S18.E12: 13 : Road to the Finals & Live Finale

[JustAlison]

Well, that was underwhelming. The only dances I actually enjoyed were Candace and James. Meryl did what Meryl did all season, and Amy spun on a rope. Meh.

 

I would love to see Candace win. Those 8s for her freestyle were an insult, and I know nothing about dance, but I thought she was the best she has been all season. She has grown the most, taken the most interesting journey, and for that, I'd love to see her rewarded.

 

Having said that, I am quite resigned to watching Meryl win. She is a talented dancer, but really, she's just another pro out there. Candace learned so much from Mark, and every week, we got to see her improve, and actually learn to dance. 

 

I'd be okay with an Amy win, too. With what she has had to overcome, that would also be a satisfying ending to the season, for me.

Edited May 20, 2014 by JustAlison

[MortysCleaningLady]

Let me start off with an unpopular opinion:

I loved Danica's hair!  I've been single-handedly trying to bring big hair back and now I have a co-conspirator!  Big curls rule!

And I thought James looked horrid.  Previous posters mentioned that he had on eyeliner - whatever it was, it made him look exhausted and aged him.  Not a good look.

 

My two favorite routines of the night were Candice's.  Now, I realize she isn't the greatest dancer, but I loved the choreography.  They were fun.  If I were to watch a single dance over again, it would be her quickstep.  Now, that's not a reason to vote for her.  That's a reason to compliment Mark on great choreography and fun music selection. 

 

For actual dance content, I think Meryl was in a class by herself.  Both of her routines were beautifully done.  There were no backup dancers, fog machines, or cirque de soleil ropes necessary.  So, after not voting all season, I pulled out my telephone and voted for Meryl.  She really is a very good dancer.

[Toonces464]

Then perhaps explode isn't the right word, but I'd like them to win for the sole purpose of the number of broken records on the topic. If I found Derek even remotely likable then I'd have the same feeling about Amy winning but I don't so I won't. And there's been quite a bit of bitching and moaning about Maks and Meryl, even here, so yeah, I'd say there'll be some reactions.

 

 

I'd be surprised if there was any kind of reaction other than "Yeah, that wasn't obvious" except maybe on PureDWTS. :)

[fishcakes]

I voted for the first time this season for Meryl and Maks, and that's partly because I want Maks to finally have a win, but also because I think Meryl is the most deserving of the three. I'm impressed with what Amy can do dancing on prosthetics, but, except for the contemporary she did earlier in the season, her dances feel emotionless to me. And Candace is a sweetheart and, having no dance experience, what this competition was originally all about, but she's never gotten over her stage fright enough to be a real contender. Interesting that Kirk Cameron wasn't in Candace's taped package. Maybe they were afraid he was going to bring his banana.

 

Except for the white boy gangster posturing, I enjoyed the freestyle.

 

I had to cover my eyes for a lot of it. His dancing was good, but as soon as I saw the hoodie and the squatting, I immediately began to feel embarrassed on his behalf, which is nothing new. I feel like Peta may actually have pitched the dance to him by saying, "hey, what if we were huge posers?" The whole time he was out there, I could only think of a line from a Jesse Stone movie where Tom Selleck tells one of the lesser Baldwin brothers, "where I come from, we'd keep you as a pet."

[Bavct]

 

I'd be surprised if there was any kind of reaction other than "Yeah, that wasn't obvious" except maybe on PureDWTS. :)

 

I think the bigger reaction will be if anyone but M&M win. 

 

Me?  I'm hoping Candace can pull it off just to see the judges faces after their mean spirited 8's last night.  That would be priceless.

 

I wonder if Val and Tony will hoist Maks up and parade him around like the hero leaving Meryl on the ground to be picked up by Derek and Mark the way it happened with Melissa in the All-Star season?  You know, one of those 13 seasons that Maks didn't win.  13.

[Buggin]

I know Dial Idol is so 2005 but for shits and giggles I went there just to see what they were saying and they had Candace and Mark having like 3x as many votes as the other couples. I would seriously be so freaking amused if Candace actually won. I don't see it happening but I'm pretty sure everyone on stage would be in shock.

