PureDWTS Season 21, Week 8 – Power Rankings
I know I can’t be the only one that was over themes a couple weeks ago – and I have to wonder if others share the other sentiment I have: that a lot of the theme weeks this season have started to feel a bit…redundant. “Hometown Glory” week, “Most Memorable Year” week, and now “Personal Icons” week – anyone else feel like these themes have churned out kinda the same dances over and over? I feel like I’ve seen so many crying dances this season – more than I care to. How ’bout we just ditch the themes from here on out and just…y’know, DANCE.
As predicted, the immunity and dance-off was about as farcical as it could possibly be – clear agendas, and some eyebrow-raising rulings by the judges. Felt more like whoever got the louder reaction from the crowd got the points, rather than whoever was dancing more competently or actually even trying to portray the dance style they were given. In the end, I doubt 2 points is going to help anyone a TON if they aren’t already getting the votes, and really the only one who got a serious boost was Nick, who has a nifty little 4-point cushion over the next highest-scorer and and now is within one cumulative point of Bindi – I’m just waiting for that to somehow come into play in these next few weeks, when Nick suddenly inches ahead of Bindi and suddenly by virtue of his cumulative point total, he gets an edge – maybe first pick in some cockamamie dance they’ve cooked up, maybe first pick of songs, who knows. It all just feels verrry convenient.
Sad to see Andy go, but I can’t help but think that Allison’s chaotic choreography is partially to blame for their departure – for the second time this season, she kinda got subtly called out by the judges again for having too much going on in Andy’s Viennese waltz…which, by the wait, just kinda felt to me like a retooling of Hayes’ switch week Viennese waltz which was met with equal criticism by the judges. His paso last week was pretty chaotic as well – and poor Andy just couldn’t keep up in either one, I’m afraid, and it made the critique from the judges feel like they were calling out his sloppy technique…but the subtext was “your technique was sloppy because the dance had way too much going on.” Part of me hopes that during her maternity leave next season, Allison gets a bit more introspective and maybe figures out a way to still honor her own style while focusing more on being true to the ballroom style that this show focuses on…
*DISCLAIMER: I had to watch the show on a very grainy feed that froze several times, due to the Colts getting their asses handed to them on Monday Night Football…again. So I plead the fifth if I missed anything/didn’t see something clearly – the show didn’t even air until 3 AM in my area, and I wasn’t exactly gung ho to stay up and watch it. 😛
1.) Nick & Sharna – I’m still a bit unclear as to whether the immunity from elimination was just for last night or if Nick is safe next Monday – I found the wording to be murky and I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if they decided to change the rules a bit in order to keep Nick safe. I think what I predicted earlier in the season is starting to happen – the judges are starting to really nitpick Bindi and really heap praise on Nick. Yes, this dance was lovely – but I don’t agree that it was perfect (saw some thrown-away arm lines, some weird feet, and he just looked HEAVY on his feet at times – and sorry, but if we’re nitpicking one of Bindi’s shoulders, this is a valid critique), and I think the judges got carried away by the emotion of the dance that they were so bound & determined NOT to get carried away with in Alek’s routine…how convenient. Found it kind of appropriate that Twitch tweeted out after the dance “So…no critiques on technique on that one?” And as for the big announcement? UGH. Tacky, tacky, tacky – not only was it not really news (we’ve heard murmurings about it for weeks now), but the whole gender reveal after??? Is Nick that desperate for votes? Thing was, neither he nor his wife looked terribly surprised by the reveal – which makes me wonder if they already knew and the whole thing was just even more of a stunt. Alfonso announcing his wife’s pregnancy on the show in season 19? Eh, not really what I would have done, but at least it was a very short blurb and didn’t have a lot of fanfare. Noah proposing to his girlfriend in season 20? Errr…didn’t particularly care for it, but I guess I could see why an average guy like him would do it – it’s not like he gets a whole lot of opportunities to do something big like that. But this? Just felt extraordinarily manufactured for votes – to the point where it’s making it hard for me to appreciate the routine because the whole thing just felt like one big, desperate ploy for votes.
2.) Bindi & Derek – While I also think Bindi’s dance wasn’t perfect, it was pretty darn close – and the problem I’m having these days seems to have less to do with scores and more to do with scores and critiques not aligning, or the critiques just kinda being…bullsh*t. 🙂 The routine was high-energy and beyond fun – very characteristic “Derek” foxtrot, with a strong Broadway influence. And as always, Bindi kept up – despite her toenails FALLING OFF. That just made me cringe, as I just lost half of one of my big toenails last weekend when I stubbed my toe on a heavy hardwood drawer, and I know how much it hurts. Bindi, sweetie, get thee to the nail salon (and take Derek with you) and have them put some acrylic overlays on your little piggies…makes a HUGE difference with the sensitivity of the underlying tissue. Hearing Julianne fumble around for something to critique just made me roll my eyes – really? Her shoulder? I didn’t see any major issues with it – but hey, they gotta give Nick a leg up somehow, right? Interesting fact: one of my local radio station morning shows, whose DJ’s usually don’t give a rip about DWTS, have been talking about Bindi on a fairly regular basis – I think it just goes to show that she has gained a pretty broad following, even amongst people that don’t really watch the show.
3.) Tamar & Val – Again, I reiterate: if you don’t give the producers anything bad to work with from your rehearsal packages, they can’t paint you in a bad light. Which is why it is important, VAL, that you prepare your partner for these things, instead of just bitching to Adam about how Tamar is being portrayed the way she is. How dare anyone actually portray Tamar as being herself!!! Could also help if your partner would quit doing other stuff that doesn’t really paint her in a good light – like giving the stink eye to the judges and kinda being callous after Hayes was eliminated. Ok, obligatory soap box rant about the “bad edit” over. This paso wasn’t bad, but it didn’t wow me either – it actually felt like a recycled version of their Mad Men tango with a few paso steps thrown in, and Tamar seemed kinda low-energy and limp…and still seems to be staring off into space. Tamar may have a lot of natural dance skill – but where she’s lacking is in performance quality. Would actually be kinda nice to see her look like she’s having fun, or excited to be dancing. Just feels like her attitude is more “Eh, whatever, walk in the park.” But like Carlos, I feel like the judges are gunning to have her in the finale – so she isn’t likely to get called out on much for the next few weeks…but I do wonder how she’s doing in the votes. She was only able to get 24% of America’s vote in the dance-offs? That’s…dismal.
4.) Carlos & Witney – *shrug* Still can’t really bring myself to root for Carlos – he’s a decent dancer (but not great), and I feel like he’s still not really being himself in his packages. I think Mama Spence put it best: “Carlos acts like he’s running for office.” And it’s true – he’s constantly reminding us how religious he is, he talks about being a reformed reefer addict, and there’s the constant displays of false modesty: “I don’t think I deserved my scores!” “Oh, I am so bad at salsa!” I guess that last one was partially true – he wasn’t BAD at the salsa, but he didn’t seem terribly comfortable doing it, either. Saw some wacky arms, some whiffed lifts (you wanna talk to Alek about a missed catch? Carlos was far worse), and a generally pained expression. And I have to wonder if part of the blame lies with Witney – I wonder if she got her Alan Salazar privileges suspended after Emmygate over the summer, because her choreography this season has not been as good as previous seasons…a lot more cheap tricks and Witney dancing around her partner, and a lot less of her partner actually dancing. Admittedly, I’m not real keen on her attitude these days – it feels like she’s just kinda coasting this season, and isn’t putting 100% into her partnership. But with TPTB starting to prop Carlos up a bit these past few weeks – and it not really seeming to work (he was back in jeopardy last night, and got the extra two points from the dance-off under suspicious circumstances), I wonder if she’s gonna have to put in a bit more effort in order to stick around. We’ll see if she’s able to rise to the occasion.
5.) Alexa & Mark – Admittedly, I raised an eyebrow when I heard the theme for this one – kinda made me go “Yikes. How is that gonna work for an Argentine tango?” But I have to admit – I really enjoyed this routine. Wasn’t wild about the costumes, but I understood why they were there – actually though the music was perfect and it was nice to see shades of the same confident, in-control Alexa that we saw during switch week…even if she had a slip-up here and there. But I do find myself rooting for her more often these days – I certainly like her better than her husband, and I think she’s gotten kind of a raw deal this season. The questions for me right now, though, are “Is she getting the votes?” and “Will they sacrifice Alexa if they think it will help them keep Carlos?” Part of me thinks that the finale does not have room for both PenaVegas…and with what we’ve seen these past few weeks, I think TPTB will fight harder to keep Carlos than they will to keep Alexa. I don’t think they intended for her to get the extra points in the dance-off, which could have thrown a bit of a wrench into things if they were counting on her heading home next week and she now has enough of a bubble to stay. I do think she’s getting more votes than Carlos at this point, though…but again, I think they’re doing more to help Carlos, while underscoring Alexa.
