PureDWTS Season 19, Week 3 – Power Rankings
Well, I guess the euphoria of having my dream contestant on DWTS would finally wear off – and this was the week that it happened. What a three-ring circus of nitpicking, wonky scoring, and overall chaos. From what I saw from the judges – crack is whack, and so is meth, heroin, and bath salts, apparently. Julianne wins the “twatwaffle of the night” award, for generally just being a bit of a cranky b*tch – so in other words, she was filling in for Len. Hooray.
Sorry, but the wrong person went home – Randy may not have been the best dancer, but he was not nearly as bad as the score he got last week OR this week…but hey, the judges need their scores & critiques justified, so they had to screw him somehow. Absolutely no reason that he should have been forced to go first TWO weeks in a row, basically making a mad dash from the opening number to the quickchange; and to add insult to injury, this week he had to do it after being told he was in jeopardy. Classy, Wade. I just might have to spoil a bunch of sh*t early to get back at you…
…as for Kevin, I actually think he turned out being a pretty decent judge. I liked that he didn’t seem like he was out to really critique anyone, and tried to see the positive in everyone’s routines. Also enjoyed his humor, and thought it was kinda cool how he seemed genuinely moved by Bethany & Derek’s dance. He can come back anytime and enthusiastically yell out scores 😉
1.) TIE: Bethany & Derek and Janel & Val – So the first two perfect 40’s of the season. I feel one was deserved; the other? Meh. Felt like an awful lot of emphasis was placed on Janel & Val’s struggles with switching the routine, there was a lot of futzing around at the beginning of the routine, and then the score was almost given as a consolation prize for putting up with the crap. Sure, Janel handled what she was given decently well – she should, given her background – but a 40? For wiping Val’s abs with a towel? Sorry, not buying it. But hey, they seem bound & determined to make Vajanel happen, so I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised. As for Bethany – I had been worried, after hearing that her ankle injury was still very much an issue; but thank the lord Derek was able to choreograph something that was true to Singin’ in the Rain while being feasible for her to execute. God bless umbrella work that doesn’t go awry 🙂 And Bethany kept up, and for the first time, she really seemed 100% invested in the routine, which is what I’ve been wanting from her since the first week. I don’t see either going anywhere for awhile, but it should be interesting to see who fares better next week…
3.) Alfonso & Witney – *sigh* I’m stumped on what this guy has to do to get anything more than an 8 these days. As I mentioned to someone else earlier – I have to wonder if he & Witney may have inadvertently screwed themselves in week 1 by coming out of the gate so strong, because now it seems like he gets nitpicked to death by the judges (particularly Julianne) no matter how well he does. Say what you will about Bethany & Janel and their perfect 40’s – but if they both deserved them, then Alfonso did too, because he’s dancing at a level that’s far more technical and with an off-the-charts sense of musicality. That’s actually what I love most about all his routines – he finds the most clever ways to accent different beats in the music with his movements. Loved “Mini-Alfonso” and was also very impressed with how Witney managed to meld quickstep and disco – it was a tall order, but she pulled it off. He was a bit stiff at a few times, but all things considered, that was a pretty minor problem. All I can say is that Alfonso better rock the socks of his “It’s Not Unusual” jazz, complete with the famous Carlton dance, next week – the stars are aligned for another perfect 40 😉
4.) Sadie & Mark – Ok, I may have teared up a little bit watching this one – it was just so SWEET. Loved how it payed homage to Up, while still being a proper Viennese waltz, and thought it was very appropriate for Sadie – I have to give Mark props for really tailoring the routines to be appropriate for her age and also her personality. Sadie isn’t a sexpot like Janel – she’s a bit more reserved, and I appreciate that Mark’s not trying to push her to take on that persona. And unlike Julianne, I actually think Sadie’s long, floaty arms are an asset – like her legs, they just seem to go on and on and on, which makes every line look that much better. Very impressed with what I’ve seen from these two so far, and glad that Sadie didn’t let Carrie Ann’s stupid comment or being in jeopardy last week get to her 🙂
5.) Lea & Artem – Here’s my dilemma with Lea: each dance she does seems to start off quite strong, but fall apart somewhere in the middle. That was definitely the case with her cha-cha – she actually started off with some great leg action and really sold the dance well, but about 30 seconds in, something seemed to get off-kilter and never fully recovered. Not sure if she lost her balance or forgot some choreography, but something seemed to lag. I will say this, though: she sold it well the whole time. Still really like her as a dancer – just hoping she can be a bit more consistent in her routines. She’s got the talent – she just needs to focus, I guess.
6.) Tommy & Peta – Praise Jeebus – Tommy remembered his choreography!!! Deep Throat had mentioned that he had yet to get through the entire routine without forgetting something as of rehearsal today, so he must have dug deep and made something happen out there on the floor…and the result was actually quite charming. It actually did remind me a bit of the famous tango scene in Scent of a Woman – wasn’t overtly sexual, but just a rather charming tango between a young woman and an older man. And it wasn’t like Peta went easy on him, either – I saw some tricky footwork in there, which he actually handled well. Lotta unexpected finesse from Tommy as a dancer, and also Peta as a pro…even if she does “smell like Maks”, according to Tommy…but that’s none of my business…*sipping tea like Kermit the Frog* 😎
7.) Michael & Emma – And this was the week that Mike actually managed to pull something together and have a halfway decent dance 🙂 Sure, he’s still a pretty awkward mover, and Emma has to do quite a bit of backleading – but something actually seemed to kind of “click” in Mike’s head this week, and his dancing came across as rather charming and earnest…even if he looked like Buddy the Elf in his Robin Hood getup. 😛 I do think viewers find him charming, and are likely to keep him around for a little while longer – now that he actually seems to be catching on, it could give him a bit of extra momentum.
