel and then came back 16 years later. Rachel has been raised by her dads. It clearly wasn’t an open adoption. And Ken, you left out the part where Shelby said she wanted a “family.” Adoptive parents aren’t just babysitters waiting for the “real” parents to get their crap together. They are the child’s real parents. And the biological parent can move on with their lives without the guilt of having to reclaim their biological child.
She’s not even a biological parent who gave her child up for adoption. She’s effectively an egg donor/surrogate mom.
@nodnarb–if a person has two male parents, they don’t have a female parent. That is not dismissing the two dads (as worthless/ineffectual or whatever you thought it to mean), it is a simple statement of fact, and there is no need for you to be incensed. Even if there were, your choice to stoop to name-calling and insults does nothing to further your cause or point. You might want to consider that the next time you have a difference of opinion, and I certainly hope you don’t engage in such childish behavior with your actual acquaintances.
an egg donor is a biological parent! Rachel has half that woman’s DNA and is therefore Shelby’s biological daughter, regardless of the way or reason she was conceived.
That said, adoption is complicated, and every reunion doesn’t turn out with people loving each other like family instantly. I think we need to give it some time and see if it develops, because it might.
I think Quinn will have second thoughts about keeping her baby. It will be convenient to know who has Beth.
Me too. It makes no sense for Shelby to have gotten Jesse to ingratiate himself with Rachel and give her that tape, which would lead her to find her birth mother — only for the birth mother to reject her. What’s the point of all that? And it makes no sense to think that a teenage girl doesn’t need her mother. It’s one of the times in life when a girl MOST needs one. It feels like a total disconnect.
you know as an adopted child myself , I have always been asked why don’t you want to find your”birth mom. Well I have to say that the episode where Rachel finallt figures out that Shelby is her mom and then flat out rejects her , really hit me in the heart and this solidifies all my emotions. Rachel was just fine with her 2 dads until JEssie and Shelby decided to force her into a situation where she would just be rejected . I think it was just a sad sad episode. As for Shelby adopting Beth well I guess she feels that she missed the baby that Rachel once was and felt she could bond better with an infant than a teenage girl. It really didn’t sit well with me , the whole rejection after the plot to get her to figure out who her mom really was….
I agree. And from what they showed us, Shelby did all that and didn’t even give Rachel a chance! Basically they met and then Shelby was like “Oh. Your a teenager!” Well Shelby, I’m pretty sure you’ve seen Rachel before. She knew exactly what she was in for. I don’t think this storyline was handled very well in general. However I’m alright with Shelby getting Beth. I hope they don’t completely drop this storyline though. It doesn’t feel very resolved.
Ditto…Shelby has a daughter–Rachel. I do not understand her collection of Beth. Makes no sense.
Rachel is her daughter but she doesnt live with her and she missed the years of actually being able to raise her teach her how to walk, talk, and all that important stuff that Shelby missed. Beth is her second chance, Shelby can teach Beth how to sing, dance, walk, talk and so much more that Rachel already knows how to do
She should have gone to Africa to adopt a baby…that baby is not going to be healthy with all the dancing that girl did in Glee club and Cheerios. In Africa, the mothers don’t jump so much during their pregnancy.
Yeah, this was crap. Aside from the world’s fastest adoption, it just felt false. No, you don’t always get what you want in life. But I actually felt bad for Rachel, who get totally rejected when she reached out and then have to stand there and watch her adopt a new baby. Mommy don’t want no used child, she want new. This same reasoning is why older children have difficulties sometimes getting adopted. IN the end, Rachel is better off. Yes, a girl wants a mom, just as a boy wants a dad. But she’s got two people who DO care and want her so it’s best that she cuts this nutter lose. God help that baby when mommy dearest realizes that motherhood is an actual job, not a hobby like gardening.
Emotionally, it was unsatisfying to see Ms. Corcoran reject Rachel yet again then run off into the sunset with a new baby girl. But it was a tidy ending to the messy pregnancy storyline. I am glad it’s over.
