PureDWTS Season 22, The Finale – Power Rankings
Man, I miss the good ol’ days, when the Monday nights on finale week were just jam-packed full of great dancing and everyone truly brought their A-game. I think the last finale that really fit that bill for me was season 17 – when (pun intended) even Bill Engvall really shone. Tonight was cumulatively one of the weakest we’ve ever had – I feel like 2/3 couples kinda hit a flat note. And also, even more disappointingly, the judges’ & PTB’s agenda was in high gear tonight – some got the kid glove treatment, others were scrutinized a bit more. And while I think that there is an obvious winner in this bunch, based on tonight’s performances – I think it could go either way amongst two finalists, given some of the propaganda we saw tonight.
Part of me thinks that we may lose Mark after this season, which is a crying shame, because he & Lindsay are the only pros left that even come close to Derek in terms of choreographic skill and are capable of possibly grabbing an Emmy nod for the show. But the vibe I got from Mark after he & Paige’s freestyle makes me wonder if we just witnessed his swan song – he’s never struck me as a terribly sentimental pro, but he got seriously weepy tonight. Is he maybe finally bidding farewell to DWTS to focus on his marriage & his music after this season? Ack…I don’t want to think about it. He’s been one of the few bright spots of this season.
Not much else to add – thought Erin looked pretty matronly in that dress they threw her in, and I raised an eyebrow at how much time was spent emphasizing that ABC Golden Girl Ginger was suffering from back spasms. *yawn* Gonna do things in reverse tonight, starting with 3rd place and ending with the winner…
3rd place: Ginger & Val
I mentioned last week that Ginger fell short of both Nyle & Paige during last week’s performances – and really, she fell pretty woefully short this week, too. I’m not sure whose bright idea it was to basically do two freestyles, but I doubt it really helped them a whole lot – that “contemporary” was just a disjointed, uninspired retooling of a bunch of their other dances this season, a sort of watered-down freestyle. It was as if Val just grabbed every time-wasting prop he could and shoved it in the same dance (the mirrors, the bench & flower gag, the fountain, the troupe) and had Ginger do a bunch of low-energy moves from their other routines, and called it a contemporary. None of it felt very connected, and none of it made me connect to them – which was the goal of redoing their contemporary, right? To create a dance that resonated with the audience? The only thing that resonated with me was the fact that Val is a painfully weak choreographer, and if he’s supposed to be the “top male pro”, lord is this show in trouble 😯 And I’m sorry, but that Fred & Ginger-inspired freestyle was just a joke – really, Val? You’ve never done tap before, but you decide that now is the time to attempt a very tap-heavy routine dedicated to a MASTER of tap dancing, possibly the greatest tap dancer this world has ever seen? Gooooooood luck, brah – you’re gonna need it. The tap sections just made me cringe – it was like an awkward pantomime of tap, with neither Ginger nor Val really capturing the feel of it, and instead looking like they were doing some awkward flailing or clogging. Beyond that, it too felt pretty low-energy, and featured a lot of time-wasters as well – it doesn’t hold a candle to Derek’s Singin’ in the Rain-inspired jazz from season 19, which is what I’m sure Val had in mind when he decided to tackle Fred & Ginger – it felt like he was trying to say “Well I can do that, too!” Thing is, Derek has actually been studying tap for awhile now – it’s not like he just woke up and starting messing around imitating tap moves. And that is one issue I have with a lot of the current pros – a lot of them don’t seem to be doing anything to up their game. We still have a lot of one-trick ponies, which is extraordinarily problematic when all the really good choreographers (Derek, Julianne, Kym, now possibly Mark) are jumping ship, and the show seems to be pushing harder than ever for new dances/more cross-training. But I digress – after tonight, I don’t think Ginger can hope for any better than third, even with all of the emphasis they placed on her injury and some very sympathetic scoring. She just didn’t have the gravitas that both Nyle & Paige had, or the skill that Paige showed.
2nd place: Nyle & Peta
Yikes – I have to say that Nyle’s redemption quickstep was probably the weakest dance of the night for me. I get why Peta (if it was truly Peta, and not TPTB pulling the puppet strings) picked it, but man, it was risky – and I don’t think it really paid off. Nyle seemed to start the dance a bit off-time, and I don’t feel like he was ever able to get back on – I felt like he was always bobbing just one step out of sync with Peta, which left them feeling uneven; and his feet were just making me cringe. I think that dance kinda just illustrated for me that Nyle hasn’t grown quite as much as some of the other couples this season – I really wish Peta had maybe focused a bit more on improving his technique (frame, feet, posture, etc) and spent less time trying to find new gimmicks ways to remind everyone that Nyle is deaf and can dance despite being deaf. Which brings me to my next sorta-kinda gripe: I wish they had gone a different route with their freestyle. There wasn’t anything technically wrong with it – I just felt like it was too similar to other routines we’ve seen from Nyle this season: angsty, emotional, and dark, and meant to remind us of Nyle’s struggle to fit in with a hearing world. I felt like it was actually a bit contrary to the message Nyle seems like he’s been trying to convey: that he still leads a fulfilling life DESPITE his deafness. This, like other dances we’ve seen from him, just seemed to harp on his struggles – I feel like I personally would have connected better to the routine if Nyle had done something a bit more upbeat & celebratory, as if to say “Yep, I’m deaf, but man – my life still ROCKS.” So while that routine seemed to resonate with a lot of folks – I just found myself thinking it was a bit one-note. And it probably would have won him the MBT, if Paige hadn’t come out and slayed her freestyle…
Winner: Paige & Mark
It’s probably going to be a very close finish between Nyle & Paige, but I really feel like she tipped the scales in her favor tonight. I thought she was the only one that slayed both of her dances, and had the right combination of emotional gravity and dance props to get the scores and the votes. She EASILY dominated the redemption round – that salsa was chock full of content, and she handled it masterfully. Didn’t seem nervous, didn’t let anything trip her up – she danced it well, had fun, and sold it. Bravo – and Len is apparently following a narrative, because I don’t see how Ginger’s snooze of a freestyle contemporary (which Len really doesn’t seem to enjoy as a style, anyway) was somehow better than Paige’s content-filled salsa…and I disagree on the hip-action. But he’s apparently got to level the playing field for company gal Ginger, I guess. As for the freestyle – I felt like she succeeded where Nyle may have gotten the message a bit twisted; the overall tone of Paige’s freestyle seemed more congruent with her journey on the show: she had some rough times before, but she’s overcome it and has had a lovely, whimsical journey on the show. And we really got to see Paige shine in that dance – her legs, her arms, those leaps and turns? All magical. No complaints here, and I feel like we’ve seen some of Mark’s best work this season – Paige seems to have really inspired him. I really want to see these to win it tomorrow night, and judging by the busy signals Mama Spence & I were getting when voting – I think they have a really good shot.
So concludes my final power rankings of the season – how do you guys think things will shake out? 🙂
Ohh I hope you’re right! I think Paige & Mark will get the win! She threw down tonight, no doubt!
I agree that Ginger isn’t going to get any better than third place but I think Nyle is going to take it. Not entirely sure what the voting margins are (thank you, Heidi, for doing the DBTN posts) but I know Ginger and Nyle are tied four points below Paige, and I think Nyle probably has the juice to beat her out.
Not sure why, but this season hasn’t been particularly exciting for me. Don’t get me wrong, it’s been pleasant enough, with MUCH less drama than other recent seasons and lots of talented and likeable people/partnerships but I think the packages have been kind of boring and maybe some of the dancing too. But the finale tomorrow looks like it’s going to be really good so I have high hopes for that. 🙂
I’ve been rooting for Paige and Mark for the entire season and I hope they win!
I agree 110% with both the rankings and your comments Court!
Round one wasn’t even a competition; Paige blew them out of the water!
I liked Nyle’s freestyle, but for me it was so EXPECTED! I too would rather have seen something less dark, I just feel like they’ve really relied on his deafness instead of him being a decent dancer. And after all the buildup about this freestyle I guess I expected more from it? I loved Paige’s freestyle as I felt it told her story!
All I kept thinking after Ginger and Val danced was “We lost Wayna for this?”
Hoping Paige can pull it out; I’m busy power voting! I still think Nyle’s story may win out, but I’d love to be wrong!
I agree completely. Tonight was all about Paige. She was fierce and vulnerable. She grew so much this season. I love Nyle also, and I liked his freestyle, but I didn’t love it.
