Toonces464

Remember when Maks brought her in to help him with his and Erin's contemporary freestyle because he only knows ballroom and that's her specialty? I think that was the beginning of the Mandy Moore/Chmerkovskiy era on DWTS. Erin even mentioned it when she was on All Access with Maks a few seasons ago -- "We were the first to use Mandy Moore and then she got a job on the show. You're welcome Mandy Moore." But that also reminds me that when the show started with a troupe, two of the members were Nicole and Ted Volynets, neither of whom could dance very well (certainly not at a professional/TV level - Nicole was dumped after one season);. The show was definitely catering to Maks back in those days. But, to be fair, they also put Hayley in the troupe once she hooked up with Derek.

I run so hot and cold on Sharna. I loved her with Charlie and James but she also annoys me a great deal. I will say I like her a whole lot better since she's seemed to pull away from the C fam. Artem I didn't like when he first started but now he's definitely my favorite of the male pros. And I couldn't agree more that the Keo and Gleb experiments should've been over a long time ago. I mentioned this in another post, but the level of pros now compared to the old pros is, to me, a big part of why the show is going downhill. I didn't care for LVA and when I first started watching I couldn't stand Karina, but boy could they dance and I enjoyed watching it. It was also much more focused on the celebs and their relationships with their pros (in fact, that's what turned me around on Karina, her relationship with Ralph Macchio) but now it seems more focused on showmances and all the pros hooking up. Anna/Johnathan and Edyta/Alec being married was barely a footnote, where Maks/Peta, Emma/Sasha, Val/Jenna and, to a lower extent, Derek/Hayley, now seem to be agendas the show actively pushes. I think one thing we're going to find this season is that the show really lacks something when they don't have at least one or two of the long time pros on. I hope the show catches onto that and brings one or two of them back each season. I'm not sure how much longer I want to watch this current lineup.

I still own a Johnny Damon Yankee shirt!

I'm not sure if Red Sox fans still hold a grudge about him going to the Yankees.....but Yankee fans will be voting in full force.

I'm sure Val has been coaching her on that between shows on the revisionist history tour!

I don't know, don't underestimate the football player, especially if he's charming and can dance. He could be another Rashad. I also think that the current audience they have for the show is more focused on the pros than the celebs and this whole idea that each pro must win a mirrorball. For that reason, I think there will be heavy voting for Sharna and Artem, who seems to be the next two in line that fans want to see win, especially before newcomers Jenna and Alan. Had this been a regular season with a few of the older pros sprinkled in, I'd be thinking Jennie Finch could be a lock, especially if she had a more popular pro like Mark or Maks. I have absolutely no faith that Keo will take her as far as she should go.

That all makes sense why they brought him back. I never thought he would go anywhere as the "new Maks" because even when he was being a dick, Maks had a certain charm to him that Gleb did not have. I think they didn't help Gleb when they brought him back the same season Maks made his triumphant 82nd return to the ballroom. I don't know how good he'll be but Johnny Damon will have Yankee AND Red Sox fan support That could keep him around (I'd say for awhile but there is no "awhile" in this version).

I can understand Sharna. At this point, with this lineup, she's probably the biggest "headliner" as far as the female pros. Gleb I don't get at all. I'm not even sure why they brought him back after he appeared to be one and done. I think he was brought on to be the replacement "bad boy Russian" for Maks when he left the show but that went nowhere.....and then they brought him back the same season Maks returned to the show which didn't make any sense to me at all. I wish he'd just go away.

Absolutely. You look at this cast of pros next to the ones we had in the earlier seasons and it's a joke. The only one of the male pros I like is Artem. I would much rather see them bring back Tony or Louis or Jonathan than keep bringing on these young kids I couldn't care less about. Her consolation prize for not being allowed to go on the revisionist history tour with the fam.

I would too. Maks was clearly trying to start something up with Karina again when they did BWAT together and she wasn't interested. I honestly don't think she gives him or his ridiculous stunts a second thought.

