Archive for the Reality TV category.
Aired 3/22/10
I have to be honest; I was not thrilled when the cast for this season of DWTS was announced. The truth is that the show really should have always been called “Dancing with Celebrities” but this is the most “starless” season ever. Despite my initial, and still lingering, apathy about the cast I did end up enjoying the premiere more than I anticipated. A big part of that is because Samantha Harris is gone and the lovely and classy Brooke Burke has returned. Finally we have a co-host on this show who knows what she’s talking about and can articulate it.
Chad Ochocinco & Cheryl Burke: (Cha Cha) Really, DWTS? Of all the current and former NFL players out there you had to go with the crazy diva? He’s good looking, no doubt, but the man named himself after his football jersey! In fairness, Chad did show flashes of style and charm. Surprisingly, he also looked quite nervous. My preconceived notion of him was of a man much too full of himself to have any self doubt so I thought the nervousness was a very good sign. I’m not ready to start voting for him or anything, but it wasn’t a bad start. Scores: Carrie Ann Inaba – 6, Len Goodman – 6, Bruno Tonioli – 6. Total = 18.
Shannen Doherty & Mark Ballas: (Viennese Waltz) On this evening, Shannen’s “bad girl” image was nowhere to be seen. Mark gave her a lot of difficult (and clever) choreography to do for week one and I thought Shannen held up pretty well. The dance did lack grace in some places but the spin at the end was very striking. Shannen has got a long ways to go but it was a good start. And yes, I did get drawn in by the story of her father’s recovery from a stroke. His teary face after watching her dance was very touching. Scores: Carrie Ann – 6, Len – 6, Bruno – 6. Total = 18. I’d agree that Shannen and Chad were about even.
Erin Andrews & Maksim Chmerkovskiy: (Cha Cha) I was prepared to issue a stern warning to Maks to be nice to Erin but it was clear from their setup clip that Erin is more than capable of handling Maks. They are a good match. Erin is the celeb this season whose corner I am firmly in. What happened to her over the past year was terrible and I’m fine with her making lemonade out of those lemons. Erin has the longest legs seen on this show since Stacy Keibler. While she did show a lot of personality, Erin does need to figure out how to use those long limbs on the dance floor. Still, it was another good start. Scores: Carrie Ann – 7, Len – 7, Bruno – 7. Total = 21.
Jake Pavelka & Chelsie Hightower: (Viennese Waltz) I don’t watch “The Bachelor” so I don’t really know Jake. He seems nice enough, and he certainly was trying very hard, but it was a rough dance. Chelsie has her work cut out for her – but, then again, she was the one who worked miracles with Ty Murray. Scores: Carrie Ann – 7, Len - 6, Bruno – 7. Total = 20. Those scores seemed a bit high to me. I would have given him a 6 at the most.
Niecy Nash & Louis van Amstel: (Cha Cha) Personality will not be Niecy’s problem on this show. She’s got plenty of that. The best part about her being on DWTS is that it will give Danielle Fishel plenty of chances to do her Niecy impression on “The Dish”. Niecy had the attitude for her Cha Cha but the steps got a bit awkward. Scores: Carrie Ann – 7, Len – 5, Bruno – 6. Total = 18. Bruno was the right one here. This was a 6 dance.
Evan Lysacek & Anna Trebunskaya: (Viennese Waltz) Their setup clip was all about lowering expectations but it wasn’t necessary. Evan was just as good as we all knew he would be. He was very Fred Astaire. Scores: Carrie Ann – 8, Len – 7, Bruno – 8. Total = 23.
Buzz Aldrin & Ashly Costa: (Cha Cha) Well, they gave Buzz the right partner in sweet, little Ashly. She was doing a valiant job of trying to cover all the missed steps. I have no desire to say anything negative about Buzz but there’s no denying that this was a very, very rough dance. Scores: Carrie Ann – 5, Len – 4, Bruno – 5. Total = 14. They were being generous.
Nicole Scherzinger & Derek Hough: (Viennese Waltz) To absolutely no one’s surprise, Nicole was fabulous. She was the picture of grace and the final spin was stunning. She is a ringer, no doubt, and I do think a serious argument can be made that she is too much of a professional dancer to be on the show. She’s the favorite even over the gold medal winning figure skater- despite Len’s rant to the contrary. I’m not sure what got into him when he started rambling off all of Nicole’s supposed flaws. I couldn’t help but think he was trying to make Nicole seem like an underdog despite her being the clear frontrunner. Scores: Carrie Ann – 9, Len – 7, Bruno – 9. Total = 25. Wow. 9’s right out of the gate.
Aiden Turner & Edyta Sliwinska: (Cha Cha) Aiden is no Gilles Marini but he is certainly very pretty and I think there is some potential here if he can learn to loosen up a bit. I agreed with Carrie Ann’s comment that there was no musicality but I think there’s hope. I certainly didn’t think he deserved Bruno’s crack about being another Kenny Mayne. Scores: Carrie Ann – 5, Len – 5, Bruno – 5. Total = 15. That was too low. The scores should have been 6’s.
Kate Gosselin & Tony Dovolani: (Viennese Waltz) Oh, Kate. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anyone look as terrified as Kate did during this dance. I was actually quite impressed that she made it through given all that fear. The judges were correct that Kate is the contestant most out of her element. Scores: Carrie Ann – 6, Len – 5, Bruno – 5. Total = 16. I’m thinking that may have been a bit of a pity 6 from Carrie Ann. Kate should not have received a higher score than Aiden.
Pamela Anderson & Damian Whitewood: (Cha Cha) I have to give the woman her due, Pam worked this dance. It was much better than I expected. It was definitely campy (see photo above), but it was also fun and sexy and pure Pam Anderson. I’m both fascinated and horrified by the thought of her doing a waltz. Scores: Carrie Ann - 7, Len – 6, Bruno – 8. Total = 21. By the way, kudos to Carrie Ann for the fab hair flip when she gave her score.
There will be no elimination this week. If there were, I’m thinking Aiden would have been the one headed out the door. He doesn’t have much of a fan base and the judges were really tough on him. Buzz should be the first to go but we know from the show’s history that he’ll be kept around for a while by the audience.
Full episodes of DWTS can be viewed at ABC’s website here:
http://abc.go.com/watch/clip/dancing-with-the-stars/SH007473660000
Aired 11-17-09
We opened with the encore dance – Mya & Dmitry’s Salsa. That was an easy choice. It was certainly THE dance of the previous night. It was just as fabulous the second time around.
In the recap we learned that Kelly made up her solo in the Rumba because she forgot the whole thing. We also saw that Kym was at least as upset as Donny over their disastrous Tango.
Hosts Tom Bergeron and Samantha Harris announced that the first couple moving on to the finals …. was going to be announced shortly. Oh, that was just mean!
Samantha then interviewed the four celebs and I was struck by Kelly and Joanna’s comments. They both sounded like they were getting themselves prepared to be eliminated.
The first number of the night was a production of “Be Italian” from the movie “Nine”. I’m not sure who the people were performing the number. I also don’t know that I would have picked this particular number for such a high profile spot. The commercial that followed was much more appealing.
