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DWTS Week 7 Recap- "He's Bringing Cranky Back"

Hey all so Obama is our new president, so I'm already in a good mood. What could be better but DWTS without Cloris!

Tonight there are individual dances along with team dances, a first for DWTS. This will be a good way to really compare the couples side by side, and with fewer couples than last week's group hip hop number it will be easy to separate the good from the bad. I wonder how they will form the teams...

Edyta gets a nice loud ovation as she comes out with Cody. Doesn't hurt that she's in her usual skimpy clothing. Derek looks dapper in a suit, and Tony has his shirt open again. Kym is wearing a larger feathery boa around her neck.

The teams will each do different dances, so we won't fully be able to compare them. One team is doing cha cha and the other paso doble. The judges will score these routines, so they will count towards the rankings at the end of the night. Hmmm that's interesting so one bad duo could bring down the scores and rankings of the whole team. Hopefully Maurice and Susan will be on opposite teams or the third duo on their team will be at a significant disadvantage.

Warren and Kym: They seem to be the one team that hasn't been injured this year yet. They are doing a foxtrot, and Kym wants to get him in character while also having good technique. He is struggling in practice so Kym takes him to Nick Kosovich's class, a former ballroom champion. Can't hurt, right? This way he can see a male do the dance. They do a pretty good job. Warren looks really light on his feet as usual but he and Kym don't always seem completely in sync during the dance. I'd give it a 23.

Jeffrey Ross and Corky Ballas in the house!!!

Tom notes Len is back from his one week vacation and says "He's bringing cranky back"! Love Tom!

Judges: Len thought it wasn't a classic foxtrot but likes the added personality. He says Warren's posture wasn't as good as usual. Bruno, now wearing Kym's boa and looking fabulous, thought it had a promising beginning but then the technique declined. I agree- it seemed great early on and then went downhill. Carrie Ann says it wasn't a normal Warren performance. I noticed that too- he seemed tight and nervous. Warren says he's not wearing the right shoes and that's why he looked scared. I don't know if he's kidding or not.

Backstage Warren continues saying his shoes are too small. Seems to be like he's mad about it but doesn't want to yell at people on live TV so he's trying to hold in the anger.

Scores: 7-7-7 for a 21. Low score for the big man, but not really undeserved.

Apparently the duos all got into fights this week so that will be interesting.

Susan and Tony: I hope she goes this week since she's the worst one left in my opinion. They had to rehearse in the AMC studios this week. She lashes out at Tony at his training methods. She thinks he is being too harsh with her but he doesn't seem out of line to me at all. Tony actually wants some anger out of her to fit their dance, the paso doble. He tries to boost her confidence, which I think she could use. They make up of course. His tactics may have paid off since this was one of her better dances. She still seemed really slow and somewhat stiff but she broke out of her shell a little so I'd give her a 24.

Judges: Bruno says Susan had pride and dignity. Carrie Ann calls Susan over and tells her to tell the crowd she's doing good. Shouldn't it be she's doing WELL? Len thought it was one of her best dances.

Cool election coverage means the results are Wednesday night so I might actually be able to blog it somewhat on time. If I can find the results online....

Susan apparently was sick this week too but she's thrilled with the results.

Judges: 8-8-8 for a 24. Right what I thought they'd get.

First glimpse of the teams reveal they are Warren, Brooke, and Maurice and Cody, Lance, and Susan. Pretty evenly matched- each team has two favorites and one duo who will likely go home in the next two weeks.

Maurice and Cheryl: After Susan's good dance they must do well to stay in this week. They are doing a cha cha. They know they must work harder to climb out from the bottom. Maurice and Cheryl also get into a fight because Maurie is holding back in practice. And (shockingly) another injury occurred! Maurice hyperextended his knee in the team rehearsal. Wow and they were one of the few teams left who hadn't had any injuries this season. I'm not sure what a hyperextended knee is but I know it happens to athletes a lot. Maurice is devastated, but maybe that will help inspire him to do well. Unfortunately like in rehearsals he seemed to be holding back a bit, though he was doing the steps decently. I'd give it a 23.

Judges: Carrie Ann loved the mix of form and freedom. Len thought it was like cheap jewelry (and that's a good thing apparently!) and calls it his best dance. Well it wasn't as good as the 27 he got a few weeks back but it was better than last week. Bruno says happy days are back for him. Hmm these scores might be higher than I thought.

Scores: 8-9-8 for a 25. That's fair I thought based on the comments he would get a 27 or higher, which he didn't deserve, but this seems about right.

Cody and EDYTA: Edyta is the only pro who has been on every season, and yet she has never won. Wouldn't it be ironic if the one year she wins it is with Cody, who was not her original partner. I do think Julianne will be back next week but you never know. They are doing a Viennese Waltz, a tough romantic dance for a duo just getting to know each other. Plus it will be awkward to show romance between two people so distant in age. Aww they went to visit Julianne during the week. Wow her bed looks comfy! Even while sick she gives them advice, telling them to focus on giving Cody a character to play. Edyta noticeably wears less skimpy clothes in rehearsal to not distract young Cody. Cody dedicates his dance to Julianne (aw....). I thought they did a really good job. I could tell the chemistry wasn't fully there yet but that's to be expected. The moves were fluid and pretty as they glided around the stage. I think it's the best of the night so I'd give it a 26.

Judges: Len says a new partner takes a while to get used. He thought they looked good together but they thought the dance was a bit "ploddy" and lacked musicality. Bruno says it was like watching a young bird not quite being able to take off. He even called him clumsy! Ouch that's harsh (and a bit uncalled for if you ask me)! Carrie Ann agrees with me and thought it was great.

Scores: 8-7-7 for a 22. Not surprising based on the judges' comments but the first score so far I've really disagreed with.

Note: They finally bring Edyta back and they put her in that ugly outfit???

Lance and Lacey: Another couple that got into a fight this week. They are doing the rumba, one of the more boring dances
so they better bring it! They decided to dance it barefoot to bring about the spiritual nature of the dance. I like that though I don't know if the judges will. And apparently Lance broke his toe last week- another injury! Lance is having trouble dancing barefoot because of his injury and Lacey tells him to just put his shoes on since he'll just do it anyway. Okay I didn't think Tony went too far with Susan but Lacey is being WAY too tough with Lance. She bursts into tears saying she's tired of trying to make him happy all the time. I agree with Lance- all he said was he couldn't dance barefoot- not a huge deal. She's getting worked up over nothing and then walks out. Apparently it was weeks of frustration about his negativity coming out. That makes more sense but still I thought she was too hard on him. The next day though she apologizes and they share a group hug. They come out dancing a romantic rumba and I couldn't tell at all they fought during the week. It was great!!! I usually hate rumbas but this was entertaining and romantic. I could really sense the chemistry between them and Lance was nailing the steps. Definitely the best of the night and I'd even give them one 10 for a 28.

Judges: Bruno loved the seductive and romantic nature of the dance. He loved the contemporary spin as well. Carrie Ann at first thought the barefoot move was a bad idea but realized it totally worked for the walking in the park theme. I agree with her- it really did add to the romantic nature of the dance. Len of course hated it and thought the bare feet were a distraction and said something about how the shoes actually serve a purpose in dancing. Who knew? See someone's not happy to have Len back...

Scores: 9-7-9 for a 25. WOW I didn't think Len would go that low with the score. He clearly wasn't happy with the extra fluff but he can't deny they danced it really well. The good news is this has been a somewhat off night for everyone so he is still tied for first.

Brooke and Derek: With semi-low scores tonight they are primed for a return to the top of the leaderboard. They are doing a foxtrot, a slow and controlled dance. Derek thinks the elegance of the dance really suits his partner. He compliments her throughout the week, unlike certain other partners (cough, Lacey, cough). They dance to an old-sounding song and it really looked like this dance was taken right out of the 50s. It wasn't the most entertaining dance for me but that's just a matter of taste I think. She really looked graceful and elegant on the dance floor. I liked Lance's better entertainment wise but I think hers was danced better so I'd give it a 28.

Judges: Carrie Ann just says a lot of "Wow"s. She says that she is as good as some of the professionals. Len says it was fantastic. Bruno thought it was beautiful from start to finish. Do I see a 30 in their future???

Scores: 10-10-10!!! First 30 of the season! And Derek shakes the camera again- love when he does that!! So the frontrunners are back on top, and rightfully so.