I felt like the finale missed Wanya badly. He would have added more performance and joy to the night. The only dance I felt replicated that to a high standard was Paige’s salsa, every other dance was either not up to standard or the concept was contemporary with sad stories attached to it. It’ll forever annoy me that we had to watch that rubbish from Ginger instead of what would have been two showstopping dances from Wanya.
I don’t even want to think about losing Mark. As much as I hated losing Derek I felt like Mark has somewhat masked his loss with his fantastic yet creative choreography. It would be a massive blow to the show if Mark calls it a day. Val might be extremely popular with fans, but he is simply not up to standard on a choreographic level. Keo and Tony are not good enough. Sasha to be fair has shown promise but with him there’s always the threat that TPTB won’t use him as a pro due to his height. Anyway I just hope people are getting ahead of themselves and we’ll see him back next season.
Shameful promotion for my favorites but seeing a lot of Nyle support so please if want Paige to win. I agree it very close and since Nyle is at the bottom so his fans are voting hard. So if Paige is your favorite please do the same!
I agree with the rankings. I think Ginger is great but did not enjoy either dance tonight. The free style was really simplistic & I couldn’t even finish watching it. I feel she gave it 120% given how much pain she is in,it restricted her ability to move. When she did the Waltz in Week 7, I think she peaked and it was a beautiful dance for her. Choppy at times with the arms but really a great performance. She beamed. It bothered me how hard Val was on her this week given the situation. He seemed to have checked out but remained intense & serious and she was hanging in there and trying so hard, he seemed heartless to me. It has been a long season for him too but I wish he could find the joy & live in the moment and try to make lemonade out this bad hand they were dealt this week somehow. Its finals week but if she hurt on the bench, why keep that move in? I wish GMA did not overkill on her and paint the non-dancer narrative. None of them were ball room dancers but she was on a dance team. I hope this doesn’t spoil her journey.
I didn’t enjoy Nyle’s Quick-step. Unlike Amy who seemed to grow each week until the end, I have not seen a progression in Nyle til the end. He seems to have plateaued a few weeks back. He is definitely a good dancer but IMO his best work is behind him. That reminded me of Alfonso whose body broke down and by finals we didn’t see his best work. His limitations are showing and he had an admirable journey. I thought he did a very good job on the free style but it didn’t have the Wow factor to me but I did enjoy it somewhat.
I liked Paige’s first Salsa – it was remarkable for Week 2 and loved this one as well. She really kicked it up a knotch and knocked it out of the park with the difficulty. Kudo’s to Mark as tired as he is to go there with the lift that took him out in Week 2. I though her Tango last week was one of the sexiest dances I’ve seen on this show. I’ve liked Mark so much this season and feel he’s done some of his best work. The free style was well performed and 10 worthy but didn’t have the Wow factor for me. I would have loved a free style similar to what he did with Shawn Johnson. 2 contemporaries didn’t differentiate for me. It was still thematically on but & well performed but not my favorite. I have seen outstanding dancing from Paige, a commitment to the process, vulnerability, femininity and a surrender to her feelings and let us in. That Tango last week must have been so hard for her and she rocked it. We all talk about our favorites being robbed in the finals. Derek is my favorite and he was definitely robbed with Shawn Johnson and Mark has had his times too but more than ever, he deserves this win. His body of work and Paige’s performance have earned that. For the first time this season, I voted tonight and for the first time in any finale, I gave all of my votes to Mark & Paige. Nyle is a worthy adversary but to me, she deserves it the most. Kudos to Nyle but I think he was out-danced by the end of the season.
The scoring was completely unfair
Ginger’s Contemporary – Good, not great, didn’t make too much sense, probably deserved all 9’s
Nyle’s Quickstep – Poor technique, and foot work was off, probably deserved a mix of 8’s and 9’s (All 8’s had this not been the finale)
Paige’s Salsa – SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN ALL 10’s – I would have been okay with one 9 from Len had Ginger and Nyle both gotten 8’s from him
Ginger’s Freestyle – Pretty boring, Definitely the biggest non-event freestyle I’ve seen – Considering it was a freestyle and they techniqually didn’t mess up, it probably deserved all 9’s (maybe even one 8)
Nyle’s Freestyle – Really good, although he was off sync a couple times and it seemed short – I think it deserved all 9’s maybe one ten (Definitly not the best dance ever on DWTS – CAI)
Paige’s Freestyle – Beautiful!!! – Deserved All Tens
The finale would have been a lot better with Wanyá
I worry that if the race is actually this tight (3%?) that the result may be disastrous
Paige should Definitly win, Nyle second, and Ginger third
I really don’t know what will end up happening
No bias in that scoring whatsoever eh Mike?
😉
I actually haven’t voted this season at all (mainly because I didn’t really know how to since Canadians can’t vote on the ABC site — but yay for facebook)but the past two weeks I’ve voted for Paige and Mark (and even went on my moms facebook page to vote for them as well)
I would be fine with Nyle winning but I think Paige captures the true essence of this show, just her emotional journey through this whole process as well as her improvement each week.
To be honest, I sort of laughed through Ginger’s freestyle because I thought, this can’t be it, right? She 1) wasn’t hitting the moves fully (maybe because her back) and 2) it just didn’t scream a freestyle to me and was kind of boring.
Every finale Val has been to, I think his weakest points have been the freestyle. He has never nailed one and wow’d me. He’s a good dancer, don’t get me wrong but like Maks, I think his creativity is kind of one-dimentional.
Ginger’s 2 dances were not worthy of a final, especially their freestyle. How could they possibly think they could dance like Fred and Ginger???
I definitely did not like Nyle’s quickstep. He started off beat and couldn’t catch up. His freestyle for me was disappointing. I can see getting help to choreograph a dance, but if you make it to the finals the pro should be able to choreograph the dance. Don’t bring in another professional to do the work. That is unfair. It was dark and depressing. And he should have worn a shirt.
Paige and Mark really showed how well they work together. You can see how much Paige trust him. He has really made her shine and brought her to another place. I certainly hope they win.
I’m rooting for Paige and Mark. I have really enjoyed watching Paige dance every week.
Side note I saw where Mark’should mom tweeted that he wouldn’t be leaving the show. If Paige and Mark win it will be one heck of a 30th birthday present for Mark.
My heart says nyle will win and my brain says paige. Ah!
I think they should rename the freestyle dance to “emotional tearjerking contemporary”. More than half of the freestyles in the last couple of seasons have been contemporaries and I personally feel it’s a little of a creative cop out, despite how technically well they might be executed by the couples.
Based on what I think will happen, not what I want:
3. Ginger and Val
Her finale performances basically summed up how I felt about her and Val the whole season- nice, but bland. I think that might have been one of the most boring freestyles I’ve ever seen, and the contemporary was really just a hodge-podge of earlier stuff. She was by far the weakest dancer tonight, and I honestly think even they knew it. On a positive note, this is the first season in a while Val hasn’t annoyed me. I wish it was because he had matured, but I honestly think it was because he didn’t care. He seemed to phone it in most of the season, and that trend continued tonight
2. Paige and Mark
Paige is my winner. She is one of my favorite DWTS contestants ever. While she might have come in with dance experience, I feel like her emotional growth has been enormous. She and Mark have consistently killed it every week. What I appreciate the most, though, is that they never played it safe. Mark knew how good she was, and he pushed her every single week. That freestyle was amazing, and I have to admit that Mark in tears brought me to tears. Even if I didn’t love Paige, I think I would want this for Mark. Its been like 7 years since he won, and he’s still out there, not complaining, just putting in the hard work. He really has been one of the main reasons the show is what it is today. He never rests on past successes, he’s always pushing and always creating. I think with her point advantage there is a possibility Paige may be able to eek out a win, but my gut feeling is the audience loved Paige, but loved Nyle more. I also think the late emphasis on her dance background may have unfairly hurt her.
1. Nyle and Peta
The quickstep was not great. I honestly think close hold is Nyle’s greatest weakness. I also, though, think its ridiculous that he did Quickstep and Ginger did contemporary. I have to disagree with you, Courtney, on the freestyle. I loved this. It felt powerful and full on. What I loved the most was, with the exception of one tiny section, Nyle was on time and in the performance. Nyle didn’t do contemporary or jazz this season, and for me this felt new and little more raw. I do think this performance solidified their win. It’s going to hurt a little that it won’t be Paige, but I am in awe of what Nyle and Peta accomplished together. Every season Peta grows on me a little more. I love her patience, her kindness, and her ability to check her ego at the door if she need choreography help. They might not be my couple, but they are very deserving.
Completely agree with those rankings. I feel like Val should have a feeling they are coming in third but in guessing ginger will be ok with that. i feel like if Nyle’s freestlye was great he would have won but it was kinda just there.
