<p>I guess lifts are okay now because Carrie Ann, the lift monitor, has not mentioned them. </p>
<p>Yep, it does seem Len’s given out a lot of 10s…maybe they are his parting gift…</p>
<p>Poor Leah was doomed from the start, I think. Not only was she competing against three young gals but those three had the advantage of being paired with a seasoned professional. She’d try to impress everyone by saying she was a mom of 53, but face it, at that age she’s old enough to be a grandma. Didn’t she realize that DWTS has had its share of younger moms with lots of kids, like Brooke Burke? Something never clicked with Leah. Yesterday she was on GMA and said she’d lost 10 pounds during the show. I’m sorry, but big whoop. She’s slender to begin with. Didn’t she realize celebrities like Marie Osmond, Kelly Osbourne and Ricki Lake all slimmed down considerably when they were on the show? I also didn’t care for the cougar thing they were trying to go for.</p>
<p>I think Alfonso is a very classy guy. He never comes across as the ‘dirty old man’ dancing with Witney. Even when he danced the paso with both blondes, he was all class, not one leery remark or facial expression, only a joke being made that at age 43, he was older than both Witney and Lindsay’s ages combined. In comparison, Tommy Chong comes across as the dirty old guy.</p>
<p>Tommy Chong IS “the dirty old guy”. And I mean that with love, respect and humor. </p>
<p>What he is NOT is a dancer, though he has learned a lot and done well, certainly. I get the feeling that at this point he’d rather be gone, actually.</p>
<p>I never felt “comfortable” with Lea’s personality, beginning in week 1. Ditto with Artem…</p>
<p>If it’s a final 3 I’d pick Alphonso, Janel and Bethenny. I do think Sadie is doing a good job, but I think the other 3 have immersed themselves into the characters more and have shown more improvement. Then to me it would come down to the freestyle. </p>
<p>Yes, often Sadie seems to me to be doing similar steps, similar facial expressions in every dance.</p>
<p>Wow… tonight’s Paso with Val and Janel might be one of the best dances ever! Paso Doble or otherwise.</p>
<p>Erin to Janel: “When did it change, and you started pushing toward the leaderboard?”
Janel: “Each week I felt a little more motivated to do better and I’ve got a great coach and motivator…”
Truth/Translation: “We started really improving as soon as we started sleeping together!”</p>
<p>Juliannne and Witney’s braided hairstyles: yuck. Erin’s green dress looked like it was recycled from a dress she wore previously this season and all the dresses look like they could be cut down to use as exercise-wear after the show. </p>
<p>I hate to say it, but I’m a little tired of Alfonso’s injuries. Poor guy. Janel and Val, yes, I read they are an item in ‘real life’. She has really developed as a dancer over the weeks and I always look forward to her routines. </p>
<p>I can’t say the dances last night wowed me, they were good but nothing electric. Surprisingly, I thought Tommy wasn’t bad and was actually entertaining. </p>
<p>At this point, I think it could be anyone’s to win it. </p>
<p>Loved Janel in that first dance. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. I assume there have been lots of coupling over the years, so this wouldn’t surprise me. Val is wearing his hair differently (or less facial hair?) Whatever it is, it looks good on him. Maybe it’s love. 
</p>
<p>Boy, you could see how much Alfonso was hurting. I’m not surprised he started crying. So much of his movement was with feet firmly planted. Whitney didn’t come across sympathetic enough to me.</p>
<p>Peta crying was so sweet. I almost did as well. I loved that last performance. Really lovely. She was a miracle worker with Tommy. A great story that last dance was …</p>
<p>I’m also ready for Sadie to go. Clearly she’s a good dancer, but I agree that she hasn’t grown as much as the others.</p>
<p>I agree that Sadie hadn’t really matured as a dancer. Do you think some of it is her not doing “sensual”?</p>
<p>Lol about Whitney. She is 20 years old and is acting like it…like a college aged kid who doesn’t have a lot a patience with older people. With that said, I still like her. </p>
<p>Tommy did a great job and should be proud of himself. </p>
<p>Sadie needs to go. Children do not belong on this show. Her dancing has not matured as much as some of the athletes nearly as young as she is did in past seasons. No allowances should be made for her inability/unwillingness to give the dances their proper sensuality. It is time for the judges to downgrade her for failure to inject the proper tone into the dances. They have criticized others in the past for lacking passion in their versions of the same dances. A teen who lacks the depth to be passionate (not the same as sexy) does not deserve the high scores. I think DWTS was either dragging the bottom of the barrel in looking for willing participants or really desperate for audience/ratings when they chose her.</p>
<p>Go figure, I have really been enjoying Sadie. I think that Mark has done a great job choreographing for her. With Alfonso injured I think anyone can win but I enjoy watching all of the final four.</p>
<p>Hard to believe it’s already the finals. I do enjoy the commentary from all of you and the different perspectives on the routines, celebrities and everything else.</p>
<p>I do think Mark is respectful of her age and faith. However, don’t come on the show if you have an issue with this stuff. Under 18 should be a no go, imo. I’m glad of the final 4 - do all 4 do freestyle routines? I thought there were usually only 3. </p>
<p>I said it before, I think the winner this time around will come down to the freestyle. To me it’s completely on the pros and their choreography. With Witney being so young and inexperienced vs Derek does anyone know if the pros get help?</p>
<p>As a lawyer, I would love to read Derek’s contract. I wonder what language is used to say “Derek will never get he Cloris Leachman of the group.” It can’t be seniority, because Witney is one of the most junior and she got the guy who danced on Broadway as a kid.</p>
<p>I doubt Derek even needs a contract saying that. Clearly he’s the best choreographer and crowd favorite. I’m guessing there is a real pecking order of popular pros and how they decide who gets whom. This is the one season where I believe the pro will be the one ‘winning’ with their choreography.</p>
<p>I’d also love to see how they determine who goes with whom. Cheryl is a long-timer and popular, but she still sometimes gets duds. I hope after this season they will see Peta deserves a good partner and a chance to win. I had not heard of Janel or Bethany before DWTS, but I’ve voted for both of them during the season. I wonder whether the producers know who has the potential to blossom.</p>
<p>The mirror ball trophy is won or lost with the freestyle, every season, this one is no exception.</p>
<p>I love Peta. She has won with Donald Driver. It was a most fabulous win, and I quite remember their trio dance with Karina Smirnoff, it was quite amazing! </p>
<p>Also, about Derek. Look, he danced with Amber Riley and won. She is a very large woman and no one could have predicted she’d go all the way. Also, he had Amy Purdy, a woman with two artificial legs, and came in 2nd place behind an Olympic Gold Medalist in ice dancing. He’s had challenging partners. Bethany is a young woman who’s claim to fame is simply blogging and he’s created an amazing dancer in her. I don’t think he always gets the cream of the crop. But I do think he is the cream of the crop. That said, other professionals have also won, so it’s not like Derek has a lock on the trophy.</p>
<p>Thanks for the correction. I don’t remember any of Donald Driver’s routines.</p>