S29.E10: Semi-Finals

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Opening:

Skai's cha cha:

Justina's tango:

Johnny's salsa:

Nelly's paso doble:

Nev's foxtrot:

Kaitlyn's paso doble:

Justina's contemporary:

Skai's Viennese waltz:

Johnny's jazz:

Nev's contemporary:

Nelly's jive:

Kaitlyn's contemporary:

Elimination:

 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

The band was butchering songs left and right tonight. I mean, worse than usual which is saying something.

Nelly's jive was embarrassing to watch. His footwork was just so bad. His posture was terrible in the paso doble. I have no idea why the judges are giving him such high scores. He has improved minimally but he is still not a good dancer. He really shouldn't be in the final. If you're a week away from the finale and the pro is still choreographing routines where the celeb just plants his feet for a full ten seconds while you dance around him, you shouldn't make it to the finals just on principle.

Johnny's jazz was a contemporary routine. So many of the issues I've had with his routines this season have been due to Britt's choreography. He performed the routine fine but that wasn't a jazz routine.

Nev's contemporary reminded me exactly why I dislike Jenna and her choreography. It's always ME ME ME LOOK AT ME! Nev didn't actually do much dancing in this routine. His main role was to pick Jenna up so she could do a million lifts.

I thought Justina did a better job in her contemporary than Nev did. I really hope she manages to pull out a win because I have enjoyed her routines the most this season, but I've resigned myself to her losing.

Ha, I completely forgot about Kaitlyn. That's how forgettable her dancing is. Someone with as much ballet training as she has should have killed that contemporary routine but it looked on par with what you'd see a 15 year old girl do in a beginner contemporary dance at the spring recital. Her arms and épaulement are not what I expect from someone with ballet training, let alone as much ballet as she says she has. But I think I saw he finally point her feet!

[displayname]

1 hour ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Nev's contemporary reminded me exactly why I dislike Jenna and her choreography. It's always ME ME ME LOOK AT ME! Nev didn't actually do much dancing in this routine. His main role was to pick Jenna up so she could do a million lifts.

I thought Justina did a better job in her contemporary than Nev did. I really hope she manages to pull out a win because I have enjoyed her routines the most this season, but I've resigned myself to her losing.

Ha, I completely forgot about Kaitlyn. That's how forgettable her dancing is. Someone with as much ballet training as she has should have killed that contemporary routine but it looked on par with what you'd see a 15 year old girl do in a beginner contemporary dance at the spring recital. Her arms and épaulement are not what I expect from someone with ballet training, let alone as much ballet as she says she has. But I think I saw he finally point her feet!

For all their dance training, Nev and Kaitlyn, they just have no personality to their dancing. That's where Justina is better. She is a natural performer.

[OnTime]

1 hour ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I thought Justina did a better job in her contemporary than Nev did. I really hope she manages to pull out a win because I have enjoyed her routines the most this season, but I've resigned myself to her losing.

Ha, I completely forgot about Kaitlyn. That's how forgettable her dancing is

I won't give up on Justina! She is everything this show should be about and her dancing just feels good. 

Nothing about Kaitlyn feels good. Another Bachelorette with previous dance experience is not what this show should be about. 

Edited November 17, 2020 by OnTime

[Lady Calypso]

I'm not surprised that Nelly made the finale. I knew he was getting the votes so I figured he'd be the one to go through. I was hoping the elimination would be him and Skai, though. I wanted Johnny and Britt to make it to the finale. But props to Britt for getting SO FAR on her first season as a pro. That's not an easy feat to do, especially with this show being a popularity contest more so and Britt not having the fanbase that the other pros do. And she really had a great partnership with Johnny. I started out not loving them and not really rooting for them to absolutelty having them as my favourites. It was nice to see how much Johnny grew as a dancer and how much the two seem to adore each other.

This was Skai's time to go but she vastly improved in the last few weeks. She finally seemed confident when she was dancing.

I'm not as mad about Nelly staying as I was about Bobby Bones, to be honest. Of course I'd rather Johnny than Nelly but I'm not white-hot angry about it. Maybe it helps that Nelly's attitude is better than Bobby's had ever been. Of course Nelly was making mistakes still in his dances but I do notice an improvement. With Bobby, I just found him consistently mediocre with no improvement. But I do want him to take 4th and nothing higher.

I'm rooting for Justina to win. Not just for Sasha to earn his first Mirrorball but because Justina has improved so much and she has such joy when she dances. Nev is a great dancer and the best of the season but he doesn't give me that joy like Justina does.

Kaitlyn made the finale, which makes me happy for Artem. He definitely got a great partner this year. Yes, she may not show emotion when she dances but she's technically great and I can work past someone showing less emotion. And she did a great job with her dances this time. Her Paso was fantastic.