6.) Alek & Lindsay – I’ve pretty much given up on the judges being able to give Alek a critique that is both fair and pertinent – I don’t disagree with the scores he got this week, but I do wish they would find a way to point out that hey, he did good, even if he wasn’t perfect. The minute Tom started the whole bit about Alek’s experiences and how amazing they are, I knew it was all downhill from there – the judges got all hung up on qualifying all of their comments with “We have to judge the dance!!!” and then just picked things to harp on. How the hell does it help Alek that they all harped on the same lift that he didn’t catch perfectly, which was actually caused by Lindsay’s foot getting caught on his shirt? The comment about the side-by-side work was valid – there could have been more. That is a HELPFUL comment. You know what could have also been helpful? The judges looking at him after and saying “Y’know what? You did good. You HAVE improved, and you’re great a doing lifts. There’s room for improvement, but you’re doing well.” Really and truly, aside from that one landing that was a bit off (and it wasn’t nearly as off as the similar trick from Carlos’ salsa), I thought he handled all of the lifts really, really well. I think Alek could really benefit from actually hearing that he did something well, rather than hearing Julianne hem, haw, and generally stammer over all the stuff that she didn’t like. She’s quickly becoming my LEAST favorite judge. But I do wonder if all the machinations over the past few weeks to really come down hard on Alek are finally going to work – part of me thinks both of the PenaVegas getting a few extra points may have given them just enough padding to keep them out of the bottom. Part of me thinks that Carlos and/or Alexa is probably still doomed and Alek is SLAYING in the votes. I just don’t know – but the pessimist in me is saying that they’re gonna try their damndest to make sure he DOESN’T make the finale.
The Dance-Offs:
Bindi vs. Carlos: Bindi should have won this one EASILY – she was cleaner, did more actual jive steps, was more in-sync with her partner, and didn’t spend half the time she was out there d*cking around doing flash & trash, crowd-pleasing tricks. But I guess Carlos needed the points, so the judges threw him a bone – funny how 67% the viewers voting disagreed with the judges. Not suspicious AT ALL.
Tamar vs. Alexa: Again, another one that was kinda obvious – Alexa had more content, didn’t stall, and moved BIGGER than Tamar – I saw a slip-up in one spot, but at least she went for it. Tamar, on the other hand, took forever to start moving, and then moved small – didn’t even look like she was putting in a whole lot of effort. As for the use of clothing as a prop? Wasn’t terribly fond of Val doffing his shirt of Mark ripping off part of Alexa’s skirt, but if I had to pick one, I feel like Alexa’s skirt rip was more impactful…and was at least done when most of the dancing was already over. Once again, funny how two of the judges conveniently gave it to Tamar – but 76% of those voting completely disagreed, and Alexa won. I don’t think that was part of the plan…but I think it goes to show that, while the judges/PTB may think Tamar is just the bee’s knees…America isn’t nearly as keen on her. Hmmmm…
Alek vs. Andy: The two weakest dancers left ending up with the hardest of the three dances, which neither of them have done yet? This was a recipe for disaster from the get-go, and it makes me wonder why the hell TPTB opted to include it as one of the dances when only two of the remaining couples have actually done it (and one of them conveniently got immunity). So the bar was set pretty damn low for me – and yet, I was left shocked at how BAD it went. Granted, neither one really knew what the hell they were doing, but for f*ck’s sake, at least Lindsay tried to have Alek do actual SAMBA STEPS – it was as if Allison just said “Well this is dumb, I don’t like this dance – Andy, just go do some flips and the worm and I’ll groove in the background!” And once again, Allison spitting in the face of the rules gets rewarded – both the judges and America fell for the flash & trash, and Andy got the two points…not like it mattered, though, because he got sent packing. But it just felt like it was rewarding bad behavior…
What about you guys? What say you?
Love your power rankings, Court!! The thing I didn’t understand if, America voted for Bindi, why didn’t she get the points? Why even have us vote if they’re not gonna count? Smh. I guess Carlos needed the help more..
@Tina – It was still a majority vote – you had to have 3 out of 4 votes to win the points. America’s vote only counted as a tiebreaker – which is why in Alexa’s case, she got immunity because she had 2 votes and Tamar had 2 votes, but Alexa got America’s vote, which was the tiebreaker. Just think of America’s vote being like Len’s vote.
I think you hit the nail on the head in regards to the dance off between Andy and alek. I’m really torn on allusion sometimes because she is either 100 or the rule breaker and you don’t know which one you are going to get. Also have to agree with you on witney….I have to wonder why she seems so checked out. When she had Alfonso she was there and when she had chris she was there for the most part but with Carlos she has all the goods to work with and barely seems to care. After the switch up it become more prominent.
Completely agree with everything especially regarding Carlos, Alexa, and Bindi!
1.bindi and derek – I cryed watching this because I just feel like derek is a broadway leading man that it reduces me to tears just thinking about him being on that grand broadway stage and killing it leaving everyone in awe – crossing my fingers for singing in the rain. Really hope that this season is his last
2. Alexa – loved it
3.Nick – I kinda felt a little grossed out by this dance – I can’t really explain it. I also have to say I don’t remember it other then the fact it left me feeling grossed out
4. Carlos – his posture reminded me of a hunchback
5. Alek – the man didn’t move
6. Tamer – I don’t remeber
I think the fix was in for Carlos. He was going to get the judges votes no matter what. What bugged even more though was the questioning of Derek/Bindi’s motives regarding who they chose. WTH that was really insulting.
@Courtney I agree completely. The dance offs were total crap and felt so manipulated that I wanted to puke. The scoring in the individual dances felt all over the place again this week. I’m not saying Alexa and Alek were necessarily underscored, but in comparison to the others something didn’t add up. I don’t see why Carlos earned all 9’s when Alexa and Alek received 8’s. And you’re correct, Nick’s dance wasn’t perfect. I wish they had awarded the same leniency for Alek that they did to Nick.
And can we talk about the over-the-top Nick show?!! The whole “my wife is my hero” so that I can plug our pregnancy and gender reveal was nauseating. Yes, these are exciting moments in a person’s life, but it was about as intimate and genuine as the Noah proposal last season. I’m all for a back story, but know when to say when. Then Bindi has to follow and I thought they were hard on her.
This show for me was about as contrived as they come.
Just excellent again, Court. I couldn’t agree more with you about the Dance Offs and who won them!
Ok, My rankings:
1. Bindi and Derek – These two amaze again!!!! If they don’t get an Emmy nomination for this dance, I will be surprised. Such clever choreography by Derek. I loved the hats which gave it a Michael jackson feel. So fun and full of personality and elegance!!! This Foxtrot is now my all time favorite.
2. Nick and Sharna – I loved this dance so much, I cried. I was in awe and mesmerized. They took my breath away and it was one of Nick’s best dances of the season.
3. Val and Tamar – I wasn’t expecting to like this dance, but, I did!!! Tamar was more natural out there and she looked so pretty! I loved Val’s choreography and their facial expressions.
4. Alek and Lindsay – I just loved this contemporary dance. It was so heartfelt and romantic. I loved Alek’s passionate expressions and how into it he was. Beautiful!
5. Mark and Alexa – I love these two, but, I really thought this dance was a mess. There were mistakes with her footing all over, but, as always, I loved Mark’s creativity. I loved their intensity too.
6. Carlos and Witney – I’m having a harder time with every week with these two. I mean…there were some cool tricks in their dance, but, not much bounce. It felt messy and stiff through out too.
As for the dance offs: I hope they don’t do them again. The couples looked confused and not that into it. To make it worse, it felt manipulated for how the judges scored them. The whole thing felt off. I’d rather see the marathon come back next season.
No matter who got immunity this week I didn’t like how the whole thing went down. I understand w/ no elimination show it gets a little trickier, but there are a couple of very reasonable alternatives that were better than basically using this week’s scores to erase a bad performance last week. 1) They get immunity from elimination next week. They would still have to try in next week’s dance because that score would count for the following week’s elimination, but I understand that this option might be confusing. 2) They get the 2 points automatically without having to participate in a dance-off. Heck if you wanted to double it and make it 4, I would’ve liked that better.
In the end, I walked away from this show feeling like Nick got bailed out of his poor scores last week and like they were overly pimping him this week.
On another note, I am a big Alek fan, but even I can acknowledge that the samba dance off was a hot mess. I definitely agree that Alek should’ve had the edge because at least his dance had samba content. In the end, I think all of the negativity from the judges (even if the scores were right) will catch up to Alek eventually. I just hope one or both of the PenaVegas leave before that happens.
