PureDWTS Season 21, Week 11 – Final Power Rankings!!! Who Will Win?
At the risk of sounding cliched – where has this season gone? Seems like only yesterday, I was catching flak from Keo fans for predicting that Chaka would be an early out, hoping & praying that Victor would last longer than a week, and was actually enjoying Tamar putting Val through the paces 🙂 It’s been a wild season with multiple curveballs thrown into it, and I’ll be honest – I’ll be glad to get my Monday nights back for a little while. But it’s been a fun ride 🙂
Last night…was a bit underwhelming for me, I’m afraid, save for maybe 2 dances. I think I’ve said this before, but I’m kinda over the “judges’ choice redo” dance – even if the couples don’t improve, I feel like they get lavished with praise, and the dance almost never feels 100% fresh, new, and exciting. On top of that, I feel like some couples get dances that there is really not a ton of room for improvement on (Bindi & Carlos), while others get to redo ones that they completely f’d up the first time around (Nick), and others get saddled redoing dances that so well-remembered for other reasons that their redo dance is bound to be a bit of a letdown (Alek, trying to best his rumba with Emma). I feel like the only one that really benefited significantly from the redo was Nick – the rest either did slightly better or stayed about the same. I would have rather seen the couples either re-dance their favorite dance, or redo their favorite dance with new choreography and a new song.
Something else I’m a bit tired of as well? Hearing about how the freestyle is “the most important dance of the season” or how it is the “make it or break it” dance for the couples. As I think Heidi has said before – the freestyle is not nearly as special as it once was, and hasn’t been nearly as important in affecting the outcome of the show in recent seasons as it has in the past. Ever since season 15, when they started making the team dances a freestyle, and starting allowing the couples to use massive sets and lots of extra dancers in their regular dances, the actual freestyle in the finale has felt considerably less special – to the point where it can end up looking pretty similar to something the couple has already done (Nick), or is something that doesn’t even seem to fit a couple well, because they’re trying so hard to be “out-of-the-box” (Carlos). And sorry, but if America isn’t already voting for you BEFORE the freestyle round – I highly doubt they’re going to suddenly throw some votes your way because of it. You’re actually probably better off treating it as “just another dance” than trying to outdo yourself – because in all honesty, it’s likely not going to make much of a difference in whether you win or not, unless you completely f*ck it up.
As for Carlos – I doubt anyone was super shocked that the Toker 4 Jesus left us last night (credit to @sally_braden for that gem!), and I started getting an inkling that he was toast after the judges’ OTT gushing about that bizarre foxtrot of his, which felt stiff and awkward, on top of having a lack of…well, actual foxtrot in it. Lawd Jesus, somebody PLEASE reinstate Witney’s outside choreographer privileges, because these last few dances have just been painful to watch. I found their freestyle to be the weakest of the 4 we saw last night, simply because they seemed to throw in several elements that neither fit together cohesively nor really fit Carlos, just for the sake of doing something that had “never been done before”. The bit with the lights on the hands at the beginning? Looked like they were directing ground traffic at an airport, and also – already been done before (Shawn & Derek’s bhangra in season 15). Including Paula, Hayes, & Alexa? Ok, it hadn’t been done, but did it really improve the routine? We only saw about 5 seconds of each one moving kinda awkwardly. The lift? He seemed to struggle with it, and it was the same one Alek did in his freestyle – only Alek did it better. The one credit I will give Carlos & Witney, though, is that the hip-hop steps they did seemed more impressive than the ones we saw in Nick’s freestyle. But more on that in a bit…
Gonna do the rankings in reverse order today, starting with 3rd place and working my way up to the winners:
3rd place: Alek & Lindsay
Still seeing a lot of naysaying about these two in the past 12 hours, and at this point, I just kinda roll my eyes – because if you don’t get why they’re in the finale, then you really don’t get this show, period. It’s not all about who the best dancer is (and it never has been), and the judges have a limited number of points they can hand out – so if someone is consistently sticking around despite low scores from the judges, then they’re clearly popular with viewers and they’re getting the votes. I see no incentive for the show to be “rigged” for Alek to stick around – if anything, they’ve done everything in their power to try and get him out. Behold the power of the viewer vote 🙂 Ok, rant over. His rumba went about like I thought it would – he did improve from the first one, but I didn’t think he was as emotionally connected to this one as he was his rumba with Emma (for obvious reasons), and the hip action didn’t really improve much. *shrug* Can’t say I can really ask for a ton more out of Alek, considering that Nick conveniently never had to do rumba, and Carlos got to do a dance that was a really a rumba only in name (Magic Mike). It’s probably the hardest dance for the male celebs, and he’s the only male finalist that had to tackle it in its pure form. So I applaud him for even getting through it reasonably well 🙂 As for his freestyle – major props to Lindsay for coming up with an idea that has legitimately never been done on the show before. And yes, the idea was hers, not Alan’s (the outside choreographer whose help she utilizes) – part of me wishes the whole Witney situation with the Emmy nomination would have never blown up, because now every time a pro (that’s not Derek) comes up with a great concept for a routine, some viewers just love to stick their noses in the air and dismiss it as “Well, they used an outside choreographer.” One, nothing wrong with using an outside choreographer; two, an outside choreographer is just that – a choreographer – and is not usually the ones coming up with the concept, costuming, sets, etc. for a dance. Lindsay has made no secret of the fact that she enlists outside help with choreography – doesn’t mean she doesn’t have any bright ideas of her own. I may just need to do a rant post on this after the dust settles on this season, because it’s getting a tad ridiculous – but anyway. I don’t think she could have come up with a more brilliant idea for a freestyle for Alek, and I thought it suited him perfectly – it hit on his strengths (lifts and more athletic jumping and climbing moves), he was connected with it, and it paid homage to some of his previous routines (loved the part where they all did the leg crossing move in-hold from his Argentine tango). And you know what? He did it all FLAWLESSLY and I enjoyed it. Do I think he’ll win tonight? Hell no. Do I think he’s got a decent shot at 2nd place? Possibly, especially if Nick was really in dire straits last week with votes – then again, Alek is also 3 points down from Nick, so he’s got a bit of a deficit to make up. Will also be interesting to see how he scores tonight in the 24 dance challenge – if he doesn’t get a 30 and the other two do, I’d say he’s getting the Noah treatment and will likely end up in 3rd. If he does get a perfect score? They’re probably letting the chips fall where they may and Alek has such a leg up over Nick that no score in the challenge is likely to send Nick to 2nd.
