S21.E07: Switch Up Night

[Andie1]

WTF. Tamar got Samba rolls,  Cruzada walks Bachfuckincatas to do... what the hell did anyone else have to do this week?  Dick on a stick by comparison of difficulty.  And she gets a 7, wow.  Anybody else is UNABLE to do this type of choreography.

 

Bindi is bubbly but she's slow, her footwork is messy. Val was pulling her into place all the way through that Cha Cha. Zendaya she is not.

 

Well I'm out. Nice way to give the boot.  Tamar has been given the difficult black woman edit all season and it's got old. 

The level of dancing from the so called 10 dancers is just not up to par from the rest of this bunch.  

[Rancide]

Emma needs to fix her roots.

 

Two social phenomena I can't wait to see the end of:  1) the closet, 2) speculating about who is in it.

[katha]

WTF. Tamar got Samba rolls,  Cruzada walks Bachfuckincatas to do... what the hell did anyone else have to do this week?  Dick on a stick by comparison of difficulty.  And she gets a 7, wow.  Anybody else is UNABLE to do this type of choreography.

 

Bindi is bubbly but she's slow, her footwork is messy. Val was pulling her into place all the way through that Cha Cha. Zendaya she is not.

 

Well I'm out. Nice way to give the boot.  Tamar has been given the difficult black woman edit all season and it's got old. 

The level of dancing from the so called 10 dancers is just not up to par from the rest of this bunch.  

I thought Louis did her a real disservice with that choreo, though. It was too hard for her. Just because she did it better than probably anyone else in this cast could doesn't mean she did it well. They really underscored her, though, I agree. You can't give her 7s and then also give Paula 7s. I mean, you might have an argument for 7s for performance and entertainment factor with Paula, but then you have to go way up for Tamar. And she had to dance first, never a good spot.

 

Though yes, Alexa, Carlos, Bindi, Andy, Nick, etc. were all way, way overscored compared to her. They really lowballed her, and I don't know why. I don't even much care for her, but that was really harsh this week.

[truthaboutluv]

I thought Julianne called it right with Bindi - whoever she danced with, she would have shone. Bindi is clearly very, very naturally talented and more importantly she has a very positive attitude about everything and seems to get along with everyone. So barring the Pro just dropping the ball on the choreography, she would have done well  I think with whoever they put her with. 

 

But he's keeping quiet about his private life these days. Though rumor has it that the very beautiful new troupe member Hayley is his SO. So I guess he is keeping secrets, so you're partially right.

 

 

Depends on what you define as keeping quiet. He has stated emphatically that he is single, that he likes being single because he just doesn't have the time to commit to a relationship. He was rumored to be with Kate Hudson who was at the show many times last season and he was seen with other times but he insisted they were just friends and the Hayley thing seems to be purely the figment of overactive shippers' imagination because she was on his and Julianne's Move Live Tour. The moment I saw that part of the skit, I thought, "oh that should get those Derek is gay rumors going again." YMMV but I feel fairly certain in saying that even if Derek was gay, he wouldn't be attracted to Bruno. 

[Andie1]

 

Bindi is clearly very, very naturally talented and more importantly she has a very positive attitude about everything and seems to get along with everyone.

 

No, she's not naturally talented, that was an ordinary cha cha by any measure. When the partner has to pull you to the next move you can't do it on your own.   It's the farting rainbows that everyone is in love with, but she's not much of a dancer.

[Uke]

I've seen a couple comments about Tamar getting the same score as Paula, so I went back and re-watched.

Tamar got 7-7-8-7 = 29

Paula got 7-7-6-6 = 26

For their combined week 4 & week 5 scores,

Tamar = 56

Paula = 44

 

Also, Tom's father passed away last Monday, Oct 5 according to the online obituary.  (I think the impression might have been that he passed on tonight.)

[Glaadrial]

Bruno and Maks were right about Hayes and that Viennese Waltz. He did a fine job with what he was given, but Allison choreographed it as too fast and abrupt. It was supposed to be smooth, and she made it all jerky and frantic.

I'm not positive, but in this instance, I think the "jerky and frantic" has to do with needing to choreography a 4/4 time signature with a 9/12 count in order for it to be a waltz. I seem to remember that it also happened earlier in the season with another couple (Derek?). I don't disagree that Allison has a penchant for frantic, in general, so it may not have made much of a difference even with a 3/4 time signature, but it might have helped a bit.

