Episode Report Card Kim: B | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Performance 5
By Kim | Season 6 | Episode 9 | Aired on 04.14.2008
Bruno starts with a compliment, but then adds that Marlee lost the timing and had a few stumbles along the way. Carrie Ann noticed that Marlee slipped a few times, and she appreciates that Marlee stayed with it when she could have given up. Len thinks that the samba is the most difficult of all the Latin dances, and finds Marlee inspirational. Backstage, Marlee looks like she's almost in tears. She explains that rehearsals were tough for her, and she's proud that she managed the samba, because it was the hardest dance for her. Her scores are Carrie Ann 7, Len 7, and Bruno 8 or a total of 22 out of 30.
Mark and Kristi need to live up to expectations, and as they go into rehearsals, Mark repeats that oft-quoted chestnut about the rumba being "the vertical expression of a horizontal desire." I understand it's family hour and all, but can't he just say it's about sex? I hate that horizontal/vertical saying. Kristi finds the whole thing awkward, because she's a married mom with two young kids, so she's not allowed to be sexy. Her words, not mine. Kristi suggests that they come up with alter egos so she can really let go and be sexy. You know what else would help her be sexual? If her little girls paid a surprise visit, along with her husband. That's a weird decision. Anyway, her girls are adorable, and they hop and twirl around the studio while Kristi dances sexy with her partner in front of her husband and the whole thing is kind of creeping me out. Bad call, production assistant that got this footage.
Kristi and Mark start their rumba. I can't take Mark seriously when he is dressed entirely in lavender. Right down to the shoes. And then I was going to say that they did a corny, clichéd move where Mark took a clip out of Kristi's hair, and she shook out her hair, but you know what? It kind of worked. Somehow, Kristi was able to be sexy. I don't find Mark attractive at all -- he looks like a nerdy little boy to me (no e-mail, haters, just my opinion!) but Kristi really did it for me in this routine. And of course, it was technically perfect, as all her routines are.
Carrie Ann was shocked at the amount of emotion Kristi put out there, and adds that Kristi gave up some of her technical moves for that emotion, but it was the right call. Len has only three words: "Fab-u-lous." Bruno thinks she was "Kristi Yum-A-Licious" tonight, and calls her "a South Pacific pearl." What is he even talking about? Do you think he knows? Backstage, Kristi says that getting her husband's approval really allowed her to let go. Scores: Carrie Ann 9, Len 10, and Bruno 10 for a total of 29 out of 30.