S24.E04: Week 4: Most Memorable Year

[RedFiat]

23 minutes ago, Emily-D said:

I have no idea who "Serge" is to be fair I only know the pros. But that choreography was unmistakeably Maks, with the comedic beginning and end. Their also wasn't as much technical dancing as last week when allegedly it was Alan choreograhing. Plus when they panned up to Maks in the skybox he didn't look impressed when Julianne complemented Alan on the choreography, mistakenly.

Serge Onik,  permanent member of the Fam,  top 14 on SYTYCD.  

[1992austenlover]

I'm a Nick fan so I'm definitely biased...but sometimes when I watch the show I feel like I'm watching it from a different universe from everyone else. Like, I get that he's an amateur and therefore isn't exactly at the same level as the Olympians/performers in the competition but you honestly can't tell me that he's worse than Bonner or even David at this point (I'm sorry but the guy seemed really stiff and uncomfortable in his dance this week and yet he still got a higher score--and yes, the clear favouritism that the judges show him and Bonner every week is really starting to irritate me). For someone with no dance background and no performing experience I think that Nick is doing a great job at continuing to improve with every single dance and I honestly believe that if he was put in any other season--one that wasn't so stacked with celebs who were just shy of being full-fledged pros coming into the competition--then he would be a real contender for the mirror ball. But this is a really weird season because instead of watching celebs learn how to dance and see their progression over the weeks (with a couple of ringers thrown into the mix for good measure), this season seems to be moreso about which ringer will come out on top while the few genuine amateurs in the competition seem to be thrown into the mix in order to prop up the nearly-pro-level celebs. It's actually really boring to me--to be honest, I don't see any progression with Heather or Normani or Nancy, etc.; I mean, from my observations they were all great coming into the competition and they are still at the same level now (although I do appreciate that Nancy seems slightly less nervous now--so I'll give her that). My point is that I'll take a Nick or a Rashad over a Heather any day because, to me, they embody what I normally love about this show. I want to see celebs struggle but maintain a high level of determination to get better and I want to see progression in the results--and I honestly don't believe that Nick gets enough credit for that. 

[boyznkatz]

I agree that Nick is better than David/Bonner. At least he isn't as stiff.

I really hope Rashad wins. He's an amateur, but he has a lot of poise and grace. He is very entertaining, unlike the other men.

[1992austenlover]

1 minute ago, boyznkatz said:

I agree that Nick is better than David/Bonner. At least he isn't as stiff.

I really hope Rashad wins. He's an amateur, but he has a lot of poise and grace. He is very entertaining, unlike the other men.

I'm 100% team Nick but Rashad is a close second. I think that Nick and Rashad are the only two celebs that interest me because, though they are both technically amateurs, they both have genuine potential and I can see the effort that they put into their dances every single week. I was thrilled for Rashad when he got those 10s--I'm not worried about him making it far in the competition. I am, on the other hand, worried about Nick making it far which I think is why I can be a little defensive about the fact that Bonner and David are getting better scores than him when I personally don't believe that they are better dancers than him. Just my opinion. 

[Toonces464]

1 hour ago, Emily-D said:

Personally I know you can't blame an injury, but I've been disappointed in Maks' behaviour this season. You can tell the only reason he came back was the paycheck and he probably forced the producers to give him a star who could dance so that they'd last long into the competition and maximise his paycheck. Now he's injured, he's done the bare minimum other than show up on Monday nights, look supportive and collect his pro dancers paycheck whilst Alan collects a troupe dancers paycheck despite doing the vast majority of the work. He's not stupid, he probably knows by now that Heather isn't going to win or probably even make the final so he's not really as invested in coming back and working hard for Heather while he's still getting paid. I'd never vote for her because she shouldn't be on the show in the first place, but it's hard not to feel sorry for Heather. She's been royally screwed over due to all of this, her experience of the show has been a bad one and to make things worse it's impossible for the audience to get to know her personally as she's been completely overshadowed by this Maks drama. Maks should never have come back this season, but he needed the money and as a result has screwed Heather over. She would have had a much better chance if Alan had been her partner from the start, or if they'd brought Mark back to partner her. They could have even given her to Artem, brought Tony back to partner Nancy and I think she'd have had a better chance. As for everyone else, right now there is a clear top 6, if there is any justice then Erika, the Bachelor and the Cowboy will be the next three out. Unfortunately this is DWTS and justice is rarely done on this show. For me that spells bad news for Heather and Nancy.

ITA but it's not just this season. His "I'm Having A Baby" drama totally overshadowed Amber last season and the season before, when he wasn't even on, it was all about him basically being a second pro to Nyle. I also don't think it was just the paycheck. Maks has an insatiable need for tabloid publicity and being on the show keeps him relevant enough for that level of coverage. I also believe that's a big part of the reason he went back to Peta, but that's another story for another post.

