PureDWTS Season 17, Week 9 – Power Rankings
Just a quick side note before I break down last night’s show: after perusing Facebook & Instagram last night and witnessing some of the irrational and illogical outrage from some viewers following Liz’s elimination (and Bill’s continued presence), I have to say – I’m so grateful for our intelligent, logical, and rational readers here at Pure 🙂 Consider this an early addition to my “things that I am thankful for” list that my family usually recites when we sit down to Thanksgiving dinner – I am thankful for the fact that our readers understand how this show works, and their level of intellectual maturity prevents them from shooting their mouths off and making utter and complete fools of themselves on social media because they have no control over their knee-jerk emotional impulses. So from me to you guys – thank you for not making me bang my head against a wall in frustration 🙂 The level of stupid on Facebook & Instagram…it hurts…
…moving right along, there was some definite iffy scoring last night, and the judges seemed to be trying like hell to shield both Liz and Leah…although the former seemed to be beyond help, as she got sent home. Can’t say that any of us were terribly surprised by it – we’ve been saying since before the show started that Liz seems to have a problem connecting to the viewing audience, and her lack of relevance in recent years might have contributed to her struggle for votes. I also wonder if her bizarre (and kinda self-indulgent…) jazz routine last week contributed to her downfall – I saw a few remarks about how her demand to change the song at the last minute seemed a little “diva-ish”. Plus that dance was just really a stinker. She had an ok-to-decent night last night – her Viennese waltz, while a bit overwrought with emotion, was actually pretty nice to watch; thought the choreography for her salsa trio was a bit odd (what was with that “cradling the baby” move they all three were doing for what seemed like a long ass time???) and there were a few timing issues (which, of course, the judges conveniently missed), but was overall a relatively decent effort for the trio round. But in the end – she just didn’t get the votes, just like Christina, Snooki, & Brant. Sh*t happens, kids.
1.) Corbin & Karina – Corbin finally seemed to regain his stride this week with two good dances. I thought he may have gotten nitpicked to death on his waltz (then again, just about everyone did the first round, except the golden girl, Leah), as I found it to be near-flawless – even Mama Spence remarked that he seems to really “get” the concept of rise and fall, and does it without even thinking. Thought they got a bit shafted with their song choice – “Apologize”? Which has been used as a rumba several times on this show? So what are they doing now – just picking random non-dance-appropriate songs and saying “Hey Harold, can you tweak the arrangement of this one so it’s a waltz?” Reminds me of a CD I had back when I first started doing ballroom that had “My Heart Will Go On” rearranged as all the different dances – there was even a paso doble version! But anyway. I think they owned the trio round, by far – I thought their jazz trio was the most interesting and engaging to watch, and was the only trio where the celeb really seemed to dominate. I had to chuckle to myself as I was watching, as I had heard a lot of complaints about them picking Witney – apparently some think she “steals the show” – but I barely even noticed Witney this time, because Corbin was just owning the whole damn thing. I barely noticed Karina, either – but since the whole point of the trio is to showcase the celeb, I think they succeeded. Barring any nitpicking-to-death by the judges next week (and who knows what those knuckleheads are going to do), I think he ought to be headed to the finale.
2.) Amber & Derek – I kinda feel bad for Amber, because I feel like her knee injury is really starting to limit her movement – she’s doing the best she can, no doubt, but I’m really starting to notice how she has to baby her knees while dancing. Thought her quickstep was cute and she sold it well (as she does with every dance, every week), but she seemed to move really, really tiny and cautious during the stationary sections, and because she was moving so gingerly, she seemed to get a little off-time and off-kilter. And in a routine that was that short – I think she probably needed to really make a splash. Still thought the judges nitpicked her to death, though – and the fact that she 3 points less than Leah, who has moved itty-bitty each & every week? Ridiculous. I enjoyed her trio – it was cute, and I think the choreography was clever in that it was fun to watch while still keeping Amber relatively stationary. Could it have used a little more hip action? Sure. But I also think Liz’s salsa trio was totally off-time (which is an even bigger offense in my mind) and she still managed to get a 30…so why saddle Amber with a 27? I’m guessing the judges are trying to make things look like a tight race headed towards the semifinals and finals, so they’re really nitpicking to death the couples that stand the best chance of advancing…and they’re babying the ones that aren’t so likely to do so.
3.) Leah & Tony – *gritting teeth* I can’t believe these two knuckleheads are still here, let alone that I have them this high on the list – but with each week that passes and Leah gets coddled by the judges for non-event dances, the more I’m convinced that they’ve decided that they need her in the finale. Seriously, no other couple last night got as babied as these two – everyone else either got nitpicked to death (Corbin, Amber, Jack) or totally hosed (Bill), and Leah got a tongue bath a cushy scores once more. That tango had so little impact, at one point Mama Spence looked over at me and said “Wait…what dance are they doing again?” It was that “small” and soft that she could not even figure out what dance it was supposed to be. And then that trio – I’m sure Tony just thought he was the most clever & innovative choregrapher ever for coming up with that nonsense. But herein lies the fishy part: do you think any of the couples would be ballsy enough to poke fun at the judges…unless they knew they were safe? Just food for thought. If it were me, just knowing how petty the judges can be (Carrie Ann in particular), I wouldn’t have chanced it. But anyway – once again, Leah barely moves, and her kicks & flicks looked more like what I do to nudge the cat away from food that has dropped on the floor than it did proper jive technique. Tony & Henry did all the heavy lifting, and Leah just stood there, barely moving, and looking smug…likely because she knew she wasn’t gonna get called out for anything. I’ve been saying it for weeks, but I’ll say it again: Leah needs to get gone…like yesterday. But now I’m legitimately worried that they’ve decided to coddle her all the way into the finale, and that she stands a decent chance of ousting one of the two frontrunners (Corbin & Amber) for 2nd place. Blech.
