Private Members Area – DWTS Season 22 Week 10 Discussion
It’s time for the Dancing with the Stars Season 22 week 10 and you know what that means. Time to enjoy some friendly, educated banter with the Pure DWTS Insiders. If you’re not a Pure DWTS Insider yet, you can do so here. If you are, then I look forward to the discussion in the comments.
It’s the finals! What did you think of the two performances tonight? Are you glad they’re still doing a redemption dance? I personally hate it. I like new and fresh. What can I say?
How about the freestyles? Did you love them, hate them, meeehhh? Has all the contemporary and Jazz dances ruined the freestyle? Are you looking forward to the fusion dances?
Of course, since it’s the finals, shall we predict the winner? It’s always fun to hear who people want to win and who they think will win. I’m always sad when those two don’t align. Although, that happens more often than not, so I’ve learned to live with sadness.
Ok…let errr rip!
Well, I missed Ginger & Val’s redemption dance due to my son’s baseball game….sounds like I really didn’t miss much. Nyle and Peta’s QS was ok but he didn’t fix his frame and he was a bit off time in spots. Paige and Mark handily won that round! I disagree with Len..there was plenty of hip action.
Paige’s Freestyle was the best of the 3. But It gets repetitive..seeing Contemporary done as a Freestyle every season. With the extensive use of the troupe and props during the regular season, it’s like they’ve been doing Freestyle all season long. Especially with the Theme Nights and permission to bend the rules–like last week in allowing lifts for routines that normally are supposed to be lift-free. So, that’s why the FreeStyle’s seem underwhelming to so many, I think.
Ginger and Val’s freestyle was one of the worst I’ve ever seen. Such sloppy foot work. It looked like Val concentrated too much on the set design and the theme (which was beautiful) more than the choreo and technique which should have been the focus. Courtney was right too how he can’t tap. It’s sad how all three judges gave it a “10”.
Peta and Nyle’s freestyle was powerful and it made me cry. I loved it. But, their redemption dance still had issues.
The winner imo was Mark and Paige. Both dances were perfection….but, I loved their “Fireball” dance the most.
I agree with you Kelly; with the addition of contemporary, jazz and the weeks where rules are thrown out the window, I think the freestyles have become kind of bland.
I have voted for Paige like a fiend as I believe she has earned it. Nyle’s freestyle, while good, was exactly what I would have expected (contemporary with homage to deafness) and so it was a bit underwhelming for me. I felt Paige’s told her story of growth and we really had not seen this side of her so it was a good juxtaposition against the fiery salsa!
I still think Nyle’s story may propel him to a win, which I can be okay with, although I’m still hoping Paige and Mark pull it out! As long as Ginger finishes no higher than third; any higher and you’ll hear me scream in outrage!
Well, I’ve done my bit for Paige and Mark (and it was more than just a little bit). I’m hoping against hope that somehow they manage to capture enough general audience votes to get the trophy. Unfortunately, I think the majority of casual viewers are still heavily invested in Nyle’s story.
Leigh, I can’t imagine Ginger finishing anywhere else but 3rd. However, I’ll join you in outraged screaming if it happens.
Cidra, I actually saw people RAVING about Ginger’s routines, particularly the freestyle and its homage to Fred and Ginger! Blech! My parents (particularly my mom) loved old musicals (side note my first name is actually Ginger after Ginger Rogers), so I grew up watching them. Watching that cringeworthy freestyle was horrible; and then it got all 10’s? Those judges should be ashamed of themselves! That dance may have actually beat out Marie Osmonds freestyle for worst ever IMO (or at least tied it)!
I too did more than my part for Paige and Mark! At least they know, no matter what that they have absolutely NAILED the last four dances! And that’s what I’m going to tweet both of them no matter the outcome!
This pimpage of Ginger is nothing like I’ve ever seen before. Heck, I was watching various news videos on xfinity and suddenly at the end of one of those the newscaster said.. “Good Luck to Ginger Tomorrow”.. WTH!! I about fell off my chair!
There was a time when I was hoping that Sam Champion would do the show… Never again will I utter any words even remotely similar to that. Any and all GMA cast members should be banned from the doing show permanently. I know it will never happen.
