SkimIt
This week's Dancing with the Stars fills its two hour timeslot with double dances from the six remaining contestants, attaching an extra partner to each couple in the show's second half.
Nearly Perfect
Donald kicks things off with a tight, fast-paced tango to Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground." While Len and Bruno are uniformly positive, Carrie Ann wishes there were a little more drama--Donald silences her criticism with a spontaneous kiss. He earns straight nines.
Maria follows, coming on the heels of her perfect-scoring paso doble. She and Derek tackle the Viennese waltz, performing a fluid, melodic emotionally charged routine. Bruno and Carrie Ann are swept up in the drama of it, but Len is emphatically disappointed: they score an eight from Len, and tens from the other two.
Unbalanced
After that comes the least healthy relationship on television, uberjerk Maksim and perpetual abuse apologist Melissa. Their backstage footage is as awkward as ever, but she at least elicits general positivity from the sympathetic judges. They earn straight eights, and Maksim makes his weekly declaration of only wanting what's best for her. Yuck.
It is, I must say, a huge relief to then spend some time with Katherine and Mark, a talented, charming partnership that mercifully isn't hooking up or feuding or both or whatever. Their Viennese waltz is almost perfect, but Katherine loses her balance toward the end. They net an eight and two nines.
Today's High Scores
Roshon and Chelsea are up next, dancing a very sweet, very retro foxtrot. Though they've been in the bottom two for the last few weeks, this is one of their strongest routines in weeks: they score two tens and a nine.
After that comes a slinky foxtrot from William and Cheryl, characterized by smooth, assured, professional movements. The routine is fun and spirited, earning the pair a perfect thirty -- only the second of the season.
Underappreciated
In spite of William's perfect score, he's instantly upstaged by a three-person jive from Donald, Peta, and Karina -- for the second round of dances, each pair recruits an eliminated pro dancer. The threesome's routine is a spectacle to behold, featuring tightly synchronized kicks and a number of effortlessly executed athletic moves. They're criminally denied a perfect score, earning a ten and two nines.
Maria comes next, dancing a tribute to Bollywood with Derek and Henry. The routine is a lot of fun, but Len is thoroughly disappointed by its lack of Samba characteristics. Though the other two award them nines, Len gives them a seven on principle.
Wardrobe Issues
Next it's a routine from Melissa, Maks, and Maks's brother Val. Setting aside the general weirdness of the shirtless Chmerkovskiys glowering over everything, it is, as the judges say, her best dance. Unfortunately, she's still not really in the same league as the top contenders -- I know Melissa and Maks have their fans, but it's getting tougher and tougher to justify the couple's continued presence. They do earn straight nines though, my opinion be damned.
Katherine and Mark enlist Tristan for their routine, forming the Ultimate Nice People With Accents Team. Katherine faces a slight wardrobe malfunction during her costume change, as a part of her outer layer gets caught on her foot. She shakes it off and recovers fully, though, netting her two tens and a nine.
Guy on Guy
For Roshon's big three-person dance, Chelsea recruits a male role model in Sasha. I do kind of feel for Roshon here; it seems like every week his manliness is called into question, with tonight's strategy being to give him a testosterone target rather than an extra partner. It largely pay off though, as their paso doble scores straight nines.
William is also given a male counterpoint in Tony, though I suspect that has more to do with maximizing Cheryl's personal enjoyment of the routine. The two men dance as competing matadors, earning nines across the board.
That does it for double dancing threesome night, tune in tonight for a double elimination.
Similar Shows:
