DWTS Season 15, Week 2 – Power Rankings
Oh jive/quickstep week – a week that usually has the potential to make me cringe and shake my head. Unfortunately, this season was no different 
The lines have been drawn, and the judges are making some pretty clear distinctions in their scoring – at the top we have the “chosen ones” who can do no wrong in the judges’ eyes (Gilles & Peta, Sabrina & Louis), then the good dancers that the judges seem to critique/score more harshly to give the impression of “wanting them to improve” (Shawn & Derek, Apolo & Karina, Melissa & Tony), the mediocre-to-good dancers that the judges seem reluctant to really critique/score harshly (Kelly & Val, Emmitt & Cheryl, Helio & Chelsie), the mediocre-to-bad dancers that don’t really get love from the judges but still get the votes to stay (Joey & Kym, Kirstie & Maks, Bristol & Mark)…and then you have Drew, whom I’m almost convinced the judges/TPTB don’t really give a rat’s ass whether he stays or goes. All in all, this illustrious all-star season is beginning to leave a bad taste in my mouth – and we’ve still got 8 more weeks to go after tomorrow! And please tell me I’m not the only one that’s getting sick of seeing that damn 7.5 paddle…
1.) Gilles & Peta - As great of a dancer as Gilles may be, I just find myself getting rubbed the wrong way by some of his behavior so far this season – and I’m beginning to feel the same about Peta, too. He complains about how injured he is and how much pain he’s in all week, then performs one of the most intense & forceful jives I’ve ever seen on the show - and then he has this bizarre, kinda choked-up “moment” up in the celebraquarium that just kinda left me going “Huh?” Not gonna lie – it was bordering on Jaleel levels of awkwardness. While I do think he did a really good jive (notice I didn’t say “great”), I think Gilles may have caught a bit of the Sabrina Bug this week – every kick & flick just felt so HARD and deliberate. And I’m not sure if it was just the fringe on her costume or what, but Peta seemed to be dancing extra forcefully, too – and as trivial as this may seem, I seriously hope the makeup team dials back the eyeliner next week, because it gives Peta this very harsh, glaring look when she’s not smiling widely. Anywho, these two seem like they’ve got several weeks of safety ahead of them, with the level of favoritism they seem to be getting from the judges & TPTB. I guess I just hope Gilles can have some sort of breakthrough and regain some of the charm that made him so endearing in season 8…
2.) Shawn & Derek – This jive was pretty much everything I expected – cute, high-energy, clean, & entertaining. Even though I had already gotten a bit of a heads-up that Shawn had much better endurance than Derek, I was still kinda impressed by how…not winded she was afterward. Just sort of a “Meh…ain’t no thang!” look on her face 
Now while I enjoyed the Hairspray theme and a lot of the choreography that went with it, I have to say – I found myself wanting a little more basic, in-hold jive content, a little bit less of the 60′s-y themed open choreography. And I wonder if this may be a problem with pretty much everyone who goes for a themed routine this season – everyone feels so compelled to keep the bar high that they feel the need to throw in a lot of unique choreography. I guess that’s one way in which I agreed with Len a bit in his critique – everything in this routine was satisfactory, but I don’t know that any of it really exceeded my expectations. Guess I’m just hoping to be blown away during iconic dances week next week, since the couples have been instructed to “push the envelope”. I just hope Derek can “push the envelope” while still including a lot of basic choreography.
3.) Sabrina & Louis – In quite possibly the biggest judging gaffe of the night, Gilles & Peta’s biggest competition for “most off-putting” couple this season managed to walk away with the high score after doing a quickstep that, while good, left me confused. I will give Sabrina credit for calming down quite a bit this week – there wasn’t nearly as much overdancing this time. But I did notice a couple instances where she seemed to fight the urge to really hit things hard, and a couple flicks seemed to come out a bit harder than they probably should have. My other big complaint? I felt like they stopped every 5 seconds for Sabrina to pose in a picture line!!! Talk about disrupting the flow of a dance – I liked what she did in-hold and she did have great posture, but it just felt so disjointed because Louis seemed to be throwing her into an oversway every other measure. For that reason, I think she was grossly overscored – considering that Apolo had, IMO, much more difficult content, which he executed with far more finesse than Sabrina did her content. And WTF was up with that beginning sequence when they came running in??? If it was accidental, they must really be in la-la land; if it was intentional, WTF?! But as I saw many of you saying, I feel like the fix is in – somebody with influence really wants Sabrina to stick around. Which makes me wonder if maybe Sabrina isn’t exactly “killing it” in the votes department. But I think time will tell, as we whittle down the weaker dancers…
4.) Apolo & Karina – Best routine of the night for me, no doubt – the choreography was both PROPER quickstep as well as being eye-catching and entertaining, and Apolo handled it with complete control & confidence. He neither overdanced nor underdanced – the power & impact were there, without getting overwhelming & sloppy. Of all the couples tonight, I feel like Apolo & Karina probably looked the most comfortable and natural out on the floor, and gave the best example of what a quickstep on DWTS should look like. And Gilles, take note – Apolo has got both the right attitude and work ethic this season. He’s working hard without burning out, and is excited without seeming desperate. And best of all – he doesn’t really have to force the chemistry with his partner. Everything about Apolo & Karina just feels so organic to me – as if they just clicked immediately and their work ethic is exactly the same. If there’s any guy this season that really poses a credible threat to Gilles’ quest for the MBT – it’s Apolo. Now if only the judges could wake up and see that…
5.) Emmitt & Cheryl – A bit of a backslide for these two this week – for as at-ease and “in the groove” as Emmitt was last week, I think he looked equally as uncomfortable and off-time this week. I’m having a hard time remembering how Emmitt did with the ballroom dances on his original season (all I can really think of was that comically bad tango), but I seem to remember Latin really being his bread-and-butter…and ballroom? Not so much. The biggest problem I noticed here was that Emmitt always seemed to be about 1 beat off from Cheryl – if she was bouncing up, he was bouncing down. The result was a little bit of a jiggly, off-kilter frame – which is never a good thing in the ballroom dances. He also seemed a little hesitant on some of the Charleston sequences – he never really seemed to get a decent bounce, and the end result looked a little half-assed. For being the “Cool Cat in Town”…Emmitt looked a little unsure of himself. It’s not really a good look for him, either – but I do think this week may have been a wake-up call for him that charm alone will not carry anyone this season. The judges may love you one week, but the next? You could be toast.
6.) Kirstie & Maks - Well, no big surprises here – jive is just not Kirstie’s dance. It kicked her ass in season 12, and I think kicked her ass only slightly less this time around. I think she was really trying this time, and maybe got a little bit more movement in her legs – but not enough to avoid getting picked at by the judges. While I can’t really blame Maks too much for building in a lot of “acting” time in this routine in the hopes that would distract from Kirstie’s clearly subpar jive technique, I think the routine ended up being a lot less fun than her last jive to “La Bamba”. But thankfully, I think Kirstie is still getting a slew of votes, and will likely just be able to cross the jive off her to-do list and move onto next week’s dance without much worrying. But sooner or later, all of the weaker dancers with smaller fanbases will be gone – and then it’ll be time to see what Kirstie’s really made of.
7.) Helio & Chelsie - I can admit when I’m wrong – and I think I may have undestimated Helio’s appeal prior to this season, especially his chemistry with Chelsie. These two are just so freakin’ CUTE to watch – I think Helio had more fun in his jive than anyone else this week, and like Apolo, he came across as having a lot of finesse, and generally just seemed really comfortable and at ease out on the floor. And really, his legs looked pretty fantastic to me – those kicks and flicks were sharp and bouncy, and arguably more elastic than Gilles’ karate kicks. I have to laugh that the judges called him out for his legs being “too high” – 9 times out of 10, a celeb is barely picking them up off the floor, so I’m pleased as punch if they’re actually getting them off the floor an adequate amount…and I’m certainly not going to nitpick about them being too high I think Helio’s charm may be getting him a little bit more love from the judges in terms of scores, as I thought Helio was a bit more sloppy (and had a little less content) than Drew…but I also think he was more fun to watch than Drew. Oh, trade-offs…
8.) Kelly & Val – I’ve gotta say – dancing with Val is bringing out something in Kelly that I never saw in season 1. And it’s a good thing! Kelly seems to actually be relaxing & enjoying herself on the floor, and it consequently seems to actually be improving her dancing - and even if it isn’t, she’s still very pleasant to watch, and the connection she has with Val out on the floor (and off of it, too…) just seems effortless. While Kelly did seem a little bit more hesitant tonight, and seemed to struggle a bit with her frame, I daresay she was better than both Emmitt & Joey – her movement was both cleaner and more fluid than both men. Her song also seemed to suit her well – I know some were poo-poohing it on Twitter, but I actually thought it rather nicely reflected the partnership she’s forged with Val…who seems to think just about everything Kelly does is perfect. 
I wish there were an emoticon for puppy dog eyes…
9.) Joey & Kym – Holy hot mess of quickstep, Batman! A song choice that I had high hopes for seemed to fall flat, and Joey just seemed all over the place in this number…and in an unusual twist, I felt like Kym wasn’t 100% into the dance, either. I just felt like there was a major disconnect between just about everything in this dance – the music, the choreography, the props, even Joey & Kym themselves. The biggest problem? Technique – of which Joey unfortunately had little to none. His feet were atrocious and stomping all over the place, his shoulders were hunched, and you could drive a boat show in between he & Kym. The song? Felt odd and a little whiny. And I think it’s wayyy too early to be busting out couches as props But all that said – it was still a least a little bit fun to watch And I think that’s come to be Joey’s trademark – “Yeah, I’m a big guy with crummy feet and slouchy shoulders. But I’m tons of fun!” I think the judges kinda took that into account as well, and probably scored him a bit kinder than they should have. Add to that the fact that Joey’s kind of the Forrest Gump of the celebrity reality tv circuit (he’s everywhere!), and I think he’s got some longevity – even if his feet look like boats.
10.) Melissa & Tony – Oh, Melissa – every move you make is just so easy on the eyes and pleasant to watch. It’s also not particularly impactful, and unfortunately I think that may be your undoing. This jive was cute and on-time – and I’ll admit the choreography is good FOR TONY. But I still think Melissa has the opposite problem that Sabrina has – rather than hitting everything too hard, Melissa seems to soften the edges of everything to make it look nice & pretty & ballet-y…which is fine for dances like the rumba or waltz, but not particularly helpful in more high-impact dances like the jive. And at this point, I feel like I would rather have Melissa be hitting everything TOO hard, rather than not hard enough, because she’s blending into the woodwork for me. First isn’t the worst running order position – but it sure doesn’t do much to help me remember her strongly, and the effect is compounded when her jive turns out rather…soft. I hope Tony has some sort of tricks up his sleeves in the coming weeks to make Melissa stand out – because each week that goes by where she just barely makes in impact, the more likely it is that she won’t even make it to the halfway point of the season
11.) Bristol & Mark – Oh boy. Not a whole lot to say that hasn’t already been said - while I appreciate that Bristol seems far more relaxed & comfortable dancing this season, this quickstep was as hot a mess as Pam’s cha-cha last week…possibly even bigger, as I don’t even think Mark could be bothered to care about this routine. The biggest problem: where was all the quickstep??? I saw a lot of country line dancing, and a smattering of shenanigans – but very little in-hold quickstep. And the little that we did see? Pretty unimpressive, compared to the strong showings we saw from Apolo & Sabrina. Given what we saw from Bristol this week and last, I think she’s the weakest dancer left and deserves to go home this week. Score-wise, she’s in the gutter – but after a quick glance at some of the nearby scorers, I think it’s possible she could overcome at least 2 of them in order to stick around. This is one week that I hope I’m proven wrong, and just being paranoid – because I will be upset if we lose…
12.) Drew & Anna – I was hoping these two could get their act together this week and really blow away the judges, and to some degree, I think they did – Drew seemed a lot less tense in his jive this week, and I think he & Anna may have bonded over their despair at being in the bottom 2 and maybe warmed to each other a bit. I also think they had more content & overall better execution than both Helio (who scored .5 points higher) & Kirstie. And yet, they’re still locked into a 3-way tie with Emmitt & Cheryl and Joey & Kym, who I both found to be weaker in their respective routines than Drew in his jive – and it’s that 3-way tie that I fear could send Drew packing. I think everyone tied with or underneath him on the scoreboard could easily get more votes than Drew, even if there is a bit of a surge in voting from him being in the bottom 2 last week. Which sucks, but unfortunatley I think we all came into this season knowing that many of our favorites were likely to do worse than they did on their original seasons. But I think Drew has made a great showing, and if he does go home tomorrow night, I think he will go out on a high – but that doesn’t mean I’m not still hoping for Bristol to get bumped out
So what did you guys think of tonight? Do you think there was over/underscoring going on? Who’s headed home?
I don`t know if I`m just being Gilles hater or something, but I was not that impressed with his jive, he doens’t point his toes (Carrie an doesn`t seen to mind). I just feel like no matter what he does, people will say is amazing and lalala.
Apolo had the best dance for sure, much better than Sabrina. Shawn and Derek had the best jive and the second best overall dance, I agree about the 60′s moves, less of those and more actual jive step that dance would have been perfection. But Shawn is killing this season, I’m not saying that because I like her and don’t like Gilles. But I do think she is a better dancer.
Another awesome rankings Court!! Wow, with an exception to a few, what a tight competition.
1. Peta and Gilles – Another show stopper filled with cool tricks and powerful kicks. Very clever choreography and smooth as pie. You could never tell he had an injury. 27.5
2. Sabrina and Louis – Wow, what a natural little entertainer she is. Never did I expect a Quickstep would be her dance, but, it was. She was tamed perfectly. She held herself with elegance and grace. I loved all the expressions on her face. “Dazzling” just like Bruno said. Good job Louis too (I have to give props where they are do)! 27.0
3. Karina and Apolo – “Speed with Control”… isn’t that the truth. You can tell they worked hard to perfect every single move. There technique was point on. What’s more, they were sexy, cool, and elegant too. One of my faves of the season. 27.0
4. Kelly and Val – These two continue to be one of my favorites as well. I can’t get enough of their romance, chemistry, and beauty. I loved the way Val closed in on her neck and kissed her in the end. I love their sense of humor and their charm too. I felt like I was watcing magic. Cinderella and her Prince. Just beautiful. 26.5
5. Shawn and Derek – They are indeed sooo cute. The choreography was off the hook. I loved the cartwheels off the stairs. Just amazing. Loved the Grease look. They leave me wanting more and, to think, they haven’t really pulled out all the stops yet, whoa. 26.0
6. Emmitt and Cheryl – He didn’t seem quite as into it this week, but, this was still another strong, entertaining dance. 26.0
7. Helio and Chelsie – Helio made his mark tonight. His technique was brilliant. I loved his charm and smile. He seemed more relaxed too. 24.5
8. Tony and Melissa – These two amazed me again this week. I love seeing Tony at his a-game. Melissa is bringing out the best in him and vice versa. Great technique and great choreography. They are another one of my favorites. I hope they continue to bring it hard every week. They must not ever let up. 24.5
9. Kym and Joey – Like Sabrina, Joey is an entertainer through and through and loving every second of this ride. If there was Congeniality award, I’d give it to Joey. I loved all of his facial expressions. The entertainment factor covers up his mistakes, though I don’t think they were as bad as the judges said. 24.5
10. Drew and Anna – They were so much better tonight. I loved their edginess and rock vibe. They definitely delivered a stronger performance and he should be proud. I loved their costumes. They need to keep working hard and bring it even harder next week. 22.5
11. Kirstie and Maks – The jive was hard for Kirstie. It wasn’t a natural fit for her. I wasn’t wild about her costume and wig either. It didn’t wow me like the other performances. I hate feeling this way because I love them both. 19
12. Bristol and Mark – You have to admire Bristol’s guts to attempt this song and I’m glad she did it her way, but, it was bad. She was spacey in spots. It was sluggish, slow, and messy. I think she’s going home. 13
I can’t wait to read everyone’s thoughts and rankings.
Mark just look so miserable everytime Shawn or Sabrina finish their dances. It must be killing him watch them in the top 3 and have to dance with Bristol, I actually feel bad for him, Tristan and Maks, everybody deserved a good partner this season.
Good insights.
If Bristol and Mark aren’t in the bottom 3 tomorrow night, then I will be rather stunned. That dance just wasn’t any good, I’m sorry. I think either Drew or Joey will be joining them there.
Well, first of all, just flabbergasted with the judges’ favoritism in the scoring! Really, how could they score Sabrina & Louis higher than Apolo & Karina?! I think you hit the nail on the head with the judging categories…chosen ones vs. good dancers vs. mediocre-to-good vs. mediocre-to-bad but still get votes. I thought Shawn & Derek did great, and I was happy to see Drew & Anna improve. So tired of Gilles whining & I find Peta rather boring. Thought Kirstie & Maks routine had too little content…why always the walking, Maks?! I am enjoying the chemistry between Val & Kelly and Helio & Chelsea and, of course, Apolo & Karina. And did Apolo look hot tonight or what?!
Also, two costumes stick out to me. Anna’s outfit, wow quite risque but she looked fabulous in it, and Peta’s fringe pants and hairdo just made her look…rather manly?
Courtney, definitely in agreement w/ ya about the power rankings. Great assessment.
Here are my stand outs from the night:
Best Jive by a Male Celeb – Gilles, his jive was totally kick-ass, best one of the night. I know he wants to win, but he needs to relax about those who are desperate and obsess over it too much usually get eliminated (ex: Brandy). I’d like to see the sweet Gilles from season 8 that we all came to know & love.
Best Quickstep by a Male Celeb – Apolo, the quickstep is one Apolo’s better ballroom dances that I remember from his first season, Karina definitely stepped it up for him giving him fabulous choreography.
Best Jive by a Female Celeb – Melissa, thought she had more energy in her legs that than Shawn did, the only thing she could’ve done better was point her toes more.
Best Quickstep by a Female Celeb – Sabrina, her quickstep was the best of the night!!! I gotta hand it to Louis for that phenomenal choreography, I love seeing him dance w/ a contender.
Most Improved – Helio, sooooooo much better than his jives from his first season, kicks and flicks were sharp & in sync with Chelsie.
Who should go home based on performance :
Out of the those doing the Quickstep – Bristol, big time NO-NO for breaking hold in the quickstep, I really feel like Mark could’ve choreographed to where they were following the rules. However, I was glad to see her having fun, technique was lacking, but she went all out for the performance factor and just had a good time.
Out of those doing the Jive – Kirstie, she made quite a few mistakes, no energy in the legs, it just seemed very quirky & odd. Yeah, I know it’s not her dance. Granted she didn’t flub her jive like she did in her season, but just the lack of sharpness & mistakes still proves Kirstie’s also way out of her league.
Who will most likely go home:
Based of the history of the show, either Helio, Drew, Kelly, Joey, or Melissa, it’s that middle of the pact factor w/ a bunch of similar scores within 1pt of each other. Drew’s jive could’ve been better if he had been wearing the right kind of shoes; Kelly was like a limp ragdoll when she was in hold for her quickstep; and I’m not sure how Melissa, Joey and Helio’s fanbases will hold up. Drew’s already been in the bottom 2, proving he’s already got a weak fan-base, it would not surprise me if he ends up being one of the first former champs that gets sent packing.
Lastly, I’ll be very surprised if Bristol, Kirstie or Emmitt goes home, because they do all have massive fanbases, also both Bristol and Kirstie have the underdog factor going for them that can keep them in.
Great rankings, as always. Thank you! I loved Apolo and Karina, my favorite dance of the night. Kelly and Val just crack me up, love them together!
Bristol still sucks, hot mess for sure. Hope we can say bye-bye to her.
Apolo and Karina left my mouth hanging open by the end of their dance. Just speechless and so awestruck by the complexity of that choreography. Karina is nuts! Genius but nuts! 8D Giving such choreo for week 2, and for quickstep too, one of the more difficult dances. Just wow! And then Sabrina scored higher than her…. Ugh. I am going to continue watching the judges comments and dancers that I don’t like on mute. Sabrina probably had better posture, smoother than Apolo, but Apolo had SO much more complex content; and entertaining too.
I am quite a Chelsie fan, so I was really rooting for Helio but wow was he entertaining! Yeah there wasn’t that much content, but Helio’s kicks and flicks were great! Like Courtney said, too high??? If Melissa’s kicks are the standards that makes for a very boring jive….
