It's the finals! Bill versus Amber versus Corbin versus Jack. But first, a performance by Kellie Pickler. She's a fairly average singer, but at least she's actually singing instead of lip-syncing. At least I think so; she goes a little sharp on the chorus.
After the finalists are introduced, Bill and Emma are up first. Bill says that no one thought he was going to make it this far, yet he's still here. This week, they have the Viennese waltz, and Len is coming into rehearsals to help them out. Last time, he got all 8s, which is his highest score. Wow, really? I am shocked that he's still here. Len advises him to be more fluid in his arm movements and stop getting ahead of the music.
So how is their waltz? Probably the best routine we've seen from Bill all season. He's more graceful than I thought he was capable of, and light on his feet as well. He does seem to rush the timing a little, and sometimes his hands go claw-like, but overall it was his best routine.
Judges? Len says the whole point of this pick is to see improvement, and Bill improved his arm movements, even while he lost timing a bit. Bruno says that Bill tried really hard, even if his timing was on and off. Carrie Ann thinks the viewers love that Bill has stayed true to himself, and put in one hundred percent effort, even if his musicality is terrible. Wow, it's rare that I like a routine MORE than the judges. Scores: Carrie Ann 8, Len 8, and Bruno 8.
Corbin and Karina also got a visit from Len during training. They are redoing the quickstep, because Len thought it was too manic, which led to a loss of control. Len gives Corbin advice on his posture and his footwork, because he doesn't think Corbin should be getting 8s. Len also gives Corbin advice on his dynamics, alternating stillness with attack.
Well, there was a lot of footwork in that routine and I didn't see Corbin miss a beat. I don't know if he was as successful in the dynamics as Len was hoping for, but he definitely had better posture.
Judges? Len thought it was less hectic and more controlled than last time, so it was an improvement. Bruno said there was more control, but they went out of sync at least once. Bruno admits that his choreography was unbelievably difficult. Carrie Ann agrees that it was difficult, but she didn't see any improvement, and she's disappointed. Scores: Carrie Ann 9, Len 9, and Bruno 9.
Jack and Cheryl will be doing the jive again, with Bruno giving them advice. Bruno comes in and tells Jack that he needs to work on his weight distribution so that his kicks and flicks will be sharper. Bruno gives Jack a tip about kicking from the knee and you can instantly see the improvement. Jack's health is better this week as well, so he's in it to win it.
Oh, I remember this routine. I hated this routine. I'm mad that they are making Jack do it over. He's dressed in suspenders and a loose shirt that makes him look chubbier than he is. Jack starts out with a ton of confidence but really blows the first section, missing steps and getting out of sync with Cheryl. He manages to mostly pull it together in the middle, and his kicks and flicks do look better, but he seems to be counting steps now instead of just dancing, and the performance level suffers.
Judges? Bruno says that the kicks and flicks were good, but the timing went out the window. Jack knows, and says it was nerves. Bruno points out that Jack's transformation overall has been incredible. Carrie Ann says it was great the first time, and without the music and sync, Jack's movements were better. Len says that the bad news is that Jack lost it early on, but the good news is that Jack has two more dances to show his stuff. Scores: Carrie Ann 8, Len 8, and Bruno 8.
Amber and Derek got nearly all perfect scores last week. Carrie Ann comes to rehearsals to help them out with their Charleston. Her big tip is that they need to be more in sync and be sharp together. She points out a bunch of spots in the dance where Amber needs to be more precise.
I liked that routine a lot better than the first time I saw it. I think they were more in sync, and I think Amber has better endurance and flexibility than she did early on in the season due to all of the training. She just looked better doing those moves.
Judges? Carrie Ann runs out and hugs Amber, and then says that Amber started out so high that it's difficult for her to top herself, but she did. Len says this was the most improved of any couple tonight. Bruno says that her footwork, sloppy last time, was sharp as a razor blade tonight. Scores: Carrie Ann 10, Len 10, and Bruno 10.
Tom asks Kellie Pickler what she thinks of the final four. She loves all of them. That was useless. But not as useless as the filler, where Brooke asks the four finalists, what they think of TLC.
Then we learn about the samba relay, where all four couples will be dancing at the same time while TLC performs "No Scrubs." They will be awarded points by the judges.
TLC starts out and I'm totally absorbed in trying to figure out if they're singing live (no) and how old Chili is (ageless). Jack and Cheryl dance first, and they look good! No mistakes and Jack seems to be having fun, although I don't know why no one has called him out for his pancake hands yet. Not super flashy, but a solid samba. Derek and Amber do a typically great bit, and they actually did a samba roll, so there's that. Poor Bill has to go between Derek and Corbin and it's not a good comparison. Corbin comes out shirtless and he and Karina are sex on a stick. They were the only ones with some sex appeal. I would place them from first to worst: Corbin, Amber, Jack, Bill.
Judges? Len says that they all did clean and clear sambas. He thought one was careful, one lacked rhythm, one was close but not quite, and the last one nailed it. I'm going to guess that's Jack, Bill, Amber, and Corbin. The last two could be reversed, though. Bruno thought there was a samba for every taste. Carrie Ann notes that it was Corbin's first samba, Amber did the samba roll, Jack had a great comeback, and she loved Bill's transition where he danced with Derek.
So here are the rankings. Fourth place is Bill and Emma. Third place is Jack and Cheryl. Second place is Amber and Derek. First place is Corbin and Karina. Nailed it!
Time for the freestyle round! I have grown more fond of this in recent seasons as everyone has stopped doing hip hop, but I still always hope for more dancing and fewer stunts.
