5x04 The Quarterback
Talk about a tear-jerker! This episode had me bawling from the beginning. I think they dealt with such a difficult topic very well. I also appreciated that rather than dwelling on the "how", the focused on the loss for all who loved him. The scene with his mother, step-dad & Kurt just broke my heart. It was good to see they showed how such a loss affects so many people in their lives, because sometimes people, and especially young people, don't really think about how devastating such a loss is for those that take care of everyone else and seem to be OK. The last scene with Mr. Shue kind of drove that home. For me, yes, it's sad that another young actor has died (from drugs AGAIN), but I think it made me cry because it brought to mind how many young people I have known who have died.
I know on the US broadcast, they had something right after it aired which addressed the issue of addiction. I haven't seen that as yet, since it didn't air on the Canadian broadcast.
It's a challenging topic, as I have seen what addiction can do, and even when one has cleaned up their life, the risk of relapse is SO high. It makes me sad to hear people talk about addiction like it's some sort of character flaw, and when someone dies as a result, to hear them say that the person got what they deserved, or to negate any of the positive things they did with their life. Life isn't as simple as that. Humans are complex, and can make bad choices in certain areas, while excelling at others. No matter how someone dies, the loss is great for someone.
