PureDWTS Season 19, Week 1 – Power Rankings
Rob Wade, I tip my hat to you, sir…I haven’t enjoyed a first episode of the season this much in a LOOOOONGGGG time 😀 I may have been on the struggle bus in the moments leading up to the premiere, as I had to hunt for a live feed for the first time ever (of course the Colts would play their first Monday Night Football game since 2010 on DWTS premiere night, the year ABC took over MNF from NBC); but the bulk of tonight’s dances more than made up for it. I quite literally agonized over most of my rankings – with the exception of maybe 2.5 dances that I would consider “not good”, I felt like everyone else really brought their A-game and delivered some solid routines. This was HARD, guys!
Other random things I enjoyed? The fact that they’re putting a lot more emphasis on the pros’ professional experience, and rattling off various titles they’ve won over the years – I think we sometimes lose sight of the fact that the bulk of our pros are CHAMPIONS in what they do. Also enjoyable? The fact that they cut the judges off if time was running tight 😎 Honestly, the bulk of what they say is just mindless prattling to me, so I’m more than thrilled that they opted to cut that out in favor of spending more time with the couples.
On with the rankings!
1.) Alfonso & Witney – First of all, a bit of a dorky confession: I may have teared up just a TINY bit watching Alfonso’s jive 😛 Alfonso has been my dream contestant for several years now, and watching him out there just KILLING it and the crowd going nuts felt to me like Heidi probably did watching Derek win his Emmy: I was just so daggone happy for the guy. It was kind of a dream come true, and he looked like he was having so much fun – so if you’re reading this, Alfonso – thanks for letting me live vicariously through you 🙂 But anyway! As I said on Twitter – still any naysayers out there that think Alfonso isn’t the one to beat this season? 😎 He is just a consummate performer – he was 100% invested in the dance, his technique was as close to perfect as any of the jives tonight, and he really sold the performance. I won’t dwell too much, but I’m EXTREMELY excited to see what we’re gonna get from these two in the coming weeks…and I’m glad Alfonso seemed to let go & enjoy himself. Best night I’ve had since finding out he was going to be on the show 😀
2.) Bethany & Derek – One of many pleasant surprises of the evening – and prior to tonight, I had only maybe seen one or two clips of Bethany, so I wasn’t sure quite what to expect; was impressed by how grounded and mature she acts for being only 18. Was also impressed by how well she handled the jive technique – I agree with Julianne that jive really is kind of cruel in week 1, but Bethany seemed to get the hang of the bounce and did a great job of extending her legs. I will agree with Carrie Ann, though, too, and say that there were a few points where she seemed to lose a bit of steam – chalk it up to exhaustion or first night jitters, but overall, I think she did a great job and has both room for improvement and some nice momentum for the season. Plus, she shares a name with my lil sister, so that’s got to be some kind of good karma 😉
3.) Randy & Karina – Gotta love big, burly guys that can both kick some @$$ as well as be charming and graceful – and Randy really fit that bill tonight 🙂 I know we had hinted that he was unexpectedly good, but he was even better than I thought he’d be – he was there for Karina every step of the way, had some gorgeous feet and great body positioning – even his posture looked good! Also seemed very at ease out on the floor and showed a bit of a romantic side with Karina – god, I just love it when strong men aren’t afraid to show a vulnerable, gentle side. I might have a teensy-weensy crush on Randy now 😛 Has great chemistry with Karina, and seems to be embracing the experience completely. Looking forward to seeing what other surprises these two have in store for us this season.
4.) Sadie & Mark – I guess I may have fallen into the stereotype trap just a tiny bit in assuming that, because Sadie comes from a conservative Christian family, that she was going to be another Candace: super-picky about costuming, afraid to really let loose and be sexy, and constantly talking about her faith. Boy, am I glad I was wrong – she’s not only adorable and down-to-earth, but she actually has quite a bit of natural dance talent! I was just in awe of those long legs of hers – not the slightest bit spindly & Bambi-like, as so many of our taller ladies seem to struggle with; she knows how to place them and how to make them look pretty when dancing. Her arms are gorgeous, too! She’s working the long-limbed, slightly-lanky build to her advantage, BIG TIME. And really, I think she’s the type of partner that Mark really does well with: young, hip, and able to really embrace the experience and enjoy the ride. Yet another couple I’m definitely looking forward to seeing more of 😉
5.) Janel & Val – Let me first say that I STILL don’t think “Bang Bang” is a good jive song. It’s a good song in general, yes, but not well-suited to the jive – and even with the tweaking they did to it, it still felt a little off to me. It also didn’t help that it took quite a bit of time to get to the actual jive tempo of the song, so consequently, the whole first half of Janel’s jive was really more of a jazz routine. When they finally got into the jive section, she did decently well – maybe a little messy on the kicks and flicks, and could have used a little bit more bounce through her torso. I think she’s got a lot of talent and she’s got a lot more to show us, but I’m not sure this was the best dance to show us what she’s made of. Still a lot of potential to show us in the coming weeks, though – and I liked her thigh-highs 🙂
6.) Lea & Artem – Lea’s actually pretty damn good – possibly the best foxtrot of the night, technically-speaking. Nice extension, stayed on rhythm, and seemed comfortable doing it. And I think she’s gonna really blossom this season. Just a few things she’s got working against her: one, Artem’s choreography. It’s definitely more Strictly than DWTS – not a whole lot of open work, not a whole lot of rocking the boat in terms of being funky & unique; it’ll please Len, but I’m not sure that it really makes a splash on this show. Two, her dance experience – I’m glad she’s been up-front about it (and not tried to hide it, a la #danicanotadancer), but I think some people are unfortunately going to expect her to really deliver (even though it was many years ago). I think the fact that they name-dropped Baryshnikov probably set the bar far too high for her on the first dance, in some folks’ eyes. Third problem: bad running order. The #2 slot is statistically the worst spot to dance in, as couples who dance in it tend to get lost in the shuffle. I don’t think she’s in any danger of going home this week (especially with other contestants kinda self-destructing…), but I think she & Artem are going to have to make more of a splash in the coming weeks in order to stand out amongst so many big personalities this season.
7.) Michael & Emma – I’m now convinced that Mike requested Emma this season – he name-dropped Bill, and he seems to feel really comfortable with Emma…especially with his slightly bawdy sense of humor. Is he a great dancer? Hell no, but like Bill, I think his appeal lies more in his ability to throw himself headlong into a dance and really give it his best shot, even if he’s pretty bad at it. So I can definitely appreciate his cha-cha, even though it was almost completely lacking in technique 😛 I think the best weapon these two can wield this season is fun – they aren’t the best dancers, but they might be one of the more adorable pairings. I think Mike’s personality & self-deprecating sense of humor is going to appeal to a lot of viewers, and probably keep him around much longer than his dance skills – which I’m glad for, since these two are my second faves after Alfonso & Witney 🙂
8.) Tommy & Peta – My second hat tip of the evening goes to Miss Peta – I know I’ve been pretty critical of her in the past, but tonight, she kinda stood & delivered: she actually seemed to roll well with a partner that most people had written off from the get-go, and delivered a pretty respectable cha-cha with a lot of entertainment value. So to her I say “Well done.” 🙂 And to Tommy – dude, you can actually move? And stay on-time? Without getting distracted by your surroundings, getting the munchies, or passing out on the couch? 😛 Bonus points for use of Cheech Marin (and a badass Caddy) as a prop, Peta’s marijuana leaf-dress, and quite possibly the only time we’ve ever heard (or will ever hear) a Snoop Dogg song on DWTS! This may go down as one of the most irreverent cha-chas the show has ever seen (and I’m sure some of the more conservative viewers are going to flip out over it), but I also think it’s going to end up being one of the most memorable – hell, I think it may already be up there with Nicole’s Prince cha-cha as one of my favorites in DWTS history! Glad to see that Tommy has some actual dance talent and a good rapport with Peta, and I’m hoping he sticks around for at least a few weeks…my god, did I really just say that? Funny how things can change in :58 seconds 😛
9.) Jonathan & Allison – A very respectable first outing for both Jonathan & Allison – cute jive that both kept up with well. And they both seem to be really excited, and get along really well. My only concerns? Both come from untested fanbases, and in a night with unique jives like Alfonso’s, Janel’s, & Bethany’s, I think this one was a tad garden-variety. There was nothing truly “wrong” with what they did – it was a very respectable jive. I just think the rest of the jives we saw tonight were more memorable – so the struggle for these two right now may be to separate themselves from the pack a bit more. Get a bit more out-of-the-box and in-your-face with the choreography – you’ve got the skills 🙂
10.) Tavis & Sharna – Tavis got some moves, baby! He seemed to have a lot of fun with his foxtrot, and sold the attitude of it well. And I think he’s got the right attitude about the show in general: just have as much fun as possible with it, and don’t take it too seriously. But Deep Throat has said that he seems to be struggling a bit with his week two dance (cha-cha), so he may be better at the ballroom dances than the Latin ones. Next week could be a lot tougher for him – hope he & Sharna can have a Tommy & Peta-esque breakthrough. Work on those feet, work on that posture – maintain the confidence!
