^^ Yeah, I don't know. Madi and Evan are great people, and are clearly talented. Evan has excellent skating skills, and Madi is very sexy and her skills have improved. I give them kudos for attempting to switch things up this season. I don't know what it is exactly, but I am not drawn to them as a team. They have had some good programs in the past, and they are competent but they don't seem to genuinely and authentically connect in the way that other teams do such as Hubbell/Donahue. Even other perhaps less technically talented U.S. teams such as Cannuscio/McManus have a more engaging, authentic vibe than C/B. I get what people say about a sense that C/B are not well-matched. That may be true, but I think it is more something about them not giving off a sense of a genuine connection. Ice dance is often over-dramatic in any case, but whatever it is maybe sometimes it seems they are trying too hard. This season at least they seem to have attempted to be more relaxed and edgier. It works to a degree, but again their vibe does not seem fully authentic for some elusive reason. I like C/B's exhibition a lot, so good for them once again for trying. I just still don't feel fully pulled in and engaged by their personalities.
Dave and Drew on TSL were saying that what Hub/Don need to do to gain better respect from judges is perhaps to increase their speed since they are so good in everything else, especially connection and charisma. It is so difficult to break out of the mold judges set for teams though, especially when you are perceived as the third team in your country.
Unfortunately, that mold setting situation is likely what controlled the judges marks for G/P. I don't see any other reason why they weren't in first place at Nebelhorn. Cap/Lan are competent at what they do, and they are a cute, pleasant team. But their programs this season don't break any new ground at all. Too safe and similar to what they have done in the past. The FD Chaplin music/theme has been done to death before in many incarnations in both pairs and singles, and maybe even in ice dance. I'm not interested in seeing Cap/Lan skate to their FD again this season! And even their costumes seem similar to what they wore (in terms of color and style) last season. The competition was in Europe and C/L are a beloved and respected team with good ice dance skills, so they were given the superior marks. IMO, G/P first; C/B second; Cap/Lan third at Nebelhorn. It is early yet in the season, but I am stoked for G/P, and I hope the judges will fairly reward them going forward.
I have a soft spot for Weaver/Poje, and I'm interested to see their new programs. They are a good-looking, appealing team who were very strong at times last season. But when the opportunity to prevail over their competition arose at 4CCs in February, they faltered and never recovered. I think they have been hard done by in the past to some degree, but they have hurt themselves on occasion too. The difficulty for WeavPo now is with Virtue/Moir coming back and once again most likely pushing them to 2nd place Canadians. And with G/P coming on strong too, it will be a battle unless the judges go for usual status quo. Training mates V/M and P/C is gonna be an interesting battle too.
and think they should have beaten both C/L and definitely C/B.
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at Poirier's SP costume. He looks like one of the kids in the Brady Bunch when they had that awful variety show: 