Back in the old days, Maks used to always say the best thing about being part of the show was the relationships he formed with his partners that lasted long after the show was over. But the only one who seems to still have any kind of relationship with him is Erin. Even Meryl Davis has quit following him on social media. It's quite a difference from pros like Mark, Karina, Tony, Kym and even Val who genuinely build lasting relationships on the show.

[boyznkatz]

8 minutes ago, Toonces464 said:

ITA but it's not just this season. His "I'm Having A Baby" drama totally overshadowed Amber last season and the season before, when he wasn't even on, it was all about him basically being a second pro to Nyle. I also don't think it was just the paycheck. Maks has an insatiable need for tabloid publicity and being on the show keeps him relevant enough for that level of coverage. I also believe that's a big part of the reason he went back to Peta, but that's another story for another post.

Back in the old days, Maks used to always say the best thing about being part of the show was the relationships he formed with his partners that lasted long after the show was over. But the only one who seems to still have any kind of relationship with him is Erin. Even Meryl Davis has quit following him on social media. It's quite a difference from pros like Mark, Karina, Tony, Kym and even Val who genuinely build lasting relationships on the show.

I agree, and his arrogance is one reason I never liked him. It always seems to be more about him than his partners, unlike his brother who seems to showcase his partners. That's pretty sad if even sweet Meryl Davis got tired of him.

[spanana]

2 hours ago, Venee said:

I don't know if this has been mentioned, but I was kind of surprised they pulled out the big guns for Normani by bringing in Fifth Harmony this early  (you should see the YouTube count for that Dance btw almost 400K) Apparently she has a Hurricane Katrina story, and a Breast Cancer story (Mom is a survivor) I think she's a cancer society Ambassador. Color me shocked they didn't go with one of the two....

I actually can't decide if this was a good thing or bad thing for Normani.  By making it about the group and not a personal story, people didn't get to know her much beyond the group.  Not that I think she needed a sob story, but it didn't give people any more insight into her as a person.  Heather's was a happy dance, but at least it was about her.

The other part of that is while the view count for her dance way higher than everyone else as yet, I'm willing to bet the people watching that dance over and over are 5th Harmony fans.  They just want to see their girls.  Which, great.  But again, her fans can only get her so far vote wise.  I've learned over the years that video view counts only mean so much.  I'd be willing to bet looking at the demographics of who watches the videos is probably more of an indication than overall count.

Also it may be a concerning factor that her view count for her 5th Harmony dance shot up higher way quicker than her regular (better IMO) dances to date.  It also indicates to me that maybe some 5th Harmony fans showed up this week to support since it was about all the girls, but perhaps their voting/interest doesn't extend to Normani on her own.

I think Normani is doing fine in the votes and will make the finals, but I've been hearing from day one about how her fanbase is insurmountable because 5th Harmony fans are powerful and know how to vote.  Except that to date, 5th Harmony fans have only been asked to vote for things that benefit the group.  Do all the fans turn up to support when it's only to support one or do the fans of the other girls only have their interests piqued when their faves show up?  Fans are uber competitive, even within group fandoms.  I'm not so sure.

Edited April 12, 2017 by spanana

[Venee]

1 hour ago, Emily-D said:

Personally I know you can't blame an injury, but I've been disappointed in Maks' behaviour this season. You can tell the only reason he came back was the paycheck and he probably forced the producers to give him a star who could dance so that they'd last long into the competition and maximise his paycheck. Now he's injured, he's done the bare minimum other than show up on Monday nights, look supportive and collect his pro dancers paycheck whilst Alan collects a troupe dancers paycheck despite doing the vast majority of the work. He's not stupid, he probably knows by now that Heather isn't going to win or probably even make the final so he's not really as invested in coming back and working hard for Heather while he's still getting paid. I'd never vote for her because she shouldn't be on the show in the first place, but it's hard not to feel sorry for Heather. She's been royally screwed over due to all of this, her experience of the show has been a bad one and to make things worse it's impossible for the audience to get to know her personally as she's been completely overshadowed by this Maks drama. Maks should never have come back this season, but he needed the money and as a result has screwed Heather over. She would have had a much better chance if Alan had been her partner from the start, or if they'd brought Mark back to partner her. They could have even given her to Artem, brought Tony back to partner Nancy and I think she'd have had a better chance. As for everyone else, right now there is a clear top 6, if there is any justice then Erika, the Bachelor and the Cowboy will be the next three out. Unfortunately this is DWTS and justice is rarely done on this show. For me that spells bad news for Heather and Nancy.

OMG! Tony is my weakness! I actually would have loved to have seen him with Heather  (love you still Alan) but that would have been such an interesting combo (I'm one who is OK with Maks, but only because he was part of Meryl and Maks ). You do bring up some interesting points. He's a Daddy now too, so gotta figure that into the mix.  I used to watch Ballroom on PBS back in the day, and Tony is the only one I know from those days that is on DWTS. If I was on the show I'd want Tony all the way!

