PureDWTS Season 23, Week 3 – Power Rankings
Well that was possibly the most breakneck speed episode of DWTS we’ve ever witnessed – trying to watch, tweet, and take notes proved to be pretty difficult when they were moving as quickly as they were, so if these are a tad late, I apologize…I may have had to rewind and rewatch.
As much of a cluster as we predicted the face-off dances to be, on the whole I wasn’t too disappointed – my expectations were set pretty low, and tonight’s show maybe slightly exceeded them. With the exception of a select few dances, technique seemed to be sacrificed in favor of showmanship across the board, and I really only saw 3 couples who seemed like they were 100% in-the-zone when performing…the rest seemed to eke by with varying degrees of bewilderment. It is what it is – when you’ve gotta cram 12 dances into 1 hour, you’re bound to make sacrifices somewhere. I will say that I really enjoyed not hearing as much meaningless blathering from the judges 😀
Just to recap how voting/eliminations work this week – those who won their dance-offs are safe from elimination tomorrow; those who lost are at risk of getting eliminated. So the rankings should really only be 6 couples this week – but I do want to at least touch on the ones who won their dance-offs, so I’m gonna do things a bit differently tonight. First set of rankings is for those who are actually eligible to be eliminated – with the #6 position being the one I think is most likely to get the boot. The second set is just a ranking of how well the winners did. Also threw in a general ranking of the face-offs and how well/not well I think they worked out.
Couples eligible for elimination:
1.) Marilu & Derek – After watching Laurie & Val, I already knew there was no way the judges were gonna let Marilu win this one – although I will say that Marilu & Derek seemed to make better use of light and shade, and seemed to make the most of their music. Really liked the finesse Marilu had in her lines – she was really stretching some of those arm and neck lines well, and made her more interesting to watch, for me, than Laurie. Maybe a slight wobble here and there when moving from closed to promenade position, but overall, I liked the general staging and theme of their dance better than Laurie & Val’s – and I think anyone that had to face-off against Laurie was already kinda screwed from the get-go, but Marilu made the most of it.
2.) Terra & Sasha – I’m still really struggling with how to approach critiquing Terra, although I will say I found her dance this week to be a bit more impressive mainly because she went in and out of basic hold quite a bit more. I actually thought their Viennese waltz was quite lovely to watch – and heartfelt, on Terra’s part – but again, I find myself thinking “Yes, she’s handling it well – but if we’re being honest, this choreography still feels pretty basic.” I’m inclined to give Terra a bit of a free pass on some of it, because she simply can’t do a lot of the large, sweeping movements that someone of average stature could, but I think Sasha probably could have thrown in a bit more in terms of turns and arm passes to make it visually more interesting. Still pleasant to watch, but as the weeks wear on, I know I’m going to want more.
3.) Babyface & Allison – Maybe my choreographic expectations have just been set very, very low for Allison, given her track record of chaotic, dubiously-non-ballroom content, but I actually thought this was one of the better jives we’ve seen from her – she seemed to hone in more on basic steps (she seems particularly fond of the simple spin these days), and even her own jive technique seems better than before (I actually found her jive technique with Andy in season 21 to be kinda amateurish). But my complaint about Babyface remains the same: he just moves so SMALL, and with a minimum energy level. The way he moves actually kinda reminds me of how Tommy Chong was on the floor – he always managed to stay on time and do the steps (although upon second viewing, it looks like Babyface may have gone off-time a bit towards the end), but the energy level wasn’t super high, although Tommy was still fun to watch. Babyface…is like Tommy, minus 80% of the entertainment factor. Which stinks, because he seems like he’s got the rhythm aspect down, and actually does do the steps…just kinda small. I’d say he’s prolly safe this week, but he’s gonna need to step his game up if he wants to avoid jeopardy in the coming weeks.
4.) Rick & Emma – Oddly enough, I actually think Rick was one of the celebs who seemed 100% on tonight, and wasn’t thrown by the frenzied pace of tonight’s show – he seemed focused, determined, and invested, and he stayed on-time the whole time, from what I could tell! This was classic Emma choreography, and reminded me of that super-simple (but still fun to watch) Lone Ranger paso doble she gave Bill back in season 17. I actually would have given the match to him over Vanilla Ice – I thought Rick was cleaner in his technique. But really, I don’t see Rick heading home this week, either – even though I originally predicted him as a week 3 elim. The dude is actually kind of adorable on this show – like Vanilla, he seems so grateful to be there, and seems very invested in learning to dance; and he was like a kid on Christmas morning last week when he was called safe. Even those who detest his politics (Heidi) seem to agree that he’s pretty darn likeable on this show – hell, I may just toss a few votes his way.
5.) Amber & Maks – If this were a normal week and all 12 couples were eligible for elimination, I’d have these two at the bottom – I think the only thing that may save them this week is that Laurie & Val are already immune from elimination, and enough Val fans may toss just enough votes Amber’s way to keep her out of the bottom. That godawful “Booty” song, and a whole lot of twerking and non-salsa for a viewing audience that Amber already doesn’t fit in with demographically? YIKES. Clearly Maks wasn’t phased by their appearance in jeopardy last week, because this salsa seemed like it was thrown together in about an hour before rehearsals. He could have gone the more traditional route, and done a salsa more like the one we saw from Alfonso & Witney in season 19 to the same song, but he kinda went with the lowest common denominator here…not good. On top of that, Amber seemed like she was barely moving at some points. Just lots of “meh” here. I really hope Maks wakes up and stops phoning it in like he has so far, because I do like Amber, but I’m just not feeling optimistic at this point – just feels like he’s there to collect a paycheck this time around.
5.) Ryan & Cheryl – For what it’s worth, even when Cheryl has kind of a dud for a partner, she still somehow manages to make her choreography interesting – I didn’t say “impressive”, I just said “interesting” 😉 And I think that’s the route she went tonight – kept Ryan fairly stationary or only doing really basic cha-cha steps while she did most of the twirling and legwork. I did like the song, and oddly enough, Ryan wasn’t quite as a terrible as I thought he’d be – again, expectations were low, but at a few points, I actually thought “Dang, he could actually pass for doing a decent cha-cha!” and then he’d do something weird with his arm and I’d go “Wait, nope, still kinda weird.” My gut says he’s probably run out of steam/sympathy votes, but I would not be shocked to see Amber here instead – I actually found Ryan to be more memorable this week, so he may be able to eke out another week. Guess we’ll see.
