S33.E05: Dedication Night

[Ladybugnine]

Ilona's best dance, to me.

[Stats Queen]

Ilona was beautiful 

[iMonrey]

Ilona's Rumba was very smooth and very pretty and she did good. But maybe not a lot of Rumba moves in it. Still a win for her.

[DEL901]

Ilona was lovely.  Her and Alan make a lovely couple on the dance floor.

[dancingdreamer]

Ilona and Alan

She  puts  so much pressure  on herself , I really  like her. Oh that was lovely Ilona, must vote now.

I like this partnership. 

[Desperado]

So happy for Ilona 👏🏻👏🏻.

[iMonrey]

That was also a super flattering costume they put on Ilona. She looked great.

[dizzyd]

I gotta vote for Ilona. I don’t think Joey and Danny need my votes. Wow!

[Stats Queen]

11 minutes ago, Quickbeam said:

Phaedra criminally overscored. Enjoying the rest. 

Thank you.

[iMonrey]

Jenn is a very good dancer but it seems like she's getting lost in the crowd.

[DEL901]

I feel for Jenn.   First she was 3rd choice as Bachelorette.   Her final guys were duds.  And now shes a nice dancer but overshadowed by Joey from a Bachelor Nation perspective.  

[iMonrey]

Five couples wound up with a score of 32.

[Annber03]

4 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Jenn is a very good dancer but it seems like she's getting lost in the crowd.

I do wonder how big her fanbase is, yeah. I love her, and I've never watched a second of the "Bachelor" franchise. But I just really enjoy her on here and I'm rooting for her. 

Echoing the comments about Ilona. I admire how she worked through that tough moment from last week, it showed in her performance tonight. 

[dancingdreamer]

Jenn and Sasha

Jenn is a pretty dancer,  her footwork  was great, Sasha put a lot into that dance!.. I wish Mark could  judge every week.

[dizzyd]

Was that Jonathan again in the audience for Jenn?

Dammit, I liked all 3.

[Ladybugnine]

Good!

[iMonrey]

That's too bad. It really should have been Dwight, I don't think he's getting any better.

[Annber03]

I'm okay with it. Going to get tougher from here on out, though. 

They kind of looked like they already had a sense they would be the ones to go while they were standing on stage. 

[Stats Queen]

Yeah so glad Gleb is going home (and Brooks also)

[DEL901]

4 minutes ago, dizzyd said:

Was that Jonathan again in the audience for Jenn?

He lives in LA.  

[iMonrey]

I was never sure about Brooks' fanbase either. Probably not a lot of fans in this show's audience and the Showmance thing was kind of a turnoff. She was a better dancer than Dwight or Phaedra though.

[dancingdreamer]

I quite liked Brooks. The romantic schtick got old, she's a beautiful woman. 

[Jaundiced Eye]

4 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

I was never sure about Brooks' fanbase either. Probably not a lot of fans in this show's audience and the Showmance thing was kind of a turnoff. She was a better dancer than Dwight or Phaedra though.

I think Brooks is a better dancer than at least five of the remaining contestants. She got a raw deal, but I'm glad to see sleazeball Gleb get the boot. He's so easy on the eyes, but SO CREEPY.

18 minutes ago, dancingdreamer said:

Jenn and Sasha

Jenn is a pretty dancer,  her footwork  was great, Sasha put a lot into that dance!.. I wish Mark could  judge every week.

Jenn did not appreciate the critiques from the judges. She was pissed. 

[Quickbeam]

I liked Brooks and Gleb. Kind of a Charlie White exit for me. Dwight and Phaedra need to go next. 
 

Love love love Mark as a judge. 

Edited October 16 by Quickbeam

[nickp1991]

Mark Ballas really put it all into his audition to be a judge in the upcoming seasons of dwts

[nickp1991]

 Watching Danny Amendola doing a dance in honor of Mike Leach

[CeeBeeGee]

Julianne and Derek are brother and sister, right? Does anyone get a Cashmere/Gloss (from The Hunger Games) vibe from them? Apologies if that has already been noted, it's my first time watching DWTS. (I'm here for the gymnast.)

[Irlandesa]

2 hours ago, ams1001 said:

That was beautiful. I miss getting to see Derek dance every week.

Me too.  And his choreography.  That dance had a bit of everything.

