First off, I would like to thank everyone who sent well wishes to me and my mom last night. It was amazing and really comforting to see that and as corny as it might sound, it made things a bit easier. You are all a special bunch. I totally expected to be home on time last night but totally misjudged just how long a trip to the ER would take. I sincerely apologize for not being here and for failing to inform MJ ahead of time so she could at least start the discussion thread earlier. It won’t happen again. Let’s discuss last night’s show!
A quick look at the judges leader-board to start us off:
Katherine & Mark- 29/30
William & Cheryl- 29/30
Donald & Peta- 27/30
Maria & Derek- 27/30
Roshon & Chelsie- 26/30
Jaleel & Kym- 24/30
Gladys & Tristan- 22/30
Melissa & Maks- 21/30
Gavin & Karina- 19/30
And since I was unable to do the live blog, allow me to give some quick thoughts on each performance, as I have had the chance to finally catch each of them. It is amazing how quick the show goes by when you are able to fast forward commercials.
Jaleel/Kym
– Good dance. Nice Latin movements from Jaleel. Kym did some really good choreography in this. I would have liked to see a bit more energy in parts from Jaleel but that was a strong start. The one thing I always feel when watching Jaleel is that he wants this bad- and that can only help in the coming weeks. It looks as though he could be working his way back to the standard he set in week one.
Melissa/Maks
Oy. Melissa is such a mess at times during this dance. I give her credit for returning after last week’s injury (though the show seems to be making much more out of it than it is, which is not surprising for DWTS) but this had so many awkward moments. Maks looked fantastic and killed it with his portion. If I weren’t watching Melissa, I would have loved this. Melissa needs work and practice. And I feel like I have been saying that since week one. On the plus side, she seems to be having a blast.
Maria/Derek
These two are very hot together. But I have to say, this was a bit odd for me in parts. I think between shirtless Derek and the kiss, Maria got a little flustered. I also think Derek took a lesson from Mark this week and put too much in that. At times, it was slow. At times, Maria looked a little off. The chemistry between the pair makes up for it and Maria had her movements but color me underwhelmed.
Katherine/Mark
That was near perfection. It may have even been perfect but I am no dance expert. I didn’t see any error’s though. Katherine had the mood of the dance, the technique, and just about everything you could ask for. I must give Mark credit for his choreography here as well. He and Derek swapped places this week in terms of showing off their partners correctly. Brilliant stuff here from start to finish.
Gavin/Karina
Wow. Well, that just made Melissa look a whole lot better. I love Gavin’s personality and his continued determination but this was not his dance. The truth is, some dances just don’t fit certain celebrities. A Latin dance doesn’t fit Gavin. He comes off as so awkward. This reminds me of Margaret Cho’s Latin dance a couple of seasons ago. I am just going to say- let’s hope his fans vote so he can perhaps get a dance next week that suits him better. But it wouldn’t totally surprise me if the judges let him go this week.
William/Cheryl
What injury? It didn’t show here. Cheryl adores this dance. Whenever she choreographs it (check back on YouTube at some of her previous ones), it brings the hotness. William was totally in character and kept up with some very difficult leg movements and lifts. I think this was his best dance of the show. He totally made up for the giant mess that was his jive last week.
Gladys/Tristan
So, I have pretty much come to realize that each dance that Gladys does that is fast will be slow. Her slow dances are better. Her fast dances lack what we see from the others and it is understandable. That being said, she did well. She had rhythm, some nice steps, and looked like she was having fun. The samba rolls were a little weak. I don’t understand why the pros put them in season after season with celebrities who can’t totally pull them off. But good for Gladys tonight. And a Motown theme next week? Yeah, Gladys needs to stick around for that. Not so much for the dancing but because Gladys is one of the definitions of Motown.
Roshon/Chelsie
Another good performance from Roshon. The dude really moves well. Sure, he is a bit spastic at times on the floor and he needs to work a bit on controlling that energy. But you can’t really fault the dancing as his moves and rhythm are always on point. And I am really loving the partnership with Chelsie. This was a really fun dance with tons of energy. Consistency should count for something on this show and Roshon is very much the definition of that. I always know I am in for a good routine from these two.
