S20.E14: Week 10: Finals Week

[RemoteControl88]

What was going on with the vocals for Noah's dance? That is all.

[Andiethewestie]

Riker was sloppy in the freestyle and Noah was sloppy on the Argentine Tango.  That's why I'm rooting for the last girl to win.  I also loved that she sang and Val played violin on the song.  Really cool how they layered their talent. 

Edited May 19, 2015 by Andiethewestie

[howmanywords]

Maybe I've just been watching this show too long and have seen too many amazing freestyles but after tonight I'm still sitting here going "huh"? I've never been so underwhelmed.  Noah made me tear up but I'm not going to vote for that reason, and I thought while Riker and Allison had a fun freestyle something was missing the way Allison said it was going to be big. Dont even get me started on Val. To me that wasnt even a freestyle and I dont think he knows how to choreograph one. For me I like freestyles that are risky and show a lot of well put together choreography. All I saw with this was an Argentine tango and the whole vibe felt like what they've done all season.

[crowceilidh]

I really enjoyed all the re-dos and thought I saw big improvement in Noah (despite the rough moments, his will didn't crash and neither did the emotion on his face) and Rumer.  Loved watching the Sparrow Paso, because it was fun.  Still don't like Riker.

 

I thought Sharna's freestyle was genius.  I thought he danced it very well.  I wish people could see it danced by someone like Will Wingfield and then by Noah just to show that people are just seeing his disability over his ability.  I have no desire to see Noah win - the rah rah patriotism stuff makes me vaguely ill, but Sharna and Noah did their job and did it well. I guess the best I can say is that, after that dance, I will no longer be epically pissed off with America if Noah wins.  I'll just be mildly p.o.ed.

 

I thought Riker had a really bad placement, dancing after that.  The outfit and hairstyle didn't suit him (he looked schmarmy) nor did the dance and all he did was provide a buffer for Rumer and Val that gave me time to recover emotionally from Noah's dance and appreciate theirs.

 

Val and Rumer were gorgeous - I agree with the comment upthread that her enjoyment of this night made her a winner for me.  

[crossover]

The way it's set up now, I would say Rumer is the winner.  They didn't mind Noah getting to the finals.  They just don't want him to win.  With an 8 point deficit, I'd be shocked if his fanbase is large enough to make it up.  By them scoring Rumer and Riker the same, I'd say Rumer's fanbase must be larger.  Riker is the better dancer.  Rumer didn't even do a freestyle.  Her routines kind of remind me of Edyta and the football player.  He had one personality down and did 3 or 4 moves great. Edyta tried to put them in every routine.  But they've been showing Rumer's parents since week 1 and people seem to have responded..

[Andiethewestie]

A freestyle is just that. Free. To do anything you want, not do something that's dictated by what went before. I think by slowing it down we could see the absolute gorgeous dancing from Rumer.  

[DietCokeJunkie]

I wonder if TPTB told Val and Allison to tone it down to stay more in line with what Sharna could do with Noah. Maybe they were trying to level the field, but we ended up with a boatload of "meh." 

[skittl3862]

How come Riker got to re-do a really high scoring dance? I thought the whole point was to re-do a lower scoring dance to improve on it, like the others did. Trying to improve from a 38 to a 40 is BS. They wanted a fan favorite dance to win over voters.

 

The female vocals on Titanium were awful. It was so bad it was distracting. I did think the routine was the best Noah has done all season, because he didn't have to meet any dance standards and they could choreograph entirely around his abilities. Which is the point of freestyle. Not really the point of the rest of the show, which is why he shouldn't be here.

 

Riker's freestyle seemed really busy, but it didn't seem to have that much content. Not sure how that's possible. Hordes dancing about and a lot of time wasting on transitions between the platform. I kind of expected better from them. I didn't like the song or the style.

 

I liked the idea of Rumer's freestyle. It was very them, but I could have seen this on any other week, not necessarily the finale freestyle.

 

I think it's a toss-up. Between Noah and the conservative states, Riker and the angry Derek fans, and Rumer and apparently the Russian mafia as some believe, I don't think I'd be surprised with any outcome.

Edited May 19, 2015 by skittl3862

[howmanywords]

How come Riker got to re-do a really high scoring dance? I thought the whole point was to re-do a lower scoring dance to improve on it, like the others did. Trying to improve from a 38 to a 40 is BS. They wanted a fan favorite dance to win over voters.

