Monsters of Television

“They’re, like, two really hot unicorns.”

“Girls, you seriously don’t want to live vicariously through me.”

Understanding every reference that flies out of the mouths of the characters on Bunheads isn’t necessary to enjoy the show, which is a relief since it would require a heady amount of homework to catch every single one. But I think it’s funny to imagine Michelle with a bowl of popcorn watching the first season of The Wire or, even better, Madame Fannie getting in deep with Breaking Bad. There’s something hilarious and awesome about needing to watch television and movies about gritty urban existence and drug-dealing empires to get all the jokes on a show about dancers and dancing on a cable channel called “family.”

The other continuous reference is one I hope that I don’t feel compelled to point out every episode, especially because it seems to upset people (something I learned when writing up the winter premiere episode of Bunheads on TV.com). But you can’t have your lead character, who is already drawing comparisons to Lorelai, aim to take a business class and expect fans of both shows not to draw a comparison or two. I mean, what happens to Michelle when she does sign up for a business class is exactly what makes the difference between go-getter Lorelai and put-upon Michelle.

At least her and Fannie’s idea for what to do with their land wasn’t to create an inn.

The stark difference is that Lorelai, despite not graduating high school, earned her GED while Michelle blew off the summer course she needed to get a diploma. It’s a perfect example of the difference between the two women and why the small town reacts so differently toward them: Lorelai takes control of situations and control is thrust upon, and generally repelled by, Michelle.

We also don’t see a lot of Lorelai’s perspective on life when she was 16 and taken in by Mia either, whether being young and impressionable when her life started over was key in how she developed. Michelle, supposedly in this show not to be a spring chicken, struggles to learn new tricks. Bunheads, for Michelle anyway, is about her changing that perspective and learning those tricks, making the transition that’s only told in flashback on Gilmore Girls.

The ladies’ idea to create an amphitheater gives some direction to the show now that we’ve dealt with the aftermath of the Nutcracker Macing (what aftermath?) and it means good things. One, we’re not aimless anymore with the Michelle story and she can try her hand at being a proactive character rather than a reactive one (maybe — we’ll see how it goes). Two, it suggests that Liza Weil is going to be on the show much more often (Paris!).

A Boo-less bunheads crew also had a bit of interesting character development this week, too. Sad Sack Sasha is still a sad sack and I’m pleased to see the surreal credits dance sequences continue as she reaches turning points in her life, though I’m disappointed they’re not going to all be as fun as “Istanbul (Not Constantinople).” Obviously, this is the show telling us that Sasha thinks and emotes in dance, even if she’s not physically moving her frail body.

The surprising and welcome development came with Melanie. I’ve described the clique in the past as being Sasha-leaning and Boo-leaning, basically that Melanie and Ginny are character-dependent on how to describe their own personalities but, now that Sasha has crossed the line from being bitchy to being fractured and pensive, Melanie has owned a role of action. She’s never held her opinions in secret but this may be the first time (or maybe one of very few times) she’s shown herself to be impulsively violent toward her fellow man. And I love it. Hopefully this isn’t just a hockey situation, where she’s only in the crew because she can be the enforcer, but her every reaction to defending those she holds dear (even those she outwardly doesn’t hold dear) got a laugh from me. Wrapping her hand in the ponytail before yanking it was an extra bit of “eff you” and putting the drop on Godot seems like it would be physically impossible but is still awesome. It makes the case for Roller Derby relatively reasonable, despite how it was brought up.

Cozette as the meddling nymph that disrupts the lives of the bunheads through omniscient trickstering is an intriguing part of the this show. Last week, Cozette and Frankie combined to help Bunheads transcend our mere mortal understanding of what quirkiness means but she expands her role to a meta-style narrative assistant. Her dance last week was about showing off but it’s almost a palette cleanser, like a brief choral intermission while other scenes are set up.

She doesn’t effectively change anything that happens to any of the bunheads or to anyone at all. Her scenes are background, something for the characters to banter about though keeping her front of mind. She may become competition for Sasha someday on the dance floor but, for now, she’s an innocuous obsession for the girls. She’s the one that brandishes the roller derby flyer despite roller derby not being particularly suited to Cozette’s worldly, Bohemian demeanor. Is she starting the league? Or is she just there to provide a shortcut for Melanie to find out about being a jammer? If anything, she’s an expediter of plot.

We live in a brave new world of Bunheads with the new quirks, the expanded cast, and a basically supernatural character that grounds everyone else. I’m interested to see where this goes.

Other things:

• I can understand why the accountant would be frustrated by people falling asleep in front of him but, come on, man. Incorporating is a snoozefest.
• I’m going to say the “full size candy bars” line is a nod to Bob’s Burgers. I know it’s a thing, but I like to interconnect my favorite things.
• How does Matisse not know where her name came from? It’d be something else if she was named after some obscure Bulgarian dissident. But Matisse?
• “It won’t take long.” “We talk fast.”
• Two acts taking place exclusively in the Oyster Bar during trivia. It’s like Cheers except Diane and Rebecca combined to make Milly, the hot bar tender is able to say no to a pretty lady (I really hope the Michelle/Godot thing doesn’t become a Thing), and everyone in town is a regular because there’s nothing else to do. They need a Norm.
• Did they even explain where Boo was? Did I miss that?
• To the Millicent Stone Performing Arts Center!
• Michelle becoming Sasha’s unofficial mentor and confidante is getting a little heavy for the elder and I dig that. There’s a 60% chance Michelle is going to inherit a teenager. The dance though — hm. Yeah, the song (“You, Sailor” by Erin McKeown) for Sasha’s sad sack dream dance last night was fitting but not nearly as fun.