‘I Can Do That’: Nicole Scherzinger Gets Wet, Ciara Dons A Catsuit & Joe Jonas Does Magic

Lisa Timmons | May 27, 2015 5:08 am

Following on the heels of America’s Got Talent, NBC’s new celebrity talent competition series I Can Do That premiered Tuesday night (May 27) with some decidedly sexy antics. Before the first episode was through, a beefy Alan Ritchson (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire) got shirtless, former Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger was sopping wet and Ciara showed off her goodies in a skin-tight, latex catsuit.

So here’s the premise (pay close attention because it is wildly complicated) — and be advised, I’m only 75% sure I understood this correctly: The show’s six stars/players include the aforementioned Nicole, Alan and Ciara, as well as Joe Jonas, Cheryl Burke and comedian Jeff Dye. Each week, three brand new acts perform for the players on a stage at the stop of several steps. The first player to run up to hit the top step will get to learn how to perform the act for the following week. From there, they pick their partner among the remaining five players. Then they immediately begin to train for their performance, after which, the studio audience will vote for their favorite act.

We’re only a few minutes in and I’m already completely lost. Thank God Ciara is a vision in her red lipstick and the handsome and charming Marlon Wayans is here to guide us through all the confusion.

We start with a flashback to the previous week when the players selected their acts for this premiere episode. The first act to perform is the Harlem Globetrotters. Jeff Dye runs up the steps to pick them for his act and selects diminutive dancer Burke for his partner.

Next to the stage are Penn and Teller, who perform a magic trick. Joe Jonas is quick to sprint to the top of the steps and beckons Ciara to join him. The final act is a beautiful but really difficult-looking aerial Cirque du Soleil-style performance by a group named Airealistic. It looks incredibly difficult and it’s the last two remaining players, Nicole and Alan, who are up for the task. This whole “selection” part feels super staged, but whatevs.

Nicole and Alan start their training first, which appears to include learning how to go on a slip and slide. By the third training day, poor Nicole looks drunk from all the spinning around she’s been doing while suspended on wires. They take to the stage first and flawlessly execute their routine to the tune of “Sail” by Awolnation. Marlon accurately describes Nicole’s look as, “Tinkerbell in a wet T-shirt contest.”

Next, we join Jeff and Cheryl as they learn some basketball tricks with the Harlem Globetrotters. They start by learning how to spin basketballs on their fingers. Cheryl’s main trick is to have the basketball behind her head, clap and catch it. On their final training day, it looks like they’ve barely learned how to dribble. Ha! Enjoy how the magic of selective editing is building the tension.

For their performance, Cheryl and Jeff (now nicknamed “Sweet Feet” and “J-Dime” respectively) bound up to the stage in their cheerful Harlem Globetrotter uniforms. Surprise, surprise, they’ve both mastered their tricks and then are joined by some real Globetrotters for some dribbling, choreography and Globetrotter-assisted dunking. The pièce de résistance is Jeff’s dunk with an upside-down split, which prompts Nicole to spread ’em for the crowd. (I am not making that last part up.)

Joe and Ciara journey to the Penn and Teller Theater in Vegas to learn their magic tricks. Ciara works on her slight of hand trick, while Joe practices a card trick.

Back to present day, Ciara starts off with some distracting yet charming chatter and then proceeds to beatbox while she successfully makes her tiny red handkerchief disappear before our very eyes. Joe has Marlon pull a card (the Queen of Hearts) from the deck and Joe goes into a giant box with plans to find this card and pluck it from a flurry of cards flying in the air. However, when the curtain concealing the box is whisked away, we magically find a super sexy Ciara dressed in a pleather catsuit of as the Queen of Hearts. At that point, Joe appears in the audience with the Queen of Hearts in his hand. Ta da!

Now, it’s time for the studio audience to vote. Marlon pulls out the results to reveal that third place is Joe and Ciara, second is Jeff and Cheryl and in first place are Nicole and Alan. What do they win? It’s not totally clear, but we’re all excited!

After finding out the results, we get to watch the acts for next week. The first act is dance group the Jabbawockeez. I’m expecting Ciara and Cheryl to be all over this. And I’m right because suddenly, Cheryl locks herself in by bounding to the top step. Jeff lounges on the couch, with clearly zero interest. While Cheryl deliberates who to ask to come with her, Ciara holds back but we all know she would kill it. Joe humbly claims that the only dance he can only do is the Carlton, but in the end, Cheryl picks him.

The next performance is a super muscular dude balancing with one hand on a tiny hammer thing. Then, he does an upside down handstand while balancing a cute chihuahua on his feet. I have no idea how someone is supposed to learn how to do this in three days. At first, Ciara seems interested, but eventually, it’s Alan who gets locked in to do it. He picks fellow dog lover, Jeff. The duo is named Christian and Scooby.

For the final performance, it’s obligatory for Ciara and Nicole to perform the act. It’s almost impossible to explain it in words. Three guys dressed like the Village People have made themselves into tiny people with costumes and shoes on their feet. It’s so random, but the ladies do a great job pretending to be excited to learn how to do it, which is enough for me.

Guys, this show is so weird. But just think, next week, who knows who we might get to see in a latex catsuit?