Agree with so many of your points! Alexa and bindi so obviously were better in the dance off, actual content, etc. I think when witney feels she might not win she starts to zone out. Also peeved about it being ignored that alek was actually attempting samba steps. Would like one last rally good dance from him! Thanks for the point about getting acrylics! Will save that for future dance classes lol
@Laura – Both Alek & Andy were terrible, but I do give Alek & Lindsay props for actually trying to do the dance they were assigned – Allison, meanwhile, decided to flip the bird to the judges and do whatever the hell she wanted. Samba should have never been included as one of the dance-off dances (hell, even salsa would have been easier), but as a pro – it’s Allison’s job to make sure they’re doing what they’re supposed to, and she blew it off. Not cool.
I do think the judges’ negativity is starting to wear on Alek, but I loved how shocked and happy he & Lindsay were to hear that they were safe. I think it may have put a bit of a spring back in his step – I wonder if Lindsay had prepared him for the “you got a bad edit, you could be going home” scenario, and he honestly thought he was toast.
What song did Alexa and Mark dance to on 11/3/15
@jodie – LOL yep, I learned about acrylic toes back in my dance days 🙂 There’s nothing that makes me more uncomfortable than the feeling of socks & shoes rubbing against raw, exposed nailbed. Just a few tips, though: you have to make sure the nailbed is really, really clean, and make sure you go to a reputable salon that sterilizes all of their tools in an autoclave. Since nailbed tissue is prime real estate for bacteria to set up shop, it has to be completely clean before you have the acrylic applied. And you still do have to baby it a bit – the acrylic is strong, but I wouldn’t go doing any heavy-duty pointe work on it for the first few weeks, cause the acrylic will just crack and you’ll be back to square one. Gotta let the nail bed heal a bit first.
1) Bindi and Derek: I agree with the judges scores last night. Her shoulders were not the only problem – she messed up the first step in that star formation and it kind of threw that part off. She has to have a bad week though in order to have growth – so this is going to help her in the long run. People would be hesitant to vote for someone who’s mistakes haven’t been called out and had a perfect score all season.
2) Nick and Sharna: This dance was just beautiful! I love all the little elements in it like the proposal and that lift sequence when she was sort of rested on his legs and moved around him. Definitely his best dance by far because he got out of his head. He tends to do so much better in emotional dances – like his Foxtrot and Viennese Waltz too, where he kinda just focuses on Sharna. I don’t think he was pimped this week – that dance really was perfect but then they spoilt it with that obviously staged baby gender stuff. It really is going to be an epic freestyle battle between him and Bindi.
3) Carlos and Witney: Watching their salsa I also just thought it looked unrehearsed and like they were winging it – agree with you Courtney that the lifts looked weird too. I’ve come to realise I don’t really like Witneys choreo in general, it’s kinda bland and for someone who’s only been on for a couple seasons I feel like I’m watching the same dance same choreo with a different song every season. Like the arm passes in their salsa looked like Alfonsos salsa.
4) Tamar and Val: Something about this dance – especially the beginning – made me think of Rumer – like the way Tamar moved just looked exactly like Rumers dancing. She did improve in hold with Val though she looked more connected to him. She has a bigger fanbase than what I thought because I honestly was shocked when she was safe last night. Thought that package last week was the end of her especially seeing how people reacted to it on Facebook.
5) Alexa and Mark: Pity she messed up but there is just something about her that I don’t seem to connect with. I don’t actually feel like I’ve seen her dancing – there always seems to be other elements of the dance overshadowing it. Excited that they have contemporary next week though – I hope they keep it simple and emotional.
6) Alek and Lindsay: I thought they were too harsh on him as usual during their critiques but the overall score was justified. The routine was just too lift-y with no real story which I was surprised by after seeing Lindsays great choreo this season.
The “samba dance off” had me laughing. I feel like Alek should have samba next week just to redeem himself after that.
Who does everyone think is gonna be in the finale? I’m assuming Alek will leave next week so if it’s a four person finale who will it be between Alexa/Carlos/Tamar (Nick and Bindi are kinda shoe-ins for the finale)
I didn’t like the set up of the dance offs this season. I don’t mind the dance offs, normally. One couple dances, then the next and the judges vote that way. But both of them on the floor? AND we had to vote online at the same time???? You either didn’t get to vote because you were watching, or you didn’t get to watch that much because you were voting.
AWFUL set up and I hope that format never returns for the dance offs, should they keep doing dance offs.
That said, last night was kind of the low point of what was turning out to be one of the better seasons in recent years. I was all super excited for Nick at the beginning of the season and now I’m finding that I don’t care for him much. Carlos is super fake. Alek and Alexa are trying their hardest but aren’t being rewarded for it. Allison still can’t make a proper ballroom routine.
The only ray of sunshine in this season is Bindi and honestly, that’s why I think I keep tuning in on Monday night (aside from the fact that it’s just habit for me to watch this show now). But then Bindi gets NITPICKED to DEATH over something that we audience viewers wouldn’t notice at all. If the nitpicking continues, I’m seriously going to lose hope in this season.
That said – great comments Court! I always love reading the power rankings! Thanks to the mods for being awesome.
Yep, that lift over the head thing that Carlos and Witney did was a lot more off than the lift that the judges bitched to Alek about. Witney came down HARD on her feet from that lift. So much so that I was constantly scanning her afterwards for a limp or any grimacing while walking on it.
Some times when you get an injury it’s not felt until after all the adrenaline from performing wears off.
Also, just because Carlos has upper body muscle definition doesn’t mean that he has upper body strength enough to pull off those rather intense lifts Witney had in the routine.
I’m not a fan of a multitude of spectacular lifts in a routine just because you have a style where lifts are allowed.
I did really love the ending of Mark and Alexa’s AT. Her being carried aloft off the field of victory was pretty cool.
Wonderful rankings!
The nit-picking of Bindi and Derek last night really turned me off. I ended up using every phone in the house to vote for her.
I feel like they set this up, with the extra points, to keep the married couple in as long as possible; they just wanted to make it so Alek leaves next week.
I always look forward to your power rankings. Per usual, you did a great job of expressing many of my thoughts while watching the show last night.
The beatdown of Alek by the judges week after week has pretty much sapped most of my enjoyment in the show this season. It must be hard for Alek to develop any confidence at dancing when he doesn’t get any recognition for the Iimprovements he’s made, is not praised for the skillsets that set him apart from others (i.e. dance moves that require a lot of strength and balance) and is constantly criticized. I am praying that he is getting a lot of votes because I do want to see him in the finale. For me, he and Bindi are the only two of the remaining competitors who have felt genuine all season.
As an aside, did they replace the trio week with duo week? Alek and Lindsay mentioned in their Afterbuzz interview that they were going to be paired with another couple. I wonder if they handled the pairing like they used to do the trios – the lowest scoring couple got to pick first. I actually would love for them to be paired with either Bindi and Derek or Alexa and Mark, although if TPTB are planning for the judges to “attack” Derek and Bindi over the next couple of weeks it might not be in Alek’s and Lindsay’s best interest to be paired with them because they will be collateral damage.
I say I’m checking out of this season. Julianne and Bruno nitpicking Bindi’s shoulder while throwing a baby shower for Nick was pretty much the nail in the coffin for me. However, I’ll be DVR-ing so I can watch the dances, and I’ll be voting for Bindi.
The only other two I care about are Alek and Alexa and I don’t see either of them being allowed into the finals.
They’ve been chipping away at Alek’s confidence/enthusiasm for a couple weeks now in an attempt to get rid of him. Unfortunately, I think Lindsay’s too inexperienced as a pro to be able to overcome the negativity the judges are handing him. That’s not a slam at her; it takes time for a pro to learn how to handle TPTB’s underhanded games.
Alexa’s being kept on sufferance so TPTB can set up a scenario whereby one PenaVega knocks the other out in the quarter finals, then the remaining spouse gets eliminated in the semis.
Thanks for the power rankings, Court. As usual, you captured my feelings to the letter.
@Cidra “Threw a baby shower for Nick” Bahahahaha!! Right?! He’s officially being pimped.
Quick question though- did anyone else catch the fact that Andy was told twice “if you’re back next week…” by the judges? Was that said to anyone else? It made me feel like the judges knew he was leaving. Do they in fact know the results? Or are they just guessing like we are?
Emma made a good point on All Access about the narrow margin of points separating everyone on the leaderboard, meaning it’s all about votes. Thoughts on who is really running away with votes?
