(S05E18) The roster for the Dancing With The Stars finale is set! I think that very few people would have expected the Final Three to include these particular couples, but the unpredictable nature of the show is part of what makes it entertaining. At the very least, we know that the finals won't be boring! Still, I was glad that Sabrina turned up to show the remaining competitors a thing or two.
Tom started things off with a review of how each of the four stars answered the judges' challenge. Marie's Quickstep was almost perfect, earning her a 29. In her interview, Marie made sure to give Bruno a little grief for his 9. Jennie was ecstatic after receiving her first 30 of the competition. Mel's twin 30's made her sing with joy. Helio was impressed with the progress that he had made over the nine weeks, and thanked Julianne for her help.
Before he announced the encore, Len mentioned that this week's semifinal was the best he'd ever seen in any season of the show. I'm still not sure that this season is my favorite, but it's definitely been one of the most exciting. Jennie's breakthrough performance, her Cha Cha Cha, was chosen for the encore. Jennie beamed throughout the entire dance, and I still think her journey on the show has been the funnest to watch.
For her first performance, Avril Lavigne sang "Hot," from her "Best Damn Thing" album. I'm always a little bored with the dance-free numbers, but I enjoyed the song. Backstage, Samantha interviewed the four remaining celebrities. This week's hard-hitting question: How would it feel to be sent home this week? That writers' strike needs to end soon, and no foolin'. Naturally, no one wanted to be eliminated, and each of the stars felt like they had become close with one another.
The audience had their usual chance to weigh in on the performances. Aside from one woman who wanted Bruno to go home, there were no clear audience favorites. Phase One of the elimination followed that segment, and the first safe couple was Marie and Jonathan. At this point, I was pretty sure that Jennie would be eliminated. I'm surprised that the suspense wasn't dragged out longer. There was no way to either Mel or Helio would be sent home.
Backstage, a speechless Marie found the words to thank her fans for keeping her in the competition. Next, Kenny Mayne brought us a special investigative report on dance rehab. This segment was actually pretty cute. It was cool to see some of the former contestants having fun with their images. I loved all the eye shadow and glitter worn by "recovering addicts" Harry Hamlin, Laila Ali, Tucker Carlson, and Lisa Rinna. In the therapy scene, Harry Hamlin did his best to imitate the famous Nick Nolte mug shot, complete with messy hair and a dazed expression on his face.
The final Stars of Dance installment featured a performance by Michael Flatley, who has a new dance show coming out. The routine was excellent, and the dancers received a standing ovation. The media spotlight segment that followed was less entertaining, but we're at the point where the results shows are loaded with filler. I agree with Mark McGrath's comment that Tom Bergeron is the best live host on TV right now. Without him, the results shows would be one long hour of Samantha Harris' flubs.
Avril Lavigne's second performance ("Complicated") included a special dance from Sabrina Bryan and Mark Ballas. I like the idea of bringing back popular contestants who were eliminated early. It would make the results shows far more entertaining if they added performances like these. Once again, Sabrina rocked, and reminded everyone that she truly belonged in the finals. How awesome would a Sabrina-Mel-Helio final have been?
In the last interview segment of the night, each of the stars got to discuss what they bring to the competition. Jennie believed that she represented the real people, and that her development on the show was easy to relate to. Marie was proud of her wisdom, personality, and work ethic. Mel said that she brought an element of fun to the show, and Maks added that Mel was the most natural dancer of all the competitors. Finally, Helio felt that his energy and his partner were major advantages.
In the final phase of elimination, Melanie and Maksim were put on the safe list. This left Jennie and Helio, which made it even more obvious that Jennie would be going home. As many of you suspected, Jennie's ability and progress were no match for Marie's entertaining routines and her considerable fan base. I thought that I would be OK if either Marie or Jennie made it to the finals, but I'm sad to see Jennie go. She left on the highest note possible, though, and she seemed genuinely happy with her experience on the show.
Brett will be back next week for the final round of competition. 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!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
11-21-2007 @ 12:17AM
Jonathan said...