Shawn and Derek, Shawn’s sharp footwork is just a joy to watch. Which makes the little basic jive steps such a pity. I wish Derek had stuck to his usual entertaining but incorporating basic steps (provided that the partner can handle it) routines.
Gilles I watched on mute, so his not so nice kicks were so obvious. He didn’t point, his synch with Peta was worse than Helio and just like Helio, a lot of posing.
Lots of pink in the costumes tonight. I don’t dislike it but found it a little weird. I like that some ladies had matte lipsticks. Cheryl’s in a past costume again! Can you believe it XD Yeah it’s different than her S8 foxtrot costume, but basically the same, imo
Gilles and Peta were fabulous as were Apolo and Karina. I think they were the best jive and quickstep, respectively.
Didn’t love Len’s comment to Joey: “if you can’t dance, might as well entertain.” Ouch.
I think the ballroom dances are good tests as to who are the better dances. They aren’t as flashy and mistakes can’t as easily be covered up.
Love and appreciate the Power rankings!! My favorites are Helio-Chelsie, Apollo-Karina, and Kelly-Val. There’s great dancing coming from them but these partnerships have a fresh, easy-going, fun vibe that draw me in. They all have great chemistry too.
On a side note, I think Sabrina, Shawn, and Chelsie need to do a Triplets of Belleville group dance together. From far away, I could see a not so trained eye mixing them up.
*dancers
Forgot to mention how toned down, but entertaining Val and Kelly were. Best rehearsal footage ever.
Sabrina, Kelly, Apolo, Shawn and Emmitt are my top, IMO. My bottoms are Kirstie, Bristol and Drew.
Love Apolo and Karina’s Quickstep, a truly outstanding dance. Kelly and Val totally cracked me up! As for Bristol, here’s hoping she’s gone tomorrow
Thanks for all the right ups. I also feel there is some over and undersocring – Does Lan have a hate on for Derek. Thought they night have deserved one 9. Love Apolo and Karina’s dance tonight.
Except for Bristol & Mark great dancing tonght and tomorrow will tell the tale,
overall i thought another good night of dancing, so im loving all star season
Melissa & Tony – it was good, but she is going to have to be more than ‘pretty dancer’ to stay around. I want to see some fire/spark in her personality/routines.
Bristol & Mark – I have to say I enjoyed this for the pure LOL value. I gotta give it to Mark it was terrible in all the right ways
Helio & Chelsie – this is my surprise couple. everytime I look at them i think trainwreck, but they turn out darn acceptable dances every week. good job
Sabrina & Louis – this was a great dance and creative for the music they were given, but i actually thought the ending was the worst part. Additionally, This couple needs to take some deep breaths and relax. I actually think louis is more stressed than sabrina.
Kirstie & Maks- this was actually a lot better than her first jive (because she actually remembered the steps)…so not bad. kirstie does wonders for maks personality wise
emmitt & cheryl – this was decent but clunky, and those waist high red pants did him no favors -made him look like santa claus. I think they will bounce back fine next week
drew & anna – he gave it his all, and I enjoyed it, but i think the competition this year is just a bit better than where he is. WOAH at anna’s costume
apolo & Karina – they were a joy to watch, and it seems that apolo is really settling in to karinas teaching style now, which will hopefully allow them to build some more chemistry, because they have all the rest of the tools
joey & kym- he wins on pure entertainment value , but for someone who has been dancing in vegas the entire summer, his technique is suspiciously subpar
shawn & derek – I love shawn (just about the most adorable person ever) and the dance was very good, but dereks choreo is the problems- its just way too much choreography. theres no time to settle in and actually appreciate the dance. I know he’s excited to have a young, athletic, superbly talented partner, but boy settle down- give the dance room to breathe
Gilles & Peta- It was fun and i think Peta is doing a great job of choreographing to gilles’s strengths. I also have to disagree with your statement about his awkward or bizarre emotional moment. It was the anniversary of his Dads death, i dont care how long ago it was, that stuff doesnt have a time limit…he wasnt getting choked up over mickey mouse or whatever else nonsense jaleel was talking about
Kelly & val – i had to save these two for last. I dont know whats going on because i never really cared for val and didnt know kelly, but these two are captivating. the have a very natural chemistry (maybe both chermkovskiys do better with older women). the dance was pretty good also, I give val credit because although i like the song, it wasnt easy to quickstep to. She doest have a snowballs chance of winning, but i hope she can hang around a few more weeks, because they are nice to watch together
I loved Apolo & Karina’s Quickstep. After Len’s comment that it was a gold medal performance I was expecting the 9 paddle to come out or at least 8.5. They were definitely underscored.
Hoping Bristol and Mark go home tomorrow night.
I agree that Mark looks miserable. America, let’s make Mark happy and say good bye to Bristol.
Also wanted to comment that I found Helio’s dancing lacking, though he does have a fun personality.
Who might be in trouble besides Bristol? Joey and Melissa. Don’t think they are exactly wowing folks.
And I just wanted to add that Joey looked more like Albert Finney playing Hercule Poirot in Murder on the Orient Express than Charlie Chaplin (seriously, look it up).
I agree with your categories too Courtney. But it’s not ruining the season or anything for me, I really am enjoying seeing so much good dancing. It is nice to have 2/3 of the people left be good if not great dancers.
I LOVED Apolo & Karina’s quickstep. They were number 1 in my eyes. Underscored for sure! I would have Sabrina & Shawn tied for 2nd and Gilles 4th.
I was so glad Helio and Drew did better than week 1. And also happy to see Kelly doing well.
I completely agree about Melissa Courtney. I could have written what you did word-for-word. That jive was good choreo for Tony. And it could have been 2x better if she had really hit her moves more.
My favorite partnerships so far are Apolo & Karina, Shawn & Derek, Kelly & Val….and who would have thought, Helio & Chelsie. Interesting to note, none of these have been paired together before. Now that were are into the season, I definitely still think what I thought before the season– the repeat pairings have a disadvantage. None of them are as impressive as they were for whatever reason in their previous seasons.
I think the annoying thing about the judges ‘chosen ones’ is that they are the two desperate, whiny pairs. They want it so badly, it is off-putting. They are even playing the injury cards already too. I do think Sabrina & Louis, as annoying as they are at times, click more as a pair than Gilles & Peta. I see no chemistry with them OFF the dance floor.
My bottom 3 would be Bristol, Kirstie and Joey. Emmitt not far from them. But I think the ones actually in danger are Bristol, Drew and Joey….and maybe even Kelly. I hope not Drew or Kelly!!
I forgot to add that I find it weird that Tony doesn’t tell his partners to hit any moves hard, esp in Latin. Why have all of his partners (except Stacy) looked so delicate they could break on the dance floor? It can’t be a coincidence……
Wow! Drew’s jive was really fast music! The footwork wasn’t always 100% but seemed pretty sharp in general. I see the flat-foot thing Len mentioned, but he was working it. Only 1.5 points better than Kirstie’s jive? Not sure what to make of that.
Kelly and Val are hilarious. I can’t see her doing the whole water balloon bra thing with Alec…
I loved Sabrina’s dance tonight. She was so much softer and I did love her frame, and I liked her score BUT in the end, I think Apolo had the dance of the night. I literally was saying “Wow…Wow” throughout and after the dance. I think he is the one to beat.
Not going to lie, I was disappointed at Kelly and Val, because while it wasn’t horrible, it wasn’t standout.
Omg!! We are sooo on the same page w/Melissa, C. I thought maybe it was because I was watching in hd but it was too soft for me but yet the judges loved it so I guess I’m pleased.
Again, LOVED Sabrina tonight but Apolo narrowly edged her out for my favorite dance of the night!!
I’m thinking that it will be Bristol, Drew, or Kelly as the ‘surprise” elimin. If my numbers are right, Kelly would need 5500 votes per million to get past Melissa, AND she would have to get out-voted by Emmitt, Joey, Drew, Kirstie, and Bristol. I’ve got this baaaaaad feeling that “Bristol the pistol” will be with us at least one more week, and that’s a shame, because I thought it was the worst dance.
Ok, Bristol has to go tomorrow…this is all-stars, there is no reason for a former champ to go before her. 11 other couples were in a different ball game when compared to her. Not fair at all if she is safe.
Bristol should go tomorrow, but I have a feeling she won’t. Melissa and Drew could be vulnerable with Melissa probably moreso because she went first and here routine while fine, was forgettable.
Overall, it was a good night for everyone with the exception of Bristol and maybe even Kirstie. Standouts for me were Apolo, Sabrina, Shawn, and Gilles. Not feeling Drew this season, even though he was much better than last week and had a better overall demeanor and attitude. Emmitt was a disappointment and I was expecting more from Kelly, though I’m digging the Kelly/Val partnership.
Peta looked weird in that outfit and with that hairdo. And her overdancing at the beginning….I thought her moves were so exaggerated and the fringe pants were just hideous.
…and Gilles? I think he would milk any opportunity he has in order to stand out – in various ways…
loved Apolo and karina’s quickstep, it was beautiful.
I think it’s obvious where this is going. It’s going to come down to Sabrina and Gilles. Sabrina gets a 9 and Gilles gets a tongue bath. So, it’s going to come down to them and then they will be “rightfully avenged” or something stupid. If it’s going to be like that, I’m done.
I’m going to watch until Drew gets the boot which will probably be soon because they paired him with the choreography void Anna and it looks like they don’t even care about him.
I think Apolo and Karina had the best dance of the night although his scores didn’t show it. I’m a bit put off with Gilles and Peta somehow this week but really starting to root for Shawn and Derek. I absolutely adore Kelly & Val showmance, although I think the heat is more from Val’s side.
Can’t believe I still don’t have 1 favorite after the 2nd week. lol
All I could think of while watching Emmitt and Cheryl, is that Cheryl HAS TO love the Who Wore It Better feature we have here, and that she is determined to give C and PH an entire feature starring HER!! That costume looked very familiar, I’m sure we’ve seen it before!
second week in a row that cheryl recycle her dress, this week was glittery version of her foxtrot dress with Gilles,
I wonder how many of the voting people will stick to their rule of no past winners? Could Gilles excel to the top just because he was so close yet so far away from the elusive trophy? Just how will the public pick their winner this season? Makes me wonder.
Some thoughts about last night.
Apolo and Karina had me jump right out of my chair. Their quickstep was exciting, precise, and their chemistry is locked together as one… Best of the night!!!
