M1977G

I can't believe Veronica was the lowest scoring vet this year! She is one of my absolute favorites. I'm glad we got to see Kelli tell her how much she and Judy do respect and value her on the team. Love her! I think Hannah was benched and not Veronica because Hannah came back less toned, and it sounds like her weight fluctuated throughout her rookie season, whereas Veronica's been a solid, reliable vet for three years. Even though Kelli and Judy were talking about Veronica's kicks and waistline during rehearsal, the closeup of a veteran's untoned tummy actually was of Hannah. You can see the ends of her blonde hair. Very! They provide the girls with so many resources, it's kind of an unbelievable question. So the first obvious tip for anyone who watches the show, let alone someone who is a DCC, would be: go to Jay! Dude will whip your ass into shape and get you on a proper, healthy diet. She did seem more ditzy tonight than in her interviews on camera last year. I'm wondering if there's some party girl action going on there. Hope not! Alexandra is a sexy Amazon, but is definitely struggling. She had very admirable composure while in Kelli's office. Made me an even bigger fan of hers. I can't tell from this episode if Courtney and Megan were TB cheerleaders together, or knew each other from Florida. I vaguely remember an article about them on the DCC website calling them another Tampa Two, so I assumed they were a Danielle-Jasmine kind of duo. But they don't live together, and haven't been shown saying anything about each other. Breelan needs to learn how to apply eye shadow, and to improve her palette. That heavy dark grey makes her look sleepy, and like she's playing in someone else's makeup kit.

Me either! I would think that it would be a boost for the organization, giving credence to their claim that professional dancers on other teams regard DCC as the "best of the best," but I also would think that a dance show would want to highlight the dance backgrounds and professional experience of the TCCs and DCCs. Among other things, people watch a dance show because they are interested in dancers and dancing. Or at least, that's my take. I suppose that is where Mrs EVH comes in! Even though the show is doing a decent job of introducing us to TCCs so far, we still haven't gotten much on their dance backgrounds (aside from Caila being "groomed" to be a DCC, with no mention of having been a TLD). I would really love to have heard Melissa or Erica talking at least a little about how/where they got their incredible dance training. I'm glad to know other things about them, but seriously, I don't understand why a show about one of the best professional dance teams doesn't showcase the dance backgrounds of its best dancers. My initial response was to roll my eyes (I think I maybe said "vomit" out loud), but actually I now think this is sad. I've become something of a Vivian "hater" this season (just using the lingo, I don't actually hate the girl!), so it took me a second to have a more humane thought. If this is a reflection of her personal life, then she must have been something of an emotional mess, and the angsty, overly dramatic quality of the presentation was less an affect than I thought. It also might suggest why she was so unwilling to change the dance after Kitty warned her about it. That solo communicates a degree of desperation and pain, but I'm not sure if it's desperation to become a DCC, or a more general desire to be admired and accepted by others. I think that a lot of Vivian's ambition to be on a team has to do with needing validation from others, which is a very human desire but can derail us if not kept in check. I sensed that last year in her, but I didn't see that it was making her act like such a diva in front of the cameras. I'm trying to bring some compassion to my responses to her this year, but I looked at her Twitter page for the first time this week, and that makes it harder.

I get the same crappy sound on some of the past iTunes episodes. I noticed it last week, but I guess I've gotten used to having to adjust the volume or just reading the captions because I can't hear what is being said over the crazy loud (and usually bad) music. Plus, sometimes, iTunes cuts off part of the episodes. I remember this particularly with the breast cancer halftime show and the Big & Rich performance--the iTunes episodes cut out those performances entirely! But what I hate the most about iTunes and this show is how freaking long they take to post each new episode. Last year, it took up to 4 days sometimes. This year, episode 2 was up by Sunday afternoon. Because I hate waiting, I usually watch online, which is the only way I know the iTunes episodes cut out performances that were aired. Annoying first world problems, I know.

I'm also mystified by the Kitty clawing thing. When the camera showed Kitty later saying, "I mean, good grief! Why did I have to do that?" I laughed, because that is exactly my question about Kitty half of the time. Kudos to Caila for not crying or clawing her back.

