#Crazy Brittanalyst Answers

[themostrandomfandom]

Hi JJ i just wanted to let you know that some of your brittanalysises arent working (XXXVIII,XXXIX and XL)

Hi, @izzy0wo!

Thanks for the heads up! Apparently, after 5+ years with no issue, Tumblr had suddenly and for no reason flagged those posts (plus a few others) as explicit.

Thankfully, content appeal went my way, so the posts should be functional now.

[themostrandomfandom]

idk if you've already answered this but what do you think brittanas zodiac signs are?

Hey, @stanjyrus!

I actually do have a post about that topic, which you can find here. If you want me to elaborate on anything, let me know!

Thanks for the question! I hope you’re well. 💕

[themostrandomfandom]

Hey! First off let me say I love your blog! Anyways, I just recently started watching Glee (and finished it in a week!) I obviously love Brittana and I've been reading through all of your analyses and the second one about the importance of eye contact for Santana isn't available anymore, so I was wondering if maybe there was somewhere else you addressed Santana's use (or lack of in some cases) eye contact that I just can't find. If so, I'd be really interested in reading it! Thank you!

Hey, @sassyrebelduck!

Thank you for your kind words! I’m glad you enjoy my blog. It’s cool that you finished all of Glee in a week.

Turns out, Tumblr had flagged the post you were referring to for sensitive content—????????—but I was able to successfully appeal the flag, so you can read the original post here, if you like.

This post also touches specifically on the topic of Santana’s self-reported lack of eye contact during sex during the early days of her and Brittany’s relationship, if you’re interested.

Thanks for bringing the flagged post to my attention! And thank you for your question! Stay safe out there.

[themostrandomfandom]

why do you think brittany writes in crayon?

Hey, @stanjyrus!

So the cynical, out-of-universe, fuck-RIB answer is that Brittany writes in crayon because TPTB at Glee want to depict her as being childish.

Note that in S1 and S2, while Brittany is occasionally shown to doodle in crayon, when she writes, she is most often shown using her beloved (and age-appropriate) Koosh Ball gel pens. 

The one instance in which she writes using crayons on a major assignment is on her “heart attacks” report from episode 2x03, and in that instance, her doing so can be explained by the fact that her report includes artwork (and using crayons to draw pictures makes sense). She is otherwise shown using typical writing utensils for her schoolwork.

This choice in writing tools tracks with her general S1/S2 depiction: i.e., as a ditz but at least an average teenage ditz who could plausibly exist (and function) in a mainstream high school classroom. 

Only in S3 and especially S4, when the writers lean hard into the “Brittany is infantile” party line, does the crayon writing become a standard, repeated joke. The downgrade from Koosh pens to crayons tracks with the general degradation of Brittany’s character during this period.

As for within the universe of the show, one very simple and viable explanation for Brittany writing in crayon is personal preference: i.e., crayon is a brighter and more colorful medium than pencil or (standard) pen and is therefore an attractive medium for someone as creative and whimsical as she.

However, a more complicated (and psychoanalytical) explanation also potentially exists, and it ties into the argument I make in this post: namely, that over the course of her high school education, Brittany’s teachers, counselors, and coaches alternately ignore and disparage her when she struggles in her classes, and the fact that they do so prompts her to “act out academically.” 

Though it would be in Brittany’s best interest to ask for help directly, she doesn’t, largely because she has been made to feel unwelcome to do so. Rather than approach Will, Sue, Mrs. Hagberg, Emma, etc., all of whom have, in their own ways, made it clear that they consider Brittany stupid and/or obnoxious, and therefore unworthy of being taken seriously, Brittany puts up a façade, pretending that she’s too aloof to care about her schoolwork. She lives down to their low expectations for her because doing so allows her at least a modicum of control in a situation where she otherwise has none.

If we accept this model, then we can perhaps view writing her assignments in crayon as a symptom of Brittany’s scholastic desperation.

Essentially, Brittany feels like she’s going to fail her assignments no matter what she does or how hard she tries not to, because her teachers have proven to her, class after class, year after year, that they are unwilling to deal with her and/or give her a fair shake. She therefore decides (either consciously or subconsciously) that if she’s going to fail regardless, she is at least going to choose the mechanism by which she does so—and somehow it hurts less to fail because she writes her assignments in crayon than it does to fail because her teachers think that her ideas are stupid/wrong.

Remember that math test Sue whips out in episode 4x02? The one that Brittany draws “Happyville: the Town Where Math Was Never Invented” on?

Notice that Brittany doesn’t even bother to write down answers on that test.

Maybe she doesn’t write down answers because she’s using the crayon drawings as a defense mechanism. 

If her teacher is just going to pick her apart anyway, why bother to put in any sort of real effort? The faculty all view her as an imbecile, so she’s going to give them what they expect. She’s not going to make herself vulnerable by expending her actual brainpower to come up with an answer that they’re just going to (arbitrarily) strike out because she’s her.

I would wager that as a yet undiscovered math genius, Brittany probably finds it difficult to “show her work” in the way that high school teachers typically require. She probably just “knows what she knows” intuitively/instinctively, and since she can’t write down the answer without showing her work, lest she be accused of cheating on the exam, she opts not to write anything at all. Things are just easier that way.

As I talk about in this Brittanalysis, Brittany may also be “crying for help” with the crayon drawing, hoping against hope that maybe someday, some teacher (possessed of both a brain and a heart) will realize that any twelfth grader who’s drawing stick figures in crayon on their math midterm probably needs help and actually pull her aside to ask her, in a genuine way, how they can be of assistance.

She’s too scared to ask for what she needs directly, so she hints at it—with Crayola cartoons—instead.

Unfortunately for Brittany, the only person who does seem to notice and/or care about the crayon drawings is Sue, who only cares insofar as this increasingly erratic behavior is having a bad influence on the younger Cheerios, and so summarily kicks Brittany off the squad.

Admittedly, a hole in this theory is that Brittany does seem to continue using crayon to write long after she has left both WMHS and MIT, even into S6, where we see her working on the Euler Brick problem using a rather impressive Crayola collection.

However, we can perhaps explain this usage by means of our simpler explanation from above: i.e., by this point in her life, now that Brittany is no longer beholden to academic rules and is just doing math for fun because she’s good at it, she uses the crayons because they’re colorful and pretty and because they make her calculations pop on the page.

Also, she may use crayons because she is potentially numerically synesthestic, as a few math geniuses, including famous nonnormative thinker Daniel Tammet, are. Note that in her Euler equations, she alternates colors, perhaps indicating that different calculations are chromatically different in her mind. (“The square root of four is rainbows,” anyone?) 

Anyway, that’s what I’ve got!

Thanks for the question!

[themostrandomfandom]

...Disney now owns the rights to Glee. Thoughts?

Hi, @allnewtpir!

I’ll preface my answer by saying I’m no expert in corporate strategy, so everything I say here is just pure speculation.

That in mind, I strongly suspect that Disney owning Glee won’t change much for the show, except for perhaps where it is accessible.

The truth is that as consequence of the many scandals surrounding its cast, the residual value of the original series has greatly diminished since the show was last on the air. While Disney now technically owns Glee, I just can’t see them being very eager to draw attention to that ownership—not given the extremely negative press surrounding some prominent former cast members. Due to the bad optics, they can’t really promote it as a nostalgia property in the same way they have similar vehicles, like, say, the HSM franchise.

Maybe someday in the distant future, Disney might be interested in staging a Glee reboot, but, if so, they’re going to completely overhaul the property, gutting and refurbishing it from top to bottom. The cast will certainly be an all-new one, and the characters, themes, and storylines will by necessity be very different from those in the original series. Only the basic concept of a high school show choir singing popular songs would be likely to remain intact.

—and, even then, that possibility is a long-shot.

More probably, the House of Mouse powers that be won’t even touch Glee, except for to perhaps change where they stream it.

Right now, Glee is on Netflix and is probably somewhere in the middle of a multiyear deal with them. Once that deal is up, the show might move to Disney-owned Hulu or (less likely, considering how averse Disney is to showing LGBT content on their flagship service) to Disney+.

Particularly since the series is already concluded and isn’t well-positioned to generate merchandising or licensing revenue from further promotion, my sense is that the show will remain on Disney’s back burner—something they quietly retain but don’t do a helluva lot with.

That’s just my sense, though. I could very well be wrong!

Anyway, thanks for the question!

[themostrandomfandom]

Hi! I hope you’re doing well :)) I was randomly thinking about Brittana the other day and — do you think Santana came out to anyone before she was outed? and do you think Brittany ever “came out”? Because nobody seems to be acting as if her liking girls is new information in 3x07.

Hey, @sitandsingtoyou​!

So the short answers are: 

With the exceptions of Brittany Pierce,Holly Holliday, and Dave Karofsky, I don’t think Santana ever really comes outto anyone (at least in so many words) prior to episode 3x06. 

As for Brittany, I don’t think she ever comesout so much as she just is out andhas been kinda forever.

Long answers after the cut.

___

First, a quick rundown:

In episode 1x02, in her very first appearance on the show,Brittany checks out Santana’s ass as Santana twirls in her Cheerios skirt,demonstrating the “teasing not pleasing” technique. Several other cheerleaders,including Quinn, are present to witness the incident. Brittany makes no effortto hide her obvious attraction.

In episode 1x13, Brittany reveals to Kurt, Mercedes, Artie, andTina that she and Santana have sex with each other often enough that by some definitionsthey could be dating.

In episode 1x14, Santana offers to make out with Brittany whileFinn spectates.

In episode 1x17, Brittany reveals to Kurt, Mercedes, Artie, andTina that she has personally made out with “everyone” at the school, includingboys and girls.

In episode 2x04, Mercedes witnesses Brittana’s silent hallway “lovers’quarrel,” when Brittany indicates that she is cutting Santana off from havingsex with her.

In episode 2x06, Artie witnesses Brittana leaving Breadstix withPuck, presumably to have a threesome with him.

In episode 2x14, Santana takes shots off of Brittany’s abs at theRachel Berry House Party Train Wreck Extravaganza.

In episode 2x15, Brittana come out to Holly Holliday—thoughSantana still maintains the pretense that she is attracted to boys. Later,Brittana sing “Landslide” to each other and hug in plain view of the glee club.Rachel comments on the sapphic nature of the performance. Based on her bodylanguage, Quinn may also realize what’s up. Artie appears somewhat suspiciousof the exchange and what it might mean for his relationship with Brittany.However, Sam fails to understand the significance of the moment.

In episode 2x17, Santana defends Klaine from Dave’s homophobicbullying. Though she doesn’t indicate that she is doing so because she, likeKlaine, is gay, Kurt may realize, at least to some degree, that something is upwith her.

In episode 2x18, Santana comes out to Dave and blackmails him intobearding with her. She then forms the Bully Whips, using Dave to help her makeWMHS safe for Kurt’s return. However, she refuses to participate in the gleeclub’s “Born This Way” performance and only dons the “LEBANESE” t-shirtBrittany made for her at the very end of the episode, where no one but Dave cansee her do so.

In episode 2x19, Brittany reveals on FF2 that Santana “plays foranother team.” The Muckraker then runs a blind item column which refers toSantana as the prom queen candidate who is in the closet. Santana angrilyconfronts Brittany about her word choice in the presence of several other gleeclub members. Later, Brittany reveals to Artie that she is cheating on him withSantana, and Bartie break up.

In episode 2x20, Brittany dances with a girl at the prom.

In episode 2x22, Quinn notes that all of the other girls in theglee club aside from her “have love.” Though she doesn’t mention Brittany andSantana by name, she does spare them a pointed look which strongly suggeststhat she knows they are in love with each other. Seconds later, she confusesBrittana’s offer to cheer her up with a haircut up as an invitation to jointhem in a threesome. Surprisingly, Santana is able to laugh off the mistake.

In episode 3x01, in their very first scene of the season, Brittanygets a food tray for both her and Santana to eat from. The girls then meet up,link elbows, and happily skip away for their “lunch date.” Jacob Ben Israelcatches this whole exchange on film and broadcasts it to the school. Later,when Will exiles Santana from the glee club, Brittany appears very upset, andFinn seems to take notice.

Between episodes 3x01 and 3x04, Brittana are generally very touchywith each other, and, for the first time in a long while, neither one of themhas a boyfriend or even a boy toy. They also don’t express any interest in boysat all.

In episode 3x02, Brittany tries to sell Kurt on her ProjectUnicorn campaign platform, which is specifically designed to combat homophobicbullying at WMHS. Brittany makes it clear to Kurt that she has a personalinvestment in the cause. Later, Santana stands up to Kurt when he disparagesBrittany’s platform. Brittany eventually decides to run for senior classpresident on her own ticket. She identifies herself as a “bicorn” to Kurt.

In episode 3x03, Brittany shows up to Booty Camp, even though sheis personally exempted from the practice, expressly for the purpose of hangingout with Santana. In Mercedes’s “It’s All Over” fever dream sequence, sherefers to Santana “knockin’ off that piece who thinks she’s better thaneverybody runnin’ for president”—i.e., Brittany—indicating that she at leaststrongly suspects if not knows for a fact that Brittana are back to sleepingtogether again.

In episode 3x04, Brittany dodges Rory’s romantic advances. Santanaalso threatens Rory against pursuing Brittany, referring to Brittany has “[her]girl” and calling her beautiful, innocent, and “everything that’s good inthis miserable, stinking world” in the process. Elsewhere, when Mercedes approachesSantana to join her new glee club, she is savvy enough to realize that Brittanycomes as a package deal, further indicating that she is aware that Brittana aretogether, and, moreover, that their relationship is both committed andfeelings-based.  

In episode 3x06, prior to being outed, Brittana continue to bevery affectionate with each other in public—and especially during the “Stop theviolence!” scene during Troubletones practice, when Santana practically meltsat Brittany’s cuteness, in plain view of Sugar, Mercedes, Shelby, and the otherglee club members. Santana also chews Finn’s ass for calling Brittany stupid.

To the best of my recollections, these represent all of theinstances in which Santana’s lesbianism, Brittany’s bisexuality, and Brittana’ssexual and romantic relationship are either discussed or brought to theattention of other characters prior to Santana’s outing in episode 3x06.

Of course, that’s to say nothing of the flirtatious, pining,bedroom, adoring, moony, thirsty, love-eyed looks they sling each other betweenepisodes 1x02 and 3x06, or the way they drape themselves all over each othersitting on the back row in the choir room, or how they dance together duringpractices, or the fact that they’re usually glued at the hip, or that Santananever smiles at anyone in the way she smiles at Brittany, and Brittany hasnothing but praise for Santana (never mind what everyone else says), and, and,and—

There may be other instances in which either Santana or Brittanyas individuals or Brittana as a couple come out to people, but if there are, wecertainly don’t see them take place on screen.

Personally, my sense is that prior to her outing, Santana neverpurposefully comes out to anyone besides the select individuals mentionedabove. I have two reasons for thinking this way.

First, I tend to believe that had Santana come out to anyonebesides Brittany, Holly, and Dave, TPTB would have shown her doing so onscreen—because it kinda would have been a BIG DEAL.

Santana is very much the epitome of this text post:

Compare her tearfully admitting to Brittany that she’s in lovewith her during the Hurt Locker scene in episode 2x15 versus her casually quipping to Quinn’s boyfriend the very first time she meets him in episode 5x12, “Wordon the street is you’re old money. I’m a lesbian, but I’m totally into that.”

Back in S3, Santana is still so new to coming out (and even toaccepting her own lesbian identity) that I just have to believe that had shecome out to anyone—whether on purpose or accidentally—it would have been depictedas part of her storyline. It’s something that would have factored into her arcin a major way.

—which brings me to my second reason for believing that she doesn’tcome out to anyone else prior to episode 3x06: namely, I don’t think she’sready to make “that kind of announcement,” just from a character standpoint.

In episode 3x04, she’s still holding Brittany’s hand under the napkin. While making thingsofficial with her dream girl probably boosts her confidence at least somewhat,it also doesn’t necessarily mean that she suddenly has enough confidence tocome out.

Honestly, based on her reaction to Finn outing her and Reggie Salazarrunning his political ad (“Not just the school, you idiot! Everyone!,” “I haven’teven told my parents yet!”), I tend to think that Santana’s m.o. is not to comeout at school until after she comesout to her family. They’re her first priority when it comes to taking thatstep. She doesn’t want anything to get back to them before she’s had a chanceto tell them the truth herself.

Since we know she isn’t out to her parents and grandmotherpre-episode 3x06, then my guess is that she also isn’t out to anyone else atschool—at least not in a formal way.

Instead, I think she tends to take “the Brittany approach.”

—which brings us to the matter of Brittany’s “outness.”  

As mentioned above, there are several instances prior to episode3x06 when Brittany makes her attraction to girls known in a public setting.

In particular, in both episodes 1x13 and 1x17, she admits to groupsof her peers that she has both kissed and had sex with girls. 

Neither one ofthese scenes is a “coming out” scene in the traditional sense, as she isn’tlabeling her sexual identity or framing what she says as a disclosure but rather simply talking about her life and about the way things are with her in a general, matter-of-fact way. 

Her attitudesuggests that what she’s saying isn’t a secret or something that she considersrevelatory.

That’s why I say that Brittany never comes out as much as she just isout.

While there may be some instance before the start of the show(like in middle school or the ninth grade) when Brittany formally announces toher classmates that she is bisexual, my sense is that there isn’t. 

I honestly don’tthink Brittany ever tells anyone in so many words “I’m interested in multiplegenders” or “I’m bi.” I think she is just always kind of open about the factthat she is.

In fact, a lot of the friction between her and Santana during S1and S2 derives from the fact that they have differing comfort levels withoutness.

Even though they are in love with each other, Santana isn’t readyto admit that they are even to herself, much less to anyone else, so sheinsists that any time she and Brittany are actively hooking up with each other,then they must also actively be hooking up with boys on the side. Frankly, ifgiven her druthers, Brittany would probably prefer to be monogamous withSantana—and, in fact, according to my calculations, Brittana probably arefairly monogamous with each other between episodes 1x16 and 2x06 (see here)—sothe only reason she bothers making out with random classmates outside ofSantana is because Santana insists that they “play straight.” The desire toconceal her sexual orientation and her feelings for Santana never comes fromher. She only participates in misdirecting behavior because Santana’s “rules”necessitate it.

On the few occasions when Brittany oversteps Santana’s boundaries,pushing her to be open if not about her own sexual orientation than at leastabout the true nature of her and Brittany’s relationship (see episodes 1x13 and2x04), Santana immediately shuts her down, and Brittana experience relationalfriction.

Consequently, Brittany tends to back down—at least until S2, whenshe decides that if Santana doesn’t want to be her girlfriend, then maybe sheshould try dating someone else, and she ends up becoming a couple with Artie.

Of course, the really interesting thing is that even thoughBrittany is generally open about her bisexuality, very few people seem to pickup on it prior to episode 3x06.

That whole “gals being pals” phenomenon, where people look at wlwshowing romantic love for their partners but mistake it for platonic bestfriendly affection because heteronormativity—that’s Brittany’s entire lifeexperience prior to Santana’s outing.

