DWTS12 Finale Power Rankings
Well, I guess I should be used to the blatant “scoring with an agenda” that the judges have every week now, but not gonna lie – I still get pissed when I see routines that are roughly equal scored with such disparity. Thank goodness tonight’s show was only an hour – I doubt I could have watched any more of the nonsense from the judges. Anywho…the first round of dances was just “meh” for me, and I enjoyed 2 of the 3 freestyles (I’ll let you guess whose I didn’t enjoy) – so I guess tonight wasn’t a complete wash. But it definitely paled in comparison to other finale nights of previous seasons. I felt like the dancing this time last year (the finale of Nicole, Evan, & Erin) had a much higher level of entertainment value. But anyway, on with the rankings – I’m gonna do it in reverse tonight, starting with who I think will nab 3rd.
3rd place: Chelsea & Mark
They may have been overscored to the point that they conveniently tied with Hines & Kym for the top spot, but if what I was seeing on Twitter was any indicator, I wasn’t the only one that thought so and I saw quite a high volume of angry Kirstie & Hines fans that were ready to vote until they passed out. First, that samba – ugh. I have a major bone to pick with anyone who tries to take “Hip Hip, Chin Chin” and “borrow” steps from the original, because really – no one holds a candle to the original. NO ONE. So as if to answer my call, karma conveniently bit Mark on the ass with this one…you know those “crazy arms” that Len disliked so much? Yeah, copied exactly from the original – 2:22 mark :-) Wuh wuh WUHHHH. Chelsea was good in this samba (and she looked very pretty tonight), but I don’t think it was a VAST improvement from her previous one, and really – it was hard for me to appreciate this dance when I saw too many attempts to be the original, and Mark doing his usual overdancing. Sorry kids. As for their freestyle – definitely not 30-worthy, IMO, when poor Chelsea looked like she was trying to remember where she was supposed to be at each beat. She got off-time in the hip-hop sections, was kinda clunky getting in and out of the lifts, and several times, I caught her just kinda standing there, waiting for Mark to pick her up. The energy was fun, yes, but compared to the other two freestyles, it didn’t feel as “inspired” – it just kinda felt like a routine to me. No great personal connection to the dance, like Hines & Kirstie. Perhaps it was the result of Mark making most of the decisions on this one – I’m led to believe it was his choice of music, since he, Derek, & Julianne did a routine to the same song as kids. Anyway – I just don’t think Chelsea’s got the fanbase to beat out some very passionate Kirstie & Hines fans. Or people who are all-around fed up with the nonsensical scoring and blatant favoritism from the judges towards her this season. Chelsea, you’re a sweet girl – but you have kinda gotten dealt a crap hand this season, with all the politics flying around. I think she’ll probably serve as a marytr tomorrow night, for all those opposed to the WTA dance.
2nd place: Kirstie & Maks
I felt so damn proud watching her tonight – I think Kirstie finally let go of the last of her hangups and really enjoyed herself 
I wasn’t crazy about her samba – felt a bit slow to me – but she seemed to feel pretty comfortable with it, and got back a bit of the same sass I saw from her cha-cha on the very first night. As for her freestyle – say what you will about the technique, the choreography, and the level of difficulty, but what I saw from her in this dance made everything else seem moot: I saw pure joy. She looked so happy and free out there – and honestly, some of those lifts? AMAZING. Not just for “someone her age” but for anyone – hell, Chelsea’s 22, and I saw her struggling with some of her lifts. Kirstie just seemed to float up into some of these “aerials” 
Anywho – if the busy signals my mom was getting while dialing in her votes were any indicator, Kirstie’s got the juice to overcome the ridiculous margin between her and Hines & Chelsea. In the end, I think Hines’ score will give him a bit of an edge, but really – I have to commend Kirstie for everything she’s done this season. She came in as the “fat actress” that everyone thought wouldn’t last past the first week, and here she is in the finale – dancing with such joy and skill that none of us thought possible. Her journey has been a pleasure to watch 
The winners: Hines & Kym
I feel like these two were the perfect combination of skill & entertainment value tonight – they both connected to and technically nailed their dances. Loved seeing Hines take a page out of Romeo’s book and channeling Jiminy Cricket for his quickstep – the energy of it was so cute, even if he did seem to get out of step with Kym once or twice. I love how much he seems to really enjoy himself in his dances. Their freestyle was my favorite of the night – I have to commend them for trying 2 things that no one else has tried before for a freestyle: dancing to a marching band, and using more than one song (for those of you who didn’t catch it, the first half was the Jackson 5′s “Dancing Machine” and the 2nd half was “I Want You Back). I think it worked quite well for them – the energy was fantastic, and I think Kym really was smart to include so many basic ballroom steps in that freestyle (always a Len-pleaser ). I think when it all comes down to it, these two will have both the votes and the fans to take the MBT – but both Hines & Kirstie are winners in my book
And so ends my final ranking of season 12! It’s been a fun, crazy, bumpy ride, kids – who do you think will come out on top? And what do you think of the season as a whole? Be sure to tune in for the last round of all your favorites this week – Heidi’s “by the numbers”, Vogue’s post-elimination media, and of course – the last cheesecake until September 
Better get your fill, kids!
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not up on components of latin and ballroom. For whatever its worth, I actually said, “Holy Sh*t,” outloud when Kirstie and Maks danced their freestyle. I also really liked Hines’ freestyle (I have a soft spot for marching band). If Chelsea wins, I’ll do a shot of tequila to blot it out.
Courtney, excellent as always. I always look forward to your rankings and I can’t wait to hear everyone elses too. Like you, I am so disappointed in the judges this year. The scores have never been more “fixed” and I’m still peaved about the bonus dance last week. This show seems rigged. I pray they shape things up for next Season or else they are going to lose a lot of fans if they haven’t already.
