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Episode Recap: Samba Smack Down? Not So Much!
It was another crazy week in the ballroom and, to top it off, lifts were legal. What sort of challenge would that pose? Also a possible challenge — Cristián's injury. How would he handle two dances and lifts with a ruptured tendon? I was eager to find out. So slap on a sling and use an extra large spoon to help your good arm dish out some D-List burritos for Cinco de Mayo. And have a shot of tequila while you're at it. We might just need it!
Kristi — Just looking at the quickstep makes me exhausted. If it's difficult though, you'd never know looking at her. The lift was good but pretty ordinary. She doesn't really need it to make-up points, but was still fun to see. However, I did not dig her samba outfit. It was a tad Big Bird-ish. The dance was fine though! Would it be enough to beat Jason's samba?
Quickstep 29
Samba 26
Mario — I've never been shy about admitting Karina isn't my favorite pro, but her voice was really getting to me tonight. She screeches and I just want to change the channel. But she can dance and her choreography was great for the waltz. The lift was very dramatic. I didn't love his jive but he did some great lifts. I don't care for the jive in general and I don't really get how it's a ballroom dance. But I, as you know, adore him so I hope to see him next week.
Viennese Waltz 27
Jive 26
Marissa — The way she cried those first few weeks convinced me she was a goner, but she's hung on so I have to give her credit for that. I'm never going to be a fan, but I can't say her dances aren't decent. But just for good measure, I'll say her fox trot wasn't that graceful and her mambo was a bit awkward. She has great hair though. I envy it.
Fox Trot 25
Mambo 25
Jason — I very much enjoyed his tango but probably because this is the one dance where his chronic stiffness (hehe) comes in handy. Argentine or not, I thought it was the best dance of the ballroom round. Very risky lift! I wasn't entertained by his samba, but it had another incredible lift. After it was over, I knew there was hope for Kristi to win the samba smack down! Sadly though, it wasn't as eventful as I thought it would be.
Tango 29
Samba 23
Cristián — I wouldn't pick "Beat It" for a tango, but his one-armed lift made up for it. Not bad! Cheryl did a great job of utilizing his good arm in both dances, but especially in the mambo. It was very energetic and although we could tell his left arm was motionless, it didn't take away from a solid performance. Bravo!
Tango 28
Mambo 29
With Kristi and Jason tied after the first round, I thought for sure we were in for quite a finish, but they both kind of fizzled with their sambas. Was Kristi's really better? Cristián did fantastic for dancing with an injury so he should definitely make it to the next round. Who would have thought he'd end up in first place for the night? Amazing! Who won't live to see another week? I must say it is Marissa's time to go. She is the definition of comeback, but I don't think it will be enough. We have quite a results show to anticipate! Not only will we get the results, but it's the 100th show so we get to see the top 10 dances of the past 5 seasons. I'm actually excited! Maybe it's the tequila shots that washed down my burrito? No, it's definitely the top 10 dances. So stop back here tomorrow night to discuss! Until then, tell me what you thought of tonight's dances.
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May 5, 2008 9:48 PM
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Tonight's dancing was much more than I imagined when I tuned in.
Kristi, as usual, did a good job. I missed her samba so will have to see if it truly lacked like the judges said.
Surprisingly, I agreed with almost all of the judging tonight.
While Jason did not dance well enough last week to truly beat Kristi, Cristian absolutely deserved his marks. I was so nervous for him, but he and Cheryl were great. Before the injury I thought he was coming along and deserved the finals, and even with a bum arm, he could still dance in the finals.
The two dances that blew me away tonight were Mario's Viennese Waltz and Marissa's Foxtrot. I thought the choreography was beautiful, the lifts wonderfully incorporated, and the scoring a tad on the low side. That waltz was near perfect and Marissa deserved a 27.
After nailing the ballroom round, I am behind Mario to make it to the finals. Please vote for him people!
I agreed with the judges that Jason's samba was not so great and I actually did not like the tango much either. Jason and Edyta usually flow together okay enough, but tonight they seemed flat. I really do not think that Jason's dancing or Edyta's choreography actually belong in the finals anyway. I actually think that based on improvement over the season, grace, technique, and performance, Jason should go tomorrow. I know that is not a popular opinion because he and Edyta are so gorgeous. I really think they were the weakest couple tonight.
I'm sure Marissa will end up going, though, and she's lasted pretty long.
I just really hope that our final in two weeks is Kristi, Mario, and Cristian. They all deserve it.
Looking forward to a fun celebration tomorrow night: dance countdowns, returning celebs, etc. I'm there!