Shawn and Derek left me underwhelmed, I thought Shawn lost it a little in their dance. But I couldn’t take my eyes off Derek BIG hair. LOL
Melissa and Tony, maybe be in trouble… Maybe bottom 2 with Bristol.
Bristol and Mark, Hopefully its *bye-bye* to Bristol. That was no quickstep, I think Mark has thrown in the towel this season, and is just going to have a good time.
I can’t stand LOUIS…. I don’t think these two have the fanbase to take it to the end.
Poor Joey, I had high hopes for this pair but I just don’t think they can do it. Actually all the original pairs kinds of stink.
Kelly and Val – The Pink Balloon section was too funny! One thing I did notice…. They danced eleventh last week and this week, and their dancing order still coincided with their number.. Just a lame little tidbit that bugged me their entire dance.
Bottom 3 – Bristol, Melissa, Joey or Drew.
For me, Apollo and Karina’s dance was the best of the night, followed closely by Shawn and Derek. I do love Kirstie but there’s no way she’s making it to the finals this time around.
Bristol should be going home but will she? I think she may have the votes to beat Drew.
My pick for the bottom 3 are Bristol, Drew and Joey or Melissa.
Loved all the rankings, but mostly agree with Vogue….Loved Louis and Sabrina…I thought they were fantastic. And I’m captivated by Val and Kelly as well. While their dance wasn’t perfect, it had a quality I can’t explain. And Surprise, surprise, I’m actually enjoying Derek and Shawn this season. I guess because he has someone who can keep up with him, someone he doesn’t have to dance around to camouflage their shortcomings. On the other end of the spectrum, I love Kirstie but didn’t like her jive. Maks did the best he could, but I think they were both relieved when it was over. And while Bristol should be commended for her weight loss, she still clomps around the dance floor like a two ton elephant. Poor Mark.
Although I’m Derek’s absolute number one fan, he and Shawn kind of disappointed me. He didn’t use half of the dance floor, which is usually one of the things he goes to first – getting around and using the whole floor. I’m already tired of brostol- and she is absolutely NOT a redneck. I can’t believe she actually said that. And everyone seems to be playing up Apollo while I just can’t get into him as much as I wish I could. Nonetheless, I hope it’ Bristol’s week out, or Drew’s.
Last night was kind of lackluster for me. I loved the four that I already love, Melissa, Sabrina, Apolo and Kelly. Everyone else I was just sort of “meh.”
My personal rankings:
1)Apolo and Karina. They were brilliant! I loved every second of their quickstep, and one of my favorite moments of the entire night was seeing Ralph Macchio off to the side clapping and nearly jumping up and down during the routine. I love how close he and Karina still are. The pairing with Ralph was what actually made me a huge Karina fan. Anyway, I do love Sabrina too, but I definitely thought Apolo and Karina should have been scored higher. These two got my votes last night.
2) Melissa and Tony. I loved their dance so much. I thought Melissa performed so well, and I was proud of both of them. I think they’re really giving it all they’ve got this season, and I hope to see many more great danced from them.
3) Sabrina and Louis. Loved it. I thought she softened a bit, and she looked great. I really like Sabrina’s attitude, and I don’t find her whiny at all. I think she’s happy. I like happy, bubbly people.
4) Kelly and Val. Kelly slipped up a bit during the dance, and there was a moment that I thought a look of absolute terror on her face, but overall still one of my favorites of the night. Their package had me laughing so hard. Even my husband, who is so ho-hum about DWTS, looked up and started laughing at Kelly making Val wear the water balloon bra. I think these two are so endearing and just a joy to watch. I think Vogue said it best (I think it was Vogue) that between the dress, the song and the dance, it was like Kelly was a princess and Val was her prince. That was exactly how I felt about their dance. I really hope they get to do something sultry like the paso or the AT. I can not wait for those from these two.
5) Helio and Chelsie. I liked Helio last night, but I still thought he struggled somewhat. He seemed out of breath toward the end, and I get it, it’s a jive, but I thought Melissa’s was better. Chelsie looked awesome, though.
6) Shawn and Derek. I remembered last night why it was that I was never crazy about Shawn during her season. It’s hard to explain, but it’s like she doesn’t have fluid movement, like she just hits the marks or something. Not hard dancing like Sabrina tends to do, just like their’s not a lot of connection from one move to the next. I don’t know, I’m not expert. I think she’s better than a lot of them, I just don’t get the connecton to the steps or the dance itself.
7) Gilles and Peta. Gilles is bugging me. His dance last night was good, but not one of my favorites, and even Peta, who I really liked last season, is bugging me this season. I think she is one of those who it will really depend on her partner as far as if she comes off likable or not, to me.
8) Drew and Anna. They did better than last week, and whatever that wonky outfit Anna had on was, it still looked incredible on her. But I felt like Drew got lost a bit and out of breath in his jive, too. He seemed like he almost couldn’t keep up in a few places. I liked his attitude though, and I really hope they stick around.
9) Joey and Kym. I like Joey, he’s super funny and just seems like a genuine guy. But I did not like their dance. I think Joey can be so much better than he was last night. He was so much better last week! I got ticked off that they were pulling out the comedy to compensate for a lackluster performance. It’s the All-Star season. For me, entertainment is not going to cut it if you don’t seem to dance well. But, that’s just me and there are I’m sure tons of people who feel differently. I did hate seeing Len ream him, though.
10) Emmitt and Cheryl. They just were not great tonight. Emmitt lost his footing in a few places. I’m so glad that the judges didn’t fawn over him. I especially loved when Carrie Ann told him Apolo and Helio were better than him. He looked surprised, and he did not look happy. But, she was right.
11) Kirstie and Maks. Kirstie tried, and Maks knows she’s not going to be able to keep up with everyone else, dance wise. But I have the same gripe as I have with Joey–for the All-Star season, just being entertaining just isn’t good enough.
12) Bristol and Mark. WTF was that?? I knew as I was watching the dance that they were going to be torn apart by the judges, and I’m glad they were. I’m in the “Mark just doesn’t care” camp. He knows the rules of the quickstep. He knew they were going to get in trouble. He wants out, if you asked me. But, I still think he’s handling it with grace. I see no disdain for Bristol when they are together, and I give the guy major props for that.
So many bizarre song choices last night…
Melissa & Tony: I thought it was better than last week. Melissa is easily one of my favorites, but I do have to call her out on her dance last night. Her kicks just did look like kicks last night. At best, she just moved her legs back and forth an inch or two. I get what Court has said about her hitting things to soft now due to that dance. I hope she’s safe. I think it would be a little unjust for her to go over Bristol. That said, I have a feeling Melissa will be eliminated in most likely the first double elimination. Which sucks, I think.
Bristol & Mark: You know Mark doesn’t really care that much when he’s not all that worked up over a set of three 6s. I think he’s trying to have fun for Bristol, which I guess is a good thing, but like everyone above, Bristol is the celebrity that’s in danger the most of going home.
Hélio & Chelsie: The dude had some awesome kicks, and never have I heard a judge complain about knees being too high in a Jive. I do give Hélio credit for his dance talent, but he still hasn’t won me over. I thought their jive was a little bland…
Apolo & Karina: Ay! Whoa! How did he NOT get the highest score tonight? Apolo’s quickstep was clearly the best quickstep of the night. Sabrina’s was good (and I’ll get to her) but no way in heck was her’s better than Apolo’s! This was the only real quickstep of the night, I thought!
Sabrina & Louis: I have to agree with Court when I say the judges just seem to think she can do no wrong. Apolo should have had the first 9, not Sabrina. Anyway, it was a good dance. Sabrina really is a fantastic dancer, and I think she’s headed in the right direction. The only thing is, is it because the judges want her to stay because they clearly favor her, or does she actually deserve her praise?
Kirstie & Maks: The story was fun. Maks was right to play to Kirstie’s acting in this jive because she was obviously struggling through it. I saw a couple of missed steps, but she seemed to be enjoying herself. Despite having an all French song, I kind of enjoyed the song as well. However, Kirstie’s still not going anywhere. Her fan base won’t let her…yet.
Emmitt & Cheryl: Emmitt is such a lovable guy, but I still can’t stand Cheryl. She called Chris Jerico out for being bow-legged and now she just can’t seem to shut her mouth on how “crooked” Emmitt’s head is. I was like “Oh my gosh Cheryl, shut your mouth. You’re the only one that thinks that’s funny.” Anyway, yes, his dance was a step backward this week. I don’t know what happened this week because I was expecting a pretty good quickstep from him this week. No doubt he’s safe, so we’ll see what happens next week.
Drew & Anna: I just have to say, why on earth do TPTB insist on using “Dance Dance” as a Jive? At full speed, the song fits the Quickstep better, though I don’t know who would want to do a punk-rock quickstep…On to the dance. It was an improvement, that’s for sure. But I still don’t buy his relationship with Anna. Something about it just seems unnatural…Maybe it’s just me. He lost it a couple of times, but I think he was scored accurately. As for him going through to nest week? I have no idea.
Joey & Kym: I actually forgot about Joey. I wrote Shawn’s thing first… Anyway, I know some here were excited for that song, but I wasn’t. I while the big band cover worked for the quickstep, those lyrics just…ugh. Not quickstep material for me. I guess I would go as far to say I hated it. I’m really surprised by how Joey’s almost not living up to his standard from the first time around. Granted, this quickstep was riddled with mistakes, but maybe he’s just not as good a dancer in comparison with some of the other cast members? I don’t know, but Joey could be in danger if he keeps dancing like that.
Shawn & Derek: I’m convinced Derek is bringing something out of Shawn that Mark NEVER could. She and Derek seem so comfortable, and she’s still cute as a button. I actually loved this jive. Derek showed her athleticism without overdoing it, and it resulted in a knockout of a jive. In my opinion, it was the best jive of the night if you throw out the scores.
Kelly & Val: Just gonna put this out there, Val’s obsessed with Kelly (and Kelly’s rack). I thought this quickstep was prim and proper, but there wasn’t anything “wow” about it. However, Kelly is dancing so much better than I thought she would. Sure, she’s not the best dancer, but Val is working wonders with her. I hope she’s safe, I want to see more of these two.
Gilles & Peta: He needs to chill out. Period. The end. He’s taking this way to seriously and it’s showing in his dancing. Everything about this jive was so hard and forceful that I almost had to look away. I give Peta props for making him do a solo so early in the season, but it’s not that impressive when Gilles is trying too hard. No doubt he’s safe.