1st dance:
Mark and Chelsea – I thought she was weak in the legs again and missed some steps. She also got lost at the very end like she was having a hard time keeping up. 9-
Kirstie and Maks – I liked how their Samba was more traditional and sexy than Mark and Chelsea’s. There was a “naturalness” to it like Len said. It could have used a little more punch in places, but, still super. 9-
Kym and Hines – They were a total “delight” to watch as always. I thought his legs were a touch stiff at times, but, they were just so fun. I love their spirit. 9-
2nd Dance (Freestyle):
Mark and Chelsea – I was expecting much more especially knowing how good Mark’s freestyles usually are. I hated it it from the get go. The bike, the costumes (which were all wrong for the dance), the clunky tennis shoes, the cheap lights. Her feet and steps didn’t match Mark’s at times. Her lifts were clumsy? A totally disappointing freestyle and it’s sad the judges gave them 10′s. What the?? 7+
Kirstie and Maks – I loved this dance so much. It showed Kirstie’s story so perfectly. It brought tears to my eyes (like Derek and Jennifer did last year). That’s what it’s all about. I swear, this wasn’t a 60 year old dancing before us tonight. Perfect choreography by Maks! I am just so proud of the both of them. They have both come so far. 10!!!!
Hines and Kym – This was a great dance, but, I wasn’t blown away with it. I thought the lifts were a little weak and he seemed a little stiff. But, it was still really good and tons better than Mark and Chelsea. 9
So, combining my scores, here’s how I’d rank them tonight:
1. Maks and Kirstie
2. Hines and Kym
3. Mark and Chelsea
Courtney, you said it about the “connection” lacking in Mark and Chelsea’s Freestyle. That is so true!! There wasn’t the emotion like the other two had.
Ok, I need to go vote some more.
Vogue, we are on the same wavelength! Couldn’t have said it better.
I wonder, maybe Chelsea was so off and flustered in the freestyle because of the battery packs for those shoes? I think that was a bad idea. Yeah, it was flashy and all very hip and now (remember the Superbowl Halftime show?), but I think it threw her off.
I still can’t get over the beauty of Maks and Kirstie’s freestyle. It came from the heart and it showed.
Marks freestyle was my WTF moment. The only thing I remember was Chelseas lights went out…
Kirstie and Maks did a great job tonight. She seemed somewhat slow as Courtney said. Good for her going for those lifts in her freestyle, they werent as crisp as they should be, but all in all she did a good job.
Hines and Kyms quickstep was entertaining, it was nice to see something other than a Samba. Its not one of my favorite dance styles so I never get real excited about the quickstep. They were great.
I think Hines and Kyms freestyle stole the show, its really the only one that I think will be the most memorable of the night. HInes and Kym for the win.
Chelsea/Mark – I was disappointed with their freestyle! Urgh… I can’t point it out. I was hoping to be wowed, but I wasn’t. I like their samba better. She did look amazingly hot in it.
Kirstie/Maks – The samba was slow, but somehow I kind of like it because it is more traditional. I did have a WOW moment during Kirstie’s freestyle, and she seems really enjoyed herself. I want to have that kind of energy when I am 60!
Hines/Kym – His quickstep did remind me of Romeo’s foxtrot too, but it works! He did look like he had fun on both of his dances. His freestyle, hands down the most memorable of the night and his final lift really was a lasting impression. Kym really knows her freestyle!
Prediction: Hines will win, not because he has the most amazing freestyle but because it was memorable (marching band! Love!) and he didn’t do any big mistakes in it.
I actually completely missed the finale (which would have never happened in the past two seasons I have watched… just sayin’). So thanks for the recap/rankings! I’ll catch it eventually.
But man, how DARE Mark “borrow” from Max & Yulia’s? I love their dance to Hip Hip Chin Chin and watched it again since you so conveniently posted the link.
Except for that stupid commentator…
Anyway, thank you Courtney and everyone else here for making this season so much more enjoyable! <3
Oh how I miss Nicole, Evan, and Erin. The past two finales since then have been a bit of a letdown, and thanks to the judges, annoying. Tonight’s show had some good moments though. I will say that I thought Kym was very clever to go with the half-time show theme, and if I could do even one of the lifts that Kirstie did, I’d be very happy (and I’m about 40 years younger than her!). Some of her lifts were a bit iffy, but so were Chelsea’s, and I don’t know why the judges overlooked that.
Speaking of the season with Nicole/Evan/Erin, I remember Nicole and Erin being tied for first with Evan pretty far behind, but his big fanbase clearly helped him get more votes than Erin. I’m thinking Kirstie could overcome Chelsea even easier. I don’t know how many votes Hines is getting compared to Kirstie, but I think it will end up being close between the two of them.
Yeah, I want ringers back too! Although, Chelsea is a semi-ringer herself, kind of like Erin, I think.
LOL – why do I get the feeling that either this blog or this show is encouraging drinking?? Hey, I drank. Probably will tomorrow too.
I have never seen a freestyle that was WTF yet get so much praise. That was not a perfect score dance. I hope Kirstie upsets the judges plan and gets second tomorrow. For all the talk of Mark being creative, Kym brought it. The judges were selling Chelsea’s dance too much and underscored Kirstie.
Hines won it for me with his quickstep.
