TVSquad

(S03E13) After no eliminations last week, everyone returns to dance again. The scores and votes from tonight will be added to those of last week for the elimination show tomorrow. And this week, to make it even tougher, everyone will perform twice. Things are getting serious on Dancing with the Stars. Well, except for Jerry.

And for those of you playing along at home, the real final result of Saragate? The Nielsen top 20 for last week finds DWTS at #2 and #4. Wow. To put that in perspective, Survivor was #20.

Jerry & Kym (foxtrot) - I'll give Jerry credit for this performance. He took it seriously, and it was pretty good. I think it helps that it was the foxtrot, which isn't so physically demanding. He's still a step behind the rest of the teams, but this was a very nice showing. The judges are impressed. The scores 8 - 8 - 8.

Monique & Louis (quickstep) - The dancing was good here, but that dress was terrible. The bottom of it was all wrong for doing the quickstep. It looked like Louis was kicking poodles the whole time. And you kind of have to get a deduction for standing on your dress for half the dance, don't you? The judges love it. Bruno calls it sheer elegance. Carrie thought it was elegant. And Len says it was dynamite. The scores, 9 - 9 - 9. I'm not sure about that after dancing on the dress.

Emmitt & Cheryl (waltz) - Ok, you know the show is stalling for time when you are looking at Emmitt Smith's feet. Forgetting that terrible image, Emmitt continues to impress me. This was a great waltz. I've thought that this was going to come down to a Joey vs. Mario contest, but we can't count Emmitt out. It's not a fluke anymore. He can dance. And I don't think anyone is going to outwork Emmitt. The judges really like it. Bruno calls Emmitt the lord of the manor. The scores, 10 - 9 - 9. Fair enough.

Mario & Karina (foxtrot) - Ok, if I am going to make insane judging decisions too, I'm docking these two a point for that blonde wig. There is nothing Marilyn Monroe about Karina, so she should just stick with her hair. Wig aside, another nice performance. It wasn't as exciting or over the top as we have come to expect from Mario, but solid overall. Karina playing to the judges was a nice touch. The judges like it too. The scores, 10 - 9 - 10. I liked Emmit & Cheryl better, but they were in the same ballpark.

Joey & Edyta (foxtrot) - This was a fun performance. The bit at the end dancing on the steps was a very cool. I think Joey has improved quite a bit as he has settled in to what he is doing. He seems much less nervous.The judges like it, although Len goes a little insane over heel leads. Carrie calls it flawless. The scores, 10 - 9 - 10. I like that score.

Jerry & Kym (mambo) - This left me thinking that most of Jerry's practice time this week went to that first dance. When he can't actually do the dance he falls back to making a joke of the whole thing, and it's just not funny anymore. The judges are nice, but clearly not impressed with the dancing. The scores, 7 - 8 - 7. I think that probably sealed Jerry's fate this week.

Monique & Louis (pasa doble) - They were good, but who picked that song? The Reflex has to be one of the worst songs for pasa doble you can choose. It looks like you are getting the sound from the wrong channel. Despite that, a nice showing for Monique. The judges dig it with Len calling it top notch. The scores, 9 - 9 - 9.

Emmitt & Cheryl (mambo) - A great performance. Emmitt is in the competition. It doesn't hurt that he has Cheryl for a partner either. I was probably projecting Jerry Rice's outing from last season on Emmitt at the beginning of the year, but he has gone leaps and bounds beyond that. The judges are crazy about it. Carrie dubs Emmitt Sir Shimmy. And Len says it is the best dance of the whole season. The scores, 10 - 10 - 9. And the crowd boos! I thought we were going to see a 30 there, but 29 is fair.

Mario & Karina (jive) - Probably the best performance of the night. These two are so good together. The section at the end when they were both doing the same moves was fantastic. The judges are oddly critical of it, which surprised me. I can never get a handle on just where they are coming from. The scores, 9 - 9 - 9. I don't get that one.

Joey & Edyta (mambo) - Joey sure does like those sleeveless shirts... A nice finish to the night. I didn't think they were as polished as Mario & Karina, but still very good. The judges like it, but manage to get in a couple criticisms for Joey, just as they did for Mario. The scores, 9 - 9 - 10. A good score.

A great night of dancing overall. I think things are building up to what should be an exciting finish.

Best of the night, Mario & Karina's jive.

Going home, Jerry & Kym.