Musical Guest #1: Alicia Keys with “Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart”. Alicia looked gorgeous but I wasn’t loving the thigh high blue suede boots.
Oh, good grief. They had the four celebs lip syncing in a music video to David Bowie’s “Under Pressure”. Donny was getting waaayyy too into it. 
We finally got some results. Tom & Samantha called forward Joanna & Derek and Mya & Dmitry as they were the two highest scoring couples. The result:
Mya & Dmitry Chaplin – in the finals.
Joanna Krupa & Derek Hough – in jeopardy.
Musical Guest #2: Leona Lewis with “Happy”. Leona was wonderful but I seriously did not like the choreography for the dancers. It was much too melodramatic.
Tom then had Donny & Kym and Kelly & Louis come to center stage:
Donny Osmond & Kym Johnson – in the finals. Donny looked immensely relieved.
Kelly Osbourne & Louis van Amstel – in jeopardy.
Musical Guest #3: The BeeGees. Specifically Barry and Robin Gibb singing “You Should Be Dancing”. It’s a little unbelievable that Barry can still rock that falsetto after all these years. They were joined by Tony Dovolani, Cheryl Burke, Chelsie Hightower and a newbie named Artem Chigvintsev. The featured dancer, though, was last season finalist Melissa Rycroft. She did the second half of the dance with former partner Tony. She looked great – but that’s not exactly news.
We came to the end of the show and it was time to find out whether Joanna & Derek or Kelly & Louis were leaving. As Tom lead up to the announcement, Kelly looked worried and nervous while Joanna & Derek looked resigned. They just seemed to know. They were the ones eliminated. After a brief interview, Tom announced that Joanna & Derek would exit by doing a reprise of their lovely Waltz from the night before. It definitely brought a tear to my eye.
There’s no way around it, this result wasn’t fair. I adore Kelly and Donny but it should have been one of them to go. Joanna was the second best dancer (behind Mya) in the cast but I guess she just didn’t have the fanbase. Sigh.
Full episodes of DWTS are available at ABC’s website here:
http://abc.go.com/watch/clip/dancing-with-the-stars/SH007473660000
Aired 11-16-09
Our celebs had a lot on their plates in the semi-finals. They had to perform an individual Ballroom and Latin number (including a brief solo dance section) AND then perform the dance they had prepared in case they were ever in a dance-0ff.
Round One
Donny Osmond & Kym Johnson: Donny was nervous about the semis since he had been in last place the previous week. To help him get into character for the Tango, Kym brought in last season hottie Gilles Marini. His advice was that Donny needed to make people feel uncomfortable watching this Tango. Well, that’s what happened – but not in the way Donny wanted. During the dance it almost looked like they were fighting against each other and the missed steps were obvious. Donny looked really upset when it was over. He said he lost focus when he saw sister Marie in the crowd but we also saw that Kym’s heel had become tangled in the hem of her dress. Head judge Len Goodman called it a shame because the Argentine Tango had gone so well for Donny. Bruno Tonioli said that, normally, Donny’s a master at hiding mistakes but he couldn’t cover it up this time. Carrie Ann Inaba called it rough but congratulated them on making it through. Scores: Carrie Ann – 7, Len – 7, Bruno – 7. Total = 21. Donny said the judges were very kind.
Joanna Krupa & Derek Hough: I loved this setup clip. Derek was shown getting very frustrated during the rehearsals with Joanna so his former partner (and DWTS champ) Brooke Burke showed up to get him grounded. They both did hilarious impressions of him. Derek may get himself worked up sometimes but the guy does create some stunning choreography. This Waltz was lovely and some of the moves were striking. Joanna struggled to get into one of the poses but, overall, it was classy and graceful. Bruno said it had the grace of angels in heaven but there was the slightest hesitation that kept it from being paradise. Ah, Bruno. Carrie Ann said Joanna can take her breath away when she dances but, when she does a reaching move, she needs to have a reason behind it. Len thought her hold was as good as any professional. Scores: Carrie Ann – 9, Len – 9, Bruno – 9. Total = 27.
Kelly Osbourne & Louis van Amstel: In their rehearsal clip, we saw Kelly get a call from her dad saying that one of their dogs had died. She, of course, was in tears. Louis said it was a sign of how much Kelly has grown that she stayed and kept rehearsing. The old Kelly would have gone home. As I mentioned above, the celebs had to do a brief solo in the Latin dances. Kelly & Louis were given the Rumba and that’s a tough one to solo in. I thought it turned out to be a bit dull. On the other hand, Carrie Ann said that Kelly brought her to tears. She added that Kelly isn’t the best dancer but she reaches into Carrie Ann’s heart. Len didn’t feel it was one of Kelly’s best dances but it certainly wasn’t the worst. Bruno said Kelly is endearing but some parts of the dance weren’t as perfect as they should have been. Scores: Carrie Ann – 8, Len – 8, Bruno -8. Total = 24.
Mya & Dmitry Chaplin: Their setup piece was meant to show us how devoted Mya is to the competition. I don’t think we needed that proven since she already seems like one of the pros. Their Waltz was absolutely stunning and was the kind of dance that wins the trophy. It was the best characterization Mya’s had so far. Len thought it was a joy to watch. Bruno called it “love set to music”. Carrie Ann said Mya always has the potential to get 10’s but she felt they were slightly disconnected in the hold. Scores: Carrie Ann – 9, Len – 9, Bruno – 10. Total – 28.
Round Two – This round featured biographical clips of all the celebs and, frankly, I don’t know how any of them could dance after watching these tearjerkers. I was a mess!
Donny & Kym: This was a great comeback dance for Donny. They performed to “One Bad Apple” and, yes, I’m enough of an Osmond geek to recognize the classic Osmond Brothers moves. As unhappy as Donny was after the Tango was how happy he was after this Samba. Bruno said that a bit of a stumble doesn’t stop a professional. It was carefree and fun like a Samba should be. Carrie Ann said it was certainly better than the Tango but it seemed a bit sloppy. Len agreed with Bruno. He called it a “metamorphoses”. Scores: Carrie Ann – 8, Len – 9, Bruno – 9. Total = 26.
Joanna & Derek: Their Cha Cha was good (and I got a kick out of Joanna singing along) but it was an oddly low-key dance. Carrie Ann loved it and said Joanna truly was a dancer. Len thought it was clean and crisp but could have been a bit more “cheeky”. Bruno called Joanna “natural sex”. Tom just shook his head. Scores: Carrie Ann – 9, Len – 9, Bruno – 9. Total = 27.
Kelly & Louis: Their Quickstep as uneven. Parts were very good but there were also some pretty clear missteps. Len said it was beyond his expectations. As a performer, and a person, Kelly had blown him away. Bruno acknowledged there was a mistake but added the dance was light, fast-footed and in sync. Carrie Ann thought Kelly nailed it. Kelly then tearfully thanked the judges for all their comments saying it was part of what has been giving her the confidence to keep coming back. Scores: Carrie Ann – 9, Len – 9, Bruno – 9. Total = 27.
