S20.E02: Favorite Songs Night

[Tara Ariano]

An elimination occurs after the second week of performances.

[dizzyd]

I'm surprised that everyone was significantly improved considering they had only 1 week to learn this dance and much longer for the 1st week.  Maybe last week was just nerves.  Everyone also looked better dressed, Dayum on Peta's red number.

 

IMO Willow is not too young for this competition; I've seen a lot of younger professional dancers on DWTS.

 

I wish the dances were longer, some of them didn't even make a minute.

 

Also wish they had eliminated all the bottom 4.

[McManda]

And after a week of judging that made sense we're back to scores all over the place. Welcome back, weird scoring.

 

Allison's foxtrot choreography almost made me think that she knew what she was doing but then it fell into "look what I just learned! let's put that in!" territory.

 

I'm most happy for Keo, just because he wasn't the first eliminated two seasons in a row. You go, Keo. (Though I'm not sure how he made it, honestly.)

 

I do feel bad for Redfoo and Emma, though. He seemed to have the drive to learn and actually took all that to heart, he just fell into the trap of not having a fanbase or a partner that could carry him through the first few eliminations.

[Stitsch]

I thought it would take them longer to bust out Rumor Has It. I also thought they wouldn't bash us over the head with the Robert/Kym showmance brick until at least week four. Never underestimate TPTB, I guess.

 

PS: Is anyone else getting the feeling that Julianne is jealous of Witney? Maybe I'm looking far too into it, but her comment about Witney's choreography seemed a little needless. She had nothing to say about anyone else's ambitious choreography.

Edited March 24, 2015 by Stitsch

[mtlchick]

Slow your roll on showmances DWTS no matter how much eyewitness reports you have.  Jesus even Maks and Val didn't have it go into overdrive this early!  

 

Sadly my brother decides to put on The Following so I missed Patti jamming to In Da Club but it seemed Twitter enjoyed it.

 

Sorry Red Foo. At least you tried and wanted to be there. 

[Katydid]

I guess I'm heartless, but I wasn't feeling any sympathy for Charlotte's "bullying" whine-fest. Hopefully she got the message that if she wants to be known as more than burger girl with boobs, she's going to have to show us who she is beyond that. Also, it seemed to me that every time they showed her watching the others she looked like she was about to throw up.

[truthaboutluv]

Well, definitely didn't see that coming. I had four people as possible first boots and Redfoo was not one of them. Despite the judges "shocked" faces, I think they know who is going because I feel like that explains Redfoo's very weird scores. I was all set to come in here and bitch about those 8's that were WAY too high in my opinion but now I get it. They probably knew he was going and figured it was nice gift. Now for the dancing:

 

I wonder if Chris can get out of that hole. He's in last place with a considerable difference. He's the only one who saw 5's tonight. Everyone improved or at least got the same scores - even Charlotte. But he really took a nosedive. He was really awful though. There was no timing happening there. 

 

Ms. Patti did her thing. She killed that routine and she was working it. Artem did a very nice job with the choreography. I also liked Suzanne's jive. It was simple but the woman is 68. What Tony gave her she did well and it was clean and well done. Charlotte continued to be pretty weak for me but she was slightly better, not much but slightly. And what is Keo doing with her costumes - those too tight, too short numbers are not doing her any favors. She was doing a Cha Cha, he should have put her in fringe. It would have made her hips look so much better.

 

As for the cyber bullying stuff, while I don't condone people being horribly nasty to her online (even though we all know it's the sad reality of the internet), I said last week that I blamed the producers and they did her no favors with that horrible package. I know they thought they were going for the laughs and it would be funny but it was just annoying, especially after having her say she wanted to show people she was more than boobs. And then two minutes of her package is spent talking about her boobs. 

 

Robert is adorable and he is clearly just having a blast doing the show. And on a separate note, I'm totally in favor of the season's showmance being of the senior citizen variety. Hey, at least the show is an equal opportunity offender. Why should it only be the young 20-somethings having showmances. Willow was awesome and I loved the choreography Mark gave her.

 

There were many points during that dance that I honestly forgot about her being 14, except when I looked at her lines. The same issue I had last week with her Cha Cha, I had this week. There is a softness in her legs and arms which makes her lines not as straight and sharp as they could. But she's pretty good for her age and shows a lot of promise. 

 

I liked, but did not love Rumer's Cha Cha. Something was off in her spotting I thought. Also, I'm surprised at Carrie Ann's gushing over Val's choreography because I actually didn't really love it that much.  Not that the band's painful rendition of Rumor Has It helped at all. Riker was good and getting a Foxtrot this week was good to show that he's not a one trick pony. The choreography was also quite good so maybe Alison is getting better at this show.

 

Nastia was absolutely gorgeous and those lines were to die for. However I definitely agreed with Julianne and Carrie Ann that it took her a bit to really connect with Derek in the dance. So for the first half, while her lines were gorgeous and her technique beautiful, the chemistry between them was lacking a bit. And I now realize I cannot remember a single thing about Michael and Peta's performance - that's not good. 

 

eta: I guess I also forgot about Noah. Not much to say really. Once again, I thought he was overscored. I feel like I'm just watching Sharna dance around a pole. Again, I admire Noah but he is not dancing and the judges' constant "you are amazing" with nothing about the actual dancing is not helping. 

Edited March 24, 2015 by truthaboutluv

[4forme]

Yes! Julianne threw a jab at Witney last week about a performance from LAST season...meow.

[Rancide]

Not enjoying Willow.  She seems like nice kid, but this isn't a kid's dance show.  I haven't had a problem with the 16 and 17 year olds.  They were young but seemed physically mature.  Willow is the only dancer I've ever thought actually looked like a kid (i.e. like someone who had not yet grown into adult control of her body).  

 

I don't condone cyber bullying, but the woman who was hurt by it may need to reconsider her career choice.  

 

I was not seeing the rhythm that Julianne was claiming Noah had.  I did LOL at busting out the "vote for my abs" move this early in the season.  

Sad to see Redfoo go.  He sucked, but so do a lot of other people, and at least he looked like he was having fun.

 

Patti is awesome.

 

This season is kind of boring.

