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Season Seven Review — Final 4 Couples
By Dr Matt
Here are the weekly Recaps from the Top Thirteen Couples to the Final Three:
Intro 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 Final 3
Aloha, how's your hula?
Final Four Couples compete tonight! The excitement is palpable . . . NOT! It feels like just another week at DWTS, but now . . . there are only four.
Nevertheless, the DWTS Producers are doing their best to create palpable excitement . . . by having (among other things) each Star state how much they want to win the coveted mirror-ball trophy—they do it every year.
Pictured below from left to right: Julianne Hough & Cody Linley, Brooke Burke & Derek Hough, Tom B. & Amanda (the MC's), Lacey Schwimmer & Lance Bass, Kym Johnson & Warren Sapp.
After eight weeks of competition, it comes down to four couples
Here's my Less to Best Ranking for Week Number Nine:
** Click the Pro's Name to see a Video of each couples Intro & Performance
Again, to my frustration, I haven't been adding links lately, because Dick Clark Productions has been on a rampage, shutting down every new YouTube posting of DWTS. Sorry! They're acting like they own the copy rite—of course, they do. :o)
8 - BROOKE BURKE — Derek Hough ( J-Score: 7 + 7 + 7 = 21, J-Rank #8 )
Jive —
Brooke and Derek's lowest scores of the season. In leau of a hotly contested championship, the next best thing, is to make the competition closer by giving Der-ooke lower scores. Wow! The competitive suspense is killing me . . . (not). The Producers know the voting numbers, and they would NOT put the two best dancers in jeopardy at this point.
Brooke's technique was better than Cody's . . . but I rank Cody higher, because Brooke botched her choreography—she forgot a step from the top of the performance, and a series of mistakes domino'd from there.
7 - CODY LINLEY — Julianne Hough ( J-Score: 8 + 7 + 7 = 22 J-Rank #7 )
Paso Doble —
Julianne Hough is back from surgery. This dance didn't look much like a Paso Doble. I agree with Bruno on this point. The Judges are being quite critical tonight. This is their version of . . . turning up the heat—kicking it up another notch, . . . Judging at a higher level.
6 - CODY LINLEY — Julianne Hough ( J-Score: 8 + 8 + 8 = 24 J-Rank #6 )
Salsa —
As usual, Cody was a stiff, but danced the choreography quite clean. Three "8" scores is generous for Hannah Montana's boyfriend. It appears that he is poised for an exit. We'll see if the teenage audience will save him?
If they do, then the Producers will compromise dancing excellence for popularity. But I'm not sure that, in the long run, their best interests are not better served, by advancing the best dancers, no matter what the vote count is? The teen audience will GET OVER IT, and they will still have Lance & Lacey to cheer for (who are icons that have youthful appeal).
The Judges have clearly established the "quality of dancing" order. Will the voting audience hear and heed their evaluation?
5 - WARREN SAPP — Kym Johnson ( J-Score: 8 + 8 + 8 = 24, J-Rank #5 )
Mambo —
Kym is a crafty choreographer, because Warren is spewing chunks on this Mamba, Kym throws in the old back-bender move—meaning, Kym holds a tention-filled limbo position while Big Boy takes off his jacket, dramatically. Do you think the Fridge can take his jacket off with Mambo-licious flair? Again, smart choreography to HIDE Big Boy's bad dancing.
Well, his dancing is NOT that bad—it's just that he's a freaking Clydesdale on the dance floor. And, unbelievably, the judges give him three "8" scores, . . . what is up with this scoring insanity? The Producers really want Big Boy in the finals?
4 - WARREN SAPP — Kym Johnson ( J-Score: 9 + 8 + 8 = 25, J-Rank #4 )
Jitterbug —
Warren danced this Jitterbug with lots of energy and personality—which is his forte! Normally, I don't think that Warren dances very "light" because Warren is a heavy guy; but, Big Boy was hoppin and boppin around quite nicely. I liked the number a lot!
I'm thinking that Warren and Kym are headed for the final three. But once in the final three, on the basis of dancing, . . . they should be the first couple out! On the other hand, maybe popular votes will put Warren in the final Two Couples? Such craziness has happened in previous season with former Football Players (Jerrey Rice & Emmitt Smith). It could happen again? Maybe a lot of people want to see Big Boy dance?
