I liked the costumes much more than the number, especially Melanie's

I cannot stand Train/Trane. Thank the heavens I didn't have to hear "Soul Sister" because I will take a hostage the next time.

SYTYCD:

It’s flapper Cat! Where is she getting all these sparkly dresses because I want them all!

Paired dance ins again. Boo. At least Sasha and Alex look like they planned something as did Clarice and Jess. Jordan and Tadd were cute. If they are gonna have to dance in together all season, then they should start planning for that.

4 judges? Look, I like Cheno as much as the next person, but why? Lil C is enough. Do not like the trend of celebrity judges on the show. I want to see the choreographers we know and love. Lil C rapping? Umm, no.

Group numbers. Huh. Keep us on our toes, show. But they stick them with Tasty for the first group dance? Why? And Broadway Tasty no less. Hit The Road Jack : So, the girls strut for eight counts while the boys noodle around with chairs. And then the girls walk with chairs while the boys strut and then some futzing happens and somebody does a split leap in second. And so far it’s been a whole lot of shimmying and posing and nonsense with a bunch of kids who can flat out turn it out. This is so bad, y’all. There is absolutely no dancing happening. I have never seen so much of “walk around in a stylized way and do some shoulder shrugs and pick up chairs” in my life. Where was the dancing in that dance? I think that may be the worst group routine Tasty has ever done. For real. Please don’t ever do that again.

Baby Sasha was a cutie. Baby frog Sasha? Oh my word! So adorable. Baby Alex in a bow tie? Oh my gosh. He looked like Alfalfa. Baby lion Alex was turning it out. How much do I love that he was working that stage and made his mama give him back up dancers? So, so much love.

Sasha and Alex/Contemporary/Dee Casprey/Belong – They should kill this if they can get the chemistry right. He really needs to match her intensity this week. She is a wonder. Even just putting her foot on top of the piano, she’s captivating. She has so much spark when she moves. He’s doing better here but she is still blowing him away. She’s dancing with him even when she’s not looking at him but he’s dancing inside of himself unless he’s looking right at her. Did not like the end with just the hands and the piano. There was more story than dance in that dance. They are both capable of giving more. I agree with Nigel that Alex needs to connect more . . . with his partner, with his audience, just, he’s very internal right now. He is dancing within himself and he needs to externalize what he’s doing and take us on the journey with him. Cheno is at least trying to discuss the dancing. Lil C bared witness to it, y’all.

Baby Caitlyn with a big old gun? Umm, OK. And she totally looked like Toddlers and Tiaras in that video. When you were a kid you were a ham, Mitchell? And how about now? He started dancing at 16? Wow. And he did kill it, y’all. Kilt it. I love that kid.

Caitlyn and Mitchell/Samba/Jean Marc/Put It in a Love Song – I think they can do well with this. I’m kind of excited. Nice lift at the beginning. The tempo is awfully slow for a samba. He is almost trying too hard with the hips. But they did get the little hip/chest contractions just right. That looked amazing. The limited work in hold could be better and the samba walks were OK for beginners but not as smooth as they could be. He is doing the vast majority of the work in this to my eye. She’s just kinda there. I’m watching him more than her and that’s a no no especially for Latin ballroom. He should be framing the woman and her hips should be working overtime. And it was so frikkin’ slow. I did not like this nearly as much as the judges. I thought Mitchell was kind of working it and she kind of was not. Maybe I need to watch it again because I found it kind of slow and heavy and almost overworked. Did Nigel just call Mitchell a woman beater? Umm, saying someone is the Chris Brown of the show is not a compliment. Maybe he said Chris Rock and I just missed it. I mean, it could be. Mitchell is hella funny. And then Cat called Caitlyn a wolverine? Is that good?

Baby Miranda. Why so much make up, stage moms? Make it stop. But Pepto Bismol tapper Miranda was all kinds of adorable. Robert on a big wheel was cute. Robert in white face was scary. Robert as an MJ impersonater makes cheesy sense. Miranda needs to stop wearing a bra and calling it dancewear.

Miranda/Robert/Broadway/Tyce/ It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing) – So they are trying to get them sent home then? I can get with that. At least where he is concerned. Isn’t this their second time with Broadway? Sigh. I loved the move where she slid down his leg to the floor. It takes crazy core strength to do that and have it not look like just flopping to the ground like a dead fish. This is some of Tyce’s better Broadway choreo. Not that it’s good, but the characterization is there and they are actually kind of dancing. Miranda tapped and did a coupld of triple turns. Robert has done some dancing. There are steps and everything. It was almost pleasant. I liked Robert more in this than I ever have and she is still a marvel. Great legs. Agree with Cheno that they really got the characters and the feel of that Le Jazz Hot moment. Agree with C that Miranda’s legs are amaaazzziinnggg. Unassisted pressage? Work that technical critique, Nigel. They took on Tasty Broadway and survived. Props to them.

