MEL31602's Blog

Hey all I know I'm late again (shocking, I know) but I felt bad missing last week so I figured better late than never. After the divorcees made one mistake too many last week we are down to the final five teams. By the way, that colored powder festival from last week is for real- they had a version of it at my school last year and my roommmate came back from it looking the way the contestants all did last week!

Nick and Starr have gotten first four times, and now they depart for Kazakhstan, the first time the show has gone there. They must head to a chicken farm for their next clue.

Nick is waiting for their luck to run out. Dallas says all he knows about the country is Borat! Never actually saw that film- don't really think it's my kind of humor. Toni thinks their under the radar status will help them.

While Nick and Toni go to get tickets, Dallas and Starr flirt a bit. Toni and Dallas and Nick and Starr find a flight getting in at 11:30 and head to the airport to get reservations.

Terence is already being annoying, saying he has too much stuff with him. Tina thinks she and Ken are communicating welll

Andrew and Dan think Borat when they first see Kazakhstan too!! What is it about that movie that made it popular? It looked stupid to me.

Dandrew, Ken and Tina, and Terence and Sarah head right to the airport to get tickets, but Toni/Dallas and Nick/Starr get reservations from the hotel first and then go to the airport to pick them up.

Ken's bag of stuff broke as they reach the airport.

Terence and Sarah first plan to get on a flight arriving at 1:30 with only two seats left on it. Then they hear about the earlier flight and rush to get tickets on it. But if they can't they may not be able to get tickets on the later flight either...

Nick/Starr, and Toni/Dallas get their reserved seats for the early flight. Ken and Tina unfortunately get on it as well, just beating out Terence and Sarah, who must now hope the later flight isn't full as well.

Terence/Sarah do get the 1:30 flight as Dandrew arrive at the airport, only to find out that flight is full as well. An hour and a half difference is a lot to make up, but how far behind will Dandrew be? It is not revealed how far behind they are, maybe to keep up the suspense for later in the show.

The first flight arrives and the three teams head to the chicken factory. They arrive at around the same time, only to find out the factory doesn't open to 7:30. Big break for the other teams! Just as an aside, I always hate how they do this on TAR just to let the other teams catch up.

The teams camp out in front of the factory and as the sun comes up Dandrew arrives in Kazakhstan. It looks like they might get there before it opens, but of course they get the clueless cab driver (there's one in every country!) who must ask for directions. But they do arrive just in time for the opening, to the chagrin of the other teams.

It's a dash to the cluebox for the next clue- a roadblock.

For this roadblock, one teammate must look for one of seven golden eggs among 30,000 chickens. Hey it's like in Willy Wonka, except with a lot more chickens!

Also in the clue is a Fast Forward. Should be interesting who goes for it since all the teams are so close. For this FF teams must eat local delicacy. Of course, since this is TAR there must be a catch. The food is from the meat of a sheep's behind. That sounds gross but I have a feeling it might just taste like normal meat. Not that I know from experience.

Terence/Sarah and Nick/Starr head for the FF. Whichever of them doesn't complete it first will lose valuable time. Sarah discovers another team is going for it and wants to not do it, but Terence insists. Will his decision pay off?

The other teams head for the chicken shack. Toni, Andrew, and Tina are doing the challenge, with their teammates cheering them on. They step around the chickens slowly, and Toni quickly finds hers when a chicken on top of one moves! Too bad there's a FF in this leg or they might get first!

They receive their next clue, which is to look for giant crane trucks and travel by them to the Koktobe Arch. There they will follow a path to a Mongol Warrior and must wait for their next clue to arrive.

Andrew is next to find the egg but is slow to get out of the mess of chickens.

Toni and Dallas get to the crane and head to the Arch. There are only two Warriors at the site so it's first come first served. And like Dallas says, they are in first.

I have a feeling Nick and Starr are going to get the FF since there are all these clips about how Terence and Sarah are taking a big risk going for it but none of Nick and Starr saying the same thing. It implies that this decision will come back to haunt the dating duo.

Tina gets her egg as well and hustles to her waiting partner, so they get their next clue at the same time as Dandrew.

The FF teams arrive at their destination, where some bellydancers will entertain them while they eat. Starr doesn't want to know what is in what they will eat.

Wow. Terence just revealed he's a vegetarian who hasn't had meat in 15 years!!! So of course he's shocked when his meal comes and it's a plate full of meat. Uh, hasn't he seen the show before? The dishes usually are meat, aren't they? And if he really didn't want meat he shouldn't have insisted they go for the FF in the first place!

But Terence is willing to give up his vegetarianism to win the million. He digs in, disgusted by the food.

Ken/Tina and Dandrew get in their cranes and head to the next clue.

Starr is starting to gag as Terence still won't eat his meat.

Toni and Dallas are first at the Warrior. Some more arrive on horseback, and then a falcon flies in with the clue on his leg. That was cool.

Next is the detour: Play like Mad or Act Like Fools. In Play Like Mad the teams must learn to play a simple Kazak tune at a local museum. The tune will be played on local instruments. Then they must play for strangers and earn a certain amount of money in tips to get their next clue. In Act Like Fools they must put on a two person cow costume, walk to a marked stall, and drink a glass of milk. Then the next location will be on the bottom of the glass. They must travel in costume to a butchery and deliver themselves to the butcher to get their next clue. Both of these sound long, and it depends on how musical the contestants are. If they can learn the instrument quickly they could finish the first one early. But Toni and Dallas realize that they always make fools of themselves and decide to do the second one. It's just the traveling to two locations in that one that worries me. But they are ahead anyway so it shouldn't matter too much.

Ken and Tina arrive at the next clue, while Dandrew's crane is lost. They have the worst luck with drivers in this episode!

Back at the FF Terence is still unable to eat the meat. He seems to not know how to eat it after years of no meat. That's odd but I guess he's so used to eating no meat that it's a shock for him to eat it now. Meanwhile Starr is almost done with her plate. If I were Terence and Sarah I'd give up now and just head back to the race. I might have given up when I realized the dish was meat and Terence wouldn't eat it, actually. Sarah wants to stay, but then they give up and head out. So the sibs will get first (again) and they celebrate their victory.

Ken and Tina get their next clue via falcon and decide to do the cow suit one as well. That should be fun with the two of them working together. Ken sarcastically wonders which half he'll be haha.

Terence and Sarah head back to the roadblock. Apparently they didn't even know going to the FF that they would have to eat. They only found this out when they arrived. That explains why they went for it in the first place but I agree with Sarah- they should have bailed when they saw they would have to eat. At least Terence admits it was his mistake to go for it in the first place, so that's manly of him.

Dandrew's crane is still lost, so there's hope for Terence and Sarah.

Starr is done with her meal and Nick is finishing up. They receive their clue to go to the pitstop, Old Square.

Terence and Sarah arrive at the Road Block while Dandrew are STILL lost. Sarah goes to find the chicken egg, with Terence controlling her the whole time of course. She finds it quickly though and they head to the crane.

Dandrew are frustrated as no one they ask for help speaks English. Sometimes it really is the luck of the draw in this show, as they seem to have the only driver who can't find the place. Finally they do find some people to help them, and luckily for them Terence and Sarah's driver doesn't know where to go either.

Nick and Starr arrive in first (again). This time they win some kind of moving vehicle (wave bird???)

Toni and Dallas are first at the costume place and find their costumes. Toni is the back and Dallas is the front as they saunter out the door. Ken and Tina also arrive and Tina insists on being the front since she claims she's a good navigator. We'll find out how good she really is.

Toni and Dallas are having fun with it, mooing and wagging their tail. Tina though doesn't want Ken to have fun with the costume because it will waste too much time. Come on you're in a cow suit, you HAVE to have fun!!!

Dandrew FINALLY arrive at the detour, but on their way up the hill to get the clue they get into a fight because Dan is walking too fast for Andrew to keep up. It's stupid fights like these that show a team doesn't get along well enough to win in my view.

Terence and Sarah get someone to follow to show them where the Warrior is. Why did they have such an easy time of doing this and Dandrew didn't? Like I said you need luck in this show too.

Toni and Dallas though make their first major mistake, failing to notice the milkstand and walking right by it. Ken and Tina though find it and Tina drinks the milk. But again teams don't read the clues properly! Tina thinks she's supposed to get the clue from the man at the stand, who doesn't understand her. So she thinks they are at the wrong place. Meanwhile Toni and Dallas find the stand, drink the milk, then smartly reread the original clue to see that they must read the bottom of the glass to see their next destination, the meat stand. They ask where the place is and head out.

Finally Ken and Tina realize their mistake and head back to read the glass. They did lose second place but not too much time since the other teams are far behind. But yet another mistake for Ken and Tina! They think they must return the costume, so they head back to the costume shop first! Are they the new divorcees when it comes to reading clues (or lack thereof)???

Meanwhile Dandrew are next at the detour and also do the cow task. They argue over who should be in the front and back. They argue about everything!!!

Toni and Dallas are at the market while Ken and Tina return their costume. They might not be able to get the next clue since aren't they supposed to trade in their costume for the clue??

Anyway Toni and Dallas arrive at the meat stand, still mooing the whole time. This is why they are my favorite team. They arrive at the marked stand and must now head to Old Square on foot.

OOOH they must bring their cowhead to the check-in. So now Ken and Tina are REALLY in trouble!

Ken and Tina run into Toni and Dallas on their way to the meat stand. Toni and Dallas are nice and tell them they need to have the costume on and Toni even tells them they need it for the pit stop. That was nice of them to do, though it basically just widens their lead on the separated couple anyway. To make sure Toni and Dallas aren't lying Ken and Tina reread the clue. But they only reread the clue on the bottle, not the one on the card. So they continue to the market. Toni and Dallas are regretting telling them the truth, but it likely won't make a difference on this leg, at least not for the mother/son. It could prevent Ken and Tina from getting last though.

At the market Ken and Tina find out they do need the costume and rush back to get it. Terence and Sarah are next at the detour and also choose the cow task.

Ken and Tina rush to put their costume back on and are still ahead of the other teams, so it might not have hurt them too much in this leg.

Dandrew are next to get the costume but don't put on their shoes. Based on the dramatic music playing I'm guessing that was a bad decision. Oh I get it they normally would not go back to the shop, but now they have to to get the shoes. That too could be a major mistake.

Toni and Dallas are second at the pitstop. So now it's down to which team's mistake will cost them the least.

Ken and Tina look to be in good shape, arriving at the meat section and getting their clue. They head on foot to the pit stop. Indeed they are team three.

The other teams wonder around and find guides to show them the way. Dandrew arrive at the milk first and drink it. They read the clue on the glass and head to the meat station. But what about their shoes? I'd just leave them there if I were them.

Terence and Sarah arrive soon after, drink the milk, and also head to get the next clue.

Dandrew get the clue and head for the pitstop, figuring they can get their shoes later. Is it a penalty to leave the shoes behind? I'm guessing their might be based on the dramatic music. But even if there's no penalty for that they have ANOTHER penalty, as they get a cab instead of going on foot. I figured one team would do that since they specifically showed the other teams almost going for cabs before rereading the clue and realizing they must walk. Has a team ever had two penalties in one leg before???

They arrive at the pitstop in fourth, but instead of getting a penalty Phil just tells them to go back to the end of the detour and head to Old Square on foot. I guess they do that if the mistake was at the last portion of the leg. But what about their shoes???

They are allowed to get a cab back down to the detour, but they can't find any cabs. With their luck their driver won't know where to go.

Terence encourages Sarah as they run to the meat stand. It will be close but I think Dandrew should make it back first.

Ah so here's where the lack of shoes hurt. Dandrew must walk slow in their cow costume shoes since they are not comfortable. I agree they shouldn't have gone back for them but they should have done like Sarah and put their sneakers in a bag when they put the costume on.

Both teams ask for directions. And of course since Dandrew think they are in last they start fighting about who is more patient with whom and so on. I don't like either team that's left but Terence and Sarah are starting to become more tolerable compared to these two.

Indeed the teams are close, but Dandrew just make it back ahead of Terence and Sarah.

So Terence and Sarah are either out or in last. The other teams may have made mistakes on the leg but their decision to spend too much time at the FF really cost them. They arrive in last. Phil gives a long pause to give them hope that it might be nonelimination, but indeed they are out of the race. Wow I thought this would be nonelimination since they still need a few more of those and there's only a few teams left. So just shows how risky going for the FF can be if you don't get it.

Sarah knows Terence will beat himself up for the decision to go for the FF. I don't mind them going for it, it was how long they stayed that really cost them. She knows they saw the world together, and thinks that was just as valuable as a million dollars to them. They still seem to be going strong, despite their fights on the race. Terence hopes Sarah is a part of his life forever. Well I'd dump him if I were her but that's just me.

So thought's on this week's show? Happy to see Terence and Sarah gone? And surprised at the number of mistakes made on this leg (even without the divorcees!)? Post your comments below.

Hey all I know it's late but as usual I've been busy this week. Surprisingly I haven't heard who went home this week so I'll be surprised at the end when I find out. Also just watched TAR yesterday and can't believe the divorcees STILL don't read their clues. I liked them more than most but am glad Toni and Dallas are right there with the sibs. Anyway on to DWTS...

The intro seems a bit different- did they show a recap of Monday night's show before it, because it seemed like the show had already been on for a bit before the results show started.

Also odd- as they show all the contestants in the beginning of the show, Cody and Julianne get the most cheers- are those for Cody or for Julianne's return?

Tonight Dr. Drew, Benji and Lacey Schwimmer, and the Design-a-Dance.

In the recap of the performance show, we hear the judges discussing the night's dances. They all were impressed with how well the contestants did with two full routines. They all thought Cody's ballroom dance would be bad but it wasn't. Tom says Brooke's ballroom dance was "two parts perfect and one part Len!" since Len is the one who thought it was "riddled with mistakes". He stands by his opinion after the show. It was a victory for Maurice in the ballroom round. Lance has a "new fan" in Len, who thinks they have improved the most. He still thinks their technique stinks, but now is entertained by them the way we all are. I still think his technique is pretty good but what do I know? Warren's ballroom dance got a 10 from Carrie Ann because of the extra energy it had. Cody's mambo solo was crazy, but did have some mambo in it. Len wishes Brooke had done the solo in the middle of the floor so he could see her legs. Hmmm that's a good point I never thought of that last night. The judges think Maurice was really determined, but he may be hurting physically from all the marching. Len thinks Lance's solo wasn't samba enough, but I still don't think Maurice's solo had enough actual dancing in it. Warren is "Mr. Big Fun".

Samantha makes some awkward joke about how she's glad the judges don't critique her and Tom after the show. Well then I hope Samantha doesn't read these blogs that constantly make fun of her. (For the record, I don't dislike her as much of others do but she does have some bad moments, like asking Cristian last year how he's feeling after hurting his arm. That's a big journalism no-no).

First up is the encore. So many good dances to choose from last night. The judges' pick is Warren's tango, tied with Brooke's ballroom number for the highest-scoring dance of the night. I didn't like it as much as they did but it was still really good nonetheless. Plus Brooke can't get the encore EVERY week.

After the break Samantha is backstage with Brooke and Derek and Cody and Edyta.... AND JULIANNE! Cody must be thrilled standing between two hot ladies, and Julianne looks great for someone two weeks out of surgery. Samantha, in a dress that looks like it was made from a flattened butterfly, finds out that Brooke will work on what Len told them next week (assuming they survive this week, of course). Julianne thanks Edyta for all her work with Cody and hopes he doesn't get voted off this week. You and me both Julianne!!

And DWTS is up for a People's Choice Award. Samantha wants everyone to get out and vote for the show, but honestly who cares about this award? I'm sure they would have been happier if Tom had won best reality show host at the Emmys like he should have.

Brad Paisley performs accompanied by Lacey and Benji. His song is oddly called "Ticks". Oooh he's cute! And here come Benji and Lacey, jumping onstage to the roar of the crowd. Their dance is country-style swing that looks really fun. There's no doubt those two can dance! If only people liked Lacey more as a person...

And hey they have those audience interviews again? I thought they got rid of those? They always made sure to seem unbiased by having at least one audience member say something nice about each contestant, so maybe that's why they always seemed kind of pointless to me. Tonight, some good stuff about Brooke, Warren, Maurice, Cody. Ooh some negative stuff about Cody, who was "spastic" in his solo and looked like a "white boy dancing" (is that good or bad???). Lance and Lacey have an edge. The audience disagrees over who should go- we have votes for Lance, Warren, Cody, and Maurice, but none for Brooke. I guess they couldn't find anyone to say anything bad about her.

Then we get a score recap, with commentary from the contestants, who mostly show that they are skilled at math and can add their two scores together to get their total score. And Brooke has the finals in sight!

Some early results: The first two couples in the semifinals are Warren and Kym (no surprise there) and Lance and Lacey!!! Yeah!!! They look oddly surprised to be saved this early. Did they really think they were going home? I didn't see read any blogs but I assumed the consensus was Maurice or Cody would be going.

Woah Dr. Drew's going to bring Cody to tears! That I want to see.

After the break we get that Dr. Drew segment. Topic numero uno for Lance and Lacey is their fight from last week. Apparently it was their first real blowup in two and a half months. That's impressive that they got along so well for so long. Lance realizes he's too negative with himself, and Lacey thinks he needs to believe more in himself. Dr. Drew thinks they need to let each other be negative sometimes and not try to change how they feel. Warren never deals with stress and we find out that he actually had a rough childhood, with a mother who made little money. Kym knows this will be tough with his schedule. Dr. Drew also doubts his ability to stay totally calm under pressure. Cheryl doesn't want a totally competitive environment for Maurice, but he seems to want that more than she does. She gets frustrated when he doesn't listen to what she says, and Maurice says when he thinks too much about what she says he messes up. Dr. Drew says Maurice first should work on technique and then Cheryl can help him get the right emotions. I'm assuming we'll see Cody and Brooke's segments later in the show.

Next up is the Design-a-Dance contest winners. This woman named Kelly won the costume design contest and got a front row seat to the show! That's cool. I know the dance chosen was a jive to "Great Balls of Fire" but we don't know which dancers were chosen for it. I'd guess Maks and the Hough sibs and probably Edyta too. Indeed Derek is the first one out, and he is going crazy on that dance floor, even stroking the piano keys as he runs past it. He then opens up the piano and out pops Julianne to a nice ovation. Are any more coming out or is it just those two? If it is just them I'm surprised Derek beat Maks and Julianne beat Edyta. Woah Julianne's getting on the piano and dancing- be careful not to fall off! Derek joins her and lifts her down so she plays the piano with her feet! Then they add some synchronized movements on the piano. Derek jumps down off it but Julianne does so more gently into her bro's arms. Aww... I wonder if that's because she doesn't want to jump after her surgery. Then they head to the crowd and sit next to the costume designer and her guest. Honestly I don't love Derek's costume though- are just really tacky. They work on Julianne's outfit though. And THEN they grab Kelly and her husband?? and dance with them on the floor. That's really sweet of them to do. Wow this song is really long. Derek then gets on his sister's shoulders and she carries him around the room. Some more fancy footwork and cartwheels from the Houghs and then they collapse onto the piano. That was long but a lot of fun!

After the break they come back and everyone is going crazy loud in the audience. They are probably still going wild over the Hough dance. Anyway back to Dr. Drew....

Brooke talks about a fight they had a few weeks ago. Derek says he forgets sometimes that she's an amateur and he realizes sometimes he pushes her too hard in a rude way. Brooke says she can deal with the toughness but not the disrespect. Dr. Drew says Derek must let Brooke be a student and not insult her too much. Well duh. I hadn't even noticed he insulted her too much since he hadn't done it in a while. It seemed like Derek learned his lesson from their fight a few weeks back and this was just reaffirming those lessons. Cody talks about all the emotions he has during this experience. Julianne talks about how his frustration is what leads to his distraction in rehearsal. Then Cody breaks down crying saying how worried he was when she went into surgery. Awww.... Julianne starts tearing up as well as he talks about how much she's meant for him. That would stink if he gets eliminated now.

