S22.E09: Week 9

[PBGamer89]

I've been nervous for Paige all day because she's such an incredible dancer, great technique and great performance ability. I thought she'd get lost in the shuffle and IDK how big the UFC fan base is for her, but I think she's been gaining fans all season through her hard work and amazing dances.

They had me worried at the very end but it was nice to see how excited they got to be told they made it! I feel bad for Wanya, but he at least went out on perfection. He set his own bar so high in the beginning that falling even the slightest was more noticeable.

Both of Paige's dances tonight were the highlight for me. Her trio was fun and executed brilliantly. That trio samba roll was impressive and her AT was was on the most tastefully, sexy dances i've seen in a long time. Just enough sensuality and heat to make it work without being over the top.

[kitcloudkicker]

2 hours ago, mtlchick said:

Jenna is Ginger's long lost sister.  They look very similar. 

They face swapped once. Results: unnerving 

[Hiacios]

1 minute ago, ocelot said:

Ok but I don't agree, that wasn't contemporary literally at all.

Well the judges would have said something (especially Len and Carrie Ann because those 2 never liked Antonio to begin with) but didn't because it was a contemporary dance.

[ocelot]

2 minutes ago, Hiacios said:

Well the judges would have said something (especially Len and Carrie Ann because those 2 never liked Antonio to begin with) but didn't because it was a contemporary dance.

No the judges don't know anything about contemporary though. How would they say anything.

[Thadeeeyus]

I'm THRILLED that Paige made finals! Didn't expect that at all.  I'd rather she be competing with either Antonio or Wanya, preferably both, but, oh well... Thankful for what I got. :)  

[RedFiat]

8 hours ago, simplyme said:

It's not like Nyle controls his edit or that any contestant, ever, on DWTS has said, "I'm not as good as they're saying I am.  Let me point out my mistakes."

I think you can be frustrated with the judges, the viewers, TPTB.  Point out technique issues that get overlooked, sure.  I agree with you on that.  :)

Nyle was comparing himself to Val. So I thought for sure Nyle would work on his technique. But he's not.  That is obvious. If he made the effort to work on his technique I might have got more excited about him, but it's been downhill since week 4.  But me talking about technique is moot for Nyle. He has it in the bag. He barely has to show up next week. 

[Packerbrewerbadger]

IMO Donald Driver had the best lifts .  I remember in their AT , if he had let go of Peta on a spinning lift she would have left the building !!  I hate it when the judges say " the best they've ever seen on the show" , I don't think I've ever agreed with them.  

[crowceilidh]

What was with the camera swinging off the peacock tails behind Mark and Alan?  Mark set that up beautifully and the camera swung off them after 1/2 second and showed this awkward side view that made no real sense without the graphic.  Are tptb really that freaked about NBC?

[FilmTVGeek80]

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I mean, Paige has to be  a huge component of whether the theme (and the dance) connects, right? I thought she crushed the UFC Paso, the Ice Queen Waltz, the Tina Turner Jive, her AT tonight, even going all the way back to Alan's fill in dance. To the point where she started to consistently capture my attention within the dances more than Mark did. IMO, I don't know what else she has to do...

I agree "Nyle Trump" is harsh, but I understand the sentiment being conveyed. This is after all the same show and the same America that voted a guy (Noah) into the final 3 when it was abundantly clear that he physically could not actually dance. I think there has been a feeling that basically Nyle had this in the bag from the second he proved he was somewhat capable in Week 1 and Week 2. What really bugs, is he still does some of the same things wrong in the Semifinal week that he was doing back then where Paige has markedly improved and even Ginger has shown a significant improvement (minus a couple dances like the Janet Jackson one here or there). From the show's telling you'd think he experienced the same (or an even greater) growth arc as the other two finalists, when in reality his growth arc has been the smallest.

I don't know what else Paige has to do...sometimes you just click and like a performer, or you don't. Paige reminds me a lot of another of Mark's partners, that opera singer Katherine (I think that was her name.) She was great technically, but to this day I still don't remember any of her dances nor would I be able to pick her out of a line-up. For me, I don't see Paige having grown leaps and bounds. First, there's the ringer thing. You can say it doesn't matter or whatever, but it matters. Paige came into this (like Meryl and ringers before) great and that hasn't changed. I remember thinking after her first dance she was great and could go far. And, IMO, I don't think the show is portraying Nyle as having any arc either. They praised him for being inspirational from the start and they still are. I don't think any of the judges, even Bruno, are acting as if he's the greatest dancer in history.

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Nyle was comparing himself to Val. So I thought for sure Nyle would work on his technique. But he's not.  That is obvious. If he made the effort to work on his technique I might have got more excited about him, but it's been downhill since week 4.  But me talking about technique is moot for Nyle. He has it in the bag. He barely has to show up next week.

Definitely hope you're right. Nyle for the win! 

[PhD-Purgatory15]

Positivity and exuberance with a healthy dollop of cocky/arrogant as f*ck to his personality. They only dinged him on the "as good as Val" fiasco, but if you purely judged them on what they each said, he gave AB a run for his money in his packages throughout most of the season.