I was very disappointed in Mark for copying both the outfit Yulia wore (down to even the same color!!) as well as quite a bit of Max and Yulia’s original choreography. All to the same song. Way to be obvious, Mark! And seeing the original then seeing Mark and Chelsea do a bad partial copy of it just ticks me off. Mark even looked really bad doing it when you see the original and I hate when the pros are supposed to be sooo original and then copy so much! Anywho, I thought Chelsea was off in the freestyle too. Funny that they tried to go way too far with the lights and all that and then it got messed up. Serves him right! I have to say I liked Hines and Kym’s freestyle the best, as did my sister, but that was probably due to the fact that we were both in band/dancerettes in high school so we love band music. I do so love Kirstie though. ANd geez, wasnt Brooke awful tonight? Ok, rant over! lol!
I think Len’s scoring pretty much summed up the night – he gave each of the first three dances the same score. Really Len, really? I hate when they get this far in the season and seem to bury the 7′s (heck, they even buried the 8′s this year). These are three totally different dancers, in ability and style/performance level. You could see the writing on the wall, so to speak, that Hines & Chelsea would be tied, but I guess we’ll have to wait for the ‘By the Numbers’ post, as it didn’t seem like an insurmountable difference for Kirstie and her fans.
Didn’t love any of the freestyles, last season at least had two good ones – and I honestly don’t remember last year’s spring season – I think I stopped watching with the Nicole pro-fix. I get what Maks was doing with Kirstie, but it was slow, slow, slow and I swear, she walked through about a third of it, beginning, end, on her way to a lift. I really wanted to like Hines/Kyms, but I didn’t. Too much ‘story’-based marching, not dancing. And I always feel bad for the male celebs in the freestyle and any other lift focused dances. They just aren’t as smooth.
All my votes went for Hines & Kym – still had my multiple accounts from last season’s bristol-issue….
Kirstie and Maks’ freestyle was beautiful! She looked on the verge of tears when the judges were giving their feedback, and I was right there with her. Wow! I think the weight of the entire season was just lifted off her shoulders. I, too, kept getting busy signal after busy signal so it took a while for me to get all of my votes in and they all went to Kirstie & Maks.
I do not like how Mark ripped off Yulia and Maks samba and no one can compare to that number. Chelsea still can’t move her hips and so much ugly fringe tonight on her.Man I thought Mark and Chelsea would do such a better freestyle. Mark should have saved that jive routine for the freestyle tonight. Because tonight that that freestyle they did was not even out of the box it was just a mess. Kristie and Maks they did what they could and hope the can be number 2 . Hope Hines and Kym win it tomm night. They really brought the best even though this season’s freestyle has not been the best like in the past.
I thought Chelsea’s Samba was quite good, first time I’ve seen her hips move like that, and I don’t have a problem with the score they got. But with their freestyle, especially the first half, they were out of sync and struggling with lifts. It was definitely not 30-worthy. But it’s still close enough where the fans will decide it thankfully.
Hines and Kim all the way! Definitely the best freestyle tonight. Hopefully the fans will vote tonight and the judges will actually judge based on what they see tomorrow night and not on what they wish will happen! I hope to goodness there’s a rehaul of the judging system (or the judges!) next season!
How in the world did Chelsea/Mark get 10s for that freestyle???? It was just awkward and weird. I agree with whoever said the most memorable thing about it was Chelsea’s lights going out. I am completely underwhelmed by the dancing tonight. what a disappointment.
Tonight was better than a lot of other weeks this season, but still not much of a finale compared to Seasons 10 and 8, probably 5 too if I remember. I think Chelsea started out the night with a very strong performance. But I will say, Mark should’ve changed up his choreo, because when that dance is compared to the original…it is pretty weak in comparison. Judging it on a dance by itself, it was great. Chelsea did really really well. I would’ve given it a 28. Kirstie did a pretty good Samba too, however, it was really slow for me, and it just could’ve used a little more..ya know…”umph” to it. 27 or 26 worthy. Hines’s Quickstep was beyond adorable. I love those types of Quicksteps. Another great dance. He did get out of sync with Kym in one or two spots, but everything else was awesome. I’d give it 28.
Freestyles were slightly disappointing. I actually liked all 3 of them, but they all just had um, problems (except maybe Hines and Kym). Chelsea’s had some great energy and the parts where there wasn’t any serious footwork was really cool and danced well. When they did some of the footwork sections, Chelsea was a little clunky, and it made it look even worse because Mark was outdancing her. The lifts were awesome once executed, but they could’ve flowed a bit more, they had trouble going from a lift back to dance steps. Good freestyle overall I say, but not a 30. I’d say 27 or 26. I actually didn’t like Kirstie’s freestyle at first, but I took a second look at it, and liked it a lot more the second time. I couldn’t even imagine pulling off some of those lifts as well as she could. It was too cute and very fun, but she did have small troubles with lifts too, still a strong freestyle, 27.
Hines and Kym’s freestyle was my favorite of the night. I’m a marching band geek, so of course they instantly caught me going “Wohoo!” So much fun. Very creative, and very original. 30
I want Hines to win, but I wouldn’t be too upset if Kirstie won. Chelsea winning is a mixed feeling for me. I love her, and think she by herself is worthy of the trophy, but Mark just kinda ruined her whole experience for me. I wish she would’ve gotten Derek in a later season, or Damian would’ve stepped in and taken her this season. I’m pretty sure Kirstie can overtake Chelsea, but it depends on whether they do the final dance after they announce 3rd place or before. If before, the judges can enlarge the range between Chelsea and Kirstie, therefore giving Chelsea a better chance of getting 2nd. But if they do what they did in Season 10, and announce 3rd place and have them do their final dance, Chelsea is probably gone.
I have to admit that I had never seen the “original” that you guys have been talking about, so I just checked out the link. I’m now in total agreement w/ everyone. And to bring in an example from SYTYCD, this song was used by Dmitry for a samba with Danny and Lacey back in S2, and it was eons better and more creative than this one. really disappointing…
Hines and Kyms freestyle was the dance of the night. That was a really great dance. The music flowed and both Hines and Kym flowed with it. I really REALLY enjoyed it. I found myself grooving to the music. If the freestyle wins the competition then HInes has already won.