 

For me Bindi's was the dance of the night. I do wish that Bruno hadn't let Maks down by agreeing with JH & CAI. All the dances, tonight, had problems but I think that Bindi & Val's cha cha cha had the best mix of performance, content and connection. It may have been too subtle but it seems that Val was able to highlight her enthusiasm within the context of the dance. For me, it made her over-the-top personality not at all over-the-top and entirely appropriate for the dance.

 

ETA: I also very much liked Nick's dance. I was kind of baffled by Maks harsh on it, but I'm sure he's able to spot a Paso when he sees one so, there's that. I found myself agreeing with his judgment more so than the other three on pretty much everything else. 

Edited October 13, 2015 by Glaadrial

[just prin]

Bindi is extremely talented and her cha cha was out of this world, say lots of folks, like me! I've also heard no one complain about any gas, and many have praised her dancing--right on this here board. Sooo, each to his....etc.

[sinkwriter]

 

I'm not positive, but in this instance, I think the "jerky and frantic" has to do with needing to choreography a 4/4 time signature with a 9/12 count in order for it to be a waltz.

 

The time signature didn't help, but I also think Allison has a tendency to throw in those jerky moves where she (sometimes repeatedly) snaps her body up to meet her partner, which works in certain types of dance but doesn't belong in an elegant waltz.

[RemoteControl88]

Thoughts on the night.....

-Judging with an agenda for some couples this week. I hate when they do that bc it is fairly obvious to the viewer. 

-I have no idea what is going on with Emma's roots but I am not a fan of the look.

-I am not enjoying Nick as much as I thought I would. Other than his Downtown Abbey routine....I haven't re-watched any of his routines. His package with Witney this week didn't help.

-Carlos is generally annoying. He dances well so he'll be around for awhile. I'm usually not excited about his dances though.

-There was a spark in Alexa this week...but the "story" the producers were pushing was annoying. Alexa & Mark got a bad edit this week. I'm not buying all the drama..but it will likely hurt them for some viewers...and being kinda awkward when Mark & Alexa reunite.

-If these low scores for Tamar don't light a fire under her ass to kill it next week.......then there is no hope. She needs to practice making faces in the mirror or something.  Hoping for a break through next week with her.

[sinkwriter]

 

If these low scores for Tamar don't light a fire under her ass to kill it next week.......then there is no hope. She needs to practice making faces in the mirror or something.  Hoping for a break through next week with her.

 

Seriously! She's a very talented dancer, but her facial expressions (or lack of them) are killing the performances. She's as bad as Alek in that regard, but at least he has the excuse of being a complete amateur who has never done anything of this sort before. Meanwhile, Tamar's supposed to be a seasoned performer in a family of performers. What is going on with her? Is it that every week she's too focused on remembering the steps to do anything with her face? Does she not get along with her dance partners well enough? Is she that uncomfortable dancing with another man who is not her husband? I don't understand what's going on in her head because she's not sharing it. The only thing I see is that I know she can do well with facial expressions and look like she's having fun or dancing with attitude because she's done it when she's danced in solo moments or with the girls, but as soon as she pairs up with her partner, it's like the lights go out. I don't get it.

[Uke]

Something about Carlos just grates on me. This encapsulates it for me, he seems like the kind of guy who would trip you, and then make fun of you as "humor," and if you got mad you'd get called out for "not being able to take a joke."

 

 

 

Wow. That IG video sure says a lot about Carlos. I can't tell if Witney was crying or not.

Edited October 13, 2015 by Uke

[kitcloudkicker]

Wow. That IG video sure says a lot about Carlos. I can't tell if Witney was crying or not.

 

She is playing along, I think (she posted the same video with the caption, "Rude....just rude") but it still rubs me the wrong way. That kind of "humor" gets old, fast, and the kind of people that love it seem to do it as a dominance play. And you're basically forced to play along, or else, "why can't you take a joke, huh?"

[Serendi]

I was wondering why Witney seemed to not-very-jokingly want to get away from Carlos. That Instagram video says it all. He's lost any shot at any vote from me, I guarantee you.