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May 5, 2008 11:00 PM
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I never thot Cristian would be at the top of the board with a bum arm, but he and Cheryl were wonderful and got most of my votes. I think Mario has greatly improved and he got some as well. Much as I admire Marissa, I think her time has come.
Krista, you questioned the choice of music for one dance, but I thot the dancers do not get to pick their music......I'm sure I heard that a couple of seasons ago.
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May 5, 2008 11:06 PM
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I'm just guessing that Christian was loaded up on pain killers and maybe that gave him the extra flare they needed. Last season there were more people that I cared about, this hasn't been as fun for me! If Marissa goes, that will be the end of the FUN couples! I'm looking forward to the 100th show!
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May 5, 2008 11:42 PM
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There were some good performances tonight, though none that will stay with me long. I hate to say it, but it was nice to see Len and the other judges take Jason to task for once. I will say that Christian earned his place in the competition tonight beyond the sympathy factor.
The lower score for Jason might also help keep Kristi in the game; I'm one of those people, -regretfully, -that expects her "shocking" elimination. She's so precise you don't see her sweat and she hasn't built up the "backstory" that the other contestants have (this is what Len calls "one-dimensional"), and I'm afraid she just won't pull the votes. Of course, Maks said a woman couldn't win the show now (because women generally won't vote for women), which is why he left after last season (and then changed his mind and then left again with a less hot-headed reason). It just won't seem right to me without Kristi in the finals.
I'm looking forward to the two shows Tuesday night, particularly the "Top Ten Dances", since that may be the only time we'll get to see those performances (I'd kill for a DVD set of past seasons). At the same time I'm a little afraid that I'm going to be disappointed, -the clips show Apollo and Joey, but they also show Wayne Newton, and I'm afraid they'll go for sentiment (like the Jerry Springer waltz), rather than the most dazzling performances.
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May 5, 2008 11:47 PM
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I hate how they put Mario down! I'm not a fan of Karina (sp?) either but I thought he was fantastic tonight. I gave most my votes to him tonight.
I was super impressed wih everyone tonight in at least one dance.
Jason still isn't my favorite...I think because the judges go overboard praising him. I think he is handsome and nice though.
I guess I'd have to say it is Marissa's time to go.
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May 6, 2008 12:27 AM
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While I really wanted to like Kristi, I find when her dances are done, that I've mostly been watching Mark. I think he just overshadows her. She's okay, but no where near the entertainer she should be.
I do like Mario. I think he's come a long way. For me, he's slightly more fun to watch than Jason, although I am a big Edyta fan. And Jason and Edyta are really something to watch together.
I think Christian having to think about his arm has actually helped get rid of some of the stunned faces he used to make. And I've always thought Cheryl was an amazing choreographer. This has certainly challenged her, and she's totally risen to the test.
By this sixth season, from the start, the pros have become the celebrities for us. And while I never loved Karina, I do think she has paid her dues in some of the past seasons. When Cheryl got voted off in Season 4 with Ian, my two daughters cried. I've always wanted Edyta to get it as well. I know everyone thinks it's time for a female celebrity to get it, but it's hard when you want your favorite dancer to win!
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May 6, 2008 1:06 AM
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I think Christian should have backed out last week. He was extremly selfish to stay in the competition and not be able to give his all. His tango should not have gotten the marks it did. The judges saying his attitude being "cocky" matched the dance...what dance were they watching??? He showed no emotion, he looked like he was concentrating on his arm instead of doing the dance properly. It lacked strength and confidence. It looked like he was just going through the motions. At the end of the show I was ticked off because he was in 1st. They judged him way too easy. Were they that easy on Marlee Matlin...No? They told her that she didn't stay on the rhythm of the music. How is she supposed to if she can't hear it? The judge's weren't fair to the other contestants.
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May 6, 2008 1:06 AM
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Yeah for Cristián! I thought he was kind of unremarkable until tonight. That was an awesome mambo and let's just say I wasn't watching his arm on that one.
Since the first show, I've been annoyed with Jason's veiled homophobia. If he's so worried about what the guys back in the locker room are going think about him shaking his butt in tight pants, he shouldn't have signed up for the show. Then again, nothing in ballroom dancing is any worse than what he does in his day gig.
I was rooting for Marlee all the way but I'll have to find solace in "L Word" and "West Wing" dvd's.
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May 6, 2008 2:21 AM
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"Since the first show, I've been annoyed with Jason's veiled homophobia. If he's so worried about what the guys back in the locker room are going think about him shaking his butt in tight pants, he shouldn't have signed up for the show."
Whoa. I think this comment might be a bit unfair. Jason's remarks are always in response to Samantha's insipid questions, which are clearly designed to play off the "macho football player does ballroom dance" dichotomy. Let's not characterize Jason undeservedly. And by the way, the only thing I heard last night didn't involve tight pants, but the craziness of putting spray tan on a Black man!