This was the oddest theme night so far. The choice of “icons” were all over the place and so many either made no sense or were an afterthought in the performance. Andy going home was fine. He is likable, but Allison doesn’t teach technique nor does she choreograph proper ballroom. She creates dances that she thinks are going to be visually appealing. Andy’s problems mirrored her first partner Jonathan’s for a reason.
1) Bindi/Derek – She is the most consistent, has the most intention in her moves and has good technique and posture. While I initially found her excitement and positivity a little over the top and almost fake, she doesn’t really let down that face, so it doesn’t seem like a front. At this point, I think the trophy should be hers (and this is coming from somebody who wants to see Sharna win a mirrorball). I will say though that at points, I thought the dance looked more like a jazz.
2)Nick/Sharna – Very beautiful contemporary. I’m not a giant fan of contemporary being included in this competition because it allows dancers who don’t have good ballroom technique to slide by. But others have done their contemps, so it’s rightfully his turn. I will also add, that as a dancer, Nick reminds me of Riker in that there are slight details that are off that keep him from being consistently solid and having a finished look.
3)Tamar/Val – I’m cool with him calling out producers for bad edits. Other pros have been pissed off before and they should be. The dance was good, no obvious mistakes, but I do think Tamar just needs to work on performance value a bit.
4) Carlos/Witney – He followed the theme and I think it’ll hurt him. There was nothing overly emotional about his story and he went first. I commend Witney for doing real salsa. Salsa seems to be a dance where people just do whatever they want and call it a salsa, but that looked true to the dance. It was however, a bit too slow for me. All of those arm turns needed to be quicker and I was a bit scared for Witney on those lifts.
5) Alexa/Mark – In contrast to last week, where I thought the production Mark incorporated added to the dance, this wasn’t my favorite. Choosing David came out of nowhere, and I think they should have focused on making this a tight A Tango rather than adding in the production. When she was Tango’ing, it was good aside from the bobbles. I think she has become more likable over the previous weeks.
6) Alek/Lindsay – Agree wholeheartedly that there needed to be some side by side work. I think their Jazz was more impressive in that respect. He should go, but could see him staying because of his story – which again, didn’t seem to fit with the theme of the night and played more on emotion.
On the dance-offs, I would have preferred them going one at a time. Putting them side by side allows people to see what they want to see, because you cant actually focus on both couples. Would have liked to see their technique a bit more. I also think those who danced closer to the camera were smarter because they filled the screen.
I preferred Carlos to Bindi, although I think both were the strongest of the night. To me, Alexa beat Tamar because she got straight into it. And the last dance was abysmal. Neither guy can Samba, so I sincerely hope for his sake, that Alek doesn’t have to do it again.
@Whitney – I think Bindi is running away with votes, and possibly Alek as well…which could explain why they keep low-balling him: they don’t want a weak dancer in the finale, even if he’s wildly popular with the fans. Nick is probably getting quite a few, but the fact that he seemed to get an awful lot of padding last night makes me wonder if his votes are either dwindling or aren’t consistent from week to week. Tamar’s probably somewhere in the middle – but the fact that Alexa won America’s vote in the dance-off last night makes me reeeeeallly wonder if Tamar’s getting as many as we think, and if that package last week kinda did hurt her. I think the PenaVegas are duking it out at the bottom – and if I had to venture a guess, I think Alexa’s actually beating Carlos at this point. But that’s just votes – I think what they do with the scores next week could be very telling. I think the lowballing of Alek & Alexa will continue, the overscoring of Carlos & Nick will continue, and they’ll continue to give Tamar & Bindi 9’s and a few 10’s.
This could be out in left field but do you think the one they will make sure doesn’t make it to the finals is Bindi? I got such a bad feeling last night with all the manipulations. Clearly, they want Nick in the finals. They seem to want to keep Val at all costs. They are hung up on the married couple theme. So if Alek goes next week, the only person left over is Bindi. I had such a bad taste in my mouth last night with the fawning over Nick and then the derogatory comments towards some of the other dancers. When they start manipulating in such a blatant fashion, it makes you realize that TPTB will stop at nothing to get their desired outcome. Thoughts?
It may not be as obvious this season but Alek is totally getting the Nastia treatment by judges. I’m not saying that he deserved higher scores last night, but you’d think the judges are of the mindset – unless we’re giving you a 10, you’re not getting any positive reinforcement of us. I’m still absolutely baffled that Andy was awarded by all the 3 judges that he had the better samba. I was prepared for both to be a hot, HOT mess prior so I am in no way saying it was good – but like you said Courtney, at least Alek tried to do actual steps. Andy was awarded for doing a worm-freestyle which turned out for nothing since he went home. I’ve accepted that the judges just don’t want Alek to ever happen but that won’t stop my support/votes for him.
I agree with Courtney 100%. I don’t understand the reasoning behind wanting to keep Carlos around and maybe Alexa too. They both should go. They are not cute, I’m tired of the comparison of the scores every week which seem to flip flop between them on who did better. Alexa doesn’t have a chance at the finals, and it would be so wrong if TPTB manipulate Carlos into them. He doesn’t deserve to be there either.
The immunity dances were a joke. How was Bindi the loser in that jive? How does Andy not do the dance, flip around the dance floor with Alison waving her arms in the background and still win the extra points? And it’s apparent now that Tamar and Val should be worried about the low percentage of viewers that liked them. But then again, TPTB saw that, so the manipulation to keep her will start.
In a perfect DWTS world right now, bottom three on Monday would be Tamar, Carlos and Alexa. And I would be quite happy no matter who left. Then the other two could follow in the weeks right after.
I don’t know, I guess I’m getting more disappointed, if that’s the right word to use here, that TPTB pull this every single season. As Courtney said, get rid of the themes, get rid of the gimmicks and just let everyone dance. Get rid of the packages too so no one is crying before the dance starts and the judges, no matter how much they deny it, take those into consideration and don’t just “judge on the dance alone.” Stop the manipulation. I’m starting to not enjoy the show as much, I find myself reading during most of the dances, and I can predict the scores before the paddles go up, and I know I’m not the only one watching that can do that too.
And never thought I’d say this, but I miss Len. Bring Len back and get rid of Bruno. His over the top acting is old and getting embarrassing.
At some point, TPTB are going to find it harder and harder to get anyone to agree to do the show. Why bother when the outcome is set before the first dance is done? Those that they’ll be able to get will be people viewers don’t want to see or asking who is that person? And that’s a shame.
Sorry for the rant, just needed to get it said.
I don’t want to derail the conversation away from Courtney’s excellent as usual power rankings but I really don’t know where to put this.
Last night was the second time this season, that instead of looking forward to watching the show, I approached it as almost a chore to be endured. I’ve never felt that way before in all the seasons of this show.
Are there any other long time viewers that feel this way?
Obviously I’m not in danger of dropping the show entirely, otherwise why would I still get so upset at the mess the show has become in the last few years, not to mention spending time on a blog about the show instead of actually get stuff done like, you know, work??
Maybe it’s just viewer fatigue mixed with seeing the show almost altering into something else entirely.
I hope I’m not sounding like a Debbie Downer. Maybe I just need a stiff drink or some head butts from my cats. ?
@katrinka – I’m not the least bit worried about Bindi – I think she’s running away with the votes, and she’s very well-liked; well-liked to point where any truly underhanded manipulation to prevent her from making the finals would be met with HUGE backlash. She’s not Nastia – Nastia’s problem was that some viewers already found her to be cold and detached, and they only needed a slight push to turn on her…enter the infamous “bad edit” rehearsal package. Bindi isn’t giving them any ammo – and it’s riskier for them to try and eliminate her before the finale than it is to just let things happen organically. Heidi has talked about this before…maybe she’ll link to some of the posts where she’s discussed it. Long story short: worrying about Bindi is pointless. I think she’s the only one that’s inevitably going to make the finale, regardless of what TPTB try – so there’s no real point in them even trying.
And as I mentioned above – I DO NOT see both PenaVegas making the finale, and I think if they’re going to push one of them for the finale, it will be Carlos and not Alexa. I think Alek & Alexa are the cannon fodder at this point, but I also don’t see them fighting hard to keep Tamar – I don’t think they’ll actively try to get her out before the finale, but I also don’t see them taking great pains to keep around, either. Bindi & Nick are the two they NEED for the finale – I think they WANT Carlos, and if there’s a 4-person finale, they’ll let Tamar in. But I’m not 100% sure that’s what’s actually going to happen…
@Courtney good points. I still don’t understand why tptb feel the need to meddle. Why give the audience a vote if you don’t want to see certain contestants go very far. Yes, it’s a dance competition, but it’s also a show for the viewers (voters!). Give the people what they want!
I, too am a little concerned for Bindi… I felt like Nastia was a shoe-in for the finals last season and we all know what happened.