Runner-up: Nick & Sharna
*sigh* I went into this season, like most folks, with very, very high hopes for these two – and now I have to wonder if those high hopes may have screwed Nick in the end, because I don’t feel like he’s been able to live up to them. Because of that, I almost feel like last night carried a tone of “Crap, we have to save Nick!” from production, as the judges just seemed to disingenuously GUSH over both of his dances, despite the fact that one was just ok-to-decent and the other was just kind of a retooling of a previous routine. His jive was a definite improvement over the previous one (which was pretty easy to improve upon, since he basically lost time in it and never got back on), but while watching it, I could help but think of his brother Aaron’s jive back in season 9, which he SLAYED, and Nick…just kind of kicked this jive in the shins. Wish he would have picked his feet up more, and I’m a little disappointed that Sharna didn’t include a little bit more…well, jive. Seemed like the actual jive portions were small blurbs wedged in between sections of hip-hop/jazz. Nick also seemed to get a tad winded towards the end – the energy and commitment were there, but the technique and the stamina was not, unfortunately. As for their freestyle – more than ever now, I would LOVE to know what their first choice was for a song that didn’t get cleared. Admittedly, “Larger Than Life” is one of my LEAST favorite Backstreet Boys songs, but I think what disappointed me the most was that Sharna talked about this dance like it was this revolutionary, unique, never-before-seen freestyle…and I felt like it was just a more complicated retooling of their “Backstreet’s Back” jazz earlier in the season. And I was kinda shocked at how simple some of the choreography was – although at one point, it actually looked like the background dancers were out of sync. Costumes were cool, and the dancing wasn’t bad (although Nick looked like he was really struggling with those lifts), but overall – it just didn’t excite me, and that unfortunately seems to be the theme of this season for me with regards to Nick. He’s not bad – but he’s not as great as I would have hoped. But I think if TPTB have their way, it will be Bindi & Nick as the last two standing tonight.
Winner: Bindi & Derek
Bindi’s dancing has been exemplary all season – and last night was no different, so I would rather talk about why I think Bindi is the ideal example of why I love this show 🙂 Bindi came into this show with no dance experience, and a rather small US fanbase – remember, it’s been 9 years since her father, who was well-known in the States, died, and it’s not like Bindi has had a huge, far-reaching following here since then. And she has made viewers ADORE her. There will always be juggernauts with huge preexisting fanbases that come on this show – the Donny’s, the Kirstie’s, the Apolo’s – but I always find myself extra-fascinated by those who don’t come in with a large following, and manage to win over viewers to really create a fanbase from the show. On top of that, like Alek, Bindi has tackled pretty much everything they’ve thrown at her with grace and hard work – no meltdowns, no tantrums, no tears, and despite something so tragic happening to her at such a young age, she just seems so relentlessly optimistic and hopeful. I look at Nick, who still seems to very much carry around the pain of his drug problems, his sister’s death, and his estrangement from his parents, and it just seems to make him so guarded and bitter at times – and I’m sure many of us would feel the same way. But Bindi? Each heartbreak and set back just seems to renew her hope for better things to come – she is a light in the dark. And she’s a light that I think we all could use in times like these that we’re living in – a smile, a giggle, and a word of hope from this little Australian Mary Poppins could probably do us all a bit of good 🙂 So for that reason – the fact that she’s won most of us over with her hopefulness and gratitude for the experience – I think she’ll be the one hoisting that trophy tonight.
So ends the power rankings for this season 🙂 What did you guys think of last night? How do you think things will shake out tonight?
I knew of Bindi as a kid (I was 15? I think when Steve died) and I was always a huge fan of his as a kid because I loved animals, so I was so excited to see her come on the show. I admit, as a BSB fan-girl (and also my first concert I ever went too) I was team Nick for the beginning of the season and then I saw Bindi dance and I fell in love with her entire being. I think she should win this season because she has just blossomed into an amazing dancer and her dances killed it every week! I love Alek too but I don’t know if he could beat Bindi.
