DWTS Season 19 The FINALE – Night 1!! Let’s discuss tonight’s show! (Spoilers)
Once again, comment to your hearts contents, as long as you remember the show night rules. Also, for tonight, I’ve turned on comment moderation which means your post won’t show up immediately. At the end of the season we always seem to have an influx of trouble makers. Even MORE important that you don’t hit refresh constantly.
- Our server gets totally hosed when people sit at their computer and click “refresh” constantly. Post a comment, then walk away for five minutes so that others have a chance…and so that Courtney and I can actually post on the site. 🙂
- THIS SITE IS NOT TWITTER. Do not post like you are on twitter. You get one warning and then I put you in time out. 🙂 We need context and content. Believe it or not there are a lot of people who don’t watch the east coast feed of the show, so they don’t know what the hell you’re talking about when you post a comment that says, “Boy, that sucked.” If you want to say “____ and ____’s dance was not good at all, crappy choreo” that’s fine. That would be context. It is good. 😀 Remember, if you post five one liners in five minutes, you’ve broken rule number 1. 😉
Power rankings will be coming up later tonight and the final “Dancing by the Numbers” should go up around noon eastern time tomorrow. Just FYI.
Artem, you ain’t all that. Love how the camera cut away before he could get his shirt all the way off. 🙂
And of course, production completely blows the start to Bethany’s dance, throwing her off. Jaysus people this is the finale. WTF is wrong with you??
Derek, you have more class in your little finger that most of the people do in their in their entire bodies.
Already playing up the Janel sympathy card. Guess she had to compete with Alfonso.
Love this Sadie Samba even more the second time around. 🙂 Slightly out of sync there near the beginning, but the overlook it for Janel….
Sadie’s brother is just a doll. Yes, I am Mrs. Robinson. 🙂
Oh, Julianne, please no. How about focusing on her TECHNIQUE?? Lord knows Val could use some tips on how not to drag Janel across the floor.
That dance was…weird. It was no better than Sadie’s (at all) but I expect her to get raves. Well, thank god for Bruno.
For the newbies, this is two weeks later than when the judges NORMALLY get real. Somehow I doubt they will be REALLY real. And Julianne is definitely on TeamDWTS, mentioning PLL for them.
Wow. Fair. Proving me slightly wrong at every turn.
Food for thought: three of the final four pros are going on tour, as is at least one of the final celebs. Nothing like motive for boosting people to the final. Just sayin’.
Man. Alfonso is so F@#king GOOD!! He killed it!! Amazing. He tears of his freestyle like that and he may have it in the bag.
Okay, Derek’s outfit is worth the price of admission. Wow. Where’s my wine…
Okay, that kicked ass and it was different from any freestyle that Derek’s done before. And BRAVE Bethany – coulda cracked her head open on that one.
Super cute freestyle from Sadie. There were a couple points where Sadie was off time, but I sense they missed it.
Well, sorry, Val, but this is a fail. I’ve seen this dance half a dozen times now. After Bethany and Sadie, you get zero points for creativity.
Good to see the Chmerkovskiy crutch of walking/stairs is alive and well.
Seriously CAI?? Let’s be real.
Come on Alfonso, Kick it’s ass.
Great freestyle…I was kinda expecting more from it, but still awesome. Expecting more is flattering – he’s set his own bar so high. Did they decide not to do the slo mo?? I think that Alfonso pretty much has it in the bag.
SPOILERS –
And Bethany is eliminated.
All of us predicted it would be close, Janel being the first choice, Bethany the second.
Again, I’m calling the last two standing as Sadie and Alfonso.
TMZ posted a video showing Janel with rib injuries. Guess she hurt herself?…
Love me some Sharna choreography. Glad to have an opening number not choreographed by Mandy for the first time in awhile.
That opening dance….wowza! Tony was having a blast in that one.
Ferguson verdict SUPPOSEDLY getting announced at 9…right around the time Bethany & Derek will probably be doing their freestyle. Let’s hope the interruption is either absent or very, very brief…
I never thought about. Interrupting any of the couples tonight would be unfortunate.
Who knows the song intro when showing remaining cast??
Thanks!!
Bethanny and Derek’s jive was even better second time around. Saying that Bruno was the perfect judge to motivate her too. The scoring was about what I expected to be honest but like Derek said slight technical issue that wasn’t too bad in the grand scheme of things (just my opinion). The entire time during the judging all I kept thinking was Julianne and Carrie Ann look awesome tonight. Not usually one that notices stuff like that about the judges but couldn’t help but notice it tonight especially.
UGH….SO bummed that the Production crew SCREWED Bethany and Derek giving that Jive a knock-out re-do of their JIVE and NOW they gonna get HOSED on scores!
PH ur right…Derek has more class than anybody on that show..Maks woulda flipped his lid if that would’ve happened to him!!
The judging was what I expected*
Yeah, Bethany isn’t going to win. :/
A production mishap in the finals? Wow. Good job DWTS. Good freakin’ job…. -___-
Totally threw Bethany off her game. She looked really confident at the start and then that happened. Now I’m sad/upset.
Hope they kill it in their Freestyle now…
Seriously, they are going to dock Bethany because of a prop issue? Unbelievable.
Seriously, I’m SO UPSET right now for Bethany right now…I could just CRY for her….that screw up REALLY threw off her whole performance…so I don’t think the judges should hold that against her 🙁
During the freestyles? The most fun part? The press has been salivating over this for weeks. I doubt they will keep it short. 🙁 Here’s hoping I’m wrong.
Is it possible for someone to win DWTS win 9’s? XD I don’t know, tens are like mandatory in the finals.
I have to say, Derek fans are bumming me out. Ya’ll are bringing me down. Bethany made the finale and Derek has 5 MBTs. Let’s try to enjoy the show, Pretty Please??
Don’t be ridiculous, Jamie. Just check wiki.
Uuugggghhh! I’m so angry! Bethany started off so confident and then that incident tha wasn’t her fault made her slip. So unfair, i would’ve gave them at least one 10
Only reason I’m watching the show tonight is because Derek is on it. I’m team Derek 1000%
I didn’t care for Sadie and Mark’s Samba that much at all. Sorry but..just didn’t. I thought she looked gangly. Didn’t care for it the first time around and wasn’t that big of a fan of it this time. Sadie is cute, no doubt. She’s a DOLL! Would rather she finish ahead of Janel no doubt.
So Bruno’s spin was hysterical. Sadie and mark are always fun and this dance was my fav out of hers. Sending len in was a ballsy move given his whole interactions with mark and his creativity over the seasons. Couldn’t really tell if that was her family on that porch set this time around but at the end of the dance I realized it was them. Her brother needs to grow a beard lol. Not sure where Bruno saw whatever he was talking about but whatever. Apparantly Len saw it too. The score was slightly unexpected to be honest but at least they got two tens.
Sadie was slightly off time. So how come the 10s?
I enjoyed Sadie’s Samba quite a lot just not as much as I enjoyed it the first time. I actually felt like her energy this time wasn’t as high as it was the last time she did it. Still an awesome dance though!
Avoid one-liners people. If Courtney can’t post her power rankings later because of the traffic, she and I are both going to be pissed. Thanks. 🙂
Yeah I’m gonna add to it because Bethany looked so ready to kill it and she looked so CRUSHED after and while Derek was trying to talk to her. I am so upset also because I do not think Sadies dance was a samba and she is ALWAYS off time and I think Alfonso is a UBER professional–so yeah I’m UPSET cause I didn’t think Bethany would win but I thought she’s make it to the last 3 and I hope she will
Jamie, Helio got 8’s for his Jive in the finale and he won.
