S19.E14: Week 11: The Finale

[superdeluxe]

I think that was the most understated reaction to winning I've ever seen from someone on this show.

 

For real.  That was almost like a shrug or a "meh".  I would have liked to have seen some more excitement but hey, the right person won.

[tearbender]

I have never really liked Derek all that much, but what I will always give him credit for is that he's the first person to always pick up the female partner for a celebration, regardless of whether it's a pro or a contestant. Maybe it's because he always has to watch his partners wait to get lifted, but I always remember him being the first person to lift up Melissa Rycroft during her win, while everyone else was busy hoisting up Tony.

So glad Alfonso took this. Such a well-deserved win, and couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.

 

Yes, Derek does that now. I do remember the finales during the Ballas/Hough reign where one of the two would make a beeline to stick his head between the other's legs and host him up.

 

I do love that two "ringers" have won in a row.

 

[CPP83]

(When Tony and Keo kept bouncing him around my brain was going, "Careful! His back!!!")

 

 

I had the same exact thought and he did seem to ask them to put him down for a bit to catch his breath or because he was getting uncomfortable maybe. I mean a pulled groin, tweaked back and being bounced on someone's shoulders cannot be a good mix at all.

 

For real.  That was almost like a shrug or a "meh".  I would have liked to have seen some more excitement but hey, the right person won

 

 

 

I saw it more as a sigh of utter relief.

 

He has been wanting this for a decade, he almost lost it all when he got injured, wondering if he might have to quit even and give up perhaps his one shot at what he's been wanting for so long.

 

He looked exhausted and elated to me, as if he finally could relax for the first time since he began this competition.

 

He knew he came in as the "ringer", he knew expectations were certainly high and would never let up on him. He had to appease fans and the judges, knowing if he angered either or turned off one or both he was done for.

 

I think everything was hitting him at once and the first reaction he had was to breathe and then release the tears that I think have been building for quite some time.

Edited November 26, 2014 by CPP83

[Packerbrewerbadger]

Anyone else notice Cheryl crying at the end of the opening number. Then I did not see her in the masses at the end. I guess she isn't coming back next season. :(

Edited November 26, 2014 by Packerbrewerbadger

[MrsRafaelBarba]

Sadie is adorable, with a lovely smile.

 

All three of the Finalists, were pairings that worked well on and off the dance floor.  

[Stitsch]

Loved when Sadie said that Alfonso deserved it. She seemed genuinely happy for him, and the two of them together are probably my favorite Top 2 of all time. 

 

Randy looks good with scruff. And Erin was freaking hilarious in the dress rehearsals. Keep her, TPTB. 

 

Finally, go Witney! Can't wait to see more of her. I hope she doesn't get a dud next season.

[sinkwriter]

 

I also loved how calm his son is, heh, he just sits and watches and probably wonders why everyone has seemingly lost their collective minds.

 

LOL. Seriously, that kid looked like "What the heck is all this glitter confetti that's flying through the air all over my face? This is all weird, people." He cracks me up. He's definitely not a ham in front of the camera like his dad - it seemed like all through the competition, Alfonso's son managed to turn his face away from the camera whenever it focused on him. I love it. He's adorable.

SO happy for Alfonso and Witney! They were fantastic partners, and so fun to watch every week. I may have shed a tear or two for them, when their name was called. Just couldn't help it. I was so happy for them both. 

[KR Vermont]

I'm glad we got to see more than two seconds of celebration--I hate shows that slog on for hours, then announce the winner at the very last moment and the home audience can't share in the excitement, it's jarring and insulting. haha. Crikey, when Janel went out at third, I wondered if Sadie's fans got her the mirror ball...and glad that Alfonso and Witney pulled it off. :)

I'll admit I teared up a few times. It's always touching to see the connections that have been made.

I don't know why I get clammy palms to hear the results, it's not like I know these contestants personally or have money on the winner.

