Proms are meant to make for beautiful memories that last a lifetime. That, or terribly cliched incidents like losing your virginity, the big fight, king and queen embarrassments, the ugly ducking shining … need I go on? Ignoring for the moment how that all gets watered down by having a prom after every grade — we only had a senior prom — are they usually laugh-a-minute riots? Because last night’s Make It or Break It prom sure was.
Starting with the date Carter wrangled for Lauren, a junior — emphasis on “junior” — medalist from the gym, all the way through the multiple slow-motion entrances and exits at the party, I couldn’t stop laughing at the entire thing. Something tells me that wasn’t the show’s intention.
Everything was just so silly. Ike showing up for Payson — it wasn’t surprising that he wasn’t done just yet — as the assembled crowd cried foul at the sight of him at a school function. Lauren first deducing that Steve was dating Emily. Emily’s slo-mo run after Not-Razor. Everybody applauding for Payson. I’m sorry if I missed all of the feel good, but if that sentiment was there it went right over my head.
As I imagine did the reference Lauren made, surely one that she herself wouldn’t have gotten. “This is totally going to be like a John Hughes movie.” … Does she even know what that means?
Lauren’s dress misunderstanding was funny, even if she was disgusting about the entire thing. From the moment she saw it in the back of Steve’s car it was obviously going to be embarrassing, but I didn’t expect the gold we got at the Tanner house when she was getting dressed. Anyone else get a little bit of a creepy vibe during that scene? I am sorry that it’s clear Emily will bear the brunt of her mother’s search for happiness. But she’ll likely dump whatever she gets from Lauren right on Chloe’s head. She’s just that sweet.
I also thought it was really funny when Not-Razor forgot that it wasn’t his prom, and tried to start singing his love song to Emily. Then again, they all turned someone else’s prom into their own drama central, so I guess you can’t blame the guy. But he’s still a loser. You’re right — you’re not good enough, as little as I think of Emily. Happy?
And before we move on to what actually mattered last night, a parting word to Carter: What do you expect from Kaylie? You cheated on her! What right do you have to get mad at her for not forgiving you, even if you do think she’s been leading you on? You cheated on her! Enough said.
The significant development last night came for Payson, or at least for her story. Kim and Mark met with a specialist who thinks she can fix Payson, and Kim raised a really good question. Forgetting about the risk of paralysis, can surgery guarantee that Payson will return to the form of a champion gymnast, or just a competitive one? Because she’d never be happy just getting back the latter.
However, and this goes to Kim’s behavior for most of the episode, this is Payson’s life, and she’s not happy being in high school — she’s settling. Yes she seems to finally be enjoying herself, but that just means that she’s finally (after two episodes) gotten to a mental place where she can appreciate what she has. That doesn’t mean it’s the life she wants, and this situation is actually easier than most involving your kids.
Here the child is old enough to make their own informed decision. This isn’t a situation where parents need to agonize over doing what’s in the best interest of their children. At sixteen, Payson can decide that for herself. And to not let her would have been a crime. Kim pulled that one out without a moment to spare.
I don’t want to see Payson crushed again either, but to have not given her one more shot at her dream? That would have been a lot worse.
Anyway, now we’ll get to see what she wants to do.
Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Feb 09, 2010 @ 14:00 EST5EDT
I totally thought everything at the prom, save for the love triangle dramas, was played for laughs. Lauren got to provide the bulk of the humor, especially pulling Carter out of the room to vent twice in exactly the same way. I was actually liking the friend vibe they had this episode, and wish the writers would just drop the one-sided crush between the two and make them friends. And I couldn’t tell if Razor or Heather was more hopped up on drugs.
No question that Lauren is spoiled, but I couldn’t believe that Steve would pick this one moment, a prom which she never thought she would have, to finally say no to her, and then basically ignore her for the rest of the episode. And I thought it was obvious that Lauren would have called Summer, the only adult female figure in her life, to help her get made up and tell her how pretty she was. But that couldn’t happen because it would have ruined the drama with her father and the dress.
I loved how Kim wasted everyone’s time by going to the doctor’s office for that consultation when she could have kept her mind firmly closed and not listened to her over the phone instead. And neither she nor her husband mentioned the salient point of Payson inevitably finding out about their deception when she’s past competition age, and wondering for the rest of her life what might have happened if she’d known the truth.
Heck, even with having to watch Emily, this episode was still loads more enjoyable than this week’s Chuck.