4/5.) TIE: Jack & Cheryl and Bill & Emma – Both couples gave a valiant effort last night, but I worry that they simply don’t fit into the judges’ “dream finale” and thus will probably get hosed next week. Which sucks, because I’d rather see either of these two over Leah, ANY DAY. Jack seemed to own the ballroom round, and has really hit a nice stride heading into these last few weeks – really extends his arms, has a great sense of timing, and nails the rise and fall. Just lovely to watch. Thought he & Cheryl’s samba trio with Sharna was cute & funny – and the best they could have done given that they got one of the hardest dances to do a trio with. Going the comedy route was probably a wise choice – sure, there could have been more hip action, and maybe he got a little bit off-time, but I was still smiling as I watched it 🙂 God bless Bill & Emma – they know they’re going to get hosed pretty much every week, but they still go out there and give it their all, and make it fun to watch nonetheless. Thought the Charleston had a cute theme and Bill did the best he could with it – but really, Charleston is one of those dances I really can’t judge anyone too harshly on, because it’s not exactly easy to pick up and there’s not a whole lot to it. I’d just assume get rid of it completely on the show, but you know that won’t happen. Loved the trio with Peta for it’s ridiculous train-wreck appeal – that song was absolute crap, and the dance they had to do to it was absolute crap…so they gave the judges absolute, trippy, hiliarous crap 🙂 It was self-acknowledgingly bad – all three of them knew it, and were in on the joke. I think that was part of the appeal – the Katy Perry-esque costumes for the girls, and Bill in all his Willy Wonka’d glory. It was AWESOMELY bad 🙂 I think it’s quite obvious which of these two the judges want gone (Bill) and who they want to stay (Jack) – but next week, who’s gonna have the votes to pull them through to the finale? I think Bill has proven he’s got some decent voting leverage (enough to negate the hosing from the judges), but will it be enough to get back the points Jack will likely get from the judges? Will either of them have the juice to oust Leah? Time will tell, I guess…
So what did you guys think of last night’s show? Where do you think the couples stand headed into the semifinals?
Great job again Court. Here’s what I wrote after the show last night:
What a crazy night!! At the end I was left with love and hate feeling.
Combining both dances, this is how I would have ranked the couples;
1. Karina and Corbin – They were spot on tonight. I especially loved their Waltz. I think it was smart to stick to technique and they were angelic, passionate, and romantic. Karina was a like a butterfly out there and her choreography was out of this world. I loved the quirkiness of their trio dance too. He really turned on the entertainment factor.
Elizabeth and Val – I would have put these two in second if they had made it. Elizabeth seemed to really let go of any insecurities and worries. Their individual dance was so elegant, passionate, and beautiful…and yet, had this uniqueness with the stops and clever choreography. Their trio dance was full on fun. I thought she and Gleb were especially sexy in rehearsals which made me wonder how far they would have come if they had been paired together instead of she with Val?
2. Amber and Derek – Week after week and no matter what conditions, I can’t get enough. Even with her knee issues, they persevere and always leave me wanting more. Their performance value was over the top. I loved the choreography for both dances…so creative, clever, and fun. I especially loved the move when all three of them bent down and danced from their knees for the trio dance. Also, I can’t imagine what that energy had to feel like for Amber with Mark and Derek creating and dancing all around her. And wow, was Derek not hot rehearsing without his shirt or what?!!! 😯
3. Jack and Cheryl – Once again, I loved these two. Their Waltz was just beautiful and captivating. I couldn’t take my eyes off of them. His moves were all point on and Cheryl looked so beautiful. He wasn’t as good in the trio dance, but, it was full of fire and fun. It was great seeing Sharna again and her input. She played the perfect tigress!
4. Tony and Leah – As much as this pains me to say (because I’m still not a fan and I pray they don’t make the finals), these two seemed a little better this week in their individual dance. However, were they 9 worthy? Not even! However, I loved their trio dance. Henry really added that extra spice they needed.
5. Emma and Bill – Once again, these two are a pure delight. Yes, there were technique and timing issues throughout both dances, but, who cares. They breathe life, joy, and heart into this show week after week. Sometimes it’s not always about technique…it’s about having that unexplainable x factor too.
I am so sick of the judging. If you’re going to judge a dance competition you base your scores on the entire competition.. Not the individual. If Corbin, Amber, Jack or even Bill danced that jive last night they would’ve been slammed.