Thanks for responding to my questions! I checked out the video of the song. What I came up with is this title was a nod to giving closure to the Ravenswood story (the chorus is about bye, bye, blackbird), and I hope it does mean no more fireflies or hauntings. I really disliked this post-finale conclusion. It just felt so...lame. Why didn't Grunwald and creepy uncle just open all the jars ages ago if that's all it took? I shouldn't even wonder, and let sleeping birds lie. I love the idea that Ali saw what happened to Bethany and put her in the yellow top! But then I wonder where Ali got her own head injury. We can be pretty sure it's not fake because the doctor checked it. She's not above injuring herself to make a point or a play, but she'd have to have recruited CeCe or someone to do it, and that may be pushing it. Here, hit me in the back of the head so I bleed, but not too much, and then bury me, but not too well... An interesting theory nonetheless. Thinking about the doctor makes me think again about how badly Ali seemed to be lying to him. As in, not convincing at all. I kept wondering, how has she been playing all these lying games for years when she's such a shitty liar? But now I think Ali acts like a bad liar sometimes, so that she can be a better and less suspicious liar when she means it. I still don't understand her horse shit kidnapping story. It seems like the story itself was intentionally implausible and the delivery was shady as hell, but that made little sense to me, unless Ali had this long game in mind about how she would waltz back into town claiming to have been all traumatized but wouldn't be fully believed, and that she would pull all kinds of stunts to try to make the cops and everyone else eat their doubts about her. That she was meeting clandestinely with Cyrus several episodes before he confessed (such an excellent catch!) supports that vague idea.

Two questions. 1) Why on earth was Grunwald wandering in the DiLaurentis's backyard in the middle of the night? I just don't remember that part of the explanation. I do remember that the story seemed crazy when Grunwald told it, but I also remember being confused and unconvinced. 2) Who or what does the title "No One Here Can Love and Understand Me" reference? I'm at a loss. Suggestions?

I think Taylor was on the bubble. She's a good dancer, but from what I saw, not great. She lacked power and clean lines on the field, from what I saw. I wondered about her job too. Is a monster truck model someone who walks around in Daisy Dukes and a bikini top like in MMA or boxing? I could see K & J not going for that. They had Taylor placed next to Christina in finals, and comparing the two, Christina was a better performer of DCC material, but I don't know why Mallory made it to TC, either. What they showed of her dancing wasn't that impressive, including on the big board, but maybe they liked that she was a sweet country girl who likes to hunt. Kelli Q is a gorgeous dancer with a great figure, but I totally disagree with Kitty about her look. I think Amelia is adorable, and definitely cuter than Kelli. I think she could look much better with a less brassy dye job and more carefully applied makeup, but until I saw her dance this season, I never even wondered why she got cut in the past, as I do not really like her look. That said, I'm glad she did make a team! Me not liking someone's appearance of course doesn't mean I don't want them to succeed, and I certainly admire her talents. Plus, according to Kitty, she's very smart. So she has everything going for her that really counts. Kudos to her for not giving up.

I would cry for Noel! Hilarious and a little creepy that Ali's new "army" that she's hanging with outside the bathroom are three brunettes and a blonde. Is she showing the liars how replaceable they are to her, or did she pick an army that can serve as body doubles to implicate our liars (they're not Ali's anymore!) in nefarious activities. She could use them so that our liars are "spotted" in places they were not, to either poke holes in their alibis or to create witnesses who put them at the scene of some crime or other shady event. Ali looks so smugly satisfied with herself standing with her new hot posse outside the bathrooms. Since Aria actually asks out loud if someone thinks Ali is A, she must not be (I'm a little crushed), but I still think she is playing a part in the whole A game, and not just playing defense. I dislike her jean jacket a little less than I've disliked her other jackets this season. It looks like a denim blazer that, well, a real estate agent mom might wear on her days off.

I'm sure they would override the judges on the 50 yard girl. They would never be able to trust her on an appearance, even after she learned how many yards are on a football field or what a touchdown is. I remember from season three that they overrode the judges' vote on Alexandra B, who swore in her interview that she was wholesome but who apparently didn't have a clean background check. The vast majority of judges voted for her in finals but she didn't make it to TC. I'd like to think they would have recognized Erica's talent and beauty this year even if the judging numbers didn't add up, but I bet she did get properly voted into camp.

