S19.E13: Week 11: The Final Elimination

[CPP83]

So now I am going to guess that unless Alfonso falls over and blacks out in the middle of the dance he will get all 10s due to the scoring scale already set in place for the Freestyles. And nothing changes as usual for a finale, unless the judges flat out want to sink a dancer they think shouldn't be there in the first place.

[HowdyTV]

Watching Janel, I think I figured out the difference in movement with her and Sadie. Janel commits to every move where for me, Sadie doesn't. But Janel and Val's dance was lovely. I feel for her ribs, though!

[McManda]

Sadie's freestyle was interesting in a unique way. I appreciate the new-ness of a Mario themed freestyle. That said, I was torn between intrigued and embarrassed. I still don't know if I liked it or not.

 

Janel's contemporary bored me. Sorry, Janel. It's not you, it's the dance style. (Though I can't say she's done anything to really stand out for me, either.)

 

Of the girls, I liked Bethany's the best ... except for the overarching "overcome your demons!!" theme that she'd had through all her dances.

 

Looking forward to Alfonso. I haven't had a favorite freestyle since Drew Lachey's "Save a Horse" freestyle, but I'm thinking Alfonso's could change that.

[mtlchick]

Canada is a bit ahead tonight since our feed continued.  

 

I called Alfonso`s finale in week 2.  My prayers got answered.  

[RetailTherapy]

Best thing about the end of this season?  Not having to hear Julianne bellow out her score every.single.time. 

 

Alfonso, even before seeing his freestyle, is just in a master class by himself.  I'd rank Janel as being a distant second, followed by Bethany.  But as previously mentioned, we got hand jive stomp, part deux from heaven's gift to all things dance.  It's like he's made a bet with someone to see how many times he can re-create Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation video and he's now on the last dregs of anything he can cough up.

[Dancingjaneway]

Yessss!! That was phenomenal and everything a freestyle should be. I loved the tap and I loved him doing the apache dance. If he doesn't win I will be gobsmacked. 

[McManda]

Alfonso is just ... lightyears ahead of everyone else. If the girls got straight 10s, he should have gotten 50s.

[HowdyTV]

Alfonso killed it! (and probably his back!) He clearly is a good dancer. And I loved his attitude throughout the season. Hope it gets the mirror ball.

[RetailTherapy]

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

 

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

[howmanywords]

Holy crap apache dance AND tap! 

[CPP83]

Wow...Alfonso...wow...that was amazing. That was...that's what I want to see.

 

Video game characters are cute, Contemporary can work at times, and Derek always brings something that causes people to fawn all over him, but that performance is why I still watch this show. That was a bit of brilliance, a bit of sparkle and shine and real, true dancing that just isn't highlighted enough, imho.

 

That reminded me of the greats of old, relying on their sheer talent and charisma, no gimmicks just greatness. Of course the best dancer doesn't always win this show, by far they don't but it'd be really nice if this time he did.

 

 

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

 

 

 

Amen, so much of an amen for this.

[HowdyTV]

Is Bethany the same age as Sadie? Cause if she is, boy, does she seem older and more mature. Sad to see her go.

[Buggin]

Threw all my votes to Alfonso (first time voting this season). That was an AWESOME freestyle.

 

Bethany did well with her freestyle but I feel like Derek's dances are starting to look the same.

 

Janel and Val's dance was gorgeous. It's not the most memorable but they danced it beautifully.

 

I'm in the minority that really enjoyed Sadie and Mark's freestyle. Not the best danced but I thought it was cute and creative, which a freestyle should be.

 

Alfonso has GOT to win, though.

 

Side note...does anyone else get annoyed at other pros campaigning for certain pros to win? I mean, I expected it with Maks and Val last season, since they're brothers and well, that's how they are, but so far I've also seen Sharna and Artem campaigning for Janel and Val. I know they're friends but I kind of wish the competing pros wouldn't be so blatant in telling their fans to vote a certain way. I know they're not the first to do it and won't be the last, but it still kind of rubs me the wrong way for some reason. I don't know why I'm so bothered by it.

