S20.E07: Week 7: Eras

[superdeluxe]

I thought it was really cute to have Derek in it, though I know that's not going to be a thing everyone (anyone?) agrees on.

 

Aww, don't worry, I'll join you on that lonely island:) Honestly while I didn't necessarily love it, I wasn't particularly bothered by it at all. I think it is because as I see it, while yes, Sasha was standing in this week and did a great job doing so, Nastia is still technically Derek's celebrity and he is still technically the competing Pro.

 

I guess for me, I would find the whole thing obnoxious if Nastia and Sasha were the competing pairing and Derek just came in to assist or something and he found a way to shoehorn himself in their performance. That would be different.

 

I agree.  I had no problem with Derek being included in the dance.  Could've done without his singing at the end, but other than that, I was cool with it.  Derek is still Nastia's partner.  He choreographed the dance; he wanted to be involved.  I thought it was a fun little dance.  Made me smile.

 

But yeah, not shocked by the comments and the over the top reactions to it.  I don't know how he made the package all about him.  He got injured on purpose?

[jhlipton]

Does Derek have a broken toe, an ankle sprain or both?  Does it matter when he'll be miraculously cured just in time for the finals?

[karenc3]

Does Derek have a broken toe, an ankle sprain or both?  Does it matter when he'll be miraculously cured just in time for the finals?

 

He has both. He hit one of the lights with his foot and broke his toe, and then was hopping over to get ice for his toe, and twisted his other ankle and sprained it.

 

And that sounds like something I would do.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

Let's assume TPTB somehow forgot to tell the jidges how to score Nastia, or even that a jidge refused to go along.  Willow gets immunity.

 

Raise your hand if you think Rumer would have been sent packing.

 

Didn't think so.

[RedheadZombie]

I thought the frantic scrambling of papers, prior to judging the last group was extremely suspicious.  Why was there a need to write down anything?  The judges spoke their own scores, and each was entitled to their own score.  My mom thought they had to be unanimous (obviously not true), but I assumed they were feverishly calculating who to give the two points to, without affecting who they wanted to go home.  Typically this kind of thing would have been decided ahead of time, but since the team combos were chosen on the spot, they weren't able to prepare.

 

 I seriously think Carrie Ann was drunk tonight. The weird "aside" with Nastia seemed to scare Nastia and annoy Len.

 

That's one of the things that really bothers me about the show.  I wish, just once, that when she sprang up to start in on her schtick, Len would shoot his leg out, swipe her feet out from under her, and land her on her ass.  Or maybe just once he can say, "Sit the fuck down ya drama queen!".  I think she's honed that skill in competition with Bruno over the years, but I just can't stand it.

 

 

 

I can't believe they called an ambulance for a fractured toe. Really? I miss when the pro injuries were all behind the scenes. Even the serious ones where the pro had to be out for the week were just mentioned in passing; the entire package didn't become about the pro's injury, even when Derek has been out with his back injuries in earlier seasons.

 

I wouldn't be a bit surprised if the show paid for a police escort to the hospital.  Kind of like a funeral procession, but instead of driving slow, they'd be racing to the hospital.   Gotta save the dancing genius' toe!

 

Bruce Willis is a sleep inducing interviewee. Really, a sleep aide maker should snag him to do a commercial.

 

I actually said out loud, "Has he always been such a bore?".  I don't know what was more amusing, the absolute flat affect in his talking head, or the monotone - "She makes me cry."

[Snarklepuss]

The grassy knoll side of me strongly thinks Nastia or Rumor were up for elimination with the double elimination.

 

I think that even if the decision was made before the end of last week's show the bean counters could have predicted within a certain margin of error who the likely candidates were for going home.  They know what the past voting trends were and perhaps the scores they needed had already been given by that time.  And TPTB wanted to prevent that person from going home and threw in a last minute curve ball to make sure it didn't happen.  Of course with all that jerry-rigging someone is bound to go home that shouldn't go home as a kind of scapegoat.

 

Erin's "For now.  You have immunity for now" was such a giveaway.   Sorry but I am still suspicious.

 

And for poor Willow - I tend to agree that 14 is too young to be on this show.  That poor girl is going to be scarred for life because of this.  I don't care what anyone says, she is too young to weather this like an adult even a few years older.  There have been young stars before but most of them have not had nasty eliminations like this, plus they were a few years older. Or an athlete who is used to winning and losing.  This show should be ashamed of itself on several counts.

I thought the frantic scrambling of papers, prior to judging the last group was extremely suspicious.  Why was there a need to write down anything?  The judges spoke their own scores, and each was entitled to their own score.  My mom thought they had to be unanimous (obviously not true), but I assumed they were feverishly calculating who to give the two points to, without affecting who they wanted to go home.  Typically this kind of thing would have been decided ahead of time, but since the team combos were chosen on the spot, they weren't able to prepare.

 

YES!  My suspicious nature caught that too and thought there was something off about it.  There was something off about this entire show.  I get the feeling the judges know in advance who is going home and their judging is influenced by that.

[alexa]

Oh, Derek, you are like the annoying gnat that won't go away.  I just laughed through that whole segment and dance, not surprised at all that Derek was always front and center and literally always between Nastia and Sasha.  That is the first dance of hers I really liked (when she got away from Derek to dance with Sasha).  She was so different and happy.  I would so like to have a break from Derek, as this just emphasized for me that he doesn't quite get that he needs to give viewers a chance to want him to come back.  I know some people really like him, but there are many people that would like Derek better if he would take a season or two off.

 

I thought Noah's dance was absolutely awful.  Then CAI was going off about it, and I was wondering what she had been watching.  It was so slow, there was little movement, and I don't think the guy has the personality for performing.  I was so disappointed at all of the raves because I didn't get it at all.

 

I was confused during the dance off when Willow and Mark got all of the votes until they were voted off and I assumed they were trying to help them.  I don't like Alison at all, but I did think her and Riker's dance was better than Willow/Mark.  

[kitcloudkicker]

I can't believe they called an ambulance for a fractured toe. Really?

 

 

I believe that ambulance is standing by at all times, anyone who's ever been injured in a way that meant they had to be taken to a doctor has been carted off in it. I'm not sure, but I feel like they might be required to have it there, and if you need to go to the ER for any reason, you have to take it - like how there's always an ambulance at the ready at any high school football game. 

[thefog]

And for poor Willow - I tend to agree that 14 is too young to be on this show.  That poor girl is going to be scarred for life because of this.  I don't care what anyone says, she is too young to weather this like an adult even a few years older.  There have been young stars before but most of them have not had nasty eliminations like this, plus they were a few years older. Or an athlete who is used to winning and losing.  This show should be ashamed of itself on several counts.

Scared for life after being voted off DWTS?  I don't think so. 

