S18.E06: Party Anthem Week

[radishcake]

What songs will the guys pick this week? 

[galax-arena]

I will not stand for Tom Bergeron throwing shade at Super Mario. 

[Bavct]

Wow Maks, that was some serious effort at being humble.  I hope you didn't pull a muscle or two.  Hey Meryl - enough with the "sorry" okay?  You sound like a kitten who is being drowned and Maks is an ass so he doesn't deserve it.  Val's tango with Meryl was still better.

Why the hell is NeNe still here? 

Why the hell was the Foo person there?  Double WTF on Ricky Martin next week.  I hate 2 out of the three judges but jeeze - enough.

James' footwork was hideous and I know nothing about dance. 

Okay Amy - you rock.  Seriously. 

I think Derek is an awesome choreographer but it was hard to tell with that MSOD since I couldn't see a damn thing.

I thought Candace did a great job, I fear for her next week because it looks like NoNo isn't going anywhere. 

Bye Drew - Cleveland Rocks!

ETA:  I HATE that they tell people when they are in jeopardy before they dance - way to totally screw with their heads and performances.  Dumbasses.

Edited April 22, 2014 by Bavct

[Princess Sparkle]

Even though I know she's technically proficient, Meryl leaves me so cold. I can't see any feeling in her dance.

Whereas I think Sharna is falling into the same trap Karina did with Corbin last season - she knows that she has a good dancer who can pick up choreo quickly, so she's throwing a bunch of extra technique in there, but it's making the dance look almost sloppy. She'd be much better off making the choreography slightly simpler, not because Charlie can't handle the hard stuff, but because it'll make it easier to look clean.

I'll give Mark some credit this season; he seems much more mellow, and isn't out dancing Candice at all. During the last 5 minutes, his face made it seem like he thought they were going home, and I thought it was very classy that he and Candice didn't immediately cheer when they found out they were staying (as other teams have done in past seasons)

[Lamb18]

I was thrilled to see Amy dancing with a short skirt tonight!  I was wondering if she would.   I just wanted her to own her prosthetics on the dance floor and flaunt who she is.  And she did!

How did Charlie do?  My satellite decided to cut out his entire section.  Meryl is so beautiful and her tango was superb. 

[spanana]

I can't even begin to say how much Maks drives me crazy on this show.  I liked it better when he was off the show and would just come back once a season to say something funny and then leave again.   The show wants a Meryl/Maks win bad.  That was the point of that whole edit tonight.

Danica should never get out of hold.  She's really great in standard dances and then just becomes totally boring the second she gets out of hold and has to move on her own.  Back to boring and forgettable tonight.  I could easily see her being a so-called surprise elimination in the next few weeks.

Amy did better than I was expecting.  I thought jive would be one of the more difficult dancers for her, but I guess I was wrong.  Though I call bull on Carrie Anne saying she has the best kicks/flicks of anyone ever.  So much hyperbole.

I'm feeling bad for Candace.  She's not great, but this is the second time in a row they have made her sweat it out in the B2 and I'm guessing she wasn't likely in the B2 either time.  Make someone else sweat it out.

I need NeNe to leave next.

Did they say Abby Lee Miller was going to be a guest judge.  Please no.  Shark jumped.

Edited April 22, 2014 by spanana

[msburg]

I thought Danica was robbed -- I guess it doesn't follow the script to reward her for her best dance.  As the show continues to put them together, I'll say that Candace did much better this week.  And can I say that even in his silver sparkle shoes, I really admire Mark this season?  He has dialed it back so far in order not to outshine Candace, it almost makes me wonder what's wrong with him.  He seems to be a shadow of his former self, and I must admit it I miss the  old Mark swagger.  (I can't believe I just typed that....)

 

I thought Charlie was right on in scores, it wasn't his best week.  And why were they stressing his bi-coastal killer schedule, but not bringing up the same for Meryl?  Did they not follow the same schedule this week?  What the heck?  Speaking of Maks and Meryl, I felt badly for him -- how can he not feel like the weak link pro when he has no idea what each week's script will bring him?  And can I say, Meryl is the perfect partner for him?  The dynamic in their "package" was really compelling to watch.

 

Weird vibe between Drew and Cheryl again.  His body language with her seemed to show more of their true partnership.  It started with Cheryl holding tighter to Mark's hand than Drew, and continued with him turning his shoulder and blocking her out of their final interview.  And they weirdly left alone in the middle of the dance floor during the credits -- not much love for him.  I'd love to know the real behind the scenes stuff with this pair.

