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(S06E05) We're down to ten couples after last week's double elimination, and I'm more than a little surprised to see Adam Carolla. I have to agree with Brett that Julianne might be carrying her partner in votes as well as technique. This time around, the contestants had a mere five days to learn either the jive or the tango. The results--and the scores--were mixed.

Gallery: Dancing With The Stars: Season 6, Week 3

Marlee Matlin and Fabian Sanchez (Jive) - Marlee was thrilled that last week's performance charmed the judges and earned high scores. This week, Fabian wanted to include more traditional content into their jive. Marlee said that she and Fabian have a similar sense of humor and are always joking around. The jive would be her toughest dance so far, but they felt ready. The couple danced a peppy jive to Billy Joel's "You May Be Right." This routine was a lot like Marlee and Fabian's earlier performances--great footwork, decent rhythm, and fun to watch. Marlee's consistently good, but this could be her biggest weakness score-wise. The judges appreciate visible week-to-week improvement (so do I), and Marlee is a solid "B" dance student. It's more fun to watch the contestants who make regular progress.

Len said that Marlee never ceases to amaze him. She delivered a fast, difficult routine with sharp movements. Bruno called her an incredible performer capable of connecting with the audience, but noticed some timing issues and unpolished underarm passes. Carrie Ann loved Marlee's attitude and chemistry with Fabian, and told her to watch her pancakey hands. Score: 21 (7, 7, 7)

Steve Guttenberg and Anna Trebunskaya (Tango) - Smilin' Steve needed to tone down his signature grin for the intense drama of the tango. Anna was out sick for most of the week, but hubby Jonathan was there to fill in. Steve joked about the "man on man" rehearsals, but worried that he didn't get enough time with his actual partner. Surprisingly, he remained positive. I kept waiting for Steve to accidentally break out in a smile during the routine, but it never happened. The performance was dramatic, and the couple stayed true to the nature of the dance. Steve still doesn't have the smoothest movements, but he has good rhythm and had fairly good footwork. When they were finished, Steve prepared for the judges' comments by putting on some goggles and headgear. Tom joked that he also needed a cup.

Carrie Ann called the routine his best dance so far, and was glad that he respected the tone of the tango. She wanted to see more dynamics, though. Len said that the actor in Steve came out, that he respected the flavor of the dance, and had fantastic footwork. Bruno declared it the "revenge of the Gutte," and said Steve was mean and manly. Score: 21 (7, 7, 7). Backstage, Steve called the other stars his teammates, which was very endearing.

Cristián de la Fuente and Cheryl Burke (Jive) - The threat of going home last week terrified Cristián, and he was determined to avoid elimination this week. He had trouble sliding during rehearsals, and started getting worried. Cheryl wanted Cristián to continue having fun, so the couple took a trip to Sea World. A sea lion named Clyde helped the actor loosen up. They danced the jive to Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now," which made me think of Shaun of the Dead. This was a perfect song, since it matched Cristián's high-energy performance. He had a huge smile on his face throughout the routine, and knocked over one of the lights when he slid across the floor at the end. That's enthusiasm.

Bruno said that having a good time is what Dancing With The Stars is all about, and Cristián and Cheryl delivered. Len called it the actor's best dance so far, but had some major criticism. Cristián's legs were loose, and his free arm was hanging down. Carrie Ann said that he improves significantly every week, but agreed that his free arm was like a little claw. Score: 25 (8, 8, 9). Cristián thanked Bruno for the high score by barking like a sea lion.

Mario and Karina Smirnoff (Tango) - Mario had a case of career-dance conflict this week. He only had five days to rehearse and an album to promote. Karina traveled with Mario as he performed at various colleges and concerts, and they stole every moment they could for dance practice. The singer hoped that his efforts were enough, but his partner was pessimistic. Mario and Karina recreated the tango from Moulin Rouge, set to The Police's "Roxanne." Along with Priscilla, Mario did the best job of getting down the tango's character. The routine was very serious and sexy, but was lacking polish. The crowd didn't find fault with the routine at all.

Len admired Mario's flare, but called the performance a mess. He lacked posture, had terrible footwork, and didn't maintain a strong hold. He told Mario that he was "bitterly disappointed," which I thought was excessive. Carrie Ann said that Mario's style set him apart from the other dancers, but his routine didn't live up to their expectations of him. Bruno called Mario a charismatic performer, and acknowledged that the couple's tango wasn't as bad as the other judges said it was. Still, it wasn't up to his usual standard. Score: 21 (7, 6, 8). Len's brutal 6 prompted Mario to promise his fans that he would do better next time.

Shannon Elizabeth and Derek Hough (Jive) - Shannon was encouraged by the judges' response to her quickstep last week, and felt like a true contender. She felt that having long legs only gave her more of an opportunity to mess up in the jive. Derek tried to make his partner comfortable with the routine's kicks by doing a little kickboxing. They opened the jive ("Goody Two-Shoes," Adam Ant) with cartwheels, which was a great beginning. This was the second of Shannon's performances that impressed me, and she's officially won me over. Her routine looked extremely challenging, and she seems to be getting noticeably better each week.

Shannon was so wiped out after the performance that she decided to sit down on the floor with Derek and Tom. Bruno loved that she didn't hold back, and praised Derek's use of challenging choreography. His one bit of advice was for Shannon to work on precision and control. Len called the routine a really good jive. Carrie Ann loved that Shannon always surprises the judges, since they get bored easily. Score: 24 (8, 8, 8).

