DWTS9 Week 3 Power Rankings
Ummmm…wow. Something strange sure was in the air tonight (no pun intended, in reference to Natalie’s song ;-)) – not sure it was love, but maybe loss of inhibitions? Kelly may have been right – the full moon (which was in Aries – the sign of primal desires!) over the weekend must have been doing all sorts of crazy things to the couples – makeout sessions with the judges, makeout sessions with each other, and all out sex on the floor – as well as some big shake-ups in the power rankings. Anyone else feel like they need a cigarette (or a shower? ;-)) after tonight’s show?
1.) Donny & Kym – Not gonna lie – I thought their rumba this week was BOR-ING. Donny had no hip action, no energy, and little to no chemistry with Kym – in fact, it was kind of icky to me to see them trying to be romantic with one another. But not nearly as icky as the stunt he pulled with Bruno! Now, before anyone gets the wrong idea, I have absolutely NO ISSUES with two men kissing. My issue with Donny is that I felt like he was compensating for lack of performance by pulling some outlandish stunt that is sure to get tongues wagging tomorrow. Since his routine had no theme for him to play to, he had to make some big scene in order to remain memorable to the voters. Tacky, tacky, tacky, Donny. Did you see the way he was trying to snatch the mic from Tom? Nobody messes with my glorious Tom Bergeron! Not even Chuck Norris. But, as tacky and over-the-top as I found it, it is bound to make its way into every media outlet possible tomorrow…the plague of the histrionic Osmonds continues…
2.) Louie & Chelsie – Again, another couple with marginal technique rises to the top – but for some reason, I really like these two…especially after that encounter that unfolded on the dance floor! I will say this about Louie’s technique: he was always there for Chelsie after each trick, and he did have one pretty good lunge. But man – these two are the only ones who really nailed the chemistry aspect well in the the rumba tonight…maybe a bit too well! It’s quite obvious that Louie is pretty smitten with Chelsie, and I think she may be warming up to him as well. And it’s likely to work to their advantage – sex sells, and the voters always seem to love a good showmance (since we haven’t seen one since Derek & Shannon in season 6!) If I were them, I would strategically start being seen together out in public, and act super touchy-feely at every opportunity on the show – really ride the wave of this showmance thing, guys! Cause let’s face it: it’s not Louie’s technique that’s going to pull him through…
3.) Kelly & Louis – The voters also seem to love a good “comeback kid” – as if they weren’t pulling for her already! I think her meltdown after the tango last week will likely garner quite a few sympathy votes – but her samba was not really that bad, either! Loved the interaction between those two – they had more chemistry in their samba than a lot of the couples had in their rumba! Kelly is still moving a bit small & timid, but hopefully she will build enough confidence to really do well further down the line…
4.) Mya & Dmitry – I’m a bit at odds with these two. The rumba was decent (but not nearly as good as their jive last week), and Mya had a very good rumba walk, but their chemistry (or lack thereof) left me stone cold. If Chelsie & Louie nailed the chemistry of the rumba, Mya & Dmitry nailed the technique – although I think the slow pace of the rumba may have exposed Mya’s weak leg action (she wasn’t really bending and straightening enough to get her hips moving). While they may have lacked any chemistry (and the readers here will likely villify her for being “cold” & “boring”), the judges scores still factor into the determination of who goes and who stays – and they’re at the top of the leader board, and got the first two tens of the season. Just sayin’…
5.) Joanna & Derek – I’m currently bracing for impact from Hurricane Heidi as I write this. These two were actually rather blah for me this week. Joanna didn’t seem to really find the characteristic “bounce” of the samba (then again, no one really did) and she looked a bit off-balance to me, likely due to taking too big steps. The one shadow roll they did was great – but I wanted more! I didn’t really get the whole entrance on the rope (although I’m sure Heidi has a perfectly rational explanation for it! lol), and poor Joanna – that wig was just awful. But I think these two will make a comeback next week with one of the new dances. They ain’t goin’ anywhere ;-)…
6.) Aaron & Karina – The higher you climb, the further you fall. Another stone cold rumba – with rather wonky arms, I might add. I was a bit unpleasantly surprised by the way he flung them around – he looked like he might take Karina’s head off at one point – and the hips never really got a-rollin’. Poor Aaron seemed to be so focused on the routine that he forgot to interact with Karina…after that rumba, I say “Poppycock!” to anyone perpetuating the rumor of a showmance between these two (we all know there can be only one showmance per season – and we already have Louie & Chelsie! :-D). But I think I may have figured out why he may rub some of you the wrong way: he’s just such a perfectionist. Watching him beat himself up trying to get the steps right during the package leads me to believe that he might come off as a bit abrasive to some – and I blame his hip-hop background for the alleged “cocky-ness”. Hoping these two bring it next week, cause I actually really like them…
