Dancing with the Stars Season 5

By Ree Hines
MSNBC contributor
Updated: 12:00 p.m. ET Sept 25, 2007

Premiere night of "Dancing with the Stars" was, as always, worth the wait. And though there was at least one stinker in the group, this season is shaping up to showcase a more talented than usual ensemble. At least for the female celebs. Making the gents wait for their own evening of ballroom rivalry, Tom Bergeron and his new co-presenter, season two winner Drew Lachey, introduced viewers to "Ladies' Night."

Following in her "90210" pal Ian Ziering's footsteps, Jennie Garth kicked off the evening of dance. And, despite some lumbering legs, she performed at least as well as he did last year. Rehearsals with her partner, "Dancing" first-timer Derek Hough (brother of season four winner Julianne), didn't show much chemistry between the pair, but things improved a little on the dance floor.

Cha cha-ing to "Uptown Girl," Jennie looked nervous, though she later claimed that it was just excitement. Yeah, not buying that one, but those "excitable" nerves resulted in the biggest problem for the couple: Jennie's stiffness. It was remarkably noticeable next to the ultra-limber Derek.

Could have been worse
Luckily for Jennie, anything she was lacking was virtually forgotten by the time supermodel Josie Maran took the stage. Maybe Josie didn't know what to expect from the show, as evidenced by her reason for being there. "I'm taking part in 'Dancing with the Stars' because I get to live out my dream of being a rock star without the singing." Hmm.

At least Josie had the most entertaining training footage with her partner Alec Mazo, or as she calls him, "Hunkity, hunk-hunk." She practically abused him with foot stomps and face smacks throughout rehearsals. For his part, Alec got back at her, calling her "deceptively unfit." Ha! Too bad Alec's snark isn't likely to be around for long this season.

Sure, that may be a premature statement, but in addition to some less than impressive footwork on the foxtrot, Josie didn't make any friends with the judges. Receiving by far the worst marks of the night (16 out of 30), even the usually kind Carrie Ann Inaba said that it was obvious dancing didn't come naturally to Josie.

The audience booed the judges for their accurate appraisal of Josie's dance, but just watch them vote for anyone but her all the same.

The judges were much kinder to their favorite for the evening, "Cheetah Girl" Sabrina Bryan. Dancing with new guy and self-dubbed "dancing ninja" Mark Ballas, Sabrina promised to "bring some cheetah-licious flavor!" Way to play to the old fan base, Sabrina. Needlessly, too, as the pair impressed everyone on pure hoofing merit.

With a hip-hop infused cha cha, Sabrina and Mark put on a high-energy number showcasing both of their strong suits. From a classic ballroom sensibility, they popped a few too many modern moves, but made up for it with crowd-pleasing entertainment.

Even before Tom threw it to the judges, Bruno was unable to contain himself, miming his excitement. When he finally got a chance to speak up, he called her a "bewitching blond dynamo" with precision footwork. Surprising absolutely no one, the staid Len took off a point for hip-hop. Still, with a score of 26, no one complained.

Johnny & Marie
With a tough act to follow, Marie Osmond used her personality to make up for any soft-shoe blunders. And the ambitious Marie was out for the win, saying that she wanted to do it for other over-45 single moms. Her secret weapon? "25 million viewers - 22 million of them Osmonds!"

Wearing a gorgeous long purple gown, which looked to have some stellar support garments under it, Marie upstaged her foxtrot better half, Jonathan Roberts. Not with stunning moves or anything, but with her cheeky play to the judges. She went so far as to blow them a kiss midway through the performance. And it worked, as they found her "adorable" and gave the pair a set of sevens.

Less adorable, but much more sexy was the pairing of Spice Girl Mel B. and Maksim Chmerkovskiy. The two perfectionists butted heads during rehearsals, but those same strong personalities worked well come cha cha time.