Brittany can talk openly about how she’s made out with boys andgirls; dance with a girl at the junior prom; and spend every day in glee practicemaking eyes at Santana, holding her hands, stroking her hair, and justgenerally being moony about her, but people will still view her as being prettymuch straight until her girlfriend is outed as a lesbian.

—and even then it’s debatable to what extent the general publicunderstands Brittany’s sexuality.

As I talk about in thispost,

Brittanyhas been vocal about her attraction to men and women since early in S1, firststating that she’s slept with Santana in episode 1x13, then revealing thatshe’s made out with girls, boys, and Mr. Kidney the janitor in episode 1x17.

The factthat she is not straight has never exactly been a secret.

—and yetno one at McKinley seems to raise an eyebrow at her sexuality, never mind that,for a time, she is the only out LGBTQIA+ kid in the student body.

(Lateron, various people on the show will talk about how Kurt Hummel is the first outgay kid at the school, which, though true in terms of being gay specifically,is not necessarily true in terms of being “not straight” in a more general way.The fact that no one at McKinley seems to acknowledge Brittany as the first outLGBTQIA+ kid at the school shows that her sexual orientation doesn’t reallyregister with the more part of the student body. No one really thinks of her asbisexual/pansexual/sexually fluid/queer Brittany, or at least they don’t thinkof her in those terms in the same way that they think of Kurt as gay. Hersexual orientation isn’t viewed as an important part of her identity, eventhough it’s something she is actually fairly open about from the start.)

Whilemembers of the New Directions give Brittany funny looks when she talks abouthaving sex with Santana and achieving her perfect kissing record with everyoneat school (regardless of gender), these funny looks aren’t particularlydifferent from the ones they give her for spouting off Brittanyisms or speakingin non sequiturs.

So whythe nonreactions on their parts? Why do Brittany’s teammates not really seem tonotice or care that Brittany isn’t straight?

Part ofit probably has to do with their misunderstanding of Brittany in general:

She’sincomprehensibly strange to them, something between a child and an idiot. Doesshe even know what she’s saying? Does she even understand what making out orhaving sex means? Since they view her as having such low intelligence, it’sprobably somewhat uncomfortable for them to think of her as having sexualagency, so they don’t dwell on it.

She’sjust Brittany being Brittany, after all. Best not to press the matter.

Anotherpart of it definitely has to do with heteronormativity: 

They’reconditioned to think of straight as a baseline. And straight girls can stillmake out with girls sometimes, right—especially if they’re dumb straight girlswith active libidos? After all, Brittany only really goes on dates with guys,and observable behavior = orientation, doesn’t it? So Brittany must bestraight. The “kissing (and having sex with) girls” thing is an anomaly, asometimes thing, the exception and not the rule. Somehow it doesn’t count.

So even though Brittany never goes out of her way to conceal her bisexuality, she still manages to “hide in plain sight.” Her peers don’t really seem to notice or care about her sexuality until it relates to her relationship with Santana.

—which brings us back to Santana in S3.

Based on her behavior in early S3, I tend to believe that Santana adopts the same method to “outness” as Brittany does: namely, though she doesn’t actually come out to anyone, either directly or in so manywords, she also gives up on attempting to conceal both her sexualorientation and feelings for Brittany—and especially to the degreethat she did in the past.  

In S1 and S2, whenever Brittana were engaged in a sexualrelationship with each other, they would also each maintain sexualrelationships with boys on the side, so as to create plausible deniability. Butcome S3, neither one of them has a boy toy or beard, even though they aretogether.

They also don’t express sexual or romantic interest in anyonebesides each other—i.e., they’re clearly not on the hunt for boyfriends or evenpretending that they are. Gone are the days of them (and mainly Santana)working overtime to convince everyone that they’re straight or even thatthey’re not each other’s primary relationship.

While they’re not yet to the point of kissing or holding hands inpublic, they are very touchy with each other. They’re also openly emotionally supportive of each other, such aswhen Santana defends Brittany’s unicorn campaign to Kurt in episode 3x02 orwhen Brittany shows up to Booty Camp just to hang out with Santana in episode3x03.

Essentially, then, they are no longer in the business of activelyconcealing the truth about Santana’s sexual orientation and their romanticrelationship, though they’re also not yet ready to make a public announcementregarding those topics, either. They start out S3 hiding in plain sight, as itwere.

Santana’s attitude during this point in time seems to be along thelines of, “I’m gonna start being more and more myself, and if someone noticeswhat’s up, then someone notices. Otherwise, I will come out when I’m good andready.”

True to her pragmatic nature, she is taking baby steps: parting ways with her final beard, Karofsky;coming to terms with the word “lesbian” and starting to embrace the label forherself; giving up on her mad grab popularity schemes (like her convoluted promqueen campaign); becoming more and more a real part of the glee club; standingup for other LGBT kids, like Kurt and Blaine; starting to allow her realpersonality to shine through; spending the summer dating Brittany even thoughshe can’t be fully sure that they are dating; kicking off her senior year beingmore open with her feelings for Brittany in public than she has ever beenbefore.

Part of what makes her outing so horrific, then—among a millionother things—is that she spends late S2 and early S3 steadily laying thegroundwork towards coming out, only to have the decision as to how and when shedoes so completely ripped away from her before she gets the chance. Somethingthat she wanted to do by increments and when she felt comfortable got forcedonto her in an instant. Finn just ripped the bandaid right off without givingher any warning.

Anyway, I’ve rambled on for a long time now.

Thanks for the question!

[themostrandomfandom]

hello! I don't know if you're still on the blog or will be in some time, but I still have to at least try. I just had my rewatch of glee for the first time in 4 years, and it woke some buried feelings up again lmao. One of the things i most strongly feel for is Britt's class president run. I know she would've done more things during it, yknow? Like she prepared for the position and had a solid plan for it. I really feel like they wasted her potential in s3. Do you think you would rewrite it?

Hey, @randomizepersonality!

Sorry it’s taken me so long to reply to you. Limited internet these days.

I, too, am one who is completely disappointed by Brittany’s S3 storyline and how the writers absolutely dropped the ball when it came to her class presidency. 

Negativity about Glee writing under the cut.

______

In episode 3x02, the writers clearly establish that Brittany’s interest in the class presidency isn’t a lark or something she is doing just for the hell of it. The platform she pushes for Kurt is anti-bullying, pro-inclusion—and she has a dog in the fight, because she wants herself, Santana, Kurt, and all the other LGBTQ kids at the school(plus anyone else who qualifies as “different”) to feel safe being themselves. 

Baby Girl has a clear, focused goal, and she feels it is important for her to achieve that goal. As she tells Kurt, “What’s wrong with [being gay]? Look: Ninety-nine percent of the kids at this school are either freaks or closet freaks. The captain of the football squad? He gets the job, but he doesn’t represent the people. That’s why we need a unicorn.” She isn’t just talking out of her ass or viewing the presidency as a way to boost Kurt’s (or her own) popularity. She actually wants to accomplish something.

That’s why when Kurt declines to run on her “Project Unicorn” platform, she picks up the banner herself, proudly declaring, “I’m also a unicorn.” The values she’s supporting are ones that are near and dear to her heart, as she knows from personal experience (particularly in regards to her relationship with Santana and Santana’s fears about coming out) how vital it is for kids to feel comfortable in their own skin and how damaging it is when they don’t.

Honestly, what she’s talking about is an extension of the things she both learned for herself and taught to Santana during the Back Six of S2. She’s talking about “embracing all the awesomeness” that one is, promoting acceptance, and spreading love because love makes everything possible. It’s all big time stuff, and even though she’s couching it in unicorn metaphors and glitter, she is serious about what she wants to do.

—which is why it’s so fucking unbelievable that she would completely slack off from that position the second she won the election.

I mean, seriously, the Glee writers, you’re telling me that at the exact time when she and her girlfriend are facing the reprecussions of a vicious public outing, being bullied in the hallways for showing any sort of affection to each other, having to deal with pressure not only coming from their fellow students but even from members of the faculty and administration—I’m looking at you, Will and Figgins—facing up to the Finn Hudsons and Josh Colemans of the world, Brittany would just fuck right off and fail to enact any of the policies or programs she had clearly thought about before? You’re saying that she wouldn’t try to use her power and popularity to try to improve the situation?

Bullshit.

—and especially “bullshit” to then try to make a joke out of her failure, as they do later in the season, when she tells Figgins, “Okay. I now realize I wasted an entire year belaboring the nuances of my fluid teen sexuality, and getting caught up in Lord Tubbington’s Ponzi schemes, and then for a while, I stopped talking, but I don’t want my presidency to be the last one at McKinley! I don’t want that to be my legacy.”

There’s no excuse for them wasting this storyline.

Ideally, they should have allowed her to succeed in what she was trying to do. She could have hosted an anti-bullying rally and brought in Holly Holliday to sing to the student body about how it’s okay to be gay. She could have used her own coolness to shift paradigms, because, after all, she is both the senior class president and most popular girl in school AND a fabulous, bisexual unicorn. She could have organized a “kiss-in” in protest against Figgins’s homophobic PDA policies. 

I mean, really, with her creativity and zany genius, the writers could have absolutely gone wild and had her do any number of things to make her world a better place.

Even if they were dead set on having her fail, then they at least could have actually showed her failing—giving her a storyline where balancing academics, extracurriculars, and dealing with the fallout of being outed becomes too much for her to handle, and her ambitions for the class presidency fall by the wayside; letting Kurt confront her about wasting the opportunity she won over him; having her break down and admit that maybe the problem she took on was too big for her to tackle herself and that the world is a worse place than she initially thought; allowing her to display the same kind of depth and humanity that she was afforded in S2.

But instead they muted her for half a season and pushed her into the background at a time when she should have been getting foreground attention, and then they tried to pass off their act of forgetting about Brittany as Brittany forgetting to do anything herself.

That Brittany wasn’t allowed to speak throughout Santana’s outing arc was an indefensible narrative choice. That the writers waited until the very end of the season to come out of nowhere and say, “Guess what? Brittany failed at everything, and y’all should just laugh about it!” was meanspirited and unfunny. Her whole S3 storyline was an exercise in bad writing. TPTB laid narrative threads for her at the beginning of the season but then didn’t weave them into anything. They wasted all of her potential. 

So, yeah, all of this going-on is to say that I would absolutely rewrite Brittany’s S3 storyline if given the chance. 

I mean, in the Mouseverse, S3 is where I diverge from canon, and there’s a reason for that.

Anyway, thanks for the question! I’m right there with you.

[themostrandomfandom]

Hi! I was wondering if you could share your thoughts on Brittana and their MBTI types? I think Brittany could be a ENFP, but I have no idea what Santana's type could be (other than her last letter, which I think is J)

Hey @silver-greystorms!

First off, sorry it has taken me so terribly long to reply to you.I don’t get a lot of internet time these days.

Second, in response to your question, Iknow very little about MBTI types, so forgive me if anything I say here is off.I took this test,answering for Brittany and Santana—the ways I think they are, as opposed to theways in which I think they might (mis)represent themselves, were they takingthe test—and here are the results I came up with:

Brittany is, as you suggested, an ENFP.

Santana is an ESFJ.

I then read up on both of thesepersonality types on this site and this one.

More discussion of how I see Brittany and Santana fitting thesetypes under the cut.

_______

Because I know so little about the MBTI system, I read through thedescriptions for Brittany and Santana’s types on the sites I linked above. Ithen made lists of all of the descriptions that seemed to really fit the girls,as I understand them in canon. 

Here are those lists with some commentary: 

Brittany the ENFP

ENFPs are often popular.

For all of her quirks, Brittany is one of the most popular girlsat WMHS for many years running. While both Quinn and Santana occasionallysuffer sharp downturns in their popularity (e.g., when Quinn is pregnant and whenSantana is outed), Brittany is depicted as being fairly consistently well-liked. Notonly does she become senior class president, but also never once is sheslushied. People may not always understand her, but they do seem to enjoy hercompany. Her energy attracts people. She’s the life of the party.

ENFPs, for all of their socialsuccesses, may, however, also face certain difficulties, such as beingunfocused and becoming easily distracted, overthinking personal issues, beingbetter at “the theory” than “the practice,” not handling stress well, and beingindependent to a fault.  

Brittany’sacademic difficulties may stem from an inability to focus and/or to put intopractice the ideas and theoretical concepts that she learns.

Overthinking is likewise an issue for Brittany, not only throughout S4 (when she gets so worked up over personal problems forwhich she sees no fixes that she experiences two total meltdowns, one in episode4x02 and one in episode 4x22) but also in S6as she is prepping for her wedding.She gets so in her head that she panics until Santana talks her down.

When faced with stress (particularly ofthe interpersonal variety), Brittany tends to resort to making jokes, playingdumb, and downplaying the situation rather than taking ownership for what’shappening. Though she becomes better able to handle stress as the series goeson, particularly as she finds grounding in her relationship with Santana,early on, she is highly avoidant in stressful situations (see, for example, herreaction when the glee club confronts her for spying in episode 1x13).

Being independent to a fault islikewise a big thing with her. As I say elsewhere: “Having difficulty asking for help is a characterflaw she comes by naturally. That a girl who’s been told ‘no’ her whole lifewould be scared to ask anyone to take a chance on her and say ‘yes’ makessense”—though, of course, it certainly doesn’t make her life any easier. Asmentioned above, Brittany will often meltdown when her problems overwhelm her,acting out (and acting outrageously) rather than asking for help. She will alsosometimes simply suffer in silence, keeping her troubles to herself until it’stoo late for anyone to do anything to help her (such as when she fails tograduate in episode 3x22).

ENFPs are bothidea- and people-driven. They see everyone and everything as part of a cogent,cosmic whole.

While Santana is (generally) moreplan-reliant than Brittany, Brittany is actually (typically) abetter planner than Santana because she comes up with innovative, long-gameideas and doesn’t get too caught up in logistics.

See, for example, her Project Unicorn campaign for the seniorclass presidency in episode 3x02. 

Brittany is also a people-person, insofar as she is a skilledreader of people, and she sees how individuals fit into the collective. Thoughshe doesn’t always get along with everyone in the glee club, she does know howall of the various players function to make the collective work.

See, for example, her Heart Locker speech in episode 2x22, inwhich she advocates for Santana to forgive Rachel, not only for the good of thegroup but because she understands how much Santana craves friends, even thoughshe personally does not like Rachel much at all. 

Brittany’s big, beautiful math brain affords her a uniqueperspective on the world. Brittany is a nonnormative thinker who forms connections that maynot be apparent to other people.

See, for example, her “infinity” speech to Santana in episode6x03, which lays out her whole understanding of the universe not only in termsof numbers but in terms of love.

ENFPs learn globally. They don’t mindapproximations (whereas other types may want exactitude).

As I talk about elsewhere: “Brittany’s is a unique mind. It is unclear towhat extent book-learning and traditional education work for her. She has atendency to metaphorize concepts, suggesting that she is an abstract thinker.Her flair for malapropisms also intimates that her mind is organized in ‘webs,’with various like-words grouped together by loose strings of associations.Though she is mathematically intelligent, she is also emotionally intelligentand physically intelligent, as well. Early on, her genius seems highly intuitive,as she is able to pull numbers out of the air, though she is not always equallyable to explain how or by what means she has done so. In time, her methods seemto become more examined and deliberate, with theory underlining what was once amore reflexive capability. She is perhaps something of an autodidact, able, forinstance, to teach herself Spanish, though she apparently doesn’t fare well inthe class in high school.”

While these thinking patterns are all apart of Brittany’s nonnormative genius, they can also get her into trouble inthe public school system, which expects conformity. Her “close is good enough”attitude may contribute in part to her failing her senior year.

ENFPs are outgoing and warm, possessinga “zany charm” which can endear them to more stodgy types in spite of theirunconventionality.

I mean, could there be a more fitting description of Brittana’srelationship dynamic?

Though stodgy Santana manages to build walls to keep out virtuallyevery other human being on the face of the planet, she’s helpless to resistBrittany’s outgoing personality, warmth, and zany charms. Santana’s lowtolerance for social aberration, sentimentality, and even silliness flies outthe window when Brittany’s involved. Brittany gets her to embrace theunconventional and open herself like she never has before.  

ENFPs possess strong values andviewpoints, which those around them may find surprising. They attempt to gentlybut enthusiasticallypersuade others of the rightness of these views,using all of the social skills at their disposals.

First example of this trait in Brittany: Brittany’s earnest,enthusiastic attempts to persuade Kurt to adopt her anti-bullying platformduring his senior class presidency campaign in episode 3x02.

Note that Kurt finds both Brittany’s strategy and her enthusiasmfor the platform itself surprising. At first, he has no idea that there’s a“method to her madness.” He is truly taken aback when he realizes that not onlyis Brittany’s platform about more than just pink paper and glitter glue butalso that Brittany has a personal stake in the fight she wants him to join, asshe’s a member of the LGBTQ community herself.  

Second example of this trait in Brittany: Brittany’s earnest,enthusiastic attempts to reconcile Alma and Santana before the wedding in S6.

Brittany attempts to persuade Alma to reconsider her relationshipwith Santana at first through gentle insinuation and a soupçon of deception.Only after Alma rejects these initial (more passive) overtures does Brittanybreak out her hardline stance, making her fierce speech about generationalturnover in episode 06x06.

ENFPs make affectionate, demonstrative,and spontaneous mates who light up the lives of their partners. However, anENFP’s romantic partner must be willing to manage the practical and financialaspects of the relationship, accounting for the ENFP’s spontaneity, dreaminess,and wanderlust.

I think Santana would agree thatBrittany possesses all of the positive traits listed here.

Not only is Brittany physicallyaffectionate toward Santana (see all of their S1 touches on the back row of thechoir room), but she is also verbally affectionate, constantly praisingSantana’s “awesomeness” and reminding her of her exemplary qualities. Brittanydemonstrates her feelings for Santana in numerous ways, such as by giving hergifts (see episode 3x12) and making speeches to her and about her love for her(see episodes 2x18, 2x22, 5x12, and 6x06).

Brittany is constantly surprisingSantana in the best ways possible, by putting herself out there for the sake oftheir relationship and always knowing the right—if unexpected—thing to say(see, for example, the Heart Locker speech in episode 2x22 or what Brittanysays to Santana at the end of episode 4x13).

Santana herself tells us that Brittanyis the light of her life (see her marriage proposal in episode 6x03).

That said, Santana would probably also agree that at timesBrittany can lose sight of the minutiae of everyday life, such as when Brittany fails to graduate high school—and neglectsto mention her failure until it’s too late to do anything about it (see episode3x22).

Luckily, ESFJs like Santana are great with money and practicaldecisions. Santana’s strengths naturally balance out Brittany’s weaknesses. Thegirls complement each other nicely.

See, for example, in episode 5x13, when Brittany wants to move toLesbos with Santana to escape their social pressures and responsibilities.Santana reins Brittany in, convincing her to simply take a vacation rather thanto permanently abandon her whole life.

ENFPs can go from serious to silly in atrice. When they need to, they can get down to business. However, if given halfthe chance, they’ll gladly break out the hijinks and jokes.