Couples immune to elimination:
1.) Laurie & Val – Was I the only one left really, really confused about what happened in their rehearsal package? I had to rewind it because I was genuinely confused by why Laurie looked like she was in tears by the end of it – was Val getting frustrated with her, or was she mourning the fact that she’s 16 and never had a boyfriend or any “life experience” from which to draw from for her tango? The latter, by the way, has got to be one of the lamest excuses I’ve ever heard for being at a disadvantage in the tango – rumba and Argentine tango I can kinda-sorta understand, but sh*t, all you really gotta do in standard tango is keep a straight face and stay in frame. It’s not exactly a deeply emotional experience that you have to have experienced heartbreak to truly understand. So yeah – not sure what all that was about, and did anyone else catch that they were doing a *gasp* really fast tango to an EDM song??? With LASERS???!!! OMG, TOTES COPYING MERYL & MAKS’ TANGO!!! Or does that not count since Val & Maks are brothers? 😉 You know me, just gotta call out those that seem to think Meryl & Maks’ tango was the greatest thing since sliced bread and that every tango that’s followed (that has been done by someone other than Maks, Val, or Peta) has been a cheap copy. Honestly, I felt like Laurie & Val just kinda powered through this – they didn’t really use light & shade like Marilu & Derek…it just was go, go, go, DONE. But again, not surprised that she pulled out the win on this one…onto the next…
2.) Calvin & Lindsay – Calvin really seemed to knock his dance outta the park again this week – kinda thinking he may be better-suited to the ballroom dances than the Latin ones, which is unusual given he & Lindsay’s significant height difference…but I’m not complaining! I just found myself saying “Damn, this is NICE!” watching him – he didn’t seem like he was phased by anything, or nervous, or stuck in his own head…he just lived and breathed the dance, and god bless Lindsay for seeming to get him comfortable with moving BIG; so many of the tall guys on this show seem to clip their arm movements because they’re afraid of hitting someone, but Calvin followed through so nicely. Thought that the fact that he seemed to show more growth from last week to this week than Terra is probably what edged out the win for him. Don’t think he needs it, but at least he can relax a bit tomorrow night. I just love that dude’s smile 🙂
3.) Hinch & Sharna – Hinch does a damn good dance once again, but I think the one thing tonight that Calvin edged him out on was comfort – I felt like where Calvin looked completely at ease, Hinch…looked like he was thinking. While his cha-cha didn’t by any means suck, I just didn’t feel like he felt as comfortable with it as his foxtrot or paso doble – and given the nature of his injury from his accident, I wonder if he might struggle a bit more with hip action than the average guy on this show. He seemed like he was trying to stretch out his hip flexors during rehearsal, so it makes me a tad concerned about how he’s going to handle rumba, salsa, and samba further down the line. At least he has a bit of time to prepare. Can’t say I was wild about the song, but Sharna did give him some fun choreography that he could really play well to – kinda reminded me a bit of Nick’s week 1 cha-cha back in season 21.
4.) Maureen & Artem – Very, very pleasantly surprised that Mo was able to pull this one off over Amber – I, like so many others, assumed that salsa would be right in Amber’s wheelhouse (while being completely out of Mo’s), but it seemed like this one came down the pros involved: Maks phoned it in (kinda literally, when he pulled that cell out of his pants to take a selfie mid-dance with Amber), while Artem seemed to make a concerted effort to focus on more traditional choreography, and making sure that Maureen could handle it. And Mo seemed to keep up quite nicely – she actually did have some nice hip action and didn’t get bungled up on the arm wrapping actions. Once again, Artem impresses me with his choreography, and I’m also finding myself impressed that he’s staying committed to his partnership with Mo – I was afraid we might get a repeat “clock-out” performance from him like last season with Mischa, but thankfully, that doesn’t seem to be the case so far…
5.) Jana & Gleb – And now we enter what I like to call the “pros, be thankful you’re immune, because that choreography wasn’t your best” territory – once again, Gleb has me really, really, worried, because while that jive was fun and high-energy, it also looked like an utter mess at some points between all the tricks, and just general “busy-ness”. I felt like every dance we’ve seen from him so far has just tried to cram too much into the routine – and tonight, it seemed like Jana was getting winded at a few points. Sorry guys, but I just have a hard time getting on the Jana bandwagon this season – a lot of you seem to love her, and she’s not BAD, but I have yet to see anything from her that screams “contender” to me, either. So far, Calvin is doing a better job of solidifying his spot as a contender to me than Jana is – not sure if it’s the rib injury or Gleb kinda whiffing the choreography, but if I were these two…I’d be thankful for immunity this week, because I could have seen them in jeopardy if not.
6.) Vanilla & Witney – Since I heard Len call him “Vanilla”, I guess that’s the name I’m going with this season. Like Rick, I feel like Vanilla was one of the few 100% in-the-game tonight, and I find myself just loving how committed and grateful he is to be on this show – so I actually loved that he got paired up to face off against Rick, because it was the most non-confrontational face-off ever 😛 I would say Vanilla likely benefited from a more dramatic song & staging than Rick, and both lent themselves well to a bit more theatrical choreography. That being said – V did seem to get a bit off-time at one or two spots, and I’m not sure this was choreographically the strongest we’ve seen from Witney. Seemed like they may have relied a bit more on theatrics to carry them than actual choreography & technique, so I was kinda surprised when Len picked them over Rick & Emma’s more clean, traditional paso. But hey – I like Vanilla, so if this keeps him safe another week…I’ll take it 😎
General ranking of the face-offs:
1.) Calvin vs. Terra: Probably the most difficult of the face-offs, due to both having extreme height differences with their partners and having to do a dance in frame, and also the one that I think produced the two strongest dances. Thought Terra maybe had slightly better technique, but much simpler choreography; thought Calvin showed more growth, and gave us a more showy, artistic routine. Court’s winner: Calvin
2.) Rick vs. Vanilla: Loved that both guys seemed really committed to their dances. Thought Rick was simpler but cleaner; thought Vanilla was more artsy but a bit messy. Court’s winner: Rick
3.) Hinch vs. Ryan: Just generally enjoyed both dances, and found them cool to watch, even if they weren’t the strongest we’ve seen from these two – they both seemed to give it their best shot. Court’s winner: Hinch
4.) Laurie vs. Marilu: Hard for me to call this one, because while I prefer a bit more light & shade in my tango (like Marilu had), I think Laurie was able to power through with fewer wobbles just because she got a fast song she to which she could knock out the steps quickly. Court’s winner: Marilu, despite a few wobbles
5.) Babyface vs. Jana: If you fused these two together, you probably would have had one pretty damn good jive – Babyface’s precision & musicality with Jana’s energy & showmanship. But I found myself preferring Babyface’s low-energy jive over Jana’s messy one. Court’s winner: Babyface
6.) Maureen vs. Amber: Probably the overall weakest match-up of the night, but I favor Maureen’s simplicity and basic steps over the twerking and messing around Maks was having Amber do. Court’s winner: Maureen
So how do you guys think face-off night went? Did you like the format with less talk from the judges, and less time wasted? Share!!!
I was wondering if Val was borrowing from a previous performance. And now I know the answer is a big YES!
And it did look like Val was making Laurie cry.
I don’t want Marilu or Babyface or Ryan to go home.
In a way, I kind of liked not hearing the judges comments.
We can all agree that tonight score was a mess. The stand out to me was Marilu,James and Calvin in no particular order. If I were to guess who’s going home tomorrow it would either be Amber,Rick or terra but i doubt she will
Honestly I wasn’t sure if I had to make one giant list or seperate the two groups but I like the way you did it so I’m just going to do that. In regards to the lucky ones that are safe, I think that James and sharna would be ranked number one for me. That was his best dance yet in my opinion and I really think that he hasn’t had one bad dance yet which is huge with this show becuase viewers remember that. In second, it’s the lovely Laurie and Val who literally delivered yet didn’t at the same time. First off, there was a lift. Other than that it was solid and he delivered for once. So yay? In third, I think It’s Calvin. He owned that dance and he did good. Will I remember it more than terra…..no. In fourth, it’s Maureen who literally just had a blast and let loose and I loved it. In fifth, it’s Jana and gleb. That was boring choreography but fun to watch nonetheless. Honestly, they are gorgeous on the dance floor but this week and last week….not great. And last but not least I have to say (and it hurts to say it) vanilla ice. Love the idea but it was odd. Just so blah and I blame the choreogrpahy. Now the ones up for jeopardy. In first it Marilu by a mile. Talk about a dance that is going to be remembered! In second, it’s terra. She is wowing me week to week and I love that. In third, I have to say Ryan who just had a fun dance and I think he did his best yet. In fourth, it’s Amber who had a slight moment but a moment nonetheless. That leaves Rick in second to last. Love him and his atitude. The dance wasn’t bad but compared to the others it was very simple and simple can work and he did a good job but compared to the others not sure if he will last another week. in last and this hurts to say: Babyface 🙁 . Allison let him down. Song was great and he had the energy but the choreogrpahy was foregettable and when I couldn’t remember the dance that’s always a sign that the couple is going to be in the bottom in a good percentage of the cases. Love him and hope I’m
Wrong though.
