S23.E08: Week 5

[OnceSane]

Quote

An elimination occurs after the fifth week of performances.

[RedFiat]

Re posted from In the Media 

Information on Week 5 is up 

http://www.justjaredjr.com/2016/10/06/dancing-with-the-stars-season-23-week-five-most-memorable-year-song-dance-list-revealed/

Next week on Dancing With The Stars, the celebs will commemorate their Most Memorable Year!

On Monday’s episode (October 10), the remaining couples will dance to a song of the celebrity’s choosing that encompasses a memorable time or truly incredible experience in their life. These heartfelt performances promise to showcase some of the most exciting choreography and emotional routines of the season yet. 

Each celebrity will perform aViennese waltz, paso doblé, tango, jazz, contemporary, foxtrot or samba. In addition, international phenomenon André Rieu, known to millions around the world as “The King of the Waltz,” is set to perform. Rieu is the first artist to appear on the show along with a full 60-piece orchestra to perform a major opening number with “My Heart Will Go On.”

Here’s what songs the celebs are dancing to:
Marilu Henner & Derek Hough – Viennese Waltz – “Surprise Yourself” by Jack Garratt
Laurie Hernandez & Valentin Chmerkovskiy – Paso Doblé – “Rise” by Katy Perry
James Hinchcliffe & Sharna Burgess – Tango – “The Right Time” by Yves V featuring Mike James
Calvin Johnson Jr. & Lindsay Arnold – Jazz – “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gayeand Tammi Terrell
Terra Jolé & Sasha Farber – Contemporary – “Stand by Me” by Florence + The Machine
Jana Kramer & Gleb Savchenko – Contemporary – “In My Daughter’s Eyes” by Martina McBride
Ryan Lochte & Cheryl Burke – Contemporary – “A Song for You” by Leon Russell
Maureen McCormick & Artem Chigvintsev – Foxtrot – “From the Ground Up” by Dan + Shay
Amber Rose & Maksim Chmerkovskiy – Samba – “Woman Up” by Meghan Trainor

Dancing With The Stars airs Monday, October 10th on ABC.

 

(ETA: my note: it doesn't say anything about an elimination, so those who guessed no elimination this week are probably correct) 

[RedFiat]

 I wonder about so many Contemporaries - I think they can get to be maudlin and overly sentimental, which can be a turn off. I think Calvin probably has the best chance of winning the night with an upbeat dance. In Season 12 on memorable week there was a bunch of rumbas, since contemporary wasn't a thing then, but they were all blubbery, everybody had a cry then Hines Ward comes out with a Samba to Earth Wind and Fire and people finally could have fun and relax. Amber has Samba but, yeah... I kinda think Calvin is getting the best opportunity here. He doesn't have to be graded on any technique, since they don't do it for Jazz on this show, he can throw Lindsay around and not be docked because its Jazz, and people will love it because he has that sort of Emmitt Smith, Hines Ward, Donald Driver vibe. Super likable even if the technique is suspect. And they were All winners.

[Packerbrewerbadger]

3 hours ago, RedFiat said:

 I wonder about so many Contemporaries - I think they can get to be maudlin and overly sentimental, which can be a turn off. I think Calvin probably has the best chance of winning the night with an upbeat dance. In Season 12 on memorable week there was a bunch of rumbas, since contemporary wasn't a thing then, but they were all blubbery, everybody had a cry then Hines Ward comes out with a Samba to Earth Wind and Fire and people finally could have fun and relax. Amber has Samba but, yeah... I kinda think Calvin is getting the best opportunity here. He doesn't have to be graded on any technique, since they don't do it for Jazz on this show, he can throw Lindsay around and not be docked because its Jazz, and people will love it because he has that sort of Emmitt Smith, Hines Ward, Donald Driver vibe. Super likable even if the technique is suspect. And they were All winners.

I thought Emmitt and Donald had wonderful  technique and really worked hard to improve! 

I challenge anyone to name a male celebrity rumba better than Emmitt's! One of my favorite dances ever!!!

[boyznkatz]

Calvin keeps improving every week. I would like to see him win, although I like Laurie too.

James and Jana are good, but I'm just not feeling them. They would be my other two picks for the final though. 

Maybe next week will be the week where Ryan Lochte is finally gone, ugh!!

[RedFiat]

Week 5 should be an interesting mix, even if they don't eliminate a contestant everyone will still have to do well  for the carry over the following week.  

Edited October 9, 2016 by RedFiat

[SpikeGal]

Most Memorable year! One of my favorites! It's always interesting to see what songs they picked out and why.

[McManda]

Okay, first, I am incredibly basic and because of that ... I have a soft spot for TItanic and its soundtrack. Which means that I was predisposed to enjoy the opening number, but color me surprised when Tom said it was choreographed by Mandy Moore. It was classy and pretty and such a nice change of pace. I didn't think Mandy Moore could do that.