Shades of Witney and Alfonso being handed their Jive to re-do. It was their very first dance but it was also the dance that got straight 9's out of the gate week 1.  I always thought it was stupid they were given that when that dance would have easily gotten 10's if it wasnt week 1. As much as I loved the Pirate Paso it made no sense in terms of a dance needing to be better.

[COESpiral]

Really underwhelming finale. I think of the three freestyles, Sharna's choreo won the night, but I think Rumer's dancing was the best. I've tried to call and vote for Rumer but the phone is busy every time I try.

[Andiethewestie]

I had trouble voting so I resorted to Facebook to vote.

[truthaboutluv]

All I could think watching these freestyles was that we lost Willow and Nastia for this. Say what you will about them but Derek and Mark would have at least brought something interesting and with Mark, well the line between genius and batshit crazy is always close, so at the least, you know what he would have done for Willow would have been memorable. Not only were these freestyles hardly amazing and fresh, they were completely not memorable. I do not see myself remembering any of those freestyles in seasons to come. Hell, James and Peta's freestyle was more interesting than anything I saw there tonight. 

Edited May 19, 2015 by truthaboutluv

[tessaforever]

Re-watching the freestyles, I think that Allison really fell down on this one. Both Noah and Rumer's dances had an arc - a story - that I could follow (even though I'm not a big fan of Noah). But Riker and Allison's dance just felt very one-note and there was no thread to follow. It just did not work for me.

 

Based completely on my own set of rules (my gut instinct, and Facebook and Twitter comments), I would say that Rumer has it. (*grin*)

[crowceilidh]

 

As much as I loved the Pirate Paso it made no sense in terms of a dance needing to be better.

Although it DOES explain why they didn't choose that dance to be their favourite on "The Road to the Finals".  Esp silly as they then call it their favourite dance tonight.

[newyawk]

How come Riker got to re-do a really high scoring dance? 

Wasn't Rumer's waltz ALSO a reenactment of a high scoring dance? 

 

I'm curious, because I found Riker's dances to be very precise and well executed. I didn't see anything sloppy about them.

[ChicksDigScars]

I liked Rumer and Val's freestyle. Val even said in the pre-package that he tried the big assed flashy production, and it just wasn't him, He's right. It's Derek and Mark's thing...especially when they're trying to camouflage a partner's flaws. Didn't Maks and Meryl win with a solo freestyle that didn't have an elaborate stage production? Go with what works. Val is a dramatic dancer. It's what he does best. That dance was perfect for Val and Rumer, I certainly can't picture them coming out and boot stomping to Cowboy Troy!

 

The standing O for Noah and Sharna was just a continuation of the judge's pandering. I switched over to The Voice during their comments so that I didn't have to listen to Carrie Ann's blubbering and the other's tongue baths. Basically, I watched Sharna dancing around Noah. Yes, he's inspirational and looks great shirtless, but really, Nastia should have been dancing there (with Sasha!)

 

Riker's freestyle was off for me, I don't know why. I don't think it merited a 40. Maybe a 38. 

 

And Rumer's phone line was impossible to get through on. I hope that's a GOOD omen and not that there's some phone line shenanigans going on.

 

 

 

Wasn't Rumer's waltz ALSO a reenactment of a high scoring dance?

 

Sort of, but not really. It was their Week One dance, and they had scored a 32. It was the highest scoring dance of Week One, but probably one of Rumer and Val's lower scoring dances overall. If memory serves, they got a 7, two 8's and a 9? Maybe straight 8's, since they rarely give anything higher than an 8 on  the first week. And wasn't it a Cha-cha?

Edited May 19, 2015 by ChicksDigScars

[Kerri Johnson]

I can't believe Noah's freestyle was the best. I actually saw some dancing from him.

 

Rumer's would've been an awesome Argentine Tango. Dissappointed in Val. It's a good thing the rest of their body of work is awesome because they don't deserve to win based on that.

 

Erin was rude to RedFoo telling him to shoo away when I think Chris and other people were dancing in their little circle. Erin should just let her cattiness shine instead of trying to hide it and failing. 

[SophiaPehawkins]

Wasn't Rumer's waltz ALSO a reenactment of a high scoring dance?

 

Sort of, but not really. It was their Week One dance, It was the highest scoring dance of Week One, which means that it probably got 8's from the judges, since they rarely give anything higher than an 8 on  the first week. And wasn't it a Cha-cha?

