S18.E04: Partner Switch Ups REVEALED

[ari333]

I want to yank those stupid hats off their heads.

Mark, and it pains me to say this, was so gentle the way he lifted Amy etc, or rather, the way he set her down after a lift. It warmed my cold, black heart.

NO MORE DIAPER PANTS PEOPLE! [/sorry for the yelling]

[ari333]

I used to be a huge fan, but sheesh, go away already, Julianne. Jesus. She's gone beyond obnoxious into full blown bitchy.

Good on Maks for not taking the bait.

Poor Danica. I know life is not fair, but if you're going to fawn over one, fawn - or at least try to fawn - over both. I felt bad for her.

Let's face it. Meryl could dance with Bozo or Captain Crunch and be totally awesome. Not taking away from Val's choreo because that was magnifico, imo, but still....

[DanDanNoodles]

After reading the comments about Julianne's comments, I'm even happier that I completely skip the judges' commentary.  I find if I wait until about 1:15 into the show, I can watch all of the rehearsal segments and all the dances, skipping the judges and Erin's interviews, and get to the end right about the same time.

What was up with James' scores?  Way, way too high.  His posture was terrible; the whole dance he was hunched over with his ass sticking out.  NeNe was also vastly overscored; about 30 seconds into the routine, she still hadn't moved from her original spot.

Wow, the judges remembered they still have those seven other paddles, besides the 8, 9, and 10 ones.  Well, at least, they remembered one of them.

I think TPTB are probably regretting this switch-up thing, because what if someone liked their new partner more?  Specifically, I think both Meryle and Candace seemed to be struggling to avow how much they couldn't wait to get back to their "real" partner.  It was awesome to watch Cheryl watching Drew and Whitney and then comment, "It's pretty creepy."

Edited April 8, 2014 by DanDanNoodles

[crowceilidh]

I think Danica seems to be oddly lacking core strength in her posture too.  It's not consistent, but every now and then, she looks like a sack o'potatoes.

[Shannon L.]

 

Has he been watching Coming to America on repeat?

Ha!  That's exactly what I said in the DWTS thread at TWoP.  It looked like a combination of that dance and the African Anteater Ritual from "Can't Buy Me Love".

The coupling that surprised me the most (in the best possible way) was Witney and Drew. That was fun!

I know Charlie, being human, isn't perfect and probably has a bad side in him somewhere, but he comes across as so sweet and happy that hearing him take criticism (especially for something that's not his fault!) is like someone kicking a puppy.

[Joystickenvy]

I fast forwarded over judges, so missed the girl hough's and Len's comments.

I thought Meryl was better with Val, though I'm not sure if it was choreo, chemistry or just that he isn't so much taller than her.

Also thought James was better with Cheryl than PETA, but admittedly, I'm not a PETA fan. Sorry, my iPad keeps capping her name lol.

Much as it pains me to say anything positive about Ballas, he was actually better with Amy, because he let her do more on her own than Derek.

Loved Sharna telling beiber lite to lose the diaper pants. Derek's dance with NeNe was a hot mess.

Charlie should never, ever slick his hair back again. Between the matching hair and the purple outfits, he and Peta looked like the Wonder Twins.

Band & singers were more awful than usual. I felt bad for whoever it was that danced to ballroom blitz (Candace?), because the singing was so bad it was distracting.

NeNe had the worst dance, but I'd love to see diaper pants get the boot.

Edited April 8, 2014 by Joystickenvy

[whatsatool]

My vote for the best was Cody.

I've seen too many wonderful Robert Duvall tango movies to enjoy either tango.  I wanted my ladies to do my swivels and footwork and less dramatic guff.

Candace was my favorite week 1.  Not so much this week.

Actually I think Drew could have been better with more footwork variations in his cha cha. 

[Kathode]

I think Drew could be much better than he's shown so far. He's got the right moves and footwork; he just needs some fluidity to tie the moves together. Right now he's doing each move, in sequence, without any flow between them. If he could just address that one issue, he'd actually deserve 9s.

