As Dance Moms fans know, Abby loves to remind the dancers that “everyone’s replaceable.” Well, this week, she puts her money where her mouth is. Abby replaces the entire team after the moms attempt a power play to bring back Kelly, Brooke and Paige, and the results aren’t stellar for anyone involved.
Whose Team Is It Anyway?
Tonight’s episode opens in the parking lot of the Abby Lee Dance Company, where the moms discuss their displeasure with their newest “teammate,” Shelly. She’s no Kelly, they all decide. Christi tells the camera in an interview, “We’re a team, and a team includes Kelly.” And as for including new mom Shelly? Christi explains, “That’s not what we signed up for.”
Obviously, this is straight-up bananas because, hello, this is the girls’ team, not that moms’ team. Notably, the moms don’t really discuss what’s best for their daughters. They’re too consumed preserving their exclusive clique to really think of the kids. Their plan is to have a stand-off with Abby, giving her the silent treatment and shunning the pyramid until Kelly rejoins the group. Of course, Abby isn’t having any of it. Since the moms aren’t playing by her rules, she cuts the whole team, brings in new dancers and calls the police to have the “trespassers” removed from the premises. I’ve got to admit, Abby’s got balls.
Mall Madness
The moms flee the scene, but not before comparing Abby to a dinosaur from Jurassic Park. Later, they gather at Christi’s house and plot their next move. The group decides to show Abby how much talent she’s just chased out the door. The plan? The girls will choreograph a dance, perform it at the mall, post it on social media and prove that Abby needs them more than they need Abby.
It’s an ambitious plan that the girls embrace completely. To their credit, the kids come up with a nice routine that they perform in front of a thrilled mall audience, but they don’t quite shine the way they do under Abby’s leadership. Holly hints in an interview that the girls may need Abby after all.
Abby is Not Impressed
Abby assembles a new team of tiny dancers, including her new star, Sophia — a sweetheart with great moves and a pipsqueak voice like Minnie Mouse. The crew competes in Indiana, and while Sophia delivers by winning first place in the solo competition, the team as a whole disappoints Abby by taking second place in the group category. Abby makes her best McKayla Maroney face when the results come in, then yells backstage, “Second is not good enough for the Abby Lee Dance Company!”
It looks like Abby may need the original girls as much as they need her.
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(Image courtesy of Lifetime)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