So what’s the comments about 9’s suppose to mean I’m lost???
I’m so freaking upset right now. Poor Beth, now she’s gonna be even more nervous for her freestyle probably fearing something else might get messed up. Whatever, I’m throwing all my votes to her right now.
Sadie’s dance was great. But seeing these dances second time round makes them less interesting imo. It was super cute first time and the novelty kind of wears off second time.
I’m watching AllAccess and in the red room cam there’s Derek talking with Sharna, Sasha and i think Lindsy and a producer (?) and it looks like as if he’s upset about the mistake and kind of being annoyed and complaining, and i don’t blame him. I would be ballistic!
When did Emma & Val get added to the cast going on tour? I think I was just sold on the show by that bumper if I wasn’t already by Mark and Witney going on it.
Ohh….now we gotta throw the sympathy card towards Janel..the showmance card wasn’t bad enough now we gotta see her cry and whine about an injury!
Sorry hun, your Samba still aint all that. Not feeling ANY passion at all.
Sade & Bethany get picked on and hosed so the judges can be so amazed that Val’s muse pushed through the rib injury and did a perfect performance, that’s my prediction.
That little bit of the tour group and then interacting with Tom was perfect. I wanna buy mark ballas hair gel lol his hair never moves. Janel was a little more bearable this week than she was when that dance was first done. Fun fun fun this time around?….nope. More like annoyed Val at first but at least he had fun when Julianne was there. Figures she picked that dance for them lol that dance just screams Julianne with all the fun flirtiness. Janel and her rib injury killed me to watch becuase i sorta kinda felt bad until the dance started and all my dad said “Val legitametly feels like she is the best one? Delusional.” The judges are the dance up so mission accomplished I guess. I have to agree with Len in a weird way becuase I didn’t see the issue with the turns.
Did anyone else hear Julianne’s comment on The Red Carpet last night when Rancic asked her who would win? She said, “I can’t tell you that, I would lose my job.” Hmmmm….
I actually don’t blame Val when he’s talking to Janel and telling her she’s the best one – especially when she’s hurt. The problem comes in when he’s all over twitter bragging or griping.
Janel and Val – I didn’t care for their Samba the first time and even less the second time. Hope she goes home.
I did hear that, dancewithyou. She followed with a “I don’t know anyway”. I don’t think there’s anything more to it than Julianne talking too much.
A question for ballroom experts out there. Val has injured at least three dancers with rib injuries. Danica, Lea and Janel. Is this a common injury for ballroom? I guess Janel will get lots of sympathy votes but she seems to be in real pain.
Has it occurred to anyone else here that TPTB would prefer to have the winner be one of the three pros that is in the DWTS tour next month?? Just sayin’! Makes me wonder if that’s why Bethany and Derek danced first!
All I heard last season is how Derek’s partners (amy) cry and whine when they’re injured…now JANEL is doing the SAME thing in the finals….but it’s different when it’s a C-bro partner that’s injured. And they (the Vajanel fans) whined and complained when Bethany was injured at the beginning of the season.
Oh well, I guess I’m being too superstitious. Haha. Didn’t really enjoy Janel’s samba, but probably will get a 40 or 39 depending on what Len thinks about the technique. I just want to see Bethany in the Final 3.
PH..Thanks. Missed that part and yep, the girl can definitely talk too much at times. 🙂
I kind of wish they were doing 2 new dances in a judge’s style of choice because I’m not enjoying these repeat dances as much. There’s improvement but all 4 were good to begin with that it doesn’t impact me as much.
Re: Derek has more class in his little finger etc…..I agree, because that production flub was unforgivable especially in the finals! Also in one of the videos he stated he was going to be part of Season 20, 10 year anniversary, in some way because he found it amazing that the show’s popularity has lasted so long….excuse me, but I dare to say, imo, HE is the major reason for the show’s ongoing popularity and longevity. Just sayin’.
@34- I was watching that last night too (she looked great) and I think Julianne was just joking judging by her laugh at the end and her tone of voice. Oddly enough, even with the mishap I liked Bethany’s dance much more this time around. I can see why they didn’t give her tens but the mishap wasn’t her fault.
FYI you have a hotels ad blocking a lot of the text on screen. No way to turn it off, & it follows the scrolling. Goes away but returns immediately. Makes reading very difficult. Assume you didn’t sign up for that.
Alfonso, for me, is head and shoulders above everyone else. It will be a travesty if he does not win. The partnership between him and Witney is so much fun.
I don’t have that problem, Quand, and have heard no other complaints. If it’s happening for others, they should let us know.
I think Alfonso just took that trophy. ! He so good and that jive was amazing
I see you just posted the same thing I did PH re: the 3 pros and the tour! Great minds think alike!
No problem here.
Alfonso killed that, more so than the first time. Witney has been the perfect pro for him. She’s creative and I have so loved watching them dance. Even though I’m a huge Sadie fan, won’t bother me if they make the finals and Alfonso wins it. Will Smith “in the house”? That would be interesting.
#47 … Alfonso, for me too. I just love him and could watch him all night. He’s been my fav from the beginning.
Now would be a great time for the Ferguson stuff to cut in, so we don’t have to suffer through this Annie thing. Janel was just on all access and I sort of liked her for once. She actually seemed a little less snotty. Too late now though.
I haven’t even voted yet….and won’t until this show is over. If Bethany is voted off tonight, I have no reason TO vote b/c, to be honest, as I said in another post, I don’t care WHO wins.
It’s so painfully obvious that TPTB want Janelskiy to place in the top 3 in the WORST way….Bethany is in last place at the moment for a reason that is SO not her fault.
KellyK, can you move on please. You’ve posted much the same thing multiple times now. Thanks.
Bethany looked so disappointed. Hope she rallies and Derek is the classiest and most fun !
Though I wish her leg movement had improved more, Sadie was sassy.
Janel did improve IMO and I can’t fault her for having a fresh injury. She definitely looked in pain and was distressed after their dance.
Alfonso is the best – he deserved the perfect score.
Thought the scores were fair through the first round.
Alfonso slayed that dance yet again. Let’s get will at the show tommorrow! Perfect score well deserved. I know I tend to say this a lot during the season but he is the entertainer of the season. Erin is doing great tonight! The Annie performance was cute but overall I wanted to end that much sooner than it did. The girl who plays Annie is a great actress but apparantly can sing too. As she gets older she might become the next Elizabeth Taylor (she started off young too and she became an icon)
I reckon Sadie and Alfonso have got this in the bag. Will smith and Liam Payne tweeted out to them. They did great dances too. I feel so bad for Bethany, she looks upset.
I don’t know how I’m going to survive till Spring. The 10 year anniversary has me so excited already! It’s going to be awesome, I just know it.
Not watching the live show so can’t comment on anything (thank God Alfonso got a perfect score though!) but how is it possible for Val and Emma to do the tour when they have a bunch of BWAT appearances lined up? Is it common for pros to not do the entire tour? I don’t remember what the original tour was like as far as pro appearances go. I guess it’s possible the BWAT shows will be put on hold because of the lawsuit.
I expect Janel to be one of the celebs attended to the tour though.
Ok…goodnight all..Oh wait sorry, I forgot this aint twitter.
