S21.E01: Season Premiere (1) / S21.E02 Season Premiere (2)

[radishcake]

The 21-season opener begins with 13 celebrities, including Gary Busey, Paula Deen, Nick Carter, Chaka Khan, Bindi Irwin and Victor Espinoza.

The stars, the drama, the glamour and the glitter are back on ABC! Dancing with the Stars returns on MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 8|7c with a sensational two-hour season premiere!

[Stitsch]

That was awful. And awkward. Holy shit, so awkward.

 

Get off my screen, Carlos and Alexa. You aren't cute. And I'm already over Nick, but that mostly has to do with the overwhelming hype. 

[MortysCleaningLady]

Sucked in by the ringers (Nick Carter. VenaPena, Spy Kid wife and Bindi).  Rest were not too good.  Paula deen needed to keep her comment about her underwear to herself.  Yikes!!  (Really disappointed with Victor Espinoza -- I thought he'd be a sleeper.)

[Saylii]

I'm so tired of the husband and wife schtick already. Hopefully they can uncouple them for the next few weeks. Dualing dances, shared packages, dualing scores... No thank you!!!

All I can say so far is that it's going to be a long few weeks getting rid of the duds. Kim, Chaka, Gary, Victor, and Paula can all get off my screen now.

I loved Tamar's quickstep. I hope they last long enough to redo it for the finals because that could be my favorite dance ever.

Also I'm very disappointed that it looks like Julianne is head judge. It should have been Bruno, then Carrie Ann. I almost wish they were doing a rotating center seat if they couldn't decide. I hate that Julianne has the tiebreaking vote now.

Edited September 15, 2015 by Saylii

[Adeejay]

I think Andy, Gary and Hayes were overscored, while Tamar and Paula were underscored. 

Edited September 15, 2015 by Adeejay

[Katydid]

I enjoyed Bindi and Alek most. A lot of trainwrecks, so hard to predict who may be out first. Carrie Ann gushing over the child was a new level of ick for her.

[Dahlia]

We'll that wasn't great.

Hoping it gets smoother and more fun quickly or this may be my first uninvested season

[gryphon]

Was Paula drunk?  I'm glad Louis is back, though!

 

I think I have been totally spoiled by Dancing with the Stars NZ.  I knew only a couple of the celebrities but they were all over 21 and none had any dance experience that I could see--each week they improved a little. It was nice. 

Also, when you voted via call or text, all the proceeds went to the celebrity's charity. (Oxfam, Animal Shelter, Red Cross, etc....)

[cooksdelight]

Bindi was the only one who made me smile, she is really enjoying herself.

Kim walked through that routine, with a really BAD outfit. Gary Busey.... someone call the wagon for him. Paula.... honey, get back to the kitchen where you know what you're doing.

I'm not a Backstreet Boys fan, but I thought Nick did really well.

[TiredMe]

There was a whole lot of obnoxiousness on my TV tonight. I'm looking at you Paula, Tamar, Gary, Carlos and wife.....seriously I could barely tolerate Gary on Celebrity Apprentice a few years back and it's only gotten worse. Oy

At least Carlos was good but they need to stop the cutesy crap.

this is Sharna and Nicks to lose but I like Sharna so you go girl!

I miss Artem... Sigh....

Edited September 15, 2015 by TiredMe

[COESpiral]

The Good: Nick, Bindi

The Not-Too-Bad: Carlos, Alexa, Alek, Tamar, Hayes, Andy

The Oh-Dear-Lord-Get-Off-My-Screen-Yesterday: Paula, Kim, Victor, Gary, Chaka

Edited September 15, 2015 by COESpiral

[MerBearHou]

Thoughts:

Loved Bindi and Alek, the train hero. I voted for him. Both were refreshing personalities and surprisingly very good dancers.

Gary, Paula, and Tamar came off as bat-sh** crazy in their interviews. All 3 sounded like they were drunk.

Kim is the worst -- her crocodile tears -- please.

Hayes -- he's actually not bad. Will draw in the tween girls. But he sure is young and it really shows in his overall manner. He is a little too Justin Bieber-esque for me.

Chaka Khan -- what in the world? Terrible dancing and she did not look good when they were talking with Tom. Again, poor Keo. I don't think he's a great choreographer though so some of this is his doing.

Victor cannot dance -- zero rhythm. I thought that was fascinating about his short-term memory issues. Karina has her work cut out for her with his lack of fluidity, height, memory -- but I'm so glad to see her back on the show.

