Zuleikha

I was so confused by the show that I did background Googling on the characters. The comic backstory is that the character grew up in a Francophonic country. That's where that guess cames from. I have no idea what's going on with the accent. I had the same confusion over the candies. It seemed reasonable that he could have some from earlier visits.

I am here with the important question: Is it actually okay for a dog to eat pizza? (I know Pizza Dog is from the comics, but comic reality and TV reality are different.) The show's pacing is weird for me. I get that we're in the set-up phase, but I don't feel like set-up is happening. I feel like events are happening. It seems almost absurdist with catastrophic event leading to catastrophic event and no sense of who any of these people are or how/why they really got involved... like does the Tracksuit Mafia actually have the watch? What happened to it? Why would making a bell ring destroy a clock tower? At the same time, I'm oddly drawn in by it. Although Jack Duquesne's accent is distracting me. (I know Tony Dalton's worked in Mexican film, but he's from Laredo, TX. Does he have an accent in real life? Is he trying to do a French accent but sliding into a Spanish-influenced accent?)

There are no standards for voters. The show has never claimed to be about anything. All voters are instructed to do is vote for who we want to see continue and then who we want to see win. I would have been shocked if JoJo beat Iman. It's a triumph for her that she was second. She was great, but a sports star developing into a dancer is just a more interesting, compelling show narrative. I think it was always Iman's to lose after the Us contemporary. I do wonder how he would have done if he'd been in a season without contemporary and jazz. His Disney dance was strong, but his breakouts were the lift-heavy dances that he would not have been able to otherwise do.

This was really fun. I was happy for everyone that it felt like they got to dance from their heart. And also that JoJo/Jenna and Daniella/Iman were the final two and that Daniella/Iman won. My favorite dance was actually Amanda/Alan's fusion dance. Such an unexpected combination of styles and songs, but it worked beautifully. I do give Iman credit for pulling off foxtrot to September, though! That song doesn't exactly scream foxtrot to me. I watched Cody's freestyle twice because the first time, I hated it. The second time, I knew that he wasn't going to use the moon or the pole, so I focused on what he did do instead of what I was sad not to see. I think he danced well, and I think it meant a lot to him to be able to also be out and proud. Regardless of how JoJo got the same-sex partnership--whether she asked for it or the show offered it--I still think they should have given Cody the chance, too. I think it must have been hella awkward for him with JoJo's representation getting so much attention when he was also right there. (but Cody, please don't twerk again until you learn how to twerk!) I will never get tired of seeing JoJo lift Jenna or the two dance together. They had such a great partnership and such amazing chemistry.

Seeing some of the headlines about JoJo/Jenna, I understand why Cody may be a bit disgruntled about not being offered the chance to dance with a man. I still think everyone should have been offered the choice once one person was offered the choice.

Melora's quote is so funny. No wonder Artem was looking a bit tired. I think Melora danced beautifully and arguably deserved the finals as much as anyone, but there have been way more memorable rumbas. I'm happy for Suni that she knows she had a breakthrough in the last several weeks and ended on a strong note.

Back when I was doing contact tracing in CA, the count for quarantine started at exposure date, not test date (because test date isn't meaningful). We only used test date if the person had no idea when they were exposed and had been in constant contact with other people.

Iman continues to do so well. Daniella gets and deserves all the praise for her choreography, but Iman's stability and musicality deserve a lot of praise, too. Strength alone doesn't produce lifts like they're doing. I've said in the past that one of the reasons I love lifts so much is that they are a very pure form of partnership. To get them to look right, both partners have to do their part. That final lift asked for so much from him as the base, and he delivered. But JoJo is also on fire. Part of me wishes she'd worn a suit for the Argentine Tango since she danced the lead part consistently, but the mirroring effect was beautiful. If they had to stick with matchy-matchy, at least Jenna incorporated it into the choreography to great effect. I also love how much JoJo is lifting Jenna. Both Iman and JoJo are bringing it performance wise, too. They've both shown depth and versatility. I really hope they're the final two, and I don't care which of them walks away with the mirror ball. I have a small preference for Iman and Daniella because Daniella's never won and Iman has no performance background (as far as I know), but I will be very happy for Jenna and JoJo. It will be very weird if it's Cody/Cheryl or Amanda/Alan, though. They're not bad, but they just don't sparkle the way that Iman/Daniella and Jenna/JoJo do.

It's hard to know how many questions left unanswered in part 1 about the world will be answered in part 2. This was explicitly stated to be an incomplete story, so it's natural that many things aren't fully answered yet. The books do explain things like the political situation with the Emperor and the Atreides and how interstellar space worked before spice, and I suspect more of those details will be in part 2.

I watched this late, so I felt let down by Suni/Sasha's samba. I expected something more magical. But I loved their dance off. Suni looked so genuinely happy! Speaking of dance offs, hello JoJo with the sexy rumba! I did not expect that degree of comfort and smolder. Jenna/JoJo have turned out to be a magical partnership with amazing chemistry. Iman did such a great job trusting Danielle and not dancing down in foxtrot. He's made so much progress. Melora, also, has such great grace and, of course, wonderful acting. I'm ready for Cody to go even if his fanbase makes it unlikely, but otherwise, I wish everyone could be in the finals. I think I would put JoJo/Jenna, Iman/Danielle, and Melora/Artem in the finals if I got to pick, though.