8.) Jonathan & Allison – Part of me wonders if his appearance in jeopardy this week was a bit of a warning rap across the knuckles to Allison for getting a bit too creative with their cha-cha last week. Or maybe he’s not getting the votes, who knows. Was a bit puzzled by their tango – I had said that I thought “Back to Black” was a bizarre song for it (or at least the Gatsby version), but I actually found that the routine ended up a bit bizarre as well…almost “stuttery”? That’s the best word I can use to describe it – seemed like a lot of strange starts and stops, and it looked like Jonathan might have garbled the footwork at one point. His frame could also use a bit work. The scored seemed a bit kind, too – really, the same as Alfonso? Yeesh. My man just can’t seem to catch a break…and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Jonathan in jeopardy again next week. Just having a bit of a hard time clicking with this couple…
9.) Betsey & Tony – Betsey is just so darn cute 🙂 Love how excited she seems to be each week to just be on the show and to be dancing with Tony. Thought they gave Ghost a good shot, and the routine was actually quite pretty – was impressed with the lift Tony did holding Betsey on her back above him while he slid around in a circle on the floor, and then Betsey did a back walkover out of it. The lifts were the highlight of the routine for me – well, they were all of the routine for me, as there really wasn’t much else in between; seemed like it was just Betsey vaguely gesturing and walking from place to place, waiting for each lift. But can I really fault a 72-year-old woman for not doing a whole lot in a dance where she was being lifted and showing off her flexibility? I still enjoyed it 🙂 But I do think Betsey’s days are likely numbered – she just can’t keep up with some of the younger contestants this season.
10.) Antonio & Cheryl – While Antonio is getting slightly more tolerable by the week, if I’m being honest, I would have much rather kept Randy and sent Antonio packing this week. Just felt like Randy was embracing the journey more gracefully than Antonio has been, but whatever. He did alright with his foxtrot – some wonky shoulders and that weird I-need-to-turn-my-whole-body-in-order-to-turn thing that Bruno & Julianne were talking about, and that choreography seemed pretty dumbed-down…but it wasn’t terrible. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it either 🙂 But I do wonder if he’s maybe getting lost in the shuffle, and the appearance in jeopardy was a bit of a warning that he might not be getting the votes…but who knows. I never would have guessed that Randy would have gone home this week, so I could be totally off.
So what did you guys think of tonight? Were the scores deserved/undeserved? Did the right person go home? Let’s hear it!
Who’s deep throat in Tommy and Peta’s rankings
Well done Court!! And I agree..the wrong two went home last night.
Ok, here are my rankings. Though it’s so hard this time. They were all so good.
1. Derek and Bethany – Wow wow wowwwww. This dance was just so truly magical. I loved their little step dancing at the beginning….so clever and it reminded me of sprinkling raindrops. The ending with the rain was so pretty and breathtaking! I loved all the detail…so beautiful right down to their costumes and stage design. Gene is definitely smiley somewhere! 40 and so deserving!
2. Janel and Val – I have to give props where they are due this time. This dance was off the hook. Even under a lot of pressure and all the changes, Val really stepped up his choreography.
3. Tommy and Peta – Tommy surprises me every week. They brought one of my favorite movies to life. He was so charming and romantic like Al Pacino. Outstanding. And well done again, Peta!!
4. Jonathan and Allison- I just loved this dance. I loved that it was different, daring, and dark. I love how all of Allison’s dances tell a story and are theartical somehow. I also loved that she picks complicated choreography. Jonathan really showed he was serious about this competition. Beautiful!!
5. Sadie and Mark – These two amaze me every week and this week is no different!! So enchanting, charming and beautiful!! I loved Mark’s choreography too. They are so refreshing every week!
6. Alfonso and Witney – What a great Quickstep. It was quirky, groovy, and fun keeping the Austin Powers theme while being elegant and smooth for a Fox trot. Very entertaining.
7. Antonio and Cheryl – He let loose and just immensed in the moment. He was elegant and smooth. Cheryl was so passionate. They dazzled out there. Their best dance to date.
8. Emma and Michael – This was their best dance yet. I was “pulled into their world” like Carrie Ann. Just lovely. He worked hard and you could tell. I’m so proud of them.
9. Betsey and Tony – Wow, I was having OMG moments all over while watching this dance. For her to do the moves she did at her age is just amazing. Just beautiful. I loved Tony’s reaction when they got a nine.
10. Lea and Artem – I can’t believe I’m putting these two last. They were good, but, sometimes her posture seems a little off and she seems confused. There were a couple of slips too.
Thank you courtney love the ratings
Sad to see randy go i will miss him
I do think that derek and bethany deserved the 40
Janel and val were good but they did not deserve a perfect score
Honestly alfonso is my fav and i cant handle them being nitpick to death if next week (so happy for the song ) they dont have 10 i will be pissed
I liked betsey and sadie also it was lovely
For some reason i cant tolerate julianne anymore i dont know why its kinda weird i guess its because shes tough on alfonso and witney
@Carolyn – Deep Throat = our source at the show
I so agree with these rankings. Awesome job, Court! I felt like I was the only one who felt like Janel didn’t deserve a perfect 40. It was a good dance, but she barely danced. There was just too much going on at the beginning and I just felt like a 36 would’ve been good, but whatever.
1)Alfonso and Witney: This dance was a lot of fun. Witney really mixed the disco and quickstep well. He was having a blast. She was having a blast. Don’t understand the 8s….should have been 9s and 10s.
2)Bethanny and Derek: This was a lot of fun but I really didn’t think that any dance deserved a ten last night. At all. She is not as exciting personality wise but she is a great dancer.
3)Janel and Val: So this was overscored. Sorry if I am offending anyone but like I said in the other post, I am not drinking the Janel and Val Kool Aid. There were no moments in that dance that made me go “wow”.
4)Sadie and Mark: Such a cute dance that was underscored big time. Simply put, she is in the same situation as Alfonso this week. Praised but the scored didn’t match. Oh and best costumes by a mile.
5)Lea and Artem: So this dance was far from perfect, which was sad because they had her movie and a delorian and great costumes. She seemed too excited this week.
