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That can sound kind of harsh. He did injure himself, pulling up lame near the end of his samba with (oddly) a strained arm -- I guess in dancing, the arms are like your second pair of legs. Anyway, he appeared to be in pain and all the judges effused about his courage in completing his dance, or trying to, anyway. But, seriously, where else but Hollywood is somebody rushed off to the hospital in an ambulance for what's pronounced to be "a severe muscle cramp?"

Cristian had his best dance of the season last week with, improbably, the foxtrot and seemed positioned to push into the top tier of dancers. But his first dance, the waltz was okay (Carrie Ann praised his "new fluidity") but nothing remarkable. And his samba, which by his own boasting, should have been his dance, was boring -- before he grimaced, grabbed his arm and fumbled his way through the conclusion. If this were earlier in the season, maybe he could stage a comeback. Bravely return, show scenes of him practicing,with arm in sling, and then have him flinging off the sling for a brilliant live performance.

But we're down to the final six, all of whom really good and getting better. And the truth is Cristian just isn't that good. He looks great but he's lacking both intensity and grace. And who are you going to send home if not him? Again, I've already had more than enough of Marissa (Jaret Winokur). She's desperate and needy and annoying. But she's also been getting better by leaps and bounds. Her tango on Monday night was, as Carrie Ann noted, her best dance of the seaon. As for her rumba, not so much, but still so much better than her dancing earlier in the season. She may not be the final winner, but she may take the title as the most improved dancer of this season -- as her partner Tony Dovolani said during the backstage interview, "We've gone from 6's to 9's."

Or maybe Mario. He was in the bottom two last week -- a circumstance he seemed genuinely flummoxed by. But he too is getting stronger by the week. He was good enough to finish second (by the judges' scoring) last week and while came in behind the top two this week -- tied for third with Shannon Elizabeth -- he also delivered his best dance of the season with a silky mambo. My editor and fellow-DWTS disciple Stephen Becker theorizes that Mario has been playing rope-a-dope, luffing through the early rounds and coming on strong as the contest winds down to the finals. His Monday-night performance supports that theory. So if he's voted off, it will his reward for his best dance.

Shannon is another up-and-comer, getting better week-by-week. She, too, with her opening tango, delivered her best dance of the season. Her mambo was weak, but another competitor who is fulfilling the essential premise of the show -- taking someone who's never danced and watching them throw everything they have into the challenge and discovering their inner-dancer. Besides, she and Derek are really cute together and all the are-they/aren't-they energy adds to the fun.

So, tomorrow night should be curtains for Cristian.