PureDWTS Season 19, Week 2 – Power Rankings
Well, the buzz from week 1 has worn off – and just as Deep Throat had predicted, seems like the overall performance level tonight was not as good as what we saw last week. Just about everyone seemed to struggle, and while last week seemed to garner a lot of praise for the boys, this week seemed to earn them some tough love from the judges, while the girls seemed to get praised, on the whole. Β Not sure if that was deliberate or not, but I feel as though the judges are already getting a bit cockamamie – particularly Carrie Ann, who seemed to get progressively less coherent as the night wore on, and was only just barely able to conceal her disdain for young, attractive female contestants.
So next week sounds interesting – Movie Night, and you can check out Heidi’s live discussion post as well as PureDerekHough for a few early spoilers π
1.) Bethany & Derek – Seems like Bethany is quickly becoming one of the most buzzed-about contestants on social media – hell, even Taylor Swift is tweeting about her! I also think that, despite her injury, they handled this foxtrot pretty well – they made it traditional enough that Len enjoyed it, but still “funky” enough to be crowd-pleasing. I still think she’s holding back a little (maybe it’s the injury, maybe it’s nerves) and we have yet to see her 100% in the dance, but I do think she’s got a lot more to show us, and ended up looking the best of any of the celebs this week.
2.) Alfonso & Witney – Ok, yes, I’m totally biased because I love Alfonso – but this guy didn’t exactly have an easy row to hoe this week: there was the pressure to deliver after his fantastic first week showing, a crummy song for a samba that was also wayyyyy too fast, and a young, new pro that is not yet used to the expectations that come with getting a very talented partner. I still say this was technically the strongest performance of the night, even though it wasn’t the highest-scoring; and I’m still astounded by Alfonso’s musicality and the way he doesn’t “waste” the music – he pays attention to every little beat and accent, and knows just how to move in order to express it. Thought the judges were a tad harsh – still think this was better than both Janel & Lea. But whatevs – they needed to level the playing field a bit after last week, and I guess saddling Alfonso with a tough song & dance was the way to do it.
3.) Sadie & Mark – A cute, very age (and Sadie)-appropriate jazz routine with a unique twist – I kinda dig that Mark was able to step out of his comfort zone and choreograph to a country song. Thought Sadie handled it well enough – maybe a bit unsure of herself at times, but overall her confidence really pleasantly surprised me. Love that she could roll her hips without fear. Seems pretty obvious to me that Carrie Ann is not a fan, but you know what? I know a lot of people that don’t particularly care for Carrie Ann, so that’s ok π Kinda felt bad for Sadie after she got her critiques – she seemed a bit disappointed. But I think she & Bethany are generating the most buzz amongst the female contestants, so I doubt she’s going anywhere anytime soon.
4.) Lea & Artem – Lea handled the jive much better than I thought she would, for sure – but c’mon. A 35??? The high score of the night, and only one point behind Alfonso’s showstopping jive last week? Even though Lea attacked it with zeal, I still saw some pretty major posture issues, some very limp kicks & flicks, and some definite loss of connection. I may have given it a 32, tops. Yeah, she’s got moves – but I don’t think she was as fantastic tonight as the judges made her out to be.
5.) Janel & Val – Second week in a row where I feel like these two got saddled with a song & dance that didn’t really give them the opportunity to show what they’re capable of. Mama Spence asked about 15 seconds in, “Is this a tango? It feels like a tango.” And sure enough, they were doing a foxtrot that was so staccato that it really did look much more like a tango. Janel handled it well enough, I guess, but there were a few minor bobbles where she lost a bit of balance. Again, I’m left with an overall feeling of “Ok, that was decent…but what else can you do?” Besides perpetuate fauxmances, of course. π
6.) Randy & Karina – If Alfonso got a bit hosed this week, so did Randy – no way in HELL his cha-cha deserved the same score as trainwreck Tavis’! Sure, he wasn’t quite as fluid or at ease as he was last week, but hell, at least the guy remembered his choreography, and there was actual cha-cha in his cha-cha…he was a tad stiff, but so was Tavis, and Tavis managed to get off much more easily. Β And then twatwaffle Carrie Ann starts whining about wanting Randy to be sexier, and then I lament that, by going first, Randy has gotten a bit low-balled in his score, and overall I’m left feeling a bit indignant on behalf of these two. Β Randy’s still super charming and is (calmly) doing the best he can – he’s not having Tavis meltdowns, or whining like Antonio, or Β beating himself up like Alfonso. Β Give the guy a break, judges!
7.) Tommy & Peta –Β Y’know, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think Tommy might be my favorite partner of Peta’s – and that’s saying something, considering I loved Donald Driver! But on the real, I kinda dig that he’s bringing out a more fun, light-hearted side of Peta – she doesn’t have to be the sex kitten when she’s around him, and she doesn’t have to push, push, push him to do great because he might be a contender (I doubt anyone thinks he’s gonna win the whole damn thing at this point π ) She seems to be genuinely enjoying this season, and she & Tommy just have a great rapport. And really, the Chonger does have rhythm – seems to have some musicality, and isn’t afraid to shake what he’s got (manboobs, apparently). Love that they’re still giving us dances that are fairly technically sound, while still hilarious to watch. Definitely hope they stick around for awhile.
