S18.E07: Week 7: Latin Night

[radishcake]

Grammy® winner Ricky Martin kicked off the night with a show-stopping opening performance of his 2014 World Cup song “Vida” accompanied by the Pro Dancers. He then joined Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba as a guest judge for the evening. Each couple performed an individual dance to a song with a Latin theme. Additionally, the competition included two Latin inspired team dances. At the end of the night, one couple faced elimination...

[darbar]

Peta has gone way beyond slut with her outfit. I'm sorry, but cheap hooker look does not play well during prime time. She always pushes the limit on her trampy outfits, but this was really bad.

Edited April 29, 2014 by darbar

[susannot]

I like the fact that we can discuss the show while it i still on on PTV! OMG, how I love Maks and Meryl.

[mbutterfly]

I was ready for Nene to go. I simply couldn't warm to her.

[Packerbrewerbadger]

I definitely did not need to hear about Amy's "trouble at home" and if I were here boyfriend I would not be happy with her. Is nothing private anymore???

I really ,really , really Hate extra dancers in their routines!! It really distracted from Meryl especially.

Maybe if they saved the lifts and tricks until the finale like the early seasons, we"d have less injuries.......

James overscored again, wish he had Cheryl as a partner.

[Quickbeam]

Charlie was underscored. Again. I loved that paso.

[crowceilidh]

Can this thread have "Latin Night" after the episode number?  I find it really easy to find the right thread with the storybook name as well.

 

Glad to see the end of NeNe - I don't think she treated Tony very well.  Also I am just done with watching her dance.

 

Both the team dances were pretty fun to watch.

[msburg]

I totally agree about Peta's outfit -- seriously, a garter belt at 8:15 in the show?  I had to scoot my 9 year old daughter out of the room for that one.  And I'm also tired of CAI going on about sexy James.  I just cannot agree with that.  Meh.

 

I am also quite sorry that Charlie is getting a little Stockholm on us.  What the heck -- I was happy that he resisted the urge to manscape, up until this week anyway. The judges were right -- he wasn't very sharp and his movements were abbreviated. 

 

I thought Candace could show Peta a thing or two about sexy wardrobe.  Aside from all of the extraneous nonsense there, Candace looked smoking tonight.  Talk about using wardrobe to enhance.  She looked stunning while accommodating her sense of modesty.

 

I liked Ricky Martin as a judge.  He was the proper amount of self deprecating while owning what he really liked. And speaking of judging, I'm very happy that CAI stated the obvious, and (finally) decided to judge everyone as equals as far as Amy and Derek are concerned.

 

Teams were extremely lopsided -- I can't believe how much better the red team's dress rehearsal was over the blue team performance.  Wow.

 

I'm also pleased that while we saw the bachelor's Juan Pablo and Nikki over Tom's right shoulder for most of the Latin Night show, we didn't hear a word out of his mouth.  So, so happy he isn't on this season.

[ali59]

I think the Argentine Tango is my favorite dance of all time.  I like it so much that I'll even put up with watching Mark dance it.  Bye bye Ne Ne!

 

I definitely did not need to hear about Amy's "trouble at home" and if I were here boyfriend I would not be happy with her. Is nothing private anymore???

 

 

It was already not private when they were on The Amazing Race.  I said back then that she should dump him.

Edited April 29, 2014 by ali59

[crowceilidh]

I defo agree that Maks and Meryl were hard to see FAR TOO OFTEN because of all the dancers messing up the visuals.

[Ripley68]

I missed most of the show because of storms.  Just saw Nene and Charlie.  Argentine Tango is my favorite and Nene ruined it!  Knew she was gone when they put Charlie in danger. There is no way he was going home.  I was so mad at Len, Charlies Paso was awesome. Yes there was a bobble, but he got the same scores as Danica and Nene?  No way!  Oh yeah, saw Danica too. I agree with Ricky, she is one tough chick!

 

Oh yeah, Tony made a huge mistake with adding other dancers, especially when they did the same thing Nene did.  Totally empasized how horrible she was.

Edited April 29, 2014 by Ripley68

[Shades of Red]

darbar - I don't agree with the "slut" comment, but agree with the hooker look.  A bra, panties and garter belt are just unacceptable as a "costume" for a dance that isn't performed with that kind of outfit in mind.  At the very least she could have put a fringe skirt on with it.  I thought some of her previous outfits were a little out there but figured oh well, to each their own.  This time around was too much ... or should I say too little and inappropriate?

 

On a shallow note - how hot did Ricky Martin look?!  That man is aging very well!

 

So was that a slip of the tongue by Carrie Ann when she told Amy "when you win" and then realized what she said and then tried to qualify the remark?  Way to let the cat out of the bag.  So what happens now if Amy is told she can't continue?  New game plan show?  BTW - I wasn't impressed with the background package for Derek and Amy.  If your relationship is in trouble due to scheduling issues, instead of taking something else on, shouldn't you be trying to save the relationship and not committing to more stuff?  Was that her boyfriend in the audience?  How much of a shit does he look like now?  That must be great for their relationship?

 

Another slip of the tongue possibly when Meryl said something about a personal relationship with Maks?  I know there's been a lot of speculation about the two of them, but tonight was the first time I wondered if they really are a couple now?

