TeeM

Here's hoping those are just rehearsal pants and not a clue to the costumes for that dance. Where is Sharna?? Someone get her in that rehearsal studio ASAP to tell them to never wear those pants to rehearsal again.

I was team Debbie only because Tiffany dated my favorite New Kid which meant I automatically had to dislike her. LOL But in all honestly, I always liked Tiffany's music better.

Well, a desperate freestyle would sort of be keeping with their theme this season. Maybe they will actually toss the autographed photos they previously promised to people who voted for them directly into the audience during the freestyle?

Anyone up for predictions on how it will all shake out? I've basically been wrong all season in my hunches so I suspect this rundown will probably be totally incorrect, but it is still fun to guess! ;) 1. Meryl and Maks 2. James and Peta - going out on a limb, I am giving those boyband fans A LOT of credit here 3. Amy and Derek 4. Candace and Mark Also, since the episode description says we'll get an encore of one of the Freestyles on Tuesday night based on a Twitter vote, I predict we see Amy and Derek's freestyle again. I also almost think there is a small chance that Candace just squeaks by Amy for the 3rd spot.

I think a lot of this angst about Derek vs Maks overtaking the actual competition which is Meryl vs Amy comes down to the fact that the show has been on so long and now the pros are sometimes more well know than the "stars" which can be problematic. I know the producers would never do it, but the only way to get things back to the way the show worked in the first few season would be to basically change out all the pros. Once you get rid of Tony and Maks and Derek and Cheryl, etc and replace them with a bunch of Witneys and Lindseys and Glebs, the focus goes back on the "stars" at least temporarily. Of course, this would likely be a ratings disaster since the pros now have followings of their own but it would sort of even the playing field again. I do wonder how a "star" feels when they walk into rehearsal on the first day to find they've been assigned to a newbie pro.

So poor Danica has to drag herself out there to perform with 3 finalists in the Team Loca dance? Of course, I suppose one of the 3 will likely have already been eliminated by Tuesday night, but still that is kind of a slap in the face? Bitsy, your comment about Meryl's physical collapse being the final shot of the night cracked me up. Poor girl. Jeez.

Maybe he should have gone the anti-showmance route and stopped mid-dance once night to propose to the girlfriend. That certainly would have had people talking. Obviously, I am kidding and don't think he should have done that at all, but with the totally kooky way this season has shaken out, the judges probably would have given him 10s for that, even if it meant a full stop mid-dance. Poor Charlie.

I think this is the crux of it for me. I DO think Amy is inspiring, 100%. I can't even imagine the determination it took for her to get where she is. And I also think that some of her dances have been inspiring and amazing this season, most notably this week's Quickstep. Her contemporary was also stunning. And that is what I wanted to see more of and I think we COULD have seen more of, but that is not the choreography Derek gave her. I've seen lots of people mention Billy Dee as an example of someone who also had challenges but didn't get the same treatment from the judges. For contestants with challenges, I actually think a better comparison is Valerie Harper from last season who for me personally was one of the most inspiring contestants I've ever seen on this show. Was she a good dancer? Not really and please don't misunderstand that I am trying to put Amy in the same talent category as Valerie, I am not. Amy has far more natural rhythm, much better lines and far more musicality. She is a better dancer than Valerie by far. But Valerie also had multiple challenges, particularly her knee giving out on her those last 2 weeks. But Tristan still made her dance. It wasn't quick and it wasn't always smooth or polished but she did a proper Viennese Waltz that moved across the whole floor and it was beautiful. He could have thrown in some lifts that would have been lovely and then told Carrie Ann when she mentioned it that he did it because of her bum knee but he didn't. He could have amped up the volume on the fog machine to cover her mistakes but he didn't. He could have pulled in a park bench, or a swing or any number of things to sit on to cut down on the time that Valerie had to be on her feet but he didn't do that either. They got out on the floor and they waltzed and I cried from how beautiful it was even in its imperfection. At 72 years old with brain cancer and a bum knee that she stumbled on all week in practice, she went out there and waltzed. And she got three 6s which was totally appropriate for what she did. She also got all my votes that week even though I knew she should be the one going home. Even though what Amy is able to do is just as inspiring as what Valerie did or even more inspiring in some ways, I haven't felt the sort of emotional connection to her dances that I felt with Valerie (with the exception of the contemporary and the quickstep). And I think part of that is because I feel like I am being cheated out of seeing what she is truly capable of because Derek keeps her in a tiny box on the floor. He even said in their package this week that it was really the first time they were traveling across the floor...in week 9! I understand what Derek is doing and why he is doing it. He is the absolute best at creating memorable dances that wow people. Unfortunately, I think he often does this by creatively distracting us from his partner's limitations and putting the focus somewhere else - on him, on a stool, on a table, on the fog. And again, I get it, I do and it works a lot of the time but it frustrates me because I want to see the contestants dance. I like seeing their limitations and how they get past them (or don't) which is part of the reason that I do usually enjoy watching Candace week to week. And why I enjoyed Jack Osborne over Corbin last season. For me, that is a huge part of the show and a big reason why I am frustrated with Amy's dances this season. Also, I just realized this should maybe be in the Amy thread and not here, sorry mods.