Edited October 13, 2015 by Serendi

[katha]

ETA: I also very much liked Nick's dance. I was kind of baffled by Maks harsh on it, but I'm sure he's able to spot a Paso when he sees one so, there's that. I found myself agreeing with his judgment more so than the other three on pretty much everything else. 

Yes, I actually thought he did rather well. He was very constructive. I thought the 10 for Val...sorry, Bindi, was too much. And I figure he went with the OTT 10 for Alexa because he caught on to the fact that it's "prop up the PenaVegas" week after his confusion about the scoring for Carlos. I've seen some comments about how evil he was to Allison or something...but honestly, everyone should be telling her that every week and since he's not as tightly contracted to ABC and not as dependent on them he could say what a lot of people are thinking. And he wasn't mean-spirited about it either.

[Watermelon]

Seriously! She's a very talented dancer, but her facial expressions (or lack of them) are killing the performances. She's as bad as Alek in that regard, but at least he has the excuse of being a complete amateur who has never done anything of this sort before. Meanwhile, Tamar's supposed to be a seasoned performer in a family of performers. What is going on with her? Is it that every week she's too focused on remembering the steps to do anything with her face? Does she not get along with her dance partners well enough? Is she that uncomfortable dancing with another man who is not her husband? I don't understand what's going on in her head because she's not sharing it. The only thing I see is that I know she can do well with facial expressions and look like she's having fun or dancing with attitude because she's done it when she's danced in solo moments or with the girls, but as soon as she pairs up with her partner, it's like the lights go out. I don't get it.

Even when she performs her music she never pulls good faces. Ever. I'm very shocked no one has ever pulled her to the side about it. The only time her face "looks right" is on her reality show, when she would make up songs. She can't relax her face or her eyes...I'm sad Val hasn't worked on that with her.

[Serendi]

We don't know that Val hasn't worked on faces with Tamar. Just that if he has, it hasn't helped.

 

ETA: Anna was saying on All Access that you can tell someone something over and over, but until they do it, you're stuck. (Not how she put it.) I also think sometimes pros can explain in ways their contestant understands, but for whatever reason some can't do it, some can do it some of the time, etc.

 

Reminds me of long ago when a riding instructor (I was a raw beginner) kept telling me to get my heels down. I had NO idea he meant straighten my legs.

Edited October 13, 2015 by Serendi

[Lonesome Rhodes]

I know it's a meh ep when a highlight is just spotting Carson Kressley at a floor-side table.  

 

I was well aware that Alek and Emma were becoming an item days ago.  Unlike Erin, I did not see that translate in performance.  It did in rehearsal, though.  He is definitely the "Star" who has most lived up to the show's conceptual ideal.  I was surprised there was zero  mention of his buddy who was almost mortally wounded coming to the aid of a young lady upstate.  It's a rare instance when TPTB couldn't find a way to bring relevance and pathos to a storyline.  They were 100% invested in the showmance.  Thank goodness for small favors.

 

The scores given were almost wholly not earned.  Oh well.  Whaddya gonna do?

[PBGamer89]

I actually think Alexa fully deserved her score. She was so sharp and confident. I hope this gives her the boost in confidence when she goes back to Mark.

 

Bindi also did a very, very respectable Cha Cha. Very flirty and fun with some great turns and hip action.

[MsTree]

For those of you who mentioned Tamar's "blank face", if you've ever seen her sing...it's the exact same expression.

[radishcake]

Guys lets keep our comments to the show and not speculation about people's sexuality (which is rude) and definitely make sure your comments are not about other posters opinions. Play nice.

[Callaphera]

Paula Deen is just classless. I've found it hard in the past to explain how I saw her, but that seems to put it the best. There's just no class, no honesty, no authenticity to her. I've never liked her, but... yeah. Just classless. The sooner she's gone, the better. I can't imagine she's pulling in the votes. 

 

Frantic choreography aside, I thought Alison looked beautiful in the Cinderella-esque dress tonight. I think it was one of the best outfits we've seen her in yet. It was just soft and pretty and sweet. I just wish her choreography had been the same.

[ocelot]

I got like extreme second hand embarrassment from Derek and Alexa's dance I thought it was sooooo ridiculous, from the song to the costumes to the use of the troupe omg when they were all kicking in unison with their mean serious faces I don't think I've had such a big 'wtf' moment (and there have been so many) since Mark's Mario freestyle. Like where I was confused for a split second and then like hysterical, uncomfortable laughter. Some of the actual tango part looked good but this dance is probably ranking in the top 5 for me right now of worst/most embarrassing dances I've seen on this show.

