The serpentine lift is a long lift, which is worth the same base value as two short lifts.
My problem with Ice Dance now is that there are too many tricks to judge and not enough about dancing. I suppose dancing (rhythms, Timings, proper steps, togetherness, etc.) is still there, but it have become, imo, second to tricks.
At some point in the future, Pairs and Ice dance will meld.
I think I may be the only person that actually loves D&W's FD.
I love C/P's FD, but they were a little off. I don't know if it was just the camera angle, but they've made a couple changes (I think) that I don't like.
P/B.... sigh. The last minute was quite good, but overall just completely uninteresting. It's so coy and precious and cutesy. And the bobbles throughout... just not my thing.
And then you compare it to D/W, and its clear to me just how dramatically they're outclassed. While it's true P/B invest their program with little details that are designed to express their chosen theme, the little chorographic moments in D/W's just seem asonithingly difficult to just be so offhand as it is. They include the details because it helps contribute to the whole, but it's less show-offy. I'm thinking in particular the exit from their first lift with Meryl's little kick. They also had that jaw-dropping opening position in their dance spin (when was the last time you saw a dance spin with a position that unique and difficult?). It's also the most clearly dance of the programs, imo. I'm so glad they were on, and I look forward to their corronation at worlds. V/M would need to be at their best to beat them, and they obviously won't be.