S29.E11: Finale

[Guest]

Airs November 23, 2020

Quote

Four celebrity and pro-dancer couples dance and compete to win the coveted mirrorball trophy; Nelly performs.

 

[mtlchick]

That reminder that Nelly's first album is older than Skai.  

Well played Bachelor Nation.  AGAIN.  Somewhat surprised Nev didn't win.  I am happy Artem finally won.  

This season did go better than expected, and the scaled back production made the dances better overall.  But I think there's still room for improvements.  

And it starts with the Loofah dress that is wearing Tyra.  GIRL, enough with the entrances no one asked for. 

See you in 2021?

[alexa]

I honestly did not expect her to win.  And I am disappointed.  I don’t think she ever really performed up to what should have been her potential.  

[ams1001]

My stream of (semi)consciousness as I watched:

• Why is Tyra wearing a giant blue bedspread and sneakers?
• (Or, as my friend put it, "Holy blue marshmallow!")
• The sound people really don't want us to hear her, do they?
• I liked Kaitlyn's AT but man those lights were distracting.
• Costume change: Now what the hell does she have on her head?
• (My friend said "Any bets on how many outfits she’ll have? I say 5.")
• Points to Nelly for auctioning off his dance shoes for charity.
• I hope to all the gods I don't believe in that this is the last time I ever hear about Nev's chest hair.
• Why does Tyra keep putting her hand on her belly?
• I love watching Derek dance. That was fun.
• Nelly's freestyle: That was...um...
• Dress 3...yeah, no.
• I love it when they revisit the early-exiters and I've totally forgotten they were even on the show.
• Kaitlyn & Artem freestyle: That was lots of fun.
• Nev & Jenna's freestyle made me want to go watch Tom Holland's Lip Sync Battle performance again.
• Of course Derek's notebook is a collage of himself.
• Justina freestyle: was she really lifting him?
• I think my favorite freestyle was Kaitlyn, then Nev.
• I don't really care who wins.
• I wonder if Pasha and Daniella dance like that around the house...
• The last over-dramatic announcements of the season! Woo!
• JUST SAY IT ALREADY!
• Nev was the better dancer but I like Artem better than Jenna, so...I'm okay with this.
• 'Til next time! Assuming there is a next time.

[Lilac2000]

Did Kaitlyn win...or did Artem win? I know you can't underestimate Bachelor Nation but it seems like an Artem victory to me.

[McManda]

The star halo I thing Tyra was wearing for her ... third? outfit change just made me think of Regina George in Mean Girls after she was hit by the bus. Probably not what Tyra was going for.

I can take or leave Kaitlyn but I'm glad Artem finally gets some recognition! 

Edited November 24, 2020 by McManda

[Annber03]

Wow. I thought maybe it might be Nev who won it all. I was rooting for Justina, myself, but I figured it'd come down to those two. Congrats to Kaitlyn, and to everyone else who made it to the final four :).

All the freestyles were great fun. The end of Nev and Jenna's was really cute, Nelly's little thing with that spin towards the end of his was impressive (and now I've got that "Hypnotize" song in my head), Justina's was fun as hell, and Kaitlyn's had a bit of a Moulin Rouge thing going on that I liked. 

Loved Bruno bopping along to "Hot in Heere" :D. 

The dress Tyra came out in at the very beginning was...something. Very poofy. Wow. 

If/when the show gets an official renewal, until next season then!

[OnTime]

Ugh!  Kaitlyn???? Another Bachelorette with previous dance experience.  

Edited November 24, 2020 by OnTime

[MerBearHou]

Enjoyed the dancers and judges so much this season.  This show was such a nice diversion this fall.

Didn’t miss Len.

I’m absolutely fine with Kaitlyn winning because she is a fabulous dancer.

Nev was crazy good too so I hope he gets his Broadway shot as soon as Broadway returns.

I was OK with the order of 4th, 3rd and then K and N in the final 2.  Would’ve been fine with either of those 2 winning the whole Mirror Ball.

Loved Nelly auctioning off his dance sneakers.  

Big cheers for Artem finally getting a Mirror Ball.  

Derek’s dance was absolutely magical — my gosh, the man is a mesmerizing dance wizard.

Go away next season, Tyra.  I like you even less at the end of the season than I did at the beginning.  She is not a good host whatsoever.  And her dramatic manner of speaking drives me bonkers.  The mute button became my go-to.

Edited November 24, 2020 by MerBearHou

[Annber03]

1 minute ago, MerBearHou said:

Derek’s dance was absolutely magical — my gosh, the man is a mesmerizing dance wizard.

That bit with the ladder. Dang. 

