Sunday Service: Week 3

For most couples last night, it was very much a case of death by theme. Some of the Movie Week song choices were questionable, or downright ridiculous.

To start, we had Nicola & Katya's jive to Greased Lightnin'. The routine was pretty good. Nicola was in sync for the most part on the side-by-side sections. I liked the series of turns in the middle, even if it was a bit more salsa than jive. They did seem to shy away from anything in a closed hold, which was a shame. As Craig said, Nicola really needs to watch her free arm, which tends to dangle doing nothing. But it wasn't bad for a non-dancer.

Maisie & Gorka's American smooth was an enjoyable watch. Great musicality, and they work well together as a couple. Maise is so comfortable in hold. Beautiful lines.

No-one can dispute what a great performer Caroline is. She loves theatre, and is clearly missing it at the moment. So a theatre/jazz Couple's Choice routine should have been a knockout. She was brilliant. But the routine she was given was instantly forgettable. There was very little choreography, and it just wasn't very interesting. She is capable of so much, but hasn't been given the opportunity to really let loose. I really hope Johannes has something special up his sleeve soon.

This is the point where the wheels started to fall off for Movie Week. The concept of doing a paso to the main Star Wars theme didn't have me convinced, and Jason & Luba's execution did nothing to improve the situation. Jason's technique wasn't great. The kicks were not pretty, with an upturned toe on the first, and a bent leg on the second. His arm placement on the appels was also not right. I feel like the pair were royally stitched up with the music and theme.

JJ & Amy, thankfully, were far from stitched up. They did a very calm and straight foxtrot, and the theme was barely noticeable. The mix of steps was lovely, a lovely feather step and a lovely fluidity. His top line could be better, he could pull his shoulders back more. And he is a tad pigeon toed in places, but overall it was a good routine.

I enjoyed Harvey & Janette's cha cha as a number, but as Craig and Shirley both noted, there was very little cha cha content. There was actually very little cha cha timing either. But that is not Harvey's fault. I do wish the judges would direct criticism of the choreography to the pro and not the celebrity. Harvey danced what he was given very well, even if he wasn't actually given very much cha cha. It was enjoyable.

Ranvir & Giovanni are fast becoming my favourites. I loved their Dreamgirls foxtrot. Ranvir's body placement was perfect. She and Giovanni were glued together. There was so much content, a proper pure foxtrot, and it was a delight. Totally deserving of such a high score. I cannot wait to see more of this pair.

Jamie & Karen's Hercules Charleston was so campy that I ended up enjoying it. The movie themes don't really get in the way of a Charleston. Jamie's swivvel wasn't really up to much, it was awkward in places, but it was fun.

I wasn't sure about Lady Marmalade for a tango. It doesn't have enough drama for me, but Clara was clearly excited about the prospect. And Aljaž did a pretty good job of the choreography. It was sharp, except for deliberate body and shoulder rolls nodding to the movie concept and enjoyable to watch.

Then we had Max & Dianne and their Simpsons street/commercial. As a routine, I kind of liked it. It was very creative, with nods to the opening titles that we are all so familiar with, and I think they performed it well. I did end up watching Dianne more than Max, so I'm not sure that's a good thing. The routine felt very out of place on Strictly, though. It wasn't really street/commercial. It wasn't really any particular style. It's such an odd piece of music to try and dance to.

Bill & Oti's paso could have been killed by the theme and the music, but Queen Oti was able to make it work in the way only she can. Lots of paso content, lovely shaping from Bill, a guitar interlude. I really enjoyed it.

Overall, it was a very up and down week, as themed weeks so often are. Some of them were destroyed by the theme, some were able to work with it. And the leaderboard was equally mad. Were Max and Jamie really better than Clara?

My favourites this week were Ranvir and Bill. I voted for Nicola as well, as I really want to see what else she can do.

There is no doubt in my mind that Jason will land in the bottom two. His paso was a hot mess. But I don't know who will join them. I think the public vote could have had a huge effect on the placings. But if Jason is there, and I expect he will be, I can't imagine the judges would save him over anyone else.