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Jenna is so pretty and one of the better dancers from last year's rookies. I remember K&J mentioned their concern about her looking so young but that doesn't seem to be an issue anymore. Last year she looked every inch the young 18 year old high school girl she was but now she looks like a woman instead of jailbait. ETA: I meant that all in the least pervy way possible! Jenna has been one of my favorites since her rookie season. I remember they were worried about her small size combining with your youth, worrying that she would get lost on the field and that she looked to young too be a sex symbol (Charlotte didn't put the last point quite that way, of course). Between her excellent dancing, her maturity, and her performance charisma, she proved them wrong--but I think she's made it harder for other 18 year-olds to walk on the squad, because they rarely have the maturity or comfort with being sexy/flirty while performing that Jenna had at that age. (Hello, Breelan and Caila!) I was so glad she made the calendar cover this year! I agree she's beautiful, and she has the whole DCC package--mad dance skills, likable personality, responsible, confident, a good role model and representative, and always a hard worker and team player. I've said it before, but I hope she stays a lot more years, and I definitely can see her being a great group leader. And yeah, she has only gotten more pretty as she's gotten older. Speaking of mature cheerleaders and team players, I visited Brittney S's Twitter page the other day. She's another of my favorites, and totally impressed me with her Twitter wallpaper pic, which is of the team dancing on the field--and you can't even see Brittney in the triangle. To me, that says team player in a big way. My first thought was, further proof that Brittney's an awesome and down to earth lady, and my second thought was, wow, Vivian would never in a million years have put such a wallpaper up if she'd made the team. I'm pretty sure her DCC Twitter page would be all Vivian all day...kind of like her Ice Angels page. In other things, I really like the DCRB--based on the few YouTube videos I've watched. They definitely were more talented than I expected, given that I also had thought they were a more secondary team (and I'm sure in the world of Dallas Cowboys hierarchies, they are), but they are excellent dancers and have very fun choreography. I like that it's now co-ed dancing, and I totally jam on the drum line, which brings both a funky and Southern feel to the group.

Yes. With the entire setup with Abbie & Ichabod, and a relatively diverse cast, this show has had a lot of potential to go against dominant racial and gender patterns in popular culture. One of the things that I found most important about their relationship, in regards to this potential and to the arc of their story, was Ichabod's unwavering loyalty to a black female character. It's not every day that a TV show suggests that saving the nation and the world rests in the relationship and fortitude of a white man and a black woman--for a long time, the dominant narrative about this was that such a relationship would actually spell the downfall of American civilization. But I fear that the gravitation towards more focus on Katrina and Ichabod is a sign that the writers are consciously or (even more likely) unconsciously foregrounding the white characters' love while being willing to sacrifice or disregard characters of color. That New York Times piece posted above certainly points out that at least some audience members willingly foreground the plight of the white hero and cannot even regard Abbie as a leading character. I hope others are right in their prediction that Ichabod's wack weakness for Katrina now is to set up his character growth and greater commitment to Abbie and his role as a Witness. I would find it totally unacceptable if our heroine just caves to the will of the leading white male, even if he is the dashing and charming Ichabod Crane. That would do nothing to advance a story of two Witnesses, and it would do even less to disrupt the ideologies or narrative patterns of white patriarchy, which the show seems to want to challenge but doesn't always know how--or if it really wants to.

RazzleberryPie, that is one of the best DCC videos of all time! I saw it before but had forgotten all about it. The girls are so funny and cute and down to earth here, and that guy sitting helplessly in the middle of them while they sing BSB is the icing on the cake, especially when Jennifer starts rubbing on his head! Thanks for posting. Way better than Dolphins Cheerleaders lip synching to Taylor Swift.