My thoughts of tonights dances:
Melissa and Tony-Ok, Melissa always has great tehnique, but I felt like her jive was on the boring side. She is in the top 5, but I have a feeling she might be in the bottom 2.
Bristol and Mark-I think it’s pretty obvious now that country music and ballroom dancing do not mix, so I hope there wont be a Country Week. Even though the judges didn’t like her quickstep, I actually liked it a little. Yes, she broke hold, but I thought it was probably one of the most memorable dances of the night.
Helio and Chelsie-After last week, I thought he wasn’t going to last long at all, but after his jive, he proved that he is a force to be reckoned with.
Apolo and Karina-Still my favorites. Enough said.
Sabrina and Louis-Probably by far the most memorable dance of the night and I wouldn’t be suprised if she got the encore tomorrow night.
Kirstie and Maks-Kristie is not the best dancer in this bunch, but I thought her jive was better than the judges let on. And their storyline for the dance was really original.
Emmitt and Cheryl-I can understand why people are on an Emmitt hype, but I just dont think he is the one of the best this season.
Drew and Anna-Much better than last week. I think he was underscored a little. I dont expct him to be in the bottom 2, but you never know.
Joey and Kym-I felt so bad, because I thought he actually did a really good job and I loved the ending of his dance.
Shawn and Derek-Another awesome routine. But, if Derek doesn’t challenge her with the coreography, she might be “Sabrina Bryan’ed”
Kelly and Val-I thought they just did ok. For the first time, I actually agree with all the judges. I really want her to stay around and I think she will.
Gilles and Peta-I’m not really a fan of Gilles and Peta only because I don’t see any chemistry, but they are technically an awesome duo.
To wrap up, the music sucked and I think the ones in trouble will be Kirstie, Melissa and Joey
#29 Fancy – Gilles getting a tongue bath … lol
For me, Apollo had the best dance of the night and I also liked Shawn’s Jive. I think Sabrina did really well but does not deserve to be at the top of the leader board.
I thought the judges were a little hard on Joey and while they didn’t exactly “Ralph” Drew, I don’t think they’re feeling the love with these two.
After seeing Emmitt’s Quickstep, I suspect the pounding he took while playing football, along with his age, are going to be a factor. I do think he’s going to be around for a while and look for him to bounce back next week.
I’m loving the chemistry between Val and Kelly. He seems totally smitten with her, like a little boy looking at the puppies in a window … lol
My biggest disappointment is Gilles and Peta. While they look great together, they have very little chemistry. He is probably the best technical dancer (and the judges favorite) but for me, something is missing. And last night, I didn’t like their look. I agree with #7 Debby who that said she somehow looked a little manly with that hairdo. Add that with her forceful dancing, and it almost made Gilles looks a little feminine.
When all is said and done, I think Drew might go home tonight – although, it should be Bristol the Pistol.
#20 love the Hercule Poirot reference.
Derek choreo was BLAH.
Kirstie was pathetic. Good for Len for not going for the kiss.
The rest were OK
Hearing the judges say they want to be wowed next week with creativity made me cringe. Obviously they are trying to weed out the couples with pros not known for choreography… namely Tony. A common theme in the comments is how most everyone wants to see more of Kelly and Valentin. That’s a good thing for them so if they are smart they will keep up their sweet chemistry. That means no temper tantrums and don’t give the producers anything negative to show in the package. If there is a god, then we will be saying audios to little miss redneck/out-of-her-element Bristol.
I liked Gilles and Peta because it was exciting. Shawnough WERE SO CUTE!! Shawn looked like a Disney character! And I’m just plain annoyed by Sabrina and Louis. They bug me!
I liked all of the dances last night but I know someone has to go this week and it seems like the writing is on the wall at this point who it is going to be:
1) Sabrina and Louis: My fav of the night by far. Nailed it.
!
and not a moment too soon. Don’t want to see her ruin an iconic dance next week.
2) Giles and Peta: Awesome Job. Great chreorgraphy.
3)Shawn and Derek: Another awesome jive.
4)Helio and Chelise: great quickstep
5)Apollo and Karina: This was another fun dance but I really wanted a little bit more from it oddly.
6) Kelly and Val: She did good. really good.
7) Melissa and Tony: This was so much fun! Saying that, I think she will be in the bottom 3 nonetheless.
8)Drew and Cheryl: I really enjoyed it but I think he is going to be in the bottom 3 as well.
9)Kirstie and Maks: This dance was just so…….Kirstie. Shouldn’t have worked as well as it did but it was very fun to watch. Saying that, I am all for entertainment but if she wants to stick around longer she needs to get higher scores and really start to give 100% (like she has) while getting the technical stuff right.
10) Joey and Kym: This was an odd one. When I saw the Charlie Chaplain outfit, I thought “Its going to have a comedy spin….this is going to be a trainwreck”. After it was done, I thought “not bad just hated the ending”.
11) Emmit and Cheryl: I forogt about them. never a good sign. he did ok though.
12) Bristol and Mark: I oddly liked it but like hte judges said “where was the quickstep content?!!” But she is my pick to leave this week
Saying that, this is my predictions for the bottom 3: Bristol, Drew, Melissa. Melissa will be called safe last and Drew will not be in the bottom 2. The only other person I can see in the bottom 3 is Kirstie but I don’t see that happening this early in the competition. In a couple of weeks, absolutely but just not now.
Wow, the dancing this season is incredible! Hope next season doesn’t get boring after these powerhouse performances.
Good to see Tony and Louis when they have partners who are contenders, not just paired with the throw-aways.
I wanted to really love Derek and Shawn last night, and I did enjoy the performance, but after the start with out-of-sync cartwheels it wasn’t the usual. Strange that Derek is using gimicks this early in the season.
It seemed that all the contestants were a little “down” from the week before, like the cold bath of reality after the first showing of everyone’s A-game.
Forgot to add that Bristol should leave but probably won’t. She seems to be having more fun and more relaxed this season, but really out of place with the other contestants. I think that she can be pretty stubborn (my way or the highway) and maybe Mark has thrown in the towel and is just going along till it’s over.
My favorite dance of the night: Apolo and Karina. They were underscored but they will be safe. Their dance was more memorable than Sabrina and Louis.
I would like to see those two couples in the finals.
Peta and Gilles had the best jive but I’m not too crazy about their partnership. I’d love to see Kelly, Melissa, and Helio go far. I am really digging the Kelly and Val partnership. Hope to see more of Val’s talent this season.
#44 xx – Yes, I am also annoyed by Sabrina and Louis. They bug me, too. Especially Louis.
A couple of thoughts on last night…I have thought this most seasons but I WISH the pros could pick the music…seems wonkier than usual so far this ssn.
I don’t think Bristol will be going anywhere yet, or Kirstie altho they danced the worst. And Kirsties schtickt is not only getting old, it just looks ridiculous now.
And with the judges handicapping the scores of a couple of previous winners, it is quite OBVIOUS THEIR PREFERENCE is for Giles or Sabrina to take this season….whether or not they get that wish remains to be seen, I guess.
It looks to me like Drew, Joey and Helio can been sett up as the whipping boys of the season and I hope they hang a long time because they are definitely better dancers, more fun and more entertaing than Melissa,Emmitt,Bristol, Kirstie and altho shes better than before, Kelly.
sorry..meant to say “have been set up”
I dont know what it is but im so turned off buy Emmitt and Apollo i dont know if its them or their partners i dont know.I have always hated boy groups but im loving Joey.
My favorites of the night:
Kirstie
Joey
Gilles
Kelly
Shawn
I hope they are called safe early
Great analysis Court. I particularly appreciated your critique of Melissa’s Jive because it explained why I was feeling underwhelmed by it when I knew she’d danced it pretty well.
With a couple claring exceptions, I thought it was another good night of dancing; but the judges’ favoritism is already making me really pissy and it’s only Week 2. I had to get out my bucket of glitter and splash some around.
Apolo and Karina had the best dance of the night and should have been top of the leader board as far as I’m concerned. I hope they chill and don’t let the lack of respect they’re getting from the judges cause them to overthink and change what they’re doing.
I also loved Shawn and Derek but from a competitive scoring standpoint, I wanted to see more basic jive. I think Derek might be taking these early weeks to focus on improving Shawn’s performance skills. She’s already showing way more personality this time around than she did in her first season. Now’s the time to do it, while there are weaker couples (dance and fan base wise) who will get the boot, but I hope he starts adding in more content soon.
Gilles and Peta are turning into a huge disappointment. The man needs to shut up. That Jaleel-esque moment was *icky*
Really Emmitt? My respect for him, as a person, went down several notches after hearing his disparaging remarks about the other celebs.
And Louis…Sabrina takes a hard fall in rehearsal, you ask if she’s OK, she says no, her arm hurts like crazy, and you look at the camera and say you’re embarrassed? At a time like that you’re more worried about your ego than your partner’s health? I guess that’s why you’ll never see a single vote from me.
Kelly is breaking down Val’s reserve in such a delightful way. Their VT was hysterical.
I still love Drew and Anna and hope they did enough to convince viewers to vote for them, but I’m not sure; especially since the judges aren’t helping. Anna deserved a 10 for that outfit – wow!
I wouldn’t be surprised to see them put Kirstie “in jeopardy” just for the suspense and drew and Bristol as well.
Apolo pretty much got screwed over last night because they put him so early in the lineup. Either he has ample votes or they don’t want him to repeat. I’ve never seen Karina so invested in a partner which I think speaks volumes about Apolo.
I like Shawn and Derek so much, but I was underwhelmed. I’m also agreeing with Len. I crave a little more traditional content from Derek showcasing Shawn the woman instead of Shawn the athlete. I presume he feels that’s how to fifferentiate her from a very able pack, but I’m not sold, yet.
How much more Gilles and Peta can I take?they were a picture of desperation last night. You’d think he would be figuring out that he doesn’t have to worry so much, he’s ABC. Slam dunk.
