Make It or Break It – “Rock Rebels on!” doesn’t have the same ring to it

If you read my preview of the second season premiere of Make It or Break It, you know that I wasn’t very impressed with what you just saw. Were you?

I’m not sure why, considering the fact that the outfits were essentially the same as their regular leotards, but for some reason I felt like the costumes the girls were wearing for the Rock Rebels photo shoot was a little too risque for these supposedly-underage girls (as was Lauren’s flasher scene). I’ve always found the show to be on the comfortable side of the exploitation line, so I was a bit surprised to feel otherwise from the opening scene.

I was very happy to see that Kim is back co-managing the Rock with Summer. I think Peri Gilpin is severely underutilized on the show, and while I had imagined that she would become more prominent while Payson was injured, it never materialized. Hopefully with the Rock (and Sasha) struggling, she’ll be given more to do.

The game of chicken with the National Committee was a bit ridiculous, don’t you think? Holding out on the French Invitational, the suspension, all that nonsense. I would think that embarrassing the committee would make matters worse, not better. Sasha’s end-game was a bit undercooked in all of this.

Still, it shouldn’t have led the girls to go and see Ellen Beals (Michelle Clunie) on their hands and knees in order to get reinstated. I was embarrassed, and slightly ill, witnessing that spectacle, and that was the point at which the premiere became a shambles for me … all the way through to Steve and Ellen shaking on getting rid of Sasha. Why does the drama on this show have to be ratcheted up to comical levels?

Kaylie was weak-willed before, but what was with her first begging the cheating Carter to take her back, and then running after Lauren to apologize for making the cover of the magazine alone? There’s a reason that no one takes her seriously as a champion, and she continues to reinforce it with her actions.

But Payson’s story, once again, looks really juicy. Her goal is to win Worlds, and she is looking to petition her way onto the National Team. I didn’t see the growth thing coming, nor did I at first process why that was a problem … although, wouldn’t an adjustment to her routines be all she’d need right now? I like that the “Best in the World struggles to regain her place” plot is still alive and kicking. Resuscitating it too many times is dangerous, but right now I want to see where this thing goes.

Some other thoughts:

• Did I hear correctly that Not-Razor is touring with Green Day? Did we know that already, because that’s very cool (and very unbelievable).
• Chloe got a non-trashy makeover … too bad she sells herself out by acting the part. Getting dolled up so that Steve will pay your rent? Come on. It was telling, however, that Steve is anonymously sponsoring a scholarship for Emily (talk about no one owning you) — he must really care about Chloe. Too bad he’s an awful person.
• Lauren still thinks she and Kaylie are best friends? Can anyone be that naive?
• I loved Lauren getting left out of the top 6. I can’t stand her and her stupid whining about how “Princess Kaylie” gets everything the easy way … could she be more spoiled?

I never said there wasn’t anything good about the premiere. But a show you like shouldn’t leave you feeling sick because of where the plots are going. I hope the ends justify the means.

Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Jun 28, 2010 @ 23:00 EST5EDT