 

 

I believe it was a foxtrot. Doing a dance from week one I think is totally in line with redoing a dance to show improvements. Ryker and Allison redid a dance in which they scored a 38. 

Edited May 19, 2015 by SophiaPehawkins

[Avidviewer]

Wasn't Rumer's waltz ALSO a reenactment of a high scoring dance? 

 

I'm curious, because I found Riker's dances to be very precise and well executed. I didn't see anything sloppy about them.

Actually it was a foxtrot  from week one, which scored all eights. For me Allison/Riker choose to redo one of their most popular dance. Typically, most pros choose to redo a dance to improve based on the judges critiques.

[Avidviewer]

Rumer's would've been an awesome Argentine Tango. Dissappointed in Val. It's a good thing the rest of their body of work is awesome because they don't deserve to win based on that.

I can see your point. But given that Allison is trained in jazz it had too much similarity to Kariina/Corbin and Witney/Alfonso.

[Stitsch]

I liked Rumer and Val's freestyle. Val even said in the pre-package that he tried the big assed flashy production, and it just wasn't him, He's right. It's Derek and Mark's thing...especially when they're trying to camouflage a partner's flaws. Didn't Maks and Meryl win with a solo freestyle that didn't have an elaborate stage production? Go with what works. That dance was perfect for Val and Rumer, I certainly can't picture them coming out and boot stomping to Cowboy Troy!

 

This is exactly why Rumer's freestyle was my favorite. So what if it wasn't a production? The point of the matter is that a flashy freestyle for Rumer wouldn't have made any sense. Instead, Val honored Rumer's journey on this show by stripping the freestyle down to a sharply performed and highly nuanced dance. For that reason, I'm impressed beyond words. It doesn't matter to me if it was "just another AT", because Val succeeded in accentuating her gorgeous lyricism as a dancer. Just as Allison had the freedom to choreograph a frenetic freestyle for Riker and Sharna the freedom to choreograph a freestyle for Noah that allowed him to fall back on the troupe/Mark for most of his movement, Val had the freedom to choreograph one that underscored Rumer's strengths. It was intricate without the obvious embellishments and made complete sense for them. 

 

I did find it interesting that Carrie Ann called Noah a champion, though. 

[Andiethewestie]

I was thrilled we got an AT/Contemporary for the Freestyle from Rumer and Val.. Actual discernable dance steps, much like my favorite Freestyles of the past, all of them had actual ballroom dance steps in them. A nice summing up what was taught and retained, with some showdance flair is precisely why it works well. The execution was flawless. 

[truthaboutluv]

I haven't gotten the impression people are declaring that Val and Rumer's freestyle had to be some production. I don't know where this notion that criticisms of the freestyle meant wanting to see them doing some foot stomping or production or hip hop whatever. Especially as there have been many freestyles that weren't "productions" - Tony/Melissa, Derek/Kellie, Maks/Meryl. My issue with the freestyle was as I stated, I watch the freestyles wanting to see something fresh and interesting and instead what I got from Val and Rumer was an AT. A beautiful and well danced AT but do you know how many beautiful AT's I've seen from Val - go look up the one he did with Meryl or his side by side challenge one with Zendaya.

 

So for me personally, no, I didn't need production and fanfare but what I did need and want to see is something different and something that made me think Val thought a little outside the box. Instead I came away feeling that after falling flat on his face in his first three trips to the finale, he second guessed and questioned his own abilities and pretty much decided to rest on "well the one thing I do know how to do is choreograph ballroom so I'll just do that and call it a fusion so it could pass as a freestyle."

 

And sure they very well may win, because the other two freestyles were hardly much to write home about either, and he has had a good season with Rumer but that freestyle damn sure didn't impress me or convince me that's the reason they should win. 

Edited May 19, 2015 by truthaboutluv

[Stitsch]

Especially as there have been many freestyles that weren't "productions" - Tony/Melissa, Derek/Kellie, Maks/Meryl. My issue with the freestyle was as I stated, I watch the freestyles wanting to see something fresh and interesting and instead what I got from Val and Rumer was an AT. 

 

Those were all contemporaries. We've seen a lot of those too. 

[PBGamer89]

Freestyle is exactly that, "free". As in no rules, you can literally do whatever. All these theories that you aren't allowed to do a ballroom or Latin style are just bullcrap.

