Make it or Break it Recap: Growing Pains

Last week, the girls banded together to freeze out Jordan whom they feel is narcing on them to the coach in order to gain a spot on the team. Lauren and Payson’s friendship took a tumble when it was revealed that Lauren was the one who sent the NGO the video of Payson kissing Sasha. The two quickly made amends after Payson agrees to help figure out what is really wrong with Lauren. Coach Mac almost gets tossed after the NGO learn that the girls can’t trust him. During a disasterous night at his place, however, they all agree to start fresh and his position is saved. Payson and Rigo decide to make their relationship official and seal the deal with a kiss.

Hmm…

The girls are practicing while Coach Mac looks over pictures of championship gymnasts from the past. He tells the girls that those who have come before are the ones who make an impression for the future. He’s doing sort of a thank the past for your present type speech. The girls will have a parent’s weekend where they will pay tribute to the past and also so they can spend time with their families before really buckling down for Olympic training. Since Wendy is a useless character, we learn that she is off at junior training camp which leaves Kaylie as the speaker for the exhibition.

Enough about you Kelly, let’s talk about me.

Coach makes sure the girls know to put down how many guests are coming and then asks Jordan if she has anyone who will be there for her. She says her old fosters from Baltimore were invited as they are the only ones she keeps in contact with. Kelly is talking with Kaylie and is excited that her mom is coming as just her mom now that she is no longer her manager. She believes it will be a new start for them because all she has is her mom. After her parents divorced her father remarried and started a new life with new kids. Lauren is freaking out about buying new clothes and lets it slip that she plans to keep her deal with Payson by getting a full medical exam after London. Payson says she knew she would get played so she has already made an appointment for Lauren for the very next day at the Training Center Medical Office. Lauren again throws Payson’s back injury in her face saying she knows how risky it will be if the NGO find out about her medical issues and that she will go to a doctor soon but to give her some time. Payson tells her she needs to have something lined up or she will drag her to the doctor herself.

Looks like Austin got some teeth whitening done

Kaylie and Austin are in the dorm room (really, this is seriously okay for boys and girls to be in the same room together unattended?) where Kaylie has once again made everything about her. She says she has a lot of pressure on her with training and now parent’s weekend and having to give a speech. She is also upset that Payson isn’t in her court anymore since she knew it was Lauren who sent the video to the NGO and didn’t say anything. Wait it’s not like she knew the entire time she only found out about an hour previous to Payson finding out. She has to play referee with her parents at dinner so she ends up asking Austin to go to dinner with them to force her parents to behave. He agrees because he wants her parents to like him and he wants to be there for her. Guess what, Austin cleaned his teeth this week! I guess he was in rehab for the drugs last week and that is why he was missing and now he’s back with some teeth whitening!

Please sir, there’s no room at the inn.

Kelly’s mom goes to visit Coach Mac in his office and you know that means she is up to something! I love when Kelly’s mom pops up to stir the pot. She wants to live through Kelly so badly that she will do anything to make sure that Kelly is on top. She says it’s nice the coach is allowing the parents to see the girls perform before they get cut from the team. Coach explains it’s not the reason for the weekend and that it is because the girls are homesick. Sheila says she misses Kelly but can’t stay for the exhibition because the hotels are all booked so Coach reluctantly allows her to stay at his home. Kelly is shocked to hear the news and is a little upset because she doesn’t want to make it a business dinner and just wants to spend time with her mom. Kelly goes to get her bag so they can go shopping and her mom calls her hotel to cancel her reservation. Oh Sheila…I missed you.

Lauren aka Rachel Martin

Lauren presents a fake ID to Payson who asks if it is to buy alcohol and Lauren tells her it was to get botox but she was refused by the doctor. Lauren explains that by using the fake id and cash it will be hard to trace the appointment back to her so she won’t get caught. The appointment is for the next day but Payson tells her that she needs to go today and that they will borrow her father’s car to get to the center which is out of town. Meanwhile, Payson’s father is walking down a hotel corridor with Kaylie’s mom and he seems concerned. Ronnie asks Mark if he has talked with Payson yet and he says no but he will at lunch. She reminds him that Payson is a big girl now and my head starts to explode. Is Ronnie banging on Mark now? Don’t put it past her because she did cheat on Kaylie’s father with the previous coach and that was a big reason for the separation.

