However, the cliffhanger we’ve all been waiting for is if Payson got through her surgery. Outside of the gym, Sasha is training Kaylie and Emily quite hard, and making them run on rough terrain while timing them. He tells them to go again, and they question it. Sasha explains that Payson would never complain, as Payson comes running up the hill. She made it! I mean, there was never a doubt in mind she wouldn’t survive surgery, but it was so nice to see her running. When she finishes, she immediately turns back to go again and improve her time. But not everything is great in the Keeler household. Payson’s surgery wasn’t covered by insurance (since it wasn’t “essential”) so Kim meets with a realtor to see about selling the house. The realtor tells her that she could sell and get out of her loan but she would still be in debt.

Later in the episode, Payson goes to see her physical therapist to get the go-ahead to start training. He tells her she can start the next day. However, when she returns to the car where her mother is waiting, she tells her that she’s not ready to train yet.

Meanwhile, the gym moms show up to the Pizza Shack to set up for the fundraising event, and Emily freaks out because Sasha can’t know she has a job. Payson shows up and tells the girls that she needs a job because her family might have to sell the house due to the debt from her surgery. Kaylie offers to lend her some of her sponsorship money but she doesn’t accept. It’s at this point that Chloe Kmetko comes up with the idea to throw the Bingo jackpot so that Kim Keeler wins. In the last round, Kaylie forces Kim to play. Hilarity ensues when Chloe spills her water on the napkin where the winning numbers are written down, but she manages to pull it off with everyone’s help and Kim Keeler wins 10 thousand dollars.

Throughout the episode there is this whole will they/wont they thing going on between a bunch of the characters. Kaylie’s brother Leo returns to help his family and repair the relationship between Kaylie and her mom…and he clearly still likes Emily. Emily still likes Damon (and he still likes her). Sasha and Summer still have feelings for each other. And Carter (who offers to be a friend to Kaylie earlier in the episode) and Kaylie still like each other. So at the end of the episode, it all comes to a head. Emily is trying to choose between the two guys, and her and Kaylie talk about how their training makes them strive for perfection and that this probably messes them up in relationships. Damon decides he is going to be the girl Emily wants and needs, and heads off to the recording studio. Summer goes to talk to Sasha and they end up kissing, despite her protests. After all of this, Kaylie and Carter are cleaning up at the Pizza Shack and somehow get to throwing soap at each other and Kaylie kisses him. Looks like romance is back in full swing.

China ends up winning the meet against the US and Sasha holds an official press conference inviting the Chinese team to the The Rock. Later that night, Sasha is waiting for a call and gets one from the National Team coordinator. She threatens him because of his press conference and tells him the China team will not be going there. She also says there will be severe consequences for his actions. As he’s about to leave the gym, he hears the phone ring from upstairs and it’s the Chinese team accepting the invitation.

Kim Keeler then returns home and tells Marc of her “good fortune.” She then listens to a phone message from Payson’s physical therapist saying that he hasn’t heard from Payson in a week since he told her she could train again and he wanted to know how everything was going. The next scene is Payson wearing grips, about to go on the bars, but replaying the moment of her fall in her mind. She can’t get past the mental block and walks out of the gym.

No surprise here but I really liked this episode. I thought the Payson scenes were great. I expected her to get right back at it once she got the word, but even champions have their fears. I also loved the romance. I wanted the Sasha and Summer relationship to be brought back into the spotlight and I’m glad to see it getting some screen time. It’s also revealed in this episode that Summer has been the one to tell all The Rock secrets. I wonder if this aspect of the story will lead anywhere. And we all knew it was only a matter of time before Carter and Kaylie repaired their relationship. As for the Damon/Emily/Leo love triangle (if you can call it that), it will be interesting to see what happens. I would love to see Payson back on the bars before the season ends. I don’t want another cliffhanger that involves Payson. Also, did anyone notice there was no Lauren in this episode? At first, the dynamic seemed weird, but it was sort of refreshing to have no drama in the gym. However, I’m sure she will come back snarkier than ever and ready to share her China stories.

I wonder who Sasha will decide is good enough to compete against China. Clearly, Payson won’t be ready yet. But will he pick Kellie Parker or snub her? Emily needs to get a Yurchenko 1 1/2 in order to up her difficulty (which Leo offers to help her with). Will she stick the blind landing and make it on the team? Will the National Team Coordinators somehow put a stop to this “rogue” meet? So many questions!

I’m also curious what the show’s plans are in terms of time line. The Olympics are supposedly 4 years away but will they be 4 seasons away? I look forward to seeing the conclusion of this half season and what season 2 brings.

Make It Or Break It airs Monday nights at 9 pm on ABC Family.

The episode starts with Payson and her family meeting with the European doctor who thinks her experimental surgery can fix Payson’s back. Payson and her dad are very excited by the prospect, but Kim can’t seem to get behind it. She’s worried about the risks and the possibility for paralysis and for Payson not to be the gymnast she once was.

Back at The Rock, the girls are told by Sasha to be flawless because they are having a National team practice. The China meet is a very important step towards the Olympics, and the girls need to be perfect so they are chosen to compete. Lauren decides to confront Chloe Kmetko and try to get her to stay away from her dad, by “confessing” that her dad is a sex addict. She also confronts Emily about her dress from her mom’s “boyfriend.”

On the first day of practice, Lauren and Emily are in the bathroom, where Lauren repeats words from Emily’s wall. Emily is a little thrown off, and they talk about Kaylie’s mom having an affair with Marty. Of course, Kellie Parker is in the bathroom and hears everything. She decides to use this knowledge as leverage to psych out her competitors. She talks to Kaylie and tells her that her friends told her all about her mom’s affair. Of course, this prompts Kaylie to confront Lauren and Emily, and then mess up her newly landed double Arabian. Emily is off her game too because her mom shows up after she figures out that she is dating Steve Tanner. After Emily and Kaylie falter, Kellie moves on to Lauren, where she talks about how her mom is a drug addict who abandoned her. Of course, this prompts Lauren to throw chalk in Kellie’s face, and chaos to ensue. Kaylie storms out of practice after Marty tells her to take her arabian out of her routine and to trust him. She yells back how is she supposed to trust someone who had an affair with her mom. Sasha can’t figure out why Kaylie stormed out, and Summer confides in Sasha about the Marty/Ronni Cruz affair. Sasha comes back into practice and punches Marty in the face. Chaos at The Rock!