I’m okay with the redemption dances. I like to think that if there were a world where I was on the show, and I somehow made the finals, I’d want a chance to redo one dance that I felt I did particularly poorly on. Or in Paige’s case, do the dance again with my original partner.
The freestyles are becoming less of a deciding factor for me as the show goes on for two reasons: The inclusion of jazz and contemporary into the regular dance roster and the fact that for four seasons in a row now, we’ve had everyone get 30s for their freestyles. If you’ve never done contemporary during your run on the show, like Nyle and Paige, then I’m a bit more okay with going the contemporary/jazz-y route. Those dances seem to be what everyone goes to if they want to convey a “message” and in Paige’s case, I feel like it conveyed her message/journey the best.
I have to agree with what Court said about Nyle’s choice of dance to go with his message. Nyle has been telling us that deaf people can do anything they put their minds to, no matter what all season long. I wish that he and Peta decided to celebrate instead of be dark and brooding. Not only that – but he’s done that before many times. So yeah, I wish he and Peta would have gone a more upbeat and celebratory route.
In the case of Ginger, I bring up my second point – NOT EVERY FREESTYLE NEEDS TO GET 30s. In fact some of them don’t even deserve one 10, much less 3. Ginger’s freestyle had a good concept that I appreciated but it had two things going against it: Ginger’s injury and Val’s choreographic skills. Ginger was tired in this dance. To me, her movements came off really heavy and labored towards the end. And yet… the judges raved over it… I feel like I keep talking about this on other parts of the site or just in general. But seriously, it’s bugging me that the all the freestyles from here on out will get 30s unless they have a glaring mistake that the judges can’t ignore.
To me, when you have four seasons in a row that produced perfect scoring freestyles, the freestyle is becoming less and less special.
Sorry, I’ll get off my soap box now. Haha. As for the winner, I’m predicting Nyle to win. I feel like while Paige had a more universally relatable message with her freestyle, I think it gets overshadowed by the people who were left “in awe” over Nyle’s. I could be wrong, and I’d love to be wrong, too. But I think Nyle’s got it. That said, since the winner is going to be determined over last week’s scores and votes with last night’s scores and votes… I don’t know. I’m not 100% certain Nyle has it. But I also don’t feel confident saying “Paige has it” either.
Let’s see how tonight works out! And I just want to say thanks to all the mods for their awesome work, season after season! You guys never fail to impress. 🙂
TonyK — agree with everything you said — most especially this bit “thanks to all the mods for their awesome work, season after season! You guys never fail to impress.” Truer words were never spoken.
Paige in my opinion nailed both dances and deserves to win.
Nyle had a rough quickstep but a very well danced and emotional freestyle that might get him the votes. I think he’ll be 2nd but I wouldn’t be upset if he wins.
Ginger’s contemporary was a hot mess I would have given it 8’s
I loved the idea of a Ginger Rogers dance. CAI was right when she said this was the style of dance that attracted people to the show early on. but the feel and technique was sorely lacking So disappointing. I am hoping she takes 3rd though I guess she could get enough votes for 2nd. I don’t think Ginger will win but given the way they’ve messed with things I guess even that shouldn’t shock me I’ll just be extremely pissed off.
Yeah…pretty much I feel Nyle only won because of his disability. And really,I gotta wonder how much Maks helped Peta with choreography seeing how he was in the studio pretty much every day.
Oh well…it is what it is. I figured Nyle would end up winning. and honest to GOD I hope Mark leaves the show too…He keeps getting screwed imho. Let it be a FAM/DWM show from here on out. that includes Artem as well…….my friend who’s Orthopedic Surgeon husband fixed Peta’s ankle last fall were all there Monday and Tuesday nights…Peta was actually in my neck of the woods last fall when she had her surgery. So of course they are all on cloud 9 right now…and rightfully so. She’s pretty good friends with Maks, Artem, Keo, Sharna and Peta! Dr Orthopedic also fixed Rumer’s ankle last summer.
I don’t discuss my blantant dislike of The C bros out of respect for our friendship…but I’m gonna guess she realizes that I prefer Derek over Val…lol It is what it is.