[Charlie Baker]

Still finding it hard to accept that Mark Ballas is showcasing Candice so well--but damn if he isn't.  He's making her look good, despite her neuroses.  
 

Guess it's time for people to start getting hurt.  Hope Danica and Amy both hold up.

 

I am now officially not a fan of using other dancers in the individual routines.  It's distracting.  They're doing too much with it.

[truthaboutluv]

So I guess along with Latin Night, the theme for tonight was also, "Night of the Bad Hair and Bad Outfits". Between that hot mess Danica was wearing, Meryl's hair, Nene's outfit, Peta's outfit and Team Vida's outfits, yeah just a whole lot of bad all around. Which speaking of bad hair, I guess someone had an honest conversation with Carrie Ann about how she really looks because tonight was the most toned down I've seen her in many seasons - the hair, makeup, dress was all very demure. I guess she got over whatever drug she was on last week that made her think that thing in her hair was a good idea. 

 

I didn't really care about the team dances because the outcome was so obvious it was just an utter waste of time. Also Val, I like you dude but shut it with that Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, etc. crap. Derek and Mark should have snarked about being the only ones who've actually won the Mirror Ball. I just found the arrogance in that clip very off-putting and especially interesting coming from the two who've actually never even won the damn competition. 

 

Meanwhile I agreed with Len about Maks and Meryl's dance. It was okay but I definitely thought it was hectic in parts and because it was, it caused some of the tricks to look sloppy. Also, I'm sorry but Meryl is not the least bit sexy to me and no amount of hip grinding is going to change that. It probably has to do with the fact that she has the body of a pre-pubescent boy. Meanwhile Charlie ol' boy, may be time to pull out the showmance with Sharna (kidding...) But yeah, he needs to pull out something outstanding next week because right now he's getting outscored by James and that's just wrong on so many levels. Speaking of James, ah Peta girl, I want to defend you because I do think some of the slut-shaming and name-calling you get is a little out of control but seriously...in your underwear, really? And then that wasn't enough you had to have the slow strip-tease with James' shirt too...really? Missed Amy and Derek so no comment on their rumba and don't care about Nene so didn't watch. Plus she got voted out anyway so it doesn't matter.

Edited April 29, 2014 by truthaboutluv

[TooMuchCoffee]

Yes, the second team was better.  I still call bs because the playing field was so uneven. 

 

1. All four of the men were pros. They could control the dance and provide that solid base and synchronicity that the judges complained about with Charlie and James. And they were saddled with the weakest female remaining.

2. As Len pointed out, a dress rehearsal is more relaxed. Live is harder.

3.  Watching a 3D performance on a flat monitor simply isn't the same as watching live.  Judge both teams from the televised rehearsal. 

Edited April 29, 2014 by TooMuchCoffee

[spanana]

Tonight's whole show was an awful, awful mess.  The only person who made any sort of improvement seemed to be Candace.  Everybody else is stagnating or backsliding, due to injuries or otherwise.   Oh and lots and lots of tears.

 

Also if Danica has a fractured rib, why was she gyrating in and out of every commercial break?   I assume she was hopped up on pain meds, but it seemed stupid of her to be dancing when she didn't need to dance. 

 

I couldn't even find Meryl on the dance floor for part of her dance, so I agreed with Len there.

[MarySNJ]

That was fun!! Colorful and lots of topless men. /shallow.

 

Loved Meryl and Maks as always but agree with Len that it was awfully busy with a lot going on.

 

I felt the same way about Danica's dance and Nene's as well. I guess I just prefer the simplicity of a couple dancing. Danica is a trooper to manage all that with a cracked rib. Yikes. And Nene... not a good dancer but she definitely knows how to own a stage.

 

I was impressed with how well Candace did this week. She found some sexy woman inside her for that.

 

I love Charlie but there were a couple of spots in the dance that looked ... messy?  I appreciate Sharna trying to bring his sexy, serious side.

 

I've never really gotten the fascination with James, and Peta is trying to hard with that "costume", but they had a couple nice tricks in there.

 

I thought Amy and Derek's dance was lovely.

 

Both group numbers were very entertaining.

 

Is it typical that stars get injured this much during the dances?

[Flick]

I agree that Peta's outfit was inappropriate this week and usually her outfits don't bother me in the slightest. That said, I think it can probably just be left that her outfit was inappropriate and not be tossing around the "slut" commentary. I'm not going to get into a big social justice rant, but it's a really ugly, unnecessary, and misogynistic word.

 

My giant take away from this week (other than I still hate the extra dancers) is that they've got to actively be trying to screw Charlie for some unknown reason. Is it to give him a glorious comeback story or are they trying to get rid of him because he was just a necessary part of getting Meryl? Obviously, I don't think either of those things is true but I have felt he's been somewhat underscored several times (as in I don't think that all judges scores should be higher for him, but there've been weeks where I've felt like one or two judges should've been bumped up a point) and even though I know they supposedly chose the teams themselves, the disparity between the two groups was astounding. I figured it would be when the teams were released, though not because of the stars but rather the pros involved.

[crowceilidh]

I really liked Ricky Martin as a judge.  He was very genuine and he'd clearly been watching all season in preparation which was charming.

