Toonces464

I don't think Maks has much of a fan base of his own left. I think the majority of his "fans" these days are Val and Peta's fans and they're busy voting for them. So unless those two are eliminated and their fans all turn their attention to Maks, I don't think the fans will take him as far as they have in the past (looking at you, Kirstie).

Erin needs to find a stylist that works well for her and stick with them. Over the years I've noticed she changes stylists frequently, usually going with whoever is dressing someone she's fangirling over, and it never ends well for her. I still remember the hideous short dress she wore a few years ago to the NHL Awards where you could literally see her crotch as she walked down the stairs. Tonight's monstrosity may be the worst I've ever seen her look. And in addition to the bad makeup it looked like she hit the Botox a bit too hard.

I can't even comment on tonight's episode because I'm still too traumatized by that atrocity that was masquerading as a dress on Erin. WTF would you wear something like that on national TV? Her style team must really hate her.

During their interview Maks told Erin Vanessa was similar to her in rehearsals but Maks never looked checked out with Erin like he does now. I don't think his heart has been in the show since his bad experience with Hope Solo. He was a late addition with Melissa Gilbert after Gladys Knight signed on last minute and they needed another male pro, he only came back for All Stars because Kirstie wouldn't do it without him and he came back for Season 18 because he was handed the mirrorball he so desperately wanted on a silver platter. Since his 386th return with Amber, it's been annoying to watch how uninvested he is knowing how much Tony would love to come back. Hell, not that I'm a fan but I think even Louis Van Amstel would be more invested than Maks is.

Are we going to get the two married couples for every Erin interview? Maks already looks checked out of this season and like he can barely tolerate Vanessa. Nick's not that great but I guess they're going to prop him up to keep the married couple schtick going as long as they can. Loved Lindsey and Mark and have missed Mark on this show so much! I'll be really surprised if she and Jordan don't make the finals. I also enjoyed Derek a lot and hope he doesn't fall victim to the pimping of the married couples. He seems like he's havng a blast. I also like Nikki and Debbie (who was much less annoying this week). I can see Nikki going far but not Debbie, even though she's pretty good. My guess for tomorrow's elimination is TO. Such a shame to waste Cheryl's return this way.

The one thing I noticed is that even despite being on tour with him, Sasha never followed Rashad on social media --- not during the season, not during the tour and not after. Yet he started following Drew as soon as Emma was partnered with him. And during the tour, Rashad, Gleb, Alan and Artem seemed to hang out together all the time but Sasha was rarely with them. But I'm one who thinks the Emma/Sasha breakup a few years back was because she was trying to get in with Val.

I think they're probably promised to go very far in the competition. Except Maks when he returned for Season 18 and was clearly promised the mirrorball he wanted so bad, thus all the over the top crap and pimping we had to endure with him and Meryl. I don't think it was much of an issue in the old days since I think the only married pros were Tony, Edyta and Anna, who I don't think were sleeping with any of their partners (though if I was Edyta I would have been all over Jason Taylor). Now that so many pros are married or involved in relationships I think they're moving away from the pros showmancing their partners and focusing more on the pro relationships, especially the ones where both people are on the show. If I'm not mistaken, I think Sharna and maybe Alan are the only single pros they have now? Personally, I wish they'd knock it off but that could be because I don't buy the Maks/Peta relationship, I can't stand the over the top crap coming from Val and Jenna, and I don't like Emma with Sasha (how she didn't dump him for Rashad I'll never know LOL!).

It's been 7 years since Erin did the show so I doubt she remembers much about the rules of ballroom dancing, but I'm with you that it was annoying that she wouldn't let it go. However, I've noticed that she always seems extremely awkward during the first show each season so I chalk it up to her nerves and not really knowing the contestants yet to feel comfortable with them.

