S21.E06: Most Memorable Year

[wanderingstar]

I'm a Tom Bergeron stan, but I enoyed Alfonso as host tonight.

 

Carlos and Andy are just there to me. I don't find much fault with their dances, but I always forget them when they're over.

 

Surprises of this week: 1) I liked Hayes' dance; 2) I remembered who Hayes is.

[katha]

Agree that they would have been kinder on Alexa if she'd gone a bit later, but she did make that mistake so the scores weren't ever going to be great. Liked the dance otherwise, though there were some understandable issues since this is her first ballroom dance (in week 4!). Don't know how she's doing vote wise, but since they were rather harsh in the scoring hopefully that will fire up her fans to vote for her.

 

Though at this point I question why she is on the show? If she just wanted to cheer on her husband, she could have done that watching him in the audience. And no matter how capable she is otherwise, if she's so half-hearted and more into Carlos and Witney's progress than her own, then it must be super frustrating for Mark to have to work with her. You can't force the issue, he said his piece once and now he can just shrug his shoulders and wait for her inevitable elimination since the audience at this point has also caught on to the fact that she's not really into it. A bit of a headscratcher, this situation.

[dirtydi]

I had a feeling Alison was pregnant.  I saw her in a pic a few months back and said she is pregnant, but when I saw her throwing herself around when dancing I was thrown off by that.

I don't want Carlos to go home, but his wife is a bore.  And I thougt Alek was just not into it,  tonight. 

I also noticed that camera would pan away from Sharna's sexy moves in close up. 

Edited October 7, 2015 by dirtydi

[Wyndsong]

Bindi's partnership with Derek is actually making me like him. I didn't think that was possible, but I like how gentle and protective he is with her. This is a side of Derek I needed to see. For once, he's putting the focus on his star and not the other way around.

 

I admit I teared up during a couple of the dances, but nothing really stood out to me. I'm glad Gary went instead of Carlos. Carlos needs a big breakout dance or I fear he will be going soon, Andy too.

[PBGamer89]

I have a feeling the next 3 or 4 eliminations might be Paula, Andy, Carlos, and Hayes in any order.

 

Alexa would've easily got a 22-24 if later in the show. She's lucky next week there's no elimination and the scores are added because that could give her enough cushion for Paula and maybe Andy to stay.

 

If she lucks out and gets Derek, she could have a redemption.

[backformore]

Gary/Anna (Jazz) – Well that happened. All I could think throughout was why Gary looked like Herman Munster

 

.Well, we saw him looking like Lurch from the Adams family last week, so Herman Munster was the next logical step. 

[LizDC]

I couldn't watch Bindi's dance without thinking that Derek has that 17 year old girl dancing to yet another inappropriate song. First, that AC/DC song a few weeks ago and tonight a song that Sting himself has called "very sinister and ugly." For a dance that was about Bindi and her dad, Every Breath you Take was a wrong choice.

[NanaRose]

Could we please just have Tom as host, announcer, interviewer...

Alfonso was stiff and not funny.  I thought the band director looked mighty irritated with him.  

Oh, Erin.  So awkward.

 

Alexa and Mark:  Liked the music, and surprisingly never noticed Mark.  Charming dance, shame about the slip up.  Gee, are Alexa and Carlos married?  <rolling eyes>

 

Gary and Anna:  Sorry to see Gary leave, but it was time.  Barely.  Paula is only a point better, but I like Gary's spirit more.  I was in a motorcycle crash 22 years ago, and haven't danced a day since.  Gary is very fortunate, and to not play on it for Most Memorable Year is refreshing.

 

Tamar and Val:  I do not get what the judges were raving about.  I thought the dance was pretty, but it was not sexy or emotional at all.  Her husband was in the hospital for 40 days, she had a child, her husband played live piano for her, and she danced with a fairly hot-bodied pro...what does it take to truly move her?

 

Hayes and Emma:  I loved this contemporary.  For such a young teenage boy, he carried that off in a very mature and touching manner.  

 

Alek and Lindsey:  I was looking forward to this dance.  I like and respect Alek.  First the train incident, and now the college he attends suffers a tragic attack...  That's a real American hero, and someone not "trained" to act for the camera's.  His emotion was real and raw, and to say he was angry and upset is an understatement.  It would have been a powerful dance if he could have channeled that anger into the paso, but I can't fault him for having his heart and mind elsewhere.

 

Nick and Sharna:  Am I showing my age that I don't know half the people on this show?  Maybe it's because I don't know him, that I found his story compelling, and I enjoyed his dance.