I liked Alexa and Carlos -- they were fun. But I do not like the husband-wife competition (mentioning fighting, jealousy, outscoring) that the show is hyping up.

Nick did a good job -- this is from a non-BSB fangirl.

Wasn't as enamored with Andy Grammer as I thought I'd be. He was fine, but nothing special.

Great to have the show back. Seriously underwhelming "stars" but I always end up getting attached to stars that I never cared about before (i.e., Rumer, Helio...).

Edited September 15, 2015 by MerBearHou

[smiley13]

For me the Get Off my Screen goes to Golden Boy.  I really hate that they paired cute little Bindi with him.  And a second goes to Carrie Ann for being downright creepy about a 15 year old child.  They were talking about him and the "ladies".  Any lady interested in a 15 year old is a sicko.  

 

The good were Carlos and Alexa.  Nick was good, but again, ugh to the partner pairing.

 

Poor Paula was obviously nervous.  

[truthaboutluv]

Wow, when was the last time someone got all 4's? Way harsh Tai. 

 

Very cool opening number but I have to agree with Kristen Burtt from Afterbuzz that it seems strange they went all out and did all this for Season 21 but not Season 20. Like I can't imagine what it cost the show to have Hollywood Blvd. shut down for however long it took to film that.

 

Victor - He is so tiny and so adorable in his tininess. And bless his heart for going for it. Wasn't great at all and he seemed overwhelmed at times, but he has an awesome attitude. That height difference between him and Karina is seriously hilarious though.

 

Tamar - Very good. She had a strong frame and looked really elegant throughout the number. The choreography was good. I thought she was slightly overscored at first but seeing what later got 7's, I'm fine with her scores.

 

Chaka - Way too careful and she forgot chunks of the choreography. I also thought Keo's choreography as usual was sort of mediocre. She seems cool but she's going to have to bring it a little more. 

 

Hayes - WAY, WAY overscored.  I have no idea what the judges were seeing but those 7's were ridiculous in my opinion. He did go for it and he seems to have a nice attitude but yeah way too high with the scores. And two WTF - one, why is his brother all up in the backstage interview?  I don't care who he is, he's not competing so he needs to keep his ass in his seat. Two, what the hell with some of the flirty, innuendo comments about a 14 year old boy? I have a feeling it's because he's a boy because no one would have said things like this about Willow last season (though there was the creepy moment of Bruno saying she looked hot or sexy or whatever it was, for her team dance).

 

Andy - Frame was not great and his hands were kind of flopping around. Thought he too was overscored. I wasn't expecting him to be amazing so he was sort of about what I was expecting. 

 

Paula - Didn't see it.

 

Carlos - Shows a lot of promise. He has great musicality and is clearly a performer. Witney may have a contender. At the least he's MILES better than the hot mess that was Chris Soules last season.

 

Alexa - This was the biggest disappointment of the night for me. I was expecting so much more from her, especially after seeing her in dress rehearsal with the GMA preview. I don't know if nerves got in the way but this was not great and I thought the scores were very generous. I agreed with Carrie Ann about her arms. Honestly her whole upper body was doing something weird that was just taking me out of the dance. Also WTF is going on with Mark's hair?

 

Kim - Eh, really wasn't paying that much attention so no idea if the three 4's were as unfair as the audience seemed to believe. 

 

Bindi - Well go on with your bad self Bindi. She brought it and the audience is clearly going to love her. I would have liked more kicks and flicks but I agreed with the judges about her sharp all her movements were - her feet and arms were all pointed and extended very well. 

 

Gary - Didn't watch and refuse to watch. He makes me uncomfortable and I find him being on these shows exploitative since he's clearly batshit crazy. Sorry Anna, still love you.

 

Alex - HUGE surprise. Very, very good for someone with zero dance experience. Interesting to see if he's like the UFC guy some seasons ago and turns out to just be a one week wonder or if he becomes a real contender. If he keeps better could be a serious threat with the American hero thing and his literally being an ordinary guy doing something he's never done before. 

 

Nick - Unsurprisingly left for last. Good though not great but that's okay for Week 1. I love his attitude and Sharna's choreography is usually pretty strong so I expect some strong and interesting things from them. Sharna and Julianne both giddy over their having his pictures on their wall when they were teenagers was pretty cute. 

Edited September 15, 2015 by truthaboutluv

[WhitneyWhit]

That was a mess.

