S21.E05: TV Night

[sinkwriter]

My favorites were Alek, Nick and Alexa.

 

I thought Nick and Sharna danced a very lovely routine, very romantic. Alek continues to surprise with his ability to do the routines despite never having danced before, and though I could have done without all the Lindsey making him hit on women (talk about awkward and forced! Poor Alek), I thought they had a nice simmering approach to their dance. And I have to hand it to Mark - he comes up with some very creative routines. That one was unusual, I didn't love every move, but overall it was pretty cool.

[sinkwriter]

I generally liked Alfonso as a judge. I liked that he was able to relate to the stars and say, "I remember how hard it was when I had to do the same thing, just remember to do this and you'll be fine." 

 

But I did laugh when he told Carlos that he needed more energy. Alfonso, no one has as much energy as you.

[ocelot]

I just watch on youtube so I didn't catch the judging, and while Alfonso annoys me sometimes too I really love when a guest judge gives actual critiques. That's what the judges are there for. But since I didn't actually see it there is a good chance I would still find him annoying idk.

 

-Carlos and Witney: this was cute. Reminded me a lot in tone, choreography, music, and even set (the bench/sofa) of her jazz with Alfonso. I think compared to the other jazz on this show Witney does a pretty good job. Strongly dislike those moments of hold these pros always put into their jazzes and contemporaries though. I don't think the theme gave Carlos too much room to show off which is too bad because I think he could have in this style. But that's not his or Witney's fault.

 

-Paula and Louis: omg I'm sorry I loved EVERYTHING about this. Don't think I saw too much (any?) samba but this was hilarious/adorable. Loved the troupe addition in this, loved the band, loved the set and costumes and lighting, and I actually thought Paula's performance was quite good (not the dancing though obvs).

 

-Tamar and Val: could not love her any more, could not love her making fun of Val's macho shit any more and using the word sexist. I think she's one of the best dancers this season but this felt a little clunky to me and her performance seemed a little off.

 

-Alexa and Mark: this is a contemporary, like 100 percent. I wish they would do this instead of what they think is contemporary. The choreography wasn't outright bad for once but it was definitely unoriginal, to me it seems like he is picking up stylistic tics and accents that he's seen in other places with professional contemporary choreographers. To be specific I saw a ton of this in there https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVUZ2AZRmD0&list=PL2uLxqwq8yw6o1f6B3L1L2BAU-Fufgpwg&index=28 But I think that's a good thing haha. Mark's contemporaries can sometimes be really okay, much better than Derek's.

 

-Andy and Allison: I really love how eager he seems. He seems like a nice guy. Not danced well by either of them but I enjoyed his performance.

 

-Gary and Anna: um why didn't they make him Lurch?

 

-Alek and Lindsay: wow I thought this was so good! He really impressed me.

 

-Bindi and Derek: yes she struggled but who wouldn't with only two days to rehearse? I still think she was quite good in places. I don't think it deserved a 32 though. She has a lot of stage presence and charisma in my opinion.

 

-Nick and Sharna: ok I thought this was great. Best dancing by a celeb in the episode imo (but I'm not a ballroom expert by any means so this is just to my untrained eye). I thought he did so well and the performance by both of them was really beautiful as well.

 

-Hayes and Emma: the jive part was terrible, even I could see that.

[anonymiss]

You tell him, Witney!

Carlos: "Ugh can you...like, not eat tomorrow?"

Witney: "*smacks his arse* Can you...like, work out tomorrow? Get a little stronger?"
 

If you don't like someone already, it's that much more difficult to laugh along with them. Since I like Tamar, I LOL'd at how she sold her protofeminist version of Mad Men. It's her sense of humour, not how dare she keep disagreeing with Val! As for their dance, Val's tangos are EVERYTHING. The choreo, the drama, the perfect costumes (that red dress slayed). Val was almost a sexier Don Draper than he was Christian Grey. 

 

I appreciate Mark's boyish spirit and I love Breaking Bad so thought it'd be delightful but it was underwhelming. Not bad but the best thing was Mark's bald head. WTF at 9s for that??

 

Tired of the show's male and female strip tease numbers. If they must, at least don't recycle the music and moves as well as the best NSYNC VMAs performance.

 

Bindi with the constant smiling with all her might--ugh. She makes MY face tired. 

 

Julianne "lost [her] train of thought" and her entire brain, apparently. Alek is a nice project for the show but best technique of everyone? FOH!

 

Nick and Sharna did a lovely dance but it wasn't the best dance of the night. Most romantic and best music though. Wish they'd stop judging as BSB fangirls.

 

Alfonso always was borderline ostentatious in his delivery but it's full-on now. Still like him and some of his critique but he was sounding like Carleton and not in a good way.

Edited September 29, 2015 by anonymiss

[howmanywords]

I liked Alfonso as a judge. He said a lot of things that people on this board have been saying - he basically called out Alexa for not being committed to her partnership wtih Mark until now and also for Tamar to let Val take the lead since he is the pro. I liked that he pointed out technical things - it shows that he actually learned some technique from the show! Plus, it's a lot more constructive than throwaway comments from some of the past guest judges. As far as I can remember, I think he only referred to his being on the show once (about the difficulty of doing quickstep the third week). He's one of the most likeable contestants and winners that we've had in recent years and is also hosting Dance Wars on ABC, of course ABC would want to milk him for all he's worth. I think his career has had a jumpstart since DWTS and it's good that he's still loyal to it (the same way that he was willing to do the Carlton dance). Frankly, if the choice is between Abby Lee Miller or Alfonso, I'll take Alfonso 10 times over...

