S29.E02: First Elimination

[OnceSane]

Quote

The 15 celebrity and pro-dancer couples compete a second week, with the first elimination of the 2020 season; host Tyra Banks teaches the celebrities how to "smize" and use it throughout the competition.

Airs September 22, 2020.*

 

*Reminder: This airs TUESDAY night, not Monday.

[LexieLily]

This show is not Miss America, Tyra, just stop it with the "tell me what you love about your wife, AJ!" and "how did you feel after that dance, Chrishelle?" and "what does RiRi do for you, Vernon?" Not to mention asking to see Nelly's shoes and Kaitlyn's foot. God, no wonder the judges were perpetually running out of time and barely allowed to judge. And I thought her first sexy gladiator outfit was god-awful enough, but then her second one was even worse.

Why were the contestants all on their phones when the cameras cut to them in the "audience" when the other couples were dancing? 

[mtlchick]

Wait a sec...we actually got a bottom two that... deserved to be there?! 

Damn 2020, stop playing with my mind grapes!

Sorry Charles, you didn't get a final word OR dance in.  

[chitowngirl]

1 minute ago, LexieLily said:

Why were the contestants all on their phones when the cameras cut to them in the "audience" when the other couples were dancing? 

Voting for themselves? 😆

[Uke]

Week 2 here we go!

1-Nev + Jenna:  That was a short dance!  But he did a very good job. Why was Tyra's little chat about her smize? Jenna was a little OTT over the scores. Agree with the scores.

2-Skai + Alan:  She seemed to do all the hand and foot moves that Alan taught her (except for the missed lift) but it had no feeling of a samba.  (Derek, don't call her "honey".  Was it Bruno + Tyra who called her "baby"?  She's a full-on contestant deserving of respect and those terms are belittling.) Agree with the scores, not for the lift but for missing the feel of a samba.

3-Johnny + Britt:  Britt, please drop the vocal fry.  Was that a bad music playback or the in-house singers?  His leg sweeps were like skating.  I agree with whoever said that he hasn't found the floor yet.  I feel like he's straining to get to his theatrical self and Britt's choreo isn't giving it to him..yet.  I think the score was a point low.

4-Justina + Sasha:  Pretty but all the moves seemed rushed. No hips. I think the score was a little high.

5-Monica + Val:  That wasn't a high jump, it was clearly a lift. What was his point in adding that to the choreo?  No obvious mistakes it just looked awkward.  She hasn't settled into the fun of this yet.  Agree with the scores.  (What was that look by Sharna at the end?  Some serious shade going on there?)

6-AJ + Cheryl:  The dancing was good but the tricks, not so much (the hat, the little stepping at the end).  Agree with the scores.

I hope once we get a few eliminations that we'll get some pro dances.  Would love to see Dani and Pasha do one of their competition or tour dances.  There will have to be a few double eliminations or maybe one multiple elimination to right-size the number of contestants to the number of weeks.

7-Anne + Keo:  A little stiff-looking but she looks like she's loving this.  Nice choreo from Keo.  I hope she'll get the votes to stay for a while.  A little low on the scores.

8-Nelly + Daniella:  Sorry, had to step away from the tv.  What's on his feet?  Sneakers?  Where's his dancing shoes?  Ok - Tyra just pointed it out.  The shoes are ugly.

9-Chrishell+ Gleb:  She was looking really good until that slide around his leg.  All of a sudden CAI doesn't care about a lift? Nice choreo, and I usually don't care for his choreo.  Score was a little low IMO.

Oh the drama...will she or won't she dance.  I'm glad she's ok. But DWTS, over the years, has some amazing medics keeping these stars and pros moving like they do.  Kudos to the medics!

10-Charles + Emma: much improved from last week.  I'll just leave it there.  Emma's hilarious.  Good scores for him.

