Hey All :D
Welcome to Week 4 of Season seventeen of Dancing with the Stars. Last week, fan favorite Bill Nye and his professional partner, Tyne were eliminated from the competition. It was for the best. Bill had a really bad injury that could have been made much worse if he kept on. Plus, let’s face it… he was one the show’s weaker dancers. Although entertaining, it is better for everyone that he exit early on before better dancers started getting picked off. I do wish him well and hope he completely recovers.
We don’t really have a theme this week, unless you consider the return of Julianne Hough to be a theme. She will be replacing Len Goodman as a guest judge. I am on the fence on this one folks. On one hand, Julianne knows her dancing, so she should make a decent judge. But having her on when her brother is competing is a huge conflict of interest, no? It reminds me of when at an award presentation, when someone from a specific show is presenting a category that has a fellow actor from that show in it. It just seems…odd. I don’t actually think she is going to be all out biased of course and will probably match her scores to the other judges depending on what Amber and Derek do. We shall see. There are ten couples remaining and they are all tasked to perform any unlearned dance this week.
The most interesting thing for me this week is how the results will play out. We all know the show plays around with the couples in jeopardy (they pretty much flat out say it) but with Christina and Brant in danger last week, we could be in for a shocker. It still doesn’t surprise me if Brant is actually in danger because again, the demographic watching this show is not exactly the audience viewing Pretty Little Liars. But Brant is improving by miles and had a great dance last week. I do hope that made casual viewers take notice and give him a few votes. If he able to do well again tonight, he should be safe. And what about Christina? She has done well throughout and is currently fourth in overall scoring. With Mark as her partner, it would be really surprising if she was in trouble again. I think the show placed her in the bottom with Billy Nye to rack up some votes. Maybe she isn’t pulling in the kind of audience participation the show was hoping for? Don’t you just wish the producers would reveal the true bottom two or three every week and quit the manipulation? I do.
Joining Brant and Christina in possible danger this week are Valerie, Bill, and Snooki in my opinion. Those are the five that really need to come out swining this week. The ironic part is, though an amazing story and a woman who has my greatest respect, Valerie is the weakest of the five I mentioned but probably the safest at the moment if we are going by the fans and who they support. So agaim, tonight’s results should definitely tell a story. From the tango to the salsa, we are going to see a bit of everything this evening, so let’s get the dancing started. :D
The show opens with the usual big number from all the pros and troupe members. The celebs are standing on the stage and joining in by clapping and swaying. LOLZ. The judges come out dancing as well. Julianne gets her own special entrance. And here we go…
Jack & Cheryl (dancing the Quickstep)
Jack is trying to be funny in rehearsals but Cheryl wants to be very serious and practice. Jack thinks Cheryl wants to dance with Corbin but she wants Jack. Aww. This is a strong quickstep. Jack has good frame and is keeping up really well with Cheryl. There’s nothing crazy unusual about this quickstep, which is fine. The steps are all there. Lots of fact moving feet and they are in-sync. Jack looks like he is enjoying the dance as well. My only critique is when they break hold, Jack goes a bit awkward. But together, they definitely performed a proper quickstep. Much better from Jack this week as compared to last. Good job.
Julianne thought it was a major improvement from last week and said ballroom is his thing. The only critique she had was that Jack should look like he is having more fun. Bruno never saw so many tricks in his life. He loved the footwork and pace. Be careful not to lose the frame, Bruno says. He thinks Jack lost it toward the end. Carrie Ann says that Jack is back. She disagreed with Bruno and enjoyed Jack’s frame and even disagreed with Julianne about Jack’s facial expressions.
Carrie Ann-8, Julianne-8, Bruno-8, for a total of 24/30
To VOTE for Jack & Cheryl, call 800-868-3402, or use ABC.COM and/or Facebook. 10 votes per method allowed this week.
Kristin Davis (Sex And The City) in the audience to cheer on her girl, Elizabeth.
Elizabeth & Val (dancing the Argentine Tango)
My favorite type of ballroom routine- the argentine tango. I love the passion. I love the aggression. I love the lustful stares. And this had it all. Elizabeth and Val are doing one of those tangos that glued your eyes to the screen. Totally snappy footwork, great lines, and some incredible chemistry. Acting comes into play here so much for Elizabeth and she delivers. I especially loved the beginning with Val playing an instrument and Elizabeth sort of mirroring what he was doing. Nice choreography from Val.
Bruno loved it. He says Elizabeth should be so proud. She didn’t go wrong. Carrie Ann says Elizabeth has been the most elegant since day one and every movement had meaning. Julianne agrees with Carrie Ann and she got chills during the routine. She also complimented Val’s choreography.
Carrie Ann-9, Julianne-9, Bruno-9, for a total of 27/30
To VOTE for Elizabeth & Val, call 800-868-3405, or use ABC.COM and/or Facebook. 10 votes per method allowed this week.