WELL YOU REALLY CANT TELL IF RACHEL IS THE GOOD PERSON OR NOT SHE COULD JUST AS WELL BE TO BLAME FOR CINGING TO SHELBYS SPERM AND MAKING AN UNWANTED PREGNANCY
XOXOXOXOX BEST WISHES SHELBY
You mean Beth, I hope. That was the name they chose, esp. since Puck sang the song Beth about the child!
The baby’s name is Beth, not Ruth. That aside, I had trouble swallowing the whole adoption myself.
I’m pretty sure the baby’s name was Beth…not Ruth.
Daughters name was BETH not Ruth!
The baby’s name was Beth, no?
Her name was Beth, Ken. Other than that I completely agree!! I thought it was a horrible plot twist and cruel. I felt so terrible for Rachel. She asks her mom to accept her and Shelby basically says, “Nah. I’d rather have a cute little baby instead.”
I agree.But I do understand Shelby needs a new life.I kinda felt bad for Rachel.Her mom picking some cheerleader’s baby than her own daughter.
I keep wondering if we all watched to same show. Shelby wanted a baby and found out she could no longer have one. In a sad attempt to recapture when she could she looked for the child she did biologically have. Unfortunatly after hearing Rachael talk about her dads she realized it was those growing years that shaped Rachael that she was so desperate so have. Mr Schue convinced Shelby to walk away because he knew it wasnt a teen she wanted. It makes perfect sense she would adopt and Beth was perfect because you know the character and dont feel Beth goes to strangers.
I wonder if we saw the same show too–I did not get any of this, however it does make sense. Something was clearly lost with the writing that so many people were perplexed by Shelby’s actions. But while your assessment does provide insight, I still disagree with Shelby’s rejection of Rachel because she did not measure up in terms of satisfying Shelby’s needs. Shelby sought Rachel out. Rachel wanted a relationship. Shelby rejected her. The sequence of events is irresponsible when you consider that Rachel is still developmentally very, very young. The whole thing just seemed cruel and the adopting of the baby just made it even more-so.
I do agree it seems cruel but Shelby tells Mr Schue she realized Rachael was a grown up( her words) and she didnt need her. It was a fantasy she had been living but when Rachael told her about the water when sad she knew it wasnt real.
I remember Shelby saying that Rachel was “grown” and didn’t need her, but I felt that was a rationalization made by Shelby because She did not want the relationship with Rachel. It was Shelby who no longer needed Rachel because Rachel could no longer provide her with the specific type of relationship Shelby wanted. Rachel was no longer or any use for Shelby so Shelby projected this lack of needing on to Rachel (sorry for the psychobabble). It was a rigid and inflexible position to take. Rachel clearly did want some sort of relationship, and it seems that should have been enough of a reason for Shelby to be open to it, in however small way she was comfortable. I don’t think Rachel was expecting Shelby to be her mother, but to just be a part of her life, which doesn’t sound like too much to be asking. But I understand Shelby’s decision–I just don’t really like it (or her character)
Totally agree with you, R.J. Further, I also felt like Shelby didn’t even give it a chance. It was like she met Rachel, got scared at how complicated it might get, decided that everything she did to find her was a mistake, and made an excuse about how Rachel was all grown up now. What she was expecting to reunite with the daughter she gave up 16 years ago and cue the Full House music?! It makes me angry just to think about it. She should not have tried to connect with Rachel unless she was sure she wanted to put in the work and at least try to make the relationship work.
Wait what episode did they say Shelby couldn’t get pregnant again
while I agree wholeheartedly with vicelynn’s assessment of the storyline, I still have a BIG problem with the storyline itself. that is, that it was supposed to be about QUINN. how she grew (no pun intended), and changed, and matured, and dealt with a very grown-up situation, and how it affected HER. I would have preferred that an unknown, but loving, set of parents had come in, adopted the baby, and were never seen again — or, that Quinn decided to keep the baby and followed that story. Now, the baby, and Shelby, become their own subplot. I don’t think that serves the core stories and casr very well.