Meanwhile, in the Keeler family household, Payson sees her mom and dad fighting over the surgery. Kim says she knows Mark won’t be the bad parent and tell Payson she can’t have the surgery, so it all falls on her. I have been absolutely loving this focus on the Keeler family. Peri Gilpin is so phenomenal, and she plays Kim Keeler impecably. After seeing her parents fight, Payson declares at dinner that she doesn’t want to have the surgery, but her heart is clearly not behind this decison.

That night, Kaylie returns home and tells her mom she is going to quit the National team, and she can’t stand Marty coaching her. Her mom says she will help lighten the burden, and tell her dad that she had an affair. Sasha then calls the girls back to The Rock and tells them that Marty agreed, due to the circumstances, to keep the awful practice private. The girls will start with a clean slate with the National Team Committee watching. The next day, all The Rock girls are on their A game. Kaylie lands her double arabian, Emily lands her Yurchenko vault, and Lauren has a great practice. When it comes time to announce the girls going to China, it seems like they are shoe-ins. However, out of the three of them, only Lauren makes the team. Kaylie and Emily are left wondering what more they could have done. Sasha confronts a National Team Committee member, who tells him they know about what happened in practice. He can’t keep his gymnasts in line, and they are inconsistent. He argues that they are better than the team that was chosen for China, and he is told that they want Kellie Parker to be the face of USA gymnastics, and this team that they chose can be kept in line.

I found this exchange incredibly interesting. In USA Gymnastics, Bela and Marta Karolyi (two huge names) came out of retirement in 2004 (or slightly earlier) to reorganize the way the National team trains and is chosen for the Olympics. What used to be a system of the top 7 finishers go to the Olympics, is now the top 2 are guaranteed a spot, then the others go to a camp and are chosen based on their performances. 2008 was a great year for USA gymnastics, and they stood a shot for gold. But several of their top team members were injured either right before the Olympics or during, and one even competed on a broken foot. There is a lot of controversy surrounding the way in which a team is chosen now, with critics saying that the athletes are pushed too hard and are injury prone because of their exhaustion. I love the sport. I don’t agree with every decision (past and present–pre and post Karoylis) that has been made, but it’s really nice to see a show that is about the world of elite gymnastics address an issue that is so important to the actual sport. I hope to see much more.

Sasha tells Emily and Kaylie that they consider him the rogue coach, and that his club has rogue gymnasts. It’s not their fault, it’s not fair, and they will prove the National Team committee wrong. Payson discusses with her mom that she goes to her for strength and she can see in her eyes that she doesn’t have faith in the surgery. Kim then explains to Mark that it’s her fault Payson got injured because she let her take the cortisone. We realize why Kim was unable to take the leap and let Payson have surgery, and her and Mark decide to make all future decisions, which was yet another wonderful scene with Peri Gilpin. They decide to let Payson have the surgery, and the ending scene is Payson in the hospital going in for surgery. Kim tells Payson she will be cheering her on at the Olympics, and that she is confident the surgery will work.

I have been absolutely loving this half season. Bringing Kellie Parker back is a great decision, and there have been many more episodes showing the girls in the gym. I like the “outside The Rock” episodes as well, but I love when it focuses on the sport. There are only 4 episodes of Make It Or Break it left in this half season which is sad…but I can’t wait to see how the Lauren/Steve/Chloe situation gets resolved (even though Chloe told Emily she’d stop seeing Steve), what happens with Sasha/Summer, the National Team Committee debacle, and the Emily/Razor/Damon love triangle. ABC Family, you never let me down! I am so excited to see more!

Make It Or Break It airs Monday nights at 9 pm on ABC Family.

Meanwhile, Damon decides to show up at the pizza shack to try and explain himself. Emily, who previously ripped up a photo of her and Damon, is not having any of it. Lauren shows up and tells Emily they are all going to prom. Razor of course offers to step in as her date, which she isn’t thrilled about. Back at the gym, Sasha is pushing Kaylie to try and master an arabian. Carter (still in love with her) offers to help her like Nicky did previously, and she takes him up on the offer. By the end of the epsiode, Carter takes the safety net away (she was practicing attached to wires) and she lands her new skill. Carter is obviously still very much in love with Kaylie, but Kaylie doesn’t seem to feel the same way.

Lauren, up to her old ways, finds Carter in the closet and he tells her that her dad is dating someone. She decides that she will figure it out from the woman’s cheap perfume. Lauren calls her dad and tells him that someone has been upstairs with a lady friend, and her dad denies the whole thing and blames it on the housekeeper. Steve and Chloe at this point, are still keeping up their ruse of not dating.

In addition, last we left the Keelers, they had just heard about a doctor in Europe who had an experimental prodedure that could maybe help Payson. In this episode, they struggled with the idea of telling Payson. Kim was very adamant on keeping this from Payson, because her daughter finally seemed to be normal again. Mark felt as if they were unfairly keeping a secret from Payson, and she deserved to know. Kim and Mark decide to go to meet with the doctor, who is in Boulder for a conference, to see what she has to say. Kim is clearly against the surgery from the start and talks about paralysis being a risk (and not an option) and asking the doctor if Payson will be the same gymnast as she was before she was injured. The doctor is very enthusiastic, and has followed Payson’s career. She tells Kim that there is risk with any surgery and she couldn’t guarantee she would be the same gymnast, but she thinks she can help Payson. Kim storms out of the meeting, and Mark soon follows, but obviously, this is not the end of this story line. I understand where Mrs. Keeler is coming from. She doesn’t want to get her daughter’s hopes up for something that could potentially harm her or not work. However, Payson is a champion and gymnastics is her life. I am glad she has been able to slowly adapt to a normal lifestyle, but there is nothing normal about Payson. At the end of the episode, Kim and Mark decide to sit down with Payson and tell her the truth.

In prom preparation mode, Emily’s mom offers to buy her a dress, and Lauren begs her dad for a new dress to no avail. Payson and her mom go shopping and get manicures, and Kim comments that she never thought she’d see her daughter so happy and going to prom. Lauren goes out to her dad’s car and sees a brand new, beautiful pink dress and gets excited that her dad actually bought her a new dress despite his protests. However, when prom night arrives, she just gives her some money in case she goes out after. The dress was actually for Emily–he had his personal shopper pick it out for her as a favor to Chloe…more to come on that later. Right before prom, Heather shows up at Payson’s house in panic mode because the band dropped out at the last minute. Payson saves the day by asking Damon and Razor’s band to play at the prom (although Emily is unaware of this).