Could they just GET ON with the FreeStyles ALREADY????
do they get to pick songs for their freestyles?
Uh oh Breaking news now… Wonder what this will mean for the freestyles left to perform?
Omg Bethany and Derek wow I hope they don’t go home please lord
Derek and Bethany’s freestyle was really fun. Very katniss everdeen and atmospheric. And can I just say that it was just so well done. The whole ferguson stuff is on now so I haven’t seen scorese yet (everyone have that issue?) but I think that this has to be one of my top three Derek freestyles (my fav being Brooke and Derek’s but my second being Jen and Derek’s). Also just gonna ask this here becuase I forget to ask before: did anyone else spot the guy from shark tank in the audience? I don’t know his name (to be honest I refer to them as clothes guy, mark Cuban, qvc, funny lady, mr wonderful, and boring guy) but I think that was him.
Wow, Bethany killed that! I was afraid that Bethany would let the prop mess in the jive affect her, but she showed she is fearless! She should be so proud of herself. Derek never fails to amaze with his diversity and talent! Yes!
WTF, ABC news is pre-empting the show for the Ferguson results. I hope we still get to see the parts of the show we missed, such as Bethany’s freestyle!
To little to late for Bethany IMO. She’s finishing 4th. Alfonso’s going to win.
You sound threatened by Bethany, M8. Especially since one thing has nothing to do with the other. You post one line again and I”m deleting. What part of “this ain’t twitter” didn’t you understand?
Wow Derek choreo was amazing and he killed it and Bethany just did amazing! She continues to show how much she improved and that balance move?! I was holding my breath like Tom. Want to see it again tomorrow.
I’m enjoying these finals. I love Alfonso but I don’t think this jive was better. He deserved 10 in week 1. This time he danced well but didn’t sell it. He didn’t smile once. His charisma was off charts first time this time no charisma, no smile but good dancing. For me, if you are scoring improvement, there was none.
Glad the show paused for us. I was worried we were missing the show.
I really like Beth and Derek’s dance. That miltary-istic precision just looks so awesome.
All I can say is that I want to see Sadie and Mark’s freestyle again and again and again. Nailed it! And I hope that you guys do use Mark’s use of facial hair in this season’s cheesecake awards!!! Somehow I think it is going to be a huge battle as to which freestyle will win for tomorrow night, since both Bethany’s and Sadie’s freestyles rocked the house down.
FYI-according to ABC-DWTS will be shown in its entirety after the News Special Report. Be sure to reset your DVR’s. Thank goodness, I would hate to miss the other freestyles and can’t wait to see Derek and Bethany’s scores.
question of the night…..why is Erin calling everyone “Mama?”
They are live to tape, so all they do is keep doing the show and pause when the news broke in.
I’m glad that Bethany came back. As usual Derek choreographed an amazing freestyle. He’s masterclass.
Mark and Sadie’s freestyle looks like it’s going to be so much fun.
OMG. Desperate Val has his dang shirt off again!! I’m going to flip channels when they dance.
Can’t wait to see Alfonso and Witney. EPIC for sure.
@Kate-I disagree. Alfonso was smiling nearly the whole time and his charisma was off the charts.
Wow, there is a very good possibility that all the freestyles are going to get perfect scores. Loves Beth’s and Sadies’ though. 🙂 So happy for them both!
Thanks for the reset reminder. I watched Sadie/Mark’s dance on the ABC stream. The floor designs were great. I hope we can see that on the delayed “now not LIVE” version.
From what people are saying here, I’m really hoping my Final 3 make it (Alfonso, Sadie and Beth). Not that I will be watching Janel’s myself.
OMG. Mark is incredible for choreographing a dance to that song. It’s so creative and fun and makes me want to go get my Nintendo! Loved that so much.
Mark and Sadie were cute but it dragged in parts. Also it just seemed more of the same Sadie personality. Wish we got to see more of dancing. Funny I never thought in the end I would say Bethany would be better dancer because Sadie was such a natural but Bethany danced more and pulled off a more impressive routine.
Sadie and Mark rocked the floor! Mark’s creativity abounds. Who would ever think to do a dance to a video game theme and make it work that well? He even managed to make Mario look hot, lol.
Assuming that us television viewers don’t catch up with the actual show, we may find out who got eliminated before it shows on tv!
Sadie and mark’s freestyle was a video gamer’s dream. I spent more time on that game than any normal human being should. It was a fun and just overall perfect dance in my opinion. When the luigi came out i was very happy. Was worried that Len wouldn’t get it but so glad he did.
Sadie and Mark’s freestyle was great. Fun,entertaining and well performed. Kudos to Mark for incredible choreo. They deserved all the 10’s.
Sadie and Mark’s freestyle was fun. I did notice that she was slightly off again. But all in all Mark did a great job.
Erin is annoying tonight. I wish Leah Remini would take over.
I agree 100 percent with what Melissa wrote!!!
Janel and Val’s wasn’t as fun, but beautiful. He managed to improve that lift trick from last week so props to them for that. Also, props to Janel for some of those moves knowing her injury.
Hmm…Val’s exhausted. Poor baby. He thinks he’s the only one on the show in that state? Okay, if those are injured ribs–and I’ve had them several times–there is no way she can do that drop down thing with that arched back, or many of the other moves she’s doing. I could barely drive with 5 bruised ribs, much less try to pull off what she’s doing. And CAI–it wasn’t that damn hot!
Janel and Val’s freestyle just made me think of Melissa and Tony’s in all star season (which isn’t a bad thing) but overall I just kinda was like “meh”. Val trying to say that he is the most irresponsible pro on the show….I think mark and Derek have that market cornered in terms of challenging their partners the most out of the guys. It was well danced but I’m not wowed by it. If this was a contemporay in the earlier weeks then I would be saying “wow”. I just expected a little more umph to it.
Ok, Alfonso’s freestyle was absolutely amazing… But somehow I connected so much more to Sadie’s and Bethany’s freestyles. Maybe it was all of the hype before hand, and don’t get me wrong I really liked Alfonso’s freestyle, but I think I liked the others more.
On the other hand, while I appreciated the lift that Janel and Val did, their freestyle kind of just slowed everything down too much for me. And actually I was very lucky since I have one channel with DWTSs on real time, and one on delay, so I got to miss the judges comments for Val and Janel and instead watch Mark and Sadie’s freestyle a second time!
Less than halfway through Janel and Val’s dance I got so bored I started face booking. It was just soo boring and not one creative thought. Val is damn sexy tho..that was about all that dance had going for it. Sadie’s was hands down the best I’ve ever seen.
So Alfonso and witney had a really really really fun freestyle. Saying that (and it pains me to say it) it wasn’t my fav of the night (that honor goes to mark and Sadie). Loved her idea of throwing a little bit of their journey this season into it (very Derek-esque) and her ambition. Like i have said since she has been on the show, she truly is amazing. The jump on it dance 🙂 ah the memories lol. The tap part was great too. Three killer freestyles and a contemporay dance that I could have lived without tonight. If I may, did anyone else look at the costumes and go “wow” besides me. I think witney designs the costumes right? If so kudos to her. Very classic and made me think of the old school musicals.
They were eliminated….I feel sick.
Well hell, I reset the DVR and my TV skipped right through Alfonso’s dance. Good grief. Saw the start and that was it…..so I hope it’s the repeat dance. Selfish me.
Alfonso–pure entertainment. That’s the way to win. Fun, crisp, show stopping, fun solo showcase–all the elements of a great dance. I will be stunned if he doesn’t win given his performance.
