Strictly semis
Dec. 14th, 2014 08:38 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shallownessOPINIONS and some leftover bitterness from last week below
The sound that you heard last night was me doing my annual first time that Craig gives a 10 scream. I had given up on it on the semis, because I didn't think anyone was handling the switch to two dances well in the first half.
Also, the fact that that was the first 40 undercuts the main narrative that these are the best dancers ever – they’re not.
The other theme of the night was that Trent was playing Banquo’s ghost. It wasn’t just me thinking that, was it? He seemed to be in every shot in the Clauditorium, the subtext being that Pixie should have been here. Of course, maybe I’m projecting, but I hope that whatever she was doing, she was having fun, because she should have been wowing us and making her way through to the final.
I thought Karen won the overall outfit competition. I liked the top of her Viennese Waltz particularly, and the rumba outfit was beautiful when she was in full flow. Wardrobe made up to Caroline somewhat, Frankie’s Argentine tango was ace and Kristina got another red stunner. I liked the blue and gold colouring of Janette’s VW gown, but not the location of the gold fringe.
The first round of VTs had the huge problem of it clearly not being the pro looking out for their partner, but the producers’ idea, so the insincerity got tiresome. Still, we got Frankie’s adorable son and Caroline’s nieces. Jake talking back to everyone on the tablet made me want someone to take him aside and check that he knew that they couldn’t hear him – he wasn’t Skyping them. Maybe he was just tired.
Best to go through the numbers one by one: Jake’s cha cha was disappointing and there’s no way around it. Setting aside the ghost of Pixie’s cha cha and whether they should be dancing it at this point in the series when other people are doing the Argentine Tango and the foxtrot, it was his big Latin number. (Janette’s crouch spin went on too long.) While Craig’s six was a little harsh or grumpy (as per Claudia – anyone think it was a Pixie hangover?) the routine wasn’t good enough.
Next came Frankie’s rumba and Kevin’s red cheeks. A Nutcracker-themed rumba? I thought a few moments were wooden, so I really didn’t get that, and the sweetness and echo of Christmas department store adverts didn’t do anything to take me out of my bitter corner. Weird scoring to have the run of 7, 8, 9 and 10 (which meant Kevin got to celebrate obnoxiously again, as far as I was concerned).
Mark was consistent, which was almost a relief, although I did think that a lot more of that Viennese Waltz could have been in hold.
But Simon is the best male celeb and he started off confidently and then went wrong – even I noticed - and it was a shame, and it felt as though the lack of rehearsal time was telling on them all.
I wanted both him and Caroline to do their dances over in a week when they had enough time for it, because there were enough glimpses of quality. I agreed that she conveyed the feeling well, but she always has, and there were those shaky bits. Still, it was the best thing we’d seen so far. Claudia using Natalie (a pro who has no stake in the competition) as an example of how supportive they all are was a dodgy moment. I mean, it was one misstep when Tess stumbled through most of the wrong things to ask the judges.)
The judges’ comments VT were better than the first set, even if they didn’t involve cute kids, and there were a few, a very few, insightful comments.
It was so weird that Jake’s ballroom was better than his Latin. I agreed with the points about his hold, although he’s improved, but he deserves to be in the dance-off, because everyone else had at least one redeeming dance. Again, this will be a test of his popularity, but for me, he's a bit like Sophile Ellis-Bextor, one excellent dance early on, and then stiffness and weaknesses emerging.
Frankie’s redeeming dance was the Argentine Tango. I thought she was maybe a smidge overmarked, but there was so much that was good about it that I won’t be curmudgeonly (except I think that if you were to compare her like for like with Caroline in every aspect, Caroline would edge it, though I'm not pretending to be unbiased).
I am on Craig’s side in the rumba debate. I was cringing in advance at the idea of Mark’s rumba, but I thought that Karen’s choice of having him go barefoot and interpretation of the music deserved respect. I only remembered that there hadn’t been hip action after it was pointed out to me. A great dance, if not a great rumba (it’s not been a strong year for rumba).
Simon managed to put the mistake and disappointment of the last dance behind him, and he certainly did with the foxtrot (there was a bit of fail with the business at both beginning and end). A quality, content-full dance.
I would say that Mark has had the biggest journey of him and Simon, but Simon is the better dancer. But if it was just them two and Tess onscreen, I’d probably switch over/leave the room.
And then I found that I hadn’t given up on Craig giving out a 10. I really, really wanted Caroline to nail her dance, and a salsa (is easier than a samba) should suit her. And boy howdy did it. It was going so well, and the first batch of armography went flawlessly and then the second too, building and building...
So I shrieked when it became obvious they were going to get a 40 (and then slapped my forehead, because I do this every year.)
I’m supporting Caroline now, and I don’t think it’d be a travesty if Frankie and Simon were through – I fear that Simon’s support just isn’t there and the mistake in the samba will cost him.
But as Banquo’s ghost reminded us, it’s not going to be the right line-up in the finale.
I didn't watch Atlantis, so expect a massive catch-up post at some point, but watched/had The X-Factor final on in the background as I wrapped presents. It was all very loud and, despite the fact I've only seen a few minutes here and there over the past few years, nostalgic. It felt like a Fleur coronation. If pushed, I'd say Ben won the first round and Fleur needed a quieter number, but the male/female duets worked better, and as Beneath Your Beautiful was written as a duet it worked better, but it didn't jar that Labrinth was introducing Fleur. So, as I said, a coronation. I suspect Ed Sheeran's closing number was the subtlest thing that's been on the show in a while.
The sound that you heard last night was me doing my annual first time that Craig gives a 10 scream. I had given up on it on the semis, because I didn't think anyone was handling the switch to two dances well in the first half.
Also, the fact that that was the first 40 undercuts the main narrative that these are the best dancers ever – they’re not.
The other theme of the night was that Trent was playing Banquo’s ghost. It wasn’t just me thinking that, was it? He seemed to be in every shot in the Clauditorium, the subtext being that Pixie should have been here. Of course, maybe I’m projecting, but I hope that whatever she was doing, she was having fun, because she should have been wowing us and making her way through to the final.
I thought Karen won the overall outfit competition. I liked the top of her Viennese Waltz particularly, and the rumba outfit was beautiful when she was in full flow. Wardrobe made up to Caroline somewhat, Frankie’s Argentine tango was ace and Kristina got another red stunner. I liked the blue and gold colouring of Janette’s VW gown, but not the location of the gold fringe.
The first round of VTs had the huge problem of it clearly not being the pro looking out for their partner, but the producers’ idea, so the insincerity got tiresome. Still, we got Frankie’s adorable son and Caroline’s nieces. Jake talking back to everyone on the tablet made me want someone to take him aside and check that he knew that they couldn’t hear him – he wasn’t Skyping them. Maybe he was just tired.
Best to go through the numbers one by one: Jake’s cha cha was disappointing and there’s no way around it. Setting aside the ghost of Pixie’s cha cha and whether they should be dancing it at this point in the series when other people are doing the Argentine Tango and the foxtrot, it was his big Latin number. (Janette’s crouch spin went on too long.) While Craig’s six was a little harsh or grumpy (as per Claudia – anyone think it was a Pixie hangover?) the routine wasn’t good enough.
Next came Frankie’s rumba and Kevin’s red cheeks. A Nutcracker-themed rumba? I thought a few moments were wooden, so I really didn’t get that, and the sweetness and echo of Christmas department store adverts didn’t do anything to take me out of my bitter corner. Weird scoring to have the run of 7, 8, 9 and 10 (which meant Kevin got to celebrate obnoxiously again, as far as I was concerned).
Mark was consistent, which was almost a relief, although I did think that a lot more of that Viennese Waltz could have been in hold.
But Simon is the best male celeb and he started off confidently and then went wrong – even I noticed - and it was a shame, and it felt as though the lack of rehearsal time was telling on them all.
I wanted both him and Caroline to do their dances over in a week when they had enough time for it, because there were enough glimpses of quality. I agreed that she conveyed the feeling well, but she always has, and there were those shaky bits. Still, it was the best thing we’d seen so far. Claudia using Natalie (a pro who has no stake in the competition) as an example of how supportive they all are was a dodgy moment. I mean, it was one misstep when Tess stumbled through most of the wrong things to ask the judges.)
The judges’ comments VT were better than the first set, even if they didn’t involve cute kids, and there were a few, a very few, insightful comments.
It was so weird that Jake’s ballroom was better than his Latin. I agreed with the points about his hold, although he’s improved, but he deserves to be in the dance-off, because everyone else had at least one redeeming dance. Again, this will be a test of his popularity, but for me, he's a bit like Sophile Ellis-Bextor, one excellent dance early on, and then stiffness and weaknesses emerging.
Frankie’s redeeming dance was the Argentine Tango. I thought she was maybe a smidge overmarked, but there was so much that was good about it that I won’t be curmudgeonly (except I think that if you were to compare her like for like with Caroline in every aspect, Caroline would edge it, though I'm not pretending to be unbiased).
I am on Craig’s side in the rumba debate. I was cringing in advance at the idea of Mark’s rumba, but I thought that Karen’s choice of having him go barefoot and interpretation of the music deserved respect. I only remembered that there hadn’t been hip action after it was pointed out to me. A great dance, if not a great rumba (it’s not been a strong year for rumba).
Simon managed to put the mistake and disappointment of the last dance behind him, and he certainly did with the foxtrot (there was a bit of fail with the business at both beginning and end). A quality, content-full dance.
I would say that Mark has had the biggest journey of him and Simon, but Simon is the better dancer. But if it was just them two and Tess onscreen, I’d probably switch over/leave the room.
And then I found that I hadn’t given up on Craig giving out a 10. I really, really wanted Caroline to nail her dance, and a salsa (is easier than a samba) should suit her. And boy howdy did it. It was going so well, and the first batch of armography went flawlessly and then the second too, building and building...
So I shrieked when it became obvious they were going to get a 40 (and then slapped my forehead, because I do this every year.)
I’m supporting Caroline now, and I don’t think it’d be a travesty if Frankie and Simon were through – I fear that Simon’s support just isn’t there and the mistake in the samba will cost him.
But as Banquo’s ghost reminded us, it’s not going to be the right line-up in the finale.
I didn't watch Atlantis, so expect a massive catch-up post at some point, but watched/had The X-Factor final on in the background as I wrapped presents. It was all very loud and, despite the fact I've only seen a few minutes here and there over the past few years, nostalgic. It felt like a Fleur coronation. If pushed, I'd say Ben won the first round and Fleur needed a quieter number, but the male/female duets worked better, and as Beneath Your Beautiful was written as a duet it worked better, but it didn't jar that Labrinth was introducing Fleur. So, as I said, a coronation. I suspect Ed Sheeran's closing number was the subtlest thing that's been on the show in a while.
