By Anya

And then there were seven. DWTS said goodbye to Kate Gosselin last week. She left with “grace and sweetness” according to her mom, and Kate’s many fans agree. Speaking just for myself, I have mixed emotions about a Kate-free DWTS, but a part of me is relieved. DWTS is my go to show when I want to relax on Monday nights.  Having Kate on the show produced some anxiety in me. I wanted her to do well, but I knew she had a lot going against her – lack of a performance background and lack of time to practice being two very big obstacles. It was also difficult being a regular DWTS viewer and witnessing lazy reporters and those with an ax to grind bloviate endlessly about 1) Kate leaving her kids to participate on the show; 2) Kate and Tony arguing during practice and 3) Kate staying longer than other (supposedly) better dancers.

News flash: all three happen every season. Many parents of young children have appeared on the shown. Nearly every episode features some sort of drama between partners. Lastly, the timing of Kate’s exit was not unusual at all. Let’s throw Shannen Doherty out of the mix. Based on what little we saw of her, she deserved to stay longer. However, she apparently did not have the fan support some of the other stars do. Those are the breaks. Now to the other two – Buzz and Aiden - these two averaged lower or about the same judges scores as Kate. What saved Kate? She has more fans. This is the whole point of the show, people! In hindsight, I think it was Kate’s week to go. The other two lowest scored dancers – Chad and Niecy – did put on a much better performance than Kate. So there is nothing to be upset about, DWTS/Kate Fans – things basically worked out as they should. God is in his/her heaven; all is right with the world.

Before we move forward with a quick look at Monday night’s show, allow me to share with you a few nice quotes from Kate’s fellow DWTS castmates.

Derek Hough: “Given the current circumstances she’s in and the press that surrounds her, she had a lot of fun…. She was fantastic.”

Evan Lysacek: “She’s so sweet. We’re like family, so it’s hard to see anyone go.”

Louis Van Amstel (via Twitter after having his words about Kate twisted): 

- ”I actually grew on Kate a lot.I did say i wished she would have let her guard down sooner 4 her own sake,but it’s hard in her position….”

-”She never seems to get a break….”.

-”lol….i’ll be clearer.The more i got to know Kate,the more i liked her as a person!!!! Better?”

-”Unfortunately the media is powerful,u have to watch what u say,how u say it,when u say it,what u do,how u do it.Live n let live.Get a life!”

Ok, now as I promised, here is a swift little look ahead to Monday night’s show. The seven remaining contenders will either do the Samba or the Argentine Tango. Note, I want to give a thanks to the blog Puredwts.com for helping me to figure out who is doing what! Also in the spirit of our most recent Gosselin Chatter post, I am going to include at least one nice quality that I appreciate about each of the remaining seven.

Dancing  The Samba:
-Nicole:  Hands down, the best dancer in the competition. Derek and Nicole work together flawlessly and make me appreciate what I love about seeing truly great dancing.
-Evan: Without a doubt, a sweetheart and most would agree the second best dancer in the competition. He has suffered a couple of injuries and seems to be keeping up a pretty punishing schedule aside from DWTS, but he is always upbeat.
-Erin: Spunky, funny and adorable. I don’t know why I love her as much as I do, but I do.
-Jake: The only other cast member, other than Kate, with no real performing background. He has done better than I would have expected. He seems to be working really hard both in rehearsal and reaching out to the fans to stay on the show. Good for him.

Dancing The Argentine Tango:
-Pam: Another mom, which I appreciate. She has natural dancing talent. I liked last week when she brought out a whole different persona with a little comedic edge thrown in.
-Niecy: A mom of three teenagers. How can I not commiserate? She brings humor to the show. It is too bad the comedians don’t often last long on DWTS because I like the energy they bring. I thought the judges were too hard on her last week. I hope she can rebound this week because I think she may be in some danger.
-Chad: The little I had heard of him before DWTS made me think he might be a male diva, but I have been pleasantly surprised. From what I have seen, he has been gentlemanly and relatively low-key. It is clear he likes to flirt, but I think that is cute. His performances have been somewhat uneven. I am rooting for a comeback this week.

So Happy Monday night viewing. Let’s check back during and after the show to discuss – ok?

Tags: