blairwaldorf

Colby definitely looks older than the others and older than the age she's claiming (31). I know several girls who were in Chi O with her at UT, so she's definitely in the 30-35 age range, but she does have a very mid-40s "Real Housewife" look going on right now. In college, she was actually kind of baby faced and looked younger than her age. I think she's just had too much work done and it's aged her. The squinty/drooping eye is probably the result of too much or poorly injected Botox. She's clearly done more than just the lip fillers, and I don't think she did herself any favors by claiming she hasn't. I think Kelli was justified in asking her about plastic surgery, because if her appearance is due to temporary fillers or Botox, that's something that can wear off and be corrected. It was a nice way of letting Colby know that they have an issue with her looks, and they are wondering if this is something that can be fixed by laying off the Botox and fillers or if it's just her natural appearance. I still can't figure out why they brought Madeline to training camp. She doesn't have the look at all, and like Neal McCoy said, she's not ever going to. And from what I've seen of her dancing, it's not strong enough to compensate for that.

I grew up with TCC Kat. She was on the junior Olympic rhythmic gymnastics team, I'm pretty sure... Rhythmic gymnastics was her life. She was very into it, kind of snobbish, thought she was a big deal... That being said, she IS truly talented and probably one of the better TCCs just in terms of dance technique and ability. If she ends up getting cut, it won't be for dance. The area where I could see her having problems is when it comes to not having the "DCC Look". She's pretty, but she doesn't have the typical DCC look. But then again, neither did Cassie Trammell, Morgan, Veronica, and several others... We have definitely seen that if K and J like you enough, that is overlooked. So, we'll see!

After Melissa Rycroft's second year, she told Kelli and Judy she was not going to re-audition. When she changed her mind and told them she wanted to re-audition after all, they told her that they would let her try out again, but she would not be allowed to go on the calendar shoot. I'm not sure if it's because arrangements for the shoot had already been made, with K and J under the impression that she wasn't returning so they didn't include her, or if it was some sort of punishment for trying to quit. Either way, I think something similar could have happened with Angela. Maybe she told them that she wasn't coming back, then changed her mind, and they told her that she could try out again but as a result of her prior decision not to return, she wouldn't be able to join them on the calendar shoot. I would love to see Hannah try out again. I really liked her and thought the way she was treated was really disappointing and unfair. On its own, it may have made more sense, but compared with the way they bent over backwards to keep Veronica (who I think looked a lot bigger than Hannah), it was absurd. I still don't understand what Kelli and Judy see in Veronica that makes them think she's such an asset to DCC that the standards everyone else needs to meet shouldn't apply to her. I have a feeling Caila, Breelan, and Ashley could all end up being one season girls.

He was one of the only cast members I was excited about seeing this season, and I hope he can stick around. It's a shame that he was partnered with Allison; she's a disaster.

I liked Erin better last season than this season, but I do prefer her to Brooke and Samantha.

Sadie was seriously underscored, especially considering that Janel and Bethany got perfect 40s. Content-wise, I actually thought Sadie and Mark's dance was better than either of those. I feel bad for Jonathan, because Allison is going to get him eliminated. She's the most unlikable female pro I've seen on this show, and she doesn't seem to know what she's doing or to understand that the focus is supposed to be on Jonathan - not her. Her choreography is not impressive and I think Jonathan is capable of a lot more than what Allison brings out in him. With a different partner, Jonathan could have made the finals, but I think he'll be going home within the next two weeks. I cannot figure out how Michael and Emma are safe. I don't know who he is, but he can't dance. Lea and Alphonso are both very enjoyable, and I hope they don't get lost in the shuffle. Alphonso was underscored this week. What is Bethany's problem?? I'm tired of the Bitch Face after every competitor performs. And I don't think that's just her natural facial expression, because she's usually the only one not clapping, too. Personality-wise, she's just as bad as Lolo. I love Derek, but I won't vote for them because of Bethany's piss-poor attitude. Betsey is trying, and seems to be really enjoying herself, and Tony is great, but I think she'll go soon. I thought Janel was overscored. I'll be in the minority and say I thought that routine was kind of a hot mess. Way too much showboating, distractions, troupe dancers, etc. I also saw some little mistakes and sloppy arms/footwork, which is expected this early in the show, but certainly not in a dance that gets a perfect score. It would be fine for a high school production of West Side Story, but considering that it was supposed to be Janel and Val doing a jazz routine, I don't think it had the content to get the scores that it did.