[sinkwriter]

I don't understand the judging tonight. Sadie's dance was nowhere near worthy of 4 perfect 10's. It was good, it was cute, but she was off beat and out of sync with Mark and just didn't seem to be putting much energy into her moves. Like Len said, given that they had only 24 hours to put the dance together, they did well, but I hugely disagree with Len and all the other judges because I would have given it 9's at most. I don't understand why they gave her such high scores. It's not like the judges have never given lower than 10's on finale night, have they? I can recall them giving some 9's in other seasons. So unless they were trying to suspend the tension to make it seem like Sadie might win the whole thing, I don't understand why they would give her all 10's. In fact, the judges barely talked about her dance performance at all. Most of their comments were about her "journey" and being a "pure princess" and how they admire her for that. The only real commentary about her actual dance was from Len, and he was all, "well, it was good" as if it was simply a "nice" routine. So how did that get 10's? I think I'd be pissed about it if they'd given her 10's and she ended up winning, because that dance was not winner worthy, in my eyes. Janel and Alfonso's dances were more worthy of the 10's tonight. They were much more in sync and energetic with their partners.

Edited November 26, 2014 by sinkwriter

[kirinan]

Going to bed happy tonight! You know, I almost didn't watch this season--I'd made up my mind I was done with the show, then I heard that Alfonso was one of the contestants. Since he's always been one of my favorites I had to watch, darn it. I'm so glad I did. I've never been as invested in a contestant as I was in him. I loved his and Witney's partnership--her choreography has been fantastic--and I'm just thrilled for both of them. I liked Sadie a lot, too, so I was fine with the final two. Now I just wish the tour was coming to Detroit so I could see it! 

 

ETA: It's coming to Windsor, Ontario, which is right across the border, and I just got tickets. Yesss!!!!

Edited November 26, 2014 by kirinan

[smiley13]

 Now I just wish the tour was coming to Detroit so I could see it! 

 

ETA: It's coming to Windsor, Ontario, which is right across the border. Yesss!!!!

Where did you see the tour schedule?

[kirinan]

I saw the tour schedule here, Smiley13, on the ABC site.

[smiley13]

I saw the tour schedule here, Smiley13, on the ABC site.

Thanks!  Looks like I have a couple of options close by.  I just wish I knew for sure if Mark was going to be at every show.

[vibeology]

I'm so happy for team Witfonso! The moment in the package before their dance when he said he'd probably be calling her on Thanksgiving was adorable and if I didn't want them to win before that, it put me right over the top. Their connection was so genuine and it shone through in all of their dances and carried them through the weeks where Alfonso wasn't at his best. You don't need a showmance, just a real connection with your partner. I'm thrilled with the results.

 

As for the dancing, I thought Witney and Alfonso and Janel and Val turned out two stunning numbers. With even one more day of rehearsal, both of those dances would be beyond. Sadie and Mark's wasn't quite there but that was the most fun Sadie's had on the dance floor in weeks so that's a plus.

 

Overall, this was an amazing season. The casting folks did a great job with the mix of stars, the pros really brought it with the choreography and memorable numbers and the stars were game. I still don't think I need four judges and the band should never sing Jackson 5 songs but still an amazing season.

[truthaboutluv]

It's not like the judges have never given lower than 10's on finale night, have they? I can recall them giving some 9's in other seasons.

 

 

They gave Corbin 9's for his fusion dance for some mistake they claimed he had that I, after watching the dance more than once, never saw. 

 

Well as Bethany's being eliminated last night confirmed my prediction that this would likely be Janel in third and Alfonso and Sadie left standing with Alfonso winning,  I opted to go to the movies and watch the latest Hunger Games instead of sitting through almost 3 hours of filler. And still, I made it back home in time to see the announcement of the winner. Man, these people can drag that shit out.

 

I'll now go search online for the fusion dances. But kudos to Alfonso, well deserved, if a bit as anti-climatic as Meryl's win last season. I'm also glad to hear that there was also some gorgeous, standard ballroom performed by the Pros tonight. Will have to look that up as well. For all the division of people who want Erin gone or want Julianne gone, can't we all just collectively demand they get rid of Mandy Moore as the creative director or whatever she is and get an actual damn ballroom expert to do these Pro numbers?

