S17.E08: Turn Back Time

[jewel21]

Quote

And then there were eight! The Top Four dancers from last week will pick their partners and dance in random genres. Then, all eight dancers will showcase their talents in solo rounds to win over the audience and our expert panel of judges. Two dancers will face elimination and only six will remain.

Airdate: 07/13/2022

[HerkyJerky]

ROBERT ROLDAN!!

[Tigregirl]

I loved Anna’s solo.  Completely disagree with the results.  But based on the choreography for that duet, I’m not surprised.

[Mason]

Beau gets Broadway again? Call it what you will: 50s jazz had isolations and there were none.

Also, if it were pervy of Nigel to make sexist comments, it's inappropriate at the very least for JoJo to talk about "not liking men" but appreciating a good looking guy.

Edited July 14, 2022 by Mason

[desertflower]

Anna and Waverly got stuck with a bad routine. An 80s routine has so much fun potential but this one just felt off. They had her in an early 80s Madonna look but the song was late 80’s, and I know that’s a total nitpick that most people don’t care  about but I just don’t think it fit together. 

I liked Carter much better tonight but his pants always seem to fit weird. Sorry, random observation. 

Overall it just wasn’t great tonight. But I’m still rooting for Keaton, and Alexa is pretty good too. 

It’s really time for Beau to go. 
 

[bourbon]

So Beau has had B'way 2x, but Keaton has had ballroom 2x (I know disco isn't technically ballroom, but you get it). They really want Beau to win, don't they?

Is it just me, or has the costuming been really off this season. From Carter's weird skinny jeans and white shoes look to their weird idea of 80s attire (including Waverly's wig), and Keaton's bad gold lame disco tunic that made him look like a gay Cossack. It hasn't been good. 

Sadly, I'm not enjoying this season. The judges always protect dancers that they like, even when the voters don't (Hello, Jenna), but it seems particularly forced this season. Thiago should not have gone before Carter. Beau should not still be here. It's just not fun. And I really miss the group numbers. 

[Melonie77]

I really dislike hearing any negative critiques coming out of Leah's mouth. It seems very unfair to the dancers to have someone who knows little about dance influencing their progress on the show. It's bad enough that decisions are being made by the audience. Leah's unprofessional commentary always offered with more than a touch of smugness just makes the lack of professional judging even more obvious.

[Tigregirl]

I like Beau but there’s no way Waverly should have gone before him.  Beau’s solo really showed off his lack of extension.  Raylynn has never stood out to me where Anna has - and I also really thought Anna’s solo was the best of the night.  Alexis sold that dance much more than Carter.  And wow, Essence and her mom look exactly alike.  
 

All in all, this season has been a disappointment.  And I loved this show and couldn’t wait to watch each week.  I certainly wouldn’t buy tickets if any tour came to my city this year.

[Melonie77]

Just finished watching the episode and I'm really turned off. Why would they continue to keep Beau???? They finally have the opportunity to move him out and keep the better dancers and yet he still remains. Making a point with inclusion is not more important than the integrity of the show. Beau's solos are just not good. And I've had enough of his uniformed Ralph Kramden imitations. Waverly was robbed.

Both girls were good but I was really enjoying Anna ever since her quirky audition and I think she should have been kept over Ralyn. Although I liked Ralyn too I don't think she was as "oily" (tm Len Goodman) as Anna.

How is the viewing audience supposed to take the show seriously when the judges appear to be making decisions on who leaves using criteria other than dancing skills?
Were the decisions made based on how they wanted to partner who was left? Or on the dancers' heights? On their dance styles?
It wasn't based on who was the best.

Also...why are they not doing any group dances???

Edited July 14, 2022 by Melonie77

[displayname]

Haven't watched the duets yet, but did catch the solos on twitter. I don't think anyone impressed me, but Anna's was the most interesting for me.

[Lily H]

This show is just a pathetic joke. Keeping Beau over Waverly? I thought this was supposed to be a DANCING show. Beau cannot dance. I'm sure we have jojo to thank for this travesty. They should rename it So You Think You Can Be Inclusive. Just cancel it already.