Mya & Dmitry: Wow, wow and wow! That was about as hot as a dance can get. I’ll say it – the girl deserves to win this thing. Bruno said only one word could describe it – sensational. Carrie Ann called it hot beyond belief. Len declared, “Tutti frutti, what a booty.” He said Mya deserves to be in the finale. Scores: Carrie Ann – 10, Len – 10, Bruno – 10. Total = 30. It’s times like this when you wish there was an 11 paddle.
Knock-Out Dances
Donny & Kym: They chose to dance the Jitterbug. It was the perfect kind of dance for Donny – very energetic. Carrie Ann said Donny needed to be good and, thank God, he got his mojo back. Len told Donny that 2 out of 3 wasn’t bad and Bruno called it upbeat and full of vigor. Scores: Carrie Ann – 9, Len – 9, Bruno – 9. Total = 27. Total for the night – 74.
Joanna & Derek: They picked the Salsa. It was fun, but not as flashy as I expected. Len called it hot, tasty and full of spice. Bruno said it was delicious and flirtatious and Carrie Ann told Joanna that she would love to see her in the finals. Scores: Carrie Ann – 9, Len – 9, Bruno – 9. Total = 27. Total for the night – 81.
Kelly & Louis: They went with the Cha Cha. It was short and cute – just like Kelly. Bruno said it might have been a “quickie” but it worked for him. Carrie Ann thought Kelly did a great job with finishing her lines and Len was pleased that all three of her dances were well done. Scores: Carrie Ann – 9, Len – 9, Bruno – 9. Total = 27. Total for the night – 78.
Mya & Dmitry: They picked the Cha Cha as well. Mya had a great night and seemed to be having the time of her life. Carrie Ann said the beginning of the dance didn’t speak to her. Bruno replied “You’re deaf!” Len was disappointed because he wanted it to go on longer and Bruno called it an action packed trailer for a blockbuster. Scores: Carrie Ann – 9, Len - 10, Bruno – 10. Total = 29. Total for the night 87 out of 90. Wow!
So, we ended the evening with Donny & Kym in last place but my guess is that Kelly & Louis are the ones in real jeopardy.
Full episodes of DWTS are available at ABC’s website here:
http://abc.go.com/shows/dancing-with-the-stars
Posted on December 6th, 2009 by Princess Kitty in
Amazing Race 
Aired 11-15-09
We picked back up in Stockholm, Sweden. After a mandatory rest period, first place team and Harlem Globetrotters Flight Time & Big Easy departed at 2:23AM. The teams had to travel by ferry 236 miles across the Baltic Sea to Tallinn, Estonia. Once there, they had to sort through keys to open the door at a building called Mustpeade. The Trotters seem to be viewing Sam & Dan as the biggest competition left in the race. They were hoping to get a good lead on the brothers but, at the ferry dock, they learned that the next boat to Estonia wasn’t going to leave until 5:45PM. It was looking like we’d get a race reboot.
The second team to depart was dating couple Meghan & Cheyne at 4:12AM. They had some trouble making decisions in the last leg but were now just focused on staying in the lead. They were followed by married couple Brian & Ericka at 4:37AM. They weren’t getting hung up on the fact that they had yet to win a leg of the race. Brian said the only leg that matters is the final one.
The brothers, Sam & Dan, were the 4th team out at 5:04AM. Sam was hopeful that they’d learned their lesson in the last leg and would be able to keep their bickering under control. The last team to depart was father and son duo, Gary & Matt, at 6:29AM. Gary said he’d been apprehensive about the race and, specifically, about son Matt seeing his flaws. He was grateful that Matt has been accepting. I’m not sure what those flaws were supposed to be. Together they’ve been one of the calmest and most likeable of teams.
They all made the 5:45PM ferry boat. The trip took about 16 hours but they did get sleeper cabins - that were about the size of a closet. Once they docked, the Trotters lead the charge off the ferry (with a fair amount of trash-talking) but it was Meghan & Cheyne who were the first to get a taxi. They were also the first to arrive at Mustpeade but the brothers were right behind them and the two teams worked together to find the correct key to open the door. Inside they found a Roadblock.
Roadblock
One team member had to join the Brotherhood of the Blackheads (a secret society of merchants) to solve a mystery. They would go into the cellar (where a Blackhead party was taking place) and find a candelabra with a room number attached. They then had to locate that room where they would be given a blank scroll. They had to figure out that the writing would only show if the scroll was held over a lit candle. Cheyne and Sam took the challenge.
Brian & Ericka and Gary & Matt were the next to arrive at Mustpeade but this was also the location of the Speed Bump. Since Gary & Matt had been saved from elimination on the last leg, they had to perform an additional task. They had to take a 5 minute sauna with some locals in a Saunabuss – yes, a bus that was a sauna. They were relieved it was something that simple.
By the time Brian & Ericka got the door open, the Trotters had arrived and just followed them in. Ericka and Flight Time set about to solve the mystery. Locating the rooms proved to be harder than it seemed. Even though Cheyne and Sam had been looking for quite a while, it was Flight Time who was the first to locate his room. Unfortunately he didn’t benefit from this because he fell for a trick. The show put a little red crayon next to the scroll so Flight immediately started rubbing the crayon all over the scroll.
Cheyne was the next to find his room and he had much better luck with the scroll. He immediately took it to the candle and quickly saw the next clue taking the racers to the Pikk Hermann Tower Garden. Ericka also got the clue quickly and the two teams headed to the Tower together.
Gary & Matt finished their sauna and got the Mustpeade door open but their troubles were just beginning. Poor Matt had no clue what a candelabra was. It was a little sad watching him wander about the cellar trying to get one of the Blackheads to tell him what it was. While Matt was stuck in the cellar, Sam and Flight Time finally found the Tower clue.
Eventually Matt figured out that the “candle” part of candelabra was important and started looking for his room.
Detour
Brian & Ericka and Meghan & Cheyne found the cluebox in the Tower Garden and it was a Detour. The choices were “Serve” and “Sling”. In “Serve” the teams had to play volleyball against a local team – in a bog. They would be knee deep in muck and would have to score 5 points. In “Sling” the teams still had to stand in the mud but would use a slingshot to fire vegetables at a target. When they hit the target, a table full of cabbages would fall revealing the clue. Both teams opted for “Serve” and headed out to find a taxi. They both spotted one at the same time but Brian let Meghan & Cheyne take it as long as the cab driver called another taxi for them. Meghan then proceeded to order their driver not to call.
Meanwhile Matt found the clue about Pikk Hermann Tower – but he missed the word Garden. It really wasn’t looking good for this pair.
Sam & Dan and Flight & Easy got to the garden and also went with the volleyball. The two teams argued a bit over who spotted a taxi first but, since it was a van, ended up sharing it. There was definitely some frustration building between these teams.
After losing a significant amount of time trying to get into the Tower, Gary & Matt finally spotted the cluebox. They decided to do the slingshot challenge.
Meghan & Cheyne were the first to arrive at the Detour spot and they immediately stripped down to their undies and crawled into the muck. The game was a mess – but pretty funny. The dating couple scored their five points before any other team had arrived at the site. The next clue directed them to run to the Pit Stop at the Keava Raba Overlook Tower. They checked in first and won a red cedar sauna.
