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(S05E03) The three-part premiere week finally reached its conclusion, and one star was sent packing. Tom's introduction really played up the battle of the sexes angle, calling Week 1 a "dance duel." Drew returned as Tom's co-pilot, and I'm curious to see how long he'll stick around. As usual, there was a tidy summary of the previous night of performances. The men answered the call after Len's warning on Monday night. Like Jennie Garth, Cameron set the standard with his Foxtrot. In his post-performance interview, Cameron was very proud of all the work he did.

Floyd failed to impress the judges, but believed that the "fans don't lie." Mark Cuban won over the judges with his smile, and was thrilled in his interview. Wayne Newton earned the respect of the ballroom, and bragged that "old age and treachery will overcome youth and skill." That remark should have gotten a way bigger laugh. Albert Reed left Carrie Ann speechless and confused, and hoped that his pelvic thrusts earned him some fan support. Finally, Helio was declared to be the biggest threat among the men.

Cheetah Girl Sabrina Bryan and Mark Ballas were chosen to do the encore. Len said that they were the couple that best combined classic dancing and overall entertainment. I was a little surprised that he counted their routine among the best Cha Cha Chas in the history of the show, since he had such a problem with the hip-hop element. Now that I've seen all the routines, I agree with this choice. Sabrina and Mark definitely belonged at the top of the heap this week. I hope that they'll at least move away from the hip hop as the competition progresses; you cannot integrate that style into all types of ballroom dance. Or can you?

Tom and Drew provided a run-down of the combined judges' leaderboard. Josie and Alec were in dead last, which wasn't very encouraging, and Floyd and Karina were in eleventh place. I still can't believe that he got such a low score on Tuesday. Wayne and Cheryl rounded out the bottom group in tenth place. The five-way tie for fifth included Jennie Garth, Mark Cuban, Albert Reed, Cameron Mathison, and Marie Osmond. The lovely Jane Seymour and Melanie Brown tied for third place. Helio and Julianne landed in second place, behind Sabrina and Mark. Apparently, the couple had the highest first show score ever, which is pretty impressive.

The first portion of the elimination put two couples on the safe list. Sabrina and Mark are going on to Week 2, which wasn't much of a surprise. The crowd went crazy for their encore. Jennie Garth and Derek Hough were also put on the safe list. Jennie looked terrified at first, but was visibly relieved to be continuing in the competition. I'd like to see Jennie have a bit more confidence in the coming weeks and move away from the middle of the pack.

Dolly Parton performed her first song of the night, accompanied by pros Derek, Julianne, Mark, and Cheryl. She sang "9 to 5," which is one of my favorite songs of hers. I love that her look never changes--big hair, sparkly outfits, etc. There's something comforting about that kind of consistency. She always has such an expressive face during her performances, too. The highlight of the pros' routine was the back-to-back flips that Derek and Mark did. All in all, a fun little number.

Just in case the workout DVD wasn't enough, there's now a Dancing With The Stars book called Dancing With The Stars: Jive, Samba, and Tango Your Way Into the Best Shape of Your Life. It has a really long title, so you know it's good. If any of you actually buy the book, please fill us in on the details.

Backstage, Drew interviewed the male contestants and threw in a Top Gun reference for good measure. Cameron was nervous and felt that anyone could win the show. When asked which of the men would be back next week, Wayne cleverly replied "Drew!" Helio was confident but reserved about his chances. Floyd hoped that his fans' votes would help him advance. Mark got a rush from the competition, and Albert thanked his fans for the standing ovation. Thank your personal trainer, Albert.

The audience got a chance to throw in their two cents. Two young girls loved Jane Seymour and aspired to look like her, and I second that. We should all be so lucky to age that well. The Bachelor and Chris Harrison agreed that Josie was "pretty." Things were not looking good for Josie. There are now tons of Cheetahlicious fans out there. Women went crazy for Cameron's winning smile, and Albert was declared the best-looking male contestant. A girl in a beret was convinced that Floyd was robbed (seconded, again). At this point, it was anyone's game (except for Josie).

The second phase of the elimination put two more couples on the safe list. Helio and Julianne advanced to the second week, which was also not surprising. More shocking was the declaration that Albert and Anna were safe. The fans must have really come through for Albert and his open shirt. I think he just found his gimmick.

Drew interviewed the advancing couples backstage, and we learned that Sabrina and Mark are already looking ahead to next week. Jennie's confidence got a huge boost, and she thanked "whoever may have voted" for her. Helio made a comment about missing his helmet out on the dance floor, which prompted Drew to joke about the male professionals' helmet-like hair. Albert promised to keep his routines fun and sexy.

In the first of a new series of performances called "Stars of Dance," Savion Glover and Bare Sounds did a phenomenal tap routine. It began with a cool dark, shadowy set-up. The costumes were certainly interesting: matching yellow shirts, pale blue pants, with Savion in some unusual green shoes. Bare Sounds consisted of two male dancers and three women who essentially served as fly girls of some sort. I don't have the dance vocabulary to describe the group's moves, but they were incredible. I wonder who they'll get for the next installment?

Dolly Parton was back with a pros-free performance from her new album (the hilariously named Backwoods Barbie). The song, "Better Get to Livin," was one of those country songs where the singers put themselves into the lyrics, kinds of like "Mississippi Girl" by Faith Hill. Dolly imparted the standard country music advice about not sweating the small stuff and keeping your chin up. I might sound like I'm being critical, but I'll probably end up singing along with the song on the radio in a few weeks.

Finally, the return of Kenny Mayne! I was disappointed that they didn't bring DanceCenter back, but The Origins of Dance was funny in its own way. Anything beats Jimmy Kimmel and Guillermo. Dressed in a sparkly blue dance shirt and walking along a "generic beach," Kenny imparted some of the history of dance. He wasn't able to get close to Stonehenge, but he did make it Africa, which "looks amazingly like Malibu." There was a lame Cavemen crossover, as if anything can save the show from all the bad buzz at this point. Kenny did a few man-on-the-street interviews, mostly with one weird guy and an amorous couple. He also took a few shots at fellow DWTS alumni Drew Lachey and George Hamilton. The segment was funny, but I'd rather see DanceCenter again. If it ain't broke...

Melanie Brown and Maksim were saved from elimination, as were Cameron Mathison and Edyta. The remaining couples started to look concerned. The announcement was followed by a segment about the physical and mental aspects of training, as well as the subsequent judgment. For some reason it was important for those elements to be in all caps.

After being spooked by Tom's description of her performance, Jane Seymour was put on the safe list. Wayne Newton's fans came through and helped him advance to Week 2. This left Floyd, Marie, Josie and Mark. Tom announced that either Marie Osmond or Josie Maran received the lowest overall total for the women, and we all knew who it was. Marie advanced, and Josie was put in the bottom two. Thankfully, Floyd was put the advancing group, which put Mark in the bottom two as well. Both Mark and Josie had the lowest overall total for their night.

Josie and Alec looked completely miserable, and were put out of their misery after a commercial break and a long pause. They both took it so hard, and I truly felt bad for them. Tom baited Josie into confronting the judges, and Josie simply said "Thanks for being honest. Is that what it is?" It was a fair question. Alec urged their fans to give their votes to Cameron and Edyta next week. The couple's parting dance was performed to The Cars' "Drive." Interesting side note: Ric Ocasek, the lead singer of The Cars, is married to former contestant Paulina Porizkova.

This week's elimination wasn't much of a shock, but that's typical for this point in the competition. On to next week!

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