All the girls (sans Emily) show up to prom together and seem to be having a good time. Carter asks Kaylie to dance and is rejected, only to see Kaylie dancing with another random guy later on that night. Ike (remember, loser boy who said everything was pointless and got drunk and high in the parking lot) shows up to prom in a tux to apologize to Payson, and dance with her. Emily finally shows up, and when Lauren sees the dress she drags out Carter and declares that her dad is dating Emily. Carter tells her this is impossible, and then Emily tells the girls that her mom got her the dress. Lauren drags Carter outside again and realizes that her dad is dating Chloe Kmetko…a fact which she is none too pleased about. Also, Emily is upset over Damon and Razor’s band playing at the prom, but Payson said she had no other choice. Damon declares that he is going to sing a song he wrote for Emily but gets stage fright and runs off. Emily runs after him and Damon comes clean about the mixer he bought and didn’t know was stolen. Emily explains that all she wants from him is honesty and for him to be there for her when she needs him (not for him to record a song for her). He gets upset and storms off, and then enter Razor. Razor tells Emily that he has never seen Damon get up on stage and attempt to sing for anyone so clearly he loves her, and because she went after him, he knows she loves him, too. He says he will step out of the picture, and they will just be friends, leaving Emily crying in the parking lot.

While at prom, Heather makes a speech about Payson saving the day, and the entire prom cheers for Payson. Payson appears to be elated. After prom night, Carter returns to Lauren’s house to pack up, and Lauren opens up to him a little bit and talks about how no one ever wants her. Carter then proceeds to ask Lauren to dance, and they share a rather sweet moment together. While this is going on, we see Kaylie delete the picture of her and Carter from her phone in a symbolic gesture that she is finally over him.

Holly Sorensen (the creator) posted on twitter that this was one of her favorite episodes of the season because it is powerful and fun, and I have to agree. It was great to see Payson go to prom, and to see Kaylie finally moving on and stepping up her gymnastics. The Keeler’s struggle felt so real. I want to see Payson back in the gym, but a surgery like this one could be risky and require a long recovery. I can’t wait to see what Payson and her family decides. I also really enjoy seeing the vulnerable side of Lauren. She can be dramatic and ridiculous but deep down, she is hurting. I was disappointed not to see any of the Summer and Sasha storyline (or let’s face it, making out) but I am sure we will see more in the future. Next week’s episode is titled “Hope and Faith,” which is an intriguing title, and I can’t wait to see it!

Make It Or Break It airs Monday nights at 9 pm on ABC Family.

Earlier in the episode, Sasha told Kaylie that if she had more power she could turn her double back into an Arabian which would compete better against international teams. Nicky offers to help Kaylie, and she comes in early in the morning to the gym. They share a few moments together, and it seems like they both have a thing for each other. Of course one of those moments Payson walks in on. Nicky comes out to Payson’s car after to give her a box of chocolates for Valentines Day but she shrugs him off and tells him she met a boy at school. Nicky later throws that chocolate box in the garbage.

Meanwhile, in Emily/Razor/Damon love triangle land, Emily hasn’t heard from Damon in days and is getting worried. Razor tells Emily that Damon has a habit of acting like this towards girls, but wouldn’t understand why he would do this to Emily. He also plays her a random guitar song he made up about her, which was oddly romantic. Razor then rushes off to make an “emergency” pizza delivery, which is code for go bail out Damon from jail. Apparently, Damon bought a mixer to record his own songs. He didn’t wan to take the Pinky Promise record deal, so he decided he would record his own songs and mistakenly bought a mixer that was stolen. Razor gives Damon a lecture about Emily and being honest with her, and proceeds to leave him hanging in jail. Later, he does finally bail him out but Emily follows Razor to jail and gives Damon a piece of her mind (rightfully so) and adds that Razor should have been honest with her, too.

But of course there are some other love stories as well. Kaylie and Nicky agree that they had some moments but Kaylie respects Payson and doesn’t want to hurt her so that’s all they were — moments. Nicky tells Kaylie that he has been recruited to Denver, and will probably go because there is too much drama in the gym. Lauren leaves Carter a Valentines Day present on his bed: a framed picture of his mom. Meanwhile, Carter had left rose petals in the shape of a heart on the hood of Kaylie’s car, which she seemed to completely ignore.

However, the huge surprise of the night was Sasha and Summer. Yeah, you heard it right. Summer asks Sasha if there can be a Valentines Day mixer at the gym. Sasha disagrees because of the no-dating policy, but Summer explains that it’s a good idea to have them in the gym as opposed to breaking the rules somewhere else. She asks if she can give a lecture about sex to the gymnasts and Sasha brushes her off. Summer comes back to the gym after it’s closed to tell Sasha off and explain how she believes in abstinence, but she also has needs. Then, there’s some making out between Sasha and Summer which I didn’t see coming. After this after hours make out session, Sasha has the mixer and lets Summer give her lecture. I thought it was a pretty awkward situation and the looks on all the gymnasts faces reiterated what I was thinking. I don’t think the Summer/Sasha storyline was a bad one, in fact, it was quite interesting. However, I don’t really tune in for a lecture on abstinence and spirituality. I realize I may not be in the target demographic for this show, but I think I’m pretty close, and I just didn’t think that fit into the show’s general vibe.

At school, Heather told Payson about all her fears and why she is so perky and open to anything now. Payson, after learning the rose wasn’t from Ike, “dumped” him and opted to hang out more with Heather. However, in the middle of Payson talking to a drunk Ike, a guard breaks up the group and she gets detention even though she wasn’t drinking. Payson then tells her mom that she is finally realizing that the world is full of so many possibilities and gymnastics isn’t the only thing anymore. At the end of the episode, Heather, Emily and Kaylie come over to Payson’s house to watch a movie, and it looks like she is finally laughing and enjoying herself, something she hasn’t done since her injury. Her mom then gets a phone call from Sasha about a doctor who says she can operate on Payson’s condition and she should be able to return to competitive gymnastics.

I have mixed feelings about this ending. I want Payson back in the gym, of course. But could this call have been made a few episodes later? We just got over Payson’s devastation about her condition being inoperable and now she might be okay again? That said, I really did enjoy the episode. Lauren was up to her old dramatic, scheming ways. Payson seems back to her old self, for the most part. I loved the ending where the friends all spent Valentines Day together. And I am really interested to see where the Summer/Sasha romance goes. They both agreed it was inappropriate but I know that’s not the end of it. In TV world, it never is. I look forward to seeing if Payson is able to get surgery, and Sasha mentioned an international invitational, which would be exciting to see.

Make It Or Break It airs Monday nights at 9 pm on ABC Family.

You know, this story line for Payson has been really emotional.  Where has your inspiration been coming from for this?
My inspiration has been coming from my own life.  I did ballet professionally for 14 years and I suffered a really bad knee injury that I thought was going to be entirely crippling to my career as a dancer.  But, I pushed through and was able to conquer with the support of my family, my friends, my teachers. It’s really given me a great base, a place to level with Payson… it’s so true to who I am.

