S19.E13: Week 11: The Final Elimination

[KR Vermont]

I'm no expert as my boyband days ended with N'Sync and Backstreet Boys

Did you squee at the sight of Joey Fatone in the audience? I'm totally joking with you, as we could be around the same age--an age where squee is not part of natural conversation. :)

 

Nonetheless, I take interest in picking out recognizable faces in the crowd, beyond past contestants and stars with ABC shows to promote. Erin was giving quite the plea for a Will Smith appearance, though I'm guessing he could have more pressing things to tend to. By the end of every season when ousted contestants flock back to the ballroom, I'm amazed by how many I've forgotten about, they seem so long ago. I only recognized Randy by his cauliflower ear.

[hqtextbook]

Bethany was better than sadie tonight, but its close between them in general. I just love Sadie's attitude though. When they said she was at the bottom of the leaderboard and she just laughed it off. Her freestyle made me smile even if it wasnt the best. She's the most grounded. Totally ok with her being in the top 3. 

 

I felt bad for Janel because she usually throws herself completely into her dances, and tonight was just not as "ON." Clearly her only getting in friday-sun to practice affected her, which was out of her control. I don't really like "contemporary" though. Seemed like a lot of rolling around and hugging... 

 

That being said, Janel has been my #1 from week 1, so I hope she pulls it off. She's been the most consistent all season, and even though she was off tonight, she really deserves it. So does Val.

[skittl3862]

The judges were really tough on the repeat dances this week. I loved it. I wish it started long before the finals. It seems harsh only in comparison to the tonguebath fangirling the judges have been doing all season to their favorites.

 

I thought it was unfair that the judges picked Sadie's fan favorite Duck Dynasty-theme dance as her repeat instead of one of her lower scoring dances like everyone else did. It would have made more sense to see a re-do of her Paso Doble after those dismal scores, or even her rumba. And that BS excuse that it was because Len didn't see it- please, she got a 37 out of 40. It's the second-most watched video of the season on YouTube. They just wanted to give her the extra fan bump. This was like asking America to vote on Alfonso doing the Carlton again.

 

They should have structured the show to do the tour promo before Bethany and Derek's dance. He was the only pro not involved and then they would have avoided a quick change/winded dancer situation. Val was fine, I don't think their dance suffered or anything, it just seemed like an odd production choice.

 

The freestyle song choices were confusing me all weekend. Bethany and Derek doing Revolution- which I totally thought would be the Beatles's "Revolution"- and the precise military choreography clips confused the hell out of me. Same with all the comments about the stripped down, intimate contemporary with Janel and Val to what I imagined would be The Proclaimers happy cheesy pop original "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" ("Da dat da! Da dat da!"). Maybe they should announce the song AND artist?

 

Derek did 3 leather, military precision-type dances this season. Even the costumes were similar. It's a really odd style choice to keep repeating for Bethany of all people, who seems like a cute, bubbly teenager. The freestyle just drilled it home that this season was all about Derek and not about what fit Bethany and her personality and her journey (Drink!). Army of Motavators? Really? That was a serious stretch to fit his pre-determined choices. I think Shake It Off was the first and only time that Bethany seemed to be in her element all season. Hopefully not making it to the final three will give Derek the swift kick in the ass he needs and he'll reconsider his motivation next season.

 

Sadie's freestyle was cute, but odd. This whole season with Mark has just felt like a repeat of the Chelsea Kane season, where he just went over the top on his outlandish creative vision- to the determent of his partner's performance as he thumbed his nose at the judges.

 

Overall, I think the right couple went home. Bethany didn't have the scores of Alfonso and Janel, and she didn't have the fanbase of Sadie. As much as we kept hearing about her journey (Drink!), I don't think her abilities were up to the level she was competing at. She was just dragged along for Derek's ride. If she were with any other male pro (including the other 2 in the finals), she would have been gone by week 6.

 

FTW- Alfonso tapping. Can tap be a theme dance next season?

 

WTF- Director who chose to show Sadie with VOMIT DRIBBLING FROM HER MOUTH!! EWWW

[COESpiral]

Alfonso's dances were an absolute delight from the first beat of music to the last. And you could tell by the expression on his face a few times that he WANTS this. And I WANT him to get it. I used up every vote for him and Witney.

Bethany and Derek's freestyle was great and you could see she was having a lot of fun. I hope this all translates into bigger things for her.

Val and Janel's freestyle was sweet and romantic and I was bored the whole time. I was worried for a minute when he was trying to get her in that press lift but he eventually made it. Sorry Val, but you just don't have the same chemistry with Janel that Maks had with Meryl. All the kisses in the world can't make us feel romance if it's forced.

I like Sadie and I'm glad she made it to the top three. But that freestyle nearly sent me into sugar shock it was so twee. My five year old niece will love it.

[Blue Plastic]

I just loved Alfonso's freestyle.  Damn that was good.  I have greatly enjoyed other contestants on this show but there's no one else whose dancing has made me feel as...happy, I guess?...as Alfonso's.  Just pleasing to watch.  The only thing I didn't like about the freestyle was that IMO awkward transition where Alfonso pointed away and we were given a view of the troupe dancers participating in the number.  That meant the camera was not on Alfonso and Witney at that point, and then we got only brief glimpses of them as they danced into frame with the troupe.  Also, Witney's skirt had mysteriously disappeared.  Overall, though, great number and worth the multiple re-watchings I have already given it!

 

The Mario Bros. dance concept was cute but not executed as well as it could have been.  Overall I enjoyed it but thought it seemed a little disorganized at times.

 

Janel and V......zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.  Oh sorry, was I saying something?  Oh yeah, their dance was boring!

 

Bethany and Derek's dance was okay but falling into a familiar choreography pattern for Derek.  Very nice and clean and well performed and I'm actually sorry to see her go.  Would rather have seen Janel or Sadie go but them's the breaks.  I'm actually a little shocked that a team with Derek on it went out fourth!  I thought Derek himself would have enough of a voter base to at least make it into the final 3.  Color me surprised.

[Donny Ketchum]

Derek shut out of a finale?  It's been so long since that's happened, hasn't it?

[Lonesome Rhodes]

Of all the CAI fashion abominations through the years, that great pumpkin formal gown takes the proverbial cake.  Hopefully, this is the last of her on this show.   I was glad to see that she was assigned to the contestant who least needed guidance and who stood the least chance of being hurt by her choice.  Of course, she decided to stick him with the harshest dance available to her.

 

Bruno's choice of Jive also hurt Bethany.  Her legs were just too darn heavy for this dance.  The flecks in the middle betrayed a lack of athleticism.  Forget the timing.  She just can't move as fast as that dance required.  A gentleman's 9 from me.  I didn't like that Derek chose to take a very pretty young lady and turn her into a Terminator in the second routine.  I honestly can't remember any partner of his being asked to do less in the Freestyle.  She didn't do anything wrong.  Derek did very little right.  

 

Lord, but that urban music ruined Sadie's Samba.  It was all shakes and jumps with almost no fluidity.  I hated it.  Sadie did aight with what she was given to do.  Another gentleman's 9 for me.  I loved her package after they got past the gross vomiting.  She's a charming wee lass.  Loved her Freestyle.  She has never been so coordinated.  Not even a hint of her gangly old self!  Bruno was correct - real joy in that dance.  The theme was completely congruent with who Sadie is.  The music was perfect.  A genuine DWTS HOF routine.

