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I think this guy had something to do with it based on his comment. Anyone know him? I wish they had done something else for the freestyle that would have left a better impression at the end. I do find that the dance is more entertaining on repeated watchings.

I'm glad they didn't make it a big part of his DWTS participation although it's definitely an important part of his story. I don't normally watch this show so I'm assuming it was simply due to a lack of time. The brief 4 episodes didn't allow for us to learn much about the athletes. Maybe it was for the better in his case (and in Tonya's but for other reasons). I recently read an article discussing how no openly out LGBTQ contestants have ever won a reality show requiring voter participation. Adam may be the first, which makes me even more happy for him.

Yes, it does allow you to vote blindly. I did it both the first and third weeks. It takes a little coordination with social media to know when to vote. I doubt many people did it since it was not promoted, also most of us are probably still at work or in the process of commuting home during the east coast broadcast. So in effect, west coast was shut out of this disappointing season. Disappointing because of it's brief duration. As many people have said, there was no time to watch for improvement or development. It has been a simple popularity contest and it's over in a blink of an eye. I will go back to not watching after Monday (and I hope it is not Tonya to walk away with the Mirrorball Trophy).

I love your post and observations. Hope you are spot on! I haven't watched this show in years so don't know or have any feelings for the pros. I'm just rooting for the athletes, what little I know of them is from their social media and press coverage. Adam is my favorite and initially thought he would be the easy winner. However, if the show chooses to highlight his political activism, then I think it is possible he gets cut before the final four. If he brings in new viewers like myself, then he has a good chance. This article from last week spoke to this as well as to Jenna's overpowering nature: Choreographer Travis Wall Gives Adam Rippon His Wings in Stars on Ice. Based on all that, I lean towards Mirai being the winner. She's cute, knows how to move, really really wants to win and is giving it her all. She's posted videos of her blistered feet and I don't know how she is able to walk. On the other hand, I would be happy to see Jamie Anderson go in the first week. Again, my knowledge is only from social media, but she seems so uninterested in this experience. Not sure why she would have signed on for this, she shouldn't advance when she hasn't even tried. I hope so! Living out on the west coast, I get no say in this first week's eliminations.

I don’t think she has. They practiced in New York on Friday, and I think they might have still been there on Saturday morning. Adam then joined up with the Stars on Ice in Providence, RI and Jenna didn’t appear in any further videos. I did see a video of Adam helping Alan onto the ice, they were joking they were new partners. I’m waiting to see where Adam and Jenna next turn up. Adam has an appearance in Washington, DC this week and 7 more ice shows before the DWTS premiere.

As a new fan of Adam Rippon following the Olympics, I've done a little lurking in various forums and social media platforms to get more background history on him and his fellow skaters. They are a tight knit community with relationships going back 10-15 years. Adam seems to be very loved, received an outpouring of support during the Olympics. Everyone thrilled to see him accomplish his dream of being an Olympian, all eagerly sharing their pictures of him. I did not see Mirai get this same support even then. While I think they like Mirai, she seems a little detached from the group. The rehearsals for Stars on Ice started 2 weeks ago and she appeared very low energy, uninterested, almost as if she was being forced to be there. There were no pictures of her outside of the rink. Everyone else was showing far more enthusiasm. I was taken aback by this. Maybe she was feeling down, thinking she had been overlooked for DWTS. Now since Friday, she is appearing very happy, uploading pictures and videos, interacting with Adam. It has been a complete turnaround. Adam, on the other hand, has been with the group since the start, sharing breakfast and outings together, being silly on the bus, goofing around at practice, etc. It seems easy to understand why they prefer him over her. I think the final competition will ultimately be between Adam and Mirai, I could see either one taking the trophy. I live in Northern California and there's plenty of counties that are red around here. I agree, we're definitely not as liberal as is thought. I also spent the weekend on the DWTS facebook page, where I read many homophobic comments, there's also the belief that coming out as gay is a political statement, and a general dislike of Adam for declining to meet with the vice president. It was quite an eye opener. There was so much hatred that I don't think Adam is guaranteed to win. I'm sure ABC must have considered a same-sex couple but realized the public is not ready for it.