Brant & Peta (dancing the Salsa)
Damn. Brant has all sorts of injuries. And to add to it, Brooke has to talk with them right before the dance. Alright. Brant is extremely good looking and taking off his shirt is definitely approved by me but a whole lot of this was a bit of a mess. Some of Brant’s salsa moves are really awkward and stiff. Peta tried her best to choreograph to his strengths but it didn’t work out as well as she would have hoped. I have to give it to the dude for smiling and giving it the old college try but this might be his weakest dance thus far in the competition. And I don’t think he can technically afford to be weak. Maybe the shirt being off will bring in some extra votes. Make no mistake, I’m not saying it was horrible by any means but the salsa was definitely lacking.
Carrie Ann thought the lifts were fantastic. She mentions that the salsa was a little broken and it was exposed when Brant took his shirt off. Julianne agrees with Carrie Ann and says it could have been tighter and Brant’s feet were a little sloppy. Bruno thought Brant had a good time but lacked control and smoothness. He did give him props for being entertaining.
Carrie Ann-7, Julianne-7, Bruno-7, for a total of 21/30
To VOTE for Brant & Peta, call 800-868-3403, or use ABC.COM and/or Facebook. 10 votes per method allowed this week.
Valerie & Tristan (dancing the Viennese Waltz)
Aww. I love Valerie Harper so freaking much. She has the most incredible attitude I have ever seen. Valerie is better at a slow dance than a fast one but still some mistakes here. At times during the routine, Valerie looks like she has no clue what is going on. I also worry that she is going to fall because she loses balance. A smile remains painted on her face throughout and the choreography and idea behind the routine is perfect. I really do admire her so much and can’t even critique further. It is what it is and she deserves credit. What else can be said?
Julianne tells Valerie how courageous she is. Julianne thinks that when both are separated, Valerie isn’t sure where she is going. Together, they are aces. Bruno thought some very pretty pictures were painted but a trick- act it when you make a mistake. Don’t show it, says Bruno. Carrie Ann loves watching Valerie. She agrees about the beautiful moments but thought it actually brought out the mistakes more. She wants her to sell it, even the mistakes.
Carrie Ann-6, Julianne-6, Bruno-6, for a total of 18/30
To VOTE for Valerie & Tristan, call 800-868-3410, or use ABC.COM and/or Facebook. 10 votes per method allowed this week.
Leah & Tony (dancing the Cha-cha-cha)
I have to say, I have noticed the cha-cha-cha exposes a lot of weaknesses that other dances do not. Leah has a great face going (totally in the cha-cha-cha tone) but some of the steps are not on point here. Leah comes off a little stiff at moments in the routine and the cha-cha-cha steps with Tony aren’t completely together at all times. What Leah lacks in technique here, she totally makes up for entertainment. I think with even more practice, Leah could become solid and go pretty far. I really mean that. I think the demographic that enjoys this show will be eager to vote for her and see that major improvement arc.
Bruno calls her Leah from the block. He critiques the sharpness of her moves though. Carrie Ann says Leah is in the zone. She says a few of the movements need to match Leah’s faces. Julianne disagrees with Bruno and thought the footwork was good. But she also agrees with Carrie Ann in that that she feels a disconnect and needs to use her body more to match her face.
Carrie Ann-8, Julianne-8, Bruno-8, for a total of 24/30
To VOTE for Leah & Tony, call 800-868-3411, or use ABC.COM and/or Facebook. 10 votes per method allowed this week.
Corbin & Karina (dancing the Paso Doble)
Classic paso doble here! Karina knows how to choreograph this dance. If you look back at her previous pasos, she always choreographs a hard hitting and vintage routine. And this was no different. You have your usual staccato steps, your bull/matador theme, and lots of intensity. No cape in this one but Corbin gets shirtless as well. Smart yet again! LOL. Corbin is rocking this. All of the in-hold material is just as good as Corbin on his own. I think this is the strongest routine of the night so far and Karina deserves a big shout out for the choreography. Really solid!
Carrie Ann loved it. She loved the intensity and movements. She still mentions that the hip hop movements came into play a bit. Julianne enjoyed that their were no gimmicks. Kudos to choreography from Julianne. She critiques Corbin’s hips a little bit. Bruno loved the pure essence of paso doble but agreed with Julianne.
Carrie Ann-9, Julianne-9, Bruno-9, for a total of 27/30
To VOTE for Corbin & Karina, call 800-868-3406, or use ABC.COM and/or Facebook. 10 votes per method allowed this week.
Snooki & Sasha (dancing the Jive)
Snooki revealed that she was anorexic in high school. Plus, she is sick this week. She is very nervous about this week and wants to make it through. This isn’t bad. The kicks and flicks you need a jive should be a whole lot stronger. And you can tell Snooki is losing a bit of steam as the routine goes forward. She is trying to bring the performance (and that part is working) but some of these jive steps are too weak for my tastes. You need to be on point and really sharp with these steps and Snooki isn’t. The other parts of the routine are solid though and since Snooki said she just wanted to get through it, I can say she did.
Julianne calls her a little nugget. She loves the performance. She mentions the flicks and kicks need to be sharper and she wants more of a connection with Sasha. Bruno starts singing. Yep. Bruno says that the performance level has grown so much but he agrees Julianne. He actually thought it was brilliant. Carrie Ann wants her to watch a few things but she loved her energy.
