PureDWTS Season 25, Week 4 – Power Rankings
Sometimes, I hate being right ☹ I was really starting to think that my “Derek as a shield for Nick” theory was just me being paranoid and trying to find an explanation for the judges being irrational (note: they’re just irrational) and constantly giving Derek a hard time, but it was a bit like watching a slow-motion car wreck as they announced the couples in jeopardy last night – it was like watching my theory unfold and realizing I was maybe not as crazy as I thought I might be. I’ve gotten poo-poohed by some that insist that Derek “wasn’t that great” (suit yourself, but he was definitely better than Nick, and often cleaner than both T.O. and Drew – all of whom are still in the competition) or that it was “just a coincidence” that they both received the same score each week until last night (when TPTB already knew Derek was a goner) – but if you sit down and actually think about it, it is rather odd that the two of them managed to get the same score FOUR TIMES IN A ROW, especially given that Nick is arguably considered to be the worst dancer left this season. And if Nick is struggling with votes & scores, remember – he only has to beat one person to stick around…and if that person has the same number of points that Nick does, but maybe doesn’t have as big a fanbase…Nick & Peta survive another week as half of quite possibly the most annoying gambit TPTB have thrust upon us in DWTS history: Chmerlachey ☹
And while we’re on the topic of Chmerlachey – anyone else think that their efforts to make the two married couples “happen” have really kind of blown up in their face? 😛 I got the impression that they were hoping to have viewers really glom onto the two pairs and send them through to the finals – but at this point, Vanessa & Maks seem like they’re just barely tolerating one another after last week’s drama, Nick seems completely checked out and ready to go home, and Peta just seems like she’s trying to avoid getting hit by any crossfire and is quietly trying to blend into the background. The only one who seems like they’re (sort of) having fun is Vanessa, and even her smile is starting to look a bit brittle. The PenaVega’s may have been low-key annoying – but at least both were decent dancers and seemed to be having fun. Chmerlachey X 2…is just a dumpster fire. On the flipside, I don’t think TPTB anticipated Frankie managing to both connect with viewers as well as he has while also turning out to be a pretty good dancer; and to a lesser degree, I don’t think they quite know what to do with Terrell, as he’s actually turning out to be rather interesting to watch and perhaps not as much of a lightning rod for controversy as TPTB might have hoped. Drew also seems to be turning into a halfway-decent dancer on top of being popular, and Sasha the ABC darling, bless her heart, is about as exciting as watching paint dry. With next week being the midpoint of the season, I think we may start to see a narrative shift, depending on where the votes are falling.
Hated losing Derek, because I did genuinely enjoy him – he seemed like he was down-to-earth and grateful for the opportunity, and I did love the choreography that Sharna was giving him. Loved their dance last night – was a refreshing approach to a very touching story, having them dancing in such a celebratory manner, to an upbeat song. The styling of the choreo reminded me a bit of the styling of Alfonso’s Carlton jazz; I thought the costumes were adorable. And for once, I managed to avoid tears during most memorable year week…that is, until the camera panned to Derek’s daughter crying after his dance. Then the damn dust in my house kicked up, and things got rough. I need to change my furnace filter…
1.) Jordan & Lindsay – Jordan just continues to surprise me with his skill set. Can I just say how nice it was to see a decently-performed contemporary, done by someone who actually seemed to understand the quality of movement the dance needed? Especially after watching Nick flop and flail like an electrocuted fish? 😛 Watching Jordan’s dance was like putting in cooling eye drops after your eyes have been irritated. Just a sense of “ahhhhh, that’s nice”. Also pleasantly surprising? Jordan is not by any means a big or very muscle-y guy (although he does seem to be in excellent shape), and he was still handling those lifts and tricks quite well. Makes me eager to see him Argentine tango, and eager to see what kind of fun stuff Lindsay can throw his way since she now has a partner that can handle just about anything 🙂 Now, I’ve been seeing a lot of complaints from fans who seem to think that Jordan is “fake”, because he seems “so rehearsed” in the way he talks. Now as someone who has been accused of the same – coming across as inorganic or rehearsed because of the way I speak – I have to defend this kid. Story time: growing up, my dad would get really irritated with us as kids whenever we would stutter, say “um”, “uh”, or “like, you know”, or just generally fumble over our words – so from a very young age, as a praise-seeking kid looking to not piss my dad off, I very quickly learned to eliminate filler words like that from my everyday speech; in order to do that, I think I started really thinking ahead about what I might say in certain situations, so that I would have a very articulate, confident-sounding response crafted ahead of time and wouldn’t have to strain to not use fillers or just sound stupid. Add to that the fact that I started reading very early, was writing short stories by the time I was ten, and was on the speech team in high school – I am just not a person you will hear using “um”, “uh”, or “like” as filler when I speak. And I think Jordan is very much the same way, possibly as a result of his Disney training – I noticed Corbin was the same way, as were Roshon and Chelsea; they just train these kids at a young age to be very articulate. Can it come across as “fake” to someone that is used to people fumbling a bit more over their words? Sure. Does it necessarily mean that person IS fake? Definitely not. Ok, so maybe the way I came to be so articulate is really just a maladaptive strategy to seek approval from my dad, but my thoughts and my words are still my own, and I always thought of it as a way to make it more convenient for the person that’s listening to me talk – I don’t want them to have to do a ton of extra work trying to parse out filler words. Probably way too long of an explanation for why I don’t think Jordan’s fake, but I felt like it had to be said 😛
2.) Lindsey & Mark – Just a LOVELY dance. Lovely dance. The concept was creative and cute, but it still had a lot of respectable content (minor gripe and docked point from Len notwithstanding). You could tell the dance meant a lot to Lindsey, and I think Mark did a great job of expressing that – the last shot of her with the silhouette of her dad just was really, really visually impactful. The whole thing reminded me vaguely of Mark’s Up Viennese waltz he choreographed for Sadie – not identical, but shades of the same. So I’ve seen a lot of complaints about Lindsey’s “8” from Len (and Victoria’s “9” from Len), and I feel as though I have to say this to put things in perspective: I STILL SEE LINDSEY AND JORDAN AS THE LAST TWO STANDING, WITHOUT QUESTION. I think many of us share the same sentiment, which is the problem: TPTB are trying to make this look like a real horse race, and not like Lindsey & Jordan have been the last two standing all along. How do they accomplish this? By doing some of the little nitpicking and point docking we’ve seen them do with Jordan and Lindsey from week to week. I don’t think Len’s nitpick and point dock was anything more than that – just him following orders to make things a bit interesting, and him trying to find some sort of empirical excuse to do it. Does it suck? Sure. But is it all that unexpected? Not really, given what we’ve seen in previous seasons. He’s nitpicked content in Lindsey’s dances, and content and shoes (WTF) in Jordan’s. I think it’s just an attempt to level the playing field – so I guess in the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t bother me a whole lot. But if it becomes too much of a pattern, best believe I will say something…
3.) Victoria & Val – Much ado about that score – I’ve gotten a lot of tweets asking if I thought Victoria deserved the score she got. The short answer? Hell no – the level of difficulty and cleanliness of execution were not nearly up-to-snuff with other people who got 9’s (namely, Lindsey). The long answer? From a technical standpoint, no, but in the grand scheme of things, the judges do tend to get swept up in the emotion of some of the routines, and it’s not entirely unexpected that they tend to cut some slack on technique during MMY week. So was it right? Ehh…probably not, but it wasn’t unexpected, and I don’t know how much longer they’re going to be able to overlook shortcomings on her part. It was a nice dance, and I liked how they conveyed her story – and for what it’s worth, I actually find myself really appreciating what Victoria does with her upper-body – she was making some nice lines and extensions with her arms, and I thought her frame looked decent. There was some definite wobbly-ness, though, and I noticed it most on the ronde; at some point, the judges are going to have to get real and point some of this stuff out. The judges have had their moments of realness with every contestant we’ve had with a disability – they called Nyle out for going off-time; Amy got called out for not pointing her toes; Noah got called out for being “stiff”. Could any of them help it? Not really, but it got pointed out nonetheless. Since I don’t see Victoria winning this season, I think a lot of her struggles with footwork are eventually going to become something the judges simply can’t ignore – I just think it’s a bit early-on for them to be doing it, when you look historically at how they scored other contestants that have had disabilities.
