S24.E06: Week 6: Boy Bands vs. Girl Groups Night

[kitcloudkicker]

5 hours ago, Venee said:

Someone upthread mentioned Britt from the troupe and I second the notion of promoting her! Good Lawd she is Incredible!

For Britt fans, Kristyn Burtt did a nice interview with her recently. Her background isn't ballroom, but she's been competing in pro-am competitions since booking DWTS to immerse herself in the world. She comes off really level headed and hard working, and like she might be a great addition.

http://www.dancenetwork.tv/news/2017/04/dwts-troupe-member-britt-stewart-has-big-goals-beyond-ballroom

 

Also, for troupe watchers, the new guy is Artur Adamski - who apparently should have been there all season but who's work visa just came through. (Canadian)

Edited April 25, 2017 by kitcloudkicker

[kazza]

7 hours ago, RedFiat said:

She has a right to be anxious since she's competiting against 20 year olds and at least 2 of them are pro dancers, so yeah grabbing 5 minutes of film in probably hours and hours of footage takes a long time for these guys to edit because 99% of the time you just know the woman has an Olympic work ethic.  She's not Maureen McCormick with personal struggles, although the show wishes she had something more than a few minutes of doubt,  she's not Jen Grey with a bunch of physical issues, she's not Nicole Scherzinger who won't smile after she got 10's for a perfect dance, she's an athlete and damn I'm envious of her ability to maintain that athleticism so that she dances like she's 27 not 47.  

Exactly. 

I find myself pulling for Nancy because of these reasons. She's that perfect storm of athleticism and experience on a (inter)national stage yet she's not quite a ringer nor is she immune to anxiety. (And, frankly, if you think about the last time she competed in the public eye, it's not exactly a surprise for her to respond with stress.) Call me sappy, but I secretly want her to get that mirrorball as a faux proxy to the gold medal she worked so hard to get but couldn't quite, through no fault of her own. [And I love that they haven't played up that narrative (yet).]

Oh, and awesome that she's been watching the show since the beginning and was able to call out Maks and Mel B right away. 

My guess is that it'll be Normani or maybe Rashad (if his fan base pulls through), who are both great choices, but I'll be rooting for Nancy.

[DEL901]

Agree with so many others... could not believe that Bonner was not the one to leave.  That said, just because all the guys team was called safe doesn't mean that anyone but Heather on the women's team was actually in jeopardy.

Of the guys, Rashad is mostly good.  Nick is probably the 2nd best guy which isn't saying much.  David gets by on his personality, but I can't say that his dancing has improved much.  

I am liking Nancy much more than I expected and hate the edit...  and I did like Nick talking about how he can't believe he's here competing with some of his heroes and how he thinks that as a reality show loser he doesn't fit in... unlike Jake or Chris who thought that they WERE stars too and should be winning the whole thing

.I'd be shocked if Simone wins.  She's just not making the transition from gymnast to dancer.  Is it her?  Is it Sasha?  Both?  

[katha]

I thought Heather was stunning, that performance IMO dwarved every other dance so far this season. By some distance as well. Rumba is not easy to choreograph and do well on this show, rumba to this particular song isn't easy either...it was a total homerun by Maks as well. They also had this interesting chemistry, that wasn't forced and wasn't trying hard to be steamy or whatever...it was a mix of calm and playful and a hint of tension. Typical, now that I'm finally getting into Heather, she gets promptly and predictably eliminated...Sabrina Bryan style. On last night's evidence Heather and Maks could have produced some more brilliant dances...argh, no samba, no paso, no AT. Yet Bonner lives to stomp another day. This show, I swear...

What I find cool about Artem's work for Nancy is that he doesn't give her careful, "older lady" stuff. He tries to make sure that it suits her, but it's challenging when it comes to both content and required performance. You saw that the paso was a bit hesitant in places and that it was out of her comfort zone, but that was a hard dance to an intense song and she was at the centre of it the entire time. For that she did very well.

Val's strategy with Normani is interesting. IMO he actually puts in lots of content, but he also puts in extra stuff. Which...he knows it will piss off Len, but it will also probably make Normani stand out week after week. Derek used to do that kind of thing, it's the first time I'm really noticing Val doing it on a consistent basis? Perhaps he figures it plays to Normani's performance strengths and will get her more votes?

Rashad was nice. The other guys were there. Oh well.

ETA: Oh, I forgot Simone. She was also nice, but apparently not particularly memorable for me...

