DWTS Season 35 Dedication Nite

 Less than 90 minutes until Halloween Nite, and I'm trying to write about last week's show. 

One of these days I'll get my act together. 

Maybe. 

Anyway, I LOVED LOVED LOVED Dedication Nite!!

I loved every dance. 

Here are my three favorites:

Amber and Pasha: Contemporary

Wow. Wow. Wow. 

That was one of the most powerful Contemporary dances we have seen on Dancing with the Stars.

The raw emotion. 

Pasha's brilliant choreography.

Amber's amazing athleticism.

The connection between Amber and her sister. 

I think that dance deserved all 10's. 

Harry and Jenna: Foxtrot

What a wonderful story Jenna created in this dance. 

Three generations of an immigrant family. 

What this country is all about. 

I agree with Kym - I didn't see a hip hop dancer doing a Foxtrot. I saw a ballroom dancer doing a beautiful Foxtrot. 

I also give Harry's wife the award for best guest dancer on Dedication Nite. 

And their precious daughter - when she turned and reached out toward her grandparents at the end - MAGIC!!

Tyler & Sharna - Contemporary

Okay, Tyler is not the best dancer this season. 

But his Dedication Nite dance will be remembered for seasons to come. 

His voiceover - speaking to his mother who is no longer with us - dancing with his fiancé - then revealing her pregnancy as he lifts her over his head - such a beautiful, powerful moment. 

I have heard that some people complained the dance and the gender reveal were tacky. 

I could not disagree more. 

It was so special, and I felt honored to have the opportunity to share their joy.

I am so glad that no one went home, but that means two will go home tonight. 

I will be sad no matter who it is, because I love this cast so much. 

librarianintx 

Glee Reboot

Apparently, the speculation is over. 

A Glee reboot is happening.

I am conflicted.

I LOVED Glee, especially the first few seasons.

I was a Gleek, and proud of it.

A musical / comedy about a high school glee club that included a gay kid and a kid with a physical disability - I was hooked!!

I was more than slightly obsessed. 

Later, more characters were added, including a girl with Down Syndrome, a female wheelchair user who was disabled in real life, and a trans character.

Representation.  Representation.

So part of me is intrigued by a reboot. 

Will we see Kurt, Artie, Becky, Betty, Unique?

How are their lives turning out?

But at the same time, how can Glee happen without Finn, Puck, and Santana? Cory, Naya, and Mark can't reprise their roles.

Also, watching the documentary about Glee - seeing how hard those young actors had to work and all they went through - do they want to do it? 

Is it possible to recreate that magic?

I'm skeptical.

The Gleek in me will definitely give it a shot.

But I'm worried I'll end up disappointed. 

Same goes for the new Dirty Dancing movie.

I'm not sure that magic can be rebooted.

librarianintx 

The DWTS Val / Carrie Ann controversy

I know I haven't been writing every week about this season of Dancing with the Stars, but I am absolutely loving it! 

The dancing has been great, and it warms my heart to see how close the cast has become. I've been watching a lot of behind-the-scenes footage as well as every live episode. Every season I think the cast roots for each other and commiserates when contestants are voted off, but this season seems to be more like a family than others. 

Unfortunately, that warm, fuzzy feeling has been interrupted by a family squabble that has resulted in a school-like suspension. 

During last week's show, Carrie Ann complained that Harry and Jenna had a lift during their routine. They were dancing a Samba, and lifts are not allowed in a Samba. She still gave the couple a score that aligned with the other judges. Many fans were outraged by her comments, and Val, in an attempt to stand up for his wife, made a post on TikTok that referenced Will Smith's Oscar slap. Val deleted the post, and sincerely apologized for his actions, but the damage was done. 

Here are my thoughts:

As a judge on DWTS, Carrie Ann's job is to critique the performances. If she loved everything and never gave any constructive criticism or adhered to the rules of a dance, she wouldn't be doing what she is paid to do. Too many fans love what they love and who they love, and they only want praise and adoration for the routines and the contestants. That's not what a dance competition should be. 

I don't think Carrie Ann was "mean" to Jenna at all. I don't think Carrie Ann deserves the outrage she is getting from the fans. Carrie Ann has said repeatedly that all of the judges want the dancers to improve and do their best, and one of the ways that happens is through constructive criticism and critique. 

I understand Val wanting to support his wife, but he definitely went about it the wrong way. He acted impulsively and with his heart rather than his head. In that moment, he needed to think as a professional dancer, not as a husband. Posting a loving comment to Jenna would have been wonderful. Instead, what he did was post something that looked like he was threatening Carrie Ann with bodily harm. Very bad decision. I appreciate his genuine apology, and I understand that people make mistakes. Unfortunately, his was a very public mistake, as was Will Smith's. 

Dancing with the Stars is all about the enjoyment factor, but the technique has to count too. Take Connor and Rylee for example. Connor's last two dances have been SO fun! I have loved them. I have watched them more than once. Sexy, cheeky, enjoyable dances. The ballroom has gone wild for them. But in both dances, the technique was lacking. And the judges have scored him accordingly. As they should. I mean, they could consider an artistic score and a technical score, like they do in figure skating, but that would be too complicated and time consuming. 

