4/26 Show Discussion **Spoilers**

[ironcat]

Damien and Pam I LOVE her in the dark wig. She looks beautiful (sorry I am just now watching since I taped it) she should really consider going dark, she looks so much younger and looks like a Sophia Loren type. On the other hand, there is no chemistry with Damien, he looks like a teacher teaching her to dance and she looks like she just loves men and any port in a storm, since it's Damien she shrugs and brings it on. I don't find him sexy at all. He's cute and all that but as someone else said, Pam is just too much woman for him and it just doesn't mix. She seems older and there is a whole Mrs. Robinson thing going on that is distracting when they are together. But really, could she cool it down a little? Maybe that would help. She is still fun to watch and she is very committed and doing well I think.

While I think Pam looked pretty with dark hair, that wig was messy and ratty looking. Couldn't they have sprung for a better one? And I agree that compared to her, Damian seems like a teenaged boy getting his fantasy fulfilled. That doesn't really translate into chemistry.

All in all, the costumes were awful, especially Chelsie's and Erin's (although I thought her dance was wonderful). I understand what they were saying about Evan's samba, because it really wasn't a samba, didn't have the bounce at all, but it was still very entertaining and a beautifully executed routine, whatever it was. Kind of like when Nicole did the QS that wasn't a QS. Does anyone remember how she was scored for that? IMO, Evan shouldn't have gotten any lower scores than she did.

[VAgirl79]

Well, for me it also goes to the point that certain people do not belong on this show as celebrities, based on previous experience. The Myas and Nicoles of the world are among them.

I do believe that they rabidly try to force certain people on the audience. I don't think it's necessarily about trying to save better dancers, either. Prime example of that for me is last season with Natalie Coughlin. She was one of the better dancers with a great potential. They lowballed her one week, and then acted all shocked and horrified when she was voted off the next night. Yet they protected Mya at all costs. Kelly Monaco is a prime example of them pushing a pet to victory, despite some of her poor performances (especially the freestyle). I think that was more network-directed than the not-so-bright idea of the judges, however. So, IMO, it's not just who they see as the better dancers, it's who their pets are.

[Pandora2]

OK, I gave in and watched the first two dances because I just find it so hard to understand how the judges could score Jake and Evan the same. All I could think when watching Jake tonight was that he just looked creepy. I find him about as sexy as a house plant and yet he's trying to act like God's gift to women. And I don't know enough about technique to understand their criticism of Evan, but he looked way, way better than Jake overall, and that ought to have moved him a bit higher, IMO.

[veg_out]

AKind of like when Nicole did the QS that wasn't a QS. Does anyone remember how she was scored for that? IMO, Evan shouldn't have gotten any lower scores than she did.

Exactly, ironcat. Are they trying to have a shocking departure? Honestly, after tonight, between Nicole's package, their samba, the winning of the swing marathon and Derek's fallout, I'm ready for Nicole to go. She really is TOO good for this competition. Right out of the gate she was. Evan can still improve. He can't quite get his Latin hips swinging. Every other contender can improve. Nicole might have small improvements, but she doesn't need Derek to make her into his pro-partner on this show.

I would pay to see her and Derek in DWTS tour. But I'm tired of watching them in this competition. If the trophy is going to go to her, then it really should have gone to Mya and Mel B.

[Tobi]

Maybe Maks is missing Karina because that dress looked like something she wore last season or one of them only in a different color. she always loved the full skirt that was about to fall off and the tiny top ~although Erin's had the skin tone fabric in between thank goodness. You know, I'd be fine if they would stop tearing their clothes off this season. What is that? That is not dancing and just not right for a family show, obviously they don't care about that though. I really think that Erin may be in trouble. For some reason I sort of forget they are on the show.

[karalott]

Evan said it himself one week: because of his years of skate training, he has a big hurdle to overcome when learning at least half the dances: he can't move his hips. Skating teaches him to keep his hips rigid, and most of the time, the exact opposite is called for in ballroom dancing (especially tonight). I think that's part of what brought his scores down. He's graceful and athletic and fun to watch, but he still has weaknesses like anyone else.

Also, I don't understand this idea that the show "wants" Nicole to win. I just don't see the logic. If people don't like her, they're free not to like her, but I just don't see any conspiracy beyond that.