I didn't get that it was dress up night at the movies either, and was all weirded out at first by Paige's dated prom hair and dress at the coffee shop. Then, when Aria walked into the theater I thought, this is one of the cuter outfits I've seen her in lately. I was digging the dress, if not the leopard belt with leopard scarf, but then I freaked when I saw her ruffled bobby socks. I was like, nice sexed-up school girl look for family night, Aria. And then I realized everyone was going retro and I laughed because I sort of liked Aria in costume better than Aria in her regular clothes, but also because I had been unable to tell the difference. Yes, Mike did look very handsome in his suspenders, but I'm not sure how old he is, so I haven't decided yet that he's old enough for me to rate him as "smoking." Mona's pants on the other hand, were hot as hell on her. Oh, Emily! I was as baffled as everyone else. I thought the cutout neckline dress and leather jacket she was wearing actually were quite chic. The crazy knee highs took the ensemble down a notch (they look like something Aria would wear--as thigh highs), and that denim shirt tied sloppily around her waist derailed everything. The pressing question is: why??? Sad that an animal probably died for Aria's superhero lightning leather flounce skirt. I'll just hope it was pleather.

Tanner freaking rocks. Except with the hair--oiy. I loved her exchange with Byron, and her straight up claim that the cops think Aria's involved in a homicide or other "complications" in the investigation. But the best was her deadpan, "This town ranks surprisingly low on curiosity." Hell yeah, it does! She's definitely playing with the liars, but I don't think she was making up the claim that one of the girls wanted to talk to her. I loved having Mona (and her retro outfit) in this episode, but agree she's playing Aria and Mike with those tears. When Mona told Aria that Ali would come after them when she was done with Mona, I had this quick fantasy that that will be part of the last seasons of the show: Ali going after her former besties because they've turned on her and stopped playing along with all her lies and games. Then Ali can stay a villain, and I don't have to worry about the writers redeeming her with some bullshit sob story. I will be devastated if predictions on this thread come true and Mona's the one to bite the dust in the summer finale. I agree that Melissa is looking a little too obvious to be the one to go at this point, but the show would loose a lot of its captivating dynamics without Mona and the fabulous Janelle Parish who plays her. I like Mona as a villain waaaay better than Jenna. Mona is creepy, devious, and looks fly all the time. Jenna is a rapist, so I really don't find her entertaining or enjoyable as a villain, even if I can say that she also usually looks pretty fly. But never as fly as Mona! I've been trying to settle on alternative character I'd rather see bite the dust next, and I've settled on Sydney or Cyrus. Cyrus would actually be a good one to kill because nobody cares about him (no upset fans), and killing him would make it harder to verify Ali's story about him and find out what those two had been up for while Ali was supposedly dead/kidnapped. Am I to understand from this show that two teenage girls in yellow ruffle tops got bashed in their heads in the same back yard, at different times, and were accidentally buried alive, also at different times, in the same hole because neither person who buried them bothered to check to see if the girl they were about to put in a grave had a pulse? Give me a freaking break. Melissa's story is weak in this regard, but I found Mrs. D's even weaker, because what mother buries her child, after watching someone try to murder them, without making sure she's dead? Melissa just thought she was burying the bitchy neighbor girl her sister murdered. (I do type that with tongue in cheek.) Neither scenario makes much sense as they've been shown/explained to us. Bethany's head wound wasn't even that bad--head wounds bleed like crazy even when they're not serious, and though she was unconscious, there wasn't a lot of blood. At this point, I'm willing to believe that Melissa might have been stupid in her panic, but I think Mrs. D knew that Ali wasn't dead when she buried her. And I think that Mrs. Hastings is the one who bashed Bethany on the back of her head, thinking it was Ali.

I really love Ashley Nicole--she was one of my favorite rookies last year--but her kicks are shockingly bad for a vet. Last year at finals, I remember her kicks at auditions being bad, and Judy asking how can her kicks could be so low. This year, they are better, but her left kick is still Kali bad. She is such an incredible dancer, very pretty, and I found her charming last year on camera. She has everything going for her but those kicks, and all that must have been enough to earn her a spot back in TC. She must have really improved her flexibility over the course of her rookie year, or she wouldn't have made it past finals, and they want to continue to give her time to steadily improve like Mackenzie did. Even though we didn't see it on camera last season, I think there's no way that Kelli and Judy didn't warn her about her kicks, and they were probably the only question mark about her making the team. This year, her kicks must be better, but her left is definitely weak. Her kick is the lowest in her line at 24:32, but she gets it a bit higher at 24:37, where Shannon is missing a kick altogether. I think she's lucky that Shannon was in her line, as it probably kept her kicks from standing out as much as they would otherwise. It would have been interesting to hear the judges' conversation about her. I wonder if they'll show anything next week when Kelli and Judy are critiquing their kicks across the floor in first rehearsal. Somehow, this only makes me like her and root for her more.