As far as weak dancers, they did allow Noah to make the finals- and yes, I’m aware of his limitations, but it doesn’t change the fact that his dancing ability wasn’t up to par with the other contestants. I know it’s know the exact same situation as Alek, but the situation is at least somewhat similar in his lack of celebrity, performance experience, etc.
I would love to see Alexa and Alek completely throw a wrench into the agenda. I like an underdog and those two along with Bindi seem the most genuine.
@Jackie – I did find it funny that, in trying to give Alek his “redemption” rehearsal package last night, they just HAD to replay a few of the bad parts from last week’s package. Y’know, just to remind us of what a huge jerk Alek is 🙂 Nastia definitely came to mind, as they did the same thing to her. And as for the dance-off, a coworker actually had a good theory over lunch: “Maybe it wasn’t that they thought Andy was better or they wanted to give him the points – maybe it was just that they DIDN’T want Alek to have them.” And really, it couldn’t have been a more perfect scenario: even if Andy wasn’t sent home last night, giving him the two points wouldn’t have moved him out of last place, and if he did get sent home – the points didn’t matter at all. While the moral of the story with the other two danceoffs seemed to be “Save Carlos & Tamar!”, I think the theme of the 3rd one was “Just make sure Alek DOESN’T get the points.”
I just take comfort in the fact that, had Len been around, Alek would have gotten his vote for just attempting real samba steps. 😀
@Whitney, Courtney’s post above hit the nail on the head about Bindi. If anything last night was just fuel for her fans to vote harder and even more cause that isn’t right. Just keep voting for her, and don’t worry. Nastia got a bad edit and she didn’t have the energy and connection with D cause of all the traveling so that was why.
I’ve never understood TPTB’s need to sabotage the prospects of the wildly popular but less than adequate dancers in order to preserve the fiction that DWTS is a dance competition. Why give me the power to vote if you are ultimately going to disenfranchise me through behind-the-scenes maneuverings As for Alek, granted he’s the least skilled among those left in the competition, but in my opinion he’s still better than some celebrities that have made it to the finals (e.g.,Bristol Palin and Rob Kardashian).
It is a shame that they seem to value Carlos over Alexa.
If I had it my way, I would love a Nick/Bindi/Alexa final three just because the possibility of a Mark, Derek, Sharna choreographic throwdown would excite me more than I care to admit.
@CM in a perfect world that would be an EPIC finale. I hope that happens, but you just never know. I mean Alexa getting contemporary next week might be the push she needs to get into the semi-finals/finals. So we will see.
I, too, think that if Len had been around this season that Alek would have gotten some “love” from him.
I didn’t read through all of the comments so I apologize if this was already mentioned, but Alexa is actually giving me shades of Candace – in a good way! With Candace, even though she wasn’t the best dancer you really pulled for her because you could see how difficult the whole thing was for her and how hard she was trying and she would have a good week/bad week. Now Alexa is more skilled than Candace and Candace obviously had the nostalgia factor going on so I’m not predicting Alexa is finale bound BUT I think she’s becoming very likable at the right time. I do agree with Court that both Alexa and Carlos won’t make the finals and just hoping the producers get over their Carlos hard-on.
One thing I noticed the judges do last night that actually drives me crazy (and causes some controversy) is that they’ll focus on the wrong thing to critique a celeb on. I think Tamar’s biggest roadblock is her performance quality and blank expression but instead they comment on something slightly minor about her arms and a lift so then it seems like everything is perfect and they are nitpicking her. They do the same with Alek. But being pissed at the judges is nothing new really…
There is no way Bindi doesn’t make the finale. She is good, she has a great pro, and is one of the most likable celebs ever on the show. I think the other spots are up for grabs (but very likely at least Nick).
Courtney, my thoughts as soon as I saw the judges vote on the Samba dance off was that it was all about NOT giving Alek any more points. Just like what got him discouraged and upset was when the judges didn’t encourage him or say he had improved at all Halloween week when he had obviously tried to work on “acting” the part and emoting, what they had been harping on him for until that point. I don’t recall a single critique yet where they’ve acknowledged any growth from Alek.
Couldn’t agree more about the theme weeks – enough already! I think both Bindi/Derek and Nick/Sharna deserved perfect scores. Though very different dances, they were the best last night.
I put Alexa/Mark third. That one turned out alot better than I would have thought.
Carlos/Witney and Tamar/Val are just not clicking and probably never will. With each other or the audience. I can’t figure out the judging at all, but I’m cringing every time Carrie Ann opens her mouth.
I was sorry to see Andy go. Particularly ahead of Alek. Andy was charming and entertaining. He tried too and I was enjoying the pregnant Allison.
I have a comment/ question about the dance offs, which was bizarre. How did all the judges pick Carlos over Bindi?! I just don’t get it. But, more importantly, if America picked Bindi over Carlos (by a large margin), does she not deserve at least one extra point for that? If two of the three judged picked Tamar over Alexa (rightly or wrongly) does she not deserve at least half an extra point for that? If Alexa won because America picked her over Tamar, then why did not Bindi win over Carlos? What I am saying is that I don’t get the basis for the extra point distribution at all. More importantly, why did Nick get three extra points through immunity if the couples who won the dance-off only got 2 extra points?
Another reason I can think of that Nick was given immunity is that he’s doing badly in the public vote and TPTB didn’t want that to be exposed in the dance off.
#38.
You summed up my opinion completely. Tired of themes,although it was nice to see some different choices for icons.
And the judges need a thesaurus. The same adjectives are getting quite boring.
What I can’t figure out is their motive for wanting to keep Carlos over Alexa…or Tamar for that matter. What has he got that they need? I have a hard time believing it’s viewers, as Bindi pretty much thrashed him in votes for the dance off – she was as high as about 80% at one point and Tom said we have 30 seconds after the dance to keep voting. Not true. I think they cut the voting off at the lowest point they could get for Bindi. Why? I have no idea. What is it that he has that makes him more desirable than Alexa?? What’s the motive for keeping him around?
Or are they simply interested in making this a horse race?
Er, no, sorry – Alek is NOT better than Rob Kardashian. Rob actually turned out to be a good dancer, thanks to Cheryl. He won his spot in the final fair and square.
@Steve J – I didn’t think of that, Steve J – but very true. Could be that they didn’t want to expose just how Nick’s doing, votes-wise. Then again, they let us see Tamar getting thrashed in the votes…but part of me wonders if they honestly didn’t expect that to happen…
Nothing at all respectful about your disagreement, PDS – don’t fool yourself. Either keep your comments focused on your own opinions of the show (and NOT the people that post here), or you’re getting blocked.
Yeah, and PDS may also want to read Nick’s comments on the gender reveal thing a bit more carefully….
I have to admit, when I saw people questioning why Andy got the two points in the dance off when he didn’t do any samba, the first thought I had was that they didn’t want Alek to have the two points.
@PH – Hell, I’ve even seen some Nick fans questioning the sincerity of the whole announcement/gender reveal…I’m not the only “big meanie” that’s questioning just why it was done in the first place, and with what intentions…
I agree with Court on what they are doing to Alex. First 2 weeks the judges couldn’t compliment him enough. Since then they can’t say anything nice or encouraging to him. So I’m not sure what switched there. But they don’t give him a lot of specifics to work on. Alex is being kept around by the huge number of fans voting for him, seeing him doing his best on the floor. But I truly don’t think his pro has a lot of confidence in him either with bad mouthing him on camera. In this weeks package he addressed his previous blow up and I think all is forgiven. His pro has only been choreographing simple routines for him because I don’t think she feels he can do better. I wish he could have had an experienced teacher.
The dance off was the biggest mess I’ve seen. Some couples got to do a dance they had done before and some had to learn a new dance. Alex and Lindsay danced Samba which they never done and attempted to do it right while Andy was doing who knows what but the judges picked him.
I don’t think Carlos is that good. I would promote Alexa over him. I think originally the judges wanted Backstreet boy, Nick to win. They gave him a few scores that were too high for what he did and then Bindi ended up being good and Alex had a fan base that surprised TPTB.
So Bindi will be in the final and win I’m sure. She has had more 10’s than anyone. I think Tamar, Carlos and Alexa will depend on the audience. There are just too many OK dancers this season.
I went to vote for Alek at the dance off, because he and Lindsay, at least, attempted to do Samba content, but they shut off the voting the second the dance ended. ??
I can’t see what the DWTS producers get out of “helping” Carlos either. The only thing he has coming up as far as I can see is Grease Live but that’s Fox. But we also don’t know if they are going to have a 3 or 4 person final. Could they be trying to have a Bindi, Nick, PenaVegas final? Could be that Carlos is really lagging in the votes again.