Worst. Show. Ever.
God i can't wait till this show is over. Oh wait nevermind we have another one coming in the spring! Hooray!!!1!one!
No wonder the writers are on strike, look at the shit that people watch!
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11-21-2007 @ 1:52PM
Debbie said...
Please, Please send Mel HOME. Let someone else who is not all into herself.
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11-21-2007 @ 1:51PM
Debbie said...
I am very unhappy that Jenny was sent home and not Mel. Jenny has a better way of showing what dancing is about, Mel should not even be in this competion because she has dancing experience. Jenny had no experience and did a wonderful job just like Marie. Well, now I will be voting for Marie ALL the way. GO MARIE!!!
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11-21-2007 @ 12:35AM
Steph said...
All I gotta say is that Sabrina and Mark proved exactly tonight why they should have WON dancing with the stars. The final 3 don't even hold a candle to them! I'd like to see Mel and Marie do such an intricate performance like Sabrina did. Also the chemisty was smokin! You could tell that Sabrina and Mark were SOOO passionate. Good job America, I hope your happy with yourselves for voting for crappy dancers. My vote will go to Helio and I hope he wins, for he is my 2nd favorite.
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11-21-2007 @ 12:44AM
Steph said...
All I gotta say is that Sabrina and Mark proved exactly tonight whythey should have WON dancing with the stars. The final 3 (with the exception of Helio) don't even hold a candle to them! I'd like to see Mel and Marie do such anintricate performance like Sabrina did. Also the chemisty wassmokin! You could tell that Sabrina and Mark were SOOO passionate. Good job America, I hope your happy with yourselves for voting forcrappy dancers. My vote will go to Helio and I hope he wins, for heis my 2nd favorite.
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11-21-2007 @ 1:20AM
Abby said...
Mel B deserves to win all the way. Marie has been dancing since she was a kid & she has an advantage over everyone else. Helio is Brazilian, hello!!!! Don't let anyone one fool you, Brazilians are very good at what they do i.e. "dancing."
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11-21-2007 @ 1:23AM
mamadoe said...
I agree with Mark McGrath, too, Tom Bergeron is just great. Everyone said that if a host could survive the writer's strike without a teleprompter, it would be Tom, and he has done so.
The results went pretty much as expected. It would have been more suspenseful to have Jennie and Mel stand as the last two, because there was always the possibility that the votes for Jennie cancelled out Mel's. It was pretty obvious Jennie was going home, and she was the only one during the "I refuse to go home" interview who sounded like she was actually resigned to going home.
I still don't understand the continued Mel-slamming. Even Marie said "If I am in the finals, it's due to the fans." She never had an encore or a perfect score. It's really about Mel and Helio. But, if it continues to be a Mel vs. Marie thing with the fans, then another man will win this competition. Yep, Jimmy Kimmel, women never vote for women. Of course, I am an over-40 woman who has never voted for Marie, so there goes that demographic all to pieces!
How awesome were Sabrina and Mark? Sabrina could be a professional dancer. If she was a little bit taller, you'd think it was Kym. Honestly.
Michael Flatley's routine was traditional Riverdance retro, and fun, but I really didn't understand the whole Naval Academy thing until the end of the dance. But, they certainly have covered the spectrum of dance this season, from tap to avant garde to hip hop and break dancing. A lot of fun.
It's been an odd season, and I really think there were a lot more good competitors this year than before. There were always one or two who shined from the start on other seasons, but this year, there were about four or five. There really wasnt' a Billy Ray or Master P in the bunch, because the less-talented ones went home way early.
And, yes, loved the skit in rehab, Lisa and Harry were hilarious and it was a pleasure to see Laila again. Next week might be a cat fight, bring your catnip.
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11-21-2007 @ 1:25AM
Martha said...
Mel B FTW.
Avril's second song was "Complicated" not "Let Go".
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11-21-2007 @ 1:59AM
S said...
If Marie hadn't sold "dollys" for the last bazillion years, not that many people would vote for an overaged, overweight, out of work person!!! Come on people, GROW UP! No one has really seen or heard from the Osmonds for DECADES...
