And yet, I’m seriously enjoying her. This is Julia Stiles, 2.0, people. You’ve got to embrace it when that kind of anomaly transpires.
So, good stuff this week on Make It or Break It. I wrote last week about the show needing to keep a good balance; I think the punishment that the girls received, which involved both gymnastics and their personal lives, really solidified the show’s ability to not get lost in athletics, while still not giving us too much teen-angst. Sure, it’s there in the form of the Kaylie (Josie Loren) / Lauren (Cassie Scerbo) / Carter (Zachary Abel) triangle, to name but one saga, but Payson’s (Ayla Kell) habit of irritatingly staying focused on gymnastics alone, focuses the entire show with it.
I suppose I can understand why Emily (Chelsea Hobbs) wants to keep her job a secret from the people at the Rock. As arbitrary as it may seem to me, if the rules say no outside job, there’s no further discussion needed. But, why was she so adamant about hiding her gymnastics from her co-workers? I get shyness, but this seemed like something more, like maybe she’s had a bad experience with all of that somewhere in the past. But then she goes and does a standing tuck, or whatever, in the middle of the Pizza Shack. Weird.
I’m psyched that Peri Gilpin (Payson’s mom, Kim) is being given a larger role on the show, by assuming the managers position at the Rock. It would have been surprising for her to be nothing more than another one of the parents, but you never know what actors will sign on for. It also means that we get less of Steve (Lauren’s dad, played by Anthony Starke), which would be nice. Then again, losing authority at the Rock could make him worse. I’m not really sure if this show needs a slimeball.
I see a little blonde versus brunette shaping up in the gym: Lauren and Payson against Kaylie and Emily. Sure, it wouldn’t appear that way now (I’m not really sure how everyone just forgave Lauren for destroying the gym over her own selfishness, but whatever), but it’s coming. Once Kaylie finds out about Lauren and Carter, which she’s bound to, she’ll turn on Lauren, only to remember that Emily alone has really stood by her as a friend.
Meanwhile, Payson’s so focused on gymnastics, that personal stuff like betrayal doesn’t really seem to phase her (certainly not like someone risking releasing their hormones by having sex does. The horror!) Lauren’s focused too, and she and Payson will naturally migrate towards one another. Lauren has problems with Emily as it is, and Payson doesn’t really care, one way or the other, so long as no one disturbs her. Oh yeah; it’s shaping up to be a clique war.
But, what about what Lauren did to Emily in the premiere, moving the board to intentionally cause her to screw up the vault? That’s not personal crap; that could have been fatal. Working all of the variables around in my mind, I can’t think of a reason for anyone to end up finding out, short of an admission by Lauren (unlikely), or some random person in the crowd that day who saw it, and decides to blackmail Lauren and Steve (smells like a winner).
It’s an issue that seriously better come to light, but also one that shouldn’t be dealt with in a typical teen-show sort of way. It’s a really serious thing that she did … this wasn’t just overstepping the bounds of healthy competitiveness. The silent treatment from her friends, and a short suspension from the Rock, is the wrong way to drive that storyline. Expulsion from USA Gymnastics, and a possible prison term, would be more like it. I only hope that the writers have the resolve to do right by Emily, and us.
Lost in my piece last week was any real mention of the new coach at the Rock, Sasha Beloff (Neil Jackson). First of all, is that it for Coach Marty (Erik Palladino)? I hope not. But, I wouldn’t want him to bump Sasha out. He’s one of those nuts who will evolve into a really interesting character, involving himself, in a natural way, in the lives of both the athletes, and the parents, at the Rock. I still wonder if Jackson simply can’t hide his British accent, but, either way, I like his addition to the show.
It would have been great if he’d caught Carter and kicked him out of the gym (and the city?), but, I can wait. That idiot won’t stay out of trouble for long.
Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Jul 15, 2009 @ 11:01 EST5EDT
Four episodes in and the grouchily indifferent Payson is definitely my favorite character.
I just thought Emily didn’t want to stand out in any way at work: do her shifts, earn money for her family and not draw attention from the customers and her co-workers. Not-Razor seemed to charm both mother and daughter into relaxing their guard.
All the adult characters seem to be little more than caricatures at this point in time, the notable exception being Kim and Mark who specifically said they had made the decision not to be stage (show?) parents. Hopefully the show will add depth to all the parents eventually.
Payson was upset over the possible hormonal trigger, but also when admonishing Lauren that she didn’t deserve an apology from Kaylie due to her own betrayal. So she’s not completely unfeeling.
I think you’re in for a disappointment if you’re hoping for the springboard sabotage to come up again. If it did, it would require criminal charges and a permanent ban from competition. Also, Lauren specifically timed the move when the crowd was watching another girl running toward the vault, so to say that said random person was not only watching Lauren instead, but had photographic or video evidence of the quick jotting of her pencil, would break at least my suspension of disbelief.
I wasn’t sure if I would like Sasha at first, because his introductory speech was atrocious, but I appreciate his perceptiveness and spontaneity. I don’t think he was ever intended to have a Russian accent. The character may have a Ukrainian name, but he was most likely raised in England to have that accent. He does mention in one episode that he left England to join the Romanian team, and one of the girls says in another scene that she hopes he’ll go back to England.
*POST AUTHOR*
I’m enjoying Payson too … I just thought the title was catchy ;-)
It actually could very well be that, as opposed to being caricatures OF teen-athlete parents, this is what they’re really like. Think about it: they need to endless supplies of cash, which could result in a lot of vanity, self-indulgence, cluelessness, etc. I don’t know if there’ll be more TO them, as opposed to just more OF them.
You’re probably right about the springboard incident; I just feel, in my sense of right and wrong, that Lauren needs to get what’s coming to her. I think it will come up, but she probably won’t be “punished” for it.
I wasn’t looking for Sasha to have a Russian accent. I just found it funny that he’d have a British one, of all things. Plus, considering the days he’d have been a gymnast, the Soviet Block is likely the best place for him to have been. It was just something that stuck out to me.