Excellent post.  To be honest I think if anyone already went into this show not liking Alfonso, being annoyed everytime he appears on the show and feels he's overstayed his welcome then chances are anything he said tonight would have been annoying. Yeah I get that he has appeared a lot and done a lot of DWTS things a lot since he won but other than when he has sat in the audience which must have been his own choice, the other times he was obviously asked by the show, so what does he do? Say no everytime they approach him with some type of appearance? He's on the ABC payroll now so even more reason I cant see him saying no to anything remotely affiliated with ABC/DWTS.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

Commando Tango.  Can Tom please be the programmer for all the networks?

 

My favorite dance was the Viennese Waltz by Nick.  I am a complete and total sucker for all things Downton.  The period costumes (with a touch of modern spice) and choreo clearly informed by ballroom standard and the faithful music all served as an exemplar of the promise of the show in original.  The nines were ridiculous, though.

 

Now they decide to be hardbutts about launching a star who can't compete in a given show?  Really?  This is the worst of the show.  This was entirely arbitrary and a farce.  The only caveat is if this was designed to make Kim a figure of sympathy due to her needing to drop out regardless.

 

Alfonso gave the best, most relevant, advice from a former contestant I have ever heard.   He still should never have been on that podium.

 

ETA:  I do not like him at all, but Mark's choreo and style went against the entire night of feel-good and hagiographic memory with that avant-garde ferocity.  The blue crystal squares were fantastic and were integrated seamlessly.  The Winnebago scene was as good a goof set piece as the show has ever done.  The tighty whiteys were fun and perfectly true to BrBa.  He, and Alexa, was a standout.  Huge risk.  They deserve a reward.

 

The Muppets (and Dawn Wells and Marla Gibbs) on the other hand, are quintessential examples of how the show does not think through nor execute well, many one-off concepts.   How awkward for Dawn and Marla it was!  Even Tom couldn't make it work.  The MissPiggypignappedErinandistakingover mess had zero payoff.  I could scarcely believe what I (didn't) saw!  Soooooo poorly done.  These were true embarrassments to BBC Worldwide and all involved.  Horrible. 

Edited September 29, 2015 by Lonesome Rhodes

[LotusFlower]

I think there's a very good chance that Kim was nowhere near ready (or willing) to even perform a dress rehearsal of the routine.  Especially that routine.  

Right. I don't think it's comparable at all to Melissa Rycroft's dress rehearsal dance. She knew the whole dance and performed the whole thing on stage - just not live (obviously) and not in costume. I got the feeling Kim was hoping for a pass. I noticed she kept saying "but I can fly next week!"

[Woodrose]

I don't watch any of the Real Housewives shows, and don't need to see any more of them on DWTS.  None of them have impressed. 

 

I'm glad the show insisted on dumping Kim, and wish she and Tony had accepted it more gracefully and maturely. I can't believe a woman who is worried about being there for her six kids would even try to continue in a silly dance contest after having a stroke and being hospitalized for three days. 

 

Dawn Wells for season 22! The Gilligan's Island number was cute and fun, mostly thanks to the troupe. The big belly on Captain (Alan) was funny. Paula's schtick is not at all amusing to me, and I'd like to see her leave soon.

 

Didn't enjoy watching Lindsay push Alek into hitting on Brittany and Jenna. Too junior high school. No need to embarrass the guy, he's working hard and doing well. And asking Jenna for a date is not really helping him with the problem of how to look sexy doing a vampire dance on live TV.

 

Ugh with the Bindi and Dere's music not clearing in time. Not exactly a well oiled machine. They knew they were going to do these weekly themes; they should have been working to clear a bunch of TV theme songs since before the season even started. 

 

Nick and Sharna did a lovely, brief little dance. The dances are so very short, at least 15 seconds shorter than the first 10 seasons, that even the good ones don't really have the chance to make much of an impression on me.

 

The women dancing at the beginning looked like a stripper club. A long way from ball room dancing.

 

Julianne looked gorgeous this evening. The lighter touch with the makeup, a simple hairstyle, a dress no one is worried she is going to fall out of -- it all came together into a beautiful look. She could look that good every week, if her stylists would just go for beautiful rather than edgy.

 

 

 

 

[Padma]

I didn't know who Alfonso was (couldn't care less about the Carleton either) during his season, but I grew to root for him and find him talented and charming. Then it began to fade a bit, fading completely when he was mugging behind Chris Soules (whom I don't even care about) and generally trying to upstage anyone he could.

 

He's probably naturally extroverted and the life of the party and has gotten a lot of love from the show for being that way so he figures he should continue. The problem is, for some of us, a little of all that "Me, me, me!" and enthusiasm and (now) expertise on dancing can come across as full of himself, even cocky and obnoxious. He kind of crosses that line to me sometimes now.  I think he's fine as the guest judge ...once per season... but that was plenty.

[ocelot]

I just want to add that I really do love Allison as a whole but I have seen contemporary dancers do better quicksteps (and much better) on sytycd, and they were learning in a week while she's had several years now to train in this style to be on this show... it's just a little frustrating.

[vibeology]

I didn't mind the other guest judges because they stayed in their lane and talked about what they knew. Alfonso could've been constructive without trying to bring up technical points. It's like if I trained in ice skating for my whole life and then some guy who's been doing only a few months tried telling me what I should be doing. It just seems condescending.

Isn't this Carrie Ann every week then? She's a dancer just like Alfonso but not a ballroom dancer. In fact, with his time on the show, he may have more experience than her. I'm pretty sure the epic CAI and Tony feud was all about how she didn't have ballroom experience and shouldn't be judging on the show.

