S11.E13: Top 6 Perform + Eliminations

[phoenix780]

About the guest musical group- I think it sounds like that song too, and was bothered until I read somewhere that Rob Thomas wrote their song.  So, it's like a sequel.  

 

I just wish they'd stop casting so many male dancers from The Shire.  It's hard to take them seriously when they not only are but look like little boys.  It also negatively impacts the female dancers, who look ungodly awkward, especially during lifts.

 

This!  Even the ones who are taller but skinny have been freaking me out a little- I thought Casey was about to drop Jessica during one of those spins.  It'd be nice if we could get more Aarons, imho.  So long as they aren't always forklifts.

[StupidSexyFlanders]

I suspect that they gave Zack that foxtrot (paired with Jacque who they knew was going home) to make certain that Zack didn't get too many votes and take the win away for the preordained Ricky.

Um...I just have to reiterate what kechara said to this. Ricky - cute, little, hobbity Ricky - had to do a cha-cha with freakin' ANYA. I was expecting that to go all kinds of wrong (and I like Ricky).

I would be happy with a Ricky or Zack win, though overall this is a real let-down of a finale. I don't remember the last time I cared so little about the final 4, particularly the girls. Of the final 3 girls, I actively dislike one (Jessica), I like another one while also thinking she's not quite up to snuff to deserve the slot (Valerie), and I'm completely neutral on the last (Jacque). Tanisha and Carly were the only 2 female dancers that deserved to be in the finale (though we didn't really see enough of Carly to be certain because she was ROBBED so early on).

I didn't begin watching this show until season 7. Did they always eliminate male and female dancers evenly (i.e. one girl and one boy go home each week)? I think this season makes a strong case for removing gender equivalency in the eliminations. Come to think of it, Melanie Moore's season with all the awesome female dancers makes this case as well. Particularly if we're only getting 1 winner in the end, shouldn't the eliminations (at least after the top 10) be based on the fewest votes, regardless of gender? This might force more same-sex dances as well.

Casey wasn't one of my favorites, but I'd take him in the finale over Jessica or Valerie (or Jacque), not to mention Emilio or Teddy, who would have added some much needed flavor to this bland bunch!

Edited August 21, 2014 by StupidSexyFlanders

[burntheflaws]

Who was the guest performer?  I've never heard of him (them?) before, and the song sounds like a horrible rip off of Rob Thomas' Lonely No More.

 

That's literally what I said out loud as I was listening to the chorus.

[realdancemom]

Um...I just have to reiterate what kechara said to this. Ricky - cute, little, hobbity Ricky - had to do a cha-cha with freakin' ANYA. I was expecting that to go all kinds of wrong (and I like Ricky).

I would be happy with a Ricky or Zack win, though overall this is a real let-down of a finale. I don't remember the last time I cared so little about the final 4, particularly the girls. Of the final 3 girls, I actively dislike one (Jessica), I like another one while also thinking she's not quite up to snuff to deserve the slot (Valerie), and I'm completely neutral on the last (Jacque). Tanisha and Carly were the only 2 female dancers that deserved to be in the finale (though we didn't really see enough of Carly to be certain because she ROBBED so early on).

I didn't begin watching this show until season 7. Did they always eliminate male and female dancers evenly (i.e. one girl and one boy go home each week)? I think this season makes a strong case for removing gender equivalency in the eliminations. Come to think of it, Melanie Moore's season with all the awesome female dancers makes this case as well. Particularly if we're only getting 1 winner in the end, shouldn't the eliminations (at least after the top 10) be based on the fewest votes, regardless of gender? This might force more same-sex dances as well.

Casey wasn't one of my favorites, but I'd take him in the finale over Jessica or Valerie (or Jacque), not to mention Emilio or Teddy, who would have added some much needed flavor to this bland bunch!

 

I agree with almost everything you said.  Last week, I said that I hope Ricky and Anya were not going to be like Anya and Kent.  I was pleasantly surprised that Ricky didn't look like a little boy dancing with his big sister.  I'm not going to go overboard like Christina and say that I only looked at Ricky.  I mean this is Anya.  You can't help but look at her.  But Ricky did pretty good.

 

I also hope that the final two is Ricky and Zack.  Don't really care about either girl but if I had to choose one, I would choose Jessica (this is where we disagreed) because at least she had two good contemporary numbers.  Ray Leeper's choreography did remind me of something that Mark would do.  But this also made me think that Mark and Jenna would have made that routine look good.  Jessica and Ade are good jazz dancers but we needed somebody like Mark, Kupono, or Cole to sell this number.  I know those three went to the same studio and I always loved their unique solos.  I also wished that Tanisha and Carly were the final females even though I'm not sure how Carly would have done with certain styles like Latin ballroom.

 

Except for Season 7, we always eliminated one girl and one guy even when there was only one winner.  In Season 7, only Lauren and Ashley were left with a bunch of guys until Ashley was injured.  Maybe, they didn't like that it was so uneven although I agree that it really doesn't matter once we get All Stars.  I also agree with you and Misty that the guys were a lot stronger this year.

 

Casey was always a good technician but his personality and performance were bland.  I think he improved performance-wise the last few weeks.  He's still kind of bland but he's better.  Teddy like Carly was eliminated too early and I saw more potential in both of them.

 

ETA - Since the prize is a Broadway role, I actually think that it fits Zack's style of dance more.  I see Ricky doing really well in a contemporary company.  They would love his gravity defying leaps, extensions, and flexibility.

 

Also, I agree with whoever said that MacKenzie is a stunning contemporary dancer.  Even though, she didn't come in as a ballet dancer, her feet are gorgeous and better than Jacque's.

Edited August 21, 2014 by realdancemom

[SnarkyTart]

I'm not overly invested in this season, though I'm hoping my two favorites from the beginning, Ricky and Zack, are winner and runner-up.  As much as I can and do appreciate both of their skills (their solos have been the best part of the show this season for me), neither of them can touch the hem of some of my faves from previous seasons.  For me, the girls have all pretty much been an interchangeable group of bland, except for Valerie who has stuck out like a sore thumb due to her heavy, lacking in grace, and inability to actually, you know, dance well.   That first show where they paired her up with Zack in their own tapping specialty routine (the one dancing up and down the stairs) exposed her weaknesses even in her own genre. 

 

My other main complaint this season has been a complete lack of memorable choreography.  Unlike most seasons past, there isn't a single routine that I will remember by the time the winner walks away with the crown.  Meh.

[Day2Day]

....is right !! Totally lack-luster season, and the guest judging simply cringe-worthy.

[Kat]

"Casey, how do you feel?"

"I feel really blessed to be here..."

"NO, no, I want to know how you FEEL, how did you feel after that dance?"

(struggling to understand what the hell she's getting at) "Uh, I can't describe..."

(triumphant look of faux wisdom) "Then you did your job, baby."

 

Jesus, THIS. Christina Applegate went from being a judge that I could tolerate and actually sort of looked forward to seeing, to someone that I wanted to punch repeatedly. 

I appear to be in the minority in that I liked the foxtrot with Zach and Jacque.  I thought it was fun choreography, and I thought the facial expressions were appropriate.

 

I’m with you LadyMustang65. I’m no expert like Mary, but the Foxtrot is the one ballroom dance discipline that I’ve actually studied the most, and I thought that Zack and Jacque’s was quite delightful. Especially their arm placement which is why Nigel’s comment really came out of left field to me. Mary was correct about some of the clunky/heavy footwork when they were in hold, but the rest of their footwork I thought was perfect. Again, I’m not winning any contests for my foxtrots, but I’ve certainly been judged enough on them to know a little about a lot.

 

Oh- and if Ricky grabs his face in shock one more time I'm going to punch him.  I like him as a dancer, but jeez that's annoying.  He's not 11 years-old, and this is not Home Alone.

 

THANK YOU phoenix780!! This kid. He's irritated me since his audition. He is a lovely dancer, but when he is not dancing, I just want him tranquilized and gagged. That face-grab gesture, and the fact that Ricky does it all the time, is maddening. And it never ever ever seems sincere. This boy thinks he’s got this competition on lock, which sadly he probably does. And sorry, (not sorry) I did NOT think Ricky held his own in that Cha Cha. Anya wiped the damn floor with him. Was it a trainwreck? Of course not. But the way they lavished praise on him made me sick.

 

I could watch an entire show (or dvd) where Wildabeast and Twitch just break down and show me how to do hip-hop dance moves. SO entertaining!

When Twitch finished demonstrating the "YAHHH" movie, right before they cut away, he did the Season 4 hand gesture. It made me laugh.

 

Monty I noticed that too! Ahhh Season 4, the perfect season that Katee (or Twitch) should have won.

 

Did they always eliminate male and female dancers evenly (i.e. one girl and one boy go home each week)? I think this season makes a strong case for removing gender equivalency in the eliminations. Come to think of it, Melanie Moore's season with all the awesome female dancers makes this case as well. Particularly if we're only getting 1 winner in the end, shouldn't the eliminations (at least after the top 10) be based on the fewest votes, regardless of gender? This might force more same-sex dances as well.

 

I have watched all 11 seasons of this show. Season 1 is sort of a wild card because they did so many things differently then (different partner each week among other things). Realdancemom is proabably remembering this better than me but I thought the whole evenly eliminated boy/girl started in Season 3? Was it just a coincidence that Sabra, Lacey, Neal, and Danny made the finale? I do remember that Season 3 was the first time they did a boy/boy dance (Mia's Two Princes dance for Neal and Danny) and gay-panic Nigel of course made a BIG deal about it.

My recollection for Season 2 was that they eliminated one girl and boy each up until the top 10 and then it just went by lowest votes. That’s why there was an abundance of guys in the season 2 final four (only 1 girl). Season 4 didn’t have a top 4 – they did a top 3 if I recall; at least I can only remember Joshua, Twitch and Katee dancing in the Season 4 finale.

 

Fik-Shun's smile could end world wars.

 

WORD.

[Jhana]

"The jazz routine with Jessica and Ade pissed me off, because all I could think was that they ripped off Mark's dance with Jenna from last season right down to the holding of the ponytail (pigtails in this case). It wasn't very good on its own merits, and I'm glad the judges called out it's lack of authenticity, but their words weren't strong enough for my taste. That choreographer is a fucking thief. And now all I can think is that they allowed someone to steal from Mark (probably encouraged it), who I love, AND we've been denied a routine by him when he was a highlight last season. Not cool, show."

THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That was the first thing I though, down to the hair pulling. I know they rip off dances, but this was just last season. Did they think we wouldn't notice? Mark's was a million times better, anyway.

[Percysowner]

 Season 4 didn’t have a top 4 – they did a top 3 if I recall; at least I can only remember Joshua, Twitch and Katee dancing in the Season 4 finale.

 

I had to check, Courtney Galliano was the fourth.  I liked her and she was cute as a button with Gev, but of the final four she was the weakest dancer. But again Joshua, Twitch and Katee were all really good, so weakest is relative. Season four was my first full season and still is a stand out for me.

[GeminiDancer]

I don't think the age limit is the issue.  I think it's who they cast, and the way the judges critique them (or don't) throughout the season.  They're so intent on telling us all how great these kids are they've let a lot of immaturity slide, imho, and they didn't do that as much as the past from what I remember.  I also think it's a perception issue on my part sometimes, because they talked a lot about how some of them grew up watching this show which to me emphasizes how young they actually are, since I've been an adult the whole time this has been on the air.  I don't think they can really get around that.

 

Add me to the list of those done with Christina Applegate, especially since last time she called out another judge's critiques about facial expressions and gave a note about the intentions being the most important thing only to follow it up this week with...a critique about facial expressions.  The idea of Jesse Tyler LOOKATMEDAMMIT Ferguson next week makes me shudder, but that's why there's the fast-forward button.  They should have brought back Misty.  

 

I love Valerie but disagree with this.  Her first HH routine was cool for the most part.  The one last night, though, I kept waiting for it to kick into gear.  I don't know if it was the choreography or what but things felt disjointed to me, really slow compared to the music, and as I said in another post to me it didn't seem like she was moving the whole way through.  She has certain steps that she hits well, but I have to say I think Jacque was the strongest of the final 3 girls in this style.  I enjoyed her last week, thought she did well.

 

I agree with you. She felt very slow and clunky throughout the routine. I think Willdabeast had to choreograph down to her capabilities, and even then she couldn't do it.

[RBee]

I agree with the take on C. Applegate's pretentiousness as a judge. I did like her at first, but no more.

 

Kat, almost every season has had boy/girl eliminations. Season 7, which began with only ten was the exception, since only 1 person was eliminated each week.   I don't remember about season 1. Season 6 had a finale of 6, but it was 3 male & 3 female.

 

  

  I do remember that Season 3 was the first time they did a boy/boy dance (Mia's Two Princes dance for Neal and Danny)

 

Travis & Benji did a hiphop together in Season 2. :)

 

    That’s why there was an abundance of guys in the season 2 final four (only 1 girl).

 

There were 2 girls, 2 guys. Travis/Benji  Heidi/Donyelle

 

    Season 4 didn’t have a top 4 – they did a top 3 if I recall; at least I can only remember Joshua, Twitch and Katee dancing in the Season 4 finale.

