So how many times do you think they will review the events of last night in this results show? Three? Four? Ten? I mean, they're always bragging that this is the highest rated show in the country now; doesn't that mean that just about everyone saw the performance show and thus we don't need to rehash it multiple times? I'm just saying.
So, as many suspected, they are clearly setting Evan up to be the Comeback Kid, and they even call him that in the opening, and plus multiple people were told that last night was their best dance yet. Last night was pretty good. I can't deny that. There wasn't a clunker among them, although I did feel a few performances were overpraised if not overscored. But I kind of always feel that way at this point in the season, when the 10 paddles come out.
They're going with the trend of the season where they pick out couples that were in a particular place on the leaderboard and reveal their fates (or not). Tom calls down Nicole and Derek and Erin and Maks, and Tom says that one of these couples is in the bottom two. Derek looks surprised and looks over at Maks like, "It's totally you, buddy." Heh. So who is in the bottom two? Erin and Maks. Maks smiles and shrugs. Tom adds that Nicole and Derek are safe. So I guess it's not a shocking elimination, unless it's Evan. I don't know why they keep saying Erin and Maks would be a shocking elimination. At this point, the only shockers would be Nicole or Evan.
Len reviews last night's performances for the first time (ding!). Len thinks Erin's quickstep was fun, fast, and fabulous. , Len compliments Chad's smoothness and gentility, and also Nicole's difficulty. She laughs afterwards that she nearly fell, and they slow-mo the footage. Wow, I totally missed that last night. Len doesn't have much to say about Pamela's routine, which kind of makes me think she's going home. Len was impressed with Niecy's quickstep, and the overall scores were the closest of the season. Len saves his highest praise for Evan, who really deserved it, and also deserved his perfect score. I really didn't appreciate how awesome their spin move was last night either. Len loved Team Gaga, totally ignoring Pam's many gaffes, and admits that Team Madonna wasn't quite as tight, but was still pretty good.
Len has chosen Team Gaga to do the encore. Tom tells us that Pam has an injury so Chelsie is subbing in for her. Grassy knoll types will think that means that Pam is definitely going home, much like Mark went home the week that he was injured. Anyway, the encore is just as good as last night. I'm so impressed that Chelsie learned the whole routine in probably a few hours. I think Nicole's section is better, but Chad's is worse. I see a few missteps on his part. I do feel like Team Madonna got a little screwed on their choice of song; the Gaga song is way more suited to the cha cha, as well as high energy.
The musical guest this week is Train, here to sing "Hey Soul Sister." Someone did a routine to this already this season. Let me look it up. It was Aiden and Edyta's quickstep. I just remember that the band's rendition was horrible. This time, Mark and Chelsie, Dmitry and Lacey, and Tony and Cheryl are doing... a jive? Something very fast that is definitely not a quickstep. I guess Mark's back from his injury. Haven't missed him.
Brooke introduces a review of the leaderboard, so there's last night's rehash number two of the episode. Then Tom calls Chad and Cheryl and Evan and Anna down to find out their fates. Tom tells Evan and Anna that they are safe, and Chad and Cheryl are still in limbo. So the top two are safe, which for me means that it won't be a shocking elimination, so they can cut that out.
Brooke talks to Pamela backstage, who says her injury is minor, but she wasn't supposed to aggravate it, so she let Chelsie fill in. Then Brooke turns to Niecy and asks if she's worried about making it through. Niecy says very honestly that they were doing well with their individual score but when they factored in the team score, it hurt them. Then she jokes that, in order to stay in, she may have to have a wardrobe malfunction.
Tom introduces a clip package where the pros ruminate on the remaining weeks. Derek points out that the remaining stars will have to learn many routines in a short period as they start doubling up on dances. They talk about the physical and mental toll, and the pressure. Anna says that you need to push the boundaries and Derek adds that you need to take risks. Have I mentioned how much better I like Derek's hair this season? It's shorter and he looks so much better. Same with Maks. I like both of them with shorter hair, probably because I am an old lady. Maks points out that no one remembers who came in second and third. They remember the winners. Except nerds like me, who have to write about this show every week. Actually, I could tell you the final three or four of most seasons but half the time I can't remember who actually won.
