DWTS13 Week 7 Power Rankings
Well kids, I’m afraid tonight was a prime example of how theme nights can really sabotage some (or most) of the couples – because I feel that almost every single couple was negatively impacted by their song assignments this week. Yes, it was kinda “fun” to have a Halloween week – but making the dancing suffer in order to fit theme? No thank you. But praise Jeebus, this week was the final theme week of the season – back to business as usual next week! Well, about as “as usual” as you can get when you’re thisclose to the finale 😉
Thoughts on the team dances: I agree that team paso had the stronger routine of the two, however – I don’t think team tango was as terrible as everyone seemed to think it was. I think team tango was indeed better in their group sections – everyone managed to stay very in-synch, although there were a few spacing issues; team paso seemed a bit less in-synch when all 3 couples were on the floor at the same time, and it almost seemed like they tried to avoid a lot of synchronized work, which was probably a good idea. I was also a bit bothered by the fact that team paso seemed to have quite a few spots of what I like to call “empty space” in their dance – moments where, due to the phrasing of the music, they seemed like they were just waiting or stalling until the next accent or big move. I think team paso better captured the aggressive, haunting feel of both their music and their dance, but probably had the song with the more difficult rhythm; team tango had the song with the easier rhythm, but probably suffered due to the fact that it lacked a lot of the theatricality necessary for the tango. Team paso was leaps & bounds stronger in the individual sections – Ricki & Derek were their usual showstopping selves, Hope managed to keep up (although I could have done without such a long count of her on the floor while Maks kinda danced around her), and oh man – ROB. Rob was the MVP of team paso for me – he impressed the hell out of me with the way he kept up not only with Cheryl, but with Maks & Derek as well. I was shocked at how much better JR looked dancing the tango with his team than he did individually – guess it’s a testament to how a bad song can throw even the best dancers off their game. David seemed a bit wobbly, but was still looked decent to me; Nancy was clearly the weakest member of team tango, but man – she was out there giving it her all. Overall, I think the scoring was about right, and likely won’t cause a huge upset when all is said & done tomorrow night.
1.) Ricki & Derek – Alone at the top of the leaderboard once again, and she thankfully did pretty well on a night where everyone seemed to have a bit of a slump. I must say, I wasn’t completely wowed by her paso; I could kinda tell she wasn’t dancing full-out and seemed to be babying her rib, which I can’t really fault her for – I’ve bruised a couple ribs in the past and was in so much pain I could have sworn that I had collapsed a lung. I think Derek probably went a bit easier on her with the choreo as well, as it wasn’t exactly the same level of paso genius I’ve come to expect from him. But once again, when you’re working with a theme like Halloween – you’re kinda forced into thinking inside the box, because they’re expecting something spooky/scary/eerie/etc, and they want to see Halloween archetypes like werewolves, vampires, ghosts, etc. Add an injured partner on top of that, and you’re pretty limited in what you can do. Overall, though, a nice effort with a pretty good payoff for these two – I think it will be enough to keep them safe tomorrow night.
2.) Rob & Cheryl – For me, Rob was the ONLY contestant that really brought his A-game and knocked his dance out of the park tonight – that tango was just the right balance of technique, entertainment value, and theatricality. Then again, “The Addams Family” is a pretty kindergarten-y tango song, compared to…oh, I don’t know, “Ghostbusters”? 😉 Not trying to diminish Rob’s accomplishments (quite the opposite, actually), but he did get kinda lucky with his song – not only did it have an easy rhythm, but he actually seemed to relate to it a bit, what with that kooky family of his 😛 Speaking of which – it was refreshing to see just a handful of the Kardashian Klan in the audience tonight, and thankfully it was the reserved group that managed to politely clap and avoid heckling the judges (side note – anyone catch a glimpse of Rob’s nephew Mason in his Indian costume??? So freaking adorable! :-D). Anywho – Rob was the real bright spot of tonight’s show for me, and he’s proving to me more and more that he could be a contender for that 3rd finale spot – possibly moreso than David, and definitely moreso than Hope, at this point. And if anyone would have told me that at the beginning of this season – I probably would have told them they were batshit crazy and to STFU. 😛
3.) JR & Karina – *sigh* Well, I guess this was the “slump” week they were setting JR up for, although I can’t say I really disagree with the judges a whole lot on his tango. Poor JR seemed unusually nervous when he was dancing this week – so terribly focused on the steps that it detracted from his performance value and actually seemed to make him foul up more. That’s where I really disagree with Len – I don’t think the problem was that he was too focused on the “performance aspect” and sacrificed technique as a result; I actually thought it was the other way around – he got his brain so wrapped around the steps that he went a bit blank. But I will say this: I do have to give Karina props for not holding back on the choreo. Of the two individual tangos and the group one tonight, JR definitely had the hardest steps to contend with – very intricate footwork, which I actually think he kept up with, for the most part. Again, I really blame song choice on this one – “Ghostbusters” is a shitty tango. The phrasing and rhythm are just inconsistent and wonky – hard even for pros to keep up with, let alone celebs. I’m hoping that JR fans realize that this week could be one of those nightmarish scenarios whereby another favorite inadvertently gets sent home because their fans assume they’re safe, based on their record so far – remember, kids, the team dance (regardless of score) actually makes it EASIER for someone at the bottom of the leaderboard to creep up on one of the favorites, because it decreases the margin between points. Vote, vote, vote, kids – and don’t be surprised if JR ends up “in jeopardy” tomorrow night. I bet TPTB are practically having a wet dream over how the chips fell this week, because now they can really storyboard the hell outta this one…
4.) Hope & Maks – Well, I guess Hope did well this week – compared to how she usually does. I would not really call that a “good” samba, but hey – when you’ve got someone who’s really had a rough go of it for pretty much the entire competition, and you’re stuck doing a werewolf-themed samba to a song you’re more likely to hear in a honky tonk than in period London, I guess the standards are kinda low 😛 I finally figured out what Hope’s big problem is: her knees. She NEVER STRAIGHTENS THEM. Seriously – go watch that samba again. Her knees are just so damn bent the whole time, it looks like she’s in a constant plie. If she could manage to alternate between bending & straightening them, she might actually have some good Latin technique. She also seemed to suffer from the rookie samba problem of getting rushed, and losing time in a few spots. I’m gonna strongly disagree with Carrie Ann – I did not think this was better than Toy Story (which I still say is the most relaxed and focused I’ve ever seen Hope), but it was an improvement over last week. Ted must’ve done something right – and yes, I did just say Ted, because Hope clearly seemed to be to be quite a bit more at ease and on the same level with him in rehearsals than she is with Maks. Ted’s teaching style seems to really suit her well – kinda makes me wonder what would have happened if Ted had been brought on as a new pro instead of Val. He’s caught my eye, that Teddy V – I expect to see much bigger & better things out of him in the future. I think there’s enough cushion from Hope’s team dance score this week to keep her safe, but I’m still not convinced she’s material for the finale – we shall see.
5.) Nancy & Tristan – Poor Nancy gets my sympathy award this week, for “worst shafting by the music department in song assignment”. As some of you saw me tweet, “Devil Went Down to Georgia” was cruel and unusual punishment – not only for Nancy & Tristan, but for the band, the audience, those of us stuck watching at home, etc. To give you an idea of just how BAD this song was for a jive: I’ve been dancing ballroom for almost 10 years, and I couldn’t keep time to this song! Even the band seemed to have a hard time keeping the tempo, as did Tristan. God bless Nancy, she gave it a valiant effort, and kept smiling no matter how lost she got – but man, this was not a good dance. Once again, I’m blaming this one more on a really crappy song than on the dancers themselves, but unfortunately – those damn judges can’t (and won’t) really discern the difference. So Nancy is likely going to be the victim of bad theme night music, but at least she had fun. But there is a possible stay of execution: this week is actually a good (or, rather, less bad :-P) week to fall to the bottom of the leaderboard, because as I mentioned before, the addition of the team dance points actually decreases the points spread and makes it a lot easier for someone at the bottom to climb back up. The question is: will it come at the expense of a better dancer?…
6.) David & Kym – I’ve got a bad feeling that David may have gotten lost in the shuffle this week 🙁 He & Rob were my biggest concerns this week, as neither of them are juggernauts like JR & Ricki, and they don’t have the sympathy vote on their side like Hope & possibly Nancy. But unlike Rob, who really shined this week, David…was just kinda there. He did okay on his cha-cha, and he did okay in the group tango; and what really stinks is that he’s been a little bit shielded for the past few weeks, either by good scores or other dancers which very bad scores. I’m not sure if his fanbase has really grown since his bottom 2 scare back in week 2…again, he’s been a bit shielded. And it sucks, because I’m really starting to like David!!! He’s fun, he’s funny, he’s playful, and he’s entertaining. His dancing is still a bit iffy – there was little to no hip action in that cha-cha, and he seemed to get a bit lost from time to time – and I worry that he may not be able to hack it much longer…but I’m really, really hoping that I’m wrong about this one, because I do think it should be either David or Rob in the finale with JR & Ricki. Let’s hope I’ve jinxed myself and it’s NOT really David going home, because he makes me giggle 😀
So how did you guys feel about Halloween night? Who do you think could be in trouble? And who are your picks for the encore? I’m sure it will probably be the team paso, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t holding out for Rob & Cheryl’s “Addams Family” tango instead 😉
For some reason I feel itchy when David comes on the screen. Something about that fella really gives me the creeps.
