S14.E12: Week 6: Halloween

[Occasional Hope]

I loathe Halloween on Strictly.  It's so self consciously arch, even more than normal.  I did quite like the not-a-rumba Greg and Natalie did, though.

AJ cannot act even a little bit; he's so awkward and unbelievable in the VTs it's cringeworthy.  They've used that gag with Anton before, with Brendan; it wasn't particularly good then.

Ore and Danny both faltered this week - I confess a cynical little part of me wondered if Danny at least did it on purpose because he didn't want to look way ahead of the competition.

I believe Anastacia is at risk this week.

Edited October 29, 2016 by Occasional Hope
wrong episode number

[Pete Martell]

The makeup team really went out this year - I guess to try to hide how mediocre most of this cast is? Well, it didn't work, but points for trying. Still, there were a few I enjoyed. 

Best: 

Laura and Giovanni - Not something I'm going to remember in a week, but they had a good connection, Laura had genuine commitment instead of being afraid as some other women are every week, and the tension built throughout the tango. Good job. 

Claudia and AJ - Also not one I'll have in my head for long, but good dancing and a good partnership as always. The show just keeps throwing awful music choices at them and they keep on throwing them right back. The height difference distracted me more than usual thanks to AJ's trousers, as he kept slouching and his very nice backside stuck out enough to make Brendan seethe with jealousy. 

Better Than I Expected:

Rinder and Oksana - He kept his mouth shut, which is worth a 40 alone. This was a solid paso, and he was clearly trying. Not sure about the butterfly intro or costumes but I'll assume that someone behind the scenes is a fan of The Web Planet and this means more classic Doctor Who material will be found shortly. 

Greg and Natalie - WAKE ME UP. Yes it wasn't rumba, but I just can't care. The connection between Natalie and Greg burns especially bright when so many of their "betters" are wan and routinely act like they've never met before the day's taping. I have a feeling we'll get variations of, "He's beating out the good dancers" if he stays much longer, but most of them are so dull and overhyped, they're just not going to work up enthusiasm, no matter how much the judges and producers stamp their feet and wave their paddles. /WAKE ME UP. 

Worse Than I Expected:

Anastacia and Brendan - I wasn't expecting anything good but I had no idea they would take Peter Andre's jive, remove the backing dancers, and add a smoke machine. Just awful. 

Exactly What I Expected:

Louise and Kevin - A labored charleston where you could see Louise going through the motions, looking more like Charity Tate than Harley Quinn. Kevin was having the time of his life, and Louise was left behind. 

Daisy and Aljaz - Yet another hesitant dance from a couple who lack any chemistry whatsoever. Aljaz is one of the most forgettable pros for me and Daisy is mostly memorable for bouts of awkwardness. Well that and in this dance, looking like Karen Hardy. 

Events Beyond Their Control:

Danny and Oti - The bungee cord was twee twaddle that reminded me of Mia Michaels and why I stopped watching SYTYCD. It's an act of divine order that such a pretentious piece of prop went haywire. I'm not sure I would have been into this even without the mishap, but we'll never know. 

Ore and Joanne - On one level this was the usual Ore and Joanne special - glaring anti-chemistry, a non-couple dancing completely out of sync to the point where I wondered if they were edited together like those shameful old Fred Astaire vacuum ads. On another, Ore really had no chance with such wretched choreography and costumes that looked like some sort of no-budget children's show that aired for a few episodes in 1983 and gets thrown onto Youtube for nostalgic purposes. One of the worst routines I have ever seen on this show, especially from a couple who are supposed to be some type of ideal. 

Ed Balls Is Ed Balls: 

Ed is a strange mix - he could be a good dancer but never quite is; he could be good comedy but never quite is. This was just a little too "I'm so terrible, laugh at me," for me to enjoy, but I can certainly see why people did. 

Edited October 30, 2016 by Pete Martell

[Dots And Stripes]

4 hours ago, Pete Martell said:

Events Beyond Their Control:

Danny and Oti - The bungee cord was twee twaddle that reminded me of Mia Michaels and why I stopped watching SYTYCD. It's an act of divine order that such a pretentious piece of prop went haywire. I'm not sure I would have been into this even without the mishap, but we'll never know. 

 

Did anyone force Oti the prop? I genuinely don't know but my guess is Oti gets the credit/blame for that. IMO, it was an idea that was too clever for it's own good. I'm actually very relieved it backfired. It just felt wrong for me to see a prop literally tie those two together to eliminate gapping. It feels like cheating. What's next, bringing in posture bars for performances? Luckily, the same thing that prevented the gapping also gave Danny no where to go when he took a wrong step and amplified simple mistakes. The act that this backfired means we won't have copy cats of this exact trick.

Overall I really, really liked this week. Halloween costumes have been OTT for a few years now. I think they can get in the way at times. I like the cast though so it didn't spoil my enjoyment.

I love Ed Balls so much. He and Katya were my favorites for the night. He tries so hard and he puts on a show. I don't care if he is among the worst dancers, he is the most fun to watch. I'm all for him staying around as long as possible.

I felt so bad for Natalie. The thing is, she took a risk and it's a risk that pays off if the audience votes them through. The judges did their part which is to score the rumba. Even Craig was somewhat kind to admit he liked the performance but not the rumba content. Making the dance dynamic and dramatic is a play past the judges. Good for Greg for not blaming Natalie for some harsh comments. It's impressive that an athlete is so willing to act out the dances too.

Poor Daisy let the bottom 2 get in her head. In the past she sold the dances better. I think this week she was too concerned with people not liking her. I find her boring, but I also find Louise boring. A shocking Kevin boot would be way more entertaining than a shocking Aljaz boot.

Claudia could use a little of Ed and Greg's commitment to performing. I do enjoy her and I'm still trying to figure out if I enjoy AJ or not.