S32.E05: Most Memorable Year

[Andiethewestie]

I think it's tough to give a rookie such a dud like Harry. but I have to say Dani's partners particularly Iman had rhythm, so she had lots to work with. In fact I loved Iman's first dance Hey Ya a jive and it was scored far below what I saw. This guy Harry has no real career accomplishments and no musicality whatsoever. He's just a popular do nothing and that's just not interesting to me.  

Speaking of duds, Peta gets a lot of flack for messing up the cartwheel on the Jazz, but Peta did this move perfectly with Tommy Chong. Tommy was 76 doing the show and wasn't a Broadway dancer like Barry wants to tell anyone who listens. Chong was just so much easier to coach than Williams. 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 26, 2023 by Andiethewestie

[boyznkatz]

Iman was better than Harry, but Daniella does deserve kudos for her choreography with him. Rylee just isn't good. I know she's 18, but Julianne was also 18 when she started and she kicked ass. Granted she had Apollo Ohno her first year, but still...

[Andiethewestie]

I think that having an athlete already helps because of coach ability. Iman was extremely coachable and exciting because he was the first of the few very tall men who could move with swag. Dani could lean into that natural talent and did so throughout the competition.
Apolo Ohno was more talented and infinitely more coachable than Harry. His foot placement and leaping ability  was as much a result of his speed skating training as it was the few months of intensive ballroom. Riley has a huge liability in Harry with no talent, no athleticism and a narcissistic mind set. Without a minimum dance ability we can't fault a lack of creativity in the choreography. There's not much you can do with a fork lift except use him as a climbing toy.
 

Obviously Julianne and Dani were going to get far better results. Also Riley stands on the shoulders of the cute very young blondes who went before her. Julianne was the first and so naturally had the most buzz because she was new and different from the exotic pros like Karina and Cheryl. 

Edited October 26, 2023 by Andiethewestie

[LadyMustang65]

On 10/24/2023 at 9:44 PM, Quickbeam said:

I was so unimpressed with Charity. That was just stupid. Len would have called the jungle gym bit “faffing around”.  RIP Len.

I wonder, though.  It was a contemporary, which has no formal structure.  And the use of props seems to be quite widespread as well.  At least they actually used it to good effect.  And I give her props for the trust fall.

[dizzyd]

I thought there was something going on between Mauricio and Emma and apparently it was obvious to Kyle. Not that I care about Kyle but I do feel for Sasha because there’s been a few awkward moments visible to me in the upstairs balcony. 
https://www.eonline.com/news/1388688/kyle-richards-admits-shes-hurt-by-photos-of-mauricio-umansky-holding-hands-with-emma-slater

Edited October 26, 2023 by dizzyd

[realdancemom]

13 hours ago, marykat71702 said:

From what I understand and have been seeing articles about(before the Len tribute discussions), she has been bashing the show pretty bad on her podcast. So has Sharna, apparently.

I was thinking that this was the reason why Cheryl wasn't asked for the tribute and why Sharna didn't get asked back as a pro this season. I don't listen to Cheryl's podcasts but I've seen articles.

2 hours ago, Andiethewestie said:

I think that having an athlete already helps because of coach ability. Iman was extremely coachable and exciting because he was the first of the few very tall men who could move with swag. Dani could lean into that natural talent and did so throughout the competition.
Apolo Ohno was more talented and infinitely more coachable than Harry. His foot placement and leaping ability  was as much a result of his speed skating training as it was the few months of intensive ballroom. Riley has a huge liability in Harry with no talent, no athleticism and a narcissistic mind set. Without a minimum dance ability we can't fault a lack of creativity in the choreography. There's not much you can do with a fork lift except use him as a climbing toy.
 

Obviously Julianne and Dani were going to get far better results. Also Riley stands on the shoulders of the cute very young blondes who went before her. Julianne was the first and so naturally had the most buzz because she was new and different from the exotic pros like Karina and Cheryl. 