2 hours ago, Quickbeam said:

Phaedra criminally overscored. Enjoying the rest. 

Last week there was something very icky about the way Simmons scored and Phaedra got the worst of it.  It was a downer on a show that's usually fun to watch.  I'm certain she has the fan base to keep her in this for a few more weeks so I don't mind that they used this week for makeup scores just to recalibrate.
 

45 minutes ago, CeeBeeGee said:

Julianne and Derek are brother and sister, right? Does anyone get a Cashmere/Gloss (from The Hunger Games) vibe from them?

They are brother and sister but I don't know what Cashmere and Gloss's dynamic is so I can't help you there.

I'm so glad Brooks and Gleb are gone.  The showmance was so annoying and forced.  It's too bad because I do think she was a decent dancer. 

Overall, it was a meh night as I'm not a big fan of 'sob story' night. I don't think anyone, other than perhaps Ilona, improved but there were some decent dances.  They all paled in comparison to Hayley and Derek, though.

[CeeBeeGee]

6 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

They are brother and sister but I don't know what Cashmere and Gloss's dynamic is so I can't help you there.

Just in the sense that they're siblings--and both gorgeous--and performing in a reality show. There's nothing weird about Cashmere and Gloss.

[Quickbeam]

59 minutes ago, CeeBeeGee said:

Julianne and Derek are brother and sister, right? Does anyone get a Cashmere/Gloss (from The Hunger Games) vibe from them? Apologies if that has already been noted, it's my first time watching DWTS. (I'm here for the gymnast.)

Julianne and Derek practically grew up in the UK in Mark Ballas’ parents dance studio. They have been dance partners since childhood. I think that level of shared experience makes them “war buddies”. Mark is like a brother to them. 

[Andiethewestie]

I am not a fan of this show becoming the Derek Hough show now he's got his buddy and his sister and his wife on at the expense of what I thought was a little dance show that you vote on.  I get it the whole Haley Hough brain bleed was scary but it got far more attention than the celebs who are competing on dedication night. they did a nice dance but this was all promo for his next tour. Haley just didn't fall out of bed and danced tonight she's been dancing for months and back in shows.
 

Yes their dance was touching, but I can't help but look at Haley's lines and you know Chandlers are better. 
 

I get this niggling feeling that once her and Brandon went first it was for a reason. You can bury the dance early and lowball it. I certainly did not understand the "dig deeper" comment because during the dance I got misty-I felt they went for it and I was touched by the nuanced choices- I noticed the lift error so I knew it wasnt going to be 10 but that was a solid 9 and I'm not comparing this to any other dance.
 

But For her to be at the same level as Phaedra who doesn't move, virtually sticks her arm out with no finesse and waits for Val to start her next move, or that horrible Brooke Salsa with her sisters in daisy dukes reminds me more of bar dancing at Hooters. I mean child please. 

I get that Derek wants to make up for Gene Simmons bs 5 but to overscore loses credibility. 
 

Anyway we are well aware that Chandler has a small fanbase but to send her to the bottom with fear of going home on bogus scores is low even for DWTS 

 

 

 

 

[HerkyJerky]

3 hours ago, nickp1991 said:

Mark Ballas really put it all into his audition to be a judge in the upcoming seasons of dwts

Totally agree! He gave some great, actionable advice. But what was with the English accent? He didn’t have it when he was on the show previously.

[Catgyrl68]

6 hours ago, HerkyJerky said:

Totally agree! He gave some great, actionable advice. But what was with the English accent? He didn’t have it when he was on the show previously.

Mark grew up in England, and his accent pops out on occasion, and I LOVE IT!

[TVMovieBuff]

Just me, but I thought Val & Phadra were really clunky. They danced small, and she didn't move much. She was vastly overscored at all 8's I would give it a 6. 

I like Rylee but I wonder what a seasoned pro could do with Stephen. 

Like Dani! Dani doesn't look real happy this year. Maybe she feels limited at what she can do with Dwight. 

Yes Joey is by far the best Bachelor to dance. Second best by a lot was Nick Viall. The rest were average at best. 

So now Brooks & Gleb are out. No more showmance. Looked like they had cooled it off last night anyway. 

[TVbitch]

I was worried Danny was going to go. Not sure how big of a fan base he has, but for someone who I'm sure had zero dance training, he's doing great.  