Edited November 25, 2014 by Buggin

[twizzwhizz11]

I think Bethany was more consistent dancer than Sadie, but I would rank them around the same and, while still great dancers, way below Janel and Alfonso. I loved that the final was so tight this year - all 4 of the finalists were pretty good dancers.

 

Is Bethany the same age as Sadie? Cause if she is, boy, does she seem older and more mature. Sad to see her go.

 

Bethany is two years older than her (19 vs. 17, I believe). But yes, I agree, there is a great difference in maturity. 

Edited November 25, 2014 by twizzwhizz11

[McManda]

Do they not do text voting anymore? It's been so long since I've voted, but I feel like I need to vote for Alfonso.

[truthaboutluv]

And as I predicted, I was left underwhelmed by Janel and Val. Like I expected, she danced it well, she looked beautiful but I basically felt like I was seeing more or less what I saw three weeks ago from her.  Meanwhile, I felt like Val just comped his brother's play from last season with the whole "intimate, stripped down number" and it's like "yeah seen it already." Not to mention as I've always said, Meryl's win was down to the fact that she was that freaking good and her huge fanbase from her Olympic career. Once again, I feel like Val screwed up the freestyle. 

 

I liked Alfonso's but I was slightly underwhelmed. I thought he and Witney lacked a bit of energy at the start and it didn't really pick up until the troupe joined in and even then the choreography didn't wow me. The tap was nice but for the most part, the choreography was a bit safe. I also thought some moments that were not in time. I saw the big Sadie freestyle and all I could think was, this is the "like nothing that has ever been done in the history" that Mark was bragging about?

 

All he did was dress up as Super Mario characters and throw in a mix of ballroom and hip hop steps that I very much have seen before. The dance was cute and fun but most amazing thing ever...yeah no. I actually did enjoy Bethany's freestyle the most. It may not have been "revolutionary" but frankly none of the freestyles were in my opinion. But it fit Bethany, it made her shine, she looked amazing, it was clean and precise and well danced. That's a win for me. 

 

eta: Totally called Bethany's exit and like I said, I feel very positive Derek knew it was coming. A glance at her social media showed that her fans actually weren't that interested in the show and only really wanted her to go back to making videos in her room and the show was taking time away from her ability to do that. My prediction for tomorrow is Janel in third, Sadie in second and Alfonso the winner and I'm okay with that. 

 

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

 

 

Is that about the choreography because I like Alfonso as much as the next person but there is no way his dancing could compare in any way to Derek's dancing. Which I wouldn't expect it to since Derek is a professional dancer.

Edited November 25, 2014 by truthaboutluv

[crowceilidh]

I missed part of Vajanel's free, should I actually bother to hunt it down?  I love Val, but I can just not figure out how to like Janel.

 

I think Sadie's a rather awkward dancer.

 

Love Alfonso, but I'd still vote for Tommy instead if I had that chance.

[Mama No Life]

Sadie is awkward. Like a giraffe trying to walk.  She memorizes the steps and puts in the effort but it never flows.  Janel and Alfonso, on the other hand, literally float.    Bethany and Derek were not going to win but they should have outlasted Sadie and Mark, who barely interacted in their final dance.  Sadie is getting thru b/c her daddy cries on stage. 

 

Alfonso is the only who I rewind for. That's all I need to know.

[CPP83]

Well that wasn't terribly surprising, the only surprise dancer who could have gotten the boot for me would have been Alfonso going home but the dancing gods don't hate me that much *Smirks*.

 

I still can't get over his Freestyle...it was so classy and fun and full of content and grace and awesomeness.

 

Sadie's a cute girl but I think yet again Mark didn't play to his partner's strengths in the freestyle.

 

It's as if he can't get beyond the concept that he finds so amazing and brilliant and yet forgets that he needs to make the girl shine and be the star, not overwhelm her with doing too much.

 

But of course it didn't matter because the Judges were throwing 10s at everyone score wise, I think Erin got a 10 for merely not being Brooke, it was 10 city tonight.

 

Val and Janel seemed like they channeled Maks and Meryl from last season.

 

Personally I am just over the Contemporary style that repeats over and over and over again on this show, the open shirts, the lying down and the bedroom/lovers set of tone and mood, the lifts and throws and crooked or flat feet... DWTS is not SYTYCD nor should it try to be.

