 The storyline featuring Santana and Brittany was very well received , and the acting was also praised . Houston Chronicle 's Bobby Hankinson wrote that Santana 's " fear , her confusion and her journey were all rendered with honesty and even a subtlety rarely exhibited on this show . " Gonzalez was somewhat surprised by the storyline and observed that Santana had not previously been portrayed as " so serious and vulnerable " , but enjoyed the depth it brought to her character . She described Rivera as " heartbreakingly perfect " , and Vanity Fair 's Brett Berk wrote that " Naya Rivera and Heather Morris deserve special praise for the complex way they portray this fraught relationship . " Poniewozik and VanDerWerff highlighted the work by the two actresses in the choir room scene when " Landslide " was being sung , and VanDerWerff described the scene where Santana confessed her feelings for Brittany as " one of the better scenes of the season " , while Poniewozik was impressed that the episode found " pathos and heartbreak " in a coupling formerly treated humorously . Canning , however , felt that Santana 's revelation " could have been built up better " . 