 

I thought Charlie and Sharna's dance was fascinating.  I'd like to watch it again -- it was one of the dances where I felt I was not completely understanding what I am seeing.  I usually find that kind of dance to be very fun to re-watch.

Edited April 29, 2014 by crowceilidh

[GraceTX]

Sharna needs to stop choreographing too much stuff in their routines.  Charlie can dance, but she's cramming full of so much crap that it's not showcasing him at all.   

 

I'm glad NeNe is gone. Girl can't dance.  Sorry.  I don't care if she owns the stage, it's a dancing show and she sucks at it and should go home.   

 

Maks and Meryl, I love them.   I love Candace and *gasp* Mark this year.   I love Danica and Val.   I love Sharna and Charlie.   Peta and James, meh.   Girl needs to put on some clothes.  I'm not going to call her a slut, but she was looking pretty swanky out there.  There's nothing wrong with a little lingerie, but a dancing show during primetime tv isn't one of them.  

 

I loved Ricky Martin as a guest show.  He was kind and very excited about the performances.  He seemed really stoked to be there.

Edited April 29, 2014 by GraceTX

[truthaboutluv]

I forgot to mention that I too enjoyed Ricky Martin. I was actually surprised at some of the reactions last week to his being announced as the guest judge. I knew he'd if nothing else, not sound completely brainless and have nothing interesting to say like RedFoo and Ricky is a performer - he may not know exact ballroom technique (but hell Carrie Ann is there and neither does she) but knows how to entertain, how to perform and draw a crowd in and would likely be able to recognize that in others. So I figured he'd be a decent guest judge. I thought it was also cool that he gave both teams a 10 because they were dancing to his song. 

 

I also saw Juan Pablo poking his head around and desperately trying to get on camera all night. Ah Juan Pablo, still hoping for that call from DWTS I see. Keep dreaming dude. With Andi's season coming which they were already promoting heavily tonight, they'll have a whole new batch of people to pick from. That ship has sailed - thank goodness. 

[gryphon]

I can't believe how much I enjoyed Ricky Martin as a judge.  He was pretty insightful and really put some thought behind his comments. And, yeah, his hotness doesn't hurt either.  He would be a blast to dance with, I think.

 

I really like James...but Peta?  I know you have a great body.  Enough.  Classy is sexy too. 

 

I can't seem to warm to Candace--but she has improved.  Hope Amy is ok....and Danica jumping rope with a busted rib?  Not too smart.  I hate it when people get injured. Bye NeNe.  Thanks for giving it your all. 

 

ETA:  I forgot I learned a new word from that sports psychologist:  Perfectionistic.  

Edited April 29, 2014 by gryphon

[truthaboutluv]

On a more important note, why was Dr. Berman helping Candace with her live performance anxiety issues and why was she being referred to as a sports psychologist? I thought she was a relationship counselor or at least she plays one on VH-1. I mean I always figured all these television "doctors" are quacks but way to really lift the veil on that one.

[Barbara Manatee]

Are the team dance scores combined with the individual scores for next week's elimination? If so, either Charlie or James is done. That doesn't seem fair at all.

[Hybiscus]

I am also quite sorry that Charlie is getting a little Stockholm on us.  What the heck -- I was happy that he resisted the urge to manscape, up until this week anyway. The judges were right -- he wasn't very sharp and his movements were abbreviated.

 

As a Charlie fan primarily, I was disappointed in tonight.  I agree about the manscaping.  Truthfully, I don't like all the guys not wearing shirts.  It takes away from the dance rather than add to it.  I don't care for the Paso Doble, so I can't really say whether he did good or not.  So far Charlie hasn't had one smooth/standard dance other than the tango, and wasn't that an Argentine tango?  it has a much more staccato rhythm than normal smooth dances.  I hope he gets something smooth next week.  And hope that Sharna doesn't overkill the choreography.

 

I did love the Team Vida dance (but then samba is my favorite dance), but was so disappointed with their scores, I didn't even bother watching the other team.  It truly wasn't fair that all the men on that team were pros, but then, Charlie picked James first, so there ya go.

[truthaboutluv]

Yeah they're combined but I can still see Candace being eliminated or even Danica really.

[againstthewind]

Peta comes across as looking very, very desperate. Not sure if it's the showmance angle the producers are playing up, or what have you, but all I see is her gyrating all over James and him being kind of meh about it. I normally have zero issue with her clothes, but seriously, that was a lingerie set.

 

With they would kill the background dancers - I had a hard time picking out Meryl in the beginning there.

 

I get that Charlie's paso wasn't technically perfect, but I loved the music, intensity and choreography.

 

Glad to see Nene gone. I think its Amy's time to go next. The dances are only going to get harder from here.

[TeeM]

I agree with a lot of what everyone else already said. Tonight was kind of a letdown for me overall. 

 

I think Charlie and Sharna have been underscored some other weeks but this week, I sort of agree with Len that the dance was missing something. I do think he deserved more than an 8 though! 

 

Peta's outfit was absurd and as far as I can tell had nothing to do with the dance. She could have worn something sexy and sassy under that gas station uniform that was not an ad from Frederick's of Hollywood. James continues to underwhelm me. I feel the same about him that I do about Danica. They are both always good but they don't blow me away. I have no need to watch their dances again.

