Official Dancing With the Stars: Season 18

[FINFAN]

Charlie knew he was next to go in the game. I was thrilled when he said he could "give all his support to Meryl"~as in all my fan votes are going to her now, I just requested it.
James and Peta, nice enough guy I guess but I must be the only one who doesn't see their chemistry He's like a math test to me...as soon as it's over, I don't remember any of it
Candace and Mark? Nothing against her, very nice girl and appears to be trying. However, NOT worthy of the scores they have been getting. I guess they are this seasons couple who is the obvious "not on the same level" as the other 4 and gets voted off without controversy by the finals. She can thank Charlie for where she is right now, her 15 seconds with him last week(?) was her best so far. She has a lot of voter support from her religious fan base
Amy and Derek...you guys have pegged everything I would say...and I'm kinda even a little disappointed that Derek is taking the "prop" way out. The guy is crazy smart/talented as a choreographer, but c'mon, enough already. Honestly I think it's sort of insulting to Amy. Unless she's requesting he cut her that slack, I would be frustrated with that plan if I were her. I'm guessing a snowboard will be the prop in the freestyle? I am keeping her back injury in mind, that is the ONLY thing letting me give Derek some slack, if she is at risk of doing more harm then yes, adjust, or go by the way of Bille Dee Williams
Maks and Meryl? as crazy as this sounds, this time his partner making Maks look good vs the other way around. lol. Yes Meryl and Charlie have had dance training.Guess it's not a rule breaker or they wouldn't have been allowed to be on the show. Meryl is the whole package and Maks is the bow on top lol. I wonder how he is going to deal with any future partners after her. Like Emily Blunt says on The Devil Wears Prada~"you have some very big shoes to fill". Even the judges can't come up with any negatives anymore. They just don't gush as much as they do over Amy
I think it will be
Bronze -James
Silver - Amy
Gold - Meryl
I know CarrieAnne gave the slip up, but honestly, Derek has won how many times? OR...James wins avoiding the Olympian controversy

 

[emmabelle]

I know Amy because she was on The Amazing Race with her boyfriend.

Omg! That's right! Totally forgot about that.



My thoughts…

Amy does have talent, but the judges keep spinning it as she's such an inspiration, instead of focusing on her talent, IMHO.

I was sorry to see Charlie go, he's more talented than James, maybe the choreography was just lacking like someone else mentioned. Maybe if he had been with Cheryl he would have made the finals?

I'm hoping that Candace is eliminated next, but really won't be surprised if she makes the finals.

I think it will come down to Amy and Meryl and Meryl will squeak out the win.

I did give my phone votes to Meryl, I had trouble getting through, hopefully that that means something. I love Maks, even if he gets a little cranky at times.

 

[AverageDiser]

Let's face it, Charlie is a better dancer than Candace, James or Amy, but as soon as the couples "in jeopardy" were announced, I knew he would be the one going home (as did he, if you watched his face). I've seen talk on twitter that after a certain point the semi-finals or so, the fan vote should be taken out of the equation, and I don't know that I disagree, if we want the show to be purely about dance talent.

As for Amy..I think it was awfully handy that the running blades weren't brought out until the Quickstep, in the final rounds. I could have seen them being used effectively in a couple other dances they've done this season. I also think the table dance was a joke, and scored unfairly. CarrieAnn, I think, is watching her scores after the screw-up she made earlier in the season, referring to "when" Amy wins before quickly correcting it to "if". I admire Amy for overcoming the obstacles she has, but she should have gone home before now.

James is obviously getting the teenybopper/preteen vote, and as someone else said, Candace is getting the vote for her religious beliefs. Amy is getting the sympathy vote. There are only so many votes to go around. I'm really hoping that enough people are peeved and throwing their votes to Meryl and Maks (in addition to their normal fan vote) that they will win the season, as they should.

 

[Tanzanite]

I was hoping MERYL would be gone she thinks she is so wonderful so sure of herself.Hope she doesn't win shes a ice dancer so it seems unfair as she dances everyday.

 

[robinb]

I've seen talk on twitter that after a certain point the semi-finals or so, the fan vote should be taken out of the equation, and I don't know that I disagree, if we want the show to be purely about dance talent.

