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Just rewatched the episode. Did anyone else notice that when Tasha entered Kelli's office, there was a picture of Megan, Kelsey, and Amy T next to Brittany, and then when Stephanie walked in, supposedly right after, Katie Marie was hanging in that spot? ?

Did anyone else notice Mia staring hard at the ground while Cassie was talking about not being smiley and being the one who could lay down the law? She seemed to be trying not to react, and I noticed the other vets kind of just sitting there and not nodding. It amused me a bit. On a different note, Savannah's extreme part REALLY bugs me. It's like halfway down the side of her head! I find it very distracting. I hope they nix that at makeovers. Is that a Flight Crew with gorgeous big-curled hair or something? I remember Danielle used to wear her part kind of like that her rookie year.

Just checked out the comments on Stephanie's Instagram picture (thanks for posting it, y'all), and she does say that the before pic is a little distorted because of the angle but that the comparison helps show her transformation. Mystery of her different head shapes solved! I really liked that so many comments said she looked great in both pictures, but she's been such a hard body, I can imagine that she was unhappy with the weight gain, with or without the warning from Kelli.

The heavy makeup, super bleached hair, and fake tan ages Tasha's appearance, I think. I thought this was the show's most fun first meeting/start of training camp episode in a long time! I loved having the vets on and hearing their comments in different settings--pre-rehearsal practice (a nice change from one vet + Melissa), in rehearsal, and then behind closed doors with K and J. I didn't find the vets overly snarky at all. They have high standards and explained to the rookies that they need thick skin to absorb critiques and be their best in this environment. Nice to hear Mia give props to Simone and Amy! I wish we'd heard some feedback from Shelly, though. My one snark about vet snark: I totally didn't understand Mia's comment about Stephanie's tan--I don't see at all that her tan is more intense than the others, like Tasha, Jinelle, or Kelsey. I really like Stephanie--a gorgeous Wisconsin girl who is a great and clean dancer and seems to be an excellent team member. I could see her as a second leader next year if she sticks around. So nice to finally hear her speak, and to see her on the new show banner! I get that Erin is a beautiful dancer--I saw clips of her solo last episode and know she got a Barbie--but I don't see how or why she got into camp. I don't think she has the DCC look at all and actually think she's the least attractive of the rookie candidates. She said in this episode she's never done pom or DCC style, but I have no patience for that. She freaking knew she was trying out, plus she had 3 weeks between auditions and camp. Somewhere in there she should have been taking some damn classes--Michelle Keyes has her power class, other DCC like Evan have classes, etc. Don't act surprised that this is different. Add that to her weak ass performance in rehearsals and I'm all heated all over again that Katelyn didn't make it to camp. She outdanced Erin 100% at auditions. Katelyn, come back next year, please!

What is Stephanie's Instagram handle? I tried searching for her by "dcc Stephanie" and related such things but couldn't find her. Thanks!

Looks to me like Lacey was front and center and I love it. I'm glad Jenna didn't get booted to the back. Nice to see Bess, Stephanie, Khaylyn, and Robin getting prime slots, and I guess Tasha has redeemed herself. Wish Cersten was more up from but there's not room for everyone! As for Maddie, I think she is not more prominently placed because she is more cute than pretty. Only sometimes when I see her in pictures or video do I think she looks like a DCC. But even as I think that, I'm glad that K and J value qualities in team members beyond looks. I've thought that about other DCC too, not just Maddie.

I think the boobs are real and that Lacey has a great pushup bra. Even her rookie season she had, um, impressive assets for one so thin. She was just 18 then and it's hard to imagine she'd had a boob job by high school graduation. It's possible, but I myself don't think so. They look pretty natural in her calendar photos. The nose? Probably. As for Miranda, on the other hand, I still can't get over the boobs and camel toe, especially in the audition pic reposted upthread. Together it's kinda grotesque to me. I do hope she gets the boobs fixed by a pro, but the camel toe is easily fixed by wearing the correct size in shorts. I wonder if she's one who actually needed the wardrobe lessons from TC?