4.) Drew & Emma – I’m beginning to think that Drew & Emma may be the couple that’s best at “playing the game”, so to speak – because they seem to have a real knack for doing things that stand out each week, even though Drew is not the strongest dancer this season. Including Jonathan in their jive? Probably the most brilliant move of the week, given that the two of them are such demographic darlings – and really, Jonathan did a pretty respectable job. Also thought Drew kept up nicely, stayed on-time, and picked up his knees well. And really, he’s still a good showman – Frankie may be the dark horse candidate right now, but I could see Drew pulling ahead as the season wears on. Dude has some natural skill. Was glad they went with something more upbeat, in the sea of slower, more somber dances we saw last night – just another way they’re standing out, in a positive way 🙂
5.) Frankie & Witney – THEY GOT BRYAN CRANSTON!!! Loved seeing him speak on Frankie’s behalf, especially since some diehard Cranston fans were trying to tell me on Twitter that Frankie “defied” or “betrayed” Bryan by doing DWTS. Yeeeeah bro, I could see there was a ton of bad blood there 😛 I appreciated the simplicity of Frankie’s story, just coming to terms with his medical problems and memory loss. It wasn’t a “feel sorry for me!” story, it was a “hey, I’m good, I’m happy, and I accept this” story. I don’t know that the song was well-suited to quickstep – it had more of a tango feel to it – but I think Frankie & Witney made the best of it, and it was an enjoyable dance nonetheless. Maybe a little bit off on some of the runs, and body contact could have been better, but all in all – another solid dance from Frankie. And I find myself very curious as to what this couple in particular comes up with for Disney week 🙂
6.) Vanessa & Maks – Ehhhhh. Sorry, but watching these two anymore just has become a chore, because it just seemed painfully obvious to me last night that they really, really don’t like each other. Granted, not much was shown of them interacting, but my guess is that was probably intentional on the part of production – they seemed to be in full damage-control mode last night, what with Maks “expressing his feelings for the first time” after Vanessa’s emotional dance. Not buying it, bruh. The one thing I did buy, though, was Nick in tears talking about his son – I believed that far more than I did his wishy-washy dance about marrying Vanessa, so it was all just a bit weird for me. The dance itself was a non-event – typical lazy Maks choreography, with just a few basic steps, and a lot of time wasting just walking back and forth and posing. Non-existent hip action from Vanessa, yet the judges gush. *shrug* I’m not buying that Vanessa is truly a contender this season, as long as she’s stuck with Maks – but who knows what agenda they’re going to push in the coming weeks, perhaps in a last-ditch attempt to get people invested in the married couples. I think she’s in better shape than Nick right now, in terms of safety – but as the numbers dwindle, that could absolutely change.
7.) Terrell & Cheryl – Terrell had a breakthrough this week – not only did we get to see a softer, more vulnerable side of him, but man – who knew he would be so good at the ballroom dances??? I admittedly thought his strength would lie more with the Latin dances, just due to his flamboyant nature, but I actually preferred his control and confidence in this Viennese waltz – his frame actually looked nice, his feet weren’t terrible, and he seemed to be in control and on-time. He picked a good week to surprise us with both a new dance and opening up about his feelings – I think he’s only bound to gain voters with what we saw from him last night. I’ve had a few people ask if I think he’s in danger of getting eliminated anytime soon – and after last night, I’m thinking he could actually be safe for awhile. Cheryl’s fans seem to be loyal, plus I could see Terrell picking up some fans…so I think he’s sticking around for the foreseeable future. Which I’m actually ok with, because he got a lot more interesting after last night 🙂
8.) Nick & Peta – Someone posed this question to me on Twitter, and now I’m going to pose it to you here: is Nick possibly the worst boy band member ever to do DWTS? Because when I think back to Drew, and Joey Fat One, and Nick C., and Wanya, and James M./Carlos…all of the names I just mentioned may have had their weak dances, but on the whole, they all ended up being pretty decent dancers. Joey McIntyre may not have been fantastic, but he was also on the first season of the show, which almost seems like it was another show entirely, with how its changed over the years. Nick L. just seems…painfully awkward, by comparison. And that’s really saying something, considering he’s now been handed the two most open-ended dances there are, in back-to-back weeks, and has managed to make both look like a struggle. I’m not quite sure what Peta was thinking with the choreo for his contemporary last night – if I had to guess, her strategy was “waste a decent amount of time walking towards him, have him do some lunging/jumping/push-up-like moves he might do at the gym, throw in some general angsty flailing, and hope that nobody notices how awkward my partner truly is” – but Nick just looked rather squatty to me any time he was trying to extend, and watching Peta trying do some of the choreo next to him just made it that much more apparent. I also wasn’t really sold on the whole “my most memorable year was the year I married Vanessa” story – Nick just strikes me as a dude that isn’t terribly mushy, so the story felt a bit forced. Unfortunately, I think his 2nd week in jeopardy has probably bought him a ticket through next week – but after that, I think all bets are off; not sure if they’re trying to keep Chmerlachey intact until the late stages of the competition or what, but I’m not seeing too many fans that are buying the whole thing…so I think there could be backlash if TPTB continue to push Nick in particular onto viewers. Will be interesting if Nick is still given a safety net next week…
9.) Nikki & Artem – Here’s what I think Nikki’s big problem has been thus far this season (besides getting kinda crappy music, crappy dances, and crappy running order positions): she’s had some definite walls up, and she herself even seemed to admit that last night. Deep Throat has mentioned that Nikki “seems to get really nervous on camera, and lock up” and it can sometimes get misinterpreted as being standoffish or cold. And I think last night, we actually saw her relax a bit and let those walls down – that contemporary was a bit of a milestone for her, as it is the first dance she has done where I went “Ok, NOW she’s finally showing us what she’s capable of!” Nikki’s a true athlete, and it was good to see her showing off her strength – liked the part with the silks, but also liked that they didn’t dwell too much on them and just make the dance an aerial act; also loved how she was leaping jumping into lifts and tricks with abandon, and pulled them off well. I think my only complaint is that I HATE that stupid song – my sister refers to it as the “small boat” song (due to the first line) and groans and says “Oh god, not that stupid ‘small boat’ song again!” anytime she hears it on the radio. So here’s my struggle: I think next week’s elim is basically going to come down to which fanbase is voting harder: the Bella Army or the PLL fans. Both fanbases love to tell everyone how big and important they are (and both love to try and use YouTube views as an indicator of popularity…much to Heidi & I’s chagrin), but who is actually picking up the phone and getting online to put in work? I’m giving a slight edge to Nikki this week, for actually shaking things up with her dance, but who knows.