Amazing, and a little weird. I've never looked at Vivian's social media pages. I have to say, I did find it a little surprising that Vivian didn't win the fan vote, since she really did seem to be in the lead the entire time. But I'm very glad she didn't! I wonder if we'll find out whether Loren would have made it to camp on her own or not. I'd say it was probably a close call.

I love it when Hanna does a little grunge or punk chic, but this full-on grunge is underwhelming, even if it's closer to what high schoolers wear. Even in past seasons, Hanna often had a little edge to her ladylike looks, so I haven't found the tough clothes transition impossible to believe in theory. What I find hard to believe is that Hanna would pick out so many ugly clothes (starting with that hideous top she stole this season). So I guess to buy this I have to read her wardrobe change as a sign of rebellion and desire to distinguish herself from Ali (remember the funeral home director who commented on them looking alike), as well as a sign of the ugliness of Hanna's feelings, which certainly were compounded by the horrid Zach encounters.

Sad about Alex too. Someone asked why Kelli said they couldn't go into TC talking to her about her weight, and I assume it's because she's been warned one or two too many times about it. It was an issue for her since her first year in TC, and she got called out last year by Kitty for being a little heavy, and who knows how many other warnings. Whereas Hannah probably never had been warned before--that girl had a killer body last year. Veronica also got warned by Kitty last year, but she is a favorite vet and that probably got her the votes she needed. She was obviously fit enough for Nike to choose her as a poster girl! She looked beautiful at auditions, but was not sporting that awesomely fit runner's body she did in her first seasons. In the preview for this week's episode, they show Kelli talking about Veronica's left kick, and Judy comments on her waist. When they show the close up of the "offending" belly, though, you can see blonde curls, and I'm pretty sure that's Hannah. Love both girls, so ouch all around.

I think you're right. I'm not a fan, but am willing to be won over. I'm totally wowed by Melissa, like everyone else. She's beautiful, smart, ambitious, talented as hell, hard working, and charming. While I already feel the show has shown more than enough of Vivian, I cannot see too much of Melissa and her dancing! Looked like a lot of incredible dancing at finals this year. I almost believed Kelli this time when she said this was the most talented group ever, even though she and Judy say that every year. In terms of style, this episode was definitely a hit with me! I loved so much of what the main judges were wearing, except for Melissa, who I thought was cute but dressed too casually. Loved Kelli's whole finals audition ensemble--the green earrings with that killer necklace and dress might be among my all time favorite Kelli outfits. Judy's black leather jacket was tres chic, and I thought she looked great in that peachy animal print dress at interviews. Charlotte's red interview dress was beautiful, as were her finals shoes. I noticed that Charlotte went more for classy and simple attire this year than crazy blazers or too-short shorts. Much better, I think, and far more age appropriate. I don't know her name, but I totally loved the black female judge's interview outfit, too! That patterned blouse with the statement neckline beading was just fabulous. Year to year, she always looks stylish and great, and I love her in the interviews and judging. Here's a pic of Kelly and Judy with their stylist at the Meet the Team friends and family event: https://twitter.com/CharmaineDesign/status/499570470077755394/photo/1 Obviously, Kitty didn't have a stylist for the event (or ever). Kelly and Judy look so great in their cocktail dresses, and there's Kitty looking like a frump in ill-fitting jeans and that crazy hair. Now who doesn't have respect for what the DCC is about?

ITA that Loren's audition video was not good (she definitely did not make my top 10 vote), and I could not even tell until the very end of this episode that she's an attractive girl. Her whole face, except her chin, gets lost in all that stringy super blonde hair, and she looks kind of surprised with those dark eyebrows. She needs to tone down that aggressive dance style and facials. Snarling faces and stomping feet is not hot. Morgan was making some pretty crazy faces on the field, too. And yeah, girlfriend was not looking so young or fresh. I don't think she would have made it, even if she had been on time to her interview. Judges were ridunculous about Erica's hair and Kitty was an unnecessary bitch to her, agreed. Vivian is on my last nerve. I grimaced at the tears in her eyes while saying she hoped she’d brought the "passion and emotion" to her solo that she needed. How about bringing sharper technique and more lively showmanship? The goal of each solo should be to prove that you are an exceptional dancer and are very fun to watch. The solo in slow-mo was just a bunch of hair flailing, and her dance kind of screamed awkward and heart broken and “I’m not a lyrical dancer.” The lyrical style, with all its extensions, also highlighted that she doesn’t have a long, lean dancer’s body. So all I can imagine about what she was thinking in keeping this dance after Kitty warned her is that somehow, she thought this was the kind of dance that would convey the “emotion and passion” that supposedly makes for good TV and would reflect her “struggle” to become a DCC. As for the girl in the interview who thought Africa is a country in Europe, just wow. The look on TCC Lacey’s face was hilarious, Charlotte's, "I'm sorry?" was great, and I loved that Kelli and Judy laughed at the girl, right in her face. She totally deserved it. Just because George W. Bush said Africa is a country doesn’t mean we have to believe him.