Samantha is backstage with Lance and Warren and their partners. Warren knows to win this trophy he must listen to his "coach", Kym. Lance loves Len despite his low scores but has given up trying to please him. I don't know if that's the wisest strategy since he 1/6 of their total score between the judges and the audience (that's 1/3 of 1/2 for you non-math majors out there).

Brad Paisley is back with his new hit along with a bunch of pros: Maks, Karina, Kym, Edyta, Alec, and someone else I don't recognize. Man I can't wait for Maks' hair to grow back! Hey this song's not bad. It's obviously a remake of an old song but this is really catchy. The dancing was great as well.

Tom takes this moment to advertise the DWTS live tour, which is being choreographed by Maks! Tom asks him what he did to his hair, and Maks matter-of-factly responds that he cut it! I love him! Then he talks about how the tour is going to be more upbeat than usual. Maurice and Lance have already signed up for it, as have Marlee Matlin and Toni Braxton, who will sing as well.
I've never seen the tour so I don't know how it is but it sounds like this year will be really fun.

More filler now, with the "Anatomy of a Dancer". The pros were asked to visit their lab for a study. Well the guys must be happy to see Edtya's stomach in that outfit. Apparently dancers spin four times faster than a record player. They also have strong core muscles that exert force in different directions. Facial muscles are also evolved to capture the character of the dance. That's interesting: I never thought of that. So the main point is that dancers are athletes. Not an earth-shattering revelation but that was an excuse to see all the pros dance in slow motion!


Finally we are back to the results. Again, no bottom two, but the next couple safe will be announced. Should be Brooke and Derek but you never know with this show. Maurice and Cheryl are in jeopardy, and Brooke and Derek are in the semis!!!! So of course Cody and Edyta are in jeopardy too. Again not surprising, but I'm interested to see which of these two are going home.

I like Cody better so I hope he's safe but I'm not sure how popular he is.

So it's time for the final results. The couple going home is.... Maurice and Cheryl. Wow that got some loud screams from some Cody fans in the crowd. So pretty predictable result once again. Next week should be fun though with four couples who all have a chance to make the finals.

Maurice is glad he did the show and loves all the friends he made. Cheryl said Maurice is the hardest-working partner she's ever had. Hmm wonder if Drew Lachey or Emmitt Smith take exception to that?? And he'll always be a "winner, winner, chicken dinner" in her heart. Please tell me him leaving mean we don't have to hear that phrase anymore?

Aww Maurice brings his young daughter out to dance with him and Cheryl as the show ends.

So thoughts on tonight's results. Who do you think will make the finals next week? Post your comments below.

Hey everyone sorry for the lack of TAR blog this week but I have been busy with this little thing called schoolwork, as usual.

As for DWTS, this week the celebs each have solo dances, and with Susan Lucci gone it's anyone's game. I think Maurice is in trouble but if he does well someone else could be in for a shocking exit.

This is also the first week the contestants will have to do two nongroup dances, so that will test them as well.

Out come the stars. Edyta still filling in for Julianne, and wearing a much skimpier outfit this time. Men out there must be happy. The guys are in stylish suits for the night's first dances.

Ballroom Round:

Cody and Edyta: Cody is depressed after last week's low scores, though mostly that was because of Susan Lucci. Some of his nonfamous friends come to cheer him up. They all want to dance with Edyta, of course. "She's a great dancer. And really hot" notes one hormone-crazy teen. They dance a foxtrot. This is usually not one of my favorite dances so it was a bit boring but still elegant and graceful. Still didn't notice much chemistry between them though. I'd still give it a 26.

Judges: Len was pleasantly surprised by the elegance and footwork. Bruno says it was his most grown-up performance. Carrie Ann loved it but noted a lift that I didn't see.

Scores: 8-8-8 for a 24. I liked it a bit better than I did but as Samantha pointed out it would have been a 25 without the lift.

Brooke and Derek: Derek is going to start treating Brooke like a pro, giving her tougher choreography. He's getting frustrated teaching two dances in a short amount of time. They dance a tango that looks technically demanding. Again I wasn't really entertained but she seemed to nail the steps and had a powerful glare on her face the whole time so I'd give it a 27.

Judges: Bruno says it was an epic drama on a grand scale. Carrie Ann says that was why she is the last woman left. Len calls them the "dream team" but saw a few mistakes that the other judges apparently didn't see.

Brad Paisley performs in the result show, along with the routine from the season-long Design-a-Dance contest online.

Scores: 10-8-10 for a 28. So Len is being a tough scorer as always, but still a great score for the favorites.

Maurice and Cheryl: They are doing a paso doble, which Maurice did in the team dance last week. That's a lucky break for the sprinter. They make like athletes and watch tape of last week's dance so he could improve. But for this round they do a quickstep, a running dance. Another lucky break for him... are the producers fixing this or something? He has trouble with it in practice. OMG I totally did this song in chorus years ago and still remember the words. As for the dance itself, Maurice got all the steps and Cheryl did a nice handstand at the end, but that was one of the slowest quicksteps I've ever seen. That may be because of the music choice but I still didn't like it. I'd give it a 23.

Judges: Carrie Ann loved his posture and head angles. Len says he flew around the floor and loved the footwork. Bruno says usually Maurice deflates during ballroom dances but tonight he didn't.

Celeb cameo: Mark Cuban aka owner of the Dallas Mavericks in the house.

Scores: I fear these may be way higher than I thought, which would be bad news for Cody. 8-8-8 for a 24. Good not too high. I still liked Cody's dance better but I'll take a tie for now.

Lance and Lacey (who immediately point out they ARE wearing shoes!!!): They have the dreaded samba and the foxtrot. Lance wants Lacey to focus on his technique this week. Early on they, according to Lance, wanted to be bold to stand out, which actually may have been a good strategy. Hey Cloris stood out too and she lasted until Week 6 with no dance talent whatsoever. But now they are going to put traditional steps in as well. Last time they did this they impressed Len but not Carrie Ann and Bruno, so hopefully that will change. Lacey says in rehearsal that Lance puts the "fox in foxtrot". As promised they come out with a traditional foxtrot that wasn't as fun as their normal dances but Lance's smile still made it seem entertaining. And I liked the added touches like Lance adjusting his bowtie to the camera. I'd give it a 25.

Judges: Len says it was an extreme makeover but tells them to work on footwork in hold. Wow he liked it, I'm amazed!!! Bruno liked the mix of quirkiness and tradition. Carrie Ann agrees with Bruno and thought it was fun to watch. Wow that's only like their second time getting three compliments.

Scores: 9-8!!-9 for a 26. They actually got an 8 from Len, and are in second place overall. As Tom says, an 8 from Len is like an 11 from Michael Flatley!

Warren and Kym: He's been declining recently and may also be in jeopardy tonight. He was devastated after last week's low scores, but now must put it behind him. He has the tango and jive, two totally different dances. He also has extra TV responsibilities this week (he's an NFL analyst on several networks) so he only had three days to rehearse. That was Susan's downfall last week so it may be more trouble for the big man. Is this music from James Bond because it reminds me of a Bond film? Anyway it's one of Warren's better dances of late, with solid footwork and a stoic mean face that suits his persona well. Still not blown away yet this round but I'd give it a 26.

Judges: Bruno says secret agent Sapp is back and does a mean tango (I guess it was James Bond music). Carrie Ann thought it was fantastic and loved his connection with the audience. Len says this week he was on top but says to cut down on the rise and fall. These could be good scores for the big fellow.

Scores: 10-9-9 for a 28. Thinking it over again they do deserve it as it was probably the best dance of the round after Brooke's. And speaking of Brooke he is now tied with her for first place.

So it's close after the ballroom round. Six solid if unspectacular dances so far. Now on to the Latin round, and the dreaded solos!!!

Cody and Edyta: They dance a mambo. And NOW we get some entertainment! They come out strong if not totally in sync, and Cody has a great look in his eyes. Then it's time for his solo at the end of the dance, which is a combo of a mambo hip shake and some breakdancing moves that ends with him jumping on the judges table! I fear the judges may not like all the freestyling but I thought it was more entertaining than the first dance so I'd give it a 27.

Judges: Carrie Ann says A for effort and energy but thought it was a bit disjointed. Len hopes Warren doesn't do the same ending haha! Then he says the mambo was a bit stiff but it was another good dance. Bruno says the dance was a bit spasmodic but also appreciates the effort.

Funny interview with Samantha where she jokes how he has no confidence at all. Cody jokes back that he hopes DWTS will help him get more confident with girls and that he had hoped to dance with a half-naked woman but never thought it would happen.

And more good news for Cody (but maybe not for the other men out there): It sounds like if they are voted through next week Julianne will be back to dance with him.

Scores: 8-8-8 for a solid 24. Gives them a 48 for the night, which is good but may not be good enough this late in the show.

Tom then announces Julianne is already ready to go, as she'll be on the results show this week dancing.

Brooke and Derek: They also do a mambo. They choose to start with their solo, and Derek does some nice twirls before sending it over to Brooke, who does some hip-shaking goodness in front of the judges. Len and Bruno must have like that! The routine stays hot from there with lots of twirling, hip shaking, and even a split from Brooke! Again the choreography looks harder and Brooke again pulls it off for my favorite number of the night so far. I'd give it a 29.

Judges: Len thought it was ambitious and was fixated by her hips. But he did say her legs were flexed too much. Bruno thought it could revive the dead (and that's a good thing). Carrie Ann said the solo felt like part of the number but thought it was a bit frantic at times.

Scores: 9-9-9. So an "off" dance from them still gets a 27- that must mean she's good! And with a score of 55 she should be near or at the top of the leaderboard again.