[Venee]

11 minutes ago, spanana said:

I actually can't decide if this was a good thing or bad thing for Normani.  By making it about the group and not a personal story, people didn't get to know her much beyond the group.  Not that I think she needed a sob story, but it didn't give people any more insight into her as a person.  Heather's was a happy dance, but at least it was about her.

The other part of that is while the view count for her dance way higher than everyone else as yet, I'm willing to bet the people watching that dance over and over are 5th Harmony fans.  They just want to see their girls.  Which, great.  But again, her fans can only get her so far vote wise.  I've learned over the years that video view counts only mean so much.  I'd be willing to bet looking at the demographics of who watches the videos is probably more of an indication than overall count.

Also it may be a concerning factor that her view count for her 5th Harmony dance shot up higher way quicker than her regular (better IMO) dances to date.  It also indicates to me that maybe some 5th Harmony fans showed up this week to support since it was about all the girls, but perhaps their voting/interest doesn't extend to Normani on her own.

I think Normani is doing fine in the votes and will make the finals, but I've been hearing from day one about how her fanbase is insurmountable because 5th Harmony fans are powerful and know how to vote.  Except that to date, 5th Harmony fans have only been asked to vote for things that benefit the group.  Do all the fans turn up to support when it's only to support one or do the fans of the other girls only have their interests piqued when their faves show up?  Fans are uber competitive, even within group fandoms.  I'm not so sure.

Actually  they definitely are the fans lol. You bring up the very point I noticed in the comment section (I had to look). The fans were fighting over how they felt some 5th Harmony fans weren't showing up to vote until now, that the group was on. 

[Mocking Bird]

13 hours ago, Toonces464 said:

Speaking of Erin, is it me or is she particularly awful this season? It usually takes her a week or two with the new contestants to feel comfortable but we're on week 4 and she's been excruciating to watch with attempts at humor that fall flat and just some really awkward things coming out of her mouth. I generally like her as the co-host but this season has been painful to watch her.

Yes!  I noticed the same thing.  There is something a bit off and somewhat manic about her this season.  She seems to flail around, searching for the right things to say/ask.  Last night she behaved particularly weird and this is coming from someone who likes her.

[Emily-D]

1 hour ago, Toonces464 said:

ITA but it's not just this season. His "I'm Having A Baby" drama totally overshadowed Amber last season and the season before, when he wasn't even on, it was all about him basically being a second pro to Nyle. I also don't think it was just the paycheck. Maks has an insatiable need for tabloid publicity and being on the show keeps him relevant enough for that level of coverage. I also believe that's a big part of the reason he went back to Peta, but that's another story for another post.

Back in the old days, Maks used to always say the best thing about being part of the show was the relationships he formed with his partners that lasted long after the show was over. But the only one who seems to still have any kind of relationship with him is Erin. Even Meryl Davis has quit following him on social media. It's quite a difference from pros like Mark, Karina, Tony, Kym and even Val who genuinely build lasting relationships on the show.

Agreed, publicity and good pay go hand in hand. Since Maks quit after S18 I've never heard of any of his projects which means he probably struggled for work. I don't think he appreciated just how good a gig DWTS is. I mean it must be the best gig a dancer can possibly get, performing for over 10 million viewers every week, getting to work with celebrities, you gain a huge fan following, get to go on a sold out tour and being on television so often on such a well known well loved show opens yourself up for many other job opportunities and ways to make money in the post seasons. Their's a reason why hardly any pros leave the show of their own accord these days and I bet those pros in the past who did leave regret it now.

 

2 hours ago, RedFiat said:

Serge Onik,  permanent member of the Fam,  top 14 on SYTYCD.  

Thanks for the clarification. I don't watch SYTYCD so that's probably why I've never heard of him. I know DWTS like to use SYTYCD as a scouting pool though.

[realdancemom]

As I previously posted, I agree that Nick is better than David and Bonner when it comes to dancing.  But we already know how the show works.  I'm afraid that David will make the finals based on his personality and the Cubs fans.  The show wants him on because he's the first MLB player and he's coming off a World Series win to boot.  Also, you can't beat the story that the Cubs haven't won in over 100 years.  That is a combination that will most likely never happen again.

Even though, Normani and Nancy are my top two, I like Heather too.  Previously, I posted that I expected more from her.  But that's because I had high expectations.  My favorite dance from her is her Toxic tango last week.  Alan did a great job with the choreography.  But I do think that Maks would have looked better dancing it with her.  Alan just gives off a puppy dog eager vibe.  He also looks so young.  Maks is a terrific tango dancer and would have given a more moody, "toxic" vibe.  Despite that, it's not fair to Alan for Maks to just swoop in after seven weeks and take over.   I guess it doesn't matter because despite how good she is, I don't think she'll win and she might not make the finals.  The finals could have had fantastic freestyles with the choice of the top four females and Rashad.  I already accepted the fact that David will most likely make it.  Bonner better not make it too.  It should be Erika and him as the next two to go.