It was announced that Tony had just signed a long-term contract a couple of seasons before he stopped appearing, so he was clearly cut. Karina I think left on her own. She's been working her tail off performing all over the world with her partner since her last season with Doug Flutie.

I don't care for ringers either. The first season I remember it being a big issue was Season 10, I thought for sure Evan Lysacek had it in the bag as soon as the cast was announced but it was clear the first week that no one stood a chance against Nicole Scherzinger. One of my least favorite seasons has been Season 18, when the entire show revolved around giving Maks his long-whined-about mirrorball with the help of someone who was basically a professional dancer. I thought the level of ballroom dancing was far superior with pros like Karina, Derek, Cheryl, Mark, Maks and Tony than what we get with pros like Peta, Emma, Sasha, Witney and Keo. The only two "newer" pros I feel are up to the quality of the original pros are Val and Artem.

I'd return to the things that made the show what it is today --- top quality pros, adult contestants, simple ballroom dances with just the pro and their partner on the floor, Tuesday night results show with musical guests and pro dances. None of the gimmicks, none of the big stage productions with 17 dancers out there. For me, the show really changed when they started getting their pros from Burn the Floor and SYTYCD. The original lineup were world champion dancers and even the ones I didn't much care for, I would much rather see out there than Peta or Witney or Keo.

I figured we were either going to get him or the cokehead hockey player Erin married. I'd be happy with neither of them.

I think it's wonderful that they've made something of themselves, but I also think it's time for them to move on. I feel the same way about their "family over everything" schtick.

I also loved Charlie. His Supercalifragilistic dance is one I still rewatch. I hate what the show did to him and how they used him to get Maks his mirrorball. But Charlie seemed very aware of what was going on, and he seemed to have no use for the C fam. He gets points for that. Yes. And the fact Robert was just getting out of a marriage and he apparently didn't take it well. It seemed like he latched onto the first woman who came along. And then I got really creeped out by those pics of him visiting a dominatrix and being tied up.

I don't get the feeling from things he's said that Charlie's DWTS experience was very enjoyable.

Val isn't an option since he'll be touring during the mini season. And I don't think Charlie White will ever step foot near DWTS again. I would love to see Jason Taylor back with Edyta. I loved him. I know he also won, but give me another season of Rashad and Emma, even if it's only a few weeks. Congratulations to them. I've always loved Kym. But something about her relationship with Robert has always bugged me.

Again, he's following in Maks's footsteps. Maks seriously said in an interview that he and Peta never really broke up. Seriously Maks? Did we all just imagine those six months you were "dating" Kate Upton and you and Lizzie Grubman were plastering it in any tabloid you could find? Or the months you were pretending to date JLo? Did we all imagine when you went on Access Hollywood and said you were single, and that your relationship with Peta was over? This is why I don't buy either of the C bros and their relationships.

I have a feeling that, much like Maks, Val sees everyone around him settling down and will settle for whatever he can quickly and easily get without much effort.

Yes but with the C fam, all you have to do is come within 50 feet of them to be considered family!

From what Tom said, Season 26 will be in the fall.

I've wondered if they might take advantage of the mini-season to bring back some of the original pros who either don't have a place anymore in a regular season (like Tony and Anna) or who have moved on with their careers and don't have three months to dedicate to a full season (like Karina and Derek).

I think we might finally get lucky! Unless DWTS does the season very early or very late in the spring, there's no way they'll be able to tear themselves away from raising the baby on a tour bus to do the mini-season.

I don't watch SYTYCD and don't know much about Jenna outside DWTS but I can't handle all her mugging for the camera so she's never been someone I've liked watching. I think it overshadows her dancing, it's so noticeable. Peta was like this before she had the baby. The first time around with Maks, her world revolved around him and his family. During the breakup she seemed to start focusing on herself but the second Maks took her back, she dropped everything from her business endeavors to her friends and the entire focus of her world became whatever Maks wanted. And that's what it still continues to be. If she was that focused on motherhood and that side of her life, Maks and Val would be touring on their own, rather than her dragging a year old baby around the country on a tour bus for 3 months.