[CED9]

The hardest part for me in watching any reality dance show is this: Dancing comes across so much better live in person. When I find myself not liking a dance, I go back and realize a lot of the dislike was due to the camera work.

[mehtotheworld]

Meryl and Maks' names were trending WW all night (I know because I'm on twitter a lot) as well as encoreMeryl, their shippers all but exploded into a puddle of goo, Zendaya has all her followers on the job of voting for them, even retweeting memes and gifs showing her and Val coming in second with the comment "let's not make this happen again" (and I love Z and Val but I found those tweets obnoxious from them both)

Honestly, this has been a great ride for Meryl fans. There are always going to be conspiracy theorists regarding possible Derek wins, just like there have been for Maks' apparently penciled-in win, but the majority of the reaction I've seen has just been joy at both dances and encouragement to vote (plus the inevitable "they're boning" comment, which, well, shippers gonna ship).

 

Honestly, seeing all these different fandoms collide has been hilarious for the most part (ignoring the more mean-spirited comments aimed every which way, which I’ll admit can be disheartening). I can admit I’m a crazy, wholly biased Meryl fan and I’ve been through various figure skating board wars, but you get all the stars’ fans and the pros’ fans together and you get mayhem. My favorite was hearing about a segment of the Team Jeta fans switching sides and voting for Meryl and Maks—I think they were trying to ensure Candace doesn’t sneak in for a win? You guys, this is like reality tv chess. I’m just surprised the Team Jeta fans didn’t demand #EncoreJames votes for their mirrorball votes! I realize this may be because this is my first (and likely only) season, but I kind of love it and I’m cackling to myself just thinking about it.

[sunnyheart]

I know Dial Idol is so 2005 but for shits and giggles I went there just to see what they were saying and they had Candace and Mark having like 3x as many votes as the other couples. I would seriously be so freaking amused if Candace actually won. I don't see it happening but I'm pretty sure everyone on stage would be in shock.

Since most everyone thinks this is a Maks/Meryl vs. Derek/Amy showdown, it would really be kind of funny.  The internet might actually explode.

[Woodrose]

Well, that was underwhelming. The only dances I actually enjoyed were Candace and James. Meryl did what Meryl did all season, and Amy spun on a rope. Meh.

 

 

Gotta agree with the overall underwhelming feeling for the night.  Too much contemporary for me. 

 

My favorite freestyle dance was by Candace and Mark. They brought the fun! I do wish Candace had danced it with Artem, though, because it was tough to see Mark wince in a couple of those lifts.  Really hope he recovers fully.

 

I also kinda-enjoyed James and Peta, if I look past how scary Peta was.  She went straight past fierce into horror movie frightening.

 

I will be happy with whoever wins the trophy.  They've all worked hard to entertain me.  Gotta admit I will laugh like a monkey if Candace wins. I guess we'll see just how strong her fanbase is, tonight. 

[Bitsy]

I'm hoping Candace can pull it off just to see the judges faces after their mean spirited 8's last night.  That would be priceless.

I do wonder whether the judges knew that Candace was safe yet again, and their scores were saying, "Enough is fucking enough."  Because it really is at this point. 

 

The 8's are accurate. The quickstep deserved 8's too.  I'd be all for the judges giving her more 9's and 10's just to be nice and reward how hard she's tried if it weren't for the distinct possibility that her loyal voters might turn those scores into a win.  She can still get the votes to win, but now it's more of an uphill battle.  As it should be.  The judges did their jobs with those 8's.

 

That said, I would find it kind of amusing if Candace did actually win.

[truthaboutluv]

If Maks gets thwarted for that mirrorball after he was all but gifted with the ultimate celebrity dancer, and more significantly by a member of the Hough/Ballas contingent, it won't be pretty. But alas, as popcorn worthy as the explosion online and social media will be, I don't see it happening. Tonight will be pretty predictable from beginning to end. Well except for Candace maybe surpassing Amy - I can kind of see that. 

