A big reveal occurred on the latest episode of the final season of Glee, which aired on January 16. [Warning: Spoilers for Glee’s “Jagged Little Tapestry”]
On Friday’s episode of Fox’s Glee, creators Ryan Murphy, Ian Brennan, and Brad Falchuk revealed yet another groundbreaking storyline.
During the new episode, three-time Emmy nominee Dot Marie Jones, who portrays Coach Beiste, exposes a life altering decision to Sam (Chord Overstreet) and Sue (Jane Lynch). She trustfully tells them about her plans of her transitioning from a woman to a man. Beiste explains that she has seen a psychologist who has diagnosed her with gender dysphoria (more commonly known as gender identity disorder).
Coach Beiste explains to Sam in this episode that her transition was not about who she wanted to go to bed with but who she wanted to go to bed as. This was a powerful moment for Dot Marie Jones’ character. She then began to share how she would soon be having surgery to remove her breasts and that she would start to take testosterone. Over the course of the season, audiences will begin to see her character shift from Shannon Beiste to Sheldon. It was a heartwarming experience when both Sam and cynical Sue whole-heartedly accepted Coach Beiste’s decision, Sue even reassuring her that her job will be waiting for her at the school whenever she is ready to return.
The Hollywood Reporter has recently done an interview with Dot Marie Jones herself on this new plan for her character on Glee. When asked how she responded to the storyline, she replied, “I didn’t want to let anybody down. I’d done the domestic violence storyline before and having young girls look up to Beiste and looking at it now, it’s just another vehicle to reach another group of people who are learning to be OK in your body.” Glee has always been known to push the envelope with their plot twists in order to reach out to a number of different people, all learning to deal with certain things in their lives. This new storyline is no exception. As Dot Marie Jones said in her interview, she hopes to reach out to a new group of people who are dealing with their unique situations.
This storyline is somewhat timely considering Leelah Alcorn’s suicide. Dot Marie Jones was also asked to share a message to others who might feel they have been trapped inside the wrong body. “Even for kids who are scared to come out: Talk to somebody. And if nobody will listen, you keep on until you find somebody who will listen. I just hope people take tonight’s show with an open heart and come away with a full heart.” Dot Marie Jones will truly do her best to portray this delicate situation in order to reach out to people in need. The full interview with Dot Marie Jones can be found at The Hollywood Reporter.
The final season of Glee will continue to expose new story lines, Fridays 9:00/8:00c on Fox.