 

Is it wrong of me to wish that these nice folks would just be themselves during the package and stop trying to squeeze tears out during Memorable Year Week?  It's really awkward and takes me out of their story...

 

Carlos and Whitney:  Waltz to Amazing Grace.  I'm sure it's been done before, but it's a first for me...and I sort of liked it.  It was pretty and peaceful.  I thought the 9, 8, 8 should have been an 8, 8, 8, or 8, 7, 8.

 

Paula and Louis:  Loved the bottom half of the dress and those legs.  The top of the dress was not flattering, I couldn't take my eyes off trying to figure out why.  Wow, I much preferred her in the package with her hair pulled back, glasses and very little makeup. Didn't care for the dance at first, but started liking it just as she messed up...

 

Andy and Allison:  Gee, is Allison pregnant?  Did she and Andy even dance?   I can't remember.

 

Bindi and Derek:  Beautiful contemporary.  I am three times Bindi's age, lost my dad 10 years ago and I still can't talk about it without bursting into tears, and we were never as close as those two were.  Ambivalent about Derek, but I give him kudos for that dance.  It told a very clear and poignant story, danced very tenderly and gracefully.  

 

 

 

 

 

[Lnmop]

I realized tonight why I still watch this show. Not for the "stars", not for the dances, but for Tom Bergeron.

[sinkwriter]

I thought Bindi's dance was beautiful. I thought Bruno giving her a ten was also very lovely. And the dance felt like it earned that score. I'm glad not every judge gave her 10's, but I thought giving her one was right. And Bruno's hug with her afterward was really sweet. I don't think I've ever seen him in such a fatherly mode before. It moved me, all around.

I felt bad for Witney - Allison gets a big grand announcement that she's pregnant while Witney's engagement was practically an afterthought that her ex-parther Alfonso kindly tried to squeeze in.

 

I thought Alfonso did a decent job (especially with Gary going over their scheduled time available at the end, there), but I really did miss Tom. I hope his dad is okay.

[Andie1]

Saw Nick and Sharna and I was underwhelmed. Basically when you rip choreo from an iconic video that you were in doesn't really show me anything in terms of growth much less jazz.

 

Bindi might well be a nice kid, but it look to me like Mum wasn't particularly pleased that her girl had to lay out her grief for her Dad so that the world can be "one" with her. She seemed more concerned for Bindi than the damn dance. Fact is the song choice was wrong, and that girl needs a support bra.  That sheer thing she was in did nothing for the dance and I'm not sure why the show dresses her so poorly.  If they can cover Allison's baby bump they can be more strategic about ample Bindi.

[majormama]

I have other thoughts on tonight's episode, but this deserves its own post. I hate that Buddy Holly song with the passion of 1000 suns. People talk about the Sting song having creepy lyrics but no one notices because the tune is so romantic. "That'll Be the Day" is every bit as creepy and annoying to boot. And as Gary stomped around the floor singing it, I realized. We will never be rid of him. Never.

 

And sure enough, when he's eliminated he immediately says he isn't eliminated and no one will get him out of the ballroom and he will be here for every second of every dance. And when Alfonso tries to move on, he says, "You can't cut me off, I'm Gary F***ing Busey!" And Erin, you do not have to keep holding the microphone in front of him! And seriously, you guys! You're annoyed with Alfonso popping up all the time, just wait! You will grow to fear The Busey! *dissolves into incoherent muttering*

[NanaRose]

I thought Bindi's dance was beautiful. I thought Bruno giving her a ten was also very lovely. And the dance felt like it earned that score. I'm glad not every judge gave her 10's, but I thought giving her one was right. And Bruno's hug with her afterward was really sweet. I don't think I've ever seen him in such a fatherly mode before. It moved me, all around.

I felt bad for Witney - Allison gets a big grand announcement that she's pregnant while Witney's engagement was practically an afterthought that her ex-parther Alfonso kindly tried to squeeze in.

 

I thought Alfonso did a decent job (especially with Gary going over their scheduled time available at the end, there), but I really did miss Tom. I hope his dad is okay.

 

I wrote so much in my post, I was afraid to add too much more.  But, I gotta agree with the comments about Bruno and Witney.  

[Andie1]

 

And seriously, you guys! You're annoyed with Alfonso popping up all the time, just wait! You will grow to fear The Busey! *dissolves into incoherent muttering*

I thought Gary was hilarious.  We know he has a disability and yet that was pretty cool to say "I haven't been eliminated" for me it's like he's mocking Alfonso for his perpetual mug on the show.  Great send off for his from Russia with Love Anna. What a trouper.  

