Tonight on lifetime Dance Moms continues with a new episode called, “The Understudies.” On tonight’s episode, when Abby assigns Chloe and Kendall to be Maddie’s understudies for the week, it prompts an idea from Holly to use a board to keep score of all the times Abby favors Maddie over the other children
On the last episode the ALDC headed to Michigan, where Abby had her three youngest members McKenzie, Tea’ and Sarah go head-to-head to see who would be competing in a solo at Nationals. When Abby found out that Jeanette was bringing Ava to compete against them, she concocted a secret plan to try and secure the win and causes a blowout fight between the ALDC moms. Did you watch the last episode of Dance Moms? If you missed it, we recapped it all right here for you.
On tonight’s episode when Abby assigns Chloe and Kendall to be Maddie’s understudies for the week, it prompts an idea from Holly to use a board to keep score of all the times Abby favors Maddie over the other children. As the number of tally marks increases, so does the tension between the moms and Abby. Meanwhile, Cathy and her Candy Apples are looking for their very first win against the ALDC this season and they’ve brought back Gino to help them get it.
Tonight’s episode is going to be another drama packed evening, which you won’t want to miss. So be sure to tune in for our live coverage of Lifetime’s Dance Mom’s Season 4 Episode 27 – tonight at 9 PM EST! While you wait for our recap, hit the comments and let us know how excited you are about the new season of Dance Moms tonight!
RECAP: Abby calls the girls in and congratulates them on the tribal council number win. The moms are also thrilled. Nationals are two weeks away. She calls the pyramid. At the bottom is Kendall for being late in the group dance. Chloe is next. She says she knows acro isn’t her forte. Next is Mackenzie and says she was expected to win and that’s not what happened. Next is Nia for an excellent group performance. They applaud her great job leading them to victory. Next up is Maddie (of course) for taking solos and high score.
Holly is annoyed that Nia isn’t at the top since Abby threw Maddie in at the last minute. She says they are headed to Sheer Talent and they heard that Cathy will be there and Gino will be doing a solo. She says Maddie will do a solo and take him down. Abby reminds her that he was her first kiss. They tell her Maddie has to fly to Miami this weekend for a gig on a web series. She will miss the competition. Abby says she’ll know more soon.
She tells Maddie that Kendall and Chloe will understudy her solo in case she can’t be there. Chloe asks how she would choose between her and Kendall and Abby says whoever is doing the best job. Abby says for the group it will be called Playing with Matches. Maddie gets a lead in that and the group will dance without a lead if she’s not there. Abby says she’s still up in the air about nationals and says only Maddie is safe and guaranteed a slot.
Abby sends the moms out and starts rehearsals. She tells the kids it will be like a pyromaniac essence for the number. Abby says this also means not to cross her. Christi asks Melissa when she’ll know if Maddie has to go and she says she’s not sure yet but Christi fusses about Abby downplaying the other girls. She wonders why Abby is even putting Maddie in when there’s a chance she won’t be there. Abby yells at Kendall for flubbing.
She asks why they can’t all rise to the occasion and be like Maddie. Nia says Abby can be really mean in rehearsals depending on the day and her mood. Jill says the comparisons to Maddie doesn’t motivate the kids, it defeats them. Holly says the inequity in how they’re treated is an issue. Christi and Holly agree to make a chart of how many times Abby puts someone down. Abby yells and Christi starts keeping track on her phone.
Over at Candy Apples, Cathy is working with Gino and says he’s back with the team he should be on. He’s doing a warrior themed piece and has to be powerful and intense. Gino says if he beats Abby he’s going to just give her a little eyebrow raise. Cathy says none of them like Abby so this makes this moment more powerful.
Christi says Kendall has six insults, Chloe and Nia with four versus even Maddie praises. Abby yells at Nia that she’s not worth her efforts. Christi says when you look at the numbers you see how crazy it is. Holly asks when is enough enough. Maddie says the dance with Gino was the worst week and says he’s gross and she never wanted to kiss him.
Maddie says she’s not in the mood to deal with him. She asks the girls about how they feel about being her understudies and they tell her it’s good for her. They seem okay with it. The moms have a big whiteboard with all the girls names on it. Jill says they’ve been telling Abby for years that there are inequities with regard to Maddie. They log the results from yesterday’s rehearsal.
Melissa asks why Maddie’s name isn’t up there and they tell her it’s because she wasn’t criticized. Melissa thinks the other moms are picking on her kid. They tell her they’ll add her if she gets any critiques and Christi says then they’ll all ice skate home.
At Candy Apples, Cathy works with her team and tells them to focus so they can beat ALDC. She says they were robbed the last time they went up against them. She has a nice mix of girls and boys on her team. She has a group number called Love Letter inspired by The Fault in Our Stars. She thinks they could have the win of the century if they can pull it off.
Over at Abby’s, they are rehearsing Fool Me Once for the solo. Abby says when Gino and Maddie lost the duet, it was Gino’s fault and she’s going to prove it. Maddie dances and Abby yells at the other two girls to get up and work on something. Kendall and Chloe get up and dance the part too. Melissa says it would be a good trio number. Jill says all three could do it as solos (that makes no sense). Jill points out that Abby isn’t even watching Chloe dance – she’s checking her phone.
