Week 2 is the worst.
Every single year, I get excited about the new pairs. Every year, I think about how nice it’s going to be to see them all improve over the course of the season. And every year, I am suddenly and rudely reminded of the fact that someone has to get eliminated every week.
Violetta, really? This early on? You’re breaking my heart.
You know what I love, though? Halloween week. It always makes for such interesting numbers – Violetta and Jason’s Pink Panther routine from season 4 is one of my all-time favourite Battle of the Blades moments, and Tessa and David’s mummy dance in season 3 was iconic. Not to mention Shae-Lynn and Patrice’s season 2 Monster Mash routine. I love Halloween.
Plus, the one nice thing about week 2: they’re trying so hard to fit it into one hour that there’s less time for Ron MacLean to speak. Granted, that also means none of the competitors get to talk about how their week has been, but, you know. You win some, you lose some.
Let’s talk about the best and worst moments from this week’s episode.
Pair #1: Jessica and Asher
I… love this pair. So much. So, so, so much. They are way ahead of the competition in their theatricality. Their ability to perform is unmatched on this show.
I do understand why the judges put them in last place. Some of the lifts were a bit shaky. Jessica definitely looked like she was concentrating pretty hard at times. They took a lot of risks, and those risks didn’t always pay off. But holy shit, they were so bold, and I had so much fun watching them.
If they can just work on the technical aspects of their skating – get on the same level as some of the other pairs – they will definitely do well in this competition. I think next week will be a real test for them. I am definitely rooting for them at this point.
Pair #2: Meagan and Wojtek
These two probably win the award for “most improved,” and I thought they did well last week. They really looked like they were having fun. They were in character. And that throw! The other lift! The skating! This routine was both technically sound and a lot of fun to watch. The song choice was a liiiiiiitle bit yikes, but it is halloween, so I guess it was intentional.
Anyways, I loved it. Can’t wait to see more.
Pair #3: Vanessa and Akim
I feel like such a dick criticizing people in this competition for looking nervous when there is no way I would ever be able to do any kind of performance in front of a crowd, but Akim still looks so nervous! I felt that that did take away from the performance a bit, though I absolutely loved everything that happened after that shirt-ripping moment. The throws were spectacular. They definitely have the technical stuff down, and I feel like if Akim can just get a little bit more comfortable on the ice, this will be an amazing pair.
I’m also still holding out hope that the nerves will go away for them. After all, one of my favourite competitors in season 3 was Cale Hulse, and he was unbearably awkward for the first few weeks. If he can do it, anyone can.
Pair #4: Jennifer and Eric
Skating to Toxic in 2020? A power move. I love it.
I must say, I’m really enjoying watching Eric Radford skate with a partner that’s better than Amanda Kessel. Jennifer is a fantastic skater, and she really seems to be enjoying herself. I also just think she and Eric are a great match. She really seemed to be keeping up with him, too, which isn’t something you see a lot at this stage of the competition.
Pair #5: Kaitlyn and Bryan
This pair is going. So. Hard. On the footwork. I love it. I think they’re probably the team to beat right now, which is kind of ridiculous because Kaitlyn was also ½ of the team to beat at this point last season. How does she do it?
These two are just a joy to watch. They’re clearly having so much fun. I loved the theme for this week. I can’t wait to see what they come up with in the future, because they are definitely sticking around.
Pair #6: Carlotta and Kris
Well, well, well, if it isn’t the person who spent the last week talking shit about my boy Scott Moir.
If you’re not following Kris Versteeg on Instagram, you’re missing out. This man is hilarious, and he’s been chirping a certain judge non stop ever since the first episode.
The look of horror on Scott’s face when he realized he had once again given this pair the lowest mark of the night. He knew he was in for it. Poor guy.
Anyways, this was a fun halloween routine. Kris’s skating continues to be extremely impressive, and I loved the lifts. I love this pair, but I’m afraid that if Kris Versteeg wants to beat Bryan Bickell, he might have to step it up a bit.
Pair #7: Violetta and Anthony
Oh, Violetta and Anthony.
I was rooting for these two. I really, really wanted them to do well. I love Violetta Afanasieva with my entire heart, and Anthony was so much fun to watch last week. I was so sure they’d make an iconic pair. I was honestly shocked to see them in the bottom two. But while Anthony’s skating looked much better this week and they pulled off a few classic Violetta Afanasieva lifts, I could tell by the end of this that they were going home.
I am sad about this, especially because I want Violetta to win at least once. I still think she deserved the trophy in season 4.
Pair #8: Megan and Andrew
Ugh. Okay. I have to admit I liked this one.
Thankfully, we didn’t get nearly as many cop references this week as we did last week, but I still feel a little bit weird about supporting this pair. I also kind of love that they ended up in the bottom two, because that means other people were also probably turned off by the cop thing. Ha.
This was a great number. The song choice was great, the lifts were really ambitious, and Megan was definitely able to keep up with Andrew. They’re probably never going to be my favourite pair in this competition, but I do like watching them skate.
Battle of the Blades airs Thursdays at 8pm ET on CBC.