I felt like Chelsea and MArks freestyle was all just kinda weird. It was just so much. I felt like Chelsea was playing catch up ALOT during the dance. I didnt like it all that much.
Maks and Kirstie were good. Not GREAT but good. I definitely feel her and Chelsea were on a more equal playing field than what the judges were thinking.
But Hines and Kim take the cake for me
will be so happy if hines or kirstie win. can’t stand the way the judges have overscored chelsea all season! kirstie is 60 and amazing! hines has been a joy to watch all season. My sister who never watches the show and walked in on mark and chelsea one week and said “that dancer is highlighting himself.” Enough said.
I can’t believe Mark & Chelsea got a 30 for that freestyle! Makes me sick, especially after the mess last week. It’s just not right.
I loved Kirstie’s freestyle. Kudos to her (and Maks) for doing all those lifts! She is my hero!!! Would have loved to see their rumba again, beautiful dance to beautiful music…oh well.
Hines and Kym are always a joy to watch. I wasn’t too fond of the marching band music, but thought it was very creative! Loved his quickstep!
Tomorrow is pina colada night…Go Kirstie!!!
I think me yawning was the most exciting thing that happened during the show. Just couldn’t get into it.
Still hoping for a season full of ringers, or an all star season. A season with good dancing!!
First time since season 1 I have absolutely no vested interest or care in who wins, and that sucks! I love this show~ but am glad to see this mediocre coming to an end.
I have a feeling the judges are not done screwing with us. Call me paranoid but my guess is they will see where the couples fall then score their Tue. dance. i.e. If Kirstie comes out on top of Chelsea with votes they can still score Chelsea high so that she has some shot of beating Kirstie out. I HATE THEM! I PRAY they just leave it be!!! They’ve done enough damage.
Kim Kardashian posted on Twitter telling her followers to vote for Chelsea/Mark. She has a heap of them too, over 7 million followers. Even if a tiny fraction of them listen it could make a big impact.
Anyway, I’ll be power-voting for Hines/Kym tonight.
I agree with the rankings too. Kirstie did a great job on both dances and has really gained my respect this season. Hines was awesome in both dances, I especially loved the freestyle. Fingers crossed for tomorrow!
Sorry, I meant to say I agree with Courtney’s rankings (not the judges!)
You know what? I would be totally ok with Chelsea winning. Unfortunately, I would NOT be ok with Mark winning. Over the last couple of seasons, he has become so full of himself and developed SUCH a bad attitude. It’s not fair to Chelsea, but I really don’t want him to win. I used to really like him, and now I just want to sock him.
I’ve loved Kirstie this whole season and been behind her all the way, but I didn’t like that freestyle! In reading through some of the responses here, I must be alone, but I really didn’t like it. The clothing choice was awful, and the whole thing was just plain awkward.
The biggest freestyle disappointment, though, was Chelsea and Mark. I haven’t seen the original either, and I definitely didn’t like this one. Among other things, it wasn’t “her” at all. It wasn’t fresh, or young, or fun. It was awkward, and of course, totally sad that the entire second half of the dance was in the dark and Chelsea’s battery packs stopped working. Thus, we couldn’t see how or what she was doing. I expected a LOT more from them.
I seriously loved Kym and Hines’ freestyle. I felt it totally embodied the concept of the freestyle, and they have won me over. I’m a huge Broncos fan, but I actually called in for Hines tonight
Loved Hines and Kirstie’s freestyles, and thought the first dances were all pretty equal. I do think Hines was the best in the second round overall, but for emotion, Kirstie had it.
Re Kim Kardashian telling her followers to vote for Chelsea – her followers didn’t even vote for HER. LOL. Not worried. I think.
Miley Cyrus has been tweeting repeatedly telling people to vote for Kirstie. Also, Rosie and all her regular tweeting friends.
I still think Hines will take it – the audience skews toward men, even without the great freestyle he did.
But, I’m still hoping…. probably in vain … the Kirstie will somehow pull it off.
@antof9 -
Regarding Kirstie’s freestyle being “awkward.” Yes, there were parts that definitely were. But, most of all, what this dance was – was KIRSTIE. Slightly awkward, a bit messy, not always in control, but filled with joy and fearlessness and fun. I love it for those very reasons. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a freestyle represent the star so well. Kudos to Maks.
I want some of that the judges are smoking! Chelsea and Mark’s freestyle was simply awful. She just looked like a prop that he was flinging about.
Love how far Kirstie has come, and want Maks to (finally!) get his MBT in the worst way, but Kym/Hines are better dancers.
Let’s just hope that ABC stands for Anyone But Chelsea tomorrow night (and it’s not really her fault…it’s time for Mark to go.)
I’d be glad when this season will be over …sigh…
I thought Hines & Kym were the best, not that I enjoyed their 2 dances that much but they were well danced
I’d placed Kirstie & Maks in 2nd position because I enjoyed her samba and the lifts in her freestyle were great, I thought their freestyle was a bit disjointed though
Poor Chelsea, her samba was OK but Mark overdanced her in the 2 dances and she did’nt feel comfortable in her freestyle, damn you Mark it was supposed to be her dance not yours !
Alright Hines/Kym, best dances from last night! Hines imo, came into this competition with his game face on. With no dance experience, he became a studious student under Kym’s teaching. Week by week he improved in his dancing, and it showed on the dance floor. Go Kym, Go Hines season 12 MBT winners!
It wasn’t a night of spectacular dancing but I nevertheless enjoyed it. My favorites going into the finals, Hines&Kym, probably deepened the margin against the other two couples, even if they were more close to a 9 then a 10 mark on the night.
