Strictly final 2020

[shallowness]

Enjoyable enough opening finale routine – surely the finalists’ struts had been filmed beforehand too. I’d applaud Tess for wearing a sparkly dress, but I couldn’t help think of it as a mullet in dress form, while Claudia went for sparkles on black, but I’m not a fan of that droopy neckline. Shirley outgowned them all, including Motsi.

So, going on the fact they’d never been in the dance-off, I was assuming it would be between HRV and Bill, and kind of expecting Bill to win because his popularity has spread furthest and widest. The fact that he was going first on the night probably didn’t help HRV either.

But anyway, round one was the judges’ choice, and because ITT etc had trailed what it was, the whole ‘decision at the Gherkin’ had zero dramatic tension, and I’m not convinced that they all sincerely meant their proposals, but it was nice to see the judges visiting the couples and giving them a brief pep talk, some more awkward than others.

HRV’s week 1 jive was a good pick, a reminder of how impressive he’d been from the start and a chance to show how he’d improved. Which oh boy he had, we got to see all the details and a more confident delivery. I would like to know what Craig thought was wrong with it (I hadn’t caught the news since lunchtime, so thanks for the reminder to do so, Strictly.) The bar had been set.

I was also delighted at the return of Jamie’s Hercules Charleston (was Craig seeing it as a proxy for Clara’s Charleston?). It was the latest appearing of all the judges choices, but he too improved (all one wants from the returning dances and to see faves again), although the scoring made it clear that Shirley and Motsi did remember they had paddles other than 10. Had Ranvir got through, her returning dances (probably the Argentine Tango and Any Ballroom, Really would have bothered the scoreboard more.)

I was also chuffed to see Bill’s quickstep again, noted the ‘week 2 before it turned out he was good’ messing abaht, of which there was some in HRV’s routine also, and saw improvement.

GAWPED at Craig suggesting that they ask Maisie to do the cha cha again. SRSLY. No doubt she could have improved it, but the concept would still be weird and offputting and the cha-cha has suited nobody this year, so a world of no. Fortunately, sense prevailed, and we got another week 1 routine, with the same things being true as of HRV’s jive, and, as Mosti had observed, a technically demanding dance. Maisie owned it. So rhythmical, so much more in control. Maisie had indeed turned up tonight (if I had a thought she’d win, I might have voted for her, but tbh had made up my mind I would be voting for HRV and Janette, although making it all about Janette being in her first final evah felt just a bit too navel-gazey.)

All the round 1 dances had made me happy, and it was very interesting that we had three 29s.

Round 2 was the showdance, and as I half-suspected, we got the obligatory TessnClaud see it and make encouraging noises on set.

Thought the ‘festival’ concept was not the strongest, though I can see the appeal in theory. Demanding routine, with the lifts, a reference to Jake’s salsa move (okay, it’s probably got an official name), the lifts, and the pot stirrer, and I thought HRV rose to the challenge well, and that the scene had been set for better showdances than usual. Messages from the family in the bit with Claudia on top of tiredness induced sobbing, which would happen for nearly all the finalists…

That’s the first showdance to incorporate the dance off, so that was novel from Karen. The opening concept was powerful enough to make me forgive the time spent not dancing by Jamie to get out of the harness, and okay, it was mainly about Karen dancing rings around him, but a decent enough showdance. (And I don’t think Ranvir’s showdance would have been as good because lifts.)

I loved most of Bill and Oti’s showdance, the concept worked with the music, the paso basis was a clever idea, throw in lifts, be suitably DRAMATIC and, well, then it lost me a bit with the guitar and Oti rising up in the ring. The full house made me twitch a little, although it was the end of the routine rather than how it was danced that lost me. First it was the Sugar Hill Gang, now it was some of Queen AND the show managed to make Bill Bailey, a middle-aged Englishman, get more emotional than he has on the show before.

Maisie performed their Christmassy routine beautifully. I had been looking forward to this, too, and if she can half-sing, it booked her a gig on the West End when it reopens (oh, 2020), surely. The fall was the big wow movement, and she got another full house, although in hindsight, I wonder if the content was maybe a little less demanding than HRV’s on the technique front, although I loved the light and shade, but I may be biased, and I agreed with Shirley that she was bringing her best dancing here at the end of the series.

More mixed feelings about the showdances, but less mixed feelings than I normally have about the showdances, if that makes sense.

Couples’ pick, and it was great that HRV and Janette had avoided their couples’ choice (loved the routine, hated the outfits) for the American Smooth. Possibly a mistake for Janette to acknowledge that HRV was naturally talented in terms of getting votes, but anyway, the dance was amazing the first time around and even better this time – imagine what he could have achieved if the series had been a couple of weeks longer. 10 FROM CRAIG (I’m glad HRV ‘won’ this round after being overshadowed scoreswise in the last.)

Jamie of coure did his couples’ choice, and I was impressed by the fact that he kept up his energy given how strenuous his routines were. I thought he had a little more swagger, but I couldn’t quibble with him not getting an improvement on his previous 29. And Karen had told him she was proud of him, which seems to be his kryptonite.

Was even more glad that Bill’s choice was their couples’ choice. I mean, it still had the problem of Oti outdancing him at times, even though I thought the judges’ comments about ease of movement from him were spot on. Shirley’s comments were particularly ace all night.

Maisie’s quickstep was another joy to behold (and I appreciated that she and HRV pulled out proper Strictly dances for their returning dances, though they were the two who looked like they’d be in the final from the off, which wasn’t true of Jamie and Bill). She should be really proud of what she achieved in the finale.

And so the top three were tied in terms of scores (Bruno would probably have given his 10s as freely as the ladies too, though, so I don’t think he’d have made much difference here.) Motsi very handsomely paid tribute to the team – the Beeb and the Strictly production team can and should pat themselves on the back as much as they like, as what they’ve achieved this year deserves it – and even Craig quite rightly got up to join in the standing ovation.

Cue Robbie Williams – wasn’t this song first released last year? And lovely dancing from the four pros – I wonder if being able to dance so much has made up a bit for not having celeb partners. Nadiya and the camera in particular had a love in. Nicola got to do a full routine, which basically seemed to be as much as Katya could throw at her and lifting Katya a lot. And then we had the viewers’ recap of the year with added masks and the Zoom ending that would have staggered and confused us this time last year. AND THEN all the celebs came back, and I was so impressed that they managed to put together a socially distanced routine with so many nods to the series, from Giovanni’s jive outfit to the pussy to the feathers. I’m glad they got a nod to Max and Dianne’s Simpsons routine, and JJ and Ranvir’s ballroom in too, even if I didn’t see Clara’s Charleston.

I’d pre-resigned myself to the result, even though I thought HRV flew higher over the whole season and Maisie was so strong towards the end, Bill was probably the best of the rest. So, when it was announced he and Oti’d won, I had less of a hissyfit than I do when my favourite didn’t win, basically. Motsi SOBBED, Shirley couldn’t hug the big sister watching her little sister win (again). No group hug or lifting of the victors, but I can’t quibble too hard, because Bill committed fully to this, was a clear student of dance and a joyful surprise, and people warmed to that.