DWTS12 Week 8 Power Rankings
Gee, funny what happens when you don’t have a specific “theme” night – you actually get some pretty good dancing, across the board! I don’t think anyone really “sucked” tonight – granted, there were no “perfect” routines, but I think all the couples stepped their game up quite a bit this week. The question is – are the judges strategically scoring in order to keep their favorites safe and get rid of the others? After tonight, I have no doubt in my mind that that’s exactly what they’re doing. Definite over and under-scoring going on. And it all makes me want to go back previous seasons, when there were definite ringers and we didn’t have mediocre dancing rammed down our throats as being 10-worthy. Hmph. On with it…
1.) Hines & Kym - I found myself laughing the hardest while watching Hines dance tonight – and unfortunately, I think I was laughing AT him, rather than WITH him. The poor guy got not one, but TWO completely silly dances tonight, and by the end of the night I’m fairly certain he felt like a complete nincompoop, especially with his teammates watching 
What likely soothed that blow to his ego was some definite overscoring from the judges. I’m sorry, but a 28 for a foxtrot that, in my opinion, looked kinda jumpy & flaily? Negative, ghostrider. MAYBE 26-worthy. Granted, Hines did seem to be having quite a bit of fun, but it doesn’t change the fact that his feet were bad, his arms were out of control, and he seemed to be a bit rushed at times. It was fun and it made me happy, but it was overscored…sorry, Steeler Nation. As for his instant jive…*sigh*. I couldn’t help but smile as I watched Hines try to muddle through that one looking like a little lost black/Korean leprechaun 
I give him points for effort, but when he wasn’t missing steps, he was barely moving his feet; and when he was moving his feet, he was missing steps. I guess I’m a bit spoiled, after that phenomenal instant jive Kyle did last season – seriously, go back and watch it on Youtube, then watch Hines’ and tell me with a straight face that Hines’ was as good or better than Kyle’s. I DARE you. Kyle was fearless and didn’t miss a beat. Hines…not so much. I do kinda feel for Hines, though – I worry that he may have peaked too early, and thus set the bar pretty damn high for himself…because these past few weeks, I’ve found myself going “He can do better than this.” Regardless of what I think, Hines has been Mr. Consistent this season (even if Hines’ consistent isn’t in the same ballpark as a J. Grey or Nicole “consistent”), and I doubt that’s going to change. Plus he’s got a pretty damn good cushion to keep him safe – guess your plot worked, judges. *eye roll*
2.) Chelsea & Mark – As much as I LOVED that Chelsea stood up to Mark at the beginning of the show and made it clear that his outbursts shouldn’t be reflected as her own opinions about the show, I think these two were overscored as well. Aaaand cue the “Mark hater!” accusations from the peanut gallery But peanuts, beware – don’t come out swinging if you aren’t capable of having a mature, logical argument. My trigger finger is comfortably rested on the “delete” button for those who chose to fling insults or try to tell people they’re wrong. Anyway…the waltz was a definite improvement, yes; but I have to agree with Len – the emotion was a bit over-the-top, and I could have done without the kiss…a kiss that early in the dance just says to me “I have nothing truly dynamic in my bag of tricks, so this is my one ‘Look at me!’ move!” It just reads as kind of desperate, and I would have preferred some sort of dramatic sweep across the floor or some well-executed spins from Chelsea instead. What I did see from her was quite pretty – she turns well and extends her arms very nicely. As for their salsa – let me put it this way: I know of no bona fide salseros that move with such staccato as Mark. Didn’t the judges even say later on that salsa was supposed to be a relaxed, FLUID club dance? Mark was not moving fluidly at all, and it just made it hard to pay attention to Chelsea with him moving so spastically – plus it seemed to throw her off a bit. Yes, she did all her moves and threw some good attitude into it; but I kinda felt like she was just going though the motions of her routine, like in her head she was like “Ok, what’s next? Ok turn and look and arms and head and turn again and…” without any regard to the music. I guess I just kinda hoped she could connect better with the music. But hey, it doesn’t really matter what I think, because the judges have also done a quite nice job of shielding her from elimination as well.
3.) Kirstie & Maks – As much as I love Kirstie, I would be lying if I said I didn’t think her A. tango was a bit overscored. I was definitely impressed that Maks threw in a couple of lifts and it didn’t seem to phase Kirstie; they were smooth & well-executed. I thought she kept up pretty well with the footwork – but there were a few moments of uncertainty, and overall I think the routine was a bit elementary. Ditto for her salsa – I think she kept up semi-well for most of it, but it was also choreographically the least complicated of the 3 salsas we saw tonight. She did do a pretty damn good job of getting into character, though – she smoldered in the tango and was sassy in the salsa. But here’s my biggest problem: she’s starting to get a bit lost in the shuffle to me. She’s neither failing miserably nor truly excelling, so I find myself with a bit of writer’s block with her – I just don’t have a whole lot to say. What I can say, though, is that the judges clearly seem to want keep her around at least through this week (and possibly to the finale), with the way they’re scoring her. The question is: do they love her as much as they seem to love Hines & Chelsea, or could she become a sacrificial lamb should Romeo or Ralph bust some serious moves next week? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see next week, since she too has a pretty good cushion from the judges, on top of her huge fanbase.
4.) Romeo & Chelsie – Poor Romeo certainly seemed like one of the judges’ favorite punching bags tonight. He just couldn’t seem to catch a break – he does a tango that, in my opinion, was cleaner than Hines’ foxtrot and every bit as good as Chelsea’s waltz – and he gets scored lower than both, and Carrie Ann just can’t help but nitpick about some “iffy” footwork. EVERYONE tonight had some moments of iffy footwork – it was just a matter of whether the judges chose to call them out on it or conveniently look the other way. I thought his lead in the tango was great, and his head snaps were incredibly crisp and on-time. He looked great during the pivots. When it came to the instant dance, I have to say - I feel like Romeo was really the only one tonight that actually seemed to connect to the music, rather than just bulldozing through it. Did he miss steps in his salsa? Of course. But did it feel like he was actually trying to dance to the beat? YES. Plus the kid just seems to be having a blast out there – if I were in a salsa club and saw him grooving, I would definitely ask him to dance. But alas, the judges just don’t seem to be feeling the Romeo love – by the way they scored this week, it looks to me like they’re definitely setting us up for a Ralph & Romeo bottom 2 tomorrow night. Which sucks, because I feel like Romeo has probably improved the most of all the contestants left this season. I think due to scoring, he’s at least cleared to make it to the semi-finals; but just watch, next week – he will be at the bottom of the scoreboard, regardless of how well he dances. God I hate storyboarding.