*POST AUTHOR*
Really? You don’t think that was typical teenage drama that went over our heads? Maybe you’re right, but I’m not so sure.
I tend to agree with you about Carter and Lauren, but I dislike her so much that I’d hate to see her happy. Just gone.
Not to defend Steve, because when has he ever made a good decision, but this was not Lauren’s prom. We were supposed to feel like this was some magical moment for the girls, but this was not their prom. I had a bigger problem with the fact that Chloe went from being so excited to buy Emily a prom dress to taking a handout from Steve. That was really weird.
Well, it’s a choice between believing they’re making fun of their own storylines and the typical teenager tropes, or that they’re serious and the writing really was that awful this week. I don’t pay attention to the writing credits, but maybe the person(s) responsible for the stronger dramatic storylines last year aren’t as present this time out?
No matter how much teenage evil Lauren gets up to, I can’t totally hate her because her life truly does suck. Contrast that to Emily, where she’s written to be this poor, pitiful, wallowing girl with whom you’re supposed to sympathize, and I couldn’t care less. But I’m not talking about seeing Lauren get what she wants and be happy, but for her to forget about boys and receive the love and validation she so desperately wants from friends instead, which would actually be a new direction for her character.
True, it wasn’t anyone’s prom but Payson’s, but Lauren still got invited to a teenage rite of passage which neither she nor her father ever thought she’d got to experience. I just thought Steve was horrible for not saying no to any previous entitled-princessy demand, but only now to something that actually meant something to her. Even if he rightfully refused to spend the money, he should have spent time with his daughter preparing for the prom. Or at the very least not immediately turned around and insisted on dropping the same money on Chloe’s daughter instead.
Yes, Chloe’s reaction was pretty pathetic, but I suppose she’s excited about dating a man who doesn’t match her typical loser suitor type. And Steve’s used to expressing his feelings through money, as can easily be seen in Lauren.
*POST AUTHOR*
Judging by some of the other things that have either happened or been said these last few weeks, I think the writing may just be that bad at times.
If Lauren treated others better, than maybe I’d be with you as seeing her as having been dealt a bad hand. But she made her own bed, and in a way that includes with Steve, who at this point in her life is giving her exactly what she asks for, either literally or figuratively. It was an odd time to choose to say no, but why would she have two closets full of “frocks” when she would never have cause to wear them? And if she does, why does she need another one?
I just find it easier to sympathize with Lauren than Emily, not to say she’s a good person or actually likable, except by her childhood friends (and Summer, whom I would not be surprised to learn acted much as Lauren does at a similar age). That being said, my issue at its heart is not the dress, but the obvious sentiment behind it. She’s Daddy’s little princess until a shiny new bauble catches his eye, whereupon he ignores her like the help, but in either case the lack of any deeper paternal affection remains constant. Her behavior with everyone reinforces her own situation, but it’s plain to see how it was founded and fostered. I just wish Payson, the natural Alpha, had stepped in to straighten her out over the last ten years.
*POST AUTHOR*
I wonder about Payson; I feel as if when the show started she was the best but not necessarily the Alpha, which to me would say that she had been putting her head down and quietly just getting the job done for all the years prior to the show’s premiere. It wasn’t until recently that she’s really emerged as a leader.
Now, it would have made sense for Kaylie and Payson to have not been friends with Lauren, since she’s clearly not their type, which maybe would have altered her demeanor (being friendless), but definitely would have spared us her in her current form. That I could see (or rather hope for, with no chance of it coming true).
Thinking back to the first season, you may be right about Payson. She usually just ignored her friends’ drama until we got closer to the finale. When she did speak up, everyone would shut up and follow her obviously good advice, which is what I was remembering. From Lone Wolf to Alpha due to the sweeping changes, perhaps (Emily arriving right in the top four, Marty leaving and decimating the roster, Sasha’s new coaching)?
*POST AUTHOR*
Which is great. I would, however, like to see Kaylie asserting some Alpha now that she’s champ. Don’t just welcome the queen back. You know?
I kind of liked Payson and Kaylie’s smack talk in the Pizza Shack this week, but they need to intensify the cattiness and bitchiness until it’s just shy of uncomfortable. Now that would be funny.
*POST AUTHOR*
Plus it would label her a champion. Her random outbursts of “I’m good enough” don’t do quite the job that she needs to in order to exude that quality. A friendly rivalry with Payson would work wonders for her.