Just a question about the finale, since you’ve brought it up now: Are we going to have a 3 or 4 couple finale? DWTS has limited a lof of info this season to where it seems to me that everything is on a need to know basis (even more so this season that previous seasons, I feel). And there’s been no mention of a double elimination next week…but there’s also been no talk of a 4 couple finale. At least, not anything I’ve seen here on Pure.
In the elimination, Tom said not necessarily the bottom two. Could this mean Bill & Emma were not in the bottom two?
I strongly disliked Elizabeth and Val,their awkwardness almost reminded me of Hope and Maks! However, I was shocked last night! I thought she,Amber,and Corbin would be in the finals for sure!
Amber and Derek were incredible and I’m just going to be honest,I hope these two win! They are the greatest performers this season and I think that’s what we,the viewers at home, see,not the technique! These two just need one perfect score,and I think that MBT is theirs!
Corbin and Karina were great last night as well,but Carrie Ann’s comment about their jazz being the best dance in the show’s history was a bit too much! Don’t get me wrong that was one of the best and that Viennese waltz was just breathtaking! Love those two!
Leah and Tony just straight up get on my nerves, I don’t get why people are voting…anywho Jack has really surprised all throughout this season,probably the most improved. And Bill need I say more? Bill is the heart if the show!
From SEASON FREAKING ONE there has always been a popularity contest. Am I really the only one who remembers Kelly vs. John O’ Hurley? Where his popularity caused the stupid redo? Most times, the best technical dancer hasn’t won the trophy. Mario Lopez, or Mel B, anyone? Was Donny Osmond the best dancer his season? Hell no! But if you don’t literally trip over your feet, and are a fun person, you’re gonna get votes.
The better dancers (like the ones in bands, or with some performance background) are often gonna get the backlash. Mya lost. Mel B lost. Joey Fatone and Lance Bass lost. Sabrina Lost. Brandy lost 😉 All had choreography experience on stage. I’m afriad Corbin’s gonna wind up in that group.
Remember how long Ty Murray lasted? Way too freaking long, IMO, but people liked him. Bill is no different than any other fan favorites. (Personally, I think he can dance better than Ty, and obviously has the fan votes). And can I say how much I love Emma? It’s hard learning to like a new pro, but I really like her.
So, personally, I think Corbin is the best dancer. And I adore Karina. Would love to see her win again. But I have been splitting votes between him and Jack. I’m afraid the anti-ringer backlash is gonna knock Corbin out before the win. Hope I’m wrong, though. And even though they are still there, I personally don’t want Bill or Leah to win. Ideally I’d like Corbin, Amber, and Jack in that order to finish.
And honestly, I think Elizabeth suffered from the same thing that took out Chyna, Kristin Cavallari, and Audrina Patridge. She was nervous and appeared cold or stressed, rather than warm and friendly. Kyle Massey had that personality everyone started rooting for. The acting open and engaging in front of the audience is sometimes just as important as the technical steps.
The analogy of Leah’s kicks & flicks looking like nudging the cat away from food on the floor cracked me up!
Just caught up with everything that happened last night. I agree with your rankings, Courtney. And I totally understand the “gritting teeth” part as I’ve been doing that for many weeks now when it comes to that couple. Still shaking my head why people put the blame on Bill for good dancers getting bumped off. As if Bill controls the voting. Wait–maybe he does? 😉
I’ve been trying to recall any other celeb that has been as overscored as Leah, and I’m having a tough time – maybe Bristol for a long while, or Hope Solo? Perhaps no coincidence in my mind that all three were controversial and seemingly largely unlikable contestants. The judges spooged all over her non-movements – sure she doesn’t move BAD, she just hardly does. The trio concept did make me laugh a lot, but she should have gotten 8’s maximum. But again, hard to do that when you have been giving her too high of scores all along.
Loved Jack’s V. Waltz, I hope he makes the finals – he’s a really easy guy to root for, and I bet a lot of viewers have even forgotten that this is a guy with MS to boot.
I was amongst the people that were really nervous about Witney’s camera mugging, but truthfully I never even looked at Karina and Witney – Corbin commanded that performance. Sure he’s a trained dancer, but he’s also a fantastic performer and really sold the pleasure of that routine.
I feel so bad for Amber, and I can’t help but think “what could have been” if injury wasn’t plaguing her. Like Ralph Macchio, I fear it’s coming at a bad time and while I’m pretty sure she’ll still make the finals, I just wonder how much she’s going to be able to put into it once there. She should be proud of herself, and I really enjoyed their trio dance – love it when Derek and Mark work together.
Bill is great, and fun – just stop with the horrid music, please! I am glad Emma gives him roles for each of his dances, as that seems to help a great deal.
Elizabeth did seem like a nice person, and wow did she really hit it off with Gleb – and he looked amazeballs in that studio, no wonder Val didn’t want him to work out this week, haha. I know she’s a good dancer but I never really enjoyed her performances – I think in part because I don’t like her lower leg movement, and partially because while I think SOME height is wonderful for lines, and theoretically hers should be divine, my own aesthetic tastes is for ladies of average dancer height (like the pros – 5’4 to 5’7 or thereabouts) than the super long ones. So while I feel bad that she’s gone, I never really loved her dances either – and as I posted elsewhere, that jazz routine was really the nail in the coffin. It blew.