I've been going through all my lingering questions about this show. Maybe there are answers I've missed, but at this point in season 5, I'm wondering: What the hell was the NAT Club? How did dirty Wilden get tangled up with Ali? What's up with the crazy Fitzgeralds and how do they fit into the DiLaurentis drama? (Because I'm pretty sure that they do.) When will Spencer dump Toby and make out with Noel Kahn? At this point in season 5, I'm also wondering what, if anything, has brought us closer to figuring out A and A's game, or finding out who killed Bethany or Mrs. D? We know A is escalating in levels of crazy and danger, what with the bombing, the choke attack on Ali, and the video of Mrs D being buried with the message that A is the one who buried her. But what had seemed one of A's crazier stunts, sending Cyrus in to Rosewood PD to confess to Ali's kidnapping, turned out to be Ali's doing. The more I think on it, the more I think Ali is behind all or most of these things, because she likes to manipulate people by playing at being in danger, and because she has to hide her past activities from the police. I do think she got herself into actual danger(s) with all her manipulative games, but I believe Ali still is playing her own game, as evidenced by the fact that our little Lolita, Vivian Darkbloom, lives on. Now that we know Ali was behind the Cyrus scheme, I have to wonder, why would A steal the recording from Spencer's super secret hiding place, if it wasn't to provide Cyrus with the recording so he could memorize the story? Just to call Spencer and play part of it? I don't think so. The recording alone can't do Ali damage--it's from the doctor's office and is just a detailed version of her official story, not her confessing her ruse to the liars. Stealing the recording was Ali's cover, so the liars think that A is really after Ali, much like having Noel break into the Marin house. I could totally imagine Ali being a good enough spy to know where her friend and next door neighbor's hiding place is. She knew a lot of her neighbors' secrets, after all. I can admit that, if this is the case, the scene at the end of the previous episode, with gloved A hands playing the stolen recording at the eye doctor, does not make that much sense. Why would Ali skulk at the eye doctor's in a hoodie and gloves? Why would any other A, for that matter? Just to encrypt a scary message to Spencer in the eye charts? (Why bother?) To get into Jenna's files to find out how much the bitch can really see? I guess the scene doesn't make that much sense to me, even without my Ali is part of A theory. But it was only scary when I thought A was setting Ali up to charge an innocent man with kidnapping and who knows what else.

For the record, I don't think she's overweight either. I mostly thought she was just not a super skinny actress, and had a healthy weight, and liked that about her. Her belly caught my eye more than once in this last episode, but I thought it was my imagination until others floated the preggers question online. Makes total sense that we'd know if the actress was pregnant b/c these were filmed a while ago (thank you for pointing that out!), but what doesn't make sense? Putting a healthy 18 year-old girl in a dress that is not only fugly, but that makes her look pregnant! It's noticeable after Emily's smackdown in Ali's front yard, but especially from 16:36-16:43. I don't know how to post screen shots, but when she's standing, you can see that her stomach appears to be quite rounded and sticking out a little past her chest. Then when she sits at 16:43, she grabs the pillow and covers her protruding belly. Glad to hear she's probably not knocked up Jamie-Lynn Spears style, but I'm still wondering if Ali is pregnant. If not, I'm wondering about the wardrobe team, and why they are getting away with such horrid outfits for Ali. Wardrobe should never be responsible for making an actress look pregnant when she or her character are not. That seems a pretty basic styling guideline to me. Where is Tim Gunn when you need him? There should be a show rule that no one gets to wear costuming that is uglier or less flattering than Aria's, A's hoodie excepted. In fact, they kind of stated that in the last episode, when Ella showed Aria her new sequined miniskirt and asked Aria, "Would you wear this?" And Aria says, "Yes, which is why you shouldn't." Of course this was directed at Ella, but not a bad rule for the town of Rosewood as a whole.

