Hey folks! Tonight, our top 12 try to cut a rug and not get cut before the tour. Wow, did Mia Michaels write that last sentence? Cat looks smashing and Old Hollywood glamorous in a simple black dress. However, she may or may not have gotten a haircut. And if she did, personally, I think it's marvelous. The great intros tonight are courtesy of Jason, Brandon, Philip, and Kupono. Maybe Ade and Melissa too. They weren't great, but they're my favorite couple, so i guess they get an automatic boost? Tyce is guest jidging tonight. Everyone’s doing two routines tonight, so instead of laying this out chronologically, I’m doing it by pair:
Note: As always, this is the abridged recap. For a more lengthy take, head to sytycd.ca
Melissa and Ade
Disco by Doriana Sanchez
It’s really high energy, and Melissa looks like she was plucked from the Saturday Night Fever extras pool. I watch her more, even though Ade seems to be doing a slightly better job with the dancing. And OMG, Melissa was just in a lift and had her legs in a 180 degree line. She should get super-duper bonus points for that, which should completely nullify the fact that she falls at the end of the routine. But know what, she recovers greatly. Nigel loved it, Mary calls them a Disco Pick-Me-Up, and Tyce says “That Was Friggin Great.”
Waltz by Ron Montez
Really, as a couple, they're SO connected. And that's what's really selling this routine. I mean, it's pretty and graceful to look at, but it's going to be memorable because of how awesomely connected they are. Nigel thought it was very beautiful but has a technical critique for ade. Mary found it beautifully danced, but didn't feel enough power from Ade on something called "the twinkles." Tyce calls it well-danced.
Kayla and Kupono
Contemporary by Mia Michaels
Mia looks very at peace when working with them. This routine is about addiction. This is also really good, but I'm not sure if Kupono's really in the character. I mean, he's hitting the moves well, but I don't actually feel the connection to the character in him. He's just kind of... glaring. Kayla, on the other hand, is just BONKERS good. Like, her face reads it completely, she NAILS every move, and just inhabits the dance. However, the routine itself is fantastic. Nigel thought it was great, Mary keeps them on the Hot Tamale Train, and Tyce thought they brought more than just steps.
Broadway by Joey Dowling
Joey seems like an awesomely demanding choreographer. The rehearsal packages with her are great, because she's clearly just so unimpressed with her raw materials. I don't know though, there's something about this routine that I just don't love. I mean, they both seem to be doing the movements well, but I'm just not connecting to this routine in any sort of major way. Kayla looks fantastic, but I don't have much else to say. Nigel didn’t think it had the necessary emotion, Mary found it really dynamic, and Tyce didn’t think they made it part of their world.
Caitlin and Jason
Foxtrot by Tony Meredith
This is a pretty darn good Foxtrot. Jason isn't really quite connecting all that greatly with Caitlin, but they're both dancing it well. They look the part fantastically, and Caitlin is doing a really good job selling it all. Nigel thinks they made it all look simple, Mary found it tremendous, and Tyce thinks they looked like stars and captured the essence.
Lyrical Jazz by Mandy Moore
Mandy is excited to bring out their strengths, because they're both basically in genre. Mandy describes it as a kitchen-sink routine. For both being in genre, sadly, I do not find this to be the most captivating of dances. Don't get me wrong, they're both doing very well. There's some awesome hand work in there. They dance it well. But I just didn't hone in on it. It didn't jump off the screen for me. Nigel found it very technically well-done, Mary didn’t feel the magic, and Tyce thought it was good but they needed to take it a step farther.
Jeanine and Philip
Russian Folk Dance
This isn't their fault at all, but it's just really bad. The choreography, just isn't enertaining to watch. They're doing their absolute best to sell it as entrtainment, and Philip does a great Trepak, and then shows in some Hip-Hop-ish stuff. And Jeanine does her best with the funner bits she has, but that's just a terrible dance to saddle a couple with. Nigel can’t fault them for how awful it was, Mary found it believable, and Tyce thinks they did well with what they were given.
Jive by Tony Meredith
Phil is greatly awkward about the sexiness of this one. I probably preferred Evan and Randi's jive from earlier this season, but it's much better than I expected to be. Phil is nowhere near as bad as I expected him to be. And Jeanine is just great to watch. She is drawing me in like whoa, and not just because she's shimmying while basically making direct eye contact with the camera and viewer. Miles better than their first routine, and a very very solid routine. Nigel calls Phil the best he’s ever seen him out of his style, Mary was pleasantly surprised it wasn’t a trainwreck, and Tyce asks us to call 1-800-Fan-Freakin-Tastic.
Randi and Evan
Hip-Hop by NappyTabs
I have to say, I'm really impressed by how well Randi is handling this. I mean, they're both good, but I kind of expected her to be pretty bad at this. But she's probably even the better of the two. They're both nailing the emotions of the number, and in all honestly, I would probably say this is my favorite hip-hop routine so far this season. I really really liked it. Nigel liked it a bit and particularly that they weren’t urban-ified. Mary was expecting a trainwreck but didn’t see one. Tyce liked the storytelling.
Samba by Pasha and Anya
Randi is out of her comfort zone. Pasha and Anya want it to be hot, intricate, and different. It's certainly intricate, and also really cool, but these two have problems pulling off the sultry. It's fun to watch, but it doesn't have that Samba sexiness. It picks up a little bit a the end, and there's some great footwork and flips, but without that sexiness, it's just missing something. Nigel thinks they did everything the could but it wasn’t hot enough. Mary found it to be a slow sizzle by wanted it to be more dynamic. Tyce wanted more fierceness.
Janette and Brandon
Argentine Tango by Leonardo and Miriam
They spoke a lot of Spanish in the rehearsal, which Brandon doesn't speak. But even if he didn't understand what they were saying, it's pretty clear that he got what they were doing. I mean, Janette is the stand-out here, but Brandon is no slouch. My only criticism of him would be that at times, you can see it on his face that it's not coming naturally to him. But Janette is fantastic. Her footwork is great, she nails the emotion, and she is just amazing to watch. All three judges give them a standing ovation. ‘Nuff said.
Jazz by Wade Robson
We're like 15 seconds in, and its AWESOME. Like, quite possibly my favorite routine so far this eason. They're both rocking the movement, the feeling, and they're just both ridiculously amazingly fun to watch. Yeah, that's my favorite routine of the season so far. Major major kudos and a half to them. Nigel thinks there’s nothing they can’t do. Mary screams “The best for last!” Tyce thinks they have that thing.