 

I know it will get lost and be long forgotten, but I thought Val captured the essence of the show in the package when Janel was reluctant to fall forward in rehearsal for fear he would not catch her.  "I will ALWAYS be there," he said.  "Always."  That was beautiful, touching, and strong all at once.  It captured the core of what has to happen for any dance team (and relationship, for that matter) to work.  I felt a little bad that the choreo was so subdued after the electric Mario dance.  It, and the execution, was fine.  Just very underwhelming for me.  I would have voted her into the final over Bethany.   Good on Ameriker.

 

Good on Alfonso for killing that Jive.  It's sad that TPTB chose to make the interview all about Will Smith.  This was Alfonso's moment, dangitall.  What a shame he had to share his achievement, yet again, with Will.  It did my old fogey heart wonderfully to see him come out with old school Quickstep elements for the first half of a Freestyle.  Awesome choice of music to support it.  The tap element simply proves beyond all shadow of any conceivable doubt that Alfonso belongs in any conversation for best-ever contestant on DWTS.  This competition is over unless he literally keels over tonight.   

Edited November 25, 2014 by Lonesome Rhodes

[Donny Ketchum]

Go, Alfonso!  Watching him dance, you'd never even know he'd been injured!  His movements were crisp and clean the entire way through and deserved both perfect scores!

 

I like Sadie (despite my boyfriend's sickening hatred of her based on nothing but her family, not Sadie herself), but I'm really shocked she wasn't out in fourth.  Pleased, but shocked.  She was probably the weakest of the F4.

 

For the most part, I liked Janel's dances and was glad to see her advance.  But I'm betting that unless she really pulls in the votes tomorrow, she'll be out in third, and Val will lose again. :(

 

If Sadie hadn't left in fourth place, Bethany was the one I'd picked to be eliminated instead, and indeed, she was.  Pity, because I liked her freestyle.  Her opening dance, not so much.

 

Bring on the finale!

[CPP83]

It's sad that TPTB chose to make the interview all about Will Smith

 

 

 

It's a wonder they didn't make a quick banner after the FB posting which said "Will Smith says Vote for Alfonso!!" which Erin could then wave around.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if quite a few faces behind the scenes had big, shit eating grins just due to the fact that Will Smith acknowledged the show. I did like how Alfonso responded to all the prompting, as classy as always.

 

Erin though could have a seat the way she kept carrying on about it though that seems to be "her thing", finding something to bring up while interviewing the dancers and then she just won't let it go, like a dog with a bone.

[Dancingjaneway]

Alfonsos rehearsal footage totally gave away the fact that he was doing the apache dance. I wish that they hadn't shown so much of the rehearsal I would have liked to have been surprised when the camera cut to that part of the dance. 

[superdeluxe]

Alfonso doesn't have the training that Derek does by far, and he certainly has some years on him as well but to me he had the mood, the style, the grace and quality of movement in that he doesn't waste time or tries to cover up lack of talent or ability with frills and hollow gimmicks that reminds me of Kelly.

 

Kelly wasn't a perfect dancer himself, though he came pretty damn close, but then again who is. To me though it wasn't so much about how good he was or wasn't technique wise, you didn't need to know dance, to know steps and training to watch and enjoy Kelly imho it was all about how good he could make you feel watching him dance. Kelly could transport anyone to that special place where you smile like a fool and clap your hands like a trained seal wanting encore after encore.

 

Watching Kelly perform was an experience every single time, you could find something new to enjoy, to like, to appreciate about him, not just as a dancer but as a person and I get that same feeling watching Alfonso. I got it in spades tonight and whether he wins that tacky trophy or not he certainly won my heart.

 

You know what?  All that stuff you said?  Someone out there feels the same way about Derek.

 

Agree to disagree. Like I said, if this is a comment on the choreography Derek did for Bethany's Jazz versus the choreography for Alfonso's freestyle, that's one thing but I don't think one can fairly judge Derek's "Gene Kelly" esque abilities off a dance he was doing with an untrained, non performer where the choreography he did had to factor what she was capable of doing.

 

I've always said that Singin in the Rain number would've been better as a Macy's Stars of Dance thing like Derek always thought he would have a chance to do.  Maybe one day, he can go back and do that with some pros and then we can see how great it really would've been.

Edited November 25, 2014 by superdeluxe

[jmt111]

Just my luck: l lost power last night around 7:30. Thank goodness for YouTube. I only saw Alfonso's freestyle so far and wow, just amazing. It makes me want to dust off my tap shoes! I also appreciate how Whitney gives him his solo moments, just as she did with the Carlton number.

[tobysmom]

Julianne's comments to Alfonso and Whitney cheesed me off to no end. Not a single word about their performance - just all "oh, it's soooo close" (with her brother's neck on the line, of course). Having a competitor's sister on the judging panel will never sit right with me. It's the most boneheaded move TPTB have ever made. 

I have to say this bothered me too.  With the 3 girls the judges were all over praising them but with Alfono Julianne and the others were - this is going to be tough - such 4 great dances tonight! 

 

I agree that Sadie is what this competition is about - someone who seems insecure, not a dancer coming out of her shell and really performing. When Mark and Sadie were doing their freestyle I saw a lot of hesitation in Sadie and things didn't flow as smoothly as I thought it probably should have.  But, then I remember she is young and not a dancer and some of the steps she was doing were really good.  I kinda liked their freestyle too.

 

That being said, I'm Team Alfonso all the way; loved both of his dances last night, especially the freestyle.  I thought it was great!  Go Team Alfonso!!! Go Whitney!!

[MortysCleaningLady]

That was simply amazing.  He outdanced the pro and she's been phenomenal this season.

 

Hey Derek - THAT was Gene Kelly.  Take a lesson.

I adored that routine -- it's something I'll want to watch again.  It's entertaining.  The solid lighting and the costuming allowed you to focus on Alfonso and Witney.

 

Mark's video game concept was adorable -- fun gimmick.  The other two dances of the night were so dull compared to the substance of Alfonso's and the gimmick of Mark's.  Val and Janel's contemporary was a bit boring and predictable -- oodles of lifts and showmance.  Derek's mass of people in black leather -- one of those girl's in the fog and flashing lights was Bethanny, you say -- well, hiding your partner could be considered showcasing their strengths.  It's right up there with a tap solo, or not.

 

I was sure Janel was on her way out the door.  Glad the weakest performer of the night got sent home instead. 

[OakGoblinFly]

I read his blog and I swear I thought he sounded more excited for whatever craziness Mark is coming with than his own freestyle for Bethany. But you know what, I would rather Derek just do something fun that Bethany could excel at than trying to re-invent the wheel or create something way over the top. Because as you noted, all the talk of Mark and Sadie's "OMG...you won't believe it" freestyle makes me think it's either going to be pretty damn amazing or a hot ass mess.

 

And we know with Mark that is always a huge possibility and one of the things I've always said I don't love about him. As creative and "outside the box" as he is, I do think at times he's done so to the detriment of his celebrity. As for Val, I'm guessing they'll go the tired Contemporary freestyle route which explains the rumor that he is the one Mandy is helping with his freestyle. 