 

They had a top 4, each dancing with the other...no all stars.  Courtney placed 4th that season.

 

Seasons 2-4 were my favorites. I'd love to return to the days of no all stars.

 

Edit:

On the maturity issue, it's relative to me. Season 10 had so many dancers that looked & danced like they ranged in age from junior high (Fik-Shun) to barely out of high school (Paul). Amy fell somewhere between the two & her dance with Travis was all kinds of squicky as a result. However, Joshua Allen was 18 and when not performing, sounded and acted like an 18 year old. But he could believably turn on the maturity as a partner when required. His paso doble with Katee was one of the hottest done by non-ballroom partners, in my opinion, & Joshua sizzled in it & didn't look like a teen at all.   Marquette was young, but looked miles more mature than some of the 20-22 year olds recently featured on the show. He was particularly killer in hiphop (group routine), which I don't remember Nigel & Co. ever acknowledging.

Edited August 21, 2014 by RBee

[shimarella]

as far as i recall its always been two boys, two girls. Season One it was Nick, Jamile, Melody & Ashle.

[realdancemom]

Starting at Season 1, we had same sex partner dances in the finales.  That's because each contestant did a dance with all the finalists.  I don't remember Nick and Jamile's dance.  However, I remember Mia's dance that she choreographed for Melody and Ashle. 

[MyFavShows]

Valerie is outdanced EVERY time by her partner and is never called out on it. She's Cyrus 2.0 - nice personality; limited dance skills.

Cyrus was AMAZING at his own style though - I know 12 year olds that can tap better than Valerie. It is a travesty that she is still on the show when technically strong and well-rounded girls like Tanisha and Carly are gone.

Edited August 21, 2014 by MyFavShows

[MorbidPet]

Yay my favorites Ricky & Valerie are in the finale. Ricky was a sure bet but I held my fingers crossed for Valerie and YAY. She's adorable. Jessica is fab too though, it will be a tough choice. Zack is great too but between the guys it's an easy choice for me. Ricky for the win :)

[Calamity Jane]

Don't know if anyone else has mentioned -- pretty positive I saw Sasha Alexander (and perhaps a daughter?) sitting in the audience behind Spencer Liff.  Fun!

[tpplay]

America's "favorite" dancer doesn't equal "best" dancer on the show. I imagine this is the way it will always be if the general public has such a big part in the decision-making. I'm not complaining. It is what it is. On the other hand, what's the alternative? If it were up to NIGEL, there wouldn't have had to have been a show - we could have had the top 20 and he could have declared Jessica the winner. Easy peasy.

As for what we've got - and this is the opinion of a person who knows nothing whatsoever about dance - oh, except this one thing - which is that my husband's best friend is an award-winning professional tap dancer who has a dance company in Minneapolis. He's a stellar dancer. So that weighs a bit on my thinking (having seen a LOT of tap performances - I'm kind of old) that Valerie is in fact a very good tap dancer. I prefer Zack's tap dancing - I prefer him in general. But I love watching Valerie dance. The only finalist I don't love watching is Jessica. I think she's a quite good dancer too - but I think there's an element when watching any kind of performing artist - a mysterious kind of "I don't know why, just doesn't appeal to me." I feel that way (I am likely the only person in the country) about Johnny Depp for example. Just. Don't. Like. Watching. Him. It's a little bit like the chemistry between people on a first date - it's there or it's not there. For me, it's not there with Jessica. I much preferred watching Jacque and wish I was going to watch her again next week. Tonight was the first night Casey did anything for me at all - I'm glad we've got the guys we've got.

[dcalley]

I actually liked the disco, probably because it's different than all the endless contemporary, but at the very end when Casey picked Jessica up to spin her I was so sure they were going to replicate the spin that Jeff and Charlene did on SYTYCD Canada for their hustle and was a bit disappointed when they didn't:

Damn, I wasn't expecting that (I skipped the rehearsal stuff).

 

During the group number I could only think of 5 of the 6 dancers. Jessica was who I missed.

 

I think Christina was hoping to get something huge out of Casey when she asked him that, but she didn't let him in on the plan and he, not surprisingly to me, didn't have much to say,* so she had to try to save it somehow and ended up...with that. I was not moved by that number at all, it was just same ol' contemporary to me, instantly forgettable. (*Not that there's anything wrong with that.)

 

Happy that Zack's still there. I enjoyed the Chbeeb routine a lot. And Clifford the Big Red Ball.

Edited August 21, 2014 by dcalley

[ari333]

I hated the stupid red ball.

[Lemons]

I definitely agree with raising the minimum age.  Maybe to 21.  Let's see some dancers who have worked some but haven't made it yet.  Enough of teens just off of their last competition win at the local "Jumpz and Cheerz" contest.   The teen girl ballet dancer is an excellent student, but I'm not interested in watching a recital.  Let's see her in 5 years.  Jessica is a typical competition dancer who knows how to turn and that's about it.  Even her biggest fan Nigel called her out for only doing what he called pirouettes in her solos.

 

Horrible. horrible season.  Poor quality of dancers.  No diversity.  The show is dying and it's all Nigel's fault.   

[preex]

Horrible. horrible season.  Poor quality of dancers.  No diversity.  The show is dying and it's all Nigel's fault.

 

I disagree.  I think the judges got more friendly, less objectively critical, and the choreographers worked around the dancers more since S4 and the show has stayed pretty much the same ever since.  There is definitely audience fatigue with a show that has been on 11 seasons, and some viewers are no longer interested in the dancers/dancing but don't want to move on.  

[Anothermi]

I disagree.  I think the judges got more friendly, less objectively critical, and the choreographers worked around the dancers more since S4 and the show has stayed pretty much the same ever since.  There is definitely audience fatigue with a show that has been on 11 seasons, and some viewers are no longer interested in the dancers/dancing but don't want to move on.  

 

I tend to agree with you. We TV viewers are a fickle lot and with that in mind I'd day SYTYCD has had a very good run. The Judges have been the only focus of controversy (what there is of it*) leaving the contestants to just dance. I applaud that. The tabloid nature of most Reality show programs makes them a "No Go" for me, but SYTYCD has not incorporated that and I am grateful.  However, 11 Seasons over 10 years isn't bad for a formulaic show that DOESN'T rely on back-stage drama. 

 

I think they are tapped out (no pun intended, although this last season makes me appreciate the possible double meaning) as far as showing 'Americer' all things current in dance.  I will miss Cat Deeley on my screen.  I will miss the show, but if/when a variation pops up that is as good as this show as been, I'll be there. (And I'm pretty sure the qualities that I appreciate this show for are largely down to the decisions of Jeff Thacker (US version) and Nigel Lythgoe, even though he is so annoying as a judge.)

 

*Ok, yeah, I forgot that some of the choreographers have been a source of back-stage drama/controversy.  But, to it's credit, the show has never exploited that and kept the main focus on the dancing. Good on you show. 

[beeble]

The disco was fun, and this was the first week that I really saw what the judges see in Jessica. She did a great job, except for her solo. She ought to be less about being pretty and sexy and focus on her dancing a bit more. As for her "club" outfit, a few years ago, Mr. Beeble and I went to a rave (where we felt like the chaperones because everyone was so damn young) and a bunch of the girls were wearing outfits similar to Jessica's, with less of a clown effect. But bright purple fuzzy boots, tight neon shorts, and a cropped top were all the rage. (Me? I wore jeans, sneakers, and hung onto my raincoat the whole night.)

 

Ricky was amazing. I just love him. He's no pasha in the cha cha department (but to be fair, who is?) but the boy is lighter than air.

 

Valerie was upstaged by Twitch, but Mr. Beeble enjoyed it and danced to it with them.

 

Zach is wickedly talented, but I watched Fik-shun the whole time.

 

I think I want Will and Anya to dance together. Sexiest duo in the world. All stars of the all stars. 

 

Why is Cat orange?

 

Edited to add: I couldn't watch this last night so I DVRed it. Best way to get through the judging is FF. I didn't hear a shriek or any of Nigel's creepiness or any of Applegate's inanity. Best invention ever.

Edited August 22, 2014 by beeble

[Electruck]

I can't believe in the final six show they paired up pre-top-10 partners again! Really? They couldn't give us pairings we hadn't seen yet?

I thought Casey really improved in performance. It started with the prom dance, then he went for it in hip-hop, then he totally got into disco. We may have a future disco all-star if Brandon's unavailable. Good on you, Casey.

[iameatingaburrito]

Ok so I have to ask if anyone else hated the Zack and Fik-Shun routine? I am so confused right now, I've never been in a situation where I absolutely hated a dance that is getting what seems like rave reviews across the board. For example, I didn't love Ricky and Jessica's Sonya piece, I liked it but I didn't think it was anything remarkable and I like other dances Ricky has done since a lot more, even ones not in his style. But I didn't HATE it. Like I hear people saying Zack is good at hip hop and I'm legitimately so confused because he seems really weak to me?

 

Did anybody else not like it?

 

I've literally watched it probably ten times now trying to understand.

 

I'm wondering if it could be because I'm never taking my eyes off Zack because I'm trying to judge his performance. The last time I watched it I watched Fik-Shun and it was a lot better but I still didn't like it so I think at least part of my problem is the choreography.

Edited August 22, 2014 by iameatingaburrito

[crowceilidh]

Re: Ray Leeper's "theft" - I don't think that Mark invented the ponytail move; I have a suspicion that it comes from the BSDM world (maybe the Bronies?) and that's one of the things that makes it so racey.    I agree that there were some similarities in tone between the dances, but because of their source material NOT because Leeper copied Kanemura.  Anyhow, it really wasn't as great as Mark's K-pop take on the scene but Mark "stole" it as much as Leeper did.

[phoenix780]

Re: Ray Leeper's "theft" - I don't think that Mark invented the ponytail move; I have a suspicion that it comes from the BSDM world (maybe the Bronies?) and that's one of the things that makes it so racey.    I agree that there were some similarities in tone between the dances, but because of their source material NOT because Leeper copied Kanemura.  Anyhow, it really wasn't as great as Mark's K-pop take on the scene but Mark "stole" it as much as Leeper did.

Mark's source material may have been BDSM, and I'm sure he didn't outright invent every move.  But I'd say Leeper's source material was Mark, which is why it pisses me off and I felt like it was theft.  It was so hollow and empty.  Mark's felt like it came from someplace real, imho, strangely enough.  

 

Plus it just reminded me that I didn't get a new Mark routine this year, and that was annoying. 

 

Who was Carly?  Was she the other ballerina?  

 

That's why I can't be mad about Valerie.  I've known her name since the beginning, I've liked her throughout.  Most of the other girls I can't remember at all, or I'm ambivalent about at best.  Tanisha probably should have made the finals, but for me it'd be Jessica who took the spot unfairly.  I just don't get anything from her. 

[Turkish]

I have watched all 11 seasons yet I have been severely unimpressed with this season. I haven't even been watching the show live and I don't have a favorite. Which is a first for me. I watch all the dances after they air on YT though. I've mostly been trying to stick it out because I like to see the All-Stars. Even the though the All-Star choices are often repetitive I don't mind that so much because they all usually get better with each passing season and I enjoy becoming a fan of people I didn't really care about during their original season.

 

I think it's been a while since we've seen Anya but she is always a pleasure even if she is "old" by this show's standards. She is the fiercest ballroom girl this show has ever had and yet DWTS has poached the more average blond ones instead of picking her up. Though I suspect the reason could be that she would draw too much attention away from her very limited celebrity partner. Male dancers on this show already have a hard time drawing attention away from in All-Star routines and they actually have dance experience! I miss Pasha and Artem too btw. 

 

Will is love, Will is life. 

 

And I agree that they need to retire Twitch. I love him. I do. But we see far too much of him and their are plenty of other hip-hop alums they could showcase from time to time.

Edited August 22, 2014 by Turkish

[tvloserlife]

Damn, I wasn't expecting that (I skipped the rehearsal stuff).

Yeah - that was pretty much the moment I decided I wanted Jeff in the finale.

 

 

I can't believe in the final six show they paired up pre-top-10 partners again! Really? They couldn't give us pairings we hadn't seen yet?

I forgot to comment on this previously - why stick them in the original pairings?  The only reason I could think of was because Jessica had to deal with so many different partners that they wanted to allow her to be comfortable in a partnership - but that is such a stretch of a reason.

 

 

Ok so I have to ask if anyone else hated the Zack and Fik-Shun routine?

So I didn't hate it - I loved it actually.  But what I will say is, I adore everything Fik Shun has ever done because he is just so joyful that even if the dance itself was okay, it still warrants a rewatch in my opinion.  On top of that, the routine was so completely different from anything that we've seen in this lacklustre season that it is automatically more memorable, and having Phillip Chbeeb choreograph brings lots of warm fuzzies.  Throw in the part where Zack held his own quite well (Fik Shun was still better, but he's Fik Shun), and it's absolutely magical.  In another season or with a different all-star?  No.  This doesn't even crack the top 10 of best hip hop routines on the show.