The way the show works now is exactly the opposite. The judges don't score below a "9" at the end of the season unless it's some horrible dance like Marie's ragdoll freestyle.

 

[robinb]

I was hoping MERYL would be gone she thinks she is so wonderful so sure of herself.Hope she doesn't win shes a ice dancer so it seems unfair as she dances everyday.

This kind of post is why I cringed when M-M-Maks was saying that he had the best dancer. I am afraid that there will be some pushback just like this over his braggadocio.

 

[rodeo65]

As for Amy..I think it was awfully handy that the running blades weren't brought out until the Quickstep, in the final rounds. I could have seen them being used effectively in a couple other dances they've done this season. I also think the table dance was a joke, and scored unfairly. CarrieAnn, I think, is watching her scores after the screw-up she made earlier in the season, referring to "when" Amy wins before quickly correcting it to "if". I admire Amy for overcoming the obstacles she has, but she should have gone home before now.

I said the same thing to DH last night and his comment was strategy. Get as far as they can on what she could do plus sympathy and now bringing out the blades to give an extra push at the end.

I thought that was not the best strategy if in fact that's what it was. At this point, as much as I love Derek's choreography and as Jenna said earlier, I do watch more for the pros than for the stars (who are often questionably "stars" IMO) I'm just irritated with the whole over scoring thing and now hope she doesn't win.

I really hope Meryl and Maks win, they definitely deserve it. If it had been my choice my final four would have been Meryl, Charlie, Danica and James with James being eliminated next. Of the other three I'd have been happy with any of them winning.

 

[kimmar067]

Insinuating what? You're the one who suggested feet had to be involved in dancing. And, BTW, the definition you included said "hands OR feet"....it didn't say that both had to be moving.

ETA: Just watched the clip again....except for a couple of second on the table (at most 1 or 2) she was moving her hands, feet or BOTH for well over 90+% of that dance.

.... ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

 

[kimmar067]

Dance is not confined to such a narrow view as you apparently hold.

....I'm insinuating that you suggest I 'apparently hold a narrow view'....and, I don't know why you seem to be targeting me.....other viewers have posted the same sentiments that I have.

 

[kimmar067]

I really hope Meryl and Maks win, they definitely deserve it. If it had been my choice my final four would have been Meryl, Charlie, Danica and James with James being eliminated next. Of the other three I'd have been happy with any of them winning.

...spot on.

 

[Chuckers]

I've seen talk on twitter that after a certain point the semi-finals or so, the fan vote should be taken out of the equation, and I don't know that I disagree, if we want the show to be purely about dance talent.

I think they've sort of done that with the fact that there is dancing on the finale night that only gets judges scores and no fan vote. If a bad dancer is in the finals (Bristol Palin), the judges can tank that person's score so they won't win - even if it's a 38 out of 40 - it's enough, based on the percentages, to guarantee a non-win. I would not be surprised if the judges know the standings going into the finals.

Let's face it, while many of us really want Meryl/Maks to win, there's probably a big contingent that would like Amy/Derek to win. So, the judges only need to make sure that Candace and James don't win - which is very easy for them to do.

 

[Brit17]

I was hoping MERYL would be gone she thinks she is so wonderful so sure of herself.Hope she doesn't win shes a ice dancer so it seems unfair as she dances everyday.

I don't see this in Meryl at all ... She actually seems very quiet and humble to me ... Maks, perhaps, isn't as quiet or humble in his opinion of Meryl and her abilities - but that's just Maks ...

I do hope that Meryl wins because I so think she deserves to ... Her performances have been consistently good and even mesmerizing at times ... I can't remember a team that I have enjoyed watching as much as I have Meryl and Maks ... But it's just my opinon ...

 

[Imzadi]

It's a lovely thought that no one watches the Paralympics and everyone just feels sympathy for them. I'm sure all of the athletes would love to hear that.

I still maintain that DWTS is for entertainment. If it were an actual competition like the Olympics or the Paralympics, then there would be guidelines the judges would have to follow and the general public would not get a vote.

I call BS on this. Ever seen differently abled dance? People in WHEELCHAIRS dancing. Their feet aren't touching the ground, but it is definitely dance.

http://www.americandancewheels.org/gallery/videos.shtml

Dance is not confined to such a narrow view as you apparently hold.