Last week, we got a glimpse of Payson giving a few tips to Kaylie on beam.  Do you think she’ll ever make an appearance at the Rock as a coach?
It’s very possible because she is informed and very driven and I don’t see how they can keep her away from gymnastics that much longer.  Mind you, I don’t get the script before we shoot them; I get them as we shoot, so I’m waiting to find out just as much as everybody else.

I know when we spoke on set that you said that we would see a less than perfect Payson so far this season, and we definitely have.  I was wondering if you could talk a little bit about the journey Payson’s gone through so far this season.
Well, Payson has had her whole life, not just her career, her whole life stripped away from her with the injury.  She’s not only trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life, but trying to figure out who she is without gymnastics.  It was what she woke up and thought about; she was entirely involved with gymnastics.  So with it gone, she’s trying to figure out, am I anybody without it?  It’s very, very less than perfect I would have to say.  There’s a lot of emotion that goes with it of putting everybody else in the show through all this rigmarole.

Yeah, absolutely.  And are we going to see her embrace her new situation?
I’m going to have to say embrace and conquer.

How has your experience on Make It or Break It been different than you imagined it would be?
It’s been different than I imagined it would be in that I’ve gotten so close with the girls that it’s like we lead this double life.  We have our lives that we all chit-chat about at work and then we have these character lives, who we take so true to heart, and we will fight over our characters.  We’ll be like, “No, no, Lauren, you’re the mean one and it’s not Kaylie’s fault.”  We take it so true to heart; I never thought I would become so defensive of my character alongside the other girls.

Now that your character is injured, do you still have to train with the other girls on the show?
Heck, yeah, I do.  The only problem is usually our shooting schedules will be a little mish-mashed.  So I train with them when I can, but when I can’t, they have me training all by my lonesome, which is no fun, let me say!  And they kind of have encouraged me to keep training outside of work as well, so I’m still keeping up my regimen.

I’ve seen the previews for the next few episodes and it shows Payson going to high school. How’s that going to affect her attitude and her whole situation?
At first, it definitely does not help the situation.  I would say it almost hinders the situation, the pressure she’s feeling from not having gymnastics.  The last thing Payson wants is to be average, to be what she calls “normal” because she has led such an extraordinary life and such an amazing path already.  It’s definitely trying for her, and it’s difficult for her to feel like she’s doing the right thing by going to high school.  So it definitely hurts, but then it might help.

Which character on the show you think you are personally most like and why?
I definitely feel like I’m most like Payson because of my ultra-driven, ultra-focused way that I am and how committed I get to things.  I get stuck in my ways, every once in a while, especially when it comes to aspirations and dreams.  But, if I had to be like any other character on the show, I would have to say Miss Chloe Kmetko.  She is hilarious. She has that big, southern drawl and I totally connect with that because she’s hilarious – she’s so funny!

Recently I interviewed Josie Loren and she told me that you were the Martha Stewart of the group.  Tell us a little bit about your other three mates.  What would you classify them in the group?
Let’s see, I have to classify Cassie as our comedic relief, most definitely.  She is hilarious, and she doesn’t even try.  I’d have to say Chelsea is kind of like “mama.”  Like she’s my older sister, she’ll take care of anything; she’ll help you with anything.  And Josie, I have to say Josie is just little miss sunshine.  She is so sweet about everything.  I’m going to stick with that.

What’s it like to work with Peri?
Amazing.  She is such a wonderful, wonderful person and such a wonderful actress.  I always watched Frasier, I have seen every single episode, and when they told that they had cast her as my mom, I almost passed out. And then when I met her, I was so quiet!  I’m not a quiet person at all.  I’m very loud and outgoing, but when I met her I was like so quiet and  reserved.  It was like meeting somebody I looked up to for years and years and years.  As I’ve gotten to know her and have this relationship with her, it’s so surreal to me to go to work and I go “Hi, Mom.”  You know, we just have a conversation and then every once in a while I’ll look at her and be like, “My God, I am talking to Roz from Frasier!”  That’s amazing!

Have you learned anything from playing Payson that you’ve applied to your own life?  Or any lessons you’ve learned from the character?
Most definitely, I have.  I get a lot of “mom” speeches from Peri.  I actually listen to them while we’re doing scenes, and actually taking in the information and the things that she says about how there’s other things in life and there’s other things to be proud of. I’m naturally a curvy woman and she actually gave me a whole speech on there’s nothing prettier than a strong, powerful woman.  It was stuff that really hit home with me, it was stuff I listened to, I absorbed.  I felt like it has made me a better person.  It has definitely helped me grow up during the show because I have “mom” speeches all the time.  It’s so much fun.

We’ve seen kind of flirting between Payson and Nicky.  Are we going to see that relationship develop into something more?
It definitely does develop, but then, as always, something has to go wrong.  I’m not going to blame anybody, but I’m definitely going to say it probably is Lauren’s fault because she messes up all relationships.

Speaking of, is it kind of awkward working with Cassie’s boyfriend who plays Nicky?
You know I really thought it would be and I actually told her, “Look, we’re so close, I don’t want this to be an issue.” And she was like, “There’s nobody else I would want it to be other than one of you girls, because I trust you guys so much.”  She was there for most of the scenes that we were doing.  The whole big kiss thing?  She was there for that.  It was weird at first, and then, it was like, eh, it’s Cassie.  She’s cool.

Now that the show’s been on for a little while, do you get recognized more when you go out?
It’s definitely happening more and more frequently.  Especially, since at my local mall, the posters are up everywhere.  So I went in to go get something and I walked past my own poster.  I’m pretty sure people saw me walking past it and then later on came up to me, because it happens pretty frequently now. My favorite is that once, I was in Victoria’s Secret because they send you a free underwear thing all the time.  I was in Victoria’s Secret and I saw this worst piece of, like, lingerie ever.  I was with my Mom and …went, “Ew, Mom, this is so gross!”  A little girl came up to me and went “Oh, my God, are you Ayla Kell of Make It or Break It?”  I was like there was no way I could talk myself out of this situation.  This is just a total fail.  So let it be known that I’m not wearing trashy lingerie like that small child saw me picking up.