[Toonces464]

8 minutes ago, Emily-D said:

Agreed, publicity and good pay go hand in hand. Since Maks quit after S18 I've never heard of any of his projects which means he probably struggled for work. I don't think he appreciated just how good a gig DWTS is. I mean it must be the best gig a dancer can possibly get, performing for over 10 million viewers every week, getting to work with celebrities, you gain a huge fan following, get to go on a sold out tour and being on television so often on such a well known well loved show opens yourself up for many other job opportunities and ways to make money in the post seasons. Their's a reason why hardly any pros leave the show of their own accord these days and I bet those pros in the past who did leave regret it now.

The only successful work Maks has gotten since he originally left the show after All Stars were the Forever Tango job that Karina got him and the tour last summer with Val. Even the little things he's done like General Hospital, directing Zendaya's music video and filling in for Tamar on her talk show have come from Val's former partners and connections. I know Meryl had gotten him a couple of jobs in the ice dancing community and he blew one off and showed up for the other looking like a homeless bum so I don't think that will be happening anymore. At this point I think Maks has finally accepted that he needs DWTS because without it, his options for remaining relevant in Hollywood are very limited.

[vavera4ka]

2 hours ago, mtlchick said:

Especially when they're having Boy Band/Girl Group night in a few weeks.  (I may be way too excited for this theme.)

Are they? *inner 90s kid jumps up and claps*

cool! Bring on some BSB, Spice Girls, and can we PLEASE have some Savage Garden? lol

[Beatrice]

5 minutes ago, realdancemom said:

As I previously posted, I agree that Nick is better than David and Bonner when it comes to dancing.  But we already know how the show works.  I'm afraid that David will make the finals based on his personality and the Cubs fans.  The show wants him on because he's the first MLB player and he's coming off a World Series win to boot.  Also, you can't beat the story that the Cubs haven't won in over 100 years.  That is a combination that will most likely never happen again.

Even though, Normani and Nancy are my top two, I like Heather too.  Previously, I posted that I expected more from her.  But that's because I had high expectations.  My favorite dance from her is her Toxic tango last week.  Alan did a great job with the choreography.  But I do think that Maks would have looked better dancing it with her.  Alan just gives off a puppy dog eager vibe.  He also looks so young.  Maks is a terrific tango dancer and would have given a more moody, "toxic" vibe.  Despite that, it's not fair to Alan for Maks to just swoop in after seven weeks and take over.   I guess it doesn't matter because despite how good she is, I don't think she'll win and she might not make the finals.  The finals could have had fantastic freestyles with the choice of the top four females and Rashad.  I already accepted the fact that David will most likely make it.  Bonner better not make it too.  It should be Erika and him as the next two to go.

My question is if Maks missing next week too, how many weeks does he have to miss before it's a little unfair to Heather for him to come back especially since it happened so early. That would be 4 weeks with Alan, compared to one with Maks.

The four women is my dream final but I know there will be a guy in there so hopefully it is Rashad over any others.

[boyznkatz]

Boy bands?? Oh geez. Why not big bands instead? I would love to see people dance to Glenn Miller or Benny Goodman. 

[spanana]

I don't think Nick is bad and I agree he's better than Bonner (for sure) and maybe David.  But I can't begrudge the fact that David is likeable and Nick is, well...Nick.  It's not that I don't like Nick necessarily because I don't know him, but I'm predisposed to dislike anyone from the Bachelor franchise.  One, I don't care or watch those shows, but also where others have gymnast or football player fatigue, I have Bachelor fatigue.  Also I feel like I vaguely heard negative things about him and his behavior on that show.

So it's not that Nick's bad.  It's just that I don't care.  I couldn't watch the live show this week so caught up afterwards and I think Nick's dance was the only one I haven't watched yet.  He's just there.

Though at least I don't actively dislike him like Bonner.  Also if you want another reason to dislike Bonner, apparently on his instagram yesterday he posted a vid of some Hasidic Jewish men walking in their religious garb/hats and apparently Bonner thought it was hilarious.  I guess he's also fairly stupid and sheltered and just saw what to him were funny clothes.  I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say he's just stupid as opposed to a blatant anti-semite.

But no, I don't think it would be a travesty if likeable David outlasts Nick.  Nick is never going to win anyway, nor make the finals, so no harm nor foul.  Personality has always mattered on this show.  The only way I'd care if if David either starts getting entitled or if David wasn't putting in the work.  I've seen nothing to suggest either of those is true.  However backlash is coming for him the second he outlasts one of the top tier of women (Nancy, Heather, Simone or Normani) and not all of those women can make the finals.  Or they could in a 4 person finale, but is very unlikely with Rashad in the mix.

[boyznkatz]

Bonner must be the dumbest, most annoying contestant they ever had. Poor Sharna for getting stuck with him!

[simplyme]

Personally, I don't know how much more of Erika/Gleb I can take. I generally like women who are empowered and feel in control of their sexuality, but that should only be one aspect of a multifaceted dance, for God's sake. Erika and Gleb's routines are just painfully tawdry. Heck, if we're comparing Housewives, NeNe Leakes outdanced Erika by miles in her Cruella De Vil role, and it was way more sensuous than anything Erika's done.

