Season 8 Top 14 Results Thoughts and Discussion
Here’s a space for my live thoughts on tonight’s results episode and also YOUR comments.
I loooved the Top 14 Bollywood routine by Nakul. It had so much passion and was one of the best Bollywood routines lately. It kinda reminded me of the routine Season 7 did on tour, actually. Anybody else reminded of that routine? I loved seeing Caitlynn and Rickey front and center at the end. I kept noticing Caitlynn and Ashley throughout.
Travis is adorable in a tux and even more so when he says with surprise and excitement, “I didn’t do a bad job yesterday!” Cute. No, Travis, you didn’t do a bad job at all. You’re welcome on the judging panel whenever you want, as far as I’m concerned. Only, I’m glad to hear you’re working with the dancers next week. Whooo hooo!
Maybe it’s mean-spirited of me, but I’m kinda glad Carmen Electra’s not on the panel tonight. I don’t think she added anything to last night’s show, personally.
And, a spoiler space for the first of the results…
When I saw my two favorite couples pulled out first, I was relatively confident that both Melanie & Marko and Caitlynn & Mitchell would be safe. I was a little worried, of course, because strange things are known to happen at the Top 14 and Top 12 eliminations, but I was both unsurprised and relieved to see that they are both safe. Cat cracked me up saying that there were “gorilla hugs down there,” as the safe dancers celebrated. Melanie jumped up on Mitchell and they were having a face-to-face conversation. lol
Next, they called up my Bottom 3, so I knew I couldn’t be 100% correct on that one, though I had strong suspicions on how it was going to turn out. Sure enough Ashley & Chris and Jordan & Tadd are in danger and Clarice & Jess are safe. I thought Cat was a little mean actually when she said to Ashley & Chris, “We already knew you weren’t Shakira.” I don’t think they appreciated her joke. 🙂
When it came down to Sasha & Alexander and Ryan & Rickey, I had a feeling it was going to go against R & R again. Ryan seems to have really lost favor in the last few weeks. I just hope they make it to the Top 10 so we can see them dance with different people. I think they’d be great. However, with Ashley & Chris in the Bottom 3, I was relatively confident the judges would send them home and keep R & R at least another week.
Looooved the Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, especially that one guy with the HUGE thighs who was lifting everybody. 😉 They were incredibly, though.
After Ashley’s solo, I texted my mom and said, “That’s not gonna save her.” She hasn’t shown an inch of growth in her solos, which tend to be the flatest and least interesting.
Chris killed it. You could see him fighting, but I suspected it wasn’t enough.
Jordan’s solo was sexy and athletic and better than Ashley’s, but didn’t really demonstrate anything different than her other solos during Vegas and in the Bottom 3.
Tadd however slaughtered his solo. So good! After he danced, I knew Chris was toast. Or at least, I had a strong suspicion.
I really liked Ryan’s solo. It showed all the things I love about her dancing and I could feel her reaching, trying to stretch herself.
Rickey’s solo was wonderful as well. I really hoped that he and Ryan had done enough to save themselves.
LOOOOVE Florence & the Machine, so of course I loved their performance of “Cosmic Love.” I just wished there’d been some dancing… especially since “Cosmic Love: has been used for a routine before on the show.
Nigel nailed it when he said that the dancers in the Bottom 3 need to start showing different sides of themselves, they need to show how much the experience is teaching them. I was even more sure then that Ashley & Chris were going home. I thought it was interesting that Nigel said Travis especially likes Rickey and wants to work with Tadd. But, I can see how he would be interested in those dancers. Just thought it was interesting that he outted Travis for pulling for them.
So, it wasn’t surprising when Ashley & Chris were cut and it was the best possible outcome for me. However, it sucked to see how sad they were. I hope we see them back on the show in some capacity down the line.
The Top 12/10 cut is going to be TOUGH! What do y’all think?
