Was Rachel Out of Line in "Audition"?

As Ashley mentioned in one of yesterday’s entries, Glee introduced a new character named Sunshine Corazon, a foreign exchange student from the Philippines.

I was excited when Sunshine was introduced to us, especially after she performed “Listen” for the Glee club. I thought she could definitely make New Directions stronger, plus she has a down-to-earth personality that would be attractive to the viewing audience and the club.

Unfortunately, Sunshine was chased away from New Directions thanks to Rachel. Well, at least in my opinion it was Rachel’s fault.

Rachel initially started off being nice to Sunshine and telling her about auditions. However, she got rude quickly, speaking to Sunshine like she was a five-year-old, even after Sunshine said she understood English.

Rachel didn’t even listen to what Sunshine told her. She continued to be condescending, speaking loudly and slowly, and of course, she made Glee club all about her. I mean, who wouldn’t be excited to be a constant backup to Rachel? Right…?

Later in the episode, Rachel sent Sunshine to a crackhouse, where Sunshine had her sheet music stolen by some of the residents. Although Rachel said she would pay for new music, it was a lost cause at that point. Sunshine ended up leaving to join Vocal Adrenaline.

I didn’t really have a problem with Rachel last year, but she has started off season 2 as my new least favorite character.

It is clear she has not learned from last season where she alienated her fellow Glee club members and friends because she wanted to be the star all the time. She didn’t want other members to have a say in how the club went and just wanted to do things her way. She constantly felt hurt and betrayed by her fellow members.

So what does she do? Returns to school and acts THE EXACT SAME WAY that was getting her in trouble last year.

At this point, I wonder if Rachel will ever learn. By now, she is certainly old enough to understand that Glee cannot always be all about her. In real life, even the most talented actors and singers have to stay sharp and lose awards and starring roles to others. They can’t throw a tantrum and sabotage their fellow celebrities every time something doesn’t go their way. They are expected to deal with disappointment, so why shouldn't Rachel do the same?

If Rachel wants to go on to be a star, she is going to have to be more humble. In the professional world, she will lose solos and lead roles more often than she thinks. It is best for her to learn to deal with that now. If she goes into the Hollywood or Broadway world acting like she did towards Sunshine, no one will want to work with her.

Rachel does not seem to have learned from the anger others rightfully directed at her in the past. She was definitely out of line when it came to Sunshine. The right thing for her to do would have been to help Sunshine adjust to her new life and welcome her into the Glee club.

I realize that may have been some boring television if Rachel were just thrilled to have Sunshine. But was it really necessary to have her act like a complete bitch?

In my opinion, Rachel was definitely out of line in “Audition”. She needs to redeem herself starting now and needs to be willing to give as much as she takes.

What do you think? Was Rachel over the top or was her treatment of Sunshine not that bad?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments section.