The rest of the women are great dancers and should outstay the men, but some probably won't. (We could get into the ringer debate, but there are some every season. Also, imo women with no background that lends itself to dance tend to get shredded on DWTS, whereas men can skate longer on just charisma and fanbase.)

I generally despise Bachelors on principle, but Nick is trying, seems to have some ability, and has a brain and a sense of humor. (How the hell did the brain and humor thing slip past the Bachelor casting folks? I thought those were immediately disqualifiers from past examples.)  Technically I think he should outlast David and Bonner, but he won't.

Rashad seems to have quite a bit of natural ability and a great personality.

David has a fun personality, great sense of humor, and a huge fanbase, but he's not a great dancer. Still, he's here for the long haul.

Bonner needs to go after Erika. This has nothing to do with the hand thing, which I think was purely accidental, and everything to do with his personality and inability to dance. Every time he opens his mouth, my eye starts to twitch.

Sad to see Mr. T go, but it was the right call. He was one of my childhood heroes. :)

[simplyme]

Also, I think I may officially be a curmudgeon.

I mimed gagging at SimplyMom when I realized it was Most Memorable Year week.  It wasn't as bad as some years, but I still hate it.

I'm dreading Disney pimping week. Same with BoyBand/Girl Group week.

Can't we have a no themes week?

(It may be genetic. SimplyMom responded with, "Oh, no. *eyeroll*")

[iMonrey]

Quote

Erika is a snooze-fest. Notice how everyone else's "year" was about other people - Normani (bandmates), David (teammates & his kids), Nancy (kids), Rashad (dad), Simone (parents)...etc. Then Erika comes along and it's all about ME! ME! ME!

Not that I'm an Erika fan, but to be fair a lot of the other stories were also about "me me me" - Normani maybe tried to make it about her mother but look close: it's about what her mother gave up for her. Apparently Normani's desire to be a singer was more important than whatever the heck her mother was doing at the time so her mother had to drop everything in her life to help Normani realize her dream. Good grief. At least Erika made it on her own without her parents having to drop everything to help her get there. And really, with Nancy and David it was more about them and their triumphs and tribulations than family. Same with Heather, same with Bonner, same with Nick. 

That said, I've never seen a single episode of Real Housewives, but there have been plenty of "celebs" I'd never heard of that I warmed up to because of what I saw of them on this show. Erika? Is not one of them. She really is a snooze-fest.

Quote

Contemporary is the worst thing that ever happened to this show. If I see one more female dancer in the arms of her partner riding that pretend bicycle while looking like she hopes no one realized she farted I'm going to stop watching.

Agreed. You know, first you tell some sob story about your mom dying or your how you were bullied or how your dad's leg got cut off and then you do these dramatic reaches for the sky and rolling around on the ground and the judges cry and fall all over themselves saying how "emotional" it was. I am not impressed. It's gimmicky, it's like an act. Anybody could do it.

[RedFiat]

2 hours ago, Beatrice said:

My question is if Maks missing next week too, how many weeks does he have to miss before it's a little unfair to Heather for him to come back especially since it happened so early. That would be 4 weeks with Alan, compared to one with Maks.

Heather is a paid professional dancer. She is paid to pick up choreography quickly.  I do not think this is in the least unfair to her.  If she were Bonner or Rashad or anyone who is not familiar with dance terminology and movement then yes it would be unfair. In this case, I think she's gelling well with Alan, maybe moreso than Maks. 

Edited April 12, 2017 by RedFiat

[Beatrice]

3 minutes ago, RedFiat said:

Heather is a paid professional dancer. She is paid to pick up choreography quickly.  I do not think this is in the least unfair to her.  If she were Bonner or Rashad or anyone who is not familiar with dance terminology and movement then yes it would be unfair. In this case, I think she's gelling well with Alan, maybe moreso than Maks. 

 

Posting a response in Heather's thread.

[luvthepros]

3 hours ago, boyznkatz said:

Boy bands?? Oh geez. Why not big bands instead? I would love to see people dance to Glenn Miller or Benny Goodman. 

This^^^

[Lady Calypso]

3 hours ago, simplyme said:

Personally, I don't know how much more of Erika/Gleb I can take. I generally like women who are empowered and feel in control of their sexuality, but that should only be one aspect of a multifaceted dance, for God's sake. Erika and Gleb's routines are just painfully tawdry. Heck, if we're comparing Housewives, NeNe Leakes outdanced Erika by miles in her Cruella De Vil role, and it was way more sensuous than anything Erika's done.

I think there's a difference for me between being empowered and comfortable with their sexuality, and centering only around their sexuality. Fortunately, this is my only exposure to Gleb and I only watched one of his dances with Jana, but he turned me off by his insistence that he'll only do sexy with Erika. That really, really didn't make me impressed with Gleb at all, and Erika seemed to just go along with it. At least she didn't seem to jump on board with All Sexy All The Time, even if it is what she wants to do. Gleb, being the pro, shouldn't be encouraging just sexy. He should be showing all sides to her. So yeah, Gleb irritates me more than Erika at this point (and boy, does Erika irritate me!).  

