Battle of the Blades - General Discussion

[wintrygal]

One move I never liked in skating is the 'headbanger', can't believe that Kaitlyn Weaver did that the second week, with a hockey player!  I actually yelled out loud..nooo!

Edited October 30, 2020 by wintrygal

[Blackie]

7 hours ago, wintrygal said:

ne move I never liked in skating is the 'headbanger', can't believe that Kaitlyn Weaver did that the second week, with a hockey player!  I actually yelled out loud..nooo!

 

Yes that was scary, I wonder if that is why they have the disclaimer at the beginning of the show about being a "live show" ...  you might see hockey players mouthing swear words or someone getting their head cracked on the ice !!!  or is it because of COVID  ...Warning you are going to see couples being close and hugging, Don't try this at home!!!

Edited October 30, 2020 by Blackie
eta

[aemom]

On 10/29/2020 at 9:05 PM, Blackie said:

Wow I am impressed. First of all that Halloween show was WAY better then last season's which was pathetic. Also the quality of the skating and the variety of tricks in this only the 2nd week was very impressive. Better then some previous seasons when it was just a big guy lumbaring around lifting a small woman.

I LOVE Violetta, so sad for her to go, but I love Andrew Poje too ..... but I think in the long run Violetta and Anthony would have been a better team.

I agree with the quality of Week 2. 

I was thinking that Meghan and Andrew would go further than Violetta and Anthony. 

I was impressed by Bryan's speed. I have to wonder who Kaitlyn knows on the show to get paired up with such good hockey players each time. I feel bad for Violetta. She's been on the show so many times, never won, and this time she is even the first one out.

Did Kurt Browning piss someone off at CBC? He hasn't skated at all, he's on less than Keshia, and they've stuck him in the peanut gallery.  What gives?

On 10/29/2020 at 10:29 PM, wintrygal said:

One move I never liked in skating is the 'headbanger', can't believe that Kaitlyn Weaver did that the second week, with a hockey player!  I actually yelled out loud..nooo!

In all fairness though, whenever they do a headbanger on this show, it's always a sideways one, so if something smacks the ice, at least it's a shoulder, not a head. 

[Blackie]

It was obvious it was going to end in a tie.  But I don't mind because I like all the teams and like to see them progress.

The best part about having female hockey players is that we get to see the beautiful male figure skaters.

Female figure skaters are so super brave!!

Jessica is an excellent skater and can do some good footwork (was that a rocker she did?) Anyways she is looks more comfy doing the footwork then the lifts (I could see her counting in her head) and Asher is an ice dancer so I would like them to focus more on footwork.

Carletta is just so comfortable with Kris, maybe because she has done so many of these shows with amateurs but she just looks like it is just another skating show.

I laughed when they announced the tie and Akim skated toward Jennifer and Eric kind of pulled her back , keep your 6ft man!

[wintrygal]

I was happy to have it end in a tie, tho I imagine it was planned.  I like and am impressed by all the skaters, and I'm just so happy to have some skating back on my TV, something I looked forward too every fall, I miss it.  Covid sucks...

Edited November 6, 2020 by wintrygal

[Blackie]

I was just thinking they should have made this season a non elimination season and just went by cumulative score because who knows if they are even going to make it to the end of the season. It is filmed in Bramptom and Peel is now in the "orange" zone but things aren't going to get better anytime soon, that is for sure.

[aemom]

On 11/5/2020 at 9:16 PM, Blackie said:

It was obvious it was going to end in a tie.  But I don't mind because I like all the teams and like to see them progress.

We had a tie last season too.  I'm thinking that they plan a tie whenever they think that a couple with a lot of potential is about to be eliminated.

I also realized that there is no guest skating at all - not even Elladj or Kurt who are already there in the "Covid bubble."

I think that this show suffers from the same thing as some other competition shows which is that often the most popular, not the most worthy skaters, are kept safe in the competition.

Edited November 12, 2020 by aemom
Clarification

[wintrygal]

CBC nees to figure out their schedule, Dragons Den taped for both hours, and God I hate that show!  Battle was on in the 2nd hour, would have missed it if I'd been out. 

[crowceilidh]

I do like how they're dealing with the lack of live audience.  It makes listening to the pretend cheering and gasps seem less icky.

I miss Marie-France.

 

[Blackie]

14 hours ago, aemom said:

I also realized that there is no guest skating at all - not even Elladj or Kurt who are already there in the "Covid bubble."

 

 

Kurt skated last night (still pretty good for an "old" guy) but I hope we get an Eladje skate  please,please,please!!!!

I am Ok with Meghan going home, she is NEVER going to be graceful, ugh painful to watch and I don't want my memories of Andrew tainted that way.

Although that should have been the only team sent home. Both other teams showed progress and should have stayed.  Because this show is filmed in Brampton, the chances that is going to make it to the end of the season seem slim. It is an exceptional year, instead of a competition as such, they should focus on just giving us entertainment. Although with less teams, the routines get to be a little longer. So don't keep teams that aren't really progressing or nice to watch.

Scott must have some major arthritis in his neck or something, he can't even rotate it and moves like Frankenstein.

LOVE Eladje!!!!!  Just give that guy his own show!!!

10 hours ago, wintrygal said:

Dragons Den taped for both hours, and God I hate that show

yes I almost ran in to that problem as well setting the DVR on the Atlantic CBC channel. Luckily then I watched on the Toronto channel. All the other years you could time shift and watch it earlier on the Atlantic feed but they aren't doing that this year. But they didn't change the schedule on the TV guide.

