Bunheads” 1.18 ‘Next!’ – Recap and Review

February 26, 2013 By Rich 14 Comments

Bunheads” 1.18 ‘Next!’ – Recap and Review
Airdate 25 Feb 2013

always emily and paris

Michelle wakes with a Godot in her bed, which she takes full advantage of with a morning phone pic of his naked chest (a scene not so charming if reversed). In the main house, Fanny (Gilmore’s Emily, Kelly Bishop) returned from her retreat to find Michelle’s brother Scottie asleep on her couch. Misunderstandings ensue and she chases him into Michelle’s bungalow for a nice bit of morning fiasco.

In the dance studio, Ginny’s been taking drawing lessons from Frankie, the boy she’s besotted with and is painting an indecipherable banner to welcome Fanny back. Truly is still inhabiting the studio, putting herself to use by zhuzhing up the costumes. She’s felt like a failure ever since her sister Millie kicked her out of her clothes shop, Sparkles, for falling behind on rent. Michelle joins in the morning practice ballet session while Fanny has put Scottie to work shifting bricks.

Roman and his necklace bring a letter to Sasha, on her request, detailing all his intimate relationships (a la Anna Karenina). She reads it in front of him, then later in her grown-up apartment with the girls, Boo, Melanie and Ginny. As she brings out a beautiful pot roast, she’s obsessed with being sexually inexperienced and over a pot of facemask, tells Boo they need to strike while the iron is hot.

Sasha: I think we need to consider having sex, now.
Boo: With each other?

The girls educate themselves on sex, safe sex and Judy Blume in a montage that would result in a rather different education than Rory’s Book Club List. Cozette drops Our Bodies Ourselves into the huddle, which is so explicit that Boo passes out.

oh boo

Millie (Gilmore’s Paris Geller, Liza Weil) is explaining to Fanny that their amphitheatre project may be delayed due to inadequate builders. Fanny says it needs to be done in time for the Autumn show and asks her to put her mind toward helping Truly out.  Truly is taking up room on the studio floor, comatose in a pile of tutus.

Millie: All she had to do was screw on a nut.

Michelle comes in and takes the room, limbering up for some practice. Sasha interrupts and asks for some time on Sunday (it’s Friday) to talk frankly about sex. Unable to run screaming from the room, Michelle agrees.

Sasha: Penis, vagina blah blah blah.
Michelle: Boooooring!

Michelle asks Fanny for Saturday afternoon off and asks Fanny what she does when the girls ask about sex, realising too late that none of the girls ever have.

It’s Saturday afternoon and with the masochistic Jordan filling in for Michelle, the four girls skip class only to see Michelle stop-starting her old blue VW Beetle down the drive. Worried that Michelle might be leaving town like at the last series break, the girls jump in Sasha’s car and follow, incidentally selling a truckload of brand new blue Minis. Just how guilty are her over-compensating parents?

Michelle has driven to LA for an audition in a church hall. As the girls see Michelle waiting in line, they run for cover (selling a boatload of multi-coloured Ugg boots), they Google the venue and event: it’s an audition for a musical version of Dark Victory, a 1939 Bette Davis movie where a young socialite is diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour and chooses whether to die with dignity – as Melanie says, sounds like a real barnburner. They pull a Goodfellas kitchen backdoor routine and spy on the audition process, which is brutal. The audition guy summarily dismisses swathes of auditionees, comes to Michelle and pauses… and decides to keeps her in.

A well-timed ad-break allows those left to learn the combo. Boo jumps out of hiding and joins in – quickly joined by the others and of course they have it down pat. Sasha drags Boo away from the rest of the audition process, to Boo’s dismay. Boo faces off against Sasha, saying that this could be her chance for the big time and she’s fed up of Sasha’s bossiness, including her plans about sex. Boo recounts her plan to wait for prom (in a year and a half) and defying Sasha, intends to stick with it. Their confrontation is only interrupted by Michelle’s group being called back for the next round of auditions, where she gets through again.

In her single audition, the catty piano guy wisely advises against anything from Les Mis (“Freakin’ Hathaway”) and picks out “If You Could See Me Now”.

see me now

To the girls’ incredulity, the audition people don’t even seem to be watching. Michelle performs impressively and afterwards, the pianist congratulates her on her performance, interrupted by a string of female dancers walking into the hall. He tells her these are the dancers for the show and that the auditions are merely a union requirement. Crestfallen and mad, Michelle tosses her stuff in the car and heads home. Sasha regrets not showing themselves to Michelle.

Truly meets Millie at the Oyster Bar where we find out that Truly not only didn’t pay their mom back for college, she didn’t graduate. Millie offers Truly rent-free premises to revive Truly’s shop and apologises for her previous behaviour. The two sisters seem finally to have turned a page in their relationship and as Truly goes to seal the contract with the traditional blue drinks, Scottie comes in under Fanny’s orders with a delivery for Millie. Millie eyes him like a side of beef while Truly pictures him in a delivery man’s cap. He leaves before they devour him alive and together realise that their sibling rivalry is back, with a vengeance. They both like Scottie. Poor Scottie.

After Michelle’s previous comment about the girls asking about sex, Fanny has taken it upon herself to educate the entire class with some frighteningly archaic props and posters. After she passes out a box of bananas, Michelle leaves the room.

Matisse: This isn’t going to work. I’m allergic to bananas.

She’s joined shortly after by Ginny, who asks about the audition. Touched, Michelle says it went fine. Ginny starts getting teary and Michelle asks if she’s OK. Ginny confides that she slept with Frankie – she’s not even sure they’re formally dating since he’s never really talked to her and hasn’t called since – and while Michelle tries to calm her fears that she’s not an idiot and that Frankie won’t ever talk to her again, all she can really do is hold her tight while Ginny cries on her shoulder.

Ginny: He was just so beautiful.

Closing credits to a fifties style dance routine to a steamy version of “Makin’ Whoopee” (is that Sam Phillips singing?)

Discussion

This was the end-of-season finale and good news for fans – IMDb is showing season two episode one, entitled Honestly YA (Young Adult?). With any luck, we’ll see that amphitheatre in all its glory.