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Not that I'm an Erika fan, but to be fair a lot of the other stories were also about "me me me" - Normani maybe tried to make it about her mother but look close: it's about what her mother gave up for her. Apparently Normani's desire to be a singer was more important than whatever the heck her mother was doing at the time so her mother had to drop everything in her life to help Normani realize her dream. Good grief. At least Erika made it on her own without her parents having to drop everything to help her get there. And really, with Nancy and David it was more about them and their triumphs and tribulations than family. Same with Heather, same with Bonner, same with Nick. 

I think I agree with this. This is Most Memorable Year, which means it will be about the actual celebrity. Sometimes, stories aren't all about other people and how selfless said celebrity is. Erika's story may have been about her and her fame, but I agree that there's nothing wrong with that. The issue I had with Normani's most memorable year is how it didn't seem genuine. I really, really believe that the producers told her to choose her Fifth Harmony story, much like I believe that Nick was told to choose his Bachelor story. When celebs get to choose their own stories to tell, that feels more genuine. Again, first year I'm watching more than just some of the dances, but I felt moved by Rashad and Heather and Nancy because their stories felt like they were chosen by the celebrities, not by the show. I may have rolled my eyes at Erika's story, because I'm sure she has had more memorable years, but it does only feel weaker because everyone else's stories are either sad or heartfelt because of big events. 

And it's not that the celebrities shouldn't choose big events such as cancer, death, or whatever as their most memorable year. I just want it to feel genuine and not like they were forced or convinced to choose it for TV drama. 

(Also not advocating for Erika's dance and story because the dance was pure shit thanks to Gleb, and the story was put between Rashad's story and Simone's story, so of course it'll be weaker). 

[Uke]

11 hours ago, RedFiat said:

ETA: I read on another site that if Heather makes it past week 7 then Maks will pat Alan on the back and say "thanks bud, I'll take over" which is kind of cynical, but maybe not out of the realm of possibility.     

The writers on that site constantly slam both Maks + Val.  About Maks (who they seem to dislike a wee bit less than Val), they word it as "would not surprise me in the slightest if he slithered back on into the partnership" and "taking all the credit for Heather".  It's just an opinion blog.  Their world is Derek is king and all the other pros are warring factions between pro-Derek vs anti-Derek (Cbros + the "fam").    Many many grains of salt whenever they discuss the pros IMO. 

9 hours ago, RedFiat said:

Serge Onik,  permanent member of the Fam,  top 14 on SYTYCD.  

Ahhhh that's it! Onik. I just couldn't remember. I knew it started with O and didn't want to impolitely guess.

[RedFiat]

13 minutes ago, Uke said:

The writers on that site constantly slam both Maks + Val.  About Maks (who they seem to dislike a wee bit less than Val), they word it as "would not surprise me in the slightest if he slithered back on into the partnership" and "taking all the credit for Heather".  It's just an opinion blog.  Their world is Derek is king and all the other pros are warring factions between pro-Derek vs anti-Derek (Cbros + the "fam").    Many many grains of salt whenever they discuss the pros IMO. 

Truly that site just spits with sarcasm against Val and Maks.  Particularly Val, so I see their comments as very cynical. But Maks used to be so passionate.  Those days are gone, and maybe he's just tired of the bs with the showrunners.  But it's hard not to notice the change in him.. 

[PBGamer89]

It was funny especially with Pure how they loved the idea of Laurie being on last season until they found out she had Val and then they immediately switched onto hating her, especially because one of the mods is basically in love with James Hinchcliffe so between that and Val, Laurie was enemy number 1.

[Toonces464]

36 minutes ago, RedFiat said:

Truly that site just spits with sarcasm against Val and Maks.  Particularly Val, so I see their comments as very cynical. But Maks used to be so passionate.  Those days are gone, and maybe he's just tired of the bs with the showrunners.  But it's hard not to notice the change in him.. 

I think Maks' passion depends on whether or not he clicks with his partner AND whether or not he thinks he can win with them. He just used to hide it better when he didn't.

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

Dancing With The Stars Serves Up Memories

Each celebrity chooses a most memorable year to commemorate through dance. Some are happy, some are sad, but all will do their best to wring tears from your eyes. (With dry ice if necessary.)

[MakeMeLaugh]

8 hours ago, realdancemom said:

As I previously posted, I agree that Nick is better than David and Bonner when it comes to dancing.  But we already know how the show works.  I'm afraid that David will make the finals based on his personality and the Cubs fans.  The show wants him on because he's the first MLB player and he's coming off a World Series win to boot.  Also, you can't beat the story that the Cubs haven't won in over 100 years.  That is a combination that will most likely never happen again.

..