 

I was surprised by Alek, he was pretty good, but I swear, he and Lindsay could pass for siblings.

 

I found Bindi to be sort of annoying.

 

Alexa and Carlos need to take it down a notch, and for the love of God, please no jealousy storyline.

 

Tamar was my favorite of the night.

 

Nick was alright, as was Nick. I thought Nick was way overscored, 7's would have been fine.

 

The rest was sort of a blur of blah.

Edited September 15, 2015 by WhitneyWhit

[dirtydi]

There was good dancing (Nick, Bindi, Tamar, and Alek), passable (Andy, Chaka, the married couple, Hayes), and the others were so bad, I fast forwarded because of second hand embarrassment.

[Uke]

Well, here goes. First dances of the season:

Victor:
Didn't look much like a salsa. It seemed like he didn't know what he was doing and he kept watching Karina for the next move. Also it's not easy being the first to dance on the 1st show of the season. However, the 5s were kind.

 

Tamar:
Yikes! That was fast. Good job for a first dance. Break in hold.  Kept losing body contact.  At times it looked like Val was pulling her along. BUT, tough assignment for a first dance. Expect to see her around for awhile.  She kind of spoiled it for me when started talking in the skybox. I don't find the "attitude" amusing.  I'm ok with the 23.

 

Chaka:
Disappointed. Expected more "groove" from her  (ok, more Patti LaBelle from her).  She just seemed lost. That was supposed to be a cha cha, right? Sorry but I can't disagree with the 4s. 13 was fair. I wonder if she was getting the rehearsal time in or if this is further evidence of Keo's teaching ability (or lack of ability).

 

Hayes:
Awkward but a cute routine. A gawkie mover but he pulled it off.  Nash showed up in the skybox and the sound went out?  Surprised about the 7s. Expected three 6s.

 

Andy:
Alot of repetitiveness in that choreography, but that's Allison's problem (is she learning to choreograph ballroom by watching youtube videos?).  Andy looked good but he didn't have much to do with all of Allison's twirling.  Posture was off but he seemed confident. Good start for his first dance.  7s were right (again, Hayes was overscored with his 7s)

 

Paula:
Personal opinion of this woman is set aside for a moment-I'll try to be fair-minded.  Very simple choreography but she handled it fine, though with all the fluff at the bottom of the dress, I couldn't really see her feet.  She does seem to have a smooth movement.  5s seemed a bit low.  A 6 would have been ok. TMI when talking to Tom. Uggg!

 

Carlos:
Agreed with Julianne. His dancing seemed a bit guarded. Also he seemed a bit heavy-footed at times. But he's a good mover. Great job.  7 surprised me. Score was fair, but wouldn't have minded 3 8s.

 

Alexa:
She needs to be careful about promoting her husband more than herself. I expect one to knock the other out with vote splitting.   Timing looked a little off here & there but I think she did better than Carlos.  She just needs to be careful not to shorten the moves too much.   Again, 7s surprised me. Underscored IMO.  Should have been 3 8s.

 

Carlos & Alexa: cool it with the married couple stuff - it's going to get annoying reallllll fast!

 

Kim:
Dancing by the numbers? Do this. ok. Now do that.  Zero flow. I guess that was supposed to be a salsa, but I didn't really see it.  4s were fair. I wouldn't have complained about a 3.

 

Bindi:
Good job. Timing seemed a little off. Disagree it was the best of the night.  Didn't have nearly the content that Carlos or Alexa had.  Score was a little high, a 7-7-8  would have been more appropriate.

 

Gary:
So much better than expected.  Of course I expected a hot mess. It was just kind of a mess. LOL!!! I didn't understand anything he was saying to Tom. Oh well.  Sweet call out to his Mom, fan of the show and his dance was for her.    5s were fair but doggoneit! Give him a 6. It's not like they didn't overscore some others. Ha!

 

Alek:

Nice job! So unexpected. I thought he'd be heavy footed and awkward but he was quite smooth and light on his feet. He had the choreography down without hesitation.  I kept thinking he's a leading man. Noticed the audience on their feet all through the dance.  He and Lindsay look so much alike they could be brother and sister. Best dance of the night. Should have been at least 3 8s, but since Derek, I mean Bindi, was overscored, they'd have to give Alek a 9 to put him at the top of the leader board where he should be.  (Though I don't think 9s should be given during the first week except in the most rare instances.)

