So You Think You Can Dance- Top 18 results

It's results time and I have no idea what's going to happen now. After Ben and Ashley were safe after their disco performance anything is possible. Well, especially since I did vote for them eight times this week. They start out with a lame hip-hop group number by Dan Karatay. We have a good "In case you missed it" segment with backstage reactions mixed in with highlights. We see a rather telling moment between Dmitry and Joy rehearsing backstage before the show. Joy was still screwing up and Dmitry had to push for them to get it right. This is right before the show. I really dig the backstage stuff and I hope they incorporate that into Idol next season.


This week we're separating the dancers into three groups for the "safe" or "not safe"
reveal. The first group has Jessica and Jaymz, Ben and Ashley, and Dmitry and Joy.

Wow, all three of them could be in the bottom. Jessica and Jaymz are announced as safe. Cat isn't as bad as last week with the pause. Thank goodness.
Ben and Ashley are safe again! I make no apologies this week. I like them and I hope they get to show their skillz next week. Of course that leave Joy and Dmitry and of course they are in the bottom three. Oh, yeah they've now labeled the bottom three sitting area as the "Danger Zone". Meh. I like "Loser Pit" better. So off they go to the "Loser Pit.

Our next trio of couples is Travis and Martha, Benji and Donyelle, and Musa and Natalie.

Note how Musa and Natalie are too hot that Benji and Donyelle need that distance or else they'll melt. Now this is the obvious curveball since as much as America can screw up the voting sometimes, there is no way that these three couples aren't in the top six of the show. Cat gives a group reveal and they are all safe. They have a massive group hug. No "Loser Pit" for them.

Okay they've saved two spots in the bottom three for the last group, which consists of. Aleksandra and Jason, Heidi and Ryan, and Ivan and Allison.

Wow, Ivan and Allison, are the safe ones. That makes the two youngest couples among the top six. Maybe the voting skewing young theory has some legs...

So the "Loser Pit" is full and now we come to the solos that really don't matter. The "Jidges" have already made up their mind..or at least somebody has. If it were up to me, Joy and Ryan would be gone. Only two things of note during the solos. First Aleksandra looked awful. It was like a pouty, whiny, melodramatic journal entry come to life. Also Dmitry decided to do his solo in an evening gown.


Rhianna shows up and does a mean lip-synch of S.O.S.

They eliminate the women first. Heidi get let off the hook early since they realize she's a hell of a dancer who got the misfortune of being trapped in an outfit from DEB. Joy gets called a "jack of all trades and master of none". Aleksandra's solo was called pitiful and angst ridden and she needs to work on that 'case she's staying.

Well, at least she can go back to hanging out with her friend Erin.

The guys are next Dmitry gets the early reprieve, leaving Ryan and Jason. At this point I'm thinking it's a sure thing since Jason has done well at both contemporary and Hip-Hop and Ryan...loves Natalie. Nigel says Ryan has a wall around him which doesn't allow the audience to connect. Jason gets criticized on his solo, which wasn't any better or worse than anyone else's. He also says he doesn't have the personality. Wha??? Shocker. I'm actually pissed off right now.

So this leaves Dmitry and Aleksandra as partners next week.
Okay here's the deal, after doing some research on Television Without Pity's forums, it turns out Heidi and Dmitry were partners in competition before this show. The theory is that Jason was eliminated to avoid the pairing of Dmitry and Heidi which would give both of them an huge advantage. Whether or not I buy this isn't the point...the point is it shouldn't even be an issue. Having the judges choose who stays or who goes is a horrible idea and it opens up the door to conspiracy theories like this one. Arbitrary decisions by the viewers and the effects of those choices are the hook that competitive reality tv shows have over other forms of TV. Take that away and it's not nearly as compelling.

That said, guess who's still getting my multiple votes next week.

Tags: So You Think You Can Dance, Reality TV, TV