“ | I love dancing with Amy, but there's something special between us when we dance, that is undeniable. | ” |
— Henry |
"Mash-Up Match-Up" is the 8th episode in Season 6 of The Next Step and the 162nd episode overall. It aired on October 14, 2018.
Synopsis[]
Surprising new friendship dynamics arise as TNS gears up for the dance convention.[1]
Plot[]
Almost all of A-Troupe are sitting in Studio A, taking a compatibility test on their phones. Michelle confesses that she came across the test online, and had an idea to use it to pair everyone up for duets. As she walks past Ozzy and Kingston, Ozzy asks the latter for the answer to number 8; Kingston replies there is no right answer, as all the questions are opinion-based, and Ozzy responds that this is "what they want you to believe". Several dancers reveal some of the questions and their individual answers as they go through the test, and Summer confesses that she doesn't care who she gets paired with as long as it's not Richelle or Jacquie. Emily announces that their time is up, and everyone submits their answers; she then reveals that the most compatible dancers will perform duets, and the best one will receive a special prize - at which point Michelle cuts in, excitedly revealing that the winning dancers will be Leon Blackwood's assistants at the Absolute Dance WildStylz convention. The dancers are thrilled, especially Jacquie and Amy, the latter of whom confesses that this is her chance to prove she deserves to be in the front row. Emily reveals that the results are in, and announces that the first duet will be Piper and Finn. Finn is delighted, but Piper is clearly unenthusiastic, and asks Finn if he copied her answers. He denies this, as he was sitting on the other side of the room, and proclaims that they are "meant to be", much to her irritation. Michelle announces that the next duet is Amy and Henry, which pleases both of them; Summer and Kingston are next, followed by Noah and Jacquie - a pairing which surprises no one. Finally, only two dancers are left - and to their respective horror and pleasure, Richelle and Ozzy realise that they have been paired together. Richelle protests that is impossible for them to be compatible, but Emily reveals that the two of them got the highest score on the test - though Michelle notes that they actually have the second highest score, as she and Emily are the most compatible, leading Emily to reassure Richelle that the test must be "a little bit of a joke". Michelle then says that they all have the rest of the day to work on their duets, and that they will perform them that afternoon. Amy and Finn confess that they are sure they will win, while Richelle dubs her situation "a nightmare".
As she waits for Henry, Amy warms up in Studio A. She confesses that she wants to be recognised at The Next Step Dance Studio like she was at AcroNation, and she thinks this duet will be her chance to shine. Suddenly, Henry runs in with a garment bag, and reveals that he has to return a tuxedo to the suit shop as soon as possible, or else they will make him pay for it. Despite being annoyed that Henry is prioritising a tuxedo over their duet, Amy offers to go with him as long as they are back in time to rehearse.
After Henry and Amy leave, Ozzy waits for Richelle in Studio A. He confesses that although he knows she doesn't take him seriously, he thinks that he might be able to change her mind if they can put together a good duet. Richelle walks in despondently, confessing that after she lost the convention solo to Summer, she was hoping this would be another chance for her to make her mark - but now she is sure she will just spend the day getting annoyed by Ozzy. However, as they begin their rehearsal, Ozzy presents Richelle with a serious vision for their dance, and demonstrates some pre-planned choreography; she is taken aback by his maturity, and confesses that Ozzy seems to genuinely want to win. Ozzy is enthused by Richelle's reaction, and confesses that they might be both Leon Blackwood's new assistants and a couple by the end of the day.
Meanwhile, Henry and Amy arrive at the clothing rental store. Amy is still irritated that they are wasting their rehearsal time, and only becomes more annoyed when Henry takes multiple precautionary measures before leaving his car. Eventually, Amy drags him into the store - with neither of them realising that he has left his car key in the ignition.
Later, Henry and Amy have realised that they are locked out of his car, which has only made Amy more upset. She voices her disbelief that Henry didn't take the key, and Henry retorts that he would have if she hadn't rushed him into the store. Henry then remembers that his mother has a spare key, and tries to get his phone to call her - only to realise that his phone is also locked in the car. Rolling her eyes, Amy hands Henry her own phone. Though Henry doesn't actively blame Amy for his error as he makes the call, he looks at her pointedly while mentioning that he "got distracted". To Amy's horror, it turns out that Henry's mother won't be able to get the key to them for two hours, and once again, they begin arguing over whose fault it is.