[vibeology]

I'm not a fan of Kaitlyn but I'm happy for Artem and happy that neither Nev or Nelly won. Also, I've seen Nelly in concert and that was a slight improvement (mostly because there were no teenage girls for him to drag onstage rather than rap) but he is not at strong performer. 

I'm sad for Justina. She was the only one who makes me want to dance. That freestyle was joyous. It's what I'll remember in a few years time.

[LexieLily]

Artem won! But what a depressing reminder of how the world is that no one besides Kaitlyn was allowed to come up to congratulate him and hug him.

I can't decide what my favorite part of the episode was: the constant cuts to the other celebs/pros in their little squares/boxes grooving to Nelly's concert, or Jenna low-key admitting that she hates her job most of the time unless she has a ringer. Lol

Up until the end Nev is trying to play the game that dance was a hobby that he gave up as a teenager. Yeah, right.

Edited November 24, 2020 by LexieLily

[ams1001]

Just gonna leave this here...

[PikaScrewChu]

Ah. All the mamas around the country disappointed that Nelly didn't win are finally hearing his music for the first time. 🙂

Bruno grooving out was the best part of the episode. 

Bachelor Nation always wins out. What can you do...

[magpye29]

So, was Tyra channeling Jesus or the Statue of Liberty?

Glad Artem won. Now can we have a bachelor-free season?

 

[Bliss]

LOVED the dancing... including Derek's... and even enjoyed Nelly's singing, thanks to Pasha and Daniella. Wow.

Yay Artem! Congrats to Kaitlyn!

Tyra - please just go away... oh, and I figured out your master plan: read all the snark and dial up everything to the max - the more outrageous, the better. Well, dang, girl, your volume hurts my ears. And eyes.

Other than the drama (Tyra), it was a great show - thanks to the dancing which is why I watch.

[edie3]

Her winning kind of sums up 2020, doesn't it? I really wanted Justina to win, or Nev.

[TiredMe]

Artem is my favorite so I’m thrilled for him! Yay!

my second choice would have been Justina and I did vote for her too. I never connected with Nev. something there just rubbed me the wrong way. But I am super glad Nelly did not win. I’m glad he was finally looking like he was having fun the past few weeks but woo boy he is not great.

whoever in this thread said they were happy to never hear about Nev chest hair again, I humbly second that. 

after the Tom firing I gave up the show only to watch for Artem. Now that he has won I feel like I can bow out now if Tyra stays.

 

Edited November 24, 2020 by TiredMe

[DollEyes]

I only watched two episodes this season-the Halloween episode and tonight-and while Johnny, A.J. and Skai were great in the former the only two dancers in the finale who impressed me tonight were Nev and Justina-who also shone in the Halloween episode. Nev and Justina epitomized the best aspects of dancing for me: Nev captured precision and grace while Justina was joy personified.

I'm happy for Artem, but if I never see anyone from the Bachelor franchise again, it'll be too soon. Two winners in a row? GMAFB!

Fuck Tyra and the tacky dresses who wore her.

[edie3]

https://parade.com/1098150/paulettecohn/tyra-banks-doesnt-care-about-fashion/

[alihart41]

I really love how all the Bachelor guys suck but the women keep racking up Mirrorballs. Well, outside of Trista.

Kelly singing "Dilemma" was my favorite part of the episode.

Happy for Artem, especially after last season. What a year for him. At least somebody had a good 2020.

[LadyMustang65]

Congratulations to Artem!  I'm so happy he finally got a mirror ball.  I adore him, and he's more than paid his dues with duds.  Not crazy about Kaitlyn, but I did enjoy her freestyle.

I was kind of hoping Justina would win.  She was so joyous!!  And really fun to watch.  I think hers was my favorite freestyle of the night.  She should not have ended up 4th.

Glad neither Nev nor Nelly won.  Nev never really grew on me, and Nelly just was not very good.

Was it just me or did the freestyles seem kind of blah compared to past years?  While I enjoyed Kaitlyn's and Justina's, they didn't wow.  

Tyra is a terrible host.  Too over-the-top.  Too "it's all about me."  Tom always knew he was the sidekick not the star and did not draw attention to himself.  Tyra doesn't get that.  And seriously, what do the wardrobe people have against her?  She's a beautiful woman, but of all the outfits she wore this season, only a couple of them were actually flattering to her.  That loofah she was wearing at the beginning was just ridiculous and made her look like she weighed about 300 pounds.  Ugh.  

At least Artem won so yay!

[Bliss]

Tyra summed up 2020 for me when she wore that rainbow feathered bird dress with a star halo. (The high crinoline hoop sticking out of her gut wasn't distracting at all.) Now I can say with conviction, "I've seen it all."

[scenicbyway]

Honestly, Derek should’ve won. He had the two best dances of the season. At least ABC knows what they have with him.

Tyra was literally wearing at first my bedspread from elementary school. It has a matching canopy too. Please let this be her only season.

