TVSquad

(S07E06) Week three did not get off to a great start down at Dancing With The Stars HQ. The ten performances we were expecting had been reduced to nine. It seems that while training on Friday night, Misty May-Treanor suffered an injury that would keep her from performing as part of the top ten.

I could go into detail about that right here, above the jump, but I've chosen to be as annoying as the producers of the show, and drag it out until the very end of the post. So, we'll get to that later. Along with Misty's story, we also have a look at how the rest of the couples dealt with tackling the Viennese waltz and the jive. I'll also give you my guess for what it all means for Tuesday's big results show.

Susan Lucci & Tony Dovolani (Jive) When I saw that Susan had been given the jive, I thought that was a bad draw. If she would have had the Viennese waltz, she could have had a really nice followup to the rumba from last week. The jive was going to be much more difficult. To help with that, Tony took Susan to learn kicks from the Rockettes. The lesson didn't really stick. The performance was an improvement, but her dancing is still best described as reserved. Many of her moves end up being much smaller than they should and things just look pulled in. It was fun though, and she did have the best costume of the night. I don't see her being in danger this week, so she still has time to improve, but she's now in a similar position to Kim Kardashian. Will she be able to relax and embrace the dance before she gets voted off for not doing so?

Len said this is the toughest test in television, to come out week after week, and perform a different dance. He thinks Susan has kept a constant standard throughout. Bruno said Susan really got the look right tonight, commenting on her boobs outfit. He went on, that this dance requires precision, and she looked unsteady in the steps, but she's starting to get the heat coming out. Carrie Ann disagreed with Bruno, commending Susan because she didn't notice the injury. She also added that she thought Susan looked a little timid. She wants Susan to look a little more courageous and confident when she dances. Score: 21 (7,7,7)

Lance Bass & Lacey Schwimmer (Viennese Waltz) This came along at just the right time for Lance & Lacey. If any number was going to get them to stick to the more traditional performances, it's the Viennese waltz. Trying to get in touch with Len's peer group, they rehearsed at a retirement community. When they made it to the ballroom, more traditional is just what we got. And that's a good thing. I really like the energy and freshness of what Lance & Lacey are doing, but they are straddling a line with Len, so a week off from all of that was in their best interest. And it didn't hurt their performance at all. Traditional or not, Lance is really good. Lacey gave him some complicated choreography, but he handled it well, and showed once again that he is in the upper part of the field where this competition is concerned.

Bruno said Lance & Lacey had turned prim and proper, and joked that the cast of Cocoon (Len), was going to be happy. He went on to call Lance a little heavy trying to reach the rise and fall. Carrie on thought it was fantastic. She highlighted that Lance was dancing as much as Lacey. Len joked that he stays at that retirement home when he is in LA. Then, in a very odd critique, he called the dance flatfooted, and said he didn't like the frame, but added that it was Lance's best dance so far. Score: 22 (8,7,7)

Maurice Greene & Cheryl Burke (Jive) Maurice is such a high energy guy that I thought the jive would be right in his wheelhouse. In the training video, he was struggling with the footwork, so Cheryl took him to the park to run through tires. Back in the ballroom, they kicked off the performance with Maurice jumping over Cheryl from the stage, a move we've seen her go to before. As they got into the main part of the dance, Maurice actually handled the footwork really well. Working with one of his biggest strengths, the jive really let his personality show well. All things considered, a very fun performance.

Carrie Ann called Maurice a wild untamed beast, adding that it worked perfectly in the jive. Great job. Len said this is more like it. Fast, bright, lively. Full of kicks. He thought it was Maurice's best dance. Bruno told Maurice that he can rock when he wants to. Good pace, sense of energy, and fun. He also liked the attention to detail Maurice showed. Score: 24 (8,8,8)

Rocco Dispirito & Karina Smirnoff (Viennese Waltz) Rocco kind of took it on the chin last week, and deservedly so. He didn't really try. This week Karina was trying to help him with his musicality by making him dance with a blindfold. They tied that bit into the opening of their number. This was a much better performance for Rocco, because he actually had something to do this week. That said, it wasn't the most graceful waltz. He's showing improvement, and he still has time to make some noise, but he's fallen below the top level of performers in the competition.

Len said there were elements that were very good. He liked the reversed turns, but he pointed out that Rocco does lose the timing when he gets overexcited. Bruno joked that Rocco should have kept the blindfold on. The waltz is like a light mousse, but this was like a lump of mashed potatoes. Carrie Ann disagreed, saying Rocco is the most improved of all the dancers. She likes his puppy dog quality. Score: 20 (7,7,6)

Warren Sapp & Kym Johnson (Viennese Waltz) While last week the paso doble was just right for Warren, the Viennese waltz is more of a challenge. That's a lot of guy to make look graceful. He actually managed the change really well. As soon as they went into their hold and he got into the frame I was on board. There were a couple rough bits in the transitions, but as a whole, he managed the footwork really well and he certainly didn't look like a lumbering football player. It was very smooth, and very impressive.

