(S08E15) I finally learned my lesson and turned the channel at the minute before the top of the hour. I was rewarded with the Team Tango dance. I was dreading the group week, because I thought that whichever team got Ty, it would have been a crutch. I was wrong; there was no Susan Lucci this year. The synchronicity of the end sequence is great to see.

Tonight's recap pointed out two odd things I never noticed: 1) There was a woman's head that blocked part of the judge's table; if I were the producers, I'd ask her to move. 2) Bruno sniffed Ty's shirt when he took it off during the Team Tango. More odd nuances after the jump.

There was something wrong about this week's Dancing with the Stars: everyone who performed did well. If it weren't for Melissa hurting her rib last week (which I predicted would become a problem), the show would have actually been a close race. The paranoia of the news got me wondering about Melissa's disappearance; for a quick second I thought she had contracted the swine flu. Thankfully, it was just her rib.

Is it me or is Bruno not making any sense this season? He creates any excuse to get up, flail his arms into Len, and scream nonsensical phrases. The problem is that I think Carrie Ann is catching the Bruno flu.

(S08E10) We're finally at the half-way point where (presumably) the bad dancers have disappeared. We have our four early standouts and then the other four. It's weird that there are only three female celebrities left, but those three are the best.

How do I love this show when there are two large flaws bringing it down? The musical arrangements this were horrendous. The band's take on "If I Were a Boy" by Beyonce and "Dance Dance" by Fall Out Boy were atrocious. Samantha still hasn't improved; this week she called Len a "Poopy head."

On a fashion plus, I got my wish of Edyta wearing legwarmers. Even Lil Kim has a pair. More musings after the jump.

(S08E08) With the passion of the Paso Doble and the grace of the Viennese Waltz, most of the contestants have proven that they deserve to be here. Even Steve-O has improved leaps and bounds since week one.

Carrie Ann was on the attack the whole night. She had to be angry at her hairdresser and took it out on the contestants. This week was one of those weeks where the lift continues to be debated. She accepts Shawn for being artistic, but penalizes Melissa for a flub. More analysis after the jump.

(S08E02) - "We all know what Bruno wants." - Chuck

The show was a little off this week with the random sound cue during Ty's judging, the frozen video with Lawrence, the new judges paddles and Steve-O, but the performances were a lot better than last week. Most of the weaker dancers improved, and the rest basically stayed in the same scoring bracket. After the jump, an overall look at all the performances.