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Dancing with the Stars' Tuesday night finals showcased three last dances earning three perfect scores. It was the perfect summation of an 11-week competition that host Tom Bergen revealed, just before announcing the winner, had been "our closest season ever, with less than one percent in difference between the final two competitors."

And with that, the winner was named -- Shawn Johnson, the gold-medal-winning gymnast who, at 17, is the youngest competitor in the reality TV show's eight-season history.

The breakdown is this: Shawn and Gilles tied at 58 going into tomorrow's night final judgment, Melissa bringing up the rear at 56. This after Monday night's opening "Paso Doble face-off" followed by freestyle dances from each.

It finally happened: Ty Murray was eliminated. The bull-riding champion who has been this season's hardest-working dancer was voted off Tuesday night, sending Dallas gal Melissa Rycroft to next week's finals. The only question now is can either she or Shawn Johnson beat dreamboat dancer Gilles Marini.

By the scores, the breakdown of Monday night's show is easy: Gilles scored a perfect 60 (isn't that a first in DWTS lore -- a star scoring two perfect dances in a single night?) followed by Shawn with a 56, Melissa just behind her with a 55 and Ty bringing up the rear with a distant 48. But that doesn't really tell the story.

Calling it a shock may be overselling it, but what a surprise to hear Tom Bergeron call out Lil' Kim name when announcing the contestant who was being eliminated on Tuesday night.

How close is the competition this season? Going into next week's semi-finals, the high score of Monday night's two-dance contest was decided by the final performance -- Melissa Rycroft's perfect-score samba gave her a one-point lead over Gilles Marini and Shawn Johnson.

This may be the strongest field of celebrity dancers yet for Dancing with the Stars, but it's hard not to see this week's elimination as an expression of the dance competition's flip side -- a big-name, big-budget popularity contest. Country star Chuck Wick, coming off a two-week streak of strong performances, was eliminated, sparing this week's bottom-rung holder but perennial frontrunner, Melissa Rycroft.

The big surprise of the evening came with the announcement of the second celebrity to be safe (after last night's top scorer, Lil' Kim) -- bull rider Ty Murray. As faithful viewers know, he's been an up-and-down dancer and an undeniably gracious, humble and good-natured competitor. If this were just a dance competition, it would have been his turn (who was it last night that prognosticated that tonight he would be "riding off into the sunset?" Oh yeah, that was me.) But it's not just a dance competition, and Ty's voting fan base bested Chuck's. It's presented an interesting moment in pop culture. The real cowboy proved more popular than the show-biz cowboy.

It's got to be Ty's turn next week, doesn't it? As this week proved, not necessarily. At this point, the real suspense may be in who goes and who stay in the mini-finals brewing between Lil' Kim and Shawn Johnson. Stay tuned.

Lots of action during Monday night's show, but the funny thing is the biggest news of the night came from the one competitor who didn't dance -- Melissa Rycroft. A rib injury (an x-ray had the doctor theorizing hairline fracture) sidelined the Dallas gal and jilted Bachelor winner. Tom Bergeron explained that she was determined to comeback but had to sit out this week so her partner Tony Dovolani had to stand solo as the judges scored the taping of their rehearsal performance of a jive. As all acknowledged, the rehearsal just had the pair "blocking" their dance -- going through the motions without giving any moves the full treatment. The resulting score, the evening's lowest, three 7s for a 21.

The bottom two were no surprise -- Lawrence Taylor and Ty Murray. The only uncertainty was which would go this week, which would go next. This week it was Lawrence. Next week it will be Ty. Then we'll be wondering about the next couple on the chopping block and which will be cut first -- Chuck Wick or Lil' Kim.

You didn't have to watch long on Monday to see the best dance of the night. Dallas' own Melissa Rycroft and her partner Tony Dovolani opened the show with an Argentine tango that alternately snapped and simmered, lots of intricate interlacing leg work. Bang -- high score of the night, 29, with only head grinch Len Goodman withholding a 10.

Tuesday night's elimination on Dancing with the Stars went exactly the way the scoring dictated: The lowest two scorers -- rodeo star Ty Murray and Jackass alum Steve-O -- were the bottom two and the worst dancer on the show -- Mr. Jackass -- was eliminated. With only seven stars left, predictability will likely dominate the next couple weeks so, "in no particular order, Ty Murray, country singer Chuck Wicks and former NFL-er Lawrence Taylor are the next to go.

We're getting to the middle of the season, so it's time for everything that bugs me about this show to really kick in, and, sure enough, tonight it was all there.

In these middle weeks, between when the obvious cast-offs have yet to be and when it's down to the final two or three stars who can really dance, Dancing with the Stars is less a dancing competition than a fan base competition.

With only nine competitors left, the celebrity herd has been thinned of almost all the glaring clinkers. The only really unadulteratedly awful (non-)dancer remaining is Steve-O, and even he managed to -- finally -- pull off a genuinely decent dance this week with his waltz. It wasn't great, but at least he was actually dancing, in step and in time.

And then there were nine. On Tuesday night's results show, it was the dreaded "mid-season double elimination." That twist took the place of this season's added element, the elimination dance-off, in which the bottom two couples dance their routines in the hopes of improving their judges' scores. I didn't miss it.

With Tom Bergeron exhorting this week's "mid-season double elimination" and "two new dances," Dancing with the Stars sounded more a night of pro wrestling than ballroom dancing, but with Monday night's performances, the truth was somewhere in between.