Edited April 25, 2017 by katha

[RedFiat]

1 hour ago, kazza said:

My guess is that it'll be Normani or maybe Rashad (if his fan base pulls through), who are both great choices, but I'll be rooting for Nancy.

Could not have said it better.  Nancy is my personal hero.  I'm a Canadian, but she embodies that American spirit like nobody I've ever seen on the show. She is relentlessly persisting a goal and she is the real deal in getting a partner who isn't cutting any corners.  Whatever that fire is deep down that makes American athletes the envy of the world she is just pulling through that deep reserve and making some good things happen out there. I can't dance like that anymore, (if ever I could in the first place) because I don't train like that anymore.  But she shows it's possible to do just do it.   

[RedFiat]

12 minutes ago, katha said:

I thought Heather was stunning, that performance IMO dwarved every other dance so far this season. By some distance as well.

When she is given appropriate choreography she outshines everyone because of her professional training, not despite it. I have always said to just let her dance at her level and let the audience decide if her being on the show is worth the entertainment value of even having non-dancers compete.  But then if we had that we would only have a show of professional dancers and not get the pleasure of a Rashad or James Hinchcliffe even try out.  They had to do a marquee outstanding Rumba so that her professional dancing doesn't take a hit.  She still would probably like to keep that credential when she auditions for her next gig. 

The issue of course is she was stunt cast for precisely a shock elimination.   

Edited April 25, 2017 by RedFiat

[DEL901]

One thing I forgot to mention:  Nick Carter's scoring.  When he scored differently than the other judges, he generally went a point higher for the guys and a point lower for the girls.  Didn't happen every time, but enough to notice.

[Lady Calypso]

18 minutes ago, katha said:

Val's strategy with Normani is interesting. IMO he actually puts in lots of content, but he also puts in extra stuff. Which...he knows it will piss off Len, but it will also probably make Normani stand out week after week. Derek used to do that kind of thing, it's the first time I'm really noticing Val doing it on a consistent basis? Perhaps he figures it plays to Normani's performance strengths and will get her more votes?

I mean, I personally disagree that it makes her stand out week after week. Sometimes, the extra stuff is distracting and sometimes it's unnecessary. 

2 minutes ago, DEL901 said:

One thing I forgot to mention:  Nick Carter's scoring.  When he scored differently than the other judges, he generally went a point higher for the guys and a point lower for the girls.  Didn't happen every time, but enough to notice.

To be fair, I kind of agreed with some of his choices. For example, I agreed with Simone's 8 from him because I thought her dance was very technical but not very moving or smooth. I could see why he scored David an 8 instead of a 7 like the rest of the judges. The 10 for Rashad was a tiny bit questionable, but Rashad's dance was very well done so I get it. And he did give two of the four girls 10s, while for Nancy, he scored the same as Len and Bruno. So it was really just Simone's dance that he scored down. I do pass it off as him not being a pro dancer so he's judging less on dance and more on personality and likability. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but it does affect how he scores the performances. 

[ladylaw99]

I normally like watching DWTS but this season has been very bland.   If I am being honest none of these performances were wow.  Heather was good but I kinda expect great from her already.  I am disappointed that she was booted off.  I would have loved to have seen her do the AT.  However, I am not sad to see Maks go.  His arrogance wears me down.

I am still rooting for Nancy and Rashad.  Nancy is very elegant, but very hard on herself.   As for Rashad, he just puts a  smile on my face.  His personality is great, I can't help but smile while he dances.

The group dances were in my opinion not good.  I didn't enjoy either one.  And the music was horrible.  I can normally tune out the band but, my goodness I thought my ears were going to bleed. How do you butcher a song like "I want it that way", I know let DWST band play and sing it.

Bonner needs to go.  He is boring and can't dance.

[vibeology]

1 hour ago, kazza said:

Oh, and awesome that she's been watching the show since the beginning and was able to call out Maks and Mel B right away. 

When Nancy pointed out what they'd been given and Artem was all "oh has it?" I honestly wanted to smack him. You work for the show. There are pictures of that dance on the rehearsal space walls. It's one of the iconic dances of this show. He should have known and the fact that Nancy was the one who had to tell him they'd gotten a tough assignment blew my mind. Wasn't that season back when he was engaged to Carrie Ann? (Yep, internet tells me they were together from 2006-2008 and Mel and Maks danced that Paso in 2007) If he was trying to be cute, it just bugged. What Nancy needed in that moment wasn't that; she needed someone to say to her, "Yes it's been done before, but we're going to do something different and suited to who you are as a dancer. Don't worry I've got it. You've got it." Because I don't for one second believe that her nerves weren't extra this week because she understood the music assignment handed to her and the pressure it created.

