PureDWTS Season 18, Week 9 – Power Rankings
Things I learned from last night’s show:
1.) Running prostheses are a beautiful thing.
2.) There will never be another Michael Jackson routine as good as Shawn & Mark’s “P.Y.T.” cha-cha in season 8.
3.) If you need to justify Ralphing a certain male contestant in order to ensure that your chosen one makes the finale, just make him do a samba to a Biggie Smalls song…and then tell him he’s not “funky” enough.
4.) When someone “brings out the best” in you, you hurl mic packs in fits of joy.
Yeah, last night was an odd night – there was the low-energy, less-skilled end of the spectrum (Candace & James) that was called safe right away, and then the actual contenders were kept in jeopardy till the end of the show and we ended up losing someone that many of us had pegged as the winner of season 18 back in March. Yep, just as we all feared – Charlie got Ralphed, and it breaks my heart…I found him far more fun and engaging than Meryl all season long, and I thought Charlie was Sharna’s best shot at the MBT so far (and probably ever). Charlie seemed to take it all in stride, but I think Sharna may be hurting for awhile – and I can’t blame her. She did everything in her power to make Charlie shine this season, but just kept getting smacked down by the judges for no good reason (other than to protect the Princess). I’m kinda hoping Karina sits down with her and gives her a pep talk, because she’s been there – and I’m hoping Sharna can return next season with a vengeance, and claim what should have been hers this season (just like Karina did with JR in season 13).
I think Kenny Ortega was a pretty good guest judge – seemed to know what he was talking about and offered up some good advice, but was still sympathetic and pretty lenient when people made mistakes. The last Stars of Dance performance of the season was adorable and entertaining, and will probably garner an Emmy nod. WTF was Erin wearing? That getup was librarian on the bottom, Kardashian on top. Very odd. Not a whole lot else to add, except that I’m glad this season is drawing to a close – just getting a tad burnt out on the drama, like every season. And I’m ready for America’s Got Talent 🙂
1.) Meryl & Maks – When people try to convince me that Meryl “brings out the best in Maks”, I have to wonder: does that include hurling mic packs across the studio in frustration? Because destruction of property solves everything, y’all. 🙂 Seriously, I don’t think Maks has changed at all – he’s still the same overgrown manchild having the same emotional outbursts we’ve seen from him season after season. He’s just managed to last a little bit longer before having them this season. And the fact that Maks was getting all bent out of shape over a simple JIVE? A dance he himself has been doing for probably 20 years, and has been choreographing on DWTS for season after season (including one earlier this season)? Red flag – if he’s getting that upset over choreographing basic dances for Meryl, he’s toast in the freestyle round. And after all that fussing – that jive was the best he could come up with? Seemed like he might have watched a tape of Candace & Mark’s jive in week 3, picked a few Elvis moves up from it, and then filled in with some really basic jive syllabus steps. The end result seemed a tad low-energy to me – Meryl could have had more of a bounce and her legs could have been picked up higher. And WTF was she doing with her hands??? Mama Spence said she looked like she was about to do the “bend & snap” from Legally Blonde because she had her hands up way too high 😛 It was an ok jive – it wasn’t a great jive. Then there was the Viennese waltz…and that gadawful huge lace skirt he put her in, and those boots. Did he just get done watching a marathon of Petticoat Junction on TV Land before he went to their costume consult? Just seemed way too bulky on her frame and didn’t enhance her movements. It was an ok Viennese waltz, I guess, but I felt like she got a tad flaily on some of the arm work, and of course, I’m totally over the sections of “let’s stand here and pretend we’re going to kiss” that seem to make their way into every dance of theirs anymore. Pretty lukewarm evening for Meryl, IMO, but she still gets perfect scores – and a leg up over her fellow finalists headed into finale week, because Maks-er, I mean MERYL, must win at all costs. She should have been paired with Val…at least then we would have seen some good choreography.
2.) Amy & Derek – Y U NO BREAK OUT RUNNING LEGS EARLIER??? Seriously, that’s all I could think of after this quickstep – those legs seemed to give Amy the perfect amount of bounce in order to handle the dance flawlessly. If I had been watching this dance only from the waist up, I would never have guessed that she was not dancing on real legs – the movement was seamless. And she was doing some pretty wild syncopation with her feet, too, so color me extra impressed. Loved their jazz, too – the mix of “Too Darn Hot” that was used lent itself nicely to some pretty clever choreography – I loved the part on the table, as it reminded me of Neil & Sabra’s “Sweet Dreams” jazz routine from SYTYCD; the table slide was also a nice touch. Of course there were the naysayers that said she “didn’t dance” – I just roll my eyes, because I think it’s far more challenging to choreograph a routine that minimizes the use of Amy’s legs and still have it be entertaining. I’d rather watch a routine where Amy does cool sh*t on a table than one with half-assed jive choreography (see above). It’s just hilarious to me that some of the fans complain about Derek choreographing to his partner’s strengths while minimizing their weaknesses – which is exactly what he does with Amy: she’s unsteady on her legs, so he finds ways to conceal that; but she’s got great musicality & core strength, so he utilizes that. How is it any different than Maks utilizing Meryl’s skating skills – while trying to conceal her depth perception issues? Or Peta trying to compensate for James feeling ill? Anywho, these two got all my votes – while some other people on Twitter seemed to be losing their sh*t over my opinions of Maks, I managed to get 150 votes in for Amy. It’s all about deciding what does and doesn’t matter, kids 🙂
3.) James & Peta – Overall, a rather forgettable night for James – he did ok, but not great, and I think his illness was to blame. He just didn’t seem very invested in either dance, although he did seem to give both his best try. The cha-cha to Michael Jackson was cute and slick, but you could tell that James was not feeling 100%, and I think the fact that Peta was hitting every move pretty hard just made James stick out like a sore thumb even more. And when you’ve got an MJ song, you have got to WERK it – and after watching it, I was left feeling a bit let-down, and still think Shawn & Mark are the only couple to really & truly do MJ justice on DWTS. The rumba actually turned out a lot less cheesy than I thought it would, given their song – seemed like the band was able to make it sound a bit more R&B-ish and a bit less twangy 😛 I think Peta choreographed a proper rumba, but it seemed like she was doing most of the work and James was just kinda there for her as she was spinning & dipping all over the place; maybe that was the intention, since James was sick. Thought her teased up “Dolly”hair was hilarious, but that they needed to add a lot more padding to the décolleté if they really wanted that authentic “Dolly” look 😛 Not sure what to expect from these two during finale week – Peta’s only choreographed one freestyle, and while it was pretty good – the idea actually came from another pro. And will James be feeling good enough to really get invested in it? My guess is that we’ll see some more of the BTR guys in their freestyle…not sure it will be the best way to showcase James, but it’s just a gut feeling.
4.) Candace & Mark – As much as I love Candace and how we’ve been able to see her grow this season, I can acknowledge that she’s the weakest performer left, and the best I think she can hope for in the finals is 3rd place (but I think it’s more likely she comes in 4th). But she gave it a good shot last night – her Viennese waltz actually started out quite lovely; thought she melded well with the feel of the music and the swing & sway of it seemed to suit her movement style well. Then there was the minor snafu with the dip, and she seemed to get thrown off her game – kinda wish she would work on being able to shake off the nerves following a mistake, because I feel like that one kinda stuck with her through the rest of the dance and she checked out a little bit. Still a quite pretty dance, but I wish she would have kept her game face on the whole time. Their jazz routine was cute and Candace handled it without any major mistakes – but it felt a little too simple to me, and Candace seemed to recede back into her head again. Wish she would have focused a bit more on the performance and a bit less on the steps, if that makes sense. Kinda wish Mark had thrown in some syncopation – just seemed like everything was a straight 8-count and repeat. I think Candace could have handled it. Not sure what to expect from these two in the finale – my gut says Mark will try to step up his choreography game, but I’m not sure that Candace will be able to keep up under the pressure. But regardless of how things pan out, I’m glad she made it to the finale and I think she’s had a great season 🙂
So those are my thoughts on last night’s show. What are yours? And how do you think everyone will fare during the finale dances?
Good job, Court!! And I hope you are right about Derek getting an Emmy nod!
Ok, here are my rankings. Note that if Charlie and Sharna would have made it, I would have placed them at #2!!
1. Amy and Derek –
1st dance- I’m speechless. They were incredible again. This woman continues to blow me away for how she can inspire and defy All. Derek was full of charm and like a prince again. Both so magical and captivating. I loved how Amy held her head way up high and just went for it. They made me cry. 10
2nd dance: This was so clever. Right from the beginning, I knew this was going to be special. One thing I always love about Derek is how he comes up with something new every season and tops himself…and this was it. He “redefines choreography of this generation” just like Kenny Ortega said. Brilliant! 10+++
2. Maks and Meryl-
1st dance- I hated how Maks treated Meryl during their package. Just because you have a creative block doesn’t mean you should take it on your partner. With that said, the dance was entertaining, fun, and full of energy. 9+
2nd dance – Really pretty. I loved the fluidity and the gracefullness. Just lovely. The only thing that bothered me were the cowboy costumes which didn’t seem to match. 9
3. James and Peta-
1st dance- Well, it wasn’t Michael Jackson, but, still…this dance was fun and entertaining. I loved their costumes too. 9-
2nd dance – It was a great Rumba, but, I agree with the judges for how his extensions and hands need more work. 8
4. Candace and Mark –
1st dance: What a lovely V. Waltz and maybe her best dance with Mark yet. There were a few mistakes in her placement and foot work, but, for the most part, really pretty…especially the ending. 8
2nd dance- What a fun dance with such cool moves and choreography by Mark. I loved all the hand movements. Visually, just brilliant. I do agree with Carrie Ann though for how she needed a little more attitude. 9-
sharna mentions in the Afterbuzz interview how she wished they could’ve done the V. Waltz and Argentine Tango, instead they were given a bunch of Latin dances. I think she knows how badly Charlie was treated.
Love your power rankings each and every week.
As for Maks – Whatever he has ‘planned’ for the freestyle will be very pale in comparison to Derek. What Maks fans must understand is that WHOEVER Derek is with, he always works on their strengths, and that is what has made him win 5 MBT. I think Meryl is a very capable dancer I just don’t think that Maks has what it takes in choreography skills to make her surpass herself. The few chances he has had in the past have been quite ‘blah’.
If Mark decides to go the contemporary route for Candace, it is a sure bet. But I think he would need to step out of the box with Candace. She is very athletic however her musicality is a bit off.
Peta must go the strengths route also with James, he has got great rhythm. I just hope she will not be reduced to torso, abs and slinkiness. Although he is not bad to look at, he is a very good dancer.
Lastly, Derek with Amy, We all know there is a limit to what he can do with her (no big tricks like with Shawn), but Amy has excellent musicality and she can be funky. He has got to make her use as much of the floor as possible without risking too much, but enough to show Maks fans and maybe even convince them that Amy is a very capable dancer.
The package with Maks yesterday left a bitter taste in my mouth. He is certain that she is the best dancer left, probably right about that, but just his baby attitude in the package and his jumping around after getting the scores, is rather inconsistent and shows HIS fragility.
If ever Maks and Derek are in the final 2 and Derek wins. Holy crap, I can just imagine his reaction, it could even get scary…He is the type to get upset over HIM not winning instead of being happy for Amy and all of her accomplishments.
I see mark doing contemporary route with Candace too. It was her best dance.
Some said Meryl is the only pro who didn’t do contemporary or jazz yet and deserves it more. Except her pro can’t really do those dances and well their rumba was not a rumba. Meryl can do tons of lifts well so I see something with a lot of amazing lifts. Lift to lift, Tony style.
I do find it amusing critics saying Derek is being favored again. Again, which pro demanded pretty much a winner to come back? Which pro who is mbt less will mentioned many times and pity votes? I know skating fans upset and again who is Charlie leaving going to hurt Meryl? If anything many will vote harder. This is Maks to lose and he can be subpar which he has many weeks with Meryl and sadly still win.
People who mention Meyrl’s broken toe and how ?Amy can just sit on a table. First, showing what you little you know of dance. And Amy has no feet!
Mark and Shawn’s Cha Cha to PYT is one of my all-time favorite dances, and agreed that it was the best use of MJ the show has had. The choreography, the attitude, and I love Mark’s movements in it – really suited them both. I did think James did a very good job with this, all things considered. But boy that Rumba was a bit meh.
Erin really needs a new wardrobe. Someone please help her out.
Anyway, damn. Poor RalphApoloCharlie. Such a shame, and boy did he ever deserve to be in the finale. I love how he laughed ALL the time. Such an adorable man. Oh well, guess he’ll have to enjoy his fame/gold medal/beautiful girlfriend and walk away from it without the mirrorball. I agree that hopefully Sharna can take it in stride and come back with a vengeance if she’s granted another opportunity like this one, although topping a Charlie White is going to be tough.
LOVED Amy’s routines, and with Charlie gone she’s my pick to win it all. That table move was awesome, and that quickstep was fantastic.
Candace is just a little too timid, although she should be proud of what she’s done, and Mark too.
If Meryl wins I’ll be happy for her, she also deserves this shot at the trophy – but it still remains to be seen if Maks can put her over the top.
Last two standing: Meryl and Amy, and right now I would say that Amy has the entire country rooting for her.
I’m with you 100%, Court. I don’t understand why Maks and Tony’s girls always have to maintain the chicken wing arms through a jive routine. I didn’t think there was any rule against stretching it out as I never see that with the pro girls or other male pro’s female celebs including Val. Is there a rule about that, Courtney?
I thought it was a great night of dancing for some and not for others says Cap’n obvious lol but even for the not so great dances, I think they all did rather well. For me I usually base how good I thought a dance was if I remember it. I remember Charlie’s Foxtrot very well…just beautiful, I remember both of Amy’s dances so so well. I really wanted both to go on forever. I remember Candace’s jazz. Huge Kudos to her for how far outside her comfort zone that must have been and she did so well even if still slightly hesitant. I remember Meryl’s jive as I happen to love Elvis. It was fun to watch but her arms bugged the heck out of me as it did with Nene and weirdly enough, I didn’t think her kicks were as good as Amy’s lol. Maybe it’s the shorter legs but idk. I don’t really remember her waltz but I remember thinking the whole world would have heard by now how there was not enough dance in hold had she been dancing with someone else – one pro in particular. She is a beautiful dancer though.
All in all I enjoyed last night despite my panic attack after the 3 called in jeopardy as regardless of the outcome I knew I would be bummed.
So my rankings:
1)Meryl and Maks: These two had a flawless (in my opinion) V. Waltz. My fav dance of the night. Her jive was cute and fun but I didn’t exactly love it either. I fell more in the category of “cute but will it be remembered?”. Funny to see Maks freak out over a jive. Still my pick to win but we all know Derek is the king of the freestyle so that leads me to Amy.
2)Amy and Derek: So where were those legs for the beginning of the season?! Holy damn was that a fantastic quickstep! Now that jazz…..I didn’t like it…at all. I’m sorry to say it but it just was just kinda blah to me. The only part I liked was the slide off the table. Saying that I loved the quickstep though!
3)James and Peta: He can be a real threat to the others if Peta gets a awesome freestyle together. His rumba (I am starting with the second dance for a reason) was…..beautiful. His cha cha was awesome. Saying that, I couldn’t help but think of Corbin’s freestyle and kept comparing it to James cha cha…..I know two different dances but both phenomenal dances. Such a nice guy but that freestyle has to be killer for him to win this thing. If he doesn’t win, I feel like he would not mind either though. He seems to love the experience and his pro (the are they or are they not dating ship has sailed a long time ago by this point) so I’m guessing he got what he waned out of the show. Also the hands comment……I never noticed that before this week.
4)Candace and Mark: So like I said in the other posting, I am conflicted here. She is having a blast but her V. waltz was great. Saying that, her jazz…..I sgree with you that it seemed very simple. Then I watched it again….Mark definitely pushed her with this one to break out of her boundaries and it kinda worked. “Nasty” for her was funny because she seems like the nastiest thing she ever did was curse once or twice but overall a cute dance. Her freestyle probably is going to be something fun like Kristi and Shawn’s freestyles but I hope Mark can get her to just let it go and leave it out there because she probably is coming in fourth and she should end on a high note 🙂 .
So some random notes:
1)Kenny….awesome judge but he was kinda boring at the same time. Sorry Kenny!
2)Charlie: Loved his dances. If he was safe, he would have been ranked one for me.
3)Erin…..best showing yet for her. Hope she doesn’t get the boot!
4)The Macys Stars of Dance performance……cute dance. Didn’t love it.
5)My cousin had some thoughts on the dances again LOL. He is in NY right now so I got to hear them firsthand. Wrote some good ones down. On Candace and Mark’s jazz: “This is like a stripper without her pole!” Yeah……not the only time he used the word stripper that night lol but I will get to that. On Maks and Meryl’s jive: “50s smut. No hips should move that way!” Making him watch Viva Las Vegas tonight just to see his reaction lol. So as soon as the show was over he went to pray the rosary (not joking) and I put on Game of Thrones from the on demand menu. he walks in and wanted to bless the house because I watch strippers on TV too often. Is Friday here yet? I want him on that plane ASAP.
Wonder what Derek’s going to have Amy dance on next week. She’s used a stool and a table already, it should be interesting. I can’t understand if she uses her ‘bouncy legs’ for a quick step why does she have to dance on a table for a much tamer dance.
I was wondering about that two – how Maks will handle it if he loses to Derek in the final two. I am almost ascared of the backlash against Amy and Derek if that happens, despite how deserving and amazing they are.
@Figamentation – I figure there’s going to be nastiness towards Amy & Derek, regardless – if they win, the Maks fans attack; if they don’t (and Meryl does), the Maks fans gloat. Was the same situation when Melissa won all-stars – Melissa/Tony fans felt the need to throw salt in the wounds of Derek, Shawn, and all of their fans. As for Maks himself – I’m fully expecting him to storm off the stage, and then make an ass of himself in the press line, if he & Meryl lose to Amy & Derek. If he wins? He’ll probably still make an ass of himself, by celebrating with his “boys” instead of with Meryl…and Derek will probably end up hoisting her on his shoulders as the Chmerkovskiy faction blathers on about “justice” and “retribution”.
I keep hearing over and over and over and over all over the place that Meryl and Maks deserve to win because Maks hasn’t won yet. And it BUGS me, because I WANT IT TO BE ABOUT THE CELEBRITY…. ABOUT MERYL!!!! And it’s not. She’s an amazing dancer, and has been since day 1, and yes, she IS the best dancer left. But through the whole season, I just can’t seem to connect with her and Maks, and it seems that we learned more about Maks. I love seeing the celebrities grow throughout the season, seeing them come into their own, and seeing another side of them that we didn’t know before. But Meryl? I just feel so disconnected. I did love her when she danced with Val during switch week though. If she wins, I’ll be happy for her, because she is a nice girl, and she has worked hard with what she’s been given.
Candace, on the other hand, I’ve seen grow and change, and come into her own throughout the season. No, she isn’t the best dancer left, but she’s connecting with people, because she has just opened herself up and put it all on the floor. She’s taken us on a journey that many haven’t been able to take with Meryl. And love that Old Mark is there again this season, it’s someone who needs to stay.
Poor Charlie….. Hated what they did to him and Sharna. I saw the disbelief on the judges faces, and how Len seemed to react when they were eliminated, and I just wanted to scream at them. IT’S YOUR FAULT! Theirs and TPTB. They’ve done this again and again and again and put first Ralph then Apolo now Charlie up on this level and spend the whole season berating and degrading them and criticizing them and breaking their wills and their spirits, and finally convince enough people how “bad” a dancer they are so they just stop voting for them. Then they sit there and act like it’s all a surprise that they were eliminated. YOU MANIPULATED IT! Sheesh! Everyone deserves better.