My two favorite moments:
1. Hines starting to groove halfway through their freestyle
2. Kym and I sharing fashion tastes- she rocked her white over the knee boots she wore for the Jive with Donny (I think it was Jive) which are my favorite item of hers
I think everyone should have scored about the same in round 1, they all had their strengths and weaknesses.
M&C’s freestyle didn’t look silly enough for what it was trying to be. Mark should talk to Lacey about what it means to include a healthy dose of “who gives a damn” attitude into routines like that.
K&M’s freestyle had some impressive moments but it was far too disjointed for my taste.
H&K’s had the best lifts and it flowed better but lacked a distinct dramatic moment or something to shift the energy a little bit.
It’s funny how those three mixed together would produce a perfect freestyle, which just goes to show how different in style all of them really were and are.
I’m not too thrilled about Chelsea’s freestyle. I loved the lights and energy but the lifts were disjointed.
What a night. I’m with you, Margaret, about what the hip-hip chin-chin dance reminded me of–Danny and Lacey S2 SYTYCD. One of the best latin dances they’ve had on the show. Lacey friggin’ killed it. And everytime i hear that song, I expect unbelievable hip movement and attitude. And god love her, those are Chelsea’s two weakest points.
My husband’s comments last night kind of represent my overall feel for the season–
Dance 1 (chelsea/mark): “not bad–she’s pretty good. I’ve heard that song before, though, right?”
Dance 2 (Kirstie/maks): “when you see them dance back to back the same dance, seems like it’s obvious kirstie isn’t as good.” (me: “it’s not always about the difficulty, dear”) “well, she’s, like, sharper or something.”
Dance 3 (hines/kim): “That was pretty cool. perfect dance for a wide receiver–all they ever do is a lot of footwork.”
Dance 4 (chelsea/mark): “that dude’s gotta chill out–he’s like two steps ahead of that girl. poor thing. oh, man–her lights went out. That sucks.”
Dance 5 (kirstie/maks): “why they using such a slow song? oh…i get it. he’s like throwing her around. that’s cool.”
Dance 6 (kym/hines): “i don’t get it–ahh–(laughs)–hines is grooving! haha”
I think that about covers it, huh? hahah!
No, but really, my rankings would be Hines, Kirstie, Chelsea. And the judges have lost their minds with the 30′s for Chelsea’s freestyle. Really, dude?
Ok, I have to say as a general rule I love this show. BUT if Ballas wins (sorry Chelsea but it’s been all about him not you this season), they are gonna have to have someone I adore in the cast to get me back next season.
M&C: I thought the Samba was ok, but nothing special, & the freestyle was all about mark, in my head I called it the “Mark Ballas Showcase”. In fact I liked his freestyle with Bristol better.
M&K: The samba was good, no better or worst than Chelsea’s. Freestyle was a great showcase of who Kirstie is and how far she has come this season.
H&K: Loved the quickstep (but may have been influenced by the song – have loved that song since I first heard it in a Ritz commercial as a kid). Freestyle way to take a risk, I watched it twice and it is officially my second fav freestyle (behind Drew & Cheryl)
Overall, not the best final but I didn’t fast forward so that’s a good thing.
Trying to vote for Hines but ABC.com keeps freezing up, people are voting.
Have to agree with most posters – not the most memorable evening at all. Am glad Len held out in the first round – none of them were perfect – though they were not all the same either! Thought Hines edged it. Chelsea’s samba was OK and definitely improved, but spoiled by the music choice. Still wasn’t too annoyed by scoring in that round.
But the freestyle. Agree with @Sasa that elements from all 3 could have made a brilliant dance. Did not get Mark’s at all – and I loved his freestyles with Kristi and Shawn (especially Shawn). Maybe it was the pressure on him to produce this totally amazing dance, but I thought it was disjointed and Chelsea did not look comfortable. That it got 10s is blatant manipulation. Kirstie’s was a bit hit and miss. Thought it was probably the best freestyle Maks has done in that it had the impact people wanted and was really suited to Kirstie’s personality. But it was a bit clunky in places. Hines’ was the best of the night – but still not perfect – he was a bit stiff for the first half, but seemed to enjoy the end. Thought it wasn’t as good as her freestyle with Joey or Warren, but thought they did some good lifts considering her confidence must have been knocked.
Not quite sure why they seem to want to promote Chelsea so blatantly. Would have thought a Hines win would suit them just as well. Will be surprised if Mark wins now – the freestyle wasn’t good enough – but hope @Courtney is right and they come third. TPTB need to have a serious think about judges’ scores after the last two seasons.
I think that sometimes, in the Finals, the Pro tries just TOO HARD to get “THAT” freestyle that everyone remembers, and I think that was the big problem with Mark last night…. It felt too hectic and crazy, and very disjointed. And it didn’t seem to suit CHELSEA at all. Well executed? Probably, but I didn’t feel any joy in it at all. This whole season has felt like Mark trying too hard, and I think he finally figured that out, maybe a bit too late. I did notice Mark and Chelsea at the end, after the dance recaps, when they’re all standing around Tom and Brooke…. Looking quite peeved. Oh, and I noticed the JoBros in the audience to support Chelsea, but they didn’t look very enthusiastic at all. Why bring someone in to support you, when they’re shown on camera looking as if they would rather be picking through a garbage dump?
Hines and Kym, and Kirstie and Maks, on the other hand, NAILED their freestyles! No, Kirstie may not have been the most perfect technique, but I cannot imagine a routine that is MORE perfect for Kirstie. The choreography showed just how well Maks knows Kirstie, and it felt like he reached inside her, and put HER on the floor….. Well, I hope you know what I mean, anyway. I loved their freestyle, the honesty, and the emotion, and the chemistry that Maks and Kirstie have. And they connected… With each other, and with the audience.