Anyways, I really would like to see him stay over Nancy, she is just so…. slowwwwww. I agree she got dealt a crapshoot this week though. Gonna suck to see any of them go really, there isn’t anyone left that I just outright can’t stand. (David is toeing that line).
I can’t comment…too busy lighting up ABC with my MacGrace votes. That song was horrid and totally unnecessary.
Your rankings on right on target with what me and a few others chatting on FB were thinking. We’re thinking David may be the odd one out as well, unless it’s Nancy and Tristan, which is highly possible and why I need to go vote some more…. 🙂
Wow, the tables have turned TONIGHT!!!
My rankings;
1. Derek and Ricki – Wowza. These two brought it every way. They left me totally totally wowed again. I thought it was one of Derek’s best Paso’s ever in DWTS history. I loved how intense and theatrical it was. This dance reminded me of why I love Derek so much! Go Ricki…even with an injury, she weathered through and strong. 10
2. Hope and Maks – Finally and literally there is HOPE here!! They came out strong and cheeky. Hope was more relaxed, in a lighter mood, and having fun. I loved the smiles and all the giggles during their rehearsals. Excellent choreography and I loved their costumes. They are back in the ball game. Good job Maks and Hope…and Teddy too because he brought something special to them! 9
3. Rob and Cheryl – Wow, Rob continues to amaze me. He was totally in character, convincing in it, and full of charisma. Impressive!! I’m really really liking him! 9
4. JR and Karina – Ok, this dance was a little strange. I think there were so many effects on and around the stage, that they over powered the dance some. Even so, I agreed with the judges that his feet were off and he was a little stiff. A fun performance though just not as good as previous weeks. 8+
5. David and Kym – Great Halloween starter. It was sexy and fun. David steps were better than last week and more controlled. However, Len was right. David needed more rhythm. 8
6. Nancy and Tristan – I thought this was a cute dance considering they had such a hard song to dance to. So many things seamed to be stacked up against her to be able pull this off. It started and ended messy. But, I loved the choreography, the makeup, and and the Irish influence in it. 7+
As for the team dances:
Team Tango – This was an ok performance. I felt sorry for Nancy having to dance with two female pros on each side of her. It was hard for her to match up. But, she wasn’t the only one to have issues. The individual dances all had something wrong with them too.
Team Paso – All I am going to say here is HOT HOT HOT! This was one over the top performance and it will go down as one of my most favorite team dances ever on this show. The choreography again was out of this world. I love all the theatrics to it. So powerful. All three of them left me out of breath. A total show stopper. 10 in every way!! The judges underscored it which is just wrong.
I can’t wait to read everyone’s thoughts. Good job Courtney as always. I’m with you. I’d rather see David go versus Nancy. She gets my sympathy vote as well.
Hmmm…I agree for the most part. I’m not sure how Maks continued bad behavior will affect Hope. And how it will affect Ricki and Derek. Let’s face it – Derek really stepped up this week and showed what a class act he really is. Will people vote for Hope because they feel sorry for her….or will they vote for DEREK for what he did during that Team Paso?? Even at the end of the show Derek went over to Hope and was high fiving her.
Really, the only one in trouble after tonight is Maks. WTF is wrong with him??
Vogue, you’re so nice. 🙂 What I noticed was Hope lighting up when dancing with Teddy. Maks was a petulant, spoiled, brat. He did nothing for Hope this week – I don’t think he deserves any credit at all.
Thanks, Courtney! I agree with your rankings. I thought Hope was a lot better, but still awkward in her movements this week. Did you see the look the rest of Team Paso gave after Maks stomped off in rehearsals??? I’m hoping that was all set up for the cameras, because otherwise that kind of treatment toward Hope was almost abusive. She sure caught on fast with Ted. They seemed very compatible. What a difference a positive teacher can make!
Poor Nancy! I really felt for her. I hope she does get the sympathy vote.
I hate to admit it, but Rob is looking good for that 3rd spot. It will be exciting tomorrow night! 🙂
In answer to your question, Heidi: “WTF is wrong with him?” It’s called ego and Maks has an extra big one! 😉
Can we PLEASE stop with Theme week. Just boring. Let’s goback to plain dancing. Also, very predictable about Maks. He called everyone’s BS last week and TPTB make him look bad. Predictable!
I loved when Derek went over to Hope too and helped her. I hate how Maks puts her on the spot. Now that pap video is making sense why she was mad and looked to be crying.
I was trying to figure that out too. I chalked it up to his toe being in a lot of pain. But, he seems like such a grump at times this season.
Yes, Ted was definitely a godsend. I don’t think it has anything to do with him being positive and Maks, well, not being as positive..I think part of it is that some of the things Maks says sound great in his head, but with English being his 2nd language, they come out a bit jumbled up. With Ted, however, I do believe he was born in New York, so English is his first language and it’s easier for him to communicate to Hope and tell her what he wants.
I think the little “temper tantrum” was just the result of editing to make him look bad, but, hey, at the end of the day their team dance was great.
I look for Nancy or David to go tomorrow night. Nancy because of the curse of having a hard style of dance and a godawful song and David because he kinda got lost in the shuffle tonight. I don’t remember his routine other than there was some magic stuff..that’s about it.
Oh and I’m also gonna add that maybe he was in a bit of pain from his toe and just had to leave the room…pain can make you act out!
Here’s what I think about the Teddy thing. Hope is a team player, Teddy became her teammate and Maks became solely her coach for that period of time. She can goof and laugh and be at ease with her teammate in a way she can’t with a coach. I really think that Hope has a difficult time seeing Maks as teammate AND coach, which she sort of has to do and that’s one of the big reasons there’s tension.
Anyway, just my opinion. 🙂
There were bits and pieces of tonight that I really enjoyed. Others…meh. I totally agree that the whole theme really screwed over just about everyone tonight.
Team Dances: Team Paso pretty much won that one for sure. Team Tango was still pretty good, not bad by any means. I think Len was too harsh on them. They did have some spacing issues and the individual areas didn’t go quite well (not a disaster by any means though, Len), but they were in synch and kept everything tight.Team Paso did fantastic individually and pretty good as a group. Some synch problems, but overall, Team Paso was the stronger team.
Ricki/Derek-Very, very nice Paso. Ricki was a little cautious, but honestly, I don’t blame her with a rib injury. I find it really hard to dance when my ribs hurt too. She created some gorgeous shapes and she had very good technique. Really wanted to see her go all out, but when you’re in circumstances like that, who can blame ya?
Rob/Cheryl-Rob did a fantastic job tonight. That Tango was really good, better than JR’s actually IMO. The Addams Family theme is pretty easy, but Rob did a great job. He did very well in Team Paso too. He’s really growing on me. He’s to the point where I don’t even like to associate him with his sisters, he’s far more genuine and well…sane 🙂
JR/Karina-JR definitely stumbled a bit this week. This tango was still good, but subpar compared to what he’s done in the past. I mostly fault the song with this one, because he was a little better in the Team Tango, and Ghostbusters is a terrible tango.
Hope/Maks-Maks just angers me. He really didn’t treat Hope right in the team dance rehearsals. I’m just kind of feeling like it’s Chelsea Kane all over again (even though Hope’s situation is FAR worse, and Chelsea was a waaaay better dancer), I bet Hope would do much better if Maks approached differently. Notice how when Ted steps in for her Samba, and Derek momentairly for Team Paso (when Maks stomped out like a big baby), she improves by a pretty good amount. And I agree with Courtney, Ted seems like a very fun, nice guy. And I think he can probably be a pretty good teacher and choreographer. I wanna see him become a pro, and do a lot of things outside DWTS.
Nancy/Tristan- Again, I really blame the song big time. This could have been a bit better if not for the song. Nancy just struggled throughout the whole thing, but with “Devil Went Down to Georgia” as a Jive, it’s not a surprise. She did better in the tango, but she was unfortunately the weak link.