10.) Sasha & Gleb – I said this last night on Twitter (and manage to send some PLL fans into fits of apoplexy as a result), and I’ll repeat it here: Sasha’s dances are never bad. In fact, they’re usually at least halfway decent. The problem is that they are completely unremarkable, in the grand scheme of each week – and I think we’re getting to a point where the low-hanging fruit is dwindling, and being decent-but-unmemorable is a liability. Under any other circumstances, I probably would have Nikki here – but Nikki actually seemed to have a breakthrough last night, while Sasha…did another rather bland dance that didn’t really stand out. I tend to blame Gleb more than Sasha for this – his choreography has been a total snooze this season, and I’m left not really remembering anything impactful from his routines; the only thing that’s stuck with me has been “Huh, Gleb sure does love him some dips.” Then again, I think Sasha also just picked a song and a theme that maybe didn’t resonate as much emotionally with the audience, either – “Over My Head” isn’t terribly sappy, and I’m still not 100% clear on whether her theme had more to do with PLL or her engagement or what. In a week full of tears over adoptions, the dearly departed, miracle babies, and beating medical odds, I’m not sure a dance about new chapters in one’s life are really going to stick out in people’s minds. I have no issues with Sasha – she seems like she’s really down-to-earth and genuine – but I’m just left not really remembering her at the end of every show. Will the PLL save her? Or are Nikki’s Bella Army more numerous?
So did the right person go home? Who’s next on the chopping block?
VERY sad to see Derek & Sharna go home last night after his best dance of the season and an emotional story. Times like this make me shake my head at the show. Hard working guy, great partnership and respect for his pro, great choreography by his pro, yet used to keep a story line going. (married couple drama) Hate to see a guy who was improving and wanting to be there go home. Happy to have been introduced to Derek as he is such a humble and awesome person. Even more excited to see how he brought Sharna’s smile and fun personality back, as that went missing last season. She did great choreo pieces for him and they always shined. All around an awesome partnership.
Jordan & Lindsay
They were incredible. It was raw and it was so heartwarming. You could see him crying throughout the dance. Should have been a perfect score.
Lindsey & Mark
I think after last night, she is my favorite to win. I think we have seen her fun, emotional, and personal side at this point. Marks choreography was so well thought out and creative they deserved a perfect score as well.
Victoria & Val
What a story, and props to Val he really did tell her story in an incredible way. She’s not technically the best dancer, but she’s going to make it far this season. Her personality and resilience is amazing.
Everyone else is just in between for me. They all had good or improving dances but nothing stood out like the 3 I mentioned.
Loved Drew and Emma’s Jive! So much fun to watch and having Jonathan join them was brilliant. I know it’s been said he was offered a spot on the show, but I’m glad he didn’t take it. Then we would have the brother vs brother story against the married couples story. Like PH, I’ve never had a problem telling them apart. I watch their shows, get ideas for my place and basically enjoy looking at them. I was hoping Drew would nail the jive, and I think he did.
Also, Lindsey and Mark was just beautiful. I’ve lost my dad and I cried through the whole thing. Such a wonderful tribute to her father. Mark always knows how to get his point across with such great choreography. I’m hoping they win.
Nick/Peta and Vanessa/Maks just needs to stop. Nick is a total bore and Vanessa is just way too happy, but I agree, her smile is starting to seem forced. I also agree that her and Maks don’t get along and that Peta is just trying to stay out of all the drama. He’s checked out and seems completely bored by it all. Sasha isn’t a stand out on the show, but I would much rather have her stay than Nick. Vanessa shouldn’t be too far behind him.
Jordan/Lindsey also had a great dance. I don’t like having Disney kids on the show, but he has changed my opinion for at least this season. He’s not taking it for granted, he works hard, and is having fun.
Sasha/Gleb – like I said nothing stands out with her. Her dances are just meh and I never remember a lot of it after the show is over.
Frankie/Witney – Frankie’s joy each week shows through in his dances. He’s having such fun and taking it all in every week. He has a great attitude about his life. I think he has surprised a lot of people and will be around much longer than originally thought.
Victoria/Val – I give her a lot credit for the determination and will power she has and what she went through to defy the odds and be where she is today. But I think having a different partner would have benefited her. Val’s choreography is bland, lots of time wasting and he always has something to say. He just can’t keep his mouth closed. I noticed all the other pros last night didn’t say a word unless Tom or Erin directly asked them a question. But Val needs the spot light, just like his brother.
Nikki/Artem – I like them as a pair and I hope they’re around a few more weeks.
Terrell/Cheryl – Nice to see him open up a bit and the dance was nice. Cheryl knows what to do to show off her partner, she knows how to play the game. Last night probably bought him a few more weeks.
Bottom two Monday night will probably be Nick and Nikki, with Sasha also a possibility. I hope Nick leaves.
The next one IMO to go home is Nick, PLEASE! I’m so tired of the married couple thing. He should have gone this week not Derek.
Jordan
Lindsay
Drew
Victoria
Then the rest
I wish Mark would have made that dance a Waltz, instead of a Viennese Waltz. Then Len would have little to argue about, continuous motion is not really a hallmark of American Smooth Waltz like it is VWaltz so it would have been closer to a 10 than an 8 imho.
An emotional night for sure!
I personally found Lindsey’s dance to be the dance of the night. It had both content and concept, made me tear up a bit more than Jordan’s. I love Jordan. But oddly enough for the first time, I felt Jordan’s dance was a bit forceful in terms of emotion, daresay, borderline fake. Last season at the same point Rashad had a dance like this and I thought it was very organic, even though inferior to this one in terms of content.