Another great line from Tom: Derek starts to undo his jacket while being interviewed to prep for the group dance. Of course the girls in the audience (me included) don't mind one bit! Tom says that according to Len he can keep undressing all he wants as long as he doesn't take off his shoes! Take that Len!

Team routines: Apparently Susan and Warren were named captains and got to pick teams. That explains why the teams are so even, though I wonder who was picked last. And how did those two get named captains? Was it picked out of a hat or something?

Team Cha Cha: Lance, Susan, and Cody. Cody loves how they all have energy. Well maybe two of you do... not so sure about Susan. Each duo first worked on their solo parts separately and then met together at the end of the week. Susan though was in NY all week and is thus behind. She was really lost in the hip hop number so hopefully for Lance and Cody's sake it won't carry over to this dance too.

Their dance starts out with the women ripping open the guys' shirts. That will help get points from Carrie Ann! Cody and Edyta do their solo first and it looks good, though I thought the same about their solo routine so who knows. Susan and Tony are next and Susan is her slow and tentative self, though she did know most of the steps, which is a step up from last week's hip hop routine. But it was Lance and Lacey who stole the show, nailing their solo. Plus they kept their shoes on, so Len will be happy (I hope....). They also do a cute little group part at the end, though Susan looked lost for a part of it before the camera quickly cut away. It's hard to tell how the judges will score this but I'd give it around a 24 I guess.

Judges: Len says they did an excellent job, and he even loved Lance and Lacey's solo. Bruno agrees Lance and Lacey saved the dance after Susan's poor solo. Carrie Ann agrees on Lance and Lacey but thought the unison was "brutal". I didn't think they were together either but I didn't think they were trying to be. I guess they were...

Susan seems to realize she stunk, saying backstage she wished she had more rehearsal time, but notes the others did a great job.

Scores: 6-7-7 for a 20. Ouch. 7s I can understand, but a 6??? Lance and Lacey's solo was worth at least a 7 by itself.

Team Paso Doble: Brooke, Maurice, and Warren. Cheryl and Maurice are the only ones not to have done a paso yet, so they decide to sandwich their solo between the two good ones, Warren's and Brooke's. Usually I thought the weakest one goes first- at least in essays you are supposed to save your strongest arguments for the end, but maybe it's different in dance. They seem to be doing much better in rehearsals than the first team was. It helps that all three duos were there all week, unlike Tony and Susan. Warren also gives the team a little pep talk.

They don't seem totally in sync in their early parts either but it's hard to tell with the camera moving so fast. Warren and Kym's solo is first and he has his tough gameface on. I like this better than their dance earlier tonight. Maurice and Cheryl are next, and it seems like Cheryl is doing most of the work. When Maurice dances he also looks a bit stiff. But he's still better than Susan in her solo (which isn't saying much). And like Lance and Lacey, Brooke and Derek steal the show with some great spins right in the beginning of their solo. After Carrie Ann's comments I watched the unity on the end of the dance, and while it didn't look great either overall I liked their dance better than the first one. I'd give it a 25 though I think the actual score may be lower.

Judges: Then again maybe not, as they get a standing ovation from the judges! Bruno loved it and the unity involved. Carrie Ann also loved the teammwork and the solos. I didn't think the unity was that great but I guess it was good compared to the first team. Len says it is easier to keep formation in a paso doble, but adds that they were much tighter and better. That's an interesting point about the difficulty of the dance.

Scores: 10-9-10 for a 29!! Wow anyone else think this was overscored??? I didn't think it was that good though it was certainly better than the first group.

So that leaves a final leaderboard of:
Brooke/Derek: 59
Maurice and Cheryl: 54
Warren and Kym: 50
Lance and Lacey: 45
Susan and Tony: 44
Cody and Edyta: 42

So the group dance clearly had a big impact as all three of the top scorers were in the second group. I still don't think team one was that bad; they were just really hurt by Susan's lack of time to commit to learning the routine. It should be her turn to go, especially with all of the males in the audience voting like crazy to keep Edyta in the hunt.

So thoughts on this week's show? Did you think the second group dance was that must better than the first? And who do you think will go home? Post your comments below.

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DWTS Week 7 Recap- "He's Bringing Cranky Back"