Wow, I did not get out of those pictures that they killed the pig they ate! Did I miss something? The shooting targets were paper boars, or at least that's what Brittany and Kelsey were holding up. The Olympians didn't really shoot them a hog, did they?! Charlotte must be beside herself with her daddy's public humiliation. Looks like Jerry Jones didn't want to be out-sleazed by J.R. Ewing. So gross and creepy, as is the guy who tried to extort Jones by claiming he was the son of God. That really does sound like a soap opera plot, doesn't it? #dallas

Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery, nice to see the continued hands-off approach to dealing with the unhealthy situations and romantic relationships of your kids. I'm equally impressed with the attempt to have one restorative "family night" to make up for neglecting the troubled Montgomery teens, especially since Byron got his fedora fixed up for the occasion. If Byron put half the energy into his kids that he puts into his wardrobe and students, well...he'd probably still be married and Aria wouldn't (still) be screwing her high school English teacher. Yay Spencer (and Toby, I guess) for continuing to care about close friends and worry about their well being, even while overwhelmed by Hastings family melodrama. Way to not be all about Spencer, Spence. Aria could take some notes. I have not missed Pailey one bit, so I'm hoping that Paige's plans for the evening have to do with MonA, and that Emily finds out about it. I love Ali's semi-smirk as she's about the take the lie detector test. Part of me wants her to fail, because I want her nefarious deeds and ill intentions exposed, but part of me wants her to pass--not because she's telling the truth, but because she's that good of a liar.

I did love Spencer's plaid and black outfit. Thanks for the reminder, as it was overshadowed in my mind by how much I disliked her leather get-up. The plaid is far more the "conservative Spencer with edge" vibe I dig on her. One of Spencer's best outfits this season, and I covet that cross-body bag. And Mona's structured tote. A few people have mentioned on other threads that Ali looked a little thick in the middle, and asked if she is preggers. I looked again, and her stomach does kind of show in that last drop-waist floral dress that looked like it was 1985 Laura Ashley (after Emily tells her off). I've noticed more than once that her outfits are not always flattering to her figure (like that peplum top under a blazer when she faced down Jenna), but maybe the costumers are putting her in all these jackets trying to cover up a pregnancy? Someone also noticed she put a pillow on her lap in one scene. Could this be a real pregnancy, or might Ali be trying to hide another secret? Or is this just really ugly and unflattering styling? Isn't Sasha 18 or something? Seems young to be pregnant for real with a budding acting career, but if Ali were preggers, I'd think (hope) the doctor who examined her would have noticed. I'm a little baffled.

Hell, yeah! Cyrus reminded Ali that he could have told the police all about how they met and the "fun" they used to have, and Ali said she could have done the same, "but then we'd both lose." This was totally the sign I want that Ali isn't lying about being kidnapped because she's afraid for her life, but because she has to cover up her own misdeeds. I'm thinking that fraud, blackmail, obstruction of justice, and helping felons flee the country are the least of her crimes. I think Ali hates Cyrus because he played her and ripped her off, not because he attacked her. I may be in the minority, but I do not think he raped her. I think that given the chance, Ali might kill someone who did that to her (and she said she should have left him for dead when she found him), but falling short of that, I really don't think she'd blackmail her rapist and then provide him with false documents and paid passage out of the country. I'm fairly surprised, too, except then I think about how Ali is such an unlikeable character in so many ways. But ITA that she is fascinating, and I've loved that they brought her back this season. Ezra: I promise to stay away from high school girls, Aria.... But I just can't, not even for a day.

ITA. I'm not convinced it was Cyrus who stabbed her at all, and I couldn't help thinking that Ali's kind of tearful response to getting slashed with a knife was underwhelming. If I had been cut by someone who just robbed and attacked me, and so close to an artery no less, I would have been bawling a whole lot more.

Last year and this year they dressed alike every time they were on camera, even in their clip away from auditions. I'm not a twin, so I shouldn't dismiss a bond that I can't understand, but I do think it's weird when twins dress alike over the age of 12. In their case, though, I don't think auditioning as individuals would work (or ever happen), because the twin thing was the main thing they had going for them. They looked like OK dancers with limp arms.