First things first: the biggest surprise of the night wasn't who was eliminated (Denise Richards) but who wasn't. Among the first four couples announced, "in no particular order." to be safe, was Steve Wozniak and his pro-partner, Karina Smirnoff. He's cute, he bright, he's positive, he's daffy-laffy, but he's a terrible dancer. As Bruno said of his performance last night (echoing Comic Book Guy on The Simpsons) "that was the worst salsa I've ever seen." But reflecting his cult-of-Apple fanboys out there, he got the audience votes to stay in. So next week we get to see him cute-and-goofy his way through either a Lindy Hop or Argentine Tango. Oh boy.

By the third week, things are getting interesting, and frustrating. Interesting because the good dancers are really getting good, and that includes some that at first didn't seem like they would. But it's also frustrating because already you can see who the hopeless competitors are -- the ones who are irredeemable and if they were going to get better would at least being showing some spark.

Belinda, who looked as if she knew she was on her way out of the sequins and dance shoes, is the first celebrity to go. And those doe eyes that she and Jonathan keep throwing at each other, well, she'll miss him. No doubt.

It's been fun sitting in for our regular DWTS blogger, media critic Tom Maurstad. See you around the dial.

I was mistaken. Belinda is stiff. But she was having fun, but you could tell she didn't let go. She seemed to be self-conscious, worried about the way she looked.

(The S.O. says The Woz looks as if they dressed him out of a bad thrift store.) He also got a standing O out of the slowest quickstep ever. And Bruno was, well, effusive in his Bruno-ness. Uh, Steve, Len and Bruno are basically saying you're a clown. "The best for fun and entertainment." "Not good, but entertaining."

Anyway, the couples tied with 17 points. Now we have to wait for the tally, which includes the audience voting and scores from the two previous nights.

Sounding better than I've heard her (ever), Jewel sang "Over the Rainbow." Bless her heart; she can't dance (injury, remember) but she's singing her heart out!

And, yes! Trash-talking. Love it! (Lots of Playboy models in this edition.) The Woz, borrowing from Highlander, says, "There can be only one." That's an idea: Add swordfighting and beheadings. The ratings would go through the roof! LOL

Returning next week: Ty, Holly and Steve-O. Dancing off? Belinda (awwww) and The Woz. Stay tuned.

Variety shows should be able to make a comeback. Why? The audience eats these dance numbers up. Are you watching, Rosie?

Just add dancers, a few bad jokes, some celebrity friends and stir. Right?

Now we know that the smartly dressed Steve-O learned the hard way that he should listen to his partner. Leave the back flips to the pros, bro ...

The four safe couples? LT and Edyta; Shawn and Mark; Chuck and Julianne (they were awful, America; how could you?); and David and Kim. That's nine couples left before the first commercial break.

And after the break, we find that Denise and Max and Melissa and Tony will be back next week, too. Lil Kim and Derrick and Gilles and Cheryl, too. Of course.

Can I tell you that I love the kiss-and-cry area?

Li'l Kim got herself a little standing O. And Bruno couldn't resist saying "bling" to the hip-hop star; I guess I'll forgive him. I mean, how many times does he get to say that to anyone? But Len drew gasps from the other judges when he said there was no there there. Score: 23. (S.O. predicted the score again and said, "They're gonna have to do something about that ...)

Dallas' own spurned Melissa Rycroft looked like she's dancing away from the angst (what a feeling!), wearing less clothes than even (gasp!) Li'l Kim. And she got a big standing O. From Carrie Ann: "Finally, a real salsa!"

And then "le Clark Kent" came out with all 9s. Superman, indeed. Gilles probably put the icing on a lot of fans' cakes by saying, "please." If I voted for these things, I'd be dialing his number right now.

Gilles and Cheryl in the top spot; Of course, the Woz is at the bottom. And then Tom threw it to Castle, whose stars, natch, were in the audience.

Poor Chuck doesn't seem to stand a chance. He's affable and takes it all with good humor. But are they expecting too much of the real-life couple?

And Lawrence "Competing Against Myself" Taylor looks like one of his football-abused knees is going to go out from under him at any moment. Well done, LT, well done.

OK, now we learn that Steve-O landed on his microphone pack two hours before show time on an already-bad back. And now he's stuck with the performance from dress rehearsal, which doesn't look bad.

So Len spent a lot of time explaining how using the dress rehearsal performance would hurt Steve-O, as in it's missing the adrenaline, etc. I say if you know that, you should adjust your scoring accordingly. Just a thought. (My S.O has predicted the last three scores ...)

"The cutest little thing" that Bruno's ever seen got lots of tips to "just let it go." I'm like Tom: "She's 17!" Shawn Johnson was very cute. And very good. And the judges agreed, all 8s for a total of 24.

The Woz is up next - he really is just happy to be here. I mean, they called him a "Teletubbie going mad"! And. bless his heart, he's wearing a walking boot to protect his hurt foot. But he's game. And he's trying. Carrie Ann summed it up, though: "What is that?" Awww, but he's having a great time!

And then Bruno went off the rails, comparing the Woz to Wall-E, "rusty" and "in need of spare parts." He's just dancing and having fun until the foot goes ... Score: 17.

Ty Murray's interlude proved to be the funniest yet. And I can't believe that he missed the high five. That's not a good start to his dance. All I can say is at least he'll have gotten some dance lessons out of this!

