I, for one, never liked Santana or Brittany or took them seriously. They were “throw away” comic relief kind of characters. Brittany is the ditziest thing one can imagine, not knowing her right from left. Santana was the most sarcastic, nastiest character on the show. Yet the two were always shown together – back up singers, B-list cheerleaders, 2nd tier characters.

That all changed in last week’s episode.

The references to their sleeping together started in the middle of Season 1 (we’re now in the middle of Season 2). Even though there was the “make out” episode, I still didn’t take it seriously. It seemed to be just a joke – they had both slept with pretty much the entire school. It seemed, as Santana said, she was making out with Brittany just because her boyfriend wasn’t around. Their pinking ring holding seemed like typical high school girlfriend – as in BFFs – stuff.

But what happened in this week’s episode has made me revisit each and every “Brittana” moment, and of course, all the clues were there.

The “Sexy” episode (Season 2, Episode 15, March 8, 20100). Brittany and Santana are seen talking in Santana’s bedroom. Santana asked Brittany earlier if she wanted some of her “lady kisses” – a term we’ve heard from them before. Brittany is confused about their relationship and says they should talk to an adult.

The girl opt to talk to Holly Holiday, played by Gwyneth Paltrow. Holiday is a substitute teacher filling in for the health teacher – she is teaching sex ed.

Holly Holliday: Ladies
Santana: Miss Holliday, we need your help
Brittany: So why are we sitting on the floor?
Holly Holliday: ‘Cause we’re in Japan. No, welcome to my sacred, sexy, sharing circle. I want to thank you guys for confiding in me, ‘cause I know this is tough. And I want to ask both of you if either one of you thinks that you might be a lesbian.
Brittany: I don’t know
Santana: Yeah, I mean who knows. I’m attracted to girls and I’m attracted to guys. I made out with a mannequin. I even had a sex dream about a shrub that was just in the shape of a person, so…
Holly Holliday: Hmm, well we’ve all been there. I went to an all girls college where the only industry in the town was the manufacturing of softball equipment. I still feel a little tingle when I hear Ani DiFranco. Ooh, Anyway, it’s not about who you are attracted to ultimately, it’s about who you fall in love with.
Brittany: Well I don’t know how I feel because Santana refuses to talk about it.
Holly Holliday: Okay, well I know talking about feelings can be really hard so I have an idea. Why don’t you guys find a song and see if maybe the lyrics of the song could help you start a dialogue going.
Santana: I could be down with that. I have the perfect song. There’s just one problem though, Brit and I may need your help to sing it.
Holly Holliday: I thought you’d never ask.

See the scene here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxT5tHDSE4M

Santana chooses “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac, with Holly on lead vocals and guitar, sitting between the girls. Through the entire song, Brittany and Santana are looking at each other. They both sing, “But time makes you bolder Children get older, and I’m getting older too.” Through the entire song, Santana looks like she’s going to cry, which she does at the end. Brittany then asks Santana, “Is that really how you feel?” Santana says yes and they hug.

“Can I handle the changing ocean tides…”
Santana’s looking very serious, somber, grown up…

Santana and Brittany sing to each other, with direct eye contact:
“Well I’ve been afraid of changing because I built my life”
Santana breaks eye contact, her eyes are unfocused…she’s thinking
“Around you”

She turns back to Brittany, who hasn’t stopped looking at her, and sings this line herself:
“But time makes you bolder”
Brittany and Holly join back
“Children grown older”
Santana’s face tightens up, she seems like she’s fighting tears
“And I’m getting older” the three of them sing
Santana, alone, adds “Too”

At the end of the song, Brittany asks, “Is that how you really feel?” Santana says yes, and they embrace tightly. It’s not a little ironic that Brittany is able to figure out Santana’s feelings from such a complex song, but she does.

Santana’s emotions were palpable during the entire song. I was saying over and over “I can’t believe this is happening…” This…Santana coming out…feeling empathy for Santana… LIKING Santana. I was as choked up as she was.

At the end of the episode Santana talks to Brittany and says, “What I’ve realized…is why I’m such a bitch all the time. I’m a bitch because I’m angry. I’m angry because I have all of these feelings. Feelings for you, that I’m afraid of dealing with because I’m afraid of dealing with the consequences. I want to be with you, but I’m afraid of the talks and the looks. I’m so afraid of what everyone will say behind my back. Still … I have to accept that I love you. I love you and I don’t want to be with Sam or Finn, or any of those other guys. I just want you. Please say you love me back. Please.”

This was good television as good as it gets. Santana evolved – and came out. She was able to dismiss a season and a half of being a 2nd tier character and came screaming into being a major player in the character lineup. Her coming out took her from being a slutty comedic “oh by the way” character to being one garnering much sympathy and understanding … we can now see how difficult her life has been for her.

Brittany then says she does love her, but she loves Artie, too, and if she wasn’t with Artie and Santana was single then she’d go out with her. “Proudly so,” says Brittany.

We’ll see how GLEE plays this out. Their famous for breaking up couples, so perhaps they’ll break up Artie and Brittany, freeing Brittany to love Santana? Or perhaps Santana will now have a friendship with Kurt – the poster boy for gay kids being bullied. Perhaps she’ll meet another girl. No matter which way it goes, I want to hear more from Santana … the same Santana who was barely a blip on my gay radar.

Congratulations to Naya Rivera, the actress who plays Santana. I now know her name, and I’ll be looking for her in other roles, too. She played this coming out so perfectly. She’s a wonderful actress.