 

I thought Meryl was great but hated all the extra people in the dance. I wish they would get rid of the overuse of the troupe in every single dance. It is distracting. 

 

Amy and Derek's dance was nice but I still think she is being overscored. I do hope she is okay and able to dance next week though. Also, what a tacky rehearsal package they put together for her this week, complete with 400 cuts to her sad looking boyfriend in the audience. Yikes. 

 

Candace had my favorite dance this week. I could have done with less time spent watching her therapy session but I am really glad that she had a breakthrough this week. You can tell this show means a lot to her and she is working so hard. Also, they probably could have saved some money on the therapist and just sent her to see Dr. Meryl! Worked for Maks last week and even Charlie booked an appointment this week. 

[SanLynn]

Seeing Juan Pablo trying to mug for the camera just made me giggle. I wonder if ABC was trying to make something up to him positioning him right behind Tom the whole night so he could photobomb all the closeups.

 

I forgot how much I liked Ricky Martin's music until I saw him perform and heard the 2006 World Cup Anthem and Livin La Vida Loca again. And I thought he was a good guest judge. Sure he overscored some people but I liked that he was genuine about what he liked and that he actually seemed to have watched the show. I don't like the guest judges generally and I'm really going to struggle to get through next week but I thought he was good.

 

Dance of the night for me was Meryl and Maks but I wished they had gone without the backup dancers. I agree with all who said it took away from her performance. And they certainly didn't need them.

 

I feel bad for Charlie. It must be hard for him to watch Meryl get great scores and comments while he's not. Especially after all those years when they were in it together. But I had to agree with the judges tonight in that sometimes he's a little sloppy with his finishes. And I really think he's just trying too hard. He wants the 10s so much he's sabotaging himself without realizing it.

 

Danica did really well for a fractured rib. I'm sad that we didn't get to see the performance they wanted to do. And I think the last minute changes they had to make caused the little bit of messiness we saw at times. I really like her and Val but I wonder if she should stop for her health.

 

I tend to sort of watch the other couples while I'm doing other things so I can't really offer any thoughts on them. The above three are the only ones I stop for.

 

That said, I wish Amy the best and hope she gets better and can continue.

 

And I'm not sad to see NeNe go. She did better than expected, probably because of her fanbase.

 

Oh and even I couldn't miss Peeta's outfit. Since when is lingerie a dance costume? I already don't like her and James because I feel he's routinely overscored but that outfit just made me gag.

 

I'd be curious to see Team Vida's dress rehearsal. I wondered after all the explaining if the stars go for it now more in the dress rehearsal in case something happens during the show. I remember when Melissa got hurt, their dress rehearsal was basically just her and Tony marking steps, not really doing the dance.

 

Course Melissa was already hurt at that point. But I did think that maybe after that happened the stars and pros started doing the dance full out just in case.

 

Also it could be that they danced so full on in rehearsal because they were worried Danica wouldn't be able to go and then it ended up being Amy so at least they had an actual performance.

 

It would be nice if next week we got to see the performance Team Loca did for the crowd. Or maybe if that got posted online somewhere.

 

Wow this post is long. Bed time for me.

Edited April 29, 2014 by SanLynn

[Bitsy]

The camera work really sucks this season.  Every single week, there's something really important that I know I'm missing because the camera is cutting it off or has cut away to something else.  Awful.  Blame the cameras for not being able to find Meryl in her own dance FFS.

 

Yes, the second team was better.  I still call bs because the playing field was so uneven.

Blame Charlie.  He had the option of choosing Amy and Derek - who has never lost a team dance ever - and he chose James & Peta.  It was all up to him.  He didn't even have Sharna influencing him.  If Charlie had chosen Derek and Amy, that would have left Nene/Tony and Mark/Candace and Meryl may very well have chosen Tony knowing that he's Maks' BFF and they work together. 

[Corazi]

Erin's whole, "I'm engaged!" thing was awkward. No one really knew how to react to that. 

 

Meryl was good, as usual, but I really don't know why they allow background dancers in the routines. If the judges (and audience) are supposed to be judging the star, then cut all the crap and just let the star dance without all the distractions. 

 

Amy's package was uncomfortable. I would be pissed if my husband ever talked about our personal business on tv like that. I guess she didn't see the big deal because of all the oversharing people do online now. She was good, I don't believe Carrie Ann when she said that now Amy would be judged like everyone else. They said that on day one and we know how that went.

 

Danica and her broken rib. Holy crap, that was great considering how much that must have hurt. I liked her dance a lot and don't understand how she got an 8 while Amy got a 9 with the lift and the other errors I saw.

 

Candice looked lost all night. During her dance she had a weird look on her face like she wasn't all there. I think the stress is becoming too much for her.

 

Sharna needs to learn that sometimes less is more. I love the Paso and think Charlie did great, but it's better to have less intricate choreography that you can perform cleanly instead of trying to cram in everything like, 'Look what Charlie and I can do!'

 

James is there, he leaves no impact on me. Peta looked like a prostitute. There's looking sexy and there's looking skanky. Maybe next week she'll come out completely naked.