So, to change the subject, let me say that I think Christina should keep her hair short and not grow it out. It looks a bit longer in the recent pictures and I think longer hair makes her face look overly narrow and long. I'm shocked at how pretty she looks with her shorter, brighter 'do. I used to think she looked mousy. I'm still not a fan, more because of her kicks, splits, and inconsistent performance power. But she seems sweet. I hope she's having the time of her life this year because as I said, I think she might be a one and done. I'm also still not actively a Maddie fan, but the video of her solo gave me a glimpse of what people find so captivating about her dancing. Usually, I don't really feel it. I think the dance tried to show a more mature performer, not just a cute young girl, while staying true to herself--which is what Kelli told her she wanted to see.

The butt tutu thing has been going on at least since I started watching the show. Kitty telling Lacey that DCC would laugh at her for her outfit was mean and probably inaccurate. Simone wore practically the same thing, with some kind of bathing suit thing over her gold sequined bra. Now, it may be true that the outfit wasn't particularly flattering on Lacey, but I thought her original outfit looked better than what she wore for solos, as it emphasized her buff arms and quads while covering her rather svelte stomach. I found her charming and a good sport when she was talking to Anthony Ramos about it, which made me like her even more.

I think it's a great picture of Dayton and her costume looks good with the color scheme of the graphics. Not that others weren't wearing purple or pink, just that I'm not sure this is nepotism, exactly. Now, if she'd made it to training camp after what we saw, that would have been a whole other story. If anything, I think it might be a little embarrassing to be so prominently featured like this and then be shown doing that interview and somewhat lackluster dancing.

Yes to Charlotte's white dress! Age appropriate and very flattering. For once. I thought Lauren's interview dress was a bit too short to be considered professional, but I think in general, this year the candidates learned from Kat's mistake and dressed fairly appropriately. I don't see how they all loved Lauren's abs but thought Lacey's body was too "masculine." Props to Neil for sticking up for her. Props to Rachel for stepping it up after her Kitty feedback! I like her! Yes to those who are wondering about Kitty's inconsistencies with costume advice. Just last year, she told Heather O to pin her tutu on her butt like Lacey had. ? Speaking of Kitty, I'm so curious to know what she thought of Katelyn and what feedback she gave her in terms of appearance and dance. I really hope she reauditions next year, and in addition to a little makeover, I'd like to see a more lively, energetic routine from her. I think that also could have drawn more judges in and influenced their votes. She must have the power and punch, because she was not only a Golden Girl, she also was a Tiger Girl like Erica and Cersten, which means that she can rock Neicy's funky choreography with panache. Try again, Katelyn! ITA about NJ Briana. A wasted TC spot, in my opinion, that could have gone to Katelyn. Sigh.

Just clicked through the rest of the game day photos. I think Tasha looked kind of rough in her pics--muffin tops (mind you, I'd love to have muffin tops that size), flat stringy hair, and hunched up shoulders. She needs bigger shorts. Lacey and Cersten appear to rock every action shot. Christina, not so much.

Lauren's hair looked so much better with the looser curls in her cameo than how she usually styles it with those intense curls. Take note of what the expert stylist does, lady! I predict Christina as a one and done. That photo of her in the jump split does not bode well for her. I'm chomping at the bit to find out what happened with Erica. From what I read here about recent social media activity--likes & comments--it seems she's #TeamHolly and a little bit salty. Jenna brought that extra pop back to the triangle, though Cersten was certainly holding it down at HOF. I think Jenna is a better point girl than KaShara but I get that this demotion is part of her punishment. Hopefully that doesn't last all season, or, if not, KaShara brings a little extra to the fore. Most of the cameos look great, much better than the past couple of years I think. Molly is insanely gorgeous! I think she's one of the prettiest rookies. Is she the rookie TCC who cheered at Oregon?