I’m sorry but Ryan is cute and funny and makes me laugh! I love him and Cheryl together. I want him on the show more than many others. I hope rick or Amber goes home.
I also have been having a hard time getting on the Jana train. For me, part of it is that it seemed like they once again resorted to using sex appeal a little bit. I wish they wouldn’t do that in every dance. To me, it seems like a gimmick when it’s done every week.
I agree about Calvin. He looks like he’s having so much fun, working very hard, and really developing a feel for dance. I would like to seem him stay around for quite a while.
In regards to the whole Laurie looking like she was about to cry thing, I kind of wondered if that was because Val said “It takes two to what?” and she said: “Make a thing go right?” and then he snapped at her. Given how much he’s been raving about how amazing and happy she is all the time, I wondered if maybe that was the first time he had ever responded to her light, fun attitude like that and it hurt her feelings. Maybe I was just in a sappy mood, but I felt bad for her with the way he was talking to her at the end of that package.
In Jeopardy:
1. Marilu/Derek- I liked this, but I don’t think I liked it nearly as much as everyone else here did- it was just ok. I think, much like Nick Carter, my expectations of her were just way too high preseason. It was one of the best of a tepid night, though, and since James was safe they did get all my votes.
2. Babyface/Allison- There are moments of brilliance with him, and moments where he doesn’t seem to be doing well at all. I’m on the fence with him but I hope his fanbase is voting.
3. Terra/Sasha- She really is doing great. That being said, there is something off about watching them dance. I feel bad because it’s a height issue, but I as much as I like them, I don’t love watching them.
4. Rick/Emma- His best dance. His enjoyment and Emma’s magic has this liberal Democrat rooting for them every week. I hope he sticks it out a little longer
5. Ryan/Cheryl- I thought it was his best dance, but he looked rough IMO after watching James. His personality is starting to come, though, and I’m enjoying them.
6. Amber/Maks- Amber was one of my favorites coming in, but if someone has to go, I hope it’s her. She’s never looked comfortable. I hated the gym shoes and the choreo.
Safe:
1. Laurie/Val- I LOVED this- My favorite of the night. I liked seeing the powerful, serious side of her. I get CAI calling the lift, but it’s a little ridiculous since Gleb carried Jana last week and got away with it- the selective enforcement irritates me.
2. James/Sharna- I thought this was amazing. He’s got hip action and some serious moves- he’s gonna give Laurie a run for her money. He’s still my favorite in the competition.
3. Calvin/Lindsay-I think it’ll come down to Laurie, James, and him . He’s got that x-factor, and the dance was interesting and engaging. It wasn’t the best of the night, though.
4. Maureen/Artem- Artem’s choreo took a step up this season, and I’m surprised how much chemistry they have. She’s improving and enjoying herself more every week.
5. Jana/Gleb- I feel like a broken record and I hate that, but this couple is a massive disappointment to me. Choreo was blah again, and that was her worst dance. I know she has a lot going on, and maybe this wasn’t the right time to do the show.
6. Vanilla/Witney- He’s so committed and I am so surprised by his wonderful, supportive personality. This was not good, though, and I hated that he wore a cap.
I was pretty much ok with all the results, but the scoring was ridiculous. Overall I was not a fan of the night.
Just thoughts on the dance-off:
Jana VS Babyface : Not to steal your words Court, but I myself just can’t get on the Babyface bandwagon. He and Allison just don’t really excite me AT all. Maybe it’s his “suave” and “calm, cool and collected” demeanor but it all just makes him boring to me. I was mostly watching Allison the entire time because the woman is throwing some great choreo his way.. but Babyface is just.. there. Not doing a whole lot looking almost uninterested :\ Maybe it’s just me, idk. And then there’s Jana.. God knows I love her but I will agree Court that she is worrying me. I could blame it on lost rehearsal hours because of travelling this week (I don’t think they got a full rehearsal until Friday or Saturday) but I’m starting to wonder if I just set my hopes up too high for them. I still have some faith that she’ll redeem herself next week, specially with it being Most Memorable Year .. If she goes the emotional route with the story I’m thinking she’ll be telling.. and delivers an emotional dance.. she’ll be ok for a few more weeks. Hope her back is feeling better too. I have the win to Jana for the overall fun of it.
Vanilla VS Rick: I was pleasantly surprised by these two. They weren’t as bad as I thought they were gonna be. Rick kept up nicely and delivered that dance really well and Vanilla Ice sold the character perfectly.. albeit sacrificing technique. I would give this win to Vanilla Ice just cause I found the dance a lot more intense (which is how I like my Pasos) and I loved the feel of it.
James VS Ryan: I was waiting for James to do a Latin dance (one that involved hips unlike the Paso) to officially call him a threat to Golden Girl Laurie.. and I can now call him that! Sure the dance could have been better but he did a great job and there’s some hip action there. He just needs to look more comfortable with it.. but he’ll get there, I think. If my wish of having Jana and Gleb doesn’t work, I’ll be officially on the “StopAndGo Train” because they totally sold me tonight. Ryan wasn’t THAT bad either but James totally won it.
Calvin VS Terra: I liked Terra’s dance A LOT more than Calvin but I understand why he won. Calvin moves really nicely for someone so tall.. he sure glides through the dance floor with ease. I’m still not as in love with his dancing as some people (his frame towards the end got pretty bad) but he’s not bad at all. He reminds me of a more likeable, and “much better at dancing” Chad Ochocinco. Terra was absolutely lovely and she’s impressing me so much. I really want her to go far. I would have given it to Terra..
Amber VS Maureen: Maureen 100% won that. Classic Salsa choreography executed nicely? Yes please! I don’t know what Maks is doing this season but his choreography has been BADDD the past three weeks and I think it’s hurting Amber.
Laurie VS Marilu: I have to give the win to Laurie.. I just think she was more confident and clean than Marilu (regardless of the blatant lift). Marilu still held her own though and I loved the choreo in general.
If I had to guess I would say Amber is going home but I won’t be surprised if it’s Rick or Ryan.
I agree with most of Court’s rankings – the only person I’d really change is Babyface. I actually think he might be in danger – he danced first, and of all his dances so far, I think the jive was the worse one. So he might just be forgettable enough to not pull through, since he has the same score as Ryan and Amber. My guess is that it will be Amber or Babyface going home, with Terra and Ryan as outside chances.
I wasn’t really impressed with either Jana or Babyface tonight, though overall I enjoyed Jana’s more, and it felt like more of a jive.