Daivd/Kym-David just kinda faded into the crowd for me too. His cha cha was okay, and his tango was pretty good. But I’m not sure if he left enough impact on the viewers. If he didn’t, he could be gone tomorrow if it’s not Nancy.
To be honest, I actually like all the stars at this point. Hope used to irritate me, but I’m really sympathizing with her due to Maks’s treatment of her. And she seemed totally different when Ted came in with his fun, carefree teaching. Rob has really been growing. Nancy is just a sweetheart. I’m starting to enjoy David. And Ricki and JR are just fantastic all around, dancing and personalities.
Not sure if I’m ready for one of them to go home :/
Teamdances:
Clearly Team Paso was the best. It’s one of my favorite team dances, but Team Tango from season 9 is still my all-time favorite. Rob did a great job keeping up with Derek and Maks, but I’d still say he was the weakest member of the team. Derek is a great team leader and it really showed when Maks stormed out of the room leaving Hope behind. (WHAT is up with him?)
Team Tango was great in the beginning, but it all fell apart in their solo’s.
1) Ricki & Derek: Easily the best dance of the night. It didn’t wow me in the same way their Psycho themed tango or Broadway quickstep did, but still an amazing dance. And Derek looked HOT as the wolf!
2) Rob & Cheryl: This was a fun dance and Rob did great – I’ve really underestimated him. Right now I would put him in the final with Ricki and J.R. I think Cheryl must have been hanging out with Oksana, because that hair almost overpowered her at times. 🙂
3) J.R. & Karina: Something was off for J.R. tonight. I think he was too concentrated on the steps and got a little lost. Still a godd dance – just not his best.
4) Hope & Maks: First of all it was a strange song to begin with, but I definately saw improvement. And I think part of that was due to Teddy stepping in. I would have loved to see Hope partnered with him instead of Maks. (Maks needs to stop his bullying NOW) And sorry Maks that beard did not look good on you. Sexiest wolf of the night was definately Derek!
5) David & Kym: Fun song, but also a difficult one to dance to. I think David did OK, but that’s it. That said I hope he stays cause he’s so damn funny. 🙂
6) Nancy & Tristan: Bad song and not a great performance. But she looked like she enjoyed herself, and it would be sad to loose her. I’ve really started to like her, and I love Tristan. But I have to place someone last, and tonight it’s them. 🙁
I got a little mixed up I see.
I didn’t mean that David’s song was difficult to dance to. That remark belonged to J.R. 🙂
Well, Amanda, they can’t make Maks look like an asshole and be so rough and mean with Hope. They didn’t have to do any work to make him look bad – he did that all by himself. There is also a very illustrative Pap video that shows their discussion outside the studio. You can’t hear what they are saying, but it looks like Hope is crying and the body language is not good.
English is his second language? Sure – but has he not lived in the US for 20 years now?? How long does it take?
As for his toe – I didn’t see much difference between Maks this week and Maks last week. It’s getting rather hard to think up excuses for him. I HATE to see people treated the way he treated Hope.
“This week was the final theme week of the season”. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
The only dances I really liked tonight were Rob and Cheryl’s (can’t believe I’m saying that) and Team Paso…great end to a not so great show.
I felt so sorry for Nancy…could she have gotten a crappier song?! Sure can tell who they want to go home.
I thought Hope was much better tonight, I really liked her in the team dance. Don’t know what’s wrong with Maks…he doesn’t seem to be a very happy camper.
Thanks, Courtney. Always look forward to your rankings on Monday nights. 🙂
I really enjoyed this show, except for poor Nancy sluggish performance and Maks’ temper. Didn’t Maks push Hope’s shoulders pretty hard or did I imagine that? It looked abusive to me and I felt a knot in my stomach. I’m surprised there isn’t more outrage. Derek gets more incredible all the time in every way and kuds to Ricki for keeping up with him! Rob was very good this evening — and I can’t believe I just said that. 🙂
I just don’t see what you are all “seeing” with Hope. She is horrible, can’t even do “runs” in the dances with being all off time. And they are shooting her alot from the waist up and/or with lots of fog, because her footwork is so off awkward and looks like a man.
This is when I want to strangle the judges, way to PC. I’m sorry she is the first? Olympian that sucks but c’mon. It will be to the detriment to someone else. I hope not David because I thinks he moves better than both Rob and Nancy. Of course I think they are all less awkward than Hope but I guess I am all alone with that thought.
I thought Ricki was great again and keeps getting better. And of course Derek was amazing. His choreography, dancing and just him and his class–head and shoulders above the rest. I would love to see Karina win=I’m a big fan but as I said in past posts, if Ricki does continue to improve and really does dance better, I hope voters vote for the dancing in the end.
After a couple adult beverages to get me through the barrage of little trick-or-treaters (bless ’em they were all cute as buttons), I was ready to have fun with DWTS Halloween night, and it was fun. Didn’t think the dancing was all that, but it was definitely fun!
Ricki and Derek were great both in their individual dance and leading Team Paso! Hope her ribs heal and TPTB don’t draw attention to it next week (that’s like blood in the water to the “what a whiner” cadre).
Really wish JR and Karina hadn’t had an off night, but they were fun to watch. It wasn’t a really bad night, but I’m not complacent; they’re getting my votes. Hope everyone else who supports them is voting hard for them too.
Rob really stepped up this week and impressed me with his tango. I still think he was kind of heavy and lumbers around the floor at times, but he’s improved so much that I can’t help but give him the credit he deserves. If he ends up in the finals, I can accept it.
Hope will never be a dancer (whatever potential she had was sabotaged), but I was pleased to see her giggle during rehearsals and enjoy herself for a change. Bless Teddy for giving her that. It must have been a relief to dance with him and see that dancing can actually be fun! A part of my heart dies when I say this, but let’s replace Maks with Val and Teddy next season (Val brings the Chmerkovskiy name and a lot of icy intensity and Teddy is a Chmerkovskiy product but seems to have a sweet personality).
Dear David, I’m worried for him. I still think he’s better overall than Rob, but I’m not sure if he can perform two dances at the level needed to make it to the finals. Maybe it was just the crazy Halloween theme or the distraction of all the people involved in the team dance, but he didn’t shine like he needed to tonight. If I had sympathy votes to give, I’d give them to him; but I can’t go there. I hope he’s got folks voting for him because despite his space-cadet ways, I like him and I’d rather see him in the finale with JR and Ricki than anyone else.
Nancy got the “pink slip” song for the individual dance, but she and Tristan were incredibly “sporting” about it. They just went out there and had a good time and entertained. I loved her in that wig…had to do a double-take to make sure it was her. 😛 And I thought she was spunky in the team tango.
Team paso was definetly the stronger team. Ricki was definetly the best individual. I really liked Rob this week. JR’s song was terrible, I wouldve rather seen the Halloween dance last week be Thriller instead of This is Halloween. This is Halloween is better than Ghostbusters when it comes to the tango. Hope had a massive improvement. Nancy shouldve had Time Warp or Monster Mash instead. I’m aware that Monster Mash is too slow for the jive, but I’d rather see a slow jive than what Namcy did tonight. I missed David due to handing out candy to kids.
I am with you Cidra. Out with Maks, please. Val and Teddy in. I hope Hope goes this week. It may sound selfish, but I can’t stand watching him abuse her anymore and it has to be painful for her despite her protestations. Let her go home to her friends. Plus the “bent knee” assessment by Courtney is dead on. I noticed it tonight too. She can’t dance, but then who could in such a tense environment.
my rankings
1) ricki & derek: MILES AHEAD OF THE REST. Great Paso! the best thing i have to say about this dance is also the worst thing i have to say about this dance…Derek was all i saw. My first reaction to the dance was “damn derek is killing it” (this is coming from a not big derek fan) and my second reaction was “is ricki even doing anything” cuz it looked like derek was just dancing circles around her.
2) JR & Karina: not there best by far, this is actually the first time he looked akward to me. seemed like pretty complicated choreography to me that he handled okay so thats why he is still ranked high…and that also shows that on a off not he’s still better than most
3) Rob and Cheryl: cheryl is once again great at covering flaws and only letting her partners do what they can handle. I thought rob did a respectable job, but it seemed too simple (i.e stomp stomp stomp…squat…snap fingers)
4) Hope and Maks: loved the fun hope we saw with teddy! if this woman would have just STRAIGHTENED HER LEGS that would have been a respectable samba because she had a little bounce and seemed like she was shaking it and just having fun, which is what the samba is about. BUT she didnt which resulted in a awkward routine although i loved the lil shaking “let loose” parts
5) david and kym: i like david but idk what that was…i didnt see any hip action, his steps seemed all off…maybe he was too worried about the magic tricks or going first really psyched him out…i expected more cuz he seems like such a fun guy, but that cha cha was not even fun to watch
6) Nancy and Tristan: nancy has grown on me this season…but this dance looked like the nancy from week 1. it looked like she forgot some steps, got lost on some steps, and just sucked at the other ones
team dances
1) Team Paso: great song and choreography…very dynamic… as much as im rooting for hope, she was probably the only weak link in this dance…her shoulders were too high and again she need to learn how and when to straighten her legs.