Oh come on this screams affair!

Payson meets up with her father but says that they will need to take a later lunch because Lauren needs to buy cufflinks for her father for dinner. The truth is that they are going to the doctors but Mark lets them have the keys and Lauren thanks him. As they are getting into the car the wrestlers run by with Otis. Jordan is practicing her routine but can’t quite get it because she is a power tumbler and the routine is very artistic. Coach Mac tells her to get out of her comfort zone and then confronts her on why no one is coming to see her. She tells him not to feel bad for her and he invites her to dinner with Kelly and her mom since his wife is out of town. He also mentions his wife’s name is Annie!! Thanks to brittany and Escapee who noted this in last week’s recap…they obviously pay better attention than I do!! Jordan declines saying she has physical therapy and can’t make the dinner but I think she just wants to be a hardass…I don’t believe she would actually give up free food.

Yet she still looks fierce.

Lauren and Payson arrive at the doctor’s office and the doctor mistakes Payson as Lauren’s “partner”. The doctor says no judgments here and I literally LOL’ed at Payson’s reaction. Lauren says she feels numbness in her fingers before she gets dizzy and faints. Dr. Eileen Curtis decides to perform some tests including checking her heart rate and Lauren is visibly scared as her heart races. Payson waits in the lobby for her and calls her father to let him know that they won’t be able to make the lunch. Lauren meanwhile is sitting on the bed crying after her examination and picks up a pamphlet for potassium deficiency. Lauren tells Payson that all she needs to do is take some tablets because she has a potassium deficiency which I don’t believe Payson truly believes. They then hurry up to make it back in time for rehearsals.

I thought you said funeral attire.

Payson is in the kitchen making sure she has everything she needs to cook for her father that night when Kaylie comes in and tries to act friendly to her. Payson basically ignores her and Kaylie whines that it isn’t fair that Payson has forgiven Lauren but not Kaylie. Payson says that Kaylie was her best friend and that she expected more from her and now things have changed too much. Kelly walks in giving Payson a chance to run away from Whine-lie. Kelly asks Kaylie about the upcoming dinner and Kaylie slips that Austin is attending and on the way to pick her up. Kelly turns 12 and asks if it is the first time they are all having dinner and how it’s a huge step in their relationship. Kaylie, loving the attention she is getting, says that it’s not a big step and Austin doesn’t believe it is either. On cue, Austin shows up at the door to pick up Kaylie in a suit with a huge bouquet of flowers for her mother.

I knew she couldn’t give up free food.

Heading over to Coach Mac’s house, Sheila is arranging store bought food on serving plates and pretending that it is homemade. Kelly doesn’t understand why her mother is going through so much trouble so her mom admits that everything is to ensure Kelly grabs the captain spot for the Olympics team. Kelly just wants to spend time with her mother like a normal girl but her mom says she wouldn’t be a good mother if she didn’t do everything she could to push Kelly to the top. Coach Mac walks in with Jordan who is obviously an unwelcomed sight to Kelly and her mother.
Kaylie’s parents are arguing at the dinner table about Kaylie unexpectedly inviting Austin while waiting for them to arrive. The tension is pretty awkward as Alex tries to order drinks for the table only to have Ronnie order her own and letting him know he no longer orders for her. Austin breaks the butter by talking to Alex about his baseball career and a particular hit that he made. Alex is so impressed with Austin’s interest in his career that he has won him over.

No one at this table is going to ask about me?
I’m under pressure!!