11.) Antonio & Cheryl – Something about Antonio just kind of BUGS. I don’t know if it’s an odd sort of intensity he has or what, but he just came across a bit ill-at-ease during his whole dance…like he wasn’t having fun. Maybe it was just nerves, but I felt like if he had just let go and had fun with it a bit more, his technique might have actually improved, too – this seemed stiff. He stayed on-time and didn’t really mess up, but he never really seemed to let himself go 100%, either. Still seems to have some walls up – hope those start coming down in the coming weeks. If not – I fear he could be an early out.
12.) Betsey & Tony – This cha-cha started off so cute and with so much promise – and then they went and just HAD to do a bit with props, and it all got shot to sh*t. This is a prime example of why I advise extreme caution in incorporating props into a routine – not only does it tend to piss Len off, but it also creates the potential for a massive blunder…and this was pretty massive. Probably a good 15 seconds of a :58 routine lost to a rogue feather boa. But in the parts that Betsey got right, she was 100% committed, having fun, and was fun to watch…and she did a split & a cartwheel! Probably the first senior citizen we’ve had on the show that is still quite athletic. Hopefully she can redeem herself next week, because she does seem like she’s having a lot of fun 🙂
13.) Lolo & Keo – Oh maaaaan…I really wanted to like Lolo, I really did. But talk about dousing oneself with gasoline & then lighting a match 😯 Everyone makes mistakes – I get that she didn’t hear the text message cue and that really threw her off her game (like, wayyyy off her game). But wow – she really just dug herself further into a hole with the way she was moping about it afterward, and being so hard on herself, and interrupting the judges, and giving b*tchface to the camera, and dwelling on how bad she did, etc. I know Deep Throat had said she gave off a Hope Solo-esque vibe, but man – this was Hope times TEN. Had she just shaken off (no pun intended, with respect to this season’s theme song) the mistakes with a smile (a la Betsey) and kept smiling, I think she would have saved a lot of face and managed to still connect with viewers. But her behavior tonight just kind of reinforced the opinion some seem to have of her being kind of frigid & uptight. And on a season when so many couples are likeable AND are dancing well – I’m gonna be really surprised if she manages to avoid getting the boot tomorrow night. Which sucks, because I could listen to Keo talk for hours. *sigh* Had she just let go and embraced the experience, I think she would have enjoyed herself a lot more…
So those are my thoughts on tonight’s show – what are yours? Who do you think won the night, and who do you think is royally screwed? Let’s talk!!!
Love the power rankings, Court! Can’t find anything to disagree with here. I think my one concern with Alfonso and Witney is that I really hope they won’t suffer from I-Want-It-Too-Bad Syndrome later on.
I really have nothing….. I think that’s the first time I’ve agreed complelty with you. Well written!
ill be surprised if Lolo does not go home, I felt bad for her because her dancing was not the best but then she started talking while the judges were and i was like yeah this is it, shes done.
She was probably trying to prove herself but it came off the wrong way.
I loved tommy’s dance I was like wow this guy is not what we expected! Go peta for just doing what shes doing.
Bethany I heard had some problem with her ankle and i think she was just exhausted plus i saw Derek and her dancing that jive every break they got so I hope she gets to relax and do better next week!
I think everyone else did really well.
Wow, Alfonso and Witney Killed It Tonight! Love Them! I think this is the team to beat.
I think LoLo will go home, I don’t see how she could have appealed to the viewers tonight. It will be a shame if she stays over someone else.
Thanks for the update, Courtney.
I actually did a lot of smiling during the whole show. There were some good performances for an opening night of “characters”.
I agree with your observations – I really liked Alfonso, Bethany, Sadie, Lea the most. I would say except for Betsey and Lolo the rest were in the middle but enjoyable.
I felt bad for Betsey and agree with you about props. Lolos whole dance, talking during comments, rest of evening demeanor was very unprofessional (especially for a pro athlete). I’m not sure who will go home but am guessing Betsey.
I loved Alfonso the best performance by a mile :)I liked Bethany and Sadie too, a lot of potential with both young ladies. I also liked both mark and dereks choreography. I really like randy and Karina, I think he did really well and the dance , the choreo was beautiful. I thought with vals boasts that Janel would be superb and …no she wasn’t , I think that’s the worst choreography he has done on the show, and they are trying to insinuate showmance and its icky and considering she has a live in bf out of order really. Tommy made me laugh, he reminds me what dwts is about having fun and enjoying in, it doesn’t always have to be about getting it technically perfect. Lea is a lovely dancer but I do think artem is trying to please len and keep it traditional he needs to let that creativity come through.But really it was all about alfonso for me 🙂
Everyone did very well tonight!! You basically have everything spot on. Sadie surprised me, I didn’t know what to expect with her but wow she’s so much fun and a good dancer. Bethany is adorable and great!, Alfonso was amazing, Janel was fierce, and yeah, Lolo’s dance was so painful to watch.
Your top 4 were ours also. If those pairs can produce that way all along and stay, could make for a very exciting finale. Two guys, two girls, great pros, and it would be a breakthrough for Witney.
Seemed like there was an awful lot of pouting by Lolo up in the box, not really pleasing to watch
And did Bruno really say that something about Julianne was “breast-taking” instead of breathtaking? Didn’t hear clearly but the reaction sure seemed to say something like that was said.
Alfonso nailed it…excited to see more of him. Sadie and Lea are my other favorites. Tommy surprised me and really just enjoyed it.
I also enjoyed all the new pros…well Allison isn’t new to me but still happy to see her dance and hopefully see that husband of hers too.
Lolo…I felt bad that she didn’t do so well but unfortunately she had a case of “word vomit”. Just not a good move to cut off the judges…she could’ve saved it for Erin.
First of all, Happy 19th Season everyone!!!
Second, It’s great to see the Power Rankings back. I felt really good about tonight and reading these adds the cherry on top.
I too was wondering how memorable Lea would be at the end of the night. I agree, she was fantastic, but after everyone else danced, there were many others who were more entertaining. I hope she isn’t the Shandi Finnessey of the season. But rewatching this dance, I was beaming. I really like Lea (Artem, not so much). Great foxtrot!
I actually liked Jonathan and Alison. I had a serious case of the giggles after they danced. I think Jonathan has the right package (Cult film, heartwarming story, charm & rhythm) and I think they really did great. It was the #3 dance for me.