In a sparkling leopard print, leggy number, Scary Spice gave up her controlling ways and managed to allow Maks to lead. A good portion of their routine didn't require up-close work though, which probably helped Mel B. In fact, the couple made the best use of the enormous dance floor during their routine, spreading out for much of the number.

When it went to the judges, Carrie Ann handed out an odd compliment, saying, "You're a better dancer than I thought you'd be." Didn't she ever see the Spice Girls? What they lacked in vocals (and that was a heck of a lot), they made up for with moves. Sort of.

Dr. Quinn: Dancing woman
Sabrina and Mark may have had the highest score, but the all-around best was saved for the end of the night. The lithe and elegant Jane Seymour, who at 56 is the oldest woman to ever compete on the show, joined Tony Dovolani for a beautiful foxtrot. The only possible thing to criticize her for was an unfortunate gown selection. That flouncy getup would have looked better in any other color than shocking hot pink.

Jane could practically teach some of the pros about long lines and detailing. At one point Tony dipped her almost parallel with the floor and she smiled into the most graceful movement of the night. To top it off, the pair earned a standing ovation for their efforts.

The judges may have given them a 24, tying the Mel/Maks score, but don't be surprised if viewers rank them the overwhelming winners of the night.

In the end, it was a decent showing from the women, but the men were missed. It seemed a shame to have to wait a night for the glitz of Mr. Las Vegas, the hubris of what's-his-name, um, Albert Reed, and the obnoxiousness of Mark Cuban.

Ree Hines lives in Tampa, Fla., and is a regular contributor to MSNBC.com.

By Ree Hines
MSNBC contributor
Updated: 12:03 a.m. ET Sept 26, 2007

After a strong start with the female contestants the night before, Tuesday night featured a mixed showing from the men on "Dancing With the Stars." As a group, the gents couldn't match the women's efforts, but even with the bar set high, at least one standout performance surpassed the ladies.

The first to show the audience what the men could do was "All My Children" star Cameron Mathison. And he must have noticed the support season one winner Kelly Monaco got from "General Hospital" viewers, as he bragged, "Daytime fans are the best fans in the world because they're so loyal and fantastic." Okay, Cam. Consider that collective butt kissed.

But then again, he may need all the extra support he can get after his premiere dance. Maybe the problem was that Cameron and partner Edyta Sliwinska weren't able to get in enough rehearsal time with his schedule. Maintaining his full-time status on "AMC," he had to fly from New York to L.A. just to get some face time with Edyta.

Whatever the reason, Cameron performed a stilted foxtrot. From the waist up he looked great, but his footwork was sloppy throughout. And he had that "counting the steps" look on his face for the first half of their "Moondance" routine.

The judges, who seem giddier than usual this season, scored the couple generously - sevens all around. Maybe Carrie Ann Inaba and the gang were impressed with his "nice arms for a guy."

Bring on the champs
Undefeated boxing champion Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Karina Smirnoff teamed up for the most staged training footage ever. Floyd discussed how he wanted to quit at first, then the video cut to a scene of the two arguing, ending with Karina storming off. Then, moments later, she returned to an apologetic Floyd. Right. Actors they ain't.

After their fake drama, Floyd decided to approach this competition the way he would a championship fight. And in a way, he did. Though they worked the floor and the crowd well, Floyd kept the posture and arm movements of a boxer - head low, arms tight.

Overall it was an energetic cha cha, and Floyd does have some dancing skills. Maybe not ballroom ones, but still. The sixes all around from the judges seemed about right. Hopefully he'll take Carrie Ann's advice to heart and remember that, "(Karina) is a woman; she's not fighting against you."

The other sports champ of the night showed Floyd and everyone else how it's done. Two-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves didn't look so sharp during rehearsals, especially with a bum knee from a recent crash, but everything changed once he and last season's "DWTS" winner Julianne Hough took the stage.

Showing more chemistry than anyone has a right to this early in the competition, Helio and Julianne strolled through a beautiful foxtrot. He almost looked like a pro with perfect lines and posture. And best of all, they both genuinely smiled during the dance - not the typical "remember to smile!" look, either.