Sex! It’s fair to say Gilmore Girls didn’t shy away from the subject, with Rory’s first time becoming a confused mess and Lorelai being a single, available woman throughout. However, the Bunheads treatment is focussed far more on the kids than the grown-ups and considering the audience and channel, it’s to be expected. Personally, I found the various perspectives were handled with confidence and aplomb and it certainly didn’t feel like anything was being jammed down anyone’s throat. So to speak. So as we head into season two, we’ve got relationships coming out of our ears – Sasha wants to with Roman, Boo is abstaining with Carl, Ginny’s had a confusing start with Frankie, Michelle’s enjoying herself with Godot and Melanie is (currently) happily single. It’s really Michelle’s relationship (with Hubbell as well as Godot) that distances Bunheads from Gilmore. Without Lorelai to hang the show on, it’s all five girls that share the burden. Did you feel an agenda? Did it favourably compare?

Wonderful to see Scottie back and on tip-top comic form – and with some second season hijinks in order, I’ll be bound. Let’s hope it wasn’t the Millie-Truly-triangle that portended Hubbell’s demise.

The audition – anyone sense some real-life experience injected into these scenes? The bitchiness (the girl lying about which beat to kick on), the harshness (“no, no, no, no – wait – no”) and eventual pointlessness of the audition process. Were you expecting the audition outcome? Or one of the girls not being discovered?

Truly didn’t graduate college, Michelle didn’t finish high school. This might be out of place on a Gilmore Girls blog entry, but is a college education worth what it once was?

So, thanks for sticking with us for the end of Bunheads, season one? Sure, it was never going to be Gilmore Girls, but was it good enough?  Too similar or too different (man, they just can’t win)?  Do you think it deserves another season?  What else are you watching and how does it compare?  See you out on the discussion boards, guys.

Pics courtesy of ABC Family

Filed Under Amy Sherman-Palladino, Bunheads, Gilmore Memories, Guest Stars, Kelly Bishop, Liza Weil, Lorelai's Love Life, Where Are They Now
Tagged With bunheads, bunheads recaps, Kelly Bishop, Liza Weil, rory & dean

“Bunheads” 1.17 ‘It’s Not A Mint’ – Recap and Gilmore perspectives

February 23, 2013 By Rich 5 Comments

“Bunheads” 1.17 ‘It’s Not A Mint’ – Recap and Review
Airdate 18 Feb 2013

love a man in uniform

Sasha returns to her grown up apartment, carrying grown up shopping including kitchen roll. Old lady neighbourmeyer is uncommonly not answering her door, even with Sasha’s offer of transportation to her MRI. Sasha’s leaves messages with Ginny and Boo and her phone’s voice-dialling can’t handle calling the police (911 being too much to dial in all the panic) and tries suggests connecting her to Polito’s Trattoria [wink - Jon Polito played the pizza guy in Gilmore Girls].

Talia and Truly join Michelle for an indulgent chocolate fondue as an impromptu hen night for Talia’s wedding to Old Guy Rick the next day. Truly calls maid of honour and Michelle spikes the fondue.

Roman, Sasha’s love interest, turns up as her knight in shining armour and wearing Sasha as a shell, sidesteps her scattered tangelos in the corridor. So not only does she have money to afford her own apartment, she’s got disposeable cash to match.  And either he really loves his padlock neckchain or he’s lost the key. Roman – find the key, dude. Weaponry around the apartment includes two baseball bats, a tennis racket, a pointy umbrella and a crowbar. Roman instantly loses the umbrella to the giant spider in the bathroom but makes it into the bedroom and declare the house safe.  Just as they get to the bed, Boo’s parents Rusty and Jordan (dad and mum respectively, in case the androgynous names had you wondering like me) turn up in answer to Sasha’s emergency call armed with the screaming Winkleburn kids and a sledgehammer, which Rusty also loses to the bathroom spider.

Next morning, Truly asks Michelle for dress advice during ballet rehearsals when Bash (Gilmore Girls’ one and only Kirk, Sean Gunn) turns up in town evacuation mode. There’s a fire in the woods north of town and with Fanny out of the country, he designates Michelle as co-captain for their area. With the position comes a ‘CAP’ cap (a cap with CAP emblazoned on it). Around the army cots being put up in the studio, Bash instructs Michelle on protocol, hands her a walkie-talkie and the promise of champagne if she’s successful. Melanie is capturing the event on her SLR.

Michelle: Fire torpedoes, fire torpedoes!

Bash is giving Michelle minimal captaining duties, including only registering  surnames X through Z. The town’s boys are present, including Roman, Carl (Boo’s beau), Jeff (Boo’s manager at the Oyster Bar) and Des (Melanie’s brother’s friend and her ever-present bugbear). Carl and Jeff bond over Tommy Lee Jones’ turn in Hope Floats and demonstrate why young men shouldn’t do TLJ impressions.

Talia is determined that the wedding goes ahead today, despite the emergency situation. Truly is even more determined to be maid of honour. Millie (GG’s Paris, Liza Weil), Truly’s sister,  jumps the queue since the whole town is scared of her.

Bash: To be clear, I like men and women equally. Both sexes work for me.
Michelle: Yeah that’s not gonna lead to any misunderstandings at all.

Ginny ogles the new boy, Frankie, as he changes into his Emergency Volunteer t-shirt (with good reason). Des knows Ansel Adams and advises Melanie against using flash to create naturalistic pictures, much to her disdain. Seeing Ginny doe-eyed over Frankie, Sasha hands her a drool cup but does nothing to douse her infatuation.

In the dancer’s changing room, Talia’s fiance Rick is caught at a checkpoint and can’t get into town but Truly says that they will find a way. Millie wants her crepe cook to cook crepes. Michelle finds a condom packet under a wardrobe and if that wasn’t drama enough, Bash tells her he has a mole in one of the other evacuation centres and their entertainments include juggling, singing and doing the conga. He tells her they need to step up the entertainment (hmm, wonder what that might include).

The girls and guys are playing poker, Michelle breaks it up in case an orgy breaks out. Talia’s Rick is being flown in by a good samaritan, in a helicopter.

Bash’s attempt at entertainment is Jeff and Carl playing duelling Tommy Lee Jones’. When this turns into fisticuffs over Jeff coming onto Boo, Michelle has the dancers perform their Billy Elliot’s dad’s dance routine – and mining hats off to Marguerite Derricks for another stunning performance.

safety dance

Truly is steaming the maid of honour dress she’s just made and Millie asks to use the room for a massage. Truly thanks her for the use of the helicopter and Millie says it’s worth it for a wedding. Although the two of them are unmarried, Millie doesn’t see it ever happening for her – her adopted Chinese child is enough for her. Truly however does expect marriage.  Bash pokes his head around the corner, marking a Kirk / Paris reunion.

