Showgirl-turned-widow-turned-mentor Michelle (Sutton Foster) has faced her fair share of trials on the first season of ABC Family’s Bunheads — from a disapproving mother-in-law to a disagreeable pantsuit — but she tells HollywoodLife.com to brace for Michelle’s biggest trial yet on the Feb. 25 season finale: an uncertain future! “What I find interesting about the finale is that it opens a whole new door,” Sutton tells us. “A whole new avenue is being opened up, so we’re sort of leaving viewers thinking, ‘Now what?’”

Sutton promises a cliffhanger of sorts, though she wants to make one thing very clear: “It’s not like someone’s actually dangling over a cliff.” (Thanks for clearing that up!)

“On the finale,” she explains, “Michelle goes on an open call for a Broadway musical. There’s a huge audition sequence where we take Michelle through a cattle call to see if this is something she still wants to do.”

So is it something she wants to do? Is Michelle really considering leaving her soft-shoed minions — Boo (Kaitlyn Jenkins), Ginny (Bailey Buntain), Sasha (Julia Goldani Telles) and Melanie (Emma Dumont) – to fend for themselves in Paradise? Sutton admits her character will always have big-city dreams, but also concedes that her priorities have shifted.

“She’s starting to become a fixture in these girls’ lives; they’re turning to her for guidance,” Sutton says. “I definitely think Talia’s phone call got Michelle thinking, [but] she has committed to being in Paradise.”

The Future Of ‘Bunheads’: Will It Get A Second Season?

Bunheads‘ future remains in question, but if ABC Family does decide to pick it up for a second season, Sutton knows exactly how she’d like to see Michelle grow as a person.

“I would love for her to find romance, or at least a relationship,” she tells us. “I don’t think she’s ever had a real relationship. I’d love to see what a real relationship would bring. No more dead husbands; a nice living guy.”

HollywoodLifers, how do YOU hope Bunheads wraps up its first season? And what would you like to see if it gets a second? Watch a preview of the finale below, then drop a comment with your thoughts and theories:

— Andy Swift

Follow @AndySwift

More Bunheads on HollywoodLife.com:

1. ‘Bunheads’ Scoop: Jeanine Mason Previews ‘Scandalous’ Twists Ahead
2. ABC Family Reveals Winter Premiere Dates For ‘The Lying Game’ & More
3. ‘Bunheads’ Star Bailey Buntain Previews Her Move To ‘The Middle’

Is it just me, or is Paradise starting to look more like the Twilight Zone every week? The June 25 episode of Bunheads found Michelle (Sutton Foster) handcuffed in the back of a squad car after attempting to drive down a “private” road, though she’d never know it was private because it was unmarked — a point she beat into the policemen’s heads until she was blue in the face.

Michelle decided to hit the road by foot, where she eventually met Grant, the “mystery man” who owns the “private” land she was accused of trespassing on. He helped her feel like less of a loser, and I know I’m not the only one who felt major chemistry between the two of them — a lot more than she had with Hubbell (Alan Ruck), anyway.

The weirdness continued as Fanny (Kelly Bishop) tried to make Michelle feel guilty for being the new owner of the house, the land and the dance studio — because, you know, she totally asked Hubbell to put her in his will at the last minute.

And the girls didn’t make this episode any less weird, as Michelle first encountered them taking pictures of their bunions, blisters and other various foot deformities. It was for a competition between rival dance studios, which apparently won, though I’m not sure are any real “winners” in those kinds of competitions.

There was also kind of a nice bonding moment between Michelle and Sasha (Julia Goldani Telles). There’s something going on with that girl, and I think Michelle is just the person to help her out.

What did you think of this week’s Bunheads? It was slow, but at least it set the stage for a potential new romance for Michelle. Do you think it’s too soon for her to be moving on? Hit up the comments section with your thoughts!

— Andy Swift

Follow @AndySwift

For the second week in a row, Bunheads proved it owns all of our emotions; but while last week’s pilot made us think through laughter, the June 18 episode worked our tear ducts. While this definitely wasn’t the same Bunheads we were presented with last Monday, it was an important episode — for the viewers and for Michelle (Sutton Foster).

Within the first few minutes, we learned that Hubbell’s (Alan Ruck) car accident was indeed fatal, which changed the course — pun intended so hard — of Michelle’s life, yet again. It also sent Fanny (Kelly Bishop) into a frenzy as she attempted to throw together a Buddhist memorial service. (Loved that scene with Fanny and her friends, by the way!)

The four girls, meanwhile, “mourned” in their own special way — by skipping school and seeing a Mark Wahlberg movie. As creator Amy Sherman-Palladino promised, this second episode kept the focus on Michelle, but also gave us a taste of what each of the girls is all about. Specifically, we learned that Boo (Kaitlyn Jenkins) suffers from good-hearted paranoia, while Sasha (Julia Goldani Telles) is really good at whining until she gets her way.