Wowwwww…. Alfonso!! That dance was insane…great choreo by Mark, Derek and Whitney…bravo!
Does anybody know who the female artist is that Derek and Bethany danced to in their freestyle?
Alfonso was great, I think Betahny’s freestyle was tops!!!
Alfonso and Witney killed it. He’s in a class of his own. We’ll be power voting for them tonight.
It’s very difficult to compare these freestyles. I enjoyed each of them for different reasons and none stands out above the others for me. I don’t want anyone to be eliminated tonight!
Val’s tired? Has he talked to Derek who has been non stop for how long now? Alfonso brought and I hope he wins tomorrow. He gave us all we wanted including tap.
Well the judges got who they wanted as the final three. There is no way Janel got more votes than bethany. I am done with this show.
OMG) I can’t believe they interrupt this show again. I want to see the elimination. Please let it be Janel and Val.
What is really pissing me off is the other pros tweeting out support of Val and Janel. Artem and Sharna have been sending out tweets of support and voting numbers. I think that is so wrong. They should be neutral on social media imo.
Wow Alfonso and Witney didn’t disappoint. My favorite freestyle of the night.
Well, since Derek and Bethany got the boot, that means I don’t have to tune in until the last five minutes of the finale to hopefully see Alfonso’s coronation.
I kinda knew going into the show that it was probably Bethany’s turn to go. I’m just happy that she went out on a (very) high note. 🙂
Loved the variety of freestyle dances. All so different. Mark and Sadie definitely had my favorite of them though.
Beth went out on a really strong note. At this point I think they all deserve the MBT because it’s a dang close race.
Bethanny got eliminated 🙁 Val gets his third place finish i guess but still kills me becuase Bethany was more fun and sincere out on that dance floor.
@Fancy – if you wanna see that happen, then I suggest at least throwing a few votes to Fonz. Right now, Janel is trending on Twitter…only one to have trended all night.
I posted to the wrong posting, so my apologizes for repeating this.
I haven’t commented all night, but right now, all I want to say is the final two standing better be Alfonso and Sadie. Anything other than that will be a wasted season. They have come farther in this competition than Janel with her dance experience.
Going to miss seeing Derek in the finals and hope to see him back next season for the 10th anniversary.
Will Derek and Bethany be on GMA Wednesday morning?
Alfonso will win with Janel in second. I know how much you dislike Janel but it was neck and neck between her and Alfonso all season. I do believe Janel should win just because I felt she was the most consistent with her routines all season but I know Alfonso will win. Sadie was great but not at the caliber of the two others.
If Val’s tired, maybe he should curtail some of his late night partying and cut down on the smoking…just a thought. I rolled my eyes during their freestyle. Loved Derek’s choreography for Beth — thought their freestyle was her best dancing of the season. So sorry to see them go. Sadie was cute tonight, but Alfonso is my favorite now to win. Would love to see him get the MBT.
Sad that we didn’t get to see Bethany and Derek do a Fusion dance but they did such an amazing job all season… I couldn’t ask for more 🙂 So proud of them!
Now my votes are going to Sadie and Mark. I was sold after their Freestyle. I will throw Alfonso some votes too though just cause his Freestyle was just as amazing.
I think the right couples are going to the finals. All very good and talented. My vote is between Alfonso and Janel.
ugh janel trending on twitter… maybe she does have way more fans than we all thought. Well, my votes are going to alfonso now.
Everyone, please vote for ALFONSO!!!! If I thought that TPTB would give it to Sadie I’d vote for her too but I don’t think they will (even if she gets a lot of votes) so not only did Alfonso legitimately kill it tonight it would be a way to combat all the votes that Janel is likely to get via her PLL fans. If she’s already trending they may get the encore dance tomorrow.
Dang, I’m so sad for Derek and Bethany. Oh well, atleast they went out with a huge bang with that freestyle…which has now topped all my faves. Just brilliant.
Did I catch it right that Tom actually said that Bethany and Derek and Val and Janel were the bottom two couples. Since I read this site I was not surprised by that outcome, however I found it interesting that he actually stated it.
And I am sad that we don’t get to see Derek and Beth dance a fusion dance tomorrow night.
Hey Courtney,
Bethany trended earlier, but Janel is currently trending. So want to her to win the encore performance.
Sigh….good thing I have a nice glass of wine…I’m SO disappointed right now.
Although I will say I DID CALL that Alfonso should do the Apache Jump on It routine in his Freestyle. Just wish he could’ve gotten Will Smith to join in 😀 LOVED his
VERY disappointed in the overpimping of Vajanel. I’m with Carrie #105..SO over this show!
because I love ya Court, I’m throwin some votes to Fonz 😉
See, this is why the scores DO count. Janel could have gotten LESS votes than Beth, but she stays because Beth’s fans didn’t cover the spread. Word to the wise.
Janel was in the bottom two, Ali. A REAL bottom two.
Looks like my wish didn’t happen. 🙁 So disappointed. Sounded like Janel’s was the typical freestyle dance, so I’m not getting why her name is trending and not the others as they were so unique.
Thanks for keeping us updated as to what happened.
Derek seemed to affirm his love for the show, which we know he does. Maybe he can come back just in charge of Macy’s stars of dance.
I also felt Bethany and Alfonso had the best freestyles. Alfonso, I hope he wins. His line has been busy each time I tried to call. Mark, again, I feel gets caught up with a concept. Like with Chelsea, Aly and Sadie. Take away the Mario bros graphics and just dance, it wasn’t much. But disappointed Bethany did not outlast Janel who has been gifted the most tens this season.
I’m sad bethany left but according to a tweet counter I’m using, bethany is getting the encore dance. Definitely not accurate but gives you an idea.
dwtsjanel- 8,200+
dwtsalfonso- 9,000+
dwtssadie- 9,800+
dwtsbethany-24,200+
Im praying to god that Janel doesn’t win. Anyone but Janel seriously. Please if someone can hear me, DO NOT MAKE JANEL WIN.
On another note, I’m so happy for Bethany. She’ll go on and do great things, I just know it. <3
Best wishes for her.
Well bravo to TPTB, their plan for Vajanel so far is working…let’s see what’s going to happen tomorrow. I vote mostly for Alfonso and some for Sadie. Okay I may think too much into the pimping but isn’t it weird when Len was commenting “I hope America vote for the best…” after Witfonso FS, the camera was front and center on Janel? And what’s up with Sharna? I have notice that she was always tweeting for her fans to vote for Vajanel. Geez, I really like her before but now I think she has become one of the c-Fam.
Voting for Alfonso. I think it’s so sweet how Motoughers got #DWTSBethany trending before, and then just then #bethisourwinner trended. Lots of love to her, she did amazing and I’m so proud.
She hasn’t just been tweeting for Val, she’s been *spamming*. I have no problem with Derek tweeting for Mark (brothers) or Maks tweeting for Val (brothers), but Sharna needs to check herself. I used to be a fan.
Oh yeah, one more thing I wish and pray 😀 that Will Smith shows up tomorrow….I agree, from what I’m seeing tonight Alfonso pretty much has it in the bag…Janel is looking soooo fake with the crying…
This has been one of my favorite seasons because it seems like it’s been so neck-and-neck. I think the right 4 got to the finale and then it was a toss-up from there.