 

I thought Val and Bindi's cha cha was great, if anything deserved a perfect score in this episode I thought that one did. I also really liked the Carlos Lindsay quickstep. Andy and Sharna, another music choice I don't approve of but does anyone else think it's like kind of a big advantage when a couple gets to use a recorded song and doesn't have to rely on the band? I didn't think this was as good as the cha cha or the quickstep. I didn't like the paso doble either and I don't know if it's just me but I felt like it was maybe a little light on the actual paso doble?

 

I actually cannot believe that they put Alek and Emma together and then gave them a RUMBA. I am 100% against this shipping shit and I am actually grossed out at the show for doing this.

 

Didn't like how Nick treated Witney and I also thought it was pretty rude of Emma the way she talked about Allison in the opening (I know those are somewhat scripted but it felt way more harsh than it needed to be, to me).

[luvthepros]

Random thoughts about Switch Up week.....

My oh my Maks looked like sex on a stick in that plaid suit. Loved his hair. He looks younger, refreshed and happy. This coming from a non Maks fan.

 

Mark's entrance as the milk man had me smiling from ear to ear. Loved his character and only Mark could pull off that strut......so full of personality, Mark really outdid himself. His use of the troupe was spot on to set up the story. Then along came Paula.......just no. Paula needs to go. Sorry, Paula fans if there are any on this forum. Her slow motion movement is not fun to watch. Kudos to Mark for dancing down to Paula's level. It was so down, in fact, Mark was practically standing still. LOL. And......if Paula picked up her dress one more time, I was gonna slap her!

 

Alexa is a wonderful dancer and I've been saying that all along. That Tango was great but I did not love the concept or the costuming nor Derek's use of the troupe. That would have been all sorts of awesomeness if Alexa was costumed in a sexy red dress and Derek was in a black suit. You get the picture. And......no troupe members for that dance. They were a distraction. Glad she received such high scores.

 

OMG, OMG, OMG.....LOVED Carlos and Lindsey's Quickstep. Carlos really showed everyone what he is made of. That dance was fun and I loved Lindsey's choreography and Carlos pulled it off. Loved Lindsey's dress. Ray Chew's band did an awesome job with Presley's "Bossa Nova Baby". Someone was questioning if Alfonso was the singer for them and was that what Alfonso meant when he said he said he was going to be with Ray Chew's band this week??? I would imagine if Alfonso was the lead singer, Tom would have mentioned it.

 

Finally, Hayes was wearing ballroom shoes. He looked very dapper but I didn't really care for his V. Waltz. I put that on Allison, though. The choreography didn't have enough V. Waltz, IMHO and Hayes didn't do very well with the posture and gliding.

 

Tamar looked awkward. I think Louis was too aggressive with his choreography for her. Louis, Karina is a Dancesport Champion. Why would you think Tamar could pull of that choreography? (Must admit, however, Sabrina was able to master Louis' choreography when they were teamed.)That Samba roll in the beginning set the tone of the dance and it wasn't good for me. Sad because Tamar is a really good dancer. I didn't like the out of hold sections as I felt they were more Beyonce rather than Samba. Sigh, I was expecting great things from these two but it just didn't happen for me.

 

Nick performed a rock concert......again. I was not happy with Witney's choreography and she didn't work enough on Nick's Spanish lines and shapes. Just not enough Paso feel to that dance, IMHO. Sorry to Nick fans.

 

Bindi's costumes all seem to have the same look covering her bosom. Can't they do something different for her? I liked her Cha Cha but as a young performer, I liked Zendaya's Cha Cha performance much more.

 

Andy had a great week. OMG...."farts and balls" had me on the floor!!! I love Andy's personality. He got a raw deal with Allison as his partner and teacher. He did so much better with Sharna.

 

Alek looks like he is really into Emma. He admitted on live TV that he preferred working with Emma. See what sexual tension can do to a guy??? The Rumba was quite good for someone who is not a dancer. It's not easy being sexy on live TV when you've never been in front of a camera before so I give Alek kudos for that.

 

Condolences to Tom and his family. I was in disbelief when I read the memorial at the end of the show with with the date of Ray Bergeron's death. Tom is the consummate professional for carrying on with the show and he did a wonderful job as usual.

Overall.....great show and great dancing. This will be the first show this season I will re-watch.

Edited October 13, 2015 by luvthepros

[vibeology]

So I know Louis is a total pro and would never do it intentionally but that overstuffed samba he gave Tamar is probably Paula's best shot at staying in the competition another week. It's hard to criticize someone for saying " you're talented and I want to give you more content" but it was too much and Tamar did look off balance and rushed.

When Mark walked to the door and knocked for the quickest flash I got a Jim Carrey vibe. It died, of course, as soon as Paula showed up. With a better dancer that would have been a fun concept and song.

I'm quick to call out the edits on this show but I do think there is a connection problem with Mark and Alexa. From the beginning, they haven't seemed to gel. I imagine it comes down to personalities that don't totally mesh, no one's fault but it's going to sink this pair. The awkwardness reminded me of Cheryl/Drew and his switch with Witney. Once the problem was exposed they were living on borrowed time. I feel like despite being one of the better dancers, Alexa is in the same boat now.

Alison is useless and that was proven twice tonight. First her V Waltz with Hayes was a mess with very little content- all on her and then with an actual pro Andy had his best week by far. I'm really looking forward to her maternity leave.

[katha]

I'm quick to call out the edits on this show but I do think there is a connection problem with Mark and Alexa. From the beginning, they haven't seemed to gel. I imagine it comes down to personalities that don't totally mesh, no one's fault but it's going to sink this pair. The awkwardness reminded me of Cheryl/Drew and his switch with Witney. Once the problem was exposed they were living on borrowed time. I feel like despite being one of the better dancers, Alexa is in the same boat now.

I actually quite like them and enjoy them together and the work Mark can do with an adult, capable dancer, but I agree that they aren't the greatest personality fit ever. They seem so...polite towards each other. Like, I feel they get on well enough and they both put in the work, but it's pretty clear that they don't have much in common and probably would never hang out together outside of work. I think it's rather telling that their best dance was the abstract jazz. I don't think it has to sink them, they could still do quite well, but it's clear that they won't be BFF afterwards. That said, I think they showed strong dance partnership and performance together from the salsa going forward, so I don't actually think they are lacking in what they put out on the dance floor. But since this show is also determined on general likeability and how a dance pair comes across outside of the dances (most of the time moreso), that's not their strongest suit. It's not bad, but it's just a friendly enough work relationship while the audience craves more connection. IMO Carlos and Witney are also somewhat off...in different ways, but also off.

 

Tamar has a 12 point cushion on Paula, so that should help her out. Of course no one knows how Paula is doing with the voting.

Edited October 13, 2015 by katha

[luvthepros]

Also, Tom's father passed away last Monday, Oct 5 according to the online obituary.  (I think the impression might have been that he passed on tonight.)

I'll have to go back and look again but the memorial at the end of the show had Ray Bergeron's death date as October 12, 2015. If he passed away last week, that is a very big blunder on someone's head.

[msburg]

I thought "off-balance" best described Tamar's dance.  As a fellow tall girl, I thought she expressed discomfort with the shorter, slighter Louis.  If she didn't trust him 100%, she was going to be as wobbly as she looked.

 

And it's been mentioned, but oh my is Hayes young.  The cracking voice made me laugh (maybe because my guys are 15 and 13, and I've been living with this for several years now).

[humbleopinion]

You could throw a rock in any direction in LA and hit a slew of acting coaches who could help Tamar control her facial expressions as she dances but she doesn't want or thinks she needs help.

So when the competition gets down to a few, this could be one of the reasons she won't continue.

[obxchick]

I thought Alek and Emma made a good pair! He's really stoic and I think it's been hard for him to become more expressive as a dancer, so it was cute to see another side of him with Emma. And whoa, Bindi and Val were awesome together! I think the powers that be missed a great pairing with those two. Same goes for Andy and Sharna. In just one week, she brought out a talent in him that Allison just hasn't been able to tap.

Call me a cynic, but I knew Alexa would get at least one ten after her talking head, and since she was paired with Derek. I think she and her husband are good dancers, but I'm over hearing about their "competition" each week. Like, we get it at this point. I felt kinda bad for Hayes, too. I think he's doing really well for his age, but Allison's choreography didn't seem to do him any favors. I'm just not a fan of hers, though.