Ginny sniffs Frankie’s jacket, Cozette spoils Skyfall (finally someone did it) and she likens Ginny to a sad, dying antelope that needs to be put out of its misery.

Talia is looking fabulous in her wedding outfit.

Talia: I was shooting for Marilyn singing Happy Birthday to Kennedy but with underwear.

Talia receives a text that Rick has fallen and broken his ankle. Michelle confesses that she doesn’t think Rick is suitable for her, that he’s making her give up on her dreams and she’s becoming someone else. Talia says dancing in New York is Michelle’s dream, not hers, not any more and besides, she’s pregnant. Gasp!

Over a kids’ group photo and some cute dogs, Des finally gets through to Melanie. He gets her to consider that she can’t think of a reason why they should be together – but then, she can’t think of a reason why not.  So why not?  Yay Des!!

Michelle throws the condom down between the four girls, Sasha, Melanie, Ginny and Boo, leaving everyone involved confused.

it's not a mint

 

She realises her mistake and takes it back but spawns a brilliant and educational conversation between the girls where we learn that Boo is on the pill but not having sex. As she’s eating what looks like a lettuce sandwich.

Sasha: …you’re on the pill but not having sex. That’s like having a superpower and not using it

Bash announces to the room that the fire is out. Cozette has told Frankie that Ginny wanted drawing lessons and he’s more than pleased to oblige. Ginny bounces as he puts his number in her phone. Bash contacts Michelle on the walkie talkie, channelling Lorelai as he pretends to be breaking up – denying her any success champagne. Instead, the returning firemen include Godot, the bartender surfer hunk and Michelle’s one-time fling – who also appears to be on the pill.

Discussion

Always pleasantly surprised to see familar Gilmore faces.  This week we have Kirk and Paris in person, Fran (Sasha’s unseen neighbour) and Emily in absentia.  Bash’s ‘breaking up’ on the walkie-talkie was a loving reminder of Lorelai’s effortless and guiltless ‘going in a tunnel’ excuses to Emily.   And speaking of Emily, Millie’s treatment of her crepe cook and masseuse were strikingly reminiscent of Emily and her maids.  As noted above, Kirk and Paris breathed the same air in one scene, the last time they did this was when they had a sleepover at Lorelai’s, remember?

Lorelai: So, did you get any rest?
Paris: Kirk talks in his sleep.
Lorelai: Anything juicy?
Paris: He deals blackjack.
Lorelai: Hm. Kirk?
Kirk [off screen]: Yeah?
Lorelai: Turn off the TV, come have your breakfast.
Kirk [off screen]: In a minute.
Lorelai: Now.

Things like this remind me how – as much as I enjoy Bunheads – I still love Gilmore Girls more.  With the possible exception of Michelle’s Old Guy jokes, which totally rock.

Whose condom?  If it’s not one of our quartet’s, does it even matter?  The sensible conversation it spawned on buying condoms and taking precautions if you’re not actively having sex was cool and I’m glad they came back to this after the sex discussion pact they breezed by a few episodes ago.

Michelle and Godot, Sasha and Roman, Ginny and Frankie, Melanie and Des, Boo and Carl. Talia and Old Guy Rick. Now almost everyone’s hooked up, who’s going to get broken up first?  If Gilmore Girls is a template, are you expecting some new male faces?

I love that Truly can whip up a dress out of a cotbed, seamstressing skills are a superpower shared with Lorelai. Who’s the guy for her? Has Millie really given up on finding a guy? And where’s Fanny?

Pics courtesy of ABC Family

Filed Under Bunheads, Guest Stars, Kirk Gleason, Liza Weil, Lorelai Gilmore, Paris Geller, Sean Gunn, Where Are They Now
Tagged With bunheads, bunheads recaps, Gilmore Girls, Kirk Gleason, Liza Weil, Paris Geller, Sean Gunn

“Bunheads” 1.15 ‘Take The Vicuna’ – Recap and Review (and Rave and Rant)

February 5, 2013 By Rich 6 Comments

“Bunheads” 1.15 ‘Take The Vicuna’ – Recap and Review
Airdate 4 Feb 2013

60 percent gilmore

Where Gilmore borrowed Sorkin’s ‘Walk and Talk’, Bunheads creates Dance and Discourse in a terrific opener (see below for me raving about how great this scene is).  Ginny takes Melanie to task  for what she sees as Melanie’s betrayal of friendship to the newcomer, Cozette. Sasha trolls the aisles of a supermarket for that new-apartment first-time shop.

Fanny and Michelle’s money-making scheme is coming together. Their outdoor auditorium is being built by the town’s handymen, Bob and Don – or Fat Bob and Skinny Don as they’ll forever be known – and with Millie’s funding, The Millicent Stone Performance Center promises to be a sumptuous venue, when it’s eventually finished. Millie seems determined that money is no object – much to Fanny’s devious delight.

Scottie and Michelle are arranging a trip to the Burning Man festival. They’ve made up since last week’s ruckus, as siblings do. And that’s not all that’s made up – Michelle bursts Scottie’s bubble, telling him that their mum fabricated some of his best childhood vacations and memories.

Michelle: Raincoat?
Scottie: Bring it.
Michelle: Bikini?
Scottie: Bring it.
Michelle: Pyjama jeans?
Scottie: Bring ‘em.
Michelle: Handcuffs?
Scottie: Toss ‘em in.
Michelle: Hard hat, waffle iron, Bananarama box set.
Scottie: What the hell are we gonna do with a waffle iron?

In the dance studio’s changing room, Sasha attempts to sort out her new apartment’s utilities while Ginny continues her tirade against Cozette, threatening to boycott Sasha’s housewarming party. To demonstrate her allegiance, Melanie says she won’t go either, forcing Sasha to be the grown-up and coming to an alternative coffee-date arrangement with Cozette. Sorted.

