The TV Chick

The title of this week’s Make It Or Break It reminds me of Party Down, but I digress. This episode centers around The Rock’s open house event. Kaylie and Nikki seem opposed to the event at first and aren’t getting along as usual. They don’t really get the need to stop practice and put on a show. Meanwhile, Payson is forced to go to a regular high school. Of course, her first class turns out to be gym, where they are practicing tumbling. The Queen Bee at school demonstrates a round off-back handspring (screwing up the landing), and the gym teacher tells Payson to give her tips. Payson does so reluctantly and has quickly become the outcast. In her adventures at school, she meets a really uppity girl who wants her to join Astronomy Club, and a new boy. The new boy/possible love interest seems just as displeased with high school as Payson is. In fact, they even cut class together. To Payson’s surprise, Lauren, Emily and Kaylie pick her up from school and Lauren and Kaylie decide to show up the Queen Bee by showing them how to really tumble. However, it doesn’t seem like Payson enjoyed it at all. She catches up with her friends and they suspect there’s a new boy, but she doesn’t seem to want to hang out with them. That was her old life, this is her new one (even if she hates it).

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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