I know one thing: Carrie Ann looooves Ty. Bruno looooves Ty. And Len, well, he likes him better than he did last time. (OK, three things.) And, look, there's Jewel sitting in the front row, all smiles.

After a bad interview segment, and some booing from the audience, Ty got a 20.

How many commercials are there?

Was Denise counting? Did she pinch Tom's behind? All these questions and more will be answered, I'm sure, after the dish behind tonight's show comes to light.

Denise looked good (as always), but this time her dancing matched. At least according to the judges, who gave her a 21 in honor of her improvement from the first round of scores a week ago.

Turquoise is one of my favorite colors. (A judge chair-dancing is not. Did he just fall?!) Did Belinda look like she was having fun because I was taken in by the color? And the score is ... 18? I don't know if I agree with that. No. Not at all.

While Holly took her score of 18 with a giggle, David looked like he was ready to pop when the judges were giving their assessments. His lips were tight, and his eyes were shiny. They'd better watch out; they'll bring out the competitor in him. And that competitor had better be Rafael Nadal-like if he's going to conquer that 17 he ended up with.

Host Tom Bergeron didn't give any details, but he announced that the reason Steve-O was missing was that Steve-O was injured. Is DWTS turning into a tough-man competition? Bergeron kept joking that

Another thing I noticed: Whoever that is wielding the spray tan needs to pull back just a little. I mean, everyone looks like a distant cousin to David Alan Grier. It's. Just. Too. Much. Heck, even DAG is looking a little orange ...

The eighth season of Dancing with the Stars got going even before Monday night's debut, as two contestants bowed out and two hastily drafted substitutes were added. Thus, the night's drama preceded its broadcast.

Need more facts about this season's Dancing With the Stars contestants? Special contributor Heather Svokos' got you covered.

Belinda Carlisle

Did you know that: Pre-Go-Go's, she was the original drummer for punk band The Germs? Before they ever played a live gig, a bout of mono forced her to quit the band.
Most recently: The 50-year-old is the new spokeswoman for NutriSystem.

David Alan Grier

Most recently: He now hosts The Chocolate News on Comedy Central.
Did you know that: Fresh from Yale drama school in 1981, he picked up a Tony nomination for playing pro baseball's Jackie Robinson in The First, a musical. He auditioned for the role of George Costanza on Seinfeld.

(Photo by CRAIG SJODIN/ABC)

I know the first thing I would do after getting dumped on national TV is call the girls and go out for drinks and dancing. Dallas' Melissa Rycroft is reportedly doing just that by joining Dancing With the Stars in the wake of the show's injury problems.

Rycroft, now doing the talk-show circuit after being dumped by Jason Mesnick just last week, will be taking over the spot of Nancy O'Dell, who's on the injured list with a torn meniscus (that's knee cartilage for you lucky so-and-so's who've never become BFFs with the X-Ray tech or with your physical therapy nurse). At least that's what E Online is saying.

I guess it's the least ABC could do after airing the cringe-inducing embarrassment that The Bachelor turned out to be. It's easier - and more sanitary - than a pound of flesh.

We'll know for sure tonight when the replacements are announced during the two-hour season premiere of DWTS.

(Photo of Melissa and Jason by MATT KLITSCHER/ABC)

Not a good start to a show that starts Monday. From the Associated Press:

Pop star Jewel and TV host Nancy O'Dell have dropped out of ABC's Dancing With the Stars. Both women sustained injuries during training for the show that prevent them from continuing the competition, the network announced Thursday. Jewel was diagnosed with a fractured tibia in both legs, while the Access Hollywood host will need surgery to repair a torn knee cartilage, the network said.

Continue reading the rest of the story.

Photo: AP

The Pueto Rican went with "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me," one of my all-time faves. It's such a big song, and his voice rose to the challenge. Got chills.
And after Kara told him he was "born to sing -- that's your gift," Jorge's emotions got the best of him.
"It's so amazing to be here!" he said through tears. Ryan asked him to elaborate, to which he had a charming reply: "When I get so emotional I can barely think in English! It comes in Spanish."
Hey, makes sense! Those of us who have only mastered one language have never thought about such things before.

So let's get the Jamar issue out of the way first. How did he feel when his pal didn't make it? "I was mad," he said, echoing lots of us viewers. "I had a very upset look on my face, because i expected him to go through. I was just so confident that he showed his abilities and what it takes to get there."
As for the issue of his late wife, Danny acknowledges that it's been a much-talked-about subject so far. Too much?
"It's only been seven months since she passed," he said. "This is who I am. It's not like I throw it in people's faces, but I get asked about it all the time. It weighs on my mind a lot, because obviously, this is a sad story that I don't want. I don't want this story. But it's shaping my life and causing hope in a lot of people.
"I didn't want to live anymore after she passed," he added. "But now I have my mission set in stone of what I want to portray myself as -- or not even portraying myself, but just who I am."
Still, he promised, "there's a fun side of me that's going to come out." Now that he's gotten his message of hope out, he says, "I want to lighten up, have a little fun with this and enjoy the ride."
The final question seemed to irk Danny a teeny bit. When asked about the fact that he's "gotten a lot of attention in terms of how the show is edited," he said he knows he's been highlighted.
"There's no getting around that," he added. "And I didn't do anything to get that. I can say this: I'm grateful that they would do that. I have no control over it. Unfortunately, I know everyone's not going to like me, but it's a bummer when they're just real mad about it. I had nothing to do with it. I hope people can see past that and just see that I genuinely do love to sing."