 

And once again, annoyed with Amy's scoring.  She messed up, quite visibly, an entire sequence of the dance.  That's why Derek felt compelled to redo that after their bow.  What is with the tens??? 

 

ETA:  I LOVE Tom Bergeron, but puh-leeze, never mention Bruno's nipples during family hour of this show again.  I had to explain to my 13, 12 and 9 year olds exactly what that meant -- stress on the fact that it's cold in there....

Edited April 22, 2014 by msburg

[galax-arena]

Though I call bull on Carrie Anne saying she has the best kicks/flicks of anyone ever.

That was seriously ridiculous. Amy did really well, considering. I noticed that she actually had more jive content and bounce in her routine than a number of Derek's previous partners. But best kicks and flicks ever? Is Carrie Ann on drugs? 

Seeing Maks and Meryl this week just made me lament that Val couldn't continue partnering her, even though I wouldn't wish Maks on Danica. 

[spanana]

Whereas I think Sharna is falling into the same trap Karina did with Corbin last season - she knows that she has a good dancer who can pick up choreo quickly, so she's throwing a bunch of extra technique in there, but it's making the dance look almost sloppy. She'd be much better off making the choreography slightly simpler, not because Charlie can't handle the hard stuff, but because it'll make it easier to look clean.

I agree on Sharna.  I was expecting better of her this season and have been underwhelmed.  I totally agree on the Corbin/Karina comparison.  The pros needs to realize that it's much more appealing to see cleanly danced choreography than to see capable celebs looking sloppy because they are struggling to keep up.

 

I thought Danica was robbed -- I guess it doesn't follow the script to reward her for her best dance.  As the show continues to put them together, I'll say that Candace did much better this week.  And can I say that even in his silver sparkle shoes, I really admire Mark this season?  He has dialed it back so far in order not to outshine Candace, it almost makes me wonder what's wrong with him.  He seems to be a shadow of his former self, and I must admit it I miss the  old Mark swagger.  (I can't believe I just typed that....)

I didn't think that was Danica's best dance at all.  I'd argue that's a toss up between last week's quickstep and her contemporary.  Danica started off great, but when she got to the actual cha cha moves she seemed to be far too careful and pretty in her movements. 

Edited April 22, 2014 by spanana

[superdeluxe]

I can't even begin to say how much Maks drives me crazy on this show.  I liked it better when he was off the show and would just come back once a season to say something funny and then leave again.   The show wants a Meryl/Maks win bad.  That was the point of that whole edit tonight.

That is exactly what I was thinking when I saw their package.  I rolled my eyes so hard, they're just coming down right now.  That was the most blatant promotion of Meryl and Maks that I have ever seen.  That was shameless.  This show (Conrad Green, really) wants a Maks/Meryl win.

Abby Lee Miller as guest judge?  Yeah...I will be watching something else that week.

Edited April 22, 2014 by superdeluxe

[Alapaki]

I'm glad Candace survived this week.  Because I can't wait to see her god-bother her way through "Latin Week".  

[spanana]

I'm glad Candace survived this week.  Because I can't wait to see her god-bother her way through "Latin Week".  

Candace hasn't mentioned her faith or religion once in at least the last three weeks.  Or not that I can remember.  I also read her blogs, where she also has not mentioned her faith or religion recently either.  Her issues with nerves IMO have absolutely nothing to do with her faith.  She's going for it on the dance floor.  She just hasn't been able to quite put all the pieces together.  I have yet to see her refuse to do a move when Marks asks or half ass something in the name of her religion.  Then again I don't see the difference between Latin Week and what she has already been doing.  She's already done a samba, cha cha and rumba, so what would she possibly get upset over?

Edited April 22, 2014 by spanana

[WhitneyWhit]

Maks' freakout was...odd, but thank god he has a partner that won't fall apart and can get things back under control. However, the whole thing reeked of producers saying "Ok, everything is going too smooth for you guys, talk about something dramatic".

James was overscored. His footwork was terrible, his knees were bent and he was slouched over for much of the dance.

Tonight was Amy's best dance, but color me shocked that they actually pointed out a mistake, I was waiting for them to make an excuse for it.

I also thought Candace had her best dance tonight, but they are right, she does think too much when she dances. I'm going to be pretty upset if her or Danica go before Nene.