Edited March 24, 2015 by Rancide

[WhitneyWhit]

I thought Willow and Mark's AT was very creative.

 

I'm not sure I believe that Charlotte was safe.

 

I liked Nastia and Derek's rumba, but Nastia had a weird expression on her face, kind of like that smile Michael had last week. I didn't think there much of a connection between them.

 

I'm going to say something that may be very unpopular, but I sort of rolled my eyes when they brought out Chris' girlfriend. I figured they would do it when he brought her up, but I just feel like it was an emotionally manipulative scenario for the audience.

 

Robert is adorable and I like watching him. He's obviously having a blast and isn't half bad.

 

Val's cha cha seemed a bit aggressive, much like their foxtrot last week. I'm not sure what Rumer was wearing.

 

Redfood did very well. I'm sad to see him and Emma go.

 

Suzanne was much better and Michael was pretty forgettable.

 

Miss Patti is the ish.

[crowceilidh]

 

[Willow] There is a softness in her legs and arms which makes her lines not as straight and sharp as they could. But she's pretty good for her age and shows a lot of promise.

 

There's a softness about Mark, too.  Wtw? 

 

I loved Rumer's costume (again) and I loved her fierceness and I thought that the costume and choreo suited her and the music.  I was pretty impressed.

 

I'm afraid I was similarly impressed by Derek and Nastia.  She is infinitely dislikeable so far (I've never seen her before DWTS) as a contestant, but that routine came close to giving me chills and Derek either didn't have time to make sure the cameras were on him all the time OR he deliberately asked to have the focus on her a couple of times  Hmmm.

 

I loathe Julianne so much that I can no longer listen to anything the judges say at all.  I'm too afraid I'll hear her voice or laugh or see her "acting"  for the camera.

 

Amazed that Charlotte is still there.  I felt she deserved to go before Redfoo, but I'm not going to start a petition.

Robert is hot.  Paint me surprised.

[kitcloudkicker]

Nastia was absolutely gorgeous and those lines were to die for. However I definitely agreed with Julianne and Carrie Ann that it took her a bit to really connect with Derek in the dance so for the first half while her lines were gorgeous and her technique beautiful, the chemistry between them was lacking a bit. 

 

Agreed on this - so, so lovely, but not all the way there on the performance level. But then, it's week 2 and she's an athlete and not an actor, and I'd love to see this be her arc on the show, her building up her performance & acting ability. Since she's got the great foundations for the technical stuff, and I see her getting the acting part down to be an interesting challenge for her. If I remember from her gymnast days, she tends to go into a bit of a game face, and I can see her being able to let down the walls and emote more in a dance being what they key into as her journey. (Speaking of, there's a fun behind the scenes of the making of the video for this song, and NappyTabs talk about the difficulty/importance of getting those emotional details to really sell the story at around the 4:40 mark.) 

 

Riker with his hair back made me want to punch him 100% less. You go, Riker, with your hair like a grownup. Rumer was still really good this week, but not as standout as last week. (Understandable, every week can't be amazing.) And love, love that Patti chose In Da Club as her jam. (I really really hope she chose it herself.)

 

There seems to be a few at the top and everyone else clustered around the middle for me, no one seems really horrifyingly bad this year. Redfoo wasn't the worst ever first week contestant, but I'm not necessarily surprised he got lost in shuffle (haha, shuffle) in the "mediocre middle."

[truthaboutluv]

And love, love that Patti chose In Da Club as her jam. (I really really hope she chose it herself.)

 

 

I really think she did. In her package she mentioned the producers kept giving her song after song from the 70's, I guess expecting that's what would be "her jam." And she had to tell them to play a little 50 Cent. I can totally believe Patti listens to and grooves to In Da Club. That song is the definition of a "jam"

[sinkwriter]

 

And love, love that Patti chose In Da Club as her jam. (I really really hope she chose it herself.)

 

I have no doubt. Miss Patti is the Queen.  *GRIN*  I thought she did a great job.

 

Count me in as eyerolling a bit on how hard they pushed the "cyberbullying" angle for Charlotte. It's not so black and white. People are allowed to have negative opinions about her or anyone else on the show. I don't think they should be vicious and call her names or say she's disgusting - that is where things cross into the cruel bullying category and I'm not cool with that. But to say "I'm disappointed that she said she didn't want to be known for her boobs and then she spent her entire intro package doing just the opposite" is NOT bullying. To say "I'm frustrated that it seems she's playing up the 'dumb blonde' role -- as if she's never heard of a bra -- and that's not what I want my young daughters to emulate" is not bullying. To say "I thought her pretending to be completely naked when first meeting her dance partner was not cute or funny, it was offensive or in poor taste" is not bullying. It's stating an opinion.

 

No matter what, if Charlotte wants to make it through the competition, I'd advise her to stay off social media. She's bound to find someone's comments upsetting somewhere out there. I know I would. And just as the negative stuff can be upsetting and distracting, so can the positive stuff because it can add extra pressure. So... just don't read it, Charlotte. Do your best and that's all you can do. (And maybe lay off the boob talk. And the crabs jokes. Okay?)

[DancingD]

I think Witney is one of the pros that has routines choreographed for her. I watched their practice, she was teaching him the routine. He was completely confused and frustrated and from what I could see she didn't change a thing. A little spoiled from last season, perhaps? I love her, but she is so very young.

 

Nastia has a very handsome and possibly rich boyfriend. And she spent the weekend practicing the routine with Henry. I would imagine there was a bit of Derek Who? going on. She was amazing though.

 

Ok, I just knew Noah's girlfriend would show up. Still made me cry a bit, it was very sweet. 

[sinkwriter]

My favorites from this week: Rumer, Riker, Patti, Willow (neat paint concept!), and Nastia (though I agree that she didn't quite connect with Derek right away and could work on that).

 

Robert's kind of cute. He has good energy and I like that he seems game to throw himself into this completely. But yeah -- producers, lay off on that showmance bullshit. We don't need it in order to like the guy. He's plenty likable on his own terms. (And honestly, that pushing of a romance between partners just bugs me and makes me not want to vote for someone, so knock it off.)

