160 replies to this topic

[TWoP Lockley]

The ninth week of performances features the contestants dancing to songs from Michael Jackson's "Bad" album, as well as taking on dances styles that are new to them.

Please keep things on topic. This is the episode thread. Take General Gabbery, extended star/dancer rants and everything else to the appropriate threads. Thanks!

[trojan69]

So, CAI, we are now gonna selectively call couples out for friggin' Flamenco and Tango technicalities? Really? Absurd.

Never have I seen Emmitt move so much. Way overdue. Way underwhelming, too.

Shawn still could not stifle smiles. I know it was likely pure luck, but of all he pros to get a high energy dance like Bangrha? It had to be her, didn't it?

Kelly couldn't smile in final interview? "I feel great!" Her mien was confusion. There was zero joy to be seen. Poor girl. Show biz is a brutal deal.

Kelly and Apolo are toast. Should be Emmitt and Shawn.

[ari333]

I'm outing myself as a super weird dork, but I floved the stupid caveman thing. I know, right? Kudos to whoever said it already, but if Melissa isn't the twin of a young Mary Tyler Moore I'll eat your hat in public at high noon. Loved the music, the costumes, the dance, the whole bit. But then I loved the dreaded Shawn trio, so there.

I need a thesaurus because I can't stop saying, "loved."

Speaking of Shawn, loved the music and the bhangrah. Wow, flove. Not sure how KnightRider fit in there, but don't really care either. It worked for me. All of it. And good Lord, the knees. My knees hurt watching that workout and I'm just sitting here. Enjoyed Shawn running in circles like a kid after the 30.

I love Apolo (and Karina, too, for that matter,) but I was expecting the BigTop Jazz bit to suck the proverbial donkey balls. Maybe I unfairly had a preconceived notion. However, was it supposed to have a Clockwork Orange feel? And FWIW, I said the Orange thing before Bruno did, so neeners. Anyway, imo, it seemed unintentionally creepy and I can't really say that I enjoyed it. I love Apolo and don't want to see him go. Also, I don't want to judge him poorly because of one dance since I enjoyed his whole season so far.

Oh man, I wasn't expecting to enjoy Emmitt. Conundrum

Kelly and Val... loved the music. The flamenco seemed pretty good, but it seemed like Paso to me and I don't know beans about either. HATED, with a thousand sun hate, the stomping around in the puddle with the stupid shorts thingy on Val and that unflattering suit on Kelly. I know the surfer aspect was thrust upon them, but blarg. The, "It really doesn't matter" from Kelly seemed a little... what's the word.... bee-otchy? Burke with the, "Little swimmers" comment to Val -- really Brooke? REALLY?

I don't even know what to say about Melissa/Tony/Dirty Diana. I am speechless. WOW>

[MusicaDolce]

I don't often vote, but I'm casting every vote I can tonight for Melissa and Tony. I thought they made the best out of a super random concept with their caveman hustle, and their AT just blew me away - such incredible, inventive lifts. I absolutely adore their partnership.

[CPP83]

Well that was about as bad as I was expecting.

Shawn and Derek could have come out and milked a cow and gotten 10s, imo, with such an obscure dance, and from what I know of the true style of the dance, which is not much, they really flubbed quite a bit, but who really could tell with Derek hamming it up like a Christmas dinner and Shawn being Shawn.

Yet Apolo gets an 8.5 from that crackpot Carrie Ann because she can sort of, kind of, claim to know the dance style he was given, give me a break. They all should have gotten similar dances, and if you're going to "mix it up" for drama, then don't pick dances that can't truly be taught in three years, let alone three days starting off from scratch.

Imho, no one really did a good job with their first dances, either due to a poor choice in choreography or the actual dancing, or a combination of both. I was not impressed, I was not awed, I was bored and the scoring just positioned the judges' favorite pets at the top, as if there was any doubt that'd happen, considering how this season began.

And really show? A computerized dinosaur to start off Melissa and Tony's dance? What the fuckering fuck was that? It really was a foreshadowing piece, imo, for how the evening was destined to go.

I did love Tom's comment though about being heavily medicated on cold medicine and still that couldn't explain the evening.