Roman, Sasha’s beau, turns up stalker-like at the studio, exasperated by the lack of response from Sasha recently. She promises him she’ll be in touch. Millie requests a backer’s rehearsal from Fanny, whereby Millie – as the financier of the auditiorium – receives a backstage peek into the dancers’ progress. Fanny is outraged at the very idea, even before Millie takes, then gives, notes on the dancers’ Sleeping Beauty rehearsal performances (ensemble pieces sandwich a sterling, jaunty solo from RaJahnae ‘RaeRae’ Patterson). Fanny snaps and Millie escalates to her lawyers, who she has on vocal speed dial.

raerae-sleepingbeauty

At Sasha’s housewarming, Scottie is amusingly outraged that Sasha has it together better at sixteen than he ever has. As a team, with Sasha cooking, Boo instructing, Ginny housekeeping and Martha Stewart there in spirit, it’s a very sophisticated soiree indeed. Sasha’s even installed a barre and long mirror in the bedroom – in part because she’s serious about ballet and in part because she’s inspired by Michelle. Scottie deems Sasha Michelle’s Mini-Me and warns Michelle that it could be dangerous.

Fanny has invited Millie over to her house, to apologise and make peace. Millie admits that what she really wants is artistic recognition, but doesn’t want to go through the pain of actually learning it. In the absence of acquiring actual expertise, she happily settles for Fanny pretending she does.

worlds collide - but no implosion

Fanny: Creating art is not democratic.

With the last guest gone, Sasha leans with her back to the door, confronted with her empty apartment. Not for long though; Roman’s at the door. To his indignation at being neglected, she explains how much she’s had to deal with – her parents splitting and leaving her, sorting the apartment and the party – and as they’re screaming at each other about giving up on the relationship, they agree to meet Friday at 8. I love this stuff.

Roman: Wow, you’re weirder than I thought. And I thought you were pretty weird.

After the party, Scottie’s driving the sleeping Michelle to the Burning Man festival in his car. He stops for a ‘detour’ at a diner. He tries to stop her going in but she fancies fries and is confronted by her mum, who she hasn’t seen or contacted for twelve and a half years. Scottie’s there to sign some papers for her and Michelle sits at the stall behind. We’re not given the full story but Michelle is clearly unimpressed by her mum’s continued conniving ways – (deep breath) Scottie is mum’s legal guardian since they declared her legally incompetent to get out of being stuck with a house that she’d bought with a now ex-boyfriend. The mum’s new boyfriend is Rufus, a 35 year old and she says she wants to record a country and western album.  Scottie signs the financial documents and leaves with Michelle.

Scottie drives Michelle back to her place and before he leaves, she forgives him, they hug.

Michelle: Give me some warning before you get married again.
Scottie: There’s usually not that much time.

Michelle notices Sasha sleeping on her couch. “I’ll sleep at my place tomorrow”, Sasha mumbles as Sam Phillips’ “la-la-las” kick in and Michelle reclines in her own bed, mirroring her Mini-Me… two Sleeping Beauties?

 

Discussion

Eat your heart out, Aaron Sorkin. The walk-and-talk adopted by Gilmore Girls becomes something else entirely in the hands of choreographer Marguerite Derricks, director Chris Eigeman and main writer (Gilmore Girls’ producer) Sheila Lawrence. While Bunheads isn’t Gilmore Girls, this episode’s opening scene is something else entirely. Filmed in a couple of long takes, the prominent quartet of Bailey Buntain, Emma Dumont, Kaitlyn Jenkins and Julia Goldani Telles dance, discourse and delightfully deliver the goods with some wicked interventions from Jeanine Mason. It’s catty, clever and laugh-out-loud funny and Bailey Buntain has more acting ability in her chin than the cast of oh let’s say Revenge.  Are you watching Bunheads for Bunheads, or are you still watching it for Gilmore Girls?

After last week’s Gilmore-lite episode, I’m more than pleased to report Gilmore-overcompensation this week. Returning to Bunheads but this time behind the camera, the always-sharp Chris Eigeman (Gilmore’s Jason ‘Digger’ Stiles) directs, joining GG producer Sheila Lawrence, who takes writing duties.  The auditorium construction scene boasts Fanny, Bob and Millie (Gilmore Girls’ Emily Gilmore, handyman Tom and Paris Geller) appearing in a single frame without the universe imploding. That’s 60% Gilmore in the top picture.  It’s quite something that, personally, I didn’t once consider Fanny and Millie as Paris and Emily. And to think, Paris and Tom were last on set together over 11 years ago, when Rory wielded a prettified pink hammer back in Gilmore Girls’ series 2.  A new GG alumni entry too, with Sasha’s new neighbour, better known to us as dear departed Fran Westin of  Westin’s cake shop and the previous owner of the Dragonfly Inn: Linda Porter, reincarnated here as Mrs Weidemeyer, who Michelle lends some colour to as the elderly neighbour turned con artist.  Did you get your Gilmore fix?

The Vicuna reference is from Sunset Boulevard, which I’m both proud and embarrassed to say I didn’t have to look up, since I know every line from the musical. Everyone’s a geek about something, OK? And I’m calling the second outing for Clemenza’s gun reference in Bunheads to date, to join the numerous mentions from Lorelai.  Seriously, if you don’t know where his gun is by now, you’re just not paying attention.

Main plot points here are Sasha’s moving out and Michelle’s estrangement from her mum.  Lorelai and Michelle could be role models for Sasha, examples of how hard it can be gaining your independence and identity – figuring out who you are, outside of parents and expectations.  It’s not as easy as Sasha physically moving out and growing up and literally playing house – the internal struggles continue and sometimes never go away. I still feel like I’m moving among adults. We saw this in Lorelai as much as anyone, with her insistence on finding the fun and the child in being an adult and that you don’t have to choose to hide it away.  Of all the characters in Gilmore Girls, who do you most identify with?  Who would you most like to be like?

I knew Scottie would redeem himself. This week he had the lines, the wide-eyed amazement over Sasha’s bagless vacuum cleaner, the warm cookie “Oh my God” and invited some sympathy over his predicament between Michelle and their mum. Would you care to see him return? Will he ever find his path? Would Scottie have gotten on with Hubbell?

Creativity vs The Bottom Line. For anyone who’s had a television series stripped away from them too soon (say, Freaks and Geeks, Firefly, Studio 60 for example), the balance of numbers versus art is a sad fact in mainstream US television. Watching certain series get whittled away by committee into either a premature end or becoming soggy and ill-defined is disheartening and drags us all into the middle-lane, creators and audience alike. From interviews, it sounds like ASP is getting a fair amount of free rein in Bunheads and all power to her. As it was with Michelangelo and as it is with Millie, it’s only with trust from the backers that the creatives have the creative freedom to make something of their visions.  Not that I’m bitter or anything.