I never vote because I don't really care who wins (and personally would rather the judges just pick the winner anyway) but I think David might gather some votes from fans of that other team he helped win a World Series for too, if sports fans really take this show seriously. Do they? At least David Ross really is a star with a bona fide talent vs a repeat reality show regular. If he makes it to the finals (I don't think he will), nothing wrong with that imo. If I voted, I'd go for Nancy Kerrigan; if I could vote against someone I might be moved to do that.

[sinycalone]

1 hour ago, MakeMeLaugh said:

I never vote because I don't really care who wins (and personally would rather the judges just pick the winner anyway) but I think David might gather some votes from fans of that other team he helped win a World Series for too, if sports fans really take this show seriously. Do they? At least David Ross really is a star with a bona fide talent vs a repeat reality show regular. If he makes it to the finals (I don't think he will), nothing wrong with that imo. If I voted, I'd go for Nancy Kerrigan; if I could vote against someone I might be moved to do that.

The fans of other team he won the World Series with, the Boston Red Sox, have begun tweeting and posting on Instagram in support of him on DWTS.  I don't know how seriously they take DWTS, but they apparently love David enough to watch the show now.  And the Red Sox Nation is mighty large.

[Uke]

38 minutes ago, sinycalone said:

The fans of other team he won the World Series with, the Boston Red Sox, have begun tweeting and posting on Instagram in support of him on DWTS.  I don't know how seriously they take DWTS, but they apparently love David enough to watch the show now.  And the Red Sox Nation is mighty large.

This is why I expect David to last deep into the season - I don't really keep up with ET or Extra or any of those media which covers the show, but he's bringing a lot of social media interactions (which somehow relates to ratings) and viewers, lotsa viewers.

[zoeysmom]

13 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Not that I'm an Erika fan, but to be fair a lot of the other stories were also about "me me me" - Normani maybe tried to make it about her mother but look close: it's about what her mother gave up for her. Apparently Normani's desire to be a singer was more important than whatever the heck her mother was doing at the time so her mother had to drop everything in her life to help Normani realize her dream. Good grief. At least Erika made it on her own without her parents having to drop everything to help her get there. And really, with Nancy and David it was more about them and their triumphs and tribulations than family. Same with Heather, same with Bonner, same with Nick. 

That said, I've never seen a single episode of Real Housewives, but there have been plenty of "celebs" I'd never heard of that I warmed up to because of what I saw of them on this show. Erika? Is not one of them. She really is a snooze-fest.

 

Erika's story stopped a bit short.  After moving to NYC, at 18 years of age, she married and had a son at 20.   Her move to LA meant she left a three year old to be raised by his father.  She later worked as a cocktail waitress and married a man 33 years her senior and began bankrolling the Erika Jayne career.

[RedFiat]

14 hours ago, MakeMeLaugh said:

If I voted, I'd go for Nancy Kerrigan; if I could vote against someone I might be moved to do that.

I can't vote, but I suspect Nancy will be in trouble very soon.  She just doesn't have a high social media presence and worst of all the judges are keeping her at Bonner and David's level in the scoring.  Len thinks she's a frontrunner, but none of the others do.  So she's pretty much doomed. 

Edited April 13, 2017 by RedFiat

[Beatrice]

5 minutes ago, RedFiat said:

I can't vote, but I suspect Nancy will be in trouble very soon.  She just doesn't have a high social media presence and worst of all the judges are keeping her at Bonner and David's level in the scoring.  Len thinks she's a frontrunner, but none of the others do.  So she's pretty much doomed. 

I feel Nancy and Heather are going to meet the same fate and be out long before some others I would like to see go.

[RedFiat]

At least Heather gets scores she deserves.  Nancy, not so much. 

[Beatrice]

2 minutes ago, RedFiat said:

At least Heather gets scores she deserves.  Nancy, not so much. 

Scores are such garbage if you compare the contestants. I mean I know it must be hard to judge such a variety of talent but it's still funny to see what the judges pull out.

[boyznkatz]

Heather, Normani and Nancy are all underscored. Bonner and David are way overscored. I think the only one they score fairly are Rashad, and Simone, and I think there is a good chance one of them will win. That would be fine with me to see sweet Emma get that trophy! Or Sasha!

Edited April 13, 2017 by boyznkatz

[Former Nun]

On 4/11/2017 at 0:23 AM, crossover said:

This was the worst routine that Erika's done.  Maybe she's accepted the fact that she can't overcome four women?

Not that she can't really dance...despite the millions her husband contributes to her "career"?  

22 hours ago, iMonrey said:

At least Erika made it on her own without her parents having to drop everything to help her get there. 

How and when did she "make it" on her own?  

8 hours ago, zoeysmom said:

Erika's story stopped a bit short.  After moving to NYC, at 18 years of age, she married and had a son at 20.   Her move to LA meant she left a three year old to be raised by his father.  She later worked as a cocktail waitress and married a man 33 years her senior and began bankrolling the Erika Jayne career.

I started watching Real Housewives of Beverly hills (yet AGAIN) when I read that Erika would be on DWTS.  What crapfests!  RHOBH and her "ballroom dancing."

