Bittersweet | Dance Moms

THE RUNAWAY MOM (s2 ep8)

"Let's go, girls! Get in here, shake the lead out," Abby called, clapping her hands as the girls hurried into the studio. Virella found her spot next to Chloe, their matching dance sets making them look like sisters ready to take on the world.

"Okay, now. Hollywood Vibe last week. You did an okay job—I thought it could've been better," Abby said bluntly, crossing her arms.

The moms exchanged glances, some sighing while others braced themselves for the inevitable pyramid critique.

"Moving on, this week we are going to Fire and Ice right here in Pittsburgh," Abby announced. The girls clapped.

"And I have a reputation to uphold. It's much more difficult to walk in and compete against people you know than a bunch of strangers," Abby stated, her voice filled with determination.

Her piercing gaze moved across the room. "Okay, let's get to the pyramid."

The tension was palpable as Abby flipped over the first headshot.

"I hate to do this," Abby began, "but Kendall. You're back on probation."

Virella turned toward Kendall in shock, her expression mirroring the disbelief in the room.

"That's ridiculous. Abby," Jill stated, her voice sharp with anger. "What more do you want from her?"

"Your head is distended, your shoulders are hunched, your ribcage is open," Abby listed.

"Are you kidding me? You're kidding me right?" Jill asked, incredulous.

"No. She doesn't make the corrections. I have been telling her since the audition about her posture, and it has not improved once," Abby replied flatly.

"Fraya, back me up!" Jill yelled, but Fraya stayed silent, her eyes glued to the ground.

"I can't even believe it. You know what? You should be on probation, not my daughter," Jill snapped. "I don't even know why I'm here. The moms are fake, you had nothing nice to say to her since the second we got here! You know what, Abby? She does a lot right."

"She turns like a top. But that's what's good. I don't need to fix that," Abby explained.

"There's a lot of studios out there who would love what she does right. And you know what, Abby? We are going to one of those studios. I'm not putting up with this crap anymore. We're done, that's it," Jill stated, grabbing Kendall's hand and walking out. Everyone stayed silent for a few moments.

"Next, Paige," Abby began again. "You were on top, now you're obviously not. You could've remembered the trio. Unacceptable."

"Next, Brooke. Brooke, this whiny, mopey, teenager crap has to stop. You are the role model. Do me a favor, just smile."

"Mackenzie, your tricks are stronger, they're better. But you need a few ballet classes. Maybe go to Tessa once or twice."

Abby flipped the next headshot. "Lacey, you keep proving yourself. You're doing better in the group dances." Abby paused, her gaze softening slightly. "I will say this: I saw your confidence improve when you worked with Virella in the group. That little moment between the two of you stood out—it was polished and strong. But you still need to push yourself. You're not a baby. You can't rely on just being cute."

Lacey smiled big, nodding enthusiastically.

"Next we have Chloe. Once again, nice clean performance."

"Maddie, you did pretty good. You came close to beating Virella. But second is always the first to lose."

"And, Virella. you redeemed yourself. You won, but what's new? You need to be knocked down a few pegs every once in a while."