Pics courtesy of ABC Family

Filed Under Bunheads, Emily Gilmore, Guest Stars, Kelly Bishop, Liza Weil, Other Gilmore Execs, Paris Geller, Where Are They Now
Tagged With Biff Yeager, bunheads, bunheads recaps, chris eigeman, Clemenza's gun, jason stiles, linda porter, Liza Weil, sam phillips

“Bunheads” 1.13 ‘I’ll Be Your Meyer Lansky’ – Recap and chit-chat!

January 22, 2013 By Rich 4 Comments

“Bunheads” 1.13 ‘I’ll Be Your Meyer Lansky’ – Recap and chit-chat!

Airdate: 21 Jan 2013

It’s a montage! Cue some decidedly Rocky-esque theme music and Michelle and Fanny stretching and limbering up… for a meeting with Eric, their accountant. Last we saw him, he was supremely unimpressed by their financial organisation and they could barely stay awake.  This time, full of power bars and disgusting smoothies – actually, nothing’s changed.

Eric: We’re talking about important financial matters but as usual neither of you is taking this seriously.
Michelle: What are you talking about! We got rid of the hat boxes, we bought a binder.
Eric: A South Park binder.
Michelle: What, numbers can’t be fun?

Eric suggests they make use of their land, like their neighbours who farm or do whatever you do with ostriches and alpacas. Something needs to be done, at least something more than Michelle’s daydreaming of gold sluicing.

Melanie and Ginny are wandering the busy school corridors, chancing upon the effortlessly popular sibling newcomers Frankie and Cozzette. Damn, that guy just smoulders. Sparks between him and Ginny as she pulls Melanie away, only to bear witness to Charlie (Melanie’s long-suffering brother) being unceremoniously and very publicly dumped by his girlfriend, Stacia. Melanie unsympathetically films the whole thing on her phone.

Returning from the accountants in Hubbell’s beloved Mustang, Michelle and Fanny stop at a roadside candle stall, to Fanny’s delight and Michelle’s chagrin. Michelle comes up with the idea of building an amphitheatre when she realises that they – and the candle stall – are within their property boundary. Worse still, the ‘artisan’ owner has been paying rent to the neighbouring alpaca farmer for the past ten years. As ‘rent’, Fanny yoinks a woven basket and stuffs it with a bunch of big candles.

Melanie badgers Charlie to drive her to class but he’s even less responsive than normal, lying on his bed and staring at the walls. He tosses her his keys and she drives herself, turning up as Ginny and Sasha review astonishing photos of Frankie and Cozzette’s overturning of the social balance.

Ginny: There are cliques and groups for a reason. First of all, if everyone got along with everyone there would never be a decent book written, a decent movie made.
Melanie: John Hughes?
Ginny: … would have worked at Bed Bath and Beyond. No ‘On the Road’, no ‘Catcher in the Rye’. Separation breeds discontent, which fuels society. They are defueling society.

In front of their very eyes, Cozzette kindly befriends Matisse, further extending the siblings’ social network – even apparently to their bus driver. Truly, the local crazy and clothes store owner, has moved her stock into the dance studio after her landlord (and sister) Millie had a disagreement over rent.  Around all the clothes stands and crates, Cozzette performs a skillful and semi-improvisational performance to a Glinka waltz, winning over the studio and Fanny herself.

Michelle: OK so this morning a squirrel stole my toothbrush.

Michelle has found the perfect location for the amphitheatre and Fanny’s loving the idea too. Sasha, Ginny and Melanie eagerly inform Michelle that Godot is back at the Oyster Bar. With Michelle and Godot’s brief fling before her inter-series freakout trip back to Vegas, they’re expecting some kind of re-union – or for something that passes for entertainment in Paradise.

With enthusiasm overcoming practicality, Michelle and Fanny explode their amphitheatre plan over Eric, interrupting him mid-meeting.

Fanny: We won’t take long.
Michelle: We talk fast.

They think they can build the amphitheatre in three weeks, in time for their performance of Sleeping Beauty. Eric brings them back down to earth with talk of restrooms and council permissions, which spurs Michelle into deciding to take a  business course to learn the rules first hand.

Melanie grills Charlie’s best friend Dez about Charlie’s dour behaviour, wrongly assuming that Charlie deserved the dumping he got. Instead, she learns with surprise that Charlie was both smitten and committed to the heartless Stacia.

Michelle has kicked off enrolment at the business school and has the sweatshirt to prove it, which is all good until she receives a phone call that she has no high school diploma. She recalls now that instead of completing the extra required credit, she spent two weeks in Dollywood.

On another stroll through the school corridors, Ginny gives Melanie an update on her dad’s planned marriage to Faye Mendelsson, who sounds like a psycho redhead. Melanie sees Charlie’s ex, Stacia, and in passing, yanks her to the floor by her hair, miraculously without losing step. I don’t know which is more out of character – the stunning impulsive violence or the protectiveness Melanie feels for Charlie. Melanie’s as surprised as we are and walks on.

It’s Trivia Night at the Oyster Bar and Sam (Gilmore Girls’ mechanic Gypsy, Rose Abdoo) is hosting the computerised affair. The fancy computer doodads however, are owned by militant Millie (GG’s Paris Geller, Liza Weil) who declares greasy fingers a no-no and summarily bans buffalo wings from the bar.

Millie approaches her sister Truly, who has set up a complex idol system around her trivia doodad and Millie offers to help her win by cheating the computer system. Millie seems to have more of an issue with Truly than the other way around – which is curious since we learned last week from Millie that Truly apparently stole Hubbell from her – and Truly bluntly refuses her offer.

Sam invites Michelle to join her trivia team and Michelle performs disastrously. With the earlier news that she failed high school, she feels stupid and falls back on Godot the recently returned bartender as a sure thing. Except she assumes he’s dumb and inadvertently insults him. Who’d have thunk he had a Masters degree in Oceanography? I guess that explains why he’s suddenly wearing a shirt with arms and had a mild haircut. Visibly bummed, Michelle retreats and Melanie’s rage monster reveals itself again. Wrongly assuming that Godot had been unkind to Michelle, she literally pulls the barstool out from under him, dumping him on the floor. Win! (Kinda).