[rebeccalj]

8 hours ago, Ivana Tinkle said:

It sucks when people are painted into a box with their given song and then called out on it.  And really?  A rumba to "Waterfalls" and not "Red Light Special"?  Missed opportunity, show.

I thought the choice of "Waterfalls" was really odd for a rumba - nothing sexy about a drug dealer and AIDS...

[boyznkatz]

8 hours ago, friendperidot said:

My non enjoyment of the boys' shirtless dance was because I was embarrassed by it. I enjoy Rashad shirtless, the rest, not so much. I didn't get to see Rashad's dance tonight, one dog had hogtied the other dog with their tethers and I had to save the hind legs of the hogtied dog! They are in a fenced yard, but they both jump, climb and dig under the fences, I can't have them doing that. The one that does the hogtying will be leaving the first of June.

Back to the shirtless dancing, in the 70s when I lived in a different part of the country, I was young and I frequently went to a bar with male dancers, I enjoyed it, but it kind of embarrassed me then. In the 90s, I had moved back to my home town, a friend invited me to join her and friends to attend a male dance show that was in town. I went, but all I could think while the young men were stripped down to their skives was "does your mother know what you are doing?" And frequently I feel that with this show. I enjoy the dancing, but frequently wish they'd put more clothes on. 

I'm not a prude or anything, but their dance wasn't sexy, or particularly funny either. Rashad is sexy AF, but the others....just no. I'm glad Rashad didn't get his score dragged down by the Three Stooges.

I feel sorry for Heather, but I did have to laugh my ass off at Maks getting eliminated the minute he came back!

[Palomar]

Of course Heather should not have been eliminated before at least 3 of the guys still in there.  But, her professional dance last night is exactly the reason she WAS.  People didn't want to vote for a ringer.   Period.  

[Alapaki]

This result was your annual reminder that the, with the exception of weeks with "gimmick dances", the Judge's scores are not really determinative.  The narrative they (and the editing) promote may be.

IIRC, Heather's adjusted-point score this week was about 4.5 higher than Nicks.  That's about as big a spread as you're likely to see at this point in the competition.  

(Whoops, that was based on this week's initial dance scores.  Last week, Heather was a little over 2 points ahead of David.  But, substitute "cub nation" for "bachelor nation", and I think my point still stands)

I see three potential voting populations here: fans of the star, fans of the pro, and fans of the dance performance.  We really don't know just how strong any of those populations are for any particular pair (although there are some metrics that might provide some insight).  Having Max absent may have hurt Heather.  She might not have had a personal fan-base to rival "bachelor nation".  Or perhaps the Judges' repeated reference to her dance background served to downplay the impressiveness of her performances with the third group of voters.

Whatever the cause, what we know for sure from this week is that the Judge's scores were not responsible for Heather's elimination.  

Edited April 25, 2017 by Alapaki
Corrected to the accurate scoring.

[Venee]

4 minutes ago, Palomar said:

Of course Heather should not have been eliminated before at least 3 of the guys still in there.  But, her professional dance last night is exactly the reason she WAS.  People didn't want to vote for a ringer.   Period.  

Except last nights Dance ISN'T why she was eliminated. The elimination was based on the Frozen "pantomime" they gave her last week instead of a real Jazz dance. I'm beginning to think that if they had let her loose to  dance in all her pro glory, she would have stuck around. 

[Primetimer]

Heather Morris earns the season's first perfect score, as the show pits boy bands versus girl groups.

View the full article

[ChrisMcGraan]

I never understand when fans say someone was "robbed" after an elimination. If their was a technical issue with voting or the judges completely screwed them with scores by gives 2s then yes, I think a star is robbed. This show has been on for 10+ years and people still don't seem to realize that being a good dancer does not mean you automatically stick around. She didn't get the votes, plain and simple. As someone else mentioned, she had at least 4 points on Bonner and I think 5 on David from the previous week -- she should be able to cover that spread.

[Beyoncheyyy]

10 hours ago, Fanny Mare said:

She's a cutie, but her giggling drives me up the wall.We had that last season, oh I cant be sexy( insert giggling) 

I watched her on Ellen and she is definitely sheltered and immature. She's 20 and said she wants to move out if her parents will let her. You can tell she's spent her entire life in a gym. 