For another odd reason, I have a feeling that the married couple will be leaving the show in around week 6-7 in a double elimination. One expected, the other obviously shocking.
Drew (and T.O. to a lesser degree) was the pleasant surprise of the evening. I think he can totally sail through the season till finale and possibly third place, bumping Frankie to fourth.
And while giving a 27 to Victoria is concerned, it bothered me just because Lindsey was scored lower. But I can totally see them trying to make this a successful run for Val (by scores and not placements) and establish him further.
I am almost on the verge of hating Gleb, because its been his third season in a row and not one dance has been at par from him. There’s a limit to being overconfident and half-assing your job.
I was expecting Vanessa to do really great at Rumba, until the show reminded me of Maks and his attitude towards life these days. I cringed at what Peta choreographed for Nick, and groaned at the faces he made during that dance.
Extremely sad to see Derek go, specially the day we got to see her daughter cry over her father’s most memorable story surrounding her.
It literally makes me so angry that the producers used Derek as a shield for Nick. I’m not surprised but it still makes me angry. I think though with Derek out that they have maybe given up on saving Nick. I think they put him in jeopardy one more time as a hail mary and are going to let things fall where they will with him next week. I mean he’s lowest on the leaderboard by 2 points and I think at this point Frankie, Drew, TO definitely beat him with votes no question. I think Nikki and Sasha can too. Not by as much as the previous but I think Nick may be bidding adieu next week. I’m going to guess that they put him and Vanessa in jeopardy with him going home and as an attempt to boost Vanessa’s votes since it seems like a lot of comments I’m seeing in regards to her have turned negative since last weeks Maks Gate. If not Vanessa then I’ll guess Sasha to boost her for votes. I feel like if they were trying to save him another week they would have scored him and someone else like Sasha or Nikki the same so he had less to overcome voting wise.
When it comes down to it I think last night just further established Lindsey and Jordan are going to be the final 2 and the producers are trying to make it not as obvious. It seems like they are doing to Lindsey and Jordan a similar thing as like what they did to Nyle. Every other week (or dance) it seems like the judges are nit picking, specifically Len. Both got great scores week one, then ballroom night Len knit picked them both (Lindsey with the breaking hold for quickstep then Jordan for his V Waltz for being a little staccato), for Latin night both got good positive feedback from the judges and tied on the leaderboard, week 3 Lindsey got the rave reviews and Jordan got knit picked by Len for not enough Charleston, then last night Jordan got all the positive feedback and Lindsey got nit picked for not having enough V waltz content (which was I think an excuse to score her lower, that dance was beautiful with plenty of content)it will be interesting to see if the pattern continues into Disney week.
Outside of those 2 right now the only stand outs for me are Frankie and Drew. Both are improving, both are entertaining, and both are embracing the experience and enjoying it. That’s a combo of things that the demo loves. It’s why Rashad and David were crowned winner and second place last season. If the producers leave things alone I can see a final 4 of Lindsey, Jordan, Frankie, Drew. I can see them trying to coast Vanessa through to the final and doing what they did with Ginger, pushing her and knocking someone like Frankie or Drew out in the process.. Like Ginger did to Wanya.. will forever be bitter over that one. But Frankie’s story was something I think a lot of people can relate to living in the moment as well as his determination to dance despite hurting his ankle earlier in the day, also Drew having Jonathan pop up in his dance was genius. And Drew was pointing his toes and doing so good I was scared jive would be bad for him but it was great for him.
Nick.. it’s obvious he is not having fun. He really doesn’t want to be there. Peta seems to be just coasting by trying to stay out of the drama. Also of note looks like the same choreographer that did Nyle’s freestyle had some role in last night’s contemporary. She posted something on instagram that made it sound like she was involved in making the dance. I’m glad that Peta knows that contemporary is not a strength for her and is willing to get ghosting help but I don’t understand why she was so transparent about it with Nyle but now it looks like she’s not being upfront.
Vanessa was she bad? No. But there was a definite lack of hip action and I just found myself not super impressed. Like it wasn’t bad but it wasn’t spectacular. There definitely is still some tension with her and Maks as well it just seemed as though last night was major damage control for Maks gate last week.
TO he impressed me and I got a little emotional. I worked in a retirement home for several years so I know how tough it is seeing someone you love become a shell of their former selves when they have dementia or Alzheimer. And agreed with Courtney he is better suited for ballroom as opposed to Latin. And I think his dance to that song was a lot better than Ginger’s dance which if I remember right may have scored higher. I think between people emotionally connecting to what he went through and Cheryl he just bought himself a few more weeks.
Nikki definitely had her break through last night. I just was like wow. She really killed it. I think if she can continue on this path with being more open and just being in the moment she’ll last several more weeks.
Victoria.. I will say that was the first dance where I clicked with her. The story that Val tried to portray was great and as I’ve said before I feel a bit of a connection to her because knowing the struggle of an invisible illness with what my mother goes through with Fibromyalgia. But she was overscored her technique needs to really improve when it comes to her feet. Her upper body is great but where she can’t feel her feet/legs that’s where a lot of her issues are. I think if she was going to have a break out dance that connected with the audience last night was going to be it, but it doesn’t seem like it happened. I’ve even seen some people saying that where her disability has been brought up every week it made the impact way less to where it was just like we already know why are you telling us again? I think Victoria lasts a few more weeks but I won’t be surprised if when the double elimination happens she ends up being one half of it.
Sasha.. I love her. I liked her dance but it wasn’t a stand out when I think of last night. If I had to chose 3 things that stood out from last night it would be Lindsey’s dance, Jordan’s dance, and Jonathan popping up in Drew’s dance. She got decent run order and she didn’t do bad but as Courtney said it wasn’t memorable. Also another thing of note I was shocked with was why there wasn’t anyone from PLL in her package footage. No Janel (which is kinda understandable she’s in Canada currently doing a play), no Shay, no Ashley, even no Marlene King the creator of the show. I would have thought with the announcement of the spin off they would have had Marlene or Janel in her package or at the very least Shay since a lot of her characters interactions was with Shay’s character. I’m just surprised they didn’t take the opportunity to really sell that more.
And one last comment Mark didn’t get to chose VW for the dance style the producers did, regardless the dance had enough recognizable content. Len was just looking for something to knit pick on. As I said earlier I think the judges are doing this to make it not as obvious that Lindsey and Jordan are the front runners. Even though both have been within the top 4-5 on the leaderboard every week.
Overall I walked away last night being entertained and emotionally drained in a good way until Derek’s elimination.. then I just got angry. Curious to see what happens for Disney week. Nick is out of easy no rules dances so he’ll have to do something ballroom or latin and depending on the judges mood he may not have the theme night to completely save him.
people on twitter get really aggressive when i say sasha is boring.
sasha is boring.