Edited May 20, 2014 by truthaboutluv

[JustAlison]

 

"Enough is fucking enough."  Because it really is at this point.

 

I know this statement is directed at Candace, but ironically, that pretty much sums up how I feel-about Maks and Meryl. 

Edited May 20, 2014 by JustAlison

[spanana]

 

I wonder if Val and Tony will hoist Maks up and parade him around like the hero leaving Meryl on the ground to be picked up by Derek and Mark the way it happened with Melissa in the All-Star season?  You know, one of those 13 seasons that Maks didn't win.  13.

 

That would never happen though just because of the Charlie factor.  I'm not doubting that Tony, Val and others might act like idiots if Maks finally wins, but Charlie will make a beeline to Meryl and probably hoist her up himself. 

[Flick]

I know this statement is directed at Candace, but ironically, that pretty much sums up how I feel-about Maks and Meryl.

And it sums up how I feel about Derek and thus about Amy.

It's a statement that can easily be applied to whichever couple chaps your ass.

Edited May 20, 2014 by Flick

[radishcake]

Guys you are doing VERY well with the tone but I know as we ramp up to the finale tonight I just want to say keep it going! It's going to be a GREAT night for some and a DISAPPOINTING night for others. So be charitable and remember:

http://youtu.be/i28UEoLXVFQ

[Corazi]

On to the rest: I actually feel sad that Amy was paired with Derek, because she inherits his haters by proxy. 

I agree, and that applies to most of the stars. When I look around on the internet it seems that a lot of people either want Amy to win because they don't like Maks, or want Meryl to win because they don't like Derek. Candace deals with it as well because some people just don't like Mark and don't want to see him win. There are people who will vote for the pro no matter what, but I have a problem with people attacking Amy because she's with Derek or attacking Meryl because she's with Maks. Both of those women are amazing and have worked so hard to get here.

 

I think it's helpful to try to separate the pros from the stars. Amy has overcome some huge hurdles and has done much better than I ever dreamed she would. She truly is inspirational, she hasn't let her disability slow her down and instead seems to actively look for challenges just to prove she can do it. Meryl has had an insane schedule with a lot of traveling and exhausting physical activity and hasn't let that show in her performance. Most people would collapse under the stress, but Meryl has handled it beautifully and excelled on this show. Both of these women have worked through injuries and I feel that they deserve respect for that. Candace isn't the best dancer, but she has improved. Yes, she has performance anxiety, but she's still gone out there and did her best every week. She's a non-athlete who has managed to work past her anxiety and has made it to the finale with two Olympians, that's pretty awesome. 

 

Looking at it that way, it seems to me that they all deserve a win based on their own merits. Each of these women have clearly worked very hard and earned her spot in the finals. Personally, I've enjoyed Meryl's dances more. I think she's connected emotionally to her routines and the result has been stunning. If Amy or Candace ends up winning then good for them, they also earned it. I just think the pro shouldn't effect how people see the star (but that's never going to happen).

[Aunt Dahlia]

I just want to say that as a longtime skating fan,I don't care who wins really but I love Meryl.

I love her for the way that when Charlie left one of his skates at the hotel during her first Worlds, she went out and practiced by herself while he made a mad dash back to get it.

I love her for the way Maks never really stood a chance of upsetting her.

I love her for the way she will freak all the shippers out by looking at Charlie like he is the most important thing in her world tonite when she is dancing with him.

That is all.

[Alapaki]

When Candace got her 8's I was pretty sure she was safe.  If they knew she'd been eliminated (and I refuse to believe they don't know who's going home) they would've sent her out with higher scores as a nice send-off.

 

However, I agree with those upthread who've pointed out that the Judges' actual point-awards will make very little difference.  Fo

 

For example, with the actual scores (assuming they drop James' scores from the "total points awarded"), we get Meryl: 35.29%; Amy: 34.71%; Candace 30.00%.  If Candace had gotten straight 9's on her second dance rather than 8's, it would've been: Meryl: 34.48%; Amy: 33.91%; Candace: 31.03%.  That would only move Candace 1.84% closer to first place.  