Both Calvin and Terra did nice waltzes, but as I suspected, Terra’s V waltz didn’t have the sweeping feel that I really like. I was impressed by Lindsay’s choreography, and I though she did a great job with pulling out another side of Calvin. Sasha also did a really good job of making the dance work for Terra, and it definitely had emotion.
The paso was Rick’s best dance, and I thought he should have won the face off. It felt like a paso, and he was totally committed to it. Emma does such a wonderful job. I think he’ll make it another week. Vanilla also did a decent job – I just didn’t care for the music, and the dance didn’t really feel like a paso to me at all.
I thought James and Ryan were pretty even, with James slightly ahead – I don’t think there was really a four-point gap between him and Ryan, though. I really enjoyed Ryan’s cha cha, and thought it was his best dance so far. I realize that Cheryl kept things pretty basic, but he captured the cha cha feel, and the dance felt exciting and fun, which unfortunately, I didn’t really get from James and Sharna. However, I still love James, and am hoping he can take it all the way. I think Ryan’s showing enough improvement and that Cheryl has enough fans to pull them through for another week – at least I hope so.
Maureen really pleasantly surprised me tonight – I thought she did a great job, even though she seemed a bit nervous at times, and she at least danced something that had steps and felt like a salsa. While I like Amber, that dance really didn’t do anything for her. I don’t know if she and Maks together have enough fans to pull them through, but I wasn’t impressed by the dance at all. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s out tomorrow.
Argh – Marilu really got hosed tonight. While that wasn’t the best tango Derek’s ever done, when you compare her dance to all the others tonight, and look at what was getting at least one eight (like James’ cha cha), Marilu definitely deserved some eights. Laurie did a pretty good job with her tango overall, and showed some growth. However, she wasn’t three points better than Marilu. I also don’t think that she’s really happy in her partnership with Val – she doesn’t seem overly excited about it, and she has the kind of personality that if she was loving it, I think she’d be more vocal about it. It would just bubble over. Maybe I’m just reading into things – I don’t know. The relationship just feels very business-like.
RE: Laurie’s training package. I would have to watch it again to be sure, but I think she got upset because he was being severe with her, telling her that if she didn’t do better with the intensity he expected from her she would just be known as the sweet kid (or whatever words he used). I think it was the tone of voice that got to her.
It is probably unfair to judge based upon the small bit we get to see, but based on that bit, I have to say that when I watched that package, my only thought was that I would never want to be trained by him.
Compare his berating approach to that of Derek with Bindi. Derek helped Bindi find something ferocious within herself from which to draw the intensity he was looking for in the dance, and then showered praise on her again and again when she demonstrated that.
With Val, it seemed like he thought that if he demanded it forcefully enough, and berated her when she failed to please him, she would eventually deliver to him what he expected. Seemed more like browbeating than teaching to me…. much like a Russian ballet teacher I had when I was young. Those are not fond memories.
So enjoy reading your rankings Courtney, thanks!
I would say for me the order of the winners would be:James, Calvin, Lori, Maureen, V-ICE and Jana.
The so called “eliminees” would be: Marilu, Terra, Rick, Ryan, Amber and last Babyface.
The scoring was very confusing to me but I’m definitely not an expert but have watched this show since the beginning. I prefer no comments from the judges unless they can give good, helpful, concise feedback but that doesn’t always happen. So it sure seems their agenda is trying to be stealth but yet so obvious.
Laurie & Val deserved the win, but package irked me to no end. They really tried to paint Laurie as the underdog out of the two?? She’s an Olympic gymnast… we all know she knows how to look intense. Give me a break haha
The match ups I thought were really long on choreography and technique was ignored.
Jana vs Babyface I thought Jana at least was given Jive choreography and made an attempt, albeit it messy at times to work through the routine. Babyface choreo was more for his way of dancing, not ballroom dancing and he lacked energy. Jana eeked it out.
Rick vs Vanilla Rick started out strong, but he sort of lost his frame and the footwork looked unsupported. Vanilla had not much better in the footwork area, but he matched the intensity and commitment of the piece. Slight edge to ICE
James vs Ryan I was actually worried for James because as a very new dancer I thought he would not be able to pull off the cuban motion, but he did it, and he is on an upward trajectory. The more he dances the better he will get. Ryan has a secret weapon in Cheryl who can make a dance exciting even if the celebrity does not complete one cha cha basic with any finesse. Good win for James.
Amber vs Maureen. On this show a classic Salsa will beat a hybird twirking Salsa all day and everyday. Amber tried, but the choreo was cringeworthy. Maureen did a very careful dance with a rather clumsy trick at the end, but at least she looked like she was doing Salsa. Nice work from Artem.
Calvin vs Terra, I thought Terra really tried and given her limitations did a good job on the VWaltz, but the choreo was rather unexciting. Calvin got the benefit of much more interesting choreography, but his frame and his footwork were absolutely the worst. I thought they would have given this to Terra, but Calvin, I am surprised a football player needs immunity. Calvin for likability, but Terra for technique.
Laurie vs Marilu I was really disappointed in both Ballroom Tangos. What the hell do we always have to have lasers and darkness now..boring! I hate all the Argentine they keep throwing into this, it is an entirely different dance that can be really exciting all on its own. So I am totally pissed at Val for throwing in a lift, with the view to if he loses he still wins votes because…gymnastics.Ugh… Marilu looked amazing but what was the problem with Derek, he was so far apart in hold that it took the dance apart. The beautiful slow stealth movement of two moving as one well, it was deconstructed so much…I am not a fan of this kind of wholesale change of a dance style. I guess Psycho Tango is gone forever. 🙁
I honestly preferred Marilu/Derek over Laurie/Val. It seems as though TPTB HAVE to Pimp Val to yet another win as I truly think Laurie’s not pulling in the votes they think she ought to be. James & Terra are nipping at her heels!
I agreed with all the outcomes except Vanilla Ice and Calvin. Vice’s foot placement really threw that dance off for me, whereas Emma made Rick look good. Calvin is in my top 3 favorites, but I thought Terra’s smoothness on the floor was the more enjoyable tonight even though it’s not fair IMO to pair a female celeb vs. male celeb in ballroom. Then again, it’s not fair to pair a 16 year old with a 64 year old and so on. I agree Babyface may be getting lost in the shuffle and I do believe Gleb is using good strategy in trying to prevent Jana from the same fate. I don’t think Amber’s moves are really bad, but there’s just no chemistry there. I think she is super lucky Val is immune tonight. Without having a clue re Babyface’s voting base, I’m going to guess it will be him going, along with Amber and Ryan in jeopardy.
I was originally predicting that whoever lost the salsa duel would be eliminated tomorrow (very happy Maureen won!) but now I’m not so sure. I think it could be Rick because I have a feeling a lot of people who woud normally be voting for him may have been preoccupied by the Presidential debates tonight. I do worry for Amber though, and also Ryan to a lesser extent. No idea about Babyface.
The show wants Ryan gone, but I hope it’s Amber that goes.
I hate to say this, but neither Val’s nor Derek’s Tangos impressed me. I hate how dark they were. There is no chemistry.
I have been enjoying Babyface. Although, I agree that he seems to be hit and miss.
I loved watching Maureen win! She seems like a lovely person who is really putting herself out there, being vulnerable, and doing her best. She’s not at Marilu’s level but she is doing great for 60 and for not having dance experience. It seems like she and Artem have a pretty good connection and I liked seeing all the classic salsa moves. I clapped at my screen when she won! It is also nice to see her loving husband in the audience. Glad she’s around another week!