I don't think they ditch much choreography, but my impression the past two seasons is that part of the point of bringing in guest choreographers is to get new dances into the mix. Some seem like they would be more suited to Show Group performances, but some appear to be intended for team/game performances, like the "cowboy funk" piece they learned this year, or the hip hop dance from last year. They also have a number of assistant choreographers who do devise new routines every season--like Mia's this year--which get performed as sideline routines. I think other posters are correct that they try to restrict the amount of choreography that gets shown to prevent other teams or dancers from ripping off entire routines, and I think that impacts the number of different dances we get to see them learning. Each season, we only see them rehearsing a handful of routines in TC, but they are learning several times the number we get to see. The other thing is that for this kind of dance and stage, certain kinds of moves look better and more impactful, and that contributes to us seeing the same moves in different combinations--the hair tosses, big arm moves with poms, etc. Also, I do believe there are powers that be greater than Kelli & Judy (really! there are!), and they make them do a lot of the same routines. For example, they do Thunderstruck as the opener always not because Judy loves it so much, but because they have been told that the DCC are to do Thunderstruck as their opening number in the stadium. (I recall this from reading either an interview with Judy or a Q&A tweet session with her.)

Especially because they pretty much edited out the part that would explain what lucid dream she was having about DCC. The part that got to me the most, once I watched it again, what how very fake Vivian seemed when she got "choked up" reciting the line about how she loved the team, but then when she got cut, it was dry eyes, "this sucks," and basically announcements that she rocks as a "damn good performer." Did she love the team, or thinking about all the attention and TV time and sex symbol status of being a DCC? As for Chandler not getting warned til just before she got cut, I don't think that's how it went down. Melissa had chosen her as one of the special few to work with early on in TC, so that makes me think that Kelli & Judy had already told Melissa and Chandler that there were some performance issues. That was before she got called a grandma. I will say that she did look more awkward dancing in the last episode, kind of like she didn't yet know what it really felt like to dance with a more sexy and fluid style and was still trying to feel that out.

iloveit, I was referring to the night they called rookies into the office with their group leaders. They called Mallory, Alex, and Vivian. This was the night that Kelli told Vivian she was complicated, obsessed with herself in the mirror, and needed to work on "nuts and bolts" dance issues. Sydney was shown holding her hand as they waited to go into the office, and when Kelli asked Sydney how she thought Viv was doing, she said (rather diplomatically) that she thinks Vivian lets things get to her head and has trouble letting those things go when she's performing. She also reiterated (with a smile) to Vivian that she does look great, and should not worry about it. When Vivian started her nonsense about not know if it's "ok for a rookie to be fun" etc, Sydney was smiling, but looking kind of uncomfortable. Still, at the end of the meeting, Sydney assured her she would help her address the dance issues, and hugged her after and went out to the lot with her. I was impressed, as I said, that Sydney managed to be supportive and honest with and about her rookie, yet did not bullshit with false praise for Vivian or say things she did not mean to Kelli or Judy.

