S21.E04: Hometown Glory (2)

[radishcake]

A second elimination occurs during Week 2 of performances, which feature songs commemorating the pro dancers' hometowns.

[cooksdelight]

Tamar gets my vote as best dance of the night.

WTF is wrong with Erin? She seems like she's in a daze.

[mtlchick]

Dammit Victor.  At least when you played it straight you were pretty decent.  

 

Gary is once again in it for the long haul isn't he?

[McManda]

Awww man. He wasn't the best dancer, but man, he was so positive and upbeat about everything. It made him much more enjoyable to watch than others. :/ I'll miss Victor, at least, and he seems like someone that was universally liked around the cast.

 

Also, was Tamar's charleston really a charleston? I thought it was much better suited to a jazz routine, but ... maybe that's just me?

 

Nick is much better when not in his own head. He's not as bad about it as Aaron was, so fingers crossed that he grows instead of following Aaron's footsteps in a more downward spiral.

 

Everyone else ... eh.

 

But learning more about the pros was really interesting. It's too bad it took them 21 seasons to think of that.

Edited September 23, 2015 by McManda

[dizzyd]

I just can't watch Paula straddling Louie another time, NO please!

[anonymiss]

Tamar gets my vote as best dance of the night.

WTF is wrong with Erin? She seems like she's in a daze.

I love that Tamar is as focused and perfectionistic as Val and is keeping him from another showmance. (And she's encouraging him to retire his playboy ways and settle down, which is cute but probably futile.)

 

I wonder if Erin is still reeling from the aftermath of her boyfriend's cocaine bust. She was so on before that it's detectable that she's floating through, just going through the motions. 

[truthaboutluv]

Man this sucks for Karina. She wasn’t even on last season and she comes back to leave so early again and she’s such a stunning dancer. I hope she’s back next season. I agreed with Carrie Ann that it was nice to finally see some of the Pros' journeys and stories. That was really nice. I have to say I like that there is no clear front-runner this season as has been the case the last few seasons. 

 

Hayes/Emma (Quickstep) – It was good and probably his first dance I genuinely liked and enjoyed. Bruno was right, frame was still not great. He definitely showed promise and there were moments where I was impressed and then he would totally lose it again. Not to harp on things but I do think the fact that Hayes is not just 15 but looks it, plays a part in how his dancing comes off. He just doesn’t have the core strength and manly chest to pull off the strong, intense frame that’s needed in these dances – especially for the male who has to lead.

 

Carlos/Witney (Cha Cha) – Definitely not his best. I didn’t see much hip action and he seemed tentative at times but based on Bruno’s comment, I’m guessing it’s because he forgot some of the choreography. I also did not love the choreography to be honest. WTF was going on with Carrie Ann and Bruno there? That was kind of disrespectful to Carlos who was waiting for their comments. I liked Julianne basically breaking down to Carlos that the squatting Bruno and Carrie Ann were talking about is because his legs were bent too much. As soon as she said it, you could tell he got it and it made sense to him.

 

Gary/Anna (Paso Doble) – Um, well they danced to my favorite classical piece and Anna looked great. That’s about all I have. Gary was Gary.

 

Andy/Alison (Contemporary) – It was okay. He struggled something fierce on some of those lifts (Bruno was right) but definitely a lot better than the Jive, which was pretty awful, but still. So points for improvement. Alison’s daughter is cute.

 

Alexa/Mark (Rumba) – Can Alexa not dance in heels? Last night she was barefoot and tonight I notice she was wearing those short, training heels. The dance was sweet and she created some beautiful shapes but something strange was going on with her upper body and I think Julianne nailed it about her butt sticking out awkwardly. Like I too wanted to love it but it just didn’t fully work. I said it last night but I’m sure now that Alexa is going to be this season’s shock boot. Which sucks because I actually had some high hopes for her.

 

Paula/Louis (Tango) – Well I didn’t see anything resembling a wonderful frame but she tried.

 

Derek/Bindi (Waltz) – This was confusing. It felt very, very short. Like it ended and I was sort of “wait…it’s over?” I wanted more in hold. It felt like they were never in hold the whole dance which is odd because it was supposed to be a waltz. And I totally called Carrie Ann calling a lift. It was a nice dance but not great. The story was beautiful but as a waltz I did not love it.

 

Tony/Kim (Foxtrot) – This was truly the slowest Foxtrot ever. Looked more like a slow waltz to me than a Foxtrot. I feel like Tony feels he’s too good to be judged because of his ballroom credentials and it’s like dude, get over yourself. He’s very passive aggressive with the laughing because you can tell from his eyes that he’s really pissed off.

 

Alek/Lindsay (Quickstep) – It was good. Cute and well-choreographed but something weird was happening with his arm, like it was bent when it should have been straighter. But it was good and I see what Julianne was saying about his presence. To me it’s what I feel is lacking with Hayes which is not really Hayes’ fault because he’s 15.

 

Victor/Karina (Rumba) – Obligatory, Karina is stunning. And if we were judging her this would be a 10. As is, Victor was sort of just there. He gave it his all and I saw a few decent steps and he really did look taller and more commanding at some points, but let’s face it, this pairing is just silly with the height difference. And it hardly matters anymore since they were eliminated.

 

Nick/Sharna (Foxtrot) – This was really good and beautiful. I loved the choreography. Nick lost the frame a little and you could literally see him leaning in awkwardly, like Julianne pointed out, but it was really good. He and Sharna also have really good chemistry. They have a good partnership.