The right person definitely did not get eliminated last night, IMO. They sacrificed Derek – someone who wanted to be there and was enjoying the experience and was growing as a dancer – for Nick, who seems like he’s ready to leave, has not improved dance wise since week one, and isn’t all that on the dance floor to begin with. I wonder if Vanessa talked him into doing this show with her? I can’t imagine he’s too thrilled that Vanessa is so unhappy in her partnership.
TPTB concocted this marriage competition, for ratings no doubt, and now it blows up in their face: Nick can’t dance and really can’t connect with the audience, Vanessa and Maks hate each other. Will they ever learn?
I’m curious to know why did the producers use Derek as collateral damage? Derek was improving every single week, he really loved to be there, him and Sharna’s partnership was really good it was nice seeing her fun side again and I think it was much needed for her. The judges sandbagged his dances from week 1 with their scores and to me it always seemed like CAI always gave a BS non existent excuse to score him low. I’ve re-watched their elimination and it looked like most of the pros were shocked, even Val commented on Derek’s post today calling BS. But hopefully it’s Nick turn next week or eles people are really gonna be pissed.
For me, it’s Jordan& Lindsey, Lindsey&Mark Victoria&Val I see in the final 3. Everybody is fair game.
Overall it was what I expected most memorable year to be. The judges seemed to be less harsh this week and mainly kept it light. It is a bit weird how 6 out of the 10 remaining couples got all 8’s so that all of them got 24s.I don’t know if they have an agenda or that just happened to turn out that way. Excited for Disney week, as it will be the complete opposite of this week and have mostly upbeat creative dances. Also excited for Halloween week in the weeks to come.
Thoughts on Derek: I had a feeling last week that Derek was possibly up for elimination. I knew when they called Derek and Nick in the bottom, Derek was going to go. Nick is not going to go until Vanessa is in the bottom there with him. They did the same thing with Meryl and Charlie as well as Carlos and Alexa even though it is obvious one is going to get eliminated over the other, and the other who stays will make it to the finals. It gets old and predictable, and even Derek and Sharna knew it telling by their faces. I think their grand scheme of making this married couple thing happen has faltered, partly because of Maks, Nick’s dancing, and just other couples impressing the audience that they did not plan for, such as Drew and Frankie raking in more votes than expected. Nikki, Sasha, and maybe Terrell will be eliminated next in order to keep Nick in the game, but it just gets more frustrating every week.
Favorites:
1) Jordan&Lindsay: Usually I’m not a fan of contemporaries, but this one had more dancing than just jumping around or filling it with lift after lift. Jordan and Lindsey go back and forth every week with who has the stronger dance, it will be interesting to see who triumphs disney week I have a feeling it might be Lindsey but Jordan has the disney background. It was a very smooth contemporary with actual content and spoke his message perfectly. I always appreciate Lindsey’s choreography because it’s entertaining and keeps the integrity of the dance. She also never tries to outshine her partner and she is now able to truly show her choreography skills.
2) Lindsey&Mark: This was also a very sweet and touching dance that seemed like it also truly represented Lindsey’s message. It kind of reminded me of La La Land, possibly because of her dress. It was also nice to see something different from Lindsey because until this week she had only done really upbeat dances like quickstep, cha cha, salsa, jive. So it was good to see that she can handle something that was slower and had more emphasis on emotion.
3)Frankie&Witney: I enjoyed how his story was one of the more light hearted ones of the night. I was a little skeptical when he was given the quickstep and that he might’ve been scored lower because he was given a technical dance, but it turned out pretty well for them. Witney added some nice touches in the beginning and choreographed an actual quickstep to a difficult song. I think ballroom may be more his thing, with the exception of his cha cha. This couple is always a surprise, and week to week they deliver with something fresh and unexpected. Can’t wait to see what they come up with for disney night.
Likes
4) Drew&Emma: Emma made what could’ve been a mess into something that was fun and memorable. It was sort of a novelty idea to bring his brother into the dance. Emma probably wanted to add some sort of extra factor to the dance so that they would stand out among all the stories of the night. It was a nice break from the slower paced dances. Emma kind of uses similar moves in this jive as previous ones, such as Rashad’s but it worked with the music and suited Drew.
5)Victoria&Val: It was a sweet dance and it seemed like Victoria was very pleased with it. It was more upbeat than I expected but she kept up well and her frame was pretty good. The score was generous but I think that is to be expected going last on a night like this. It was her night to tell her story and there are only so many ways to make a foxtrot more complicated. She is probably safe for next week but I’m curious to know what will happen after that.
6)Terrell&Cheryl: I think Terrell has made a comeback that might’ve saved him for next week. I originally thought he was on the very edge of being eliminated, but now I think he may be good for one or two more weeks, for the time being. Cheryl did a good job with this one, he showed his more graceful side that hadn’t been shown before in the latin dances. He is the only athlete left aside from Nikki, so maybe that can help him in votes, I guess we will see.
7)Nikki&Artem: Cotemporary suits Nikki very well. I think the thing with Nikki is she is better with more powerful dances or at least making dances that aren’t powerful into ones that are by style choice like Artem did last week. She sort of stopped thinking so much in this dance, and it showed.
Meh:
8) Vanessa&Maks: I think Vanessa probably could’ve handled more but tensions were probably high as it was. I feel like Maks isn’t giving it his all with Vanessa even though she has the potential to be really great. I feel like ever since he won in season 18 he just hasn’t has put as much effort. Even with Heather and Vanessa who have great potential, he just didn’t seem invested in those praetorships as much as he was in previous ones. I usually don’t watch Vanessa’s packages just because they are pretty similar week to week. I thought the 8’s were fair even though there wasn’t that much rhumba.
9) Sasha&Gleb: It was a decent dance and Sasha danced was she was given well, but I think Gleb lacks the qualities of being clever and making their partner feel comfortable on the floor like Sharna, Derek, and Mark have been able to do. Sasha is the girl next door and so if she doesn’t do something either creative or difficult she will fade into the background. Some of her dances have started to look similar like her foxtrot and waltz. Gleb has to do what Derek did with Bethany who was also a girl next door and do some dramatic, really fun, or creative routines.
10) Nick&Peta: I think Nick just isn’t really a natural dancer and is just trying his best but looks like he isn’t really enjoying being on the show as much as a lot of the other couples. The thing with Nick and Vanessa that is different than Carlos and Alexa, is that Carlos and Alexa talked about themselves more and their own careers but with Nick and Vanessa it’s only about their family. We still don’t know much about Nick or Vanessa’s background aside from being married to each other and having kids. Peta also seems checked out this season.
Nice show. I don’t think I’ve ever been into these stories in past seasons, there were a lot of nice moments and nice dancing.
