S18.E08: Week 8

[TeeM]

Dictionary says Rumba and Rhumba are both correct.  

 

They knock Charlie for the cane, and don't dock Amy for the chair?  Also, I think that Derek is really limiting Amy. How many weeks in a row has he used the fog machine?  

Ha, I said the same thing about the fog machine this week. I think maybe he owns it himself and wants to get his money's worth so he uses it every week. 

[NCChic]

I had thought that a guest judge would add an interesting mix to the show.

Boy, was I wrong.

Very, very, very wrong.

[crowceilidh]

I am no fan of Derek Hough (I am a reluctant fan of his choreo on occasion) and Amy is gutsy but not particularly likeable to me, yet I don't think she's being marked particularly unfairly for the most part.  She should have been docked for the stool error tonight, except that I think it was Derek's fault, wasn't it?  

 

I didn't like Mark's opening song, but I didn't hate it either.  As an opening NUMBER, I thought it was really fun and rewatched it instantly.  Neither Tony nor Maks were dancing in it, is that right?  Who all was dancing in it?

I saw: Derek, Val, Henri, Artem and who else?  Emma, Lindsay, Witney, Peta, Cheryl and who else?

 

I defo think that James and Candace should have gone home before Danica on the dancing scale of things.  Also, bring me a group of James, Peta, Candace, Mark, Danica and Val and VAL is the person I want to see dance.  So that's just depressing.

 

I agree with the comment that Charlie's 40 seemed like a pity 40 (or in fact, the 40 he deserved last week).

 

, 

[magpye29]

Poor Charlie didn't even get to have his perfect score all to himself because of course Golden Boy had to get one, too. 

 

I'll take Donny Osmond over Abby Lee Miller any day of the week. 

[GraceTX]

Are we done with the guest judges?  As much as CAI, Len, and Bruno annoy me at times, I'd take them any day over that horrible, horrible woman tonight.  I've seen her show and she's a bully.  And boy, was she kissing Derek's ass tonight.  

[superdeluxe]

Wow, Maks brought the asshole tonight didn't he? 

 

I don't care if he doesn't like ALM, who does? - but take it up with the producers you jackass and not on live TV because you make your partner look bad  since you think you've got this in the bag.  Sorry to tell you Maks but your bitchass attitude there and in the duo rehearsal towards both women is going to bite Meryl in the vote-ass.

 

Maks was just speaking for everyone who didn't like the fact that that woman was there.  I haven't liked Maks in a while, but I had to give him some points for that.

 

I don't think it's going to hurt him in the vote area because he and Meryl are at the bottom of the leaderboard right now and I'm sure their fans are voting hard.  Plus, he's going to have the Val fans.  So, he's going to be fine and still end up winning.

[Flick]

I am no fan of Derek Hough (I am a reluctant fan of his choreo on occasion) and Amy is gutsy but not particularly likeable to me, yet I don't think she's being marked particularly unfairly for the most part.  She should have been docked for the stool error tonight, except that I think it was Derek's fault, wasn't it?  

Except by that school of thought you have to go back to solely judging the contestants on their actual dance skills rather than the package of everything. Should Charlie have been docked for a rumba that wasn't a rumba? It goes on and on where stars have been penalized for their pros mistakes/issues. The scoring is never going to work out in a way that makes sense. I can accept that they score the pros according to individual scales so what it takes for Amy to receive a 40 isn't what it takes for Meryl to receive a 40, but even with that in mind I can't wrap my head around that AT receiving a 40 when Meryl's did not.

 

As far as Maks on ALM, I personally thought it wasn't all that big of a deal and was a foregone conclusion that it would happen. For people who really dislike Maks, I see it being a bigger deal than for those who like him or are neutral on him. The biggest thing is going to be whether people dislike Maks or ALM more. Given that her teaching methods mostly consist of making small children cry and hitting them when they don't perform up to her standards, ALM is a hell of a lot worse than Maks IMO.

[truthaboutluv]

I didn't like Mark's opening song, but I didn't hate it either.  As an opening NUMBER, I thought it was really fun and rewatched it instantly.

 

 

It was definitely better than all the other opening numbers that have basically been a repeat of the same thing every week. I missed it but was that also choreographed by Mandy Moore because if so, it's nice to see that she can give the Pros something else to do for the opening number.

Edited May 6, 2014 by truthaboutluv

[COESpiral]

What idiot at ABC thought this was a good idea?  "Yeah, we know Abby Lee is a controversial figure, going so far as to constantly berate and be abusive to her students, both mentally and sometimes physically, but hey, she'll bring the ratings, won't she??"  I give any pro that had something snotty to say about or to ALM a pass for tonight's show.  She was awful.  She even made Carrie Ann look like a wise sage which I had no idea was possible.  Len looked like he'd have given a limb to be sitting anywhere else.

 

Sorry to see Danica go.  I really hope her injury heals fast and that she's not in too much pain.  Rib cracks hurt like a sumbitch.  I liked her dancing and we're getting to the point in the competition when anyone getting voted out sucks.  She should be very proud of what she's accomplished.

[ramble]

I'm still a little flummoxed -- did they really give Amy a perfect score for Derek voguing around her head while she sat on a stool?

