So You Think You Can Dance – The filler edition

Let’s talk about filler … shall we?

Looking back on the premiere episode of this season’s So You Think You Can Dance, the second edition seemed “SYTYCD-Lite” in comparison.

Based on the opener, I was under the (false) impression there would be more of the same — more affecting debuts from hopefuls offering things we’ve never seen before. But I was wrong, wrong, wrong. What we got was tasteless cotton candy for the eyes. Fluff that even when consumed offered no substance.

Hell … I was even prepared to do a “Mary Murphy Inappropriate Sexual Innuendo Reference” count, but even Mary didn’t live up to my expectations. (For the record, her end of the deal was to request performances sans “feeling up” and “booty shaking” along with a drawn out stint with Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Nigel Lythgoe on “wacker” Johnny Waacks. Yes … childish “wacking” references were all the rage. *sigh*) It only goes to show they can’t all be gems.

But still … what was the point of Johnny Waacks? Talk about your filler! And Caley Carr, the Southern California surfer, slacker, instructor, et al with the twirly porn-stache? And reformed (but still cocky as all get out) Jonathan Anzalone? Or the circus performer with his metal hula hoop? All four of these individuals (and more) gave us a dose of showmanship but left us unfulfilled by not graduating from the choreography portion of the program. (The circus performer even cut out early before the end of the choreography round because it was too difficult for him.) And the creme de la fluff was definitely Nick and James Aragon, the so-called “Ninja Twins” who flamboyantly proffered showy plume only to be cut down where they stood because of their age. (They were too old to compete on SYTYCD. Thankfully.)

So … couldn’t we have gotten more of the performances from the fleeting hopefuls we saw in bits and pieces who did make it through to Vegas and less of the popcorn corniness the two hours of show provided? I guess that’s asking a little too much.

For my money (regardless of the fact I didn’t pay to watch the program) I would have rather seen those folks. Or at least some greenhorn who looked like s/he had loads of promise but ultimately crashed and burned on stage. That would have been better than the emptiness we got during the L.A. auditions.

You take the good with the bad, however. You swallow it knowing there just might be a hidden golden nugget at the bottom of the swiftly flowing river of programming. Fortunately, the audition rounds are relatively quick, meaning there won’t be much more of what we saw Wednesday night, relatively speaking.

All I’m saying: A little more surprising pole dancers like Eliane Girard and impressive diamonds in the rough like 18 year-old Sam Lenarz and less Crunch ‘N’ Munch … hokay SYTYCD Powers That Be?

Clacked by Michael Noble
on May 31, 2012 @ 11:34 EST5EDT