Rankings for the Night (By Couple):
1) Janette and Brandon
2) Melissa and Ade
3) TIE- Kayla and Kupono, Randi and Evan
5) (by a hair) Caitlin and Jason
6) Jeanine and Philip
Rankings for the Night (By Dance)
1) Janette and Brandon- Jazz
2) Kayla and Kupono- Contemporary
3) Melissa and Ade- Disco
4) Randi and Evan- Hip Hop
5) Janette and Brandon- Argentine Tango
6) Caitlin and Jason- Lyrical Jazz
7) Jeanine and Philip- Jive
8) Melissa and Ade- Waltz
9) Randi and Evan- Samba
10) Kayla and Kupono- Broadway
11) Caitlin and Jason- Foxtrot
12) Jeanine and Philip- Russian Folk Dance
Who’s In Trouble: Jason and Caitlin and Philip and Jeanine are likely to land in the bottom. Evan and Randi’ll probably round that out.
Who’s Going Home: Caitlin is dunzo, I’m guessing. For the guys, I’d say it’s between Jason and Evan. Which is sad, since I really like both those guys. Can we get rid of Pono instead?
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Pilot Review: The Cleveland Show
The Cleveland Show
FOX. Sundays at 8:30
So, I’d say I’m a fan of Family Guy. It’s nowhere near must see TV for me, but it still is mostly amusing, and can on occasion be very funny. However, moreso than any other comedy on TV, it completely misses the mark and ends up in wildly unfunny/disgusting territory.
I’m not sure what I was entirely expecting The Cleveland Show to be then, other than, you know, a second version of Family Guy. There are still random absurd cutaways, pop culture jokes that hit, pop culture jokes that miss, and various other stock characters. Which is to say that The Cleveland Show is about just as watchable as Family Guy, could be good for a laugh but not TV you need to go out of your way to see.
To be fair, there are some very funny things in the pilot. Cleveland’s new neighbor, a Christian Conservative bear (literally, a talking bear, I wonder how long until a shit in the woods joke occurs) with a pseudo-European accent, is probably the best character in the show, and brings some comedic energy to the scenes he’s in. And in one either very clever or entirely preposterous moment, there’s a jab at black sitcoms made by white people based on stereotypes. Which is kind of what The Cleveland Show is, making Seth McFarlane either an idiot or a hypocrite, I’m not sure which. But it’s the most interesting moment of the whole pilot.
That being said, this is much more like late era Family Guy than pre-cancellation. The tone of the show is still uneven, and, save Cleveland, none of the main family members are particularly funny. There are moments, but overall, it’s just not a laugh riot. I’d be interested whether to see if they balance out the tone, figure out a way to be more than just Family Guy 2.0, or take the show down a different road altogether, maybe something more along the lines of the now-much-funnier-than-Family-Guy American Dad. So, basically, this gets a rating that falls somewhere between…
RATING: If Nothing Else Is On/I’ll Give It Another Episode
Thursday, July 2, 2009
So You Think You Can Dance 7/2- Fourteen Becomes Twelve
Note: This is the abridged version of the night's proceedings. For the fuller version, head to sytycd.ca
Cat is wearing a short, shiny, silver number and I am a fan. See, Karla, that's how you do shiny.
Tonght's group number seems to be about costuming as many people as horribly as possible. Because, honestly, that's all I can focus on. How awful EVERYONE looks. The choreography looks... ok. I'm betting this is a Tyce. And I get it's Broadway, but really, you put Evan in a Phantom of the Opera mask? The few who manage to overcome their preposterous costuming are Brandon, Ade, Janette, and maybe Kayla and Melissa. So I guess that puts them ahead of the pack? Yup, it’s Tyce, called it.
The first two couples are immediately on stage to get results. Either Karla and Vitolio or Evan and Randi are safe. I know that I’m rooting for the second couple here. Which is why I’m happy that they’re safe. Vitolio seems surprised by the result, and I am surprised by Vitolio’s surprise.
After the break, three more couples are up on stage. Brandon and Janette are immediately safe. Either Kayla/Kupono or Melissa/Ade are in the bottom three. It better be the first of those two, considering Melissa and Ade are amazing. And the SYTYCD Gods are smiling on me tonight, because Kayla/Kupono are also in the bottom three. They were good last night, and probably don’t deserve to be down there, but better them than Adessa. Adessa all the way!
Going into the break, we see Chbeeb and Caitlin hugged together across from Jason and Jeanine all buddy buddy. Guys, this isn't Swingtown. Partner swapping doesn't start until after top 10 week. Get it straight.
Coming back from the break, both couples are up on stage and there’s one bottom three spot left. Chbeeb’s fanbase will probably carry them through, even though they were worse than Jason and Caitlin last night. But the Gods continue to like me, because the Chbeeb is finally heading to the bottom three. He and Jeanine are happy to prove why they’re there. I’m interested to finally see Jeanine do her own style.
For the first time all season, the terms Stars of Dance seems just ridiculously accurate. Desmond Richardson and Patricia Hachey are doing some classical ballet, and it's great. She slips at one point, but otherwise, her pointe seems phenomenal, he seems to do everything he needs to with grace and style. It's great. Makes the Rage Boyz Crew look like, well, boys. The judges give them a standing O.
SOLOS
Karla- She’s good. I can see some frantic-ness in there though. Lets be honest though, she doesn’t stand a chance against the other two girls.
Vitolio- It’s just like all his other solos, meaning I like it but I’m sure the judges will call it desperate (their favorite solo critique word this season)
Kayla- In all honesty, I prefer Karla's solo. She's good, but not great. It ends really strongly though. Cat asks Kayla why she thinks America hates her. She gives answering her best shot, but it's an unfair question. Bad Cat!
Kupono- His solo is... minimal, at least to me. It's almost more about the feeling. But, I can totally see the judges hating this.
Jeanine- Boy do I wish we could see more of her doing this, because she's bonkers good. It's a bit ballet, but I feel the emotion, connection, and she just looks amazing doing that.
Philip- OK, so we all know when Phil can do what he wants, it's going to be ridiculous. And, of course, it is. Tons of fun, he's just preposterously good when left to his own devices. But come on, we all already knew this.
The judges disappear back stage and leave us with Kelly Clarkson, performing "I Do Not Hook Up." I've always kind of liked Kelly Clarkson, so I'm happy for once, going into a performance. Who knew that was possible. What's great is it's completely clear she's not lip-synching. And the song is actually pretty good too (I hadn't heard it before because I don't really listen to contemporary popular music). My only complaint would be that absolutely no one on stage is dancing. But know what, I'd much rather have something like this than endless weeks of Sean Kingston's anemic back-up dancers of Kristinia DeBarge's pop-strumpet prowling. And, for the record, Kelly can still pretty much command the stage.
Results time, and the girls are first. The judges are unanimous. Shocker. They love Jeanine, tell Kayla to dance from the heart, and tell Karla she never captured the star quality they thought she had. She’s going home. I know, I know, none of us saw this coming. [sarcasm] I do feel bad for her, she got stuck with a weaker partner and just never got the chance to shine that she needed. But it's true, she just never demonstrated star quality, at least to me. Do you all disagree?
