TV

This is proving to be a really interesting season. Let's start by throwing out the obvious clinkers and the one ringer in the field.

Adam Carolla is doing everything he can to make up for the fact that he can't put two steps together. The unicycle entrance was the latest pay-no-attention-to-my-dancing gambit and it was a great moment. He really can ride. As Carrie Ann observed, "You were smooth, you made great turns, but then you got off your unicycle." He's funny and, for this show, edgy, but it can't last. And Priscilla Presley glided through a passable waltz. It was hilarious when Carrie Ann, seemingly struggling to find something positive to say, complimented her ability to maintain her facial expression through the rigors of the dance. That may have something to do with the fact that most of her face (have you seen her forehead so much as tremble once during the past four weeks) appears frozen by however many cosmetic procedures she's undergone. And Marissa had something of a comeback this week with her enthusiastic pasa doble -- with her partner literally mopping the floor with her -- but she's not going to last.

And then there's Kristi -- the ice princess. After being scolded by the judges last week for not showing enough emotion (they gave her straight 9s anyway, so to call their comments "criticism" seems a tad harsh). She once again spun and swirled and snapped and kicked through a technically impressive dance -- opening the show with her pasa doble. But, really, she has more in common with the other professional dancers than with her fellow competitors. The judges openly acknowledged that she's in her own category, so what's she doing on an amateur dance competition. Viewers have shown in previous seasons that they don't like it when it seems like the deck is stacked in favor of a contestant -- recall the early exit of "cheater girl" Sabrina Bryan last season. Expect that same sort of backlash to start building against Kristi. It was just such a stark and unflattering contrast on Monday night -- so many of the celebrity dancers seem to be trying so hard and are showing so much improvement while Kristi hums along. It would probably be overreaching to suggest that she will be voted off tomorrow night, but I wouldn't be surprised.

And if she isn't, who will it be. Any of the other obvious low-hanging fruits gave their own best defense with Monday night's dances. Priscilla was, once again, weird and ridiculous, but she gave probably her best dance of the season and is improving. Adam, of course, can't dance, but he's is trying everything he can and throwing himself into the competition with such goofy abandon, it seems almost mean-spirited to just dispatch him. And Marissa managed to keep her boundless ability to annoy in check and turned in a great dance and even more importantly, came across as vulnerable and wounded after last week's harsh treatment from the judges. Viewers may come to her rescue, at least until her shrill side returns.

Meanwhile you could feel the confidence building in the dances of Marlee Matlin, Jason Taylor and Shannon Elizabeth. Compare their first week dances with the performances on Monday night and you have a compelling illustration of this show's essential power: Watching people who didn't know what they were doing find their feet, their rhythm, their inner dancers and come alive. And to judge by the live audiences response, the love connection between viewers and dancers is also building with these three.They all got standing ovations, They were all sort of giddy with a sense of excitement and accomplishment at the end of their dances. That's the sort of unfolding narrative drama.that drives hit reality shows. Look for them in the finals.