 

I disagreed with the judges about Michael Sam. I actually thought last week he seemed more natural and relaxed. This week he seemed to be almost laser focused on getting the steps right, he got more steps right, but I feel like some of his natural ability stiffened up. He didn't seem like he was having as much fun. His smiles were much more natural, though, so that was good.

[howmanywords]

Poor Emma. I feel so sad for her..she just cant catch a break.

 

I dont know why but no matter how much I try I cant bring myself to like Willow and I feel guilty because shes basically a child.

I think Witney is one of the pros that has routines choreographed for her. I watched their practice, she was teaching him the routine. He was completely confused and frustrated and from what I could see she didn't change a thing. A little spoiled from last season, perhaps? I love her, but she is so very young.

I LOVED her and Alfonso last season, but yeah I think it did spoil her a bit..or at the least she has to feel a little deflated. I kept thinking tonight I really hope she holds it together because last season during the switch-up when she got Michael Waltrip and they got 5's, how she broke down sobbing backstage about how embarrassed she was.  I remember wondering if she would have been so embarrassed if it wasnt for her and Alfonso getting nothing but 8 and 9's every week.

[sinkwriter]

I think it was really hard for her not because she needs an awesome partner like Alfonso in order to do well, but because Michael Waltrip just really was not a good dancer and the entire routine was a nightmare. Plus he behaved in such a skeevy way, it had to be pretty awful. And for her to work hard, make it through and still get only 5's... that sucks. I really felt for her.

[vibeology]

Riker with his hair back made me want to punch him 100% less. You go, Riker, with your hair like a grownup. Rumer was still really good this week, but not as standout as last week. (Understandable, every week can't be amazing.) And love, love that Patti chose In Da Club as her jam. (I really really hope she chose it herself.)

 

I honestly didn't realize that was Riker until halfway through the show. Every time he was standing in the background in the SkyBox, I assumed he was some new guy in the troupe. Its nice to see he's willing to ditch his "personal style" to get the right character for each dance. Last week they were in the pit with heads blocking the view of their feet, this week half of their dance happened on a bridge where we couldn't see anything from the waist down. I don't think Allison is trying to hide his bad footwork, but clearly she's trying to hide something.

 

Robert is adorable and he is clearly just having a blast doing the show. And on a separate note, I'm totally in favor of the season's showmance being of the senior citizen variety. Hey, at least the show is an equal opportunity offender. Why should it only be the young 20-somethings having showmances. Willow was awesome and I loved the choreography Mark gave her. 

 

Its been a very, very long time since I've rooted for a showmance, but this could be the one to do it. They're just cute together and Kym does not strike me as the type to play up drama for the show. I don't care really about the are they/aren't they stuff, but they do bounce off each other really well and make what is a solid okay performance really pop because they're dancing together. 

 

I'm so pleased Willow got some real scores this week. I think her scores were very low last week based on what she did and it was nice to see her skill and hard work rewarded this week. She is someone to watch this season. She's a good learner, she has natural rhythm and she's willing to go for it. That was one intimidating lift and she went right in, no fear. I agree that at 14 she doesn't have the muscle control of a mature adult but her other abilities make her an exciting dancer all the same.

 

I'm a horrible person, but Noah was awful. I know that without a knee joint getting the samba bounce down was impossible, but without the bounce, its not a samba. No natural basics, no botafogos, no roks, no rolls. He barely moves, he doesn't lead and neither dance he's done so far has been true to the character of the style. I don't enjoy watching him and I don't think its inspiring to see someone not really do the job and get praised for it. 

[truthaboutluv]

Willow (neat paint concept!)

 

 

Not to take anything from Mark, because I did love the choreography but the paint/picture concept was really just a rip off of the music video for the song they were dancing to. 

 

I don't enjoy watching him and I don't think its inspiring to see someone not really do the job and get praised for it.

 

 

It's condescending really. It does make me think about all the crap Amy got about her being overscored and just standing or sitting while Derek danced around her. I think Noah is showing just how much dancing Amy really did because there is nothing happening there. I admire the man's determination and willingness to put himself out there like that on this show but at some point the judges are going to have to start scoring him fairly. 

[MakeMeLaugh]

I don't think Noah will mind one bit if he leaves the show next week (not that I think he will). The best part of tonight's show for me was when his fiancee surprised him, not because of the schmaltzy surprise, but because it was as if the show evaporated for them immediately and they could not keep their eyes and hands off each other. Even when the camera caught everyone else watching the next act, Noah and his fiancee were still talking into each other's ears, completely ignoring what was going on around them. Don't waste your time practicing for this show, Noah, spend it with her instead!

[Guest]

Not to be a bully but Charlotte just appears totally vacuous in every scene.   I'm surprised she outlasted RedFoo.  

 

Is it me or is Noah's girlfriend a little plain?  I mean, good for her!  Between his abs and Sharna's, I don't think I saw much dancing out there.  

[tearbender]

At least the judges are consistent. Amy was consistently condescended to and overscored while the judges constantly bawled about her being So Inspirational. She had more mobility than Noah, sure but Derek was still able to get away with her covering little ground on the dance floor.

 

Willow really impressed me. Mark really is the best partner for him - he's a great teacher who lets that be overshadowed with...everything else.

 

It's not surprising Nastia and Derek have little chemistry. Derek seems to have trouble really connecting with his partners on the floor even when he does seem to like them (Amber, Kellie). Nastia, as lovely as her lines are has little charisma

 

I appreciate him changing up his hair but Riker is just a homely young man and Alison still has no business being on this show.

 

Putting Robert in a sweater vest while Kym was in her lovely gown is an odd costuming choice.

[camom]

 

I'm going to say something that may be very unpopular, but I sort of rolled my eyes when they brought out Chris' girlfriend. I figured they would do it when he brought her up, but I just feel like it was an emotionally manipulative scenario for the audience.

 

I figured they'd bring her out, too, but I'm OK with it.  With his missing arm and leg he just can't do a lot of the dancing, so he probably won't last very long.  As far as I'm concerned, anything they do for him is great.  He deserves a few perks.

