After spending the entire week (and then some) lurking in this forum (now that's a refreshing change!), this is my take on the quarter-finalists (and their performances last Saturday)...

Ali and Brian: Ali seemed to have come out of her shell more now. Glad the Charleston helped her along that way. Also, being able to coped with the pain from her injuries and still keep up her quality (technique-wise) is admirable. Finalist material. Don't understand the arguments over her Charleston being worse than Chris' tbh, I think they clearly did the best one on Saturday night... HOWEVER, big boo-boo to Brian for trying to sabotage Anton and Ricky with apparently no awareness (floorcraft?) in the group VW. Badly done, Brian, badly done!

Chris and Ola: So cute together. Charleston is one dance he can really let go and do those funny OTT expressions and I thought he was really brave to do that, having no acting experience before Strictly. What lacked in technique in the Charleston (less lifts, little or no swivelling knees and no sicssor-movements), he did 'hammed up it' just right for the dance. He did much better in the VW than he did before, though side-by-side with Ricky, you can see him being the less talented male celeb of the two... Hope he goes as far as he is capable to do... Finalist material? Not sure yet, have to watch the quarter and semi finals to decide on this one.

Laila and Anton: Good story-telling the the Charleston, in fact I liked her Charleston performance most. It's true her legs didn't 'cock-up' as much as Ali or even Chris', but she did perform it and did a lot of dancing out of hold, which might helped her with her latin dances in the quarter finals, and who knows, maybe even the semi-finals? She was criminally underscored by Craig with a 6 for the Charleston, but then Len went to the other extreme and scored her a ridiculous nine. Guess they balanced out each other, and it's definitely a performance worthy of eights. Her VW was good, and she really did look very secure and polished when in hold with Anton. Well, depending on what dances she's left to do in the quarter and even the semi finals, she might make it to the semis. But all the way? I am not so sure... because...

It's Ricky and Natalie whom I still think will go to the finals. Don't understand all the negativity he's getting because of that silly drunken night he had. He danced well, and excellently in the Dance-off. The best I have seen him danced so far (dance-off). Didn't miss the beat, very musical, and very watchable with Natalie. I know there were complaints of people not liking Natalie, but I think it's a 'Karen' effect, she's competitive, to be sure, but they did have a real partnership together. Ricky's ballroom hold and upper body posture in the VW (when compared with the pros) was stunning, and he coped with the sabotage from Brian quite well, I thought. Likely to be the finalists and probably winning the competition, if he's not in the dance-off with Ali in the quarter or semi finals.

Well, what are your thoughts? Be critical, but please no bashing. Enough of those threads already...

I agree mostly with what you said.

To nit pick though - he wasn't drunk, he allegedly drove his car at the photographer and as he wasn't arrested for drink driving we can only assume that he hadn't been drinking.

Enjoyed reading your summary and agreed with pretty much all of it

I stand corrected, of course. But I can't see how that's going to affect his dancing? I mean, Mark Ramps had the most humiliating expose written about his 90-minute bed manners with another woman and even that didn't stop the public from supporting him all the way to the finals, and he even won it...

Anyway, any more take on the quarter-finalists, anyone?

Great post with some interesting thoughts. Lovely to hear from you again SCD-O - I was wondering what had happened to you

Re. Laila, I think a lot of the routine was choreographed out of hold precisely because they knew of the Morocco commitment and so, with this routine, she could practise on her own without too much damage being done by her sojourn.

Great to hear some positivity about Ricky and Nat too.

PS "Badly done children, badly done" is the family Apricottian catchphrase of the season

Thank you, Apricot (and hello to Sid! *waves*). I was thinking about Mr Knightly chastising Emma in Austen's book (recently in the new BBC adaptation). But naughty Brian. Didn't like that side of him, and if Natalie Lowe did that, she would have been crucified ten times over in this forum...

I know - I'm nit picking!

It might not affect his dancing but it may affect his popularity. Although, as you say it clearly didn't to Ramps any harm - was his expose early on in the show?

No, it was during the time when he did a disaster of his jive. He scored the lowest as far as I can remembered, in the quarter finals, and he was NEVER in the bottom two. Then he triumphed spectacularly with his semi-final performance with that Argentine Tango (his QS was a little sticky though, but then Mark was never really any good with his ballroom except his waltz).