[superdeluxe]

Except if there is one person in the world that Maks isn't going to intentionally screw over it's his own brother.  I don't think the routine Maks put together for Danica was very good, but I thought it was very Maks.   But I'm not so sure I'd go so far as to say he was phoning it in because again, Val is not only his brother but probably his best friend. 

Well, Val sure didn't help his brother by showing how he is better in the choreography department.  Maks gave Danica a typical Maks jive.  That's just not going to fly anymore.  He thinks he can coast to that win just because he has Meryl.  That's not going to work with weak choreography.  He needs to up his game.

Edited April 9, 2014 by superdeluxe

[spanana]

Well, Val sure didn't help his brother by showing how he is better in the choreography department.  Maks gave Danica a typical Maks jive.  That's just not going to fly anymore.  He thinks he can coast to that win just because he has Meryl.  That's not going to work with weak choreography.  He needs to up his game.

But I think there is a big difference between thinking Maks is a weak choreographer and that he intentionally put in no effort this week since he wasn't working with Meryl.  If Maks gave Danica a typical Maks jive then he wasn't phoning it in so much as choreographing as he always does, which is not what Julianne said.  I personally think Maks needs to up his choreography game, but I think that has even been true in his routines with Meryl this season, so still Julianne's dig doesn't quite wash.  The big difference though IMO is that Meryl has been able to sell Maks choreography in a way that Danica wasn't quite able to with the jive.  But that makes sense since Meryl is a performer by trade in a way that Danica isn't.  Danica's an actress, but that's still a little bit different then knowing how to sell a dance routine on the dance floor.

Also Val has been getting recognized for his choreography pretty regularly for the last several seasons, so Val being a better choreographer shouldn't be that much of a newsflash.  The only difference is the last few seasons Val didn't have to compete against Maks.

Plus if Julianne wanted to call out anyone for phoning it in, she should have looked no further than the heinous jazz routine her brother gave NeNe.

Edited April 9, 2014 by spanana

[Uke]

My thoughts on the dances last night:

The switch seemed to work for a few of the stars (Meryl, Cody, Amy) but not so much for the others. The pros seemed more stressed about it than the stars did.

Candace - She kept up pretty well for her first ballroom dance and having a new partner. Speed and/or quick reflexes seems to be her issue.  The choreo was ok, nothing to get excited about. She just seemed a little frazzled. Maybe it was the speed of the dance, or Tony's teaching style, or the intensity of "The Fam" made her uncomfortable. I'm throwing out guesses here, but something didn't click. Underscored - especially considering all the overscoring they did after her.

James - He was too in his head or nervous. Don't understand the "he's so hot" banter - not feeling it. 9s were way too high. 7s with an 8 or two would have been about right.

Drew - Witney's choreo was cute but he performed too much like dancing-by-the-numbers (do this, okay, now do this, okay...) He just didn't flow. But he really worked at selling it. Overscored. 7s would have been ok.

Danica - I had some cable reception problem so I only saw the ending of the dance + the judges comments. I'll comment on that at the end.

Charlie - I know everyone loves the curls but the slicked back hair made him look more adult. The dance was more contemporary than a smooth flowing rumba but it was nice as a performance. The 9s were not justified considering the dance didn't conform to the assignment and the lift but the 7 was a little harsh.

Amy - Again, judges didn't critique and their awe over how she can actually move from point A to point B has become insulting (or is that secondary insulting because I'm insulted for her?).  Overscored but this one time I don't mind.  Mark got her dancing on her own. She did remain in contact with him for most of the dance, but it didn't appear to be for support. It seemed more like light-balance assistance. But she did let go and dance independently for a bit and THAT'S what I've been waiting to see.