This season really took a nose dive and fast, now I feel like it's running solely on fumes with the back engine on fire and everyone is just waiting for it to explode.

And just one more thing, Shawn and Derek got "Bad", really, just slap champion on their asses already and be done with this.

[vepyewwo]

Initial thoughts -

Theme dances not quite the train wreck I expected but still wish we had some real Ballroom and Latin instead.

The extent of using the themes seemed to be mostly wearing a stupid costume.

Derek had to bring in an outside choreographer!

Apolo was underscored first round, at least relative to Emmet anyway.

I don’t think either Kelly or Val really believe they have a chance at getting through to the final.

Val in Speedo’s. I found that totally cringey rather than hot. Maybe that’s just me though! I can just imagine the reaction on here if Mark or Derek had done that.

Carrie Ann gave Shawn’s AT and Emmet’s lindy hop the same score. OK.

Hope for final – Shawn, Apolo, Melissa. I think Shawn is the only almost definite, Emmet could pip either of the other two. I don’t think Kelly has a shot. It all comes down to fan bases really.

Edited by vepyewwo, Nov 19, 2012 @ 10:04 PM.

[DoleWhip]

I hated the theme round - what a horrible idea for the semifinals. It all seemed completely unfair (just like the last time they brought in a collection of random dance styles) - "Caveman Hustle" had less potential from the start than "Knight Rider Bhangra".

Melissa and Tony's Argentine Tango was breathtaking - those lifts actually made me gasp. In comparison, Shawn's AT was precise (like a robot), and surprisingly lacking in lifts.

Edited by DoleWhip, Nov 19, 2012 @ 10:05 PM.

[tip and fall]

I bet Mark was crying many tears of bitterness that he missed out on Michael Jackson week.

Good that Derek brought in an outside choreographer for the bhangra instead of being a twit like last week. But of course he and Shawn had to work in a bunch of unnecessary tricks that didn't go with the flow of the routine.

they really flubbed quite a bit,

I don't know about major flubs, but they really weren't in sync for good portions of it.

"I have that extra push of not knowing what it feels like to win." Aw, Melissa, let's be real: At the end of the season you're still not gonna know what it feels like to win.

At this point in the competition, I feel like TPTB are angling for an Emmitt and Kelly double elimination tomorrow. But I think that Melissa might not make it instead, although I hope she does.

*singsong* All I want for Christmas is a surprise Derek and Shawn elimination.

Edited by tip and fall, Nov 19, 2012 @ 10:07 PM.

[jonaswan2]

Of note, the level of dancing from all of the celebs is remarkable. I never imagined when the season first started that these amateurs would learn to dance, not just with the music, but with the music in such a way. They're each becoming true dancers, and I love what I saw tonight from each ans every couple.

Also of note: why did Carrie Ann turn into such a hard ass? I sort of appreciate it, but it's wildly inconsistent with how she was even last night.

[Bavct]

I can't wait for this season to be over and it's all because of the Ken doll and the energizer chimpmunk. I'm so sick of them and the idea of being subjected to a solo - a SOLO - by the Ken doll tomorrow is already making me vomitous. I thought their dances were blah and mechanical. I rarely agree with CAI, but I did when she said what she did to them on the second dance, but then - she didn't have the guts to go below a 9.

I loved Melissa and Tony - even the stupid caveman crap. I'm just thrilled that Tony, a dancer I have enjoyed for years, is having such a good time and Melissa is a stunning dancer. She just seems weightless and it's a joy to watch her. I hope they have a chance to get to the final.

I just can't understand why Emmitt is still there. Neither dance was good enough at this point, but if I could choose to boot the chipper chimpmunk and keep Emmitt and his one booty shake move there - I'd do it in a heartbeat.

Apolo and Karina were good, the second dance better than the first obviously and I hope that he makes it to the finals. He is amazingly sexy and I don't think I noticed that his first time around. Rwar.

I actually liked both of Kelly's dances and thought that judging was unfair in the first given the crap that the golden duo barfed up there. The second dance was really beautiful I really don't know how they could not have gotten a 10 when the idiot judges hand them out to others like candy. I think she has done a great job and lasted so much longer than I ever thought she would and I wish she could make it to the finals too.