Edited November 26, 2014 by truthaboutluv

[crowceilidh]

I love the contestants who have been voted off who come back and up their game for their last dance.  It is really smart to capitalize on what little pr boost they got from the show and it's more fun to watch.  I remember when they'd come back and dance in the finale (even the awful ones) and you'd wonder why they didn't bother rehearsing at least once in the intervening 5 weeks.

 

This finale felt like a genuine party to me, even with all the applause-sign applauding.  All the special guest stars had pros or troupe dancing with them, so they were more tolerable then usual.  Tptb made sure that everyone got to publically than their respective pro before the announcement of a winner too. YAY.

Watching Tony dancing tonight in the bumpers and show numbers.  I really have never liked him much, but I have to say that he has become a much more versatile and refined dancer than he was when this show started.  It's quite noticeable.

[superdeluxe]

Man, the Chmerkovskiy/Fam bitterness started almost immediately on twitter.  Of course Maks is trying to say he was joking, but whatever.

[Thinbalina]

Not to bring a sad situation...but last year my mom passed away from cancer (Christmas) and dancing with the stars was one of her favorite shows. She would've been so happy to see Alphonso win..I've watched many of Alphonso's performances but couldn't bring myself to watch the full show but I enjoyed his restraint on winning and will definitely go to their touring show. 

 

This is the first time in a long time, the person I was rooting for actually won, so elated for the both of them.

[FilmTVGeek80]

Woo-Hooooo! I was going to say I haven't been this happy with a result since Donny beat Mya. But while I liked Donny, I wasn't overly invested in him. I think the last time I loved a contestant this much that actually won was Drew. So, so, so excited for Alfonso and Whitney. I don't think his lack of an over the top reaction was him feeling meh about it. He's said repeatedly he's wanted this for over ten years, so I doubt he was feeling meh about winning. I think it was just exhaustion and being overwhelmed. Plus, while Alfonso can obviously be an entertaining ham, I don't think his reactions are usually over the top. I don't think he usually lost his shit like some of the others did when they got tens.

 

But again, so, so happy they won. I thought it was really sweet how Witney said she was so happy for Alfonso and that he deserved it and Tom told her she deserved it, too. She really did. She turned in some amazing choreography.

 

Seriously, I know they need to pad out the finale, but these final judges scores are so pointless. I actually thought after Len said that the dance wasn't perfect but it was good for what it was (a dance with only 24 hours prep) and the other judges' somewhat lackluster responses that there would be a few 9s in there. But, nope, perfect score. I knew at that point that they would be handing out tens like candy. If the judges don't want to affect the outcome on the final night and just hand out tens they shouldn't put the contestants through having to prepare another dance on that night.

 

Alfonso's son was so adorable. He was so mystified by the confetti. 

[howmanywords]

Of course Maks had to backtrack because even some of his fans had to tell him to show some class. The CBros have to be pissed that it took Witney only 2 seasons to win and Val is still losing after multiple seasons and ringers

[Dancingjaneway]

I'm sorry for your loss Thinbalina. 

[KR Vermont]

Several times I was taken out of the moment by the ridiculous levels of cheering and clapping, which I swear is sweetened by production because there'll be a wide shot and not everyone is clapping and the others in no way could be generating that much "excitement".

I just want to experience a nice dance and music without the audience hooting over every dip, spin and lift like it's some amazing feat every.single.time.

[truthaboutluv]

Man, the Chmerkovskiy/Fam bitterness started almost immediately on twitter.  Of course Maks is trying to say he was joking, but whatever.

 

I don't get it though. Were they really shocked by the result?  I mean did they really not pick up on the fact that Janel was likely going to come in third? Again even if Val and Janel weren't online searching everything about themselves, members of The Fam seem creepily invested in each other so they had to realize all the comments of people not connecting to Janel, not to mention people being mostly meh on the freestyle and the fact that she was in the Bottom 2 last night after being at the top of the leader board last week. Just like I feel very positive Derek knew what was coming with Bethany, how could they not know?