That's what it looked like to me. I'm over the Amy thing. Yes she is inspirational, but so is my best friend's husband who has developed amazing artistic abilities as he dies slowly from a debilitating disease. Inspiration is all around, if you look. Amy dances well but I'm not overwhelmed by the majesty of it all & the stool dance was just annoying.

Glad the Abby Lee Miller experiment is done. Can she never ever come back?

Gack! Totally agree. I despise this new extra judge idea & ALM made me want to go out into the street & punch random people. I can't stand her. Shut up & go far, far away.

I generally can't stomach Mark but he seems so much more toned down this year & shockingly helpful. He's working better with Candace than anyone in a long time. And then he goes & sings. Why Mark why? My ability to not snarl when he appears is in it's baby stage, don't go ruining it.

I Luh Ya Papi? Are you kidding me? My ears started bleeding. My poor kids totally didn't get what they were doing & when I told them it was a JLo song they recognized it, but then they snarked on JLo for awhile & made my heart smile.

[spanana]

I didn't think much of Mark's singing or song, but I liked the opening as a dance number.  It was my favorite opening dance number they have done all season.

 

Also this is the most likeable I have found Mark in forever.  Working with Candace has actually brought out a really nice side to him.  I feel like I'm living in an alternate reality.

 

I was also shocked to see how much chemistry Candace and Charlie had together. 

 

I'm fine with Maks saying what he did about Abby.  All the other pros were thinking it.  No matter how much Abby was sucking up to Derek, he wasn't buying it either.  Derek was the first one clapping when Maks made his comment.   I did however have a problem with Maks acting like a big baby in the dance duel rehearsal though.   Can you imagine the trainwreck if Danica had been paired with Maks?

[truthaboutluv]

I swear I always feel like I miss stuff even while I'm watching the show. What is everyone talking about with the Maks/Meryl/Danica/Val rehearsal? All I remember is their cute grandmother showing up but I'm seeing all these comments about Maks being a douche to Danica. Did I miss something?

[WhitneyWhit]

Maks told Danica not to be so condescending or sound condescending, It was a short clip so I have no idea what was actually going on, but it looked like Danica was talking throughout the brothers instructions and talking to Meryl about their (the brothers) insults to them, which I didn't hear. Meryl had this look on her face like "Now is the time when we listen".

[kitcloudkicker]

It went more like, Maks said something along the lines of, "Can we all stop being idiots right now, these are the simplest steps in the world." 

Meryl then pointed out that they weren't professional dancers. Maks may have said something else, then Danica went into, "It's our job to ignore their insults." Maks got pissy, Danica tried to calm him by saying, "But you're doing a great job, teaching untrained dancers." And then he accused her of being condescending. 

So no, not the biggest deal in the world, but he was being a dick. 

[truthaboutluv]

Hmm, interesting. Thanks for the info. I searched youtube but only found video from the start of the dance. Which speaking of video, I re-watched Amy and Derek's AT and figured out what the stumble was. I think near the end, Derek was supposed to tip the stool over with his foot and she would catch it with hers but they were slightly off in their timing so when Derek tapped it, she wasn't quick enough to catch it and so it just wobbled awkwardly instead. The stool falling over completely though only happened after the dance was well over. After Amy gets up from her ending pose, it falls over so I really don't think that counts in the dance or can be compared to Charlie dropping his cane right smack in the middle of his dance.

[fembotz]

I don't really care about the stool error, although the fact that something happened was really noticeable when I watched it. I think Amy has been really great on the show, and I think Derek is the best choreographer on the show, but... was that really a perfect 40? I know she is injured, but Danica's ribs are actually broken, and the judges did not go easy on her last week when they gave her 8s for her Salsa. I know that dancing on her prosthetics is an incredible challenge, especially the ones she was wearing. But still, it just seems kind of ridiculous that that got a perfect score. I'm trying to, like, step away from it because at the end of the day I'm watching the show for Meryl and Charlie and thought Meryl's AT with Val was AMAZING and it only got a 39, so maybe I'm just being butthurt... but I was just like what even when the 40 popped up. 

 

I thought Maks took a risk with their rumba, I think he said as much in the package IIRC. I think it's right that it got the scores it did because while it was good and I am glad to see Maks taking some risks with his choreography, the judges have been picky with rumba this season. It tied the highest score (which was Amy's) for a rumba and I think that's fine. I hope Meryl does NOT get contemporary next week, though. She's the only remaining contestant who hasn't had it, but to me that was basically her contemporary number for the season. 

 

I'm sad Danica is gone, but it's nice that I like all the remaining contestants. I really, really hope Meryl doesn't get kicked off next week, and my preferred finale would be Meryl, Charlie, Amy, and Candace. 

Edited May 6, 2014 by fembotz

[Texas Gal]

Only one thing is powerful enough to unite bitter enemies Maks and Derek... and that is the suckitude of Abby Lee Miller.

[Barbara Manatee]

That wasn't my favorite dance from Charlie, but I sure wouldn't call his score a pity 40. He was really good, and compared to the other 10s tonight - no contest. Amy's leg movements were really crisp, but she hardly moved her upper body and she basically danced in place in both dances (except for when she sat down while Derek danced around her). James has such terrible posture, he's almost painful to watch.

 

Meryl and Maks were terrific, but they were due to get dinged for skirting the rules. She doesn't deserve to be at the bottom, though. Luckily, I don't think she's in any danger.

