Bunheads: Kiss Carl Goodbye and Us Too

We’re two episodes behind in recapping Bunheads, not that we didn’t watch it — we did, but the fact is we have seriously lost interest. Why? Well, the remark from a few recaps back — it all feels so thrown at you — continues to hold true. The introduction of miscellaneous characters in what are supposed to be humorous situations with Michelle has just gotten out of control.

Does it get worse? We think so, but you be the judge.

In the 8th episode, “Blank Up, It’s Time,” Fanny came home with her long-time long-distance boyfriend and there was a very unfunny conversation regarding kinky breakfast that incredibly included a banana reference, and the kinky breakfast remark continued to be a running joke whenever the boyfriend appeared. Fanny took Michelle to see a play (the name of which was the title of the episode), and ended up in the sack with the director. Then she had a delayed meltdown over what might have been but never was with poor dead Hubbell.  Hey, people do have delayed reactions, so no problem with that. But really? Was it necessary for her to actually schtupp the director? (At her mother-in-law’s instigation, no less).  Sasha gets kicked out of dance class and Boo has to replace her, getting paired up with a nerdy guy named Carl who has a total crush on her. Boo doesn’t want him up her bun, as it were, all the time and her friends shut him and his lasagna down. But by then, Boo has come to see that Carl is one of the good guys.

In the 9th episode, “No One Takes Khaleesi’s Dragons,” Michelle’s humorous interaction is with a coffee barista who takes forever to serve up the java because he’s an artist. This was just lame. Ditto the supermarket council meeting. Sasha only has to apologize to Fanny to get her spot back but she’s having too much fun on the cheerleading team, making the cheerleaders cry. Michelle gives her some voice of experience advice. If she quits ballet now, it will be the biggest mistake of her life. Boo manages to undo the damage her friends did and tells Carl she is interested in him as more than a dance partner and they kiss. Just then Ginny and Melanie waltz in and Boo learns that Ginny has a serious interest in her former (?) crush, Charlie. Boo gets very upset right in front of Carl because this is the big taboo among high schoolers, ya know — the bra code. Usually it’s their ex-boyfriends they own the rights too, but somehow Boo owns the rights to Charlie whom she has never even dated. Where do they get these ideas from? (Ironically, on Secret Life, they were doing an episode to straighten out guys who think girls are their property. LOL).  Kudos to Carl, who has the self-respect to walk out.

Young hunk Godot puts the moves on Michelle. OK, that’s where we are out. This is more than unnecessary — it’s just foul. Again we ask, whatever happened to that millionaire guy? Is this really necessary to have this kid romance Michelle. We bet he’s the one who bought her the coffee pot.

The potential of this show was really good but it has been seriously hampered, ruined even, by the silly subplots and extraneous characters, not to mention the regular characters, like Truly, that they just don’t know what to do with.  It’s a shame they couldn’t just harness the natural potential of the situation and run with it.

Next week is the season finale. We’ll give it a look and a nice sendoff because we don’t even care if it’s renewed. Our opinion, of course, makes no difference — it’s all about the numbers. Besides, “Secret Life” has the same flaw as “Bunheads,” more characters and storylines than they know what to do with and ABC Family has managed to get 5 seasons out of it so far.