Edited April 28, 2015 by escape

[katha]

I don't think anything to do with Willow was malicious in intent, they just craved a young demographic and saw "Hunger Games" and couldn't resist. Excepting this week's mess, I also think the monkeys in charge showed considerable restraint in how they treated Willow: Apart from goading her into talking about being 14 too much, they didn't give her bad packages, everything was cheesy, friendly fun. The judges gave her constructive criticism and mostly fair scores (apart from the first week). The problem is the set-up of the show, you can't guarantee that something messy and upsetting doesn't happen because of the reality tv aspect, the live show, the fact that it's a popularity contest and how that will affect someone so young. They didn't think this through. Like they usually don't think things through. I was glad to have seen her dance, she entertained me very much, but it was a great risk to take.

 

It was a difficult assignment, though Mark made it look easy. He treated her with great consideration and kindness, she was excited to be there and didn't seem overly stressed. Every dance was a work-around to some degree, but IMO every week she was fun and engaging to watch and improving as a dancer. So I think the things they could control, TPTB mostly got right with Willow. The problem is the parts that are out of their hands...they didn't consider that a situation like this could happen. And it's probably irresponsible of them that they didn't consider it and didn't make things clearer to both Willow and her parents. Because outsiders don't know how the mindgames of the show can work. If Willow had been a middling dancer she would have been out in the first weeks with probably not much harm done. But she was very good, dance-wise she was a contender, yet also someone with a questionable young fanbase. It must be pretty crushing to work so hard and know that you're dancing well, better than several others still in the competition, then go out because people apparently didn't like you enough to vote for you.

Edited April 28, 2015 by katha

[RetailTherapy]

That was so sad.  She was so heartbroken and it made me cry.  Poor thing held it together until she got out there for a final dance.  What I wouldn't give to have seen Nastia and gimpy get the boot tonight.  Tom, as typical, was awesome.  And even Erin managed to show some tact and compassion. 

 

The real choreographer on this show is Mark.  He has been able to pull amazingly creative routines out, week after week, season after season, for such a huge variety of ability, age, style and religious belief.  He managed to provide fun, age appropriate routines for a young teen that showcased HER ability.  Derek is the one who unfairly gets that credit as being so great, which induces much eye rolling.  Let's face it, we've seen his entire bag of tricks many times over.  Hand jive.  Dancing inside/behind/under some object.  Smoke.  Dim lights.  And those tricks and gimmicks won't work with someone that doesn't already have some dance ability, so we'll never see him with a Cloris, Valerie or LoLo type partner.  A non-dance partner would cause the annoyance of requiring him to actually teach them how to dance and that's just not how he seems to roll. 

 

Joining up with the present group on the knoll.  There was something mighty fishy with the show last night.  Giving Nastia immunity for absolutely no reason.  Riker's scores were frighteningly inflated for that flat footed quickstep-ish dance that wasn't dinged for all of the hold breaks.  Rumer was frighteningly underscored for what was a near perfect jive.  Noah...I just don't know what to say.  I think that Sharna's talent lies in jazz, as she even managed to make Andy Dick look good, which is damned near impossible.  And this, to me, was Noah's best dance.  But not 10 worthy. Said to me that he needed a bit of propping.  The scores for Robert and bachelor Chris seem to be somewhat in line with what they've done, so that says to me they didn't need propping at this point and are being saved for the double elimination. 

 

You sucked last night, show.

[Rancide]

I don't blame Derek for putting himself into the dance.  I get that many are annoyed by him.  Personally, I go both ways.  I do think he's an extremely talented choreographer, and I don't find him hugely interpersonally annoying as I used to find, say, Mark before Mark apparently finished puberty and stopped coming across like an annoying, self-centered shit.  Personality-wise, Derek's just kind of there for me.  But I do grow weary of the fawning and overexposure.

 

However, I mostly watch this show with my mom, and she and all her old lady friends at the seniors residential center think he's just adorable and cute as a button, and they do vote (and I do not).  And yes, they would vote for Derek if he were partnered with Master P.

 

I could personally do with 25% less Derek on this show overall and would have enjoyed this dance more without him in it, but--as is evident from basically every fan vote that has ever happened on this show--he's a major draw, and there are plenty of people who vote for him and not for his partner.  Nastia's probably good enough that she could survive this week on her own, though on the other hand, she hasn't exactly been lighting the place up with charisma this season, so who knows how big her Derek-free fanbase would be.

 

I guess what I'm saying is that it may be arrogant for Derek to insert himself into the dance under the assumption that people want to see him and will be more likely to vote for Nastia if he is there, but I also don't know--assuming that's what he was thinking--that he's wrong.  And I can't really fault him for that.

Edited April 28, 2015 by Rancide

[Stitsch]

I guess what I'm saying is that it may be arrogant for Derek to insert himself into the dance under the assumption that people want to see him and will be more likely to vote for Nastia if he is there, but I also don't know--assuming that's what he was thinking--that he's wrong.  And I can't really fault him for that.

 

You might be right. However, I think it's the degree to which he included himself in the dance that is bothering most of us. He sat between Nastia and Sasha for no fathomable reason; he magically found a microphone to sing along, effectively stepping on the toes of the very talented Andy Grammer without thanking him afterwards (as I remember it, correct me if I'm wrong), because that would have gotten in the way of making the after-dance interview All About Him; and wasted a good portion of what COULD have been effective Charleston choreography on the three of them sitting there. Derek was unnecessary last night, selfish, and frankly giftwrapped the audience all the proof we need to conclude that his partnership with Nastia was never truthfully about Nastia. Would he die without the spotlight? One can only assume.

[OakGoblinFly]

I missed pits and pieces of the show because some high school morons thought a wonderful after school activity would be to hunt Baltimore police officers and destroy their own city.

 

What is it going to take to get Noah off my screen?  The dude is completely clueless; he AGAIN said he didn't like the pre-dance package because it made Sharna look bad and he felt "protective" of her.  Let me make it easier for you, Sharna didn't look bad in last week's clip, YOU did.  You came off even worse this week.  I am finding Noah extremely unlikable and I fear that he is going to be coddled and special cased right into the finals.  The ONLY thing I liked about that jazz was Sharna rocking the 70s look; everything else was awful (especially Carrie Ann).

 

I have mixed feelings on Riker's performance; when I looked at him and only him I quite liked the dance. However, when I looked at both Allison and Riker dancing I despised the routine.  I think there's something about Allison's dancing that looks too frantic and deters from my enjoyment.   That being said, I thought she looked stunning in that red dress. 

 

While not my favorite, I do find Chris more enjoyable than Noah.  There are moments when you can see that he is this big goofy guy who just wants to do well.  Sadly there are some moments where he appears a bit vacant.  I thought Witney choreographed an adorable routine for him and he performed it well (yes, he still lurches, at least he's actually moving and dancing).  I felt bad for him because as well as he performed in the dance-off, there was no way he was going to beat Rumer.