OH! And I read elsewhere a complaint about Corbin’s trio being too much about him and not enough Karina and Whitney/Witney/Whitley/Wendy 😉
THAT’s WHAT YOU SHOULD DO! I hate and DESPISE when the pros CoughPetaCough use their celeb as a pole and dance the whole time around them. Your job as a pro should be to teach them to dance, not choreograph a dance around a male celeb who takes 2 steps and then everyone is watching and judging the female pro. So the solos the celebs do, is what the pros should be focusing on. Not stealing the spotlight CoughMarkBallasCough and overdancing your partner.
Honestly, if Corbin makes it to the finals, I’m worried about a freestyle. Because that jazz was like freestyle quality. Karina usually does fine with freestyles, but they raised the bar pretty high with that. If they’re doing hiphop, I’d be calling Twitch/NappyTabs to start helping. If they are doing tap/jazz again, I am worried about the comparison since judges liked last night so much.
I agree with the rankings for the most part. Except I might have put Jack ahead of Leah. It’s hard to put the dances in order, because I might like one dance from a team more than the other; however, I will try.
No doubt about # 1 though.
1. Corbin and Karina – Great dances – loved the waltz, it was sweet and had a nice story behind it (of course they nitpicked) but I am glad the judges couldn’t nick-pick that trio. Damn that was a performance and I agree, Corbin really commanded that, he sold it really well and you couldn’t take your eyes off it.
Here is where it gets tricky.
2. Jack and Cheryl – Jack has really excelled in the ballroom and I enjoyed his first dance more than I did the trio. I feared the girls would overshadow him a little, and I felt they did.
3. Amber and Derek – Amber had set the bar high, but you can see her knee issues are hampering her movements a bit. Quickstep was alright. I enjoyed the trio (2nd favourite of the night) the choreograph was interesting and you can tell, they did it to help with Amber’s knees as she didn’t have to move much around the dance floor.
4. Leah and Tony – I skipped the first dance so I don’t know about it. The trio – very fun concept, but the jive felt a little slow and her movements were small. I think the energy of Henry is what made it.
5. Bill/Emma – I like Bill but these two dances reminded me of his earlier weeks when he was off timing and lacked rhythm. The trio dance was definitely the worse of the two dances. I don’t remember seeing much salsa content (I could be wrong) and I could see the off-timing from the start. I felt they went for the funny instead of getting things a bit cleaner. I did not like the choreography for the trio and felt they could have played more to his strengths. He has definitely done better than this.
Another crazy night. From great individual dances to crazy trio dances, and another shock elimination; the night was pretty entertaining.
1. Corbin & Karina: Corbin really came out on top. His Waltz was full of grace, elegance, and emotion. I was actually crying when it was over. He is definitely shoe in for the finals. As for his Jazz number, it really was the best performance in the show’s history. This dance was truly iconic.
2. Amber & Derek: I feel really bad for Amber at this point. Her knee injury really affected her Quickstep. It would’ve been better if she was more on point with her hold and her upper half. Her Salsa with Mark, on the other hand, was better, but I worry how she’ll do next week.
3. Leah & Tony: Leah has won me over this week. Her Tango was on point, but had some moments that were a little off balance, and a bit unsteady. Her trio Jive with Henry, was the most entertaining of the night. It was an original choice to dress up as the judges, and bring the house down with the entertainment.
4. Jack & Cheryl: Round 1, I was impressed with his Viennese Waltz. It was spot on, and Bruno robbed him of a perfect score. I was easily won over because they danced to Avril Lavigne’s latest hit. As for his trio Samba with Sharna, it was a big mess. I just didn’t get it.
5. Bill & Emma: At this point, he is really just going for quick jokes instead of actual technique. His Charleston was fun to watch, but he seemed to just stomp through the dance. And don’t even get me started with his trio Salsa with Peta. That dance looked like he robbed Katy Perry’s California Gurls music video, and turned it into a really bad parody. I felt like I was getting type 2 diabetes just by watching it.
Elimination: I love and respect Bill, but I don’t think Elizabeth & Val should have eliminated last night. After that sexy Salsa with Gleb, how could that be not enough to make the semi-finals? That was the first time Elizabeth was in jeopardy, while Bill was standing in the danger zone for the third time this season. Bill could be abducted by aliens, and still be safe. Haha
This season just has me baffled. I really feel like I have no idea what is going to happen every week. I’m not upset about who is going home, just the fact that Leah is still there.
1- Corbin & Karina: Overall, he’s moving in the right direction. Jazz routine was great, as expected. I think as Courtney mentioned, I think I liked this trio the best because I was really focused on him.
2- Jack & Cheryl: I just love this partnership. This is the Cheryl that I’ve been missing for the past few seasons. I really really hope they make it to the finals.