Brittany can be serious when she needs to be, but she is also agrade-A, professional goofball who makes odd quips whenever she can. Shecan quickly switch between gravitas and jocularity—such as, for instance, inepisode 2x15, when she intersperses her very heartfelt entreaty to Santana toseek advice regarding their romantic relationship with pithy one-linersregarding breakfast foods.

ENFPs thrive on human connections,which can make them great friends. However, their willingness to uphold theirend of a relationship no matter what can also lead them to be victimized bypersons who would take advantage of them. They have difficulty being alone, andfor this reason they may opt to keep “bad company” rather than go with nocompany at all.

InS1 and early S2, Brittany submerges her own needs in order to placate Santana. Her desires take a backseat to Santana’s fears.Because she is so desperate to maintain a relationship with Santana (even ifthat relationship is not on her terms), sheis willing to play by Santana’s rules, however convoluted or unbearable theymay be. Only later in her development doesshe learn to advocate for herself, even if doing so isdifficult, such as during the Shirt Locker scene in episode 2x18.

ENFPs are empathetic and social. They believethat feelings (and the recognition and expression of feelings) is important. 

“With feelings, it’s better,” anyone?

Brittany understands long before Santana does that denying howthey feel for each other is detrimental not only to their relationship but tothem as individuals. She spends much of the Back Six of S2 encouraging Santanato first recognize and then embrace her feelings (see, for example, her promnight speech in episode 2x20).

ENFPs are highly devoted to the peopleto whom they commit their hearts.

While Brittany has a reputation for promiscuity—and by her ownadmission has made out with everyone at her school—she is emotionallymonogamous with Santana from start to finish on the show. When she tellsSantana “I’m yours, proudly so” in episode 2x15, that statement isn’tconditional or limited in its scope. Brittany means forever, which is something she proves by her willingness to waitfor Santana time and time again throughout the course of the series. While shewill occasionally date other people, like Artie and Sam, and even love these othe people in a way, it’s clear that herheart has only ever truly and fully belonged to one person. Santana is her first and lastchoice, always. Brittany says so herself in her infinity speech (see episode6x06).

Fun Fact: Some of the MBTI sites Ilooked at mentioned that ENFPs may be attracted to journalism, and that, inspite of their more whimsical qualities, ENFPs can also excel in mathematics.Sounds a bit like our favorite Muckraker contributor, FF2 host, andcertified math genius, no?

Anyway.

In general, ENFPsare known to be free-spirited “campaigners” who form deep emotional connectionswith the people closest to them. They are charming, intuitive, and full ofsurprises. As romantic partners, they are deeply, deeply devoted.Professionally, they are interested in everything—sometimes to the point ofdistraction. Though their practical skills may be lacking, they are good “bigpicture” thinkers able to see the grander view. They are often the life of theparty and can be found at the center of the dancefloor.

Brittany’sBrittanyisms, enthusiastic political activities, and loyalty to Santana are allhallmarks of her ENFPness, as are her nonnormative thinking and attraction toand participation in a wide variety of extracurricular activities (e.g.,cheerleading, glee club, dance, student newspaper, senior class presidency,quiz bowl, motocross racing, astronomy club, superhero club, etc.). Theacademic troubles she experiences during high school may link to a lack offocus and/or an inability to put into practice the theoretical concepts thatshe learns, which are classic ENFP foibles. Her series-long devotion to hertrue love Santana and her high emotional intelligence likewise mark her asENFP.  

Santana the ESFJ

First off, anacknowledgment:

Santana makes for atricky ESFJ because she not only tends to suppress many of her natural ESFJtraits—and particularly the more positive ones—but she also often straight updoes the opposite of what comes naturally to her. 

Baby Girl is a study incontradictions, a born sensitive sweetheart who so deeply fears beingvulnerable (and having her vulnerability used against her) that she forcesherself to become recalcitrant, combative, and mean. Early on in herdevelopment, she pretends not to care about anyone or anything for the veryreason that she actually cares so much,but she doesn’t want to get hurt. Instead of using her ESFJ micromanagement skillsto care for the people she loves, she weaponizes them, plotting out detailedplans in order to derail others’ romantic relationships, wreck team bonds, andgenerally make others miserable. Rather than forming loyal bonds with those shecares about, she often goes out of her way to prove that she doesn’t want or needanyone, even though she is actually desperately lonely inside.

Just on a surfacelevel, she might appear to be something she very much isn’t, seeming like adifferent MBTI type altogether—such as, for instance, an ESTJ. Only in lookingat what lies beneath with her (and how she comes to be in later seasons of theshow, when she starts to lean into her natural tendencies) do we see her trueESFJness at play.

So:

ESFJswear their hearts on their sleeves.

THIS!!!TRAIT!!! IS!!! SO!!! SANTANA!!!

AsI’ve written about elsewhere, Santana is ather core an extremely reactive person, which means that, by nature, she wears her heart on her sleeve. When she’s happy, she’s really, really happy and smilingher huge, gorgeous smile. When she’s sad, she’s really, really sad and weepingin the hallway because Rachel fucking Berry said she would grow up to be astripper and her heart is so deeply hurt.

One site I looked at mentioned that ESFJs can have explosive tempers and unload onothers when they are angry, which is certainly true of Santana, particularlyearly on. (See, for instances, all of the times when she lashes out at Rachel—to thepoint where she must be physically restrained by other members of the gleeclub—in S2, such as in episodes 2x07 and 2x22.)

Thoughearly on Santana pretends to be heartless and “too cool for school,” the truth isthat her emotions run both very strong and very close to the surface—andnowhere is this trait more readily apparent than in her relationship withBrittany.

For asmuch as Santana tries during S1 and early S2 to suppress and tamp down how shefeels around Brittany, she ultimately cannot help but light up when somethingto do with Brittany makes her happy or to appear crushed when something to dowith Brittany makes her sad. As she tells Brittany herself in episode 4x04, atthe very times when she was trying hardest to rein in her emotions, she wasactually counting the number of times that Brittany smiled at her and “dying”on days when she didn’t. For as unaffected as Santana attempts to be, the truthis that everything Brittany does—and really everything that happens in her lifein general—deeply affects her.

AfterSantana finally acknowledges this truth about herself (see her Hurt Lockerspeech in episode 2x15), she starts to give into her feelings more and more—notonly regarding Brittany but regarding everything in her life, including herlove for performance, her friendships with various glee club members, her hopesand dreams, etc. By the conclusion of the show in S6, she’s behaving in a waythat is much more natural to her, openly showing her emotions, crying at thedrop of a hat, smiling so widely her dimples show, being demonstrative in herlove for both friends and family, etc., etc.  

ESFJsvalue security and stability. They tend to preserve the status quo.

There’sa reason why Santana chooses to sing “Landslide” in her first real act ofself-expression on the show: “I’ve been afraid of changing” could be the mottoof her life.

BabyGirl fears the unknown. She’s constantly building things up in her head,worrying about what might happen, fretting about contingencies and unexpectedturns of events. Even in situations where the status quo isn’t ideal, Santanawould rather stick to her routines than to assume the risks inherent indeviating from them in order to forge new paths. She spends early S2 miserable,languishing as Brittany dates Artie and her and Brittany’s sexual/romanticrelationship is relegated to “side dish” status. However, she remains reluctantto seek a change, even after she reaches her lowest emotional point, becauseshe fears what could happen if she rocks the proverbial boat (“I’m angry because I have all of these feelings—feelings for you—that I’m afraid of dealing with, because I’m afraid of dealing with the consequences. And, Brittany, I can’t go to an Indigo Girls concert. I just can’t”). It takes Brittany pleading with her to consider a change to finally prompt her to take those first steps toward doing things a new way.

Theinteresting thing about Santana is that she spends most of her tenure on theshow outside of her comfort zone, lacking stability and being forced to changeand adapt in spite of herself. Sometimes she reacts poorly to the discomfortshe feels as she’s pushed from her norms—such as in S4 and early S5, when shecontinually flails as she lacks a clear career path, suffers through shakysocial relationships, is without the grounding influence of her and Brittany’sromantic relationship in her life, etc.—but she ultimately ends up poweringthrough, enduring these sea changes and coming out generally better for them onthe other side.

Ofcourse, just because Santana eventually learns to deal with uncertainty becauseshe has to doesn’t mean that she disvalues security and stability when she has them.Look no further than S6 to see just how much Santana thrives when she feels anchored. Having Brittany by her side andfeeling secure in their relationship does wonders for her confidence. Becauseshe knows she has an advocate in her corner, she can deal with other, moreminor stresses in her life with ease.    

ESFJsare excellent micromanagers who enjoy seeing to the care of those around them.As caretakers, they tend to be wary of dangers to their loved ones. Theirdistrust of the world causes them to be hypervigilant of potential hazards.

Onesalient example of this behavior: In episode 3x11, Santana sits Kurt down tostrategize about what to do about Warbler bully Sebastian Smythe, who hasrecently scratched Blaine’s cornea with rock salt. Santana then tapes a voicerecorder to her underboob, infiltrates Dalton, challenges Smythe to a rapbattle Michael Jackson sing-off, catches him admitting to maiming Blaine ontape, and uses this evidence to blackmail Smythe. Her actions go way beyondwhat Kurt is comfortable with and probably also way beyond what is reasonable—asting operation? underboob?—but, boy howdy, do they show what Santana’saffections look like in action. 

If you’re one of the select people she caresabout, she will insert herself into your life, push convoluted schemes, dressin a fedora, take a slushie to the face, and risk life and limb to make sureyour needs are met. For as much time and energy as she expends plotting todestroy her enemies in S1-S2, she will expend just as much or more time andenergy plotting to support her friends in S3-S6.

Particularlyearly on in her development, Santana often mentions her distrust of people (andthe world in general). She maintains a pessimistic attitude regarding people’sintentions and has a hard time believing that good things will come to her. Wesee her sometimes try to protect Brittany, who possesses a more optimisticworldview, from the nastiness she perceives around them (see, for example,episode 3x04). Only over time, and with encouragement from Brittany, does Santana learn to drop her guard a bit and give others a chance to prove themselves.    

ESFJsmake excellent team members. Situations where everyone benefits bring them joy.

Atfirst glance, the above statement may seem like it doesn’t hold true forSantana. After all, her relationship with the New Directions remains strainedat best all the way up until episode 6x06. And Santana happy when everyonebenefits? Sounds fake.

Here’sthe thing, though: While Santana does certainly make more than a couplemissteps as a member of the glee club team (e.g., spying on them for Sue,helping to leak their set lists, waging biological warfare against many of herteam members, breaking up various couples within the glee club, going on wildlyoffensive and demoralizing rants regarding her teammates, defecting from theNew Directions to start the Troubletones, etc., etc.), she tends to resort tothis negative behavior either because she is under duress from Sue or becauseshe’s acting on hurt feelings, lashing out because she perceives that the grouphas rejected her.

That’snot to justify her shitty behavior—just to say that she’s acting in response tostimuli. She’s not just pulling these stunts out of nowhere.

Thetruth is that when left to her own devices, without Sue commanding her tosabotage anyone and when she feels safe and secure to be herself without fearof rejection, Santana is actually a pretty standup teammate who takes great joyin the group’s achievements.

Gleeclub is the best part of her day, okay?

That’swhy when Sue poses her with an ultimatum, she chooses glee club over Cheerios(see episode 2x11). That’s why she goes out of her way to bring Kurt back toWMHS from Dalton (see episode 2x18). That’s why she neutralizes Karofsky’sthreat on Kurt’s behalf (see episode 2x20). That’s why she tries to get Quinnto rejoin glee club after she drops out at the start of S3 (see episode 3x01).That’s why she eventually rejoins the New Directions in time to prepare forNationals (see episode 3x08). That’s why she goes after Sebastian Warbler toavenge Blaine (see episode 3x11). That’s why time and time again, she gives herall to supporting her teammates, singing and dancing her heart out, and doingwhatever it takes to make sure that the New Directions come out on top. That’s whyshe returns so often even after she graduates to participate in interventionsand alumni events. That’s why she seldom looks happier than she does when she’ssurrounded by her glee club family, basking in a shared triumph, feeling like apart of the collective.

So,yeah, Santana can be a shitty teammate sometimes. But when given even half achance, she can also be an excellent teammate—the kind of person that everyonebe lucky to have in their corner (as Mercedes points out in episode 5x18).

ESFJscare about other people’s feelings and try not to offend or cause damage toanyone.

Atfirst glance, the above statements may also seem like they do not hold true forSantana. After all, this is a girl who seemingly delights in verballydestroying people and spouting off ultra-offensive rants, whose own soulmateopenly acknowledges her penchant for “vicious, vicious words.” Santana hasnever been shy about saying whatever pops into her head, no matter how uncouthor outright hurtful the thought may be, right? So what kind of ESFJ does thatmake her?

Well,here’s where the acknowledgment I made at the top of her section comes in: Thistrait is one that Santana actively works against in herself, particularly earlyon.

Mytheory has always been that Santana is a born sweetheart—that the kindhearted,bashful, soft soul she is around Brittany reflects who she really is inside andperhaps who she could have been at all times had her life experiences not promptedher to develop her “bitch persona.” Snixx is a façade, an act, and a means ofusing offense as defense to keep Santana (and Brittany) from being eaten alivein their unforgiving social environment. The insults Santana fires off, thebullying she engages in, and her whole aggressive “Lima Heights Adjacent” energy areall defense mechanisms, and practiced ones at that. They come about fromSantana, who is herself incredibly sensitive and easily wounded, knowing how tohit people where it really hurts so as to avoid herself being hit.

Makeno mistake: The consequences of Santana’s meanness are real, and I am not atall trying to absolve her of her cruelties.

However,what I am saying is that deep down, Santana doesn’t actually enjoy being mean.In fact, I’d care to wager that if she felt safe enough to drop her defenses,she’d prefer not to offend or cause relational damage. She’d like to be softer,if possible. Santana herself essentially admits that such is the case inepisode 3x08, when she tells her grandmother that pretending to be someoneshe’s not and constantly having “to fight all the time” exhausts her.

It’snotable that in later seasons, when Santana feels more comfortable beingherself and is more enmeshed with the group, she becomes noticeably kinder, andher rants become both less frequent and (for the most part) more toothless.

Of course,that’s not to say that she never flies off the handle in later seasons, asshe’ll still go for the jugular when provoked (such as when she verballyeviscerates Kurt after he disparages her and Brittany’s engagement in episode6x03), and she always maintains her hallmark snark even in situations whereshe’s relaxed. Old habits die hard, after all.

ESFJswhose attentions have been rejected tend to falter. They don’t fare well insituations where their caring attitudes and heartfelt reactions prove to be aliability.

Thetrait very much relates to two previous traits discussed.

Santanawants so much to give and receive love. She craves approval and acceptance. However,particularly early on, she seldom gets those things.

To befair, in the early seasons of the show, she certainly doesn’t do much to makeherself likeable to her glee club teammates, and she downplays and evenstraight up denies that she desires to be part of the group, to the point wherethey have every reason to consider her an outsider and even potential threat.

She sofears being rejected for reasons beyond her control that she opts to make herself unlikable for reasons she can control, so that when she is inevitably rejected, it will be on her terms (which, she subconsciously rationalizes, is somehow a more livable alternative).

Still.Even after she drops her façade and starts to openly show howmuch she cares about her teammates, they remain wary of her, not accepting thatshe is a changed person. Time and timeagain, the New Directions (both as a group and in individual instances) rejecther genuine and heartfelt gestures of love and friendship, misunderstanding theintentions behind them by expecting that her niceness comes with stringsattached or else is bait for some kind of trap. Whenever these occurrences takeplace, Santana is crushed.

Nowhereis this trait more apparent than during the Pezberry feud of S5. When Santanamoves into the Loft, she tries so hard to prove to Rachel that she has changedsince high school and goes out of her way to earn Rachel’s trust andfriendship. She offers Rachel a crying shoulder during her pregnancy scare; she takes action to extricate Rachel from her toxic relationship with Brody, resortingto the “micromanaging and getting overly involved in her friends’ lives”behavior described above; she bonds with Rachel over their personal andprofessional troubles as young twentysomethings trying to make it big in NewYork; she supports Rachel’s Broadway aspirations; she is there for Rachel after Finn’sdeath; she gets Rachel a job at the diner; she confides in Rachel about her fears anddreams; etc., etc., etc.

But Rachel never seems to fully accept Santana’s efforts atfriendship as genuine, as is proven in episode 5x09, when Rachel accuses Santanaof trying to steal her role in Funny Girlout from under her, failing to recognize that Santana is trying to emulate herrather than usurp her success.

Trueto ESFJ form, Santana is so deeply hurt by Rachel’s rejection of her friendshipthat she falls into a tailspin. Within a few weeks’ time, Santana’s retaliatorybehavior has resulted in Kurt and Dani kicking her out of their band, Dantana’s relationship deteriorating to the point of beingunsalvageable, and Santana sabotagingany and all chances that exist for reconciliation between herself and Rachel,the last of which occurs in episode 5x18, when, once again, Santana comes to Rachel’s aid, only to haveRachel second-guess her reasons for doing so (“Is that the kind of friend thatyou think that I am?”).

ThoughPezberry eventually (by S6) get back to a place where they can be civil to eachother, Santana never dares to attempt close/intimate friendship with Rachelagain. Her feelings have been too deeply hurt, and she durst not put herself ina position to get burned again.      

ESFJshave a tendency to become preoccupied with social status and influence, a traitwhich heavily influences their decision-making. They can become rigid and avoidcreativity and individual expression for fear of “rocking the boat.” ESFJs mayalso fixate on what is socially acceptable (and what is not). They are cautiousconcerning the rules and critical of anything or anyone that breaks from thenorm. ESFJs are often unwilling to experiment or step out of their individualcomfort zones. They fear of appearing—let alone being—different.

Thesetraits are more straightforwardly recognizable as “Santana,” particularly in S1and S2.

BabyGirl is obsessed with social statusand climbing the proverbial ladder of popularity. She calculates how every moveshe makes at WMHS will affect her image and refuses to take any action that shedeems too risky. She is all about accruing social capital, even at the expenseof others. Everything about her, from how she dresses to what she says to howshe interacts with her peers, is meant to keep her riding high as an HBIC.  

Shealso isn’t above pointing out how uncool others are to make herself look coolerby comparison.

ThroughoutS1 and early S2, she is constantly dragging others down in order to pullherself up. She is especially hard on anyone who deviates from social norms, whichis why she bullies Kurt for being gay and mocks Finn for dating tragically unhip Rachel.  

Soreluctant is she to jeopardize her status that she actively suppresses many ofher natural inclinations and hides her true interests—hence why though she’lladmit to her teammates that glee club is the best part of her day with onebreath, she’ll threaten with another to deny that she’s made such an admissionshould that information leak to anyone outside of the New Directions.

Ofcourse, Santana’s fear of making herself stand out or appear “different”greatly influences her early interactions with Brittany, as she remains trappedso far inside the iron closet in her mind that she can scarcely even admit toherself—let alone to anyone else, including Brittany—what her true feelingsreally are.

