‘So You Think You Can Dance’ 18 episode 9 recap: ‘Challenge #5: Brand Challenge’ decided who moved on to the finale

We’re closing in on the season 18 finale of “So You Think You Can Dance.” We’re down to the final four following last week’s elimination of Mariyah Hawkins after the contestants prepared a pair of complex routines simulating a career as dancers on tour with Grammy winner T-Pain. That left four contestants to compete in “Challenge #5: Brand Challenge”: Madison Alvarado, Anthony Curley, Easton Magliarditi and Dakayla Wilson. So what happened when they performed in a high-stakes brand partnership?

After an opening number to Tate McRae‘s “She’s All I Wanna Be” choreographed by two-time Emmy winner Tessandra Chavez that brings judge Allison Holker near to tears and prompts a standing ovation from her, Maksim Chmerkovskiy and JoJo Siwa, we flash back to a week earlier when the final four were about to learn the theme for the week. “I did not think I was going to make it to semifinals or top four at all,” says Dakayla. “I think I’m going to invite [my dad] to the upcoming show.” As we learned last week, Dakayla hasn’t seen her father since she was two-years-old. “I think this will be a really big moment in my life and in his to see me dance for the first time.”

To help introduce this week’s challenge are “SYTYCD” alum and Emmy-nominated choreographer Witney Carson and creative director/choreographer Hi-Hat. “I didn’t even make it this far when I was on the show,” Witney remembers. And look at her now! “The best dancers have all worked with different global brands to share their vision and their products with the world, and that’s why I’m here today,” she explains to them about this week’s challenge. “I am the newest brand ambassador for Gatorade,” she adds, though with all the denim on her and host Cat Deeley, I’d just assumed this would be a Gap or Levi’s type deal. But Witney explains that the company is coming out with a new product, Gatorade Water, and “they’ve picked you four to bring it to the world.” Gatorade Water … as in the clear stuff? Those masters of hydration have only just now come up with water? I hope there’s something special in it at least, like electrolytes or vitamins or the tears of Olympic medalists.

“I’ve never danced for a brand,” says Easton. “So this is very unique and very cool, and they keep raising the bar.” That’s right, Easton. After toiling away on Broadway and in film, you’ve arrived at the dark heart of capitalism. Witney continues her Gatorade Water pitch — yes, there are electrolytes — and tells them that they’re each going to make a 30-second video, and then the four of them will collaborate on group ad. Hi-Hat advises them to be consistent over multiple takes and bring their personalities to it.

Hi-Hat then takes the dancers to rehearsals and tells them that the dance will be a little house, a little hip-hop. It’s continuous and the transitions need to be seamless. House is something Dakayla feels she needs to work on because it doesn’t come naturally to her. But Easton looks like a total deer in headlights, which Hi-Hat notices. “This is new for me,” he admits. She encourages him that he can do it, but she also says, “In the real world, if you say to the choreographer, ‘This is not my style,’ right away they’ll fire you.” Oof, tough crowd.

Ironically, when the judges told Easton last week that he seemed to lack confidence, that totally sapped the rest of his confidence, and no wonder. Tell an anxious person that they look anxious, and all you’ve done is take their “I don’t know if I can do this” fear and add on top of that “… and everyone can tell.” Not that I know anything about that. Whether he makes it to the end or not, he probably just needs to spend time training other styles to improve his versatility and adaptability. As the judges have always told him, he’s got the technique and the talent he needs to succeed, but he’s struggling with the mindset.

The next day Dakayla meets with her dad, Jamal Hamilton. “Emotionally, this is a lot,” she drastically understates. He did reach out to her through social media when she was about 13, but she wasn’t prepared to meet him at that time. “But my ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ journey has taught me to be emotional and confident and not to hide anything. He’s never seen me dance. Hopefully I get to stay longer and develop more of a relationship with him.” I wonder what it’s like also having that emotional journey take place on national television. Maybe that actually makes it a little easier, being able to produce the reunion for a TV show instead of going it alone.

Back to the task at hand. “This is the last rehearsal before we shoot this thing,” says Hi-Hat as she greets the dancers again. And Easton is in a much better place … sort of. “Yesterday I went home and I worked on the choreo, and I let it soak in my body, and I slept on it, and today I came in and it felt so much better.” But when asked by a producer, “Are you having more fun today than yesterday?” he pauses before answering, “Today is more positive.” To not even be able to fake a “Yes” to that question is brutal. I hope he comes through the competition okay, just from a mental health perspective. As the challenges get progressively harder, you can see the impostor syndrome intensifying.

Meanwhile, Dakayla selectively listens to instructions, according to Hi-Hat. “She could be so great if she just listened and absorbed and applied.” But poor Madison can’t catch a break. At one point during her moves — maybe a spin, she can’t really remember — she starts bleeding from her knee, and she’s still in so much hip pain from last week’s mishap that she can’t even feel this injury. “I’m just trying really hard to just not show it,” she says. “At this point in the competition I really don’t want to go home.” So Madison is in physical pain and Easton is in psychic pain. Next thing you know Anthony’s going to impale himself on a Gatorade bottle or something.

The day of the shoot comes, and the judges arrive to observe the process. The first thing they notice is how Easton is smiling at last and finally owning his talent. I have a feeling, though, that that smile took as much practice as the choreo. The group number seems to go off smoothly, and Easton shows his aptitude drinking out of a bottle on camera. When it comes time for the solos, however, the rain machine turns on and Anthony has a spill on the slippery floor. Easton continues to excel in the judges eyes — fake it ’til you make it, and so far it looks like he’s making it.

But Madison is still fighting through hip and knee pain. “You want to push yourself, but you also want to make sure you take care of your body,” Allison points out. Oh, and “there’s blood,” Madison says matter-of-factly of a stain on the set. She tells the set medic that on a scale of one to 10, her pain level is at a six, but her face says eight at least. “I’m really just trying not to show how much pain I actually am in.” Part of me thinks the judges should eliminate Madison for her own safety. Better to lose on “SYTYCD” than do permanent damage that could curtail your future career.

The day comes to watch the dancers’ brand videos and decide who stays and who goes. After Easton’s solo clip plays, JoJo tells him that finally he has made that necessary emotional connection to the material: “You looked like a model. You looked like a movie star.” Maks tells Dakayla that she’s reliable and he knows she’s not going to let him down, which goes a long way in the business; Allison calls her “a female powerhouse.” Allison thinks Anthony has “authenticity” and shows a new side of himself in every challenge and character. And finally Madison, while in pain, performed like she was perfectly healthy, and JoJo thinks it’s remarkable that she was never at the bottom in any previous challenge.

So what are the judges’ decisions? Well, nothing yet. With just four dancers left vying for three spots in the finale, Allison announces that all of them will dance a solo. First up: Anthony’s routine to “Still Alive” by Aaryan Shah. JoJo thinks his dynamic is “captivating,” and he has “grown so much,” setting a high bar for the rest of the solos. Dakayla follows, who is deeply moved to be dancing to “My Immortal” by Evanescence with her dad in the audience, and it’s the best Allison has ever seen her. “I don’t think she has ever danced like that before,” says JoJo.

Those are some tough acts to follow, but Easton comes out next to “Perfectly Wrong” by Shawn Mendes. “I could watch him dance for an hour. By himself,” says Maks. But Maks doesn’t have a standing-O feeling about him. Allison points out that while he’s a great contemporary dancer, they’re looking for someone well-rounded. Sounds like Easton’s on the bubble. Then there’s Madison. “I don’t know if my nerves can take this,” says Cat before she performs to “Can’t Be Tamed” by Miley Cyrus. My hips hurt just watching her do some of those kicks and tricks. But the judges do give her a standing-O, and JoJo falls on the floor in awe. Allison has never seen a jazz-funk solo like that on the show, and it’s exactly what they need to see in the semifinals. Sounds like the only one the judges have any reservations about is Easton, which is odd since this is the week they’ve said he finally came into his own.

Before the judges announce their decisions, though, they ask the contestants to explain what the competition has meant to them. Anthony wishes his mom were there, but the competition has meant the world to him. Dakayla performed for her dad tonight, and she wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but in this competition. Easton has learned how much he wants this as a career. Madison feels that the journey has been a blessing, and has shown her that she is enough.

Okay, time to get down to business. Who’s in and who’s out. The first dancer in the finale is Anthony. Next going into the finale is Madison. And the final dancer in the finale will be Dakayla. So my instincts were right. Easton is eliminated from the competition. “Getting to know these guys and creating a family” has been his favorite part of dancing on the show. “This experience has been one of the most amazing journeys I’ve ever had,” he adds in his exit interview. “This process has highs and lows, but I’m okay with the challenges because this has been a dream of mine since I started dancing. I just know I made my younger self proud. I got to let my heart out on the stage. Every week I’ve really had to dig deep and find who I am throughout this whole experience. And with this group, I’ve made a family. These are going to be friendships forever. I’m excited to watch my friends kill it in the finale.”

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