The judges gushed over what truthfully looked more like a dance from week six, not week one, leaving Len Goodman waxing hokey with the racing lingo. "It was like you were on cruise control! You were firing on all four cylinders!" Ugh. With a well-deserved 25 out of 30, this is the couple to look for in the end.

Maybe fame is overrated
It's hard not to like Albert Reed. Sure, it's easy to want to not like him, what with Albert not really being a celebrity and saying things like, "My name is Albert Reed, the model known for big campaigns and my blue steel looks." But then he goes and softens viewers up with footage of his adorable lop-eared German Shepherd before letting loose his own full-on dorky, cute personality.

By the time he and Anna Trebunskaya left the dance floor, everyone was charmed, even the judges. How is that possible? What he lacked in fame and actual ballroom skills, Albert more than made up for with personality and a sort of endearing cheesiness. Zoolander brought it! Cha cha-ing to "A Little Less Conversation" and wearing an "open down to there" shirt, Albert busted every crazy move he could. High jumps, slides, hip action, he had it all.

Len compared the performance to watching a stripper. "Don't worry about what they're doing; just sit back and enjoy it." And oddly enough, that was apt. Bruno Tonioli said, "The crotch action was like a warp drive. I got a hernia just watching it!" Even though Carrie Ann just seemed confused by it all, she and the others awarded them a total of 21 points.

Significantly less charming, dot-com billionaire, Mavericks owner and self-proclaimed "wild man," Mark Cuban started things off with one major setback. And it wasn't his personality. No, it was the fact that just seven weeks before rehearsal began, he had hip replacement surgery.

It showed during training, where despite Kym Johnson's best efforts, he appeared lumbering, sweaty and in no shape for what lay ahead. Sure enough, come stage time, he just wasn't up to par. His campy faces and lip-synching distracted from some off his awful moves, but not most of them.

For some reason the judges were way too kind to Mark and Kym in the end, giving them 21 points, which put them right in the middle of the pack. For his part, Mark said he's never had so much fun in his life. Well, there's that.

The last performance of the night was, in some ways, the most disappointing. It wasn't the worst; it's just that expectations were so high for Wayne Newton. The man's been on stage longer than most of these other people have been alive. But even with the advantage of two-time "Dancing" winner Cheryl Burke, he just wasn't that great.

On the plus side, he displayed better footwork than most of the guys, which is especially impressive for a man in his mid-60s. But overall, his moves were stiff and not well suited for the cha cha. In fact, one has to wonder why Cheryl didn't pick the foxtrot for their first dance. And why she didn't pick a more flattering dress. (It was a repeat of that horrible hot pink color Jane Seymour sported the night before. Ladies, no one looks good in that color.)

Even with a score of only 19, the judges had mostly kind things to say to the humble stage veteran. They enjoyed his performance and really only faulted him for not "opening his hips up more." Regardless of how he dances, he'll stick around for a while. This dance earned him a standing O, and the fans love him.

Now comes the fun part, thinning the herd. Wednesday night's results show will reveal the first couple to be shown the door. And while the fellas strutted their stuff to varying degrees on the live show, the smart money is still on Josie Maran and poor Alec Mazo for the boot.

Ree Hines lives in Tampa, Fla., and is a regular contributor to MSNBC.com.

By Christopher Rocchio, 09/27/2007

Supermodel Josie Maran and her professional partner Alec Mazo were revealed to be the first couple eliminated from Dancing with the Stars' fifth season during last night's live results show broadcast on ABC.

"Thank you for this amazing experience," said Josie when host Tom Bergeron revealed she and Alec were eliminated. "Thank you Alec, you're an incredible teacher and this has changed my life. I have the dancing bug."

Josie and Alec were among the bottom two couples based on a combination of the judges' scores from Monday night's performance episode, which saw the six female celebrity participants perform, and home viewer votes cast following the broadcast.

