truly outrageous jem primer

This essay was original published at Roxy Reviews and is reprinted here with permission.

Danse Time

SUMMARY: That loveable eccentric Mr. Xanthos is running another contest, this time for the music video that best depicts friendship. Both Jem and the Misfits get to work, but the Holograms' project is derailed when their performer, Danse, is seriously injured in a freak accident. Danse must struggle to rehab in time to return to the video.

GENERAL IMPRESSIONS: A good, strong second (third, whatever) season episode. I like this one, because I like Danse.

It's easy to be annoyed by some of the other members of the Holograms camp, but not Danse. Danse is just a sweetie. Selfless, talented, humble. She volunteers, dances in Holograms shows and videos and still finds time to run (or help run) Haven House, a home for runaways.

Even the Misfits and Eric don't attack Danse. When she's injured in this episode, it's a bonafide accident. The Misfits do hire away the Holograms' crew, but apart from that, they keep their eyes on their own paper for once.

Danse's reactions to her injury--anger, frustration, despair--are very realistic. Having dealt with so many surgeries and injuries myself, perhaps I can relate. Her relationship with Cisco, the blind man in the hospital for eye surgery, is tender and sweet. As I said before, you have to love Danse.

And the Misfits shoot a gumball video. Did you know gumballs are international symbols of friendship? Especially when you get them stuck in other people's hair and shoes. Heh. It's as ridiculous as it sounds. What I want to know: how on Earth did anyone ever convince them to dress like giant gumballs?!

The Misfits are a true gang in this episode--even Stormer doesn't have anything perky to say about the friendship video, and she helps go after Eric when the video goes awry. The Roxy Hates Jetta Hates Roxy Show is on display here, and interestingly enough, Roxy snipes at Pizzazz--when she knocks Eric's gumball idea, Roxy's terse comment is "you hate everything." Go Roxy. =) She also gets to play drums in this episode--cool!

MUSIC:

1. Misfits: "Free and Easy." This is the Misfits' showtune number, complete with the cast dancing across Abbey Road. OK, not really, but for some reason this song makes me laugh. And I find it funny that they sing about not wanting to work, while they are at work making a video. =)

2. Jem and the Holograms: "It Takes Work." This is one of those Holograms songs that sounds very similar to other Holograms songs, so I won't really comment on it. The video, though, is Danse's fight to be well, and it's touching.

3. Jem and the Holograms: "People Who Care." They used a lot of repeated songs in this season, and it's a real shame in my opinion. With very few exceptions, the songs worked better in their original contexts, instead of their new shoehorned positions. I still can't figure out how an ice skating video="people who care." Ah well. I like this episode so I won't complain too much. =)

If I was going to nitpick about anything this episode, it would be the timeline. Assuming Danse didn't have surgery for her injury, and they needed one day to film and another to edit, she would have had about two and a half weeks to recover. A more realistic timeline would have been a month or two, even with a spectacular recovery. Let me tell you, dance injuries take forever to heal.