As for Alfonso, he works for ABC. He might be happy to be back every time, but it's not really his choice. Some network bigwig is working that cross-promotion hard.

[alexa]

Emma, you're missing a turtle. Donnatello? Leonardo? (I couldn't tell if blue or purple was MIA.) Also, does Hayes even know who the Ninja Turtles are? That's my generation, and I'm double Hayes's age. On the upside, Hayes is set for a Halloween costume.

 

As indicated further above the turtles have definitely resurfaced since the time period you are talking about.  The updated version of the cartoon has been on Nickelodeon for the last several years, and the movies that were mentioned above as well.  Turtles are very popular..... :-)

 

I think it was good for Kim to be done.  With not being able to fly, and with that health scare it is better for her not to dance.  I do think some of this had to do with the fact that she had a serious incident, and they don't want to mess with that.  I love seeing Tony get to actually dance, so that was nice they showed the routine.  I thought it was funny how Kim acted like she knew the dance so well (in that one day she got to work on it).... yeah right.

[jette]

Saylii said:

 [Kim] said on her FaceTime that she learned it all Saturday. We don't know how much of that was exaggeration though.

 

SO much exaggeration - I'm willing to bet that while she *may* have learned a routine on Saturday, it was not the same routine that Tony and Jenna danced on Monday. He had to have tweaked the choreography once he learned that Kim wouldn't be his partner. I just can't picture her even attempting some of the moves Jenna executed so flawlessly. That said, I wish Kim a speedy recovery / healthy future.

 

ETA: spelling!

Edited September 29, 2015 by jette

[CED9]

Isn't this Carrie Ann every week then? She's a dancer just like Alfonso but not a ballroom dancer. In fact, with his time on the show, he may have more experience than her. I'm pretty sure the epic CAI and Tony feud was all about how she didn't have ballroom experience and shouldn't be judging on the show.

As for Alfonso, he works for ABC. He might be happy to be back every time, but it's not really his choice. Some network bigwig is working that cross-promotion hard.

I think the CAI and Tony feud must run a little deeper than that. Bruno doesn't know jack about ballroom either but he's given a pass for whatever reason.

[kayma]

I thought Alfonso was spot on in his critiques, especially for Tamar and Alexa. I like him and don't mind seeing him on the show.

I get the feeling that, aside from Gary, the stars aren't having a lot of fun. Alexa and Bindi are probably having the most fun, but even they don't seem to be throwing themselves into the dances. Alek seems to be enjoying the experience but it doesn't always come through in his dances. It's like a completely different vibe this season.

Witney looked so good as an old lady.

I thought the Mad Men tango needed a crescendo or something in the music. I liked the dance well enough and their costuming was perfect, but it just never seemed to go anywhere.

Mark and Alexa danced. I don't know how you'd score that compared to everything else. I liked it OK.

I still can't stand Paula. Sorry, Louis, but I fast forward every time you're on screen with her.

I liked seeing Tony dance for once. I wouldn't mind a "full-length" pro dance in addition to the bumpers.

Whenever Derek is shirtless, I want to pat him on the head and hand him a shirt. He's just not at all sexy or hot to me. Although, I thought he looked good in his suit. Obviously, others disagree.

I agree with Miss Piggy. The men clean up nicely on this show.

I'm not feeling Nick. That was a beautiful dance Sharna came up with but still just meh on him.

I'm hoping Alek makes it to the finale. To think he and Lindsey almost weren't on the show and they're perfect for this season

I, very uncharitably, thought it was a little early for the injury edit and the OMG change in plans edit. To have both together, knocked Bindi down a little for me. Also, I thought I read in one of her bios before the season that Bindi had a series of dance videos for kids. Certainly not earth shattering experience but the never danced before comment rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe next week will be better.

I would have been fine with either of the bottom two leaving. I think it's sad that Andy ranks that low on my list when he's naturally so likeable. I take it Andy's not getting the votes.

I agree on the female pro number. I know tptb think those numbers are empowering for women. I disagree. They are all hard working, strong willed, athletic women. Let's see a dance where they are powerful and strong and not nearly naked. For what it's worth, I'd like that for the men, too, over that male stripper number they did.

[OakGoblinFly]

 LOL on the "doubly not feminist."  Agreed.  And I didn't like it either.  It wasn't beautiful, and her facial expressions are always so odd. 

 

 

I was waiting for the judges to call her out on her odd facial expressions during the dance - she had a very vaccant, bug-eyed look.   I don't feel the connection between her or Val at all and that lack of connection makes it difficult for me to enjoy her dancing.   Also, I'm tired of the 'why does the man have to be in charge' mantra she bleats on every week ........ in ballroom, the man IS in charge ..... just deal with it.

 

I thought some of the dances were odd choices for the music given.

 

I would have thought that Bandstand would have been the perfect Lindy Hop song, not quick step and I Bad Things seems a perfect West Coast Swing number ...... ah, remember when they used to included swing and Lindy Hop.

 

For having to learn a completely new routine in two days (thanks to the song not being cleared) I was duely impressed by Bindi - and she was dancing with a bum foot.  I have a foot injury that occasionally flares up and I know how painfujl walking can be; I can't imagine dancing - and a Quickstep at that.

 

Seeing how well Lindsey is doing with Alek makes me sad that Jenna was not prompted to pro and Allison demoted to troupe.  Alek and Andy are similar in that they both move well, learn quickly, and have good musicality - Alek is improving under Lindsey's tutelage whereas Andy seems to be floundering under Allison.  I think Allison's lack of ballroom experience shows ups in her inability to teach (that is not to say that ballroom training automatically equates good teaching but it certainly helps).

