Strictly
I started watching it just as Caroline and Pasha were introduced (from the score, it doesn’t seem like I missed much with Steve’s jive, although the pros’ dance and Claudia’s return might be worth catching).
First of all, now that Judy’s gone, most of the ladies’ gowns were great. I loved Caroline’s sophisticated number (although Pasha looked better in the VT than on the floor). Of the costumey-type dresses, Trixie’s was the best. I really liked Karen’s tango dress, where both the one-shoulder top and stripey skirt worked, Frankie’s red number (although I wished they’d had a red basque type thingy under the dress than the silver bra-type thing) and Sunetra’s brown gown (except for the back, which just wasn’t glamorous enough).
As for the dances, I was so impressed by Caroline’s recovery after that wobble. The little picky points Darcey made (and someone had come down from Blackpool, hadn’t they? There was a general feel of returning to studio marking, but she was particularly critical i.e. doing her job, while ‘incident’ got used as an euphemism so often, I expect it’s been included into the drinking game) were attributable to recovering from that, I think. The number was snazzy.
But Pixie’s was DYNAMITE. I don’t think we’ve had a Charleston that has gone quite down that bombshell route (I was shrieking JEAN HARLOW and realising I’ve officially decided I want Pixie and Trent to win). There was one moment where Trent was behind Pixie towards the end, and he was grinning, because he knew she’d pulled it off. I thought they deserved another 10 at least and would have phoned for them if I’d got the number down right.
Oh, and was their VT from Scotland and attempt to sweep up Judy’s Scottish voters - although I don’t think that was all that kept her in so long?
Mark’s tango was pretty good, although I hated the ending, but not overmarked. Any irritation I had was with Karen, because if one of the incidents was on her, the Strictly pro best practice is to cop to it loudly. I mean, I refuse to like him as much as the show wants me to (and like Steve and Simon, he talks too much), but he has improved.
Frankie’s VT did call up the spectre of her throwing up throughout, which isn’t something you want to haunt a routine, but the dance looked beautiful, if perhaps lacking in something to invest in. I like Frankie the most when there’s high drama to her routine. It certainly wasn’t as saccharine as Kevin has descended to, so I didn’t object to it. The thing is with these two, I like Frankie more than Kevin, and I only really dislike him when his celebrations veer into obnoxiousness, which is probably harsh. I may also be reacting to the show overdoing the ‘KEVIN FROM GRIMSBY’ persona. The partnership probably deserves to go all the way to the final, even if I like other couples more.
Moving on: I was glad that Jake was getting the samba, if not as overexcited as the show - Strictly has no time for subtle - but then I heard they were doing it to the Macarena. !?!? Choreographically, Janette went the only way she could go, but it was completely mental and I didn’t know what to make of the routine as a whole (and she’s in danger of getting all the novelty songs the show can throw at her from now on). I mean he was good at times and completely fearless, but bits of it were absurd. However, watching Darcey come completely undone because of it was amusing.
Then Sunetra was back in ballroom, which made us all happier than her doing Latin, and I liked the mood of it - I generally do like the quieter romance of waltzes. I did notice the topline going, and although Bruno pointed to improvements, apparently there were mistakes and you get the feeling that she’s reaching about as far as she can go (depends if people like Ola or Ola and Steve, or the Ola and Steve drama enough to vote for him. Mark and Caroline are probably also in danger).
Finally, a VT that I flat-out liked. Granted, parody movie trailers are the type of thing that appeal to me, but it felt that this was poking fun at itself more in a Claudia type of way than the usual heavy-handed Tess and Bruce type of VTs we get. I didn’t think the salsa needed the concept at all, though. It worked all on its own. I was seriously impressed by the standard of dancing from Simon, more than I’ve been by anything he’s done, he seemed much more at home, and I may even have liked the routine more than Jake’s.
And then the end where Claudia all but broke down...aww. To analyse, I thought Kristina spoke from the heart, and I could understand Simon’s motivation in reaching out to touch Claudia for comfort, but equally, she wasn’t kidding when she said not to be nice to her, because she was battling for control. (Claudia and Simon really aren’t on the same wavelength, unfortunately.) Obviously, it’s great that her daughter is well enough for her to feel that she could come back on the show. And that she would do so with fezes and the spot-on attitude for the puns and quick wit and remind us of the wizardry she’s pulled off this season. I was also touched that they made an effort and surprised Zoe on Friday’s It Take Two, after all she’s given Strictly this series.
There was a bit of padding as we've almost halved the number of couples since the start of the series. Next week’s around the world theme sounds like a recipe for a disaster, or at least a Japanese-themed paso doble.
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