Eventually,thanks in large part to Brittany’s influence, Santana does largely overcome herfear of going against the grain, learning that it’s more important to be likedfor who she truly is than to be feared for who she pretends to be. Though shenever fully loses her edge, as the seasons wear on, she becomes increasinglytolerant of persons who deviate from social norms and increasingly comfortable withdeviating from social norms herself.

ESFJsmay find it challenging to change their tendencies toward rigidity andconformity because they are sensitive to what they perceive as attacks on theirconcepts of self. If someone close to them criticizes any aspect of theirself-identity (from their character to their beliefs to their habits), ESFJsoften become defensive. Their feelings are easily hurt.

Asstated above, Santana does eventually overcome some of her rigid and conformistbehaviors—but doing so is no easy task.

Santana’smost deep-seated fear is that she is unlovable, and any time someone criticizesor attacks an aspect of her intrinsic self-identity, she feels that her fearhas been justified. While she can “live with” people hating her for beingbitchy or looking down on her for being shallow (though even those slightshurt, in their own ways), she would rather die a thousand deaths than havesomeone reject her because of her true personality or due to her sexualorientation—and especially if that someone is a person who matters to her.

WhenSebastian Smythe snipes at her for being brassy (see episode 3x11), she candeal. But when Rachel Berry, who should be her friend, misjudges her character(see episode 5x09), she’s heartbroken.

Santanathen reacts to this heartbreak by going on the defensive, which is what we seefrom her in episode 5x12, when she calls Rachel out in front of the whole gleeclub, telling her she is a terrible person. That’s very much Santana’s woundedsense of self talking—which is not to justify her behavior but simply to say,once again, that, contrary to what Rachel and other characters on the showerroneously believe, Santana’s meanness doesn’t just come out of nowhere.

ESFJs thriveon appreciation and praise. Without it, they feel insecure and will fish forreassurances.

Ofcourse, the flipside to Santana being criticism-avoidant is that she is eagerfor praise.

Overthe seasons, she says numerous times that she lives for applause—but the truthis that her need for validation runs even deeper than what she lets on. It’snot just empty clapping from strangers that she’s after. She needs words ofaffirmation from people who matter to her, including genuine and heartfeltstatements that build her up and reassure her.

For asmuch bravada as she puts on, Santana is one insecure kid. As stated above, shesecretly fears that she is unlovable. Unfortunately, a lot of what shehears—from her peers, from her teachers, from the world—reinforces that beliefin her. She’s constantly being told that she, individually, is a bad person.She’s also constantly being told that she, as a member of the LGBTQ community,is generally bad and/or immoral. It’s little wonder that her self-esteem isn’tgreat, especially to start out with. Though she seldom lets on that such is thecase, she’s dying for someone to tell her that despite what everyone thinksshe’s actually a decent human being, worthy of love and capable of achievingthe dreams that matter to her.

Honestly,throughout the show, there are only two characters who really fulfill Santana’sneeds, in this regard.

Thefirst is, of course, Brittany, who is basically an endless fountain ofSantana-validation. She constantly reminds Santana to “embrace all theawesomeness that [she is]” and on many occasions enumerates Santana’s goodtraits to her. While others tell Santana how horrible she is at every possibleopportunity, Brittany is adamant that Santana is the best person she knows, whois capable of achieving anything she sets her mind to. That’s what Brittanytells Santana in a dark room at their junior prom (see episode 2x20). That’swhat she tells her as she sends her off to New York to chase her dreams (seeepisode 4x13). That’s what she tells her again when they reunite before jettingoff to Lesbos (see episode 5x13). It’s something that she says the night beforethey get engaged (see episode 6x03), and it’s undoubtedly something that she’llkeep saying again and again for the rest of their married lives.

Theonly other person on the show who offers Santana similar encouragements (thatshe doesn’t then later rescind or cover with disparagements) is Mercedes, whoparticularly in S5 goes hard on reminding Santana that she is not only atalented performer with a lot of potential but a great friend with manypositive qualities.  

ESFJslike to shower people with the attention and reassurance that they themselvescrave. However, they may go overboard in involving themselves in the lives oftheir friends and loved ones, taking actions that are ultimately unwelcome. Intending to the needs of others, ESFJs may forget to tend to their own needs.

Santanaisn’t just a cheerleader for the football team. She’s actually a huge supporterof her friends.

Admittedly,much of her “cheerleading” comes mixed in with a hefty helping of snark. Still,there’s no denying that the praise is in fact there. She sings to cheer Quinnup after her accident (see episode 3x17). She spends much of S4 and S5reassuring Kurt and especially Rachel of how talented and poised for successthey are. When Mercedes gets her record contract, she’s all over telling herhow deserving she is and how she’s destined to go far (see episode 5x18). And,oh yeah, remind me of her catchphrase when it comes to any and all thingsBrittany? That’s right: “You’re a genius.”

Hersupport for her friends and loved ones goes beyond mere words, though. She’salso—as discussed above—quick to offer direct action in order to keep herpeople safe and cared for. Sometimes what she does is welcome, such as when shesings “Valerie” to Brittany is episode 5x12 in order to remind her of hercreativity and love for dance. Other times, she takes things a step or fiftytoo far, such as when, after making several unsuccessful attempts to get Rachelto break up with the untrustworthy Brody, she goes behind Rachel’s back tosummon Finn to New York City for the purpose of kicking Brody’s ass (see episode 4x16). Santana,of course, views this action as “tough love” for Rachel—a necessary override,as it were. Rachel, naturally, sees things differently, at least initially, failing to appreciatethe intentions behind Santana’s meddling.

Learningto respect boundaries is another long process in Santana’s development. Part ofit involves becoming more mindful of what other people are comfortable with.Another part of it involves becoming more mindful of her own needs and notsacrificing her own well-being for the sake of others.

ThroughoutS4 and S5, Santana nearly kills herself trying to win Hummelberry’s approval.While both Kurt and Rachel are more than happy to have Santana rush to theirrescue when they’re in fixes, they’re also quick to kick her to the curb thesecond she steps out of line or does something to upset them (such as, for instance, in episode 4x16 after she confronts Brody at NYADA). In times ofconflict, they evict her from the Loft, form ranks against her, and eventriangulate with her girlfriend to disenfranchise her from the group. ThoughSantana certainly is no angel, she also certainly isn’t the coldhearted villainthey—and particularly Rachel—make her out to be, either. Hummelberry constantlydangling their friendship and love over her head does a number on her heart.They’re like Lucy, their acceptance is the football, and Santana is CharlieBrown, winding up to take the kick again and again and again, despiteexperiencing the same result every single time. By the time the Pezberry feudfinally comes to a head between episodes 5x09 and 5x12, Santana is an emotionalmess who doesn’t know which end is up anymore.

Ittakes resident Santana Lopez-ologist Brittany to undo the damage thatHummelberry have done to Santana’s self-esteem and to encourage Santana to justwalk away from the whole enmeshed situation because it’s detrimental to her(see episode 5x13). Santana very much takes her words to heart, deciding thenand there that while she can be civil to Hummelberry, particularly from afar,she’ll no longer keep giving them her heart to stomp on. She’ll maintain heremotional distance, keeping their “friendship” at a surface level withouttrying to achieve any sort of real social intimacy. She’ll also tend to her ownemotional needs before she tries to tend to the emotional needs of others sothat she doesn’t get burnt out again.

ESFJsmake for loyal, trustworthy romantic partners who view romantic relationshipsas sacred. They require partners whoare likewise both devoted and supportive, who provide them with senses ofsecurity and stability. No other kind of relationship is as important to anESFJ as a loving, committed, romantic bond.

Backwhen Santana is still in the habit of dating boys, infidelity is her hallmark,as she frequently cheats on her male partners and will swap one boy out foranother on a whim so long as doing so suits her social purposes. She and Puck arenowhere near monogamous. Finn is a pit stop for her, at best. She cheats on Samwith Brittany and then starts dating Karofsky before she and Sam even properlybreak up. Ask any of her ex-boyfriends if they would consider her either “trustworthy”or “loyal,” and they’d probably laugh right in your face.

Butnot so with Brittany. Though Santana does break up with Brittany in S4, have aone-night stand with Quinn shortly thereafter, and eventually date DaniWaitress for a time during S5, Santana remains emotionally monogamous with Brittanythroughout the duration of the show, and at times when she and Brittany aredating she is entirely faithful to her. Though in early seasons of the show,Santana and Brittany cheat on other partners with each other, once they becomea committed couple they never cheat on each other with anyone else—a rare featfor a Glee couple.

In fact, the second that Santana realizes that she is even mildly attracted to another girl while dating Brittany, she immediately breaks up with Brittany, for fear that her attraction could potentially lead to unfaithfulness (see episode 4x04).

Still,Santana’s loyalty and trustworthiness as a romantic partner for Brittany runseven deeper than just emotional monogamy and fidelity. She’s also loyal andtrustworthy in the sense that Brittany can rely on her as a stalwart support—assomeone who’ll be there for her no matter what.

ThatSantana views her and Brittany’s relationship as sacred is clear from both herwords and her deeds. She frequently describes Brittany’s goodness and theedifying effect that Brittany’s love has on her life (see, for example, herspeech about Brittany to Rory in episode 3x04 or her proposal in episode 6x03).She also treats Brittany with tenderness and appreciation, being kind to, patient with, and compassionate towards her in a way she is to no one else. 

Asdiscussed above, Brittany is the biggest source of support and stability inSantana’s life. Santana falters at times when they’re apart and thrives attimes when they’re together. Just watch the choir room scene in episode 5x13 orthe bedroom scene in episode 6x03, and you can see how much Santana physicallyrelaxes in Brittany’s presence. It’s clear that Santana never feels safer thanshe does in Brittany’s arms. It’s also clear that as long as Santana hasBrittany by her side, she’ll be okay, no matter what obstacles and challengescome her way.

ESFJsmate for life, with a strong desire for marriage and family.

Earlyon, before she is at a place in her life where she can believe that her dreamswill come true, Santana talks a big game about not needing anyone and muses thatshe’ll marry an NFL player someday, not for love but for “reliability.” Butonce Santana realizes that Brittany reciprocates her love and that theyactually stand a chance to be together for the long run, she gives in to hertrue romantic nature and starts seeing things in terms of always and forever.

Itmeans so much to Santana when she and Brittany can finally be married—you canjust see it written all over her face, in that big, effulgent smile she wearson their wedding day (see episode 6x08). Her eyes actually sparkle. Brittany is her dream girl,her North Star, her family, and she is so happy to take Brittany as her wife.It’s something she’s wanted since long before she ever allowed herself to fullyprocess the desire. It’s her perfect happy ending, an absolute dream come true.

FunFact: Some of the MBTI type sites I visited mentioned that ESFJs make greatcheerleaders and can be talented stage performers. Sounds like a certain formerCheerios captain and frequent high school musical show-stealer we know of, no?

ESFJsare known as the “consul” type, meaning that they are comfortable in leadershippositions, possess excellent planning skills, and highly value loyalty. Theyoften take on the concerns of others as if they were their own. They don’t shyaway from sharing their evaluations—especially regarding the behavior ofothers—with the world. However, while they can dish criticisms out, theysometimes can’t take them, particularly if those criticisms challenge theirsenses of self. ESFJs are not only deeply emotional but also highly expressiveof their emotions. Everyone knows what they feel and how. Socialization plays a big role in their lives, and they canfrequently be found filling “host” positions at gatherings, organizing thepeople around them.  

WhileSantana does (particularly initially) suppress and act against some of hernatural ESFJ tendencies, the truth is that she fits the type pretty well. She’sa born planner and schemer who is heavy into social politics and big on lookingafter the people she cares about, and she thrives on validation, especiallyfrom those she is closest to. She never hesitates to give her opinion on thepeople around her, whether she’s snarking about their wardrobe choices or,later on, extolling their positive qualities to boost their self-esteems.Though her feelings are easily hurt and she can sometimes be a conformist, sheis also capable of being an awesome friend, both supportive and protective ofthe people who matter to her. Her leadership skills are apparent when shecaptains the Cheerios. Her care for others is likewise apparent in the ways shetries to help her friends, especially in S4 and S5, as well as in her andBrittany’s relationship.  

Ididn’t spend a lot of time looking into it, but a cursory glance around the ol’interwebs would suggest that ENFPs and ESFJs tend to complement each other wellin romantic relationships, possessing a good balance of commonalities anddifferences.

Anyhow,I’ve gone on long enough now.

Thanksfor the question!  

[themostrandomfandom]

Glee 5x17 'Opening Night' on the fridge is a post card which reads “Lovenija”. Add an “S” to the beginning & it’s Slovenija, formerly part of Yugoslavia where Naya’s paternal grandmother came from. It’s visible on large screen TV’s not so on laptops via YouTube. I’m convinced that the art/set depts put it there as a sneaky way to tell us that after leaving Lesbos, Brittana explored Europe before leaving for Hawaii. Britt sent to Kurt. Explains Brittana's 10 month mystery vacation. Thoughts?

Hey, @geodesage!

I’d buy it.

The Glee set and props department was consistently on-point, even if the rest of the production was a tire fire. We get so little information about what Brittana were up to during those ten months—TEN MONTHS!!!—why not say that after Lesbos, they went on a grand European tour, including a stop in Slovenija, before dipping over to Hawaii?

It would make for a great fic.

Nice catch, btw!

[themostrandomfandom]

Hi! I found your blog the TKTD, and that fic and your theories have highkey gotten me back into glee :D your content is so interesting, thank you so much! I haven't read all of your analyses yet, so I may have missed something, but I'm still wondering a couple things 1. why did Brittany fail senior year? You've written a lot about her not being dumb (despite her intelligence being non-normative), and we know she's able to do at least very advanced math. It seems like her primary goal would be...

To move to the next stage of life with Santana, so why wasn’t avoiding failing out a bigger priority for her? Furthermore, as someone who was so involved with extracurriculars (Cheerios, glee), she must’ve needed to maintain reasonable grades to avoid academic suspension. So avoiding failing seems like something that would be on her radar? and 2. do you think brittany dropped the ‘if sex were dating santana and i would be dating’ line on purpose?

Hey, @savealtonrichards​​!

Sorry it’staken me so long to answer you! I don’t have much internet access these days.:p

If you’re infor a good ramble, it’s under the cut.

(WARNING:Here be griping about Glee writing—as one does.)

___

First thingsfirst:

Theout-of-universe stuff.

Glee is a show that’s difficult to categorize because while it ostensibly takes place withina realistic fictional universe (as opposed to say a fantasy or science fictionone), there are times when it noticeably deviates from reality.

Though thecharacters seemingly live in suburban Ohio in the early 2010s and areregular human beings living “regular lives,” there are certain aspects of theirexistences that absolutely strain credulity (even when one actively tries tosuspend disbelief).

Some ofthese breaches are obvious, like when Lord Tubbington is shown as being capableof using a computer. However, others manifest more as gaps in logic—the typesof minor “glitches” in believability that cause the viewing audience to go,“Wait a minute. That’s not how that plot development would play out in reallife.”

One exampleof this second type of breach is how between S4 and S6, the young charactersliving in New York, most of whom are supposedly tight on money, arenevertheless able to jet set back and forth to Lima seemingly every otherweekend, as if plane and train tickets are free and travel takes no time orenergy at all. Another is that Sue Sylvester could do all of the illegal,immoral, and just flat-out batshit insane things she does without ever being firedor prosecuted. Still another is that nineteen and twenty year-old kids likeBlaine, Finn, and Sam could be hired to coaching positions at their respectivehigh school alma maters, even though none of them holds a college degree orteaching certificate.

The breachin realism that is pertinent to our discussion has to do with Brittany’sacademic history—which as depicted in show canon is replete with gaps and holesand just doesn’t make much sense.

In episode1x07, we are told that for years Sue has been doctoring the grades of herCheerios, including perhaps Brittany’s. However, even after Will puts his footdown and flunks many of their teammates, the Unholy Trinity, including Brittany,continues to attend Cheerios practice. They are the only Cheerios who do.

How theyalone of the whole squad retain their academic eligibility is not clear.Santana may not be taking Spanish, as she’s not shown in the class. However,Quinn and Brittany most definitely are, so either they must be passing (whiletheir teammates are not) or else Will must have decided against giving them thefailing grades they would otherwise deserve, perhaps because he doesn’t want torender them ineligible for glee club.

WillSchuester is nothing if not a hypocrite, so honestly I wouldn’t put it past himto walk that particular low road.

In any case,the show never really clarifies to what extent Brittany may rely on Sue tomaintain a passing GPA.

ThroughoutS1, Brittany is reported to cheat off of Becky’s schoolwork in math class (seeepisode 1x09) and is shown attempting to cheat off of Quinn’s tests in Spanishclass (see episode 1x07), incidents which suggest that she does at timesstruggle with academic performance during her sophomore year. 

However, herstruggles are not explored in depth, and her continued eligibility for theCheerios would indicate that either she somehow manages to make passing grades,struggles notwithstanding, or else that interference from Sue renders herstruggles moot.  

Kurt alsoreports that Finn sometimes cheats off of Brittany’s math assignments (seeepisode 1x10). We don’t know if this cheating represents an isolatedincident or a pattern of behavior. However, if it’s the second option, then given that Finn maintains his academiceligibility for football even after having cheated off Brittany’s work, andconsidering that, unlike with Brittany, Sue is unlikely to have doctored Finn’sgrades, we can perhaps surmise that Brittany at least occasionally managesto earn passing grades on her own.

Even if Sueis pulling strings to keep Brittany on the field, come S2, the situationchanges, as in episode 2x11 Brittany quits Cheerios, at which point whatever“help” Sue had been giving her is almost certainly rescinded.

Shortlythereafter, in episode 2x13, Brittany remarks that hergrades are bad (“Totally. Most teachers think that by cutting class, I mightimprove my grades”), perhaps suggesting a drop-off due to a cessation in Sue’shelp. 

Even so, it would still seem that Brittany isn’t altogether failing, asshe apparently passes the eleventh grade and commences thetwelfth grade with the rest of her class.

The shownever specifies to what extent Brittany and the other glee kids must maintaintheir grades in order to stay in show choir. On the one hand, glee club is notan athletic program, so the rules for eligibility may be different than withcheerleading or football. On the other hand, glee club is seemingly anextracurricular activity in which students may “letter,” and it does have itsown governing board and competition requirements, so perhaps its eligibilityrequirements are similar or even identical to those for prep sports. To whatextent there may be “house rules” specific to WMHS as opposed to district orstatewide rules for all competitive show choirs remains unclear.

My guess isthat there’s got to be some kind of statewide threshold for eligibility,particularly as we’re told, per Jesse St. James, that the Carmel High kids in VocalAdrenaline cheat and doctor their grades in order to maximize their practicetime and minimize their schoolwork.

Whatever thespecific requirements may be, the fact that Brittany remains eligible toparticipate in glee club throughout her junior year is another point that maysuggest that even without Sue’s interference Brittany maintains a passing GPA. ThatBrittany is eligible to rejoin the Cheerios come her senior year also suggeststhat her eligibility remains intact as she finishes out the eleventh grade.