8.) Mike & Emma – There’s really not much point in critiquing Mike’s dancing – he’s bad. Like, REALLY bad – and his samba this week was no exception. Very little content, and he barely handled the little that he had with any sort of proficiency. But as I said last week, his appeal doesn’t lie in his dancing – it lies in his ability to say “f*ck it” and give it his best shot, and still maintain a sense of humor about things. THAT’S his not-so-secret weapon in this competition: charm. And y’know what? I’m ok with that – we have Alfonso, Janel, Lea, Bethany, & Sadie to give us the great dancing this season. There’s room for celebs like Mike & Tommy, who provide the comic relief π And that’s why I think he’s still got a few weeks left in him…
9.) Antonio & Cheryl – Antonio does SLIGHTLY better this week than he did last week, but something about him still just BUGS. I don’t know if it was the whining at Cheryl during the rehearsal, or the generally pained expression he gets when he’s dancing sometimes, but I just get the feeling that he’s not really having fun with the overall experience of DWTS, unlike Mike & Tommy. I guess it was a decent rumba – seemed like Cheryl was doing most of the work, though, and the chemistry between them seemed almost non-existent. Loved the song – that was about the only thing about this routine that I could stand up and shout about. Otherwise – just meh. Definitely fading into the woodwork for me.
10.) Jonathan & Allison – And Allison makes a rookie mistake: veering too far off the beaten path in choreography of very basic dances. Sorry, but this routine was all about Allison – and poor Jonathan was just there every now and then to offer her something to lean on, whilst literally fading into the background while wearing a black costume on a very dimly lit stage. Was it cool to see Allison dancing full-out? Sure. She’s a great dancer – but we already know that. I want to see her turn a non-dancer into a good dancer…and she really didn’t accomplish that in this case. Hopefully people continue to vote for them, so they have a second chance to impress…because if not, I think the former Mr. Aaron Samuels could be in some trouble in the coming weeks.
11.) Betsey & Tony – Awwww, could Betsey be any more stinkin’ adorable? Loved how excited she was about her hair, her makeup, and her costume. And thankfully, they opted not to do anything with props this week, and their foxtrot went off without a hitch. Sure, Betsey didn’t really knock it out of the park (and the choreography wasn’t very hard), but she kept up with it respectably, and seemed to be enjoying herself…which is more than I can say for some of the other couples this week. π― Don’t think she’s out of the danger zone, though, yet, and I would not be surprised to see her in the bottom 2 tomorrow night. But at least this week’s routine was an improvement on last week’s, and I think some people might throw her a few sympathy votes.
12.) Tavis & Sharna –Β Deep Throat had mentioned that Tavis had little to no rehearsal time, and that it showed – and boy, did it. He was mechanically stomping around, clearly looking at Sharna in order to remember the choreography, and it didn’t look like he was having fun at all – plus he didn’t exactly get a flattering edit in his package, where he was throwing a bit of a tantrum about “complicated steps” and “having a meltdown” instead of just listening to his partner. Like Lolo last week, I think Tavis’ mouth may be the thing that ultimately does him in – he just does not know when to SHUT UP. He just keeps prattling on, harping on the same thing over and over again, and it ultimately screws him. I think the judges were very, very kind with his score, but I don’t know that it’s enough to keep him around another week. Seemed to get a bit lost in the shuffle, and didn’t exactly come across as Mr. Charming this week. If not him, then Betsey – but my gut is saying Tavis is leaving us tomorrow night.
So what are your thoughts on tonight’s show? Favorite? Least favorite? Who’s going home? And what are your predictions for next week? π
I agree with you 100%. I just hope that Bethany’s fans are voting for her on facebook at abc and via phone(s), as I do not know if Derek’s fans are enough to keep carrying them through. I really want to see their Waltz next week. Keeping my fingers cross that they get through tomorrow night.
I agree with your comments, Courtney.
My favorite was Bethany and least Tavis and I think it will be Tavis, Betsey and Michael in the bottom three.
I’m getting so fed up with CAI’s comments. It’s obvious she doesn’t like the young girls and I believe she is probably jealous of Julianne being on as well. I hope next week the songs match the dance styles better because I thought some were way off.
Agree with everything you wrote, Courtney! You hit it in the nail on the head for me. I could not put my thoughts together for the spoilers post. Thank you. May I just add that CAI bothered me a lot tonight and some of the packages made me squirm a little. There were some bright spots for me, well, not just because of the dancing but also the likability factor of these celebs–Alfonso, Bethany, Sadie, Michael, Tommy, and Betsey. Hope next week’s a lot better.
I was completely confused as to why Tavis and Randy got the same score but I guess that’s what happens when you go first?
I thought Betsey looke AMAZING. I was tweeting all night how beautiful she looked and I thought it was cute when she was like to Len “..but I like who I am”
I agree 100% with Allison and Jonathan. It was like Bam! Bam! Bam! with Allison with Jonathan just being her post. I hope next week she highlights more of him.
This week was meh for me but I think week 2 is hard because it’s the first time the celebs only have 1 week of practice so hopefully next week will be better and everyone gets into the routine of things.
I am starting to because she knows that there may be people who whine that she’s not a ballroom dancer, and she’s trying to prove herself.
I’m with you Carrie, I do hope the Motavators are voting. I do think Derek fans can get them through the next couple of weeks at the very least and I’d like to think she appeased those Motavators who were upset with her by posting a video this week. So I’m fairly optimistic that they are safe barring any major screw up or unfortunate incident. I’ve got my fingers crossed for them to make it far if for no other reason than to stick it to CAI. Her tone when she talks to Bethany confuses me. It’s such a soft pondering tone like she’s talking to a child and I don’t understand why. Is she truly that shocked that the girl is a natural mover and not hopeless? Really what is it? :/
Sorry for the vent. I always love your power rankings post, Courtney. You mods do so much work to keep us informed and entertained. Thank you π
Just excellent again Court!!!