Second, I want Artem in a suit forever. Thanks. 

Moving on, after reading her autobiography, I'm not surprised Maureen picked her marriage to Mike as her most memorable year. Honestly, it's rather amazing (or maybe not) that she fell so far from who people thought she was as Marcia Brady, and she really does credit her relationship with him as her wakeup call. What she didn't mention on the show (but I think she told Artem about it, based on his reaction), was that it might be her most memorable year, but their  marriage wasn't a fairytale one. They had a lot of struggles and almost broke up several times. They struggled a lot and have obviously come out stronger and better for it. I think knowing that backstory makes her dance that much more, instead of the watered down "the year I got married" that the show often boils it down to.

I also really like the song (and the dance Artem and Witney did to it on the finale last season), so ... I actually liked Maureen's dance, even though it wasn't technically amazing.

Calvin is a lot of fun and I want to see him stick around. I really like his partnership with Lindsay, too ... which is interesting, because while I never had a problem with Lindsay's personaity, sometimes I find her an awkward dancer. I don't get that impressing when she's dancing with Calvin, but I can't quite pinpoint if they're just well partnered or if it's just her blossoming with her marriage. Also ... it's quite a season for Calvin so far ... meeting Jaleel White and Jerry Rice.

Unpopular opinion ... doing a (doesn't have rules or appreciable technique on this show) contemporary for most memorable night feels like pandering. I'm going to dislike them in the best of situations ... but especially on most memorable year night when the accompanying story is "for my dad who died" or "for my baby daughter". Sorry Jana, Ryan, and Terra.

Amber's struggling with wearing heels? ... um ... the stress of the show is getting to her, clearly. It's more than just the heels. She's still so tenative and really, I think it was a bad idea for Maks to highlight her among the female pros. I'm so disappointed with Maks and his choreo this time around.

James makes very pretty shapes with his body so often that sometimes I forget he's not a dancer. He's my favorite by a longshot. Also, that's one nasty scar. Geez, that's a scary accident. (Also, fwiw ... James's phone number was pretty hard to get through to ... so hopefully people are voting?) 
 

[Callaphera]

This week was a little... underwhelming. Most Memorable Year is always a snoozer week for me. The stories are always the same, the dances never seem to really connect with that theme (well, one did in a laughable way, more on that later), the sob stories are out in force, and I snort my way through the show because I'm a mean person. Props to Amber Rose and Maks, and Laurie and Val, for breaking away from the white on white outfits this year and putting some colour into the costumes. Because seriously, everyone looked like they were auditioning for Touched by an Angel with their white suits and white dresses and whatnot.

Speaking of Touched by an Angel and bringing it back to the laughable connection: Sasha, I really like you this season. I think you and Terra are doing a great job. But the woman's dad died, so let's throw some fucking pearly gates up on the stage with clouds moving through a perfect blue sky and making the ballroom look like Heaven's waiting room. Seriously, dude. What the hell was that?

Amber Rose, again, I want to like her. But I think Bruno nailed what I've been struggling to come up with to describe her: she looks scared or tentative at times, from someone who I expected would be this fiery, explosive, in your face personality. So disappointed.

James Hinchcliffe can do no wrong. Sadly, he'll never get the votes to win because James who? Yeah, I don't have faith when it comes to America voting for anything. 

[mtlchick]

"I feel very connected to Sasha. Not like Emma is but..." snerkle.  

I like Jerry Rice.  I don't like when he essentially took over Calvin's applause time.  That said, I need more DanceCenter in my life.  

I was tuning in and out of the show thanks to Supergirl but Amber is more likely to go than Ryan first.  Each week I see her and I WANT to see that fire she has in social media and appearances.  We're not seeing it.  (Side note, her son is so damn cute.) 

Next week, it's the now annual Pitbull show! DALE! (Oy, I like the guy but he's here a lot.) 

Edited October 11, 2016 by mtlchick

[Emily-D]

James, Calvin, Maureen and Marilu were my favourite dances of the night. No disrespect to the contemporary dances but they are just getting repetitive and stale to me now. Especially when you have three in one night.

[Uke]

Beautiful opening dance! I miss the big ballroom production numbers.  Mandy choreographed it? Not sure I heard that right. Now, on to the theme week I hate...

Maureen:  Beautiful! Just beautiful! That's the strongest and most confident I've seen of her so far.  Even Artem looks more relaxed and happier this week.  It did seem more like a waltz than a foxtrot though. Agree with the scores.

Calvin:  Fun, upbeat...what can I say, it's a jazz - no rules, but he completely sold it.  Agree with the scores. I though he might have popped a 9. I guess they're holding the higher scores for someone else.

Jana:  Kind of a standard-issue contemporary.  The one move where she fell forward and Gleb caught her by her head - that took alot of core strength.  Otherwise, kind of a ho-hum dance.  Scores a bit high. I would have gone with all 8s.

Ryan:  This was more interesting than Jana's but nothing greatly memorable. (his mom didn't get a front row seat?)  Agree with the scores.

Laurie: Since she got a perfect score last week, now she needs to be better than perfect?  Way to add pressure Val.  But I have to hand it to him for addressing the "cute" issue.  He was being tough but not mean.  I was a little surprised she cried. Surely she's had tougher coaches. I think the "cute" is her mask and Val was trying to lift that mask.  I loved that choreography, including the opening, but I did see her fall out of her turn and she looked like she was struggling to keep a serious face.  The scores were about right. I wouldn't have complained about two 9s.

Marilu:  I thought they all moved to a new rehearsal space - so why are they back at 3rd St.?  She does look more relaxed and less clingy this week.  Will CAI call the lift? No mention.  Didn't like the song or the singer.  With all the hugging, I thought they'd spring for 10s. Glad they didn't. Scores were too high. I would have gone for 8s, maybe one 9.

Amber:  Terrible choreo - alot of stopping and posing and waiting for Maks to run to her and guide her through the next move.  Awful costume - a sparkly leotard with a stick-on pouf on her rear?  I don't know what JH was raving about.  Agree with the scores. Though I don't like what Maks gave her, she did pull it off well.

James:  My gosh! What an injury, impaled by part of the suspension only 18 months ago, and I can't see any problems with his movement.  Great performance.  She was obviously backleading but he kept all the moves, angles, etc.  Impressive.  Oh JH, had to spoil it. That should have gotten the perfect score.

Terra:  Alot of standing, running and most of the work was done by Sasha. Three contemporaries tonight and didn't much care for any of them.  Scored too high. I think for minimal content, all 8s would have been plenty.

Well, glad this week is over.

[sinycalone]

I guess for James to get three 10s there will have a miracle of some kind.  Best dance of the night....followed by Calvin and Marilu.  No wonder his surgeon was amazed  -- to survive that accident and jump back in a race car soon was unbelievable.  And now he dances amazingly.

[PTVjones]

I loved the opening number! Was taken aback by the song choice at first but it was very pretty and a change from the norm. Even though I will say it was a little weird to see Val and Whitney together during the opening. I don't know what it is, it could be just that I'm not used to seeing them dance together but I wasn't feeling it, I don't think they have good dance chemistry together.

on that note... it was not the Chmerkovsky brothers' week huh? Definitely got the mean teacher edits this week. Even though I have to say Erin is right, we've all seen Maks way worse than what he was during the dress rehearsal. 

Also, it's interesting how much different Laurie's edit is, in my opinion of course, than other below 18 contestants in the last, especially Val's old partner Zendaya. I remember being reminded on a weekly basis how young she was and thus couldn't look, dance, or dress a certain kind of way and I feel like we barely hear that stuff about Laurie. Purely an observation, just think it's different than how maybe Sadie, Zendaya, etc. were edited. 

[Mittengirl]

Full disclosure - I think Maks is an ass.  I really have no feeling either way towards Amber, but I really wanted her to go off on Maks.  It sounded like she wanted to keep going when she messed up (in dress rehearsal/camera blocking), so that she would know how to handle it if she messed up during the show.  Which makes perfect sense to me.  But Maks just blew her concerns off.  He seems very uncompromising  when it comes to how things are done.  

[BamaGirl]

I actually enjoyed the back stories that weren't about dead parents... (I'm terrible, I know.)

I agree with others that the Contemporaries were overdone and generally "meh." I just don't care for or about Jana and Gleb. Terra and Sasha (who I usually love) were cringe-worthy. I can't even remember Ryan's.

Amber... I really want to like her, I think she could be great, but she's so timid! What is she scared of? Let go, girl, and show us what you've got!

 

What was all the hugging for Marilu about? I didn't understand that. I'm already tired of her and Derek, and thought they were over-scored. 

 

I could watch Artem dance for hours! Love him.

 

Which brings me to James. Just... WOW! Totally impressed before tonight, and now knowing about his wreck and injury, even more amazed! He is an incredible dancer, and it's beautiful watching him learn new dances each week. He got all my votes tonight.

[spanana]

13 minutes ago, PTVjones said:

Also, it's interesting how much different Laurie's edit is, in my opinion of course, than other below 18 contestants in the last, especially Val's old partner Zendaya. I remember being reminded on a weekly basis how young she was and thus couldn't look, dance, or dress a certain kind of way and I feel like we barely hear that stuff about Laurie. Purely an observation, just think it's different than how maybe Sadie, Zendaya, etc. were edited. 

I think there are a few things with that.  First in some cases I think it comes from the celeb and upbringing...see Sadie.  But also back at the point when Zendaya did the show there had only been a few minors before her.  Shawn Johnson of course and I think maybe somebody else I'm forgetting?  At the point she did the show she was the youngest person to have ever done the show.  At this point it's kind of old hat.  We've had a lot of minors since and we've had younger.  I feel like after 14 year old Willow, nobody is stressing about having 16 year olds on the show anymore.  Also a lot of the stressing about age was coming from Brooke Burke, who co-hosted the show at the time.  Brooke was the one that tended to always bring it up.