 

Personally, in my opinion, once Contemporary became added as an official style on the show, it lost its wow factor as a freestyle, especially if the couple already did one at one point during the season. This is why personally, while I thought last season's cast was stronger than Season 17, I thought Season 17 had far better freestyles. I loved Bill, Amber and Jack's freestyle. Last season the only interesting freestyle in my opinion was James'. 

 

 

 

I'll go you one further --- since the show started adding non-ballroom dances the freestyle feels like just another dance; there's nothing special about it anymore.

 

I am so over the judges and their wildly inconsistent comments, criteria, and scoring. 

[JerseyGirl]

Sadie should have gone home last night.  Whenever he lifted her, her knees were slightly bent and her toes weren't pointed.

 

bad call.

[CPP83]

You know what?  All that stuff you said?  Someone out there feels the same way about Derek.

 

 

 

 I never said Alfonso cornered the market on the Gene Kelly feeling. I was merely stating why I feel personally Alfonso makes me think more about Gene than Derek ever has. It wasn't just the technique and training, it was the whole package. 

 

Derek is a talented young man but he often leaves me cold performance wise, personality wise as well.

 

I was quite distracted by Alfonso last night, but the more and more I've seen of Keo dance the more impressed I've become. I am really hoping he can get a whole dance with Karina or Sharna or Cheryl tonight for a showcase dance. He is a very good dancer and he frames the ladies so well. His partner work is top notch.

Edited November 25, 2014 by CPP83

[OakGoblinFly]

I'm sad to see Bethany go --- I thought she showed remarkable growth this season (as did Sadie) and I find her personality refreshing; I really liked the sibling vibe I got from her and Derek.

 

Janel is the only one of the four finalists that I never connected with - I think that's because she's always "on" and I felt I never got to see/learn who she is.  Also, I didn't see much dance improvement from Janel this season.  To me she is still wobbly in her turns and she still dances small.

 

Alfonso didn't show much dance growth either, but he's just so much fun and I adore his partnership with Witney that I am glad he stuck around to the end (and I hope he wins).

I'm not like Sharna's group choreography ........... I am beginning to think that she's not very good at choreography (I had issues with her routines for 
Charlie last season).

[kayma]

I loved Janel's freestyle. I thought it was beautiful even though I usually hate contemporary. On the flip side, I was underwhelmed by Alfonso in both dances. Maybe I had too high of expectations, but it seemed manic to me. I think I've flipped to hoping Janel wins (I don't think she really has a chance), but I'll still be happy when Alfonso wins even if it's 85% because of nostalgia.

 

I liked Mark's dance. It was fun and happy, and he was amazing. The jump spin thing he did made me rewind to see it again. Oh, and Sadie was in it. I think Sadie has a lovely personality and plays well on TV. I would place her in 3rd, but won't mind if she comes in 2nd to either of the other two.

[RetailTherapy]

Don't get me wrong - no one could be more thrilled to see the golden boy exiting the stage than me.  That said, as a dancer, I preferred Bethany to Sadie.  Both are cute young girls, but while Bethany lost the tentativeness, Sadie never lost the awkwardness.

 

I think we had a season that consisted of the really bad, the meh,  the middle of the road, the pretty darned good that could potentially have won in another season, and Alfonso.  We lost the really bad at first, but kept one around for much longer than his expiration date (sorry Emma!).  The meh and middle left about when they were supposed to.  The only thing I think I would have changed is to sub Lea for Sadie in the final.  I think she was really the only really talented dancer that we lost early.  If she could have managed to lose the smell of desperation, I think she would still be in it.

 

And yes, I think Bethany should get the encore.  The rest have how many gazillion more dances to do and it just seems fair.  Much like last season when they gave it to James and Peta (was that last season or am I losing my grip??).

[Julie23]

 

Glad the weakest performer of the night got sent home instead.

If the weakest performer had really been sent home, it would have been Sadie. Should have been Sadie.

[kelnic86]

 

On the other hand, watching Alfonso and Witney made me smile wide all the way through. It just felt so fun and fast and joy filled, and the synchronicity between them seemed spot on. I love their partnership. They're so terrific together, and I am rooting so hard for them to win. Not just for Alfonso but also for Witney, who I never paid much attention to until last season when she danced with Drew Carey. I think she's done an amazing job this season, and I would be tickled for her if she were to win. I think they'll both break down in tears if they do win. And I'll be cheering for them all the way.

Me too! Alfonso is the main reason why I watched this season, and I'd be elated if he won. But I'm also cheering just as hard for Witney, and I'd be so happy if she gets her first win. I think she really held her own against all those seasoned pros and choreographed some magnificent routines for her and Alfonso. She's been a delight this season. Her partnership with Alfonso is so genuine and adorable to watch. Plus, she'd be the first SYTYCD alum to win the show (not including Strictly Come Dancing). I'd love to see her win. I think she'll be just as emotional as Alfonso if they were to win, maybe even more so.

Edited November 25, 2014 by kelnic86

[Primetimer]

Alfonso finally shows off his tap skills in his freewheeling freestyle, and one final couple is eliminated to give us our final three.

Read the story

[TiredMe]

I loved Alfonso's freestyle. It just made me smile and not want to look away. I loved the Apache call back too.

I am a fan of Nintendo and Mario (yes I'm in my 40s and like video games), so I enjoyed the concept. However I just don't think many of the choreographed moves really showcased Sadie. Just made her look gangly and awkward.

I had no idea who Bethany was but really ended up liking her. She came a long way and I appreciated how much her dancing really improved.

I was disappointed in Val and Janels freestyle. It was nice but just boring.

Edited November 25, 2014 by TiredMe

[mtlchick]

 

Me too! Alfonso is the main reason why I watched this season, and I'd be elated if he won.

 

Entertainment Weekly has the "Bullseye" which is the back page being the bullseye and random pop culture moments scattered about being close to or waaaay off target.  A few weeks ago they had a picture of Alfonso being pretty close to the center and wrote "The only reason to watch DWTS this season.  Seriously, the only reason."  Which I agree with.  I normally watch the show live but due to Gotham and Sleepy Hollow I DVRed it more this season.  And the only reason I even bothered this time was due to Alfonso.  And he delivered on everything. 

[Skycatcher]

I watched the freestyles on Youtube.  Val and Janel - BTDT (been there done that), boring.  Contemporary almost always bores me. Too much angst.   Derick and Bethany - I tuned out with the militaristic opening.  Too faux drama.  Mark and Sadie - watched as much as I could stand, just too tweee for me, plus Sadie just didn't look her best (looking at mark on this one).  Somebody here described her as "coltish".  Right on!  Alphonso and Witney - OMG!  That was so...... I dunno.... it felt like I'd accidentally switched channels and was watching......I dunno.....something else, something truly professional....which is kinda what I expect at this point in the show.

 

Do you think.....is there any chance that Sadie's ducky and boy band voting block could cause her to win?  I'd hate to see that.  Alphonse has been so good, and so entertaining all season - he has to win. And that would be a win for Whitney too - which would be good.

Edited November 25, 2014 by Skycatcher

[truthaboutluv]

Also, in an interview with Access Hollywood earlier this week, Bethany was asked how badly she wanted to win and she basically just said, politely, that she felt like her journey up until this point was "already a win" for her and Derek chimed in that he felt like she definitely didn't want to win as badly as the others.