How has the success of Make It or Break It changed your life?
It’s changed my life in a lot of ways.  I feel as though it’s given me the opportunity to help people who have helped me throughout my entire life.  It’s given me the ability to help my friends in that I always am hosting their shows and because I have so many artist friends it’s a hard road to take, even for actors a lot times, it’s a hard road to take.  So it’s given me  such a great opportunity to be able to pay back a little bit of my debt with my friends and how much they’ve supported me through my life. Especially, my mom and my dad, it’s given me such a wonderful ability to be able to take them out to dinner, and to be able to do stuff for them.  I totally spoiled them this past Christmas.  They kept going, “We have to take this stuff back!  You’re giving us too much!”  I was like you’ve given me so much my entire life.  One Christmas is not going to hurt.  So, it’s changed my life definitely for the better.  I mean, its great working.  I love working.  So, it makes me so happy to have a job.

So I just wanted to know what it was like for you filming, especially the last scene in the last episode that we saw where Payson finds out the news that the doctor can’t operate on your condition.  I just want to know what it’s been like for you filming these emotional scenes so far.
The very emotional scenes are some of the most fun for me.  I’m not a huge, like, I’m not a big crier in my own life.  But for some reason, I can connect with the character and what they’re going through and just instantly be able to cry.  Especially this past episode, the one you guys just last saw, it’s clearly a very heartbreaking moment, not just for me, but my family as well. My little family unit on the show has really become like family to me.  So, seeing them going through that because of me, because of Payson’s pain and because of Payson’s heartbreak from another doctor, it’s so easy to connect in.  Those two, Brett and Peri make it so easy for me to be able to just sob.  It’s fun.  People think it isn’t fun, they think it’s like an emotional strain, but it’s enjoyable for us to film that kind of crying stuff.

What is your favorite TV show currently on, besides your own, of course.
My favorite TV show currently?  Hmmm.  I think I’m going to have to go with Sons of Anarchy.  It’s not in season right now, but it is one of the best shows I’ve seen on TV.  The other one I really, really love is Chuck on a totally different note.  They’re totally different.  But Chuck is so cute and so adorable on that show.  I love that even though it’s farfetched and it’s fun, in all of those actors’ faces you see that true feeling of pain.

If you could guest star on any show, which show would it be?
If I could guest star on any show, I would want to guest star on Brothers and Sisters.  That would be because of the actors on that show.  My God, Sally Field is amazing; Rob Lowe, also amazing.  They’ve just got some amazing people over there who are so great at the craft and I feel as though working with them I could learn so much.

That back brace looks really uncomfortable.  Is it hard having to act in that?
Oh, it is so uncomfortable!  It is awful!  I think it pushes on my liver or something.  It is just not good.  But, it makes it very easy to be in back pain, I’ll tell you that much.  I’m not pretending to be in back pain.  I made Peri put it on once and she was, like, “How do you breathe in this?  This is awful!” Yeah, that’s what I’m doing every day.

Valentine’s Day is coming up. Do you have any Valentine’s-related funny stories or do’s and don’ts for people?
My favorite Valentine’s story is when I was in elementary school there was a boy named Kalin, and he is going to kill me  if he ever reads this.  There was a boy named Kalin and he was my boyfriend, I’d say for five years.  So every Valentine’s Day, we did this whole Valentine’s Day exchange of cards and stuff.  It was just so sweet and so cute.  I think as a joke this year, I’m going to send him a Valentine because I keep cards just because people put their heart and soul into that kind of stuff.  So, I keep cards.  I’m going to send him one that he sent me from elementary school.

Emily tries to comfort Payson, telling her that she has been tossed from school to school before and she understands what Payson is going through. However, in true Payson form, she tells Emily that even if she had to deal with many different schools, she still had gymnastics. Payson says that she has nothing. It’s actually good to see Payson stand up for herself instead of being as perfect as she was before. She has lost everything, and going to real school isn’t fun for her (a fact in which she blatantly states to her mom over dinner that night).

And back in The Rock world, each girl is scrambling to come up with a routine for the open house. Emily is preoccupied reading bloggers comments about how she is unfit to become an Olympian. She can’t focus on practice and has no idea what to do for her routine. Her mom suggests that she own her story. She didn’t come from an elite gymnastics background but now she is thriving at The Rock, and she should tell her story because she has nothing to be ashamed of.

Kaylie and Nikki have to perform a duet together, and they continue to butt heads. Finally, Kaylie confronts him and explains that she works just as hard as everyone else and beat everyone in the country and she deserves to be where she is today. Nikki opens up and confesses that it’s hard to see her win the gold when he has been trying so hard and can only come in second place. They call a truce, and Kaylie says she has an idea for their routine: a bull-fight.

The next day is The Rock open house. Payson reluctantly attends to support her friends. First up is Lauren who does a hip-hop beam routine. This made me laugh because I have gone to or watched many gymnastics tours where this is the sort of thing they do. Clearly, Holly and the writers did their research. Next up is Emily, who told her story and did some great gymnastics. She explained that she didn’t learn any of this in a gym but she can do anything if she puts her mind to it. Last up is Nikki and Kaylie, who perform a dance and tumbling routine with a bull fighting theme. It’s at this point that Payson storms out. She runs into Sasha who tells her to find another dream, and to keep dreaming. Payson aptly replies “I’m done with dreaming.” She then goes to see her new (boy) friend and hangs out with his crew. He offers her a smoke, which she declines, but I don’t like that she is hanging out with these people. Earlier she skipped class with the boy and now she is blowing off her friends to hang out with him. Payson is a strong girl but she has suffered a devastating loss which leaves her vulnerable and susceptible to peer pressure. I hope she doesn’t cave into it.

After The Rock open house a little girl comes up to Emily and asks her for her autograph and tells her she got the picture from her fan site. The girl also tells Emily that her speech inspired her. This was a great moment, that may or may not have caused my eyes to water a little bit. The open house turned out to be a big success. Of course there is still Lauren and Carter drama going on — he’s still staying in her house, he got drunk towards the end of the episode, she really likes him — but I am sure all of that will play itself out over the course of the season.

I like the new Payson, but I hope she decides she wants to coach. I think that she really longs for the gym again and even if she can’t compete, this would be a decent compromise. Payson’s mom (Kim) is really getting the brunt of the anger and she clashes with Summer in this episode, who has taken over the gym. I like Summer’s new role but it seems like we haven’t seen much of her in the first few episodes of the season. I hope that she gets more involved with the girls. And Lauren…what can you say about Lauren? She is bound to reveal the secret of the cortisone, and the fact that Carter is staying with her. Regardless, I have really enjoyed what I have seen from the show in this (mid) season. There has been more gymnastics, and certainly more drama. I am wondering if there will be an Olympic trials somewhere down the line, but I’m sure that won’t be for quite some time. I’d like to see another competition though. Next week’s episode centers around Valentines Day, so I’m excited to see what happens.

Make It Or Break It airs Monday nights at 9 pm on ABC Family.

