In Search Of The Partridge Family
Episode 5 Recap
Battle Of The Shirley's
by Kanika Wade
October 5, 2004
Last week, we saw Danny Bonaduche hoisted in by the Dannys, this week we see the Shirleys open the show to a rousing rendition of Lenny Kravitz's "American Women"-complete with mops. A cute way to start but I am still wondering if the mops really needed to be included. Anyway, we are introduced up close to the eight contestants that hope to become the new Shirley Patridge. All of the ladies looked great and while it is clear that each would bring something unique, one of the biggest stories from this group is Krissy Todd. An early fan favorite, she is Leland's (A Keith Finalist) biological mother, giving Leland up for adoption at a young age. Many fans have made it clear that they would love to see a modern day Shirley Jones/David Cassidy cast but the question still remains if this will become reality.
Before we discover the top five, we are once again taken back into the world of Patridge family boot camp. While the girls are taken through their paces like the others, this week we see the contestants letting loose and having a good time. The girls first head out for horseback riding with Danny as "the cowboy" (he just been all over the place!). Although it is uncertain how horseback riding incorporates into "Shirley", everyone has a great time as they hit the trail with their horses.
Next, Shirley Jones surprises the ladies with a trip on the bus, complete with bowling and a beauty bar (yes folks, a salon mixed with a bar). The ladies have a great time and truly got to know each other as they enjoyed manicures and a variety of drinks. Two of ladies also had a birthday and to round out the day, Shirley surprises them on set with a beautiful birthday cake and a 'hot' (insert sarcasm here) stripper.
Fun aside; it is now time to send three of the Shirleys home. As before, based on rehearsals and the resemblance factor, five of the Shirleys are about to head into the singing competition. Host Todd Newton reveals the results and Gabrielle and Suzanne are the first to receive the good news-they're in. Dee is the first out with Mary Kay being the third into the singing round. Julie is next to receive the good news leaving only Krissy, Lisa, and Judy to 'sweat it out' for the fifth and final position. Krissy is the last to receive the news that she is headed to the singing round and Judy and Lisa are the remaining two that are headed home.
The singing competition begins with Krissy, who shares about her time in a rock band and Leland (just to clarify for those who have questioned this, they actually reunited over 18 months ago!). Performing "Heartbreaker", Krissy performs well and both the audience and judges agree. Leland is also in the audience and it is clear that despite everything, he is proud and supportive of his mom.
Gabrielle is next to perform and while she is a cello player, she hopes if anything that an appearance on 'Celebrity Poker' will come out of the experience (huh?!?). Although Gabrielle does an amazing job on "Hot Stuff", the judges respond with lukewarm scores (what?!?!). Moving along, we learn that Mary Kay is a professional dog walker with a business called "Muffy's Mutts" (cute). We also learn that her deceased father is the driving force behind her participation with the program. Mary Kay offers a strong performance of "You're So Vain" and for her 'first audition', it is clear that she is having fun.
Suzanne Sole is fourth to perform and from first impression, she is a definite mix of sass and comedy. Suzanne tries her hand at "You Oughtta Know" throughout the performance makes it her own. Julie Witner is the last to perform and she is a solid example of taking risks and pursuing your dreams. While Julie offers a decent performance of "Hold Me", I honestly think that she would had better luck with a different song. In previous battles, song choice has proven key and has made the difference on whether you stay or go-no matter how much you resemble the character (No disrespect intended, but Sutter is a strong example of this).
Before the final three are revealed, we are taken to Danny and the judges who share their picks for the "ideal" cast. While two of the judges (Tim and Mary Jo) give their blessing to Emily and Leland for Laurie and Keith, the remaining two show their support for Suzanne (although Krissy gets great feedback) and Spencer or Keaton (although Alex gets credit for his amazing voice-that boy can sing!!!!!) for Shirley and Danny. While their opinions are interesting, ultimately the power is in the viewer's hands as their votes alone will put the new cast together (see my commentary for my "ideal" cast).
It's cut time again as two more Shirleys are about to be eliminated from the competition. Not keeping the audience in suspense, Todd announces that Krissy, Mary Kay, and Suzanne are on to the acting round (and the public vote). Despite respectable performances, Julie and Gabrielle are eliminated but rest assured this is not the last we have heard from these two.
The acting round takes us to a 1974 episode in which Shirley is upset about Danny and Keith passing off Hemingway's work as Danny's own. Krissy is the first to tackle this scene and performs it well. She comes off natural and authentic, which is great. Mary Kay is next and does a solid job considering that Krissy was a strong act to follow. When asked how judges would perceive her performance, Mary Kay believes that they will "love it, love it, love it"! Suzanne is last to perform and overall does well. Each proved that that could hold their own and this race looks very close. We will only see next week when the final two are revealed.
Before the show closes, we finally learn which two Dannys will advance to next week's finals. I was certain that Alex was in, but with the votes and the judges, would it play out that way? Keaton is the first to receive the news that he's finals-bound, leaving Alex and Spencer to claim the second and final spot. Spencer is next to receive the good news, leaving Alex as the one eliminated and myself (and many others) stunned! Although Keaton and Spencer are equally charming, Alex was clearly the strongest vocally and I thought it would have worked in his favor. Between Spencer and Alex, I felt that Spencer should have gone home.
Next week:
The Battle of the Finalists-Which two Shirleys are heading for the finals? Who will step up? The power is now in our hands (100%) to cast the new sitcom!
Kanika (Nika) Wade is a a full-time student pursuing a degree in Associate of Arts. In her
spare time she loves to read, write, and shop.
She can be reached at kanikaawade@aol.com
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