[Nonlinear]

I dislike Christina Applegate as a judge. She does not give useful or meaningful critiques. I miss Misty as the third judge. I hope the show brings useful judges next season.

 

Loved Zach's routine with Fikshun. Zach just might get the votes for that. He is my favourite dancer in the top 20 as I enjoy watching him the most. I admit I like Ricky too and I think he is probably the better dancer but I'd be so happy if Zach won!

 

As for the girls, Tanisha and Carly should have been the two remaining girls.

 

I have watched all seasons, all the episodes of this show and somehow I am underwhelmed by this season. I am not sure if it is because I am used to the same choreographers and same praises from the judges and the same dance moves, etc. However, I do love to watch these dancers and I still love Cat! I hope there is a new season.

Edited August 22, 2014 by Nonlinear

[dcalley]

I forgot to say that I didn't watch Ricky for a second in the cha cha because of Anya. I'm so glad the show had her back on. She's the best, and they need to get some men who can keep up with her so she can keep coming back.

[crowceilidh]

 

I think it's been a while since we've seen Anya but she is always a pleasure even if she is "old" by this show's standards. She is the fiercest ballroom girl this show has ever had and yet DWTS has poached the more average blond ones instead of picking her up.

Anya's on the DWTS mothership, Strictly Come Dancing in the UK.  British TV in general has more taste in brunettes than American.

[BensBritches]

I'm wondering if folks can explain to me what they see that makes Zach and Valerie so "joyful" when they dance.  Does it mean Zach and Valerie (and Fikshun who is also called joyful) look like they enjoy their dances/dancing more than the rest of the contestants?  Do they come across to some as getting more pleasure out of their dancing than the others?  Do they seem more "fun" and/or happy to be there?  Or they just make you smile and feel good when they dance? Cuz I just don't get it...

 

I'm not saying I dislike either kid, I fully enjoy Zach's dancing and am happy he's in the finale. I would be fine with him winning.  But I don't get how he's any more "joyful" than Ricky.  I don't care for Valerie as a dancer and she does seem happy to be there, but I don't see her as any more joyous when dancing as the others who I also think are happy to be there.  In fact, I don't think any of the final 4 aren't thrilled to still be on the show. 

 

I guess if I saw a lot of "off-set" clips of Zach and Valerie joking around and being really funny and bringing sunshine to all those around them, then I might get it, but I don't find either of them to be particularly magnetic in terms of personality.  Not saps, mind you, but I just haven't seen anything to make me label them joyful and I'm starting to think I'm missing something vital with the two of them.  I guess the way I think of the term, Rudy was the one who seemed the most over-the-top, puppy-dog-tail-waggingly happy to be on the show and I couldn't stand him!  Maybe I do better with dour or demur!

 

But wait... Fikshun, on the other hand, did/does have  a magnetic personality and that 1000 watt smile... and I get it with him. He brought tons of joy to me no matter what he was doing.  He's in my top dancers of all time on the show.

 

While I do like Ricky, I hate the face-grab.  It was cute the first time... the 10th, not so much.  However, I don't think of Ricky as egotistical or stuck-up or feeling/acting like he owns this show.  He seems adequately humble to me.  But I have a soft spot for hobbits.

 

And I'm still on record as saying the winner will be either Zach or Valerie as Nigel needs a tapper to win.  Then he hit all the genres as "winners" right?  Or we still need a Latin ballroom winner?  Maybe we will get another season afterall.

[iameatingaburrito]

I don't think it's certain or even likely that the show will not have a next season. Every single show I watch, for some reason, every season everybody acts like the show will be cancelled the next season and it never is.

[poppy-]

I could watch an entire show (or dvd) where Wildabeast and Twitch just break down and show me how to do hip-hop dance moves. SO entertaining!

 

Yes please.

 

I am another one who watched every season. I remember being THRILLED by the first dance of the show, watching a breakdancer mambo (reasonably well or at least with good showmanship).  It hasn't been special in a long time. For me the first 'meh' season was the Kent-and-Lauren one. Since then it's all kind of a blur. I've watched every season but I have no memory of who this  MacKenzie is.  But at least I remember the winners.... Melanie, FikShun, Cheon. I don't think I'll remember Zack or Ricky, whichever one wins.

 

I am a little impressed that  unfortunate teeth Zack beat boy band cute Casey.  Good for him.

 

Jacob Karr > Billy Bell > Kent Boyd > Ricky.

 

Vanessa reminds me a tinge of Melanie, in that she's delightfully round-faced and puts on a good show. But she is not a great dancer.

 

Jessica is like an mannequin to me, so pretty and polished with zero hints at her inner life. 

 

When Rixton was on I could have SWORN they'd be on before- maybe last year- singing the exact same song. Am I crazy?  Was it some other forgettable band?

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Cat's hair looked like a sheet of golden silk tonight!

 

I liked the opening number. Part of me liked the glow in the dark stuff because I'm still six years old but the rest of me hated that I couldn't see who was who for so much of the dance.

 

Valerie and Ricky - I loved her costume but I hated his powder blue shoes. They looked like they should have been worn by a guy in a 70s tuxedo with a ruffled shirt. Spencer Liff, I love you tonight. Having Ricky leap over the swing was so simple but so effective. I hated that Nigel made it sound like it was such a risky daring move though. Nope. I think that Spencer's routine and Valerie's joy were a great combination. He also made sure to include lots of great leaps for Ricky though, so he did a really good job of highlighting both of their strengths.

 

Jessica and Casey's disco was a pleasant surprise. One thing I liked was that there was no story. Doriana's description was that this dance was a celebration of movement. No angst, no love story. One reason I have really disliked disco routines on this show is that Doriana crams way too much stuff into each dance and uses music with a really high BPM so the dancers end up looking like cracked out squirrels on fast forward. I also dislike when she puts too many lifts in, especially the ones with a high injury potential. I'm fine with some lifts but as the seasons have progressed, disco has turned into liftapalooza. I was glad to see that this routine didn't have either of those problems. The choreography wasn't as frantic as it's been in the past and there were way fewer lifts. To be honest, I thought that the lifts in this routine were really simple. I guess the producers didn't want anyone getting hurt right before the finale. Jessica was still doing the same thing that the judges have complained about since the beginning - she was making faces nonstop and it was so annoying. Her hair was too big for the 70s (which is totally not her fault).

 

Christina Applegate, if you have nothing to say, don't say, "I don't know what to say." Just stop talking. Heh, but I have also done turns where I was trying not to whip myself in the face with my own snot so A+ for that comment. Nigel is an idiot - you're SURE there has never been a routine on the show with more turns?