I’m grateful that there is this private space where I can agree that I think Nyle won because of his deafness. I’m heartbroken for Paige and Mark, and from the comments about GMA this morning, it sounds like they were treated rather shabbily.
And while I’m at it, everybody is congratulating Peta and Maks about their (assuming it’s true) baby, and saying what good parents they will be. Sorry, but I don’t think Maks will be a good father at all, and unless Peta can really stand up to him (which I doubt), he’s going to make a mess at the child’s expense.
I read that Shirley Ballas tweeted that Mark *wasn’t* leaving DWTS, but I kind of hope he has plans to do so in the near future.
It seems to me TPTB have decided the future of the show lies with The Fam. There are more and more Fam-affiliated dancers being brought on board, and the Fam pros are the ones who get pimped. The producers don’t appear at all interested in rewarding, showcasing or investing in the kind of creativity Mark brings to the table. All they want is flash and trash and pros who’re willing to play their unreality games.
Mark has worked himself into a good place (personally and professionally) and he’s so much better than what DWTS has become. I worry that if he stays too much longer, the crap they sling around is just going to drag him down.
Cidra, again you took the words right out of my mouth! I know Shirley said Mark isn’t leaving, but I almost wish he would! TPTB do seem to treat him as a second class citizen, while fawning over Val and the rest of the cult (oops typo meant family)! I am probably done with the show or at least watching it live (I’ll read the blog here and decide if there are any individual dances I want to bother watching). If Mark leaves the creativity is gone (except maybe Lindsay) and I fear the show will really go down hill!
I don’t think they get pimped because they’re the “fam”, I think they get pimped because the show needs to spread out the MBTs a bit more (and Derek winning again last season didn’t help) and the Fam pros are the ones who can’t seem to win without the help. Look how hard they’ve tried to get Sharna a MBT for a while now. I think part of the problem with them is their intensity – they want it too bad. It’s self defeating. A lot of people find it off putting.
I don’t agree with your perspectives on Mark leaving. DWTS is a great platform for him. Where else can a dancer get paid that much, get connections to stars, and get exposure to ~10 million viewers a week? Most dancers would kill for a gig like that. He doesn’t have any breakout success in other areas yet, so it’s not like he can just rely on his other options.
Plus, I don’t think he feels persecuted by the show or somehow discriminated against. At this point, he knows the racket. I don’t think it bothers him much anymore much like it was for Derek. I think we make it a much bigger deal than he does.
John — As much as my heart was broken for Paige and Mark, I agree that “our” perspective is very different from his. I think pros and celeb’s are probably so wound and bound up with what they’re trying to accomplish in dance that they have neither time nor energy to spend on most of what consumes us during the season.
To what you mentioned were positives for him at DWTS I would add that it is a one-of-a-kind outlet for his expansive creativity. His imagination comes up with something and DWTS brings it to life. For someone with Mark’s talents I think that’s probably an enormous plus, and one he’s not likely to find anywhere else.
My guess is the problems that really annoy Mark are 10 times more complex than what we talk about here 🙂
I think Mark’s true passion now is in music, but the dancing pays better for now. I remember seeing Mark attached to his guitar backstage at DWTS. I also saw him perform at SXSW and you could tell this was his ambition. In fact, I have all those videos I recorded of Mark playing at SXSW somewhere. He asked me not to release them until after her record was out. I never saw the record come out and can’t remember where the videos are. Hmm…
Anyway, most of the pros on DWTS are grateful for the opportunity to be on the show and treat it as a privilege. I’m reminded of when I went to the finale where Brooke Burke won. Lacey Schwimmer ended up getting 3rd place. I went up to Lacey’s brother Benji after the show to say hi (I run puresytycd.com too). I asked him if he was disappointed that Lacey didn’t win. He curtly replied, “Are you kidding me? She made it to the final. She did awesome.” I think a lot of them feel that way about the show.
Even Edyta, one of the most competitive pros on the show, seemed like she understood that she wouldn’t be around long with Geraldo. They know how the show works.
I agree about music being his passion and how more incredible that makes his partnership with BC. Great story about Lacey/Benji.