3- Amber & Derek: This is the couple I’ve been voting for all along, but I feel myself wanting to root for Jack and Cheryl at this point. And I just worry about her injury. If you have to keep pushing it and stepping it up, how is she going to do so? I just get the impression that she’s continuing on for the sake of it rather than having for or taking care of herself.
4- Leah & Tony: I honestly don’t understand a couple things… 1- WHO is voting for her?! 2- HOW is she getting scored so high? … That jive was a mess. Her kicks and flicks looked like she was jumping on one foot.
5- Bill & Emma: I love the pair. I really do, but I really didn’t enjoy the dances this week as much as I usually do. I just felt like he was walking in place a lot.
Overall, I have NO idea who will go home next week. Not a little bit of a clue. I’m hoping for a double elim though rather than a 4 person finale again. I wish they would just announce it, but I bet they’re waiting till the votes come in to see if they want to get rid of 1 or 2. Damn it, TPTB.
Thank YOU Courtney and all the other mods for hosting this site! I used to post on the ABC boards WAY back when before it got so crazy in there I couldn’t stand it and luckily I found this site. It makes every DWTS season more enjoyable!
I am guessing a 4 person finale because they are doing a two-hour show on Mon 25th. With no elimination that night, having only 3 couples would be stretching it. And they haven’t announced a double elim. But, just a guess, I could be wrong. I am hoping for a double if it would knock Leah out, but if it would also knock Corbin or Amber, then I say no…..lol
The judges manipulation is getting worse every season and it really is making the show not as enjoyable. And their shock was shock at Liz’s elimination but it also was exaggerated for the camera. They constantly mug for the camera, it’s part of the schtick and the entertainment and they also use dramatic antics for media clips.
Amber said in after show media she is going to push harder but also take care of herself. She said she wouldn’t risk permanent damage. Derek isn’t stupid either. They will do what they need to do but not risk the worst. I hope they bring the fire next week in the VWaltz and Jazz. I do think they are getting the votes, they even won the dumb Twitter contest so maybe that is why the judges are so harsh? But it is really getting ridiculous how differently they judges each person. I thought her performances were awesome even if some of the dancing wasn’t her best. Her scores were too low compared to the others. If others had been scored fairly, those scores wouldn’t be as out of line.
Corbin was great, I enjoyed both dances. It was fun to see a great Fosse jazz number on DWTS. I just hope he has the support to go up against the large fanbases of the others. What a tragedy if he wouldn’t make the finale. I need at least one great dancer there who isn’t injured!
Jack did well especially in the Vwaltz. He tried in that samba too. I really enjoy his personality, I hope he can make the finals.
Bill’s dancing really wasn’t very good last night. But the shorelines of the dances are really fun to watch. I do love him and Emma but if someone like Leah wasn’t still around, I would say his time should be up next week. But no, he needs to stay and make everyone smile over Leah. Her attitude in videos, interviews and mediocre dancing is just really putting a damper on the show. I really don’t see her leaving though. She has Argentine Tango and Paso next week. She can act her way to high scores with those. Ugh. That jive trio ONLY made an impact because of the concept. Anything else and it would have been more noticeable how poor it was with no humor to back it up. It really was a smart idea on their part–take away from the poor dancing by having everyone laugh and talk about the fun storyline.
Liz leaving this week did surprise me but I was pretty sure she would be gone before the finals. Her jazz and lack of connection with Val did her in. If they were voting based on last night she might not have left. I didn’t love the waltz, the height difference bothered me still. The salsa trio would have been really good if not for the timing issues. I just really thought she would be better than what she was. Most people didn’t seem to dislike her but also didn’t root or vote for her or love the partnership and that’s what did her in.
Leah is reminding me of Kirstie Alley. She has what they perceive to be “star power” and famous friends which make them want to coddle her and prop her all the way to the end.
Amber’s been my favorite–she’s a star– and I’m worried about that injury. It looks like she could pull up short of being able to compete the final.
Jack’s coming on fast and he could be a dark horse to win. I would guess he’s got good fan support, as did his sister. Whatever he’s getting, he’s earning it with hard work, big progress, and likeability.
Watching this season I haven’t been hit with the anti-Leah feeling I’m seeing all over the net. I don’t really have any axe to grind with her, so when I say her dancing in that jive trio was the worst dancing to ever get 9s in the history of the show, that’s saying something. I couldn’t believe it. I liked the concept of the dance, but the execution was ridiculously amateurish and sluggish. What the heck is going on there???
I like Bill and I’ve been giving him votes, but the past two weeks he looks tired. I actually think his scores have been pretty good. Yeah, the judges are trying to bury him, but mostly with overscoring of Leah and Elizabeth.
Needless to say, I thought Elizabeth was overscored last night. She’s good, but Sabrina Bryan she ain’t, so if the judges hadn’t been overscoring Liz and puffing her up with their comments, her elimination last night might have come off like less of a shock.
Agree Corbin’s waltz was nitpicked. I thought it was exquisite.
I could see his jazz number was phenomenal, but I wasn’t feeling it. Possibly because he’s one of the biggest ringers in the history of the show. I like him very much, so nothing personal, but let’s face it, he’s a ringer.