Completely agree, Vicelynn! I thought exactly the same thing, and Rachel was not that upset after she realized that they could only be friends and that wasn’t what either of them wanted right now.
Totally agree! That part of the episode pissed me off sooooo much. I thought it was really poorly written. It also bugged me that it seemed like Quinn didnt really care about giving the baby up. Again I blame it on the writting. Don’t get me wrong though I did like the ep! Just not all of it.
Quinn had said all along she was going to give the baby up for adoption, it was a very mature decision, and I’m glad they didn’t have her change her mind.
I was annoyed that we didn’t see more of Quinn’s reaction now that the baby wasn’t just something she was anticipating, it was actually real. I would think she would reconsider at least a little, since she had earlier in the season. This was such a major storyline during the first half of the season and it was handled in like 5 minutes! And what the hell was she doing back in school the day after she gave birth?
I don’t think they left out the possibility of Rachel and Shelby haveing some kind of relationship. Yeah, there was a “rejection” of sorts in the Lady GaGa episode, but in the finale, all Shelby said was that she didn’t want to coach McKinley High’s Glee Club. She did not say she didn’t ever want to see Rachel again. Reunions like this are tricky, and tend to get messed up by the fantasies of the people involved, and both Shelby and Rachel had fantasies about what the other would be like, until they realized that there was a reality behind them. Just because two people are biologically related does not mean that there is an instant bond. I think Shelby realized that she no longer wanted the life she had been living, and also realized that she and Rachel, even if they do start a relationship, are never really going to be “family” in that sense, so it made perfect sense for her to adopt.
Who the hell is Ruth?! Do you mean Beth????? Please at least watch the show Ken.
I don’t think anyone’s mentioned that the baby’s name is Beth yet.
yeah, puck told shelby at the nursey window that hert name was beth
And then Shelby told them to put the name Beth on the birth certificate at the end of the episode.
I know!! I would think she would go up to Quinn and give her the old “Don’t give up your baby, I did and I regret it” speech. I would have liked to see quinn keep it.
This was what I was expecting as well!
But hasn’t that been done before!? Isn’t it more realistic (and better for Baby Beth) that Quinn give her baby up for adoption!? I thought it was great that the writers/producers didn’t cop out and have Quinn keep her baby…no good would have come from that!
I was very pleased that Quinn did go through with an adoption plan. We have already have enough media examples for teenagers to parent. Making that difficult and loving choice to adopt needs to be highlighted more in the media.
No it wouldn’t be better, not on t.v. and not in real life. Seriously? Adoption doesn’t build a family, it tears one apart.
Wow. Just wow.
How so Coleen? Being a Mother is about ALWAYS putting your child’s needs ahead of your own, that’s what adoption is all about. Isn’t a person who can’t conceive on their own but are able to love, care and provide for a child building a family?!?
@COLEEN
your comment on adoption tearing up families is ignorant
i have five adopted siblings and i would consider that building a family.
the three youngest all being physically challenged in one form or another. if not for my parents there was a good chance they would have grown up in the foster care system.
@Colleen- your ignorance is appalling.
@Coleen
Wow, that comment about adoption tearing families apart is not only ignorant, but extremely hurtful. I am adopted, and never have I wanted to find my biological (not real, just biological) parents because I MISSED OUT ON NOTHING. I have two loving parents, a brother and grandparents, aunts, uncles–the whole family thing. It did not tear anything apart–it gave me everything to be adopted and I would not trade in my real family for my biological family for anything. Try learning about something before making stupid comments.
Plenty of other people have taken down Coleen for her ridiculous comment, and I really can’t say it better than Shel above, but as an adopted child, I can say that I consider myself very lucky to have been adopted into a wonderful loving family. I was raised to respect my birthmother’s decision – that it’s not an easy one to make and that she was trying to give me the best life possible, one she couldn’t provide herself. Coleen’s comment is hugely ignorant and I’m not sure where she gets that idea, but it’s patently false.
And Ken, I have to say that I bristled at your choice of words – Shelby “settles” for an adopted child? Ouch.
