SPOILER ALERT!!! I thought I should start including that with some of these posts, since I now actually have followers on Twitter! Thank you for reading! And since I’m not entirely sure where you are, and I don’t know whether you trust yourselves not to check this site until you’ve seen the show, the least I could do is let you know when I’m about to reveal something you might not yet have watched. So with that said:
WOW. Although I kinda called it, and would've endorsed this particular outcome prior to seeing the solos, I'm more than a little stunned given how those solos went. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's recap first:
Tonight's opening number featuring all 16 was neither awesome nor awful enough to inspire much commentary from me. It was a perfectly adequate opening number.
THE BOTTOM THREE:
Well, Ashley & Chris in the bottom was really no surprise. I think it’s unfortunate that this dance put them there because I really don’t think it was their dancing. That said, I think there are stronger dancers, so they may as well be there now because if not, it’ll be next week.
Miranda & Robert. I said it last night, and I stand by it: I think it was their best dance yet, but I think now that we’ve seen more of everybody, their relative strength to everyone else is beginning to wane. Yes, Miranda has amazing legs, but she’s still got a smidgen of awkwardness, and while Robert does really well, he’s no Ricky. I think this was bound to catch up with them, but it feels a little cruel that it happened the week of their best dance to-date.
Now, I was a little shocked that the final couple came down to Caitlynn & Mitchell and Clarice & Jess, but then again…who else would it’ve been? I breathed a bit of a sigh of relief, actually, that it was ultimately Caitlynn & Mitchell, because at least I can justify that based on their dance last night. Apparently, America saw through that samba just like I did. I think it’s the right call, although I loathe seeing Caitlynn’s adorable face in the bottom three.
A pause to comment on Axis: VERY cool. That man did more from that wheelchair than I do on my two legs most days. What occurred to me watching this piece was that Glee should take some inspiration from this and instead of having Artie lament about how he can’t dance until he can walk again, show him what can be done. But I digress...
SOLOS:
Ashley – That was a little lackluster. It was bland. It wasn't awful, it just needed to be better tonight.
Chris – If his solo counted for anything, he’ll be staying. He gave his all – and made me say “ow” in the process (more than once).
Miranda – She is great in her style. So, if the solo is the determinant, she’s solid – or at least moreso than Ashley, which is all she has to be, after all.
Robert – He is entertaining, to be sure, but I’m not sure his dancing is going to hold up this week, solo or otherwise.
Caitlynn – Not quite as good as Miranda, but definitely better than Ashley.
Mitchell - I’m not sure that was all that he was capable of, and tonight, it really needed to be.
Second pause for the other guest performance: HOLY MOTHER OF GOD. I swear that woman had to be on wires or a mechanical lift or something. That was the single most AMAZING dance I have ever seen. Absolutely gravity-defying, and my abs hurt just thinking about the core strength that must have taken both of them to pull off those moves. DA-YUM.
THE BOTTOM LINE:
WOW. I’m more than a little stunned about the female choice. Now, while I would argue that Miranda is probably in the bottom of the girls’ pool – relative to this year’s girls – based on her solo alone, I was sure she was safe. Ashley barely showed up for her solo, and yet she goes on. Huh. Who’da thunk. Of course, I go back and look at the notes I wrote as I went along, and even I acknowledged that her greatness in her style doesn't necessarily stand up in other genres, and that's a limiting factor at this point. In any case, that must’ve been one hell of a discussion backstage.
Now as for Robert, I think that’s fair. He’s great at what he does, and he definitely has a fan base, but his dances aren’t quite up to the caliber of several of the other guys. I think it’s time for him to go home, but he certainly did better than some Bboys in the past who got further. I wish him luck, because I think he has a future as an entertainer.
And now there are fourteen fabulous dancers remaining, and although I could argue that Ashley could rightly have gone home tonight, I am beginning to wonder how in the heck they're going to send someone home each week for several more weeks. Guess that's why they pay the judges the big bucks. ;)
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