Hines, too…. Kym, I thought, did a great job in choreographing a routine that fit HINES so well, and in return, the pure JOY on his face was infectious!
Honestly, I don’t know which freestyle I like more…. I loved the halftime show, but I also loved seeing Kirstie’s honesty and personal growth.
So what happens tonight? Do all three dance again or do they announce 3rd place and then the top two dance?
I guess what I’m really asking is can the judges still gift wrap this with a bow and give it to Mark? And Chelsea?
Season 12 I’m really doubting if the freestyle is really “free”.
We never see anyone doing a rock spectacle type of dance. I get that it’s not the target audience for rock but still, you’d think someone would dare to do it.
Also, for couples with great chemistry what is wrong with some sexy club dancing? First they dance by themselves and by the end it’s going on type of thing. Edyta did something along those lines with Jason Taylor and while they were both extremely hot together they had no spark. That was the only time I remember seeing a sexy freestyle and it was way back in stone age.
What do you guys think- are there bans on the style?
The one thing that went through my mind when watching Chelsea and Mark do their freestyle is Mark saying “The viewers have watched season after season of DWTS. My choreography is done to show them something new.” Okay, so he defended himself to the judges for them calling him out for not being traditional. However, he then goes and copies the dances of others. How does that show the viewer “something new”. He disgusts me. I hope Hines and Kym take this thing. They have been consistent all season and haven’t irritated the crap out of the viewer with their rantings.
I will be happy with whoever wins tonight. All are deserving in their own way.
I am, however, realizing that I care less and less about this show. It has changed in ways that I don’t like.
Will, I think that Chelsea would have been too tall for Damian, since she’s almost too tall for Mark. I think Damian is actually a tiny bit shorter than Mark. Derek has 2 inches on Mark and he and Chelsea would have made a pretty couple. Ah well.
I tend to think that the judges finding out who got the votes and THEN scoring another round of dancing would break some kind of game show or reality show laws or codes or something. But I could be talking out my ass. But that won’t prevent them from over scoring/underscoring to TRY to get the final 2 that they want. And really – as long as it isn’t so blatant as to be ridiculous, there’s not much to say about that. They get a vote too, unfortunately. Even if they are crack smoking hacks.
Kim K?? Was voted out in what? Week 3?? She had just as many followers then and it didn’t save her. She has an Audrina type audience – large, but not inclined to spend a lot of time voting. Kirstie had a whole slew of different celebs (including Pink) tweeting how great she was.
I seriously think that people need to start including Kym in the group of Pros who really know how to do a unique, fun, exciting freestyle. Seriously, that girl is GOOD. It was different without being so “out of the box” as to be annoying. It was entertaining, well danced and they were connected.
Heh, Claudia – what you were writing about the mix of contestants in age and background in this competition – did you somehow get a sneak peek at my “by the numbers” post? LOL – it’s like you were reading my mind.
I am sad that this is the last night! September seems so far away.
Mark and Chelsea: I have not seen any of the other dances to their songs, so I didn’t have any expectations at all. I liked the samba, although I agree with Len – the flying arms were distracting. Also, she did not keep up with him. He dances at a different speed and at times she looked a bit behind. The freestyle – DID NOT DESERVE A 30. WTF?! The energy level seemed low. Chelsea seemed scared and hesitant. They were not together and I agree, totally, it was the Mark showcase.
Kirstie and Maks: I was not that impressed with their samba. Her energy level seemed low (maybe she was conserving it for the freestyle) and she looked sloppy at times. I liked it, but I wanted to like it more. The freestyle – UNDERSCORED!! It was so moving. I am blown away by her. I did not expect to like her 10 weeks ago, I thought she would be annoying, but she is fantastic. To do those lifts and wear that catsuit at 60 takes guts – I just love her. And I absolutely love Maks with her.
Hines and Kym: Both dances were so fun! I loved the quickstep, the red carpet, the champagne, everything. And the dancing was good although I thought his posture was a little too rigid at times. But so, so fun! The freestyle was awesome. A drumline?! Are you kidding me?! And they pulled it off! They both looked like they were having the time of their lives and the connection between the two of them, and between them and the audience, was strong. Plus, I loved it when Hines cut loose – so enjoyable! I am going to miss these two.
I hope things don’t get screwed up by TPTB tonight.
@Jenny – I wouldn’t worry too much about Kim Car-Crashian & her many followers on Twitter. She also urged people to vote for Sugar Ray & Anna, who is actually her godfather. And we see how well that turned out
@Henrietta – THANK YOU for pointing out what I have wanted to say ever since last night but was too afraid to: that Mark is a complete hypocrite for claiming to be “original” and then blatantly copying steps from what I consider to be one of the most iconic showdances in ballroom history. Sorry, but ORIGINAL MY ASS. At least the 2 other instances I’ve seen where others have choreographed to this song (Dmitry’s samba for Lacey & Danny in SYTYCD season 3, and Brooke & Derek’s samba in season 7) haven’t tried to be the original or borrow from it.
I love the original one and Lacey & Danny’s too, why Dmitry’s isn’t able to produce choreographies like this in DWTS ?
I don’t mind the judges having more impact on the outcome but in that case I would like DWTS to go through with it all the way. Meaning that every judge would have to proclaim who in their mind should be the winner. It would make them more accountable for their scoring.
“It felt too hectic and crazy, and very disjointed.” Exactly. Look at Astaire and Rogers, looks so easy but so hard to do. That’s the genius of authentic art. I don’t think the show will ever get back on track-it’s a RealityTV show-instead of just enjoying dancing, something physical and expressive and joyful-what we all want in our lives. I want to see the judges do performances next season.