He knew he had this in bag early on, which was another thing that bugged, quickly. And as a disclaimer I didn't watch a second of him on ANTM (gave up on that show after Naima beat Kahlen millions of years ago). My introduction was the GMA cast announcement...

[WhosThatGirl]

Ideally, I really wanted the final three to be Wayna, Paige, and Nyle. I just like Nyle. And I'm someone who HATED Noah for the reason some people dislike Nyle. I also didn't watch ANTM when he was on, it's been quite a while since I've watched that show. Also fair warning, I am a person writing this who happens to be disabled but I can see why these situations anger people, it angered me when Noah got praised for what he could do, even though he missed steps and yet someone who did the right step but not great or perfect would lose points from the judges. So I get it. But that isn't why I like Nyle.  But I always knew my ideal version wouldn't happen because Ginger was always going to be the final three. That was apparent by week one. I'm surprised Wanya didn't make it, but I guess last week really hurt him.

Really. I want Paige to win. I've liked her. I think she seems like a nice person, but if Nyle wins, I'm okay with that. Like I said, I'm not purely invested, I haven't voted in like three or four seasons because I remember how invested I used to get only to slowly realize that as much as this show tries to tell us we have a say because we vote, the decks are stacked by at least week three and the cards fall where they fall. Granted, sometimes things happen but more or less, there is always an indication of who will be in the finals. Or at least one or two is pretty much set by week 2. Ginger, despite me not liking her was always going to be in the final three. I thought Wanya was too, but last week and the week before, he hadn't been doing so great. 

I was invested more so in the Fall season, I agree. I don't really care too much this season about who wins. I'm kind of hoping the next Fall season will be better. It'll be a okay finale, but I think the Part 2 will be better. I always like seeing all the stars who got kicked off come back for the filler dances for some reason. 

[FilmTVGeek80]

2 minutes ago, PhD-Purgatory15 said:

Positivity and exuberance with a healthy dollop of cocky/arrogant as f*ck to his personality. They only dinged him on the "as good as Val" fiasco, but if you purely judged them on what they each said, he gave AB a run for his money in his packages throughout most of the season.

He knew he had this in bag early on, which was another thing that bugged, quickly. And as a disclaimer I didn't watch a second of him on ANTM (gave up on that show after Naima beat Kahlen millions of years ago). My introduction was the GMA cast announcement...

Who's AB? I don't find him cocky, just very confident and given most of the judges' comments, I can see why. I definitely disagree that he's acted like he had this in the bag.

[McManda]

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Who's AB?

In this case, probably Antonio Brown.

[RedFiat]

9 hours ago, FilmTVGeek80 said:

"They" didn't send anyone home. It was the public. Antonio was the weakest dancer left and shouldn't have stayed in because he's black. Wanya might have had a shot, if he didn't stumble so horribly last week.

The powers that be have a choice. They can do a double elimination| anytime, even a surprise double elimination whenever during the season. They could have had a double elimination earlier in the season, then have another for someone to join Jodie. The optics of sending home first Von and Kim Fields together, and now Antonio and Wanye together, if it's not on purpose is just a gross lack of sensitivity.  Do they want all demographics to watch this show or do they even care?  I think the latter.     

[RedFiat]

8 hours ago, FilmTVGeek80 said:

I don't know what else Paige has to do...sometimes you just click and like a performer, or you don't. Paige reminds me a lot of another of Mark's partners, that opera singer Katherine (I think that was her name.) She was great technically, but to this day I still don't remember any of her dances nor would I be able to pick her out of a line-up. For me, I don't see Paige having grown leaps and bounds. First, there's the ringer thing. You can say it doesn't matter or whatever, but it matters. Paige came into this (like Meryl and ringers before) great and that hasn't changed. I remember thinking after her first dance she was great and could go far. And, IMO, I don't think the show is portraying Nyle as having any arc either. They praised him for being inspirational from the start and they still are. I don't think any of the judges, even Bruno, are acting as if he's the greatest dancer in history.

Definitely hope you're right. Nyle for the win! 

If I'm right there's really no point in watching.  Because Nyle hasn't improved since week 2, but he'll still win.  And it's not only Paige with dance background, Ginger and Wanye both have training. Some people can take the training and make their dancing great, and others just have the training. 

[SophiaPehawkins]

30 minutes ago, FilmTVGeek80 said:

I don't know what else Paige has to do...sometimes you just click and like a performer, or you don't. Paige reminds me a lot of another of Mark's partners, that opera singer Katherine (I think that was her name.) She was great technically, but to this day I still don't remember any of her dances nor would I be able to pick her out of a line-up. For me, I don't see Paige having grown leaps and bounds. First, there's the ringer thing. You can say it doesn't matter or whatever, but it matters. Paige came into this (like Meryl and ringers before) great and that hasn't changed. I remember thinking after her first dance she was great and could go far. And, IMO, I don't think the show is portraying Nyle as having any arc either. They praised him for being inspirational from the start and they still are. I don't think any of the judges, even Bruno, are acting as if he's the greatest dancer in history.

Definitely hope you're right. Nyle for the win! 

