Taking the Stage: The Penultimate

My apologies. I've totally fallen off the Taking the State review wagon. That's what happens sometimes with shows I really like - when the end is near I'll not watch it to kind of "save" it.

But tonight I finally watched the second to last episode, and omg you guys, EPIC. Here we go!

• Malik and Matthew fight. Malik says, "He's disrespectful and I'm not getting disrespected." (Word, Malik.)

• Tyler and Jasmine fight.

• Aaron Chin-Beard skips school.

• Mia proclaims that she and Tyler would be a "power couple" if only he'd "be real" and break up with Jasmine.

• Mia confronts Tyler about him not "being real," yells at him to break up with Jasmine. He yells back that he can't because "everyone will hate him" and he has to go to school with Malik, Shaakira and Jasmine. Mia points out that everyone hates her and she's not all tore up over it. (Yeah Tyler, man up!)

• Matthew tells Malik they need "a break." Hearts break on the staircase at SCPA, mostly Malik's.

• Chin-Beard gets kicked out of school. Mia cries. A lot. She tells her friend her feelings toward Chin-Beard are "confusing." (Mia is often confused about her feelings.)

• Malik's mom asks where Matthew's been. Malik confesses they broke up earlier that day at school. He tells his mom he's "trying not to miss him but he can't help it," and starts to cry. (It's only been an hour or two Malik, buck up!) Malik's mom is adorably sweet and supportive. *hugs for Malik's mom!

• Tyler barges in on Jasmine rehearsing, asks if she's "happy." (It's the kiss of death Jasmine, RUN!) He tells her they're too young for love (something Mia told him during their argument, that bastard!) and says he doesn't want a relationship anymore. Tyler starts to cry, hard. (And he's even cuter crying, if that were even possible.) Jasmine cries on the staircase.

• The staircase starts crying at how many break-ups its facilitated in this episode. (Just kidding.)

• Malik's solo at the school's Top the Charts program brings the house down. He's not invisible anymore, you guys!

• Mia's rendition of Heartless is obviously directed toward Tyler and Jasmine. But Chin-Beard is there! Mia rebuffs Tyler's attempts to congratulate her; she and Chin-Beard leave with their arms around each other.

Whew!

Come back tomorrow when I review the finale (*sobs) and find out what I'll be doing Thursday night. You guys are going to be so stoked when you hear.

Gina, OUT.