S20.E14: Week 10: Finals Week

[OakGoblinFly]

Ugh, this show makes me feel so stabby-stabby at times and that's saying something (and this from someone who sat through the horror that was Sleepy Hollow Season 2 and Grimm Season 4 without once feeling stabby).

 

Thank goodness this season is done and I don't have to deal with judges coddling of Noah nor his stinky attitude.  I thought the Argentine Tango was a hot mess and I hated every manipulative moment of that contemporary dance (really, Sharna <Chandler Bing voice> Could you be any more obvious? </Chandler Bing voice>).  The judges' fawning, the emotional manipulation, the complete lack of dance had me rolling my eyes and feeling very stabby.  Let's just hope that the fan base isn't large enough to overcome the eight point difference.

 

I did like Riker and Allison in the freestyle (though I do wish there was a lot less stuff going on) - I thought Allison created a fun routine and Riker absolutely sparkled in it.  The pirates dance looked good, though I still think there's something wonky about Riker's frame - I wonder if it is really bad or just looks off because he's all lanky limbs.

 

Rumer had a fantastic night; I really saw a difference between last night's Foxtrot and the week 1 dance; she seemed softer and more open during the dance (and I loved that she smiled - she's so very pretty when she smiles).  I LOVED the fact that Val went simple for the freestyle, while I'm not normally a fan of his choreography (it is a little too staccato for my taste) I thought he gave Rumer a wonder piece to dance and she performed it brilliantly (and looked lovely to boot).  That was the most relaxed I've seen Rumer and I am happy for her.  I hope she wins.

[NextIteration]

Sad that we didn't get a four dancer finale with Willow and Nastia (leaving out Noah).

 

The manipulation that was Noah's freestyle was nausea inducing, kudos for Sharna for choreographing around his limitations well all season though, Riker's was messy in execution though I liked the intention and Rumer's was good but the repeat of the heinous black ribbons criss-crossed on her lower legs took me out of it - and the dance itself as an AT from Val paled in comparison to the one he performed with Meryl.

 

I think it's Rumer's to win, unless Noah snatches it from her, Riker literally got lost in the shuffle during the Freestyle portion of the show.

[crossover]

 

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.

If Riker's depending on the younger fans to outdo the normal DWTS fans, he's done.  Yes, it was nice to see that Rumer learned ballroom-type moves eventhough the judges had shown us that earlier.  Some pros only feel comfortable doing ballroom.  If it were like this during the early years, people like Maks would've won long ago.

[ChicksDigScars]

Wow. What a missed opportunity, show. You didn't assign the Argentine Tango to Rumer and Val all season? I didn't realize that until I read the WSJ's recap of the show. To me, that makes last night's Freestyle even better. They didn't rehash a dance that they had already done. 

 

To me, Rumer shined on the "stripped down" routines. She's not the "peppy" dancer that benefits from large production, and distracting troupes of dancers around her. I think Val is the same way.  To say that they really hit a home run pairing these two is an understatement. I can't even imagine Rumer with Derek or Mark. Well, she might be too tall for Mark, anyway.  She's perfect for Val, but would have also meshed well with Artem or Maks. 

 

 

 

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.

 

THIS. Why they never got to do a tango this season is baffling. Perhaps trying to keep the playing field more level, knowing they'd kill it? Dunno. Entertainment value, I'd say handing Rumer and Val a tango is just a no brainer. Handing ANY dramatic dance to a Russian (or Ukranian) dancer is automatic.  Speaking of, can we give Artem a partner with staying power next season? Thansksomuch.

 

 

 

Sad that we didn't get a four dancer finale with Willow and Nastia (leaving out Noah).

 

Yup.  My dislike of Derek and Mark, aside. I'd trade the tears and inspiration for some killer routines, any day. Well, except for Bruce. I can watch Mr. Macho Die Hard get all schmoopy over his kid any day of the week. 