7.) Natalie & Alec – Anyone else think that production is desperately trying to make these two seem not so blah? The most dramatic part of this rumba was the entrance (a smoke machine? REALLY????! :-(), and maybe the music. The rest of it (aside from Natalie’s superb back bend at the end) was pretty cold for me. Like everyone else, Natalie didn’t get the hip & leg action, and she still seems nervous & stiff to me when she dances. All in all, I think they were a bit overscored…again, maybe production pulling the puppet strings??? 😉 Either way, I doubt these two are going home this week – despite being pretty boring & unmemorable, their scores are still probably good enough to keep them in…
8.) Mark & Lacey – I had such high hopes for these two!!! But again, they left me with really nothing memorable. I didn’t like (or really understand) the costumes, I hated the music (those two must have done something to get on production’s bad side with that pick), and I hated the choreography because I didn’t remember it at all. Mark did seem a bit less stiff this week, but he is still, overall, STIFF. Oh, and did I mention there was little to no interaction between these two? I can’t even comment on chemistry, because they were barely making eye contact. Being the first to dance didn’t seem to help them, either. Here’s hoping that Lacey’s fanbase pulls them through another week…and that Lacey gets her “edge” back…
9.) Chuck & Anna – I am really beginning to adore Chuck Liddell. I stand by my comment about his being a “gentle giant” – I loved seeing him get a pedicure with his daughter in the package! And he did manage to crack a smile this week during his samba – which, I might add, was not bad! He was still shuffle-y, and dropped his frame, but all in all, he managed to stay on time, and seemed to have a bit more energy behind his moves this week. I actually enjoyed watching him this week, as opposed to cringing, lol. And I have to say – as intimidating as they may come across, I don’t really think they could have picked a better pro for Chuck. He & Anna’s personalities really seem to mesh well. And I feel as though I have grossly underestimated his UFC fanbase in the past few weeks…I would honestly be surprised if these two went home this week…
10.) Tom & Cheryl – As much as some may love to hate this guy, I gotta give him props – he seems to genuinely want to do well, and he does. The man managed to pull off a pretty watchable samba, despite 2 stress fractures. He stayed on time, he did the steps – I can’t really say that he was the worst tonight. The energy of the routine did seem a bit low, but they did chose a pretty clever theme that will likely stick in voter’s minds – that, and voters seem to sympathize with injured cast members. His days are likely numbered (if he doesn’t withdraw from the competition first), but I am pretty sure his journey won’t end this week…
11.) Michael & Anna – The whole “I stink as a dancer, but I’m having fun!” schtick seems to be getting a bit old. I see little to no improvement in his dancing week-to-week, and honestly, all of he & Anna’s routines are starting to feel the same to me – similar music, similar costumes, similar choreography. I did see a few glimmers of good technique here and there – he did pretty good whisks – but overall, I felt like it was just him out there yukkin’ it up. But maybe that yukkin’ will pull him through one more week…
12.) Melissa & Mark – Here’s another couple that may or may not be getting assistance from production (although they aren’t the “chosen ones” like Natalie & Alec) – tiki torches? REALLY???!! That was the only thing that was on fire (literally) about their samba – Melissa is still moving small, and looking timid. And for some reason, I just have the hardest time remembering anything significant about she & Mark’s routines. I think these two could be in trouble, for the simple fact that there is nothing memorable or exciting about their routines. But on a slightly unrelated note – did anyone else feel like Mark’s costume was totally out of place? He looked like he was about to do a foxtrot, not a samba! 🙁
13.) Debi & Maks – I’m afraid these two have reached the end of the road. After falling into the bottom 2 last week, they really need to make a good impression this week – and I think they fell short. Carrie-Ann was right – their choreography was a bit “safe” (much like Kathy & Tony’s last week…hmmm…;-)) and the steps they did do seemed sloppy and timid. And that skirt they had Debi in was god-awful…were they hoping to distract us from her poor technique??? And once again, I’m left remembering absolutely nothing about their routine, other than the fact that I didn’t like it.
