Dancing With the Stars: Fall 2016

[Imzadi]

I'll see you all next Tuesday

You're not going to be here on Monday? That's when the do the Freestyle dances.

 

[mandy200587]

You're not going to be here on Monday? That's when the do the Freestyle dances.

Hockey night

 

[Kirby]

I knew when Terra got her first set of 10's that she was the one out tonight. With that being said, even though Calvin has been a favorite of mine, I feel that he should have been out instead. He has seemed level out the last couple of weeks and I haven't enjoyed his dances as much as I have earlier in the season.

 

[AustinTink]

Crazy day. Just caught up on dvr. My eyes are still burning from crying over Laurie and her grandma.

So happy James is back in the groove. He gets all my votes. I think they definitely have the right 4 in the finals. I'd be happy with James or Laurie winning it all.

 

[AustinTink]

Can't wait for the freestyle dances. You now Laurie is going to bust out all the flips and fly through the air. I'm sure Sharna is cooking up something edgy for James as well.

 

[Meriweather]

Way behind....on vacation at WDW. Reading here is keeping me caught up.
I will have to power watch a lot of TV when we return.

I am happy with the final 4

 

[Mizzoufan]

Hoping for a Laurie win!!!!!

 

[Arielle22]

I thought there was too much overscoring last night. I think there were only 2 scores lower than a 30. There was not that much perfection on the floor.

I don't like Jana because all she talks about is how she was abused earlier in life and then alludes to her husband cheating on her. I know the producers like to focus on things like that but couldn't they discuss her career or anything else? I also find it creepy when the judges make comments on how Jana and Gleb are hot together. He is married with a child as is she (even if there is a separation).

Laurie with Val and Maks disappointed me. They didn't actually dance all together which I thought was the purpose of the dance. Although 2 adult men dancing with a 16 year old girl might be a little sleazy.

I loved Tom's remarks about Sasha and the tattoos. He was right though.

Still looking forward to next week's finals.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Terra danced wonderfully!!!! But, last week, which is what they go by, not so much. I suspected that she would be gone.
Laurie has had so much potential, with her physical abilities and talent. But, when it comes to dancing, they haven't upped their game and hit the mark.
Gotta love Calvin. But, I don't see him as the winner???
I am not a fan of Jana, personally, but have thought for a while now that It might be between James and Jana.
James has SO much talent and potential, because he is such a showman, but it is Jana and her partner who have really upped their game the last few weeks.

 

[robinb]

My picks, in order

Laurie
James
Calvin
Jana

I won't be too sad if Calvin knocks one of my top 2 out but I will be really mad if Jana does. She really is not at the same level.

 

[yoopermom]

Despite the over scoring, it really was a fun night of dancing.

I had to chuckle at Julianne's comment about how production has gotten so much fancier/better, it really was over the top. (The actual race car, really?)

This is the level at which the pro's ability really counts. My DH who doesn't watch much dancing, always asks "How many Russians and how many Mormons are left"? (Yes, he's politically incorrect and fascinated at all the beautiful blond LDS'ers that are professional dancers !)

I give mad props to Sasha for getting Terra to this point. I have always felt that he's a little underappreciated as a fabulous choreographer as well as dancer.

I'm hoping for James, but am presuming from the push that ABC is giving Laurie that it's hers to lose (and she's such a sweet little thing, it's impossible to root against her).

Terri

 

[robinb]

FWIW, I really hated the James/Sharna blindfold gimmick. Nyle just did it last year. Bindi did it. Erin Andrews did it. *yawn*

 

[Wendy31]

Terra danced wonderfully!!!! But, last week, which is what they go by, not so much. I suspected that she would be gone.
Laurie has had so much potential, with her physical abilities and talent. But, when it comes to dancing, they haven't upped their game and hit the mark.
Gotta love Calvin. But, I don't see him as the winner???
I am not a fan of Jana, personally, but have thought for a while now that It might be between James and Jana.
James has SO much talent and potential, because he is such a showman, but it is Jana and her partner who have really upped their game the last few weeks.

If my boy Ryan had to leave (& I know he did & I'm okay w/ it because he's not as talented as the final 4 but I would have liked to have seen him stay a bit longer & I'll always have a soft spot for him), these are the 4 I wanted for the Final 4.

And I agree... I think Jana's & James' dances have been exciting & passionate &, w/ their partners, they just have that "something" that makes people watch.

Their dances are the ones, if DH isn't home to watch, I end up showing to him later on Youtube.

I started out not liking Jana, but I've come around. For me, watching her & Gleb dance is a lot like watching Kelly & Val dance... it's sexy & flirty & just fun to watch. Her background story is compelling & inspiring too.

I really like Calvin & Laurie too, but I think Calvin is getting overshadowed by James, Jana, & Laurie. So I wouldn't be surprised if Calvin comes in 4th. Calvin has a great smile though, & he's just so fun & enthusiastic & seems to be such a team player. I love him!

For me, it's a toss-up between Laurie & Jana as to who comes in 3rd & who's standing w/ James at the end.

As much as I like Laurie (and I was in tears last night... bless her heart!), I'd really like to see Jana in 2nd.

And James for the win!!

(And, yes, I thought it was funny when Julianne noted how much the production budgets have increased. Remember how they used to just come out & dance - they didn't even really have any special lighting in those first seasons. And all the extra dancers & props weren't brought out until the freestyles in the final.)

 

[Dancind]

Not a Jana fan, but pretty sure her background story isn't a cheating husband. Her first husband tried to KILL her. That's why she was talking about being young and impressionable.

Laurie was so good in the "competition" dancing part. She really went after it, just like the competitors do.

James is good too, better than Calvin. But not as good as Laurie.

 

[mandy200587]

I'm sorry but this show is starting to anger me. I can't pull it up on my phone right now but they kept Lauries grandmothers death from her for two days. Val played a part in that decision too.

 

[Diane♥Disney]

I'm sorry but this show is starting to anger me. I can't pull it up on my phone right now but they kept Lauries grandmothers death from her for two days. Val played a part in that decision too.

Oh that's just wrong.

 

[robinb]

I'm sorry but this show is starting to anger me. I can't pull it up on my phone right now but they kept Lauries grandmothers death from her for two days. Val played a part in that decision too.

Hmmm ... I think there is plenty of blame to go around. The producers, Val and don't forget about Laurie's parents. They went along with it too. I would be furious if she taped the package about missing her grandmother after she had already passed away but I don't think we know when that was recorded.

 

[yoopermom]

This is in NO way the same, but when my DGM went into her final coma, it was Thursday of exam week for two of her great grandkids who were in college. It was collectively decided to keep it from them until they were done, because they had seen her recently, she was unconscious, they both would have been emotionally freaked out and wanting to leave for her bedside and blow off the finals, etc. Not my kids, not a choice I had to make, luckily, but one that I think grandma would have agreed with, since she valued education above all else and hated a "scene".

I'm sure Laurie's parents made the call, since she is still a minor. As parents of an elite athlete, it's probably not the first difficult decision they've had to make.

I still felt TERRIBLE for her, though, you could tell her little heart was breaking .

Terri

 

[Wendy31]

I'm sorry but this show is starting to anger me. I can't pull it up on my phone right now but they kept Lauries grandmothers death from her for two days. Val played a part in that decision too.

I saw that article too. I decided that Laurie's parents had to have been involved as well.

To a certain extent, I understand why they made the decision, & I'm sure those kinds of decisions have been made before for her & for other elite athletes (like another poster pointed out) & even for ordinary people - in the case of the college students in the middle of exams as another poster mentioned.

However, for me, it's one thing to make that kind of decision so that the person can continue on w/ whatever his/her "have to" duty (performance, exam, trip, etc.) is at the moment & wait to tell the person when he/she has the proper space to grieve, if that makes sense.

It's another thing, though (at least to me), to withhold that kind of information & then purposefully use it in the manner the show did for "entertainment" purposes.

I felt manipulated by the whole thing, & I thought it was rather cruel to Laurie to make her grandmother's death the focal point of her dance. I also read where Val covered Laurie's ears during the backstage video right before her dance.

She's a 16 year old girl! And it just felt wrong to me somehow how they made her go through such pain & sorrow in front of everyone & how they made a show out of her grief.

I think there's a difference in watching an athlete perform in his/her regular competition while knowing that he/she lost someone important just days before whatever event & in making the death of that person "central" to the person's performance.

 

[mandy200587]

From what I remember Val knew and played a part in keeping it from her as well.