Show of hands. How many of you loved last night’s show? ME! Dancing With the Stars is heading into its last two weeks of competition — with a double elimination tonight! Eeek!! — and the competitors are really stepping up their game. So are the show’s producers, by adding another new twist: Threesomes!
Okay, okay, so they called it “Trio Dancing.” But if I’m dancing with Maks AND Val Chmerkovskiy at the same time? I’m calling it a threesome. Just sayin!
And you know what? They all worked! I had some serious doubts going in as to how that was all going to work out, especially when some of the teams decided to team up with troupe members, but I enjoyed them all. If Randy Jackson were on the panel, he’d have said they were all (say it with me now) “In it to win it!!”
There were still a few missteps last night, both in the dancing, the costuming, and yikes, some of the music…and Len…well, we’ll get to that in a moment. The scoring was just all over the damn place. With ten’s being thrown out like so much confetti to some teams, and miserly scores doled out to others, often times without a whole lot of sense. (Because, honestly, Melissa did a much better job last night in comparison to her former dances, but in no way did hers and Donald’s performances deserve the same score. Seriously, judges?)
Okay, so let’s get down to it! Each of the six remaining teams danced a ballroom number as a duo, then a latin number as a trio. They were allowed to choose either a pro who had already been eliminated from the competition, or one of the troupe members. There was a smattering of each. They were judged on how well they incorporated the pro into the routine to highlight the celeb contestant. That said….some of the choices were confusing. At first. Read on…
First up for the evening were Donald and Peta. Now, I don’t know what this man has to do to earn a perfect score, or more 10’s consistently, because, if you compare his performances to the others who are garnering 10’s, then it doesn’t make much sense. Their ballroom number was a tango, and they danced it beautifully, and with a lot of energy and emotion, and even the judges were all glittery and happy about it…but? 9’s across the board for a 27. Which, while good, and the team was happy, didn’t seem to jibe with the comments made, and certainly not when you saw the performances they threw 10’s at later on in the show.
But it was really embarrassingly obvious when Donald and Peta brought in Karina as their pro for the Trio Dance, the jive and they killed it. And I mean? Killed. It. That? Was a crazy high energy routine with lots of difficulty, and they expected Donald to keep up with two of the most technically proficient, over-the-top performers of the pro group….and he did! Even as I was watching it (the first time) I was thinking “this is going down as an all time classic.” And that ending, when he jumped over both Peta’s and Karina’s heads? Are you kidding me? That was awesome! The judges made a little quibble about them being off in timing a bit early on, but they also seemed to really enjoy it. I was expecting a 30, I really was, because it was crazy good and the crowd went nuts. Yeah. Not so much. They got one 10 and two 9’s for a 28. Again - that’s a great score, but it wasn’t in keeping with what happened on the dance floor. (And yes, there were timing issues, but every trio had them, judges commented on it every time….and some of them got 10’s. Just sayin. Again.) So, while he had a good night, and relatively high scores, I honestly felt he was robbed. They ended up with a 55 out of 60 and it should have been in the 58-60 range on the night.
Second pair of the evening were Maria & Derek. You get to see more of the behind the scenes behavior of Derek being incredibly hard on Maria. I don’t know why his doesn’t come off as jerky as Maks’ - it should - but you can sense his frustration as well as his true respect for his partner. (Whereas with Maks…notsomuch on the latter.) Still, it was awkward and uncomfortable, and I don’t care what you say, being mean to someone just to get a better performance out of them? Not justified. Never justified. Maybe I’m just fatigued with watching the male half of competing teams being complete jackasses to their female counterparts….and the females apologizing for it. (Dave. Rachel.) But, you know, it’s a family show, and those? Ain’t family values. So…anyway….we get to the actual dance, which is a very lovely Viennese Waltz. I thought the mood and tone of the dance was evocative and truly touching, and these two do seem to have a significant amount of honest chemistry between them. I did not get the dress-made-of-soot for Maria (yes, it was supposed to be moody and ethereal, but those colors just looked dead and awful) and the music was not what it could have been for such an emotional performance. But I thought they danced it beautifully. So did Carrie Ann…and so did Bruno. It was hard not to be touched by it.