It is going to be very tough going from the 12 to ten level. In the past making the 12 could mean tour, since they took the top ten plus two “swing” dancers. With the transition to the All-star format at the ten level, who knows who will go on tour? (Except maybe Nigel.)
Tonight’s elimination was pretty much a foregone conclusion dating back to last week, when perhaps the two tonight should have gone. Once Nigel threw them under the bus with his first comments, it really was a lock for them to leave. However, Chris and Ashley’s solos were not up to the level of the other four, not even close in Ashley’s case.
Next week half the group will be in the bottom three, and it will be hard to see anyone go. So much depends on the dance drawn and the choreography. Look what that Mandy Moore routine, superbly danced, did for Caitlynn and Mitchell.
Man… I liked Chris, but this was the right elimination. Clear that Ashley needed to go home, and well, Chris was just the weakest of the boys. I was tearing up as all the girls were crying – look at Jordan! Full waterworks. Ok… Don’t get me wrong, I love Florence & the Machine, but what was up with her singing? I felt almost as if it was like an autotune microphone and things were going terribly wrong. My ears must be deceiving me. Oh and Emily, maybe Nigel noted that Travis was vouching for Tadd and Rickey so that next week there wouldn’t be any… hard feelings, you know? So that they know that Travis was behind them. Oh and did you see Sasha when they announced Ashley? So tortured 🙁
what was the song that was played when ashley was sent home?
@Lee: Agreed.
@Emily: That’s a good way of looking at Nigel’s comments. I didn’t see Sasha’s face specifically, but I noticed the concern in general as the safe dancers rushed up to the stage to comfort Ashley & Chris.
@courtney: All of tonight’s music is here: https://puresytycd.com/2011/07/07/sytycd-season-8-top-14-results-music/
Did anyone else notice that Chris didn’t even dance the opening routine? Totally loved Travis, but did think it strange that Nigel said cited Travis’s comments….hmmmmm can we say awkward?
Oop sorry…didnt mean to hit button twice, my bad.
I’m sorry. Chris should have gone home but Ashley was never given the chance to step out of his ball and chain. What’s more they were repeatedly given routines far outside their comfort zones whereas the other performers haven’t really been challenged. As for Ryan, it’s clear that the public just don’t like her. The judges are doing what they did with Comfort, where they buoyed her until the end and she was ousted not once but twice.
I definitely noticed that Chris was not in the opening group routine… Hmm…
As for next week’s cuts, I predict that Alexander will be cut (unless Sasha puts the team on her back again).
As for the elimination of the girls, that’s a tough one to call. For me, the weakest 3 girls are Jordan, Ryan, and Clarice. I think the elimination will depend completely on their performances and solos next week.
I’m glad I’m not the only one that noticed that Chris was curiously absent during the opening group routine. I wonder what happened?
The results, like others have been saying, weren’t that shocking. I’ve thought that at least Ashley should have gone home at least two weeks ago and Chris showed us that he couldn’t handle ballroom, similar to what happened with Wadi. Definitely the least shocking elimination of the season.
What was shocking to me though was Ryan and Ricky landing in the bottom instead of Sasha and Alexander. If anyone has listened to the podcasts I posted, or have read my previous comments, I haven’t been a fan of Ryan. I’ve been frustrated by her difficultly with character interpretation and nervous grin (at least, that’s how it came across to me). So I was pleasantly surprised when she completely threw herself into the character and tone of Chucky Klapow’s choreography. I’ve been wanting her to prove me wrong and she finally did this week. Hopefully she can carry what she did this week into next week. If she does, then her journey will definitely mirror Kayla’s from season 5 (who was also generally unpopular until mid-season), as Top 12 week was the “Gravity” piece with Kupono. I’m crossing my fingers.
fabulous group routine! loved loved loved it. I’m not really surprised by the bottom 3, I don’t know why they were all so shocked by Ryan and Rickey, Sasha and Alexander have never been in the bottom, and I think R&R being there is more of a reflection of Ryan, unfortunately. She is just not connecting to the audience. Even tonight, her moves did NOT match the music. Thrashing about when the song really required smooth powerful movements. I LOVED Tadd’s solo and Rickey’s too, gosh that boy is all legs!