It came down to Tatiana and Danny. Suspense was built via another long commercial break. Finally, we were told that, hey, guess what? It's Danny! Duh.
Tatiana did not take the news well. As other losing contestants tried to hug her, she brushed them off. As if their dreams weren't also crushed tonight. But hey, her dreams were crushed harder, because, you know. They were HERS.

Love that David! I want to start calling in my votes right now.
Not feeling much love for pink-haired Emily Wynne-Hughes, who dumped her all-girl band and thereby canceled out their European tour. At the last minute, she decided to sing a No Doubt tune she hadn't rehearsed. The judges were disappointed.
But she got through nonetheless! Of course!
So after tonight, we're down to 104 hopefuls. There's a lot of whittling yet to be done.

From Yahoo.com's omg!

Donny Osmond won't be on the upcoming season of Dancing With the Stars after all.

He reportedly let it slip at a taping of The Bonnie Hunt Show this week, but now he says, "I'm definitely not doing this upcoming season."

Read more.

Donny Osmond has let slip that he is about to step into his sister Marie's shoes - her dancing shoes.

While next season's stars have yet to be announced for the ABC hit Dancing with the Stars, Donny appeared with Marie for a Monday taping of the syndicated The Bonnie Hunt Show for an episode scheduled to air Tuesday.

Read more.

Brooke may have screamed, "Unbelievable!" after snagging that sparkly trophy, but it was easy for the rest of us to grasp. From the start, she was clearly the one to beat, thanks to natural talent and the willingness to work hard. This season, there's no denying that the best one won.

Me: "This song seems too grown up for her."
My 9-year-old son: "She IS grown up."
Um, not quite.

Gotta say that the shot of Brooke's cute husband crying over her performance got me. Admit it: You too.

Their "Funkytown" performance was enjoyable. Not a trophy-catcher, though.

"Oh, come on folks," Jeffrey said. "What can anyone really say about Lance Bass that hasn't already been said about Clay Aiken?"
Hey, Mr. Ross is known for not holding anything back. But I think Brooke got off way too easy. Lance gets the Clay jokes, Warren is linked to steroids, Cloris is compared to a corpse -- and Brooke is accused of having babies? He could have done better.

He grabbed her rear end.
Necessary?

She won't be dancing tonight, thanks to some "minor successful surgery." Wow, could we be any more vague? That's like saying, "I attended an event." Might as well not say anything.

Carrie Ann Inaba was recently a guest on The Bonnie Hunt Show. She seemed quite likable and jolly. But she did say one thing that struck me as odd: After she received a nasty email from a viewer who didn't care for her judging style, Carrie Ann decided to respond. But she wanted to make it personal, and the woman had simply signed it "Anonymous." So Carrie Ann paid an investigator to find the email's owner. She then replied.
That's a little spooky, isn't it? I mean, who does that? Then again, Carrie Ann said the two ended up having a meaningful conversation and may even meet for coffee.
Moral of this story: Life is weird.

I can't be the only one.

As Jeffrey Ross took the stage for his quick step, my daughter gasped as Edyta's feet left the floor. "Ooh, they did a lift!" she said. Yeah, it's OK. I don't think they're gonna win anyway.

Seems like yesterday that Jeffrey Ross was getting his cornea scratched, doesn't it? But here we are, about to crown the champ of Season Seven.
One thing's for sure: The stars lining up for the eighth go-round have their work cut out for them, because this cast rocked.
But I could have done without seeing Cloris Leachman as a homeless lady with mustard (or makeup?) smeared on her face. That probably won't make this season's highlight reel.

Their high-energy routine to "Rollin' On the River" was respectable, but there's no way it beats Brooke and Derek in terms of dancing prowess.
I think at this point, all that remains to be seen is who comes in second. That'll be a close one.

Lance and Lacey chose to not have any lifts in their hip-hop freestyle. Although it was a cute and engaging dance, I think it did lack the wow factor of Brooke and Derek. If lifts are allowed, one should use 'em. That's always been my motto.

They picked crowd-pleasing "You're The One That I Want" from Grease, enhancing it with mid-routine costume changes and an amazing, multi-part move that sent Brooke from the top of Derek's shoulders to the floor in the most elaborate manner possible.
"That, I think, was the best freestyle I've ever seen," Len Goodman said. So no pressure, Lance and Warren.

Brooke and Derek opened the challenge with a rather odd move that had her just standing there, holding her arm out as he finished a fancy step. Not sure if that was a mistake or not.
Then came Lance and Lacey. There's something extra-fun about watching him dance; judges would call it "musicality," while the rest of us would say he keeps the beat well. I think those are the same things.
But Warren came out with a round-off, of all things. Adorable.
Here's how I see their strengths at this point: Brooke's technicality, Lance's musicality and Warren's charisma. Cality.

Brother/sister duo Craig and Samantha may have had the best moves on the dance floor, but their attitude needs serious work. Did that bratty little girl ROLL HER EYES at host Tom Bergeron? She did! And what was up with that last little facial expression?
"She mocked him," my daughter said. Yes. She mocked AND rolled her eyes at him. Unacceptable.

They liked their Viennese Waltz and the Matrix-esque Paso. You know, the one with the shiny black vampire coats. It was a fun dance, but Warren totally missed the ending beat, stumbling to cover Kym with his cape after the music had ended. So that might hurt his chances for the big trophy.
Hey, we viewers are tough critics.