3 - LANCE BASS — Lacey Schwimmer ( J-Score: 10 + 9 + 10 = 29, J-Rank #1 )
Jitterbug —
Cute Choreography. Lacey delivers two great routines on final four night—excellent time to step it up! The music they danced to was tuned called "Jim Dandy to the Rescue."
A few decades ago, Dr Matt heard this same song sung at a rock concert: Grand Funk Railroad was the feature act, and the group that got everyone warmed-up was Black Oak Arkansas and they sang "Jim Dandy to the Rescue"—the raucous and raunchy version.
Back from memory lane: This routine was good, but it wasn't as good as the first number, the Salsa! It just goes to show you that when the Producers call for a BIG ENDING to the show, then the judges will TRY TO deliver just that. It's kinda of a Kings New Clothes phenomenon. But it wasn't like this dance was completely "bare" of entertainment value and technique. It just wasn't as good as the Salsa.
2 - BROOKE BURKE — Derek Hough ( J-Score: 9 + 10 + 9 = 28, J-Rank #2 )
Salsa —
With one "10" score and two "9" scores, Der-ooke (Derek & Brooke) are BACK in typical form. Yet, one point lower than Lancey's (Lance & Lacey's) best performance. What's up with the "I Dream of Jeannie" outfit for Brooke? Not exactly a Salsa-compatible theme.
Actually, I KNOW what's up . . . Derek's idea on costuming comes from a fabulous dance to the music of "the Beat"—Max Kozhevnikov & Yulia Zagoruychenko. That he is completely aware of Maxim & Yulia's scintillating samba, is evidenced in the fact that Derek used the same music a few weeks earlier in the competition—check it out!
1 - LANCE BASS — Lacey Schwimmer ( J-Score: 10 + 9 + 9 = 28, J-Rank #3 )
Mambo —
Before the Judges even made their comments, I knew that this would be the best dance of the evening, so far. In previous weeks, Lacey's choreography has sometimes not been as good as other professionals, but this week, she delivered BIG TIME.
The music and the moves were cleverly weaved together. The dancing was sharp and clean. And no surprise: The Judges loved it! Like Kym, Lacey does the back-bender move; this time, Lacey come up from her leaned-back limbo position with a shoulder shaking shimmy—very cool! And at the same time the lyrics say "hold it, let's go straight to number one"—clever choreographic synergy!
Elimination Prediction:
How convenient that the scores put Lance and Lacey at the top, with Warren & Kym in second place, and finally the favorites in 3rd place.
Indeed this order does make things interesting, which is precisely what the Producers had in mind when they contrived this finishing plot
If Cody Montana's fans are able to out vote Brooke Burke's fans . . . it would be HIGH injustice if the best dancers in the competition are booted out. And that's NOT going to happen. The Producers already know the voting trends from week to week. They have to know that Brooke & Derek will be OK (even if they order the Judges to give them three "7" scores).
The reunion of Julianne and Cody was heart-warming, and it was fun while it lasted, but Cody just doesn't have what it takes to be in the Finals next week. I say . . . Cody's gone!
Cody & Julianne reach the end of their DWTS rope!
Results Show Recap:
The Results Show starts with a BANG. The all-time Queen of Soul Singin', Aretha Franklin, sang her huge hit "Chain of Fools," while the Pros did a Hot Cha Cha. Among the Pros performing was former So You Think You Can Dance contestant, Dmitry Chaplin. He looked great as he matched the precision and pizzazz delivered by the other professionals: Karina Smirnoff, Anna Trebunskaya, and Louis Van Amstel—Check it out (Aretha sings & the Pros dance at 1:55)
First competitors to be saved: Lance & Lacey (the highest scorers among the Final Four)
and Brooke & Derek (the highest scorers for the season).
It's unfolding exactly as I thought: Bottom Two: Warren & Kym and Cody & Julianne
Have you noticed that the position that competitors stand on the stage, tips the order of finish. The couples on the inside will be safe, and the couples on the outside are the ones in jeopardy.
Finally the couple kicked to the curb: Cody & Julianne . . . Bye Bye!
:o)
Dr. Matt
P.S. Here's the Review for DWTS Week #10—the Four Couple Recap
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