The guys are up next, and again the judges are unanimous. Phil is great at what he does but still needs to grow in other styles. Kupono better do better than tonight’s solo in future weeks. And Vitolio never lived up to his star potential either, which is why he’s going home tonight.
Cat gets us to give one last round of applause to Karla and Vitolio before bidding us all adieu for the night. Everyone seems really sad to see these two go. Like, moreso than other weeks. Makes my cold, snarky heart feel bad. Anyways, see you all back here next week!
Cat is wearing a short, shiny, silver number and I am a fan. See, Karla, that's how you do shiny.
Tonght's group number seems to be about costuming as many people as horribly as possible. Because, honestly, that's all I can focus on. How awful EVERYONE looks. The choreography looks... ok. I'm betting this is a Tyce. And I get it's Broadway, but really, you put Evan in a Phantom of the Opera mask? The few who manage to overcome their preposterous costuming are Brandon, Ade, Janette, and maybe Kayla and Melissa. So I guess that puts them ahead of the pack? Yup, it’s Tyce, called it.
The first two couples are immediately on stage to get results. Either Karla and Vitolio or Evan and Randi are safe. I know that I’m rooting for the second couple here. Which is why I’m happy that they’re safe. Vitolio seems surprised by the result, and I am surprised by Vitolio’s surprise.
After the break, three more couples are up on stage. Brandon and Janette are immediately safe. Either Kayla/Kupono or Melissa/Ade are in the bottom three. It better be the first of those two, considering Melissa and Ade are amazing. And the SYTYCD Gods are smiling on me tonight, because Kayla/Kupono are also in the bottom three. They were good last night, and probably don’t deserve to be down there, but better them than Adessa. Adessa all the way!
Going into the break, we see Chbeeb and Caitlin hugged together across from Jason and Jeanine all buddy buddy. Guys, this isn't Swingtown. Partner swapping doesn't start until after top 10 week. Get it straight.
Coming back from the break, both couples are up on stage and there’s one bottom three spot left. Chbeeb’s fanbase will probably carry them through, even though they were worse than Jason and Caitlin last night. But the Gods continue to like me, because the Chbeeb is finally heading to the bottom three. He and Jeanine are happy to prove why they’re there. I’m interested to finally see Jeanine do her own style.
For the first time all season, the terms Stars of Dance seems just ridiculously accurate. Desmond Richardson and Patricia Hachey are doing some classical ballet, and it's great. She slips at one point, but otherwise, her pointe seems phenomenal, he seems to do everything he needs to with grace and style. It's great. Makes the Rage Boyz Crew look like, well, boys. The judges give them a standing O.
SOLOS
Karla- She’s good. I can see some frantic-ness in there though. Lets be honest though, she doesn’t stand a chance against the other two girls.
Vitolio- It’s just like all his other solos, meaning I like it but I’m sure the judges will call it desperate (their favorite solo critique word this season)
Kayla- In all honesty, I prefer Karla's solo. She's good, but not great. It ends really strongly though. Cat asks Kayla why she thinks America hates her. She gives answering her best shot, but it's an unfair question. Bad Cat!
Kupono- His solo is... minimal, at least to me. It's almost more about the feeling. But, I can totally see the judges hating this.
Jeanine- Boy do I wish we could see more of her doing this, because she's bonkers good. It's a bit ballet, but I feel the emotion, connection, and she just looks amazing doing that.
Philip- OK, so we all know when Phil can do what he wants, it's going to be ridiculous. And, of course, it is. Tons of fun, he's just preposterously good when left to his own devices. But come on, we all already knew this.
The judges disappear back stage and leave us with Kelly Clarkson, performing "I Do Not Hook Up." I've always kind of liked Kelly Clarkson, so I'm happy for once, going into a performance. Who knew that was possible. What's great is it's completely clear she's not lip-synching. And the song is actually pretty good too (I hadn't heard it before because I don't really listen to contemporary popular music). My only complaint would be that absolutely no one on stage is dancing. But know what, I'd much rather have something like this than endless weeks of Sean Kingston's anemic back-up dancers of Kristinia DeBarge's pop-strumpet prowling. And, for the record, Kelly can still pretty much command the stage.
Results time, and the girls are first. The judges are unanimous. Shocker. They love Jeanine, tell Kayla to dance from the heart, and tell Karla she never captured the star quality they thought she had. She’s going home. I know, I know, none of us saw this coming. [sarcasm] I do feel bad for her, she got stuck with a weaker partner and just never got the chance to shine that she needed. But it's true, she just never demonstrated star quality, at least to me. Do you all disagree?
The guys are up next, and again the judges are unanimous. Phil is great at what he does but still needs to grow in other styles. Kupono better do better than tonight’s solo in future weeks. And Vitolio never lived up to his star potential either, which is why he’s going home tonight.
Cat gets us to give one last round of applause to Karla and Vitolio before bidding us all adieu for the night. Everyone seems really sad to see these two go. Like, moreso than other weeks. Makes my cold, snarky heart feel bad. Anyways, see you all back here next week!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
So You Think You Can Dance 7/1- Top 14 Kinda Rock It
Hey folks,
Wow. I'm kind of surprised we're already at top 14 week. I can't remember past seasons quite moving this fast. That may just be my spotty memory though. I’m hoping for a good night, so lets see if we can’t make that happen, shall we?
Note: As always, this is the abridged recap. For a more complete rundown of the nights events (now in fancy live-blog style!) head to sytycd.ca
Janette and Brandon: They’ve got a Jean-Marc Genereaux (and France! Hi France!) Cha-Cha. I'm just not 100% feeling this. t gets significantly better as it goes on. Brandon gives great face and lots of great winks to the audience. It picks up by the end, but I was expecting something a little bit stronger. Nigel thinks it was the best damn cha-cha the show’s ever had. Mary gives them two first class tickets on the Hot Tamale train. Mia has changed her tune on Brandon because he’s amazing.
Kayla and Kupono: They’ve got a Sonja Tayeh contemporary. I like it, quite a bit. Kupono is actually impressing me quite a bit, and Kayla, despite, being a little bit of a prop, is also great. It's not like crazy "The Garden" banoodles, but it's really really solid. I could have used a touch more grit in it, but quite good overall. Nigel is happy to see them reach their potential. Mary says Sonja played to their strengths and they’re staying on the Hot Tamale train. Mia calls it Sonja’s best and makes the umpteenth incorrect comparison between Kupono and Mark.
