Last week, double elimination. This week, another double elimination. Has the world gone mad? I actually really love the double eliminations. Get rid of the dead weight, I say. Let's get things moving. This season has been dragging and the performance shows have been way too long.
Tom and Samantha welcome us and explain that, in addition to their individual dances this week, the couples will have to dance as a team on either the paso doble or the tango. And to show us what that should look like, Tony, Alec, and Jonathan are joined by Chelsie, Edyta, and I think Elena? She was partners with Tucker Carlson and Clyde Drexler. They do a combo paso/tango as a team. I always like seeing the pros dance together, but I would also enjoy hearing someone like Len narrating the dance to explain what the pros are doing right and what the judges will be looking for in each routine. I did crack up when they showed Len clapping along at the judges' desk while Blondie's "Call Me" played during the tango.
Tom and Samantha introduce the couples. Mark D. is paired with Anna T. because Lacey has the flu. Louis has on electric blue fringed pants. WTF? Those are some insane trousers, son. I have totally turned around on Louis this season. I didn't used to like him at all, although I've always respected his talent. I think I just didn't like his partners. Tom reminds us that the stars designed their partner's costumes, which explains Louis's pants, and also why he keeps pretending to strangle Kelly.
Tom asks Len what they judges are looking for this week. Len says that the couples will continue to feel pressure, and the judges will expect the couples to be great instead of just good at this point. That was kind of pointless.
Michael and Anna are up first. Michael did well with his waltz, but then had to compete against Louie and Chelsie in the dance-off. Michael explains that he really thought he was going home and so he just let go and had fun during his routine, and somehow it worked. Anna suggests that he dance like that all of the time. Word, Anna. In rehearsals for their foxtrot, Anna tries to get Michael to bring out his inner showman, and remember to be elegant and debonair. I really think Michael is improving. He's not great, but he's way better technique-wise than he used to be. Does this translate into their showtime performance? I think Michael looks good, but not great. His footwork is better than it has been, and he's got good musicality. He smiles big throughout and definitely sells it. I don't see any major flubs, but his posture could be better.
Len admits that he thought Michael should go home early on, but after last week's waltz and this week's foxtrot, Len thinks that Michael belongs there. Bruno says that Michael's musicality has improved, but reminds him to keep those buns tight and watch his arms. Carrie Ann thought the performance was dynamic and beautiful, and she even likes Anna's costume as designed by Michael. Scores: Carrie Ann 8, Len 8, and Bruno 7. It's Michael's highest score of the season, even though the audience is booing. I think those scores are about right. Any higher would have been ridiculous.
Last week, Donny did a train conductor jitterbug, and Donny felt like he was too old to keep up with his partner. This week, they have the quickstep, and Kym reveals that the pace of this dance is just as fast as the jitterbug. Donny has trouble remembering all of the steps, and he also needs to work on his posture, so Kym breaks out the posture bar we've seen in so many rehearsals to combat what Donny calls "the Osmond slouch." Well, now I'm just going to be checking his posture the whole time. Their quickstep starts and the routines are definitely longer now that there are fewer couples. Donny seems to be unsure of the some of the steps, and he and Kym aren't quite in sync at times. His usual strength, his ability as a performer, gets a little lost in the shuffle because he keeps missing steps and trying to catch up. It's a content-filled dance, though -- there are no breaks for the old man.
Bruno notes that it's a good thing that Donny is a good performer, because he was able to cover up his mistakes. Totally. Carrie Ann liked the footwork, but she also noticed the mistakes. Len loved that they came out and danced from start to finish, even if there were mistakes. He loves that they didn't play it safe and went for it. Scores: Carrie Ann 8, Len 8, and Bruno 8. Hmm. Higher than Michael despite all the mistakes? Interesting.