Billionaire entrepreneur and former The Benefactor star Mark Cuban and professional partner Kym Johnson -- who ranked last among the combination of the judges' scoring and home viewer voting for Tuesday night's performance episode, which featured performances from the competition's six male celebrity participants -- were the other members of the result show's bottom two couples.

Josie and Alec had danced a foxtrot during Monday night's Dancing with the Stars 5 premiere broadcast.

"The key to foxtrot is elegance. And I must say, you came out and you looked fantastic. You looked so elegant," said judge Len Goodman during Monday night's broadcast. "The problem was -- and Alec, I know what you're up to here -- you did virtually the whole routine in holds because I've got a feeling Josie you can't dance free. Your too soft. Your hands don't control your arms. Your feet don't control your legs... The one constant throughout the whole thing was that your footwork was bad."

Fellow judge Carrie Ann Inaba tried to be a little kinder in her comments, telling Josie that she appeared to be "a little out of her element" but still thought she did a good job. However third Dancing with the Stars judge Bruno Tonioli picked up where Len left off.

"You look like a beautiful sailing ship stranded on a sand bank," said Bruno following Josie and Alec's performance. "I think a lot of it was nerves. You've got the package, but you've got a lot of work to do. If you come back in the Latin, hopefully you'll relax more and you'll knock us dead."

Josie and Alec never got that chance as the judges scored their foxtrot a 16 out of a possible 30 points -- the lowest score of any of the 12 couples who performed -- and home viewers apparently agreed with the judges.

"Well, I guess thanks for being honest," said Josie once it was revealed she was the first celebrity participant ousted from the competition.

Disney's The Cheetah Girls star Sabrina Bryan and professional partner Mark Ballas -- who is making his Dancing with the Stars debut -- received the highest ever first-show score from the judges, a 26 out of 30.

"You're fierce!" exclaimed Carrie Ann following Sabrina and Mark's cha-cha. "I've never, ever, ever seen anyone do a cha-cha like that on this show."

IndyCar racer Helio Castroneves was the highest scoring male celebrity participant, receiving a 25 with Julianne Hough, the defending Dancing with the Stars professional partner champion who won the series' fourth season with Apolo Anton Ohno.

Hot on their heels were actress Jane Seymour and professional partner Tony Dovolani as well as Spice Girl Melanie Brown and professional partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy, who both scored a 24.

Former Beverly Hills 90210 actress Jennie Garth and professional partner Derek Hough; entertainer Marie Osmond and professional partner Jonathan Roberts; All My Children actor Cameron Mathison and professional partner Edyta Sliwinska; supermodel Albert Reed and professional partner Anna Trebunskaya; as well as Mark and Kym all scored a 21 from the judges.

Finishing just ahead of Josie and Alec on the judges' scoring were entertainer Wayne Newton and professional partner Cheryl Burke with a 19 as well as professional boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. and professional partner Karina Smirnoff with an 18.

"The gauntlets been laid down," said Mark prior to learning he was in the bottom two. "We've got to work hard, and that's exactly what I think we're all going to do. We're in it to win it. It's been fun, it's exciting."

With its special three-night debut now over, Dancing with the Stars 5 will settle into its regular broadcast time periods beginning next week. Ninety-minute performance episodes will air on Mondays at 8PM ET/PT beginning October 1 and one-hour results shows will follow on Tuesdays at 9PM ET/PT beginning October 2. The 11 remaining couples will be performing either the mambo or quickstep during Monday night's performance episode.

By Ree Hines
MSNBC contributor
Updated: 12:18 a.m. ET Oct 2, 2007

The unity was back on 'Dancing with the Stars' as the male and female contestants faced off on the same night. With Week 1 jitters and the first cut out of the way, the celebs showed what they could do with a little more practice. But how much difference does a week make for this season's batch of ballroom-wannabes? The standings are nearly the same as the hits get stronger and duds maintain their downward spiral.