I agree. Iman had natural swag and I also thought his first dance was underscored. Nelly has musicality. As a bodybuilder, Joseph had great body awareness. Harry has nothing except he's strong enough to be a fork lift. 

2 hours ago, dizzyd said:

I thought there was something going on between Mauricio and Emma and apparently it was obvious to Kyle. Not that I care about Kyle but I do feel for Sasha because there’s been a few awkward moments visible to me in the upstairs balcony. 
https://www.eonline.com/news/1388688/kyle-richards-admits-shes-hurt-by-photos-of-mauricio-umansky-holding-hands-with-emma-slater

While I do think there's more dance chemistry between them vs. Harry and Rylee, I'm not certain there's anything happening. Emma was also linked with Trevor and Rashad. I thought she had the most steam with Rashad but that could just be me thinking he's really hot. 

[boyznkatz]

I think it was Cheryl who said that a lot of couples hook up on this show, so who knows.

[coffeebean]

On 10/24/2023 at 9:06 PM, LexieLily said:

Tom and Cheryl should have been asked to be there. 

I read on the Media thread that Cheryl said she was not invited. What? I don't understand that at all. Did she leave the show on a bad note like Tom B?

[coffeebean]

On 10/25/2023 at 2:49 PM, realdancemom said:

The Len tribute was lovely. It was like they were skating across ice and the top view reminded me of synchronized swimming. Bruno had me crying at the end and it got worse when everybody else joined. I love all the comments that the pros shared before the dance too. A 10 from Len really does mean something and you had to earn that score.

Harry should have left. He showed some improvement last week. This week, he was just stomping and was basically a fork lift. 

This was Mira's best dance. Not sure if it was a good idea to have her daughter in the dance. In one way, it was nice to pay a tribute to Romy and Michele. It was also touching to have her daughter in it but also have the comedic parts of the dance that was in the movie. Unfortunately, while Mira has nice lines in comparison to some other celebrities, her daughter is a lot better and it showed in this dance. I think the judges could have scored her at least one point higher but she was first and they always low ball the first dance.

Barry was overscored. It is distracting to see Peta yelling and guiding Barry. However, she has to do that because otherwise, I think Barry would be lost. If either Barry or Alyson left tonight, at least, they would have left on a high note for them vs. if either one left last week. Alyson's dance this week was by far her best one yet.

Glad Jason is back!! He and Xochitl are my favorites. Their dances are technical but they bring joy on the dance floor too.

Too much messing about with the jungle gym in Charity's dance. I do think she brought more emotion though which sad contemporaries tend to do. She didn't dance like a pageant queen. I thought she would have better feet since I thought she had some dance training. I could be wrong about that.

Regarding Charity better feet........I had to pause the DVR during Charity's dance and both of her feet were pointed beautifully.

[realdancemom]

1 hour ago, coffeebean said:

Regarding Charity better feet........I had to pause the DVR during Charity's dance and both of her feet were pointed beautifully.

Yes, she points her feet which is better than some gymnasts that curl their toes or contestants with lazy feet that just hang. My comment was based on assuming she had a classical dance background so I was talking about high arches and beveled feet, eg Mira's daughter. However, I think she had a cheerleader background which is a different type of training. She mentioned it during the first show but I don't remember. She is in my top four along with Jason, Xochitl, and Ariana. 

[Kristi800]

I would have loved to have seen more tribute and fewer memorable years by the celebs.  

That was a beautiful tribute dance to him, though, with the top hat and going directly into the waltz to Moon River. 

Loved seeing the former dancers, especially Louis. Too bad about Cheryl. 

 

[BuckeyeLou]

4 hours ago, coffeebean said:

I read on the Media thread that Cheryl said she was not invited. What? I don't understand that at all. Did she leave the show on a bad note like Tom B?

I think Cheryl pretty much burned her bridges with the show with some not so flattering stories, which is a shame, she is very talented, but she was fighting 'demons" for most of her time on the show

[Andiethewestie]

45 minutes ago, BuckeyeLou said:

I think Cheryl pretty much burned her bridges with the show with some not so flattering stories, which is a shame, she is very talented, but she was fighting 'demons" for most of her time on the show

I'm confused I thought this was a tribute to Len Goodman not about butt hurt producers who can't take being called out for their bullshit.
 