 

Tamar/Val (Charleston) – It felt more like a Lindy Hop to me instead of a Charleston but it was cute. And I know some are going to judge Tamar and call her out for having attitude with her reactions to Val’s idea but honestly I laughed and I was agreeing with her. It’s about time someone called out Val and his random shirtlessness that has nothing to do with anything. Tamar’s faces in that clip was killing me.
 

Seriously, is there anyone who wants to see Alfonso AGAIN?

Edited September 23, 2015 by truthaboutluv

[Uke]

I think the dances both Monday and Tuesday suffered from having 2 dances this early in the season. But most couples seemed to have handled it well. I just hope TPTB don't do this again.

 

Hayes:
No body contact. Horrid frame. Shoulders up to his ears. Butt sticking out. But he kept up pretty well.  Would have preferred to see him in dance shoes. Pros can get away with sneakers, but beginners really shouldn't. Overscored. 21 would have been fine.

 

Carlos:
Hated that rendition of Hound Dog.  But that's not Carlos'/Witney's fault.  Sharp, fast, but didn't look much like a cha cha.  It seemed more of a performance piece to show off his swag.  21 is fair. (Alexa's got to stop appearing to be so invested in Carlos' judges' comments. Of course she'll watch him perform, but then she needs to walk away. Otherwise the critiques will get in her head when she hasn't performed yet.)  Carlos has to be careful that all his dances don't start looking all the same with "his style & swag".

 

Gary:
Stompy but he mostly remembered the choreography.  Was there any paso in there? Not sure. Oh well. I've really got to hand it to Anna. Somehow she's getting through to him. 5s were fair but I wouldn't have minded one 6.

 

What's with all the heavy black makeup on Julianne's eyes? Ewww.

 

Andy:
Allison showing off her moves...again. Andy didn't do much but catch Allison in all her twirls and lifts. When she threw herself on his shoulder, he seemed to really struggle to remain standing. He was fighting to not drop her. I don't understand why when Bruno mentioned it, CAI + JH  talked him out of it.  Of course Allison said it was choreography - maybe, but it didn't look it to me. Bruno did get it right with his 7. The 8s were too high.

 

Alexa:
Tough gig having to do legendary Shirley Ballas' signature moves.  Very beautiful dance. Would have liked more hip movement. I don't if it was the dress, but there was something odd about her posture.  Underscored. Should have been all 8s. (yes, I'm a Mark fan but I really am trying to be fair-minded.)

 

Why do stars or pros bring real-life important emotions into this show or dances? It then seems cruel when the "judges" rip it apart.

 

Paula:
phone rang-missed it.

 

Bindi:
The screen said "waltz" but it looked more like a contemporary to me. That was clearly a lift at the end.  Bindi performed what she was given very well but it really wasn't a waltz. At least CAI noted the lift.  Conflicted about the score. Bindi performed nicely but she didn't do the dance assigned.

 

Kim:
Nice job. She seemed a little heavy-footed and at one point seemed to blank-out. But huge improvement.  18 seemed a bit low. One 7 would have been more correct.

 

Yes, Tony, 2 dances for week 2 is tooooo much, especially for some of the stars, like Kim. But that's talk for the skybox with Erin.

 

Alek:
Nice job. Very good body contact. A couple little stumbles in the footwork.  The rehearsal video was funny with Alek, this soldier, saying Lindsay was being hard on him. Once again, agree with Bruno. 7-7-8 was too low. Should have been 3 8s.

 

Victor:
This started out quite beautiful but it kind of fell apart when Karina picked up the red scarf.  Did she need the scarf to "extend" his arms for the floor spin?  The scarf confused me. The final pose I didn't like. Normally that pose has the guy's face in the lady's stomach. Victor's face was much too low. The rumba is a lady's dance so most of the work is done by the lady. But Victor held his own quite well. Far better than I imagined it would be. The 6 was too low. Should be 7-7-7.

 

Nick:
Beautiful dance. I kept worrying that Sharna was going to start crying. Julianne was correct that Nick got out of his own head in his concern for Sharna. But there is something wonky about Nick's posture. I don't know about a grapefruit. I just wish he'd straighten up. 24 was fair.

 

Tamar:
Good grief! Is Val having to put up with an argument about every one of his dances?  I liked the dance and Tamar performed it well.  I didn't like the shirtlessness though-it was unnecessary. I was expecting from the comments and pimp spot that it was going to be all 9s. I'm ok with the score.  But my first thought was that TPTB are continuing the Derek/Val "competition". Derek gets the first 9, Val gets the second 9. TPTB: knock it off!

 

Sorry to see Victor and his cheerfulness leave. Would have preferred one or two others go first instead.

Edited September 23, 2015 by Uke

[McManda]

What I liked best about Nick's dance was that it really felt like he was doing it for her. He nodded at her a couple times and I don't know if it was choreographed or not (I'm leaning toward no) and it felt like a "hey, I got this, I got you". Plus, I'm sort of in love with the little arm flick he does when they come off the stairs. H's hunch-y, but that can be worked on. He's pretty good at finishing his lines, which is what usually drives me nuts about the pro dancers.

 

But I think Sharna is capable of coming up with some really pretty routines. Andy Dick wasn't the greatest dancer, but I loved the Viennese waltz they did. It was simple and meaningful and I think a lot of pros forego dances like that in favor of flash and fun.

[gryphon]

Can Alexa not dance in heels?