Pretty excited to see Olivia Newton John next week! I'm guessing she'll be a better guest judge than Maks was.

Edited October 13, 2015 by obxchick

[Buggin]

I do not want Andy to be sent back to Allison. He did so much better with Sharna. Jonathan was one I thought would have benefited from being with a pro besides Allison, too. She was good for Riker because he already had experience and the frenetic dancing matched his personality but I wish Andy had been placed with Sharna or Emma to start with.

 

I can't believe this is the first rumba Emma has done with a celebrity. It's time for her to get one that is not old enough to be her dad (or grandfather) or one that is in high school.

 

Nick admitting to taking leadership in his lessons with Witney annoyed me. I don't think Witney has the personality to stand up to those types but she is still the pro and not them.

 

I was annoyed at Lindsay being made pro this season but she has made me eat my words, so kudos Lindsay, you've been doing very well and I'm glad you got a second chance.

[crowceilidh]

Whoever dressed Maks certainly knew what they were doing.  He looked scrumptious in that suit.  I didn't agree with him about that Paso, but I expect he knows a lot more about it than I do.

 

Val and Bindi seemed to have a really good connection - way more interesting than Bindi and Derek.  Tptb messed up on that casting.  I felt that way to a lesser degree about Derek and Alexa.   I liked Mark and Paula together (missed the skirt lift, due to finger on ff button) personality-wise.  

 

When did Emma and Sasha break up?

[Packerbrewerbadger]

I thought the tango was an " intimate " dance,- the troupe , really Derek???

Maks giving Bindi and Val a 10 helped Derek, not Val.

Still on the Ban extra dancers and Mandy Moore bandwagon! ( tho it worked with Mark and Paula, but the extras didnt dance with them.....)

[EyewatchTV211]

I think song choice had an impact on my enjoyment of dances this episode. There were probably others, but two that stuck out to me were Andy's and Nick's songs - they were not good matches for Argentine Tango and Pasadoble. Andy definitely did better than he has so far, but it was still hard for me to really judge the dancing in both of those when the music was so off. 

[Primetimer]

Although Zombie Tango sounds like a military code, it's actually the first dance of the season to get a perfect score.

Read the story

[howmanywords]

I think Toms dad did pass away yesterday. He posted a lovely picture of them on Instagram last night and Alfonso sent him a sweet message of condolences and admiring him for being so great knowing that his dad passed a few hours before the show. I'm truly amazed at how he was able to hold himself together.

[BW Manilowe]

According to E! Entertainment Television, Paula kept lifting her skirt because her underwear said SHAKE IT on it (shrugs).

http://m.eonline.com/news/705815/why-paula-deen-couldn-t-stop-flashing-on-dwts-her-underwear-had-a-message

As for Alfonso, when I saw the dances on the DWTS channel on YouTube (partly a medical thing &, this week, partly because my stupid cable connection crapped out on me over the weekend & Comcast *claims* the earliest someone can come fix it is *Thursday or Friday*...GRR!), it sure sounded, to me, like Alfonso was singing that 1 song (for Carlos' dance?).

[kcrabtree06]

I just rewatched last nights episode. I know a lot of people aren't happy with how Nick treated Witney, but did anyone else notice that Nick had to keep asking Witney if his steps were wrong or right? To me it almost seemed like Nick was messing up in rehearsal but Witney didn't notice it or point it out until after Nick asked about it.

[Saylii]

It looks like there was a Ray Bergeron who passed away in Texas on 10/5/15. As far as I can tell, he is no relation to Tom Bergeron. Tom isn't mentioned in the obituary at all, although a few "fans" have left comments on guestbooks. Tom grew up in Connecticut.

Tom has also made comments to the media before today but after last Monday about things he talked about with his dad in his final week. He has no reason to fudge the timeline. I also could have sworn Tom said his father's condition was serious, but it wasn't death's door quite yet. I wonder if he thought he'd spent the week with him, he'd fly back to do the show, then get back home in time.

There's also the final placard on yesterday's show that had yesterday's date of death. There is absolutely no reason to believe that wasn't correct, especially since nothing had been leaked to the media yet.