 

Since this week's votes count towards the finale results, was the show trying to sabotage Jacque and Zach by giving them the foxtrot? It wasn't bad or anything, but that's not that the kind of routine that gets people to vote. Jean-Marc must be exhausting to be around in real life.

 

Gawd, Jessica's dad is one of those annoying competition parents. "A lot of other dancers may have been as good technically but Jessica had that it factor and that drove other parents crazy." That's like the parental version of "The other girls don't like me because I'm so pretty and they're threatened by my talent." I really disliked how much Jessica arched her back during both turn sequences in her solo.

 

Rixton was not very good live. The lead singer is the kind of person that autotune was made for because he was flat for most of the song. Jumping around, tapping your chest, and yelling doesn't hide that.

 

The concept for Valerie and twitch's hip hop was fun, but I felt like it mostly served to give her a hip hop routine without making her do much hip hop. There were a few moments where she really got into the style but there were too many moments where she looked like a suburban high school girl doing hip hop at her studio.

 

I love Casey's mom. She was proud without being obnoxious like Jessica's dad. I know he is an amazing turner, but I really dislike how he hunches his shoulders forward while he's turning. Heh, maybe it makes him more aerodynamic.

 

When Cat was pimping the tour and they showed clips of dances from this season, it just reminded me how unmemorable this season has been. Usually by the end of each season, there are a number of standout dances that I hope to see again during the finale. This year, I couldn't think of more than two or three I specifically remember (and that doesn't mean all the ones I remember are good either).

 

Valerie looks so much like her mom. I can see who she gets her smile from. Her brothers were cheesy but in a fun way. I really liked the dress she wore for her solo. It's nice to see a girl on this show who doesn't fall back on the crop top/booty shorts combo every time she's given an opportunity to choose her own costume.

 

I liked Jacque and Will's ball/balloon dance. I really liked that Sean used the ball well as a prop but didn't overuse it (unlike, say, the telephone number). The beginning when Jacque and Will were rolling over the ball and then they transitioned to rolling over each other was really fluid and beautiful.

 

Zach's parents were very sweet and supportive. I really liked his solo (and that's coming from someone who usually doesn't like tap). Even though we're almost at the end of the season, I am still astounded at how he transforms from a cute little boy to a confident man whenever he dances each week.

 

I absolutely LOATHED that horrible Burning Man Circa 2003 costume that Jessica was forced to wear. All she was missing was the goggles. The choreography was terrible too. What a waste of Ade.

 

What I liked about Jacque's solo is that she gave us ballet that wasn't classical or contemporary. While the choreography wasn't amazing (and the fouette sequence didn't go with the music), I'm glad she did something fun.

 

Ugh, Jean Marc looked like he was being a close talker during cha cha rehearsal. On behalf of everyone in the world, I say BACK OFF. When they announced the pairings last week, I thought Ricky would be overwhelmed by Anya and that this dance would look like a sexy adult woman dancing inappropriately with a little boy. I was really pleasantly surprised by how mature Ricky looked. He had great carriage and presence. For the most part he looked sharp and had the style.

 

Stacey's routine was lovely and staged beautifully with the blue lights and dark background, but in the end it was not memorable. I would like to officially tell Christina Applegate to kindly shut HER face. What the hell was with that nonsensical questioning of Casey? Because he can't articulate how he feels, he did his job? What the fucking fuck does that even mean? As for Nigel, stop talking about the choreographers telling stories. I don't need a story if the choregraphy is good.

 

I love that Zach realized that what he needed to do to succeed at this hip hop routine was watch Phillip and Fik Shun. He did a great job studying them because I never would have guessed that Zach and Fik Shun have such different dance backgrounds. They danced really well together without one person seeming totally different in style from the other. Great to see Phillip Chbeeb back. I really liked the concept (again, take note, Nigel, that we don't need a story to have a successful routine).

 

While I appreciate Christina Applegate's love of dance and her obsessive love of the show (it's obvious that she watches the show at home during the weeks when she isn't a guest judge), she now sounds like everyone's weird aunt who is always gushing about how much she loves you and is proud of you but there are a few little things you need to work on. Honestly, Cat had more insightful comments about Zach's hip hop routine than Christina did.

 

Loved the group hugs at the end of the show. This season has been so forgettable for me, but I still love seeing that camaraderie. And I find it so cute when the all stars are so proud of their contestants. I noticed Anya ran up to hug Ricky and congratulate him on making the finals.

[vibeology]

Jacob Karr > Billy Bell > Kent Boyd > Ricky.

 

Danny Tidwell >Jacob Karr > Billy Bell > Kent Boyd > Ricky.

 

Fixed it.

 

Gawd, Jessica's dad is one of those annoying competition parents. "A lot of other dancers may have been as good technically but Jessica had that it factor and that drove other parents crazy." That's like the parental version of "The other girls don't like me because I'm so pretty and they're threatened by my talent." I really disliked how much Jessica arched her back during both turn sequences in her solo.

 

Her Dad was such an asshole. I'd forgotten about that, but that left such a horrible taste in my mouth that I can't even remember her solo. The idea that parents resented a child because she was "special" is arrogant and disgusting. He's icky and not that she was probably going to win, but it certainly hurt her to make such a gross comment.

[realdancemom]

Danny Tidwell >Jacob Karr > Billy Bell > Kent Boyd > Ricky.

 

Fixed it.

 

Her Dad was such an asshole. I'd forgotten about that, but that left such a horrible taste in my mouth that I can't even remember her solo. The idea that parents resented a child because she was "special" is arrogant and disgusting. He's icky and not that she was probably going to win, but it certainly hurt her to make such a gross comment.

 

Alex Wong needs to be added too.  I would say he is tied with Jakob.  It's difficult to judge since he couldn't complete a season.  But he had two great routines and awesome solos in a short time.  His and Twitch's hip-hop is still one of my favorites to rewatch.

 

I also hated Jessica's dad comment.  It's ridiculous to think parents are going to be jealous over another child.  I bet Jessica was always told that she was beautiful and talented.  There's really nothing wrong with saying that because every parent tells their child that.  I also expected parents to say you work so hard and you dreamed of being on this show for years.  I love watching you dance.  It's the jealousy part that was out of line.

 

OTOH, I can see why Valerie is a happy person and her brothers were a hoot.  I also loved Ricky's grandma or aunt.  She was so endearing.

 

For the girls, Valerie probably had her best night from the whole season.  The choreographers did her a favor by choosing character driven pieces.  In the Broadway number, she just looked really joyful and wholesome.  She looked like one of the characters in a family sitcom/movie from a long time ago.  For the hip-hop number, she seemed like a giddy drunk bride.