 

I agree that the Judges' impact is much more in how they're comments motivate or demotivate the respective fan-bases.  And I honestly don't know what their 8's will do with Candace's fan base.  It could go either way.

 

Otherwise, the show really insists of keeping up this faux-sexual tension and it's getting a little old.  Some of the comments in Meryl's video-package almost equated Meryl being paired with Max with her losing her virginity or "becoming a woman".  That was icky.

 

And last night, for the first time, Erin really annoyed me.  But, don't worry.  I think she annoyed me enough for the whole season.  We really don't need her analysis of the dances after we hear from the Judges.  And if she's interested in who's doing what with whom, I really wish she'd save that for back-stage.  I don't care about it.

[Bitsy]

Ok, so something crystallized for me after reading Anna Trebunskaya's blog:  http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2014/05/dancing-with-the-stars-2014-pro-anna-trebunskaya-on-final-four-showdown/

 

Specifically this:

Who will win?  Wow, that’s a good question. Based on quality of dancing it should be Meryl.  She is a gorgeous, coordinated ice dancer. Then, Amy has the most amazing story behind her.  We’ve all watched with our breath held in and tears in our eyes, of sadness or joy.  We wanted her to persevere and come out on top.

 

Anna has been pretty clear from the beginning on Afterbuzz that Meryl was going to have to do a lot more to satisfy her than just bringing her existing dance skills to the competition, and like the others on Afterbuzz, she seems more impressed by Amy's story/journey on the show than Meryl's.

 

So I'll say this:  I think Meryl's story and journey have been more meaningful than Amy's.  Even if you give it all over to Amy for what she achieved physically, I'm more moved by the artistry and emotion that Meryl was able to create.  That's something that no amount of dancing lessons can teach you how to do.  IMO it's been at times greater than what she's done on the ice.  It required her to commit herself totally to a partner who, even at his best, is erratic, difficult and prone to self-sabotage.  She got him to achieve his absolute creative best, and it didn't have to do with physically being able to do the choreography.

 

I also have to say that I'm slightly bothered that Amy's most moving programs were moving because they were a tribute to herself and what she can do.  There was a certain humility in the way both Meryl and Maks made their dancing a tribute to the other.

[sunnyheart]

Some of the comments in Meryl's video-package almost equated Meryl being paired with Max with her losing her virginity or "becoming a woman".

Gross.  I missed that and I'm glad that I did.  I think Meryl has been great with Maks, but she had a life before him and she'll have a life after him and she will continue to rack up accomplishments because that's the kind of person she is.  I'm so looking forward to seeing her dance with Charlie tonight.  Meryl and Maks still aren't greater than Meryl and Charlie.

[Runningwild]

I didn't care for the way Meryl's video package gave Maks all the credit for how wonderful she is. Made it sound like Charlie's been holding her back all this time.

I hope Candace wins. I'm tired of ringers and people being thrown/carried around and calling it dancing. Can we have a season where stars have similar dancing backgrounds? Maybe a season of singer/dancers or a season of people with little to no professional training.

[OakGoblinFly]

I know Dial Idol is so 2005 but for shits and giggles I went there just to see what they were saying and they had Candace and Mark having like 3x as many votes as the other couples. I would seriously be so freaking amused if Candace actually won. I don't see it happening but I'm pretty sure everyone on stage would be in shock.

 

 

This would make me happy beyond all reason.

[truthaboutluv]

Gross.  I missed that and I'm glad that I did.

 

 

Yeah it was some woman named Brooke who I assume is a friend of Meryl's and she talked about how with Charlie because Meryl has known him so long she sees him almost like a brother (I'm sure their shippers loved hearing that) so she's not really womanly or passionate with him but suddenly there was this big, gorgeous Russian in front of her (yes she used those words complete with a shot of Maks supposedly smoldering I guess) and it's brought out this new sexy side of her. What amuses me about this is, wasn't Meryl with and maybe possibly still with one of her coaches' son who happens to be Russian? But apparently she's never before experienced the manly Russian magic and it's just brought out this new woman in her. Okay then...whatever works for them.