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May 6, 2008 5:34 AM
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Last night was most interesting to me because the performances, in a couple of instances, seemed to be affected not by the dancing per se, but by peripheral items.
For example, I think the problem with Kristi's samba was rooted not in her dancing, but in that unappealing costume. Add to that the really bad music for Kristi's samba, and I think she could have been absolutely perfect but no one would have noticed!
I was impressed that Cristian's tango turned out as well as it did, because the music choice of "Beat It" was terrible. Kudos to Cheryl and Cristian for rising above the bad music they were given.
On the other hand, while Jason's music was just fine for his samba, that frumpy costume made his dancing look worse than it was. Both the pants and top were ill-fitting, and made his moves look awkward and unprofessional. And by-the-way...I'm so over the knit thing on Jason...please put him in some good, tight-fitting dancer's pants!! (he-he)
Karina and Mario were amazing last night, and it seems that Mario really did take the judges' notes to heart. He's stepped up his game, and I'm encouraged to see the positive comments on this board.
Marissa also looked really great last night, but if she's going to go forward, she needs to get into character a bit more. She has clearly proven that you don't have to be a size "2" to dance, so we're no longer impressed that she can do it--she now needs to bring the whole package. She must lose that "look at me, ma--I'm dancing!!" giant grin, and now begin to emote the dances as well. The grin worked during her Fox Trot, but for the Mambo, it detracted from her sexuality in a really "raunchy" dance. Also, Bruno was right--it was a bit dainty, which as I've commented before, reminds me of Jane Seymour (and we know how that turned out).
Finally, Carrie Ann had the line of the night! She said Mario's dance was "nice and stiff--just the way I like it." Don't we all...
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May 6, 2008 5:59 AM
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Well now we are down to even more of a popularity contest. I still fell Kristi should win I have always liked Jason & Edyta but they have slipped a little. I agree Cristian should have withdrawn I think they gave him some sympathy last night and the voters may do the same thing. The final 3 should be Kristi,Jason & Mario. I think the bottom 2 will be Marissa & Mario tonight.
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May 6, 2008 6:59 AM
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Cristian - holy moly! I thought he danced the best he has all season. The only problem I have ever had with him was, when he would stop to allow Cheryl to do a turn, etc., he just kind of stopped performing until she danced back to him, like he was too concerned with what came next, CA pointed that out early in the season. But whther it was pain meds or having to focus more on the dancing to take his mind off his arm, he seemed to be in the zone during the entire dance. Even if he goes home next week, I think last night he proved that it was more than pity votes who got him this far.
geordigirl, great observation - everyone seemed to be having costume and/or music isues that took away from the dancing. I think it would be fun if viewers could write in with song suggestions? I know they are limited to an extent b/c of IP issues, but it seems that it would be easier to deal with licensing isues if they had more music ideas to choose from. I got the idea b/c there is a Billy Joel song from The Stranger that would be perfect for the samba.......
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May 6, 2008 7:15 AM
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I too agreed with the judges' comments for the most part. No one really excelled last night. Cristian, however, finally seems to be showing some personality. Although I did feel the lesser use of his bad arm was pretty noticeable, his courage was inspiring, I love Cheryl, and I'm rooting for them to make the final.
I thought this was somewhat of an off night for Jason and Edyta. I loved the spray tan bit, however.
I think Kristi and Mark need to have some stern words with the costume dept. The Big Bird costume was much the same silhouette as the green number from last week, and neither is particularly flattering. I did feel they tried to jam their samba with content. Although it had some amazing elements, it was not the least bit cohesive.
I got two phone calls during Mario and Karina's waltz, but I'm pretty sure that would have been my favorite dance of the night.
I think it's Marissa's time to go, and according to the words that are coming out of her mouth, she would be at peace with that. I did not love her look for the foxtrot - super-matronly.
I did enjoy the spirit of camaraderie among the contestants and how everyone was supporting Cristian and Cheryl. I loved Tom's comment about Cristian wanting to fight for the "odd little trophy," and it's really just the bit of drama we need at this point of the season. I still think Kristi and Mark deserve to win it all, but I'm glad they are no longer the clear front-runner. It sets the stage for some hot dancing in the next couple of weeks.
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May 6, 2008 8:02 AM
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This is tad off topic but I just want to know if anyone else has seen this. It is a very small snippet of a fingerprint with the words The Mole. Does anyone know anything about that show coming back on? Or am I the only one getting subliminal messages on my tv?
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May 6, 2008 8:16 AM
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