janerazor

I kind of loved Clarence. He was a nice change from the typical overly aggressive control freak survivalist who is going to make the wilderness his/her bitch. Clarence had a cool zen calmness and clarity about him. If I ever found myself naked and afraid in the jungle, I think his personality would be easier for me to be around than someone who needed to be in my bidness 24/7. And you cannot argue with his abilities to build a shelter and a fire. Those are crucial skills. edited to add: Oh yeah, and he didn't freak out when the woman accidentally burned down his shelter after he had told her not to put too much wood on the fire! I would have been so pissed, but he really didn't say a word about it, just went about building another shelter. I think people underestimate how important that level of calmness is in a survival situation. As for the the twice-abandoned guy who eventually made 23 days, I think both women just had a weird negative reaction to him from the get-go, so neither one was particularly motivated to stay. Maybe neither woman really saw him as capable and strong and so they didn't have much faith that he would be a good partner. I think breast implant woman would have stayed, but they certainly were not getting along AT ALL even before her implant went ka-blooey. Regardless, although he didn't give off a real he-man vibe and seemed more cerebral than physical, I think that had he been paired with someone who could appreciate his qualities, they could have made a good team. I know they edited the episode to make it look as though he was asking both women to do more than their fair share of the grunt work, but you never know if that was how it all went down or if the women simply hadn't expected to do half of the physical labor.

Is Pitbull the brother-in-law of someone on the show? I feel as if he's been on DWTS several times and for no good reason. That Summer Thing group dance was cute as heck. Hearing Wanya agree with Marla about wanting to have been in the competition longer made my heart hurt. I really wish he'd been in the finals. He dances with a lot of joy. Say what you will about Nyle and his back story...those tears looked uber-real when Carrie Ann signed to him after he danced. That was really touching. I would have been fine with either Paige or Nyle winning, so Ginger coming in third was A-OK.

When Paige was talking about going back to the town where all the bullying happened, I was thinking instead of saying she was going back to speak at the school, she was going to say something like, "And I'm gonna find those beeyotches and kick some ass!" But she didn't. Oh well. I'm very much not a Ginger fan. Either Nyle or Paige is OK with me.

When Victor was trying to convince him to get a full-time job instead of starting a new church, the guy talked about how this sort of thing takes sacrifice blah blah blah. But he was actually not sacrificing a damn thing! His wife was sacrificing by having to impose on her parents and not have their own home (not to mention the stress of ever-increasing debt). Her parents were sacrificing by having to support six extra people in their home (not to mention the increased noise and commotion in the home when they likely had gotten used to the relative solitude of their empty nest). I hate it when people use the excuse of religion to blindly follow what amounts to self-aggrandizing and irresponsible dreams. He's convinced he is doing this for the Lord, but he's just another deluded and self-important jerk who thinks his needs/wants come before everything else.

I hated Sam's story about a girl who cuts up her seersucker suit because Mommy is making her go to some dumb party in the Hamptons. First of all, what badass woman (and they are designing for women here, not girls) allows her mother to force her to go to a party? And even if that badass woman did go to the party, she'd wear whatever she wanted; she wouldn't be all stupidly rebellious and cut up the outfit her mommy had told her to wear. Didn't like Dom's dress. Way, way too heavy, even if it wasn't supposed to be for summer. I still like her as a designer; I think she just had a bad idea from the start on this one. But I also side-eyed her "cancer research for three years" story. My brother is a legit cancer research scientist. With the many years he's had to put in (college, grad school, post-grad work, then getting his own lab), I have a hard time seeing cancer research as something you just do for three years. Yes, my brother does have some people working in his lab who aren't really doing the research. It's not that they aren't valued. But to say they are doing research would be way too much of a stretch. I too recognized Peytie's fabric! But as a teenager, Peytie has a far superior eye for line and proportion than Ashe could ever hope to have. I did like Ashe much better than I did on PR:UTG, but I doubt I'll ever be a fan. And the dress she made in this challenge was so oddly proportioned. It felt so strangely incongruous within itself.