They eventually came to their emotional senses and broke down over Hubbell’s death, which was Michelle’s cue to take charge. (“There’s no crying in baseball … or ballet!”) She helped Fanny’s students put together a really beautiful dance, which turned out to be exactly the kind of simple goodbye she needed.

So what’s going to keep Michelle in Paradise now that Hubbell is dead? Well, that’s the twist, my friends: It turns out he changed his will and left everything to her!

Are you still in love with Bunheads after this week’s episode? Did you enjoy watching the characters work through their grief, or did you think it was too depressing? Drop me a comment with your thoughts!

— Andy Swift

Follow @AndySwift

Here’s a question for all you single ladies: Have you ever been so desperate that you’d actually consider dating a stalker? That’s the situation Las Vegas showgirl Michelle (Sutton Foster) found herself in on the June 11 series premiere of Bunheads, except she didn’t just date her stalker, Hubbell (Alan Ruck) — she married him!

Once the alcohol wore off, Michelle realized she may have made a mistake by packing up her feathers and moving to Alan’s sleepy coastal town — especially when she discovered he still lives with his high-strung mother Fanny (Kelly Bishop). And just as creator Amy Sherman-Palladino promised, the two women immediately butted heads, even in front of the whole town at Michelle and Alan’s wedding party.

Michelle also didn’t see eye-to-eye with Hubbell’s wackjob ex-girlfriend Truly (Friday Night Lights‘ Stacey Oristano), though the relationship between those two women is more awkward than anything else.

It wasn’t until Michelle found herself — a little tipsy, I might add — in Fanny’s dance studio that she really began to find her true calling in town. She quickly developed a friendly rapport with Fanny’s ballet students, putting them through an impromptu “audition” to give them a taste of what life as a dancer is really like. And in true TV fashion, Fanny happened to witness the whole thing.

Emily and Fanny eventually bonded over a dance — and a drink — but their momentary truce was quickly interrupted with some shocking news from Truly: Hubbell was in a car accident, and it’s unclear whether or not he made it out alive!

In case you didn’t see my original review of Bunheads, allow me to reiterate just how much I loved this pilot. The chemistry between Sutton and Kelly is electric, the scene with Sutton and the girls was totally engaging, and I’m dying — pun intended — to find out what happened to Hubbell.

What did you think of the series premiere? Has Bunheads secured a spot on your DVR, or are you choosing to pass? Drop me a comment with your review!

— Andy Swift

Follow @AndySwift

It’s a well-kept secret that adults are just as clueless about their futures as teenagers, and ABC Family is finally blowing that secret out of the water with its new series Bunheads. I’ve already fallen in love with the story of down-on-her-luck dancer Michelle (Sutton Foster), but creator Amy Sherman-Palladino — the brilliant, top-hatted mind behind Gilmore Girls — was more than happy to offer HollywoodLife.com readers a few more reasons to watch.

Read on for my full interview with Amy:

Bunheads centers around a 30-something adult, which is unusual for an ABC Family show. Was it your goal to do something completely different?

I wasn’t really interested in doing a teen show, especially since I felt like I did so much of that on Gilmore Girls when we took Rory through high school and college. It was great, and it was all really fun stuff to write, but it wasn’t something I was really that interested in. When I brought [ABC Family] this thing about Michelle — the dancer who hits a wall and turns around, and as many people do in their 30s goes, ‘Holy s**t, how did I get here?” — I thought, ‘That’s the story I’m interested in telling.’ I was working on a play at the time about my time growing up in ballet school, so I already had these four little girls in my head, and I said I could put her into this environment — this world of ballet, which I love because it was so much a part of my life.

So at the end of the day, the focus will always be on Michelle?

Yes, she is the center of the show — her world, her growth and everything else by extension around it. I asked if ABC Family was good with that, knowing I’m going to focus a lot on her relationship with Fanny as well as the girls, and they were behind it. The pilot doesn’t even have the girls in it for two and a half acts. I really did feel like Michelle was my main character, and once you get your hands on Sutton Foster, all you want to do is watch Sutton Foster walk around in her shorts for two hours.

What about the girls? Will we get to know each of their stories?

Definitely, and we have four phenomenal girls. They’re pretty green in a lot of ways, but just so cool. Every week, I throw this stuff at them hoping they’re ready for it, and they just come through with bells on. They’ll have their own lives to deal with, their own sadness and heartbreaks, but there hasn’t been any shifting from the focus that Sutton is our gal. And Michelle’s not really a motherly type. She’s sort of one of the group, the tallest one there. I think having a slightly more adult view makes it different from [ABC Family's] other shows, while also maintaining comfort level for their audience with the four girls. We’re a gateway drug.