Alfonso CLEARLY had the best dance of the night. No competition. Wowza was he good! I am almost feeling that this could be Alfonso vs. Randy in the Final 2. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. 😛 . Randy was AWESOME! Randy and Karina (and her squeales) were the charmers of the night.
Sadie was the true surprise for me. Not a sign of Bristol Palin like dancing (although, I did see those Bristol hip shakes that Mark throws in A LOT) but rhythm for days and I very much enjoyed her!
Poor Betsey, but you know what? She saved it with that cartwheel/split. Let’s have her and Pamela Anderson do a Split off! Anyone? 😉
A VERY pleasant night. And the video Packages? I agree, Court, it’s like re-getting to know the Pros AND the stars! It was reminiscent of the early seasons. The titles, the slightly retouched set. Bravo, Rob Wade!
Pretty much agree with everything said in this power ranking! I expected Alfonso to be good, I was pleasantly shocked by how good Randy was. Happy to see Karina has a contender again! And I was really shocked by Tommy Chong. For his age (and for other reasons) I couldn’t believe how well he moved. This was a very entertaining first episode!
Ahhh I forgot how much I loved your power rankings. I really loved the premiere tonight. All around I’m really impressed with the dancing and how well the partners are matched.
Alfonso and Witney- LOVED this. Was wondering if they might give out their first 10 ever during week 1. Also really impressed with Witney and her choreography. I hope she can keep up with that all season!
Bethany and Derek- For somebody with no dance experience that was a killer jive. Still can’t believe it was a week 1 dance, but I’m impressed.
Sadie and Mark/Randy and Karina/Jonathan and Allison- Love their partnerships. Hoping they make it far.
Tommy and Peta- SO impressed. Not only with Tommy but Peta too. I was saying that I was glad that Peta finally got an older partner, but she’s proving that she can do well with it.
Lolo and Keo- I kept yelling at my TV screen “STOP TALKING. STOP TALKING!” But she didn’t…and it made it worse. It was 2nd hand embarrassment there. Then all the nasty looks from her just made it worse.
I’m excited for another night of dancing tomorrow! Yay for pros dancing!
Excellent Court!! One thing I always love season after season is how we are always surprised on the first night of Dancing With The Stars and this time was no different.
Here are my rankings (edited after watching a second time on TV):
1. Witney And Alfonso – They were off the hook good. He is a seasoned entertainer and dancer all the way through. Just excellent.
2. Bethany and Derek – So adorable and such creative and clever choreography by Derek! He’s a fox again as he radiated youth with her out there. She seemed a little nervous, but, with time, I think she’ll work it out.
3. Jonathan and Allison – These two came out with guns blazing. I loved their energy, charm, and heart. I loved how they never stopped smiling. You can tell he just loves this show and dancing. It comes out in every step.
4. Karina and Randy – I just loved them! These two were full of power, grace, romance, and charm.
5. Janel and Val – They were really good, but, her legs were messy and weak in spots.
6. Sadie and Mark – Wow, what a pure delight these two were. She was so cute and just like “a bird of paradise” like Carrie Ann said. I loved her sunny disposition.
7. Lea and Artem – The first thing I thought was….what beautiful carraige. They were so graceful, classy, and charming. She reminds me so much of Jennifer Grey. I loved her smile.
8. Antonio and Cheryl – For being his first dance, I didn’t think he did that bad. He was a little stiff in spots and nervous, but, with time, I hope they can work it out. One thing I loved was the element of “passion” they had. They had that in spades.
9. Tavis and Sharna – Wow, I don’t know what I was expecting, but, I wasn’t expecting Tavis to bring it like he did. He was nothing like his persona on his late night show. He was full of soul, giving it, and having fun out there. I look forward to this journey!!
10. Peta and Tommy – What a hoot these two were. They really surprised me. So many of us thought they’d be the first to go. Wrong. He was fabulous and so funny. I loved seeing this side to Peta too. Like Heidi commented at twitter, she rose to the occasion with a challenging partner. Well done.
11. Emma and Michael – Even though there is a lot of room for improvement here, what a fun couple and they are just warm hearted and genuine.
12. Betsey and Tony – She had a really hard time, but, I just loved her anyway. She was so cute and I loved her heart and fun personality. This is the first time I have ever liked Tony.
13. Lolo and Keo – She was cold as ice and like nothing I thought she’d be. Did you all see her give Sadie a “look”? I think they are going home. It just wasn’t happening dance wise or attitude wise. But, I loved Keo!
Like Courtney said, I really enjoyed the changes to the show tonight! Unlike last season, the opening number actually felt like an opening number.
I loved the behind-the-scenes stuff as well. Mine was working perfectly fine the entire time but it was a cool and inclusive aspect they’ve added to the show!
As for Julianne, I really liked her judging (like I figured I would). I love how she can have fun but not go all crazy like CA or Bruno can but also give good, constructive criticism that will help them rather than put them down.
I’ve already written what I thought about everyone in the other thread but I’m pleasantly surprised on how much I like 90% of the celebs! but I think Lolo will go which is sad because I wanted to see more of Keo but I was embarrassed watching her and the attitude she had afterwards.
I’ll make my thoughts on each couple brief:
Alfonso & Witney: Fun, great energy buuut I still feel like four 9s may have been a bittttt too much. Still loved it though.
Antonio & Cheryl: I had forgotten about their dance (mainly cause they went first) but then when I watched it back there really wasn’t anything memorable about it. It reminded me a lot of William and Cheryl’s week 1 ChaCha. Not too impressed, really.
Bethany & Derek: Cannot love this girl more. She is SO adorable, so cute and such a great dancer. My second favorite dance of the night. Can’t wait to see more!
Betsey & Tony: I was loving it so much and then the boa appeared… Sigh. Such a shame that happened. Still think that four 5s was TOO low 🙁 throw in a 6 judges, c’mon…
Janel & Val: Funny how the girl I thought would top the leaderboard and have the best Jive of the night ended up having the lowest scoring Jive of the night and tied with the guy I thought wasn’t gonna be good (Tavis). I will say that she did look good in her outfit but overall, just an alright Jive for me.
Jonathan & Allison: Also just an alright Jive for me. I agree with Court, not as memorable as the other Jives but what I did love was that Jonathan seemed like the happiest guy in the world after dancing. He is REALLY loving being on the show probably more than anyone I have ever seen.
Lea & Artem: She took my breath away. Just wow. SO gorgeous, SO elegant… I loved it all. Really, really, really hope she sticks around for a while!
Lolo & Keo: Yikes. Wow. Lolo… Sigh. Not much to say but that was painful to watch. And then she started talking.. and giving face and.. ugh. I was SO rooting for Lolo to do well but man.. While I do not think she will go home tomorrow, I think she better make a big 180 next week or else she’s toast.
Michael & Emma: The guy is hilarious. He can’t dance but I don’t really care… Loved him anyways!
Randy & Karina: WOW. Talk about twinkle toes! What a surprise he was. From the spoilers Court gave us I was expecting him to be good but I thought he was GREAT. Hopefully he is just as good at latin. He and Karina make a wonderful pair (are they single? cause I ship them. – said the 12 year old teenage girl in me)
Sadie & Mark: While I think the 9s may have been a tad too generous I was blown away by her. Like Randy, I expected her to be good but she was REALLY good. Her legs are amazing and she moves with such ease.. I am so excited for these two!
Tavis & Sharna: They were cute. He is a bit stiff but he looked like he was having a lot of fum so I hope he continues to enjoy himself.
Tommy & Peta: Best. Dance. Of. The. Night. Not only was he a decent dancer, he was SO funny, SO “swaggy” and my goodness do I want him to stick around for a long time..
Just an edit: For Michael & Emma, meant to say “he can’t dance that well” .. sounded so cruel the way I said it before 😮
Forgot to mention that I think Betsey might be going home tomorrow sadly. If not her then maybe Lolo but heck, I would be worried for Antonio also.