Charlie and Sharna's Cha Cha seemed a bit of out control to me and it looked like they finished after the music.

[nutty1]

I would have loved to see Charlie with a different pro.

[crowceilidh]

James was overscored. His footwork was terrible, his knees were bent and he was slouched over for much of the dance.

Yeah - I thought James was terrible in hold and not much better than that out of hold.

I loved the MSOD until the moment at the end where Derek stared into the camera like he was Satan's favourite spawn or something. Up until then, I was appreciating that Derek wasn't hogging all of the limelight. 

Glad Drew's gone - I found his packages with Cheryl to be deeply uncomfortable.  I don't care what tptb say, he did not strike me as the entertainer of the show even once.  Now get rid of Candace and NeNe and then James.

[buttersister]

Last time I looked, Charlie and Meryl were in the same skating show, so no, I can't think of a reason they mentioned his schedule and not hers, unless ... could it be? ... her drama was her sulky partner! This show's so heavily scripted they may nominate it for a best drama Emmy (it would lose).

Meanwhile, Meryl's dance was pretty great. And something's gotta give with Charlie's choreography if we're going to get a gold medal finish.

Maybe I'll take a break for a few weeks--the hyperbole's giving me allergies and Bruno is grosser than usual.

[Woodrose]

Waves hello to Marissa Jarrett Winokur and Victor the boxer, former contestants in the audience.

Candace had my favorite dress of all the seasons -- the mirrorball dress!

I can't remember a pre-dance package ever centering on the pro's stresses and insecurities. Usually we assume the pros are up the task, providing guidance to the star, leading the team....because they are professionals! Too much Maks-drama for me.

Amy and Derek had a great dance, too bad they messed up the one part. Kinda like Charlie's great dance last week that was too bad he dropped the cane. 

If they must bring in useless guest judges, Redfoo was at least upbeat and encouraging with everyone.  He had no need to make headlines by insulting anyone, thank goodness.  Plus, he actually performed a number for us.  We've had worse guest judges.

No point in putting on the MSoD performances if the lights are too low to see the dancers. An awful lot of flashing lights and fog and people dancing in shadows. What I did see looked fun, though.

Philip Chbeeb should have been acknowledged by name as the star of the MSoD piece and the guy in the mirrorcube head.

[Sugarbaker]

I second that pointless MSoD routine, between the fog, darkness, and poor placement of the dancers I couldn't see a damn thing other than a a sea of shadowed people lol. Then they had to go add lasers too???

[UsernameFatigue]

Why, why, why is NeNe still there? Is there a Vote For the Worst in play? Can't stand the woman, she is a terrible dancer, and why is her husband's face always on my TV? We get it. You are married. Big accomplishment, apparently.

Maks and Meryl were breathtaking. I rewound and watched the dance twice more. I am so impressed with what they are accomplishing considering Meryl's schedule. Charlie also, but to a lesser degree. So glad M&M got 10s tonight - long overdue.

Who is this Redfool person? What a waste of space. At first I thought it was Wierd Al, but realized he was too young to be him. Have no idea in any case who this guy is, and don't care. Just get rid of the 4th judge - they add nothing to the program other than filler, and the show has enough of that already.

Speaking of filler, I absolutely hate the Macy dances - this week more than ever. Ugh.

Edited April 22, 2014 by UsernameFatigue

[Lonesome Rhodes]

Meryl's scores last week were garbage.  I'm glad we got to see her be real about it.

I am betting there were a boatload of folks who have waited season after season after season to hear Maks give up the ghost (pride and pressure).  He was more of a man in the montage tonight than he has ever been on this show.  Erin has seen it and was not kidding around when she probed Meryl for her secret in finally drawing him out.  They really did do a tango for the DWTS pantheon.  They did this on an excruciating schedule for Meryl.  I'm with the above poster who sees Meryl as "cold."  However, I have got to give it to the lady.  She, to date, is as good as anyone we've ever seen on this show.  

Charlie's routine was much more difficult than Amy's.  He killed it every bit as much, if not more.  I want a gold medal final, but I bet we get Amy and Meryl.

Drew was never very giving this season.  He had a ceiling beyond which he refused to risk.  Cheryl felt it and it drove her crazy.  Bill E. he was not.  Glad he is gone per his unstated, yet obvious, wishes.  Cheryl deserves so much better than Drew.  She really does.

I was prepared to detest Redfoo.  Instead, he showed me he was in on the joke and played it out well.  I never want to see him again, but I appreciate his self-awareness and good will. 