In Studio A, Summer and Kingston perform their duet for Emily and Michelle. In their routine, Kingston portrays a student who is drawn away from studying by dance, represented by Summer. Emily and Michelle are both impressed with Kingston, and Michelle confesses that he has come a long way since he started at The Next Step. The two applaud Summer and Kingston as their duet ends, and Emily tells Kingston that if he keeps working hard, he could "level up" at the studio. When Michelle questions her choice of words, Emily claims that "level up" is something kids say, and scorns Michelle when she assures her that if she wanted to praise them using current slang, she should have described the duet as "lit".
Piper and Finn are rehearsing their duet in Studio 1. Despite Piper's earlier apprehension, it seems to be going well; she confesses that she is having fun, and she is excited to perform their dance later on. As they take a pause, Finn voices his enthusiasm about their duet, and goes on a tangent about everything that could happen if they become Leon Blackwood's assistants; despite most of it being very over-the-top, Piper suddenly realizes that there is a lot more riding on this duet than she thought, and starts to panic about what would happen if it didn't go well. Amidst his excitement, Finn notices that Piper looks distressed, and asks her if she is alright. Now unsure if she can handle the pressure of the duet, Piper abruptly says that she needs a break and rushes out of the room, much to Finn's confusion.
Richelle and Ozzy are performing their duet for Michelle and Emily. Ozzy confesses that he worked really hard on this dance, and it has turned out for the best; he and Richelle are finally connecting. Michelle expresses her surprise that Richelle and Ozzy produced such a good duet, while Emily compliments their enthusiasm, and reveals that this is the strongest duet so far. Richelle confesses that she and Ozzy look great together - though she is instantly taken aback by the fact that she thinks this. As they finish, Michelle tells them that their duet is the best one they have seen, and flatters herself that the compatibility test made them produce such a good dance; however, Emily swoops in and says that she is glad that she thought of using it, making Michelle indignantly remind her that she thought of it as they walk away. Richelle joyfully hugs Ozzy, and repeatedly expresses her admiration for how much he has changed; he is ecstatic, believing that Richelle is finally seeing him in a new light.
Piper walks dejectedly towards the staircase, and confesses that although she doesn't want to take this opportunity away from Finn, she doesn't think she can face doing her duet. Just then, Noah and Summer come up the stairs, and upon hearing that Piper hasn't performed yet, Noah assures her she that Emily and Michelle are in a good mood, so she will be fine. As he leaves, Piper appears to think of an idea, and asks Summer if she can do something for her.
Meanwhile, Amy and Henry are still stuck at the rental store. Amy believes they have been sitting there for hours, though Henry believes it has only been fifteen minutes; either way, Amy is sure that they won't get back in time to put together a duet. Eventually, Amy asks Henry whose wedding he went to, assuming that this must be why he rented a tuxedo; however, Henry reveals that he rented it for his school prom, but was unable to go, as it was on the same day as the shoot for the Regionals qualifier video. Amy is taken aback by this, confessing that although they have all given things up for dance, prom is a big thing for Henry to have missed. She asks why he never mentioned it, and Henry claims that he didn't want everyone feeling sorry for him and isn't bothered to have missed it - though as he describes the things he was looking forward to about it, it becomes clear that he was sadder than he is letting on. Amy confesses that she feels awful about how harshly she has treated Henry, not knowing that he gave up something so important for the sake of the team. Suddenly, Henry gets up, and suggests that they do their duet, revealing that he has been thinking about what could go in their dance; Amy is moved by the fact that he still wants their duet to be good, even though they can't perform it, and confesses that she is happy they aren't fighting anymore.
In Studio 1, Finn is still waiting for Piper to come back, and confesses that he isn't sure why she would abandon their rehearsal. Just then, Summer walks in, and to Finn's bewilderment, she reveals that she is now his duet partner. Now knowing for sure that Piper has deserted him, Finn confesses that he needs to know why she doesn't want to do their duet.
