TVSquad

(S03E03) Back again, with more dancing, and less Tucker. The big story this week leading up to the competition was whether Mario was being honest about his dance history. I think he was down playing his experience somewhat, but it really doesn't matter. At the end of the day, he's in the competition, and everyone is going to have to deal with it. And the dance is just a part of what gets a competitor through week after week, as we know. That said, on with the show. This week the celebrity men will be dancing the quickstep, while the celebrity women tackle the mambo.

Willa and Maksim - This was a pretty impressive start to the night. Willa wore a fun outfit and really looks to be enjoying herself. Overall, a good routine with some really cool spinning arm work. The judges like it. Len compliments Maksim's choreography, and Bruno says of Willa, "And did you shake that tootsie." The one criticism, from Carrie, is for their timing. The scores, 7 - 8 - 8. That sounds about right.

Harry and Ashley - Ashley brought in a laughter yogi for Harry. A laughter yogi? That was a completely new one for me. There was some improvement. I think Harry did seem a little more loose, but still seemed to be doing as much thinking as dancing. And was it just me, or did that crazy chain between Ashley's bracelet and necklace drive everyone nuts? The judges are mostly positive. Bruno does dock them for footwork, but they gain praise for Harry's hold technique. The scores, 7 - 7 - 7. Just a bit high I think.

Monique and Louis - Louis teased a big trick in the promo, but I think he oversold it. Other than that, a very nice routine. A couple of spots where it seemed like Monique needed to find her place again, but she is a quick study and coming along very well as a dancer. The judges really like it and compliment their chemistry this week. The scores, 9 - 8 - 9. A little higher than I expected.

Mario and Karina - Great opening video. Karina has a fun personality and I think these videos can only help the team. As far as their dance, this was a great performance and the crowd really seemed to love it. Just one problem. They aren't really doing a quickstep. The judges are not pleased. Bruno calls it the quick step gone berzerk and Len scolds Karina, telling her that 'You're a better dancer than that.' The scores, 7 - 6 - 8. It's hard to score that one.

Shanna and Jesse - Another bad dress for Shanna. And they get Kris Kross for music? That seems like a strange selection. Their routine wasn't bad. Shanna seemed to be moving well through it, but it seemed kind of slow to me. The judges are positive. Carrie questions her confidence, but otherwise Shanna impresses. The scores, 8 - 7 - 7. Fair enough.

Jerry and Kym - Yikes. Kym is injured and Jerry has to do the quickstep. This could all go off the rails quickly... I have to say, I was impressed with Jerry. That was actually some pretty impressive footwork. The judges are positive, praising the teamwork. Bruno points out that Jerry is covering some of his dance mistakes with his personality, which is true, but works for Jerry, and really worked for George Hamilton. The scores, 7 - 6 - 6. That's a fair score, but I think Jerry is starting to win people over. He might be hanging around longer than I thought.

Vivica and Nick - Vivica looks much better this week. Hopefully wardrobe lost the dress from last week. They do a fun routine, with bonus points to Vivica for her cart-wheel. That was impressive. The judges are mostly positive, but Len does compare her footwork to pizza somehow. The scores, 8 - 8 - 8. Maybe a little high.

Joey and Edyta - I'm not a fan of Joey's hat, but that's gone soon enough. These two really dance well together. I think the thing holding them back a little bit is Joey's nervousness. At times you can see on his face that he is concentrating as hard as he can. When he gets more comfortable and can just dance they will really start to score. The tap moves were a great touch. The judges really like it, with Len calling it 'the performance of the night.' The scores, 10 - 9 - 10. Wow, 29. I wasn't expecting that so early in the season.

Sara and Tony - Sara looks great this week. Beautiful dress, and beautiful hair. It makes a difference. They do a nice mambo. It just feels like Sara isn't quite committed to it yet. The judges are positive but do call it a 'safe' routine. The scores, 7 - 7 - 7. I agree with that.

Emmit and Cheryl - They back up their great scores from last week with another solid performance tonight. Emmit is smooth. He moves naturally and doesn't fall into that trap of looking like he's thinking about what to do. He just looks like he's dancing. The judges are big on it, calling it a great performance. The scores, 8 - 8 - 8. I thought it would be higher.

Best of the night - Joey and Edyta

Should go home - Tough call this week. I liked Jerry and Kym's routine, and I think the Jerry fans are going to give him a boost, so I'll go with Shanna and Jesse.