Or, do they want it to appear as if Nick has competition from another guy as well as Bindi? They can’t seem to resist tinkering and working on particular “stories.”
@Shart – I never did get the voting thing to work for me. Kept refreshing the page; never once got an option to vote. *shrug*
A selfish part of me kinda wishes that Carlos & Witney or Alexa & Mark would have taken one for the greater good and picked samba, instead of letting the two weakest dancers get saddled with it. But I guess when only 1 of the couples eligible for the dance-off has done samba (and they’re not the one’s doing the picking of the dances), you can only expect everyone else to snap up the better dance styles first, since none of them had any experience with samba. Or maybe it would have been better to let the lowest-scoring couple pick first, and let them get a dance they actually had a hope and a prayer of handling.
Fun fact: of all the couples left, the only one that had done only (1) of the (3) dance styles was Alek – he had only done jive. Bindi had done cha-cha and jive, Tamar had done samba & cha-cha, Carlos had done cha-cha and jive, Alexa had done cha-cha & jive, and Andy had done cha-cha and jive. Nick had done all 3 styles – and ended up not having to do any of them in the dance-off. Food for thought, on who this challenge was meant to benefit and who it was meant to screw…
TPTB probably want both PenaVegas in the final but that’s going to be difficult to achieve depending on how well Alek is doing in the votes (I’m guessing very well). Alexa has had her fair share of help in terms of jeopardy appearances and bonus points just like Carlos has during this competition. I think Tamar will go next week and then either Alek or a PenaVega in the semi final. Worth noting that Carlos is with Alek in this duel dance thingy, will that have an impact on his scores? But yeah, I think best case scenario for TPTB is both PenaVegas in the final, but if they can’t have that due to Alek I’m sure they’ll settle with sticking both of them in a semi final bottom two ala Meryl and Charlie. They may prefer to have Carlos in the final over Alexa but I’m sure they’ll settle with Alexa over Carlos if they have to.
Thanks the the rankings Court!
Touching on the gender reveal. I didn’t like it, nor did I like Alphonso’s pregnancy announcement. But most of all I didn’t like Noah’s marriage proposal… and BTW, Noah and his gf have recently called off their engagement.
Poor Alek. He appears to be the judges whipping stick this season.
I have had quite enough of the Pena/Vega combo. Barf! I don’t like either one of them. And the constant camera shot to the other spouse so America can see their reaction to the judges critique. Double Barf! Thank goodness for DVR and Fast Foward.
Alek can’t dance, that samba dance off was horrible. At least Andy was dancing or moving. He sucks and needs to go
Yeah, I posted who had done what in the live blog. The only result that would have been “fair” would have been for Nick to have to dance and pick Tamar and have Tamar pick Samba. Everyone else likely would have been okay except for Alek, who had only done one style.
I didn’t see Lauren’s pregnancy as a “big announcement” as we kind of new before and I thought it was done kinda low key really. He already brought it up on AA and in the package so it wasn’t like Allison’s, Alfonso, and Noah’s announcements were more of a surprise.
I don’t think for one minute the gender reveal was Nick and Lauren’s idea, so if the blame falls anywhere it should be to TPTB. They both seemed a little uncomfortable to me. I have seen her on interviews before and she’s quiet and doesn’t seem to like the spotlight.
Many life events are featured on this show and I for one am tired of the sad weepy stories every week!
I agree…just let them dance! I never thought I would say it, but I think if they did what they did in the earlier seasons (only 2 dance styles a week) I think it would help so much.
I am not a fan of these personal announcements either. Alfonso’s wife pregnancy, Noah’s proposal and Nick’s baby gender announcement. This waisted time takes away from the couple who were eliminated. I would have like to see Andy get some recognition for his efforts over these last two months.
As for the Carlos over Alexa issue, I don’t get the reasoning behind it. I feel that Alexa is the much better dancer than Carlos. Her routines have been far more superior. I’m not a big fan of Witney’s choreography and I sometimes wonder if Alfonso had more input in their dances than her other partners because of his dance experience. Maybe she has her future wedding planning on her mind??
I’m a little skeptical about Nick getting the votes. As was stated in someone’s post above, that could be the reason for him getting the immunity, spearing him the embarrassment.
I’m still wondering if there will be a double elimination next week, and if there will be 3 or 4 in the finale.
Perhaps they are maneuvering to keep Carlos in for the final not for the marrieds angle so much anymore (didn’t play in Peoria) but for a distraction. Bindi’s getting so much focus, TPTB could be pushing to keep the 2 boy-banders in — and the 2 guys with the most skills — as a tiny attempt at rivalry and diversion. Maybe? For B&D fans, there’s obviously no monotony due to such a thing as a possible runaway, but the ratings guys are probably in a mild tither over the thought.
Did anyone who doesn’t live on the corner of Hoodwinked Blvd. and Sucker Lane believe that Tamar revelation — after her less than flattering revelation last week — about “sometimes I come in here with that much self esteem”?
Ms. Braxton, you sure seemed to lose a whole lot of a certain commodity in trading this past week. Bombast was bombing, I guess. You might wanna go and have a word with your life skills assets counselor. I think they’re steering you into some questionable investments.
Alek REALLY seemed to have gotten a blast of reality from someone or somewhere. That was a 180° if I ever saw one. The weird part is that after such a one week miracle of a turn-around, I actually believe he’s sincere.
I think Witney is slowly checking out of the competition and into the bridal suite
So what are TPTB going to do when Alek continues to have huge audience numbers? Kick him off anyway?
@LeAnna, at the end of the show last night, Tom said one more couple will be leaving the competition next Monday.
Alek and numbers? Pish posh. What do those have to do with anything? Ahem. Where there’s a will there’s a deceit and TPTB.
Seriously though, he is the monkey wrench in the whole shibang. It’ll be fascinating to to watch to see what lengths they’ll go. TPTB, they are a determined lot.
@shart – My guess is that they’re going to start REALLLLLLLLLY lowballing him. Straight 7’s, maybe a few 6’s too. And I would expect everyone else to be getting 9’s & 10’s.
I might be wrong – but could it be possible that nick is killing it with the votes and that’s why he perhaps got immunity to spare someone else he’d go against? I’m completely speculating – I just don’t think he needs the help yet – not that I think he’s getting the most votes per say – just not the least (I don’t personally think he would have lost in the home votes for the dance off)
^Just my opinion. I couldn’t be COMPLETELY off 🙁
Thanks for the power rankings – it’s one of my favourite parts of your site 🙂
Do y’all think the dance off votes are a good indicator of how people are voting each week? With the exception of Alek. I read through the Comments quickly so forgive me if it’s already been answered.
And as always..the power rankings were great. I completely agree with your thoughts. Derek and Bindi’s foxtrot was my favorite and I liked Nick too.
Love the power rankings! Excuse my ignorance but in reference to Witney, what does this mean “I wonder if she got her Alan Salazar privileges suspended after Emmygate over the summer”?
SSD- I think Alan Salazar was the dancer/cherographer that worked with her on some of Alfonso’s dances. When she got nominated he said some things on social media about not getting credit for his work. She did try to get him added to the nomination but the Emmy “committee”(I don’t know the correct terminology) wouldn’t.
@Magenta – I never thought the motive behind Nick getting immunity was that he was in any genuine danger of getting sent home and needed saving – I think the real motive was to give him 3 extra points to catch up to Bindi in cumulative point total, and maybe just to create the buzz that Nick is a worthy opponent for Bindi, and that he’s peaking at the right time. As for sparing someone – I don’t think they could really predict how everything would shake out with the dance-offs…hell, I don’t think they were expecting Alexa to beat Tamar in her dance-off, so I don’t think they could have banked on Nick even beating any certain opponent in the first place, to have the forethought to “spare” anyone by giving Nick immunity and thus removing him from the dance-off equation.
@Courtney –>Thanks for the explanation. I’m so sorry “spare” was the wrong word to use. I just read in one of the comments that perhaps TPTB we’re many trying to save nick the embarrassment in the dance off with the home votes – and I didn’t really agree. That’s true – he is closer in the overall score now. As much as I love Nick and completely agree with the perfect score – Bindi should have been a perfect score as well imo – she was great.
I think (and hope) the final two are Nick and Bindi – and then everything depends on the freestyle I guess.
@Mandi – Thank you! I lived under a rock in the summer so had no idea. Do a lot of the Pros on DWTS work with choreographers? I was under the impression that the Pros came up with the choreography themselves. Also, what dance did Witney get nominated for?
