Episode Report Card Kim: A- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Tuesday's Gone
By Kim | Season 8 | Episode 18 | Aired on 05.11.2009
Carrie Ann stands up and does like a ten-minute dance sequence before she gives any comments. I guess she liked it? She says that she wants to see him in the finals. Len is almost speechless and says that he wishes he had an 11 paddle. Gilles is almost crying and he and Cheryl hug. Bruno says that Lil Kim is alive and well and hiding in Gilles's pants. She wishes. I just hope all this judge praise doesn't mean people won't vote for them, because they really do deserve to be in the finals. Backstage, Gilles asks the people at home to put him through. Scores: Carrie Ann 10, Len 10, and Bruno 10. Perfect score for the evening.
Shawn is from Des Moines, Iowa. And she creepily looks the exact same in her baby pictures as she does today. Shawn's mom tells a story about how Shawn took the swings off the swing set and used it as a parallel bar. Shawn's gymnastics coach talks about how she is determined and never gives up. Shawn thinks her Olympian work ethic helps her on the show too. A friend talks about how Shawn had the flu and still did her beam routine in the Olympics. So Shawn as the heart of a champion.
On to their jive. Shawn looks adorbs in her polka dot dress and pigtails. Their routine is bouncy and cute and full of energy. There are a few spots where it looks like they get out of sync but it's hard to tell if they've messed up or if it was meant to be that way. Mark bugs me, but that's not news to anyone. They finish up on the judges' table holding 10 paddles, which seems a bit presumptuous. I blame Mark. But overall, I really liked it.
As Tom waits for the audience to stop cheering, he says that this feels like the finals for most seasons. Len compliments the band and singers for the great music. He tells Shawn that it was fast and fun, but there was too much "messing about dancing" and not enough traditional jive. (Which again, seems like it is Mark's fault. -- Angel) Bruno likes Shawn when she goes wild, and she sold it. Carrie Ann thought she loves a little steam towards the end, but it was still wonderful. Scores: Carrie Ann 9, Len 8, Bruno 9. Ooh. Len. I thought they'd get three nines, for sure.
So they've saved Ty and Chelsie for last. Ty is a fourth-generation cowboy, and it's all he's ever wanted to do. His parents reveal that Ty never played with toys; he just wanted to rope and ride. He was a super cute little kid, too. Ty talks about how confident he is on a bull, and he's really lacked that on this show, because he doesn't know what he's doing. Ty explains that once he committed to being on the show, he knew he was going to go full bore. Jewel explains that Ty is strong and macho, but she's glad that America is getting to see that he's also tender and sweet.