 

 

Is that about the choreography because I like Alfonso as much as the next person but there is no way his dancing could compare to any of Derek's dancing. Which I wouldn't expect it to since Derek is a professional dancer.

 

 

 

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.

Edited November 25, 2014 by CPP83

[Squirrely]

I hope Whitney becomes a super star after this. Alfonso winning seems to be a foregone conclusion, but regardless of what happens tomorrow night, she has shown what an amazing choreographer she is and should be so proud of herself.

[Zuleikha]

Alfonso's freestyle was perfection. I love how Witney was able to incorporate both the Apache dance and the Carlton dance (in their respective dances) in ways that made them feel appropriate rather than pandering. I was also really impressed with the tap rhythm because I swear I heard the Sing, Sing rhythm in the a capella tap. 

[majormama]

Well, I Jump[ed] On It and threw all my votes to Alfonso. I LOVED his freestyle. I thought Sadie's was cute, but not enough to blow me away. I am not a fan of either contemporary or hip hop, so while I appreciate that both Janel and Bethany danced well, I didn't love either of theirs. Janel's death drop was certainly cool, but the dance as a whole just wasn't my thing.

 

ETA: All contemporaries look more or less the same to me: Run over here, pose, angsty-face; run over there, lift, angsty face. Is there such a thing as a happy contemporary, or are they always angsty?

Edited November 25, 2014 by majormama

[magpye29]

I'm glad that Sadie made the finals. She is what this show used to be about--taking someone with no dance experience and teaching her different types of dances.  I could see what many of you were talking about with her gangly, coltish moves, but I responded to her sheer joy in being there and the fact that she went out there every  week and gave it her all.  She's not a professional dancer, and it shows, but I'm okay with that because she was fun to watch.

 

Of course Alfonso and Janel killed it every week, but who wouldn't have expected them to, given the level of previous experience they each possess.  That being said, I don't have a problem with ringers. You can hardly have a career in Hollywood without some time of dance experience/training.

 

I would like to see Alfonso win, with Sadie in second.

[Buggin]

I've already gone back and watched Alfonso's freestyle two more times.

 

Liam from One Direction is shilling for votes for Sadie on Twitter, but Alfonso's got Will Smith in his court. I'll be surprised if it doesn't come down to those two.

[stonehaven]

Alfonso's freestyle and Derek's early exit..the best ten minutes on the show thus far this season.

My mom and I were like "Give him the trophy now!!!"

I noticed that the Carlton didn't make a re-appearance in the freestyle..I'm sure the mere thought of that put Alfonso in agony...nice for Will Smith to finally share his support..albeit by FB...

I hope the Spring Season will give me someone to root for..but to me, Alfonso is like Kristi Yamugchi. I knew early on with her..and am so excited for him to win tomorrow..Witney can take a bow as that freestyle was off the chain!

[superdeluxe]

I knew Bethany was going out 4th, which is sad because she's better than Sadie.  Derek knew, too.  He knows the way this show works.  I guess if you go first in part one of the finale, that means you're going out 4th.

 

I'm throwing all of my votes toward Alfonso.  He's the only one who deserves to win this thing.  I'm sure they'll do whatever they can to give it to Val, though.  Notice how I just said Val.  It's not about Janel at all.

[Stitsch]

I'm actually annoyed at Mark for running away with the concept. Had he choreographed to Sadie's strengths, I think they could've easily been the second best freestyle of the night — Val's choreography was uninspired and bland, and we've seen almost all of Derek's choreography in other dances. Sadie isn't technically astounding, but when Mark works with his partners as opposed to his kooky brain, he can wrest out greatness. Unfortunately, Mark is Mark, and he seems to do this every other week. 

 

I'm so proud of Witney, though. Granted, Alfonso is great and would've made it to the finals no matter who his partner was, but she overcame the odds of being swept up in a Hough/Ballas/Chmerkovskiy tornado. That's pretty big considering it's only her second season. I hope to see her more in the future. 

 

Also great to see Cheryl and Tony. And Sasha looks like oodles of fun to be around.

