For a show called "Glee," it tackled some really heavy material last night: School shootings.
And just like "One Tree Hill," "American Horror Story" and "Degrassi" before them, the FOX show has sparked some serious debate for how it handled the material.
Warning: Spoilers below.
This week, the glee club found themselves hiding in the rehearsal space after gunshots rang out through McKinley High.
In a 10-minute, uninterrupted sequence, the audience watched in horror as teenagers recorded videos for their families on their cell phones, hid on top of toilets while sobbing and cowered in fear while someone tried to get into the locked choir room.
The scene obviously drew parallels to the recent shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School -- and, for some, it was really tough to watch.
On the Newtown Action Alliance Facebook page, friends, family and supporters of the Sandy Hook victims debated the episode after being warned of the show's subject matter.
"Those of us with kids that survived the shooting do not need to watch this episode. It's too soon as our kids and our own wounds are still too new," one parent wrote.
"Just saw the episode and it made me so uncomfortable cause it wasnt handled very well," posted another after watching the show. "I feel like glee exploited this tragedy."
The boyfriend of Lauren Russeau, a teacher who was killed during the shootout, also chimed in before the episode aired.
"As long as it keeps the subject in the public's mind I'm all for it. My Lauren was a huge fan of the show," Tony Lusardi added. "So I'm sure she would have approved."
There's no denying the cast and show's director did a great job staging the harrowing sequence, but was it too soon or too trivial? The episode was reportedly in production before Sandy Hook, but does that make a difference?
We really want to hear what you have to say about this one. Sound off in the comments below.
