Make It or Break It – What would all those Olympians be doing in Colorado?

Summer camp, lollypops, parties, exotic trips … for some reason this season of Make It or Break It is about everything other than gymnastics. Of course the characters should be more than one dimensional, but didn’t we sign up to watch a show about gymnasts? I don’t remember the contract I received saying anything about stereotypical teenage angst.

The uniqueness of this show was that it revolved around four female athletes. We spend our sports-obsessed lives rooting for professional men’s team all over the world; here was a show that was so focused on the girls of The Rock that the guys were complete afterthoughts.

At least they once were. At first I thought the addition of Austin Tucker (Zane Holtz) to the show was meant to give the men’s side of the gym some meat. But now I see that he’s only around to reinforce the new focus of the show: dating, drama, and giggles.

Not to mention the poor self-image message a stick-thin Kaylie fasting and exercising sends to teenage girls everywhere. She isn’t your average teen who thinks she’s let herself go. Even before the up-tick in exercise she was lean, fit, healthy, and mindful of her diet and exercise regiments. The only message that this sends — regardless of the fact that the point of the arc is that it will end badly for Kaylie — is that “thin” no longer means what it once did. So bravo for that.

We extended a warm welcome back to Emily’s brother Brian (Wyatt Smith) last night, making what I believe was only his second appearance on the show this season. I thought a big thing about Emily’s story was the added pressure her family, including her wheelchair-bound brother, piled on her. So how come the only thing we’ve been “enjoying” this season is Chloe?

Whatever minimal respect I developed for Carter last week disappeared shortly after he told Lauren “Your behavior is a turnoff.” I didn’t realize they had only been fighting; I thought he’d manned up and dumped her. So much for waking up. Lauren’s “apology” to Emily at the party was completely transparent.

I don’t understand why Kaylie is still stuck in Lauren’s web, where any and all of Lauren’s wild insinuations hit home with Kaylie. I don’t understand why Payson, the champion, trudges around after everyone. And I didn’t understand STI, which apparently is the new STD — infections have been swapped in for diseases. Since when? Is that a hip thing that only those “in the know” know?

Sasha and Summer’s first date was cute. I don’t know why the writers felt the need to ruin it with Chloe and Steve, not to mention with Lauren begging Summer to get back with Steve, but when they were on their own they were cute. And no proselytizing, so that was great. But the Summer/Lauren/Chloe/Steve rectangle is annoying.

And of course Chloe walked in on Lauren and Carter in bed, and of course she’s going to swear to keep Lauren’s secret and then go to Summer about it, who’ll then go to Lauren about it. When will someone stand up to this sixteen-year-old whiner and put her in her place?

And when will Make It or Break It get back to season one form? What do you think about where the show’s focus is now?

Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Aug 04, 2010 @ 13:00 EST5EDT