I agree that most of the DCC are very pretty young ladies, though there are always a couple each season who do not really appeal to me. Part of me recognizes this is personal taste, but I also think that with some of these girls, they are on the team because they bring other important things to the table besides their looks. Kelli even said this season that sometimes she counts character more than cosmetics, and I have to say, I think this has to be true for some DCC. At the same time, I often feel fine about a girl getting cut who does not really have the "DCC look," but mostly when the show hasn't given much face time with those girls so the audience doesn't get a chance to see any of their personality. This season, Chandler seemed like one of those cases, as all the girls told her to come back and that episode it looked like every single girl rallied around her (and Alex) to give her hugs. Like others, I noticed that even though it appeared most everyone was still in the parking lot when Vivian came out, they did not rush to hug her in the same way. I appreciated getting to see Judy & Kelli talking with Emma about Ashley. For one thing, Emma was awesome in selling her argument that Ashley should be on the team, and I think it did impact their final decision. But I also liked that it gave a glimpse of group leader roles we don't get to see, and it lets us see how much K & J respect the expertise and opinions of the leaders. Wish we could see me of the group leaders working with their individual groups. Editing cuts aside, I don't think Sydney went to bat for Vivian because I think she may not have felt that Vivian would make a strong DCC, and probably wasn't her biggest fan (as Vivian pointed out, that's what her Facebook fans are for). Sydney surely recognized Vivian's inconsistency with the dances and field work, and more than that, probably saw enough of her group member to at least suspect she was more into herself than the team, was potentially toxic, and maybe just not that likable or trustworthy. I can appreciate that Sydney was trying to be a good group leader and team member by supporting Vivian while she was still in TC, but I also appreciate that she wasn't being insincere and saying or doing things she didn't mean in the office meeting. With only 10 rookies, I find it very disappointing that they did not bother to introduce us to each rookie, even though they did manage to show each rookie dancing at the end of the finale (thanks for that, btw). That would have meant introducing one rookie each episode and only doubling up twice. I mean, Lacey is a killer dancer--and seems like quite the charming young lady, based on her hilarious and nonchalant discussion of kicking herself in her face during auditions--but we never got to know her, and hardly got to see her dance for more than a second at a time. We never formally met Mary, either, though she did have a couple more talking head moments throughout the season. She seems humble, hard working, and looks like a great dancer. I'd love to have known more about them both, rather than watching all the Vivian crap, Melissa interventions, or fashion show/Belk ads. I think Breelan, Ashley P and Caila might not have made the team in more competitive rookie seasons (like Mackenzie Lee's year), but I do think they will be able to pull this off and develop as performers to be strong DCCs. I agree with others that I'd prefer to see them working with vets on their dancing rather than Melissa telling them they're awesome or making Breelan cry. All that said, I really liked it when we did get "introduced" to the TCCs, but wish they would pay more attention to including the girls talking about their dance or performance history/training since, you know, this is a dance show and all. I'm glad all 10 made the team, and hope most of them return next year--especially Melissa (who's graduating and a serious student with her eye on the medical engineering field, so I don't know if she will come back), Erica, Mary, Courtney, and Lacey. Can't believe we hardly got a word out of Holly, the point girl for the season. Also wish we'd seen group leader and second leader announcements, as I was so curious about the response to Jennifer K (or whatever her new initial is) being chosen as a second leader in only her second season. Show Group auditions were really missed this year, as that episode usually has some of the best (and most) dancing of the season. I guess for me this has been a fun season since I love the show so much, but not my favorite. Last thing: I hope Veronica and Brittney return next season. They are two of my favorites, and I'd hate to think that their last year on a squad they love so much would be one of such struggle and harsh scrutiny. I think both are good candidates for group leaders or seconds.

This was a fun, strange, and heart breaking episode! WTF, Vivian. You have lost your mind. ITA that her entitlement came across loud and clear. First, that attitude is unattractive in anyone. Second, her performance throughout this training camp {let alone her bizarre and diva-esque behavior) did not live up to DCC standards. And third, holy shit, is she an awful poet, and totally lacking in a sense of appropriateness. The poem's near-epic length just highlighted her rather sad need for attention--and I loved when Kelli said she could have been practicing in all the time she took to write it. Unreliable performance and toxic personality--good call, Kelli and Judy, cutting those ties, and shutting her down when she whiningly pointed out she wasn't the only one who made mistakes. I was shocked when she said she felt she deserved a spot and swore about what an incredible (excuse me, damn good) dancer and performer she is. But not good enough not to make mistakes all summer and look like a sloppy mess on the field. I was so sad to see Alexandra cut, even though I knew it was coming. I actually got a little teary, which doesn't happen much with me with this show. Kelli seemed very genuine to me with how she delivered the news to Alex, and her assurance that she believes she is right for the DCC and wants her to train hard and come back. I really, really hope she does!! I think it had to have been heart breaking to get so far through TC and then get cut, but I think that time she spent there will be invaluable to her if she is serious about coming back. I hope she keeps working with Jacie and Jenna, stretches those awesome legs of hers, and studies with Kitty, or Audra, Ashton, or some such local pros. Go for it, girl. Kitty was way wrong when she said all she had going for her was her looks and that was the only reason she was still in camp. I think Kelli and Judy saw way more in her than that. Really want to see her back next year, with some pretty feet, greater tension and precision in her arms, and bangin' kicks! I agree Breelan and Ashley P may be getting unfair edits about how much they're struggling, but I have to say, it does look like they're struggling. I like Breelan, though I think she needs to mature as a performer (and probably as a young woman), but I have wondered about Melissa's obsession with her. I am surprised that Ashley is still there. It was nice to meet Victoria finally, but that should have happened like three episodes ago! She seems quite charming and bright, has good technique, long legs and amazing abs. I hope we see/hear more from/about Lacey, Melissa, and Mary next week. Plus, it would be nice to hear a peep out of some of our favorite vets, like maybe Holly (hello, point girl!) or some of the other leaders, or see them working with rookies.