[Victura]

I thought Noah was actually a big improvement over last week. Given the limitations of only being able to place full weight on one side of his body, I think Sharna made it work with the western style (with the straight leg and flexed foot). He did well with the hips too. It's going to be imbalanced no matter what because his body is imbalanced, but I thought what he did with the right side of his body was just fine, very much middle-of-the-pack. I was glad to see the judges didn't go for the inspiraton spiel again. Very sweet to see him surprised by his girlfriend; he couldn't keep his eyes off her even after they returned from commercial break!

Count me in as being impressed by Willow's dance, the concept and execution.

Nastia was such an improvement over last week, though was there much hip movement? Last week's dance was so frenetic that it just looked like a lot of jumping around. Hopefully she and Derek will have more time together to get that connection established.

Last week, Robert was quite the revelation for me because I took a quick look at one of his rehearsals...and was amazed at Kym's patience. Still, he took it very seriously and I think his joy is quite infectious. That carried over to this week too! I can't see him doing particularly well with Latin hips, but we shall see.

I think Rumer's dance suited her better this week than last, mostly because she portrays strong and sharp better than she does soft. I'd be interested to see her do a waltz or rumba.

A bit sad that Redfoo was the one who left. Surprised for Suzanne, but I'm betting that it was Charlotte who was neck and neck with him for the bottom. Suzanne was a big improvement over last week too, and I hope she sticks around for a little while.

[KLovestoShop]

I wonder how Superdancer, aka King Derek, will fare now that he's also doing the Rockettes Spring Spectacular?

Disappointed that Red Foo was eliminated. Would rather have had Melon Woman booted off.

[Electruck]

Peta looked absolutely gorgeous.

I prefer Sharna as a brunette.

If they can manage Miss Patti's and Suzanne bosoms, why can't they manage Charlotte's? Maybe better coverage and support is ageing? Seriously, it's all about the fit.

Robert is so happy to be there, it makes any dancing he does that much better.

I really hope Michael gets signed from this combine. I'd thought it was already over -- glad to hear there's still a chance for him.

[gryphon]

I thought "You Make Me Feel So Young" was a Sinatra song. 

 

I am liking Suzanne more than I thought I would. I hope she and Tony last a while. 

 

During Charlotte's dance, I had to pause the program because I was laughing so hard at the dancing crabs.  

 

Go Patti!  You rock on with your bad self! 

Edited March 24, 2015 by gryphon

[Wowzer]

I was disappointed that Redfoo was eliminated this week too. I thought that he was lackluster last week and at the middle of the pack. This week's dance was a huge improvement. I think he would still be on the show if he did tonight's dance week 1.  If he has stayed, he would have been lighthearted fun and I really like Emma.  Hopefully she'll be featured heavily with the troop throughout the season.

 

I miss seeing the stars learning the dance in the intro packages. More rehearsal footage please! I would have preferred seeing Keo's teaching style/Charlotte trying to learn her dance over the cyberbulling angle. Build on work ethic rather than trying to gain sympathy.  

 

The judge's 180 on Allison's choreography is really interesting.  She's still flashy and seems to have the same choreography style but it's so much better received. Riker is at a completely different level than Jonathan was last season and can rise to Allison's challenge. They were just so cruel to Jonathan and snippy at Allison when they were dedicated and working hard. Maybe it's because Riker is a ringer or member of the Hough family.   

[sinkwriter]

 

I thought "You Make Me Feel So Young" was a Sinatra song.

 

It is, but it was remade by Michael Bublé (among others, I'm sure) and that's the version that Robert said he liked. 

 

I also wonder if some of those songs were really the star's jam, or if it's simply what the show could get the rights for.

 

The judge's 180 on Allison's choreography is really interesting.  She's still flashy and seems to have the same choreography style but it's so much better received.

 

I thought Riker did really well and that it was a good dance but really fast for the style. In fact, I was expecting at least one of the judges (likely Len) to not like her routine because it was too fast and flashy and therefore not quite within the feel of the more elegant foxtrot style. They surprised me.

[RemoteControlFreak]

I am offended at Charlotte playing the bullying card for sympathy.  

 

If she can't take criticism, she should not have gone running to the Internet after last week's show to see what the comments were.  Everyone had some criticism on the internet after last week.  Did Rumer complain about the people talking about her big jaw?  Did Robert complain that people were speculating on a relationship with his partner? No.  They either didn't read the reviews or they accept criticism as part of the deal when you sign up for a something like DWTS.

 

And if Charlotte wants to be known for something other than the big boobs, she should shut the fuck up about them, because after two weeks that's the only thing we know about her.

 

She seems like someone who needs excuses for every time something doesn't go well. We've heard dyslexia and now bullying.  What's next?  Will the dog eat her homework?

 

I'm not even buying her claim that she dropped out of high school because she was being bullied about her body.  Don't hate me because I'm beautiful?  Is that it?  Bullshit. 

Edited March 24, 2015 by remotecontrolfreak

[missysays]

My two favs tonight were Miss Patti and Riker!!!

 

Miss Patti just has that ability only a legend has of filling a room with her personality so you feel her groove even though she didn't really move all that much. I think someone like Suzanne was doing 10x more than Patti was in terms of steps and moves but while Suzanne has that fun spacy personality that she's known for- you can tell she's not a strong stage performer she's not able to really project her personality all that well. Either that or Tony gives her so many moves there aren't very moments when she can just stand there and give good face like Patti. I want to grow up and be like Miss Patti!!! Ha!

 

And Riker- he was pretty awesome. That choreography that Allison gave him was a contemporary lyrical hip hop light version of foxtrot. I was worried this week for them because I too see Riker's promise. He can learn and absorb so quickly - he was able to capture those moments that Allison did give him. That little rond-de-jambe action on the floor with pointed toe was really awesome. He was also surprisingly debonaire when he just stood there at the opening beats and flicked the top button open on his shirt -- I thought he was 30 not 23. It's just too bad that Allison doesn't have the ballroom technique herself to be able to really teach him and build an even more solid technical base. Can you imagine how even more amazing he would be if he had gotten someone who was stronger in ballroom. His frame would have been even better and he might even have learned how to connect and lead/steer Allison a bit in the closed frame passes.