[truthaboutluv]

It's as if he can't get beyond the concept that he finds so amazing and brilliant and yet forgets that he needs to make the girl shine and be the star, not overwhelm her with doing too much.

 

 

And this is what I've been saying for a long time about my issue with Mark. Mark is awesome and he does have some amazing creative ideas but sometimes he gets far too caught up in his own so called genius and creativity and doesn't consider what would make his celebrity look the best and shine the most, which in my opinion, is what his job as the Pro should be. 

 

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.

 

 

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.

 

And just to be clear, I don't think Derek, is the second coming of Gene Kelly but I just don't think anything Alfonso did there tonight can put him on the level of Derek's dancing ability. That's just hyperbole in my opinion. Not to mention I didn't think the freestyle was that amazing. Good, sure...

Edited November 25, 2014 by truthaboutluv

[smiley13]

As much as I like Sadie, I still feel that Alfonso should be the winner.  While I am glad to be rid of Golden Boy, I almost wish it had been Janel instead.  Her freestyle was boring.

[Packerbrewerbadger]

For once I don't care who wins ( tho my money is on Alfonso) and I think alot has to do with Derek not in the finals!

[tearbender]

Well, I Jump[ed] On It and threw all my votes to Alfonso. I LOVED his freestyle. I thought Sadie's was cute, but not enough to blow me away. I am not a fan of either contemporary or hip hop, so while I appreciate that both Janel and Bethany danced well, I didn't love e

 

ETA: All contemporaries look more or less the same to me: Run over here, pose, angsty-face; run over there, lift, angsty face. Is there such a thing as a happy contemporary, or are they always angsty?

 

While not exactly happy, Val and Zendaya's Week 1 Contemporary remains one of my favorite routines. The cheesy production values are in full force, but they're actually smiling! I think it's the only contemporary I've found memorable and enjoyed after the fact.

 

Contemporary wasn't a bad choice of freestyle for Janel but I think if he's put more thought into it Val could have done something that played to Janel's personality more.

 

Fingers crossed for Alfonso tomorrow.

[Serendi]

I'm thinking Mark's "never been done before" is the tube that shot them up to the tops of the cubes. I do think it's new..

[McManda]

New to DWTS maybe, but not new to performance art.

[Irlandesa]

I was also really impressed with the tap rhythm because I swear I heard the Sing, Sing rhythm in the a capella tap. 

Yep.  It was there and it was my favorite part of the dance.  And it was the most "ringer" moment of the season because of it (not that I care--I don't. I want him to win!)

 

I'm glad to see Alfonso somewhat recovered this week.  He seemed really tentative last week and I hoped it wouldn't hamper his finale dances. 

 

It's too bad Janel was injured.  I think she's my second favorite dancer and has really made strides this season.  The contemporary was boring to me, though.  I think I am burnt out on contemporary due to So You Think You Can Dance so it needs to be something special for me to care.  This didn't quite make it.

 

I liked the concept of Mark's dance but it did not put Sadie in the best position.  It showed too much of Sadie's somewhat unstable legs.  She looks smoother when they're covered up. 

 

I'm rooting for Alfonso to win. I only hope that the fact that his dance went into the next hour doesn't hurt him.

Edited November 25, 2014 by Irlandesa

[superdeluxe]

Side note...does anyone else get annoyed at other pros campaigning for certain pros to win? I mean, I expected it with Maks and Val last season, since they're brothers and well, that's how they are, but so far I've also seen Sharna and Artem campaigning for Janel and Val. I know they're friends but I kind of wish the competing pros wouldn't be so blatant in telling their fans to vote a certain way. I know they're not the first to do it and won't be the last, but it still kind of rubs me the wrong way for some reason. I don't know why I'm so bothered by it.

 

Well, she's a part of The Fam now so...not really shocked.  They "adopted" Artem and Sharna is fully entrenched.  That faction just keeps growing...