I didn’t care who won. I wondered if Justina was let down in her freestyle because of Sasha’s injury where he couldn’t lift her.

To me, Nev and Kaitlyn were on the same level so it came down to bachelor nation. Kaitlyn also made it seem like this was her life’s dream. That and being proposed to again.

Jenna admitting that she was tired of dancing was a shocker. I’ve wondered if she’s been jealous of Lindsay and Whitney having babies.

 

[LexieLily]

I think it sums up this season that everyone is thrilled for Artem and no one so far is excited that Kaitlyn herself won.

[ams1001]

11 minutes ago, edie3 said:

https://parade.com/1098150/paulettecohn/tyra-banks-doesnt-care-about-fashion/

"The supermodel definitely knows how to wear a dress!"

• Are ya' sure about that?

"Tyra is working with stylist Brendon Alexander, of whom she says, 'his mind is bananas.'"

• That I will agree with.

[edie3]

There is an online petition at change.com to remove her as host.

[Arkay]

Disappointed that Kaitlyn won, because I just dislike her and think she's very fake. I was hoping for Nev, although I do like Artem which makes it tolerable.

I don't know why the producers or whomever fired Tom. He did a good job being the host and not the centerpiece. Tyra has had enough experience on other shows that she should have been able to roll with the punches on a live show, but she was awkward every time there was a mix-up. And the overt attention-grabbing monstrosities she wore, the runway stomp entrances, her dramatic pauses, all of it was to make her the focal point. I don't think I'll watch in the future if she hosts. 

Alex Trebek was a model of how a host can be super-famous in his own right and yet not take the attention away from the contestants. R.I.P. 

Edited November 24, 2020 by Arkay

[funnygirl]

Justina in fourth is 🤬 ridiculous. That ray of light did not get the respect she deserved the entire season. Her freestyle was my favorite of the night. 

Any chance we can get a break from the Bachelor/Bachelorette contestants? 

Nelly singing the hits! He was fun to watch every week. He may not have been the best, or even all that good, but you can tell he worked hard and gave it his best. 

I'm not even sorry that I'm glad Nev didn't win. 

[truthaboutluv]

Immediate thoughts - Nelly won the night for me for his awesome performance of his greatest hits (and reminding me that I'm old. Okay I was only a teen when these songs were huge but still) and getting Tim McGraw's fine self on my screen. 

Bachelor Nation don't play and like I said, that was obvious from Joe who made it all the way to Final 5 when he couldn't dance for shit. And on top of Bachelor Nation, Kaitlyn and Artem also had Bella Army (fans of the Bella Twins), with Artem engaged to Nikki Bella. 

Surprised Nelly was third though. Thought for sure he'd be second. I liked all the freestyle well enough but Kaitlyn's was actually my favorite. Nev's was good but I saw a few wobbly/shaky moments throughout. Also, I think Nev got done in by the downplaying of his dance history. I saw so many comments online of people calling him out for lying and downplaying it and being fake. 

When Derek's performance was over, all I thought was, "screw it, let's just give him a 7th mirror-ball". Love him or hate him but that man can DANCE... 

 

43 minutes ago, Lilac2000 said:

Did Kaitlyn win...or did Artem win? I know you can't underestimate Bachelor Nation but it seems like an Artem victory to me.

Bit of both. As I said in my previous post, Bella Army came hard and I did read quite a few comments online from DWTS fan who thought it would be nice to see him have a win. 

Edited November 24, 2020 by truthaboutluv

[Emily-D]

I was absolutely shocked when her name was called there, I was 95% certain it would be Nev. I’m absolutely thrilled to bits for Artem, nobody on the entire show deserves it more than him. This time last year he was sat at home having been unduly fired by the producers. This is some turnaround for him and he’s probably in the 1% of people in this world who has had an amazing 2020.

That will probably be it for me in terms of the show unless Tyra gets fired. I can rest easy now Artem has his mirrorball:

[nickp1991]

NEV will be dancing on Broadway and anywhere else he ever wants to dance for the rest of his long career

[MerBearHou]

I forgot that Artem was unceremoniously fired from DWTS in 2019 — makes me 1000x happier he won!  

[scenicbyway]

2 minutes ago, nickp1991 said:

NEV will be dancing on Broadway and anywhere else he ever wants to dance for the rest of his long career

Really? There’s been much better dancers.  The pros haven’t even danced on Broadway.

[OnTime]

42 minutes ago, vibeology said:

 

I'm sad for Justina. She was the only one who makes me want to dance. That freestyle was joyous. It's what I'll remember in a few years time.

I completely agree.  Justina was everything this show should be about.  She had no prior dance experience, worked to learn the dances she never heard of and was so enjoyable.  Justina should be so proud of herself.  Katilyn was the opposite.  