Wow. This is the strangest title for an MTT episode ever. Dare I suspect this is the title of the ? I'm definitely having a glass a wine while I watch this! But really, I'm feeling a bit nervous for the rookies. Even though I know who gets cut! Here's hoping for a good episode. With lots of dancing! Do we get to see Show Group auditions this year?

I adore Melissa (and loved seeing that video--thank you!), but she must have seemed like an Elizabeth Reuter situation when Melissa first tried out. Surely they saw her talent, but even from that higher angle, I can see that her figure would not have read forgivingly on the HD screen. That was the year they cut Alyssa, Kamilah, Jenna, etc for weight and I think marks the year they really began the HD crack-down.

Weird that they'd pick Chandler as the TCC to feature in this video. I thought it was a cute video. I liked that Jordan and Jessica almost always had opposite answers from each other, and Jacie was really funny in her response to the tanning question. Why doesn't CMT put up videos like that, instead of the "deleted scenes" they post that somehow magically appeared in the episodes?

ITA Kelli was awesomely badass and frank with Vivian during both office visits. I loved Kelli's response when, after she told V she had to do the jump splits or withdraw from TC, Vivian said, "It's better now." Yeah, Kelli, you nailed it: this girl is complicated and self-consumed. When Vivian was telling her about doing Bar Method and "constantly" doing yoga (once a week-ish), the camera showed her at a Bar M class, and I thought, you're not even stretching, you're staring at yourself in the mirror. So I found it especially interesting that Kelli called her out for that as a repeated issue. I also found it really annoying to watch Melissa's "intervention," and would rather have seen--I'm about to get crazy here--more dancing in rehearsal. As viewers, we got no new insight, since they just showed footage we'd already seen of Kelli and Judy talking about Breelan and Caila. Show me something new, please. And while I'm sure it's so special for Breelan and Caila to have their parental love documented for all time in such a way, it just felt like time I was watching a daytime talk show segment that was kind of boring. And what the hell was Melissa wearing? She seems to be going for a country boho look, but she just looked sloppy in that tunic with shorts and cowboy boots. At least she did her hair that time. I'm consistently unimpressed with her messy hair, and what's up with her crazy ear jewelry? This snake she was wearing looked kind of creepy, and made the other ear cuff she wore at auditions look positively dainty--and less like some worm was about to slither into her ear canal. Very fun to see Kelli's DCC BFF. I remember Kelli talking about her when Jasmine was a rookie, because she said Tina got the same feedback about being clunky all the time. Maybe Chandler doesn't look like a grandma exactly, but she could be Sydney's significantly older aunt. I had watched episode 5 online and thought Chalndler looked less than DCC fresh, but was kind of startled by the depth and number of lines in her face once iTunes finally uploaded the episode and I saw her in HD. I'm going to go out on a limb and say some of this is sun damage. Bless her heart. I think they've kept Alexandra this long because she had been improving every week. This week was not her best, and she seems to be crumbling mentally. If she improved as much in one year as she said she has,

I've seen an old video from the 1990s where Judy is talking to a group of cheerleaders and telling them they all needed to loose weight and tone up their tummies. I'm pretty sure weight has always been an obsession with the DCC, but of course, in the era of photoshop, HD, and almost 10 years into MTT, the focus is more keen and also more public. As for dramatically changing up the DCC uniform, Kelli will never even consider it, I'm sure. I find those Colts chaps pretty unflattering, and don't agree that pants would be a better summer alternative than iconic white shorts. I agree the blouse is very dated, but try separating a Southerner from their "traditions," especially if that tradition is a uniform that is recognized worldwide and rakes in more money than any other NFL cheerleading organization.