I agree about Paige. I think she came in a great dancer and she's leaving one. She's probably had the least amount of growth, because she didn't have any where to go but up. Ginger has some dance background as well. I still think she needs more work on her Latin dances. She doesn't necessarily have the hip action. Nyle is by no means perfect as a dancer, but I have seen growth and I thought his AT really showed that. His posture was better and I thought the blindfolded section was brilliant. It made sense as a part of his journey. I am very excited to see what Peta comes up with for their freestyle. They could go so many different ways with it.

I see where Len's coming from in his critique of Paige and Mark's AT. Dance in general is supposed to be about the tease and the hinting of more. When you literally take the dress off the dancer, it loses some of that magic. The dance was still good though. Paige has shown to be technically sound and a tough competitor.

Sad to see Wayna go, but I'm glad Antonio's out. I thought he was the least deserving. Ginger's not my favorite and while I would have much preferred to see Wayna in the final three, I'm not going to think less of her. She has put in the work and I think she's also shown a form of showmanship. I do think it's going to come down to Nyle and Peta and Paige and Mark. The rest were playing for third. The season's come to an end so fast! I can't believe we have one week left. Next week should be good though. Still rooting for Nyle. My beautiful Nyle. I've enjoyed him week in and week out. Some of my favorite dances since I've watched DWTS.

[dirtydi]

So not excited for finale.  Debating if I will watch.

 

And I think it is disrespectful to cut off those, who were eliminated, especially those who have gotten far.  Like someone said up thread, all that dating silliness with Erin needs to go.

Edited May 17, 2016 by dirtydi
tenses

[sinkwriter]

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Sad to see Wayna go, but I'm glad Antonio's out. I thought he was the least deserving.

I agree. I think he half-assed the majority of the season. You could see it in his moves. He didn't put any energy behind most of his routines. He was just doing the moves and getting by on that glorious smile of his. It wasn't until last week or so that he finally started putting in some real work. By that point, I no longer cared. I'd much rather watch Wanye or Paige or Nyle or Jodie or Ginger or Kim - even if they weren't your favorites, they worked hard and you could see it pretty much every week. Even Von put more effort into his routines than Antonio did. He didn't have as many natural moves as Antonio, but he tried as best as he could. It made me mad to see Antonio wasting his routines, week by week. He could have been so much better if he'd put more effort and energy into his dances. He could have made it to the finals on strong merit. But he wasted his opportunity.

[FilmTVGeek80]

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In this case, probably Antonio Brown.

Okay. I thought that might be who it is, but for the life of me, couldn't remember his last name.

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The powers that be have a choice. They can do a double elimination| anytime, even a surprise double elimination whenever during the season. They could have had a double elimination earlier in the season, then have another for someone to join Jodie. The optics of sending home first Von and Kim Fields together, and now Antonio and Wanye together, if it's not on purpose is just a gross lack of sensitivity.  Do they want all demographics to watch this show or do they even care?  I think the latter.  

To me, it seemed like you and the other poster where making this out to be some racist conspiracy to get rid of the African-Americans in one fell swoop and I don't think that's the case. I don't think there's any insensitivity about it. The producers plan these things when they plan them. For some reason this season they decided to have a three person finals. I don't expect the producers to make some mad scramble to scrap a double elimination because Wanya had a really shitty week and they were in danger of losing the last two African-American dancers. That's just the way the cookie crumbles.

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If I'm right there's really no point in watching.  Because Nyle hasn't improved since week 2, but he'll still win.  And it's not only Paige with dance background, Ginger and Wanye both have training. Some people can take the training and make their dancing great, and others just have the training. 

That's how this show has always worked basically from the beginning. There were plenty who argued John O'Hurley was a better technical dancer than Kelly Monaco (which is partly how that rematch debacle happened) but she still won. The next year the same argument for Stacy Kiebler vs. Drew Lachey (and like with Paige and Nyle this year, I vastly preferred Drew to Stacy because she left me cold.) And so on and so on. This is a popularity contest. Who's the best dancer is only one of the reasons people vote for who they vote for (and that's all subjective anyway so one person crap dancer is someone's else best dancer and vice versa.)

[LotusFlower]

36 minutes ago, dirtydi said:

And I think it is disrespectful to cut off those, who were eliminated, especially those who have gotten far.  Like someone said up thread, all that dating silliness with Erin needs to go.

Erin is the worst.  The dating silliness made me cringe.  Alan was red-faced and apparently shaking with discomfort, and she still wouldn't let it go.  Just holding the mic to his mouth, and she got nothing, but she still wouldn't drop it.  Like always.  Maybe Ginger could take her place, cuz ABC loves her so much.  I don't watch GMA, but obviously she's popular, and she's certainly comfortable on camera.  

[ChicksDigScars]

Speaking of being at a loss...there's Ginger. What the fuck? It has to be Val's fan base that got her in (along with her bosses at ABC), because I was thinking that it was going to be a Nyle-Paige-Wanya finale.  Ginger did a nice job, but I figured that she and Antonio wouldn't make the cut. Then again, she does work for the parent company, which is a bit of advantage for her and a big middle finger to everyone else. But, are we actually allowed a finale without Derek OR Val, anymore?  I think the last time that happened was when Donald Driver won. It has me a little suspicious. And I usually prefer whoever Val is dancing with, but I don't think Ginger belongs in next week's show. 

[Runningwild]

3 hours ago, spanana said:

I can see acknowledging Wanya stumbled last week, but thinking his dancing was weak this week?  I know it's all subjective and we all see what we see, but I just really don't get it.  Sometimes I think part of the problem is that Wanya doesn't look like a typical dancer and that goes into the perception of how some people see him on the dance floor.  By no means do I think his dancing was weak in comparison to Ginger tonight.  She wasn't bad, but as usual she has zero wow factor.  What she does have is an ABC job, a popular pro, and TPTB who did everything in their power to get her into that finale.  The only silver lining is at least Paige got that far so we get a Mark freestyle.

I've said all along that Nyle would win.  With Wanya gone, Paige should win.  She's the best dancer and the closest thing to the total package, ringer or not.  But I wouldn't be surprised if TPTB do what they got to do to get Ginger that mirrorball.

I thought her quickstep was really good. I find all of his dances boring. I don't want her to win and most weeks  I don't care for her, but I enjoyed her more than I did Wanya. Nyle for the win. 

[RedFiat]

6 hours ago, FilmTVGeek80 said:

Okay. I thought that might be who it is, but for the life of me, couldn't remember his last name.

To me, it seemed like you and the other poster where making this out to be some racist conspiracy to get rid of the African-Americans in one fell swoop and I don't think that's the case. I don't think there's any insensitivity about it. The producers plan these things when they plan them. For some reason this season they decided to have a three person finals. I don't expect the producers to make some mad scramble to scrap a double elimination because Wanya had a really shitty week and they were in danger of losing the last two African-American dancers. That's just the way the cookie crumbles.

Not trying to be sarcastic, am genuinely curious, is this your first year watching? You're acting like it's this great injustice that Nyle, not the technical best dancer, might beat Paige, subjectively the best technical dancer. That's how this show has always worked basically from the beginning. There were plenty who argued John O'Hurley was a better technical dancer than Kelly Monaco (which is partly how that rematch debacle happened) but she still won. The next year the same argument for Stacy Kiebler vs. Drew Lachey (and like with Paige and Nyle this year, I vastly preferred Drew to Stacy because she left me cold.) And so on and so on. This is a popularity contest. Who's the best dancer is only one of the reasons people vote for who they vote for (and that's all subjective anyway so one person crap dancer is someone's else best dancer and vice versa.)

Like I said earlier, if the show wants to appeal to all demographics and not just blue haired ladies, then it would have been a tad more sensitive to eliminate people in a way that doesn't lump all the African Americans together as if they're all just a bunch of losers.  Since there's only one winner, the order of elimination is really at the whim of the producers. Everybody has to go sometime. But nobody thought it was good idea to have Wanya and Antonio  leave in a double whammy.  Why couldn't Doug Flutie and Marla Maples go together earlier in the season when it would have benefitted the flow of the show?  Too white?  Why couldn't Jodie and maybe Kim or Von go as the other double elimination?   The showrunners have lots of leeway. Late double eliminations are terrible because people get invested after watching so long. But they decided for whatever reason to alienate a demographic.  

I've yet to see a season where "an inspirational" person dance an embarrassing bad dance in week 9 and is overall not interested in improving and yet the audience is drinking the kool-aid that he's some sort of Fred Astaire.   I watched the season where Oscar winner Marlee Matlin was on, she wasn't a natural but she worked ten times harder than Nyle to master technique, had one mediocre dance where she lost timing because she couldn't feel the vibration, and she was gone. So if I'm amused at a model who half asses the technique to try "crazy things"  then so be it.  I'm just not that "inspired" by those who half ass their way to winning. 

[Kerri Johnson]

The conspiracy theories were right on point. I'm going to really miss Wanya. My final 2 was Nyle and Wanya, with Wanya winning. Lindsay, your partnership with Wanya was so joyful to watch, you guys really were the dream team. Your first season with  Victor was rough but you redeemed yourself with Alek,and now Wanya so I hope TPTB keep you on full time.

I'm rooting for Nyle to take it home.

Finally glad Paige mentioned her dance background, makes all the "I'm not used to being girly!!!!" look ridiculous when you've done ballet and cheerleading for almost 15 years. I thought she was a goner. Makes me wonder if TPTB just wanted a Mark freestyle. 

I was waiting to finally see the infamous Jenna Johnson in the trio dance, and surprisingly she didn't bug in her rehearsal package. It was endearing to see Jenna and Nyle connect and made Jenna seem down to earth. Then the minute they started the dance, she was back to being super annoying again.

I'm disappointed Ginger is in the finals. She doesn't deserve to be there. Val, you really lucked out with an ABC employee, otherwise you would've been gone agos ago.

Lastly, after Paige's Argentine Tango interview with Erin, Witney was standing behind Paige and was giving the most epic bitch face I have ever seen. I laughed for a good 10 minutes straight. 

[katha]

Well, bummer that Wanya is gone. I think it was a mix of his mistake last week, Ginger hardcore promotion and he's always seemed like someone who has good voter turnout, but perhaps not epic turnout that will overcome a not so strong dance late in the game. Starting out strong might have been a bit of a curse when he had one or two weaker weeks later on. But he was super fun, always fully invested, gave always charismatic performances and I think he was one of the most musical performers this show has ever had. Glad he went out on awesome dances at least. Kudos to Lindsay for her great work with him as well. I'll miss him next week, I'm sure he would have delivered quite a show in his freestyle.