[PhoneCop]

7 hours ago, desertflower said:

Anna and Waverly got stuck with a bad routine. An 80s routine has so much fun potential but this one just felt off. They had her in an early 80s Madonna look but the song was late 80’s, and I know that’s a total nitpick that most people don’t care  about but I just don’t think it fit together. 

Table for two, please. It also didn't help that somebody blasted poor Anna with the makeup gun.

So they basically stuck three different sub-eras on her: Blitz Kids makeup from the early '80s, black Madonna lace from the mid '80s, and an ugly-loud jacket from the late '80s. Like any decade, it didn't all happen at once.

Meanwhile, I'm starting to lose hope that Leah's long game here is to use the show as a platform for an unexpected anti-Scientology diatribe. 

Edited July 14, 2022 by PhoneCop

[Kristi800]

So on board with all the comments. Glad it isn't just me! 

Quote

Anna and Waverly got stuck with a bad routine. An 80s routine has so much fun potential but this one just felt off. They had her in an early 80s Madonna look but the song was late 80’s, and I know that’s a total nitpick that most people don’t care  about but I just don’t think it fit together. 

Absolutely, and still CLOWN makeup wasn't a thing. And Sean wasn't even in the room to teach them the dance! 

Was that 50's or 40's? Was it supposed to be WWII? How can they come together with any way for them to do that in the choreography? 

More "disco"?

Also, MM was removed for texting with someone inappropriately, shouldn't Jojo be held to the same standard with her comment? It's not texting, but still icky.

ETA: With the episode title I was hoping that this would be a Cher-themed episode...

Edited July 14, 2022 by Kristi800

[TVbitch]

Wow, this show is a shell of its former self. Enjoyed seeing Robert. That is about the only positive thing I can say. Can't believe Twitch is going along, especially since he was on the show during its amazing glory days. 

I'm sure they are not doing group numbers because it is too easy to pick Beau out as the worst dancer. 

Edited July 14, 2022 by TVbitch

[peachmangosteen]

I imagine they aren't doing group numbers because of Covid, especially after the one woman (was her name Jordan?) got sick.

[DEL901]

9 minutes ago, TVbitch said:

Wow, this show is a shell of its former self. Enjoyed seeing Robert. That is about the only positive thing I can say. Can't believe Twitch is going along, especially since he was on the show during its amazing glory days. 

I'm sure they are not doing group numbers because it is too easy to pick Beau out as the worst dancer. 

I think it isn’t so much “going along” as being repeatedly out voted.  If there is another season, I’d be surprised to see tWitch again.  

[HerkyJerky]

43 minutes ago, DEL901 said:

think it isn’t so much “going along” as being repeatedly out voted

Good point! Twitch did emphasize that the decisions were not unanimous.

[SpottedCoachDog]

I want to know what the vote was that had Leah crying like she was submitting an Emmy reel. Ralyn should have gone over Anna. She showed no partnering skills in that number. 

[realdancemom]

Disappointed in this episode since I thought the previous one was pretty good.  In this episode, only the contemporary one was pretty but even then I saw at least one missed connection. There were a lot of missed connections or awkward lifts and landings with last night's dances.

I think these kids are young and they didn't do their homework when it comes to the style for their assigned decade.  You can tell that they didn't know what the judges were talking about or Kat when they made references to Back To the Future, etc.  They just smiled.  The 80s dance was especially bad.  I think it didn't help that Sean wasn't there to guide them.

I would have preferred to send both guys home and keep the women even though I know that's not the rules.  I really liked Anna from her audition and she did have one of the better ones last night if not the best.  Waverly can run circles over Beau when it comes to technique.  But last night, he was too soft and flowy for the 80s dance just like he was when he had jazz.  I think he really only does contemporary well.  So I was fine that he left especially since he's been in the bottom before.

[Mason]

58 minutes ago, realdancemom said:

I would have preferred to send both guys home and keep the women even though I know that's not the rules.  

And why aren't they, I wonder? I mean, c'mon, JoJo. You keep saving Beau, but this would be a better legacy for you. They could even increase the show by an episode or two by having only one person be let go. Then we might have a hope in hell of getting to know these kids before they're rushed off to whatever comes next for them.