Also wanted to add that I think Rob Wade did great with this premiere night. One of the best ones in a while!
Great analysis of all the dancers. Agree with it all. Sadie, Alfonso, Bethany, Randy, Lea, Johnathan are my favorites for first impression. I just felt like watching them and I had a good gut feeling about them. I’ve been watching since season 2 and usually my first impression stays true. All the rest were entertaining and I appreciated their willingness to do the show. But OMG LOLO… not good!!
I couldn’t agree more with you Courtney. I really enjoy reading your power rankings. Tommy surprised me. I think Peta did a great job with him. And for Lolo, that was embarrassing to watch. I keep saying, oh no, just stop…but I guess she didn’t hear me.
Great rankings as always – love this site! I just had an thought – I hope Alfonso doesn’t get Macchio’d….
Not to harp on Lolo, but did anyone else notice how angry she looked while dancing? I’m really concerned and hope she takes going home well enough.
Thank you Rob Wade!
I can’t believe he managed to refresh a show in its 19th season. It was so enjoyable.
Even though Rob Wade shouldn’t have brought on a 4th judge, he cut ’em right out for sake of time. Now let’s go back to 3 judges next season, shall we fine Sir? He must have forewarned them because they didn’t even put up a fight when Tom canceled their opinion.
I can’t believe who I wouldn’t mind going first but, Lolo either has a really crappy attitude or suffers from CBF (Chronic Bitch Face).
At least Betsey, Tommy, Waltrip and Tavis had fun and I think actually seemed more comfortable. And they were funny.
Alfonso/Witney – Fantastic. I think these guys are the ones to beat by a mile!
Sadie/Mark – What a doll and she moves beautifully with her long, graceful limbs and youthful exuberance.
Randy/Karina – YES!!!! Definitely a dark horse. Sexy, suave, tough but gentlemanly. Loved it.
Bethany/Derek – I thought she was great. And that she’s never danced before really makes me look forward to what she can do.
Lea/Artem – She was beautiful and graceful. I liked her personality in the package and since I didn’t know her outside of her acting, I’m happy about that.
Tavis/Sharna – He did way better than I thought he was going to do. And he found the fun.
Jonathan/Allison – Not horrible but he’s young and I expected much more.
Janel/Val – She moves well but I didn’t like the mugging to the camera. I don’t know what it is, I just don’t connect to them at all.
Antonio/Cheryl – He was surprisingly stiff. I hope he can loosen up.
Tommy/Peta – Loved the car, Cheech, the whole thing. He moved dang well for his age and he’s charming and sweet.
Wedgie Waltrip/Emma – Couldn’t move worth a darn as far as I could tell but I love his humor and enjoyment for the show. I want him to stick around.
Betsey/Tony – I also hope Betsey sticks around for a while. What a spunky lady with a lot of heart.
Lolo/Keo – Buh bye! You can’t come on this show and be as stiff as a board and have bitch face for most of the night. She looks pissed-off. Go home then.
Haven’t watched the abc behind-the-scenes yet but thank you Rob Wade in advance for hearing us wanting to see more backstage footage. Much appreciated!
Lolo is so going home tomorrow night with an outside chance of Betsey. Lolo’s attitude was atrocious and the way she kept interrupting the judges? Yeah, no. She made Hope Solo look as sweet as Shawn Johnson.
Going into this season, I was positive that the first to go would be Tommy, but he sold it. He was fabulous. And for moving that well at 76? Props. Betsey may have redeemed herself due to her attitude and personality being positive, like a “I know it sucked, but that’s okay!”.
All in all a great start to the season.
Bethany was great. And I can see great things from her this season. I really think she can become amazing with Derek’s great choreography and teaching. She looks like she can adapt pretty well. So that’s a bonus!
I loved Jonathan even though the routine wasn’t all that. He did the best with what he got. And his energy made him memorable to me. His excitement for this experience and his amazing attitude.. I hope he can improve next week and Allison who isn’t actually a ballroom dancer can choreograph around his strength and not only around the music and what looks good.
Randy.. Omg.. I couldn’t stop smiling. What a gorgeous man and such a great routine. Cant wait to see him next week. I hope he continues with surprising us.
I managed to see all the dances on you tube. My opinion my differ after I see the whole show but as of now:
1. Alfonso killed it, my favorite performance of the night. He has the whole package I hope to see him in the finale.
2. Bethany was great and I think Derek will take her to the finale.
3. Lea, I love her she is so gracefull and her partnership with Artem is great. I expect she’ll be great in ballroom so I’m a little nervous for her latin dances.
4. Randy was a a doll and Karina seems to love his company. They make a great team.
5. Jannel, can t say I was impressed. In Val’s defence of choreography that song was atrocious. I have to see some more dances from her before I decide.
6. Jonathan, I like him and I think he could go far but I can t say I was impressed with Alisson. I loved her on SYTYCD but on DWTS I didn t even like her jive technique. I believe Jonathan would have been better off with Peta or Cheryl. But it is only the first show, things could change.
7. I was a fan of Antonio, I saw him on some tv shows some time ago but I can t say I liked that cha cha. Someone mentioned before and I agree, it looked to much like William’s from the choreograpy to his stiff movements.
All in all it was one of the best premiers and I’m glad to have the show back.
And the season is off. I really liked the premiere. Mr wade is looking good.
The opening by mandy moore was amazing. Made me remember puttin on the ritz by nappytabs on sytycd, ballroom style. Must say that when the pros hit the dance floor, allison and mark killed it for me. I always look for derek, and nothing else. But allison is just a beast!
So for the couples.
1- antonio and cheryl. Cheryl keeps making the same choreo for hot men. I find myself enjoying her choreo more when she has a not so good partner,like jack Osborne. Having that said, , between Giles, William and Antonio, Giles is still the best dancer.
2- lea and artem. I love artem. I watched him on scd and he was amazing. He still has to tune his choreo for the americans, but his face was priceless. To get 8s on 1st week…. lea reminds me of thr gorgeous Jennifer grey. Jennifer’s rumba still stands as my fav rumba of all time.
3- janel and val. I’m not going to say that they are the next m&m. But the showmance is trying to appear. Didn’t like the song for a jive. Did not like this one. Sorry.
4- lolo and keo. Oh boy. Painfull to watch. An athlete is always hard.(except those from gymnastics and skating) hope solo was a great example although laila ali did actually pretty good. Don’t know if she can make it after tonight.
5-betsey and tony. Now that’s an old lady looking like she’s 50. Liked her personality, but the props were not necessary on the dance floor. Overall, great personality, but mehh dance.
6-tavis and sharna. You have to love sharna choreo. Amazing details that make that routine pop. I enjoyed all the foxtrots. Tavis did amazing. Don’t think he is the one yo go.
7- sadie and mark. I think she has potential. she reminds me os kellie pickler. That accent is just so cute!!!! Don really know the family.. the duck dinasty is like…the kardashians? The show I mean…. anyway great 1st night.
8-Michael and emma. Funny guy. Not so good dancer. Emma is soooo beautiful and funny. But I’m not in live with this couple. I hope we get to see more of them.
9- Jonathan and Allison. I love Allison. Beast on the dancefloor. Jonathan looks so fun and excited . I worry for his facial expressions. When he opens his eyes he looks weird. Not a problem for me. But I saw a lot of mock on facebook last night.
10- tommy and peta. I LOVE tommy. I mean comeon! I really never liked peta choreo but this time she jilled it. It was so good. Best surprise of the season. Loved it. Up in smoke!!!!!
11- randy and karina. Now that is a HOT man. A guy that can knock out other and then comes in with such…..grace. sinatra helped a bit. But hell….smoking hot.