Randi and Evan: They’ve got a Broadway routine choreographed by Joey Dowling. It's like 15 seconds into it, and I already think this might be my favorite Broadway routine ever. They're both BANOODLES and fantastic. I love the movement. I get a little bit of a mad scientist feeling from his face occasionally, but it's just like awesome in pretty much every way. Sheer awesome. All the judges are idiots, because they didn’t love it as much as I did and weren’t impressed with Evan. Yet the only thing they can find to nitpick is their wrists. C’mon people.
Caitlin and Jason: They’ve got Brian Friedman pop-jazz about an Alien destroying the world and then impregnating the last man on earth. So it’s gonna be light and happy this week. What in the hell is Caitlin wearing? I can't even focus all that much on the dance because I'm completely distracted by her... ensemble? What I see of the dance, I kind of like. It's not jaw-droppingly good, and they're probably heading to the bottom three again. But the more I watch the routine, I like the movements. There's a lot of cool in there. Nigel likes that they committed 100% to it, but wishes Caitlin were dressed skimpier, calling her a human condom. Cat says "Safety first." Cat is full of win. It didn’t sit right for Mary. Mia says Brian probably doesn’t think this is his best work, but thinks they danced it well.
Jeanine and Philip: They’ve got a NappyTabs hip-hop involving a chain. Well, Phil is crushing this, as is completely expected. Jeanine pales in comaprison to him, as expected. But she's doing her best to hold her own, and thankfully, they've got one of the better NappyTabs routines. I have to say though, the chain is a distraction, because I'm watching it to see whether it's going to mess them up. Didn’t love it in the end. Nigel calls it tremendous, Mary found it to be incredibly creative, but Mia kept on getting caught up in the chain-ography.
Melissa and Ade: They’ve got a Thordal Christensan Pas-De-Deux. Utter. Beauty. Melissa's pointe is fantastic, as expected. Ade is there mainly for her, but when he's given things to do, he does them with aplomb. Pas De Deux needs to be on this show a lot more. These two are still the most connected couple on the show, and nail the emotions of the routine perfectly. Nigel mainly pats himself on the back for having classical dance on the show, but calls it superb. Mary just loved it and didn’t want to wake up. Mia found them to be brilliant.
There’s a video package introducing the Dizzy Feet Foundation, which will award scholarships to talented, underpriveleged dancers. My mean heart can't say anything bad about this, so I’ll keep this brief. You can go to dizzyfeetfoundation.org to find out more.
Karla and Vitolio: They’ve got a Jean Marc (and still France) quickstep, aka the kiss of death. Awww, Karla just looks utterly terrified. She keeps looking down at her feet. They put on a brave face despite knowing their fates, but I mean, it's the quickstep. Better dancers have tried and failed to conquer it. They put as much personality as they can muster into it, but it's just fighting a losing battle. Nigel loved the choreography, Mary liked it overall, and Mia thinks Jean-Marc is a genius and they danced it well.
My Rankings for the Night:
1)Randi and Evan
2) (in a virtual tie) Melissa and Ade
[big jump]
3) Kayla and Kupono
4) Janette and Brandon
5) [very close to 4] Caitlin and Jason
[medium sized jump]
6) Jeanine and Philip
7) Karla and Vitolio
Who’s In Trouble: Karla and Vitolio are guaranteed a bottom 3 spot. Jason and Caitlin are pretty much too. I’m confounded as to who couple number 3 is gonna be. Kayla and Kupono? Melissa and Ade? Will Phil’s fanbase fail to save him this week due to perceived safety?
Who’s Going Home: Obviously, Karla and Vitolio. Not even a question.
Wow. I'm kind of surprised we're already at top 14 week. I can't remember past seasons quite moving this fast. That may just be my spotty memory though. I’m hoping for a good night, so lets see if we can’t make that happen, shall we?
Note: As always, this is the abridged recap. For a more complete rundown of the nights events (now in fancy live-blog style!) head to sytycd.ca
Janette and Brandon: They’ve got a Jean-Marc Genereaux (and France! Hi France!) Cha-Cha. I'm just not 100% feeling this. t gets significantly better as it goes on. Brandon gives great face and lots of great winks to the audience. It picks up by the end, but I was expecting something a little bit stronger. Nigel thinks it was the best damn cha-cha the show’s ever had. Mary gives them two first class tickets on the Hot Tamale train. Mia has changed her tune on Brandon because he’s amazing.
Kayla and Kupono: They’ve got a Sonja Tayeh contemporary. I like it, quite a bit. Kupono is actually impressing me quite a bit, and Kayla, despite, being a little bit of a prop, is also great. It's not like crazy "The Garden" banoodles, but it's really really solid. I could have used a touch more grit in it, but quite good overall. Nigel is happy to see them reach their potential. Mary says Sonja played to their strengths and they’re staying on the Hot Tamale train. Mia calls it Sonja’s best and makes the umpteenth incorrect comparison between Kupono and Mark.
Randi and Evan: They’ve got a Broadway routine choreographed by Joey Dowling. It's like 15 seconds into it, and I already think this might be my favorite Broadway routine ever. They're both BANOODLES and fantastic. I love the movement. I get a little bit of a mad scientist feeling from his face occasionally, but it's just like awesome in pretty much every way. Sheer awesome. All the judges are idiots, because they didn’t love it as much as I did and weren’t impressed with Evan. Yet the only thing they can find to nitpick is their wrists. C’mon people.
Caitlin and Jason: They’ve got Brian Friedman pop-jazz about an Alien destroying the world and then impregnating the last man on earth. So it’s gonna be light and happy this week. What in the hell is Caitlin wearing? I can't even focus all that much on the dance because I'm completely distracted by her... ensemble? What I see of the dance, I kind of like. It's not jaw-droppingly good, and they're probably heading to the bottom three again. But the more I watch the routine, I like the movements. There's a lot of cool in there. Nigel likes that they committed 100% to it, but wishes Caitlin were dressed skimpier, calling her a human condom. Cat says "Safety first." Cat is full of win. It didn’t sit right for Mary. Mia says Brian probably doesn’t think this is his best work, but thinks they danced it well.
Jeanine and Philip: They’ve got a NappyTabs hip-hop involving a chain. Well, Phil is crushing this, as is completely expected. Jeanine pales in comaprison to him, as expected. But she's doing her best to hold her own, and thankfully, they've got one of the better NappyTabs routines. I have to say though, the chain is a distraction, because I'm watching it to see whether it's going to mess them up. Didn’t love it in the end. Nigel calls it tremendous, Mary found it to be incredibly creative, but Mia kept on getting caught up in the chain-ography.
Melissa and Ade: They’ve got a Thordal Christensan Pas-De-Deux. Utter. Beauty. Melissa's pointe is fantastic, as expected. Ade is there mainly for her, but when he's given things to do, he does them with aplomb. Pas De Deux needs to be on this show a lot more. These two are still the most connected couple on the show, and nail the emotions of the routine perfectly. Nigel mainly pats himself on the back for having classical dance on the show, but calls it superb. Mary just loved it and didn’t want to wake up. Mia found them to be brilliant.