They say their best dances were the tango and mambo -- two of his most recent dances. That's no surprise; as Lacey put it, her partner is "peaking at the right time."

The first segment of the live show was all on tape, as the finalists recalled their best performances. For Brooke and Derek, they were the quick step and the Paso Doble. For the latter, Brooke wore her hair slicked back, with a red flower behind her ear. It was then that I noticed her striking resemblance to Catherine Zeta-Jones. Anyone else?

From E! Online:

Los Angeles - Julianne Hough may have donned her last sequin.

The two-time Dancing With the Stars champ has apparently given up any hope for a threepeat, telling E! News' Ryan Seacrest this morning that she will not be returning to the reality hit this spring.

"I'm not going to be back next season," she said on Seacrest's KIIS-FM radio show. "That's final. I'm definitely not going back next season."

The 20-year-old was quick to add that her bowing out was not a reaction to her recent medical emergency but rather an attempt to further her country music career.

"It's because I really, really want to focus on the music and kind of be taken seriously a little bit," she said. "I think it's hard to be on Dancing With the Stars and be singing and kind of get that confusion, and so I'm really going to focus on the music.

"Music is where I want to be."

Hough will be returning for next week's season finale, however, and promised that she won't forget the show that launched her. Just this week, Hough performed her new single, "My Hallelujah Song," on the show.

She wrote in a posting on her Fancast blog last night that while she won't be back for the foreseeable future, she hasn't completely ruled out a return to the show.

"I won't be on Dancing this spring season," she wrote. "I don't know about the fall. Maybe, maybe not. We'll see."

As it is, Hough's departure ends the show's element of sibling rivalry, with producers no longer able to play up her competition with brother Derek. However, it's possible the show is already fashioning a remedy, having introduced the pairing of new pro Lacey Schwimmer and her dancing brother Benji on last week's results show.

Aw, it's our hometown boy Cody. But I think this show will serve him very well: He came in as a guy known mostly for an occasional role on Hannah Montana, but he leaves as a much-improved dancer who put his heart and soul into the contest.
And who among us didn't adore the affection he had for partner Julianne? It was almost as sweet as the Lance/Granddaddy moments. Almost.

During the segment that showed the semifinalists' supportive families, all stories were touching. But Lance's grandpa? Off-the-charts endearing. I kinda want him to win just so we can have more Granddaddy footage.

OK, now she's just showing off.

Was that Dr. Joel Fleischman (a.k.a. Rob Morrow) sitting behind Tom and Samantha as they introduced Leona Lewis? I do believe it was! How random. Makes me suspect that we might see him donning dancing shoes next season. Which would be quite awesome.

This is the show that really counts, because we'll soon know who makes it into the finals. Before we get that verdict, though, let's enjoy a song from Aretha Franklin, allegedly "the greatest singer of all time." Seems subjective, but OK.
Karina's hairdo during that performance looked just like mine after I wash and blow-dry it to a frenzy. I would never appear that way in public, however. So kudos to Karina for bravery.

The mark of a true champion: You lose your shoe in a dance competition and it barely phases you. That dance was so much fun. Actually, I just love this style. I kinda wish this show was called Jitterbugging With the Stars.
"That was for my granddaddy," Lance said afterward. Aw!

"You are truly a joyful person to watch," Len said. Amen to that.

OK, so maybe lifts are allowed in this round? Because there was an awful lot of Julianne-in-the-air stuff in that dance. We need to have some sort of documentation of the rules, because I'm confused.

Ooh! Right off the bat, they did another lift. I figured Carrie Ann would feel doubly disrespected, but no. She just sort of blew it off. Inexplicably.
Was anyone else completely mesmerized by Brooke's fringed, gold pants? I don't think i even watched one step of the dance. Was hypnotized by the flowing fringe.

They filmed him supposedly dreaming at the beginning of this clip. Did anyone else notice that the bed he was lying in looked suspiciously like Julianne's "bedroom" two weeks ago? I don't believe either one of them own that bed! What a scam.
Oh, and then we saw his bare feet. Necessary for national TV? I say no.

Lance's dad and grandpa came out from Mississippi to watch him rehearse his jitterbug. Cutest. Grandpa. Ever!
And what the heck has happened to Mr. Bass? It's almost like he had a come-from-behind strategy all along: Coast a little at the beginning and then really show off your talent when it counts. It counts now, and he delivered. That mambo was awesome fun.

I think the pressure is getting to all of them tonight. Warren's mambo was fun, just not spectacularly fun. What a weird semifinals so far. Come on, Lance; wow us!

I've never before heard the song these two used for their Paso Doble, but my ears hated it. For that reason, I really couldn't enjoy that routine. Neither could Bruno, who said it lacked a sense of style. Yeah, I blame Julianne for this one: That choreography was bizarre. And why the military uniforms again?

Host Tom Bergeron said this is "possibly the most competitive final four we've ever had." Before Brooke and Derek took the stage for their first dance, I was going to write that they all may be competitive, but nobody's beating that duo.
Then they danced a frenetic jive, which I thought was pretty stellar. Which shows how much I know, because the judges called it "a disaster," among other sad adjectives. Oh, and then Carrie Ann called them disrespectful for adding a blatant lift. Wow. They got schooled.