Edited April 22, 2014 by Lonesome Rhodes

[Quickbeam]

Overall enjoyable show even if that Redfoo guy was irritating. Meryl's tango was lovely. I am finding Sharna's choreography for Charlie cold and lacking in any sensuality. I'm not sure he benefits from the "faffing around" with the glow costumes and all. NeNe can leave any time. 

[RescueMom]

I wasn't wild about Redfoo but I guess he fit the theme well.  And he was upbeat and positive and as someone above noted, didn't seem to feel the need to be bitchy to get press, Julianne.  I did like the little segment when he performed.

I agree with others on the MSoD performance - it was really hard to see on the TV.  I suspect that it was an incredible performance for the audience in the ballroom, but it was too dark and difficult to see to really appreciate it at home.

Most of the things that caught my eye last night were little things.  Loved Candace's shoes.  Val singing to Danica ("with somebody who loves me"). Erin had a great comment that sounded really spontaneous when Val was braiding Danica's hair - something like "What do you do when you're happy?  Give her a perm?"  I laughed out loud at that one. Drew's happiness to see Witney, which made me feel badly for both him and Cheryl; it was obviously just not a good partnership for them.  Shirtless Tony for the second time this season.  I thought Peta looked stunning last night. And Derek, lose the stupid little hat!!

I loved Meryl & Maks' tango.  That is the third of their dances that I've immediately watched over a couple of times the next morning (also the samba and the foxtrot).  She deserved those 10s.

Edited April 22, 2014 by RescueMom

[OakGoblinFly]

Ugh, I just can’t with the judges anymore.  The comments and scores were completely ridiculous.  I don’t blame Len for being grumpy when he has to deal with the shenanigans of his co-judges.  And what was the point of the guest judge?  He added even less to the commentary than Carrie Anne (and that is saying something).

Hey producers, try hiring some competent camera people.  I missed half the dances because of your lousy camera work.  I really don’t need to see a close-up of a dancer’s face (unless it is the very start/end of a dance) - what I do need to see however, is the dancer’s total body so I can see what they’re doing.

Good bye Drew, you were a delight and your warmth and light will be missed.

In what world does NeNe score higher than Candace?   And why was Candace put in the “not necessarily the bottom two” again?  There is no way I believe that both Candace and Danica’s combined scores were lower than Nene’s.

I loved Candace’s dress; Mark has really created some nice costumes for her this season.  She looks sophisticated, lady-like, and yes sexy (she has some gorgeous legs).  I thought her dance was great; she dances from a place of pure joy and that is wonderful to watch.  I see lots of improvement of Candace’s technique – kudos to Mark on that and on the fact that he has toned down his dancing and is letting his partner shine.

Wow, could that rehearsal package with Maks be anymore scripted?  As soon as I saw that I knew he would be given a perfect score. I thought the Tango was nice and Meryl danced it proficiently, yet it left me cold.  For me, Meryl is the polar opposite of Candace; she’s technically proficient yet there is no light, no joy, and no emotion in her dancing.  It feels like I’m watching a perfect, emotionless robot perform.  And Carrie Anne, I respectful disagree as I think Mel B. and Maks were the perfect pair; she brought out his fun and creative side.

Sharna, we know that Charlie is an amazing dancer (I love his musicality even if his posture sometimes is whacky) that doesn’t mean you need to throw every trick and move at warp speed.  When you have Charlie dancing that fast his movements look sloppy and unfinished and you cannot appreciate the quality of his movement.  Slow down the pace of the dances a bit and let Charlie show off his musicality, personality, and dance ability.

There was a heck of a lot of jive content in Amy’s dance and that pleases me.  Other than that small bobble, I was impressed with the speed and the synchronization between Amy and Derek.  That dance was my favorite of the night for the simple reason it made me giggly and happy.

Danica is such a graceful mover – I’m glad she got to stay (though I still am giving the side-eye to the producers that she was “in jeopardy”).  That being said, Val really needs to work on Danica when she’s not in hold; I think in the solo and side-by-side movements she is less confident and it shows as her dance quality is off.  Still, I think she is lovely and I like watching her dance.

I totally forgot about James until they played the recap.  I was more interested in watching Jena in the background (that girl has charisma for days) than in watching Peta and James.  I think James has skill and could do very well.  I’ve never been impressed with Peta’s choreography.

Oh, and NeNe danced.