Bill and Emma are doing a freestyle inspired by Indiana Jones. Or as my kids calls him, “Indyindyana Jones.” It's Emma's first freestyle too. She has big ambitions, and Bill says that he will do everything he can to make it happen, except for hurt Emma. He doesn't want to do that.
You know what? That was great. It was a paso doble, ostensibly, but there was a whole storyline where Bill and Emma were adventurers, both after the mirrorball trophy. They did some really cool moves with a whip, and Bill was totally focused and performing, and they were actually in sync. Was there a ton of rhythm and grace? No. But it was well-executed and entertaining. I think that was the best that Bill can do. I don't want to see him win, but I'm no longer sorry that he made the finals.
Judges? Before they can talk, Bill gets such a huge reactions that he rips off his shirt and flexes for the crowd. Len loves that Bill always puts his own cheeky moments into every routine. Bruno thinks that Bill always brings insanely good fun. Carrie Ann thinks that Bill is the everyman who has become a dancing hero. How do you even score this thing? Scores: Carrie Ann 8, Len 9, and Bruno 8. Emma and Bill scream at the 9 from Len.
Karina learned last season that you can't overpower the star when she had a Mardi Gras carnival in her freestyle. So this season, they are focusing on the choreography and letting Corbin's dancing take center stage. Until they go to Las Vegas and see some choreography that Karina wants to replicate so they bring in a bunch of other dancers. Corbin looks completely freaked out by what Karina intends to try, so this should be interesting.
So here's the thing. Corbin's interpretation of Michael Jackson's dancing to "Smooth Criminal" is amazing. And I wanted to see more of it! Instead, he got to dance a little and then run to another stunt, including the one that caused Karina to bring in extra dancers, which was meh. I mean, I'm sure it was physically really difficult but it didn't have a huge impression on me. I would have preferred eight more bars of dancing. I mean, Corbin is best when dancing solo, and he barely got to do it in this routine. Karina really needs help with these freestyles. She doesn't seem to get what they're about.
Judges? Bruno says it was absolutely magic. Carrie Ann says that she normally doesn't like when people copy iconic moments, but Corbin nailed Michael's moves. Len just gives them a standing ovation and Karina starts crying. Scores: Carrie Ann 10, Len 10, and Karina 10. Look, it was a great routine. I'm just saying that I think Karina needs to dial back the stunts, especially when she has such a gifted partner. Let him dance!
Cheryl wants to use the freestyle to show everyone his journey and how much he's improved. They go with an old Hollywood, Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers number, which is brilliant, because it plays to Jack's strengths of being light on his feet and graceful, and an entertainer. There is some seriously fast footwork in this routine and Jack nails it with the exception of things looking just a little bit manic at the end. I don't know what happens on their second lift because the cameras cut away from them, but it seemed fine?
Judges? Carrie Ann thinks it was a fairytale ending to Jack's journey. Len points out how much pressure Jack was under after screwing up the first routine, and he came through and everyone is proud of him. Bruno says it was perfection, and you can see the tears in Jack's eyes threatening to spill out and his mouth wobbling. Scores: Carrie Ann 10, Len 10, and Bruno 10.
While Jack goes and hugs his mom and his wife and his sister and just sobs, Brooke talks to Kellie Pickler. These two dum dums have nothing to add.
Derek wants to highlight Amber's step dancing, and she ends up teaching Derek and their back-up dancers many of the moves, which I love. It's funny seeing Derek say that a particular move is too hard for him. Take that, Hough.
The actual routine is amazing. I mean, it could be one of the show-opening all pro numbers, because Amber fits in just that well and Derek's choreography is showy without being flashy, if that makes any sense. It shows off Amber's abilities well too. My one complaint is that they should have put Amber in a brighter color, because all of the backup dancers are in dark colors and then she's in burgundy and she gets a little lost. My favorite part is a quick jive they do in the middle, as if to say, "Oh, we can do actual ballroom dancing too."
Judges? Len says that Amber kept the focus on her, even with all the pros out there. Bruno tells Amber that she's a leading lady, and no one could take their eyes off of her. Carrie Ann agrees that Amber was in control the whole time. Scores: Carrie Ann 10, Len 10, and Bruno 10.
So here are the scores going into the elimination tonight; the top three couples will return tomorrow night for one more dance.
Amber and Derek: 30 + 4 + 30 = 64
Corbin and Karina: 27 + 5 + 30 = 62
Jack and Cheryl: 24 + 3 + 30 = 57
Bill and Emma: 24 + 2 + 25 = 51
Before the eliminated couple is announced, the couples will be choosing dances for one another for tomorrow night. When all is said and done, Derek and Amber have Samba-Quickstep. Corbin and Karina have Cha Cha – Foxtrot. Jack and Cheryl have Paso-Salsa. Bill and Emma have Jive-Quickstep. Bill's already tired and maybe hoping he gets eliminated so that he doesn't have to do it. It will really be a shame if someone else goes home.
Who's going through to the finals? Amber and Derek! Corbin and Karina! And…Jack and Cheryl. Oh, thank God. Bill and Emma are going home. It's time. It was made most obvious tonight. I wasn't really rooting for anyone before tonight, but now I'm totally rooting for Jack and Cheryl because they want it so much, and Jack has overcome so many odds to make it to the finals.
Bill has a classy exit speech. He thanks his wife, who has put up with the long hours, his fans, and Emma of course. We get to see a clip package of Bill's journey. It was fun having him on the show, but I'm really glad he didn't make the final night, because it would have been a joke. See you later, dude.