I wonder if Jen dedicated her dance to Taylor Swift to try to get the Swifty vote.  

Mark can stay as a judge, but only if we lose Carrie Ann or Bruno. I think the panel is missing the harsher technical taskmaster that Len was. Would love to get Craig Revel Horwood over to fill that roll with his dry humor. 

Every week I just count my blessings that Tyra is no longer eating the show. 

[Katie111]

Phaedra was "meh" at best.  Val seems like he could care less this season.  Barely even notice he's on the show.  

Joey was great and he is so fun to watch. 

I agree that Jen is getting lost in the shuffle.  I thought dedicating her performance to Taylor was so strange.  Does she really have no one in her life she can look up to? It was kind of sad.

Danny was great.  Wish he would show more if his personality outside of dancing, I think that would help with the votes.

Dwight Howard was bad last night.  He barely moved.  Seems like a nice guy but it's time for him to go. 

Is there a guest judge every week?  Mark was good, definitely seemed like he was auditioning.  Wonder if Derek is considering leaving?

[iMonrey]

1 hour ago, TVMovieBuff said:

Just me, but I thought Val & Phadra were really clunky. They danced small, and she didn't move much. She was vastly overscored at all 8's I would give it a 6. 

Not just you. I noted she didn't move much and Val is still out-dancing her. Val has become the new Cheryl Burke, he spins and twirls around his partner who just stands there and poses.

Aside from Derek's there didn't turn out to be a lot of sob stories, for which I am grateful. Still, the theme was really dumb. Dedicating a Rumba to your kids or your mom? 

I like Danny and Joey but they shouldn't have gotten the highest scores of the night. I really, really hate the contemporary dances that follow some sob story about dead Grandma or whoever, then they pose and stretch and jump and emote all over the dance floor reaching for the sky like "I know you're up there dead Grammy!" and then Carrie Ann cries and the judges all ooh and aah and emotions blah blah blah and they get nines. It's bullshit.

Especially since the next celeb comes out and does a Foxtrot or whatever and the judges all nitpick about toes being pointed and shoulders being down. Hey, maybe they should all do contemporary dedicated to dead friends and relatives.

[Lindsay Loo Hoo]

Stephen and Rylee- clunky clunky clunky, her facial expressions were super distracting. I’m seeing no improvement. 
 

Dwight and Daniella- I think he has peaked and now it’s time for him to go as much as I love him. He stood there while she twirled around him. 
 

Ilona and Alan- much better and her costume was flattering and beautiful. I loved it. She definitely came back strong after her jive mishap.

 

Jenn and Sasha- she is forgettable and that’s really going to be her downfall. It was a lovely dance but she’s just so bland. 
 

danny and Witney- I loved this dance and some of those lifts were gorgeous. I don’t believe contemporary belongs on This show tho. 
 

joey and Jenna- they’re going to make finals at this rate, he has charisma and is so likable and is improving. 
 

Phaedra and Val- another dance of Val dancing around her. Blah. They can go next. 
 

chandler and Brandon- it was beautiful but at this point you expect it. Every dance will be beautiful but now I want to see her really wow us. 
 

brooks and gleb- goodbye. You won’t be missed. She was off putting and he’s just annoying. 

[ams1001]

2 hours ago, TVMovieBuff said:

Like Dani! Dani doesn't look real happy this year. Maybe she feels limited at what she can do with Dwight. 

This is at least her second super-tall partner, right? (And she's only 5'3".) While she does well working with/choreographing for them, I hope next season she gets someone who is a better fit, height-wise (and who has some dance ability and is teachable). I don't think it's fair to keep giving one pro the same challenge over and over.

[Fliz]

I thought Brooks was very stiff (except for her hair). I was just starting to like Gleb after the last couple of seasons, but he reverted to skeevy again. Ick.

[angelamh66]

3 hours ago, TVbitch said:

I was worried Danny was going to go. Not sure how big of a fan base he has, but for someone who I'm sure had zero dance training, he's doing great.  

I wonder if Jen dedicated her dance to Taylor Swift to try to get the Swifty vote.  

Mark can stay as a judge, but only if we lose Carrie Ann or Bruno. I think the panel is missing the harsher technical taskmaster that Len was. Would love to get Craig Revel Horwood over to fill that roll with his dry humor. 