It’s the first time that all 4 freestyles were truly outstanding. I gotta say, Mark and Sadie’s was my favorite because it just brought a huge smile to my face, but Alfonso is my favorite overall and Janel is also an excellent dancer. I won’t mind the outcome no matter who wins as I feel they are all deserving in different ways.
looking at bethany’s fans’ tweets, a lot of them are going to be throwing their votes to Vajanel. should we be worried?
#Thiana Sharna’s definitely turning me off tonight.She’s one of my favorite pros and one of the most talented choreographers but I mean Peta and Jenna are closer to val/the fam and even they aren’t asking for people to vote vajanel. And you don’t see any of the other pros (except the c-Fam) doing that, it’s just unprofessional
I kinda felt it but im really sad for bethany her freestyle was awesome so proud of her and derek hope they get the encore
Im voting for alfonso hope he wins but i don’t know i have a feeling janel might
Anyway sharna is 100 % fam i noticed it a while ago she forgot she also friends with mark and witney anyway i never liked her that much
3 dancers captured my heart and imagination literally all season, from night one – Alfonso, Sadie and Tommy. Hope Alfonso takes it and Whitney gets a well deserved trophy for her amazing routines this year. Also first time I’ve ever really loved a Mark season and Sadie is just the cutest. Either of those 2 winning will be awesome. I haven’t re- watched so many dances as I did this season in a long long time.
Damn, can’t believe they actually told us the bottom two. Not a good sign that Janel was in the bottom two even with the top score last week. We were so close to getting rid of her tonight! Oh well. Makes you wonder if she and Bethany were one point closer what would have happened. Hopefully she doesn’t get the sympathy vote or Sadie and Alfonso don’t split votes. I’m thinking up way too many scenarios…not healthy for me.
I’m so sad that Beth & Derek went home 🙁 Seems like many of her fans didn’t vote because they were upset that she didn’t spend so much time on making new YT videos :/
And concerning Sharna – I was never her fan & I couldn’t care less if DWTS doesn’t bring her back as a pro…I mean I don’t mind her but I’m not fond of her, either.
So, I have mixed feelings on exactly how aggressively TPTB are pimping Val/Janel. I’m on the press distribution list, and almost none of the video clips/press releases I’ve received have centered on them. In fact, I got video showing Bruno visiting Beth/Derek, Carrie Ann visiting Alfonso/Wit, and Len visiting Sadie/Mark, but nothing of Julianne with Janel/Val. If they were REALLY seriously pimping them, wouldn’t PR gal have sent out video of that as well, even if it was last minute? Mixed feelings. Sad to see Beth go over Janel for sure, regardless of TPTB’s actual intent.
No, Sherry, because Julianne didn’t visit Janel and Val until a few days after the others because Janel didn’t start rehearsing until Friday. They were behind schedule.
Early in the season, Janel and Val were all over the official site until lots of people started complaining. Suddenly it got more balanced.
I think for the first time Janel actually kind of improved….. too bad that their freestyle has been repeated way too damn much. I actually thought their romeo and juliet contemporary was better but whatever.
My night was: 1) Alfonso tapping and general awesomeness, 2) Sadie’s sweet little over excited puppy dog Samba and her BRILLIANTLY choreographed freestyle, 3) Being able to see Bethany’s improvement and her Divergent Freestyle.
they wanted Val for the tour. Derek wasn’t going to do it. It’s because of the Fam Sharna-Charlie were eliminated so early, so it’s annoying now that she’s rooting for them.
Oh PH , I tweeted back to Sharna that I was disappointed in her how she was campainging for Val/Janel after dancing in Beth and Derek’s Freestyle…oh that’s right I forgot “Val and Maks gave U a side job” 😮 Also said the SAME THING TO HER on Insta. Suppose she’ll block me now too much like Katherine Jenkins did after S14 semi-finals when I called her out on her so-called ‘back spasms’…Ive Had back spasms..you aren’t jumping up and down less than 24 hours later :/
Think the Current Comepting Pros after they’ve been elimanated need to remain neutral till the season is over.
I don’t see Sharna spamming. She tweeted once about voting for Val and Janel, and since then she’s retweeted people saying they were going to vote for Sadie and for Alfonso and praising Witney’s choreography. It seems to me she’s spreading her encouragement around to everyone.
Yeah, I know she came later. But I was still surprised they didn’t hurry up and crank something out for the golden child’s benefit, you know? I waited all morning to see if something would show up. 😉 But yep, there’s a degree of favoritism there. The scores alone tell that particular story quite nicely on their own.
Sorry AC, but she’s on my tweetdeck and she was tweeting for Janel throughout the show. She started tweeting for Sadie and Alfonso AFTER she got a bunch of crap on twitter for spamming.
I loved Sadie & Mark’s freestyle!! Knowing Mark’s track record w/ freestyles, I was so worried that it was going to be a disaster, & am now so happy & relieved it turned out great. Loved the costumes, set, everything. Well done both of you! This + Shawn’s from S8 are my favorite freestyles Mark’s choreographed.
Does anybody know who the other 2 dancers were in their freestyle? Was one of them Mischa Gabriel? I couldn’t tell behind their costumes. Thanks!
I have to say: I may throw up with all of this bellyaching over Janel’s rib. Really? I don’t think Alfonso milked his back this much. Nor did Tommy ever complain, and he’s 76! I don’t like the pity vote attempts one bit. Every single one of them dances hurt in one way or another.
Me too Audrey. I wouldn’t care less if Sharna doesn’t come back next season…expressing her choice like that as a pro on the show is very unprofessional to me. Yes this is a free choice, free country but the way she does it doesn’t look good for her, jmo. As for some of Bethany’s fans, I wouldn’t be surprise if they vote for Janel. They know Bethany and Janel are “buddies”. I didn’t want to say this before but I think Bethany may have done a bit of damage to herself. A lot of her fans not only complaining about her not making videos anymore but they were comparing her and Janel, example: “everybody are busy but look at Janel, she practice and do shoots for PLL.” I’m not surprise if the the Janel trending was coming from Bethany’s fans. Anyway it’s all been done. I’m hoping the show’s manipulation for Vajanel doesn’t go into overdrive tomorrow.
Er, unless TPTB do some monkey business with the twitter vote, Bethany is blowing the other three out of the water. By a lot. This is what I was saying earlier today – Bethany’s fans know how to tweet, but not so much vote.
PH, what are numbers right now on twitter?
Yeah I called out Janels rib injury on twitter, and then I got a whole shpeal about how to not compare someone’s pain. Sure, I get that… but at the same time when you see Alfonso with a crap load of injuries, a rib is insignificant. Like I don’t care…. quit trying to get me to care.
Yeah – I guess many of Bethanys followers still don’t understand the voting part ? *!#@%% Still on twitter talking about her and Derek winning tomorrow ! And the rest of them voting for Janel-
Bethany is at 40k, the other three are between 12 and 14k. It’s not even close.
I don’t have twitter, but based on reading the comments above, it seems a little odd to me that Sharna didn’t say anything about Bethany since she was one of the backup dancers in her freestyle.
Who’s in 2nd to Bethany? Can Bethany still get the encore?
Well, if some of Bethany fans are jumping ship and voting for Janel then if you happen to be on the West coast all the more reason to get some votes in for Alfonso- if his jive and freestyle moved you like it did me. 🙂
I feel like some of the new troupe members and pros attach themselves to the Chmerkovskiy brothers because they think it’s going to do something for them careerwise and becaue they think it’s “cool” to be considered part of the fam. Peta, Sharna, Henry, Jenna and Artem have all done it, and they’ve all certainly gotten a boost from the Maks/Val fans just because they’re attached to the fam. I actually have a lot of respect for Emma that she never took that route. I hope Keo stays away from it too.