I'd be so happy to see a Melissa/Kelly/Apolo final.

[Charlie Baker]

Melissa amd Shawn have emerged as the frontrunners, I think, and I'm not much of a fan of Melissa's. Both teams' mashup numbers were well done, if ridiculous. Both tangos were outstanding.

Apolo's first number was off, I can't believe I agreed with practically everything CAI said. But the second one may have redeemed him. Emmitt, whom I have always found likable, should go. He's just not at the level of everybody else. Kelly is dancing better than her winning season, but she leaves me cold. (As cold as Val in the teeny weeny trunks. Not a speedo, Bruno.) The third finalist could be any one of these three. I hope it's Apolo.

[Pop Tart]

The first dance was pretty unfair. You had couples who had hustle and Bhangra - not exactly precise in terms of what the moves are. And those dancers get raves. But a dance like the flamenco, which is known to the judges, and they ding the dancers for technique.

Seems like these judges go out of their way to downgrade Kelly and Val. But someone like Emmett gets nines for a lackluster tango.

[RescueMom]

I normally don't like the rumba, but the one that Apolo and Karina did was breathtaking. As was Melissa and Tony's Argentine tango. And whoever dressed Apolo for that rumba gets a solid 10!

[BearPaw25]

So basically Shawn and Derek did a Tribal Dance in place of a Samba last week and they got a 10 and 9 respectively but Kelly/Val does more of a Paso than a Flamenco and they can only get a 9 from Len who seemed awfully happy this week.

Also I doubt these judges really knew any of the dances.

[vepyewwo]

Melissa’s hustle – not my favourite dance of hers but I think they did the best they could with the theme/dance they had. I could have done without that crappy special effect dinosaur.

It wasn’t so much a Knightrider Bhangra as a Bhangra with a flashing leather jacket but I liked it. Shawn really nailed it - I think she may actually have looked better than Derek at times, I will have to re watch. (And I generally think Derek is the best pro dancer on the show along with Karina).

I really like Karina and Apolo and I wanted to love that jazz routine but I agreed with Carrie Ann – I liked the concept and what they were aiming for but it wasn’t clean enough for me. They both had at least one noticeable slip and I think there was an error on one of the dismounts as well. It all looked a bit rushed and under rehearsed at times, which judging by the training video it obviously wasn’t. Maybe a tad too complicated and ambitious?

Emmet and Cheryl was fun (not sure there was that much Lindy in it) and I really like Emmet’s personality but he is technically the weakest dancer left. He didn’t deserve to be higher than Apolo after the first dances.

Hated that surfer flamenco. Last week I said how much I enjoyed Val’s choreography and then he produces that mess. Kelly looked off balance throughout the whole thing and those weird boots she had on made her look really flat footed. And stripping down to swimsuits at the end was so tacky.

Really amazing lifts and trick in Melissa’s AT. If I’m being really picky, the under leg kicks and flicks could have been a little neater. Tony looked really stiff throughout which I assume is due to his injury. Really hope she gets through to the final.

Shawn and Derek probably could have had a bit more connection and passion in their AT but they just don’t have that type of relationship and I think it would have looked a bit awkward if they really played up the sexy side of it. Technically very sharp.

Loved Apolo’s rumba, one of his best dances I think. I hope he has done enough to get to the final. I have a horrible feeling Emmet might get there ahead of him.

Decent tango from Emmet but good enough to deserve a place in the All Star final?

Kelly’s rumba was so much better than her first dance. Loads of chemistry between them. Lovely staging as well. Underscored. Deserved at least one 10.

[Abra]

What in the ever loving heck was the first half of tonight’s show?

I love Melissa and Tony, and they got all but one of my votes, but I was almost too embarrassed for them to watch their “caveman” Hustle. That wasn’t even a hot mess. Their Argentine Tango was a remix of all of the moves from the AT of their original season, just in a different order and to different music. (And that part where Tony was carrying her down the stairs while she open and crossed her legs was cringe-worthy - such a bad angle for that). But her tears at the end really got me (not to mention that crazy twist/lift on Tony’s shoulders), and I still really want to see her and Tony in the finals.