My hope is that it goes like this next week:  4th- Nelly, 3rd- Kaitlyn, 2nd- Nev, 1st- Justina

[boyznkatz]

10 hours ago, Emily-D said:

Bobby Bones didn’t get tens in the semi finals. He didn’t get tens until his freestyle which made it look even worse when he won. Giving Nelly tens now at least gives them some credibility when he wins it all, assuming they give him more tens next week.

I agree. He isn’t as horrible as Bones, but I do think they are trying to save face by giving him a ten so they don’t look totally foolish when he wins. He has repeatedly been on the bottom of the leaderboard but never on the bottom two, so I am pretty sure he is getting more votes than anyone else.

Although I would like Artem or Sasha to win, I would be okay with Nelly winning. He doesn’t whine about his low scores like Bobby Bones and he has improved. And maybe they would keep Daniella and Britt over Whitney and Sharna. They were impressive!

 

 

Edited November 17, 2020 by boyznkatz

[ams1001]

8 hours ago, FilmTVGeek80 said:

You guys would probably think I was mental at how many times I screamed at the scree for Tyra to shut up.

Not me. I tell her to shut up all the time. I don't have DVR so I can't fast forward, but I mute most of what happens in between the actual dancing at this point. I just can't with her.

[Emily-D]

28 minutes ago, boyznkatz said:

I agree. He isn’t as horrible as Bones, but I do think they are trying to save face by giving him a ten so they don’t look totally foolish when he wins. He has repeatedly been on the bottom of the leaderboard but never on the bottom two, so I am pretty sure he is getting more votes than anyone else.

Although I would like Artem or Sasha to win, I would be okay with Nelly winning. He doesn’t whine about his low scores like Bobby Bones and he has improved. And maybe they would keep Daniella and Britt over Whitney and Sharna. They were impressive!

 

 

I fully agree that he's not as bad as Bones, but the reason he gets singled out as the main comparison to Nelly is because it would be an identical case where the weakest dancer in the finale by a mile makes a mockery of the show dubbing itself 'a dance competition' and takes the win due to overwhelming fan votes. Even the cast is similar to S27 with the two women and two men. Justina is Alexis in the bottom three the week before, Kaitlyn is Evanna with the pro in his first final and Nev is Milo with the Utah based partner. It's eerily familiar. 

[Lady Calypso]

10 minutes ago, Emily-D said:

I fully agree that he's not as bad as Bones, but the reason he gets singled out as the main comparison to Nelly is because it would be an identical case where the weakest dancer in the finale by a mile makes a mockery of the show dubbing itself 'a dance competition' and takes the win due to overwhelming fan votes. Even the cast is similar to S27 with the two women and two men. Justina is Alexis in the bottom three the week before, Kaitlyn is Evanna with the pro in his first final and Nev is Milo with the Utah based partner. It's eerily familiar. 

Except Nev has experience in dance that Milo never did. I get the comparison but I think that taking into account the different experiences each celeb has is important. Nelly is the weakest dancer left, but he's the one with the least amount of experience left for the finale. He's shown some improvement. Maybe not enough to be considered a contender to win, but he's someone who has improved and I don't think would be a mockery for the show if he were to win. 

Justina isn't like Alexis because they had different growths on the show. Kaitlyn isn't like Evanna because they have different strengths. 

I get the point about the popularity contest and that's ALWAYS going to be an issue with a show that involves audience voting as heavily as this show does. But they're not likely to rework that beyond what they have. It's a shame but it's always going to be unfair to an extent. But Nelly's situation isn't like what happened in season 27. Season 27 was a disaster for many reasons. This season has been fairly good and got rid of its true duds early on. Nelly isn't a great dancer but he isn't incompetent. He has rhythm and has the upper body movement. It's the lower body movement that has been his major issue. And he's been trying to learn and has made steps to improve. Compared to Bobby, who disrespected Sharna's choreography at every opportunity. Remember not just his first two weeks when he did moves that Sharna didn't expect, but also his freestyle when he started flossing? 

 

[TVMovieBuff]

If Nelly wins this, it could end the show altogether. When Bones won, the show went 1 season a year, from 2. 

Nelly seems like a good guy, but that doesn't mean he should win a dance contest. 

I chose 3 people to back last night, with my votes. They were, Nev, Johnny, and Justina. 

I didn't think Justina is 48!  I thought maybe 35. 

[realdancemom]

13 hours ago, McManda said:

Was that not the version (or a cover of the version) from Mulan Rouge? 

Yes but I don't remember the actual Mulan Rouge version being that bad.  I couldn't enjoy the dance because I was so distracted by the song.  It sounded like this should have been used during Villains night.  There have been lots of bad singing in DWTS but not so much that I couldn't concentrate on the dancing.

[alexa]

20 minutes ago, TVMovieBuff said:

If Nelly wins this, it could end the show altogether. When Bones won, the show went 1 season a year, from 2. 