Now I’m worried. Kirstie got all the celebs she knows including Khloe K, Miley and Kelly Osbourne to tweet their fans to vote for Kirstie! That and she has a big fanbase. I know she’s older, kinda overweight but with all the votes out there for Kirstie and celebs asking for votes for Kirstie… she got a great chance of winning. Is there a reason why I should not be worried?
Now I’m worried. Kirstie got all the celebs she knows including Khloe K, Miley and Kelly Osbourne to tweet their fans to vote for Kirstie! That and she has a big fanbase. I know she’s older, kinda overweight and many are inspired but with all the votes out there for Kirstie and celebs asking for votes for Kirstie… she got a great chance of winning. Is there a reason why I should not be worried?
Heidi, Kim K was voted off in week two
but she had to make itthrough two eliminations. I had to check though, Kim is hot….Anywho what was I saying? Oh yea, Courtney thanks so much for your’re rankings I always look forward to them, I agree with them all this week. I ever saw Chelsea’s Samba so ill have to watch it online ” Was out shooting hoops with, Dad, old guy’s still got it 
” I did see everything else though, I though Kirstie Samba was wonderful and she nailed those rolls but I would of liked more energy, her freestyle on the other hand was THE BOMB! What 60 year old can do cartwheels??? Probably most 30 year olds can’t but she nailed it! Also her those lifts were spotless! What were Carrie Ann and Bruno talking about? If anyone was Clunky it was Chelsea, they did some cool lifts but a few looked more like how I would except if like Damian or Louis tried to lift Wendy ” I would pay to see that, Chelsea on the other hand is tiny, agile, and not tall but not short either but at times the lifts looked like Mark looked like one of those mexican on the south side of Dallas that break into Walmarts and rack up then stuff it all in garbage bags then carry it on their backs, not ideal. At all. Where as 60 old, 5’9 Kirstie ” Who is looking like so tall now that she’s more slim seriously in her Samba I was like dang shes tall “, Kirstie did it with ease even though part of that is that Maks could probably use Mark as a weight to do curls with. Carrie Ann and Bruno…Pull the stick out and you’ll feel much nicer. Chelsea’s Freestyle was good but clunky and lacked insparation from Chelsea, like there was no purposeor meaning, Idk its hard to say but it seemed like she was just going through the motions with a big ole cheesy grin and what up Brooke saying how unfortanate it was that the lights when out during that dance I thought that was supposed to happen cause they had those cool glow in the dark mittens xD Was she trying to crack a joke? ” Fail ” or was she just in one of those detached spells called her life? So those two underwhelmed me. Hines and Kym I thought were great in both dances and they probably going to win. They’re awesome!! I woudlnt mind Kirstie and Maks pasing them though and taking it, either way it’d be an earned win.
I didn’t realize that Mark was copying!?! But after watching the videos, it’s very obvious.
Anyway watching last night, I would’ve scored the first dances from all three the same with 9s since I didn’t realize the copying issue. I liked Hines the best because he had the joy and energy of the Quickstep. Neither Kirstie or Chelsea totally captured the sensuality of the Samba although Kirstie was definitely more sensual than Chelsea. I feel like all of Chelsea and Mark’s routines this season have been emotionally cold and detached. I don’t really get the feeling that they like each other very much.
I thought Mark & Chelsea’s freestyle was a mess –particularly when her lights when out and Mark’s stayed on. If one is going to dance in the dark, it’s best to make sure your props have a back-up. I commented to my husband that I thought the dance was very frantic. He said Mark made a big error in choreographing side-by-side frenetic because there was no way Chelsea could keep up with Mark doing frenetic. I would’ve scored them with 8s or perhaps very generous 9s.
Kirstie didn’t wow me either. I would’ve scored her exactly the same as Chelsea. Incredibly brave to do the lifts and there is a good connection with Maks but something was definitely lacking in the choreography and the costuming. Although I can’t pinpoint what’s missing.
I would’ve scored Hines at least one point above the Kirstie/Chelsea tie. His was definitely the winning freestyle. Kym deserves lots of credit for complete attention to detail in every aspect: including a subject that was personal to Hines, great costuming, a novel approach with the music, good set decor and choreography that showed how far Hines had progressed this season.
But between last week’s rigging of the semi-finals and this week’s blatant over-scoring of Chelsea in the first round, I could not find any inspiration to vote. This is the first time that I haven’t voted since I started watching in the middle of season 2. It just feels like TPTB are going to rig the results however they want them to go, so why waste my time and energy.
I’m tired of the judges — particularly Bruno’s endless going over the top. I’m tired of the obvious favoritism towards some contestants and obnoxiousness toward others. I think the treatment of Ralph is what really burned me out on DWTS and I wasn’t even that much of a Ralph fan. It was just that the treatment from the Judges was just so mean-spirited and ill-mannered. Add in both Len’s and Bruno’s sexist comments to a number of stars and pros… well, I’ll stop my rant. I really don’t enjoy DWTS any more. I’m not even sure I’ll watch tonight because I’ve simply given up on the entire show and find I don’t really care about the results.
Khloe K is hot too….So is Kourtney…
I thought Mark and Chelsea’s freestyle was awful. Really enjoyed Kirstie and Hines. I will be happy if either one of them wins and hoping that Mark and Chelsea come in third.
Have scores as low as Kirsties ever taken the MBT?
So I think the final three will be ranked as follows:
3) Chelsea and Mark: The samba was good but overscored I think. The freestyle was interesting. I liked it but as soon as the light went off I think it went too cheesy in my opinion.