There’s a video package introducing the Dizzy Feet Foundation, which will award scholarships to talented, underpriveleged dancers. My mean heart can't say anything bad about this, so I’ll keep this brief. You can go to dizzyfeetfoundation.org to find out more.
Karla and Vitolio: They’ve got a Jean Marc (and still France) quickstep, aka the kiss of death. Awww, Karla just looks utterly terrified. She keeps looking down at her feet. They put on a brave face despite knowing their fates, but I mean, it's the quickstep. Better dancers have tried and failed to conquer it. They put as much personality as they can muster into it, but it's just fighting a losing battle. Nigel loved the choreography, Mary liked it overall, and Mia thinks Jean-Marc is a genius and they danced it well.
My Rankings for the Night:
1)Randi and Evan
2) (in a virtual tie) Melissa and Ade
[big jump]
3) Kayla and Kupono
4) Janette and Brandon
5) [very close to 4] Caitlin and Jason
[medium sized jump]
6) Jeanine and Philip
7) Karla and Vitolio
Who’s In Trouble: Karla and Vitolio are guaranteed a bottom 3 spot. Jason and Caitlin are pretty much too. I’m confounded as to who couple number 3 is gonna be. Kayla and Kupono? Melissa and Ade? Will Phil’s fanbase fail to save him this week due to perceived safety?
Who’s Going Home: Obviously, Karla and Vitolio. Not even a question.
Summer Appointment TV: Wipeout and So You Think You Can Dance
So, this is parts two and three of that week-long series. It was a busy day yesterday, so instead you get two posts combined into one here. Huzzah? Anyway, the two shows being chronicled today are my two must-watch reality shows of the summer, that sadly air at the same time as one another. Thank god I don’t live in the age where there was only the chance to watch things on the television when they aired. Or, (shudder), when there were only three channels. God bless those old fogeys for putting up with that.
Wipeout
Pound for pound, I know of no funnier on all of television. And I do mean “pound for pound,” because the whole insane, amazing, always watchable pleasure of this show is people falling down in the funniest ways possible. Seriously, that’s the whole conceit of the show “lets make people attempt and fail to do obstacles that will result only in the funniest spills ever.” And by the gods of slapstick, they’ve done exactly what they set out to do.
Seriously, the obstacles on this show are just insane. There’s always the big balls, because NO ONE can do them. But as if they weren’t entertaining enough, they’ve added a giant motivator that swings at you and knocks you into the big balls if you wait too long. And it’s oh so glorious.
But there’s just so much more too. The giant air bag that they have to race each other across (where if someone jumps on when you’re already on there, you’ll likely go flying), the Hurt-les, which seem to be timed to inflict the most comical pain as possible, the crazy sweeper, which is just insane, and so many more. Sure, the laughs may all be 100% juvenile (I mean, it’s people falling down in funny ways), but don’t all of us have a kid somewhere inside? Oh you don’t? Fine, Scrooge, leave me to my Wipeout while you go watch you Masterpiece Theater. I don’t care. I’ll just keep watching and laughing my hind quarters off at things like this:
Or this:
Seriously, the laughs just don’t stop.
So You Think You Can Dance
So transitioning from the moronic yet amazing to the simply just amazing, So You Think You Can Dance is my third appointment show of the summer. If you’ve read this blog, you know what a big role SYTYCD plays. In fact, you likely found this blog because of it. And it’s not just because people liked my Dance recaps (You like them! You really like them!), it’s because SYTYCD is pretty much the best of the talent competition shows out there, and is steadily and surely closing in on Amazing Race as my pick of the best reality show out there period.
And that’s because these people are all bonkers talented. Which is not to say that the people on Idol aren’t. But, as a batting average type of thing, SYTYCD blows Idol out of the water talent-wise. Every member of the top 20 is wildly talented in at least some way (or at least nearly every member, cough cough Tony). Dance is also just more captivating to watch than singing, it’s about motion, which is critical in any sort of moving visual medium. It’s broad ranging, exposing different styles of dance that would not get seen on the other inferior dancing shows.
Plus, no discussion of SYTYCD’s greatness would be complete without mentioning Ms. Cat Deeley, the hostest with the mostest who was ROBBED of an Emmy last year and hopefully will not suffer the same mistake this year. She is pretty much perfect, caring when she needs to be, fun when she needs to be, cute as a button, often fashionable or at least entertaining in her faux pas. She is everything that the show needs, and much more charismatic and likeable than Ryan Seacrest. She holds the show together.
So, that was yesterday and today’s heaping dose of my opinion on what you may sorely be missing out on this summer. Love these shows? Think I’m an idiot for loving these shows? Dance fans, insulted that I included the show with Wipeout? Even after seeing those clips? Well, then comment!
Wipeout
Pound for pound, I know of no funnier on all of television. And I do mean “pound for pound,” because the whole insane, amazing, always watchable pleasure of this show is people falling down in the funniest ways possible. Seriously, that’s the whole conceit of the show “lets make people attempt and fail to do obstacles that will result only in the funniest spills ever.” And by the gods of slapstick, they’ve done exactly what they set out to do.
Seriously, the obstacles on this show are just insane. There’s always the big balls, because NO ONE can do them. But as if they weren’t entertaining enough, they’ve added a giant motivator that swings at you and knocks you into the big balls if you wait too long. And it’s oh so glorious.
But there’s just so much more too. The giant air bag that they have to race each other across (where if someone jumps on when you’re already on there, you’ll likely go flying), the Hurt-les, which seem to be timed to inflict the most comical pain as possible, the crazy sweeper, which is just insane, and so many more. Sure, the laughs may all be 100% juvenile (I mean, it’s people falling down in funny ways), but don’t all of us have a kid somewhere inside? Oh you don’t? Fine, Scrooge, leave me to my Wipeout while you go watch you Masterpiece Theater. I don’t care. I’ll just keep watching and laughing my hind quarters off at things like this:
Or this:
Seriously, the laughs just don’t stop.
So You Think You Can Dance
So transitioning from the moronic yet amazing to the simply just amazing, So You Think You Can Dance is my third appointment show of the summer. If you’ve read this blog, you know what a big role SYTYCD plays. In fact, you likely found this blog because of it. And it’s not just because people liked my Dance recaps (You like them! You really like them!), it’s because SYTYCD is pretty much the best of the talent competition shows out there, and is steadily and surely closing in on Amazing Race as my pick of the best reality show out there period.