Actually on THIS show, which is what we are talking about, not some Paralympic DWTS, there are some standards & criteria the judges (loosely) follow, (although they contradict themselves a lot.) Such as Carrie Ann going all OCD ape **** on when one of the stars feet leave the floor for a split second and she takes off points by calling it a lift.

Len tends to get anal when a dance veers from the traditional BALLROOM dances, which is what this show is supposed to be about. The couples ARE given specific BALLROOM dances each week, aside from the new contemporary & jazz dances. Ballroom dances being defined by a specific, traditional pattern of footwork for that particular dance style.

If ABC wants to start a show with all paralympic/disabled dancers, I am all for that. But, to insert one in, who is really more able-bodied than not, that all the unfair "inspirational" hype she gets each week is kind of hardly remarkable for a person of her caliber. She's been a frickin professional, world class snowboarder, aka "professional athlete," excellent at being graceful and knowing how to balance on her prosthetic for over a decade. And she was snowboarding well before contracting meningitis, which was the cause of her leg amputations. So her grace & agility were inborn before her illness. It's not like she fits into that joke, "Dr. will I be able to play the violin after my operation?

Dr: "Yes."

"Oh good, because I wasn't able to play before."

Amy was more able-bodied coming into this competition than most of the stars she has been competing against, who still have their limbs intact. It is similar to when the show has stars on with considerable, previous dance training competing and then winning: Jennifer Grey for an example.

WHEN Amy wins this competition, (as Carrie Ann said,) the people who should be standing up to accept her mirror ball trophy should be the creators of the various prosthetic limbs she's been wearing. They have proven that IF people were able to do things before losing their legs, they can and will be able to do many of them after. That IS inspirational.

HOWEVER, the judges giving Amy passes on other things, like not being able to point or flex her feet, or not being able to feel when one of her feet fully leaves the floor , aka a "Lift" by Carrie Ann's OCD term, yet marking the other stars down for those same things, is unfair. Amy Purdy's judging criteria has been DIFFERENT all season. She should be in a Paralympic type dance competition where ALL the disabled competitors are judged with the same criteria and no one competitor is able to win playing the "inspirational card" each week, which is what is happening with DWTS this season.

 

[tajz90]

Actually on THIS show, which is what we are talking about, not some Paralympic DWTS, there are some standards & criteria the judges (loosely) follow, (although they contradict themselves a lot.) Such as Carrie Ann going all OCD ape **** on when one of the stars feet leave the floor for a split second and she takes off points by calling it a lift.

Len tends to get anal when a dance veers from the traditional BALLROOM dances, which is what this show is supposed to be about. The couples ARE given specific BALLROOM dances each week, aside from the new contemporary & jazz dances. Ballroom dances being defined by a specific, traditional pattern of footwork for that particular dance style.

If ABC wants to start a show with all paralympic/disabled dancers, I am all for that. But, to insert one in, who is really more able-bodied than not, that all the unfair "inspirational" hype she gets each week is kind of hardly remarkable for a person of her caliber. She's been a frickin professional, world class snowboarder, aka "professional athlete," excellent at being graceful and knowing how to balance on her prosthetic for over a decade. And she was snowboarding well before contracting meningitis, which was the cause of her leg amputations. So her grace & agility were inborn before her illness. It's not like she fits into that joke, "Dr. will I be able to play the violin after my operation?

Dr: "Yes."

"Oh good, because I wasn't able to play before."

Amy was more able-bodied coming into this competition than most of the stars she has been competing against, who still have their limbs intact. It is similar to when the show has stars on with considerable, previous dance training competing and then winning: Jennifer Grey for an example.

WHEN Amy wins this competition, (as Carrie Ann said,) the people who should be standing up to accept her mirror ball trophy should be the creators of the various prosthetic limbs she's been wearing. They have proven that IF people were able to do things before losing their legs, they can and will be able to do many of them after. That IS inspirational.

