Dancing with the Stars Season 23, Week 8 – LIVE BLOG!!
Happy Halloween!!
Site rules in are effect – don’t hit refresh every 2 minutes, make sure you’re not posting one-liners, etc. Thank you. π
Loved the opening number…especially the outlines on the floor π
Big mention of Sharna – but no mention at all of a missing Derek. He wasn’t in any of the group number rehearsals either…I think Hairspray must have interfered. But he’s not anywhere visible – he’s either practicing with Marilu or he hasn’t gotten there yet. The other explanation is the couples standing on stage after the pro dance was also filmed earlier.
Love Beetlejuice – the dance was pretty good, but Halloween always screws with the dances. I suspect that the judges will use that against the couples when they want to, and won’t when they don’t. Come on, CAI…you think it was too slow?? SHE DIDN’T PICK THE MUSIC!! So stupid.
Sharna apparently told Dominic on All Access that she will “100%” be back on the floor – he said that to James so I assume the context was with James and not in general. And James confirms that it’s 100% Sharna choreo/production.
Val showing a tiny bit of personal growth! Good. But this edit makes me suspect a possible Laurie redemption arc…and I also suspect they’ll use Sharna’s injury to hose James.
Very good dance!! But not worthy of the perfect score that I suspect they’ll get.
Yep, perfect. It will be interesting to see who else gets the 40. And who ends up with immunity.
OH HOOO…they just claimed that the cumulative score will be the deciding factor. A different story from earlier in the season. That means that Jana is out of the running for immunity and it’s between Laurie and James if he gets a perfect score.
Interesting edit they gave to Marilu and Derek – just now mentioning the injury and making it seem like all was fine last week (in terms of the injury).
A couple sync issues at the beginning and then a slight miss at the end, bonking Derek on the head. Choreo was awesome, working with her feet well.
Note, they barely speak to Marilu and Derek after spending eons with Terra and Laurie. Shit adds up. I think a 7 is harsh for that dance…makes me wonder if she is safe.
Love Calvin and Lindsay!! Very good dance, although I saw a sync issue in the middle, not to mention they broke hold in a quickstep. I dug it though.
Hmmmm….interesting. NOW they start scoring him well? After breaking hold and a sync issue? That’s all well and good…I wouldn’t mind if he won…but it’s a bit suspect. I suspect they want several couples with perfect scores for the sake of DRAMA and who will get immunity. :::rolls eyes:::
I can’t help it… I think Ryan is just hilarious. Really liked that dance as well…but I confess I wasn’t watching closely so I can’t say too much more about it.
I will also comment on a fan double standard which I’m finding a bit sexist – the way Derek and Cheryl talk to their partners this season is nearly identical – honest, tough love. But Derek is the only one who gets any shit for it. Is it because Marilu is female that they think she should be treated differently??
Anyway, I would give Ryan a pretty good score…not having watched it closely, granted. π
I’m sure it’s a total coincidence that Ryan and Marilu are tied. :::smirk:::
Relax Gleb…all it really means on DWTS is that you have no rules. Do you WATCH this show? And no way is she the top girl….you forget Laurie?
Did I see a big glaring mistake at the beginning of Jana’s dance?? Again, multitasking too much…
It was also a good dance, but not terribly new or exciting. Will she be over scored? Eh, I guess 9s are okay. She had no shot at immunity anyway, so at least they’re not carrying the pretense that far.
Don’t worry, Sharna – you’ll get by on the sympathy spamming until you’re back. No danger for James, IMO.
Great dance! Should be a perfect score, if Laurie’s was. They cynic in me feels the need to point out that Laurie and James both did V. Waltz and both will probably be perfect. James’ dance was far superior to Laurie’s I think – have to agree with Julianne. Gonna have a hard time deciding who to vote for between James and Calvin in the finale. π
Oh, Tom just pointed out before the score that James would get immunity if they get a perfect score. So, no dragging that one out. Thanks Tom. π
NOOOO….Tom, people HAVE TO VOTE for them to keep them safe next week!! He was far to wish washy on that point, it needs to be reinforced. They are not automatically safe next week!
Heh…the pros and celebs worked the dance off out before hand. Is it mean that I felt like Jana would pick Marilu just to ensure a win? π
I’m gonna guess that whoever wins the dance off between Ryan and Marilu is the one going home tonight…that way they’re sure to get rid of the other one next week. You heard it here first.
Okay first dance off Calvin versus Laurie – I thought that Laurie and Val were very repetitive in the choreo. Mess up my ass Julianne. Are they going to score this??
Oh shut up, CAI – it’s the cowards way out to pick Ryan. And she acts like she doesn’t know they all worked it out beforehand.
And Laurie and Val win that one…no surprise.
Are they supposed to yield the floor in the middle?? If not, it’s a clever idea to make sure both get attention. Gleb’s turning into a bit of a famewhore with the shirt thing though. I personally thought that Terra and Sasha won that one, but I doubt the judges will give it to them.
No way…Terra was winning the public vote the entire time it was on the screen. Something smells.
:::sigh::: Jana gets the extra points. And remember my prediction from above?? I wonder…
What the hell were Ryan and Cheryl doing off to the side? Looks like Ryan won the audience vote in addition to the judges.
Wow, down to the wire….first couple safe is….Marilu and Derek!! See above for how I called the loser of their dance off being safe.
Next couple safe is…Laurie and Val.
Calvin and Lindsay and Janna and Gleb are both safe, damn it.
Person going home is….Ryan and Cheryl. Very happy for Terra…wish it had been Jana.
I couldn’t choose between Marilu and Ryan going home, while Courtney picked Marilu. Vogue said it was going to be Ryan! She called it right this week.