And that’s because these people are all bonkers talented. Which is not to say that the people on Idol aren’t. But, as a batting average type of thing, SYTYCD blows Idol out of the water talent-wise. Every member of the top 20 is wildly talented in at least some way (or at least nearly every member, cough cough Tony). Dance is also just more captivating to watch than singing, it’s about motion, which is critical in any sort of moving visual medium. It’s broad ranging, exposing different styles of dance that would not get seen on the other inferior dancing shows.
Plus, no discussion of SYTYCD’s greatness would be complete without mentioning Ms. Cat Deeley, the hostest with the mostest who was ROBBED of an Emmy last year and hopefully will not suffer the same mistake this year. She is pretty much perfect, caring when she needs to be, fun when she needs to be, cute as a button, often fashionable or at least entertaining in her faux pas. She is everything that the show needs, and much more charismatic and likeable than Ryan Seacrest. She holds the show together.
So, that was yesterday and today’s heaping dose of my opinion on what you may sorely be missing out on this summer. Love these shows? Think I’m an idiot for loving these shows? Dance fans, insulted that I included the show with Wipeout? Even after seeing those clips? Well, then comment!
Monday, June 29, 2009
Summer Appointment TV: True Blood
So, folks, it’s kind of been a while since I wrote anything that wasn’t SYTYCD related. My bad. But this is the first post in a weeklong series that will only partially focus (one day) on Dance. This week is dedicated to highlighting the five summer appointment shows, the shows that I feel an overwhelming desire to watch on a weekly basis. Sadly, there are only about five shows that I feel make this cut, so a weeklong series works out quite well. Before I start, I want to mention two shows that didn’t make this list for logistics reasons, shows, however, that are most definitely appointment TV for me:
Harper’s Island- This has turned into an addictive little show for me. I can’t wait for the next episode, especially the closer we get to the finale. This past week’s episode was the best hour of TV I’ve seen in a few weeks. It may have seemed cheesy, and may have started out the same way, but it’s turned into a must-watch fun little mystery. Sadly, only the two hour finale is left.
Rock of Love Bus/Real Chance at Love Charm School- Let’s be honest, the only reason this particular VH1 show would have made the list is because it’s the show they’re airing right now. VH1 is always appointment TV for me, and it just didn’t feel right listing this one just because it happens to be on right now.
All that being said, and acknowledging Psych, which would have made this list but doesn’t start airing until much later this summer (Boo! Hiss!), let’s get down to business, shall we?
True Blood
Sundays, 9PM, HBO
About a week or two before the second season started airing, I watched the premiere of season 1. I managed to race through all of season 1 with days to spare before season 2 premiered. I shouldn’t say managed, actually, I should say thoroughly enjoyed. This show is dark, hilarious, sultry, and just plain entertaining. I mean, I should remind everyone like I love supernatural stuff, but I still think this show is just downright fun to watch.
What’s really interesting to me about True Blood, though, is how much more I care about the rest of the world of Bon Temps than about Sookie and Bill. They’re a little bit meh for me, I’d much rather focus on Tara, Lafayette, Sam, Hoyt, Jessica, Eric, Maryann, the rest of the Fangtasia crew, even people like Arlene and Terry Bellefleur. It’s just an utterly fascinating and gripping world.
Plus, the mysteries are fantastic. I’ve never read the books (I’m only slightly tempted too now, I’m not a big reader, what with being a ridiculous TV addict and all), which means I don’t know what’s coming (OK, well, slightly. I occasionally peek at spoilers) Each week I’m trying to figure out how things are going to play out, what’s coming next for these characters. It’s a show I want to immerse myself in. And it has become absolutely must-watch viewing for me. Can’t wait to see what happens next. And what in the hell is Maryann?
Harper’s Island- This has turned into an addictive little show for me. I can’t wait for the next episode, especially the closer we get to the finale. This past week’s episode was the best hour of TV I’ve seen in a few weeks. It may have seemed cheesy, and may have started out the same way, but it’s turned into a must-watch fun little mystery. Sadly, only the two hour finale is left.
Rock of Love Bus/Real Chance at Love Charm School- Let’s be honest, the only reason this particular VH1 show would have made the list is because it’s the show they’re airing right now. VH1 is always appointment TV for me, and it just didn’t feel right listing this one just because it happens to be on right now.
All that being said, and acknowledging Psych, which would have made this list but doesn’t start airing until much later this summer (Boo! Hiss!), let’s get down to business, shall we?
True Blood
Sundays, 9PM, HBO
About a week or two before the second season started airing, I watched the premiere of season 1. I managed to race through all of season 1 with days to spare before season 2 premiered. I shouldn’t say managed, actually, I should say thoroughly enjoyed. This show is dark, hilarious, sultry, and just plain entertaining. I mean, I should remind everyone like I love supernatural stuff, but I still think this show is just downright fun to watch.
What’s really interesting to me about True Blood, though, is how much more I care about the rest of the world of Bon Temps than about Sookie and Bill. They’re a little bit meh for me, I’d much rather focus on Tara, Lafayette, Sam, Hoyt, Jessica, Eric, Maryann, the rest of the Fangtasia crew, even people like Arlene and Terry Bellefleur. It’s just an utterly fascinating and gripping world.
Plus, the mysteries are fantastic. I’ve never read the books (I’m only slightly tempted too now, I’m not a big reader, what with being a ridiculous TV addict and all), which means I don’t know what’s coming (OK, well, slightly. I occasionally peek at spoilers) Each week I’m trying to figure out how things are going to play out, what’s coming next for these characters. It’s a show I want to immerse myself in. And it has become absolutely must-watch viewing for me. Can’t wait to see what happens next. And what in the hell is Maryann?
Thursday, June 25, 2009
So You Think You Can Dance 6/25- The 16 Lose 2
Hey Folks,
So, it’s top 16 results night. I gotta say, like most, I wasn’t all too impressed with last night. There were a few great couples (why do I feel like Melissa and Ade aren’t getting the fan love that they deserve?), and, um, one terrible guest judge. Going into tonight, I see the lonely stool of eliminated depression in Jonathan and Karla’s futures, simply because Jonathan stunk more than Asuka and the show’s not gonna get rid of two of its remaining three ballroomers in one fell swoop. That being said, I’m not gonna be surprised if this is the end of Caitlin’s run either. Because this recap is not all about the booty, but rather all about SYTYCD’s top 16 results show, lets get to discussing that, shall we?