Not surprised to see Ashley and Chris go home, it was their time, the tears were tough to watch though.
Is this the longest they’ve ever gone without splitting up couples via elimination? A whole month without any new pairings? Anyone know?
12 to 10 is going to be brutal, I really just don’t know!!
I’m hoping that next week we’ll see Clarice and Alexander go. I really really like Alexander, but I just feel like he’d be the best to go. However… finding Sasha and Alexander in the bottom will probably be hard. So I don’t know… And definitely didn’t notice that Chris wasn’t in the group routine.
I’m posting again to ask if anyone was kind of just like… alright Nigel when he didn’t really say anything about Ryan. He just kinda blew through her to get to Ashley.
Saw the writing on the wall for Ashley and Chis. It is unfortuante that Ashley was not able to shine, not due to her talent but because of the dance styles selected and her partner. All of the judges have expressed “their favorites” so it will be interesting to see how the eliminations will go in the future weeks. Tadd may have not been chosen because “Tavis wants to work with him next week”. Even though in my opinion, Chris had a better performance. Hope all the dances realize as they are elimnated that they are all winners! Wonderful talent this season, enjoying every minute.
I’m in the minority, apparently, but I liked Chris’ solo much better than Tadd’s. (Although I still agreed with the decision to send him home.)
After how bad he did in Wednesday’s group number, I wonder if he was held out of the Bollywood because he couldn’t cut it? I seem to recall them doing that with Chbeeb a few season’s ago.
Did my homework and notice the dancing style given, make your own conclusions….
Ryan and Ricky- hip hop, jazz, contemporary, jazz
Melanie and Marko- contemporary, jazz, hip hop, jazz
Sasha and Alexander- contemporary, hip hop, contemporary, hip hop
Caitlyn and Mitchell- jazz, contemporary, ballroom, contemporary
Clarice and Jess- Broadway, contemporary, ballroom, contemporary
Jordan and Tadd- African jazz, ballroom, hip hop, ballroom
Ashley and Chris- hip hop, Broadway, jazz, salsa
I’m glad I wasn’t the only one who noticed only 6 boys out there. Since there was zero talk of an injury, it had to be that he couldn’t get the routine, right? Despite the fact that his solo was stronger than Tadd’s, his group performance on Wed was really weak, and he didn’t dance the group number tonight. Judges really had no choice, imo.
I adore Ashley, but she really didn’t “bring” it in her solos, unfortunately. And I think Ryan and Rickey were utterly shocked by being in the bottom–especially when paired with Sasha and Alexander (after their poor judging comments). But with that said, I thought the judges were wrong in their comments on Sasha and Alexander’s routine. I really enjoyed the hip hop style that they were given and their execution, and I suppose America did too.
Top 12/10 elimination next week is going to be BRUTAL. These kids are really close this season and it’s hurting their hearts to say goodbye. You can see it and feel it along with them.
Okay, I gotta lol, here: Jordan and her love affair with her right leg. It’s a well-earned love, but I wait the entire solo to see if she ever gives the left leg a chance.
Another vote saying that Chris’ solo was really good–but he was pretty much set to go. I notice he’s been in the background for most of the group routines.
(And absent in the top 14 routine)
The opening Bollywood was good precisely because it was a GROUP routine. The style inherently works much better with big groups than with a couple.
I’m so over Jordan’s random grab-bag of moves she calls a solo, but based on overall performance for the season thus far it really was Ashley’s time to go.
1. I agree Ryan is losing favor. I honestly think it had a lot to do with the fact that her segment wasn’t about family but yet about the experience she’d had and came off as bragging.
2. Did anyone else notice Chris fall down as the dancers came on stage at the end? Also, he didn’t have any final words. What happened?