Calvin/Terra- Hate to say it, but Terra is obviously being overscored to accommodate for the things her and Sasha can’t do because of her height difference. Calvin was better for me, but still not quite enough ballroom hold for me to really enjoy it.
Rick/Vanilla- Neither Paso was very good tbh. If I had to pick I would say Vanilla did a slightly better job overall though.
James/Ryan- Not much to say about these two expect that both of them were very enjoyable tonight. James it definitely one of the frontrunners this season.
Babyface/Jana- I would say I didn’t love or hate either of their jives tonight. There’s something very likeable about Jana’s personality. However wft was up with Gleb touching her bottom/breasts during the dance? Thought that was a bit weird for a Jive.
Maureen/Amber- I was surprised by Maureen. She did better than I thought she was going to do. It was cute. Amber’s Salsa seemed like it had very little actual Salsa in it. I wouldn’t be surprised if she goes tomorrow or next week.
Marilu/Laurie- relatively speaking they both did great considering Standard Tango probably is one of the hardest dances to do one this show. Plus, neither had a very good song to dance to imo. Not surprisingly, Laurie had a bit better technique than Marilu overall.
Overall I would say it was an enjoyable episode for me however I don’t think they should do a face off in this format again.
Psychee22 #9, I couldn’t agree more to your entire statement. I particularly agree with the last paragraph. It expresses exactly what I have been thinking of Val’s teaching technique ever since I first saw him. If he finds it effective, it is at the expense of his student. Unfortunately the term ‘bullied’ comes to mind. If that is what DWTS is touting as the new model to represent them, I fear for it’s future. How very disappointing.
In jeopardy:
1. Marilu and Derek – Marilu had a hard time keeping up a few times (or something was a little off). Otherwise, what a stunning tango. She was a powerful Senorita.
2. Terra and Sasha – I just loved them again. They danced with so much heart and soul. I loved Sasha’s choreo again. Just lovely.
3. Babyface and Allison – There was some stiffness, but, what great choreo by Allison again. He’s such a charmer and melts me with his charm every time.
4. Ryan and Cheryl – He lagged a lot and he needs to loosen up, but, they were full of fire out there.
5. Rick and Emma – He was walking a lot and yet, all I saw was an entertainer out there and giving it all he could. What a fighter he is.
6. Amber and Maks – Another really messy dance. It was just painful to watch. I hope these two are going home.
Immune:
1. Val and Laurie – I loved the dance, but, Val not so much. Geez, he was so mean to her. The cute comment was so un-necessary.
2. Calvin and Lindsay – Impressive. They danced with such class and elegance. I loved his smile and joy again. Just beautiful!!
3. Sharna and James – These two keep amazing me every week. He’s really letting loose now. His timing was perfect and I loved all the sexiness. Their best dance yet!
4. Gleb and Jana – I was worried she wouldn’t be ready after seeing the coverage of her before the show started. But, wow, they came out ready, full of joy, and having a blast. Girl is a fighter and stronger than she thinks. I loved all of Gleb’s tricks too. Beautiful! I can’t wait to see what they do next!
5. Vanilla and Witney – He did much better than I thought he would. What I love is that he is loving this ride and making the best of it for how long he lasts. He’s fun and I love his attitude.
6. Maureen and Artem – She is so sweet and I love her, but, she had a hard time.
I feel like Amber would be the one to be eliminated based on viewer demo & likability. Not that she’s not sweet but I just don’t see her getting more votes than Lochte or Rick.
I also don’t think Maks has the fan base or excitement to vote for him he once did. He looks like the old, unexciting guy next to hot, fresh, new Gleb on the show. Maks isn’t the Maks of yesteryear.
I liked Jana & Gleb’s dance. It was fun & lighthearted while being flirty. Glad he mixed it up.
And Laurie my love, don’t listen to Val. There’s nothing wrong with being ‘cute little Laurie’. Don’t let him make you feel ‘less than’ over the emotion of a dance style. It’s not worth loosing any of the happiness out of your cheeks. You’re absolute doll.
Excellent post as always. Just a few comments-
Jana – I just can’t connect with her personality. Dancing is certainly enough to keep her around a while, but I just don’t enjoy watching her personality
Terra – best dance yet, I thought the move she did do, she did extremely well. I think maybe that’s sasha’s strategy. They have much less in their box of steps and tricks, but he is perfecting what she can do. I expect her to be here at least through wk 6
Rick – I think those are the slowest steps I’ve ever seen Emma do, but she knows how to sell it, and he gets an A+ for showmanship. Hope he stays around, but his time is definitely nearing.
Maureen – better tonight, although I think Artems choice of costume and placement helped her immensely.
Amber – sticking with my earlier prediction, as the lower of this battle I think she goes home. That was awful – her worst yet. And how much of it was her fault? Yes she definitely need to pick her feet up more and show some energy, but Maks gave her little to work with IMO.
Marilu – Derek killed it with production value out of that song. I enjoyed this much more than Lauries. I kind of thought Marilu took the loss a bit hard. I hope Derek works his magic and gets her back on course.
Hitch – I loved this, but I did notice he keeps his chin down and stares at Sharna a bit much. I’m sure its a focus thing, but given his height, the chin down made him seem smaller. I think this could become a bigger issue later.
Ryan – well, CHERYL danced her butt off. Ryan – pretty much stood and moved his arms. Len said it was his best, I thought it was his worst.
Calvin – fantastic. I really like how Lindsay is developing him. I think he might be a finals contender. Best yet.
Babyface – he has everything he needs – except energy. Just no energy coming from him and thus the dances aren’t as fun to watch. If he doesn’t find some soon – I think he is out soon
Final comment – Laurie is an Olympic champion who has spent a decade being coached by the elite. I’m pretty sure she has developed a thick skin to some pretty harsh coaching in the past, so for her to show that emotion means either she wasn’t expecting it from Val, or it was even worse than what we saw. I actually don’t have a problem with the message he delivered about cute Laurie – as I have been saying I thought she would struggle with deep emotions, but as usual, it was how Val decided to deliver that message. I guess his choreography isn’t the only place where he isn’t creative.
Amber needs the Maks from his partnerships with Mel B or Kirstie, unfortunately we haven’t seen that Maks in a very long time and probably won’t ever again.
That salsa he gave Amber was one of the dumbest dances ever on the show. I don’t mind him showing her in a sexy light, but that was a pandering, lazy, boneheaded way to do it. It was sleazy sexy instead of confident sexy.
Amber also looks lost a lot when she’s dancing. A good teacher/partner would be there with her during the dance guiding and assuring her.
I’m not sure what was going on in the rehearsal package for Laurie&Val. She was trying to lighten the mood with her comment to his “It takes two…….” and he completely shut her down. It was like watching an assh**e kick an adorable puppy. Lighten up Francis.
I also really love Rick and his enjoyment at being on the show. And his Paso wasn’t bad! His best dance so far.
Hinch…dang. He’s just awesome.
Amber, I think she did well with what she was given. I also this think this weeks dance was MUCH better than what she had last week. Amber is such a pretty girl , such a beautiful smile. I hope she doesn’t leave.
While my team is Hennergy, I feel like Laurie’s tango just slightly edged theirs this week. Purely in speed and attack. I LOVED Marilu’s, don’t get me wrong, but it seemed just a tad slow and timid in a couple of places. Not what I’m used to seeing with Derek’s tangos. Technically beautiful though.