I wondered the same thing. Some of those moves would look better in heels, I think.   

Bindi's dance--I didn't see a lot of waltz in there, but it was nice.  She's kind of goofy and I like it. 

 

I don't think halter tops do Kim any favors...it looks like her boobs are at her waist.  There must be more supportive garments she could wear?   

[crowceilidh]

Yep.  Hate Tamar even more today than yesterday.  Not that I disagree with her point, but I totally disagree with her style of saying it.  And I'd be very surprised if Val and she stay friends after this season.

 

Gary can just go away now.  Even Anna looked bad in that thing.

 

I thought both Carlo and Alexa -- <names?  I don't know who these people are -- were slightly underscored.  

 

Nick's posture was dire.

 

Bruno looked unhappy in every cutaway shot to commercial that he was in.  Julianne looked horrible as usual and I just can't listen to her screeching voice and CAI seems utterly desperate.  And I ff through ALL the judging and Erin stuff and yet that is what I saw.

[kitcloudkicker]

Well that was kind of fun. Putting the focus on the pros seemed to let several of the stars get out of their heads - having the pro be the one to be somewhat vulnerable seemed to put them a little bit more on even footings and solidify them as a team. Nick probably most of all, but several of the others as well. 

 

Highlights for me: Tamar & Val - super cute and fun, great performance. Their "arguing" seemed somewhat scripted, but i enjoyed it, it was cute. She seemed to pop a little more this episode, and I like this side of Val.

 

Bindi and Derek - Erin kinda nailed it with the "real life Disney princess" comment, there's something about Bindi that calls to mind Amy Adams in Enchanted. And while I feel like that should annoy me, I'm kinda all in, she's adorable. She's still got room for improvement, but they've got connection, and it was a nice changeup from yesterdays. 

 

Nick and Sharna - lovely, Alek - not his greatest but he's sticking around for a while. 

 

People I was wrong about in my preseason predictions: Hayes - I thought he'd be self conscious in the teenage boy way that Cody Simpson was, but he's kinda impressed me with his willingness to throw himself into it. Not the greatest posture, but I commend him for going for it. The PenaVegas are more annoying than I thought they would be, a little too frantic? Though if they can pull it back a bit they both have potential. 

 

And I give Anna a lot of credit for reigning in Gary - she's made him kind of adorable? Which is not a thing I thought I would ever say? 

[sinkwriter]

 

He struggled something fierce on some of those lifts (Bruno was right) but definitely a lot better than the Jive, which was pretty awful, but still. So points for improvement.

 

Oh yeah. I don't know what Carrie Anne and Julianne were on tonight because I was with Bruno. I like Andy, but during that lift he looked like he was staggering backwards and might drop her. That was not "part of the choreography" in my eyes, from the first time through to the replay. I'm with you, Bruno. It was an error, and you were right to take off a point for it.

 

My favorites tonight were Mark & Alexa, Derek and Bindi, and Val and Tamar.

 

Mark's dance seemed very meaningful to him, and though I agree that Alexa needs to not hunch over (and along with it pull in the bum), I thought they danced beautifully together. It seemed very heartfelt, and I thought it was pretty. (Using that song doesn't hurt either. "Somewhere In Time" is lovely.)

 

I didn't think it was Derek and Bindi's best dance, but I thought it was a very pretty dance and I thought Bindi had some terrific expressiveness in her body movement and her face. Nice job!

 

I normally find Tamar to be talented but a bit attitude-y (which is annoying to me), but tonight I was with her. Why does Val have to dance with his shirt off? I mean, don't get me wrong, I appreciate the view, but what's the point of it for this dance? Is it truly necessary? And why does it have to be about some girl knocking on some guy's door even after he's wronged her? Regardless of the silly "story" they tried to present for the dance, I thought the dance itself was fast and fun. They connected well, danced spot on, and seemed to really enjoy themselves. It was probably my favorite of the entire night.

[katha]

I thought it was kinda awkward that tonight was the scripted "mean night" for the judges while a lot of the pros told emotional stories, also it produced the usual unbalanced scores when they want to artificially "shake things up". Yes, this was Carlos' weakest dance so far, but he was still better than Hayes and Andy...stop talking nonsense, judges.

 

Bindi's dance was pretty but contempo-ish, Hayes is still wildly overscored for being mediocre, Tamar was badass, Nick redeemed himself. Thank heavens Mark chose rumba as a tribute to his parents and spared us all the otherwise inevitable cringeworthy "marrieds!!! jealous because of intimate dancing" shtick the producers would have trotted out. It was a lovely dance and I thought he was stunning in it, I saw some of the issues the judges were talking about with Alexa's technique (as is often the case with rumba so early on, but mostly she did well and she performed it well), the score was still too low in context of what others were given. But what ya gonna do? If it's in the script it's in the script.

 

Weird night with a weird vibe because it was obvious what instructions the judges were given by the producers IMO.

Edited September 23, 2015 by katha

[truthaboutluv]

I thought it was kinda awkward that tonight was the scripted "mean night" for the judges while a lot of the pros told emotional stories, also it produced the usual unbalanced scores when they want to artificially "shake things up". Yes, this was Carlos' weakest dance so far, but he was still better than Hayes and Andy...stop talking nonsense, judges.

 

 

I guess as someone who doesn't really buy into all the conspiracy theories about the show and think everything is scripted down to exact scores (and hey, maybe that's naive of me) I actually think most of the scores were fair because no one has truly wowed yet in my opinion. So I'm fine with all the 8's and 7's and even 6's.