I really, really hope Katelyn tries out again next year! I agree that she is a beautiful dancer--one of the best of this audition season, I think. I think she's pretty, too, but needs to not only soften her hair color and style but also learn to soften her features with better makeup. She has very sharp facial features that are amplified by how thin she is (not saying she's too thin at all), the stark contrast between her hair and skin colors, and her makeup. She should go see Marshall (is that the hair guy's name?) this year and get some beauty consults and new hair style and color. I just loved her and think that her performance, work ethic, and personality would make her such a great team member. Chin up, Katelyn!

Holy smokes. I just read through 11 forum pages to catch up, and I'm feeling shocked, confused, scandalized, and ready to find out what the hell really is going on down there in Texas! #Exhausted. Now my wait for episode 3 to appear on CMT's website or iTunes. I know some cuts in this episode will make me teary. ?

I only saw the Kalyssa clip, @Rosiemac. I don't own a TV, so I presumed that people were referencing a TV promo that I hadn't seen. All I've seen are some previews that get posted on Twitter and then the ones at the end of each episode. This is a good reminder not to just take others' words for something when I haven't seen it myself. So maybe Dayton does know who FLOTUS is. I think she does need to work on the other areas I mentioned, though, if she wants to make DCC.

True, but the question was a test to see how informed the candidates were about the goings on in the NFL--ie, the London games abroad. A more acceptable answer for one who doesn't know would have been, "That's an interesting question. I'd have to think about that," but what Charlotte probably was looking for was along the lines of, "Well, I know that the Cowboys are playing a game in London this season, so I'd say England." I'm sure the question had not been designed to see if someone knew that Africa is not a country in Europe and is in fact its own continent. But it served its purpose by revealing that girl as someone you shouldn't trust to represent pretty much any organization anywhere. As for how much these ladies should know about politics, whether or not they should get political questions in the interviews, and what is the likelihood that someone will ask them something political: I liked @ByTor 's suggestion about asking how would you handle talking to someone who is expressing different political views. But I also would say that the organization needs to be confident that these ladies aren't ignorant AF, because people bring up political questions in conversations, often inappropriately, all the time. Just yesterday I was at a memorial service, and at the little luncheon after in the church basement, this old guy sitting next to me said out of the blue, "So, what do you think of this North Korea situation?" I had to respond in a way that was neutral yet informed on the spot (keeping the WTF expression off my face), and continue my neutral responses once he started talking about what he thinks needs to happen in the situation--we were not in agreement at all, but I kept that to myself. If a DCC were asked something like that on, say a USO tour in South Korea or on Guam, and they didn't have a clue, that likely would be insulting to the military they're visiting and a bad look for the organization.

I posted my feelings about Kalyssa not knowing this in the episode 2 thread, so I won't repeat myself here. I hadn't seen this other preview with Dayton not knowing! But Dayton did not make it into training camp, and I imagine that this is one reason why. I also think she could tone up (I refuse to say she looks heavy, because she absolutely does not), and she can work a little more power into her movements and smile. She has some things to work on, but I think trying out this year was a great experience for her and her mom and this will help her know what areas to work on (knowledge/interview preparation, the test [as per a Shelly comment earlier], muscle tone, and "performance, power, and projection." That's not a short list, but if she wants to make the team, now she has some concrete areas to focus on. I'd love to see her try out again and be better all around! I think she's lovely, seems sweet and like a team player, and also young enough to grow into the skills and role of a DCC.