11-Jesse + Sharna: Nice job.  Kiss on the hand - choreographed or spontaneous?  He has a tendency to kind of crouch seemingly to get down to her height. He needs to stop doing that.  Also, tuck the butt.  But I think he could go the distance.  Agree with the scores.

12-Jeannie + Brandon:  She looks very comfortable on the floor with Brandon.  Didn't care for the song or choreo but she handled it well.  Maybe a little low on the score.  Suspect we'll be seeing more of Mama Mai. LOL!

13-Carole + Pasha: Much better than last week.  She had a nice elegance.  I think the score was a little low.

14-Vernon + Peta:  Another one crouching.  It really messes with the posture.  These tall guys need to dance at their own height.  The female pros know how to dance up to them.  Also agree he needs to tuck his butt.  Agree with the scores.

15-Kaitlyn + Artem:  She needs to spot her spins.  That was the only problem I saw.  It sounds like she's probably had quite a bit of training.  Agree with the scores including the first 8.

No surprise who were the bottom 2 and no surprise they saved Carol.  Agree with the choice.

Edited September 23, 2020 by Uke

[TiredMe]

Hey all you cool cats and kittens! We’re stuck with Carole yet another week. Thanks Derek!

[MerBearHou]

So much damn Tyra-talk and had to cut the 3rd judge short every time.  Her catwalk in to start the show with a gladiator costume, then the smize lesson, then the ridiculous banter about herself.  Hate, hate this new iteration with her at the lead.  Only positive add is Derek.

How can this show live with itself giving Carol Baskin a platform for sympathy?  That’s a new low.

 

Edited September 23, 2020 by MerBearHou

[Annber03]

Figured it'd come down to Charles versus Carole for the elimination. 

Agreed with Carrie Ann's comments about Kaitlyn dancing even with her injured foot. She was much smoother in her dance than I would've been. Hope her ankle heals up well. 

I can't believe Skai's eighteen, she looks younger than that. Or maybe that's just my mid-30s mindset talking, LOL. I found myself wondering if I looked that young when I was 18 :p. Shame about that little slip during her dance, but yeah, I think she's definitely a contender for this season. I can easily see her making the finals :). Really, this group in general isn't too bad. There's some that are definitely better than others, but there's nobody who's outright god awful and just clomping around the stage. 

Loved AJ's story about his wife. And I really like Jeannie and Brandon together, they look good and I can see a nice partner chemistry developing with them. 

I'm also enjoying how Bruno's wearing white outfits that match his hair :D. 

[nickp1991]

Kaitlyn gave a really nice performance

[Annber03]

9 minutes ago, mtlchick said:

Wait a sec...we actually got a bottom two that... deserved to be there?! 

Damn 2020, stop playing with my mind grapes!

Sorry Charles, you didn't get a final word OR dance in.  

Yeah, kind of a shame that Charles and Emma didn't get their parting moment. I do appreciate how quickly they ran down the list of who was safe and who was in danger, though, without all the drawn out suspense. 

[Uke]

8 minutes ago, chitowngirl said:

Voting for themselves? 😆

Or endlessly begging their followers to VOOOTEEEE!!!! LOL!  I've stopped following most of them just for that reason.

[McManda]

1 minute ago, Uke said:

Or endlessly begging their followers to VOOOTEEEE!!!! LOL!  I've stopped following most of them just for that reason.

Half of them were in instastories during the show. Looking at you, Skai and Alan. 

Speaking of, Skai's dancing seems very bambi-ish. Something about her frame and the way she moves seems very tentative and awkward. I'm not really a fan so them begging for votes because of her slip seemed disingenuous. 

Not surprised they kept Carol, but disappointed. I'm already tired of the cat theme.

[Emily-D]

It would be absolutely typical of Artem's entire career on DWTS that he gets a partner who could actually win this thing and she has to withdraw through injury! Would be so gutted for him! Hope she heals up over the week, but it didn't sound good.