 

Once again the camera work was terrible - show us the feet!

[crocosmia]

Mark's singing underwhelms, but the opening number was fun and entertaining.  I've liked Mark this season.   The show sometimes partners him with contestants who might have various issues with the more suggestive dances  (16-year-old Shaun, Bristol Palin, and Candace ), and he seems to handle them well.  I always like him better when he has to give extra consideration to make his partners comfortable and bring out the best in them.  It brings out the best in him, too.  

 

I just love Charlie.   He's a musical, artistic dancer, and what a cutie.    Sharna's choreography has so been full of tricks and gimmicks that his dances are more complicated than the others, and for the most part, he's handled them pretty well and without all the backstage drama.   Their quickstep was just fine, and the dance with Candace was lovely.  I don't usually like contemporary -- too much angsty flailing around -- but they had a great connection and I enjoyed the number.

 

Yikes.  Danica's make-up was creepy.   But I thought her tango was good,  and I could watch Val dance all night.   I much prefer Val to showboaty Derek.   I wish they could have lasted a little longer.  I would rather have seen James and Peta go at this point.

 

Maks and Meryl's contemporhumba was gorgeous -- as Bruno said, "a play without words."   Meryl is just. so. good.    As for the "not enough rhumba" comments -- blah, blah, blah.   If Derek had been the choreographer, they no doubt would have drooled over his creativity and given him all 10's.  

 

And speaking of Derek, it was obvious that he agreed with Maks's dismissal of that dippy guest judge's nitpicky comments.  

 

Mark and Candace were darling.   I didn't know who she was when the season started, and I've grown to like her, and she's made me like Mark better, too.

 

Peta and James -- how did he get a 10 after all the critiques about buttocks and posture?    Never mind.  

 

Amy's little bit of legwork was good in the AT -- but most of the dance she was either sitting or Derek was carrying her around.   She did not deserve the lavish scores.   Not only was there the stool that other choreographers have so often been criticized for, but there also was the Great Hough bumping into the prop.   Good grief.  They docked Charlie for dropping a cane, but Derek can stumble over a prop and still be deemed perfect?  Waaa.  Not fair at all. 

 

James did a nice job with Amy.   Their jive was fun to watch.

 

Would love to see Charlie win.  Meryl is my second choice.     But I doubt the show will allow a non-Derek final. 

 

That loud unpleasant woman who sat on the panel tonight is immensely irritating.  

 

Grandma Chmerkovskiy is a hoot.

.   

Edited May 6, 2014 by crocosmia

[Woodrose]

No, Abby Le Idiot, the fact that Amy can use her impressive athletic strength to perform an amazing dance does NOT mean that little girls can dance when hungry and tired. Really cannot believe she has a show that is popular, and parents willing to send their kids to her school.

 

Derek clearly could hardly bear to stand in front of the loudmouth bully to receive her praise.

 

On a general note, I don't think anyone needs to feel bad for liking or not liking Amy.  She wants to be treated like anyone else, and on DWTS, that means viewers can like a celeb and vote for them, or not, for any petty reason they please.  Or no reason at all.  And plenty of celebs gain or lose votes based on what their partners or the judges say or do, so that can hold true for Amy, too. 

 

I personally loved Amy's AT and have no problem with the 10s. I'm curious about what Derek was trying to do with the barstool at the end of the routine and what went wrong.

 

I gave my votes to Charlie and Sharna again this week. I loved their quickstep and felt Sharna did a terrific job with the choreography, matching moves perfectly to the music. 

 

I liked Mark's song and the opening number.  It's sweet to see how all the cast supports Mark and are happy for him. 

Edited May 6, 2014 by Woodrose

[UsernameFatigue]

The twit of a guest judge got me voting for the first time this season. And all of my votes went to Maks and Meryl. Loved Maks's comment regarding Abbyhorant. And i agree with others that he said what others were thinking. And Derek's support of Maks's comment was priceless

The judging tonight was crap, and especially by the guest judge. All of the judges had negative comments regarding Charlie's dance, and then they all give him 10s. WTH? And after giving Meryl a totally undeserved 8, the guest witch hands out 10s to others like they are candy.

I also think all three duel couples should have been dancing the same dance. If the dance that Meryl/Maks and Danica/Val were given is harder to do in synch, all the couples should have had to do the same. And to have to dance to that horrific JLo song to boot? They should have been given 10s just for figuring out a way to dance to that drivel.

I am sad to see Danica go (couldn't believe it wasn't boring James going). I hope all of Val's fans will throw their votes to Maks now.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

Boy, if ALM wasn't the train wrecks of train wrecks.  I cannot stand her.

 

Yet, once in awhile, she broke through the veneer of cheap scoring.  She was absolutely right about Meryl's feet.  You'da thunk she said Tom was a child rapist based on the reactions!  Then again, an 8?  C'mon.  Yes, it was a contempo dance with rhumba elements.  It was done well and it most definitely showed a growth arc for Meryl.  Isn't "growth" the sine qua non of this show?  

 

I actually laughed, though, when she said Mark should have just dropped Candace.  They all took her literally!  Awesome.

 

Ameriker got the B3 right.  None of them should be in the final.  I feel for Val as he was doing a fantastic job with Danica and in the group efforts.  I'm betting Grammy Sofia was not a happy camper.  Thanks to Danica for being such a lovely contestant who fully bought in.