@SSD – Mandi hit the basics, but long story short: Alan is a choreographer that has “ghosted” (secretly choreographed) for several of the pros over the years on DWTS, and the choreography for which Witney was nominated with Alfonso was actually at least partially his – but due to the Academy’s policy on “ghosting”, Witney/DWTS was not able to get his name added to the nomination. So now it’s interesting that Alan is suddenly a lot more vocal about when he’s helping with choreography on DWTS (he’s assisted both Emma & Lindsay, at least) – and it seems like he might not be working with Witney anymore. The whole story of the choreography Emmy fiasco is here: https://www.puredwts.com/2015/07/31/puredwts-discussion-post-spencer-liff-on-the-choreography-controversy/
Does anyone know why Mark will not be going on the winter tour? Last spring he said he was taking a break but will probably do the winter tour. Last night’s interview with After Buzz he was asked that question and he just said “it didn’t work out”. Sure hope he hasn’t decided to leave the show.
For exemple Alek and Lindsay got help from Alan in their dance last night
I think we should never say never. We will have to see if their is a trend with the judge’s next week on bashing on bindi…hey that would make a great tweet right…lol. I think however we shouldn’t assume Bindi will be in the final. Anything can happen especially if people become complacent. On the other hand at this point it appears that the people I know who don’t blog and simply watch the show each week were really unhappy about the judge’s bashing of Bindi, the scores, and in general how they treated her. I think for last night at least she probably got even more votes. I agree with Courtney about the impact that those four points had on the cumulative scores for Bindi and Nick. It will interesting and I use that term loosely to see if Nick will continue to gather points and if that will be used in some future stupidity for TPTB. Yikes, I am with the folks who say…can’t we just have good dancing and forget about the manipulations?
It will be due to his music LeannC. He seems to be doing more gigs than usual according to him and his GF’s recent tweets. He might be close to having some new material being released and wants to promote that, or he might want to continue working on new material and gigging at the same time. DWTS Tour takes up the entire winter so he’d have no time whatsoever in the studio. The tour last year served it’s purpose for him as it allowed him to showcase his music and Alfonso advertised it for him every night on stage with it being available to purchase at the show.
I was also confused when they were all, we tried a very long time, and then they said its been a year. Although I am sorry to hear about the miscarriage, I just felt it felt a tad insincere??? I hope I’m not sounding rude.
He might have bigger and better things to do, Leann. I doubt they make tons of money on that tour, so perhaps he said screw it.
Since the question was put something to the effect what does Nick have that TPTB want to keep him – maybe it is not him that they want to keep per se, but Whitney who goes on tour with them, rather than Mark who doesn’t necessarily go on tour with them.
Posting late cause I didn’t get to read all the comments till today. Courtney I was wondering what did Bindi mess up on in the foxtrot? I was upset with the judges comments and scores so I watched the dance back several times and even once in slow motion. I certainly trust your opinion more than the judges.
Nick and Sharna had a lovely dance but as another poster mentioned it was also kind of uncomfortable for me. I’m not a fan of contemporary because they generally have to many lifts but the rolling on the floor part and the one lift where Sharna`s “belly” area is in Nicks face is just awkward and uncomfortable to me. I’m not being disrespectful I guess I don’t know how else to describe that move….sorry. Nick doesn’t seem very fluid and graceful in his movement.
I really get tired of the Carlos and Alexa scenario I thought each of their dances were a bit labored but liked Alexa’s better. Tamar is just to high maintenance and takes too much energy to watch and figure out. So all in all my favorite dance show is making me crazy. My favorite things are Bindi and Derek, the costumes, Tom and this and the PHD site to read. Thanks for listening.
Sorry, I meant Carlos has Witney as his partner, not Nick.
Agree with your power rankings…didn’t like the pimping of Nick AT ALL…his dance wasn’t perfect either. And Julianne REALLY pissed me off by announcing that she had to LOOK for something to criticize with Bindi…really? For once, I agreed with CAI in her critique of Bindi and Derek on the live show…also loved what she wrote about them in her Parade blog.
That dance-off was SUCH a farce…makes me believe that TPTB REALLY want Carlos in the finals… He has yet to impress me.
I loved Nick and Sharna’s dance last night. It was very sweet and I thought they executed it well. The second I found out that Nick would announce his baby news last night, I just knew that people would totally think it’s his way to push votes his way. They did look uncomfortable so I wouldn’t be surprised if it was TPTB’s idea to drag it out as long as they did…the announcement (twice) and the gender reveal. I think he just wanted to take it as far as AA and his package, but the producers had a different idea in mind. I do think they deserved immunity. Their dance was amazing.
I liked Bindi and Derek’s dance too. They deserved immunity just as much as Nick and Sharna and I could see why some people feel irked about Julianne’s comment regarding finding something wrong with her whenever she dances. Just made the whole manipulation thing seem more obvious…idk. I looked at it that way.
Alexa’s dance was actually really good, but WHY does she always make mistakes in her dances?! That’s happened in a few of her dances now. I still think she gets nervous and thinks about the dance too much. Just relax and dance, girl! You are amazing!
I never care much for Tamar. Why did she bash on the producers for making her say she was the best dancer in the competition last week but this week, she tells Val she said it because that’s how she boosts her self-confidence? So what is it, Tamar? I really don’t like her…
Didn’t see Alek’s dance, but I do think he is the weakest of the bunch.
I saw Carlos’s dance earlier, and I actually thought it looked alright. I LOVED Witney’s choreo with Alfonso, but I am starting to see what people are talking about with it being so bland this season. Did she really get that much help in the previous seasons?! I can also see in her face that she seems a bit checked out. She just looks like she’s over it! It was so obvious last night especially during the dance off. I know she is an AMAZING dancer and I love her, but I am starting to see the little hints of an attitude problem here and there and I don’t want to see it because I don’t want to have a reason not to like her! Lol.
As far as the dance-offs go, Bindi vs. Carlos was definitely the strongest. I was paying more attention to Carlos but I was actually okay with either one of them winning the round. I liked Alexa way more than Tamar. Alexa was gettin’ it! Tamar wasn’t moving that much in my opinion. Alek vs. Andy was just a mess. Shame on Allison for having Andy just break out into the worm halfway through the dance. Like really? She completely just gave up and threw in that fluff to fill it in until the end. I am really curious as to why the judges picked him over Alek. Maybe because he moved more (even though his dance only had like 5 seconds of ACTUAL samba)? But neither of them looked good at all.
Overall, I am fine with Andy being eliminated. I love his spirit but it is just a shame that he was stuck with the weakest pro of the bunch. I will always wonder what he would’ve been able to do with Peta. Something tells me he would be wayyyy better off with her. I still can’t get that AT with Sharna out of my head. Like I have said in previous seasons, Allison cannot choreograph a proper ballroom/Latin dance. I felt like every week, Andy was always given the same critique: posture, technique, etc. You would think Allison would take the hint and actually work on it PROPERLY with him. Yet he still lacked the same things in his dances every week. I blame that on Allison. She just wasn’t able to bring him to his fullest potential. I really hope she takes some lessons and improves on her dancing and teaching skills. I have no doubt Andy would’ve made the semi finals and maybe even the finals if he was with a different, more knowledgable partner.
I was actually surprised they didn’t do Cha-Cha, Jive & Rumba because I think many of the couples did the Rumba opposed to only Tamar and Nick doing the Samba, so in a dance-off, how can they really do a dance-off to a dance style the majority hasn’t even done?
I felt this week, they kind of gave Alek a weird edit again. I feel like TPTB just don’t want him in the finale and I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes next week or the week after — imo, it’s between him and Tamar who will be the next ones to go
I also would much rather see Alexa in the finale than Carlos and I don’t know, I feel like something is off between Carlos and Witney’s partnership? or maybe that’s just me? It just doesn’t seem genuine with real chemistry.
I like Nick but I think he is less consistent than Bindi so I would put her at the top. I’ve never seen any dance from her where I thought she blew it or was less than competent. I’m sure they both struggle to learn the dances but Bindi always seems able to bring it. I would also put Alexa above Tamar. Alexa seems to have a lot of raw talent with only her insecurity tripping her up sometimes. I think she is kind of endearing with her “Holy Wows”. She also brings less sturm and drang to the proceedings than Tamar.
Kim, at the risk of speaking for Courtney, power rankings aren’t just about the dancing, but about the “power” of the couple – the scores combined with the likely voters, who’s getting pimped, who’s getting hosed and so on. If we were JUST talking about the dancing, I would agree that Bindi is the head of the pack.
Oops, I’m still relatively new to this site. When I reread things I realized (cue gong) that your rankings are based on last night’s performances and not their overalll potential. Never mind.
Sorry, PH, I posted my last comment before I saw your reply. Thank you for explaining it. I’ll get the hang of this site eventually.