2 or Runner Up) Hines and Kym: I liked the quickstep But I think it was overscored. I thought straight 9s in my opinion. The freestyle was my least favorite though. It was good but I really didn’t like it as much as I liked Kirstie’s to be honest. It verged on cheesley as well but in a good way. The two songs was an awesome idea but the marching band was odd. They could have just done a mashup GLEE style lol.
1 or winner) Kirstie and Maks: I loved the samaba and thought it would be her perfect score dance. Her freestlye was robbed of a perfect score in my opinion. The lifts alone were AMAZING! The song was perfect for them/her and really suited the dance. To be brutally honest, I was appaled that it ddin’t get a perfect score. She really nailed it.
Saying that, I really hope that kirstie wins but if Hines does I woill be equally as happy. As long as it is not Mark.
Well, I gave all my votes to Kirstie last night. Hope it wasn’t in vain. I’m actually glad this season is over; it’s really left a bad taste in my mouth. Hopefully, I’ll get over it before season 13 starts in September. But if I could wave a magic wand and “fix” what I think is broken about DWTS, here’s what I’d do:
1. No more “theme weeks”. Ever.
2. Replace all 3 judges. At a bare minimum, since Bruno seems to aspire to being a cheap knock-off of Joan Rivers, then replace him with Joan Rivers. Let her “slicie ‘n dice” the contestants, and get more laughs in the process. My pick for judges? Courtney, Heidi, and Evaine!!!!!
3. No more winner-takes-all, or marathon dances. Bring the competition back to 50/50 between the judges and the fans, and let the chips fall where they may.
Aw, Sally, I would give Derek’s 10′s just for wearing the right kind of pants.
As Evaine would for Maks. And I would give Mark 5′s every time I could see his ankles and he out danced someone. Courtney would likely be more objective, but she would fawn over Anna. 
I’m afraid with Heidi scoring with her va-jay-jay (but only for Derek) a la Carrie Ann, and Evaine having some entertaining commentary a la Bruno – I’d probably end up being fuddy-duddy Len in this scenario
Which I’m ok with – aside from his cracktastic commentary the last few seasons, I’ve agreed with him on a lot of stuff. Plus I have a bit of a dance background, which makes it nary impossible for me to overlook a lot of “fussing about”. But I probably would have quite a soft spot for Anna 
I’m glad I wasn’t the only one who thought last night’s dances were “meh.” I figured I was just feelin that way because I’m still VERY upset about R&K not being there (due to pure manipulation). I didn’t care for either of Chelsea’s dances. I thought Hines had the best freestyle, but even that lacked the wow factor for me.
I’m also SO sick/disgusted of the manipulation and biased scoring. It has been bad in the past, but I thought this seaso it was just awful!
Yeah, Evaine would fall off her chair if Maks danced past her sans shirt. I, on the other hand, would be giving constructive criticism such as, “Derek, your pants are too loose.” or “Derek, seriously, a turtle neck is NOT appropriate for the Samba, darlink.”
Tonight the DWTS schedule is 8:00 pm a repeat of last nighs show and then the results at 9:00 pm. Just wanted to point that out as I did not know that. For anyone that may have missed last nights show.
Thanks to everyone for including me into this seasons DWTS journey. I will miss everyones commentary when the show is over.
Bwahahaha! Courtney, I just CAN’T see you as the fuddy-duddy! No way!
But heck, my dog, Courtney’s cat, and my neighbor’s parakeet could do a better judging job than the craptastic stuff that’s gone on this season.
Wow, disappointing show last night. The judges suck!
How did they manage to avoid calling out 2 VERY OBVIOUS mistakes in Mark and Chelsea’s freestyle? The judges have zero credibilty this season. And what the hell was that anyway–it was a random mess.
Maks and Kirstie’s freestyle was just sad. Why in the hell didn’t he go for something that she could “ACT.”
I actually liked Kym & Hine’s freestyle. It was fun and I didn’t notice any obvious mistakes like I did with M & C.
Hey now! Hey now! I would NOT fall off my chair!! I might miss the next pass of Mr. FabulASS and his Chest of Supreme Hotness! *LOL* (I would pull a Bruno and stand up, ostensibly to verify footwork, but you KNOW what I’d be checking! *wink*)
Sadly, I think I would probably be cast in the role of Len, due to my um… mature years. Yeah, that’s what they are, mature years. *LOL*
But here’s the thing… imagine… Heidi, Courtney and myself as the esteemed judges… our Tom as host, of course (because he’s BRILLIANTLY WONDERFUL) and then we could have our Vogue as the Hostess with the Mostess!! Seriously!!! She’d be terrific!!
(What a HOOT that would be!!!)
LOL!!!!^^ Thanks Evaine! I’d probaby mess up just like Brooke. I have a habit of tripping too. I guess as long as that would be in Maks’ or Derek’s arms, I’d be ok. SSsssss
You guys are hoots! lol
Down girls! I’m the only one here that’s unbiased when it comes to the judging. lol
THE VOTING SHOULD BE FOR BEST DANCING FOR ATHE WHOLE SEASON NOT JUST THE FINALE. ALSO
HAVING A BIG FAN BASE DOES NOT MEAN YOU ARE
THE BEST DANCER. HATED HINES BAND FREESTYLE.
LOL JOHN!!
Elaine, right on!!! I didn’t hate Hines and Kym’s Freestyle, but, it didn’t blow me away either.
@Evaine – Brilliant idea! Vogue in the Brooke role! Vogue, I bet you’d ask GREAT questions! We would actually get through the entire season without a single “Ummm… How do you feel?”
Which reminds me – my hubby was hoping that one of those times Brooke asked Kirstie “How do you feel?” she would look quizzically back at Brooke, and answer “…Usually, with my fingers.”
He’s slightly crazier than I am… 
LOL!! Thanks!
“Usually with my fingers”. LOL that would have been the perfect comeback!!