The evening started on a high note with Mel B and Maksim Chmerkovskiy taking on the quickstep. In training, Maks claimed the real challenge was to make Mel "look like a lady," and to that end an etiquette coach was brought in to take Mel "from Scary Spice to Lady Spice." Or, you know, she might have been brought in just to fill time with a lame skit. Needlessly.

On the dance floor, team M&M tore it up once again. Mel's footwork in the fast-paced number showed improvement over her already impressive cha-cha-cha from last week. At the end of the routine, Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli had nothing but praise for the pair, but Carrie Ann Inaba nitpicked with "watch your shoulders." That, and her seven in a field of eights, earned Carrie dirty looks from her fellow judges, but no complaints from Mel.

Decline time
Spreading out the talent, next up was last week's almost losers, Mark Cuban and Kym Johnson. Mark looked better in his mambo rehearsal footage than his previous foxtrot effort, but that may have had more to do with him shaving off the scruffy goatee than any of his moves.

In the live show routine, Mark bounced around and showed plenty of energy, but looked painfully outmatched by Kym (who seriously needs to rethink that ballroom hoochie-wear ensemble). Bruno summed up the performance nicely, saying it was like "watching a bulldog chasing a squirrel." Earning all sixes (the score of the beast!), look for Mark in the red spot again on the results show.

If there was ever a way to make Mark look good, it was to put Wayne Newton on after him. This time Wayne and Cheryl Burke played up to the Vegas fans, dancing the quickstep in their best flash finery to "Viva Las Vegas." They're going to need all the votes from the poker chip crowd they can get after another poor showing. Though the judges offered kind words to the pair, they received the lowest marks so far with a total of 15 out of 30.

But if those last scores had viewers thinking that the judges were ready to get tough, they were wrong. The inflated figures from last week returned with Marie Osmond and Jonathan Roberts. They stepped it up considerably from their so-so foxtrot with a playful mambo, but no matter how much skirt tossing and cheeky faces Marie pulled, they didn't earn all eights. Hopefully their half-hearted attempt at a death drop wasn't factored into that. Maybe Bruno and the gang fell for older-brother Donny's audience pump after the number.

Albert Reed forgot what worked for him in Week 1. Instead of falling back on the goofy charm and outlandish moves, he and partner Anna Trebunskaya went with a more subtle approach. The problem being that subtle allows no distraction from less than perfect steps. And there were plenty of those. Albert lazied Anna around the turns and lost his pace early on. Still, the judges remained generous with a score of 21, and Len went so far as to speculate that Albert could be this year's dark horse. Really, Len?

Now that's a mambo
Once again Indy driver Helio Castroneves and partner Julianne Hough brought it. It's hard to say what's working the most for this couple. Julianne clearly taught Helio well, but he has a natural gift for dance, and the mambo in particular. And the chemistry between them is still smoking. They go from funny cutups in training, to sweetly sensual on the floor.

Len was back on the cheesy race lingo, going on about Helio's pit stop and overdrive even when it didn't really apply. At least Carrie Ann made more sense when she pointed out that unlike most of the male competition, Helio led his partner. With a score of 27, this still looks like the couple to beat.

But don't expect Jennie Garth and Derek Hough to be the ones to offer Helio and Julianne the stiff competition. Jennie still appeared stiff and nervous during the dance, and while it started off a little better than her last showing, and her flouncy pink dress covered up some of her worst steps, things didn't end well. In their final move, Jennie went head-to-butt with her partner, leaving both on the floor. Their scores reflected none of this. Really the sevens-all-around would have been a bit much even without the fall.

Lucky number sevens
That's when the judges hit autopilot. Cameron Mathison and Edyta Sliwinska performed another slightly wooden, mostly non-descript number. Cameron displayed the exact same problems viewers saw last week - good arms, bad legs. Bruno said he looked like Superman, but "sometimes you dance like Clark Kent." And it was more sevens!

