Courtesy of ABC Family
The big day is here! No – not the season finale, but the Joffrey auditions!! Unlike other shows, Bunheads decided not to use the auditions as a big finale build up. Instead we get mini-dramas, but more character development (Side Note: Take note, Glee). Meanwhile Michelle (Sutton Foster) starts settling into Paradise, even getting Truly (Stacey Oristano) to make her some curtains, yet we are still left wondering just what she is doing there exactly.
Let’s bitch.
‘Better Luck Next Year’ finds everyone is getting ready for the Joffrey auditions: Fanny (Kelly Bishop) is making sure her home looks perfect, Sasha (Julia Goldani Telles) is practicing and Boo (Kaitlyn Jenkins) is eating nothing but vegetables and stretching it out. Of course things don’t go as planned when Joffrey decides to move the auditions to Ojai and Boo’s pointe shoes break. This gives Sasha the opportunity to redeem herself after last week’s, shall we say, ‘tude. Sneaking into her mom’s room while she is in the shower Sasha takes money from her purse and buys Boo new shoes. Awww so sweet, and totally not bitchy.
It is really great to see more of these two this week, and it’s great to see Sasha show a different side of herself. While it would be easy to categorize these two characters as the underdog and the b*tch, they are much more complicated than this. Sherman-Palladino has always been good a creating characters that are fully realized. It also proves me right in my assumption from my first recap: the show is focusing most of its attention on these two. Called it!
Courtesy of ABC Family
Meanwhile, Michelle starts to settle into the guest house as her belongings are delivered from Vegas. We also get some great interactions with Fanny as Michelle tries to save the day by flirting with some guys in hopes they will assist her with the floor repairs in the studio so that Joffrey will move the auditions back to Paradise. At the same time Truly starts to warm up to Michelle and makes new curtains for her new/old house. I really enjoyed the interactions between these two. It seems like Michelle might have found herself a friend in town, which is nice because Michelle finally has some connections to the townsfolk.
This brings me to one big problem with the show, and one I hope will be settled soon. Why is Michelle still in Paradise? With her marriage out of the way and no real attachments tying her down, why not leave and pursue her dance career? Are we supposed to believe that she is staying out of allegiance to Fanny and the girls? Cause I don’t buy it…at least not so far. The show needs to work harder to make us believe that Michelle has a legitimate reason to stay. I found myself hoping throughout the episode that Michelle would put on her dance shoes and go for an audition. The fact that I’m still rooting for Michelle to make it as a dancer is not good. While I enjoy the banter between Michelle et al., there needs to be something that makes me want to see her continue to live in Paradise. While it’s obvious that she will become part of Fanny’s studio, this needs to happen sooner rather than later.
Other minor observations:
- Loved the mini-musical numbers! But we need full-out numbers with Foster and possibly Ellen Green. Where she been hiding?
- Although it was sweet of Nanette (Jennifer Hasty) to make a cake for Boo, could she not wait till the day of the auditions to write “Better Luck Next Year”? I mean, C is for Cold, honey! Seems out of character for my beloved Nanette (or Lorelai 2.0 as I also like to call her)
- Did I mention we need more Nanette? Seriously!
Best lines of the week:
- Nanette: “But corn is a whole grain! The Southern lady on the Food Channel with the diabetes said so.”
- Michelle: “So, no one wants to do me, or your floors.”
- Michelle: “Oh by the way, I think I figured out why Sylvia Plath killed herself. She was trying to hang a curtain rod. She was probably trying to hang herself on the curtain rod, so it was on to plan B.”
What you think Bunhead-ers? Do you need more rationale from the show to explain why Michelle is still hanging around? Are you happy that Sasha is more than just a b*tch? Have you ever made friends over curtains? Talk it out below!
Bunheads airs Monday nights at 9pm EST on ABC Family
Personally, I’m getting really impatient with Bunheads. I just watched the new episode and it was better and quite enjoyable, but I still think the show is missing something. And I think I need more reasoning for Michelle to stick around. Yes, there isn’t anything in Vegas anymore, but honestly, why stay in Paradise?
I totally agree! I just posted a review of the new episode (check it out!) in which I call out the show for dragging this storyline out. They need to make her a teacher so she can realize her potential and give her a reason for staying.
I loved the hanging the curtains scene, and i do understand why she is staying in Paradise.
Technically it’s her house, and where can she go? She’s too afraid to do an audition again because of the “no”.
She needs to find the things that will make her happy and that’ll take time.
(secretly, i know it won’t happen… but secretly i’m still hoping she might be pregnant because of the one time during the party. That would make a big connection between her and Fanny.
Plus then she’ll have to raise the child, which she obviously can’t do herself. So she’ll have to have help from Fanny. And she needs to teach because she will need the money… But it probably won’t happen… And it would add more drama because the daddy’s not alive anymore.)
I get what you are saying about the house and property. I guess I just want her to have more of a personal connection to the people and place.
Making her pregnant would definitely add to the drama, and it could still happen. Perhaps a season one cliffhanger? We’ll have to wait and see.