According to an article in the Oregonian, Meryl and Charlie got level 4 on the first GW sequence, level 3 on the other, so it looks like their work on that paid off. (And it looked much better to me, too) I presume they got dinged for the layback / twizzle turn in GW2-Meryl was not all that far back, something that most of the teams do. Now if they combine it with a performance of the 'creative' part of the SD the way they did in NHK, that will be a really nice SD. I like the way they bracket the GW part with an extra shoot the duck and layback so that it looks like a seamless piece of choreo. They only got level 2 on the steps (level 4 at NHK) and the twizzles were probably level 2 or 3 (level 4 at NHK). So I know they can fix those.
Yes, I'd have Andrew & Kaitlyn ahead of Vanessa & Paul this time. W/P looked so elegant on the ice, and tonight their tech was better, too. I presume C/P were faster, which is why they got higher PCS? In any case, it escapes me, but I'm not there live. C/P were not at the speed level of D/W, and didn't on TV look like that faster or that much deeper in the edges than W/P. Kudos to Vanessa for fixing her hair!-Alicia Keys doesn't work with the old maid 20th century schoolteacher look she had at SC.
And I really do like R/T's Sviridov Waltz. Very classy, and it will be interesting to see where they end up at Russian Nationals. It was nice choreo for an SD! Not to mention TEB, where the field is rather thin. It was really packed here, as much as any field is packed with so many injuries and retirements.
And the Shibs are so smooth, and in general their timing is so good. D/W will have to stay on their toes to stay ahead in the next couple of years.
And Lynn and Logan did really well too.