Ok, my rankings:
1. Derek and Bethany – I just loved them!! What a fun dance full of bounce and creativity. If she had an ankle issue, you couldn’t tell. I agree, Bethany is beginning to be a “storyteller”. They looked just stunning too. Loved the bass tricks too. Derek is so good at showing us something different every season. LOVED!
2. Sadie and Mark – Omg, they were so good again. I just love how sassy she is and cute. Girls legs just go!! What a great dance and cool cool choreo by Mark. They are definitely one of my faves this season.
3. Janel and Val – I agreed with Julianne! This may not have been a traditional Fox Trot, but, it was fun, romantic, passionate, and beautiful. Great complicated choreo by Val. I’m glad he pushed her. Her feet seemed a little slow in places like she was having trouble keeping up, but, still so elegant and pretty.
4. Alfonso and Witney – I loved them. They were so smooth and jiggy!! Maybe there could have been more Samba and Latin in it like Julianne said, but, he was still great out there. He’s a dancer in his soul. His heart is totally in it.
5. Lea and Artem – They came out so quick, flashy, and sexy. She was more confident and strong out there tonight. You can tell she’s having a lot of fun and just loves the performance factor. Excellent.
6. Cheryl and Antonio – Wow, what an improvement from last week. He wasn’t nervous. He just danced, enjoyed the moment, and was totally into Cheryl. So smooth, sexy, and passionate. These two have just entered the ball game.
7. Allison and Jonathan – I just love these two. I loved the angles in this dance. Such clever and fun choreo by Allison. I also loved his cool and sleek character. He seemed to have a little trouble keeping up, but, it was still super.
8. Karina and Randy – Well, Karina did manage to show Randy’s naughty side,lol, but the dance seemed a little odd, rushed, and stiff to me. I was expecting more, but, I still like them a lot and want to see more.
9. Tommy and Peta- like Betsey, he executes pure joy out there. He just has so much fun and it shows in every move. “Age is a state of mind” just like Bruno said. Too fun and so entertaining.
10. Betsey and Tony…once again, I just love this couple. All you see is her joy and heart. “Glamour queen of the night”. So cute.
11. Michael and Emma – These two are so funny. He had a hard time with the dance itself, but, they definitely have the entertainment factor in spades. I also love how he’s not afraid to make fun of himself.
12. Travis and Sharna – I didn’t think this dance was as bad he thought it might be. The elements were there. They just needed a few more days to practice and perfect it. He also needed to loosen up and get more confident. If he makes it until next week, I hope he gets more time to concentrate and practice. We need to really feel he wants to be here too as this could be his biggest downfall tonight and could put him in danger of leaving. He’s not making DWTS a priority like the others. (adding: I feel so sorry for Sharna! You can tell she’s trying so hard to make it work)
What, you mean Maks and Meryl aren’t at the top of your power rankings? I keep reading they’re the best partnership ever and should come back and headline every season because the show stinks without them! LOL
Seriously though I’m enjoying this season so much better than last season. It’s so nice to see people actually learning to dance without the life being sucked out of the show by one pro who’s so desperate to win a trophy that he’ll do anything to make sure that happens. I said it in another post but I’ll say it again here — kudos to ABC and the producers for not playing the game Maks and Meryl are trying so hard to play.
All I can say about tonight was that the judges were a bit nice here and there and their comments did not match the scores. A lot of couple bethany sadie to name a few were underscored tonight. They did really good.
Tavis i feel is going home tomorrow, or betsy but i think its him. I feel bad for Sharna.
I think this episode was just a big mess tonight i dont know why but it felt that way to me.
I definitely agree with Courtney on Lea and Artem they did not deserve a 35 or to be on top, they were overscored for sure. Was she good yeah, but there was a few mistakes and not good enough kicks.
I would say someone needs to get CAI some vajanel before next weeks show for her overactive hoo-ha.
Tommy, I want you to stay, but please stop sharing your weed with her. It just raises her paranoia that the younger, prettier ladies are stealing her thunder.
I totally agree with these rankings. I hope people are connecting to Jonathan & Allison’s partnering, so this week doesn’t hurt them too much. I’d, like Julianne, like to see them stick around to grow more.
meh…. and that pretty much sums up tonights show. The music was off and the dancing was uninspiring. Im really enjoying Chong until everyone settles into a comfort zone. I spat out my coffee when the shirt was ripped open (yes literally)… So I agree, its really the women and alfonso. As for Allison, Im glad that somebody came to dance tonight, she was obviously dancing circles around her partner, other pros have done that too to cover deficits and injuries. So why pick on her… she gets my vote…lol. As for CAI, just ignore her like 90% of people watching the show. Julianne is proving to be a really good judge, imagine that… an acclaimed dancer judging a dancing show and giving constructive comments and encouragement (ahem CAI)…I couldn’t watch Tavis dance… too painful. Im liking the “Houghs” choreography, the massive bass violin was off the hinges and great job Bethany!I think I’ll forget this week once I… wait what was I talking about.. π
My favorites in no specific order:
Bethany & Derek: Simply exquisite. Her posture was gorgeous! I definitely thought she deserved higher scores (thought she’ll get more 9’s considering the judges’ comments). I think it was the better of the 3 Foxtrots tonight. The way they used the bass was brilliant. Gosh, Derek is a genius..