 

El Cheapo band and the music were at their worst of the season - especially for poor Danica.  The Viennese Waltz for James was sullied by the insipid autotuned blech emanating upstage.  I Luh Ya Papi?????? Seriously??!!!!!!   It sure didn't help that we got things started with that Mark mess.  Ewwwwwwww.

 

Charlie was overscored, for once.  TPTB machinations for all to see.  With just a little less complexity and a slightly less frenetic choreo, that may have been phenomenal.  Sharna is still doing him no favors in this. 

 

Total joke the tongue-bathing Amy got.  The dance pretty much stopped cold when Derek kicked the stool and Amy looked for all the world that she just spasmed and could not move her right leg which was just hanging out there.  Almost all of her steps were carefully done.  There was almost no abandon.  Understandable as heck, but weak.  Perhaps the worst overscoring I have ever seen.  At best, that was an 8.

[WhitneyWhit]

I think tonight may be the night the show jumped the shark, and it actually had very little to do with ALM. The storyboarding was never more obvious than it was tonight, it was like the producers just ran out of shits to give.

 

The tongue bath they gave Amy was surreal, as if it were pre-written. I honestly believe that regardless of what she did, they would have said the same thing, her legs could have went flying, and she would have received a perfect score.

 

I think season 18 is where the show and I part ways, and if Meryl gets voted off next week, then the end will come sooner for me, I won't stick around to watch Amy win.

[Barbara Manatee]

 

All of the judges had negative comments regarding Charlie's dance, and then they all give him 10s.

 

No, Abby and Bruno had both criticism and praise but Len and Carrie only teased him about the scores they were going to give. They did not make any negative comments about Charlie's dance.

 

I really enjoyed watching the duos, but I hate seeing how much they interfere with the leaderboard. Meryl should not be on the bottom. The C brothers should have realized how hard it would be for Meryl and Danica to sync up and adjusted the choreography.

[fembotz]

 

The C brothers should have realized how hard it would be for Meryl and Danica to sync up and adjusted the choreography.

 

TBH I thought the most obvious out of sync part was when they were both dancing with them. 

 

I felt like this week would be a bad week for Meryl since I heard her dance assignments. Rumba and samba are very technical and don't score well, and neither are in her wheelhouse. As it stands, she still tied the highest rumba score of the season, and I think she and Danica split the difference on their samba scores (Danica got all 8s, Meryl got all 9s). I think Danica and Meryl were unlucky to not have a really highscoring learned dance that matched up the way Charlie and Candace had contemporary and James and Amy had jive. 

[MortysCleaningLady]

Question about Derek's 40 point score:  was the partner earning that the stool?  If so, I understand.  The stool was excellent!

 

Totally not surprised that Amy got her strongest dance (the jive) for the pair event or that she got paired with someone that could lift her.  No way could she have done a female duet like Meryl and Danica. 

 

Speaking of which -- Danica has a cracked rib and was doing samba rolls.  Ouch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (But let's focus on Amy's bruised rib instead.)  Danica was, in my uneducated opinion, the third best dancer this season (behind some combination of Meryl and Charlie).  It's a shame she didn't make the final four. 

 

My fingers are crossed for a 'shocking' elimination next week, sending Amy home, so Derek can focus more on his star pupil, the rhumba-ing chair.

[OakGoblinFly]

I just can’t with this show anymore.  While I knew the show always had an agenda that they pushed, the powers-that-be were somewhat subtle; not any more, they have become so very obvious that it deters any enjoyment I might have once found watching this show.

 

Charlie’s pre-dance package is a quick blink-and-you-missed it visit from his mother while Danica’s was her wondering if she has a shot of winning (sorry Val, Danica doesn’t have a shot in hell of winning because the powers-that-be are doing everything but outright declare Maks will be this year’s winner).

 

Yet Maks and Meryl have pages and pages of script, I mean, honest heartfelt conversation.  And no, Meryl Maks is not a sweetheart nor is his bad boy persona an act.  One just needs to look at the clip of him being a complete and total arsehole to Danica to see his true colors.

 

And Maks, stop with the constant twirling of Meryl.  Yes, we get it.  She is a little top that can spin and spin and spin and spin like no spinner has ever spun before; she can spin on her own, she can spin in underhand turns, and she can spin while in hole.  We get it; stop adding spins in EVERY single dance.  It is dull, repetitive, boring, and lacks imagination.  I know that you’ve all been but assured a win and that you have a professional dancer as your partner, still put a LITTLE effort in your work.

 

I so did not like Abbie Miller throwing shade at Danica’s past when she says not a word about the two professional dancers.

 

Candace looked stunning.  Mark has really done a fantastic job styling her.

 

I liked Charlie’s quickstep.  Danica looked lovely and I liked the Black Swan fused tango she performed.  She is amazing in hold.

 

A thunderstorm knocked out my cable halfway through Meryl’s rumba.  What I saw was more of the same from Maks, lots of spinning.  I wonder, did Len complain about the “messing about on the floor?”

 

I couldn’t see any of the other dances – though oddly enough, that doesn’t upset me the way it would have at one time.