Maurice and Cheryl: They return with a paso doble. They start out with some powerful moves and I notice a mistake or two but the emotion is so great it takes away from it. And here comes his solo, complete with Cheryl's purple cape. Not much dancing though- just a lot of really fast cape twirling. His arms must be as fast as his legs! Overall a good job but I was a bit disappointed in the lack of dancing in the solo, so I'd give it a 24.

Judges: Bruno thought it was strong, imposing, and powerful. Carrie Ann loved his focus and intensity but says he needs more elegance. Len says normally he doesn't like cape twirling but it worked with this dance. Am I the only one who didn't like the cape thing? Or, actually, I liked it but it's a dance competition, not a cape twirling competition.

Scores: 8-8-8 for a 24. Good I thought with the high praise the scores would be higher but that's right what I thought it would be. It also means he's tied with Cody, likely for last place unless Warren or Lance stumble in the Latin round. So either the youngster or the speedster will likely go home.

Lance and Lacey: They do the DREADED samba to an oddly non-Latin song. He too has his solo early on and honestly I think it's the worst one so far. He just seems awkward, especially with his arm, which look kind of limp. It doesn't get much better when he gets back with Lacey. He still seems awkward and Lacey outdances him. He's still a favorite of mine but not one of his better dances. It didn't even really look like a samba to me. I'd give it a 24.

Judges: Carrie Ann says the samba is really difficult. Then she says Lance's eyes moved up during the solo, which was distracting. Tom counters that the studio has balconies, which prompts a hug from Lacey. Len says the solo wasn't really much of a samba. But if he says that (which is true) he should add that Maurice's solo wasn't dancing at all. He tells Lance to work on footwork as well. Bruno liked the focus on the solo and said the solo had lots of content that apparently WAS actual samba content.

More fun on upcoming results shows: Julianne sings (I hope she sings her hit song because it's really catchy) and we get Lacey dancing with her brother Benji, winner of SYTYCD.

Scores: 8-7-9 for an odd 24, but a 24 nonetheless. That gives him a 50 for the night, which puts him right in the middle of the pack.

Warren and Kym: They do a jive, always one of my favorite dances. Wow he can really move those feet! He looks awkward because of his size but his footwork is amazing for a big dude. His solo is towards the beginning of the dance and it's pretty good but the lack of smile on his face takes away from it a bit. Then they get back together and at one point Kym knocks her fist on Warren's head! One of the better Latin dances of the night so I'd give it a 26.

Judges: Len loves the joy in his dance, but not his feet. Words couldn't describe how bad they were! Bruno says it was so fun but also mentions the poor footwork. Carrie Ann says his feet were flat but they kept going.

Scores: 9-8-9 for a 26. Wow the third score in a row I got exactly right! I'm surprised based on the comments that it was so high but it was well deserved after an entertaining routine. That gives him a 54, just one point behind first-place Brooke.

So the final leaderboard is:
Brooke/Derek: 55
Warren/Kym: 54
Lance/Lacey:50
Cody/Edyta (who oddly were referred to as "Cody and Julianne" in the recap): 48
Maurice/Cheryl: 48

So Brooke and Warren should be safe, as should Lance since he is popular. So like I said it will likely be Maurice or Cody leaving. The men who voted for Edyta last week might not vote this week since she'll be gone next week, but I think Cody may get enough tween votes to survive, sending Maurice home.

So thoughts on the show? Who do you think will be going home? And what did you think of the solos? Post your comments below.

Hey all so after failing miserably in last night's group number it should be Susan Lucci's last night on the dance floor. But anything can happen on this show, as shown by Cloris' prolonged appearance. Plus we have the return of Dance Center, always a crowd favorite.

Tom teases we may be in for a "shock" tonight. He may be bluffing, but Lance and Cody ARE near the bottom of the leaderboard after being stuck with Susan in the group dance. If one of them is eliminated I bet they'll be a lot of calls for the elimination of group numbers that punish those in the same group as a weak dancer.

We get some clips of post-dance interviews from Monday night. Warren says "fat boy did no good" and slaps himself! He should get extra votes just for doing that on TV! Susan, with some prodding from Tony, says she "knows she is good". Cheryl is impressed at how well Maurice did while in pain, and then slaps him on his bad knee (by accident of course). Cody says Julianne said she was proud of him. Awww. Lance calls his and Lacey's barefoot dance "artistic expression" and I agree with them. I still don't get why Len was so mad at them for doing it. I just hope viewers agreed with me and not Len. Brooke and Derek love their perfect score. Watching Team Cha Cha's group dance again it definitely WAS out of sync but I thought that was part of the dance- I thought one duo would do a move and then others would follow soon after, but I guess not. I still don't know if Team Paso was really THAT much better than Team Cha Cha.

First up is the encore dance, which I'm guessing will either be Brooke's foxtrot or the Team Paso. Tom defers to Len, the "king of constipated commentary", who indeed announces that the Team Paso dance is the encore number. It was still great though it seemed longer than last night's. And Brooke and Derek stole the show once again with their solo, which for some reason seemed a lot shorter than Warren's. Or maybe it was just me.

Before the break we get a Dance Center preview, including Len calling out Ken for telling people how to dance when he only lasted one week on the show! So true! Then again I first started watching this show to see Kenny dance so I should thank him for that.

Samantha interviews the two teams backstage. We find out Susan had first pick of her team members and chose Lance and Lacey. I wonder why she didn't choose Brooke and Derek instead. Not that it would have helped her much last night! She says she did it because she loves their fresh point of view on dances. Then Samantha tries to get Cody to call out the judges for their low scores but instead he just compliments Team Paso on a job well done. Class act by the youngster. Samantha then asks Warren what the secret of their success was and he responds that they watched Derek, Kym, and Cheryl do the dance themselves for a half hour! He's kidding (I think).

We also find out that next week each celeb must dance a solo portion of their Latin routine. That's another new twist this season that I really like- it will give us a chance to see who is really good and who is just hidden well by their partners. Maurice thinks it will be lonely out there without Cheryl.

And here comes Lionel Richie singing his new song "Good Morning". He's still making new songs??? Alec and Edyta accompany him on the dance floor. Hey this song isn't bad! And the best news is Edyta is in a skimpy outfit again! They do a really great lift towards the end as well.

Now it's time for some early results. The first couple to be safe.... Maurice and Cheryl. Not surprising considering their good solo dance and being on Team Cha Cha, but if they are revealing a bottom two I wonder who else is in it besides Susan.

After the break we get "the highly opinionated" Kenny Mayne and DANCECENTER!!! Right off the bat Kenny thinks Michael Flatley should replace Len as a judge. I think Lance/Lacey may have the same feelings. Warren Sapp is "the world's largest ballroom dancer" and is both fat AND phat. Apparently Warren tackled Jerry Rice in a game once and he is STILL bitter. We also get an analysis of Warren's wink. Kenny starts promoting his new online show (which IS real in case you were wondering, since I've seen ads for it) and then Jerry starts promoting his (fake) hair product. Susan Lucci is teeny-tiny, and so she blows away when they turn the AC on! And Tony is hypnotizing his dance partners so they always smile when he's with them! Maurice Greene "can't stand still" and Kenny loves how he is still fast in his older years, unlike Jerry! And Maurice blew kisses to Len during a dance, and Len liked it! This never gets old!

Next up is the Stars of Dance performance. We've already had rain and fire the last two weeks, now we get magic! And smoke coming out of the floor! It starts out as just one guy and then a group of women come out and join him. They even swallow swords! Some guys do some flipping of a magic wand and then turn some guys' heads in boxes around. Later on guy does flips and rolls on his head centerstage before all the dancers do some group work IN UNISION. Take notes Susan Lucci! That was actually kind of cool.

And after the break we get more DANCECENTER. Lance Bass was named after a fish and WEARS SHOES! Len actually says good things about Lance. Shocker! Kenny says he and Lacey should change their names to Lancy and then wonders if Lance should have gone into space (he trained to be an astronaut a few years ago if you recall). Brooke has 20-30 kids so she must be fertile. They find an excuse to show some skimpy pics of the model, which should please the males out there. Then they note how Brooke's legs bend backward, so she must be from Mars. So THAT's why she's such a good dancer haha. Cody Linley also wears shoes and acts like he is five. He also has big eyebrows, and Len even wears some as a tribute to the youngster! Len goes to the demo floor with Kenny to show him how to do a proper tango. It's the mango part II!!! He's doing well (for him at least) but then walks off, saying he wanted Stacey Kiebler as a partner instead! Who was his partner when he was on? I don't even remember anymore.

Now for more results. The next safe couple is Brooke and Derek. So no Sabrina-like elimination this week. Also safe are Warren and Kym. So all three in the group paso are safe. So Susan is either going home or cost one of her teammates a spot in the final five.

Lionel Richie is back as are Cheryl, Kym, Maks!!! and Tony, who dance to "Dancing on the Ceiling". It's weird hearing a guy sing his own song from years ago but I guess this is a dance show so he's almost required to sing it. Even the judges are up and clapping. Hey Maks cut his hair! It looks a lot better longer though. His duet with Cheryl was great! Tony and Kym are amazing as well.

Next is the obligatory filler piece. This week's is on the challenges and strengths each contestant has on the show. Lance has trouble with the mind play from the judges. As we've seen he loses confidence easily, especially when criticized by Len. But he loves the performances. Brooke is challenged by her injury but like Lance likes the limelight. Susan has difficulty transitioning the dance from the small studio to the big stage, but likes the different characters she gets to play. Maurice struggles with ballroom but loves the fast Latin dances. Cody struggles with a new partner so late in the game but loves being sexy- it's natural for him! Warren is struggling with two dances each week but enjoys dressing up each week. Nothing too shocking in there- mostly stuff we've seen throughout the season.

Finally, after one more break, we get the results. The last two couples remaining won't officially be the bottom two. I guess the producers don't like revealing the bottom two because it might sway the next week's results. Anyway the next couple safe is.... Lance and Lacey, after an AI-like pause from Samantha. So it's the last-place couple versus the worst couple left.