I think Val was fully supportive in his package, but it is interesting that he could break down a young woman that his withstood the likes of Marta Karoyli.  Marta has to be a million times worse.  Though I realize Laurie feels confident in gymnastics and probably doesn't feel that way here.

Edited October 11, 2016 by spanana

[PBGamer89]

Tonight felt very "let's show the audience that Laurie doesn't have this in the bag (even though she probably does)".

Case in point: She gets some of the only criticism of the night, lower than normal scores for her, and only 1 point off the bottom. Next, bolster up her biggest threat (James) who got a huge sob story edit, the only 10's of the night, and comments like "you're unbeatable".

The judges have been so in her corner all season and the sudden shift tonight just made me think of that. Every clear leader had that week where the judges seemed to have left their side and bolster up someone else. I remember Kristi, Alfonso, Meryl, Bindi, J.R, and Nicole as some who had an off week with a dance and the judges while someone else got the shining light.

 

Overall though Jana and Laurie had my favorite dances of the night, but it was too much Contemporary and too may 8's.

Edited October 11, 2016 by PBGamer89

[sinycalone]

I think Laurie's dance was flawed...and certainly not her best.  Scores were justified.

[spanana]

8 minutes ago, PBGamer89 said:

Tonight felt very "let's show the audience that Laurie doesn't have this in the bag (even though she probably does".

Case in point: She gets some of the only criticism of the night, lower than normal scores for her, and only 1 point off the bottom. Next, bolster up her biggest threat (James) who got a huge sob story edit, the only 10's of the night, and comments like "you're unbeatable".

The judges have been so in her corner all season and the sudden shift tonight just made me think of that. Every clear leader had that week where the judges seemed to have left their side and bolster up someone else. I remember Kristi, Alfonso, Meryl, Bindi, J.R, and Nicole as some who had an off week with a dance and the judges while someone else got the shining light.

Laurie has this in the bag and I think the judges would have found a way to knock her down this week no matter what, and honestly it's better for Laurie in the long run.  If Laurie gets two perfect scores back to back this early, the backlash would start.  However I also think Laurie/Val did legitimately give the judges the space to do it this week and her scores were justified.  Laurie's dance seemed super difficult and she's never not good of course, but there were some obvious balance issues.  It was the first time she didn't look totally solid on her own two feet, or in her ability to sell a dance.  I'd argue it was probably her worst dance to date, though make no mistake that her worst dance is still better than most of the others on their best day.

However I think all the over the top praise from the judges to James was very much about trying to make it seem like this is an actual horse race and that Laurie isn't running away with it.  Part of the criticism from the at home audience is about how obvious the result of this season already is, so of course they need to make it look like that isn't so and that James has the potential to beat Laurie.

Edited October 11, 2016 by spanana

[PBGamer89]

I didn't say her scores weren't justified, I just think others got overscored. A 25 is good for Week 5, but not if the next lowest for 4 others is 24.

James is good, but seems typical runner up for me. Even on an off night, Laurie will likely get a huge chunk of the votes.

[DancingD]

Not an Amber fan, but now even less of a Maks fan. He WAS the one that stopped dancing when she made a mistake, and then kept telling her she can't stop. What? He's one of the THOSE guys, it's never his fault. Got a bad taste last time he judged, and now it's continuing. I really, really hope he doesn't get Len's job. And why doesn't he have her practicing in heels?

Val made the puppy cry. Bad, bad Val. Maybe a little manipulation there.

Speaking of which, Marilu had so much more confidence in her dance tonight. Like, a lot more. Like, almost like she's been holding back more. Hmmm. 

James is Superman apparently. And I love him with Sharna, darn gorgeous girlfriend. Sharna keeps dating buff, bad boy dancers, she needs a grown up.

[Uke]

1 hour ago, PTVjones said:

Also, it's interesting how much different Laurie's edit is, in my opinion of course, than other below 18 contestants in the last, especially Val's old partner Zendaya. I remember being reminded on a weekly basis how young she was and thus couldn't look, dance, or dress a certain kind of way and I feel like we barely hear that stuff about Laurie. Purely an observation, just think it's different than how maybe Sadie, Zendaya, etc. were edited. 

I think it's just that Laurie and Zendaya are very different.  Zendaya was very mature in looks, behaviour, and attitude (besides being as tall barefoot as Val).  There's a lot of "youngster" still in Laurie.  Same comparing Sadie and Willow.  Sadie had a child-like quality. Willow, though younger, seemed more mature so what did production do? Dad constantly popping in with "snack time".

[RedFiat]

I agree that the opening Titanic,  Viennese Waltz was pretty awesome.  I hope that the show continues to showcase ballroom with music that is more traditional. 