Unless, of course, you’re Len. Who literally brought the wrath of the audience, and Carrie Ann, down on his head by not just not liking it, but trashing it. What the hell dance was he watching? I was really stunned. As was pretty much everyone else. And an already tearful Maria just kind of stood there, deer in headlights, while the whole mood shifted to one of “let’s lynch Len.” It was horrible. And it didn’t improve any when CA gives them a 10, Bruno a 9, and Len….and 8. Are you kidding me? Given the numbers being tossed out, that was no 8. On any scale, any day, no matter how much of a jerk Derek was in rehearsal. Just….wow. And you’ve heard the crowd boo before, but never–never–like they did that. It was so intense, that Carrie Ann and Len pretty much stopped speaking to each other shortly after that and were clearly at odds all night long. So, a 27 to start.
And…yeah. Later, after Len had lightened up a wee bit - here and there - Derek and Maria are back with their Trio Dance. They get one of the troupe guys to join them, and being as he was similar in size to Derek, it made sense. Maria sure enjoyed it! And for all the angst and difficulty of rehearsal for their earlier number, this seemed all happiness and joy. They opted to bring a Bollywood vibe to their samba (and the music was just atrocious - a rap number? For samba?) Heck, I’m glad they livened it up with some kind of vibe because a straight samba to that atrocity of music would have been impossible. In keeping with the trio spirit, I thought it was fun, lively, showcased Maria all over the place, and was, generally, a real feel good piece of choreo. Was it remotely a classic samba? Not even. But did you care? Hell no. Well, Len surely did. He gave it a 7. Yes. S-E-V-E-N. Yes, I know he’s a fussy gus and likes things classic, but….7? And the crowd? Goes ballistic. Tom tries to salvage it by saying “Hey, they got two 9’s and a mood swing!” and Derek and Maria took the whole thing with good grace and laughed it off (because you just have to at that point) but wow. Talk about buzz kill. So, a 25 for that, for a total on the night of 52 out of 60. Yikes!
This is definitely leaving the door open for some of the bottom of the pack dancers to shine (and, again, why Donald’s scores were not on par, comparatively speaking. Because if Derek/Maria are getting 7/8’s, Donald deserved a 10+ from Len.)
Up next, and taking advantage of the all-over-the-place scoring, is Melissa and Maks. We get treated to another harshly abusive rehearsal session, where Melissa is clearly over it, over Maks, over the whole of it. It’s only because she wants to compete better, for her own sense of competition, that I think she stuck it out. She very succinctly, and without any undo dramatics, lays the ball of “how you’re perceived” blame squarely where it belongs, which is entirely on Maks, then proceeds to essentially say “f*ck it” and goes out and dances - easily - the best she ever has. It was a playful Foxtrot that put her in the femme fatale role, so, for once, she didn’t look like the scared rabbit, racing to keep up with Maks. She came off as in control and confident, and it made the world of difference. (And, I swore right then if Maks said, a la Derek, that was his goal, to push her until she broke so she’d get out of her head on the dance floor, I’d have gone and kicked his ass. Thankfully, he did not. He apologized. But then…he’s done that before, too.) I don’t know who dressed Melissa for that dance - it was horrifyingly unattractive, from the gappy waist to the deep vee exposing saggy boobs - but she danced like she didn’t give a rat’s ass, and she definitely needs to keep that attitude. The judges also commended her performance, and gave her 8’s across the board for a 24. Which I thought was fair and accurate, as she did dance the best she’s danced, but that’s not to say she danced as well as the others. (So, again, this puts the glare on Donald’s exceedingly better performance, which was only worth one point more? Really? And Derek & Maria - who also got an 8 for a dance that was, in every possible way, better than their Foxtrot. So….whatevs. I give up trying to make sense of it.)