Floyd Mayweather, Jr. at least seemed to focus on some of the judges' complaints from last week, and Karina Smirnoff was jerked around considerably less thanks to those efforts. Overall the rest of his repertoire was the same. He plays to the crowd, but his tight upper body and jerky "in the ring" motions don't look like ballroom. Len inexplicably referred to his dance as "very light, very fluffy," and of course the pair ranked seven from each judge.

In retrospect there was really only one couple that really deserved their set of sevens, Jane Seymour and Tony Dovolani. On premiere night they pulled eights, but with criticisms of Jane giving them an English mambo, rather than the "raunchy and sizzling" dance Len hoped for, at least the score made sense this time. Still it wasn't exactly an off night for Tony and Jane.

The seven-frenzy came to an end when last week's favorites Sabrina Bryan and Mark Ballas hit the floor. The only misstep from the Cheetah Girl was the selection of that eye-burning hot pink hue Jane wore last time. Otherwise it was a near perfect quickstep, which brought Sabrina praises for precision footwork and claims of professional quality dancing. Especially impressive given her four-inch-plus skinny stilettos. But this time, with a 26 out of 30, she didn't beat the Indy champ.

With the same clear winners this week, the big question is who leaves Tuesday night? It's a last place horserace between Mr. Las Vegas and the Maverick man, but the billionaire better watch out. Wayne may deserve the boot, but Mark doesn't have the fan base to compete with the showbiz legend.

By Ree Hines
MSNBC contributor
Updated: 12:21 a.m. ET Oct 9, 2007

After last week's travesty, when the delightfully goofy and dance floor-adequate Albert Reed was sent home while Wayne Newton and Mark Cuban remained, the stars returned Monday night to give the dance/popularity contest another go. Tangoing and jiving their way through intense routines, the talent gap widened showcasing some greats (like Jane Seymour) and, well, some not-so-greats.

The first couple to perform was "Cheetah Girl" Sabrina Bryan and pro partner Mark Ballas. In the best jive offering of the night, Sabrina showed once again why she's one of the celebs to look out for in the end. In an energetic number with loads of twirls, kicks and everything that makes the jive what it is, she maintained perfect legwork and nailed it. The judges thought so, too, giving the couple all nines. The only slight criticism came from Len Goodman, who felt Mark's mid-dance worm (which Len called "the Free Willy thing") still smacked of hip-hop flavor.

From blah to slightly better
It was an improved Cameron Mathison who took the dance floor with Edyta Sliwinska in the tango. While Cam may have gone a little too far in saying, "This is my dance," he didn't look as blah as he did in the past. The stiffness was still there, as was that look of concentration, but overall the soap star moved with a little more grace and ease. Carrie Ann Inaba declared it a G-rated tango, but that was fine by her. And while Len agreed about the G part, he found the lack of character enough to deduct a point. Still with a total of 23 out of 30, it's clear the judges aren't easing up on the generous grading this season.

While Mark Cuban hobbled around on his new hip in rehearsals, his partner Kym Johnson worried his surgeon wouldn't be happy about Mark taking on the jive. Viewers probably weren't too happy, either, after watching another round of Mark making hammy faces and lip-synching while clomping through a slowish version of the upbeat routine. The fact that he lost time to the music in several spots didn't help. For some reason, the judges gave the couple a six and two sevens - inexplicably scoring them even better than last week.

The pity scores kept pouring in with "90210" alum Jennie Garth and Derek Hough. Sure the pair put on a decent tango, which didn't end with an unfortunate spill, but it also didn't merit the 26-point gift. Jennie's emotional reaction to last week's dive must have tugged at some judicial heartstrings. This tango was a more extreme offering than Cameron and Edyta managed, but Jennie still looked nervous throughout. And, no doubt, in an effort to avoid another slip, it ended with Derek clutching her in a no-way-will-you-fall grip. But Bruno Tonioli ate it up, calling it "sharp and tangy like a pickle."