Derek - He got the first real criticism that I've seen in a very long time. Yes, he gets a scolding now and then. But CAI noted how he tries to mask his partners. So if CAI notices, why doesn't she ever say anything? HUH CarrieAnn??? It'll be interesting to see if he changes his teaching of Amy and style of his choreography going forward to let her dance more on her own.

Cody - Loved Sharna for telling him to pull up his pants. She addressed his frame and he looked like he was trying to straighten up but he still looks wirey and awkward. Overscored. 6s and maybe one 7 for his frame improvement would have been right.

Nene - What the heck was this? Or what was this supposed to be? A whole lot of stomping and arm waving is all it was. Seemed like a very poor re-do of prior seasons' dances. Talk about "phoning it in", overdancing and showboating! I guess Derek was too busy "creatively overseeing" the Macy's dance featuring himself to bother creating something nice for Nene and then teaching her to dance something nice. 6s would have been generous.

Meryl - She seemed better matched with Val than she has with Maks. I LOVE the Argentine Tango but this was a little to staccato for my taste but an excellent performance. Maks better step it up in the choreo department. 9s and 10s were expected.

Julianne - Maks is "this season's Mark"? Congrats. Two insults in one quip. Maks "phoned it in"? Based on what? She doesn't know what Danica can or cannot do. She claims she doesn't mean any offense and she's just being honest. No. She clearly knows what she's saying and I'd bet she thinks she's being very cute. Maybe she just loved all the media attention last time, been out of the gossip pages for a while and figures this is how to get more attention. Whatever her problem is, she can work it out on her own time.  Go Julianne, and don't come back.

 

 

[ramble]

My biggest winner from this episode & possibly the entire season is Sharna simply because she told porcupine-haired Cody to not wear the stupid diaper pants to practice. Other than that I enjoyed Val & Meryl's dance a lot & despised Julianne's blathering.

[ari333]

Nene - What the heck was this? Or what was this supposed to be? A whole lot of stomping and arm waving is all it was. Seemed like a very poor re-do of prior seasons' dances. Talk about "phoning it in", overdancing and showboating! I guess Derek was too busy "creatively overseeing" the Macy's dance featuring himself to bother creating something nice for Nene and then teaching her to dance something nice. 6s would have been generous.

I thought the Nene dance looked a lot like one or two of the Amber dances when she had really bad knee problems. If it looks familiar to me, - me- who knows next to nothing about dance, then ...well...

I think "BooBoo Munchkin" recycled.

Edited April 9, 2014 by ari333

[ari333]

I like Danica well enough, but I wonder if Maks did the best he could in that I'm getting the feeling that she is a difficult student because she's in her head a lot (Liz Berkley.) I could be wrong, but I'm not convinced that Maks phoned it in at all. And even if he did JH didn't need to say that because it's rude - for one, and two.. she can't know that. And three, she's supposed to be judging the celebs IIRC.

There's no way to know what was in Maks' head. However, it is kind of clear when a couple doesn't do the assigned dance. The non-jazz, the non-rhumbas, etc If they're going to harp on that aspect they should do so consistently - not pick and choose who to harp on depending who the pro is. Bah.

[JustAlison]

 

Because Erin Andrews has no class?

This. So much! I have been trying to put my finger on what I don't like about her all season, and that's it. She makes me uncomfortable, and I find her awkward and inappropriate much of the time. I don't follow sports, so I've no idea how many women might be in sportscasting or what they might be like, but is she typical? She comes across like a teenager interviewing classmates at the prom. Her juvenile flirtiing and attention-seeking from Maks is sad, and hard to watch. She seems hung up on him, and I guess they dated during her season? That also makes me uncomfortable. I don't miss Brooke's stupidity, but I have to wonder if we need a co-host at all. Couldn't Tom just ask them stuff and get their scores right there on the floor, then send them up to the Celebraquarium? Otherwise, I wish they would find an intelligent, well-mannered, insightful woman to do that job. Surely there are a few in LA?