And that, of course, is the really shame of this season. The kids are working, hard. They may not be performing as many numbers as in seasons past, but they're trying their best. It's not their fault they're kept or let go.    

[luvthepros]

Thanks an awful lot, Beau, for reminding me that you dance in heels. Just NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!!!!!

[luvthepros]

The judges SUCK for saving Beau!!!! WTF!!!!

[luvthepros]

16 hours ago, HerkyJerky said:

ROBERT ROLDAN!!

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE him.

[luvthepros]

13 hours ago, displayname said:

Haven't watched the duets yet, but did catch the solos on twitter. I don't think anyone impressed me, but Anna's was the most interesting for me.

Anna aced her solo. She had the most interesting solo of the night. She would have challenged Thiago with his awesome solo performances. Anna should have stayed over Raylan, IMHO.

12 hours ago, Lily H said:

This show is just a pathetic joke. Keeping Beau over Waverly? I thought this was supposed to be a DANCING show. Beau cannot dance. I'm sure we have jojo to thank for this travesty. They should rename it So You Think You Can Be Inclusive. Just cancel it already.

Twitch did say they were not unanimous. I have no doubt Jo Jo went to bat for Beau. I have no use for her and I don't need her telling America that she doesn't like men. Who the fuck cares????

[sharifa70]

16 hours ago, desertflower said:

Anna and Waverly got stuck with a bad routine. An 80s routine has so much fun potential but this one just felt off. They had her in an early 80s Madonna look but the song was late 80’s, and I know that’s a total nitpick that most people don’t care  about but I just don’t think it fit together.

I completely agree with this. In 1988 Madonna was in her Papa Don’t Preach/Like a Prayer phase, not her big jewelry and tulle phase. Meanwhile, Waverly looked like he was about to break into a Carlton dance, and good god that wig was distracting. Sean Cheesman is old enough to know what 80’s choreo should have looked like (having lived through it the first time), and for crying out loud he had a dance-centric music video to draw inspiration from. None of that choreography felt like an 80’s dance. Like, at all.

I feel completely justified in declaring that this might be the worst choreography misstep since Phillip and Jeanine’s Kalinka.

I agree that Beau should have gone, and though I like Ralynn there were enough mistakes in their performance that I wouldn’t have cried over her elimination either.

[cinsbythesea]

What have they done to this show?  It feels so rushed now.  Two dancers a week now go home,  there's no group dances and no time to really get to "know" the dancers.  And no more voting from the TV audience?   So...is it just the judges deciding?  And don't even get me started on the judges.  I guess I get why they had to change to some younger judges but I miss Mary's enthusiasm.    The show doesn't have the same "warm fuzzies" it used to have - though I do still thoroughly enjoy watching the dances.    It was great to see Robert Roldan and his choreographed dance brought tears to my eyes - so beautiful and powerful. 

Considering the way they are rushing through the season - I have to wonder if they will be doing a tour after the season ends? Or is that gone too? 

I miss the old, non-rushed format.  That said - I think Keaton may have a shot at winning.  And while Beau isn't technical, I do actually enjoy his enthusiasm and foresee a future in Broadway shows for him. 

I'm not even going to talk about the judges....though I will always have a soft spot for Twitch.

[peachmangosteen]

1 hour ago, cinsbythesea said:

And no more voting from the TV audience?   So...is it just the judges deciding?  dances.    It was great to see Robert Roldan and his choreographed dance brought tears to my eyes - so beautiful and powerful. 

Considering the way they are rushing through the season - I have to wonder if they will be doing a tour after the season ends? Or is that gone too? 

The studio audience votes and then the judges choose who to boot from the bottom 4 vote getters (the latter of which they've been doing for a couple seasons, at least)

I doubt there's a tour. FOX obviously isn't looking to put much money into the show and really with Covid it isn't wise anyway.

[healthnut]

Lots of thoughts:

Why have Carter and Alexis had contemporary twice in four weeks? No's 90s hip-hop, I'm pissed.

I have zero issue with Waverly going home, I just don't think he's been very strong. I totally understand where everyone is coming from with Beau, his solo was terrible, but most of the solos were meh for me. I only liked Essence, Carter, and Alexis. 