A note on the numbers…Terra is only one point ahead of Marilu, but it’s almost certain to be one of those two next week because the show has rigged it very, very well to get the couples they want next week, regardless of what the audience may want.
Incidentally, tonight is also an example of why they’re terrified of Derek, as much as they want him to come on every season. Clearly, his fanbase has power. π
I love love love love the opening. Could watch that all night. Liked it better than stricty that’s for sure.
Opening number wasn’t bad, but dang – really suffered from the lack of Derek there.
But Derek is performing with Marilu tonight, right? He shoulda been on stage when they introduced each Celeb, ?
Loved the opener!
Too much messing about. Sasha is taking cues from VAL apparently. Very little Cha cha as well.
Yeah I’ve given up on the trick or treaters since there were so many here (six bags of 300 pieces of candy….and I packed each bag and they only had one so suffice to say I’ve become sick of my doorbell) and suffice to say I’m loving Halloween this year lol. Anyways, Terra and Sasha were great. I’d give it a 9 for sure.
Loved the opening number! Was not impressed with Terra’s dance at all though. It did not seem to have much Cha-Cha though.
Happy Halloween squirrelfriends!
The opening dance was really cute.
I liked Terra and Sasha’s cha cha. It was a nice homage to the dinner party scene from the movie, but that song was too plodding and slow for a proper cha cha. Sasha did the best he could with it though.
From the look of her hair, Julianne apparently stuck her finger in a light socket.
WTF is with the VAL crying BS? Cmon…way to manipulate Rob Wade…grr!
It was nice…but kinda choppy in places.
Laurie and Val are definately something this week. The video was annoying in my opinion becuase honestly I wasn’t buying the tears at all and he acted like this was going to be amazing since he was so emotional. The dance was good don’t get me wrong but it wasn’t great. id give that an 8 to be honest but I’m sure the scores will be much higher than that.
Sidenote, the costumes for that dance were gorgeous though. Like amazingly gorgeous.
Val has become an Actor overnight just in time this week since Sharna is injured…Golden child redemption tonight…I knew this would happen …If they hose James in favor of Laurie IDK what I’ll do! For Calvin that’s expected for some reason but the package even set up redemption…2 dances in I’m over the show already! WHY?!?!?
I have not been a big Laurie fan this season, but that was a lovely dance. Not sure if it was worthy of the tens, but it was a good dance. I am pretty surprised they scored it a thirty.
Not impressed with Laurie at all – wobbly turns and lack of content, for one.
I would have given that an 9…10’s for Laurie…I THOUGHT SHE WAS GETTING THE VOTES? Is it possible James AND Calvin are still overscoring her with votes and they need her safe…It was a good dance BUT NOT that good…I’m so upset.Biased Immunity 2 dances in -_-…What happens if James or Calvin get a 30?
I’d rather Laurie get immunity than Jana, that’s for sure….gives Marilua better chance of being safe.
Loved Laurie and Val’s dance. Definitely deserved their perfect score. Does anyone know which couple has the highest cumulative score?
No way for Jana to get immunity
Terra/Sasha- God, that was horrible song. Sasha did as much as he could with it, but the score were fair
Laurie/Val- I’ve said many times that I don’t care/pay attention to packages. Val’s emotion felt genuine to me, but I also said earlier I thought they might begin a “Laurie arc.” That dance, however, was gorgeous. My favorite Laurie dance. It was also, IMO, the first deserved perfect score. I’m super surprised they went so early, bc outside of James no one else has any chance of immunity now and it kinda eliminates the suspense.
I got an unfortunate flashback to Maks being a drama queen about his insecurities with Meryl with that footage of Val crying about not being good enough for Laurie.
Having said that, I really liked their dance and I don’t say that very much about any of Val’s dances. It was sweet and magical and Laurie was adorable.
Laurie and Val. Nice performance but worthy of all 10’s??? I would have given it an 8 or 9. Hope James, Calvin and Jana rock it.
@CM- James and Laurie are tied I think, excluding the team dance. James is ahead if they factor in the team dance.
Derek was in the opening for may be what 2seconds then he was backstage and when Marilu was standing for into he was running out from backstage to join her and this make up lady stopped him for a second don’t know what happened but he was late to join her for some reason.
FIrst time I thought “oh I’m worried” after a video from Marilu and Derek so I was expecting the worst. Then the dance started and all my fears went away because dang was that intense and moody and I think my fav dance from them this season. I’d easily give that a 9.Like wow was that awesome.
Thanks Chayse! Poor Marilu, I was expecting much more with this dance.
Watching the show hiding in the dark from trick or treaters (we weren’t supposed to be home so didn’t buy candy). Loved the opening dance.
Not sure about the 10s for Laurie, there was a weird pause when she stood there waiting for him to join her in hold.
Whoa did Marilu just whack Derek in the face? I think she has gotten back into her head and is overthinking it again.
They’re tied WITH the team dance, Chayse – by my math.
I saw the mistakes too in their AT. She’s still too inside her head. She’s getting a 21, I know it
Ok here is a bit of a complaint becuase I’d be ok with the 8 but the 7 is completely stupid. Just not cool there CAI.
Yeah, I get the feeling Marilu is toast tonightβΉοΈβΉοΈβΉοΈ
Marilu’s legs are gorgeous and go on for DAYS.
I loved the choreography and staging of their AT. Great job by Derek. That seven from CAI was bull. She had two tiny mistakes in an otherwise well danced routine. A seven is too low.
Seriously, Val is crying? What a bunch of bull. Not buying it. But he’s right if he thinks that he’s not good enough for Laurie.
Well at least Marilu didn’t get three 7’s again! It’s so frustrating that she just can’t seem to get out of her own head! Derek can choreograph around physical limitations, but he can’t get her to relax and let go; that’s on her. Interesting edit they gave them trying to show they don’t get along.
