I was watching at a friend's last night and found myself thinking throughout "I wonder what they'll think of this on MN?"
My take.
Tilly was okay but a little dull.
AJ left me hugely disappointed but only hugely because she's so damn good and that Paso could have been so much better. The fact that she's at the bottom of the leader board is a travesty.
Dan. What he did was an average foxtrot (I could be wrong and it might not have been a foxtrot American Smooth but that's what it looked like to me). It didn't have any of the delights of an American smooth and while the first lift was okay, I was gobsmacked that none of the judges brought up the second lift which was awful. He looked like a coalman hefting a bag of coal over his shoulder. I do agree with Motsi that it was his best dance in the competition so far, but that's damning with faint praise because his other dances have just not been that good. Craig's 4 was unfair but Anton's 9 was a joke. I thought it should get 6s and 7s. Dan is continually overmarked and enough already. His little speech made me want to do a bit of sick in my mouth. Almost certainly not what he intended but it felt as if he was saying that he's a true non-dancer and other celebs have danced previously so, they're not what the show is all about. Think before engaging mouth, Mr Walker.
Rhys and Amy! Oh, my living days! I really did wonder if the anti-Rhys feelings hereabouts would mean lots of people saying "Well it was okay but ..." really glad that on the whole, it didn't. I didn't notice any of the errors that others seem to have. I thought it was magnificent and thoroughly deserved the marks it got. It wasn't better than AJ's last week but it was as good (for me). She was robbed of the extra point last week because Craig is both a wonderful judge and a really strange one at times.
Sara, better than expected, actually far better than expected but it was never going to be a show stopper. I liked it for what it was which was not bad at all for a woman who was - yet again- badly done for by the costume department.
Tom and Amy. I felt for them getting a Viennese waltz in a week when everyone else was getting a more engaging dance. I thought it was pretty decent and because I don't have the Tom dislike I rather enjoyed it but knew he was nowhere near as good as he was last week with that really very good Paso.
JJ, Too much and not enough. I was surprised it got 10s because I really didn't think it deserved them but I'm not a judge so shut my mouth and whatever. Johannes was too much and John was good but not enough. They threw in a bit of Danny Mac which was ... well you just don't do that when Danny Mac and Oti pulled off the best Samba SCD has ever seen and probably ever will.
Rose and Gio. The moments of silence - I wondered if that might be the special bit - moved me to near tears. It was beautiful. They're beautiful. It was a stunning representation to those of us who have no idea what it is to be in (near) silence. I adore them and what they have brought to the show more than words can fully express.