I was up and down about the dances last night. I hated how they handled the whole jeopardy/not in jeopardy thing, it felt like as soon as they announced that, there was a pin in a balloon that lets the air out very slowly. Not just the 3 Olympians, but James and Candace also. The whole second half of the show just felt…. Deflated to me.
I’m not sure how I would rank them.
I think
Cheryl and Drew is still my favorite MJ dance, that paso to Thriller was such a great dance and still love it. For an early season dance, it holds up IMO.
I loved the quickstep and jazz. I think ?Amy can get into the characters. Meryl’s jive was forgettable and vw was pretty but it was memorable. It wasn’t anything that made me think one of the nest ever. Sadly few of her dances make me think that. Maybe her At with Val is up there in memorable.
What will Amy dance on next? Sounds like the criticism on other sites and think is so funny. Forget all the wasted time not dancing Meryl has done too.
I was wondering about the feet
Amy used for quickstep. I wonder if it didn’t work for the waltz as well. Also since the show never gave her a dance that required travelling like this, she didn’t use it. In post shows, ?Amy and Derek said how much harder it was than it looked. How it propels her forward when she had to go back and had to overcompensate, anyway I love to see a paso or foxtrot from Amy.
I agree with the rankings, though I’d say that the judges gave James more slack than Candace, and, to me, his performance level wasn’t as good. The hip action in the rumba was not good at all — I know it’s a hard one, particularly for male celebrities, but it really stuck out to me. How he continued to get amazing scores is a mystery…except that it totally is not (that youth demo has got to be kept up for the finale!)
I watched Amy and Derek’s jazz at least a half dozen times on the DVR — what an amazing performance, and wonderful choreography. It should definitely make the Emmy reel.
Very sad for Charlie, though. I think he got the short end of the stick in many ways — too many Latin dances, which were going to be harder for him than Ballroom, some truly difficult song choices (last night’s samba takes the cake), and overly harsh judging. I think Sharna did a great job with him, though, if I had to quibble, I would have liked to see better hip action, and maybe fewer big steps from him. It’s always a hard balance between doing challenging pieces and doing what looks good/is comfortable for one’s celeb. I think Sharna did a good job, but seeing her and Maks with Meryl and Charlie definitely gives me a bigger appreciation of how well Derek did with Jennifer Grey and Nicole Scherzinger. I wonder if Maks has any appreciation of that….
I thought last night was a fun night. Lots of iconic songs, and a lot of appearances from iconic celebrities, and having some of our troops in the audience made the night even more special.
1. Amy & Derek: There is not much more I can say about these two. Just that they’re defying the odds. Their Quickstep had to be one of my favorite Quicksteps of all time; I understood what Len was saying about the body contact, but that is hard to maintain during the dance. As for their Jazz, it was another fabulous routine. Carrie Ann was a bitch for giving them a 9 for a stupid technicality that I didn’t even see. That was a perfect score they were robbed of. I wonder what Derek has planned for their Freestyle next week.
2. Meryl & Maks: Both of their dances last night were excellent. Jive was crisp, clean, and a real showstopper. Viennese Waltz was beautiful, and one of the best Viennese Waltzes I have seen since Amber Riley. While I do love Meryl, I can’t seem to bring myself to like Maks(probably because of his attitude/arrogance). I would’ve liked to see Meryl in a gorgeous gown for the Viennese Waltz instead of the frumpy mess she had on. The only question that remains: Can Maks create a spectacular Freestyle that can make up for the messy ones in the past?
3. James & Peta: Carrie Ann was right about their Cha-Cha-Cha, it is difficult the channel Michael Jackson, and James channeled him perfectly. Michael would have been proud. Their Rumba was very nice. It was very refreshing to see a Rumba that was more content than other Rumbas(more rubbing bodies and almost bumping nasties) in the past. To be honest, I was afraid that was what these two were going to go for, but I was pleasantly surprised. I wonder what these two have in store for the Freestyle.
4. Candace & Mark: Here is a fine example of an underdog story. Candace may not be the strongest dancer, but her popularity has proved that anything can happen on this show. Viennese Waltz was a little rough, but the story captivated me from start to finish. Jazz was amazing. Who new that DJ Tanner could get wild, and channel Janet Jackson. That was a fierce number. I’m interested to see what these two have planned for the Freestyle.
Macy’s Stars of Dance: Derek has done it again. How does he do it? Choreographing a Macy’s dance and then dances with Amy. No wonder he won an Emmy. He is super freaking AMAZING!!!
Elimination: I was definitely shocked to see Charlie & Sharna leave, but I had this weird feeling that it was going to happen. When all 3 Olympians were put in jeopardy, and the two underdogs were sent to the finals, that’s when I knew something fishy was going to happen. I couldn’t even fathom at the fact that Amy was in jeopardy; I actually started to cry because the thought of Amy leaving was heartbreaking, but I was so relieved when they were announced safe.
See you guys next week for the finals.
“4.) If you need to justify Ralphing a certain male contestant in order to ensure that your chosen one makes the finale, just make him do a samba to a Biggie Smalls song…and then tell him he’s not “funky” enough.”
Well, that, and beat him down and underscore him for seven weeks. But honestly, it was the voters who are to blame. I didn’t really care if Charlie won, but he should definitely have been one of the final 3.
I has a sad. 🙁
So, finally recovered enough to comment, but I’m *still* totally bummed. I agree with those who are comparing Charlie to Ralph Macchio and Apolo from the All-Star season – he, like them, was totally hosed by the judges. They managed to downgrade the amazing stuff he did, and made the audience believe that he wasn’t dancing at Meryl’s level. I might agree, because I think he was dancing just a little above Meryl’s level. But *that* doesn’t fit their storyline. I just hope Sharna knows how appreciative we are of how she handled the season. She and Emma are my favorites of the newer pros, and I want to see them both around, with good celebs, for a long time.
For the dancing, I’m going to do my own ranking, based on how I feel about the couples. 🙂
Amy and Derek – They *killed* both of those dances. Both were incredible. I saw both the lack of body contact (but that may have been necessary, given her running blades – I don’t know) and the slight misstep in the jazz, so I’m okay that she lost a point on each (though the audience wasn’t – one of the media articles said that Amy got the loudest reactions of the night), but these were, by *far* (excepting Charlie’s dances), the best dances of the night. I *loved* the feeling of the hard-boiled detective/femme fatale that their jazz had, and I thought Amy nailed the character. People have been raving (inexplicably, to me) about Meryl’s performances – I actually think Amy is the better performer. She does a better job of conveying the character of the dance, as well as her character, than Meryl does. I thought it was pretty funny how CAI was so hesitant to give her score for their jazz, and I applaud Kenny Ortega for his comments to Derek.
Candace and Mark – I thought she did well tonight. The beginning of her waltz was great, and then you could see when she kind of lost it, so that was sad. I thought she did a *great* job with the jazz, and I’m so happy she got a couple of tens for it. She deserved them.
James and Peta – I thought their cha cha was fun. I wasn’t surprised at the perfect score; the judges knew he was safe, so they wanted to be “right” – and I think they wanted a separation between him and Candace. I wasn’t terribly impressed with the rumba, and I didn’t think he had that much more hip action than Charlie – but again, not surprised that the judges raved.
Meryl and Maks – Sigh…given the three who were in jeopardy, these guys were the ones that should have gone home. That being said, I actually (surprisingly) enjoyed their jive. That could mostly be because I enjoy Elvis, but I thought it was fun, and it’s the only dance they’ve done so far that I’ve *liked*. I realize some of Meryl’s other stuff was technically better/choreographically better (her AT with Val, and her tango), but I didn’t particularly enjoy them. Also, given what Maks choreographed here, vs what her gave Danica for her jive – yeah, he kind of phoned it in for Danica. Maybe he didn’t *mean* to, but that’s a different question. So I was okay with the score on that one. However, I was *not* okay with the perfect score for that waltz. It felt clunky, and it seemed like Meryl was rushing to keep up with Maks. It kind of felt like he was dragging her around the floor a little. And, as others have, said – what a horrid costume! The most that V. waltz should have gotten was a 36, but given the season’s storyline, I’m not surprised that she got a perfect score.
Charlie and Sharna – they’re here at the bottom because they got eliminated. I thought their foxtrot was *so* *much* fun! I loved it, and I also thought, given what they had to dance to, that they did a great job with the samba as well. I’m so disappointed that we won’t get to see a freestyle from them. It’s just so wrong. I felt the same way about Ralph and All-Stars Apolo; none of these guys were given the chance they really deserved.
The order I ranked them in is the order I’d like to see them end in. I doubt it will happen, but as long as someone other than Maks gets that trophy, I’ll be okay with it.
In order of appearance:
Candace & Mark: Candace is just such a beautiful woman. I have said it before and I stand by it, she is GORGEOUS, inside and outside. That being said, I thought her Viennese Waltz was actually rather nice. It was cute and flowy and I liked the story of it. There were mistakes though and I agree, the only way I noticed those mistakes was because she showed it so much on her face. She needs to conrtol that! Her Jazz routine was good too but I do have to agree with Carrie Ann – it needed a bit more. I’m not sure if it was the choreography or not but I felt like she could have given it more “oomph”. It also reminded me a bit of Bristol Palin’s Freestyle (except Candace actually danced this well). I still think she is the weakest dancer of the bunch and, not to sound mean, for me she should have been the one to go home last night instead of Charlie. What differentiates her from James, imo, is that Candace has only had two or three good dances while James has actually had more dances that have been really good in my eyes (his Jive, Tango, Contemp., ChaCha, Duel Dance, Salsa). Nevertheless, I am happy for Candace for making it to the finals and looking forward to seeing what Mark comes up with for her Freestyle. I give her V.Waltz a 8.5 and her Jazz a 9.
Amy: Best Quickstep EVER on DWTS (keeping in mind I only started watching since seson 11 lol) . I said it. My all time favorite Quickstep was Brandy and Maks’ but this just topped it. I was just mesmerized by it. I couldn’t believe how great this was. I agree, she needed to bust out her running blades earlier in the season! This was truly fantastic. Yeah there wasn’t a whole lot of body contact (I knew Len would call that out) but it was still amazing. Her Jazz routine was also fantastic. Derek is a genius. The sliding off the table? So sexy hahaha. I give both of her dances a 10 tonight and I am very happy she made it to the finals. While James is my favorite and want him to win, I would not have a problem with Amy taking the MBT.
James & Peta: I have to say I was ready to be sad tonight by seeing these two go home (specially after Candace being called safe first) and I had just planned to see them dance for the last time and enjoying… So you bet I was EXCITED when they were called safe too! While his ChaCha might not have been as good as say, Shawn & Mark’s or even Corbin’s ChaCha last season (one of the best from a male celeb I have ever seen), I still absolutely love it. I actually think he was enjoying it a lot. I mean, how could you not enjoy dancing to MJ!? The costumes were fabulous, the dance was fabulous and I thoroughly enjoyed it. And not to toot my own horn but I totally called this song for their ChaCha yesterday before the show, just sayin’ 😉 lol . Now his Rumba, that’s another story. It’s funny because I thought he was going to do better in the Rumba than his ChaCha and it ended up being the total opposite. I didn’t particularly think his Rumba was all that great but it was still good. I actually wish Peta would have made it a bit sexier and steamier (shocking). Nevertheless, I liked it. For his Freestyle he mentioned that he wanted to danced to a Big Time Rush song (I’m guess the song “Big Time”) so his band mates might make an appearance. Should be fun! I give his ChaCha a 10 and his Rumba a 9.
Meryl & Maks: The Jive was nice. It didn’t really excite me much, and it’s weird because that’s one of my favorite Elvis songs and I always get excited when I hear it. I think the dance could have been a lot more energetic and also, her outfit wasn’t that nice…and talking about outfits… WTF was she wearing for her V. Waltz? Yikes. That was ugly. Anywho, the waltz was nice. Fluid, pretty, elegant and of course Maks had to include the “let’s pretend to kiss” move in there. Gag. I give both dances a 9.5 because they just left me wanting a bit more. I still think she’s probably gonna win next week, but I honestly don’t even care at this point. Just give the Maks his trophy so he can leave DWTS for good because I think we all know that if he wins this time, there’s no way in hell he’ll ever get a partner as good as Meryl to get him a win ever again.
I also have to add that I enjoyed Erin A LOT last night. Her outfit aside, I think she has been getting more and more comfortable as the season has gone on and she is now kind of a natural. I just found her comments last night to, not only be funny, but also appropriate and not annoying. I wouldn’t go as far as saying she is the reason the ratings are up (Tim..) but I personally think she was a good addition to the show and I wouldn’t mind her coming back next season. I hope she comes back cause getting canned after just one season? Awkwardddd…
For next week, the way I WANT it to go is: Candace (4th), Meryl (3rd), Amy (2nd), James (Winner).
The way it WILL PROBABLY GO: Candace (4th), James (3rd), Amy (2nd), Meryl (Winner).
@jleam, the running blades are not appropriate for Amy to use for her jazz. She HAD to use them for the quickstep, because she has to travel around the dancefloor. She has no ankles, so she can’t move her foot to the different positions needed. There’s a metal rod that hold her foot to her leg, they get one angle to dance with, and that’s what they have to work with for the whole dance. And, she doesn’t walk, she balances.
Think of it this way…. Imagine taking a pair of stilts and strapping them to your knees, then try dancing on them. Try to figure out how to move the way you should for each style, and then try to do that without holding onto anything. Not that easy, is it?
Amy needs to be able to having something to hold onto during the dance, just because there’s a lot more balance issues than everyone else is dealing with. When she’s separate from Derek in the dance, there has to be something else for her to grab onto, and if Amy were dancing with anyone other than Derek, you would be fine with Amy having something to balance with.
Have you noticed that even when they’re not dancing, Amy will hold onto Derek? She’s leaning against the ledge, or standing and holding onto Derek.
@Courtney: On James’ Twitter feed, he said that Sunday night his stomach was “mad at him.” He should be OK by next week.
As for Derek’s Jazz choreography, I think Tom summed it up best: “Amy, Derek, and a *very* happy table.” 🙂
I agree, Fig. With Charlie and Sharna unceremoniously tossed by the wayside by TPTB, I absolutely want Amy and Derek to win and will do my voting best to help make that happen. A part of me would love to see Maks’s head explode and come completely unravelled to lose to Derek. The other part of me doesn’t want Meryl, Amy and Derek to have to be associated with that kind of ugliness.
Watching Maks act like an infant in rehearsals just had me shaking my head. Dude, you wanted a ringer! You always complained it was “so easy” for Derek because he got all the ringers. Shoe’s on the other foot now, and the big baby realizes it ain’t so easy after all. However, unlike Derek, who calmly rises to the challenge, Maks is freaking out, throwing things, and whimpering to his celeb partner to help him choreograph a simple jive routine. Somebody please explain to me why anybody votes for this guy or wants him on the show?
LOL Cidra – Maks has already been beaten by Derek multiple times, you’d think it’s a feeling he’s used to by now. 🙂
Meryl, Amy and Derek are going to be associated with ugliness no matter how it turns out. A disgusting display by Maks, Tony and Val (a la Season 15) if he wins, and temper tantrum if he loses. NO MATTER how it turns out, the blow back will be on Derek yet again. Good thing he’s a strong, classy man. And Amy?? That woman is the definition of strength and endurance.
Thanks for your power rankings. I really enjoy reading them each week.
I do agree with Lori when she said that the second half felt defeated. I honestly put my tv on mute and only watched the elimination because I knew Charlie was toast was unfortunate. It was frustrating to see. As Courtney said, it reminded me of Ralph in season 12 but this was worse IMO. I feel like Maks must be relieved a bit, to eliminate this “biggest” competition before the finale.
Meryl seems sweet but I just don’t get the exaggeration of their relationship. I feel like Charlie and Sharna and even Amy and Derek have more chemistry (on a friendship level) then them.
There is an interview out there recently where Derek explains why the running legs are just now coming out – they both never thought it would actually WORK. You look at those blades and it’s hard to envision Derek not getting his own feet tangled in them. I still am in awe of that quickstep.
I absolutely cannot believe the choreography of Amy and Derek’s jazz routine. I can’t begin to imagine the balance it took for her to slide off that table and land on her prosthetic feet. I’ll bet Derek gets another Emmy nomination.
I loved the quickstep, too. That moved me to tears, to see Amy move across the floor like that with such abandonment and joy. It was my husband’s favourite dance of the night. It was my second favourite. I still love the jazz one the best.
PH, that’s exactly what I thought about the running blades especially in light of Len’s comment about wanting to see more body contact. Not possible you old goat! It was a typically brilliant Derek trade-off: We sacrifice body contact to get floor coverage. And as usual it was the right call!
Yeah, I know Maks has lost to Derek before, but if it happens again, under these circumstances, I think it will be the match that sets off the whole ballistic arsenal in Maks’s head. *shudder* I don’t like ugly. Charlie better be prepared to run out and drag Meryl to safety.
Actually, I think Derek and Christopher Scott is a pretty interesting combination in terms of choreo – that might get them both a nice nomination, and the odds of winning actually go up.
Courtney pretty much on point with my thoughts on the rankings. I will say though that I became suspicious when Charlie and Meryl got all 10s. I felt one of them was going home then. From what I’ve seen about Charlie I’m sure he rather have Meryl advance to the finals when it came down to the two. He just seems like that kind of guy.
I’ll expect to see a really good contemporary routine from Mark for Candace as she seems to excel in that type of dance. So happy she advanced to the finals. Loved her and Mark’s relationship. She’s simply not comfortable performing in front of live audiences and it shows.
Courtney had to laugh at your #5 about “hurling mic packs in fits of joy”. Poor Meryl. Did anyone see the look on her face and cringe when he did that? And those comments that she brings out the best in him, well that’s because she’s passive and just lets him go off on his tantrums’. She doesn’t let him get to her….although in that package she whispered that he was making her nervous.
So happy Amy made it to the finals. And I too think it will be her and Meryl left standing. Makes good TV. Expected to hear the naysayers complain about the table in the jazz routine just like they did last year with Amber.
Nothing against James but find it really hard to believe and I mean really hard to believe that he had more votes than Charlie but then again I didn’t know of James until this show.
This week is going to be interesting leading up to Monday.
First of all, loved what Lori #11, said about everything and especially about Charlie’s elimination while breaking his spirit. Everyone deserved better.
Because of the way TPTB treated Charlie, I feel that Meryl probably doesn’t care deeply to win, and as a viewer, I don’t really care if Meryl wins anymore especially after the way Maks treated her last week in rehearsal. The only way I can get back at Maks is to vote for Amy & Derek, so he doesn’t win.
But at this moment, I’m feeling sad and indifferent towards the show and could care less what happens next week. Unless Buttercup or Deep Throat helps with the moarning process by leaking some Charlie goodness for the Results show.
@Terri – Meryl seemed legitimately scared when he threw that pack. I felt sorry for her – she doesn’t deserve to bear the brunt of Maks’ frustration. And it just further blows my mind that people ACTUALLY think they’re an item – if they are, then that’s some straight up Ike & Tina Turner sh*t.
I very much remember the tantrum he threw back in Season 5, when he and MelB came in second to Helio and Julianne. 13 seasons later, I don’t think what will happen is going to be as tame as that was…. And at the time, I thought it was bad.
*If* Maks and Meryl are actually together, I will lost a lot of respect for Meryl, especially given what she’s seeing from him now. I have no doubt that Maks can be charming when he wants to be, but he has anger issues that really need to be addressed.
PH#23 Even though I read the spoilers here, I still was holding my breath that the running feet wouldn’t get tangled with Derek or her dress or whatever! Amy had to dance perfectly in some of the sequences or something horrible would happen. Thank goodness, Amy didn’t make any mistakes. Of course, Derek does amazing choreo, but Amy executes practically everything he gives her. Tptb had no idea that Amy could be a dancer. Even if Heather Mills had Derek, she had no musicality.
During the Amy’s 2nd dance, I also was worried that her feet was going to accidentally hit the table while Derek was spinning her. It’s reality TV where tptb can’t control what happens live.
That was supposed to *lose*, not lost.
I agree. I don’t understand why the producers would want anyone with anger issues like that on the show.
I would prefer to watch James take it all so we could see Dave lose it on this board 🙂
Thanks ladies for the great recaps and insight. I am looking forward to the finale. Totally bummed about Charlie as I think Sharna could have killed it in the freestyle.
Can’t wait to read the numbers post. Is there any way Meryl can’t win? I also can’t believe the fans rooting for them that ignore his incredibly uncontrolled behavior. Are these people blind? At this point, it anyone other than them.
Amy and Derek – I really love watching her dance! She just radiates pure joy. I am lucky to have both legs, but it would love to bounce around on those legs. My mom called them her new toys. And her jazz was really cool! Derek is just amazing.
Meryl and Maks – I think she would be ridiculously amazing with any other partner. I would love to see her with Sasha. Her costume was weird for both dances, and Maks is just getting even more annoying.
Candace and Mark – if anyone is the underdog, it’s Candace. She still has nerves issues, and just doesn’t have the ability that Amy or Meryl have. But I love her spirit. I’m just kinda annoyed that we got to see the whole faith thing got shoved down our throats again this week. She was doing well, and then we ran into it again. As someone who is not a member of her religion, it annoys me.
James and Peta – If Candace is the underdog, James is the dark horse. IE: I think James has more of a chance to win than Candace, but it will still be a shocker. I think that doing a Michael Jackson dance is practically a death sentence, and he had a pretty good moonwalk. But that rumba and Peta’s dress were very weird.
I am sad that we lost Charlie and Sharna. I think that she is the next Derek, and I can’t wait to see what she can do! I hope she wins next season – her or Witney. I really hope we see Charlie on next Monday’s show, though. I have a hunch.
Here is what I am thinking in terms of next week with votes. I have some predictions, and I just want to get them out.
At this point, we have 4 pretty distinct fan bases.
Candace has her Full House fans, while James has the BTR girls. Both Amy and Meryl, however, will gain votes: Amy will gain from the core viewers, while maintaining her fans and Derek’s monster fan base. On the other hand, Meryl now doesn’t have to worry about figure skating fans vote splitting or about the C bros fans vote splitting. But Amy and James might have gained some hard core voters who voted for Charlie. Either way, Meryl, James, and Amy are probably seeing an increase in votes while Candace is not. And that’s why I think she will come in fourth. After that, I actually want to see James win. Why? If Meryl wins, we will hear the “Yay! Maks finally won!” for the next 6 months. If Derek wins, we will hear the “Why does Derek keep winning?” thing for the next 6 months. If James wins, we only hear “Why didn’t Maks win?” And that’s much easier to handle than anything else. So that’s my idea.
I would bet that Derek would beat him there, Cidra. 🙂
Yeah, I knew Len was going to call the body contact. Whenever Derek has a skinny partner, he and that partner combined are so slender that I think he sacrifices the effort it would require in order to make the rest of the dance brilliant. Then throw in the blades? Yeah, not happening. You saw him laugh when Len called him out. Another bit of Derek brilliance – he probably told Amy exactly what Len would say during rehearsal.
Hahaha Cassie, the first thing I thought when James was called safe was “Oh no, Charlie’s going home.” The second was “Haha, that guy with the James fixation on PureDWTS is going to go ape over this.”
Also, Courtney as much as Bruno Mars is only a recent phenomenon, there really is a shortage of currently-working icons, and he’s probably one of the few that even come close to superstar right now. I just look at how wowed everyone was after the Superbowl and realize how much people like him. But yeah, perhaps icon is stretching things a bit 🙂
Also, I forgot to add that I actually woke up in a slightly bad mood because of the Charlie thing. Again the only other times DWTS has affected me like that? Ralph and Apolo’s eliminations.
Of course there’s a way Meryl can’t win. There’s always a way.
Well, Derek is going to get screwed either way, so I’m hoping he and Amy win cuz, well, that would just be REALLY embarrassing for DWTS, ya know?? You have a dude on here who wins Emmys’ and keeps winning the damn show. Kinda funny. 🙂 Who’s the celebrity again?? 😀
Then there’s the fact that Amy deserves it just as much as anyone else does and has had to work harder…or at least smarter.
Does anyone have any idea what’s going on with Meryl’s costumes? I don’t believe I’ve seen uglier costumes. Is Maks choosing them?
Courtney #29 I’ve learned to ignore such comments from the mentally impaired. LOL But yes that would be very scary if they are together. although Shirley Ballas did say he actually is a very nice guy.
Cidra #20 I felt a little embarrassed for Maks in that package where they showed him begging Meryl for help and she said she couldn’t help him. I think what he fails to realize is that having a ringer can not only help you but actually hurt you because so much is expected from the choreo then. It’s a Catch22.
So a thought occurred to me. Remember all the negative things Maks said about the show including the producers? I wondered why they would bring him back after all the badmouthing right! Did they really need him back that badly for the ratings? What if this was all a ploy to get back at him. They gave him the perfect ringer right….athletic, Olympian, great musicality, somewhat of a dancer, well-liked. All this to only prove to us that hey he really is not that great of a choreographer and that he cannot handle the pressure. This is the guy that you felt sorry for, we gave him a second chance and this is what you get. (call me crazy, I know but I’ve seen these scenarios in the corporate world)
Speaking of costumes, I wanted to add that Mark has really stepped up his game – after his not-so-good ones with Bristol and Aly, Candace has looked pretty darn spectacular all season. I always had a soft spot for Mark, even in his rougher seasons, so I’m glad it all has come together for the two of them this go-around.
I’ve gone on the record as saying that I like Maks, despite his MANY flaws. But I have to chuckle just thinking of the sour grapes if Amy wins.
Butterfly, when the rehearsal showed Meryl being scared of Maks and tried to hide it to the producers by whispering her nervousness, showed me that there is no way a romantic relationship between them. I don’t see much real joy coming from Meryl like she had in the earlier shows.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Charlie is stating in post show interviews that he and Meryl never had an argument or disagreement in their 17 relationship of spending everyday together. It could be a warning or advisement to Maks. I bet Meryl can’t wait to get back to Charlie. And that it breaks Charlie’s heart to see Meryl subject to Maks’ negative behavior.
First time posting here. I have never invested in watching the show until this season. I used to like all the pros because I thought they were all good until…I came across some twitter post, FB, YouTube, etc posts from Maks fans vs Derek’s fans. I can tell you that Maks’ fans are obsessive and very rude, no class in their words. No matter what the haters say about Derek, I think he is an investment to the show. Derek has the charisma, the “it” factor when he performed. I have to admit that I’m a big fan of Derek now. When Kenny Ortega admired him as a choregrapher looks like he almost cry. He’s such a humble guy. I like what he said, “pressure doesn’t exist, we created it ourselves.” ( Maks should learn from him rather than having a 2 year old temper tantrum). And for Amy, what can I say about her except that she is such an amazing girl. As a nurse, I’m just in awe with what she has accomplished so far from having a 2% chance of living. Voting for Amy (and Derek) all the way!
@Terri #43
I don’t know. The producers could’ve proved their point without sacrificing Charlie. But who are we kidding.
When’s the last time you saw a Maks freestyle against a Derek freestyle? From what I could find, Derek and Maks have only met in the freestyle final season 10 when Nicole won and Maks had Erin.
I don’t want to discount the other finalists and I don’t usually like to compare Maks to Derek but after the mic pack hurl and scaring another woman, I’m so over it.
LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!!
Regarding Meryl relationship with Maks, seems to me she is the passive type who hates any unpleasantness and tries really hard to ignore bad behavior.
I’m sure she never had that with Charlie(as both their moms had said). If she had been paired with another pro I would have enjoyed her dancing this season. Alas, he got paired with somebody I could never stand since the show started so I found no joy with her.
I saw the Stars on Ice show in San Diego last Friday and Charlie just lit up the arena with his smile. On ice the two of them are unbeatable.
I love what Tanith tweeted : “I’m so proud of Charlie White for sharing his joy with everybody on DWTS. I am the luckiest.”
Yes Tanith, you are a very lucky girl!
As soon as I got over the shock of the three Olympians being in jeopardy I knew how it was going to go, mainly because so many people have commented on the desire of TPTB to have a Meryl/Charlie “shootout.” I don’t think for a moment that Amy was in the bottom 2. I put this move in the same category as putting the entire Team Vida in jeopardy. I don’t understand why the judges were so “shocked” by the elimination. Once you knew the three, you knew it was going to be “shocking” which actually eliminates the possibility of it being “shocking.” That would have been to put Charlie in jeopardy with Candace and James and be the one eliminated from that group.
Poor Charlie. For the first 3 or 4 weeks I thought Charlie was doing much much better than Meryl. He showed much more personality, much better in performance. The first few weeks I felt like I was watching Meryl trying to keep up with Maks (in terms of stride length, not difficulty) and it felt like he was dragging her around. Charlie produced some great dances, and I think he’ll look back on them with pride. Great guy. Sorry about all the unfortunate hosing.
I enjoyed Maks and Meryl’s jive. Thought her leg/foot action could have been crisper, feels a bit fluid. The waltz I thought was nothing special. Except for Meryl’s costume, which, when she was twirling around, I thought was going to knock her over! What a ridiculous piece of business that was. And I don’t think this is a different Maks in the slightest. He talked about not wanting to disappoint Meryl, and while that sounds nice, it made me realize that he probably never felt that way with any other partner, all those great unwashed unworthies. Such an elitist! I think not being concerned about disappointing your partner may well be what gives rise to what appears to be “phoning it in.” Maks also says the new improved him is enjoying the journey this time. Hate to break it to you, it’s the same old you, just with a partner who, as you’ve said, everything is easy. I wonder if he actually believes that his (new) attitude would be the same with any other partner. And while I agree there will be antics either way, I would much prefer to watch his head explode rather than all that fam chest-bumping.
I thought Amy and Derek’s jazz was brilliant. The first thing that so impressed me was how he was able to totally capture/recreate the mood of the 40’s P.I. Like an artist who draws three lines and you know instantly it’s an elephant. Amy brought the quality of performance she had in the Argentine Tango. I just loved every part of it. One comment about Amy always needing something/someone to hold onto — during their jive she and Derek split up and each went, clapping over their heads, to opposite sides of the audience. I remember being a bit startled by that, but she handled it beautifully.
And finally, I want a fusion challenge.
@Ashley L – And the funny thing about that season 10 freestyle is that Maks didn’t even choreograph it – Mandy Moore did. 😛
I was not able to watch the show live yesterday so I have been using YouTube. Amy & Derek were amazing (yes, I am a big fan) My second favorite was Charlie. So sorry to see him gone. As many have stated here I feel that Maks behavior during rehearsals was uncalled for. I can see that turning off the general viewing audience.
#39 – I woke up in a bit of a mood as well; in addition to Ralph and Apolo’s eliminations, I felt this way after Melissa won All-Stars, and after seeing Tony and the fam’s egregious behavior as they gloated.
Mark really has his shit together this season – great costuming, great choreography, seems to have a great relationship with Candace…the list goes on.
Ria, I don’t think Meryl is passive, I think she is driven, and very smart. She and Charlie have talked about how they developed ways of communicating and compromising very early in their career, so that they could quickly get past disagreements and reach their goals.
I think she must have realized after 10 minutes with Maks that if she wanted to learn dance techniques and succeed on the show, she’d have to put up with a lot of grandstanding and baby his ego along. My guess is she’s willing to deal with it for a few months, but she’d never have stood for it long term.
One small quibble with the otherwise excellent roundup — I agree that Bruno Mars isn’t an icon (could be one day, but not as of yet), but, he’s just as American as anyone else whose parents came from somewhere else (FWIW, his mom moved to Hawaii as a kid, and his father was from NY and moved to Hawaii). But I would have to imagine that Freebird and a lot of other classic songs are a lot more expensive to use.
Agreed, PH. Mark has really brought it full-circle and has his A-game going this season. He’s presenting Candace beautifully. Maybe I’m just imagining things but after getting all pissed off at Julianne’s comment about him last season, I think he actually thought about it and took it on board. I haven’t seen him overdancing Candace, and she’d be pretty easy to overdance.
I couldn’t believe Candace was safe while the Olympians were not. She has gotten better, but nowhere near their level.
I honestly don’t think we’ll see any fam chest bumping if Maks wins or meanness towards Amy or whoever doesn’t win if Maks does this time. I know Tony and Val have shown their support to Maks in the past with his angry, violent, outbursts but I think that was because they were hoping he would realize the error of his ways. They never verbally said what he did to Hope and Melissa was ok and I think at this point, especially after what he did last night to Meryl, they morally can’t keep giving him the benefit of the doubt.
Tony tweeted something earlier today that Maks retweeted. Given how delusional Maks is, I wonder if realizes that it’s about him, at least that’s how I’m choosing to see it.
Tony tweeted:
“If you continuously compete against others, you become bitter, but if you continuously compete with yourself, you become better.”
I hope no matter what happens with this ridiculous MBT, if Maks either gloats or is bitter, that Tony and Val lead the way about what matters most and that’s how you treat others. Say what you want about Tony and Val, I never thought they weren’t good and decent men and their partners were never frightened of them. I hope if Amy wins, they help hoist her in the air. That’s what Meryl and Charlie would do. And if Meryl wins that Maks immediately congratulates 2nd place.
Well, Ashley, after seeing what happened when Tony won, and the Dance with Me Twitter Account after Zendaya LOST…I think maybe you’re being a bit too hopeful. 🙂 That Dance with Me account is nasty and not in a Janet Jackson sort of way.
Yes, Cidra and PH! Mark usually irritates me every season with his overacting, over dancing and being overly fake kissing and handsiness! I wonder if people on twitter or Facebook confirmed what Julianne said so he had to come to terms with it!
It makes me sad that Charlie isn’t on the rankings. I have to walk away from the site until the hurt goes away. I wish we can complain to TPTB. I hate the manipulations.
@ I know PH. I’m just hoping they’ve learned since then. :-/
Not Maks of course, but I’ve seen some very similar tweets like Tony’s on that side that gives me some hope that maybe they’ve done all they can and don’t want to be dragged down with Maks anymore. I guess we’ll find out next week. Fingers crossed.
Does anyone else think the celeb press pushes the story of Maks and Meryl being an item? That interview with Glamour sure did.
lol, this here “I’d rather watch a routine where Amy does cool sh*t on a table…”” made my night (in Romania it’s night), I can t stop laughing and bowing in agreement.
Wow, Maks managed to avoid being a jerk for almost a whole season :))) I find it ridiculous how TPTB and even Tom are constantly advertising this well behaved, nice mannered Maks. Should we bake him cookies bc he is not acting up?! Just bc they repeat ad nauseam how nice Maks is doesn t make it true and his outburst just proved it, the guy has a quick temper and no patience.
I loved the Macy’s dance and I’m also appreciating Val more and more as a dancer. I keep seeing him dancing with Derek and Mark and I think he is versatile and can easily dance any style. I don t have that impression of Maks or Tony who, IMO can’t choreograph outside of ballroom and they also look bad dancing styles like hip hop, contemporary or Jazz. Val is 10 times better than Maks both as a choreographer and as a dancer but he is Maks’s brother and sooner or later he’ll say something to remind me why I don t like those 2.
I wanted Charlie to win, so now I’ll decide where to throw my votes after the freestyles. Right now Amy and Derek are my pick but I”m going into the finale giving them all equal chances.
Mark and Derek are the best at freestyles and I’m dying to see what Derek choreographs for Amy. Maks I just can’t wait to see what he does, if he freaked out ab a jive I can only imagine what the freestyle is doing to him. I know, maybe Meryl and Charlie can help… :)) No matter what, it will be interesting and I agree with the rest, if Derek wins again Maks will need therapy …:))
PH #21. Surely TEAM BROTHERS, or whatever they might call themselves in private, are smart enough to understand that Kenny Ortega can open doors and close doors. Anything other than a graceful loss (which DH will finesses and still be the winner) by the BROTHERS will resonate in the industry. Don’t bite the hand that might feed you, fellas. Beside the new show runner may surprises us with new PROS next time around.
Win or Lose TEAM GMA will be all over Derek and Amy when they hit NYC. She is the front story and the back story.
Sandy (#58), you’ve been around the DWTS block long enough to know it’s not about how good a dancer/performer you are? I don’t agree with the viewers’ choice, but I can see how we ended up here and it pisses me off.
Misty–Maks perpetuates the buzz. (sorry for the one-liner mods)
@ PH #54… Mark seems to do a good job with the conservative/anti-gay contestants. I don’t think too many of the other pros would be as comfortable with that, but he is able to keep things professional and focus on the dancing and not the politics. I really respect him for that.
Bruno Mars is not an icon yet though his producing credit is also impressive. He does and one of the few current pop stars who reminds me of the iconic performers. He plays his own instruments, song writing and he can perform live.
I am hoping for another season 16 where Amy snatches the win from ?Meryl. I feel bad bc it seems like Derek and his partners are examined under microscope and a different standard. You would think all the other pros never got breaks. Um, Tony and Leah last season. Chelsea and Mark with the wtf cha cha. List goes on. Even Maks with Kirstie all of season 12.
I already stated my disappointment in the results under the Spoilers article….really hate to see someone else I’ve been a fan of for years as a skating fan get Ohno’d or Ralph’d.
In order of leader board:
M&M: I really actually want to like their dances more, because I love Meryl as a skater and because I want her almost inevitable win to feel good because she had memorable dances. But, I was not impressed. The jive was cute and good, but not special this late in the game. Her technique actually seemed strange and not on point like has been mentioned. Performance quality was good though. The VWaltz was just blah, bad costuming and boring. Neither dance worth a 40. High scores sure but not that high. Besides Maks’ attitude and the producer’s agenda, I think another reason I have not connected with this team is Meryl’s lack of personality in packages, interviews etc. I feel like I know Charlie even better after his being on DWTS, but her I get nothing from her. And, she performs well on the floor but she doesn’t seem as excited or passionate for the whole show experience as Amy, Charlie, James or Candace. I really wanted to like this pair at the beginning of season; she is my favorite partner Maks has ever had. But, the producer manipulation and the rudeness of skating fans and M&M and C-bros fans have made me hope they somehow won’t win. Thank you mods for weeding out a lot of the crazy talk on this awesome blog.
A&D: Loved both dances, they were both memorable, and I was perfectly ok with both of their scores. What cool feet for the quickstep \. So glad they could pull off a traveling dance so well! Len giving a 9 for not perfect technique is also fine. The others gave 10s for a dance that must have been so hard to get right with no natural feet. Jazz was fun- it was cool, steamy and interesting. Some people need to understand jazz and dance in general more before they criticize their jazz too for not enough movement and use of a prop. Grasping at straws. They would think it was pure genius dance if it was Maks who choreographed it. As annoying as Carrie Ann has been with Amy (inconsistent) and Charlie (just downright ridiculous) she was right there was a slight missed part and I am good with a 39.
J&P: I loved the cha cha. I thought it was a great mix of cha cha and MJ in James’ own style. It was sharp and fun and entertaining. Favorite dance of his in a while. Then, didn’t like the rumba at all. I thought his technique was awkward and it just was boring and I thought their rumba of all couples would have the most natural heat and it just didn’t do anything for me. I was fine with the cha cha score and the rumba score. I thought the rumba was going to be higher after the comments but 9s are fine. I think the comments were to get it in people’s brains that James deserves at least 3rd place…..
C&M: Felt so bad she blanked on the VWaltz. But you can’t do that this late in the game! I enjoyed the jazz, good choreography by Mark and it was a different character for her to play and I actually thought she sold it well. I must add, love Mark this season. Haven’t liked him this much in a long time.
I can’t decide if I want James or Candace in 3rd and moving onto Tues. night. I will be ok with either. I would make a laugh to see heads explore if someone M&M didn’t make the cut and finished 4th. But, it won’t happen.