 

 

And it's funny, but that sort of calm, even maybe a little checked out demeanor is exactly why some felt like they could never connect with her and some even talked about her "resting bitch face" at points in the season. Even some of the Pros who appeared on Afterbuzz all talked about how, as sweet and lovely Bethany is, at the start of the season she did seem a little slightly removed from everything. Mandy Moore appeared on the show last week and said she couldn't get a read on her at all the first time she met her - like she couldn't tell if Bethany was nervous, excited, even wanted to be there.

 

And as a huge introvert myself, I connect with her on that and it's probably why I always liked her from day one. Ultimately I just think in the grand scheme of things in Bethany's life, DWTS was fun and she enjoyed it but she wasn't going to fall apart if and when it ended and that's exactly how she reacted last night when they were eliminated. On top of that, I feel fairly certain Derek knew it was coming and probably prepared her. I remember last season, in his last blog, he said he prepared Amy for the likely possibility that they were not going to win and told her that he was proud of her, proud of what they did and they did everything they could.

 

So I definitely saw improvement there. But overall at the end of the freestyle I found myself thinking, ehh, it was fine, it was pretty, but it didn't really capture me completely.

 

 

And once again, it didn't help that we basically her doing more or less the same thing she did barely three weeks ago. That freestyle didn't deliver anything new and surprising from Janel that the viewers hadn't already seen. Val screwed up big time with that freestyle in my opinion. And I will be shocked if she is not in third place. Hell, considering she was in the Bottom 2 after being the top of the leader board last week, which says something about her voting base; if they were going into tonight with four, I suspect she would have come in fourth place. 

 

it still felt gimmicky rather than playing to Sadie's strengths and as a result parts of their dancing were not well synchronized.

 

 

The synchronization was really the key issue for me with the dance. Credit to Mark, there was a lot of content in the number and fairly challenging with the many transitions everytime the music changed slightly so it would move from samba steps, to hip hop, to jazz like steps, etc. The dance did have a lot going on. That said, while Sadie went for it and she did well enough to remember most of it, there were a lot of timing issues I thought that caused them to not be in sync at points. There were also moments where I felt you could tell Sadie may have forgotten or was unsure of a step and looked to Mark for what to do next so she would come across tentative in the move. 

 

Sadie should have gone home last night.

 

 

Sadie was never going anywhere and why I called her and Alfonso as final two since the first few weeks of the season. My speculation is that Sadie is getting the largest size of the viewer votes - when you add in the fans of her family's show which is one of the highest rated reality shows on television (may only be behind The Kardashians), the general viewer who knows nothing of her and her family but just thinks she's cute as a button and then the narrative that started during mid-season that she was being underscored and the big meanie judges were picking on her, yeah Sadie wasn't going anywhere. In my opinion, technique wise, I absolutely think she was the weakest dancer left but it's not going to matter. I still think Alfonso will squeak out the win but it will come down to him and Sadie.

Edited November 25, 2014 by truthaboutluv

[Ann Mack]

I'm predicting Bethany to be eliminated and while I think on some level Derek is expecting it (he tweeted about them going first and pointed out that the last two people to go first the night of the finals, got eliminated - Bill in Season 17 and James last season), I think he's really pissed about the production issue and feels like Bethany got shafted there. He was saying it was okay but his anger was written all over his face in my opinion, especially right as the dance was over. 

 

I feel an eyeroll coming with Mark and his "never been done in the history" boasts. I feel like I have heard those from Mark before and what he delivers are sometimes good and other times just a mess. I mean this is a guy who said he was revolutionizing the vertical stick or whatever he called it and all he did was essentially put Aly on a stripper pole. So color me a wee bit wary.

 

Am I wrong for stating this old cliche but "karma is a bitch". Derek used props the majority of the season (more than I have ever seen him use in any of his previous seasons) to hide a lot of the lack of ability of Bethany. How ironic is it that a prop is being stated as what threw off her timing in the first dance. The freestyle was catchy but it was still very much some of the usual from Derek and heaven forbid if you were epileptic with all those bright ass flashing lights (maybe give someone a warning). I'm not sure if she still would have made it into the final 3 with or without that situation but I never thought that she would make it any way. No diss to her or to Derek she did improve and I give credit where it is due but something about her never got me engaged in her routines. Oh well wishing good luck to the remaining contestants.

[LadyMustang65]

Did Tom say Janel and Bethany were the bottom two or did he do the usual "not necessarily" thing?  I don't remember.

It was a fun night, I thought, and I enjoyed it immensely. 

 

Bethany's jive definitely improved from the first time, but I felt like her freestyle was too similar to the group dance Derek choreographed as well as other dances he's done.  He seems to be in love with that whole "line up and do hand movements" thing.  I thought the freestyle was good but not great.  I still think she should have stayed over Sadie, though.

 

Sadie's duck samba wasn't any better for me this time than the first time.  if anything, I liked it less this time.  I did enjoy her freestyle, though.  Thought it was fun and energetic, but I can't figure out what was so "never been done before" about it.

 

I loved both of Janel's dances, and I'd like to see her come in second.  I wouldn't even mind a win because I'd like to see Val win.  I still think he should have won with Zendaya.  But I'm not sure his work with Janel was up to the work he did with Zendaya. 

 

Alfonso is my pick to win.  His jive was even better than the first time, and I absolutely adored the freestyle.  That will go down as one of my favorites.  I would so love to see him win.  I was one who did not care that much for Witney before, but boy was this a terrific partnership, and we got to see how warm and funny she can be.  This is one of all-time favorite partnerships as well along with Maks and Mel B, Maks and Meryl, and Julianne and Apollo, to name a few.

[KerleyQ]

I still get a kick out of formerly oft-maligned troupe camera mugger Witney blossoming into a talented pro with a celeb who, imo, should take home the MirrorBall. What a great partnership with Alfonso. Wish they had a wee more tap in their freestyle, since it's something different for DWTS, but I like how they incorporated different things into it.

 

 

I think part of the reason they kept it brief precisely because it's never been done on the show before - so they couldn't be certain how it would go over.  So on the off chance that it turned people off, it was only a segment of their dance, and there was still plenty to love.  I think they did a good job of leaving viewers wanting more, in a good way (not in the "I kept waiting for that to become something more and it never happened" way that we've seen in some dances over the years). 

 

Sadie's freestyle was cute, but odd. This whole season with Mark has just felt like a repeat of the Chelsea Kane season, where he just went over the top on his outlandish creative vision- to the determent of his partner's performance as he thumbed his nose at the judges.

 

 

I didn't watch a lot of the rehearsal footage, but seeing comments here about how this was something Mark had always wanted to do, it reminded me of Chelsea's season.  Wasn't it her freestyle that Mark kept talking about how much he'd always wanted to do?  At the time I remember thinking "but this isn't about you, Mark, it's about Chelsea!"  (I still consider that season Mark's douchiest.  There was something so off-putting about him, and I think he really cost her votes as the season went on.)   