I agree with Court, that the re-do dances need to change. I found myself kind of not paying attention to the show until the second half, and even then, the only freestyle that I went back to watch on commercial was Bindi’s
I honestly think, if Nick wins tonight there has to be some sort of mistake, I literally cannot see anyone win except Bindi to be quite honest. Even people last night on access (I think Leah Remini and even Tony) kept going off on how Bindi should win the show.
I found last night underwhelming for the most part and am not liking the overscoring that’s been happening in recent finales. I think the only dance that legitimately deserved 10’s in Round 1 was Bindi’s Quickstep, and the freestyles either didn’t have much actual dancing (Carlos and Alek) or were routines that would have had so much more impact if the couples hadn’t done something similar earlier in the season (Bindi and Nick). And of course they all got 10’s because it’s the finale. This has happened for the past three seasons and the only one I feel it was actually warranted was Season 19. Last season’s shuld have all been 9’s IMO and the only ones I would actually have given 10’s to tonight were Alek and Bindi’s.
I think and hope Bindi will take it tonight but Nick may have a shot. I don’t think Alek will win but if he;s lucky he’ll get second. After last night I think Alek & Lindsay deserve the title of Runners-up more than Nick & Sharna do. They were willing to face whatever was trown at them with a positive attitude and hard work and took more risks throughout the season overall.
Well done, Court! I can’t believe it’s the last of the Power Rankings and man, you brought them every week. And here are mine which are much like yours…
1. Derek and Bindi- I don’t know what to say except cry with these two. Both routines were from another world in different ways. Both dances were full of unseen content. They were just masterpieces. This is going down as my favorite partnership of all time on DWTS for everything they did this season. They challenged themselves every week. And hey, they even challenged themselves by stripping their Freestyle to just them on the dance floor. And her dancing technically was just perfect. She could be a professional.
2. Nick and Sharna – First of all, I was shocked with the improvement with his Jive. With an exception to the end (when he was off sync and he had hard time keeping up), it was high energy and his footwork was so much better. Julianne really helped him a lot. In fact, I wondered what it might have been like for her to be paired with him instead of Sharna as he seemed to embrace her sunny personality, high energy, and positivity? As for the Freestyle. I liked it, but, the lifts and spins were kind of odd. It almost looked like he was going to drop Sharna once. I would have left those out as they diminished the routine. It also felt like he took the easy route with it too copying moves from past BSB routines. Even still, I still think these two are going to finish strongly. I loved them both all season. There were some dances I didn’t like as much as others, but, I loved some of them just the same.
3. Alek and Lindsay – Alek brought so much intensity to both of his dances for what I love to see. Lindsay’s choreographing is top notch with the best of them. Even if she had help, I don’t care. We saw something new in their Freestyle. I loved all the curvy moves with the other dancers. It was so cool and creative. I loved the theme. What a run they’ve had. I’m so glad he danced and what a hero he is off and ON the dance floor.
Great Power Rankings as usual Courtney. I think Alek could best Nick for 2nd place,tbh. I was completely underwhelmed with Nick’s freestyle. Alek’s was ALL Alek…it fit him to a T and PROPS to Lindsay for her stellar work with a true non-dancer!! If they don’t bring this girl back as Pro next season, they’re nuts!!
I think Bindi’s got the win. But there’s always that nagging nay-sayer in me that says…nope,not gonna happen. If anyone bests her,it’d be Alek. I honestly don’t see Nick winning. Nick was definitely disappointing to me while Bindi and Alek were the biggest surprises.
And you’re right..we all need a little Bindi in our lives 😉
Thank you for another stellar season of writing here at Pure. That goes for all of the Pure Team…Courtney, Heidi, Vogue, Lori and John, who I thoroughly enjoyed Blabbing with last night 😉 See ya next year!!!
I would rank them:
3th place: Nick and Sharna. I’m with you on this one, Courtney…I had such high hopes for him, but I was really let down not only by him, but also by Sharna’s choreography yesterday, which shocked me, because I always thought that she was one of the best on DWTS. The jive started off great, but at the end he was just doing the steps, trying to get it over with and the technique wasn’t really there. I get it, the dance is hard, fast and long, but then when I looked at Bindi – it can be done! And for their freestyle…the biggest let down of the night! He could have performed that on any Backstreet Boys performance. Why did it on DWTS as their freestyle? I was so bored, because it was totally predictable.
2th place: Alek and Lindsay. Alek was one of my favorite at the beginning of the season, but then something happen and I’m not really sure what, I just felt like he didn’t really improve a lot. It was the same with his rumba yesterday. Not much of a hip action, no chemistry (although I like their partnership)…but I have to cut him some slack, because he got rumba and he never really shined at latin dances. As for their freestyle…that’s completely different story! I LOVED IT! It was really original, great storytelling and Lindsay should be really proud of herself, because she schooled Sharna and Witney in a big way!