2) team Tango: i have to say i was let down by this…the team stuff was okay but everyones individual performance was about 2 notches below what i expected
oh i forgot to add…
coming from someone who is not a huge derek fan ( dance show wise, not personally bc i dont know him) he gained HUGE respect points, cool points, and classiness points for me tonight…what he did with hope was not only AMAZINGLY sweet but very classy too. i cant comment on Maks, because we do not know what really went on outside of the snippet they showed, but that had to be awkward for hope to have your partner, who is suppose to be a professional, walk out on you in the middle of group rehearsal…i mean isnt it suppose to be the other way around
Anyone else Themed Out?
-David & Kym – okay, David has grown on me – I’m still chuckling when I recall him tangoing with the skeleton behind Brooke in the skybox. The dance was cute & fun, but I thought he needed more hip action. Would like to see him dance some more.
-JR & Karina – not bad, but they have been so good the past couple of weeks this isn’t unexpected. I’ll be voting hard for them tonight.
-Nancy & Tristan – not much jive, but she does seem to be letting loose a little bit more each week, & I love how Tristan supports her. I am worried for them.
-Rob & Cheryl – the biggest suprise for me this season. I’d like to see him open up to the audience some more.
-Ricki & Derek – the best dances of the night. I think it was good judgement to be cautious with an injury & a couple of weeks left to go.
-Hope & Maks – better than I expected. For me, it is almost as uncomfortable to watch them dance as they seem to be dancing with each other. If they make it through tomorrow night, maybe Kirstie can pop into a rehearsal to give Maks a smack & help him find the fun in dancing again.
Just watching the west coast feed while I read the comments – I love getting everyone’s comments and insight as I am watching.
If CA can be the lift police, can either Bruno or Len be the walking police for Maks. Usually it is he and his partner strolling through parts of the dance, but in the team paso, he just let hope sit on the floor while he walked (after starting the solo with his signature walk move). And I agree with one of the commenters – Maks was VERY ROUGH with Hope when he showed her that move – he got frustrated and pushed her. Not nice, not nice at all.
Loved their team dance though. I think one of Derek’s strengths is that he uses moves that work well over again – I saw a few signature moves of his in the team dance – why fix what isn’t broken, right? And as much as Rob has improved, he still has flat feet. I was watching the team dance and trying to figure out why his solo wasn’t wow’ing me – then I saw Maks and Derek – they dance on what seems to be the balls of their feet, which makes every movement more precise – Rob’s feet are hitting flat, which makes the moves ‘flat’.
Love the speed of the new server, way to go Pure DWTS!
Awful songs for almost every couple! I’m still using all my votes for Tristan & Nancy.
On another note, I am a little disturbed with the almost abusive behavior Maks exhibited towards Hope during the group dance rehearsal package. He was actually hitting her and shoving her around. Their body language towards each other at the end of the dances was also a bit awkward. Maks is NOT a gentleman. That was painfully clear when you saw how Derek and Teddy stepped up to help Hope with her dances. It really may be better for Hope to go home tomorrow just to put her out of her misery. It really can not be fun at all to be around Maks.
If he really is leaving after this season, then good riddance. I just hope his brother doesn’t have the same misogynistic tendencies.
And I also agree that Derek has probably gained another fan in me. I was once pretty indifferent to him, but after watching how he stepped in to help a clearly frustrated Hope, I am impressed.
Wow! I might by slaughter by Derek lovers but I didn’t think Ricki/Derek routine was worthy a 9. I understand she was injured but Derek completely over danced her in both individual and group IMO. I can’t believe Im saying this but I think Rob routine was the best of the last including the group dances.
I might’ve figured out why I didn’t like Hope, MAKS! I don’t think these have a great chemistry. She looked more personable with Teddy (unless that produced sit up). But she hasn’t improved much and overscored about 2 points IMO.
Overall all of the individual routines were ruined by bad song selections and that I didn’t think any of them were worth anything over an 8. As much as I like Nancy on DWTS I think her time may be over. I can say I wont be sore over it though, she did the worst in judges and in my opinion.
With me being a huge Derek and Ricki fan, I am very happy with how they danced tonight despite her rib injury. I knew about this injury during their QS week and was surprised that it wasn’t brought up then. I really worry for Ricki because they doctor did say it’s only going to get worse for her…. =(
I really loved Rob and Cheryl’s dance. I thought the choreo was funny and Rob really looked good on the dancefloor. I also enjoyed David’s dance as well. Too bad he went first bc prob a lot of people were still trick or treating with their kids.
Hope clearly thrived with working with different male pros this week, first with Teddy and then with Derek. Maybe it broke the monotony of working with just Maks, but she actually looked like she was enjoying rehearsals with Teddy. I was really appalled at the way Maks was manhandling her in the group rehearsal. But I remember he used to hit Brandy on her butt a lot when he was frustrated with her. To me, Maks seemed excessively rough with Hope at that moment in time IN FRONT of other people. You could tell that the others were very uncomfortable.
Derek took a lot of heat last week for Maks’ controversy, but not only did he choose Maks and Hope (did ya’ll notice it was Derek who was choosing for Team Paso and JR for Team Tango) for Team Paso, he diffused the tension after Maks’ tantrum by quickly going over to help Hope.. that girl looked really upset at that moment. I think Derek really demonstrated why he is so good at what he does because he doesn’t only take care of his partner’s dance technique, but also her emotional state.
This night was horrible for me. I didn’t really enjoy any of the dances and believed that the judges showed a lot of bias. I’m not sold on Rob yet, he seems very stompy and he had good shapes in the team paso, but it his steps seem very instructional and just moves like he’s marking it.
I also think the judges were way to harsh on Team Tango and I believe it is harder for them to do a team dance than the paso. Team Paso was not that much better and I thought the judges were very bias before they danced in which team they were going to put on top. I actually thought Team tango did quite well and Nancy didn’t look as weak compared to the people on Team Paso, where their individual dances showed that either the pro outdanced their partner or they were weak.
Was not a big fan of the Ricki and Derek Paso either, the music was a bit strange and I do think he outdanced her. I also think Carrie Ann is really biased with Rob, because she just keeps drooling over him and I don’t really see it in his dancing.
I guess I just didn’t like any of the dances tonight at all :/
I think Hope needs to let Maks know again, if she hasn’t already, that she’s a tough chick, and let him know she’s the star athlete, he’s there to teach her. I almost feel like she is holding back, because the type of athletic background Hope comes from, these soccer chicks are TOUGH, we’re not talking about figure skaters here or something, not that they are not great athletes. I don’t know why Hope just doesn’t let Maks know again just how girly he really is. This is why I think this stuff is so weird and edited or produced to look a certain way. Hope looks like the type of person that does not take anything from anyone, actually I am sure she is this way.
I think Maks just felt like everybody hated him, and just walked out, when Hope said something like stop being yourself. There is an article out saying that he is the most hated person on DWTS, and how he’s arrogant, and how Hope is tired of him. Hope talked about this on her Twitter and looks to be really upset at this gossip. I agree with the poster above that Hope may have a difficult time looking at Maks as her coach and teammate. It’s like she wants him to be like her teammate in rehearsal the way they are outside of the studio, and instead he’s her coach in the studio now and she can’t really separate it.
If you notice after their individual dance, they do share some cute moments and genuinely do look happy to be there. I think saying otherwise is greatly exaggerated to be honest. They’re not always going to be smiling. I think Maks was just very quiet today. He must feel bad about the article, how Teddy was in the rehearsal, and then how they showed Derek in the rehearsal. Plus, everything from last week! I just saw someone who just feels kind of bad about some stuff, but was still a professional through it and showed some happy moments! I do think he needs to reflect on how things come across to others.
Ok, now for my review!
I think there was something missing from Ricki/Derek’s individual dance. I just always focus on Derek, it’s just weird. It’s not like with Mark, when he outdances his partners, it’s just that I guess Derek has more of a presence out there than his partners. I thought this dance was overscored.