 

Bye Nene.

 

ETA- Did the judges see the second team dance just like it appeared on TV? Because if they did then that's definitely not fair. All of the different camera angles made it difficult to see the sync and the footwork, so they really weren't able to judge properly. I agree with those who said that both teams should have been able to use the rehearsal footage, at least that would have made things more equalish for when it came time for judging...there's no hiding Nene being a beat behind.

Edited April 29, 2014 by Corazi

[WhitneyWhit]

You know, normally I'm amused at whatever combination of tape and sequins Peta can come up with but tonight was too much. I've never felt this intense chemistry they're supposed to have, in fact, I find the gross and desperate.

 

I actually agreed with Charlie's scores. There was some rough patches and missteps and the choreography was lacking something. I feel like Sharna either over choreographs or under choreographs, I wish she could find a balance.

 

I thought Amy's rumba was beautiful, but I'm worried about her going forward, And if her relationship is struggling due to time spent apart, then what is she doing here?

 

So long Nene, I hope you didn't hurt yourself patting yourself on the back, and how nice of you to thank your partner who should be sainted for putting up with you.

 

I would have liked to seen Meryl and Maks without the backup dancers, they really don't need them.

Edited April 29, 2014 by WhitneyWhit

[TeeM]

I do wonder a bit if Charlie is just not dealing as well with the super hectic schedule of doing this and Stars on Ice as Meryl is and it is being reflected in his dances.

 

In the non dancing portions of the show, he seems more and more exhausted every week and I've seen some other interviews with him where he is his smiley self but still sort of looks like he wishes someone would just tell him to go take a nap. I know he has a long term girlfriend and it is still a bit unclear if Meryl actually has a boyfriend or not, but that is just something else for him to juggle. Regardless of whether they are having a showmance or a fauxmance or a real romance or just a fun friendship, it is clear that Meryl and Maks are having a good time together and she seems much peppier and engaged in lots of the non-dancing footage. Of course, I guess it is easier to be peppy when you are getting 10s most weeks. 

[TooMuchCoffee]

The camera work really sucks this season.  Every single week, there's something really important that I know I'm missing because the camera is cutting it off or has cut away to something else.  Awful.  Blame the cameras for not being able to find Meryl in her own dance FFS.

 

 

 

Blame Charlie.  He had the option of choosing Amy and Derek - who has never lost a team dance ever - and he chose James & Peta.  It was all up to him.  He didn't even have Sharna influencing him.  If Charlie had chosen Derek and Amy, that would have left Nene/Tony and Mark/Candace and Meryl may very well have chosen Tony knowing that he's Maks' BFF and they work together. 

Yes.  That was an odd choice. 

[fembotz]

 

Also Val, I like you dude but shut it with that Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, etc. crap. Derek

 

Haha, I thought Charlie threw some shade in his direction in their post-team dance interview with Erin over those comments.

 

I was really irritated with the judge's comments for Charlie. Even if his paso wasn't perfect, the judges were so harsh on him. They could have at least been constructive and paid him some compliments while pointing out that he's having issues with the movement. I agree with whoever said he looked really tired. I think he seems a lot less animated in interviews than usual, and Meryl does seem peppier and in better spirits. Maybe he is trying too hard to please the judges or be perfect, at this point I hope he decides to stop worrying about getting the perfect score and just has some fun. He has the quickstep next week, which should be a strong dance for him.

 

I have to say this episode was kind of lackluster for me. I mostly enjoyed the dances, but IDK, the episode lacked pizzaz or something. Maybe it was everyone getting injured left and right. 

Edited April 29, 2014 by fembotz

[Shannon L.]

 

I was so mad at Len, Charlies Paso was awesome.

 

I was really irritated with the judge's comments for Charlie. Even if his paso wasn't perfect, the judges were so harsh on him. They could have at least been constructive and paid him some compliments while pointing out that he's having issues with the movement

Did I miss a clarification from Len, or did he really just say "To get a 10 I need to see something special.  That wasn't special."?  Wow.  Talk about blunt.  Thank God for Ricky Martin (looking good as always!) giving him a compliment.  I was impressed with Sharna on her first season and how she managed Andy Dick, but I agree that she needs to tone it down with Charlie a little bit. 

 

 

I didn't really care for either team dance, although admittedly, the second was a bit better. 

 

 

God knows I'm not a prude-far from it, but not only did I think that Peta's outfit was too much, but her comment about their dance being a lot of "rubbing up against each other" and "a lot of stuff going on down there" (I'm sure those aren't exact words, but close) was a bit much. 

[UsernameFatigue]

I never thought it would be possible to out-do Edyta where costumes (or lack of same) are concerned, but Peta managed to tonight. Who knew that ballroom dance and stripping has similar costuming? Ya learn something every day.

I hated the music that Charlie danced to - it was hard to concentrate on his performance because the song was so bad.

What is CA smoking? To give MeMe and Candice the same mark was ridiculous. So glad the narcissist is gone.

Loved Maks and Meryl, as always. Also loved the looks Meryl was giving Maks and Candice in the rehersal. Meryl definitely has it bad for Maks - not that I blame her.