I think it was when Shirley was on Afterbuzz recently she talked about how from the time Mark was very small he was always dressing up. The fact that he is still engaging that early creative impulse, albeit on a much larger scale, is a great gift to him. His transcendent experience of their freestyle — he said in an interview that it felt like it was just the two of them, their bodies moving as one, BC singing — was stunning to see. I think he is able to draw a lot of creative energy from these things, which in turn benefits his music.
The only other time the finale was in his birthday was the season with Chelsea Kane. Then he came in third, this year he came in second. He’s closing in. :-))
Well, MOST of them know how the show works. I’m not sure Val has it figured out – Maks either, for that matter. If they had it figured out there wouldn’t be really ugly tweets coming from the DWM account, nasty comments in interviews…or Val skipping press lines when he got beat at the end. All of which have happened and not all that long ago. But I think that’s pretty limited to Val and Maks.
I get your point John, and I agree that DWTS is a great platform for Mark and a really sweet source of income. My guess is that’s the main reason he stays (since music is his real passion).
That said, I don’t know Mark so I could be completely off base, but I have to disagree when you say it doesn’t bother him not to win because he knows how the show works. Those are two different things. Yes, I’m sure he does know how the show works, but while it might not bother him as much *now* as it did when he was younger, less experienced, and with nothing much happening in his music career, I do think it bothers him.
Of course Mark has a better perspective on it than a lot of us who are just spectators and live vicariously through the performances of others. We see the same thing with sports on a daily basis. The team loses a big game and yeah, the players are upset; but lordy it’s nothing compared to “the agony of defeat” the fans feel. The way sports fans carry on when their team loses is just ridiculous in my opinion. I want to slap them and say “get a grip people, nobody died here.”
Cidra,
I’m glad we can disagree 🙂
I think Mark cared a lot more in the beginning and before he won. Now I think he’s mostly just upset for his partner more than himself.
Speaking of people that really have a great perspective on the show, I missed Emma this season. She has had the best outlook of anyone on the show. I hope she’s back next season.
John, Now there’s something we can completely agree on. I felt Emma’s absence deeply and want her back next season.
It’s getting harder for me to stick with DWTS. Having Emma back in the pro lineup would give me a reason to watch — and if she had someone with potential to go the distance, that would be even better! 😀
Me too Cidra! I miss Emma. I actually think she would have been perfect fit for Von, both of their personalities seem kind of quirky and fun. She better be given a real contender next season.
@Suzy – And as far as Maks being a good father. I too have reservations, his behavior and interactions with his partners have been quite disturbing, he seems to have a somewhat abusive side to him when he doesn’t get his way. And we all know the stress and mental fatigue that go along with having a baby and or kids. So I guess, only time will tell.
Sandy, yes I think Emma and Von would have been a fantastic pairing!
I’d love it if Emma got a real contender too, but with my luck, TPTB would have a different agenda in mind for the season and Emma and her partner would end up sabotaged. On the other hand, if TPTB are trying to spread around the MBTs so they have more pros with wins, they might be willing to let Emma win one. I don’t want Emma to be pimped to a win (pimping is never acceptable to me), but it sure would be nice if TPTB would give her a level playing field so she could earn a win with a good dancer.
I think, more importantly, that Peta is unlikely to raise a child to believe that they should have everything just because – in other words, not another Val. I think Maks and Val came out of a very Eastern European family and it shows.
PH, I definitely agree with what you say about Maks and Val and their very traditional Eastern European upbringing. However, I’m not sure Peta has the strength of will to stand up to Maks (especially since she’ll be surrounded by all his relatives who will definitely be backing him in any dispute, since he’s “blood”). My reaction to Peta and to her relationship with Maks has always been that she’s the peacekeeper and the one who’s more invested in maintaining the relationship and making it successful. Perhaps motherhood will bring out the protective instinct in her that mothers often feel toward their offspring, and she will go toe-to-toe with Maks on issues involving any children they have.
Oh well, at the end of the day, it’s their relationship, their kids, and none of my business.