For their Trio Dance, they bring in Maks’ brother Val, the nice Chmerkovskiy, and you really see Melissa blossom when someone with a little compassion and fun attitude has a hand in things. Their samba was sexy, fun, playful - and both the outfit she started in, and the one they strip her to, were SO flattering! FINALLY! It wasn’t the most technically proficient execution, but the playfulness, the fun they all obviously were having with each other, and getting to see Melissa blossom a little bit and come into her own, made it thoroughly enjoyable. And the judges rewarded them accordingly, with a 27. Was that high for the technical execution? Oh, clearly. But I didn’t quibble so much, just because she’d gone through so much and was so clearly tickled with it, it was worth the overscore.
I should add here that Brooke actually did some hard hitting interviews with some of the teams tonight. Quelle shock! She pinned both Derek and Maks to the wall over their behavior in rehearsal and made them both (rightfully) squirm. One of the first times I can ever recall thinking “You go, girl!” About Brooke. I know.
Okay, we get Mark and Katherine next. She’s so cute and quaintly, sincerely humble, I continue to love her. It was a nice contrast to watch their rehearsals, even though they really struggled with certain elements, but to see it handled in a more professional way. And I don’t even like Mark. They did a Viennese Waltz and I loved her Cinderella dress and her elegant Cinderella hair, it was all so very lovely - until he flipped her into that spin thing at the end, which - Len, gasp, was right, was really out of character with the loveliness of the rest of the dance. You don’t always have to have crazy ass moves to win, Mark. It was the only time I agreed with Grouchy Len, but the other judges felt that way, too. It was jarring, really. Though she did kind of pull it off. The crowd was having none of it, though, and almost came unglued at the unhappy comments. It was obviously just residual anger over the earlier trash talk, so I get it…but wow, what an emotional night! They get a 26, because Carrie Ann gives it an 8. Really?? Sorry, that move might have been jarring, but that was no 8 performance. Like I said, down was up, up was down, dogs and cats, living together….it was a crazy night.
For their trio dance, they bring in Tristan! Yay!! The Irishman and the Welsh lass. And, wow, immediately I found myself wishing they’d been paired together all season long. How adorable and lovely were they? See ya Mark! I thought their cha cha was fun, but was worried they planned to leave her in that suit. And…maybe they should have, as when they tried to pull it off of her, one trouser leg stuck, pooled around her ankle. I was all “please don’t trip, please don’t trip” because she just kept dancing. And the first chance she had, she kicked it off, as part of the dance - and, wow, she earned major props from me just for handling that snafu with such aplomb! It wasn’t my favorite trio dance of the night, actually was more towards the bottom, entertainment wise - the pants leg thing being the best part. Well, that and that the handcuffs she puts on Mark and Tristan at the end that seemed to have no key with it to free them again. Ha! For their efforts, they get a 27. And, see…again, here’s where Donald’s routine was just miles and eons better, bigger, brighter…so, yeah. I don’t get it. Your mileage may vary. I did love her and Tristan together, so that was fun!
Now on to the highlight of the night, for me. No, not Cheryl and William - not yet! No, the surprise of the night was Chelsie and Roshon. Now, here’s a kid (a kid, remember) who has been in the bottom 2 or 3 on results night like, every week, it seems, and has fought his way out two weeks in a row, so does he give up? Whine, or mope, or…..anything negative? No. He works that much harder. Much respect to this kid. And to his pro, who pushes him, but, once again, their rehearsals seem tough, challenging, but ultimately professional. I adored that Chelsie brought both of Roshon’s incredibly adorable grandmas to the studio to watch them rehearse and give him motivation. How much did you love them? And the one grandma actually critiquing his footwork? HA! Loved that. Then they go out and perform the most delightfully engaging, joyful little fox trot ever, and it was just such a nice respite after all the rehearsal drama and judge drama and crowd emotion, etc. I loved it, the judges loved it, the crowd loved it, and, best of all, his grandmas’ loved it! Great moment on the night. They get a very, very well deserved 29. I’d have gone the 30, just because.