[spanana]

Fact is the song choice was wrong, and that girl needs a support bra.  That sheer thing she was in did nothing for the dance and I'm not sure why the show dresses her so poorly.  If they can cover Allison's baby bump they can be more strategic about ample Bindi.

 

I've seen nothing wrong with Bindi's costumes week to week.  She has a chest, but I don't really see a problem with her costuming.    

[ocelot]

Alright I have come around a bit on the Bindi contemporary. I realized that the hopping part was probably part of the storytelling of the dance, I guess (since he like took her hand and she followed him) it was about their 'adventures' they had when she was little? I will choose to believe that. The song did kind of jar me a little in parts like 'you belong to me' and 'every vow you break.' I think she performed it beautifully and that she has a lovely movement quality as well and really danced it which is something that often doesn't happen with contemporaries on this show.

[Andie1]

I've seen nothing wrong with Bindi's costumes week to week.  She has a chest, but I don't really see a problem with her costuming.    

Her chest is floppy.  I know, I have one too.  They just need to dress her appropriately. She looked like a linebacker with floppy boobs tonight.

[Andie1]

Alright I have come around a bit on the Bindi contemporary. I realized that the hopping part was probably part of the storytelling of the dance, I guess (since he like took her hand and she followed him) it was about their 'adventures' they had when she was little? I will choose to believe that. The song did kind of jar me a little in parts like 'you belong to me' and 'every vow you break.' I think she performed it beautifully and that she has a lovely movement quality as well and really danced it which is something that often doesn't happen with contemporaries on this show.

I guess. But I just kept thinking, Steve Irwin was a nut. Certifiable. He put himself and his child in harm's way all the time and it was just a matter of time before someone was killed. To use this kind of "memorable" year is kinda creepy because that kid was involved in all of his idiocy.  

[morediva]

I know I'm not supposed to day this out loud but...I'm so sick of hearing about Bindi and her deceased father. I hate the overwrought obvious heartstring tugging. I'm not saying she doesn't miss her father, only that I could go a week or two without anyone mentioning him on the show or how she's making him proud or how she's dedicating this experience to him. Enough about him. I didn't hear about him this much when he was alive.

[Andie1]

What I did like about tonight was Tamar and Val's international latin Rumba.  Hey, look, finally some BALLROOM content, not bull shit pretending to be ballroom, or jazz or contemporary.

Edited October 6, 2015 by Andie1

[gohawks]

I guess. But I just kept thinking, Steve Irwin was a nut. Certifiable. He put himself and his child in harm's way all the time and it was just a matter of time before someone was killed. To use this kind of "memorable" year is kinda creepy because that kid was involved in all of his idiocy.

Glad someone else said it. Obviously his death was tragic and I feel for his family, but I hate these shows where some "wildlife expert" harasses and places stress on animals, in the name of conservation. To me, he was pretty much the same as SeaWorld. I was not a fan of Mr Irwin.

[WhitneyWhit]

I really dislike emotional manipulation night..err...most memorable year night.

 

Alexa: She needs to have a seat and calm herself down. It's great that Carlos is your family but girl, no one is asking you to sacrifice your marriage for the show, Alfonso was simply trying to tell you that you can be an individual and concentrate on winning while still supporting your husband. Honestly, when Carlos was revealed to be in jeopardy, I was half expecting her to run up and beg for them to take her instead. As for her dance, it was OK, but I'm not really seeing any improvement with her, it seems like she's holding back and I have to wonder if it's because she doesn't want to overshadow Carlos.

 

Carlos: That would have made a great contemporary, but it wasn't a waltz. Like with Alexa, I don't see him improving either.

 

Nick: I was so excited for this and ended up completely underwhelmed. Between the crowd and all that, it just came off hectic and I couldn't concentrate on anything they were doing. Instead of trying to recreate a concert vibe, I think it would have been fun if they had used the video as inspiration.

 

Tamar: There's something off between her and Val; I don't know if they just don't like each other, or if Tamar is uncomfortable being that close to another man, but it's odd. I liked the dance, not sure if it was 9 worthy.

 

Hayes: I mean, whatever, he's not as good as they make him out to be and I just don't like the kid. He was a prime example of why I hate this theme; his story of waking up to 100,000 new followers on social media was sandwiched between Tamar's story of almost losing her husband, and Alek's story about being in the middle of a terrorist attack and is alma mater being shot up by a lunatic.

