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(S06E19) After two and a half months, it all comes down to this. As Tom put it, the end is near and the trophy is within reach. Like we have seen in the past, finals week brings with it the big freestyle numbers. There was a new twist this year though, the Cha Cha Faceoff. The couples were tasked with sharing a cha cha number, each of them providing a one minute segment. It all came together to make for a great night of dancing. Read on past the jump for the scores, and a look at each of the performances.

Cha Cha Faceoff

The couples drew numbers for the order in which they would perform in the faceoff. Cristián was happy to go first and set the tone. Jason liked second because he got to see where the bar was set, but didn't have to follow Kristi. And Kristi liked third because it gave her the chance to blow everyone away. An added twist was that the three couples practiced together to make the routines work together as one cohesive number. It was interesting as they got a chance to eyeball what each of the teams had planned.

Cristián & Cheryl started things off with a big leap from the stage for Cristián and then jumped into some synchronized hip shaking for the meat of the performance. The great Cristián charisma blended with a number of intricate steps to make for a very nice start to the group number. They finished their segment with a huge slide across the floor with Cheryl in Cristián's good arm.

Jason & Edyta jumped in next. Jason doesn't look nearly as natural in the cha cha, but he held his own. Their big trick had Jason vaulting over Edyta's shoulders and then sliding back through her legs. It wasn't as smooth as it could have been, but you have to respect his ambition in going for it. Overall a nice performance, but a step off from the other two.

Kristi & Mark got off to a big start with Kristi kissing Bruno at the judge's table before she joined Mark on the floor and again showed how technically amazing she is. Along with the technique we all expected was a great, fun loving, attitude. It really seemed that Kristi was having a lot of fun with their part of the routine. Once again, their biggest trick was their incredible spins. The couples joined up for the finish, with a fantastic move that left Jason and Cristián hoisting Kristi high into the air. Two thumbs way up for the cha cha faceoff.

Throwing it over to the judges, Len said that at his age it takes a lot to get excited, but this really got him going. He liked Cristián's hips and rhythm, saying he has all the gear at the rear. He said he felt a little sorry for Jason because Latin just isn't his thing. And of Kristi, he said that she had the style of Jason, and the hips of Cristián, the complete package.

Bruno said they all did so well. He noted how much Cristián has improved over the course of the show, saying he banged like the best. He thinks that Jason is always an imposing presence and thought he did a nice job. For Kristi, he said she is in a class of her own.

Carrie Ann thought it was interesting to see all three back to back. She thought Cristián was fantastic, but some of the movements were a little clipped. She was also sorry that Jason was stuck with Latin, but thought he pulled it off. And for Kristi, Carrie Ann said she won the faceoff hands down.

Scores:
Cristián & Cheryl: 26 (8,9,9)
Jason & Edyta: 24 (8,8,8)
Kristi & Mark: 30 (10,10,10)


All things considered, that was pretty good scoring. It's nice to see the judges play a role and not just swallow the whistle now that we are in the finals. I thought the cha chas came out in just that order, so Kristi should enjoy a small advantage heading into the freestyle form her performance. I would very much like to see the faceoff, whichever dance it takes the from of, as a regular finals tradition.

FREESTYLE

Kristi & Mark: Last week found Kristi back on top of the scoreboard. Mark thought that Jason would bring his strength to the freestyle, and Cristián would bring his personality. His strategy was to bring it all. In training we saw them practicing Kristi boosting Mark into a back-flip. For a little help, Julianne stopped by to help with the lifts. It all looked impressive in the learning of it.

They started with a cute little bit where both of them were just waking up and moved right into some funk. We keep saying it over and over, but it keeps being true, Kristi really is the most skilled dancer in the competition, and it showed as they made their way through a very difficult number. They were fast, and synchronized, and even managed to toss in a moonwalk. The lifts were big, but not completely polished. They pulled off the big back flip. A final lift found Kristi going over Mark's head, down his back, and back between his legs. My only complaint, and it's a small one, is that I thought they may have been a little ambitious with some of the lifts. It seemed that a couple of them actually pulled them out of the flow of the routine as they stopped to set up for the big move. Still, a very impressive freestyle.