[kelnic86]

I felt since Week 1 that Alfonso and Sadie were going to be the top 2, and tonight sealed it for me. They were the top 2 in votes this week and they had the most memorable freestyles tonight. I'll be really shocked if Janel somehow squeezes into the Top 2. Injury aside, that freestyle was a bit "been there done that," nothing really fascinating. Say what you want about Sadie's freestyle, but it was cute and will get people talking. Alfonso's freestyle was just everything - what a freestyle should be. I enjoyed it very much. I hope he takes home the MBT. 

Edited November 25, 2014 by kelnic86

[SteveAC10]

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. 

Edited November 25, 2014 by SteveAC10

[msburg]

Most annoying thing to me about the Sadie - Mark freestyle is that Mark choreographed  for himself, not his star.  Dude, it is SO not about you in this dance!  Did she have any input?  Even in the interview, he said he'd had the vision for years, and just needed the right (albeit, malleable) star. While the idea was original, you could tell she wasn't in 100%.

 

Derek, stop with the production excuses, then the "props to production" crap.  You were a WATB, and the timing mistake came well past the production hiccup!  Whining whiner is done tonight.

[McManda]

Most annoying thing to me about the Sadie - Mark freestyle is that Mark choreographed  for himself, not his star.  Dude, it is SO not about you in this dance!  Did she have any input?  Even in the interview, he said he'd had the vision for years, and just needed the right (albeit, malleable) star. While the idea was original, you could tell she wasn't in 100%.

 

Part of me thinks the only reason he did a Mario freestyle now with Sadie was because he knew it was a theme that he could get her parents (or her, or whoever is policing her content) to agree with. I mean, it's Nintendo. It's pretty innocuous. Nothing sketchy going to go on in a Mario themed dance.

 

That, and he's always had a secret desire to dress up as Mario.

 

Still, nothing, nothing, nothing will every beat the cringeworthy doll dance from Marie and Jonathan.

[LotusFlower]

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 noticed that, too! Not a single comment about the dance. What was up with that? Not ok.

Liam from One Direction is shilling for votes for Sadie on Twitter, but Alfonso's got Will Smith in his court. I'll be surprised if it doesn't come down to those two.

Yea, I couldn't figure out what Erin was saying about One Direction, but they have around a trillion fans, so if even a fraction of them vote, isn't it game over?

[truthaboutluv]

Derek, stop with the production excuses, then the "props to production" crap. You were a WATB, and the timing mistake came well past the production hiccup! Whining whiner is done tonight.

While I think Bethany's score was fair, I don't think it's whiny or an excuse on Derek's part to mention the production issue as possibly hurting the dance. Yes the mistake came well past the production hiccup but for someone like Bethany who is not a natural performer, that kind of error can really rattle the person and affect their timing and it did for her.

Yes the timing issue was most glaring in the error in the middle of the dance, but she really did seem to be playing catch up for most of the dance once she went off beat at the start because of the production issue. I mean this wasn't one of those little things someone not paying attention would barely notice. It was so bad that the production crew guy literally had to step into the shot of the number to pull the bed prop away. That was bad.

I will say this about Mark and Sadie's freestyle - while I still think his hyperbole about it being the most amazing thing that has never been seen ever was ridiculous, I do think it had a lot of content and kudos to Sadie remembering all of it. Now that said, while she remembered all of it, there were so many parts of that dance that Sadie and Mark seemed to be off time with each other. Unless that was somehow intentional and I cannot imagine why it would be. But I do appreciate how many different rhythm styles Mark threw into the number.

While I loved Bethany's freestyle, there were parts that did feel a bit too similar to Derek's freestyle with Amber, particularly when she was dancing in front of the troupe members. The mood and atmosphere of the dance was completely different but some of the arm synchronization was very familiar. That being said, on a totally shallow note, Bethany rocked the hell out of that outfit and girl looked fierce.

Still, nothing, nothing, nothing will every beat the cringeworthy doll dance from Marie and Jonathan.

And that's why it remains a classic.

Yea, I couldn't figure out what Erin was saying about One Direction, but they have around a trillion fans, so if even a fraction of them vote, isn't it game over?

I think Cody Simpson's and Bethany's exit in fourth proves that having huge social media/fan following does not necessarily guarantee huge support. Just as Bethany's own fans were more interested in her youtube videos than what she was doing on DWTS, I imagine Liam's fangirls are more interested in him than running to vote for some girl they barely know.