Nelly seems like a good guy, but that doesn't mean he should win a dance contest. 

I chose 3 people to back last night, with my votes. They were, Nev, Johnny, and Justina. 

I didn't think Justina is 48!  I thought maybe 35. 

I don't think Nelly is anywhere near the Bones situation.  I don't think it would end the show, or be a mockery or an issue whatsoever.  There really haven't been tons of great dancers in this round anyway, and he really isn't on the bottom rung of DWTS dancers overall.  He has had some good dances in there, and he does put in a great deal of effort.  

25 minutes ago, Lady Calypso said:

Except Nev has experience in dance that Milo never did. I get the comparison but I think that taking into account the different experiences each celeb has is important. Nelly is the weakest dancer left, but he's the one with the least amount of experience left for the finale. He's shown some improvement. Maybe not enough to be considered a contender to win, but he's someone who has improved and I don't think would be a mockery for the show if he were to win. 

Justina isn't like Alexis because they had different growths on the show. Kaitlyn isn't like Evanna because they have different strengths. 

I get the point about the popularity contest and that's ALWAYS going to be an issue with a show that involves audience voting as heavily as this show does. But they're not likely to rework that beyond what they have. It's a shame but it's always going to be unfair to an extent. But Nelly's situation isn't like what happened in season 27. Season 27 was a disaster for many reasons. This season has been fairly good and got rid of its true duds early on. Nelly isn't a great dancer but he isn't incompetent. He has rhythm and has the upper body movement. It's the lower body movement that has been his major issue. And he's been trying to learn and has made steps to improve. Compared to Bobby, who disrespected Sharna's choreography at every opportunity. Remember not just his first two weeks when he did moves that Sharna didn't expect, but also his freestyle when he started flossing? 

 

I agree.  I don't think Nelly compares with the Bobby situation at all.  I think he has put in legitimate effort in all of the dances and he has had some I really have enjoyed.  

[ams1001]

13 minutes ago, realdancemom said:

Yes but I don't remember the actual Mulan Rouge version being that bad.  I couldn't enjoy the dance because I was so distracted by the song.  It sounded like this should have been used during Villains night.  There have been lots of bad singing in DWTS but not so much that I couldn't concentrate on the dancing.

At first I was thinking, "hey, actual tango music... nice!" and then the singing started...

[TVbitch]

This season is so blah for me. Only a couple really stand out dances. I love Johnny, but Brit's choreo is dance class 101. Nelly can't dance. He tries but he just can't. Justina has a personality but the other ladies seem like perma smile performers. Tyra lived down to my expectations. The singers are so god awful, I have to turn the volume down. I'm sure there is more I could bitch about, but I'll stop there! : D

[Matryoshka]

59 minutes ago, realdancemom said:

Yes but I don't remember the actual Mulan Rouge version being that bad.  I couldn't enjoy the dance because I was so distracted by the song.  It sounded like this should have been used during Villains night.  There have been lots of bad singing in DWTS but not so much that I couldn't concentrate on the dancing.

The Moulin Rouge version is by Jose Feliciano and Ewan McGregor and is a weird reimagining of the original song, but it works in the context of the movie. It’s also a popular choice for skating routines. That cover last night was just distractingly horrible; I think it genuinely might be the worst thing I’ve ever heard on the show.

[boyznkatz]

I still think Kaitlyn and Nev will be the final two. I think they are just preparing in case Nelly wins. I don’t see Nev having a very big fanbase and it really hasn’t been tested, but Kaitlyn has Bachelor Nation.

I think Justina is pretty much going to get fourth place.

[Back Atcha]

6 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Nelly's jive was embarrassing to watch. His footwork was just so bad.

Thank you!   Additionally, it was obvious that a FEMALE was training Nelly. I think even he felt uncomfortable.  Everything (for me) was just too feminine.  And...that Jazz is the last dance I watched.  (Thanks, ElectricBoogaloo, for presenting the elimination video--and (mostly) for your insightful comments).  This has become the All Things Tyra Show and I just can't bear it.  

[Back Atcha]

2 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

Remember not just his first two weeks when he did moves that Sharna didn't expect, but also his freestyle when he started flossing?

He KNEW the fix was in!  Why bother to do anything the poor choreographer/partner prepares?

(Reference: Bobby Bones)

 

Edited November 17, 2020 by Back Atcha
Clarification (earlier season)

[Back Atcha]

11 hours ago, FilmTVGeek80 said:

You guys would probably think I was mental at how many times I screamed at the scree for Tyra to shut up. I try and fast forward her as much as possible, but I can't always and she's just insufferable. Even when she's joking around she just seems incredibly fake and like she wants the spotlight always on her. The way she speaks drives me up the wall. I know the elimination is supposed to be dramatic and Tom always did the pausing and the serious voice, but Tyra acts like people's lives are literally on the line. 