Alex says that they should keep marketing themselves as the Golden Couple and then offers his marketing company as help and a way to push endorsements their way. Austin, needing money for his habit and having been dropped by Kobalt, agrees to meeting with Alex the next day. Kaylie looks ignored but I think it is because no one is talking to her and she can’t stand not being the center of attention. It could also be that Austin is using her for her father now that he needs money coming in. Sheila is definitely drunk and trying to talk up Kelly by explaining she has grace under fire under challenging conditions and natural leadership abilities. She continues digging a hole while Kelly sits and looks mortified. Sheila says that she wishes Coach had been there in 2008 when Kelly brought home gold at the Junior Nationals but Kelly says it wasn’t her. Jordan pipes up that it was her and Sheila says oh it was but now it is sad that she has had to struggle since then. Coach says that she hasn’t struggled and is doing great in the gym and has great leadership. He better not make her the captain because she REALLY doesn’t deserve it and none of the girls even like her.

Nope, I won in 2008 even though no one remembers me…

Payson is cooking dinner for her father and talking about how wonderful the experience has been for her so far. She has met so many people and is really enjoying her time there. She even says she wishes Rigo had been there for her father to meet him and that Rigo will visit her when she is back at the Rock preparing for the Olympics. Her father says that the family had to make a big decision and that they want to move back to Minnesota where he has a great job opportunity. See, they moved to the Rock so that Payson can train and it’s come up before that the move was always temporary. Plus, her dad has been struggling and actually lost his job last season and had to take one out of state to support the family.  You know, they never mention Payson’s little sister anymore…oh wait Mark says that she wants to move as well. Mark does offer that while she is training at the Rock, Kaylie’s family have agreed to let her stay with them which is obviously not a good idea as they are no longer friends. Dang, I was really hope he would reveal an affair.

Payson doesn’t take the news well

Kaylie and Austin return to the dorm and Kaylie berates Austin for turning the dinner into a big deal. He says he was just doing what he could to make sure everyone got along and Kaylie says are you going to plan our wedding with my dad next? Kaylie reveals that she is upset because no one even asked her what she thought about everything and again IT’S NOT ALWAYS ABOUT YOU KAYLIE!! She doesn’t want to focus on the golden couple thing (since her parents are loaded and she probably doesn’t like Austin as much as we all think) and Austin tells her that he loves her. Kaylie doesn’t respond and when Austin goes in for a kiss she moves so that he kisses her cheek…SUPER AWKWARD! #AustinlovesKaylie hash tag time! Kaylie’s parents also make it home and end up passionately kissing outside the hotel room.

Yep, she’s in love.

Kelly and Kaylie are recalling the dinner and Kaylie confesses that Austin not only said he loved her but that she couldn’t say it back to him. Kelly asks what happened when Kaylie told Carter that she loved him and she replies that she has never said it to a guy before. She thinks that saying it leads to marriage next and she is not ready for that kind of commitment. Sheila is preparing a pie for Coach when he walks in and they start discussing Kelly being the captain. Sheila is a crafty one so she brings up some of the coach’s financial problems and explains that with her connections she can get him endorsements and make him famous after the Olympics…if Kelly gets the captain position. She even says that Annie deserves more than just getting by and to think about the deal carefully. You really gotta hand it to her, she will do what it takes to make sure Kelly is on top but thankfully Kelly has stopped going along with her schemes…that we know of. And did anyone else think she was going to go so far as to sleep with him? It certainly felt like that for a bit…

I can make you famous…

Payson walks in after a shower and catches Lauren praying even though she says she was just looking for her retainer. Payson says she has never seen Lauren pray before so she deflects and brings up living with Kaylie when they return to the Rock. Payson doesn’t want her parents to move and Lauren says that maybe it’s time that they put themselves first instead of Payson. Payson is shocked at Lauren’s maturity and suspects something is up so as soon as Lauren leaves she finds the doctor’s number and calls her pretending to be Lauren and asks for an explanation of her disease. Ohh…Pay is spending too much time with Lauren because now all the scheming is rubbing off on her. I’ll let it slide though because it’s for a good reason in trying to help Lauren not die.

Payson has become an eavesdropper.

Ronnie and Alex had a fun little night as he wakes up in Ronnie’s bed and they agree that while it was amazing it can’t happen again and that they need to work on being friends. Ronnie hears a knock on the door and thinking it is room service goes to answer only to find Kaylie! How awkward and embarrassing…but also hilariously funny and hey at least it was her dad and not a random dude. Kaylie asks if this means they plan to reconcile and Ronnie says no because they are no longer in love with each other but they want to be better co-parents and friends to each other. Kaylie, of course, turns it on herself explaining that love is difficult and she always thought she would just find someone and get married. Ronnie tells her that love is not perfect and you have to take a leap of faith and hope it works out which scares Kaylie who has to have everything planned out so that it revolves around her. Ronnie tells her that love is worth living for and Kaylie tells her mom that she loves her.