Antonio was the weakest of the bunch, so I'm good with his elimination. Ginger seems nice and is a solid dancer, the pimping is what it is. Having an ABC person, and a GMA employee in particular, on the show was always going to produce bias. And to be fair, I liked her quickstep, I think Val brought out a nice, unusual flavour in it. She did well with what she was given in the trio, but it was very heavily slanted towards Val and Artem and she just seemed a supporting actor in her own dance.

Nyle is a good dancer, though not flawless. I think he'll win this, and I won't have a problem with it. He's been entertaining in his dances, and it's not like DWTS is a dance competition anyway. He's compelling, he's charismatic, he's dancing well, good for him.

Surprised that Paige made it to the finals, though I had hopes. She's been gaining momentum all season, her dances on youtube have been gaining the second most views after Nyle (that's why you also saw that Wanya was going to be at risk: He and Ginger were at a rather similar level there, not that it's always an indicator of votes...) on a regular basis. And I think it shows that Mark made a good call to make her stand out with that VW, even though it was bound to have detractors. He made her stand out this week as well, both dances were great. Mark's freestyles can be hit and miss (IMO Chelsea's atrocity was one of the most obnoxious dances ever produced on the show...Mark at his very worst. OTOH, Shawn's and Sadie's are two of my fave freestyles ever), but he's been murdering it all season and for me hasn't produced one clunker yet, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and I'm excited for what he'll come up with. He'll need to take a risk and have Paige stand out as much as possible anyway to give her a shot, unlikely as her winning is anyway.

[ChicksDigScars]

I don't know much about Jenna, other that what I saw tonight, but I did think it was cool that she could sign. And that Peta is picking up ASL, as well. 

 

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That's how this show has always worked basically from the beginning. There were plenty who argued John O'Hurley was a better technical dancer than Kelly Monaco (which is partly how that rematch debacle happened) but she still won. The next year the same argument for Stacy Kiebler vs. Drew Lachey (and like with Paige and Nyle this year, I vastly preferred Drew to Stacy because she left me cold.) And so on and so on. This is a popularity contest. Who's the best dancer is only one of the reasons people vote for who they vote for (and that's all subjective anyway so one person crap dancer is someone's else best dancer and vice versa.)

 

Yep and it happens pretty often. Case in point, Donald Driver.  Was he the "best dancer" five years ago? Hell no, and I'm a Packer fan that voted for him every week as if my life depended on it. He was charismatic. He had an infectious smile, and joy about being on the show, that was pretty endearing (not unlike Nyle). I mean, a FOOTBALL PLAYER who admitted to being a Dancing with the Stars junkie? Oh, and his wife and kids were cute as hell. And he took a chance during his freestyle, while the two others, who may have been better technically, went with their safety nets and did predictable dances. Driver won, which I think was also helped by the GB fanbase. 

Zendaya should have won (IMO), MelB should have won (IMO). Helio Castroneves? Really? I'm still trying to figure out how he won. Emmitt Smith had an engaging personality (and great shoes), while Mario Lopez, a slightly better dancer, was kind of a douche. Emmitt won. 

Edited May 17, 2016 by ChicksDigScars

[RedFiat]

Nyle isn't dancing well. He's regressing. He's getting by on the fumes of inspiration. But that Jive was one of the worst this season, if he had to perform it to get into the finals maybe he'd be the one going home.  His Argentine Tango - well let's put it this way, nobody who has ever done a good AT on this show  has to take a back seat to this because it certainly wasn't anything special, it was sloppy and barely competent.  He will win, but it will have nothing to do with dancing. 

Edited May 17, 2016 by RedFiat

[anonymiss]

I sure wish this show was run as a meritocracy, but it isn't--just like other "contests" of much greater importance.

Paige and Mark's AT was INCREDIBLE! Sexy in the most sophisticated, sensual way rather than sleazy or trashy. Len docking a point for it offending his delicate sensibilities was disturbing. Talk about being openly biased instead of impartial as a judge is supposed to be. We already know you're easily "bought" when it comes to advancing ABC's interests but now this, too?

Anyway, just glad I get to see them in the finale. I was all set to be up in arms.

Edited May 17, 2016 by anonymiss

[MsJamieDornan]

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 Also, is Maks just allowed to coach Nyle now as well?

Maks seems to be in a lot of Nyle's rehearsal clips. Can we ever get rid of him? He wanted to leave the show,,,so leave !

[twister2173]

Paige was awesome regardless of her dance training. Nyle was awesome considering he is completely deaf. Wanya should have made the finals over Ginger because he IS the better of the two. Who cares that it was a double elimination this week. THAT is not what matters now. It is simply the fact that somehow the public should be able to see the actual votes and results like an election. To PROVE that there is NO bias on ABC's part because that is  place of employment. I seriously had a flashback to the Cheetah girl upset. The only way to get the point across would be to NOT watch the finals. If the public makes a stand then the network will HAVE to take action accordingly. I have already voiced my opinion at ABC.com. I'm sure tweeter is blowing up either way. This is not the first season I have felt this way but this is my last season that I lay down and take it as a loyal fan of the show. I'm deeply saddened by tonight's events. Its not because the last two African Americans got votes off or that any two were voted off. Its the fact that the process  flawed and should be fixed so that this doesn't keep happening. I love this show but I'm ready to say goodbye to it if the controversy and results issues are not publicly addressed. 