[RealityCowgirl]

I boycotted this week; I've had my fill of the guest witch in other settings. Had to roar with laughter when someone noted her sickled feet comment, though. On her dance competition show (so done with that one), she sounded like a parrot: "Sickled feet! Sickled feet!"

If feet were, indeed, sickled, she'd be the one to notice.

[CED9]

With such a supposed bad back, how can she dance so well? It amazes me.

Because her core is made of steel. It has had to be for the last 15 years, because of having to be so reliant on her upper body.

[thesupremediva1]

Well, I see the machinations at work - Meryl and Maks got hosed while Golden Boy ascends once again.

 

Also, I despise Abby Miller with the fire of 1000 suns. I adore Maks even more for being real and not smiling insipidly while that moron preened and pretended not to be an evil shrew who abuses children for fame. That said, it cost him tonight. After his comment, I saw Abby rolling her arms back and asking someone off camera for something. My guess is she changed her score from a 9 to an 8.

 

From that moment on, she gave out 10s until Meryl and Maks performed again. Then she slammed them with another 8. Vindictive harpy that she is, it did not surprise me, but I will royally pissed if Meryl goes home next week because of that land beast. 

 

Congrats, show: The last time I voted for a reality competition show was Clay Aiken on the season 2 finale of American Idol. But this morning over coffee, I used FB to cast all available votes for Meryl and Maks. 

 

And because it can't be said enough: There is no way on this earth that Amy and Derek's "Argentine tango de stool" warranted a perfect score. If Meryl's AT got a 39, that was worth maybe a 37, factoring in how darn inspirational Amy is. She's really going to win this thing, isn't she? The bus came hard for Meryl and Maks last night and I don't see them recovering well enough with Golden Boy going so strong and partner who will not be critiqued fairly (through no fault of her own, mind you). 

 

I put most of the blame on the judges and shoddy scoring. Sorry, they need to just score a dance as a dance. Meryl needs to morph into Karina every week to get a 10, but Amy stays upright and gets tongue-bathed. It's just silly, and a little insulting. 

 

Finally, Meryl and Maks' dance was a work of art. I like the "contemporhumba" term some posters have given it. That was dance theater at its best and, to my eye, just showed how far ahead of everyone Meryl is in almost every aspect. I was holding my breath along with the audience. I was disappointed that those at the table tried to dissect it for the sake of a storyline.

Edited May 6, 2014 by thesupremediva1

[Quickbeam]

land beast.

 

Hee! That's perfect. I'd never heard of her before last night but missy really thinks highly of herself doesn't she? 

 

I really liked James last night. He was cheering beyond that required for Charlie and was supportive of Amy. That said, I'd not mind it if Amy went home. I want to see a Charlie/Meryl finale. 

Edited May 6, 2014 by Quickbeam

[Bitsy]

Charlie’s pre-dance package is a quick blink-and-you-missed it visit from his mother while Danica’s was her wondering if she has a shot of winning (sorry Val, Danica doesn’t have a shot in hell of winning because the powers-that-be are doing everything but outright declare Maks will be this year’s winner).

 

Yet Maks and Meryl have pages and pages of script, I mean, honest heartfelt conversation.

Care to actually add up how long the packages were?  Because Meryl was accused of hogging time from Charlie last week, and it wasn't true.  Last week, Charlie's rehearsal package was very short (40 seconds) while Candace got three minutes, and Danica and Amy each got almost two minutes.  Meryl, James and Nene all came closest to the standard package time of 1:15 - and those packages were all mostly focused on learning the dance, rather than extra drama about fears, injuries or scores.

 

I suspect Amy got the most time this week due to her injury drama, which doesn't mean she was stealing time from Charlie either.  Charlie's still not doing anything interesting enough to warrant a lengthy rehearsal package.  The mom thing was sweet, but it hardly needed to go on any longer than it did.

[fishcakes]

This is the first time I've seen Abby Lee Miller and I don't think I've ever taken a quicker dislike to a person before. The first thing she said was that she was going to be looking for straight legs and pointed feet, which would be fantastic if it were a Ministry of Funny Walks competition, but even for DWTS, you might want to be a little more nuanced in your judging.

 

At the same time, I loved how absolutely no one even tried to conceal their contempt for her. Sharna's and Derek's faces, Maks and Val essentially saying, "um, are you somebody?" to her critiques. Even the judges were glorious in how much they hated her. There's one one moment where she was talking and Bruno had his hands over his eyes and Len had his hand over his mouth; if only Carrie Ann had put her hands over her ears, it would have been the perfect illustration of everyone trying to ignore the evil in their midst. And seriously, her 10 for James was pathetic. Be more of a cliché, why don't you.

 

Mark's singing was interesting, in a Peter Brady kind of way.

[MMLEsq]

Peta looks so much better when wearing clothes.  However, that song for Viennese waltz sucks.

When I first saw the dress she was wearing, I was trying to figure out if there was some way that it would be ripped off, so that Peta could dance the rest of the song in a string bikini or something.  Color me surprised that the dress didn't come off.

 

Can't get over how restrained Mark has been this season--to Candice's benefit. Maybe because he got to sing? I didn't think his number was terrible. James looked good in the waltz--that is, his dancing looked a bit better. To me he's still the weakest of those remaining. And Peta was positively covered up, appropriately. 

 

James should have gone before Danica.