 

Someone said that Allison seems to be using all these production setups to "hide" his dancing but I don't think it's his dancing she's trying to hide but her own choreographic weaknesses. Allison needs to get one of the male pros to teach Riker even stronger technique and then maybe he will have that fighting chance she's talking about. He has that rare ability of a true performer to really take things up a notch during the live performance and elevate and breathe life into so-so choreography. There were moments when I felt little romantic undercurrents to his performance when he was touching her chin. That's sort of amazing considering his boy band background. He's 100x better than Cody Simpson ever was.

[viajero]

I didn't watch last week's show, so I can't say who improved or did not.  But just based on this week, I thought Rumer and Nastia were a step above everyone else. I also liked Riker and Willow.  Patti was fun.

 

 

Is it me or is Noah's girlfriend a little plain?  I mean, good for her!  Between his abs and Sharna's, I don't think I saw much dancing out there.  

 

She looked quite attractive in the photos they showed of the two of them together.  Perhaps the army uniform and having her hair pulled back so severely don't flatter her.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

If the elimination was as close as Tom insists, it means that the difference came down to, at most, a switch of 2 total jidges points.  BBC America knows full well the importance of the scores and they made darn sure the older icons were overscored last week.  

 

Charlotte quit school over bullying?  Bullying?  My eye.  I am sure she was sick of the catty jealousies which I am certain existed.  I am also sure she had as big a retinue of friends and admirers as she wanted.  My bet?  She knew what she had and wanted to capitalize ASAP.  She wasn't about college, so buh bye books.  Having said that, I was angry with Keo for failing to recognize her obvious inability to move her hips and for not capitalizing on the amazing lines she could present.  Who cares if the dance itself would not have been recognized as Cha Cha?  Good on Bruno for calling Keo out in his critique.

 

Willow shocked.  Full marks to Ballas and to the wee lass.

 

Noah's coping ability makes him a champion.  Period.  Full stop.  He just isn't able to meet dance standard.  I will give him points for his hip movement.  Remarkably good.  But, that was not a 7.  It wasn't even a 6.  So, if we are to go with the SYTYCD "favorite" dancer?  Noah wins.  A dance standard?  Bottom two, at best.

 

Nastia has almost zero chemistry with Derek.  That is really hard to do.  She puts on her performance countenance, just as she properly did for gymnastics.  But, her eyes are dead.  She moves extraordinarily well and is most certainly Finals-worthy.  She just doesn't have it in her to be emotionally real.  Her growth line is very clear - it''s not physical, it's emotional.

 

Riker is definitely the discovery of the season.  Wow.  With the right guidance/partnership and choreo, he should be the last remaining male.  Easily a legit 32 tonight.

 

Ameriker got it aight.  Not a travesty by any means to send Redfoo home.  I hate that Emma is out, though.  Any chance they bring him back as a jidge this season?  {ducking} 

[Morrigan]

Who has Derek had chemistry with? I think he has serious lack-of-empathy issues. Narcissism?

Edited March 24, 2015 by Morrigan

[Blue Plastic]

I guess I'm heartless, but I wasn't feeling any sympathy for Charlotte's "bullying" whine-fest. Hopefully she got the message that if she wants to be known as more than burger girl with boobs, she's going to have to show us who she is beyond that. Also, it seemed to me that every time they showed her watching the others she looked like she was about to throw up.

I felt the same way.  Truly over the top comments are one thing, but she can't expect to go on a national television show and get no criticism at all.  And she allowed she show to present her in a very tacky manner that was meant to get people's attention (as if she were naked, talking about her boobs), which it did, and then I guess she didn't like it.  Plus her dance was pretty poorly done so yeah, she was going to get criticism.  But poor her, people are just mean to her because she's so gorgeous.  (I guess she doesn't have too much humility, anyway.)

 

I sort of get the feeling that she's annoyed that dancing doesn't come easy to her.  She couldn't just put in a few hours of practice and automatically wow the audience with her grace and beauty.  She just isn't that naturally coordinated.  I'll give her that she was better this week than last but it wasn't by much.

 

I'm a horrible person, but Noah was awful. I know that without a knee joint getting the samba bounce down was impossible, but without the bounce, its not a samba. No natural basics, no botafogos, no roks, no rolls. He barely moves, he doesn't lead and neither dance he's done so far has been true to the character of the style. I don't enjoy watching him and I don't think its inspiring to see someone not really do the job and get praised for it. 

Me too.  I feel mean about it but he just can't really do any dance moves to speak of.  Without the knee joint he can't even bend that leg at all and his missing arm further limits any dance movements.

 

I'm going to go even further out on my evil-person limb and complain about the Patti butt kissing.  It's liable to go on for weeks while better dancers get sent home.  This happens any time a "legend" is on the show.  I know, people are free to vote for whoever they like, but it annoys me.  It's one thing for voters to keep her on, that's bad enough, but for the judges to sit there and kiss her rear and act like she was doing more than sitting on a couch and waving her arms is ridiculous.  A non-legend who sat on a couch and barely moved instead of dancing would be called out by Len for "mucking about.

 

I was prepared to like Nastia more than I do now that the season has actually started.  Somehow she seems a little bit off-putting.  Some of those gymnasts really seemed to take great pains to keep a poker face during competitions so maybe that is just how she is used to comporting herself.  Still her dancing itself is gorgeous.  Also enjoying Rumer Willis.  Anybody know if she took dancing lessons as a kid or something?

[Wings]

I think Witney is one of the pros that has routines choreographed for her. I watched their practice, she was teaching him the routine. He was completely confused and frustrated and from what I could see she didn't change a thing. A little spoiled from last season, perhaps? I love her, but she is so very young.

 

Nastia has a very handsome and possibly rich boyfriend. And she spent the weekend practicing the routine with Henry. I would imagine there was a bit of Derek Who? going on. She was amazing though.

 

Ok, I just knew Noah's girlfriend would show up. Still made me cry a bit, it was very sweet. 

 

I didn't know this about others doing choreography.  What about last season?  It doesn't surprise me because it is a different skill and not all dancers can be good at it.  

 

Henry is her boyfriend and a dancer?  