[Chit Chat]

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But nobody thought it was good idea to have Wanya and Antonio  leave in a double whammy.  Why couldn't Doug Flutie and Marla Maples go together earlier in the season when it would have benefitted the flow of the show?  Too white?  

Respectfully, why must race be brought into this?  It's a contest.  It just happened that 2 black men (can I still say that?) got voted off at the same time.  If it's any consolation, 2 white people are going to lose next week!  FWIW, I think the F3 should be Wanya, Paige and Ginger.  I like Antonio, but I don't think he got really serious about the competition until a few weeks ago.  From what Sharna said weeks ago, he was always late to rehearsal.  That's too bad.  I think he's good and has  a lot of potential.  

Also, I'm glad that we didn't have to suffer through the weekly "my most memorable/saddest/darkest time in my life" clips.  Just one or two of those per season is fine, but last season it got to be a little much.  This season seemed to be a happier one to me.  There were a lot of good performances to enjoy.  All in all, one of my favorite seasons so far.

[vibeology]

I like Nyle and when he wins next week, I'm going to be cool with it but that jive was by far the worst dance last night. That's what it would have looked like if Geraldo had made it to trio week. So much wasted time at the start, huge sections of the dance where he wasn't actually dancing and huge timing issues. The AT was much better though I agree with those that point out that he's done nothing to improve his forward leaning/butt sticking out situation at all. I wonder if his twin is ever bitter that Nyle got all the hotness. 

I'm sad Wayna is gone and thrilled he got a strong comeback week. He's far and away the best performer of the group but the issues last week were obviously too much with the double elimination. 

Antonio was overdue. He didn't start trying until halfway through the competition and he's 4 weeks behind everyone else. 

Ginger was boring, I think. I don't remember the quickstep at all. The Paso was fine. 

Paige was amazing. The samba was great but that AT was one of the best I've seen on the show. Mark packed that with showy moments but also made sure she did plenty of dancing in between. It's funny Len was scandalized by it considering they were wearing more clothes at the end of the AT then the start of the samba. I'm a huge fan of Paige's dancing and I cannot wait for her freestyle. 

People wishing for Erin to go away have no idea how dangerous an idea that is. Between getting her to read cue cards last week and having her cohost All-Access this week, it's clear the producers love Bindi. The showmance questions aren't going anywhere but can you imagine Bindi asking them? Spewing sparkles and rainbows all over the skybox? Plus they'd have to stop the show every week so the judges could praise her amazing hosting skills and talk about how inspirational her spirit is. Better the devil you know, people. 

[alexa]

I like Wanya, but I think he lost his way even before last week.... for me he didn't seem to be improving or showing much change.  He was good from the start, but there was room to improve.  So I think last week, some of the public just kind of forgot about him a bit because he didn't really come out at his best (even if you factor out the prop issue).  

As for this week, I didn't really think his trio dance was all that, but apparently the judges loved it.  I do think he did well in his second dance.

I thought Paige rocked it this week.  I loved both of hers....  and that AT was hot, and I would not normally associate Mark's routines with hot.  lol

I don't really care for Ginger, so not thrilled she went through.  And Nyle I am hot and cold with him.  

[Buggin]

Bummed about Wanya. I think had Ginger been with anyone but Val this season (save for Derek had he returned), she wouldn't have made it to the finals over Wanya. I'd like to see Paige win but would be fine with Nyle. 

[radishcake]

Wow. You guys will notice a LOT of hidden posts and edits in this thread.

First, this is not twitter and we should not have lots of posts during the show live blogging it. That's my mistake and we will make sure that the thread doesn't unlock before the show is over next week.

Second, this is not a political show and there should be no political content in your posts. It's argumentative and has nothing to do with the show.

Third, calling Nyle "the deaf guy" is super offensive and will not be tolerated.

Fourth, (can you believe I had to get to FOURTH??) personal back and forth arguing with other posters is a no go. State your opinion (I think, What I saw, etc...) and stop calling each other out. If you have a problem with what someone is saying and it's not hidden? Ignore them. Please use the feature described here: IGNORE 

Fifth and FINALLY, talking about how People of Color are treated on this show is perfectly allowed BUT you cannot attack people who don't share your view. The challenges of representation on tv and how this show deals with that is certainly fair to speak on RESPECTFULLY. You all have opinions and you can speak to that but no personal attacks. 

Questions? Issues? PM me and we can chat. 

[OakGoblinFly]

11 hours ago, RedFiat said:

Yeah, we talked about that gimmick up thread. 

Doesn't every dance incorporate a "gimmick" be it blindfolds or say a cage?

[OakGoblinFly]

11 hours ago, Mreid said:

How can I say this? Ginger is a good boring dancer. Like she can dance but she's boring like her dances just arent memorable to me. If that makes any sense...