 

But yeah they really should quit with the petty shit when one of The Fam doesn't win. Let the fans do the petty/bitter stuff, it's what fans do. There's always a bunch of crazies in every bunch but it's never a good look when the people involved act all petty and bitter. That being said, as long as Val and Janel take their elimination well, people can just ignore Maks and all the others just like they would any crazy fan ranting about "unfairness" and "bias" and whatever else.

 

Of course Maks had to backtrack because even some of his fans had to tell him to show some class.

 

 

Yeah I saw those comments. I thought "damn, when your own fans are essentially saying to grow up" that's sad.

Edited November 26, 2014 by truthaboutluv

[RedheadZombie]

I think that was the most understated reaction to winning I've ever seen from someone on this show.

 

I haven't always been a fan of Witney, but she realized that it's all about Alfonso.  In prior seasons, the win has been about Derek, Mark, Tony, and Maks.  Only after they were hoisted up and paraded around, did anyone remember that there was a female celebrity being ignored.  I expected it from Derek, Mark, and Maks, but was very surprised when Tony did the very same thing with Melissa.  I'll take a more mellow win any day over those attention whores celebrating each other.

 

Watching Tony dancing tonight in the bumpers and show numbers.  I really have never liked him much, but I have to say that he has become a much more versatile and refined dancer than he was when this show started.  It's quite noticeable.

 

I've always liked watching Tony dance, but last night I noticed he made horribly distracting faces.  His mouth was constantly gaping open in a big O.  Has he always done this?

[CynicalGirl]

Not to bring a sad situation...but last year my mom passed away from cancer (Christmas) and dancing with the stars was one of her favorite shows. She would've been so happy to see Alphonso win..I've watched many of Alphonso's performances but couldn't bring myself to watch the full show but I enjoyed his restraint on winning and will definitely go to their touring show. 

 

This is the first time in a long time, the person I was rooting for actually won, so elated for the both of them.

 

 

I understand. I lost my mom 3 years ago to cancer and this is the first season I've watched since then. Still thought about her and what she would've said about all the contestants as she was quite opinionated. I think she would have approved of the winner, like your mom.

Edited November 26, 2014 by CynicalGirl

[LotusFlower]

Man, the Chmerkovskiy/Fam bitterness started almost immediately on twitter.  Of course Maks is trying to say he was joking, but whatever.

I checked his Twitter and couldn't find anything he said except "only kidding." Did he say and then delete something?

[sinkwriter]

 

Several times I was taken out of the moment by the ridiculous levels of cheering and clapping

 

I felt that way during Alfonso and Witney's freestyle yesterday. I was really looking forward to the tap dance portion and seeing both of them dance that together, so it was kind of annoying when the audience wouldn't shut up and let his tapping sounds make a more powerful impact. Imagine how spine-tingling it could have been if they'd been dead silent while he and Witney danced with no music behind them, just the rhythmic sounds of the tapping on display. They could have broken back into applause once the music kicked back in and they went back to their standard dancing. Alas, the audience just can't shut up sometimes. Not even Tom can reel them in when they're being really obnoxious.

[truthaboutluv]

I checked his Twitter and couldn't find anything he said except "only kidding." Did he say and then delete something?

 

 

He might have deleted it but the one I saw was a retweet he did of their friend Teddy's tweet where he posted a video clip of Kanye West interrupting Taylor Swift that year at the VMA to say Beyonce was better than her. Maks retweeted it with a "Ha Ha...perfect" comment. I guess the implication being of course that they're happy for Alfonso but Janel was better, to quote what Kanye said that night.

 

This doesn't surprise me in the least as these were the people tweeting and retweeing last season, gifs of Zendaya coming second in her season, with the comment "let's not let this happen again". I remember really being annoyed with Zendaya retweeting that crap too along with Val who I both really like. 

Edited November 26, 2014 by truthaboutluv

[LotusFlower]

He might have deleted it but the one I saw was a retweet he did of their friend Teddy's tweet where he posted a video clip of Kanye West interrupting Taylor Swift that year at the VMA to say Beyonce was better than her. Maks retweeted it with a "Ha Ha...perfect" comment. I guess the implication being of course that they're happy for Alfonso but Janel was better, to quote what Kanye said that night.