[Wings]

 

I'm going to go even further out on my evil-person limb and complain about the Patti butt kissing.  It's liable to go on for weeks while better dancers get sent home.  This happens any time a "legend" is on the show.  I know, people are free to vote for whoever they like, but it annoys me.  It's one thing for voters to keep her on, that's bad enough, but for the judges to sit there and kiss her rear and act like she was doing more than sitting on a couch and waving her arms is ridiculous.  A non-legend who sat on a couch and barely moved instead of dancing would be called out by Len for "mucking about.

 

 

ITA.  She did very little dancing and her injury had nothing to do with it.  We will see her stay and eliminate better dancers.   sigh 

 

Why do they single out the bottom two, tell us the score between them is 1/10 of a percent and then say they are not necessarily the bottom two?   WTF?   This frustrates me every season.   I fail to see the point though we have tossed around theories on the subject. 

 

I am all for the romance, bring it on!  It would be nice to see them make it outside the show though it is unlikely it will last.  He is just coming out of a long relationship and probably not ready to jump in again.  Robert is my favorite on Shark Tank and I love seeing him so happy.  

[Shugardrawers]

I'm going to have to go against the crowd here and say I was NOT at all impressed with either Patti or Suzanne this week.  And Robert....he definitely won't win but his enthusiasm is definitely infectious.  He's also damn easy on the eyes.  I hope he sticks around for a while so I can get my weekly eye candy fix.  And Robert if you're lonely you just look me up!  I'm sure Mr. Drawers won't mind me having a fling with a billionaire!

[BW Manilowe]

Based on the Judge's Scores last week, even with the Viewer Vote added in, I thought it was totally logical Redfoo might have gone this week--unless there was some Producer manipulation involved. Either he or Charlotte should've gone because they were tied for last place last week. When Charlotte was saved, I wasn't surprised it was Redfoo.

From what I understand, Kym is 38; Robert is 46 (I think). With all due respect, I wouldn't necessarily call that a "Senior Citizen" showmance--at least not quite yet. If there really is anything going on between them that doesn't involve rehearsing/doing the actual show, or doing publicity for it.

As was stated, You Make Me Feel So Young is a Sinatra song (maybe even done by others before he recorded it--Sinatra's may be the best known version of the song, but that doesn't mean it was the first recorded version). Among others, it's also a Barry Manilow song (just saying). And it's a Michael Bublé song too--anyone who wants to record it can record it, pretty much. From what I understand, Robert is Canadian. So is Michael Bublé. Since Michael also sent Robert a "Good Luck" message for this week's performance (which was read afterwards), it sounds like they might also actually know each other (unless I'm misunderstanding things). That's perhaps why they chose the Bublé version to perform to.

Edited March 24, 2015 by BW Manilowe

[LennieBriscoe]

Love me some Robert (should've picked "Mack the Knife"!), but his mouth had a constant "catching flies" look.

Rumer was terrific again. I look forward to a happy dance for her!

Derek's routine was lovely.

Miss Patti is NOT about to concede the "great for her age" award to SS! (Speaking of whom: Suzanne is my new role-model! And any dame on a show with Suzanne "Chrissy Snow" Somers ought not think her own bustline is the cat's meow, knowwhati'msayin'?)

I think Chris Soules looks pretty decent, giving it the old college try.

Check it: Redfoo and his weird hair got the fewest votes, so Exit, Stage Left. Riker changed  his 'do and will live to sign quite a few more dance cards. He overall looked dashing!

Noah, God bless him henceforth.

Edited March 24, 2015 by LennieBriscoe

[vibeology]

Nastia was such an improvement over last week, though was there much hip movement? Last week's dance was so frenetic that it just looked like a lot of jumping around. Hopefully she and Derek will have more time together to get that connection established.

 

In a rumba taught by Derek? He is probably the worst male pro when it comes to teaching the rumba. He never focuses on creating hip action and the few partners who did it over the years were the ones who already had the right sort of dance training that they brought that skill from before the competition. (Nicole and Jennifer) His rumbas have always lacked hip action but the judges stopped caring after the "horrific, demented lines" incident back with Shannon Elizabeth. 

 

It's condescending really. It does make me think about all the crap Amy got about her being overscored and just standing or sitting while Derek danced around her. I think Noah is showing just how much dancing Amy really did because there is nothing happening there. I admire the man's determination and willingness to put himself out there like that on this show but at some point the judges are going to have to start scoring him fairly. 

 

One of the more telling things too is that Len said nice things, then busted out a 6. I think at the very least, Len knows that its not up to standard, but how do you say that without it being cruel? Noah is trying, I'll give him that and Sharna is coming up with the best choreography she can to work around the lack of knee joint so its hard to say "that wasn't a samba" or "you had no bounce action" but its true. It might have been a good dance, but it wasn't a samba. Its not really fair to be critical of something Noah can't do anything about, but its also not really fair to give great comments and then bust out a lower paddle. The judges are in a bit of a no-win situation. 

 

Miss Patti just has that ability only a legend has of filling a room with her personality so you feel her groove even though she didn't really move all that much. I think someone like Suzanne was doing 10x more than Patti was in terms of steps and moves but while Suzanne has that fun spacy personality that she's known for- you can tell she's not a strong stage performer she's not able to really project her personality all that well. Either that or Tony gives her so many moves there aren't very moments when she can just stand there and give good face like Patti. I want to grow up and be like Miss Patti!!! Ha!

 

I get that Patti didn't do much dancing, but I agree with this. She has a natural groove, she can fill the space with her performance and she's one of the few contestants that can clearly count. She knows the beat, she knows her steps. She isn't doing many, but they're spot on. 

 

Who has Derek had chemistry with? I think he has serious lack-of-empathy issues. Narcissism?

 

For me, literally no one. Even when he was dating Shannon Elizabeth it did not show in the dancing. I don't know what the deal is, but as well as he can get along with his partners off the dance floor, the moment the music starts, any chemistry is lost and its like two totally separate entities moving in the same space. I've been impressed with Derek routines before, but never moved by one.

[mbutterfly]

 

 

I wish the dances were longer, some of them didn't even make a minute.