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.

Edited November 25, 2014 by truthaboutluv

[jjjmoss]

Well I'm surprised, but I don't think I've ever watched a full episode of this show, so.

 

But 7 of his last 8 seasons he'd made the top 3, and I couldn't fathom Maria Menounos having much of a natural fanbase.

[Julie23]

Say what you will about Derek, he has won as many times as he has because he knows how to choreograph to his stars strengths, and lets them shine. Bethany really improved so much all season, I wanted to see her in the finals. She deserved it.

Alfonso, however, killed it! That is everything I would expect from a free style. It was fun, it blended many dance styles, and it entertained. Clear winner in my mind.

I didn't mind the Mario Bros so much, it was fun and age-appropriate and as the judges are fond of saying, who cares about the steps, it entertained me!

Janel and Val didn't do anything new, or entertaining as far as I'm concerned.

[crowceilidh]

 

It's the most boneheaded move TPTB have ever made.

 

Wow and THAT is a deep well to plumb.

 

Watching Derek`s face tonight and I really think he`s past caring.  He`s done it so many times.  He always looks like he`s acting when he`s cheering and pumping his fist in the air and etc.  I also bet that he thought they were gone tonight because he knew.  

[HappyDancex2]

My DVR cut off the end of Alfonso's dance.  Grrrrrrr.  I did manage to find it on youtube including the elimination part since I was unspoiled.  Shocked to see Golden Boy get the boot!

 

I think Val really only had one route to go with his freestyle.  With Janel missing 3 days there was no way to do a heavy production number with too many variable.  So he stripped it down and added a few cool moves and went with their strength in connection.  She's totally into him so play the cards you are dealt so to speak.  She really doesn't have a story or redemption arc or anything real interesting about her for fake reality TV LOL.

 

I thought the Super Mario dance was cute and appropriate for Sadie.  She isn't the best dancer left, she's young so there is no "connection/stripping down" possibilities for a spotlight dance.  So he went with a gimmick and he likes choreo gimmicks anyway.  I loved that his denim had sparkle thread running through it...played well on TV.  Sadie is young and doesn't have much developed muscle tone and it showed at the end but she still has a nice story arc.

 

I'm glad Alfonso and Wit didn't tap into the Carleton at all...it's played out so leave it in the past....and a zillion views on youtube!!  But he gave us Apache so that was a nice shout out to the Fresh Prince show as well.  His freestyle was the most typical or expected by the fans and he and Witney seem like fun and delightful partners.  I hope he wins.

[twizzwhizz11]

Finally got to watch the whole episode. I thought the first round of scores were very fair. I didn't think Derek was whining about the set issue - it was more of a clarification. And I'm sure it's frustrating to have something external like that completely throw off your partner.

Sadie did great - it was definitely one of her better dances. Janel improved a lot. I didn't feel like anyone this season got the samba completely right, but these were the best of the lot. And, as Julianne said, they probably could have given Alfonso and Witney 10s their first week and it was even better this time around. 

 

That being said, I usually hate when they score the freestyles (and the last dances on the last night) with perfect scores across the board. But, with the exception of Sadie and Mark, who had some timing and synchronicity issues, this group of freestyles at least deserved the perfect scores. They were all dynamic and interesting in their own way.

Glad Bethany got to go out on a high note.

Mark's concept was pretty interesting, but, as others have said, he could have catered more to his star as the other pros did to theirs.

Janel's seemed like a semi-rehash of her contemporaary a few weeks ago, but it was really beautifully danced/choreographed without any mistakes. I did roll my eyes at the kiss though.

And I think everything has been said about Alfonso's freestyle. A true entertainer. I'm usually not one for ringer talk, but I can see where people can get upset about people with dance backgrounds when Alfonso started his solo tap section. Yes, ballroom and tap are different beasts but, beyond remembering steps and counting music, there is a musicality and finesse that comes from dancing that you can rarely teach or mimic in just 11 weeks. It's that quality that Sadie and Bethany miss in a lot of their dances (Janel seems to have a bit more polish). Alfonso, on the other hand, has had it since Week 1 and, while I personally don't have a problem with it because it gives us good dances, I can see his distinct advantage. 