However,things seem to take a sudden downshift from there, both in terms of Brittany’sprospects and in terms of narrative sense-making.  

Come S3, we arefinally told that Brittany has a 0.0 GPA, though it’s never specified if that’sher semester, yearlong, or cumulative GPA. My guess is that it’s the secondoption, given that Brittany is told she must repeat the twelfth grade (asopposed to just making up a few credits during summer school or repeating multiplegrades).

That said,the situation surrounding her failure remains murky.

Prior to S3,Brittany has seemingly maintained a passing GPA, as is evidenced by heraforementioned progress through her freshman, sophomore, and junior years ofhigh school and her continued academic eligibility to participate in Cheeriosand glee club.

However, theshow never reveals how she has come by this passing GPA.

Our threemain options for explaining this phenomenon seem to be:

We can infer that Sue hasmanipulated Brittany’s grades in order to keep her academically eligible forvarsity sports.

We can infer that Brittanyhas achieved passing grades through her own efforts.

We can infer that perhaps somecombination of the above two options has taken place (i.e., that Sue hasmanipulated some of her grades, while others she earned through her ownefforts).

On the onehand, the show heavily implies that Brittany is a very poor student who wouldprobably be incapable of passing her classes if not for Sue manipulating thesystem on her behalf. On the other hand, given that Brittany maintains academiceligibility for Cheerios even when Will flunks many of her teammates in hersophomore year AND that she spends a significant portion of her junior year offthe Cheerios and still manages to pass, it would seem that Brittany is able tomake grades even during the times when Sue isn’t propping her up.

The questionsthen become: If Brittany can pass the eleventh grade “on her own,” then whydoes she fail the twelfth grade? Furthermore, how come Brittany is allowed toremain on the Cheerios and in glee club even once her grades start slipping?Why does her failure only come to light after it is essentially too late forher (or anyone else) to do anything about the problem? How come Sue, who hasnever had any qualms about manipulating her cheerleaders’ grades in the past,seemingly “allows” Brittany to fail her senior year? How come not a singleteacher or counselor at WMHS makes any efforts to help Brittany, even thoughshe is obviously struggling?

After all, Brittany’s 0.0 GPA seems to be a reflection of a chronic problem.

The firsttime we hear about said failing GPA is in episode 3x19, which is the sameepisode that features the WMHS senior prom.

For mostAmerican public high schools, prom takes place anywhere between March and June,which means that somehow Brittany is allowed to fail for at least one or two fullsemesters (or, more likely, given that many Midwestern American public schoolstend to run on the quarter system, two or even three full quarters) before Figgins tells her what’s up.

The school thenseemingly takes no action—at least as we see play out on screen—to helpBrittany course-correct for the final semester or two quarters of her senioryear.

She’s notput on academic monitoring or probation. She’s not assigned a tutor. MissPillsbury doesn’t set up any meetings with her to discuss her options or determineher future. No one writes her an IEP. She just crashes and burns until the endof the year, at which point she fails to graduate.

It strainscredulity that in today’s day and age Brittany could flunk out as “quietly” asshe did, without anyone—including her parents, coaches, guidance counselor,and/or girlfriend—realizing she was in trouble at any point along the way.

Where werethe midterm progress reports? The report cards? The summonses to MissPillsbury’s office? The failed tests that required the signature of her parent orguardian? Santana glimpsing an F on her Spanish essay and ripping Mr. Schue agoddamn new one because who is he to tell Brittany she isn’t conjugating verbsright when he can’t tell his own ass from an ñ?

Shouldn’tsomeone somewhere along the way have noticed something was wrong while therewas still time enough left to do something about it—and particularlyconsidering that Brittany is not only a student but a student athlete?

Per the OhioHigh School Athletic Association, a student must earn “passing grades in aminimum of five one-credit courses, or the equivalent, in the immediatelypreceding grading period” of athletic competition in order to be eligible toparticipate in a varsity sport, so in theory, after she fails that first term,Brittany shouldn’t be able to compete as part of the Cheerios squad at all, letalone be one of the senior leaders.

For therecord, the real life school districts in Lima, OH require a minimum GPAbetween 2.5 and 3.0 for student athletes.

One has towonder: Where is Sue in all this? How come she doesn’t intervene once she seesthat first bad report card?

After all,Sue has no qualms concerning academic dishonesty. By her own admission, she’s meddledwith her cheerleaders’ grades for years. Why shouldn’t she simply meddle in this case, too? Wouldn’tit be in her best interest to keep Brittany eligible to compete?

Come S4, Sueherself blames a “haze of pregnancy hormones” for preventing her from noticingBrittany’s S3 academic nosedive (see episode 4x02). Another contributory factor to her negligence may be her vicious congressionalcampaign against Reggie Salazar and Burt Hummel.

However,that Sue would allow Brittany to fail still presents a narrative problem, nomatter what her excuses for doing so may be, because the fact remains that academiceligibility is an issue that extends beyond her sole purview.

OnceBrittany fails the first academic quarter of the 2011-2012 schoolyear, shebecomes ineligible to compete in interscholastic competitions. The issue is outof Sue’s hands and into those of the Ohio High School Athletic Association.Some state official somewhere has the responsibility to mark her fileand bar her from any further participation in state cheer events.

—and yetthat never happens.

Somehow,Brittany remains a cheerleader (and member of the glee club) for the duration of the schoolyear, despite not passing a single class.

It’s one ofthose lapses in believability—those “Wait a minute. That’s not how thatdevelopment would happen in real life” instances—that takes Glee out of the realmof passingly realistic fiction and into the realm of exaggeration and camp.

There’s noway that Brittany could fail an entire year of school without facing anyacademic consequences—that’s just not the way that the American school systemworks, particularly when it comes to athletic eligibility.

How comeFiggins only notes Brittany’s failures in springtime? What is going on during the fall and winter?

For the record, episode 3x19 originally aired on May 8th, 2012. Within the universe of the show, the action of the episode may take place on the same date or at least a proximal one.

By allaccounts, someone somewhere along the way should notice what’s going on—if nota faculty member at Brittany’s own school, then some official on an athleticeligibility committee, or a college cheerleading coach scouting Brittany for anNCAA scholarship, or an auditor working for the superintendent, or a rivalcheerleading coach digging for dirt on Sue Sylvester’s stars.

Someone!

But no onedoes.

I mean,that’s what the show purports. 

Figgins knows enough to inform Brittany thatshe’s failing, but he doesn’t do anything to help the situation except to lectureher for neglecting her duties as the senior class president and badger her intoplanning the prom. 

Will and Emma, too focused on rescuing Puck from a similarfate, seemingly remain either oblivious to or unconcerned about Brittany’sacademic woes until she’s on the verge of failing her SECOND consecutive senioryear in S4. 

And Santana? She’s blindsided. Somehow, even though she andBrittany take classes together and meet up during every passing block and spendall of their spare time in each other’s company outside of school, she has noidea that Brittany is in academic jeopardy—not until Brittany springs the newson her at BreadStix just before what should be their joint graduation.

Not untilit’s too late.

That’s canonas TPTB at Glee wrote it.

It makes nogoddamn sense, but it’s what we’re stuck with.

So.

Onto thesecond order of business, then:

Thein-universe stuff.

Returning toyour original questions: Why does Brittany fail her senior year—from asituational and character perspective? How come she doesn’t work harder not tofail?

Though earlyon, Glee at times tried to play Brittany off as an accidental or even dubiousgenius—such as in the scene in episode 4x22 where she’s first shown solvingcomplex equations for the researchers at MIT—they later fully committed to herprodigy, acknowledging it as the real deal.

By episode5x12, Baby Girl is shown as being capable of tackling the Riemann Hypothesis.Her work at MIT is serious. By S6, she’s doing complex math for fun, albeitwith kitty doodles drawn in the margins. The Brittany of episodes 6x03, 6x06,and 6x08 is able to slip in facts and impressive logical arguments alongsideher usual Brittanyisms and one-liners. Her intelligence is no longer subject todebate.

So what’sthe deal with her flunking out of high school? How can someone capable ofprocessing the most complicated calculus there is fail at high school algebra?

Here’s thething: While Brittany is indeed a certified math genius, there’s not always aneat one-to-one correlation between “raw intelligence” and “academicsuccess.”

Lots offolks who are plenty bright—including many who have impressive naturalaptitudes in certain areas—fail in traditional classroom settings, even inclasses that by all accounts they “should be good at.”

Some havebehavioral tendencies that are incompatible with the classroom culture. Others findthe course materials boring, either because they already know the materialbeing taught or else because the material is being taught in a way that isn’tconducive to their learning style. Still others learn at a different pace thanwhat the curriculum may allow for, working either faster or slower. Many simplytest poorly or have trouble focusing. Organizational issues, language barriers,home circumstances (which may interfere with one’s ability to complete homeworkor come to class rested and ready to learn), individual teacher-studentdynamics, problems with bullying at school, health or disability factors, etc.,etc. may also affect one’s ability to “make grades.”

Many of thesmartest people there are have failed in formalized academic settings. Conversely,many people of average or even below average aptitudes have found ways tosucceed in the classroom. Other factors such as one’s work ethic, connection toteachers and mentors, support networks, accommodations, etc. can also impacteducational success.

In Brittany’scase, there are myriad reasons why, despite her certified genius, she fails herclasses.

For onething, WMHS is a substandard learning environment, just to start out with.

Theatmosphere there is toxic. Bullying runs rampant, with the staff either whollyapathetic toward, powerless to intervene in, or even sometimes party to theperpetuation thereof. 

The administration routinely mismanages its resources,spending an inordinate amount of money to support the cheerleading and footballprograms, though lacking certain other necessities—such as a functional specialeducation department, adequate handicap accommodations, and up-to-datetextbooks.

They also hire teachers who are both underqualified (such as Will,who teaches Spanish for years despite not actually speaking the language) andfrequently abusive (such as Sue, who should literally be serving jail time forthe way she treats the student body). 

Multiple times, it’s stated that theirstudents test at below average reading levels. 

While only a small percentage ofwhat Sue says should ever be believed, her claims that she doctors the gradesof her Cheerios to maintain their academic eligibility to participate in avarsity sport are seemingly accurate, as Will and Principal Figgins aver that such is this case. 

Not a single permanentteacher, principal, or guidance counselor at the school, with perhaps theexception of Coach Beiste, appears competent to do their job.

The hijinks ofvarious staff members and students regularly interfere with the learning day.

Rememberthat old post about JennaB. Lacey, the Hogwarts student who just wants to get a proper education but isconstantly prevented from doing so because she has the misfortune of being inthe same year as one Harry Potter, whose adventures and misadventures areconstantly interrupting her lessons and preempting her exams? Just replace “Harry Potter” with “Rachel Berry” or “SueSylvester,” and you’re basically describing the life of your average WMHSstudent.

Though wedon’t spend a lot of time following the New Directions kids through theirregular classes, the few glimpses that we do get suggest that much of thecurriculum they are subjected to is either outdated or else straight upobjectively incorrect.

While theepisode plays the situation for laughs, Holly Holliday’s points about the sexeducation at WMHS being painfully inadequate aren’t at all off the mark. Mrs.Hagberg seems to experience episodes of dementia while teaching (and is aself-admitted painkiller addict). She frequently forgets her spatiotemporallocation and has on occasion been known to teach that the Nazis won WWII. Will speaksSpanglish and buys into racist stereotypes about Latinos. Sue promulgatesconspiracy theories and unsubstantiated revisionist history, purposefullyspreading misinformation as if she were the White House Press Secretary.

Later on, inS6, it’s shown that a complete overhaul is necessary to update the school’stechnology and curriculum in order for the students to start performing up tostandards on their state tests.

—and there’sBrittany, who learns differently than most people do, stuck in the middle ofall of this chaos.

Honestly,it’s a wonder that any of the kids at WMHS achieve any kind of mainstreamacademic success. That Quinn gets into Yale and Tina into Brown is kind of ascholastic miracle, all things considered.

So she’s upagainst a lot of impediments as barriers to her learning just as a baseline.

Then add inher individual difficulties on top of the other stuff.

Brittany’sis a unique mind. It is unclear to what extent book-learning and traditionaleducation work for her. She has a tendency to metaphorize concepts, suggestingthat she is an abstract thinker. Her flair for malapropisms also intimates thather mind is organized in “webs,” with various like-words grouped together byloose strings of associations. Though she is mathematically intelligent, she isalso emotionally intelligent and physically intelligent, as well.

Early on,her genius seems highly intuitive, as she is able to pull numbers out of theair, though she is not always equally able to explain how or by what means she hasdone so. In time, her methods seem to become more examined and deliberate, withtheory underlining what was once a more reflexive capability.

She isperhaps something of an autodidact, able, for instance, to teach herselfSpanish, though she apparently doesn’t fare well in the class in high school.

Though fewpeople on the show, save Santana, realize as much, she frequently runs abouttwo or three steps ahead of everyone else in terms of her conversations andsocial maneuvers. Her zany quips and seemingly innocent demeanor throw peopleoff, to the point where they don’t pick up on just how wily and keen she canbe.

On the onehand, this phenomenon affords her some social leeway—because, after all, she’sjust “Brittany being Brittany.” On the other hand, it sometimes results inthose who fail to understand her talking down to her, infantilizing her, andblowing her off. 

Frequently, both Brittany and the people who engage with herwalk away from their interactions frustrated, Brittany because she’s beencondescended to, her conversation partners because they find herincomprehensible and off-putting. 

So. 

Considerthat many of her teachers—including Will—seem to be confused by the way shetalks and find her irksome to deal with and so tend to be dismissive of herduring classroom discussions.

Because herintelligence is non-normative, a teacher talking about A subject can get her thinkingoff on a tangent about B subject, C subject, and D subject, and pretty soonshe’ll be blurting out a question or comment about Z subject, which from herteacher’s perspective does not relate to the discussion topic at hand and mayeven derail the lesson, distracting the other students. The teacher then eitherreacts to Brittany’s question or comment with annoyance, shutting her down(such as Ms. Hagberg does in episode 3x02); or reacts with bafflement, ignoring her andglossing over what she’s said (such as Will does in episode 1x10). Either way, Brittanydoesn’t get her questions answered or her comments responded to in aconstructive manner, which means that, invariably, she doesn’t get what sheneeds to out of class.

By the timewe first meet her as a sophomore, Brittany’s reputation as a nuisance and“numbskull” precedes her.

Her teachersmake no effort to hide their low opinions of her intelligence.

In episode2x04, everyone ribs Puck for crashing his mom’s car into an ATM and gettingarrested. Brittany joins in the fun, remarking, “He may be the dumbest personon this planet—and that’s coming from me.” Though the moment is generallyjocular, the fact that Brittany’s teacher Will says nothing to defend her toherself speaks volumes. The incident is also not an isolated one, as later inthe season, in episode 2x17, Will directly questions Brittany’s intelligence toher face (“I get the three of you being on [the Brainiacs], but Brittany?”).

Tack on allthe instances when he responds to Brittany’s comments during rehearsals (andeven her later “cries for help” during S4) with bafflement at best and disdainat worst, plus the way he clearly talks down to her as if she were a youngchild rather than a teenager, and there’s no question that he thinks she’s adolt.

And he’s notthe only member of the WMHS faculty who feels that way, either.

SueSylvester is likewise a serial offender when it comes to calling Brittany dumband infantilizing her. Ditto for Hagberg and Figgins. Though we don’t get tosee Brittany interacting with many other members of the staff aside fromSheldon Beiste, Holly Holliday, and Shelby Corcoran—the last two of whom areonly at the school briefly—it stands to reason that there are other teacherswho share the same negative attitude toward her that the featured teachers do.  

At onepoint, Brittany even says that her teachers have told her that her grades mightactually improve if she were to slough her classes.

Brittany’s“stupidity” is widely viewed as a given.

Time andtime again, the show depicts people taking her intelligence for granted andassuming the worst of her capabilities. Such attitudes undoubtedly influencethe way that her teachers approach educating her. If a smart kid like Quinn orArtie isn’t grasping a concept, then teachers will try changing their pedagogyup, teaching the lesson in a different, more effective way. The same is trueeven for an average student like Mercedes. If she’s struggling, a teacher’simpulse will be to show her patience because there’s a good chance thateventually (with some hard work and extra credit) she’ll get it. But not so with Brittany, whom most teachers seem to viewas an idiot. Why slow down a class for her? Why assign different readings? Whytutor her after school? Their assumption is that she is a lost cause.

Sue potentiallydoctoring her grades—and those of the other Cheerios—also exacerbates theproblem.

Thoseteachers who are aware of Sue’s meddling, and especially the ones who have beenbullied by her into being complicit, may feel a lessened sense of obligation toreally teach Brittany or attempt to accurately evaluate her learning because,after all, no matter how Brittany performs, she’s going to be handed a passinggrade in their classes anyway.

Conversely,those teachers who remain unaware of Sue’s meddling may believe that givingBrittany a failing grade will result in meaningful academic consequences forher, which will then lead to her getting the help and attention she needsvis-à-vis the systems that are in place to prevent kids from “falling throughthe cracks.”

Of course,because Sue changes Brittany’s grades after the fact, Brittany never receivesany such help.

The systemsdon’t attend to her. Nothing in her file gets flagged. No one pulls her aside.She just gets passed along from year to year and class to class without anyoneever really taking an interest in her learning.

Either way,she’s left ill-equipped to succeed in high school.

On top ofeverything else, Brittany may also have an undiagnosed learning disability,such as ADHD or ASD. Though of course the show never states that she does havea disability (undiagnosed or not), some neurodivergent fans see in Brittany a kindred spirit whose experiences inthe public school system resemble their own.

It’sdefinitely possible that she could benefit from some accommodations.

But as faras we know, they’re never offered to her—not only because, as we learn from Sueregarding Becky Jackson, WMHS doesn’t offer special education classes, but alsobecause everyone thinks that she’s just “Brittany being Brittany,” and she’s a hopelesscase from the get-go.

So howeversmart Brittany may naturally be, she’s got alot stacked against her at WMHS, including antagonistic teachers, theabysmally low expectations people set for her, Sue’s interference with hergrades (and then the sudden cessation of that interference), her non-normativelearning strategies, and other possible factors.

Add in thatduring her senior year, she’s also dealing with some extra pressures outside ofthe classroom, and what we have is a recipe for a disaster.

Note: Ofcourse, the show deprives us of hearing Brittany talk about the aftermath ofSantana’s outing, suspension, and disowning in her own words, but HeatherMorris’s nonverbal cues show that Brittany’s upset during this period is hardfelt. It’s a stressful time in Brittany’s life, and even after the initialwounds have healed somewhat, Brittany still devotes much of mental andemotional energy to trying to ameliorate the situation, to keep Santana in agood place, to help her smile, and carry on. That’s not to say that Brittana’srelationship or Brittany’s efforts to make Santana happy cause Brittany to failher classes. It’s just to say that Brittany’s senior year is one in which shehas a lot on her mind beyond the regular cares of just being a teenager.

Thesituation as it is, it’s perhaps unsurprising that she should struggle.