Meanwhile Brian & Ericka, Flight & Easy and Sam & Dan wandered about the bog looking for the Detour spot. Once they figured out where they were going, the guys all outran Ericka. Because only two teams could play volleyball at one time, she and Brian went a few steps over to the slingshot challenge. Sadly for them, they missed seeing Sam & Dan in their underwear in the mud. Now normally that wouldn’t be a big deal but, with these two, there was some serious pixilation of a certain area of their anatomy. We’ve had a lot of underwear moments on this show but I don’t ever remember this much censoring being needed.
The Trotters won their game first but headed in the wrong direction to find the tower. This resulted in a footrace between them and the brothers. Flight and Dan collided along the narrow wooden path and both wiped out. Dan got up quickly but Flight seemed a bit banged up.
Sam & Dan checked in 2nd.
Flight Time & Big Easy were 3rd.
Host Phil Keoghan could sense the tension between the teams. Dan said that Flight came up behind him and tried to push him taking them both down. Easy thought Dan had thrown an elbow to knock out Flight. The show aired the collision a couple times and, I have to say, Dan’s account seemed more accurate. Anyway, Easy said they didn’t realize that the physical stuff was in play adding, “I’m 6′10″, 260, so we’re gonna do what we gotta do.” I like the Trotters, but that comment made Big Easy look ridiculous.
The editing made it seem that Gary & Matt arrived at the challenge site just as Brian hit the target. I suspect they were much further behind than that.
Brian & Ericka checked in 4th.
Gary & Matt kept going. They hit the target with a radish and ran to the tower where Phil told them they were eliminated. Gary broke down as he talked about how proud he was of his son. Coming into the show these two were depicted as not being particularly close but they have been one of the most delightful child/parent teams ever. They were always kind, patient and respectful of each other.
Next Week: We’re in Prague and Sam & Dan steal Brian & Ericka’s taxi. Hmmm. I’m not sure it’s wise for them to make an enemy of yet another team.
Full episodes and bonus clips of TAR are available at CBS’ website here:
http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race/video/
Aired 11-10-09
Our group, sans Tracey, had returned to the ranch and we opened with them meeting up on the grounds with host Alison Sweeney. She announced that there would be a double elimination this week. They were about to go from 8 to 6. At the weigh in there would be the traditional yellow line but, for this week, there would also be a red line. The person with the lowest percent of weight lost would fall below the red line and automatically be sent home. The next two lowest would go through the regular elimination process. But first, they had to face this week’s Pop Challenge.
Pop Challenge
The winner of the challenge would get a one pound advantage at the weigh in. Amanda and Liz couldn’t participate for medical reasons so they were out of luck. The other six had to jump up and grab tennis balls off of a board. They then had to run over and drop the ball into a bucket. The first person to get 50 balls into their bucket would win. A tall guy, like Rudy, would definitely seem to have an advantage but they mitigated some of that by varying how high the balls were placed on the board based on each person’s height. Allen got off to an early lead just ahead of Rudy. In the end, it was Rebecca who was running neck and neck with Allen but he was the ultimate victor.
We then learned that the house had naturally divided itself into two informal teams: the “older” group (Liz, Danny, Rudy and Allen) and the “younger” (Amanda, Rebecca, Shay and Daniel). Whichever “team” had the person who fell below the red line would be at a big disadvantage when it came time for the regular elimination vote.
Trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels checked in with the group to get the results of the D.C. elimination. Jillian thought it was ironic that Tracey was sent home saying, “I finally am able to stand the sight of this girl and now she’s gone.” They then got the bombshell about the double elimination and they were not pleased. They dismissed everyone and talked the situation over. Jill said that, while they never wanted to get into a discussion about who “needed” or “deserved” to be there, the truth was that Shay did. Jill really saw it as a life or death question. Bob didn’t want to play God but Jill felt they had to do it. After some resistance she was able to get him to look at it more as deciding who was most able to handle the “real world” as opposed to who needed to stay. The trick was that we didn’t see them decide who the person was who was most ready to go home.
In the workouts, Jill really drove Shay. The poor girl was exhausted and crying but Jill wasn’t having any of it. She told Shay that the time for tears and drama was over. She had to be focused and strong. Jill wanted to ensure that Shay, at least, didn’t fall below the red line. She wanted Shay to have a fighting chance.
Jillian then set her sights on Rebecca. Rebecca, though, didn’t handle it as well as Shay. In a scene that looked exactly like Amanda’s previous meltdown, Rebecca said she couldn’t deal with anything else and walked out of the gym. Ironically it was Amanda who talked her through all the drama.
Jill met up a bit later with Rebecca and Shay and found them stressing out about the red line. That provided the perfect opportunity for:
Product Placement Alert 1: Sooner or later they’ll be going home so they needed to plan on finding a 24 Hour Fitness Center near them and taking advantage of the Biggest Loser promotion to work out with a friend. Sometimes I find their lack of subtlety almost endearing.
Challenge
Next up our group met Ali at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. For this challenge they were all going to, literally, jump through hoops. The prize was immunity. They would have to jump on a trampoline and dive through the hoops and land on a crash mat on the other side. It sounds more dramatic than it really was because the hoops were pretty low to the ground. Each hoop had a name on it. Each time someone jumped through a hoop, the person whose name was on it would get a point. At 100 points that person would be knocked out of the game. The “young” team went after Liz first. They felt she was at serious risk of falling below one of the lines and they wanted to make sure she didn’t get immunity. The “older” group went after Amanda because she was fast and could rack up the most points against them. Liz was the first to go, followed by Amanda and Daniel. Allen and Rebecca were next leaving just Danny, Rudy and Shay in the challenge. That’s when things got interesting. When the challenge began, Rudy and Shay were standing next to each other. They seemed to agree to not go after each other’s hoops until the very end of the challenge. The debate was what was meant by “the end”. Shay thought it meant they wouldn’t jump through each other’s hoops until they were the last two. Rudy seemed to mean the end was when one of the informal teams was on their last person. Since Shay was the last of the young ones, Rudy and Danny concentrated on her hoop. That started some trash talking between Shay and Rudy and they said some very, very harsh things. Shay told Rudy he had no integrity and Rudy said Shay had no character. It wasn’t a great moment for either of them. In the end it was Danny vs. Rudy but, at that point, Rudy only had 4 points so he easily won. They all walked away from the challenge with a full appreciation of how divided the house now was.
The young ones decided to get tricky. They took a couple of spin bikes out of the gym and hid them in Shay’s room. The four secretly worked out at night in the hopes of making the older team think they were slacking off. That was a questionable strategy. Sleep is important to health and fitness and they might have ended up exhausting themselves to the point of being counterproductive.
Bob arrived to take the group to a trapeze workout but first, he called aside Liz and Danny to do:
Product Placement Alert 2: for the Larabar - a healthy alternative to a snack bar. Liz got in trouble, though, because she immediately started chowing down on one instead of saving it for later. Bob commented that she really was an emotional eater.
Weigh In
Since Rudy had immunity he weighed in first. He lost 8 pounds for a total of 2.41%.
Shay lost 17 pounds for a total of 4.33%. She had lost exactly 100 pounds in 9 weeks setting a new BL record for female contestants.
Amanda lost 5 pounds for a total of 2.42%.
Rebecca lost 10 pounds for a total of 4.57%.