I do think it will really be hard for anyone to beat M&M. I think the judges are already ready to give her all 10s next week even if Maks’ freestyle flops. The only hope is a finale a la Zendaya/Val where Derek stepped up his game in the freestyle and Val flopped. I think the super C-bro fans and super-M&M shippers will vote hard knowing what happened with Kellie winning over Zendaya. But, I also think, as we saw with the way the voting went in that season, the majority of the public may not be M&M fans. Those who scream the loudest don’t always represent the majority, though it might seem like they do. But, Maks probably has more fans than Val and Meryl has more DWTS demographic fans than Zendaya…..so again, hard to say. I think the freestyle with the most impact of the final 3 (I expect them to eliminate one at the end of Mon. show) could take it all. I feel like Mark and Derek will bring it because they don’t seem so hellbent on winning but enjoying the season. Peta always seems like she wants it a little too much and Maks, well, we know the pressure he is under.
Maks said ‘he’s officially announcing his plans for next season’ next week. Really,? He’s that important we need an official announcement, he couldn’t just answer the interviewers yesterday? UGH. I will say, if the show let’s him announce he’s leaving for good after this season on Monday’s show BEFORE the final votes are in, I will be utterly convinced of the manipulation to get him a win. Come ON. How many people will vote for him to get his one and only win then? It’s alredy bad enough they will be promoting the Maks-has-never-won-before- angle enough next week. But the Maks-has-never-won-before-and-might-never-if-not-this-season angle will just about clinch it 🙁
Fig9 and Courtney10
I think if A&D win, they will be too busy being happy and being their positive selves to worry about the crazies. Which makes me want the Maks loss to see the entertaining following explosion.
I completely expect a twitter meltdown either way from the shippers.
I mostly agree with your Courtney (10). If Maks loses, I think he will keep his cool…..until the press line and until he looks at twitter and sees his fans outrage. Can’t see him not joining in like he did when Z&V lost to K&D. If he manages to keep exploding out of the media, I actually will be very impressed.
Forgot to say earlier: Loved C&S’s foxtrot, liked but not loved their samba (talk about hosed, gosh, they probably knew he was the next one to go, why saddle him with a bad song that won’t help him in his last week) and LOVED Macy’s SOD!
@EPmusic
“Maks said ‘he’s officially announcing his plans for next season’ next week. Really,? He’s that important we need an official announcement, he couldn’t just answer the interviewers yesterday? UGH. I will say, if the show let’s him announce he’s leaving for good after this season on Monday’s show BEFORE the final votes are in, I will be utterly convinced of the manipulation to get him a win.”
Of course! (slaps head). How and why else would he know months ahead of time. He’s totally gonna pull an “off-the-cuff” announcement on Monday’s show before the voting begins, ‘poor me, my last season, I’m a bad boy, I appreciate all of you’ gag! That makes perfect sense.
::roll:: Maks always has to do everything with such fanfare – I have to wonder if Lounge Lizard Grubman is pushing this one, too. He ain’t comin’ back; nobody knows that far in advance that they’re in for the next season. Not even Derek. And yes, I agree with Ashley – if he does it before the final votes are in, it’s a pathetic ploy for sympathy votes. “Boo hoo, it’s my last season, sure would be nice to get just one widdle twophy before I weave for good!”
I was torn on voting for Amy or James- love them equally, but I gave all my votes to Amy.
Hahaha twophy.
I was just trying to think of any other celebs besides Ralph, Apolo, and Charlie that got “Ralph’d”. Although some of Derek’s partners have definitely gotten held to a higher standard, they haven’t been truly given the shaft that these guys have gotten. Are there any others? Is it a product of a strong female pro with a strong male celeb? Because right now that’s what it seems.
So you seasoned pros, what are we looking at for next week? Monday they will do a freestyle, and also redo their switch dance with their actual partners. Also is their typically a 3rd dance as well on that first night?
@Danna_Iulianna #64
Buna ziua!!! Am înţeles un pic de limba româna. Am învaţat în şcoala mea! Şi prientenii meu locuiţi la Iaşi.
Cine vrei sa (scuse, Nu ştiu cum sa spune “win”) ? Dupa programul, vrem Amy şi Derek!!
Salutoare de Statele!!!
-Nathan
Where are you hearing this, Cassie?
I saw it on CAI Parade.com blog. Does not go into exact details but take a look and let me know your thoughts. I was not sure if it had been mentioned yet in other posts on the site as there are always so many to scroll through!
I think to a certain degree Donald D was treated that way. The diff between he & Charlie, I think is that he was a big fan of the show and knew how it worked. He (& spouse) managed to turn things around and use them to their advantage. So even tho William & Katherine could do no wrong that season, he swooped in and won the day. lol
Interesting. So as Meryl hasn’t already gotten the win, she gets to redo the Argentine tango. I see a perfect score night for her again. Yet how is the show pushing Amy and ?Derek to a win. Everything all season seemed to be about .meryl and her amazing powers to transform Maks. Maks can just do a lift to lift freestyle and she will win. Amy is closest to make it appear to a competition and hope she does pull it off. Or James. The. Two of ?Maks exes would have wins.
I don’t see the uproar over Amy jazz score when it was good. And Candace got 9s despite forgetting choreo. Where is the outrage there? Oh, she is not a threat to Meryl. And Maks deserves to win. He is owed it despite rewatching his freestyles and I cringe.
I feel really non-enthusiastic for this season’s finale. I don’t think it’s necessarily that I think Charlie would have won but I was really excited to see his freestyle. Out for the finalists, I think Charlie and Amy would have had the best freestyles.
Maybe I’m just naive but I was honestly surprised when Charlie was eliminated over James. Not to say James is a bad dancer because he’s actually really good but I figured Charlie had more of a larger fan base, maybe it’s the whole split-voting thing between M&C?
If Meryl wins, I’ll be happy for HER but I know how much I will not be able to stand the whole “fam” celebration because they’ll make it more of celebration for Maks finally winning rather than Meryl, when truth be told, its about the celeb.
I’m giving all my votes now to Amy & Derek. I’m still in awe over Derek and the choreography he created for Amy and also in awe for Amy and how amazing, inspirational, and dedicated she is. And no, I’m not voting for them just because it’s Derek, I’m voting because of Amy.
Yuck if that is the case, poor James will have to do another rumba. Once was enuf. Too much repetition on this season.
# Nathan …Hi, that’s so awesome. win = castige. I love Amy and Derek but I’m almost afraid to root for them bc I can just imagine the backlash from all the Derek haters if they win. I decided to first watch all the freestyles and cast my vote based on the best one, but I’m secretly hoping that Amy and Derek will knock it out of the park. Now that Charlie is gone, they are definitely my favorite couple.
Is there any way that Candace can win it? Of the unlikely scenarios that could play out I can see that happening. She is not the best dancer but, like Bill last season, she has grown and improved. Somehow I can actually see that happening but she may be too far down the leaderboard. The only journey Meryl has had is taking care of Maks ego and insecurities. She is as good now as she was on week one imo. Of all the remaining contestants, she is the only one with no personal growth or even a glimmer of any kind of personality other than Maks maintenance.
If this CAI post is accurate do you think they do the same choreography (with minor tweaks) with their current partners? Or do you think they do the same style dance (A. Tango, Quickstep, Salsa, etc)with their current partner with all new choreography?
Hey Judy, the only “journey” Meryl has had has been the walking around the dance floor during their routines.
Sorry don’t mean to be mean to Meryl, I have nothing against her, just don’t she has performed or been pushed to anywhere near the level of the other finalists. Such a shame, so much wasted unrealized potential.
I want to suggest that an appropriate addition to the “hosed” lingo might be to be “White-washed.”
Granted it’s not an MBT, but at least the guy gets to have his name attached to a term that describes the snark to which he was subjected.
@PJ (83) You may be getting a bit confused. Peta did a Rumba with Charlie but James did a Tango with Cheryl therefore the Tango would be the dance he has to redo with Peta this time – So stoked about that because I think, except for his butt being out, that dances was pretty freaking awesome.
And of course Meryl gets to the Argentine Tango again… Surprise, surprise.
Amy and Derek doing the Salsa should be very fun. I think the one she did with Mark was just TOO careful being that Mark wasn’t used to working with Amy. Now that it’s been so many weeks Derek already knows everything there is to know about how Amy moves so I’m sure he’ll choreograph a killer Salsa for her.
Candace doing the Quickstep again worries me. I don’t think Ballroom hold is her strength. She tends to tense up as she did in her Foxtrot and having to do the Quickstep in hold the whole time could be a problem for her. Hopefully she gets it this time.
One liners aren’t as bad when it’s not show night, dancewithyou.
This is probably what Maks will announce.
SWAY WILL TAKE PLACE JULY 26TH AT “THE SPACE” IN WESTBURY, NY
250 POST AVENUE, WESTBURY, NY 11590.
And Zendaya will be there. Hope Val remembers to take all those damn hi-top dancing shoes with him.
Since Derek & Julianne’s road show has received a bump from DWTS, I’m sure Maks, Val & Tony are looking for equal time. That’s fair.
If it’s “I ain’t coming back ever”, that will make me happy happy!
Is Candace about politics?? Or just her religion? And is she “anti-gay”?? I ask because one doesn’t necessarily follow the other. Someone being religious it doesn’t mean they are political (and vice versa) and being religious doesn’t automatically equate to anti-gay. I’m just asking because it’s news to me that she’s anything other than religious.
Mark got to perform his single so to be clear it isn’t just the Houghs who got to promote their project. Whether they do not, wouldn’t bother me, I mean their mere participation on the show helps promote their dance studio.
I don’t think Candace is outspoken like her brother. But she tweeted a picture of her and her son going to chik filet and said she going to probably lose followers. Also during the presidential debates, she supporting Romney. She seems to politically align with conservatives.
Shoot, hit submit too soon. I think she holds to her religious beliefs which I rspect but I never sensed she was forcing an agenda or her politics.
So they are redoing a dance that the chosen one already perfected? Seriously? I’m starting to wonder if Amy hasn’t run away with the votes because they sure are stacking the deck for Maks to the heavens.
I hope Derek can still incorporate the running feet into the freestyle. I think that could be the show stopper.
Does Maks need to say a word about his “plans” for next season now that he’s said he’s announcing it?? He’s already accomplished what he wanted – getting his fans all revved up to vote more. He certainly has an inflated sense of self importance, doesn’t he?
Funny thing…crazy ass voting was what broke the ABC website in Season 16, which resulted in only the phone votes being counted. Which resulted in the most balanced, fair result in the history of the show. Would be funny if the same set of fans caused that to happen again. 🙂
Yeah, I would agree that they TRIED to ohno Donald but failed miserably because the alternatives that season just weren’t as exciting or as infection as he was.
Melissa–just went to Candace’s website and read her testimony and faith statement. I think you are right. Seems her goal is to share her transformation through faith and encourages others in that vain. Her little family is so cute.
@PH Oh gosh. I swear if Maks doesn’t win this season, it’ll be like dejavu to Season 16. I honestly didn’t care about the whole “Fam” thing or DWM fam until the stuff they said when Zendaya and Val lost. I feel like it might be even worse if Meryl and Maks would lose this season.
It’s funny how such a successful company can show that low of sportsmanship over a tv show. It’s not like (Kellie and Derek) rigged the voting, they won fair and square.
Melissa, true about Mark. When I think of the Houghs I think of Mark and Vice Versa. I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t show up at the occasional roadshow stop and perform. Is Mark touring after DWTS?
So, Meryl gets to redo her best dance of the season. Everyone else, not so much. Funny that some were complaining about the dances that Amy has gotten and it’s Meryl that’s been pretty lucky. No one else has gotten both Tango and Argentine Tango. And she’s managed to avoid her pro’s weaknesses….except for freestyle.
In order of the dances:
1) Candace
dance 1- V Waltz: first 8 count was a little off with the walking, but they went into the actual dance after that. Mostly good form, could use some work on lines but that might be just the angles shown. Did not like the random dip thing in the middle of the dance, but otherwise a very clean dance. solid PP(partial proficient) 7 1/2
dance 2- jazz: I’ve never heard this song before, and I don’t like jazz, but it worked. She seemed a little stressed or scared but she didn’t lose her frame and held the pace for most of the dance . I’m not a fan of the lifts, however a simple lift worked. I did not like the “let’s use the chair in the middle of the dance” either. Seemed like a “we need something let’s add it here” idea. Overall I’d say close to a P, but still a PP (partial proficient) 5.7
2) Charlie
dance 1- foxtrot: not bad first 8 count, considering he was by himself for the first four count. Good lines, dropped his prop though (not a fan of props anyways), kept his frame for most of it.Odd way to combine the traditional “leg kicks” with the foxtrot, and I’m not sure I liked it. Very interesting in my opinion that Sharna had him do the first 4 count on his own, as well as the final 8 count; however his lines were a little loose on that final 8 count with the spins (don’t know if they wanted loose Chaînés into very loose Fouetté rond de jambe en tournant into a final pirouette) Overall not too bad. P (proficient) 8.5
dance 2- samba: Okay first they got he crappy samba song. That aside the dance itself: Again thy had him start by himself. worked some basic samba rolls in albeit not the best. Seemed a slow samba, but not too bad. Kept pace, kept form, although it wasn’t the best. great partnership, and some very nice samba moves. almost seemed as if the ignored the song and just said “Here’s our dance, we will follow the beat for this but F you tptb for giving us a crappy samba song!”(other than costumes that is). Overall not bad, but I know he can do better. I’d say a solid P (proficient) 9
3) Amy
dance 1- quickstep: first 8 count was a bit odd but cute. stayed in hold for about 98% of it. Some basic steps for quickstep, which is good, Kept her pace, good frame, and held her moves well. A proper, and very well executed quickstep! THIS IS WHAT I WANTED TO SEE FROM HER ALL ALONG!!!!! FINALLY SHE GAVE THE DANCE/PERFORMANCE I KNEW SHE COULD DO!!!! There was no “easy” moves, no “hiding her disability” just actual dancing!!! Definitely an AP (advanced proficient) 10
dance 2- jazz: okay first of all I DON’T LIKE ANY DANCE AT INVOLVES CONTINUOUS PROPS, ESPECIALLY THE USE OF A TABLE/CHAIR! Second, From the time the song starts to the time it ends they spend 40.53 seconds with Amy on the table. Out of a 1minute, 18.20 second dance, they spent at least 51% of the dance on the table.(60 seconds= 1 minute, plus the 18 remainder seconds for the dance is 78 seconds total in the dance. They spent 40 seconds on the table. 40 divided by 78 = .51282 or 51%). In terms of moves I saw some moves, but I counted a total of 12 moves if that. and most of them with repetitive leg moves, and not much else. I’m sorry, actually I’m not, but after such a great quickstep it was disappointing to see this. Almost seemed two steps backwards for them. The moves they did, they did well, but they were not up to par with what she could do. Overall, this was weak compared to her quickstep. I’d say barely a PP (partial proficient) 5.1
4) James
dance 1- cha-cha-cha: not a fan of the “hip hop” moves but they did move into the actual dance after the first 16 count. He needs to work on his hip moves, but his frame wasn’t terrible. He did great in hold but lost count when they broke hold. A lot of hip hop and not a lot of the cha-cha-cha itself (I get the song didn’t help them, but I know they could do better). Overall I’d say this was a low PP (partial proficient) about a 5.9
dance 2- Who decides these song choices? So not a rumba song. That said. There were some basic, and some very obvious rumba steps in this dance. I think Peta wanted to ensure that he didn’t get docked like Charlie did. He still needs to work on soft knees, an controlling his moves a little. Not bad but a little stiff for a rumba. Good moves but not a great dance. I’d say a PP-P (Partial proficient- proficient) 7.9
5) Meryl:
dance 1- Jive: her legs in the first 8 count seemed off a little. Could have used a bit more pace., this was not up to par with what she has done in the past. However, the dance was not bad. They had jive elements, and kept pace. She does need to work on sped, like I said, however her moves were very well controlled and it was a solid performance. Overall I’d say a P (proficient) 8.
dance 2- V. Waltz: Another song that doesn’t work for the dance. Actual dance moves, the first 8 count was not the best,. They did move into a decent V Waltz, but Meryl lost her move a little. Her foot almost came off during the spins, and she seemed to rush a little. Otherwise a very strong dance. I would say a P (proficient) 9.
*Side note- I graded them on the same scale I grade my class with, 50% or less is NP(not proficient), 51-79% is PP (partial proficient), 80-99% is P (Proficient) and 10 is AP (advanced proficient).
And just for fun, I figured out who each pro/star in the finale would be in a classroom. Peta would be the flirt, Maks would be the perfectionist who can’t handle things not going right, Derek would be teacher’s pet, Mark would be that odd quiet child that no one quite gets at first due to his quietness, Candace would be the quiet, reserved, child, Amy would be the child who would probably be on a 504 plan for her disability, though an overall good student in class, James would be the “heart-breaker” for the girls, Meryl would be the “sneaky” child (the one who does break a few rules, but doesn’t get caught a lot) and overall a great student who tries her best.
Agreed on both your statements PH (97)!
Whoops I meant 96
When has Amy hidden her disability? Her cha cha had content, that jive was terrific and one if the few dances with troupe that was good, her AT had footwork. Again people so focused on the table. Dance is not about floor coverage. Jazz in particular has no rules on dwts.
Yeah, noticed Meryl gets her best dance.and again no contemporary or jazz. Sure Maks is recruiting people to give him his freestyle or maybe having Meryl put in input with her background and skill sets higher than any other celeb, this should be better than Joey fatone, Kellie, Amber, ?Shawn and Donald. If he does something jazz like Fosse, it will be too much like we just saw this week. Any contemporary will be a rip off of sytycd. Who knows.
You would think tptb would make it less obvious. If there was a drinking game each time Maks has won or it’s his turn or he deserves it mentioned, we’d all have poisoning pretty quickly.
So how does the finale work on this show? This is my first season watching so I’m wondering if just last night’s votes combined with whatever scores the judges give next week determine the winner, or if we do more voting next week as well. And if the judges give more scores out for the freestyle dances etc next week, how do those scores get mixed in with the scores from last night? Also, are there two shows next week, one for the performances and then another for results, or does it all happen that one night?
@ PH #92 – Candace took part in the Chick Fil A (sp?) protest with her son, the one about gay marriage. In other words, she supported the anti gay marriage stance and got a lot of flak for it. Ever since then people have posted porn and other things on her Facebook page.
Sorry, hit reply too soon. @Melissa – #93 – She is as vocal as her brother when she goes on Christian talk shows. She’s done quite a few of them.
Charlie’s fate was sealed the moment he got that 40 last Monday night and Meryl was on the bottom of the leader board.
I want AMY to win. Derek being her partner is just a coincidence. Then again you have to ask if Amy could achieve as much with another partner. I’m ready for this season to be over with. It is time to put your money where your mouth is. Show it in the freestyle. Stop the arguing, insulting and name calling. Just leave it on the ballroom floor. I get Maks hasn’t won. I get how frustrating that can be. I’m frustrated Sharna and Emma get screwed. As I always say, your vote is your voice. Your voice is better used voting than arguing.
I wish Val had gotten Meryl. I could have really gotten behind a Meryl/Val win. When Maks threw that mic pack, it was the nail in the coffin of them for me. I understand frustration and they can push Meryl bringing the best of Maks out all they want but I know fear when I see fear. Meryl was scared.
Glittery Entertainment Dance Show.
Loved the comments about that jive. I mean, listening to the judges and reading some comments, you would think that the dance was amazing. But no. Just another boring choreo maks has done. Charlie’s jive was simply amazing. all 9’s -.- And this jive got 10’s! Boy the judges really want Meryl to win. Season 18 feels like a repeat of season 16. Carrie Ann kept denying the 10 to everybody, except Zendaya. And then on the finale, Derek pulled off one of the most amazing freestyles.