 

I hated Riker's freestyle because it was just a poor man's version of Alfonso's or Jack's and they totally got out of sync on the table section and it went un-noticed. and Noah's was just another emotional, "look at my struggles/do as little of actual dancing as possible" routines.

 

So I found it refreshing to have Rumer's be actual dancing from step 1 to the last step. They never got to do any kind of Tango this season so it was nice to see that and having her dance to her version of the song was a nice added touch as well.

 

Riker may have the younger fans, but I still think Rumer will edge him out for the win tomorrow.

[truthaboutluv]

Those were all contemporaries. We've seen a lot of those too.

 

 

Yes, we've seen those because the show decided to make it a regular style on the show, which is why I have stated the show needs to do away with contemporary and jazz as styles during the season, along with limiting the troupe involvement. And for the record, I didn't love all those freestyles, just stating a person can do freestyles that aren't productions. Hell I wasn't wowed by Maks and Meryl's freestyle because I felt like it was just another contemporary number and much of what I'd seen from them throughout the season. Kellie and Derek's freestyle worked not just for the fact that she showed incredible athleticism and connection in the dance, but more that the other freestyles that season were pretty hot messes so hers just really stood out. 

 

In my opinion, many of the older freestyles weren't productions because the show didn't have troupe members and all that stuff happening and we still had Cheryl and Drew's freestyle, Mark and Shawn's freestyle, even Donald and Peta. They were exciting numbers yes, but they were just the couple on the floor dancing. My point is simply this - I didn't want or need Val to bring the whole troupe into his and Rumer's freestyle, and have lights and crazy costumes but what I was not expecting to see was simply an Argentine Tango. But again, as someone else noted, maybe the problem isn't the Pros - maybe it is the fact that with contemporary and jazz now established styles and the troupe in every dance, the options are very limited. 

 

All these theories that you aren't allowed to do a ballroom or Latin style are just bullcrap.

 

 

It's not that they are not allowed to do ballroom or Latin but that at one point, I do remember it being stated (but this was very long ago and so maybe it's not a rule anymore) that they weren't allowed to do a straight ballroom style for the freestyle - so not just come out and do a Cha Cha or a Jive or an AT. But I will give, that this is also what makes contemporary and jazz as added styles, a bit complicated. Although I guess they count as not ballroom styles so the rule doesn't apply or something, I don't know. 

Edited May 19, 2015 by truthaboutluv

[superdeluxe]

All I could think watching these freestyles was that we lost Willow and Nastia for this. Say what you will about them but Derek and Mark would have at least brought something interesting and with Mark, well the line between genius and batshit crazy is always close, so at the least, you know what he would have done for Willow would have been memorable.

 

Well, they didn't want anyone to show up Val at the end.  They got rid of his competition so that it would be an easy win for him.  Sucks that they're probably going to get the result that they designed for the entire season.  But maybe then Val will stop whining.

Edited May 19, 2015 by superdeluxe

[Andiethewestie]

Rumer and Val brought a show dance flair to the Argentine Tango, in a way that is refreshing and captivating. I loved the contemporary touches, the punch arm, the drawing in and pulling her into him, these aren't traditional Argentine Tango but the meshing of styles was seemless, for me it was a new take on a favorite style and that's what clicked for me. I wanted more.  I've always hoped someone would make Argentine Tango more of a freestyle dance in which you could showcase a lyrical quality as well as AT, and this one was great.  

Edited May 19, 2015 by Andiethewestie

[katha]

Eh, underwhelmed by all the freestyles. I guess Noah's was the "best" in the sense that it capitalized on all the things he is able to do and used it to tell his story and show him off to his advantage. Rumer's was a nice AT, but didn't wow me. Riker's didn't really work for me either, though I do commend Allison for going out of her comfort zone and doing something that she thought would play to his strengths, even though it didn't necessarily play to hers.

 

I'd be okay with anyone winning it at this point. Rumer was perhaps the best of the ones still around, I've had issues with Val's choreo to some degree throughout the season, but that's not her fault and she did great. Riker IMO was similarly hampered somewhat by Allison and her limited ability to teach him ballroom and latin technique. Great performer, though. Noah did what he could, and since they did IMO score him appropriately in the finals here...if he takes it on votes, I'd be okay with that.