2 minutes ago, ChrisMcGraan said:

I never understand when fans say someone was "robbed" after an elimination. If their was a technical issue with voting or the judges completely screwed them with scores by gives 2s then yes, I think a star is robbed. This show has been on for 10+ years and people still don't seem to realize that being a good dancer does not mean you automatically stick around. She didn't get the votes, plain and simple. As someone else mentioned, she had at least 4 points on Bonner and I think 5 on David from the previous week -- she should be able to cover that spread.

Or the producers don't want an all female finale so they were thinning the herd. 

[Babalooie]

11 hours ago, WrongReasons said:

holy moly what a load of crap at the Heather boot. I should have seen it coming with the perfect score (I thought her dance was amazing). 

All I can figure is that either she asked to go home, which has happened in the past, or Maks knew that he couldn't last the rest of the season fresh from surgery.  I felt bad for Alan having to listen to some of the dialogue about how wonderful it was that Maks had returned.  What is he, chopped liver???

[Toonces464]

5 minutes ago, Babalooie said:

All I can figure is that either she asked to go home, which has happened in the past, or Maks knew that he couldn't last the rest of the season fresh from surgery.  I felt bad for Alan having to listen to some of the dialogue about how wonderful it was that Maks had returned.  What is he, chopped liver???

If Maks didn't think he could last the rest of the season I think he would have just bailed when the injury happened.

[Packerbrewerbadger]

No lifts are better than bad lifts. When David was having trouble , Lindsey should have nixed the lift. It added nothing to the dance , in fact I think it distracted from it. 

Tho I much preferred the earlier seasons where lifts were limited to the freestyles. 

[vibeology]

Just now, Packerbrewerbadger said:

No lifts are better than bad lifts. When David was having trouble , Lindsey should have nixed the lift. It added nothing to the dance , in fact I think it distracted from it. 

Tho I much preferred the earlier seasons where lifts were limited to the freestyles. 

I think the dances where lifts are allowed (Argentine Tango, salsa, jazz, contemporary and probably a few others I'm forgetting) it should be limited to one lift per dance so if you want a big showstopping lift you can put it in because I do think sometimes they do add to the dance, but the expectation is more than just being lifted or being a forklift.

Then in the freestyle, they can do whatever they want. But you know, they don't let me decide anything around here.

[Alapaki]

My tin-foil hat told me that they cast Maks and Peta with the understanding that they'd "let one of them out" by mid-season.  I'd assumed that would be Peta because it's still so soon after her labor and delivery and, well, because Nick.

But I think if there's any knollery at play here its in the Judges' repeated calling out of Heather's dance background.  They've cast plenty of "ringers" before, but I can't recall them ever so explicitly acknowledging that fact, much less holding it against the ringer.  

I can't say that was dispositive, since I think the other stars may have stronger personal voting blocs, but it could have been a contributing factor.

[katha]

13 minutes ago, ChrisMcGraan said:

I never understand when fans say someone was "robbed" after an elimination. If their was a technical issue with voting or the judges completely screwed them with scores by gives 2s then yes, I think a star is robbed. This show has been on for 10+ years and people still don't seem to realize that being a good dancer does not mean you automatically stick around. She didn't get the votes, plain and simple. As someone else mentioned, she had at least 4 points on Bonner and I think 5 on David from the previous week -- she should be able to cover that spread.

I agree that it's not obviously rigged like that. But the show does influence how it plays out. Why were many here saying before the season even started that Heather looked like a potential shock elimination? Because it's played out like that before, numerous times. Part of it is the make-up of the general audience, charming males get passes no matter what they do on the dance floor. It's always been like that. But there was also storyboarding. Even before the season began, controversy about Heather's participation was started. The DWTS PR department probably also played a part in that. Then they kept her dance background at the forefront of her narrative on the show. They underscored her some weeks. Then circumstances also contributed: When Maks went out injured, his fans perhaps disengaged to some degree as well. I know many people in online fan circles like Alan, but those are probably hardcore DWTS fans anyway, he doesn't have reach outside of that yet. She's introverted and as you say: She earned 34 points last week, that doesn't sound so bad and it was considerably more than some of the guys, so the fans she does have probably weren't that worried. That's how "shocking eliminations" happen again and again. I confess, I underestimated how much Glee fandom has probably shrunk since Amber Riley was on the show.

The show wanted exactly this to happen, though. That's why that stunt casting and the way it was framed by the show. They don't care if it happened this week or next week or in two weeks, they were gunning for exactly this happening. They got their buzz and scandal and headlines, that's what it's about for the producers.

[vibeology]

4 minutes ago, katha said:

The show wanted exactly this to happen, though. That's why that stunt casting and the way it was framed by the show. They don't care if it happened this week or next week or in two weeks, they were gunning for exactly this happening. They got their buzz and scandal and headlines, that's what it's about for the producers.