I guess I am in the minority, because I actually don't like Ashley Pro's looks at all and would rank her in the bottom 50% for facial beauty. l really enjoyed seeing Melissa Rycroft as a judge this season, and I liked her continued involvement with the show as a mentor, but I did think the Breelan fixation she seemed to have was a little over the top. I actually like Breelan, but when it showed Melissa waiting in Breelan's locker, I have to admit I rolled my eyes. I feel like she was intended to mentor all of the rookies, but Breelan was the only one she really took an interest in and it became a situation where Breelan was getting special treatment and attention because of Melissa. I believe that if Melissa had not been a part of this season, Breelan wouldn't have made the team. In future seasons, I'd like to see Melissa help Kelli and Judy weed out the rookies who can't keep up or are not good fits for other reasons, but I hope they cut out the cheesy, staged things like the intervention with the parents, and I hope that her attention is not focused primarily on one girl again. I'd like to see Melissa give more serious constructive criticism instead of "You can do it!! BFFs!!!" attitude she seemed to have with Breelan.

If I were making the decisions, Ashley and Caila both would have been cut, and I think they'll both end up being one-year wonders. I understand that Judy likes Ashley's look and Kelli likes her personality, but dance-wise, Ashley just isn't up to DCC standards. I don't think she's really any better this season than she was last season, but I think she benefitted from being in a weaker rookie class this time around (despite what Kelli said about this rookie class being the best so far). I think if you are in training camp for the second time, you need to be held to a higher standard than the other girls. A second year TCC should be near the top of the pack, or at the very least, solidly in the middle. Ashley was struggling and hanging on by the skin of her teeth the entire time, and for someone who's already done this once and knows exactly what to expect, that's a major red flag. I feel like this training camp was Ashley's second chance to prove that she can keep up, and she didn't convince me that she can. Caila is a total mystery. She's sloppy, makes tons of dance and memory mistakes, and doesn't seem to take it very seriously. Her attitude reminds me of Kaitlin from last season and Taylor from a few seasons ago (the one who was cut after being given that awful mullet hairstyle on makeover day). I was also kind of confused by them mentioning several times how much they liked her look, because frankly I think her look is very "trailer park". I think she will definitely be a one-season wonder and I suspect the only reason she made it this season is because she was a junior DCC and knows people who were pulling strings for her.

Season 1 of Dawson's Creek was one of the best television seasons I've ever seen. The Dawson/Joey friendship was great. I loved the dynamic between them. That was lost after Season One, when it became The Joey Potter Show.

I felt like they should have just been honest with Chandler about the reasons behind her dismissal. They didn't have a problem with her until Kelli's friend Tina pointed out that she has a "grandma face." Unfortunately, while it may have been somewhat cruel for CMT to air that, Tina had a valid point. Chandler is not conventionally attractive, and no amount of dance training will change that. I think that in auditions, Kelli and Judy may have liked that Chandler didn't look like everyone else, but when someone else came in and basically told them Chandler stands out because she's ugly, that girl didn't stand a chance. I feel like from the moment Tina said that, Chandler's fate was sealed. All the talk about how it was a "style" issue and it could be fixed with training but they were just out of time is just leading her on and giving her false hope.

I want to see more dancing. The clips they do show of the girls dancing, both in auditions and during training camp, are so choppy, short, and random. For instance, when they are dancing in groups during practice, I wish that they would just pan the camera out so it shows the whole group, and keep it that way for the whole routine. The cutting back and forth from girl to girl and T and A shots make it hard to get a clear idea of how anyone is doing, because you aren't seeing more than one or two counts from each of them. I agree that it would be nice if they put the solos online.