Donald/Peta
The three couples doing the Argentine tango routines tonight have been fantastic. William, Katherine, and Donald each did great. However, I think Katherine was the best, followed by William, and Donald in third. It was a fabulous routine but I think I would blame the choreography this time. Peta didn’t put enough into it at moments to make it shine like the other two. Donald did everything asked of him, including some tough lifts. I just wish it had a bit more to compliment because he can obviously bring it.
Some other quick thoughts about the show:
– I totally enjoyed Santana. He was the perfect choice for Latin week and the two performances with him (and the dancers) was a whole lot of fun to watch.
– A few of the music choices last night were really bizarre for the routines, even by DWTS standards. “Buttons” for the William & Cheryl routine? Okay then.
– We are hitting that point in the show where DWTS becomes DWTI (Dancing With the Injuries). I am glad that Maria, Melissa, and William are okay because a fake mirror-ball trophy isn’t worth any serious medical issues.
– Bruno was so over the top last night, even for Bruno. Did he really ask to join Maria and Derek in a room? What in the world did he say to William? He is just too much sometimes. Hysterical but so over the top.
– The celebrities this season are totally spoiled by those high scores back in week one. Some of them seem upset to see the “8” and “9” paddle when in seasons past, those numbers would be considered a miracle for some. I blame the judges of course. When you praise and score high so early on, you are giving these people a false sense of security.
Tonight’s results will finally begin this “dance-off” duel competition between the bottom two couples. Unless a very strong dancer shockingly ends up in the bottom, it should be really interesting to see who the judges save. Obviously, in a case where someone who did amazing were up against someone weak, we know who would be leaving. But put two of the weaker contestants together (or two of the strongest) and things could get tricky.
I feel pretty confident that Katherine, William, Donald, Maria, and Jaleel are totally safe. With some hesitation on my part, I think Roshon will be safe as well. The dude shouldn’t have been in the bottom last week and performed well once again. I hope people voted. He deserves safety. As I said earlier, it would be pretty sad to see Gladys just miss out on Motown night. If she ends up in the bottom against Gavin or Melissa, I think the judges keep her. If she has to compete against anyone else, she would be eliminated.
That leaves us with Gavin and Melissa and I believe that will (and should) be the bottom two. Gavin has had numerous appearances in the bottom and performed the weakest routine of the night. Melissa has never scored very high but the judges see potential in her. I honestly don’t after five weeks. To me, she is as good as she is going to be. Despite Gavin’s awesome personality on this show, should he be in the bottom again, I think the judges cut him. It would be difficult for them to justify keeping him at this point, regardless of his winning personality. Let’s see just how off or on I am about all of this considering I pretty much stunk up the joint last week with predictions.
Okay. I think I have sufficiently wrote enough about last night’s show and my thoughts on tonight’s results to put even the most interested reader to sleep. :) Shall we just carry on with the segment by segment recap? Yeah. Let’s do this…
Segment 1
Maria & Derek begin the show by getting the encore this week. And what do you know? They didn’t do the kiss. Instead, Derek left to go kiss Carrie Ann and Maria kissed Bruno. Hysterical. And the dance was better tonight than it was last night. There’s something about dancing without the pressure. Taking out the kiss in the middle helped in my opinion. We now get a recap of last night’s performances from Gladys & Tristan, Melissa & Maks, and Maria & Derek. Included of course, is new backstage footage.
Segment 2
After an annoyingly placed commercial, we have some results.
Maria & Derek are SAFE.
Melissa & Maks are SAFE. (And she cursed. And it wasn’t bleeped in time.)
Gladys & Tristan are SAFE.
Wow. Two of those couples above were quite weak last night, so the voting at home is definitely helping out. This is going to be interesting. I can’t imagine Gavin NOT being in the bottom but who the heck is going to join him? Roshon again? Jaleel? Someone who should absolutely be safe? And now, we get some major filler from the judges talking about the “dance duel.” They explain how this will help prevent shocking eliminations like in seasons past. They also discuss how it doesn’t matter what you have done previously, the duel can make you or break you. I highly doubt that though. You just know the judges will take everything into consideration if someone good is up against someone weak. As if they would save the weaker dancer. We shall see. Following the filler, we get a performance by Train. Louis and Cheryl are out to dance. This is cool. Cheryl and Tristan are pretty great together and this is a really catchy song by Train. Cool.