 

Speaking of Rumer, I really liked her tonight for the first time in a long time.  I thought she looked lovely and I enjoyed the light, breezy, flirty, girly feel to her jive.  Carrie Ann can just shut up with the "I missed the intensity."  Poor girl can't win, if she goes full out you complain that she's too frantic, she softens up you complain.  I actually liked the soft part of her Foxtrot, it made the quick parts really pop.

 

I know people might say that Derek was being a camera hog or selfish when he wanted to be part of Nastia's dance, however, I understand why he wanted to and I thought he was there just enough to NOT distract from Nastia and Sasha.  I adored the entire routine and liked the idea of a subway as "Honey, I'm Good" really does remind me of a train sound.  Stupid Erin declaring that Nastia had won immunity when Willow hadn't dance yet - glad Derek said "Willow hasn't danced."

 

I totally forgot about Robert, he's just kinda there.

 

Poor Willow, she deserved to stay longer ... certainly longer than Noah and Chris and probably Robert.  Bless Tom for "being a dad" and hugging Willow when she was crying.

 

Mark, don't ever change your nerdy self.

[OakGoblinFly]

Poor Willow, it's a shame that she got eliminated while Chris, Robert and Noah are still there. I don't get the 10 for Noah. Was anyone suprised that Derek and Nastia got immunity? No didn't think so.

 

 

Honestly, I thought that the powers-that-be would give the immunity to Riker so Rumer and Nastia would face off;, then you would have Robert vs. Noah, and Willow vs. Chris.  Did the judges not get the memo?  Or did Allison screw the pooch by NOT picking Rumer?

[OakGoblinFly]

"Hop Along Hough" is now my official name for Derek. Tom kills on that show. Nastia and Sasha were adorable and I though the NY Subway theme/set for the dance was really cute. I wouldn't say I was as in love with it as the judges and it wasn't my favorite Charleston on the show but it was pretty fun and about the only dance with some energy tonight. Meanwhile, am I the only one who thought Nastia looked totally freaked out and uncomfortable by crazy Carrie Ann's "pep talk". I swear Nastia's eyes were saying the whole time "okay, weird woman grabbing me - why is she hugging me?

 

 

I got that too.  Carrie Ann was in fine form (and by fine form I mean completely cray-cray).  I didn't mind when Julianne called Chris over last week to give him a high-five after his performance; she gave Chris a specific thing to work on, he did, and it showed in his performance.  Julianne wanted to acknowledge that and it didn't take time away from the judging.  I think Carrie Ann wanted to "one-up" Julianne (I always feel like Carrie Ann is trying to do one better than Julianne) so she calls Nastia over, hugs,her and tells her something about "just dancing like I told you to."  The sad thing is that, to me, Nastia has been steadily "just dancing" .....  I have no idea what Carrie Ann was prattling on about.

I like Derek (I think he's a great choreogrpaher and does his best for his partners), but I loved that Nastia had more chemistry with Sasha.

 

 

I didn't see that, yes, she had chemistry with Sasha, however I think she has chemistry with Derek too.  

[skyways]

Ok back to my usual 'Contenders only' critique.

 

Rumer and Val - the problem here is how dull and uninteresting the routine was. It was danced VERY well but was not as memorable as the other dances. Even the bachelor (mind you I don't know that he is. I don't watch the show and I generally fast-forward through his dances but people call him 'the bachelor' so I'll just use it), he had me even watching his dance and it was more interesting  for his level of dancing. Urgh! I'm sure I'll go back to fast-forwarding him again. Almost breaking her neck for that dance was not worth it. Calm down Val! You have a winner here but help her loosen up and bring more interesting routines ok?

 

Nastia and Sasha - Yes, like some one that has been watching this show since day 1, I fully expected her to have more fun dancing with whoever the 'emergency partner' is than whoever the real partner is, which in this case is Derek. It always happens. I noticed his overly hands-on with the changes and his injecting himself into the routine was unnecessary because I don't think anyone would forget he was Nastia's partner. But he usually has good instincts were the audience mood is towards his partners so I understand  that he may have felt that Nastia may be anonymous because of that?

 

Riker and his pro - same issues especially in the salsa - wild legs and not very strong partnering especially in the Latin and out of hold. But his quickstep was good and I have no problem with Len giving him  10. His frame was good, his footwork was good and the dance was packed and as usual he did not miss a step. I understood how and why Willow beat him out in the dance-off. Their routine was mostly more precise because SHE HAD A REAL PRO!! which brings me to

 

Willow and Mark - I liked their Asian concept and appreciated Carrie-Ann speaking Japanese. I also agree with her that the movements became less stronger as the routine went on but she still coped really well. Her elimination should never have happened but I have to point out one thing. I said last week that Derek may be getting jaded this season but after this week I don't think so. He's in it to win it and anytime his celebrity misses out on being bottom two, he always goes on to win. I don't remember a time when someone who had seen the bottom at least once went on to win.

 

As usual all the others were fast-forwarded but I think we are looking at another Derek win now that the young, likeable and clearly improving threat has gone. I say so because Val showed me how he will not win - not gauging correctly what the audience (and Judges) want to see (Derek excels at this), and dry choreography.

Edited April 28, 2015 by skyways

[kayma]

Or did Allison screw the pooch by NOT picking Rumer?

I was surprised they went for Willow. I thought it might look like they were picking on someone lower (I completely agree with Val on that point), but Willow beat them hands down in my opinion. I didn't even think it was close. I actually had no problems with Riker heading toward the final 3, even though I only like about 70% of each of his dances, until he danced directly against Willow. I think she was much better and had more potential. There was nuance and technique, not just always going to 11. When it came down to the three in jeopardy, I was really surprised that I was hoping it'd be Riker going.

 

Willow was always the one I forgot was still in the competition. Then she and Mark would do something fun, and I'd remember that I liked them. She just always got lost in the shuffle, I think. She should be quite proud of herself, though.

 

Who are they judging Rumer against??? She gets lower votes than Noah and barely more than Chris?

I'm starting to get Charlie White flashbacks - someone doing a great job who's getting nitpicked and lower than reasonable scores. It's especially peculiar when Len made a big effort earlier in the season to talk about how he judges everyone against each other and has to be fair with, I think, Noah's scores. I don't think Rumer's dance was perfect - the song seemed slow for a jive - but she danced it well, and I liked the non-fierce approach.

 

That look of anger on Val's face while in jeopardy - that was the sound of his ego crashing hard.

I didn't see anger. I thought he really thought they were going home. It looked more like he couldn't believe he'd screwed this up and let her down. But then I don't really see Val having more of an ego than the other pros.