1th place: Bindi and Derek. What’s there to say that hasn’t been said already? Bindi is a bright light and she is magic. I was kinda bummed that they got quickstep, because it’s my least favorite dance, but boy, I was out of breath just by watching them and I have no idea how they managed to have a smile on their faces throughout the whole dance. Bravo! Their freestyle…I didn’t feel like it was the best Derek has ever done choreography-wise, but it was just perfect. It had so many moments that had me bawling my eyes out, I especially lost it at the end…thank you for that, Derek! And that’s why this freestyle was by far my favorite… It was the perfect ending for Bindi, because I feel like the whole season was a love letter to her dad and her family and Derek couldn’t come up with the better way to wrap her whole journey up. And that’s why he will get his Mirror Ball Trophy #6 tonight. Because he is genius.
Thank you for your hard work, ladies at Pure 🙂 see you next season! 🙂
Carlos’ freestyle? The package and dance were a mess. In the package, Witney said about someone doing a trick…Carlos was like why are they doing a trick? This should focus on us but then he suggested bringing in the other contestants which took the focus off of them and added nothing to the dance for me.
Alek’s freestyle was perfect for Alek. You could tell he was having fun doing it. Great concept from Lindsey for him. She, smartly, played to his strengths. Non issue about having help with the routine. She admits it, it’s fine. Having help is only an issue when you try to hide that fact. Lindsey does not. If it is true that Alek is going on the tour, I’m willing to bet he has been pulling in the votes and TPTB are hoping that carries over to people in the seats of the tour. I like Alek and have enjoyed getting to know him.
Nick? For me, he has been a huge disappointment. Fair or not, I expected him to be better than he has been. I’ve either been disappointed or meh about him. Then you couple that with the fact that his personality hasn’t grabbed me, well, the two things combined have just made him a non entity for me. His freestyle last night? I kept waiting for “something” cause their package made it seem like this was going to be amazing. I waited and waited. Then it was over. I was like that was it? Yet another disappointment from Nick.
Bindi, Bindi, Bindi. She is just the whole package, hard to believe she is 17. There have been several seasons where I thought it should have been Derek’s last but now I know why they weren’t. He was staying around waiting for Bindi. She is the light, he is the light. I can’t imagine her having spent a whole season with anyone else. Did you notice that in the last couple of week’so Derek has managed to mention he felt like he let Nastia down last season and how he felt his breaking the rules in he and Shawn’s freestyle cost them the win? While I don’t believe either of these things, it just seemed to me, Derek wanted those words out there. Just made me think, this very well might be the end. Derek has also asked for votes…what? He wants this win for Bindi so badly. It is so sweet to see.
I think this season has not went how TPTB saw it going. Alek and Bindi have thrown some wrenches in their plans. Good for them.
Go Bindi and Derek….let’s barf sparkles and confetti all over the place. “Wink”
Bindi definitely deserves to win. I’ve voted for her every week via Facebook, due to the fact that I’m from Serbia. I hope her supporters can overpower Nick’s and Alek’s fan base. Go #TeamCrikey
I felt very underwhelmed with the night. It did not feel like a finals at all. I laughed when Julianne said it was the best one ever. I don’t know if it’s because the same four people performed last week, but it just felt like any other week to me where the 2nd round everyone had jazz or contemporary. I went back and watched one dance a 2nd time and that was it — which isn’t a good sign.
I really hate that people are going to continue to harp on the “outside choreography” thing after Witney-gate. One of Val’s little fam members tweeted about Lindsay getting outside help and then quickly deleted it. Didn’t Alan help Val with the Rhythm Nation routine? Sorry…try again.
First off, as a relative new poster but Lon time reader, THANKS to the mods for all their hard work and keeping the nastiness that exists on so many other sites at bay!
I 100% agree with the rankings, although TBH, I wouldn’t mind if Nick ended up in third place.
1st Bindi& Derek – I never thought he could top his partnerships with Kelly and Amy, but I was wrong! This is definitely my favorite partnership of Derek’s and may be my favorite partnership ever on the show! Bindi was the perfect match for Derek, especially if this is his last season. I loved both dances and if the FS was a bit of a re-hash of the contemporary, just take away the opening and look at the dance itself and I believe it stands on its own! If she doesn’t win the MBT, I feel she and Derek have already won: they are who people are going to remember this year!
2nd Nick & Sharna – honestly, I debate about ranking them 2nd or 3rd! The jive was better, but it would be hard to not beat the first one and I still felt that it wasn’t 30 worthy. The FS was completely under-whelming! For me, it was just the same thing we’ve seen before; Nick doesn’t do as well once he’s out of his BSB comfort zone! And I too am a bit disappointed in Sharna this season; she amazed me last season with Noah and unfortunately didn’t live up to my hopes for her with ringer Nick!
3rd – Alek and Lindsay – I felt bad that he was given the rumba; seemed like the judges (or should I say producers) were setting him up to fail! But Lindsay really did a great FS; very innovative and different, although not as much dance as I personally would like! But for a guy with no dance experience and someone not used to being a “celebrity” Alek should be really proud of himself! And Lindsay really proved herself and showed up both Whitney and Sharna last night IMO.