Susan is crying already- does she know her likely fate? Anyway Cody is my third favorite after Brooke and Lance so I hope he stays but I'm happier Lance is staying since he got a low score for not wearing shoes of all things!

And the couple going home is... Susan and Tony. So Tom's statement of a possible "shock" result was a bluff. She was clearly the worst one left and struggles to learn two dances each week so it was time for her to go. But next week it could be anyone leaving.

Susan talks about how much fun it was being on the show and she is grateful for the opportunity. She thanks the audience and fans at home, and of course Tony. Very gracious in defeat.

So thoughts on tonight's show? What do you think about the solos the celebs will have next week? And why on earth are Susan and Tony doing their last dance to "Hit the Road, Jack"??? Post your comments below.

Hey all so Obama is our new president, so I'm already in a good mood. What could be better but DWTS without Cloris!

Tonight there are individual dances along with team dances, a first for DWTS. This will be a good way to really compare the couples side by side, and with fewer couples than last week's group hip hop number it will be easy to separate the good from the bad. I wonder how they will form the teams...

Edyta gets a nice loud ovation as she comes out with Cody. Doesn't hurt that she's in her usual skimpy clothing. Derek looks dapper in a suit, and Tony has his shirt open again. Kym is wearing a larger feathery boa around her neck.

The teams will each do different dances, so we won't fully be able to compare them. One team is doing cha cha and the other paso doble. The judges will score these routines, so they will count towards the rankings at the end of the night. Hmmm that's interesting so one bad duo could bring down the scores and rankings of the whole team. Hopefully Maurice and Susan will be on opposite teams or the third duo on their team will be at a significant disadvantage.

Warren and Kym: They seem to be the one team that hasn't been injured this year yet. They are doing a foxtrot, and Kym wants to get him in character while also having good technique. He is struggling in practice so Kym takes him to Nick Kosovich's class, a former ballroom champion. Can't hurt, right? This way he can see a male do the dance. They do a pretty good job. Warren looks really light on his feet as usual but he and Kym don't always seem completely in sync during the dance. I'd give it a 23.

Jeffrey Ross and Corky Ballas in the house!!!

Tom notes Len is back from his one week vacation and says "He's bringing cranky back"! Love Tom!

Judges: Len thought it wasn't a classic foxtrot but likes the added personality. He says Warren's posture wasn't as good as usual. Bruno, now wearing Kym's boa and looking fabulous, thought it had a promising beginning but then the technique declined. I agree- it seemed great early on and then went downhill. Carrie Ann says it wasn't a normal Warren performance. I noticed that too- he seemed tight and nervous. Warren says he's not wearing the right shoes and that's why he looked scared. I don't know if he's kidding or not.

Backstage Warren continues saying his shoes are too small. Seems to be like he's mad about it but doesn't want to yell at people on live TV so he's trying to hold in the anger.

Scores: 7-7-7 for a 21. Low score for the big man, but not really undeserved.

Apparently the duos all got into fights this week so that will be interesting.

Susan and Tony: I hope she goes this week since she's the worst one left in my opinion. They had to rehearse in the AMC studios this week. She lashes out at Tony at his training methods. She thinks he is being too harsh with her but he doesn't seem out of line to me at all. Tony actually wants some anger out of her to fit their dance, the paso doble. He tries to boost her confidence, which I think she could use. They make up of course. His tactics may have paid off since this was one of her better dances. She still seemed really slow and somewhat stiff but she broke out of her shell a little so I'd give her a 24.

Judges: Bruno says Susan had pride and dignity. Carrie Ann calls Susan over and tells her to tell the crowd she's doing good. Shouldn't it be she's doing WELL? Len thought it was one of her best dances.

Cool election coverage means the results are Wednesday night so I might actually be able to blog it somewhat on time. If I can find the results online....

Susan apparently was sick this week too but she's thrilled with the results.

Judges: 8-8-8 for a 24. Right what I thought they'd get.

First glimpse of the teams reveal they are Warren, Brooke, and Maurice and Cody, Lance, and Susan. Pretty evenly matched- each team has two favorites and one duo who will likely go home in the next two weeks.

Maurice and Cheryl: After Susan's good dance they must do well to stay in this week. They are doing a cha cha. They know they must work harder to climb out from the bottom. Maurice and Cheryl also get into a fight because Maurie is holding back in practice. And (shockingly) another injury occurred! Maurice hyperextended his knee in the team rehearsal. Wow and they were one of the few teams left who hadn't had any injuries this season. I'm not sure what a hyperextended knee is but I know it happens to athletes a lot. Maurice is devastated, but maybe that will help inspire him to do well. Unfortunately like in rehearsals he seemed to be holding back a bit, though he was doing the steps decently. I'd give it a 23.

Judges: Carrie Ann loved the mix of form and freedom. Len thought it was like cheap jewelry (and that's a good thing apparently!) and calls it his best dance. Well it wasn't as good as the 27 he got a few weeks back but it was better than last week. Bruno says happy days are back for him. Hmm these scores might be higher than I thought.

Scores: 8-9-8 for a 25. That's fair I thought based on the comments he would get a 27 or higher, which he didn't deserve, but this seems about right.

Cody and EDYTA: Edyta is the only pro who has been on every season, and yet she has never won. Wouldn't it be ironic if the one year she wins it is with Cody, who was not her original partner. I do think Julianne will be back next week but you never know. They are doing a Viennese Waltz, a tough romantic dance for a duo just getting to know each other. Plus it will be awkward to show romance between two people so distant in age. Aww they went to visit Julianne during the week. Wow her bed looks comfy! Even while sick she gives them advice, telling them to focus on giving Cody a character to play. Edyta noticeably wears less skimpy clothes in rehearsal to not distract young Cody. Cody dedicates his dance to Julianne (aw....). I thought they did a really good job. I could tell the chemistry wasn't fully there yet but that's to be expected. The moves were fluid and pretty as they glided around the stage. I think it's the best of the night so I'd give it a 26.

Judges: Len says a new partner takes a while to get used. He thought they looked good together but they thought the dance was a bit "ploddy" and lacked musicality. Bruno says it was like watching a young bird not quite being able to take off. He even called him clumsy! Ouch that's harsh (and a bit uncalled for if you ask me)! Carrie Ann agrees with me and thought it was great.

Scores: 8-7-7 for a 22. Not surprising based on the judges' comments but the first score so far I've really disagreed with.

Note: They finally bring Edyta back and they put her in that ugly outfit???

Lance and Lacey: Another couple that got into a fight this week. They are doing the rumba, one of the more boring dances
so they better bring it! They decided to dance it barefoot to bring about the spiritual nature of the dance. I like that though I don't know if the judges will. And apparently Lance broke his toe last week- another injury! Lance is having trouble dancing barefoot because of his injury and Lacey tells him to just put his shoes on since he'll just do it anyway. Okay I didn't think Tony went too far with Susan but Lacey is being WAY too tough with Lance. She bursts into tears saying she's tired of trying to make him happy all the time. I agree with Lance- all he said was he couldn't dance barefoot- not a huge deal. She's getting worked up over nothing and then walks out. Apparently it was weeks of frustration about his negativity coming out. That makes more sense but still I thought she was too hard on him. The next day though she apologizes and they share a group hug. They come out dancing a romantic rumba and I couldn't tell at all they fought during the week. It was great!!! I usually hate rumbas but this was entertaining and romantic. I could really sense the chemistry between them and Lance was nailing the steps. Definitely the best of the night and I'd even give them one 10 for a 28.

Judges: Bruno loved the seductive and romantic nature of the dance. He loved the contemporary spin as well. Carrie Ann at first thought the barefoot move was a bad idea but realized it totally worked for the walking in the park theme. I agree with her- it really did add to the romantic nature of the dance. Len of course hated it and thought the bare feet were a distraction and said something about how the shoes actually serve a purpose in dancing. Who knew? See someone's not happy to have Len back...

Scores: 9-7-9 for a 25. WOW I didn't think Len would go that low with the score. He clearly wasn't happy with the extra fluff but he can't deny they danced it really well. The good news is this has been a somewhat off night for everyone so he is still tied for first.

Brooke and Derek: With semi-low scores tonight they are primed for a return to the top of the leaderboard. They are doing a foxtrot, a slow and controlled dance. Derek thinks the elegance of the dance really suits his partner. He compliments her throughout the week, unlike certain other partners (cough, Lacey, cough). They dance to an old-sounding song and it really looked like this dance was taken right out of the 50s. It wasn't the most entertaining dance for me but that's just a matter of taste I think. She really looked graceful and elegant on the dance floor. I liked Lance's better entertainment wise but I think hers was danced better so I'd give it a 28.

Judges: Carrie Ann just says a lot of "Wow"s. She says that she is as good as some of the professionals. Len says it was fantastic. Bruno thought it was beautiful from start to finish. Do I see a 30 in their future???

Scores: 10-10-10!!! First 30 of the season! And Derek shakes the camera again- love when he does that!! So the frontrunners are back on top, and rightfully so.

Another great line from Tom: Derek starts to undo his jacket while being interviewed to prep for the group dance. Of course the girls in the audience (me included) don't mind one bit! Tom says that according to Len he can keep undressing all he wants as long as he doesn't take off his shoes! Take that Len!

Team routines: Apparently Susan and Warren were named captains and got to pick teams. That explains why the teams are so even, though I wonder who was picked last. And how did those two get named captains? Was it picked out of a hat or something?

Team Cha Cha: Lance, Susan, and Cody. Cody loves how they all have energy. Well maybe two of you do... not so sure about Susan. Each duo first worked on their solo parts separately and then met together at the end of the week. Susan though was in NY all week and is thus behind. She was really lost in the hip hop number so hopefully for Lance and Cody's sake it won't carry over to this dance too.

Their dance starts out with the women ripping open the guys' shirts. That will help get points from Carrie Ann! Cody and Edyta do their solo first and it looks good, though I thought the same about their solo routine so who knows. Susan and Tony are next and Susan is her slow and tentative self, though she did know most of the steps, which is a step up from last week's hip hop routine. But it was Lance and Lacey who stole the show, nailing their solo. Plus they kept their shoes on, so Len will be happy (I hope....). They also do a cute little group part at the end, though Susan looked lost for a part of it before the camera quickly cut away. It's hard to tell how the judges will score this but I'd give it around a 24 I guess.