Just a few comments on last night’s show. For me I agree with those that thought Apollo deserved the first 9. I just think it is harder for a man to actually lead rather than being dragged around the floor by the pro. Apollo clearly showed he was more than capable of doing that and Karina realized that the judges would be looking for that this season. I loved Giles in his season and still love him this season. He is a great dancer and I just feels he may be acting a bit different as he wants it so bad. For me Bristol needs to go. She may be a bit more comfortable this season, but I just think she never belonged there in the first place. So unfair if someone goes home before her. Next I would have to say was Kirstie. I know she has a huge fan base, but again this is All Stars and I don’t think she can compete daning wise with the others. Drew was great in his season, but I don’t think he is measuring up this season, but he did improve. Loved Helio in his season and he is showing me he still has it. I loved the skit with Val and Kelly with the water bra. They are good together.
Sorry for the typo that word daning should have been dancing. I’m sure you all know what I was trying to say.
I enjoyed most of the dances. Helio and Chelsea’s put a smile on my face and with the day I had, I needed it. I have never voted for him before, but I gave him some of my votes last night because of that and because I enjoyed watching it. I didn’t care for Joey/Kim or Bristol/Mark. I agreed with the judges on Joey, his was more show than dance. And to me, Bristol’s wasn’t a quick step. She appeared slow and Mark was just over the top like he always is. I’m liking Kelly/Val more and believe that Val will outlast his brother this year. Being the celebrity that was the first winner and having not danced as long she has, she makes it look effortless. They’re a great pairing. I’m a fan of Maks and I like his pairing with Kirstie, but I don’t see them getting as far as they originally did. I agree with Courtney about Gilles. He is this year’s Jaleel. It was awkward when he was tearing up. And if he was hurt that bad, he wouldn’t have been able to dance the jive the way he did. Is he that obsessed with winning that he will do whatever necessary, including trying to get the sympathy vote? I know he won’t get any of my votes. Sabrina/Louis? Don’t like them. I believe that rushed entrance was intentional and didn’t find it entertaining. She can dance, but Louis has the attitude that she has this won. After all, the viewers voted her in, so they’re going to vote to keep her in and the MBT is theirs. I still think she won’t make it through the halfway point unless TPTB help her. Emmitt/Cheryl were ok. He’ll be safe for this week, but I don’t think he’s going to make it that far either. I give Kirstie a lot of credit. Yes, it was a lot more show than jive, but it was good. Her fan base, along with Mak’s, will keep her safe this week. I liked Apolo/Karina. He does have a good attitude and work ethic and that is going to get him far. Melissa/Tony are so-so. Tony’s choreography, to me, is nothing special. I had forgotten all about them by the time they did the recap and I don’t think I’m the only one that did. The bottom two should be Joey/Kim and Bristol/Mark with Bristol going home. She was just as bad as Pam, maybe worse. But I’m betting she beats the odds again and stays which would just be wrong.
I forgot to mention, I like that Kirstie brings out the better side of Maks. He’s having more fun this season. And I agree with those who said Mark looks miserable. He’s going through the motions and not caring if rules are broken. He knows that they should not have broken hold, but did it anyway. It was line dancing and not the quick step. I think he’s hoping to get eliminated soon. I’m hoping his wish comes true.
If not Bristol leaving tonight, then I hope its Kirstie. Her and Maks are worse now than they were before. Between the Kirstie kissing and the Maks pinching Tom’s backside, they are all just gimmicks of a desperate pair that has run out of ideas, and have nothing new and fresh to bring to the dancefloor.
I agree with Sandy about Maks and Kirstie. It’s the same ‘ole. Even the new kissing schtick is getting old fast. She and Bristol are interchangeable in terms of who should go tonight imo.
I don’t know if I’d rank last night’s dances, but I have already started to separate them into groups…
There are those that I LIKE and want to see do well, and am enjoying the PARTNERSHIPS! They’re having fun, they enjoy being with, and dancing with each other, they take the competition seriously, but not so seriously that they can’t work hard and still enjoy the whole competition
Shawn and Derek
Kelly and Val
Apollo and Karina
Helio and Chelsie
There are those that I don’t care for, for various reasons…. I don’t like being told I have to like for someone because they are the judges favorite, I don’t see them having FUN, I am tired of their schtick, not “seeing” the chemistry, they seem like they’re desperate, etc, so on and so forth.
Gilles and Peta
Emmitt and Cheryl
Sabrina and Louis
Bristol and Mark
And those that I tend to forget about, or haven’t quite figured out which they belong….
Kirstie and Maks
Melissa and Tony
Drew and Anna
Joey and Kym
Sabrina & Louise: Best dance of the night. I knew she was great, but I didn’t expect her to be THAT great. I was worried that Louise might not come up with a good choreography but I was wrong. It was a pretty hard routine but she nailed it perfectly. 9-9-9(27)
. But I hope they won’t do that kinda thing again. 5.5-5.5-5.5(16.5)
Melissa & Tony: I was sure that this jive was gonna be great and they didn’t disappoint me. And what a great, fun choreography. Definitely memorable. Melissa’s kicks could be a little bit better but it was the best jive of the night. 8.5-8.5-8.5(25.5)
Apolo & Karina: I don’t think the dance was better than Sabrina’s. Some of Apolo’s moves were perfect, but I think, at the beginning, he looked like he was struggling. Ok, it was a hard choreography but not that hard. Overall it was a great quickstep. 8.5-8.5-8.5(25.5)
Helio & Chelsie: His kicks were pretty good. I liked the choreography. Chelsie did a good job. It was much better than his previous jives. 8-8-8(24)
Gilles & Peta: It was much better than his previous jive. But the best jive of the night? No, I don’t agree. 8-8-8(24)
Shawn & Derek: I expected so much from Shawn but it was kinda disappointing. I think Shawn can do much more. There wasn’t enough jive for me. The choreography was quite ordinary. The moves looked random, they weren’t linked. 7.5-7.5-7.5(22.5)
Drew & Anna: Anna really needs to choreograph differently than this. I do think Drew was much better than last week but he couldn’t nail everything in the routine, Anna should make the choreography easier for him. 7.5-7.5-7.5(22.5)
Joey & Kym: Technically it wasn’t great but it was a lot of fun. Kym’s great choreography as always. 7.5-7.5-7.5(22.5)
Emmitt & Cheryl: Quickstep is not Emmitt’s dance I guess. I’m sure he will be much better next week. His technique wasn’t great but he was definitely entertaining. 7-7-7(21)
Kelly & Val: Good but not great. She has to work harder. 7-7-7(21)
Kirstie & Maks: I can’t say she was good. I think it was the worst jive of the night. But I have to say I enjoyed it. Definitely better than her previous jive. 6.5-6.5-6.5(19.5)
Bristol & Mark: That was pretty bad but I enjoyed it
I think Kelly, Joey, or Helio is in bottom two.
Favorite couples:
1)Giles and Peta-wow! Love this couple.
2)Kelly and Val – I like to see Val more relaxed. Kelly is good.
3)Sabrina and Louis – Didn’t think Sabrina deserved a 9 this early in the competition, but their dance was fun.
4)Drew and Anna – I think they were good. I enjoyed it.
5)Apollo and Karina – don’t remember their dance.
6)Shawn and Derek—Derek complains about his back problems ans still does flips. Same each season. Shawn should be dancing with Mark.
7)Helio and Chelsie–uh! don’t remember their dance either.
8)Kirstie and Maks—Fun!!!
9) Joey and Kym – Judges were too harsh on him. I think Joey can be better than Helio and Drew.
10) Melissa and Tony – Love Tony but Melissa just doesn’t do it for me. She can go.
11) Emmit and Cheryl- Cheryl is simply annoying. And Emmitt’s comments about the other athletes didn’t help. He should worry about his own problems. Not impressed by his dancing.
12) Bristol and Mark-All I can say is poor Mark. Feel bad for him. Two of his best partners got another partner and he got stuck with one of the worse dancers.
Going home…BRISTOL.
Derek does hold back and he knows when to turn it on and kick in the turbo boosters, and I think because Len expects more from him he’s been scored lower than he deserved, and he should never be tied with or below Louis!
Apolo was the winner to me last night with Gilles in second, and given he does have a very real injury, I was impressed. They do have the very best of the best working on them to help them get show ready and kudos to all of them that are enduring shots in muscles just so they can entertain because I would have thrown in the towel.
Poor Mark! She chose the song and if Bristol goes home she only has herself to blame. How can you quickstep to that?
Kelly and Val brought it again and they’ve been so fun to watch.
Too early to say much about some of the others but I do want to say now, this early in the game.. I think Apolo and Karina might have this one in the bag! I can’t get over how amazing she always looks and I’m so impressed with her choreography, and Apolo is working his butt off and he is a competitor and you can see the results of the combination of rehearsal and determination on the floor!
Apolo was robbed! As usual! *sigh* Must agree with your breakdown of judging classes (Chosen ones, et al.) They did this to Apolo in Season 4 too – to the point where he called them out on it (Something about wanting consistancy in their judging. Wouldn’t that be a change for them?!)
Anyway, thanks for the rankings and observations! Love this place =D
I thought I was going to support Gilles this season since it was so close with him and Shawn but I really believe that Shawn has danced better than him this season. I loved Shawn and Derek’s dance. I also loved Apolo and Karina.
I am so glad that I wasn’t the only person who was turned off by Emmit’s remarks about the other contestants. I dislike him as a person and thought I took those comments in a different way because of my bias/dislike. I guess I was wrong. He did come off as being very arrogant and I am glad Carrie Ann called him out about it.
Amanda, marry me. I agree with everything you said.
I think Peta Hardened since last season. I see them as contenders but, I have mixed feelings about Gilles. He does need to take it easy. Soo much of this business is about how much people see true, genuine, honesty through the television screen that ultimately makes them vote for you. He’s doing great, hopefully we get to see a more personable and real side of him. Or else, he’ll get axed but we’ll get more of Peta in the pro dances making out with Maks. lol.
There was definitely some wacka-doo crack-a-roo scoring going on last night.