Kelli talked about the vet meetings as wanting to touch base "before audition season" starts, so I think the show depicts these meetings out of chronological order, since we see them after semi-finals in this episode. I loved seeing these meetings, and I imagine that we might see a couple more at the start of the finals episode--ie, with a cheerleader or two who was on the bubble. This episode, Judy mentioned twice that the vets had to be on their best game and some needed to step it up, especially regarding their appearance, but then none of the meetings we saw addressed that. I don't think that Kelli was picking on Kelsey at all. I think she was telling her directly what she needed to be on top of to be sure that she had a strong interview. I liked Kelsey's response to their instructions: "You got it." Once again, she takes instruction and critique well and shows that she's willing and able to work hard. I'm not a huge Kelsey fan, but I have been somewhat converted over the last year and thought she looked fine in that scene. I actually think that Whitney's looks are one of the things that did appeal to Kelli and Judy year after year...after year. She is very pretty, with striking eyes and dimples, but she's not a great dancer, does not learn or retain choreography quickly or that accurately, and does not have a very dynamic performance face. This year at semis, she showed that those weaknesses have not gone away. I think her not making it to finals is because she showed that she has not been able to overcome those weaknesses, and after 5 years, she probably never will. So, bye, Whit. Now, as for Kalyssa: I have mixed thoughts and feelings about her at this point. I think she's gorgeous and has real performance power. I'll be interested to see her technique in solo and the audition routine during finals. We saw this week that she is a strong kicker, so that's definitely in her favor in this process. I, personally, would not have made the same life choice regarding dancing for the OKC Thunder instead of going to college. No big deal--we all should go our own ways in life. However, based on the preview for next episode, I began to feel some disdain for her level of ignorance. The girl doesn't know who the freaking First Lady is! So, to me, this indicates that she doesn't give a shit about reading or knowing much of anything going on in the world, and this suggests an almost total lack of intellectual curiosity that explains her lack of interest in college. After seeing that, I'm not so sure that she could have gotten major scholarships anywhere. Seriously, if she was valedictorian, I'd hate to think what they are and are not learning at her high school, and I don't know that she would have a scholastic foundation to succeed at college. Certainly not an Ivy League, and maybe not at community college, either. She'd be there for an Mrs degree and the parties. I'm fine with her not taking someone else's place in college who might have worked really hard to get there and stay there. So in addition to thinking she's gorgeous on the outside and a fun performer to watch, I also am starting to think that she's entitled and willfully ignorant. I'll have to wait and see.

I'm surprised that the episode is locked on CMT. Is it available on iTunes yet? Sorry if this has been addressed. Been at a funeral and wake all day, not enough time to read the whole thread.

Thanks for the cheer competition breakdown! I think Kat was an Olympian, but I wouldn't swear by it. The ballroom dancer with the nightmare fringe pants from auditions this year was a junior Olympian, though. So excited for the next episode! Hopefully CMT and iTunes will be quick about uploading the new episode.

Not sure how she or the team placed, but Kat was an Olympian. Perhaps "national champions" would be a more accurate descriptor to have used. Melissa and Megan C were national dance champs of some sort, etc. As for world champs in cheerleading, is that like the World Series in baseball, where it's only an American competition and it's just called "world"? Not snarking, a real question. I know almost nothing about competitive cheer, except that, as pointed out above, lots of those girls can't cut it as DCC.

Congratulations on your new baby @MissKrisPcola!

I think, at this point, the terrible tarnish of the DCC reputation is being overstated, and I suspect that Jenna's level of "antics" and disobedience is being blown out of proportion as well. Maybe some of this is because we still don't have much else to talk about, since it was a spoiler free summer and only the first episode has aired. If Jenna really has behaved so awfully so repeatedly, she'd be gone. She clearly is on probation and missed a once in a lifetime DCC opportunity to attend and perform in the HOF game and celebrations, shortly after becoming point girl. To me, that is a pretty major punishment. Plus, she not only had to stay home, she had to face the rookie candidates, which must have been humbling in its own right and clearly sends a message to the newbies: do not F with us or our rules or you will regret it. That, to me, isn't really allowing for wild exceptions or lowering management standards. I also think that it is somewhat humbling on Jenna's part to publicly acknowledge that she was longing to be able to attend the HOF game with her team and wanting to show her support. I didn't see shade in those remarks, but yes, perhaps a little kissing up to Kelli and Judy.

I'd love to see or hear what's on the test. I know the generals--football rules & facts, Cowboys trivia, history & current team info, and "current events." But what current events? How trivial (or not) are the trivia questions? Did they ask this year who Sean Spicer is? Is it multiple choice or write-in or a combination?