This is my first season rooting for a star that is not paired with Derek (for my surprise!). But now, Charlie is no longer in the competion(and I’m so MAD about it), and of course I return to Derek, although I think Maks,oops, Meryl’s name is already in the mbt.
THe only thing that can make MAks loose, opps, Meryl*, is Candance. If she gets eliminated monday night, i think her fans will vote for derek. maks will make a forgetable freestyle, no doubt about that. but their fans will still vote, because they are so absessed with their “relationship” and of course, poor litle maks necer won before.
Sorry about the rant. 🙂
People who focus on the table, Melissa, show a basic ignorance of Jazz dancing and/or an unwillingness to give credit where due. The other comments about hiding her disability and her other dances? Consider the source. Calling Derek “teachers pet” also shows a huge bias and a distinct disregard for the actual history of the show.
“If she was allowed her running feet for the quick step, shouldn’t the other contestants be allowed running shoes?” Someone just posted this on the fb page…I can’t even begin to comprehend the logic behind this….
U are so rite CC. I was confused, and I wasn’t dissing James, just not fond of rumbas by male celebs, and I didn’t want think it was fair to him to have to do the same dance back to back. Thanks for setting me straight.
True. I also found Maks that smart struggling kid funny. He is more like the kid that throws a temper tantrum. Like more annoyed another student is out shining him. Meryl is more the teachers pet IMO. She can do no wrong in the judges eyes.
#112 Sher, I don’t how to say it without being too mean, but some people have an ugly soul and an ugly mouth. I don’t know if that’s even the phrase in English, but we use it in Slovenia so I’ll just translate it, because I think it’s fitting. When I’m reading some of the comments, that is not fair that Amy can use different feat… I don’t know if it makes me angry or it makes me laugh because people are so stupid. At the end I just turn away, because they are not worth it to spend my energy that I’d rather use to vote for Amy and Derek. But yeah…I’m speechless sometimes by how mean and ignorant people can be. I get it, you want Meryl/Maks to win, but please don’t make a fool out of yourself while hating on their competition.
And one more thing… What the hell is going on with Maks? He was saying all season how easy it is to dance with Meryl, how everything is so easy. And then you see how he asked Meryl to help him choreograph a jive that he has been dancing for 25 years. What the hell, dude? Who is the pro and the choreographer here? You or her? And that jive was just soooo boring… And his outburst… I’m lost for words, I’m sorry, but I can’t understand how can someone support and give excuses to such agressive behaviour.
I have a question for all the season viewers… Do the producers always absolutely eliminate the actual bottom celeb? we know that the bottom 3 in jeopardy are not actually in jeopardy, esp. after Charlie just openly stating that in his interview. BUT do they actually eliminate the one with the lowest combined score? idk… maybe its thinking too low of tptb, but if they wanted it bad enough, for Maks to win, could they just have eliminated Charlie regardless of his actual combined total? I mean nobody actually knows how many votes they get.
this is my conspiracist side coming out.
I was floored when I heard CAI tell Meryl (and least I think it was Meryl) “I was watching the room watch you.”… WTF???? That’s how you professionally judge a dance? By looking at everyone BUT the dancer? That told me the fix was in; it didn’t really matter what they did… sheesh, this is disappointing as all HECK. 🙁
It’s not logic, Sher, it’s IDIOCY.
Bruno Mars was born in Hawaii. He’s just as American as you and I are.
I have some faith that they actually do eliminate the bottom person, Minnie. I think they manipulate the hell out of everything else, but not that. Yet.
You’re right, Princess Heidi. They do manipulate the results. That’s why Derek has five wins under his belt. But of course he’s winning in spite of that manipulation, because TPTB are out to get him, obviously.
Oh so clever (not), Kit. Really, twisting my words is cheap. Jealous much?? Answer: Of course you are.
Kit, go away.
Thanks god there’s only one more week. I just made the mistake of looking at Facebook – I’ve never seen a more disgusting display by a group of (Maks and Meryl) fans. Give them the MBT so maybe they will take their black little souls off to rot somewhere else. Between that and the people trolling here….just disgusting.
Heidi, I saw them the other day at FB and I was mortified at the lengths people will go. It’s just sick!!
I’m noticing an awful lot of first-time posters trying to get a rise of out the regulars. I’ve been trashing a lot of comments today. Cause ain’t nobody got time for immature attention-seekers.
I’m also contemplating putting my Twitter account on private until after this month is over, because some Maks fans apparently think that it’s ok to chime in & argue whenever they don’t like what I’ve said. Again, I reiterate: why do they so desperately need me to agree with them? If our site is “PureBullsh*t”…then why are you so concerned about what I think and say? 🙂
I’m sorry but I laughed for a good 10 seconds when I read Kit’s posts.
I was confused why they used Bruno Mars last night. Yes, he’s a great musician but he’s not “icon” yet. I doubt you will see his name anywhere when you google “American Icons”
also, it’s funny how some people still claim that Derek wins only because he’s the one TPTB want to win. He has an Emmy for a reason and 5 MB’s. I admit, prior to the past few seasons I had the mentality “oh Derek wins again” “I don’t want Derek to win because he already has 3 MB’s” but honestly, he is amazing at what he does.
To win DWTS, you are not guaranteed to win based on being a ringer alone, you have to know how to coach each celeb you get and choreograph to their strengths and clearly Derek has figured it out. He’s an amazing choreographer and teacher and can make ANYONE shine. Did we honestly think Ricki Lake was going to be a great dancer and make the Top 3? I don’t think she would have done as well with someone, say Maks or Tony.
This may be off topic, so I apologize in advance.
I was speaking on Facebook to a friend not long ago who posted a picture of her son on Instagram. Her son happens to have Downs. This poster thought it was ok to remark on how ugly her TWO YEAR OLD SON is.
I told her the person was not remarking on her son but picked that picture to announce to the world what they think about themselves.
My point? Your words reflect you.
Yeah, Courtney, they were butting into my twitter account last night too. Little freaks gotta stop anyone daring to talk in less than glowing terms about their beloved.
Where DO these people find all this time?? Are they uneducated and unemployed?? What?
And yet some pros can ONLY win with a ringer. 🙂
That’s one of the more disgusting stories I’ve read today Cher. It’s similar to what I’m seeing thrown at Amy on facebook. The comments implying that she’s got an advantage because she has no feet. It’s mind boggling.
It’s like some of them are demanding that she be scored DOWN because she’s disabled, despite the fact that she’s doing some killer dancing.
The whole business with Maks pretending he was having a creative meltdown and needed Meryl to help him choreograph the jive reminded me so much of when he had another meltdown and Brandy had to help choreograph their AT.
Everything with Maks is a rerun.
Well, that’s the key to why he’s so insane. He’s doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Einstein’s definition.
Yeah, we’re not having these conversations AGAIN, people. If you can’t be bothered to read all the previous posts and comments here, then you don’t deserve to actually comment here. These arguments have been made for YEARS now.
Did you all know I’m biased for Derek?? DUH. We all have biases – if you can’t own yours then you’re delusional in addition to biased. At least try to be SMART.
I totally forgot that my favorite troll comment of the last couple days was the one telling me I’m not really a princess. Umm…I’m not?? :::bats eyelashes:::
#PH Reading your post a picture appeared in my mind of someone, red-faced, screaming, “But she’s got no feet! It’s not fair!” It reminded me of an end scene of Trading Places, where Don Ameche is so unbelieving that they had just lost so badly when the stock exchange closed screams, red-faced, “Turn those machines back on! Turn those machines back on!” It is quintessential desperation.
A guy I graduated high school with lost both legs below the knee thanks to a land mine in Fallujah back in ’07. I’m sure he’d LOVE to talk with the Amy detractors about the many ways in which his life is soooo much easier than people with two real legs. The phantom pains, the physical therapy, the special equipment he needs to ride his motorcycle/drive his car, the pitied looks he gets at the grocery store, having to explain his predicament to potential dates…good times!!!! I know I’m jelly.
Funny Susan, your picture in your head matches mine. Also there is some screaming about stools and tables. “She’s not actually DANCING!! She’s just SITTING!! How is that fair!!”
“Meryl walks so BEAUTIFULLY!! WAY better than Amy SITTING ON A STOOL!!!”
😀 Ya know, the last time Derek got this much shit for his choreography, he got an Emmy nomination.
I would actually respect Maks if he said something but sportsmanship and manners are not his traits. Besides Amy, I imagine the pain her parents may feel seeing that as well. If they so desperately want that mbt, I guess. Amy again comes out winning.
I saw some who feel Amy is judged on a curve. Disagree because she is dancing, her jive was better than most we have seen from other pros. Her jazz? Was a jazz and I take over anything Tony or others choreograph as jazz. Some seem upset that Amy gets to dance with legs at all. And for someone who Marlee had it tougher. That is not the competition and FYI Amy is deaf in one ear. Makes her musicality even more impressive.
Kit, Derek wins because he’s a fantastic teacher and choreographer (Maks not so much IMHO). Derek’s partners win over the audience or perhaps the audience likes Derek….a man who doesn’t rough-house his partners or talk smack on live tv or tell interviewers that he has the best dancer and she deserves to win-he says EVERYONE earned the right to be there.
I am so thrilled for Candace and James. They both deserve to be in the finals. Candace is just a joy to watch. Her pairing with Mark has really worked out well for both of them.
I am sad about Charlie though. I can’t help but wonder how he would have done with a better pro than Sharna. She does not impress me at all. Cheryl would have been wonderful, or Karina.
Why do people ASSUME all of Charlie’s votes are going to Meryl. Doubtful. I think some will. I also think some will go to Amy and perhaps the others as well. To simply think that the votes will automatically go to Meryl is like assuming Meryl will win. Again, I like Meryl, but her star doesn’t burn as bright because of Maks and his reputation.
#PH “Meryl walks so BEAUTIFULLY!! WAY better than Amy SITTING ON A STOOL!!!” That cracked me up as I read it. Still does. Brilliantly put.
@MelissaC: I do wonder how Charlie would have done with a more experienced pro like Cheryl. To be honest, though, I don’t think swapping Cheryl and Sharna would have made much, if any, difference in staving off elimination this week.
That said, I have to give Sharna kudos for going out on a limb with the choreography. She had a great dancer for a partner, and she took full advantage of it.
I re-watched Amy’s Jazz, and I have to say that Jazz was overscored not because of her spending time on the table but because she did mess up and was out of sync. Also, what annoyed me was Kenny judged Derek’s choreography; he spent all of his comments on Derek and did not mention Amy once.
I would switch #1 and #2 in Courtney’s Power Rankings, otherwise I agree with them. I LOVED to see Amy glide across the floor in her QS! WOW!!! What a nice surprise! Wonder if we’ll see them again in their freestyle? Or if we’ll see something like the Contemporary routine he did for Most Memorable Year week??
I’m just so tired of seeing Meryl walk during her routines…that was the FIRST thing she did in the opening of her VW on Monday night so if Meryl can do that, Amy can DANCE on a table…Meryl has WALKED across the floor during many of her routines this season, not just last night. I for one am tired of the double standard that MnM fans are using to judge Amy but it’s ok for their precious to merely walk across the floor for 10 seconds or longer. And then Spin…and spin again. Yeah, we get it! She’s an ice skater, we all KNOW Meryl can spin! Maks’ choreography is no where NEAR the level of Derek’s. It never will be.
I only saw 1 fumble during that jazz routine during the side by side part in front of the table.
Candace will be lucky to finish 4th. James 3rd and I really think Amy has a good chance of winning this thing! I’d LOVE to see Maks’ head explode! LOLOL
I think it’s amazing what Amy can & is doing. She has a remarkable, inspiring story, AND she is a great dancer!. With that being said, if you really break it down to ability, Meryl/Charlie/James/Danica are the best dancers on the season. Amy maximizes her capability, and she has an Emmy-winning choreographer to make her look amazing doing it. Should she still be in the competition? Absolutely! The competition is more than just dance ability. It’s not the Olympics; it’s a dance competition largely based off of popular opinion (not dance professionals). If this was about finding out who the best dancer is, then the season could have ended after Week 1 (with Olympic gold medal winning dancers). Danica had 8 years of ballroom experience, so she really came into the competition at a huge advantage also. The three stars that really put in the effort day-in and day-out are Amy/James/Candace (in no particular order). If we are going to argue on who deserves the MBT most, it’s one of them.
My final predictions:
Obviously, Meryl is the ringer here…
James’ big hope at winning is if Amy is eliminated on Monday. Many of Amy’s votes will go to James as her/Derek’s fan base don’t want Meryl to win but also don’t feel that Candace is good enough to become champion. If he gets through Monday, he will either place 2nd (Amy elim) or 2nd/3rd (Candace elim). Toss up for James & Amy in finals for 2nd.
Candace — don’t really see a scenario of her winning. Either 4th or 3rd (if James/Amy are eliminated Monday).
Amy’s best bet is for Meryl to be eliminated. James’ fans won’t vote at all if he’s eliminated (or will continue to try to vote for him even though they can’t), and Meryl’s fans will have to decide between James/Amy (Maks fans to James & Meryl fans to Amy). Though many of Candace’s fans will probably go for Amy but probably not a large enough portion to put her over Meryl. Either 2nd or 3rd.
Odds:
Meryl (High!!)
James (It’s Possible)
Amy (Slim)
Candace (Not Happening)
She was Docked a point, Alvin. Just how many points do you think one should lose on the dance that great with one tiny, barely noticeable mistake? Ridiculous standards.
I disagree with you Vin2….I think Amy has a VERY good chance of winning and beating the Chosen one. If Amy is somehow eliminated Monday night (which I don’t think will happen) I’ll vote for Candace. You’re making a LOT of assumptions in your posts.
If it was anyone else who made that mistake, Heidi, they would’ve been docked more than one point from one judge.
Maks was offended by Abby Lee Miller. Mak, himself, yelled and threw something in front of his student . How is he different?
Mary – For one his student is a full-grown adult, not a child.
Oooo…so it’s perfectly acceptable that Maks act like a big brat throwing things around a much smaller woman. Straying into dangerous territory here, Kit.
Really Kit?? Derek is the one who has gotten 7’s on dances that the other judges gave 10’s to – for props no less. And this is typical bullshit. Instead of bitching to the judges about docking too many points, you want to take away points from someone who doesn’t deserve it. Yeah, that’s the smart way to go. We all bitched for days about Charlie losing too many points for a dropped cane – where were you?? We’ve been bitching since the begining of the season about the scores that Charlie has gotten on dances that were every bit as good as Meryl’s and, in fact, more difficult. Where were YOU??
I’m not saying it’s acceptable, but it is different. Those things have a much more profound affect on children than adults, typically. Besides, you and I both know she was never in any actual danger. The whole situation was probably played up for the drama (this is reality television after all. They do this with all the contestants in some way).
And all I’m saying is if it was anyone else who made that mistake, they would’ve been docked more.
I doubt it…Candace forgot parts of her routine last night and was given 9’s!! So where’s the double standard??
Charlie dropped the handkerchief and had to do all those flourishes without it. Docked nothing. All 10’s. In fact Len gave him a 10 even tho he dropped the cane on Disney night. You were saying?
Oh, so she was never in any danger, so it’s different…which is code for okay. NO, I do not accept that it’s different so it’s okay. You are making massive excuses. I DARE YOU to go and watch the clip of what happens in the “Coming UP” clip they show right after Charlie dances. Focus on Meryl. Then tell me that it’s just played up for drama.
You Maks apologists know no bounds and will accept anything, all the while criticizing Derek Hough for supposed infractions like how the judges score him. Are you for real??
She got two 8’s and two 9’s Kelly, if you’re talking about her FT. I just watched it. But that she got any 9’s at all is amazing – love Candace a surprising amount, but there were quite a few pretty huge mistakes and she looked like she was in pain throughout the dance.
Charlie dropped his hanky and got a 40. How is that different than the chair bobble? Answer: It’s not, but since he’s not Derek, it’s okay.
They all called him out on it and the other three judges docked him. Not to mention there was a LOT more choreography in that jazz than Amy’s.
Mary – also, he wasn’t berating his student
Maks is heavily involved with an organization called “Childhelp.” This organization helps kids who have been the victims of child abuse. They have residential treatment centers, theraputic centers, assist with foster care, etc. Last year, Maks implemented an art therapy program there.
I don’t really think it’s fair to compare Maks with Abby Lee. In fact, I think Maks may have been so vocal about not caring about her opinion because child abuse is clearly something that is important to him.
Kit #155….but kids DO WATCH the show….so they see Maks and his behavior. I use it as an example of the type of behavior my daughters should stay away from.
@KellyK — By your standard, everyone on here is making “assumptions” — what do you think the “Power Rankings” are then? I’m stating my opinion and projections of how I think it could play out. Could I be wrong – very likely. However, I was exactly right last week (maybe didn’t discuss on this site), but my “assumption” last week was that Candace would be called safe off the bat. James would also be called safe with the Olympians in jeopardy. Amy called safe, down to Charlie/Meryl and Charlie goes home… And that’s what happened. It was my personal prediction on how I thought things would go down. Does the fact that it was accurate make it a premonition? No, just a lucky guess I suppose. My thoughts on how it will go down versus how I hope it does play out are very different. I’d like a final 3 of Amy/James/Candace and am fine with either Amy or James taking the MBT at this point; that could change on Monday though with the Freestyle. I thought the purpose of this site was to create a forum for fans to discuss. Your theories could be right and mine could be wrong…and that would be okay. But please don’t discredit my opinions as I will respect yours, whether I agree with them or not.
Sorry but working with a kids charity doesn’t involve Maks issues. Go back and rewatch the season with Hope Solo.
It’s still not the same, Lex. You’re comparing apples to oranges.
Lynn #142, I think the votes from the figure skating fans will go to Meryl. I think that the votes that Charlie was getting from Sharna, and most of the core audience, will go to Amy.
It’s funny, but when I read some posts, I’ve been on this site long enough to notice who might end up on comment moderation. And when I read Kit’s 122 comment, I honestly thought it was one of PH’s sarcastic comments before I looked at the author. (I’m not sure if that is considered being insulting to another commenter… Feel free to delete it. As a teenager, I don’t have the judgement of what I say that most adults on this site have yet.)
By the way, complete non sequitur, but anyone on this site actually watch hockey?
Way to miss the point, kit. The judges were wrong, and the two dances were very different types of Jazz. There is no metric for comparing content. Reaching.
Vin2, being right last week means exactly nothing. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day. Move along.
We can compare the amount of content, can’t we?
You’re an apologist, kit, face it. I see lots of comparisons between the two. The only difference is one is women, the other is children.
No, because unlike ballroom dancing, there are no required syllabus steps. Jazz can take many different forms.
No Kit, both jazz dances had the same amount of ‘choreography’. Both routines were filled with movement from start point to end point of music.
Now, number of moves on beats due to faster tempo of song? Sure ok one had more than the other. Which is better and which is more entertaining and which deserves a penalty of zero or one or two or three points for one mistake? Subjective opinion. Yours is not the law that all should agree with and neither is mine. My opinion is neither deserved to be penalized much because of the quality of the routines overall. Also, Amy missed one beat of synchro and Charlie missed 2 or 3 counts. Some others may say one is worse and some the other. Again, their opinion.
Your opinion is Derek is treated unfairly in his favor. Mine is the opposite. We don’t have to agree to enjoy the puredwts blog. Attitudes and rudeness in stating ones opinion are what get people up in arms, not opposite opinions.
Yes, Charlie’s jazz and Amy’s jazz are completely different styles of jazz. Which is preferred is subjective but I wish those who obviously have NO understanding of the whole genre of jazz speaking like they know one was good actual jazz content and one was not actual jazz content would…..wait, I’ll stop myself there.
You’re the one trolling the blog of people that you don’t, as a whole, agree with kit. Who’s unpleasant?? This is my house and I have a bunch of friends over…you are walking in and crapping on the carpet.