Edited May 19, 2015 by ChicksDigScars

[Andiethewestie]

But this wasn't an AT on it's own, it definitely was Contemporary with an Argentine feel.  Val, for me along with Derek have done some of the best AT on the show. What I loved about this freestyle is it meshed styles in a way that brought out the lyrical quality in Rumer's dancing without sacrificing the essence of Argentine Tango. AT is an intimate conversation between two, and yet this AT brought the lyrics- the conflict of a man being toxic to a woman,  to the audience through the rather powerful contemporary movement within the piece.  I thought it was a tour-de-force. 

[Primetimer]

The final three couples perform two last dances for one shot at winning the whole thing.

Read the story

[radishcake]

Hee. Word!

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

[Thadeeeyus]

I haven't looked forward to finale night since the early days of the show because I'm not a fan of the theatrics/tricks/production numbers that make up the freestyles.  And since this is now common in the regular season dances, it's even worse.  That's probably why Rumer's freestyle appealed to me.  It was just dancing.  Especially following what I thought was a very messy freestyle by Riker, it was calming to see just the two of them.  For me, Rumer's foxtrot was the dance of the night.  Just gorgeous.  So I guess I'm hoping for a Rumer win. 

 

I was liking Riker's freestyle for about 10 seconds, then all the extras just got in the way. The music seemed off, the props got in the way, the extra dancers got in the way,  his footwork seemed way off at times.  It just looked a mess.

 

Not a Noah fan, but his freestyle may have been my favorite dance of his all season.  Something about it just worked better for me. I liked him being in the dark colors so that at times I forgot he had missing limbs.  I'm hoping it would be a compliment for him to be seen as one of the dancers, just another contestant.  And I saw that at times with that freestyle.  His jumps were pretty good and timed well. 

[Fliz]

Did Allison and Riker accidently switch top hats at the beginning of their freestyle? Hers was way down over her forehead, and his was just sort of resting on top of his head. I was glad when they got rid of them so I could quit worrying that his was going to fall off at any minute.

 

I loved Val and Rumer's freestyle - it really played to their strengths.

[Danseur]

The Freestyles were less than I expected from Riker and Rumer. Riker's was too busy and the troupe distracted me a bit. When the troupe is used well, as in Amber's, Jack's and Alfonso's, it adds to the dance and the celeb doesn't get lost. Riker's dance wasn't flawless but it was fun. Riker is appealing to me and so I voted for him.

Rumer and Val danced beautifully but it didn't have the feel of a Freestyle to me either. It was a souped up Argentine Tango. Someone posted a video of a dance on SYTYC which was similar in costuming, music and atmosphere and it had a few similar moves. This was true of their Swan Lake dance which I thought borrowed from Artem's and Holly's American Smooth Foxtrot. I've heard the Ballases and other critics rave about Val's choreo but none of his freestyles have ever impressed me in terms of something unexpected that wows. Again, it was beautifully danced and I think they will most likely win the trophy tonight.

Finals night was missing something for me too. Maybe it was what someone has suggested, Derek's and Mark's choreo. I'm almost never crazy about Mark's dances but I do recognize how creative his choreography is. I'm just not a fan of the far-out. But both guys always seem to have refreshing ideas that are truly new.

As for doing contemporary and jazz as Freestyle, I don't like it either. I liked the Meryl/Maks and Derek/Kellie Freestyles but not Melissa's and Tony's. I'd rather see Freestyles with a lot of ballroom mix. Nicole's stands out even though they made a mistake at the end of that one and also Shawn's in the All Stars Season. Both were a creative mix of many different dances the couples had done during the season with a few extra surprises throw in. Maybe the Semi-finals were so good the Finals seemed anticlimactic.

[realdancemom]

Rumer won the night for me. She showed the most improvement in the first round. Noah went backwards. Riker was always great as Jack Sparrow. It was a little less frenetic and it didn't look like he was going to throw Allison off the dance floor. Rumer seemed softer less staccato. Her technique improved a lot. I also loved how she was smiling and seemed so free at the end. That is when it showed how she enjoyed dancing.