I was dismayed to see that Rob had parents, because I was planning to adopt him. OK, kidding, but honestly, I found him so completely endearing all season. I was glad he won. I did like his possessed victim the best; I thought it had a tad more thoughtfulness in it than the other victims in that it really matched the demon. I wasn't nuts about Rob's demon, but I feel he did bring to life the director's vision. Yes, Walter's demon was detailed and over the top. However, I think in a movie like that, maybe a simpler design would register better and easier for the viewer. I did appreciate that Melissa took the director's concept and made it better. I think an average cyclops would have cheapened the image somewhat. All in all, these final three were all talented and lovely people. And kudos to the models! They let themselves be covered in foam and paint and goo from head to toe and always give their all to make these characters come to life. I don't know that I would be so happy having someone load up my mouth with whatever that gross black stuff was for another take.

Dom should have been the top look. To me, she took the materials and did something really innovative and beautiful with them. How in the hell was Mitchell not in the bottom? That tacky thing looked like something that a child would have done with her playtime dress-up clothes. Hated the cotton swab skirt. It looked way too crafty. Hated Asha's oddly placed pills. Stella...not good. For that matter, if Kini had been in the bottom with that cheap pinata salsa dress, I would not have been shocked.

I'm no fan of Sam, but I cannot fault him for nabbing Kini. And I can't fault Kini for not telling the judges that he did so much of the work on the team. There was no way Kini could have come out of the drama unscathed. I'm sure he was thinking that this gets him to the next challenge, and that was what mattered. I also don't fault Sam for pairing Daniel and Mitchell. Putting them together pretty much guaranteed that they would be the bottom team and one of them would be going home. I was actually glad that Daniel got called out for his look-at-my-panties gown. It's one thing to make a see-through dress in a hypothetical sense. But the challenge was making a dress for a specific woman who isn't a model--she's a singer who is planning to wear the thing on the red carpet. I thought it was presumptuous and disrespectful to design something like that without knowing for sure that she would be comfortable with it. I hated Stella's dress, but I kind of dig her gruffness!

I thought Mitchell's was the clear bottom. I'm sure he's being kept on for the DRAMAZ wtih Sam. Ugh. Asha should have been in the bottom, but it wasn't the worst. It was just a boring design (dress with flowy thing tacked on). Wasn't a fan of hers in UTG, and I'm just seeing more of the same mundane design here. When Sam was describing the long scarf and driving in a convertible, all I could think about was how Isadora Duncan died. It almost sounded as if he were deliberately describing her death, but putting a glam spin on it. Ew. I was surprised that no one called him out on it. Valerie's dress looked like a skating costume with a long skirt. Not bad, but I didn't think it was anything special. I actually liked Fade's dress. I liked the two fabrics together. But if I am remembering correctly, he went home in his season on the rainway thing, so maybe gimmicky stuff just ain't his thing.

Maya and Peytie were my favorites all season, so I am happy for Maya's win. As for the final collections, I thought all four kids did exceptionally well. I even liked much of Samantha's stuff, though it wasn't my taste at all. I think Zachary will end up designing for a more mature woman, but I find that quite refreshing. I do hate the emphasis that regular PR has on youth and sexiness--older women wear clothes too and don't always want to look like we're trying to be sex in heels. And although Peytie's "girl" is definitely young, she isn't a sex kitten either. I appreciated that too. Maya's collection was my favorite. I could have tolerated more of that floral print, actually. But I did love that jacket with the long bell sleeves. This whole season was just so great. The kids were awesome to watch. I loved how supportive they were of each other and how genuinely willing they were to learn and create and create and learn with no undertones of cynicism or desperation or snarkiness.

Was Maya's eye always doing that sort of drooping thing all season? I didn't think so, and I worried that she was hitting a wall of fatigue. The same thing happens to my eye when I'm completely and utterly exhausted from overworking and a lack of sleep. I loved all the parents. They were so excited and proud of their kids. And I too thought at first that Peytie's dad was an older brother. Ha, those girls come from good-looking stock, let me tell ya. I didn't totally hate Peytie's orange dress. I really liked the color combination. I think it would have worked if the fabric had moved more like she wanted it to. But then that just shows the designers' relative inexperience with fabric. They are young. They'll learn.