However, thequestion still remains: Why doesn’t she ask for help?

No one, includingher parents, teachers, or girlfriend, seems to notice she’s academicallydrowning until it’s too late. But just because they don’t notice on their owndoesn’t mean that Brittany can’t alert them to the situation, right? So whydoesn’t she turn to Mr. Schue and say, “I need some extra help on my historyhomework,” or confide in her parents that she’s just bombed another Englishexam, or ask Santana if they can perhaps study for chemistry class together?Wouldn’t it be in her best interest to do so? Shouldn’t she want to graduate sothat she can get on with her life (and follow Santana)? Why not just reach outto someone?

Easier saidthan done.

Brittany hasspent her whole life being disparaged for “not being smart enough.” Is shereally going to admit she’s struggling to many of the same people who are activelycontributing to her struggles?

Sure,ostensibly, Mr. Schue is her teacher, and he’s supposedly an advocate for her.But can she really turn to someone who has routinely made her feel like anidiot and confess to him that she’s not understanding her classes—andespecially when she’s fully aware that, even if she were to ask him for help,he is probably not the best person to offer it, considering that he’s not actuallya qualified teacher?

The samegoes for Sue, who habitually preys upon Brittany’s vulnerabilities and has beenknown to blackmail students whenever she has any sort of leverage over them.Brittany would have to be an even bigger fool than the one people take her forin order to ask a favor of a megalomaniac of Sue’s caliber.

If Brittanywere to turn to her, the best case scenario would be that she would once againresort to doctoring Brittany’s report card—which is not necessarily an outcomethat Brittany wants. The worst case scenario would be that she would find someway to make Brittany’s life hell for having even approached her.

Brittany has to wonder: Is there any good that could come of prompting Sue totake action if she hasn’t already done so (unprompted) yet?

Not evenEmma is a safe bet, considering that she seems completely oblivious toBrittany’s plight, even though it is literally her job to be on top of it.

She doesn’t pushWill to include Brittany in his Saturday Night Fever competition alongsideFinn, Mercedes, and Santana (see episode 3x16). She isn’t present to participatein the “come to Jesus” meeting Figgins calls Brittany in for before the prom (seeepisode 3x19). Nowhere along the line does she show any concern for Brittany’sGPA, even though she has access to Brittany’s records and presumably has aprofessional imperative to counsel with her concerning her future.

If she can’tbe assed to take an interest in Brittany’s academic struggles even though she’sbeing paid to do so, then Brittany’s not going to beg her to get involved.

Her inactionhas already sent the message loud and clear: Brittany is on her own.

As for whyBrittany doesn’t turn to her parents or Santana for help, things arecomplicated on that side, too.

Since wedon’t know much about Brittany’s relationship with her parents aside from thelittle we see of it in S6, it’s difficult to say why she doesn’t approach themfor help. Maybe she fears disappointing them. Maybe she feels that they won’tunderstand why she’s failing. (They might assume she’s being lazy or goofingoff rather than facing legitimate roadblocks to her learning.) Possibly,they’re dealing with some kind of crisis of their own at the same time thatBrittany realizes that she’s failing, so she doesn’t want to “bother them” withwhat she’s going through. Perhaps she does approach them but they either can’t or won’t helpher.

There’s alsothe possibility that Brittany is reluctant to involve her parents in her issuesbecause she fears the consequences if they find out that Sue has been doctoringher grades for years. How can she explain to them why she’s gone from having apassing (and perhaps even impressive) GPA in years past to having a failing(and even abominable) GPA this year? She’d have to admit that Sue’s been fudgingher report cards to preserve her academic eligibility—and doing so might resultin her parents asking her questions that she doesn’t want to answer.

Either shewould have to say that she had gone along with Sue’s meddling (even though sheknew what Sue was doing was wrong) OR she would have to admit that Sue hasbasically been abusing and blackmailing her and the other Cheerios, making herscared to come forward about the academic dishonesty. The first option oversimplifiesthe situation. The second option is the truth but one that’s probably difficultfor her to cop to.

In any case,for whatever reason, Brittany either doesn’t bring her problems to her parents’attention or she does but they can’t (or won’t) help her.

WithSantana, things are different.

Brittanyknows that if she approaches Santana with her problem, Santana will not onlycare but also understand all of the extenuating circumstances. Santana knowsabout the Sue stuff. She also sees how teachers and other staff members tend toreact to Brittany. She’s fully aware of the injustice. She’s also fully awarethat Brittany’s genius is misunderstood—that Brittany is smart, though her smarts don’t necessarily translate to hertopping the Honor Roll every semester. Santana has the full view of thesituation, and there’s no question that she’d be sympathetic to Brittany’sissues and do everything in her power to get Brittany help, if Brittany justsaid the word.

The troubleis that Brittany doesn’t want to say the word—not when Santana has been dealingwith her own troubles, which, on the whole, from Brittany’s perspective, seem so much bigger and moreagonizing than Brittany’s own.

Brittanycan’t bring herself to interject, “Um, excuse me, Santana, but can we take a break fromdealing with you being outed the entire state of Ohio, suspended from school,disowned by your grandmother, and homophobically bullied so that we can talkabout my algebra test?;” not when she knows that if she points out that she isfailing, Santana will pump the brakes on her own plans and ambitions in orderto stand by her side.

She doesn’twant to hold Santana back when Santana is on her way out of their stifling, gay-bashingtown, onto bigger and better things. She doesn’t want to drag Santana herpersonal turmoil, not when Santana is just finally getting clear from theturmoil in her own.

—andespecially not when Brittany views her own failure as inevitable.

Yeah, shecould tell Santana, and, yeah, Santana would try to move heaven and earth tohelp her. But in the end, there’d be nothing Santana could do. Brittany wouldstill fail, not due to any lagging efforts on Santana’s part, but becauseBrittany has never been able to succeed in school no matter how hard she tried,because the whole system is rigged against her and always has been. No matterhow much effort Brittany expends to show people she’s got a fine brain in herhead—by winning a quiz bowl championship, writing for the school newspaper,becoming class president, dishing out wise advice, etc.—no one except for Santanahas ever been willing to give her a chance. They always see her as an imbecileor a child. Even Santana can’t change the status quo. So why drag her into it?

InBrittany’s view, it’s better for her to help Santana pursue her dreams outsideof Lima than to do anything that might cause her to turn back or slow down.

ThoughBrittany often projects confidence, the truth is that just like the other twomembers of the Unholy Trinity, she has some serious and deep-seated self-esteemissues. After so many years of people calling her an idiot and treating herlike a child, part of her wonders if they aren’t perhaps right (see her speech in episode 4x22). 

While shedoesn’t want to believe what the haters are saying, she also can’t help butfeel that maybe she is destined for Lima Loserdom. If so, then the last thingshe wants to do is drag Santana down with her—hence why she doesn’t mention herfailure to graduate until she’s sure that Santana leaving town and going toLouisville is already a done deal.

Is refusingto seek help from anyone a wise choice on Brittany’s part? No.

But havingdifficulty asking for help is a character flaw she comes by naturally. That agirl who’s been told “no” her whole life would be scared to ask anyone to takea chance on her and say “yes” makes sense. The behavior pattern is a consistentone that she displays throughout the show, such as, for example, in S4, whenshe stages not one but two separate public meltdowns in situations where sheneeds help but doesn’t know how to ask for it (see episodes 4x02 and 4x22).

Note: Thefact that Brittany actually brings herself to ask Santana if they can seekadult help regarding their relationship troubles in episode 2x15 shows just howmuch the issue means to her. Normally, Brittany would never suggest seekingoutside counsel, but in that case she wants so badly to set things to rightsbetween her and Santana that she petitions Santana to approach Holly Holliday.Her love for Santana outweighs her fear of making herself vulnerable.

Brittanydoes want to graduate high school. She does want to be with Santana andcontinue their relationship. She wants to escape Lima. She wants to prove thenaysayers wrong. She wants to start a new life somewhere where she’s notnegatively stereotyped and looked down on by everyone. She wants to livehappily ever after with the woman she loves. She wants all of these thingsdesperately, more than anyone really knows.

But she alsodoesn’t know how to get what she wants.

She feelsboxed in and like her situation is hopeless.

So she justtailspins until she crashes.

—and thetruly tragic thing is that nobody notices what’s happening with her until it’stoo late, either because they remain oblivious (like Santana) or because theyare apathetic (like Brittany’s teachers, coaches, and guidance counselors).

Per usual,Glee tried to play the situation for laughs, but there’s really nothing allthat funny about Brittany’s academic failures at all.

Like manystudent athletes, Brittany is a kid whose physical abilities have been valuedover her learning. As long as she’s helping the Cheerios to winchampionships—and make no mistake, like Quinn and Santana, Brittany is one ofSue’s superstars, whose dance and choreography talents are one of the main advantagesthat make the squad elite—then nobody cares if she struggles in her classes.It’s all about what she can do for the school and not what the school can dofor her.

Of course,in Brittany’s case, there’s even an added element of administrative apathy atplay beyond the usual “Just pass the girl so she’s competition eligible” bit.

Because ofthe way she thinks and acts, her teachers assume that she incapable of and/ordisinterested in learning. They allow their annoyance and exasperation with herto supersede whatever obligation they might feel to provide her with a realeducation.

The sad reality is that no one’s going to go out of theirway to teach a girl that they consider a) a nuisance to have in class; b)incapable of learning; and c) someone for whom grades don’t really matteranyhow, given that she’s one of the moving parts in Sue Sylvester’schampionship cheerleading machine.

So that’show Brittany makes it through grades nine, ten, and eleven: By being passedfrom hand to hand, with the faculty and administration turning a blind eye towhat’s happening because, ultimately, no one really cares about her educationanyway.

But thenBrittany enters grade twelve, and for whatever reason this system suddenlyfalls apart. Though she has previously made passing grades—some of themostensibly without Sue’s “help”—the coursework in her senior year gets thebetter of her.

Maybe thetwelfth grade material proves substantially more difficult than the eleventhgrade material. Maybe years of inadequate learning finally catch up to her. (Ifone never masters the basics of a given subject, then one can’t very wellnavigate more advanced material, after all.) Maybe the stress in her family andsocial life so distracts her from her schoolwork that she is no longer able to juggle it all, and she ends up dropping the academic ball. Maybe herteachers finally have enough of her antics and decide to grade her punitively. Maybea confluence of issues affects her.

Whatever thecase, she fails.

That no onein the WMHS administration takes an interest in her case is a tragedy. Thatshe doesn’t feel safe enough to ask any of her teachers or coaches for help isutterly heartbreaking. Particularly when we compare her story to Puck’s, thenumerous ways in which the system has failed her become painfully apparent.

No childshould flunk out of school because her teachers find her annoying.

—andespecially not when she is willing to learn, if only given the chance.

Throughouther time at WMHS, we frequently see Brittany taking notes in her classes andvolunteering answers during lectures, incorrect though some of those answerscertainly are. She isn’t a girl who sleeps through her schooldays or cutsclasses or goofs off. She’s trying her best. And as the way she really comesinto her own after she leaves WMHS proves, she isvery much capable of learning, albeit at her own pace and in her own way.

Imagine howvery different Brittany’s story could have been if even one teacher had realizedher potential—or had even just given her a chance of any kind. 

Not onlywould it perhaps have been possible for her to graduate with the rest of herclass, but her genius could have been recognized sooner. The entire course of her life could have been changed for the better.

As thingsare, Brittany eventually succeeds inspite of her experiences in the education system, not because of them.

Hers remainsa sobering story.

Anyway.

Then, toanswer your second question:

No, I don’tthink Brittany drops the “—if it were, Santana and I would be dating” line onpurpose. I honestly think it’s a slip on her part.

Here’s thething:

ThoughBrittana don’t get a lot of foreground development during S1, they do have asubtle subtextual, “in the background” storyline that centers on the tension between howSantana thinks they need to be versus how they really are.

Whilethey’re both truly happiest when they’re monogamous with each other, Santanacontinually insists that they maintain publicly visible sexual relationshipswith popular boys at the same time that they’re sleeping with each other—youknow, to project at least the illusion of “straightness.”

However,despite her interest in appearing “heterosexual,” Santana is never able to keepup her sexual relationships with boys for long. Puck inevitably cheats on her.Finn inevitably turns back to Rachel. She invariably ends up back in amonogamous sexual relationship with Brittany, who is more than happy with thearrangement, given that she and Santana are actually in love. The cycle repeatsitself ad nauseum, until eventually, between episodes 1x10 and 1x13, Santanaand Brittany fall into a prolonged period of exclusivity with eachother.

During thistime, they’re sleeping together, plus doing all of their regular “best friend”things—you know, like sharing meals and going out to movies and sittingtogether in the back of the class and writing each other cute notes andcuddling and linking pinkies and generally being, you know, GIRLFRIENDS—whichis why Brittany feels confused about the status of their relationship.

Santana hastold over and over again that just because you’re having sex with someonedoesn’t mean you’re also dating them.

But she andSantana aren’t just having sex. They’re also doing all sorts of relationship-ystuff. Plus, you know, they’re in love with each other.

So doesn’tthat mean that they’re dating?

That’s thequestion that’s in Brittany’s mind going into the infamous party line scene inepisode 1x13.

To quoteextensively from thispost:

During S1,Santana feels secure in her arrangements with Brittany as long as she maintainsa sexual relationship with Puck and he brags about it around school. As long aseveryone knows that Santana has sex with a hot boy and “likes it,” then Santanafeels safe to also have sex with Brittany, per her own druthers. Even afterSantana and Puck officially break up circa episode 1x03, things are cool becausethey still keep having sex and Puck keeps broadcasting the fact that they do totheir peers.

But then circa episode 1x10, somethingshifts.

Though Puck and Santana continue to haveintermittent sex, Puck ceases to boast of their encounters starting around episode1x10, when he begins to woo Quinn in earnest, trying to prove his worthiness asa father and partner to her.

When Puck ceases to brag, Santana getsnervous and feels as if he has rejected her. Is she doing something wrong?Doesn’t he like it anymore? Does he know her secret?

In episode 1x11, Santana sexts Puck in adesperate attempt to rekindle his interest in her, but her efforts don’t panout. Pucktana likely stop sleeping together between episodes 1x11 and 1x13,and, when they do, it likely causes Santana to fear immensely for herreputation.

Ironically, though the thing Santana mostfears in losing Puck as her beard is that people will find out the truth abouther relationship with Brittany, Santana can’t help but run to Brittany when shefeels Puck’s attentions waning. She panics her way right into Brittany’s bed,seeking the approval, affection, acceptance, and validation there that shedoesn’t get from Puck. In so doing, she probably reveals some emotionalvulnerability or even neediness to Brittany.

Considering that Brittany is in love withher, it’s hard for Brittany not to read significance into her actions and thinkthat they signal something big.

Hint: They do.

Brittany starts thinking more and moreabout what’s going on between her and Santana. Since Santana isn’t dating Puckanymore, maybe Santana could date Brittany instead.

It’s because Brittany has the idea ofdating Santana in her mind—and heart—that she blurts it out to the group in1x13.

“Sex isn’t dating.”

“—if it were, Santana and I would bedating.”

It’s Brittany voicing what’s in her heartbefore she can really stop herself.

That she has no premeditated intention ofouting herself and Santana is clear from the look on her face the second thewords leave her mouth and she realizes what she’s just said. She spoke what wasmeant to be a private thought aloud, and she’s scared to death about what theconsequences might be now that she has. She immediately glances to Santana,gauging her reaction, wondering how badly she’s just fucked up theirrelationship. Though the conversation quickly moves on from that point, herheartbeat most likely doesn’t resume a normal pace for minutes afterward.

Anyway, I’ve jabbered for a good, ol’long while now.

Thanks for the questions!

[themostrandomfandom]

#Glee10

Hey, @allnewtpir!

I’m not Hip with the Hashtags™, so I’m not quite sure what this one is in reference to. I know that May 19th, 2019 will be the ten-year anniversary of Glee’s series premiere. Maybe that?

Sorry I’m not following here.

[themostrandomfandom]

Can you recommend any really good brittana fics (preferably on Ao3) i miss my gals?

Hey, @wayhaughtsbrittana!

It’s been a spell since I’ve had time to read fic, so I can’t really offer much in the way of current recs. 

That said, my fic tag is filled with some really great stories if you’re interested in “the classics.” I’m not sure how many of them are on Ao3, but you might be able to find a couple.

Note that many of the authors whose work appears in said tag have since retired from the fandom. Please respect their privacy as you enjoy their archived work.

If anyone has some more recent recs—preferably on Ao3—could you put ‘em in the replies or send Eka a message? Please and thank you!

Thanks for the question. <3

[themostrandomfandom]

Hi JJ, I was just wondering. We hear alooooot about Brittany’s sexual relationship and it got me thinking. How do you think their sexual activities and the way they interact with each other change over the series?

Hey, @darthmanius!

So I’ve discussed this topic at length here, if you’re interested.

More discussion after the cut.

DISCLAIMER: Here be talk about sex. Read at your own discretion.

______

The basic gist of the post I linked above is that I tend to believe (despite the overfondness that the Glee writers have for the term “scissoring”) that Brittana’s sexual relationship has been fairly affectionate from the start—hence why they often refer to their sexual encounters with each other as “sweet lady kisses.” 

Canonically, we know the girls sometimes enjoy tender postcoital make-out sessions (see episode 2x04). We also know that they occasionally hang out afterwards and even engage in sensual postcoital touches, such as helping to fix each other’s hair (see episode 2x15). 

This desire to keep each other’s company around sex and to share sensual touches before and after contrasts strongly with the sexual behavior we see Santana in particular exhibit elsewhere, such as during her disastrous liaison with Finn (see episode 1x15), when she can hardly stand to be near him once the deed is done. It also speaks to the fact that there is an element of tenderness and genuine care and affection that exists in Brittana’s sexual relationship that is not present in Santana’s sexual relationships with boys. On Brittany’s end of things, whereas her earliest sexual encounter with Artie is transactional in nature—i.e., all about her securing him as her duet partner—her early sexual encounters with Santana are clearly rooted in deep affection and are something she seeks after because she feels a genuine attachment to Santana and not for any other reason (see episode 2x04).  

While of course we never see Brittana actually “in the act” on the show—even to the degree that other ships like Finchel and Klaine are shown “having sex” on screen (such as in episode 3x05)—we can nevertheless gather from context clues that kissing plays a big part in both their foreplay and their actual love-making. We can also infer that the same kinds of caresses that they share in the choir room (such as stoking each other’s skin, playing in each other’s hair, giving each other massages, etc.) likely play a role in their bedroom interactions, as well.

Of course, that’s not to say that Brittana don’t ever engage in more vigorous or kinky sex (or that they never actually scissor)—just that there’s a reason why Brittany knows that Santana is in love with her long before Santana will cop to the fact that she is.

Santana’s saying with words that she’s not in love with Brittany, but her body is telling the opposite story—and for as physically intelligent as Brittany is, Brittany knows what’s what.