I liked Rumer's freestyle the best too. Sharna choreographed a great freestyle for Noah. I still wish we could have seen one with her and Charlie. The singer for Titanium ruined it for me. Sharna picked two fitting songs and one completely distracted me because of the vocals. Of course Sharna designed a freestyle that tugged at the heart strings.

I didn't watch the Step up movie. But it looked like Allison was going through a dance through the era's type thing. She needed to pick more upbeat music. I don't mean faster since l liked that they started off slower and picked up the pace. I liked the ending the best when Riker was dancing with the guys. This dance was a little sloppy and they didn't need the bars on the table. There was too much going on and they really didn't need the troupe. I wished they did a jazz hip-hop number.

I wanted Val and Rumer to do an AT all season. I like the contemporary flavor in it. Kudos to both of them since they had the best music. Rumer did a version that was sexier than the original. I love their chemistry on the dance floor and the acting. The stomach contraction was great and their dance technique was the best out of the three. So my massive five vote online total went to them. Every little bit helps.

Edited May 19, 2015 by realdancemom

[Vixenstud]

Rumer's version of Toxic was oh-so-sexy, for me that was the best song/dance of the night....she's winning, ain't no doubt about it.

[LadyMustang65]

Rumer's version of Toxic was oh-so-sexy, for me that was the best song/dance of the night....she's winning, ain't no doubt about it.

 

From your lips to the producer's ears!!  :)

[skittl3862]

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?

 

Rumer's scores (out of 40) were- (32)-32-33-35-39-32-35-40-40-38

Riker's scores (out of 40 were-      31-32-34-34-(38)-37-37-39-39-40

Noah's scores (out of 40) were-    26-27-(30)-32-28-29-36-31-32-36

 

I parenthesized the re-do dances. Rumer's foxtrot was the highest score week one, but it was tied for her lowest scores. Noah picked an average scoring dance for himself, but it's still low. And instead of Riker redoing his 31, 32, 34 score dances to show actual improvement in a style, he went for the flashy Disney week dance that got 2 10s. That's what bugs me. Sadie did the same last year with her duck samba, which was one of her highest scoring dances. I wish they were assigned re-do from the lowest scoring style, so couples can't manipulate viewers with fan favorites. "I want a 10 instead of a 9" is a serious stretch when the purpose is to show improvement.

Edited May 19, 2015 by skittl3862

[smiley13]

Rumer's version of Toxic was oh-so-sexy, for me that was the best song/dance of the night....she's winning, ain't no doubt about it.

Rumer and "sexy" should not be in the same sentence. The song and dance were boring and one-note, like she has been all season.  What a surprise that she wore black.

[iMonrey]

 

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.

 

This perfectly encapsulates my sentiments as well. It was the first time I thought Noah actually danced. There was a section where he and Sharna were doing side by side movements and they were perfectly in sync. I was really impressed and could tell how hard he'd worked on the routine. That said, he's not really done much in the way of actual dancing up until now and I'm tired of the judges making up new excuses to give him 10s and being overly liberal with their definition of "dance." I mean, how far will the show take it? I'm sitting in a chair in front of a computer. Can that be "dancing" too? Is it "art?"

 

I was also frustrated that they spent so much time fawning all over Noah that Riker and Rumer both got the bums rush. If these segments are as carefully timed as they should be then they deliberately let Noah go over schedule at the expense of the other two.

 

I still think Noah is going to win, and I still think it's a travesty.

[anony mouse]

Rumer and "sexy" should not be in the same sentence. The song and dance were boring and one-note, like she has been all season. What a surprise that she wore black.

I agree that it wasnt anything different than we've previously seen from her. Well-executed, but I felt a big let-down. I've found stripped-down freestyles compelling in the past, but usually if they have some element that makes them finale worthy. I didn't get that sense here. This dance felt like just another Rumer dance.