Hoping for Bindi to pull it off, but if BSB army puts Nick on top, I won’t be thrilled, but as I said above, this season will always be remembered for Bindi and her sunny outlook! I will say I agree with some others I may not tune in next season at all if she does lose, especially if Derek is gone!
I agree with everything that has been said . For me Bindi deserves to win : both her dances were awesome and perfectly executed. Plus she did great all season with her dancing her attitude and the great bond she created with Derek.
I kind of want to see Alek second just because I loved his FS and with lindsay they seem so genuily surprised and happy when they re called safe that I can’t help but find it sweet and endearing.
Nick … well I was a BSB fan younger and he was my fav before the season started but I think my expectations were maybe too high because most of the season I’ve been underwhelmed by his performance. But I’m still happy for him that he made it this far because he still deserves to be in the final night.
I’m going to sound rude but I don’t have anything to say about Carlos and Witney except that I’m glad they didn’t make it to tonight
@Courtney LOVE this!!! I completely agree with your descriptions of the night, and the season for that matter.
While I agree that Bindi is, and should be the winner, I’m holding out hope that Alek can best Nick for runner-up. The judges did everything in their power to make that harder with the scores. I still can’t let go of the fact that he has never been in jeopardy, and the only time he was the last to be called (before those in jeopardy) was the week following his “bad edit”. If I might even be so bold, I’ve wondered if the couples were being called in order this season…But we will see tonight.
I want to point out, that several of the pro were singing Lindsay’s praises last night on twitter… Even Val and Louis (note Val mentioned nothing of Lindsay’s partner).
All of the contributors to this site have been great and have made this insane season more enjoyable. Thanks so much! I suspect next season will be far more consistent with Len’s return.
What can I say but that I totally agree The freestyles are not nearly as important as they used to be especially since the judges just give everyone 10’s Hoping that voters do the right thing and vote for Bindi who has been what true DWTS is all about a non experienced dancer turning into a dancer with hard work each and every week
I agree the judges redo dances were a let down.(Except for Bindi) I hope they change this particular part of the finale. Especially when one celeb has to redo a dance the other two male celebs never had to do in full fashion.
As I said before if Bindi wasn’t Bindi, I would fully support Alek for the win. He has completely embraced this journey and I think he and Lindsey had an incredible partnership. Their FS was Danced flawlessly, and it matched Alek’s strengths perfectly. Saw a few comments on facebook, that said there was no dancing in his FS.
Bindi is amazing. She is an incredible human being and beautiful dancer. Their dances were perfection.
Ok so I’m going to start with who I think is going to win: bindi. Perfection is the only word I can use. Runner up is going to be nick I guess but boy do I wish he comes in third after that meh freestyle. Unfortunately I think alek will place third though. He had a great night though.
I also have to mention that a lot of you are feeling the same way…that this is Derek’s last season. Just before they went on stage, I couldn’t stop thinking: “This is probably Derek’s last freestyle on the show.” And it was a perfect ending to his DWTS career. We can’t be 100% sure, but I just have that feeling… It’s been an absolute honor and a privilege, Derek.
Thanks for finding time amidst all your cooking to write this!
I’m still hoping for Bindi, Alek, Nick order, but with 2 dances tonight and only judge input they can put as much distance as they want between Nick and Alek scores.
Love all of your comments! I’m really really hoping Bindi wins. I would love it if Alek got second but I have a feeling it will come down to Bindi and Nick.
I remember when they announced first Bindi and I thought nothing special of her. I love that my opinion of her totally evolved as the season progressed. I completely adore her now. She works so hard and she’s turned into an amazing dancer. She’s probably my favorite partner Derek has ever had; I think they are my favorite partnership ever on DWTS actually.
I’ve enjoyed watching Alek grow and I’ve been really impressed with Lindsay as a pro this season.
I had such high hopes for Nick but his attitude and inconsistency really turned me off of him. His freestyle was a total disappointment for me.
It’s funny because when I saw Alek get 9’s and critiqued like he did and then Carlos and Nick getting praised, I immediately thought “Carlos is gone and they’re being nice” and “Nick must not be getting the votes as TPTB expected compared to Alek”
I wont be surprised if Alek gets hosed again tonight for their 24hr dance
Great Final Power Ranking, Courtney. Love these posts.
I would put Alek second. When I looked at the freestyles, I thought that Carlos and Nick could probably have done theirs (minus tricks, maybe) at the beginning of the season. Bindi and Alek certainly couldn’t have. So they’re my 1 and 2.
Bindi is everything everyone here has written, and more. Seeing Derek so completely smitten with another human being is astounding. I think Derek’s staging of the FS was beautifully done. To the “complaints” that it’s a re-hash of her contemporary, I would say that she NEVER could have done in week 4 what she did last night. There was a move, for example, that was “similar” to a move Derek choreographed for Misty Copeland in “Ameska,” which, when performed, elicited an “Ooh!” from the audience at Lincoln Center. She is such a champion, and it means sooo much to Derek, I will be heartbroken if she doesn’t win.
I agree with everything you said Courtney.
My favorite freestyles from last night were Bindi’s and Alek’s. I was expecting more from Nick, especially since Sharna has shown herself to come up with some great ideas/dances.