In my mind, then, the main way in which Brittana’s sex life changes over time is not so much in the kinds of sexual activities they participate in but rather in how they emotionally disclose to and communicate with each other.   

Early on, Santana tries to minimize eye contact when she and Brittany are together. She likewise disallows talking while they’re “in the act.” With very limited success, she attempts to pretend that all she’s doing with Brittany is satisfying a physical urge in the absence of a suitable male sexual partner. She downplays the significance of what she and Brittany are doing. 

But during S2, she slowly starts to change her tune. As Brittany dates Artie, Santana realizes how profoundly she misses their connection, and she gradually admits, first to herself and then to Brittany, not only that she wants them to be together but also that what she feels for Brittany is love. 

Though we don’t ever see Brittana having sex on the show, one can imagine that the emotional revelations Santana experiences surrounding the Hurt, Shirt, and Heart Locker scenes affect the way that she and Brittany interact sexually. 

One would imagine that starting in the latter half of S2, Santana begins to relinquish some of her old “guards,” acknowledging their love-making for what it is and allowing both eye contact and affectionate pillow talk to become a part of their sexual encounters. One can also imagine that she starts to allow Brittany more freedom of expression and latitude to assert herself in the bedroom during this time, as well.

Different fans have different ideas about how the specifics of Brittana’s sex life may change during S2-S6. Some imagine Santana becoming open to types of intimacy that she may have avoided in the past (such as oral sex or sexual roleplaying). Others imagine that the girls top-bottom dynamic reverses.

In most instances I’ve seen in fanfiction, people tend to imagine that before the Hurt Locker, Santana tops, but afterwards either Brittany does or the girls switch.

Honestly, since we never get any direct on-screen evidence, headcanon reigns here.

As stated above, I tend to believe that since physical touch has always been Brittana’s primary love language and has from the start been something tender and affectionate between them, they only become more adept at communicating their love for each other through sex the more time they spend together and the more open they become with each other about their feelings.

To me, the best evidence of what they’re like in bed together can be seen in episode 6x03 when they’re in Brittany’s room discussing the mashup: They’re talking and touching and taking such care to make each other feel good. Though the scene takes place with their clothes on, it very much suggests what things might be like between them while they’re in the act of making love. It’s easy to see how the love they express verbally would translate on a physical level.

Thanks for the question!    

[themostrandomfandom]

Hey! Love the blog! I’m new to the fandom and I’ve fallen completely in love with Brittany! I was wondering how you think Brittany and Santana’s emotional intimacy changed throughout the show? And especially while Santana struggles with her sexuality

Hey, @darthmanius​!

Welcome to the fandom! I’m glad you like my blog. Sorry if it’s taken me a while to get back to you—I haven’t been online in a while.

In regards to your questions, I think one of the primary ways that Brittana’s emotional intimacy changes over the course of the show is in terms of how they communicate about their feelings.

More under the cut.

_______

In Brittanaland, “With feelings, it’s better” has long been a watchcry, but also potentially a misleading one if taken literally, because, honestly, with Brittana, the feelings have never been lacking.

The real issue? Acknowledging feelings for what they are. Communicating straightforwardly about how one feels. Not obfuscating or sidestepping. Just being honest. 

This issue lies at the heart of Brittana’s journey from emotional distance to peak emotional intimacy. As the girls learn how to disclose to each other about how they feel—and essentially to “call a spade a spade” when it comes to what their relationship means—they’re able to move from confusion, heartache, and unnecessary angst to connection, certainty, and emotional openness like never before. This evolution as a couple tracks closely with Santana learning to embrace her sexual identity and with Brittany learning to advocate for herself and stand up for what matters to her.   

We see this process start early on, when Brittana presents something of an “emotional intimacy paradox,” insofar as the girls are simultaneously both incredibly emotionally intimate in some ways and incredibly emotionally closed off from each other in others.

On the one hand, they are best friends of the closest kind:

They confide in each other.

See, for example, in 2x12, when, after maintaining her “bitch” front in the face of everyone else, Santana finally breaks down in the hallway with only Brittany present, revealing the depths of her upset.

They are attentive to each other’s feelings.

See, for example, in 2x02, when Santana sticks up for Brittany when she catches flack for not wanting to perform Britney Spears like the rest of the glee club.

They support each other’s successes.

See, for example, in 2x09, when they are excited about each other’s respective dancing and singing solos at Sectionals.

They make use of an extensive lexicon of intimate touches through which they communicate with each other (e.g., pinky-linking, back rubs, playing with each other’s hair, sweet lady kisses, etc.).

See all of S1, while they’re sitting on the back row.

They understand each other’s quirks, tics, and personality traits like no one else does.

See, for example, in 2x19, Brittany’s defense of Santana during the Blurt Locker scene.

We don’t get to witness a lot of their “alone time” together play out on screen, but anyone with eyes can tell that they are extremely close to each other—more so than they are with anyone else on the show. They talk to each other more than they do other characters. They act differently toward each other than toward other company. They demonstrate all sorts of care for each other in myriad different ways. Both of them are more “themselves” in each other’s presence than they are otherwise. 

Of course, on the other hand, they also have a giant emotional wedge between them which impedes their emotional intimacy—namely, Santana’s unwillingness to acknowledge the true nature of their relationship and/or their respective sexual orientations (or to allow Brittany to do so).

For all intents and purposes, Brittana are in a romantic relationship with each other throughout the entire history of the show, and yet in the early seasons, Santana refuses to either acknowledge or to permit Brittany to acknowledge said relationship as romantic. She’s so terrified of anyone knowing the truth about her sexuality that she tries in every possible way to bury it. 

Even though she and Brittany are sleeping together, hanging out all the time, and doing quintessentially coupley things, they aren’t (according to her) girlfriends; they are “best friends.” 

Even though they have a passionate, regular sexual relationship—that is even seemingly monogamous between episodes 1x16 and 2x06—what they’re doing isn’t (according to her) serious; it’s just a recreational time-kill in the absence of boys. 

Per Santana, sex isn’t dating, and cuddling in the choir room isn’t a big deal. What she feels for Brittany is only best friendly affection, not passionate love. She rationalizes and downplays and represses EVERYTHING, insisting that Brittany do so, as well, freaking out and retreating any time Brittany even gets close to suggesting that their relationship is at all romantic.

—and because Brittany fears that if she freaks Santana out, she’ll lose her, she goes along with Santana’s charades, as ridiculous and unconvicing as they sometimes are. If Santana says that sex isn’t dating, then sex isn’t dating. If Santana says that they have to get with boys, then they have to get with boys. Brittany, at this point, is a passive entity. Her m.o. is to go along to get along and not do anything that would possibly cause Santana to spook.

She keeps her mouth shut, even though she knows in her heart that what Santana’s selling her is bullshit.

In Santana repressing and in Brittany humoring her, Brittana experience complications with their emotional intimacy, including (among other issues):

While they are both skilled readers of each other’s cues, they often can’t discuss what they see going on with each other. They have to pretend that they don’t know why the other girl is upset or conflicted or angry or sad or confused—or at least they have to tiptoe around the subject very carefully, being cautious not to mention their feelings for each other or sexual orientations in the process. 

For example, in episode 2x12, Brittany knows very well that Santana’s upset about Valentine’s Day has a lot to do with her gay panicking and fear that she is going to be alone for the rest of her life. However, because of Santana’s moratorium on talking about feelings and the topic of their sexual orientations, Brittany can’t very well say to Santana, “Don’t worry. You won’t end up alone! One day, you’ll be with a girl you love—and I hope that that girl is me.” Instead, she can only look on with concern while Santana flails, offering physical comfort but no address to the underlying problem.

Santana’s repeated verbal devaluation of her and Brittany’s relationship  conflicts with the physical cues she sends Brittany, which causes Brittany a kind of emotional whiplash. On the one hand, what Santana says can be downight cruel (“I’m not making out with you because I’m in love with you and want to sing about making lady babies. I’m only here because Puck’s been in the slammer for about 12 hours now, and I’m like a lizard. I need something warm beneath me or I can’t digest my food”), but, on the other hand, what she does, from the back rubs to the kisses to the lovemaking, is so sweet and attentive. Between the two extremes, Brittany doesn’t know where she stands or to what extent she is allowed to make known her own feelings.

Hence Brittany’s occasional “flubs,” where she wears her heart on her sleeve and tells Santana how she feels, believing, based on Santana’s recent behavior, that her expressions of affection will be reciprocated, only to have Santana suddenly shoot her down (e.g., in 2x04).    

The girls perpetuate a dizzying cycle in which every time Santana allows hereself to be emotionally vulnerable with Brittany—in some way revealing how much she needs, wants, and loves her—she then panics and emotionally retreats, attempting to date boys (and encouraging Brittany to do the same) in order to reassert their “heterosexuality.” This behavior causes both girls heartache and confusion, as every step forward they might take—for instance, their long period of monogamy between episodes 1x16 and 2x06—is then immediately wiped out by the proverbial two steps back—for instance, Santana roping them into a double-date with Puck and Artie, which eventually segues into her (once again) sleeping with Puck and Brittany (for the first time) sleeping with Artie.

In this sense, the girls are also very emotionally closed-off from each other, insofar as they can’t acknowledge their feelings for each other in any other way than on a physical level. They don’t talk about their romantic relationship in terms of it being a romantic relationship. They don’t talk about what the sex means, even though sex for them is incredibly meaningful. They deliberately mischaracterize their interactions as “platonically friendly” and attempt to hide the fact that they are each other’s primary partners, even though such is clearly the case.

The walls Santana builds up as a self-protective measure create emotional dissonance between them, which eventually results in Brittany deciding to take her at her word—i.e., that they’re not dating, despite all evidences to the contrary—and pursue a relationship with someone else instead, namely Artie Abrams.

From her relationship with Artie, Brittany learns the importance of being at liberty to discuss one’s feelings with one’s partner (“But when Artie and I are together we talk about stuff like feelings”). She also experiences the joys of having a formalized relationship. Artie, despite not fully understanding Brittany and oftentimes underestimating her intelligence, is generally an attentive and positive partner. Brittany’s time with him tends to be happy.

However, for as much as she flourishes in her relationship with Artie, she also finds herself unwilling to completely break off her relationship with Santana, with whom she is still deeply in love. Unlike Artie, Santana does fully understand her, and the feelings between them run so deep and so strong. 

This unwillingness on her part to forsake her relationship with Santana eventually leads to cheating between her and Santana while she’s still dating Artie, and the cheating eventually leads to the implosion of the Bartie relationship.

In the meantime, Santana’s experience with suddenly being Brittany’s “side dish” as opposed to her primary partner proves to Santana something that for years she has attempted to deny: that she is deeply in love with Brittany, craves intimacy with her, and can’t stand to be without her.

So cue first the Hurt Locker scene and then the Back Six of S2, where Santana finally allows herself to name her love for Brittany aloud and to acknowledge to Brittany that she wants them to be together, and, shortly afterward, Brittany suddenly becomes “available” again.

From there, Brittana’s is not an all-at-once transformation, where the girls go from being emotionally impeded to emotionally intimate in every way, but rather a step here and a step there over the course of the Back Six, with Santana learning (with much help from Brittany) to “embrace all the awesomeness” that she is and accept her own sexuality, becoming increasingly emotionally transparent in the process, and with Brittany learning to assert herself and be her own person, refusing to swallow her own feelings to preserve Santana’s ego. 

At the same time that Santana is gathering the courage to put on her  “LEBANESE” shirt and wear it proudly (see 2x18), Brittany is gathering the courage to stand up to the next person who calls her an idiot (see 2x19) and to tell Santana that she deserves to be treated well in their relationship and have her feelings acknowledged (see 2x18). It is a period of individual growth for both girls, and that individual growth paves the way for them to come into themselves as a couple. 

They suffer a few setbacks along the way—such as when Santana stands Brittany up on Fondue for Two (see episode 2x19)—but, gradually, by the end of S2, they reach a place where they can be honest with each other about what their actions toward each other mean and how they feel about each other and their relationship (see the Heart Locker scene in episode 2x22).

This progress continues into S3, when they officially start dating and take the first steps toward negotiating their emotional intimacy in public. Here, we see Brittany being wonderfully mindful of Santana’s comfort levels in terms of their coming out process as a couple (see episode 3x04) and Santana opening herself to Brittany in ways she never has before.

Santana becomes willing to cop to her feelings for Brittany not only when they are alone together but also before others, even in Brittany’s absence, and even to hostile audiences, like Principal Figgins or her abuela.

Unfortunately, Brittana—and especially Brittany—don’t get a lot of dialogue as the season progresses, but it’s still easy enough to see that they’re closer than they’ve ever been before. 

Hence why it so strains credulity when the Glee writers make it so that, somehow, Santana has no idea that Brittany’s not going to graduate, though that’s a rant for another day.

Of course, if we were charting Brittana’s emotional intimacy on a line chart, the “up curve” they’d experienced between S1 and S3 would take a sudden downturn come S4, when their breakup—precipitated by distance—suddenly reintroduces uncertainty into their dynamic, the likes of which they haven’t experienced since before Santana could bring herself to say the words “I love you.” 

Again, as before, the problem isn’t in the feelings. 

It’s in the inability to express them.

As discussed here, Santana and Brittany are still very much—truly, madly, deeply—in love when they break up, but because the entire object of said breakup (as Santana conceives of it) is to permit them both the freedom to pursue other happinesses while they can’t for the moment be together, they have to try to move on from each other, which means giving up the trappings of their former formal relationship. If they’re going to do the “find your bliss elsewhere” thing, then they have to do it right, and that means that they can’t function like a couple. There have got to be some boundaries.

The difficulty comes in deciding where those boundaries lie and then somehow enforcing them.

Throughout their entire “broken up” period between S4 and early S5, neither one of them is certain how to interact with the other now that they’re uncoupled. They still crave each other’s company (see, for example, 4x06 and 4x13), but they’re not sure how much they can do or say or even where to draw the line when it comes to physical touch. How much disclosure is too much? At what point are they crossing a line? 

Santana, in particular, is so afraid of getting her wires crossed that she finds it difficult to maintain regular contact with Brittany, especially once Brittany starts dating Sam.

Remember: Even in the primordial days of S1, when the girls were still pretending that they were “just” best friends, there was always a romantic element to their relationship. They’ve never known how to maintain a strictly platonic dynamic. 

This uncertainty creates some notable awkwardness during S4. Though at various points, the girls vow to each other that they’ll always be best friends and remain close, even when they’re dating other people (see, for example, in 4x06 and 4x13), their communication—at least as far as we’re shown it in canon—appears both sporadic and far less open than it once was. They’re careful around each other in a way they haven’t been since S2.

It takes Brittany’s misery at MIT and Santana’s misery in New York to reopen their channels of communication (see episodes 5x12 and 5x13). Because their concern for each other’s well-being is always paramount even when they’re not officially “together,” when each one learns how unhappy the other one is in her current living situation, they each attempt to counsel and support each other, despite their previous awkwardness, and those attempts eventually lead to them talking about their relationship. 

Brittany bravely admits that she wants her and Santana to be together again, and her act of emotional disclosure causes Santana to realize that she wants the same thing, too. 

They talk about first their fears and then their hopes in getting back together. They make plans. They tie up loose ends. 

From there, their emotional intimacy only increases and deepens.

The Brittana we see in S6, fresh off of their months-long vacation to Lesbos and concert tour as Mercedes’s background singers, have seemingly only grown closer in the time they’ve spent together since S5. 

They are extremely communicative, talking together about their feelings both negative and positive. They also help each other problem-solve and build each other up in times of stress and duress. They’re incredibly attentive to each other’s wants and needs and united in the front they present to the world.

And most importantly?

Their words and deeds align exactly. 

They tell each other how much they love each other with handholding, nose-nuzzling, kisses, hugs, and lovemaking, but they also say it in words—with “I will love you until infinity,” “I choose you over everyone,” and “I do”—and mean every one through and through, from the very depths of their hearts. 

There’s no more discrepancy between what’s actually going on with them and what they say is going on with them. 

They’re on the same page, 100%.

Brittany has metamorphosed from the yes-woman who went along just to get along. She no longer allows anyone to step on her, and she doesn’t sacrifice her own emotional truth to placate other people. She expresses her feelings clearly and is active in making decisions regarding her and Santana’s relationship. Gone is the girl who looked on, brokenhearted, while everyone told her who she was and how she should feel. Now she knows how to advocate for herself, for Santana, and for their love even—and even especially—when the stakes are high (see, for example, her speech to Santana’s grandmother in 6x06).

Santana, too, has undergone a remarkable, seasons-long change. No longer is she the girl who is too afraid to admit, even just to herself, that she’s in love with her best friend. Now she’s the woman who almost can’t help but tell the whole world how much she loves her wife at every opportunity, and she’s willing to prioritize her relationship with Brittany, even when doing so isn’t easy or without personal cost to her. While she once imposed ridiculous rules on herself and Brittany to try to keep their love a secret, now she breaks all the rules so that they can be together. She allows herself to be vulnerable and to show her innate sweetness. She allows herself to be honest about what she feels. 

—and, ultimately, that growth and honesty for both girls allows Brittana to enjoy a high degree of emotional intimacy during their engagement and marriage.

Their scenes together in episode 6x06 are some of the most emotionally intimate in the whole show—and I’m not just talking about them standing side by side to take on Alma at the end of the episode, but about Santana confronting Brittany in the hallway and about their ensuing conversation about Santana’s boundaries and how they’ll work together from now on to achieve common goals. That communication is so healthy and expressive. It’s so adult and straightforward. It’s something they never would have been able to do early on. It really shows their growth.

Looking forward, one can only imagine that as married women, they continue to learn each other better and to make use of their well-honed communication skills. Their “I love yous” undoubtedly continue to be frequent, their acknowledgment of who they are and how they feel absolutely their norm.

In any case, I’m rambling now, but TL;DR? Brittana’s biggest obstacle regarding emotional intimacy is the issue of being able to acknowledge their feelings for what they are. Once they learn to do that—together—they cohere in a remarkable way, emerging as the most cohesive, communicative, emotionally intimate couple on the show.

“With acknowledging feelings, it’s better.”

Thanks for the question!  

[themostrandomfandom]

Hi! Adore your blog <3 I've been reading "Attached" by Amir Levine and Rachel Heller (a phenomenal book btw, brilliant insight into attachment theory) and I was wondering if you have any thoughts on Brittana's respective attachment styles? Apologies if you've already answered this! I feel like Santana is extremely avoidant and Brittany might be secure (which is why she's able to be so patient and healing)... any thoughts? Thanks!

Hey, @lydiagravy​​!

First off, thank you for your kind words. I’m glad you enjoy my blog.

Next, I will admit up front: I have never actually read this bookmyself; I have only had the content explained to me by a friend who majored inhuman development, who read the book as part of her coursework and enjoyed itvery much.

I apologize if I end up bungling anything.

From what I understand, the three primary attachment types breakdown like so:

Anxious: Personswith anxious attachment types tend to be nervous about their relationships.They require frequent reassurance from their partners that they are wanted,appreciated, loved, etc. They crave affection and often fare poorly when singleand/or physically or emotionally separated from their partners. They are slowto trust even the people they’re closest to and can behave irrationally,sporadically, and over-emotionally if they feel insecure in theirrelationships.