Gilles & Peta- While I do think Gilles was one of the strongest in terms of execution and technique, I couldn’t really enjoy it whatsoever. Everything just seems so “Try so I can win.” It looked like he was TRYING to have fun, trying to be endearing, trying to connect with the audience. Part of why I liked Gilles so much in his original season is that everything seemed so organic, natural, and sincere. This season, I just get this overwhelming feeling that he NEEDS to win this, that he’s trying so hard he’s not really embracing things and his dancing feels far more forced. Overscored I think, mostly because he hit things too forcefully and the performance felt a bit forced as well. 24
Shawn & Derek- This was the best jive for me in terms of the full package! Absolutely adorable and such a joy to watch. Great choreography, great technique, great energy. However, I do wish Derek would’ve thrown in some more flicks and meat and potato steps instead of all of the “Hairspray”-like choreography. Other than that, I thought this was awesome, loving these two! 24.5 or 25
Sabrina & Louis- I thought Sabrina did much better this time. Better control, not too rushed, far more relaxed. She had great posture, pretty good footwork, and some great energy. I didn’t like the choreography much for the same reasons as Courtney. Too much stopping and going, and it really made the dance look extra choppy. Louis…you can’t afford anymore choppy, because that’s what Sabrina is struggling with already. Anyways, very good dance, but overscored a bit IMO. 24
Apolo & Karina- Overall, these two were the best for me last night. This was a FANTASTIC quickstep. The footwork was so intricate and difficult, yet Apolo was light, crisp, clean, precise, and stayed in near PERFECT sync with Karina. I also think Karina’s choreography was the best out of the quicksteps. I do think he was a tad stiff and could point his toes a hair more, but definitely underscored for me. 25.5
Emmitt & Cheryl- I knew the Quickstep would bring out some of Emmitt’s weaknesses, and I’m glad the judges called him out on it (even though the scores didn’t quite reflect that as much…). Very heavy footwork, lost timing pretty noticeably in the Charleston, had some off posture. It was charming and he was having fun, it was pretty mediocre. Step up that technique dude. 21
Kirstie & Maks- Oy, I LOVE this couple but let’s face it: Kirstie can’t jive. While it was fun, cute, and better than the last one, she still lost time, still lacked energy in her legs, and things still felt sluggish. That being said, I’m sure Kirstie will do well in the other dances, but jive is not one of them. Pretty kind score these two got IMO. 19
Helio & Chelsie- I confess, I LOVE these two together and I thought they’d be one of the ho-hum couples for me this season in pretty much every aspect. Helio still needs to work on refinement, but the kicks were quite good, he and Chelsie were so much fun, and I think they had good chemistry. I would’ve liked some more content too, but I still think this was very nicely done. I’m being pleasantly surprised from them. 23
Kelly & Val- While I think Kelly struggled a bit more than last week, I still found this a joy to watch. She and Val have this very fresh, organic, “moonlight hitting the silent pond” kind of feel to them (did that make sense?) and I love it. I also am being pleasantly surprised by them. The rehearsals were hilarious too! She needs to work mostly on posture and getting her lines to carry from her shoulders all the way to her fingertips. But, still I liked it. 23
Joey & Kym- I LOVE these two also…but my gosh this got real sloppy real fast LOL. It was fun and charming to watch, but Joey was quite sloppy in the footwork and the posture wasn’t all there. That being said, I still thought he has great showmanship and I think he did pretty decent with timing. 22
Melissa & Tony- This was cute, light hearted, and was well danced, but that’s all I can say about it. I’m not sure if it’s Melissa or Tony but something is just not sticking out as memorable to me here. I think it’s about 70% Melissa, 30% Tony, but either way…they need to step it up or they could get sent home just due to not being memorable enough. Melissa is a pretty darn good dancer, so I want to see them around. That being said, this jive was pretty soft. Her kicks and flicks, while accurate and crisp, were REALLY low and didn’t have quite enough energy. I don’t think she picked up her knees near enough, so the jive lost a bit of that energetic bounce. I’m a bit worried for these two. 22.5
Bristol & Mark: Two words…hot mess. Wow…that was barely a quickstep. All I thought of was some lady going “Hey y’all! Look a’ me! I’m doin some o’that fancshy smancshy dancin’!” whilst holding a beer bottle and a twinkie
Mean? Yeah, but I really thought it. It’s too bad, I was really encouraged after last week. Hoping Bristol gets sent home, sorry girl. 17.5
Drew & Anna- I thought this was a very good improvement from last week. Drew was way less tense and really seemed to get into this dance. It had great energy, good movement, and good precision. It could’ve been even better if Drew would’ve pointed his TOES! Other than that, a very good dance. I’m really worried about them though, I’m hoping and praying they make it. I’d rather seem them stick around than at least 3 or 4 of the other couples. 23.5
Did anyone else think Peta looked like young Brigitte Nielson? Loved Apollo, Gilles, and Helio. Helio looked so light on his feet, like he could just float away! Loved Anna’s tights/pants, very hot, that’s really all I recall about the dance though. Put all my votes for Apollo, with Karina he is amazing!
Melissa – The best all around Jive of the night, IMO. Great energy and routine though I can see how Courtney would say this one could use a bit more sharpness. These two still aren’t standouts.
Bristol – Bad song choice, not enough Quickstepping.
Helio – I appreciated the enthusiasm. Yeah, his knees were a bit high, but he didn’t lack control. Could of been sharper and a bit more refined in his movements. He & Chelsie are among the better new pairings matchwise.
Apolo – Commend him for keeping with Karina in an ambitious number. Still glimpse the speedskater in him, but the Karina seems to be refining that nicely. Add them to my list of better new pairings.
Note: I actually like that he’s not being made the frontrunner at this point as it gives him more room for perceived improvement down the line.
Sabrina – Impressive posture, footwork, speed, and presentation, especially for her compact stature. I think the song was a bit forgiving of her harder, though admittedly, refined tendencies. I too found it a bit disjointed choreographically and preferred some other Quicksteps.
Kirstie – It is clear that the Wardrobe and Music Depts hate this team. Better than I expected. Her general motion was much improved over her last Jive (and week) though I would’ve liked to see more energy, stamina, and content. Any schtick was really just translation of unfortunate music.
Emmitt – Always good energy, though messy Ballroom technique. Missed his rehearsal package and disses(?) at the other male athletes.
Drew – I expected much sharper movement and didn’t care for the choreo and whole presentation. Another Jive routine I think song hampered.
Joey – See Emmitt.
Shawn – Not much to fault technically but these two are not standing out to me yet.
Kelly – Light and airy as would be expected of such a tiny girl. Dealt with the height difference well though I think Latin dances will prove more her forte. These two round out my top 3 best new pairings.
Gilles – Even without his injury, I find him a bit gangly and thus ackward in Jive. Also, it looked as if he borrowed Maks’ season 12 Cha-Cha costume but didn’t fill it out quite as well.
WOW, second week in a row I agree with almost every sentence in these power rankings. I’m starting to feel like Courtney’s in my brain.
I was most impressed with Apolo/Karina last night. The dificulty of the choreography just built and built (great job Karina), and Apolo really handled it well. I was disappointed in their scores, 4th? Really, 4th? I don’t disagree that Sabrina’s routine was technically good, but I thought Apolo’s was just as good and I ENJOYED Apolo’s and Shawn’s more.
And Gilles, while I’m impressed with his powering through the pain, it felt too forced to me. I’m not enjoying watching him nearly as much this year as last time. And that weird moment being interviewed, painful to watch. I actually flipped the channel for a few seconds, it was that off-putting. Apolo better start getting the scores he deserves or I’m going to start getting pissed.
[...] Court: Said it would be Bristol & Drew in the bottom 2, with Drew getting sent home. [...]
Well, here’s the deal re: Mark breaking hold and also Derek going hairspray versus full on Jive content. First off, both guys are musicians – good ones. They always have a tendency to choose what works with the dance they see in their head for a given piece of music. BUT even more so this season than any other, all the pros have to start playing the game that Derek plays. You have to find the fine line between pissing off the judges and being MEMORABLE. Sometimes, it’s more memorable if you break a rule. Hell, Derek was nominated for an Emmy for a dance that Len shit all over. Sure, you can focus really hard, not break any rules and do a good dance – but is that enough this season?? I’m sure Tony never breaks the rules. Bet Louis never does either. But how many dances of theirs are considered “iconic” or “memorable” (even in a bad way)? And how many times have they won again??
The difference between Mark and Derek is that Derek will full on break the rules and then take full blame for the scores they get. Mark, on the other hand, breaks the rules and pouts over a bad score, let’s his partner pout over a bad score and then whines about how others didn’t get called on it. SUCK IT UP, MARK. You take the risk, you have the potential to be punished.
I call bullshit on Amanda. Derek never said a peep about a back problem. *I* didn’t know his back hurt already this season until BROOKE mentioned it to him.
Sloppy.
Heidi I agree with pretty much everything you said, but when Mark brooke the quickstep rules with Shawn , and the judges were saying that they brooke the rules, He said to carrie an “I brooke the rules”. And that routine was one of Shawn’s best dances and one my favorites.
Both derek and Mark knows when to break the rules, Mark was also nominated to a emmy in the dances with Chelsie Kane that he brooke the rules as weel.
This is a tv show not a actual ballroom competition I could care less if they are on hold, I wanna se great dance, but better than Tony’s and Loues boring old style stuff.
lmao at the Gilles interview. I tell ya, I truly believe that if he keeps that attitude up he will-not-win. What we see is what we get and I don’t think he’ll succeed. I kind of want Peta to fail, yeah.
laila, what I was saying was that then Mark then whines about it. He didn’t whine on the show but in the media after the show, even claiming that others broke hold in the middle and did’t get called on it. I don’t think that is even true, but I think Courtney was going to look to be sure.
Bristol and Mark broke hold during her Tango as well during season 11….they called called out by Len. Mark knew, didn’t care, knows they wont pass half way mark. I bet he actually hoped to get off show last night so he would have to deal with questions or the cast if ….IF what Bristol mentioned in her book was true ….that the others did acknowledge them, rolled eyes at them, etc. Mark loves Kym and he knows she should still be there and not him.
Tony and Louis never won because they never had a partner like Nicole or Jennifer. Seriously, do you think they had a chance? When you’re paired with a celebrity who gets tons of votes and dances quite good, you win the MBT.
Seriously, do YOU think they didn’t have a chance, chest87? What about Melissa & Stacey? Guess poor Tony never had a chance with them, since they were such crummy dancers that just couldn’t get any votes. *eye roll* Surely it couldn’t be the fact that his choreography looks elementary & boring compared to what some of the other pros have done! Oh, and poor, poor Louis – getting stuck with slouches like Monique Coleman, Kelly Osbourne, & Kendra Wilkinson. He never stood a chance at the MBT with any of them!!!