Melanie: I just saw red. Then he was on the floor. I’m the Hulk.
Sasha: But with longer legs.

Michelle finds Eric the accountant and then Millie in the bar. Millie – evidently a frighteningly good businesswoman – hands a massive wad of dollar bills to a waiter for keeping fries off the menu. Michelle asks if she’s interested in buying any land, to free up some capital for the amphitheatre. Turns out Millie is more interested in the amphitheatre itself and somehow ends up as a business partner in the venture and goes off to fetch celebratory blue drinks.

Cozzette catches Melanie unawares and hands her a flyer for Roller Derby Tryouts, which seems as good a venue as any for her newly discovered brawling talent.

Truly accuses Michelle of conniving with Millie but Michelle reassures her Millie doesn’t always get what she wants; she didn’t get Hubbell, after all. Somehow, these two who were driven apart by Hubbell are bonding over him.

Michelle: Millie’s not my friend. You’re my friend.
Truly: You never invited me to Vegas.
Michelle: Well Truly the next time I have some sort of emotional breakdown and run from everything that is good and stable in my life I promise I’ll invite you to come and watch.

Big losers at Trivia Night, Ginny and Melanie go back to Sasha’s house. To Ginny and Melanie’s surprise, the furniture’s all Twin Peaks-y and everything’s packed for moving, except Sasha’s room, which is untouched. Sasha says that her dad properly came out of the closet and is moving to San Jose, while her mum is going back to Encino and Sasha doesn’t want to go with either of them. Sasha’s mum comes in and asks the two guests to leave, then tells Sasha to pack her stuff, since she will be leaving tomorrow. Sasha stubbornly refuses to choose and exasperated, her mum leaves her the house keys and tells Sasha she has the house for two weeks, until escrow.

Later that night, Michelle dejectedly arrives home in the rain to find Sasha waiting on the doorstep, confronted with big decisions and the world of adult responsibility.

Michelle: Yeah this would be a lot easier if I could offer you a drink.

A poinient moment between the two of them, as Sasha earnestly asks ‘What am I going to do?’ as an ominous thunderstorm builds. Michelle – who herself is drifting through life – responds ‘Hey, don’t worry. I got your back.’ Together, they seem to have direction.

Sasha is the centerpiece of a final dance sequence with Melanie, Ginny and three other bods in a sequence reminiscent of the Istanbul Not Constantinople piece in episode 6.

It may be her dreaming and there’s no explanation for it, but it’s spectacularly evocative of Sasha’s internal struggles, of her forced loss of innocence and her desperate yearning for someone to hold and understand her – well, that’s my take anyhow.  The achingly bittersweet tune is You, Sailor by Erin McKeown.

 

Discussion

As usual, some notes on the episode, to which I warmly invite your thoughts:

Not quite so much filler as last week and some standout moments:

- Melanie yanking that girl’s hair genuinely made me gasp out loud. It was Luke pushing Jess in the lake all over again.

- Another touching moment between Sasha and Michelle (Sashelle?). With her parents both separating and abandoning her, the enormity of Sasha’s next decisions couldn’t be much more overwhelming.

- I loved the final song and dance.  Seeing Sasha so raw and vulnerable has so much more clout because it’s so unlike the persona she generally puts out there.  But damn I wish they’d put those pop-up adverts somewhere less obtrusive, it’s like graffiti on artwork.

- And cultural references out the wazoo – I think I caught about 40%, my favourites being Stringer Bell and Laura Palmer.

Ginny’s speech on ‘separation breeding discontent, which fuels society’ is something ASP has talked about before, regarding the Nutcracker/mace season finale.

Amy Sherman-Palladino: I wanted to set Michelle and Fanny back a notch. It’s no fun to watch people getting along. I have no interest in happy people. They can all bite my ass. I like the rest of the people who are grumbling and having problems and having breakdowns. Those are my peeps. At the very least I wanted to give people who have invested emotionally in this show a good wham-bam SLAM.

We’ve all been on the brink of Gilmore happiness just before it gets snatched away. It’s the pay-off to our emotional investment and with Michelle and Sasha, I realise I’ve invested in this show and these people.  I even liked Eric, I didn’t realise he’d be a recurring character but he’s welcome to come back.  How’s your investment and is it paying off?

Alongside Liza Weil ‘s welcome return, Jackson Douglas directs and Rose Abdoo gets a juicy chunk of dialogue during the quiz. To my fanboy delight, Gypsy and Paris get a great riff going over the buffalo wings. Did these two ever share a scene in GG? I’m thinking no, but I may be mistook… And with Millie entering into the amphitheatre project, Emily Gilmore and Paris Geller are *this close* to being reunited. If this ever happens, I’m expecting the universe to implode.

No Boo? Does this mean we can expect some serious Boo action next week?

Pictures ℅ ABC Family

Filed Under Bunheads, Guest Stars, Kelly Bishop, Liza Weil, Paris Geller, Where Are They Now
Tagged With bunheads, bunheads recaps, gypsy, jackson douglas, Liza Weil, Paris Geller, rose abdoo

“Bunheads” 1.12 ‘Channing Tatum is a Fine Actor’ – Recap and chit-chat!

January 15, 2013 By Rich 5 Comments

“Bunheads” 1.12 ‘Channing Tatum is a Fine Actor’ – Recap and chit-chat!

Stars Hollow must be getting awfully quiet since almost everyone except the two Gilmore girls are bringing the laughs to Bunheads’ Paradise.

where's leonard

No ‘previously on Bunheads’ this week, so keep up at the back.

Tappa tappa tappa! Miss Fanny appears to be having a week off so Michelle’s leading the grown-ups’ evening tap class with Rose Abdoo (Gilmore Girls’ mechanic Gypsy) stealing the show, very much dancing to her own tune. Michelle sees the class off and turns the lights out however they don’t stay out. Sasha’s stolen in and Michelle, after last week’s emotional reunion, lends some kindly and motherly advice.

Michelle: I’m proud of you, I hope you know that… I hope you know that if you ever need someone to talk to or just a place to hang… I’m here.
Sasha: … Thanks
Michelle: So is he outside or still on his way?

Michelle’s wily enough to know that Sasha’s boyfriend Roman is sneaking around outside, calls him in and dismisses him before inviting a contented Sasha in for food.