Edited October 13, 2015 by Saylii

[kitcloudkicker]

Derek and Alexa's song was "Pompeii" by a band called "Bastille," which is why I didn't even blink at a volcanic ash meets Le Mis vibe to the dance. (I didn't see zombies at all?) I liked how the troupe was there in the beginning, GTFO, and then materialized again at the end for a crescendo to the performance - if there's going to be troupe, that's a smart use of them.

 

I had kind of assumed Tom's dad had passed away when he said he'd be back this week, it seemed serious enough last week that he'd still be with him if there was a chance for more time. Heartbreaking. Tom seems like he might be the type to find comfort diving back into work, though I personally didn't mind Alfonso too much if he needs any more time.

 

I hope Alfonso was singing Carlos and Lindsay's song. We can play Alfonso Where's Waldo for the rest of the season/show's run. (You'll never guess where Alfonso is hiding this week!) 

[OakGoblinFly]

Sooooooooooooo, what's it gonna take to get Hayes to dance to Peter Brady's "Time to Change?"

 

I laughed more then I should have at the lie detector skit.

 

I remembered why I dislike Maks and why I was glad he left the show.

 

I like a lot of the new partnerships ...... Bindi was going to do well with whomever she was partnered with and Mark did an admirable job with Paula.  It was nice to see that Andy finally realize some of his potential; and I thought Alexa worked much better with Derek than Mark (not an indication of Mark’s ability as I think that he is one of the stronger teachers in the group - just an observation that Mark and Alexa's personalities don't mesh well).

 

Allison is clearly out of her element as a pro; she can perform ballroom  routines that are choreographed for her; I just don’t think she has the skill set to teach and choreography ballroom

Edited October 13, 2015 by OakGoblinFly

[katha]

I just rewatched last nights episode. I know a lot of people aren't happy with how Nick treated Witney, but did anyone else notice that Nick had to keep asking Witney if his steps were wrong or right? To me it almost seemed like Nick was messing up in rehearsal but Witney didn't notice it or point it out until after Nick asked about it.

I thought they both came off not that great in that package. Who knows what editing did to them, of course... The package implied both that Witney wasn't giving it her all because he's not her "real partner" and that Nick wasn't respecting her and went over her head. I do think there's a genuine pattern that can perhaps be observed where Witney has difficulty establishing authority with younger male celebs: It was a problem with Cody, Chris, Carlos and Nick that we have seen.

[St. Claire]

(I think the impression might have been that he passed on tonight.)

 

I think the online obituary I saw was for another Ray Bergeron. Tom and his family are from New England, but the obituary I saw (even though it did have a message from someone offering condolences to Tom) was from Texas.

 

I don't mind showmances in general, but Erin needs to stop putting folks on the spot about dating each other. Emma and Alek seemed like they wanted to sink into the floor to escape her.

 

I enjoyed Carlos' dance in isolation, but am getting annoyed with his personality off the floor. I also think Alexa is still a bit over the top with her effusive thanking of him as well as her dance partner week after week.

[Stitsch]

Are they trying to get rid of Tamar? Jesus. What the fuck else did anyone do in their dance for her to deserve a 7? 

 

Of course Derek is the first to get a 30. 

 

I don't know if it's just me, but I'm so irritated by this season. Carlos is annoying, Bindi exaggerates everything, Paula is Paula, Nick is boring because he's essentially already being pimped as the winner, Alexa has no personality beyond ILOVECARLOS, and Tamar keeps getting hosed for no reason. I can't even remember who else is there. I'm over it. 

[kitcloudkicker]

According to the Glamour blog - apparently only a single elimination next week, instead of the double that was originally announced. ("For now.") Coupled with the scores, I wonder if Carlos really was the bottom 2 last week, and they're not ready to lose their married couple. 

[mstar1125]

Was Maks auditioning for the role of villain judge? He was very Simon Cowell-esque (and not in the good way. Is there a good way?). I think he thought he was filling the role left behind by Len, but he was just kind of bitchy about most of the dances. Except Val's, I noticed. He had nothing but positive things to say about Val and Bindi, whereas I thought Bindi had just a little less energy than usual. 

 

Alek/Emma: What was going on there? Clearly Alek is attracted to her - the lead-in all but beat us over the head with it - but what was going on just before judging? Were Carrie Ann and Julianne implying that he was, um, visibly excited by the dance? I thought it was okay, but not the steamiest rumba I've ever seen. He seemed a little stiff (ahem), as if he didn't want to brush up against her too much. 