You guys would probably think I was mental at how many times I screamed at the scree for Tyra to shut up. I try and fast forward her as much as possible, but I can't always and she's just insufferable. Even when she's joking around she just seems incredibly fake and like she wants the spotlight always on her. The way she speaks drives me up the wall. I know the elimination is supposed to be dramatic and Tom always did the pausing and the serious voice, but Tyra acts like people's lives are literally on the line. 

You guys would probably think I was mental at how many times I screamed at the scree for Tyra to shut up. I try and fast forward her as much as possible, but I can't always and she's just insufferable. Even when she's joking around she just seems incredibly fake and like she wants the spotlight always on her. The way she speaks drives me up the wall. I know the elimination is supposed to be dramatic and Tom always did the pausing and the serious voice, but Tyra acts like people's lives are literally on the line. 

                                                                               A THOUSAND TIMES !!!

But...she's an executive producer, so she's calling the shots.  She had the cojones to mention that the "audience" was really excited...really making noise.  I assume next season will be even worse.  She'll have months to give input of all her wonderful NEW ideas (and Mama's).  Mama will probably have a spot on each show too.  Maybe Mama will take over for Carrie Ann.

[Back Atcha]

15 hours ago, vibeology said:

I'm sad Johnny is gone.

I'm VERY sad that Johnny is gone.  Sadder still, that he had such an inexperienced partner "choreographer."  

[ams1001]

18 minutes ago, Back Atcha said:

But...she's an executive producer, so she's calling the shots.

lol...somebody asked last night who thought Tyra was a good choice for host and I thought..."Tyra."

[realdancemom]

15 hours ago, ams1001 said:

I know that Nev's wikipedia's page says he was expelled from college for punching someone...

Nev punched a woman.  He admitted that in his book.  Then you have the Catfish sexual allegation/assault allegations.

[Back Atcha]

14 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

33 minutes ago, Back Atcha said:

But...she's an executive producer, so she's calling the shots.

lol...somebody asked last night who thought Tyra was a good choice for host and I thought..."Tyra."

WHO even lets her into the executives' offices for meetings?  Do they truly think she's a representative of America's Black Woman?  I'll never get it.

[boyznkatz]

Even without the sexual assault allegations I’ve found Nev unlikeable. He acts like he can dance because his mom took him to watch ballet. I’ve taken my sons (who also studied dance for a couple of years) to dance shows, and I took ballet for a couple of years as a kid, but all of us are horrible dancers. The guy obviously has way more dance experience than he admits. You aren’t fooling us, Dude.

At least Kaitlyn admits it!

Edited November 17, 2020 by boyznkatz

[Bliss]

I'm resigned to having a love/hate relationship with this show now.

Most of the hate is directed at abc for firing Tom B, because they basically ruined the show by forcing Tyra on me. Every week, I think, "give her a chance..." and every week, I'm forced to hit mute or fast forward because she cannot host, ask questions, adlib, or even walk like a normal host. JMO. I'm not going to get into her choices of wardrobe - she probably wouldn't like what I'm wearing while watching her either! LOL (there's nothing better than sloppy pjs, a blanket, and a fur baby keeping me company while watching dancing)

The easiest solution is to simply stop watching; however, that choice annoys the h out of me because it used to be the show I looked forward to a lot... in fact, I'd save shows to watch with my grandkids when they visit... so it isn't just a wee, insignificant issue with me. It matters! Grrrrrr.

Shame on you, abc, for your pure greed and absolute stupidity.

[funnygirl]

39 minutes ago, realdancemom said:

Nev punched a woman.  He admitted that in his book.  Then you have the Catfish sexual allegation/assault allegations.

That skeevy trash human does not deserve to win, let alone have been given this opportunity for exposure. I don't care how good of a dancer (thanks to his years of training) he is. I prefer real actual even somewhat STARS to win the show. At this point I'm team anyone but Nev (but would prefer Justina to win!). I watch this show for effort, improvement, and pure entertainment value. Technique and perfection are what the pros bring to the table. 

Edited November 17, 2020 by funnygirl

[RealHousewife]

3 hours ago, alexa said:

I don't think Nelly is anywhere near the Bones situation.  I don't think it would end the show, or be a mockery or an issue whatsoever.  There really haven't been tons of great dancers in this round anyway, and he really isn't on the bottom rung of DWTS dancers overall.  He has had some good dances in there, and he does put in a great deal of effort.  

I agree.  I don't think Nelly compares with the Bobby situation at all.  I think he has put in legitimate effort in all of the dances and he has had some I really have enjoyed.  

I don't know the Bones situation, but I agree Nelly has been working hard, had the least experience, and has gotten better and better. I think he has the ability and work ethic to become a beautiful, beautiful dancer. I also enjoy him because he's hot and looks like he's having fun. I'm not sure who I'd like to win, but I definitely get Nelly's popularity. 