Calvin. Love him. Hope he goes a long way.
I even enjoy seeing Ryan let loose a little and be goofy.
Think Courtney was spot on with Babyface. He has flashes of brilliance but seems so shy about showing it. He just needs to let loose.
Yeaaaah…what exactly is wrong with being “cute Laurie”? She’s 16 fucking years old! And a gymnast who has been working her tail off her whole (short) life. She was right to be concerned about Marilu’s life experience – her only mistake is in not realize that NO ONE who works on that show wants Derek anywhere near a MBT again. That, along with her youth, energy, and her *cute* are her biggest advantages. And Val’s apparently too much the idiot to realize what makes Laurie, Laurie. Idiot. This is why the producers have to work so hard to get him a trophy – he just doesn’t understand how to harness the strengths of his partner to her best advantage. This is why Derek has 6 trophies, with all kinds of partners. And this just might be why Val loses yet again. The standard of dance and personality is high and Marilu ain’t your main threat, dude. James, Calvin, Jana, Terra…watch your ass, son.
@Princess Heidi I totally agree. I have thought from the beginning of the show that Laurie’s personality had the potential to appeal to viewers in a very similar way to Bindi’s (aka people love the cute, young girl who exudes joy and excitement all the time). Derek knew how to show Bindi how to take on the personality of each dance without leaving behind the essence of her own unique personality that everybody loves. Val doesn’t seem to realize that he should try to do the same with Laurie. It would have the double benefit of preserving the reason she appeals to viewers and making her feel happier and more comfortable.
Val wants that MBT so badly it’s killing him. Instead of focusing on Laurie, he was focused on Marilu last night, or Derek more specifically. I am rooting for Marilu, but have to admit mainly because of Derek. I think she’s also a little too intense about this whole thing. Definitely not one of my favorite Hough tangos, perhaps because I didn’t care for the music. I was actually surprised Derek said he liked it.
I agree with PH, the personality standard is really high this season and the people I thought would be front runners seem to be lagging in that department. Right now, I think Jana, James, Terra and even Rick are winning the personality contest. Laurie can’t compete with that, but Val can let her do what she does best. On SM, as far as I can tell, she’s well ahead of the game so why is he fighting it? He should take note of Lindsay, Emma, and especially Artem this season and how they’ve handled three very challenging partners.
I’ll be watching the elimination with some interest tonight. I could make a case for Ryan, Amber, Rick and Babyface getting eliminated and I wouldn’t be surprised if any of these four went. I’m gonna stick with my prediction of the Maureen/Amber loser (so Amber) but if Val fans rally hard then she could just about stay alive. She got the same score as Babyface who went very early in the show, also doesn’t have a big demographic fanbase and was forgettable. We could easily see a shock elimination tonight.
I’m not so sure I buy that Laurie was crying because Val scolded her for saying “it takes two to make things go right”. It looked to me that she had already been tearing up, and when he brought that up, she had already started to calm down…and then teared right back up when he scolded her for her response. We missed a big chunk of what happened, I’d put money on it – I don’t believe for a second that a gold medal-winning Olympic gymnast would be so sensitive that she’d tear up at a fairly calm chiding from Val. There was more to it than that, which we will probably never find out. But yeah, Val’s finding all sorts of ways to self-sabotage this season – I don’t even think we’ve gotten much of a chance to see “cute Laurie” because Val’s always talking over her! And now, it’s looking like he’s trying to steer her in a more mature direction, which I don’t see working in her favor. As I told Hinch’s roommate the other night, I think Hinch is the only one (at least right now) that stands a decent chance of beating Laurie – and I’ll be damned if Val isn’t making it that much easier for Hinch to slide in and charm the viewers.
Semi-related: I’ve been told by non-U.S. viewers that the only video from last night’s show that is geoblocked is Hinch & Sharna’s. Coincidence?
I am really not sure where to rank anyone after last night. One of the reasons I love this show is that it really does show you such a different side to so many people. Rick Perry for example: Politically, cannot stand him. Dancing, I absolutely adore him. I love his enthusiasm for everything, I love his partnership with Emma, and I love his positive upbeat attitude. Same with V. Ice. Wasn’t really sure what to expect with him; honestly thought he wouldn’t take it too seriously but he is really giving it his all and him and Witney are a great match.
Overall it will be interesting to see who goes home tonight. Since only half of the couples are up for elimination, I would guess that a lot of people (myself included) switched who they voted for this week. I could easily see Amber or Ryan going home, but I wouldn’t be all that surprised to see Babyface going home.
Last night was interesting, and I think tonight could be even more interesting.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Babyface go home tonight. Not because he did anything wrong, just because this season is full of big personalities and I think he’s just the one constantly lost in the shuffle.
I agree with those who say Amber, Ryan, Babyface and Rick are the four most likely choices to go tonight. I think Rick’s safe, but it will depend on what PH shows the gap to be in her Dancing by the Numbers post. If it’s too big, then Rick could be going home. However, Amber, Ryan and Babyface are all tied at 25 point, and I think Ryan (w/ Cheryl’s fanbase as well) will get the one vote needed to pass Amber and Babyface. Which of them won’t get the votes – I’m not sure. I’d say Amber, except that Val’s fans or people who split between Maks and Val may all vote for Maks since Val is safe. So I don’t know. And I think Terra, because of her score, will be safe, and of course, Marilu also has Derek’s fans, so she’ll be fine. I’m eager to see what PH says when she runs the numbers. 🙂
Does anyone know whether the judges’ portion of each contestants rank will be based on total points awarded last night or just points awarded to those in jeopardy? This would be the difference between their percentage of 325 points vs their percentage of 156 points, so if they went with only points awarded to couples in jeopardy, that would create a much wider margin between the couples than if they did it based on all the points.
Only to couples in jeopardy. The couples who are immune don’t need any of the votes or scores at all tonight since they’re all safe. It starts over again next week. It’s only going to apply to the 6 couples in jeopardy.
Well, I thought the danceoffs could have gone to either couple (save Hinch and maybe Maureen). I think Baby face is most apt to be headed home with outside chances of Amber, Ryan and Rick (in that order).
Kenny/Jana – I agree with Courtney that he had more straightforward content and technique while she brought the panache. I think Gleb’s choreo was trying to mask her need for more rehearsal time and it was refreshing to see a more fun, lighthearted dance from them.
Rick/VIce – Rick was painfully slow but well staged. Vice’s was more Paso in feel v look, but needing improvement. Julia raised an interesting point that conservatives that might normally vote for Rick may have otherwise been tied up by the debate last night and. IIRC, Bristol Palin’s usefulness in the AllStar season conveniently expired the night after a Presidential debate, so it will be interesting to see if a pattern develops.
Terra/Calvin – My two favorite dances of the night. Both were poignant in their own way and both of these pairs gel well.
James/Ryan – Neither danced much Cha Cha (heck, Ryan didn’t dance much at all) big I thought James was fluid and had some enticing hip action. Cheryl wisely danced around Ryan but I do like their partnership.
Maureen/Amber – Well Maureen actually attempted Salsa and sort of looked the part. I appreciate Artem’s commitment and choreo (even if I think he could have simplified it a bit more). She was probably the most spared person in this danceoff business. Amber at least looked to enjoy this dance more than her others but didn’t care for the direction Maks’ ran with this one.