My one non-Melissa vote went to Shawn and Derek, because that Knight Rider Bhangra looked exhausting. I do agree Shawn lacks the drama, etc., in the passionate and intense dances. But she nailed the rest of that AT, and I certainly never (okay, rarely, but not tonight) feel like I’m watching old rehashed Derek choreography. They worked their asses off on both dances.

Okay, I’ll say it: I just don’t think Kelly is a good dancer. Obviously she is far better than some duds we’ve seen in the past, but her lines look like crap and she always looks like she’s moving faster than she’s really capable of (because she’s being propelled by Val). She hits point A and then point B, but not all the little points in between. Oh, and Val, put your damn clothes on.

I’m bored and uninspired by Emmitt and don’t watch anything to do with him anymore.

I love that DWTS is shelling out the money to pay to have original music play, but why can’t they do that for everything? I had to mute and look away from Apolo and Karina’s jazz routine. I think his initial slip at the beginning was due to horror at the “singing”.

[dr gailey]

I would like to thank Carrie Anne for being the biggest bitch that ever bitched. How the fuck she going to give Kelly an 8 for a dance she claimed wasn't the dance but gave Shawn a fucking 10 when she said the same thing about her trio dance last week.

They could not give poor Kelly one fucking 10 out the whole season when they have been passing those bitches out like candy all season long.

I hope there is a surprise tomorrow and Kelly is still dancing.

[QueenL]

Ok, so they point out that Kelly's dance was really mostly a Paso. Fair enough. Why not point out that Melissa's dance wasn't even remotely a Hustle? Like, AT ALL.

This scripting on this show is so ridiculous and inconsistent.

I wonder if it's like Maria last year. Where they score 'em real high in the semis so that it's a "shock" that they're eliminated. Or, they are really doing all they can to push Melissa through. Really still pissed she got the best song, and the best style.

She did well in her AT. I expected her to, but Tony really didn't take advantage of such a great song. Should have had far more interplay. It's a dirty, filthy, type of song, with simmering tension. Sigh.

Thank God Karina went the route she did with the Jazz. I was so afraid they're do the typical Broadwayish Jazz, which A)I hate, and B)You really have to have the technique for.

My tv station went completely black during a good 30 seconds of Shawn's first dance. Did that happen to anyone else? Not even a cutaway, just completely black. From what I saw of it before that, it was quite good. And Derek actually was kind of hot, with the sunglasses. More like that, Derek, please!

Damn, Val, I wanted you to go all the way and just call the show flat out scripted. It was so on the edge of your tongue, I know it!

Edited by QueenL, Nov 19, 2012 @ 10:16 PM.

[ari333]

Kelly couldn't smile in final interview? "I feel great!" Her mien was confusion. There was zero joy to be seen. Poor girl. Show biz is a brutal deal.

I know, right? It's like when she says, "I feel so much JOY!!!" and her face is just flat... It's incongruent.

[catrice2]

I really, really did not like either of Melissa's dances, especially the first one. In the second one she looked really awkward to me and it took away from the lifts.

I actually do not enjoy most of the Derek Shawn dances, and I am a big Derek fan. All of them look the same..wowee!! Let's show of Shawn's gymnastic skills with all the jumps, lifts, acrobatics that we can do and add some music and call it a dance! I especially did not like the second one.

Love Karina..the first dance was a mess, but the second one was really beautiful.

I honestly can't remember either of Emmett's dances much, but I know I liked the second one much better than I did either of Melissa's, in spite of her superior skills. She is just not entertaining to me, and if she makes the finals I will unfortunately have to root for the shoe in Derek and Shawn over her.

I did not think Kelly's first dance was so much worse than the others, and for me, the second dance was the dance of the night. It was very beautiful and moving and deserved a better score. The first dance the theme was so stupid you could not expect much.

No way now that Derek has announced he is leaving will they let him "retire" without winning again...no way. Wish Kelly could have made the finals. I actually think she is just as good a dancer as Melissa, Shawn or Apollo. I also hate what they did to her the first season by making her have the stupid dance off...yet when Mario clearly deserved it over whomever was the winner that year, there was no dance off.

