The TV Chick

As readers probably know by now, I was at Comic Con last week and couldn’t write my review of Make It Or Break It. But not to worry, I am back! And ready to talk about my favorite Rock gymnasts. To recap, last week was The Rock awards banquet where Summer gets drunk, Becca Keeler is going to train to be an elite while Payson struggles with becoming an artistic gymnast, Lauren is a total biotch to Emily yet manages to win The Rocky (congeniality award) because her dad clearly faked the results, and Kaylie wants to lose weight to be able to do harder moves like the Chinese gymnast. I have a very strong opinion on this storyline but I’ll talk more about that later. And there is some Summer/Sasha making out! Yay! 

Last night’s episode “I Won’t Dance, Don’t Ask Me” centers around the elite gymnasts (including Payson) getting new floor routines. Of course, there is drama when Lauren and Emily vie for the same choreographer and she chooses Emily. There is even more drama when Lauren steals Emily’s moves at the big presentation to prove she is better than her. Sasha takes Payson out to the ballet (despite Summer’s big hints she’d like to go) to change her perceptions about what body type fits the ballerina mold. In the ballet, the swan must be reborn to become a woman. It symbolizes becoming what you are meant to be. She is so inspired, and realizes that she is perfectly capable of being an artistic gymnast and changing her ways. Way to go Payson!

Kaylie asks her parents to be her co-managers, which really just ends up backfiring in her face because they fight all the time. The end result is Kaylie’s ridiculous mix of classical and techno floor music and her crazy awful moves at the presentation. But it’s not Kaylie’s falling apart family that is plaguing her. She is running 10 miles a day, and eating barely anything and no one seems to notice. This was happening a bit the last episode, because Kaylie wants to lose weight to complete the harder moves. The show is treading a fine line with this storyline. I love Kaylie, and she has seemed like the healthiest gymnast on the show. Healthy, not as in fat, but as in a healthy attitude and lifestyle. I realize that eating disorders happen in elite gymnastics, and athletes are definitely at risk. I don’t have any problem with them going down this route for Kaylie (although I am a bit sad), I just really hope they avoid cliches. However, I can understand what lead her to this, so it doesn’t come out of left field. Her life is falling apart a bit and she has a lot of pressure to maintain her national championship title. If she does get a more serious eating/over-exercising disorder, I hope to see her get counseling, or some sort of help. On TV shows (My favorite childhood sitcom Full House and also Saved By The Bell comes to mind), these stories get glossed over, wrapped in a bow and sent on their way. I think Make It Or Break It has tackled some tough, dramatic storylines with a lot of grace and I really hope this one is not an exception. That said, Josie Loren is doing a fantastic job playing Kaylie and dealing with the challenges life is throwing at her.

In Emily’s world, she is struggling to let go and nail her dance moves. After a late night practice, she grabs a slice of pizza with Austin Tucker. It’s not a date as they both so firmly declare. Austin tells Emily to take risks, and feel comfortable spending money on herself. Of course, Lauren catches her and blabs to the other girls. After Lauren steals her dance moves, Emily comes out and performs the same ones, with a great deal of fortitude and grace. She shows Lauren! Go Emily! I am so Team Kmetko! I feel like I should make a shirt…Anyway, Carter tells Lauren what she did to Emily was really terrible, and her bad side is really scary. He can’t tell her he loves her because she does things like what she did to Emily. Wow, harsh words, Carter. But I agree with you. Lauren needs to do some self evaulation if she wants to be a good friend again and find love.

At the end of the episode, Payson practices a new, graceful ballerina routine. Ayla Kell’s ballet dancing training must have come into play here. I am really enjoying this new Payson. I also can’t wait to see some sisterly rivalry in the gym once she is back to her old form. I really enjoy episodes where the girls are in the gym, and the dancing was great. What I liked the most is that you could tell it was really them on the dance moves because they are capable of doing basic dance as opposed to really difficult tumbling. All of the cast did great! I like the way this season is going (as there isn’t many episodes left until the hiatus). They are set up for another big competition (most likely) and they are gearing up for the Olympics, even if they are years away. The Kaylie plot has really been the only storyline out of all of the episodes of this show that I have been wary of. And I was a big fan of the TV movie The Perfect Body (which quite ironically, Chelsea Hobbs was in!) which centers around an eating disorder and gymnastics. I have the utmost faith in the creators and executive producers to resolve this storyline well, I just hope Kaylie is able to face her problems head on and become the champion she deserves to be. I also love the Summer and Sasha romance, and I can’t wait to see their official first date. There is a side of me that wants him to partially corrupt her, and go against her religious beliefs (as Neil Jackson, who plays Sasha on the show so eloquently put it on Twitter: bedroom gymnastics), but this is an ABC Family show after all. I look forward to what lies ahead.

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