Adam Carolla and Julianne Hough (Tango) - Adam didn't think that five days was enough time to learn the tango, and worried about letting Julianne down. Julianne knew the tango was a serious dance, but didn't want to lose Adam's funny side. I kept laughing at Adam's remarks throughout the rehearsal footage. At one point, he said to Julianne, "The tango is about prostitutes and pimps--guess which one you are!" Adam jumped up from behind the judges' table and began his routine, set to the aptly-named "I Can't Tell a Waltz From a Tango." To his credit, Adam looked far better than he did on the first week. He's hilarious, but not so much of a goof-off that his progress suffers.

Because he always has to get the first word in, Adam complained about the wardrobe guys' choice to put Julianne in a Sandy Duncan wig and long dress. I'm not in show business, but even I know you shouldn't get the wardrobe folks on your bad side. They could make him wear lederhosen next week if he's not careful. Carrie Ann thought Adam looked sexy out on the dance floor, and mercifully skipped over any technical comments. Bruno said that Adam wasn't a master technician, but is improving. Len praised Julianne for making Adam look like a dancer. Score: 21 (7, 7, 7). Backstage, Adam made a crack about learning a dance about Argentinean prostitutes from a Mormon.

Marissa Jaret Winokur and Tony Dovolani (Jive) - Tony was confident the Jive suited Marissa's fast, kicky personality. They look like they have a lot of fun in rehearsals, with Tony's bad jokes and Marissa teasing Tony about his status as the "Bad Boy of Ballroom." It's kind of like being the smartest cast member on The Hills--not much of a distinction. There wasn't much worth remembering about Marissa's performance, except for the argyle and Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend." The routine wasn't technically difficult, and looked pretty basic. I'm surprised that Marissa can't bring more to the table than her attitude and energy. She can do cute and playful, but what will happen when she has to perform a serious or slow routine?

Len thought the performance was too careful, but thought she did a few parts well. His advice was for Marissa to attack every dance. Carrie Ann was bored with the couple's jive, and wanted Marissa to put a little fight into her performances. Bruno called the dance a jive on cruise control. He expected more, considering Marissa's level of talent. Score: 19 (6, 7, 6). Tony defended his partner backstage, and Marissa began to look worried.

Priscilla Presley and Louis van Amstel (Tango) - The tango tells a story, and Priscilla was excited to tap into her acting experience for the routine. Louis explained that drama and precision matter most in the tango, and hoped that Priscilla's perfectionism would work in their favor this week. Priscilla told Louis that she wanted to look like she'd been dancing the tango her entire life. They began the dance with a close, sultry embrace. I'm amazed that Priscilla can be so openly sensual and passionate, especially at her age. She and Louis have wonderful chemistry, and the performance was fantastic. Her tango wasn't as technically challenging as Kristi's but I enjoyed it more.

Bruno dubbed the performance a "hot cougar tango," and said it was well-executed and beautifully acted. Len loved the fire and ice tone that Priscilla brought to the dance. Carrie Ann said the tango was an actor's dance, and that Priscilla was very believable. She warned Priscilla about watching her neck lines, though. Score: 26 (8, 9, 9). The judges definitely have a favorite contestant.

Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska (Jive) - Jason was feeling the pressure after receiving high scores last week. The jive was completely new to him, so he kept his ears open and his mouth shut. He was hard on himself in rehearsals, and worried about looking like an "uncoordinated slob" on the dance floor. Edyta and Jason delivered another strong performance, dancing to Ray Charles' "I Got a Woman." Jason has a much better overall presence than the other men, probably due to his physique. His posture was perfect, and his movements were smooth. The couple's jive was relatively slower than some of the other routines, but I didn't notice any major mistakes. Of his three performances so far, Jason's jive belongs right in the middle.

Carrie Ann was amazed that a man of Jason's size could move so well. His lines looked fabulous, but he needed to open u phis upper body. Bruno called the jive "cool, yet restrained," and said Jason hit his lines like a natural. Len enjoyed the lines and the tricks, but disliked the rest of the routine. He compared Jason to a feather duster. Score: 23 (8, 7, 8). I thought this was a little low, but not far off the mark. After the scores were announced, Tom did his best fake cough and brought out Survivor's Jeff Probst to introduce the next couple.

Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas (Tango) - Kristi's biggest challenge this week was to get in touch with the emotion of the tango. She admitted up front that it wasn't her nature to be overly emotional, so the couple consulted a performance coach. Kristi had trouble displaying her anger physically, but did her best to channel that anger for the routine. Two things distracted me during the performance: the two strands of hair that were oddly plastered to Kristi's face, and the fact that Kristi and Mark danced to Duran Duran's "Rio." Kristi maintained her level of excellence, and had the technical aspect of the dance covered. Her reserve did hurt her a little bit, though, and I would have liked to see her be more expressive.

Len loved the routine, and praised Kristi's talent. He noticed that her head movements were a little off, though. Carrie Ann wanted Kristi to focus on her emotions more, since her technique is flawless. She didn't feel much while watching the couple. Bruno called the performance precise, clean, and clear, but wanted more emotional engagement. He urged Kristi to get dirtier, so she playfully slid her leg onto Mark during the judging. Score: 27 (9, 9, 9). I second Carrie Ann's comments--I understand that Kristi is the best dancer, but I'm more entertained by some of the other contestants

Best non-Yamaguchi performance: Shannon Elizabeth
Most likely to go home: Marissa Jaret Winokur

On Tuesday's results show--another star goes home, and Kylie Minogue performs. In the meantime, check out AOL's extensive Dancing With The Stars coverage, which includes photo galleries, polls, and a live chat.