I don't even think the show expected it would happen this early but the fact that it did is better for them. The fact she went home this early and there are a few dancers still there who are visibly poor dancers and not even all that personable to offset their lack of skill (hi Bonner, I'm clearly talking about you!) just makes for more buzz and attention. The show was thrilled when they saw the results.

Also, I'm pretty sure I heard Erin say next week there is an immunity up for grabs. I'll be very curious to see who gets it because I do still think we're going to see someone who is a stronger dancer get knocked out at some point to make room for David in the semis or maybe even finals. How that immunity goes down next week might be very telling.

[crowceilidh]

Quote

We like to talk about Gleb and his constant "sexy" narrative. That 10 or so seconds that he and Britt danced during the Bumper was Chemistry on steroids!

I guess this was part of my point about Britt -- she was so fascinating that I forgot to despise Gleb for his skeeviness...  

I don't think the judges gave Heather 10s because they knew she was going - I don't see what else that dance could have got except maybe an 11 or two.  I didn't like her from the beginning and Maks pisses me off constantly despite the fact that I was a big fan for quite a number of seasons, but she and Maks were awesome in that dance.  I would suggest that it was Maks's nonsense with Alan last week that lost her the place.  This show does not tend to reward sulky egotism.  Alan's face after the water glass part was pretty telling -- he's not the resting bitchface type.

[crossover]

2 hours ago, RedFiat said:

When she is given appropriate choreography she outshines everyone because of her professional training, not despite it. I have always said to just let her dance at her level and let the audience decide if her being on the show is worth the entertainment value of even having non-dancers compete.  But then if we had that we would only have a show of professional dancers and not get the pleasure of a Rashad or James Hinchcliffe even try out.  They had to do a marquee outstanding Rumba so that her professional dancing doesn't take a hit.  She still would probably like to keep that credential when she auditions for her next gig. 

The issue of course is she was stunt cast for precisely a shock elimination.   

Agree with the bold.  If she were the only accomplished dancer/ringer this season, TPTB would've created some kind of twist to save her.  Didn't they create something to give  Chelsea Kane an instant save or winner take all scenario?  She didn't have the voter support but they wanted someone in the finals who had dance training.   I know they've done it for others as well.  But, to me, it was obvious that Chelsea wasn't getting the voter support. 

[majormama]

36 minutes ago, crowceilidh said:

... I would suggest that it was Maks's nonsense with Alan last week that lost her the place.  This show does not tend to reward sulky egotism.  Alan's face after the water glass part was pretty telling -- he's not the resting bitchface type.

I'm glad you mentioned this, because Alan's face when they cut to him during the judging totally threw me. He had to have known he'd get water to the face, right? They surely wouldn't have surprised him with that? Because he looked like he was struggling to maintain his professionalism after being thrown for a loop. If he didn't know, man, that's just mean and petty of Maks. And if his reaction was not the water but Maks talking s***, that's understandable, too.

[Harmonyy]

1 hour ago, Beyoncheyyy said:

I watched her on Ellen and she is definitely sheltered and immature. She's 20 and said she wants to move out if her parents will let her. You can tell she's spent her entire life in a gym. 

Or the producers don't want an all female finale so they were thinning the herd. 

She wasn't even a thread to the semifinals nevertheless the finals. 

[gohawks]

I loved, loved, loved Simone's channeling of The Church Lady and crushing on Rashad.

Rashad was the only man in the group dance who did not embarrass himself.

Heather and Maks were beautiful dancing together.

Nancy is good dancer but her non-stop angst is off-putting for me. Also, she has no connection to Artem. They have zero chemistry. She dances well around him but I see no real partnership. I am sure Artem is happy to be dancing with her because they probably will be in the finals but as for any kind of chemistry, there is none.

I love Normani  but I believe she has no chance at winning. Black woman do not win this show. Mel B, Mya, Brandy, Tamar, Zendaya. The list goes on and on. The only Black woman to pull it off had to be paired with Derek and over-scored.  I would not be shocked if David outlasted her. It is about demographics and Black women are not popular with a major DWTS demographic. 

David and Bonner are the antithesis of what I tune in for. I like the stars who can dance or learn to dance. There is no hope for either of these guys. At least David looks like he is enjoying it. Bonner should have left before Mr T.

Nick is my second favorite guy because he has potential. Every now and then he gets a step just right and you can see the joy on his face. 