Erm Donna, hate to Burst your Bubble but I think Keo may have joined the CBro train 🙁
Honestly what Sharna is doing doesn’t bother me, even if it is for my least favorite couple – even Derek is saying that people should vote for Sadie & Mark. Most of the pros support everyone but do encourage one or two specific couples. But again, I don’t think there’s nearly as much ill-will between the pros as there are between the fans.
I am looking forward to seeing Keo on tour though /drool
I used all my votes for Alfonso since Bethany and Tommy are gone. I thought he should’ve so from Week One and he deserves to win. He just dances with joy and charisma and perfection!
I can’t stand Val and Artem. They have zero charisma in my eyes. They may have good bodies but look in their eyes and there is nothing there. Dead eyes. In comparison, look into Derek’s eyes and their is laughter, love, compassion etc. His emotions are always showing in his face.
I like Janel as a person but she is guilty by association. She is seemed fake because Val is fake. I really wish she had a different partner.
How did you guys get to know how many #dwtsbethany/#dwtsjanel tweets are there? Sorry I’m just curious how you got them. Hehe
Did you see that article that Keo tweeted that said that Kym was joining the DWTS tour as well!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY! Also Sasha, yay too!
Topsy – online tweet counting program. Beth is way out in front of the other three.
Sharna wouldn’t bother me if I didn’t have to see it multiple times through out the show. She was over the top. Conversely, Derek and his “congrats to everyone!! I have to vote for family!” – it’s a miracle if that boy ever tweets. Sharna was just SO obnoxious about it. Ugh.
Fig, we noted that Kym was joining a few days ago, I think. Or was that a conversation I had in my head…. 🙂 Could have been. I have lots of jobs right now.
Heh. Just watched Derek and Beth’s AH interview after the elimination. Derek said the same thing Lea did – that they had lots of issues that they were dealing with but it wasn’t shown. He kinda takes a shot – very unusual for him – but he’s laughing the whole time. Saying they didn’t want to draw attention to it.
I saw that, Princess H! I chuckled when Derek mentioned that. And I am mighty curious about what they “found out.” Thank you to all the mods here. My DWTS experience wouldn’t be complete without you, ladies and John. And oh! Congrats on your new record! 😀
Thanks nobleze. The ladies do all the hard work and deserve all the credit. They really do amazing work.
@ Jane (#151)
I think one of them was probably Misha, at least I know he worked with Mark on the choreography so I would be more surprised if it wasn’t him
So disappointed not to see Bethanny & Derek go all the way. Being from England and watching Strictly Come Dancing all these years and loving it, it strikes me from watching DWTS that it is incredibly political and so produced compared to Strictly where you can tell everyone loves eachother, pros and celebs, and there’s none of this “fam” shiz, does this ring through for anyone?
Watched the show. Loved Sadie and Mark’s freestyle-so fresh and fun. I hope Alfonso wins but I won’t mind if Sadie does. Please not Vajanel.
Look! Val is shirtless again! Look, Janel is in a nightie! Haven’t I seen this before? Maksyl lite all over again. Vomit.
At least I was spared looking at Mak’s smug face and Meryl(can’t stand her now which really pains me as I love Charlie).Hope they do not attend the finale tonight.
Anton, I honestly think the ‘fam’ stuff is overblown by fans of either Derek, Mark. Val and Maks looking to start stuff with each other. There have been videos and stories of these guys hanging out across ‘fam’ lines and it is pretty obvious from reading through all these posts that the fans take this stuff a little more seriously than the actual pros do in an attempt to bolster the pro they like at the expense of other pros. For me personally, I have liked Mark ( with Kristi), Val (with Zendaya), Derek (with Amber) and Maks (with Mel B) at different intervals, so it is mildly amusing when people let their hate of a pro spill over to prevent them from enjoying a couple. PS. I am not saying that factions/preferences don’t exist, I just think the pros are a little more professional about it than many of the fans are. Just my opinion, of course.
I realize there was a production snafoo during Bethany’s first dance but honestly they should be prepared for anything. I don’t think that is what caused them to be eliminated. I agree it shouldn’t happen during the Finale or any time but it does. Deal with it. I, frankly, am happy to see her go. I don’t think she was the best dancer. And, even though I have been rooting for Janel and Val this season mostly because I like Val, I honestly don’t think Janel is the best dancer and while I would love to see them win for Val’s sake, the show is supposed to be about the best dancer. That being the case, Alfonso deserves the mirror ball the most. TBH in reflecting back at all Val’s seasons of the show, I agree that I loved the ones the most where he didn’t have a ‘showmance’. I think my favorite season was Z. In retrospect even for a Val lover, the showmance kills the season for me. I think that’s what hurts him a lot. I hate to admit it. Pigs must be flying somewhere. Anyway, all that being said the winner tonight, although I would like it to be Janel (ok not Janel but Val) should be Alfonso as he has proven himself to be the best dancer throughout the season.
Oh Ria..you can bet your bippy that Maks is gonna be there tonight (just in case Val wins) 😉
What I personally don’t like is how, when Pros who are on the show decide to align themselves with Chmerkovskiy’s, it seems to me as if their attitudes change. Especially if they’re male. Take Henry for instance. When he was promoted to Pro on S18, he unfollowed a LOT of us on Twitter whereas before, I could tweet back and forth with him when he was a member of the Troupe…now he can’t be bothered with such a peon as me…or at least that’s how “I” see it. Now Artem, and apparently Keo have jumped aboard. Artem, Henry, Sharna, Peta are all performing in Sway next month. We all saw how Sharna super-tweeted support for Vajanel last nnight…something that was SO out of character for her. Yeah, Derek tweeted support for Mark but only AFTER the show ended and he and Beth were eliminated ant that’s not Derek’s M.O.
Disliking how one perceives the Pro’s behavior as portrayed on the show…does not constitute hate. I don’t go sending Val/Maks/Henry nasty tweets calling them names or anything of the sort…now THAT would be hate..saying I don’t like X because of Y is my OPINION not hate 😉
I also don’t look to start arguments with Val/Maks fans either..usually I will state my opinion and I’ll get replies back from them telling me I’m dumb or stfu because Val is better than Derek as Val won more World Professional titles so obviously Val is a better professional dancer than Derek and Derek has lost his passion and THAT’S why Bethany got eliminated last night…..etc.
Those who are celebrating Derek’s “loss” need to look at his track record. Out of his 14 seasons, he finished in the top 4 12 times including this season. He reached the finals 9 times including this one. So I don’t see a loss from any angle. When any other pro reaches that level of consistency, we’ll have a discussion.
Possible repeat of last year with encore going to couple voted off?
If only those tweeters would vote!!! In both scenarios the data shows the win is by a very large margin….what a shame would have preferred both the encore couples were in the final 3 🙁
Right on…Ananya….and it’s not about winning that MBT to Derek. It’s more about getting his partner as far as his awesome talents can get her. It’s about giving them a long incredible journey.
They should be prepared for a large, production dude walking right into the shot and very close to Bethany?? Yeah, that should happen on a show that’s been on the air for 19 season. That’s ridiculous. Bethany is not a trained performer, and, unlike some, not a trained dancer either.
