"Between a Rock and a Hard Place" is the sixth episode in the first season of the ABC drama series Make It or Break It. It is the sixth episode overall, and aired on July 27, in 2009.
Synopsis[]
Taking a gamble that the girls are ready and can use the motivation for Nationals, Sasha invites Marty and the Denver team to The Rock for an invitational meet. Payson is determined to show that she is the best, but when an old injury flares up, it might have devastating results. Emily is also resolved to show what she can do, but Sasha has other, less advanced plans for her. But with reigning Nationals champion Kelly Parker (guest star Nicole Anderson, “JONAS”) in town, are the girls really ready for the Denver team and this challenge? Meanwhile, Carter has to rethink his relationship with Kaylie when Sasha and Lauren give him an ultimatum.
Plot[]
The pressure's on when Sasha invites Denver Elite, The Rock's biggest rival and Marty's new club, to compete in a pre-Nationals invitational. If The Rock wins, Sasha says, they'll be unstoppable at Nationals. If they lose ... well, they can't lose.
Meanwhile, there's just as much drama going on off the mat.
Lauren tells Carter to break up with Kaylie or risk having her find out about their one-night stand. She also informs her dad that she feels he's abandoned her for Summer. Steven promises he won't marry Summer, but then, when Summer threatens to break up with him, he proposes.
Payson's suffering from an injury that could compromise her performance, so she asks for a cortisone shot. At first her mom objects, because Payson just had a shot two months earlier. But she relents when she realizes Payson's gymnastics career is on the line.
Sasha confronts Carter and warns him to break off his relationship with Kaylie -- or he'll see to it that Carter's gymnastics career is ruined.
Kaylie finds out about her mother's affair with Marty and confronts her, telling Ronnie she can't keep something like that from her dad. Ronnie just says it would be terrible if Kaylie's dad found out about her relationship with Carter. Ouch! Kaylie runs to Carter, and instead of breaking up with her, he gives her his mom's necklace and tells her that whatever happens between now and forever doesn't matter.
Emily and Damon are inching toward being more than just friends -- but neither one is brave enough to make the first move.
Tensions couldn't be higher when the day of the meet finally arrives. Both teams are neck and neck going into the final event: the uneven bars. Lauren's up, and she messes up on a really simple move. Was it bad luck? Or the fact that Summer just told her she's going to marry her dad? Next is Emily, who goes against Sasha's orders to keep things simple. She tries a really difficult move and fails -- handing victory to Denver.
On the bright side, Payson wins the individual medal, knocking her arch-nemesis, Kelly Parker, out of the top spot.
After the meet, Lauren tells her dad that, without his support, she just might mess up at Nationals too.
As for Emily, Sasha tells her she's not going to Nationals after all. To make it a double whammy, Damon tells Emily he can't go out with her because of his loyalty to Razor, but he can't just be her friend either. So where does that leave them?
What's next for The Rock girls? Is Emily shut out for good? Will Lauren force her dad to break up with Summer? Can Payson make it to Nationals without more cortisone? And is Kaylie headed for a broken heart -- or a broken family?
Cast[]
Starring[]
- Zachary Abel as Carter Anderson
- Chelsea Hobbs as Emily Kmetko
- Ayla Kell as Payson Keeler
- Josie Loren as Kaylie Cruz
- Cassie Scerbo as Lauren Tanner
- Susan Ward as Chloe Kmetko
- Candace Cameron Bure as Summer Van Horne
Guest Starring[]
- Peri Gilpin as Kim Keeler
- Erik Palladino as Marty Walsh
- Neil Jackson as Sasha Belov
- Johnny Pacar as Damon Young
- Nicole Anderson as Kelly Parker
- Rosa Blasi as Ronnie Cruz
- Jason Manuel Olazabal as Alex Cruz
- Anthony Starke as Steve Tanner
Co-Starring[]
- Courtney Kupets as Gymnast #1
- Renae Moneymaker as Gymnast #2
Quotes[]
Trivia[]
Gallery[]
