M+J: why we're done with MIOBI

Mira: Sigh... I loved this show previously. A show about gymnastics! 4 interesting and different main characters -- Payson, the dedicated; Emily, the outsider; Kaylie, the one with a seemingly perfect life; Lauren, the brat.

My personal favorite of these four was Emily, though she always managed to get herself stuck in sticky situations that made me cringe. Plus, she always got the hot guys, Razor and Damon and almost Leo Cruz. My favorite storyline was Payson's return to gymnastics after the horrible fall just because I really was rooting for her. However, cringeworthy -- her monstrous crush on Sasha that GOT HIM KICKED OUT OF THE GYM. Kaylie was really likable most of the time but her Carter-dating got annoying, her parents got annoying, and her anorexia storyline was also getting tiring. Plus, she always got everything... And finally, Lauren was just plain unbearable. And last season's finale was just the clincher on how annoying she is.

Well this new season, Emily gets preggerz, Kaylie has sparks with Damon, Lauren is still unbearable and basically I do not care enough about Payson's comeback to stick with the show. UGH. What were the writers thinking??? A show that I previously looked forward to watching every week went from fun, to bearable, to annoying and now.. there's no potential for it getting better! I'M DONE.


Jennifer: I pretty much agree with everything that Mira said. All the girls' storylines became awful and cringeworthy but actually what really put me over the edge was that horrible woman, Ellen Beals. The way she handled the national committee or whatever was so maddening. Americans do really only pay attention to gymnastics when the Olympics roll around but there is no way that the kind of shenanigans she presided over would be tolerated in real life.

And of course there's Lauren (possibly one of the most despicable teen girl characters ever), helping Ellen Beals sabotage each of the other girls AND Sasha. But I guess at least Ellen Beals was an out-and-out villain...with Lauren the writers keep trying to make us feel sorry for her with her daddy issues and whatever when NONE of that is any excuse for her atrocious behavior. Plus she never seems to face any consequences for her actions. Instead it all seems to get piled on Emily...whose woe-is-me attitude is actually pretty justified but not fun to watch.

I guess ABCFamily is now really invested in this Secret Life of the American Teenager/Pretty Little Liars form of over-the-top teen drama so spoilers for this season are even more preposterous. I'm still kind of an Emily/Damon shipper (I have a bit of a crush on Johnny Pacar) so I may read some recaps here and there to see what happens but I definitely can no longer watch this trainwreck. Good riddance!