I breathed a deep sigh of relief when last night’s episode of Make It or Break It ended. Whether that was a season or mid-season finale, it’s the end for me. After championing the show throughout the first half of its premiere season, calling on ABC Family to pick it up when its fate was uncertain, and riding the wave that was season one part two, I’m finished. This second season has been an unmitigated disaster, and at some point enough has to be enough.
Last night’s finale was insane. Emily had a court date set for her medicine stealing, and of course it conflicted with tryouts for Worlds. Enter Not-Razor, whose pleas to his step-dad (Boy Meets World’s William Russ) fixed everything with the judge. By the way, Russ’ guest spot was about the only thing good about the entire hour.
Anyway, a call to the Rock to confirm Emily’s status as an elite athlete found Ellen Beals answering the phone, because Sasha had been suspended. Ellen, who hates Emily, suggested that Emily was due to learn a lesson. Ignoring the fact that her opinion shouldn’t matter, what’s her problem? I’m thinking it has to be one of two things. Either she was an Emily when she was a gymnast, and her lack of money and a good background left her falling short, so she hates seeing Emily succeed where she failed. Or she was a Payson or a Kaylie, and she experienced the sting of an Emily inexplicably surpassing her. Either way, she needs to grow up.
Mark Keeler didn’t want Payson involved with Sasha anymore after the crush incident. Then he came to his senses and rented a tiny private gym for them to work out in. This, of course, ignored Ellen Beals’ declaration that anyone training with him wouldn’t be eligible for Worlds. She may be totally disgusting, but Ellen does carry some weight in the world of US gymnastics. Sasha and Mark did have a nice moment together, though.
Kaylie’s still under the deluded impression that her championship is the only thing holding her parents marriage together. I don’t know if that was more ridiculous than Austin professing his “could be” love for her, but if not it’s a close second. How well-choreographed for her to collapse when all she was doing was running through a routine or two for the judges. Not during all of those intense workouts … just perfectly so that Austin could catch her in his arms.
Summer and Sasha almost having sex was absurd, but it was obviously topped by the scene in the Church. Summer asking for a sign from above, and Steve’s “let us pray” moment, should have been an embarrassment to a person like Candace Cameron Bure, who holds her religion so dear to her.
Nice guest spot by Bela Karolyi as Sasha’s father Dmitri. Like the US gymnasts who appeared in Payson’s tribute video, that was a great use of a famous name in gymnastics, and also something that played well in the existing plot. Too bad those moments are so few and far between on the show.
Does anyone know where Kelly Parker is? I know she injured her wrist at some meet or another, but I wasn’t aware that she was out for good. I don’t believe that she wouldn’t have at least been present to see the tryouts, or that no one would have thought to mention her. If Kaylie gets a spot held for her, the least someone could have done is say “Too bad Kelly Parker won’t be there.”
I thought it curious that Payson was given a full spot on the six-member roster, as opposed to having her as #7, the gymnast who gets in if Kaylie falls out. That would have made more sense considering the fact that Payson’s only mastered one apparatus thus far, and it also would have created some good plotting and drama for later when it came down to Kaylie or Payson.
The show enters the hiatus with Kaylie in the hospital, Emily in jail, Sasha leaving town (why?), and Summer back with Steve (how?). For those of you still into the show, I hope those plots play out well for you.
By the way, what in the world was up with all of the dramatic slow-motion and the ever-present musical score? On second thought, who cares? … I’m out!
Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Sep 01, 2010 @ 14:00 EST5EDT
I wondered the same thing about Kelly.
And I kept wondering about the accuracy of the Payson storyline. Is it realistic for a gymnast to make it to Worlds with a routine that doesn’t seem to feature a single acrobatic move (from what I can see?
I will probably watch it when/if it returns…if nothing else is on.
*POST AUTHOR*
Exactly! And her specializing makes no sense … if Payson’s to become a different kind of gymnast, that needs to be applied to all of her routines. This isn’t swimming where she can just show up for her preferred event.
That was Sasha plan until Lauren’s subterfuge led to his departure.I fear very much that Payson is vulnerable to whatever Ellen Beals plan do to when the show returns in March/April of 2011.
*POST AUTHOR*
On the positive side, it might provide Kim with more of an opportunity to shine, if she’s battling for her daughter with Ellen. But I agree that Ellen Beals is far from through meddling in that gym and their lives.