I’m still kind of torn between Nyle or Paige winning… I’m leaning towards Nyle winning, but I’d love to be wrong… I just don’t know anymore.
All I do know is Ginger is in 3rd.
That said, I agree with Court in that that’s how tomorrow should go.
I felt a lot more excitement during the semi-finals then I did tonight. I went into it thinking I would vote for Paige and by the end I thought I would vote for Nyle. Now I wonder if I have business voting at all if I’m not passionate about it. I’ll likely rewatch the show and then decide.
Last week Paige delivered massively with that AT. I thought it was the best dance all season and I think that made me have high expectations for her. I actually liked her original salsa better. Maybe she had a better technical performance with Mark but way more chemistry and better performance with Alan. She seemed really nervous to me. Unfortunately I found the freestyle a bit underwhelming. There was nothing stand out about it for me although I`m sure it was well danced.
As for Nyle, I liked this quickstep better than his last one but I like country music. His freestyle had impact, I thought. I’m glad Peta brought someone in to choreography (that way I know Maks didn’t have his hands in it 🙂 ) As a dance it did move me.
I have to say I was shocked by Ginger’s freestyle. And by shocked I mean shocked at how bad it was. I am going to watch it again but my first impression was that was awful. It didn’t make any sense to me (I haven’t watched much Ginger and Fred stuff) and they only thing I kept thinking was that Derek would slay that. I wonder if the producers gave that to Val and said don’t do an AT for a freestyle do this instead. Honestly I would have rather watched an AT.
I certainly hope your summation is the outcome; I find it so disappointing Ginger has lasted this long. And, rather than bringing her personality to life, this show has actually destroyed the favorable opinion I held for her prior to DWTS. I have found her personality cloying like dollar store cologne and self-aggrandizing. Most importantly, she has not deserved the scores she received; the judges never elevated network employees’ dance scores in previous years, but this scoring has been obviously tilted in Ginger’s favor. Such a shame! It benefits no one. Paige stands out for delightful dancing and Mark’s extraordinary choreography that highlights her amazing talent!
While I WANT Paige to win (and, let’s be honest, logic demands it), I think we should expect a Nyle win. Facebook is alive and well with people defending the same, “I’m voting for Nyle because…” argument. I think Paige and Mark’s freestyle was INCREDIBLE, but I don’t think enough people appreciated it after seeing Nyle’s. I’m feeling another Donald Driver (Peta) vs. Katherine Jenkins (Mark) outcome.
For better or worse, apparently he wasn’t so much telling his personal story as the story of Deaf culture as a whole.
Court, great job with the rankings. I felt like somebody wrote it down for me, what I thought of tonight’s show. My rankings will be round-wise in terms of the impact and performance level:
Round 1: Redemption Round
1. Paige and Mark: Man, that was the dance that impressed me the most tonight, even more than the freestyles. It was enjoyable, sexy, energetic and technique-wise flawless. I really wanted to throw something on my screen that could just go inside and hit Len about his shitty rant. There was no way Ginger a 10 and Paige a 9 for that round. Bizarre tactic!
2. Nyle and Peta: Ummm, I was skeptical about the choice of Quickstep, and with this style I really felt for once TPTB is giving Paige a chance to out-class Nyle. The difficulty came across in the dance and this performance will be the doom for them if they lose it tomorrow. I for one, liked the earlier Quickstep better from these two, which is a shame because I am also a Nyle fan.
3. Ginger and Val: I think after this performance, I got an answer to “how to make things up if you are not in your creative zone” problem. What a pathetic show it was from the get go. Hated the props, the choreography *if there was any* and Judges’ response (-_-) to the easiest style one could get. And Val has brought his worth down so much this season, which comes from of a fan of his earlier seasons where he actually put some effort to bring something of value if not unique, to the table. Getting to do 2 freestyle and not nailing even ONE.
Round 2: The ‘Underwhelming’ Freestyles:
1. Nyle and Peta: As the title suggests, none of the freestyles really blew me away. Apart from the fact that Paige and he did almost similar contemporary style freestyles, I just put them ahead of P&M because of the response they got. After this freestyle, my belief on Nyle winning it strengthens a bit more because they were elevated from grounds after a rather good-not-great dance. And Court, I think general audiences do NOT get the interpretation of a concept in a dance, but what they are fed. Which, they really harped on well. IMO, Nyle was a great dancer on his own, and tonight’s show/freestyle should have emphasized on how great he is a dancer even with a disability rather than the reverse rant.
2. Paige and Mark: I think I was victim of excitement for these two, and was left a little bit, a little bit underwhelmed by this freestyle. Maybe from Mark, I expect a LOT, specially after that Princess Sadie Freestyle, so I expected to see spectacular in terms of concept. However, Paige continues to SLAY the skill of a dance. Special mention to that ballet turns with poignantly pointed feet throughout. There is always some dance that I have my wish I could see from my favorites that they don’t get to do, which is NOT the case with these two. Showed everything, with equally distinct performance value. Hated that they placed them after Nyle so it had lesser impact, and HATED THAT THEY DIDN’T LET THEM GET THE DESERVED PRAISE!!!
3. Ginger and Val: After this freestyle, I don’t even have words. One of the worst freestyles ever seen. C’mon, 10s across the board? Ain’t gonna save her Judges, why ruining your credibility for sake of pimpage. Really fell flat and paled in comparison to the other two. I would be devastated if any of the other two end up ranking below this forgettable pair. Val, honestly ruined this season for Ginger and to some extent for us too.
Final Prediction:
1. Nyle and Peta
2. Paige and Mark
3. Ginger and Val
And I really hope I am wrong and the first two spots get switched.
(Sorry for the double post; hit submit by accident.)
Anyhow: if you Google “Nyle Disturbed letter”, you can read the letter he wrote them asking for clearance. It talks about his vision.
(BTW: the grammar is not standard. I suspect it’s because Nyle’s first language is ASL, which has a different grammar and syntax.)
The most emotionally charged moment was indeed seeing Mark crying.
Last time I saw Mark crying was when they showed the journey clip of the three finalist in season 19. And Sadie was a partner that humanized Mark beyond any other teacher on the show. Paige is another triumph for the creative-head, he SHOULD be proud of himself regardless of the results. :’)
It’s officially Mark’s birthday and I really want them to win tonight.. it’s been a stellar season for him. I think their journey this season reminds me of Bindi & Derek’s last season.. Bindi had the same effect on Derek as Paige does with Mark. So sweet :))
I agree with your rankings, Court!! I think they’re going to finish in that order too. Paige held on to her lead, and while it is going to be VERY close, I think that’s going to give her the slight edge. I hope I’m right.
A family member is in the ICU, thankfully stable and improving, but I had to watch on a tiny TV, so I’m certain all the dances lost a little impact. I agree wholeheartedly with the rankings. Many of my thoughts and impressions have been expressed by others, but I’ll offer a few rather verbose comments about each couple.
Ginger and Val – I didn’t enjoy either dance. I’ve had severe back spasms myself and generally am very stiff. I felt like Ginger was stiff and uncomfortable in both dances and that’s part of why they fell so flat. The freestyle was easily one of the worst in the history of the show. It was painful to watch and I was embarrassed for both of them. I tried to think of something nice to say and the only thing I came up with is I liked her outfit and the end of the dance because that meant it was over.
Nyle and Peta – The quickstep had all kinds of problems. It just wasn’t his dance. It happens to the best of us. I didn’t like the song for the freestyle despite how appropriate it was for Nyle. I wanted to love this dance, but it fell a bit short for me. I would have enjoyed something more lighthearted, but it was still good and way better than Ginger’s effort.
Paige and Mark – Their salsa was outstanding and honestly my favorite dance of the night. Jam-packed with content executed at a high level. It was a round one TKO. I had no idea who Paige was when the season started, but I came to adore this young lady. She’s a fearless dancer and executes the dances at a very high level. I thought the freestyle was beautiful, but it didn’t bowl me over. However, I truly appreciated how well she executed each and every moment in the dance. She’s just a joy to watch each and every week. I did get teary when Mark got so emotional. I had been fine until that point, but on the bright side, nobody wonders why you’re teary in the ICU. 🙂
I felt Paige’s salsa put her ahead of the others, so she won the night in my opinion. I do hope she’ll pull out the win, but I’m not holding my breath. My gut says Nyle wins. I haven’t enjoyed his dances recently as much as did in the beginning, but I think I’m in the minority on that.