Marilu/Laurie – Didn’t care for either song but preferred Derek’s choreo. I’d like to see Marilu more consistent throughout her performances. While Laurie was sharp in her movements, Val’s Tangos are too one note and staccato for my taste (again, song didn’t help). While he wouldn’t have been my first choice as a partner for her, I didn’t think she was particilarly upset in her package (“it takes two to?…make a thing go right” – HA!). We did however see the true Val instead of the Mr. Happy caricature he’s been trying/failing to pass for the past few weeks.
You don’t actually KNOW that, Tina. The rules clearly state that the elimination is based on the the percentage of total points awarded plus the percentage of the votes. Since 300+ points were handed out, it’s just as easy to make the argument that all the points will be used.
Thanks for the modified rankings Court. Spot on as usual!
I agreed with 3 of the Judges’ face-off results: James, Calvin & Maureen. I was thrilled about Maureen’s victory. Artem is doing right by her and impressing me this season. Hope this win gives Maureen a big shot of confidence.
Still completely on the Hinch-train and am also loving Calvin to bits.
Marilu and Derek are also on my faves list, but I’m still waiting for that dance that says “watch out, we’re in the house”. I think they’re still laying the foundation right now.
Jana and Gleb are kind of a mess. It makes me sad to say that becaue I loved this pairing and wanted them to do well, but they’re just not getting it done.
About the only good thing I can say about last night’s format was the lack of judges’ comments. I get the need for an abbreviated show, but the gimmicky tie-in to the candidates’ face-off was lame and was a disservice to the celebs. For me, until the finals, DWTS isn’t about head-to-head competition. The couples are out just there trying to do their individual best dance to impress the judges and viewers.
I could have put up with the face-off but I utterly reject the immunity angle. Give the winners an extra point or two as a reward but NOT immunity. Don’t cherry-pick the producers’ chosen ones and then leave us viewers with just 6 couples to vote for in Week 3. That’s just foul!
@PH, I think hearing that Tom said don’t vote for any of the couples who won immunity automatically made me think that the scores for those who won didn’t count, but now thinking about it you are right and he’s probably just implying that the votes for the couples who won don’t count.
@Courtney I can’t see Hintch and Sharna’s video now and I live in Bosnia and Herzegovina. But also last week, I couldn’t see Merilu’s foxtrot(and I think Maureen’s dance) via phone but it was available via laptop, but I checked now I can see it on phone, but they have the least views so…
Not surprised by the couples who won immunity I like Sasha / Terra partnership but they have been so overscored but when you look back, at least as long as I have been watching every contestant with a disability has made the finals (Amy, Noah, Nyle) I did not like last night’s show too much Seemed like everything was rush rush including the dances Wish they would have just did the entire show Tuesday and nothing Monday or maybe set up the dances Monday entire show Tuesday In my opinion immunity was not necessary either why not just score and leave it at that Much too early in the competition to win immunity
Laurie and Val were easily the best of the night. Followed by Marilu and Derek who had issues, the dance was kind of slow compared to the other tango and her lines were great, but her movements and the whole flow of the dance let me down. So yeah, Laurie and Val take the night.
James and Sharna also did good. I can’t take my eyes off of Sharna when she dances.
Ryan didn’t even move and considering Cheryl efforts with choreo and the production design of the dance, it really was a bummer.
I don’t know what’s going on with Gleb, definitely not a great choreographer and he’s screwing Jana because she looks like she can dance well.
As with Gleb, I don’t know what’s going on with Amber. This week should have / could have been her week, the song and the dance looked like something she could’ve worked with, but she ended up looking shy and like she had never danced in her life. Not crazy about Maks’ work either.
I honestly don’t care about the rest of the couples. But I will say that even if I don’t care about Allison and Babyface, mostly because of Allison, she actually did do a good job. He looked like could’ve done better, there were moments where you thought he was going to ace one move and then his energy just wasn’t there. Like the original post says, “he moves too small”. But there’s something there that you just know could turn out to be great, it just never happens.
I had to rewatch the Laurie and Val package. I don’t get what the big deal is. No, she can’t be cute Laurie during a Tango. At least that’s what other tangos have led me to believe. Leave cute Laurie for a jive, chacha, or whatever, but he’s comment was ok. We got like two minutes of a whole week of rehearsals, who knows what happened, what they were talking about, what he did, what she did.
Also, I live in Mexico. I couldn’t see ANY of the dances last night. So I don’t think this one is part of the conspiracy theory to give Laurie, what has been until this week, a deserved *possible* win.
Mafer, I don’t really care what you do or don’t see in Mexico. I had multiple fans outside the U.S. tell me they were able to watch all but one video online: Hinch & Sharna’s. This was the case for a fan in Canada, a fan in the UK, and a fan in west Africa.
And if you couldn’t see any of the dances, how are you critiquing them now? Hmmmm?
@Courtney I guess Sharna just gave a proverbial middle finger and posted the dance on her Instagram.
Not that that’ll reach more people than YouTube and make it right or anything. Sigh.
The very fact that Sharna posted it just kinda drives the point home for me that there is something very, very weird going on this season, with regards to international viewers – and Sharna sees it, too.
Interesting perspective on Val/Laurie- when I saw it I actually thought maybe her schedule (tour, minor work restrictions, DWTS) was catching up with her and she was feeling exhausted, I didn’t necessarily see it as a Val thing. Could be bad for them going forward though, if both of them start to crack under pressure. Esp. considering James and Calvin are really connecting more and more every week.
Speaking of pressure, I was surprised how bummed and let down both Marilu and Derek seemed in their interviews after the dance. Derek looked more disappointed in their performance than I’ve seen in a while IMO. I’m wondering if the pressure of being “Derek’s partner” is getting to Marilu- esp. considering the reporter made a point to tell Marilu that they are in jeopardy and “Derek’s never in jeopardy.” She just seemed hard on herself, which is ridiculous since she’s been consistently one the best performers so far.
Courtney, I’m from Europe and I can’t see only Hinch and Sharna’s dance too. Interesting, I really don’t know what’s going on with international fans seeing videos /voting for the show this season.
@Chayse – it can be hard to realize that you’re one of the best performers when you’re consistently not recognized for that from the judges. Also, listening to the AH interview, it sounds like Marilu really *killed* it in rehearsal and that she had a real breakthrough that week that didn’t come out in her performance. I think that’s why they’re both disappointed.
Chayse, I read somewhere that they did much better in dress rehearsal so I think they were disappointed they did not being their best in the live show.
I saw in an interview article that she can get distracted and become inconsistent in the live show; first with being off starting mark for the jive week 1 by a lot (Derek mentioned that after that dance), and that she is a bit ADD and can get unfocused. It’s something that needs to be fixed that so they perform more consistently and I think he could be a bit frustrated in trying to work on that somehow with her. I think she might have pulled out the win if her performance was as good as dress rehearsal!
#Chayse. Yes, Derek was far more subdued than we’ve seen him in post dance interviews in awhile. But I think he was sad for her, and is probably blaming himself for not having prepared her well enough as it has been a very long time since one of his partners have “lost their way” (as he put it) during a dance with him. And it is kind of ironic that it happened with a tango quite a bit like the one he did with Alexa which proved so therapeutic for her own anxieties.
But I agree with you that Marilu is putting far more pressure on herself to do justice to Derek than is healthy or wise for her to do at this point. No matter how good your memory is, anxiety is going to throw a monkey* wrench into the works. Apparently she killed the dance during dress rehearsal and then choked mid-way through the broadcast. That can only be explained by performance anxiety.