Cowgirl Melanie. Cute. Bo Peep Melanie. Tragic. Baby Marko looked like one of the Jolie-Pitt kids. He was a terrible dancer when he started. Ha. Keep at it kids. You to can become a beast of dance. Well, probably not, but keep at it anyway.

Melanie and Marko/Lyrical Hip Hop/NappyTab/I Got You – Didn’t they just choreograph last week? Give them a rest. Is he crying? Wow. The two of them are really into this number. Amazing connection from the jump with him sitting on the edge of the stage and just full on owning it even while just moving his torso and arms. Wardrobe hos. On crack. Same as it ever was. These two contempo kids are killing it. Holy moly. Marko is amazing. That little slide across the floor and then he fell back into her arms? Wow. And these two have so much chemistry. Even before the kiss. Is there anything these two kids can’t do? I think not. They are pure fire. The judges lose their minds. That’s how good they were. They caused the collective viewing audience to lose their minds. And credti where it’s due, that choreo from NappyTab was kinda hot. Every once in a while they manage to pull a good one out of their asses.

Baby Ashley was kind of . . . not all that cute. Huh. Goes to show you never can tell. Baby Chris as a pirate. Wow. The Little Rabbit Poem made me laugh out loud. Cutest thing ever.

Chris and Ashley/Jazz/Sonya/Lights Go Down – Look at Chris in rehearsals busting out the double turns. Love this little hip hop kid. Dancing zombies? Very Sonya. Love this song. So so much. They started off killing it. Very solid. I loved their quality of movement. It was herky jerky disjointed but at the same time very organic. And then about halfway through the routine they kind of lost power and intensity. Agreed with Mary that the synchronization with this couple was very, very good and there was a lot of it and they were quite sharp. But I have to give it to Nigel that the character did not get there. Like I said earlier, it lacked intensity. I think they had it in the beginning and then either they got tired or they got intimidated or they got . . . something. But you could see them dancing smaller as the routine went on.

Baby Clarice was kind of forgettable much like Adult Clarice. Baby Jess was annoying just like Adult Jess. Who knew?

Clarice and Jess/Foxtrot/Jean Marc/Fly Me to the Moon – Jess can probably do well with Foxtrot. It’s very theatrical. He can do the Fed Astaire thing. Pretty at the start. They both look gorgeous and very in the mood. Much better lift than last week. Ah, such clever choreo. Rat Pack Foxtrot. I’m kind of loving it. The height idfferenc is a little awkward, but he’s dancing very tall. Very pulled up. And the arms on both of them are phenomenal. Much much better with the lifts this week. That was adorable and lots and lots of fun. And Cheno goes with the arms which, I mean, come on! The arms were insane. That was a great, great routine. I’m just wowed by that. I will definitely be watching that again.

Another night with not a real clunker in the bunch. This group of kids top to bottom may be the best they’ve ever had on the show. Discuss

Baby Ricky was turning it out even as a small child. I hate Ryan so there will be no commentary on her.

Ricky and Ryan/Contemporary/Sonya/With Every Heartbeat – Oh give me a fucking break. Could the pimping be any more obvious? Give it up, Nigel. Everybody hates your girl. Beautiful technique. No feeling from the two of them. And Ryan is still rocking the creepy perma smile. She’s trying to rein it in, but it keeps popping out. Really? What is it with her? I didn’t believe that they were in love. I didn’t believe that they even knew each other. Once again they were dancing on the same stage but not together. Gorgeous, gorgeous technique but no soul. I don’t disagree with anything Mary said from a technical perspective – and seriously, can we take a minute to discuss how much Mary is bringing it with the on point critiques this season? That said, there was no life in it. It was watching robots dance.

Baby Jordan as a Baby Spice Girl? I knew it was Spice Girls before she even said it. The PCD of their time. Baby Tadd also looks like a member of the Joli-Pitt clan. Philipino cultural dance next on deck at SYTYCD?