[Hoser]

Please, no more whackadoodle dance combos, Show. I am begging you.

Melissa's caveman hustle was, uh, very cavemanly? I guess? Whatever it was, it was goofy fun. She looked amazing during their Argentine Tango. You can still see the ballet training in her, since she skims over the floor rather than using it for resistance, but she and Tony are great together. Love them.

Wow. Shawn and Derek killed that Bhangra (and smoked Gilles Bollywood mess, btw). That was crazy fast, and the fact that they were in sync the whole time sort of blew my fragile little mind. I loved their AT, too.

Aw, man. Apolo and Karina had, IMO, the worst combination to do for their first round dance. I love Apolo but didn't love the dance. His rumba, however ... fantastic. Usually male celebs look super awkward but he was just great.

Emmitt. Oh, Emmitt. You are a charming and charismatic guy. Your dancing isn't up to snuff though, I'm afraid. It makes me sad to admit that his Argentine Tango actually bored me. The only thing I remember about his Lindy is the binoculars and Cheryl's Madonna bra and wig.

Kelly and Chmermafia Jr. Oy. I really liked their original paso, but this was all over the damned place. I noticed how awful her feet were, and maybe it was those gladiator sandals, but not good. He pulls and pushes her around like a rag doll and it's uncomfortable to watch. She always looks so unsure and unstable. Also, I didn't know puddle jumping was part of flamenco.

P.S. Val? I did not need to know whether you were circumcised or not. Thanks.

I am still holding out hope for a Melissa/Shawn/Apolo final.

Edited by Hoser, Nov 19, 2012 @ 10:18 PM.

[MusicaDolce]

"Well we were all turned on up here!" That was Brooke, re: Val and Kelly's rumba. Man, Brooke says a lot of awkward things, but that's gotta rank near the top of the list.

Anyway, imo, it seemed unintentionally creepy and I can't really say that I enjoyed it. I love Apolo and don't want to see him go.

Totally agree. I love Apolo, but I just thought that circus/jazz dance was...weird. Out of all the bizarre themes the teams were saddled with this week, I think this one turned out to be the oddest. I did love Apolo and Karina's rumba though, so they redeemed themselves in my book.

Also of note: why did Carrie Ann turn into such a hard ass? I sort of appreciate it, but it's wildly inconsistent with how she was even last night.

I agree Carrie Ann was unusually harsh tonight, but I can't say I appreciate it - I thought she was bitchy just for the sake of being bitchy. I mean, she very rarely offers any substantive or meaningful critique, so when she starts to get picky about random details, I just can't take her seriously.

[superdeluxe]

With Len and Bruno begging for the audience to vote for Melissa, they really want her in the final and possibly win. She almost fell a couple of points in that Argentine Tango. Those lifts were sloppy. That was not a 30.

I don't know what Bhangra is but I thought Shawn and Derek killed it. And yes, way better than that Bollywood nonsense that Gilles did. If Gilles watched the show wherever he is, I bet he kicked a chair. Also loved the Argentine Tango. Carrie Ann done lost her mind on that one, complaining about no passion.

Edited by superdeluxe, Nov 19, 2012 @ 10:28 PM.

[LauraLei13]

I think it really sucks they're throwing random dances at the pros and celebs in the semi-finals. To me, all of them save for Derek and Shawn just looked hesitant and awkward. This is the SEMI-FINALS, I want to see the best dancing possible. The couples did great with what they had but come on, show, can we just let the pros choreograph what they know at this point?

Melissa and Tony were my favorite tonight. I was going to throw one vote to Apolo and Karina but AT&T robbed me of one of my text votes.

[BookBee]

Usually I find guys in Speedos to be the epitome of skeevy and gross -- regardless of their physique -- but for whatever reason, I thought Val was rocking the shit out of those things tonight. Just me? Okay, then. Maybe I'm just a perv.