 

Nick:
Not a boy band fan so this is really the first I've seen of Nick performing. It seemed a little frantic which surprised me since he's such an experienced performer.  Timing looked off.   It looked more boy band dancing than cha cha.  Didn't care for it. 8s were too high. Should have been 3 7s.

 

As always, all the above, JMO.

Edited September 15, 2015 by Uke

[ToukieSmith]

What the hell did Anna do to get Gary as a partner?  Does 5 really = 1?

 

Good grief, if Gary is a 5, then I am scared to see the performances that scored lower.

Edited September 15, 2015 by ToukieSmith

[kayma]

Tamar's quickstep was really good for a quickstep on this show and for a first dance, right? I was very pleasantly surprised. I am not cool enough to understand what Tamar says half the time and am worried that'll cost her votes from other uncool people like me.

I like Alek. He seems to have potential. That was a pretty foxtrot even if a lot of it was Lindsay hitting pretty poses.

I'm curious to see Bindi in a non-spunky dance. She was quite good but could be better still. I also really hope wardrobe gives her more support next week.

I thought Alexa and Carlos were both underwhelming. I was kind of hoping Alexa would be a surprise win over Nick. She seemed disappointed, so maybe it was nerves and she can do better.

Victor was adorable. Chaka was OK. I didn't mind Gary and was so glad they had Val and Keo behind him for reactions. I haven't seen Anna before but quite like her.

I did not like the Backstreet Boys (sacrilege, I know) and cannot get behind Nick even though he was completely innocuous tonight. Sharna is so pretty, but I wish she'd go for a less kool-aid hair color.

I really wanted to like Andy and watch him improve, but were they fight dancing or something? That was a really aggressive foxtrot. I take it Allison still hasn't learned how to do nuance or softness. Too bad Emma didn't get Andy.

I wasted all of my delay fast forwarding through Paula. I hope she is unceremoniously booted first. I hope I never see her on TV again.

You know, Kim, your partner isn't dancing with his spouse, either. Neither are Andy, Tamar, Alexa, or Carlos. Suck it up. Sorry, Tony, but I hope she's gone second.

[Tippi]

The interviews/moments/whatever you would call them done with Tom and Erin and the stars were the worst I have ever seen on this show!  Cringeworthy.  This is going to be a looooong cycle.

[lucindabelle]

Never watched this sh before... Not sure what to make of it. I was surprisingly entertained despite wondering from time to time why I shuld care about it at all...

What is up with gary used? Does he have dementia

[blackwing]

I guess it's inevitable, but honestly, there's people that look completely comfortable on the floor like Nick and Alexa. If I didn't know who they were I would have thought they were the pro. Then there's people who are old and stiff like Chaka, Kim, Paula and Gary. For once I'd like to see an "older" contestant who does really really well.

[TeeMo]

Agree with those who said the married couple schtick was old before it even started.  I hope they lose that angle soon. Mark also seemed over it. 

 

The bad dancing was very, very bad.

 

I didn't think anyone was very, very good but overall I think Tamar, Carlos, Alek and Bindi did the best. And Nick, I guess but that is to be expected. The gushing over Bindi was a bit much though. 

 

Can the wardrobe department work on getting some more supportive tops for the ladies on this show? Bindi and Alexa are both young but the tops of their costumes were woefully unsupportive and made them look matronly. 

[JTalia]

Bindi is like a junior Kim Johnson.

[Saylii]

What is up with gary used? Does he have dementia

He was in a motorcycle accident, I believe, and suffered brain damage from that.

[Babalooie]

Regarding Anna being stuck with Gary, they probably made a deal with her that if she returned after her hiatus, she had to take Gary as a partner.  Why Tony almost ALWAYS gets duds for partners is still a mystery to me.  Not surprised at how well Nick did.  The good dancers always pretend that they have a lot to learn.  Before airing, I was SURE that Paula and Gary would be first to go, but that was before I saw Kim.

[Buggin]

Pleasantly surprised by Alek. Earlier in the night he looked so nervous I was worried he'd blow it but he was better than I expected. I voted for him and I pretty much never vote the first week anymore.

I liked Carlos and Bindi. Disappointed in Alexa's dance but she has potential so I'm sure she will have some better numbers. I also liked Nick more than I thought I would.

[BoogieBurns]

I was surprised by Alek, he was pretty good, but I swear, he and Lindsay could pass for siblings.