[boyznkatz]

To me, Bones’s crappy dancing wasn’t the main reason I was pissed that he won. He was obviously a lazy ass who rode his huge fanbase to the win while trashing his competition. I think he would have improved if he listened to Sharna and tried hard. He wasn’t THAT awful naturally and he was cute.

At least Nelly takes criticism gracefully and doesn’t trash the others that we know of. He seems humble and works hard.  I think he and Bobby had the same ability but Nelly tries and Bobby didn’t.

[realdancemom]

19 minutes ago, boyznkatz said:

To me, Bones’s crappy dancing wasn’t the main reason I was pissed that he won. He was obviously a lazy ass who rode his huge fanbase to the win while trashing his competition. I think he would have improved if he listened to Sharna and tried hard. He wasn’t THAT awful naturally and he was cute.

At least Nelly takes criticism gracefully and doesn’t trash the others that we know of. He seems humble and works hard.  I think he and Bobby had the same ability but Nelly tries and Bobby didn’t.

I agree with everything that you said except I did not think that Bones was cute.  Besides trashing the other contestants, he also complained on social media about his scores which I wrote in another episode thread.  Also agreed with the post that said that he was disrespectful to Sharna and her choreography.  I do believe he asked to do flossing in the finale but the first time that he made up stuff, she was shocked and almost fell.

I would like Justina to win but since she was in the bottom, I don't think that will happen.  I'm still giving her my 10 abc.com votes.   I don't massive vote.  I'm mostly looking forward to the freestyles.

[OnTime]

16 minutes ago, realdancemom said:

I would like Justina to win but since she was in the bottom, I don't think that will happen.  I'm still giving her my 10 abc.com votes. 

I have to put aside that she was in the bottom two.  I would love to her to win!!!

She had made this season so enjoyable at at time (no Tom, having Tyra, no Len) when the show feels like only a part of what it use to be. I probably would have quit watching after the first two show with out her.

Whatever happens, Justina was the breath of fresh air this show needed!!

 

[ItsHelloPattiagain]

3 hours ago, Matryoshka said:

The Moulin Rouge version is by Jose Feliciano and Ewan McGregor and is a weird reimagining of the original song, but it works in the context of the movie

Perfect explanation. It makes sense in the movie but not standing alone. I'm a HUGE fan of the movie and it even bothered me used out of context. 

Sad, sad, sad Johnny is gone. He's so talented and quirky. 

Right now I'm voting ABC (anybody but Caitlin/ Kaitlin - see, I can't even be bothered to spell her name right). She has the personality of a blank sheet of paper. I would even wish Nelly would beat her- at least you can tell he's trying HARD (not always getting there, but trying). 

Justine gives me all the happy feels when she dances. There's just so much joy in her face. 

[Jsage]

3 hours ago, boyznkatz said:

I still think Kaitlyn and Nev will be the final two. I think they are just preparing in case Nelly wins. I don’t see Nev having a very big fanbase and it really hasn’t been tested, but Kaitlyn has Bachelor Nation.

I think Justina is pretty much going to get fourth place.

With the improvement in his scores, I think Nelly can easily win the final. Kaitlyn may have Bachelor Nation but that's nothing compared to Nelly's fan base. I looked on instagram and Kaitlyn has 1.8 million followers. Seems impressive except that Nelly has 3.1 million! As a rapper, he has an entirely different demographic voting for him than anyone else. His fans probably don't watch the show, but they vote for him every Monday anyway.

[OnTime]

35 minutes ago, ItsHelloPattiagain said:

Right now I'm voting ABC (anybody but Caitlin/ Kaitlin - see, I can't even be bothered to spell her name right). She has the personality of a blank sheet of paper. I would even wish Nelly would beat her- at least you can tell he's trying HARD (not always getting there, but trying). 

THIS!!! 

I almost posted I'd take Nelly winning over Kaitlyn!  I'd be so happy if she was the first one of the final four to go!

Gosh,  there is nothing I even like about her or her dancing.

[Annber03]

7 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

I wanted Johnny and Britt to make it to the finale. But props to Britt for getting SO FAR on her first season as a pro. That's not an easy feat to do, especially with this show being a popularity contest more so and Britt not having the fanbase that the other pros do. And she really had a great partnership with Johnny. I started out not loving them and not really rooting for them to absolutelty having them as my favourites. It was nice to see how much Johnny grew as a dancer and how much the two seem to adore each other.

Agreed :). They developed a really nice rapport as partners, it was clear they had fun working together. That definitely goes a long way. 

[boyznkatz]

16 minutes ago, Jsage said:

With the improvement in his scores, I think Nelly can easily win the final. Kaitlyn may have Bachelor Nation but that's nothing compared to Nelly's fan base. I looked on instagram and Kaitlyn has 1.8 million followers. Seems impressive except that Nelly has 3.1 million! As a rapper, he has an entirely different demographic voting for him than anyone else. His fans probably don't watch the show, but they vote for him every Monday anyway.