Tom calls down the last pair of couples: Pamela and Damian and Niecy and Louis. The safe couple is...Niecy and Louis! Yay! I was pretty worried about them, but I think Niecy's personality is winning people over even if her dancing isn't the best. I don't want her to make it to the finals or anything, but I enjoy keeping her around for the humor. They don't tell Pamela and Damian if they are in the bottom two or not; we'll find that out later.
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Melissa Rycroft is going backstage to find out what some of the behind-the-scenes people do. Production Assistants get coffee and make sure people are where they are supposed to be. The conductor is in charge of the band. Wow, really? And here I thought he was in charge of wardrobe. There are twenty-four hair and makeup artists. The stage manager makes sure everyone is in the right place at the right time. The director decides which camera shots to use and directs the lighting. I think this show's director usually does pretty well. At least he comes in on time, even with the occasional wrong camera angle. It's a live show. It happens. Anyway, I guess that was cute but I would rather have seen them pick ONE job, like a PA, and really go in depth on what a typical day is like.
Tonight's big dance routine is from the latest Cirque du Soleil show, which celebrates Elvis. It's quite impressive and gymnastic. I wonder if the DWtS pros watch this and try to get ideas. This was probably my favorite Stars of Dance performance of the season. There were just people flying all over the place.
Train is back to perform "Drops of Jupiter." I used to think this song's lyrics were "Van Halen is overrated" instead of "And heaven is overrated." And I was like, "Why are they picking on poor old Eddie Van Halen? 1984 was an awesome album." And then someone heard me singing it and corrected me and I was really embarrassed. It's kind of like how every time I hear the song "She Will Be Loved," I sing the words, "There Will Be Blood" like the movie title. I have a problem. Anyway, Louis and... is that Karina? I can't even tell. I think so. Man, we haven't seen her in forever. I kind of forgot she existed. Whoa, Louis does a full split at the end. That's impressive. Even Pat Monahan is like, "Dude."
Backstage, Brooke talks to Niecy, Evan, and Nicole, the three stars who are safe so far. Brooke asks Niecy what she's going to do to catch up with Evan and Nicole. Niecy says that she's got something they don't, and when she figures out what that is, she'll use it. Brooke asks Nicole how she can live up to Carrie Ann's expectations. Nicole says she's going to give 250%. If I were Niecy, I would yell out that I was going to give 300%. Evan says that he's surprised to see Erin and Maks in the bottom, and gives another diplomatic answer about Nicole. Niecy is like, "Um, I'm right here! You don't have to act like it's only between Evan and Nicole." (Even though it totally is).
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Tom's ready to reveal some more results. The three couples in jeopardy are lined up on the stairs. Who will join Erin and Maks in the bottom two? First, there's a commercial break. The audience is like, "Bitches!" So for real, who is safe? Chad and Cheryl. That means Pamela and Damian are in the bottom two.
Tom asks Bruno what they will miss depending on which couple goes home. Bruno compliments Pamela's ability to be a character and says he's shocked to see Erin in the bottom two. Carrie Ann is also shocked. Pamela is like, "But not me?" Tom reminds everyone that it's Erin's birthday too. Len is heartbroken that one of these couples has danced for the last time. So who do they think should go home? Niecy?
Finally, Tom is ready to announce who is going home. And it's... Pamela and Damian. Well, that's about right. Pamela thanks Damian for showing her that she can dance, and hopes that he stays with the show for a long time. Damian thanks her for being so dedicated. Then they show the clip package of their journey and Pamela gets a standing ovation. Pamela says she's made a lot of friends and the experience is hard to describe. And then she and Damian do their final dance.
Check out an interview with DWTS star Evan Lysacek, including his response to Johnny Weir's snipes.
Look back at the worst contestants this show has ever had.
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