Every week I just count my blessings that Tyra is no longer eating the show. 

Tyra eating the show might be my favorite comment ever. What an apt description! 

I thought everyone was pretty good last night. What I could not believe, however, was how shocked Brooks was to be getting the boot. Like look around lady... who else would it be. She said in the interview that she said to Gleb, imagine if it were us... like it was just such an impossibility. Strange reaction in my opinion. 

[Ilovepie]

I absolutely hate contemporary on this show. That being said, I loved Derek and Hayley and that Benson Boone song was made for a contemporary dance! I didn't get teary until the end when Julianne went up to her and she got teary. I am glad Mark was there for that - he's practically their family as well. What a story. Glad it had a happy ending!

Mark has never been my favorite pro; he's great, but I always felt like he got special treatment by getting the best celebrities (most of the time). But dang, he was great as a judge! I loved the actionable advice and gentle encouragement. I think Derek has been a great replacement for Len, but Mark was awesome.

Joey continues to amaze at how great he is for having no training as a dancer. He is my #1 now.

I still love the Olympians, but I'm not sure either is improving enough to win this thing. I loved seeing the teammates in the stands. Ilona's teammate Sam Sull bawling her eyes out was everything!

Neither Jenn nor Chandler bring much personality, and wtf Jenn for dedicating her dance to Taylor Swift? Like Taylor needs the accolades - she didn't have a single person in her actual life to give a shout out to????? Pffftttt.....

So glad I don't have to be subjected to the icky showmance anymore. I don't think that helped them as much as they thought it would. Nobody wants it! Byeeeee!!!!!

That B-word Phaedra can go next. And then Dwight. After those two, I have no idea how this is going to go. Other than Chandler, they are all good but not great on varying levels, and I don't know how fanbases are for these people. Based on talent, Chandler should win, but who is voting for her? Probably not as many people as for the Bachelor and the Olympians......

 

[lavenderblue]

6 hours ago, ams1001 said:

This is at least her second super-tall partner, right? (And she's only 5'3".) While she does well working with/choreographing for them, I hope next season she gets someone who is a better fit, height-wise (and who has some dance ability and is teachable). I don't think it's fair to keep giving one pro the same challenge over and over.

To be fair, she did have that with Jason Mraz last season and I still think they should've won. But I probably would have paired her with Stephen this season. He'd be more of a challenge than Jason was, but the height difference would be favorable and with her experience, she'd probably have a better idea of how to balance his athletic ability and willingness to learn with his actual current capabilities week by week as a dancer. He and Rylee are very cute on a personality level, but some of the issues the judges have noted don't seem to be improving.  

[bravofan27]

Derek's dance with his wife was beautiful. They are incredible dancers. So liquid and effortless in everything. I cried a bit at that dance. Loved it.

Brooks and Stephen are good but they have this corniness that makes it seem like they think the whole thing is a funny joke. Brooks and her sisters are all simply beautiful though. Great genes there! I felt for Brook because she really was shocked that she voted off. I think she thought she was nailing it with the viewers and her dancing. I felt kind of bad for her, but someone has to go. She also kept doing some start and stops on her dance which Carrie Ann told her not to do. 

Jenn dedicated her dance to Taylor Swift? Really? She came off as extremely young and immature on the Bachelorette and was unable to connect with anyone meaningfully, but that's really showing where she is developmentally, IMO. 

Edited October 17 by bravofan27

[TVMovieBuff]

I understand Jenn dedicating her dance to Taylor Swift. Jenn went through a tough breakup, on a public stage. Most who go through it, but not on national TV!

Taylor has lots of breakup songs Jenn wasn't in the frame of mind to talk about more emotion on TV, she's had enough.

I used to call this Dead Relatives Night. I was heartened to see the 2 ladies honored were alive in the audience, and Brooks's sisters alive & well. 

[Quickbeam]

I did love Brooks’ sisters. Not only were they gorgeous and game but they kind of humanized Brooks. She came off as kind of plastic before.

[twilightzone]

2 hours ago, TVMovieBuff said:

I understand Jenn dedicating her dance to Taylor Swift. Jenn went through a tough breakup, on a public stage. Most who go through it, but not on national TV!