Finally, the quality came back with Mel B and Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Mel promised to "really nail this jive" and she did. Starting out smooth and cautious, the dance peaked with amazing kicks and complicated bounce steps. Len dubbed it the best dance for the couple and it earned all nines. And in a bonus for some viewers, Maks went shirtless while goofing with Drew Lachey backstage. Surely they deserved an extra point for that.

Working the distraction technique
With Wayne Newton, each performance seems worse than the one before, but he tried a new angle this time. If you can't impress them, distract them! That must have been what he and Cheryl Burke were thinking when they planned his "character."

Hitting the stage in pink feathered black hat, fake moustache and a ponytail (?!), Mr. Las Vegas brought more of what the audience has come to expect from him - in the worst possible way. But at least the judges weren't completely thrown off by the frills when giving the slow, confused tango an 18. Though Len did give thanks that Wayne dumped the hat early on, as it reminded him of "that cat from 'Shrek.'"

Karina Smirnoff claimed that Floyd Mayweather is in love with the jive, but the feeling may not be mutual. Despite numerous comments from the judges, Floyd still couldn't shake the boxer posture. Head down and chest tight just isn't the way to approach a jive.

Still Floyd at least brings some charisma to whatever he does, and the in-house audience always loves it. Most of the nitpicks this time concerned his need to control his feet. Obviously, the judges have given up on his upper-body issues. With a set of sevens, the pair was scored fairly.

Best of the night
The highlight of the night came with Jane Seymour's return, who missed the last results show following the death of her mother. Given that the British version, "Strictly Come Dancing," was her mom's favorite show, Jane decided to keep dancing and dedicate Monday night's tango to her mom. Good choice, it was Jane and Tony Dovolani's best routine yet.

Looking positively stunning in a sweeping ruby gown and flapper wig, Jane showed more intensity than she did in the mambo. It was a tight and structured dance, with dramatic looks and head turns worthy of a pro. With a lesser dance, one could have accused the judges of issuing yet another pity score, but in this case Jane deserved the 27 or even a little more.

With a tough act to follow, racer Helio Castroneves and Julianne Hough shined again with the jive. They were the big winners last week, but this time the judges were a little more critical of their early darlings. Giving them a 24 for the jump and twirl efforts, the judges might be ignoring one big difference between Helio and the other male celebrities in the competition. He doesn't leave all the big moves to his pro partner. For every wow from Julianne, Helio delivered one, too.

Marie Osmond and Jonathan Roberts ended the night with a better than expected tango. Jonathan pegged the dance as perfect for Marie, since she's the "queen of drama." But it wasn't just her playful personality that worked. She's really improved from week-one with an amazing progression in her legwork. When evaluating the performance, Len and the gang focused on her drama, with Bruno calling her the "Meryl Streep of dance," but in the end they rewarded the moves with a 26.

With the divide between the talented, the mostly okay and the why-are-they-still-here growing, the next elimination should be a cinch. But will Wayne and Mark stick around like so many Master Ps and Billy Ray Cyruses before them? Surely even the strong fan bases of the two-left-footers have to give up some votes to this season's greats. Or, in last week's random fashion, it'll be another coin toss where anyone could go.

By Ree Hines
MSNBC contributor

In a repeat of last week, it was another evening of big scores on "Dancing with the Stars." Only this time, the highs were even higher as the celebs took on the ambitious Viennese waltz and paso doble. There's no doubt the talent is big this season, but whether it matches the numbers handed out by Len Goodman and his cronies is another question all together.

The Viennese waltz is the graceful, twirling ballroom routine, filled with almost constant clockwise and counterclockwise turns. At least in theory - not so much when Mark Cuban got a hold of it. Admittedly, the Mavericks man and partner Kym Johnson put on their best dance of the season, but that's still not saying much. No matter how hard Mark tries, he just doesn't have the lines or the fluidity of a dancer.