I found the other two freestyle dances uncompelling, so her good technique may win it for her, but I didn't get a sense of growth from her at all. This whole finale was a big let down. I don't like Derek, so you know it's bad when I'm wishing he were here. And poor Willow, she and Mark really should have been here to liven things up.

[Packerbrewerbadger]

I fell in love with Rumer after that foxtrot week one and now think that is my favorite female celebrity dance of all seasons. I've already mentioned how her smile tonight made the dance so joyful but on rewatch Val was beaming throughout also. To me that's what the show is all about. To me , her foxtrot was clearly the dance of the night.

[Stitsch]

Rumer and "sexy" should not be in the same sentence. The song and dance were boring and one-note, like she has been all season.  What a surprise that she wore black.

 

Woah. Rumer and sexy should always be used in the same sentence. Aesthetically speaking, the girl's got a banging bod. Also, her dancing is phenomenally nuanced. She has light, she has shade, and she very obviously excels in stripped down performances. YMMV, but the fact that her best dances are her stripped down routines is a testament to how exceptional of a dancer she is. And exceptional dancers aren't one-note. 

 

Re: her voice, the song called for a sensual timbre. She gave it that. She wasn't singing Lady Marmalade. 

[Trixie Belden]

. 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. 

 

I agree with you, if they just kept the regular season at traditional ballroom and restricted the use of the troupe, then the freestyles would be showstoppers like they used to be.  Now it seems every week that someone is rolling around on the floor in a nightgown (can you tell I'm not a contemporary fan?) or adding in a bunch of people that distract from the actual Star and Pro.  I loved, loved, LOVED Rumer and Val's AT last night, it was pure dance like Len said.  I watch this show for ballroom style choreography, which has a lot of control and precision, but the last few seasons there's been a lot of wild flailing around being called dance.

[OakGoblinFly]

Rumer and "sexy" should not be in the same sentence. The song and dance were boring and one-note, like she has been all season.  What a surprise that she wore black.

 

 

I think Rumer was incredibly sexy in that routine and while I would have agreed with your assessment that she is has been "one-note" (intense, sharp, crisp) I noticed a change a few weeks ago.  I thought she was simply gorgeous in both routines, maintaining the crisp movements while incorporating a softness and vulnerability that  really was appealing (at least to me) to watch.

 

I (for one) believe her journey; she improved her technique, gained a ton of confidence, AND learned to embrace her softer side --- all in all a very fulfilling (for me) story made even better because of the stunning dancing.

[anonymiss]

Rumer and Val gave me the only beautiful dances of the night. I was, however, distracted by her cover of Britney's "Toxic." It wasn't bad at all, just different, so I was evaluating how I felt about that when I just wanted to focus on her dancing.

 

Noah and Sharna gave me beautiful production and Noah did improve with his "transcending dance," as Bruno put it. I've resigned myself to whatever happens with them. Their efforts are at least more honest in their emotionally manipulative, gimmicky intentions than Riker in his "I just learned to dance and am really a star" ones.

 

I can't stand Riker's lanky body jerking about frenetically--he's so unaesthetically pleasing! It doesn't matter if he's doing everything right--it looks wrong. It always looks ungraceful and, yes, they were noticeably out of sync in their soulless, emotionless freestyle.

Edited May 19, 2015 by anonymiss

[pricklypear]

I just watched Rumer and Val's foxtrot again, and the thing I loved is that Val started smiling -- BIG -- early on, and then at one point when he and Rumer make eye contact, SHE starts smiling, too. I love this partnership this season. And I love that they didn't try to make a big showmance out of it. I, personally, think Rumer is stunning when she smiles. She's one of those people who smiles with her whole face, including her eyes.

[ari333]

Is Val getting better looking and sexier? Just me? alrighty then.

[crowceilidh]

 

Is Val getting better looking and sexier? Just me? alrighty then.

Hey ari333, see my comment in Val's thread which addresses his changed look...  Is that what you're seeing?

[renzii]

Is Val getting better looking and sexier? Just me? alrighty then.

Nope... I think you have something there. Those Chmerkovskiy boys are like an ad for hot Ukrainian men!

[Serendi]

I'm not sure if the female singer people are complaining about is this one, but Mark's girlfriend BC Jean did sing, and I think it was in Noah's freestyle. Anyone know?

[RemoteControl88]

I'm not sure if the female singer people are complaining about is this one, but Mark's girlfriend BC Jean did sing, and I think it was in Noah's freestyle. Anyone know?

 

There was a ig post floating around where she said she was singing.  I remember she sang for Mark & Sadie's (contemporary? I think) last season.

 

Anywho I did not enjoy the singing whoever it was.  When you get distracted from the dance because of the vocals that is not good.

[After7Only]

Hello, Riker, I really loved Alfonso's freestyle last season, too. I did appreciate that Allison gave Riker a chance to dance by himself. What I've come to realize is that I just don't like to watch Allison dance. That's new for me. I didn't care much for Lacey, for example, but I didn't dislike watching her dance. Please, powers that be, don't bring her back next season.

 

This... I think Riker is a fine dancer and deserving of the finals.  And I loved Allison on SYTYCD.  I think she is an extraordinary contemporary dancer, but her ballroom skills are noticably lacking, expecially compared to the other female pros.  That freestyle was was too manic, and Riker's skills weren't up to that type of intricate choreography.  While watching I couldn't help but think that Alfonso or Corbin would have killed that routine.

 

Noah's freestyle was the most actual dancing I've seen him do.  He had good arm extension, and there was musicality and flow to his movement.  Hoping for a Rumer win.  She's been the most consistantly good dancer all season. 

[sinkwriter]

 

While watching I couldn't help but think that Alfonso or Corbin would have killed that routine.

 

I'm not even sure they would have been able to make it look great. The choreography seemed pretty "all over the place" and not in a good way.

[Uke]

I'm not sure if the female singer people are complaining about is this one, but Mark's girlfriend BC Jean did sing, and I think it was in Noah's freestyle. Anyone know?

 

 

Yes, it was BC and Travis Garland. It was pretty horrible and distracting IMO.

[crossover]

I liked Riker's freestyle the best.  It was different from anything he'd done through the season.  Rumer had a nice dance and I know she didn't get AT but it looked like the dances we'd seen this season.  But I knew Rumer would win with her family connection and after they ensured Nastia was out.  This left the 2 men splitting votes.  And with Noah being so far behind, his fanbase had to double down.  Taking out Shawn (olympian), has there ever been anyone under 25 to win?

[dvr devotee]

I liked Riker's freestyle the best.  It was different from anything he'd done through the season.  Rumer had a nice dance and I know she didn't get AT but it looked like the dances we'd seen this season.  But I knew Rumer would win with her family connection and after they ensured Nastia was out.  This left the 2 men splitting votes.  And with Noah being so far behind, his fanbase had to double down.  Taking out Shawn (olympian), has there ever been anyone under 25 to win?

 

Apolo Ohno was 24 (the day he won the mirrorball was actually his 25th birthday). But Kellie Pickler was 26, Amber Riley, and Meryl Davis were 27, and J.R. Martinez was 28. Not sure if this would be a spoiler since this is last night's thread, but

Rumer is 26.

Edited May 20, 2015 by dvr devotee

[crossover]

Apolo Ohno was 24 (the day he won the mirrorball was actually his 25th birthday). But Kellie Pickler was 26, Amber Riley, and Meryl Davis were 27, and J.R. Martinez was 28. Not sure if this would be a spoiler since this is last night's thread, but

Rumer is 26.

Apolo was an olympian.