 

I wasn't as impressed with the Breaking Bad dance as the judges; it was all style very little substance.  Still, I am glad that the judges finally called Alexa out on her focus on Carlos and not Mark during 'ballroom time.'

 

My absolulet, hands-down favorite was Nick and Sharna; what a gorgeous waltz.  I thought she used the troupe effectively.

 

Anna made a stunning Morticia; As scary and unstable as Gary can be, I do think he genuinely wants to do well.  And I will say this for him, he does remember his choreography.

 

I would have enjoyed Paula's dance if it was called 'jazz' instead of 'samba'.

 

I know Haynes is a young'un, I wish that Emma would get him out of the Converse and put him in ballroom shoes; I find the Converse shoes very distracing.  

[Jax7917]

I like alfonso, but the way he was speaking was ridiculous. He sounded like an obnoxiously loud robot. 

 

Whatever with Kim. She wouldn't have made it even close to the end with the way she dances anyway.

 

Tamar is..... annoying.

 

They keep praising alek for being good for someone who has no dance experience. I'm confused as I thought NONE of the contestants are supposed to have any dance experience prior to the show.

 

I love nick for nostalgic reasons and he does seem sincere and I like that hes not naturally an amazing dancer even though he's in a boy band where his job is to dance. He's actually working at becoming better.

 

It annoys me when they put the older people on the show who they know can no way, shape or form, dance like the younger kids and call it a "competition".

[OakGoblinFly]

Hayes/Emma (Cha Cha) – This was very disappointing and I blame Emma for that. Hayes gave it his all as usual but I feel like I’m still waiting to see a Cha Cha and I’m baffled at none of the judges mentioning this.

 

 

I think the reason you didn't see any Cha Cha Cha in Hayes' routine is because he was doing the Jive.   =)

[OakGoblinFly]

I think there's a very good chance that Kim was nowhere near ready (or willing) to even perform a dress rehearsal of the routine.  Especially that routine.  

 

I think the show may have just given her, or more likely Tony, a graceful way to exit and save face.

 

So I really don't think that Kim's staying around was ever in the cards.

 

 

But she didn't exit gracefully, she was complaining about 'wanting to continue dancing' and the 'rules' when the feed was cut (which had me giggling like a 12-year old school girl).

[coaster]

 

 

I think the show may have just given her, or more likely Tony, a graceful way to exit and save face.

But she didn't exit gracefully, she was complaining about 'wanting to continue dancing' and the 'rules' when the feed was cut

I wish it had been handled more gracefully by the show, too. Of course they're going to try to string the audience along: "we'll tell you later whether she will compete and whether she will be able to stay on the show". But it really seemed like they held out hope to Tony and Kim, too. (Or am I just that gullible? But it didn't seem like they were acting.) I wish Tony and Kim had had the "rules," or at least the decision, explained to them clearly beforehand, so that on the live show they could have just done the "it's too bad, by next week she would have been fine but we understand this is how it has to be" bla bla. The whole Pleeeeeease and Can't you bend the rules was just uncomfortable.

[OakGoblinFly]

Since Kim was nowhere to be seen in the opening lineup - AND we know she didn't make it to LA for camera blocking/dress rehearsal – it was pretty obvious that she was going to be eliminated/drop out of the show.

 

The show has from the begining (it seems the one rule that they actually have and enforce) that if you can not dance on the live telecast, then your rehearsal footage/camera blocking footage will be judges.  Since Kim did not have any rehearsal/camera blocking footage, there was nothing to judge.

 

I'm quite okay with her leaving (honestly I would have been okay with her leaving week one).

 

It was nice to see Jenna and Tony perform the routine and be afforded the opportunity to remember what a good dancer Tony is.

[Primetimer]

The couples dance to classic television theme songs, which works well in some cases (Downton Abbey) but not so well in others (Breaking Bad?).

Read the story

[LadyMustang65]

I always love TV week when they do it.  It's one of the few themes I usually enjoy.  This was a fun night.  I enjoyed Alfonso as a judge; he gave a lot of good advice and comments, I thought.  Plus I just generally find him likeable.  Julianne seemed a bit more restrained last night, which was good.  CarrieAnne was mostly sane, although I seem to remember one WTF moment from her where she was just babbling. 

Carlos/Witney – this was nice.  I enjoyed it, even though I didn’t think it was his best dance.  He showed a lot of promise the first week, but he has been hit or miss for me since then.

Paula/Louis – I thought Louis did a good job choreographing to that song.  It’s not an easy one.  That said, this dance was ok but nothing more, although I did enjoy seeing Sasha as Gilligan.

Tamar/Val – I like Tamar, but I thought this was her weakest dance so far.  Or maybe I should say I enjoyed it least.  She needs to shut up, though.  It was fun the first couple of times with her giving Val a hard time, but it’s starting to get annoying.  I think it's supposed to be light-hearted teasing, but it's like the married-couple shtick - it's been done too many times now.  And this time it was just silly.  Has she never watched the show?  Yes, it’s “sexist.”  That’s the way it works.  Also, tango.  Also the way it works.  I still think she’s one of the better dancers, but I hope they lighten up on the 'give Val a hard time every week' stuff.  A little goes a long way.  Oh, and this was the first week I really saw the 'vacant' look in her eyes when she was dancing.  It was weird in places.  I think she gets so into remembering what she's supposed to be doing that she forgets to emote through her face or something.  Anyway, not her best dance but still one of the better ones of the evening.