Judges: Len says they did an excellent job, and he even loved Lance and Lacey's solo. Bruno agrees Lance and Lacey saved the dance after Susan's poor solo. Carrie Ann agrees on Lance and Lacey but thought the unison was "brutal". I didn't think they were together either but I didn't think they were trying to be. I guess they were...

Susan seems to realize she stunk, saying backstage she wished she had more rehearsal time, but notes the others did a great job.

Scores: 6-7-7 for a 20. Ouch. 7s I can understand, but a 6??? Lance and Lacey's solo was worth at least a 7 by itself.

Team Paso Doble: Brooke, Maurice, and Warren. Cheryl and Maurice are the only ones not to have done a paso yet, so they decide to sandwich their solo between the two good ones, Warren's and Brooke's. Usually I thought the weakest one goes first- at least in essays you are supposed to save your strongest arguments for the end, but maybe it's different in dance. They seem to be doing much better in rehearsals than the first team was. It helps that all three duos were there all week, unlike Tony and Susan. Warren also gives the team a little pep talk.

They don't seem totally in sync in their early parts either but it's hard to tell with the camera moving so fast. Warren and Kym's solo is first and he has his tough gameface on. I like this better than their dance earlier tonight. Maurice and Cheryl are next, and it seems like Cheryl is doing most of the work. When Maurice dances he also looks a bit stiff. But he's still better than Susan in her solo (which isn't saying much). And like Lance and Lacey, Brooke and Derek steal the show with some great spins right in the beginning of their solo. After Carrie Ann's comments I watched the unity on the end of the dance, and while it didn't look great either overall I liked their dance better than the first one. I'd give it a 25 though I think the actual score may be lower.

Judges: Then again maybe not, as they get a standing ovation from the judges! Bruno loved it and the unity involved. Carrie Ann also loved the teammwork and the solos. I didn't think the unity was that great but I guess it was good compared to the first team. Len says it is easier to keep formation in a paso doble, but adds that they were much tighter and better. That's an interesting point about the difficulty of the dance.

Scores: 10-9-10 for a 29!! Wow anyone else think this was overscored??? I didn't think it was that good though it was certainly better than the first group.

So that leaves a final leaderboard of:
Brooke/Derek: 59
Maurice and Cheryl: 54
Warren and Kym: 50
Lance and Lacey: 45
Susan and Tony: 44
Cody and Edyta: 42

So the group dance clearly had a big impact as all three of the top scorers were in the second group. I still don't think team one was that bad; they were just really hurt by Susan's lack of time to commit to learning the routine. It should be her turn to go, especially with all of the males in the audience voting like crazy to keep Edyta in the hunt.

So thoughts on this week's show? Did you think the second group dance was that must better than the first? And who do you think will go home? Post your comments below.

Hey all sorry for the late post but I got caught up doing work yesterday and didn't get a chance to blog. I also might not get my DWTS blog up until late tonight because I have a quiz to study for. Grr it stinks being busy all the time. I'm so behind on my TV from last week and I don't have time to catch up...

Anyway on to this week's TAR. The good news is CBS FINALLY put the show online so I can watch it in good quality!!

I do think this might be a nonelimination leg, especially since there are only six teams left (already???) and we haven't had one yet. Then again I said the same thing last week.

Now the couples fly to Delhi, India, where they must travel by taxi to Moonlight Motors for their next clue. The teams must buy tickets at a specific agency for going to the airport, which means there likely won't be TOO much airport drama this week.

Nick and Starr used to hate each other but they've gotten closer over the years. Toni realizes Dallas and Starr have a little thing going that we haven't seen much of since the early episodes. Dallas says that's because it's awkward talking to Starr around Nick or his mom. Awww that's kind of cute. Ken says he and Tina must set aside their baggage in order to do well on the race. The divorcees leave next and Christy says she has more fun with Kelly than with anyone else and they promise they will be sponges, absorbing info about India. Terence and Sarah need to run the race smartly as a result of their half hour penalty from the last leg. The frats have decided not to be as casual during the leg in hopes to get out of last place. It would help if you guys could figure out how to do little things like pump gasoline...

Nick and Starr get a flight arriving at 4:15, as do Toni and Dallas, and they wisely use their time waiting for the flight online doing research about India. I sense an alliance forming...

Other teams start to arrive at the agency. Dallas and Starr keep flirting, and he hopes her team will stay in the race so he can flirt some more. Such a guy! Everyone gets on the same flight, so indeed the airport/flight scenes are anticlimatic.

Now the teams all head for the airport and get on the flight. Kelly and Christy can't find their way out of the airport, and Nick and Starr are first out. Nick makes a comment on how Kelly and Christy (who finally do get a cab) are wearing skimpy clothes so all the guys will give them weird looks. Maybe I'm just really innocent but I don't see why their outfits are so bad- they just look like normal tank tops to me. And what's so bad about male attention anyway??? Plus Starr's outfit looks skimpier than theirs does.

The teams all get stuck in traffic, and there's even cows in the road.!

Ken and Tina's driver stops for directions, and Ken gets frustrated with Tina insisting that the place is just down the street. She is correct in this, but he is annoyed that she always thinks she knows everything. Now we see why they got separated...

Nick and Starr arrive first and get the next clue, a road block. The task is "Go Green" where they must paint the taxis green to signify how they now run on natural gas. They first must cover up the yellow parts of the taxi with newspaper (since those parts won't get painted) and then paint the rest green. That doesn't seem too hard, and it even sounds kind of fun!

Starr does the task for the siblings as the frats arrive and Andrew decides to do the task. Andrew tries putting on the mask before he starts spray painting! I think they are more mentally challenged than the divorcees at times!


Ken and Tina are lost, as are the other teams. Toni and Dallas arrive third at the painting task and Toni decides to paint.

The divorcees finally arrive at the painting as Ken and Tina drive in circles. Tina is clearly getting frustrated as these poor Indian people don't understand her as she asks for directions. Hey Tina maybe if you are nicer they will help you.

Terence and Sarah finally arrive at the painting, leaving Ken and Tina in last. They finally arrive and Ken decides to paint.

Starr is first to finish newspapering and starts to paint. The frats start painting as well. Terence and Sarah get into an argument and the frats wonder why if Terence is so controlling HE didn't do the task. That's a fair point though don't the teams have to split how many road blocks each member does? Then one of the frats says that Terence shouldn't let his wife do body work on a car. First of all this is painting, not body work. Second of all that is really sexist- who says women don't know anything about cars?

Tina is also suffering through controlling syndrome, saying Ken is ripping the newspaper too perfectly which is wasting time. Again I defer to the frats previous comment- if she cared so much about it she should have done the challenge. Since she's not doing it she should just stand back and stop distracting Ken, which is just slowing him down even more.

In a nice contrast by the editors of the show, two of the teams in front, Toni/Dallas and the frats, are being helpful. Dan encourages Andrew and says how well he is doing, while Dallas NICELY tells his mom to stand back while spray painting so she can paint a larger space. He too is encouraging, as are the divorcees. The two fighting teams, Terence/Sarah and Ken/Tina, are stuck in last.

Ken finally starts to paint while Sarah is still covering the car with paper.

Starr must stop and get more paint, allowing the frats to complete their comeback and take over the lead. Next the teams must do to the Ambassador Hotel, where they will search a garden for a doorman with their next clue.

Nick and Starr finish in second and race to get a taxi. Dallas keeps helping his mom while Terence is being nicer with his advice and encouragement.

The frats can't find a cab while the sibs can, allowing them to retake the lead.

Toni and Dallas finish next and find a cab quickly. Ken is a madman with the paint and the team recovers to finish the road block in fourth. They had told their taxi driver from earlier to wait for them, and he did. But why would they want this same driver who got them lost before???

The frats finally find a cab, but they have lost their lead and valuable time.

Sarah needs more paint as the divorcees finish and head to the hotel. Terence isn't helping matters by constantly telling Sarah that they are in last.

Nick and Starr arrive first at the hotel and quickly find the next clue. It is a detour between Launder Money or Launder Clothes. In Launder Money teams go to a banquet and create a wedding necklace of Indian rupees, or money. Why would anyone wear money on their neck? The teams must use 10 rupees that must add up to exactly 780. The teams also must find a way to exchange their money for rupees, which could take a while. The teams then must exchange the necklace with a waiting groom (so the necklace is for the guy????) who will give them the next clue. In Launder Clothes the teams must use a traditional charcoal-powered iron and press 20 pieces of clothing to get their next clue. The clothes one sounds faster and easier than the necklace one to me.

Toni and Dallas arrive at the same time at the detour and both choose the ironing task. Dallas is a "pro ironer" according to his mom. So he's cute AND does chores... Starr's a lucky girl!

Meanwhile Ken and Tina are lost (again) and Ken says what I said a few paragraphs above- that they should have gotten a new cab driver. If they fall way behind on this leg it will be because they didn't get a new driver when they had the chance at the road block.

The frats and divorcees arrive at the same time at the detour clue and both also choose the clothing task. It seems the teams agree with me that dealing with money in a foreign nation is too complicated.

"Dandrew" as the divorcees call them say Kelly and Christy have gotten great breaks on the race because they are "semi-attractive". Ouch! But they certainly aren't the first team to use looks to their advantage. Then again I don't really know how their looks have helped them except maybe to get a cab faster.

Sarah FINALLY finishes the painting task and they race to the hotel. They are obviously frustrated after falling way behind.

Nick and Starr are first at the detour and start ironing.

FINALLY Ken and Tina decide to get another taxi. Took them long enough! Ken finds out they owe $200 for the taxi and tells the driver "You might just have cost me one million". Ouch! But that incompetent driver deserves it to some extent. That's two places in a row he hasn't known how to go to.