Lindsey and Jordan continue to be the top contenders. Frankie has become a hit and he’ll stay much longer than I had anticipated. Apprently Terrell too.
I think every story looked great, but the wheelchair was…yeah. No. Too much and unnecessary. Also pushing and pushing this story for weeks makes it less impactful this week. Tom trying to cover for somebody’s in the moment idea of bringing Vanessa down was annoying.
I still maintain my wishes to get rid of Nick and Maks and pair up Vanessa and Peta. They’re the only ones in this foursome who really want to be there.
When this season started it was mentioned that past stars or whatever would come back to join for trio dances. Why not keep Jonathan for that dance instead??? Are they past contestants? Like the mandatory Drew appearance and that’s another reason why they won’t let go of Nick?
Not that this wasn’t a cool surprise. It looked good, and Jonathan really danced here. Besides their physical differences and height the only way to tell them apart would’ve been Jonathan not being a good dancer since he’s not on the show, but he was so good that if he were to come out with Emma, I wouldn’t have known it wasn’t Drew.
I laughed at how the show was obsessed with the guy with green hair and beard.
Finally, the amazing Gospeed song by The Dixie Chiks…It makes me cringe whenever somebody says “a song by” with unproper credit to the real singer or writer. Like whenever somebody on a singing show says “by this artist” and apparently everybody but them know it’s actually a cover. “Feeling Good, by Michael Buble….” nope!. Producers know these things so they should correct them in those packages. “My husband did a cover of a Dixie Chicks song…” or whatever. Even if there are people who watch this show who would cringe even more at the mention of those girls.
OK, wouldn’t have thought of it myself, but true, if they’re still planning on the trio idea and have Drew signed up to do it, they would definitely want Nick to stick around for that lol.
I also agree re Drew. That could have been a huge mess yet Emma made it work, and the idea to bring Jonathan in was really smart. Someone was thinking on their feet.
The married couples are really working social media today. Maks, in particular, is laying it on really thick. I can’t tell if they’re desperate to keep the paychecks rolling, or whether the producers are writing this stuff for them and they’re just posting it.
When people do covers of songs, MF, they very often re-arrange the songs to fit their own performance. If a dancer is using the cover version, it’s perfectly appropriate to credit the cover artist.
That the producers want Nick to stick until they can do a trio with Drew is a good possibility – but pretty stupid on their parts, in reality. Drew was eliminated THIRD in the All Star season and he’s from a period in the life of this show that was OVER when he was on All Stars. Not what I would call a draw. I wager that people were more excited by Jonathan dancing with Emma and Drew last night.
My faves from last night:
Lindsey – There was such a genuine, simple, sweet, innoncent quality to this dance and that ending was magical.
Drew – I so appreciated this picker-upper wedged betwixt emotional heavies and the incorporation of Jonathan.
Derek – Another happy lifesaver in the sea of heavy emotion. These two had great choreo and chemistry and left far before their time.
Frankie – Loved his message. Curious if he has trouble remembering his choreo.
Other thoughts:
Jordan was good but someone with his technical precision is wasted on Contemporary.
Nice showing from Terrell.
Victoria’s story aside, her dance was unremarkable. I felt as if the wheelchair was, at times, used in lieu of content and technique.
With no disrespect intended, I could pass on all the others. I predict Sasha will be next out. She’s pleasant with a nice quality of movement to her dancing but is a bit of an afterthought.
I’ve fallen in love with Lindsey&Mark’s VW. It was like a peaceful, dreamlike world of love, remembrance and devotion. It made miss my Dad while also being grateful that God granted him to me as my father. Bless you Mark.
I’m so glad we got to see how much Jordan adores his parents and how moved he is by their love. Such a beautiful, heartfelt Contemporary about gratitude, joy and the real meaning of love.
I saw so many wonderful steps performed with both precision and enthusiasm. That continuous, swirl lift was amazing.
Jordan presents himself with dignity, professionalism and maturity on the show and is called fake. Yet other contestants through the years have been so transparently “real and relatable” while being the complete opposite and they get a free pass. I don’t get it.
Frankie is the heart of season who also is a fantastic dancer. I love seeing Witney so happy and protective with her partner. I look forward to watching them each week because I genuinely am excited to see what they bring us.
Sorry to see Derek go. What a class act.
Loved the breakthrough that Terrell&Cheryl had. He was strong and elegant.
1. Jordan and Lindsay
Graceful, joyful contemporary from Jordan and Lindsay; that last lift where Jordan just swooped Lindsay across the stage was gorgeous, definitely agree that Jordan can truly handle anything
2. Lindsey and Mark
Thought Lindsey deserved at least one 10 for such a sincere, well-executed dance, considering the 8s the judges were tossing about, also didn’t think this was possible but Lindsey has become even more likable week after week
3. Victoria and Val
Decent choreo by Val, I’m sure Derek or Mark could have done better but no major faults, I love Victoria and her enthusiasm, not the perfect dance but to me, the strongest and most admirable story
4. Frankie and Witney
Frankie didn’t stand out a ton this week (probably because he went first and didn’t have the most memorable story) but he’s still going strong.
5. Drew and Emma
Genius touch for Emma to bring in Jonathan, the relationship between the brothers is adorable, love that noise Jonathan made, both danced well, and I’m so glad everything turned out well for the two
6. TO and Cheryl
Beginning to warm up to Terrell, this dance was a beautiful dedication to his grandmother and I am impressed once more by Cheryl’s ability to bring out the best in her partners
7. Nikki and Artem
I didn’t think the song went well with the dance that much but Nikki did a great job and even though she got a middling score, I think she’ll be safe for another week.
8. Vanessa and Maks
As expected, not a great dance, definitely see how the married couples are themselves fizzling out, from Nick to Maks to Peta to Vanessa, none of them seem to be trying very hard
9. Sasha and Gleb
Sad to see Sasha’s potential sort of left in the dust with unremarkable choreography and frankly boring dances, Gleb needs to take a few seasons off and recognize that there’s more to the job than just being the hot guy
10. Nick and Peta
I thought contemporary would be good for Nick but nope, left underwhelmed just as I felt with last week’s jazz, as the only partnership to be in jeopardy twice this season, these two should be going home next
More General Thoughts:
– Derek going home was a big disappointment for me, I would have loved to see him and Sharna do Disney Night at the very least. Very upsetting that less deserving couples are scraping by
– Don’t see any reason to keep Nick around, I nearly cringe when I see him dance and I don’t see him redeeming himself, honestly any of the already eliminated contestants would have been better these last few weeks IMHO
– Both looking forward to and bracing myself for Disney Night, I remember last season that was when the narrative really became clear, so I have concerns about next week. However, it is one of my favorite theme nights, though it is getting a little repetitive (for instance, saw fittings for Witney’s dress on her Instagram story and it looks a lot like her Cinderella dress with Vanilla, though could just be for the opening number)
Courtney your story about not using filler words and not wanting people ‘to have to do a ton of extra work trying to parse out filler words’ had me laughing. My husband can string together swear words as if he is actually telling me something, usually I can weed my way though and figure it out. Recently he was upset about something work related, because of the astounding high volume of filler (swear) words I looked at him and said ‘I have no idea what you attempted to tell me because of all the F words you strung together’. I think it was a new record for him – haha. I always enjoy reading your power rankings, thanks for taking the time to do them.
do not under estimate the Bella Army. They’ve been cultivating that army from years and they used it to become business women and youtube stars. plus the WWE plus Total Divas crowd.
Was it spell check or a personal comment on boy band member Joey Fat One? 😉
Speaking of “Youtube views”, Vanessa leads the pack this week with Frankie in second place. I know why Frankie is so high, his video got shared on a big well known UK media news website, with a headline article explaining about his story and how he couldn’t remember Malcom in the Middle. Vanessa I’m guessing is first because loads watched to see if any drama was brought up between her and Maks. I’m guessing they were left disappointed.
Internet isn’t really a good indicator of votes sadly.
I have noticed that DWTS are pimping Jordan on social media a lot. I hope this doesn’t mean he isn’t getting the votes that we hope his is
Hey Jamie! Where do you see them pimping Jordan? Just curious I want to know because I haven’t seen much of him on social media actually.
Blah, blah, blah, army, we rock, army, blah….I can’t even COUNT the number of times I’ve heard this story about Armies of voters and youtube stars and “don’t count us out” and so on and so on and so on. There is one EVERY season. And every season that fanbase is shocked (!!) when their favorite is voted out much earlier than expected.
As much as I like Nikki, I don’t see her making it even as far as 4th place. It’s not about YOUR army, it’s about the average viewer. And who’s getting pimped. Nikki is about as far from pimped as you can get and still be on the show.
Susan2 – Mark and Lindsey’s dance very much reminded me of something Derek would do and it made me feel much like a lot of Derek’s stuff makes me feel. It made me miss my dad too. It was a beautiful dance – I’m belatedly pissed off that the relatively low score it got.
As for Jordan – I don’t get the “fake” comments either. Is someone labeled “fake” when they are intelligent and well spoken?? I think those people are projecting *something* – not sure what. I’m not sure where this comes from – is it from a place smashed expectations? I don’t get it. Perhaps they expected him to be the hip hop guy from Hamilton instead of the Disney kid??
Jamie, we’re nearly at the halfway point of the season, when a bit of a narrative shift occurs. You might be seeing the narrative shift, where POSSIBLY the producers have finally realized that the Chmerlachey ain’t the end all be all and that perhaps Jordan (and Lindsey and Frankie) are dominating the season and possibly the votes.
Some seasons this happens a lot earlier (Bindi versus Nick) and other times it happens a bit later (Rashad). But it happens most seasons, I would guess.
When it comes to Jordan, there are preconceived notions about a 23 year old bi-racial tatted guy speaking with an eloquence that rankles cultural expectations about him. Jordan is kind of like the Obama of dance, he knows how to “fit in” because he’s been given the educational tools to speak well. And like the former President, he can also “speak the street” when the occasion demands.
I do hope Jordan makes it to top 2, the backlash on his Contemporary is pretty loud. Hopefully Lindsay’s fanbase will help. It’s rare for Disney guys to get that far.
Your top five are my favorites and getting my votes. I hope they all get to the ending shows. As far as winning, I would be happy if any of them won! There is something so endearing about the cure as button couples, Witney and Frankie and Lindsay and Jordan! And they are dancing beautifully too! Drew and Emma are evolving beautifully! Wonderful surprise to have Jonathan join them. Mark’s genius choreography is back on full display. Val is doing beautifully with Victoria. Her miracle story is one of the best, most astonishing, the show has had. I’m just not too impressed with the rest.
It is sad how every season there is a group of people that come in specifically because of one celeb and they claim that they have a big fanbase and they will keep their fave in and even when we warn them that what matters is if the GP is voting for their fave they ignore it then are shocked when their fave is out. Or they are shocked when their fave comes in third. You can come into this show with the biggest fanbase in the world but if there is no correlation with it and the GP or the GP doesn’t grow to like you then you are more or less screwed. The show has proven time and time again this is the formula. It’s why Bethany came in 4th her season she had a huge fanbase that was young and complacent and didn’t connect with the GP like Sadie did. It’s why Kirstie Alley came in second place her season GP connected to her. It’s why David came in second last season and why Normani came in third. For weeks I said that was happening and a lot of Normani fans said I was insane for thinking that that they were so big and no way David was getting more votes.. David was a recently retired baseball player just coming off of a WS win, and baseball is a huge American past time. Throw in he was likeable and embracing the experience and there ya go. Normani’s young fanbase wasn’t a match for it. Even though I do know that the WWE has a large following is that following big enough to overcome the voting of the GP? I don’t think so. Especially since on average between 10-12 million are the demo. Do I think that there is voter overlap..? Doubtful.. I think Nikki makes it to probably 6th/7th place. If this wasn’t a season with so many likeable celebs (like Frankie and Drew) and was more like a normal season of the past I could’ve seen her making it further than that.
As for the Jordan being fake stuff I don’t get it. I love listening to him talk. It’s honestly very refreshing to see someone my age that talks that eloquently. I see him as extremely genuine in the way he speaks and acts. Most of the negative things I’ve seen being said about him are in regards to his “background” and people saying it’s not fair that he’s on the show. And some of those people were okay with Heather being on the show had to explain to someone on twitter the other day why there was so much outrage with Heather and why Jordan is in no way at this huge advantage or it’s unfair for him to be on. As for pimping at this point I haven’t noticed any huge patterns in what the DWTS social media accounts post. They posted Jordan’s dance first on facebook but it makes sense because of his being the highest scoring dance of the night. They did the same thing last week with Lindsey’s jive. The only thing I’ve noticed when it comes to “pimping” is most of the media interviews that get posted by ET, E!, Access Hollywood, etc. have mostly been a combo of The Lachey’s, Victoria, some of Drew, Some of Nikki, and then a few of Frankie, Jordan, and Lindsey thrown in here and there. This week was the first time I had seen more than one interview for Lindsey from the press line since the premiere.
I do think that Nick being on the bottom of the leaderboard by himself was a noticeable shift of the show maybe letting go of the married couple shtick. At least when it comes to Nick. I’ve honestly hoped for a season where they let things happen organically but I know that’s a pipe dream, I mean Derek being used as a shield for Nick is example enough of them not letting things happen organically. I think they realize too that Frankie is appealing majorly. It seems like pretty consistently seeing people talk across social media and even in my own daily interactions Lindsey, Jordan, Frankie, Drew seem to be the favorites of a lot of people. Two weeks ago I would have said the final 4 would be Lindsey, Jordan, Frankie, and Vanessa but now I’m thinking Drew might be able to worm his way in. I’m already getting a lot of people that like Vanessa telling me that she’ll be in the finals and I’m crazy so I must be semi onto something since I got the same reactions with my predictions on David coming in second.
In light of some of the bravado being thrown around by the PLL fans and the Bella Army, I’m just gonna leave these two links here for your consideration:
https://www.puredwts.com/2017/03/24/puredwts-season-24-court-rants-i-dont-care-how-rabid-your-fanbase-is-you-wont-win-without-the-general-audience-vote/
https://www.puredwts.com/2017/05/27/puredwts-season-24-why-normani-didnt-win/
Lindsey & Mark – Mark looked just like Paul Giamatti in that costume! My mister was creeped out though by Mark wearing Lindsey’s dad’s hat and scarf. The intense/quiet pacing of this was really interesting,
Jordan & Lindsay – If we hadn’t seen Jordan’s tribute to his parents I would continue to swear that he was synthesized in a Matrix that Disney secretly keeps underneath Sleeping Beauty’s castle for spawning an army of Disney Channel teen stars. Watched this on mute (didn’t care for the style of song) and it still looked like the best contemporary of the night,
Nikki & Artem – I liked the use of the silks and how it showed off Nikki’s strength without being the focus of the dance. Didn’t like how the colors were black on black and the lighting was dim – why are we hiding Nikki?
Frankie & Witney – Liked the positive attitude behind it and we got to see us some Cranston,
Victoria & Val – Val has passed himself off in the past as a wheelchair dancing expert or something from his chain of dance studios, so I was hoping for more creative use of the chair and actual chair dancing but it was still pretty cool. Judges scores were way too high and I thought it must be because they thought it was her last night? (it wasn’t.)
Drew & Emma – Supercute dance and neat how they had Drew’s brother involved. Emma looked pleased as punch when she was smooshed between the twin brothers in the press line afterwards,
TO & Cheryl – I liked the song and that TO acted like he really cared. Strong and simple,
Vanessa & Maks – Can barely remember the dance, just the baby story,
Nick & Peta – I didn’t care for it but at least I can remember it,
Sasha & Gleb – Can’t remember any of it :/
When gifted people talk, and talk, and talk, about things like how gifted they are, like Jordan did a few episodes ago, it seems like the opposite of articulacy or being relatable.
Jordan’s words do not give me The Feels but his dancing does. I very much look forward to what Jordan and Lindsay do for Disney week and really hope they end up on this winter/spring DWTS tour – kinda why I got my ticket.
I definitely got the feels when Jordan was talking about his parents. His love, admiration and awe that they chose him as their son was really moving.
I don’t get the arrogant vibe from him at all, but acknowledge that some do. Hopefully that lovely and moving dance and package from Monday night will change some viewer’s minds.
Mark definitely needs to put that waltz on his Emmy reel. I can’t recall ever falling as in love with a dance on this show as I did that one.
The only other one that comes close is Derek&Nicole’s 50’s Paso.
Brittany, the problem with the media outlets is that those interviews are arranged by the production. Who gets the bulk of the attention is often a sign of who they’re pimping.
Nukegrrrl, you’re seeing something about Jordan that I am not seeing at ALL. He talked about how gifted he is? When? How??
Or Nicole and Derek’s Buble Foxtrot…hell, anything from that season. But the Buble Foxtrot is still my favorite dance of all time. Something about Derek and Buble – his recent video that he did for Buble was just beautiful.
I found Jordan fake or too rehearsed to begin with, even though I loved his dancing. It was actually just seeing him more spontaneous in various instastories that made me warm to him. Now I don’t see him being fake at all. He’s just as excited as Frankie and Derek to learn new dances and perform well. But I’m torn between which Lindsey/say I want to see win. Both if possible – they are all wonderful.
If it comes down the a battle between Nikki and Sasha of their respective armies for who goes next week, I have no idea which one is stronger, but will say that Gleb plays the game better than Artem in trying to get votes. I don’t think Artem or Nikki put up online voting info, I’ve only ever seen the phone number. Even John Cena posts the phone number, whereas Gleb, Sasha and their partners remind everyone about online voting and getting votes in on the Tuesday.
So if Nikki is getting lots of YouTube views beyond that hour or when phone lines are open, it means nothing if people don’t realise they can still vote.
I’d much rather see Sasha go, or rather, Gleb with his insipid choreo that’s not making Sasha very interesting. At least with Nikki, I’m curious to see what else Artem can do with her, especially since she’s had a breakthrough. What surprises me about Gleb is that he’s said that Elena helps with choreo, and even their friend Alex Balash credits himself for assisting with choreo for Erika Jayne last season, yet with 3 experienced professional dancers’ input, it’s just so bland. Sasha and Gleb have rumba to Little Mermaid – I’m getting icky feelings about that.
I’ve actually enjoyed seeing Sasha’s journey to better health – just comparing the early photos from the show to now, the weight loss is obvious, but now she’s glowing and it’s lovely to see. I actually wonder how Alan would have gone with her instead of Gleb but I guess she was too precious a star for a newbie?
And like others, very sad to see Derek go. Nikki and Artem did a great ET FB live recap talking about how shocked they were and what a genuinely great and encouraging guy Derek was. Artem said quite bluntly that he shouldn’t have been eliminated but wouldn’t elaborate on who should have gone when pressed. It was quite cute seeing him get out of that one. Makes me wonder who would have gone home last week had there been an elimination…
I do wonder now if TPTB, feeling emboldened by how their plans fell into place in getting rid of Derek, will go harder after Nikki if they want to keep Sasha safe (if neither leave on Mon). But then I’d almost think, from the tour perspective, with Artem and Gleb being the only male pros left in the competition, maybe they’d want to keep them both longer. TPTB asked Artem to dance shirtless for the contemporary so maybe they’re painting seeing him as the hot single male pro (though he has a gf) and Gleb can be the DILF ????
I clearly spend to much of my time thinking about this show ????????
You know the saying “too many cooks”, Kikki? That’s probably the problem.
Yes, so true. Maybe his choreo was better for dwts Russia because I’m assuming with Elena being a judge, she didn’t help him.
I agree Heidi! That Havent Met You Yet FT is EPIC!!!
They are my top 3 as well..Lindsey Jordan & Victoria(only because Val) ????
@ Princess Heidi #37:
Sorry about the confusion – when I made that post re: Jordan mentioning that he was gifted more than once, I thought it was from one of his week two packages but now I think maybe it’s from the hour long AOL interview from start of the season. (I’ve been watching all of his interviews so I can warm up to the guy)
I’ll check for correct source as soon as I can.
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