Sadie & Mark: This girl does not stop surprising me. She really is a great dancer. That Jazz deserved higher scores, much like Beth and Derek. Can’t wait to see her do ballroom!
Lea & Artem: Ok, so she may not have had a great posture and technique but there was something about this dance that I loved so much. I think it was mainly the fact that Lea just seemed very committed in this dance and she did not hold back. It was as if she was saying “take a load of this Baryshnikov!”. I just really loved the energy of the whole performance. I was also not expecting her to do as well as she did so she definitely surprised me.
Betsey & Tony: She was just simply gorgeous. I loved it all. The dance was simple, yet beautiful. I think she should have gotten at least one 8 there..
Tommy & Peta: So, so, so much fun. I am really loving Peta’s work with him this season. The choreo was nice and for a 75 year old man he has more rhythm than a couple of his younger competitors. Hope he sticks around a bit more!
The couples I felt “meh” about:
Antonio & Cheryl: I am having such a hard time remembering Antonio is in the cast this season.. But anyways, watching back his dance, it was ok. Nothing really special. Not a lot of Rumbas really excite me though so I can’t say I loved this one. Just an ok job.
Jonathan & Allison: I kinda liked it… mainly cause of Allison because DAMN. Like Antonio, it was just an ok dance for me.
Janel & Val: She’s a great dancer but I am having a lot of trouble connecting with her and Val. Not only that but this dance was a bit hectic for me. Too many hard/staccato moments.. not my cup of tea. Still think she needs to calm down a little bit.
Randy & Karina: It was a great effort but not really that amazing. Going first definitely did not help. Hopefully he gets a ballroom dance next week (fingers crossed for Tango) or the Paso.
Alfonso & Witney: I enjoyed it. Not as much as I enjoyed his Jive but it was still nice. I would have liked it to feel a bit more Samba-ish but I understand that with the song they got it made more sense to go the hip hop route. Kinda agree with Len that these two weeks he got dances that were all about fun/personality so I am also looking forward to seeing how he handles something like the Foxtrot or Waltz.
The dances I did not particularly like:
Tavis & Sharna: It was just too stompy honestly. Felt kinda awkward just watching it. Think he’s probably gone tomorrow.
Michael & Emma: While I did find the dance pretty funny, I just cringed when he tried to roll his hips. Eeeek :/ I like Michael but I mostly like him off the dancefloor, sadly.
Loving the Peta we’re seeing this season! π
Loved the opening number good way to intro the celebs and showcase the pros, nice for the judges but CAI is really bugging me this season for many many reasons.
Best dances of the night are a tie with Bethany and Sadie. Both did excellent with technique, the sass, the showmanship just everything. Derek and Mark they are so creative what can I say they really are the best.
Betsy love her spirit and even enjoy Tony, he is really being helpful to her.
Sorry just not that wowed by Alfonso and Whitney is really doubting herself. Don’t want to win so much and lighten up! Johnathan has a great attitude. Allison welcome to the life of DWTS. Lea I enjoy but she also seems desperate to win, maybe it’s just me, does anyone else get that feeling?
Tavis can hit the road Jack. Why agree to do the show if you have so much going on and no time to rehearse and then tell Sharna to make it easier.
Can’t get Janel and Val. Obviously Val is a great dancer. He wold not have won so many championships in his career if not but geezers shut up already. Antonio hummm can’t decide. The rest of the cast make me laugh. So I’m pleased. Thanks for all the work you guys do and it was nice to see the servicemen and women in the audience.
The discrepancy between judges’ comments and the scores, and between my initial reaction and audience’s and judges’, made me wonder if my internal barometer of good or bad dancing is off. Thank goodness for this Power Rankings and all of the comments here π
Had some TV issues, missed Randy and Karina.
Janel & Val: I thought Val delivered an entertaining and quite difficult choreography, but it didn’t feel like a foxtrot at all. No smoothness.
Lea & Artem: Overscored. She did great, but her posture…. The agility and flexibility amazed me, because she is quite old haha. But I thought the praises were too much.
Michael and Emma: Oh man I love Emma!! So funny in the package. But boy oh boy, Michael cannot dance at all. Bill Engvall was never this bad. The song was too quiet/low key to be a samba for me, and then there were barely any dancing other than rolling his hips. Thank goodness Emma managed to keep it somewhat entertaining, with the cartwheel and all. I always enjoyed Bill’s routines no matter what. This dance I was cringing most of the time. I love Emma though, so I don’t want them to go just yet. I hope Michael gets a Standard number next week.
Tavis & Sharna: It was a whole lot of stomping and not really dancing, but the disco groove and the music really got me so I enjoyed this a lot lol. Tavis wasn’t really dancing but he did look like he was jamming. Hated the package. Don’t be whiny and come on, I know you’re busy but you signed up so make time for DWTS!
Alfonso & Witney: Yeah, no bounce, so what. Alfonso is still SO great! Selling the performance like nobody else and his “jiggy” moves were just perfect with the music. Witney is proving to be a very solid choreographer. Getting jive and samba in the first 2 weeks, what a champ, really.
Bethany & Derek: Now that’s a foxtrot! There’s smoothness and not a frantic, too fast song. I thought getting up and down the bass was visibly clunky, but it was an amazing choreography and made me gape. Bethany did not show that she was injured and she danced very well.