 

I did like Jessica and Casey's disco.  I like that Doriana didn't put a bunch of lifts and it was a little slower.  Casey really is a great turner since he was turning pretty fast.  If Jessica was afraid of lifts, I bet she was scared to do this number.  Jessica did get in character at the beginning of Ray Leeper's jazz.  But she slowly lost it.  At the end for a second, it looked like she was lost and looked at Ade to remember the next steps.  I think Ade did a decent job but of course, Mark would have been better at it.  One of my favorite parts is when Jessica was on his shoulders and he started doing a sexy walk.  Then he would hit the harder beats by moving his shoulders/hips while walking.  Previously, I said that Ray's dance looked like something that Mark would do.  However, I don't think he copied his dance.  The dance steps and movement were different.  They just had the same concept but how many contemporaries do we see about a guy and a girl breaking up?  I thought this dance was fun but could have been better if Jessica stayed in character through the whole dance.

 

When Jessica did her solo, I was thinking that finally it had a different feel and she wasn't doing a sexy rolling on the floor routine with a bunch of hairography.  Then I saw her turn sequence and said, "she puts that in every routine".  If that wasn't enough, she puts a different turn sequence.  Casey also puts a lot of turns in his solos but at least, he adds other technique elements.  So I agreed with Nigel's comments since I thought the same thing before he said it.

 

I really liked Jacque and Will's routine especially the beginning when they used the red stability ball and then afterwards in their floor section.  It also had a real sweet relationship vibe.  Her solo was unique and fun for a ballet solo.   

Edited August 23, 2014 by realdancemom

[waving feather]

Yeah, I rolled my eyes at Jessica's dad's comments. Basically, I dislike this special snowflake syndrome that parents impose on their kids. And as far as jazz/contemporary dancers go, Jessica is completely forgettable compared to the other ladies who have been on the show. Even Makenzie with her beautiful feet is more memorable than Jessica. At this point, I'd rather have Valerie winning than bland Jessica. She's at least more entertaining.

 

Danny Tidwell >Jacob Karr > Billy Bell > Kent Boyd > Ricky.

 

Basically this. I can't take the judges' greatest of all time comments to Ricky seriously when they had Danny Tidwell on the show before and they weren't as kind to Danny on his run.

Edited August 23, 2014 by waving feather

[Bella]

Fools rush in and all that post:

When I say a dancer is joyful, I mean they give me the impression that this is what they do as a passion. If they're happy, they dance. If they're sad, they dance to become happier. If they're lonely, they dance. If they're hungry, they eat first, then go dance. If no one's watching, they dance. If they're told they're no good and should stop dancing, they dance anyway. They dance because that's at the core of who they are. Good, bad, alone, on TV, etc., it doesn't matter. They dance because that's what brings them joy.

 

And it shows in some people. Like Valerie.

 

YMMV.

 

I knew an old woman in her 70s who wouldn't stop ice skating. She was a skater. She broke her hip once, had to have a pin inserted, wore a brace, had the pin removed, went through rehab, and after a year of medical hell, she resumed skating, albeit a bit more cautiously. She was a skater, it was part of her core. I never saw her skate, but I imagine she was joyful when she skated.

[Aethera]

I'm rooting for Zach. That Foxtrot really upset me - clearly they are engineering Ricky win, and i just haven't cared at all about him all season.  I FF'd through at least half that episode.

 

Honestly, I'm sick of everyone complaining about the tappers, and saying they don't belong. Don't paint Zach with the Valerie brush.  He did well in all styles this season, and his solos are great, and Aaron was also great in a lot of styles last year.  You can't give all the hip hoppers who are meh in other styles a pass and then say the tappers shouldn't get to be on the show at all.

[iameatingaburrito]

I don't really think they are engineering a Ricky win. They know that praising people causes a large part of the audience to hate them, and for them to lose (at least if they are male). I think Nigel does like Jessica and I think he would like a tapper to win as well. Not saying he doesn't like Ricky. I don't really blame them though if they want what they consider to be the best dancer to win. And I think Ricky has actually been pretty challenged throughout the season.

[OnceSane]

Loved Zach & Fik-shun's hip-hop.  That & Valerie/Twitch were my favorites of the night.

 

Unpopular opinion time: I like Valerie & enjoy watching her (even if she's a bit clunky).  & I was not at all impressed with Ricky during his cha-cha with Anya.

[poppy-]

Alex Wong needs to be added too.  I would say he is tied with Jakob.  It's difficult to judge since he couldn't complete a season.  But he had two great routines and awesome solos in a short time.  His and Twitch's hip-hop is still one of my favorites to rewatch.

 

I'd put Alex, Cheon, Danny and maybe Will (the ballet boys) in a different category than Jakob, Billy Bell, Kent and Ricky (slender, graceful elves).  I guess Danny could go either way.  All good dancers.

 

They definitely had boy/boy and girl/girl dances back in S1.  I wonder if that was the only year they actually revealed the voting percentages in the final?  It seemed cruel to let the #4 person know she got just 15% of the vote.

 

I think that they will put Twitch on as long as Twitch wants to come on. He is part of the brand. So good, so charming, so well known.  Even though he looks (and is) 10+ years older than the contestants.  

Edited August 24, 2014 by poppy-

[SpectreH]

A few comments about show before I jump into the seasons discussion.

 

My favorite of the night was Zach and Fikshun.  2nd favorite is a tie between Valerie and Twitch and Jacque and Will.  The rest were somewhat forgettable to me as well.  I don't mind the final 4, though I agree this is the most forgettable season in recent memory.

 

I've been watching since Season 2.  Season 4 is my favorite.  Great characters, great routines in that Season.  I don't know if anyone here shares my opinion, since I see so much complaining, but I think Season 10 was the best season we've had in years.  Not looking to offend, but personally, I don't understand some of the posters here talking about not "remembering" Jenna or Makenzie from last year.  If you watched the season at all are you kidding me?  Jenna's K-Pop routine with Mark?  Makenzie's red dress in the "Too Darn Hot" routine from Spencer Liff?  And those girls didn't even make the Final 4 cuz we had Amy and Jasmine and FikShun and Aaron.  That was a great Final 4, and one where I was glad for whoever won, because all 4 of them were great and I hadn't felt that way about a Final 4 for several Seasons.  Plus we had that awesome episode where the All Stars choreographed and danced.  So yes, in comparison to Season 10, this Season has been somewhat of a letdown, but I saw a ton of complaining last season too on TWOP, and for the life of me, I just couldn't understand it at the time, and now here I do see a few more people remembering some of the great routines we saw last year.  I do agree that this year has been too contemporary heavy though.  We've been getting hit over the head with at least one emotional, "special" contemporary routine every week, and guess what, when you see it so much, it ain't so special any more.  Well, I guess I am joining in with the complaining about this season, though I think last season was good.