 

This doesn't surprise me in the least as these were the people tweeting and retweeing last season, gifs of Zendaya coming second in her season, with the comment "let's not let this happen again". I remember really being annoyed with Zendaya retweeting that crap too along with Val who I both really like.

Thanks. Yea, he must have deleted it. (Or maybe I missed it).

Janel was (is) a great dancer, and I can understand why Val is disappointed, but Alfonso is no slouch. It's not like she lost to Michael Waltrip, or Tommy Chung, or even Sadie. The Zendaya season was different. As I remember it, there was a voting controversy - the voting was screwed up for the finals (they threw out all the online votes), so maybe "let's not let this happen again" alludes to this.

[skittl3862]

Some of the "rabbit hole" mentioned in the other thread is starting to appear here. I don't see why it's such a big deal for the pros friends' to want them to win anymore than the celebs' supporters. People are acting like a few tweets are the equivalent of putting a horse head in Derek's bed last week.

 

It couldn't have been anyone else but Alfonso.

 

Favorite moment of the night was during the Road to the Finals when Val and Janel were obsessing over Artem's pecs. They are quite spectacular.

[Alapaki]

I don't understand the judging tonight.

 

 

I think in a finale where TPTB can live with any of the F3 winning, the Judges are going to score things in such a way as to let the Viewer vote have the final say (or, put another way, they're not going to render scores that would overrule the Viewer vote).

 

And this comes back to the Judges' scores being weighted to be the "percentage of total points awarded", which makes it extremely unlikely (barring any "gimmick" dances) for the Judges to create a score-spread that would make a difference.

 

For example, the difference in raw-points for the Judges' scores of Alfonso (as the top-point-getter) and Janel (as the low-point-getter) was 3 points (120 vs. 117).  When that's adjusted to a "percentage of total points awarded", it comes out to a difference of less than one point (either 0.69 or 0.84 difference, depending on whether or not they keep Bethany's points in when calculating after tonight's points were awarded).  

 

For Sadie, the raw-point differential was 2 points (120 vs. 118), but the adjusted differential was approximately 0.50 points.  

 

We have no way of knowing what the Viewer-vote total (or weighted percentages) were.  

 

I don't doubt for a second that the Judges are aware of the exact standings (including Viewer-votes) going into tonight's dances, and so they would know precisely what scores are required for each Team to win.  To me, the fact that they scored things the way they did tonight suggests that there was no effort to to change the standings coming into tonight.

[Irlandesa]

 I don't see why it's such a big deal for the pros friends' to want them to win anymore than the celebs' supporters. People are acting like a few tweets are the equivalent of putting a horse head in Derek's bed last week.

 

Because it's not about the pros, it's supposed to be about the celebs.  That is most likely an illusion since there are some pros more popular than others but I like that illusion.  I appreciate when pros attempt to maintain that illusion.

 

I don't like the cliquey feeling that has developed over the past few seasons when pros (and sometimes their partners) start campaigining for their pro-friends' partnerships based on friendship.  It makes it about them.

 

Still, just because I don't love the vibe of it doesn't mean I think there's anything outright bad about anyone doing that up until the winner is announced.  Then everyone is supposed to remember that it's a silly, fun dancing competition whose winner is based on entertainment and popularity as much as talent. They should congratulate the winner on a well deserved win.  Acting like their pro-friend (who it's not supposed to be about) was robbed is kind of assy. 

 

I'd be more likely to cut Maks some slack that perhaps it was all in fun if it weren't for the fact that last season he made the journey all about him.  His hopes.  His fears. His thing for Meryl. Blah blah blah.  I loved Meryl and was happy she won but I so wish it hadn't been with Maks.  He takes this ish too seriously.

 

I'm happy for Alfonso.  He was the most fun for me to watch except for the weeks where he was extremely injured. I wish he hadn't been injured because I think we would have seen even more from him.  Janel is a beautiful dancer.  Unfortunately, she got the C-brothers curse of freestyles that don't cut it for me.  I'm happy Bethany and Derek got to do two strong dances. And despite my feelings about her family, Sadie won me over. 