I really, really liked Hope/Maks’ dance! This was a great improvement for her. She had fun and I think showed the spirit of the samba. I loved the costumes and Maks really did good with this choreo! There are some things she needs to work on, but I think she is totally in the game! She looks A LOT more comfortable out there. This was one of my favorite dances and one of the most memorable. I think they should have received higher scores. Part of their reaction at the end of the dance when talking with Brooke, I think was their disappointment to get once again, the same scores.
I liked Rob and Cheryl’s dance, but there is still something about Rob that comes off distant as a performer. He looks very focused on the dance and I would like more personality to shine through. I still think Cheryl does most of the work in the dances.
For me, the same thing with David and Kym. I watched their dance, and thought Kym did most of the dancing. I like David, but he always looks a little off to me. I do not understand the hype to be honest. It is difficult to remember much of what he danced to be honest.
JR/Karina, I did not like this dance. This is the one time where I thought it could be possible that JR/Karina may not win. It could be an off night, yes, but there have been other times this season where their dances fall a little flat. I think he looked confused throughout this dance, and I did not like either one of their costumes. I do like this couple, but to me this showed that JR can still have dances where he isn’t so far ahead of everyone else.
I thought Nancy and Tristan were not very good, and yes, unfortunately, it was a little off and kind of slow, I guess. The Irish part of the song was cute though, as was Nancy’s wig!
I loved Team Paso! It is also one of my favorite dances. They all brought the characters to this dance! The Team Tango was good, but I agree that it was off in some parts.
I honestly think I could still see Rob or Hope in the final. I do not think David or Nancy at this point. It would be weird in a way to have Rob competing against JR in the final as the two male contestants because they are on different levels in a way. With Hope, I think Ricki is better obviously, but there are things Hope does pretty well, and things that Ricki does pretty well. I guess it just would work more if it was JR competing with two female contestants, in my opinion.
Despite the crazy theme I loved the dances. Ricki and Derek had by far the best dance.
Team Paso was great! I think this had Derek’s choreography all over it. But Maks got on my nerves, looked like he was in a grumpy mood all night! Does he ever stop!
I think it will probably be Nancy or David going home. I still also cannot see Hope making the final, although she is trying, Maks is not making it any easier. Hope Team Paso has the encore!
I really think Rob is going to make the finals as well!
Heidi #16 AMÉM.
Cidra and Mary, I agree about Teddy and Val! Bring those two in. I love Maks and hope he will still be a part of the show in the future…but, I’m worried he is seriously burned out right now?
The team dances were great!
Team Tango: I loved it! Nancy kept up w them and they deserved all 8s. Still hate the song though.
Team Paso: Also loved it. I though that they were getting all 9s though.
As for thei ndividual rankings:
1) Ricki and Derek: Awesome job. I expected bruno to give her a ten but whatever. Derek is the king of the paso doble.
2) Rob and Cheryl: LOVED it! Awesome job great choreogrphy as well.
3) JR and Karina: I liked it but not his best. The song might have thrown them off this week.
4) Nancy and Thristan: Was it her best? No. But I liked it way better than DAVID’s dance.
5) David and Kym: I didn’t like it at all. If I had to choose who is going home its between him and Nancy and Hope.
6)Hope and Maks: Didn’t like this one either. It was ok but really didn’t like it as much as I thought I would.
Last night’s show is the perfect example of why I visit this site. It was a 1. theme night with 2. bat sh*t crazy music with 3. different dances and a group dance that 4. means different scoring based on synchronization and solos.
Thank God you guys understand this stuff and take the time to explain just what was happening and what probably coulda/shoulda happened. Whew!
As for Maks, I think he was a tad bit peeved that Ted V. and Derek got through to Hope easier. And they did due to tone reason. They are legit nice guys who don’t expect her to get it on the first shot. Maks went off and had his hissy fit (which was probs caught on camera no doubt) and Derek imediatly stepped up to the plate. I’m starting to wonder if the producers should have waited a season or two and than gotten Hope and given her to Ted or Derek. Ted ROCKED. Me thinks that any season that derek or any other male pro decides to sit out for movies or whatever they should get him as a pro. Besides, I think the troupe can handle another new face next season. When Louis was dancing with the troupe a couple of weeks back, he seemed to enjoy himself.
I gotta agree with Courtney about the music. I realize the show likes to keep things fresh with new themes but they’ve seriously overdone it this season. The result has been bad, BAD songs – at least, bad songs to dance to. There is a subtle line where pushing the envelope can be considered “clever” – where we say to ourselves, “Gee, I never thought to do a Cha-Cha to that song but it really works.” Unfortunately, when that line is crossed – it not only doesn’t work, but it elicites an almost violent hatred in our household for the pretentious idiot who came up with it. What’s next? A Samba to Born Free, just because it’s Movie night? A Waltz to Purple People Eaters, just because it’s Halloween? Enough already! Bad songs make for bad choreography, which leads to bad performances, and a bad show that is not fun to watch.
Suprisingly good night considering the crappy songs in some cases. It left me with two thoughts:
1) Derek is amazing, I bet that man could teach a goat to dance if he had to.
2) Nancy may fall victim to the same thing that happened to Chris Jericho – bad dance due to an iffy song on the wrong week (everyone else did good).
I didn’t think Ricki and Derek’s dance was quite as good as everyone else thinks, but it was pretty good. In watching the packages, I wondered if they were setting Ricki up for the sympathy vote by talking so much about her injuries. I’m pretty sure others are hurting, but no one is talking about them. Derek really does know how to show his partners in the best light though and that’s pretty much the name of the game.
JR. Certainly not his best, but not as bad as Len made it out to be. Len’s right in one way though. Because JR has set the bar so high in his previous dances, when he’s slightly off, it really does show.
Nancy and Tristin were a lot of fun tonight and I think they should have gotten better scores.
David. Well ok, I’m kind of tired of David now. He really tries hard but it’s not working for me. I don’t think their dance was better than Nancy’s.
Hope and Maks. Well what can I say. And Maks was pretty subdued in the interviews as well. I don’t really care how frustrated you are, you don’t put your hands on a woman that way. And it’s pretty clear Hope responded well to Teddy and to Derek. I thought their dance was pretty good though but really, let TPTB just put her out of her misery with Maks and send her home.
Rob. Well well well. Rob is turning out to be the surprise of the season, much like Romeo last season. As Courtney said, he’s the only one that completely knocked it out of the park tonight.
If I had to pick who was going home, I’d say David or Hope. I really think Nancy’s fans will save her.
I just can’t understand why so many girls like Maksim behaviour… and seems to justify his attitudes… If I was a girl, I never would let any man treat me like that…
Not talking to anyone here in special, but, sorry, I have to say this… =/
I see some manifestation on Twitter pro-Maksim that makes me wonder…
well… nevermind…
Too bad that Hope isn’t partnered with Teddy. DWTS would be a fun experience for her. When she was with Teddy, she always smiled. I think he would be an awesome pro. When it comes to Maks I just don’t know what to say. I love him soo much, I like his style of dancing and I always voted for him. Even when he was partnered with Denise Richards ( and she clearly couldn’t dance) For me, he is the best pro but his ego pisses me off. The way he is treating Hope is just awful. I mean really Maks? How can you treat a women like this? I know Hope is a student and Maks is the teacher. He can be frustrated with her but it goes a little bit to far. Maybe he is behaving like this because he didn’t win the MBT and he is emotionally invested? I don’t know. But I think he needs a break. In season 14 Dmitry or Teddy should replace Maks. And in S15 Maks can come back with his charm (that he lost in this season), a partner who can dance and new, awesome choreographies 🙂
@Julia: I agree w u somewhat. He needs to not be on the show for the next season but I think he will always be gunning hard for the MBT and I think losing it to Hines and Kym hit a nerve w him to a point where he thinks he deserves it more than ever. I kinda hope he never wins it now.
JR & Nancy both suffered from theme night crappy song selections. I think that Ghostbusters may have been better suited for a Cha Cha than a tango. Also the song Nancy got just should not even be in a ballroom. I just noticed that point difference between Nancy and JR isn’t that huge but I’m confident JR will make it. Team Tango was okay but Team Paso just better. Team Paso really incorporated the theatrics of the song into the routine which really made it stand out!