The celebrity with the most dance experience most often loses the final. Derek was able to get past that with Nicole Scherzinger by raising the bar on himself and Nicole. Those four dances they did in the final week were amazeballs, even for two people with that much experience, so that would be the strategy and the level Karina’s going to have to come up with if she and Corbin are going to actually win this.
I even think there’s some possibility Corbin may not be doing all that great with voters due to the ringer issue. After seeing Bill’s fans cover a fourteen point spread to get him past Elizabeth–with some possibility he had gotten over others as well, since Tom gave the “not necessarily bottom two” disclaimer–Corbin could be in trouble, too. We won’t have long to wait to find out since we’re down to the wire, but I’m not convinced Corbin is a lock for the final. Amber, Jack, and Leah all have better built-in fan bases from their tv shows.
It was really impressive when Kelly Monaco’s fans covered a ten point spread to save her from last place on the leaderboard to knock out Sabrina Bryan who was in first on the leaderboard that week. Bill’s fans did better than that last night, so there’s no telling how far they can take him. The judges need to give up on trying to bury him (it’ll only make them look worse and worse) and stop getting into battles with the fans. Judges can be replaced, but fans, not so much.
@KayLee, I urge you to look for the DANCING BY THE NUMBERS posts here on this site. At the top of the page, look for PURE DWTS FEATURES and click there, and then scroll down to the Dancing By The Numbers tab. PH puts A LOT of time and effort into the posts, and she ALWAYS does a great job showing us (again and again and again and again) why the points spread may not matter. The more the judges overscore the people they want to keep, the more points they give out. And that means, the percentages between one person and the next decreases. Which means less fan votes are needed for lower-judge-ranked celebrities to overcome some higher-judge-ranked celebrities. And she’s already been warning us many times this season, that last night’s results could happen. She’s got a great understanding of how the elimination process works, and a spreadsheet, and she’s not afraid to use them.
Donna – IMO, at least Kirstie was entertaining… YMMV, natch ;-D
@Codebear – Very interesting. I missed that.
I can’t really rank the dancers this week due to the fact that I got pissed at the judges and I didn’t watch the entire show. Thanks everyone for all your hard work keeping us informed. 🙂
I think Tom’s said all season that it was “not necessarily the bottom two”, and I correct? Meaning TPTB can put anyone else there as the last one still standing, to either garner sympathy from the voters thinking that they really weren’t safe, or to peeve off most of their viewers thinking that the last one standing is the only one to blame for the elimination, thus making them not vote so they don’t go any further…..
Lori, very interesting (about the scoring). will definitely have a look.
Yeah there’s been no true bottom two at all this season, but the producers have clued people in to who is not getting votes (Brant, Christina, Elizabeth) by placing them in jeopardy.
Plus with eliminations like Elizabeth, it makes for a much more interesting story if you pit Bill as the guy that has taken out all the better dancers rather than knowing that she was struggling to get votes all along.
I knew it!
I just got a chance to watch last night’s show and I had a feeling last week that Liz was going to go before Leah and Bill. Bummed that she went before Leah but not surprised. I said I couldn’t see where Liz’s fan base was just like Brant.
I’m thinking the final three may be Corbin, Leah (gulp) and Jack.
I’m having a bad feeling Leah may push Amber out. I can’t rule Amber out of the final three, especially with Derek being her partner but I think Leah’s fan base will outdo Amber’s and her bad knees make nervous to vote her through just to watch her blow out her knees. I also think Jack is more likable than Amber and has improved a great deal since he first started. And I like the new ( err old, old) Cheryl.
I’m really nervous to see what happens. I think it may be Bill, then Amber next.
Honestly I think last night Bill may have shown a little bit of regression in his dance ability, maybe just enough for the general audience to not throw him as many votes. Maybe not, and I hope he sticks around instead of Leah, but I have a feeling that the judges Jive of hers would have delighted a lot of people (despite her mediocre performance) and will propel her into the finals over him or maybe Jack (we’ll see if it’s a three or four person final, too).
1. CORBIN AND KARINA – first dance beautiful, second absolutely PERFECTION. Best of the night for me.
2. Elizabeth and Val – again first dance was stunning, second was sexy,hot and her personal best. Unfortunately she is gone. 🙁
3. Jack and Cheryl- Fabulous first dance and entertaining second dance.
4. Amber and Derek – First dance good, but not great, but still not the worst. Second dance good, but not great. I expected more.
5. Bill and Emma – FABULOUSLY ENTERTAINING. I don’t give a hoot about the stupid scores, they just make me smile.
6. Leah and TONY- GO HOME.
Other Thoughts: Watching the show last night made me realize how bad I want Sharna to win next season. Give Sharna a “Corbin” please because she would choreograph some of the best the show has had I can feel it. Secondly, Witney MAKE THIS GIRL A PRO! Not only did she kill the trio but Witney’s mom informed me that she did most of the side by side choreo (when the chorus began “YEAH YEAH” and it was absolutely fabulous) I think her and Henry just earned their pro spots next season. It’s time!
I can’t wait for this week’s Numbers Post, it will definitely shed some light on yesterday’s elimination. A twelve point gap sounds like a lot – but not when the judges awarded points out of a total of 360. The margins were likely razor thin, I would guess a couple hundred votes per million between Bill and Amber.