Contin
12- bethany and derek. Surprise the girl can dance. Amazing choreo as usual. Cute all way.
13- alfonso and witney. As I once said before, he is corbin bleu of season 19. His competition to loose. Loved the routine., the costumes. The feel. It was amazing.
Used my 5 fb accounts to vote. 13 votes to each of my fav couples:
Beth and Derek, Allison and Jonathan, Lea and artem, tommy and peta and randy and karina.
Can’t wait for next week!!!
I agree to your power ranking! Very well written post!
My Power Ranking –
1) Alfonso
2) Bethany
3) Sadie
4) Lea
5) Jonathan
6) Randy
7) Janel
8) Tavis
9) Michael
10) Tommy
11) Antonio
12) Betsey
13) Lolo
I was absolutely SHOCKED to see Randy, Tavis and Tommy! I wasn’t expecting much from ’em, but they came out and shocked me completely. Randy totally became one of my favorite. But Janel and Antonio sorta disappointed me big time, i was expecting a lot from ’em esp. Janel. But wasn’t impressed much.
Didn’t knew what to expect from Bethany, as i haven’t seen much of her. But she was great!
So i’m rooting all the way for Bethany, Sadie, Lea and Randy this season 🙂
I guess Betsey (unfortunately) will be out tomorrow.. but i want that Lolo to be thrown out ..can’t stand her constipated look 🙁
Lolo won’t be going home tomorrow, remember NeNe last season? After her big drama on the Disney night and even after so much of criticism she dint even land up in the bottom next week.
So Lolo will stick around for a while, Betsey will be out. Though i loved her. Such a sweet and positive lady. I wish she stays 🙁
NeNe had a huge hit show for years and a big following. I don’t know who is going tonight, but there’s no comparison between Lolo and NeNea all. NeNe had big drama on Disney night, not her first night. Huge difference.
Not going to give rankings, just some random thoughts.
I liked Julianne as a judge, I thought she gave some good, constructive comments. Loved her hair, and understand the whole look she was going for, Old Hollywood. Would have liked to see a darker lip color with it.
I had to laugh at Carrie Ann at one point, when she said that she prides herself in keeping professional…… I thought to myself, “name one time, CAI, that you were professional in your comments..
I didn’t understand Janel’s costume. I have never seen her show, and I thought I’d read/heard somewhere here that the first dance was going to be a bit of a nod to PLL. Was that dumped when they switched her jive to week 1, or was that whole dance what had been mentioned?
Betsey reminds me of a 1970’s Suzanne Somers wearing 1980’s Madonna. Just with a LOT of energy! I think both her and Tony were taken aback when things started going wrong, I thought he should have told her to stop trying and keep going, it seemed to me like he took too many beats to figure out how to move on from there, and way to go to Betsey for finishing the dance.
I loved Lea’s dance, didn’t care AT ALL! for the package that went along with it. If all of Lea and Artem’s packages are on a similar vein, I will be over them pretty quick, no matter how lovely she looks dancing.
No, didn’t care for Lolo’s dance, or the personality she showed, but bummed for Keo, would love to see him stay.
Courtney, I really appreciate how positive and constructive your rankings are this week. You give encouragement and technical advice equally well.
I have now re-watched Tommy’s Cha Cha 3 times. This dance ranks right up there with Adam Corolla’s unicycle riding Paso as one of the funniest, most unexpected and just downright amazing dances ever on the show for me. And Peta’s dress! As soon as I saw it, I laughed. A big, green bedazzled marijuana plant.
My 13 yr. old daughter who doesn’t know Chong from a hole in the ground, had so much fun watching them that she picked up the phone and voted for them! I think that’s pretty cool.
Both Alfonso and Witney blew me away. He was so sharp and precise.
I would like to see Val reign in Janel’s tendency to over sell the dance. I don’t know if it’s her Broadway background where you have to project to the back row that made her over the top facial expressions emerge or what, but it was distracting as hell.
Lolo needs to get over herself. What a letdown. And it wasn’t so much the missed steps as it was her attitude after it happened. Poor Keo.
Hated Cheryl’s costume. Fringed granny panties is a look that no one should ever wear.
I forgot to mention how inappropriate and skummy Bruno’s comment about Julianne’s “lactating” boobs. Yeah, her girls were rather out there and funky looking but he went way too far with it.
In any other workplace his comments would be considered sexual harrassment, so why is it okay to say on a TV show?
Am I being overly sensitive about this?
So my rankings are kinda predictable except one person is ranked higher than you might expect:
1)Alfonso and Witney: What can I say that hasn’t been said. He nailed it. He is a natural. He has great chemistry with Witney.
2)Sadie and Mark: WOW. Has no dance experience but can do that right off the bat. One to watch out for. I expected her to be Candace 2.0 and she isn’t. She is better.
3)Lea and Artem: She was awesome. Her natural fluidity in movement was just perfect. Now saying that, one major surprise has the number two spot for me this week though.
4)Randy and Karina: Yeah so this guy is a shocker. In a good way. Loved it.
5) Jannel and Val: She was great. It was quick and fun. Wasn’t sure if it really was a jive that will be remembered in future seasons but it was a lot of fun.
6)Bethanny and Derek: She was really good but I still have to see more to really see if she is the full package.
7)Jonathan and Allision: First, I appreciate that she said that she is a maverick and not like the other pros. She choreographed a killer jive. He needs to dial back the excitement when performing but damn can he dance.
8)Tavis and Sharna: This man is just a fun guy. Wasn’t expecting it really but I loved that dance.
9)Tommy and Peta: Where to start lol. Cheech was in the car so that made my life. Then he started dancing and legit can do it. Oh and Peta’s dress….yeah that happened.
10) Antonio and Cheryl: He was good. A little wooden maybe but good. First dance of the season can be nerve racking but going first in the season literally is extra pressure. He reminded me of Audrina….all the potential is there just gotta make that diamond in the rough shine.
11)Michael and Emma: This guy is so much fun. He knows Bill?…..he might need to get some advice on mastering the footwork from him. They were fun. Best costuming out of everyone in my opinion. Emma knows what to do to get him far so he is in good hands.
12) Betsey and Tony: She is full of energy. And I love it. It started off so good then that damn boa. Tony, this is your lesson on too much props.
13) Lolo and Keo: Keo is a keeper and I really hope we see him next season as well (Peta had a bad first season partner too and she stuck around). She did three things too annoy me. First was the whole virgin thing. Good for her. Shouldn’t affect your dancing. Second, she admitted she messed up which was good but then followed that up with an excuse of why. Third, she got mopey. In short, Hope Solo 2.0. Sorry Lolo, as Len said you made a “no no”.
Now just some random thoughts:
Erin has improved big time. Julianne is now the newest target on the DWTS facbook page because of her dress no less. I thought she did a good job as a judge. Hitting on three guys in one night….lol. Bruno was Bruno. Len was Len. Carrie Ann was herself. All in all they seem to gel as judges rather well. Tom is a national treasure.
13)
Oh and is Gleb a troupe member?
My favorite dance of the night, hands down, was Tommy Chong. My respect for Peta just skyrocketed. I re-watched it too many times now. Alfonso, Bethany, Sadie, Lea, Randy, and Jonathan were the other standouts. But Sadie I felt shouldn’t have gotten the 9s, those should’ve been reserved only for Alfonso.
Janel was a disappointment. I wouldn’t mind Lolo leaving, but I loved Keo. And Betsey is too sweet to go first. Bummer, they shouldn’t have eliminated anyone till next week.
Witney is Young, Fresh, and Hungry … And it shows.
I think I figured out why I’m confused by people saying the opening number was great when I thought it was lame. I’m thinking of the pros dancing in the studio live as being lame, short and not all that impressive. I completely forgot about the pre-taped sequence at the beginning.
Of course, I was running between two computers while trying to watch the show, so there you go.
