[LIST=1][*]Suzanne and Matt - too fast - too frantic.[*]Zaraah and Andy - overmarked again. I'm trying hard to understand the enthusiasm for this couple but I just don't get it.[*]Bonnie and Andrei - badly let down by the choreography[*]Ray and Maria - Fantastic performance - deserved their position on the leaderboard.[*]Beth and Lukasz - moving and technically impressive. Never underestimate a champion![/LIST]

Marking standard changes week on week. Week two was marked higher than week one. Several week two candidates were marked lower and week one higher this week - on similar performances.


The marking order and routines given have a lot to do with making it look competitive. Tonight put Beth and Hayley back in the running.

Good routines and music produce good marks.

What you get depends on what they think you can and can't do. Ray gets axels to practice, and Suzanne gets throw jumps to do. Hayley can't do either, and gets a strong dance routine, without big tricks or lifts. Ray or Suzanne, or Bonnie, may have done her routine better - given the option.

If some people get given easier routines, they can do well, and others get more difficult risky routines, it reduces the role of skill, risk taking, and ability. and doesn't give the top performers the simpler dance numbers they also could do well. They need something like an element to learn each week - to show who is more capable - but it needs to be something a majority of them will be able to do.

My next 5 thoughts
[LIST=1][*]Glad to see Todd's exit.[*]Delighted that Bonnie and Andrei avoided the SO[*]Not a fan of Zaraah but she should never have found herself in the bottom 2.[*]Clearly Gareth's public fanbase is taking him through - wonder how long that can last.[*]Found myself agreeing with most of Jason's marks tonight.[/LIST]

1 Susanna and Zaraah wee given terrible music. Hard to do a good skating performance to music like that.
2 Thank goodness Todd has gone.
3 Ray really dances on ice.
4 Kyran can lift well but footwork was basic. Pair skating rather than dancing on ice.
5 I love to watch Zaraah skate. She glides beautifully over the ice, she really feels and interprets the music and her partnership with Andy is fantastic.

1. Ray, Kyran and Sam - the boys were on it tonight!
2. Beth - glorious performance, her tricks are great but it's her skating that puts the other girls behind! It's fast and strong and has great flow.
3. Hayley and Suzanne - same skater with different hair colour - both good but Suzanne has better routines.
4. Jason - vile and clearly shows which ones he likes regardless of their performances.
5. Todd's exit - HALLELUJAH

Ray getting back into his old form

Bye bye Todd

Bet Sam is relieved to be through

I'm glad Bonnie is through

They gave Hayley previous music from Dan and Kerry

*tries to find on YouTube*

Ray was fantastic!

Glad Todd has gone - he is nice - but not a skater.

Ray was fantastic!

Glad Gareth got through!

Ray was fantastic!

He was indeed.

1) So happy Bonnie & Andrei avoided the SO!
2) Glad Zaraah survived!
3) Beth really surprised me tonight in a good way
4) I want Gareth out next!
5) Ashley annoys me more every week

1. Beth became a contender for me tonight. Always rated her but felt this year that whilst she would have decent public support the judges would be harsh on her again. Was a pleasant surprise to see them give her sch good praise & scores, even Jason appears to be warming to her. And that Pairs lift that you see in competitive skating - much more impressive than a headbanger.

2. At this stage I am hoping the final four are Ray, Kyran, Beth & Suzanne

3. Think routines will be crucial this series both in terms of judges scores & public vote

4. Hayley was very overmarked. Awful OTT cheesy routine & nothing technically impressive either. If this continues combined with her popularity I fear she'll get much further than she deserves.

5. Ashley needs a translator. Some people used to make comments about Katarina's English. I always found her English excellent plus she made insightful comments too. Ashley just talks gibberish & I really have no idea what she's saying most of the time and English is her first language.

You have good taste

1. All Stars has quickly become boring and it's the same old story - there's a limited amount of skating moves and lifts the couples can do before it becomes very repetitive. The choices of music are rubbish and random too.