I disagree about Nicole needing a makeover. Curls like that only do so many different styles, and Courtney wasn't a good example of alternatives, because her inverted triangle afro last season looked kind of crazy. Fun, but certainly not polished. So Nicole basically could have shorter hair (and her hair has varied a few inches over the years), or they could straighten it, which would make her look like every other DCC. If it ain't broke...she's gorgeous. I wish this were true, but it was because they wanted her to loose weight. I, too, liked the country funk dance they learned, and it was fun to see them all busting their asses so hard in rehearsal. Am I wrong in thinking this choreographer has had more than a few injections in her face or some other kind of work done? There was just something strange and kind of LA about her frozen cheeks and forehead. I have to say, Ashley P is struggling so much, She was so awkward dancing in this episode, and just seems like such an uneven performer. And as Judy pointed out, she seems scared all the freaking time. It kind of pains me to watch her. Oh, Vivian. A breakup that's more than 5 weeks old is a poor excuse for shitty rehearsals and being off her game. I think she's off her game because she's wrapped up in her Vivian-rise-to-stardom fantasy that she's not putting her all into practicing the choreography or being a team player. She's all about Vivian. I have to say, when she started talking about her breakup and said they'd been together for a long time, my immediate and persistent thought was that they broke up because he didn't like the diva changes in her over this last year that she has accumulated and "really connected with" her "fans," and I figured he was over her DCC/AA/DMD obsessions. She repeatedly has said she built her whole world around making this team--doesn't leave much time or energy for an old boyfriend. So, I was not exactly sympathetic to this story or situation. I think they are showing all this Vivian stuff for the ratings, but also

Loved it when Erica asked how Kitty liked her hair now...except, aside from like two highlights, I couldn't really see much difference in her hair. The new manager of the salon has bad hair. I didn't know who she was during auditions, but I remember she was a judge who was commenting that Shannon didn't have the look, and I remember thinking it was strange that someone with a 90's haircut would be saying that with a straight face. I like her even less after she was snotty in rehearsal about my girl, Veronica. Veronica clearly can't eat and drink like she used to when she was younger and keep the same physique. Welcome to your late 20s, dear. She's still fabulous, ITA that it's crazy that Brittney has to loose weight for this team. Maaaayyybe the girl needed to do some sit ups to tone up her abs or something, but she looked fabulous in this episode, while She is such a gorgeous woman with a charming personality, but she looks way better to me when she carries those 5 extra pounds that Kelli seems so upset about. They told Christina it was all about her kicks and injury (or at least that's what we saw), but they haven't liked her dancing at all during TC either, so I wasn't surprised or disappointed to see her go. I hate it when they beg. Judy looked so pained, and then a little scared that Kelli might put her on the spot again and ask her if she'd change her mind. I agree that Chandler seemed to come out of nowhere, but you can see her in the first few episodes--we just never hear from her. I agree she's not exactly fresh-faced. She appears to be a technically proficient dancer, but seems kind of boring--and not just because she makes one face. Just no real pop, as far as I can tell. I liked hearing Breelan's self-critique. It was honest and spot-on, and I hope to see her turn up the performance. I think she's young, but sweet and adorable, and I think she could grow into a very beautiful and poised young lady. This process could help her grow up a lot, but I agree--she needs to take better makeup direction from her makeover. She looked so pretty after it but still has the heavy hand with the eye makeup. Disappointing that we haven't really been introduced to new rookies the past two episodes. Clearly it's not like we've "met" them all yet. I'd so much rather get to know the rookies and vets than watch stupid Belk fashion don'ts. The first few episodes this season, I thought they were doing a better job of introducing us to a few TCCs each episode, but it stopped after episode 3. And part of it is annoying because half the people we were introduced to have been cut already or didn't make it to TC in the first place. I, too, would like to meet Victoria or hear at least a peep out of her. She's tall, pretty, and looks like a great dancer, but maybe a little reserved like Ashley F was her rookie year. I'd also like a proper introduction to Mary and more camera time on her dancing. She looked to be finding her "pop" this week, but I didn't see too much of her in rehearsal. She is gorgeous, and seems so elegant and classy--seems like an ideal DCC.