Quarter Final

Chris and Ola

I am a huge fan and this was one dance I was really looking forward too and they didnt let me down, more fun element than the other charlestons I though and slightly undermarked (I think because they were first) I think it should have had 4 9s. I want them to win, first time I have ever wanted a not brilliant dancer to win to be frank, but there is something about them as a couple that I find so endearing that I am prepared to overlook that because they are not awful dancers just not the best.

Ricky and Natalie

This was not their best routine and the first outing was stilted and had mistakes, he nearly dropped her at the end which is a big no no obviously. I felt (even if they did get their lowest score) that it was a bit overmarked, Len gave the same score and Chris which I think is ridiculous, but it didnt effect much in the grand scheme of things but could have done if Laila had ended up in the dance off. Should he be in the final, yes on dancing alone yes, however I think his support is suspect and I dont think it had very much to do with the arrest.

Ali and Brian

I liked it and thought she danced it well it was probably more technical than Chris's but not as much fun, its the first time Ali has not looked terrified on the dance floor, considering her injury she did an amazing job. It was slightly overmarked I thought and Alesha should have her 10 paddle permenantly removed due to inappropriate use. Should she be in the final? On ballroom yes definately on latin ? not so sure but in a 3 person final yes she should be there, I think she should have gone home when Zoe did so I am ambivilant.

Natalie and Vincent

I love them to bits but it was a disaster area and thats really all I can say.....I will miss them but it really was time to go.

Laila and Anton

Anton was fantastic and laila was quite good, I thought it was on balance the third best Charleston but Craigs mark was just ridiculous. Should they be in the final ? only if she comes out and storms the Sala on Saturday otherwise she is being dragged on Antons coat tails.

Group VW

I hope this is the first and last time we have such a silly thing, I cant see how it could possibly be scored fairly and it definately wasnt this time. I was really cross about Brian bumping into 2 couples and still getting a 10 I dont think it made much difference to the result in the long run but it was frustrating non the less.

Overall

On dancing alone the 2 right people were in the dance off and the right person went home.

They should have all danced the same dance I accept that this was probably planned when there should have been six at this stage but even so it wasnt a fair fight really, who knows what the result would have been if Natalie had danced the Charleston aswell.

my 2 cents..

chris & ola -- i didn't get the appeal of him at the start, i didn't understand how he was still there, especially when people i rated much more highly like zoe got knocked out. but then i really began to warm to them as a partnership and ola is really funny, especially when she's telling him off -- and then their charleston really hit the spot, so now i think they are going to be in the finals. especially cos i think he was undermarked by the judges and the brits love an underdog

ricky & natalie -- i hate to be cliched, but there's not been any 'journey' from ricky. he's not even noticeably approved. other dancers in past series who started off good were by this stage, producing some of their best dances -- the rachel stevens, austin healeys, colin jacksons of the competition -- but i haven't seen one of their dances that really did it for me. and i just can't warm to either of them but natalie especially. she seems to me to have already decided the competition was in the bag for them from week 3. i would be surprised if they don't make the final but i'd be really surprised if they win it outright.

laila & anton -- i've always really liked these 2, they have a warmth i feel ricky & natalie lack (for me anyway) - however, i think she's not danced to her full potential. if she really pulls off a latin to the standard she is capable of and anton finally gets the 10 or 10s they can surely get in the american smooth, they could be surprise finalists. but i think they will be the knocked out couple this weekend, which is a shame, especially for anton (if he's back next series it'll be back to the ester rantzens of the pack)

ali & brian -- when she started i thought she'd be the rachel stevens of the competition -- great dancer but bit dull. but actually she's not -- she's neither as good as dancer as rachel but then not as dull. but then for me, brian is no patch on vincent as a pro so for me, i can admire them as a couple but i don't feel passionately for them, and though i appreciate their v.waltz was very good, it isn't say, a mark & karen argentine tango or zoe & ian tango that made me thing, wow! what a routine and want to watch it again and again. they will be in the final though, i think.

just my humble opinions

*Cough* Viennese Waltz? * cough*

Ricky and Ali are the merit finalists if they dance to form...beyond any doubt. However, the fact that I don't have much more to add in their favour is indicative of a certain amount of indifference to their personalities and partnerships.

Chris is a mediocre dancer who has unquestionably forged an attractive partnership with Ola. That written, there's too much of the cheeky-overgrown-schoolboy-pulling-silly-faces about him...which may enthuse a maternally inclined section of the audience but turns me off.

Laila has been the most interesting and unpredictable contestant of the series by a margin. Unfortunately it's hard to shake the feeling that she could and should have delivered more quality dancing...so she hardly deserves to make the final any more than Chris at this point.