Maureen did a lovely job tonight. She seemed much more relaxed and  I really enjoyed the routine even though it struggled stylistically to be a foxtrot. .  Artem is really invested in this and it's so sweet to see that.  This is her wheelhouse, and she sold it.

Calvin reminds me a lot of Donald Driver.  Does he have the best technique?  No. Like Donald he isn't getting love from the judges,  He has really long legs and big feet that can make turning really difficult, and can look awkward, and his posture needs work in ballroom.  But I liked his Jazz tonight, even if the camera angle was strange when Jerry Rice threw out the football.  However, I think I liked the Cirque better just in terms of overall flow of the dance and that it was Calvin and Lindsay only from beginning to end.

Jana  I thought she really commItted to it and I think she managed the movement well.. I thought Gleb had a really hard time with the first lift, I think her skirt got in the way and that sort of marred it for me as being memorable, since the one thing I keep seeing is that awkward lift.. 

Ryan . As a contemporary it was pretty stinky in terms of transitions, or even contemporary movement. Miss Cheryl didn't go barefoot, just flatter ballroom shoes for her.  I had to chuckle a little at that.  

Laurie. There was just way too much in that dance, Val needs to edit or at least be pushed to be more creative like he was with Zendaya..  Laurie is still a kid, The skirt off and then on didn't really work as visually grabbing because on this she danced like young girl hitting all the marks, not a femme fatale.  ( it reminded me of  when Apolo Ohno used Julianne's skirt like a cape and then carefully put it on her, that was oozing sex, and it was appropriate for team) So in that respect I agreed with Julianne that they don't really seem like a team, it's Laurie doing her contemporary piece at the beginning,  and then Laurie being the focus on a Paso, when traditionally the focus should go to the male.  I am not a fan of making the reality behind the scenes the drama instead of the dance, and I think the tears and the whole set up was about putting pressure on this kid.  Anyway, she is talented and a clean Paso would have been so much better, instead of all of these turns that she was behind and at one point fell out of it.  It's almost as if the choreography was meant to fail as part of the narrative of the show.  But the show would never do that. (eyeroll)  Laurie will be back with a redemption dance. 

Marilu When CAI didn't call the lift I thought, okay Marilu is getting a "break out" moment.  I really liked that dance, gorgeous clean choreography from Derek that really allowed her to fly in her natural turns.  Well deserved 9's 

Amber- I actually liked that costume, very Beyonce meets Brazil. I thought Amber showed some personality in that dance.  Maks gave her a lot of Samba, which is really not easy to do and she coped fairly well.  Agree with CAI that she actually did better with her girls than with Maks.  She still has issues with attack and really getting into the music, but it wasn't the worst Samba on this show.  

James- Even if you know about his injury and struggle to come back, this is an incredible story. So far he is getting a very positive edit in all of the behind the scenes stuff, very little drama so he is very likable.  He did beautifully on his Tango tonight, he is my favorite of the series, but I do agree with Julianne for him to extend the line even more. It is so exciting to get a male celebrity who takes dance notes seriously and will work on it..  High score of 29 and I am not mad at it. 

Terra - Her story that she missed saying goodbye to her Dad is a tear jerker.  I think Sasha captured that very nicely in the routine.  Since she can't extend the way traditional sized  people extend, the dance was limited, but it was really heartfelt and I enjoyed it.. 

[Emily-D]

Yeah regarding the votes, I love James and he was my favourite of the night but he didn't get my votes as I don't think he'll need them. I gave mine to Maureen instead and saved a few for Calvin as well. I feel like she needs them more and Amber shouldn't have got the same scores as them. She's clearly the weakest dancer remaining although Maks hasn't done her many favours this season. 

[RemoteControl88]

This was the first time (maybe the only time) I actually got teary eyed during MMY. But it wasn't for anyone's dancing or backstory. lol. When Marilu was talking about being intimidated by Derek, when Laurie was getting her frustrations out on Val and when Ryan said winning his medal was the happiest day of his life. There was something really pure and honest in those moments that I connected to.  The dancing for the night was another story.

Overall the night felt weighed down by the heavy subject matter....

Maureen - her best dance. She does really well in standard ballroom. Great movement from her.

Calvin - fun. footwork could be neater. I was scared for Lindsay in that overhead lift. He is so tall that lift looks terrifying from his height.

Jana - nice & pretty dance. Same feeling I had for her foxtrot. She did seem more elegant and better at transitions and finishing her lines though.

Ryan - a bit stiff and jerky. I think he and Amber are the 2 worst dancers left.

Laurie - not her best...but still pretty darn good. Scores were about right though. I do disagree with CAI though...I thought Val was trying to get creative with the choreo given the song and the theme and breaking free. I've seen enough of his Paso's...I like that this one was different. 