I don't think her question came from that place. Vivian doesn't think about being a DCC ambassador, she's all about her own rising popularity. I cringed when she referred to her several thousand "friends" that she really "connected with," but loved when the guy said if he doesn't know them, then they aren't his Facebook friends. She did not need to ask that question at all in that forum (she easily could have asked after the session in a more private setting)--I think she just wanted to show everyone how popular and adored she is, and how much more popular than the other TCCs. It seemed to come from either a place of insecurity or egotism, maybe both. Poorly played, Vivian.

I disagree. Hannah had weight warnings throughout her rookie year, while Veronica has maintained her weight and toned physique for several years, and now it seems that age and metabolism are catching up with her. That's very different from coming on a team with a totally tight body like Hannah did and then loosing it before her rookie year is out. Hannah should have been a quick fix, but the point is she did not fix it after her several weight warnings. She continued to gain weight, get out of shape--she was more winded than most vets after the dance they did--and has become sloppy with her dancing. As far as Veronica looking huge, she did look bigger, but she did not have the tummy and back rolls that Hannah did, and both girls had a bit of cellulite in their thighs, not just Veronica. I thought Hannah asking about a time frame was ridiculous. That basically seemed like her saying, well I didn't take y'all seriously for months with those weight warnings, but now that I get you mean business, how much time can I have to fix this? I'm pretty sure the time frame for addressing this started with the first warning. I thought Megan looked good in the uniform, and was the first time I really thought she looked like a DCC. I think she's a really good dancer, but she never wowed me, and her kicks are bad. She's won me over with her personality. I think if she danced and had kicks like Melissa or Erica, they might have given her more time to try to trim down a little. She could be a good candidate to come back like Vivian, taking a year to stretch and trim up. I'd like to see her come back stronger and make the team. I'd be just as happy to see or hear that she moved on from DCC, too, but she moved her whole life to Dallas, so I think it's possible she may try again. Does anyone know if she made another team this year? I'm glad Courtney told them she'd never weighed that little, and I hope she never does. She has the tiniest belly pooch, which I find very cute, but other than that, I thought she looked great in the uniform. The boots could change things, but I still wonder why they can't put lifts in the boots of some of the shorter girls, just to give them another inch or so. Tom Cruise uses lifts, why not the DCC?!

Hannah looked more out of shape than the other vets who'd gained weight. Veronica, for example, is thicker than she used to be, but she runs and works out every day, so she's carrying extra weight, not just going soft. Hannah, on the other hand, looks like she just hasn't been working out or done a stomach crunch in a month--or practicing much dance, given her sloppy turns that seemed so un-Hannah-like. She actually looked heavier in her middle to me once training camp started than she had at auditions. Kelli said she had had weight warnings last year, and I think they are only willing to give so many warnings without seeing progress, and in Hannah's case, there was obvious regression. I totally agree with Judy that they shouldn't bring "maybe" vets into TC, but I'm so glad they kept Veronica!! She's such a great performer, and seems like a real team player and strong representative for the Cowboys and DCC, and she's a favorite of mine. Paige I didn't really care about one way or the other, as I've been somewhat indifferent to her since her rookie year. 13 pounds is a lot to gain in a year, but like Veronica, she just looked heavier, not as untoned as Hannah. All that said, I loved loved loved Hannah last year. I think she's an incredible dancer and a gorgeous lady. I wish her the best with whatever is going on with her. ITA with others that there was more to her dismissal than we got to see. ITA too that the editing is crazy, and misleading. The previews, for example, made it look like Kelli was telling Veronica that she'd gained 11 pounds since her rookie year, but in the episode we see that it's Hannah she says that to. Same thing last week when the cameras zeroed in on a "heavy" vet tummy while they were doing kicks. Judy and Kelli were talking about Veronica, but they were showing Hannah's stomach. I want to tell these editors, step off Veronica! As far as Danielle being called in or not, they get called in all the time and we don't see it on the show. In some of the extra clips CMT posts, we see some office visits with girls whose names we did not hear called. Last year, Samantha got called in and it was never on the show, and in Angela's rookie year, we see her in the office in the season preview, but we never ever hear her name get called at the end of rehearsal. This last episode had an extra clip with Christina being called in. It's all in who they want to focus on, I suppose., and time constraints I can easily believe Danielle got called in, as she seems to always be on the curvy radar, and because in the season preview at the start of episode one this year, we do see her in the office, as they flash different vets: Veronica, Hannah, Paige, Brittany, and Danielle. I could care less about their social media training. Show me more rehearsals and dancing! Or, even better, take that time to introduce us to another TCC or two, or a TC and a vet. Like Ashley said in the social media seminar, they aren't just two dimensional objects. (Props to her for saying that out loud!) Wow, I had no idea Malia Morales was a lawyer! Makes her even more awesome.