 

Jessica and Asher for the win!

[aemom]

On 11/13/2020 at 7:45 AM, Blackie said:

 

Kurt skated last night (still pretty good for an "old" guy) but I hope we get an Eladje skate  please,please,please!!!!

I am Ok with Meghan going home, she is NEVER going to be graceful, ugh painful to watch and I don't want my memories of Andrew tainted that way.

I have always loved watched Kurt executing a double-Axel - it's truly a work of art.  I noticed that it wasn't an actual program - just him skaing around while he narrated - which was fine - I'll take what I can get.  I would also enjoy an Eladje skate.

Meghan just looks so stiff compared to everyone else, so I was ok with her leaving.

This season, just like last season, all the female hockey players (save one) are booted out early.  This again leaves me with the impression that popularity is a bigger factor to staying in the game than talent.  Clearly the male hockey players have a larger fan base than the women.  I'm not sure what the percentage is of judges' scores vs audience votes, but if it's 50-50, then I think they need to skew more towards the judges' scores.

[wintrygal]

A couple of these hockey players could have had careers as Figure skaters, they're so natural, I do wish as someone stated above that they just accumulate points throughout the competition and announce the combined scores at the end, that way we'd get to see some more great skating and how all the teams improve.  

Sad to see Katelyn go, she and Andrew have always been one of my favorite Dance teams. 

[Medicine Crow]

1 hour ago, wintrygal said:

A couple of these hockey players could have had careers as Figure skaters, they're so natural, I do wish as someone stated above that they just accumulate points throughout the competition and announce the combined scores at the end, that way we'd get to see some more great skating and how all the teams improve.  

Sad to see Katelyn go, she and Andrew have always been one of my favorite Dance teams. 

Totally agree with your whole post.  I can't get enough of Andrew!!!

[tracyhmcd]

2 hours ago, wintrygal said:

A couple of these hockey players could have had careers as Figure skaters, they're so natural, I do wish as someone stated above that they just accumulate points throughout the competition and announce the combined scores at the end, that way we'd get to see some more great skating and how all the teams improve.  

Sad to see Katelyn go, she and Andrew have always been one of my favorite Dance teams. 

Very sad to see Kaitlyn go - she seems very engaged in this process.  And for any of these hockey players, they *could* look at staying involved with Masters figure skating, which even has competitions.  I would recommend this especially for Akim.

Overall, I am really impressed with all of the hockey players. It's not easy to learn a new sport, especially one where you learn a new routine each week, especially when you are in your late 20s or 30s.

[Blackie]

I thought Asher and Jessica and Katelyn and Bryon were not as good this week . Carlotta and Kris and Meghan and Wojtkek both improved. Country music is very hard to skate to especially modern country and they always make it so hokey, so I wish Jessica and Asher would have picked other music. Akim and Vanessa improved a bit but seem to be getting too close(?)

Anyways who knows if any of this will even matter,  BotB is filmed in a rink in Bramptom and we are in lockdown now. All rec facilities are closing so not sure if that means will be able to continue with the show or not, I am thinking not , but who knows. Very sad for everyone who had been working so hard on the show.

[wintrygal]

Eladje was looking particularly handsome tonight, so rocked that plaid jacket, just had to mention that in case anyone missed it, lol..

Edited November 21, 2020 by wintrygal
spelling

[Blackie]

Update: so television production can continue in Red one following COVID protocol but all recreation facilities must close......so don't know what that means for BOTB

[wintrygal]

 I really thought Vanessa would finish higher than 4th, that skate last night was awesome, and got a 6.0 from all the judges, but I guess the fan votes let them down.  I'd love to see her and Asher skate together, they'd be wonderful.  All the teams were so good, I wouldn't want to be put on the spot to pick a winner actually.  Seems like this show just began and now it's over🙁. 

[Blackie]

Considering it was a short season I was so impressed how far the hockey players progressed.  I think Meghan and Wojtek stepped it up the most and so I was ok that they won.  It was a kind of wack system to determine the winner.  Every team did great and put on a great finale show. But Kurt again ?? I am over his talk and skate routines. Why not Eladj or even better a Eladj and Scott duet!!!  That would have been great, if Scott can even perform anymore. Something is really going on with his neck, he doesn't rotate it all. My husband pointed out that he didn't really have a neck!

[aemom]

On 11/27/2020 at 5:46 PM, Blackie said:

But Kurt again ?? I am over his talk and skate routines. Why not Eladj or even better a Eladj and Scott duet!!!  That would have been great, if Scott can even perform anymore. Something is really going on with his neck, he doesn't rotate it all. My husband pointed out that he didn't really have a neck!

It could be because they have not prepared any programs for this season, and they don't want to skate to old stuff.  It would not surprise me at all if Kurt just adlibs these things.  Or perhaps they don't want to allocate more than X amount of time and their program lengths exceed that?

I also would have enjoyed watching Elladj skate.

 

I think that Jessica and Asher made a big mistake in choosing their first week program for the skate off.  Maybe they substituted some moves in this incarnation, but it fell much more flat than Meghan and Wojtek's program.  You want to come guns blazing with your best program, and that one wasn't it.  J&A had much better programs than that.

Meghan and Wojtek are deserving winners.

All four of the final teams had improved a lot and I enjoyed watching this season.  Because of Covid, I think that a lot of the boring, flowery, stuff was missing which made the show more straightforward and enjoyable (at least to me).