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 Read the full post.
Jun 9
2010
09:43 AM ET
'Glee' and its baby issue: Did Mrs. Corcoran really deserve Beth?
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From what was said in the pilot, wasn’t Shelby just a half-way surrogate for Rachel’s dads? If so, blame can’t be placed on her for “giving up” her daughter. She went into the pregnancy knowing that she would not raise the child she was carrying… she didn’t abandon her at birth.
Mrs. C didn’t reject her own daughter. She even said that Rachel should stay with her dads because Rachel had already grown up. She still loved her regardless, she just wanted a child to raise. I’m happy that Quinn gave her the baby.
I completely agree. She kept saying that she ruined her chance with Rachel. Rachel’s still alive, Ms. Corcoran. She’s still a teenager, and she tried to have some sort of relationship with you.
I think part of our collective problem is confusing what “parenthood” is all about. Shelby might have been Rachel’s mother, but she certainly wasn’t her *parent*, who cared for her without any whim. Although the show came to this too quickly for my taste, Shelby’s realization that finding her daughter was not going to make her a parent was somewhat astute. The point would have been better brought to light if Rachel had also realized that her dads *are* her parents and, we assume, still love her unquestioningly. Not meeting her dads yet has kept this particular interpretation at bay — and is the most problematic part about Rachel’s “past” for me.
Very well said. I do think that the relationship with Rachel and her mother was rushed, but stepping back and looking at it the whole thing does make sense. I think that they just tried to put too much into the season with Rachel and Shelby. Shelby kept saying she wanted her baby back, and I think that in that character’s head Rachel was always a baby and always would be, but in reality she’s a nearly grown woman. I think that if additional time and scenes were given to this story line we would have felt better about it. As it is I think that it ended well.
Yes, Beth–sorry. Fixed. Thanks & apologies to all. My main point still stands, though.
I wasn’t offended…I just thought it was way too convenient of a plot twist.
I think the reaction you’re having, Ken, is the exact reaction Glee wants you to have. Shelby’s adoption of Beth, and simultaneous spurning of her biological daughter, will create some incredible tension between Shelby and Rachel, and maybe even Rachel and Quinn. It could be really interesting next season with this storyline.
I don’t think we are going to get this storyline next year.
It’s the first season. They couldn’t resolve all of the conflict, otherwise there’d be no reason for more Glee. I expect to see Shelby and Rachel getting closer in later seasons. Shelby did what she thought was best for Rachel and wasn’t selfish in pursuing a mother-daughter relationship, but I could see that changing over time. LOVE GLEE!
Now that the Beth thing is cleared up I’ll jump on the bandwagon to clear up that the ukulele was used in Over the Rainbow, not in To Sir With Love.
I don’t think it’s that she didn’t deserve the baby, it’s just that it was a really akward and unconfortable situation with Rachel being there. I understand what she (and the writers) were thinking and why they went there. But still…it did seem a little mean. Rachel was reaching out for some kind of relationship and Ms. Corcoran basically said “Nope. Starting over with a new kid.”
We have to remember that Shelby said that they should ‘be greatful for one another, from afar, for a while’, before she adopted Beth. She did not expect to be adopting a baby after saying what she did to Rachel.
I agree with you, Sam. I don’t think Shelby intends to say away from Rachel forever, just keep her distance until Rachel is a little older and they can have a relationship that won’t be confusing for her. And as a woman who was raised by a single dad, I think that Rachel is going to be just fine with two loving fathers and no mother in her life, but maybe, eventually, a friend in Shelby.
I think when Ken says “I’ll forgive the use of the ukulele for the asutue use of “To Sir With Love.”, he means that he’ll forgive the use of the ukulele in “Over The Rainbow” BECAUSE they astutely used “To Sir With Love” later. That’s the way I read it anyway.
but “To Sir With Love” came first. The kids sang it to Shue then he after Glee was given another year, he sang “Over the Rainbow” with Puck to them.
Fine – To Sir With Love was used first! My point is still that I think Ken meant that the ukulele can be forgiven because To Sir With Love was used, and it was fantastic! It would make up for any use of a ukulele.
I think the biggest problem with that episode is that it was looking like it was setting Glee up for an interesting and different second season… until Sue gave Glee back everything it had before. Now season 2 will be the same-old-same-old Glee. It’s almost like it got scared at what it could do with a refreshing start.
and by the way, the ukulele song was “somewhere over the rainbow”. to sir with love was another great performance. did anyone even bother to edit your hastily put together article?
Also, didn’t the creator promise us more Puck and Rachel chemistry towards the end of the season? What happened with that?
they showed a little more interaction between the two of them. He was in the delivery room and when Puck was singing with Shue, he looked at Quinn romantically.
Maybe he meant Run, Joey, Run?
You’ve been hating on Glee ever since it came back. And though a lot of people agree with you. I think it was perfectly fine that Shelby adopted Beth. Plus Glee set it up for her to do that in the Gaga episode. She desperately wanted a relationship with rachel but realized it was too late, she felt like she didn’t fit in with her life and you can’t blame her for that feeling. Rachel is 16, that is grown, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t deserve a second chance to be a mother. SO HAPPY THAT SHELBY GOT BETH.
1) The uke was used for “somewhere over the rainbow”….
2) Shelby was completely selfish to totally reject Rachel and not even try and pursue a relationship with her daughter… In the real world adopted kids hire detectives to find their birth parents, and often have been accepted by them and they at least TRY to get to know one another.
3) That being said, the way the writers had that Shelby-Rachel dynamic fail should have been a warning for Quinn. Poor choice on the writers’ part. Esp. since they had Puck tell Quinn that he loves her.
4) That was the quickest birth in the history of the world.
5) The writers of Glee need to be less predictable. Not only was it obvious New Directions was going to lose, but also that Quinn would have the baby, Quinn’s mom would show up (which was stupid and I hoped wouldn’t happen), Glee club wouldn’t actually be disbanded, and Will would confess his love for little miss clean freak.
Overall this was a really disappointing season finale. The kumbaya session at the end of the episode didn’t really help either. Next time there needs to be a cliff hanger of some sort added into the mix, not a resolution of everything.
But often the birth mother doesn’t know what she’s getting into and often they don’t try to get to know the child. A relative of mine who was adopted was sought out by her mother and they began a relationship. About three weeks in, the birth mother basically cut all ties and said that she wasn’t able for it. They haven’t spoken since and it was three years ago. It’s clear that Shelby wanted to be a parent, but you can’t just walk into someone’s life when they’re 16 and become their parent when they have two perfectly good parents.
Also, were they really going to show Quinn giving birth for over twenty minutes? Its television – obviously its going to be quick.
I also think that the Shelby thing will be revisited next season – I don’t think that thats the last you’ll see of that storyline.
beth was her second chance. she said on several occasions that it was too late for her and rachel to have a mother daughter relationship and that they should wait because any kind of relationship at the present time would be confusing. when she went on to say she wanted a normal life, she gave examples as to things that that included…house, dog, garden, etc.
if you’re going to write a somewhat negative review on a show, make sure you watch more than the last episode. just the fact that you completely got the baby’s name wrong suggest you aren’t a credible source.