 

One surprising bright spot of this Season though, are some of the dance crew routines, the Academy of Villains and the Control Freakz routines were awesome.

Edited August 24, 2014 by SpectreH

[poppy-]

Not looking to offend, but personally, I don't understand some of the posters here talking about not "remembering" Jenna or Makenzie from last year.

 

Oh I remember Jenna.  She was the one everyone hated LOL.  (By everyone I mean TWOP).

Season 4 was good-Twitch, Katee, Mark, Will, Comfort, Courtney Galiano!

I have a soft spot for Season 6, Legacy and Ellenore and Kathryn and Jakob and Russell.

While I think this season is nothing special, I will certainly watch next year.

[DanaMB]

 

 

Please, please show, for next year - make a REAL dancer (or choreographer) sit in the third seat. Applegate's overfamiliarity and faux authority really grates.

"Casey, how do you feel?"

 

This so much.  She has been grating each time I've seen her, but this is the point where I said to myself, "She is so fucking annoying" and just started ff'ing.

[ToxicUnicorn]

I'd put Alex, Cheon, Danny and maybe Will (the ballet boys) in a different category than Jakob, Billy Bell, Kent and Ricky (slender, graceful elves).  I guess Danny could go either way.  All good dancers.

Put me in the elves category, then.  Surprised to see Kent in this company - I was never too impressed with him.  Good to know.

 

I didn't think anything of the Broadway number except that the swing looked like an excuse to eat up time for Valerie.  Ricky was fine, but I felt I didn't get to see anything new.  However, I love "I've got the world on a string" as a song, so I probably had a better impression overall of the routine than otherwise, just because of the music.

 

As the show went on, I got more and more nervous that someone would get a Tyce.  But no!  Good for you, show.

 

In general, I feel as though the show has tried really hard this season to vary the choreographers.  (Except for that little obsession with Travis.)  I loved seeing Philip Chbeeb's choreography.  That was fun for me in the way that Mark K's seemed to be for a lot of others last season.

 

I don't know much about dance, but both Valerie and Casey have major issues with their heads and/or shoulders to me.  I don't know what it is, but it bothers me.  Casey does well in his own style, but he had major problems with this in his disco last night.  Regardless, that disco routine was one of Doriana's best.  I haven't liked a disco that much since Season 1 (Melody-Nick)  Remember that, Doriana!  Ixnay the iftslay! 

 

Jacque, who has outlasted much better dancers, to my vocal disgruntlement, finally won me over with the Red Ball piece.  That first bit with the ball was stunning.  I now am glad she was there to give that performance.  She also handled her disqualification beautifully.  Credit where credit is due.

 

I didn't mind Zack and Jacque's foxtrot too much and thought they were the victims of horribly inconsistent judging.  Yes, the few moments in closed hold were a bit jarring but the rest was delivered with a lot of style.  People havve been given much bigger passes for much worse and it was mean to be so negative about that particular style if you weren't going to judge the rest of the dances.  Boo, judges.  I don't know if that was intended to create suspense over whether Zack had made it or not, but it certainly cast doubt in his mind.  The boy looked crushed.  Lots of credit to him for going out there and giving his all with Fik-shun later.

 

I loved Mackenzie last season and have not liked her much as an All-Star.  First of all, I don't know what it is, but I feel like something has happened to her face.  Secondly, I am not getting any emotion or connection with her partner this year.  I thought she had a nice chemistry with Paul last year but it seems to be gone.  I'm very disappointed.  (ETA: And I remember the red dress, SpectreH!  She was on fire with Jakob!)

 

I finally decided that I'm really not ok with the way this season's credits feature a female dancer I can barely remember with the title.  Ok.  I had to get that off my chest.

 

When Zack did his solo, I realized that I would not mind it if he won.  I haven't been on his bandwagon all season (haven't disliked him, but haven't been in love with him either).  I loved that solo.  Then, when Ricky did the cha cha with Anya (who has never, ever danced better on this show, imo), I changed my mind and wanted Ricky to win.  But then, when Zack performed the hell out of the hip hop with Fikshun, I switched to him again.  I'd be happy with either.  I bet the producers on Broadway are hoping for Zack, though.  He could be a real star.  

 

I  normally speak up in favor of Christina Appelgate, but I agree, she was flat out unhelpful.  It did not feel natural to me, almost as if someone high up threatened to beat her up if she said anything in the least bit critical.  Not her finest hour.  Still, I prefer her to Jesse Tyler Ferguson who makes the same stupid comments she did last night, but with a bowtie.  Oh well, that's what makes a horse race!   

 

Seems like the general sentiment is that this was a weak season.  It does seem to have ended up with a pretty lackluster finale, which I think would be different if Tanisha were still here.  In the overall scheme of things, I'll stand by my opinion that this season was more fun than a lot of recent seasons.  I may be kidding myself, but I felt like I saw more growth in more contestants than in the past few years, which is something I love.  Last year, the top 4 seemed pretty much the same as at the beginning of the season.  By the finale in S9, Eliana and Chehon had never been stretched much, Cyrus had (but I never thought he'd win) and I still didn't know who Tiffany was.  Don't get me started on S8 winner Melanie Moore.  This season, I feel like Valerie, Casey, Tanisha, Rudy, Zack, and Jacque (to go back a week to the Top 8) all improved, some dramatically so.  The only two who haven't, for me, have been Ricky and Jessica, but they were good enough throughout that I enjoyed watching them.  Also, in S8-S11, there were people who I didn't particularly care for who made the finales.  So, relatively for me at least, this season was ok.

 

It would have been nice if there had been more standout routines, but to some degree, I think it has become harder and harder to impress me as I've become a more experienced consumer.

Edited August 24, 2014 by ToxicUnicorn

[poppy-]

Christina Applegate is at least a dancer, I don't think Jesse Tyler Ferguson has danced professionally.

 

In general, I feel as though the show has tried really hard this season to vary the choreographers.  (Except for that little obsession with Travis.)  I loved seeing Philip Chbeeb's choreography.  That was fun for me in the way that Mark K's seemed to be for a lot of others last season.

 

This is a fair point - good for you STYCD, getting out of the 5 choreographers per season rut.
 

[kechara]

I liked the choreography by the Academy of Villains people too.  And less Tyce...that's always a good thing for me.

 

I wish Mark had come back to do a choreo and to all star this season though.  He's got an interesting vision I think.

 

also Alex as an all star...I would have really liked that too.