I love Maks and I am sad to see him go but I get the reaction some are having. I was very happy when Derek slunk off after his disastrous season with Marilu.

As for Alan's reaction to the water in his face? Please! It's an entertainment show. He looked like he was playing the part. Jeez!

Edited April 25, 2017 by gohawks

[boyznkatz]

Even though I hate whiny packages, there is something genuine about Nancy. As someone her age, I'd be a basket case if I had to compete against young folks. She looks great, but I could totally see her being insecure. As a middle aged mother, I can totally identify with her.

I'm still in shock that Bonner didn't get eliminated.

[saber5055]

I like the packages, they help me learn more about who these (mostly unknown) people are. I want people I like to make it through, not necessarily the "best dancer." I'm really torn on the "normal person" vs. "professional dancing star" route this show has taken. If I want to watch two pros dance, I'll watch a real dance show instead of one making believe the "star" has never danced before. At least this season we are being informed who the dancing stars are. I was glad to see Nick finally talk about how he feels being there instead of the typical Bachelor "I found love" BS. I liked him for that. And count me in as one who was uncomfortable with the Magic Mike stuff. I don't want to see men shirtless, they are MUCH sexier to me if they have on a tank top or T under their open shirt or jacket. Then at the end, I was yelling "MAKS!" from my couch. I am not a Nancy fan (I remember all her snark after that Olympics) and I used to have a huge crush on Maks, but now ... I couldn't get him off my tv fast enough. Best elimination ever, Maks and his pro dancer partner. Sorry, Maks, you are no longer my tv boyfriend based on your poor attitude. I'm sticking around for David, but if Rashad makes it to the finals, I'd be okay with that, too.

[RedFiat]

1 hour ago, vibeology said:

I think the dances where lifts are allowed (Argentine Tango, salsa, jazz, contemporary and probably a few others I'm forgetting) it should be limited to one lift per dance so if you want a big showstopping lift you can put it in because I do think sometimes they do add to the dance, but the expectation is more than just being lifted or being a forklift.

Then in the freestyle, they can do whatever they want. But you know, they don't let me decide anything around here.

Wouldn't it be awesome to just allow one lift in the dances that can do lifts. Then we would really get the messing about out of the way. 

[Jax7917]

I don't think Val should have talked back to Len , but Len should really be bringing up his distaste in the music to the producers , not to the dancers. They are given songs they have to do .. if the judges want salsa dancing , give them salsa music , not hip hop . I don't get everyone's love for Len , he's judging a modern show with a lot of gimmicks put in by the show runners . He always has something to say about it to the pros / celebs . 

[Snarklepuss]

Well, I rarely post on this show, but have been watching since Season 1 and I personally could not get over Heather's elimination.  I think she was a victim of circumstances that all conspired against her.  First, having some professional experience taint the audience's perception of her somewhat, then Max sustaining an injury, then having him give her poor choreography last week.  I believe that Max being absent as her partner for a few weeks actually hurt her more than anything.  His replacement was fine, but Max himself is a draw plus he has that "somethin' somethin'" that often pulls his partners ahead of where they might have ended up with someone else.  Of course every now and then Max puts out a clunker choreography, and his timing with that was just about as poor as could be given his absence for a few weeks, which I'm sure was hurting Heather in the popular vote.

It just boggles my mind that people like Bonner and David Ross are still there, but Bonner is seriously attractive plus his matchup with Sharna is hot, so I'm sure the women are going nuts for him in the voting.  Plus David being a sports star is pulling in his own fan base.  Sadly, I just don't think Heather could compete with all that.  I remember being bummed when Sabrina Bryan was sent home, but if I were to judge based on talent alone and Heather's final rumba performance vs. Sabrina's, Heather's elimination was even less deserved.

[NeverLate]

3 hours ago, Palomar said:

Of course Heather should not have been eliminated before at least 3 of the guys still in there.  But, her professional dance last night is exactly the reason she WAS.  People didn't want to vote for a ringer.   Period.  

I think viewers do get tired of professional dancers, who don't necessarily bring a smile to your face, or hers. Glee fans , which was why Amber won( that and Derek is fabulous) have moved on. There really isnt a female I'm crazy over this season. 

[lonestar]

Calling The Four Tops a boy band was insulting. Would DWTS cal The Three Tenors a boy band?  

[iMonrey]

I still feel like the judges are propping Rashad. That dance was not 9-worthy, let alone a 10. His turns in hold are so stiff and jerky. He has musicality, but no fluidity, and he stomps around a lot. Especially in ballroom. But I guess they are determined to get him to the finals. I don't get why. Why can't we just have an all-girl finale? At least they've stopped propping David. Ugh, that lift at the end was scary, I was afraid for them.