[MortysCleaningLady]

<Carefully adjusting my snazzy aluminum foil hat that would look awesome with Candace's dress> 

As we consistently hear, the contestant with the lowest combined score/votes goes home.  The other person 'in jeopardy' may not be the second lowest vote getter.  Sometimes, I think putting someone on that stand can increase their votes.  So, I personally think Ne Ne was the second lowest scorer last night.  The producers keep putting Candace down there and I see a lot of comments on the DWTS Facebook feed that people are voting for Candace.  Ne Ne was only in the bottom once.  Perhaps hiding her real status will cause her fans to forget to vote for her.

Also, Amy finally danced, but she got the steps wrong.  I applaud her choice to come on a dancing show and do her best, but I expect her to be scored at the same standard as the others.  Since she's with Derek, the golden boy, she'll probably win.  If we aren't going to have a real ringer win, I'd much rather it be Danica, who I think is working incredibly hard and mastering a lot of the finite details.

[nutty1]

Knowing nothing of dance other than what I have learned on this show and SYTYCD, can someone tell me what the "feather" dance/move thing Maks did was. Len mentioned it. I even went back and watched again and I could not figure it out.

[OakGoblinFly]

I loved the MSOD until the moment at the end where Derek stared into the camera like he was Satan's favourite spawn or something. Up until then, I was appreciating that Derek wasn't hogging all of the limelight. 

 

I don't think Derek has control over the crappy camera work and I don't think you can really fault him because the producers called for a Derek close-up at the end of a Derek choreographed number.

I know Allison helped Derek with that number - between the awful lighting and the crappy camera work I couldn't see a darn thing, was she dancing too?  

As an aside, I continue to be amazed by Jena and really hope she gets a shot a being a pro on the show soon.

[Shannon L.]

 

Knowing nothing of dance other than what I have learned on this show and SYTYCD, can someone tell me what the "feather" dance/move thing Maks did was. Len mentioned it. I even went back and watched again and I could not figure it out.

Oh yes, please--if someone could do that, it would be great. Maybe if this person has time, he/she can check out the video of the dance and tell us what time in the routine to watch for it, that would be even better.  Len sounded very impressed and I'd like to see it now from that perspective. 

While watching Candace, I found myself thinking how nice it is that she's able to have fun with the spirit of the dances in spite of her deep, Christian faith and that she doesn't feel the need to beat us over the head with it (having only mentioned it a couple of times, which is the opposite of what many were fearing).  She seems really nice and I'm glad she's still there, although, I'm sure it won't be for much longer.

[Princess Sparkle]

Candace had my favorite dress of all the seasons -- the mirrorball dress!

 

I loved that dress; it looked gorgeous on her and was so snazzy. Oddly, I also loved Mark's shoes too, and if they came in a size 8 for women, I'd wear them in a heartbeat.

With the trend they have of subbing in original recordings of songs more recently, I wish they would've done the original recording for I Wanna Dance with Somebody, instead of letting the band sing it.  Whitney's voice is just so iconic, and it's so beautiful and clear in that song.  

[MMLEsq]

Just get rid of the 4th judge - they add nothing to the program other than filler, and the show has enough of that already.

Not only do they not add much in the way of commentary....having a 4th judge tends to skew the scores a tiny bit.  For example, if all the judges give 8's vs. all giving 9's, there is a 4-point difference when there's a guest judge, rather than a 3-point difference in the totals.  Plus the guest judges (except, perhaps, Julianne) tend to give higher scores.

 

Drew's happiness to see Witney, which made me feel badly for both him and Cheryl; it was obviously just not a good partnership for them.  

I generally like Drew, but not on this show.  I thought the moment when Witney came in was incredibly awkward.  It was almost creepy how excited he was to see her.  I thought Cheryl was the consummate professional -- never acting put out or insulted, trying to lift Drew's spirits last night when he seemed clearly defeated, etc.

I felt bad for Candace at the beginning of the season when she got Mark for a partner, but he's been tolerable this season.  I thought she looked stunning last night; they did a great job styling her.  NeNe, on the other hand, looked horrible in that yellow dress.  I didn't watch the Olympics, so this is the first time I've seen Charlie and Meryl.  I think it's a little unfair since they're basically performing dancers on ice, so they have a complete leg up on the rest of the competition, but I'm enjoying them on DWTS anyway.  Charlie always seems to be smiling -- it must be quite the contrast for Meryl between training with Charlie and training with Maks, who seems so moody.

