Summary
Violet and Jenny finally find something to bond over in “Dance Dance Resolution”, while Wayne finds himself stuck in a nightmare scenario.
The previous episode of Bless the Harts was somewhat blighted by the fact that one of its storylines was significantly weaker than the other, which luckily isn’t the case in “Dance Dance Resolution”, even if the A-plot definitely receives more attention. An intriguing look at the mother-daughter bond, as well as an excellent pastiche of a spiraling pop starlet with too much in common with Britney Spears for the similarities to be accidental (cue the obvious), the main arc of this episode is very strong. Wayne’s hell in being stuck in a small space with an in-law only complements it, even if it too manages to build to a sweet little emotional payoff — involving Betty, of all people.
Most of us couldn’t envision a scenario in which being trapped in a garage with our mother-in-law wouldn’t result in murder, and at first, it seems like that’s where Bless the Harts season 2, episode 15 is going. Wayne and Betty can’t stand each other, for the most part, but he’s such an unfailingly nice guy that he mostly keeps his grievances quiet. But there’s no such luck doing that in such uncomfortably close proximity, and the two are at each other’s throats from almost the word go. It’s only when Betty catches him shivering in the night and activates her long-hidden mothering instincts that the two find some common ground, even if it does involve a lot of beer.
But the Jenny and Violet dynamic is solid all the way through “Dance Dance Resolution”. The relatable woe of parents embarrassing you in public leads to a revelation that Violet and David actually quite like the mainstream pop artist that Jenny dances to in the supermarket. Her name is Tarla J and she is, for all intents and purposes, just Britney Spears — they’re fascinated by her various public meltdowns, and that, at least from their point of view, makes her music safe to listen to. The excitement of her aloof daughter finally being into the same thing she is sends Jenny a bit loopy since she feels like she’s finally going to realize her dream of the two of them becoming dancers.
As it turns, Jenny is quite a good dancer, which she kept secret since she didn’t think Violet would find it cool. She begins to teach Violet and David how to get down in a studio, which culminates in a hilariously accurate parody of a pop music video, but Violet eventually has to break the news that this isn’t her dream — it was just a one-time thing, out of curiosity, and Jenny takes this badly, to put things mildly.
It’s touching that Violet finally puts aside her fear of public humiliation by dancing in public to let her mum know how much she loves and appreciates her even if they’re not into the same things. It’s a nice, positive message, and inspires Jenny to continue teaching other people — albeit much older ones — to dance to Tarla J. Bless the Harts season 2, episode 15 works out well for everyone and still manages to spare Violet from the inevitable psychotic break associated with teen superstardom. You can’t say fairer than that.