Segment 3
Brooke is talking with William. His ankle is hurting today but he will dance if he has to. He hopes people voted. Gavin isn’t sure that he escaped but he is hopeful. He is having an “alcatraz” moment and hopes someone lets him on the boat. Roshon is ready but doesn’t want to be in the dance duel. Now, the Macy’s Stars Of Dance performance. Sheila E. is out and we have a major Latin celebration going down on the floor. Caliente! Fuego! Wow. Talk about energy. And someone needs to watch Bruno. He is going nuts dancing along. So funny. Heck, even Carrie Ann and Len are getting down somewhat. That was hot and a whole lot of fun. I have expected Charo to run out and do her thing as well.
Segment 4
Damn. Still no results. Instead, it is time for Selena Gomez to perform. Gomez and her group (they call themselves The Scene) are performing some pop ballad that I am sure is the rage with the tweens. Some new dancers were out during that. I haven’t a clue who they were but they did a good job dancing along. It was the pretty basic setup of pop song to pop style dancing. Cool. And now, a look back at how Donald & Peta, Katherine & Mark, and William & Cheryl did last night. Some new footage included of course. Ready for results?…
William & Cheryl are SAFE.
Katherine & Mark are SAFE.
Donald & Peta are SAFE.
We now hear about a dance battle that is going on between the judges. A ballroom battle with such people as Cheryl Vs. Karina and Mark Vs. Louis. It is happening on ABC.COM but will conclude on the May 1st results show. Three couples left as we go to break.
Segment 5
Finally, we get a look back at how Jaleel & Kym, Roshon & Chelsie, and Gavin & Karina. Included in the footage that we didn’t see last night is a hysterical moment where Karina admitted that she passed gas. Alright, time to find out who is going to the duel.
Roshon/Chelsie are SAFE.
And with that, Gavin & Karina and Jaleel & Kym are the bottom two and will compete in the dance duel. Not a surprise with Gavin but a little surprise with Jaleel. He did go first last night and it wasn’t an amazing routine but I thought he did better than he has in previous weeks. This just might be the wake up call he needs to go back to week one Jaleel. Jaleel sings a bit and Gavin wishes they could sing instead of dance. That was a funny exchange. This is a bit sad because it seems as though Gavin knows he is leaving regardless of this upcoming dance. We now get a little footage of how the two bottom couples rehearsed late last night for the possibility of being in the duel. The two will be dancing a cha-cha-cha against one another. The rehearsal footage shows both couples working hard but I can’t imagine the judges saving Gavin at this point. I just can’t, even though he has a fabulous personality.
Segment 6
Wow. That wasn’t even close. Jaleel wins hands down. He wasn’t amazing by any means but Gavin was just horrible. Gavin even had a rough time staying in his area as he almost knocked into Kym. Jaleel & Kym had more cha-cha-cha movements and his overall talent was there. They also had a more fun routine. It mixed the technique with the cheeky pleasure you need in a cha-cha-cha. Gavin was just a mess. Poor thing. He knows it too. It doesn’t stop him from smiling though. And it sucks saying all of this because the dude is charming as heck.
Carrie Ann gives compliments to both. Len also compliments both. Okay. Come on, judges. Bruno even goes as far as to compliment Gavin more than I expected him to. They are being very kind. Without question, Jaleel out-performed Gavin here, even with only having hours of practice to put together some semblance of a routine. Carrie Ann saves Jaleel & Kym. Len saves Jaleel & Kym. Bruno saves Jaleel & Kym. And with that…
Gavin & Karina are ELIMINATED.
Obviously, the correct person went home. Gavin was the weakest last night and if the judges are actually scoring the duel and nothing more (still doubt it), Gavin was the weakest again. He goes out like a true gentleman though. Everyone loves him. The judges, the pros, his co-celebs, etc… This is another sad elimination, much like Sherri. Not sad because he was an amazing dancer but because he seems like a total sweetheart. I will miss his personality on the show. But yeah, that duel was obvious. I look forward to what may happen when two couples end up in the bottom and dance a really competitive duel. I want to see those judges stick to their word and grade them on the duel alone. It should be interesting. More later…