Mark has been, dare I say, quite likeable this season.  Usually my dislike of Mark taints the celebrity paired with him, but this year I'm hoping Mark and Candace make it to the finals.  I was hoping James would go tonight -- next week, I hope either he or Amy goes.

 

Peta can not disguise her emotions, she looked like she was about to vomit all over the stage. Probably because she won't get to grind over James after they are eliminated.

I didn't see nerves.  I thought Peta looked -- seriously -- like she was on drugs.  The over-the-top sparkly eye makeup didn't help because it made her eyes look all tired/spacey.  Speaking of which, Danica's makeup didn't do her any favors either.  When the camera was panning over the bottom three, they showed Peta looking out of it and with too much makeup, then went to Danica who looked horrible (and she's so pretty! Why show, why?), then finally to Candace, who looked perhaps the best she's looked on this show:  pretty makeup, lovely hair. 

 

Charlie's dances were so good tonight! Loved his chemistry with Candace. James is cute but I'm surprised he's still around! Candace has come a long way. Would love to see her, charlie and Meryl as the final 3.

Me too -- my ideal final three would be Charlie, Meryl and Candace.

 

Abby Lee Miller was hard to watch.  I hope they don't bring back the "guest judge every week" format next season.

Edited May 6, 2014 by MMLEsq

[Bavct]

I totally understand the dislike for ALM, but where is all the eye rolling, comments and slow clapping from the "pros" and judges towards you know - their bosses - for putting her there?  Did she ask to be there last night or was she invited?   All their childish antics showed me was that they are babies who need to be coddled and never have anything uncomfortable go on in their little world. 

 

Imagine if next season the showrunners decide to have real judges come in and turn this show back into a real dancing competition?  There won't be enough cheese in the world for the collective w(h)ining that will go on. 

 

I don't know why this is bothering me as much as it is - this show has become such a joke that what difference does another clown at the circus make?

[spanana]

I totally understand the dislike for ALM, but where is all the eye rolling, comments and slow clapping from the "pros" and judges towards you know - their bosses - for putting her there?  Did she ask to be there last night or was she invited?   All their childish antics showed me was that they are babies who need to be coddled and never have anything uncomfortable go on in their little world. 

 

Imagine if next season the showrunners decide to have real judges come in and turn this show back into a real dancing competition?  There won't be enough cheese in the world for the collective w(h)ining that will go on. 

 

I don't know why this is bothering me as much as it is - this show has become such a joke that what difference does another clown at the circus make?

Of course Abby was invited.  I think the pros remarks, and many of them made remarks in aftershow interviews as well, were the pros also showing displeasure about TPTB inviting Abby on in the first place.  Sharna just about said as much.  I think they didn't appreciate the show condoning Abby's antics, not because she was insulting towards them at times, but because they think her method of teaching children is abusive and shouldn't be celebrated.

 

This show was never a real dancing competition so there is nothing to get back to exactly IMO.  But I would imagine if the show brought in judges with real ballroom knowledge, our pros would actually have a good deal of respect for them.  As it is, Len is the only one they show respect to now and that is largely because they know he is at least qualified to judge ballroom dance.  Comparing Abby to a real ballroom judge doesn't quite wash.

Edited May 6, 2014 by spanana

[Flick]

I totally understand the dislike for ALM, but where is all the eye rolling, comments and slow clapping from the "pros" and judges towards you know - their bosses - for putting her there? Did she ask to be there last night or was she invited? All their childish antics showed me was that they are babies who need to be coddled and never have anything uncomfortable go on in their little world.

Imagine if next season the showrunners decide to have real judges come in and turn this show back into a real dancing competition? There won't be enough cheese in the world for the collective w(h)ining that will go on.

I don't know why this is bothering me as much as it is - this show has become such a joke that what difference does another clown at the circus make?

I don't think the issue was that they need to be coddled, I think it's that none of them respect her as an instructor or a a judge because she doesn't know what she's talking about. They'll put up with it from the permanent judges for the most part and they'll smile through the guests who grade on performance only, but ALM is generally a nasty piece of work and was making comments so off base that Tom had to repeatedly try and drag it back to a place where it applied. None of them had any time for what she had to say and it was not because she was being critical.

[DanDanNoodles]

Best thing that happened this week:  when I was fast-forwarding through Mark's "singing", Mrs. DanDanNoodles recognized it was him, said, "He sings now?" and wanted me to back up and let her listen.  So I did.  And then it took all of five seconds for her to say, "That's enough."

 

Worst thing that happened this week:  well, Mark singing, and to be honest, pretty much everything else.  ALM as a guest judge, though I managed to avoid hearing her speak even once.  (Here's an idea, why don't they bring on an actual ballroom judge as a guest judge?  Someone who would actually add to the show?)  Maks and Meryl getting hosed on the scoring.  The scoring in general, which was wacky even by DWtS standards.  Danica being eliminated before several obviously inferior dancers.

 

It was a pretty joyless episode all around.  I've been converted by Meryl, and anyway it would be great for Maks to finally get a win, so I hope it is them, but probably won't be watching it.

Edited May 6, 2014 by DanDanNoodles

[nutty1]

I thought even Carrie Ann looked disgusted with ALM.

 

Being we love to talk producer manipulation and conspiracy theories.....how does this sound?

