gilles marini

(S08E19) I normally have the opportunity to watch Dancing with the Stars in high definition, but this week's results show I watched from the 4:3 resolution. I have to admit, this show needs the extra sides of frame for HD. There is a degree of beauty missing from the show.

One thing I forgot to mention about Melissa's performance last night was that she got an unlucky draw. I find it unfair to have the Cha-Cha near the end of the season since it lacks the flair of the Salsa and Samba, or the passion of the Paso Doble. I gave her some credit for doing as well as she could, but she lacked the passion.

It turns out that Afton was cursed. Everyone that Afton touched, including herself, got eliminated. More about the professional competition and the elimination after the jump.

(S08E18) Tonight's episode didn't have to be two hours. I already suffered from watching a three-hour finale of The Celebrity Apprentice, and when I saw the show start with a professional group dance, I knew this episode was going to be padded. That three-minute buffer of dancing could be worse; Samantha Harris could have tried to interview the celebrities for three minutes.

I caught Samantha Harris this afternoon on the syndicated version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, covering for Meredith Vieira, and she was a little better on that show. I have to think that she just can't roll with the punches as well as Tom Bergeron. Her flaws really kicked in tonight as she fumbled through the whole show. Can't we have a contest to find a new co-host?

(S08E16) Tonight we found out how badly Melissa's injury affected her: not at all. If anything, the injury made her work harder. We're provided with two dances per celebrity tonight (one ballroom, one Latin), and even though the show could be accomplished in an hour and a half, we're given another half hour of padding.

We start the night with a professional group dance demonstrating ballroom. The best part of the professional dance was that there was an audience shot right after, and no one looked impressed. After ten minutes of padding we start the night with Shawn Johnson.

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.

(S08E12) After getting rid of Steve-O, mysteriously everyone got better. The average tonight was 26. There were some definite standouts.

We are reminded that the clothes were created by the contestants. I'm happy to see Edyta with clothes on, but I'm a little saddened that there was no denim for Ty. Unfortunately, Samantha was channeling Pollyanna and I was expecting her to have a milk bucket ready for her daily chores. Take a tip from Cat Deeley and find a hip stylist. Speaking of which, more So You Think You Can Dance references after the jump.

(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.

(S08E04) Dancing with the Stars heated up tonight. This is the first night where we got to see the opening, and I'm saddened that the disco ball openings are no more. The kaleidoscope is still there, but now the show attempts to take advantage of the widescreen. Although Tom mentioned that everyone had the same amount of time to practice, you have to think that the four weeks before the show started is an advantage for endurance and teamwork.

There was a three-way tie for first place tonight. If this week is the precursor of who the final three will be, Gilles, Shawn, and Melissa seem to have it in their hands. I can definitely see Lil Kim fight her way in there; her strength is definitely the Latin section. More information and analysis after the jump.

Move over Jewel and Nancy O'Dell, it seems as though there are some more bodies going to the Dancing with the Stars infirmary. This time there are three men with some reported injuries. This season is really shaping out to be all about the drama and nothing about the dancing. Find out who got injured this time after the jump.

Gilles Marini is suffering from a separated shoulder after checking an X-Ray. They gave him a cortisone shot, so he's recovering. We've had arm troubles before (Cristián de la Fuente) and they've just had to readjust to not put too much pressure on the injured arm.