 

Paula: Same thing every week. I will commend Louis for giving her actual choreography and teaching her technique, but it's all the same, And for the love of God, Louis, will you please stop with leg around your waist. 

 

Gary: Bye, I guess, nothing really to say. He wasn't the disaster I thought he would be, but it was time to go. 

 

Andy: I had to rewind the dance to see what he was doing (bring the British announcer, please!) and was shocked to see that it was supposed to be a cha cha, I thought they were doing some jazz/hip-hop hybrid. It looks like Alison will miss the spring season because of pregnancy, please don't be in a rush to bring her back.

 

Bindi: Not shocked she went last, but shocked she didn't get straight 10's. It was a lovely dance.

 

Alek: Good dance, but yeah, he wasn't into it, and that's understandable. 

 

This is such a meh season to me, no one is really grabbing me the way they have in past seasons. 

[Callaphera]

Tonight had two great and hilarious moments: the first was the song choice for Bindi because the lyrics are creepy as hell. The second was all the empty chairs behind the judges before and after Nick's dance. I was confused for a moment and thought maybe the audience had walked out for some reason. It was just so strange looking. They could have planned that out a little better.

[gohawks]

I could not love Alek more and be more proud of him, if he was my own kid.. That dance was not great but the fact that he stayed on the show and gave real effort...what a great kid!

That dead- eyed look Tamar has in hold makes me sad for her. Truly.

Add attention-whore to Derek's faults. He seems to be in the background during other teams interviews way too often.

[chocolatine]

I was a BSB fangirl in the 90s, so I loved that all of the other band members did interviews for Nick's package and that AJ even showed up for the rehearsal (and it made me wish for a second that AJ was competing instead of Nick because he's such a natural mover).

 

I normally hate the sob stories, but the footage of 8-year-old Bindi reading a eulogy for her dad really got to me. However, I still don't like contemporary, so her dance didn't do much for me. I also absolutely hate emo-fied covers of iconic songs, so that didn't help matters.

 

Erin's dress was all kinds of hideous. 

[katha]

I really dislike emotional manipulation night..err...most memorable year night.

 

Alexa: She needs to have a seat and calm herself down. It's great that Carlos is your family but girl, no one is asking you to sacrifice your marriage for the show, Alfonso was simply trying to tell you that you can be an individual and concentrate on winning while still supporting your husband. Honestly, when Carlos was revealed to be in jeopardy, I was half expecting her to run up and beg for them to take her instead.

LOL, have to admit, that was my first thought as well when Carlos was in jeopardy. Of course you can't judge the state of their marriage on the way it's edited on a stupid, manipulative reality show. But it has a very high school vibe, at least as they are presenting it outwards? As if they haven't caught on to the fact that being in a relationship doesn't have to mean clinging codependently to each other and giving up all traces of individuality? Alexa in particular seems to feel the urgent need to step back all the time so her husband can shine. It comes across as weird IMO.

[renatae]

I'm sitting here blubbering over Tamar and Val's rhumba. Almost lost my husband on three different occasions, and my child on one, and by the grace of God they are still here. I really felt her performance, and of course I can completely identify with her. It was so evocative and lovely. I'm going to get that song of hers, too! 

 

She just went up about 100% in my estimation. Never have seen an entire episode of the Braxtons, so maybe this is old news to those who have, but not to me. I just see the commercials and they always seemed so self-involved and sort of bratty. Sure feel like I've misjudged her! I always like these "Most Memorable Year" nights, because I really learn a lot about those involved, and there are so many touching stories.

[birkenstock]

Alfonso was a solid replacement considering the short amount of time he had to prepare. I thought he was being self-deprecating when he said he was going for everyone's jobs. I also liked his Joey Fatone joke.

Gary Busey was being Gary Busey. People get cut short for time often so that Tom and Erin can go over the whole voting spiel. For how early in the season, Gary was lucky he got the time he did. Alfonso handled it all pretty well, though he is no Tom Bergeron.

Tom really does hold the show together. He knows when to make jokes and how to transition seamlessly. Wish him and his family well.

Loved Nick's performance for the wrong reasons. The dancing was ok. I loved it for the boy band nostalgia and seeing O Town, Joey Fatone, and AJ. I had forgotten that O Town and the BSB had the same manager and was wondering why they were there until a lightbulb went off. Also liked Sharna kissing each one of the guys on the cheek after the dance.