For once, the Tim Gunn Save didn't seem like a gimmick. Zachary didn't have a clear idea of what he wanted to do from the get-go, and he ended up psyching himself out. It would have been a shame if he hadn't been able to put a collection together. I am pulling for either Maya or Peytie for the win. I probably loved Peytie's design more overall in this challenge. She really elevated the Bohemian girl. But my favorite detail was the back of Maya's outfit. I thought that showed what a sophisticated eye she has for design. And holy buckets, Maya is just so freakishly mature. I don't mean that kind of faux worldliness that some annoyingly precocious kids can emanate. She just seems so secure and confident in her place in the universe. I get where Sam is coming from in her design. I have liked some of the stuff she's done, but for my fashion preference, a little menswear goes a long way. Too much of it starts to feel costume-y to me.

I think Jaxson had a hard time with fabric choice all season. To be fair though, I think all the young designers have struggled with fabric choice to some extent, which has been very interesting for me as a viewer. And it's also something that the designers will get a better grasp on as they gain experience. I liked the concept of Jaxson's jacket, but the fabric made it too stiff and wide. I thought Zachary's blackjack dealer jacket was actually pretty cool. Yes, it was mature, and maybe it didn't fit the challenge as well, but I wish they didn't talk about "older" clothing in such a derogatory way. As if older women just go around in powder blue track suits all the time! I loved Maya's look. [ninagarcia] It looked expensive [/ninagarcia] Overall, these young designers have been so fun to watch! They have been so positive and honest. I love that they have been open to instruction and criticism. Tim Gunn has given some pretty harsh critiques, but the designers all seem to take it in stride. I don't know if it's because they are kids and so are used to being in a teaching situation, but they certainly display so much more humility and less ego than the adult designers of seasons past.

This may seem random, but if they are insisting on social media stars, then I would love to see Bunny (aka Grav3yardgirl) on DWTS. I don't know if she can dance at all, but she's just so darned funny and weird.

The yellow box fish should have been one of the top looks. I loved what they did with the model's lips. It bordered on cartoonish, but somehow it really worked for me. I thought Missy's original paint job looked better than the black that her partner covered it up with. Nora and her partner's siren looked too subtle.

Darren was a little strange and maybe a little awkward with social interaction. That might have gotten on my nerves too. But then I would look down at my feet at the sandals he made me and take another bite of rotisserie rat and proclaim him my best buddy forever.

That raft they made was pretty damn impressive. It was well thought out and so well constructed. And, man oh man, EJ and Laura are two strong and sturdy mofos. When the zombies hit, I want them on my team, for sure. I sort of felt like their little tiff when EJ was spearing the eel was a bit of a put-on. I mean, if that was their biggest disagreement throughout this whole thing, then they got along like soul mates. But then their ability to work together could be a big part of their strength too. They were both so strong but not unyielding. I felt for the guys who tapped out so quickly. They clearly had zero idea what they were getting into.

If we are to believe what we've read, then that explains why the apartments these couples were supposedly sharing never looked the least bit lived in. It wasn't just that they were clean and tidy, they never looked like actual homes to me. They always reminded me of what a home in a stage play looks like. I mean, they have bits of furniture and whatnot, but you have to suspend belief to think of the home as more than a smattering of props.

If half this stuff is true, then at best this was practically set up to be an exercise in humiliation for the women and at worst put them in physical danger. Ever date a guy who wasn't really interested in dating you? Their words say one thing but their actions scream the truth, and it's confusing and frustrating and degrading. For me to feel OK about any of this, I would need to know for sure that it was a sham for everyone involved. I'm even hoping that the orphan niece comes forward to say she was just trying to get on Dance Moms.