Such a fun cast and so many enjoyable dances! After the first few weeks it’s going to be hard to predict who is going to be eliminated as there are so many likable celebs. Not a ranking but my thoughts on some of the couples:
My favorites are Lea, Randy, Sadie, Alfonso and probably Jonathan (which surprised me). Lea and Randy just made me smile the entire time they were on screen. I really hope people get behind them as they are so delightful to watch. Sadie was such a surprise! She’s very likable and with Mark as her partner and the Duck Dynasty fan base behind her I think she could go far. Alfonso was just incredible from start to finish. I REALLY hope he has a fun and light personality throughout this instead of a Corbin-like personality. I would love to see him win. I was worried I was going to find Allison and Jonathan annoying with their enthusiasm but it came off very sweet and it just made you happy! Their package was very touching as well.
I like Bethany but she seemed a little subdued last night. I’m going to assume that is from nerves, hurting her ankle and just exhaustion from the last few weeks. I want her to go far so hopefully her ankle heals. Again, for a non-performer I think she did great.
Was very surprised they put Janel 3rd as I thought they would pimp her more. The song wasn’t good for a jive but the girl can perform and sell it. She was best at the beginning of the dance but the actual jive portion wasn’t that impressive. I think they just had an off week though as I don’t foresee her being 7th on the leaderboard again. Very mixed comments on her as her personality is polarizing. The show is definitely going to push the showmance though considering they don’t have much of a story otherwise.
Betsey and Tommy were very enjoyable to watch and I give them total props! I predict Lolo goes home tonight with probably Betsey and Tommy to follow.
Yeah, comparing Lolo to Nene is nonsensical. NeNe was never even close to as bad as Lolo was last night.
Oh No Lolo, say it aint so!
I so wanted to like this pair, thought their chemistry was great, but then it all fell flat. I saw the evil eye she threw at Sadie, and that sealed the deal for me. Just goes to show how the right attitude can make all the difference in the world. Her dance was bad, but she made it so much worse – and she knows better! There are no do-overs in professional sports either!
I thought of sure that either Betsey or Tommy would be leaving tonight, but I think for everyone’s sake, it should be Lolo. She appears to be the only downer in the group. Love you Keo, hope you’re back next season xoxox
Remember what we said about stating your own opinions as fact, DWTS19Fan? 🙂 I would be surprised if anyone other that Lolo goes home tonight – she started off on the wrong foot with viewers and already had a bit of a bad rep before she even came on the show. She needed to be both charming and talented – and she was neither. NeNe actually had a lot of fans coming into the show, and had a strong showing in week 1. You really can’t compare NeNe & Lolo – apples & oranges.
I was also looking at the comments on Lolo’s dance on YouTube and it seems like a lot of people are thinking the same: that she didn’t dance well and that her attitude was suckish. So I think I’m taking back what I said about not thinking Lolo would get the boot because I’m starting to believe she’s toast tonight. Everyone else was so likeable and then Lolo was just.. not :\ It sucks because I would love for her to get a second chance next week and hopefully improve but don’t see that happening, sadly.
I agree with the rankings so just some comments. I thought Alfonso delivered the most polished overall performance, he looked like he was performing on Broadway, he’s the complete package. At this point to me, it’s his MBT to lose but remember Gilles, Corbin, Ralph….Pleasant surprises for me were Sadie and Randy who danced well and I can see them moving far into the competition. Tavis really opened up and seemed to have fun, kudos to Sharna for good choreo to make him shine. Jonathan is fun to watch but not sure how long the “act” will last. Biggest shock of the night was Tommy Chong! Major props to Peta for that number because when I saw she got him I thought disaster of major proportions but she did IMO a great job with choreo for him. The routine was pure entertainment. Tony, please no more props. Betsey, great attitude and I haven’t done a split since college so good for you. Bethany was good, expected that from her especially with Derek’s choreo but I think she needs to “connect” more for lack of better word; I felt like she was holding back, maybe she’s more relaxed talking into the camera in the privacy of her room for her vlogs. Think she’ll overcome that with more time with Derek and go far. Janel, good performer, not impressed with dancing and if they showmance, I’ll barf. Antonio, looked good years ago in the Calvins but time marches on….Lea made me think Jennifer Grey 2.0 but she could get lost in this crowd unless Artem’s choreo is amazing, he’s got heavy competition with the younger effervescent crowd (Sadie & Bethany.) Michael, the jumpsuit restricted his dancing to me so I’m reserving judgment. That leaves Lolo who left me speechless with her attitude. And we thought Hope Solo was bad. I think Lolo should leave but thinking it could be Betsey or even Tavis due to fan base unless Tony and Sharna fans come through. And #30Lori, your comment about CAI and professional, all I could think of was last season when she told James Maslow she was drawing little hearts on her paper because she was having a Big Time Crush….
I too shall tip my hat to Rob Wade for putting together a great cast, and an amazing premiere that had me on my feet the whole night.
1. Alfonso & Witney: Talk about saving the best for last. These two had their technique, performance level, and personality at an all-time high, and it paid off in the Jive. They are defnitely the ones to watch this season.
2. Sadie & Mark: These two have cute written all over them. It’s always nice to have young talent on the show, and Sadie did not disappoint. I love her southern charm, and she seems very down to earth, so I think they be staying for a while.
3. Lea & Artem: As I was watching, I was in complete awe the whole time. By the end of the dance, I was like, “YASSS”. She dances very beautifully, and I’m excited to see what they have in store for next week.
4. Jonathan & Allison: I’m not even sorry that I used all of my votes on these two. They are just like Sadie & Mark, cute and fun to watch. They were my pre-season favorite, and they knocked my socks off with a kick-ass Jive.
5. Janel & Val: While parts of the dance were a tad sloppy, I think these two have the potential to do well with their upcoming performances. I also loved how Janel managed to channel her inner Ariana Grnade with her costume.
6. Bethany & Derek: No offense to anyone who is a fan of hers, but I wasn’t sold on the performance, and it seemed very cliche for them to dance to the song that was promoting the new season. I just don’t get these two at the moment.
7. Tavis & Sharna: One of the biggest surprises of the night. Tavis is definitely the epitome of a celebrity with no previous dance experience and comes out on the first night and wows. I can’t wait see what they have in the upcoming weeks.
8. Randy & Karina: He was another surprise of the night. I’m very surprised that a big, scary UFC fighter would end up having so much grace, elegance, and charm. He also has potential.
9. Antonio & Cheryl: He is very iffy for me. I’m not sure if I’m completely sold by these two yet. Everything seemed very lackluster to me.
10. Tommy & Peta: Best surprise of the night. At first, I was expecting a hot mess of a performance, and I ended up eating my own words. Tommy had suave and appeal to the dance, and made the performance very watchable. Also, I loved Peta’s marijuana costume. Just saying.
11. Michael & Emma: While the dance was fun, it didn’t have enough content. The beginning was a bit gimmicky, and I don’t know if these two will do well in the long run.
12. Betsey & Tony: Betsey is a hot mess, but she is a fun hot mess. The beginning of the dance showed a lot of promise, but when it got to the clothes rack, it went downhill. They probably would’ve gotten 6’s had they not messed up with the boa. So hopefully her fans rally to save her.
13. Lolo & Keo: Usually the Olympic athelete is supposed to show tons of promise, but unfortunately, the dance was a disappointment. She was too stiff and lacked rhythm. By the end of the dance, I was like, “Lolo that was a no no.” Not too sure if they’ll make it past the first elimination.
So those are my power rankings. As for the elimination, I think it will either be Michael, Betsey, or Lolo going home tonight.
For me, most anticipated POWER RANKINGS in a few seasons. Good job.
#30: Betsey reminds me of a 1970’s Suzanne Somers wearing 1980’s Madonna.
