Tonight on ABC Family, MAKE IT OR BREAK IT starts a new season, with new friends, new rivals, a new coach, and new goals.  Payson, Kayle, and Lauren are that much closer to making their Olympic dreams a reality. Up first, 8 weeks at the USA Training Center. Payson tries to focus on her training after receiving upsetting news, Kaylie feels torn between her boyfriend and her teammates, and Lauren worries that her new custom-created perfume is giving her dizzy spells.

To talk about what’s coming up for the new season, I spent some time chatting with Cassie Scerbo – we talked the new season, new rivals, old characters, and whether Lauren can ever truly be trusted.

Where does the show pick up form where we left you at the end of the season, and the premiere tonight?
It picks up with the girls arriving at the USA Training Center.  It’s a whole new scene, it’s a whole new atmosphere with all of the girls.  They’re not at The Rock anymore; they’re not at their homes.  They’re further away from their family and what not, their comfort zone.  There’s a whole new world to them, and lots of new competition and so that’s where they wind up, arriving at the training center in this first episode.

Regardless of whether you can or can’t trust Lauren, and I’m not sure you can yet [laughs], does the new location find the girls banding together, and facing this world as one unit, or is it everyone for themselves?
Usually, it’s very, we’re at The Rock, we’re The Rock girls, and what not, and this season, they go into it that way, but it doesn’t stay that way [laughs].  There are lots of alliances, very unique ones this season.  Possibly a Lauren/Payson alliance.  A couple of things going on this season.  We’re getting down to the cut year.  This is the season where we find out what girls are on the official Olympic team.  There are so many things on the line.  There’s betrayal, and lots of twists and turns that are so unexpected.  We have a new character this season that also is a huge threat and competition, Jordan.  She is amazing, and could very well take away one of those spots away from one us.  It doesn’t leave everyone with a spot on the Olympic team, I can say.  Very intense.  Lots of shockers, lots of crazy things that go on this season.  I think in the end, there always is some time of unity, but throughout thsi whole season, it’s going to be a lot of alliances and lots of people turning on each other, and they’re not going to be in it together this whole time.  It’s always been about teamwork, but this time around, any one of them could be knocked off the Olympic team.  There’s not a spot for everyone, so they really have to think about themselves, as well.

You mention the new character of Jordan.  What other new faces might we see this season, and then what familiar faces will continue to popup?
We have a great cast – my father, Anthony Stark, who plays Steve Tanner.  Sasha comes back, Payson’s dad Joe is back.  Kaylie’s parents come on in.  Summer is a part of the season.  Austin Tucker.  And then you have these awesome new characters.  You have Rico, who is a BMX rider, so there are some cool BMX things going on this season, really cool stunts.  We have a new wrestler named Jake.  We have a crazy little girl, little gymnast named Wendy Capshaw, who is also very talented, as well as Jordan, who also is a threat to all the girls.  She is such a funyn character.  She just is hilarious.  Very obnoxious, but she plays it so well.  Amanda Leighton – she’s a doll!  Jordan, like I said.  She’s definitely that main new focus this season.  She really makes it hard for these girls, because she’s so talented.  These spots are up for grabs, and she is definitely a threat for these girls.

We’ve seen through the years of the show, how relationships and love interests can impact the gymnastics world for these girls – is there love on the horizon for Lauren?  Will we see that this season?
Maybe [laughs]. Ha yeah, there’s kind of something bubbling for Lauren.  Very unique, opposed to the normal Lauren love interest.  She doesn’t necessarily force anything this season.  She’s not trying to have a guy, but something kind of falls into her lap, and I think it could turn into something really special.  Especially because she’s not using her sexuality this time around like she usually does.  She’s just being herself.  I think that’s when you really find the right person for you, is when you’re just being yourself, and that person likes you for those reasons.  Also, for Lauren this season, she winds up with a really severe illness.  So there are a lot of things going on in her life this season.  Lots of new things, lots of big challenges, life threatening challenges.

Lauren has done a lot of devious things – do you think she’s past that yet?
She’ll always been Lauren Tanner.  She has her one-liners, she has her spunky little personality. That’s what makes her so unique and hilarious.  But!  Everyone has always asked me, you know, when is Lauren going to change.  And I want to say “She changes finally!” and I haven’t been able to, but this season, I can say she does have a change of heart.  There is going to be redemption for Lauren.  Just by what she’s going through, she’s learning not to take things for granted in general.  I think it’s really important for people to see that.  You never want to take things for granted.  She starts to realize maybe some of the things she’s done, and what not.  She turns to new outlets and people.  She definitely has a change of heart this season; it’s really, really cool.

MAKE IT OR BREAK IT premieres tonight at 9/8c, after the return of SECRET LIFE OF THE AMERICAN TEENAGER.  For more information on the show, head over to ABCFamily.com!