EP, I understand that they’re different types of jazz. I’m not a complete moron. Amy’s dance had a lot less movement, is all I’m getting at. Besides, she missed more than just one beat.
You clearly don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, kit. Just making a fool of yourself at this point. Please move along. Or I’ll move you along.
Wish granted.
All the hates and jealousy toward Derek is because the haters secretly admit he is more superior than their idol. Before DWTS I thought Meryl and Danica are smart women but now I wonder if they are being brainwashed by “the Fam”. Danica, for instance, after being told her remarks was condescending by Maks, said family fights sometimes.
I think winning the MBT somehow will add credentials to the Fam dancing school. They already put “Tony, wiinner of mirror ball trophy on DWTS.” Why not add Maks to it and bet next year they will push Val for the winning. I understand that the Fam has history of winning in the dance world but for the non dancers audience DWTS has more selling advertisement, at least that’s what I think.
Rose, we try to give people the benefit of the doubt until they show themselves to be, yes, a complete moron. AkA troll. We’ve actually had quite a few new people show up and turn out to be good community members. It’s a trial and error sort of thing.
Slow, sultry song vs. fast uptempo song = less movements in the slow, sultry song. Would you have a couple doing multiple movements per beat to ‘Too Darn Hot’ which wouldn’t make sense for the feel of the song, just to put more moves in a 1-minute routine? Ok, if that’s what you prefer, it’s what you prefer, just wouldn’t fit the style in my opinion. But I guess it’s still all Derek’s fault that the producers gave him Too Darn Hot to begin with then.
I don’t think that the actual point here is actually preferring one type of jazz over the other. It all began with an insult to Derek. So, I’m betting that if Derek had dropped the cane and Sharna had missed the 1 beat of synchro in Too Darn Hot, the cane routine would have then been more worthy of docking points because Derek missed multiple beats of choreo with the drop?
PH you can delete this if you want. I just had to write it.
@Kit
“I’m not saying it’s acceptable, but it is different. Those things have a much more profound affect on children than adults, typically. Besides, you and I both know she was never in any actual danger. The whole situation was probably played up for the drama (this is reality television after all. They do this with all the contestants in some way).
Maks abusing grown women and in return helping a children’s charity is not apples and oranges. Abuse is abuse. So are you saying it’s ok to a abuse a grown woman then?
And NO, the rest of the pros and the tptb do not do this with all contestants. Some things are just plain right or wrong.
By your logic then, a teacher who is a pedophile but also rapes adult women can’t be that bad because he also helps children’s charities and that’s different plus it affects the children more. Not acceptable but different? If it’s not acceptable, it’s WRONG. A Chris Brown can beat a grown woman but if he helps children’s charities then it’s okay or different as you like to say.
And we wonder why our society’s values have gone to heck.
You know what, EP? I let the trolls get away with too much, so I’m letting it stand. You actually know what you’re talking about, unlike them.
I was a little confused by the American Icon thing. How on earth did poor Charlie get stuck with a Biggie Smalls song then? Surely no one considers him an icon??
Ashley, you articulated that much better than I did and I appreciate it.
There are some pretty ugly things being implied here, all in the quest to absolve Maks of some bad behavior. Bad behavior probably even on Maks’ scale. Ya know, all the pros lose their temper from time to time….even Derek the mild mannered has lost it. But other pros learn from it, apologize and generally don’t do it again. So why is okay for Maks to NOT learn this?? Because Meryl is a grown woman?? Do you realize how awful that sounds??
@MelissaC(183) From what I have heard on other sites, as well from what I can find(not much sadly) it wasn’t the music that was supposed to be the American Icon. Each star picked their own “American Icon” aka the person they said they admired/looked up to. So the music was not the “theme” instead they had them pick someone they consider the icon(Charlie picked a former Olympian medalist, Meryl did likewise, Amy picked oprah, candace picked the author/God(technically she picked the author but she did mention she was really doing it for God), and James picked some producer guy). I don’t have the names with me at the moment or I’d post them.
@melissac biggie would be considered a hip hop icon. It was more wtf to give that song for samba,
Re-watching the show, I’m impressed again by Candace’s jazz dance. I think the scores were appropriate. And she did dance on a chair for 10 seconds. Just saying 🙂
I also really like James’ Michael Jackson number. It is actually quite good. Possibly over scored a tad, but that’s subjective.
Charlie is so freaking cute I miss him already. 🙁
Mods, have you heard of a voting snafu? James’ fans are complaining that their votes are being tabulated as Meryl’s. Just wondered if you had some inside info on this.
#185 Teresa – It seemed confusing to me because some of the music seemed to be from icons, while others were not.
And I just loved that Candace chose someone who was not famous. Good for her for not backing down and for continuing to be herself through the nastiness that has been thrown her way this season.
I don’t believe there is a snafu, Judy. This is been discussed ad nauseum on the site and others I’m sure but it has more to do with the notification of being wrong not the voting itself.
It was an actual snafu, they would actually do something fix it. They have in the past.
#Judy, I’m not a mod, but I know that every time I vote online for Derek and Amy, they give me a ‘related video’ of Meryl and Maks. Almost like they are taunting me – Thanks for voting, but this is who you REALLY should be voting for….
Still rewatching the show – listening to the judges comments after Charlie’s Samba just pisses me the hell off all over again. Hosed from day one. I’d bitch slap Carrie Ann if I was in the ballroom. Anyone else notice the band messed up his song at the end?
Thanks for the info PH and Sueb. I can’t get my head around this upcoming coronation of Meryl and Maks and the thought that there might be even more shenanigans was making me super pissed off about this show. Even the Afterbuzz panel are giving them the mbt.
#Sueb I get exactly the same thing. Don’t like them popping up. Last season was great because the video they put if you voted for Amber was the one where Derek muses about “boob concussions.”
Well, it is theirs to lose Judy. But, there ‘s still another week of dancing to go. 🙂 And the dreaded freestyle.
I’m sure everyone gets Meryl and Max video after they vote. Just another subtle form of manipulation. They excel at it.
Just a thought… Charlie’s elimination not only helps Meryl in terms of getting the votes from skating fans, but it also plays as a motivator for the general audience against complacency. No one is safe, not even the favorites in the competition.
Abuse is abuse is abuse. I don’t care if those angry actions are done in front of an adult or a child, it is unacceptable. If you don’t believe me, go volunteer at a Women’s center, or listen to a bully tell you how they learned that behavior. Ridiculous. Comments justifying Mak’s behavior is exactly WHY so many people don’t like him or his extremist fans, in my opinion.
Did anyone else see Evan Lysacek tweeting last night for people to vote for Amy? Two weeks ago he was at the show with Tara Lipinski supporting Meryl and Charlie. I guess he’s no longer pulling for the remaining member of the skating family and his former brother.
Oops forgot something. Let’s just remember Afterbuzz was sure James was going home this week. They were also sure Zendaya was going to win. No one knows.
Plenty of folks have made this point, but I feel it bears repeating – Maks’ behavior in the rehearsal is *totally* unacceptable. It makes *no* difference that Meryl is a grown woman, or that we “knew” she wouldn’t get hurt, or that it’s reality TV. Someone should mention that to Hope Solo – she’s a grown woman and she *did* get hurt by Maks, on camera, on a reality TV show. Meryl didn’t know that she wasn’t going to get hurt, but that doesn’t even matter. What matters is that there are no excuses for that sort of behavior. Abuse is *never* acceptable.
An adult male getting angry at his own performance and throwing something does not equal abuse of another adult unless the object was thrown at the other adult with intent. Anyone who competes in a partnership or team has been in a similar situation when a teammate has an off day (a spiked football, throwing a tennis racket, etc). Yelling at minors for money is completely different. In that case, the relationship is not equal, the child is subordinate. I think everyone’s hate for Maks is clouding their view of Meryl who does not deserve the scorn you all are heaping upon her. Yes his behavior is immature, but Meryl is not Maks! It is similar to the scorn directed at Amy for others’ hatred of Derek; a behavior you claim to protest.
Meryl said during the package that was shown on tv that she was afraid or something along those lines…so it was more than just Maks “getting angry at his own performance”. This isn’t the first time that Maks has been shown to have a temper that’s gotten out of control. Season 13 with Hope Solo and Season 14 with Melissa Gilbert. Hope even wrote in her autobiography about how Maks hit her during DWTS rehearsals.
I’m going to repeat what I said last season just for all the nasty people reigning hate on a person with no feet–I said last season that if Derek ended up winning with Amber I would be laughing for a very long time–and I did, still am laughing at all those people who were so convinced he would lose. I am going to DIE laughing if this little plan to crown Maks, and if all the nasty Cherm fam followers, fails again.
Oh and about CAI comment about everyone watching, mouths agape, watching the beautiful rainbow shooting aura of the Meryl-Maks lurve story ?? did she see the people standing all the way through Amy’s dances ??
@Amy #202
“An adult male getting angry at his own performance and throwing something does not equal abuse of another adult unless the object was thrown at the other adult with intent.”
BS. Meryl already said and it was visible she was clearly unnerved because of his behavior and when he freaked out while in hold with her and whipped around to hurl that object, she flinched, as would I. It’s frightening not knowing what’s going to happen next.
Maks very much intends his behavior because he’s a repeat offender. He could care less who is near him. Constantly making your female partners nervous, uncomfortable and as Danica said she and Meryl discussed in private, repeatedly receiving insults is abuse.
I don’t know what your reading but Meryl isn’t getting the scorn. We like Meryl a lot!
For any fellow Meryl and Maks fans, there is a short interview on Glamour’s site that is a lot of fun. It highlights what I love about Meryl. She is able to really handle the passion Maks has and steer it in the right direction when it becomes negative or destructive. It does seem like she is the perfect partner for him and together they click to make an amazing pair. Meryl has such an amazing self confidence without coming across as arrogant, while I think Maks comes across as arrogant at times but it really comes from a lack of confidence in himself. Meryl fills in the missing pieces for him. Like Meryl said on Monday, I think win or lose, they both have gained from the journey they’ve been on together and I know I have gained from getting to watch them.
Vin2—-your scenarios as written in your post above #147 are written as facts. You don’t write, “I think” that James fans won’t vote at all if he’s eliminated. You state it as if it’s fact. It’s not. They’re your opinions but aren’t stated as such.
Also,re post #204, PH doesn’t like being told how to act in her house. Pure DWTS is her blog. She, Courtney, Vogue and a few others PAY for this site. WE are her guests. They give us the privilege of posting here. Therefore, we need to be polite to them when we are guests at their place. If we don’t like how they act, we are free to go play at someone else’s house. If they don’t like how we act, they will block us.
I really enjoyed last night’s dancing by most of all the couples. I just want to say that it absolutely broke my heart to see Charlie get eliminated. This wonderful man & his partner worked their asses off every week and truly gave us some incredible dances… but for some reason was constantly picked apart & held down. I would have preferred Charlie over Meryl in the finals any day… and not because I don’t like Meryl or her dancing, but because her partnership with Maks has created a fandom that spreads ugliness, jealousy, and abuse across social media. Even Shirley Ballas has commented on all the negative remarks on instagram.
Anyways, completely amazed and floored by both of Amy and Derek’s routines! What is wonderful about them is that they keep on surprising people with what they can do. They truly defy the odds every week. I am in love with their jazz routine!
My 2nd favorite of the night were Candace and Mark. True, she is the weakest dancer left & did make some mistakes… but you can’t deny that she has come a long way and she is fun to watch! Full House used to be favorite TV show as a kid… so I am rooting for DJ!
I think I switched to the NBA playoffs during James/Peta and Meryl/Maks… but I had an idea of their dances from my twitter feed. Of course, Meryl got a 40… lol… part of the storyboarding. But people, don’t forget.. DWTS is an entertainment show. Gotta have drama… =P
But I just want to say that for me, as a long time DWTS viewer, I value the journey of the celeb just as much as great dancing. If just the best dancers would have won, then Mario Lopez, Mel B, Mya, etc would have won. That’s why I enjoy Amy and Candace so much. Watching their struggles and seeing them overcome them is very inspiring.
So I do feel that the final 2 will be Amy and Meryl. EVERYTHING the producers have done all season has been to *help* Meryl and Maks win (including getting rid of Danica/Val and Charlie so no vote splitting). Of course, Meryl is the better dancer! Meryl has spent more than 20 years of her life training in dance and ice skating. I don’t know for sure, but she definitely looks like she has had training in ballet, ballroom styles, contemporary..etc.
Then there is Amy who has no feet or legs, never formally trained in dance, and is getting abused, ridiculed, and degraded by the fans of others who fear her. It just blows my mind how someone could be so hateful towards her. Many people I talk to abt DWTS are so amazed and inspired by Amy. They just can’t believe that she is doing what she is doing. I feel that she has just a good a chance as Meryl has to win, regardless that Derek is her partner.
Anyways, really happy that Amy and Candace are in the final! I wish all the finalists luck!
Actually Lynn, no one on After Buzz thought Zendaya would win. The 3 of the 5 member panel, Henry Byalikov, Kristyn Burtt, and Jake DuPree, predicted Kellie would win. Anna Trebunskaya said the winner would be either Kellie or Jacoby and Suri Serano chose Jacoby.
I watched DWTS this season because of Meryl and Charlie and I am convinced that Charlie was eliminated before the finals because the producers do not want to upset the applecart – namely the coronation of M&M as the king and queen. AM I Upset-yes I am mainly because of the way they treated Charlie.
The way the M&M fans and I am including the D/W fans making fun of Amy’s dancing is making my blood boil though. I can not believe that they are making fun of a legless woman’s dancing!
And their delusions about Meryl & Maks is just – I can’t even find the words. They really believe that M&M is an item.
Amy, no one is directing “hate” at Meryl – we’re disgusted with Maks behavior as most reasonable people would be. If you can’t see that YOU’RE the one with the problem, not us. The very fact that you equate it to hate on Meryl is very, very telling. Look in the mirror. It is not even CLOSE to what is directed at Amy – you are throwing out red herrings left and right to protect…someone. Not sure if it’s Meryl or Maks.
You go watch Meryl’s face and body language when Maks is having his “temper tantrum”. LOOK.
But what did they say BEFORE Kellie’s freestyle, Kenya? They all thought Zendaya would take it until after the freestyle, I believe. Hell, I thought Zendaya would take it until I saw that freestyle. After that it was like the air in the “room” changed.
@KellyK, #207, I couldn’t have said it better. All the mods put a lot of time and money into maintaining this site and letting people post here. If someone doesn’t like it, they can take their toys and go play somewhere else.
Most people here are upset with Maks on BEHALF of Meryl. If we “hated” her do you think we would give a crap about how assy Maks has been towards her?
Almost every package on the two of them has been about Maks. How stressed out he is, how frustrated he is, how hurt is he by Julianne’s comment. One minutes he’s cooing how easy it is with Meryl, in the next minute he’s throwing a tantrum because it’s so hard to choreograph for someone as good as her. My God what a drama king.
I can only imagine how exhausting and stressful it must be to be around a personality like that.
Of course all the pros at some point have let their frustration or stress show with their celebs, and that’s okay, they’re humans. However, Maks takes it to a whole new level where his partners needs and worries take a permanent backseat to his own insecurities and ego.
I know I probably sound like a broken record by now, but it’s a damn freaking shame that Meryl got Maks as her partner. I really like and respect Meryl. She deserves better than having to play nanny, nursemaid and psychologist to man who should place her first.
@Ria #210
When you consider how much M&M has been pimped, how they’ve been scored and how much TPTB is manipulating the outcome, I think it’s crystal clear why Charlie was eliminated (no vote splitting). The real question is WHY. Pure speculation on my part but I think a deal was made. Maks would come back as a permanent judge if the producers did all they could to ensure his win this season.
I’ve been watching DWTS since season 3 or 4 and I’ve never seen any contestant be more abused than Amy. Some of Maks’ fans have always been mean-spirited but this year they sunk to a new low. One such bully compared her dancing to that of a trained monkey!!! These vicious attacks on Amy just infuriate me.
But with Conrad leaving, if there were such a deal, would it still be valid?
I saw a comment of FB where a person said Amy should be made to dance next to Meryl without her prosthetics. That just sickened me to my core. It’s like those people have so soul. I don’t go to FB anymore. Hopefully the general public is better than that.
I think Maks is allowed to have his temper tantrum, because it’s being excused. I’ve read the comments in this thread, and it seems as if his fans are trying to make excuses for Maks, and saying that it’s not a big deal. Yet, these same people, on the rare occasion that Derek is frustrated and expresses some anger in packages (not this season… in past seasons) they’re ready to jump down his throat and tear out his insides, and they’re screaming and yelling about how MEAN he is, he’s awful, and very abusive toward his partner and needs to be dismissed from the show. Maks behavior? Oh, it’s okay, we shouldn’t worry about it. I’m sorry, but I don’t worship at the altar of Maks, and I definitely can see his faults, and I think he needs to be held accountable to them, especially when he causes fear in his partner.
If Meryl wins, she’s definitely earned that trophy. I just have A LOT!!!!!!!!! of reservations about her partner deserving a trophy.
Maks is saying he was just throwing the mic pack because he was frustrated with himself and the creative blockage he was having – it was in one of the post-show interviews; I believe the one with George. He (Maks) is trying to make it out like it’s no big deal.
Yea, for a guy with a history of abuse, scaring the heck out of your partner is no big deal.
I think most of Maks’ fans are a reflection of himself.
@Susan … Yes, it would be valid if they already signed a contract.
If my boyfriend ever got frustrated on a lesson with a student and threw something, HE WOULD BE OUT OF A JOB. I don’t care how frustrated you get – getting physical, either with your partner or even an inanimate object, is unprofessional and unacceptable. And I don’t care how “tough” or “used to tough training” Meryl’s fans are claiming she is – the body language of that woman when Maks was throwing that mic pack read loud & clear to me: FEAR. And this ain’t an isolated incident – Maks has had outbursts like this in the past. The fact that the producers keep allowing this to happen (and that his fans continue to write this off as acceptable behavior) is chilling. Maks is the Joffrey Baratheon of DWTS – wreaking havoc unchecked and enabled by those around him. And this season has just been a Red Wedding – everyone’s being eliminated to clear the path for Maks to get his MBT. Guess I’m just hoping that Derek plays the role of Tyrion and swoops in to get this egomaniac in check during the finale by slaying him in the freestyle.
#220 I agree Ananya, Maks fans are a reflection of him. The way they are abusing Amy on all forms of social media is exactly the way Maks behaves. For me it makes me want to vote harder and longer for Amy.
EDITED BY COURTNEY: Leave Heidi out of it, Amy. Stick to your own opinions. I do not have any comprehension problems. I never said anyone hated Meryl. I said scorn meaning that opinions of Meryl’s dancing is held in low regard because people hate Maks. It seems that if Meryl wins, then it must be because TPTB have interfered. But Meryl is a great dancer and many people believe she rightfully deserves to win. I also don’t think Amy’s dancing should be judged based on anyone’s like or dislike of Derek. The celebs are not the pros. I guess I’m just exhausted from all the insults and put downs placed on the celebs because of feelings about the pros. To me the pros are interchangeable; I vote for the celeb.
@Amy No one has ever said anything bad about Meryl’s dancing. It isn’t perfect, but I think everyone has acknowledged her dancing is great. It is the choreography that her partner gives her that isn’t great. That’s the problem. No one has a problem with her dancing, instead some people (well at least me, anyways) don’t think she has been given enough content and hasn’t been pushed enough by Maks. No one is “putting her down” because she’s paired with Maks. No one’s putting her down, period. Several people here have praised her dancing and I think everyone here agrees that she is a VERY GOOD dancer and if she wins she has earned it. Maks, on the hand, has not earned that MBT because of his lackluster choreography and for not pushing Meryl enough. And yes TPTB would have had some interferance with them winning because so many dances that Maks choreographed for her would have been marked down had it been done by another pro, but it is clear TPTB wants to give Maks a MirrorBall and giving them super high scores for some dances that did not have enough content is one way of helping him win.