 

I also have to say that I'm slightly bothered that Amy's most moving programs were moving because they were a tribute to herself and what she can do.  There was a certain humility in the way both Meryl and Maks made their dancing a tribute to the other.

 

 

I love this part of the season. Where it's winding down and arguments for one's favorite versus another pairing get more and more creative. My favorite is still the season it came down to Gilles and Shawn and some Shawn supporters stated that in actuality Gilles was really never that impressive and only relied on being sexy. Yup...good times.

Edited May 20, 2014 by truthaboutluv

[Glaadrial]

Anna has been pretty clear from the beginning on Afterbuzz that Meryl was going to have to do a lot more to satisfy her than just bringing her existing dance skills to the competition, and like the others on Afterbuzz, she seems more impressed by Amy's story/journey on the show than Meryl's.

Anna has been pretty clear from the beginning that she's not overly impressed by Maks, period. She knows from personal experience that guiding a ringer to the Mirrorball is not as easy as it seems. She knows exactly what Amy is doing and is not doing and if that's more to her taste than what Meryl is doing.../shrug

 

I've been inclined to give more credence to her compliments of M&M than her criticisms because I think her bias makes them harder to come by. No matter, I'm not a fan of hers because of her opinions, I'm a big fan of her personality (I loved her first meeting with Evan) and her dancing. I'm sure that people who don't like Maks are more inclined to agree with her criticisms. As far as I'm concerned Anna's just as entertaining whether I agree with her or not.

[mehtotheworld]

Yeah it was some woman named Brooke who I assume is a friend of Meryl's and she talked about how with Charlie because Meryl has known him so long she sees him almost like a brother (I'm sure their shippers loved hearing that) so she's not really womanly or passionate with him but suddenly there was this big, gorgeous Russian in front of her (yes she used those words complete with a shot of Maks supposedly smoldering I guess) and it's brought out this new sexy side of her. What amuses me about this is, wasn't Meryl with and maybe possibly still will one of her coaches' son who happens to be Russian? But apparently she's never before experienced the manly Russian magic and it's just brought out this new woman in her. Okay then...whatever works for them.

That's Brooke Castile, former pairs skater and part of Meryl and Tanith's group of friends (they, along with a fourth girl who I'm blanking on, have referred to themselves as best friends in the past and Brooke tweeted some really sweet things about Meryl earlier in the season--creepy stalker checking in here!). I think it was more in terms of performance, and I would agree with her assessment--I saw a whole other side to her as a performer, one I think even her fans wouldn't have expected. I didn't see it as them referring to a "sexual awakening" at all, and I highly doubt that was the intent. I do think it might have been awkward for Charlie, though, who deserves a lot of credit himself for being an amazing partner.

 

By the way, I was most excited to see her coach Marina Zoueva in the package. If she'd had her dog with her I would have been deliriously happy.

[Bitsy]

I'm thinking of what Anna has been saying on Afterbuzz since week 1 about Meryl - we know she has beautiful arms, we know she can act, we saw that at the Olympics, I want to see more.   The thing is, I think the Afterbuzz people have done to Meryl what they complained about the judges doing to Charlie - nothing is ever enough from Meryl. 

 

In recent weeks on her blog, Anna has been more enthusiastic about Meryl's technical achievements, but the fact that she's only again saying it all comes down to Meryl being an ice dancer as if we never actually saw more from her, really misses the mark IMO.  I do think part of the problem is that all of the females on Afterbuzz are willing and eager to let themselves be moved by Amy's performances, but when it comes to Meryl, it's all about clinically assessing her technical skills.  I think it's very telling that the only dance they ever raved about of Meryl's was her AT with value.  It took Artem to say that her foxtrot was better because it was more emotionally moving, and I think Julz, when he can get a word in, also allows himself to respond to her dances from a less technical standpoit.