I love you mom, me me me me!

The parents start showing up for the exhibition and Payson’s father is on the phone with Payson’s mom. He explains that moving upset Payson too much so he doesn’t think they should proceed forward. Wow, they really put everything into making Payson happy. It’s kind of weird since they have another kid who is never even mentioned and whose life gets affected by all these decisions. Coach walks up to Jordan and tells her that since she doesn’t have anyone there that he can be her support but tomorrow he goes back to being her hardass coach. Lauren arrives late and catches up to Payson who confesses that she knows what is going on with Lauren and that she can’t in good faith let her perform in case she faints and falls on her stupid head. She knows that Lauren has an irregular heartbeat and that she needs to see a cardiologist for further testing to pinpoint what the problem is. Lauren says that she hasn’t blacked out in a week and that she will be fine because lots of people have irregular heartbeats. Payson tries to intervene but Lauren tells her that it’s her life so it is her call if she can go out and perform or not.

I’ll support you today but tomorrow you’re out.

The girls perform their routines amidst backdrop images of former champions while Coach narrates that the former gymnasts paved the way for them and that to learn from the past will make their futures better. Lauren does her routine without fainting and tells Payson as much. Payson replies that she didn’t fall this time but implies that it could happen again since stress can cause the black outs to happen. Everyone does a great job and Kaylie makes a speech about how the gymnasts paved the way but it’s really the parents who made everything possible and they want to honor them for all of their support.

Lauren is lucky this time.

Austin finally shows up and he looks like he is about to get dumped except the hash tag #KaylielovesAustin flashed 10 minutes ago so we all know what is going to happen. Kaylie tells Austin that she should have told him something last night and that was that she loves him except she says “I love you” in the most goofiest of ways. They hug and she repeats the sentiments a few more times…barf. I’m not convinced that she really loves him because she complained a few episodes back about always being with him and she is really not interested in this Golden Couple idea.

No really, this is the face of a girl in love.

Kelly’s mom shows up and instead of going to lunch with Kelly she is going to meet with Coach about the endorsement deal. Kelly is upset that her mom won’t spend time with her and goes to sit with Lauren and Jordan on the coach saying she would rather be with the other girls whose mothers are also not there. Coach walks up to Sheila and says that he will not take her deal and that if it had been anyone else, Kelly would have been thrown off the team because of her mother’s antics. Sheila tries to come back at Coach but he says everyone on his team is a star and Kelly has had a rough enough time with her as a mother and walks away.

No Moms Club

Payson is hanging with her dad and lets him know that it’s okay if they want to move because they have done so much for her already. Her dad remarks that she really is growing up and that he is proud of her. Payson also lets her dad know that when she goes back she wants to stay with Lauren and not Kaylie because Lauren really needs her more than ever. He says that is fine and they head off to grab the lunch they missed the other day.

Pays all grown up now!

SO you guys!! What do you think is wrong with Lauren and how serious do you think it really is? I’m not sure what it is or that it could be diabetes like I thought but some of the stuff on WebMD (yes I did look it up) seems too far-fetched. Apparently her symptoms could also be a mini-heart attack or a heart murmur but isn’t that stuff you get born with and if so, why didn’t she know this before? UGH can we just get confirmation already?

From the previews next week, who do you think is going to get kicked from the team? Are you rooting for Wendy or Jordan to go home because I sure am! I don’t think it would be a rock girl but we don’t even know if we are getting more than these 8 episodes yet. Guys we only have 4 episodes left and I am kind of sad at the idea that this is going to be the final ending. Oh, and are we ever going to find out what happened with Emily and her baby because I could also use some Chloe Kmetko in my life!

Check last week’s recap out here!

what does our queen have??

Also, I’m not going to do minicaps anymore.