I do not agree with Maks’ actions, but I do find it a little irresponsible for people to say how Meryl feels. Do any of you actually know how Meryl feels? Everyone can sit here and analyze what they think she feels or how they would feel. I just think until Meryl herself comes out and say she was scared or upset who are we to say that is how she is feeling. Judge away on Mak’s behavior or how you would feel if you were Meryl, but saying she is full is scared, etc is just how you are guessing she feels.
Does anyone know when Conrad Green leaves the show will the manipulation leave with him?
Right, Julia – because when people wince, cover their face, and back away, and then tell the camera “he makes me nervous”, I’m to assume she’s having the time of her life? Please. If you don’t like speculation, go elsewhere.
#219 Hey Heidi! Does this mean I have to restock your liquor cabinet?
That apology came faster than Derek swooping in and taking this MBT again this season!
Okay, I’m going to put something to a vote. Those of you who have been posting here for a while are the voters. I vote that we don’t say on this blog what some people are saying about Amy in other places. I totally get wanting to vent about it somewhere – but I actually feel like I need to take a shower after I read some of the filth that is being posted by these sub humans. We can discuss how vile and sick these people are – but man, I don’t want to read what they actually say anymore. Nothing against you, Ananya – but that was a new level of disgusting. Decent Meryl/Maks fans would be disavowing such comments.
@ ButterflyWhirl
“Maks is saying he was just throwing the mic pack because he was frustrated with himself and the creative blockage he was having – it was in one of the post-show interviews; I believe the one with George. He (Maks) is trying to make it out like it’s no big deal.”
And of course there was NO APOLOGY from Maks for his behavior. The only time Maks has apologized, and didn’t mean a word of it, was when he was forced to after seeing the Hope and Melissa packages. Then immediately afterward he starts making excuses for it and “I” goes out the window absolving himself and minimizing his actions, “we” got too competitive, “we” were just joking, “we’re really great friends, “we” pros all go through this, “we” lost sight of what the show was about, “you’re” making me look like a terrorist, “you’re” not listening to me, I’m doing this for “you”. Textbook abuser.
When the rehearsal package was played for Melissa Gilbert and Maks I’ll never forget watching Melissa exhibit battered women behavior during his tirade; nodding, nervous, placating, fearful and the woman makes excuses for him after Maks saying he was going to “punch” something.
Get some help Maks.
I second that motion. Proliferating scum like that does no good, other than to satisfy the one spewing it with extra attention.
#210 Ria, I pity the first B list actress or NYC bar fly who’s seen out with Maks this summer. It’s not going to be pretty on Twitter. LOL
#207 Nicely put.
Regarding Maks’ abusive behavior. Let’s start with Season 4. He tried to push Layla around, but she stood up to him. Not to mention she is a world-class boxer. In retrospect, I wish Layla had decked his *** back then, and maybe the Bully of the Ballroom would never have been invited back.
Hope Solo took a bucket load of crap in her book when discussing Maks. I think his actions Monday night have vindicated her.
This show is primarily watched by females. Why aren’t we, as a collective body, bombarding DWTS with mail about Maks and his behavior? If we tolerate this without comment, then we are silently approving. My letter to the ABC powerhouse was placed in the mail this morning. I am not registered on the DWTS board, but if someone here is, please start a thread about this. I will be happy to join in! You might do it Monday night when the DWTS internet types will be super busy and not notice it!
🙂
I know I don’t post often but I read everyday, multiple times a day, so my vote may not count but I figured it’s Ok to voice it regardless 🙂
I agree that the words of hate Amy is receiving on other sites not be repeated here too. It’s really bumming me out 🙁 Yes, it riles me up to vote more but I’m already voting as much as I can without it. Also, I avoid the ABC site and now FB because of it and this has become my haven to read discussions without reading comments made about someone that if I made my mom might consider disowning me. God forbid I’m ever so intimidated by someone or such a fan of someone else that I stoop so low as to try and demoralize anyone especially over something they didn’t choose and cannot change.
There you go again, Amy – check your wording. “all the insults and put downs placed on the celebs” is directly contradictory to what you claim prior to that AND similar to what you said in your previous post. If you don’t mean to imply that people are insulting Meryl…well, you need to choose your words more carefully.
I say again – Julia WATCH THE TAPE OF THEIR REHEARSAL. Meryl did say that Maks was making her “nervous” by the way.
I like dry wines (white or red) and dark beers. 😀
Here’s your virtual restock PH.
A bottle of scotch for me. You should not be drinking alone!
1 bottle of Merlot
1 bottle of Cab
and of course a bottle of Riesling
Negra Modelo to go with your Nachos!
Ooooo… I love Negra Modelo…. 🙂
I vote we drop the Amy hate here as well. I enjoy having a place to go that doesn’t stoop to others level 🙂 I’ve had to avoid DWTS instagram and facebook pages this season as the comments are out of hand. Even the hate on Amys own facebook page during her Q&A after the show were out of control. The celebs are all trying their best and are great people and I wish everybody (other sites) would remember that.
I am ok with it PH. It’s just that comment really haunted me. My sister and I read that and just stared at eachother in disbelief.
I’m just going to vote now, that’s all.
I’m surprised the general media hasn’t talked that much about Maks’ behavior. NO woman should vote for Maks after seeing that.
Heidi, I do not want to read what those “fans” are saying about Amy. I do not read FB or IG because these comments are coming from a place of hate.
Maks has absolutely ZERO room to talk about Abby Lee Miller if he thinks it’s ok to display this kind of behavior, somebody said it before but this is a textbook abuser. I guess Hope Solo’s accusations weren’t THAT far off…
At least Abby produces winners, Maks had Brandy and lost to a Palin. Enough said
People who say that Meryl can’t possibly be unsettled by Maks’ behavior because she’s been training hard all of her life should remember who she’s been training with all these years. Does anyone think that in 17 years Charlie has even once cursed or screamed at Meryl, or physically jerked her into the proper position?
I have no idea how she really feels, but I’m absolutely positive she’s never been subject to these sorts of angry outbursts from a partner before. I also know it unnerves me both to see it happen, and to see people excusing a teacher losing control with his student as ‘just his way.’
My vote, I don’t want to read it either, this is a safe haven.
Agree that details of their disgusting rhetoric not appear here.
Ditto for me. Let’s not repeat any of the filth here that’s being posted about Amy on other outlets.
PH (#240) — First Warren Zevon and now Negra Modelo. We could be identical twins separated at birth (oh wait, this bun’s been out of the “oven” a lot longer than you)! 😛
LOL – Cidra. Good beer and good music know no age limit. 🙂
Agree. And not just about Amy, because I know she’s not the only one who’s had some pretty horrible things said on various social media sites.
I think what we are seeing are the crazy shippers who are blinded by their love for Maks to see through the abuse. And we all know how much mental power an average shipper possesses to process these things. Meryl’s body language during that rehearsal said it all. I was skeptical at first to accept that Maks was as bad as he was made out to be, partly because of Meryl’s glowing praises about him. Many smart women choose stay in abusive relationships. This would fall more under a workplace situation because I think the fauxmance is solely for the show. Hopefully, the MBT is not more important than life itself.
Does anyone think that Maks behavior is going to cause the general audience to not for him & Meryl?
The general audience is a mystery. The shipper types will definitely vote for them no matter what they portray. If you notice, they always end those packages with how Meryl brings out the best in him. I doubt they will risk showing too many more of those outbursts for the finale. It will probably be more along the lines of Maks turning into Mahatma Gandhi because of Meryl. They will make sure it is appealing to your average viewer, if they have the thing engraved already. 😛
#Kate(1) LOL, love your comment about Mahatma Gandhi 🙂 Meryl’s whole Journey has been all about Maks. Very sad in my opinion. I feel like I never got to know her as a person but just a performer.
So I was trying to think back on the other male pros of when they had tantrums on the show and really couldn’t think of any as far as throwing things etc. Yes in Maria season, Derek did throw something, a towel I think but he was way on the other side of the room from Maria and he walked away. The other pros if I recall, left the room when they got frustrated. Point is they did not stand there pulling and tugging at their non ballroom experience celebs for help in their choreo. When Maks came back I remained optimistic, wanting him to do well although he’s not my favorite pro. I want to believe that he actually is a good person. This show brings out the worst in him and he probably should not be a part of it. Side note: Interesting how many of Derek’s previous partners continue to support him even after their show hmmm.
Thanks Heidi for asking not to repeat those nasty comments. Nothing against you Ananya but that made me so mad just reading on that comment you posted on what someone said about Amy. This site and PH are the only comments I read. Don’t need to have my blood pressure increasing over such filth.
Eager to see pics of the cast rehearsal this week. Nothing posted yet beside that one pic from Amber which looks like she is rehearsing in the ballroom.
#251 Lori – There have been some pretty nasty things said about Candace and her faith as well. I find it sad that she is attacked for being a Christian.
LOL, Kate(1), the Mahatma Gandhi reference was priceless! 😀
Carolyn, you’re so right about us only seeing Meryl the performer. She’s been the consummate actress on and off the floor all season. In contrast Charlie has been totally genuine on and off the floor all season.
It’s a pathetic reflection on the viewers and their lack of discernment that they’d choose to embrace a schmaltzy showmance and dismiss as boring an honest, hard-working partnership that produced top-notch dances week after week. Sure TPTB had a hand in that, but it goes to show what a bunch of sheeple are sitting in front of their TVs waiting to have their empty heads filled with whatever nonsense comes through the screen.
#Cidra, Oh yes, the sheeple. So easily led by TPTB. They never wanted Charlie in the final. They know that we (the avid viewer) and the general audience would vote for him. I am voting for Amy so I am not sure if they thought about that.
Yes Heidi, 3 out of the 5 Afterbuzz panelists, Henry Byalikov, Kristyn Burtt, and Jake DuPree, predicted Kellie would win BEFORE her freestyle. Anna Trebunskaya said it was between Kellie and Jacoby for 1st and 2nd, and Suri Serano picked Jacoby. No one predicted Zendaya to win. In fact, only Jake DuPree, placed Zendaya as high as 2nd. This was week 9 with Henry Byalikov as the guest. They were all raving over Kellie’s Argentine Tango for that week and made their predictions at the end of the show. I would post the link from Youtube, but I know that you prefer that we not post links here.
I’ll take your word for it, Kenya. But I will add that even a stopped clock is right twice a day. 🙂 Being right once doesn’t make you right all the time. I don’t give their opinion any more weight than I give Courtney’s or my own.
I agree, though I did think they were very complimentary toward Kellie and Derek throughout their season… I still enjoy watching those Afterbuzz episodes.
Does anyone know who Meryl is? Has she let anyone see her as a person with struggles and issues. I don’t think she has let anyone in – it is weird that anyone watching the show without being a skating fan would have come away after 9 weeks knowing as much at week 1 as week 9. The other celebs have had journeys and struggles. Meryl must have them but she chooses to remain a completely blank slate. Just my opinion but I find it puzzling.
#263 Judy
If I didn’t know anything about Meryl, I’d say she is the resident psychologist assigned for Maks by the TPTB. She has to motivate him and help him work through his struggles and issues every single week. That doesn’t leave much time for her journey or improvement or her feelings about this show. It is all about Maks. I think the only little glimpse we saw of her was with Val during the switch up. That was my favorite routine of hers all season. The others have been quite forgettable.
Kate(1) you are so right imo. And yet isn’t it sad to think she had to do that and that she has had no journey except as a babysitter. I love the post that Lori made for us has to say nice things about all the couples but I can’t think of anything to say about Meryl and Maks. I just find this couple so disturbing on a lot of levels. And yet they will win I feel.
Kate & Judy, I think you both make good points. I was a fan of Meryl’s before she was on this show, but she is an intensely private person who appears to always be focused on the task at hand. This is a good quality for an Olympic athlete to have (doesn’t let outside distractions get to her), but it doesn’t make her particularly compelling for a reality show.
Also, is it just me, or does Meryl look tired? Yes, she’s an athlete, but even athletes have their limits. Between DWTS, her Stars on Ice schedule, and having to be a psychologist/babysitter for her 5 year old partner, I think it’s all wearing on her. Charlie had the fortune of having a stable and down to earth partner in Sharna. My opinion is that Meryl peaked too early (probably around week 4 when she danced with Val) and I’m not convinced that she will win.
But hey, we did learn that Meryl used to be really shy and they put stickers on Charlie’s face for her to focus…so that’s pretty amusing, right?
#263 Judy, I’m not a skating fan so I knew little about Meryl or Charlie before this season. I feel like I got to know Charlie but not Meryl. The whole season has been about Maks.
#266 Katie, I’ve read that Meryl is very private. That’s another reason I don’t buy the showmance they’re trying to sell. A person that private wouldn’t be putting it all out there during the course of a reality tv show with a reality tv character.
@ Judy and Kate. From being a skating fan that has followed Meryl over the years, she has a tendency to come off as cold and reserved. She is very professional in all her interviews and just has that kind of cold intensity of a very focused athlete. I actually think she has shown more of herself on DWTS than ever before in all the years of skating. I honestly think she is just a very private person, very shy and reserved. I also get a kind of steely toughness from her. Like she is small but she is mighty (thats how she handles Maks) and even if she has struggles or has weaknesses, I don’t see her talking on about it. Thats probably why Maks didn’t know she had problems with depth perception. Her dyslexia and vision problems was really only mentioned in one or two interviews and has since circulated around in diff. articles.
While I despise the fact that Maks hogs all the attention, I also think part of it is because Meryl is reserved and conveniently Maks is there to create the drama. Also probably why Maks tells her to play up the showmance, to give her some human interest. Because quite frankly, when she was skating, she was always the less interesting, less friendly, less personable one of the two, IMO. She was the kind of athlete that was only about her sport, and so on DWTS, she’s only about the dances. Nothing wrong with that, but not great for TV. Maks creates enough drama anyways.
Candace should have been sent home three weeks ago. When you say you are dancing for God – well……. those right-wing Christians will vote for you. I think it is a crime that Charlie is not in the finals. Len did a number on that young man. I know it is only a show, but for those of us who watch every, there is emotion invested in the outcome. I don’t want to be cruel, but if Oprah says to vote for someone, a whole lot of people will do just that.
The one thing I noticed during the incident where Maks threw the microphone was the audible gasps from the live audience that you could hear in the background while it was playing on the screen on the floor. Obviously people in the audience where stunned by what he did. If people were honest with themselves, I think they know that if they were in that room with Maks, they would be cringing and ducking while Maks was ripping off that microphone and getting ready to throw it. When someone seems that emotionally overcharged, you just don’t know what they will do and throwing the mic on the ground or at you seem like equal possibilities.
The one thing I am confused by is why the show decided to show that clip. It certainly doesn’t fit with their storyboarding of Meryl taming the beast and hinting at a budding romance. They certainly went out of their way to eliminate Charlie to help make a Maks/Meryl MBT happen, so why make Maks look like “old” mean, out of control Maks? (Personally I think they are also killing Derek and Amy with kindness in order to help achieve a MBT for Maks, but that’s for another post.)
I’m not a Bruno Mars fan, but I am pretty sure he is American. According to Wikipedia he is “born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii”. I may be Canadian, but I know my geography and Hawaii is IN America. Pretty uncool comment about him. And I thought America was all about the ‘melting pot’.
Because they can’t resist, KarenT – they are producers who want people to talk about their show. That’s way more important than their Maks storyline and certainly more important than Meryl winning. I would bet that they set Maks up to get to the finale…but once there, they don’t much care if he wins or not.
As for Amy and Derek – well, they can hardly trash her for her dancing. Her dancing has been great by any RATIONAL standards. So if they put her down to boost Meryl it would be counter productive. People would be outraged if they tried to Ohno her, so they would vote harder. By keeping it real with her, people see a basic fairness and aren’t motivated to vote for her like insane people. Although it certainly helps Meryl if Amy stays in the competition and Charlie leaves. If Amy had left, not only would Meryl and Charlie still be splitting votes, but a huge chunk of the power voters would have gone to Charlie.
What’s “uncool” May, is that we had this discussion in the comments a couple days ago and you were too rude to read all the comments before posting one yourself. You don’t like it…hit the road.
@ Margaret – I don’t agree with u that Candace should have been sent home 3 weeks ago, and if u want to blame someone/thing for Charlie not being in the finals Mery/Maks & TPTB should be at the top of your list. JMO
I have a question about Candace. I am not a religious person, and so am curious when someone who is so devoted to her god forgets some of her dance, does that mean that her god doesn’t want her to do well? I am asking this in all sincerity, not as a slam in any way. Since Candace is the one who brought her religion into it I’m just curious about how these events are interpreted. I mean no disrespect in any regard.
#255 @Carolyn- I don’t know about the general public but the Maks drama is making me not want to vote for Meryl. Which, shame on me, because I think Meryl’s dancing is superb. I keep wishing that there could be less focus on the pros but I guess after so many seasons, the pros are going to build personal fanbases.
At this point, I would like to see Amy or Meryl win and yes, I do believe that a bad freestyle can cost you the win. Why? Because imo, the final gets an audience with more “one-time” viewers. Since they aren’t as familiar with the judges’ shenanigans, it’s easier to believe TPTB. And also, they would be voting based on one night, not on the season’s body of work or any “journey” arc.
I dont know about you guys but I am quite irritated that from 3 last posts on DWTS facebook page 2 are about Meryl and Maks!!they should put all couples equally !!
#277 I totally agree with you- I was just about to say the samething.– I am annoyed with it. They post about Meryl and Maks every week. It’s irritating. Jmo.
Yea jules. Even their last tweet asked should Meryl and Maks win the coveted MBT?
Not happening Jules. Very specific agenda going on here.
Susan #275, obviously I’m not in her head, so this is just me speculating, but I would imagine that Candace sees God as perfect, but since she herself is a flawed human as we all are, than any mistakes are due to her own self.
God gives you the tools to try and be perfect, but because of free will and our own imperfect natures, it’s up to you how best to utilize those God given tools.
Susan2 #281 Thank you so much for your response to my question. Greatly appreciated.
I have watched the past 17 seasons of DWTS and when we reach the sem-finals I always ask myself the same question before voting for the finals, Can the other celebs do as well or better than the celeb who just gave the performance? In other words, can James perform Charlie’s dance as well as he did it or vice versa. Same thing goes for Meryl and Amy. If. Amy could perform the Vienniese Waltz as well as Meryl did then she would have my vote.
Judy#263
Meryl is by nature a very shy person. When she first started skating with Charlie her coach put a sticker on Charlie’s forehead for Meryl to focus on as she could not look at him eye to eye. I also think that when one is in the public eye as much as she has been there is a tendency to keep the prying public eyes at bay. Also, following their Olympic Gold victory in Sochi in February, the Canadian press went crazy as they thought the Canadian pair of Virtue/Moir should have won. There were a lot of mean things printed in Canadian newspapers about the DavisWhite performance, one Toronto Star columnist, Rosie Dimanno even went as far as saying ice dancing should be banned from the Olympics, called it ‘a whore of a sport and the judges were the johns.’ That column was eventually taken off the Star website. I like the fact that Meryl doesn’t let it all hang out there. I have watched Davis/White skate for the past 8 years and love both of them. I was a bit worried when I saw Meryl was teamed with Maks as I thought he would be too domineering for her, but she has proved to be a very strong person and, more than any other couple on the dance floor right now, an equal to her pro-dancing partner.
Last week’s episode was messed up, but it did cause me to start voting, I used up every vote that I could for Meryl. I have liked everyone on this season but for Cody, and I wasn’t Nene’s biggest fan either. I’ve been pulling for both Charlie and Meryl, and it has nothing to do with what the show runners might wish for me to do. I thought that Amy’s first dance last week was fantastic, and I think that it will be Amy and Meryl left standing in the end. I don’t dislike Maks, he entertains me every season that he’s on, but I’m not gonna defend his temperament. I agree with the idea that Meryl could have done even better with another partner. I thought that her AT with Val was out of this world good, and I might get to see that again??