So official prediction: Debi & Maks headed home. Goodbye and godspeed, guys! 🙂 And I apologize for the brevity of some of my analyses…I am currently fighting off a sinus infection and am not at 100% capacity 🙁 Wash your hands, people, it’s flu season! And let’s hear what you think!
I’m so cranky about this season. I apologize in advance.
I’m not going to argue about any of your power rankings, actually. Derek and Jo (and Kelly) are the only things SAVING this season for me, quite literally. BTW, if you followed the celebs on twitter you would know EXACTLY why Derek did that entrance – he couldn’t think of any way to start the dance (listen to the music – the beginning is crazy) and he came up with that Sunday afternoon. 🙂 And he knew it was, as he put it, different. 🙂 I liked it. It gave the night a kick in the pants, love him or hate him. He did say in an interview he was going to swing from the rafters and take his clothes off – one out of two ain’t bad. 🙂 Maybe next week….
Anyway, back to the power rankings. Your job sucks – I wouldn’t trade with you for anything. 🙂 IMO, the power rankings this week rely totally on fanbase and nothing else. If you really want to go with power rankings considering ALL things, I would have to give it a five way tie for first place – Donny, Mya, Kelly, Aaron and Joanna. With Louie as runner up. Donny, because he has, inarguably, a huge fanbase, his dancing doesn’t matter, YET. Mya – great dancer, boring as hell, though, and that really, really MATTERS. I also don’t think her fanbase overlaps with DWTS voters. Kelly – not the greatest dancer, but not bad; however, she’s charming as hell and extremely likeable; her fanbase is unknown. Aaron – well, I don’t know. He can be really good, but I think he’s got a severe love him or hate him thing going on. Joanna has the ability to be really, really good, but she has NO fanbase. She does have Derek though, and like it or not that counts for a lot. If she keeps improving her dancing and continues having fun with Derek, she has potential.
All-in-all, Derek/Joanna and Kelly/Louis are the only things keeping me interested. Donny was blah, Mya was BORING, I’m so disappointed in Mark D, I could spit, Kelly wasn’t that great tonight but she does have charm in spades. Natalie WHO? And I’m sorry, but Debi looked BAD in that makeup. I’m not going to use a particular word in order to avoid offending anyone – and I really like her on Entourage, so it’s a shame. Melissa is annoying me tremendously – she thinks she’s way better than she actually IS. Tom Delay is pissing me off – dancing when people tell you not to garners lots of votes, meaning you get to stay when you SHOULDN’T. If he can’t dance next week and someone deserving goes home tonight because of his stunt last night I’ll be really pissed. Anna D? Oh dear. Over rated is the word that springs to mind.
I’m now going to say a couple things things I can’t believe I’m going to say. I didn’t mind Donny’s antics, despite them being offensive from the stand point that he took “airy fairy” to mean he should kiss a gay man to gain some sort of cred. Ya see, outside of Derek and Joanna, everyone and everything was so freakin’ boring that I would take any sort of excitement. Louie and Chelsie? Trying too hard – she’s LDS, people, she’s not hooking up with a snowboarder who smokes weed – and good for her. I kinda felt like that whole “we have chemistry” was a reaction to Aaron and Karina’s antics trying to create a showmance. Mya and Dmitry? Trying too hard – candles and rose petals? Geez. After all that, I find it more plausible that Kelly and Louis are hooking up – and yes, I know he’s a gay man. That’s what I’m saying. If Mya is crushing on Dmitry as some claim…well, I don’t see it. Mya’s tens? Ridiculous. All I can say is she must not be getting the viewer votes. Same goes for Natalie.