I will close with some thoughts on the judging. CAI really needs to stop with the best dance I’ve ever seen line. I don’t think anything we saw tonight qualifies as the best dance of the season, much less ever. I could entertain an argument for Paige’s salsa, but I much preferred her jive and AT. Len really bothered me tonight because he seemed almost dismissive of Paige. I believe he complemented Mark’s choreography for the salsa, but he couldn’t muster a kind word for Paige. There was an obvious agenda being pushed and the playing of favorites tonight was not at all subtle. Of everything this evening, that bugged me the most.
I will be completely honest and say I will be disappointed if Paige does not win, so I’ll have my conciliatory root beer waiting because my head says I’m going to it. On to tomorrow to see how it all shakes out.
Cannot believe Len robbed Paige not once but twice of a perfect score She truly deserves the MBT 4 pts up she should Hopefully America will do the right thing and vote Paige
I’m torn between Nyle and Paige for the win. Ginger and Val were underwhelming -almost boring for a final. I sense she was limited in her range of movement by pain in their freestyle.
Nyle and Peta’s Quickstep was more entertaining than Ginger and Val’s jazz. So the scoring was baffling. I liked the balance between line dancing with the troupe and the main part on the floor. And his sync with the music and others still amazes me. Their freestyle was the most moving and memorable of the night for me. The story behind the dance of oppression and discrimination against deaf people – explained by Nyle in his letter to the musical artist – could have been better presented by the producers. It’s pretty impressive and so much more important than any mirror ball trophy. Still he continued to get my votes.
Paige and Mark’s salsa was the best of the first round. Technically, she’s great but just missing some fun in the performance. Their freestyle was disappointing too in its impact. That’s just my opinion. I have enjoyed learning about her life and motivations. And BC Jean has a beautiful voice.
I actually think that Nyle did an incredible job at his freestyle. I think and hope that Nyle wins the mirrorball but I wouldn’t be unhappy if Paige wins because she deserves it too. While I agree that Paige has grown a lot more than any other contestant and has blossomed from being a little girl into a grown woman, Nyle has climbed Everest. Learning how to dance is a serious undertake in and of itself but being completely deaf is mind-blowing. Not only can he not hear the music he can’t hear Peta teach him. A lot of dancers that I know teach in a very metaphoric way and like to use sound effects, and create visuals in their words and if you can’t use that it can get confusing on how to teach technique, especially if that is Peta’s main way of teaching. I think that Peta, like Sharna, had to develop a whole new way of teaching Nyle and is something she may not have even been comfortable with, knowing that Nyle is not a trained dancer, unlike the other two, and also a deaf man so there were limitations of what he was capable of doing. Same with Amy, Noah, and even Heather Mills (once upon a time). Yet they managed to work together as a team and I think that Peta has earned her place as one of the best teachers and well-rounded pros on DWTS. So I really do hope that she and Nyle win the mirrorball, however if Paige wins I won’t be sad or unhappy because I know she has worked hard too and deserves it. Two very worthy finalists.
@Christopher, respect your opinion and agree to it to certain extent as well. My only note is, that Nyle though had to work really hard, had a bit of natural dancing talent as well. He had the strongest showing week 1! Which tells that though Peta’s teaching has worked, however Nyle in originality was great in himself. I find the journey arc more stronger in Paige’s dances. Look at her performances post switch up, Rumba then Austin Powers then Jive then Waltz then Tango. For someone struggling with self-confidence, she has come a long long way! I just feel Nyle has had ups and downs with his natural skill instead of an improvement and coming over the deafness over the weeks.
I would still be thrilled to see any of these two win, because they both are very deserving in their own ways. 🙂
Firstly, Mark isn’t going anywhere. Shirley Ballas, his mother, tweeted that this would not be his last season, which is a relief. While I agree that the choreography this season has been a bit underwhelming, I think that it’s because the other pros are used to Derek and Mark standing up and making creative and fantastic routines. When Derek left, Lindsay is trying to fill in his shoes, while Lindsay is incredible, she’s not Derek, and we do need at least one more pro to give good choreography.
Last night, I was most excited for Paige’s freestyle, and I wasn’t disappointed. As always, BC Jean’s voice is just incredible, and Paige’s dance was technically harder than everyone else’s. I’m still rooting for Paige to win, I feel like Nyle peaked too soon, and last night, I was just shaking my head thinking “why did we lose Wanyá for Ginger”? Val’s choreography was so underwhelming, and I know that Lindsay could have choreographed something amazing that was not a contemporary.
I couldn’t agree more, Court.
Ok, here are my thoughts:
Redemption Dances:
1. Mark and Paige – OMG! They were “fireballs” out there in every way. They mopped up the dance floor and then some. Smokin’ HOT!!! 10
2. Nyle and Peta – They were fast and furious out there. There were still some timing issues, but, they had so much fun. So cute as always. 9
3. Ginger and Val – It was still messy in a few places, but, I loved the tenderness and the fluidity. The costumes and the set were just beautiful. I loved the troupe more than anything. 9-
Freestyle:
1. Mark and Paige – Some dances take you away to such a special places and time stops. This is what these two did with their freestyle. Just so stunning. 10
2. Peta and Nyle – From the dance to the art to the message, they were just stunning! The power was unreal, they made me cry. The choreography was amazing. I loved the odd looking lifts and hand movements. So beautiful!! 10
3. Ginger and Val – First, of all….there was too much time with no dancing. The footwork was so bad, it looked like their first dance. I loved the old Hollywood feel, but, it didn’t wow me like a freestyle should. 6
Final three: Mark and Paige all the way for me! Peta and Nyle second! Val and Ginger Third!
I agree with Courtney’s assessment of last night. Great write up as usual. My one hope is that if Nyle wins tonight, Maks can resist not rushing to the stage with his brother, hoisting Peta on his shoulders and proclaiming another victory for the fam. He wants this mirror ball for the Tour which he will be promoting tonight. I hope Paige wins but, if not, I hope the Chmerkovsky’s allow Peta and Nyle to take their bows solo. Just doubt that will happen.
It’s interesting how good this season has started and how bland it finished.
I mean, good couples with great potential. Nyle and Kim and Wanya and Paige surprised me a lot while Jodie and Ginger (blame the pros) and the NFLs were a deception.
I really hate when this thing happens: an interesting couple who has to force the drama. Like Nyle and Peta did. He’s the obvious winner. But, I’m hoping for a surprise. That’s why season 8 is one of my favorite seasons ever: the winner wasn’t the obvious one.
@Carlos, Nyle might’ve been obvious at the beginning but now that Paige is in the finals with him it’s not as obvious anymore. Don’t count her out just yet.
Alison, maybe next time you try to fill everyone in on what is being said on Twitter, maybe find a way to word it that isn’t quite so…standoffish.
It’s amazing to me that the judges only put one point between each of the couples. I thought there was a lot more distance between them than that.
My rankings:
1) Paige and Mark: I’ve thought Nyle had this for a while, but Paige and Mark slayed and absolutely did everything they could to win. Each of their dances was heads above the rest of the field. They were the real excitement of the night. I really think Paige has a shot at this. That said, the judges didn’t do her a lot of favors. Len taking off one point of her salsa was utterly ridiculous. But more than that, I think the overscoring of some of the other dances could really hurt Paige. Regardless of what happens, I commend Paige and Mark for doing everything they could to win. The salsa and freestyle were amazing dances that were executed flawlessly.
2) Nyle and Paige: Nyle’s quickstep seemed like a mess to me. His frame seemed off. I thought 9s were a bit generous. His freestyle was really good and executed well. That said, I agree with you Courtney that the message and tone of the freestyle wasn’t anything we haven’t already seen before. Part of me wishes they went for something just fun and joyous and cheeky. But with that said, I understand why they gave him a perfect score. It was a good routine that was executed well. I give Peta credit for getting choreo help because if Nyle executes a contemporary well but the choreography isn’t as good, it would no longer be 30-worthy to me.
3) Ginger and Val: First of all, Ginger got lucky in getting basically two freestyles, but Val really crapped the bed with both dances. The contemporary felt like it was about the props, the troupe, and Ginger’s injury. It lacked impact, and as I said above, with the dance style she got, she should’ve had a good dance. The freestyle was even more laughable. The choreography was totally forgettable. Val should’ve done what Peta did and brought in outside help, but there’s no way his ego would’ve let him do it. Watching these two dances made me miss Wanya even more. Thinking about what his freestyle would’ve been like makes me dislike Ginger and Val’s kindergarten routine even more.
I really hope Paige wins, even more than I did before. But if Nyle won, I wouldn’t be steaming mad. However, if Ginger finishes anywhere besides third, I will be mad. And if she wins…I will freak out!