 

 

Is that on purpose this early so the stars hold up better in their routines? 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

My take on ringer-gate is that I actually prefer celebrities who have some sort of dance or athletic background because I don't want to spend 2-3 months watching half the contestants clomp around the stage. As much as I admire people having the heart and the balls to try dancing on national television, I still get secondhand embarrassment watching some of the celebrities who clearly can't tell their right foot from their left foot. I disagree with what Julianne said. I actually don't care about improvement. If you can come in the first week and be awesome all season, I'm not going to bitch that there was no improvement. Some of the celebrities who improved in past seasons were so terrible in the first few weeks that there was nowhere to go but up.

 

It's rare that I agree with Len, but yeah, Chris was okay and that's about as nice as I can be about his dancing. I thought he wasn't very good last week and was surprised that the judges were so enthusiastic. This week their comments were more like "ehhh, you didn't fall down." Based on these two weeks of dances, he is fine with fratty bar moves like pelvic thrusts but anything that requires actual skill or footwork is...not good.

 

I laughed when Suzanne said she might have to get a new bra. ARE YOU LISTENING, CHARLOTTE? While I felt that there wasn't enough bounce, her flicks weren't sharp, and her knees weren't high enough, not bad for a 68 year old woman. She's not a top contender but she's pretty spry for her age. I loved her costume. It was cute on its own merit but I like it even more because a lot of the older contestants on this show go with the sparkly muu muus. I'm not saying that I'm saying everyone has to show a lot of skin though. She was covered up without looking like she was trying to cover herself from chin to ankle.

 

Between the song choice, the costumes, and the choreography, Kym really took great advantage of Robert's obvious joy. He still needs to work on his hunched over posture and when he isn't in hold he has crazy hands. Bruno usually drives me crazy but the way he demonstrated how Robert needs to bring his shoulders down was a good visual.

 

So is Charlotte going for the sympathy vote with her "I was bullied in high school!" story? I have no love for her (I'm mostly neutral on her but I wish she would quit with the constant duck lips and open mouth faces whenever she notices a camera backstage) but for people to say she's disgusting? That seems harsh. I don't think her dancing improved this week. She mushes a lot of the choreography together so that the steps don't look distinct. I agree that she needs to work on her weight distribution. Her lack of it now makes some of the steps look awkward even though she has learned the choreography.

 

I can't hate on anyone wearing a red sequin tuxedo jacket. In Michael's defense, I will say as someone with a booty that sometimes people assume you aren't tucking your butt under when it's actually just that you got some junk in the trunk. In ballet it's easier to see because wearing a leotard allows you to see if your lower back is arched, if you're tucking your hips in, etc. I couldn't really tell what Michael was doing, mostly because of the camera angles but also because his jacket wasn't snug enough for me to see his lower back. Bonus points for using that song, which I loved as a little kid.

 

I laughed when Val said that Bruce Willis was a little scary last week with his emotional face staring straight ahead. I don't know if this choreography was too fast for her but she didn't seem to be finishing a lot of her moves. She was kind of flinging her arms around and not getting them fully extended before pulling them back in, and some of the steps were a little too pose-y for me (which may just be Val's choreography which is not her fault).

 

Way too much arsing around at the beginning of Redfoo's routine. He looked like he was having fun but his technique is not good enough. That performance definitely didn't deserve any 8s.

 

Willow seems like a nice girl so I hate that this is the second week in a row that they have given her a lame and totally fake package segment. The water balloons with colored water were clearly not staining the black outifts they were wearing outside. At the end of the segment they magically had on black outfits with visible paint on it but once their performance started, it was obvious that they had on totally different black costumes with different panit splatters. Why do they have to do this fake crap?

 

Noah's entire routine was standing and walking. I have no idea what kind of ballroom that was supposed to be but he didn't do any dancing. There is no way that routine deserved even one 7, let alone three. But it was sweet that his girlfriend surprised him after his performance.

 

Ha, I was cracking up at Nastia's gymnast hands throughout her rumba. I'm glad she mentioned that in gymnastics, you don't get to show your emotions. You can see that happening when the judges give their critques. This was definitely one of the best routines of the night.

 

A+ to Alison for giving us at least one week without Riker's Bieberesque hair. He managed to look elegant and graceful in this foxtrot, and he managed to move his feet quickly and lightly (I have found that the celebs who can't move their feet quickly look like they are shuffling their feet through mud). I thought they spent too much time on the bridge at the beginning but overall I liked the choreography. I was cracking up when Alison was upstairs talking about how great Riker is and then the camera cut to Charlotte digging around in her ear.

 

Patti's routine was fun to watch, so credit to both her and Artem. At first I wondered if it deserved 7s but then I remembered how inflated some of the other scores were.

 

Redfoo wasn't the best dancer but he also wasn't the worst one this season.

[vibeology]

Is that on purpose this early so the stars hold up better in their routines? 

 

The show just doesn't have time early on for longer routines. They have to fit all the packages, the dances, 4 judges comments per performance, Skybox time, commercials and an elimination in this week. Because of the elimination, they actually had less time than last week for everything. The dances get longer when the heard gets thinned. Its one of the reasons I hate having 4 judges because it takes away from the dances and the packages, both of which are more entertaining to me.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Not to take anything from Mark, because I did love the choreography but the paint/picture concept was really just a rip off of the music video for the song they were dancing to.

And I would swear that SYTYCD did a similar dance a few seasons ago where the dancers started/ended the dance in front of a painting while wearing crazy multicolored leotards that camouflaged them as part of the painting.

 

If they can manage Miss Patti's and Suzanne bosoms, why can't they manage Charlotte's? Maybe better coverage and support is ageing? Seriously, it's all about the fit.

Heh, probably because Miss Patti and Suzanne are smart enough to WANT coverage and support and to tell the costume people that they don't need the girls prominently on display.

[kitcloudkicker]

I didn't know this about others doing choreography.  What about last season?  It doesn't surprise me because it is a different skill and not all dancers can be good at it.  

 

Henry is her boyfriend and a dancer?  