I liked Alexa's dance and thought she handled her dance brainfart well. I'm liking how laid back Mark is this season. I think Alexa should have listened to Alfonso's critique about her and Carlos instead of doubling down on the cheerleader routine. I read her blog earlier today and thought she was upset because she was dedicated to the competition and her partnership with Mark. I rolled my eyes when I saw she was offended because she thought it was a dig at her relationship with her husband.

I felt for Alek having so much attention on him at this time. It looked like he was struggling to keep it together. The scores were a little high, but he danced what looked like a real paso doble. He and Lindsay looked shocked at their scores. I admire him for his strength and maturity and how he tried to keep the focus on the people in Roseburg during his interview with Erin. I can't imagine having so many eyes on you and being expected to perform four days after such horrible news.

Edited October 6, 2015 by Cocka doodle dont

[Lonesome Rhodes]

The biggest problem I had was that Alec, for example, was made to do a Paso on a  night like this.  Can you imagine BBC Worldwide forcing Bindi or Nick to do a Paso or Charleston or Jive on the night which was designed for them to recall their unique background?  Never.  This was not fair at all.

 

Well, I totally got one right.  I predicted last week the Steve Irwin tribute coming soon to a DWTS near you.  It was likely to be contempo and was sure to be the pimp dance.  The show reeeeeeeally needs the ratings goose this was designed to bring.

 

(Here is where I probably deserve a painful and ignominious death).  While I one bazillion percent know that Bindi has suffered horrendously with her Dad's passing, it was difficult to not notice that there was barely any moisture in her eyes the entire time after her dance was finished.  She wasn't dry-eyed, but she was most certainly not feeling it as deeply as her constant face-in-hands and burying herself in Derek's and the jidges' arms would suggest.  There may have been an actual tear.  I didn't see it.  There most certainly was not "waterworks."  Essentially, she was acting and milking the moment more than feeling the moment, in my opinion.  Now, to be VERY clear, I wish her nothing but peace over her awful loss.  I hope she enjoys a fulfilling and wonderful life.  I am only mentioning my observation.  And yes, my Grinch heart needs to grow and grow.

 

Alfonso was perfectly inoffensive and banal.   He didn't add and he did not subtract from the production.  He was a good place sitter.  He did show uncommon good sense in letting Gary have that final 15 seconds or so to complete his valedictory address, despite what had to be intense pressure from the booth to cut him off.

 

Will we ever learn which female pro is having one helluva party right about now, knowing she does not have to partner with Gary?

 

ETA:  I want to affirm anyone who watched any of the dances and became emotional.  Most certainly, any of the presentations met the threshold of deep meaning for any given person.  I hope whomever did react emotionally enjoyed moments of great beauty.

Edited October 6, 2015 by Lonesome Rhodes

[howmanywords]

 

I felt bad for Witney - Allison gets a big grand announcement that she's pregnant while Witney's engagement was practically an afterthought that her ex-parther Alfonso kindly tried to squeeze in.

 

This is going to sound awful, but I didnt really care too much that Witney's engagement seemed like an afterthought because ever since she announced her engagement on Instagram shes been getting plenty of attention on social media..She's been re-tweeting like mad every media outlet thats even mentioned the engagement or congratulated her so much so that I actually had to turn off her RT's a couple of days ago. So while Alison got the big baby announcement on air its not like Witney's engagement hasnt got any attention.

[sinkwriter]

I don't follow any of the dancers on Instagram or any other social media, so I didn't know about Witney's engagement at all. So to me it seemed like a rude afterthought compared to the others' announcements and "big year" tidbits. Especially because I consider the social media stuff to be completely separate from the actual show. That's how I didn't know anything about Tom's dad, either. The only place I'm going to know about these things is from the actual show. So if they short-change it because they assume people already know from online... well, you know what they say about assuming things.

[MsTree]

I know the full intent of Sting's song, but I felt that Bindi was more focused on the title "I'll be watching you". IOW, every step she takes, (her dad) will be watching over her. I didn't read anymore into it than that. Loved her dance...and Derek's choreography.

[kazza]

I know the full intent of Sting's song, but I felt that Bindi was more focused on the title "I'll be watching you". IOW, every step she takes, (her dad) will be watching over her. I didn't read anymore into it than that. Loved her dance...and Derek's choreography.

 

Me too. When I first read what song she would be dancing to, I cringed. In her intro package, though, she mentioned dancing to 'a beautiful song called Every Breath You Take', which made me think that she may not be familiar with the song and the intended meaning of the lyrics.