Betsey & Tony: Wow, that was very cute. And her reaction, the judges’ reaction were all very sweet. Another enjoyable foxtrot. Not a fan of those boots, Tony. But I guess whatever helps the contestants to dance better.
Antonio & Cheryl: Eh, rumba in week 2. A lot better than last week but I feel it was a little overhyped?
Tommy & Peta: Echoing what a lot of people are saying, I love this Peta. Sure her penchant for wearing as little fabric as possible made me lol but dang, she made Tommy great. It just feels great to see a 72-year-old salsa-ing that well.
Jonathan & Allison: I thought the music was kinda crazy. Allison choreographed a very eye catching number but not a cha cha. She killed that dance but I barely saw Jonathan.
Sadie and Mark: Ugh I hate CAI. It was very enjoyable and felt way too short. Sadie is so cute.
I need CAI to get off of this show.
Thank you for writing these amazing Power Rankings every week!
I’m loving this season so much!
No particular ranking or orders, just observational:
Tavis can go home now. Bad attitude, terrible dancing, no fun, no joy. What’s the point?
Waltrip: Awful dancer but so darn delightful and funny, as was Emma. I love Emma in the bikini over her clothes, much more relatable to every woman. And Waltrip is just a joy, especially in his bikini top. π
Antonio: A tiny bit better than last week. Why all the praise? Still a stiff, boring, personality and dance style, imo.
Jonathan: or should I say Allison…I agree, Jonathan looked like Allison’s spotter out there. And it was a weird package.
I don’t think Lea or Janel deserved a 9. Maybe all 8’s but no 9’s. Vajanel acted like normal people instead of caricatures, thank goodness. But will it last.
Tommy & Betsey: Love them. They both moved light years better than Tavis and they’re both lovely, fun, entertaining spirits who give it their all. I do like Peta this season in her packages when she can’t go for the wannabe sex-kitten role. Still bumping and grinding in the dances but in slow motion with Tommy. Overall, much more likable.
Sadie: Very cute and I thought the scores were fair. I think Mark did really well for having to marry jazz with country.
Bethany: I want to love her more but something is missing. I don’t know if there’s a wall up behind the smile or she’s just a natural introvert but something is missing. Loved the choreography and her effort.
Randy: He should have gotten better than Tavis across the board. All my votes went to him. He can definitely do better, but he did do better than Tavis.
Alfonso: Didn’t love it as much as last week but still the best of the night for me.
And the dances are too short. Just when I start getting into one, it’s over.
I love movie night. I can’t wait to see what films they pick! Except Lea. π
I love the NFL play by play video during judging. And Erin has done a 180 for me from last season. And let’s all pitch in and buy Julianne a hair brush. π
Carrie Ann’s bias against young, attractive female contestants has been obvious for years. I’ve thought for a long time that ABC should do an analysis of how many times she underscores the younger women vis a vis the scores given by Len and Bruno – I think the results would be revealing. Whether CAI would change her behavior remains to be seen, although I tend to think not.
I don’t think the viewers or the audience cared one iota the lack of Samba in Alfonso’s dance. The crowd went crazy for him.
Just a few random thoughts from me. I want to say sorry to Peta. At the beginning of the season, I was a tad bit too happy that she got Tommy. I thought it would do her in but I was wrong. I admit it. She is doing a fabulous job. We so needed to see this from her and she has delivered!! I love Derek. I love his creativity. I always have and I always will. But I am just not connecting with Bethany. I want to. She is a darling girl but something is missing there for me. Sadie? Wowzers. I love her to pieces. She can dance, has legs for miles and has the quirkiest personality that shines through. Carrie Ann, jealous much?
Call me crazy, but I think Bethany’s in obvious pain. I felt like I could see it half the time she danced. The dance still turned out very well, but I thought she was hurting.
ETA: Okay, I watch the dance again and it’s not as obvious as I remember it being just a couple little winces here and there. Not winces in her face just in her movement. Still one of the better dances of the night.
The older celebs were the ones I loved last night. I really enjoyed watching Lea and Artem (though they were overscored) and Betsey and Tommy were so much fun to watch. Overall though I enjoyed the premiere episode more. I thought the quality of dancing was down but that could be because I read the spoilers from Deep Throat so the seed was already planted.
I thought Janel did better with the Foxtrot and came across a little more likable than last week. I also thought she and Val made an effort to tone down some of the showmance stuff based on the reactions they got last week. Still don’t like her (or them) though.
I had a fear something like last night would happen with Allison and Jonathan but I was hoping it would have happened later in the season.
Even with Michael’s score I think Tavis will be going home tonight.
Thank you Courtney for the excellent Power Rankings. You’re getting them up so early lately!
I just love Tommy and Peta. He dances shockingly good for a geriatric stoner! I laughed again (in a fond way) at Peta’s costume. She had a little patch of orange fringe draped right in front of where her privates started. In past season this normally would have annoyed me, but starting with her partnership with James last season and now Tommy, I’ve really grown to like and appreciate her.
For me, Michael is starting to come off just a wee bit desperate. He’s trying too hard to be the comic relief. He’s a charming guy. All he needs is to just be himself.
Val tamed some of Janel’s tendency to overplay to the rafters.
Alfonso musicality is amazing. I literally see the music when he dances.
Love the power rankings!
Did you guys see that Meghan Trainer tweeted about Beth and Derek? She wrote that she LOVED the choreography :D. I’m so disappointed in Travis. I love Sharna and I thought that they did a great job last week. I agree that they might be on their way out tonight.
And I’m with you on Janel and Val. The song didn’t match the foxtrot, nor did it match the masquerade theme (and I normally LOVE masquerades). The dance was cute and well done, but I feel like she hasn’t danced to her full potential yet.
Wow, my comment made no sense. I was talking about how Allison overdances. I think she’s trying to prove herself or something.
A few thoughts.
Re: Michael v. Bill. I went back and watched Bill’s week 2 dance. The difference to me is that Bill looked like he was capable of being a good dancer, if physically somewhat limited; Michael doesn’t give me that feeling at all.
Alfonso and Witney. Looking at it, there is quite a bit in there that reminded me of Charlie’s samba last season. The big problem is that I didn’t see any attempt at a samba roll in there, and I have to wonder why. [My guess is that they tried to do it, and it just didn’t flow well.]
Jonathan and Allison. I’ll be honest here: I have no idea what’s “cha cha content.” [And dear God, I have even less of an understanding of what a rumba is “supposed to be.”] All I know is that I try to focus on the celebrities when I watch, and I liked what I saw from Jonathan. I just wish Allison had him doing more, though, since he *can* dance.
My rankings are all over the place this week (some people really stepped up and other were just really pleasant surprises):
1)Lea and Artem: This dance was beyond fun. I agree with you guys on the overscoring but this dance definitely resonated with me for some reason. Kudos to Artem and Lea for making it look so easy. Oh and congrats to Artem on the American citizenship thing and for showing more personality this week.
2)Alfonso and Witney: What’s there really to say but he is the entertainer of the season. He is clearly having fun and the stress he and witney are under is understandable considering the high expectations everyone has for him. Loved how that dance was literally a party….and a great one at that.
3)Sadie and Mark: So this wasn’t as good as last week but in my opinion, this was underscored. It was fun. Mark nailed that choreography. It was age appropriate. What more could they want?
4)Janel and Val: So they redeemed themselves in my eyes last night. It was fun and just overall her best dance thus far. I also couldn’t help but feel that she is a little hard on herself for some reason every time they get scores.
5) Randy and Karina: This was not the best of the night but his pure joy is infectious.
6)Bethany and Derek: Another one that I loved. She is fearless. She did a trick people are afraid of in ten minutes. Yeah, this girl is beyond fearless. I feel bad about her ankle though. I hope it gets better.
7)Antonio and Cheryl: If anyone would have told me that the nervous guy from week one could pull this off in week 2, I would have said they were crazy. He nailed this one. Ironic that Cheryl was more uncomfortable with rumba in week two then him but they did great.
8)Tommy and Peta: This man is a national treasure. Age is just a number and boy does he prove it. Peta is having fun. He had a blast. It was fun to watch. You go Tommy Chong!
9) Jonathan and Allison: Honestly, I liked it. Was it more focused on Allison….absolutely. That was weird for me because last week, he really showed he can move. It got the right score for sure but I hope he is not going this week.
10)Tavis and Sharna: I liked it. Did he have fun? Yes. That’s what really shocks me about him. The serious newsperson can really shake it out there. My fav part had to be Sharna’s entrance when she stood up and winked. The little things like that make me love Sharna even more.
11) Betsey and Tony: The comeback kid. She toned it down a bit and it worked. She can really dance. Now I really want to see her waltz.
12)Michael and Emma: Yea, I love this guy and think he is a walking ray of sunshine but even I had to agree with Julianne and Carrie Ann.
Oh and if I had to take a stab at a possible guest judge next week (really Len…not there for movie week?!), I say Kenny Ortega.
Agree @sandy! I enjoyed Alfonso’s performance. The guy sure can entertain.
@Sam – Small bone to pick: samba rolls aren’t exactly standard samba fare, and I’m a bit puzzled at those who discount any samba that does not contain one. It’s quite possibly the most difficult figure to both lead & follow in the samba syllabus, and you typically only see it in high-level professional or pro-am routines – and even then, it’s not always executed effectively. Basically, it’s a really risky step, and unless you know your partner is gonna be able to kill it (like Danica), there’s really no point in including it in a samba routine, as it becomes a liability. So I can totally understand why Witney & Alfonso opted not to do it – their song was wayyyy too fast, and a samba roll just didn’t fit the bill. Doesn’t make it any less of a samba simply because it doesn’t contain a samba roll.
And just as an FYI – Apolo & Julianne’s samba from season 4, long considered to be on of the best in the history of DWTS? No samba rolls. Nicole & Zendaya didn’t do them in their sambas, either. Meryl did them in both of hers, but she did them wrong.
And just to illustrate just how absurdly fast “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It” is – ISTD regulations state that the ideal samba tempo is between 96-104 BPM (beats per minute). “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It” is 108 BPM. You do the math.
@Courtney: Thank you for the enlightenment; given the (English) name, I would have thought they were an expected element of the dance.
@Sam – I would say that the samba basic, bota fogos, voltas, whisks, and samba walks are usually the standard samba fare on DWTS. Samba rolls are the “holy grail” of all samba steps – ridiculously hard to do. They’ll get you major kudos from Len – IF you can do them correctly. He’ll tear you a new one if they’re sloppy, though. Honestly, I think most couples are better off doing a plait or bachatas – old school steps that aren’t necessarily super hard but make Len pleased as punch if you even include them, because they remind him of his competition days.