No problem. 🙂
@Yvonne if they are pimping Carlos over Alexa for whatever reason it has nothing to do with which the tour because Witney isn’t going this time either.
@Julia Well, there goes that theory. I, like many others have commented, just cannot figure out the reason that TPTB would push Carlos over Alexa. I may not be completely out in left field with my theory however, because it seems to me that TPTB just aren’t giving Mark as much ‘love’ as they have given some of the other Pros in recent seasons, so it might have something to do with not favouring Mark and therefore favouring Witney? Whatever the reason, the manipulation in favour of Carlos is not enjoyable for me.
I love Witney but I have to agree that she seems kind off this season, her choreography isn’t like it used to be. I feel like she’s not only physically but mentality tired, she hasn’t stop since last year, she did the entire season 19, did the winter tour than went straight back to season 20, and did most of it, then did the summer tour and again went straight back to this season. I think that’s the main reason why she isn’t doing the new tour, and I know they are pros and are suppose to “suck it up” but she needs a break.
I have a question related to the “ghosting” conversation from a bit upthread. I noticed that Sharna posted on instagram thanking her boyfriend for creating that moment with Nick last night (I think implying that he choreographed a bunch of that dance), and I’m wondering what will happen with her dances when it comes time for Emmy submissions. I know they collaborate a lot but is he officially credited as a co-choreographer or is he more of an openly acknowledged “ghost”?
I just want to add that I’m aware that many Sharna’s collaborations with her boyfriend wouldn’t even be considered “official” ghosting in the same way that most other ghosting happens since a lot of it probably just comes from them talking/messing around at home or whatever.
I wonder if TPTB ever stop and think about what they are doing. By trying to manipulate the outcome, they are SCREWING OVER an American hero. An average guy who stepped up and saved lives, an average guy who has never been through this much attention, never mind performed live and BALLROOM danced. And they are having the judges nitpick him and do those horrible edits. Are the producers just soul-less?
It seems like TPTB go back and forth with seemingly favoring Carlos and then Alexa and so forth but I think their plan might be to get both of them in the final so they pimp one and then the other thinking it will do the job.
And idk why TPTB aren’t giving Mark as much “love” as other pros recently (if that’s even what they’re doing on purpose) but I feel like if Derek leaves next season and Mark stays they may start giving him some if they don’t want to lose him too (idk if that’ll work but they might give it a shot) unless they don’t care whether he stays or goes at this point and once Derek is gone DWTS is gonna heavily focus on Val and the rest of the fam.
My rankings:
1. Nick and Sharna
2. Bindi and Derek
3. Tamar and Val
Enjoyed Mark’s choreography…was shocked that Carlos got scored that high…congratulate Lindsey for playing to Alek’s strength…Andy’s emotional but meh.
I’ve been posting here and rooting for Nick and yes I don’t like his wife at all but I respect whatever he has going on on his life. Just that what happened on Monday was the biggest circus ever. Was even worse than having their wedding on tv too. It doesn’t surprise me but it is disappointing because I thought he was in this show for him and to showcase his hidden talent. But well… I didn’t think the dance was a perfect score. The samba was, the waltz was but this wasn’t.
Bindi’s dance was great. Carlos salsa was eh well yeah ok. Alexa was also nice, I really liked Andy’s one. I saw a little bit of Alek and I don’t really like him. And I liked Tamar’s well I really like Val actually *hides*
I begin to think that Witney feels the same about Carlos as the rest of us seem to. Maybe she’s had about all of him she can stand.
@Candace – Could be, or as someone else mentioned upthread: she could just be in wedding mode and has dress shopping/cake tasting/bouquet picking on the brain 🙂
I don’t think the Carlos thing has anything to do with Witney – I think there’s something else going on here that perhaps we don’t know about yet. Maybe he has a show coming out on ABC Family or something.
Or maybe the producers have just stopped paying attention to their own data.
To the question “Are the producers just soul-less”. Uh, YES. That’s been apparent for quite some time.
It is Hollywood, after all. Derek is the exception, not the rule.
As a long-time viewer of DWTS, my theory is that about this time, tptb start to promote the ones that are getting the most votes. After all, the judges can’t be made to look like idiots by not supporting the eventual winner. I think the manipulation is just to make sure there is a good final. AND to ensure that a less-talented dancer doesn’t win .
Perhaps it is Alek that is threatening the “better” dancers. So the final must have at least 3 finalists so that someone like Marie Osmond doesn’t end up winning. So that’s my theory on why the judges aren’t supporting Alek. If this is so, then we may be in for a bunch of “surprise” eliminations.
I just rewatched Bindi and Derek’s revelatory Foxtrot in HD on my laptop…and WOW! That was the most appealing and engaging, package, routine, judging and scoring combo I think I’ve seen in recent memory.
That dance was so well crafted and presented, and Bindi has never looked more beautiful — from her dress (stunning on her) to her black stockings and shoes, it all looked so elegant and befitting of that dance. And after the hatography section, when she and he strode with that exuberant, triumphant glee toward the finish literally rose me up off my chair it was so uplifting. And that’s the power of art, folks. Loved it!
Umm, and she can even make excruciating look adorable. She’s so endearing I’m actually having sympathy pains. Ah, but they’re the kind of pains you don’t necessarily want relief from. Ouch! Thank you, Bindi, may I have another? She’d make for an interesting drill instructor. 🙂
Science has really got to get on working out trying to decipher the qualities that make her who she is to see if they can me formulated for the rest of us. Wouldn’t it be lovely if soon the adage, “take two Binidis and call me when the dew lifts over the meadow” would come into vogue”? Hey, put me on auto-refill for that prescription, please!
And please indulge still further with the following fantastical rant:
I can’t stand it any longer! Many of us know it but can’t say it for Derek’s modesty’s sake, but he is the equivalent of any 2 or more other pros when it comes to DWTS. No dancer has exhibited a better pallet of charisma, talent and understanding to draw upon then the master de dance art, Monsieur Derek Hough.
That being said, how about giving masterly master Hough the challenge of having him take on 2 celebs for the season? That would surly show the extraordinary level of his ingenuity, finesse and prowess. Wanna see what he can really do, oh ye of little faith? I think you might just be taken aback to exclaim! Houged he do that?! Come on TPTB! Talk about novelty!
Oooh, although I have to admit my mind is in a state of dither and delirium trying to contemplate the theorem that this would necessitate, it’s a state I’m playfully willing to travel to.
And since I’ve obviously gone headlong into wide end of my pipe-dream, let’s bring in my DWTS (short term) time machine and rewind S21:
The Lady and the Queen would have been a PERFECT genesis for the 2 celeb 1 pro concept — we already know well what he and Bindi embody, and have a snippesode of what me Lady and the sire achieved as well! Lady Alexa would likely have slain all the demons and giants that have bedeviled her in Sir Derek’s consummate care, and her majesty would have continued to rain her heart warming reign over the peaceful dewy meadows that she so good-naturedly presides over. It would’ve been awesome!
‘Real’ challenges and obstacles to any such fantasy shall remain for a separate reality. I’m working on that, too! :o)
I haven’t seen this posted yet and if it has been, I apologize. I was re-watching the latest episode and during the ultrasound with Nick and his wife, the ultrasound tech mentions something along the lines “there he goes HE moved again” referring to the baby. Your instincts were right on Courtney, they both knew the gender prior to the “gender reveal” on Monday.
Chrsitian W: Your idea of having a pro have two celebs made me envision a round one season where the remianing celebs pair off and are given a troupe member or eliminated pro to teach them a dance seperate from the original partners. Sort of like an opposite trio round if you will. It could be a terrible idea but I can see it as maybe being a trial for troupe members to see if they are pro material. The only thing is if it turns out they are less-than-capable it would probably be a major detriment to the celebs,but even doing that with an eliminated pro might be cool.
Julia, you obviously live in the realm of creative and actual/possible reality — I’ve tried to visit there a time or two myself, but was eventually barred for promoting confusion and migraines.
Your ‘real’ idea might have a potential downside, but I think the current troupe members would relish and be up to the challenge. I’d support it enthusiastically.
And just to coat-tail on your already cool notion: Maybe they could make it optional to choose an eliminated pro/troupe member or just remain with their current pro. But to make it enticing to switch or undesirable to keep the status quo, some very alluring or equally undesirable consequences could be brought to bear that could affect their standing. That would pose a whole new set of angst ridden dilemmas for at least some of the original pairings, and make for some provocative viewing.
Being manipulative is kinda fun.
Uh oh, what’s happening to me? I think I’ve been bitten by Count TPTB, and I’m starting to turn…. Have the stake ready to drive into me. Just go easy on the A-1, I don’t wanna develop heartburn.