 

My take on all the freestyles.  I found Janel and Val's kind of tame and boring.  It had that whole "waiting for more and it never comes" thing going on that I mentioned above.  Yes, his brother won last season, and yes, it was doing a contemporary that relied partly on the amazing chemistry Maks and Meryl had.  There are a few problems with Val trying to replicate that - first, most of the audience probably identified that as a strategy right off the bat.  So it loses a lot of credibility (in terms of it being a genuine, heartfelt moment).  Next, the Val/Janel chemistry is nowhere near what his brother had with Meryl.  It was authentic (although the show did their best to cheese it up), and Val and Janel have come across as trying too hard at the chemistry thing all season long.  Finally, they focused on the wrong thing. Meryl and Maks danced, and the chemistry supported the dance.  Val and Janel came across more as "look at our chemistry!  And here's some dancing to go along with it." There was certainly nothing wrong with the quality of their dancing, but it didn't have a lot of impact, and right now, 12-ish hours later, I can't point to any particular moves other than the dive off the platform and the really awkwardly done kisses.  I kind of wonder, too, if Val was unintentionally revisiting another of his brother's more iconic partnerships in Maks/Mel, with his star's schedule negatively impacting their rehearsal time leading up to the finale, leaving them without the kind of freestyle they could have likely done if they had more time. 

 

Bethanny and Sadie suffered from two different versions of the same issue - both of their freestyles came across more as group dance numbers than a couple dancing with some back up dancers.  Add in the ridiculously overdone lighting on Bethanny's dance,and it was really hard to focus on her through a large portion of the dance.  As soon as the dance started, I thought to myself that it seemed like a good idea for one of Derek's production numbers (either on tour or a Macy's number), but it wasn't the best concept for a free style here, because it really took the focus off his star.  Yes there were parts where she was intended to stand out, but, overall, it didn't work for me.  For example, that lift, I watched and thought "I assume that's her, because it makes sense that the star would be the one in that lift, but I couldn't swear to you that it is her."  He should have done something styling-wise to make sure she stood out.  Maybe make her costume a different color?  It might not have gone with his concept, but it would have incorporated showing off his star into the concept.  

 

Alfonso was just pure fun last night.  I thought he did great on both dances, but, especially, the free style.  They did a great job of incorporating different styles, and they used the back up dancers appropriately, in my opinion.  I know it may have seemed odd to some to have that brief segment of just the background dancers, but it was to accommodate a transition, and it worked within the overall performance.  This reminded me of Donny Osmond's free style (although Alfonso is a better dancer), in that Witney took a true good old-fashioned performer and let him be that.  Of the four free styles last night, I thought that Witney did the best job of crafting a performance that catered to her star's personality and performance level.  And the two of them were so clearly enjoying what they were doing.  

 

I think Derek absolutely knew they were going last night.  I've long suspected that the show gives the pro a heads up when they're on their way out the door.  It became really apparent when it was down to Bethanny and Janel.  Janel looked like she was going to cry or puke from nerves while waiting, and Derek and Bethanny just looked kind of calmly resigned to their fate.  Maybe they don't tell and it's just that the pros know how things work after doing so many seasons of this show, and they get a gut instinct when it's time to go, but, whatever the case, those two pretty clearly seemed to know they were on the way out.  And I've seen that scenario play out many times over the years - where the star who ends up staying looks near a nervous breakdown waiting for Tom and Erin to get to it, while the one going home looks calm and resigned.  

 

Last night's judges comments to Alfonso made me nervous.  They weren't negative, by any means, but stuff like Len saying that he hopes America gets it right makes me really nervous that the judges know something we don't know.  It's not like I can't accept either a Janel or Sadie win, both have had some wonderful performances this season, but Alfonso is just head and shoulders above the rest, and his partnership with Witney has been so damn fun to watch.  I'd hate to see them not win it.  

[sinkwriter]

 

I was one who did not care that much for Witney before, but boy was this a terrific partnership, and we got to see how warm and funny she can be.

 

I still crack up when I think back to Witney asking Alfonso if he wanted a snack, after she accidentally kicked him. Best moment ever. Heeee.

[truthaboutluv]

I'm not sure if she still would have made it into the final 3 with or without that situation but I never thought that she would make it any way.

 

 

Well no, the situation had nothing to do with her elimination because last night's elimination was based off of last week's judges' scores and viewer votes. In other words, the dancing last night was irrelevant for the fourth place contestant, as they already knew at the start of the hour who was going home. Which is also why I believe Derek had an inkling that they were likely going to be eliminated. 

 

Derek used props the majority of the season (more than I have ever seen him use in any of his previous seasons) to hide a lot of the lack of ability of Bethany.

 

 

Ah yes, Derek and his supposed overuse of props that apparently no one else was guilty of. Okay, let's look at Sadie's season - her first dance had her on some candy looking thing and there was a whole Candy Land type theme happening complete with streamers and confetti when the dance was over. Her second dance included a pickup truck on the stage. Her third dance included her floating away up in a balloon. Her Paso Doble had a full on zombie apocalypse complete with fog, troupe members, faux cemetery, etc. Her Argentine Tango included a guitar perched between her and Mark for the entire dance, her contemporary had the whole apple going back and forth between her and Mark, her Samba had practically her whole family on stage and forest theme where you couldn't actually see her too well and her freestyle had the set transformed into a Super Mario game. Am I supposed to conclude that Mark did not use any props with Sadie or was that all just part of the performance but with Bethany, any single set decoration clearly meant Derek was trying to "hide" her and her flaws.

 

Did Tom say Janel and Bethany were the bottom two or did he do the usual "not necessarily" thing?  I don't remember.

 

 

I've seen it stated that he definitely said they were the Bottom 2 and honestly I can believe that. Also I think they typically do the real Bottom 2 at this late stage of the season. I mean let's face it, Alfonso and Sadie are likely getting the lion's share of the viewer votes so no need to put them in fake jeopardy which will only rally their base up even more.

 

But I'm not sure his work with Janel was up to the work he did with Zendaya.

 

 

I loved Zendaya and even if I never vote, I was rooting for her to win. But I'll say this, I don't think Val delivered on the freestyle and looking at his three freestyles - the one with Kelly for All-Stars, Zendaya and now Janel,  I feel like he's having the same issue his brother had even if he is a much better choreographer than Maks. They keep choking at the final hurdle.

 

His freestyle with Kelly was basically a recreation of the Dirty Dancing number (similar to how Corbin just recreated some Michael Jackson moves) and in my opinion, it's never a good idea to just redo an iconic dance. Use some small elements sure but there has to be something of the celebrity and their journey in there. He didn't do that with Kelly. Things were a little better with Zendaya but the freestyle felt short and in my opinion, didn't really show what Zendaya was truly capable of and how good she really was. And I've already said my piece about Janel's. So Val has to step up his game with the freestyle. 

 

Maybe they don't tell and it's just that the pros know how things work after doing so many seasons of this show, and they get a gut instinct when it's time to go, but, whatever the case, those two pretty clearly seemed to know they were on the way out.

 

 

I don't think they tell them but I do think it's that they get a sense of how things are going, much like the viewer. Like I knew Bethany was going just by the tone of the online comments, seeing some stuff on her social media accounts, following the pattern of viewers who've watched this show, etc. There are just things that can sort of make you know how things are going to go and that's what Derek said last season when he said he knew Meryl and Maks would win. That there was just a tone and a sense throughout the season that that's how it was likely going to go. Also, to Derek's credit, he and his celebrity often taken their eliminations well. 

 

They weren't negative, by any means, but stuff like Len saying that he hopes America gets it right makes me really nervous that the judges know something we don't know.

 

 

Like I noted, I feel fairly certain that Sadie is getting  A LOT of viewer votes. If she wins, in my opinion she will be the weakest winner in terms of actual dance ability since maybe Helio. 