 

Very smart of Sharna and Nick to pull out all the stops for 'Most Memorable Year'. Not sure how jazzy it was, but, boy, was it a fan favorite. I wasn't even a fangirl and couldn't help but love it.

 

Poor Alek. His face said it all. Props to him for staying authentic and not putting on a smile just for tv.

 

Gary, you need to learn to respect others, brain damage or not. If he can learn and remember choreography he can learn and remember to stop talking when the host needs to cut back to something else.

 

Paula's got great legs!! Unsurprisingly she avoided her recent troubles - which she likely prefers to forget. We'll see if her fan base shows up.

 

Alexa and Carlos ... aren't compelling. I'm not drawn to watch them. I don't know if it's their backstory or their performances but they don't interest me like some of the others do. 

[smiley13]

Sharna gets a F for creativity for last night's dance IMO.  It was dull and predictable.  And she manged to make herself look trashy like she usually does.  I am not sure why the judges scored it so highly.

[OakGoblinFly]

LOL I knew Nick was gonna dance to this song at some point this season

 

And it was the absolute highlight of the night for me; I enjoyed seeming Nick relaxed and having fun.  That dance was the best of the night for me.

 

I started watching late so I was able to fast forward through most of the pre-dance packages and judges’ comments (really, it’s the best way to watch this show).

 

I like Bindi's dance (though I wish the band went with the more haunting Allison Krause version of the song) and I thought Derek’s choreography perfectly captured the mood; I liked how you saw (through the dance) Bindi’s sadness at her father’s passing as well as the joy in relived moments.  I’m really enjoying Bindi and Derek’s partnership; I think Derek is helping Bindi learn about self-expression through movement while Bindi’s infectious joy seems to help Derek’s choreography (he seems rather inspired this year).

 

I did NOT like the filter they used when Witney and Carlos were dancing; it was very distracting.  The choreography was lovely; felt Carlos’ bad posture really detracted from the beautiful lines of the routine.  He seems to be regressing.

 

Alexa was adorable and the routine Mark created looked like it belonged in an MGM musical.  I think she shot herself in the foot when she addressed Alfonso’s comments.

 

I wasn’t impressed with the Paso Doble though I think that failure falls on Lindsey; I didn’t like the choreography.  I know Alek was going for ‘stoic’ unfortunately it read more ‘constipated.’

 

Anna looked lovely.  I think she handled Gary as well as anyone could and actually got Gary to execute the dance steps.  I hope she is invited back if there is another season.

 

If the sign card didn’t say ‘Cha Cha Cha’ I wouldn’t have known what Allison and Andy were dancing.  That routine was the definition of ‘hot mess.’  Am I terrible person that when I heard that Allison was pregnant my first thought was ‘that’s nice’ followed by ‘I hope that means she’ll not be returning to Dancing with the Stars for a few years?’

 

I enjoyed Hayes and Emma’s routine; I liked how Emma incorporated some staccato movements with more fluid ones.  This routine was my favorite from Hayes all season.

 

Paula needs to stop self-sabotaging.  She moves well and creates some really lovely, fluid lines; she needs to get out of her head and/or remain focused on the routine.  I thought she looked very pretty last night; I like how Louis is showing off her shoulders (which always look lovely on ladies of a certain age) and her legs.   

 

I do not enjoy Tamar’s dancing.  She looks lovely, she moves well, and her Rhumba routine had some gorgeous moments.  I think that (for me) is that from the neck down Tamar is fantastic; from the neck up, not so much.  She loses me with her constant dead stare.

Edited October 6, 2015 by OakGoblinFly

[jhummerbird]

Yeah, I wasn't impressed with Nick and Sharna's BB dance. I thought he seemed to forget that he was on DWTS and was performing the dance in his usual BB style -- meaning a little bit freer, with some improvisation or extra "flair" from time to time. He wasn't matching Sharna...it almost looked two different dances: Sharna was dancing the BB choreography converted into a jazz routine, and Nick was just doing the BB choreography, if that makes sense.

Also didn't like Alison and Andy's cha cha. I missed it last night and just caught it this morning, and I noticed that she was the only one who actually did cha cha steps (most notably around 2:25 on the dtws youtube channel version). He was either just walking or doing a sort of attempt at a cha cha, but turning it into more of a swing dance type step -- step, rock, step instead of step, cha cha cha.