Judging from Facebook there are also a lot of grandmas who drool over Nelly. He nay be getting a lot of AJ’s fans now that he is gone.

 

[blackwing]

 

6 hours ago, ams1001 said:

At first I was thinking, "hey, actual tango music... nice!" and then the singing started...

6 hours ago, realdancemom said:

Yes but I don't remember the actual Mulan Rouge version being that bad.  I couldn't enjoy the dance because I was so distracted by the song.  It sounded like this should have been used during Villains night.  There have been lots of bad singing in DWTS but not so much that I couldn't concentrate on the dancing.

I agree that it was not a good version by the band, but it was still recognizable, and that piece of music I think is very arresting and purposely harsh.  I am really hoping that the people that couldn't identify it was more because of the singer and not the actual song.  Granted, the movie is almost 20 years old, but now I am feeling really really old.  I had "Come What May" played at my wedding.

 

10 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Nev's contemporary reminded me exactly why I dislike Jenna and her choreography. It's always ME ME ME LOOK AT ME! Nev didn't actually do much dancing in this routine. His main role was to pick Jenna up so she could do a million lifts.

2 hours ago, funnygirl said:

That skeevy trash human does not deserve to win, let alone have been given this opportunity for exposure. I don't care how good of a dancer (thanks to his years of training) he is. I prefer real actual even somewhat STARS to win the show. At this point I'm team anyone but Nev (but would prefer Justina to win!). I watch this show for effort, improvement, and pure entertainment value. Technique and perfection are what the pros bring to the table. 

I had never ever heard of this guy before the show.  And I don't just mean not really knowing who he is, but I mean I had never even heard his name before.  I've never heard of him or his show.  Something about him really rubs me the wrong way, and it might be unfair to him, but I simply just don't like him.  I agree that I want anybody but him to win at this point.  Even ABC plant Kaitlyn.  I'm so sick of Nev and his see through shirts and the talking about his hairy chest and his nipples and the gushing from Bruno.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I know people like to see improvement in a celebrity but my issue with Nelly is that despite his small amount of improvement, his dancing is still far below the others in the semi finals. I mean, even Skai was a better dancer (Bambi legs and all).

To me, Nelly is like a guy who started out running a 10 minute mile and is now running a 9 minute 30 second mile but for some reason is being handed gold medals. Honestly, I applaud any improvement because that shows you worked hard to be better, but if you're still not very good then you don't really deserve to win (or go to the finale instead of someone like Johnny or AJ). It doesn't matter how much effort you put in if the execution still isn't good (and I don't know how anyone could look at the footwork in Nelly's jive and try to tell me that was any kind of good).

7 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

Kaitlyn made the finale, which makes me happy for Artem. He definitely got a great partner this year. Yes, she may not show emotion when she dances but she's technically great and I can work past someone showing less emotion.

I'm happy for Artem because I still have a soft spot for him from SYTYCD. My issue is that Kaitlyn is not technically great. She's technically okay. When I look at her arms, her shoulders, her feet, or her knees, I do not see technically great. Her dancing is about on par with what I expect to see from a female celeb who took some dance classes with her friends in middle school, was a high school cheerleader, or now does yoga occasionally, meaning she's not hopelessly uncoordinated and she can memorize the routines, but she doesn't have the finesse or articulation of someone with years of dance training.

I don't mind ringers so when I heard that she had taken ballet for so long, I was expecting her to blow me away and instead I have been underwhelmed all season. Her tango this week was an improvement but it's not something that I'll remember a week from now. I'll remember Artem's costume though!

Although facial expressions do help sell a dance, I'm okay with someone not having a super expressive face or looking overly emotional while dancing. I watch this show for the dance so if you put a paper bag over everyone's faces and I could only watch their bodies dancing, I'd be totally fine with that. Kaitlyn's emotion (or lack thereof) during her dancing doesn't bother me at all. I just find her dancing to be very average and lackluster.

If you want to see what you think of someone's dancing (and not their facial expressions/personality/emotions), try watching their routines on youtube and just hold your thumb over their face. Once Nelly's smile is gone, how can you not see that awful footwork? Sometimes I rewatch these routines and only watch one aspect. When I watch Nelly's and only look at his feet, it's shuffle shuffle, stand still for ten seconds, walk walk, shuffle, stand still some more. That's not the kind of dancing that interests me.

[babyhouseman]

I want Justina to win, but with her in the bottom two, I don't think that's going to happen. I hope they have a fantastic freestyle. I'm predicting the Bachelorette winning. I don't care care about her, but I would be happy for Artem. Not knowing much about Nelly, I was just surprised at his fanbase especially since he isn't the best dancer. 

When Tyra said there was a special treat next week, I thought "Tom is coming back?" Of course, it was Derek dancing. 