I completely understand - and that's how I feel about Paige too - good dancer, solid technique, and completely boring.  I don't feel any joy/happiness from her when she dances (once in a while I feel that from Ginger, but not enough to make me actively root for her).  As wonky as Nyle's posture is and as inconsistent as Antonio has been, I find that their enthusiasm is highly infectious. Wanya is also a pleasure to watch.

[boyznkatz]

I agree Ginger is boring. I like Paige, but Mark's choreography is cringe-worthy to me most of the time. That bird samba looked a lot like the dumb duck samba he did with Sadie Robertson. I would have LOVED to see Paige do a traditional Latin samba. Does no one do traditional Latin and ballroom any more?

It looks like TPTB got their usual Mark (Derek) vs. C Brother showdown like they wanted...AGAIN. I would have preferred a Lindsay/Peta showdown personally.

I'm still scratching my head over why they are so invested in a 35 year old meteorologist. Are they replacing Erin with her?

Edited May 17, 2016 by boyznkatz

[Trixie Belden]

7 hours ago, LotusFlower said:

Erin is the worst.  The dating silliness made me cringe.  Alan was red-faced and apparently shaking with discomfort, and she still wouldn't let it go.  Just holding the mic to his mouth, and she got nothing, but she still wouldn't drop it.  Like always.  Maybe Ginger could take her place, cuz ABC loves her so much.  I don't watch GMA, but obviously she's popular, and she's certainly comfortable on camera.  

OMG, I flat can't stand Erin Andrews.  (I feel like all I'm doing today is bitching) We ff through her babbling and would really rather they do like they did several times last night; keep the dancers on the floor and have Tom ask them a (pertinent) question or two, then go straight to the scores.  I didn't like Brooke Burke much but she wasn't nearly as off putting as Erin.  

I doubt Ginger would leave GMA for DWTS.  She seems to really love doing the weather and she's not just on GMA, she does weather events for the ABC nightly news as well.  I know most people here don't like her, but I like her a lot-she doesn't annoy me.  She has said a couple things that made me wince though because I knew that they would come off wrong.

[SophiaPehawkins]

34 minutes ago, OakGoblinFly said:

Doesn't every dance incorporate a "gimmick" be it blindfolds or say a cage?

I wish I could like this a thousand times. When DWTS first started it was purely dancing and its moved away from that to where every dance is a production. I've accepted that for what it is, but I don't think it's fair to call someone out for a prop when they get used every week by every couple. Personally, I think a couch and a table were unnecessary, but I understand mileage varies here. I found the blindfold to be particularly poignant. I have seen a couple of posts comparing it to Bindi and Erin, but I think what made this one stand out from the rest is that he didn't have the music to rely on. He was dancing without two of his senses. There was something so special about it.

[Vinyasa]

Sorry, Wanya you had to take the hit this week so annoying Ginger could be in the finals.

It was predicted she would be there. I also predict she will undeservingly win the season.

Sorry in advance to Paige and Nyle.

Edited May 17, 2016 by Vinyasa

[devonshiredeb]

17 hours ago, TeeMo said:

Yes, tucking in his bum would be mind blowing for me. 

What would be mind blowing for me is if the "ABC" star did not make the finale.  Talk about bulls..t, I am so f-ing done with the show.  Two perfect scores and Wanya goes home.....they knew ahead who the finalist were.... I have been tweeting about it - even on the GMA page.   What crap.

[LadyMustang65]

I would have preferred Wayna to Nyle for the finale because I think Wayna is the better dancer, but they both have that same enthusiasm and are fun to watch.  I actually like Ginger just fine.  She started off slow, but I think she's been doing much better the last half of the season, so I'm fine with her in the finals.  Paige is wonderful, but given her background, she should be.  It's not like some of the celebrities that had dance experience 30 years ago or something.  Hers is still fairly recent.  But she's been working hard, and I've been enjoying Mark's choreography this season.  Sometimes I find him off-putting, but this season he's been pretty good. 

I liked all of the dances this week by Ginger, Paige and Wayna.  I did not like Antonio's trio dance at all.  His contemporary was better, I thought.  He did do some great lifts.  I didn't actually like either of Nyle's dances last night.  That jive was horrific - really frantic and sloppy.  It seemed at times like the girls were way too close to him, and he couldn't extend his legs.  Everything about it just seemed off.  The AT was better, but as others have noted previously, he just hasn't really bothered to improve any of his technique, so he still slouches and hunches, which bugs me.  I also have to admit the blindfold did nothing for me.  It's been done before, and it was such a short amount of time, it hardly seemed worth it.  It felt like a gimmick rather than an integral part of the dance.  I'm fully expecting that Nyle will win, so I'm preparing myself for it.  But he wouldn't be my choice.  Before his elimination, I would have gone with Wayna.  He's got enough technique combined with that infectious attitude.  Nyle has the great attitude but not the technique.  I think know my pick to win would be Paige.  But, unpopular opinion though it is, I would not be unhappy with a Ginger win either.  She's been growing on me the past few weeks.

