Dance Moms Recap: Maddie-Face

dance moms abby

How much longer do we have to deal with Abby Lee Miller's crazy mean attitude on Dance Moms? Last night, Melissa got the rare taste of how it feels to have a daughter compete in Maddie's shadow, and she didn't play off her frustration well. At all. It was slightly fun to watch! Finally!

Abby calls her girls together to praise them for their win against Cathy's Candy Apples. Fallon has been given the boot for not remembering her routine, although Abby hasn't totally counted her out as a replacement for one of these losers dancers. During the pyramid, MacKenzie is on the bottom for not attending last week's competition. Funny…Maddie didn't attend a competition, and I believe she ended up third on the pyramid. MacKenzie is followed by Nia for over the top, yet improper facial expressions during the group dance. Payton is back on the pyramid and third from the bottom. Abby rails on how the sixteen-year-old acts like a baby, reminding her that MacKenzie is the baby on the team. Payton runs out of the studio in tears yet again. When Abby follows, Payton sobs that she dances because she love Abby and the studio so, so, so much. Abby softens…kind of. 

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Chloe is in the third spot garnering praise from Abby who blames Christi for not allowing her daughter to improve at Maddie's pace. Maybe if Chloe would tell her mom she needs to be home schooled like Maddie, she'd be a more competitive dancer. Maddie is in second place for once, and I'm glad to see Kendall finally adorning the coveted top spot. She's certainly earned it!

This week's competition is in Maryland, and Abby reveals that she's brought in Payton to do their own version of Kinky Boots. Nia loves the drag queen theme, but Holly believes that the routine may be better received in a place like New York City or Los Angeles…not Maryland. Maddie and MacKenzie will be competing against one another. MacKenzie will be performing an old solo of Maddie's while Maddie will no doubt shine in her favorite genre, tap. Melissa stutters that pitting her daughters against one another will only force MacKenzie to work harder. Chloe will dance a contemporary solo, but Abby makes sure that Chloe knows that a tap-dancing Maddie will give her a run for her money. Christi thinks her daughter will be slighted in choreography just so Maddie can have the win. Poor Chloe's face looks so defeated as she takes direction from her beastly passive aggressive teacher. 

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Watching the group routine rehearse, Leslie and Holly wonder how such a sloppy number could possibly win. Perhaps that is part of Abby's master plan as she explains to Payton that this will be the first group dance of the season that hasn't featured Maddie as the lead. If they lose, it will be her fault. Abby is hoping that MacKenzie will embrace her inner Maddie, and Maddie doesn't seem too thrilled to pass on the torch to her younger sister. Abby compares every last move of MacKenzie's to her older sister. Maddie is a breath of fresh air, while MacKenzie is smelly bathroom spray. Melissa tries to pretend she's fine with her daughters competing and Abby's harsh words for MacKenzie, but she's totally transparent. Christi finds it suspicious that Maddie knows her entire dance after one rehearsal when Chloe hasn't even had a chance to learn all of her choreography…because Abby hasn't finished it yet. Abby makes sure that Chloe and Maddie both know that MacKenzie has the advantage when it comes to rehearsing. After all, all she has to do is YouTube her sister's glorious performance. Is it bad that I enjoy seeing Maddie squirm just a bit? Gahh! I'm just as bad as Abby! Shockingly, Abby can't say enough nice things about Chloe's solo rehearsal.

As the girls practice their drag queen number, both Melissa and Christi question wonder why Abby chose this dance for such a conservative competition. Holly prepares Leslie for the realization that Abby is likely setting up Payton as the fall-gal should the routine win first place. Christi seems genuinely happy to hear Jill and Holly recognize Chloe's improvement over the last several weeks. The girls' rehearsal is interrupted by two glorious and glamazon drag queens. The girls are much better at channeling their inner RuPaul than their mothers. Payton is granted a makeover and a sweet pep talk from the queens. She looks like the love child of Diana Ross and Liza Minelli

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MacKenzie is worried that she won't live up to Abby's expectations, but Maddie assures her that she can…if she can get over her cheesy jazz routines and little girl numbers. She needs to learn how to give good "Maddie-face" which is weird, since Maddie's dance face only has one expression. In Maryland, Abby chastises MacKenzie for not having Maddie's dance face, and I swear I see Maddie smirking in the background. MacKenzie tries to keep a stiff upper lip, but she's clearly upset. When Melissa stands by stone-faced, Christi reminds MacKenzie that she's every bit as great and special as her sister. It's a pep talk she's had to memorize for Chloe over the years. 

Maddie's tap routine is amazing, and Melissa is floored by her daughter's talent. Maddie certainly shines while tap dancing. That said, MacKenzie gives beautiful "MacKenzie-face" during her rendition of Maddie's solo. She does a flawless job, and Melissa is moved to tears. She didn't think of Maddie once while watching her youngest dance. Abby should be thanking her lucky stars, because after Chloe's breathtaking performance there is no way she's going to lose. Backstage, Melissa is livid with Leslie for insinuating that MacKenzie didn't need to channel Maddie to be a great dancer. Abby swoops in to give her critiques. MacKenzie was cute, but she's no Maddie. She also wishes she had Kalani in a lyrical group number instead of Payton in a drag number. After seeing how stiff the competition is this week, Abby tells Payton that she's bound to lose this for the ALDC. Payton manages to hold back her tears which is a good thing given how much eye make-up she's wearing. 

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The drag queen number is flipping fabulous. Payton is a rock star, and she needs to be starring in Rocky Horror Picture Show. She's outstanding. The ALDC sweeps the solo division. Chloe places third, followed by MacKenzie. Maddie has the highest scoring solo. The judges also loved the drag queen number, and Abby hails Payton as the star  but then announces that MacKenzie stole the show. The mothers gang up on Melissa for never having to feel how they feel when Abby always puts her daughters up on a pedestal. Regardless of how their girls dance, they'll never measure up in Abby's eyes. Melissa storms off in a cursing fury. Could someone have hit a nerve? 

TELL US-WHAT DID YOU THINK OF LAST NIGHT'S EPISODE? SHOULD MACKENZIE HAVE BEATEN CHLOE? 

[Photo Credit: Lifetime]

 

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