Terence and Sarah recover to get to the next clue ahead of Ken and Tina, who are now back in last. But for some reason Terence and Sarah decide to do the money task. I wonder if that will come back to haunt them, especially with their half hour penalty.

Ken and Tina finally arrive at the detour and also decide to do the money task. I still think this one will take longer but maybe they can finish quickly.

Toni/Dallas and the frats' cab drivers are lost, so the divorcees are able to arrive at the detour second. Oooh I forgot they hate Nick and Starr, and the divorcees are indeed determined to beat them. They already can't wait to brag WHEN they beat the sibs. Cocky much?
They can't find gloves so they just use the other clothes as gloves to protect their hands from the heat.

Toni and Dallas arrive third at the detour but also don't have gloves (Nick and Starr had wisely brought their own). So they can't even handle the iron. Meanwhile the divorcees feel like wives again! The frats arrive soon after but also struggle without gloves. I guess they were going to a hot place so they didn't need gloves.

Ken is confused about the task and they haven't even gotten there yet!

Terence and Sarah try to find a way to get change, as they have lots of 100s but no small bills. Both they and Ken and Tina go up to random people on the street and ask for change. I guess there are no banks in the area, which is why I thought the task would take a while.

The frats apparently have had their moms iron for them all their lives (as have I!) so they seem to be struggling. Meanwhile Nick and Starr finish and head to the pit stop, Baha'i House.

Terence and Sarah find a guy to give them change. They accidentally went by the place before where the necklaces are so they know where to go and seem to be in good shape.

Nick and Starr arrive at the pit stop in first. And they each won an electric car! That's a cool prize!

The frats are still struggling as the divorcees finish in second and head to the pit stop.

Ken and Tina finally find a guy to give them change as Terence and Sarah start their necklace.

The divorcees reach the pit stop in second. Good for them- after some poor early legs they are right back in the race.

Terence and Sarah finish the necklace as Ken and Tina arrive to start theirs. Meanwhile Dallas and Toni finish ironing and head to the pit stop.

Terence and Sarah struggle to find a groom in the crowded room as Ken and Tina finish their necklace and head to find one as well.

The frats are struggling as they are being told to re-iron some clothes they have already done. To make matters worse a windstorm comes and blows some of their clothes away. That stinks but if they had finished earlier they would have beat the wind.

Terence and Sarah find the groom and head out to the detour. Ken and Tina are right behind them, as Tina makes sure to point out to the groom that they have EXACTLY $780 on the necklace.

So that means the frats, who started out in first, are now back in last after some poor cab drivers and ironing.

Terence and Sarah have an early lead on Ken and Tina after Terence and Sarah's cab waited for them. Ken and Tina must struggle to find a cab and fall behind. They actually did well with the tasks today they just have had bad luck with cabs. Shows how quickly things can turn on the race.

Toni and Dallas arrive third at the pit stop and are awed by a woman next to Phil with a bucket of fire on her head.

Terence and Sarah are fourth. No mention of their penalty so I guess they were far enough ahead that it didn't matter. Or did they get it at the beginning of the leg, in which case it REALLY didn't matter since all the teams got on the same flight out anyway.

Dandrew are begging the lady at the ironing station to approve their ironing job, but she is refusing. Meanwhile Ken and Tina STILL can't find a cab. Finally they get one and head to the pit stop. Tina "astutely" points out they have never been last. Well duh if you had you wouldn't still be in the race!

Dandrew finally finish ironing and head to the pit stop. But Ken and Tina already have a bit of a lead on them...

Ken and Tina's driver is lost. Wow they have had the WORST luck with drivers today. This gives the frats hope. Then Tina, after getting out of the cab to ask for directions, can't get back in as Ken refuses to get out to let her in! She must squeeze in next to him, which looks really uncomfortable.

So it's a cab race to the finish, and it looks pretty close. WOW Dandrew gets fifth!! I was so sure they'd be out. Shows what a few bad cab drivers can do. Unfortunately this is likely a non-elimination leg so Ken and Tina will probably still be in. Even the frats look shocked to not be in last!

So Ken and Tina are last, but sure enough this is a non-elimination leg. Dang it when will they go home already??? As a punishment for finishing last, they will have to complete an extra task, a Speed Bump, on the next leg before rejoining the race. That's the same punishment as last year, right?

The two are clearly stunned by their sudden last place finish, crying during their post-leg interview. Tina even tries to comfort Ken. Maybe there's hope for this relationship (NOT!!!)

So thoughts on this week's show? Will Ken and Tina survive next week's speed bump? And did this episode REALLY make you want to learn to iron (hey not knowing how could come back to haunt you, as the frats learned). Post your comments below.

Hey everyone after last night's interesting show we have a new leader in Lance "Sir Dancelot" Bass while Cloris still languishes at the bottom of the leaderboard. Hopefully she will go home this week but anything can happen on this show.

Tonight Michael Flatley, Missy Elliot, and the Pussycat Dolls well perform.

We start off with the recap of last night. Warren likes Michael, who gave him a (probably undeserved) 9 last night. Derek is thrilled he and Brooke got (a definitely undeserved) 10. Tony says Susan crashed the glass box. Cheryl says she and Maurice have chemistry and proceeds to fake kiss him. And love Bruno doing his impersonation of Len while holding up the scorecards! (I'm guessing that clip is from rehearsals or something...) Julianne promises she will be back and that this will only be her last dance with Cody if he is eliminated next week (which he likely won't be). Cloris (still in her hip hop garb) says they need votes. Duh! Lance is thrilled about his (undeserved) 27 after his campy cheesy dance.

OMG Lance is in a mullet!! I didn't notice that last night. All the stars are in their hip hop garb, so I'm guessing that's the encored dance this week.

Michael Flatley's dance apparently involves danger and fire! Last week's guest dance was disappointing so maybe this one will live up to the hype.

Indeed the group hip hop is the encore dance. Cody can still beat box with the best of them. Cloris still looks like the weirdest rapper I've ever seen. Cloris IS in the back the whole time doing nothing. I thought I saw that last night but I wasn't sure. Shows was the choreographer thinks of her dancing skills (or lack thereof). Lance is still a standout, and Warren is good as well.

First up some results: The first couple safe is: Lance and Lacey!! Yay!! I still didn't like them last night but I've like them overall. Joining them is Cody! One and half couples are safe, according to Tom! Cody will likely be dancing with Edyta next week unless Julianne makes a speedy recovery.

Next up is the final round of the ballroom kids competition.

Craig and Samantha: Brother and sister- 13 and 11. I thought they looked familiar and it turns out their sister was on the show last year. I remember her- she has a really memorable face. Obviously dancing runs in their family- the new Houghs anyone? Samantha is a big diva, and Craig is half mean and half annoying. Ahh sibling love. They must try to not put their fights into their dancing. They are really powerful and strong in their movements.

Judges: Michael calls it "sensational" and kept thinking of how proud their parents must be. He talks about how great dancing is for youth. Bruno loves the vibrancy and precision of the dance. Carrie Ann screams and says they are poetry in motion.

Simon and Lucy: 13 year olds. Simon apparently had to be bribed to start dancing, but now he loves it. No one knows he dances at his school. But as Lucy says, I think they will know now! And hey they continue the cooking analogies to dance- hey it's like when Rocco was on the show! They dance a samba and wow can their hips move. They started off amazing and then faded a bit in the end but I still liked them better than the first pair.

Haha Tom says he just got a text from Rocco saying dancing ISN'T like cooking.

Judges: Carrie Ann loves their energy and frame. Michael also loves seeing them dance and tells them to follow their dreams. Bruno says they were really having fun and loves Lucy's extensions.

The kids are backstage with Samantha. Samantha and Craig question the advice from their younger sister Cara, saying it made them question who was the oldest. They like all the dancers on the show and thought it was fun dancing on TV. Simon and Lucy tell the kids and school that it wasn't really them dancing!

Judges Decison: Wow it's actually unanimous- I guess Michael didn't want to play Len's role of voting for the losing couple to make them feel better. They all vote for Craig and Samantha, which surprised me because I thought the second pair was better. I can't complain too much though since both were really good, especially at a young age.

Next The Pussycat Dolls and Missy Elliot perform their new song "What You Think About That". They do what looks like a strip show in front of shiny polls. Nooo why is this song so annoyingly catchy? And here comes Missy from the stands doing some really fast rap. Carrie Ann seems really into it but this is my least favorite part of the song- probably since I hate rap. Then one of the Dolls does a solo and it sounds like her voice is being digitally altered. Either that or she has a robotic-sounding voice.

Samantha is now backstage with Lance and Lacey and Cody and EDYTA! Cody is happy to be with Edyta (gee wonder why???) Edyta is happy to be with Cody as well, thinking he is one of the most talented dancers on the show. And according to Cody Julianne's surgery went well so that is good news. Lance is still beaming and happy to be in first.

Next week is a team dance- the pairs will be in teams of six and dance together. That sounds interesting, and a good way to compare the pairs side by side.

Tom jokes that Julianne is finishing up the bicycle portion of the Iron Man competition. I don't know about you but I found this a bit offensive- the girl just had her appendix out and he is making jokes about it?

Anyway the next couple safe is.... Warren and Kym! Again well-deserved and not surprising.

That leaves Brooke, Susan, Maurice, and Cloris. Hmmm which of these doesn't belong???

Michael Flatley comes out after the break to do a dance called "Capone" about gangsterland. He shows up as a black shadow against a red screen and that looks really cool. Then sirens start blaring and he appears center stage in all black. He taps on a giant wooden box and wow can his feet move. It got a bit long and boring at this point though. But as I type that here comes the fire, starting from the wood. Then Michael jumps off just as the box bursts into flames. Okay THAT was cool.