I have a few (related) random questions that I figured I’d post here since they don’t fit anywhere else. A lot of my not knowing the answers to these myself is due to the fact that I’m fairly new to DWTS (Season 21 was my first full season) and most of my knowledge from before that is limited to Derek/Mark/Julianne’s dances, plus whatever I’ve picked up from reading the archives here (but I’ve definitely missed stuff).
1) I’ve seen Bindi and also Alfonso described as a “force of nature” that would have won pretty much no matter what and likely had it in the bag from Week 1 (or earlier). Who else from past seasons would fit that description? Also, if multiple “force of nature” contestants had been in the same season (not like an All-Stars season, but just from the beginning), who do you guys think would have won (like if Alfonso had been in Season 21 instead of 19)?
2) On the flip side, I know that, contrary to what TPTB want us to think, not every season is decided on the Freestyle (see my 1st question), but that some have been. What are the seasons that actually were decided by the Freestyle? I would imagine that Season 16 would be on that list, but I’m wondering what other seasons were like that. Also, are there seasons where it was Couple A’s to lose and they lost it based on a lacklustre (or worse) Freestyle (more so than Couple B stepping up and taking it from Couple A)?
I know these questions are somewhat subjective, so I’m just interested in hearing the opinions of the Mods and others.
To help answer your questions Sonic I think Nicole Scherzinger and Jennifer Grey would fit your Force of Nature contestants.
2) I’d say S16 was decided on the Freestyle between Zendaya and Kellie Pickler. EVERYONE thought Zendaya had it in the bag until Kellie and Derek threw down that emotional contemporary freestyle. That dance won over a lot of undecided voters. Also S17 between Amber RIley and Corbin Bleu. The Country Western number with the stepping in the middle was pure genius on Derek’s part and I think is what won it for Amber….
Seems like it could go two ways in their relationship – either she’s the strong woman (aka the boss) like his mama, or she’s a total pushover because she’s the little woman. Or perhaps she just seems like a pushover, but is really the boss. That’s very stereotypical, I suppose, but it does seem like mama and grandma rule over all the Chmerkovskiy’s – which is why Val is such a…douche. Spoiled brat. I don’t think Maks is as bad and I do think he loves Peta, so he best not fuck it up. 🙂
Definitely disagree on the Nicole as force of nature. I think that Season was Evan’s to lose and lose he did for a couple of reasons – disastrous freestyle and Derek’s choreo. I’m not sure Nicole would have won with anyone other than Derek – maybe Mark. She came in as a somewhat unknown and he was fresh off the Olympics.
I think Donny would have won no matter what due to fanbase – but that’s not “force of nature”. I don’t really think Alfonso was either – that was just talent and fanbase. It might be that Bindi is the only one that truly fits that category.
RARELY is a season decided by a great freestyle – but I do think you can lose with a bad one. See Nicole versus Evan. I do think Kellie is the one of the ones who won it with a great freestyle – but she was also helped by the fact that the website crashed. She was the true winner of the season because the Zendaya fans crashed the website. I have to think that Zen would have won if they hadn’t done that. But it would have been power voting that did it, and not a true, general viewer win.
I think Amber was always going to win over Corbin, which is why the producers didn’t try real hard to prevent Derek from winning again. I just think she had the fanbase the whole way.
PH, I agree that Maks better not fuck it up, and I think he’ll do his best to do it right. What that “best” is, I have no idea. If he does genuinely love Peta, I can see her ending up as the “power behind the throne” — it’ll look like Maks is the dominant one, but in the end it will be what Peta wants that counts.
PH — Is it possible to determine how many votes were added to what Paige needed specifically to overcome the 9 Len gave her for her salsa? I don’t remember the final percentage difference between Nyle and Paige but it was close. In the two weeks counted, that 9 seems like a discrete element, and I’m curious to know what it cost her in votes. My apologies if I’m not being clear, or , if I am, and it’s a non-sense all question.
It likely doesn’t matter, Suzy. Paige was ahead of everyone, meaning that Nyle closed the margin – he had to get more votes than her. I doubt very much if Paige was winning that Len would have given her a 9. I don’t think it’s in anyone’s interest to change the outcome of the show.