TVSquad

(S03E07) Well, there was no chance I would miss this week's show. Dancingwithsara.com sent me not one, but two reminders to watch. With that in mind, I'm guessing that the SaraARMY will be on the phones in force again. After the crazy, rule-busting, week 3 and the shake-ups it entailed, I was curious to see how things would go down.

This week the dances are the Waltz and the Pasa Doble. That is an interesting combination because it forces the dancers to choose one of two very different directions. A couple of those choices surprised me. Nothing tragic came of it, but I guess we won't know for sure until the results show tomorrow. With that in mind, on with the show.

Monique and Louis - And just when I thought I could guess who would do which dance, Monique surprises me with the waltz. I expected her to go more up tempo because it's been her strength. The waltz is more risky for her, but it pays off. She looks stunning and they move beautifully together. Great performance and a great start to the night. The judges are impressed as well. Len questions Monique doing the splits three times, but other than that high praise all around. The scores, 8 - 8 - 8. I expected higher. It seems like going first always cuts a point or two off the score.

Emmitt and Cheryl - Emmitt took a hit last week, finishing in last place. I'm looking for him to bounce back this week. Am I the only one that notices Cheryl always covers up her freckles with makeup when she performs? I find that odd. They're cute. The two of them looked great together tonight. Cheryl with long hair is fantastic. The dance was really good. The pasa doble suits Emmitt well. He's such an imposing figure to start with, he commanded the performance very well. The judges are back behind Emmitt after this one with Carrie calling him "a beast." Nothing but good comments here. The scores, 8 - 8 - 8. These three just are not consistent show to show. They probably should be tied with Monique and Louis, but both teams should have been higher.

Willa and Maksim - I think finally getting out of the bottom two has given Willa some confidence. She keeps the fashion train chugging right along too. Very elegant. This was a beautiful waltz. Willa and Maksim were perfectly timed with each other and the spin at the end was great. The judges are blown away. Bruno even calls the performance 'perfect.' The scores, 9 - 9 - 10. It looks like we might be seeing Willa again next week.

Sara and Tony - Heh, Tom got me with his Sara coming out of her top line. Wow, another great outfit. They had a nice performance, but I got the feeling that Sara never quite made it past doing the steps to embrace the character of the dance. And did she get her shoe stuck in her dress? The judges aren't crazy about it. They disagree somewhat about Sara's performance, but agree that it wasn't her best. The scores, 6 - 7 - 7. I thought they would be just a tad higher, but close.

Jerry and Kym - I was curious to see how Jerry would do. The waltz probably represents his best chance to really compete as a dancer. It was good. Nothing flashy, but performed well. And the pre-dance package about his daughter added to the effect of the performance. The judges love it. Carrie was even a little choked up by it all. Good for Jerry. The scores, 7 - 7 - 8. Slightly high I think.

Vivica and Nick - Long haired Vivica is back. I like that look so much better. She certainly has the personality for the pasa doble. Vivica is fiery. The performance had it's moments, but it seemed like there were a couple spots where Vivica kind of lost her place and had to regather. The judges waffle a little and seem slightly undecided. Len says, "there were lots of oles and a few oh nos". That's a good way to put it. The scores, 8 - 8 - 8. Not bad.

Joey and Edyta - I was surprised to see these two doing the waltz. The high energy numbers have certainly worked well for them in past weeks. It was a good decision though. This was another great performance. Joey managed to get the steps while having the flare and emotion to really sell the performance. The white suit was a nice touch too. The judges really dig it with Len calling it a "Wow of a waltz." The scores, 9 - 9 - 9. After a brief blip last week, Joey is back as a contender.

Mario and Karina - the excitement of last week made for a lot of anticipation of this number. I think they bounced back very well. Without knowing just how that fan vote is going, Mario is clearly the leader of this race. It was powerful and had a level of polish that none of the other pasa dobles managed. Carrie and Bruno absolutely love it. Carrie calls Mario and Karina "Too hot to handle." Len criticizes Mario's posture, much to the chagrin of the fans in attendance. The scores, 10 - 9 - 10. Fair enough, it was very good.

This was the best night of dancing yet. Everyone represented themselves well. And I thought it was the best wardrobe night of the year as well. Other than Mario's questionable t-shirt choice, everyone looked very good. It makes it really hard to make a pick for someone to go home. But let's take a shot.

Best of the night - Mario and Karina

Going home - I think time is up for Jerry. He's had a good run, but the competition is just getting too stiff.