 

As for Derek (and Nastia and Sasha) embarrassing. He made the entire dance about himself. Trust Sasha to be a partner. Let him choreograph, let him be the partner and let the dance be about their partnership. He situated himself right in the middle of the dancers, sang and made sure that no one would forget who was actually the "star."

This was the first time I've ever disliked Derek. The way the package was edited all about him and the way the focus kept going back to him in the dance was just too much. I did love the overly dramatic "Derek is down" though. There should have been enough to mine with Nastia's experience this week that I would have liked to have seen that. I can't fault Derek for the editing and the package, but it still turned me off of him this week, which I know isn't fair. I actually thought it was cute in the beginning of the dance that he was there and kind of started Nastia and Sasha dancing together, but then the camera focus went back to him a few times and took away from Nastia. I don't mind that he did the choreography and was involved since it seems like they're planning on him coming back full time before the end. I just wish the show would remember this is about Nastia with Derek supporting Nastia. This is from someone who tends to like the pros better than the stars anyway, but I like the pros as the steadying force behind the stars and in their partnerships.

 

I still don't know what games TPTB are playing with Riker, but I didn't like the asking for and getting a 10 from Len for an ok dance. I would have been fine with a 10 from Bruno or Carrie Ann since their scoring is pretty much a joke anyway. I liked Riker just fine before I started feeling like the show was trying to manipulate me but I'm liking him less and less the more they overscore and fake jeopardy and tell me how great he is in contrast to everyone else. They need to ease back on the storylining with Riker. I like Riker a lot more when it doesn't seem like they're forcing him on me.

 

I, shockingly, really enjoyed Chris this week, even the cheesy, sepia-toned package. I think he's showing improvement and seems to be having more fun with all of this. I liked that he went up against Rumer in the dance off with a good attitude. It has to be hard knowing that you're going to look awful in comparison. I was actually really surprised that he did better than I thought he would. I do think having other pros explain things to him last week for the team challenge helped a few things click that just weren't clicking with Witney alone.

 

Mark was a class act. He did a great job with Willow all season. Sometimes, I wonder where he gets these off the wall ideas and then he tells a story about his parents teaching in Japan and going to Ninja school as a kid. He makes more sense with stories like that. I'll miss his brand of crazy over the next few weeks.

[humbleopinion]

Stop Julianne and Carrie Ann from wearing their dresses backwards, please.

Last night's show was a production mess. Not the usual polished show.

We saw them breaking down sets, Carrie Ann got loose from her restraints and accosted Nastia in front of the judes' table, Erin's misreading of the cue card about who has the hihest score/immunity, the rushed ending with Willow being blind sided.

The camera man was confused...keeping Derek in the center of the shot or Nastia?

Derek, of course.

[truthaboutluv]

Erin's "For now.  You have immunity for now" was such a giveaway.   Sorry but I am still suspicious.

 

 

Actually, once Willow was eliminated, I was convinced that Erin just slipped up and more or less gave away that Willow was going home, forgetting she hadn't danced. Because we know Erin and Tom (not sure about the judges but I suspect they do) for sure know who's going home by the start of the show. And last night's elimination, as I understand it correctly, was based on last week's judges' scores and viewer votes. In other words, nothing that happened last night, affected who was going home. So they already knew Willow was done and Erin likely just slipped big time when Nastia outscored Riker, knowing Willow was going to be eliminated but forgetting she technically hadn't danced yet. That's what's tricky about the whole "one night a week" deal.

 

I believe that ambulance is standing by at all times, anyone who's ever been injured in a way that meant they had to be taken to a doctor has been carted off in it.

 

 

This. I was beginning to think I was the only one who didn't understand the big deal about this. I kind of just saw it as Derek is a DWTS employee if you will and he got injured while on set so it's basically precaution on the show's part to cover all the bases. I mean what were they supposed to do - just go, "oh it's just a toe, go take a ride with someone to the hospital?"

 

Scared for life after being voted off DWTS?  I don't think so.

 

 

Yeah seriously. While yes, she's very young, Willow is not some normal 14 year old kid - by that I mean she is an actress and works in the entertainment industry where rejection is pretty much a big part of it. I imagine she'll deal with losing parts, being told she's not right for this or that enough times, that losing on DWTS will seem pretty minute. Yes, in the moment last night it sucked and she was open with her emotions because I imagine she just felt so disappointed because she was working so hard and clearly was having a blast. Not to mention I know she and Mark CLEARLY did not see it coming so they were unprepared. But in the grand scheme of things, yeah I'm sure she'll be fine.

 

I have to say though, I wasn't in love with the ninja jazz. Hearing Willow and Mark had futuristic jazz, I really felt that the immunity may have been sewn up for them, especially when they were positioned last in the individual round. Because I thought it was so perfect for Mark and his crazy mind, not to mention that the judging for Jazz and Contemporary tend to be far more liberal. But I didn't really love it and I agreed with Len that it really felt more like a series of poses than a dance. I also disagreed with Bruno, I think and one other judge about their synchronicity because that was one of the key things that bugged me - that they clearly weren't always in sync. 

 

Nastia's probably good enough that she could survive this week on her own, though on the other hand, she hasn't exactly been lighting the place up with charisma this season, so who knows how big her Derek-free fanbase would be.

 

 

Call it a gut feeling, again the same one that told me Willow was not getting the viewer votes as expected and likely the same with Riker, but I really think Nastia's voting base may be much bigger than some realize. 

 

Personality-wise, Derek's just kind of there for me.  But I do grow weary of the fawning and overexposure.

 

 

Here's the thing though, I honestly feel like I read more about how the show is "all about Derek - it's Derek, Derek" than the show actually being all about Derek. As is always the case, Derek and whoever his celebrity is, are one pair. There is a whole hour plus show with a number of other pairings, which means focus on him and his celebrity is usually at best five minutes or so. Last night, we got their package and the dance and then Nastia won immunity and so she didn't dance again. 

 

Rumer got two packages - daddy Bruce's visit was so special it needed its own package separate from the one of her almost getting injured. And then six other couples, aside from Nastia danced, then there was the dance off and yet, so many of the comments are focusing on Derek's daring to show up in Nastia's less than two minute number, even though he is still technically her Pro.

 

I guess it's just for me, I often watched this show on DVR which let me just say is the best viewing ever and so I just think it's so easy to pretty much ignore Derek if he bothers one that much. But it almost feels like if there aren't weekly comments about how awful, egotistical, conspiracy, conspiracy, etc. with regards to Derek, there'd be nothing to talk about.

 

Derek was unnecessary last night, selfish, and frankly giftwrapped the audience all the proof we need to conclude that his partnership with Nastia was never truthfully about Nastia. Would he die without the spotlight? One can only assume.