Marilu - her best dance. Glad to know what it was about her that was off. I couldn't figure out what about this partnership that was not connecting...now we know. This reminds me that when a celeb requests a specific pro it doesn't always work (ex: Val and Elizabeth Berkeley). 

Amber - was a little bit better...but still has the same issues from day 1. I give up. She is terrified being out there and  she is not confident when she dances. Period. end of story.

James - very smooth. Best dance of the night.

Terra - I missed her dance...but since it's contemporary...I might not have the strength to go back and watch.

Glad this night is over. Looking forward to Latin night HOWEVER WHYYYYYYY is Pitbull there AGAIN. I need some authentic latin music for Latin night. I don't want to hear his greatest hits. And as a judge he's even worse. ughhhhh. 

[escape]

23 minutes ago, PBGamer89 said:

I didn't say her scores weren't justified, I just think others got overscored. A 25 is good for Week 5, but not if the next lowest for 4 others is 24.

James is good, but seems typical runner up for me. Even on an off night, Laurie will likely get a huge chunk of the votes.

Keep in mind, the so-called most proficient technical dancer doesn't always win.   There's also backlash of being anointed the front runner so early on.

James is more of an entertainer and has the underdog likeability factor going for him.

[Callaphera]

4 minutes ago, RemoteControl88 said:

Glad this night is over. Looking forward to Latin night HOWEVER WHYYYYYYY is Pitbull there AGAIN. I need some authentic latin music for Latin night. I don't want to hear his greatest hits. And as a judge he's even worse. ughhhhh. 

Bolding mine.

Seriously, did he sell his soul to Disney for air time or something? He's on Dancing with the Stars every season singing the same song (okay, I know they're different songs but they all sound the same to me. One Pitbull song is indistinguishable from another), he hosts whatever music award show is on ABC... does he have naked pictures of one of the execs? Is he blowing someone high up on the food chain? I don't get it.

[RemoteControl88]

Is Pitbull the ONLY Latin artist they know at DWTS??????????????

[MsJamieDornan]

2 hours ago, Callaphera said:

Amber Rose, again, I want to like her. But I think Bruno nailed what I've been struggling to come up with to describe her: she looks scared or tentative at times, from someone who I expected would be this fiery, explosive, in your face personality. So disappointed.

I agree. What was the problem with her wearing high heels? She was an exotic dancer for years and years? And after that wore stripper heels all the time.  I truly thought she would be much more sure of herself as a dancer.

[mrsmit7]

I too thought tonight seem suspiciously like a let's knock Laurie down a few notches and pump James up.

Laurie's dance looked insanely difficult and she gave a solid performance tho not her best, so maybe 25 in isolation is warranted.

But was it seriously only 1 point better than Maureen & Amber& Ryan...and 1 point off last place?

James did a really good solid tango, but the some of the judges comments were OTT and him getting the only 10s was suspect, especially when u have somebody like Calvin who I think is also killing it for a novice dancer getting straight 8s everyweek. 

Can Calvin get some of that treatment next week judges? Dudes awesome

Lastly, idk much about Terra outside of dwts but I love her on here and hope she makes thenfinals.

[CraftyHazel]

I tuned in this season solely to watch Laurie Hernandez.  She makes me think of my granddaughter, who is a 13-year-old gymnast with that same kind of personality.

And darned if I don't find myself putting all my votes into Calvin and James.  Calvin is so fun and engaging,  and James is just so incredibly talented!   

I also love Maureen, and I'm not even sorry about it,

[spanana]

40 minutes ago, mrsmit7 said:

I too thought tonight seem suspiciously like a let's knock Laurie down a few notches and pump James up.

Laurie's dance looked insanely difficult and she gave a solid performance tho not her best, so maybe 25 in isolation is warranted.

But was it seriously only 1 point better than Maureen & Amber& Ryan...and 1 point off last place?

James did a really good solid tango, but the some of the judges comments were OTT and him getting the only 10s was suspect, especially when u have somebody like Calvin who I think is also killing it for a novice dancer getting straight 8s everyweek. 

Can Calvin get some of that treatment next week judges? Dudes awesome

Lastly, idk much about Terra outside of dwts but I love her on here and hope she makes thenfinals.

I definitely agree on Laurie's score. I think 25 was completely justified in isolation, though it's ridiculous when you consider that Laurie was getting the same scores as people like Maureen and Amber.  Obviously Laurie is so much beyond them.  As per usual I think a lot of the problem is that at this point in the season the judges are only expected to use the 8-10 paddles.  If you are getting 7's at Week 5 you have to really, really suck.  So when you are using only three paddles to score everyone, that leads to scoring situations like tonight.