It’s official. I’m a cynic.
i really didn’t agree with the ranking but this season is just to crazy , the dances last night were so bad, the costumes were really bad too, and the wigs ,WTf joanna and Kelly were wearing wigs, they look fake and weird.
I think Michael,Tom and Debi will be the bottom 3.
Okay, I am back with my opinions this week. 😀 Let me just say before I start, this season is seriously boring me. There is a severe lack of chemistry between a lot of the couples, and a lot of the choreography is just sad.. I’m just gonna go in the order they danced.
Mark & Lacey – I agree, who did they piss off to get that song? I think they were not that great because the song was almost impossible to work with. Not right for a rumba. However, I just wish that Mark was better than he actually is.
Derek & Joanna – I love Derek, I can’t say anything bad here, really. They have personality, and are fun to watch. They are one of the few that are keeping me hooked.
Mya & Dmitry – Let’s say it together now…OVERSCORED. I don’t know why the judges are so into these two. She is great technically, but she is SO boring. Carrie Ann said herself that charisma and personality count for a lot, but she is not noticing that Mya lacks both?
Melissa & Mark – I love Melissa, but I just wish she was a lot better than she is. She seems to be working hard, but her nerves are killing it.
Louie & Chelsie – I don’t know if Chelsie is feeling it, but you can tell that Louie is totally into her. It’s cute to me, haha. I really like these two. I am rooting for them.
Debi & Maks – I think they are going home soon. Her costume and makeup did nothing for her. It was really unfortunate.
Donny & Kym – Donny just annoys me, a lot. Possibly more than Aaron. His gimmick was rediculous. Their rumba was just kind of gross.
Michael & Anna – Okay, I really liked Anna during the prodancer competition, but her choreography this season is so awful. And Michael doesn’t do any of the steps full out.
Natalie & Alec – Yawn. What else is there to say?
Chuck & Anna – For some reason I like this guy. He’s awful but I just can’t help myself. I also love Anna T. I always forget how much I love her when she’s gone.
Aaron & Karina – Okay, you guys know I don’t like him. Let me just say this – his straight hands annoy the hell out of me. Does Karina not notice this? (Do you guys know what I’m talking about?) His costume also made me laugh.
Tom & Cheryl – He’s just looking for the pity votes. Whatever, he’s not gonna hang on much longer either way.
Kelly & Louie – I really like these two. You can tell she’s really working hard and its paying off. I just hope she can get it together to do as well as she did the first week.
Sorry if I got too wordy, I just couldn’t help myself. I got fired up this week! I am also wondering…who’s idea is it to incorporate all of these gimmicks? Smoke, ropes, tiki torches, roses, candles, muppets…Are they just trying to make up for boring competitors?
I don’t really care who goes home, really. I mean, there just aren’t really that many standouts this season. It sucks. 🙁
Its funny I feel like I am the only one that watches for the entertainment factor and a I love watching anything dance related. That includes all the good and bad. I loved Mya and Dmitry and felt Len was a bit unfair…I’m not sure what they would have to do to please him and you can tell they are trying to do that. Donny and Bruno made me laugh…I am gonna have to agree with Kelly full moons make people do crazy things. I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks Louie has a thing for Chesie…lol I loved that Samantha called him out about knowing about the rumba. I gave Tom major props for dancing through the pain…he really does like doing this. I did agree about Aaron not being as fluid as he should have been and he needed a better costume. Melissa just needs to let go of the nerves…I know her husband had surgery that morning so Im sure that didnt help. Anyways at the end of the day its just a fun show to watch.
I think I’m on board with Blake all the way. 🙂 Pretty much.