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11-21-2007 @ 2:14AM
candylady99 said...
I agree that Mel should have gone. She is such a fake, mind you her and what's his name make a good couple they are both so in love with themselves it make me sick. When they come on I change channels.
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11-21-2007 @ 2:54AM
HDTV Guy said...
I enjoy DWTS - but it bothers me when it's little more than a popularity contest with actual dance skill ignored. Of all the stars who should have won (Mario Lopez), Marie should been gone very early on. I kind of liked Osmond prior to DWTS but now I feel she’s an overbearing, rude (talks over Samantha Harris and Judges regularly) and intentionally or not, a drama queen (she divorce, fainting, death and rehab).
I feel badly for all the more talented stars that went home when "blind, deaf and dumb" Marie fans have kept her going.
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11-21-2007 @ 3:30AM
Deb said...
Got news for ya....Osmonds, and Osmond fans have NEVER been gone.
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11-21-2007 @ 3:36AM
katty said...
I thought Sabrina and Mark were painful to watch. All that was missing was the kitchen sink and some elegance. They were trying TOO HARD. When you're used to seeing the pro dancers perform with the guest artists, seeing Sabrina instead was almost shocking. Sorry, but the costume didn't do her any favors and her lying on the floor at the end was almost comical. I give her credit for being successful with her body type, but I don't find her entertaining AT ALL.
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11-21-2007 @ 4:45AM
Patricia Lee said...
Getting sick & tired of seeing the washed up, has-been Donnie Osmond offering his critiques on DWTS & Entertainment Tonight. Having him on DWTS shows partiality towards his sister. He never gives negative comments about her, but can criticize everyone else's dancing flaws. This DWTS contest should be called the Donnie & Marie Show Revisited.
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11-21-2007 @ 4:53AM
Brent McKee said...
It is reassuring that Jonathon is around for every show recap to tell us just how awful the show is. Not that he's right (he's not) but it's the consistency that is reassuring.
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11-21-2007 @ 8:43AM
Patricia Lee said...
How annoying is the washed up, has-been Donnie Osmond trying to make a comeback by giving his weekly DWTS critiques. Gee, do ya think he'll ever say something, anything negative about his sister. And yet has the nerve to draw attention to all the other contestants' dancing flaws. Talk about a one-sided show this season. If Marie Osmond wins because of her zillion family votes, I'm done watching future shows.
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11-21-2007 @ 9:15PM
Charlie said...
I thought that the Donnie and Marie show ended years ago. With all of the family there and everything that has happened people vote for her out of sympathy. Get a grip it is about talent and she should not be in the finals. Since it is a popularity contest with the viewers I think that the judges votes shoud weigh much heavier than the viewers. I predict that she will win ( somehow) and then I will never have to watch this show again. GO Helio
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11-21-2007 @ 6:44AM
V. West said...
I can't believe Marie is still in this competition.
She and Donny have shamelessly gone on every show
campaigning for Marie to win.
I don't think Donny should be reporting on Dancing With The Stars for ET promoting his sister.
I will vote for anyone but her.
She is certainly not the best dancer.
If this show becomes Dancing With The Stars with the best personality or the largest fan base I will stop watching.
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12-26-2007 @ 3:46PM
Lora said...
Mel and Helio definitely deserve their place in the finals, but Marie is there only because some voters cannot differentiate between pleasant memories and execution of dance, and others forget that voting and performance are sometimes diametrically opposed. Jennie, like others previously eliminated, brings much more dance expertise to the table than Marie does.
Something should be done to allow results to reflect more skill and delight in performance and less popularity.l
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11-21-2007 @ 6:44AM
kayak said...
Love reading your interesting comments. I can't understand why Marie is still there. She's my hubby's favorite. Mel, she should go. She's had training and each time I see her, I think of Eddie Murphy. Max is arrogant. Helio is a little too skinny for me, but is great to watch. Sabrina and Mark were excellent. I don't know who wrote the segment with the previous stars, that was sensational.
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