Sunday Service: Week 2

After the announcement of a full lockdown in England, everyone was delighted to have Strictly start. It's the escapism everyone needs. And with the return of the results show tonight, we will have Strictly seven days a week throughout the lockdown period. It's not so bad...

Max & Dianne kicked things off with a jive. He was a bit flat footed in places and could have pointed his toes a bit more. The performance was pretty good. He was in time throughout. It didn't move me, but I think he has done enough to be back next week. I was a bit distracted by Dianne's dress, as I have one which is quite similar.

You have to love Aliaž. No Halloween special? No problem. We'll do a Halloween Viennese waltz anyway! Clara embodied the character of the dance. She attacked it. There were parts where she looked as though she was struggling to keep up, and her shoulders came up a bit too high in parts, but I liked it anyway.

Bill & Oti opted for Musicals Week rather than Halloween for their quickstep. It was light and quick. What we could see of his footwork looked good, and they covered a lot of the floor. His timing was great, of course. I enjoyed it. We have to talk about the elephant in the room, though. Remember when we all hated props in the numbers? Augmented reality is the new props. I'm not a fan when the couples have to 'interact' with it.

I loved the song choice for JJ & Amy's paso. Believer has been used a lot in pro numbers, but I think this is the first time it's been given to a celebrity. I liked the honesty of the VT, explaining JJ's challenges with the dance. I liked it better on second viewing, which obviously is not a luxury the judges are afforded. I think that maybe it felt stronger than it looked. Looking at JJ's face, he's totally there, strong and commanding. But it didn't always translate to his movements. He could have strode out further on the walks.

Jamie & Karen's American smooth was a bit easier to watch than last week's cha cha. He pulls Judge Rinder faces here and there. I think Karen did most of the work in the routine, spending a lot of time doing turns while he just stood around.

I love Midnight Sky, but I wasn't sure it would work as a tango. I was wrong. Maisie & Gorka stayed in hold throughout most of the routine. Maisie's topline is spot on, her timing and footwork are fantastic. She's so good, I just worry that she's got nowhere to go.

Back to the AR effects for Jacqui & Anton's samba. For the most part, I liked the effects here, as they were used as set-dressing rather than objects on the floor. Sadly, the effects was the only thing I liked. Actually, no, I liked the giant fans as well. Whatever happened to keeping one foot on the floor throughout the dance - she went up on a swing for goodness sake! The choreography was dreadful. There was no hip action. I think there were supposed to be samba rolls in there somewhere, but there was no body movement. At least Jacqui looked like she was having fun.

Harvey & Janette's Viennese waltz was lovely. It was packed with steps, but Harvey was in control throughout and looked good on the dancefloor. I really wish they had gone for a fleckerl instead of a standing spin in the middle, Harvey could have easily handled it. Harvey spots when he turns. I don't know if this is something Janette has taught him, or if it comes naturally, but it's very impressive.

I really liked Ranvir & Giovanni's quickstep. It was cute and light. Their steps in hold looked really nice, with no gapping. Craig was right that the first Charleston kick section went a bit awry, but that was the only flaw in the dance. I could have lived without the bench section in the middle, but even that was cute.

Silks. I'm guessing Jason Gilikison had a hand in Nicola & Katya's street commercial number, as he is a bit keen on the silks. For a street commercial routine, this had a lot of contemporary flavour as well. It feels a bit too early in the competition for couple's choice. This was edging into showdance territory. I liked the routine, though. It suited Nicola, and told her story. It was definitely slap bang in the middle of her comfort zone.

Let's take a moment to reflect on Johannes' paso costume. It was outstanding. Sadly, I thought Caroline's dress made her look a bit frumpy. It was too weighty. The dance, however, was good. Not showstopping, but good. She had lovely flamenco movement. 

Jason & Luba's salsa had lots of energy. Jason looks comfortable and in control. It's a shame the pot stir didn't come off. You really have to nail that if you're going to do it in front of Shirley. I really want to see him do serious ballroom, so I hope he stays a bit longer.

My favourites this week were Clara, Ranvir and Maisie.

The bottom two should really be Jamie and Jacqui, with Jacqui going home, although there is a possibility that Jason could be in trouble as well.