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(S06E12) Coming off of performance night, conventional wisdom said that Marlee & Fabian would find themselves in the bottom two. The big question... Who would be joining them? We are now far enough into the competition that there are no more easy eliminations. And, as we saw, that other couple in the bottom two was somewhat of a surprise. Leading up to the elimination though, the bigger story might have been Shannon & Derek reacting to the judge's comments. All that, and a rundown of the entire results show, after the jump.

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

Tom and Samantha kicked things off with the recap of performance night, and reactions from the dancers. Mario, Cristián, and Marissa all showed well. Marissa was thrilled that Carrie Ann gave her a nine. Cristián said, "It feels so good to get a good score. This is how Kristi feels every week." Mario sang a little song about getting two nines and a ten.

On the other side of the coin we had Marlee, Jason, and Shannon. Marlee said she did the number better in rehearsal, but that's what happens sometimes. And then it all went a little off the rails as we got to Shannon & Derek. Shannon was crying and insisted that she did the hips. Derek joined in complaining about the judge's comments. He asked what about all the heel leads, feet off the floor, and the horrific, demented lines people have out there. And they are getting 9s and 10s? It was rather shocking from both of them. Jason had a much more laid back reaction, saying he's just going to have fun and let the rest work itself out.

Len was up next to choose an encore and he went with the group dance. That was a good choice. It's nice to see them all together having so much fun. Parts of the performance might have lacked a little of the polish from performance night, but it is results night, and the scoring paddles/phones are not in play, so that's ok.

After a break, Ashlee Simpson took the stage to perform "Boys". I wasn't really expecting a lot, because I've just never been a fan. That being said, I was kind of impressed with her. It's a good song and she did a nice job performing it. Not my favorite musical guest or anything, but well done. My internet chose to blip my signal during the intro, so I missed who the dancers were accompanying her. They were very good though. The girls looked fantastic in their little red dresses, and the guys were smooth in their suits and fedoras. As has become par for the course, most of the camera time was given to Ashlee.

A rundown of the scoreboard led us to the first results of the night. As you know, in no particular order... Shannon & Derek were safe. That was followed with the announcement that Marlee & Fabian were in the bottom two. Not much of a surprise there. Samantha was backstage with Marlee & Fabian and Shannon & Derek. Marlee said that if she is back next week, she is totally up for the challenge of two dances. Derek had lipstick kisses all over his face, playing up the rumors. Shannon apologized for their remarks after the judging. Derek joined in, saying that's not really like him. It felt a bit like damage control to me and I'm wondering if those outbursts will have repercussions with the fans in the weeks to come.

The stars of dance were up next. Led by principal dancers Michael Patrick Gallagher and Alana Mallon, it was Riverdance. It wasn't what I was expecting. The opening solo was so long, and then to see just the two of them share the stage was really fun. Usually when I have seen Riverdance in performances like this, it has always been the big group performance. They got to that eventually, and it was as good as ever. The synchronization is just amazing. This was a nice change, and it was certainly worthy of the stars of dance title. Some curious trivia for you. Alana Mallon is the only Scottish dancer ever to perform lead in Riverdance.

The kids were up next, with the thirteen and under category. Brittany & Brandon led things off. They've been dancing together for three and a half years. Brandon had a great quote, "We want to show America that we can dance as good as old people." Interestingly, Brittany is deaf in one ear. They did the cha cha. It was a fantastic number. Their speed and precision was incredible.

Len said they were phenomenal. It was sharp, it was crisp, great rhythm. Bruno said it was dancing of the highest standard. Superb movement, and incredible timing. Carrie Ann said it was perfectly stylized and their attention to detail was great.

Austin & Liza were couple number two. They presented a little different picture as Liza was a good head taller than Austin. They danced the samba. They were both very good. Austin has all kinds of style and energy, and Liza is already very polished. I just couldn't get past the size thing. And neither could they, as Liza knocked Austin over on their finishing move.

Bruno said they were another two rising stars. Like a fanfare on the floor. He said Austin may be small, but his talent is huge. Carrie Ann thought they set the stage on fire and liked how they worked the room. Len said they came out all guns blazing, calling it fast and crisp. He added that America has a great future in dancing.

After a break, the kids were back with Samantha. Brittany said that she was inspired to dance by DWTS vet Ashley Del Grosso. Austin and Liza found each other on the internet. The judges voted: Carrie Ann - Brittany & Brandon. Len - Austin & Liza. Bruno - Brittany & Brandon. They'll be back later for the finals.

Next it was off to a rather weak package about the judges, and the pressure they face. Bruno talked about the expectations of show day. Carrie Ann said that she gets nervous before the performances. Len and Carrie talked about the difficulty of taking notes while watching the show. They also touched on the pressure of being put on the spot right after the performance. Len said he feels terrible when he's criticized someone. It was pure, unadulterated filler. I would have much rather seen another Ashlee Simpson number, or the pros dancing, over that.

Back to the results, Marissa & Tony made it through to the next round. They were soon joined by Cristián & Cheryl. He looked completely shocked to have avoided the bottom two. Backstage, Samantha tried to interview Marissa and Cristian, but it just wasn't happening. They were alternately so thrilled and shocked that they just couldn't get it done. Cristián could barely form a thought and joked that he can only speak in Spanish at the moment. Marissa said she was surprised to see Marlee in the bottom two. Both couples said they were ready to be doing two dances next week. As they headed to another commercial, Karina did not look happy.

Finally, it was time to get down to it. Kristi & Mark were safe. Jason & Edyta were also safe, leaving Mario & Karina in the bottom two with Marlee & Fabian. After their scores on performance night, I did not see that one coming. In the end, Marlee & Fabian were sent home. Marlee thanked the judges, Fabian, and her family. Finally she thanked Henry Winkler for his support through the years. Fabian said Marlee made his first season here the best that it could have been.

Next week, Erin will be back as all the couples have to do two new numbers. It should be fun. In the meantime, check out AOL's extensive Dancing With The Stars coverage, which includes photo galleries, polls, and a live chat.