S06.E17: Mini Madness

[OnceSane]

Maddie and Brynn have solos this week; the mothers are not happy when Abby assigns Brynn a dance inspired by an old Maddie routine; the mini team returns to compete for Abby's attention.

[Rlb8031]

I wonder if this week's results were producer driven or not. First competition this season that actually had a full house (meaning - not a production led competition) and Maddie comes in FOURTH???!!!! I think Melissa was correct that the dance was pretty simplistic, but musical theater doesn't necessarily have to be simple. To me it looked like some lazy piece of crap Giana threw together at the last minute. Or perhaps this one was really put together by Abby all alone? Either way it was a hot mess of epic proportions (and that's saying a lot for this show).

[Clemgo3165]

I didn't think Maddie's dance was a hot mess, she executed it well, it's just that there wasn't much to it. It was very simplistic, and even though danced well she's gonna wind up with lower scores because of it.

Brynn's a lovely dancer, but the piece just left me cold. We've seen her emote on videos, has she been told not to emote for the show? Seems odd that she couldn't bring a bit of pain to her face.

The Mom's were just plain cruel last night. Brynn certainly doesn't deserve the cr*p the Mom's are giving her, and if this is staged reality I still have an issue with them saying "yes" to bullying a child. Melissa needs to have her extensions removed - they're making her stupid.

[tessat]

First off I hate this new format - what a hassle trying to sign in.

I agree that Brynn does much better in the videos I've seen of her vs than on Dance Moms. Maddie's dance was a mess in the aspect that so much more is expected of her and Abby's to blame for that. The choreography was nothing.

The elite team moms can all go take a .... What they did to Brynn is wrong, how they treated the mini moms was wrong - are they just being directed to create drama or are they just full of themselves. These new moms actually want to be there but the elite moms are chasing them away. The elite moms may have had to take carp from each other when the kids were smaller but there was no one else belittling them and their kids except for Abby.

I liked the minis dance and do hope all the others blow away and we can start with a whole new dance team and watch them grow. I'm sick of the Maddie face, Jill's constant complaints and Melissa's my carp don't stink attitude. Take your kids and go already - but there are very few entertainers that actually can make it on their own when they leave a hit show. We've seen it time and time again - even when it's a spin off - few succeed.

[RalyWilmy]

I wish I could figure out why I can't quit this show.  I really am so sick of it.  Jill, Jess and Melissa's (even Holly's to some extent) behavior on last night's episode made me sick to my stomach.  I kept telling myself that it's scripted/edited but for some reason that makes it worse.  And Brynn's WTF look when Jess said "last week she looked like Jojo, this week she looks like Maddie" really proves to me that some of these kids are not in on the joke.  And OMG, the "cool club"?  Seriously, Jess?

I have so much more to say but I'm sure others will say it for me.

My greatest wish (well in regards to my tv watching universe) is that ratings soar when "Triple M" is gone.  I will stubbornly continue to watch just for that reason.

The moms are horrible. Horrible, horrible, horrible.

Edited to add something positive.  I loved the look of the girls in the group dance.  They all looked beautiful in the color they were wearing and I loved the hairstyle.  Very flattering on all of them.  Nia, despite not being super-tiny like most of the rest of them, really has an adorable figure.

Edited April 27, 2016 by RalyWilmy

[cali1981]

1 hour ago, Clemgo3165 said:

. Melissa needs to have her extensions removed - they're making her stupid.

It's gonna take more than that to give Melissa an IQ larger than her belt size.  Hopefully, next week will be the last we'll see of her and her brood. Why, however, do I think it's not going to play out that way?

[spanana]

Yes, Brynn's reaction to the moms talking about her in front of her face proved to me just how much the kids really are not in on a lot of whatever this is...because Brynn's sort of WTF reaction looked genuine.  That poor girl.  However I did appreciate Mack telling Brynn to go beat her sister.  I guess Mack isn't drinking the kool aid.  Speaking of which, Ashlee did say in an interview that both Mack and Maddie have always been very nice and accepting of Brynn, so the problem isn't with the girls (besides maybe Kendall).

In a way I'm more disappointed in Holly than anyone.  On twitter she keeps playing the "I'm not getting involved in anyone else's drama" game, but I call BS.  If any other child was being belittled the way Brynn is currently, scripted or not, she would stop and stand up for that child.  Instead here, Jess or Jill make a comment about Brynn and Holly sits there and chuckles.  So either she's completely sold her soul to act like a fool for this show or she thinks it's perfectly okay for grown women to pick on an innocent 11 year old.  Take your pick Holly.  Neither is pretty.  Especially for someone who used to be an educator.  I did like that Ashlee at least took Brynn out of the room so she didn't have to listen to the rest of it.