[Jax7917]

They’re certainly rushing the judges much more this season . They can’t even spit out a sentence without Tyra saying “ok next “. These people make the easiest money ever . 

[mochamajesty]

Justina moves well for a big girl. At first I thought last week’s dance was based on her spicy Latina flavor, but she shined in the slow dance too.

What exactly happened with Skai?  Was it the height difference? 

[DietCokeJunkie]

I kinda love the judges deciding between the bottom 2. Too bad they didn’t come up with that when Sean Spicer or Bobby Bones were there! 

Edited September 23, 2020 by DietCokeJunkie

[nickp1991]

 The producers of DWTS telling the judges not to eliminate Carole Baskin because she gives good ratings

[Lady Calypso]

27 minutes ago, Uke said:

13-Carole + Pasha: Much better than last week.  She had a nice elegance.  I think the score was a little low.

It definitely felt like Derek and Bruno intentionally scored her down to match with Charles' overall score. I wonder if that's because there was another celeb who was close in score or voting with Carole and they needed to knock her down a couple of points so that the other couple wasn't in danger. Overall I do agree with this. Carole did much better here and I actually think she had a very solid dance overall. It seems like these types of dances may end up being good for her. Charles was a bit better this week than last. But I agree that he was probably the one to go over Carole.

Some of the dances tonight were clunky. Some were a lot better than last week. I will say that Kaitlyn did a great job even with an injured ankle. I laughed at her quip about cortisone being a big help. Chrishell and Gleb's dance was also very well done. Not surprised that Gleb went sexy with the dance but it does seem to be in his wheelhouse. If he can't choreograph an intimate dance like this, then he's lost.

Skai and Alan's dance was not well done. I mentioned last week that their downfall will be the height difference and that showed in this week's dance. They may very well be the surprise semi-final elimination because they're already struggling a bit with the height difference. I have to imagine there's someone who isn't as tall as Alan who could have been Skai's partner. I know Sasha needed to be with Justina because she's even shorter than Skai but was Alan REALLY the only frontrunner for Skai?

Jeannie and Brandon are a great pair. I really enjoyed their segment as well as their dance.

I also really like Jesse and Sharna, and he has a lot of potential if he could practice with his posture. I feel like he's one of the celebs this season who is holding back a bit. I really want to see him get farther but he will most likely be a middle of the pack celeb who gets eliminated halfway through. 

Nev and Jenna are great together and Nev is one of the better dancers this season, but he has some work to put in himself. But I really do think he has been so great and I have actually been enjoying Jenna's choreography this season so far! She seemed to learn something over the break from last season! And that is truly a compliment, because I thought the one thing holding her back was her teaching ability and she's been improving so far.

Johnny is a good dancer but I think I pinpointed his issue. His overall issue is thinking too much during the dance. He doesn't look like he's having fun because it looks like he's overthinking the dance. If he can let all of his thoughts go, then he can really become a much better performer and hit that full potential. 

Justina has been a delight to watch. I think she does have a little work to put in but I am really rooting for her to get to the finale. I think she has an excellent shot because both of her dances so far have shown that she has what it takes.

Not much to say about Monica and Val besides the fact that she's in the middle of the pack for me. Same with Vernon and Peta. 

Anne and Keo are great to watch for me and I have enjoyed AJ and Cheryl. Both couples have so much potential and they're the fun couples to root for.

Nelly has so much potential but he seems to be so hesitant. He also should switch shoes but he probably won't. 

Tyra's commentary isn't very good for this type of show. I just felt awkward with the pre-planned questions and how they didn't seem to fit with the show in general. There was such a disconnect in general. I like the judges being cut down for time on their comments because it speeds up the show but it felt so awkward when Tyra spent 10 seconds at the end telling Derek to eliminate someone right that second. I KNOW it was for time and it wasn't her fault but it wasn't handled very well. You're literally eliminating someone here! Give them time to breathe! Plan out the show a bit better to allow an extra couple of minutes for the eliminated couple to process!