5.) Ralph & Karina – I knew Ralph was going to have a rough night if he did indeed chose to dance – and I have to give him mad, mad props for doing so despite his injury. However, what I didn’t expect was a near-complete lack of sympathy from the judges – both in scores and in critiques. Aside from a few tiny moments of what had to be intense pain, I really didn’t notice any huge missteps in his Viennese waltz – he was still moving fluidly & extending those gorgeous arms of his. And that smoldering pose at the end?! MAGIC. I thought 25 was a decent score, but it wouldn’t have killed the judges to toss in an extra point for dancing injured or something. Ralph was a SOLDIER out there tonight. As for his instant cha-cha – cute, valiant effort by both Ralph & Karina, and like Romeo, Ralph actually seemed to let go and really have fun out there. It was as if he just said “Y’know what? F*ck it. I’m just gonna enjoy myself…except for the pain in this leg.” But man, the judges just seemed to love rubbing salt in Ralph’s wound after that dance – a fleeting moment of “nice try” followed by a barrage of “The technique wasn’t there, you got off time, yadda yadda yadda yadda…” It was all just too much for me, especially since they were soooo understanding of Kirstie’s fall & shoe malfunction…and that mess of a jive. But hey, I guess that’s what happens when you aren’t one of the judges’ “chosen ones”. Now I did a quick calculation of the numbers…and either I’ve done it completely wrong, or the judges really and truly screwed Ralph this time. I mean, REALLY screwed the poor guy – I’m not sure his huge fanbase, which has saved him from the bottom several times now, could come close to overcoming it. And then there’s my looming suspicion that Ralph may decide to withdraw tomorrow night – I know he said it’s an injury that is supposedly going to heal in a few days, but when you only have about 5 days to crank out 2 more dances, is it going to be enough? And will it be fully healed in time to deal with the demanding 4-dance schedule of the finale? I just don’t know…part of me is praying for a miracle, that Ralph’s fans manage to pull off the impossible; and part of me is kinda wishing he’d bow out gracefully and not risk injuring himself further. It all just makes me very, very sad 
Well, kids, I guess that’s all I have left to say for tonight. What did you guys think of tonight’s scoring?
Astute comments plus excellent writing. The judging of this show turns me away. I’d like to see some new judges and new judging criteria/consistency. For some reason, Ralph is not their pet. With respect to Hines, it doesn’t hurt to have Kym as a partner.
After watching tonight, I think Romeo deserves to be in the final, I don’t care how the judges were trying very hard to story-board. Agree with what you say Court. They never score Kyle right either last season.
Feel bad for Ralph, I don’t know how he is going to cope next week if he is safe. I guess the judges have picked their final 3 – Hines, Chelsea and Kirstie based on tonight’s scoring.
Admittedly I’m a huge Romeo fan, but he was ROBBED on his tango. To me it was one of the dances of the night. He goes out there with such intensity. And I actually watched it once just focusing on his feet. I didn’t see what Carrie Ann saw at all.
Hines was a little overscored and Mark – I mean Chelsea – was as well. I don’t care for Mark but give him props for his choreography. It’s just not appropriate for this show – and besides his personality really grates on me.
Excellent summary, Courtney.
My only remark about Chelsea and Mark, besides saying I loved her waltz, is wanting to know how much of her discussion with him in the rehearsal package was storyboarded.
Romeo is my favorite this season and I hope he makes it through. With his movie premiering over the weekend, he could get votes from that.
Courtney, the thought of Ralph possibly bowing out so he does not risk further injury also crossed my mind.
What a fun night!! This competition is so tight that it felt like the finals. Courtney, I am loving your rankings as always. Ok, here’s how I rated them too….
1. Hines and Kym – 1st dance 9, 2nd dance 9.5 Their second dance was a complete joy to watch. The first dance seemed a little too staged and cheesy. He was stiff a couple of times. But, overall, so good and entertaining.
2. Kirstie and Maks – 1st dance 9.5, 2nd dance 8.5 The tango was just so perfect for them! They were both oozing passion. Kirstie looked so great in red. Outstanding. The second dance was cool because she proved she could dance technically….and what’s more, it was an instant dance. You’ve got to give her huge props.
3. Ralph and Karina – 1st dance 10, 2nd dance 8- I loved their VW so much. In fact, it’s one of my favorite VW’s ever on the show. He was totally in character. I loved how passionate, sexy, and edgy it was. “Vampires Lovers” described it perfectly by Bruno. As for the second dance, Karina did all the work, but, it’s so understandable. That he pulled off a VW like he did with the injury he had takes the cake. Kudos to Ralph for being a fighter just like his character in Karate Kid.
4. Romeo and Chelsie – 1st dance 9, 2nd dance 8- I loved how passionate and intense they were in the first dance. He was so charming. Totally back. But, sadly Romeo lost his steam in the 2nd dance and didn’t seem as into it. He’s in a lot of danger I think.
5. Mark and Chelsea – I can barely stand to watch Mark anymore. I wanted to gag when he came out with the tank top during the second dance and that dumb hat and green socks. He overpowered her. He also copied that back move he did to Chelsea from Derek and Joanna(grrrrrgrrrrr). I was bored all through the first dance. Yes, I am mean. I hope they are picked to go. It would make my DWTS dreams come true this Season.
So, that is that. Here’s to tomorrow night. I can’t wait to see DANCE CENTER!!!
Love your site and most always totally agree with your views including tonight! I love Kirstie but there is something about her that is getting annoying. She seems to lack focus or something and then she flubs it but has an excuse. When she seems serious, she does better.
Love Ralph and agree the judges have been hard on him. Anyone notice he spots when turning? The judges haven’t noticed.
Chelsea did a great job with Romeo’s tango choreography. Couldn’t agree more about Kyle/Hines score comparisons.
I feel for Ralph, but if he really can’t be 90-100% in the semi-finals, I think he should bow out if he were to make it IMO. Fair is Fair, wait that’s not the right movie, he wasn’t in The Legend of Billy Jean.
I’m hoping for a shocking elimination tomorrow like someone in the top 3 either Hines or Chelsea. I voted like crazy for Romeo and I so desperately want to see this young man do a jive and see what kinda of freestyle he and Chelsie H. would do. Agree about him being underscored. Chelsie really seemed stressed this week.
Absolutely agree Melissa – I think Romeo’s Tango was the dance of the night. He was totally robbed.
Adding: and I’m really getting sick of those black and white shoes Mark keeps wearing too…trying to show off his feet. ICKK
I also wondered if Ralph would bow out of the competition. Would prefer for the injury to heal quickly and him make a great comeback; it may be too much to ask. Tonight he made a valiant effort and danced a beautiful Viennese Waltz – definitely underscored.
Agree with your assessments. Scoring this season has been all over the place and ruins enjoyment of the show.
Romeo – 1st dance – was the best of the night for me. He got the intensity and he looked in control of dance. 2nd dance- still needs to work on the hip action but he seemed to be feeling the music and it was fun.
Hines – 1st dance…that was so…stiff…and jerky. It was not that great AT ALL. I don’t understand his scores. It wasn’t horrible but I certainly thought Romeo did WAYYY better. 2nd dance- kinda the same. But I want to cut him some slack because he was kinda screwed with the instant jive IMO. I’m not a part of steeler nation and don’t understand all of the hype but that’s just me.
Chelsea- 1st dance – clean and good. Showcased her well…but Romeo’s dance had more of an impact (and not just because it was the tango). 2nd dance- I knew Mark couldn’t resist for long… again felt like he needed to take it down a notch. Show Package – clean up on aisle 4! Talk about damage control. It’s as though they read the comment sections here lol. I cracked up everytime Brooke asked them what they thought of their scores and Chelsea would make sure to say they were so grateful and pleased with whatever score they got.
