Occasional Hope

AJ has announced he is leaving the show.

I loved it. I think the Master will have survived because he united with the Cyberium, so even if his organic matter is gone for good, his mind will be there and at some point he will find a way to get a body again. The ending could be a way to lose the boring companions, if they choose to do so. Or because they now have a tardis of their own (and I loved that it became an identikit house on a modern housing development, no one would ever notice another one 😉 ) maybe they will rescue the Doctor at the start of the Christmas special before the Daleks invade.

Very sad to hear of the death of Caroline Flack, 2013 champion.

Fab episode and well concealed spoilers 😉 Are they perhaps from an alternate timeline? (Diverging a long way back.) Or has the doctor's memory been interfered with somehow?

I really enjoyed this episode and the previous one; it seemed ike a big step up from last season. Is the Timeless Child perhaps the founder of Gallifrey, and maybe from the alternate dimension?

A lovely final. Kelvin probably deserved to win, but I was a bit underwhelmed by his showdance. It lacked light and shade for me. Karim's quickstep and jive were both fabulous, but I was really disappointed by his choice of a contemporary showdance. But he offered the greatest variety in the final. Emma was not technically as strong, but had grace and charm and a real stage presence. It's been a lovely series (season).

Very good dancing this week, I will be a little sad whoever goes home tonight, though for different reasons. Kelvin - fantastic quickstep, deserved the 40. He's been the most consistent through the series. I'm not sure I like his personality as much as the others. Karim - loved his AS even if it wasn't perfect. Not always the best, but my favourite. Emma - beautiful waltz, terrible Latin. Chris - such a NICE guy, and tries hard, but the weakest dancer left.

Thomas was definitely a bit out of his depth doing anything but selling (although he was genuinely amazing at that unlike all the previous seasons' self-styled big sellers), and I think he had reached the end of the road, but there was something so nice about him despite the steamroller tendencies - he never seemed to hold a grudge when he lost out on something. I wonder if AS knew he would get eviscerated in interviews and didn't want to put him through it when he knew he wasn't going to win, and if he was on the winning team next time he'd be stuck? The only reason I want Lottie to survive another week is so she *can* get eviscerated. Really, your first lessons at four put you in the music industry? LOL.

Much better this week. 1. Karim - a bit stagey, but charming and super-entertaining, loved it. 2. Kelvin - technically excellent but a bit unlikeable in that dance. Great in terms of presenting the character, but … I just wonder if he might not find himself an undeserved B2? 3. Emma - also a great musical style dance, really very good. BIG BIG GAP 4. Alex - it felt a bit like a school show to me, rather than a samba. 5. Chris - not much foxtrot, was there? Past time he went home, but obviously he has a lot of fans for his personality.

It was really lovely.

A bit of a damp squib this week, I really missed Michelle even though her act of self sabotage last week was her own fault. Karim and Kelvin both underwhelmed with couple's choices which lacked something - technically good but dull in both cases. Saffron probably the right one to go home, very stolid and heavy.

Michelle was an excellent dancer but she totally deserved to go home this week. Is it just me, or did anyone else think Kelvin held back from the group around her afterwards? He didn't applaud in the balcony either.

What a fantastic evening. GREAT Kelvin - outstanding jive, fun staging. Karim - frenetic and showy Charleston, perfect for him. VERY GOOD Emma - classic ballroom, lovely. Saffron, ditto. OK Alex - felt a bit stagy and Alex didn't really stand out when she was with the backing dancers. Not bad though. POOR Chris - not a lot of salsa in that, or movement of any kind from Chris. I like his personality but not his dancing. AWFUL Michelle. Sorry, but that was incredibly self indulgent chorography, and as despite gushy comments she was bottom of the leaderboard I suspect the judges thought so too. And if she couldn't escape the danceoff last week after a very good dance and second place after judges' comments, this ain't gonna do it. Still, as she's obviously not going to get to do a showdance, fair play to her for sneaking it in now as a couples' choice. What kind of dance was it even supposed to be, anyway? Dreadful. Bottom two prediction: Chris vs Michelle, but I honestly don't know who will go home.

Well, I definitely wasn't expecting Michelle in the b2. I've never thought her fanbase was big enough to win and suspected she wouldn't make the final, but she was second on the leaderboard this week and I really thought she was safe. I suspect she will get over marked next week but then will be in the B2 every week until the judges lose faith and dump her. It's a shame, bc she is one of the best dancers.

Best of the night: 1. Michelle - so stylish 2. Kelvin - HOT salsa! 3. Saffron - gorgeous waltz It OUGHT to be Mike going home, but I'm a bit worried for Karim this week.

Lovely interview with Michael here: https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/great-british-bake-off-michael-anxiety-828747

I was a bit surprised it was Catherine who went home this week. Sadly, Will's injury was sufficiently bad that he has now pulled out altogether.

Yes, if you're only going to be star baker once, the final's the time to do it :) I think they were pretty even after the first round, then David was clearly the best in the technical (and poor Steph clearly worst). The showstopper was a bit closer but David definitely won it with Steph having another disaster.