Bruno called it big, smooth, and beautiful. He liked how Warren captured the character of the dance. Beautifully done, and versatile. Carrie Ann said she might have a crush on Warren. The performance was like a dream come true. She called it gorgeous, and agreed that he embodies the character of each dance. Len though this would be Warren's stumbling block, but he was very impressed with the performance. He added that Warren is giving those skinny people a run for their money. Well done. Score: 25 (9,8,8)

Cody Linley & Julianne Hough (Jive) Cody got his week started off at Miley Cyrus's 16th birthday party. Those Disney/ABC folks never miss a cross-promotional opportunity. Much like Maurice, this was the dance for Cody. He's so hyper and full of energy that he should really be able to shine with the jive. They wasted no time getting into it with all kinds of crazy footwork for Cody right in the opening. This routine was a step above what many of his competitors are doing, in terms of difficulty. Cody held his own well there, and also did a nice job acting his part. He does occasionally get caught up remembering where he is in the performance, but he's coming along really well. Another impressive performance.

Carrie Ann said it was good, with high energy, but he was counting the whole time, and that's one of her pet peeves. It made it awkward. Len told Cody that he understands that it's a nerve wracking job. The first half he thought was fantastic, but then it got repetitious. Bruno agreed with Len. It started out great, but they lost it as they went along. He finished saying Cody has the talent, he has to use it. Score: 21 (7,7,7)

Toni Braxton & Alec Mazo (Viennese Waltz) The training video this week dealt with Toni's athletic ability, or lack thereof. She had a very funny bit where she said the kids used to fight over which team she would be on. "We had Toni on our team yesterday, how come we have to have her again today?" Getting to the performance, this one had a bit of the daring. It would have been really easy for Alec to do something more run of the mill, and still get really good scores. Toni's grace and ability to create beautiful moments are perfect for the dance. Instead, they tried something a little different, going with a Marie Antoinette theme. I don't think it was the right decision. The goofy costume distracted from what was an otherwise really good performance. This is what Toni does well, and they kind of hid it.

Len's advice was if it ain't broke, don't fix it. This, he didn't enjoy very much. He told Toni that she doesn't need gimmicks and things. The last refuge of bad dancers is gimmicks and props. Bruno called it a huge risk, adding that with her talent, Toni doesn' t need to overproduce. Carrie Ann liked it. She said she got it. They went way over the edge. She called it a good job all around. Score: 22 (8,7,7)

Cloris Leachman & Corky Ballas (Jive) Cloris is on the other end of the Jive. Where Maurice and Cody were built for it, this was going to be a tough one for Cloris, no matter how you stack it. The training video showed Cloris working on her endurance and Corky trying to figure out how to bring the fun back into the dance. As to the performance, what can you say at this point? It was goofy, and played for laughs, but not very well rehearsed. And that makes a difference. After the dance, Cloris told the judges she wants 1s. I'm taking it to mean she realizes that the joke is getting old too.

Bruno said to call it wacky would be the understatement of the year. The performance was beyond comprehension. Carrie Ann agreed, saying they definitely got Crazy Cloris this week. She added that what Cloris lacked in technique, she made up for in charisma. Len was cut off before he could say much. Score: 16 (6,5,5)

Brooke Burke & Derek Hough (Viennese Waltz) Brooke and Derek were having some trouble in training, fighting over Brooke's ability to remember steps. It was one of the few training videos that didn't look ridiculously staged, so it gains some points for that alone. It would seem that they patched up their problems before performance night, because the dance was wonderful. Brooke is so graceful, and has gorgeous lines when she poses. If anyone had any doubt that she is the front runner for this thing, I think she proved it with this performance.

Carrie Ann said Brooke is quickly becoming her favorite dancer. Her inner beauty comes out when she dances. Len called it the best dance of the season. Bruno said it was dazzlingly beautiful, and called it great choreography. Score: 28 (9,10,9)

Now, getting to Misty & Maks. Friday night, during training, Misty suffered an injury. She made her way out on stage with the help of some crutches. They showed the video of when it happened and the pop that came from her ankle was loud enough that it was picked up on the video. After an MRI, the result is that she ruptured her Achilles tendon. Yikes. Talking with Tom, Misty said she was excited about this week because this is the first dance she was going to be doing in sneakers.

Unfortunately, she's out of the competition. As for volleyball, she was planning on taking time off anyway. If this was going to happen, this is the best time for it. She'll be having surgery on Tuesday. They brought out Maks and Misty said she couldn't have picked a better partner. Something I agree with. I think they were going to go a long way in the competition. Maks said that Misty is a perfect person and there is not a bad bone in her body. Misty promised that when she gets healthy, she's going to come back and do the jive. I'll look forward to that.

As far as what that means for the competition, nobody is saying. My guess is that nobody will be eliminated Tuesday night, and they will combine the scores from this week, and next week, for the week four elimination. They just didn't want to say it on performance night for fear that nobody would tune in Tuesday if they knew there wasn't going to be an elimination. Looking at the competition as a whole, Brooke & Derek have separated from the pack, but Lance & Lacey, Cody & Julianne, Toni & Alec, and Warren & Kym are all giving chase.