 

Not knowing who he was, I saw him before I saw his partner. I said "who does he look like? Someone else has his same face," and then boom, Lindsay is on the screen. I honestly think someone made her his partner just because they are twins.

 

I'm watching this until new episodes of Jane the Virgin begin in October. Skipped Paula. Bless you, DVR.

[blackwing]

I think Alek was over scored. I didn't see anything that great about him to deserve those scores. He seems to be getting extra points for having zero experience, being handsome and being an American military hero. Much like ugh Noah Galloway.

[lucindabelle]

Why is gary busey on the show? What does he have to gain from embarrassing himself this way?

Sad about brain damage but whatever it is it's hrd to watch...

[backformore]

Why is gary busey on the show? What does he have to gain from embarrassing himself this way?

Sad about brain damage but whatever it is it's hrd to watch...

He likes attention.   He's been on Celebrity Apprentice, Big Brother UK, celeb wife swap.   What you saw on DWTS was exactly the way he is.  I'm sure in his mind he's brilliant and amazing. 

[Packerbrewerbadger]

I hate with the heat of 1000 suns extra dancers in the performance!! Stop it. And gimmicks are a close second. Fast forwarded all the judges, I miss Len! And to think I use to love this show so much ( in the earlier, simpler times).

I had hoped everyone would have 2 dances before elimination (not that I need to see some of them again) . It's seems so cruel for them to only have one chance to show their stuff.

[katha]

Eh. That was underwhelming. Bindi, Nick, Tamar, Carlos were good. Alexa was good, but seemed super nervous (Mark's tweet afterwards indicated as much...). And yeah, the married couple stuff is already super tiresome and I hope they cut it out and cut it out quick. Don't have much hope, though. Agree that Mark seemed already over it. And if Alexa basically turning herself inside out to support her husband while he did no such thing in return is any indication...yeah, things will get dicey. There will be vote splitting, the boyband fans, the "hot guy" audience are already gravitating towards him, no need to put yourself in his shadow some more in interviews etc. and encourage those tendencies.

 

Alek and Andy were decent but seemed overscored, Hayes was really overscored. The rest were plodding along.

[Sister Havana]

Tonight's premiere wasn't as strong as the last few have been. Glad to see Anna and Karina back. I just wish Anna had gotten a better partner. Gary was a hot mess. I predict he'll stay for at least a few weeks just for that reason. I'm guessing Paula and Kim are the bottom two. 

 

Chaka's dancing wasn't good but she has stage presence for days.

 

Carlos, Alexa, and Nick were good. Tamar was all right. I was pleasantly surprised by Bindi and Alek. 

I hate with the heat of 1000 suns extra dancers in the performance!! Stop it. And gimmicks are a close second. 
 

 

Totally agreed on both points! Save those for the freestyle! 

[Saylii]

Most of the stars only met their partners two weeks ago. Most of the previous premieres had 3+ weeks for practice, with 5 weeks in the way earlier seasons. I think that's why the ones we knew would suck sucked so badly.

[humbleopinion]

Tony, Tony, Tony...who do you have to blow to get a decent partner?

Producers of DTWS...Tony has paid his dues... Kate Gosslin was a nightmare and now he is saddled with Kim...ugh.

 

Yay! KymJ is doing the interviews and still part of the show even though she is not a pro on the floor.

Wecome back Louis (Lulu)...too bad you have Paula.

Paula seemed plastered...talked too loud, laugh too brash and fake.

Cut Paula's mike so we don't have to listen to her.

Karina-always a favorite.

Anna- who did you piss off to be saddled with Gary?

 

Hayes is 15 years old and all the cougar talk is uncomfy.

Did they harass Zendaya with this kind of sexualized talk?

No, so stop it with this kid.

 

Andy's pink/peach tux jacket was a nice touch.

But his interview with Erin was awful, shut up.

 

 

Watched most of the show through my fingers covering eyes because some parts were too gruesome.