Did Bill regress a bit? Perhaps. I think it is to the point now that he could kill it on the dance floor and the judges will still count him off. That has actually been said already on here.
Think about it, week after week you go out there bust your butt only to get told you suck, shouldn’t be here, get very rude remarks and pretty much get told they have to “get real” with you because it is the quarter finals. Then turn around and high score a dance that IMO did not deserve anywhere near those scores. At least he attempts to move and he’s having fun with it despite their agenda.
Heck they are doing the same messed up crap to Amber.
Do they all bust their butts? Sure but a majority of them do it with a bit less entitlement and attitude. Look at who they didn’t nitpick last night.
I am in total agreement with Courtney as well as Heidi. And Heidi nailed it when she said if any other couple had done that trio jive they would have been slammed.
Right now Bill and Emma could go out there and do the hokey pokey, get all 0’s from the judges and I would not only still be entertained by him but I would still riot my booty off for him. Unfortunately I see 6 paddles in his future because the 7’s didn’t work in their favor unless they finally realize we actually want him there and I doubt that happening.
And I loves you my pure people. So calm. So nice. And so able to have an intelligent conversation, 😉
Apologies if this has been discussed previously but there have been many comments about DWTS voting strategies on Tony Ortega’s blog. FYI, Tony Ortega is probably THE noisiest and most well-known critic of Scientology. Multiple email addresses and all the usual strategies I assume all the other celeb voting blocks are doing. They seems to see it as “sticking it to David Miscavige” head of Scientology.
Bill had a 16 point disadvantage over Elizabeth and Jack and 14 point disadvantage over Leah.
What a shock! I never would have predicted that outcome.
Amber/Derek – I just don’t get it. A 24? I’m beginning to worry that she’s not going to make it to the finals. And if she isn’t one that does, it’s scary to think who will be there instead of her. She is obviously in a lot of pain with her knees, but she did great with that dance. I loved her trio dance. Nice to hear that the judges liked it.
Leah/Tony – Tony really needs to get lessons on dressing his partner from someone. She looked hideous in that high neck, long sleeved dress. And that tango was boring. They’re both boring. And now instead of hearing I don’t have any dance experience, we’re getting I’m a contender. No, you’re not. How in the world did that dance get a better score than Amber? Why do they like her so much? At least we were spared seeing JLo in the audience. As far as their trio, I liked Henry but that’s about it. Watching them suck up to the judges was not my idea of a good time.
Corbin/Karina – I liked his first dance. It was much better than the dance from Game of Thrones. I really liked their trio. I don’t think Karina has done a trio I haven’t liked.
Jack/Cheryl – My hope was to see him and Bill in the semi-finals and that’s happened. I would like to see someone like Jack win it. He’s a lot like Rob Kardashian. Everyone counted him out early, including me, but he’s doing a good job. I liked both of their dances.
Bill/Emma – I adore these two. He’s come so far since week 1. I’m shocked he made it through another week. The judges have made it clear they’re done with him.
Elizabeth/Val – She made the wrong move last week by changing her song at the last minute and ending up with the mess they had. I can’t say I’m sorry to see her go because I’m not. Another season Val was given a ringer and didn’t get the win. And I think viewers are really, really tired of the TPTB and the judges manipulating everything.
As I mentioned before, if Leah makes it to the finals, I will not watch. I would not be able to look at her smug face, listen to her attitude and watch Tony’s nauseating smile. Because if she makes it to the finals, she’s going to win. I don’t have any doubt about that and I won’t have the stomach or desire to watch that.
Unfortunately, I do think Bill will go next week as much as I hate to see it. The TPTB and the judges have to be beyond pissed that he’s still there. It would be so great if he managed to pull out one more week and Leah went home before him. That would really send a message to the show.
I just spit out my drink at the comparison to Leahs kicks and your cat..Hilarious lol.
I’m beginning to think that Leah could sit on the floor and let Tony dance around her and she’d still get 9s. I’ve never seen a celeb get this far with this little talent/effort/personality. It’s stunning.
And it’s sad that TPTB seem to set Bill up to take the hate each week, when it’s clear that it’s Leah that should have been gone long ago.
The difference between Kirstie and Leah is that Kirstie had a decent personality and a good attitude. Leah doesn’t have either.
Yeah, Kirstie and Leah are interesting comparisons – both have pros that are uneven in their performance (although I by FAR prefer Maks to Tony) and pros that seem to reflect the personality of their partner – to a fault – but in Kirstie’s case with Maks, even people that weren’t fans of him usually LOVED their chemistry and her humor. She also didn’t have any sense of “woe is me” or entitlement, and she showed vulnerability and gratefulness while still not being TOO serious about anything. Also interesting that one is a devout Scientologist and the other a rogue former member – both would have at least some people voting for them out of shared belief systems.
I might have to go watch the show again, but I think they’ve been very nice to Bill all season. I don’t think they’ve been particularly harsh. Hell, they’ve been harder on Amber who dances much better – I’m still bugged by the implication that Amber isn’t working as hard as everyone else and they’ve said that twice now. That’s worse than anything they’ve said to Bill and far less accurate, IMO.