I'm just going through the timing of Sean's DUI and his getting that woman pregnant. Did all that happen around the same time then? He was booked on the DUI on 6/20/13. The miscarriage happened in early 2014, and at that point they knew the baby's gender. So maybe she had been around 6 months pregnant at that point. Yikes, Sean had a busy summer. And then after all that happens, he signs up for MAFS when? OMG, his poor mother. Can you imagine? "Oh, hi, Mom, I got a DUI." "Hey, Mom, it's me, Sean. Yeah, I just got a FWB preggers and am going to be a father." "Oops, change in plans, Mom; she lost the baby." "Mom, guess what? I'm gonna be on TV getting married to someone I never met before!" Davina does come off as a bit of a high-maintenance snowflake, but at least it feels honest. I could see her with a very successful, assertive New Yorker who would treat her like some kind of trophy or prize, but I think she may be happy in that role, so whatevs. With Sean, I have no idea what kind of woman would make him happy, because there doesn't seem to be a genuine or honest there there.

Not that I liked Davina all that much, but that Sean was a piece of work. When they showed that gross clip of him asking Davina if she was noisy during sex while they were getting that couple's massage, I was reminded why he gave me the creeps. I think Davina was right about him. He is a weak man. He's a weak man who resorts to petty passive-aggressive BS gas-lighting to get what he wants so he doesn't have to confront any issues with a sense of honesty and responsibility. The truth was that he wasn't into Davina and was too much of a wuss to admit it so he kept hiding behind all these other reasons--he got panic attacks in NY, he was up for a promotion, he was too busy finding God and playing with Legos to have sex, etc. etc. As for Jessica and Douche Ryan, I really hope those two decided to stay married for the sake of the show only and don't have any delusions that this is a real relationship. Again, Ryan has just never been into Jessica. I don't think he particularly likes her or finds her attractive. He seemed to have this big turnaround in emotion, but it does not ring true at all. And Jaclyn and Basement Ryan: At least I think they have tried to make a go at it. At least what we have seen from them has been relatively good-natured. Maybe they will stay friends once the breakup that sure is coming actually comes.

How in the heck does Justin afford all his surgeries? It doesn't really appear that he has a, you know, job or anything like that. I didn't like the back implants at all, and I thought his face looked better before he started doing all that stuff to it. However, I will say his arms and shoulders look great. As batshit crazy as Carrot-A-Tour came off, there was something kind of awesome about her, as in, I think she would be a blast to go out and party with. Again though, I can't understand how anyone affords all this body-mod stuff.

I thought Riker was better in his encore of his freestyle than with the actual freestyle. I did grow to like him this season and may have even been in his camp except for Allison. Sweet girl, but I just don't like her as a ballroom dancer. I was happy for Rumer's win. Her sisters going bananas in the audience was darned cute. I really don't like that kind of weird angst-ridden contemporary dance, though the kid dancers were sick talented. It seemed to me the kind of dance that was more interesting for the choreographer and the dancers than those watching it. The bad lip reading was funny! It was to me anyway, but I love that kind of thing. However, I will agree with a lot of others that the show could have done something nice for Len, this being his last season. He's been my favorite judge, that grumpy old man. I've generally found him to be the most honest and forthright on the judges panel. Though it pains me to say this, after seeing the eliminated contestants dance, I have to admit that Chris really did improve a ton over the season. I still think he has the personality of a sink of dishwater, but he became a not-half-bad dancer by the end of his run. Sasha is awesome. I wish he would have been paired up with Nastia the whole time. I remember he even made me like Snooki. Snooki!

When Sean was on his bro date, they seemed quite chummy. I thought Sean was more into him than Davina. But alas, no hot man-on-man drunken action. Maybe there will be some behind the scenes on the FYI site. In the same vein, I totally thought Logan was hitting on Davina when she was talking about Davina being chocolate on the outside but sweet and soft in the center. C'mon, move this series to Cinemax.

It's not that there aren't good dancers left--there certainly are. It's just that the partnerships and the personalities have felt a bit flat this season (except, perhaps, for Artem and Patti, who seemed to truly enjoy working together). Maybe that wouldn't be true if we got more actual rehearsal footage and more backstage footage. Seeing that in this results show made me realize how much I missed seeing the post-dance confessionals, the little pre-dance pep talks the dancers would be giving their partners. All those great candid moments. I'd also love to see less focus on theme weeks, one fewer judge, and much, much less "production value" in the dances. All the props and sets and extra dancers just take up time and space without adding true value to the show.