Bruno said my god, what an inspiring fusion of mambo and hip hop. He said Kristi didn't miss a beat, and despite the difficulty, she made it look easy. Carrie Ann acknowledged that men tend to be the crowd pleasers, but not tonight, Kristi had the crowd going crazy. Len reminded us that he's not a lover of hip hop, but this held his attention from start to finish. It was quick, had great energy, and he absolutely loved it. Score: 30 (10,10,10)

Jason & Edyta: As we joined in on their training video, Jason was nervous about his height. Edyta was excited though, because she wanted to take advantage of his athleticism. For inspiration, Jason's wife and kids came in. His daughter just might be the cutest thing ever. The funny bit was the look as his wife started in on him, acting as a second coach, and he said, "Now I have two of them."

The routine got off to a big start as Jason pulled off Edyta's dress and she dove off the stage into his arms. That led to a little breaking for Jason and another huge lift. Jason really looked great here. Edyta did a good job giving him a lot to do, but not things that made him look awkward. More huge lifts followed as Jason boosted Edyta all the way over his 6'6" frame and spun around the floor. It wasn't' totally smooth getting in and out of the move, but highly impressive nonetheless. They ended with Edyta ripping Jason's shirt off, much to the delight of the women in the audience. The difficulty wasn't at the level of Kristi's freestyle, but pretty impressive all around. As evidenced by the huge crowd reaction in the studio.

Carrie Ann said that it was nice to see Edyta in the finals, and I wholeheartedly agree. She went on, who knew, Jason Taylor can get funky. She loved the lifts. Len liked the humor and the lifts and talked about going to South Beach with Jason in his speedo, and Len in his thong... Bruno said that watching them was like watching two centerfolds. It was funky, fun, and had great lifts. Score 27 (9,9,9) Did you catch Cristián popping up from the back urging everyone to vote for Jason?

Cristián & Cheryl: The challenge for the team was hiding the fact that Cristián wasn't using his left arm. Cheryl wanted to cut back on some of the tougher moves, but Cristián was determined. We even saw him take a spill on the arm. As a bit of inspiration Cheryl brought in one of her trophies.

Given the fact that she has been here before, Cristián probably had a bit of an advantage. They jumped right into a very sexy number, complete with some huge lifts. Cristián spinning around and around while holding Cheryl up with one arm was very impressive. It didn't have quite the visual impact that some of Jason's lifts had, but they were close on the difficulty. They did have a couple of slow moments tucked away in there where Cristián seemed to find himself between sections, but for the most part, another great finals routine.

Len loved the Latin American flavor. He said taking into consideration what he'd seen from the other two, the lifts weren't quite up to the standard. Bruno said he hasn't seen so much shaking since the last earthquake. He qualified his praise though, saying that for one arm, he did very well. Carrie Ann liked the performance, adding that with the freestyle they are looking for the winner. She didn't know if he beat Kristi, but when she looks at him she sees a winner for so many other reasons. I found it a bit odd that after nothing but praise for the first two couples, they seemed to take on a more negative tone with Cristián. Score 26 (9,8,9)

So, breaking out the calculator, heading into the big finale, things look like this.

Kristi & Mark: 60
Cristián & Cheryl: 52
Jason & Edyta: 51

Those totals will change tomorrow as each couple gets one last chance to impress the judges, bringing back their favorite routine of the season. Barring something catastrophic happening, Kristi should head into the final tally with a nice comfy margin. That being said, I have no idea who is going to win this. I think that huge crowd reaction from the studio audience as Jason & Edyta finished their freestyle could be very telling. They have ground to make up with the fan vote, but it's certainly not out of the question. That fan vote is just impossible to forecast.

No matter who wins, it has been one heck of a season. I'll see you all back here tomorrow for the big wrap up of season six. Until then, check out AOL's extensive Dancing With The Stars coverage, which includes photo galleries, polls, and a live chat.