Carrie Ann Inaba was too generous with her 10 paddle. She gave all but two of the contestants a perfect score on Tuesday’s “Dancing with the Stars.”
Len Goodman would have been embarrassed.
The idea that any were that good shows just how skewed the judging is this year. So determined to proclaim growth and improvement, the judges have been upping the ante, even though you can still see contestants counting and messing up their steps.
Sasha Farber and Jenn Tran.
Ironically, Chandler Kinney didn’t get a 10 from Carrie Ann but tied Joey Graziadei with a 29.
Three couples got 28s. One (Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten) got a 24.
That meant a lot relied on those head-to-head dances. Dwight Howard and Maher went against each other and Dwight won.
Stephen Nedoroscik squared off win Jenn Tran and she got the points.
Danny Amendola and Joey Graziadei were fairly evenly matched but Joey got the point.
So, who went home? Tran – who probably didn’t have the audience votes.
Unlike Maher, who was the lowest scorer of the night, she didn’t get a bump from being on the “Bachelorette” franchise. Maher has an Olympian-sized following and she has been the most vulnerable of the year, showing just how determined she is to win. That will help her – and Stephen – as they near the finals.
Chandler Kinney and Brandon Armstrong led the pack Tuesday night.
Howard did a creepy contemporary dance that included lots of stunts and got his highest score yet. Still, he’s not that good on the classic ballroom dances and could be the next one to leave.
Kinney, who got a pass because she was at the top of the leaderboard last week, is still a strong contender but has that problem connecting with the audience. Even though she has a Disney kid show background, she’s not as prime time as the others. As much as you think she’s going to win, one of the men can pass her in the coming weeks.
The night’s theme – “Halloween Nightmares” – included a lot of scary makeup and lifts (what up with that, Carrie Ann?) but they didn’t really separate the herd. Even the face-off dances had a leveling effect.
Graziadei is so strong, he’s almost assured of a spot in the finals. Amandola could nab one, too, if he can figure out how to come out from Graziadei’s shadow. With Kinney, they’re the final three.
Now, it’s just a matter of time picking off the other three.
The skills aren’t at the 10 level, even though they’re all getting the points. The show would be better if its judges were a little more Len-like in doling out top scores. A few sixes and sevens might have been in line this week.
No way did we witness perfection.