@vin – I kinda agree with you about Maks’ reaction to Hope’s connection with both Derek & Ted. I know deep down Maks considers Ted to be like a brother, but the impression I got last night was that Maks may have gotten a little jealous of Ted – did you hear the way he was talking to Ted when he was rehearsing with Hope? “Ted, don’t f*cking talk!” “Why aren’t you counting???!” “Ugggghhhh!” If he was unnecessarily rough with Hope (and he was), I think he was also a little unnecessarily rough on Ted – especially when you take into account that Ted was doing Maks a favor by stepping in. The look on both Hope & Maks’ faces when Brooke was asking Hope how it was to work with Ted was also telling – Hope’s face lit up, and Maks looked…peeved. 🙂 It may have had something to do with his storming out of team paso rehearsal – things clearly weren’t clicking for Hope, and I kinda wonder if Maks had a moment of “Goddammit, Ted works better with her than I do!” and was really feeling like he failed Hope in some way…or not. It could have just been frustration with Hope’s almost complete lack of dance skills. 😛 Idk…I’m really trying to put myself in Maks’ shoes and cut him some breaks, but this continued pattern of aggression and temper tantrums is making it very, very hard – one can only blame “bad edits” from the producers for so long before you start to wonder if this is just how Maks is…
@Josie: I think that the song Nancy had was good for a jive actually but for a better dancer. If Thristan had a Nicole or a Mel B or somone like that it would have been sick.
@Courtney: I think its Maks’ personality now. Last week I though maybe pent up anger but two weeks in a row its gettting annoying. Me thinks we won’t see Maks back next season or maybe for longer. But as long as we have Val its all good.
I see a definate disconnect between Hope and Maks.
I think they should have switched JR and David’s spngs. That would have been much better.
Wow well so long Nancy & Tristan, I think they had a good run & I am happy with their placement for Tristan’s first season with the show!
They obviously want them gone hence the song choice…..DWDTG? WTF was that, more like an Irish jig than a jive but how the hell was Tristan suppose to create a jive for that? GMAB. lol
I believe that Paso Doble is the only dance that is supposed to be centered around the male, is it not?? Someone will correct me if I’m wrong in that assessment – but Derek always stands out in Paso and that’s also why I didn’t comment on Hope being huddled on the floor for a few counts.
I sincerely hope that Hopes goes home. She has an attitude and she and Max have NO chemistry. It is past-time for her to go. Plus she has no rythm, no musicality. She can’t move her body. Vote them OUT of their misery.
I voted for Maks all last season and was prepared to do so this season, but the two of them weren’t clicking. I realize that we only saw a bit of that package where he shoved her and we don’t know if he actually apologized when he came back in, but to me it was still abusive. I can’t vote for abusive people, particularly men who abuse women.
I think Courtney nails it when she says Maks was jealous that Teddy and Derek were getting through to her when he doesn’t seem to be able to. Plus I bet his toe hurts! I remember breaking my baby toe when my son was born and I could barely walk never mind dance!
I feel bad for Hope because this show has certainly not shown her in a very good light.
If the recent poll here was any indication at all, and it could be pretty off in terms of margins because as I remember, David had hardly any votes as favorite couple and Nancy had a HUGE number of votes, and I would guess that even within the “real” wider audience of dwts, Nancy supporters would outnumber David supporters so I think that David will be the one to go tonight. That makes me sad for some reason. But even sadder would be if JR fans aren’t voters and he goes because there is hardly any difference between he and David score wise and really not a huge difference between him and Nancy.
I did not get to watch the show last night as I was taking the kids trick-or-treating, but I caught up on the YouTube videos this morning. Just a few thoughts:
I watched Ricki and Derek’s Paso twice. Just awesome dancing. Smooth, yet sharp and exciting. How does he do that?!
JR and Karina: I hate to say it, but BORING. Maybe the song killed the dance? I don’t know. He did not seem to be as into it as he normally is. Maybe Len is right – the expectations are so high for him that even a good dance seems disappointing.
Rob and Cheryl: I think he has improved, yes, but he is still stiff and awkward and rhythm-challenged. I think he was over-scored and over-praised. And the fact that I put their dance in 3rd place is due more to the remaining competitors than the quality of their dance.
David and Kym: Not bad but not great. He has more rhythm than Rob I think, but his control is such an issue.
Hope and Maks/Nancy and Tristan: First of all, Maks is an asshole. This really upsets me because I have been a huge fan of Maks’ for years. I don’t know what the hell happened to make him have these anger issues and misogynistic tendencies, but he needs to go. Pushing Hope around like that is not acceptable. I really wish she would have knocked him on his ass when he was manhandling her because I think she could take him down. As for their dance – it wasn’t pleasant to watch. Her legs were all wrong, they seemed out-of-sync at times and I thought they were over-scored. I was afraid the judges might bend over backwards towards them after last week and that’s just what they did. It wasn’t even close to the Toy Story dance IMO.
Oh Nancy, Nancy, Nancy. I was worried for her when I saw they had the jive. It was a hard dance all the way around and I am impressed that she didn’t blame the music. I think she lost the beat at the very beginning and it was hard to recover from there. I hope she pulls through tonight otherwise I’ll be saying Oh Tristan, Tristan, Tristan. sigh. 🙁
For the team dances, I liked team paso better, but I thought team tango did better than the judges scores.
Also, I loved how Derek stepped up and helped Hope after Maks walked out. What a gentleman! What a class act.
And I REALLY like Brooke this season! She is so pretty and understated in her wardrobe and not as much of an airhead on the mike.
@Heidi – Well, sort of – the paso is usually considered the “man’s dance” and the rumba is usually considered the “woman’s dance”, just because the figures tend to feature the man & woman, respectively. But Hope on the floor for several counts still kinda stuck out like a sore thumb to me, because in most paso choreo, even though the woman usually takes on the secondary role, she’s still usually moving until the end of the dance, when the man “kills” her – if Maks had dragged her along the floor for 7 counts, I don’t think it would have bothered me quite as much. But she just sat there, so it felt more to me like an excuse to not have Hope dancing, rather than a conscious choreographic decision.
I think Nancy had the worst dance last night because of the choice of song for the jive. Let’s face it, Nancy, who I love, needs all the help she can get. But she is so happy to be there, as is David. I have to agree with others who say that Hope and Maks should be put out of their misery. Maks was abusive toward Hope and she should not have to put up with anymore of that for a dance show! Derek was all class last night. I actually wondered if he chose Hope and Maks to be on his team because he knew more than we did about the bad vibes in H&M’s rehearsals. Maybe he was trying to give Hope a lift by not being the last chosen.
I think despite the Jekyll and Hyde behavior of Mad Maks, their dancing was good and team dance was awesome. I have defended Maks numerous times on this site but I am reaching the end of my rope. After last weeks bonding and obvious closer connection between the two and then to behave like this is inexcusable. I don’t care how much your toe hurts or if your feelings are hurt, you suck it up because you are the pro and the camera is always running. Especially after all the feedback last week from fans loving their new found connection to revert back to this is in very poor taste. I liked how the producers jumped at the chance to show Derek coming to the rescue.
I’m being cynical here, but I don’t think the dancers (pro or celeb) choose the teams. TPTB hand out the assignments and the team captains go through the motions of choosing sides. That said, I bet if it was free choice Derek would still have chosen Hope both for Hope’s sake and to spare Karina having to put up with Maks on her team. He is a consumate gentleman and true professional.
Ahh, I forgot the Karina/Maks angle. That makes perfect sense, Cidra. I agree. Derek would consider that too.
I’ve been a fan of Maks and Hope this season and I’ve thought some of their packages were “bad edits” or taken out of context, but I think last night I became convinced there are real problems. (Especially when combined with the pap footage of Hope crying outside the studio.) It’s bad enough to be too physical, but really horrible considering it was her shoulders he was being rough on and Hope has an injured shoulder. I wish there was a way to vote for Hope but not Maks. I give her a lot of credit for being able to pull out two good performances last night despite what’s obviously a difficult situation. She was really a team player on Team Paso, hugging and celebrating with the others after the dance while Maks looked unhappy and eventually just wandered off.
I think last night puts a lot of things into perspective this season. Hope has been slammed for seeming miserable, but all things considered who wouldn’t be having to deal with Maks and his temper? She’s been happy in group situations or when being taught by Teddy or the girl members of the troupe so she’s not incapable of it. I think the whole season would have been different for her if she had been paired with someone else. I’m kind of hoping if she does stay that TPTB use Mak’s toe as an excuse to stick her with another partner permanently. Oh, and I’d really like to see Maks publicly apologize to her. Maybe he did privately, but I think he owes it to her to make it public.
Also, Team Paso rocked! I loved their dance and I was so glad an otherwise disturbing night filled with meh dancing ended on a high note.