Carrie Ann-8, Julianne-8, Bruno-8, for a total of 24/30
To VOTE for Snooki & Sasha, call 800-868-3412, or use ABC.COM and/or Facebook. 10 votes per method allowed this week.
Odd. Every single judge has just copied the others tonight for every routine. Go back and watch. No differences in the scoring at all. I wonder if that has to do with Julianne being around and the show wanting her to seem as honest as possible with judging.
Christina & Mark (dancing the Foxtrot)
This is Christina’s first ballroom routine of the season. I like what Mark has done here with the choreography- using Christina’s sexiness and combining it with a classic foxtrot. We have the usual foxtrot steps but Mark has sort of made this a bit like a Bob Fosse routine. I dig it. A few missteps by Christina (she went off time once or twice and wasn’t in-sync with Mark totally) but overall, a solid routine. Christina needs a routine that knocks it out of the park and catapults her to the top of the leader board because I truly think she could make the finals. This wasn’t the routine to do it but it should be enough to keep her around. I still think last week’s jeopardy scare was just that, a scare. Though I keep wondering just how many votes she is actually pulling in. Things that make you go hmm.
Bruno thinks Christina is comfortable on her own but needs more control in hold. But of course, he loved how sexy it was. Carrie Ann wants her to work on her shoulders (in both styles). That’s her only critique. Julianne was hoping for a softer side from Christina this week because she is playing so many fierce routines weekly. She also wants to see Christina more and not so much side-by-side dancing with Mark. A bit of shade being thrown at Mark via Julianne. LOL.
Carrie Ann-8, Julianne-8, Bruno-8, for a total of 24/30
To VOTE for Christina & Mark, call 800-868-3401, or use ABC.COM and/or Facebook. 10 votes per method allowed this week.
Amber & Derek (dancing the Tango)
Derek confirms that Julianne is his hardest critique, so no “in.” Also, Amber has been having knee issues and hasn’t had much practice at all this week. She is going to do her best. Wow, for someone with knee issues, this looks pretty darn impressive to me. Like I mentioned earlier with Karina and her pasos, go look up Derek and his tango routines. They are always impressive. I love the chemistry here. In-hold, this is absolutely over the top outstanding. Look at the footwork. It is totally in-sync. And before I forget, Amber’s opening solo was fierce. For someone who had limited rehearsal time and fluid drained from her knees, Amber killed it. Great job!
Carrie Ann says Amber was in fine form. She said they were like one person and even her footwork was worked on from last week. Derek gives Julianne ten dollars. LOL. Julianne was beyond impressed. She actually wanted something bad to happen so she could score low but she can’t. Bruno says it was a classic and amazing tango.
Carrie Ann-9, Julianne-9, Bruno-9, for a total of 27/30
To VOTE for Amber & Derek, call 800-868-3407, or use ABC.COM and/or Facebook. 10 votes per method allowed this week.
Bill & Emma (dancing the Samba)
Bill was so scared last week when Emma hit her head during rehearsals. They are building a nice relationship. LOLZ. I’m not sure what this is but it isn’t a proper samba. Bill is giving it his all and he is all smiles but the hips and musicality just isn’t there. I think this is one of those dances Bill just wants to get through and move on to next week. You can tell he is trying but it doesn’t fully work. It is actually funny to watch- and isn’t intended to be. So, that’s all that can be said about that.
Julianne thinks they kept Bill for the last because of how entertaining it was. She calls him the heart of the show. Julianne compares her to her father. Bruno says Bill goes nuts in Brazil. It had everything you could want in a samba, except timing and rhythm. Carrie Ann loves how much fun it was. She isn’t sure what kind of samba it was but she thinks the people love him. Carrie Ann gives kudos to the judging of Julianne.
Carrie Ann-7, Julianne-7, Bruno-7, for a total of 21/30
To VOTE for Bill & Emma, call 800-868-3409, or use ABC.COM and/or Facebook. 10 votes per method allowed this week.
Week 4 Judges’ Leaderboard:
Amber & Derek- 27/30
Corbin & Karina- 27/30
Elizabeth & Val- 27/30
–
Christina & Mark- 24/30
Leah & Tony- 24/30
Snooki & Sasha- 24/30
Jack & Cheryl- 24/30
–
Brant & Peta- 21/30
Bill & Emma- 21/30
–
Valerie & Tristan- 18/30
Tom tells Bill that the score he just got, coupled with the votes from last week are enough to keep him SAFE. So, Bill and Emma are the first couple announced safe.
More results coming…
The following couples are SAFE…
Elizabeth And Val
Leah And Tony
Corbin And Karina
Amber And Derek
Jack And Cheryl
Christina And Mark
Definitely safe for next week is…
Snooki And Sasha
Not necessarily the bottom two (of course)… the couple leaving us tonight in week 4 is…
Valerie And Tristan!
Aww, I will miss her so much. She was the one to go (if we are being honest) but boy oh boy did the show just lose the real heart. I wish her all the luck in the world and hope she has absolutely perfect health going forward. That lady is amazing, for reals. I have nothing but respect and adoration for her. So inspiring!
I hope you guys enjoyed the program this week. :D POLLS will be up very soon!