Ralph and Karina – loose the guyliner PLEASE! Both dances – Good job considering his injury. It is clear he is being set up to go home based on the judges scores.
Kirstie and Maks – 1st dance – very good dance for them. I’ve looked at some of Maks other AT’s and I guess I was expected something along those lines but this was still good. The intensity was there though. 2nd dance – was also good but I wasn’t wowed.
I never watched DWTS before this season and what I realize is that compared to previous seasons this crop is mediocre…All of them. Well maybe if Chelsea was on a previous season she could make it far but everyone else might have been cut by now. I feel like EVERYONE is stressed and not having nearly as much fun and that passes onto me in how much I enjoy watching them.
Interesting scoring tonight for sure!
I just don’t get Hines’ scores for his Foxtrot. I also was laughing… and not in a good way. Tops, maybe 24 or 25 for me. It was kind of a mess. I wish it wasn’t – I really like Hines.
Courtney, I disagree about Kirstie and Maks, though – I LOVED their tango. I didn’t see any mess ups or that she looked behind, and I’ve noticed that in the past. The fact is, she’s not going to look like Jennifer Grey doing a AT. She looks like a non-dancer, normal-sized (at least) woman dancing a great AT. One of my two fave dances of the night.
My second fave was Ralph’s Waltz. WAY underscored, I think, and actually much better than Hines’ foxtrot.
I skipped Chelsea’s dances in favor of NBA playoffs. That’s how much Mark annoys me at them moment.
Thought Romeo’s Waltz was really well done but it wasn’t really memorable to me and didn’t make a huge impact.
The Instant Dances for me were a disappointment overall, except I really enjoyed Hines’ jive and Kirstie’s Salsa. Again, skipped Chelsea so can’t tell you.
Well written Court, and I couldn’t agree more. Romeo had the dance of the night, and should be the encore tomorrow. The judges definitely robbed him – 27 is a decent score, but it was better than both HInes & Kirsties’ dance, which both got a 28. I think Kirstie’s initial success has gone to her head and she’s drunk on dancing fever.
If Ralph bows out tomorrow night, and I think there’s a better than even chance of that – will there then be no elimination of the bottom point scorer? I’m wondering if the judges already know something we don’t and set up the scoring accordingly?
hmmm maybe you are right. Ralph did keep saying he was just happy to get through the night. Leave it to DWTS to milk the hell out of a possible elimination.
Hard to say who will go tomorrow night. It was a crazy night. I think a shake-up would be great. Personally, I’d like to see Mark and Chelsea go. She can dance, but they don’t have chemistry & no personality. I don’t find them fun to watch & this show is not just about the dancing. I always vote for Kirstie & Maks and I do think they will be in the finals. Honestly, I think ABC knows she is bringing in big ratings numbers. I don’t think that she is getting annoying as mentioned, but I do think that the stress has caught up with them both. Was it just me or did they seem “off” tonight? Not their dancing but them. They were not all over each other tonight like they usually are.
Re Kirstie – I don’t think she lacks focus or is “drunk on dancing fever” (although that sounds fun!), I think she’s 60 and exhausted. I remember how Marie Osmond fell apart in the last couple of weeks and I’ve always believed it was absolute exhaustion. Everything was off – from the dancing to the speaking.
I think Kirstie is still doing great, but seems much more tired than the others, which is logical.
Has anyone her age made it this far before? I don’t think so. In fact, I think the only women over 50 to get past week 6 or so are Jennifer and Kirstie, and Kirstie is ten years older than Jennifer (and Jennifer came in toned and with great stamina despite injuries).
Never have I found myself so annoyed with everythnig about DWTS than tonight! Chelsea and Mark get their butts KISSED, Ralph and Karina are officially screwed, and Romeo gets robbed. Im usally a very possitive person but this was the single worst time ive ever had watching DWTS. No enjoyment whatsoever from this guy! Romeo deserved straight tens for that Tango but oh. wait. HE ISN”T ONE OF THE JUDGES CHOSEN ONES!!! Chelsea’s Waltz was totally melo-dramatic and her Salsa was so out of sync and shes is on top??? REALLY??? And ofcourse two time champion MARK get his butt kissed and poor Karina and Chelsea are scrwed because just it would be terrible if Mark wasn’t at the top and someone like Karina who has suffered the likes of Steve Wozniak be given a break because her partner is barely walking and Chelsea who has seen the likes of Micheal Bolton, For real the only bad scoring star he’s had was Kim Kardashian and can really complain about getting to dance with KIM KARDASHIAN??? Now it’s probly going to get topped off with my favorite couple withdrawing, Ralph and Karina…Yay.
I think we’re stuck with Kirstie in the finals. I liked everyone but her. I’m afraid it will be Romeo going home.
Well, I enjoyed tonight’s show although I have to say, I hated the footage of Ralph in pain like that. I give him all the props in the world for dancing – and dancing pretty damned good considering.
I thought the best non-insta dances of the night were Mark and Chelsea and Chelsie and Romeo when I take my personal bias out of it. I can see where Romeo got scored low, maybe too low. I thought there were a couple of times when he he stood there and instead of looking commanding and in charge, just looked like he was standing there. And a few times his lines weren’t as clean as I would have liked. I really enjoyed Mark and Chelsea’s waltz – thought it was beautiful and I didn’t think Chelsea put a foot wrong. (And I have a theory about those spat shoes – I think that maybe those are the shoes most comfortable for Mark to wear after his ankle incident . Maybe they give him more support. I find it difficult to believe that he does it to draw attention to his feet, there’s no need for that and I honestly don’t think he’d play that way.) That being said, I agree with what Courtney, I think it was, said on Twitter about the insta-dance. Mark’s style is too staccato for a nice salsa. It doesn’t quite work and can be distracting.
Maks and Kirstie were awesome! Yeah… they’re my favorites, but I loved that Argentine Tango. Some say it may have been a bit simple? But she really didn’t put a foot wrong and she sure had the character down. I loved it. As for their salsa – my God, I was so shocked she actually remembered the routine! *LOL* I didn’t expect it to go so well. Maks was smart, keeping her close as much as he did. You know, I love Maks’ Latin routines. I rank them up there with Derek’s Jive routines and (most of) Mark’s Paso routines.
HInes and Kym… *sigh* Well, I try to enjoy them, but I just can’t seem to find it in me. With the obstacles he had this week – and boy, did he get the short end of the stick in dance selection – I thought he did as well as he could. I actually enjoyed his jive because I thought that finally I was seeing the real Hines come out. I was smiling at the end of it anyway. I’m not sure what it is, but I honestly find him ‘floofy’ most of the time. Not solid enough.
I really think the judges should have given Ralph a bit of a break on the scores or at the very least the comments! That waltz was amazing! I loved it and kudos to Karina for the different flavour! (Yes, I said it, kudos to Karina.) And yeah, that cha-cha wasn’t anywhere near the greatest, but dammit he didn’t stumble or screw up – he could have had a point or two more, I think.
IF Ralph doesn’t pull out (and I agree with Courtney that it’s a possibility) I think he might be in danger, but I think the more probably outcome is Romeo going home.