Also Ashlee may be the biggest instigator in the world and if the moms want to have a go at her, go right ahead.  That is not the point.  Point is even if Ashlee is a straight up nightmare, the moms still should not be taking their issues with Ashlee out on her child.  If Ashlee so much as breathes Kendall's name, Jill flips out.  So hypocrites unite.

I didn't like either solo this week.  There wasn't enough to Maddie's to even be entertaining and I didn't like the choreo for Brynn's either.  I actually couldn't tell if she was emoting or not because her face is so tiny and all I could see was the stuff wrapped around her head.  But it's also almost like the show is deliberately giving Brynn choreography that is beneath her abilities, or at the very least that doesn't show her off to her full capabilities.  She's capable of far more than what was put on stage in that piece, even just from a technique perspective.

Also while I would never root for Maddie to fail, I do need that smug smile ripped of Melissa's face.  You know she thinks she is so much better than everyone else because her child is a STAR!

Edited April 27, 2016 by spanana

[BusyOctober]

I guess "The Entertainer" music is part of the public domain now.  I think that's the first time I heard familiar, popular (at one time) music used in a dance.  I laughed when I heard it b/c it brought me back to the 70's.  I did a dance routine AND a baton twirling routine to that tune waaaay back then.  And I love the movie "The Sting", so whichever mom made fun of the music can shove it.

Melissa is so delusional.  Her kids may have jobs booked, but no one booked HER.  I think it's hysterical that only one of the mini-moms caught Melissa's utter contempt for the sad, pathetic, untalented, non-Ziegler kids who have to be on a "competition" team because they can't get movie deals. I can't wait for Melissa to haul her extensions off the set of this show.

[Rlb8031]

BTW, I think Kira may be on a self-imposed time-out. It wasn't until she blew up last night that I thought about the fact she literally has not said a word for the last 2-3 episodes. In fact, in many of the scenes with the mom's she isn't even shown (I guess because she's just sitting there quietly). Perhaps someone has started to learn?

[RCharter]

3 hours ago, Clemgo3165 said:

 

[RCharter]

1. Agree that Maddie's dance was a disaster -- The entire thing was a mess, I didn't like the costume, I didn't like the dance, I didn't like the dance with the song. 

2. Jess is really becoming a grade - A bitch.  Its not cute, and I'm not sure where it comes from, but she needs to dial it down about 10 notches.  I'm not sure who told her those screeching harpies were the "cool kids," but....no.

3. Do these mothers really think that Abby isn't trashing them to the mini moms?  Come on now.  And that mother who left was ridiculous.  You're not upset that Abby was yelling at the kids, you're upset because Abby called you trash to a bunch of people you don't even know!

4. I feel like Ashlee is a big part of the problem for Brynn....she keeps putting pressure on her to be "the next Maddie," but she should just be Brynn, and if thats good enough thats good enough.

[Absolom]

Ratings are in:

1.268 M viewers and a .46 rating.

[sofiah]

This show really has created a morphed reality.  I am not saying that Maddie isn't the best dancer and entertainer out of all these kids; she very well might be.  That being said, the "Maddie dances", as they call them, were choreographed with Maddie in mind.  Gianna and Abby know what she does well, where she wins points, etc.  OF COURSE if you give another kid (weather it be Kendall, Brynn or Chloe) a "Maddie dance" they are not going to do as well.  Each kid needs a dance catered to their strengths, what they're good at, etc.  Throw Maddie into Club Dance Studio and give her a "Brynn dance" and see how well she does!  It would be a mess, no matter how good of a dancer she is.  These mothers are HORRIBLE.  Jess is delusional if she thinks the only reason Jojo can't dance like Maddie is because Abby doesn't give her the opportunity.  Delusional.  Melissa is horrid - she actually described Brynn as "a leg" and called her faces "horrendous".  She should be ashamed of talking about a child like that.  You can tell she thinks she is above all of this now that her kids are "stars".  The importance she puts on her kids "booking jobs" is kind of terrifying.  