Alexa/Mark – Mark’s choreography can be a bit out there, but I absolutely loved this one.  His weirdness totally worked in this dance.  Great job, although I do think 9s in Week 3 are ridiculous.  This was one of my top 2 for the night.

Andy/Allison – Quickstep is one of my favorite dances, and I think he did a pretty good job with it.  But I think he could do so much better with another pro.  Allison herself didn't look that fantastic in this dance, so how could anyone expect Andy to look great?

Gary/Anna – I loved the Addams Family, and that was a great routine Anna put together.  This may have been Gary’s best dance.  That’s not saying a lot, of course, but he was certainly trying, and it was kind of fun.

Alek/Lindsay – this one felt kind of rushed to me.  Not sure why.  He did a nice job with it, but it wasn’t my favorite of his.  And I could have done without the silly 'sexy' bit.  But this wouldn't be DWTS without some contrived bits.

Kim/Tony – it’s unfortunate that she had to withdraw, but it’s really good to know that she’s okay.  That must have been very scary.  At least we got the treat of watching Tony and Jenna – it was really nice to see Jenna get a chance to really show what she can do.

Bindi/Derek – I really like Bindi; she’s always fun to watch.  But I’m pretty sure you’re not supposed to break hold in the middle of a Quickstep.  A couple of couples have done it, but I’m not sure anyone was as egregious about it as this one was - at least so far this season.  But it was a fun, energetic routine.

Nick/Sharna – I thought that was a lovely waltz.  He cleans up nice!!  And he did really well, I thought, with the choreography.  It seemed a bit simple, but it was beautiful.  The other top dance of the night for me .

Hayes/Emma – If Bristol Palin can dance in a gorilla suit, why not Hayes in a turtle costume?  I don’t think his technique seemed that good in the jive, but it was fun anyway.  I'm wondering if it was hard for him to dance in that costume because his arm movements seemed 'short' or something - like it was hard for him to extend his arms all the way?

I’m not surprised to see Paula in the bottom, but I didn’t expect to see Andy there.  It may be one of those things where they’re trying to energize his fan base or something.  I had hoped that the Hometown Glory week would keep us from having to sit through a Most Memorable Year, but I guess nothing will keep that one from being foisted upon us.  < sigh >

[dwtsgueststars]

Question... Were Andi and Paula the bottom 2, or were they "randomly" chosen?

[ari333]

What do the Muppets have to do with TV theme song night?

 

Also, are they assigned dances AND assigned music? Bc Witney and Carlos got screwed on the music. imo.

[Boofish]

The Foxtrot would have been a perfect dance for the Golden Girls theme

 

I wish Derek had been familiar with The Jeffersons. I would have loved to see him and Bindi incorporate the George Jefferson strut in that routine. Him and Helen Willis doing that dance is the best thing ever! If I knew how to "gif" or "link" I would

[radishcake]

Here it is Boofish! It would have been great! 

[truthaboutluv]

I think the reason you didn't see any Cha Cha Cha in Hayes' routine is because he was doing the Jive.   =)

 

Well that makes more sense. Shows how much attention I pay to Hayes since now that I think about it, he danced a Cha Cha in Week 1. Incidentally, even as a Jive, it was still missing a lot of content which I still put on Emma so my comment still stands.

[Boofish]

Here it is Boofish! It would have been great! 

AWWW THANK YOU!! :)

 

Also was I really supposed to believe that Tony and Kim would have performed that routine? If Kim can perform that exact routine I will sign her petition (yes she has one trying to get back on the show *deep sigh*)

[CED9]

Does it bother anyone else that Hayes has done every dance in sneakers?

It seems to be an issue if the ladies don't dance in heels, but it seems to be ignored with the guys, so I was just wondering.

[boyznkatz]

Does it bother anyone else that Hayes has done every dance in sneakers?

It seems to be an issue if the ladies don't dance in heels, but it seems to be ignored with the guys, so I was just wondering.

 

He bugs me, but not because of his sneakers. It looks like he's going to be one of those mediocre dancers they overscore because they're trying to make him happen. I really wish he would be the "surprise elimination" of the season, but it looks like Andy is getting that honor.

[Serendi]

Random comments:

 

Alfonso was on the DWTS tour. Spending a couple months or so on the road with top-of-the-line pro dancers gave him plenty of opportunity to learn more about dance. I suspect he took advantage of that opportunity. 

 

One thing I really appreciate about Julianne is that when Bruno uses her to demonstrate dance to the contestants, she works *with* him on it. It's soooo much less painful than when Len or whoever else was next to him cringed. 

 

I saw a very short clip from one of Bindi's childhood dance videos, so it may not be representative, but IMO she wasn't dancing, she was flailing.

 

I like the image of patting Derek on the head and giving him his shirt back. He's clearly worked out to get the best body he can, but somehow it just doesn't work for me. Don't know why.

 

Tony totally should have known they were out. He's been on the show continuously since Season 2, right? How could he not know? Also, I did wonder if they had him and Jenna do the routine because they'd paid for the rights and made the costumes; why let 'em go to waste? (Jenna, unlike Barbara Eden, was allowed to show her belly button. This amused me.)

 

Paula Deen really did look pretty Mrs. Howell-like. Witney was a pretty good Sophia (Sofia?) Petrillo. I haven't watched Breaking Bad but Mark's look kept breaking my head. (That's MARK???) It was cool.