 

There are still a number of technical issues going on with many of the celebrities and that two dances this week gimmick was a mistake in my opinion. One that will hopefully not be repeated next season. While the scores may not have been really high, I thought the judges tried to be as nice as possible to every couple, probably because of the theme of the night and what so many of the dances meant to the Pros. 

Edited September 23, 2015 by truthaboutluv

[sinkwriter]

Was it just me, or was Hayes mugging it up in the background A LOT while Erin was trying to talk to the current dancers awaiting their scores? He kept pulling focus and it was driving me a little nuts. Fool around if you like now that you're done with your dance, but not on camera when your co-competitors are trying to talk.

[Sile]

Lindsay:  "I chose American Girl by Elle King."

 

What the what?  I know she's young, but really?

 

 

Was it just me, or was Hayes mugging it up in the background A LOT while Erin was trying to talk to the current dancers awaiting their scores? He kept pulling focus and it was driving me a little nuts. Fool around if you like now that you're done with your dance, but not on camera when your co-competitors are trying to talk.

 

 

I believe that was during Alek and Lindsay's interview.  Annoyed me as well but, to be fair to Hayes, I believe Witney started it and pulled him into it.  Then he stopped and got out of the shot, while Witney kept it up, mugging and sticking out her tongue.  I know she's besties with Lindsay, but it was still bad form.

Edited September 23, 2015 by Sile

[KLovestoShop]

I just can't with Paula. She's totally obnoxious and her bombastic attitude just turns me off completely. You know it's not going to be a good season when even TV Guide gives a "Jeer" to the booking agents who hired this group of "Stars".

[Victura]

I'm sad Victor was the one kicked off. Of all the hopeless dancers, he was the one I wish could've stayed longest due to his affable nature and sweet partnership with Karina.

Although I don't think having two dances so early in the season is a good idea, I am glad we got to see all the pros (except Keo) do a hometown dance. Since many of them have been on for so long, it was nice to get more of their backstory. If they do this in the future, I hope they will at least tell them earlier on so that they could have more time to prepare in the pre-season rehearsal weeks.

Edited September 23, 2015 by Victura

[DietCokeJunkie]

Am I ​the only one who thought that Karina looked supremely uncomfortable with Victor during their post-dance interview with Erin? While they were talking,  Victor tightened his grasp of Karina in a side hug in kind of a grab. Karina would gasp/grunt, give him the side eye and then make a face at the camera.  It happened twice. I have a feeling she is glad to be done with him.  

[Lonesome Rhodes]

Here I go about music again.  What a contrast!  It gets no better than arguably the greatest soundtrack in movie history, John Barry's Somewhere in Time.  Then we got Jet's Are You Gonna be My Girl.  So appropriate to the dances chosen.  Completely enhanced the art.  Then we get some truly horrendous garbage version of Hound Dog.  Stunning.  Just stunning.  Is there nobody at BBC America who understands a train wreck?  Carlos was doomed tonight.  I won't write the words I want to share to reflect my anger and revulsion.  P.S.  What did they dooooo to Petty's American Girl?!!!!!!!!!  He should sue.

 

Parenthetically, I about exploded with anticipation when Busey teased "From Russia With Love" I thought maybe we'd get another Barry composition.  If TPTB ever wised up and had a John Barry theme night, it might could be as magical a show as they've ever had.

 

Leave it to Julianne to deflect the meaning of the art presented by her brother Derek, to his partner.  It's moments like this when I remember why I do not care for her despite admiring her manifest talent.

 

As for Victor...glad he went out on his best effort.  He did a very good job presenting as a lead.  Tough to do with Karina.  And..."This singer should be fiiiiiiirrrrrrred."

 

Overall, I loved the peek into the Pros' past.  Kudos to TPTB for the overall theme of the week.  

Edited September 23, 2015 by Lonesome Rhodes

[PBGamer89]

As much as I enjoyed having 2 competition nights this week, no one really nailed both dances for the most part. I think maybe Tamar, Bindi, and Alexa to an extent nailed both. The rest either had one really good one or both kind eh.

 

Paula will outlast Gary, that much I'm sure of.

 

Still not sold as Nick winning. Tamar is inching her way to the finals. I'm happy she's coming off better than I predicted.

 

Both of Bindi and Alexa's dances felt a bit too on the Contemporary side. I think Alexa's suffered from a dull song and not being in higher heels.

 

Hayes smells of shock boot to me. The judges are trying to build him up, but I honestly feel he's not connecting with the core demo of the show. Think Cody Simpson, Snooki, and Bethany to a degree of people with young fan bases and solid dancing that went out before the judges expected them to.

[PTVjones]

Random musings...

 

I love having Anna back. Count me as someone that thinks Anna should be a judge. On AfterBuzz, I didn't agree with everything she said but I respected that she would say anything she wanted about anyone. No favoritism. I think the show would benefit from all new judges honestly. Why not use former pros, they clearly know what they're thinking. Imagine having Edyta, Jonathan, or even Maks back? That could be kind of neat. 

 

I think I learned more about Mark from this one episode than I have in about... 8 years? In terms of personal growth I'd have to say Mark is one of the pros that's changed the most over his course through the show. I didn't realize how much I've enjoyed watching his journey till tonight. 