[ari333]

I actively loathe Nene. I'm sick of her husband too.

I was prepared to hate FooFoo, but he could have been much worse. However, if it'd been Captain Crunch he'd have known more about dance. He probably had it in his contract that someone had to separate Bruno from him at the judges' table or maybe it was something as shallow as they were both wearing red. Anyway, Bruno needs to sit the eff down with his Simon Cowell tight shirt. Bruno was kind of handsy with Osmond, so Foo was spared that because of Len between them. They'll need a brick wall and some restraints for Bruno (and me) when gorgeous Ricki Martin shows up.

Enough with the nipples already.

I'm so nosy I wish I knew what the heck was going on between Drew and Cheryl. I really like both of them and wish Drew had been better, or funnier, or more into it or had Bill Envall-ed it up a bit. I was expecting hilarity from him. He started the season so joyful. DId that switch unset the applecart? Anyway, after Nene was safe I figured he was toast.

I hate the camera closeup shots too, as mentioned. Damn. This is a dance competition. I want to see the whole body and especially the feet. Jesus. I wonder if the camera people do that on purpose when it looks like the celeb is missing a step or doing something awkward, but I'd want to see it all. That is so super annoying.

Edited April 22, 2014 by ari333

[spanana]

I generally like Drew, but not on this show.  I thought the moment when Witney came in was incredibly awkward.  It was almost creepy how excited he was to see her.  I thought Cheryl was the consummate professional -- never acting put out or insulted, trying to lift Drew's spirits last night when he seemed clearly defeated, etc.

I don't think Drew's reaction to Witney was creepy, but I have found him pretty tone deaf to Cheryl's feelings here.  I don't think he's a bad guy or he meant to be mean about it, but he just didn't handle the situation particularly well.  I'm guessing both Drew and Cheryl are glad to be done with this season.  It just wasn't a great partnership for either of them.

The biggest compliment I can give Candace is that she's made Mark tolerable this season.  For that I would give her a trophy. 

I don't think Danica was honestly in any danger last night.  I think the show was trying to give whatever fanbase she has a kick in the pants.  However what I think it does mean is she's likely not pulling in the votes maybe they expected based on her level of dancing and if that's the case I'm not surprised.  Except for a few weeks (quickstep and contemporary) she seems to get lost amongst the other females.  Meryl, Amy & Candace all seem to get get way more screentime and usually Meryl & Amy pull focus from her in terms of their packages/actual dances.  So I really would not be at all surprised to see Danica get the boot in a couple of weeks.  I think this was just our warning in case her fanbase doesn't wake up.

Plus I think it likely doesn't help that a lot of Val's own fans are so wrapped up in Meryl/Maks that I wouldn't be surprised if they aren't even voting for Danica.

[ari333]

I want to snatch Derek's stupid hat off his head. Is he like an infant whose head gets cold? But I also hate Mark's porkpie hat, and anyone over 12 in a baseball cap (extra hate if it's backwards.) Hhmm,  I guess I hate hats.

Peta looked lovely. Shocked at myself for typing that. No camel toe or pubis. Unprecedented!

Sidenote: How do they keep those giant earrings on during the dance? No really. I wonder these things.

Len looked totally steamed at Foofoo's antics.

Why was Bruno wearing a onesy or was it a unitard? :)

CRABS! That is all.

Edited April 22, 2014 by ari333

[Barbara Manatee]

I didn't think Charlie looked sloppy at all. All the strobe lights and glow sticks made it a little hard to follow at times, but I thought his dancing was really clean and so joyful. If the judges had issues, I wish they'd have given him some constructive criticism because lord knows he'd work his ass off to improve.

Speaking of which... while the camera work has been bad overall, kudos to whoever made sure to focus on Charlie's booty during rehearsals. I could look at those amazing skater thighs all day.

[fishcakes]

I had so many questions while watching last night. What the hell is Bruno wearing? What is a Redfoo and how can we make it stop? When Candace tries to make a sexy face, why does it make me think of the depredations of war? We are an hour into the show, why have only three people danced?

I was sorry to see Drew leave, but he seems to have peaked in terms of improving so it's probably better to go now rather than after the judges turn on him and order him to step it up, which they know isn't possible. Same goes for Nene, except I won't be sorry to see her leave.