Next morning, Michelle is drilling the ‘shorties’ ballet class – ooh, Liza Weil in the credits! – and calls it a day when they’re at the point of teetering over. Talia, Michelle’s best friend, calls from Vegas and has set up a blind date for Michelle, a guy called Marion. From the fuzzy picture and loose description, nobody’s getting their hopes up.

While Melanie is disappointed to learn that there’s no whale in The Great Gatsby, Boo is stressing about the premature arrival of her boyfriend and one-time dance partner, Carl. He’s catching an early train home from summer camp to be with her and turns up even earlier, before she’s had a chance to make herself feel pretty – of course she looks great anyway and Carl (Casey Adler channelling Scott Baio) is fast becoming very likeable. He’s a good guy and reminds her about having Thursday night dinner with his folks. He gives her a bow and arrow that he made at camp and she runs off to be mistaken for Katniss Everdeen.

Truly, the local dressmaker and nutjob, turns up outside Michelle’s shack holding her fall collection. Truly’s landlady has locked her out because she hasn’t been paying the rent on Sparkles, her shop / apartment since it rocketed up $1200. Michelle says she can keep the clothes in her closet.

Our quartet of ballerinas – Boo, Ginny, Melanie and Sasha – arrive at school when hark, the sound of newcomers. A brother and sister arrive on a continental scooter, very glamorous with the added dazzle of course, that they’re new.

Truly shows up early at Michelle’s place to preview her fall clothes to a prospective buyer, Jill. Michelle, in brief briefs, acquiesces and fetches coffee.

Back at school, Melanie wanders the school corridors reading two books at a time while listening to a third and the two newcomers are creating a storm of intrigue and envy. Cossette, the girl, has been heard speaking French, Japanese and Spanish while Frankie plays classical piano and violin and the two of them appear to magically change outfits as the day progresses.

Boo still waitresses at the Oyster Bar, where we next find her asking Michelle for advice on dinner with Carl’s parents. Michelle tells her not to be herself and instead to be what she thinks the parents want to be.  More importantly, at all costs, she should get out after 90 minutes since in her experience that’s when something embarrassing goes down. She even lends Boo her watch because nobody under 20 years old wears watches any more.

Carl’s overbearing mum ‘Sweetie’ (Gilmore Girls’ lucky talisman Alex Borstein – Drella the harpist and Miss Celine the dresser) is ordering the whole menu at the Chinese restaurant while his Dad half-heartedly tries to stop her. Boo is taking Michelle’s advice a little too literally and at 90 minutes, stands up and hides round the corner under the pretence of visiting the restroom. While there she hears Carl tell his parents that they should get used to the idea of having Boo around because ‘I could marry this girl’.

Michelle arrives back at her bungalow to what seems be a party inside. In one of many laugh out loud moments, Roman slinks out of the bushes again. Of course it’s Truly in the house, this time giving an open evening to a bunch of her customers. Michelle is a little happier about it when she sells one of her lamps for fifty bucks and says she’ll go with Truly to talk with her landlady about the unreasonable hike in rent.

Another day at school, our quartet are pondering how Cossette has already permeated the upper echelons of the school social ladder and volunteer Ginny to go talk to the new boy, Frankie.

Frankie tells Ginny that he and his sister are nomads from Bavaria (seriously?)  With typical candour, Ginny gushes that she’s always wanted to see Mad Ludvig’s castle in Bavaria – and he not only knows Ginny’s name but he’s been sketching the four girls, picking her out in particular. Schwing!

Returning the favour, Carl is now dining with Boo’s parents at their house. Her dad is a fireman and her mum is putting her own spin on paella. Eating Bananas Foster whipped up by Carl, they watch a bizarre little cowboy dance sequence by I assume, one of Boo’s brothers, to Wylie’s Yodelling Cowhand. Carl then suggests they help clean up and gives Boo a sweet kiss on the forehead. “OK I’ll marry you” she blurts, then talks for a minute planning their lives together. Carl, the cool cucumber, lets her rave then defuses the situation perfectly, explaining that his mum Sweetie sometimes only listens to the over-dramatic. Boo’s OK with this and gives him a winning kiss.

Millie, Truly’s landlady, arrives to meet Michelle and Truly at the Oyster Bar.  Truly has a nervous jackrabbit leg.

Truly: My niece isn’t even allowed to sit on my lap any more, not since I catapulted her into a wall.

She’s very business-like and very probably on the autistic spectrum but then what would you expect – it’s not only Truly’s sister but the ever-awesome Liza Weil (Gilmore Girls’ Paris Geller) who bears more than a chip on her shoulder.

Millie confides to Michelle that she hasn’t forgiven Truly for seducing her serious boyfriend away.  Worse still, it was Hubbell – the man that fell in love with Michelle and married her and died and brought Michelle to Paradise in the first place. Michelle confesses the same and, with any chance of a deal blown out of the water, Michelle tells Truly she can use her place until they figure something out.

The quartet (in woolly Ugg-like boots) are surprised to find Cossette in their dance school, performing to Benjamin Britten’s Cuckoo! (performed by the Downside School Choir and featured recently in the brilliant Moonrise Kingdom). Frankie throws a paper airplane down from the balcony to land in Ginny’s lap. It’s a drawing he’s done of Mad Ludvig’s castle with a note ‘Destroy this’. I get the feeling she won’t.

Night-time in the dance studio and as Michelle walks in, Sasha rolls her eyes and texts Roman: ‘ABORT!!!. Michelle is back early from a failed date with Marion and lends more parental advice.

Michelle: Oh Sasha you don’t know the first thing about dating. As soon as you meet a boy you dump your friends. That’s what boys are for!

There’s someone outside – and it’s not Roman. It’s Sasha’s mum and Michelle leaves them to talk. Sasha’s mum says that Sasha’s dad is leaving, for good, to San Jose to be with his partner and that Sasha must choose between going with him or going with her back to L.A.

“I’m not leaving”, says Sasha. “I’m not leaving.”

