Preggers

Because of this episode, 'Glee' raised the bar for important teen issues. Teen pregnancy is known to be an awkward trope for television, but 'Glee' handled it pretty well. The head cheerleader and president of the Celibacy Club would probably be the last person to get pregnant while in high school, but this episode subverted expectations. Besides Quinn getting pregnant, Rachel is jealous of Will giving Tina her dream solo, and Finn has to deal with his girlfriend getting pregnant and trying to lead the football team to their first win.

All the performances are very good. Matthew Morrison is pretty good as Will Schuester. He doesn't have a very large role in this episode besides having to deal with tension in the Glee Club. Choosing between Rachel and Tina will bring consequences no matter what, and trying to help a teen dealing with a pregnancy while dealing with a pregnancy of his own is tough for any one person to deal with. Jane Lynch is great as Sue Sylvester, as she gets a hilarious segment on the local news station that brings lots of laughs. Jayma Mays is fine during her brief appearance, but Jessalyn Gilsig as Terri has taken an even crazier turn. Besides lying about her pregnancy, she now wants to help Quinn by raising her baby so she cover her own skin while helping the teen live a normalish life. It's borderline psychotic, but it makes for interesting TV. Patrick Gallagher, Stephen Tobolowsky, and Iqbal Theba are still pretty good and hilarious as Ken Tanaka, Sandy Ryerson, and Principal Figgins. The introduction of Mike O'Malley as Kurt's father Burt is great. He's one of TV's best dads, and this episode solidifies as he accepts his son's homosexuality and promising to love him no matter what. Lea Michele is fine as Rachel Berry, but Rachel is the biggest problem with this episode. We've known since the pilot episode that Rachel is a diva and incredibly ambitious, but thus far, she has been very supportive of the Glee Club until now. Selfishly, she doesn't want Tina to get the solo she feels she deserves and feels Will is punishing her. I know it's to show how much of a diva she is, but she was pretty unbearable in this episode as much as I like her character. Cory Monteith is amazing as Finn Hudson. He struggles a lot in this episode when he finds out his girlfriend is pregnant, and it, and it affects his leadership skills on the football field. He wants to do right by Kurt and help him impress his father but is also trying to think about his future and wants to solidify it via football. A lot has been put on his plate, and asking his teacher for help was a pretty ballsy move even though he looks up to him. Chris Colfer is again amazing as Kurt Hummel. When he wants to impress his father by joining the football field, it seems crazy since he knows nothing about sports. But introducing music on the field and helping the football team learn how to dance was hilarious and was one of the best moments in the entire series. His coming out to his father was emotional yet relieving, as it gave Kurt more confidence. Dianna Agron is great as Quinn Fabray. Having to deal with a pregnancy as a teenager is not easy, and it doesn't help when you're one of the most popular kids in school. The fact that her boyfriend's best friend is the actual father doesn't help at all and just makes her situation worse for her. Agron shines in this episode and actually makes you sympathize with her character even though we kinda hate her so far. Mark Salling is great as Noah 'Puck' Puckerman. Still pretty funny in this episode, his scenes with Quinn are especially intense. Jenna Ushkowitz is pretty good as Tina Cohen-Chang, as she finally gets more to do when she is offered her first solo. She doesn't have a large role but ultimately has a hard time dealing with the drama that Rachel is causing. Kevin McHale and Amber Riley are fine as Artie Abrams and Mercedes Jones but are barely in the episode, along with Naya Rivera and Heather Morris as Santana Lopez and Brittany.

Besides Rachel being selfish, this episode had some amazing storylines. Without repeating myself, Quinn's pregnancy and Kurt's coming out were handled greatly and opens up a lot more to do moving forward. While there are musical numbers, that wasn't really a bad thing, as it gave more time for story. This episode, while dramatic, still had plenty of great humor and moments that are still remembered fondly ten years later.

Pros: -Cast performances -Great storylines -Hilarious -Musical performances

Cons: -Rachel's selfishness

9/10 "Fantastic"