Bitsy, when watching the show live last night, I didn't think her dance was that bad, just a little hesitant but then i rewatched it on Youtube and saw everything you mentioned. I like Candace a lot, I really do, but it was a dance that would have likely earned 7s in week 3 or 4. I am kind of stunned it scored so highly this late in the season.

I am with you gigi and Glaadrial. I understand 100% why someone would NOT be a fan of Maks. I totally get how and why he can be off-putting to people. I suspect he gets it too. What I appreciate about him is that he is who he is and puts that out there regardless of how it looks. I'll admit there have been a few weeks when I've watched a pre-dance package with Maks and one of his partners(not just this season) and thought to myself "Ugh. I wish he had dialed that back just a little bit" but overall, I do appreciate his candor. I always enjoy watching the post-show interviews with Extra or Afterbuzz because I think they often get into what was really happening in the pre-dance packages for all the couples. When I first started watching DWTS, I was not a big fan of Maks based on what I saw in the show. When I started watching more of the interviews of the couples outside the show, I think I got a better sense of who he is and why he comes across a particular way (which can be unlikable). This week, Maks explained that the reason he was so frustrated in rehearsal is because he is terrible at preparation and shows up to rehearse having no idea what he is going to do. So the cameras are there filming as he is working things out step by step from scratch. He said he walks in, says "Hi Meryl," turns on the music for the first time and then starts trying to work out the steps with his partner in the room. This is why we see so many packages with his partners standing around while he seems annoyed and frustrated. It has nothing to do with the partner and everything to do with him and his process. In contrast, he's said before that Val gets the music for next week after the show Monday night and stays up until 4:00 am working on the choreography. Then he tests it out with another pro or a troupe member. And THEN he brings it to his partner and teaches her exactly what he wants her to do. Any frustrations Val has in his creative process comes when he is working out the choreo alone at 2:00 am Monday. Maks basically admitted in the post-show interviews this week that he knows his approach is not great but it is the way he works and he can't change it.

The more and more I think about this, the more I think there is a really good chance of James shutting up all the fighting Meryl and Amy fans with a sneaky win. His fans are clearly voting and as a former preteen girl who dearly loved a boyband, I can't dismiss their passion or determination to get their boy that trophy. They are also young and have lots of energy to stay up all night voting. Ha. I know lots of folks follow Facebook likes, Twitter and Youtube views and have a whole system for analyzing what that all means. I am not one of those people at all, but a casual glance at Youtube shows that a lot of James' dances have a lot of views. Only Meryl's seem to have more consistently with a few of Amy' thrown in. And "Team Jeta" references are all over the DWTS hashtag. My prediction is that Meryl definitely finishes in the top 2 but doesn't necessarily win. But at this point, I wouldn't be surprised to see any of the other 3 in the other top 2 spot. If it is Meryl up against Candace or Amy, I *think* she can win. If it is Meryl up against James, I am not so sure how it goes.

I don't watch SYTYCD so I have never seen these before. I hate them both. LOL I also disliked Amber's table dance last season.So maybe it wasn't that I specifically disliked Amy dancing on the table last night, but really that I just hate dances with a table? Or maybe I just don't like jazz.

Thanks, Uke!

Was the song country? Since it was "American Icons" night, I felt like I should know the song but I don't think I've ever heard that song before. What was it? I feel a bit foolish even asking. LOL

Oh. Tonight I actually found myself cheering for Amy after that Quickstep. That dance actually deserved all the "inspirational!" commentary being thrown her way all season. It actually was amazing watching her quickstep across that floor. I thought it was fantastic and proved she could have been doing so much more all season than being carried around like a rag doll. Then out comes a table. Sigh. That slide was very cool but the rest was just ridiculous. I can't believe James made the finals. I don't get it. At all. Sad to see Charlie to go but not really surprised.