I am gonna cry if Ralph withdraws or is eliminated tomorrow night. I just love watching him dance and he and Hines were my final 2. But injuries happen. I just hope that if he is cleared to continue, he’ll look at Jennifer Grey as inspiration. All my votes went to Ralph and Romeo today. I loved Romeo’s dances tonight and thought he was completely robbed in his tango. I also loved Ralph’s VW and I think it would have gotten a perfect score if he wasn’t injured and if he was able to have his normal practice time. Sort of reminded me of Anna and Evan’s Paso Doble to Evanescence. This was also the first night that I enjoyed Chelsea’s dancing. I’m glad Mark finally let her shine. Lastly, I thought Kirstie had a great night of dancing, as well! That AT was very nice. Someone vote for Kirstie for me since I gave all my votes to Ralph and Romeo, please?!
“I feel like EVERYONE is stressed and not having nearly as much fun and that passes onto me in how much I enjoy watching them.” Astute comment. They practice too hard. Bodies and minds never allowed to recharge. Pro athletic teams take breaks in training; why not these dancers. I think the quality of the dancing would improve if they closed that rehearsal studio on Saturday. Yes, monitors, this is my last time to mention this.
Yep, we’re stuck with kirstie for another week. She has the encore (via her twitter)
This means bad news for Romeo or Ralph.
I think that Ralph will withdraw. He is not my favorite, but hate to see him leave this way. I think that Romeo will be the next to be eliminated. Kirstie and Maks all the way!!!!
I do think that Ralph will withdraw. I am not a fan of his, but hate to see him leave this way. Romeo will be the next to be voted off. Kirstie and Maks all the way!
This season has been so wonky to say the least. I find myself wishing their were better dancers. I myself never had a problem with picking a few celebrities with some ‘dance background’. At least it lead to some really high quality dances. I miss Derek too. And the worst part has been the judges scoring–it has maybe been more inconsistent and unbelievable than ever.
I thought the instant dances were pretty poor overall. They thought it would be a good idea after the success of last season, but last season had more standout dancers. I wasn’t really impressed with any of the instant dances but surprisingly, my favorite was the most of Romeo’s salsa. Chelsea was good in parts but overscored. Hines was ridiculously overscored–he looked lost, kicks were poor, and there wasn’t any sharpness there. And boo hoo on giving him excuses judges, an awesome jive CAN be done, just look at Kyle’s like others have said. Ralph did about as well as he could have in this dance. Kirstie has been overscored most of the season. She has natural ability and fluidity which I like but she hasn’t been nearly good enough technically for her scores and Maks severely waters down her dances too, and she still can’t get them sharp or even remember all the steps half the time.
The non-instant dances were better but the best ones were Romeo and Ralph’s dances and they were both underscored! I liked Chelsea’s too actually here but it was probably only 27 worthy. Hines was not smooth and not ten worthy. Kirstie was certainly not ten worthy here either, it was one of the most blah ATs I’ve seen on this show.
I hope Ralph does withdraw if he needs to do so…..but I hope he doesn’t actually need to do that! I have a bad feeling this will be the first of all 12 seasons I will be severely disappointed in the finale week. I want a Ralph Romeo Chelsea final. No way in hey is that going to happen and I am worried two of those 3 won’t be in the finale. I get that Hines and Kirstie are popular–fine. But what I don’t care for is the judges seem to be consistently overlooking their faults and pinpointing the faults of everyone else. It is like they score Hines and Kirstie every week on their ‘potential’ or on par with their season’s best no matter what they actually lay out there. Judge fairly man! If they are popular enough, they will still move on.
To me, I feel like Hines and Kirstie were better week 1 than they are right now, where the others have actually grown. And it is a shame Mark has turned into ‘Maks from last season’, because Chelsea is good and I predict he might be the reason she won’t make the finals.
Re “Mark has turned into ‘Maks from last season…’”
Actually, I think Mark is worse this season than Maks has ever been. Mark reminds me of that one week with Shannon when Derek freaked out and went after the other contestants for their flaws. Thankfully, he took responsibility and backed off.
Maks was always tough and would push and be rude, I’d say, to his partners sometimes. But, you never thought Maks was making it about him or that he was being a whining baby. Even his tiff with Carrie Ann was more about the treatment of Brandy.
I didn’t like Maks at all last season, but his behavior didn’t affect my opinion of Brandy. I absolutely can’t stand Mark this season and it IS affecting my feelings toward Chelsea. It’s sad, really, but even though I know it’s not fair, that’s the way it is.
Kirstie Alley has been overscored the entire season. Add that to Carrie Ann telling her weeks ago that she wanted to see her in the finals and it’s very obvious that her scores are being inflated to force her there at the expense of better dancers. This just takes all the fun out of watching the show.
I thought Chelsea and Mark had the best dances of the night by far, and that’s with or without my bias. Their waltz was beautiful, elegant, and polished while their salsa was energetic, fun, and had difficult choreography. I shared Len’s reaction to Carrie Ann’s comment about them not being connected to the music…just couldn’t believe it!
Team Kanenball fans and Markettes, please post your support! I know it feels like we’re drowning in a sea of Mark-hate, but the only way we can counter is to post the praise!
I have to give major MAJOR kudos to Ralph for getting out there and dancing through the pain. If that waltz looked that good on just 9 hours or so of rehearsal, it probably would’ve been awesome on like 40 or so. Trouble is, I do think he will be eliminated tomorrow night or will withdraw. Daniel-san isn’t a spring chicken anymore, guys. I’m sad to say it, but I think he may be in serious trouble unless his fans can do magic.
I think Kirstie’s Argentine Tango was fantastic. I don’t care if the steps were elementary, so what? It wasn’t as complex as some of the other ones Maks has choreographed, sure, but he’s with a different type of partner here. Kirstie’s 60, not mid-20s or early 30s like some of his past partners like Erin or Brandy.
And I completely agree with the comments regarding Mark. The first dance, it was nice to see it be more about Chelsea than about him, but then…here came that instant salsa along with Mark’s ego. I think it’s kinda funny when people compare him to how Maks is/was though.
AL -
I don’t hate Mark. I strongly dislike how he’s been acting. I don’t know him so have no feeling about him personally. But, I can see how he’s been acting.
FYI, I thought he was great last season and made it through what must have been a very difficult experience with all the negative Bristol press very well.
Anyone ever notice that Hines Ward has like the exact same mouth as Rupaul? Just an observation.
Anyway, dances.
I think my overall favorite of the night was surprisingly Chelsea and Mark. Their waltz to me was absolutely lovely. I don’t mind the story, and I thought she danced it beautifully. She has great expressions, reminds me of Kym a bit actually. I really liked their salsa, and felt for them cause the music started early. It wasn’t perfect, and there were a few moments where it was a bit spastic, but it was a lot of fun. I think Mark wears those shoes cause they are a part of his “style”. Just my take.
Romeo’s Tango was definitely right up there, that was a really close second for my favorite dance. He wasn’t perfect, but pretty damn awesome. Plus he looked HOT in that black outfit. Really enjoyed it. I also thought the judges were a bit harsh on their salsa, but I do agree that during the end it was a bit miffy. But I still liked it. He looked like he was having a lot of fun.