I thought Bindi's song was lovely except for that one line of "every vow you break." The band was covering it live, right? Too bad they couldn't have replaced that line with something else. I know the whole song is a little bit creepy, but I thought in general it worked for the way that Bindi always talks about her father being with her. Bindi's grief is her own, so I won't try to analyze it, but I will say that I'm certainly ready for a dance that doesn't revolve around Australia/her family/her dad (...or the Jeffersons, lol).

[Wings]

It's the 'most memorable year' week they have to exploit something in their life, I'm fine with her exploiting you know... what probably WAS the most formative year in her 17 years of living.........

I really like Bindi so even though I'm 95 percent sure I'm not going to like Derek's choreography, 100 percent sure I'm not going to like the 'best dance ever choreographed in the history of dance' comments that are certainly coming from judges and fans of the show, I'm happy for Bindi she gets to have this experience for herself and her family and I'm excited to see how it turns out. Like someone else said upthread, I was sad when Steve Irwin died too hahaha. She may annoy some people (not me) but she seems to me a genuine, sweet young woman.

 

 

I agree, really.  I was in a shitty mood when I posted last night.  :>)

Edited October 6, 2015 by wings707

[blackwing]

I too really enjoyed Nick's dance. So what if it took elements of an old performance? It was energetic and fun. I thought Julianne was going to give him a 10.

Could someone please explain the difference to me between jazz, contemporary and freestyle? Jazz to me looks like how people would dance at a nightclub.

[Wyndsong]

Now that I think about it, it was obvious Gary was going home as soon as they showed Carlos as the other one in jeopardy. They're still doing the not necessarily the bottom two thing, right? If Carlos was going home, no way the producers could resist putting Alexa in jeopardy with him. Oh the drama! I guarantee when it comes time for one of them to be eliminated, that is exactly how it will go down.

[Good Queen Jane]

Will we ever learn which female pro is having one helluva party right about now, knowing she does not have to partner with Gary?

 

This. Although I would have loved seeing Anna dance with someone else, I'm sure that all the other female pros were begging people to vote for Paula so that Gary would be eliminated.

[truthaboutluv]

The biggest problem I had was that Alec, for example, was made to do a Paso on a  night like this.  Can you imagine BBC Worldwide forcing Bindi or Nick to do a Paso or Charleston or Jive on the night which was designed for them to recall their unique background?  Never.  This was not fair at all.

 

 

I may be wrong but I think the Paso was given because Alek's initial story was supposed to just be about him and his friends foiling the terrorist attack. And so I kind of get it. Paso is strong, the man is dominant and powerful and I feel like that would have fit the whole hero image of Alek with regards to the France incident. The producers could not have anticipated the turn his story would take in the middle of the week. And to change everything including dance style to reflect that might have gotten them accused of milking and manipulating a tragedy. Not to mention Alek would have to learn a completely different style and Lindsay choreograph a completely new dance. 

 

I don't follow any of the dancers on Instagram or any other social media, so I didn't know about Witney's engagement at all.

 

 

I don't follow her but I read People Magazine and US Weekly and they both covered it. There was even a story detailing the whole proposal in People Magazine. 

 

 

[LadyMustang65]

(Here is where I probably deserve a painful and ignominious death).  While I one bazillion percent know that Bindi has suffered horrendously with her Dad's passing, it was difficult to not notice that there was barely any moisture in her eyes the entire time after her dance was finished.  She wasn't dry-eyed, but she was most certainly not feeling it as deeply as her constant face-in-hands and burying herself in Derek's and the jidges' arms would suggest.  There may have been an actual tear.  I didn't see it.  There most certainly was not "waterworks."  Essentially, she was acting and milking the moment more than feeling the moment, in my opinion.  Now, to be VERY clear, I wish her nothing but peace over her awful loss.  I hope she enjoys a fulfilling and wonderful life.  I am only mentioning my observation.  And yes, my Grinch heart needs to grow and grow.

 

Thank you!!!  I have not dared to say this even though I was thinking it last night.  My family already thinks I'm an ogre because I didn't love everything Amy Purdie and soldier from last season whose name totally escapes me right now did. If I had dared to mention that, while the emotion was genuine (or at least seemed that way) during rehearsals, it seemed (to me anyway) totally manufactured after the dance.  If there was an actual tear, I didn't see it either.  It's so nice to know I'm not going to hell by myself.  <lol>

 

eta:  I do not mean this to come across as a knock against Bindi.  I just think her naturally upbeat personality doesn't allow her to dwell too long on things like this.  So I think it's entirely possible that she got it "out of her system," so to speak, during rehearsals but felt as thought she was "expected" to be tearful and upset after the dance and so was trying to live up to expectations rather than being true to her nature.  Just my thoughts.