JoJo is so versatile. It was great to see her and Jenna rocking the sexy in Body Language. For once, I didn't mind the matchy-matchy costumes either. It worked. Iman is such an interesting dancer to me. He's not strong at the technical ballroom aspects, but he has beautiful flow, musicality, and commitment to character. He's always fun to watch, and of course, Daniella showcases him beautifully. I will be shocked if he's not in the finals. On the other hand, I am surprised Amanda and Cody are still here. They're better dancers, but they're not magnetic on TV. I guess Cody has his fanbase, but does Amanda have a fanbase? I find her forgettable even though I recognize her skill.

There is always a bit of subjectivity to responding to performance. If her expressions work for you, the critiques she's getting will feel weird. But what I've seen when I've watched her previous dances is someone who looks nervous and going through the motions rather than someone who looks like she is feeling connected to the emotions of the dance. There are techniques that help with this. Performance quality is a skill like every other aspect of dance. I did think this was her best week by far. I don't know if tango was an easier dance for her to connect to; if Vampire Diaries was a more comfortable character or theme; or if she has been working on performance skills. But this was the first dance where I thought she had both movement and performance. I am hoping this represents a breakthrough for her.

That would be really hard! I don't think that would be a fair thing to ask an untrained dancer in a competition to do. I liked their music choice a lot, though. It still had the feel of silence to me with the weather sounds. If Olivia had a strong dance background, couldn't she have used that to get into college honestly? I really just think Val's a good instructor; Olivia has natural dance ability; and she's working hard. Her first dance did not look like a trained dancer at all. High-level competition dancers like JoJo was typically have tumbling skills. I don't know if she has gymanstics specifically on top of that, but nothing she did in her routine was unusual for someone with her dance background.

I say it every week, but this is such an amazing season. No one deserves to go, and there are still so many left. Iman had the dance of the night obviously. It wasn't just the jawdropping lifts (although yes, also those), but his whole characterization and embodiment. Daniella is choreographing brilliantly, but he executed like an artist. Well deserved perfect scores. Suni's tango was my favorite dance of hers. She creates such beautiful shapes with her body, and either she has been working on performance or she was more comfortable with this characterization and attitude. It was the first time I felt we truly saw her put all the pieces together. It will be a shame if she goes next week as she's coming into her potential. Olivia continues to amaze me with her natural grace and musicality on the floor. I think Val could push her a little further, though, to help her stand out in this talented cast. Their dance was fun, but given the theme, it could have had a lot more menace. I know JoJo is a trained jazz dancer, but I remember the horrible waste of Heather Morris's jazz. I'm glad we got JoJo truly showing what she can do. Jenna pulled off a really weird concept (Anything Goes and It???? Who came up with that?) and both she and JoJo made it creepy perfection. The Miz also continues to amaze. He is truly a gifted performer. I'm tempted to check out his wrestling. I wish Kenya had gone out on a better note. This should have been a great dance for her, but she seemed like she was phoning it in. But at least she had her amazing rumba.

I remember reading an interview with JoJo where she said the show gave her the choice. She decided it felt right to dance with a female partner. It all seems silly to me given that a dance partner is not a date and many, many gay ballroom dancers have competed with opposite-sex partners. But she and Jenna are working really well. I do wish everyone was given the choice instead of just gay contestants. Some other contestants may prefer to dance in same-sex pairings if they had the option. Who else is LGBTQ?

This is a hard year for the excellent reason that everyone's doing a great job. I think Iman should be next in terms of pure ability, but I won't be surprised if he's not. Suni is still underperforming to me. Her execution of the choreography is always great, but I never feel it in her face. I thought this was her closest to the breakthrough I want. I wish Sasha had danced down a tad because this was so in his wheelhouse, but not really Suni's. I felt he made her look a bit underpowered even though she was giving a lot of energy. The Miz, Kenya, Melora, and Olivia, on the other hand, had dances that were perfect for them. The Miz had amazing energy and that move that looked like he jumped onto Witney was brilliant. Kenya oozed and slithered with perfect sultriness. Melora's a perfect fun movie Mean Girl. Olivia was cute as a button, with very fun choreography. Amanda's Beauty School Dropout had gorgeous dancing, but I was very confused by her smile. Isn't Frenchie sad in this song? JoJo danced angst! I couldn't believe her at the beginning! High-energy, caffeine in human form JoJo was moody, depressed Sandra. She's showing a depth that I never expected, and Jenna is rocking it with the choreography and characterization. Also, no matchy-matchy dresses always makes me happy.

