3x02: I Am Unicorn (part 1)

The drama that Glee is known for is back, with a baby! If you haven’t seen this week’s episode, read TVline.com's Glee Recap, and then come back to dish out this week’s major issues.

Since this week’s themes require a lot of backstory, I’ve decided to split this post into two parts. First up: baby drama.

Mamma Mia! Everyone gets a mother!

First, let’s take a trip back to season one for a moment to recap some important plot lines. Midseason, Shelby Corcoran shows up on the scene with a big surprise: she’s Rachel’s birth mother, and she wants to be a part of Rachel’s life! 16 years ago, Shelby gave her daughter to Rachel’s two gay dads, and she didn’t look back, until now. But Shelby quickly realizes that she has missed her chance to raise and to get to know Rachel, and she decides to not pursue a relationship.

In the other corner, Quinn and Puck just had a daughter, Beth, and Quinn decides she does not want to keep her. Hey, wasn’t Shelby looking for a daughter? Bingo. Shelby adopts Beth and the two go off into the sunset.

Ok so back to the present. Shelby’s back and she brought Beth with her. She wants Quinn and Puck to get to know Beth and be a part of her life. As a mother who gave up a daughter, she relates to Quinn. She says, “Since the day that I gave Rachel up for adoption, I have been walking through life, searching for her face everywhere I go.” Puck’s all in for getting to know Beth.

But Quinn wants one better, and she eventually drops the bomb to Puck that she wants to get her daughter back from Shelby, full custody.

I Stand for Motherhood! So who's the rightful mom?

Shelby? Quinn? Let’s look at what both women have done.

Quinn: 

• gave birth to Beth 
• shares DNA with Beth 
• gave Beth her blond hair and blue eyes

Shelby:

• is raising Beth 
• feeds her, clothes her, and gives her a loving home

Leaving out the legal matters, and strictly looking at what each woman does for Beth, I'm going to have to side with Shelby. A mom is the person who takes care of the child. Sharing DNA does not make you a mom; it makes you a biological mother. As Shelby once told Rachel, “I’m your mother, but I’m not your mom.” A mom is there for you during all the tough times. She takes care of you when you are sick, she wipes away tears, and she reads you bedtime stories. As Shelby tells Quinn, “The real measure of motherhood is how much of yourself you will give up for them.” How much is Quinn willing to give up to get Beth back? We're about to find out. And I will be eagerly waiting to see which mother prevails.

To leave the post on a more optimistic note, let's return to Shelby and Rachel. Although Shelby probably won't be doing any mothering for Rachel any time soon, the two seem to be getting back on good terms. They sing out a truce and agree that “Somewhere” there’s a place for them.

Whew! So much momma drama! Be sure to check back later for part 2 of this week’s episode where I'll tackle Kurt's Unicorn dilemma!