I think it could be Charlie too, kitcloudkicker. Of course I said that last week and was wrong. Let's hope I am wrong again! It is James' time to go.

One of the things I love most about visiting discussion boards with reasonable discussion is seeing other people's interpretations of the same things I am watching. It is always fascinating to me to see how someone else can view something in a completely different way. I've lurked on a lot of DWTS boards the past few seasons and been turned off by the attacks and drama between different factions. I really appreciate seeing everyone else's interpretations this season and am glad we can debate and disagree without being rude and insulting. Mods, sorry this is off topic, but I just wanted to throw it out there.

Before the show starts, any predictions on who may be in jeopardy? I think they might give us a Charlie and Meryl in jeopardy scenario tonight with either James or Candace as the 3rd. This is based on zero scientific fact or number analysis. LOL

I think this is a great point, Flick. I recall an interview with Maks where he said that he really wanted to be with someone that he was a fan of, in the sense that he wanted to be rooting for her and supporting her in her own successes. Meryl is clearly an accomplished person and I think that is a big chunk of her appeal to him. Since he has also made a point of mentioning how "normal" and "non-Hollywood" she is, I think he is a bit in awe of her for being so accomplished with so little accompanying self-importance and drama. I have no idea if they are dating and stealing kisses backstage, it really wouldn't surprise me either way. It also has no influence on my voting. I vote for Meryl because I love watching her dance, not because of a possible showmance. As far as the idea that Maks always lays it on thick like this, I can see where that is coming from because he is touchier with his partners than any of the other pros, by far, even the ones he doesn't seem to like very much! But I think that is his nature and people read into it more than he likely intends. For example, with Kirstie Alley, I didn't feel like they were trying to sell me a romance for a second. On Afterbuzz this week, they talked a bit about how affectionate he is with Meryl and Shirley Ballas said that is just how he is. I think she said something like "when he knows you, he is always giving hugs and cuddles and loves, that's just Maks." Of course, having said all that, he is no fool and if he is indeed falling for Meryl, I am sure he feels like he might as well lay it all out there on TV for the world to see because he knows that a certain segment of the audience really loves it.

I'm with you, Bitsy. I can't quite figure out exactly what's happening here but in the end, it really doesn't matter to me because I am just enjoying watching it so much. Regardless if there is a showmance, a fauxmance or a romance, it makes for an entertaining dance.

I like that idea, Glaadrial. I'd love to see her do an AT with Maks. Since it is likely that Charlie's redemption dance would be Rumba, maybe they will end up making all the finalists redo their switchup week dance as their redemption dance.

I am just hoping her redemption dance doesn't end up being Samba since her Jungle Book Samba was one of her weaker dances and the dance duo Samba was not as well received as the other sambas. I just don't care to see her do a THIRD Samba in 8 weeks. I sort of like the redemption dance in theory, but this season, I think I'd prefer to see a totally new dance in that spot for all the contestants.

Tom wins the prize every week for best quip. He really is the best host in the business. And yes, this was a great example of that! Loved it.

Do I think he wants the trophy? Of course I do. They all want the trophy whether they talk about it or not. Do I think he knows that Meryl is his absolute best shot at winning the trophy since Mel B? Of course. If he didn't know that, I'd be questioning his intelligence. But having said all that, I don't think he is desperate for it and I suspect that at this point in the season, he also knows there is a real chance that they won't win it. Unless something super drastic happens and Meryl gets 5s for doing 3 flawless dances in the finale while the eventual winner gets all 10s for dances riddled with mistakes, I don't think he'll be THAT broken up about it. I think the combination of the time away plus finally getting his dream partner (someone with natural talent, tons of training and a coachable, non-argumentative personality) has given him some sort of zen moment. With the exception of his commentary about Abby Lee Miller, he's been mostly mum on the judges and the scoring. I think Bitsy is right that he expected some "not enough rumba" comments this week but felt like the dance was worth the risk. I think he is trying to use what Meryl is able to do to come up with dances he is proud of and that is what really matters to him this season. I think Erin even mentioned after the Foxtrot that he had been excited all day over that particular dance because he was liked it so much. I watched the Afterbuzz show this week and Shirley Ballas actually said something along the lines of how she knows so many people would be thrilled if he finally won after so much time on the show but she talked to him this week and he said he wasn't thinking about winning, just performing every week. It's one thing to say "I only care about performing well, not winning" to an interviewer, I tend to believe it more when it is said to a former coach and a person he's known for 15 years.

By any chance was it Nene herself who speculated that her absence caused the ratings drop? LOL