And I’ve got to say, I think Lindsay really has proven herself as a pro. I hope we see her again next season.
I’d be 100% ok with Alek getting 2nd – which is why I kept voting last night, even though I was just thrilled that he made the final 3. That being said – I’m preparing for funny business with the 24 Dance Challenge. I’d love to see Alek’s face if he finds out he made the top 2, though – love how genuinely shocked he & Lindsay always look. It’s like kids on Christmas morning 🙂
Can’t wait to see the light ninja and her big brother win tonight and see her explode into glitter and sparkles. Bindi is a angel sent to us from heaven to heal our hearts and have a light in our life lanes in the world of darkness.
I first posted this comment on last night’s live blog. At the exactly same time The power rankings were posted, and the discussion moved over here. Sorry for posting this coment twice:
Thankyou for this site, to me it is an essential addition to the show! From across the Atlantic I have given Bindi and Derek all my votes during the night:-) Imo they deserve to win because of great dancing combined with an extrordinary “journey” (although I don’t appreciate that word…). At the same time I felt a little disappointed by their freestyle. Maybe it was not the same steps as in their contemporary, but the theme and the mood were similar and therefore in a way felt repetitive. Too much a Kellie-freestyle? I admire the fact that Derek is not afraid of facing emotions although this dance was a bit over the top.
I missed Mark and Alexa doing a freestyle. Happy to see Witney and Carlos go. Nick and Sharna were boring. Alek’s and Lindsay’s dance was creative and fun. Lindsay has had a great season, and I would not cry if they got the MBT either.
I agree with everything y’all said! I cannot say enough good things about Bindi. Like Vogue she is also my favorite contestant ever on DWTS as well as her partnership with Derek. Her dances will be the ones I watch over and over again (much like Shawn and Derek and Sadie and Mark). She should win and she’s the only contestant I’ve ever voted for multiple times. As far as the dancing, her Quickstep was awesome and that contemporary was so emotional. The ending gives me chills just thinking about it.
I think Nick will come in 2nd only bc he got perfect scores and will likely get a perfect score on his fusion. I really liked his jive a lot, more than his freestyle. I don’t mind that he’s been guarded, I was afraid he was going to be cocky.
I have loved Alek all season and that freestyle was the perfect way to end the season for him. I also loved everything Lindsay did this season.
I saw on twitter that Witney had been working with someone she knew from SYTYCD. I liked the beginning of Carlos’freestyle but they just lost me after that. I also noticed that he struggled with the lift that Alek did flawlessly.
All in all last night was entertaining and I’m hoping tonight will be fun at the grove.
Here are my thoughts about last night and my rankings:
1. Bindi and Derek — Do I think Bindi deserves to win the MBT? Absolutely. Do I think she danced great last night? Yes. Was I wowed by her freestyle? Nope. I’m not gonna lie, I was actually bored by it because it felt repetitive of her contemporary dance and her waltz with Derek earlier this season. I also will admit that I rolled my eyes when Derek gave his speech about making it an intimate dance just between the two of them rather than the big production number that every one else was doing because it’s the same speech that he gave before his contemporary with Kelli Pickler (which, by the way, is probably my all-time favorite dance on DWTS both from an emotional and quality of dance standpoint.) I enjoyed their quickstep much more. As for the judges’ comments, I wanted Julianne to shut up. Each dance has its own issues to deal with so for her to go on and on about how hard the quickstep is because of all the energy it requires was ridiculous.
I’m no ballroom expert, but I have to say based on the eighteen seasons I’ve watched this show,
the quickstep is one of those dances that people can slay if they’re young or in good shape and
can move their feet somewhat well.
2. Nick and Sharna – I really don’t have much to say about these two. I don’t care for him because he’s too intense and seems to lack a sense of humor. His freestyle, too, was repetitive of every dance he did this season except for the ballroom dances. As for the staging of his freestyle, I find it distracts from the actual dancing when the couples dance on a stage surrounded by a crowd of people below.
3. Alek and Lindsay — Theirs was the only freestyle I liked. The concept was great, and something I hadn’t yet seen on DWTS. Plus, I was happy that she didn’t have Alek just doing lifts, as great as he is at them. As for their rumba, why couldn’t Bruno have coached him instead of Carrieann. I think it might have helped to have another male explain the Cuban hip action to Alek. I actually thought his hip action and his fluidity of movement was better in his rumba with Emma. Finally, giving him the rumba was a s***ty move by TPTB because I would bet that of all the dances, the rumba is the one with the fewest perfect scores given over the 21 seasons.
Generally, a great finals with a lot of talent on stage. As a whole, I enjoyed the first redo round more than the freestyles, partly because the dances were longer. Bindi and Derek’s quickstep may be my favorite dance of the night! I thought Nick and Sharna’s jive was sharp and hot. Sharna at her best. Can I say that Nick is not served by the bulky jackets? He’s worn them week after week, though it makes his moves look messy. Carlos and Witney’s foxtrot was hot, too, but the music was annoying to me. Alek and Lindsay’s rumba was my least favorite of this round. No hips!