It was the last elimination before the semi-finals on Tuesday night's Dancing with the Stars -- the cruelest cut, to be so close to something so meaningless. With all the mounting stress and strain, the five remaining couples had a session with Celebrity Rehab's Dr. Drew. Former Olympian sprinter Maurice Green and DWTS vet Cheryl Burke could have saved themselves the soul-baring; they were the unlucky couple cut, sparing north Texas native Cody Linley who with sub Edyta Sliwinska was the other couple on the cusp of elimination. Cody teared up while talking about how much his DWTS partner Julianne Hough -- who's been out for a couple of weeks after surgery -- means to him during his Dr. Drew session. He managed to hold back the tears of joy when the judgment was announced that assured him of being reunited with Julianne for next week's semi-finals.

I just clapped wildly during his sparkly jive solo. The term "twinkle toes" was made for this dude. With more routines like that, he could steal that disco trophy right out of Brooke's clutches!
Oh, wait: The judges dissed his footwork. Whatever.

I'm not a big fan of the Paso Doble. Seems silly, having grown people act like bulls and matadors. But I did love the dramatic ending sequence by Maurice and Cheryl; she's kind of a master at that kind of "wow" choreography.
As for Lance and Lacey, their samba was a bit snoozeworthy. It'll be interesting to see who leaves tomorrow, because I'd say Lance, Maurice and Cody are all vulnerable.

OK, have any of us double-checked to make sure Brooke wasn't a ballroom dancer before she hit it big with that Wild On! show? Because I'm beginning to wonder.

Well, thanks to the storm, there will be no commentary from yours truly on the ballroom round. My TV skipped directly to the Latin dances. (Hey, works for me, television!)
Cody was going for it with his mambo! Brought the house down. I loved the one-arm pushup, the toe touch, the leap upon the judges' table at the end. That, my friends, could help him survive longer than Maurice. (Maybe not much longer after that, but who knows.)

A few observations:
1. Cody's last-place finish had a lot to do with that disastrous group number last week. This strikes me as unfair.
2. His pals who stopped by rehearsals for a pep talk: Youngest-looking teenaged boys EVER.
3. Cody's first performance with substitute partner Edyta was nice, but is it enough to keep him competitive with the remaining stellar stars? We'll see.
And I might not see anymore tonight; it's raining cats and dogs, which is wreaking havoc on my satellite.

Um, Samantha Harris? That asymmetrical hairdo that makes it look like you have one dog ear sticking straight up is kind of a don't.

...Susan Lucci. She turned her exit interview into a Daytime-Emmy-esque speech, thanking the audience, the viewers at home, her partner Tony Dovolani. She did not thank the group numbers -- they only highlighted her lack of natural ability as compared to the rest of the pack. On the plus side, she's sixtysomething and looks about 45. That's enviable.

Now this is more like it. Who can resist a rousing rendition of "Dancing on the Ceiling"? Nobody. Which explains why the crowd was on its feet from start to finish.

Kudos to him for looking exactly like he did during his 1980s heydey. Non-kudos for that sleepy "Good Morning" song.

I figured that would be the performance the judges would want to see again; it just had that magical, memorable quality. Ranks up there with Cheryl and Drew's "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy" or Cheryl and Emmitt's "Son of a Preacher Man." Instant classic! And I do use that term loosely!

There's clearly more strength on this team. Brooke is almost a pro, as her partner put it, and Maurice and Warren aren't too shabby, either.
Warren found the fire that was missing from his earlier dance; he and Kym were energizing. As were Maurice and Cheryl. Then Came Brooke and Derek, jumping, spinning, excelling at everything. Awesome.
Although this team was clearly 10 times better than the other one, I think they were also aided by a much better song to dance to. And better costumes. That blue was a brilliant choice.

It's Team Cha Cha versus Team Paso Doble. The six-person groups get one overall score, which is applied to each duo. There has to be an easier way to say that. Oh, here's one: As Lance put it, "If one couple does badly, we're all going down."
First up: the Cha-Chas. Cody lost his hat, but he seemed to recover nicely during his steamy solo portion with Edyta. Lance and Lacey rocked it. Susan, on the other hand, tends to move her legs like a Barbie doll, all stiff and unbending at the knees.
Afterward, Carrie Ann called the whole thing "brutal to watch." Ouch.

Judging by tonight's performances alone, seems like Brooke can start measuring her shelf space for a certain sparkly ball trophy. Her foxtrot was elegant, flowy and fabulous. The judges rewarded them with a perfect 30.
Meanwhile, the other competitors cried and yelled at each other some more. (No.)

Lance showed that he had a semi-shoe on to help him spin on the ball of his foot and protect his toe. Not sure why Lacey didn't just suggest that from the get-go, saving herself from complete embarrassment on national television.

Their rumba practice didn't go so well. He hurt his toe last week, but Lacey wanted to go barefoot for the routine. He said "there's no way," because his toe hurt worse.
"That sucks," she replied. Very sarcastically. (Wow, she REALLY wanted to go barefoot.)
"I'm done trying to make you happy 24/7. I can't do it anymore," she said through tears. Lance was like, huh? And I agree with him: Huh?
Then they did their rumba -- barefoot. So her tantrum paid off, apparently. All I could think was, "Poor Lance's toe!"