I hope the fans can move on, and Jenna, Val, and Carrie Ann can move on from this very unfortunate incident. Let's get back to the fun, dance fans!

librarianintx

Big Brother Season Finale: My Thoughts

 It was a satisfying ending to a very fun summer. 

These houseguests played hard, and I enjoyed the chaos. 

Congratulations to Devens!!

Devens and Yash were the two that I was rooting for. 

I was hoping Jason would be a good player and make it far, but that was not the case. 

I am very happy that it was Devens and Taylor as the final two. 

I did feel bad for Drew, but I did not want him to get second place. 

I giggled when I saw him playing with his hair as he sat on the jury, but then I felt bad, thinking maybe it's more of a nervous habit rather than an attention-seeking activity.

I am also happy that Devens won favorite houseguest, although I would have been more excited if it had been Yash. 

In the end, all the jurors rewarded Deven's game play except Lala. 

No surprise there - Lala was usually on the wrong side of the vote, bless her heart. 

Thanks houseguests, and thanks Big Brother. 

Love one another!

By the way, I would usually put SPOILER in the subject line, but people have been posting spoilers all evening, so...

librarianintx

Dancing with the Stars Season 35 Week 2

 Yay! 

Another episode is tonight!

So I better talk about last week's episode!

The athletes ruled "Viral Hits" nite!

As a middle age (really?!) woman who prides herself on (somewhat) keeping up with today's music, I was disappointed that I didn't know any of the songs for the first half of the show. Luckily, I hit a better stride with the back half. 

The first song I knew was Flo Rida's "Low".

And boy howdy did Ezra & Daniella get low in their Cha Cha!

"Down and dirty" as Carrie Ann said. 

Like I said in my last post, viewers are not going to vote for Ezra Frech out of pity. 

They are going to vote because they will be witnessing greatness...inventiveness...creativity. 

They will see moves they've never seen on this dance floor. 

There was so much power in that dance, plus Cha Cha content, musicality, and the enjoyment factor was sky high!

That dance deserved better than a 7. Just sayin'.

So Ezra & Daniella danced, and then Amber Glenn & Daniella's husband Pasha performed a Tango that announced, "We see you, and we raise you!" 

Sure, there are plenty of DWTS viewers that have not seen Heated Rivalry. 

But they don't have to. 

That song is so hypnotic; it draws you in. 

And Amber & Pasha's dance was also powerful, lyrical, and creative. 

Amber's frame was gorgeous, and I loved her "armography". The move where she reached her arm up and laid it against Pasha's neck - chills!!

They also deserved a higher score. 

Another dance I loved was Tatyana & Jan's Foxtrot. The song, "What was I made for" by Billie Eilish is SO beautiful, and Tatyana put so much feeling and expression into the performance. The routine told a lovely story, and Tatyana looked like she was floating on air. It was very special. 

Tonight is "Yacht Rock" nite. 

This was a new term to me, so I googled it:

Yacht rock is a broad style of smooth, highly polished soft rock that dominated FM radio airwaves from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s. 

Okay. I'm an 80's girl. I'm ready for it!

librarianintx

Big Brother The Penultimate Episode of the Season

I thought the episode was very entertaining...

With one big exception. 

Lala and Angela's bullying of Melody was so uncalled for.

Melody had the perfect retort, "I made it further than both of you did."

It really was Girls Behaving Badly.

Lala and Angela came across as petty and jealous.

What was the point of the conversation?

Lala won two challenges.

Melody won two challenges

Angela won one.

They all had alliances.

They all had people keeping them safe.

What did Melody do that was so different?

Taylor has flown under the radar the whole season.

She has only won one challenge.

Would Lala treat Taylor the way she treated Melody?

If Angela had been trying to improve her reputation, she blew it by going ballistic,  yelling at Melody and accusing her of a showmance with Drew.

I agree Melody - Angela's fixation on your alleged activity in the pool (and elsewhere in the house) was over the top. 

Get a life, Angela.

librarianintx 

Big Brother Top 3 - My Thoughts

It's been a crazy, and fun season of Big Brother!!

I have thoroughly enjoyed it.

So, let's break down the final three.

My prediction: If Devens makes it to Final 2, he will win.

My reasoning: jury management. 

If the jury votes by friendship and alliances, Devens will win.

Here is my breakdown:

Lala: Taylor or Devens

Angela: Devens

Barrett: He's a conundrum. Maybe Taylor. Maybe Devens

Yash: Taylor

Melody: Drew

Dee: Devens

Bottom line: if its Drew and Devens as the final two, I think Devens will get everyone's vote except Melody. Taylor will NOT vote for Drew. Drew burned too many people.

I love Taylor, and I want her in the final two. But I think Devens deserves the win.

If it had been Dee and Drew in the final, THAT would have been interesting! Would the jury have voted for a previous reality show winner, or for a weasel?

My predictions for favorite houseguest:

Mallory

Yash

Devens

I hope Devens wins the show and Yash is voted favorite houseguest.

There's still a lot of game to play.

Thanks for a fun summer Big Brother!

librarianintx