Shawn and Derek getting 10s for their first dance was bullshit. It was entertaining and fun to watch, but you know the judges have no fucking clue how to judge that style of dance. It's tremendously unfair when other couples get assigned a more familiar dance style and thus get judged on a different level. Then again, what am I bitching about? These judges haven't been fair and balanced in years. Maybe they've never been; I missed the first several seasons so I can't say for sure.

Emmitt is way out of his league here. He's easily the weakest dancer remaining, and yet I fear that he'll be in the finals regardless. Blah. Can he please be eliminated tomorrow night? It just won't be fair if he isn't.

I'd love to see Apolo, Kelly, and Melissa in the finals, but I think it's more likely to be Shawn, Emmitt, and Apolo.

[Scoutlet]

Despite getting really screwed on the music and having to go first, Melissa and Tony did an amazing job on that second dance. I didn't recognize the song at all, which is insane considering the source album. I gave them all my votes. But BTW, I loved their first dance. It was fun.

I have been impressed with Apolo all season and was again tonight. That being said, for my money he could not have been dealt a worse hand on the first dance. I HATE Jazz dancing and I HATE the Circus. The first bores me (Fosse Fosse Fosse......bleeeech) and the second gives me the creeps AND bores me. When I was a kid the only two things I liked about the circus were the elephants and those little lights on plastic string you would twirl in the air in the dark. And the dance, predictably, was disturbing and disjointed. It wasn't his fault, but there it is.

Shawn is a technically brilliant dancer but despite the varied styles she has to perform, there is a sameness to all of her dances. Maybe it's just her body type, but she's choppy.

I can't explain it, I just really like Melissa. Maybe it's my years in Texas with born-and-bred cheerleader types, who are pretty much my opposite but have an undeniable charm. She's so pretty and nice and her body is insane. And I might be wrong, but she doesn't seem fake to me. I think she's a sincerely nice, upbeat - albeit emotional - person. Because of all this and he fact she hasn't won before, I want her to at least get to the finals. For her and Tony both.

[FullRetail]

Derek cannot leave this show fast enough. A "Knight Rider Bhagra" should at least contain some element of Knight Rider beyond his dorky jumpsuit. At this point, they don't even need to phyically show up on Monday nights in order to get 9s. It was quite interesting though. I almost felt like they were told to tone down their almost hurricane force blowing of smoke up Shawn and Derek's asses for the 2nd dance. Which, I thought, was far better than the first. Because, hey, it was dancing and not flips and jumps and cartwheels.

And what kind of nonsensical drivel was CAI spouting about the jazz? Aside from the little slip at the beginning, there was nothing wrong with it. It was very SYTYCD, which apparently Bruno was the only one to get. And far more sophisticated than what this show has produced for it's celebs.

Melissa and Tony were very good. Not 30-worthy on that tango, but very good. It was very sloppy, especially that sequence of Tony trying to schlep her down the stairs. But she was definitely good enough to make the finals.

Emmitt disappointed. If he manages to escape tomorrow, it is solely on his charisma and the threat of five cute children in the audience the following week. I remember how adorable Donald's kids were - and this would be 2.5 times the cute.

I actually liked Kelly's rumba. It was quite lovely and she's right - she did get an awful lot of flack for simply winning. She was always gracious about it and has really proven that she deserved to be there instead of the other guy, who has pretty much faded to nothing. But really? A speedo? Has Val now developed an allergy to pants? The dance itself was pretty awful. He was just flinging her around towards the end.

My guess is again, they went in order of who is pulling viewer votes. I do wonder if they've figured out there is no good combination of people to have in the finals to ensure that they give Derek a win, no matter what.

[PBGamer89]

~My Dancing with the Stars 15 Week 9 Review~

Preface- A very interesting night of the semi-finals. Glad they used tracks for Michael’s songs. Made the dances have more impact, I think. Three perfect 30’s and some scoring that really had the judges telling us who they want the final 3 to be.