Before they started practicing the Viennese Waltz, the two went to visit the recovering Julianne Hough, who was in bed. Do we believe that was her actual bedroom? Because, wel, that seems weird. Invasive. I vote that it's a hotel room or hospital-leased condo or something, due to the complete lack of character in there. (But if it is her bedroom, I apologize.)
I loved when he vowed to do brilliantly, adding, "Julianne, this one's for you." Aw.
But Bruno and Len didn't think it was all that stupendous, and Cody looked like he might cry. Meanies!

Yet-another-injury alert! During team dance rehearsal, Maurice hyperextended his leg. Luckily, it didn't seem to affect his partner performance; as Len said, "It was dazzling."

"The competition has gotten really serious," the soap diva said during rehearsals. She got all irritated with Tony, telling him that "when I don't take the proper step you say, "No! This was wrong! You take a BIGGER step!" Then she almost broke down in tears.
Do you recall anyone in Season One freaking out like these fine folks are? Fascinating.

I didn't love their foxtrot. Sadly, it was dull. Or, as Bruno put it, the dance "went into a recession." Didn't know a dance could do that, but OK.

Seems folks are getting just a tad bit stressed out over this little dance contest. Susan's snipping at Tony, Lacey's in tears and Cody mentioned in a phone interview last week that at times he wants to curl up in a ball of frustration during practice. On the plus side, it's nice to see that they all care so much about that disco ball!

Our gang performed "old skool hip-hop." Lance, clearly was the best. (No more whining, dude!) Worst: I think it was tie between Cloris and Susan. Who, coincidentally, will probably end up in the bottom two tomorrow night.

I love how much in character he gets! (This is what Susan lacks, in my humble opinion.) But the dance itself was a bit blah -- especially after last week's show-stopper.

Julianne has to get surgery for endometriosis, so Edyta will step in to partner with Cody. (I believe I heard audible cheers from male viewers across the land.) Did it seem like Cody might start tearing up when he wished Julianne well? Did to me. Aw.

Our "skinny, blonde-haired boy from Texas," as Julianne called him, got into character for the samba with a bunch of self-tanner and a silly costume. Hey, whatever works! But did it work? That was debated heartily by the judges. Carrie Ann called it intense, while Bruno said it lacked bounce. Dance Lord said he was "not convinced that this was your best night." I'm going with DL.

The wacky grandma's "once-upon-a-time husband," as she put it, showed up to offer tips. OK, fine, but that rehearsal clip was still really boring.
Her vintage cha-cha, however, was not boring because it was so bad. And also shocking: The whole thing was sort of sweet and timid until Corky picked her up by one arm and leg and did the airplane spin! But at least he didn't grab her inappropriately tonight. Always a plus.
Meanwhile, Carrie Ann brought the hate with her comment that "we lost Toni Braxton for this." OK, I guess I get that, but was Toni really all that scintillating? I say no.

The front-runner hurt her foot last week, which resulted in some fancy guy coming over to give her "some light laser, some adjustments and a lot of physiotherapy." Whatever all that is.
Oh, and she appears to live in a mansion.
Oh, and Derek the Mormon said the f-word.
Then they danced the rumba, which contained the soul-uniting chemistry that Maurice and Cheryl covet. Still, Carrie Ann and Bruno were critical, blaming the injury. Darn you, lackluster light lasering!

Hoping to finally come out of the glass box she's allegedly been dancing in, Susan (and soap pal Cameron Matheson) visited a mambo club to learn how to let loose.
Sadly, it didn't work. She always seems like she's studying too hard during the dance. You can see her brain going, "Now we spin. Next, he tosses my head around. Here's where I do a half-split."
But the judges were pretty kind.

Lance is still whin-- I mean, confessing that he was the worst dancer in 'NSync. Speaking of those boys, two of them stopped by to lend their support during rehearsals. Chris Kirkpatrick, for some reason, was all layered up in clothing and scarves and shades. A fashion critic might call the ensemble "too much." Joey Fatone was his nice, normal self. He advised his pal to "give it the Lance Bass flair." He did. (And Lacey, perhaps smarting from the judges' criticism that she puts the spotlight on herself too much, didn't even show up for the first several seconds.)

...chicken dinner" has officially become tiresome.

Their Viennese Waltz was a bit blah. The Dance Lord was pretty positive, but Carrie Ann said they need to work on their chemistry. Oh, not only that: "Your two souls have to kind of unite, you guys." Oh, OK! Is that all?

Did we ever get a detailed reason for why Len Goodman isn't with us tonight? I just seem to recall them saying he was "taking the night off" or something. Odd. So now we're blessed with the presence of the somewhat overhyped Michael Flatley. The show gave him this ID onscreen: "Michael Flatley. Lord of the Dance." Carrie Ann Inaba, meanwhile, is labeled "choreographer and dance producer." That's a few notches down.

They're going home. Can't say I'm surprised; while she's a perfectly nice dancer, she never brought the wow. But I think we can all agree that her health seems much better thanks to this crazy competition. Remember that first week when she could barely breathe after performing? Proof of the power of exercise, people.

No surprise: Warren and Kym
Surprise! Cloris and Corky.
This means we have more Corkified weirdness to look forward to next week.

Did he borrow Derek's crazy wig from last night? Oh, wait. No.

During the recap of last night's show, Len Goodman explained why he gave Brooke and Derek a 9: "I could not give a 10 for a jitterbug. It's like giving an Oscar to Mickey the Mouse."
Not sure how he feels about Donald the Duck.

I think he may have had the toughest job of the night, picking up Julianne, throwing her, not dropping her on her head, etc. I mean, he's not a professional; nor is he particularly muscle-bound. So it was great to see that he was rewarded with at least one 10. Our hometown fave is faring well!