Edited November 25, 2014 by truthaboutluv

[fishcakes]

Hell with the way those tweens are, they may not vote because they might think "omg does he like her", because he's mentioning her and asking them to vote. Also, while I'm no expert as my boyband days ended with N'Sync and Backstreet Boys, from what I've observed in the media and tabloids, Harry is the really hugely popular one of the group.

 

Okay, this cracked me up because it's probably true. Also, I had to translate it into boy band terms that I understand, so it's, "well, it's not like Michael said to vote for her. It's only Tito!"

 

I thought it was unfair that the judges picked Sadie's fan favorite Duck Dynasty-theme dance as her repeat instead of one of her lower scoring dances like everyone else did. It would have made more sense to see a re-do of her Paso Doble after those dismal scores, or even her rumba. And that BS excuse that it was because Len didn't see it- please, she got a 37 out of 40. It's the second-most watched video of the season on YouTube. They just wanted to give her the extra fan bump. This was like asking America to vote on Alfonso doing the Carlton again.

 

I agree. In the past, the redo has always been about improving on a low-scoring dance, not giving them a second chance to gin up their fan base. Personally, I hate the duck samba primarily because it's not a samba. Both times I've seen it (and without benefit of Voiceover Guy announcing what the dance is at the beginning), I've wondered about halfway through what it's supposed to be. Salsa? Jive? No idea.

 

Almost everyone last night said that the freestyle was the deciding factor in winning the competition, but that hasn't been true for at least the last couple of seasons. Giving everyone a perfect score means it has zero effect on the outcome. And I agree with those who say having contemporary and jazz be dance styles used throughout the season makes the freestyle less interesting overall. Last night I thought Janel and Val and Bethany and Derek did great, but having seen both pairs do similar things before, it wasn't special at all. Points to Mark for at least choreographing something different, but he really didn't play to Sadie's strengths -- in my opinion, she does better with the more lyrical, slower styles; I think in her case a contemporary freestyle, although dull, really would have better showcased her. Everything he told her to work on during the rehearsal package was still a problem in the final performance. I think Sadie is cute as a button, but her movements are so sloppy and out-of-sync with Mark's that it reminds me of Diane Chambers auditioning for the Boston Ballet and saying, "judge me not by what my arms and legs are doing."

 

And then Alfonso, who's been just pure joy all season. His freestyle wasn't perfect, but I enjoyed the hell out of it, and it was certainly the best of the night. He deserves to win, and I hope he does, but I think Sadie could edge him out based on viewer votes. I'll be disappointed if that happens, but it's totally fair. I mean, I was happy when Donny Osmond won over Mya, so I can't very well complain about this being a popularity contest.

[KerleyQ]

Almost everyone last night said that the freestyle was the deciding factor in winning the competition, but that hasn't been true for at least the last couple of seasons. Giving everyone a perfect score means it has zero effect on the outcome.

 

 

I think they mean in terms of viewer votes in the finale, that the freestyle is the deciding factor.  And I think that's accurate.  You've got a lot of potential voters who were voting for someone who has been eliminated during the season, so if they vote in the finale, it's likely going to be because someones FS wowed them.  There are also those who don't vote every week but vote in the finale.  Again, those are likely to be for whoever wowed them the most in the FS.  Then there might be those who are torn between 2 or more couples, and they wait and see what the FS shows them.  

 

There have been a decent number of times in the past season where someone who maybe wasn't the best dancer all season came out and wowed the audience with their FS, or the star who everyone thought was going to win came out with a lackluster FS and lost.  

 

This season, possibly more than any other, I've seen a lot of people saying "I like all of the couples left, I'd be happy with any of them winning."  I'd imagine that, for those viewers, their votes would likely come down to the FS round.  

 

The judges' scores have always generally been fairly equal for the FS round (save a few instances where they had to acknowledge an obvious difference), so it's never been that the FS wins it with the judges, but I think it's always been said that it is what wins it with the fans. 

[kelnic86]

 

Do you think.....is there any chance that Sadie's ducky and boy band voting block could cause her to win?  

Yes. I think there's a good chance Sadie can win. I really wouldn't be surprised that much if she does. She has a huge fanbase thanks to Duck Dynasty and I'm sure her Christian values probably locked up a good amount of support from Christian voters as well as the South in general too. Plus, she probably relates to the average viewer with her being so young and having no dancing experience prior to the show. With all that said, I still think Alfonso will win - at least I hope so!

[sarahlee]

Janel is a very good dance. I like her. However....the thing that so turns me off with every partner of  Val's except Zendaya (who was too young for it) is this showmance/fauxmance nonsense. Does anyone really buy into it anymore? When my 12 year old rolls his eyes and says "Oh right....Val and Janel are supposed to be so in love" you know you have overdone a gimmick. I firmly believe the choice of contemporary was so that 1) Val could have his shirt off and 2) they could kiss multiple times during the routine and play up the showmance angle. Its tired and old and no one is buying it anymore.

 

What was interesting about Sadie's freestyle to me was the music. That, IMO, is what had not been done before. Videogame music as opposed to a style of dance with regular music. It was cute and memorable and fit her very well.

 

Bethany and Derek were fine. I think Derek's use of props is actually much less this year than prior years.  Remember Amy "dancing" by sitting on the table? That being said - I thought it would be Sadie or Janel going home because I thought Derek had it in his contract to make the finals. LOL! 

 

And Alfonso? I love him. Period. So entertaining. I had a big smile on my face his entire freestyle. 

[howmanywords]

Janel is a very good dance. I like her. However....the thing that so turns me off with every partner of  Val's except Zendaya (who was too young for it) is this showmance/fauxmance nonsense. Does anyone really buy into it anymore? When my 12 year old rolls his eyes and says "Oh right....Val and Janel are supposed to be so in love" you know you have overdone a gimmick. I firmly believe the choice of contemporary was so that 1) Val could have his shirt off and 2) they could kiss multiple times during the routine and play up the showmance angle. Its tired and old and no one is buying it anymore.

 

When my mother, who has been a huge Maks and Val fan for the last few years couldnt be bothered to vote last night because she was bored then I know its not just me who's utterly sick of Val and his showmance crap. I have no problem doing a freestyle that focuses on a dance that you know your partner excels at but how many times did we have to look at Val with his shirt off, Janel in what looks like a Victoria Secrets nighty, the two of them kissing and/or looking at each other with a longing look? So damn boring. I'm at the point I dont even find Val attractive anymore with or without his shirt off.

[KerleyQ]

Yes. I think there's a good chance Sadie can win. I really wouldn't be surprised that much if she does. She has a huge fanbase thanks to Duck Dynasty and I'm sure her Christian values probably locked up a good amount of support from Christian voters as well as the South in general too. Plus, she probably relates to the average viewer with her being so young and having no dancing experience prior to the show. With all that said, I still think Alfonso will win - at least I hope so!

 

 

I think what's dangerous about Sadie (to those of us who want one of the other two to win) is that she not only has what is likely a similar voting base to Bristol's (which got her to the finale, as well), but she can really dance and is winning over fans that way as well.  Bristol could not move like Sadie can, so while she rode her fan base to the finale, once it was down to her and two other dancers, she fell off, because the rest of the votes were only split over two other dancers.  I think it's generally easier for those big built-in fan bases to get someone to the finale as opposed to winning it, because during the rest of the season, the people voting for other dancers are spread out over a larger number.  Just to throw some random numbers together to illustrate - if Dancer A is getting 25% of the total votes all season long, that's great right up until the time there are only 3 left, because then it's less than their "fair share" of the votes, and at least one of the other two is going to get more than she does, possibly both will.  The worst Dancer B can do and still beat Dancer C is around 38%, and that is still a big margin over Dancer A's 25%. 

