I absolutely have to start with this: I LOVE TRAVIS WALL! His tweet upon hearing the news that he would be a guest judge was downright hilarious, and I was tickled that he was just as excited as we were to see him judge. Way to make good, Trav! Meanwhile: who slipped the extra Xanax into Carmen Electra’s water? Helllloooo…are you in there? I understand being caught a little off guard or not having all the technical language of the other judges, but holy vapidness, Batman. The best comment I saw on Facebook about Travis v. Carmen as judge was, "could someone please blow in Carmen's ear...she needs a refill." But let's get on to the dancing...
First group dance: Justin Giles, contemporary – Top 7 guys
I can’t remember who was which stage of grief, but I know I liked the dance. Poor Chris had to fight that darn uber-hoodie, but otherwise, it was great!
Melanie & Marko – Ray Leeper, jazz
One word: Awesome. It’s great to see them do different things each week, and yet as different as this was, it was almost like the dark flipside of last week’s routine. Although he was wound tight as a top, I more or less agreed with everything Travis said--right down to the [kiss of death] favoriteness of Melanie. Meanwhile, my husband was practically chanting “Characters! Characters!” because he was so impressed by how well they portrayed the characters they were given. Nigel summed that aspect up well – “technique matches [their] performance.” Well done, M&M - again.
A pause for our Quote of the Night, courtesy of Hostess with the Mostest, Cat Deeley:
“He didn’t inhale, Nigel!” (Explaining how Marko's dress-up-as-a-woman initiation to the cruise ship drag show was not, in fact, in conflict with his insistence that he was not, in fact, the drag queen. Maybe you had to be there.)
Sasha & Alexander – Shaun Evaristo, hip-hop
First of all: 40 lashes with a wet noodle for Alexander not knowing the shows his dad was on – Barney Miller, TJ Hooker, Hill Street Blues. REALLY??? I know I’m a mite bit older than these kids, but SHEESH. Anyway, back to the dance: I liked it. It wasn't the most brilliant choreography, but it was a good dance. I wasn’t as down on it as the judges, but then again, I can’t wholeheartedly disagree with them either. I think Alexander moved like a ballet dancer doing hip-hop, which in a way fit the almost swag-less character, but ultimately is what I think did him in with the judges. I was a little surprised Mary was harsh on both of them, because I thought Sasha did well, but…I will grant that there wasn’t a lot of depth to the characters, even from her. I think Travis did it the most justice, picking out the very specific technical things, and diplomatically “liking” it, with a smile.
Jordan & Tadd – Toni Redpath, waltz
I don’t know about the technical aspects of the dance, but I was completely in another world watching Jordan, convincing me wholeheartedly that she was a sea siren sucking Tadd into his death. She was positively bewitching! I was a little less convinced by Tadd, but about halfway through I saw it coming out a little better in him. Was he a little too concentrated on his steps? Maybe. But on the whole, since I was pretty much riveted to Jordan anyway, I was totally sold. Actually, the more I think about it, I frankly don’t care a hoot how they did technically, because I loved this dance, and for me to say that about a waltz is really saying something.
Clarice & Jess – Justin Giles, contemporary
I liked this! It was almost a blend of contemporary and hip-hop, in its hard-hitting-ness. I agree with Travis that this was their best routine of the season, and that their chemistry tonight was very real and noticeable. I was able to forget Jess’ goofiness, and see something other than Clarice’s legs. I was totally impressed by them, and I’m glad the judges agreed.
Ashley & Chris – Liz Lira, salsa
Well, they did better than I thought they would, and I liked it better than I thought I would…but those bars were set pretty low. I honestly waited for a little judge feedback on this one, because I knew what I thought, but I wasn’t entirely sold on whether or not I was right. Unfortunately for A&C, I was apparently right. Lifts? Good. Sexy? Meh. Chemistry? Meh. Technical proficiency? Needed some work. It wasn’t YOWZA, which a great salsa should be. They didn’t sell it, and that’s half the battle – we’ve certainly seen our share of dances that were mediocre at best but got great reviews because the dancers performed it well. This was not one of those dances.
Ryan & Ricky – Chucky Klapow, jazz
Well, while that wasn’t necessarily my thing (and as a sidenote, come on choreographers, we’ve been there, done that on the zombie thing!), they ROCKED it. I loved watching Ryan’s face because she was so invested in her character, and watching Ricky’s body move – those spins, that backbend…DAYUM. I agree with Mary: although I’m over the zombie thing, Ryan really threw herself into it heart and soul, and it worked. I did have a moment where I thought Ricky’s fringes were overwhelming him, but it was a flash, and then it passed. Did it put me in the mind of Rama Lama? Yes. As awesome as Rama Lama—which is my very favorite routine EVER from this show? Well, let’s just say it was really good, and leave it at that. ;)
Caitlynn & Mitchell – Mandy Moore, contemporary
That. Was. Beautiful. That dance was joyful and exuberant, and I actually believed for a few minutes that Mitchell was not a total goofball! (It was also the first time this season I loved a Mandy Moore number - thank you, Mandy!) Caitlynn positively flies through the air, with all the certainty in the world that Mitchell will catch her, and it’s just breathtaking to watch. It was hard not to be swept up in that, even though it really wasn’t that technically spectacular until the last part of the routine. Caitlynn's perfectly straight, white-toothed smile could melt an igloo, and it fueled the whole feel of the number.
Second group routine - Ray Leeper, jazz – Top 7 girls
Loved the song, liked the routine, but I was a little surprised and admittedly, disappointed, that there was not perfect unison there. These seven women are amazing dancers, every one of them. How they could manage to be out of synch – more than once – kinda baffles me, but then again, I’m not the one that has to do it, so what do I know? It was still fun to watch.
The Bottom Line:
So who ends up in the bottom? Well, I think Ashley & Chris are no-brainers after that sub-standard salsa, which is on the heels of a few other borderline routines this season. Unfortunately, I think Sasha & Alexander will be there as well, but I would be amazed if Sasha found herself in real trouble with the judges. As for the third couple…that’s gonna be a toughie. Nobody else really deserves to be there, but remember, this isn’t about anyone being voted off, it’s about getting the most votes to stay, and the third couple in “danger” will be whoever comes in fifth out of five terrific routines in the vote-getting department. If it were anyone but Melanie & Marko, I’d say the first routine is in jeopardy because it’s the proven Death Spot. But really, Melanie & Marko? I would be surprised if anything, even the Death Spot, could put them in danger. Although I hate to say it, I have a sneaking suspicion the third couple could be Clarice & Jess, if for no other reason than that of the other five, it was probably the least spectacular or memorable, but considering how high the bar that was set, it’s a little unfair. Still, someone has to come last, and I fear it may be them. And as much as I hope I'm wrong, there's really no one else I want to see there either. I think Ashley & Chris should rightfully go home this week, so hopefully it won't matter who else is in the bottom with them. Where we go from here? Well, I'm glad I'm not on the real judging panel this season.
What did you think?
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