I didn't see the point of Amy discussing her personal life and how they have had problems for the last year and a half. If you are already having problems with your long time partner, why sign up for DWTS?

Edited April 29, 2014 by UsernameFatigue

[Glaadrial]

2. As Len pointed out, a dress rehearsal is more relaxed. Live is harder.

3.  Watching a 3D performance on a flat monitor simply isn't the same as watching live.  Judge both teams from the televised rehearsal. 

I doubt that if the injured dancer had been on TeamVida that their performance would have been judged better because of the way that they worked the space. I suspect that TeamVida got a boost of energy from the crowd and from performing live. If given a choice, I doubt that they would have elected to submit their "dress rehearsal" over performing live.

 

When it happened before with Melissa, the judges commented that they had to judge what they saw and that since she didn't have the benefit of utilizing the energy that comes from performing live, the performance suffered somewhat. I seem to remember that it was Len's comment that was something to that effect, so I was surprised that he commented as he did tonight. For all intents and purposes, yes, the pressure is off but that's mostly because the "dress rehearsal" doesn't count, so if it's amazing (as I thought that run-through was) then it should be rewarded when the rules and circumstances dictate that the "dress rehearsal" does count.

 

I'm usually,TeamLen all the way because I, generally, agree with his fussiness; but, I found it a bit disrespectful of the work that the uninjured dancers put into the number to say, basically: "I refuse to give you a 10 because it's easier to deliver a performance worthy of a 10 in dress rehearsal." I'd have felt more comfortable with his score if he had said something like: "It's a shame that you weren't able to perform this live because I'm sure that some of the imperfections could have been cleaned up in a live run-through."

 

In the end it doesn't really matter because both guys, likely (hopefully?), will not need the boost next week and all the remaining ladies were on the same team.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

Huzzah!  NeNe is Bye Bye.

 

We had true history on both sides made in the group dance.  Derek's team destroyed La Vida Loca and a single dancer was exposed as never before (NeNe).  Now, I think it was a totally unfair advantage for any dancer or team to have been given Loca.  Fie on Conrad for that.  But, watching the last third of the gallows team where two couple were going all out with a darn good and difficult synchronized salsa, NeNe just stood on stage, intentionally out of camera view, waving her arms to and fro.  I've never seen such a thing for such a long period of a group dance.  Wow.  She must have been horrendous in practice for that kind of relegation by the others.  They still deserved 9s.

 

I haaaaate that I think this, but I do:  The problem with Charlie is not Charlie.  It is Sharna.  Ugh.  I love her.  She's just overmatched going for a trophy.  She only knows one speed:  All out.  

 

Erin had the best night any female host ever had on DWTS.  Her post-dance interview with Meryl and Maks is the single best I've seen.  She went right at Meryl's emotions having come off a super sexy performance, well out of her element.  It was real.  Then, messing with Maks and getting a hilarious and clean response was the cherry on that sundae.  No other previous host could have done that.

 

I bet that was the actual bottom two and that Charlie was not 3rd lowest.  James and Danica will be B2 and each will be gone within two shows.  YMMV.

 

ETA:  I laughed when I saw they put Len between Bruno and Ricky.  Poor Bruno.  Hahahahaha.

Edited April 29, 2014 by Lonesome Rhodes

[kitcloudkicker]

I'm wondering now if Candace's "finding her confidence" story arc is going to propel her to hang in there a couple extra weeks ahead of Danica and James. The therapy session seemed way staged but otherwise she's some personality and spunk, maybe more than Danica and James right now. Did anyone catch her grabbing Derek and Mark's chesteses after the group dance? (And I mean, really, anyone who can maintain a friendship with Stamos and Bob Sagat can't be that much of a prude.) 

 

Amy and Meryl were my two favorite dances of the night, and were my favorites in the group dances. I hope Amy's injury and personal dramz don't overshadow the dancing. I still want a Meryl/Charlie/Amy top 3. 

[crocosmia]

Charlie is my favorite.  He's a cutie and a talented dancer.   I agree that he's often under-scored (or maybe it's just that some of the others have been so over-scored that he seems under-scored in the comparison).     Sharna is a creative choreographer, and I've enjoyed her the past couple of seasons, but I do wish she'd feature Charlie's skills as a performance artist and quit trying so many tricks.   A little of that goes a long way.

 

I would love to see Charlie win, but I also like Meryl, and I think it would be nice to see Maks finally win one of these things.   It might do much to improve his surly moods.  Also, it would be refreshing to see an occasional non-Derek final.  

 

I thought Amy and Derek's dance was lovely, and she is truly an inspiration, but it is bothersome that she's not scored on the same level as the others, and it is obvious that she is not.  I don't know if the judges can be totally objective with her, given the way she has triumphed over her disability.  And she seems like a nice person.   So she ends up being over-scored for her dancing while others have to compete under the conventional standards. 

 

Peta and James should just get a room and take Carrie Ann with them.  I don't enjoy watching them at all, and Carrie Ann's ridiculous drooling over them every week is annoying.    James is cute but overrated, and Peta's costumes are often tacky and distracting.  I've read comparisons to Edyta in her choice of near-nakedness, but at least Edyta had a likable personality.     Edyta's costumes were revealing with scarf-like attachments flowing all over the place, whereas Peta's costumes often have no moving parts, just a lot of skin.   She and James have a gotta-be-naked-to-be-sexy act that is just too fabricated to be entertaining.