I have confidence, though, that now Derek knows that this is a problem, he will find a way to address it. I’ve got faith in the boy. He likes a challenge.
#to Catherine
*(NB: Dear Catherine, just in case you have problems with mechanics’ tools as well as garden tools, please know that by using the term “monkey wrench” I have not just called Derek or Marilu an ape…)
🙂
I agree with everyone (and they were clearly underscored) but looking at last night I thought their performance was really solid- a few mistakes but its not like she blanked out and forgot what she was doing. It was honestly one of the best of the night and she been near the top every week. I’m sure it was disappointing after a killer dress rehearsal but with as positive and energetic as their partnership has been, I was surprised by both of their tones after the show.
@Psychee, thank you for the laugh with the last sentence, LOL!!
PDH posted that next week is most memorable year and Marilu has a sad song that brought her to tears, so I think it will be a redemption week for her, also to show that vulnerable side that nobody’s seen of her yet. I hope they have V. Waltz or Rumba, or maybe even contemporary.
P22: LOL!
I appeared to me on the All Access stream, that Laurie is not enjoying her partnership with Val. There isn’t closeness or smiling or anything between them. It is probably more like a business partnership now since all Val cares about is the Mirror Ball anyway. I was afraid of that Val was going to be an ass with her. I cant stand him.
Thank god that Val got at least one point deducted for the lift. Why was he surprised?
I hope Derek can help Marilu with her ADD and make her relax and focus and enjoy everything. I don’t want her to become like Nick with Sharna. That was a trainwreck.
And that totally sucks that it appears that TPTB are trying to put wrenches in Hinch’s votes.
I seriously hope Rick or Amber go home tonight.
Psychee22 – Thanks for the laugh!!
Not all people with disabilities are created equal. Amy was a great dancer and deserved to be in the finale, as was Nyle. I don’t think that Terra approaches that level.
That’s why it’s a serious problem comparing two Tangos to two different speeds of music. Slow?? Tangos aren’t generally “fast” dances. They’re supposed to have light and shade.
Mafer, it you’re going to comment her you need to do two things:
– attempt to understand what the discussion is that you’re disagreeing with or commenting on.
– disgree without the bullshit “I don’t get what the big deal is” – clearly you aren’t reading what others write, otherwise you WOULD get it. You don’t have to agree…but you should be able to “get” it.
Excuse me? Derek’s been in jeopardy many times! Some idiot said that to her? Jaysus.
That dance wasn’t four 7s – even if you believe Laurie won, that dance was better than 7s. I wouldn’t be surprised to see they were bummed by that.
Hahaha…oh dear. I doubt we’ll see catherine again as some of us are having too much fun with it.
It’s been a while since Derek has danced with an older woman and he needs to adjust to Marilu, I think. He’ll find a way. I think he sees how well Marilu moves and forgets that she’s 64 – and with the age comes a pretty severe loss of ability to balance. I think he’ll figure it out, provided they aren’t underscored right out of the competition.
Chayse, I suspect that the dress rehearsal was so good (and I was watching them in the sky box – it was awesome) that her loss of balance at one point seemed a lot bigger than it actually was.
I am rooting for Derek and Marilu and I enjoyed their dance but her frame looked weak in places. Also, we’re they not too far apart at times? I enjoyed the dance though and thought Laurie did well but lacked emotion. They should have been more closely scored IMO.
I am loving watching Calvin and I thought he did well last night. Terra was enjoyable and she seems to be improving but the height difference makes ithe tough.
I think Vanilla did better than Rick but was not wowed by either of these dances. A forgettable pairing.
If I had to pick a winner right now my guess would be Hinch. He dances very well and seems like such a charmer. For someone I didn’the know I am really enjoying him. I wanted to enjoy Ryan more than I have and really thought being an Olympian that he would be a better dancer than he is.
I seem to find myself enjoying Bobby face more than Jana. He does often move small but she is just forgettable for some reason. I expected to enjoy her dances more than I have so far.
I am loving Maureen’s enthusiasm for the show. She seems to really be enjoying herself and is improving. Amber has been at a disadvantage with Maks this season. She seems uncomfortable dancing and he is not helping her cause with his choreography. I get the feeling Maks is not really happy this season and it shows.
I did enjoy not listening to the judges comments.
About Last Night. It seemed to me that not just one pro phoned it in, but the entire show was called in. To me, that show was the worst I’ve ever seen. It was so rushed that it took away from all the dances, by making them feel rushed as well. It’s rare that I haven’t watched it at least five to ten times by now. But I believe it would be painful to have to view it over again. I have never disliked an entire show. But there was just something about last night. And the only term that comes to mind was how it was all rushed. I hope they don’t have to resort to this type of show again this season. But I’ve a feeling we just saw the first of many screw ups the election is going to cause this season. It even felt like the judges were just holding up a paddle regardless of the number. Those scores were all over the place.
I said “Last night”. I posted my comment a long time after “last night”. Meaning I eventually got to download the episode and watched it this morning, since I can’t see any clips from anybody online.
RE: “cute Laurie”
Val was kind of intense about it when he made that comment to Laurie, but I agree that I don’t really want to see Laurie being “cute” all season. There is often criticism when celebs come off as one-note (e.g. Rumer being “sexy” for most of her dances), and I would like to see how Laurie takes on different characters and emotions, even though she is only 16.
Just want to say that I loved this “low production” week. No judges overtalking (or talking at all hehehe), good dances no much gimmicks or stage stuff…
Dance shined over everything and this makes me very very happy.
About the Hinch Geo Blocks, I don’t know what is going on this season, even though Hinch is selling the Canadian nice guy image, Canadians can’t vote for him. We could however, vote for Pam Anderson.
Well, Cassanova, I’ve got my theories about the geoblocking/keeping non-US fans from voting – the primary one being that everyone’s favorite Canadian racecar driver poses too big of a threat to America’s sweetheart walking off with the MBT. So far, they’ve done what funny business they can with the voting (although there is a way around it, if you vote with a VPN) and conveniently geoblocked Hinch & Sharna’s cha-cha (which Sharna then went and posted…hmmmm) – my next worry is that they’re gonna give him the Nastia treatment and start cherry picking soundbytes out of his rehearsal tapes to make him look like a bad guy. I actually told Hinch’s roommate on Friday (long story) to warn Hinch not to give the editors anything to work with, because they can and probably will use it eventually. My only hope is that Hinch makes himself so damn likeable (a la Bindi) that they wouldn’t dare try to give him a bad edit.
I somewhat agree with you with the light and shade part for Marilu vs Laurie but I felt that Marilus head was too wobbly and some moves weren’t as sharp
Of course there were flaws, Ajay – she’s 64 and hasn’t danced in a long time. She got SEVENs! No way was she three full points below Laurie.
I think Derek and Marilu will blow us away once he figures out how to get the best out of her, and I have no doubt he will. He is the best teacher, choreographer, dancer after all. I didn’t like the show at all and hope they don’t do that again. I didn’t watch last season, along with a lot of other fans, because Derek was not on. I can’t imagine why they would want him to look bad in any way, He is DWTS and their ratings are never as high without him. I really like Sharna and James, and hope Ryan gets better because I love Cheryl too.She is very similar to Derek in how she represents the show…both are class acts.