@MaryS – The way you just spoke about wanting to vote for Hope but not for Maks is EXACTLY how I felt about Chelsea & Mark last season – I really liked Chelsea and thought she was a good dancer, but Mark’s behavior just turned me off to the point where I couldn’t bring myself to support either of them. I don’t think there’s anything more irritating to me than a pro who does pretty much whatever they want at the expense of their celeb – and I think Chelsea & Hope have both been victims of it. I’m with you on the toe thing – it would be interesting to see if getting another partner due to Maks being sidelined for the remainder of the season would have a profound effect on Hope. If I remember correctly, when Maks’ hamstring was acting up last season, he said that if he had to sit out a week or two that Teddy would be Kirstie’s backup partner. Wonder if they would honor the same deal this season…although I’m sure it’s gonna take nothing short of a shatterned femur to keep Maks away from this competition. He seems bound & determined to stay.
Max and Hope are going home.
Courtney I look forward to your rankings and comments about the dances because I really don’t know much about dance technique. However that being said correct me if I’m wrong but I thought that one can’t do lifts in a tango. It looked to me like Rob lifted Cheryl off the floor when she was supposed to be dragging her foot. If that’s the case then I wonder why didn’t the Lift Police (aka CA) didn’t point that out…
As far as Maks, did anyone else notice he never looked at the judges? I thought Hope was taking a jab at Maks when she told Brooke something to the effect that Teddy actually helped her learn the dance quickly and she was happy.
I think that somehow the producers did remind Maks of his behavior last week. That piece last night for the Team Paso showed possibly Mak’s true colors, he looked I think embarrassed. Derek did step in and help Hope with her dance. Thats the kind of guy Derek is ! Its all in the way you speak to someone and I am sure Cheryl helped her. That was her best dance. If she is eliminated tonight she can thank Maks for it! I really feel sorry for her now!
I don’t think Nancy Grace’s problem was the music. She’s bored me from the beginning and it’s definitely time for her to go. I have noticed that she’s lost weight and is looking cuter, but every time I think that she brings up chasing the twins again and I’m back to bored.
So how much does Nancy have to worry tonight, Heidi? What does Dancing by the Numbers say? 🙂
I really hope that Hope/Max get the axe. They aren’t having fun and I see that a lot of you guys take up for her and put him down, but she’s got an attitude too and I’ll swear it look to me like she finger flipped the judges a few weeks ago. Last week, she didn’t bother to learn a routine, just sorta walked around Maks in her ugly outfit. Amen to the comments about putting them out of their misery. He’s not happy with her, she doesn’t want to be there and others do. So, let em go already!
Carlos – While some women make respond positively to Maks, I suspect there’s far more positive comments made to Derek for being a gentleman. I saw QUITE a few. Guys like Maks may be interesting from a distance, but it’s guys like Derek that are lovely up close, and ALL women know that…eventually.
Ricki is a trooper. She is in it to win it. I love her determination and drive. Plus she totally respects and trusts Derek! Their Paso Doble was, sexy, scary and passionate.
Derek is an incredible team leader and professional. His reputation in working with the group dances on DWTS is outstanding. Even through this difficult week, he stepped up to the plate and helped the team to deliver a fantastic Paso Doble. He’s a true class act and yes his showmanship is impeccable.
I do believe if Maks/Hope were not on Team Paso they would probably be leaving tonight. Will be interesting to see who does!
Am I the only one that didn’t really have an issue with Maks & Hope?? I suspect probably. But don’t you guys think you should look at this at a different angle? It was a team dance. There’s infinitely more pressure in that because one weak pair can bring down everyone. M&H definitely were the weak one all along, with Maks’ injury then if you noticed they did their choreography at the last minute. Not to mention it seemed like he didn’t get a lot of practice time with Hope over the week because of said injury. I think any pro who takes their job seriously and is competitive would be getting a bit frustrated at the whole situation. Not to mention people can’t stop talking about last week! Whether you agree with him or not, it seems from interviews that both Len and Maks have moved on but the media has not. Even the paps outside the studios were talking about when they would be outside. I’m sure that probably didn’t help things. Now I’m not trying to excuse anything but just trying to get you all to look at it differently. All the comments make it seem like it’s all black and white when I think so much more should be considered.
I think both JR/Karina & Ricki/Derek did good in their individual dances although they had it much easier than everyone else because they were only doing one dance style. Also I’d like to point out that the doctor Ricki saw was actually a chiropractor.
Rob has really surprised me. He seems to be continuously letting loose and enjoying himself. He kind of reminds me of Romeo in some ways.
I gotta give props to Nancy/Tristan for going out there with such a bad song but it really was just horrible. It was so painful to watch. I think that she definitely should be worried going into tonight.
David was ok. Rather forgetable for me. His personality just kind of grates on me. He seems like he’s perpetually high or something.
J.r. disappointed me tonight in both dances, but there is always an off-week for the best dancer on the way to becoming the champion, which I do think he will be.
Ricki was great tonight, they make a fantastic team and combine entertainment and great dancing like no other.
Team Paso definitely won it for me, especially with having stronger individual sections. Team Tango had very nice group sections though and it would have been much closer if the individual ones would have been more strong.
Rob was very good tonight, he still has some technical and performance issues of course, but he is improving all around and is more consistent than David. Rob is my current pick for the 3rs spot in the finals.
David and Nancy were just average tonight. Hope did some things nicely but my problem with the dancing is that there are key things she hasn’t improved all season, and it has bothered me that Maks hasn’t worked on them. One, knees, as has been mentioned and finishing arm movements. Every arm movement is flailing and unfinished. She flings the arm that is unattached to her partner somewhere without finishing the line or ‘hitting’ a line and the beat to make it a crisp finish. I think just working on those things, which bother me more than her going back and forth from being a bit jerky to actually smooth like she does, would make a huge difference in her being just average to good.
I really don’t know what is Maks’ problem this season other than he got the partner he asked for over the summer, who’s an athlete just coming off the soccer world cup that summer (meaning her name was in the media a lot) and he thought that she would be a lot better than she actually is. Combine that with the notion that his ex-fiance might win the MBT or Derek might win his 4th…. I mean, Derek is right, it’s just an entertainment show and the prize should be all the great PR you get for the show (for your dance studios, jewelry line, other reality show endeavors).
For the last 3 weeks I’ve thought that Hope really might have become a better dancer with someone else because she has said that Maks’ teaching style is not what she thrives on. But of course, Hope is going to say that his teaching style has worked for them because she doesn’t know anything else… until this last week. But she is always going to have Maks’ back since he had hers last week.
I actually don’t mind Hope, despite what some of the other comments say abt her having a bad attitude or being a horrible dancer. She definitly has potential and perhaps her attitude is a result of how she feels in rehearsal. I don’t know…. She seemed so relaxed with Teddy.
Anyways, I think tonight’s results will be interesting. I think TPTB set it up for Nancy to have the highest chance of being eliminated this week.
Allie – all good points for why Maks might be frustrated. But he pushed her…shoved her…extra hard love tap? Whatever you want to call it. In my gut it wasn’t right and I don’t approve. Most people are responding to that act itself. I know why it happened…because he probably has been frustrated all season (with the judges, the media, with Hope, etc. etc. But it my mind it doesn’t make it right.
A for the Maks/Hope issue-of-the-week, I am not as Maks fan but I am not crying ‘Maks is abusive’ either. All of our opinions (except the few that might actually from people who actually know them) are only based on the interview and entertainment videos we see and the show itself. I do not think Maks and Hope have the easiest relationship in the studio but I do think they are friends. I do think she, as a top athlete, probably works well when being pushed hard.
I also do think she assumed that Maks’ style of teaching is exactly what she needs BUT after working with Teddy and Derek and the female pros in the last 2 weeks, she also might have seen the advantage of more gentle, positive approaches, especially when learning something so foreign to her as dancing. I think she is tired of the drama of the past few weeks and wants to do well but enjoy the rest of the show now that she does understand it more, but Maks is making that hard. Whether he is just ‘done’ with this season or frustrated with the judges or the show in general or the producers or the media or his injury, or a combo of all of this, it shows, and he is letting it get to him and affect his attitude in the studio even more than usual. Do I think Hope wants a new partner, no, I do not, I am sure she will keep supporting Maks. I do think she just wishes he would lighten up a bit and have more fun. If Maks really thinks the show is against him no matter how good he makes Hope, why not just say screw it, work hard but don’t be as serious and just have some fun? If he can’t, and if he can’t focus on his celeb more than on all the negative parts of the show, he really should take a season off.
I think that the producers edit for drama. Maybe someone spoke to Maks, maybe not. I would think they WANT him to be on the show for the publicity and the drama. I think they edited to create more. Was it actually as bad all week as it looked in the 20 seconds or so we saw? Most likely not. But it did happen, they can’t magically create the words, movement and tension. I think Hope was frustrated but also probably more embarrassed he acted that way in front of 4 other people. It’s one thing if he is always like that when you are alone in the studio but another when you are in front of fellow cast members who get along well and when this needs to be a time of unity and team building. Maks always says he doesn’t care what anyone thinks and in the OTRC video he said that he is going to have a great life no matter what happens during this show doing life ‘his way’ — so just relax a little then and enjoy the time left with your partner. All the show drama isn’t her fault, don’t take it all out on her.
