Eyes for another

Yes, Lauren Froderman won & Ellen stole spotlight, but what about that PashaKovalev on So You Think You Can Dance?

Who could keep their eyes on the winner with Pasha Kovalev's impressive ...dance technique?
Lauren Froderman is the last dancer standing.
Ellen Degeneres (who has plenty of dance experience on her own show) did herbest to steal the spotlight on the So You Think You Can Dance finale.

Thursday night, live from Hollywood, it was the eagerly anticipated season finale of So You Think You Can Dance, and I tried to fall in with all the excitement when Lauren Froderman was announced as America’s favorite dancer.

But I couldn’t contemplate this disappointing forest for its tiniest of trees. “That last name is going to a problem,” I thought to myself as glitter and confetti poured around her and the cast of losers ran to offer hugs and kisses.

Lauren Freedman? Lauren Frye? Lauren del Mar?

Yes, I’ve probably watched too many Hollywood movie musicals. But there’s got to be a better stage name for the young woman who danced her way to the top. Otherwise she’s going to be confused with a Tolkien character.

I suppose I was still fuming from Wednesday night’s episode, when the ever-fickle judge Mia Michaels said that she liked Lauren’s balance of masculine and feminine. The comment burned through me, because only a few weeks ago Nigel told the talented young Billy that America wasn’t going for his “androgynous style.”

So why was it so much better coming from Lauren? Even more problematic, I don’t think it’s true. David Bowie was androgynous. Grace Jones was androgynous. I don’t find any evidence that Lauren Froderman is the least bit gender-bending.

After Mia called Lauren “filthy” (a term of praise here), the wholesome Lauren said that all season long, the choreographers have wanted to portray her as a “man-eater.” And then Mia said that Lauren hasn’t done one bad dance yet, adding that if she were still dancing, “I would want to achieve to be that.”

Oh, the hyperbole, Mia. I wish you would learn, as per your weekly mantra, “to own that.”

The dance that seemed to put Lauren over the edge on Wednesday, the one that catapulted her into the god-realm of popular dance, was a smoky tango with all-star Pasha Kovalev. Judge Adam Shankman remarked that she understood every rhythm, every note, characterizing her interpretation as “exhibition-style perfect.”

And now is the time I must admit that as a dance critic and a gay man, I can’t take my eyes off of Pasha. Yes, I confess that during this routine, Lauren was relegated to my periphery. Please don’t get me wrong — I don’t have anything against Lauren— but I adore Pasha. And I am just not seeing the emperor’s new clothes when Lauren takes the stage.

The only female dancer who can put Pasha in the palm of her hand is the brilliant all-star Anya Garnis. When Anya is on stage with Pasha, I no longer play moth to his flame, but it will take Lauren years to get to Anya’s level.

Only the coldest heart wouldn’t wish Lauren well as her career is certain to sky-rocket. Lauren, I salute you. You are sweet, confident, versatile and strong. But artistry will take more time, and you’re going to be sidetracked with other things over the coming months, like endorsing Gatorade. Lauren’s first trophy after the news broke was a bit of a letdown: A plastic bottle filled with energy drink, bearing her likeness on the label.

Stay on track, Lauren, and find a good massage therapist.

And despite my mixed feelings at the outcome, the finale was thrilling in so many other ways. Each of the seven judges picked a favorite number, which was performed as a live encore for the enthusiastic audience. There were plenty of montages centered on the laughter and the tears. Black Gold showed up to sing Shine in person. A 7-year-old named Luke tapped his little heart out, and the stunning Quest Crew demonstrated their awe-inspiring skills at dancing and ensemble choreography.

Ellen Degeneres made a cameo appearance in a hip hop number with the glorious Twitch, filling in for a post-surgery Alex Wong. It seemed cute until it became evident that Ellen was acting with a twist, stealing some thunder from the proceedings to promote her own career, no doubt.

By this point everyone knows that Degeneres has declined to return to American Idol. Is she trying to horn her way onto So You Think You Can Dance?

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HOWDY, DOCTORS

Grey's Anatomy spins off new medical drama led by Houston-born showrunner

Photo via Meg Marinis/Instagram

Showrunner Meg Marinis poses with actor Kevin McKidd, who recently exited Grey's Anatomy after more than a decade playing Dr. Owen Hunt.

ABC is bringing the Grey's Anatomy universe to Texas with a new one-hour rural medical drama co-created by longtime showrunner Meg Marinis. Marinis was born in Houston and is an alum of both the Kinkaid School and the University of Texas at Austin.

According to an exclusive report from Deadline, which production company Shondaland shared on social media, the untitled series has received a straight-to-series order from ABC and will follow a team at a rural West Texas medical center described as “the last chance for care before miles of nowhere.”

The series marks the first Grey’s Anatomy franchise show set outside the West Coast, and it's the first that's not centered around an existing main character from the original series.

The new drama will be co-created by Shonda Rhimes and Marinis, who has spent nearly two decades working on Grey’s Anatomy. She joined the series during its third season as a production assistant before rising through the ranks to become a researcher, writer, executive producer, and now showrunner.

"This opportunity will bring new characters and stories to life that will embody the same heart, emotion, and connection audiences have loved from Grey’s for more than two decades, all set in my home state of Texas,” Marinis said in a statement announcing the series. "I am so grateful to Shonda Rhimes for creating this dynamic world and feel so fortunate that I get to be a part of it.”

Marinis’ path to running one of television’s biggest franchises started in Austin. In an interview with Shondaland last year, she recounted moving to Los Angeles during her final semester at UT through the university’s UTLA entertainment program, which allows students to complete coursework while interning in the industry. While finishing school, she interned at Universal before landing a production assistant role on Grey’s Anatomy in 2006.

Marinis has also woven Texas experiences into the flagship series itself in recent years. According to Deadline, she personally knew families affected by the Camp Mystic tragedy and rewrote part of a recent Grey’s Anatomy episode after becoming emotional while working on the script.

The West Texas setting is particularly timely, as rural healthcare access remains a growing issue across the state. According to the Texas Hospital Association, more than 20 rural Texas hospitals have closed since 2010, while roughly a quarter of the state’s remaining rural hospitals are considered at risk of closure.

By centering the new series on what ABC describes as “the last chance for care before miles of nowhere,” the franchise could bring national attention to healthcare access challenges facing communities across West Texas and other rural parts of the state.

The new series joins a long lineage of Texas-set television dramas, though not all were actually filmed in the state. Grey’s Anatomy itself is famously set in Seattle while primarily filmed in the Los Angeles area. Friday Night Lights became closely associated with Austin through extensive local filming, while series like Dallas often recreated Texas from California sound stages, with exteriors of Southfork Ranch serving as the Ewings' fictitious home. Walker, Texas Ranger, meanwhile, became one of the best-known examples of a network drama heavily filmed across Texas itself.

Even after more than 20 years on the air, Grey’s Anatomy remains one of television’s most durable franchises. According to ABC, the drama is now the longest-running primetime medical drama in television history and continues to rank among the network’s strongest scripted performers.

Ellen Pompeo, who stars as Dr. Meredith Grey in the original series, is attached as an executive producer, and the new drama is expected to premiere in 2027.

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