I think the other argument the judges would likely make at this point, though how much you believe them is another story, is that the judges are more judging you against yourself as opposed to your opponents.  Which is fair to an extent because none of these people are starting on an even playing field.  As unfair as it sounds, an 8 for Laurie doesn't mean the same as an 8 for Maureen because they didn't start in the same place and are never going to be in the same place.  But you can't stall Maureen's scoring at a 6 for an entire season and you can't give Laurie 10's for a full season, or at least not if TPTB want celebs to continue to sign up for this show.  You are supposedly being scored against your own improvement arc/capabilities.

Anyway, at this point Amber and Ryan are the worst dancers and I had to guess I think Amber goes next since she hasn't been getting the greatest packages.

Edited October 11, 2016 by spanana

[Mondayeve]

Isn't this the classic formula on dwts when there is an unquestionable frontrunner and solid runner up?  Next week they will have Latin and Laurie will be right back up again with lavish praise and James most likely will be knocked back if his Latin is not as good as his ballroom.  It's all part of the process. 

I do agree that Calvin is getting lost in the shuffle and next week might be his breakthrough.  I hope so because he deserves more recognition.

For me James is my favorite because he is so very engaging and joyful to watch.  I look forward to his dances and rehearsal packages. 

Edited October 11, 2016 by Mondayeve

[Mittengirl]

Pitbull is on because Pitbull is really Voldemort and TPtB are afraid he will unleash Death Eaters upon them.  He who shall not be ignored.

Is it possible that Laurie is not getting the votes because people think she has this in the bag?

[truthaboutluv]

Quote

Yeah regarding the votes, I love James and he was my favourite of the night but he didn't get my votes as I don't think he'll need them.

Yeah that's how shocking eliminations happen - just saying.

[crossover]

The opening number was ballroom!!!  Mandy did a good job.

I think this was the week to dock Laurie.  PD is such a tricky style for a woman to shine.  If they wanted her best this week, they would've saved the jazz.  She's PROBABLY bringing in the most votes by far.  So they can afford to criticize her.  With putting James in jeopardy last week and the placement this week, I think TPTB are trying to strengthen his voting support.  I think he's one they want in the finals or at least the semi's.  

I thought this was an entertaining night.  No one was truly awful.  On DWTS, I look to be entertained.  The technique doesn't have to be great but it can't take me out of the mood of the dance.  By this time, there should be a good partner connection.  Then, if the pro has great choreography comparable to the music, it can be a nice escape.   

Having said all that, I have to say Lindsay/Calvin's routine gave me the most joy.  With him being so tall and having large feet, he's never going to look polish in the length of time he has on DWTS.  But, I smiled the entire time.  Marilu/Derek's routine was so romantic/flowy.  I was transported to a happy/peaceful place.  She finally showed her training throughout the whole piece.  Sharna/James' routine was the best technical performance.  It didn't affect me emotionally.  Really don't know why but something was amiss.  Maybe because the tango looked generic, like the rest?  He did really well.  I love contemporary but on this show it is merely seviceable.  Amber still looks so timid and Maks choreography didn't work for me.  So she's at the bottom.  The rest of the routines were nice.  Just a step below.  So, I can see why the scores were so close.  However, I think it was more clear that Amber was the worst instead of James being the best.

[BamaGirl]

Since no one else has mentioned it... Was I the only one distracted by Julianne's dress tonight?? The first time (and every time) she was shown, it popped into my head, "Omg, you can totally see her nipples! How distracting!"  

[Emily-D]

25 minutes ago, truthaboutluv said:

Yeah that's how shocking eliminations happen - just saying.

Very true but let's be honest here, no way will Amber get more votes than James this week. Top of the leaderboard and in jeopardy last week so his fans will rally. It's clearly between Amber and Maureen as to who goes home next week and I personally thought based on tonight that Maureen deserves to stay longer. Ryan still has the sympathy/America's underdog vote that keeps him safe. I could see him causing a shocking elimination in the future.

[Callaphera]

18 minutes ago, BamaGirl said:

Since no one else has mentioned it... Was I the only one distracted by Julianne's dress tonight?? The first time (and every time) she was shown, it popped into my head, "Omg, you can totally see her nipples! How distracting!"  

No. The second she appeared on screen, I said "They're called nipple shields, honey" and my husband piped up with, "Must be a bit nipply in the studio tonight."

We'll be here all week, folks. Tip your waitress.

[Mystery Author]

Quote

Was I the only one distracted by Julianne's dress tonight?? The first time (and every time) she was shown, it popped into my head, "Omg, you can totally see her nipples! How distracting!"  

Me, three. I pointed (heh-heh) it out to Mr. Author, who could care less since he only has eyes for Cheryl.

[katha]

So tonight was "Knock down Laurie to make it look like a horse race" night, huh? Though she wasn't as secure as usual, so gave them an alibi to dock points. And I'd agree that they're probably doing her a favour in the long run, the audience would grow to resent her if she was constantly topping the leader board (no matter how deserved). Boring night in general, I thought.

[howmanywords]

2 hours ago, truthaboutluv said:

Yeah that's how shocking eliminations happen - just saying.