 

 

Derek had a similar style choreography (sans singing and the troupe members) with funny enough, Sasha again, during last season's Samba with Bethany. And he wasn't injured, Sasha wasn't scheduled to dance with Bethany - instead he just choreographed a piece that included Sasha a lot in the dance, so much so that I remembered watching the dance and thinking "did he think this week was trio week?" The point being that I don't think just because Derek "inserted" himself in the number is testament to some raging selfishness. And instead, maybe he just wanted to feel like he was still being a Pro for Nastia, because again he technically is still her Pro, in however small way he could. 

 

What is it going to take to get Noah off my screen?  The dude is completely clueless; he AGAIN said he didn't like the pre-dance package because it made Sharna look bad and he felt "protective" of her.  Let me make it easier for you, Sharna didn't look bad in last week's clip, YOU did.

 

 

I'll be honest, I didn't pay that much attention to the kerfuffle with him and the package last week and didn't understand why some were commenting on his lack of self awareness. But after last night, I get it. Did Noah really think Sharna was the one who looked bad in that package because I hate to break it to him, she didn't. He was the one being dismissive, rude and complaining and whinging. That he looked at that and thought only she looked bad says something about him. 

 

I have mixed feelings on Riker's performance; when I looked at him and only him I quite liked the dance. However, when I looked at both Allison and Riker dancing I despised the routine.

 

 

While I liked that we finally got something a little slower and less manic from them after weeks of full speed ahead, the slower speed kind of worked against it being a Quickstep and most of the dance felt a little sleepy to me. Also I felt like Riker's shoulders were a bit hunched at points and I think Carrie Ann commented on the height difference maybe being a problem. About the only thing I loved was the last few seconds with the tap dancing even though yes I noticed none of the judges commented on their breaking hold. 

 

I didn't see that, yes, she had chemistry with Sasha, however I think she has chemistry with Derek too.

 

 

Agreed. As I noted in her thread, I think Nastia has shown good performance abilities many times and looked like she is genuinely having fun. I thought she looked like she was having a blast in her Foxtrot, Samba and again, despite whatever nonsense the judges were prattling on about last week, I thought her coldness worked for the Tango. Where she has faltered are the dances that call for some kind of passionate chemistry, like the Rumba. And so I thought she did fine last night with Sasha but the Charleston isn't exactly a challenge in terms of chemistry - it just required her to play to the audience more than anything else and have fun jumping around. 

 

He's in it to win it and anytime his celebrity misses out on being bottom two, he always goes on to win.

 

 

Bethany was never in jeopardy last season and she came fourth. 

 

Finally, I have a suspicion that the judges are trying to lull Chris' fanbase into a false sense of confidence and security to ensure he goes home. The fawning over what was an average Foxtrot in my opinion, just seemed way too over the top and the blatant bullshit about it being "close" with him and Rumer in the dance off versus the obvious truth that he stood no chance. It just makes me think they're trying to get rid of him.

Edited April 28, 2015 by truthaboutluv

[tobysmom]

So sorry to see Willow go.  I was hoping to see her and Mark in the finals.  I can't believe how much I've changed about Mark; I have really gotten to like him, his crazy outfits and his choreography.

 

To see her go before Noah (who I have a ton of respect for), Robert and Chris is a shame.  It does go to show who the voting demographic is.

 

LOVE Tom!!!  "I'm going to stop being a host for a minute and be a dad" 

 

I have no problem with Derek choreographing Nastia's dance.  I have no problem with Derek in the dance (as others have mentioned - most dancing any more have multiple troupe dancers in them).  What I do have a problem with is Derek making himself the focal point of the dance (and for goodness sake singing) and of the judging.

[Apocalypse Cow]

Thought Alison's era didn't particularly suit either her or Riker.  Is there anyone who likes her choreo out there?

 

I actually enjoy Allison's and Riker's dances usually the most.  I think she is one of the more inventive/creative choreographers, and he is a good male dancer.  I like high energy and there's usually is high energy and fun to watch. I thought they should have won the dance off just for being more gritty and sexy.  

 

I am shocked to say this, but Mark has really grown on me the past few seasons.  He is amazing with younger contestants. I do think that his choreography gets the better of him, and he does have a tendency to overdance with a partner, but he seems just to be an all-around nice guy. 

[coaster]

 

what was up with Erin's extra special "make special note of the phone number/we're saying this for a reason" during Rumer/Val's vote shilling?

Yeah, what was up with that? "Look down at your phone when you vote! This is their number! I'm saying this for a reason!" Well, what was that reason? Did something happen with the voting last week? That was weird.

 

I thought it was cute to have Derek in it, though I know that's not going to be a thing everyone (anyone?) agrees on.

The way I thought he was originally describing it (maybe I was crazy) was that he would be sort of disguised and would turn up at the end as having been next to Andy the whole time. I might have thought that was cute. Or if he had attempted to blend in with the rest of the others. Inserting himself between Sasha and Nastia at every possible opportunity? Would have been clever if this had been the trio dance.

[anony mouse]

Honestly, I thought that the powers-that-be would give the immunity to Riker so Rumer and Nastia would face off;, then you would have Robert vs. Noah, and Willow vs. Chris.  Did the judges not get the memo?  Or did Allison screw the pooch by NOT picking Rumer?

 

Yeah, I got the sense the Allison went off script there. When they even showed Val beforehand saying you pick someone who is at your level to be "honorable" or whatever, it's been pretty clear in past seasons what the matches were supposed to be. I think it was supposed to be Riker vs. Rumer, Willow vs. Noah/Chris/Robert, and then the other two face off. And that whoever went up against Willow was actually supposed to get the boot. But Allison flubbed it. You could even hear her rambling when they still had her miked - she was going for a strategy, rather than following the script.

[Avidviewer]

Rumer has run into three issues: no visible fanbase of her own, the judges turning the tables on her  and the TPTB editing.

 

We all know a win takes contestant fanbase, the pro's fanbase and a portion of the general viewing audience. Rumer doesn't have a well known body of work that generated her own fanbase and that is what is hurting her.

 

The judges are twisting in the wind with their critiques. For at least three weeks she was told she was fierce and sharp, but that they needed to see something else. The samba gave her the ability to add some acting into the dance. Then last week we had jazz where each judge's opinion varied: Len - too raunchy, Julianne - didn't do enough with the choreography, CAI - didn't see what makes you special.  Last night, Tom commented  after the dance "someone made a charismatic recovery".

 

Her packages seem to reflect the week rather than TPTB creating an overall narrative for her which does impact how the audience sees her. With regards to Val's choreography, other than the jazz number, he has given her significant content  (e.g Louis Van Amstel blog).

 

I want to know who is voting for Chris. He has showed an improvement but not enough to be in the last six pairs.

Edited April 28, 2015 by Avidviewer

[Primetimer]

The couples have to perform dances in the style of a particular historical era, or at least pay lip service to that notion.

Read the story

[Snarklepuss]

Stop Julianne and Carrie Ann from wearing their dresses backwards, please.