As for the gimicks? Well, Derek couldn’t think of any other way to begin the dance, Karina sort of took credit for the muppets (who knows if that’s the truth), the Tiki torches? No idea.
The smoke, roses and candles? I smell productions not so fine hand in that stuff – those are two of the “top 4” that the judges have already picked as their top 4, but I get the feeling they aren’t getting the votes – so they’re getting a little “help”. Heidi<----cynic
Couldn’t agree more about Mark & Lacey’s song, Blake – it honestly sounded more like a samba than a rumba to me! And I was surprised to see on Lacey’s twitter that she thought her costume last night “might be her fav ever!!!” REALLY???!!
As for the rope entrance, I knew you would have some explanation, Heidi 😉 It just seemed kinda random to me…I guess I just like things to have a neat, tidy, & logical explanation, and often there isn’t one to be had. Sometimes, when you’re a goofy guy like Derek, you just have to swing in on a rope for no apparent reason 😀 I give him props for effort in trying to come up with a creative entrance.
And I actually retract my statement about Mya having the best rumba technique last nite (well, maybe partially retract it)…I ended up watching the show again this afternoon (played hooky from work due to sinus infection, hehe 😉 ) and I actually think (can’t believe I’m saying this) that Natalie’s was slightly better. She seemed to bend & straighten her legs more than Mya did, and in a dance like rumba, which is all about hip action, good legs will get you further than good arms. Although Mya’s arms are just gorgeous to watch – her extensions are fantastic – I would not have given her two 10’s last night. I actually thought her jive last week was better! But despite the 10s, I actually think it will be Natalie who gets the encore this week (if they do one)…just have a gut feeling…
…I still stand behind my statement that Louie & Chelsie have a little sumptin’ sumptin’ goin’ on. Watching the show again, I watched their body language – during the package, I noticed that they seemed to stay in certain poses for a little longer than necessary (with their faces mere inches apart), and even just standing getting their critiques and scores from the judges, they angle their bodies toward one another (a sign of attraction). It sounds silly, but look at how the other couples stand, and then watch Louie & Chelsie – most guys stand behind their girl, while Louie & Chelsie stand side-by-side, angled toward one another. During the alleged “kiss” in the routine, both of them also had their eyes shut – a sign of sincerity; both of them were also fidgeting with their hair at some point during the package or on the show, which is supposedly a subconscious “grooming” response when one is attracted to a member of the opposite sex. I could go on and on and on…but I’m beginning to think this whole body language bit could be a post within itself! Needless to say, I stand behind my belief that they’re at least attracted to one another – body language doesn’t lie! – and besides, they’re cute together 😉
Ok, gonna go lay back down now…carry on! 🙂
I am glad that I am not causing as much drama this week, haha. I just love coming here and comparing opinions with you guys. I hope that Chelsie do come out with their romance sometime…it would definitely help get votes, and its just cute to watch. As for Derek, well I agree with Heidi. He just can do no wrong, he is just gorgeous. I can’t help myself. I just don’t remember all of these types of gimmicks from the previous seasons. It’s weird.
Me and Blake are soul sisters. 🙂
I think the gimicks stem partly from pros who have been dancing and choreographing very successfully for a few years and they are having a hard time coming up with new and fresh things. Plus, when you start with 16 couples you have to do something to stand out or you go home. There was much swooning on twitter over Derek last night. There was much complaining about the muppets being an unfair advantage last week. The reactions to Donny’s antics have been mixed, trending more toward the negative. I think any reaction at all is probably good for the person getting it at this point. I also think that part of it has to do with musicality and some of the music being CRAP.
Hi, I’m kinda new to this site but I have been watching DWTS for the past 5 seasons. Reading some of your reviews kinda pisses me of sometimes so here’s my views. My comments here are sometimes very traditional. Most of the times, I agree with Len.
First of all, I would like to say that the music is kinda strange this week. Mya’s and Mark’s rumba songs were too fast it ruins the romance of the dance. Here’s the rest.