HOWEVER, the judges giving Amy passes on other things, like not being able to point or flex her feet, or not being able to feel when one of her feet fully leaves the floor , aka a "Lift" by Carrie Ann's OCD term, yet marking the other stars down for those same things, is unfair. Amy Purdy's judging criteria has been DIFFERENT all season. She should be in a Paralympic type dance competition where ALL the disabled competitors are judged with the same criteria and no one competitor is able to win playing the "inspirational card" each week, which is what is happening with DWTS this season.

It's still an entertainment show. It's quite entertaining, just like this thread. All for fun.

 

[Imzadi]

Next week is a two nite finale.

Monday - last chance to vote.
Tuesday - 2 hour finale - airing during the finale of Supernatural, which I am NOT missing.

Oh well, if Amy wins, I won't need to watch anyway.

I'm not missing Supernatural either. I'll watch live on Monday, use fb, cell phone and 2 email addresses to vote for Meryl and Maks and catch the spoilers on twitter Tuesday during Spn. If I like the results, I'll watch the show on abc.com later. If not, I'll catch Meryl's dances on youtube.

As it turns out, the DWTS finale, on Tues nite, will be on from 9-11(ET), while the Supernatural season finale will be on from 9-10 (ET) as usual. So we will get to watch the last hour of DWTS, unless we are super-traumatized by what happens on Supernatural and can't pay attention to DWTS.

(No spoiler about Supernatural, but highlight to read) --> But that may actually happen as the exec producer/showrunner, Jeremy Carver, has said that Supernatural's season finale will be a cliffhanger like nothing they've ever had before.

Jensen Ackles, (Dean) at the recent SPN Convention in Washington, D.C., last week, said that when he read the end of the season finale, he said to himself, "Wow. Just wow. They actually went there." (End highlighting.)


.

 

[Imzadi]

It's still an entertainment show. It's quite entertaining, just like this thread. All for fun.

Yes, on that we can agree. It is always the diversity of opinions & viewpoints that make this thread interesting. I'm sure there are some people who've voted for Candace saying she's the only one left who has had no prior athletic or musical background. Because of that she's grown the most and has had to overcome her own various limitations, like having Mark, "Mr. Shimmy" as her pro dancer. Along with having a set of personal convictions that have made it more challenging and limiting to dance certain dances and in certain ways, while also insisting on styles of costumes that fit her convictions, which are the reasons these people voted for her.

Not my viewpoint, but I respect their opinions on why they may have voted for her.

 

[MomofKatie]

It's still an entertainment show. It's quite entertaining, just like this thread. All for fun.

This is my challenge every season- I get too wrapped up in the "but he/she is a better dancer than the one who stayed" and tend to forget it isn't all about that. I also tend to notice that seemingly the vast majority of posters feel the way I do about certain dancers, so I am surprised at the eliminations that occur.

I guess I need a life.

 

[tajz90]

This is my challenge every season- I get too wrapped up in the "but he/she is a better dancer than the one who stayed" and tend to forget it isn't all about that. I also tend to notice that seemingly the vast majority of posters feel the way I do about certain dancers, so I am surprised at the eliminations that occur.

I guess I need a life.

Me too. I had to let it go when Mario Lopez lost to Emmit Smith. Now I just watch the dances and I don't bother voting.

 

[nanajoyx2]

This is the first season that I have not voted. My favorite pro is Derek, but am not a fan of Amy. Meryl is the best dancer, though Charlie was my favorite, but (don't hate me) I am not a Maks fan - never have been. His personality turns me off. So the results next week will make no difference to me.

 

[joviroxx]

I don't see this in Meryl at all ... She actually seems very quiet and humble to me ... Maks, perhaps, isn't as quiet or humble in his opinion of Meryl and her abilities - but that's just Maks ...

I do hope that Meryl wins because I so think she deserves to ... Her performances have been consistently good and even mesmerizing at times ... I can't remember a team that I have enjoyed watching as much as I have Meryl and Maks ... But it's just my opinon ...

I had the absolute pleasure of meeting Meryl and Charlie recently and they are two of the nicest people Ive ever met. She is a lovely, sweet girl. I didn't get one bit of arrogance from her. Can't say the same thing for Gracie Gold or Ashley Wagner.

Each time I've watched them skate in person, I am completely mesmorized. I;ve never seen anyone seem to float on the ice like she does.

Maks has always been my favorite, attitude and all. So I really hope they win.