Strictly '22 #16 — Twice the dances, twice the drama, triple the paso dobles... its the semi-finals!

[PolkadotsAndMoonbeams]

Previous thread here.

Remember as always this is a SPOILER-FREE THREAD.

Apologies if this has already been mentioned but which of the two dances do the couples do in the dance off? Is it always the second one?

I'm pretty sure that each couple can choose which dance to do in the dance-off, so they get changed back into the costume from their first dance if they want to. Only Hamza would realistically want to do that this time, and he's not going to be in the dance-off anyway.

Specifically I think they stand in the spotlights on the results show dressed in the costume of their chosen dance-off dance.

Just hope Will gets booted out tomorrow, would be so funny to see his rage!

I really hope will gets through and hamza
molly and fleur leave me cold
like Helen but want hamza to win

Hamza will be top with the voting public, so let's assume he has 10 points already.

If Will is next popular then his maximum score will be 5. We could potentially have a scenario where Molly is last , Fleur second to last and Helen 3rd in the public vote so that they all score 5. Which has priority? Position in leaderboard or public vote?

Molly and Fleur for the dance pf for me.

And of it is on tonight’s performances, it should be bye Fleur.

I don’t know if it was the music or whatnot but all I saw was stomp and posturing. It just wasn’t for me.

@xsquared I think it's the public vote that counts over the leaderboard but could be wrong.

I think I'll go check digital spy. I'm guessing that it will probably be Will out but I hope that somehow it isn't. If he's in the dance off and it came to a deciding vote Shirley would definitely boot him.

Thank goodness.

That's right, the one more popular with the public gets the higher score in that case.

In that case, then Molly and Fleur may well be in the dance off together. That is if Will is more popular than Helen.

Not happening.

As much as I want it to be Fleur v Molly.

Wills biggest problem with the dance off is Shirley has already made it clear she doesn't want will in the final. That means he needs all the other three judges to vote for him, cos she has the deciding vote if it's all square.

Tbh Shirley's inconsistency has wound me up all season. And Motsi is predictable as hell voting up her very obvious favs and it doesn't seem to be based on performance at all. Anton votes up people to be nice, but he is at least fair and consistent with it. Same for Craig really (except equally fair on criticism)

Yes I think Motsi has her favourites,she’s making it obvious this year, wish she could give tips she’s gone back to praising everyone for everything routine, some chat about you could improve on xyz would be more helpful.
I wasn’t that keen on Fleurs paso liked her Charleston a bit better but she can be ungainly in her lifts.
Helen is good but wish she would let her head neck and shoulders go a bit looser, it always seems a bit rigid which makes the dancing look stiff at times. That’s why she suited the Fosse style of dance which was her best dance but it needs to be looser in the other dances.
Jowitas and Hamzas lifts are extraordinary! She is an amazing dancer but obviously feels v safe with Hamza to attempt them in the first place.

It is definitely going to be Fleur and Molly in the DO. Will has never been in it and Fleur wasnt good enough last night to save herself. Molly was but it won't matter since Will brought in the family weeping.

i wish they would get some new judges, keep craig but bin motsi . she just waffles and Anton just needs to say pickled walnuts and he would be Len.

I don't think we can say either way (there's no spoiler so only the people who were there actually know).

It seems extremely likely based on past form that Fleur and Molly have the least support. But Will can only escape the dance-off if he gets more votes than either Hamza or Helen: a much bigger ask.

Since none of Will, Hamza or Helen have ever been in the dance-off we don't know which of them has the most support - and even if we knew how much support they normally have, we don't know how much extra underdog support Will might have got from being bottom of the leaderboard.

I'd have thought that Helen and Hamza were hoovering up the votes with Will a strong third, which would put him in the DO. But that's only a guess.

DH made an interesting comment. He said "why is Will not allowed to cry? Because he's a white working class bloke? Are blokes banned from crying?"

He's baffled by the number of comments saying will was faking to get votes.

Tbh it's typical of Mellor. It's not remotely out of character.

The others have all cried at some stage. But when Will does it he's crying in the wrong way?

It would be tough at this stage for any of them to have a bit of a mare of a semi and I'm sure there will be tears for whoever goes.

I saw some terrible comments on threads about Will crying the week he did the dance for his dad. Isn't he allowed to be emotional?

DH made an interesting comment. He said "why is Will not allowed to cry? Because he's a white working class bloke? Are blokes banned from crying?"

It isn't because people have complained about everyone cry not regardless of sex/colour/class. Alexandra Burke springs to mind.

I did note that it has been perfectly acceptable for Helen to show emotion though.

No, I don't want any of them to cry and trot out their families.

As for the white working class bloke bit, I could also theorise that young black women are not allowed to be confident, strong and powerful because apparently that is too aggressive. Must be weepy and wispy.

I must say that Hamza hasn't trotted out any kind of sob story, which he so easily could have. Or maybe I have missed it.

@RedToothBrush your husband obviously isn't familiar with SCD. Men frequently cry. Nothing to stop them. Whatever class.

I am uncomfortable with the ‘sob stories’ tbh.
I think it can come across as slightly manipulative as a way of getting votes.
I don’t care who the individual is.

@Lentilweaver good points.
I respect Hamza for that, also Matt Goss who lost his sister and never used that tragedy.
I'm less sympathetic about adults losing parents anyway.