Changes, changes...

OK, first of all, I'm not planning to blog about season 7 like I did season 6. It's more fun to watch the show without taking notes, and the whole point of the blog before was that I didn't have anyone to talk about the show with - and now I do. But since this news was incredibly distressing to my mother last night, I'll try to do a blog here and there about this and that.

So, today: what's up with all the CHANGES??? I know, they've been announced for months. I decided months ago that they sounded stupid, and guess what? I'm still convinced.

Taking this one at a time, let's address the "All Star" situation. It's not working, despite Nigel repeatedly patting himself on the back for what he perceives to be a stroke of genius. Here's the thing: I'm not watching the new dancers. I'm watching the All Stars. And so are the judges - half of the comments were about them and how the new dancers just don't measure up. Well of course they don't. Mark wasn't as good as he is now when he first danced on the show. Same for Lauren, Neil, Comfort and all the others. (Although, I'm not convinced Comfort is good NOW).

In the only two dances where the newbies measured up to the all stars (in the judeges' eyes, that is), Nigel commended himself for coming up with this because it "pushes dancers to the next level," or that of the all stars. But maybe they (Alex and Robert, this week) are just really, really good on their own merit. Even they are being compared to their counterparts in a really unfair way.

Speaking of Alex, I didn't realize he was the second coming of Jesus Christ. Or at least, you'd think so by the way the judges reacted to his piece. Amazing? Yes. Greatest ever? Hardly.

Anyway, I do think the show was smart to play it safe last night to sort of ease the audience in: one broadway piece, three jazz (OK, one was "pop" jazz), two hip hop, one jive, two contemporary, one chacha, and finishing up with an African jazz (which was revolutionary two years ago, but I think the audience has warmed up to it by now). No new or even interesting choreographers: Tyce did two, Sonya did two, Napoleon and Tabitha did two, Melanie and Tony did two, Travis did one, Mandy did one and Sean did one. Like I said: good idea with all the changes going on, but I'll be bored in no time if this continues.

Another stupid (in my opinion, of course) change: the judges will choose who goes home all the way until the finale. Like in the past with the top 20-10, the audience will pick the bottom three and those will "dance for their lives." But...it will never end. The judges truly don't trust us, and that kind of stings.

Wait, you want to hear about a positive change? Well, luckily, there is one (ONE!): MIA'S BACK! And she's back in full force, having replaced Mary Murphy (no more hot tamale train!) as the third permanent judge. Hallelujah.

As for who I think is heading home tonight, either Melinda (truly terrible jive and incredibly self-serving, but she is the tapper so I'm still kind of pulling for her) or Adechike (seriously, he's the only dancer I've ever seen not enjoy himself doing Travis's choreogrpahy, but he is very technically sound). We shall see.