I think Cheryl for all her demons was the heart and soul of the show along with Tom Bergeron. I also think any critical comments came from a place of true affection for the show.
 

Moreover, Cheryl, unlike Maksim never bad mouthed Len. And yet Maks is there. I remember when Maks' comments turned very sour towards Len and it wasn't just for ratings. There was a tumultuous partnership with Hope Solo, a contestant Maks suggested and wanted on the show, but rather than observe the suggestions from Len he decided to attack him and tell him 11 years ago it was time for him to retire. I am so glad Len didn't take his unwanted advice.
 

So the producers suck. Still its okay for a disgruntled male pro to leave and tell all this is a terrible show  to come back and dance for Len.
 

Cheryl did not deserve this. 

 

 Tom loved Len.  Tom was such a wonderful antidote to Len's cutting judgements, bringing good humour and always a smile from Goodman. Unfortunately for Tom the producers don't like getting called out for their shenanigans especially when they initially agreed with Tom, about not having politicians on as contestants but changed their mind when obviously it was going to be cha ching for the network. 

[boyznkatz]

I think it would have been awesome if they just made it "Len Goodman night" and recreated some of his favorite dances on the show instead of making it about the contestants' sob stories.

[TVMovieBuff]

Peta is a rock of patience. Tommy Chong was a lot harder to teach than Barry. 

That was the days of the Switch-Ups, and Sharna got Tommy for a week. Peta told her you have to keep drilling him in the steps. Go over it again and again until he gets it.

Tommy was slower than Barry and seemed to momemtarily zone out at times. And Barry seems more gung ho at the dancing than Tommy. 

[boyznkatz]

11 hours ago, Andiethewestie said:

Moreover, Cheryl, unlike Maksim never bad mouthed Len. And yet Maks is there. I remember when Maks' comments turned very sour towards Len and it wasn't just for ratings. There was a tumultuous partnership with Hope Solo, a contestant Maks suggested and wanted on the show, but rather than observe the suggestions from Len he decided to attack him and tell him 11 years ago it was time for him to retire. I am so glad Len didn't take his unwanted advice.
 

I can't even count the number of passes Maks has gotten from the producers and fans. No one has bad mouthed the show more than him. Cheryl, Sharna and Tom never said anything like he did. Plus, he shoved Hope Solo during a rehearsal. It doesn't matter how awful of a person she was. He should have never been asked back again.

He was a terrific dancer and choreographer, but he sucked as a person.

[Andiethewestie]

1 hour ago, TVMovieBuff said:

Peta is a rock of patience. Tommy Chong was a lot harder to teach than Barry. 

That was the days of the Switch-Ups, and Sharna got Tommy for a week. Peta told her you have to keep drilling him in the steps. Go over it again and again until he gets it.

Tommy was slower than Barry and seemed to momemtarily zone out at times. And Barry seems more gung ho at the dancing than Tommy. 

And yet Tommy and Peta did the cartwheel in the Jazz and Tommy was almost a Decade older than Barry. And I'll take Tommy's Argentine Tango over anything Barry has done to date. He was by far more committed to the partnership and it really came together in that dance. As far being harder to teach, I think she has a very tough time with Barry because she is loudly giving him directions whereas I didn't see that with Tommy. Barry should be smoother he's younger and trained and yet somehow he messes up 

 

Edited October 27, 2023 by Andiethewestie

[coffeebean]

20 hours ago, coffeebean said:

I read on the Media thread that Cheryl said she was not invited. What? I don't understand that at all. Did she leave the show on a bad note like Tom B?

Quoting myself here. After reading more comments about Cheryl and her podcast, I understand why ABC didn't invite her for Len's tribute. Too bad ABC has thin skin.