Paige’s progression on the show and how it affected me is probably the top reason that I still watch the show despite the heavy handed interference by the show runners.
At the beginning of this season I was kinda meh on Paige. Not because I didn’t like her, but simply because I had no idea who she was.
She slowly started winning me over with her energy, moving like the floor is on fire dancing and enthusiastic reaction to Mark and his choreography.
When she started opening up about the bullying experience she and her family went through and her performance in the amazing Tina Turner inspired jive, she had me lock, stock and barrel.
I love when a celeb on this show takes me from “no big whoop” to “hot damn, I love them!”.
I have to wonder if Peta’s dances for Nyle were perhaps influenced too much by Maks. Way too many gimmicks and not enough attention to detail, which reminds me of a lot of Maks’ work, especially in his last few seasons.
I wish Nyle and Peta had been able to keep that amazing energy and wow factor that they had at the beginning of the season.
I still really like Nyle and am still gobsmacked at how he manages to dance without hearing.
I’m still amused this morning at how lame Ginger and Val’s freestyle was. ?
If you asked me a few weeks ago–prior to famous dances night–who I thought was going to win, I would have picked Nyle. After his first quickstep flopped, I would have picked Wanya, who slayed that N SYNC routine, one of the few show-stopping dances this season. But with Wanya now gone, and Paige doing consistently well each week, I now think (and hope) Paige will win. I voted for her from Facebook, from the landline, from my cell, my mom’s cell, and my sister’s cell. So maybe I contributed to those busy signals. 🙂
I must say, though, that this season overall felt pretty lackluster compared to previous seasons. Derek’s absence is one reason, for sure, but there were also very few dances this season that had me running to youtube the next day to rewatch them. Like I said above, there were fewer show-stoppers. I don’t know if the pros are a bit more lax in Derek’s absence, or if they erred on the side of playing it safe to keep the judges happy–I don’t know. Mark and Lindsay both turned out great choreography and concepts, but I feel like they could have pushed the envelope a *little* bit more. When I think back to Derek and Bethany’s Paso, or Sadie and Mark’s contemporary, or the team dances from season 17 and 19, along with any routines Amber and Corbin did…this season pales in comparison. I hope Mark both Mark and Derek return next season…the show wouldn’t be the same without either of them.
Just based on the social media buzz, I think Nyle is going to win. LOTS and LOTS of “Paige is a dancer” comments. But I’m hoping that’s because Paige’s fans were busy voting. Even so, it won’t be a gross miscarriage of justice if he does – we knew the moment he finished that routine week 1 that it was his to lose. Regardless of whether Paige and Mark or Nyle and Peta wins, they should all be proud of their accomplishments this season.
I feel that the dancing this year has just been okay. After the first few shows everyone, to me was competent, but underwhelming. Other than a couple of Paige’s & Wanya’s dances I haven’t had a desire to watch any of them more than once. My biggest issue with last nights show is that we’ve seen this all before. Since the producers have added dance styles like contemporary, jazz and Broadway into the regular dance rotation the freestyle has lost it’s excitement for me. It used to be something new, fresh and creative. Now it’s just a dance that I think I’ve seen before. I’m hoping for Paige and Mark to win as in my opinion they are the best choreographer and best dancer. Thanks for taking me behind and scenes again this year.
I agree with Fig, and I know I’m getting ahead of myself, but I think many of us knew on the first night that only a natural disaster would prevent Nyle from holding that trophy. The hearing impaired community is huge and have rallied hard, not to mention the Top Model die hards.
This season measured extremely high on the BS meter for me, pyrotechnics included lol, so I’ll just say that Mark last night reminded me of the quality of pros this show used to have and how far the show has strayed. It was the first and only dance that completely left me floored this season.
Hoping that Mark and Paige have a zen-ful night. They had a stunning journey and should be incredibly proud.
@Fig, I’ve seen lots of Paige buzz on my timeline last night while voting.. I hope that’s a good sign as well.
Nyle and PETA got my votes Paige was great but I always root for the underdog and this week it seems to be Nyle. I hope they win .
I think Nyle has a good shot but I don’t think it’s as easy as it was before. There’s a very good chance that Paige can take it too especially since she’s been on fire lately and the audience has been relating and loving her every week.
Paige should have scored two points more than each Nyle and Ginger in the first round.
Ginger seemed particularly guarded in her dancing last night likely due to injury. Her first dance was a hot hodgepodge mess and her second didn’t have a Freestyle feel. Still it was refreshing to see a less douchey and one note Val this season, so kudos to her for any part in that.
Nyle’s Freestyle reasonated with me more than any dance last night and I actually thought it was different from what we’ve seen from him thus far in that it was angsty and dynamic (save his V. Waltz, he’s been full throttle all dance, every dance). Yet his QS redo once again demonstrated he still has failed to improve his Ballroom flaws which may be (along with any perceived aerogance) his MBT caveat. Though he’s been a profound story and accomplishment this season (and in life), he’d be my wild guess win.
Paige is the only one who showed up for both dances last night as she has for the whole season. Still, I’ve not been able to fully connect with her like I’ve wanted to. It’s as if I can see her journey but don’t feel part of it (in fairness no contestant has truly grabbed me this season). Anyway, she’s endearing enough and with her growth, enjoyment, talent, consistency, momentum, and few point lead, along with BJ’s amazing vocals and Mark’s emotionalism, she may eek this one out.
In short, not to undermine the efforts of the contestants, I’m not particularly invested in this flat feeling season/its winner and Wanya’s absence from the finale was palpable.
@wynn, I agree. Paige is 4 points ahead of both Ginger and Nyle. Still will be as well if everyone gets a 30 in fusion. I know it’s not a lot but it’s still a good shot for her to win.
I know I sound like a broken record but it saddens me that we missed out on a no-doubt fantastic freestyle from Wanya and Linds and instead we were saddled with underwhelming routines from Ginger. So boring.
I really want Paige to win but I have a feeling Nyle will. I’m OK with either of them winning.
Regardless of what happens tonight, for me Paige and Mark are the true winners! She has come so far and is now able to go back to where she was bullied and so unhappy and hopefully make a difference! To me they have had the most memorable and technically difficult routines of the season. And Mark, unhindered by the young age of his partners and or strict religious background was able to let his creativity fly and I have to believe an Emmy nod is coming!
It’s just sad to me that in any other season Paige could probably easily take this; poor Mark keeps having good opportunities, but comes up against juggernauts that make it unlikely if not impossible to win!
I totally agree with the majority comment hear. It shouldn’t be close. Paige and Mark should win based on their performances.
I also agree that Nyle’s freestyle seemed “heavy”. There was a section near the end where Nyle just stood looking across the dance floor at Peta. It seemed to last for several long beats and I wondered at the time if he had forgotten some steps. It was quite a long pause for a dance choreographed by a professional. He is amazing in what he has accomplished but he doesn’t seem to have an arch of progress in his journey. I think he has an inherent sense of rhythm that Peta tapped into early and just used that through the season. I won’t mind if he wins but think that Paige earned it.
I was struck by Val’s demeanor at the closing segment. He has been obnoxious in his mugging and inserting himself in other people’s camera time this season. But at the close he was just standing there, not even that close to Ginger, almost expressionless. I think he knew he blew it big time.
OK am I holding on to false hope because I have a fairly good feeling that Paige will win.. just based on her performances the past few weeks, how she’s been flawless and connecting with the audience I feel that she has gained so much momentum lately. I mean I was thinking it was going to be Nyle a few weeks ago, but now I’m sold on Paige winning. I feel, like Courtney, she can take home.
I’ve been wondering how different things would have been for Nyle if Maks hadn’t been around all the time. I wonder if was in any way an impediment to her addressing all the technique issues Nyle brought into the finals. Between Maks and Nyle, Peta had two very headstrong men to contend with and I’m not sure she ever really took control of the situation. His quickstep was a bloody mess and did not deserve all 9’s. His freestyle was well done, but I’m not sure about the message of the burning piano besides “Big drama over here!”
Paige and Mark’s whole season was tremendous. She can dance anything, and well. She and Mark had such a blast doing that salsa — it’s one of those dances during which a smile naturally spreads across your face. And the emotional impact of their freestyle on Mark was amazing to behold. I saw the cumulative posts somewhere, for Paige and Mark it was 118 out of 120. In my head it was: 118+Len = 120. I don’t know what his deal was, but it sucked. If she doesn’t get the MBT, at least she knows that her performing was impressive enough to win her a movie role. I absolutely love this team, and REALLY hope they win.
