S05.E24: West Coast Strikes Back

[OnceSane]

The ALDC faces MDP, its biggest West Coast rival; Abby tests Mackenzie's confidence with a big opportunity; JoJo's sick grandmother visits Los Angeles and is desperate for JoJo to have a featured role.

[Darknight]

Why is mdp entertaining this bs. They're the real deal.

[KaveDweller]

Why is mdp entertaining this bs. They're the real deal.

 

To be on TV?  That is pretty much the answer to all questions about people on reality shows.

 

I really liked the monsters dance the other team did.  It was cute/different and I think deserved to win. I also think Abby never had any intention of letting Mackenzie do the lead in the group.

[spanana]

I really doubt there was any chance of Mack actually doing the lead in the dance.  We all could have seen the storyline coming from five miles away.  What makes no sense is if Abby really wanted to put her best foot forward, why does Kalani never get the lead?  She's a beautiful and skilled dancer.  I know why, but it would be a nice and welcome change.

 

Also if Melissa were smart she would get Maddie off this show ASAP.  Not because she's such an amazing star necessarily, but she's got real representation and is pursuing a real career in this business.  Allowing her to be shown in a bratty light on Dance Moms can't exactly be helping her cause in terms of booking actual work. 

[cali1981]

I really doubt there was any chance of Mack actually doing the lead in the dance.  We all could have seen the storyline coming from five miles away.  What makes no sense is if Abby really wanted to put her best foot forward, why does Kalani never get the lead?  She's a beautiful and skilled dancer.  I know why, but it would be a nice and welcome change.

 

 

Because Kalani is not the most special Maddie and she and Kira are probably just passing through.  I believe that their primary affliation is with another studio.

[tessa]

Boy - this was an emotional one - I can't tell you how many times I started to tear up with Jojo. I loved her dance and felt she did so much better than Kendall and should have at least placed before her. Kailley from the MDP was beautiful and she should have won. I also enjoyed the DP group dance and was not surprised they took first.

 

As I've said before - I watch the episodes the day after on Lifetime and by the end of the tape - everything is choppy so I have to go to youtube to watch the dances - but what I did notice on Lifetime, due to the choppy stills - Kenzie was off in placement throughout most of the dance. She was too far left. Kenzie has shown some beautiful faces in he past and I think this episode was a farce as to why she couldn't have the lead. The behavior of the MDP girls was I'm sure producer driven, with them not knowing what was going to come out of Abby's mouth. They did do a pretty good representation of Abby with the doll tho.

 

I think Abby knew how good the MDP soloist was going to be and that is why she didn't let Maddie have a solo. And Abby having Maddie go out there to psych them out - come on Abby - don't lower yourself or teach these girls to be like you - so cruel. You need to teach kids to be the better person - not stoop to others levels.

 

Now did Melissa really tell her good friend Jill to go to hell? I was watching past seasons the other day where Jill went to Candy Apples and how she and Melissa use to meet still as they were such good friends. I don't doubt they get along - just 2 peas in a pod.

 

I do have to say that Abby was nicer this week - they must have gotten her meds straightened out.

[Darknight]

Please. What 12yo dancer is psych by Maddie? Or ALDC. I know a ton of studios who can beat them.

[tessa]

OH - the comment to Abby about her mom being proud of her - again - I call fake - there is no one appearing on that show that does not know that Abby's mom passed away.

[NextIteration]

Again with the we were robbed business, such bad modeling for the kids, poor sportsmanship.

 

I can't decide if it was the costume or a new-found problem I see with Kendall but she looked like her shoulders were earrings which is probably why she came in second despite the MDP little girl's bobble.

 

On the upside, I'm looking forward to Tessandra Chavez next week.

Oh, I forgot about JoJo, I'll bet she was fourth and I bet the field was only about 20 solos, if that.  That group on the stage was itty bitty.  I thought she was beautiful.

[Clemgo3165]

I didn't like the MDP solo - seemed more like a gymnastics floor routine than a dance, and very little in the way of expression. I thought Kendall did a better job with hers. JoJo was great, but she doesn't have the skills to compete with the very best yet, but she danced the heck out of what she was given. Loved that Kalani scooped her up off the floor in a hug as soon as she came backstage, that was very sweet. 