Edited October 6, 2015 by LadyMustang65

[luvthepros]

I gotta agree, Alfonso was an arse as suspected he would be. Geez this show has really gone down hill but without Tom it's a disaster.  Gonna go look at Nick and Sharna because I didn't catch them tonight.

Alfonso had someone talking in his ear to hurry up the proceedings. There is a time crunch to deal with and I think Alfonso handled himself extremely well. Gary is the difficult one and Alfonso had his hands full with him.

[katha]

I think the issue that no one dares mention with Bindi is this: Steve Irwin's treatment of animals was actually pretty controversial, as some posters have alluded. Now of course that shouldn't reflect on Bindi or her grief about her father's death. But she herself is a representative for SeaWorld, which does make me side-eye her. Hard.

[Thadeeeyus]

What I did like about tonight was Tamar and Val's international latin Rumba.  Hey, look, finally some BALLROOM content, not bull shit pretending to be ballroom, or jazz or contemporary.

 

Yes! My favorite dance of the night, because it was ballroom and danced beautifully! I'm not a fan of Paula, but I also really liked that cha cha because you could actually see the cha cha steps.  Thanks to Louis for that!  But as someone else said, enough with the leg-wraps. 

[Primetimer]

The celebrities identify their most memorable year, and create a dance to honor it, which leads to copious tears from the couples, the judges, and the audience.

Read the story

[majormama]

I already expressed my thoughts on Gary last night. I would add I was incredibly angry when they teased Tamar following him and I could not believe TPTB would put Tamar's domestic abuse story after that creepy obsessed-possessive-lover Buddy Holly song! And then she did a different story, so I guess that's all right.

 

I loved Tamar's rumba. I'm not a big rumba fan, but that was one of the best, if not the best, I've seen on this show.

 

I have to say, I was impressed with Alek's dance. It's true, the performance suffered a lot since his emotions were elsewhere, but the technique was still really good. For a regular person with neither dance nor performance experience who's going through such an emotional time to be that technically proficient is impressive. Although Bruno was right about improving the Spanish lines, but again, he has no prior experience.

 

I loved Nick's BSB dance. I could just imagine every teen and tween girl in the '90s doing pretty much that exact routine in front of their TV while watching the video. Including me, including Sharna (though she'd have done it much better). In fact, it was probably really easy to choreograph since she's already had it down for 20 years. Was it a proper jazz? Did it show improvement or whatever? Don't care. It was fun.

 

Carlos's waltz was really beautiful, and the first time I didn't find him completely insufferable, just slightly insufferable. 

 

I cried through Bindi's package and dance. It was really beautiful. Incidentally, I have a memory of my dad holding me when I was 18 months old, so I don't doubt she remembers holding her dad's finger as an unsteady toddler.

[Alapaki]

I don't dislike Alfonso.  But it's becoming a bit of a joke.  Like the way Rocco DiSpirito showed up instantaneously a couple of years ago whenever there was a camera around.

 

And last night, his delivery just seemed like someone hosting a parade.  "We're having a blast with Goofy here in the Magic Kingdom!  Ryan, what's going on at Disneyland?"

[Wings]

 

(Here is where I probably deserve a painful and ignominious death).  While I one bazillion percent know that Bindi has suffered horrendously with her Dad's passing, it was difficult to not notice that there was barely any moisture in her eyes the entire time after her dance was finished.  She wasn't dry-eyed, but she was most certainly not feeling it as deeply as her constant face-in-hands and burying herself in Derek's and the jidges' arms would suggest.  There may have been an actual tear.  I didn't see it.  There most certainly was not "waterworks."  Essentially, she was acting and milking the moment more than feeling the moment, in my opinion.  Now, to be VERY clear, I wish her nothing but peace over her awful loss.  I hope she enjoys a fulfilling and wonderful life.  I am only mentioning my observation.  And yes, my Grinch heart needs to grow and grow.

 

 

I noticed this too.  Dr Phil leaped to mind.  He calls out guests who speak in their cry voice but have no tears.  

[ClareWalks]

LOL at some of y'all who claim you knew Allison was pregnant "a few months ago." Right, when she had just missed her period, you knew she was pregnant. She probably didn't even know yet. If Allison is "obviously showing," there is no hope for the rest of us.