I love watching Michelle and Fanny go at it. Sutton and Kelly have such great chemistry.

Oh, absolutely. They’re a little less Emily and Lorelai [from Gilmore Girls] and a little more Lucy and Ethel [from I Love Lucy]. When you get artistic people together in a room together, they’re all freakin’ crazy. And it’s awesome, and that’s why you love them and want to watch them. Those things that make them sparkle on stage are always going to be there. They’re from different generations, but they’re both show people who made similar mistakes at early points in their lives that took their plans off into a different direction. There will always be a great amount of conflict between the two women, but they’re also going to appreciate each other and find each other fun.

So you’re totally cool with people comparing Bunheads to Gilmore Girls?

I’d be a moron to think that no one’s going to draw comparisons to Gilmore Girls. I’ve got a very specific writing style. I like people who talk fast. Like, let’s go, let’s go, no one’s getting any younger here.

Plus, you’ve got Kelly Bishop back for round two.

The idea of bringing Kelly in was something debated, a lot by me, because I knew the [Gilmore Girls] question would come up. But the bottom line is that Kelly’s the real deal. She was the original Sheila in A Chorus Line, and she’s a real broad. She’s much more Fanny than she is Emily — and she was so great as Emily. You sit down with her and knock back a few martinis and you’re going to go a couple rounds. She’s a great fun broad to hang out with, and I wanted to play more to who Kelly is. I hope that no one will hold it against me, but when you work with really good people, you just want to work with them again.

I won’t lie, the twist at the end of the pilot surprised me. Will there be more sudden dramatic moments like that moving forward?

Definitely. I love the drama, but I think you need a lot of fun to get to the drama. You need some laughs, so that when the drama happens, it kicks you in the nuts a little more. One of the things that bugs me most about a lot of stuff on television is that there’s so much drama and they don’t have a damn laugh in the whole hour. It’s an hour without a smile or a chuckle. I really think the best dramas have comedy in them. The Sopranos was one of the funniest shows on television, but you’re certainly not going to tell me that wasn’t also a hard-hitting drama.

Watch a preview of Bunheads below, then vote: Will you tune in for tonight’s big premiere?

Click here to view the embedded video.

— Andy Swift

Follow @AndySwift

More Bunheads Coverage:

1. ‘Bunheads’ Series Premiere: Watch The Pilot (Early) Right Here
2. ‘Bunheads’ Review: Sutton Foster Shines In Quirky New Drama

If you’re a regular HollywoodLife.com reader, you should already know how much I love ABC Family’s Bunheads, a new hour-long drama in which Broadway vet Sutton Foster plays a Vegas showgirl-turned-dance instructor. And now you can fall in love with the new series for yourself!

Here’s how you do it: Simply click here and enter the password “HollywoodLifeBunheads.” (Make sure the H, L and B are capped because the password is case sensitive!)

The episode will expire June 3, so enjoy the pilot while you can — and, of course, watch it when it officially premieres June 11 at 9 p.m.

— Andy Swift

Follow @AndySwift

2012 is shaping up to be a heck of a year for Broadway vets-turned-TV stars. Megan Hilty wowed us on Smash, Andrew Rannells is garnering buzz for The New Normal, and this summer, Sutton Foster will make her leading-lady debut as the star of ABC Family’s Bunheads. I check out the first episode of the dance-themed drama, premiering June 11 at 9 p.m., and trust me — you’ll want to check it out.

Bunheads tells the story of Michelle, a down-on-her-luck showgirl who elopes with a travelling creeper and moves into the coastal home he shares with his dance-instructor mom. If the plot of Bunheads sounds ridiculous to you, congratulations, you’re officially a sane human being. But somehow, in the midst of all the madness, some very real — and more importantly likable — characters emerge.

Sutton’s Michelle is everything you’d expect from a character crafted by Gilmore Girls creator Amy Sherman-Palladino. She’s funny, she’s flawed and she’s whip-smart. In fact, the chemistry is so golden between Michelle and her judgmental mother-in-law Fanny (Kelly Bishop) that it’s hard not to imagine them as Lorelai and Emily 2.0.

Michelle’s relationships with the young girls in Fanny’s dance class — each of whom develops a very different rapport with the unconventional new instructor — are also a huge draw. In fact, my only real complaint with the pilot is that I wish Michelle could have met the girls sooner. The minute they all come together is when everything really clicks, as she bonds with the girls, challenges them and draws out each of their unique personalities.

But just when you think you’ve gotten a feel for what this show is all about, the pilot’s twist ending sends a loud-and-clear message to viewers: Bunheads will keep you on your toes.

Watch a preview of Bunheads below, then hit up the comments section with your first impression. Will you be making room on your DVR for this quirky new drama, or do these dancers fail to make your cut?