And of course it didn’t cause them to be eliminated. The elimination was based on LAST WEEK’s scores and votes.
This show is NOT supposed to be about the best dancer. It’s never been touted as that – if it was about that they wouldn’t sign people on like Tommy. It’s about watching people learn how to dance with professionals. It’s about hot men. It’s about hot women. It’s about whatever the individual viewer wants it to be.
Henry did A LOT more than just unfollow people on twitter, KellyK. He’s quite a jerk, actually.
Fans who are celebrating Derek being out of the competition simply know that he’s nearly impossible to beat. They’re relieved. As they should be. 🙂
I am a member of the disappointed group. Derek is one of a kind. To throw Derek and Bethany off in the beginning seemed staged to me. They came out of that and did great. Kudos to Bethany and Derek! All my votes went to Sadie and Mark after that. Sadie is the only non-dancer left. I would love to see Sadie and Mark win it all.
Julianne made me angry when she told Janel and Val to go for the sexy. That appears to be all they know how to do. Anyone else doing so many lifts in every dance would have been called out by CAI and Len. The pimping hit a new low this season.
There’s a reason why we refer to Henry as “Stealth Douche” around here…
If Alfonso does win tonight at least Maks and Val can’t whine bitch and moan all over Twitter about a professional dancer winning after Maks’s win with a professional dancer.
@Donna – Won’t matter – they’ll find something to complain about, regardless of whether or not it makes them look like total hypocrites – or “hipocrates”, if you’re Maks. Hell, even if Janel wins, they’ll still find some way to “stick it” to the losers…the DWM Twitter account in particular is known for taking cheap shots at other couples.
Val’s head just might explode tonight if he doesn’t win the MBT.
“THAR SHE BLOWS!!!” *puts on rain slicker to avoid errant flying pieces of brain matter*
I don’t think the audience would get hit be much.
Don’t worry. I have a feeling Val’s brain consists of hair gel, Axe body spray and dropped crotch pants.
And Susan2 gets the “zinger o’ the day” award 😀
Bwahahahaha….good one, Susan.
lollllll Susan2!!
Sometimes people I know surprise me – a good friend of mine that I think is among the brightest folks I know just told me that he thought Janel’s was far and away the best freestyle of the night. It’s just his opinion, but it’s always interesting to know what the general public thinks and not people like us, haha.
Oh, I know Court & PH…I remember that convo from earlier in the year. Henry’s d-bag quotient increased exponentially once he got upgraded to Pro AND started hanging with the C-bro’s 😉
PH, What did Henry do? I thought that he was a pretty decent person but I guess not.
What was it that Henry did? I remember a lot of people liking him initially, but after he became a pro many no longer liked him. I never knew what it was that changed people’s minds, or if it was just his association with the family that turned fans off of him.
I don’t think we’ve ever shared exactly what he did. I guess you’ll have to take it from us that he’s a douchenozzle. Unless Court or Vogue want to share.
I’ll just leave it at this: upon hearing he was going to become a pro and would no longer be a lowly troupe member, Henry opted to divorce himself from media outlets that had previously given him attention as a troupe member as they were now “below” him. And he tried to erase evidence of every having associated with such outlets. Draw your own conclusions.
It seems to me that Derek was a big fan of Henry’s when he was in the troupe and vice versa. Then suddenly, Henry “joined” the fam and Derek’s genius ceased to exist. It was all about Maks and Val. Please kind mods, what gives? 😉
@Meggie – I think the factor that is the biggest difference between the Ballas/Hough camp and the Chmerkovskiy camp is gratification: delayed vs. instant. I feel like Derek, Mark, & Julianne all tend to work hard, and work the “long game” – they’re willing to sacrifice short-term success in favor of greater rewards down the road. I think Apolo’s journey during season 4 is a good example of this, and this philosophy has worked well for them. The Chmerkovskiys, on the other hand, seem to be more of the “I want an oompah loompah right now, daddy, and I’ll do whatever necessary to get it!” They feel entitled to an MBT, and they aren’t above resorting to gimmicks to get it. And when it comes down to it, for most it’s far more tempting to get what they want immediately than have to toil for a long time to get it. As for Henry – I think at first he was willing to really work hard, and that’s why he gravitated towards Derek so much. He really put in hours in the troupe, he choreographed some pro dances, and he even did some choreography for Gatsby. Then he was made pro, and I feel like he didn’t want to toil anymore – and hence, gravitated towards the Chmerkovskiy philosophy of “everyone gets a trophy, and they get it now!”. I seriously think that’s why so many of the newbies gravitate towards that clan – the entitlement. They’re preaching the gospel of “the show’s not fair, everyone deserves to win, and we shouldn’t have to work so hard for it!” – it’s a philosophy that seems to appeal to more and more people these days, particularly millennials. But here’s the problem: it’s the long game that wins out in the end (unless, of course, you’re Maks, and you get handed a win on a silver platter – and people wonder why Val seems to think he doesn’t really have to work to win). The toiling & self-improvement over the years that the Ballas/Hough group has done has paid off in the end – they have 9 MBT’s between them, to the fam’s 3. In addition, BH has several movie roles, an Emmy, multiple albums, and a bright future ahead of them. Whose philosophy is working?
Sorry, kind of a wordy response – but I think it explains why so many newbs seem to join “the fam’s” entourage.
Thank you, Courtney, for the excellent explanation! It makes total sense, and as you said, it does seem to reflect the expectations of some of the “younger” generation today, although I think we owe much of that to their parents. I think Corky and Shirley instilled a wonderful work ethic in M., D, and J. and there is no entitlement issues with them because of it. I sense something entirely different with the Chmerkovskiy brothers on the other hand. I know they worked hard growing up, but I somehow get the sense that they are and have been indulged by their parents. Whenever Mother Ch, would come on the show and tape a scene proclaiming what a wonderful boy Maks was and how he deserved to win a mirror ball, I would roll my eyes and wonder if Maks ever had to stand on his own two feet growing up. Not hate, not a fact, just an opinion. Anyway, now who’s being wordy?? Thanks for your insight!
And yet Derek continues to use Henry in numbers..he was used in Derek’s first Macy’s Stars of Dance number last season as was Artem..then once Val was eliminated so was he. Mark was a given to be used. Honestly, Tony doesn’t seem as douchey anymore. Maybe because he’s older and with age comes wisdom. Tony seemed grateful to be a part of their AT trio and I loved that hug during the Erin Andrews Interview between Derek and Tony 🙂
That’s a really interesting distinction, and I think you are correct in assessing the delayed versus instant gratification. Yet I find it almost puzzling, and forgive me for making this association if it’s off-base – but the fact that Tony, Maks, and Val all look for immediate gratification kind of belies the sense of most immigrants that I know that come to America.
The mentality is that you work hard and you keep working so that your kids will have it easier. I am POSITIVE that all three of them have worked very hard in their lives, yet they seem to want their reward now. Instead of seeing the very fact that they are on the most popular dance show in the world as an opportunity to perform their craft to a higher level and propel them even further, they seem to see the fact that they are on the show as part of the reward, and by extension they should not have to compete so hard to win a stupid mirrorball trophy. So instead they focus on their clothing lines and dance studios – not that I have a problem with that at all – but it seems a bit short-sighted, and probably an integral part of their issues with the nature of the show. They think they’ve made it and need to reap the rewards now, but Derek, Julianne, and Mark all want to go further, and they know that taking advantage of each individual journey is the right way to go about it.