I agreed with Judy's comment about "no more 'maybes' for veterans; it's either yes or no." I 100% believe that veterans who are unprepared or out of shape should be cut, but I think those cuts should happen at - or even before - tryouts. Don't let them re-audition if they can't fit into the uniform. Don't bring them into training camp if, realistically, they can't get back to an acceptable size before the season starts. I know that DCCs have to let Kelli and Judy know ahead of time whether or not they plan to re-audition, and I think that all of the vets should be told that if they're not "DCC ready" by the date that their answer is due, they are an automatic "No" and will not be permitted to re-audition. End of story, not up for discussion, and no special exceptions for any reason. If they're serious about being on the squad, they can take the year to get back in shape and then try out again the following year. To me, Veronica is this year's Morgan. Being inexplicably pushed through despite not meeting the standards that everyone else is expected to adhere to... crying and making excuses and talking about how it's just so hard for her. But it's even worse, because as a 4 year vet, she is very aware of what's required to be on this team. I don't think she's owed a fourth year just because she's had three good ones. I understand that it's not easy to maintain your weight, and that at some point your metabolism catches up to you and it's impossible to stay in "DCC shape". For a DCC, that's the point when you need to accept that your cheerleading days are over and gracefully bow out. Either it's ok to be out of shape and stand out in an inappropriate way, or it's not. But it shouldn't be ok for one girl and not for another. I just feel like they kind of pulled the rug out from under Hannah; they brought her back, then basically cut her for weight gain that happened over the course of last season, without giving her the opportunity THIS season to lose it. I agree Hannah seemed to have kind of a smirk on her face/attitude, but honestly, I would, too. The fact that she's being cut for this and told they are "out of time" (while they are bending over backwards to help Veronica lose weight and enroll her in a special diet program so she can stay on the team) is laughable. I'm surprised more of these cut vets and TCCs don't call them out for their blatant favoritism of certain girls (Cassie Trammell, Morgan, now Veronica) who seem to have endless "get out of jail free" cards when it comes to problems that others are cut for.

I think it is absurd that they are giving Veronica chance after chance after chance but cut Hannah. Hannah had a muffin top, but that can be a relatively quick fix with better nutrition and exercise. Veronica, IMO, looked huge in the uniform. Her legs were busting out of the shorts and the backs of her thighs were covered in cellulite. That's not an easy fix. I think if Hannah was cut, Veronica should have been right there with her. And I felt sorry for Meagan, because I thought she was actually one of the strongest dancers. She may be "stocky," but she looked a hell of a lot better in the uniform than Veronica. Agree with others who have said Christina needs to go. I don't think she has the DCC look, and her dancing is not good enough to make up for it. Vivian's comments about all of her "fans" were so obnoxious, and I could tell Kelli was not impressed. I'm surprised she's still there.

I really enjoy Melissa Rycroft being on the show. I've always liked her, and I think she brings a fun energy and some interesting insight to the table. It surprised me that Kelli and Judy were talking about how blown away they were by the talent this season, because I thought the talent was actually weaker among this crop of girls than in previous seasons. The only ones who really stood out to me were Erica (the one whose dad died), Jennifer (the veteran), and Melissa (the good dancer). Hannah looked shockingly out of shape. Wasn't she in show group as a rookie last year, or am I thinking of someone else? I agreed with what Kelli and Judy were saying about how if you take heavy vets you better be ok with the way they look because they aren't changing. I feel like there is no excuse for a vet to come to auditions unprepared, and that includes being out of shape. It's a huge red flag. It indicates that they don't care. If they don't care enough to be 100% prepared at auditions, they probably won't care enough to give 100% in training camp either - especially if they're handed a spot despite being sloppy or out of shape at auditions. I was glad to see Morgan go. She was awful. Haggard looking, always making excuses, dancing and memory nowhere near where they should be... Frankly, I don't think she had any business being on the team in the first place, but I think Kitty called in a ton of favors to get her that spot. I'm not surprised she couldn't hold onto it when someone wasn't pulling strings for her behind the scenes. I kind of get the impression Kelli and Judy were glad to see her go.

I would like to see more in-depth footage of the judges' deliberations during tryouts.

I was also surprised and disappointed by the sloppy dancing of the semi-finalists. Most of those girls wouldn't have even made my high school drill team. It was hard for me to even pick 10 that I thought were good enough to advance to training camp.

I am so glad to see Morgan gone. I never liked her. I think Kitty pulled major strings to get and keep Morgan on the team last year, and Morgan was probably expecting her to do it again this year. Obviously, that didn't work for her this time. She doesn't have the DCC look (she's got a very old, rough looking face), and she can't memorize choreography. It's just one excuse after another with Morgan, and I got so sick of seeing her constant whining and special treatment last season. If she didn't have an in with Kitty, she wouldn't have lasted a week in training camp. I think Kelli struck a deal with Kitty that she'd give Morgan one season, and then she was on her own and would have to earn her spot back. Obviously, Morgan couldn't do that. I bet Kelli and Judy are relieved to be able to wash their hands of her. As for Kaitlyn, wow. She really has gained weight. Is it possible that she may be pregnant? I don't know much about her or have Twitter, so all I know is what I saw on last season's show, but that could explain the weight gain and the need to bow out of performances and appearances and quietly retire.