[Kira53]

6 minutes ago, nickp1991 said:

NEV will be dancing on Broadway and anywhere else he ever wants to dance for the rest of his long career

It would be nice to see him dancing again. I really enjoyed his dancing. I never really noticed when Kaitlyn was dancing; I think sometimes I did some of my chores or got distracted.

[DEL901]

Tyra’s first dress reminded me of that kid in Willy Wonky who turned into a blueberry.   

I would have liked Justina to win, but after being in the bottom 2 last week, not surprised where she landed.  Surprised by Nelly being third.  He was the worst dancer, but I liked him as a person.  I like Artem and Kaitlyn, so I’m happy they won.  

[babyhouseman]

I didn't realize Sasha had a back injury last week. 

I knew Kaitlyn was going to win. Bachelor Nation is strong. I had forgotten about Nikki Bella's fanbase. I am glad for Artem. He also won Strictly Come Dancing in England so he along with Kym Johnson(Australia) have won on the show in two countries. I discovered that on twitter. 

I remember Derek did a tribute to Singing in the Rain.

Did Tyra say see you next year? Ugh.

[truthaboutluv]

8 minutes ago, OnTime said:

She had no prior dance experience,

I'm pretty sure Justina talked about attending a performing arts high school in one of her rehearsal packages. She may not have been as trained as Nev and Kaitlyn was, but I wouldn't say she had no dance experience. She was clearly a performer. Her technique just wasn't as clean as some others. 

[Diana Berry]

Best part of the season having Derek as a judge ( world of dance is really Jennifer’s show she should judge by herself).  He’s thoughtful and insightful.

hope he comes back fir another season.

[nickp1991]

Artem being the first pro to win both Dancing With The Stars & Strictly Come Dancing a moment in history

[nickp1991]

I hope Tyra banks isn’t the host of DWTS next season 

[leocadia]

40 minutes ago, Arkay said:

Disappointed that Kaitlyn won, because I just dislike her and think she's very fake.

When she said that "Sparkling Diamonds" was in her "top 3" favorite songs, my eyes couldn't have rolled any harder.  Sure, Jan.

It was a meh ending to a meh season.  I would have preferred Justina winning and when Nelly was announced as third, I just turned it off.  Nev and Kaitlyn were two sides to the same coin for me and while I don't dislike them or feel that they were undeserving, I just didn't care which won.

[superdeluxe]

Just ugh all around.  This bachelorette — all of her dances were boring.  I don’t remember a single, solitary dance.  And her partner — cried because he wasn’t on last season; whined and complained about the scores he received this season; and he has horrible taste in women.  This win was awful.  I knew I shouldn’t have gotten involved this season.  I knew it, I knew it.

Two bachelorettes winning in a row?  Time to cancel the show.

[madpsych78]

I know that Bachelor Nation is strong, but I didn't even think about the Bella fanhood. Artem has been in the celebrity mags quite a bit lately so that may have given his fanbase a little kick. 

To be honest, my favorite freestyle was Nev's. But I thought both Nev and Justina were attempting to channel Derek's style at least in their concepts. 

I got a huge Fred Astaire vibe from Derek's dance. Astaire also danced with a hat rack.

With that said, I really enjoyed this episode (and this season) as a whole except for Tyra. To be honest, if some of the production decisions were made by Tyra, I'd be fine with her remaining as a producer. But, the woman cannot host this show well. She sucks. 

[Josh371982]

1 hour ago, OnTime said:

Ugh!  Kaitlyn???? Another Bachelorette with previous dance experience.  

All the plan of DWTS Production. I fucked knew when they announced her that she would win. 2 seasons of a Bachelorette winning UGH

[nickp1991]

DWTS has to get the award for the most COVID safe season show

[Josh371982]

1 hour ago, PikaScrewChu said:

Ah. All the mamas around the country disappointed that Nelly didn't win are finally hearing his music for the first time. 🙂

Bruno grooving out was the best part of the episode. 

Bachelor Nation always wins out. What can you do...

Not cast someone from that horrid Show. Sucks DWTS Production loves that fucking show. 

[Annber03]

5 minutes ago, nickp1991 said:

DWTS has to get the award for the most COVID safe season show

I was just saying that elsewhere! Thank goodness they were able to make it through the season without anyone getting sick. 

[PikaScrewChu]

9 minutes ago, Josh371982 said:

Not cast someone from that horrid Show. Sucks DWTS Production loves that fucking show. 

I don't think it is DWTS. It's ABC.

The Bachelor is to ABC what 90 Day Fiance is to TLC. While TLC relies heavier on the 90DF franchise than ABC does on the Bachelor, I can't see stunt casting of Bachelor/ette contestants ending any time soon.