 

The issue with Sadie is that her dancing and performance quality has gotten better as the season goes on, so she's likely picked up voters along the way.  So if she started out at 25%, she could be up to enough of the fan vote to win it by now.  There really is a legit chance she can win.  

 

It'll be interesting to see where Janel places.  My gut says 3rd.  Back when they did the immunity week, I thought it was done to keep her in, because she wasn't pulling the fan votes she needed.  Obviously, she picked up enough to make it to the finale, but I wonder how much of her making it through is based on her scores (didn't Tom say she's had the most perfect scores of the cast this season?).  My guess is that she pulled in just enough support to squeak into the final 3, but that'll be it. 

[Mama No Life]

Was it just me or was Whitney and Alfonso's jive longer this time? Seemed to me like they added a bit to the end, but no one has mentioned it....

[truthaboutluv]

Both Alfonso and Bethany's jives were 30 seconds longer because they both did it in Week 1 when all the dances were much shorter than usual because of there being 13 contestants to dance. So for them to have the same time as Sadie and Janel, Witney and Derek had to add 30 seconds more to the dance. 

[Ann Mack]

Okay, this cracked me up because it's probably true. Also, I had to translate it into boy band terms that I understand, so it's, "well, it's not like Michael said to vote for her. It's only Tito!"

 

 

I agree. In the past, the redo has always been about improving on a low-scoring dance, not giving them a second chance to gin up their fan base. Personally, I hate the duck samba primarily because it's not a samba. Both times I've seen it (and without benefit of Voiceover Guy announcing what the dance is at the beginning), I've wondered about halfway through what it's supposed to be. Salsa? Jive? No idea.

 

Almost everyone last night said that the freestyle was the deciding factor in winning the competition, but that hasn't been true for at least the last couple of seasons. Giving everyone a perfect score means it has zero effect on the outcome. And I agree with those who say having contemporary and jazz be dance styles used throughout the season makes the freestyle less interesting overall. Last night I thought Janel and Val and Bethany and Derek did great, but having seen both pairs do similar things before, it wasn't special at all. Points to Mark for at least choreographing something different, but he really didn't play to Sadie's strengths -- in my opinion, she does better with the more lyrical, slower styles; I think in her case a contemporary freestyle, although dull, really would have better showcased her. Everything he told her to work on during the rehearsal package was still a problem in the final performance. I think Sadie is cute as a button, but her movements are so sloppy and out-of-sync with Mark's that it reminds me of Diane Chambers auditioning for the Boston Ballet and saying, "judge me not by what my arms and legs are doing."

 

And then Alfonso, who's been just pure joy all season. His freestyle wasn't perfect, but I enjoyed the hell out of it, and it was certainly the best of the night. He deserves to win, and I hope he does, but I think Sadie could edge him out based on viewer votes. I'll be disappointed if that happens, but it's totally fair. I mean, I was happy when Donny Osmond won over Mya, so I can't very well complain about this being a popularity contest.

 

SORRY POSTED THIS TO THE WRONG RESPONSE! So, sorry!

 

And even with all that you said YES Derek still used A LOT of props! Mark is known for using items in the majority of his dances but it is a rarity with Derek. So I'm not stating that the others did NOT use props either I am saying and will continue to say that this season was the most I've ever seen Derek incorporate them into the majority of his routines!

Edited November 25, 2014 by Ann Mack

[iMonrey]

 

Did Tom say Janel and Bethany were the bottom two or did he do the usual "not necessarily" thing?

 

He did say bottom 2. Which is interesting, because the judges have really been pushing Janel and Val, to the extent that I feel their win is almost inevitable, but maybe the voters have different ideas.

 

I actually liked Sadie and Mark's freestyle the best. It was cute, it was fun, and it was just the right vehicle for Sadie's squeaky clean, kid-friendly image. I liked Alfonso and Witney's freestyle too but there was a really awkward transition in the middle of it where the troupe came in that interrupted the flow. It really wasn't as well constructed as the other freestyles IMO.

 

I disliked Janel and Val's contemporary freestyle but that style is just not my cup of tea, as Len would say. Maybe I'm just a cold fish but I kind of groaned at the judges being moved to tears over the emotion of it. And enough with the necking already, they kissed full on the mouth twice in that dance. This is turning into Making Out With The Stars.

 

Bethany and Derek's freestyle just kind of baffled me, really. I could see them doing different styles throughout, so maybe they were trying to incorporate all the different dance style she had this season as an illustration of her journey or whatever, but the costumes were bizarre and the troupe was unnecessary and a little intrusive. Right call on who went home I think.

 

Alfonso should win, but I wouldn't mind if Sadie won. I really don't want Janel to win, I feel like she's been forced on me.

[Ann Mack]

Well no, the situation had nothing to do with her elimination because last night's elimination was based off of last week's judges' scores and viewer votes. In other words, the dancing last night was irrelevant for the fourth place contestant, as they already knew at the start of the hour who was going home. Which is also why I believe Derek had an inkling that they were likely going to be eliminated. 

 

 

Ah yes, Derek and his supposed overuse of props that apparently no one else was guilty of. Okay, let's look at Sadie's season - her first dance had her on some candy looking thing and there was a whole Candy Land type theme happening complete with streamers and confetti when the dance was over. Her second dance included a pickup truck on the stage. Her third dance included her floating away up in a balloon. Her Paso Doble had a full on zombie apocalypse complete with fog, troupe members, faux cemetery, etc. Her Argentine Tango included a guitar perched between her and Mark for the entire dance, her contemporary had the whole apple going back and forth between her and Mark, her Samba had practically her whole family on stage and forest theme where you couldn't actually see her too well and her freestyle had the set transformed into a Super Mario game. Am I supposed to conclude that Mark did not use any props with Sadie or was that all just part of the performance but with Bethany, any single set decoration clearly meant Derek was trying to "hide" her and her flaws.

 

 

I've seen it stated that he definitely said they were the Bottom 2 and honestly I can believe that. Also I think they typically do the real Bottom 2 at this late stage of the season. I mean let's face it, Alfonso and Sadie are likely getting the lion's share of the viewer votes so no need to put them in fake jeopardy which will only rally their base up even more.

 

 

I loved Zendaya and even if I never vote, I was rooting for her to win. But I'll say this, I don't think Val delivered on the freestyle and looking at his three freestyles - the one with Kelly for All-Stars, Zendaya and now Janel,  I feel like he's having the same issue his brother had even if he is a much better choreographer than Maks. They keep choking at the final hurdle.

 

His freestyle with Kelly was basically a recreation of the Dirty Dancing number (similar to how Corbin just recreated some Michael Jackson moves) and in my opinion, it's never a good idea to just redo an iconic dance. Use some small elements sure but there has to be something of the celebrity and their journey in there. He didn't do that with Kelly. Things were a little better with Zendaya but the freestyle felt short and in my opinion, didn't really show what Zendaya was truly capable of and how good she really was. And I've already said my piece about Janel's. So Val has to step up his game with the freestyle. 