 

Of course Mack wasn't going to get the lead, not going against MDP. And if she's having trouble with the expressions why aren't they modeling them for her or having her practice them?

 

And no, they weren't robbed the the group program. MDP was far and away better in their performance this time. Still think it's tacky to use an "Abby" doll as the monster though, regardless of how reprehensible she is. I'm sure that was a setup though.

[realdancemom]

Abby seemed nicer this week.  Maybe, it's because she remembers how it feels when her own mom was sick and dying.  I'm glad that she didn't get mad at Jojo for not winning and saw a more important reason for Jojo to dance.

 

I didn't like any of the solos.  Jojo is a better jazz dancer.  Her feet were terrible and her technique isn't great.  Kendell has improved.  Her turns are better and she doesn't seem as heavy.  But she doesn't know how to perform.  The MDP girl was all tricks and no dance.  Besides the obvious bobble, I did see her fall out of something else.

 

The MDP group dance was a lot better than ALDC's.  The dance was interesting.  They were synchronized and had good technique.

[Absolom]

Ratings improved a little this week over last week's abysmal level:  1.257 M viewers and a .4 rating.  They need to do something better to get viewers or let it go.

[EVS]

Abby seemed nicer this week.  Maybe, it's because she remembers how it feels when her own mom was sick and dying.  I'm glad that she didn't get mad at Jojo for not winning and saw a more important reason for Jojo to dance.

I agree. In this episode , Abby showed a human emotion that I thought she was incapable of: empathy, and I think her mom's death was the reason. I'm happy for Jojo. You could see how much it meant to her and her mom. I still think Abby is a vile human being, but for a few minutes I hated her just a tiny bit less.

[RazzleberryPie]

Jojo has become my favorite. She's the only one of them with any real personality, and she's a very good dancer. I think her big bows and lisp sometimes overshadow her talent. 

 

I think they don't feature Kalani more, because 1) Maddie is the STAR and 2) she clearly looks like a teenager, and they compete in the jr. division. As soon as they start looking like teens, Abby turns on them - Paige, Chloe, Nia, Pay-ton, so it wouldn't surprise me if Kalani is next.

[Loves2Dance]

Maddie stays because Melissa has a financial stake in ALDC.  Her husband bailed Abby out at one point.

Ya know, I get the money thing, but if they had any sort of repayment arrangement, it is likely already happened. And, not that rich people should just throw money around, but Greg is in a position where the money used to help out Abby wasn't breaking his bank so if they walked away clean, it wouldn't be the end of the world.

 

I do think Maddie stays because of Melissa, but I think it has less to do with money and more to do with how naive Melissa is in terms of industry standards. I have said it in the spoilers thread and a few other's, but I think this season is truly going to be Maddie's fall from grace. I don't necessarily think she has ever had much grace---I'd reserve that comment for Chloe, but I also don't think Melissa understands the way Maddie is being edited. Regardless of what we think of Maddie, her character in this show right now is bratty, spoiled, snotty, and egotistical. Is Maddie those things? It doesn't matter, because the show is editing Maddie to appear to be those things and in the world of 'reality TV' where some truly believe it's real---that is bad. Maddie should have cut lose from this show the second Sia called and she was picked up by a real agency---she needs to have time for acting classes and singing lessons if the triple threat is really what she's trying to attain. However, with filming she doesn't have those luxuries and I think as time has gone on, she is looking more and more exhausted and overworked. 

 

I'm not a huge Maddie fan---and to my credit, I haven't been since Season 1 Episode 1, but I also don't want her to be the next Lindsey Lohan or crazy Britney Spears either. So, my only hope for that girl is a responsible adult shows up in her life and takes the reign. Without that, I fear for her. 

[tessa]

Definitely not a Maddie fan but I think you hit it on the head tho Loves. We've seen little things from Maddie that suggested she thought she was better than everyone - and at the age of 8 - that comes from constant praise and adulation from certain adults. This has only gotten worst but in a way - I can't blame the kid. Melissa and Abby really created this. And what kid wouldn't get a bit cocky and brag - when you're the one chosen and put in the national / universal spotlight. 

 

Chloe and maybe Nia would be more thankful and gracious, I think, if in the same situation - both have been beaten down but have a very supportive family - and those two are intelligent and good students. Grade wise - we don't know where Maddie falls, we know she's home schooled but we know Melissa did that so they had more time to dance - hence - to Melissa - education is not as important as getting your kids ahead. I think Melissa was probably a very shallow person herself - or completely ostracized by her peers and thus wants success and notoriety for her kids.

[NextIteration]

but I also don't want her to be the next Lindsey Lohan or crazy Britney Spears either. So, my only hope for that girl is a responsible adult shows up in her life and takes the reign. Without that, I fear for her. 

 

Not for anything neither do I, but I think there were, I'll say genetic components (mental illness and addiction issues) that contributed to the massive Lohan and Spear's public meltdowns.  I don't see those in evidence in Maddie's family.

 

Definitely not a Maddie fan but I think you hit it on the head tho Loves. We've seen little things from Maddie that suggested she thought she was better than everyone - and at the age of 8 - that comes from constant praise and adulation from certain adults.

 

The thing is, there is a Maddie at almost every dance studio to one degree or another, often in every age cohort at a studio.  How said child is handled is what makes the difference - and what we've seen here is a disaster.  Payton often wins big in the older group for Abby Lee, and there is another Brook that is Mack's age that is a little star too at the studio.  None of us will worry for these girls like we do for Maddie's well being.

[NextIteration]

we know she's home schooled but we know Melissa did that so they had more time to dance - hence - to Melissa - education is not as important as getting your kids ahead.

 

A lot of ballet academy kids are home schooled in my area, it frees them up for more training and availability for rehearsals for performances.  It all depends on how the children are home schooled, with the advent of curricula like K12 and Connections Academy (both online virtual schools) there really isn't any loss academically by making that choice.  From how we hear Maddie talk, school isn't very important to her, but that could just be the edit she's getting.

Edited June 28, 2015 by NextIteration

[Lemons]

A lot of ballet academy kids are home schooled in my area, it frees them up for more training and availability for rehearsals for performances.  It all depends on how the children are home schooled, with the advent of curricula like K12 and Connections Academy (both online virtual schools) there really isn't any loss academically by making that choice.  From how we hear Maddie talk, school isn't very important to her, but that could just be the edit she's getting.

 

A lot of children are home schooled for a lot of reasons.  Sports, dance, acting, religion, personal reasons.   They will do as well or as poor as kids who go to a school every day.  Every child isn't interested in going to college and that's a good thing because it's not for everybody.  There are many other roads to take in life, not just the main road that the majority of people are on. 

 

Someone  keeps mentioning Lindsey Lohan and Brittney SPears for some reason.  Lindsey Lohan comes from a white trash family and would be the same without the fame.  Brittney has a mental illness.  That's also not uncommon and will happen or not happen regardless of how you live your life. 

 

These kids will be fine and that includes Maddie. 

 

Just watched this show.  I actually liked Abby's group dance over the other one.  The other one was cutesy with acting thrown in, but the girls performing it seemed a little old for it.  No real dancing.  Abby's group was more real dancing and done beautifully.   And none of the solos were standouts.  That tiny little girl solo looked and moved more like a gymnast than a dancer.  No really dancing.  Obviously if Abby really wanted to win, she would have put Maddy in and she would have beat that girl easily. But I'm sure the producers have their reasons for allowing the other team to win this week. 

[NextIteration]

A lot of children are home schooled for a lot of reasons.

 

 

Which was the point I was trying to make.  What comes through on the show, and this could completely be a production edit, is that school does not seem as important to Maddie and Mack as the way it's been expressed by Nia, Chloe, Brooke and Paige.  We never see it addressed at all by Kendall, JoJo or Kalani, even though it's evident that they are all home schooled or tutored in one way or another at this point with the move to L.A.  (Actually Kalani for quite awhile with all the bouncing around she's done over the last couple of years.)

Edited June 30, 2015 by NextIteration

[tessa]

I think you both misunderstood me - I'm not dissing home schooling - I know many people who were home schooled and will out perform any one who went to a reg school. The point I was trying to make is the idea of homeschooling was so the girls would be able to get in more hours at the dance studio aka Melissa. We know how Melissa feels about the girls dance, singing ect classes - I just feel Melissa does not value education as much as she does something she feels will gets her girls farther along in the entertainment community.

 

We've heard Kristie, Kelly and Holly all make comments about the kids have school or another extra curricular activity besides dance - these kids to me are more well rounded instead of pigeon holed like the Zeigler girls.

[Loves2Dance]

These kids will be fine and that includes Maddie. 

 

Just watched this show.  I actually liked Abby's group dance over the other one.  The other one was cutesy with acting thrown in, but the girls performing it seemed a little old for it.  No real dancing.  Abby's group was more real dancing and done beautifully.   And none of the solos were standouts.  That tiny little girl solo looked and moved more like a gymnast than a dancer.  No really dancing.  Obviously if Abby really wanted to win, she would have put Maddy in and she would have beat that girl easily. But I'm sure the producers have their reasons for allowing the other team to win this week. 

You and I watch a very different Maddie every week. 

 

Also, I don't necessarily mean the drugs of mental illness; I mean the celebrity meltdown, the front page of tabloids, and rehab portion of their breakdowns. 

[NextIteration]

I mean the celebrity meltdown, the front page of tabloids, and rehab portion of their breakdowns. 

 

The thing is, in the case of Britney Spears, the breakdowns were because of mental illness, which is why her father was able to grab conservatorship over her in a court of law.  That scumbag Sam whatever his name was withholding and overdosing the young lady on her medications like Seroquel, it's a wonder that her meltdowns weren't more epic - given all the money she had to do whatever.  She went through all of this with the paparazzi dangerously trailing her and following her every move.  I know there isn't a lot of sympathy for her in the general public, but if you understand her illness and the meds and all the symptoms displayed, none of it is that surprising under the circumstances.

[Diane Mars]

...That scumbag Sam whatever his name was withholding and overdosing the young lady on her medications like Seroquel...

Sam Lufti ;)

[OnceSane]

Please stick to discussing the episode.

[DHDancer]

Like others, I didn't care for the MDP solo: I couldn't decide if I was watching a gymnast doing a floor routine minus the tumbling runs (the good bits) or at times, body building poses!  I didn't know turns could be done flat-footed (and they can't as evidenced by her performance).  I'm sick of seeing "dancing" that has no dance element at all: tricks, tricks, tricks.

 

I've basically stopped watching this show, but was curious today and nothing else was on.  And yep, nothing is going on....

Edited July 1, 2015 by DHDancer

[Darknight]

A lot of children are home schooled for a lot of reasons. Sports, dance, acting, religion, personal reasons. They will do as well or as poor as kids who go to a school every day. Every child isn't interested in going to college and that's a good thing because it's not for everybody. There are many other roads to take in life, not just the main road that the majority of people are on.

Someone keeps mentioning Lindsey Lohan and Brittney SPears for some reason. Lindsey Lohan comes from a white trash family and would be the same without the fame. Brittney has a mental illness. That's also not uncommon and will happen or not happen regardless of how you live your life.

These kids will be fine and that includes Maddie.

Just watched this show. I actually liked Abby's group dance over the other one. The other one was cutesy with acting thrown in, but the girls performing it seemed a little old for it. No real dancing. Abby's group was more real dancing and done beautifully. And none of the solos were standouts. That tiny little girl solo looked and moved more like a gymnast than a dancer. No really dancing. Obviously if Abby really wanted to win, she would have put Maddy in and she would have beat that girl easily. But I'm sure the producers have their reasons for allowing the other team to win this week.

Sorry none of these kids will be fine. Maddie is actually the one I'm worried about. She's going to need a ton of therapy along with kenzie

[limecoke]

Jill has no excuse for that Sarah Palin hair with 10 different colors.

It's the multi-colored swoop in the front that gets me. Sarah's hair is dated like Jill's but it looks better.

JoJo's dance was beautiful this week and it's great her grandma was there to see it.

Of course Mac was never going to be lead and I agree that Maddie doesn't do solos against tough competition because Abby doesn't want her to lose (the recent Mac win notwithstanding). Regardless of technical points, I did like the MDP group better. ALDC's go-to style of group dance looks the same week after week.

[Loves2Dance]

Sorry none of these kids will be fine. Maddie is actually the one I'm worried about. She's going to need a ton of therapy along with kenzie

I think some people don't understand and/or know that some mental illnesses are environmentally made. Maddie, by leaps and bounds, standing only next to probably Kendall, are the two without a doubt who will need help...Maddie will likely need the most help of all of the kids.