Themed Dances Round

1. Melissa/Tony (Hustle) 27.5/30: I thought it was a very fun and entertaining start to the night. Melissa was really performing well and they incorporated the theme seamless into the dance. I do agree in that some of the Hustle turns could have been a bit smoother, but it was great fun. My score: 28/30

2. Shawn/Derek (Bhangra) 30/30: I need to stop worrying every time I think Derek can’t produce something from a bizarre idea. This was everything Gilles’ Bollywood in Week 4 wasn’t. Amazing dancing, some really great lifts, and damn, the synchronicity of their movements was spot on. One of the most fun routines of the season, for sure. My score: 30/30

3. Apolo/Karina (Jazz) 27/30: The theme had potential but I feel like the routine in general should’ve been smoother. I saw quite a few mistakes and I do agree with Carrie Ann in that the whole routine didn’t flow as it should have. Not his best, at all. My score: 26.5/30

4. Emmitt/Cheryl (Lindy Hop) 27/30: Once again, in only 15 minutes after the show ended, I’m having trouble remembering his dances. I do remember the outfits and the mirrorball with the bomb, but that’s about it. Now that Kirstie is gone, he’s highlighted as the weakest of the semi-finalists. My score: 25.5/30

5. Kelly/Val (Flamenco) 25.5/30: This was another puzzling routine. There was minimal Flamenco steps in it and the theme of “surfer” was not executed in the choreography at all, just the outfits and props. I saw many shades of their Week 3 Paso and Flamenco is not the same as Paso. It’s a part of Paso like how the Charleston is a part of Quickstep, but Charleston can be its own separate style. My score: 27/30

MJ Round

1. Melissa/Tony (Argentine Tango) 30/30: Wow, I’m just going to state here that both Argentine Tangos tonight were superb and although they had different styling, both were fantastic. This one from Melissa was just smoldering and exciting. The lifts were some of the best lifts I’ve seen done in an Argentine Tango and Melissa really put the emotion into this dance. She really is one of the best female dancers this show has ever had and I’d be sad if they don’t make the finals. My score: 30/30

2. Shawn/Derek (Argentine Tango) 29/30: This Argentine Tango was so different from Melissa’s but equally as effective. This one was more powerful and technical. Shawn really had her game face on and that spin at the end was magnificent. Carrie Ann clearly just didn’t want to give her a perfect 60 tonight and just had to pull something out to criticize her about. She also deserves to make the finals. My score: 30/30

3. Apolo/Karina (Rumba) 30/30: This was definitely one of his best performances, but I feel like it was a tad hectic in a few parts, but maybe that was the due to the speed of the music in some sections, so while I didn’t think it was a 30, it was still one of his best. My score: 29/30

4. Emmitt/Cheryl (Tango) 27/30: I still don’t remember much from this Tango other than that it had the same props and staging from Hines and Kym’s Argentine Tango in season 12. He has been fading into the woodworks for me for the majority of this competition. I’d hate to see his football player status push him into the finals over someone who is miles better. My score: 26/30

5. Kelly/Val (Rumba) 28.5/30: This was definitely one of Kelly’s best performances of the season. Her Rumba from season 1 was all passion and little technique so it was nice to see her come completely around in both passion and technique. I feel like they just do not want to give her a 10 for some reason and if any dance from her deserved at least one 10, it was this one. My score: 29.5/30

Should be the final 3: Shawn/Derek, Melissa/Tony, Apolo/Karina

[SilentMinority]

Apolo's first number was off, I can't believe I agreed with practically everything CAI said.

Agreed, it looked like there was a lot more off than just that first slip from Apollo. It looked like Carina put her hand down when she wasn't supposed to, and got her foot caught too close to Apollo just a bit later, and the entire thing looked like it never came together. It made me dizzy.

Shawn and Derek's bhagra was incredibly entertaining, as was Melissa and Tony's "hustle". I was eating those dances up. If one of those 2 doesn't win, there is no justice.

I think Kelly's run is over, much as I've enjoyed her dances. I love Emmitt, but he needs to be done as well; charisma can only go so far when you're consistently weaker than the other dancers.

[QueenL]

Derek cannot leave this show fast enough. A "Knight Rider Bhagra" should at least contain some element of Knight Rider beyond his dorky jumpsuit.

In his defense, the show could not clear the things related to that. He sounded very frustrated about this on Twitter.

Don't know why the show would give the theme without first making sure they got the other stuff in order, but they didn't.