[Zuleikha]

Janel was (is) a great dancer, and I can understand why Val is disappointed, but Alfonso is no slouch.

 

Janel improved a lot, and I was very impressed by how much better her feet and core were in her freestyle than they've been in other dances. But Alfonso was clearly the top talent this season and the dancer to beat. Of course, Val should have hoped he and Janel could pull it out, but they all should have known after Alfonso's freestyle that he was very likely to be the winner. I would hope Val can also admit in his heart that Alfonso deserved to be the winner. Janel did really well to make the finale and come in third (if it were up to me, I would have had her be runner up over Sadie, who I don't think ever improved).

[Medicine Crow]

I'm really pleased about the winner but really pissed about the THREE fucking hours DWTS unnecessarily sucked up prior to announcing the winner.  I'm totally OUT for the next season!!!!

[Lonesome Rhodes]

The whole thing is as cotton candy.  Colorful, wispy, and sugary. It disappears into the ether as soon as it is touched by any reality.   Having said that...

The organic moments, like Sharna expressing her love for Peta, stand the true test of time.  Dance can be a fantastic mechanism for bringing out such.  

 

I laughed right with Sadie when CAI shouted. "TEN!"  I think she finally figured out that it really wasn't about excellence, and never was.  How many contestants have been all caught up with that notion and suffered mightily?  Lea is a great example from this season.  Anyway, I did love hearing Len, in his proper English (and elder) dialect, call Sadie a "PrinCESS."  'Twas a moment out of a Disney classic, it was.  No apology - I love the grandfatherly fondness which was evoked.   

 

So much of this season, especially, was mundane and pre-ordained.  Yet, it ended among the most joyful of all.

[knightingal]

So happy for Alfonso! Congrats to Witney too, the first SYTYCD Pro to ever win the mirror ball...on the US version anyway lol

Edited November 26, 2014 by knightingal

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I'm glad we got to see more than two seconds of celebration--I hate shows that slog on for hours, then announce the winner at the very last moment and the home audience can't share in the excitement, it's jarring and insulting. haha. Crikey, when Janel went out at third, I wondered if Sadie's fans got her the mirror ball...and glad that Alfonso and Witney pulled it off. :)

I'll admit I teared up a few times. It's always touching to see the connections that have been made.

I don't know why I get clammy palms to hear the results, it's not like I know these contestants personally or have money on the winner.

Yes to all of this! The finale results shows (not just for DWTS) are two hours of filler, one minute of crowning the winner, which makes me wish they would cut some of the filler so that we have enough time for the winner's reaction and the celebration with the other contestants. I'm glad that we got to see the other dancers hug him and congratulate him.

 

I'm disappointed that Janel came in third because I thought she was much better than Sadie throughout the season. Whoever described Sadie as dancing like a giraffe hit the nail on the head. She learns the choreography but she's just so awkward in her movement. She never seemed completely in control of her arms, legs, feet, fingers because she was kind of flaily in the way that she didn't place her movements precisely.

 

But I'm so glad that Alfonso won. Sometimes the right person does win these competition shows!

[Bronzedog]

A dancer won Dancing with the Stars? Shocking!

[WearyTraveler]

All is right in the world!

[CurbUrEnthusiasm]

All is right in the world!

I beg to differ on so many levels but that was indeed a fantastic win and perfect end to this season. Very happy for Witney and Alfonso - they worked hard all season long and earned that trophy.

 

My respect for Witney has skyrocketed and I wish Alfonso all the best with his future endeavors (hope this boosts his career somehow). That was a wonderful, genuinely sweet partnership.

[RetailTherapy]

Have we noticed over the years that it's the really, truly *genuine* partnerships that seem to do well?  Think about Peta and Tommy.  And especially Witney and Alfonso.  No showmance.  No pretend-fights.  No drama.  I think that if Val really wants this, he should reflect on his partnership with Zendaya and how he handled that.  Janel was a beautiful dancer and really should have been in 2nd place or even a winner in some seasons past.  I think all of that kissy feely stuff turned a lot of people off and made them overlook the fact that she was talented.  Of course, that sappy freestyle dreck did them no favors either.

