The Next Step studio enters a rare calm after a tense surge of rehearsals as Miss Kate announces a significant milestone. A-Troupe has been invited to a premier trio competition. The rules are simple but strict: all teams must choreograph to the same song and no costumes are allowed. It marks the first invitation of this kind for the studio, and Amanda, Giselle, and Thalia feel a surge of pride. Miss Kate also assigns J-Troupe to join the trio, expanding the challenge and opening doors for more collaboration.
Tension rises when Emily is late to rehearsal again. Hunter worries about her attendance and asks about the recent changes in her schedule. He confesses that not everyone has warmed to him lately. Emily tells him to mend fences with the boys, implying the need for reconciliation before the studio can move forward as a unit.
Meanwhile, Miss Kate trains J-Troupe and rehearses with Josh, Michelle, and Becca to prepare their trio. When Becca’s sister Gabi arrives with the rest of J-Troupe, questions arise about Miss Kate’s decision to favor Becca over Gabi. The air thickens with competing loyalties as the group contemplates the impact of these choices on team dynamics and the trio’s future.
As last week showed, James must complete a sequence of tasks to win Riley back. He is on item 11, which requires him to create a dance move and name it after Riley. Riley admits she’s impressed that James continues to work through the list; she feared he might have given up. The small, stubborn persistence becomes a quiet thread running through their evolving relationship, even as other tensions simmer nearby.
Hunter follows Emily’s advice and tries to befriend James, West, and Eldon. Eldon is not impressed, recalling how Hunter ended his relationship with Michelle and how he beat him to Nationals for a solo. West and James aren’t thrilled either, though West quickly forgives Hunter and offers to teach him a cool head slide move. Hunter promises to bake Eldon the best chocolate cake ever, and Eldon is curious because chocolate cake is his weakness. James remains skeptical, labeling Eldon and West as sellouts in a moment of testy pride.
Gabi, still smarting from not making the J-Troupe cut, challenges Becca to a dance-off that would decide who qualifies. She trails Becca rehearsing and realizes how strong her sister is. Realizing she cannot deny Becca this chance, Gabi seeks out Miss Kate and speaks plainly about Becca’s right to compete, blurring lines between sisterly protection and studio fairness. Miss Kate reveals she already knows everything, and Becca had told her she wouldn’t compete because she had a yearly fishing trip, a lie Gabi recognizes as untrue. Gabi feels guilty about putting Becca in that position and sits down with Becca to discuss the trio. As the elder sister, Gabi vows to look out for Becca, conceding that Becca is a stronger dancer who should have the chance to compete.
Michelle, a former dancer in Troupe A, decides she cannot stay away from her friends and visits Culture Shock Theatre. She is excited by how things are going but her mood shifts when she learns the national female soloist spot has already been filled. In the music room, James works on Riley’s move as Beth enters. James has been trying to break up with Beth for some time, but she does not take the hint. Hunter sees a chance to build a friendship with James and tells Beth that Culture Shock is offering free smoothies to distract her from James. Even with this relief, James is not ready to embrace Hunter as a brother and remains wary of the shifting alliances.
Joining Riley in Studio A, James introduces item 11 — the ThenRiley Roll-Up — named after one of Riley’s quirks that she always rolls up her shorts. Riley is pleased by the move and the naming, but she notes that item 1, the breakup with Beth, remains on the list. James stays determined to handle the breakup himself, without Hunter’s help, maintaining a sense of personal resolve that mirrors the larger struggle to balance friendships and ambitions within the studio.
Hunter presents Eldon with a double-layer chocolate fudge cake, what he calls a truce cake. Eldon accepts it but says he needs to do something before he smashes it in Hunter’s face. Knowing he deserves it, Hunter wears a genuine smile. Eldon then asks for a solo concert and proposes a dance battle with Hunter, who agrees. The moment hints at the possibility of friendship, even if the alliance isn’t solid yet. The small gestures begin to illustrate a path toward reconciliation, one step at a time, between rivals who might become allies.
Amanda observes Emily and Hunter enjoying time together and senses what Emily must do to win her trust: break away from the sole ally who still supports her, Hunter. The question remains: will Emily jeopardize her relationship with Hunter to stand with Amanda? And will James ever be able to break up with Beth without causing lasting damage? The studio holds its breath as the next rehearsals approach, curious about how loyalties, competitive drive, and personal bonds will shape the next season of growth and drama.