Prior to attending, I had no plans to write anything up following a conference call with Candace Cameron Bure. But while she didn’t drop any breaking news on those of us who listened in, she did answer enough questions to leave me with the impression that the direction of Make It or Break It is about to change.
And before I give any of you a heart attack, rest assured that it’s not for the worse, or anything like that. It’s just going to be a bit different. Where the show originally started with a focus on new girl Emily, season two will have eyes for two major plots: Kaylie post winning at Nationals, and Payson recuperating from what Bure says is a very serious injury.
(WARNING: While there are NO real spoilers to follow, there is some speculation resulting from the new information that Candice revealed. So if you prefer to go in totally fresh….)
Which is to say that season two of Make It or Break It plans to go with the show’s strengths, something I’m very excited about. Payson the champion, now locked at home with the diagnosis of “never going to compete again,” will likely struggle mightily with her new reality, aided by the comfort of Mom Kim to help her through it. Ayla Kell was a bit of an enigma in season one, but it was apparent that she had some serious acting ability hidden underneath her scowl. I think we’re going to see it, and then some. And Peri Gilpin will be a strong partner for her in that.
Kaylie, meanwhile, is free from Carter and will have actual athletic responsibilities now that she’s national champion. Not like Miss America stuff, but Kaylie’s never really taken being a champion to heart, one of the things that Dad Alex (and Coach Sasha) has always pushed her on. I think she’ll crack under that much pressure, and the question of whether she actually ever wanted to compete in the first place will come front and center. Expect to see Alex a lot more this season.
And what’s Bure’s Summer doing now that she and Lauren’s dad Steve are through? Apparently Summer’s no longer meant to be just an extension of a primary person on the show (whose reason for being would naturally be severed by her splitting with that person). Instead, Bure says Summer will be a sort of mentor for the girls, or maybe more of a shoulder to cry on, as well as getting her own new romance, and filling in for Kim at The Rock while Kim’s home helping Payson.
Didn’t see that coming, right? I think it might be a little risky, with the possibility that it seems so forced that we don’t enjoy Summer anymore. Clearly the creators needed a reason to keep her around, and I guess everyone finally decided to mercifully free her from Steve forever, but I hope that this works. I like Summer — even if she is a little too cheery, and a lot too misguided in searching out Lauren — and I do want her to stick around. But it’s got to be right. Now, if her new romance is with Sasha….
Three tidbits from the interview that have nothing to do with the show:
Make It or Break It returns Monday, January 4th, at 9:00PM. Unless next week’s interview with Josie Loren (Kaylie) reveals something, or ABC Family decides to send out some screeners, I will see you then.
Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Dec 15, 2009 @ 14:44 EST5EDT
Sounds like some good ideas. Summer and Steve were a terrible couple, but I liked Steve Tanner a lot – he and Lauren are my fave on-show family – and hope this doesn’t mean we won’t be seeing him any more this season just because the producers want to keep Summer around.
I agree that they weren’t the greatest couple, but I loved the relationship that Steve and Lauren have. I hope Steve sticks around, and they don’t shove him under the rug so that they can have more scenes with Summer.
I really disliked Summer and see no reason fro her character. I found her a terrible actress and her relationship with Lauren was stupid. Initially Lauren and Steve had this great connection and then they shoe horned Summer in just because they wanted a big name actress in the show – she had no chamistry with Steve or any of the other moms. Steve and Lauren’s relationship was different and they are my favortie characters – I think it is a mistake to to promote Summer (a stranger) over Steve.
The show needs to get rid of Summer – she doesn’t belong
*POST AUTHOR*
Really? I always found Lauren and Steve’s relationship to be so unhealthy for her. He pushes her too hard, and buys her things to make her feel better. I never felt a sweet connection there.
That’s interesting. Except for the pilot where Steve was made to seem hard and rather selfish, he hasn’t really pushed Lauren at all. She pushes herself and seems to expect her father to have no life beyond what applies to her, which I guess he did for a long time. They had a few stumbles but they are “Team Tanner” with Olympic dreams and hopes. I think Steve loves his daughter more than anything in the world but just doesn’t know quite how to deal with her now that she’s not his “little” girl anymore.
*POST AUTHOR*
I agree with your second point about Lauren expecting Steve to be devoted to her 100%, but I think Steve is meant to be the stereotypical stage parent, something I get from him constantly. Maybe it was just more transparent in the pilot?
I’m just glad Payson’s not being written out, and agree with you that it will mean real storylines for Gilpin.
I think Summer genuinely cares for the gymnasts, and will be well-suited to the gym manager position, although I don’t care one whit about her romance.
*POST AUTHOR*
Josie Loren (Kaylie) said yesterday that Payson will continue to be very involved with the Rock, even while injured, while developing an outside life. Glad she’ll still be a major factor.