Finn finds Piper ordering a drink in Shakes & Ladders, and asks her why she walked out on their rehearsal. Piper tells him that she tried her best, and now he gets to do a duet with Summer - but Finn insists that he only wants to do the duet with her. Realizing that Finn genuinely cares about what is bothering her, Piper decides to try talking to him about it; she explains that she doesn't enjoy being the centre of attention like he does, and that ever since Miss Angela made everyone do planks until she got her aerial, she feels the pressure a lot more than she used to. To her surprise, Finn asks what planks she is talking about, and assures her he can't remember doing them; he confesses that he is trying to help her get over the incident, as they did planks all the time while Miss Angela was studio head, and he is sure nobody cares that Piper was the reason they did them that day. Piper quickly picks up on what Finn is doing, and is comforted by it, confessing that she finally feels like she might be able to move on.
As Richelle rehearses alone in Studio A, Ozzy enters behind her, confessing that he is ready to try asking her out again. However, just as he approaches her, Elliot suddenly enters the studio from the other side and greets Richelle with a kiss. Ozzy is devastated - by the fact that Richelle has a boyfriend, by how it is someone he dislikes, and by the realisation that however positive her opinion of him is, there really is no way she would ever go out with him.
Back in the parking lot, Amy and Henry perform their completed duet. They both confess that they always love dancing with each other, and that this duet feels particularly special. As the duet comes to an end, they start to get closer and closer, until suddenly they are both leaning in for a kiss - before they are interrupted by Henry's mother finally arriving with the spare key. Both Henry and Amy are confused by what happened, and Amy briefly dismisses it - but soon acknowledges that they definitely almost kissed.
Trivia[]
- Leon Blackwood will be making a guest appearance at Absolute Dance WildStylz.
- Finn seems to have a crush on Piper.
- Henry can drive.
- Ozzy breaks the fourth wall in this episode by confessing that his and Richelle's duet is the "duet of his dreams"; they literally perform that duet in his dreams in "Crushing on Richelle".
- Richelle and Elliot are in a relationship.
- Henry and Amy may have feelings for each other.
- Noah and Jacquie are the only pairing from the compatibility test whose duet is not shown in any way; the reason for this is unclear.
Continuity[]
- Jacquie refers to the fact that she has worked with Leon Blackwood before, which she first mentions in "Leon Me".
- The concept of Kingston and Summer's duet foreshadows Kingston's storyline in Season 6.5.
- Michelle refers to Kingston "rolling" into the studio on his hoverboard, which occurs in "Go West, Young Michelle".
- Richelle and Ozzy's duet incorporates choreography from the duet Ozzy imagines them performing together in "Crushing on Richelle".
- Amy and Henry almost kissing before being interrupted by a car horn is reminiscent of the same thing happening to James and Riley in "Changes".
- The purple shorts that Summer wears in this episode are identical to a pair that Amy wears in Season 5.
Behind the Scenes[]
- According to Isaiah Peck in the Behind the Scenes of this episode, the storyline of Henry's prom clashing with the filming of the Regionals qualifier video is based on Isaiah missing his real life prom due to The Next Step: Live on Stage (2017) tour.[2]
Cast[]
Main[]
- Alexandra Beaton as Emily
- Alexandra Chaves as Piper
- Briar Nolet as Richelle
- Dylan Ratzlaff as Jacquie
- Isaiah Peck as Henry
- Julian Lombardi as Ozzy
- Liam Mackie as Finn
- Myles Erlick as Noah
- Noah Zulfikar as Kingston
- Sage Linder as Summer
- Shelby Bain as Amy
- Victoria Baldesarra as Michelle
Recurring[]
Absent[]
Featured music[]
- "Block Party"
- "Do What I Want"
- "Famous"
- "It Used to Be Everything"
- "Lose Control"
- "Potent Love, Pour It Up"
- "Put You First"
- "Rome"
- "Slow Motion"
- "Strangers"
- "Turn Me Around"
- "We Do It Big"
- "Work"
Featured dances[]
Quotes[]
- Main article: Mash-Up Match-Up/Quotes
Aftershow[]
- Main article: Mash-Up Match-Up/Aftershow
Gallery[]
"Look at that painting!"
To view the Mash-Up Match-Up gallery, click here. |