Abby spots the big sign and she asks what it is. Abby says she wonders if it’s when the girls ran out crying and acting like an idiot. Chloe asks that the moms take it down. Holly says they are just making Abby’s behavior visible and it shouldn’t change anything if Abby stands behind her behavior. Abby sends the girls for a break and tells Maddie that she should be glad she’s not on the list.
Abby says whoever wasted the time to buy that board and put up the letters should have spent that time getting a clue about why their kid isn’t better. In group rehearsal, Abby screams at Mackenzie for being pigeon toed. Melissa gives her a check. Holly says there is no hiding from the truth of the numbers. Abby yells at Chloe and says if they lose, it will be her fault.
She calls Kendall a space cadet then Nia. She tells them to get their heads out of their butts. Kendall gets another insult and then Maddie tells Abby that the white board is for criticism and Abby comes up to confront them for distracting the girls from rehearsal. Jill tells Abby she’s elevating Maddie and never criticizes them. Holly says her teaching method is flawed.
She says Maddie is missing out on the experience because she isn’t criticized. Abby comes down and tells the girls they should hear their mothers up there. She asks if they are tough enough to take it. She says she knows what comes out of her mouth and how many kids she’s made successful. Abby says if the moms can’t handle the heat, they can take their money and kid and go.
Abby says she hasn’t heard if Maddie is going yet. She tells the girls Cathy is coming for them and odds are, she may get a win against them. They pull up at Sheer Talent and Abby’s legion of mini-fans and moms are out in force. She says she knows Cathy will be there but means nothing to her. Abby hears an announcement calling her to the office saying she’s been a very bad girl.
Cathy says Christi is wearing her grandmother’s curtains and needs detention. Abby says she hopes she didn’t tie up the principal. Jill asks Abby if she’ll let all three girls dance the solo. Abby pulls Jill outside and says they need to talk. Abby says the moms think they have an obligation to give them their opinion. Abby asks if she really wants Kendall to do the dance that Maddie does after her and says it will humiliate her.
Jill says all the kids can hear it. Jill says she wants Kendall to have opportunities and Abby tells her maybe Cathy will let her have a solo. Abby tells the girls that Maddie is dancing the solo. She says just her and that’s her final decision. Abby says that’s a bizarre idea and she’s not going to cave in to the moms.
Cathy asks Gino what competing against Maddie means. Cathy says the duet choreography was elementary for him and Maddie caused them to lose. It’s time for Gino’s warrior solo. Cathy says he needs retribution against Abby. His number looks good – different and stronger from what some of the female solos look like. The crowd loves him.
Abby says he looked silly in the booty shorts he was wearing. Next up is Maddie. Abby says her winning will be a clear message to Gino that their loss was his fault. Her routine looks gorgeous and is flawless as usual. They pretty much tie on applause (Gino may have had a little more). Abby says it was really good.
Christi complain and says Abby doesn’t want the girls to look good onstage. They ask Melissa why she didn’t speak up. Holly says by her not speaking up she’s endorsing it and Christi says her daughter wins on the backs of her daughters. Abby is annoyed that the moms brought the board. The moms say the board is about humiliating the girls.
Holly says the ticks represent disrespectful. Abby says she had a great plan for Nia next week and now she can kiss it goodbye. Abby says they want her to make the kids better but then they want to complain about her methods. She tells her Nia is 12 and can get married and have kids in some countries. Holly says she’s a nasty woman and storms out. She says Abby crossed the line,
Christi also walks out in support of Holly and so do Abby and Melissa. Holly says to get the cameras out of her face. Jill says Abby can’t ever have a conversation and always diverts it. Holly says they have to go get ready for the group dance. The other moms commiserate and Christi says Abby can’t fight Holly so she hits below the belt.
Abby sits sullen as the moms get their girls ready. She is so mad she says she’s finished with these women. She says she has no idea what she’ll do with the group routine but says the moms may not like it. Holly tells the girls to treat today like nationals since Abby isn’t there to talk before the number. The moms go to sit down and wait. Cathy’s team is up next with her group number Love Letter.
She says they are looking for a big win today. The number was very nice. The group hugs offstage. Jill says she’s nervous for the girls and hopes they just focus. There’s an announcement that says the group number Playing with Matches has been withdrawn. Abby’s assistant tells the girls their number got pulled not because of them but because of the way their moms treated Abby.
She reassures them but the moms are in total shock. The girls head back to the dressing room. Abby tells the girls that they know how it is – when one gets punished, everyone gets punished. She says their moms took their chance at a prize away from them. Cathy asks why she pulled it and Abby ignores her. It’s time for the awards.
Abby hopes Maddie wins it. Solos are announced and Gino takes second. Cathy doesn’t look happy. Maddie takes first and Melissa yells out her support. Maddie says she’s thrilled to beat Gino even if they didn’t get to do the group number. Jill says she thinks Abby pulled the group number to punish the moms and make sure she didn’t lose to Cathy but Cathy’s team only takes fourth.
Jill takes her daughter and leaves. Holly and Christi talk trash and says Abby was afraid she will be beat and says she’s sabotaging their kids. Abby comes in with a big trophy. Holly says their girls deserve the right to compete. Abby tells the moms she’s not going to nationals if this dressing room stunt happens again. She tells the moms she didn’t sign up for them, they signed up to take classes with her.
Holly says Abby is beneath her standards. Holly tells her to get some class and Abby walks out angrier than ever.