[seacliffsal]

Every week I turn on the show and tell myself to just get through Tyra.  Instead, as soon as she so dramatically walks out and starts talking in that slow, overly dramatic style I turn the channel to The Voice.  I just can't make it through her intros.  Therefore, I am totally dependent on all of you and your posts to follow what is happening on the show.   Thanks everyone!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

1 hour ago, seacliffsal said:

Every week I turn on the show and tell myself to just get through Tyra.  Instead, as soon as she so dramatically walks out and starts talking in that slow, overly dramatic style I turn the channel to The Voice.  I just can't make it through her intros.  Therefore, I am totally dependent on all of you and your posts to follow what is happening on the show.   Thanks everyone!

Just watch the dances on youtube and you don't have to listen to Tyra! I post them in the episode threads every week.

[Zuleikha]

I love Nelly, awkward dancing and all. He's fun for me to watch. I wish he had been on a season where he could do more practice time. I only watch the dances, but he seems like he's committed and trying hard. I wonder how much he could have grown with more practice time.

Johnny never did get past the skater bum issue, did he? He was generally good, though.

Skai had a good night. I'm glad she went out on a high note, and I'm glad she finally improved whatever's been going on in her legs. Still not great, but definitely improved.

Nev and Justina were both gorgeous to watch. Justina seems like a better person, so I hope she takes the trophy. But Nev's dancing is deserving, too. (and I won't be sad if Nelly ends up taking it. This is a show about enjoying the dancers, not about technical dance skill) 

Kaitlyn really is just there for me. She's pretty, but she's not captivating. She's the only one I don't want to win. I think she deserved to make the finals, but I think she's the least deserving of the trophy.

[PikaScrewChu]

If we're really going to take a stroll down memory lane, Nelly's arc is more like Ty Murray from Season 8. I don't think this is anywhere near a Bobby Bones situation. 

Difference is season 8 had Melissa Rycroft, Gilles Marini, and Shawn Johnson. 4th was the best Ty was going to get. This one, ehhh... Hard to say it's going to go. I don't think I could be mad if Nelly won, although I would prefer Justina. Nev and Kaitlyn, while technically great, just leave me cold. Watching Kaitlyn's cha cha dance off last week was almost robotic. Infusing personality into your dance training is HARD and as someone who has been there, I'm sympathetic. I just don't find it pleasant to watch, even if it is technically great. 

Nev just comes off skeevy. That's all. 

 

 

 

 

[Just Carol]

Add me to the "anyone but Kaitlyn" group.  She is awful.  Her Paso tonight was weak and stumbley.  Her all 10s were ridiculous.  When Derek started his comments by saying she was too soft, I was happy, because I had hopes that he was not going to give her a 10.  Then, bam, 10.  She is my least favorite of those remaining.

i like Nelly because of his natural groove.  Even if his technique is not perfect, well, he still looks like he is dancing.

i am a fan of Johnny, but his first dance was not great.  Slow,  maybe tentative.  The high-waisted pants made his posterior look extra big and low. When the camera showed his Cuban heel, I saw that the pant legs were way too long.  (His costuming has been pretty bad throughout.) He deserved the low scores, but the other redemption dances were over-scored.

Tyra is unwatchable.

Edited November 18, 2020 by Just Carol

[Back Atcha]

2 hours ago, Just Carol said:

Tyra is unwatchable.

AMEN!

2 hours ago, Just Carol said:

Tyra is unwatchable.

Only the viewers care.  The network doesn't.  Fortunately, I never have to watch again...and it's all because of HER (as always).

[Seelouis]

10 hours ago, Back Atcha said:

AMEN!

Only the viewers care.  The network doesn't.  Fortunately, I never have to watch again...and it's all because of HER (as always).

I think what annoys me the most is that they fired Tom yet I can’t see what they gained by switching to Tyra. If they wanted a change they could have gone with someone younger - and I say this as someone who is very much in Tom’s demographic. If they wanted to add more diversity, great! But I don’t think Tyra gets them what they need. She doesn’t bring any fresh energy to the show. She’s terrible at non-scripted banter and isn’t even that good at the scripted stuff. Just an all around fail in my opinion. 

[Sister Havana]

I would rather have had Johnny in the finals over Kaitlyn. She's a good dancer, but something about her just leaves me cold. I can't explain it. I loved Johnny and Britt's partnership and I just enjoy Johnny in general. 

I would be fine with any of the other 3 winning. (I didn't pick any of them to win or even get to the finals when the cast was announced - go figure!) I didn't realize Nev would be as good as he is,  and he's been consistently so. Nelly has visibly improved during the season, he works hard and he's taking it seriously, not just coasting along knowing the size of his fan base. And Justina is just a joy to watch. 

The change I really hope they keep for future seasons is not having the troupe involved in every single dance. I get that it was made by circumstances and not necessarily by choice, but it's been refreshing to have the focus on the star and partner, not all sorts of backup dancers. 