[LennieBriscoe]

Re: The presence of Maks. Well, Peta IS dancing with one hot dude! ;-)

Speaking of whom: I adore Nyle.  He's an amateur of the first order (his background doesn't include a mother who owned a dance studio, e.g.);  he can't hear the music; he has shown, especially last night, an ability to dramatize the lyrics and the routine; and he has pushed himself, even if only for brief moments, to overcome even more.

The blindfold was not, as I first thought, a silly gimmick (and anyway, the show has its own, no? Triple dancers, partner switches, etc.) Upon reflection, I think Nyle---the silence, the same-sex choreo, the blindfold---is attempting to convey something profound, to wit:

That people can be outside the desired "norm"---maybe dance to a non-existent drummer, maybe waltz with the same sex, maybe know beauty only though melody and movement---and yet be within the admired norm, with a strong work ethic and a good heart.

More than any other show extant, DWTS has promoted the triumph of the human spirit over perceived adversity.  If the viewing public and the judges think that Nyle is the one who deserves this victory no matter his sometimes imperfect performances, who can say anyone has lost?

The Silver Disco Ball comprises mirrors that reflect us all.

[Drogo]

Is Nyle a better dancer than Antonio or Wanya?  I think so.  Better than Paige?  I don't think so.  Could he win the whole thing anyway?  Probably.  What I enjoy most about this show is it's not all about the dancing, it's about whose performances America enjoys the most (and votes for.)  If it were about the dancing, they would change the score tabulation to weigh the judge's scores as a tiered half. 

Personally?  I like Nyle and Peta's performances because they give me all the feels and I respect the guy.  I know 40 year olds who would be scared to travel the world alone, and they have all five senses.

[vibeology]

32 minutes ago, SophiaPehawkins said:

I wish I could like this a thousand times. When DWTS first started it was purely dancing and its moved away from that to where every dance is a production. I've accepted that for what it is, but I don't think it's fair to call someone out for a prop when they get used every week by every couple. Personally, I think a couch and a table were unnecessary, but I understand mileage varies here. I found the blindfold to be particularly poignant. I have seen a couple of posts comparing it to Bindi and Erin, but I think what made this one stand out from the rest is that he didn't have the music to rely on. He was dancing without two of his senses. There was something so special about it.

Agreed. There are props and gimmicks that take it too far and lose the dance entirely, but if you can incorporate a prop or concept into what's actually being done and still dance, I'm not going to complain at this point. I think Mark is a good example. He used to be all about concept and props at times to the detriment of the dance itself. I mean, how was Bristol Palin ever going to dance in a gorilla suit? That just hurt her. Whereas I do disagree with your thoughts about his dance last night; I think Mark used the shirt, table and couch last night to create moments for Paige to move dynamically and still made sure she was dancing in between those moments. The set created memorable vignettes.

Nyle's blindfold didn't bug me at all, honestly. The show gushed about it, but they always find something to gush about with him anyhow so what's the difference? I though the blindfold added to the mood of the dance and was a visual symbol of their intimacy. He wasn't going to tuck his butt in without it so I don't think it mattered in terms of his technique.

I can think of many times a prop actually held a dance back, but I don't think that happened last night for anyone so I don't mind the pros getting creative and doing things to distinguish their dances as long as the dancing itself is still strong. It's when the dancing gets lost that I dislike the props, sets, troupe, etc.

[boyznkatz]

I don't mind props being used once in a while, but they are getting to the point of overusing them, just like they are overusing the troupe. No one's freestyle is memorable anymore because it has all been done before. 

As for who "should" and "shouldn't" win, it depends. I like Nyle because I find him entertaining. I don't really care about whether or not he sticks his butt out, because I'm not a dancer and wouldn't notice anyway. I don't find Ginger entertaining at all, and I usually FF through Mark because I don't like his choreography (even though I've watched his dances most of this season because Paige is good.) Even if Ginger wins though, who cares really.

I do think the finals are going to be boring without Wanya though :-(

Edited May 17, 2016 by boyznkatz

[spartanman25]

I'm really looking forward to watching Ginger in the finals.  She has a great story and I will be voting for her.  She is right where she should be.  I do find Nile boring.  Paige is definitely the most athletic and should be considered the favorite.

[ShaNaeNae]

On Thursday, May 12, 2016 at 7:40 AM, RemoteControl88 said:

Some of her super fans are very sensitive and if you offer any critique of Jenna you are deemed a hater. But she legit does some weird stuff with her face. The most recent example of this was during the pro opening number for week 8. I guess she was trying to be sexy but it veered off into comical porno face. It is actually distracting from her dancing.  Back in the day Mark had a similar issue with pulling some crazy over the top faces. He toned it down...I wish she would do the same.The dance starts at 2:44.

I died laughing at that face that night and figured I was the only one that thought it looked silly as hell. I had so much second hand embarassment for her with that facial expression.

[mrsmit7]

I know a good chunk of people seem to not care for Ginger, but to me she has shown the most improvement out of the top 5 and definitely out of the finalists.

Ginger started off just kinda there to me, but shes really picked it up the last few weeks, I would even say her standard technique is the best out of all the contestants...kudos to her and val.

Congrats to all the finalists, I'm really looking forward to what Paige, Nyle , and ginger bring.