Episode Review thingie

So they finally realized just how idiotic the whole splitting up deal was, eh? Thank. You. Now can someone burn Jacqueline's blackboard and emoji boards too? And perhaps even fire her while you're at it. She is not a judge, she's a cheerleader. Might as well give her some pompoms and be done with it.

Nora: The whole point of the act was for it to be fun and high energy, and in that aspect, I have to say she delivered. The finishing in her moves got a little bit iffy here and there but the dance was pretty demanding energy wise so I'll forgive her for that.

Harpal: I loved how he had a disclaimer in the beginning. Don't worry, Harpal. I doubt anyone's thinking too hard about the technical aspects of your dance. But I gotta tell you, some of those moves... not bad. When he comes on, I turn off my critique lenses and just have fun right along with him. What can I say? Dude's got an infectious smile.

Karishma: Bwahah, Manish slayed with that "china tea set bhi nahi mila" comment of his. Almost made that painful sob story last week worth it. Almost.

Anyway, Karishma's height was worked to her advantage this time! Unlike last week, where she looked like a praying mantis flailing about, her long legs made her dance moves look so much more refined. The performance was clean, sharp, and her attitude was on point. Good job, Karishma. Now if you could turn off your personality a bit, I can actually get behind you.

Personal pet peeve/nitpick: The whole point of the moonwalk is that it should look like you're gliding effortlessly. I think I almost saw sparks around her feet with all the friction her foot dragging was causing. If you can't do it (which is perfectly fine), just don't add the move. Your performance should showcase your strengths instead of highlighting your weaknesses.

Random side note: I've NEVER seen Tiger be spontaneous in his dancing. He ALWAYS does the choreography. Like even when Tanna tried to get him to dance with her, he didn't pay any mind to her steps and kept doing his thing.

Shantanu: Yes, Jacqueline, he is cute. We get it. Now, can you please, for the love of god, stop? I swear, I've seen more decorum from schoolgirls.

Anyway, Shantanu. It was delightful, sleek and peppy but unfortunately, a notch down from last week's, I'm afraid. Don't get me wrong. There were some PRETTY dope moves in there and his stage presence, as always, was top notch but the minus of being amazing is that people expect you to be amazing. Things are difficult for him because he HAS to outdo himself every week. Being consistently good isn't enough. And since he went for an act so similar in tone to his previous ones, the comparison is inevitable. I think it's time he tried something different. Try to bring something new to the table each week. I believe in you.

What is worrying though, is that he keeps outshining his choreographer to the point where I suspect that she might be holding him back. Her choreography need more work. I dunno.

What the hell was that pappi nonsense though? One second, you cut the judges off to keep it short and the next, you think screaming fangirl pappi fest is an acceptable form of entertainment. I cannot even with this show sometimes.

Shakti: As much as this pains me after last week, I'm afraid the act was just... okay. I agree with the judges about the low energy levels. But I think that the concept itself was too tricky to pull off. The fusion of tapori and Tango. Tango is more about poise, sharpness and attitude rather than energy, but the song they picked was one that just wasn't suited for Tango. It's a song that requires hard hitting dancing so it was bound to look off I felt. I hope they do better next week. He's definitely got it in him.

Salman: This is actually really funny. When he started to do his solo, my mind went, "Why is he focusing on himself so much? Shouldn't he highlight his partner instead?" I shit you not. I legitimately forgot he was the contestant for a while. I love how the judges address him when talking about the choreography. No one even bothers pretending Aishwarya has anything to do with their acts.

Yeah, yeah, the performance was good. Moving on.

P2: This is just sad. I think their biggest drawback was that they had to choreograph themselves. Such wasted potential. Every other contestant and Aishwarya had a more experienced professional guiding them but they were just too new to this whole thing. They're great dancers though and I wish them luck on their future ventures.

Arjun: Oh, Arjun. How hard you try. At best, he's okay but the sheer drive and ambition he seems to have makes me want him to do well. And he definitely has improved this week. He's lost some of his stiffness and his energy was off the charts. His expressions too were engaging. 27 is a tad bit too much but I guess it's fine considering how much he's improved. Good on you, bruh.

Sidhant: This guy, though. He keeps surprising me with his natural skills. For a non-dancer to do so well in that little time? Are you kidding me? He absolutely killed it in some moves and his posture was quite impressive . But he has what I like to call the "dead face syndrome". Dance is a form of expressing yourself, and in most dance forms, especially Latin ballroom, your attitude is a huge part of it. He's so good technically, but he's a little too reserved. There needs to be more life in his face while he dances. It'll elevate his performances tenfold. Step in, Pranalini. This is where you come in.

Surveen: I had to watch her performance twice because the first time I kept forgetting to look at her. In my defense, Sanam.

But she was really good, especially for it being her first time doing that dance form. She just has that natural grace about her and fluidity in her movements, which is just pleasing to watch. Lovely.

So overall, this was a very compact, well put together episode. The "speedrun' thing really worked. They didn't compromise on the humor (cuz Manish is awesome like that) but thankfully mostly avoided all the useless gimmicks they tend to use for entertainment.

Highlights: Karishma and Surveen.

Honorable mentions: Shantanu and Sidhant.