 

I find Julianne to be ... so utterly shadey. The back handed compliment she gave Tamar and Val. "Remember how I told you last night when you dance with Val you kinda suck, but when you're not with Val you're fantastic? Well great job fixing that!!!" Like Val said in his little speech after the scores, they've all essentially grown up w/ each other since the competition circuit so I don't know what the dynamics are like (Julianne has always had the harshest critiques for the Chmerkovsky's, "phoning it in") but she gives me the serious vibe that she doesn't like Tamar or she's not super into "the fam." 

 

I like that Val has a partner that challenges him but clearly still works very well with. Why does Val have to have his shirt off for a hometown dedicated Charleston? That's a valid question. I feel like the producers are really emphasizing this dynamic of their relationship, which I'm inferring to be a negative edit for Tamar. However I don't know if that's necessarily working for them. I think they clearly have a respect for each other and when you watch them in interviews their dynamic is way more light-hearted and humorous than the producers would allude to. 

 

Nick did great! My dad bought me the Millennium  album as a gift the week it came out and I was SO excited. One of the best pop albums of all time IMHO. Happy to see he overcame Monday's performance. 

[kitcloudkicker]

I like that Val has a partner that challenges him but clearly still works very well with. Why does Val have to have his shirt off for a hometown dedicated Charleston? That's a valid question. I feel like the producers are really emphasizing this dynamic of their relationship, which I'm inferring to be a negative edit for Tamar. However I don't know if that's necessarily working for them. I think they clearly have a respect for each other and when you watch them in interviews their dynamic is way more light-hearted and humorous than the producers would allude to. 

 

I saw the shirt "argument" as something that was supposed to play for laughs - I don't know Tamar very well, but that sort of, "child, what do you think you're doing?" seems like it falls into her sense of humor. I thought it was rather cute anyway. Its a bummer if that gets read by the audience as being difficult, though I worry about that with her. 

[alexa]

I just think Tony needs to give this gig up.  He has been sarcastic and rude about the judging for a few seasons now, and last night they weren't even saying anything bad.  He kept harping on learning two dances, blah blah blah... well, they all were and the other pros acted like pros about it.  I really don't like him anymore, as he is too whiny.  

 

I was glad to see Victor go, as I agree with further up that Karina looked uncomfortable with him.  I think she did the best she could, but I don't think that was meant to be a long lasting pairing.

 

I also hope Hayes stays around mainly because I like Emma...she is so fun, and she has had her share of bad partners, so it is refreshing for her to have someone decent this season.

Edited September 23, 2015 by alexa

[Mbeaker]

Am I ​the only one who thought that Karina looked supremely uncomfortable with Victor during their post-dance interview with Erin? While they were talking, Victor tightened his grasp of Karina in a side hug in kind of a grab. Karina would gasp/grunt, give him the side eye and then make a face at the camera. It happened twice.

That squeeze, coupled with the repeated talk of taking control of her in the dance like he does American Pharoah on the track. In that moment, I thought she looked uncomfortable too. Creepy moment aside, I overall enjoyed him.

Not a surprising elimination given Kim's improvement from week 1. Her QS on Monday bought her at least another week. We could have lost Gary and Anna, and I would have been fine with that too. Same for Paula and Louis.

Alfonso as a guest judge? How will I miss you if you don't go away? He and Danica can't unglue themselves from this show.

[mrsmit7]

Tamar & Val hands down had the best dance to me last night. It was so much fun.

Although I do like the sass between her and val, it would be nice for TPTB to mix it up and show a different side of her.I know she's got it, Val's mentioned that shes actually pretty shy.

Other than that,

Nick was improved, but he still wasn't as good as he was night 1, and I think that ser my expectations really high for him

I was really impressed with bindi also, I thought derek created a beautiful waltz.

Something is bothering me with what witney has been choreographin for carlos. He has all the tools but I feel like wit could make routines with more wow factor for him.

[smiley13]

I loved the dances by Alexa, Carlos and Alek.  Bindi and Nick would have been fine with other partners.

 

Gary and Kim just need to go.  And can they take bad attitude Tamar with them?  Poor Anna, we finally get her back and she is stuck with Gary?  What a shame.

 

I applaud Paula for a good effort.  Hayes is better than I thought he would be.  And Andy is yet another one who would be better off with another partner.

 

CAI and Julianne were both obnoxious.  It is sad when Bruno was the voice of reason.

[jette]

I miss Len - I fear that without him, all the dances going forward are going to lose many of the techniques that their styles demand. In past seasons, Len often chastised Derek for not choreographing "proper" dances and the fact that no judge dinged Derek last night for the non-waltz elements he included makes me sad. Same for the Charleston/lindy hop...

 

Also, I now want Jenna to be given her chance as a pro so that she, Witney and Lindsay can compete!

 

Finally, poor Alexa - having to perform Shirley Ballas' signature move immediately following a clip of said move, in front of her, in week two was tough! 

[mamatude]

Hayes smells of shock boot to me.

I have a friend whose daughter enthusiastically voted for him on week 1 and then had too much homework to watch and vote this week. So if the teachers of America will just cooperate and keep his core demo busy on Monday nights, maybe we can be done with the little punk.

[Wings]

 

I guess as someone who doesn't really buy into all the conspiracy theories about the show and think everything is scripted down to exact scores (and hey, maybe that's naive of me) I actually think most of the scores were fair because no one has truly wowed yet in my opinion. So I'm fine with all the 8's and 7's and even 6's.

 

 

I agree.  It doesn't serve the show or any judge to have a plan.  