I thought most of these routines were a miss this week, what a waste of a good theme. What on earth did they put on Anna, terrible costume. I thought the choreography was weak, too.  I don't want to see any of the girls go but I'm also not attached to any of them.

Robert was a gem as a choreographer on Come Dance With Me on CBS this year. No surprise his routine was the standout.

[Kristi800]

3 hours ago, sharifa70 said:

completely agree with this. In 1988 Madonna was in her Papa Don’t Preach/Like a Prayer phase, not her big jewelry and tulle phase. Meanwhile, Waverly looked like he was about to break into a Carlton dance,

I thought perhaps (apparently wrongly) that Waverly ( I don't know anyone's names) that maybe he'd whip off the sweater and they would change into different clothes. Also, Straight Up was way too soft for the moves they were doing. 

I don't mind the dancing in heels, just those heels. At least wear some LaDucas!

[sharifa70]

1 hour ago, Kristi800 said:

Also, Straight Up was way too soft for the moves they were doing. 

Oh, yeah. tWitch (rightly) criticized Anna and Waverly for not doing their homework, but neither did Cheesman. Where was Mandy Moore, the queen of SYTYCD 80’s themes, when we needed her?

[nx74defiant]

23 hours ago, desertflower said:

I liked Carter much better tonight but his pants always seem to fit weird. Sorry, random observation. 

In his solo his clothes made him look fat. Really bad fit and distracting.

[P2C2E]

17 minutes ago, nx74defiant said:

In his solo his clothes made him look fat. Really bad fit and distracting.

YES! I noticed that too! It made him look much heavier then he is.

Ugh, I liked Beau at first and thought he danced better than people were giving him credit for. He was awful this episode and should have gone home. Easily the worst dancer of the night. Both in the duet and the solo. His solo was absolutely nothing new. I think we've seen everything he can give us.

Also the judges were way less critical of Beau and Ralyn than everyone else even though they were clearly the worst.

Bah humbug.

Also, Anna was my favorite and I am devastated.

Edited July 15, 2022 by P2C2E

[Court]

I think Waverly should have left before tonight but was it really fair to him and Anna when they didn't really have a choreographer? I would have been happy to see Beau leave as well. I think they should have sent both boys home and kept the girls. I need to see America vote and I need dance for your life back. Also, judges explain your dang decisions. I still miss James.

[jewel21]

The only dance I really enjoyed was the final contemporary number. I thought Alexis really sold it but Carter was still weak sauce and I'm surprised he got so much praise. He just seemed so wooden with his facial expressions while Alexis was giving it her all. 

[displayname]

Beau/Ralyn Broadway: This is the first time I felt Beau's performance didn't really help, and Ralyn of course outdanced him.

Essence/Keaton Disco: Big personalities that made it enjoyable, didn't care for the choreography or the dancing one bit.

Anna/Waverly: I thought Anna was fantastic in this, as an individual. Waverly just fades into the background everytime, and I don't think he danced it very well either. Not very sure about tWitch's comment on the studying part... I fully believe it applies to Waverly, but to honestly agree with tWitch, I'd have to know what kind of dancing was popular in America in the 80s, haha.

Alexis/Carter: Well, Alexis was fantastic. I think I want her to win at this point.

Solos:

The girls did much better than the men.

Eliminations: Definitely would have sent both men home. Now we get to see one of Carter and Beau over any of the other ladies in the finale.

ETA: Personal Rankings

Solos

1. Anna 2. Alexis 3. Waverly 4. Essence 5. Ralyn 6. Keaton 7. Carter 8. Beau

Top 6

1. Alexis 2. Keaton 3. Essence... 4. Ralyn... 5. Carter 6. Beau

Edited July 15, 2022 by displayname

[Kristi800]

11 hours ago, sharifa70 said:

Oh, yeah. tWitch (rightly) criticized Anna and Waverly for not doing their homework, but neither did Cheesman. Where was Mandy Moore, the queen of SYTYCD 80’s themes, when we needed her?