6)Tommy and Peta: Yeah, for a 70something year old, that was all kinds of awesome. He is such a surprise for me in general this season.
7)Jonathan and Allison: That was AWESOME. He delivered big time. Alison has grown on me as well. I sincerely feel as if this was a turning point for him.
8)Betsey and Tony: She is fearless. Tony is the best pro when it comes to lifts out of the guys and he really choreographed a great routine for her. Her and Tommy really prove age is just a number. As good as last week….no.
9) Antonio and Cheryl: He did good. Cheryl looked good. Good choreography. Fun song. Saying that, I didn’t really like it as much as I wanted to like it. That is mostly because of him really. Ironically, he reminds me of Ingo in a weird way. He is not a natural and is giving all he can to the dance. But unlike Ingo, he seems to be easily distracted and less serious about the competition. That little video clip they showed definitely makes me feel bad for Cheryl in a way because she has to refocus him a lot it seems.
10)Michael and Emma: Cute but forgettable.
And some thoughts on Randy: He should not have been eliminated. At all. Saying that, doing this show did him a world of good. Before, people just saw him as the scary athlete that could snap you like a twig. Now, he has shown that he also is a nice guy. I feel annoyed that Karina won’t be there for the partner switch (again) but something tells me she is very proud of Randy and herself this season.
In short, everyone except Jannel, Michael and Emma, and Betsey got a vote from me this week.
Oh and if they are really smart, tptb get Josh Gad next season. In the dance with Kevin (which seemed very fun), I couldn’t help but think “Wow Josh can actually dance”.
So I’ll separate them in groups:
Couple that I loved:
Bethany & Derek: First of all thank God those umbrellas cooperated. Second of all.. just WOW. I mean there are no words to describe how amazing this was. I’ve literally watched this like 15 times already and every time I watch it I just love it more and more. Not only is Derek a genius, but Bethany blossomed into such an incredible performer/dancer last night. It was just great to see. Matter of fact, once I’m done writing all this I’m gonna watch this dance again.
Couples that I liked:
Alfonso & Witney: I really just couldn’t help but to smile all through this performance.. It was just so much fun! And my goodness, I take my hat off to Witney for choreographing such an incredible routine. I remember last season being a bit on the fence about her becoming a pro but now I’ll be pretty upset if she doesn’t come back in the future. She’s proving to be a great choreographer and teacher. Back to Alfonso though, he just sold this performance. It may not have been perfect but it was very close imo. Definitely deserved a couple 9’s at least.
Janel & Val: Can’t believe I am actually saying this but.. I liked it. I’m just a big Broadway fan and it felt like a nice Broadway production. And I gotta say, Janel was pretty damn fierce during this dance. My only “problem”, per se, is that I EXPECTED it to be great because of Janel’s Jazz experience so it didn’t have the “WOW” factor that Bethany’s Jazz had. But good job to Vajanel for this routine.
Sadie & Mark: To be honest I didn’t think it was THAT amazing, however, I just LOVED how cute the dance was as a whole. They are both just so precious. I LOVE “Up” and I think they definitely did it justice. I imagine though, that if Len would have been there he would have tore them apart because of a couple of things they did that weren’t very “Viennese Waltz” but whatever.. I did think they deserved at least one 9.
Tommy & Peta: My God, this man just does not stop impressing me. Like.. seriously. I was worried that this week his Argentine Tango was gonna be a bit too “slow” and “not sexy” but I’ll be damned if this wasn’t a sexy tango. Hahaha. Tommy just sold this performance so well. To me it felt like I was watching an old Argentinian man who danced Tango his whole life dancing with a young, hot Argentinian mistress (no offense Peta). It was so good! And yes that 10 from Kevin Hart was crazy but I don’t give a damn! 😛
Betsey & Tony: Just so adorable. It was mostly a lot of lifts, but I still thought those were executed beautifully. I still refuse to believe this woman is 73 years old because like Carrie Ann said, at times it looked like Tony was dancing with Peta! I know she might not stick around and go all the way but hopefully she stays for another two weeks or so because I am loving her a lot.
Couples that I didn’t like or disliked:
Lea & Artem: Gosh, I love Lea but I do admit this was not her best. It was good but I did see some stumbling here and there. Just not a good week for her. Hopefully next week she has a ballroom dance again because I think that’s what she excels at the most.
Michael & Emma: Definitely an improvement from his dancing in the past weeks. It was a very pretty dance.
Jonathan & Allison: To be honest, I forgot about this routine once the night ended (part of it because I was still on a high after Bethany and Derek’s dance). I remember it being pretty good though but his elbows were pretty atrocious. Just an OK dance for me and I don’t think it deserved the same score as Alfonso and Sadie, tbh.
Antonio & Cheryl: Why couldn’t he go home instead of Randy? GRRR. I’m just having a hard time connecting with him and liking him. His Foxtrot was alright but it kinda bored me tbh. It also felt very stiff and awkward. And I did not even see the reference to “Guardians of the Galaxy” so I don’t know what was up with that.
And then of course Randy and Karina went home which sucked. :/ I thought his Paso was pretty good though.. Not as bad as the judges made it seem. Not sure why the hosing of Randy this week and last week.. and then making him go first AGAIN. Ugh… >:l
Anyways, I did enjoy the night as a whole and I thought Kevin Hart was a great guest judge!
As much as I loved Bethany & Derek’s jazz, and didn’t care at all for Janel’s jazz, I kind of agree with the notion that the 40s were super generous.
I don’t think any dance really deserved a 10 last night. 36 should have been the highest score to me. Though, as we all know, the judges are prone to overscoring. So maybe one or two tens to both Janel and Bethany would have been a bit more reasonable. But getting a perfect score in the third week of competition??? I don’t know…
I was a little peeved that Kevin gave Tommy a 10, Betsey a 9, but Sadie and Alfonso 8s. Actually, the fact that both Sadie and Alfonso got 8s across the board made me a little upset with the scoring last night. Both of them deserved a couple 9s.
