Melissa Gilbert & Maksim Chmerkovskiy - Season 14

[echo226]

I saw the 20/20 special and thats what everyone has.Its a collaboration between the designer and the couples. Of course they have to trust, I doubt the costume department deliberately set out to make a gawd awful dress. I mean Donald and Peta looked like the King and I.Did they blame wardrobe? or perhaps it looked better on paper? all these excuses. I don't get it. I like Mark( I know one of the few) I am the first to say their costumes looked awful, perhaps their idea was great, but when it was on, not so good.

We all have our faves but I dont think Maks is non stop without fault.

Nor do I find Maks or any of the pros blameless and it is their job to showcase the celeb in the dance.
In general, the female pros know what works for them and looks good, and most women I know do a good job of dressing their men so their partners don't suffer.

I do think that the female celebs may have a more difficult time and need more assistance to couple the function and appearance requirements.
I saw the 20-20 special too and some people have a difficult time getting ready to go grocery shopping in a half-hour.

By the way, I kind of liked the King & I look and actually did not like beautiful Katherine's phony looking hairdo. I'm not crazy about a lot of the costumes this season, so maybe the costume designers this season just stink and the celebs should contact their own wardrobe and make-up people and not risk disastrous choices.

I just think Melissa's garment was humiliating to say the least.

[karalott]

According to Maks, it's his style. Which, he might have a point. I've long thought Maks and some of the old school pros want to keep it real and accurate and just dance. Rather than throw in props, gimmicks, messing about, and seeing dancers get a relatively high score for not even doing the dance, while a better dancer gets lowballed for not throwing in hip hop moves.

That is why I can't understand Len's scoring. He criticizes other pairs for all of the things bolded above and then scores them higher than the ones who are doing what he says he wants to see. All three judges are giving out contradictory vibes.

It's why, while I can see why people like Derek, Mark, and Lacey's choreography, I've grown tired of it. I can do without theatrics and props taking up half the dance. And are all pros entitled to use the fog machines and fancy backdrops and props or do they pick and choose? Maks didn't like the song he and Melissa were dancing to this week, and I believe there's also manipulation there over who gets the better song choices, who continually has to go first (or early), and last, and because Len always made such an issue in the past with some of the stuff he now praises, that's why I think TPTB already know what they want the judges to say and score. The judges watch rehearsals, so they probably have run throughs there and behind the scenes about how to comment and what to score. But, in spite of all that, Melissa/Maks live to dance another day!

In regards to the costumes, while I believe the pros have control at first over the design, whoever comes up with them in the end in terms of putting the actual outfit together is awful, and I can't believe TPTB don't have the final say. I also think Maks was probably being polite on the judges beef with him. I still feel CA didn't like being called out and challenged on not knowing what she's talking about, and that Maks may not be enough hip hop and theatrics for her. She actually has to judge a dance, not 2 seconds of one while the couple bounces around from prop to prop.

[Fanny Mare]

I think if she didn't have to dance the way Maks choreographed it, we wouldn't be talking about her costume so much

I saw the 20-20 special too and some people have a difficult time getting ready to go grocery shopping in a half-hour

Others seem to manage. Derek and Maria seem to nail it every week. She looked fabulous in that red dress.The King and I costume was okay, but the coat was far too heavy for Donald to dance in. I suspect they wont use that fabric again, but its their choice

[echo226]

Others seem to manage. Derek and Maria seem to nail it every week. She looked fabulous in that red dress.

Maria is 14 or 15 years younger than Melissa!

You are right about the weight of coat and Donald. I guess I just liked that vibe.

[Fanny Mare]

Maria is 14 or 15 years younger than Melissa!

You are right about the weight of coat and Donald. I guess I just liked that vibe.

Gladys was 67 , everyone said she looked great( 20 years older than Melissa)

[echo226]

Gladys was 67 , everyone said she looked great( 20 years older than Melissa)

Exactly, and Sherry looked pretty good too for a plus-size dancer. So .... coming full circle .... that's why I think M & M are being set-up.

[Fanny Mare]

Exactly, and Sherry looked pretty good too for a plus-size dancer. So .... coming full circle .... that's why I think M & M are being set-up.

Or perhaps they have no clue as to the costume they want.I saw posts that thought Sherri looked awful btw. Let me ask you this .I thought Melissa looked good in her green dress( last week) did you?maybe all it is , is hit and miss .I don't buy into all this, everyone is against Maks.

Nor do I find Maks or any of the pros blameless and it is their job to showcase the celeb in the dance

Well then he should try this, it might just work

[echo226]

Or perhaps they have no clue as to the costume they want.I saw posts that thought Sherri looked awful btw. Let me ask you this .I thought Melissa looked good in her green dress( last week) did you?maybe all it is , is hit and miss .I don't buy into all this, everyone is against Maks.

I did think the green dress was pretty, appropriate and looked nice on her. However, we are talking about a specific week and costume here, ( the diaper) and it is a week when the greatest percentage of viewers seem to think that the judges wanted M & M out, so, could this week have been a set-up for that to possibly happen? I don't know but I detect that there is still some underlying hostility between Maks and CA and also maybe Len. Frankly I'm not sure if the viewing public's feeling about wanting M & M out right now is correct as I was also thinking that the dancing duels and Jaleel leaving might have been a way to eliminate him (Jaleel) with a cushion of time between the "event" with Kim and his exit.

[Arielflies]

During a clip from backstage prior to showtime, you could see Bruno walking away and Melissa telling the camera that he ignored? dissed? her. In other words she tried to speak to him but he didn't respond. Showing that clip plays directly into the drama of calling up conspiracy theories.

Melissa is just not that good a dancer. One reason Maks might have put in all the lifts was to take her beyond her fear of another back injury. She stated after they danced that the doctor who operated on her back was in the audience. He must have cringed, but she survived. This would also explain this week's look of tight terror on her face - which would also tighten the muscles in her body. I wonder about Mak's injury and if the lifts were to spare the cyst in his ankle from the frantic flicks which are a required element of the Argentine Tango. Also, he needed to keep the choreography at a transferable level in case Val needed to stand in. There seemed to be a perfect storm for both the poor dancing and the attitudes this week. It was good to see the true joy expressed with the surprise of them surviving the bottom two.

We'll see how everyone copes when Val joins them for real next week.

[PA Snow Bunny]

I have a feeling that the diaper design wasn't what was first envisioned. I kind of think this was probably designed to have a higher cut leg & Melissa did not feel comfortable wearing it like that. Honestly it looked like she was wearing a Depends.

I wil honestly admit I watch DWTS mainly for Maks. A girl does need her eye candy. I normally channel surf during Mark & Derek(will admit to watching Derek with Nicole...even have their AT saved in favorites).

Maks is old school I get that & appreciate that, I prefer that. The problem with Maks is that he needs to realize that most of his partners have little to no dance experience. Don't attempt a move that you know your partner can not possibly do. Would he attempt those lifts with Kirstie? Melissa is a beautiful woman & is a good dancer when she is in her comfort zone.

I adore Maks I too am growing tired of his eye rolling at general demeanor.