It was the choreo more than how they danced it IMO. Their timing was off but I thought they were doing their best to do it otherwise. Sean Cheeseman was choreographing a different song altogether! 

[DEL901]

With regard to Beau, who I like, the judges are doing him no favours.  Him being top 8 was plenty good enough publicity to get him into consideration to get an agent and get Broadway gigs.  Keeping him too long will just hurt his brand as his limitations are showcased. 

Edited July 15, 2022 by DEL901

[crowceilidh]

Quote

I would have preferred to send both guys home and keep the women even though I know that's not the rules.

And, at this point, why?  It's not like there is the same adulated shipping going on that occurred when they kept the top twenty in somewhat strict couples for the top ten (which I enjoyed, and miss) and it's not like adulated shipping couldn't happen irregardless.  I mean, they've done what they can to sap this show of anything worth watching -- I feel badly for the contestants. 

Big Judge outfits are stupid.

Carter's pants were the most egregious costume flop I've seen on this show in all of its seasons.  Good god.

[Haleth]

Holy moley, Robert Roldan choreographed that last routine?  That was one of the most beautiful dances I’ve ever seen on this show!  I’d no idea he could create something so moving. One of my fav performers on SYTYCD.  Bravo!

I only watched the dances. Skipped all the judging and even the voting. Just don’t care. I only want to see the performances.  There is no reason why Waverly should be gone and Beau still there.  (Although he was fine in his duet this episode.)

My daughter’s dog is named Beau.  He’s a yappy little thing.

Just how long are Waverly’s legs?

Is Essence the cutest thing ever or what?  She is just darling. 

[katisha]

I'm trying to work out if I can stand to watch this episode now that I've spoiled myself and know that Beau is in the top 6.  Just...NO! 🤬

[rlc]

Nope. Nope, nope, nope. Worst season ever. Don’t know why I’m bothering to watch. There is no one left that I have any interest in- Anna was the last intriguing dancer. I simply do not believe that there weren’t better dancers at the auditions. I just came back from my daughter’s nationals and saw at least 30 kids with stronger technique than this season’s dancers. Beau has no extension and I’ve never seen him do more than a double. Absolutely ridiculous. This show used to have good dancers.

[sharifa70]

49 minutes ago, rlc said:

Nope. Nope, nope, nope. Worst season ever. Don’t know why I’m bothering to watch. There is no one left that I have any interest in- Anna was the last intriguing dancer. I simply do not believe that there weren’t better dancers at the auditions. I just came back from my daughter’s nationals and saw at least 30 kids with stronger technique than this season’s dancers. Beau has no extension and I’ve never seen him do more than a double. Absolutely ridiculous. This show used to have good dancers.

Yeah, I’m really struggling. Cat is perfection and I will always love tWitch, but this show has become a sad shadow of its former self. I agree that that the contestants this season probably wouldn’t have made it through Hollywood Week (and Beau never would have made it through auditions). I get that this season he has the “untrained” narrative that has previously been held by the hip-hop dancers, but at least those so-called “untrained” dancers (Fik-shun, Cyrus, Russell, Comfort, all the others, and yes, tWitch too) were amazing dancers in their own specialties. Beau isn’t even nice to watch in his own style. 

[Electruck]

This has not been a good season, and tonight was particularly bad. Are there Covid protocols that are limiting how much time the dancers can be together to rehearse? All but the last routine seemed like they’d learn the choreography yesterday.

I agree with the poster above: wardrobe has been awful, though I liked Alexis’s red dress and she looked good in it. The makeup team’s been great, but Essence’s  hair extensions messed up their routine when she was doing multiple turns and her hair started spooling onto their joined hands.

It was good to see Robert, and that was a great routine.

Can someone tell me who the dancers are in the opening credits and interstitials? I recognize Ezra, Lex, Koine, and Bailey, but can’t tell the rest. I can’t imagine that’s Comfort at near the start when the rest are much more recent. Mariah looks different now from when she came in second, but I don’t think that’s her?

[katisha]

OK, I've watched it now and I'm waiting for my blood pressure to go down. 