[ItsHelloPattiagain]

 

If they must bring in useless guest judges, Redfoo was at least upbeat and encouraging with everyone.  He had no need to make headlines by insulting anyone, thank goodness.  Plus, he actually performed a number for us

Alas for the unknowing, Redfoot is the youngest son of Berry Gordy Jr, the head of Motown Records - so he does know a few things about music and dancing even though he's definitely got a novelty act flair about him. Plus his duo LMFAO had two huge hits last year with "Sexy and I Know It" and "Party Rock Anthem" (which has its own dance to it ) Yes, I am over 50 but I do listen to the radio lol. 

Man, Nene is tall! I think I mention this every week but it surprises me to see how tall she is. 

Poor Drew. . I did notice he had his mouth clamped shut tight while he was dancing this week. 

IMHO Charlie was underscored but I think it had to do with the lights out/neon section of the routine. I watched it back and he looks really good. And WTH with Maks? Acting vulnerable or just being whiny? Ew.

[ari333]

Was the MSoD performance supposed to be Janet Jackson's, "Rhythm Nation" choreo in parts? Too bad I could barely see it dammit.

[Charlie Baker]

I was motivated enough to vote for the first time, for Charlie, Meryl, and Danica, because I enjoyed the numbers.  I guess it was Drew's time, but I did find him entertaining, even if the relationship with Cheryl was strained. Would hope Nene goes next week, but I guess it could be Candace, and I agree it's quite something that her presence has moderated Mark Ballas.  Who'da thunk?

James is ensconced thoroughly in the keep around male eye candy overscoring, isn't he?

Didn't mind Redfoo's numbers, but I muted/ FFed the judging as always.  And I only know Abby Lee Miller from what I've read of her, which is reason enough to keep up that policy. 

[tarotx]

 I know Allison helped Derek with that number - between the awful lighting and the crappy camera work I couldn't see a darn thing, was she dancing too?

I didn't see her and before the show she just mentioned she co choreographed.

Edited April 22, 2014 by tarotx

[ari333]

Danica: "I love the way Val works me; He just drills me and drills me."

:) Indeed, Danica.

"I wanna dance with some BIE-dy" I missed Whitney's gorgeous voice on that song.

Props to Redfoo for doing his own thing and not announcing his Motown heritage or carrying a big ole', "My dad is Berry Gordy" sign. I never would have known had I not read it here. Interesting. Now I like him. Hey, folks change their minds. hee. (OK, I'm a Motown freak.) But as the show went on, I found him enthusiastic and positive, so there's that.

Edited April 22, 2014 by ari333

[Alapaki]

Not only do they not add much in the way of commentary....having a 4th judge tends to skew the scores a tiny bit.  For example, if all the judges give 8's vs. all giving 9's, there is a 4-point difference when there's a guest judge, rather than a 3-point difference in the totals.  Plus the guest judges (except, perhaps, Julianne) tend to give higher scores.

 

You're correct.  I haven't run the numbers for this week yet (I like to see what they scores would be with versus without the guest judge).  But since the Judges' scores are converted to the "percentage of total points awarded", in order to drive a "target" team's score down, they need to: 1) award that "target" team relatively low points; and 2) award a relatively high overall number of points to all other teams.  Adding the 4th judge gives them at least 1 or 2 additional points multiplied by the number of teams that perform.  As I noted back in one of the TWoP forums, with a field this big, even when the raw-number points awarded seem fairly spread out, when you convert the scores to percentages, it gets much flatter and the spread between the top and bottom team is usually within 2 or 3 points.

But I did think that the Guest Judge last night was particularly pointless, as least given the way the Judges' role is presently defined.  He admitted repeatedly, and shamelessly, that he had no clue about technique or style (or words to that effect).  That is, he had no idea about what he was supposed to be judging.

I don't have a problem with the Guest Judge representing the "voice of the viewer" or the "non-expert voice of the people" or whatever.  But, then, why allow them to award points that get factored in with the real Judges?

I get that TPTB have been floundering around with the format this season.  But I think they're perhaps inadvertently making a case for doing away with the Judges awarding points altogether.

[ari333]

I really liked the songs of the whole show. That rarely happens.

I will, from here on, definitely work, "Stanky pimp face" into my vernacular.

[Packerbrewerbadger]

Cheryl has been my all time favorite pro since the wonderful job she did with D Lachey, loved her with Emmitt( best rumba by a male contestant IMO). And she was totally robbed with Giles by watch me do a gymnastic routine Shawn. But for the first time I was glad she was voted off. I thought Drew was awful to her and it made me sad to watch them and how much he under appreciated her! Thought James was totally overscored , and PETA, your highlight season was Donald Driver! Loved Val!!! Back to Cheryl, Drew should have checked out the dancer she made out of that Osbourne kid! Now there was a partnership!