I love when people who’ve never posted here before come barging in, and act like they’re somehow schooling the rest of us on how this show works – only they’re spouting nonsense we’ve already disproven MULTIPLE time. Keep dreamin’, my friend…
IMO, and I’m afraid to say it because I know many people loved her, I found Jennifer to be pretty unlikable on the show with the whining (I know she was injured, I know they were dealing with a lot), I think she was able to win because she had a pro who created some beautiful dances that she was capable of and the pro made her look beautiful. Sure the whole dirty dancing thing would have gotten her part of the way through likely with any pro but not all the way imo. Even Nicole, people wanted to not like her, many didn’t. She’s such an easy excuse for some of the pros.
Jess, what’s funny is how SOME pros bitch and moan about how other people get “better” partners, yet from some of the celebs own mouths, they request certain pros…or should I say preferred certain ones at time of signing on lol.
If Kirstie said, “Yeah, I’ll do all stars, but I want to dance with the troupe member Henry, who did that sexy dance with Maria and Derek…” We just might be watchin’ Henry lol.
DISPROVED? MULTIPLE times? By whom?
You’re saying Kendra, Kelly, Melissa and Stacy were as good as and as popular as Nicole?
If so, then you’re saying that Derek’s choreography with Lil Kim, Joanna and Shannon were elementary and boring….
Troll alert. Someone get the Raid and the air freshener.
sheery, I wouldn’t mind watching Henry
WTF does Derek’s choreography with Lil Kim, Joanna, and Shannon have to do with ANYTHING? Way to prove absolutely NOTHING, except that you have no real argument here. I said nothing like that, by the way, so don’t put words in my mouth.
And I said that I think writing off partners like Melissa, Stacey, & Kelly is a cop-out, considering all 3 made it to the finale and were certainly NOT terrible dancers. Don’t think they were popular? Then who the hell was voting for them all that time? And Kendra & Monique weren’t dog meat, either – both lasted to at least the midpoint of the competition, even thought they weren’t necessarily the best dancers on their seasons.
I’m gonna write you off as just another moron who tries to cry foul for “poor Tony & Louis, they never get anyone good!” instead of actually using your brain an acknowledging that they both have had partners that had the potential to win – and yet, when it came time to really prove something, their choreography let their partners’ down.
And really, your initial point about popularity + good dancing = winning – DUH. But it’s not something that someone just waltzes into the competition with and then waltzes out with the MBT. They still have to actually work for it, Chest – they have to put in the practice time, actually deliver on the dance floor, build a good chemistry with their partner, and put on a friendly face in the media. In turn, their pros have to work to better their skills and give them good choreography – both aspects that Tony & Louis seem to neglect.
Oh boy Chest – you better run like hell. You’ve stumbled upon a site where the mods actually knows what they’re talking about. And even us non-mods don’t take kindly to folks coming here telling us all what to think and not think. You’re in the wrong place, my friend. Might I recommend the ABC boards to you? I think you’ll feel right at home there.
THIS^^
I have wondered if certain celebs this season would only sign if they were partnered with so-and-so? I know that goes on in the regular seasons, but I wonder if that is the case this season as well? Anyone have any insight?
BTW – I’m looking forward to Henry becoming a Pro …
@Princess Heidi, I don’t understand your definition of “iconic” and/or “memorable”? Are you talking about “top 10 dances” in the 200th episode? Or is it just your opinion? Each audience/fan has his/her own “iconic/memorable” dance. Like, I think Melissa & Sabrina’s dances are the most memorable dances this season.
Y’know, whenever I hear complaining about “So-and-so always gets the good partners!!! UGGGGHHHH!!! Why can’t [insert pro here who hasn't won yet] get a winner???!!”, I have to think to myself “These must have been the kids that got wayyyy too many participation trophies back in elementary school.” Should we just start giving everyone MBT’s at the end of every season, regardless of how well they danced or how well they were liked? Since it’s not fair for one pro to keep winning, and they should let other pros have a turn? Clearly he/she must be getting all the “good” partners – so let’s come up with a precise scientific algorithm that ensures that each pro gets at least one FANTASTIC partner. We’ll do extensive research into fanbase and skill level, come up with a foolproof (nonexistent) equation, and rotate the high-scorers in those categories amongst the pros. Screw how well they look together, and whether or not they have chemistry – those are secondary to how well the celeb dances and how popular they already are. So let’s see…maybe we put 4’11″, 20-year-old Shawn Johnson with 6’1, almost 40 Tony, and how bout we put 6′ Laila Ali with 5’6″ Louis? Cause who cares how that looks on the floor – all that’s important is passing around the MBT, right? Giving everyone a shot? Screw the audience and whether or not they tune in to see mismatched partnerships – this show is ALL ABOUT getting Tony & Louis that MBT!!!
The show is never going to be 100% fair. Life is never going to be 100% fair. As far as I see it, these pros (and their fans) can either spend their time bitching & moaning about how they never get “good” partners (which I’m sure their past partners would just LOVE to hear), or these pros can get busy coming up with the best choreography they can, and turning the partners they’re given into bona fide dancers. As for their fans – which is a better use of time? Trolling websites to complain about the pros that keep winning…or using that time to create more verified accounts to vote for your favorite with?
“WTF does Derek’s choreography with Lil Kim, Joanna, and Shannon have to do with ANYTHING?”
Derek couldn’t take them to the finale. And he had a chance with Ricki Lake but couldn’t take the MBT.
Melissa & Stacy were popular but not as much as Gilles, Shawn and Drew…
“In turn, their pros have to work to better their skills and give them good choreography – both aspects that Tony & Louis seem to neglect.”
Good choreography like Ricki’s freestyle? Derek never had a partner like Wendy, Kate, Martina, Margaret…
“Derek couldn’t take them to the finale. And he had a chance with Ricki Lake but couldn’t take the MBT.”
Lil Kim was a recently-released convict. Joanna was a name known almost exclusively only to men subscribing to Playboy. Shannon was famous for one movie that was almost 10 years old at the time. And yet he STILL managed to get two of the 3 to the semifinals, and one to the halfway point of the season. Oh, they didn’t make it to the finals? Let’s see…Kim was up against an Olympian, a hot guy, and a woman recently scorned on national television. Joanna was up against a very formally trained dancer, a reality tv bad girl who had done a complete 180, and quite possibly the biggest fanbase ringer the show has ever seen. Shannon? She got beaten by an Olympian, a football player, a hot guy, a famous Broadway actress, and a current R&B star. Ricki Lake (who had been out of the spotlight for quite awhile) was beated by a reality tv star from a juggernaut franchise and a wounded US Army veteran/soap opera actor. Do you want me to rattle off all of the arguably more popular people they outlasted in their respective seasons? You need to let go of this notion that popularity is everything on DWTS, chest – it’s clearly not.
“Melissa & Stacy were popular but not as much as Gilles, Shawn and Drew…”
Do I need to remind you that Gilles entered the competition as the person that no one really had heard of? He DEVELOPED his popularity throughout the competition…which is what each and every celeb needs to do if they want to stick around on DWTS. I don’t give a rat’s ass who was more popular during week 1 – obviously Stacy managed to have enough fans that it got her to the finale.
“Good choreography like Ricki’s freestyle? Derek never had a partner like Wendy, Kate, Martina, Margaret…
Wendy = extremely well-known daytime talk show host. Kate = extremely well-known, current reality star. Martina = legendary athlete. Margaret = well-known comedian. They were obviously popular. All Tony & Louis had to do was teach them to dance – and don’t try and tell me they were worse than Kim the convict, Shannon with 2 left feet, or Maria that looked like Bambi on ice. And honey, Ricki’s freestyle would have won up to the nonsensical one the Louis choreographed for Kelly, or that slow, kindergarten excuse for a freestyle Tony choreographed for Stacy.
Joanna Krupa…
I still cry foul when people name Margaret as a horrible dancer. I recall her doing pretty darn good the first week before Louis decided to put comedy into it and after that, its Luke Margaret adapted a sort of “I have to always be comedic” attitude. But the first half of the V. Waltz did not stink. Margaret IMO was the dancer that could’ve been.
I go away for a while and Court is playing with an idiot who is bringing out every stupid assed moronic argument that we’ve had 500 times?? I love her – always picking up after me while I’m gone.
Good to have you back Heidi and just wanted to say Courtney did an amazing job. I just have to add I was so disappointed in the results show. Bristol should have gone. She was my pick so I was another one who had my prediction wrong. What made it worse was she wasn’t even in the bottom. What is wrong with some of these voters? The producers should have thought a lot more before bringing her back and it makes me wonder what will happen with this season. To have Helio in the bottom (a past winner) and her safe made me sick.
Well, clearly BomDia, the celebs are picking iconic dances – where did they get them from?? Derek and Joanna’s is one, Helio and Julianne’s is one. I doubt VERY much that any of the SIX dances Sabrina did were iconic and I’m pretty certain that none of Tony and Melissa’s were. Now, one of the celebs could pick one of those dances…unless they were given a list.
I’m late commenting on this post because Bristol has already been eliminated, but I just wanted to say I thought Courtney’s post on all the couples was insightful and brilliant, and I agreed with it all. Of course, if I had written it, it would not have been even a little bit as insightful or brilliant, so thank you to Courtney, once again! I think you should be a judge on the show!
Thanks, Gail, but I’m not actually back, I just got back to my hotel at a reasonable hour and the wifi is working. Can’t do much actual blogging though, since all I have is this iPad with me.
I hate to say it, but the people who get the most attention for personality and controversy are Kirstie and Bristol and they are still on the show. The voters chose Joey over Bristol, which says a lot for her following. I wonder how things will fare next week though; I can’t wait! My DISH coworker comes over each week so our families can watch together; a tradition that is years old. We save the episodes so we can have a “favorites” night at the end of the season with our top 4 episodes before we watch the finale results. My Hopper has enough room to store hundreds of shows in HD, so I can enjoy my favorite shows again rather than having to get the DVD’s.
Well, those dances(iconic/memorable) are usually the dances of winners. Or trainwrecks like Master P., Carson or Kate. Who can forget the paparazzi paso? Lol.
Anyways, what I’m trying to say is, just because some pro’s dances are not in the top 10 dance list, or are not that famous doesn’t mean they are boring and/or elementary. Because I think Chelsie, Lacey, Tony, Louis, Dmitry, Karina and many other pros had great dances. But of course, they didn’t had many chances to show their choreography skills. But anyway, I’m glad they’re showing how great their choreography can be with partners like Sabrina, Melissa and Apolo.