• I have nothing against Beau.  I don't care that he's gay.  I don't care if he dances in heels.  I don't care that he's bigger (been heavy to varying degrees all my life).  I DO care that he's being judged with lesser standards than others, not to mention being extraordinarily "lucky" with the dance styles he's been given.  There was once a show made called Big Ballet where people without the traditional ballet bodies or looks were able to work with Wayne Sleep and put on a performance, and thankfully the program was made with sensitivity and was pretty inspiring.  If there was a competition like this for larger people and you had to decide on the best/most popular dancer, I don't doubt Beau would have a damn good chance of winning because I think he probably does the best he can with the limited resources he has, but his lifts must be pretty awful if a non-dancer like me notices how clumsy they are and I didn't envy Ralyn in that dance.  The show shouldn't be about agendas and it looks like it is this season.  It's not even that I was that keen on Waverly staying because he has been disappointing since the auditions but in no universe is Beau a better dancer than he is. OK, rant over.
• Whoever costumed the 1980s number should be embarrassed.  It's like they mixed Cyndi Lauper's early 1980s makeup with Madonna's wardrobe from Desperately Seeking Susan but in the worst possible way.  And what was up with Waverly's hair?  And the dance was lame too.
• Keaton's outfit for the disco was heinous but one thing you can say for him and Essence is that they give everything a red hot go.  They are probably my favourites now.
• And that last routine - WOW.  I didn't think Carter had that in him.  That's the first time I've ever bought a single thing Carter has been trying to sell.  It was like the cheerleader left the room and a sensible human being took his place.  Looks like Alexis brought out the best in him.  She's my other favourite.  And Robert Roldan didn't make it easy for them with some really tricky lifts but they did them brilliantly.  Probably the best routine of the season for me.

If Beau wins this season, it will be the death knell of the show because even us tragics who have been around since the earliest years will never be OK with that.  He just needs to go to Broadway and work on his new career as Nathan Lane II (that's who he reminds me of).

[peachmangosteen]

5 hours ago, Electruck said:

Are there Covid protocols that are limiting how much time the dancers can be together to rehearse?

I would be very surprised if there weren't protocols about that.

[Mason]

12 hours ago, Electruck said:

Can someone tell me who the dancers are in the opening credits and interstitials? I recognize Ezra, Lex, Koine, and Bailey, but can’t tell the rest. I can’t imagine that’s Comfort at near the start when the rest are much more recent. Mariah looks different now from when she came in second, but I don’t think that’s her?

I'm guessing the All-Stars?

[mojoween]

Why didn’t anyone notice that Rylan’s dress got caught in her heels, and that’s why she bobbled the last move?  That irritated me.

Also irritating is Beau’s continued presence on this show.

[dogdays2]

I didn’t think it fair that the last couple got to do a modern contemporary routine when everyone else had to do decade dances. If there was no particular dance style in the 90s, then do 1940s.  

Speaking of which, the 1950s dance was more 1940s than 50s. Military guys weren’t “coming home” in the 50s other than from Korea and that homecoming was very different than what was portrayed in the dance.  Why Beau was wearing an Air Force uniform is another question entirely.  And the 60s dance didn’t ring true either for that decade.  As an aside, can you imagine if Beau had had to do disco? 

The show is a joke and travesty of its former self.  If this is what it’s going to be, I hope it goes away.  Soon. For good. 

[MsTree]

I couldn't agree more re: Beau's continued presence on the show. And quite frankly, I'm sick & tired of all the whiny ass stories and how shows are all trying to make a statement. And even though Jenna & JoJo made it far, I'm glad they didn't win.

How about shows stop with all the "woke" bullshit and get back to touting the best dancer? 

[rollacoaster]

On 7/13/2022 at 9:42 PM, desertflower said:

Anna and Waverly got stuck with a bad routine. An 80s routine has so much fun potential but this one just felt off. They had her in an early 80s Madonna look but the song was late 80’s, and I know that’s a total nitpick that most people don’t care  about but I just don’t think it fit together. 

THANK YOU!

That song was totally wrong for the costuming. My thought when I heard the song was that it sounded more 90s than 80’s. I looked it up and it was from 1988. So many much better songs the show could have chosen. This choice felt like sabotage.