 

I don't like Tamar; she can dance but her attitude is not cute nor funny.  I did agree with her words but not her delivery. 

 

Julianne is a beautiful woman but the hair and make up team are doing all they can to conceal that!  

 

I have a soft spot for Hayes. I really like this kid.  I don't think his fan base can keep him in long enough to see Paula and Kim beat him out the door though.  Seeing this 15 year old boy get hugged and have intimate body contact with Emma is fun to watch.  You know he has to be the envy of all of his friends!  

 

Bruno was right about that lift.  How did the others not catch that, even on replay?  They just wanted to be right, I guess.

 

Carrie Ann is different this season, even more obnoxious.  How can that be possible?  

 

Anna was disappointed that Gary was not voted out!. She cannot hide it.  Very funny, poor girl.  Awkward moment when Gary leaned in to whisper to her (after results were read) and she turned her head and patted him on the shoulder.  Not to mention she did not want to hug him, in glee, because they were safe.  She had a sad face on that passed as being for Victor.  But that girl was sad she was in it for another week!  

 

It seems that Bindi's mother has read some online feedback and told her daughter to tone down the perky.  She seemed more contained and less "on."  

 

I went back to see the end.  Karina was very happy to hug Victor, she initiated them!.  Victor actually was only half way into the last hug (he used one arm).   I think that was all about him not being sad to go and did not want to appear upset and in need of comfort.  

Edited September 23, 2015 by wings707

[Primetimer]

We finally get to learn more about the professional dancers, and their stories are way more interesting than most of the celebrities' stories.

Read the story

[crowceilidh]

 

I am glad we got to see all the pros (except Keo) do a hometown dance. Since many of them have been on for so long, it was nice to get more of their backstory. If they do this in the future,

 

They can't really do it in the future unless they have a reasonably new slate of pros, though, can they?  It seems like a meme which can only be done once for each person -- or, next time, do we see Derek's youth in England? Val's youth in the Ukraine? etc.

 

Terribly interesting how they are starting to acknowledge the pros' stardom though.  They'll have to be careful or they'll get stuck with bigger salaries...

Edited September 23, 2015 by crowceilidh

[truthaboutluv]

I find Julianne to be ... so utterly shadey. The back handed compliment she gave Tamar and Val. "Remember how I told you last night when you dance with Val you kinda suck, but when you're not with Val you're fantastic? Well great job fixing that!!!"

 

 

In my opinion, her comment was a compliment to Tamar at her ability to take a criticism and immediately work on it. As she said, one night that was a problem, the judges mentioned it and they came back immediately the next night and it was better. I don't see how that was shady. To me it is a testament to Tamar's work ethic and her ability to take a criticism and learn from it. That's a good thing. 

 

Like Val said in his little speech after the scores, they've all essentially grown up w/ each other since the competition circuit so I don't know what the dynamics are like (Julianne has always had the harshest critiques for the Chmerkovsky's, "phoning it in") but she gives me the serious vibe that she doesn't like Tamar or she's not super into "the fam."

 

 

I disagree that Julianne has saved her harshest critiques for the Chmerkovskiy's. The first time she guest-judged Mark was the one she was harsh with, calling him out on his over-dancing with his celebrities and as she noted last night, she danced with and knew Mark since she was 10. If I remember correctly she was actually very complimentary to Val and Elizabeth. 

 

When she came back the second time and called Maks out on phoning it in with Danica (I didn't think he did, I just think as was the case sometimes with Maks, the choreography was boring and repetitive), she also praised Val and Meryl and even said to Meryl that she wanted to grow up and dance like her. 

 

This Chmerkovskiy v. Hough battle some insist on wanting makes no sense to me and this need to make Julianne out to be some uber biased judge is simply baseless in my opinion. People keep saying she's overscoring Derek and underscoring his competition and yet, the actual facts and scores don't support that claim at all. And not for nothing but Julianne or anyone connected to the Houghs are not the ones throwing passive aggressive shade online about "The Fam". 

 

He kept harping on learning two dances, blah blah blah... well, they all were and the other pros acted like pros about it.  I really don't like him anymore, as he is too whiny.

 

 

This. I've been over Tony for awhile. Julianne did say at one point that they know how hard the two dances were not just for the celebrities but the Pros too and she wished they could be considerate of that in the scoring. But they couldn't and all they had to score on was the actual performance. Tony gets so defensive at any little criticism sometimes and I really think it's because he feels like these people are not qualified to judge him, "internationally ranked champion ballroom dancer." And it's like if that's the case then just quit dude. It's either that or get over yourself. 

Edited September 23, 2015 by truthaboutluv

[Qoass]

I'm not surprised at all that they emphasized the pros this week:  many of them are more famous than the "stars" they're partnered with.

 

I think Andy couldn't help but stagger on that lift so they just made it a part of the choreography.

 

For me, the most mesmerizing part of tonight's show was the ugliness of Julianne's dress.

[ari333]

I wish Kim had gone instead of Victor.

I'm not a Paula fan, but it's kind of nice to see a 68 yr old woman being sassy and sexy-ish while dancing. Good for her.

 I don't need to hear her comments, but good for her on the dancing. Plus I like LVA so there's that.

Many people seem "off" imo too. Is there something in the water? :) Even Tom, who I adore, seems kind of off.

Carlos and Alexa are fun to watch and seem really talented. I have no idea who they are.

Allison made the dance about Allison as usual.

I just do not like Tamar whose name, for some reason, I keep typing as Tomar. She is a beautiful woman and very good dancer imo, but I just don't like her.