 

 

[realdancemom]

1 hour ago, Sister Havana said:

I would rather have had Johnny in the finals over Kaitlyn. She's a good dancer, but something about her just leaves me cold. I can't explain it. I loved Johnny and Britt's partnership and I just enjoy Johnny in general. 

The change I really hope they keep for future seasons is not having the troupe involved in every single dance. I get that it was made by circumstances and not necessarily by choice, but it's been refreshing to have the focus on the star and partner, not all sorts of backup dancers. 

 

 

I wished Johnny was there instead of Nelly.  However, I agree with you about Kaitlyn.  I feel nothing when she dances.  I was emotional during her contemporary pre-package so I thought that her contemporary would make me cry.  But it didn't and I usually cry easily on emotional contemporaries.  While her feet are not as bad as Chrishell who was pigeon toed and had lazy feet, I also expect somebody that has as much ballet training as she supposedly had to have amazing feet.  I also agree with Derek about her paso.  At the beginning, her arms were like wet noodles and they had no strength.  She improved during the dance but it was still just o.k. not great.

It wasn't Johnny's best night.  During his salsa, they definitely got caught up with the arms.  He had a lot of attitude when he did the dance which is good but he still dances too pretty for Latin.  With their jazz, some of the parts were not synchronized.  Like others, I thought it was more contemporary not jazz.

Nev's frame was better in the foxtrot.  I really liked his contemporary but that was more because of Jenna not what he did.

Nelly surprised me but that's easy when most of the time you stand in one place and just stomp your feet.  I didn't expect that he could move his feet that fast.  I know that everybody is judged based on themselves and not others but those 10s were extremely generous.  9s would have been more than generous.  His knees were not high enough and he stood in place for a lot of it.  He had better shaping in his arms for the paso but his feet/legs were still the same to me.

I hope that Nelly doesn't win because of his dancing but I still stand by my previous comment that it's not as bad as Bones.  If Kaitlyn wins, then I'll be happy for Artem.  If Nev wins, then he's a good dancer and Jenna could have a full season win.  My favorite is Justina and that's who I'm voting for.  I've liked her from the first week because of the joy she brings to dancing.  Her technique is good enough and I would be happy if Sasha won.  She looked beautiful in the red dress.

[Back Atcha]

5 hours ago, Seelouis said:

She doesn’t bring any fresh energy to the show.

Has she EVER brought fresh energy to any show?  To any person?   Maybe Mama.

If I had her track record, her talent, and her reviews, I'd have to change my name and move to another country.

5 hours ago, Seelouis said:

She’s terrible at non-scripted banter and isn’t even that good at the scripted stuff.

Sadly, it seems that only the viewers get it.

5 hours ago, Seelouis said:

Just an all around fail in my opinion. 

EXQUISITE!

1 hour ago, realdancemom said:

It wasn't Johnny's best night.  ... snip-snip-snip ...  Like others, I thought it was more contemporary not jazz.

Yet JOHNNY goes home and his partner lives to see another season ... unless All-About-ME-ME-ME Tyra has Titanic'd this one.

[boyznkatz]

I would rather have Tom than Tyra, but she isn’t annoying to the point where it ruins the show IMO. I liked this season because there were plenty of good dancers and most of the dead weights were eliminated early. Also there wasn’t anyone intolerable like Bones or Spicer.

Kaitlyn has a boring personality and Nev is skeevey and annoying, but I like watching them dance. Nelly and Justina aren’t as good but they are also entertaining to watch. Overall a far better season than the past few seasons.

[JenLily]

I think what bothers me the most about the comparisons to Bobby Bones is Nelly doesn't seem to have an inflated sense of his dancing ability. He doesn't disrespect his partner by making up dance moves or messing with her choreography. He's not out there acting like he's better than his competitors or riling up his fan base or complaining about the judges and their scores. He's trying his best and showing some improvement and just all around being nice. Do I think he should win based on improvement or niceness? No, of course not. But likening him to Bobby Bones is unfair. If anything, I see more similarity with Bill Engvall's arc: okay dancer but nice guy who went further than he should have. Pardon my language, but Bobby Bones was a douche who's shitty personality came nowhere close to making up for his mediocre dancing ability. I can understand why Bill and Nelly got to where they were/are in the competition. I'll never understand how Bobby managed to win. (I mean, I understand it, I get how phone and internet voting work. I just don't understand, if you know what I mean.)

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Justina pulls off a win. She's my favorite. Kaitlyn has zero personality or life on the dance floor and Nev just kind of bothers me. His enthusiasm seems a bit disingenuous to me although I can't put my finger on why that is. I enjoy watching Justina dance and I can't say that about the other two. Hell, I enjoy watching Nelly dance more than I do Kaitlyn or Nev.