[dvr devotee]

I've watched Rumer and Val's freestyle about five times now on youtube, and it gets better on each viewing. I mean, every single move was so crisp, precise, and strong. There's this moment at right about the 1:00 mark where he does this punch/grab thing towards her stomach and it's just awesome. She is a beautiful dancer, and I think going completely stripped down was the right move here, because it let the viewer really appreciate Rumer's ability as a dancer. I sincerely hope she wins tomorrow, because I think she's the best dancer, overall, compared with her competitors.

 

I've also watched Noah and Riker's freestyles a few more times, and Noah's has gotten better for me (I do think the choreography was genius, especially using the additional dancers to move his prosthetic leg, that was very creative and made complete sense in the context of the dance), while my opinion of Riker's has lessened with additional viewings. I feel like this freestyle was the first time I've seen that Noah does have some sense of musicality, and he can dance, when given movements that his body and prosthesis are capable of doing. But that doesn't excuse the other dozen dances he's done, where he is physically incapable of performing the moves associated with the specific style of dance. I also watched the all-access show during the west coast airing, and they interviewed Noah at one point and, for the first time, I saw his personality and he came across as SUCH a likable guy. Nice, gracious guy, with an amazing body, and he's definitely an inspiration, but if he comes in any higher than third place tomorrow, I will be disappointed.

 

I really enjoyed Riker's freestyle when I saw it live, and I felt like I wouldn't be completely upset with it if he did end up winning the mirror ball over Rumer, but then on repeated viewings I was less impressed. First off, why in the world you would take an already-pale guy, dress him in a white tuxedo, and then put white makeup on his face, I do not know or understand. He looked like he was sick and dying of consumption or something. I also think the camera blocking sucked, which I think only made the dance feel more 'flat' than it otherwise could have. There were too many other dancers on the floor, which blocked the camera's view of Riker every so often. There were also a few times where he and Allison got out of sync, but I think he recovered well when that happened. I really enjoyed the part at the end where he was up on the last stage and did some hip hop stuff--he is obviously extremely comfortable dancing like that, and he does it well. Also, of all the freestyles tonight, I felt that Riker's was most like the freestyles we've seen (and enjoyed) in seasons past, where multiple types of dance are fused into one. After watching a few more times, I really want Rumer to win, but I think it will be a horse race between Rumer and Riker.

[Glaadrial]

I don't recall seeing an AT from Rumer/Val this season so I'm ecstatic that they chose to go in this direction for their FS because I really loved Val's AT with Meryl and have been bummed that he hadn't been given a chance to perform one with Rumer. Moreover, I think it's likely that if they had performed the exact same routine for an assigned an AT, they probably would have been dinged by at least a couple of the judges (Len/Jullianne) for not performing a straight up AT. I'm remembering the Maks/Meryl Rhumba that was called "not a Rhumba" by many. In that instance, I'm of the opinion that the culprit was the dual-challenge that the hip action and the required constant fluid motion provided for Meryl; similar choreography executed by Max/Karina, IMO, would have likely been considered more Rhumbesque. I think there were similarities in Val's approach to this freestyle--not so much in the dance itself, just the approach to creating a fusion that emphasized his partner's strengths. For me it's a modernization--a contemporary (little "c")--approach to ballroom that I very much enjoy because I find it beautiful to watch. I like the traditional stuff, too; I think there's room for both.

 

Nevertheless, I'm fairly certain that the notion that a "Freestyle" cannot be limited to one dance style is neither stated nor implied in the "rulebook," such as it is. Tony and Stacy as far back as Season 2 performed a straight up Disco routine. Of course, they did not win the Mirrorball trophy that year, but it was more likely because their execution/choreography could not overcome what Cheryl came up with for Drew rather than because they stuck to one style of dance in their routine. Likewise, there have been many examples of straight up "Hip-hop" routines over the years that have also had varying degrees of success; some produced winners, others not. Maks did a straight up, one style, Contemporary with Erin that also didn't win but, again, most likely because others were more successful, not because he somehow broke rules (written or unwritten) for a Freestyle by performing only one style of dance.

 

Another aspect that I found interesting about Val/Rumer's FS, is that it was truly a piece of Performance Art because of their contributions to the music that they chose for the dance. I've heard other covers of Toxic, even some with the stripped down orchestration, but Rumer brought something the vocals, a certain kind of longing that I don't think was the original intention of the song. Val was able to support with his violin and accentuate it with the choreography that Rumer executed brilliantly. The collaboration on all aspects of the performance made it unique and special and--dare I say it? Yes, I will go there: I found the performance intoxicating.