Taylor has lots of breakup songs Jenn wasn't in the frame of mind to talk about more emotion on TV, she's had enough.

Then she's contradicting herself.  I get she's had enough, so why bring up Taylor Swift and break-up songs?  Why not make a dedication to her family instead?

The best dedication was Danny to Coach Leach.  His death was very sudden and it wasn't too long ago.  Whitney and Carrie Ann did a good job of giving Danny a safe space to open up.

[ljenkins782]

1 hour ago, Quickbeam said:

I did love Brooks’ sisters. Not only were they gorgeous and game but they kind of humanized Brooks. She came off as kind of plastic before.

I was a little confused by them, they seemed to be the same age but looked like maybe different ethnicities, I'd initially missed her saying they were her sisters and thought they were just friends. Also, Brooks should stop with the lip fillers, that kind of surgery face makes young people look like older people trying to seem young. 

I felt bad for her that she was clearly so surprised by her ouster, but this season's eliminations have been very straightforward so far, the dead wood was cleared immediately, so it was going to come down to the lesser known (which she is) and the people who aren't likely to connect with the show's demographics (also her). 

Also, while she really was a good dancer, her dances always had a cheaper vibe to them. Like the stripper pole in the one dance, the bedazzled cowboy hat and bra top in this one, it just always felt like she was playing to a young male audience and that's not who's watching this show mostly. What I'm sure works for her in real life is what worked against her here.

Quote

 

I understand Jenn dedicating her dance to Taylor Swift. Jenn went through a tough breakup, on a public stage. Most who go through it, but not on national TV!

Taylor has lots of breakup songs Jenn wasn't in the frame of mind to talk about more emotion on TV, she's had enough.

 

Yeah, I rolled my eyes at the Taylor Swift choice at first, but it did make sense in a way. Plus maybe she was trying to get some reflected glory votes from any hardcore swifties, lol. She's a very good dancer, but she's a dead man walking in this competition. Joey is running away with the Bachelor Nation vote, I'm sure, and she's a bit forgettable. 

Speaking of Joey, I think he's doing great and I really enjoy him in the sense of a true amateur doing surprisingly well. And I liked him a lot as the Bachelor and he's someone I have real life ties to through my alma mater and tennis, and everyone who knows him genuinely thinks he is a great guy, so I'm happy to root for him. 

BUT, there is a cynical part of me that wonders if the show itself is so firmly pro-Joey because they want to keep him and his fiancee in the spotlight to promote her dad's participation in The Golden Bachelorette. There are rumors that they want her dad for the next Golden Bachelor, so I feel like it's in ABC's best interest to have Joey do well. But again, he's also doing well on his own, so maybe just a win-win.

[realdancemom]

I know that the DWTS winner is mostly based on popularity. That's how Bobby Bones won. Based on both popularity and dancing, I think Joey will win. To me, that would be a better outcome than if Stephen won. I say that as somebody that loved watching him in the Olympics. He has an adorable personality and is popular. I was excited to find out he was competing. I don't watch the Bachelor or Bachelorette so I didn't know Joey or Jenn before this season. I just know that the show brings a big fan base. Stephen is a decent dancer so it wouldn't be a terrible outcome. I just think Joey is better.

I'm still worried about Chandler. There was a mistake in the lift. However, 8 is still too low in comparison to the other dancers getting 8s. I didn't want her at the top of the leader board every week. She shouldn't be this week and she's already getting ringer backlash. However, planting the seed that she doesn't emote enough is problematic. It could work for somebody with a big fan base and give the narrative that they overcame that. I'm not sure how big her fanbase is. I'm still hoping she makes the finals so I can see their freestyle. Based on dancing, I think Phaedra and Dwight should be next.

[TVMovieBuff]

21 hours ago, twilightzone said:

Then she's contradicting herself.  I get she's had enough, so why bring up Taylor Swift and break-up songs?  Why not make a dedication to her family instead?

The best dedication was Danny to Coach Leach.  His death was very sudden and it wasn't too long ago.  Whitney and Carrie Ann did a good job of giving Danny a safe space to open up.

Maybe her family didn't help help her in this just most recent event in her life.! My family wouldn't have given a crap if I was humiliated on TV. Jenn chose something the audience knows about. She is tired of being known for being heartbroken. She kept it more impersonal, , picking the music of Taylor Swift.