[galax-arena]

My wish is that during tonight's show, Derek trips on the stairs and takes out Maks on his way down. The two will lie there in a tangled heap from which they cannot extricate themselves, and Meryl and Amy will have to dance with each other instead. Meanwhile, Mark will be completely high on painkillers and he'll twirl Candace right into the judges' table, where she will knock out Carrie Ann, Len, and Bruno.

Edited May 20, 2014 by galax-arena

[tarotx]

As a dancer on DWTS what has Meryl really done that she couldn't do from week 1? From her first packages she was shown that she could turn and spin and be lifted. Maks has had her turning and spinning and lifted. I'm not saying it isn't impressive but imo Maks and Derek have both kept their pros at about the same level they came into. Maks has been able to show Meryl's warmth and sweetness and has choreographed dances that highlight their connection. The DWTS producers made sure Maks kept to that this week. Derek has made Amy feel like a star. She's here competing with able bodied stars and athletes and is succeeding. Both of these young women's growth has not been about the actual dancing but the way people precieve them and how they look at themselves. And Candace's growth has been that as well to be honest. Imo.

Edited May 20, 2014 by tarotx

[3jt]

I quit watching several seasons back because I was bored. I heard that Brooke would not be returning, so I thought I'd check out who would be on.  I decided to watch this season because they had booked Danica, Candice, Billy D and Drew- I knew who Nene was, but didn't care- the rest were complete unknowns to me.  I have enjoyed getting to know Amy, Charlie, and Meryl.  I hope that all of the "stars" have enjoyed their experience on the show and go on to do wonderful fun things that they might not try otherwise.  I am rooting for Meryl & Macs (because Charlie is out) simply because it makes me happy to watch them dance. Good luck to all!!

[spanana]

I've always thought that Anna's criticisms towards Meryl/Maks were more criticisms of Maks and his teaching style and choreography more than anything specifically having to do with Meryl.  Because Anna was very complimentary switch-up week with the Meryl/Val AT and then another week I remember her making a comment on Afterbuzz about wishing Maks would have pulled a card from Val's playbook in terms of choreography.  I don't remember what week they were discussing, but Anna had made a reference to one of the relatively professional level routines Val had given Zendaya and said basically that she had wished Maks had done something similar for Meryl.  I think Anna just prefers Val's overall style as compared to Maks and that sometimes comes through in her comments.

 

Anyway, Meryl won the twitter encore.  Or I should say James did, but that doesn't count.  I think James fans were so pissed that they went hard on twitter because what else did the have to do.  The last two seasons the person that has won the freestyle encore has gone on to win, so that bodes well for Meryl I suppose.

Edited May 20, 2014 by spanana

[Alapaki]

I think TPTB are happy with whatever outcome draws the most viewers (for this, and next season).  And I'm on record back at TWoP stating that I don't think this is the Olympics and doesn't need to be decided strictly on technical merit.  I believe that "growth" as a dancer, "embracing the process", etc. are valid reasons for people to vote for a Star.  And if that propels them to the win, then so be it.

 

But given how TPTB have built up Meryl, Maks' lack of a trophy, and Amy, I do think TPTB will view a Candace win as a problem. I'd be curious what they'd do to avoid that next time.

[smiley13]

 

I do think TPTB will view a Candace win as a problem. I'd be curious what they'd do to avoid that next time.

Why would a Candace win be a "problem" for anyone?  This show has never been about the technically best dancer or Corbin would have won in a landslide last season, and Evan would have too.

 

And don't forget Katherine Jenkins too.

[Alapaki]

This show has never been about the technically best dancer or Corbin would have won in a landslide last season, and Evan would have too.

 

 

It's never been about the technically best dancer, I agree.  But I do think TPTB have some investment in the concept of the show displaying and/or rewarding quality dancing.  There wouldn't be Judges, and Judges' critiques if that wasn't so.  

 

And all things being equal I think an argument can be made that Candace might be a worthy winner based on "most improvement", or something like that.  I certainly wouldn't argue with it.  Her God-talk turns me off, but otherwise I have no gripe with her and her presence on the show.