 

And speaking of skin, regarding the men, too much shirtlessness takes away from the titillation of the occasional bared chest.   They're all starting to look alike.  Their shaved and waxed chests tend to have a plastic Ken-doll look to all of them.  

 

Except for Nene, the remaining contestants each have at least a bit of likability, so I wasn't the least bit sad or surprised to see Nene and her giant ego eliminated.

[Woodrose]

Sorry to correct Lord Tom, but Melissa Rycroft is not the one and only instance of rehearsal footage being judged in the competition. Don't forget Steve-O.

 

Melissa was injured before the dress rehearsal, and her camera-blocking footage was shown, with her dancing in her blue jeans.  It was scored.  Then, in the team dance, Lacey did Melissa's part, and Melissa received the team dance score even though she didn't dance it (which created a bit of controversy).

 

Steve-O injured his back during dress rehearsal, and his dress rehearsal footage with Lacey was shown and judged. He did make it through that week, and a couple of weeks beyond.

 

I've been voting for Danica and Amy this season, but I don't want to see them carry on and injure themselves further.  So, Charlie and Sharna got my votes this evening.

 

Danica and Val traveled to DC this week for a Science Fair and both appeared onstage with Bill Nye.  It's really too bad that her package was focused on her injury, because it would have been interesting and fun to see geek-Danica promoting her math books.

 

Amy's package about her boyfriend was cringe-worthy.  I wish she hadn't cooperated with any intrusive questions the producers asked to put that one together. Ugh.  Between her injury and that embarrassing pre-dance footage, I'm ready for her to go home for her own sake.

 

I'm beyond tired of the additional dancers in the numbers.  They just violate the entire spirit of Dancing With The Stars, which is based around watching stars and their pro partners perform 1.5 minute dance routines that they've practiced all week long. Not celebrities as bit players in huge production numbers.  

[MMLEsq]

So long Nene, I hope you didn't hurt yourself patting yourself on the back, and how nice of you to thank your partner who should be sainted for putting up with you.

Exactly!  She thanked everyone she could think of except Tony.  They both brought up how they'd fought, made up and moved on, but they way each said it, it seemed to me that they had fought, sort of made up, but had clearly not moved on.  Oh well, Tony is a class act, so I knew that he'd be nothing if not gracious towards her.  Also, Nene said (whined a little bit, if you ask me) that she had been up against Olympians and that she had no dance experience, etc., but Danica, Candace and James are not Olympians either and Nene was a professional "dancer" earlier in her life.  She probably had flashbacks to her former career when she saw Peta's outfit.   

 

I didn't like Carrie Ann's comment suggesting that Amy was going to win....I'd prefer Meryl or Charlie or Danica or Candace.  I agree with the posters above who said that Peta just comes across a bit desperate.  Also, while I really like Charlie, he's almost to the point of begging for 10s, so I wish he'd just stop caring about the scores and instead focus on having fun. 

[OakGoblinFly]

For Latin Night, there was a discernable lack of actual Latin music.  The dances ranged from okay to meh, the only one being outstanding was Team Loca’s dance (and I really wished Amy were there to dance it live).

 

Hello, Ricky Martin.  So very nice to see you again and I thought your performance was very energetic, entertaining, and pretty terrific.  Say what you want, that man is a wonderful entertainer.

 

Carrie Anne, please just go away.  No, shut up and then go away.  Between your incoherent babbling, lusting after James, hatred of the female contestants, indiscriminate application of “rules”, and blatant favoritism I, I, I just can’t anymore.

 

Erin was especially awful last night; between flubbing lines, making Tony feel uncomfortable, more cheap shots at Maks, and bothering Amy I found myself going from feeling indifferent toward her to active dislike.

 

Buh-bye NeNe, I’m not sad to see you go.  I thought it was rude that she did not thank Tony when she was going down her list and saying how proud she was of herself.

 

Show, never ever have an instant Twitter vote again.  It was stupid, manipulative, and I thought it made Tony feel very comfortable which in turn made me feel uncomfortable.

 

I didn’t understand Amy’s package; is her relationship in “trouble” because they’re not a good couple or because she’s been so busy and hasn’t had much time with her boyfriend?  Weird.  Regardless, I thought she looked stunning last night and I really was impressed with the Rumba.  There was a lot of Rumba content in it and I thought Amy danced it well.  You could see that she had some issues with foot placement; still a lovely dance.  I thought it was sexy while remaining elegant and sophisticated.

 

I hope Amy is okay; I wanted to smack Erin as she kept shoving the mike in Amy’s face.  You could see in Amy’s eyes that she was in pain and trying to key a brave face.  Derek didn’t look too pleased with the questioning either (and I appreciate him giving a shout-out to Amy after the team dance scores were announced).

 

Wow, whose puppy did Charlie beat?  I know that his dance wasn’t very good; still he did not deserve the verbal smack down he received at judging (especially when you consider how soft the judges were on NeNe).  Charlie dear, you aren’t going to get a ten for two reasons: (1) Sharna’s choreography; she needs to tone it down, slow it down, and let your wonderful musicality, dance ability, and personality shine; let us see the basic movements and (2) a concerted effort to  get Maks his trophy.