Edited September 23, 2015 by ari333

[enthus-pro]

The back-to-back dances for week 2 was interesting, not only to see more dance performances, but more importantly, to gauge how well the couples would fare and respond under this unique stress test.

 

Alexa & Mark:
It's true, while this wasn't their highest scoring performance (end of week 2), her rumba showed glimpses of her emotional depth, and this should serve her well down the line.  Great mood, atmosphere, and there was a sense of a developing romance between the two.  The lack of hip action in the rumba walk (along with the upper body) and the egregious forward head position was unfortunate.  She should remember to equally overlap/transfer the weight of the head, spine, all the way to the heels of her feet, and then to keep this in mind when under motion.  But this is only the beginning for this pair.  Watching this rumba (and salsa) makes me a bit on edge, as she is only a dance away in the coming weeks from a breakout performance.

 

Hayes & Emma:
Thought he was the most improved for week 2.  His quickstep posture was slightly improved from the foxtrot cousin (though he should still dance away from Emma), but it was nice to see his performance finally coming through the dance.  While in week 1 he showed flashes of it like water coming out in spurts through a drippy, coughing old faucet, his performance in the quickstep this time was free-flowing and nice this time around.  Yes, it's true, he still looks occassionally down at the floor, but it's still enjoyable to watch this young person grow.  If he continues through the competition, it will be interesting to see how he copes with the paso doble (among others), where the male must dominate through his posture and attitude, and own the surrounding space.

 

Looking forward to the dances from all the celebs in the coming weeks and the very best.

[ari333]

Is it just me or does anyone else want to snatch that chonmage  off Mark's head? Samurai Topknots Are Us. [/shallow]

I did love Alexa and his music and the dance last night though, so I'll give him that..

They were ragging on Louis, but wasn't Paula the first one who said, "I missed two steps.?"  He was just responding to her, but apparently no one heard her initial comment.

Edited September 23, 2015 by ari333

[Wings]

Things are off because of the two dances in one week.  There is a frantic energy in the air and none of the pros or stars are happy; they are exhausted and frustrated, understandably.  

 

ETA:  I think the judges are frustrated, too.  They have to score beginners in an arena that has previously allowed them more time to get better.  

Edited September 23, 2015 by wings707

[saber5055]

I could watch hours of backstories on the pros, although mainly the ones who came here from foreign countries to escape war and political oppression. It gives me pause to think of how their childhood and coming here for "the American dream" has influenced and affected them.

 

Sorry to see Victor go, although I was uncomfortable with his saying he will "control" Karina like he "controls" American Pharoah. Victor, you getting a ride on that horse put you back on top after you had sunk to your lowest and were almost out of the business. Count your blessings, as some other jockey could have been hired instead of you to ride this wonder horse. It wasn't just you who won that Triple Crown.

[blackwing]

I thought Tamar was great.  Based on her dancing, I think she should be the front runner.  Unfortunately, I think her brash personality seems to be a bit irritating, so I could easily see her getting voted off before she should.  I would not be at all surprised to see her go at 5th place or even earlier.  Bindi, Nick, Alek, and maybe Carlos finish ahead of her.

 

I am not at all sorry to see Victor go.  His comments about Karina were creepy.  Plus I don't know how many more "short man" comments I could have taken.  Yes, I get it.  He is short.  It's extremely obvious.  There's really no need for them to say in the preview "will the height difference affect them" or to make comments like "you danced like you were 10 feet tall".  I'm not an expert, but I actually thought his dance was mediocre.  It looked to me like Karina did almost entirely all of the work.  All he did was spin her in a circle with that ribbon thing.

[BW Manilowe]

Here I go about music again. What a contrast! It gets no better than arguably the greatest soundtrack in movie history, John Barry's Somewhere in Time. Then we got Jet's Are You Gonna be My Girl. So appropriate to the dances chosen. Completely enhanced the art. Then we get some truly horrendous garbage version of Hound Dog. Stunning. Just stunning. Is there nobody at BBC America who understands a train wreck? Carlos was doomed tonight. I won't write the words I want to share to reflect my anger and revulsion. P.S. What did they dooooo to Petty's American Girl?!!!!!!!!! He should sue.

Parenthetically, I about exploded with anticipation when Busey teased "From Russia With Love" I thought maybe we'd get another Barry composition. If TPTB ever wised up and had a John Barry theme night, it might could be as magical a show as they've ever had.

Leave it to Julianne to deflect the meaning of the art presented by her brother Derek, to his partner. It's moments like this when I remember why I do not care for her despite admiring her manifest talent.

As for Victor...glad he went out on his best effort. He did a very good job presenting as a lead. Tough to do with Karina. And..."This singer should be fiiiiiiirrrrrrred."

Overall, I loved the peek into the Pros' past. Kudos to TPTB for the overall theme of the week.

I think "From Russia with Love" is Gary's nickname, pet name, whatever, for Anna--anyway, it's something he calls her. I remember him using it on Monday's show too.

[boyznkatz]

Was it just me, or was Hayes mugging it up in the background A LOT while Erin was trying to talk to the current dancers awaiting their scores? He kept pulling focus and it was driving me a little nuts. Fool around if you like now that you're done with your dance, but not on camera when your co-competitors are trying to talk.