 

But I feel like TPTB have placed Meryl, Amy, James and Charlie in a different class from the rest of the field.  I mean, when Amy, Charlie and Meryl were the "bottom 3" (real or not), Tom repeatedly referred to them as "the favorites".  

 

Evan lost to Nicole, who was one of the most ringiest ringers who ever rung.  Amber was clearly inferior to Corbin.  But she gave TPTB a feel-good story about women "of all shapes".  And, probably more importantly, it gave Derek another trophy.  I can't remember Donald's performances against Katherine.  But TPTB are never going to look askance at a victory by an NFL player.  They love the duck-out-of-water-ness of it.

 

I'm not sure the comparison between those very good dancers and the Stars who ultimately beat them holds against Candace in relation to Meryl and Amy.  At least not the way TPTB have framed the issue this season.

[Toonces464]

Meryl and Maks still aren't greater than Meryl and Charlie.

 

 

THIS! Thank you Sunny. That's one of the things I just don't understand - how the skating fans are basically turning on her partner of 17 years for a guy she's known on a reality show for all of three months.

[COESpiral]

I'm not.  I love Meryl and Charlie and Meryl and Maks.  I think the issue is more that hard-core skating fans know Charlie has been in a relationship with Tanith Belbin for five years so there's not that same romantic...shippiness (I just made up that word) that people are feeling for her with Maks.  The more casual skating watchers saw them during the Olympics do a brilliant pair of programs and think she and Charlie are truluv4ever when they've never felt that way about each other.  I can understand wanting to see two people together, but his being in a long-term relationship (and they just bought a house together so I'm guessing marriage may not be too far behind) should alert people that this ship will never sail, but shippers will be shippers.

[spanana]

THIS! Thank you Sunny. That's one of the things I just don't understand - how the skating fans are basically turning on her partner of 17 years for a guy she's known on a reality show for all of three months.

Is this really happening though?  I don't follow Meryl or Charlie all that much, but the only people I see turning on Charlie so to speak are the people that ship Meryl/Maks romantically and feel the need to put Charlie down in that capacity.   From my experience, many of those people weren't Meryl fans prior to DWTS.  They were either Maks fans or fans that just grew to love them together on DWTS, so I don't think they have much loyalty to Charlie or even a feel for Meryl outside the context of DWTS.

[superdeluxe]

I'd be surprised if there was any kind of reaction other than "Yeah, that wasn't obvious" except maybe on PureDWTS. :)

 

The people on Pure are already resigned to the fact that Maks is going to win.  So, you probably won't be seeing a lot of over the top reactions there.

I wonder if Val and Tony will hoist Maks up and parade him around like the hero leaving Meryl on the ground to be picked up by Derek and Mark the way it happened with Melissa in the All-Star season?  You know, one of those 13 seasons that Maks didn't win.  13.

 

If it's anything like how Tony won, Tony and Val parading Maks around is going to be disgusting.  But Meryl won't be left alone on the ground.  Charlie will run right over and pick her up.

 

I will be happy with whoever wins the trophy.  They've all worked hard to entertain me.  Gotta admit I will laugh like a

monkey if Candace wins. I guess we'll see just how strong her fanbase is, tonight. 

 

I would be on the floor if Candace won.  If you hear some cackling, that's me.  But that's not going to happen.

[Toonces464]

Is this really happening though?  I don't follow Meryl or Charlie all that much, but the only people I see turning on Charlie so to speak are the people that ship Meryl/Maks romantically and feel the need to put Charlie down in that capacity.   From my experience, many of those people weren't Meryl fans prior to DWTS.  They were either Maks fans or fans that just grew to love them together on DWTS, so I don't think they have much loyalty to Charlie or even a feel for Meryl outside the context of DWTS.

All I can go by is what I read. I don't follow skating or Meryl & Charlie. It just seems to be a lot of what I'm seeing.