I think this may have been editing. They did something similar with Shannon's interview, the girl from PA. When she said she's a die-hard Steelers fan and they showed Charlotte and Kelli looking kind of pissed (with dramatic music for emphasis), it was meant to seem in response to her remark, but they clearly were looking in a different direction at someone else in the supposed response shots. So, Kelli may have been giving her the evil eye, but I think this may be editing trying to set up some drama. Hannah of course still has a beautiful figure, but cellulite doesn't read nicely on that huge board, and 11 lbs is a lot to gain in a year. The weight gain gave her some awesome cleavage, though!

Mona is dead? The mind reels. Partly because she was such a fabulous and fascinating character, partly because it looks like it was such a gory battle (way to go down fighting, M!), and partly because I found her dead eyes wide open in the drunk pretty disturbing. I'd think that a killer who can stand to have her/his murdered victim's eyes stare back at them--after they've left a doll representing their murder victim in the Fields' manger and placed the stolen baby Jesus in the trunk with said murder victim--is pretty remorseless and pretty freaking sick. The shot of Mona looking through the wavy glass of her front door before her demise was beautiful. When Emily said, "Where's Jesus?" I knew it would be the best line of the episode--maybe one of my favorite lines this season--but I didn't know till the final scene that it would be prophetic. Nicely played. Second best line of the episode: "Code Go!" I think Ali is trying to make Spencer look guilty, but I also think that the cops suspect her because someone in her family is guilty. And not just Melissa for being so dumb as to bury someone alive without checking for a pulse. I continue to cling to my theory that Mrs. Hastings is somehow involved in the DiLaurentis shadiness, and I think she might have smashed Bethany in the head thinking she was really creaming the bratty neighbor girl who blackmailed people and knew that Jason was the love child of Mr. H and Mrs. D. Or she could have smashed Bethany's head in because she was Mr. H's second love child with Mrs. D. and she just lost her shit. Unsure if I think she killed Mrs. D also, or instead of Bethany. She had every reason to hate the woman who screwed her husband, and I just know she has to be involved somehow, because she is the one Hastings who has never fallen under serious suspicion, which makes her very suspicious to me. Possible, but I'm still hoping Holbrook can remain one of two decent men in Rosewood who do not succumb to inappropriate feelings for teenage girls. I'd like to think that he and Tanner are playing at being at odds in their investigations, and they are playing Ali. But this is Rosewood, so I'm not holding my breath, and even if they're playing a game here, he was awful to inform Mona's mom that her child has been murdered--in front of strangers at a press conference. Yep. Those two are definitely having sex with his Harrison PD-issue handcuffs. I didn't think Toby had it in him! My favorite part about the Hanna SAT scene? Caleb's smile, like, damn girl. Awww. Exactly. He's already had pie. #shittyparenting

I think they do give the girls some latitude with filling out as they get older. But only some, and certainly not what most would consider a normal amount. I think if Veronica gained five pounds but still had those tight abs of hers, they wouldn't really care. But the reality is, women fill out as we get older, and filling out usually means added curves and jiggle. Last year when Kelli called all those vets in for their weight, she said some of them had gained 8 pounds since their rookie year, and they were all second year girls. I recall that's about as much as Alyssa Torres gained over her rookie year, too. That's a substantial amount for one year, so I feel like it's a slightly different situation. It's not unreasonable to expect a 2nd year to weigh about the same as she did in her rookie season, but Veronica is a 4th year who has mostly been consistent and has earned a lot more trust with Kelli and Judy. I feel like the fact that they put Veronica on the show poster again this year is a sign of the respect and confidence K & J have in her this season, even though she had been struggling with weight.