 

Yeah he's annoying. I don't know why TPTB are trying so hard to make him happen. My pre-teen son has never heard of him, although he's heard of Zendaya, Cody Simpson, and Andy Grammer. I just don't think anyone is buying that the younger crowd actually cares about this guy or his family. Here's hoping he goes soon.

[ItsHelloPattiagain]

 

Is it just me or does anyone else want to snatch that chonmage  off Mark's head? Samurai Topknots Are Us.

YES PLEASE! I was texting my daughter during the show and I kept saying how I wanted to chase him down and cut that thing off. 

 

So happy for Nick - I was hoping he wouldn't have another wardrobe malfunction or perhaps a runaway spaceship would crash into the building during his dance. And was it my imagination or was Hayes wiping tears from his eyes after Nick and Sharna danced? I rolled it back and it looked like it. 

 

Not really a conspiracy theory - but I wonder if Hayes did cotillion as a tween - isn't he from North Carolina? If he did that might be the answer why he can actually dance with a partner at 15. 

Edited September 24, 2015 by ItsHelloPattiagain

[TOL]

To me, Anna looked disappointed when they weren't voted off. She seems to be over Gary. I know I am. If she had any knowledge of him before she agreed to be on the show she probably would never have said yes. He's just too creepy to be entertaining.

[BW Manilowe]

ari333: Carlos was in a "boy band", Big Time Rush, which I think also had a show on Disney Channel or Nickelodeon, 1 of the kid-oriented TV channels on cable/satellite. He's married to Alexa, who was a child star under her maiden name, Alexa Vega. Most recently, she's probably best known for being in the Spy Kids movies (also done as Alexa Vega).

enthus-pro: I'm assuming you meant there was a sense of romance between Mark & Alexa's "characters" in the dance, as opposed to the real people? Alexa appears to be *very* married to her husband--& fellow competitor this season--Carlos.

[ChicksDigScars]

I'm sad Victor was the one kicked off. Of all the hopeless dancers, he was the one I wish could've stayed longest due to his affable nature and sweet partnership with Karina.

 

Yep. Gary and Paula should have gone before Victor OR Chaka. Poor Keo. Out first AGAIN (no fault of his own). Hey show, here's an idea. When you're all done assigning next season's "stars" (using that term loosely, especially with this bunch) and pros, look at your list, and then take the name next to Keo's and switch it with the name next to Derek's. Surprise us for once. Make Golden Boy actually break a sweat on elimination days. 

 

Speaking of, I want to root for Bindi. But I just can't, and it's all because of her partner. Derek gets the young, perky partner with a huge fanbase AND the dead daddy backstory? I. AM. SO. SHOCKED. I would have pledged eternal loyalty and gratitude to this show had they stuck him with Paula Deen. As it is now, I'm flipping the channels between DWTS and The Voice. And The Voice is winning as far as time spent on each show. 

 

Conversely, I feel the opposite with Val and Tamar. I like Val and want to see him beat Derek EVERY season. However, his partner is so hard to root for. She's just....grating.  

 

Soooo.....maybe I'll vote for Nick. 

 

Karina. SO sorry to see you gone so soon. I'd rather have you around than Witney, who seems to have two brain cells between her ears, total.  

Edited September 23, 2015 by ChicksDigScars

[Fliz]

Parenthetically, I about exploded with anticipation when Busey teased "From Russia With Love" I thought maybe we'd get another Barry composition.  If TPTB ever wised up and had a John Barry theme night, it might could be as magical a show as they've ever had.

 

 

Yes, please - wonderful idea!

[fishcakes]

At one point while they were waiting to hear who was eliminated, it looked like Anna was saying, "please please let it be us." She appears to be beyond over Gary. He's always talking to her during the results and she has to shush him, and her face shows more and more annoyance the longer they're together. It's not Gary's fault he's the way he is (well, not entirely his fault; his views on motorcycle helmets were moronic) and I have sympathy for him for his injuries, but good lord, FREE ANNA.

 

And free me from Paula, even though I did crack up when Louis was telling her about the 600-year-old buildings in Amsterdam and she said, "oh, so Amsterdam is even older than Savannah?"

[LadyMustang65]

Good show last night.  Some did better than Monday; others did worse.  I didn't think anyone aside from Gary was a total trainwreck.  Many I thought were really quite good.  Tamar was the best for me - I loved that dance.  Fun, flirty, energetic, fast.  I'm really enjoying this couple.  Bindi was quite good as well as were Nick and Alek.  Hayes was better than I expected.  Paula and Kim weren't as good as Monday.  Put me in the group that think Andy couldn't quite handle that lift.  Carlos was good, but I didn't like that version of the song at all.  That was probably a good night for Victor to leave as he could go out on a "high" note - I think it was the best he'd done so far.  I haven't seen anyone mention it yet, so I'm wondering if it's just me, but it seemed to me that Mark was really helping Alexa during that dance.  At one point I swear I saw him put his hands on her hips and really push them to get them moving because she was just standing there.  I've seen that move done before, but this was the first time I can remember it looking like the pro was actually pushing the hips and not just placing his hands on them.  Then when she did the Shirley Ballas move, you could see him having to drag her leg back under her.  Again, it's probably done all the time, but I can't ever remember it being that obvious. 

 

Anyway, overall two dances the second week worked out far better than it had any right to.  Most of the dances were at least credible with several really good performances.

 

Last thought - other than finding out a bit more about people's childhoods (which was nice), the "theme" of Hometown Glory seemed like a bust.  Most of the song choices really had nothing to do with the hometown but were about childhood memories that could have happened anywhere.