 

If it's anything like how Tony won, Tony and Val parading Maks around is going to be disgusting.  But Meryl won't be left alone on the ground.  Charlie will run right over and pick her up.

 

I don't expect Maks to abandon Meryl at all. He's still in showmance mode. ;)

Edited May 20, 2014 by Toonces464

[katha]

Speaking as a fan of D/W since their Eleanor Rigby FD in 2007/2008, I've loved M/M and it's been stunning to watch Meryl this season on DWTS. I don't compare it at all to her skating partnership with Charlie. Of course it's gonna be different because her partner is different. And it also doesn't devalue D/W or lessen my love for them to say that I've found what M/M did very special. That the more...volatile parts of fanbases fall into extremes and useless comparisons like that isn't really surprising, though.

 

And since they are very different performers with very different dance personas who bring different qualities to the table, I don't think it's in any way derogatory to Charlie to say that Maks has brought out some things in Meryl that I haven't seen before. That's why they did the show, didn't they? To explore new fun ways of performing? I understand that other people only saw contrived melodrama in M/M's dances, I was genuinely moved because I saw two people who really love dancing together and know how to express that in performance. It's all so subjective.

[observer]

 

Except for the white boy gangster posturing, I enjoyed the freestyle.

 

Haha, what's good enough for Justin Bieber....

 

[smiley13]

observer, that post should be reported as offensive! :)

 

My eyes!!!!!!

[jennifer6973]

that little boy needs to wear clothes.  

that little boy needs to wear clothes.  

[shoregirl]

Oh my god that just gave me a horrible thought. Next season Justin Bieber redemption. It would probably bring in good ratings (not mine but..).

Anyway Meryl and Maks were amazing last night. I really hope they pull off the win tonight. I am so excited to see Charlie and Meryl dance ttogether.

[observer]

Justin is getting his gangsta on in Cannes, a little known gangsta hangout.  Sorry for the sidestep, have been a little peeved that no one seems to be able to tell JB he is not, in any sense of the word, a gangster.

 

Back to DWTS, 

 

Twitter pissed:  http://www.bustle.com/articles/25072-maks-meryl-didnt-kiss-on-dwts-finale-and-twitter-is-pissed

 

review:  http://www.usatoday.com/story/happyeverafter/2014/05/20/dancing-with-the-stars-dish-donna-kauffman-finals-part-1/9296687/

[Barbara Manatee]

spanana, the shippier contingent of Davis/White fans have an odd love/hate relationship with Charlie. They've long imagined that Meryl is desperately in love with him, so they blame all their frustrated romantic dreams on him. They're always getting irrationally angry with him over something. As near as I can figure, Meryl couldn't be happy dancing with Maks if she wasn't unhappy skating with Charlie. Therefore Charlie must be a bad man and a lousy skater.

[observer]

This article seems to mean that Charlie has, and has had for a while, a girlfriend who is not Meryl:  http://sports.yahoo.com/news/here-s-the-reason-olympic-star-charlie-white-doesn-t-want-you-to-know-who-he-s-dating-052659194-olympics.html

 

and also here:  http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/celebrities/256842041.html

 

 

 

 

observer, that post should be reported as offensive! :)

My eyes!!!!!!

 

 I know, I know, my apologies.

Edited May 20, 2014 by observer

[Bavct]

Mother of goddess observer!  I was just about to eat.  On the other hand, if I keep that photo nearby at meals, I just might lose a pound or thirty!

[smiley13]

Charlie's girlfriend is well known and has been shown there supporting him this season.  Hopefully she will be there tonight to see him and Meryl dance together.

[marinite]

In college I studied those symbols on Bieber's ribs. They basically say "I'm a douche."  Jk, I have no idea what they say, but that would be Awesome.

 

I usually DVR the episode and check the next day to see who got booted, because I get way too invested and tend toward nervousness with this show. Tonight I might watch live and would be happy to see either Meryl or Amy win, though I skew Meryl.  How great would it be if Maks fainted if they won? Better than Marie Osmond, I say. (I totally thought she was faking it.)