Jennifer Grey & Derek Hough - Season 11

[RyMac]

Carrie Ann is getting called out on Twitter for not catching Jennifer's lift Monday night. Ha. I do have to say though, one person wrote in all caps and said that she was fired, and CA actually responded to her and very graciously said that she doesn't see everything we see b/c of angles, and that she is glad she has people calling her out. She could have easily not responded or been snappy back to the person. I still think she didn't call her on it b/c it was Jennifer and Derek, but she at least acknowledges it now. Maybe she'll mention it next week and knock them down a peg (here's hoping anyway).

[ironcat]

They certainly knew what would get people to vote their feelings for Jennifer. Actually, she was good without that little show. I can see her going all the way, but wish it weren't with Derek.

Me too. I really want to root for her, being older, seemingly nice, and a real comeback story, both with her career and her health, but have developed such a dislike for Derek (or maybe I should say the special treatment/privileges he seems to get over the other pros), that I just can't stomach the thought of him cakewalking to the finals and winning again, not to mention all the tongue baths he is sure to get on the way. I understand all the reasons why the producers paired Jennifer with him, and maybe she even requested him (and they have apparently asked her every season to be on, so I think they would acquiesce to get her to agree), but it turns me off that this season will be another chapter of the "Derek and everyone else" show.

[anders332]

In what I feel is a lackluster cast of characters this season - it's pretty certain J/D are going to make the final 2 and likely take the trophy - for that reason I'm passing on this season. I saw very little of the VW (only clips on The view or something) and she appeared to do well, but I wonder what she'll be like for the more energetic/high velocity dances.

[aname2]

Personally, I thought them airing the rehearsal shots of her crying in response to the music to Dirty Dancing was an invasion of privacy by the cameras. Her reaction was not surprising being that Patrick Swayze was a friend of hers and so recently passed. Heck, I teared up too (he has been a favorite of mine for a long time). She did a wonderful job and deserved her marks. That being said, I also find Derek annoying and seemingly entitled to the best prospects each season. WHY! I wonder if the other dancers are put off by the favoritism.

[Florimel]

I would prefer to see the "lift rule" not applied to anyone whose feet inadvertently come off the floor for an instant while transitioning into a move, especially the amateur who doesn't have the technique to control it. Even Jane Seymour couldn't control it and she was a ballet dancer.

If the lift is meant to be a lift, then apply the rule. It's not hard to tell the difference.

[MiniDiva]

Jennifer is my fav celebrity going into this season for many reasons, but I admittedly am a fan of DD. We know she can dance coming into this and being paired with Derek makes her the expected ringer for this season. She is going to have to work hard to maintain the expectation that she will win -- and with Derek she can do it. But I am not ruling out some other great couples this season, Brandy and Maks for one. I am all for the competition and being entertained by great performances. Bring it on!

I agree that Jennifer deserved some privacy while suddenly being distraught over Patrick. ABC got exactly what they wanted after deliberately selecting music from her DD love scene with Patrick and I think they got the reaction they expected. Hopefully, after that initial reaction and/or shock, we can move on but I sense that DD references will be used through out the season. Please let Jennifer have her privacy and let dear Patrick rest in peace.

That said, the music and Jennifer's performance were beautiful and I look forward to seeing more great performances by her and Derek in the coming weeks.

[jadewarlock]

What I like about Jennifer being there is that - like Florence, Michael Bolton and Hasselhoff (even if briefly), they are true well-known and beloved acting and music celebrities. The rest are wannabes IMHO, and not true celebrities in that way - and I'm not exactly sure how many would become any.

That said, I HATE that she is paired up with Hough because of the fact we're TIRED of seeing him get partners who aren't honestly a challenge for him to teach and all. He doesn't have to work hard, so when he does make it to the final three most times he's been there, it's been an easy trip. It's also not fair to her because of that - so I'm so hoping this was an ABC idea instead of hers (and I think it was more than anything).

I admit I didn't recognize her because of the nose job, but she still looks lovely. Her dancing was quite good, but I think it's not going to be a walk in the park as far as all dances based on what I saw. That's good for her case - she won't be seen so much as a ringer.

My wish (and ABC if you are reading - read this closely) - they stay away from "Dirty Dancing" references for the rest of the season. It's a good movie, and Swayze was an excellent dancer, but this is HER competition and she should be voted in or possibly eliminated based on HER dancing, not because she danced with Swayze. WE also should vote her in or out based on how she dances, not because we like or dislike Hough. She doesn't deserve that either.

So, here's looking toward the next week competition.

[karalott]

Heh. I love it when the judges get called out, especially Sgt. Inaba, Lift Police division. Of all the judges she bugs me, but I'd probably miss her if she was gone and dislike her replacement even more (that's usually my luck). I'm not going to say Derek's a shoo in to win again. Perhaps it's wishful thinking on my part, but I think there's some stiff competition, and quite a few celebs showed a lot of potential. Jennifer could start slacking in the later weeks of competition. Whether the judges will call their golden pro out or gloss over it is another story. I do hope that was the one and only DD reference for the season, and Patrick Swayze reference in general. I am hoping we get a break from the Hough/Ballas trio winning, because I already feel like Mark will get the one next season to make up for getting Bristol (and to get his own third trophy if Derek wins-after all, they have to all match). In watching Jennifer's dance on Tuesday again, I definitely think Brandy's was the better of the two, and think she was about equal to Rick's. If anything I enjoyed his more.

I think I'll get annoyed with these two because Derek's involved, I don't like Jennifer and found her a little too overconfident in pre-show videos, and the show considers her a big get so will try and keep her around, and possibly shove more PS/DD/and maybe even throw in music from his other movies if they see her slipping in votes. If Derek were to win again, I really hope they don't bring him back for the spring. 7 seasons of nothing but Houghs and Ballas's winning, with Kym sneaking in there just once, is enough. It may not be Derek's fault he's popular with viewers and the producers are up his butt, but it's not fair to the other pros, either.

[Tobi]

I think I may be in the minority but I love Derek. He can do things with his body that are incredible, he moves in a way that is raw talent. I don't care about his personality, he is young and making his way. I like Mark and Julianna, too. They are incredible dancers with Derek best, Julianna almost as great and Mark right up there. But Derek and Julianna are really superior dancers to some of the others on the show. He can choreograph insane routines and I just respect him and appreciate his talent so very much.

[ThePhantomsGirl]

This one is so tough for me. I really like Jennifer Gray, and I dislike Derek. I do have to admit he is a great dancer and choreographer. It's his personality that bugs me and puts me off. He's my least favorite pro.