I really liked Ralph and Karina’s VWaltz. It was so well done considering the amount of time to rehearse and just like the rest of the season, the judges were really hard on him. Also, I just want to put this out there for the record – WHAT IS WRONG WITH GUYLINER?
I always hear complaints about it but I love it. Anyway, their cha-cha was pretty meh, but again considering that the dance hadn’t been rehearsed at all, not bad – probably deserved at least one point higher.
I love Maks’ AT’s. They are almost always amazing, and I liked this one a lot. Kirstie did well, but there was a bit of blah towards the end for me. I get what they were going for, but it didn’t come across that well. I think she was a bit overscored. Anyone take note as to how much quicker their instant salsa started than he and Brandy’s last year? lol It was cute – yes basic, but it was fun. I think even more so that I like Kirstie (and I do) I like watching Maks. Also didn’t like the end of their salsa, but that’s so hard to do given the instant-ness of the challenge.
Both of Hines’ dances left me with the same impression – parts were really cute and great, others were a bit meh. His feet were so flat in the jive, and there were a couple of really unsteady moments in their foxtrot. I really like Kym a lot, and I think that’s why I root for these two cause while I don’t dislike Hines at all, he’s overshadowed by the other four which I like more. But he does please the crowd, and I never mind Kym having a good partner
But probably my least favorite of the night, but that’s not by much, if that makes sense.
I do think it will either be Ralph or Romeo leaving tomorrow. I really wanted to see a freestyle out of both of them. Oh well.
I missed Kyle do much, the king of the instant dance !
Here’s my totally biased ranking
1. Romeo & Chelsie: their tango was great and it was the only real salsa of the night so I don’t care if he missed some steps. It looks really like social dancing and I would certainly have asked him to dance
2. Ralph & Karina: their cha cha cha sucks but their V. Waltz was amazing, my favorite of the season (but I didn’t like Karina’s dress)
3. Hynes & Kym: he was jumpy and heavy footed on his foxtrot (lovely dress for Kym) but I like his jive, even tough I couldn’t stop thinking of Kyle and his amazing jive
4. Kirstie & Maks: very disappointing argentine tango, I the lifts were very nice but it was just a walk, very simple and their salsa wasn’t good either, a lot of walking too but at least there was a good amount of salsa in it
5. Chelsea & Mark: I didn’t think there was so much waltz in their first dance, too theatrical for me and their second dance was not a salsa, OK there was some elements of salsa in it but otherwise it was a booty shaking mess
Poor Ralph – He struggled through these dances and did great, with no mercy from the judges. It would pain me to see one of the others go this week and then Ralph bow out next week. I dont see how his injury could withstand the grueling workload ahead.
Hines and Kym – They were my entertainment tonight, they went out there and had fun and I enjoyed them, but Hines need to step it up and go out of the box next week.
Romeo and Chelsie – This boy is great, he gives it everything hes got and I am drawn into his performances from start to finish. I hope he is not eliminated tonight because he deserves to be in the semi-finals, heck maybe even the finals.
Kirstie and Maks – Sorry but Im growing weary of her and quite frankly at this point she can be eliminated and thats okay by me.
Chelsea and Mark – Beautiful waltz and Mark allowed her to shine, UNTIL EGO MARK returned for the second dance. And did anyone notice that when Mark walk to the celebaquarium he passed Corky and did NOT do their special hand gesture that supposedly they always did…Such BS that the Ballas wanted America to buy, well we didnt.
My prediction for tonight is the elimination of (or withdrawal of Ralph) (my favorite, Im wiping my tear now), or the pleasant shock elimination of Chelsea and Mark.
My rankings were:
1)Chesea and Mark: I really liked them last night. They rocked it (especially the first dance).
2) kirstie: awesome job.
3) Hines: Loved the second dance but didn’t like the first one too much.
4)Ralph: Even with the injury I thought he did good.
5) Romeo and Chelsie: No doubt its him and ralph in the bottom 2.
Prediction: If Ralph don’t leave on his own accord, its gonna be Romeo.
I thought Kirstie’s argetine tango was the dance of the night though. Close second was Hines’ foxtrot. It was just so cheesy and adorable lol.
I loved Chelsea and Mark’s waltz! I know the package was staged, but I did love that she confronted him about last week. And, for THAT ONE DANCE, he turned back into the Mark that I used to consider one of my favorites…. The dance focused on HER! It had great choreography, and he danced WITH her and supported her, and it let CHELSEA shine…. THIS is what I had been hoping for, what I KNEW he could do. Yes, it was still theatrical, but still…. This is what Mark used to have as a normal dance routine…. Unfortunately, after that, he seemed to turn back into the Mark that has been turning people off this season…. I felt their instant dance focused more on him, and it actually made me sad… If he had treated Chelsea and their partnership the way he did for the first dance, ALL SEASON, he wouldn’t be turning people off. People like Chelsea, she’s a seemingly sweet person, and a terrific dancer, but her partner seems to keep people focusing on him, instead of her. Their first dance last night was one bright beam to me, when I think of them this season. And I keep asking why Mark couldn’t do that the whole season????
I loved Kirstie and Maks Argentine Tango…. Loved it! She is definitely quite good at finding the character and bringing it out in the dance…. To me, it looked wonderful, and like she did all the steps, and they both definitely smoldered.
I am heartbroken that Ralph is in so much pain…. And Romeo…. What a sweetheart!
Whoever leaves tonight, it is going to be heartbreaking.
Oh boohoo AL, you poor thing just “drowning in a sea of Mark hate”. *eye roll* I really don’t care who you like, but the minute you start taunting those of us who don’t agree with you and start soliciting spam from the Team Kanenball groupies, you become a problem. Either you start being more cognizant of the way you word your comments or I start deleting. Make a choice.
As much as I would love to see Chelsea & Mark go home this week, I’m bracing myself for a Romeo or Ralph elimination. However, if one of the “chosen ones” do end up going home, I’ll be curious to see who the judges replace them with as their 3rd slate for the finale. Would really throw a wrench into their “master plan”, eh?
Al, encouraging spam is a very bad idea. Especially if those spamming can’t handle opposing opinions.
Seriously, Evaine, it’s impossible to remove personal bias from the equation. I admit it every week, I do wish everyone else would be so honest with themselves. If you like someone, you will certainly be more forgiving. If you are sick of seeing someone misbehave week after week (or if you just don’t like them), it’s going to be very difficult to pull out of that mentality. I think the judges have this same problem, although it has not impacted Chelsea as much as Romeo and Ralph. Unfortunately.
Toni – “Chelsea- 1st dance – clean and good. Showcased her well…but Romeo’s dance had more of an impact (and not just because it was the tango). 2nd dance- I knew Mark couldn’t resist for long… again felt like he needed to take it down a notch.” EXACTLY my problem, in a nutshell. Chelsea does a good dance (overscored) and then Romeo does a much more impactful one, that is just as good if not better, and is underscore. Kinda ruins the whole night for me when I see good dancing (Chelsea and Romeo) and not as good dancing (Kirstie and Hines) all screwed up score wise. Granted, Romeo’s second dance still needed work, but so did everyone else’s. Then they go all harsh on Ralph after kissing Kirstie’s ass when she falls, loses a shoe and so on. I think Kirstie scored better than Ralph when she and Maks fell flat on their asses!! Ridiculous.
Linde, if the judges ALREADY knew he was going to bow out, they would not (I hope) have shredded him like that to such a ridiculous degree. It is possible they know he’s NOT bowing out, and are trying to force the issue. ANY game playing, either way, just pisses me off though.
Zach – “Never have I found myself so annoyed with everythnig about DWTS than tonight! Chelsea and Mark get their butts KISSED, Ralph and Karina are officially screwed, and Romeo gets robbed. Im usally a very possitive person but this was the single worst time ive ever had watching DWTS.” Amen my brother.
Spat shoes – I have no idea if this is the case in ballroom, but spats were just white covers you put over shoes to make your feet stand out. They didn’t use to provide any support whatsoever. That may have changed, since I’m not 13 anymore.
Fig – there is only something wrong with guyliner when it becomes a regular part of your costuming.
Oh for the love of….Kirstie is doing the encore??? The hell?? I love Kirstie. I think her dance was pretty good. But the encore should go to Romeo, no question.
I don’t think I was this annoyed when Len was doing his best to keep Nicole’s scores low.
Such an improvement over last week! Maybe it WAS the lack of a theme, plus I love the instant-dance.
Hines and Kym: He is so good. He is consistent and fluid and he seemed to have fun last night. Plus I loved how he was watching tapes of Ralph”s dance to size up the competition! I loved their cheesy foxtrot and their jive was my favorite instant dance.
Kirstie and Maks: She is so entertaining. I had written her off after last week, but I was sucked right back in last night. I thought the A Tango was good and the instant dance was better than I expected. It scared me to death when they showed her falling in the package. Holy crap.
Chelsea and Mark: You go girl! I’m so glad she pointed out to him how his behavior is negatively affecting her. As for their dances, I kind of liked the waltz, which has been par for the course for me this season. I kind of like their dances, but I find myself wanting more. More of Chelsea less of Mark, more steps less edge maybe. I don’t know. Was their salsa a salsa? I’m not that familiar with that dance but it seemed more like a samba or mambo to me with all the shimmies.
Romeo and Chelsie: I couldn’t even really see their tango with all the special effects and him in black with such low light. I liked what I could see, though. I thought he did a good job with posture, etc. As for the salsa, Romeo can’t move his hips well at all. He is so stiff. In that respect, I think he takes after his dad…
Ralph and Karina: Oh boy. How awful to watch the judges tear them apart. I felt so bad for them both. I too felt they were underscored a bit. Maybe he will bow out since it is only going to get more difficult and I can’t see his knee having enough time to recover. Such a shame.
The judges picks are really starting to get really irratating. Kirstie’s constant overscoring is really starting to get to me. I really do enjoy her being on the show, and I enjoy her dancing, but it is only mediocre at BEST. She just hasn’t really seemed to get it together and do as well as she did in her very first dance. I just don’t think she deserves to be there over anyone else that is left. Hines is also being way overscored, and it’s starting to annoy me. Neither of his dances last night were worthy of the scores they received.
I really hope Ralph pulls through tonight and it’s either Hines/Chelsea/Kirstie that go home. I know it won’t happen, but a girl can dream…
I am rooting for a swift recovery from Ralph, hopefully he will gain a massive sympathy vote and make it through tonight. (It’s just going to suck that it’s likely going to be at Romeo’s expense).
Hopefully next season we will get a couple of ringers so there is some awesome dancing to look forward to. That’s been my biggest issue with this season – there hasn’t been anyone really to look forward to every week, because they are all mediocre. I’ve always said this show needs ringers to keep it interesting, because this season is starting to get boring if I’m completely honest.
As much as I liked watching Romeo’s Tango, I have to say it was because of Chelsie and not Romeo. I could barely pull his hands and feet (the emotional hit zones) out of the dark with the gloves and all. Perhaps that is a tip someone should have given to Ralph with all of his bad hand comments.
Here are my top highly biased 5.
1. Chelsea for emotion, really believed her in the Waltz
2. Ralph for execution, 9 hours of practice or not he was exactly where he needed to be throughout the Waltz, no walking steps
3. Hines, Fun, but too many walking steps, he used to flow from postion to position but tonight he was playing catch up
4. Romeo, lost in a fog and way overshadowed by Chelsie who made that dance.
5. Kirstie, all to often she has to be steered to her next position and if makes her dances loose their flow.
Highest Mark – 9 for Chelsea
Lowest Mark – 7 for Romeo and Kirtsie
I felt Romeo’s tango was robbed. It was one of the best of the night. And Kirstie’s AT was phenomenal! I think that it would have been nice if Ralph would have been cut a little slack, but I understand why he wasn’t. We’re getting to the final few couples and injuries or no injuries, the dancing wasn’t there. And if you can’t do it all, well…I don’t know. But then again, I’ve never been a big fan of Ralph, though he seems sweet as can be.
I wasn’t impressed with Hines at all. His jive was suspect and his foxtrot was merely meh for me. And Mark–oh, Mark. I concur with those of you above who talked about how we got vintage Mark in the waltz and then “look at me” Mark in the instant salsa. Grr. Oh well, I still think they’re safe, unfortunately enough.
I’m saying it’s Romeo and Ralph in the bottom and Ralph goes home. And it ends up being okay because Ralph wouldn’t have been able to give it his all anyways.
But maybe that’s just wishful thinking because I don’t want to see Romeo go home yet?
Well, that was an interesting night. Previously I had called a Ralph, Romeo, Hines final but now I am not so sure. It all hinges on IF Ralph stays.
Kirstie: I love Kirstie to death & would love to see Maks get a mirror ball, but they don’t deserve to make the finals, the fact that they have made it this far is unbelievable. I am just as out of shape and almost as heavy as she was at the start of the season and I doubt I would have made it 2 weeks (I’m also 20 yrs younger) so props to her. AT was great, but the Salsa was just ok. 9 and 8
Chelsea: I really liked her waltz, was real the first time all season I have been able to focus on her. She is a good dancer, too bad all I could see in the instant dance were Mark’s green socks. 9 and 8
Hines: The foxtrot was good, but seemed a little forced. The jive was fun but totally lacked crispness. Love his personality and think he could do a killer freestyle. 8 and 7
Romeo: Amazing progress, started the season hating the shoes now he dances a killer tango. And his salsa was just plan fun, yes he missed a couple of steps but it made me want to go out and dance. 9 and 9
Ralph: I can’t dance that well without an injury, amazing how he just focused through the pain. It was almost like he channeled the pain into the dance he was ON. Cha Cha was a little light on content but what he did he did well. 9 (possibly 10) and 8
So my scores for the night (out of 20)
Kirstie – 17
Chelsea – 17
Hines – 15
Romeo – 18
Ralph – 17
I hope Ralph pulls through.
Nope, you can’t totally eliminate personal bias, but you can also try not be blindly ga-ga over a couple because they’re your favorites or harshly over-critical of a couple because you can’t stand one or the other of them. My favorite performance last night was Kirstie and Maks’ AT. Was it the best? Nope. Chelsea and Mark’s waltz probably was, closely followed by Romeo and Chelsie. And I honestly have to say that Ralph and Karina’s VW was another of my personal faves of the night (and it’s Karina, so it about kills me to say it. *LOL*). I can only imagine how great it would have been without the injury situation. The two dances I’ll remember for a long time will be those two – Kirstie’s AT and Ralph’s VW.