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ABC Family has renewed Make It Or Break It for a 2nd season! Sources at the network have informed me that they have been picked up for ten more episodes. It is slated for a summer premiere. In addition, there’s more great ABC Family news! Secret Life of the American Teenager has been picked up for a 3rd season, and 10 Things I Hate About You will be returning March 29th.

So expect more drama, more gymnastics, and more great-ness coming your way next summer!

Meanwhile, Razor has returned and Emily finally admits to him that she’s a gymnast. In addition, one of the National Team committee members informs Emily and her mom that she has to get a B in math to remain on the team. In steps Damon, the “mathlete” and new tutor (Emily’s mom asked him). It is clear he has romantic intentions, so I’m curious to see what happens in this love triangle. This episode also explored the interesting relationship with Emily and her mom. When taking her math exam (supervised by Summer), Summer shows Emily all the letters her mom sent to Marty to try and get her into The Rock. Emily slowly comes to realize that her mom has helped with her gymnastics career all along, and has always had her best intentions in mind.  

The other big storyline involves Kaylie continuing to grapple with the pressures of a National Champion. She decides she is going to tell her dad about her mom’s affair, but is unable to go through with it. She calls Carter for support and opens up to him about the pressures and Marty, and feeling like she isn’t in control of her own life. Kaylie starts to kiss Carter and things get a little heavy, but he stops it. He tells Kaylie he’s not giving up on her, and is always there if she needs him. I like that Carter is back in Kaylie’s life. I think he has a lot of making up to do, but in this case, he did the right thing. I hope their relationship will continue to develop.

Because Kaylie couldn’t go through with the Marty sabotage, the girls think up a new plan. They tell the new National team members several petty lies (he’s very hands-y, he has bad breath, don’t look him in the eye) to make Marty look bad. Sasha catches on to their plan, and is clearly disappointed in the girls. In an interesting twist, Kellie Parker reveals to Payson why Sasha wasn’t chosen: essentially because his star gymnast got a career ending injury. Payson goes to talk to Sasha, who reveals that a previous gymnast of his suffered a fall, appeared to be fine and then ended up dying. Sasha tells Payson that the girls look up to her, and she needs to be a leader. Throughout the episode, Sasha (and even Marty) asked Payson to coach, and she said she wasn’t interested. During this talk, it seems as if Sasha finally got through to her. She decides to talk to the girls and tells them they will all be going to the Olympics together–maybe not in the way they anticipated, but it would happen one way or another. Payson may have given in (in a sense) but that fire isn’t gone. While the National Team photo is being taken at the end of the episode, she turns to her mother and tells her she’ll be up there next year, as the new National Champion. (Way to go, Payson!)

I really enjoyed this episode. The return of Kellie Parker was great (she is always a good counter-bitch to Lauren), and I loved seeing Payson step up her role. I hope to see her back in the gym one day, but this was a good start. Also, Emily and her mother’s relationship has always been unique, and I enjoyed seeing this side of Emily’s mother. She seems like the perpetual screw up — always late, always forgetting things — but this episode brought her into a new light. In the scenes from the next episode, the girls hit Hollywood, and there’s more to Damon than we think. I am Damon girl myself, so I’m curious to see what happens. 

Make It Or Break It airs Monday nights at 9 pm on ABC Family.

At the end of last season, Emily was left with a lot of decisions. Where do you think she will fit in this season?
I think her qualifying for Nationals has given her more confidence but at the same time, she has more pressure to prove herself even. So I think Emily’s still struggling to fit in, she has a little bit of a boost, but (laughs) it’s still an issue for her.

And she was also just starting to make friends with the group. Do you think that’s going to continue?
I think with the subject matter being competition, it’s always going to be hard, you know, for these girls to fully get along. And yeah, I’m sure things are still going to come up. I think they all have a stronger base, and they’ve all bonded but that Lauren, I don’t know (laughs) I wouldn’t put anything past her.

(laughs) Do you think she’ll also start trusting her coach some more? She had just started to.
Yeah, I think that if Emily doesn’t trust her coach, she knows it’s all over, so she really doesn’t have a choice. If she doesn’t, then she’s back to square one, and probably not on the National team, so she has to learn how to do it.

Her dating life is very interesting.
It is (laughs).

What do you want to see from your character going forward?
I want Emily to have confidence, and build trust in people, and in herself. And I’d like to see her mom and her’s relationship chill out a little bit. I mean, it’s very on edge and so that all hopefully will be smoothed out a little bit soon.

Emily has a very interesting relationship with her family. Do you think they will become closer now after Nationals and everything else that has happened?
Yeah, I do. I really think so. I think that they have to be.

Do you want to tell us a little bit about what we might see in the upcoming episodes?
I’m not allowed to tell that much. I think that she’s got it hard for Damon, and it’s very interesting because he’s supposed to be going away to LA. So I just think that you know, her trust and everything is going to come into play again.

So have you had to do a lot of training in the interim to get back into gymnast-like shape?
Theoretically, yes. Actuality, no. You know, they gave us like a week of training before we started. We were all out of town, so we didn’t. So it’s kind of up to us to maintain and you know, people are going to hear me in my trailer doing squats and making sounds like “rrr” so yeah we try to maintain as much as we can, but it is hard.

Absolutely. And what are you most looking forward to in filming the second half of the season?
Just seeing what happens. We’re all like — we don’t get to know what happens until half way through filming the episode, we get the next episode, and we’re all like “oh my god, oh  my god, oh my god.” And the other day, we all got episode 12 [Ed. Note: Episode 2 of the mid-season] and we were all sitting on the gym floor reading it, quietly, all four of us with scripts in our hands, and you can hear Cassie going “Oh…my…God,” and I was like “Don’t tell me! Don’t tell me!” So we all get really into it.

Be sure to tune in tonight at 9 pm on ABC Family for the mid-season premiere of Make It Or Break It!

What about your role continues to challenge you?
Well, we have a great team of writers. I feel like our characters are always developing. Kaylie started off as one thing and she’s now going into something else completely different. So I have different things that I have to deal with, different issues, different troubles that have to deal with these ten episodes that I didn’t have to in the last ten. In last ten episodes, Kaylie kind of played this golden girl, very naïve. I thought she was kind of—she’s really just soft and she’s now stepped into the role of national champion. And just dealing with all of those things that the writers are giving me, dealing with envy, having to be even more aggressive now because she actually has the title. I think that that’s very challenging because it’s just all different.