Mark and Lacey –Lacey may be hot and sassy but, in my opinion, she lacks finesse and quality which you can find in Karina or Julianne. This comes out in her teaching each of her partner including Lance and the Jackass guy. All of them lack detailing in their movements. Her shoes in this dance are also not made for dancing and it makes her movement rigid also.
Joanna and Derek – Is it just me or does anyone else thinks Joanna’s makeup make her looks like she had botox? The choreography was not that unique, it kinda looks like the salsa they did. I recently watched some old seasons of DWTS and noticed that Derek was much more fun in past seasons. He’s becoming stale.
Mya and Dmitry – Mya looks so good in purple! But I agree with Len on this one. Although her technique is flawless, there was too much in the choreography. When Dmitri was doing the rumba with Chelsie last season, I think it was choreographed by Louis and it was much better. Maybe it was also the music, which was way too upbeat and it makes everything look complicated.
Louie and Chelise – Their dance was HOT, HOT HOT! Although I think it was Chelsie who did all the work and Louie barely did anything and it was still and smoking sexy dance.
Michael and Anna – I love this couple, they’re so fun to watch! Anna is one of the best dancers on this show and she excels in both ballroom and latin. Anyone notice, that the front part of her dress is actually nude fabric but not her real abs? And at least Michael tried the signature samba bounce which some couple never had in their dance.
Natalie and Alec – Her rumba was good but it was over dramatized with not enough basic moves. I think that Natalie has one of the most potential of all the stars but Alec is not pushing her hard enough. In all of her ballroom dances, her left arm hold was obviously wrong which Alec should have taught. Still, Natalie is my favorite dancer this season and I am rooting for her to win.
I don’t know what show some of you are watching but there is indeed really good chemistry between Mya and Dimitry. That plus great talent from them both as well as they are very easy on the eyes. I am hoping this couple will be in the semi finals with Derek and Joanna and Karina and Aaron. It would also be great if they make it to the finals. Although I am a huge fan of Derek, Dimitry is too a great chreographer, he is stunning to look at and I believe he deserves a shot. I will be voting.
Geri, I can objectively see that Dmitry is handsome, much like I can see that Cat Deeley is beautiful – but I don’t find her “attractive” to me personally (the fact that I’m straight is likely the issue there :-)). Who is “hot” is a very, VERY subjective thing. I don’t expect everyone to think Derek is hot, for example (I wonder at their taste, of course 🙂 ) – now the dancing is less subjective in terms of technique, but still subjective in what you find exciting. I can also recognize Dmitry as a good choreographer and he and Mya as being good technically together. But they don’t excite me (yet). I find that when Derek steps on to the dance floor – and this is particularly true when in person – he is electrifying. I can’t explain that. But I do feel that Dmitry doesn’t have that charismatic quality. And I’m afraid that Mya just leaves me cold. Joanna and Kelly are not the best dancers on the floor – but there is something about them, and their relationships with their partners, that makes me want to see MORE of them. Something about Kelly has made me appreciate Louis more than I ever have before, because there is some kind of chemistry there. Dmitry and Mya (and Louie Vito with Chelsie) feel the need to tell me they have chemistry. Don’t tell me, SHOW ME. I’m just not there yet. It’s entirely possible that guys like Dmitry and girls like Mya suffer greatly from the Donny Osmonds of the world. Donny took over ALL the media with his antics last week and few other people got any attention what so ever. Personalities like Donny (and to a lesser extent Derek, Mark, and Maks) tend to draw attention – if you’re quiet, you lose. Hell, even Derek and Joanna got the short end this week, thanks to Donny. Mya at least did better media wise.
All in all, I much prefer last season – even as a Derek fan, I didn’t mind losing to the likes of Gilles, Melissa and Shawn – and even TY!!! I enjoyed watching all of them for different reasons. I was literally cheering for Ty when he pulled something off, and drooling when Gilles was being particularly hot. Besides Derek/Joanna, and Kelly/Louis, I’ve not found that to be true this season. It’s entirely possible that when we are down to 8 or so, this could change. I think the producers really screwed up with having 16 couples.