@Courtney: As far as the tempo goes, I’ll have to take your word for it on “way too fast.” I don’t know enough about dancing to know how much of a difference that extra 8 BPM (above the middle of the range) makes. [I know from a musician’s standpoint it’s generally not much, but I also know that performing music and dancing to it are very different.]
Courtney what’s that Samba step called where they individually take very small steps in place or moving forward and backward while shaking or undulating the hips? It seems rather simple, but I bet it’s not.
When I see someone like Yulia do the step it’s incredibly fast and really mesmerizing.
Carrie Ann need her meds adjusted because she was so embarrassing to watch. Falling off the chair every week is not entertaining. Once is funny, more than that, humiliating. And she has to learn to be less transparent when she dislikes someone. But I guess since she makes it obvious when she’s drooling over the guys, she’s going to make it obvious when she has some unknown issue with the girls. I don’t think she’s happy not being the only woman judge anymore, but get over it and act like the professional you’re supposed to be.
That said, I really enjoyed Bethany, Sadie and Alfonso this week. I like Randy but going first, I forgot about him until they recapped the phone numbers. I do not like Janel at all. I was so surprised with Betsey. She looked beautiful and her dance was lovely. Tony pulled it off this week. I don’t care much for Michael, he’s not in the same league of likeability as Bill Engvall was even if he thinks so. I don’t see him lasting long. I agree about Peta and Tommy. She knows she doesn’t have a chance in winning, so she’s relaxing, having fun and enjoying the season. Tommy brings a lot of fun to the show and I will enjoy watching him for as long as he’s around. Tavis, eh, he’s forgettable to me. He doesn’t have the attitude needed and if he’s so busy, why did he agree to do the show? He had to have known what his schedule was before saying yes. Lack of practice cannot be hidden on the dance floor. I like Jonathan and don’t think he’s going anywhere anytime soon, but his dance last week was better. At least the Elizabeth Berkley eyes didn’t make an appearance. Lea did a good jive, but again, I agree, the kicks could have been better. She can dance though and the judges seem to love her. Antonio is another that is forgettable to me. He seems like high maintenance and I don’t envy Cheryl’s job if that’s the case.
Bottom two this week, Michael and Tavis with Tavis leaving.
@Susan2 – Bachata π And yeah, Yulia ROCKS at them – she does hers double and sometimes even triple time. I remember the Zendaya fans made this huge deal about her doing them in her samba, and Val only had her do them single-time, which ain’t all that hard. I’m sure Yulia would look at those and go “Awww, that’s cute.” π
First of all the stars picked their songs they didn’t get “saddled” with the songs. The dance styles were based off the songs. Granted some of them didn’t fit the songs they were given but overall I think it was a pretty fun week. That being the case my comments are as follows:
Randy: Eh…he could have done better. Last week’s dance was better than this one.
Janel: I loved how they looked! I don’t like the song and I don’t think Foxtrot was the dance for it. However, I think they pulled it off well. Of course my favorite pro is Val so I am a little bias. π
Tavis: His performance was ok but not the greatest. It certainly deserved the scores it received.
Alfonso: Again, I don’t think the dance fit the song but I love Alfonso and his charm. He did well for the challenge but I think the difficulty of coordinating the samba to the song got to him.
Bethany: Although I have never been a Derek fan, I must give him props for that unique dance. It was actually quite enjoyable. The use of the Bass in the opening was beautiful.
Betsey: She looked absolutely stunning! Tony has done wonders for her in getting her confidence boosted. I think she deserves to stick around for awhile.
Antonio: The Rumba seemed a bit of a challenge for him but of course that is a hard dance to do in Week 2. I think it was done well though for it being so early in the season.
Tommy: He never fails to disappoint. When I heard he would be on the show I didn’t think he would do as well as he has. He has been my surprise of the season. He goes out there and gives it his all and learns the steps. I think he deserves to stay a week or two more.
Jonathan: Didn’t seem as comfortable with his dance this week. Nevertheless I think it was a pretty good performance.
Sadie: Doing a jazz routine to a country song is difficult. Kudos to Mark for making it work.
Michael: Although I am a NASCAR fan I have never been a Michael Waltrip fan. I don’t think he is trying hard enough on the dance. He brings maybe the fun factor but that’s about it. And I hope I NEVER have to see him in a bikini again. My retinas are still burning.
My predictions for who goes home: TAVIS or MICHAEL.
As for my thoughts on movie week you can bet that Lea’s dance will be “Back to the Future” related. DUH! So expected. The rest I guess we will just have to wait and see. I hope there is no Titanic or Footloose or Dirty Dancing. Way overused. And preferably no Star Wars/Star Trek themes.
@Nicole – Ummm, no. Not all of the celebs picked their songs – some were ASSIGNED them after their original choices didn’t clear. Randy & Jonathan are two examples I can confirm – there may be more. TPTB would have you think that all the celebs picked their songs for “my jam” week, but that’s definitely NOT how it went down. As far as I can confirm, the only celeb that for sure got their first choice was Bethany.
@Courtney. Thanks for clearing that up. It really sucks that it is called “MY JAM” when it wasn’t THEIR jam. This show gets crazier by the minute.
@Nicole – Yeah, pretty d*ck move by the guys upstairs. I don’t know that they really thought it through very well…
@Courtney: When Jonathan was on Access Hollywood he basically said that he got his #1 song pick last week with “Dance with Me Tonight.” So I kinda wonder what his choice for “two jam” [ok, sorry, bad pun] would have been.