 

Henry (Byalikov, from the troupe) has been tapped as Derek's understudy, more or less, this season, and has been practicing with Nastia when he can't. They video it and send it back to Derek for critiques. I actually find it kind of fascinating how they've been making it work. (But also, would totally get an argument that it hasn't been fair to Henry, since he's seemed stuck in that, first choice understudy, not a pro, position for a while. And actually, peaking at the instagrams of Nastia and Henry has made me curious to see them have to dance together.)

 

Nastia's boyfriend is a former college/minor league hockey player who has started some sort of sports startup. I don't know if he's rich, if he is it seems like it'd have to be family money, as his startup seems to still be in the small potatoes, eating ramen noodles and getting it off the ground stage.  

Edited March 24, 2015 by kitcloudkicker

[truthaboutluv]

From what I understand, Kym is 38; Robert is 46 (I think). With all due respect, I wouldn't necessarily call that a "Senior Citizen" showmance--at least not quite yet.

 

 

Robert is 51. I was referring to him, not Kym, who I know is in her late 30's with the senior citizen crack. But really, it was just a joke based on the fact that typically the showmances have been with the 20 something celebrity/Pro. 

 

For me, literally no one. Even when he was dating Shannon Elizabeth it did not show in the dancing. I don't know what the deal is, but as well as he can get along with his partners off the dance floor, the moment the music starts, any chemistry is lost and its like two totally separate entities moving in the same space. I've been impressed with Derek routines before, but never moved by one.

 

 

Chemistry is such a subjective thing and I guess it's how one defines it because I think there are different types of chemistry. There's the whole showmance type stuff like you had with Maks and Meryl and there are the great partnership chemistry like I thought Cheryl and Jack had for example.

 

I can't say that I've ever really bought the sexual chemistry type stuff with Derek and that's probably because other than his relationship with Shannon, he's never really had a major showmance since. He and Maria were a little flirty and I did get some hint of attraction between them but at the end of the day it still felt more like a friendship. 

 

That said, I have gotten the good partnership chemistry with many of his celebrities and I can't say I haven't been moved by any of his performances. I thought he had many moving performances with Amy, I thought the non-rumba with Bethany last season was really beautiful. That dance to me was more performance because Bethany definitely did not have the rumba technique down but I bought the story and connection. I thought they had a gorgeous VW that my only complaint was that it felt too short.

 

And going back many seasons, I actually really loved Derek's partnership with Jennie. She was such a bundle of nerves and a bit of a headcase but he was really able to draw out some wonderful performances out of her. So yes, he's not going to sell "smoldering" a la Val for example, but ymmv, I disagree that he never connects with his partner. But then I don't think he's some emotionless narcissist so there is that.

 

I think one issue with Nastia is the fact that she has that athlete's mentality and like others have said, may have the technique but might need to work on the emotion and performance. So this early in the competition it will seem like they don't connect because she probably goes into athlete/competitor mode when she's dancing, forgetting about the performance element and just feeling the movements. She did bring it together towards the second half of the dance though.

 

And speaking of her competitor attitude, while I get the comments about her serious face and some may even say "resting bitch face", and I guess there were rumors for years in the competitive gymnastics world that she is kind of a bitch, I don't think she's done anything hate-worthy or offensive so far on the show. I like Rumer just fine but I've found some of her comments far more offensive than anything Nastia has done. The stuff about setting the bar for others, people being scared of them, not really having any competition, etc. She has to be careful because that stuff can turn viewers aka voters, off. 

Edited March 24, 2015 by truthaboutluv

[kayma]

I liked Rumer, Willow, and Riker. I thought Rumer improved on last week and did a great job for week 2. I thought the dance really showcased her, too. I think Willow got over her nerves and did so much better this week. I wasn't too thrilled with the time on the bridge in Riker's, but fixing his hair made him so much more likeable. If Allison could just relax in the packages and judging segments and not seem on all the time, I think it would help, too.

 

I like Michael and want him and Peta to go far. I think he could stay quietly in the middle and then break out toward the end.

 

Chris and Witney this week was more what I expected going into this season. Witney looked incredible and was actually pretty patient in the rehearsal parts they showed. Hoping next week is a better outing for Chris.

 

I'm glad Keo got to stay one more week. I would like to see him make it to switch up week, but I don't really want anyone else to go over Charlotte.

 

Sad that Emma's done. I hope she does a lot of troupe dances and such. She's such a sweet presence on the show. I could see the improvements Emma and Redfoo worked on during the live rehearsal, so it's too bad he won't have a chance to keep improving.

 

I'm still underwhelmed by Nastia and Derek. It was a pretty dance, but she did the same kick thing three times (I haven't re-watched but it bugged me the first time through). She should be capable of more variety and more than just being flexible. I also thought it was really cold. No real connection to each other or the music. The judging segments seem so awkward to me. It's like Derek keeps putting his arms around her and she keeps moving away. There's just not the comfort level there that the other teams have. I'm actually really disappointed that they wasted Nastia on a season where she isn't her partner's priority. And, I don't even blame Derek for it because if people moved heaven and earth to give me those opportunities, I'd take advantage too.

 

Patti deserved at least one 8 for being Patti LaBelle and dancing to 50 cent. That was the highlight of the entire show. I loved that not only did someone come out and dance to a different song than normal but that it was Patti. I'm actually kind of hoping she gets Val for switch up week and that they do hip hop.

 

Two things from the judges really bothered me. 1 - Patti LaBelle invites you to go clubbing with her and you keep talking over her? No, you get up and go clubbing. 2 - Don't act so surprised someone goes home when you gave them the worst scores the week before. You're half responsible for sending them home.

[Rancide]

Is it me or is Noah's girlfriend a little plain?  I mean, good for her!  Between his abs and Sharna's, I don't think I saw much dancing out there.  

 

She looked quite attractive in the photos they showed of the two of them together.  Perhaps the army uniform and having her hair pulled back so severely don't flatter her.

 

I actually felt bad for her because I thought she was an attractive in her pictures, but those army uniforms are SO unflattering to women, and there she was air dropped onto national TV, sticking out like a sore thumb surrounded by a bunch of gorgeous people in glitter and sparkles, with professional hair and makeup.  

 

And then I realized neither she nor Noah was paying any attention to what she or anyone else was wearing, so I got over it.  I'm not enjoying Noah's dancing, but they were really adorable.