Glee featured many different kinds of characters over its span of six seasons and left an impression on many viewers. Sue Sylvester makes a solid first impression, using the first spoken line of the series to insult her cheer squad during practice. This kind of loud and abusive behavior would be but a precursor to Sue’s many rampages on the show. From destroying offices, assaulting students, and exploding in loud tirades, Sue is set up as an easy antagonist for the Glee Club.
But Glee is also known for giving layers to its characters. When even a cheerleader named Santana can have a redemption arc after years of insulting everyone, one has to believe there can be a case for why Sue isn’t such an awful person. So, here, we are going to dive into the deep-seated history behind the character and explore what truly makes her story so tragic. The series was also recently added to Disney+’s catalog for anyone who wants to relive Sue’s greatest & worst moments.
She Permanently Altered Herself
20th Television
There are multiple instances throughout the show where Sue takes potshots at New Directions Director Will Schuester (played by former So You Think You Can Dance host, Matthew Morrison.) The most common theme among these insults is in reference to his hair. While one could write this off as simply petty insults Sue uses to belittle her professional rival, it would be revealed that these actually stem from Sue’s jealousy.
Being a huge Madonna fan, Sue idolized the music sensation and wished to be more like her at a young age. In an attempt to feel the same empowerment Madonna possessed, Sue and her sister would bleach her hair to match Madonna’s blonde hairstyle. While Sue’s age, when this event occurred, was called into question, Sue maintained that she’d been forced to wear her hair short ever since because of the damage. This peek at Sue’s vulnerability shows that Sue attempted to find confidence in herself, but, in doing so, made it so that she could only ever look one particular way. The psychological effects of such an event are easily shown when she admits to her jealousy over her colleague’s possession of wavy locks.
Her Parents Abandoned Her & Her Sister
Sue had been forced into a position where she had to grow up quickly in order to take care of herself and her sister. At a young age, her parents informed her that they needed to cross the country and hunt Nazis that had been forming on U.S. soil. Sue would despise her parents for leaving her and her sister alone. This resentment could be clearly seen as Sue would actively object to her mother’s actions during their duet of Ohio.
This anger would only grow when, during an interview, footage would show Sue’s mother admitting that she had lied to her children about hunting nazis and that they had simply wanted to get away from their kids, calling Sue the child she could never love. With such a harsh upbringing, one can begin to understand why Sue grew to be so jaded. While she maintained a soft spot for her sister Jean and young Becky Jackson, Sue would distrust most people, only opening up to those that had proven they held no malicious intentions.
She’s Shamed for Her Confidence
Standing with your head held high during such miserable times is difficult. But it seemed that no matter what obstacles came her way, Sue would always stand tall. While she was more known for belittling and tearing others down, Sue was never one to lack in self-confidence. However, the results are very negative whenever Sue attempts to stand up for herself in an empowering way.
One of the most notable instances was when Sue was in her second stint as principal of McKinley High. During her review period, Sue would be lambasted with criticisms towards her character, such as her obsessive hatred towards the Glee Club. While that criticism was fair, the superintendent stated that he easily could have overlooked this, but he couldn’t overlook that she had posed nude for Penthouse magazine. Sue would note that what she’s done with her body holds no statement on how she’s done her job. Regardless, she would still be terminated on the spot. While viewers were happy to see Sue taken down a peg at this point in the show, it was sad to see it was for her taking ownership of her own body and not for how she was verbally and, at times, physically abusive towards students.
She Sacrifices Her Success for Others
Sue always aimed high in her career advancement. When we first met Sue, she had already won multiple titles for coaching McKinley High’s Cheerleading Squad. At numerous points, she attempts to further herself professionally and politically. While Sue could easily have attained anything she set her mind to, had she maintained the same cold persona, she would always be willing to take a step down to help others in need.
Her first tenure as principal of McKinley High would see her resign after Karofsky, a boy she had previously expelled for threatening another student’s life, was allowed to reenter the school curriculum. Sue had blackmailed her way to this position of power, but, seeing Kurt was scared for his life, decided it best that she be available to intervene should Karofsky continue harassing Kurt. Another instance would see Sue willingly suffer termination after falsely confessing to shooting a gun in the school. Stating she had accidentally fired it when doing her daily safety check, Sue would be fired, knowing that despite all the good she had done, this would be all she was remembered for. It would later be revealed that Sue was actually covering for Becky Jackson, Sue’s student protégé, who had taken a gun to school, stating she was afraid that no one could protect her in the real world. Sue fabricated her story after learning Becky would be expelled if caught. This selfless act fully encapsulates what makes Sue such a tragic character. It’s easy to remember her when she’s at her worst. These moments can be easily pushed aside among the insults and tantrums, but they speak to the true character inside of Sue Sylvester.