I’ve been pulling for Nyle all season (while throwing a couple of votes Paige’s way), and I am so glad he made it to the finals. That being said, I don’t think he needs to win at this point (although it would be nice for him) so I gave my votes to Paige whose performances last night and last week really blew me away. Also, Mark’s crying really hit me.
I think Nyle accomplished what he set out to do, which was send a message. I don’t remember which judge said his dance captured his journey, but I don’t agree. I think Sam mentioned it further up in the comments about Nyle’s letter to Disturbed… it’s an eyeopening letter that better explains where the dance is coming from. Which I don’t see anything wrong with Peta calling in an outside choreographer to better capture what Nyle wanted. I like that he’s using this experience as a platform, but I don’t think he needs the win to validate fighting language deprivation.
As for Ginger, I just don’t get anything that happened in her dances. My abuela, who loves old dance movies, was watching the show with me and when I asked her if it looked like Fred and Ginger she told me “no se parece en nada” (looks nothing like it).
I’m really hoping it turns out to be Paige, Nyle, and then Ginger.
I was underwhelmed with the whole evening. I guess I was expecting more because it was the final night of dancing.
Ginger/Val – She didn’t deserve to be in the finals at all, and she doesn’t deserve anything better than 3rd place. I got very tired of hearing about her back spasms. Val commented in the skybox that it shouldn’t be made a big deal, well then why was it the focus of your package and why was it constantly brought up? I’m sure Paige and Nyle are quite sore and have their own pain but you don’t hear about it. I just felt like it was an attempt to get more votes. Didn’t care for her first dance and her freestyle was a mess. Too much flailing around, too much walking around and time wasting in the beginning. I think she was lucky to get the scores she did.
Nyle/Peta – Nyle has impressed me since the beginning. It’s amazing what he’s been able to do each week. But he hasn’t been consistent. He has problems and some were still there last night. I thought the quickstep was better this time simply because he didn’t have that awful mask on his face but you could still see problems that shouldn’t be happening at this point. I enjoyed his freestyle, but I was hoping for something other than contemporary. I understand why they did it and what they wanted to convey, but I would have liked something more.
Paige/Mark – Paige has been the most consistent of the 3 left through this whole season. She has grown so much, has much more confidence in herself, and it showed in her dances. Getting to do the salsa with Mark this time made her happy and it showed. It was much better than the one with Alan, but I know it’s hard to dance with someone new on short notice. I enjoyed her freestyle too, I thought it was the best of them all, but I sort of wish Mark had done something more.
I can’t help thinking what Wanya’s freestyle would have been if he was in the finals like he should have been. I’m betting it would have been something fun and above what the freestyles we had were. Such a shame Ginger was pushed through for all the wrong reasons and Wanya, who deserved it, didn’t make it.
Paige deserves to win this, but I have the feeling it’s going to be Nyle. I would be happy with either one. It should be Paige, Nyle, Ginger.
I just read Nyle’s comments in regards to Carrie Ann’s “best of all time” critique. He said that although he doesn’t like to play the deaf card, as a deaf guy that he was able to produce the best dance in the show’s 22 year history is incredible, and he is touched. Is he just that naive, or has this sudden “fame” gone to his head? This is the one thing about him that has confused me all season long.
I’m going to have to echo a few of the comments from above, underwhelming finals after such a talented season. The highlight for me was Paige and Mark’s Salsa. When you can dance next to Sharna and Lindsay, keep right up with them, and stand out above them, you’ve got talent. Honestly, none of the the freestyles amazed me. Paige and Nyle both had great freestyles and I connected with both of them, but it’s still not what I had expected. In the back of my head, all I could think about was the Wanya and Lindsay freestyle that we’ll never get to see.
As for who I think is going to win, honestly I have no clue. Usually I’ve got a pretty good feeling on who I think it might be, but it could really be either Paige or Nyle. If it was based on talent and progress, it would be Paige hands down. I originally thought she would be a middle of the pack elimination, but this girl has brought something new to the table every week. She shines, she has gained so much from this experience, and her and Mark have truly been a joy to watch. Nyle started out good, he’s ending good. Still has problems with his posture and in hold, but I think the general audience is just looking past that. I’ll be okay with Nyle and Peta winning, they’ve done good all season. But I’ll be ecstatic if Paige and Mark can pull it off.
I’ll also be really happy if I never have to hear about Ginger Zee again. Ever. Started the season thinking that she was nice enough, a good enough dancer, but getting promoted a bit too much. I even thought that I might have enjoyed her a bit more with a different partner. Now I flat out cannot stand her. She has bought in to the “Ginger is the best” idea. She has taken on the same arrogance as Val. I was looking on her Twitter and she was arguing with people who said that she shouldn’t have been in the finals. Then came Pelvis-gate and her once again reiterating her “non-dancer” life. Now this morning I’m seeing articles where she’s saying that she can’t even hold her baby. Poor Ginger.
I really need to stop thinking about the Ginger/Wanya situation. I’m about to go nuts. Tonight should be interesting!
LOL, Suzy — “I’m not sure about the message of the burning piano besides ‘Big drama over here!’ “ Oh thank you — I needed that laugh!
I hardly watched any of last night’s show, and from reading these comments & those in the live blog, I know I made the right decision.
So here are some very random thoughts.
1. Mark tearing up after their freestyle was a complete surprise and moved me more than the dance.
Maybe dancing with one of his best celeb partners in 18 seasons on the show, to an emotionally uplifting song sung by his lovely fiancee, on the eve of his 30th birthday just got him thinking about his life (the good, the bad, his hopes for the future, etc.).
2. Len is a complete turd!
He needs to leave the show and never return. All he does anymore is look disgruntled, make snide remarks, and hand out whatever scores TPTB need to meet their agenda. I even prefer crack-happy CAI these days (and that’s saying something).
3. Call me an emotional lightweight, but I’m so fed up with dark, overwrought contemporary freestyles.
What used to be a sparkly pseudo-dance-competition has devolved into a depressing competition to see who can dig up the most emotionally gripping back story and lay it out for the viewers week after week. TPTB have gone from one personal story week to a whole season of soul-bearing emotional angst. “Vote for your favorite” now seems to mean “vote for the celeb who makes you cry the most.” Frankly, it’s slightly sickening how the public eagerly devours this type of personal disclosure.
4. I hope Mark is preparing both himself and Paige for whatever happens tonight. In my opinion that’s one of the most important parts of a pro’s job.
I’d love to see Paige and Mark lifting the trophy, but in the end what’s really important is that Paige and Mark are proud of what they’ve accomplished this season and will always look back on it with fond memories.
Where do I begin? I should say this is the first year I’ve been following PureDWTS. (And tyvm for all your articles, I truly enjoy them, even though I may not agree with them sometimes). Therefore, I have no way of knowing how you rated past seasons. But if it was like this season, then two “stars” come to mind when it comes to their pre dance packages. First is Amy Purdy. Second is Noah Galloway. Please do not get me wrong, given their handicap, I applaud them. But both, especially Amy, almost won the damn MBT. And IMO that season there was one clear winner from the get-go. And in the words of Len, following their first dance of the season, “Meryl, you’re nice on ice, but you’re good on wood., Meryl and Max danced like no other couple I’ve ever seen on DWTS. (Except for Helio and Julianne. And I’ll admit my home town is Indianapolis, I’m a HUGE IndyCar fanatic, so maybe I’m biased on that one. Even though coming into that season I would say that the majority of fans had no clue who Helio was, and they definitely didn’t know “what” he was – Mr Personality!!!!!!).
Okay, now back to what I was saying. All I’ve seen from this site is really negative about Ginger. I didn’t even know who she was until they said it during the announcement of this seasons stars and pros. I must say I was really surprised how you responded to Ginger’s injury. Let’s face it, MOST injuries are back, knee, foot. But what she has is really serious. And I don’t think they spent more time on her injury, in only one night, as they did with Amy Purdy, or Noah. And they did that each and every week. And with Noah, if memory serves me right, he did not score all tens in the finale. Excuse me if I am wrong. I know he got all nines in his redemption dance. And I remember thinking at that time, the judges have over scored him all season, now they need to try to fix it. And truthfully, what he gave up for allowing all of us our freedom, I would not have been that upset had he won. Would I thought it was fair. No. (Which by the way, he is on another reality show, “American Grit” that his team is kicking but at.).
But I guess, my question is this – Did you nit pick those two and their pre dance packages, and dances the same as you did Ginger for having injured her pelvis? i want to know how and why a doctor would have cleared her to dance knowing this can happen to women who just gave birth. I am definitely not a pregnancy expert, having not been able to have a baby, but I can see how easily it could happen by just applying common sense.