My problem isn’t with Bill’s scores. Up until last night he was getting 24’s and that seemed reasonable to me. It’s when you compare it to what Leah is getting that it gets ridiculous. Seriously, Bill is scoring better than other people in his position, but the overscoring of many of the other contestants, Liz included, is out of control.
Lol…glad people understood the cat nudging vs. Leah doing jive metaphor 😛 Just so we’re clear (and no Leah-loving asshats with an axe to grind with me try to start sh*t), I don’t actually kick my cat – it’s more of a nudge with my foot to keep him away from food that falls on the floor. He’s a little bit roly-poly and has developed a taste for people food, so sometimes I have to deter him (gently) from sucking it up like a little furry vacuum. 😛
I’m really starting to get mad every week because Leah never goes home!! Ugh what is it that is making her stay there.
that Jive was terrible to watch! She needs to go home!! I dont know who is voting for her but they need to stop.
Amber oh How i feel bad for her, her poor injury and shes still being a trooper and getting through each dance. Hope her MRI went through alright and she can dance her jazz and V.waltz well!
Bill is such a goofball always puts a smile on my face with his dancing!!
Corbin and karina did a good job last night but i saw more hip hop than jazz at times IMO
Jack did alright, wasnt too great for me
wonder if there will be a double elimination next week and im guessing they will keep leah again…
Sounds like the MRI went well. Both Amber and Derek are sounding very positive on twitter right now. Amber says she’s ready to rehearse and sounds upbeat. And Derek is responding in kind, which is nice because he was looking entirely too stressed (and skinny) the other night.
Nice to hear about Amber’s MRI. Now I hope they go out and kill both dances next week. Go Amber, Go Corbin, Go Jack. I’m a 64 year old woman and have watched DWTS religiously from the beginning. There is always one celebrity who is a downer each season. This time it’s Leah. I hope my age group isn’t voting for her.
Courtney I completely agree with your rankings and all you had to say.
Corbin – I may be in the minority here because I don’t mind ringers. I like Corbin a lot and just love watching him dance. I like him as a person as well. If anything I think because he is a ringer the judges have been harder on him and have nitpicked him to death. Their waltz was breathtaking to me and imo deserved a perfect score. Only Bruno saw it that way. I loved their trio dance because it did put him front and center. That was their first perfect score. I have no idea of his fan base and do fear he may be eliminated next. I personally think that would be a shame to not have him in the finals. Karina has always been my favorite female pro and would have loved to see her get another win.
Amber – have always loved her and want to see her in the finals as well. I am a Glee watcher and I know she has a lot of fans from that show as well as non Glee watchers. I could see how badly she was hurting and she is another one that they have nitpicked to death. She may not have danced as great as she normally does, but no way did they deserve those scores. She put her all into those dances and her personality as always was there. I am happy to hear the good news about the MRI because I was seriously worried about her knees. I do believe she will make the finals.
Jack – loved his VW and Jack is fantastic in ballroom. I really liked that dance. The trio not so much, but of the dancers left I would like to see Jack in the finals.
Leah – I think back to Corbin’s jive and compare it to Leah’s jive in the trio dance. It makes me want to bang my head against the wall and I don’t know how much longer I will be able to watch my once favorite show. The judges have always been questionable to me, but this season I have never seen them more inconsistent. Maybe they have and I’m just forgetting. What’s good for one is not good for another and I could be here all day wondering why they are even judges. When I watched Tony and Leah’s package where he told her he is going to choreograph something really hard because he thinks she can handle it I expected something out of this world. I don’t get it because will someone tell me what was so hard about their Tango? Maybe Leah is feeling better about herself and can move a bit better, but she doesn’t do much moving imo. In the package again Tony’s smugness about getting 3 tens with Melissa and thinking he could do it again just rubbed me the wrong way. It may have been humorous, but the dancing was horrible imo. I have wanted them gone forever, but I don’t believe that will happen. I do believe they will be in the finals.
Bill – I feel bad for because of some of the lynch mob mentality that I have read. No, he is not the best dancer, but he does have fans. They have kept him in the competition because of his likeability and fun routines. I have enjoyed him and Emma a lot. I do believe his fans will get him to the finals. The same site where I saw people blaming Bill for better dancers leaving I saw his fans stick up for him saying they were taking him to the end.
So Carrie Ann thinks Corbin and Karina’s jive trio was the best dance of all the seasons of DWTS? Give me a break! I think one of the judges says this every season. They also say it’s the best cast they have ever had every season. Please cut out the hyperbole.
#pam — i could not agree more — Corbin was nowhere near the best dance of all seasons — its rather sickening sometimes, especially when they are so wrong!
That’s funny, jake, cause I’m kinda sick of you, period. Don’t like it? Then leave. You’re obviously not in good company here – and the next comment you make that’s directed at me gets you put on comment moderation. Consider yourself warned.
do not put amber out she has a lot to prove after what the judges said let see if the scores are fair this time on monday
How bout you don’t tell me what to do, pauline?