Note: This is the slightly abridged version of the recap. For a fuller recap, head to sytycd.ca
Oh hey, remember how yesterday I said Cat was on an outfit hot streak? Yeah, well that ends tonight, with a pantsuit stolen from a Florida retiree circa 1973. Tonight’s opening routine is ballroom-ish, which I can’t remember them ever doing before. And my god is it sultry. Like, the first 30 seconds are all “I wanna be all up on you” looks. And then there’s that wet-outfit contest segment in the beginning. Ade, Karla, Melissa, Brandon, and Janette stand out. And Jeanine certainly stands out in the sultry, because she looks damn good during the wet part. Apparently, it was a collaboration between NappyTabs and Season 2’s Dmitry. I can totally see the mixture in there retroactively. Toni Basil, missing the hat, the only interesting thing about her from last night, is back along with Mary and Nigel. The show addresses Michael Jackson’s death (along with Ed McMahon and Farrah Fawcett). Nigel kind of makes it more about himself a little bit than the dead people (at least during Farrah’s part). Or maybe it’s just me? Nigel cites “Black and White” as the inspiration for the show. We then watch the Thriller video into commercial, which is always welcome for me. Because Thriller is awesome. If you disagree, you’re an idiot.
The first five couples are welcomed to the stage. I don’t know why they broke them 5-3 versus 4-4, but whatever. Asuka and Vitolio are first and they totally deserve to be in the bottom 3 for that. Asuka in particular. Which is where Cat deservedly sends them. Janette and Brandon are next. Oh look, Toni Basil says street during their video package. Whoodathunkit. Anyways, they’re safe. Good. Randi and Evan are next and these two are adorable looking together. I like the piece a lot more watching the parts during the video package. Methinks I’ll have to go back and rewatch it. They’re safe, or as Cat says, “the butt made the cut.” Jeanine and Philip are next. The routine still isn’t fantastic. They’re safe too. Phil’s fanbase must really be voting in droves. Melissa and Ade are last of this group and they best not be in the bottom. I mean, I really doubt they’d get rid of either of these two tonight, but I thought the same about Max last week. But they’re safe! Huzzah! And if you haven’t figured it out, these are the two I’m really rooting for. Go Adessa!
The remaining three couples are now on stage. Karla and Jonathan are first and wow, he’s even worse looking at it again. They best be in the bottom three. And good, they are. He really deserves to go tonight. Jason and Caitlin are next, and I’m totally not gonna be surprised to see them in the bottom. We have to wait and relive Kupono and Kayla before we hear results though. The final couple rounding out the bottom three is Caitlin and Jason, and, continuing a trend this season, Kupono and Kayla are way too in-your-face about celebrating their safety in front of the bottom three couples. Mary reminds the bottom dancers how many dancers they beat to be there. Toni basically says all three deserve to be in the bottom. Nigel makes Toni get mean. And you know, it’s probably the most interesting she’s been all week. Save for her choice of that hat.
Tonight’s stars of dance (which I accidentally just typoed as satyrs of dance, which would be so much more interesting), is a group of kid hip-hop dancers, the “Rage Boys Crew”. There are some stand out kids and some who just kind of do the moves. By the way, I absolutely don’t feel bad about dissing kids in this recap, just so you know. I mean, they’re all better than I would be, but I’m not putting myself out there on a dancing program, you know? There are a bunch that are really good though. So to recap, I don’t hate all kids, just those that can’t dance well. Cat gets down on her knees and kind of bows down to them.
Dance For Your Lives! DANCE!
Asuka- It’s not as good as her jive solo from week one. This one’s all about doing her sex kitten thing. I’m also pretty sure Cat just flat out called her Oscar.
Vitolio- This. Is. Awesome. This solo is all leaps and grace. Like, there should be no way he goes home after this.
Karla- Karla is, actually, really good for me. I like her movements, I think I maybe even understand what she’s trying to get across. It certainly makes me wonder how much I’d like her if she had a better partner.
Jonathan- Shockingly enough, his solo is actually pretty good too. I mean, it’s mostly tricks and some fancy footwork, and I doubt it’s enough to save him tonight, but it’s a high note to go out on.
Caitlin- Caitlin’s solo is pretty to look at, and it seems graceful. There’s some awesome leg stuff and a great back handstand leap thing. I’m not entirely sure if it’ll save her though.
Jason- Ok, well this is most definitely the final nail in Jonathan’s coffin. Jason is an amazing soloist and, to quote Shankers, so SYTYCD.
The judges disappear backstage, and I kind of hope Toni Basil stays there. Tonight’s musical act is The Veronicas, performing “Take Me On The Floor.” There’s something immediately off about the sound mix, because the lead’s being drowned out by backing percussion. She also repeatedly fusses with her earpiece. These girls look like junkies, but they do sing better than them. The performance is still kind of anemic though. And yet is still miles better than the last two trainwrecks of “performers.” Their back-up dancers are also pretty good. Wait, but one of the Veronicas really looks half-asleep. I’m still thoroughly depressed by the musical “stars” this show has been giving us. Honestly, where are those dancing prostitutes when you need them? At least they know how to put on a show.
SIDE NOTE: How much do you want to bet that like halfway through “More to Love” they introduce a bunch of skinny girls to spice it up? Because FOX is cruel like that. Also, I notice I am writing oodles of side notes on this show. Which is surprising, considering I have no interest whatsoever in watching it.
The girls results are up first, and the judges are unanimous. The judges feel Caitlin’s growing confidence and think she gave the best solo tonight. I’d say at least two boys were better than her, but whatever. Karla is called up next and they felt desperation in her and saw lots of technical flubs in her solo. They love Asuka’s beauty and how much she gives in her performances, but they feel she’s not growing, and she’s going home tonight. Which means the show really is getting rid of two more ballroomers since Jonathan has to be going home tonight, right? Right?
Well, it won’t take me long to find out since it’s the boys turn to find out their fates. They are not unanimous tonight, to which, what the what? How is it not unanimous that Jonathan has to go tonight. They feel Vitolio doesn’t deliver on his promises. They think Jonathan shined last week but was disastrous last night and they wanted more than just gymnastics tonight. They thought Jason was desperate this week, to which, again, what the what? But apparently, he was good enough to get through. The person staying tonight is Vitolio, to which I say, why the hell were the judges questioning this? Jonathan’s exit package reminds me of their contemporary, which doesn’t look as good on second watch. Cat plugs a rebroadcast of this past season of Idol’s Michael Jackson week next Monday before wishing us all goodnight. Well, I have to say, I would probably identify these two as the weakest remaining in their respective genders, so I have no problem with tonight’s results. My only question? Who in the hell voted to keep Jonathan? Would you have?
So, it’s top 16 results night. I gotta say, like most, I wasn’t all too impressed with last night. There were a few great couples (why do I feel like Melissa and Ade aren’t getting the fan love that they deserve?), and, um, one terrible guest judge. Going into tonight, I see the lonely stool of eliminated depression in Jonathan and Karla’s futures, simply because Jonathan stunk more than Asuka and the show’s not gonna get rid of two of its remaining three ballroomers in one fell swoop. That being said, I’m not gonna be surprised if this is the end of Caitlin’s run either. Because this recap is not all about the booty, but rather all about SYTYCD’s top 16 results show, lets get to discussing that, shall we?