Edited September 29, 2015 by Serendi

[spanana]

I preface this by saying I have no horse in this race.  I'm not really rooting for anyone to win at this point and there are a handful of people that could potentially make the finals.  I also didn't really mind Alfonso.  Yes, he needs to not show up for awhile but I thought most of what he was actually saying was on target.

 

I did think Carlos was a bit hosed by his music.  It wasn't bad, but it just wasn't very memorable.  Though the way the judges ragged on him and then raved over Tamar, I was surprised that they both pretty much got 8's.

 

I also thought I was crazy that the judges were raving over Tamar and not one person mentioned her weird blank stare thing she was doing.  Like there was nothing going on in her face whatsoever.  I don't totally understand it.  She did the same thing in the cha cha.  She still did well enough, but it's kind of noticeable when there is no connection going on in a tango.  I won't touch the packages because the whole schtick is just that, a schtick.   The same way every interview they do is about how Tamar is training Val to be a husband.

 

I thought Kim being eliminated was fair.  Tony claims that he didn't know ahead of time but the issue was the lawyers, not the producers.  The producers wanted to let them stay and the lawyers said no.  But I think the rules are pretty clear.  If a celeb is on set and does the dress rehearsal, that's one thing.  If you aren't in the building at all then, no.  Also I highly doubt that Kim was going to do that routine.  I'm sure Jenna/Tony changed some things once they knew they were performing, especially since it's probably the biggest moment Jenna has gotten on the show to date. 

 

I thought Nick and Alexa were the best of the night, probably followed by Alek.   This was the first Nick dance that I've liked.  Alek continues to surprise except for the fact that he still hasn't had to do a dance that involves hips, so I'm hoping he doesn't fall apart when he needs to do a latin dance.

[ari333]

Maybe I'm going to hell for being shallow (among other reasons for why I'm going to hell) but I hate that "nee OOWW" thing Tamar does.

[DancingD]

Isn't it possible that Kim was the one going home this week, and they gave her this out instead? That way, they literally avoided adding insult to injury. And no, I won't be signing the petition.

 

15 year old boys just don't tend to have the coordination that teen girls have. That's why actual ballroom competitions have a separate category for Juniors. I give him a break for that. I like that he's going for it, and not trying to in some way be "cool". Unlike some other young guys that have been on the show.

 

DH and I watched Gilligan when we were kids, hate to admit it. So we loved that bit. Though didn't watch Paula that much. I never watched her cooking show, did she think she was the Queen there, too?

 

Absolutely loved the Downtown Abbey waltz. Sigh. Sharna looked so gorgeous in that dress. 

 

I used to make more technical comments on the dances, since we used to compete. But seems like these days I just let it go and watch for the spectacle. Something was really bugging me about Tamar though, the way she was holding herself, her expression, her lack of sharpness in the upper body movement maybe. The legs are killer, though!

[spanana]

15 year old boys just don't tend to have the coordination that teen girls have. That's why actual ballroom competitions have a separate category for Juniors. I give him a break for that. I like that he's going for it, and not trying to in some way be "cool". Unlike some other young guys that have been on the show.

 

I also meant to give a shoutout to Hayes.  I didn't particularly love their Ninja Turtles dance but part of the problem for me was his costume (and sneakers).  I thought the costume was so bulky that it also hampered his movement.  I don't know if I like the kid in real life, but I've been surprised at much he seems to be trying and how much he's really going for everything that Emma is teaching him.  I don't expect him to find refinement in the next however many weeks he's on the show, but I really was expecting him to act like he was too cool for all of this.  But he's one of the few that actually seems like he's enjoying himself and having the time of his life week to week.  I guess I expected him to be more like Cody Simpson, who came across like he really didn't care.  This kid is at least trying and seems to be trying to get the most out of the experience.

Edited September 29, 2015 by spanana

[Madding crowd]

I never understand the appeal of Muppets to adults, so all I can do is fast forward from any Muppet appearances (and I have an adult sister who loves them so mileage varies). I dislike Tamar and if she feels partnered dancing is sexist, she should simply not be on the show. I see nothing wrong with traditional ballroom dancing and the back stories don't mean much anyway. She always looks like she is mad to be there-then don't be.

 

I don't really root for anyone this year. I'm one who thinks military people in general should not be on the show because they are not stars or celebs, but I'm aware that ship has long sailed.

 

I thought the Breaking Bad dance was kind of odd, they had some moments where it seemed like they were hugging each other which just seemed strange. I have to give it to Mark though for always trying something new. I have never watched a Housewives show, but have had family members die young from strokes, so I hope Kim takes care of herself, even a little TIA can be a warning of something big down the line. 

 

Alphonso comes across as kind of know it all to me, but it may just be his tone of voice. I still like Tony and wish he could have stayed longer in the competition.

[fishcakes]

A member of Menses? Gary, I don't think that's the word you want.

 

Ha, I completely missed that. I find Gary easier to take if I don't pay attention.

 

I like alfonso, but the way he was speaking was ridiculous. He sounded like an obnoxiously loud robot.

 

I love him, but yes. "You have to FINISH your MOVES. EXTEND all the way THROUGH. DANCE the way I am TALKING."

 

Paula is really campaigning hard for the pity vote. Crying because she's so tired. Crying because she's been "abandoned so many times." (And hurting Louis's feelings in the process and making him cry, which is horrid.) When was she abandoned exactly? Is she talking about losing her sponsorship deals after the discrimination lawsuit? Because that's not abandonment; that's business. Why can't she just dance and not talk about her crapping her pants and what not? Or better yet, just leave. I was dreading her being on this show and it's even worse than I expected it to be.