Danny lost 17 pounds for a total of 5.11%. He’d lost a total of 114 pounds.
Allen lost 10 pounds which, combine with his one pound advantage, totaled 4.35%.
Liz lost 12 pounds for a total of 5.50%.
Daniel lost just 5 pounds for a total of 1.92%. He was below the red line and heading home. He was actually one of the more composed people in the room. Rebecca was a mess and ran over to give him a hug.
Shay and Amanda were below the yellow line so it was a bad night all around for the young ones. Ali gave the group an hour to decide how to vote.
Shay tearfully told the group she wasn’t there to play a game. She was there so she could live. Amanda said she fought to be on the show and it was the first time she’d done something positive for herself.
In the elimination room poor Rebecca had to vote first. She said that she couldn’t vote to send home the person who originally chose her to be a teammate, so she wrote down Shay’s name. Allen voted for Shay because he felt she’d made great strides and had gained control. Danny voted for Amanda because he felt the person with the most to lose (Shay) should stay. Liz wrote Amanda’s name because she was playing the game and thought Amanda would get a good percentage at the next weigh in. That left it up to Rudy. He voted for Shay because she’d set and achieved a goal. Shay said she was OK because she was leaving with her word, integrity and a BL record.
In the “Where They Are Now” clip we learned that Shay has another goal. She wants to lose more than 212 pounds by the finale and set another BL record for most weight lost on the show. Daniel has now lost a total of 215 pounds over two seasons. We watched as he met up with his first teammate, David, who looks to be the same size he was when they both started. It was a little tough to watch because David is still a man in an unhealthy place. Losing weight just isn’t a priority. Daniel pledged to be there for him when he’s ready.
Next Week: It’s makeover time with Tim Gunn.
Full episodes and bonus clips of BL are available at NBC’s website here:
http://www.nbc.com/the-biggest-loser/video/
Aired 11-10-09
We opened with the encore dance. In a bit of a surprise, the judges didn’t choose Mya’s perfect scoring dance. Instead they went with the futuristic Paso Doble of Joanna & Derek. I’d have to agree. I loved Mya & Dmitry’s number but the Paso was the more memorable dance.
Audience Alert: Hugh Hefner and the new “Girls Next Door”. He’s not letting a cross promotional opportunity for Joanna’s Playboy issue pass him by.
In no particular order, hosts Tom Bergeron and Samantha Harris announced that the first couple safe to dance again was: Joanna Krupa & Derek Hough.
Musical Guest #1: Michael Buble singing “Haven’t Met You Yet” while Jonathan Roberts, Anna Trebunskaya, Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Cheryl Burke danced. Ah, Michael. Could you be any more adorable?
The next couple moving on to the semi-finals was: Mya & Dmitry Chaplin.
Dance Center is back!! This time around Kenny Mayne, Jerry Rice and Len Goodman were joined (briefly) by Stacy Keibler. Part one was pretty good. I especially like the comment about Donny being like a 3 year old on sugar.
Macy’s Stars of Dance: It was time for the “Design a Dance” audience creation. Sabrina Bryan danced the Paso Doble to “Eye of the Tiger” with, whom else, Mark Ballas. They may have moved on from their showmance but we haven’t. As the Salty Old Dog said to me, that little girl hit the dance floor with something to prove. She truly is one of the best dancers EVER on DWTS.
Michael Buble’s second song was “Feeling Good”. He was joined by a pair of dancers whose names I had to look up because they were a mouthful: Urs Geisenhainer and Agnes Kazmierczak.
The next couple safe was: Donny Osmond & Kym Johnson.
Musical Guest #2: Susan Boyle with “I Dreamed a Dream”. I’m still thoroughly enchanted by Susan. She looked so sweetly awkward in her backstage shots but so at home behind the microphone. Tony Dovolani and Chelsie Hightower danced and, it should be noted, the camera work and editing for the number was particularly good.
Dance Center Part Two: I was actually most surprised to learn that Mya is 5′9″. She doesn’t seem that tall. I also got a kick out of Kenny’s bit about thinking that Dmitry was one of the celebrities – and a soap star. Actually, he does kind of look like one.
The last two couples were Aaron Carter & Karina Smirnoff and Kelly Osbourne & Louis van Amstel. After a tortuous commercial break, we learned that Aaron & Karina were the couple leaving. Kelly looked shocked that she was staying and both Aaron & Karina looked like they saw their elimination coming. I felt bad. Aaron is the better dancer and he deserved to stay over Kelly – and I say that as someone who really, really likes Kelly. Head judge Len Goodman had asked for a chance to say something if Aaron was the one eliminated. He praised Aaron’s dedication and said that, if Aaron were his son, he’d be very proud of him. More importantly, though, Len wanted Aaron to be proud of himself. I know the kid has been teased for being emotional but you couldn’t blame him for getting choked up over that speech.
I didn’t have a great opinion of Aaron coming into DWTS but he changed my mind. I respect how he handled the criticism from the judges and the lack of support from the audience. Aaron’s young but he does seem to be growing up.
Full episodes of DWTS are available at ABC’s website here:
http://abc.go.com/watch/clip/dancing-with-the-stars/SH007473660000#sl-0
Aired 11-09-09
This week our remaining couples had to perform two individual dances – one Latin and one Ballroom. Plus, the Latin dances were based on the styles of specific decades from the 60’s to the future.
Ballroom Round
Mya & Dmitry Chaplin: This pair has made some choreography choices that haven’t gone over well with head judge Len Goodman. I’ve been putting the blame on Dmitry but, in the rehearsal clip, it was clear that Mya agrees with the way Dmitry has been putting together the dances. She was, however, getting a bit stressed during the week so we watched as Dmitry took Mya horseback riding. They performed a straightforward Quickstep and I couldn’t imagine how Len was going to find fault with it. Len began by saying he was very disappointed. As boos rained down on him, he smiled and said that he was disappointed because he couldn’t find anything to criticize. Finally!!! Bruno Tonioli likened the dance to vintage champagne. After you taste it nothing else will do. Carrie Ann Inaba said Mya made a difficult dance look easy. Scores: Carrie Ann – 9, Len – 10, Bruno – 10. Total = 29. Host Tom Bergeron declared Len to be an old softy.
Aaron Carter & Karina Smirnoff: Last week Aaron did really well with the judges’ scores but still ended up in the bottom three. He’s in a tough spot because it just doesn’t look like the fan support is there for him. Karina knew they were in jeopardy and, even though it was her turn to battle the flu, she kept going because she wasn’t going to have someone else dance with Aaron. Unfortunately this Foxtrot wasn’t the “wow” dance they needed. I thought Aaron looked stiff and uncomfortable. Bruno said he could see all the work that went into the dance but it didn’t have the ease of flow needed to sell it. Carrie Ann saw a lift and agreed that there was a loss of fluidity. Len said watching Aaron dance was like watching his son in a toy shop – there was excitement, joy and bewilderment. He was proud of how hard Aaron has worked. Len has definitely got a soft spot for this kid. Scores: Carrie Ann – 7, Len - 8, Bruno – 8. Total = 23.
