Dancing with the Stars: Week 9

(S03E17) I got the feeling that some of the staff may have had vacation time to use up this week. They didn't even put in the effort to stretch the show. Instead we were given a clip show of past performances for the first half hour of the show. That was a little underhanded, but they did pick some of the really great performances to show. A couple of my favorites: Edyta and Kym dancing while Rod Stewart did "Hot Legs", Edyta, Karina, Maksim, and Tony with Lionel Richie performing, and the great SWOP demonstration.

Mario & Karina (tango) - This was an interesting choice for Mario. The tango was the dance that got him scolded by the judges earlier in the season. It was a much more traditional tango this time around. Nobody rolled on the floor at all. The judges loved it. Len called it their best dance ever. Bruno deemed it excellent. And Carrie thought it was the best dance of the whole season. The scores, 10 - 10 - 10. First 30 of the season.

Emmitt & Cheryl (waltz) - Was that Kyle Bush at the Nascar race? They blurred all of the logos on the uniform, and given that Nascar drivers wear billboards for uniforms I couldn't make out who it was. This seemed to be a safer choice than Mario but it wasn't nearly as successful for me. Throughout the middle of it there was far too much of Cheryl dancing around Emmitt. He looked good, but didn't really do a lot of dancing there. The judges loved it though. Carrie called it wonderful. Len said Emmitt is Prince Charming. And Bruno compared Emmitt to the Grand Canyon, meaning he's excellent. The scores, 9 -10 - 10.

Joey & Edyta (quickstep) - I didn't really care much for the navy suit. It was a little too costumey. That aside, the dancing was good. High energy, good synchronization, and they really looked to be having a fun time. The judges were less enthusiastic about this one. Carrie pointed out that they broke the hold, and we all know what a no-no that is by now. Len softened the blow by saying that while it was a rules violation, it was in the spirit of the dance. I would have expected that remark from Bruno, but it surprised me to hear Len say it. The scores, 9 - 10 - 10. The judges are taking themselves completely out of the decision.

Mario & Karina (cha cha cha) - It seems so odd to see one of the girls in pants. She did look great though. I could have done without the one glove. I know it was a Michael Jackson song, but come on now. It was a very sexy performance, once Mario got past his little tribute. The only negative being that, like Emmit's waltz earlier, for a while they fell into the trap of having Mario stand behind Karina while she did all the dancing. The judges had a mixed reaction. Carrie criticized the Michael Jackson bit, but called the performance hot. Len said not enough cha cha cha. Bruno thought it was great. The scores, 10 - 9 - 10.

Emmitt & Cheryl (cha cha cha) - Following up with the same dance was interesting. I actually liked this one better because Emmitt was more involved than Mario. The crowd seemed to be into this one more than any other as well. It was a great performance and convinced me that we are going to see Emmitt & Cheryl again next week in the finals. The judges loved it. Bruno said the audience 'just eats' Emmitt. Carrie and Len were also impressed. The scores, The scores, 10 - 10 - 10.

Joey & Edyta (rumba) - They wrapped up the night with another really nice performance. Joey mentioned in the practice package earlier that he was nervous about the rumba, and that did show a little bit. There was some of the concentrating so very hard Joey back for this one, but not too much. I didn't think it was perfect, but still very good. The judges, on the other hand... Len said that Joey is now a latin dancer. Bruno called him a shapeshifter. Carrie praised Joey's improvement. The scores, 10 - 10 - 10.

Ok, the scoring is silly. If the judges aren't going to actually judge, they should just do away with the scoring. Do it like Idol where the judges all just comment on the performances and leave it up to the fans to decide. Then they can do away with the sham that is the judges trying to score. Oh my, a three way tie!

Scoring ridiculousness aside, it was an impressive night of dancing. This is a fantastic final three and no matter who the audience chooses, it should make for a great final. But it's no fun if we don't make predictions, so... As much as I don't want to see Edyta go, I think she will be leaving with Joey this week. We'll see Emmitt & Cheryl face off with Mario & Karina next week, and either one can win it.