Themes have killed the FS (this is the mods’ idea, but I agree). Only Alek and Lindsay’s felt new and upped the ante. I really enjoyed it. Carlos and Witney’s fell flat for me. Having other contestants was a new idea, yet the “cheerleaders” were not integrated well.
The other two freestyles were retreads for me. Derek and Bindi’s was beautiful and emotional, but I do think their earlier contemporary had a bigger impact. Still she has become a wonderful, true dancer and it was so great to watch her every week. She should win!
I would like Sharna to win a season, but their freestyle was a missed opportunity. There was nothing new there and in fact, the same problems. Like the crowd standing around and really detracting from the impact! Couldn’t they have started the song slow and tentative and build to the troupe and BSB style? Mix it up and show the redemption/survivor story. I’m not a BSB fan – too old and disco was my era. Maybe that’s why I do like Nick’s dancing. He moves his hips – really well!!
Want to say I’m thankful for this site, the mods, the community of fans. Happy thanksgiving all!!
I would have switched Nick and Alek because I was so impressed with Alek and so NOT with Nick, as I said, I would have given him an 8 seriously for this FS/BSB performance that could have totally been from their comeback tour.
I also tought it was funny how Sharna said we won’t be doing something expected and take some risks… I have not seen them : were they the lifts, because no shade but by week 2, Alek already did more impressive and better executed lifts.
For me Sharna didn’tdo well this season just as Whitney and I think that maybe she was just sure that the BSB fanbase was enough and only played with that card.
And if Len is back next season, it will be really great to have more respect for the style imposed. I want to see a modern tango but still a tango or quickstep. So Len back = Great news
First, a shout-out to the ladies of this site for their hard work, especially to Princess Heidi who has to keep order for the actual performance postings! (And also John in the background.)
I would really like to see a total tie between Bindi and Alek, right down to the last vote. Not going to happen, so I give a nod to Bindi. But I really hope Alek goes on the tour, because next to Bindi, I think he would draw the most fans.
Nick just disappointed the last few shows, no one specific thing.
If Derek gets a major BW show, we will do our best to hit NYC! He has been the major reason we started following the show.
I can’t believe this season will be over tonight! I’ve had such a blast following you this season. Great, great job mods!
As far as the dances last night, I do think that Nick improved from the first time that he did his jive, but his feet still looked funky in some places. I agree that this season wasn’t filled with crazy, showstopper routines from Sharna, but part of me feels like she did that mostly to play to Nick’s strengths. He seems to do very well with hip-hop, so she kept a lot of that flavor in her dances in order to make sure he would look good…even though it strayed from the traditional. She is still one of the best in my opinion.
Regarding Witney, I love her but like I’ve said before, I really wonder how much that outside choreographer helped her out with her past dances. Especially since many of you are noticing the HUGE difference in her choreo. It makes me think that she really relied heavily on the choreographer, which is a shame because up until this whole outside choreo thing came out, I thought she was a genius because of all the masterpieces she created with Alfonso. Turns out they weren’t entirely her work…
I do think Bindi is an amazing dancer, but am I the only that thinks that her freestyle looked a little been there, done that? It’s not like she showed us a different side of her that we haven’t seen before. This looked like her Contemporary, so I don’t know why Nick is getting so much hate for his freestyle when Bindi showed us something reminiscent of another dance too. Only thing I didn’t like was Sharna saying that she and Nick would be doing something different. That’s probably why people were so disappointed.
I love how far Alek has come and Lindsay has really proven herself.
I cannot wait to see who wins! They are all deserving in their own way.
Can we just take a second to appreciate the amazing partnership that has been Alek and Lindsay this season? As soon as the pairings were announced I just had a feeling that these two would be a team to watch as the black horse of the competition. It’s her second time as a pro, her first time was a few years ago, he has been literally thrust into the spotlight over the past few months, he has 0 dance experience, they both had next to no established fan base, he got a bit of the Nastia treatment in some packages and some low balling from the judges at times, yet here they are in the finals. There’s always a few dances each season that I cannot stop rewatching; their freestyle was that dance this season for me.
With that being said, I will be heartbroken if Bindi does not get the MBT tonight.
I don’t care how many times I’ve said it before, the world needs more people like Alek and Bindi. These two made the season worth watching for me.
Courtney, thank you for your beautifully expressed thoughts about why Bindi is an ideal example of why you love this show. I agree with every word and intend to keep a copy of it in the notes section of my Derek file. It was thorough, leaving nothing out that should be said and adding nothing that shouldn’t have been said.
I think the final three will be in the following order:
1. BINDI
2. ALEK
3. NICK
That’s not only the order I’m hoping for, it’s what I think will happen. Now, I’m praying I’m right! :))
Bindi has had the audience with her from Week 1 (reminding me of Amber in that way) plus all that Courtney said.
Alek appeals to the demographic, has started from scratch in learning to dance and greatly improved. He’s a hero with charm.
Nick has been in the bottom two, has had some problems with his dancing as recently as last week and hasn’t lived up to his fans’ expectations quite the way they hoped. Nick is a sweet, talented guy who struggles with confidence and I hope his experience on the show has made a lasting difference for him in that regard.
What a wonderful season for Derek. It’s all I hoped it would be and more.