Also, love the new server! Thank you so much the old one was getting frustrating for all I think 🙂
Well said, Toni.
Kind of elaborating on what Toni said – ALL of the pros are probably frustrated and under a lot of pressure at this point, Allie. ALL of them had a team dance to deal with. Yet Maks is the only one that seems to taking out his frustration on his partner. And as for everyone “still talking about last week” – sorry, but I don’t have a single ounce of sympathy for Maks in that matter. If he didn’t want a big deal to be made about it, he shouldn’t have done it in the first place – and he certainly shouldn’t have dragged out the drama by going on GMA the next day to continue bitching & moaning. He doesn’t get to just walk away that easily after making such a big stink. I’m done letting people try to talk me into giving Maks the benefit of the doubt on just about everything. Some of the excuses I’ve been hearing for his outrageous behavior have been pretty outrageous themselves. At some point, you’ve gotta acknowledge the fact that Maks is a grown man who has been on this show long enough to know how shit goes down. You can’t use his upbringing/English not being his first language/being injured/getting offended by the judges’ comments/etc. as an excuse forever.
I also want to add I don’t think what we saw from Maks in the package was ok, but whether it was abusive is a matter of debate. I do think he is taking being a tough teacher a little too far and it could damage their relationship and their dancing even further. But as for Hope and Maks’ exact feelings for each other, only they really know. We only guess on what we see.
Team Paso have the Encore tonight as expected… YAY!
Ricki on twitter:
Very happy and grateful to be doing our #teampaso dance again 4 the encore. #DWTS @derekhough @RobKardashian@hopesolo @CherylBurke 🙂
http://twitter.com/#!/RickiLake/status/131441572578463744
I actually really enjoyed laat night’s show overall and alot of that was due to one couple…ROB AND CHERYL. Daaaannnnggg, that Tango was awesome and I thought it deserved atleast a 26 maybe a 27 even. He kept the attitude through-out and as always the cheoro was a perfect combo of technique and entertainment value…Cheryl is a genious. Ricki did great and I hope her injury doesn’t get worse like doc said ” Like Ralph’s did :/ “. J.R. really coped well with that crappy crappy Tango song as did Karina for cheoreography but because of the extreme tempo and beat changes it through them off at times but he redeemed himself in the Team Tango which was NOT as bad as the judges said, it may not have been as great as Team Paso but ” fell to pieces ” my butt Len. 🙂 As for Hope…she really impressed me last night even though her legs were kinda wonky in her Samba at times, Nancy’s coped very well considering she got possibly the WORST Jive song in history of DWTS and Tristan is impressing me more and more every week. More-so than Peta or Val but they were only around two weeks so i’ll certainly reserve judgement, but Tristan is really doing great as a pro. He and Nancy are so fun as always. David, as Courtney said, was just kinda there…His dances were very OK and the Cha Cha was pretty blah for me even though it was not bad at all just not great. He is always funny and cooky but for the most part he faded into the back drop for me which is never good on this show. We’ll see. 😀
I’m working as fast as I can, Meggie. 🙂 Nancy is in trouble, but we’re stuck with the same issues as last week: what will Maks’ behavior do, for or against, Hope. What will Derek’s behavior – fantastic as it was – do for the others??
Thanks Courtney. I will say that I am hesitant to call it abusive. It’s pretty powerful thing to say that a man is being abusive. It’s like calling someone a racist. Before I put that label on someone I want to be damn sure I am right. All I know is that in watching it in my gut I didn’t like it and don’t think it’s right.
I’m thinking Nancy or David could go tonight. While Maks has his “haters” this controversy has riled up his fans. I saw tweets from a few who were talking about the numerous accounts they’d newly created to vote for Hope and Maks.
Dial Idol has Nancy at the bottom. They were correct about Chaz last week.
Oh god, don’t get us started on Dial Idol. I should ban anyone who refers to that site as remotely accurate. If they get it right it’s pure luck. In fact, they rarely call it, if you read the writing attached to their rankings.
This is tough. I love Hope but I want her eliminated to put an end to this miserable partnership. She can focus back on soccer while Maks needs to evaluate himself and his ego. David would be my second choice his journey doesn’t hold my interest.
For me the show would be a lot less fun without Maks’ dancing, but it does seem time for him to take (or be given) a leave. He seemed very remote during the live show and the practice footage was painful to watch–poor Hope.
I think he must know he’s shot himself in the foot.
Idk if I’m going to be right on this but I think its gonna be either david or hope this week. The amount of press Maks is getting today on Entertainment weekly and webistes like that is insane and the comments abouth im are not good. Idk if that is a sign that he is either going to be safe or go home though.
Hallelujah on the no more theme weeks. :-/
I loved the team dances. What is the song Team Paso danced to?
@Dana: If I remeber correctly it was evanesance’s “bring me to life”. Not a big fan of them but good song.
Thank you!
Np. For some reason I always remember music that I hear on the show and on the radio.
I think the situation with Hope and Maks is very interesting. One thing I think is that it is not fair to her, to them as a team, but especially to her as an athlete to assume or believe she is miserable and wants to go. I can pretty much guarantee you that Hope is a very competitive person and wants to win and/or at least make it to the finals. Anything less is a failure. Hope is an athlete, she has had some tough coaches in her career, I am sure, and she most definitely can hold her own with Maks, so not sure why everyone is making a big deal about it, when he should probably be happy that she is holding back so much.
As far as Hope having some type of commitment, it looks to me like she would not necessarily have to be there for the whole camp in November. It is for a friendly Nov. 19. She could probably get there 2 days before if she wanted to. The Olympic camp is in December. So, she’s good as long as DWTS is on. She wants to be here, she wants to win, she would never quit.
I think basically everything we see in the rehearsal is somewhat staged and scripted. Whenever someone shows up at rehearsal as as guest, it’s scripted when they walk in and what they say. There is paparazzi video of Hope, Maks, and Teddy getting to rehearsal last Wed. a.m. with Maks driving all three of them there. This would be when they would have first started to rehearse for the Samba. Hope has been friends with Teddy all season, she probably talked to him the day before or something, yet they show Maks bringing Teddy in and introducing him to Hope. It’s so scripted. I think Ricki saying what the order of their couple dances in the team dance was scripted. It’s like we don’t see the original moment it happened, just them acting it out again for the rehearsal. I think Hope and Maks could have been acting out a fight they had previously had. Hope does not seem to be crying in that paparazzi video outside. Just frustrated and doing most of the talking. Hope is a tough woman, the things she goes through on a soccer field as a goalkeeper are insane! One time during a World Cup match against France, Hope was getting ready for a goal kick. She didn’t notice a French player had stayed back and then out of nowhere the French player tried to knock the ball out of Hope’s arms with her head! Hope pretty much karate chops this girl down to recover the ball and not allow a goal. I am sure Hope can handle herself with anything Maks does! I think Maks was showing her the paso choreo, and they were acting it out to be honest. Please, in any other situation, Hope would never let that fly. It’s just so scripted, the team is all working hard, and then Ricki asks, how are the individual parts going? Maks says they don’t have it yet and everyone is worried because time is running out. It’s just the drama once again being placed on Hope and Maks, and then we see them struggling to get their part of the dance.
I think Hope and Maks must have the most interesting dynamic out of everyone because they have to be the most talked about couple this season. It is weird because we know where all the other couples stand. Rob/Cheryl are pretty much like brother/sister out there. It’s difficult to tell with Hope and Maks because we see them being cute, then they look more like just friends and just respectful (like the poster above mentioned of his other partners), then we see them getting lunch or coffee and it looks flirty. It’s just difficult to tell. I was pretty sure Hope had a boyfriend, but again, I am not sure, and I am not sure why Hope/Maks don’t just look completely like friends or completely like they are interested in each other.
By the way, after their dance last night, they do look pretty cute as they are walking to the judges. When talking to Brooke, I bet they were thinking about their same scores and also getting ready for the team dance right away.
Just to clarify DWTS statement: It was an illegal move by Gaetane Thiney. Even if the goal had been scored, it technically wouldn’t have counted assuming a ref had seen it. FIFA rules state if a GK is holding the ball in her hands (and then list a bunch of other possible moves), the ball is considered held by GK and cannot be acted upon. The only way Thiney could have legally scored / made a move on it was if Hope had actually set the ball down and was not touching it.