Yes, the body shots are unnecessary and make it hard to see the dancing! Carrying the convo over from the episode 3 thread, I would like to see Kelli give out the Barbies at the first meeting. I'd also like to see the girls filming their video cameos. The episode with cameo photos is always fun because the girls are so excited to put on their uniforms, but after 8 seasons, it would be nice to get a little variety in there. With them being so obsessed with how the girls "read" on that HD screen, I'd imagine that how a girl's cameo video shoot turns out would be as significant a factor in Kelli and Judy's considerations as how they do on their cameo photo shoot.

I don't think so. She was very composed on camera whether speaking or not last year, and she's a very experienced performer. ITA with others that her behavior so far seems more like she doesn't give a shit about staying fit (she flat out said it's no kind of priority for her). The girl just graduated with highest honors, but she sounded kind of vacant in Kelli's office, like she didn't care or have a clue. Very different from how she sounded last year. Me too! I think her cut is unflattering. The short, flat, blunt bob kind of highlights her short slightly stocky figure. After the judges had a such serious (and I thought silly) conversation about Erica's hair, when I see Megan onscreen I keep wondering whether they had a similar convo about her hair. If they didn't, they should have! She seems like a sweet girl, but I'm not that taken with her dancing or her look. Given that Mallory was shown saying she doesn't want to be the first called into the office or get cut, and that she wasn't the first called in, I predict she will be the first to get cut. We haven't seen her on Kelli and Judy's radar yet, but the show's editors tend to be pretty obvious with their clues (ie Loren explaining the fan vote, showing pretty much only vets who got cut talking about getting cut/not being ready to leave the squad). Just a prediction, though. Was it just me, or did Melissa R's outfit seem like something a 16 year old would wear to the mall? That flouncy floral mini skirt was killing me. Last, here is the link to the blog Kelli wrote about the Barbies and making one a redhead for Emma last year:http://www.dallascowboyscheerleaders.com/articles/directors-chair/barbie-goes-red/

Every year at first meeting, Kelli gives out a handful of Barbies to vets and training camp candidates (TCCs) who had the most exceptional solos. Last year, Emma got one, and Kelli had her hairdresser dye the Barbie's hair because they never had any redheaded DCC Barbies made. It was kind of sweet. I'm confident Melissa got a Barbie this year--Kelli said it was one of the best solos she'd ever seen. Samantha, Jacie, and Jennifer K and Jennifer A are also good bets to have gotten Barbies. They've never shown it on the show, but I wish they would!

McSavaney, the season 9 spoilers and speculations thread was where everyone talked about TC and the rookies from the summer through the premiere episode. There are no spoiler tags in there, so be warned that you'll find out more than just what rookies make the team. I wish we'd gotten to see the team rally around Veronica in the parking lot after she came out of the office. Looks like she gets called in again next week, as does Brittany, another of my favorites. I feel so badly for them, but I have such respect for both ladies, Loren is winning me over with her personality. Megan's splits are tight, and she is on the more solidly built side of the TCCs. Mary continues to be awesome, and apparently Kelli covets her entire body. Christina's dancing has gotten so awkward. I think her injury is definitely part of the problem, but she's psyching herself out and looks beyond scared every moment she's shown onscreen. When she was doing the splits and told Kelli it felt fine, I thought she looked like she might cry. I'm thinking that didn't feel so fine. Vivian has had a year to practice Thunderstruck, and should be able to do it perfectly in her sleep. Judy may have exaggerated saying she had 20 mistakes in a few 8 counts, but that must have been a lot of mistakes. This was one of her problems last year, even though she told the cameras she was cut simply because she was too heavy. She might not have been listening, but I clearly heard repeated comments to her last year about her dancing mistakes. If you can't perfect a dance in a year, that doesn't bode well for mastering 40-50 routines in 8 weeks.