…and throw in the Cindy Lauper energy. Yep-everybody needs a little Betsey in the life!
Yes, the rankings are back! Loved all you said about the pairs, Courtney! Great critiques, too.
After what she did, I won’t wonder if Lolo goes home first. I still want to see her one more week, just so she could redeem herself. I was hoping against hope that the elimination tonight won’t happen, but…Sigh! I love this cast much more than I did last season’s.
Till the next rankings!
My faves of the night were Alfonso, Randy and Lea. I had hoped that Alfonso would be good and he did not disappoint. I did not know what to expect from Randy and was pleasantly surprised, he was great and so easy on the eyes. I just had a feeling that Lea would be great and she was. She is so, so nice.
Tavis and Tommy really surprised me, they both have potential. The rest are just so-so to me at this time. I was really surprised at how bad Lolo was. I have a feeling that either she or Betsy will be going home.
I agree with Courtney’s rankings completely. Did anyone else miss the announcer with the British accent saying, “Dancing the jive, Derek Hough and his partner, Bethany Mota,” to introduce each dance? I hope they bring that back! It just didn’t feel like DWTS without it!
@vin – No, Cheaty McCheatertons is not a troupe member…I would say his classification on the show has been reduced to “Non-troupe lurker used to fill in for certain pro dances.”
I really missed your power rankings and this was a great post. Some of my thoughts on this weeks show:
Really loved Bethany and Sadie, both of them are really adorable and their dances were great.
Alfonso was so amazing I felt like his dance was too short.
I thought Jullianne was great as a judge.
Also loved Tommy and Peta’s cha cha
Tavis and Randy were very pleasant surprises.
I kind of expected more from antonio.
I thought Betsy should’ve been higher than Lolo or at least had the same score as her
#30 Lori – Janel’s costume was like Ariana Grande’s in the music video/VMA’s for her song Break Free. She wasn’t wearing it for the “Bang Bang” video but I thought it was cute 😛
Ah. That explains it. If they wanted someone for that, they should have just gotten another troupe member.
@Ryan L. – A quick comment on Bethany & Derek’s song: Heidi & I were talking about it, and we think their song may have originally been different (“Over” by Tove Lo, heard playing in the background of the rehearsal video the local Nashville affiliate posted of them – go over to PDH if you want to see it yourself), but perhaps the rights fell through at the last minute and the music department had to scramble for something else (and we know “Shake it Off” was available). It’s happened before – Cody was supposed to dance to “Hakuna Matata” for Disney week last season, and I can think of a few times when songs celebs requested for Personal Story Week couldn’t get cleared. And I don’t think it’s terribly ridiculous for her to dance to the “theme song” for this season – “Happy” was the unofficial theme song for last season, and they still let Charlie dance to it for Personal Story week.
And thank you everyone for your kind words about the rankings – amazing how my perspective changed when I actually enjoyed the show 🙂 Feels good to be back!
Not only was I impressed with Alfonso’s dancing, but I was totally blown away by the choreography. Hats off to Whitney (if she choreographed it, that is)! I also loved Bethany’s dance. Very cute and clean- she has a lot of potential. I don’t know if she’ll make it all the way, but I’m glad she’s getting this opportunity to try new things and to grow. She seemed very nervous last night; transitioning from filming and editing your own content to live television must have been really scary. I also loved Jonathan. He too has a lot of potential, and I loved his enthusiasm.
I was disappointed in Janel and Val. Their dance wasn’t very memorable in my opinion. Ina recent interview, I think Val said something about how people really attached themselves to Meryl and Maks’ journey and chemistry. He also implied that he wanted to “follow in their steps” or something. Uh oh. Val, I would focus on doing what’s best for you and your partner, NOT on what worked for a different pair last season.
AliceE, I missed the disembodied voice announcing the couple and what they were dancing. It took me more than half the show that instead of announcing the dance, they have a graphic up briefly with the names and style, before switching to phone numbers.
The 4th judge scenario has one benefit: Cuts CAI ranting to a bare minimum.
My faves: Hello Randy (I wish I was Karina), great job Peta and Tommy, amazing musicality/dancing/choreography Alfonso and Whitney, Sadie/Mark a great pair, Jonathon and Allison sweet fun enthusiasm, Beth/Derek fun and sweet, great job Sharna helping Tavis shine, Lea/Artem so elegant. That’s a lot of favorites I know.
I’m going to make it a drinking game. Whenever Betsey does either a cartwheel or the splits, I drink. When she does both, I chug.
Great first night! I loved it. Michael Waltrip is an unexpected delight.
@Katherine – Gonna add to that list…
*Anytime someone makes a reference to weed when talking to Tommy, eat Cheetos.
*Bruno says something lewd = shot of bottom-shelf tequila.
*Someone mentions Lolo’s virginity, chug a virgin pina colada.
*The cameramen pan to the Duck Dynasty crew in the audience – shot of moonshine.
I have a question, will there be no elimination week 3? The voting for week 2 will be accounted for next Tuesday, so what will they do in week 3?
Great post Courtney and I agree with all you said. Loved Alfonso, Bethany and Sadie. Did not care for Betsey and Janel. And Lolo, oh my. So, so bad. I kept staring at her stone face while her mouth was closed and then when she started talking over the judges I just thought, please be quiet. Big mistake to talk over the judges. She makes Hope look like an angel. I agree that she had to make a big connection with the audience and viewers and she failed that big time. I will be absolutely shocked if she does not go home tonight and it’s a shame because I would like to have seen more of Keo.
I didn’t care too much for the opening number and it seemed like it was extra loud in the ballroom all night. It seemed like Tom was yelling at times to be heard. And I miss the couples being introduced before their dances. But as a whole, I enjoyed the show.
Awesome rankings, Courtney!! I don’t envy your duty to do power rankings, because things are so close I think! Anyways, one of my favorite premieres I can remember. I didn’t get to watch it live, but I ended up loving the dances overall (only one or two clunkers) and the judges were more accurate and constructive than in the past.
Alfonso/Witney- Of course they were awesome 🙂 Super sharp, lots of fun, high performance level. Can’t wait to see more! Definitely one of the best week 1 dances ever!
Beth/Derek- Really loved this too! So cute, fun, and imaginative. Beth has really good technique and handled it well, especially with jive being her first dance (wtf on that one producers). She seems to suffer from nerves and it made her peter out at times, but once she gets comfortable and relaxes I think we’ll see REALLY good things from her 🙂
Randy/Karina- Was very pleasantly surprised! Very smooth, classy, and enjoyable. I do think his arms and shoulders need a good amount of work, but man, twinkle toes indeed! Excited to see more!
Sadie/Mark- LOVED this dance. Ridiculously adorable, very stylish and hip, and really well done in the technique department. The judges are right, she’s a natural, bubbly performer. She also handled her long limbs like a champ! Just needs more polish like most do in week 1. Unexpected favorite her. I knew I’d like her and Mark, but man I keep watching their cha cha over and over!
Janel/Val- I was pretty underwhelmed, mostly due to the song and the hype that she received prior to the premiere. She’s definitely got talent and man Val can choreograph like no one’s business sometimes, but I think we’ll see better from them. Her kicks were a bit sloppy and she needed more bounce. But nice performance ability, and with that crappy of a jive song, they handled themselves well!
Lea/Artem- Oh I just loved this. Absolutely beautiful. Lea moves so gracefully and smoothly, and man did it work! Artem’s choreography also showed her off beautifully, but I agree with Courtney, he’ll have to make the routine standout a bit more if they want to contend with this super tough competition!
Michael/Emma- Very fun and what an enjoyable, fresh, endearing couple. A technician Michael is not lol, but he gave it a real go, and they’re just having a great time and embracing things!