 

Discussion points, for your delectation:

Gilmore Girls’ Guest Spots, come and get ‘em! We got ‘em coming out our ears!!  We got Gypsy. We got Drella and Miss Celine. We got Daniel Palladino writing and directing and (drum roll)… ladies and gentlemen, please. We got Paris Geller.  A wealth of riches and all on top form.  Like last week’s episode, there were surprises on top of surprises and writing shiny enough to justify the talent.  Alex Borstein played an unsympathetic part that had me rolling around (“Ignore him, he’s having a stroke”) and does anyone know who her husband was?  He only had like three lines and he killed them all.  Liza Weil plays to her abundant strengths and rattles off her lines with practiced Gilmore delivery, to wit. the “lube” line followed by “A glittery toilet seat with Barry Gibb’s face on it does not constitute an improvement”, then the dynamite reveal of Hubbell’s involvement.  Masterful stuff.  And an honourable mention to Stacey Oristano, who is just stand-out brilliant and a whimsical delight and needs to be retconned into Stars Hollow.

Other nods to Gilmore Girls : Boo with her ‘which dress to wear’ quandry, in desperate need of Lorelai’s super power; Sasha wanting to stay in Paradise for the school more than the boy akin to Rory wanting to stay at Stars Hollow High, for the boy more than the school.

Michelle seems to be falling over herself now in dispensing advice to her brood, albeit with very differing outcomes.  Her advice to Sasha seems to be that of a loving and forgiving mother, reflecting from her own experiences.  Whereas with Boo it comes out more like a well-meaning sister.  I think Michelle sees a lot of herself in Sasha and this can only deepen when Sasha’s parent’s leave her.  But poor Boo!

The wandering nomad twins, Ginny and Frankie look to stir up troubles.  Jeanine Mason ably plays Cossette, the sister and I’m warmly intrigued by the initial tingles between Frankie (the smokey Niko Pepaj) and Ginny.  He’s aloof in a way I don’t think we’ve seen before in the Gilmore world and Bailey Buntain transmits every emotion like electricity.

Lastly, nice to see Boo’s Dad in person.  A seemingly solid guy and no longer an invisible Mr. Kim (Lane Kim’s ever absent Dad).  But in gaining one dad, we lose both of Sasha’s parents.  I guess we’ll see how that goes…

Photos c/o ABC Family

Filed Under Actors, Bunheads, Daniel Palladino, Liza Weil, Where Are They Now
Tagged With alex borstein, Appearances, Liza Weil, rose abdoo, TV Shows

Amy Sherman-Palladino and Sutton Foster talk Gilmore Girls and Bunheads!

January 4, 2013 By Rich 9 Comments

With Bunheads’ imminent return on Monday, DisneyInfoNet bagged a fabulous interview with Amy Sherman-Palladino and Sutton Foster. Fabulous why? Because they both talk at length about Gilmore Girls, the comparisons with Bunheads, the Gilmore Girls’ alumni showing up as cameos, casting Kelly Bishop (Emily Gilmore) and overflowing with as much love for GG as they clearly have for each other. Seriously, get a room guys.

Sutton and Amy Sherman Hat Palladino Welles

Sutton Foster: …one of my favorite shows was Gilmore, I mean of all time, and Amy’s one of my favorite writers, and we took a meeting and I basically fan-girled all over her, and then a couple of weeks later they called and were talking to me about this pilot.

Amy Palladino: …when I find a particular person who can knock it out of the ballpark, it’s like Orson Welles and his group of mad actors that he would use in everything – not that I’m Orson Welles, although I wouldn’t mind being Orson Welles someday – but the idea that you’re lucky enough in your career to collect people who are particularly good at the stuff that you like to write, and when you find them you want to write for them.  I find myself longing to write for Liza Weil, or longing to write for Sean Gunn, or longing to write for Todd Lowe, or Rose Abdoo … because there’s not billions of people out there who are special. And if you find a merry band of madmen who will come and make things wonderful, I will write for those people forever.

For EVER, guys.

DisneyNetInfo guy: … where do you get your inspiration to make shows with such great plots and interesting characters?
Amy: Well, I don’t know, just a lack of therapy, perhaps, no time to work it out on a couch with a man and an iPad. I love family interaction, and in a weird way Gilmore, obviously was family, but this show is a new kind of family, I’ll keep saying that, because it’s my favorite tagline ever, but it is about people who, you know, somebody once told me, “You just created your own family.” I don’t care what, if your family isn’t exactly what you need it to be, then go out and create it, find it. And that’s what this show is about. It’s about creating your own family, finding your own support system.

Listen to DisneyInfoNet‘s youtube recording or indulge in the full interview transcript at WeLoveSoaps.net, it’s good stuff.

From next week, I’ll be recapping Bunhead episodes as they air, with high hopes for some Gilmore-style nuttiness from the only woman who can bring it, Mrs Sherman Palladino Welles. If you haven’t crossed paths with Bunheads yet, it plays like a Gilmore Girls’ relation (happily, more akin to Jackson’s brother Beau than Jackson’s cousin Rune). Wacky adorable townsfolk – check. Kelly Bishop (Emily Gilmore) – check.  Attractive, likeable brunette with severe case of verbal diarrhoea – check.  Plus dancing interludes, teen angst and girl power. We’ve got a full set of first series’ Bunheads episode recaps (which if I may say, are just delightful) right here.

I’m particularly looking forward to Liza Weil’s (Paris Geller) cameo as dotty Truly’s sister and seeing what becomes of the girls’ relationships.  I’m hoping that Michelle actually comes back to Paradise after macing the Christmas performers, because otherwise it’ll be a really short series and how about more possums?

Bunheads airs this coming Monday, January 7 at 9 pm Eastern.

Pic courtesy of ABC Family

Filed Under Amy Sherman-Palladino, Bunheads, Gilmore Girls, Gilmore Girls News, Gossip, Interviews, Kelly Bishop, Liza Weil, Paris Geller, Sean Gunn, Todd Lowe
Tagged With Amy Sherman-Palladino, bunheads, Gilmore Girls, new series, Sutton Foster

Which major Gilmore Girls actress is coming to Bunheads?

November 7, 2012 By Rich 5 Comments

As reported by TV Line earlier this week, Liza Weil (Gilmore Girls’ own Paris Geller) will be guest spotting on Bunheads as Truly’s sister, Milly! All we know so far is that the two sisters are not on the best of terms… can you even imagine that family’s Friday night dinners?!

 

To date, I don’t think any of the Gilmore alumni have appeared on screen together in Bunheads, probably because the universe would implode. By which I mean, for example, Bash (Kirk) with Sam (Gypsy), not Fanny and Emily together – although in writing that I’ve made myself giddy.

Roll on January!

Filed Under Bunheads, Liza Weil, Paris Geller
Tagged With bunheads, Liza Weil, Paris Geller
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