I agree with your rankings Court! Here are my thoughts
1. Bindi: Girl has been outstanding all season. I specifically enjoyed her Jazz and Samba dance-off. I do have to admit that I was not wowed by her freestyle. Thought it was repetitive of their contemporary and waltz earlier this season. An unpopular opinion, I know. I remember Derek saying that he wanted to try something new for Beth’s freestyle cause he had already done the stripped down with Kellie and big productions in the past. So I was unpleasantly surprised with his choice to strip it down again. Not taking anything away from her though. She is a special girl and I fully expect her to win.
2. Nick: I came into this season really wanting to root for Nick. I guess my expectations were too high. I kind of expected him to be as good as Corbin for example. Bummed that we didn’t get very much from him this season. His freestyle was such a let down for me. I think that might be my worst Sharna number ever. I feel like he never really grew out of that boy band character this season. It looked so unoriginal and the choreo was nothing special. I did like his Waltz, Foxtrot and Contemporary though and I do have to say he does have a great partnership with Shar.
3. Alek: Oh Alek. He won my heart ever since that foxtrot. He had my favorite freestlye of the night and I am so proud of Lindsay for what she put together. It fit him perfectly. Granted, hes pretty bad at latin, but his Waltz and Tango are two of my favorite routines of the season. I actually want him to place 3rd because 3rd is usually celebrated. They’ll probably have a video of his journey and a longer interview. Runner-up usually doesn’t have their moment. They just have to wear fake smiles and clap for the winners. I’d rather Nick get that lol.
Lol is it bad that I actually went to YouTube to watch Strictly dances after the finale pt 1 ended? Usually I went straight to see DWTS dances, and it’s not even intentional on my part. Guess that says how much care I left for this season. Or maybe because I’m enjoying Strictly much more at this moment.
Okay, this finale (especially on Bindi’s Freestyle) REALLY emphasized my long feud with Jazz and Contemporary in this show – granted, Bindi’s FS is incredibly beautiful, she went full-on and who didn’t cry at the end? Well I didn’t, BECAUSE I’VE SEEN IT BEFORE! I teared up on her Contemporary, which is the exact same thing (not literally, you know) with her Freestyle, so I was disappointed. Not on Derek’s choreo, and of course not on Bindi, but on the circumstances. I’m more than sure if she’d never done Contemporary before the FS would pack a thousand more punch to me, and it’s already punch-ful on it’s own 😉
So please, get rid of Jazz and Contemporary. And the extra dancers, when you’re at that. And don’t forget the iconic dances nonsense.
My ranking for the Freestyles: Alek >> Bindi >>> Nick >>>>>>> whatever the heck that was on Carlos’ routine.
I’m not really feeling anyone for the win, to be honest. Not just on the top four, but on the cast as a whole – and they are some of the nicest bunch I’ve seen on this show. As much as the pimping on the last three seasons, there’s always an Amy/Sadie/Nastia that I’m rooting to take the title despite everything. This time? Nah, Alek is probably my favourite overall but won’t bang my head against the wall if anyone else win. I’m not rooting for anyone, though not exactly against anyone either.
Okay, rant over. Cheers!
Courtney, great rankings per usual! I am grateful that you do this every season. I enjoy reading your thoughts on the dances and the couples. More often than not, you describe how I feel about each performance perfectly. I do hope that your rankings will be what plays out tonight.
Hope you feel much better now. And enjoy cooking for Thanksgiving! 🙂
Here’s why Derek would do that sort of Freestyle:
1) It spoke to him on a deep level – that much was obvious from him *crying* afterward. Derek’s not ever straight up cried before. He’s usually on the verge, trying to be stoic.
2) Finale viewership goes up by as much as 3 million viewers from the middle of the season. I would imagine that he was speaking to them as much as anyone.
And perhaps there’s a reason for Derek’s emotion, along with missing Bindi? http://variety.com/2015/legit/news/singin-in-the-rain-broadway-harvey-weinstein-1201646802/
My favorite freestyles in order were 1) Bindi 2) Carlos 3) Alek 4) Nick ….. not the most popular order, I know. I thought Lindsay was REALLY creative.. but Alek really lacks a *wow* performance quality to me. I didn’t see him connect for feel it, and that kind of took away from it for me.
I’m actually shocked that I teared up at Bindi’s. When their package started, I thought to myself *oh no* I really wanted to see something different from her, I didn’t want Derek to take this route.
BUT there were so many moments in the routine that almost took my breath away. I really can’t put my finger on what made this number so different to me.
Excited for the last show!
Bravo! Bravo! As usual, ITA with your power rankings, Miss C! And thank you for the mention! 🙂
You guys here at Pure have done a fantastic job this season. But then, you do a fantastic job every season! Thanks soooo much!
Heidi, Harvey Weinstein seems to have that rare ability in Hollywood, too both admire true talent and know how to present it to the general populace in a profitable manner.
Derek starring in a revival of Singing In The Rain would be both a smart and a profitable move on Harvey’s part.
And yes, I would totally undertake the dreaded 11 hour drive to NYC to see Derek in this, if we are lucky enough to have it actually come to fruition, although I would rather fly!