Not too Halloweeny this Halloween thank goodness. But a slightly underwhelming night - no one was amazing. GOOD Michelle - graceful with an edge. Best of the night. Karim - love his dancing, but that was not a paso. Kelvin - a bit jerky, almost robotic, but the man can dance. Catherine - the dancing was just OK, lifted by great acting/characterisation Saffron - pretty good, but tired towards the end. OK Alex - well performed, Kevin out of time but understandable, but not my style of dance. Emma W - quite good. POOR AND AT RISK Emma B - just a bit stiff. Mike - very walky, looked hapless. Chris - awful. Shambolic, cringeworthy and deserves to go home.

This week@ GREAT Karim - hot, hot, hot. Kelvin - excellent as usual GOOD Saffron - by far her best dance, although out of sync when out of hold Emma W - very graceful VW Michelle - not sexy, but very classy Emma B - I enjoyed it Catherine- some footwork errors but the feel was right; love her and Johannes as a pairing POOR Alex - cheery and charming, but out of time Will - very emotional choreography (over egged by judges) but the actual dancing was not that good, unfortunately BAD David - oh dear, after a good week last week he was back to his stiff awkward self Chris - a bit of a mess Mike - dad dancing AT RISK: I would say any of David, Mike, or Chris, and possibly Michelle. BTW I would like to make an official complaint about the lack of footage of cute animals from Longleat.

Thomas (or should we call him Tommy the Turtle in future) is oddly likeable. Normally the self styled salesmen are unbearable (and incompetent), but there's something I can't quite resist about him even though he comes across as almost a caricature. They should have put the woman with a child in the target age range in charge of the product development. Clearly they were hampered by not knowing what kids that age were like. The winning unicorn was a cheap looking piece of crap; slime is awful chemical stuff; and that viral video was appallingly amateurish even by the worst standards of the Apprentice. And yet they won due to Tommy the Turtle not meeting the brief.

Most of them are improving. EXCELLENT Emma B - really loved this Viennese waltz, so emotional Karim - after a bad week last week, the boy is BACK with a fierce tango Saffron - a lovely contemporary, apart from clumsy landing of the lift Kelvin - very very well danced, but I wasn't quite feeling the chemistry GOOD Catherine - entertaining Dev - really quite sexy after that ridiculously overmarked blue monstrosity last week Michelle - good, but I felt a bit stiff compared with previous weeks David - still quite stiff and jumpy but SO MUCH BETTER than ever before Emma W - a bit out of time at the start, but pretty good OK Chris - awkward but not too bad; potentially AT RISK partly due to going first Will - posture is not great and looked awkward, but not terrible - also AT RISK POOR Mike - definitely a big improvement, but still a bit run-and-jump rather than dancing, and way overmarked, that was ridiculous Alex - oh dear, very clumpy, AT RISK and my pick to go home, unfortunately

The big characters so far seem to be Thomas and annoying Lottie. None of the rest have really stood out to me yet.

And he was. Followed by Anneka last week, also a good goodbye. My belated thoughts on this/last week: FANTASTIC Kelvin. Just wow. EXCELLENT/GOOD Michelle - very professional Catherine - a gorgeous balletic and dramatic routine, love the way Johannes holds himself Alex - it was a bit contempowaft but very well done Chris - very nice Emma W - nice waltz. I want more animals please. OK Dev - quite good apart from stupid staging Emma B - weirdly entertaining Karim - a big disappointment this week, after being my favourite, this was just not as good. BAD Saffron - not very good David - very stiff, all he can really do dancewise is lifts Will - silly, looked awful Mike - can't dance, but props for the enthusiasm and commitment Anneka - dreadful. Jumping around is not dancing.

So this week we have narrowed to three real contenders - and a lot of other people. THE GREAT 1. Karim - so stylish. He looks like he must have some dance training, but right now he's my favourite. Love him. And as he looks quite short, he and we dodged a massive bullet by not getting paired with Janette. 2. Kelvin - also excellent, proving he can do graceful ballroom as well as fab Latin. Anther real contender. 3. Michelle - beautiful dancer. I can't see her winning for non-dance reasons, but will enjoy the ride. Then there's a fair gap down to the MID RANKERS Dev - entertaining, pretty good. Emma B - much improved. Anneka - a bit stiff, but better than last week, apart from a ghastly fixed smile. Saffron - not bad, but looks quite tentative still. Alex - a bit slow but not bad. Catherine - arms looked strange, but improved from last week. Emma W - danced like a doll or robot. David - awkward but better than last week, thought the judges were a bit hard on him. POOR James - much better than last week at least he looked like he was having fun. The hunchback was still there but much less pronounced. Chris - too hammy, even for a Charleston. Mike - I love his enthusiasm, but he can't dance. Will - good last week, but I really didn't get this one at all. Hated it. At risk: Could be any of James, David, Anneka, Chris and Emma W.