 

 

Watching Derek`s face tonight and I really think he`s past caring.  He`s done it so many times.

 

Agreed - he's probably just exhausted, as someone mentioned upthread. He's been in the finals pretty much non-stop for 4 years, minus the season he took off. Like I've said before, I've never been a huge Derek fan (I don't mind him, but I think the only partner he had that I really rooted for was Amber), but I think his and Bethany's partnership has been so sweet and refreshing. Even if he didn't care for himself, he had some really kind words for Bethany (and the show). 

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. I could see it in Janel's face when she was in jeopardy - you could tell she really wanted it. Bethany, on the other hand, had either already accepted it or didn't really care anyway. It was probably a good, mature attitude to have, especially for a 19 year old. 

[KR Vermont]

I don't know Janel apart from this show, and I just haven't warmed up to her. I like Val, but I didn't care about the ongoing passion with Janel (like I have with some prior partners). I would've been ok with her leaving instead of Bethany.

 

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.

 

However many Contemporary dances were performed this season, I suggest paring it back by that same number. Or thereabouts. ;) Thanks, show.

[crocosmia]

I didn't think Derek and Bethany's freestyle was anything special and couldn't see a lot of it because of the distracting lighting.    Still, I would rather have seen Janel go home before Bethany.   It's nice to finally have a Derek-free finale, but Bethany has grown on me.    She seems unpretentious and likable, and her dancing has improved over the season.   Derek's partnership with her has been a good one. 

 

I really like Val but can't warm up to Janel.   I thought their freestyle was uninspiring and didn't look much different from most other contemporary dances -- just a lot of rolling around and flailing and posing and over-acting.   I'm not a fan.

 

Sadie and Mark's freestyle was fun to watch, colorful, snappy, and a lot of ways silly, but really entertaining.   I hope she places second behind Alfonso tomorrow night.

 

Alfonso and Witney's freestyle was pure entertainment.   I smiled through the whole thing.   Their partnership has to be one of the most endearing ever on DWTS.  

Edited November 25, 2014 by crocosmia

[howmanywords]

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 couldnt stand Witney on SYTYCD, I didn't like her last season, and when this season began I was pretty annoyed that someone I didn't like and only in her 2nd year as a pro was getting such an anticipated star as a partner.  Boy did I do a 180 though as soon as I first watched them dance together. Those two ended up being pure magic and joy together and pretty much a perfect pairing.  Talk about bringing the best out of each other.

 

I wonder if Derek suspected before they might be out. Earlier this evening he mentioned on Instagram about going first and how thats usually not a good thing in the finals.  Bethany is easily getting the encore tomorrow though IMO because her fans are killing it on Twitter.   With so many of these young fans they can tweet and Instagram like crazy (do any DWTS hashtag search and all you see is Bethany, they spam like crazy) they just cant be bothered to vote though.

Edited November 25, 2014 by howmanywords

[sinkwriter]

While I liked the Mario Bros. theme song and concept and found the overall dance entertaining (because yay! Mario Brothers! a video game I've actually played and conquered!), it still felt gimmicky rather than playing to Sadie's strengths and as a result parts of their dancing were not well synchronized. She fell back into that long-limbed gawkiness that affects the presentation of the dance. I was distracted by the problems too often, watching that dance. I appreciate Mark's creativity, but he should have thought beyond his "ooh, this has never been done before, I'm brilliant!" and come up with something that would highlight Sadie better.

 

I thought either Sadie or Bethany would be sent home. I would have been completely fine with it if Sadie had gone, but I'm a little bummed for Bethany because I really did root for her. And like Tom mentioned during the show, I loved and was greatly moved by her "I love who I am" dance.

 

I thought Janel and Val danced well, very smoothly, especially in transition (whereas in previous performances it felt like they didn't have smooth transitions from lifts to dancing). 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. (I will say that I'm hugely impressed with the way Val was able to get up from the floor and then stand up all the way, while holding Janel over his head the entire time. Damn, man... she may be tiny but that still takes some strength and control!)

 

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.

Edited November 25, 2014 by sinkwriter