I would argue that Cheryl strikes a balance between the two. When she’s invested in her partners, she COMPLETELY in it for them and the journey – and as a by-product, she has business success with her studios and merchandising. I don’t think she’s quite the artist as BH, but she definitely has the business savvy that the DWM fam hopes to attain.
@Fig – I totally get what you’re saying and agree – the attitude of most baby-boomer & gen X immigrants seems to be one of hard work and making a better life for oneself & one’s family. I kind of wonder if Val & Maks’ entitlement is more a product of their age, though – just being part of that millennial generation that was told “you’re special! you’re a winner! you deserve the best!” growing up, since they did spend a significant portion of their formative years in the states.
Cheryl does do a really good job of finding a middle ground – although there were a few seasons there a few years back where she seemed kinda apathetic and checked out. It’s funny, the analogy that comes to mind when I think of DWTS pros is Harry Potter and the 4 different dormitories – the Chmerkovskiys would totally be in Slytherin, Derek & Mark would fit into Gryffindor, and pros like Emma & Tony that don’t get involved in the politics of the show and tend to embrace the journey would be in Hufflepuff.
@Meggie – Agreed about Mama C – I think we’ve talked a bit here before about the “Jewish mother” complex they seem to have with her. She exerts a startling amount of influence on their adult lives…
I’ve been saying for a while now that Tony seems to have matured, or at least lost the desperate edge and entitlement once he finally won. He seems content with the lesser-abled dancers and I think he’s actually choreographing at a higher level than he ever did with better celebs. By my estimation, he now appreciates whatever opportunity he is presented with instead of bitching about not getting great dancers (despite having some good ones). Of course, I still can’t stand his faux-family-guy persona but at least he doesn’t irritate me to no end anymore.
Now if only I could find a way to get behind Artem…
And just like Harry Potter fangirls, even Draco Malfoy has his rabid fans, haha.
Courtney that is an amazingly apt analogy.
But seriously look at the Harry Potter Wiki description of the Slytherin house:
Traditionalism
Resourcefulness
Cunning
Ambition
Leadership qualities
Self-Preservation
Determination
Cleverness
Fraternity
Power
@Fig – Tony is, indeed, MUCH cooler and more likeable than he was a few years back. Have to wonder if finally winning mellowed him a bit – maybe now that he’s not desperate to win, he has no need for carrying that drama with him. Hell, winning just one MBT made Maks quit for good – lord knows what it would do to Val. Maybe him winning would actually improve his demeanor – or turn him into an even bigger egomaniac. 😯
As for Artem – I’m not sure there’s any redeeming him for me. He strikes me as very underhanded and having a lot of ulterior motives. Very Slytherin.
Oh and yes, I was definitely referring to “invested” Cheryl – the one we saw with Jack Osbourne as opposed to William Levy. Ugh, that guy got a lot of crap for the constant propping by the producers and Cheryl’s lackluster choreography – I don’t think he deserved any of it and he seemed like a really nice guy, but that partnership left an icky taste in my mouth because of all manipulations.
See what I mean about Slytherin??? Even their obsession with “pure blood” fits in with Chmerkovskiy philosophy of “family above all else”. It’s uncanny.
If we continue with the Harry Potter analogy…
Gryffindor: Derek, Mark, Julianne
Ravenclaw: Karina, Sharna
Hufflepuff: Emma, Tony, Tristan
If I was so inclined, I would even say it’s the beginning of a really compelling DWTS fanfic, with each of the pros assigned a house by the Sorting Dance Shoes.
Yeah, I rarely have such an immediate negative reaction to people I don’t know – and Artem hit me on all levels like a punch in the gut. Janel did too, to a lesser degree. He could create some of the most memorable and innovative choreography ever, save his partner from certain self-destruction, end world hunger, assassinate the anti-Christ, and rescue some drowning puppies and I still would be suspect of his motives.
I love the Harry Potter analogy.
I think I’d put Witney into Gryffindor as well after this season. I don’t think I could place Allison yet, but before the season I might have actually put her there as well.
I can’t decide if I’d put Peta in Slytherin cause of kind of being fam, but I think I’d go Ravenclaw for her as well.
Re: Tony – I have to wonder if having his son diagnosed with autism has softened him a little and made him realize what is really important in life.
The Harry Potter houses analogy is eery!
Which house do people think Witney would be in
I’d say Sasha is about as Hufflepuff as Emma is, and the houses probably all want a piece of Keo.
Witney & Lindsay must be Gryffindor, and Jenna Slytherin. Who else is there? Peta (Slytherin by intercourse, yet Ravenclaw at heart?) Cheryl, Allison – and for backstory, Gleb, Louis, Kym, Chelsie, Anna, Edyta, etc…
Oh my god, this Harry Potter/DWTS conversation just made my day :). It’s kinda shocking to me how unbelievably true the analagies are.
I would put Kym in Hufflepuff, Anna in Ravenclaw, Cheryl in Gryffindor & Artem in Slytherin.
Also, I find the Ballas/Hough vs. The Fam rivalry parallels the Gryffindor/Slytherin rivalry.
RE: Peta – prior to this season, I would have said Slytherin, but after this season, I would say a combo of Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, & Hufflepuff – her journey with Tommy has really softened her.
Perhaps I should let the Harry Potter analogy marinate some more, but I actually have another one: the Game of Thrones houses. The Chmerkovskiys are TOTES the Lannisters…and Derek & Mark are Starks. Karina = complete Daenerys Targaeryan.
“Slytherin by intercourse” I love that!
Peta’s a tough one to sort. Her house changes from season to season.
@Fig – I think Keo is a Hufflepuff AT THIS POINT, simply because he seems oblivious to the politics of DWTS. But that could change…especially since he seems to be gravitating towards the Fam…
Something folks may not know is Peta, Sharna, Henry, Sasha & Artem were all in the 2009 residency of Burn the Floor in NYC with Maks. It was like an Australian contingency with Peta, Sharna, Henry, & Sasha. Artem had known Maks & Tony from competition as he’s a bit older. The Aussies (most of whom knew each other from Oz competitive days) were all taken under Maks’ wing as newcomers to NYC during BTF residency. Thus, this crowd has a long history with each other. Much like many trained w/ Shirley Ballas and the younger set all knew each other from competitive days and have known each other for years, it seems like the bond of being in residency fostered strong friendships between those listed above. No surprise this crowd is in SWAY.
Man, I can’t believe I got busy and missed a Harry Potter conversation. I think Derek is an interesting mix of Ron, Harry and Hermione.
Yeah, pretty sure we know all that, Sharon. And it’s not just the younger set that knew each other and trained with Shirley. They all have at one point or another. Hell, Tony babysat Mark and Derek while Shirley was teaching a class at one point.
Maks and Val will take anyone into SWAY that they feel will fill the room. They ain’t stupid. And they NEED all those pros – unlike Derek and Julianne who did it Nationwide just the two of them.
And Gryffindor always wins. 😉
Peta is Fleur Delacour. Gryffindor by marriage, but a french seductress from Beauxbatons. 🙂
I love that there is a Harry potter conversation going on. I totally did the same thing but with Beverly Hills housewives (maks is Lisa Vanderpump…. Derek and mark are Kyle and Kim Richards )
I love this Harry Potter analogy. Derek is obviously Gryffindor, but he has lots of cunning in himself, which I love. (And, after all, the Sorting Hat considered placing Harry in Slytherin first).
Yeah, Derek is Harry Potter himself. 🙂