Edited September 15, 2015 by humbleopinion

[Snarklepuss]

Ack, what a train wreck this entire show was!  Was it a full moon or something?  Everyone seemed like they were Drunk, even Carrie Ann with her mortifying comments about a 15 year old.  And when I say drunk, I mean scary drunk, not funny and hysterical drunk, which this show has been before, and which I have loved in the past.  I probably show my age by not knowing half of the young people.  That young internet guy, like he freaking touched his CROTCH when Erin was interviewing him.  Was I the only one who saw that?  And that musician/band guy, talk about the creep factor with the way he talked to Erin!  She told him to let the audience know he was joking, but he didn't, and I almost think he was serious.  Yikes.  Even Chaka was mortifying, not just on the dance floor but in front of the judges.  Bindi Irwin was fun to watch and not a bad dancer, but I think she's a complete nutter from way back and on a microphone here as well.  And Tom, who is usually quick witted and saves awkward moments was completely drowned out by the madness all the way through.  I've been watching this show for a decade and I've never seen one episode that was consistently as bad with stunned silence, crumbling smiles and crickets chirping after one embarrassing comment after another.  I sure hope it improves but like others have pretty much already said, it looks like we have many weeks of mortification to come as all the dead wood is eliminated.  I think tonight's show would have been 50% better without most of the stars making complete fools out of themselves in front of the judges and Erin.  Paula Deen was insufferable and the underwear comment not funny at all.  It went over like a lead balloon and was received as in poor taste.  Alek, however, was a complete surprise and ray of sunshine.  Perfectly sane and calm in spite of all the lunacy going on around him.  Plus he has great potential, and is a hero to boot!

Edited September 15, 2015 by Snarklepuss

[slasherboy]

I believe a lot of Gary Busey's batshit craziness is fake.  That's his "thing" now and people expect it of him.  I saw him on Celebrity Wife Swap and he was normal-ish a great deal of the time.

 

Gary never, ever used to wear a motorcycle helmet and, in fact, campaigned against mandatory wear of them.  Then he laid down his bike and slammed head-first into a concrete curb.  He nearly died.  After that, he wore a helmet every time he rode and, in fact, campaigned for helmet laws.

 

I liked Alek but he still has a ways to go.  Could not STAND Paula and was embarrassed that she's a Southerner (as am I).  I hope she's the first to go.  I believe the sexualization of Hayes is totally inappropriate and if I were his parents, would speak to production about my concerns.  And his brother needs to get the hell back in his seat.  Bindi irritates the fuck out of me and always has.  Yes, her father died but so did mine (stroke, not a stingray, but still.....).  Hate the producer-created married couple competitiveness.  Speaking of hate, I HATE MARK'S STUPID HAIR!!!!  That other guy's too, don't know who he is.  Carlos somebody.

 

Til next Monday ........

Edited September 15, 2015 by slasherboy

[blackwing]

I hate to keep harping on Alek, but after the powder puff treatment of Noah Galloway last season, I am very skeptical. I find it interesting that the show gave Alek the fox trot, which seems to me to be a very slow "easy" dance. Contrast that to Paula. She is one of the older and heavier contestants. She's lost a ton of weight and looks great. But to give her the quickstep after so little time to practice? Why? Was it random or on purpose?

Did anyone else think Tony looked like he's put on some weight? I seem to recall him looking a lot fitter. Poor Tony. He said he won once and would like to win again. Uh, not gonna happen with Trainwreck Kim. He seems to consistently get the older, mature contestant. Meanwhile Derek Hough continually draws all the younger women with dance experience.

[PTVjones]

Julianne ... girl. You are the new head judge. It'd be nice in your critiques to say at least ONE thing technical. Saying "you need to look at your partner" or "you need to fill the space." I'm sure when they watch the performances back the pro will be able to tell the partner that. If you're essentially replacing Len, it'd be great if you know... held to that standard of ballroom dancing since you've won international competitions and an Emmy.

 

It's super frustrating to essentially hear the same thing 3 times. Well, with the exception of Carrie Anne disagreeing with Julianne which I suspect to be some shade throwing but... that's just conjecture. 

[Celia Rubenstein]

I want to see Kim Zolciak and Gary Busey dance together.  Like, I really do.  I think that would be funnier than hell. 

[PBGamer89]

TPTB seemed to give Nick the "Alfonso/Rumer" dance last on the premiere to foreshadow the winner thing, but i'm not as convinced. Bindi, Alexa, Carlos, and Tamar are gonna give him a run. Just like how everyone thought Gilles would be a surefire winner, someone came and snuck it out from under him.

 

Bindi surprised me big time. Think she could make it all the way.

 

Alexa looked nervous but I think she's someone we have to keep an eye on. She has good technique and looks super comfortable on stage.

 

I've rarely seen a woman dance as little and as timid as Kim did. Hell, even NeNe was a better dancer.