 

I thought the producers’ agenda was on full display last night with “Charlie wants a ten” and “isn’t Meryl wonderful” pre-packages.  The editors have gone from showing Charlie as a hard-working, fun guy to one who is desperate for a ten and to beat Meryl whereas Meryl’s packages have gone from showing her to be a timid, cool persona to little miss sunshine. 

 

I was thrilled that Candace was called safe, I think between the relaxation techniques she learned at the sports psychologist and knowing she was safe she performed her best dance since week one.  I thought that Tango was fantastic, even with the missed steps.  I really see improvement in her technique. If Candace didn’t have the “deer in the headlights” look in her eyes when she missed her steps, I never would have noticed.  Also, I think she looked gorgeous.  Mark has been styling her beautifully every week; from her hair, make-up, and costumes she always looks stunning.  Candace clearly wins this season for best styling.

 

Poor Danica; I wish I could have seen that dance with fully healed ribs.  I thought she looked adorable, straight out of a late 80s/early 90s music video.

 

Normal I am worried about a wardrobe malfunction when Peta dances; this time I was extremely fearful James would lose his pants.  That being said, that Samba was bad.  Also, Peta really needs to consider different make-up; in rehearsal she looks fresh-faced, youthful, and approachable pretty yet in her dance make up she looks old and haggard.

 

No, Bruno, no.  Meryl did not “keep up with the pros” nor did she “look like a professional ballroom dancer.”  She performed the steps exceptionally well, yet she was lacking the refinement of the professional dancers behind her (my eyes were drawn to Jenna).  She looked very much like a professional dancer who isn’t trained in ballroom.  I wasn’t as impressed with the dance as the judges as I thought there was very little Salsa content; it was all spins and flips.  Maks, we all know Meryl can spin like a little top and it’s very easy to toss her itty bitty frame all over the stage.  That doesn’t mean you need to do that every dance.  Please just stop it.  Also, what did Meryl ever do to you that you keep styling her so horribly?  Between the frizzy hair, pink eye shadow, fringe over shorts, clunky shoes, and extra-large fishnet Meryl looked awful.  She’s not an unattractive woman, stop dressing her like a troll doll.

 

And because it cannot be said enough: Shut up Carrie Anne.

Edited April 29, 2014 by OakGoblinFly

[StayClassySD]

Unfortunately I can't copy/paste links while I'm mobile but Peta's outfit while it may not have worked for a samba was right on par with Julianne's outfit she wore for a rumba during her season that she danced with then boyfriend Chuck Wicks. Just Google it.

[WhitneyWhit]

Not quite, here's Julianne's outfit..

http://xfinity.comcast.net/blogs/tv/files/2009/04/juliannepod.jpg

 

Peta was literally dancing in her underwear.

[StayClassySD]

And Juliannes outfit can be seen as lingerie with those thigh highs. I don't see the difference. Women wear less on a beach so I'm not going to demonize her costume choices. JMO.

[shok]

I do wonder a bit if Charlie is just not dealing as well with the super hectic schedule of doing this and Stars on Ice as Meryl is and it is being reflected in his dances.

 

 

Charlie's problem stems from his figure skating background. The skates have a toe pick which is used to pick into the ice for spins and jumps but skaters have to learn to skate with their weight on the back of their foot, not their toe, or else that pick will dig into the ice and they'll go splat on their face. He's doing the same with his dancing, with his weight on his heels instead of his toes or the ball of his foot. Meryl doesn't have quite the same problem because as the female in the ice dancing pair, she's doing a lot more spinning and twirling so she's more used to her weight being forward.

 

It isn't Sharna's fault by choreographing difficult routines but it is her fault that she hasn't spent time on trying to correct the technical fault that he has which is causing him problems. Charlie is more than capable, with his energy and his musicality and his performance pizzazz, of dancing what Sharna is creating but until he learns to stiffen and straighten his legs and get his weight forward, he won't get the top marks he so craves.

Edited April 29, 2014 by shok

[Biosynth]

Thank the GODS that Nene (or as someone aptly put it here, MeMe) is gone!  I couldn't stand the constant screaming and the misplaced sense of self entitlement.  And I'm surprised that no one here is commenting about her bit in the routine where she presses that one dancer's face between her boobs.  WTH?  That was about as bad as Peta's outfit.

 

Speaking of which, though I really do think James is gorgeous and though he was very pretty in his outfit, it still was a bit too much for family TV.  And Peta and her porn star outfit, just no.  I think she sleeps with all her partners, doesn't she?  Isn't it implied in every season?

 

Candice was fantastic.  Wow did she deliver.  And I actually like Mark.  He did a nice job with her.  :)

[Flick]

Meryl doesn't have quite the same problem because as the female in the ice dancing pair, she's doing a lot more spinning and twirling so she's more used to her weight being forward.

Meryl is also generally performing in heels (or emulating performing in heels while in sneakers) which automatically forces her to rest her weight on the balls of her feet rather than sitting back on her heels. Edited April 29, 2014 by Flick