But Court (or maybe all of the mods on this site), aren’t you always saying that the big vote getters are always going to be lowballed a little?
Well, at least Carrie Ann stayed in her chair this week. I liked Kevin Hart. I laughed each time he yelled out his score. Silly, yes, but it was funny.
Two perfect scores in week 3 has me concerned. I think it’s too early for that and I’m wondering how those two couples can keep that standard with so many weeks ahead of them. In my opinion, one deserved it more than the other, but both are in a position where more pressure is on them to maintain it.
I don’t think Randy should have gone home. I love Emma, but it should have been Michael or maybe Betsey first. It’s a shame. Betsey was gushed over by the judges on her dance, which I didn’t think was all that great, just a lot of Tony doing his lifts, but it will keep her safe next week. Michael had his best dance so far, slow dances are obviously better for him, and he might just squeak by again next week.
Sadie and Mark were adorable. That dance made me smile and made me feel good. Mark has a great partner this year and I hope he stays nice Mark, because they could get to the finals.
Bethany and Derek. Wow. I was looking forward to that dance when I heard it was Singing in the Rain. I couldn’t wait to see Derek dance to it as I knew it would be great. I can’t imagine the pressure he felt to do it justice and Bethany not wanting to let him down. But they made it look so effortless and it was a joy to watch.
I also liked Alfonso and Whitney. As long as Alfonso stops being so hard on himself, he’ll be fine.
Tommy and Peta were also good. Tommy can dance! They know, and we know, he won’t win, but it’s going to be interesting to see what they do each week while he’s here.
Jonathan and Alison. Jonathan needs to stop with the deer in the headlights look. Wasn’t attractive on Elizabeth Berkely and it isn’t on him. He needs to relax as does Alison. I’m sure going to Mark for advice helped her a lot.
Janel and Val’s dance was good considering all of the drama they went through this week, and they’ll get sympathy votes for it. She’ll make it through next week, but I’m wondering how much farther after that. This cast has a lot of people that are more appealing and are having a great time being there. She just seems like it’s a given she do well. I guess when you have the experience she does, learning the dances probably comes easier, but since she complained about her scores being too low, I lost interest in them. She was probably wondering why another pair got a perfect score since I’m sure she, and Val, were hoping they would be the only ones to get it so early.
For me, the bottom two next week is hard to call. I think it should be Michael and Betsey because they are the weakest dancers right now. But I think with all the praise those two received from the judges, they could be called safe. If it isn’t them, I’m leaning towards Jonathan and unfortunately Tommy with Jonathan going home. I think Tommy and Peta have a bigger fan base than Jonathan and Alison.
My personal favorite of the night was Sadie & Mark. I LOVED the choreography, the costumes, the story, and I thought they did an amazing job of incorporating the movie into a proper V. Waltz. Just a beautiful routine and grossly underscored compared to the other couples. I think she’s killing it in the votes, and I appreciate how the other pros supported her under the pressure of being in jeopardy.
Of course Derek and Bethany were fantastic – it was short, but sweet, and no not nearly as complicated as it could have been with a pro, but I thought it was the best to be done with a non-dancer partner. Glad that Derek had the chance to do this routine. Bethany did great, I hope we can see more of her personality and their partnership in subsequent weeks so I can cheer more for THEM than for HIM.
I actually liked Val & Janel’s routine – I didn’t think it was anywhere near 40-worthy, but I enjoyed it. It was more theatrical than anything, but it was fun. I don’t really care for her still, though.
My underdog favorites at this point are Jonathan and Allison. I want them to survive a few more weeks, but I fear for them. I actually thought that was an extremely difficult song to choreograph to but it was interesting at least. I appreciated her talk with Mark in the package, too.
What more can be said about Tommy? What a cool cat. He looked and danced the part as if he’d been doing it all his life. I laughed SOOOOO HARD at the “smell Maks” comment when I pictured the Maksyl shippers heads exploding, haha .
I also thought that Witney did the best she could with her theme and music. It was a lot of fun and underscored. I loved the incorporation of mini-me.
Betsey amazes, and I’m glad she’s gone on this long. There wasn’t a whole lotta dancing, but those were great lifts all things considered. I hope I’m still moving around like that when I’m 52, let alone 72.
I thought Michael danced his best, but to be honest I don’t really like him as much as I thought I would. There’s something about him that bugs a little. Maybe I feel like he’s trying too hard to play the Bill role instead of being himself, if that makes sense? Just something a little off. I think Emma is doing the best she can though, so I’d hate for her to leave.
Lea & Artem. I just don’t like him, as I expected I wouldn’t, and I don’t like his choreography. I think she’d be doing better with a different pro, because I think she has more potential than she’s living up to. I just didn’t care about this routine at all.
Antonio and Cheryl are my hope to leave next week. I don’t care for him, and while I thought it was his best dance, it had absolutely nothing to do with the movie. That dance could be plunked into anywhere else in the season and you wouldn’t have known it was movie night.
I hope Antonio leaves next week, or Michael. But I fear for Jonathan and Lea.
I am of same mind with a lot of posters here. I think 40 for the 2 couples was too generous. If it is fair then Charlie White should have gotten 10’s for his jive last season instead of 9’s. I think Alfonso is getting the Charlie White treatment.
I was not wowed by Vajanel and my focus was solely on Derek when he and Bethany danced so I could not even say if she was good or not.
I must be getting really old because I just loved Betsey and Tommy last night. Kudos to Peta and Tony(which is funny since they are the pros that I least like on the show).
Randy should not have gone home.
Tony, that has always been an *assumption* but not necessarily always correct. See Corbin and Karina….
Odds are that both Bethany and Janel will have a bad week and Alfonso and Sadie will rise to the top – if not next week, the week after. Gotta have DRAMA, after all. 🙂
I’m pretty sure that all the routines are roughly the same length – and that they are told how long they have. So what does that tell you about Bethany and Derek’s dance that it *seemed* so much shorter than the others?? 🙂
Sorry Nicole but you lost all credibility when you stated that Derek danced that same routine when he was four. You can not be serious with that right?
Are you serious Nicole, the dance Derek did when he was four looked the same as the one he did with Bethany?
I thank god for the existence of this site. Have you been to FB on some other forums? The hate for Derek is unbearable. The comments Amy got last season were downright inhumane. And then last week actually celebrating Julianne’s fall? I don’t want those comments cluttering this site.
Oh, no! A facebook hater has made her way onto my favorite site that does not show favoritism to anybody but just gives the facts and people that love dance. I enjoyed last nights show and thought everyone did a great job.
Very sorry to see Randy & Karina go….even more if it turns out to be her last season! I did want to see better from them, he hasn’t been stellar these past 2 weeks but certainly not bad and I think he had much more to give. I would have rather seen Michael, Antonio and even Betsey leave before Randy.
Stands Outs:
-Of course, I loved Singing in the Rain. Great choreography and Bethany really was in sync with Derek and performed really well. I really think Personal Story Week will help people connect with her more.
-Loved Sadie & Mark….great use of V.Waltz elements and choreo and costumes that reflected the movie. She is such a talent and was a little underscored to me.
-Loved Alfonso & Witney…they are giving him the Charlie treatment. But I don’t think it’s for the same reasons…I think it’s because he’s killing it in the votes and/or to give him a chance to start building back to peak at the right moment. I would rather them do this with him, like Amber & Derek’s season to their win, than the way they are helping to peak Janel & Val too soon.
-Janel & Val were very good. I think he did a good job making it like a Broadway number, and it reminded me of a group SYTYCD number. ‘Jazz on DWTS’ is going to range from jazz to a more Broadway style as we’ve seen in the past few seasons. She is a good dancer, I just don’t love them as a pair though. I really think she will be a Sabrina Bryan/Christina Milian/Elizabeth Berkeley-like elimination.
Good:
-I enjoyed Jonathan & Alison. I want them to stand out more though and win people over, they are very likeable people. I am enjoying Alison’s choreo more than other-new-pro Artem’s though. I hope he sticks around longer than the others I named at the beginning of my post, he has a lot of potential too.
-Tommy & Peta…didn’t realize he had such trouble remembering the steps, so glad he did for the performance. He just continues to impress me, I have never enjoyed watching an ‘older’ celeb so much.
Ok to meh:
-Lea….I, for once, agreed with Carrie Ann. I felt like it started to go off the rails about a third of the way in and never recovered. Her posture still isn’t great which shocks me as she did serious ballet for so long. It really effects the look of her dancing…..fix that Artem! I thought this was his worst choreo yet too, he’s not doing her any favors, her persona and great performance level are her strong points!
-Betsey is so likeable and Tony did a good job making a 72 year old looks good out there. It is so impressive what she can do as well, but I do think her days are numbered.
-Michael and Antonio both improved but I just don’t care to watch them. Michael is certainly more likeable than Antonio but Antonio does dance better. Michael and Emma have a better chemistry and partnership than Antonio & Cheryl too. We’ll see what happens next week.
Glad they are doing Personal Story week before the Switch Up Week. That week will be interesting as always. Looking forward to seeing your predictions mods and all the drama (fans of some pros trying to vote to screw the pro they don’t like) and if TPTB skew the results again to their desires rather than the public desires. At least Derek doesn’t have a conflict preventing him from having anyone this season right?
#16
**smh**
Best dance of the night was Janel and Val, hands down. It was fantastic!!!
Sorry to see Randy go, he really had lots of potential. Now Michael or Betsy can go next week. And really Kevin Hart, Tommy gets a 10, what is up with that.
I don’t know what to think of the show last night I think the scoring was not based on the dancing but more on who they want to keep for ratings Karina and Randy were railroaded from week two making then go first two weeks in a row pretty much told the story I just hope they renew Karina’s contract The show is entertaining but there is very few good dancersThe DWM family and friends seems to be getting pimped big time
I love Derek/Bethany Mark/Sadie Alphonse/Whitney I don’t really remember anyone else I am worried already about next season if they loose Cheryl Derek and Karina I’m not sure I would even be interested in watching I may be getting ahead of myself but I had high hopes because of the new guy but so far I am not seeing it Sorry to be a Debbie Downer but I’ll hang in there and hope it gets better
Bwahahahahahaha….oh Nicole. So funny.
Crack is wack. You’ve had your ONE chance. Talk about the site and the other posters on it again and you’re banned. We don’t take shit from the likes of you. Now, act like an adult or go home. Really, the site ain’t going to change. DECIDE.
Aaaaand Nicole just earned her comment a trip to the trash, and got herself on comment moderation – don’t like it here? Don’t post here. But you certainly don’t get to lecture the rest of us on how to post. That doesn’t happen until you’re paying the bills for all the bandwidth we take up from everyone coming here for spoilers or just to lose their minds cause we don’t worship Val 🙂 I find it funny that it took you THIS LONG to blow up, Nicole – you’ve been posting here awhile. But oh well…I have no doubt that you’ll probably continue to lurk, even if you claim to hate us. Hell, there’s still Val tumblr sites that link to us while claiming to hate us – I like to think we give them lots to talk about over there 😉
…offended by “Vajanel”? You must be someone who gets off on getting offended.
And everyone else – please learn to spot trolls just looking for a reaction and pay them no mind 🙂 They want a reaction – don’t give them one.
Oooo…we double moderated. I wonder what happens then? 🙂 If she posts, it blows up?? I left her comment in place, though, as an example of some of the extreme idiocy that we have to deal with on this site from time to time.