@Heidi- I had James three points ahead with team dance, but my math could be off.
Oh, Marilu- something is just not totally connecting. The concept of that dance was great, but the execution was a little rough. I thought the mistakes were small until the ending head hit. I cringed on that. I voted for them last week and I love them, but I was again ok with the score, unfortunately.
It is so upsetting to see clear manipulations – unless, of course, it favors my choice. It does seem that the producers and judges have a plan for who they want in the final four and I would agree that Laurie, James, and Calvin are the better dancers. I’m guessing they want Jana in the final four. I’m hoping Ryan goes home but the show wants everyone to believe that it saved his career, etc.
That was a killer dance from Calvin & Lindsay!!! Great job!?β οΈ?
Calvin and Lindsay….love them! Like that was my fav dance thus far from them and of the night so far. Talk about fun and exciting. I’d give it a 10.
What a creative, content filled, fun quickstep from Calvin&Lindsay! It looked like he was the one actually leading the dance, which is great. He also had excellent hang time in the air on his leaps. Very impressive!
Loved the skeletons celebrating the well deserved perfect score in the background and Lindsay’s obvious, goofy joy as well.
Yeah! Halloween pranks to come!
Loved Calvin and Lindsey. They rock. So glad they got all 10’s.
So will there be a double elimination next week?
So Ryan and Cheryl is the pairing that surprises me every week on one way or the other and tbisnweek was just “damn Ryan where has that been?!”. I’d easily give that a 8 and it had a delivery service for tom….who could ask for more lol. Also, cheryl was gorgeous.
And they FINALLY give up on low-balling Calvin, not that they had a choice – the dance killed it. I suspect he is killing it in votes.
Ryan’s best dance by far, Cheryl should have good mean a couple of weeks ago.
I loved Ryan and Cheryl’s dance! Too bad the judges were not very positive. I thought it was a fun performance to watch. Boo to Carrie Ann!
It really seems like the producers are ready for Marilu to go. Good luck to their voting fans.
Loved the theatrical setting of Terra & Sasha’s dance.
It’s my been-watching-too-long skepticism but the second I saw the Val speech & tears, I felt they were going to give them perfect scores before they even started. I thought TPTB had dropped the Laurie-must-win-at-all-costs game but I guess not. I thought it was a beautiful dance but not a perfect score.
Oh Marilu, Marilu! I’m seeing exactly what I saw about her personality when she was on Celebrity Apprentice years ago. She’s a controlling perfectionist and when she doesn’t do well at something, she starts finding excuses to blame others. And she did it against other contestants who were kind and protective of her. But the second she doesn’t win something that she’s in charge of, she always blamed someone else.
That’s what I saw in the footage tonight when Derek asked her what happened last week and she had the nerve to say she felt she was pushed. The only person that could have pushed her was Derek. Then she says she could have done better on last weeks dance if she had more time. Again, inferring it’s Derek. I’ve seen her do this before & it kind of pisses me off.
Cheryl and Ryan have my favorite costumes and makeup this week so far. I love that dark green.
I see improvement from him for sure, my only question is why Cheryl waited so long to crack the whip.
I thought Ryan deserved all 8’s…Derek is definitely over this season and this is one of those episodes where the top 3 will all have 30’s and they will try to hype it up with 3 perfect scores(Possibly Jana)and who will deserve the immunity…Why is this show so addicting smh.It’s manipulative but I will keep watching lol.They are NOT letting Laurie and Calvin have a 30 without James because he is right up there with those 2.
Good lord, is Gleb full of himself. No wonder he’s been one-and-done on every edition of DWTS he’s ever been on. Right up there with the C-Bros in my opinion.
There was a lift with Marilu near the end where she seemed almost scared to do it and ended up hitting Derek in the face :/…She has to trust Derek and now everyone is seeing she isn’t…She will be gone tonight or next week…Her confidence is gone it seems.
Jana and Gleb did really good but its a jazz so nothing to call out from there…Gleb is SO GOOD LOOKING!!! They are being picky though sooooo…9’s it’s sounding like.
For once gleb gave Jana something great and something that rivaled his work on strictly. I’d easily give that dance a 9. Usually im not feeling Jana and gleb but this dance was just too fun to resist. Just so in the spirit of the movie too.
I wouldn’t say Derek is over this season. He choreographed a great routine for his partner. Her costume for that dance was one of my favorites of the season. I have to wonder though if since Derek started hairspray rehearsals that if Marilu is letting that get to her in someway? I don’t know she just seems more in her head the last two weeks especially tonight with that Bobble at the beginning and smacking Derek in the head at the end.
I just didn’t like the package at it that she got in the beginning about feeling like she was pushed when she fell during the team dance to me that was very disinegous. they barely mentioned her feet hurting in that package tonight. And the comments they showed Derek making to her made it seem like he doesn’t care and that’s so not his attitude about the show!
Finally, a perfect score for my boy, Calvin!!!! Great quickstep. I love Lindsay’s choreography more and more. Ha to Witney being her best friend and nemesis.
Looking forward to James’ dance!
are they dancing twice tonight and have an elimination? i dont see how they have the time
James and Jenna were Really good.Sharna would have been better because she wanted so bad to be Harley…It was perfect for the character so the jumpiness is excused.I loved it π Of course Julianne does…If he just stood there she would lol…Calvin and James are the top for sure…
James killed that dance. Honestly, I’m more and more convinced that at the end of the season, sharna will have a mirror ball and James will go down as one of the best dancers on the show ever. I’d give it a 10.
Wait a minute? They already assumed James as the winner because everyone was already on stage for the dance off -_- How did they know who would have immunity? Why were Calvin and Laurie already dressed for the dance off?