[TVMovieBuff]

3 hours ago, Andiethewestie said:

And yet Tommy and Peta did the cartwheel in the Jazz and Tommy was almost a Decade older than Barry. And I'll take Tommy's Argentine Tango over anything Barry has done to date. He was by far more committed to the partnership and it really came together in that dance. As far being harder to teach, I think she has a very tough time with Barry because she is loudly giving him directions whereas I didn't see that with Tommy. Barry should be smoother he's younger and trained and yet somehow he messes up 

 

I still think Barry is more interested in the process than Tommy was. Tommy didn't seem fussed when he was booted. It doesn't bother me that Peta coaches Barry in the dance while it is going on. Tommy didn't seem that alert at any time during his tine on the show. I haven't been voting Barry but I think he is invested. 

[Andiethewestie]

Tommy not alert? Tommy's acerbic wit demonstrated just how alert he was and is. I never took the carefree style as not being alert. To me he had the perfect laid back attitude towards his partner and his time on the show. He's the coolest 76 year old to compete. He knew that his limited skill set would not get a championship but he was happy to go as far as possible. And from what I remember fans were cool with his 5th place finish.  Guys like Maks could take a lesson from him.  Everyone loved Tommy, there were jam sessions and lots of laughs, and his great partnership got him to the semifinals  He was thrilled to be dancing with a beautiful woman and his joy was infectious. For me that's what it's all about. If you can convey a love of dance the rest is gravy. Too often we get uptight worry warts and it's just not entertaining to watch. 
 

1 hour ago, TVMovieBuff said:

 

[boyznkatz]

Tommy was awesome and Barry is awesome. I love to see seniors do well on this show. Now give us Brad Garrett next season!

[Lindsay Loo Hoo]

Rylee is more concerned with goofing off and playing around than actually teaching him. Cheryl was successful early on because she was strict and actually taught them. Rylee choreography hasn’t been impressive either, but I feel like I should give that a pass because there’s only so much she can do with someone like Harry. I want to see rylee do better and succeed but so far I’m not feeling it. 

[Annber03]

4 hours ago, boyznkatz said:

Tommy was awesome and Barry is awesome. I love to see seniors do well on this show. Now give us Brad Garrett next season!

Hahaha, hey, that's a good suggestion - given we've gotten to see some of Garrett's moves on "Raymond", I actually genuinely would be interested to see what he could do on this show :D. 

[Andiethewestie]

I just noticed on threads when Jason thanked all for voting  he also thanked Willie Nelson and thanked  Ray Chew to let him sing the song. I thought it was his voice singing On The Road Again. So he confirmed it. 

[TVMovieBuff]

14 hours ago, Annber03 said:

Hahaha, hey, that's a good suggestion - given we've gotten to see some of Garrett's moves on "Raymond", I actually genuinely would be interested to see what he could do on this show :D. 

I am a devoted fan of Everybody Loves Raymond from the first episode! But alas, we won't be seeing Brad unless he expressly wants to do DWTS. Trying to be delicate, but the core cast of 5 on ELR made a bundle as the show went on. 

He doesn't need the money. 

[TVMovieBuff]

On 10/27/2023 at 8:59 AM, boyznkatz said:

I can't even count the number of passes Maks has gotten from the producers and fans. No one has bad mouthed the show more than him. Cheryl, Sharna and Tom never said anything like he did. Plus, he shoved Hope Solo during a rehearsal. It doesn't matter how awful of a person she was. He should have never been asked back again.

He was a terrific dancer and choreographer, but he sucked as a person.

Maks is a very nice person. But he doesn't suffer fools gladly, and he has a low tolerance for stupid. He also doesn't hesitate to flay (with words) someone who is being aggressively obnoxious. He had a couple of contentious back-and-frths with Len as to the dancing but good judges don't shy from that. Len didn't. 

It is Hope Solo's word I don't trust. Maks had partners who were worse dancers than she was, who he got along well with. 

[iMonrey]

On 10/27/2023 at 7:17 AM, boyznkatz said:

I think it would have been awesome if they just made it "Len Goodman night" and recreated some of his favorite dances on the show instead of making it about the contestants' sob stories.