Yep and I would apply this to Laurie as well. Everytime I read that shes obviously running away with this or that its just a race to see who's runner up I cringe because I get such shock elimination vibes.  I don't believe she's in danger now while there's still fodder but say Top 3 or the very end? Sometimes people prefer an underdog in the end IMO.

[katha]

1 hour ago, howmanywords said:

Yep and I would apply this to Laurie as well. Everytime I read that shes obviously running away with this or that its just a race to see who's runner up I cringe because I get such shock elimination vibes.  I don't believe she's in danger now while there's still fodder but say Top 3 or the very end? Sometimes people prefer an underdog in the end IMO.

I think she's doing very well in votes. But she can't be perceived as coasting, that's when voters get complacent (and also resentful of female frontrunners who do well all the time...it's not "relatable". Eyeroll.). Which was also why this drama played out this week: She gets an emotional package where she's seen as struggling, her dance doesn't get the most points and so on. It's all to create more narrative for her, to show that she's struggling as well and get people to rally around her.

Edited October 11, 2016 by katha

[RedFiat]

7 hours ago, mtlchick said:

I like Jerry Rice.  I don't like when he essentially took over Calvin's applause time.  That said, I need more DanceCenter in my life.

I really think this was more than coincidence about Jerry and his receiving record being broken. I think this is about the NFL fans since his memorable year was all about his sport, and Jerry Rice was hugely popular during season 2 on the show.  That said, it was also about the vote and shoring up that football fan vote. I think the show is giving Calvin the underdog status in the way Donald Driver never got a 30 until his Freestyle.  Watch out for the underdog.  James did well on a dance that he can do well on, the show does this for a reason. He is proven to be a solid ballroom dancer, but it may change as the show progresses. Next time is Latin Night.  

[CED9]

The difference (to me) between Calvin and a lot of the other football players from the past is fanbase. Calvin played for the Detroit Lions, who, apologies to those that root for them, don't really have the fanbase of a SteelerNation or Packers fans or Cowboys fans, etc. I think he has fans that will get him relatively far, but I would say as far as football players go, he'd be well above Michael Sam in terms of NFL fans, but that's about it.

And just from looking around the internet, it seems Terra and James are the ones nabbing those extra casual voters. It could no doubt change in the coming weeks.

[majormama]

My gosh, Maks is such an ass. Which we all know, of course, but seriously. He stops Amber mid dance to berate her on how bad she is. She wants to go start to finish because that's what she'll need to do live. He continues to berate her until she's upset, then asks her what her concern is, then interrupts her when she answers. Answer me, how dare you answer! THEN tells her she needs to do the dance start to finish because that's what she'll have to do live!  Mansplaining much? And why isn't she practicing in heels? And with all that, I don't even remember what her MMY even was.

Ugh, Pitbull. His songs are vile. Catchy, but vile, which is even worse because then I can't get the vile out of my head.

Edited October 11, 2016 by majormama

[Primetimer]

James Hinchcliffe recalls the time he crashed his car and flatlined, while the other celebrities evoke their own noteworthy years.

View the full article

[vavera4ka]

10 hours ago, PBGamer89 said:

Tonight felt very "let's show the audience that Laurie doesn't have this in the bag (even though she probably does)".

Case in point: She gets some of the only criticism of the night, lower than normal scores for her, and only 1 point off the bottom. Next, bolster up her biggest threat (James) who got a huge sob story edit, the only 10's of the night, and comments like "you're unbeatable".

Yeah it felt that way for sure. Not arguing 25, but the rest of the scores above her... really?

I just hope Val explains her the politics and the drama that is required for that show. She is not new to judging and not getting the score and placing she was hoping for, but it's obvious she isn't as secure about her abilities (or more like bumps in the road) when it comes to dancing. Very understandable, she is after all 16, tough, but also pretty sheltered when it comes to anything except gymnastics. I believe Val can put this whole thing in the correct perspective for her.

8 hours ago, BamaGirl said:

Since no one else has mentioned it... Was I the only one distracted by Julianne's dress tonight?? The first time (and every time) she was shown, it popped into my head, "Omg, you can totally see her nipples! How distracting!"  

OMG I was like, for the love of... cover up woman! lol

but what bothered me more was her make up. Seriously, Julianne, darling, FIRE YOUR F%$#ING STYLIST YESTERDAY! Every week she looks either weird or a mess, and she is a beautiful woman. You'd think it would be hard to mess her look up. That's talent right there lol

Also wanted to add, I LOVED Artem's choreography. And how emotional he got after the dance and during the interview. That man... sigh...

[Thadeeeyus]

I'm loving Calvin this season, but I'm also worried about him.  He did another great dance and got positive comments from the judges, but his scores IMO didn't' match the comments.  Therefore, no negative comments to motivate viewers to vote, but also no high scores to ensure he stays.  It wouldn't surprise me at all if he were the next to go.