Tom reveals the teams for the group dances. They are Team Tango: Joanna and Derek, Donny and Kym, and Louis and Kelly. Team Paso is Karina and Aaron, Mya and Dmitry, Mark and Anna, and Michael and Anna. Weird that they are doing this team thing in a week where they have uneven numbers, although I guess if it's another double elimination tomorrow night, the numbers will still be uneven.
Last week, Mark and Lacey got great feedback on their jitterbug, and Mark felt like they were finally contenders in the competition. Mark had to go to New York to tape Iron Chef America. Lacey flew to New York to rehearse with him, but she clearly wasn't feeling well. Mark sent her home to sleep and get better, and he even hugged her. I so would not have hugged her. H1N1 and pregnancy has turned me into a germaphobe. Anyway, Tony happened to be in New York, so he came in to help Mark with his routine. What a trouper. When Mark got back to L.A., Anna stepped in with two days before showtime to be his partner. I wish Tony had been his partner. Come on, show. Do it. So how do they look with their samba learned so quickly? Well, I love seeing Anna dance. She's one of my favorites. And they definitely are trying to overcome lack of content with facial expressions. They even do some samba rolls. It's not horrible but there's just not much there other than a lot of shimmying. Near the end, it seems like Mark is having a hard time keeping up with her. I don't know. There was something weird about it, but he definitely tried really hard.
Carrie Ann knows that Mark had a rough week with three different partners, but the bad news is that their routine was a mess. The audience gets mad, but she's right. It just made me feel anxious, and Carrie Ann blames it on nervous energy. Len adds that a tough week and a difficult dance combined for not a great result, although he doesn't think it was as bad as Carrie Ann did. Bruno says it was "different," in the way that your mom would say your new outfit was "different" when you knew she wanted to say it was ugly but she was trying to avoid a fight. Scores: Carrie Ann 6, Len 7, and Bruno 6. The audience boos, but come on. It wasn't good, and it wasn't fun to watch. It's understandable, but man.
Mya and Dmitry didn't get a ton of praise for their jitterbug last week, especially since they did a lot of messing about at the beginning. So this week, they have the foxtrot. Mya is looking forward to doing another elegant dance, since she hasn't done one since the first week, and did not get great scores. Dmitry encourages her to stop thinking about the steps so much, and just get into the dance. And Dmitry brings in Cloris Leachman to teach Mya about old Hollywood glamour. Cloris tells a story about being at Gene Kelly's house and getting turned down for a dance with Fred Astaire. Cloris shows more savvy than she showed through her whole season by advising Mya and Dmitry to connect. Yes! That's what they don't do, and it's bugging me! The beginning of their routine exemplifies everything that's wrong with it -- they each start out dancing alone, and never look at each other, even when they come together. The whole routine is technically great (although I'm not crazy about the choreography as a whole) but they seriously never make eye contact once throughout. The foxtrot is supposed to be glamorous, but also romantic, and this is cold. They spend hardly any time in hold, also.
Len says that he liked the parts in hold, but he felt that the dance was too untraditional and had too many gimmicks. I am Len. He is me. Bruno thought the dance captured Hollywood glamour and Mya danced like an angel. Carrie Ann thinks Len is "officially smoking crack." She thinks they look classy and sophisticated, and she loved the footwork. Carrie Ann learned a new word this week: dynamic. She must have one of those page-a-day calendars. Scores: Carrie Ann 9, Len 7, and Bruno 9.
Last week, Aaron finally broke through with the judges. He was especially happy about not being in the bottom two. This week, they have the jive. Aaron is worried after two weeks of doing ballroom, he doesn't have the stamina to do Latin. He goes to a personal trainer, because you can gain a ton of stamina in less than a week. Except that you really can't. But they're trying really hard to make Aaron more likable, I guess. Also, Aaron is growing a goatee, which does actually help to camouflage his weirdly sunken cheeks. Okay, they're doing their jive to "We're Not Gonna Take It" by Twisted Sister. This show is so weird. There's a lot of energy and fast footwork, but there are times where Aaron and Karina are doing different footwork, and I assume that it's on purpose, but who knows? Then again, with all the kicks and flicks, most people would have collapsed in a heap halfway though, so I do admire their stamina. And Aaron does a good job flicking his feet around, so there's that.
