TVSquad

(S07E08) It was an unusual week in the ballroom. Misty's exit last week meant that the week 3 and week 4 scores would be added together for Tuesday's results show. That put some extra pressure on Rocco, who found himself at the back of the pack after that first round. For those week 4 scores, the couples would be dancing either the samba or the tango. It set the stage for some good performances. In addition, along the way, we just might have seen the worst scoring by a judge, ever. A full run down of all the performances is after the jump.

Maurice Greene & Cheryl Burke (Samba) Maurice liked that the samba is the party dance, but quickly found learning it to be difficult. He was struggling to learn the steps, so Cheryl brought in his adorable little daughter to lighten things up. The performance was very fun. It was high energy and Maurice really sold his performance. He still lacks some of the polish that the higher scoring teams are showing. Overall though, a solid number. Unfortunately, they did catch a bit of that first up scoring as the judges tried to make a point about what they are expecting this week.

Len said they had the fun element of the dance, but he has to work on refining everything. Bruno called them Mr. & Mrs. Jackie Brown. He said their samba wasn't so fabulous. At this point in the competition they want to see the precision. Carrie Ann thought that Maurice fell back a little. He's not progressing the way they would like him to. Score: 20 (6,7,7) Total: 44

Cody Linley & Julianne Hough (Tango) It's becoming a theme, and this week, once again, Julianne was having trouble getting Cody to focus. So... she had him talk to his high school principal. They really are running out of training video ideas. Fortunately, Cody avoided detention, and once they made it to the dance floor, he had another nice performance. There were a couple odd step issues, which were later pointed out as a problem dealing with Julianne's costume. Those were more than made up for by the rest of the routine. In particular, the spin on one knee was very slick. Cody also did a nice job with the character of the tango, which should be one of the more challenging ones for him.

Bruno said Cody is starting to find his mojo, and that he looked confident and masculine. He liked that this was a proper tango. Carrie Ann agreed, but called him out for tripping on Julianne's dress. Len called Cody the boy wonder, saying the dance was sharp, and that it was Cody's best dance so far. Score: 23 (7,8,8) Total: 44

Toni Braxton & Alec Mazo (Samba) After a rough go of it last week, Toni was determined to give the judges what they want this week. Alec was taking a chance adding the samba rolls in the choreography, trusting that Toni could pull it off. The samba rolls came out well enough, but overall I was a little disappointed with it. At this point expectations have developed for the dancers, and those for Toni are rather high. There were a number of spots in the performance that didn't look finished. She's still ahead of the curve, but she can do better.

Carrie Ann said there is no denying the sensuality that the pair ooze on the dance floor, but what Toni needs to work on is her shoulders. Len said it's hard to balance the performance and the choreography, but he thought Toni got that just about right. He added that it did all go a little funny for a while. Bruno said Toni is like a tasty morsel and he can't wait to have more. He liked the samba rolls and the spins, but also acknowledged the mistake. Score: 22 (7,7,8) Total: 44

Cloris Leachman & Corky Ballas (Tango) Much like week two, once again Cloris was determined to work on technique this week. Corky was a little more realistic, talking about a balance between entertainment and technique. As a bonus, Cloris had a visit from her family, including her great grandson. That was a nice moment. To their credit, it was a much more focused Cloris on the dance floor. Unfortunately, there were still some rough bits where it looked like Cloris wasn't quite sure where she was supposed to be. Better, but they are still doing the least rehearsed numbers every week.

Len said if he hadn't seen it, he wouldn't have believed it. It had musicality, and it was absolutely fabulous. Bruno called Cloris the grand duchess in lust... He compared the performance to a silent movie. Carrie Ann said she owed Cloris an apology. She tried to explain that she had underestimated Cloris, and that she really liked the performance, but every time Carrie Ann tried to compliment her, Cloris interrupted, confounding Carrie Ann. Score: 22 (8,7,7) Total: 38 (Not a typo. 22. Really)

Rocco Dispirito & Karina Smirnoff (Samba) We found out last week that Rocco would have been going home if not for Misty's injury. It made him determined to work really hard to stay in the competition. For added inspiration, his mother stopped by the studio. She's quite the firecracker. I was actually impressed with Rocco this week. He looked much more natural in his movement. There has definitely been marked improvement.