Joanna Krupa & Derek Hough: This pair spent some time analyzing footage of Mya’s Ballroom dances. They see Mya as the strongest competitor and were looking to match the ease with which she dances. As for their Quickstep, the word quick doesn’t do it justice. Joanna was running all over that dance floor. Carrie Ann said there were a few out of sync moments but also a lot of content in their dance. Len said the dance lacked body contact and did not meet quarter-final standards. Bruno said it looked a bit like Joanna was running from the scene of a crime. He added it wasn’t one of her best dances. Scores: Carrie Ann – 8, Len – 7, Bruno – 8. Total = 23.
Kelly Osbourne & Louis van Amstel: Louis was at his wits’ end with Kelly’s short attention span so he took away all her distractions - like her phone and laptop. Kelly said she would have loved for Louis to have been wrong, but it actually did help her concentrate. I’d say it worked because their Foxtrot was fabulous. It had great personality and choreography and I think it was Kelly’s best dance so far. Len said Kelly’s footwork was a distraction but the rest of her was fantastic. Bruno called Kelly light and ethereal and Carrie Ann said Kelly’s secret weapon was how the audience responds to her breakthroughs. Scores: Carrie Ann – 8, Len – 8, Bruno – 9. Total = 25. I agreed with Bruno. That was definitely a 9 dance.
Donny Osmond & Kym Johnson: Donny confessed that he hit the wall last week with juggling all his obligations. He found he wasn’t having any fun. He told Kym that he was hitting the reset button and was looking at it as a whole new competition. Their Waltz was lovely. Kym’s choreography was exceptional and presented a sweet, grown-up, romance. Bruno said it was like watching a Lifetime movie. Carrie Ann called it mesmerizing and noted that Donny’s posture had improved. Len thought it was good, but a bit “arty, farty”. Scores: Carrie Ann – 9, Len - 8, Bruno – 9. Total = 26.
Latin
Mya & Dmitry: The couples drew their decade out of a hat and Mya & Dmitry got a 70’s style Samba. Dmitry was feeling a bit insecure saying that he was having choreographer’s block. If he did, it certainly didn’t show in this dance. His disco-inspired number was a lot of fun. Mya looked to be having the time of her life. And Dmitry? Well, he looked almost too comfortable in his 70’s porn star outfit, hair and mustache. Carrie Ann said she truly believes that Mya wants to win this competition. Len declared that Mya was on fire and called her hips “hypnotic.” Bruno launched into a full Bruno moment and, somewhere in the middle of it all, said Mya did a “mean Samba”. Scores: Carrie Ann – 10, Len – 10, Bruno – 10. Total = 30. It was a well deserved perfect score. Total for the night: 59.
Aaron & Karina: They got a 90’s style Samba. Aaron grew up in the 90’s so he had lots of ideas. Karina’s main job was keeping it all under control. It was lively, fun and a perfect homage to the era of the boy bands. It was the perfect kind of dance for Aaron. Len said it was tough to have to follow someone who gets a perfect score but he loved how Aaron came out and really sold his performance. Bruno said he thought it would be a disaster of a dance but it actually was quite good. Carrie Ann said she could see how Aaron has smoothed out all his rough edges and is now truly a great performer. Scores: Carrie Ann – 9, Len – 9, Bruno – 9. Total = 27. Total for the night: 50.
Joanna & Derek: They drew the toughest “period” dance – a futuristic Paso Doble. But, if anyone could come up with a clever dance under these circumstances, it would be Derek. He’s great with innovative steps and that ability was clear in this dance. It was inspired and really played to Joanna’s technical strength. Bruno called it a masterful reinvention of a classic and called Derek a “genius”. Carrie Ann said there was outstanding execution and Joanna never missed a step. Len agreed it was genius because it also contained real Paso choreography. Scores: Carrie Ann – 9, Len – 10, Bruno- 10. Total = 29. Total for the night: 52.
Kelly & Louis: Kelly was excited about getting a 60’s era Jive because she finally had some knowledge to bring to the dance. It is a favorite era for her. She did struggle in rehearsals, though, with the speed of the Jive. You could see some of that in the dance. Kelly was frequently just a little behind Louis. Len called Kelly a revelation. He thought the pressure would have eventually got to her but she has kept coming back stronger and stronger. Bruno said it was groovy and Carrie Ann thought it was one of Kelly’s best performances – although there were still a few technical issues. Scores: Carrie Ann – 8, Len – 9, Bruno – 9. Total = 26. Total for the night: 51.
Donny & Kym: Oh my. Donny really was in full Adam Ant mode for this 80’s Paso Doble. Donny & Kym’s look was great. Kym seemed to have come straight out of a Heart video and some moments were really clever. I laughed out loud at the wind machine. That was brilliant. But, overall, the 80’s and the Paso didn’t blend together. Most of it seemed forced. Len called it the most crazy, bizarre and scary Paso Doble he’d ever seen. It was like a cross between Adam Ant and Adam Carolla. Bruno said it had more camp in it than a drag queen convention. Carrie Ann thought it was hysterical but added that Donny’s costume interfered with some of his lines. Scores: Carrie Ann – 8, Len – 8, Bruno – 8. Total = 24. Total for the night: 50.
So the evening ended with Mya solidly in the lead with 59 and Aaron & Karina and Donny & Kym tied for last place with 50. This doesn’t bode well for Aaron.
Full episodes of DWTS are available at ABC’s website here:
http://abc.go.com/watch/clip/dancing-with-the-stars/SH007473660000#sl-0
Posted on November 18th, 2009 by Princess Kitty in
Amazing Race 
Aired 11-08-09
We picked up at the Pit Stop in Northern Holland. After the mandatory rest period, brothers Sam & Dan were the first to depart at 9:33PM. The teams had to fly to Stockholm, Sweden. Once there, they had to travel by train and ferry to the Tivoli Grona Lund amusement park and locate one of those demon drop-type rides. The brothers were excited to have a real first-place finish but they seemed in a crabby mood as they headed to the airport.
Dating couple, Meghan & Cheyne, were in 2nd place leaving at 9:48PM. They’ve been dating for over 4 years and Cheyne sees marriage in their future. He thinks their success so far in the race is a good indication of their compatibility. Harlem Globetrotters, Flight Time & Big Easy, followed at 10:32PM. It was Flight Time’s birthday and he wanted a victory.
Father and son team, Gary & Matt, were the 4th team to depart at 11:08PM. Gary’s now the oldest competitor in the race but Matt said he doesn’t seem like it. He’s always trying to keep up with his dad.
At the airport we found out there were two morning flights to Stockholm – one at 6:55AM and one at 9:25AM. Unfortunately the ticket counter didn’t open until 5:30AM so they settled in for a long wait.
The last team to depart was married couple, Brian & Ericka, at 1:38AM. They had a rough time during the last leg but persevered and made it through. Brian said that they’re excited to have the chance to show what a good team they make especially to Ericka’s mom who is still not comfortable with their interracial marriage.
Once the ticket counter opened, Meghan & Cheyne, Sam & Dan and Flight Time & Big Easy got tickets for the 6:55AM flight. Gary & Matt and Brian & Ericka were stuck on the later one.