Maybe they really want a M&M win, but Meryl does not get as many votes as adorable, all American, floppy curls Charlie. So they score her consistently high to show the viewers she is the best, and tend to give Charlie lower scores to show he just isn't as good. And maybe Charlie continues to reel in the high number of votes. So last night, they decided to do the opposite, hoping Meryl fans will vote like crazy, and Charlie fans will feel relaxed and comfortable. The only glitch in this is Amy. Unless.....they really want a Meryl/Amy showdown, and Charlie is consistently the high vote getter.

Edited May 6, 2014 by nutty1

[fembotz]

 

It was a pretty joyless episode all around.

 

This. I really did not enjoy it at all. I hope next week is a lot better, especially with the HSM director on. 

[whatsatool]

Split my votes with slight edge to Charlie and Candace

 

Favorite were

1. Couples Jive = Good one from Amy and James

2. Candace Foxtrot - I may just be a sucker for that song

3. Charlie of course.

[Hybiscus]

Since this week didn't have a "theme" like Disney night or Party Anthem week, I christen thee... Prop Night.  To wit:

 

• Charlie & Sharna had a flower
• Danica & Val and the crown & a chandelier
• Meryl & Max had the kitchen table
• Candace & Mark had the sofa and remote
• James & Peta, cherry trees and blossoms flower petals
• And of course, Amy & Derek & the infamous stool

 

I was going to amend the DWTS drinking game this week with a drink for every time ALM said "sickled feet."  (She complains about them incessently on Damce Moms and her "Ultimate Competition" show.)  Guess I would have had only one additional drink, had I had any alcohol in the house.

 

And I know of no rumba dance move that includes rolling around on the floor.

[UsernameFatigue]

I have never seen this Abby person before - and hope never to see her again. I am wondering though - why is the show called "Dance Moms" when she is teaching children? And why would anyone watch it? I just watched one of the clips posted on another site and yikes. Why would anyone want to watch someone who, if she was a teacher in a school, would be fired for abuse? I. Don't. Get. It.

But I do understand Maks' comment. I felt at the time he made it, that his comment had little to do with her judging of Meryl, and more that he had no respect for her in the first place. Now I totally understand why.

From just the few posters on this and another site, it seems like there may be many veiwers out there who voted for the first time this season - and voted for Meryl and Maks. So for that, I thank the witch.

Edited May 6, 2014 by UsernameFatigue

[jmt111]

I usually fast-forward through Amy's dances.  She is just boring--no animation to her face or joy of dance.  I thought the stool was an unfortunate prop choice:  Derek seems to use Amy as he would a prop.  Her stories are also getting old.

 

After seeing Abby Lee last night, I really appreciate judges like Ricky Martin or even Robin Roberts.  At least they did their homework and watched the previous shows so their comments were more on point. 

[camom]

 

Interesting guest judge. Was Satan busy?

No, she was sitting there between Len and Bruno.  Totally disgusting person.

 

Although I am impressed by what Amy is able to do with prosthetics, I am so sick of her being praised for everything.  She's a good dancer, but certainly not the best.

[kitcloudkicker]

Heres an explanation of the stool bobble at the end of Derek & Amy's dance - he was supposed to kick it over to her, and she was supposed to catch it with her foot, but when he kicked it he didn't do it hard enough and it just bobbled instead of falling, and they scrapped it. 

 

My two cents: I loved the Argentine Tango, and Amy absolutely deserves to be there. I love watching her dance, and see a lot of expression in her moves. Especially since her Jive week, that was her breakout for me. In terms of performance level and dance ability, she's definitely up there above Candace, and in my opinion, James as well. I want her in the final so I can see what they do with the freestyle. And, maybe because I only recently got into this show via youtube, I really don't give a shit who wins, I just want my favorites in the finals so I get to see all their dances. And for me that's Charlie, Meryl, and Amy. And I don't for one second think Meryl's fans are going to let her go home this week. 

[crocosmia]

And Maks, stop with the constant twirling of Meryl.  Yes, we get it.  She is a little top that can spin and spin and spin and spin like no spinner has ever spun before; she can spin on her own, she can spin in underhand turns, and she can spin while in hole.  We get it; stop adding spins in EVERY single dance.  It is dull, repetitive, boring, and lacks imagination.  I know that you’ve all been but assured a win and that you have a professional dancer as your partner, still put a LITTLE effort in your work.

 

 

This made me smile.  It's always interesting to read the different takes people have when watching these shows.   There are certainly plenty of interesting ways to see the same thing! 

 

 

I really like the spinning.  It's pretty, and I've been more impressed with Maks's choreography this season than in the past.   Most of the experienced choreographers do try to creatively show off their partners' strengths, and if one of Meryl's is that she's a gold-medal spinner, then good for Maks for letting us see what she does so well and so beautifully.  Better that than to prop her on a stool or blow in waves of fake fog or dress her in a gorilla suit to hide her flaws.

 

One of the reasons Derek has been so celebrated on this show is that he rarely gets a partner who doesn't have at least some talent already.  It's easier to hone your choreography and show off  your creative skills when the person you're teaching can absorb it and put it to practice.   Even when he's given an "older" contestant (Jennifer Grey) or one who doesn't have the traditional dancer's physique (Amber Riley, Rikki Lake),  those women come to Derek with previous and successful dancing and performance experience.    And Amy, who absolutely has had obstacles to conquer, is an athletic champion who has developed an athlete's discipline and control of her body.  Derek NEVER gets a dud, as the other pros have had on occasion.  Yes, he is awesomely creative, but who knows how good an instructor he might be, if he really had the kind of challenge that someone like Tony or Tristan have been assigned.   

