The episode starts off with show girls dancing on stage in Vegas and after the dance they talk of their troubles with money and how they dance for the whole show, but the girls that come on at the end only dance for 5 minutes, show their boobs, and get paid much more than the others. After shows, Hubbell shows up backstage looking for Michelle, basically stalking her, bringing her flowers and gifts. After an audition in which Michelle is immediately turned down, Michelle agrees to go to dinner with Hubbell where she gets drunk and he proposes to her offering to provide for her and give her a better life. The next thing Michelle knows, she is waking up in Hubbell’s car, married, and moving to live with him in Paradise. Yes, that is the city’s name. When she arrives, she finds out that his mom, Fanny Flowers, lives with him, and she runs a ballet studio at the house. Fanny decides to throw a party for Michelle and Hubbell since she couldn’t be at the wedding and when Michelle has to find a dress and other clothes, she runs in to Hubbell’s ex-girlfriend, Truly, who is a bit of a nut job. At the party, Michelle finds it so awkward that she gets a bit tipsy and after having a run in with Fanny, she goes to the dance studio where she meets Fanny’s students. She talks to them about her life as a show girl and how she got to that point in her life. She then takes them through an “audition” after she talks with Boo about auditioning for the Joffrey Summer Program and gives them tips for making it through auditions and really showing who they are. Boo, probably my favorite character, really shows that she wants to excel in dance through the “audition” that Michelle put on when she gives it her all. When Michelle finished with the girls, Fanny was waiting in the background and offered for Michelle to accompany her out. They ended up going to a bar, getting tipsy, and bonding over dancing. The fun was interrupted when Truly came in to tell Fanny that Hubbell had gotten in to an accident as he was looking for his mom and Michelle. Whether Hubbell died or not, we don’t know yet.
The series premiere of ‘Bunheads’ was just that. A series premiere. Some of the acting (mainly by the secondary characters) was subpar but manageable. The story behind Michelle and Hubbell was awkward to me because of his age and how he basically stalked her through Vegas. The story line that really grabbed my attention though and pulled me in to the show was that anyone can do whatever they set their mind to. Boo, one of the Bunheads in Hubbell’s mom’s dance studio, is wanting to try out for Joffrey but believes that she doesn’t have the right look and isn’t as good as the other girls. Teens all over the world in the current society are being fed that they need to be stick thin to even be considered for dancing, cheerleading, etc. So to see a show that actually concentrates on such a prevalent topic on a well watched teen network is a relief. I’m just hoping that they keep that topic up and work with it to bring more attention to the issue.
With Amy Sherman-Palladino as the creator, anyone can see the ‘Gilmore Girls’ similarities. The episode is a mix of drama and comedy just as ‘Gilmore Girls’ was. Not to mention that Rory’s grandma from ‘Gilmore Girls’ is Hubbell’s mom in ‘Bunheads’! She is the exact opposite of Emily Gilmore in almost every sense possible. Fanny is more harebrained and collects various things (pictures, dolls, etc.) and has them placed all over Hubbell’s house. The one connection I have made with them is that some of Fanny’s comments are very reminiscent of Emily Gilmore.
Despite the minor flaws I had with the show, it’s definitely going on my “must-watch” list for the summer! I’m excited to see where else the show leads and the changes that come when the show really gets in its “groove!”