I was nervous tonight for that aspect, but I thought he did pretty well. When it came to scoring, I might have gone for the the 21 if he didn't score exactly the same as Jake and Niecy, who imo were worse. I wish the judges would explain more what they look for and what they're basing their scores on. Not any funny stuff or trying to avoid the question directly, just saying it like it is. That way they can't get away with scoring/judging how they want, and the audience might have a better sense of why people fall the way they do. I have to wonder, does the show thinks it'd be offensive to actually score people what they deserve on this show? I don't think giving out 1s and 2s as much as they give out 9s and 10s would get people tuning out. Same with giving better music rather than butchering pop/country/r&b tunes and having a couple possibly suffer from having to dance to a particular dance. I don't mind having this music but give it for the appropriate dances, and please get new singers.

On the other hand, there is no chemistry with Damien, he looks like a teacher teaching her to dance and she looks like she just loves men and any port in a storm, since it's Damien she shrugs and brings it on. I don't find him sexy at all. He's cute and all that but as someone else said, Pam is just too much woman for him and it just doesn't mix. She seems older and there is a whole Mrs. Robinson thing going on that is distracting when they are together.

Dmitry, Alec, or Jonathan would have been a better choice. Damian is too short and not stocky enough. Louis, even though he's short, would look more masculine next to Pam. I think Damian is a nice addition to the show, and I enjoy watching him, but I agree with what's been said. He and Pam look like a mismatch. I think there's chemistry, but it comes off as odd.

(Bolded part from me) I don't think it's as blatant as that, but I would bet that the judges get frustrated when their "authoritative" scoring can't save a good dancer from elimination because they aren't popular enough. And I think that's how, during so many seasons, this idea pops up that the show "pushes" certain people (usually frontrunners) to win. It's not because it's true, it's because sometimes the very best dancer isn't a fan favorite, and the whole debate of who should win a season resurfaces: the one the judges believe is the best/most improved, or the one the audience likes the best? It's rarely the same person.

I understand your point, and wouldn't advocate for the Kate's and Cloris's to ever win this show. I think for the most part good dancers have won this show, even if they beat someone technically better, but I don't think there should be pushing/overscoring of someone they happen to like or consider the best just to get the outcome of the best dancer winner. That's usually all up in the air, anyway. Nicole, much like Mya, putting the ringer issue aside, comes off as boring to me and does seem to have an attitude. CA and Bruno seemed to be in love with Mya where Len bashed them every week, mainly for gimmicks. So it is just Derek, Nicole, Dmitry, and Mya appeal to what CA and Bruno like to see in a dancer/couple? How is it Len can see mistakes in her dance, and she got called out for her quick step and rumba, but still got very decent scores as a result? Whereas Evan took a huge hit for not doing a proper samba. I don't think it's fair to other couples who aren't getting that safety net because they aren't in the same league or a favorite of the show. And while this argument about ringers will continue until the show's very last show, having someone on here with so much experience that she can never go wrong isn't fair to the other couple, and not overly entertaining. Why not just let the audience do it's thing, without the forcing of the judges, because if they know Nicole isn't popular and are overdoing it to keep her in, would they really want that outcome even if they could argue she's the best dancer? I would be curious to see just how much the judges scores may override the audience's. It'd be interesting to see where a couple stands with just the audience and then adding in the judges scores if that helps or hurts them in a big way.

[Bearcata]

speaking of growth, just when does brooke start to show some???

she SUCKS.

When is Samantha coming back?

[Tobi]

Karalott, Alec with Pam would have been some show. I think she may have been frustrated because he only seems to have eyes for Edyta and Pam would have been working overtime...lol.

[ironcat]

Maybe Maks is missing Karina because that dress looked like something she wore last season or one of them only in a different color. she always loved the full skirt that was about to fall off and the tiny top ~although Erin's had the skin tone fabric in between thank goodness. You know, I'd be fine if they would stop tearing their clothes off this season. What is that? That is not dancing and just not right for a family show, obviously they don't care about that though. I really think that Erin may be in trouble. For some reason I sort of forget they are on the show.

I kind of got what Maks was going for with the striptease, and knew something was up when I saw he had on a tux for a samba. The ridiculously inappropriate choice of music was a godawful version of "A Fifth of Beethoven", so it made sense to put him in formal wear and then start peeling, but I think he took it too far, and should have left the shirt on (not that I'm complaining!). Erin's costume I have a hard time finding an excuse for however. Just awful. Still love them!

[Pandora2]

When is Samantha coming back?

I'm just relieved it isn't Melissa.