Bruno is in overdrive, making comparisons to rocket ships and astronauts, and he thinks it was Aaron's best performance. Carrie Ann compares him to the Roadrunner, and she thought it was really good, even if there was some weirdness in the middle section. Len loved the energy, and that it was wild but clean and controlled. The vein in the middle of Aaron's forehead is FREAKING ME OUT. It's like a rope. Someone that young should not have that prominent of a vein. Scores: Carrie Ann 9, Len 10, and Bruno 10. Aaron and Karina could not be more fired up about their scores. Well, I guess my dream of Aaron going home this week isn't going to happen.
Last week, Bruno told Kelly that her performance was beige, and it really upset her. She expresses her frustration in rehearsal, and realizes that for the first time in her life, she can't bullshit her way out of it, or cause a dramatic scene. She just has to get better. Louis pushes her in rehearsal, because he knows what it takes to get through this double elimination. Kelly has trouble with the steps, and Louis's new insistence on stepping it up a notch isn't working for her and it's not fun anymore. She has a bit of a breakdown, but it's hardly the fight they teased in the commercials. It's more like Kelly being exhausted and frustrated and Louis not backing down and babying her. So how is their salsa? I think Karina has worn Louis's fringed pants. Thankfully, he whips them off after the intro. I really love their routine, and Kelly's attitude, but it's lacking the fire that I think will get them a perfect score at some point. Kelly's technique is great, and she gets into it more as the routine goes on, which is good. But it's not great yet, and I think she's capable of it. She and Louis seem really happy with the routine, though.
Carrie Ann thought she saw a new Kelly tonight, one who was unafraid of the dance. Even Len stands up to deliver his critique, and he says that Kelly controlled her nerves for the first time, but she does need to take it up another notch. Not to be outdone by his fellow judges, Bruno hops up on the desk and gyrates and the audience goes nuts. Bruno tells her to get into the character and the dancing will come. Kelly thanks them for calling her beige last week, because it gave her the kick in the ass that she needed. I agree. She's been coasting since week two. Scores: Carrie Ann 8, Len 8, and Bruno 8. That's about right. I thought by their reaction that the scores would be higher, and I didn't feel they were deserved.
After missing a week due to flu, Derek came back with Joanna to do a beautiful waltz last week, so they have a lot to live up to. Derek tells her that the rumba is the dance of love, and she needs to leave her engagement ring outside. I wonder how people will react to that. I don't think voters will like him suggesting she cheat on her fiancé, even if he's joking. Especially when it leads to a Derek dream sequence where Joanna is running down the beach in a swimsuit. This is so dumb. When Derek comes out of his dream, he's making out with the mirror. What is he, A-Rod? Does he have paintings of himself as a centaur over his bed? Also, Derek's idea of romance seems heavily influenced by Pep Le Pew. So can they sell the rumba? They have good chemistry, but I found the routine kind of boring. And Joanna stumbles during a hold at the end.
Len thinks that they had good technique, romance, and everything else. Bruno calls Joanna that she's a love goddess, although she did have the stumble at the end. Carrie Ann loves watching Joanna dance. Derek makes sure to emphasize that Joanna is in love with her fiancé. Scores: Carrie Ann 9, Len 9, and Bruno 9. Mmm. I think that was overscored.
Now that all of the couples have danced, it's time for the team dances. First up is Team Tango: Joanna and Derek, Kelly and Louis, and Donny and Kym. out is Team Paso: Mark and Anna, Karina and Aaron, Mya and Dmitry, and Michael and Anna. Team Paso is dancing first. Wow, did they just waste a lot of time with that introduction.