 

Alexa/Derek: Best dance of the night, but didn't deserve the first perfect score. The choreography was perfect and difficult, and Alexa kept up with it. This is one of those times, however, when I wish Len was still around, because the troupe dancers took my focus off Derek/Alexa, and I think Len would have had the same complaint. 

 

Andy/Sharna: I did not get what the judges liked about this. I thought the song was a terrible fit for an Argentine Tango, and the choreography didn't help matters. One of the judges praised Andy's musicality, but I felt like they were off the music the entire dance. 

 

Nick/Witney: Have to agree with Maks. It wasn't a great paso doble. Again, the song choice just seemed all wrong for the dance. I like a bit of a darker song for a paso doble. 

[katha]

According to the Glamour blog - apparently only a single elimination next week, instead of the double that was originally announced. ("For now.") Coupled with the scores, I wonder if Carlos really was the bottom 2 last week, and they're not ready to lose their married couple. 

I think with the very high scores both Alexa and Carlos got (IMO too high in both cases), it's a real possibility that they are both not pulling votes. I know it was edited to show him being a big meanie or whatever, but I thought Mark was just realistic talking to Alexa about the possibility of elimination. I think she's got zero cushion now (same perhaps true for Carlos and Andy as well?) and mistakes like she did in the foxtrot will kill her. Perhaps it's better to not tell her that so that she doesn't feel bad or something, but it's the truth.

[Agnes Bean]

I’m with everyone who thought Andy was so much better with Sharna. It makes me really sad to remember he was supposed to be with Peta originally — that could have been a really strong pair, and I think we got a taste of that last night. Though OTOH if that had happened, we might not have gotten Lindsay back, and she’s proving to be quite the talent. Loved what she did with Carlos.

[spanana]

Switch up week exposes the pros more than the celebs and that was no different here.  I wish the pros would understand that most people at home would rather see cleanly danced routines than the hardest routines in the world that look like a sloppy mess.  Especially since most people at home can't really properly gauge the difficulty levels.

 

In general I think Val and Louis had the same approach this week.  Shove a lot of technique and harder routines at their new celebs to try and "get them to a new level" so to speak.  However Val was way more successful with Bindi than Louis was with Tamar.  I just think in general Louis really overshot Tamar's abilities.  Samba is a hard dance and I think he overestmated what she could deal with, on top of the fact that she already has some weird performance disconnect issues that happen at times.  So with Tamar never getting comfortable in the routine itself, she also wasn't able to layer a performance on top of that.  Do I think she was a tad underscored?  Yes.  But the fault here was on Louis.

 

But I also am going to judge the celebs on what the pros put out there.  The fault is more on Louis than Tamar, but that is the routine that Louis gave us.  I can't ignore that she was a bit of a mess just because her steps were harder than what others did.  The celebs live or die by the skills of their pros (see Andy).  However I do think the show isn't overly invested in Tamar or they would have her dance later in the show or give her better edits and etc.  Also Louis did not have a good night since on top of Tamar's routine not going the way he wanted, then the judges gave Paula her highest scores with Mark.

 

Bindi on the other hand I thought was good, though I think Val had her about dancing on the edge of her current abilities.  She was just in control enough, but I don't think she could have handled much more without having some of the same problems Tamar did.

 

Beyond that I have to give some real kudos to Lindsay who is absolutely killing it this season.  She has really come into her own since her first pro experience however many seasons ago.  I don't love Carlos, but I thought she did a great job with him and that was a great routine.  On top of the fact that she is doing a great job with Alek normally.

 

I'd also feel bad about how badly Allison was exposed last night and the fact that Riker is the only celeb she's managed to successfully work with yet far, but with her pregnancy she has to sit next season out.  So at least DWTS has a graceful way out with her if they choose to cut those ties.

Edited October 13, 2015 by spanana

[Alapaki]

I'll have to go back and look again but the memorial at the end of the show had Ray Bergeron's death date as October 12, 2015. If he passed away last week, that is a very big blunder on someone's head.

 

 

You are correct.  I remember thinking, "wait a minute, that's today."  I take it from Tom's "I think somewhere he's watching tonight" pretty clearly indicates that his father has passed.