[NikSac]

I guess I'm rooting for Rumer, but all in all I found that show pretty uninteresting.

 

Maybe it's just me, but I thought all the props really got in the way of Riker's dance. Especially those weird metal bars that reminded me of something I see in the "workout" section of our local park. At the very least they should have practiced moving them better. I was probably too focused on it but it looked really sloppy when they rolled them across the floor. I also lost track of Riker a few times, with so many dancers up there. At one point I actually said aloud "oh there he is."

 

Still not a Noah fan, and especially not a fan of the show tugging on emotions so much with him.

 

I'm interested to see who wins but will probably wait til it's done recording so I can FF through most of it.

[BW Manilowe]

According to this Tweet from People magazine, Erin was wearing over $2 Million in diamonds on the show, including a 55-carat necklace.

https://twitter.com/people/status/600464733276381186

[superdeluxe]

Looking at that picture, you can see how prom-y that dress is.  Shame they wasted those diamonds on it (and her).

Edited May 19, 2015 by superdeluxe

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Both Noah and Rumer's dances had an arc - a story - that I could follow (even though I'm not a big fan of Noah).

I don't need every dance to have a story. In fact, one of the things that I have really disliked in the last few seasons of SYTYCD is the need to have some long drawn out backstory about every single dance. Not every piece of choreography needs to be about a breakup or a relationship or a death or whatever. I am totally fine with seeing someone just dance and in cases like Noah, I do not need this pandering "all your bullets richocet"/"you shoot me down but I won't fall"/"and I will try to fix you" dance with Sharna telling him to remember what it was like to wake up in the hospital. I would rather watch Riker and Alison actually dance than watch Noah stand in the middle of the floor, take two steps, and have everyone else dance around him while sad meaningful lyrics play. I know that makes me a heartless bitch, but I watch this show for the dancing, not whatever the contestants have overcome or dealt with.

[sinkwriter]

I think Allison dropped the ball on the freestyle. I loved their pirate paso replay; it was fun the first time around and seemed even more sharply executed the second time around. SO fun to watch, so precise and powerful and entertaining. Yet all those adjectives were missing from their freestyle.

 

Their freestyle dance was an interesting concept, I suppose, throwing in all the different types of dance and rhythm/beats of music, but it ended feeling a bit muddled instead of well-thought-out. And I felt like it was much more subdued than usual.

 

These two always go gang-busters in every routine they have, so I kept waiting for them to really bust out the moves with the freestyle. Only Riker near the end during a few bars of music seemed to capture that energy, but overall the dance just didn't have the spark I wanted to see.

 

I liked the control they showed with the slower parts at the beginning, with Fred Astaire's singing; that seemed to show more quiet control than they usually have. But if they were going to interrupt that smooth Astaire dancing and bust out a different, more modern and energetic rhythm, I felt like they just never fully got there.

 

And of all the performers remaining, they're the ones who should have been massively entertaining. When you look at their pirate paso, or their party time trio dance, they ramp up the energy and it's so powerful and fun to watch. That trio was the kind of performance I was expecting from them in the finals, and Allison just didn't choreograph it that way. She didn't highlight Riker the way she should have. And it's bummer, because I really do think he's a terrific dancer and such a fun performer to watch.

 

I also thought it was an unfortunate position for them to be in, being in the middle the way they were, because it seemed like Noah's freestyle got a ton of time and attention and all the judges' remarks and then talking about it afterward with Erin, and all the judges had time to talk for Rumer's freestyle as well, but Riker's entire judging and afterward were completely crammed in and swept through, all because of time constraints. I feel like that hurt them a bit, because the focus wasn't on them at all. Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if something happens so that Riker's in third, Noah's in second and Rumer wins it. They just didn't give Riker the time of day in the second half of the show, while Noah's was so heavily promoted and saluted. I could see that affecting the voting for the two of them.

[sinkwriter]

Whether or not Rumer's freestyle was "flashy" enough, whether or not it seems like they're harping on Val needing to win (like they did with Maks during his season with Meryl)... I don't really care. I thought the performance was gorgeous. She was gorgeous, Val was gorgeous, the choreography was really sensual, and they seemed to be really enjoying themselves in the moment -- rather than falling prey to nerves, they just seemed to dive in and say, "Fuck it, win or lose, let's have fun and enjoy ourselves." I've never seen them have so much fun. Between their re-do dance with all their smiling, and the sexy, finely honed freestyle, I just thought they looked terrific. I loved them, and I'm rooting for them to win.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

Absolute toss-up.  I would choose Rumer, but I can easily live with Riker.  Noah's voting block is massive, so there will not be any surprise tonight, regardless the outcome.