On their trio dance, they get a paso doble, so I was worried, as Roshon isn’t the most manly of builds with his angular, long limbed teenage body. Chelsie brought in a troupe guy, Sasha, who I ended up loving. He really worked so well to help Roshon out, and they ended up mirroring each other really, really well. I was a little worried, when they started the dance, that the middle part was too much of just Roshon and Chelsie, but it worked out really well in the end. The judges call them for being out of sync at the end, which I hardly noticed, so they didn’t get the perfect score - they got a very decent 27 - but, on the night, by far the feel good story. Loved them! I hope this helps to keep him in, but with it being a double elimination, after Melissa….then who else? I really don’t know!
And, finally, the show closes (again) with William and Cheryl. Yes, I know, I know, they save him till last a lot of the time, and Donald gets robbed going first. I agree about all of that. Except…if I were a producer? I’d save William, too. I just think I’d plunk Donald and his crazy good body in the general vicinity of that place, too. So, they come out first with a Foxtrot that was fun, playful, classy and sexy. William in tux and tails is a sight to behold. I kept thinking how gorgeous he would have looked with Katherine’s Cinderella dress and hair - except he’s ridiculously tall, and she…is not. Still, this was beautifully executed and playful - to Stray Cat Strut, of all things! and I really liked it! Was it really a 30? I don’t know…. But that’s what they got!
On their trio dance, Cheryl surprises me by bringing in another guy - Tony. Now, did she just not want to share William with a female pro? I dunno. I wasn’t sure if putting him up against a male pro was a good idea, but, in the end, she handled it much as Chelsie did, in the choreo, and it was great fun. They had a paso doble (to music that even made sense) and, while not technically perfect, having him play Zorro worked for me! They get a 27, and I’m okay with that, but again…go back now, that all the trio dances have been done, and watch Donald, Peta and Karina again…and tell me that’s not a 30 right there.
So, crazy night, but also crazy fun. I loved how the trio thing all worked out and felt that the fun energy of it all really helped take the edge off the two-dance-week tension. It was certainly more entertaining than watching them simply do to dances together. I hope they keep this in for future seasons.
On the night, William & Cheryl top the leader board, with Chelsie/Roshon right behind them. Donald/Peta & Mark/Katherine are in the middle, with Derek/Maria & Melissa/Maks at the bottom. So…how will this play out? I think Melissa earned herself a lot of points this week, for dancing better, and for how she handled the whole issue with Maks’ rehearsal behavior. She’s got a strong fan base, so I don’t know that she’s out tonight, even though she’s the weakest remaining dancer. Roshon really, really earned his way in this week, but I fear for him, too. Because if it’s not him, then who? Maria? I don’t know about that. I think William, Donald, and Katherine are safe. But what if people scramble to save the bottom feeders and unwittingly leave their favorites vulnerable?
All I can say is….I’ll be tuning in!! However, it has to be said…that with weeks now of showing the female celebs being berated and sworn at by their male pros, which really puts a blight on this family show, in my eyes…why in name of all that is sequiny happiness would you bring Chris Brown, of all singers, back on this show? Wasn’t the backlash last time enough? Isn’t there ANYone else out there who can drop by and sing us tune but this guy? Haven’t we seen that he hasn’t learned anything about appropriate behavior? Just…wow, show. You lose major respect for that move. I’ll be fastforwarding through every second of that. Yikes. And double yikes.
So…your turn Blog Babes! What say you? Were you surprised by Grumpy Len’s scores, then wildly exuberant joy mood swings? Do you think Roshon escapes elimination? What did you think of Melissa this week? What was your favorite routine of the night? Who stays? Who wins? Who goes home?? DISH!
Tags: Writing by Donna
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