Maybe we should do a post on “extreme idiocy” – post some of the comments that end up in the trash and then debunk them. Kinda like “Celebrities Read Mean Tweets” on Jimmy Kimmel? 😀
THAT’S AN AWESOME IDEA!! 😀 Beware, peoples…you’ve heard of slut-shaming??? 😉
I saw Nicole’s comment and started responding in three different ways – snarky, matter-of-fact, and incredulous. Then I remembered this ain’t my first message board rodeo and realized that anything I said would only validate or feed the troll.
But in all sincerity, I don’t think there’s anywhere else on the internet that I – as a rational, moderate human being – can talk about DWTS to other like-minded individuals. Pure is an oasis in a world wide web of stupidity. Any other site or social media outlet is just brimming with vitriol, catty remarks, and rabid, delusional fans. So thanks guys – and that’s why I WILL pay my membership dues 🙂
Thanks Fig. 🙂
And this is why Fig (and our loyal readers) are awesome, and make dealing with the haters completely worth it 🙂
Dang, I missed all the fun. lol to “slut-shaming”!
Fig, I love what you wrote. Thanks.
Thank you for keepiong this site POSITIVE. I have such a CRAZY stressful life and DWTS and this site are my escape from the real world for a short time. I choose not to look at other sites because of the mean vile things people say. I appreciate YOU for all your hard work to make this site AMAZING!!!!!
Hi, sorry to write this here, but I don´t know where else and this article is curently “on the top” so I suppose it is the best idea (I will understand, if you delete it, taking the fact that it has nothing to do with this article). Lately, I have problems to see new articles here… until this Monday, I was not able to find an article newer then last Wendsday… it has happend for a few times and it always get back to nornam eventually. I would like to stop it, but I don´t know, if the mistake is on my side and I can fix it somehow, or if it is something that happens to more people because of things I cannot control… so, I just wanted to ask for advice how to maybe fix it?
P.S. : I am not really commenting, but I read you site a lot and thank you for the work you put in… even though I don´t agree with things that are said here, I enjoy your work and I know how much effort it takes. So thanks!
I think getting perfect scores across the board in week 3 is way too early. Well, the scores last night were kinda all over the place. I guess the judges had nowhere to go but give Bethany and Derek a perfect score, too, after handing out the same to Janel and Val earlier. Like I said in another post, they couldn’t have given Bethany and Derek a lower score than Janel and Val. Janel and Val’s routine was good, but to me, Bethany and Derek’s was way better. My rankings:
1) Bethany and Derek – Choreography, costume and set suited the song perfectly and it was a fitting homage to such an iconic song/movie. Bethany impressed me because she was able to keep up with Derek and did not miss a single step. If not for the obvious ankle brace/wrap, I would have thought that her ankle was totally healed. She’s opening up more. Love watching her grow in the show.
2) Alfonso and Witney – I so enjoyed that routine. Sure, it was a weird song to dance Quickstep to but man! Alfonso sold that dance. Yep, they broke hold in the middle, but overall, Alfonso and Witney created such an enjoyable number. Would have given them 9s across the board, or even one 10. 8s were too low.
3) Tie between Janel/Val and Sadie/Mark- Gave Janel/Val props for being able to work out something despite the glitch in the song and theme clearance. While it was a full on routine, I found it just a tad too busy in the beginning. And for someone with recent and ample dance training, I thought Janel was wobbly in her turns and in some parts of the number. As for Sadie and Mark’s dance, I went from “aww” to “woohoo” at the end. Maybe there should have been more in-hold steps, but the routine suited Sadie and the movie so well. Kudos to Mark; I especially love the ending.
4) Tommy and Peta – Man, I love Tommy! He did not miss a step. And him dancing to a gorgeous young woman was sizzling. I am loving Peta this season. I started to like her in season 17, when she realized that showmance with Brant Daugherty wasn’t going to work and dropped it. I liked her a lot last season when she and James Maslow reached the finals not because of showmance but because of hard work. Maybe Peta should get the older guys from now on??
5) Lea and Artem – I think Artem is doing his best in showcasing Lea. He’s not just there yet. This dance was so promising at the beginning and the package was cute. But it felt flat to me, probably because of Lea’s posture; it was a bit awkward. She has nice dance legs but they were not they’re best last night.
6) Michael and Emma – Aww, this dance was sweet. Michael found his pace in this dance. He still needs to work on his frame and musicality but overall, this routine made up for last week’s weak number.
7) Jonathan and Allison – To me, they redeemed themselves this week. Weird song for a Tango, but somehow Allison was able to come up with a routine that was pleasant enough and which Jonathan was able to execute. He does have to work on his frame because I think Tommy has a better one.
8) Betsey and Tony – This woman just wows me, not because she is the best dance but because she is just so grateful to be on this show. Also, her lifts were admirable and being able to maintain that balance while Tony held her up. Hope I can be as energetic as her when I get to her age. I surely can’t do her splits and cartwheels.
9) Antonio and Cheryl – I am so sorry, I cannot remember their dance. If Courtney didn’t say they had Foxtrot, I would have gone on to YouTube to search for their dance. I really thought that Randy would stay over him, but after Randy’s scores were given, I somehow knew that he was going home, although I was hoping for some miracle.
I just hope that tptb won;t do this kind of elimination anymore. Thanks, for the rankings post, Courtney!
@Inka – I don’t know if it’s on your end or not.
There is a current dated calendar under the Recent Comments post. Have you tried clicking on any of those dates? I find that it’s a much easier way to backtrack or fast forward in your case. 🙂
Good Luck!
Actually it’s under the “Top Posts and Pages”… Oops! Sorry about that!
Sadie & Mark – their dance was the highlight for me. Charming and delightful and she has beautiful lines.
Janel & Val – loved this dance, though not enough content to get the perfect score IMO. Still what they did do was very, very good.
Bethany & Derek – maybe too much hype, but this dance fell a bit short for me. I rewatched and think I figured out why. She was heavy on her feet which could be related to her injury, but the original is so light that this was lacking.
Lea & Artem – started out great and she’s no doubt a good dancer and sells each number. The hand slip did not bother me, but I have to agree with CAI that she wasn’t dancing over her feet.