Last night's show was a production mess. Not the usual polished show.

We saw them breaking down sets, Carrie Ann got loose from her restraints and accosted Nastia in front of the judes' table, Erin's misreading of the cue card about who has the hihest score/immunity, the rushed ending with Willow being blind sided.

The camera man was confused...keeping Derek in the center of the shot or Nastia?

Derek, of course.

 

Yes, and then during the face-off dances the other couples seemed to miss their cue about getting off stage, to which Erin quipped, "This is why it's important to come to dress rehearsal".  Perhaps there was some mishap that prevented the show from having a successful dress rehearsal this week?

[peachmangosteen]

Derek is truly something else. I can't even imagine what it'd be like to spend any length of time with him. I would go insane having to be around that kind of arrogance for more than a few minutes. That being said, I almost can't even blame him since obviously TPTB do everything in their power to coddle him, prop him, stroke his ego, etc.

Edited April 28, 2015 by peachmangosteen

[Thadeeeyus]

I am shocked to say this, but Mark has really grown on me the past few seasons.  He is amazing with younger contestants. I do think that his choreography gets the better of him, and he does have a tendency to overdance with a partner, but he seems just to be an all-around nice guy. 

 

I feel the same way.  I was annoyed by Mark for several seasons, but he's been drawing me in the past couple of years with his partnerships.  He seems to be their go-to male pro for certain types of contestants, those who they maybe want to protect from the harsher aspects of the show or something. Maybe he has a more gentle teaching style. 

 

So sorry to see Willow go.  I didn't think she was a great dancer but she was loving the experience and her enthusiasm was contagious. 

 

I'm also wondering who's voting for Chris. I didn't think he was well-liked as a bachelor. 

 

I enjoyed Rumer's jive quite a bit and thought her foxtrot was the best dance of the night!   The scoring on the jive just makes me laugh. No, you can't take this show seriously. 

[Buggin]

Derek's a huge control freak. It's how his personality is so I know it's hard for him, but you can see how unwilling he was to relinquish any control to Sasha. It's fine if he wants to choreograph but I feel if Sasha is going to be Nastia's dance partner, he should have some say in how the dance comes together because what might work for Nastia and Derek might need some tweaking for Nastia and Sasha. Sasha's such a good sport, though, so he'll just do as he's directed. He's such a breath of fresh air that I'd love to see footage of him teaching Nastia. I enjoyed his partnership with Snooki.

 

Also, hell yes to the men in tuxedos. Loved a classy opening number. I can't stand the club grinding numbers they do so often now.

[DancingD]

I like Derek very much, and think he is extremely talented. He's the star of the show, no doubt. Didn't mind him being so involved in choreography, being in the dance, even the singing. I minded that Erin didn't even ask Nastia a question after, and talked to Derek. And thought it was weird that Derek was always in the middle of the threesome instead of you know, the girl. Sasha and Nastia both deserve a little more respect.

 

Willow made me sad. She's a sweet girl and was having so much fun! I hope she's ok.

 

Bad package for Rumer, Val looked bad. Don't hurt your partner, Val.

 

Also very weird dance for Riker during the dance off. Allison needs to avoid the bare midriff outfits, she's not soft and girly at all. And she dances SO aggressively it's just not good sometimes. 

[2LeftFeet]

Well, bummed about that. Enjoyed Willow very much. But we always knew it was a possibility...she's not really one to appeal to the target demographic. Then last week her dance was cute, but not outstanding and since she was good and had good scores the fanbase she has might have been lulled into feeling safe. Should be proud, though, I thought she did great and showed a great attiude. And Mark did fantastic with her, kudos to him and Tom for managing to comfort her there at the end and deescalating the situation somewhat, since she was already so devastated. Though this did to some degree confirm something I was worried about: She might be poised and mature for her age, but she's 14 and the pressures and mindgames of the show might have been too much for her anyway. Mark did his best to shield her and her experience otherwise seemed a happy one...I hope she doesn't take getting eliminated too much to heart and thinks something is wrong with her etc.

Agree with props for both. Don't know if child labor laws have changed over the past 20 years, since I last dealt with them. Then, restrictions on under 16 were greater than 16-18. If that is still the case, I was worried how 4-5 hours a day would work for them when they had to perform two complete dances. Sad to see her go, but wouldn't have enjoyed potential frustration by both Willow and Mark if rehearsal limitations made for less polished or more simplified performances.

She did a great job, set a record on DWTS and Mark showed his considerable instructional, coaching, and choreography skills. They had an excellent run.

[Padma]

Riker's a bit sloppy with his feet, arms and posture at time, but you can see he works hard and puts everything he has into his performances. I expected F4 to be Riker, Willow, Nastia and Rumer, so Willow's early departure was pretty shocking (and the loss of Mark's choreography is a big disappointment.)

 

Noah's a strong guy, but he needed to go home, not to get a completely undeserved "10" from CAI.

 

Maybe there's a problem with the voting demographic somehow and TPTB are surprised that some of the better pairs aren't getting strong votes. Perhaps that explains Erin's strange plea for votes for Rumer and Val. It would be really too bad if they left before Noah, Chris and Robert. Since Nastia seems to struggle with audience identification/affection, and Riker, though good, has trouble with his frame and sometimes with his steps, it would be funny (in a way) if F3 turned out to be Noah, Chris and Robert. At this rate, it seems possible.

[Thadeeeyus]

Agree with props for both. Don't know if child labor laws have changed over the past 20 years, since I last dealt with them. Then, restrictions on under 16 were greater than 16-18. If that is still the case, I was worried how 4-5 hours a day would work for them when they had to perform two complete dances. Sad to see her go, but wouldn't have enjoyed potential frustration by both Willow and Mark if rehearsal limitations made for less polished or more simplified performances.

 

When Mark was on Afterbuzz a couple of weeks ago, he mentioned that Willow had to take off an additional day every week, like Shawn did. He didn't mention the number of hours, though. 

[Snarklepuss]

Maybe there's a problem with the voting demographic somehow and TPTB are surprised that some of the better pairs aren't getting strong votes. Perhaps that explains Erin's strange plea for votes for Rumer and Val. It would be really too bad if they left before Noah, Chris and Robert. Since Nastia seems to struggle with audience identification/affection, and Riker, though good, has trouble with his frame and sometimes with his steps, it would be funny (in a way) if F3 turned out to be Noah, Chris and Robert. At this rate, it seems possible.

 

I think they put certain stars on the show in hopes of attracting a younger audience, but the audience continues to be decidedly older and female so the voting reflects who that group typically likes.  With Rumer they probably thought they would have the best of both worlds because if older people don't know her, they would remember her parents.  Also I think fewer people are watching the show live so the voting will be skewed in favor of those who are actually in front of the TV within an hour of the show.  I think more older people would be in that group and not in possession of a DVR or know how to watch stuff online.  I'm 56 and I just don't get the way the voting is going this year.  Perhaps they should ask for people's ages when they vote to see how the votes are distributed by age and for which stars.

