Another week, another "shocking" elimination. The hosts were all about hyping the "jam-packed" results show, bragging that there was more music and dancing "than ever before." What else would there be on a dancing show? An ad for a workout DVD? Oh, wait, I'm getting ahead of myself.
The behind-the-scenes interviews were combined with recap footage from last night's performances. A big deal was made of the unprecedented four-way tie. Joey Fatone was offended by Len's butt comment, and stuck out his rear (and his visible panty line) in protest during his interview. Heather wanted to advance even farther than Jonathan's previous two-legged partners. I'm still hoping that Heather's dancing talents will start to overshadow her disability. It was a valid topic in the first few episodes, but enough is enough.
Ian's footwork malfunction was revisited, for those who missed it due to last night's camera problem. After seeing the misstep zeroed in on so closely, I think the judges were way too hard on the couple. Maksim disapproved of the wigs and props used in the other performances, and claimed that a horse was sure to follow. Don't give the producers any ideas, Maksim.
I was surprised when the judges picked Joey and Kym's Star Wars Tango as their favorite performance. It would have been nice if Ian and Cheryl were given another chance to perform their "almost a 9" Jive. Perhaps Len just wanted to see Kym in her Princess Leia getup again. The couple did a great job, and I didn't even notice Joey's butt.
Ciara was the first of three musical acts planned for the evening. She performed "Like a Boy," in the standard oversized man's shirt outfit that is supposed to be sexy (now it's just overdone). Both Ciara and her background dancers showed some considerable flexibility, and the crowd loved it.
The audience weighed in, as usual, and there were some clear favorites. Heather, Joey, and Ian already have a following, and Leeza, Billy Ray, and Clyde need to win some more people over. Deborah "don't call me Debbie" Gibson made some vague comments about contestants "stepping it up," which made me think she should work for ESPN. Three of the former members of Boyz II Men (the tall baritone guy was missing) showed their support for Joey as well. The first two couples to be taken out of harm's way were Joey & Kym and Apolo & Julianne.
This week's movie theme carried over into the musical performances, with Survivor singing "Eye of the Tiger." I don't know if Survivor's lead singer had a wig or a bad dye job or what, but it was seriously distracting. Eight of the professional dancers demonstrated the Paso Doble, one of the dances for next week. The professional performances are my favorite part of the Results Show, and the pros were very entertaining.
The show's creators jumped on the fitness bandwagon and are releasing a Dancing With The Stars workout DVD. I'm mildly curious, if only because Maksim appears in it. Jimmy Kimmel and Guillermo were back, and demonstrated the 27-step Paso Doble. I cannot wait to see Billy Ray counting during this dance. Josh Groban performed "So She Dances," while Julianne and Tony did a beautiful dance. I love that when Josh Groban sang "ooo," my television's closed captioning used about fifteen o's.
The segment with the clairvoyant and "The Numbers Lady" was entertaining enough. They have to fill the time somehow. The Numbers Lady predicted that Laila will win, as her numbers match those of the previous winners. Clairvoyant Guy chose Ian, for his "purple energy." I predicted that at least one of these people will be wrong. Billy Ray and Karina were placed in the safe group, along with Laila and Maksim. Shandi and Brian were placed "in peril" as one of the bottom two couples.
After a brief segment about elimination anxiety (news flash: eliminations are stressful), more couples were given the good (and bad) news. In the safe group: Ian and Cheryl, John and Edyta, Heather and Jonathan, and Clyde and Elena. The second couple in the bottom two: Leeza and Tony. This was surprising, given Leeza's ridiculously high score.
Shandi and Brian were sent back to the Malibu beach house, much to Shandi's disappointment. Ever the poised beauty queen, Shandi thanked her partner and raved about being a part of the show. I know that Brett will be upset that one of his favorites left so early. Check back to hear his thoughts on next week's episodes. Our celebrities will be dancing either the Waltz or the Paso Doble.
Be sure to vote for your favorite celebrity dancer in AOL's poll!
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