 

I thought it was right that Kim was disqualified, but telling them during the show was an unkind way to do it. I agree that Tony should have understood the rules having been on the show for so long, but it seems like they gave him hope that they were going to make an exception by not telling them about the disqualification before the show. Maybe he and Kim thought they'd turn this week into a non-elimination and then have a double elimination later in the season. They could have come up with something that would keep her in and be fair to the other contestants and maybe if she were a bigger star or a better dancer they would have. It did make me laugh though when Tom asked her for her parting words and she was still arguing her case so they just cut her mic off.

 

Sharna and Nick's dance was lovely, but I didn't get a Mary and Matthew vibe, so much as I got a Lady Mary dances with Thomas the Footman vibe. I'm not sure why.

[Padma]

It figures that Kim is the only one, in 22 (?) seasons, who ever stirred up some "Poor Me! I was robbed! So unfair!" self-pitying controversy over being eliminated (and I still give a side eye to her health scare. Once you've been shown to lie easily, even when you tell the truth, people are skeptical).. I didn't like how she explained her low scores in Week 1 as "because I didn't know Tony yet and it's a sexy dance" and she was still doing it this week.  How about "I tried and just wasn't very good"? You could add, for your ego (and she has an enormous one), "I worked really hard this and am glad the judges saw the improvement".

 

There is no way in the world that she spent all Saturday learning that routine or that it was THAT routine. But she never hesitates to brag about herself and truth isn't important either. Now she's "petitioning to get back on the show"?  She'll probably force them to bring her back next season. She'll think she's such a draw, a "star", STILL won't be willing to do the work, STILL think she's being underscored, and STILL have excuses galore when she's booted off.

 

That woman is 100% predictable. I have no idea why they even bothered with her. Someone must hate Tony, that's all I can think of.

[WhosThatGirl]

I don't know much about Hayes but he does seem to be having a good time. Like Alek who also seems to be having a fun time each week. 

 

Paula is really campaigning hard for the pity vote. Crying because she's so tired. Crying because she's been "abandoned so many times." (And hurting Louis's feelings in the process and making him cry, which is horrid.) When was she abandoned exactly? Is she talking about losing her sponsorship deals after the discrimination lawsuit? Because that's not abandonment; that's business. Why can't she just dance and not talk about her crapping her pants and what not? Or better yet, just leave. I was dreading her being on this show and it's even worse than I expected it to be.

 

 

I always laugh when people cry on this show for reasons of being "so tired" or how this is "taking me away from my family", no one forced you to do this show, B list Celebrity contestant, you agreed to do it to bring you back on Hollywood's radar or in the case of Paula her redemption arc and I agree, this is doing her no favors. She's trying to be cute and funny and have people forget all about the things she did. What she did was awful and perhaps that colors how I view her as participant in this program, I probably wouldn't even enjoy an okay dance by her because I don't think she's a nice person and the further she gets in this competition, the more I get mad. But yeah, she's really pulling out all the stops with the tears. I don't buy for one second when people are crying on this show from being "tired". 

[boyznkatz]

 

I always laugh when people cry on this show for reasons of being "so tired" or how this is "taking me away from my family", no one forced you to do this show, B list Celebrity contestant, you agreed to do it to bring you back on Hollywood's radar or in the case of Paula her redemption arc and I agree, this is doing her no favors. She's trying to be cute and funny and have people forget all about the things she did. What she did was awful and perhaps that colors how I view her as participant in this program, I probably wouldn't even enjoy an okay dance by her because I don't think she's a nice person and the further she gets in this competition, the more I get mad. But yeah, she's really pulling out all the stops with the tears. I don't buy for one second when people are crying on this show from being "tired". 

 

I agree. Although she's entertaining and does have an elegance about her, I can't get past her comments. I think I would have liked her if she didn't reveal her true colors before the show. I just can't understand including her and certain other contestants...do they really think people forget this crap? Same goes for Julianne and her blackface crap. I just can't stand her.

[LotusFlower]

It figures that Kim is the only one, in 22 (?) seasons, who ever stirred up some "Poor Me! I was robbed! So unfair!" self-pitying controversy over being eliminated (and I still give a side eye to her health scare. Once you've been shown to lie easily, even when you tell the truth, people are skeptical.)

 

There is no way in the world that she spent all Saturday learning that routine or that it was THAT routine. But she never hesitates to brag about herself and truth isn't important either. Now she's "petitioning to get back on the show?"

Typical Kim. Always lying, always looking for a shortcut.

You agreed to do it to bring you back on Hollywood's radar or in the case of Paula her redemption arc and I agree, this is doing her no favors. She's trying to be cute and funny and have people forget all about the things she did.

Don't forget the grandchildren! Her attempts at revamping her image are so obvious and over-the-top. Her "aren't I cute?" act isn't working for me. I find her pretty nauseating.

[Padma]

The funny thing about Paula is that she looks great and could easily pull off the "classy, likeable older woman trying hard to learn to dance", if she'd JUST keep her mouth shut more, smile, say something nice and look like she's enjoying it and appreciates Louis. But no, we have to hear her tacky, self-serving (and even gross) comments. When all she really needed to do was smile and be quiet!

 

I guess she has been told too many times that people love her "personality" and find her crudeness cute. (It would be funny if Louis was giving her a little hint by casting her as the always-so-proper-and respectable upper crust Mrs. Howell.)

[realdancemom]

Saylii said:

SO much exaggeration - I'm willing to bet that while she *may* have learned a routine on Saturday, it was not the same routine that Tony and Jenna danced on Monday. He had to have tweaked the choreography once he learned that Kim wouldn't be his partner. I just can't picture her even attempting some of the moves Jenna executed so flawlessly. That said, I wish Kim a speedy recovery / healthy future.