Bruno said he likes Rocco very much, but his ruffles can't disguise the fact that he doesn't have a musical bone in his body. Carrie Ann agreed, saying that the dancing was lacking. Len said Rocco was very good, because he came out and had fun. It all felt very odd coming right after the ridiculous Cloris judging. Score: 18 (6,6,6) Total 38

Susan Lucci & Tony Dovolani (Tango) Susan was taken aback by the fact that Carrie Ann called her timid last week. Apparently, nobody has ever called Susan timid before. Behind the scenes, we saw Tony making a cameo on All My Children. That tied in because they were trying to capture the spirit of Erica Kane in the tango. I didn't get a whole lot of that. Granted, my AMC experience is limited at best, but I would have expected a much more animated and aggressive performance from Erica Kane. It was a good dance, but she does still have the tendency to be a little timid reserved. She is getting better. Slowly.

Carrie Ann said it was the performance she has been waiting for from Susan, going so far as to call it moving art. Len thought that there was nothing timid about that performance. It was Susan's best so far. Bruno said he always knew there was a tough broad under that polished appearance, and she showed it tonight. Score: 24 (8,8,8) Total: 45

Brooke Burke & Derek Hough (Samba) To get Brooke into the samba mood, Derek took her out to watch some dancers. She turned the tables by getting into costume and performing with them. Clearly, she was comfortable with this dance selection. That showed once they got to the ballroom. It was really good. Brooke is way ahead of everyone else in the competition. She's doing the moves, but she also seems completely comfortable and confident, something some of her competitors are still struggling with. Derek is taking full advantage of having such a great partner.

Len told Brooke that she has set such a high standard, that his expectations are very high, but this was too erotic. He also didn't like the nonsense with the props. Bruno said a sex bomb has hit the building. The sexiest samba he's ever seen. He needed a cigarette. Carrie Ann praised the blend of athleticism and grace, and told Brooke it could take her to the finals. Score: 26 (9,8,9) Total: 54

Lance Bass & Lacey Schwimmer (Tango) Playing it safe last week didn't bring the big scores, so Lance and Lacey found themselves once again trying to balance tradition with their own sense of style. They managed it very well this week. The resulting performance was very stylish. Like Derek, Lacey is making the most of having a very good partner, giving Lance some tougher choreography. His turns, especially, were excellent. Just the right balance of tango and style.

Bruno said it was quirky with a Gothic twist, yet always a tango. Lance should always be this assured because he has what it takes. Carrie Ann struggled to say that Lance hasn't really shined in the competition to this point, but that all changed tonight. She called the performance amazing. Len paused for dramatic effect and then dropped his big line, calling Lance Sir Dancelot. In the middle of all that, Carrie Ann was offended that Bruno referred to her as Paula, and then tried to backtrack when she realized what she had said. Score: 26 (9,8,9) Total: 48

Warren Sapp & Kym Johnson (Samba) Warren said he's been aggressive, and he's been romantic. Now it's time to get his party on with the samba. To get Warren up to speed, Kym took him for some martial arts training. It was odd, but totally worth it to see Warren Sapp walking on his hands. Wow. The performance was a little strange. After four dances, we've become accustomed to the fact that Warren can move very well, and he did here, but it just didn't quite fit the spirit of the samba. He was doing the steps, and Kym gave him plenty to do, but he never really got the character of the dance right.

Carrie Ann said Warren cracks her up, but this week she thought it was lacking content, because it's week four and they are pushing the content. Len told Warren that he is a joy to watch, but there was too much of him gyrating while Kym danced about. Bruno called Warren out for taking it too easy, adding that he has all the ability necessary to blow them away, but he didn't do it. Score: 22 (8,7,7) Total: 47

And there we are. Another week of performances are in the books. Clearly, the big story of the night is that score for Cloris & Corky. Because really, an 8? According to Carrie Ann, Cloris had the third best performance of the night. I just don't even know what to say about that. We often see in the comments people suggesting that the judges scores should count for more. Here's the proof. No, they shouldn't.

It looks like Rocco will be getting the boot this week. He was in last place last week, even though he had a four point lead on Cloris in the judge's scores. That lead has now been erased, and the two teams are even on points. It would take a drastic change in the phone voting to save him.