Speaking of scary, who in the holy hell was singing Fun Fun Fun? It sounded like Weird Al Yankovic. I couldn't even watch the dance because of the horrible vocalist murdering an iconic Beach Boys song.

People have been complaining about Simone's inability to "connect" and while I find that somewhat subjective, I did kind of see that problem tonight. She had a plastic expression pasted on her face throughout her entire dance that never changed once. 

[crossover]

2 hours ago, gohawks said:

I love Normani  but I believe she has no chance at winning. Black woman do not win this show. Mel B, Mya, Brandy, Tamar, Zendaya. The list goes on and on. The only Black woman to pull it off had to be paired with Derek and over-scored.  I would not be shocked if David outlasted her. It is about demographics and Black women are not popular with a major DWTS demographic.

I hope you're wrong about the bold this time.  I loved Amber but she was no where in the league of the black females who didn't make it.  I do hope they both (Normani and Simone) make it to the finals. 

[CantDanceDontAskMe]

3 hours ago, gohawks said:

I loved, loved, loved Simone's channeling of The Church Lady and crushing on Rashad.

Rashad was the only man in the group dance who did not embarrass himself.

Heather and Maks were beautiful dancing together.

Nancy is good dancer but her non-stop angst is off-putting for me. Also, she has no connection to Artem. They have zero chemistry. She dances well around him but I see no real partnership. I am sure Artem is happy to be dancing with her because they probably will be in the finals but as for any kind of chemistry, there is none.

I love Normani  but I believe she has no chance at winning. Black woman do not win this show. Mel B, Mya, Brandy, Tamar, Zendaya. The list goes on and on. The only Black woman to pull it off had to be paired with Derek and over-scored.  I would not be shocked if David outlasted her. It is about demographics and Black women are not popular with a major DWTS demographic. 

David and Bonner are the antithesis of what I tune in for. I like the stars who can dance or learn to dance. There is no hope for either of these guys. At least David looks like he is enjoying it. Bonner should have left before Mr T.

Nick is my second favorite guy because he has potential. Every now and then he gets a step just right and you can see the joy on his face. 

I love Maks and I am sad to see him go but I get reaction some are having. I was very happy when Derek slunk off after his disastrous season with Marilyn.

As for Alan's reaction to the water in his face? Please! It's an entertainment show. He looked like he was playing the part. Jeez!

 

Of course!  They work for hours x days to get their reactions, facial expressions, and timing just right to complement the dance.  At least the real pros do. 

[NeverLate]

23 minutes ago, crossover said:

I hope you're wrong about the bold this time.  I loved Amber but she was no where in the league of the black females who didn't make it.  I do hope they both (Normani and Simone) make it to the finals. 

I'm not buying that. Amber had weak competitors, but even with her bad knees, she danced as best she could. She had fun! Everyone I know loves Simone/Normani I'm sure one of them will win..

[jennifer6973]

2 hours ago, lonestar said:

Calling The Four Tops a boy band was insulting. Would DWTS cal The Three Tenors a boy band?  

So was calling the Beach Boys a boy band.

[limecoke]

Will this show ever learn?  You pair a pro with a pro and the audience doesn't like it. 

The Beach Boys were in a class by themselves and I appreciate the effort to recreate "Fun, Fun, Fun", but in their 70's, they sound 1000x better than this guy did.  And the tempo was way off.

Quote

 I don't appreciate the laser lights - I wish they'd consider the effect of aiming them into the tv cameras.

Oh my, yes.  Huge migraine trigger for me and can set off an aura instantly.

Edited April 25, 2017 by limecoke

[gohawks]

2 minutes ago, limecoke said:

Will this show ever learn?  You pair a pro with a pro and the audience doesn't like it.  

They seemed fine with Derek and Nicole.

[calipiano81]

7 hours ago, katha said:

Val's strategy with Normani is interesting. IMO he actually puts in lots of content, but he also puts in extra stuff. Which...he knows it will piss off Len, but it will also probably make Normani stand out week after week. Derek used to do that kind of thing, it's the first time I'm really noticing Val doing it on a consistent basis? Perhaps he figures it plays to Normani's performance strengths and will get her more votes?

If a pro puts in extra stuff, the proportion should be AT LEAST 50/50 with the assigned dance. IMO, I don't think Val did that with Normani's dance this week - I agree with whoever said that it seemed to be about only 10 seconds of salsa and the rest was music-video dancing. Val does seem to be making a habit of it this season to the point where I actually don't agree that it's a good strategy, because lack of content should be an exception, not the norm.