 

I did keep saying "someone needs to pick Witney up too"!  Finally Derek did and it kind of warmed my stone cold heart.

 

Sadie is a cute girl and I think that Carrie Ann was spot on.  She IS a good role model for young women.   Moving aside from all of that "imma christian because I told you so" nonsense, she was well behaved, well liked, drama free, had fun and seemed to be pretty mature.  I wish her well.

 

Well, we caught the briefest glimpse of Lolo and Tavis, which I didn't expect.  Cheech and Chong!  That was perhaps my most favorite routine of the entire season.  Glad that Jonathan got to do his best routine.  Mr. Retail loathes Twitch with the fire of a million super-nova suns, but I enjoyed seeing him.  Please don't tattle on me!  I also suspect that we might see him a bit more on the show moving forward. 

[labresq]

 

Anyone else notice Cheryl crying at the end of the opening number. Then I did not see her in the masses at the end. I guess she isn't coming back next season. :(

 

I did - and noticed that at least two of the male dancers were consoling her - I wondered at first if maybe she was hurt.  I didn't look for her in any of the crowd shots after that.

[KLovestoShop]

So sorry for your loss, Thinbalina, we lost our mom during the holidays, too. It's not easy.

So happy to see that the tour looks like they will be in smaller venues, like theaters, rather than in big arenas. It's much more intimate.

So thrilled for Alphonso, and did notice the restrained enthusiasm. But it didn't bother me because I thought it was due more to his being in pain and perhaps the idea that he's wanted this for so long that it was more relief than anything else.

Edited November 26, 2014 by KLovestoShop

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I'm okay with Alfonso's more subdued response because people react differently. Just because he wasn't shrieking or babbling or doing the normal "I just won a reality show!" reactions doesn't make his reaction any less genuine. He isn't obligated to get all hysterical for our benefit.

[Primetimer]

A lot of time is wasted and wasted (and WASTED) before the winner is finally announced.

Read the story

[alexa]

I was happy with Alfonso's win, but pretty much bored by most of the show.  Seeing Allison again reminded me how much I dislike her on this show, and I have to say I don't enjoy her dancing even with the pros or Twitch.  I just think she tries to hard and comes off as trying to hard.  I don't remember if I saw her season on SYTYCD or not, so I can't really compare to that show.  I hope they don't bring her back. 

 

So glad that Lolo wasn't featured....she seems so unhappy and brings down the overall mood of the show.

[DietCokeJunkie]

Allison got a LOT of air time last night (but at least we got to see Twitch too).  I wonder if that was to appease her after her "they brought me here for something different" tantrum in response to the judges' criticism. 

[Saylii]

Allison got a lot of airtime, but she was also shuffled off to that side room for most of the festivities. I kinda wonder if no one wanted to put up with her.

Janel got third over second because her pro's "Fam" doesn't necessarily play nice with others. I knew Sadie would absorb many of Bethany's votes. This is one situation where the C-Bros/Hough rivalry did a disservice to the star.

Alfonso was the absolutest most correctest winner this season could have had. Once he did the Carlton and once he tapped in his freestyle, it was game over for the girls.

[crowceilidh]

Now maybe this is the windmills of my mind, but I was totally creeped out by both JH and CAI's contention that much of Sadie's attractiveness as a dancer lay in her "innocence" which I directly translated as "obviously she's a virgin because she's soo in love with God" and that makes her more attractive.  Because I did not see any other evidence of any other kind of "innocence" -- she struck me as a very canny self-aware operator, otherwise.

[mtlchick]

 

Just because he wasn't shrieking or babbling or doing the normal "I just won a reality show!" reactions doesn't make his reaction any less genuine.

There was a moment during the confetti where someone was hugging him giving their congrats (I think it was Sharna) and he mouthed "Thank You" and his eyes were filled with sincerity and joy.  That made ME tear up even more. 

 

It kind of makes me wonder if they will bring Alfonso back more to help with those who want to incorporate tap in their routines in the future.

 

Finally...I miss DanceCenter :(