 

I was stunned with the Val "pinch arm" and Rumer's recoil.  It felt for all the world in that instant like he was truly beating her.  Holy crap.  Kudos for that execution.  Worries that such a menacing sight could cost them the trophy.

 

For me, Val's less-is-more approach was tremendous.  The whole dang season has been a "Group-Free" fest.  Any impact of a season-ending freestyle has been muted completely.  I sincerely hope that Rumer is enjoying her moments as a champion.  Win or lose, that's precisely what she is.

 

Riker was such a winning presence from soup to nuts in his "Pirate" routine.  I don't particularly enjoy the whole "youth" appeal thang, but the lad most certainly brought it tonight in each dance.  

 

Were the jidges prepared to award Noah 9s????  10s????  I shudder to think what they were programmed to do, absent the fumbled lift.  10s for the freestyle were just as ridiculous as the 10s he got last week.  He might should win an effort trophy.  No way should he win for dance.

 

Len's delayed standing O for Riker was quite something.  It was cool to see him break format in his penultimate appearance. 

[NikSac]

I am probably a horrible person for this, but I was kind of glad Noah fumbled the lift, and it also looked to me like he stumbled a few times. At least he finally didn't get all 10s just for showing up.

[sinkwriter]

 

Len's delayed standing O for Riker was quite something.  It was cool to see him break format in his penultimate appearance.

 

I think that if Riker loses, he should always try to remember Len standing up for him. I think that's something to feel good about, and it was well-deserved. And I loved Riker's reaction to it, and to all of Len's comments - he seemed truly honored and grateful with Len talking so generously about his performance. Out of all the judges, Len really is the judge I think you want respect from. If you've earned it from Len, you've done something well.

Edited May 19, 2015 by sinkwriter

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Len's delayed standing O for Riker was quite something.  It was cool to see him break format in his penultimate appearance.

 

Ha, I got the feeling that Len figured screw it, I'm almost out of here so I'll do whatever I want!

[PBGamer89]

Noah, to me, got typical "3rd place" treatment (going first, being quite a few points off the leader, etc).

 

In my memory, no one who ever danced first in the finals won. Most of the time the winner dances last but there have been a couple times the winner danced 2nd (or 3rd in the 4 person format) and still won. Kellie, Melissa, Apolo, Meryl are at that rule.

 

In seasons 6, 7, and 8 when the finals was a "group" dance and then a freestyle, the first couple to perform a freestyle won (Kristi, Brooke, and Shawn), but going by the tradition round 1 and 2 format of most finals, no one has won going first, most times last and a few times going second of the middle.

 

Noah's 8 point deficit means he needs 32,000 votes per million casted to beat Riker or Rumer. I could MAYBE see him beat one for 2nd place, but I can't see him beating both for a win. All Riker or Rumer need to win is one more vote per million than the other.

 

So let's say there's approx 5 million votes casted tonight over phone and internet, all Rumer needs to win is 5 more votes than Riker. Also, if theres 5 million votes, Noah needs 160,000 more votes to pass Riker or Rumer.

[Rrrhumba]

I'm going to chime in even though so far I've only seen the freestyles on YouTube. Based solely on freestyle, I would have to vote for Noah. Sharna's choreo was stunning and although I really don't like some of the pandering that's gone on this season, I don't feel there was any in those scores - Noah actually did dance and well. There have been plenty of footballers who've taken the same route this far into the competition.

Rumer's was a good Argentine tango. For me it just underscored Val's frailties as a choreographer, she's so good and she deserved so much better than that. For what it's worth, she did dance it well but it could have been done any other week in the competition. It just wasn't special enough for me.

Alison and Riker's freestyle just came across as a bad reinterpretation of the scene from one of the Step Up movies where Moose and Camille dance to what sounded like the same remix of that song. I know most of the show's demo would have never seen that movie but it turned me off. I also found the troupe distracting and slightly superfluous.

[Wings]

I am probably a horrible person for this, but I was kind of glad Noah fumbled the lift, and it also looked to me like he stumbled a few times. At least he finally didn't get all 10s just for showing up.