My favorite couple is Ginger and Val. But again, I’m biased because I am a HUGE Val and Max fan. ( So much so I spent $400 to be in the second row of their tour, and they’re not even performing here in Las Vegas, and am having to fly to Phoenix for it. (I still can’t believe I am spending that kind of money to see a show and then do a meet and greet, and am doing it alone!. I’m sure most will find that a bit crazy.). However, do I think they should win, no. I would definitely be shocked and actually disappointed if Paige doesn’t win. But even their freestyle wasn’t as good as many freestyles in the past. I just thought the entire show was a disappointment.
I’m looking forward to tonight’s show because Max is performing, and I would presume it’s gonna be with Peta. And I want to see them do an AT or rumba. Because it should be hot and spicy. Plus they’re going to give a preview of their Our Way show. And before you claim it’s not worthy of the air time, let us not forget how they promoted Derek’s and Julianne’s tour, throughout that season. Which brings me to another subject. Derek.
I like Derek. I think he can dance and choreograph with the best of them. Only problem I have is he did always seem to get a good partner. But talk about a boring freestyle he did with the gal from Glee, having a brain fart, can’t think of her name. And then win it with her. I just couldn’t believe it. And again, I’m pretty certain it was Corbin Bleu and Karina that did that MJ freestyle, complete with gravity boots, who they beat. IMO that was one that really ended wrong. Between her and Amy Purdy I personally believe the judges got it all wrong and over scored the entire season. I strongly believe had Derek been with the show this season there is no way he would not have got Paige as a partner, giving Kim Fields to Mark.
So my bottom line is this. I don’t believe Ginger got anymore “sympathy airtime” than Mark or Jodie. And I didn’t notice any jabs being made at them, as they were Ginger. And, I would love to know how you reported on Amy especially. If you could provide me a link to go to I would love to read all your reviews about those seasons, as well as the seasons Max and Val won it, which I do believe Meryl and Rumor were the best dancers. I am curious if you just don’t like them, or what the deal is. And I admit the first two seasons I watched Max I didn’t like him. But then he kind of changed my mind. He is who he is, and he does things his way, and after I accepted that, I began to really enjoy him. I found him to be honest, blunt and funny.
Okay, I think that should be a wrap for me. Not trying to tick anyone off – just stating my opinion. And I completely agree with the way you’ve ranked them. Here’s to tonight – ENJOY!
I think I’ll be good with the outcome because after last night it looks like Ginger will be third. Or should be–just my opinion she finished third in both rounds based on impact. The scores don’t indicate that, but impact matters because that’s what gets people reaching for their phones. And she did not wow.
If I had to put down money I’d put down that Paige is the winner. She has a four point lead over Nyle, she danced beautifully, and she’s the celebrity who’s been rock solid all season long, plus she’s humble and likeable.
I’ll also be good with a Nyle win. He hasn’t been my favorite of favorites this season (Wanya!), but I have liked him and many weeks gave him some votes. I thought his choice to go with the quickstep last night was a gutsy one, and possibly his courage has been just as impressive as how well he can dance.
So we’ll see. But I do feel pretty good that if the final is the measure, then Ginger should be third. I just never took to her. I don’t think she’s as good as has been played up.
I agree with the breakdown. Here are some random thoughts about last night:
1) Val isn’t very creative. I agree with the person on Twitter who said that Ginger looked like Janel in their first dance. I think it was the light purple dress. Whatever, I too had flashbacks.
2) I think Val delivered a half-baked dance to try and help Nyle and Peta win. Of course he’ll deny it saying that he would never do that but this is the same man who denied playing with Janel’s feelings and that whole fake romance thing.
3) Mark is a brilliant choreographer and truly tries to show his partner in the best light.
4) Nyle and Peta’s freestyle was beautiful and I know the meaning was significant for him. I’m glad he got to tell his story through the dance.
5) Paige’s freestyle had me crying like a baby. Her story is one that I can relate to so maybe that’s why I liked it more.
6) I miss Derek. There is such a huge whole there for me.
7) I hope Len doesn’t return. He is the absolute authority on ballroom but he was an absolute (insert whatever nasty name you want here) this season.
8) I’m already going into withdrawals over the end of the season and need next season to hurry and get here. Fresh start.
Last but not least, I love this website and appreciate all the work the mods do to keep it running. Bless you!
I don’t think it will be Mark’s last season, Shirley said it won’t be. But he’s done 18 seasons in a row, so if he decided to take a break to work on his music, other projects and focus on his upcoming marriage, I would understand… I hope Derek will be back. If not, what keeps me interested in the show is knowing that Lindsay is still there and Allison will be back, they’d be idiots not to bring her back! If not next season bc of the baby, then next year…
I THINK WE’VE ESTABLISHED THAT MARK IS NOT LEAVING. Maina, this is why it’s important to read some of the comments before commenting yourself…
Courtney/Heidi,
Kristyn Burtt is reporting that Nyle’s choreographer was paid for by the show’s production budget, not by Peta. Has that been done before? Apparently, because of that Talia is now eligible for an Emmy nomination. Who would do the nominating?
I would be really interested in the weighting for everything. It seems that if they are rolling week 9 scores and votes into the mix that reduces the weighting that is given to week 10 dances overall. So if that 3 per cent margin Tom mentioned is Paige Mark when you add the 2 points Mark and Paige were awarded.last evening you get a sense that they may still be competitive despite all the tongue baths for Nyles freestyle program. Does this mean that finally we get a season where cumulative scores relative to dancing is awarded over one dance? I loved Paige and Marks dance last evening because it was dance without the distractions, but I can see that without the darkness and burning pianos it makes less of an impact.
Patti #59, I can’t speak for the mods or anyone else on this site, but if anyone is responding negatively about Ginger, it’s out of frustration and sheer annoyance at the amount of over the top pimping GMA and DWTS is doing for the company employee. Both shows are on ABC, hence the pimpage. Special spots on GMA focusing solely on Ginger and very little about any other contestants, special “stunts” like Robin and Lara taking a road trip specifically to see Ginger, all those appearances Ginger and Val did on other ABC shows like the The Chew. It’s too damn much.
Advance on the show or even win based on your merits or likability, not on special perks and help from the bosses.
I think most people like or are neutral on Ginger herself, it’s the pimpage people dislike.
As for Derek “always seem to get a good partner”, he had Amy Purdy, a double amputee below the knee, Jennifer Grey, a woman in her 50’s who had screws in her neck from a car accident and
Amber Riley, who had painful knee issues almost the entire season she was on. The later two actually won their seasons with exciting and well danced routines.
Also, it’s Maks, short for Maksim, not Max.
Patti (#59), you’re entitled to your opinion and your bad taste, but I feel there was a lot of unnecessary baiting in the way you choose to express your opinions and phrase your questions. Methinks you’re a troll in sheep’s clothing and your disguise is slipping.
If you really want to know how Pure reported on the seasons with Amy Purdy and Amber Riley (that would be “the gal from Glee”), I believe there’s an “Archive” for that.
Not trying to tick you off, just stating my opinion. ENJOY!
I just chose to ignore Patti, because given her comment history, she’s long had an issue with us and our opinions on The Fam. But I thank others who stepped up to the plate to defend us 🙂
Also, Patti#59 – what are you thinking of as regards to MOVE pimpage? The reason I knew it was happening was because of this site, not from mention on DWTS, much less a ‘preview’ on the last show… We weren’t really told that Elastic Heart would be on the MOVE tour – it was just a pro dance… I’d also like to disagree about Maks’ and Val’s only wins – Meryl was actually no better than Charlie, but Maks was promised a win if he’d come back, and Meryl(and Charlie) was almost a pro ballroom dancer, what with her 20 years of ice dance (which is ballroom on skates!) – and Amy Purdy really gave her a run for her money even though she was not slated to win. Val was allowed to choreograph a tango a week (that is what Rumer could dance), was told she was the best all season (Nastia DEFINITELY WAS)and got all the packages and pimpage, and TPTB had to get rid of Nastia in 4th and make it suddenly a 3 person finale so that Nastia’s freestyle wouldn’t blow Rumer away and mess up the plan. The C Bros.’s wins were some of the worst ever for obvious judging bias and producer manipulation – at least in seasons prior it was not as visible to the viewers… And I’d like to add that you have no idea if Derek would have been ‘given’ Paige had he competed this season – he has been ‘given’ complete dance beginners for a full half of his partnerships over the seasons, and turned them into the ‘best’ dancers. They certainly didn’t start out that way… Look a little deeper at the history if you want to make that kind of claim…
3. Ginger and Val– WTF did I watch last night & why am I subjected to another dance from them again tonight? I think she would have been better off using her contemporary as her freestyle tonight. That freestyle was a hot mess. Ginger is a good dancer, but not finale good. I’m just left questioning if he dumbed down the choreography because she was hurting, or was that not dumbed down and the best he could do? And on that note.. Val I’m sure Alfonso would have loved to come back to the show to show you how to tap.
