This week was the two part season finale of Toned Up. The episodes focused more on the girls’ relationship than their business and the key word was “move”.
We start out at Karena and Katrina’s apartment where they are looking over the proofs of the DVD cover shots. Karena’s phone rings and it’s Meaghan Murphy from Self Magazine. She invites the girls to be the featured trainers in Self’s “Drop 10” issue. They excitedly say yes because that issue is a double issue and is the biggest of the year for “Self”. In the next scene, they are at the beach working out when they get a text message from Oakley asking them to shoot their Spring and Fall campaigns. Again Katrina and Karena are thrilled because it’s a great cross marketing campaign for their own business. Both opportunities show that the girls business is booming and that business is the least of their worries.
However, while the girls are at the beach, Katrina reveals that her and Brian have picked a wedding date; August 24. Karena mentions that the date being picked means for sure she needs to move out of the apartment that they all share. Katrina agrees that they should not renew their lease.
This conversation sets up the rest of the episode in which a power struggle for the apartment and moving out is the focus.
In the next scene, Karena and their downstairs neighbor, Bobby, go on a date. It seems as if they both have large crushes on each other and that they’ve been out together a few times. The conversation turns towards the future date list they’d started together and you get the feeling that they are entering a relationship and it’s not just a date for the night. Eventually their date makes it back to the focus of this episode when Karena asks Bobby if he’d be sad when she isn’t living in the apartment above him anymore. He replies that he would be sad but they’d make it work. In a talking heads segment, Karena states that she’s finally found the perfect neighbor and she doesn’t want to move.
The next day is the Oakley shoot. It’s a pretty uneventful other than to show that the girls have a strong bond. They can’t walk next to each other without grabbing hands and ruining the shot.
After the shoot, Kat goes with Karena to look at new apartments. They meet with the realtor Alicia at the first apartment. The place has partial ocean views and costs $4000/month. Karena doesn’t like one thing about it. She picks apart the view, the small bathroom, and the price.
The second place is more expensive at $4900/month. Karena likes it a little better, but it’s only a 1 bedroom and 1 bathroom place. She says that it’s not big enough in case Kat wants to come over to escape her married life.
While they are driving to the third place, Kat tells Karena that she thinks she’s picking apart all of the places unfairly and she needs to give them a chance. Karena reiterates that she doesn’t really want to move and asks if they can talk Brian into letting her stay. Kat politely ignores the comment.
The last place they look at is amazing. It’s right on the beach, it has 3 bedrooms, and it’s close to Kat and Brian’s apartment. Katrina thinks that they finally have a winner and she can get Karena out without feeling the guilt. The deal breaker is that rent is $10,000/month and Karena refuses to have roommates. So they are back at square one.
Later that night, the girls are in their apartment and sit down to have a heart to heart about moving out. Karena is upset that she’s not getting through to Kat. She believes that they are more than roommates; they are family and they’ve created a home. Katrina insists that she understands and that everything will be fine but Karena knows she can’t understand because Kat grew up in a stable home and Karena didn’t. Karena has a hard time trusting and feeling safe. She does here and she doesn’t want to move. The conversation quickly escalates into a fight because Kat gets the impression that Karena is calling her a bad friend. The episode ends with the girls shouting at each other trying to get their points across.
The second half of the season finale starts with the girls on their way to the Self Magazine shoot. There is awkward tension in the car and in the make up room. The girls haven’t spoken since their fight and they are both sad and mad.
After a few tense moments, Katrina asks everyone to leave the room because she wants to have a one on one with Karena. They have a quick “I’m sorry” moment with each other and they each profess their support and love for one another. For now, it seems the fight is over.
The Self shoot goes very well. The girls keep up the fun energy and get a lot of shots for the magazine. At one point they practice juggling with each other and break down into giggles. When everything is over, they talk about how business is booming and what a great business track they are on.
To celebrate their success, the girls invite some other girl friends out for a night on the town. Before they head out, Kat calls Bobby upstairs to see the dress she bought for Karena. It’s a space print dress and Bobby is obsessed with space. He loves the dress and all of the girls tease Karena that Bobby will explore later.
While at girls night, the champagne flows freely and Kat becomes more and more bold. She suggests that they all play a “truth” game. Karena reveals a sexy secret and the girls all collapse into giggles.
Next up is Katrina and Brian’s engagement party. Karena and Steven, Kat’s brother, head to the party early in order to set up some personal touches. Kat and Brian love it and are appreciative. Later on, Kat pulls Karena outside to have a private chat with her. She tells her that she will always be there for her and that she’s sorry for trying to push her out of the apartment. She discloses that her and Brian have been looking for places and they have found one that is available immediately. Karena can keep the apartment to herself. Kat realizes that she was selfish and she wanted to do this for her friend.
At the dinner, Kat makes a speech and asks Karena to be her maid of honor. Karena is ecstatic because she realizes that she’s not losing her friend and family, it’s just changing.
Two weeks later and it’s moving day for Kat and Brian. The girls roam the apartment putting brightly colored tape on the things that they want. They have both taped the wooden “beach house” sign. Brian suggests that they play rock, paper, scissors for it. They try to but then realize they don’t know how to play and break into giggles.
After Brian and Bobby have left with the bulk of the belongings, Kat and Karena are alone drinking a glass of wine. Kat tells Karena that she can’t bring herself to leave. The sadness has set in and she now fully understands how Karena felt about moving out. After a few attempts, Katrina is finally able to leave and Karena watches her from the door.
The last scene of the season shows Karena walking two blocks to Katrina and Brian’s new place and announcing that she’s spending the night. The more things have changed, the more they have stayed the same.