[WhosThatGirl]

I started to watch an hour into it so I could FF- Thank you DVRS, just..thank you. But that was really boring. And I agree kind of awkward. It's like with certain contestants, we're dreading a thin line on what they can say and do. This mostly may be a thing with Paula Dean. But still. I guess we're going to ignore the things she said. And I mean, I guess Bindi and Nick Carter were the best tonight but.. looking at our options. No one really sticks with me as someone I'm looking forward to watching the whole season. Seriously, four months of this. I mean, don't get me wrong, last seasons had a pretty sworn in winner too but watching Rumor dance was fun. I enjoyed it. I didn't really enjoy watching Bindi or Nick dance tonight. I think I'll go one more episode in and then just decide if I might skip this season. I hit fast forward on most of this night tonight. 

 

Also, I miss Len. 

[PhD-Purgatory15]

Let's start w/ the positives...

 

Alek, Did they gift him w/ the perfect opening dance? Probably....but due to his last minute casting, Lindsay and him got even less (of an already abbreviated) time to prepare so I'm not going get too mad. The show clearly wants him to hang around for a while....and he might actually have the right attitude and aptitude (at least w/ the standards) to justify staying until the top 6 or so.

 

Bindi, Ok, ok....I give. Derek will never get anyone who justifiably could be called a project or lost cause. That being said Bindi's not a ringer by any stretch of the imagination and yet she had so much energy and so much attack for that jive it was pretty awesome. A slower more intimate Foxtrot like what Alek and Lindsay danced probably wouldn't have been as good for this pair.

 

Nick, Sharna looked like straight fire....so there's that. Nick was pretty solid and deserved his spot in the top 3 or 4. I do wonder if getting too much in his own head will be problematic as the weeks roll on.

 

Hayes, Exceeded my admittedly low expectations. He was sort of gracefully awkward, although he reminded me a little of Louie Vito (who coasted on a sleepy charm and natural athletic ability for quite a few weeks). I wonder how much his core strength and technique will really improve. The more I think of it, the more Emma kind of fits him as a partner in an odd way. Cautiously optimistic...

 

Tamar, I think the talent gap between Victor and her led to her being overscored a little. Had they given Victor 4's....they might have been willing to give her 7's and maybe one 8. The chemistry w/ Val is going to be exasperating from time to time.

 

Andy, Reasonable first dance w/ room for improvement...solidly in the top 6 or so who should contend (based on one week of judge-able dance content). Could be a darkhorse.

 

Desperately Married Couple, He was better than her. She seemed very wobbly and unstable for the first 30 seconds of that routine. The married shtick is going to be beaten into the ground....and I'm still not convinced that he couldn't be a candidate for an early "unjust" casualty. His visibility is pretty weak (Big Time Rush?) and Witney doesn't have the greatest track record outside of Alfonso.

 

Paula and Gary, Honestly, I don't even feel super comfortable discussing Gary.....I'm just resigned to the fact that he's going to make it to Week 4 (minimum) regardless of what actually happens on the dance floor. Paula's personality is waaay more egregious off the dance floor than on it. She probably deserved one 6, maybe a couple.

 

I think one of Victor, Kim or Chaka goes out first. I guess I'd lean Chaka just because I think of the three pros....Keo draws the least amount of votes. Unsurprising that these three numbers were some of the most busy and distracting of the night. Victor's admission about the short term memory loss might be worth some sympathy votes. He probably has the least amount of natural dance ability, but I'd still prefer him (and Karina) to stay past the other two (and Paula and Gary but that's wishful thinking IMO).

 

I knew that the dances would have to be short this week, but some of them were ridiculous. If you took away Victor's horse ride....the rest of his dance barely passed the 45 second mark...

[SteveAC10]

 

Julianne ... girl. You are the new head judge. It'd be nice in your critiques to say at least ONE thing technical.

It was obvious by the halfway point that's now Bruno's job. He made a detailed comment to nearly every dancer. A bigger concern is her very real tendency to under score her brother's biggest competitors - especially if they dance before him. It's a rare week when any other team gets a higher score from her than Derek does.

[sinkwriter]

Did the married couple flip off the camera? They both did a hand gesture and I didn't catch it (and didn't feel like rewinding), but it looked like they said something like "We're married!' and flipped off the camera. It was really weird. 

 

They were cute in general, and I didn't mind the married stuff because it's the first week, so who cares? But if they keep it going every week, with them getting their scores together and performing one right after the other... no. Stop that, ABC.