 

 

Yeah, but it won't make a difference. Viewer votes will take up the slack from his 3 place scores.  I didn't even watch last night.  I like both Riker and Rumer and hope one of them wins but I am not confident.   

[RetailTherapy]

I actually liked Noah and Rumer's freestyles.  Rumer's the best.  Riker's was just weird.  The music, the costumes, the entire troop of dancers.  Everything.  And with all dances by Allison this season, it was frantic and sloppy. 

 

Again, Sharna has proven herself to be the choreographer of the show.  She managed to create coherent routines for a man with one arm and one leg.  He's still not a dancer, but she made him look like one.  Derek and his hand jive should take lessons from the master.

[poopchute]

I am still not understanding the "dance" Noah did got all 10s. That was flawless dancing?? My husband and I just laughed and laughed all the way through it! It was a bunch of dudes carrying him around the stage. Absurd.

[ari333]

I have fire extinguishers at the ready for tomorrow night! 

 

Hee. Word!

Who's in charge of dispensing the protective headgear? :)

[alexa]

My main thought was is there some rule that the freestyles can't actually be judged and everyone gets an automatic 10?  Why have judges?  

 

I was bored by Noah's dance.  Forgive me for not being wowed or brought to tears by it.  I will feel very disappointed if he wins.

 

Riker--once again I think Alison was all over the place.  I thought the dance changed up too much for me to have a chance to enjoy any part of it.  I was just not impressed, and I have hated how she keeps making this about her winning the trophy/making it to the finals, etc.  She is the teacher, and though it is nice to win, it should be about Riker, not her.

 

I love Val and Rumer, and them winning will be the only satisfactory ending for me.  I just think they bring a higher level than the other two, and I loved their freestyle.  I like that some of the freestyles have toned it down over the last several years because I was getting so tired of everyone thinking they had to do hip hop or some other dance that didn't suit the star.  I think it is like others have said above--doing a dance that is free from the rules and matches the strength and beauty of the dancer and what they can bring to the dance.

[LadyMustang65]

I know I am one who has mentioned several times that the freestyle can't be a straight-up single dance, and I probably should clarify that.  As far as I know from what the show used to say in the early days, it can't be a straight up ballroom dance of the style they routinely dance on the show.  So someone couldn't come out and do a straight waltz or foxtrot.  Maks was the first one to do a contemporary freestyle, but that was before contemporary was a normal part of the show.  It seems like they allow contemporary and jazz now, even though they are regular features of the show, probably because there are no set rules and patterns that you routinely do.  Contemporary always seems to me to be a freestyle anyway since the dancers can do pretty much whatever they want.  Val's freestyle was an AT, but as someone pointed out, it was more of a "show dance" style with some contemporary stylings that made it work just fine as a freestyle but probably would have drawn criticism if done during a regular week.  It was my favorite dance of the night in part because with all the overblown crap that goes on every week, it actually seemed different from the regular week dances.  I know Val and Rumer have gone pretty stripped down the last few weeks, which is fine by me, by between all the folks on stage for Noah's freestyle and the people and props on stage for Riker's, Rumer's actually stood out to me by virtue of it just being her and Val - much as Kellie's freestyle was memorable for being just her and Derek dancing and not hordes of people and props.  I really wish the show would go back towards its roots with just the couples dancing (if they want to use the troupe or props, they should be limited to a few seconds and then disappear).  Then the freestyles might seem 'special' again.  But with all the production in the regular weekly dances, how do you make a freestyle stand out now except by going minimalist?

[ramble]

That was bland. The "singing" during Noah's freestyle was hideous. I also did not care for Rumer's vocals on Toxic at all. Allison sounded ridiculous talking tearfully about Riker giving her a chance to grab the mirror ball.

The dancing underwhelmed me & generally I enjoy the freestyles. They either make me laugh with how over the top crazy they are, or I find them fun or beautifully done. Not so much this season. I thought Noah's was well choreographed. I thought Rumer's was pretty but nothing special. I actively disliked Riker's & felt like it was slightly manic. As for the winner? I don't care too much. I've felt manipulated emotionally by Noah's productions this year, but I have by Rumer's as well & Riker annoys me greatly, or maybe Allison does & he doesn't help. Can Dance Center win the mirror ball? Bringing it back was my favorite thing of this season.