[Venee]

4 hours ago, vibeology said:

I don't even think the show expected it would happen this early but the fact that it did is better for them. The fact she went home this early and there are a few dancers still there who are visibly poor dancers and not even all that personable to offset their lack of skill (hi Bonner, I'm clearly talking about you!) just makes for more buzz and attention. The show was thrilled when they saw the results.

Also, I'm pretty sure I heard Erin say next week there is an immunity up for grabs. I'll be very curious to see who gets it because I do still think we're going to see someone who is a stronger dancer get knocked out at some point to make room for David in the semis or maybe even finals. How that immunity goes down next week might be very telling.

The Heck! So an Immunity right after it could have save Heather this week with something like that? If anyone has some behind the scenes tea on the shenanigans that made this possible speak up...

[friendperidot]

Quote

Black women are not popular with a major DWTS demographic.

I hope you are wrong on that, for me I know you're wrong, some of the women you mentioned were ones I rooted for and voted for, MelB, Zendaya, Tamar, I really couldn't say, I missed most of that season because I shut off the satellite, and it took me a few weeks to figure out the antenna thing, if I couldn't get anything other than a pixelated screen, I turned it off, Mya I never warmed up too. But Gladys Knight was one of my favorites but it's probably because I'm old and I've loved her singing most of my life. I liked Amber, I wanted her to win, she was likable and her weight was not in her favor, I thought she was great. I've never watched Glee, so I had no preconception of Amber and none of Heather, I just never warmed up to her. I started this season pulling for Simone and Nancy, now I'm leaning more to Nancy. I will still be a Simone fan, but I don't think she's doing the dancing as well as I hoped for. 

And for the record, I was over Sabrina's elimination before it occurred. She was another one I never warmed up to.

I have to say it again, Fun, Fun, Fun was Slow, Slow, Slow and Bad, Bad, Bad!

[FilmTVGeek80]

3 hours ago, gohawks said:

I love Normani  but I believe she has no chance at winning. Black woman do not win this show. Mel B, Mya, Brandy, Tamar, Zendaya. The list goes on and on. The only Black woman to pull it off had to be paired with Derek and over-scored.  I would not be shocked if David outlasted her. It is about demographics and Black women are not popular with a major DWTS demographic. 

 

I don't buy that AT ALL. First to say black woman don't win this show and then turn around and admit that, yes a black woman has won on this show, just shows that your statement isn't true. I didn't really like Amber and hated that she won, really just because I was tired of Derek winning, not because I disliked her. I think she won because she was paired with someone popular like Derek and because the <i>Glee</i> fandom was bigger back then, and also because she had a great personality.

It would be one thing if you were saying Black Woman aren't as popular as some other groups that would be one thing, but to say that they're not popular makes no sense given that Mel B., Zendaya, and Mya didn't just make the finals but they were in the top 2. I think brandy made the quarterfinals, if not the semi-finals (I know that she was in the top four.) Brandy was unfortunately on against Bristol Palin, who had an inexplicably large voter base.

Normani could easily win as Amber Riley did. She also has a super popular pro, she has an extremely large and dedicated fanbase, and she's getting good scores. Her personality isn't setting the world on fire, but it's not bad either. The only thing I see possibly sinking her is people may not want to give Val the Mirrorball Trophy back to back.

[limecoke]

Quote

 They seemed fine with Derek and Nicole.

Never said it was a hard and fast thing but generally it's true.  Most of us enjoy watching the amateur learn as the season progresses.  Which is rather the point of the show.  And before anyone says it, yes, the figure skaters and gymnasts also have somewhat of an advantage but when you count the success of NFL players, I think the advantage for athletes in general is their superior self-discipline and work ethic, not dance expertise. This can be argued till the end of time and I have no desire to do that.  YMMV.

Edited April 25, 2017 by limecoke

[NeverLate]

4 minutes ago, limecoke said:

Never said it was a hard and fast thing but generally it's true.  Most of us enjoy watching the amateur learn as the season progresses.  Which is rather the point of the show.  And before anyone says it, yes, the figure skaters and gymnasts also have somewhat of an advantage but when you count the success of NFL players, I think the advantage for athletes in general is their superior self-discipline and work ethic, not dance expertise. This can be argued till the end of time and I have no desire to do that.  YMMV.

James was great last season. I was hoping he and Sharna would take the tacky MBT. He really was a natural,