That’s a huge exaggeration. Others who 100% got their song choices: Sadie, Alfonso, Michael, Tavis, Betsey (although her #1 was already used last week as well). They are not saddling anybody with songs. They want to give them their choice, but not everything can be cleared. Even with Randy, he couldn’t get his original choice but he liked the song Karina played him as a backup and they went with that instead.
wow, Meghan Trainor herself tweeted about Bethany & Derek as well! first Taylor Swift, now Meghan-this is great! I really enjoyed Bethany’s foxtrot and I hope her fans are actually voting. seems like many of them are absolutely clueless about DWTS, so I’m afraid they’re not voting or don’t really know how to vote :/
have to say I’m a bit disappointed in Allison and how she spotlighted herself so much. in a pre-season interview she said how she was all about making her partner shine and well…couldn’t really see that :/ hope it doesn’t happen again cos I like Jonathan & Allison.
Carrie Ann-I don’t like her at all, can she just go away, please?
Now for my comments (thank you Vogue for letting me copy your comment so I didn’t have to type up the names of all of he couples…)
Derek and Bethany β I really liked this dance. I think Bethany has a lot of potential to be really good. I would also say that, of all of the partners that she could have gotten, Derek is the best to deal with a leg injury. First, Derek knows how to work with various leg issues – see all of last season. Also, Derek has had his fair share of injuries and injured partners. Normally, I wouldn’t think an injury was a big deal, but this is also Week 2. So now Beth has to deal with the injury for the rest of the season…
Sadie and Mark β I really like them too. The segment with her dad approving her costumes was great. She has charm and a great sense of humor, and she seems like such a genuinely sweet girl. I do find myself rooting for them! I’m not sure if they got lucky or unlucky getting a jazz so early, though…
Janel and Val β meh. Don’t love them, don’t hate them. This dance didn’t really stand out for me, and it also didn’t really seem like a foxtrot. But, I did like Julianne’s “screw tradition” comment!
Alfonso and Witney β I loved them. But, I did say that they were not going to top or even match last week’s score before I even saw their dance. I feel kind of bad for them, having to match such a good jive last week. And I can tell that Witney Witney is struggling to keep the level up. I think they will kinda waver between good, great, and amazing.
Lea and Artem β My parents and i agreed -this was overscored. Was it good? Yes. But it wasn’t 9’s – it was an 8 for me.
Cheryl and Antonio β I still don’t like him. He is stiff, awkward, annoying… Just no. I didn’t like his argument with Cheryl, either. I’m ready for him to go.
Allison and Jonathan β I think Allison will have better choreography this coming week. This one was good, but I agree that it really didn’t have enough chacha and it didn’t feature Jonathan enough. The good thing is, she seemed to be pretty amicable about the whole thing, and I think she takes criticism well, so I think she can only go up from here!
Karina and Randy β The dance was a little bit odd – fun, but odd, I didn’t think Karina’s costume really matched the dance, and the whole thing was kinda cringe-worthy. I liked Randy better when he did the ballroom dances.
Tommy and Peta- tommy is very enjoyable. He really seems to enjoy himself on the dance floor. And I agree – we are seeing a better side of Peta this season. I think she knows she won’t win, so she’s really trying a different approach. I like that!
Betsey and Tony – these two are fun because they also try their hardest. I think that Tony does best with partners like Betsye. This foxtrot was really good. Very worthy of those 7’s
Michael and Emma β This was just kinda awkward. I had a lot of trouble watching it. I really want to see him do ballroom proper next week – I think he’ll be better in hold.
Tavis and Sharna βthis dance wasn’t great. I agree that if the had been more time, it would have been a better dance. I hope he and Sharna can do better next week!
RE 38-41: I think that music clearance is a big problem for a week called “My Jam.” I feel kinda bad for people who have to get music cleared, because it’s really hard to get all of the songs cleared, and you’ll never be 12-for-12. So yeah.
The point I was trying to make is that not everyone actually got to pick their song, and I had no confirmation on everyone that had & hadn’t. All I knew was that Bethany for sure got her pick and Randy & Jonathan didn’t. But they really did kinda saddle Jonathan with the song he got – if they couldn’t clear the song he wanted and just gave him that one instead, he really didn’t have much choice in the matter.
If the judges want pure Latin dances, they had better do something about the music. I know a pro should be able to dance to anything, but Getting Jiggy is not “samba” music.
The judges also seem to have different standards for each couple. I liked the live orchestra. At least the conductor understood the conceptt of a particular beat for a specific dance. The producers are trying to appeal to a young demographic and are in jeopardy of losing their strongest, i.e. older than 50 years.
Jonathan danced with Allison? I thought it was a solo dance with the microphone stand! π
Tavis can go. I do like his show and his personality is more “on” in that format. I’m really confused by what I am seeing and what I have seen! :O
I feel a little bad for Jonathan…..not that it was a bad song but I really wonder what song he really wanted.
This week seemed like such a letdown from week 1. The only dance that got me really excited was Lea’s. She had posture issues but I loved Artem’s choreography and her commitment. I wasn’t as excited about Bethany’s dance as some are. I think the buildup was too much and the bass part seemed kind of clumsy. Having three young, cute girls all with brown hair just seems too much. They are all good but none are standing out for me. I hope either Michael or Tavis go home.
[…] you want to see my predictions of who is going home, along with Courtney’s predictions, click the links. Vogue is in there too, in the comments. I think, once again, all three of us are […]