ETA: Brynn was on Ellen today with Dancerpalooza.  You can catch glimpses of her... overall a very cute performance by some of the most talented dancers in the country.  Here's the link if anyone is interested: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpPw84JR2gU

Edited April 28, 2016 by sofiah

[CoolMom]

My kids play the piano, all of them have played The Entertainer.  As soon as Abby said it I thought it should have been a tap number NOT a theater number.  Maddie could have done an awesome tap number to that piece.

[RedFire2000]

Awful, awful episode. The elite team mothers are absolutely horrid! Nasty piece of low life TRASH! Do you think that the moms think if they act up that their kid will get more screen time? Jill and Jessalyn are jealous and threatened by Brynn who is amazing and can dance circles around Kendall and JoJo. They have planted in their minds that their daughters will Abby's next go to girls when Maddie leaves. LOL, I don't think so.

I'm so glad that snobby two faced bitch Melissa is leaving. Her horrid eye rolls and fart sniffing grimaces with that twitchy eye thing just about drive me over the edge.  Melissa needs to check her ego at the door. Such a shame what a little fame and notoriety does to some people. I stopped liking Holly last season. She sold out and has turned into a mean girl just like the others.

I wished Jill stop acting like she is original member of ALDC. "Our little girls have been dancing together since they were minis"...um NO! Maddie, Kenzie and Nia have, not Kendall.

Jessalyn is one vicious asshole! She's just threaten because a REAL blonde has come along and has 4X the talent her daughter has. And Jess is delusional if she thinks Jojo is going to get acting roles with that speech impediment. She needs to get her a speech therapist or a dialect coach.

I loved when the Mini Mom made the comment mothers ridiculous hair extensions and botox. The minis' are cute. And that one mini Areana is a better dancer, than half the girls on the elite team.

And the cool club?? More the like bitchy mean girls club. These mothers still think they're in Junior High School. 

[RalyWilmy]

Thank you, MoonWalker. You said everything that I didn't have the strength to type :)

[tessat]

sofiah - TY for the link - wish this was a national tour as I'd love to see it!

[hellohoping]

The mums are disgraceful. For the first time, I've decided I would like to see the mothers and their girls axed from the show. Just get them off and make them watch as other mums and other kids take their place. I realise I don't care very much anyway, with Maddie gone. I've certainly no interest in watching Kendall dance, nor Nia to be honest (sorry Nia). And it would serve the mums well to get a reality check that they don't own the tv show. Like Ashlee said in her interview, they were in 'the right place at the right time' when the tv show came along. Now they have become vile, vindictive monsters. 

Melissa must be incredibly dumb too. The stuff that comes out of her mouth!! She's insufferably arrogant!! But why use her and her daughter's last moments on the show to display herself that way?! Just stay quiet, see it through and leave with dignity! But no, of course not. She's going to damage her children's careers if she carries on that way - I can imagine everyone wants to beat her down a few pegs if that's her attitude.

And I love how the mums are still trying to use social media to deny bullying Brynn and saying it's edited. Yes it's edited, but they can't edit words into your mouth, nor wide-shots where we see Brynn is WELL within ear-shot and taken aback but the callousness of the grown women's words aimed at her. Ugh, just awful. Get them off and let them wallow in self-pity when nobody cares they've gone.

Edited April 29, 2016 by hellohoping

[MyFavShows]

Melissa really came off as a massive witch in this episode.  I wonder if something is going on behind the scenes that she doesn't like cause it seemed very insecure of her to act that way (her kids are Abby's favorites and very successful so really no reason to put others down).   I actually liked Maddies entertainer dance and thought the simple thing worked well and showed off her technique.   Brynn did a good job too, but I think at a few points her facials really didn't match the theme of the dance - she also needs to get her knees straighter when she dances.  She's still really good and if there were a lot of good dancers there (had to be for Maddie to get 4th) 3rd sounds about right.

The interaction between ALL those moms was just so nasty - they all need to get a life of their own and stop living through their kids.   Lol - I know that's probably the most obvious statement ever, but it's like they all really should be focusing all their energy and efforts towards something more important/significant than sitting on a bench staring at kids dance being nasty.   Can't believe Holly left a good respectable job as a high school pricipal, one where she would make a positive influence in so many young lives, to be on this selfish show.

[Shell76]

I just wonder if the moms care how trashy they look on TV?  Seriously, they look like low-class women who never never did anything in their lives after high school.  I don't normally judge people I don't know, but hearing Melissa bleating about her sex life again....is that all you have to show for yourself?  That you sold yourself out to pay for freaking dance training for two kids that you live vicariously through?  Well, congratulations and good riddance.  