Avoidant: Personswith avoidant attachment types tend to be independent and uncomfortable withintimacy. They find commitment difficult and often complain of feeling“suffocated” when people try to get close to them. Most frequently, they chooseto operate solo. However, if they do enter into romantic relationships, theytend to do so with an exit strategy already in mind going in.

Secure:Persons with secure attachment types are generally comfortable—both asindividuals and romantic partners. They regularly express affection and trusttheir partners enough to be intimate with them. They know how to draw clearinterpersonal boundaries, handle rejection, and communicate regarding problems.For this reason, they tend to make excellent friends and romantic partners.

Basedon those definitions, I agree that Brittany has a secure attachment type.However, I think Santana is kind of an interesting case, in that she sometimes presentsherself as having an avoidant attachment type, but in actuality, at her core,she has an anxious one.

Morediscussion after the cut.

___ 

Brittany

WithBrittany, things are fairly straightforward.

Thoughshe sometimes experiences insecurity when people who don’t know her well don’tget her (and especially when they underestimate her intelligence), when itcomes to her attachments to the people who matter—her family members andSantana—Brittany is very comfortable being who she is and, by extension, iscomfortable in her relationships.

Ingeneral, she functions with the understanding that the people who matter willget it and that the people who don’t get it don’t matter after all.

Interms of her relationship with Santana specifically, she understands thesignificance of their feelings for each other, even at times when Santana is inheavy denial. Though the hurtful things Santana says during S1 and S2 sometimescause her to question the viability of her and Santana’s relationship, she always seems to return to the fact that because they are in lovewith each other, anything is possible for them, which is why she is able towait for Santana to get her act together.

Ofcourse, Brittany having a secure attachment type doesn’t exempt her fromexperiencing the occasional moment of doubt or from occasionally behavingpoorly within her relationships—because she certainly does both of those thingsfrom time to time.

Itjust means that, by and large, Baby Girl feels confident giving and receivinglove, and she trusts that she and Santana will be able to overcome whatevertroubles they face because they are deeply committed to each other. She remainssteady even when the boat is rocking.

Nowhere is her secure attachment type more evident than in her speech to Santana during episode 5x12, where she expresses her belief that she and Santana have a special, once-in-a-lifetime bond (“I really wanna be with you, Santana. I’ve seen the world and I’m sure now more than ever that I belong with you. And I’m sure your girlfriend’s great but you can’t re-create what you and I have. Just tell me to stay. Please. It’s your choice. If you want me, I’m here”). Her confidence that Santana will ultimately choose her over Dani speaks to the trust she has in Santana, as well as to her generally easygoing temperament. 

Santana

As stated above, I think that even though Santana sometimes actsavoidant, in reality, her attachment type is most likely anxious.

Here is my reasoning:

As I’ve written about here,Santana has what is known as a reactive temperament, meaning that she typicallyexperiences strong emotional responses to stimuli. Not only does she feelemotions very strongly—when she feels sad, she feels really sad; when she feelshappy, she feels very happy—but in her most natural and unchecked state, shealso manifests those emotions in unmistakable ways, meaning that she cries atthe drop of a hat when something upsets her and smiles so widely that herdimples show when something goes her way. Simply put, Baby Girl wears her hearton her sleeve.

—and the fact that she does so makes her socially vulnerable.

In the public school system, kids who are easily provoked and/orwho get really excited about things tend to become targets for bullying. Theirclassmates will attempt to rile them up just to get a rise out of them. They’llalso mock them for being too effusive about the things they like and dislike.

My theory, based in large part on what she says during her HurtLocker confession, is that Santana learns fairly early on that being reactivemakes her socially vulnerable—and especially once she hits puberty and startsto recognize her attraction to girls for what it is. She knows it is dangerousfor her to wear her emotions so close to the surface, particularly in relationto any physical attractions and/or romantic feelings she might develop, so shemakes the conscientious decision to start downplaying how she feels aboutthings and purposefully repressing her reactivity.

Over time, she developes her “bitch” persona, which she can wearlike armor in order to safeguard herself, pretending not to like or care muchabout anyone or anything. Through concerted efforts, she submerges the emotionswhich make her socially vulnerable—like her insecurity concerning hersexuality, her enthusiasm for performance and other personal passions, her lovefor Brittany, her fears concerning her own lovability and individual worth,etc.—in favor of more “defensible” emotions, like open hostility and annoyance.The anger she allows the world to see is meant to mask the fear she isdesperate to keep hidden.

We don’t know when exactly Santana develops this “too cool forschool” act, but we do know that said act starts to become unsustainable forher during S2, when the possibility that she might lose Brittany to Artieforever dredges up many of the emotions she has been working so hard tosubmerge.

Throughout S2, Santana is an emotional hot mess. Whereas beforeshe had planned out her life so she could always stay two steps ahead of heremotions, now she and Brittany have moved “off-script,” so she can’t anticipateher feelings, only react to them as they happen (see here).

As she becomes increasingly fearful that she will potentiallylose Brittany to Artie forever, she also becomes increasingly aggressivetowards other happy couples around her, as we see between episodes 2x08 and2x13, when she goes on a “spree of relational destruction,” taking on Finchel,Fuinn, Fabrevans, and Pizes in turn. She is frequently weepy in public. Herinteractions with the glee club and with Brittany especially are all over theplace. The more she becomes aware of what it is that she really wants—a stable,romantic relationship with Brittany—the less she knows how to get it.

Eventually, after hitting her emotional breaking point inepisode 2x14, in episode 2x15, she is able to admit to herself and to Brittanythe true nature of her feelings, and once she does, the proverbial floodgates open.Once she says those magic words (“I have to admit that I love you”), she can’tkeep repressing how she feels even if she wants to.

As the seasons wear on, Santana becomes increasingly comfortableacknowledging and expressing her feelings, to the point where in S6, she hasactually gotten back to her openly reactive baseline for the most part.

So getting back to your original question:

I bring up Santana’s reactivity (and her reaction to her ownreactivity) because it plays into the way she displays her attachments.

Baby Girl is at her core anxious, but she sometimes behaves inan avoidant manner as a defense mechanism.

When Santana loves, she loves hard—and she knows as much, evenfrom the beginning (see here).

One of her biggest hang-ups throughout the show is her fear ofrejection. On a very primal level, she worries that if the people she loves andwho love her learn the truth about her, they’ll withdraw their love, and shewon’t be able to cope. We see this belief manifest during her fearfuland defensive interactions with Brittany during the Back Six of S2 (“I said ‘Ilove you,’ and you didn’t say you loved me back”), her reluctance to come outto her parents and grandmother during S3, her insecurities in her friendshipswith various glee club members throughout the show, etc.

In many ways, her anxiety is textbook: At her core, she worriesthat she is inherently unlovable, so she requires frequent reassurance from thepeople who matter to her that such is not the case. As long as she receivesregular, sincere expressions of love and affection from her family members andBrittany, she thrives. But if anything gives her cause to question thestability of her bonds with her loved ones, she does, and she starts to flail—hard. 

As previously noted, she strugglesmightily during S2, constantly worrying that for as much as she loves Brittany,Brittany doesn’t love her back. She experiences a similar emotional crisisduring S4 and early S5, when she and Brittany are broken up and she can’t besure that they’ll ever get back together, even though she wants nothing more inthe world than for them to do so.

Where things get complicated with Santana is that she sometimesresponds to the anxiety she feels in her relationships by putting on anavoidant façade.

Early on, Santana is so scared of the immensity of her feelingsfor Brittany and their implications that she literally cannot deal with them,so she pushes them down and represses them. She wants Brittany so much, butshe’s so scared that she’ll never be able to have her because society won’tallow them to have a happy ending together, because Brittany perhaps doesn’treciprocate her feelings, because she is somehow patently unlovable, etc. Beingfearful in that way causes Santana to feel powerless. And no one likes to feeltruly powerless, especially in a high stakes situation. So Santana tries totake control of the situation by pretending to herself and the world that, inactuality, she doesn’t need or want Brittany, and she isn’t afraid of herfeelings because she doesn’t have any.

Simply put, being in love causes Santana to feel vulnerable, soshe tries to pretend she’s not in love.

She avoids true intimacy with Brittany—refusing to maintain eyecontact with her during sex, verbally downplaying the significance of theirrelationship and denying the depth of their feelings for each other, stubbornlyinsisting that they both have “side dish” sexual relationships with boys inorder to offset their primary sexual relationship with each other, etc.,etc.—so that she doesn’t have to cop to what she feels or reckon with heranxiety.

When Brittany tries to push the issue, she reacts by ridiculingBrittany’s “neediness” and claiming that she has no interest in a romancebetween them, as she’s only interested in sex.

It’s a classic case of “Methinks she doth protest too much.”

She keeps loudly insisting that she doesn’t need Brittany forthe very reason that she does need her so much, and the depth of her needscares her to death.

She keeps saying that she has no interest in love because, deepdown, she is terrified that she is unlovable.

Santana’s avoidance is all an act, and we can tell that it isbecause the second she starts to feel validated and secure in both who she isand how much Brittany loves her, it vanishes.

In situations where she and Brittany are physically oremotionally separated from each other—like during S2, when Brittany datesArtie, and S4, when Brittany dates Sam—Santana reverts to her flailing,quasi-avoidant tendencies.

(See, for example, herbehavior during episode 4x13, where she pretends to have a collegegirlfriend and be completely over Brittany in order to mask how scared she is thatBrittany has replaced her with Sam.)

However, whenever Santana is in a stable relationship withBrittany and feels assured of Brittany’s love for and commitment to her, sheflourishes. She is able to face outside pressures. She never once pretends thatshe doesn’t need or want love.

To me, the fact that Santana only does her “I don’t need anyone;I am a heartless bitch” song and dance during times when she is afraid that shewill end up alone speaks to that behavior being a defense mechanism on her part,as opposed to a legitimate attachment type. 

In reality, she wants nothing morethan to love and be loved—and as long as she receives consistent assurancesfrom Brittany that those wants are being filled, she’s good, to the point whereeven though her natural attachment type is anxious, she can function securelywithin her and Brittany’s relationship.

This phenomenon is most evident in S6, whereSantana maintains a level head and repeatedly cites the unshakable nature ofher and Brittany’s bond as they prepare for their wedding. Come Kurt harping ontheir engagement, Abuela’s stubborn bigotry, or even Brittany’s prenuptialjitters, Santana is able to remain calm and say again and again, “I love you,Brittany, and you love me, and because of that, nothing else matters. We canget through everything together.”

Anyway, jabbering now. Thanks for the question!

[themostrandomfandom]

You may have discussed this, but what are your thoughts on Brittana's horoscope signs? In canon and/or Mouseverse. Thank you!

Hey, @gaylati!

Full disclosure: I know very little about horoscopes, and it seems like there’s a lot of conflicting information out there about what the common traits are for each sign and which signs are compatible with each other and whatnot, so if anything I say here doesn’t fit, I apologize.

Discussion after the cut.

________

So.

The truth is that, in canon, we really don’t get any concrete information about when Brittana’s respective birthdays might be, though we can infer based on the fact that they were both originally set to graduate in 2012 that—barring either one of them having been held back or skipped forward prior to Brittany’s second senior year—they were both likely born sometime between September 1993 and September 1994 (since September is the “cut-off month” to begin kindergarten in Ohio).

Brittany does mention in episode 3x01 that she is a “water sign,” and while it’s entirely possible given the context for the scene that she is just joking, if we take her statement literally, then that means she is either a Scorpio, Pisces, or Cancer, meaning that she could have been born between

October 23rd and November 21st, 1993 (Scorpio)

February 18th and March 20th, 1994 (Pisces)  

June 20th and July 22nd, 1994 (Cancer)

We get no information in canon about what Santana’s sign may be.

My personal headcanon, based on my very limited understanding, is that Brittany is a Scorpio (and that’s what she is in the Mouseverse).

Having nothing else to base it on, and once again bearing in mind my very limited understanding of horoscopes, my personal headcanon is that Santana is a Leo (and that’s what she is in the Mouseverse).

I like the idea of Brittana’s signs being “complementary opposites,” water and fire.

Here’s my reasoning:

Brittany

Scorpios are known for having magnetic personalities, though they tend to conceal parts of themselves depending on the company. When making plans, Scorpios can be secretive. They are typically focused and intuitive in their approaches to problem-solving; loyal to friends and vengeful to enemies in their social relationships; manipulative when they want or need something; and protective when it comes to the people they love.

To me, Brittany possesses a lot of the above-mentioned Scorpio traits.

Brittany’s personality is most definitely magnetic. She’s the most popular girl in school, and, as we see during her senior class president campaign, people are drawn to her, even though they may not always understand what she’s talking about. Brittany can be funny, confident, outgoing, whimsical, etc., all of which are traits that attract people to her. She’s the kind of electric personality lots of people want to be and lots more people—including Santana, Artie, Rory, and Sam—want to be with. 

Brittany can be secretive about her plans—like when she hides her relationship with Santana during early S3 and conceals from everyone her initial acceptance to MIT in S4—and chameleonlike in her approach to dealing with people, putting forward a different face, depending on with whom she’s dealing. To some, she’s silly and aloof. To others, she’s wise and philosophical. To many, she’s a riddle wrapped in an enigma. Very few people except for Santana ever get full access to “the real her.”

When Brittany sets her mind to solving a problem, she isn’t easily disuaded, as per what we see when she comes up with Project Unicorn to combat bullying at WMHS and goes to very elaborate lengths to reconcile Alma and Santana prior to the wedding. While she isn’t as plan-reliant as Santana is on the whole, she is singularly focused on the occasions when she does put plans into motion.

She is also highly intuitive. Though many people misread Brittany as someone with immature emotions, the truth is that Brittany is very emotionally mature and possesses a high degree of emotional intelligence. She understands what makes people tick—and especially Santana. That’s why she’s able to be patient when Santana emotionally flails throughout S2. That’s also why Brittany is able to respond so well to Santana’s emotional needs (“If you want me, I’m here”). Though Brittany also has the propensity to be logical—hello, big, beautiful math brain!—she most frequently operates in response to what feels right. She senses and perceives a lot more than people realize. 

The “loyal to friends and vengeful to enemies” thing? That’s Brittany to a T. If you treat her and hers well, then she’s got your back. (See her relationship with Mercedes.) But if you treat her and hers poorly, then you’ve got another thing coming to you. (See her relationship with Rachel.) Though she has a reputation for being kind and friendly, make no mistake: Baby Girl can be petty af to those who cross her, making their lives hell in ways they don’t even see coming. 

When it comes to being manipulative to get what she wants, I have two words for you: Sneaky!Brittany. Brittany uses people’s low expectations for her against them, conning and conniving her way to the top as it serves her purposes. 

When it comes to being protective of those she loves, well, just look to her entire relationship with Santana but especially to the speech she makes to Alma in episode 6x06. Though Brittany often avoids direct conflict, she isn’t afraid to step into the ring when it comes to defending Santana and keeping her heart safe.

Santana

Leos are known for having a dramatic flare and deep-seated need for self-expression; occasionally being overbearing and stepping on the toes of those around them; and constantly seeking for love and approval. They are said to wear their hearts on their sleeves and be somewhat reactive. They are also known for being hopeless romantics and for their courage, kindness, generosity, protectiveness, and brutal honesty.

—which is pretty Santana, tbqh.

Aside from Rachel Berry, Santana is probably the most Extra™ person to ever Extra™. She loves performing—“Glee club is the best part of my day, okay?”—and shines when she’s on stage. One of her big motivations throughout the show is to “be seen as the star that [she is].” Baby Girl is happiest when she’s singing and dancing her heart out.

Self-expression is a huge thing with Santana. She’s “just gotta be [her].” As she tells her grandmother in episode 3x07, having to pretend to be someone she’s not drains her. Her arc on the show is all about learning to first accept and then express herself—and once she starts being honest about who she is, she never looks back.

When it comes to being potentially overbearing and stepping on others’ toes, look no further than to her relationships within the glee club: Santana is constantly giving “tough love” and saying more than she should, overstepping personal boundaries (like when she ransacks Hummelberry’s belongings after she moves into the Loft), going overboard in her schemes to influence those around her (like when she engineers a sting operation to take down Sebastian Smythe to avenge Blaine’s eye injury), etc. She can be A Lot™ sometimes, which is part of why she encounters so much relational friction with the New Directions over the years.

Seeking for love and approval? That is Santana’s main motivation throughout the show. Baby Girl just wants so much to love and be loved. It’s her be all and end all.

Santana definitely wears her heart on her sleeve and has a reactive temperament. She cries at the drop of a hat and also can’t help but break into the biggest, dimple-deep smile whenever she’s truly happy. Even when she pretends not to, the truth is that she feels a lot and feels deeply in spite of herself.

Hopeless romantic? Check.

Courage, kindness, generosity, and protectiveness? Check.

Brutal honesty? “I keep it real, and I’m hilarious.” Check.

Brittana

In terms of their compatibility, Scorpio/Leo unions are said to be built on intense connections, with both partners being extremely loyal to and protective of each other. Their dynamics typically have a strong sexual component. While early on, poor communication and a lack of emotional openness can cause problems, if both partners work through these issues and learn to disclose to each other, they can form a strong, healthy “us against the world” bond.

—which is a pretty good summation of Brittana, imo.

Intense connection? As they state numerous times throughout the show, Brittany and Santana consider their bond to be a once-in-a-lifetime, infinite, soulmate-level one true love. They both love each other more than anyone else in the world.  

As discussed above, both of them are individually highly loyal to and protective of each other. They’re also both protective of their relationship. When faced with opposition, they join hands and form ranks, as is apparent when they both separately confront Kurt for disparaging their engagement in episode 6x03 and together face down Alma in episode 6x06.

Strong sexual component? They once popped a hip.

Early on, particularly during S1 and early S2, Brittana’s relationship does suffer from poor communication and lack of emotional openness. Santana says with her words that she and Brittany are just friends and nothing more, but her body language and actions toward Brittany suggest something different. Brittany wants for them to be able to be honest about what they feel for each other, but Santana forbids it. For fear of upsetting Santana, Brittany keeps her mouth shut. Santana’s unwillingness to acknowledge feelings coupled with Brittany’s fear of spooking Santana leads to angst on angst on angst and eventually the Brittana Rift of early S2. It is only after Santana finally confesses her feelings in episode 2x15 and Brittany starts speaking her mind during the Back Six of S2 that Brittana’s relationship finally improves.

—and once Brittana do learn to communicate with and emote to each other, their relationship becomes SOLID. While outside stressors sometimes scare them into reverting to their old, noncommunicative patterns between S3-S5, by the time S6 rolls around, Brittana have established an incredibly tight bond based on healthy disclosure and mutual respect. Just look at the hallway scene in episode 6x06: They talk through their feelings like adults and show each other so much love, even though they initially disagree. They’re constantly building each other up and offering each other support. “Flash forward, and we’re taking on the world together,” indeed.

So anyway, that’s my take. 

Thanks for the question!