So far, the ones who I am rooting for are Kaitlyn, Justina, Nev, and probably Jeannie. I also have a soft spot for Anne and Jesse as well. 

[blackwing]

23 minutes ago, MerBearHou said:

How can this show live with itself giving Carol Baskin a platform for sympathy?  That’s a new low.

Agreed, it's ridiculous.  The crying to her partner about what a tough year it's been, the crying while talking to the judges (while saying she doesn't like to cry).  It's all too much.  It's really obvious this whole show is about her "getting to tell my side of the story" and to get people on her side.  I'm not buying her sob act and I hope she goes home next week.

[Emily-D]

Just watching the dances back and Sharna can't resist hamming up the showmance can she? Suspect that she knows it's her best chance of keeping Jesse in this thing for a long time, because his dancing isn't brilliant.

Derek must have been promised that new ABC contract if he kept Carole Baskin on the show tonight! 😄

[Quickbeam]

Was interesting to see some dancing shoehorned around the Tyra show. Eyeroll. 

[kitcloudkicker]

I guess we shall see if the marrieds get to reunite if one of them is eliminated!

Just sort of random thoughts: Pasha seems like a really great teacher. So far he just seems to get his partners to relax and trust him. On Carol, I watched the first episode of Tiger King and stopped because I found it boring, so I don’t have strong feelings about her, but I do think she improved a tad more than the basketball player, just on the merits.

Also, what in the hell outfit did Val put Monica in? Val - no.

[babyhouseman]

Didn't care for Tyra's Solid Gold Dancer outfit and Oprah interviews. The smize segment took up valuable time. The judges need to talk more. This is just not Tyra's platform.

Maybe tiger lady will be gone next week if she was in the bottom two.

[scenicbyway]

It’s like Tyra thought, they don’t like me? Well, I’ll wear armor this week!

Ugh, it’s not about you Tyra.

The costumes are not great this year.

[magpye29]

I felt bad for Tyra's boobs being smushed in that second outfit.

[angelamh66]

I like Jeannie and Brandon but that deportation joke just didn’t land well for me.  Dancing wise, I find myself liking Anne as a potential dark horse. Kaitlynn is going to be very hard to beat if she can stay healthy.

[OnTime]

Tyra is getting exhausting and it is only the second week.

This season would be so much better with Tom back!

Edited September 23, 2020 by OnTime

[Arkay]

I have never cared for Tyra, she's always had the tendency to make the focus about herself, but at least on her model show she had some credentials. THIS show is not about modeling nor about YOU, Tyra. She instantly tilted the conversation with Nev away from dancing and to the inclusion of "catfish" in the dictionary, just so she could whine about her ridiculous "smize." 

Also, it's a dance floor, not a catwalk. Stop with the attention-getting gowns and leave some room for the judging. Charles Oakley is a dignified athlete who deserved his moment at the end. He would have had it if Tyra hadn't blathered on so much about things that mattered to her and not the contestants. Even her speech about "haters" sounded like she was propping herself up and not whomever she was talking to, was it Chriselle?

I love Derek but am not pleased that he kept Carol. I've never seen Tiger King but I've heard enough to be judgmental about her. 

Edited September 23, 2020 by Arkay

[MerBearHou]

7 minutes ago, Arkay said:

I have never cared for Tyra, she's always had the tendency to make the focus about herself, but at least on her model show she had some credentials. THIS show is not about modeling nor about YOU, Tyra. She instantly tilted the conversation with Nev away from dancing and to the inclusion of "catfish" in the dictionary, just so she could whine about her ridiculous "smize." 

Also, it's a dance floor, not a catwalk. Stop with the attention-getting gowns and leave some room for the judging. Charles Barkley is a dignified athlete who deserved his moment at the end. He would have had it if Tyra hadn't blathered on so much about things that mattered to her and not the contestants. Even her speech about "haters" sounded like she was propping herself up and not whomever she was talking to, was it Chriselle?