 

BTW, I think a Noah/Chris/Robert finale is possible because I can see how the typical older female audience would like them over the others.  I am definitely not typical by any means so note that I would not vote for them myself.  The only time I was typical was during the Donny Osmond season, but I give myself a break on that because I was his #1 biggest teenybopper fan back in the day....Yep, I am secure enough to admit that, LOL.

Edited April 28, 2015 by Snarklepuss

[majormama]

Does anyone know, do the extra points from the dance off count for last night's elimination, next week's elimination, or both? Obviously, it would be possible for the person with immunity to have otherwise been the boot, but I'm not sure about the dance offs. If it did count for last night, poor Willow got the bonus points and still didn't move ahead of Chris, Riker, or Robert, but I wonder if Noah, Rumer, or Nastia could have been passed without their respective bonuses/immunity.

[Woodrose]

This season has lost it's sparkle and joy and heart with the loss of Miss Patti and Willow.  My two favorites, gone in two shocking, sad eliminations.  

 

Someone mentioned above that they thought Willow skipped the rope line, but she was there doing interviews, looking OK.  Here's one with some sweet comments from Mark:

http://www.eonline.com/news/651003/mark-ballas-praise-of-willow-shields-is-the-sweetest-thing-you-ll-hear-today

 

I really enjoyed the creativity and imagination Mark and Willow brought to each of their dances; I'll miss them.  

[Fliz]

But it almost feels like if there aren't weekly comments about how awful, egotistical, conspiracy, conspiracy, etc. with regards to Derek, there'd be nothing to talk about.

 

I agree, but I'd add that I get tired of these types of comments about Val as well. Both pros certainly have their camps.

 

As much as I hate it when they do the partner switch, I'd like to see how Riker would do with a different pro.

 

By the way Rumer was holding her head during her jive, I guessed that perhaps she was guarding her neck. She seemed more relaxed during her foxtrot.

 

I may have missed it, but I didn't see Chris' fiancée front and center in the audience as usual. Has she bailed already?

 

I have come to like Mark. I can't believe I just typed that.

[Adeejay]

I'm also wondering who's voting for Chris. I didn't think he was well-liked as a bachelor.

 

I think that only a fraction of Bachelor/ette fans post on the message boards, and most of them tend to dislike the lead.  It wouldn't surprise me to learn that Chris is pulling the most votes. 

[OakGoblinFly]

Finally, I have a suspicion that the judges are trying to lull Chris' fanbase into a false sense of confidence and security to ensure he goes home. The fawning over what was an average Foxtrot in my opinion, just seemed way too over the top and the blatant bullshit about it being "close" with him and Rumer in the dance off versus the obvious truth that he stood no chance. It just makes me think they're trying to get rid of him.

 

 

I think if you compare Chris' routine directly with Rumer's Foxtrot, then, yes there is no contest.  However, what I think the judges were trying to (rather badly) say is that comparing Chris on a scale with himself and Rumer on a scale with herself the dance was close - I can see that as I thought both dances had a good bit of content, were musical, and danced well.  On pure technique Rumer is always going to beat Chris.  Chris had a good night (for Chris).

 

Then again, I could be completely off base (and with these judges that is entirely within the realm of possibility).

[smiley13]

Guess I will be switching my votes to Chris now.  It would have been Noah if he was with someone other than Sharna.  Her garish, fake hair is so distracting and she manages to tart up everything she does.

 

Nastia is out for me due to Golden Boy, Riker is a liar with an annoying partner, Rumor is just ugh, and Robert seems to be backsliding instead of improving.

 

What a disappointment this season has become with Willow/Mark gone.

[2LeftFeet]

I'm starting to get Charlie White flashbacks - someone doing a great job who's getting nitpicked and lower than reasonable scores. It's especially peculiar when Len made a big effort earlier in the season to talk about how he judges everyone against each other and has to be fair with, I think, Noah's scores. I don't think Rumer's dance was perfect - the song seemed slow for a jive - but she danced it well, and I liked the non-fierce approach.

 

I didn't see anger. I thought he really thought they were going home. It looked more like he couldn't believe he'd screwed this up and let her down. But then I don't really see Val having more of an ego than the other pros.

 

(clipped)

 

I still don't know what games TPTB are playing with Riker, but I didn't like the asking for and getting a 10 from Len for an ok dance. I would have been fine with a 10 from Bruno or Carrie Ann since their scoring is pretty much a joke anyway. I liked Riker just fine before I started feeling like the show was trying to manipulate me but I'm liking him less and less the more they overscore and fake jeopardy and tell me how great he is in contrast to everyone else. They need to ease back on the storylining with Riker. I like Riker a lot more when it doesn't seem like they're forcing him on me.

 

(clipped)

 

Giving some serious Charlie side eye to the judges and production. Also, the past two weeks had a bit of the vibe of S18 Week 8, when that dreadful Abby Lee Miller ascended from Dance Mom Hell to inflict her nastiness on some, and fawning flirtation with others. Add to this, I think Val gets some of the Maks 'ballroom purist' treatment: an expectation of very, very clean dances, when others do not seem to be held to the same standard. Thus, a lot of action, but not the high stepping Jive so many enjoy. A fun, clean dance.  I enjoyed it, but know others felt a bit 'meh' about it.

 

Rumer said something in the Skybox about having tattoos and black hair doesn't mean that dance wasn't her, also. This made me sad. Said the cute/fun is also part of her personality. Didn't like the damned if you do/damned if you don't from CAI, but as most agree, her cray-cray was on overdrive last night.

Did anyone listen to Tallulah's response to Geffin in the Skybox about which dancers she favored, besides Rumer? Scout and Tallulah love Sharkaroo- shippers, lol. Went for the kill regarding Riker - 'I've heard a rumor he's got experience'. Geffin backed away from that one like a stunt driver in a movie complete with squealing tires, say, 'not being able to say anything about it' and 'I have nothing to say' Everyone is sucked into keeping Rikers competitive background a secret. Including the four who competed against him in Latin Open competitions as teens.

It's absurd. If the show finally has to 'fess up, it's going to look horrible this late in the season. Even if nothing ever revealed, it's another legitimate strike against production and Riker, who is clearly onboard with the deception.

 

[Alapaki]

Well, I've been sitting out commented this season, for the most part.  But then they go and put on a show like last nights, that was so knolly I'm surprised they didn't just move the production to Dealey Plaza.

 

As far as the elimination goes, I don't think they actually tinker with the voting.  But if Willow legitimately got the lowest total of points + votes, that means that she drew less votes than literally everyone else in the field except Riker (she was tied with Nastia for 2nd last week).  I suppose that's possible, as she may have a small vote-base for herself.  But I'd think that Mark has a decent voter-base.

