In all fairness, maybe I should have seen this coming. It’s been staring me in the face since the pilot, yet I’ve apparently refused to see what’s been right in front of me this entire time. Well, last night’s episode of Make It or Break It may have been the banana that broke the monkey’s back — Lauren is an intolerable TV character.
Understand, that’s not the same thing as an unlikable character. No, those are the ones that, to some extent or another, we love to hate. Or who can trip over a decent plot at an unexpected moment. I’m talking intolerable here: starting with her sabotage of Emily’s vault in the pilot episode, all the way through to her destroying Emily’s new “leo” last night out of pure hatred and jealousy.
Enough, I’m sad to say, to possibly chase me away from the show for good. It’s just not something I particularly want to witness anymore. There’s a line in the sand meant for these types of characters, and Lauren bolted past it a long time ago. I just don’t think I can watch anymore of it.
And I don’t know whether Steve actually did it, or we’re just meant to believe that he did, but the ballot box stuffing plot only reinforced the seediness of everything that is Lauren. Plus the notion of Lauren winning a congeniality award shouts Steve’s tampering.
I’m glad to see that Summer’s come back strong with her Bible in hand. Her potential romance with Sasha could be really interesting if only she didn’t spend her time talking about God, sin, and avoiding temptation. If you believe in saving sex for marriage, fine, do it. But stop talking about it, and preaching your lifestyle to others.
And how about Summer’s misguided perspective on Lauren? What ever happened to her telling Lauren that she’d always be there for her, no matter what her relationship with Steve? Or is Summer yet another example of a person who left Lauren, serving to reinforce Lauren’s “abandonment fears?” Give us all a break.
I’m still onboard with Payson … watching her rebuild herself as a different kind of gymnast could be great. I hope she doesn’t spend most of her time jealous of her friends, or Becca, because if she can focus all of her energy on herself, and following her own path, she could hold up an entire tent pole of this show all by herself.
On another note, if it wasn’t for the obviously pre-taped tribute video, starring tons of real gymnasts, I would have called the Payson Keeler Championship Cup a completely transparent consolation prize.
I rolled my eyes enough at Kaylie’s new weight loss story (how predictable can you get?), but that was actually overshadowed by the selfishness she displayed when begging her parents, who are unhappy in their marriage, to “give it another six months.” She cheated on him! Let them be irreconcilable if they want to be.
Aside from the first half of the girl’s singing tribute to Sasha (that is, up until Lauren took over the microphone), this episode was wholly painful. And I don’t understand what happened. Over the course of the first half of season one, Make It or Break It — a show I tried only because I saw so many ads for it while watching Greek — built itself into a solid series, with a nice mixture of appetizing teen drama and athletic competition. And after getting a full season pickup, it took the opportunity to develop a dramatic, sentimental side, as both Payson and Kaylie struggled with their new realities.
But now? If this makes any sense to you (and if you’ll forgive me), the show appears to have changed course and embraced a genre that includes most of The CW’s original programming. Fine for some, but not for me … nor is it what Make It or Break It set out to be. The series wasn’t about back-stabbing, love sickness, and conspiracies. It was about a group of elite athletes whose lives are different from mine and yours and everyone else’s because of what they spend all of their time doing.
Or so I believed. Maybe I should have read Lauren’s moving the ramp a little more clearly in the pilot.
Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Jul 21, 2010 @ 14:00 EST5EDT
Yeaaaahhh, I can’t stand Lauren either! It’s like no one else has a bad feeling in the whole gym, so it always has to her who does the mean thing and it’s getting oooooold.
And in the season premiere the girls went behind Sasha’s back and now they are singing songs to him, BFFs and all? Give me a break!
Yet, bad “Make it or break it” will always be a hundred times better than “Huge”. I gave it 3 episodes (interesting premise) and I’m OUT! Boring characters, boring storylines, boring storytelling… pointless!!
When’s “Greek” coming back? :D
*POST AUTHOR*
Plus, who doesn’t have any impulse control? I’m jealous of your outfit so I’m going to ruin it? Or her lack of a filter between her brain and her mouth? Enough.
I’ve heard January 2011 for Greek‘s return, but don’t hold me to that. :)
“Or her lack of a filter between her brain and her mouth? Enough”
LOL.
I would have accepted the outfit bit in early espisodes of season 1, as an easy way to establish that a character is mean (which they actually did, when Lauren stole Emily’s dress at the fashion show). So now in the 2nd season it’s simply a lack of ideas.
But yeah, like Jennifer, I still enjoy some of the parts so I’ll be sticking with the show and reading your reviews for now.
January 2011 for Greek? Seriously??? I miss Cappie…
*POST AUTHOR*
And Rusty, and Dale, and Calvin, and …! :)
I’m feeling conflicted. I really enjoyed a few moments in the last episode (Emily’s expression when Chloe was onstage, Chloe sucking it up and trying to be nice to Lauren onstange), and loved Payson’s entire storyline. I think I mostly watch for her, though I like K and E as well. On the other hand, the whole popularity contest thing annoyed the crap out of me and I kept thinking, “Really, show, really?” Plus the singing, ouch. Sometimes I am all, “you guys can’t come up with better plots while planning for the Olympics?”
Lauren is supposed to be an insufferable character because a show needs a regular villain, alas.
*POST AUTHOR*
Yes and no. I don’t know if you’re a Greek fan, but as much as I dislike Rebecca and especially Frannie, I would agree that their nastiness serves a purpose, and at times they were even watchable. Lauren is different than any “villain” I’ve ever experienced … she’s more like a soap opera villainous, which is a very different animal than a network TV villain. Plus when you can imagine the show working well without her….
Ok well i think that even though Laurens same old mean ways are getting a bit old, i think that it would be stupid for them to change her completely now because that is just going to look completely fake. Also the show wasn’t supposed to be about a group of elite athletes whose lives are different from mine and yours and everyone else’s because of what they spend all of their time doing. It was really supposed to be more about them dealing with heart break, back stabbing, and conspiracies while trying to make their olympic dream come true. But i do agree that they should tone down Laurens “villain” role just a little bit.
*POST AUTHOR*
I’m just hoping for some growth. Certainly characters do that. And if not growth, she should at least get called on for her crap. She gets away with everything she does.
If my daughter were any younger I would not let her watch this show anymore. What positive role models are left, other than Payson Keeler. The writers have gone off the cliff with both the storylines and direction of character development. Before this I would have to say that JR Ewing or Alexis Carrington from the 80’s shows Dallas and Dynasty represented dispicable. Laren Tanner makes JR look like a person of good character.
They had a successful formula in Season 1 which is what drew the audience. What has ever possessed them to turn this into a dark soap opera???? Producer’s wake up!!!
*POST AUTHOR*
Your reference pre-dates me, but I certainly understand your intent. And last night just ratcheted up the crazy from one minute to the next.