Have you had a memorable moment from filming the first ten episodes?
I’ve have a few memorable moments. I just saw this girl the other day. Actually, she was doing a stunt for me. I think only a handful of girls can do this in the entire country and I saw her do this amazing trick. It’s called a Double Arabian. I was able to see it first hand and it was incredible. I was like, “Wow!” I get to see this live. So those are just one of the many things on our set that we get to appreciate and enjoy.

Do you have a background in gymnastics? Did you like watching it?
I was a gymnast when I was younger. My parents put me in gymnastics and I was actually only good at the floor. I was terrible at everything else, especially beam. Unfortunately, you can’t be a gymnast unless you’re good at all of the apparatuses, so I became a competitive cheerleader. I was just the main tumbler for my squad. We competed in big state and national championships. We were on ESPN, did that whole thing. So I’m really knowledgeable about the world of gymnastics and the competitive nature of it and all of that. But unfortunately, I was only good at one of the things.

Has there been anything that you learned from cheerleading that has helped you with this role?
Yes. I think Kaylie is a huge performer. I think her best asset is floor because she’s just such a ham. If cheerleading taught me anything, it was performing. Cheerleaders, they know how to spice it up. They know how to ham it up for the fans and Kaylie definitely does that for her audiences as well.

Now that Kaylie is national champion, she has a lot more responsibilities, distractions, stuff like that. What do you want to see from your character going forward in terms of handling all those new things?
It’s kind of funny answering this question because we’ve already filmed six episodes. What do I want to see? Honestly, I’m pretty happy the way that she’s been handling all of this, what the writers are writing. I didn’t know what to expect after winning the national championship. I didn’t know if it was going to be a good thing or a bad thing because it could have been a negative thing in terms of she would just—once you’ve won the national championship, like well, kind of just give up on the rest because she’s already number one. But actually, she’s working a lot harder. She’s becoming more and more focused as a gymnast. In the last episode, she shed her father and Carter and everything else that was a distraction. And it’s kind of kept that way so far. Like I said, we’ve only filmed six episodes, so we have another four to film. But so far, she’s remained really focused and very, very dedicated to gymnastics, which is what I was hoping for.

And are we going to see more of Kaylie/Carter drama?
Yes, you are. Carter is definitely not going anywhere. He cheated on her, but you can’t help what you feel. And Carter was Kaylie’s first love and even though he hurt her, she’s still in love with him. So you will see a lot more of Kaylie and Carter.

That’s good to hear. And there are lot of gymnasts on set. I know you mentioned that and probably some at least national champions. Did you talk to them about your new role on the show and how that impacted them?
Yes, we have I think one of our gymnasts, she’s absolutely incredible. She’s the most decorated college athlete in the United States and she’s won I don’t know how many national championships. I’ve talked to her and she says that you just kind of have to let everything go, let everything around you go because once you become national champion and I see it in these episodes, so much follows that, endorsement money and parties for celebrities, just a lot, a lot of distractions. And she says that she just kind of had to remember what she used to do before she won anything. And if you keep to that formula, that’s what works. And if you keep that, then you’re going to continue to be successful. So I’ve seen the writers try to cast Kaylie for sure with celebrity, I guess, privileges and it’s interesting to see how she deals with it.

How is Payson’s fractured back factor into this season?
Well, up until now, Payson will still have a broken back. That hasn’t changed. It’s interesting how the writers have kind of still kept Payson such a part of the Rock. Yes, she has a different life now. She’s obviously no longer a gymnast, but she’s still an active member of the Rock in a different way. And she has her own life now away from the Rock and they’ve incorporated Emily and Kaylie and Lauren into her life outside of the Rock as well. So we’re still in the gym a lot, but when we go out of it, it’s mostly for Payson. So I think you get a nice balance there.

What would you say is Kaylie’s biggest obstacle in following her gymnastics career even though she just won the gold?
I would say right now it’s not getting caught up in the hype. When Kaylie comes back from nationals, the entire town of Boulder, the city of Boulder is just going nuts and is celebrating the huge win for Boulder. Her coach is excited. Everyone is just so excited for her and she does get an agent and her agent is piling up her plate with so much that it’s just hard to focus on gymnastics when there’s so many other things going on in her life. And I think that’s going to be her biggest obstacle, just staying grounded and staying focused and remembering why she is the national champion.

So with Kaylie getting the first place, are we going to see some guilt on her part because of Payson’s injury?
Definitely. Like I said, Kaylie is dealing with a lot and that is a huge issue. You’ll see it right from the beginning. Kaylie feels very guilty for winning the national championship because half the time, she doesn’t even think she deserved it. And the then other half of the time, she’s thinking she took it from her best friend, so she’s really torn. And for the first few episodes, she can’t even enjoy the privileges of being the national champion. So, yes, it’s a struggle for sure with Kaylie and her and Payson have to go through some things before they can reconcile and Kaylie can step into the light of being the national champion.

Speaking of friendship, are we going to see Kaylie forgive Lauren?
It’s funny because we’ve only filmed six episodes, so I’m very curious to see what’s going to come in the next four because Lauren is still Lauren. Kaylie does forgive her at some point. She forgives, but she never forgets. The writers are still making comments about what happened between Lauren and Carter. So you could see that Kaylie does forgive Lauren at one point, but it’s still in the back of her mind and it’s kind of like you hurt me once and I’ll forgive you, but I’m watching my back. Lauren, like I said, Lauren is still Lauren doing her very evil thing. So I don’t know what’s going to happen in the next four episodes and how Kaylie will react when she finds out. There’s only so much I can say about that.

Were you nervous to work with Candace or Peri like considering their TV experience?
I was more excited then nervous. I remember watching Candace on Full House and I was little. I grew up on her and I remember when I first got the call that she was going to be on the show, the first person I called was my little brother. He’s a year and a half younger than me. I was like, “Guess what?” and he was so excited. He knew that we had already film the pilot and the pilot had gotten picked up and I had not heard him as excited as when I told him that Candace was going to be on the show. He was like, “Oh, my God, now you really made it.” So I was more excited than nervous and I kind of felt like such a dork because once I got to know her a little bit, I just bombarded her with questions about Full House and what it was like and all of those things. So not so much nervous, but really excited.

Are we going to see Kaylie’s family built up again in the next ten episodes?
Yes, the immediate answer right now is yes, but that’s all subject to change. They’ve kind of set it up so it will change. It’s funny because right now after having just finished the sixth episode, we’re at this point where you don’t know what’s going to happen between Ronnie and Alex, my parents. I’m very curious to see what is going to come in the next episode. But as of right now, the Cruz family has really kind of bonded together. My dad is having a hard time stepping back from the spotlight and not managing me. He kind of lets my agent take that position. And it’s really helped Kaylie’s relationship with her father and also the relationship between Ronnie and Alex having him step down from that spot and letting to go to somebody else. So right now, all is good. But who knows what the next four episodes will bring?

