Checking in with Quinn Fabray: Part Six

QUINNDEPENDENCE, AND THE MEANING OF THE WORD

At the beginning of the show, Quinn was astoundingly independent. She was capable of doing everything on her own. She wore the pants in her relationship with Finn, and was in serious control of every situation of her life. Power. Control. Remember that girl? She was independent as hell.

But that independence was an illusion. Quinn was a slave to her status, her popularity, her upbringing, her parents, Sue Sylvester. She was slave to an ideal, slave to the word “should.” Like many things in Quinn’s life, her independence was just a veneer. She was never truly independent. Good stuff, right?

Then she got pregnant, and any semblance of independence - even the illusory kind - went out the window. She had to rely on Finn and Puck and Terri and Mr. Schuester and Rachel and Mercedes and she couldn’t do anything on her own, or by herself. Even the very definition of pregnancy is codependency - you have a baby living inside you, sharing your existence, imposing on your daily choices and routines, 24/7.

So after seeing falsely independent Quinn and completely dependent Quinn, I want a chance for Quinn to be truly independent. I want her to stand on her own two feet, and have her own ideas that aren’t spoon-fed to her by Sue Sylvester or her father or her religion. It’s the logical progression of her storyline, and the fact that the writers seem to be neglecting this is the real disappointment of Quinn’s character. Why do so many people love the scene in “Mattress” where she blackmailed Coach Sylvester? It’s because she’s thinking for herself, and doing things for others - it strikes the divine balance of choice, power, and kindness, the The Three Character Scales of Quinn Fabray.

Earlier, in Part II, I referenced my absolute favorite Quinn moment: the scene she shares with Rachel, and then Puck, in “Sectionals.” I already discussed the portion with Rachel in the framework of kindness, and in this part, the portion with Puck becomes relevant. Quinn told Puck she needed to be on her own; and it was here, at this very instant, that her character was teetering on the precipice of some fantastic development. The embodiment of her arc is that she needs to do things on her own: think for herself, stand on her own two feet, and live her life outside the damaging societal standards she was raised with. Truly independent. Free. Happy. Genuine. Herself.

Tell me that that is not what everyone wants for Quinn Fabray, seriously.

In that moment in “Sectionals,” Quinn was on the brink of discovering those things for herself, and everything was all sweet, dazzling, exhilarating potential. It was in that moment that she was so close to being the best character on the show. She had been stripped completely raw of everything that had ever defined her. She acknowledged the pains she caused. She forgave her enemies. She embraced independence. Choice. Power. Kindness. She was standing on the edge of a cliff, about to take a leap of faith - true faith - into a void, into a world in which she had no identity. She was moving forward into an existence where she didn’t know who she was. She was ready to redefine herself. To discover herself. To be herself: independent.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why that scene is my favorite the show has ever given us, and the epitome of Quinn Fabray’s true potential as an amazing character.

Of course, we all know what happened after that mind-blowing moment (nothing) and so here I am, fussing endlessly over the missed opportunities - the biggest of which being the topic of independence.  Even though Season 2 is treating her considerably well, Quinn Fabray remains rife with potential, and yet is only partially fulfilled.  The complete purpose of her arc has been forgotten and ignored.  Is Quinn independent?  Free?  Happy?  Genuine?  Herself?  And if you answered "yes" to any of those questions, I ask you this: were those developments earned, through screentime and storyline?

Yes; it’s true that so many characters need to be explored, but I cannot get over the fact that Quinn was developed right up to the moment where the arc was dancing with genius, and then dropped completely. Don’t get me wrong: it is frustrating that Tina and Mercedes and Mike have never really had a storyline - and I promise, I still desperately want them to - but I am more specifically exasperated about Quinn because she had the shimmering promise of development, only to have it immediately snuffed out and shuffled to the background. Disappointment doesn’t even begin to describe it.

NEXT AND LAST: THE CONCLUSION

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Master Post: CHECKING IN WITH QUINN FABRAY

Part One: QUINN, THE CHEERIOS, AND POWER

Part Two: QUINN, FRIENDSHIPS, AND KINDNESS

Part Three: QUINN, SAM, AND HAPPINESS
Part Four: QUINN, THE BABY, AND PUCK
Part Five: QUINN, FINN, AND HER FAMILY 
Part Six: QUINNDEPENDENCE, AND THE MEANING OF THE WORD
Part Seven: CONCLUSION