I love Derek but am not pleased that he kept Carol. I've never seen Tiger King but I've heard enough to be judgmental about her. 

I agree with everything you’ve said.  Tyra took every chance to make it about me, me, me and we ran out of time for judging and for Charles *Oakley* (not Barkley!) to have a dignified farewell.  He tried hard, put in the work, tried to move gracefully for a huge man, and didn’t get a minute or two to say goodbye/thank you/it was fun/etc.  UGH.

[Arkay]

2 minutes ago, MerBearHou said:

I agree with everything you’ve said.  Tyra took every chance to make it about me, me, me and we ran out of time for judging and for Charles *Oakley* (not Barkley!) to have a dignified farewell.  He tried hard, put in the work, tried to move gracefully for a huge man, and didn’t get a minute or two to say goodbye/thank you/it was fun/etc.  UGH.

Thanks...stupid blunder on my part...Fixed the name

[Morrigan]

I feel like I'm not on the same page with others here with the Metcalfe guy (what does he do again?) and also Nelly. Their dancing is horrible, to my eyes. Clunky, nerdy, hunchy, dorky, I could go on....

I also don't think Johnny is very good, and I really thought he would be. I'm watching this season because I was a big fan of his skating. OH, and his butt looks so big. (ditto Tyra ditto Cheryl....)

Whose idea was it for Tyra to ask follow up questions to the celebs? And half the time, they don't understand her or are taken aback. It's so stupid when the judges are shooshed and rushed so bad. Tyra contributes to the fakeness of the show whereas Tom made it seem more natural and honest.

My faves of the men - Nev and AJ. Of the women, Justina, Chrishell, and the one who was a professional dancer (the injured one with Artem) - but duh... would be pretty sad if all that dance career prep was for nothing. At least she fessed up for people who didn't already know, and I didn't.

Edited September 23, 2020 by Morrigan
misspelling

[SHD]

I haven’t seen Tiger King and really know nothing about the story, so I have no reference point for how terrible of a person or not Carole is. When they show her in the balcony, she just always looks like a grandmother clapping for her grandchild in a school play.

I thought they were going to slam Nelly for his sneakers until they explained.

[Annber03]

11 minutes ago, Morrigan said:

I feel like I'm not on the same page with others here with the Metcalfe guy (what does he do again?)

He's an actor. I know him from the "Dallas" reboot from a few years back and "Desperate Housewives". 

[Morrigan]

4 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

He's an actor. I know him from the "Dallas" reboot from a few years back and "Desperate Housewives". 

Thanks Annber03. He really bugs me - but I'll try to give him a break. Kinda sick of Sharna's multicolored rotating hair - but I'm the "get off my lawn" type so... BTW, I guess they were spread out enough but I was surprised they put all the couples together on the floor for the final part.

[Sd601]

What stuck out to me tonight is that there is no real standout. Oh, there are a few that are better than others, but we are missing a really good ringer, someone exceptionally skilled with an unfair advantage but who just gives us really enjoyable dances. Ringers rustle up controversy, get people debating on fairness, elevate the level of difficulty, and ultimately draw us in to watch (ratings!). Some ringers win (Meryl, Nicole, Alfonso, Jordan, etc). Others don’t. Kaitlyn, I suppose, is the closest we can call a ringer, but she doesn’t dance well enough. Artem is creating lovely routines with her, though. Credit to him. 
 

While it’s fun to root for the underdog, I truly enjoy watching good dancing. I thought there was a lot of promise for Johnny this week...and I was disappointed. I’m not enjoying Britt’s dancing or maybe her choreo? They don’t seem to match each other. I keep thinking he will he light and graceful, and he seems clunky. 
 