@Heidi – You’re 100% correct – spats serve no functional purpose, other than to attract attention to one’s feet. That is, of course, unless you work in a foundry or are a welder, in which case a pair of leather spats may serve to protect one’s feet from an errant splash of molten metal.
Maybe Mark just forgets to remove his when he drives over to the DWTS lot from his part-time job as an iron smelter.
Was that the 3rd or 4th time that Kirstie and Maks had the pimp spot? I could have guessed this week they would give them a 10 as well. Judges stink this year. The pimpage of this couple has turned me off toward them.
If Ralph has enough fanbase to pull this off tonight, then maybe we are looking at the winner of Season 12 of DWTS.
I’m sure that’s it, Courtney. LOL.
Well, one person’s “harshly over-critical” is another person’s “real”. Who is going to determine what is “over critical” – those who generally love a particular couple? I think not. And by the same token, who’s going to make the call on “blindly ga-ga”?? Those who don’t agree? Again, I think not. It is what it is.
My point is, that one shouldn’t try to claim that they are looking past their personal biases because it’s always there – if affects not only how you view the couples, but how you view *other people’s* opinions of the couples.
Courtney, as always, you’re spot-on. Just a couple of random thoughts about last night:
Chelsea – It warmed my heart that she finally told Mark to cool it. Yeah, it was probably rehearsed, and it wasn’t nearly enough, but to actually hear her say it – I was thinking “Yes!”. Her waltz was overscored, and Mark’s footwork in the salsa looked more like a jive to me. But all in all, she’s a really good dancer, and probably should be in the final, if she can keep Mark on a short leash…
Hines – It was somewhat flat and flail-ey, not to mention really cheesy. I think Kym would actually kill for an opportunity to jump in a “way-back machine” and live out her days in a 1950′s sitcom. Her dress reminded me of Barbra Billingsley in “Leave it to Beaver” – with Awesome Boobage (TM) of course…
As for his jive, he lost track of the footwork a couple of times, but it seems as if he can do no wrong with the judges. About the spats – didn’t Hines have spats on during the jive?
Romeo – Man, did he get robbed! His tango was every bit as good as Hines’ last week. The scores should have been comparable. I thought his salsa was pretty good, too. IMO, his tango should be the encore.
Kirstie – I liked both her dances. The middle of the pack seems about right to me.
Ralph – Poor Ralph. I think he deserved 10′s just for giving it all he’s got. I thought the waltz was very good. The cha-cha? Given the time they had to put it together, it was great. All of my votes went to Ralph and Karina, but I’m afraid it’s a losing cause…
Sigh. I’m so worried about Ralph, I may not even watch tonight. Cleaning the oven might actually be more fun…
Evaine, I admit I was probably over critical on Mark and Chelsea last night…but, it’s so hard because they lack the “likable” factor so much and Mark is just a show off. I didn’t like how he copied Derek’s moves again which happens to be one of my all time favorites with Joanna. Oh, don’t get me started. lol
And those shoes serioulsy have to go. Doesn’t he see how much he overkills something always?
And I agree with you about K and M’s tango and Ralph and Karina’s VW. So memorable and will go down as some of my fave dances this season.
Loving everyone’s thoughts. A huge mix which makes it hard to predict. Can’t wait for Heidi’s numbers post.
I tell ya, I’d better be earning brownie points somewhere for liking Ralph and Karina like I do! *LOL* My DWTS watching best bud laughs at me every darned week.
Oh… and for the record? I love the guyliner! Always have. Maybe it’s because I grew up in the glam rock years.
Now, Ralph’s hair last night? Questionable. *wink*
@Sally – Funny you should say that about Mark’s salsa. My boyfriend (who is a ballroom dance teacher) said the exact same thing – “It looks more like a jive than a salsa to me!” He just seems to pick his feet up so damn high. Salsa does not have a bounce or any rise and fall – it should stay pretty level, and most of the action should be in the upper body, arms, and hips, rather than the feet. Maybe jive is Mark’s favorite dance, which explains why he seems to try to inject those moves into every dance he does
And Vogue, I will admit the same thing – I had an extremely hard time enjoying Chelsea & Mark’s dancing last night because Mark has just become so hard to like for me. I have nothing against Chelsea (except maybe wishing she’d stand up for herself a bit more), but Mark has ruined their partnership for me with his behavior this season. I did enjoy their waltz, but I could not bring myself to commend their salsa – much, much too emphasis on Mark’s happy feet, and a lack of connection to the music from Chelsea. Unless Mark does a complete 180 and begins to choreograph proper, non-rule breaking routines which showcase his partner (and not him) and also are wildly entertaining, I cannot support them going to the finale…and I certainly can’t support them winning. Mark winning after the way he’s acted just seems like rewarding bad behavior to me – he won’t learn anything, other than “I can give the proverbial middle finger to the judges and still win this thing by doing whatever the hell I want.”
I’d love to see Ralph dance again because I like the chemistry between him and Karina. He is her best partner on the show since Mario Lopez. Hopefully America agrees and eliminates Chelsea and Mark. Poor girl with great potential is paired up with an attention seeking partner.
Sally, my problem with Mark’s spats is that they’re worn when he’s NOT doing a Jive and when he is the Pro not the celeb. He really shouldn’t be drawing so much attention to HIS feet – unless he’s worried about Chelsea’s.
All that said, he was wearing nearly ALL black, which makes them stand out even more, whereas Hines was dressed in light colors – so much so that I didn’t notice the spats. Generally speaking, I think spats look stupid no matter who is wearing them, so there you go. 
Addendum to Courtney…..”unless Derek is around.” LOL
Hi, new poster here! Love this blog. Wow to all the remarks about Hines and Kym’s routines. I thought they were both very entertaining and love the difficult choreography in both dances, not to mention, the homage to The Band Wagon. Fun and engaging.
I think the problem with Chelsea and Mark is that they don’t engage with the audience as much. It’s more like “Look at us, we’re so good!” and they are, but it doesn’t pull the audience in which is important to a performance to getting more votes.
Also I think Romeo did a great dance tonight. He really came back and aced it. I also agree the judges were hard on him. I hope to see him back.
And Ralph — I do not want to see him go because of injury. Would love to see Karina go farther in the competition — can he get a sub for him this week, maybe? Maybe a member of Cobra Kai? And as for
Kirstie, I kept thinking, has been coasting the past two weeks relying on her fan votes, and maybe because I was expecting the worst, but her Argentine Tango was quite good. Anyway it will be hard to see anyone leave this week. It just shows how good this season is, I guess.
Heidi – I agree with you on the spats – stupid no matter who’s wearing them, and very inappropriate for a salsa…
In Hines’ case (as has been mentioned before), it drew attention to his feet, which made me notice the “oopsies” more – that, and the number of times the package showed him messing up on footwork.
@Rina A – Welcome. This site is great isn’t it. Big Thank You shout-out to everyone for all their hard work keeping us DWTS junkies informed. You rock!
Oh boy, the Salsa – this is one of my pet peeves about this show. Simply put, many of the pros don’t know what a real Salsa looks like. Maks is clearly an exception: he put together the only proper Salsa in an identifiable style. Chelsie should know, if that club visit wasn’t her first… and didn’t she do Salsa on SYTCD? But she still choreographed a bunch of Samba moves to a Salsa rhythm. As for Mark… … … I have no idea what that was supposed to be. In all fairness, though, the producers are obviously a bit lost as well when it comes to picking the music. The song Mark and Chelsea got was clearly a Samba, so that spastic Samba/Jive fusion was kind of synced with the music at least.
Whew. In other news: I liked Chelsea’s Waltz a lot, and thought it was properly scored, Hines’ Foxtrot was not as good as Ralph’s from week 1 and thus hideously overscored, Romeo gets a big “meh” from me whatever he does, I just don’t see anything special about him, Kirstie surprised the heck out of me with how much she’s improved, and if I was the praying type I would pray for Ralph and Karina.
Honestly, judges? You can’t see that despite his injury, Ralph has better rotation in his VW turns than any other celeb this season, and was on time all the way through a really fast dance? I can only throw my hands up in despair…
Hey Court, I posted a question about Mark’s “dance form” under a different blog–glad to see that I’m not the only one who noticed how weird/off he seemed.
Don’t have time to read the comments and respond now–as I’m using a public computer. Thankful that cut and paste works–as at least that lets me read most of the postings in these blogs when I such limited internet access time.
Tonight was overall a good night for me dancing-wise. Scoring wise-it sucked. There were some good dances last night, and I enjoyed majority of them, but the judges really screwed up the scores and it’s quite obvious who they want to stay and who they want to go.
Chelsea/Mark-I got to say,I LOVED their Waltz. I didn’t think it deserved two 10s last night (I thought one was more fitting), but I looked at it again today, and it was beautiful. This was definitely my favorite dance of the whole night last night. Some people don’t like the theatric side of it, but I love it as long as it’s not completely filling up the routine. As for their Salsa, I really liked it, but it was scored correctly. She did lose connection with the music, and Mark is extremely spastic with his footwork. Chelsea’s Salsa was probably the best in the instant round overall though.
Romeo-His first dance was fantastic. That Tango was really passionate, crisp, and clean. This was probably the best of the night, and a close second favorite of mine, not far behind Chelsea’s Waltz at all. Only thing that disappointed me about this dance: Judges’ scores. His dance deserved a 29 along with Chelsea’s without a doubt in my mind. His Salsa however…was lukewarm for me. One thing he did the best of all the instant dances, though, was connection to the music. I would say he was better than Chelsea, but he lacked that Salsa fluidity even more so than Chelsea, and his hips weren’t as good Chelsea’s either. But he did manage to get the feel of a Salsa more than Chelsea and Kirstie both.
Hines-Hines was just ok for me tonight, he hasn’t really impressed me as much since his Paso. His foxtrot was cute and fun, good posture, but his arms were very flaily and his feet had some issues as well. This dance was overscored by 2 or 3 points IMO. His Jive…oy. He had fun, again, but his feet felt…a bit on the heavy side to me. His kicks and flicks were not clean and sharp like a Jive should be. I didn’t see a lot of toe pointing either. That Jive was only worth a 24 to me, overscored 2 points again.
Kirstie-Kirstie’s first dance was a good Argentine Tango overall. However, repeating what Courtney said in different words, the choreography for this dance (and her Salsa) were very simplistic and basic compared to everyone else. Her footwork was overall good, would’ve liked it to be a bit more crisp. And she did the lifts beautifully. A 28?? Overscored again IMO. Her Salsa…meh. I really dug this dance last night, but now looking at it again, I see exactly what others were seeing. Again, pretty simple choreography compared to Romeo and especially Chelsea (she had some pretty intricate steps in there). And the whole thing just felt…lukewarm to me. She captured the fluidity of the Salsa better than Chelsea and Romeo for sure, but as for almost everything else…I don’t think so. A 25 is almost right, I would’ve said 24.
Ralph-Sigh…I really wish the judges would’ve sugarcoated his scores tonight. I usually don’t like it when the judges sugarcoat scores for a dance that was below par, but for Ralph tonight, I would’ve made an exception. I give him serious props for going through with an injury. I love his determination. His Viennese Waltz was actually pretty good. The main problem in that dance, was lack of that last bit of polish, which would’ve been fixed with more rehearsal. I liked it though, and loved the concept Karina created. His Cha-cha-cha…oy. As much as I love Ralph, I gotta say it wasn’t very good. But at least he’s got an excuse. Again, if he would’ve got more rehearsals, I gurantee he could’ve been much stronger tonight. I feel sorry for him, I really do, but the judges hosed the poor guy. C’mon he’s going with an injury, full on, trying his best, cut him some slack! I would’ve given him a 26 for his V. Waltz and a 23 for his Cha-cha(I would say 22 or 21, but he deserves a lift in scores).
This is a tough one for me. I don’t want anyone to go home. But if I had to choose, I’d send Kirstie home. I love her, a lot, but she just isn’t up to par with any of the others for me. Sure, she’s by far the most entertaining, but for me, that only takes you so far. She and Maks are a hoot x2, but it’s just not enough for me for her to replace any of the others.
Courtney said…
“Oh boohoo AL, you poor thing just “drowning in a sea of Mark hate”. *eye roll* I really don’t care who you like, but the minute you start taunting those of us who don’t agree with you and start soliciting spam from the Team Kanenball groupies, you become a problem. Either you start being more cognizant of the way you word your comments or I start deleting. Make a choice.”
Courtney, you asked that we “not fling insults or try to tell people they are wrong.” I did neither of those things…the “sea of hate” phrase is a fact; it is a fact that the majority of this site heavily criticizes Mark. I know that people are going to think whatever they think no matter what anyone says or does, so instead of criticizing, I was encouraging (I don’t know why “soliciting” came up) Mark and Chelsea’s fans to post support and praise. I know a lot of Kanenball’s fans are afraid (or don’t bother) to post because of negative responses (much like the things you just said to me). I find it more enjoyable to have a well-rounded discussion with an even input of differing opinions and the only way that can happen is if the other side speaks up.
AL, apparently your definition of a “well-rounded discussion” and mine differ – because there seemed to be plenty of different opinions of last night’s show on here. Maybe it just wasn’t as pro-Mark as you would have liked – hence you throwing out the “sea of hate” comment. From what I can tell, no one on here is hating on Mark personally – most of the complaints have been regarding his choreography or his technique in the salsa. No one is being overly hateful or malicious, as much as you might think we are. And I’m going to guess that you haven’t dealt much with some of Mark’s younger fans before, because we’ve had quite a few problems with them spamming us with nonsense and generally causing trouble around here – and your “encouragement” was practically a summons for them, and consequently me sitting at the computer all day deleting “Mark Ballas ROX and PureDWTS SUX!” comments from this post. As much as you may think you’re enhancing the discussion by calling out to people to speak out against his “sea of hate”, you’re inadvertently insulting anyone that even said anything remotely negative about Mark, since you’re now dubbing it hateful. Frame it differently next time – there are better ways to find allies than flinging mud at the opposition.
I thought the judges are playing favorites and with the dancers scores as well…