I don’t think it’s very fair to say that Chris brought Ashley down. If she were as good as everyone has said, why were her solos so bad? I thought Chris’s solo was better than Tadd’s, all Tadd did was that one handed trick for most of his solo, while Chris showed way more variety. His tears broke my little heart!
And in the back of my mind, I keep seeing how far Jose got last season, and it makes me mad that Chris, who is a million times better, got cut so early. But that’s not really here nor there since we are in such different competition this season. It’s hard to let him go though! Waaaa!
Sorry for the rant, just needed to get that out…who to root for now? I need help guys!
I kinda think Chris got robbed tonight. While I agree, he was one of the weaker dancers and his partnership with Ashley left a little to be desired, they always preface the dance for your life with the fact that that is how the judges will decide to keep the dancers or cut them. Obviously complete B.S. because if it was based on that alone, Tadd would have gone home without a second thought. His solo was a disgrace.
I was happy this week because I knew Ashley and Chris were going, and I like them okay, but it was their time. I started out liking Ryan, she fell out of favor the first few weeks, but I think she is really improving on her characters now. I think she suffered from getting a weird Zombie number that not everyone can relate to (myself included). Sasha and Alexander got worse critisism but had a cutsey hiphop that more people like plus their popularity coming into it, so people might have voted for them regardless of how they danced. I’m just glad Caitlynn and Mitchell nailed it. Love them!
@Morgan–just to clarify, they don’t just take into consideration dance for your life. They make it very clear that it’s everything up to that point (Nigel has said it multiple points this season alone) and the group routine the night before (Cat said this on Wednesday–that the judges wouldn’t comment on the routines but would use them when making their decisions).
So it’s not all that surprising…
I’m suspecting that zombie routines are becoming the kiss of death! Wasn’t there one last year that had the dancer(s) eliminated the next night? How odd to have two so far this season. I guess it was just a case of two choreographers thinking alike.
I read somewhere that the reason Chris wasn’t in the Bollwood routine was that he was sick in some way. Which I guess could have been an extra weight on the scales that tipped toward his getting cut.
Well, im in the minority that actually LOVED Tadd’s solo… Even though it was a little boring at the end.
I was soooo happy with the girls left in the bottom yesterday, and i wouldnt of cared at all who went, even though i knew it was going to be Ashley.
Next week i hope they get rid of Jordan (or Ryan) and… Tadd? im not sure about the boys, i like them all though…
@Emily, you mentioned Florence sounded like she was singing through an autotune microphone and I definitely heard that too. That natural raw quality to her voice wasn’t there and it was kind of marbly and zingy, like autotuners sound.
And I aggree with everyone, it was Chris + Ashley’s week to go :/
I read that Chris was dehydrated and ordered by the doctors to take a day off, and that day happened to be the day the other learned the group routine. Hence he couldn’t perform with them at the performance day. http://uk.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with_kristin/b251125_live_you_think_you_can_dance.html
I’m sad to see him go though I knew he wouldn’t win 🙁
I always cringe whenever I hear the choreographer say “this is the hardest routine I’ve every choreographed” I just think, do they literally mean that? They are giving harder choreography to these two kids who have never done the salsa than to people who are trained to do it? I sincerely hope they just mean hardest they’ve choreographed on the show. I just feel the judges should take that into consideration too, when a choreography makes that sort of statement.
Personally I don’t feel any of the girls danced for their life, and all guys did fairly equally.
@NC – I felt sick and unbalanced during Jordan’s solo. I was soooo glad when Nigel called her out on her ridiculous repetitive leg trick. She does it every time (tho this time was major overkill), and I too am sick of her throwing her leg up, then rolling around on the ground like a stripper. Also really noticed then how Rickey was able to do amazing tricks on EITHER one of his legs. I felt much more balanced during that one 🙂
p.s. sorry for the late comments, hulu doesn’t post the show until the following monday/tuesday after it is aired.