 

I'm not sure that giving Nastia immunity was a move to protect Derek (unless she really did come in last in points + votes).  I have a hard time believing that an Olympian and Derek would pull less votes than Mark and the-one-who-isn't-Jennifer-Lawrence-from-Hunger-Games.

 

And, if TPTB wanted to tilt the field in Derek's favor, as shown below, keeping Nastia out of the Dance-Off actually dragged her adjusted-score down.

 

If anything, I think giving immunity to Nastia and not Willow means that TPTB were okay with Willow going home instead of whoever came in second-to-last.

 

I don't for a minute believe anything Tom says about the timing of the double-elimination being canceled.  Rather, I think TPTB were unhappy with whomever finished next to last in voting (and was therefore saved by canceling the double-elimination).  Double-eliminations, IMO, are typically used by TPTB to get rid of someone whom they really don't want there but who never seems to end up dead-last.

 

Which brings us to last night's knollery:

 

Scores before Dance Off (not including Willow's scores, b/c I'm not sure if they count):

 

Nastia: 18.45%

Riker: 17.96%

Noah: 17.47%

Rumer: 16.99%

Chris: 15.05%

Robert: 15.05%

 

Scores after the Dance Off:

 

Noah: 17.92%

Nastia: 17.92%

Riker: 17.45%

Rumer: 17.45%

Chris: 14.62%

Robert 14.62%

 

That tells me TPTB want Chris and Robert gone before Noah and before Rumer (claiming Rumer was "in jeopardy" last night was also meant to goose her votes for next week, I believe).

 

I wouldn't be completely surprised if Noah didn't come in second-to-last, especially coming off a night with the intro-package that made him look bad.  

 

*Further evidence for scores being pre-determined: we get an intro package of Riker just longing for a "10 from Len".  He then proceeds to perform a flawed performance that probably doesn't crack his own top-3 of the season.  And yet, there's the 10 from Len.

Edited April 28, 2015 by Alapaki

[luvthepros]

....I must say I prefer Nastia with Sasha. I felt a connection between the two of them. In six weeks, never felt one with her and Derek.

Isn't that basically what one of the judges said too? I don't remember which one said it but it really hit me when it was said that Nastia had a good connection with Sasha. Surely made Derek appear to be the problem with their "connection".

[HappilyEverAfter]

Big Riker fan here!! He is hot! Ok said it.. I love watching him dance with his tush poked out! Not the best but he is at least top 4. Allison has great legs OMG! Noah is no Amy Purdy. Please let him go home. I get he is a great man but not a great dancer. Sharna does the work and makes the dance look great! Rumer & Val I love too but their smugness bothers me. Nastia has a huge fan base because of her past success and of course Derek gets votes because of his fan base. I think any season Derek is blessed with votes no matter who he is with because he is DEREK! Willow being 14 is so mature to have to be judged and be so disciplined and prepared each week. At 14 I was nowhere near as disciplined. Robert is cute with Kym. That is about it. I don't think he is a good dancer. He needs to go. Chris is improving and in my opinion is what the show started out being about. People with no dance experience evolving. In my opinion he has had to work the hardest to get to where he is. It was obvious he was a heavy footed awkward dancer coming into this. By the way, has anyone noticed how drop dead gorgeous Witney is? I think she is anyway and always love watching her dance.

[2LeftFeet]

An interesting point was made about those voting, (excepting power voters), may well skew older/female. Makes me wonder if Willow/Mark didn't get some of the votes they might have, simply because some of those older viewers disapproved of having a 14 year old on the show? My mom would totally withold votes due to that, if she were still alive.

[viajero]

This episode provides a perfect example of why it`s hard to take this show seriously.  Willow going home before the likes of Chris, Robert and Noah?  Noah getting higher scores from the judges than Rumer? 

[katha]

An interesting point was made about those voting, (excepting power voters), may well skew older/female. Makes me wonder if Willow/Mark didn't get some of the votes they might have, simply because some of those older viewers disapproved of having a 14 year old on the show? My mom would totally withold votes due to that, if she were still alive.

The "shocking eliminations" on DWTS are never really shocking. Willow this week was always a possibility if you paid attention (I paid attention since I wanted her to stay, sniff).  She comes with fragile, young fanbase that probably isn't even that big anyway. Her dance last week was good  and wouldn't have been a problem for someone with a more solid following, for her it spelled death. Since at least part of the older/female demo of the general audience as you say probably isn't predisposed to vote for her anyway and another part is just more invested in people like Robert with his showmance and persona, Noah's inspirational story or they're apparently Bachelor Nation crossover demo. She needs an outstanding dance, not "only" a good one, to get votes from the general audience..And who knows, perhaps even that wouldn't have been enough either.

 

I've said last week that I fear for her, I've seen many other people say so as well: If you've watched the show for a while you recognize danger for candidates like that. Chris, Noah and Robert weren't that far away with their scores and they appeal to the core demo in a way Willow doesn't. I was hoping she'd perhaps somehow squeak by and I could watch them dance for another week, but even that tells you everything  you need to know already: If not this week, I was preparing for the boot next week. It's been coming, unfortunately. )-:

Edited April 28, 2015 by katha

[smiley13]

An interesting point was made about those voting, (excepting power voters), may well skew older/female. Makes me wonder if Willow/Mark didn't get some of the votes they might have, simply because some of those older viewers disapproved of having a 14 year old on the show? My mom would totally withold votes due to that, if she were still alive.

Well this female, who is probably considered "older" by the show's demographic, loves Willow and thinks that she is just adorable.  I was afraid at first of how a 14 year old would do, but Willow showed that she is more than capable of doing the job.  Her dances were tasteful, age appropriate, and most importantly, very good.  Why would anyone disapprove of that?

[sinkwriter]

 

Giving Nastia immunity for absolutely no reason.

 

While I raised an eyebrow at Erin's comment, which seemed to show the immunity for Nastia was pre-planned, the more I thought about it, the more I wouldn't be surprised if that were actually the case. Not because they want to give Nastia an edge, but because her partner was injured. If she didn't have immunity and ended up going home next because her scores + viewer votes weren't enough, I could see the powers that be worrying about an outcry that she didn't get a fair shake because her partner was injured and she wasn't as used to dancing with Sasha and she wasn't prepared to do a dance-off with someone who's not her usual partner, etc.

 

I'm fine with her getting immunity this week. She was at more of a disadvantage under the circumstances, so it didn't need to go to Rumer or Riker, and frankly it's time for Chris and Noah to go home so I wouldn't have wanted them to get it, and Robert I'm on the fence about. Willow's the only other one that I would have been cool about getting immunity; I'm so sorry she went home this soon. I was enjoying her performances.