Faina and Cedric - Cedric still hasn't got the hang of partnering and he was so tentative that the dance looked completely unbalanced and awkward.

His concentration face totally made me go "Awww" but it definitely didn't make for good dancing! But it did make me want him to do better.

Cedric is my favorite. He really wants to do well!

I never watched SYTYCD before last week, and it's so much better than I thought it was-- I just love the concept that you have all these dancers who are specialists in something, and you force them (along with another stranger!) to dance in other areas. And it compares favorably to AI-- the contestants are more talented and perform several new artistic compositions a week. The results show is more entertaining, too, and they usually give good context to judge the performances by.

I think Cedric does want to well, but I just don't think he's got the skills to last. I'm really loving on Dominic, he's lost the B-boy arrogance and he's working so hard to be a good partner and it shows. I just haven't been loving their choreography the past two weeks and I'm afraid that is what's shuffling them towards the bottom. I have all confidence that both Sabra and Dominic will pull it out in the dance for you life today.

I liked Sabra and Dominic's performance better on re-watch. In that particular case, I don't think the camera work served them well. At least, I was always wanting to lean to get a better angle to watch from. And that doesn't work so well with the teevee.

Chow.com interview with Sandee Birdsong.

I'm listening to this and Sandee said she poached the lobster on the grill but on the show it looked like she'd cooked that the day before as part of prep.

Although I'm annoyed at the judges AND myself for focusing so much on the boys! Stupid ingrained sexism.

This (with the judges, that is) has been bothering me more and more. It seems more blatant this year, but perhaps it's just that I'm more sensitive to it.

Re, HK, I don't watch the show, but I have found the most recent promos bizarre. I mean, yelling at the people at the top of your lungs to cooperate? I understand that they're trying to push things for the show, but I kinda wonder if he finds that kind of behavior effective in real life. Or even on the show.

I don't think Hell's Kitchen is a very good example of who he is. He's built his reputation on being a yeller but according to what I've read (there's one New York Times) that he instills a very strong sense of loyalty.

He comes off very differently in Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares. He doesn't yell all the time.

I think that this year, the concentration on the men thing seems worse because the woman this season seem to be at least equal to if not better than some/most of the men. (Joey. Possibly Howie.)

From the first episode I thought that there were a number of strong female cheftestants. (And Sandee really wasn't one of them -- although given that she's only been cooking professionally for about 3 years she must be extremely talented.)

SYTYCD: That's a crime! Jesse and Pasha in the bottom three? Is America on crack?