Derek had never done the jitterbug before, but after looking it up online, he decided that it should look like a cartoon. "The best cartoon wins," he said.
He achieved that with ridiculous hair and facial expressions alone. Not to mention their ultra-high-energy dance routine, which earned them two 10s and a 9. Obviously they're both fast studies.

After saying "You're lazy and you don't care" to her partner in practice, Cheryl admitted that it was a ploy to get him motivated. Hmm. That could have backfired.
But I guess it worked; they did a pretty smokin' salsa.

My daughter just asked, "Is she older than Pawpie?" Yes.
"WHOA."
Meanwhile, her dancing is definitely getting better each week. Even as her partner gets weirder.

Not only is Warren obviously working hard for the trophy, he's also incredibly fun to watch. I've made this comparison before, but he's like Emmitt Smith 2.0. Maybe even more entertaining than his predecessor, actually. Love him!

We were just told that Susan fractured two bones in her foot. Wow. Do professional football players get hurt as much as the people on this show?
Meanwhile, they did lots of lifts in their hustle. So apparently they are now allowed. Maybe I missed that news bulletin.
And might I add: The hustle? Really, DWTS?

Somebody forgot to give her costume a back.
And what was up with the lift? It wasn't one of those "Did her feet just come off the floor?" lifts. It was instead a "Look, I'm flying!" move. Oddly, not one judge mentioned it. Not even anti-lifter Carrie Ann.

Before they tackled their West Coast Swing, Lance sadly recalled that he was known as the "worst dancer" in NSync. Dude: That still makes you better than 95 percent of the nation. (Guesstimating.)
Oh, and then he slipped during the performance, but recovered nicely. Judge Len Goodman didn't mention it, but instead took the opportunity to go off on Lacey: "You have to give up a little bit of your talent and show off your partner a little bit more." Ouch.
The other two judges said the same thing; as Bruno put it, "it's Dancing With the Stars, not Dancing Around the Stars."

A few initial observations about tonight's festivities:
- Susan Lucci looks awesome. I think it's her hair, coupled with the costume that covers her normally jutting-out chest region.
- The couples will perform four new dances: the hustle, jitterbug, salsa or West Coast swing. Methinks Brooke and Derek, dressed like they're Grease extras, have chosen salsa. (Kidding.)
- Speaking of Brooke, it was reported earlier that she hurt her foot in practice. Seems fine to me. But the night is young.

I have to say that his appearance on this show really changed my opinion of him. Remember his reality show about opening a restaurant? He came across as, well, a total jerk. Now he's all sweet and fun and gracious, even kissing Karina's hand as they said their goodbyes. (Aw! Cutest gesture ever. Maybe he'll start a trend.)
The other lowest-vote-getters were Cloris and Corky. Is it just me or is Corky perhaps an even odder human being than Cloris? His face/body movements are officially weirding me out.

I know this a gimmick to fill time, but if you don't love these adorable little dancers, you do not have a beating heart. (Although I'm not sure I like the fact that one couple gets the boot after the break. Rude.)

Loved it. "It's time to say no to hot chicks who can dance. Paid for by the rest of the cast."

Tonight's special guests were eight brothers who did a Riverdance-style routine -- shirtless -- with dramatic facial expressions. Midway through, I started giggling uncontrollably. Was that a Saturday Night Live skit or what? (Props for the back flips at the end, however.)

Tonight's elimination episode is offering more than the bland filler we usually sit through (you know, interviews with well-known choreographers, interviews with the contestants about how hard they're working, etc. Yes! WE KNOW!). Tonight we get parodies of campaign ads, and so far I approve. I especially liked the diss on Rocco: "Never trust a skinny chef." Paid for by Warren Sapp.

This week's samba wasn't as entertaining as their attempt last week, as the judges noted. But I'd still say he's the biggest (no pun intended) barrier between Brooke and that disco-ball trophy.

His eye makeup weirded me out on that one. But kudos to the duo for their dance, as well as to the singer who tackled "Disturbia" and nailed it.
Speaking of disturb(ing): Does Carrie Ann really believe that "shinedid" is a word? Seems that way. I'm scared.

Their samba was definitely eye-catching. No argument there. But judge Len Goodman felt it was "slightly too erotic as a dance," while Carrie Ann Inaba said Brooke is "a perfect candidate to maybe go all the way on this thing."
I'd agree that the title is hers to lose. (And who would have thunk it in the preseason?)

This week he has "the most ground to make up," host Tom Bergeron repeatedly told us. I kind of enjoyed his performance -- particularly the pink peacock shirt and the traveling-across-the-floor-on-knees part -- but the judges were harsh.
"All the ruffles in the world cannot disguise the fact that you haven't got a musical bone in your body," Bruno said. Oh, great: That'll add at least another mile of ground.

This week he has "the most ground to make up," host Tom Bergeron repeatedly told us. I kind of enjoyed his performance -- particularly the pink peacock shirt and the traveling-across-the-floor-on-knees part -- but the judges were harsh.
"All the ruffles in the world cannot disguise the fact that you haven't got a musical bone in your body," Bruno said. Oh, great: That'll add at least another mile of ground.

"I want to compete with the best dancers," Cloris said during rehearsals.
So instead of the madcap, unsophisticated number she gave us last week, we got a pretty classy tango. I didn't know she had it in her!