Instead of knocking Colleen for her opinion you should feel bad for her. Obviously she had a bad experience and no one should be called ignorant because their views dont match yours. There are adopted children who never feel they are part of a family and it is difficult. Try a little understanding.
She didn’t give up her baby!!! She was a surrogate!
My understanding was that Shelby was the egg donor as well as the surrogate, which makes her the biological mother. So, yes, she did technically have to give up her baby.
she didn’t give her up, she choose to give a child to others for money. It was a business contract, not a personal decision. She knew before she even conceived that the child was not hers. HUGE difference.
Wait, the baby’s name is Beth, right? How do you blog an opinion without knowing the baby’s name?
Agreed, Ken! But at least they didn’t drag this out by having Quinn keep the baby and then proselytise for a season about single mothers.
I think you mean “Shelby ends up with Beth.”
I thought the baby’s name was Beth, not Ruth. You might want to go back and watch it again. That is the name of the song that Puck sang a couple of weeks ago.
I was okay with Shelby adopting the baby – but I am pretty sure she kept the name Beth. She told Will in a separate episode that she was unable to have anymore children. She tried to reach out to Rachel because she regretted giving up her baby but she made the difficult decision after her conversation with Will to distance herself from Rachel because the whole thing was painful and confusing and not in Rachel’s best interest.
In addition to wanting a house, and a dog she told Rachel that she wanted a family.
I think a lot of people are forgetting about the conversation that she had with Will, which I think had more to do with her distancing herself than anything us. Basically, he told her if she doesn’t give 100%, she shouldn’t try at all.
I was ok with it too. She was a surrogate for Rachel’s dads. She had no obligation emotional or otherwise to Rachel. That’s like saying every person who donates sperm to a sperm bank is obligated to some day care for the offspring from that donation and if they don’t they are automatically terrible parents.
I completely agree andinut and Liz. It was not a spontaneous decision to ditch Rachel and adopt Beth. If we payed attention to the signs and dialogue from the start of Shelby appearing on the show, we know that she wanted her baby back, she couldnt have anymore kids, and she wanted to start a family. She tried with Rachel, but knew it would be too hard for her. She has a loving family, and it was time for Shelby to start her own now that she had been given a second opportunity.
Agreed. I had this argument with my sister last night. Rachel is almost an adult and was raised by two loving parents – Shelby was a surrogate mother, not a mother who abandoned her daughter. This is not a case of someone leaving their daughter on a doorstep and then deciding years later that they want to adopt another child. This was someone who helped two men have a child that they loved and then realized she wanted a chance to raise a child herself. I do think it was kind of harsh to say that she decided she didn’t want to be part of Rachel’s life at all but that’s her decision. I’m just glad that they didn’t have Quinn and Puck get moony eyed at each other and decide that they were going to raise that baby together, on nothing but songs and love. THAT would have pissed me off.
I, too, am upset with how the writers handled the Rachel/Shelby story line. Why go to all the trouble to let her know who her birth mother is to reject her in the end?
Here, here to this whole thread (minus qtpii). Did Shelby bite off more than she could chew when she reached out to Rachel? Yes, sure, she’s a character, flaws and all. But I think it’s completely understandable that she found an almost-grown-up woman that’s not really her daughter. And I’m so glad Quinn+Puck didn’t keep the baby! Does anyone actually think it would be on anyone’s best interests for them to do that? (based on these comments, yes there are *sigh*) Yes, giving up a baby for adoption must be hard, but that doesn’t mean it’s a decision that every unwed teenage mother will seriously regret later in life.
Ken, love you, but her name was Beth (You know the KISS song?).
Hey, does anyone know what the baby’s name was? Anyone?
Exactly! I understand when people post the same thing like 2 minutes apart…but when someone does it like 5+ minutes after someone already said it, it gets ridiculous…maybe folks should read previous comments so they don’t cause this problem…
Wait, you mean Glee fans are stupid enough to attack someone without understanding context? Or realizing that someone’s already pointed out the mistake?!
Say it isn’t so!
I think it’s Beth, but I’m not sure! I don’t think anyone has mentioned it before.