[iMonrey]

Quote

How and when did she "make it" on her own?

I meant in comparison to Normani - Erika's parents didn't quit their jobs and relocate to NYC or LA so their precious little angel could chase her dreams of being a reality star.

[calipiano81]

5 hours ago, RedFiat said:

I can't vote, but I suspect Nancy will be in trouble very soon.  She just doesn't have a high social media presence and worst of all the judges are keeping her at Bonner and David's level in the scoring.  Len thinks she's a frontrunner, but none of the others do.  So she's pretty much doomed. 

If people outside of the U.S. want to vote online, they can try using an easy VPN add-on to their Internet browser (Firefox or Chrome) and choosing United States as the country server. If anyone needs tips, you can send me a private message. :)

I don't know if social media presence has that big of an impact (though Nancy is on Twitter, @nancyakerrigan) since the main demographic is mostly not that active on social media anyways.

I think what will hurt Nancy and Artem the most is running order. Frequently going in the first half is going to keep her scores lower than they would be and lessens the impact even if she dances really well. It beats me why they even give Erika better running order than Nancy.

Edited April 13, 2017 by calipiano81

[RedFiat]

Thanks, I used VPN to vote for James and it didn't change the outcome, so I have stopped voting, the show shits on Canadians, so I'd rather not give them VPN voting to inflate their hits to advertisers. 

[RedFiat]

4 hours ago, boyznkatz said:

Heather, Normani and Nancy are all underscored. Bonner and David are way overscored. I think the only one they score fairly are Rashad, and Simone, and I think there is a good chance one of them will win. That would be fine with me to see sweet Emma get that trophy! Or Sasha!

36 for a self-indulgent Cha cha was high enough for Heather, that wasn't worth higher. 

[Callaphera]

1 hour ago, RedFiat said:

Thanks, I used VPN to vote for James and it didn't change the outcome, so I have stopped voting, the show shits on Canadians, so I'd rather not give them VPN voting to inflate their hits to advertisers. 

Well, it's not so much that they shit on Canadians but I imagine that it's a legal and logistical nightmare in order to open up eligibility to Canadians and it's probably not worth the cost, paperwork, or headache. It is what it is. Just keep reminding yourself that the world wouldn't have poutine without us.

[Uke]

2 hours ago, calipiano81 said:

I don't know if social media presence has that big of an impact (though Nancy is on Twitter, @nancyakerrigan) since the main demographic is mostly not that active on social media anyways.

Social media is factored in - probably why DWTS was having all those "games" like twitter "voting" for the switch (thankfully they seemed to have dropped that once they realized we could verify totals and whether or not they were using results of the tweet totals or just doing whatever they want), viewers as the 4th judge (ex. S22 wk8), tweet for whose audition tape you want to see, etc.  

There's many articles online describing the relationship, I just randomly grabbed these two:

http://www.bkv.com/blog/how-social-media-can-affect-tv-ratings/

http://www.cnbc.com/id/100941081 

[RedFiat]

46 minutes ago, Callaphera said:

Well, it's not so much that they shit on Canadians but I imagine that it's a legal and logistical nightmare in order to open up eligibility to Canadians and it's probably not worth the cost, paperwork, or headache. It is what it is. Just keep reminding yourself that the world wouldn't have poutine without us.

Normally I'd believe it, but the voting was open to Canadians for years, and in Season 10 the show actively courted Canadians to vote, and that door never closed.   All of a sudden in Season 23 we have a contender and it's closed. 

[calipiano81]

25 minutes ago, Uke said:

Social media is factored in - probably why DWTS was having all those "games" like twitter "voting" for the switch (thankfully they seemed to have dropped that once they realized we could verify totals and whether or not they were using results of the tweet totals or just doing whatever they want), viewers as the 4th judge (ex. S22 wk8), tweet for whose audition tape you want to see, etc.  

There's many articles online describing the relationship, I just randomly grabbed these two:

http://www.bkv.com/blog/how-social-media-can-affect-tv-ratings/

http://www.cnbc.com/id/100941081 

I guess I should have specified, I don't know how big of an impact social media has on weekly DWTS vote totals. I'm sure it plays a factor into TV ratings.

Edited April 14, 2017 by calipiano81

[Uke]

3 hours ago, RedFiat said:

Normally I'd believe it, but the voting was open to Canadians for years, and in Season 10 the show actively courted Canadians to vote, and that door never closed.   All of a sudden in Season 23 we have a contender and it's closed. 

yes, right after opening everything up to Australian fans of Bindi. Agenda ya think?

Edited April 14, 2017 by Uke

[Callaphera]

2 hours ago, RedFiat said:

Normally I'd believe it, but the voting was open to Canadians for years, and in Season 10 the show actively courted Canadians to vote, and that door never closed.   All of a sudden in Season 23 we have a contender and it's closed. 

Those that care enough will find workarounds. God knows I do it for my Big Brother US addiction.