I enjoyed Jeannie last week, but I was a little distracted by Brandon’s awful suit this week. He’s not as physically fit as the other male pros, huh. Fun, current song. Eh on the dancing. I was excited for Nev but expected more pizazz in his chacha. I’m not a fan of Jenna’s choreography. I think Chrishell is adorable and I want to root for her. I wish Gleb would produce more content FOR his partners. Lots of meh on the others. Justina didn’t wow me, but I think it could be coming. A Sasha win would make a season. He is wonderful. 

[boyznkatz]

Justina and Sharna’s partner (so boring I forgot his name) were overscored. I think they hosed Jeannie, Johnny and AJ. Kaitlin is really good.

Chrishell is nice but bless her heart, she is horrible. She is even worse than Baskins.

Nelly isn’t very good, either.

And as always, the judges need to STFU. At least that’s one good thing about Tyra. She shuts them up!

Edited September 23, 2020 by boyznkatz

[kitcloudkicker]

It’s a good thing Alan wears so much hair gel

 

 

[OnTime]

Is Carrie Ann wearing wigs now?

 

[KayVeeTeeVee]

10 minutes ago, OnTime said:

Is Carrie Ann wearing wigs now?

 

Yes - she said so on the first show.

 

[OnTime]

7 hours ago, Sd601 said:

What stuck out to me tonight is that there is no real standout. Oh, there are a few that are better than others, but we are missing a really good ringer, someone exceptionally skilled with an unfair advantage but who just gives us really enjoyable dances. Ringers rustle up controversy, get people debating on fairness, elevate the level of difficulty, and ultimately draw us in to watch (ratings!). Some ringers win (Meryl, Nicole, Alfonso, Jordan, etc). Others don’t. Kaitlyn, I suppose, is the closest we can call a ringer, but she doesn’t dance well enough.

I sort of like that is there is no real standout yet.  It is only the second dance and I like to watch people who work hard and improve each week!

Kaitlyn doesn't have the likeability factor.

[Lindsay Loo Hoo]

Tired of Tyra. We could have done without the beginning "smize" segment. 

Don't know if i can watch anymore live, might just watch the dances on youtube so i don't have to suffer through Tyra making everything about her

Sidenote, Jive is my favorite dance, and Val create the most boring jive of all time last night. I don't even know if i could consider it a Jive. Sigh.

[LBS]

I’m enjoying the dancing and the contestants more than I thought I would.  I really like Anne Heche for some reason.  I think because she looks like she is just having fun out there and wants to learn ala Kate Flannery last season.  I thought that Kaitlyn’s injury was much ado about nothing and cynically thought it was fake  to add drama.  Seeing Val get knocked down a peg is always fun.  I feel a *bit* bad for Carole because I think the show is mocking her and she’s not in on the joke.  I just get a weird ‘mean girls’ vibe during her segments.  Won’t be sad to see her go but I wish they would figure out a narrative on her.  My cats and husband hate me now because I can’t stop singing ‘What’s Up Pussycat’ to them using the cats name.  Quarantine is making me crazy! 😺 🎶what’s up Davos-Cat, meow meow meow-meow🎶

[edie3]

Tyra, Tyra, Tyra, the show is not about you! It is about dancing. I used to enjoy watching this show. Now I am just sad.

[Fliz]

I am already tired of the confetti, flower petals, and whatever else they keep dropping onto the dance floor. I keep waiting for someone to slip and fall, and unless it's Tyra, I don't want to see that happen.

[MsJamieDornan]

There seems to be a lot of changes this year with hair, makeup and costumes. And they arent good changes. I'm wondering if they really had to slash the budget?  

The costumes don't fit well and some of the hairstyles aren't done well, not the style, just not done well. And the makeup is awful. Last week I noticed Monica Aldama's, and again this week it was bad. And then Cheryl Burkes made her look 50 years old. Those are just a few. 

I wonder if they just have really bad lightening this year ? That could certainly cause them to look bad.