Jordan and Tadd/Hip Hop/NappyTab/Memories – A bed. Because that worked so well for Twitch and Kherington. Naked Tadd? Oh hell yeah. That was kind of the best part of the routine. It was forgettable. I suppose they danced it well. He, especially, had good attack. As he should have given that this is as b-boy adjacent as it’s gonna get on this show. And she kept up with him for the most part. The bed as prop was used fairly well. The getting in and out of the clothes was one of those things that probably sounded better as a concept than it played out in execution. It was just kind of . . . light. It lacked heft, especially for a pimp slot dance. But more naked Tadd is definitely on order.

Group Routine #2/Contemporary/Dee Casprey – Poison and Wine. Love the cirle. Nice staging. These girls area amazing. They are murdering this dance. And it is no joke. The costumes were very Ramalama.

Top Two Couples:

Jess and Clarice – And who’da thunk it? They were perfect in that Foxtrot. Highly enjoyable.

Melanie and Marko – Can we just reserve a spot up here for them every week? They were heaven yet again.

Bottom Three couples:

Sasha and Alex – Went first in a routine that was more concept than dance and once again she outdanced him and he couldn’t match her intensity and fire. She seems to have a mighty robust fanbase, but should that not be enough and they actually land in the B3, I think the judges will not hesitate to send him home. And I can’t say as they’d be wrong. I think he’s still so, so pretty, but he is failing to catch fire here.

Ashley and Chris – The choreography was more than them. Something just really did not click. They got through it, but they really left no impression.

Ryan and Ricky – There’s no there there.

All the rest:

Caitlyn and Mitchell – I didn’t care for it, but the judges hyped it to high heaven, Jean Marc overall had a good night, and Mitchell is an appealing character on the show and Caitlyn has been spectacular to date so I think they’re safe.

Miranda and Robert – They really shone in one of the rare decent Tyce Broadway routines. That said, they don’t have a very strong fanbase and it was Tyce Broadway, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see them end up in B3 instead of say, Sasha and Alex or even Ricky and Ryan if the egregious pimping manages to save them.

Jordan and Tadd – Got the pimp slot and did OK with a pleasing if slight routine. Tadd took his shirt off, so that oughta do it.

Going Home

If America’s B3 is my B3, I think we’ll see our first couple break up as Alex goes home leaving Sasha to pick up . . . Ricky as a partner. I don’t see how if Ryan hits B3 they justify saving her again. Especially not against Sasha and Ashley, two dancers whom they love. It’ll be interesting if it goes down like that because I’m not sure if Sasha and Ricky will work as a pair any better than Ryan and Ricky did. I’d like to find out, though.

Sadly, I don’t think I’ll get the chance, as I don’t think America’s B3 will be my B3. I’d bet Nigel and Co.’s pimping works and Ryand and Ricky don’t get anywhere near B3. In their place, I expect to see Miranda and Robert. I just don’t think they have the fanbase. Miranda was too unknown and Robert came in with negative energy from all the damn “woo”-ing. In that scenario, I think Alex still goes home but in a shocker, they boot Ashley and not Miranda. They do love a growth arc on this show. Sasha/Chris? I still can’t quite see it, but maybe. If Sasha and Alex manage to escape, too (as I believe the only sure thing B3 couple this week is Chris/Ashley) then it may be Jordan/Tadd down there instead. People have still not quite warmed up to Jordan and they were good not great in the pimp slot. In an Ashley/Chris, Miranda/Robert, Jordan/Tadd B3, I think the judges will (continued...)

( continues...) follow their natural inclination to keep couples together and go ahead with the Miranda Robert boot.

In other words, I have no idea once again who is going home. All these kids are real, real good. Only thing I know is that if Alex winds up in the B3, his ass is toast.

Kat's pretty well summed it up. I liked the Ashley/Chris dance better than most. Someone needs to Have A Talk with the wardrobe people - they put Jordan in (shudder) jeggings.

And Ryan ... sigh ... all I can think is that her parents spent so much on dentists and orthodontists, that she's obliged to show off those big white teeth.

I noticed that she was wearing a lot less makeup for this number. She looked better.

I quite enjoyed last night's!! Melanie and Marko were my favorite, followed by Sasha and Alexander, and I also really liked Jess and Clarice.

What do we all think about Top 10? I'm really hoping it's:

Melanie/Marko Sasha/Alexander Jordan/Tadd Catelynn/Mitchell Clarice/Jess

I hate Jess the way Kat hates Ryan. I sooooo want him to pull hip-hop and look like a fool.

I like: Melanie, Miranda, Sasha; Marko, Ricky, Tadd. I feel like some of the other girls are good, but I can't really distinguish them in my head (Caitlynn, Clarice). Or they can dance but are dumb as a post (Jordan).