I was glad Derek got Nene, and not Meryl as so many were predicting to be predetermined. I was not a huge fan of that tribal number they danced, as it felt predictable and dated, but Nene sure seemed to be having the time of her life out there! Drew also seemed to gel much better with Whitney, and Candace seemed more relaxed and secure with Tony. Given that the producers get to know these folks better than we do, it seems they could have done a better job with the partnerships at the outset. Of course, that's assuming they wanted a level playing field, which I realize they likely don't. Meryl and Charlie going to the finals was a given the moment they booked them, IMHO.

I kind of agreed with Julianne regarding Maks' phoning it in. His dance with Danica felt uninspired, and I really felt badly for her the rest of the night. Could Maks have been any more obvious in his preference for Meryl? His attitude was classless, and unkind.  Maks is too much some times, and last night was one of those times, for me. Danica's outfit was juvenile and the skirt/bodice reveal thing was really lame.

Ringers are ringers, and that's what Meryl and Charlie are. They know how to dance, how to learn choreography; the word 'dancer' is in their professional job title, for crying out loud. Maks was getting his ringer back in a week, and the least he could have done was make the best of it. I really don't think he did, and that was unfair to Danica.

I will say that Julianne could have made the same comment to Derek, except that Nene seemed thrilled with the dance. The dance itself wasn't great, but her joy in doing it sure was. 

Edited April 9, 2014 by JustAlison

[ari333]

Help? It's making me crazy. Does anyone know the song they played in the bumper coming back in from commercial at about 16 minutes in when Peta and Charlie and Cheryl and James did a little switch move? It was horns and drums with a little rap-ish lyrics, but I couldn't hear it. What is that song? It's driving me nuts. It wasn't a couples' dance song; it was in the bumper returning from commercial. Drats. It was just before Cheryl and James' clip package/throne dance. TIA. :)

Edited April 9, 2014 by ari333

[ari333]

This is shallow, but I thought Danica looked cuter with the skirt on.

[ari333]

Why was Len almost yelling at Charlie about doing a "proper" rhumba if he's in the finals? Charlie doesn't do the choreography. Sheesh.,

[Uke]

Why was Len almost yelling at Charlie about doing a "proper" rhumba if he's in the finals? Charlie doesn't do the choreography. Sheesh.,

It's a pretty sure bet that Charlie will be in the finals and now he knows what to work on from now till then (hip action) as Len has made clear that the judges' pick for him will be rumba. Maybe he was shouting so Sharna would hear up in the skybox.

[fembotz]

IDK, I have a feeling either Charlie or Meryl will get knocked out before the finale. They probably have some vote-splitting going on and the ringer backlash. If one of them has an off week, I could see them leaving before finals. Since Meryl is with Maks (huge fanbase), I feel that Charlie is the most vulnerable. I hope I'm wrong, though.

[Princess Sparkle]

See, I actually think it's Meryl that could get kicked off before the finals - minus Corbin last season, men usually don't feel the brunt of being labelled as a "ringer."  Plus, as someone who doesn't know either one of them from Ice Dancing, I find Charlie to be a lot more personable and charming than Meryl.  I'm sure she's a lovely person, but she just doesn't come across as all that warm to me.  

[StayClassySD]

Plenty of guys got the finger label. Mario Lopez (season 3) Joey Fatone (season 4) Evan Lysacek. Just to name a few.

[heartsaperkin]

"finger label"

Best typo yet! I gave Mario the finger a couple times myself!

 

Couldn't get quoter to work so did it myself.

Edited April 12, 2014 by heartsaperkin

[StayClassySD]

I didn't even notice. lol I typo a lot when I'm on my phone. I also think r&b singer Mario who partnered with Marina in s6 (I think it was 6) was labeled a ringer as well.

[luvthepros]

I've never been a Maks fan but am enjoying him with Meryl this season. Having said that, Meryl and Val knocked it out of the park with their Argentine Tango. I'm wishing these two were teamed together at the start.