 

 

I don't think they tell them but I do think it's that they get a sense of how things are going, much like the viewer. Like I knew Bethany was going just by the tone of the online comments, seeing some stuff on her social media accounts, following the pattern of viewers who've watched this show, etc. There are just things that can sort of make you know how things are going to go and that's what Derek said last season when he said he knew Meryl and Maks would win. That there was just a tone and a sense throughout the season that that's how it was likely going to go. Also, to Derek's credit, he and his celebrity often taken their eliminations well. 

 

 

Like I noted, I feel fairly certain that Sadie is getting  A LOT of viewer votes. If she wins, in my opinion she will be the weakest winner in terms of actual dance ability since maybe Helio. 

 

And even with all that you said YES Derek still used A LOT of props! Mark is known for using items in the majority of his dances but it is a rarity with Derek. So I'm not stating that the others did NOT use props either I am saying and will continue to say that this season was the most I've ever seen Derek incorporate them into the majority of his routines!

[sinkwriter]

I just rewatched Alfonso and Witney's freestyle and I love it even more. Julianne talks about how Val and Janel need to connect more with one another, and I do think that's true because sometimes they're so focused on the next lift or spin that they aren't connecting with one another. They look at each other but don't always seem to really see one another. It's all a big show, or feels that way when I watch them sometimes. In contrast, when I watched Alfonso and Witney dance last night, they were completely attuned with one another. They'd spin and come right back to being all eyes on each other, in each other's faces, completely connected, in step with one another, grinning and having a blast. It was so fun to see. I really love their partnership so much.

[Turquoise]

I'm not getting the love for the Bethany freestyle. A lot of the dance, she was either in the middle of thr troupe, in a fog, or the strobe lights were going so you had no idea where she was. Either way, you couldn't see her, much less how she was moving. To me it was kinda like hiding her behind the counter in the Lucy number.

[FilmTVGeek80]

 

Last night's judges comments to Alfonso made me nervous.  They weren't negative, by any means, but stuff like Len saying that he hopes America gets it right makes me really nervous that the judges know something we don't know.

 

That concerned me, too. I don't know if the judges know exactly how the voting is going down, or they're given hints, or what, but I do think they know something and it does worry me that he said that.

 

 

I think what's dangerous about Sadie (to those of us who want one of the other two to win) is that she not only has what is likely a similar voting base to Bristol's (which got her to the finale, as well), but she can really dance and is winning over fans that way as well.  Bristol could not move like Sadie can, so while she rode her fan base to the finale, once it was down to her and two other dancers, she fell off, because the rest of the votes were only split over two other dancers.  I think it's generally easier for those big built-in fan bases to get someone to the finale as opposed to winning it, because during the rest of the season, the people voting for other dancers are spread out over a larger number.  Just to throw some random numbers together to illustrate - if Dancer A is getting 25% of the total votes all season long, that's great right up until the time there are only 3 left, because then it's less than their "fair share" of the votes, and at least one of the other two is going to get more than she does, possibly both will.  The worst Dancer B can do and still beat Dancer C is around 38%, and that is still a big margin over Dancer A's 25%.

 

I was going to mention Bristol Palin as to one reason I'm worried Sadie could win. I do believe they have very similar fanbases, and obviously despite Bristol having no business being in the finals made it happen. I think her going out in third was a combination of what you pointed out, with their being fewer and fewer dancers to spread out the vote and because the judges made sure that Bristol's score didn't even come close to Jennifer's, or even Kyle's. With Sadie that's not going to happen. Usually at this point, if you can just make it through the dance the judges will give you tens. Sadie's only two points behind Alfonso. Even if they went against script and gave Sadie all 9s and Alfonso a perfect score, depending on the viewer vote, it still might not be enough. I'm definitely concerned that Sadie could have picked up more votes because of the stupid One Direction guy shilling for her and she could have possibly picked up votes from those who would have voted for Bethany.

 

 

The issue with Sadie is that her dancing and performance quality has gotten better as the season goes on, so she's likely picked up voters along the way.

 

I won't argue that she could probably picked up votes along the way, but I actually think she hit a plateau at some point in the middle of the season, and while not horrible, never got better than those first few weeks. It's one of the reasons I would be seriously disappointed if she won.

[sinkwriter]

 

I'm not getting the love for the Bethany freestyle. A lot of the dance, she was either in the middle of thr troupe, in a fog, or the strobe lights were going so you had no idea where she was.

 

I liked Bethany's freestyle for the most part, I liked the strength of it, the Janet Jackson Rhythm Nation style of it. I liked how they lifted her up (like the troupe joked, "The Queeeeen!"), and I liked some of the balancing that she and Derek did together. But yes, for some of it, I did feel Bethany got lost in the crowd, and that was a bummer to me because I feel like Derek didn't give her enough (to highlight her specifically). Sometimes I think he overprotects his partners (see: Amy) instead of letting them really cut loose. I wish it had been more like his freestyle with Amber - it was an amazing, fun, rhythmic dance and I couldn't take my eyes on her the entire time; the troupe was cool but secondary to the focus on the star.

Edited November 25, 2014 by sinkwriter

[CED9]

That concerned me, too. I don't know if the judges know exactly how the voting is going down, or they're given hints, or what, but I do think they know something and it does worry me that he said that.

I was going to mention Bristol Palin as to one reason I'm worried Sadie could win. I do believe they have very similar fanbases, and obviously despite Bristol having no business being in the finals made it happen. I think her going out in third was a combination of what you pointed out, with their being fewer and fewer dancers to spread out the vote and because the judges made sure that Bristol's score didn't even come close to Jennifer's, or even Kyle's. With Sadie that's not going to happen. Usually at this point, if you can just make it through the dance the judges will give you tens. Sadie's only two points behind Alfonso. Even if they went against script and gave Sadie all 9s and Alfonso a perfect score, depending on the viewer vote, it still might not be enough. I'm definitely concerned that Sadie could have picked up more votes because of the stupid One Direction guy shilling for her and she could have possibly picked up votes from those who would have voted for Bethany.

I won't argue that she could probably picked up votes along the way, but I actually think she hit a plateau at some point in the middle of the season, and while not horrible, never got better than those first few weeks. It's one of the reasons I would be seriously disappointed if she won.

I think something else that needs taken into account that you haven't mentioned is the portion of viewers that vote for a certain pro no matter what. And I think in that respect, Val and to a lesser extent, Mark have that over Witney.

[magpye29]

I thought it was interesting that Janel and Val were told point-blank by Julianne to keep their eyes locked on each other during their dance, yet they made the least eye contact in their freestyle than in any other routine they've done this season.  There were a lot of times when their heads were turned toward each other, but they weren't making eye contact.  It was just a little weird.

[FilmTVGeek80]

I think something else that needs taken into account that you haven't mentioned is the portion of viewers that vote for a certain pro no matter what. And I think in that respect, Val and to a lesser extent, Mark have that over Witney.

 

That definitely could be a factor. But it's not always a factor. For the life of me, I can't remember who else was in the finals with Donald Driver and Peta, but I'm sure they were veteran dancers who had a bigger fanbase than Peta - I think that was her first season - but Peta/Donald still won. I think Witney has grown on a lot of people this season. And maybe this is my own bias against Mark talking, but I've never considered him a pro with a huge, rabid fanbase. He's definitely made it into the finals a lot recently, but he and his partner have been voted out early a few times, too.