Tommy/Peta- This just spelled out “awesome” and threw it down on the floor for everyone to see. I did not actually expect the decent dance ability we saw from Tommy! Is he great technique-wise? No. But he was a hella lot better than anyone expected I think! Very respectable technique and an AWESOME performance!
Jonathan/Allison- Unexpected favorite number 2! I absolutely loved this guy. He was having such a great time, and he handled the technique fairly well for the first week out. They have to be careful not to get lost in the shuffle, but I do see potential here!
Tavis/Sharna- This was pretty decent, but I keep forgetting about it. I love Sharna, and Tavis seems nice and he can dance, but it was nothing special for me personally. He probably needs to work on his grace and fluidity the most. But nice performance and well done!
Antonio/Cheryl- Think first night jitters really got him. He’s not bad, and he’s got potential, but he was very stiff and didn’t seem to be having that much fun. Hopefully he learns to just relax and enjoy himself.
Betsey/Tony- Awww darn. This had so much promise until the prop incident. Bad Tony! Lol. But seriously, props are a bad idea for week 1 (and very often all the time), especially thinks that can get wrapped and tangled up like a boa on a clothes rack. I feel bad for her, she gave it a really good effort and it had plenty of fun and energy, it did not deserve the lowest score of the night IMO.
Lolo/Keo- I really like Keo. And I REALLY wanted to like Lolo…but she definitely shot herself in the foot tonight. The mess up is one thing, but she did not handle it very well at all. The 6s were pretty generous :/
Sorry, I mostly read & rarely post but Courtney’s drinking game list cracked me up…LOVE it!
@Courtney, why would we stop here?
* Artem rebuffs Lea’s cougar come-ons, drink a stinger
* Every time Tommy is announced as safe, Old Granddad
* Tristan McManus sightings, Bailey’s Irish Cream
* When the inevitable cast of the Expendables sits front row, car bomb
* If Lolo interrupts another critique, kamikaze
sorry for my ignorance but who is “Deep Throat”.? just trying to catch up on all the critiques of last night.
i was soooooo surprised with Tommy and Peta. I didn’t think it would be that awesome. haha! the car, the song, and Tommy’s moves…love ALL of it!
i’m also really liking Lea Thompson…ALOT
Claudia, Never ask who “Deep Throat” is! They are Court’s inside source on what’s going on behind-the-scenes.
@Ananya – I was thinking the same about there being no elimination week 3, they really couldn’t do an elimination because they wouldn’t have any votes to count towards it. If the finale is the week of 11/24 though that means it’s an 11 week season so they’ll still end up with 4 contestants with no elimination in week 3.
I like everyone in this cast! I actually don’t want anyone to leave this week. I think Lolo and Betsey should get second chances! If there is a non-elimination week, it should be this week. All pros and celebs should get at least 2 dances!
My favorites are Alfonso, Tommy, Jonathan, Bethany and Antonio!
I think that Alfonso, Lea, and Sadie were my favorites last night, although there were many great routines; I’m a little surprised that Lea wasn’t a little bit higher in the power rankings, but I’m not familiar with Strictly as much, so I don’t know.
First, a few responses:
Court #49, I feel like I’m missing something. Please explain? (nudge nudge hint hint wink wink playfully shoves off of cliff.)
Cindy #62, I think Tom seemed to be yelling because the audience wouldn’t stop cheering and screaming. That kind of bothered me.
Now, for my “rankings” I use quotes because I have less of an order and more of a couple of groups.
GROUP 1- FAVORITES
This is the group of people from whom I would love to see a victor. In this group are SADIE & MARK, BETHANY & DEREK, JONATHAN & ALLISON, and ALFONSO & WITNEY. I actually am rooting for all of these couples for the female in the pair – I think I connect to Sadie and Bethany because they are young teenagers, like I am, so I find them relatable. I love both Witney and Allison from SYTYCD, but both of their partners have come through, and I’ve fallen in love with them. Alfonso and Jonathan are both upbeat, joyous, fun, energetic, and just plain awesome.
GROUP 2 – INDIFFERENTS
In this group are the people that I don’t particularly love, but I also don’t particularly hate. I put TAVIS & SHARNA, LEA & ARTEM, JANEL & VAL, MICHAEL & EMMA, and RANDY & KARINA. While all of them are nice, fun, and cool, I don’t connect to any of them in a particular way, and yet I don’t hate them. I think Janel was fun, and not completely irritating. Michael was charming, but not my favorite. Tavis I like because I love Sharna, and he’s really fun, but I don’t love him yet. Lea is graceful and fun and funny, but I’m kinda worried if Artem turns her too fam. And Randy is very graceful, and yet, I still don’t connect to him yet.
GROUP 3 – LEAVE. NOW.
Generally, I can’t stand anyone in this group for one reason or another. By process of elimination, this group contains BETSEY & TONY, LOLO & KEO, ANTONIO & CHERYL, and TOMMY & PETA. While Tommy and Betsey are both caring and cute, they are both kind of awkward for me. Tommy’s cha-cha was a little bit too sexy for me. And Betsey was also a bit awkward. Antonio is wooden, and I also can’t really connect with him. And Cheryl isn’t helping matters much. Lolo just turned me off last night. Her comments annoyed me, and she just kept digging her hole. I won’t be surprised to see LoLo go.
Don’t buy the Duck Dynasty Christian Conservative act. They’re a sham. Is it me or was she off the beat the entire dance. I swear her and Mark weren’t in sync. Other than that she was delightful.
Claudia #66 – Only the shadow … I mean … the mods know! 😉 And aren’t we glad they do???!!!
Thanks for these, Courtney! It must have been a tough job this week! You hit it out of the park again!
haha thanks for answering my questions guys. i will keep that in mind. shhhhh!!! 😉
by the way, i love this detailed summary of everything. addicted to this site and i’m proud of it. #highfive
I wonder what you mods will think after you listen to After Buzz. I thought the same as you Courtney. I didn’t read your power rankings until after I had seen After Buzz. I know I should have been keeping up. 🙂 Suri, who calls herself a Derek lover was harsh on how Bethany did which they all seemed to agree with. They also though that Janel should have had higher scores and that Val clearly said they were not having a showmance. I was then glad to come here and read your comments, because I was thinking we watched a different show
Oh Lord Lori, I thought that same exact thing about CAI. I about swallowed my tongue laughing. Who does she think she is kidding…lol???
Courtney – I feel like I missed something. What did Gleb do to get that nickname? I am not doubting you because I always seem to agree with what you say, but I must have missed something.
My last comment is about Lolo. I was just as turned off as everyone else until I read this interview which was posted the day after the show so it didn’t help her. She talked about how she has never been able to live up to the expectations and hype about her in sports. Now let me say this was not whiney. It seemed very heart felt. She said she went on DWTS to have a journey and show herself she wouldn’t fail at everything she chose to do. She talked about coaches and fans and others teasing her about losing all the time and how upsetting it was to her. I wonder if she talked about this with Keo or TPTB. Had viewers known this side of her, I think things would have been different. Don’t get me wrong, based on her dancing and her attitude that evening she deserved to go, but she talked about how angry she was with herself and the knowledge that if she got voted off she would return to her athletic world and get a lot of grief again. I (I know I’m a bleeding heart) just felt sorry for her.
Aviva #71 – I too am curious about Court’s #49 comment….wondering what I have missed.
#71 & #75 Cheaty McCheaterton??? I take a stab at it and say……Gleb.
@ValerieW – Gleb is separating (or divorcing, not sure which) from his wife, and she took to Twitter to call him out for cheating on her with actress Isabella Miko.
@Courtney – thanks for the explanation. Will keep my thoughts private on his actions.
[…] finish that we need to entertain ourselves in the interim. With a shout out to Courtney at PureDWTS, who jumped on the seed of an off-handed remark in a thread over at their excellent site and made […]