Enjoyed this premiere and hope for a good season. My favorites were Jordan, Lindsey and Derek. I also liked Frankie much more than I thought I would. TO, Debbie and Nikki have the potential to grow on me. Victoria was adorable but I'm over the overcoming challenges contestants. I'm probably still bitter that Nyle won simply because he was deaf. I'm totally over the married couples. I can't stand Peta, Nick is a snooze and Vanessa is annoying as hell. It says something when you put a foursome together and Maks is the most tolerable one in the group. Speaking of the marrieds, did anyone catch when Maks said to Erin that he didn't want it to be all about Peta and Nick and Erin responded that the show is pushing that whole thing? They're not even trying to hide it at this point. So glad Mark and Cheryl are back! I've missed both of them. Hope Cheryl isn't an early out.

Didn't she go out first with Keshawn Johnson?

There's no easy to guess first out this time. I still believe this season, perhaps more than any other, who goes out when is going to be driven by their pro partners.

If Nikki Bella or Derek Fisher are halfway decent I think they'll go far because I think the fans want to see Artem and Sharna have a real shot at winning. I have a feeling a lot of this season, and where people go out, is going to be driven by who they're paired with.

I think we'll be stuck with Val until the end but I can see Maks and Peta being early outs. I don't think the "happily married man and father" routine is working for Maks and without the ability to showmance his partner (or have people speculate) a lot of his appeal is lost. He also doesn't have the fan base he used to have and most of his fan base seems to be made up of Val and Peta's fans, who are more concerned about them. I also think people are sick of both the gimmicks the producers throw out (in this case the two married couples) and the whole Maks/Peta relationship in general, which they've almost turned into full-time careers. I also don't think the 90s boy banders have the appeal they once did as the audience is starting to skew younger.

Maks was not supposed to be on that season. Gladys Knight signed on at the last minute and they were down a pro so Maks got called in. Regardless, whether with Melissa or Gladys, neither Maks nor Tristan was going to win.

I don't get the whole thing with Gleb. They brought him on seemingly as a replacement for Maks when he pretended he was leaving the first time and that didn't go as planned and Gleb was gone after that one season. Then they brought him back 7 seasons later, just as Maks made his 97th grand return (and hasn't left again), yet we're still stuck with Gleb every season. I'm not sure why they're keeping him around because he doesn't seem to be gaining much popularity among fans.

I remember quite a few times in the old days when Maks was told to go back to his country. There was also the time the magazine writer referred to him as an "ignorant immigrant" while interviewing Erin Andrews. I said the same thing the second I saw they were competing.

The Cherkovskiys aren't content unless they're in the middle of some junior high school type conflict with another dancer.

What the hell was he thinking with that crap?

I'll bet it's Cheryl.

I do give Val credit for that. He and Tony do still teach at DWM and show up at their events a lot. Maks, on the other hand, only seems to show up to do a few lessons when he needs some quick cash and he's dropped all the other projects he's started (anyone heard about Cantamessa lately?). I think they're going to try for a show in Vegas, but Maks has been talking for years about that and it's never panned out. Maybe a hotel will take a shot on the Maks and Val show. However, I don't see any of them being content living in Vegas, even temporarily because there's not enough paparazzi or tabloid coverage to keep them happy.

I think Val and Peta are just doing what Maks does every off season....talk vague, like they have other irons in the fire, and then when the season starts there they are. None of the three are in any kind of demand outside the show and both Val and Maks have proven they're not going to be actors any time soon. Plus they need the income if there's no spring season since DWTS is the main source of income for all of them. So unless Peta's blog is going to support the entire family, they'll all be there. As for Jenna, she's already had her shot. I always expected her to be one and done as a pro, like Henry. Val might have enough clout to give her another shot but I just don't think she's that popular outside of her relationship with him.

I thought it was so weird too, regardless of Maks and Val doing a guest appearance on Fuller House. Maks did a guest appearance on General Hospital but I didn't see any of the GH cast at the wedding. I'm thinking she was just a famous person who was willing to come.........that seemed important to Maks and Peta and there weren't too many of those.

Post of the summer LOL

I think it depends on the pro. In particular, Tony, Val and Karina seem to have stayed close with a number of their partners.

Maks stopped following or acknowledging Mel B a few years ago.