[Jodithgrace]

I have no dog (or cat) in this race, since I barely know who any of the "celebrities" are. I do know Anne Heche. She was in a movie I really liked called Return to Paradise. I also know Johnny Weir from years of watching Olympic skating. I've heard of Carol Baskin, but never watched her show. 

I never watched ANTM, and so I know nothing about Tyra Banks, but she is a beautiful woman, and why her stylists put her in those Project Runway rejects, I have no idea. She does make it all about her, doesn't she? I miss Tom and Erin so much! They had such easy banter and Tom was truly funny. 

I wonder why Johnny Weir is doing so (relatively ) poorly. Other skating stars have made the transition to shoes on a ballroom floor. Yes, the ice dancers had an advantage, since they are used to dancing in pairs and learning ballroom type dances, but skill and grace and a strong work ethic helped a lot also, and I'm sure Johnny has those. I think he's too much in his head, and not just letting loose. Also I'd love to see him without so much costume. I know he loves excess, but he could do without it. 

Other than that, I leave it to the dancing expert to dissect. I watch this show as an escape and it still works for that, even though I regret all of the changes, some necessary and some NOT. 

[lavenderblue]

12 hours ago, DietCokeJunkie said:

I kinda love the judges deciding between the bottom 2. Too bad they didn’t come up with that when Sean Spicer or Bobby Bones were there! 

They did have it last season; the judges repeatedly saving Ally Brooke, including over James van der Beek, has stuck with me. Unfortunately, Sean never made bottom 2 until late in the game, so it was a moot point, and same would've been true for Bobby (and Bachelor Joe that season too). At least this time the worst dancers are already landing at the bottom.

Edited September 23, 2020 by lavenderblue

[kirklandia]

Sure looks like the Tyra show to me (at least on Comcast Xfinity).

Edited September 23, 2020 by kirklandia

[iMonrey]

Quote

So much damn Tyra-talk and had to cut the 3rd judge short every time.

This. I realize they have a formula but they need to retool it. Derek doesn't even have time to make a comment but Tara has enough time to blather on and on and then ask follow-up questions? That's BS. We've already had an intro package for the celebs, we already know their story this week. It's more important to hear what the judges have to say than to hear Tyra ask AJ why he loves his wife for crying out loud.

Oh, and Tyra honey? Your outfits are at an eleven. I need you to bring them down to about a six. This isn't Drag Race. Also, I am firmly of the opinion that only Shih Tzus should wear topknots.

I must be missing something because Johnny looks like he's doing better to me than he does to the judges. His frame and posture are good and he's doing a good job leading as well. Maybe there's something off about the footwork but I didn't see it. I wonder if maybe they just don't like him. After his dance they cut to some of the couples up in the balconies and nobody was clapping or even smiling. One of them was on their phone. It's possible he's just not popular with the other celebs and pros - he does have a rather off-putting personality TBH.

Quote

 The producers of DWTS telling the judges not to eliminate Carole Baskin because she gives good ratings

I can't believe there's much of a cross-over between Tiger King and DWTS. Maybe a few soft DWTS viewers who don't watch regularly might tune in for the trainwreck but it's not as if Baskin is such a beloved figure some huge fan base is going to sit through a 2-hour dance show for her.

Quote

Pasha seems like a really great teacher.

Let's just hope Carole doesn't murder him and feed him to her tigers. Like she did with her husband. {allegedly.}

[lavenderblue]

As far as Johnny is concerned, I also feel like the judges are being a little overcritical, and I can't help wondering if Britt's level of experience with ballroom is entering into things. Watching her so far I'm getting the same vibes I did with Allison -- there's just something different in terms of technique and ease about those who learn as adults after years in other disciplines versus those who start as kids/teens, even with cross-training (a la the Utah dancers), and who are then tasked with teaching and choreographing for novices.

On a related note, welcome back Brittany Cherry and Paul Karmiryan (they were the featured demo dancers), hope you've been treated better by the show this go-round!

Edited September 23, 2020 by lavenderblue