In Marilu’s defense, she did not say that Derek pushed her, she said she ‘felt” pushed. Sometimes when you trip and fall it feels like you are pushed. I think it is much more difficult to bring up the confidence in someone who is much older – it is what is in the way in her performances.
Finally! All 10’s for Calvin & Lindsay. So happy.
Nice to see a fun,spunky, style from Jana & Gleb. All 9’s. Hmmm? I thought 4th place would be a toss up between Terra and Jana but Terra got 8’s and Jana got 9’s.
Every week Hinch amazes me. He just gets it.. The choreography, the atmosphere and the character.
That was a delightfully twisted waltz.
Please get better quickly Sharna!
Smh,Laurie Just picked Calvin because if she wins she will have 33 and he will be stuck at 30 and 3rd…This show is so set and scripted I swear…Calvin Just picked Jive and he cant even point his toes like a 16 year old Olympian …Is this real life RN? :/ I hope he wins but against an Olympian who can point her toes it will be hard.
They knew James would win immunity because he has the highest cumulative score over Laurie.
Just glad it didn’t go to Jana.
That jove dance off was very evenly matched ans honestly both did great so if I had to choose a winner I would say Laurie by a hair. Also, the judges have such a way with words lol.
Jana vs Terra was quite interesting since one wowed me and the other just was a bit strange. Terra wowed me but Jana and gleb was like “oh ok we might lose this so shirts coming off”. I’d give the win to Terra
I love the Halloween nights , but I’m over CAI- none of these celebrities deserve a 7 this week !!! Val is annoying with the drama . Jana and Gleb doesn’t deserve a 9 , an 8 yes !! I think Ryan and Terra did well but underscored ????
Oh keep you shirt on Gleb. Sasha, you may keep your’s off.
Terra launched herself into those lifts like a little blond bullet.
I’m surprised Calvin got his first perfect score since I loved his Jive last week more. But I’m so happy for him. He needed the boost.
I knew that James would nail the dance since he’s been good with the ballroom dances. Now that he’s done the four ballroom dances, he now has to nail the Latin dances. I’d like to see a Samba from him.
Aww, too bad Calvin didn’t at least get a pity vote in the dance-off, but it was a great attempt. Laurie did amazingly in both of her routines.
Is Carrie Ann nuts? Terra and Sasha were no where near as good as Jana and Gleb. I really hate when they do this extra points business. It is never fair.
Wow. They used the footage that was leaked or given out earlier to TMZ of Sharna telling James & Jenna about her injury. But the one difference is they didn’t show where Jenna was smiling when told she would be dancing with James. Don’t which one was accurate but they did change it.
That was such a fantastic, cool, quirky, Sharna creation! James moves so well. He’s so seamless. Ooh, I might have actually agreed with CAI on something. James does have a Mark Ballas quality to him. All 10’s!!!!!! Yes. I love how Jenna starts jumping up & down like it was for her & then ran up the stairs first, without James, leaving him in the rearview mirror. Thankfully they didn’t let her speak.
My internet gave out and won’t load videos unfortunately, but hey I got to load this page! Truly thanks for the updates because this is all I’ve got right now.
Hope Ryan and Cheryl are safe tonight pleaseeeeeee God please. but I’m satisfied with the amount of dances they’ve done and doubt they’ll improve, so if they do…it makes sense.
I’m just going to pretend that the cha cha one didn’t happen since both were very weak in my opinion with too safe vs throw it all in there and let’s hope it works. Anyways, yay Marilu since she was slightly better.
Ryan went out on a high and the viewers seemed to have really grown to love him. Comeback king that Lochte and I can t wait to see what he does next. Don’t know what his fans call themselves but count me in as one.
On all access we know the team for next week
Sorry to see Ryan go, he was probably the worse dancer but his personality was starting to grow on me. I would rather it had been Marilu after she threw Dereck under the bus like that. I finally figured out why I just couldn’t get behind her, she thinks she is better than she is. That really bothers me when she had the very best teacher ever and she thought she knew better. Dereck doesn’t seem to be having the fun he normally has on the show and I can see why. Maybe I’m wrong but that’s just the way she comes off to me.
Without Ryan, my votes shifted to Calvin. I am really disappointed that Ryan left. It should have been that Terra or Marilu.
So Rob Wade just said the teams for next week’s team challenge. They’ll be dancing in pairs & they’ll have to travel to NY to see a Broadway show. The pairs are Calvin/James, Laurie/Jana, Terra/Marilu. I think it’s a combination of S18 & S21, bc they’ll have to dance a section of the dance together, he said.
They’re totally in the bag for Jana over Terra after the 8’s vs 9’s and then picking Jana over Terra in the dance off. Oh well.
Surprised it was Ryan before Marilu but happy for Derek. I mean Ryan scored. That’s damn great to be on all these weeks with the scores he got. And I thought he rehabilitate himself. Good for him. All in all, a fun week.
I think that part of Marilu’s problem is that she was nitpicked very early on with dances that were actually more confident than what she’s doing now – as a result, she’s developed some performance anxiety that is deep seated. I wish she would just realize that it’s ordained that either Laurie or James will win and just say “fuck it, let’s have fun.” But she’s a type A personality and she has a drive to be the best – good in many areas of life, but probably not here, when combined with that memory that she has.
Heidi, you are absolutely right about Derek! His fans kept her in despite what they wanted! I guess the only to get the final they want is to throw these challenges out with loads of points making a huge gap between top and bottom! Actually, at this point I’m fine if Marilu goes next week; I don’t want Derek to wear himself down between DWTS and Hairspray?! TBH I don’t think she’s ever going to get out of her own head. And, maybe it was the edit, but it came across as her not accepting responsibility for any missteps.
Rosa, go away. You make no sense.
Well, next weeks duets are going to go like this. Calvin and James, Laurie and Jana, Terra and Marilu. Obviously, Terra and Marilu are the weakest dancers left (Terra’s actually probably a better dancer than Jana, but Jana doesn’t have the unique limitations), so TPTB put them together so that they get the lowest score so Terra won’t make the finale. I fully expect Calvin and James to come out on top with this one. Lindsay and Sharna choreographing this together can no doubt make something amazing. Plus, Calvin and James added together are better dancers than Laurie and Jana, and certainly have better pros backing them up.
Marilu needs to stop being so conceited with her abilities…Derek’s followers just got her through tonight…She didn’t deserve to go through…It’s painfully obvious she doesn’t trust Derek.Derek was so excited to have her as a partner in the beginning and I can’t speak for him but it seems like she isn’t the lady he first met…Jana and Marilu have been giving off bad vibes recently… I’m over her now after her package…I know they edit packages but that seemed sincere.Derek is too great a guy to have to hear that before he dances with the lady who just said that about him.That made me mad.
I usually love Halloween week but I wasn’t feeling it this time. bummer.
1) Val will never win an acting award. Sniff, sniff. Wiping a tear no one saw.
2) Loved Calvin and Lindsay’s dance. Lindsay has become my favorite female pro.
3) Glad Ryan went home. He really was the worst dancer left.
4) I think someone must have told them everyone was done with Jana’s whining because I didn’t really see it this week.
5) I’m glad James got immunity. Now come on Dr. Seeds and get Sharna better.
6) I hope Marilu is still having fun. I know the dancing has taken a toll on her body I want her to be having a great experience. She has the best pro ever and I know she doesn’t take that for granted.
I literally have to keep watching James’s dance over and over again. It was absolutely amazing! I wanted SO BADLY for Sharna to be the one dancing that with James. She would’ve killed that character. Not a fan of Jenna but she did a great job being Harley. Man I really hope they get to pick a favorite dance of theirs that they want to re-do for the finale, because if James is in it, I hope they pick this dance to re-do so that we could see it with Sharna dancing! Amazing, amazing dance by James. The performance level is through the roof! THAT dance was Emmy worthy, and I don’t say that often.
Derek fans need to chill the fuck out. Derek and Marilu are both adults. They get upset and say things – BOTH of them – then they apologize later and move on. But they don’t always show that because this show THRIVES on Drama…and since Derek and Marilu made it through to next week (and they knew that when editing the packages for tonight), they are going to continue their manipulating to depress the vote…kinda like certain political figures. WISE UP!!
Derek doesn’t need your protection…neither does Marilu. They’re far more adult than many of the people commenting on this blog.
i cant wait for idina menzel to guest judge next week on broadway night. james’s waltz is my favorite dance this season and i hope sharna is back next week
Rosa, go away and come back when you have a clue please. Of course they already knew!! As soon as he got a perfect score they knew he had immunity because they knew the cumulative scores.
It was a fun week and I enjoyed all the dancing.
Well, Calvin and James have to go to the finals and it is going to be really hard to see one of them lose. Can we have co-winners this year? These are the top two dancers on the show. I think James might inch out Calvin though.
Marilu looked beautiful tonight. If only she could get more confidence in herself and put her total trust in Derek, who I regard as the master of teachers.
Just catching up with the show after focusing on Halloween parties- My favorites tonight were Laurie, James and Calvin. I’m guessing those with be the final 3. I also liked Jana but Gleb is kinda starting to get on my nerves tbh…
I was shocked to see Ryan go home at first. Thought for sure it was going to be Marilu. After thinking about it though, I remembered he’s basically a disgraced Olympian and the fact that he was only an average dancer didn’t help either. As much as I do like Marilu, she needs to go home next week. These constant mistakes in the middle of the dances are getting old. Plus, her and Derek have gotten some SERIOUSLY bad edited packages throughout the whole season. This manipulation is really getting on my nerves. I feel bad for both of them tbh. I hope Derek is done with DWTS for AT LEAST a couple of seasons after this one. Seems like Rob Wide has had some kind of Vendetta against Derek since his season with Nastia…
So they planned on giving James a perfect score before he danced because Laurie and Calvin were already dressed for the Dance Off…That’s what I don’t understand…So is that why he danced last…The only other 30 with makeup on was Calvin but they managed to wipe his off before they even knew if James would get a 30 and prepared him for the dance off…I get Laurie would have won immunity if James didn’t but she was already dressed as well…All this without even a commercial break in between? How did they know to dress Laurie and Calvin before James even knowing his score and before the judges submitted it? It was the best dance of the night for sure but I just don’t understand how it happened so quickly?
Dang, I totally forgot to gloat about how great James was dancing with JENNA for all you freakin’ worry warts.
Can I call a moratorium on the hand wringing for one week please? Some of you are making me want to open a vein.
Rosa, I swear to god…you have said the same general thing three times on this post alone. One more time and I’m just going to start deleting you. The idiocy is literally frying my brain.
Phone lines are wide open, don’t forget to vote that way, too.
:::sigh::: Jesus. Laurie and Val dressed for the dance off JUST IN CASE James didn’t get a perfect score. How is this so hard to figure out?
I for one wish the judges would detune their reactions. Like a good reporter that reports the news and is not part of the news they should do stop with all the antics. Bruno has always been the worst offendet but noe to me it seems CAI and Julianne are competing for camera time.
You’ll be glad to know I will not do the Laurie Litany of how she is too immature for this show. Marilu throwing shade at Derek, “being pushed.” I thought that at first. Rewatched that part of last week’s dance several times. She tripped on her own feet. I think Derek was really shocked when she said that.
Rosa there was an ad break after the dances had been completed they were dressed in outfits REGARDLESS of the dance they danced. Marilu, Laurie, Cheryl, Lyndsay, Terra, Jana and if need be Jenna could have done Jive, Salsa and Cha-Cha-Cha in their dresses. They would have just got James ready in the ad break and send the couple that have got immunity up to the “Sky Box”.
Damn- Ryan leaving hurt more than I thought it would. I really really thought it would be Jana.
I am so glad Ryan did the show. He and Cheryl were wonderful, I think it really helped him during a hard time, and I hope everyone came away liking him a lot more than they did. He ended up being such a positive, hardworking contestant. I also hope we see Cheryl again next season.
It looks like Jana will probably make at least the semi-finals, so my new strategy is just to mute their dances. I also cynically wonder how much of that public vote was influenced by Gleb throwing off his shirt. If Ryan has been the biggest surprise for me, Gleb has been the biggest disappointment, both in his attitude and choreo.
Overall, Laurie had my favorite dance of the night and Jenna did a fine job filling in for Sharna.
I still wonder why Derek does come back given all the crap he gets from TPTB and the fans of the fam. His instagram post was interesting – wonder what it meant…
@#25 Lisa, I’m glad that somebody else spotted that freeze by Laurie before going back into hold. My wife and I both said that it wouldn’t be a 30, but no judge mentioned it, so they got the 30. But since James would have beaten Calvin anyway, it didn’t change immunity.
Then the dance off would have been who would Calvin/Lindsay choose to compete with, and IMO they might have chosen Laurie anyway, who knows?
We just wished Lindsay would have thrown in that great spin that Calvin did so well last week.
Anyway, the final four of Laurie, James, Calvin, and Jana seems ordained at this point. Just wishing that the judges would score each dance in the final totally without any prejudice or agenda to let performance talent and choreography rise.
James is amazing! He looked and danced as a pro. CAI was correct in saying he held his own with Jenna. She is a very strong, aggressive dancer. He did remind me of Mark Ballas. That was one of Sharna’s best choreography.
As for Marilu,I really was hoping she would have left tonight. It doesn’t look like Derek is enjoying himself as much as he did at the beginning. She can be quite annoying and always seems to be second guessing Derek’s choreography. Bruno mentioned it tonight that she needs to trust her partner. But I don’t think she trust anyone but herself. If she was with a different pro she would have been gone by now.
Which one, SueB?? The wolf one? It would be a mistake to try to figure it out. He has way more going on in his life than we know about, plus he lives in LA.
Funny comment about Jane’s and Mark Ballas. During the opening dance I wondered why Mark was there, then I realized it was James. Loved his dance.
I thought Laurie and James had the same cumulative score? What was the determining factor in who got immunity?
Two other people – Courtney and Chayse – say that James had three more cumulative points than Laurie did. It appears that was correct – Tom said as much on the show.
James did not dance like a pro. That was an insult to pro dancers when it was said to Nicole, and it is an insult when it is said about James. That is ridiculous. James is a very good dancer – but a pro he is not. Pros train for years for perfection. James is still obviously a beginner…although the best of the beginners this season. The comment about Mark was, I’m sure, referring to looks only. That costume was something Mark would LOVE.
If anyone was still on the fence about TPTB wanting a Laurie, Calvin, James, Jana final four then tonight and next week’s team dance groups prove that theory spot on. They want Marilu and Terra out next desperately. Like Heidi said above, they are also terrified of Derek’s fanbase and so they should be. Marilu would have been gone tonight with any other pro.
I enjoyed the show tonight always Halloween is my favorite. However Derek and marilu something is going on. Is Derek spending less time with her and his other commitments or girlfriend and just does not want to be there? I thought they would go home tonight too.
Predictable manipulation by TPTB. Very sad to lose Ryan. He was adorable, fun and improving each week
Ryan and Vanilla Ice have really charmed me this season. I assume that Marilu will be out next week. If not they’ll start giving her 6’s.
I waited until the show was over to vote, because I figured they’d be dumping Marilu or Ryan.
I didn’t buy those phony ass tears that Val was trying to sell.
We get it PTB you want James, Calvin and Laurie in the finals.
@Rachel – Cumulative point totals for Laurie & James headed into tonight’s show were 255 & 258, respectively. Not sure where you got that they were equal.
I wouldn’t be so sure, Cori. Marilu is only a point behind Terra, who has made a couple appearances in jeopardy. Also note that Jana has been in jeopardy multiple times.
You know what they say when you “assume”.
:::rolls eyes::: Yeah, that sounds exactly like something Derek would do, Lee. Marilu can’t exactly pull 12 hour a day rehearsals at this point in any case.
James got a lot of praise tonight, but damn he deserved it. He killed that dance with a woman who is known to pull focus completely to herself. That crazy character was a perfect foil for the Joker, and together they were just mesmorizing out there. Tom thought it was as good as Heath Ledger! Anyway, James has characters nailed, but his dancing was also very beautiful and smooth, lovely arms as always. Very nice to hear that comparison to Mark Ballas’ style. Sharna’s choreography was a great partner out there tonight. It all clicked.
So Immunity really got watered down, because at the end of the day James scored 35 only 2 points higher than Laurie, and for me, that is just about right. Calvin also scored a 30 but didn’t get extra points so I am fine with him getting third, especially when for me his QS was a bit sloppy, poor dance position he kept dropping his right shoulder and sync issues as mentioned earlier. Poor Technique should not be rewarded twice in one night, so I am glad Laurie won the dance off.
Jana’s individual dance was more of a jive not jazz and it was careful. Didn’t hate it, didn’t really love it. Terra’s dance tempo was so difficult to do anything more than a simple Cha Cha so I was underwhelmed. Ryan is just a big ol bafoon, his Tango and Cha Cha were terrible but he’s fun and he goes for it.
And I felt for Marilu, I think she really has lost her confidence in this whole process. I don’t think it’s because of anyone or anything in particular. It is her at the end of the day that has to move into a mindset of just letting go. Her being so timid is the only reason why she lost to Ryan on the dance off.
I thought Calvin and Tera were most entertaining tonight and Calvin had the best dance. I also think they’ve been lifting James up for weeks now to level Laurie’s popularity. Will be interesting to see how successful they are. I did see a sharp shift in his favor after Jule’s “best male dancer ever” and have actually read quite a few comments parroting that statement. I think he was good tonight, but not as good as Calvin and no better than Tera who I thought was really underscored. Laurie was sweet and performed her dance well, but I’m just not getting a connection with Val. I thought Jana’s 9s were adequate. Her performance was not at the level of Calvin’s, but thought no worse than either Laurie or James, although the choreography could have been better. For Marilu, I can go with the 8s, but 7 is an insult. Too bad tptb had to go there. I agree that the ink on the script is already dry. It is clearly orchestrated to be Laurie, James, and Calvin. The 4th is a wild card for me though. I could make a case for any one of the 3. I actually enjoyed Ryan’s dance, probably third after Calvin and Tera. Glad he went out on a high and that Cheryl enjoyed the experience. She is rather blunt so I was worried for him in the beginning lol, but it turned out perfectly.
It’s odd, my husband thought Calvin was terrible. And he is a football fan. He doesn’t watch the show often but when he saw Calvin he thought this is awful, he wanted to turn the channel, but I convinced him to watch it through.
There does seem to be a disconnect between M & D. Being an actress, M has difficulty just dancing. She tries too hard I think. The joy she feels inside isn’t coming out.
My comment about James looking like a pro in his dance did not in any way mean he is a pro dancer. I have friends who are professional dancers in NYC and know first hand the amount of training they go through for years. I just meant that he holds his own out on the dance floor and takes instruction/coaching very well. As to the reference to Mark, he reminded me of him in the costume not his dancing.
I don’t feel a disconnect with Derek and Marilu. I think she’s nervous….or maybe it’s her expressions and she’s trying too hard or feels out of place. She reminds me a little of Madonna when she does a movie. Madonna is outstanding in her music videos. However, put her in a movie and she seems sort of frozen and un-natural.
On James…..I love him. But, I don’t think it’s right to say he’s as good as a Pro dancer.
I have read everyone’s comments and just watched Derek and Marilu on tape. She seems to be falling apart during performances, saying things she might not say under different circumstances, and it is very painful to watch. I feel bad for her and for Derek and realize bad edits/manipulation have not done anything to help this partnership. Derek doesn’t smile much but he still seems to be trying to work together. At this point, I think all of us who really love and respect Derek should do the merciful thing…..stop voting for them and stop watching the show. It would probably be a relief for them and a lot of others, too.
Just my opinion- thanks.
James & Laurie were my fav ,fun & entertaining & they deserved the complete scores .
i think Derek is having hard time with Marilu .. he had never been in this situation before …so uncomfortable !
Good point about Marilu Vogue. I think the overthinking things and insecurities make Marilu’s dancing almost seem too careful and brittle.
Having said that, every now and then she has moments that make me sit up and take notice. For instance, her leg extensions were incredible last night. Long, lean and fast. She does handle fast choreography very well. Lovely fluidity in her back and arms with the foxtrot.
And for all some people are saying that Derek&Marilu aren’t good for each other and not compatible or whatnot, imagine if Marilu was with Val or Artem. How painful THAT would be to watch. Derek is doing his best with her and she so badly wants to please him.
I think in this case, with this partnership, somethings are just beyond their control.
I agree Vogue with your comments about Marilu! I truly believe Marilu’s problem is Marilu herself! She seems hesitant and nervous during the performances; IMO, she’s a perfectionist and in the end that’s tripping her up (both literally and figuratively). The sad and frustrating part for me as a viewer is that I truly believe she is a better dancer than Jana, but we’re not seeing that. The waltz was gorgeous and she has fantastic legs and extensions, but I think her own mind is working against her. I just hope at the the end of the day she can say she enjoyed herself!
I hate to admit it but I’m so over Gleb this season. And the shirtless episode during the dance off was the final straw for me.
James and Calvin were incredible last night. Wowsa!!
Seriously!…. The crowd cheered when Laurie did a cartwheel type lift? What an accomplishment for our trained little gymnast. Val must be a genius. Let’s cheer when an untrained athlete accomplishes this feat.
I didn’t watch any of the packages last might, just the dances, and the show was much more enjoyable. I read about Derek beforehand so I absolutely did not want to see that package. I so want him to go out on a high note. I hope he and Marilou both sit down and have a heart-to-heart. A lot of celebrities get in their heads. I realize Derek is human *sometimes lol* and is stretched right now, but that doesn’t make it okay. He didn’t have time for the show this season and that was OK. In that inspirational thing he posted yesterday, there was one about realizing one’s limitations. I hope that hit home. I wish them both a great comeback next Monday night.
I love James and all but he’s been performing last for quite a while now. Why not give Marilu, Calvin, or even Terra a chance at performing last? It’s obvious who they really want in the finals.
Gleb telling Jana she’s the best girl in the competition? LOL Maybe it was to boost her confidence but Laurie and Marilu have way better technique.
Calvin, James, Laurie, & Terra would be my ideal final 4. I would put Marilu in there as well but her edit has been really strange….If I were Derek I would be pissed
Errr, James has gone last two weeks in a row, and we’re already past the point where running order matters. That’s “quite a while now”?
Maybe it was Halloween with the distraction of the doorbell ringing but last night’s show was another drop in the show’s momentum for me. Getting harder and harder for me to stay engaged in this season. A few are definitely doing great. The rest would have been voted out already in prior seasons. I still miss the full orchestra and the vibe it contributed.
:::sigh::: Rose1, perhaps you shouldn’t make so many assumptions in one post – I don’t even know where to start.
So I’m not going to waste my time, except to point out that Derek’s own words were he’s not spent more time with other partners – I would only argue that perhaps he’s forgotten Nicole, but that’s it.
That just goes to show you, Casanova, that different people have different perceptions when they all watch the same thing on the TV screen. Should be a lesson to everyone.
Rose1, again….lifting James up for weeks to level Laurie?? In what universe do you watch this show and see James being lifted up?? He’s a VERY good dancer – he’s gotten to where he has on the show all on his and Sharna’s work and talent. He’s not been pimped at all – in fact, I would argue that Julianne’s comment was meant to do the opposite.
There is a huge difference between pimping (Laurie/Val and Jana/Gleb) and responding to what are almost certainly massive viewer votes (James/Sharna and Calvin/Lindsay). Over the arc of a season, it’s very obvious which is which, if one is paying attention.
Princess Heidi
Perhaps “assume” was a poor choice of words. But, it seems quite apparent that TBTB WANT MARILU gone. IMO they’ll probably drop her scores even lower or at least continue to over score the chosen ones–James, Laurie, Calvin and Jana.
The judge’s comments have been very over the top praise for these chosen four couples and overly negative comments to those they obviously want to get rid of before the semi finals. Ryan, Marilu and Terra have really been getting
I don’t think that Derek cares about winning or losing, but always wants to help make the show a positive experience for his partners. And the negativity that the judges heap onto Marilu each week certainly seems to be having an effect on her come show time.
This I agree with, Cori. I don’t remember what I wrote that you’re responding to, but I do agree with this. π
I don’t believe Marilu has a better technique than Jana. The only reason Marilu is still there is because of Derek. She has been at or near the bottom every week, and I believe she goes this week or next. Don’t think it’s a coincidence that she and Tera are paired together for next week’s dance. James and Calvin together think it definitely helps Calvin and Laurie and Jana together helps Jana. My top 4 James Lauri, Calvin, and Jana. They are in the orderof points given this season. Don’t see either Tera or Marilu moving up on anyone
Just a note – Above comment #99 Lee was me, comment #107 Lee that PH responded to in #111 was not me. Henceforth, I will sign in as Lee (1) to avoid confusion.
That being said, Since my wife and I started watching the show, we have seen Derek coach Kelly, Amber, and Bindi to championships with their having very little relevant dance experience, and coming close with Amy as well. And in Jennifer’s case her experience was decades old. He has proven several times that he can do this. What is happening this year, I don’t know or understand, but I am not thinking that the concern is Derek.
Right when they finished scoring the individual dances, I was looking at the scores going: “Well isn’t this perfectly set up for manipulation via dance off?” The DWTS powers that be did not disappoint on that front.
As far as Val crying in the package, I found myself staring confusedly at the end of the package asking myself what he was even crying about. I’m still not really sure about that one.
As far as James and Jenna, James did great as always, but I actually did feel that Jenna detracted from the dance. I found every other week that my eyes naturally drew to James because Sharna is very good at dancing a partner dance and not a solo with a man as a prop. This week, I found that I had to actively remind myself to watch James because my eyes kept being drawn to Jenna because of how over the top she was. I really do wish he had someone else to dance with. It’s a lot more fun to watch James when the pro isn’t trying to overshadow him.
Did anyone else get the feeling that picking Calvin as the face-off partner wasn’t Laurie’s or Val’s idea? I was kind of suspicious from the start because Laurie is a competitor and I would have guessed that she’d be more likely to go for something that would’ve given her an easy road to victory (i.e. pick Ryan), but then I became really suspicious when Erin asked whose idea it was to pick Calvin and Lindsay and Laurie just said: “I don’t know,” in this really goofy voice and they quickly moved on. That really sounded to me like the words of a sixteen year-old who knows what she can’t say, but doesn’t exactly know what to say…
What Laurie can’t say, m, is that the pros and celebs worked out all the picking and who was dancing what well before the show started…just like they always do.
@Lee plus Derek had that woman from broadway i cant remember her name (Rikki?) who was older and heavier and they had a lovely relationship.
What on earth does Ricki have to do with anything?
Just finished watching the show. I’m so frustrated with MarilΓΊ. Derek is doing a superb job and she just can’t deliver. It’s as frustrating as when he was paired with the blogger girl. I’m thinking that it would be better to rip the bandaid off and just release Derek so he can concentrate on Hairspray.
I apologize for hitting return too early. What’s the deal with Jenna and TPTB? Ugh… It feels like being forced to eat your vegetables before being excused from the table. I was not convinced by Val’s tears. Glen is a real cutie but he needs to tone it down. It could easily backfire on him.
Yes, Heidi, you are right. NEVER underestimate the power of Derek’s fanbase. I’m not (too bad of a nutter when it comes to being a Derek fan…a little but not OTT imho). I text my Mom every Monday to remind her to vote and this week she BEAT me to it! LOL
I also set up her email acct to vote on the website as well..she can easily do that from her phone. My mom is two years older than Marilu and remembers her well from Taxi. IF Derek/Julianne do MLOT “17 next summer…I AM taking her for a meet and greet with them π I will happily pay the 1K for this to happen–front row center was awesome in 2015!
While Maks is a complete asshole in his current blog he just posted, one tiny thing he implies is correct – when there is trouble executing on the dance floor, both of them have to share the blame. It’s not all Derek, nor is it all Marilu – at least I don’t think so.
And sometimes, shit just happens. I still think that the early nitpicking got to her.
My mr and I were delighted by James’ Suicide Squad routine but are dumbfounded as to how or why a DC Comics-themed dance happened under the roof of the Mouse House.