I thought Daniella was an oddly-costumed carpet, so her outfit makes so much more sense realizing she's the parrot. Clearly, I don't remember the movie well... does the parrot sleep a lot? Whatever the justification for the choreography, I agree that the lifts were pure magic. I also agree that the dancing between the lifts was mediocre. I've been meh on the men compared to the women in general, but the Miz is high up on my list. He's a solid dancer, and his performance quality/charisma is high. Plus, he is throwing himself all in on the costuming! In general, the dance level is high enough to make it hard to know who should stay and who should go. With Brian gone, the last of the genuinely bad dancers are gone. I didn't get Val's choreo for Remember Me. I think Olivia danced what she was given as well as she could, but I don't think he gave her good content. I'm not even sure who she was supposed to be portraying or why she was in pants instead of a skirt. But the guitar battle and spotlight battle was cute.

I finally saw Black Widow and liked it a lot. Like most, I think it should have been made and released years before it was, but I'm glad it happened. My two quibbles are: all the actors were good, but why not hire actors who actually speak Russian for roles that require Russian? (but I don't speak Russian, so maybe they all nailed the Russian. It just seems strange.) Why not establish as canon, finally, that the Black Widows are altered and have super powers? The stunts that Yelena and Natasha do in the movie are ridiculous for non-powered people. Also, they soak ridiculous amounts of damage.

Who the heck hears Slave 4 U and thinks foxtrot? That was such a weird concept. Suni continues to have problems with facial expression, but her physicality is gorgeous and it's not her fault she got such a weird combo of dance and song. I don't know why she couldn't have done an Argentine Tango, which at least would have the right performance vibe. Olivia Jade continues to impress me. She has real dance talent. Matt James and the Miz also impress me. Talent on the lady's side is so stacked, but I think either one of them could be a surprise contender. JoJo's hair was the surprise stand out of the night for me. Who knew Classic Hollywood would be such a great look for her? And she rocked the heck out of those lifts! So smooth! I love woman/woman or man/man lifts in general, but JoJo/Jenna's were particularly good. I'm still hoping for a break from the matchy/matchy outfits, but I will grant them that this was a good week and a good look for it. I love that they weren't afraid to go for a sexy vibe with their AT either. It suited JoJo much better than I would have expected given her age and general youthful perky persona. I have residual affection for Brian Austin Green from Sarah Connor Chronicles, but he's the best one to go next (I hope!). After that, eliminations will get challenging.

My understanding of Olivia Jade's role is that she had next to no interest in college. She was complicit, but I have a hard time finding a lot of outrage in a teen girl doing what her parents told her to do. She's also an influencer, which is one of those things that makes me feel very old. I don't get it, especially with someone like her who has so much wealth to draw on. But I am an old relative to the existence of influencers. Still, I expected her to be lazy and obnoxious and instead she must be working very hard to be dancing so well. Isn't Amanda generally wearing heels when she's with him?

JoJo is good dance wise, but she is not meeting my high expectations. However, she is a radiant ball of sunshine. The matchy-matchy dresses worked nicely for Latin, but I really hope they switch it up in the future. Olivia Jade's VW was beautiful. Who knew she had such capacity for hard work? Suni's movement is pretty, but she still looks nervous and uncomfortable to me. I don't care what gymnastics taught her about emoting. She needs to break through it. I don't watch the intro packages... is Sasha putting her in performance classes? That's what she needs and there are still virtual classes. How tall is Amanda? When she did the twirl at the end, her legs were like a mile each. This is a really hard season with a lot of very talented women. I have forgotten all of the men.

Even Gary was fine

What goal? She initially thought he was a threat to destroy Earth. That did not seem to be the case at that point in time. There was nothing for her to focus on and no reason for her not to have fun with the dreamboat alien. When she did have a reason to worry about things, she was focused and smart. She saved the day by figuring out how to reach Heimdall and Frigga.

I was shocked in a good way by Olivia Jade and in a bad way by Suni. Suni's legs were so beautiful, but she was so visibly nervous. Game face would have been better! Also, that song seemed hella slow for a jive. Olivia Jade has a lot of gawkishness about her, but she performed well and made it all fun. Both Amanda and Jimmy impressed me with their week 1 tangos. That's a hard dance for week 1, but they were so good. Matt James also impressed me. He was another one who was just really fun even though the actual dance technique could use work. JoJo is So.Much. Visually she was too much... I felt like I couldn't actually see her dancing with all the sparkle and billowy pants and the background. At the same time, I adore her too muchness. She's so joyful and her message as a role model is so joyful (and I'm not talking about the LGBTQ+ advocacy, but all the Believe! Have fun!). I hope she and Jenna wear less matchy-matchy and more complementary costumes in the future, though. I like the clear visual contrast in the lead and the follow.

I don't watch the show live, but I'm usually able to find all of the acts on the official AGT YouTube page. However, it doesn't have a paired act with Lea Kyle and anyone else. Is that true that she didn't do one? Or does the AGT page just not have it? I am so suspicious of Aidan Bryant's official story. His lines and flexibility are ridiculous for a claim of two years of self-training. Maybe if he has years of ballet or a related dance form that doesn't get stated in his official bio or if one of his parents is a dance instructor/trained dancer? But his style is also very classic modern circus (if that makes sense... classic Cirque du Soleil, not classic Barnum and Bailey), which would be a bit unexpected from someone self-training off YouTube. I've known people who competed on AGT, so I know factually that AGT simplifies contestant's backgrounds to the point of misrepresentation. I'm wondering if that's what's happening here.