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(S05E16)Tom opened the show by calling out Mel and Helio as the two leaders that have emerged. He followed that up by reminding us that this is a season of surprises and anyone could go home. I think that has been very clear since Sabrina was bounced out of the competition, but it's always worth mentioning again. Was week eight another example of fandom over dance? The results, and the rest of the show, after the jump.
They headed into the recap and Jennie took it on the chin again as they played back the critical comments from Len and Bruno. Marie was unfazed by any of the judge's comments. She knows that the fans are carrying her and is fine with it. Cameron said he felt great about both of his dances. Mel was excited about their 56 total, but Maks thought it should have been 57. Helio and Julianne were pleased about the judges noticing his attention to detail. They were so thrilled that Helio gave her another kiss backstage.

That meant it was time for the encore. Len said that in five seasons of watching quicksteps, this was the best one yet, so they would like to see Helio & Julianne. I don't have the kind of memory that can recall every quickstep we have seen in five seasons, so I'm not completely sold that this was the best one the show has had. Either way though, it was a great performance. It was the obvious choice for the encore, and it was great fun to watch it again.

Gloria Estefan was up next, making good on an appearance she missed earlier. It was a good performance, and she still sounds great. She spent most of her time up on stage while two couples danced in front of her, but did venture out on the ballroom floor to join them towards the end.

Samantha was backstage with Helio and Cameron. She asked Helio how many more perfect scores he has in him. He said, hopefully a lot. Cameron was asked if Helio was an ally or a threat. He said Helio is an ally, and praised him for being one of the nicest guys you could ever meet. Samantha finished it off by stumping for votes for the show in the People's Choice Awards.

Audience reactions were up next. The crowd agreed that Helio & Mel were the standouts. Bruce Jenner felt sorry for Jennie, thinking they were too tough on her. Marie got taken to task for not having the dance skills of her competitors, and Cameron was called out for his open shirt style.

Finally, we got our first bit of results. They started ramping the drama up right away by announcing that Marie and Jonathan were safe. I don't think it was a huge shock to anyone that has been following along, but to get it out there right at the top of the show did make a statement.

And then... Jimmy Kimmel returned. He was once again answering letters with Guillermo, who was in one of those plastic cones they put on dogs after surgery for some unknown reason. They got a letter asking how Tom tells the difference between Dancing With The Stars and America's Funniest Home Videos. They watched a classic tape of America's Funniest Home Videos where a little kid hits his Pops in the groin with a baseball bat. That was followed up by a tape of DWTS where the kid came in and hit Helio with the bat. I really don't like Jimmy.

Next up was choreographer Fatima Robinson as the latest entry in the Stars Of Dance series. Like Wade Robson before her, she hadn't danced on TV for a number of years. This was probably my least favorite of the Stars Of Dance entries so far. There were moments that were really good, but as a whole there was far too much of the performance that looked like watching the background dancers of a music video, instead of having some featured aspect of the performance. With so many dancers on the floor, I would have preferred to have more interaction between them. Still good, but not the best of the series.

Next, it was off to a taped package showing how the pros got into dancing. Maks got started in ballroom at four years old. Julianne said that Maks isn't cocky, just passionate. Julianne moved to London when she was ten to live with her dance coaches. Len saw her there and said he knew this was somebody special. Jonathan grew up playing sports, but took up dancing at twenty. Len summed him with the phrase, "He cares." Edyta always knew she wanted to be a ballroom dancer. Len credited her for always getting the most out of her partner. I think that's an excellent observation. Derek got started in dancing, reluctantly, at ten. Len said that he has brought a new dynamic to the show. I liked this one simply for the fact that it focused on the pros, and while it is Dancing With The Stars, the pros are a huge part of the draw.

Gloria Estefan came back to the stage to perform "Conga" while the pros put on another fantastic performance. As with previous weeks, the balance between singing and dancing was a bit too much to the singing side for my tastes. The pro performances are always the best bit of the results show, so I'm always going to want more of them in these situations. I suppose though, that unless we just want to hear the house band doing covers every week, this is a concession that will have to be made. Despite my gripes with that, it was a really good segment. It's a classic song, and came across as one of the better musical guest spots of the season.

Samantha was backstage with the remaining celebrities that were in danger. Jennie, oddly enough, said elimination night is her favorite part of the show, because it's exciting. Cameron recognized that one off dance could send him home. Helio was asked if he had started his sprint to the finish line and he dodged the question. Mel was also diplomatic saying that anyone can win.

Then came the "OMG, we're still three minutes short" package of the week. For some reason, they brought in Anthony Robbins and Dr. Michael Beckwith to talk about what it takes to win the competition. They worked their way through all the stars. Marie has an enormous will to win and a wonderful life philosophy. You have to respect Cameron for his commitment, but Anthony doesn't get a killer instinct from him. Of Mel, Anthony thought people had underestimated her drive. Michael thought that if she could focus she could win. They both called out Jennie's confidence. Finally, Anthony put it simply that Helio is a champion.

That got us to the next results reveal. The second couple announced as safe was Helio & Julianne. Before we could find out the final results, we had to get a word from the judges. Len said he loves that Jennie & Derek quietly get on with it, saying they might just sneak out the back door with the mirror ball. Carrie Ann was impressed with the way Cameron has grown in the competition. Bruno said that if Mel was to go home they would be losing one of the best dancers they have ever had. He didn't have to worry for long, as Mel & Maks were safe next. They'll be joined next week in the semi-finals by Jennie & Derek. That means that the competition has come to an end for Cameron & Edyta.

Tom praised him for managing to keep up his hectic schedule. He said that even though he will now have a bunch of free time, he didn't want to go home. He also thanked Edyta for her hard work in making him into a dancer. Edyta said that she was truly proud of Cameron and that she never thought he would make it this far when they first met. It wouldn't have been my choice, but this is how the show works. It was a great run for Cameron.

Erin will be back next week for the semi finals, which will include Len's Master Course, Michael Flatley, and the return of Sabrina & Mark. It should be fun. Until then, check out AOL's extensive Dancing With The Stars coverage, which includes photo galleries, a live chat (Mondays & Tuesdays, 7:30pm ET), and the chance to support your favorite couple by voting in AOL's poll!