The rest of the TV team moms can go to hell, too.  Holly disgusts me, I can't stand seeing her shake her head in agreement to bullying other people's kids, glued to her damn phone like a teenager.  Jill is vile, I think she is toxic all-around.  No wonder Kendall is the way she is, having that for a mother.  I've been cautious about Jess since she first came around puffing her feathers out, so I'm not surprised to see her true colors again.  And my biggest nitpick, Jess and Jill can shove it because their kids are NOT the original team.  The original team is a broken mess of kids, healing and moving on with their lives, minus the few that stuck around for more fame.

Sorry this post is so negative.  I just wanted to see a few nice moments of the cast interacting before the end, but I ended up with that steaming pile.  If I manage to watch next week, I am interested to see the minis, and Areana's family.  So nice that Abby blindly calls people trash, especially this mom that balances out her daughter's endeavors while caring for a severely disabled son.  I don't know if this show has a future, but it's not with the old team.     

[spanana]

The moms might not care how they come across, but they should if they really want their kids to be successful in the business, as they claim.  Until the girls are 18, they are tied to their fame hungry mothers and nobody is going to want to work with any of them after seeing their mothers behavior.  Melissa is the biggest idiot for sure, because with the others you can maybe argue that they know their children aren't going to get many opportunities post Dance Moms and so they are living it up now.  Melissa has a kid who has real world representation and who has a budding career and Melissa is basically shooting that career in the foot with her antics.   Doesn't matter how talented the kid is if nobody wants to put up with the parent.

[gardendiva]

You have all said it so much more eloquently than I have, but I too am appalled at the low level that these moms have stooped to make sure their daughters stay at the top of the steaming heap that this show has become.

This show has hardly anything to do with dance anymore but has become a show about a bunch of aging mean girls bullying anyone who gets in their way, whether they be child or adult.

Edited April 30, 2016 by OnceSane

[holly4755]

I understand the film crew in Hollywood is different than the one in Pennsy. I wonder if the editor is different as well. I know that editing can change perceptions, but words and actions pretty much can be taken out of context but words can not be put in your mouth, so anything said was really said. I wonder what the Moms think when they see the show.  Is  it all about how they look in their way out of style looks or is it shaming.

[Bananna]

I feel bad for Brynn, those mothers should feel ashamed if they agree to continually talking crap about a 12 year old.  Overall, the mom's behaviour this season has been cartoonish, the "cool moms" really? This isn't a nickolodeon show that Maddie or Mackenzie have a guest role in. Does Jill think if she keeps on saying that Kendall has been here since the beginning, we'll think she has?

Maddie's solo was boring and I agree that it would have been a better tap number.

Elliana seemed sweet, but I don't feel like we know the other mini girls as they have really cut down on the talking heads.

I laughed when Kalani and Nia high fived when they were both on the bottom of the pyramid, they really don't care anymore.

[Rylee]

This show is no longer enjoyable or entertaining. It's disturbing.

I'll probably watch tomorrow but not because it's Maddie, MacKenzie and Melissa, last competition/show, (I'm not a Maddie fan or a Maddie hater) I'll watch because it's the season finale.

I can't stand any of the Moms, but they were never the reason I watched the show. I tuned in for the dancing but with Maddie, Mack, Chloe and Brooke gone, the only dancers worth watching are Kalani, (getting too old for the role)  and Brynn, (I'm not really invested in her yet.) Nia - I sincerely wish her the best, a great kid but not a great dancer. JoJo - cute entertainer but not a very good dancer. Kendall - I am not one bit interested in anything Kendall says or does, including her dancing.  

I don't know if this show has a future or if there are any plans for the future but without better dancers and new characters, I won't be tuning in to watch Jill, Kendall, Jessalyn, Kira, and Ashlee.

[hellohoping]

10 hours ago, Rylee said:

I don't know if this show has a future or if there are any plans for the future but without better dancers and new characters, I won't be tuning in to watch Jill, Kendall, Jessalyn, Kira, and Ashlee.

I'd like to know what the show producers are thinking right now. They must know the score but I can't imagine they'd cancel the show when it's so popular for Lifetime. But it needs a recast at this point, right? The mums are vile and the girls we are left with seem to have abruptly become a forgettable team without Maddie and Mackenzie.