2. Nyle & Peta– props to Peta for having the balls to get outside help (on camera at that) while admitting she’s not trained in the style she wanted to choreograph in. **major side eye to you Val for that half arsed “attempt” at tap** It was still same old same old for me though story telling wise. I know Nyle is deaf & is accomplishing amazing things.. but make me forget that. I wanted, like you said something celebratory & flashy to make me remember him. It just wasn’t memorable when Paige & Mark’s contemporary freestyle closed the show. I just don’t differentiate this dance from the blindfolded, no music, ect. things they’ve done all season. He has done a great job over the course of the season & should be proud of all he did no matter what.
1. Paige & Mark– I know there’s a lot of worry whether or not Paige can pull it off, but I think she can. Anecdotally, I’ve heard a lot of buzz about her in the main demographic of the show of clients I work with & it’s all been steadily getting louder the last few weeks with many jumping sides to Paige. I can see this finally playing out a lot like the Shawn/Gilles Season 8 finale– looked like Gilles (Nyle) had it to lose & Shawn (Paige) opens the gate with their final performances to take the trophy. Paige is just spectacular & so is this partnership. Her growth as a person & dancer has been fun to watch, & I think Mark’s in the best place personally I’ve ever seen him on the show. I started out this season wondering who in the world she was & I’m ending it loving her. She owned it for me last night when she was dancing with Sharna, Lindsay, and Jenna holding her own & not looking like she was lost in them. I think they had a good spot in the running order (not sure if that’s still important at this point?) especially for people tuning into the Bachelorette after.
On the bright side, if either Nyle or Ginger wins, Maks is hosting all access so he’ll have to jump from the rafters to get his mug on TV to lift them up.
My one complaint is really where are the freestyles? I miss them & the excitement that led up to them. Part of me wishes the “supersized” freestyle stuff had stuck, especially if we are getting jazz & contemporary thrown into regular competition to separate the freestyles from these dances. I loved Nyle & Paige’s dances, but overall they just didn’t go above and beyond the normal season contemporary.
Court, You’re welcome. It bugs me no end when a member of the Fam-faithful (or anyone else for that matter) comes here with an agenda and pretends to take the high road while taking you all to task for the way you choose to run your site.
In some ways I prefer the stupid trolls. At least they’re sometimes a little funny.
My rankings & thoughts line up exactly with Courtney’s masterful breakdown of Monday night’s finale:
1. Paige & Mark
2. Nyle & Peta
3. Ginger & Val
Also, Wanya (sob) & Lindsey performed a ghost dance in my mind during both of Ginger/Val’s turns on the dance floor.
And what a brilliant & cool idea to have Paige open a music box with tiny dancer/singer B.C.Jean to begin their Somewhere over the Rainbow freestyle! Details, it’s all in the details…Mark, I salute you!! ??
Paige & Mark, thank you for an amazing season of incredible dancing, fingers crossed for tonight!
Thank you, Courtnery for your rankings.
I am pretty much in agreement with your thoughts on Monday night finale and how it went down. I was thinking today about the DWTS Tour, and was wondering it they are doing one after this season is over. If they are, which of the three finalists would be a good candidate to go on the tour.
Ginger? If she is really having trouble with pelvic injury by then she wouldn’t be able to go on tour, and she has a new born.
Nyle? He doesn’t dance perfect, but I think he is more available. Noah went on tour, if I remember correctly.
Paige? She has that part in the movie now, and may not be available. But, maybe she would have time to go on DWTS tour.
@Susan2
I was going to clear some points up that were stated in post #59, you did a great job clearing them up. I really just get so tired of the same old same old about Derek, who is the “master’ of dance and choreography, and no one can fill his shoes (especially) neither of the C brothers. No matter who was Derek’s partner, no matter their dance skill or lack of, Derek Hough made them a dancer, because he is just that good.
And, you are correct, it’s the “pimpage” people dislike concerning Ginger.
I can give you funny, Cidra.
I work for an ISP. An elderly customer called in today needing to reset her email password so she could vote for DWTS. I asked who she was voting for.
“That Pittsburg quarterback. I’ve been voting for him all year!”
Apparently she missed last week!
qh1, too funny!
LOL! hmmmm Pittsburg quarterback??? Wow!! I didn’t know Big Ben was on DWTS this year. Now, even I think that is HILARIOUS!! Bless her heart, though.
Pretty terrible night I thought. I wasn’t a fan of any of the freestyles, they were too sentimental, and we’ve gotten used to having FUN during this dance. Why did everybody go with contemporary or whatever the hell Val was trying to do with Ginger?
Paige emerged as the clear winner tonight in terms of dancing, growth, partnership, pretty much what the whole show is about. Last night I voted for her, and threw one little vote to Nyle just because, but Paige is my clear winner. I felt like I was watching a pro during the salsa, the best dance of the night.
Nyle has this, but I agree with the original post, that what Paige needed to do to win, she did it. However, I don’t know if Mark is thinking about the competition as a whole, and how they’re manipulating Ginger’s outcome and how Nyle is a clear frontrunner, because if he were, and he really wanted to win and push Paige to the finish line, he would’ve put together a much more impressive, killer and again, sorry to repeat myself, FUN freestyle to make people wake up and vote for Paige.
And Peta, if you can’t choreograph a contemporary…then don’t do it. It seems weird to let your final dance with this great guy, with this great partnership and journey be choreographed by somebody else. That should’ve been enough of a sign that maybe this wasn’t the way to go. I mean, let’s remember Peta’s insane lifts and steps from her winning season’s freestyle for a moment…I was kind of hoping to see something like that.
Go Paige!.
The producers submit all dances for all pros and guest choreographers – or at least they used to. That’s a fairly common practice, it’s even noted in the rules.
I can’t say I really like the fact that Peta didn’t choreograph her freestyle and I’m sure Peta’s had lots of messages from people online criticising her for it, but let’s be honest if Nyle wins she won’t care one bit. I know I wouldn’t if I was in her shoes.
qh1 — love it! Thank you for giving me another laugh. I’ll take all of those I can get. 😀
KKat, I agree, a “bless her heart” is also appropriate. 🙂
Not even watching tonight because I just don’t care enough this season, lol. As long as Ginger doesn’t win, I’m good. Thanks for the rankings, Court; also, thank you for nailing the “chemistry” conversation. I love seeing the various types of connections between people. It doesn’t need to be sexual/romantic. I mean, Janel and Val were f***ing, and they STILL had piss poor dance chemistry. ???
A Val fan who has a complaint that Derek always seemed to get a good partner. Bwahahahahahahahahaha….credibility = shot.
Lauren #70, I feel that with all the theme nights & the permissive rule breaking like last week being allowed to include lifts where normally they aren’t permitted? Plus use of props and the troupe during the regular season…to me, the Freestyle isn’t that mind-blowing anymore. Especially with Contemporary and Jazz being added to the repertoire.
Having said that, Val did Ginger a great disservice.Its like he’s phoned it in all season knowing that they’d make the Finals.
LOL! PHeidi…that “dead” horse again 🙂
Oh yeah, PH is in the house. Muahahahahahahahaha!!!!!! I’ve been waiting all afternoon for you to feast your beautiful eyes on the screed from our Fam-fanatic (#59) and give us one of your pithy rebuttals. Thank you 😀
KellyK, you know, I think Val did all of us a great disservice with that half-a$$ed freestyle. Since it was the only non-contemporary freestyle and he botched it completely, he made it that much harder for another pro to step out of the “contempo-angst-fest” box and give us a real freestyle next season.
Gawd why am I even considering watching next season!?! As my spousal unit said when I complained to him about DWTS, “it sucks being an addict, doesn’t it?” 🙄
I tell ya, Cidra – sometimes you read stuff so stupid that you can’t work up more than a good chuckle and corresponding eye roll. That such fans can make these claims with a straight face after all these years! They’re like little robots who just chant what they read on the internet with no critical thought allowed. 🙂
So true, PH. You just gave the perfect dictionary definition of a Fam-fanatic.