The Big Leap Review: Classic Tragic Love Triangle (Season 1 Episode 2)

Things get messy on The Big Leap Season 1 Episode 2, “Classic Tragic Love Triangle,” and y’all, I am here for every second.

This really is a show that’s character driven. Much like the reality series the show centers on, The Big Leap is less about dancing than it is about the people. 

Though interestingly, the episode opens on Scott Foley’s Nick, with a flashback to another reality series that went very, very wrong. That incident is back to haunt him, and it lends itself to some of his motivations for desperately wanting this next series to succeed.

What’s at stake is more than a career or reputation — it’s custody of his child. 

We still don’t have a lot of those details, but it’s enough to make Nick a little more human. Even when he’s manipulating the dancers in terrible ways, we can’t help but want him succeed. 

Obviously, we want to see the dancers succeed even more. The focus of this particular episode is finding out which dancers will play lead roles in Swan Lake, and which ones won’t. They’re all put in groups to rehearse and then to perform a scene. 

The set up of that is interesting because it allows characters to interact in different groups, showing off different dynamics right away. 

Mike refuses to dance with Paula because he wants to send a message that he’s the type of man who would stay faithful — making it clear that he must have strayed in his marriage.

His entire goal is to get his wife back, which is sweet, but maybe a little irrational? It helps that he has friends by his side who support him, even though they think his plan is far-fetched. 

That’s actually a nice highlight from the episode. When Paula hunts Mike down at his favorite bar to convince him to dance with her so they can have a real chance at landing main roles, they head outside to practice. But they need a little help, and Mike’s friends are more than happy to oblige. It’s sweet and fun to watch. 

You really hope everyone succeeds at whatever their goals are — whatever it is they’re each hoping to get from being a part of this reality series. For Julia, it’s about something deeply personal. 

The fact is that Julia feels like she’s running out of time. She’s afraid of aging, and it looks like she could be losing her husband on top of everything else.

For her to do well on this dance series would be extremely satisfying. The emotion we get from her is so real, and the private moment she has with Wayne is the kind of moment that really speaks the audience.

Wayne is able to get to the root of Julia’s emotions and get her to be confident again. They’re both vulnerable in that scene. 

Of all the dancers, though, the one you truly can’t help but to want to see in a lead role is Gabby. There’s so much riding on this for her, and the way she was able to join the show in the first place already has her a step or two behind. 

It’s disappointing that while she has a genuine connection with Reggie, that Gabby would wind up walking in on him and Brittany. Personally, I’m hoping she didn’t see what she thought she saw, but maybe that’s just wishful thinking. 

That tension does eventually drive her to give a great performance, which makes it all the more disappointing that the role she gets is that of the understudy. 

Truthfully, it’s tough to tell if Nick is right that this is the best thing for her, if that’s just more manipulation. 

Other thoughts:

• Simon insisting on helping Justin with ballet is a great moment, and adding a dance number on a basketball court to it is even better. 
• I’m looking forward to learning a little more about Paula. I enjoy her character already.
• The dynamic between Nick and Monica is bound to get complicated, and quick!

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The Big Leap airs Mondays at 9/8c on FOX.

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