2. Really disliked Suzanne and Zaraah's choreography in particular. The hip hop or whatever it was they were doing just made me cringe.

3. However, I loved Zaraah's Diamonds & Pearls routine. That was my highlight tonight. Gorgeous.

4. Bonnie and Hayley's routines should have been swapped around. Neither suited what they were given. And I can't believe Jason wanted MORE expression from Hayley. I think we had quite enough.

5. Ashley talks nonsense. It's all "Go girlfriend" and "You sassy mama!". Just shush. We don't need any performance judges, let alone 2. Being former world class competitors, Robin and Karen are more than capable of marking both technique and performance.

6. Whoever gets a ballad shines. Suzanne last week, Beth this time round. The slower tempo gives the skaters more time to prepare and execute the moves and it's easier to create an atmosphere with a more emotionally charged song. Hence both sets of marks are likely to go up.

xxxxx

lol x x x

Sorry, just realised how I grumpy I sounded on your thread Ignazio!

1) DOI is so much better when I record it, cutting out all the faffing

2) relived Todd has gone

3) Beth skated beautifully, she was my favourite tonight

4) still dont like Hayley

5) Ray really does dance on ice - loved his cha cha sequence! brilliant and well deserved score

Pretty much agree with all these 5. Although maybe on number 4 I'd say Gareth or Sam (more so Sam)

1. Karen and Robin giving Gareth the same scores as Bonnie
2. Karen too full of herself. look at me type thing.
3. Jason giving Todd a 1.5, just about right actually
4. Ray was superb
5. Beth undermarked and should have got a 9.5

1. Jason and Ashley have their favourites and it shows in their marks

2. The show was a bit flat last night, poor music choice for a lot of them

3. Gareth isn't as bad as people make out, he has improved since his series and that's without keeping up the skating. I thought Jason was Harsh with his score.

4. Kyran was the best last night, I enjoyed his routine the most

5. I liked Todd's final exit, great twist

1. Ray was brilliant and actually does what the show is called
2. Beth was really good and should have been marked higher
3. Glad Bonnie wasn't in the skate off
4. Susanne disappointed me
5. Still don't like Sam hope he's out next

1. I don't like Ray. There, I've said it. He may be a fabulous skater and a great dancer on the ice, but it is so difficult to take to him - his reaction upon finding out he was through sealed the deal for me. I hope he stays for a long time as he is one of the best there, but I do hope he doesn't win.

2. Beth was gorgeous and the best of the night by some way for me. That overhead lift was just amazing and she showed such power over the ice with her skating. In my opinion, it deserved nothing less than 9.0 from the judges.

3. Bonnie was decent, but she was not given a routine which showcased her ability very well. I'm glad she escaped the bottom-two, as we all know she can do so much better than what her routine allowed.

4. Hayley seems to be the only female there who doesn't seem to like the big lifts - I don't think we've seen her do a remotely difficult one so far. If she stays for much longer (which she undoubtedly will), she has to try some more challenging moves, because everything at the moment is tight, compact, but a bit bland.

5. Thank God the public have some sense and voted Todd into the bottom-two. I literally squealed with joy when I found out he was against Zaraah (whose D+P routine was stunning, by the way), only because I knew he wouldn't stand a chance then.

1. SO glad to see Todd go home.

2. Superb performance from Ray & Maria - definitely ahead of the pack.

3. Relieved Bonnie & Andrei survived - was worried last night.

4. Sad to see Zaraah and Andy in the skate off - she's better than that.

5. Gareth should be the next to go home.

You are right about never underestimate a champion...Beth knows that after you have won a world championship, you have to go back to the gym and get ready for the next competition. She will have gone back and practiced the same routine as if she hadn't just won gold. And she knows that she has to continually work to improve every line, to nail those landings. She has no doubt approached ice dancing in the same way. It is hard to be expressive, when you best piece is bars.. but here She will have worked on her weaknesses, expressiveness being the biggest, because technically she rarely makes an era and her lines are beautiful.