In Stockholm, the first three teams made a dash to buy train tickets. Meghan & Cheyne and Sam & Dan made the first train but Flight & Easy had trouble with the ticket machine and had to catch the next one. The brothers and the dating couple had some success working together on the last leg and that continued at the amusement park. The next clue instructed them to have one team member ride the demon drop. While going up they had to look around for an arrow pointing them in the direction of the next clue. Cheyne and Sam helped each other find the arrow.
They quickly got to that next clue and found they had to play a ring toss game. In a plug for Travelocity, they had to toss a ring on to a cone. If the cone was covering a Travelocity gnome, they’d get the next clue on the bottom of the gnome. They would also have to carry the gnome with them for the rest of the leg. Both teams had no trouble getting a gnome. The next clue was a Detour.
Detour
The choice was between “Nobel Dynamite” and “Viking Alphabet”. In “Nobel Dynamite” the teams had to fill sandbags to create a protective bunker at a rock quarry. They then had to set off an explosion to unearth a box containing the next clue. In “Viking Alphabet”, the teams had to decode a message using the ancient Viking alphabet. Not a single team wanted to do that. They all wanted to blow stuff up.
Flight had to do the demon drop because it had a height limitation of 6′4″ and Big Easy was just too big. Flight had no trouble finding the arrow.
The other flight finally arrived and this time it was Gary & Matt who missed the first train out. Brian & Ericka’s luck seemed to be improving. Ericka easily found the arrow. About 15 minutes later, Matt was on the ride and also found the arrow on the first try.
The three leading teams arrived at the dynamite detour at the same time. We were then treated to a long scene of Meghan yelling at Cheyne. She wanted help and encouragement and for him to work with her but, mostly, she just seemed to want to yell his name over and over again. I like Meghan but she seriously needed a sedative.
The brothers were the first ones done with their bunker and happily set off their explosion. The next clue sent them to Bogs Gard Farm. The Globetrotters quickly followed them. It didn’t seem like Meghan & Cheyne were all that far behind but Meghan was still quite agitated.
Meanwhile, Gary & Matt fell further behind as they got lost looking for the rock quarry.
The brothers were the first to the farm and found the next clue. It was a Roadblock.
Roadblock
In a race “switchback”, one member of each team had to unroll hay bales in search of one of seven flags. In a previous season, one team searched for 10 hours and unrolled over 100 bales but never found their clue. The farm was also the Pit Stop so, once a team found a flag, it was just a short jog to Phil and the mat. Sam took the challenge and Dan “helped” by screaming at him nonstop. And I do mean nonstop.
Meghan & Cheyne arrived and, unbelievably, Cheyne didn’t volunteer to do the challenge. He just stood there when Meghan asked him. Finally she said, “Fine, I’ll do it ’cause you don’t want to do it.” Maybe she did have reason to yell at him. This was clearly a physically demanding challenge and, while Meghan’s an athletic woman, Cheyne certainly has more upper body strength. He said he didn’t do it because Meghan seemed to be “taking the lead” on the leg but, frankly, it looked like he wussed out. Between these two teams, this was one cranky roadblock. The mood didn’t even get lighter when Big Easy joined in.
Brian & Ericka blew up their box ahead of Gary & Matt but it seemed the father and son had made up some time.
Sam & Dan continued their screaming match and I think at one point Sam flipped his brother off. I couldn’t blame him. Dan was taking obnoxious to a new level. Meanwhile, Easy was the first to find a flag. He and Flight Time checked in and host Phil Keoghan informed them they’d won a trip for two to Turks and Caicos. It was a good birthday present for Flight Time.
Brian & Ericka arrived and, sensibly, Brian did the challenge. Gary & Matt were right behind and Gary began searching as Sam & Dan were still fighting and Meghan dissolved into tears. Eventually the light bulb flickered on for Dan and he realized what a jerk he was being.
Meghan was the next to find a flag and decided to psych out Cheyne by running to him screaming that she couldn’t do it anymore. He thought it was the funniest thing ever.
Meghan & Cheyne checked in 2nd. Cheyne said he was overwhelmed with pride at how Meghan performed.
Brian was the next to find a flag and he and Ericka checked in 3rd place.
Sam was next and he and Dan checked in 4th. Dan broke down saying that he wasn’t proud of the way he behaved.
Gary kept plugging away and, as the sun appeared to be setting, he found a flag. Phil informed the pair that they were the last team but – it was a non-elimination leg. They would survive to race another day. Matt said his dad was Superman and never gave up.
Next Week: We discover that Matt doesn’t know what a candelabra is and things get tense between the brothers and the Trotters.
Full episodes and bonus clips of TAR are available at CBS’ website here:
http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race/video/
Aired 11-03-09
Immediately after the teary exit of the beloved Abby, host Alison Sweeney met with both teams for a big announcement. She told them that obesity was an epidemic in the US and, for the next week, they were going to have to do all they could to help their fellow Americans live happier and healthier lives. To start off, they were heading to Washington, D.C.
The first thing our remaining contestant noticed about their trip was that they no longer needed extenders for the seatbelts on the plane. We also got a subtle:
Product Placement Alert 1: Daniel telling us how wonderful Jet Blue is with their little TVs and ample leg room.
At the Jefferson Memorial, they all met up with Ali and trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels. Ali shared that they’ll be speaking to some senators about their journey and visiting the White House during their visit. Bob was brimming with pride saying this truly validated their show. Ali also announced that the teams were done and they would be going forward as individuals. They put back on the colors they started in.
Pop Challenge
Alison informed the group that, in a couple of hours, Bob and Jill would be holding a public workout at the Washington Monument. Their challenge was to get as many people as possible to attend. Ali was vague about the prize, but said the person who gathered the most participants would get a huge advantage at the weigh in. Plus they’ll take all their participants to:
Product Placement Alert 2: Subway!
They hit the streets handing out stickers in their personal color. Amanda had some early success when she ran into a group of young girls who recognized her from last season’s finale. They donned their stickers and walked through the streets chanting her name. Unfortunately for Amanda, the group ran into Daniel … and they loved him. He got a bunch of them to replace their Pink Amanda stickers with his Orange ones.
Allen realized his success would come from calling out to his fellow firefighters. His brothers responded in big numbers. It came down to Allen and Liz for the victory. Liz had used motherly (and in some cases grandmotherly) guilt to get people to show up and it worked. Liz won the mystery prize and a trip for her group to Subway for dinner.
The contestants met with Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (NY) and Robert Casey (PA). I think it was a bit like preaching to the choir as it was clear these two were already concerned with the obesity issue - particularly childhood obesity. Daniel spoke with a great deal of authority on that subject. Jillian also made a plea for Americans to be more aware of what is in processed foods.
Challenge
The prize for this week’s challenge was immunity at the weigh in. It was setup in four phases with the first taking place at Constitution Gardens. They had to run two laps around the lake which equaled one mile. That started the waterworks for Tracey as she recalled collapsing and being hospitalized after the mile run on day one of the season. As the winner of the Pop Challenge, Liz got a pass allowing her to skip one of the first three phases – but Ali wasn’t going to tell what the other phases were. Liz opted to run the mile and save the pass. The top six finishers out of the nine total would move to phase two. Those six were Rebecca, Daniel, Allen, Amanda, Rudy and Liz.