You’re being very disingenuous, Jenna. You say that if Amy could perform the V. Waltz as well as Meryl, you would vote for her. But then you write an entire paragraph full of details about Meryl that makes it clear that you are extremely familiar with her and have been a fan for a very long time. Just admit you like Meryl best and leave it at that – what you’re doing is trying to put yourself in a position superior to everyone else by claiming that you vote for the best dancer. Bullshit. You’re right – she may be an equal to Maks – she’s a RINGER. Which is also why Amy won’t do the Waltz as well.
And really, Amy isn’t going to do a V Waltz the same way as Meryl – she has no feet, so she has to compensate. I swear to god, I am so sick to death of Meryl’s fans and hearing about Meryl that I can’t wait for this season to be over so that I never have to hear about her again. I bet that’s probably NOT what her fans were going for. The least the fangirls could do is be HONEST.
Ice skating fans are a different breed for sure. I did not realize they were so protective of their favorites. As for the comment about ice dancing, Jenna, I think it is probably true but badly worded. Lots of people believe the judging of that sport to be completely corrupt and the comment is an expression of that I think. As for the Meryl Maks partnership, it is my opinion that because she is so reserved and professional she won’t let anyone know her true feelings about the experience. So just because she looks like she is enjoying herself doesn’t mean she is.
Princess Heidi #286
This is the first time I have visited this site or any DWTS website, so could you please explain to me what a ‘ringer’ is?
This is a Dance Show, Amy knew what was expected of her before she arrived on stage, so one would expect that she will perform to the best of her abilities. If she isn’t able to compete at the same level as Meryl, then why would I vote for her? Sympathy? I have tremendous respect for Amy for accepting the challlenges that have come her way, but I simply don’t think she is the best celebrity dancer on the show.
Hope Solo is from my State and I was a big fan of hers until she signed up for DWTS. I expected I would give her all of my votes, instead she got none. I didn’t like her condescending attitute toward Maks or the judges, her dancing was wooden, she appeared to make no effort, to me she was a huge disappointment. The same could have happened with Meryl. Although I had seen her dance with Charlie, the transformation in Meryl from ice dancing to DWTS has been phenomenal. I never expected her to be this good.
Judy #287
As I explained in my #288 post, if Meryl wasn’t dancing very well, or I thought James, Cody (by the way I liked Cody and Danica) or whoever else was dancing better than Meryl , then they would have all of my votes. It has nothing to do with ice skating and ALL to do with dancing.
Edited – keep your thoughts on the site to yourself. You’re free to leave at any time. ~Heidi
Judy #287
Just wondering……do you psychoanalyze all of the dancing partnerships? Why the concern over Meryl’s feelings? I can’t say that I know very much about James or Amy or what their ‘true feelings’ are for their partners. What I care about is their performance on the dance floor. Was it entertaining, did they put the best effort into it, did they capture the character of the dance? What happens off the floor is between the partners, none of my business……..if Max were truly the evil incarnate he is portrayed to be on this website, then I doubt ABC would have anything to do with him.
P.S. My favorite dance pro is Derek Hough, he is a brilliant choreographer and an overall nice person.
I’m sorry, Jenna…no wait, let me be honest, I’m *not* sorry! I think you’re just another Holier than Thou Queen Meryl figure-skating fangirl slithering in here to “educate” our dumb asses. Well, guess what, I’m not drinking your koolaide (I prefer the real stuff).
Pretending to be unbaised and pseudo-scientific with that farradiddle about evaluating each couple on “how well Celeb B would perform Celeb A’s dance”? Give me a break. As for your assertion that she has proved to be a very strong person and, more than any other couple on the dance floor right now, an equal to her pro-dancing partner, I absolutely agree with the “very strong person” — God she’d have to be to put up with that lunatic Maksim. However the rest of that sentence confirms that you’re all about Meryl, because you’ve thrown Charlie under the bus. You remember him, right, Meryl’s ice dancing partner of 17 years? Well newsflash, ice dancing fan — as someone who knows a bit more about dancing on a ballroom floor than you do, he’s keeping up with his pro dancing partner just as well as Meryl. However, since Sharna has been serving up choreography that’s easily twice as difficult as what Maks has been giving Meryl, your little litmus test doesn’t hold water.
If you prefer Meryl’s dancing to everyone else’s on the show, more power to you; but have the guts to own it rather than trying to make believe you have a rational basis for your choice because it’s obvious to me, you don’t.
A ringer is someone with prior experience, and therefore an ADVANTAGE over the other competitors. Meryl is the biggest one left on the show and many people don’t vote for ringers. I have no problem with ringers – I do have a problem with people who go around saying “so and so is the best dancer” with no acknowledgement of the prior experience.
I think you’re being disingenuous. If you like Meryl better, fine. Vote for her. But be honest about it. Some of us are amazed by Amy’s dancing – what she’s doing is so much harder than what Meryl is doing, we admire her, think she’s courageous and we think she’s a damn good dancer. Better than some with two legs. It’s not always about the best dancer – it’s about who you like. All this “I vote for the best dancer” is just an attempt to make yourself sound superior to everyone else. You’re not.
@Jenna, I don’t think Maks is portrayed as anything other than what he himself puts out there. The way he phrases his comments in interviews to his actions in rehearsals (I.e. Throwing his mic pack) certainly doesn’t paint him in a positive light to me.
Jenna, that PS to Judy was appropos to what? Do you think that’s going to make us feel more charitable toward you? For your information, Maks is not “portrayed” on this website as “evil incarnate”, we just give our opinions on how he behaves, and believe me, we’ve been watching him behave badly for many years now. I think it would be wise for you to stick to what you know — namely, figure skating — because I don’t think you’d like it very much if I came into your figure skating world and started making wild assumptions about how you all feel about various skaters when I’ve had far less experience with them than you.
Oh gee, Jenna – you being an alleged Derek fan makes it completely okay that you’re being a sanctimonious prig. Considering that you called this a “Derek Den” in another post that I edited, I tend to think you are the same type of “Derek fan” that suddenly becomes one in order to harass others so they can say “Derek fans do it too.”
Yep, that happens. Oh, and Cidra? You’re hired. 😉
Thank you, ma’am. I’ve been watching and learning from the best for several seasons now. 😀
You’re confusing me Jenna. You say that you judge and vote based on dance ability only. Yet you state that you did not vote for Hope because of her “condescending attitude towards Maks or the judges.”
Also if you have watched Meryl and Charlie for years, heck if you even watched them this year, did you really not expect her to be good on the floor?? They do most of their routines on the floor before they hit the ice, so idk why you would expect any less than what she has given on DWTS this season. In fact many would argue that Meryl has even more in her.
Well, to her figure skating fans, don’t you dare say anything about Queen Meryl. To them she is perfection and can’t do anything wrong. I found that out when I went looking for MC fansites.
Comparing Meryl’s dancing with Amy’s dancing is just plain nuts. Meryl has dancing background-Amy does not. Meryl has feet, Amy does not.
Give her the freakin’ Mirror Ball Trophy already. I am getting tired of them truthfully. And Cidra, you are right. Charlie who? I am surprised Meryl did not get the gold medal ice dancing by herself the way they talk about her.
I don’t follow figure skating so I truly am curious about this. Maybe a fan can enlighten me.
Is the out of control Meryl/Maks shipping due to figure skating fans pissed off because Charlie is openly with Tanith instead of their queen? I just have never seen anything like it. I even saw on Instagram Meryl and Maks are engaged LOL. In general, are the figure skating fans more partial and protective towards Meryl than Charlie?
I’m also curious about Evan Lysacek pimping for Amy? It seems like the skating family is sticking together in their support for Meryl and being a former contestant who was friend with Maks, and who was at the show with Tara Lipinski a couple of weeks ago when she was supporting Meryl & Charlie, Evan’s tweets really surprised me. Is there any kind of bad blood between him and Meryl & Charlie?
#297 Minnie
Your’e confusing me!! I also said that I didn’t like her dancing or the effort she put into it. Her attitude towards the whole show capped it for me.
Skating on ice is very different from dancing on a wooden floor. Where Meryl has excelled is in her ability to be a partner to her pro-dancer, not be lead or tag along as some celebs do.
Donna, I don’t think there’s any bad blood there, although Charlie’s girlfriend did date Evan before she took up with Charlie. (Seriously, you need a flow chart with these skating romances.) I think it’s more likely he and Amy already knew one another through the Olympic connection and are friends.
Cidra #291
Wow!!!!
There’s an awful lot of assumptions in your response to me. For expressing my opinion that I think Meryl is an excellent performer I’m a “Holier than Thou Queen Meryl figure skating fangirl slithering in here to ‘educate’ our dumb asses.” Until I read this post I hadn’t considered you or anyone else a dumb ass. Really, did you mean to post this? You also said that I ‘threw Charlie under the bus!!’ Again, you have to be kidding. My votes have always been split three ways, and Charlie was always included. I had hoped he would be in the finals, at one time I thought he had a good chance of winning it all.
#301 Thanks AC. I’ve never seen Evan say anything about Amy before but I did see he retweeted Tara’s tweet supporting Meryl and Charlie the night they were at the show. I had no idea he’d dated Tanith.
So Katie…you say Maks is HEAVILY INVOLVED IN CHILD HELP”. Now where did you garner this information? Perhaps from his facebook or maybe you are inferring this based on what he says. He has done a few things for CHILDHELP as have many many other celebrities. My aunt is involved in that organization and said Maks has done a few things but no more than many other celebs in the LA area. I believe in giving credit where credit is due, but let’s not make him the Savior of the organization. Each of the pro’s have charities that they are involved in.
Heidi #292
Thank you for your explanation of ‘ringer.’ As I’ve said before this is the first DWTS website I’ve ever read, and it will be my last. In a way, it’s a surprise to me that the show has lasted as long as it has as there are always complaints about athletes, whether they be ice skaters, gymnasts, football players etc having an unfair advantage over the non athletes. The only athletes to appear who have not done well are the tennis players, Martina and Monica Seles.. Surprisingly, neither one could find the rhythm when on the dance floor. However, I do think that no matter who is on the dance floor there will always be controversy as dancing is a very subjective sport.
Donna I don’t profess to be an MC know-it-all but from what I gathered from several fan boards, they think that Charlie shows no emotion towards Meryl when they ice skate(never mind that they were winning medals left and right)and that it deteriorated after he started dating Tanith in 2009. And since they never saw the bf that Meryl was supposed to have, they are now so glad that Maks and Meryl seem so close and they are ready for a romance.
The new fans who saw MC at the Olympics are mad that they are not a couple and their shippers absolutely hate Tanith(you should red the abuse hurled at Tanith in the web)so now that Maks and Meryl are so in “love” they are now shipping them really hard.
Remember when Charlie did not thank Meryl when he danced the jive, the tumblr website with all the hate against Charlie and his girlfriend who
he has been with for 5 years. People are crazy.
Sheesh Jenna…pretty sure women are supposed to be “lead” in dancing by the male partner. Secondly, if you are being misunderstood and I don’t think you are, then reread your words and say what you mean instead of jumping on Cidra.
#305 Ria, that’s kind of what I was wondering – if it’s a case of Charlie having someone so them wanting the queen with someone tangible. I’ve just never seen shipping this out of control before and I’ve been watching DWTS for a long time.
#307 Ria
I haven’t been on any fan boards, so what I’m saying is from what I remember from their post Olympics or World Ice Skating championship media interviews. Meryl and Charlie have been skating together since they were 10 years of age, over 17 years ago. Throughout those years they have developed a deep friendship. Their families are close friends, and my impression is that Meryl and Charlie are more like siblings than anything else. They have been asked repeatedly if they are in a relationship, and their answers have always been evasive, most likely because if fans think there is a love affair going on there will be more interest in them. Just as we are seeing now with Meryl and Maks. Until Charlie showed up on DWTS only those within the ice skating community knew who he was dating. And no, I don’t belong to that community.
I thought it was very telling of the caring between the two of them, when Charlie was eliminated he voluntarily threw his support behind Meryl, and later voiced his displeasure at being pitted against his former skating partner as to who was going to be eliminated. Same thing with Meryl, when asked later in the Buzz interview if she would tease Charlie if she won the MBT, she politely said she wouldn’t even think of doing that. Meryl and Charlie, have, like a lot of long standing partnerships, been through lots of ups and downs over that period of time. That they remain the best of friends and are still supportive of each other today says a lot about the character of each athlete.
Jenna, I hope you understand that is precisely the reason the producers threw Charlie under the bus. Many skating fans who were splitting their votes between Charlie and Meryl, will now give Meryl full support.
#311 Ananya
Ananya, you could be absolutely right. But, one has to ask why would they do that? Derek has won the MBT 5 times now. If he wins again next week this will be his 6th trophy and 2nd consecutive one. That’s quite an achievement, but from a production standpoint going forward, do they foresee losing their audience if the same person continues to win their coveted trophy?
#310 Jenna, if you have never watched the interview Maks did with Access Hollywood last season when he guest judged, you might want to do that. He told Kit in no uncertain terms he would never be back on the show as a dancer. Now here he is with the biggest ringer the show has ever seen. It has nothing to do with Derek. Maks is back for one reason – he knew he was getting his coveted trophy. He didn’t sign back on to end up with Diana Nyad or Nene Leakes and be out midway through the season.
I don’t for a moment believe a win for Derek would hurt future business. He is still the most popular pro, but no one expected the success Amy and Derek are sharing. Win or lose, they are the success story this season. That Maks will take home a disco ball will not change that.
Jenna, if they don’t want Derek winning his 3rd consecutive trophy, then they should’ve asked him to take a season off. otherwise saying he shouldn’t win cause he already won is unfair to Amy. This is HER only chance.
Also it seriously bugs me to see Charlie becoming the sacrificial lamb. It’s not fair to Sharna either.
#313 adn #314
Rose1 and Ananya
Do you believe that every DWTS show is manipulated to get the winner the producers want or is it just this year’s show? I have at times been bummed that certain celebs won, but I just figured, hey, they got more of the popular vote, accept it and move on. Case in point, Giles Maroni, loved his dancing, but Shawn Johnson came on strong in the last few weeks, and again, I think the popular vote probably put her over the top. Same with Mario Lopez, that guy danced his heart out, but the football player won. Everyone seems to think it’s between Meryl and Amy……..maybe with all this noise surrounding Meryl and Amy, it will push people to vote for James or Candace.
Going back to Val’s analogy which was funny because he or his brother never won (until being promised one) Jordan won six times. Never hurt the nba. They did great business and expanded their brand internationally.
Jenna, I don’t think Charlie was ever evasive about his relationship with Tanith. He just does not flaunt it. Meryl and Charlie are friends
nothing more although a lot of fans would love it that they are together since it will make a very good story what with them being partners for 17 years and growing up together.
But Charlie and Tanith have also known each for quite a long time(since they were barely teenagers)since they all trained in the same skating rink in Michigan.
Jenna,please don’t try and shut me down or belittle my comments. Of the remaining contestants there is only one couple whose “relationship” has been the prime tool for getting votes for them. It has been worked by the judges, by the producers, by the media and by themselves. Is Maks a changed man, has Meryl changed him etc. James, the other possible showmance candidate, has repeatedly brought it back to the dancing when asked about his relationship with Peta.
Oh good. Make that happen then and don’t come back.
Judy, that’s what I respect about James and Peta. When TPTB partnered him with Peta, they were probably chortling with glee over the showmance potential. I still remember Peta’s shocked and bewildered reaction at seeing James walk through the door at the first rehearsal and how bad I felt for her.
I’m so glad they both quietly decided to focus on the professional aspects of their partnership.
Sort of an up your nose with a rubber hose to TPTB.
And perhaps Evan is as amazed and impressed with Amy’s dancing as everyone else (besides Meryl/Maks fanatics) is and wants to cheer her on.
Jenna, since this is your last website, why don’t you move along NOW instead of responding to every single post to weigh in – you’re convincing no one and I’m not sure why you’re trying so hard.
Shipping is a sickness. The. End.
Well, if only that was the end…no they have to take their irrational need for romance (because it’s so lacking in their own lives?) and turn it to hate on everyone who doesn’t comply. It’s sickening.
So….Jenna admits that they could be rigging it for Meryl so Derek doesn’t win again. Hmmmmm…interesting.
I vote we all stop arguing with Jenna because she ain’t changing her mind and she sure isn’t changing anyone else’s. She can’t argue in a vacuum and if she tries I will delete her. And frankly, if I have to hear any more about Meryl Davis I might just turn off the comments altogether. I’m sick to death of the woman and her fans have no one to blame but themselves.
#318 Judy, Maks took a year off the show and most of the general viewing audience has no idea what he was up to during that time. I think it would have been better for him, and for the show, if they’d played this out as Maks having grown and changed himself, rather than Round 3 of a woman coming into his life as his partner and changing him.
#323
What is shipping??
#317 Ria
I was saying that Charlie and Meryl were evasive about whether they were having a relationship, I don’t recall him ever being asked if he was dating someone else.
Jenna, it’s not because you have a contrary opinion. There are actually a decent amount of posters who really enjoy Meryl and Maks. But they state their opinions as their own feelings rather than tell others so as if it is a fact or try to convince us that we need to like Meryl. You like Meryl and that is wonderful. I like Amy. But even though I didn’t comment throughout your whole conversation, I felt as though you were trying to push your opinion on me and that I was wrong for actually liking somebody else. It’s not liking somebody different that’s the problem. If I had stated my views of Amy as the way you had of Meryl, I would be asked to leave as well.
#318 Judy
I will be very surprised if Maks and Meryl form a romantic relationship post DWTS. Friendship, yes, but Meryl is not his type. Maks goes more for women with big boobs, and Meryl is as flat chested as they come. If people think they are an item, then all I can say is they have done the perfect job on the dance floor.
#329 Kaitlyn
Whoa!!!!
I have never said anyone was wrong for liking someone else, NEVER! That is contrary to how I think. I have never told anyone they should vote one way or another, I have simply stated why I like one person over another. It is totally irrelevant to me who anyone on this board votes for. There will be millions of votes cast for the final contestants and everyone should vote for whoever they want to win. As I said in an earlier post, sometimes the ones I vote for win, sometimes not. We all wake up the next morning and get on with our lives. It’s not a big deal!! **Edited by Heidi**
Learn to READ, Jenna. She said you made it sound that way. Since so many people are reacting negatively to you, perhaps you should examine YOUR posting style.
If it wasn’t a big deal to you, why have you posted 15 times in the last 24 hours??
For the most part Heidi I have been responding to the posters who have mis-read what I posted. Or, simply followed up on a response to one of my posts, more or less engaging in conversation!! No harm intended.
Sure, Jenna. Everyone is mis-reading you. You had no part in it at all.
I am new to the site as well, what is shipping?
I think Meryl is his type, look how petite Karina is, who was his great love so far, not the bigger girl he was seen with last year in tabloids. So of course they are going to have a relationship after the show. I think they already are. I think she’s his soul mate and is making him into a better man. I think all things in their lives lead to this magic time for them. Just think about how gorgeous their babies will be. Ha ha, I’m kidding, I’M KIDDING! Of course they aren’t in a relationship, but not because she’s not his type physically.
Lynne (#307), Thanks for having my back. I appreciate it. 😀
Jenna (#302), In answer to your question
Absolutely. I don’t say things I don’t mean. Also, as the regulars will attest, I don’t bait others, pick fights, or engage in petty bickering. So for me to respond as I did shows how fed up I was with the both the tone and content of your series of comments. Your subsequent exchanges with others have simply validated my initial assessment. I don’t think *anyone* here is mis-reading you.PH (#324), I second your vote.