The cast actually seems to be pretty close. Is there a fun fact you can tell us about each of your costars maybe?
Well, Ayla is a certified cake maker, so she’s kind of like our Martha Stewart who we love and adore. Cassie, I can’t even like say Cassie’s name without laughing. Cassie is like the—she’s the glamorous one on set. She’s the one that will walk on set wearing her leotard and like the heels that she brought on to work today. It looks absolutely ridiculous and hilarious, but that’s Cassie and that’s why we love her. She always has the funny comments and the things that you’re just like, “Really, did you really just say that?” So we’re just constantly laughing with her. Chelsea, what can I say about Chelsea? She’s the momma of the group. I was sick one time and she literally made me a list of what I had to buy from Whole Foods to get better quickly. It was like wellness formula. She introduced me to all of these different vitamins and literally wrote them out, so I could go that day to Whole Foods and buy all of these things to get better quickly. She’s definitely the momma of the group, so we’re lucky to have her.

You also mentioned that now since Payson is injured; you guys will be outside of the gym. Does that mean you get to film off set?
Yes, we’ve actually gotten to film on location a couple of times, a lot more actually, a lot more these ten episodes than ever before. A lot of it is because of Payson has her own life outside of the gym and they’ve incorporated us into that. So most of why we go on location is due to Payson.

And now that the first ten episodes have aired, do you get recognized more when you’re out and about?
Yes, I definitely do. It’s kind of strange. I haven’t gotten completely used to it yet. I’m actually home right now for the holidays. I’m in Miami. I’ve been recognized actually every day since I’ve been here the past three days a few times here and there. My family, they’re such hams. They love it so much. I’m more kind of weirded out by it still. I mean it’s completely flattering, but you’re not used to it, but they love it. My brothers and sisters, my mom, they get such a kick out of it. As long as I can give them a laugh, that’s what counts, I guess.

Do you have any message for your fans?
I’ve always said the first ten episodes that we got picked up by the network and they thought that this was a show that could be really good. So that’s why they picked us up for the next ten. But these back ten episodes, these were picked up because the fans liked it and they wanted it back. And I’m just so thankful that we have such a large following who are so committed. And all I can say is thank you a thousand times over because if it wasn’t for them, we would not be on the air again coming back January 4th. So thank you, we appreciate it and we really do love them.

Now that you’re a hit, does that change how you approach things or how you feel about things going into this set of episodes?
Not really. I’ve kind of always had the motto you go to work and you give it 100% all the time and that hasn’t changed. I would say the only thing that has changed is how my life outside of set because our set is kind of like a second home. We spend so much time together and everyone gets along so, so well that that really hasn’t changed. The fact that we have such a great show, that our fans have come to love, that hasn’t affected anything on set. Everyone is so as humble and as nice as they were from the first day we walked on to our set. So that really hasn’t played a role in our everyday work life.

How would you describe your acting style? When you’re acting, are you thinking about your own experiences or how does that work for you?
It’s kind of complicated. I had a really great acting teacher who taught me a lot of different things. It just depends on the scene. Usually if I have a really emotional scene, which Kaylie loves to cry, it just depends. If I can plug into it immediately, just because we have such good writers and they write so well, sometimes it’s just very easy to tap into what they write. But other times it’s not. I use what my acting teacher calls a 50/50. So I’ll plug in people that I know in my life, people that I love, maybe a family member or a best friend, I’ll plug them into this situation instead of, let’s say, Payson or Lauren. I’ll plug in somebody else to that situation and it makes it a lot easier for me to get emotional about that. But other times when I’m completely reaching and I’m not getting the emotion to where I want to be, I’ll create scenarios that get me emotional. If you just think about the core emotion of the scene because every scene has a core emotion, whether it’s happiness or loss or frustration. And if you could think of a moment where that was the core emotion, whatever it might be, that makes it easier to tap into that scene. Even though my scenario might not have anything to do with what’s going on in the scene, as long as the core emotion is the same, then it helps. And then the scene can go from there. So there’s a lot of different things that I use. Actually, music helps a lot, too. A lot of the times I’ll pick a song that kind of goes with the scene. It’s really difficult. I just actually had a scene with Carter in the second episode. I have a heavy scene with him and I picked this song that just went perfectly with the scenario. That helped so much, so just a combination of a lot of different things.

What would you say is the biggest factor contributing to your success?
It’s hard to put it into words. I think that I was raised by two of the best people ever. My mother and father are just the definition of hard work, like what hard work brings to you. They’ve taught me and my brothers and sisters to set your goals high and to give everything to reach them. They taught me what work ethic is, what discipline is and what it gets you.  My dad, my mom not so much, but my father came here from Cuba with absolutely nothing and literally worked his way to the top. He’s taught me and all of us that. I think that’s kind of gotten me to where I am now and I’m eternally grateful to them. Yes, there’s not much that I can say, but my parents just really taught me well and I have everything to thank for them.

Playing a national champion on the show and being a successful actress in real life, do you have advice for a fan who has really big dreams?
Yes, I think everyone has dreams and it’s just how you go about pursuing that. And I think anybody can do anything that they set their mind to. So if you set your mind to do something and you exhaust every opportunity, I think you’re going to get there. I mean it’s just about working really hard and staying very focused, not letting the distractions get to you because especially the older you get, the more distractions you have, whether it’s boyfriends or girlfriends or nightlife and just trying to strip yourself of all of that. I’m not saying if you work hard, you can play hard, too. But especially at first, just kind of being completely dedicated to one thing and even if it’s something small; I think it’s very important to do something towards your goal every day. Whether it’s reading a little bit of a script or memorizing half of your monologue. It could even be as simple as doing an improv game with a friend if acting is what you want do. But if you do one thing every day towards your goal, it’s going to happen.

I’m curious to find out how you think Kaylie’s relationship is going to change over the next ten episodes with Lauren and Payson and Emily.
Well, the fact that she’s national champion kind of puts a strain on their relationship. There’s a lot of jealousy issues that come to play and it really tries their friendship. Lauren is a different case completely because she’s – I don’t even know how to describe Lauren. But with Payson and Emily, it’s really about whether their friendship can stand this and whether Kaylie has the character to not let this get to her head and remember who her friends throughout all of this. But definitely being the national champion puts a serious strain on her friendships.

Is there any show that’s on TV at the moment that you would want to star in, like guest star?
I’d give anything to work with Tina Fey on 30 Rock.

Be sure to tune in tonight at 9 pm on ABC Family for the mid-season premiere of Make It Or Break It!