Phase two was at the Watergate Steps. They had to transport pennies from halfway up the steps to the top and fill a container. Liz chose to sit this one out. Rudy and his giant hands finished first followed by Daniel. Only one more person could move on and it came down to a battle between Allen and Rebecca. Rebecca won by a hair.
Phase three was at the Capitol Building. The remaining four had to stand on a narrow ledge while holding a Pilates ball over their heads. Rudy and Rebecca won and headed to the final phase.
Phase four was outside the gates of the White House. Two step up boxes were attached to monitors. The first person to take 206 steps would win. The 206 stood for the total number of BL contestants who have appeared on the show so far. Rebecca slowly built up a lead and won immunity.
Now that the teams were done, the contestants were back to working with both trainers. Bob was reunited with his favorite this season – Amanda. Together they did:
Product Placement Alert 3: for Extra Sugar Free Gum.
The next day the group got their visit to the White House. They met with Assistant White House Chef Sam Kass. They picked vegetables out of Michelle Obama’s garden and used the produce to prepare a salad in the White House kitchen.
Bob expressed concern during the last chance workout that the numbers would be low this week. It happens every time they go on vacation. Meanwhile Jillian finally got her hands on Tracey. Jill flat-out stated that she’s never liked Tracey because of all the game playing. She wanted to get through to Tracey about what BL is really all about. Jill thought she saw signs of a breakthrough.
Weigh In
The weigh in took place at the Lincoln Memorial. They weighted in as individuals and the two with the lowest percent of weight loss would fall below the yellow line. Rebecca went first since she had immunity. She lost 4 pounds for a total of 1.79%.
Shay lost 9 pounds for a total of 2.24%. She was finally out of the 400’s.
Tracey lost 3 pounds for a total of 1.52%. She was very disappointed.
Daniel lost 11 pounds for a total of 4.04%. It was about time! He’s been having a run of bad weigh ins.
Allen lost 9 pounds for a total of 3.44%.
Danny lost 12 pounds for a total of 3.48%. He’s lost 97 pounds so far.
Rudy lost 9 pounds for a total of 2.64%. He was less than thrilled. He had become used to the double digit drops.
Liz lost just 3 pounds for a total of 1.36%. She was disappointed – but not surprised.
Amanda lost 7 pounds for a total of 3.27%. It was her biggest weekly drop. Bob was especially thrilled.
Tracey & Liz were up for elimination. It was clearly time for some chickens to come home to roost. Liz made a rather lukewarm plea to stay. She didn’t like asking for help. I also think she was upset with herself and, maybe, was struggling with whether or not she deserved to stay. Shay didn’t like the lack of fight. It made her think Liz didn’t want to be there anymore. Tracey, on the other hand, was very teary and desperate. Daniel called her out a bit on her gameplay but Tracey swore she wanted to be there for the right reasons now.
At the elimination vote, Amanda led off with a vote for Tracey. She said it was because of previous betrayals. Shay voted for Liz because she couldn’t get past her lack of passion. Danny said his vote was obvious. He’s super-close to Liz so he had to vote for Tracey. Daniel also voted for Tracey. Rebecca went next and said she was voting for Tracey because she just didn’t know what Tracey was going to do next. Tracey was done and it was about time. I’ll give her credit – she was much more gracious and self-aware about the situation than I ever would have guessed.
Tracey got a pretty spectacular “Where They Are Now” clip. She returned home on a helicopter and was greeted by a large crowd including her husband and four kids. She really seems to have a loving family. Perhaps she’s just one of those people for whom competition brings out their dark side? She looks fantastic now. You could really see the difference since she left the show. She reran that first, infamous, mile at the beach. She did it to show her family how much she’s accomplished. The graphic at the end showed that she’s lost 85 pounds so far and is training for a full marathon in December.
Next Week: It’s a double elimination!
Full episodes and bonus clips of BL are available at NBC’s website here:
http://www.nbc.com/the-biggest-loser/video/
Aired 11-03-09
It’s the second week of double eliminations. There’s no way around it – tonight’s gonna hurt.
We opened with the encore dance. To no one’s surprise it was the Team Tango dance. This time around there seemed to have been more nervous energy. That may have been the difference between performing at the beginning of a show as opposed to at the end when they’re all exhausted. It was still a great dance.
We started off the results with co-hosts Tom Bergeron and Samantha Harris announcing the first couple safe and the first couple in the bottom three:
Kelly Osbourne & Louis van Amstel: Safe
Mark Dacascos & Lacey Schwimmer: Bottom Three
Musical Guest #1: Colbie Caillat performed “Fallin’ for You” as Alec Mazo and Edyta Sliwinska danced. Alec & Edyta were their typical, ridiculously hot, selves.
More results followed:
Donny Osmond & Kym Johnson: Safe
Michael Irvin & Anna Demidova: Bottom Three
Musical Guest #2: Ballas Hough (as in Mark Ballas and Derek Hough) with a song called “Move”. I was kind of surprised when Tom referred to them as just Ballas Hough (as opposed to The Ballas Hough Band) but then I saw that the Band was nowhere in sight. This song wasn’t really my thing. It was too techno for me.
Tom and Samantha announced the status of the remaining three couples:
Mya & Dmitry Chaplin: Safe
Joanna Krupa & Derek Hough: Safe
Aaron Carter & Karina Smirnoff: Bottom Three
Musical Guest #3: Rod Stewart performing “It’s the Same Old Song”. I’m always surprised by how well Rod’s raspy rocker voice works with so many musical styles.
We next got the fate of the bottom three. Michael & Anna were going home first. That meant the dance-off would be between Mark & Lacey and Aaron & Karina. Michael was as classy as he could be. I really like that man.
Mark & Lacey: They chose to do the Cha Cha. Wow! They pulled out all the stops for this number. Mark did all his flips and kicks. I think the best compliment I can give them was that I was really disappointed when it was over. Head judge Len Goodman said Mark was back to his best. Bruno Tonioli announced that Mark could turn more tricks than Heidi Fleiss. Mark & Lacey’s reaction to that was priceless. Carrie Ann Inaba agreed that Mark was back in top form and added the he moved effortlessly between the dance and the tricks.
Aaron & Karina: Whew! You go, Aaron! It was a great style choice for them to stick with the Jive. Aaron was simply on fire with it. Bruno stated he couldn’t believe that Aaron was even in this kind of situation. Carrie Ann thought this Jive was even better than Monday night. Len called Aaron the comeback kid.
The judges sounded really torn and said both couples did great but, in the end, they chose to save Aaron & Karina. I thought Aaron’s reaction to the news was very interesting. Karina immediately jumped for joy but Aaron seemed more concerned with acknowledging Mark. It wasn’t until after he hugged Mark and Lacey that he even smiled. This is a competition but you can really tell how attached these people get to each other. Mark talked about the bond they’ve all developed. I got a little misty eyed when Mark called Lacey “my dancer” and when Lacey commented on how happy she was that they got to dance together one more time. The poor guy had a rough week but he certainly went out on a high note.
Full episodes of DWTS are available at ABC’s website here:
http://cdn.abc.go.com/watch/clip/dancing-with-the-stars/SH007473660000