Edited April 22, 2014 by Packerbrewerbadger

[MortysCleaningLady]

Didn't see a separate Carrie Ann thread, so I'll comment here.

What was up with her hair?  It looked like she had a rough night the evening before and ended up with half her pony in a bowl of, well, Ty-D-Bowl.  (And this is coming from someone who adores Kelly Osbourne's lavender hair.)

[Packerbrewerbadger]

I love an intimate ballroom dance. Adding other dancers makes it into one big production number!! Please stop!!

Edited April 22, 2014 by Packerbrewerbadger

[CED9]

I get that TPTB have been floundering around with the format this season. But I think they're perhaps inadvertently making a case for doing away with the Judges awarding points altogether.

I've felt that way since the beginning. The scores mean so little at the end of the day why have them? Just have the judges critique without the scores. I feel like the celebrities put too much pressure on themselves by focusing on scores that it makes some less enjoyable to watch.

[Hybiscus]

Sidenote: How do they keep those giant earrings on during the dance? No really. I wonder these things.

Hey, something I can actually answer!  They use eyelash glue.  I used to do some amateur ballroom dancing.  Loved it. 

can someone tell me what the "feather" dance/move thing Maks did was. Len mentioned it.

I had to look up "feather" on Wikipedia.  The man steps outside the woman and turns his frame a bit.  It's a foxtrot move, but I can see where it'd work with tango.  I'll have to go back and watch to see where it is in the routine.

That said, I'm a DWTS virgin..  I watched the very first episode, but 1) didn't think it was "real ballroom," and 2) I hated Kelly Monaco.  So I have no history with the show and the pros.  I started watching this seasaon out of boredom, but have really been enjoying it (even with the crappy scorin), but that's probably because I have a little crush on Charlie White.  I was a tad disappointed in his scores this week, but I think you've all nailed it.  Sharna should ease up a bit on the choreography and tricks. She really shouldn't have pushed all the cane/umbrella work last week.  If Charlie loses, it will be because of her.

I thought the judges were spot on about Candace.  Here leg- and footwork on the cha cha were terrific—at times.  When she was on, it was gorgeous.  Her legs are awesome.  I didn't think Danica's was quite as good, but she is enjoyable to watch.

Meryl and Maks' tango totally deserved the perfect score.  Meryl's voice has annoyed me in the past, but I thought she was lovely this week, and definitely got into the dance.

Their critiques of NeNe were right, too.  Her body upper body is good, footwork, not so much. I'd wondered why sh'ed been so emotional after her dance last week, and now we know.  The sap in me says "Awww."

But James and Amy were way over-rated.  Amy was terrific, but not 10-worthy.  And James' quickstep was horrible:  bad footwork, bad knees, bad body.  Oh well.

[OakGoblinFly]

Since the scores are so whacked and the powers-that-be insist on a four judge panel, why not have two judges rate the technical aspect and the other two rate the performance piece.  It seems to break down that way anyway.

[Quickbeam]

I have a little crush on Charlie White

 

Who doesn't. Even my husband is dazzled by his smile. He'll be down in the basement and yell up to make sure and call him "when Charlie is on". 

I'm a rehab RN so I know I should be all about the differently abled but It bugs me that Amy is overscored. I do like that she pointed out that the ankle work for a waltz was far harder for her than the swing/jive. 

[Cherry Cola]

I started this season as a Candice fan, and I still am, but I am totally loving Charlie. He is my fave and who I am rooting for. I loved the black light dance. How fun was that! 

I am glad Drew is gone. I don't like him, and never really have. 

Redfoo wasn't as bad as I was thinking he would be. I liked his leopard print paddle. 

I liked the songs tonight and thought it was pretty fun to watch. 

[ari333]

Imo Nene looks like she's doing the same dance every week regardless of the dance assignment. Also, to me there seems to be a lot of posing and cheerleader arm movements. I would rather she go than Drew, but Drew seemed to have lost his joy that he started out with. IDK what happened, but I'm curious. I guarantee that NeNe bought the flowers and had Tony give them to her... or at least that's how it happened in my head. :) She should have given him flowers, imo, but what do I know. 

Edited April 22, 2014 by ari333