Alex and Allison/Sonya/Lyrical/Hallelujah- There are no words. I loved everything about that piece. There was not one moment I didn't love. The fact that Allison didn't even make top six on her season is criminal. She and Alex were a dream together. Alex Wong, y'all. I give up. I'm already out of superlatives and it's week one. Honestly.

Alexie and Twitch/NappyTab/Hip Hop/Butterfly- Another lyrical hip hop mash up of suckiness. It was overly twee from the jump, but Alexie made it even more twee. I agree with the judges, no swag. Not that she had a lot to work with. She danced like it was dance team hip hop which makes sense from a former Laker Girl. Cute as a button, though.

Anthony Burrell, I have never missed you more. That dance called for a man, grown and sexy, and Ade just did not deliver. Points off to Travis, though, because the dance was practically a love letter to Kathryn. Ade had to stand and lift an awful lot, or catch, or just sit in a chair and get pushed around. Definite bottom 3 bait.

THIS. Totally this--would've LOVED to see Anthony sex that piece the hell up. And, there just wasn't a lot besides "sex it up" for the guy to DO in the piece.

oh, Anthony would have ROCKED that piece.

Lauren and Ade/Mandy Moore/Jazz/Oh Yeah- Oh, Mandy. How I adore your obsession with cheesy bad 80s pop. I felt like neither Ade nor Lauren got it. No chemistry. No connection between them. They might as well have been alone up on that stage. And someone needs to smack that smile off of TBC's face because for real? It's just not on. I kind of hate her a lot. Technically very solid, though. I gotta give them both that.

Kent and Anya/Tony and Melanie/Cha Cha- Throw Kent into the deep end no life prserver and see if he floats. I love Kent. He's better than a basket of kittens and puppies. But can I keep it real with y'all? Anya drank that fool's milkshake. It was like watching a full grown woman dance with her pre-pubescent nephew at some family wedding. She's inappropriate and he's a teensy bit watch from the hall but it works because they're both trying soooo hard. His footwork in many places was not good. The hip action was kind of there in some sections, but other times not. He handled the lifts beautifully. And he did make a game attempt to lead. Oh, I know what it was like! It was like watching a really talented junior dancer do an exhibition with his teacher. You can tell that he has all the potential and the tools to be crazy good, but he's not quite there yet. Still, he's adorable and not going anywhere anytime soon.

Ashley and Neil/Tasty/Contemporary/Some Donny Hathaway cut- Tasty does so much better in this style. Why won't the show recognize? It was a fine piece, and like the Lauren and Ade number, technically well danced. But there was no there there. I totally agree with the judges that there were steps but no feeling. She's such a non-entity. I hope she grows a personality soon.

Robert and Courtney/Sean Cheesman/African/Some Cirque du Soleil song- Yes I do believe this is the guy who choreographed the frog piece for Noelle and Russel. I think that was a far better piece. There was precious little African in this African jazz, I'll tell you what. And Robert was way too pulled up doing what little African there was. It was far from the best African infused piece they have had on the show in terms of either choreography or execution. That would still be Tasty's Lion King group dance with Danny and Sabra crushing it. Robert was goo here, though. The boy has skills. And he's awfully pretty.

I don't know who's B3. I think Adechike's gotta be one, no? Beyond that, I'm not sure. They're all really good. Maybe Ashley for being kind of non-descript. And. . . gosh, Alexie for being too cutesy? TBC for being too toothy? Cristina seems like she doesn't have a very deep fanbase and she kinda got lost next to Pasha? I just don't know. I do predict a girl boot first.

Yeah, agree with most of this except Melinda. She has struck me the wrong way somehow. Like so much of her is a front. Her thing America doesn`t know is the same thing she said in her profile piece last week, and career-promoting to boot. Idk. So I didn`t like her and I didn`t like her jive. Her retractions were good, but I think she missed a lot of the footwork, timing, and expressiveness. Hmm.
 
Lots of other good stuff. Unfortunately some of it was the All Stars. Like Mark. Mmm, Mark on the teevee screen.
 
Anyway, Alex is amazing. I loved the routine, I loved the passion. But I don`t mind the shakey bits. I really think his motion is astounding. I hope he does have a journey here. I did my part. I called! I voted for him!

TCDC:

Thank DOG that for once they're not trying to pretend that whatever time of year the show is being broadcast is when the show was shot.

True. Some interesting cheftestants. I feel like John volunteered to go home by choosing to make a dessert.

Something seemed off about him somehow.

Something seemed off about him somehow.

Yeah, he seemed a bit out of touch, didn't he? However, he is a James Beard Award nominee. One suspects he's kind of brilliant ... in his own kitchen. Which, alas, is often the case on this show. Already a bit disappointed in Kelly, after seeing her on Iron Chef and reading such amazing reviews of her restaurant. Hope she steps up, soon. Or, hope the testosterone steps down, because it's kind of grating.

Oh! And speaking of mental illness and reality TV, is anyone else watching "Work of Art"? I'm kind of obsessed.