Alfonso & Witney – loved this dance too. He’s funky! Makes no sense that he gets the same score as Jonathan.
Betsey & Tony – a little halting (either no shoes or a bit of a heel?). But she’s so happy and heartfelt plus she did a back walkover into the splits!
Tommy & Peta – somehow he pulled this off and though not sharp enough for the AT, he was smooth and sexy. Biggest surprise of the season!
Jonathan & Allison – wasn’t feeling this dance. The music did not fit the choreography/tango. He looked uncomfortable to me.
Antonio & Cheryl – he was much improved, but is not having much fun and it showed.
Randy & Karina – agree it was unfair they went first again, but thought their paso was only okay.
Michael & Emma – hard to get past the hat and his dancing is awkward too.
Sandy: Thank you for advice… I haven´t tried that, so I will try it the next time if there are some problems… Hopefully, it works. Thank you so much. 🙂
Ok just watched the opening number (I missed it last night because I was working on something for my masters degree). Anyways, Love Cheryl but that was a non-event for me. It was just kinda blah.
Inka, that occurs to me occasionally so then I just go to the puredwts Twitter and use the links from there.
I enjoyed last night’s show more than last week’s. I like Kevin Hart, but I wasn’t sure how I felt about him coming on as a judge. However, after watching him last night, I thought he was great and I really appreciated that he just had fun with it and was very respectful towards the contestants.
My favorite dances of the night were Alfonso and Witney, Sadie and Mark, and Tommy and Peta. Alfonso and Witney are so much fun to watch and I can’t wait to see them dancing next week to “It’s Not Unusual.” As a fan of the movie “Up,” I really enjoyed Sadie and Mark’s dance because it was so charming and sweet. Tommy and Peta’s Argentine Tango was very good. He pulled off the dance very well and I like his partnership with Peta.
I also liked Janel and Val and Bethany and Derek, but I don’t think either dance deserved all 10’s especially so early on in the competition.
As far as the elimination goes, I thought Randy had a lot of potential in week 1 and he seemed to be struggling with his other two dances, but I don’t think he deserved to go just yet.
I case you wonder why Courtney or Vogue or myself don’t answer those technical questions…well, that’s John’s area. I don’t think any of us know the answer to that one. Yell JOHN really loud and maybe he’ll have a suggestion. 🙂
I have the same thing happen to me on this site, Inka – I will usually clear my cookies, history, and cache or sometimes even just rebooting helps.
Thanks everybody for help. 🙂 I am gonno use these tips and hopefully everything will be fine. 🙂
1. Bethany and Derek–Best dance of the night hands down for me! LOVED Derek’s homage to Gene Kelly! His choreo was just awesome! Bethany NAILED IT!!
2. Alfonso and Witney–he’s getting hosed. His musicality is bar none above the rest of the contestants.
3. Janel and Val–didn’t care for all the stuff at the beginning but she nailed the rest, as SHE SHOULD given that she’s trained in JAZZ!!
4. Sadie and Mark–cute routine. Thought parts were a bit sloppy in Sadie’s part. Her arms were a bit limp in places but overall a very clean routine! The costumes were perfect and Mark did a brilliant job with the choreography.
5. Jonathan and Allison–very nice and a good comeback from last week
6. Lea and Artem–started off good but then she lost it and never quite got it back
7. Betsey and Tony–thought the routine was clean but it was all lifts and such. Which is what Tony’s Contemporary Routine’s basically ALL are. Lifts (Melissa’s All-Star Freestyle, anyone?)
8. Tommy and Peta–so cute together, these two!
9. Randy and Karina–think they got screwed going first again AND after being told they’re in jeopardy 🙁
10. Michael and Emma–his best dance to date.
11. Antonio and Cheryl–my least favorite couple. I expected MUCH more from Antonio. He NEEDS to go, and SOON!
My favorite pair of the night was Sadie and Mark. They might not have been technically perfect but no matter, it was a charming performance and I will definitely re-watch it again tonight. Can’t say the same about anyone else except for maybe Alfonso (I think he was underscored). I also want to say that I find Tommy so incredibly entertaining and yes, Peta is doing wonders for him!
My least favorites were Antonio (he does get an eleven for gorgeous dimples however) and I’m not feeling Michael either. One of these two dudes are going home next week.
Also – I am sick to death of the four judge panel. Totally unnecessary and so time-consuming but what do I know? lol….
I enjoyed Val and Janel’s dance once it actually started. I’m glad Courtney mentioned the messin’ about at the start. It was an odd combination of too much and not enough.
I realize Val was trying to set the scene but it was just too much of troupe members walking about tomfoolery.
Finally, once they actually started dancing I really liked it but then bada boom bada bing it was done. Val has a partner trained in Jazz so I think there should have been more content.
I do realize that he had a shorter time to put it together after their first song fell through but I still feel he could have done more.
I agree. They didn’t need a guest judge to sit in for Len. With Julianne on the panel, no guest judge is needed IMHO!
The highlights of the night for me were Sadie/Mark and Alfonso/Witney. I feel that both of them were underscored for routines that were executed well and had good content. I think both Michael and Antonio really stepped up their games last night. Betsey was okay in a routine that Tony cleverly choreographed to make her look better than she is. Jonathan was better, but I still can’t warm up to him because of Allison. Lea was not as good, but I did still enjoy her work. I don’t get the appeal of Tommy. He would be my choice to go next.
And I don’t think either of the others deserved perfect scores. Janel was alright as a part of a big production number, but on her own, not so much.
[…] agreed with Carrie Ann on Lea. I think her posture needs improvement as I wrote in comments in Courtney’s Power Ranking post. I noticed this issue in previous weeks as […]
Loved last night’s dances. My teenaged daughter just paid Derek the hugest compliment – in her words: I know this song is a big deal to Derek, but I can’t talk my eyes off Bethany.
Yes, Derek could have been swinging around lamp posts (part of me really wishes that he had), but realistically Derek made sure that the focus was on Bethany. Bravo, and a well deserved score of 40.
1. Sadie & Mark- I really enjoyed this waltz. It was very well danced by Sadie and think it was a great tribute to the movie.
2. Janel & Val- I think this was pretty entertaining and even liked the fluff in the beginning since it is Movie Night. Janel did really well and was definitely a great showman. I don’t think it deserved a 40 though.
3. Bethany & Derek- I enjoyed this routine. I loved the footwork in the beginning and thought Bethany’s was especially impressive considering the issues she had with her ankle last week. I wouldn’t have given this one a 40 though either.
4. Alfonso & Witney- He’s definitely getting lowballed on the scores. Hopefully this is an indication he’s getting a ton of votes. Really good dance.
5. Lea & Artem- Sad to say this especially since I love these two but this dance started off strong and then Lea lost it. I was also watching Artem more which wasn’t his fault.
6. Jonathan & Alison- This was a surprisingly good tango and I think it bought Jonathan at least another week. Alison definitely showcased him more this dance.
7. Antonio & Cheryl- These two aren’t bad but aren’t leaving an impression on me. I would rather have had Antonio going than Randy.
8. Betsey & Tony- This was a nice dance but just doesn’t stick out for me.
9. Michael & Emma/Tommy & Peta- Only because I missed their dances.
I think that the pattern of this season has been rise-and-fall. Every week, there’s a couple that’s done really well with a more mediocre following week. I wonder if that’s intentional?
Couples I like:
Sadie and Mark – I actually almost starting crying. They were so sweet! I loved how accurate the dance was to Up! It was great, and underscored.
Bethany and Derek – Such a good dance. It was such a generous thing for Derek to do, to take a dance that he knew could have been an amazing production number, and give it to Bethany. I think Bethany is getting better, but I don’t think she’s quite perfect yet. She still needs more time to connect to the audience.
Jonathan and Allison – I wish that they would lighten up a little bit. I hope that Allison can figure out how to work with her style and the show’s style at the same time. I think they will improve, because I also feel that they went out of the gate strong, so they can come back.
Alfonso and Witney – I also like them a lot! I think that they have been kinda screwed. It annoys me. I think they should have at least gotten 9’s. Nargh.
Lea and Artem – Her package was by far my favorite of the night. I think she could have done better, but I really like her at the same time!
Couples I didn’t like as much:
Betsey and Tony – Betsey’s by far my favorite. But, she shows a lot of heart. I think she was flexible, and I’m kinda amazed that she did everything she did. But I can’t really connect to her – she’s a bit too old for me.
Antonio and Cheryl – I still can’t connect to him. I didn’t even watch their dance, tbh. I just don’t like him.
Tommy and Peta – I think that he did a lot better this week. I like him on ballroom dances. Maybe a foxtrot or a waltz soon for him?
Michael and Emma – Like some of the other couples, I don’t connect to him as much. But, I also like how well he did on this dance! I want to see him do a foxtrot…
Sometimes after all the hype is said and done I go back and watch the dances without the packages etc.
Singing in the Rain was much better than I initially thought/perceived.
America. Same impression. Not impressed. I also agree with one of the posters above that there really wasn’t much for Janel to do in this dance. But 40s for either one of these dances seemed to be a total over score. Maybe some 8s and 9s.
Alfonso and Sadie got robbed. 9s across the board on 2nd viewing. But we get it. Judges go on what they see in the moment and what they have seen at dress rehearsals and possibly have to follow productions lead on scores. I’m really curious how much Kevin screwed up their little party last night with his off-the-cuff personal scoring. I loved it!
In the opener, that hot – pink number on Cheryl was outstanding. She is super trim this season.
Regarding Julianne: Not sure about the hate. Just glad she’s doing a much better job in the permanent chair vs the guest chair. I hated Randy going home. That whole process was disrespectful to Karina and Randy.
Now, my friend said: I just don’t get that Bethany girl. She has no personality. I reminded her that Bethany is just like our kids. Out there doing her thing on YOUTUBE. Blows up her profile with tons of hits and becomes a sensation. She is not an actor. She is not promoting a new show. She hasn’t been a Bachelorette or a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader. She isn’t a left-behind child actor working on a comeback via this show. Her broad experience is via YOUTUBE only and they are strongly hoping her fans bring it on via online voting etc.
After that discussion she had a different POV on Ms. Bethany. I think I converted.
Have no gut feeling on who is going home next week, but it’s got be Sabato or Michael. Michael is not nearly as engaging as Bill Engvall. He’s trying too hard to emulate Bill.
And of course it’s all JMO.
..rewatching Mark & Sadie again. That was really, really great. It reminded me of the segment in Sound of Music when “Maria” waltzed(?) with the Von Trapp boys. Fun and carefree.
It’s funny that the two pros that annoy me sometimes are the ones that I’m really appreciating.
Mark is so sweet, supportive and kind with Sadie. It reminds me a lot of his partnership with Shaun. He’s like the worlds best big brother.
I find myself growing rather fond of Peta this season. Her tendency to show off her pelvic bones in her costumes I find amusing rather than annoying. She’s really shined with her work with Tommy. I’m impressed and surprised. I love the good surprises on this show.
I’m speculating here, but I thinking that Alfonso is running away with the voting, so they’re underscoring him a bit to make some drama. I’ve kind of given up on the show letting things progress naturally.
@Susan2 – I agree. Normally I’m not a huge Peta or Mark fan but I’m really enjoying both this season and I attribute that to their partners. Even last season I really didn’t mind Mark and again, I attribute that to Candace. It’s just nice watching Peta be herself and not worry so much about a showmance or being sexy all the time. Tommy is also just a hoot. Any chance he can sustain this for the rest of the season and surprise us all? I know he has Jive next week though and I can’t expect he’ll pull another AT type of performance out. Hopefully he’ll get the votes to make up for the scores though.