 

ETA: spelling!

I was going to say the same thing.  There was no way that Kim could have done the routine that Jenna did.  Also, even if she did learn a routine, she was probably just doing the steps but not actually dancing it.  It would be similar to her first week dance.

 

Also, a stroke is serious and she really needs to take care of her health first.  The producers also probably didn't want the liability.

 

As for the rest, I liked Nick/Sharna since it was beautiful and romantic.  I wish Len was there because Derek did a contemporary instead of a waltz last week and they broke hold several times in that quickstep.  I also didn't see a lot of jive in Emma and Hayes' dance.  Alexa and Mark performed well but the choreography was just o.k. for me.  I'm bummed that Witney and Carlos had to do a jazz to the Golden Girls' theme.  For jazz, I would have wanted them to do a hip-hop/jazz fusion.  Witney can choreograph those and I think Carlos can pull it off.  

 

Alek and Lindsay were good but how awkward for Alek to try to flirt with the other female pros.  He has a pleasant and polite personality.  Louis choreographed a fun group routine that showcased the troupe as much as Paula.  I didn't see a lot of samba though.  Anna looked gorgeous.  I was o.k. with Tamar telling Val that she didn't want to do his sexist routine last week.  But if that is going to be their pre-dance package every week, it's already getting old. 

[SteveAC10]

 

He sounded like an obnoxiously loud robot.

Is it really any worse than the constant screaming and yelling by the other three we get every week? It was kind of nice to hear a judge that didn't sound like an 14 year old girl at a boyband concert. What with CAI becoming increasingly Abdulesque with her blithering word salad, Julianne yelling like she's trying to be heard over a train pulling into the subway station, and Bruno's increasingly bizarre flights of slightly squicky surrealness....I miss Len.

Edited September 29, 2015 by SteveAC10

[RemoteControl88]

As for the rest, I liked Nick/Sharna since it was beautiful and romantic.  I wish Len was there because Derek did a contemporary instead of a waltz last week and they broke hold several times in that quickstep.  I also didn't see a lot of jive in Emma and Hayes' dance.  Alexa and Mark performed well but the choreography was just o.k. for me.  I'm bummed that Witney and Carlos had to do a jazz to the Golden Girls' theme.  For jazz, I would have wanted them to do a hip-hop/jazz fusion.  Witney can choreograph those and I think Carlos can pull it off.  

 

Alek and Lindsay were good but how awkward for Alek to try to flirt with the other female pros.  He has a pleasant and polite personality.  Louis choreographed a fun group routine that showcased the troupe as much as Paula.  I didn't see a lot of samba though.  Anna looked gorgeous.  I was o.k. with Tamar telling Val that she didn't want to do his sexist routine last week.  But if that is going to be their pre-dance package every week, it's already getting old. 

 

Great synopsis. I agree with most all of your thoughts. I'll just add that the package for Carlos did him no favors.  You can't crack a joke about a woman's weight, throw a smile on and think you'll get a pass.  I'm glad Witney shut that down in the moment. I appreciate that their rehearsal was not scripted but I came away already annoyed with Carlos before he even danced.  And I just didn't love the dance once it started.

[ari333]

Great synopsis. I agree with most all of your thoughts. I'll just add that the package for Carlos did him no favors.  You can't crack a joke about a woman's weight, throw a smile on and think you'll get a pass.  I'm glad Witney shut that down in the moment. I appreciate that their rehearsal was not scripted but I came away already annoyed with Carlos before he even danced.  And I just didn't love the dance once it started.

THIS!! ^^^^

And Witney is in no way fat or overweight so... BOO. And even if she were.... still boo on national tv or anywhere.

[crowceilidh]

 

I didn't get a Mary and Matthew vibe, so much as I got a Lady Mary dances with Thomas the Footman vibe. I'm not sure why.

 

Because he doesn't project the masculine confidence of a super rich heir that Matthew did.  Which is odd, because chances are that he's every bit as well off.

[Fallacy]

I just started the episode on Hulu and immediately noticed the huge disconnect between the muppets doing the "Live from Hollywood, it's Dancing with the Stars" and the female dancers coming out in very revealing outfits dancing very sexually. I can't believe not a single producer picked on that ridiculous cut from happy muppets for kids to sexy females dancing like strippers. I'm not saying there was anything wrong with the dance, to be clear. I'm just saying the switch in tone was pretty jarring to this viewer.

[iMonrey]

Alek doesn't think he's a sexy guy? OMG that just makes him 10 times more sexy. Does he have a girlfriend? Tell me the lucky bitch's name so I can fight her for him. He's just so damn nice and polite! He always reaches out to shake Tom's hand every time he sends them off to Erin, and always thanks the judges for their comments. This guy is a national treasure.

 

On the other side of the coin, I don't know if Tamar thinks she's being funny or if that's just her "humor" but she's going to turn off a lot of people with her attitude. She's not going to win no matter how well she dances. And yeah, now that I'm looking for it, she does have a totally blank look on her face whenever she's face to face with Val during the dance. I really noticed it last night. I felt bad for Val saying he just doesn't feel like she enjoys dancing with him. I can see where he'd think that.

 

Gary just gets more and more disturbing and it annoys me that everyone glad-handles him like he's everyone's favorite grampa but I guess there's not much else they can do other than cringe in horror every time he speaks.

 

I knew it was too much to hope Mark had actually shaved that awful mess he calls his hair for the Breaking Bad number. Too bad he didn't really go for it.