Agreed. That pro number was just so polished and so beautiful, it made all the competition dances look cheap and amateurish by comparison and they suffered as a result, especially the ones that came after it. It also made a lot of their sob stories seems childish and trivial. It was just a really bad fit for this week's theme. 

[Kristi800]

Re: Maks. Yes, he had words with Len, then became a guest judge and understood Len's position much more and ate a bit of crow afterward. 

[boyznkatz]

On 10/28/2023 at 8:25 AM, TVMovieBuff said:

I am a devoted fan of Everybody Loves Raymond from the first episode! But alas, we won't be seeing Brad unless he expressly wants to do DWTS. Trying to be delicate, but the core cast of 5 on ELR made a bundle as the show went on. 

He doesn't need the money. 

I guess you could say the same about Mauricio. He isn't a "star", but his real estate business is supposedly worth millions. I wonder why he's doing the show? I can see why washed-up musicians or actors or people on the cusp of being famous might do it, but unless he wants to get into acting I'm not seeing the appeal for him to do it. 

[Ilovepie]

On 10/25/2023 at 11:49 AM, realdancemom said:

Harry should have left. He showed some improvement last week. This week, he was just stomping and was basically a fork lift. 

Ha - THIS! Who is voting for this guy? He is cute, but he is not good and not improving much.

On 10/25/2023 at 9:54 PM, marykat71702 said:

Charity, Ariana, and Lele are all good dancers, but I just don't really feel anything about them one way or the other.

I feel the same the same about Charity and Ariana. Pretty robots. I think Lele would be better with a different partner.

Loved Jason and Barry, and Xochitl is wonderful, I just wish she wasn't with Val.

For all the people who hate Disney night, I loathe "Most Memorable" - so schmaltzy and maudlin. And way too much contemporary which I find boring from too many years of SYTYCD - back to ballroom please!

The Len tribute was perfection. I got teary when the music started and stayed that way all the way to the break. CAI and Bruno crying and the pros not moving for 30 seconds after it ended and the shots with the tears in their eyes. GAH! I miss some of them - Anna, Tony, Louis, Kym - I wish they would come back!

[Stats Queen]

On 10/28/2023 at 9:25 AM, TVMovieBuff said:

I am a devoted fan of Everybody Loves Raymond from the first episode! But alas, we won't be seeing Brad unless he expressly wants to do DWTS. Trying to be delicate, but the core cast of 5 on ELR made a bundle as the show went on. 

He doesn't need the money. 

That’s a shame, he is and excellent dancer with amazing rhythm.

[crowceilidh]

Well, as a certified Disney hater, trust me, I'm not fond of Crying night, even when they apparently dulled that down to Emotional night.  I like nights that are about dance and music, not corporate shilling and emotional manipulation.

[kristen111]

I’m just loving this show.  The sets, the costumes, everything.  I just still feel sorry for Mira Sorvino.  Some people just can’t phone in for some reason.  They should eliminate that.  Otherwise, it’s very entertaining to watch.

[Rightside]

I wish they would stop with the "guest judges."

[boyznkatz]

13 minutes ago, Rightside said:

I wish they would stop with the "guest judges."

Right. Michael Strahan was pretty good, but I forgot how annoying Niecy Nash was until yesterday.

[Linderhill]

On 11/1/2023 at 10:19 AM, Rightside said:

I wish they would stop with the "guest judges."

at least we haven't had to put up with the waste of time that Pitbull is everytime he was forced on us.  I do agree, most of the time these guest judges are a waste.

[LexieLily]

Clearly the strike is the reason Barry, Xochitl, Allyson and Mira had to dance around (no pun intended) and not explicitly talk about the famous shows and movies they were in. Theoretically, couldn't their respective partners say the words if the actors themselves aren't allowed to promote their work?

Barry and Mira especially, since their stories and/or dances referenced the work. Couldn't Peta, for example, have responded to Barry in the video clip, "The year before you booked The Brady Bunch?" or Gleb say something about his and Mira's dance being an homage to Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion?