So, Erin, you watched the finale. How was your viewing experience? Thrilling? Surprising?
You know, it was different being on this end of it this season. I felt being involved it with was very emotional. I know how emotional I was in the end, and not because I placed third. I knew that was going to happen. I think it was because the journey had come to and I was tired, exhausted, and so thankful for my time with Maks [Chmerkovskiy]. Very emotional. I just remember watching Evan [Lysacek] and Nicole [Scherzinger] -- because the way they did the finale last night was different than ours. They booted me and Maks right away after our first dance and then it was basically the Evan-and-Nicole competition. It was interesting the way they did it last night because it was the three of them all night. Now, I was curious if that was the format before Bristol was in third place to kind of keep her involved in the whole thing towards the end. Like, my year? We were booted right away. But this year all three of them [stayed in] for all two hours. So it was kind of interesting. I kind of thought it was a very long finale. Did you?
Christina Aguilera performed almost seven times, it seemed like.
[Laughs]. I mean, I understood. I loved seeing everybody come back and dance, the skits, and everything. It was just being different on this side as opposed to last season.
Did you think Bristol stood a shot of winning throughout the episode?
I didn't know because of the way it had gone all season. It was so unpredictable. The only thing I thought that was very telling was just how far apart the scores were. Jennifer had really separated herself and I was just thinking to myself, I remember sitting in the audience after I got the boot last year -- I remember Evan was probably five points away from Nicole, and I was sitting next to Cheryl [Burke] and she was like, "It's too much. He's not going to be able to make it up; Nicole's going to win." I remember looking at Kyle and Bristol's scores and thinking, "It's too much of a lead. I don't think Kyle's going to win and I don't think Bristol's popularity votes will matter." But then I kept saying to myself, "It can't be this predictable, right? It can't be this predictable. Something's going to happen." So I wasn't surprised Bristol got there. In all honesty, of all the dancers left, I think third was the best spot for her. I don't think she danced better than Kyle or Jennifer, but I congratulate her and think third place was a huge accomplishment for her.
Watching Kyle's freestyle, I thought, "This is something Erin will love."
I loved it. I just really love his personality and was cheering for him. The one thing I will say about Kyle in the finale -- I don't agree with his scores. I don't think he was scored correctly at all. I thought a lot of the stuff he did in the finale was right up there with Jennifer. I do agree with Jennifer's scores though; I thought hers were perfect. But I don't think he was scored high enough. That bothered me.
I thought the scoring was downright mysterious. Bristol was scoring straight 9s again? What?
Oh, her freestyle? She got better scores on her freestyle than I did. I said, "Wow. That's amazing." It's very interesting. I would love to know from the judges where they were coming from with the scoring. Even last night, the dances they did -- Kyle got an 8 from Len, and Bristol got a 9 from Len. I was just curious where he was coming from. But that's part of the whole thing; the [producers] don't hold the judges accountable. They don't need to explain their scores. I just don't think Kyle was scored high enough.
There was plenty of ridiculousness in the finale. Any particularly cuckoo moments you liked most?
I thought the finalists didn't have any ridiculous moments, but I thought the skits were hysterical. I thought the David Hasselhoff thing was great. Nothing else struck me as, "Oh my gosh, this is ridiculous." I did love the part -- once I figured it out -- the watermelon thing with Jennifer Grey. I thought it was perfect. "I carried a watermelon." That came up again and again in my mind. I loved that Kyle and Lacey did the Tootsie Roll. It was phenomenal. He's so stinkin' cute. I think if anything, I'm bummed out. I mean, I'm happy with Jennifer winning, and I thought she was phenomenal -- particularly for someone who ruptured her disc? That must've been some major drugs she was on. My dad has two herniated discs in his back, and he said, "Ruptured discs? How do you even walk right now?" I give her kudos for everything she put her body through. I just don't think the scoring difference between her and Kyle should've been as great as it was. But I don't mean to take the mirror ball trophy away from her -- she was phenomenal.
Were you sad that she didn't perform "(I've Had the) Time of My Life"? I believe you and I felt we were owed that.
[Laughs.] You and I did think we were owed it. When she gave her explanation that that dance was hers and Patrick's, I thought that was pretty fair. If you think about it, will she ever be able to do it again like she did in that movie? We'll always have our memories from that movie. Nobody will be able to recreate that. It was probably a smart decision to leave that alone and leave it the way we all remembered it. I love the fact that they did "Do You Love Me?" There were steps in there we all remembered, like when they were up on the judges' table and he was swinging her around. And again, the watermelon was adorable. Good for her. That was a great decision.
We even saw Brandy and your beloved Maks dance again. Was that fun for you to see?
Yeah. I didn't think they would do a dance that they had already competed with. I thought they'd do a new one and "make a statement." It was very tasteful and subtle. Maks and Brandy could've gone out there and just said, "This is how we feel. We were robbed. This is total crud," stuff like that. But they came out and were just like, "We're accepting this. We're smiling about it. We're coming back and we're good sports." That was the right way to go about it. Very classy.
Did you get enough out of this season? The stuff that makes you love and keep watching this show?
I think obviously the producers got what they wanted with the unpredictability factor and Bristol. When they showed that package last night of all the upsets -- people going home and their reactions -- that really captured what the season was all about. The only bummer about this season in the finale was the scoring -- the huge difference between Kyle and Jennifer. I just felt like after I saw them do their first dances, I said, "She's winning. Why are we dragging this out?" Last year, Maks and I were tied for first going into the second night, but once we got the scores for the first dance, we were out. We got the boot. So this year I was like, "Why are they dragging this out? This is over." It made you think the popularity votes were going to make a difference, but it was just too big a margin.
I think you've been right to say that Jennifer Grey is this season's Nicole Scherzinger -- the consistent performer of such a high skill level. But for that reason, I worried if maybe Jennifer would lose. It's not like Nicole's victory was particularly thrilling for many people, and I'd think voters wouldn't want the big favorite to win for a second season in a row.
I agree with you. I thought maybe because it looked so obvious -- the point difference between Jennifer and Kyle -- I'm like, "Maybe they're setting this up. It can't be that the shoo-ins were going to win it again." From show one both years, I thought Nicole and Jennifer were going to win. But Kyle was so gracious. You can tell the pros know the scoring and how hard it is to make up [deficits], and you could see on Lacey's face, she thought, "Crap, we're getting second." I will say this, if there's a winner out of season 11 -- it's Kyle. He's someone that will do huge things afterward. I obviously think Jennifer's going to do a lot of things, but I think he won over so many people who were never fans of his before.
Finally, what are your favorite moments from this season?
I think the one I really loved most was the first one Jennifer ever did. She was talking about how emotional it was -- with Patrick -- "These Arms." I don't know if it was a waltz or not, but Derek pulled her shoulder straps down like in the movie. I think it was the first time America got to see how wonderful a dancer she is and how much we missed Baby. It was so perfect. I remember the very first time she did it. Carrie Ann said it last night: It was such a tribute to Patrick Swayze. Anyone who loves that movie or that kind of dancing loves Patrick Swayze, so I thought that was so very special. But Kyle made such an impression on me this year; he was so fantastic. Maybe my favorite was his rock 'n roll dance that he repeated last night. I was in the audience for that the first time and I remember screaming for him so loudly. He just really matured and became such a star. I'm so excited for him and his family and what's next for him. I think great things are coming up for him.