 

Paula... you'd think after everything you've been through lately, you'd learn to STOP TALKING. Seriously. Stop before you say the wrong thing. Again.

[Saylii]

Did the married couple flip off the camera? They both did a hand gesture and I didn't catch it (and didn't feel like rewinding), but it looked like they said something like "We're married!' and flipped off the camera. It was really weird.

They were cute in general, and I didn't mind the married stuff because it's the first week, so who cares? But if they keep it going every week, with them getting their scores together and performing one right after the other... no. Stop that, ABC.

Paula... you'd think after everything you've been through lately, you'd learn to STOP TALKING. Seriously. Stop before you say the wrong thing. Again.

They were holding up their ring fingers.

[sinkwriter]

Gary scares me. I feel like he could be utterly charming one minute and completely scary intense the next. I don't know what to make of him.

 

The kid Carrie Anne was flirting with is pushing it already. Did he seriously tell Emma she had big hips? Kid, don't make me come at you. He was kind of obnoxious, but I'll chalk it up to first week jitters and him trying to get to know Emma and push the boundaries a bit. But honestly, I don't even know who he is, no matter what age he is. At least Bethany talked makeup tips and self-esteem stuff, which I can get on board with -- what is this kid famous for online? What does he DO?

 

They were holding up their ring fingers.

 

Thank you, Saylii. They did it so quickly, I was like, What was that?? 

My favorites of the night were Bindi (great energy), Nick (I wasn't into boy bands but I thought he did well tonight and wasn't obnoxious, which is a huge plus), Andy (he did a solid job and seemed lovely), Carlos (had some missteps but seemed to have fun and is well partnered with Witney), and Alek (understated). Tamar was decent too, but her already-battling partnership with Val may drive me up a wall. 

 

I really wanted Chaka to kick some ass. I think her rehearsal looked like it went better than the performance. I hope it was just first-time dancing jitters and that next week she's able to come back and give it her all.

 

Also, I miss Len.

 

Me, too.

Edited September 15, 2015 by sinkwriter

[backformore]

I believe a lot of Gary Busey's batshit craziness is fake.  That's his "thing" now and people expect it of him.  I saw him on Celebrity Wife Swap and he was normal-ish a great deal of the time.

 

Yeah, but on Wife Swap, he was in familiar territory.  The thing he did with F-U-N, is something he did a LOT of on Celeb Apprentice - he comes up with that stuff automatically, it's the way his damaged brain works, and he thinks he's being profound.    What I saw on Apprentice was a guy who would come up with nonsense, but HE thought it was brilliant.  people were afraid to disagree with him, because he was so unpredictable. 

I don't think he's being fake.  A family I know had something similar happen to the husband/father, after a head injury.   He became belligerent and paranoid, could no longer do things he used to do, but he thought he could.  There was no reasoning with him, he ended up alienating all his friends and family.  Gary is showing classic signs of brain damage, he has been like this for a while now.  If he wasn't a famous former actor, he would be unemployable. As it is, his career is just going from one reality show to another.  He's being exploited and doesn't know it.

[anonymiss]

These judges and their bloviating! They're show promoting rather than judging. It's 3 Carrie-Anns and she's scarily the least offensive of them all.

 

Keo is very charming and a good addition to the show--who knew? So glad he has a partner that allows people to see that now. 

 

Tamar did as well as I expected, maybe even better. She always cracks me up. She's a natural comedian and performer but I agree a lot of viewers might not "get" her schtick. Her score would have easily been all 8s and the judges would have raved about it if it were done by Bindi or Nick.

 

I have zero interest in Bindi. She's exhaustingly bubbly. I disagreed w/ Bruno that she was "clean" or "precise" in her movements. She had tons of pep but was unrefined and sloppy. I don't doubt her score was predetermined. 

 

Mark and Alexa were great but he's self-sabotaging with that hair. Why does he do this to himself and his partners. This season is the top knot, which makes me cringe. If he went back to something like what he had when we met him, he'd sail through like he did then. But I guess this is his way of further emulating a ninja like we know he likes to do. 

 

When Nick said, "This is the worst thing in my dancing. I get really 'finger-y'"--I've always noticed that about him (and he also gets flimsy) but never realized that's what it was. He wasn't bad but he was going to get his score almost no matter what. 

 

The scores seemed more obviously capped for week 1 but only to reserve the highest for the stars of the show: Derek, Bindi, & Nick.

Edited September 15, 2015 by anonymiss