Then comes a segment on the mental side of dancing. A US Sgt. comes on to talk about this. Uh doesn't he have more important things to do than a segment for a reality show? There's also a sports psychologist who talks about the mental side as well. And hey there's Troy Tanner, Misty May's volleyball coach. The celebs must focus on their goals and strengths. Brooke is focused at juggling her home and work. Cody needs to focus more in rehersal. Duh they only imply that EVERY WEEK on the show. Maurice works the hardest on the show. Susan is a perfectionist, and needs to not let the little things bother her and just show off on the dance floor. Warren turns pressure into pleasure and uses it to his advantage. Lance is too hard on himself and needs more confidence. Cloris though is great mentally for just having fun and lot worrying about the pressure. They have to all build on what they've done. Nothing earth-shattering in that segment.

Now more results. Susan and Tony are still in jeopardy (but not necessarily the bottom two???). Brooke and Derek are safe. Shocker (NOT!!). Cloris and Corky are... in jeopardy. Which means Maurice and Cheryl are safe. An unsurprising bottom two (if it really is the bottom two). I don't like either duo so I don't care who goes home but at least Susan is semi-decent, unlike Cloris.

After a break (of course) we find out these two are NOT necessarily the bottom two, though I can't imagine who else might be in the bottom except maybe Maurice.

And the couple going home is.... CLORIS AND CORKY!!! FINALLY!!!!! Though it was funny hearing her say "I'm not leaving" and then Tom respond "I'm afraid you are". Now the competition can REALLY begin.

The crowd gives her a standing ovation, as always. She tells the judges how nice they are... at least she is gracious in defeat. Cloris then sits on the floor, and Corky, Tom, and Samantha joined her. Cloris again claims she's not leaving, saying she'll sit in the stands. Fine with me as long as she doesn't DANCE! And Corky helps her up- how sweet! And with one final wave to the crowd the madness is over on DWTS! Now it's really anyone's game. See you next week!

So thoughts on tonight's unsurprising results? Are you relieved Cloris is gone for good? Post your comments below.

Hey so I know it's late and the results show has already aired so I'll try to keep this (somewhat) brief. I'm still annoyed by Toni's exit last week since I thought she was underscored by the judges and even though she wouldn't win she should have outlasted Cloris for sure.

This week Len is taking a break so Michael Flatley is in his place. Also Julianne Hough is apparently having surgery this week so that might affect her place in the competition. And tonight is the hip-hop group dance!!!

And shockingly no mention of Julianne's surgery in the opener. BUT apparently Brooke is now injured as well. Is there anyone left who's NOT injured at this point?? I've never seen so many injuries in one season.

The guys look extra dapper tonight. Lacey is wearing an odd polka dot outfit. Cloris is wearing a semi-revealing and skinny outfit.

First of course is a bio of Flatley and how amazing he is. He's apparently the most successful dancer in history. And he's not bad looking either!!!

Maurice and Cheryl: Maurice looks SEXY in that outfit (and without his mustache!!!) He was good last week so let's see if he can keep it up. They are doing a waltz, a bad dance for the hyper athlete. It's only his second ballroom dance, so that hurts him as well. He struggles in practice, and that's about all we get out of his clip before the dance. I actually like the waltz as a dance more than others do, and this was wasn't too bad. It looked really pretty and Maurice kept in hold the whole time. Cheryl did do more work than Maurice though. And it did look a bit stiff and awkward in parts though, but I would still give it a 23. Looks like the Latin man may do all right with ballroom too.

Judges: Michael thought it was slow, elegant, and graceful, but thought the timing could be better. Sounds like a pretty fair judging from the new guy. Carrie Ann noticed an improvement in posture but thinks they need more chemistry. I think I see where she is coming from. Bruno says at times he looked like a surfer on dry land because it didn't flow that well.

Scores: 7-7-7 for a 21. This late in the competition that might be one of the lower scores of the night though.

Lance and Lacey: I agreed with the judges last week about Lacey doing more than Lance in the dance. I think that's why his scores were so low; not because he slipped (though that didn't help). I thought he might be gone but was pleasantly surprised when he didn't make the bottom two. And now he has a shirt with his new nickname: "Sir Dancealot!" They rehearsed this week down in Florida where NSYNC used to practice. He's doing the jive, my other favorite dance!!! OMG Joey and Chris from NSYNC show up to give him support!!! I used to love NSYNC!!!! Though of course my two faves were Justin and JC who are MIA, but oh well. Joey tells him to show more personality in his dance. Lacey must be making sure not to get the same critique as last week since she gives Lance a short solo in the beginning that's more freestyle than jive. The whole routine seems more freestyle in fact, and the jive parts look a bit slow. Overall it is entertaining though so I'd give it a 24.

Judges: Bruno says Lance is back. Michael says he came out smoking and is showing his confidence. Carrie Ann gives a whooping noise and says Len would be proud. She wonders where he is and points to the sky as if he is dead!!! Hilarious. Anyway the judges seemed to like it more than I did.

Scores: 9-9-9 for a 27. It was still a little slow for my liking but I guess that's just taste. He's always been one of my faves so I guess I shouldn't complain but this still seems a bit high.

Susan and Tony: Speaking of too slow, she looks like she is dancing in slow motion, and I was glad to see last week the audience agrees with me. Susan thinks she is having trouble feeling free on the dance floor. So the pair went out to a mambo club with Cameron!!! (and some other people I don't know). She does seem to let loose a bit, and Tony was having fun as well. They are doing a mambo and while it's better than last week it still seems a bit slow to me. It also gets awkward-looking and stiff in spots. It's my least favorite of the night so far so I'd give it a 22.

Judges: Carrie Ann says she broke the glass box from last week, which she did, but it still wasn't great. Bruno says we are starting to see the devil lurking, but the timing was off. Carrie Ann claims this isn't true, so they get into a spat. This leads Michael to claim they should get married! I'm liking him already. He says he is elegant and graceful and thought the timing was off just a hair. So he was in the middle on the timing issue.

Scores: 8-8-7 for a 23. Maybe a point or two high but right around what I thought it would be. I do think she and Maurice should switch scores.

Brooke and Derek: I LOVED their routine last week and was happy they stayed in first place. But it turns out after that tough routine she realized her foot was injured. On Wednesday during group rehearsal it got really painful so she skipped practice Thursday to recover. Derek practiced by himself, but still this could put their streak in jeopardy. Meanwhile Brooke gets all kinds of cool treatment on her strained tendon. The doctor recommends rest but she refuses to take it. They are frustrated in rehearsals- and Derek calls her "honey". Hmmm isn't he dating Shannon still??? They do a rumba to a destroyed version of one of my favorite songs, "No Air". Once I got over that I saw a dance that wasn't one of her best but was still solid. It was kind of boring but I usually don't like rumbas too much. They did have great chemistry though and the moves were all there so I'd give it a 25.

Judges: Michael says it was sensational and he loved the chemistry between them. They "became the dance", and he implies he might be giving them a 10.... really??? Carrie Ann agrees with me and says it wasn't her best dance, and she says she could tell Brooke was in pain. Bruno agrees she was under par and not precise. Now the question ... is under par for her still decent?

Scores: 8-10????-8 for a 26. I'm in SHOCK she got a 10. Has Michael been watching the show? She's has so many dances better than this that got 10s. Carrie Ann and Bruno seemed fairer in their assessment. Maybe it's the conspiracy theorist in me, but I wonder if Michael is making sure Brooke will stick around this week by giving her a high score. Even Derek and Brooke look surprised.

Cloris and Corky: Corky is shocked they were not in the bottom two last week. You and me both, Corky. Cloris says they are like an old married couple, and he is getting annoyed with her antics. Again, you and me both. So he calls in her ex-husband George who keeps her focused. They do a cha cha with a really cute beginning with Corky showing off his moves trying to impress Cloris. Once SHE actually starts dancing, well it's not horrible but she's still by far the worst dancer left. She has a few visible mess ups and is really slow for much of the dance. Woah Corky does a lift with her that puts her only a few inches from the ground! That's impressive but Carrie "Lift Police" Ann might take off a point or two. I'd give it a 20 since it was the worst one so far.

Judges: Bruno says she was able to sell "nonsense" as a cha cha, and people like it. Why do they like it, that's what I want to know??? Michael says she is an inspiration and gives Corky some deserved credit for helping her. Carrie Ann says what I've been thinking all week- we lost Toni for THIS???

Scores: 5-5-5 for a 15!!! WOW I didn't think it was THAT bad. She did actually do some steps (I think), and that's more than we could say in the first few weeks. At least she almost surely should be going home this week. Although I did think the same thing last week...

Cody and Julianne: Why is Julianne flirting with the cameraman before they go onstage? Anyway I thought they were great last week as well and they are really starting to grow on me. They kind of skip over what happened to Julianne, but they do mention they lost practice time because of her illness, just like Brooke and her brother did. I think this may be because Julianne didn't want cameras around as she went to the hospital. And they are doing the dreaded samba this week too! Julianne wants him to be sexier, so she gives him a spray tan and dyes his hair brown. It seems to have worked because they did a great job. The dance was powerful and strong and Cody looked almost evil. I'm not sure if that's the point of the samba though. Still I liked it better than Brooke and Derek so I'd give it a 27.

Judges: Carrie Ann thought it was the most intense samba she'd ever seen. She thought it was like a paso doble and I had the same thought. She does see improvement every week and she really liked it. Bruno though thought it was too paso and not enough samba. I thought the aggression was paso but the moves were samba, so that's all that counts, right? Michael says he has everything it takes but thought it wasn't his best night. I think the scores will be a little lower than I would like.

Julianne officially announces she is getting her appendix out this week and
she hopes to be back next time. But if she can't, Edyta will take her place. Men of the world, rejoice! Wouldn't it be ironic if Edyta had to go on for Julianne and ending up winning with Julianne's student?

Scores: 8-8-7 for a 23. WOW another score I disagree with. I thought they were much better than this.

Turns out Julianne is getting her appendix out DURING the results show. So I guess she's not doing the encore dance this week....

Warren and Kym: They are doing a rumba after last week's funky hustle. They are doing the same dance as Brooke and Derek, so they want to spice it up by bringing a story into it about quarreling lovers. Then they find out Brooke is injured, and they hope to somewhat take advantage. They dance to a slow version of "Irreplaceable" w