I really enjoyed this week’s episode of Make It Or Break It. After a couple of weeks of getting back into gear, the Rock girls’ story lines (involving not only their gymnastics, but also their personal struggles) are beginning to take form.
In a refreshing departure from the typical “You stole my man” drama that is often present between characters in shows like these, the Payson/Max/Lauren situation takes a different route. Here, instead of Payson getting mad at Lauren (or vice-versa) for pursing Max, each girl handles her “relationship” with him separately. As in gymnastics, this is a competition (at least it seems that way for Lauren). I really appreciate Payson’s maturity when it comes to Max and Lauren, because while she could have frozen Lauren out for doing the risqué photo shoot, she simply decided not to bother with Max anymore. (And yeah, I know Lauren “called dibs on Max,” but that’s only because she was threatened because he couldn’t take his eyes off Payson when they first met.)
However, there are a bunch of other relationships that appear to be on Rock-y (sorry, I had to!) ground.
The first is Emily and Damon. I’m not saying that Damon did anything wrong by involving Kaylie in his song writing and performing with her — in fact, that was a very nice thing he did, coming with her to Maeve’s funeral and assisting her with her own writing. Nor did Emily look too devastated when Kaylie and Damon performed together, just a bit weirded out. It’s just that, in this particular situation, both Kaylie and Damon are kind of lost, floating in an unhappy place, and they each need an anchor. Kaylie is dealing with her friend’s death, and also coming to terms with her own illness. Damon has less to actually be upset about — for one thing, he’s been given a free studio to record in! — except for the fact that Emily is, as he puts it, “in solitary confinement” and cannot see him or she’ll lose her scholarship. So what are two forlorn teenagers to do, other than confide in each other? When a trusting friendship is born among people with a common affliction (loneliness, confusion, lack of self-confidence), falling in love is the next logical step … unfortunately for Emily. (I am of the When Harry Met Sally camp that men and women can never really be friends without an ulterior motive getting in the way.)
The second relationship that needs a crash cart, and quick, is that between coach Darby and the Rock girls (and their moms, for that matter). Darby’s too interested in being a friend that she forgets how to be an authority figure. Payson, as level-headed as she is in most other aspects of the show, does not hold back when it comes to giving Darby a piece of her mind. She is acting a little bit petty, but in reality, she’s right. Darby should not have taken the girls to the Pizza Shack to see Damon play, nor should she have encouraged Payson to do a vault move she hadn’t sufficiently trained for.
I can’t believe that Darby didn’t even think to tell the parents where they were going when they left the gym. That was just foolish on her part for two reasons: one, because as a coach you have to gain trust and respect among the families you’re working with; and two, because a good coach doesn’t always do what the team wants, but what he or she thinks is best. In a flurry of emotions, Darby insisted on a sleepover. In another flurry of emotions, she let the girls decide that they were going to go out. She should have realized that sticking to her first plan, despite a few eye-rolls and grudges, would have made a bigger statement than taking the girls out that night. As Payson says, “A real coach isn’t afraid to be the bad guy if she has to be.”
And, as irritating as “gym moms” (or any parents who get too involved in their kids’ sport, to the detriment of the kid’s independence) can be, I probably would have done the same thing as Kim when I realized that Payson could get seriously injured again if she attempted a vault she had not mastered.
The third relationship that’s failing, at least for me? The one between Lauren and Summer. Not because Lauren’s a brat, because we knew that already. It’s because Summer is so weak! Sure, she said Lauren couldn’t go shopping after school, and she made her clean her room, which is a start. But when it comes to practically nude photo shoot … that’s when she decides to hide it from her dad? Well, she and Steve are both spineless when it comes to Lauren. How ironic that Steve didn’t want to lie to Summer again, yet Summer’s making exceptions for Lauren too. Lauren says, “How can I trust you again?” and Summer gets that look in her eye and caves.
Why does Lauren’s trust equal keeping a secret from her father when she does something irresponsible? Summer should know better. Trust — seemingly one of the themes of this episode — is built from being fair and consistent, and for enforcing boundaries when needed. (Same goes for Darby’s coaching.) I was really glad Summer actually came to her senses when catching Lauren at the Pizza Shack: “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, I’m an idiot, and you’re in big trouble with your father!”
I had two favorite scenes in this episode. The first was, obviously, Damon and Kaylie’s performance. She sang beautifully. Like J Lo said to Jacob last week on Idol, “I didn’t want you to give me the chills, but you did!” Yep, I got chills against my will from Kaylie’s portion of the song. It was haunting, especially since we knew she was thinking about Maeve. (I’m not sure whether I would have done the same thing Kaylie did — run away from Maeve’s funeral in order to avoid speaking there — but I understand why she did. She didn’t want to perpetuate a lie about her friend; yet she didn’t feel it was her place to tell the truth.)
My second favorite scene was during the competition against Pinewood, when the “scrappy underdogs” literally wiped the mats with the Rock rebels. Was it because Pinewood had improved? Because the Rock girls were distracted? Or because their coach isn’t inspiring them enough to come together as a team and be great? In any case, a change is necessary for the Rock to succeed at the Hungary invitational. (On a side note, I really liked the song playing during the meet: Superchick‘s “Still Here.”)
“You didn’t tell me Dallas was coming to the Rock!” — Chloe, to Emily
“You didn’t tell me you were working in a strip club.” — Emily, to her mother
“Well, I guess we’re even then.” — Chloe
“OK, breezy and relaxed … OK, the Mona Lisa looks more relaxed than you.” — Max, coaching Payson on loosening up for her head shot
Clacked by Rachel Blum-Jose 
on Apr 19, 2011 @ 13:00 EST5EDT