Team Paso started out rehearsals by pointing out that Mya was the only female celebrity. Not sure why that matters. Lacey was still working and not sick, and she and Karina were kind of clashing over the choreography. The non-pros were muttering on the sidelines about how things were not going well. Finally, Michael gave everyone a pep talk about how to be a team. And then to celebrate their teamwork, everyone went and worked on their solos. In the group rehearsal, Anna replaced Lacey. It seems like Mark was having the most trouble with the routine, probably because of all the tumult he endured this week.
So how does Team Paso look? In the beginning, during the team part, they start out kind of jumbled up in the middle of the floor, but they wisely retreat to each corner, so you can't really tell if they are in sync or not. Karina and Aaron have the first solo, and it's pretty bad. Aaron is off the beat and they don't seem to be dancing together at all. Michael and Anna go , and it's really good. It's not flashy, but it's solid and Michael gets the attitude down. It may be a bit too basic. Mark does much better in this than he did in his individual dance. He seems a lot surer of himself -- maybe it's the shorter routine. Mya and Dmitry were awesome, of course, but gain, there's a lack of connection. The ending team segment is okay. I don't love the choreography for the men. They keep pointing toward their crotches.
Bruno points out that they lost a little bit of sync in the group segments, and he thought Mya and Dmitry stood out. Carrie Ann loved the intensity, and that they all shared it, although their choreography was a bit basic. She adds that Mark redeemed himself. Len thought the routine had attack and got better as it went along. So the team gets a score as a whole that gets added to their individual score. Scores: Carrie Ann 8, Len 8, and Bruno 8.
Now Team Tango gets their rehearsal footage clip package. The first thing they decide is that it's better to only have three couples, so there will be less egos. The pros (Louis, Kym, and Derek) work together to choreography the whole routine before trying to teach it to anyone. Donny is the only male celebrity, so Kym wants to feature him. Kelly reminds us that she did a "dreadful tango" in the second week and this is her shot at redemption. After rehearsing individually, the teams come back together to try to sync everything up. Donny feels like he's getting the flu, and he's having trouble remembering the steps, but everyone helps him to get the routine down. I would rather be on Team Tango.
The opening group work is pretty good. It's not perfect, but there's much better synchronization than the first team. You can tell Donny's the only male non-pro though, as his moves are not quite as sharp. Kelly and Louis take the first solo and it's really good. The footwork and posture are great; my one complain is that Kelly's serious/fierce face looks very similar to her bored face. Donny actually manages to pull off sexy for the first time in this competition, and remembers some pretty fancy footwork. Derek and Joanna finish it off. I'm not crazy about the choreography in their segment, though. I expect better. The final group segment begins with synchronized kicks down the floor, and the crowd goes nuts. It does look really cool, and the whole ending segment really closes the routine out with a bang. They definitely earned a higher score than the first group. The crowd goes insane -- the most fired up I think they've been this season.
Carrie Ann comes out from behind her desk and high fives everyone and then smacks the dudes on the butt for putting in a lift. They did? I totally missed it. Len points out that the tango is easier than paso, because you're in hold the whole time, but he feels that this was still a superior routine. Bruno has compliments for all three teams as well. Scores: Carrie Ann 9, Len 9, and Bruno 10. After the scores are announced, it's kind of chaos backstage as they all celebrate.
So who will go home? That's a tough one. I think Mark is definitely going, because his judges' score is just too low and I don't think he has the fanbase to overcome. As for the dance-off, I have no clue. Michael and Anna might be in it again, but with whom? Maybe Aaron and Karina? Maybe this will be the test of Mya's fanbase? I am perplexed, but here are the final scores:
Joanna and Derek: 27 + 28 = 55
Aaron and Karina: 29 + 24 = 53
Donny and Kym: 24 + 28 = 52
Kelly and Louis: 24 + 28 = 52
Mya and Dmitry: 25 + 24 = 49
Michael and Anna: 23 + 24 = 47
Mark and Anna (Lacey): 19 + 24 = 43