Note: This is the slightly abridged version of the recap. For a fuller recap, head to sytycd.ca
Oh hey, remember how yesterday I said Cat was on an outfit hot streak? Yeah, well that ends tonight, with a pantsuit stolen from a Florida retiree circa 1973. Tonight’s opening routine is ballroom-ish, which I can’t remember them ever doing before. And my god is it sultry. Like, the first 30 seconds are all “I wanna be all up on you” looks. And then there’s that wet-outfit contest segment in the beginning. Ade, Karla, Melissa, Brandon, and Janette stand out. And Jeanine certainly stands out in the sultry, because she looks damn good during the wet part. Apparently, it was a collaboration between NappyTabs and Season 2’s Dmitry. I can totally see the mixture in there retroactively. Toni Basil, missing the hat, the only interesting thing about her from last night, is back along with Mary and Nigel. The show addresses Michael Jackson’s death (along with Ed McMahon and Farrah Fawcett). Nigel kind of makes it more about himself a little bit than the dead people (at least during Farrah’s part). Or maybe it’s just me? Nigel cites “Black and White” as the inspiration for the show. We then watch the Thriller video into commercial, which is always welcome for me. Because Thriller is awesome. If you disagree, you’re an idiot.
The first five couples are welcomed to the stage. I don’t know why they broke them 5-3 versus 4-4, but whatever. Asuka and Vitolio are first and they totally deserve to be in the bottom 3 for that. Asuka in particular. Which is where Cat deservedly sends them. Janette and Brandon are next. Oh look, Toni Basil says street during their video package. Whoodathunkit. Anyways, they’re safe. Good. Randi and Evan are next and these two are adorable looking together. I like the piece a lot more watching the parts during the video package. Methinks I’ll have to go back and rewatch it. They’re safe, or as Cat says, “the butt made the cut.” Jeanine and Philip are next. The routine still isn’t fantastic. They’re safe too. Phil’s fanbase must really be voting in droves. Melissa and Ade are last of this group and they best not be in the bottom. I mean, I really doubt they’d get rid of either of these two tonight, but I thought the same about Max last week. But they’re safe! Huzzah! And if you haven’t figured it out, these are the two I’m really rooting for. Go Adessa!
The remaining three couples are now on stage. Karla and Jonathan are first and wow, he’s even worse looking at it again. They best be in the bottom three. And good, they are. He really deserves to go tonight. Jason and Caitlin are next, and I’m totally not gonna be surprised to see them in the bottom. We have to wait and relive Kupono and Kayla before we hear results though. The final couple rounding out the bottom three is Caitlin and Jason, and, continuing a trend this season, Kupono and Kayla are way too in-your-face about celebrating their safety in front of the bottom three couples. Mary reminds the bottom dancers how many dancers they beat to be there. Toni basically says all three deserve to be in the bottom. Nigel makes Toni get mean. And you know, it’s probably the most interesting she’s been all week. Save for her choice of that hat.
Tonight’s stars of dance (which I accidentally just typoed as satyrs of dance, which would be so much more interesting), is a group of kid hip-hop dancers, the “Rage Boys Crew”. There are some stand out kids and some who just kind of do the moves. By the way, I absolutely don’t feel bad about dissing kids in this recap, just so you know. I mean, they’re all better than I would be, but I’m not putting myself out there on a dancing program, you know? There are a bunch that are really good though. So to recap, I don’t hate all kids, just those that can’t dance well. Cat gets down on her knees and kind of bows down to them.
Dance For Your Lives! DANCE!
Asuka- It’s not as good as her jive solo from week one. This one’s all about doing her sex kitten thing. I’m also pretty sure Cat just flat out called her Oscar.
Vitolio- This. Is. Awesome. This solo is all leaps and grace. Like, there should be no way he goes home after this.
Karla- Karla is, actually, really good for me. I like her movements, I think I maybe even understand what she’s trying to get across. It certainly makes me wonder how much I’d like her if she had a better partner.
Jonathan- Shockingly enough, his solo is actually pretty good too. I mean, it’s mostly tricks and some fancy footwork, and I doubt it’s enough to save him tonight, but it’s a high note to go out on.
Caitlin- Caitlin’s solo is pretty to look at, and it seems graceful. There’s some awesome leg stuff and a great back handstand leap thing. I’m not entirely sure if it’ll save her though.
Jason- Ok, well this is most definitely the final nail in Jonathan’s coffin. Jason is an amazing soloist and, to quote Shankers, so SYTYCD.
The judges disappear backstage, and I kind of hope Toni Basil stays there. Tonight’s musical act is The Veronicas, performing “Take Me On The Floor.” There’s something immediately off about the sound mix, because the lead’s being drowned out by backing percussion. She also repeatedly fusses with her earpiece. These girls look like junkies, but they do sing better than them. The performance is still kind of anemic though. And yet is still miles better than the last two trainwrecks of “performers.” Their back-up dancers are also pretty good. Wait, but one of the Veronicas really looks half-asleep. I’m still thoroughly depressed by the musical “stars” this show has been giving us. Honestly, where are those dancing prostitutes when you need them? At least they know how to put on a show.
SIDE NOTE: How much do you want to bet that like halfway through “More to Love” they introduce a bunch of skinny girls to spice it up? Because FOX is cruel like that. Also, I notice I am writing oodles of side notes on this show. Which is surprising, considering I have no interest whatsoever in watching it.
The girls results are up first, and the judges are unanimous. The judges feel Caitlin’s growing confidence and think she gave the best solo tonight. I’d say at least two boys were better than her, but whatever. Karla is called up next and they felt desperation in her and saw lots of technical flubs in her solo. They love Asuka’s beauty and how much she gives in her performances, but they feel she’s not growing, and she’s going home tonight. Which means the show really is getting rid of two more ballroomers since Jonathan has to be going home tonight, right? Right?
Well, it won’t take me long to find out since it’s the boys turn to find out their fates. They are not unanimous tonight, to which, what the what? How is it not unanimous that Jonathan has to go tonight. They feel Vitolio doesn’t deliver on his promises. They think Jonathan shined last week but was disastrous last night and they wanted more than just gymnastics tonight. They thought Jason was desperate this week, to which, again, what the what? But apparently, he was good enough to get through. The person staying tonight is Vitolio, to which I say, why the hell were the judges questioning this? Jonathan’s exit package reminds me of their contemporary, which doesn’t look as good on second watch. Cat plugs a rebroadcast of this past season of Idol’s Michael Jackson week next Monday before wishing us all goodnight. Well, I have to say, I would probably identify these two as the weakest remaining in their respective genders, so I have no problem with tonight’s results. My only question? Who in the hell voted to keep Jonathan? Would you have?
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