 

I miss Tristan this season. 

 

It's nice that Maks has that advantage this time with someone who will really shine and who can take his curmudgeonly moments with a grain of salt.  I guess to really "get" Maks, it takes an Olympian hardened by a lifetime of rigorous coaching,.   Compared to that history, Maks must indeed seem like a sweetheart to Meryl.   I hope she or Charlie wins.   I hope Candace is third.  I hope Amy goes home next week.

 

 

Vindictive harpy that she is, it did not surprise me, but I will royally pissed if Meryl goes home next week because of that land beast. 

 

 

 

Great morning laugh!  Thanks!

Edited May 6, 2014 by crocosmia

[truthaboutluv]

I'm trying to, like, step away from it because at the end of the day I'm watching the show for Meryl and Charlie and thought Meryl's AT with Val was AMAZING and it only got a 39, so maybe I'm just being butthurt... but I was just like what even when the 40 popped up.

 

 

I don't think it's a good idea to compare dances directly or compare scores that way with regards to this show. Because by this same token, you can question James getting a perfect 40 the week after Meryl got that 39, with his contemporary. The one consistency about DWTS' judging and scores, is that it is inconsistent. And it's always been that way. Do I think Amy's AT was better than Meryl's, no. Do I think the judges believe so, no - since I also doubt they even remember they gave Meryl a 39 for hers. I think the difference between Amy and Meryl's AT was simply that one was in Week 4 and the other in Week 8. The scores on this show have always inflated the deeper into the competition it goes. 

 

I'm curious about what Derek was trying to do with the barstool at the end of the routine and what went wrong.

 

 

I don't have solid proof of this but I think he was trying to do this leg-work trick with the stool where he would slide it down and Amy would catch it with hers and right it back up. I would be interested in seeing their dress rehearsal. But in any case I think he or her miscalculated on the timing and instead of a nice slick move, there was just this awkward second where it looked like he kicked the stool and made it all wobbly.

 

No, Abby Le Idiot, the fact that Amy can use her impressive athletic strength to perform an amazing dance does NOT mean that little girls can dance when hungry and tired. Really cannot believe she has a show that is popular, and parents willing to send their kids to her school.

Derek clearly could hardly bear to stand in front of the loudmouth bully to receive her praise.

 

 

He did not look happy when she was berating those kids in that moment and definitely did not seem to take her comments as a compliment to Amy. I thought her ass kissing to him was interesting considering their past twitter drama.

 

But let's focus on Amy's bruised rib instead.

 

 

Amy didn't have a bruised rib. She was having back spasms that were causing her rib to move out of place. That's why when she fell with James in the rehearsal she joked that the fall actually put her rib back in place. 

 

while Danica’s was her wondering if she has a shot of winning

 

 

That was the sign right there that she was going home. The producers have always thought themselves clever with showing footage of someone either being too confident or admitting they're concerned, right as they're going home that week.

 

After his comment, I saw Abby rolling her arms back and asking someone off camera for something. My guess is she changed her score from a 9 to an 8.

 

 

The scores are turned in as soon as the couple stops dancing. The paddles are just for show but the points are already recorded. That's why there was a snafu once when the show put in a wrong score and Carrie Ann held up the paddle for the actual score she gave. I think the announcer said 8 or something and she held up a 9 paddle. 

 

Surely we are not going to see a woman with no legs win a dance competition....sounds mean I know but come on!

 

 

If she does I will lmao... Why, because last season, after his win with Amber, someone made a comment that the only way to stop Derek will be to give him a celebrity with no legs. Who knew that that comment may have been a sign of things to come. I'm telling you, imagining Maks' head exploding if that happens is almost scary. That said, I still say if Meryl doesn't win, Charlie will.

 

That said, I'd not mind it if Amy went home. I want to see a Charlie/Meryl finale.

 

 

The finale is 3 couples. So theoretically all three of them could be there and I feel pretty certain they will be.

Edited May 6, 2014 by truthaboutluv

[darbar]

The show is Dance Moms because in all reality, the show focuses on the mothers of the girls in the dance class.  Believe me, these moms make some of the harpies on the Real Housewives show look like baby bunnies--they are nasty, backstabbing, lying bitches.  I live in the greater Pittsburgh area, and we see and read all kinds of stories about these mothers.  So bad, that there have been rumors of one mom suing other moms because she thinks her daughter is a better dancer.  Seriously, these are major, major nasty women.  I cannot stand ALM as she is so abusive to the girls in her classes.  And I refuse to watch that show, after seeing just one episode.  But, I'm just wondering if,  beyond her nasty personality, some of the distain for her is because she's not a tiny size 2 who teaches dance classes?  I don't know why, but I just have the feeling that Maks is one of those millions of men who look at a overweight woman with disgust.  

Edited May 6, 2014 by darbar

[MMLEsq]

I miss Tristan this season. 

I do too.  And every time they show that commercial for the learn how to dance DVD, like they did again last night, I miss Louis.