Bruno Tonioli called Mark "Bigfoot in a suit," and that sounds about right. And while Carrie Ann Inaba complimented Mark for finally putting an end to the lip-synching, she failed to notice he had not. At least returning co-host Samantha Harris added some unintentional levity, greeting Mark with a full-on Porky Pig impression: "Abada-abada-abada." (Welcome back to live TV, Sam!) Decidedly less funny, the 16-at-best dance earned Mark and Kym a 22.

Pretty good is the new perfect
Sabrina Bryan spent the last two weeks proving that she could take on fast, intense numbers, but this week she promised to show some contrast. Performing the paso doble, the Cheetah Girl had plenty of opportunity to show her softer side with the role as the cape in the bullfighting drama. But she didn't. Sure, she slowed things down in the appropriate moments, and still showed her many strengths, but her moves lacked smoothness or subtlety.

Did the judges knock off any points for that? Quite the contrary. Somehow this dance earned the first perfect score of the season. Carrie Ann declared it "perfection," and Len could find no fault in it.

Next up, Jane Seymour and Tony Dovolani followed last week's remarkable tango with another dance that seemed tailor-made for Jane. Her perfect posture and natural grace ooze waltz, and that early ballet training showed in her lines. But this wasn't as big of a hit with the judges.

In fact, Carrie Ann seemed downright cranky about a rule-violating lift she was sure she witnessed, despite Tony's protests. Len decided not to worry about it, and dubbed the night a "lift-free zone."

"Since when does a head judge go so soft?" Carrie Ann interrupted.

There was even a replay of the controversial move before scoring, which revealed that it was no more or less of a lift than everyone else was doing. The 26 the pair received would have been about right, if other scores weren't so inflated.

Are they watching the same show?
Floyd Mayweather, Jr. didn't take last week's criticisms lightly. "My scores better change, and I mean it," he said.

He growled it really, in a way that implied the judges needed to improve, not him. Maybe the scare tactics worked, as his barely passable paso earned two eights and a seven.

The seven came from Carrie Ann, who this time laid into pro Karina Smirnoff for another lift infraction. Carrie Ann was like a dog with a bone about the lifts all night. Otherwise, all the feedback was positive for lumbering Floyd. Len even told the boxing champ that it was a "bloody good job!"

The Viennese waltz proved another good pick for Mel B and partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy. One strong point the judges fail to bring up with Mel and Maks is their sweeping use of the floor. No one else uses the full space the way they do, and rarely to such effect.

The routine was devoid of any standout moves, but it was sweetly smooth and, overall, well done. Without a lift to attack, Carrie Ann started in on the turns, but Bruno cut her off before she could turn the feel-good dance competition into a real fight. M&M earned the second fair score of the night with a 26.

The most impressive aspect of Cameron Mathison and Edyta Sliwinska's otherwise lackluster paso doble wasn't Cam's slow but steady improvement, but rather that the two could dance at all to their music selection. Trying to keep time to the rhythmless "Superman Theme," had to be a challenge, but somehow they mostly managed, though Cameron did look a bit dorky with the big, glittery "C" on his chest. The judges loved it, again a little more than they should have, giving the pair all nines.

When Marie Osmond took the floor, in possibly her least animated performance yet, she and Jonathan Roberts performed a fine waltz. Nothing spectacular, but at least she didn't camp it up with winks and hammy gestures. A good choice given the nature of the waltz, but for Bruno that was disappointing. He's the king of hams, so it's understandable. Carrie Ann loosened up and gave Marie props for her "stripper" neck whips. Again, the fine-but-unremarkable number ranked a 26 from the judges.

What the heck, have a 10
Last week, Jennie Garth's tango showed how much she'd improved in three weeks time. For their paso doble, she and Derek Hough put on a decent showing. Overall, it didn't equal their tango for lines or flow, but it was nothing to be ashamed of.

According to Bruno, the couple continues to improve every week, and while Carrie Ann noticed a lift, she didn't say much about it. The biggest surprise from the panel wasn't the overall score of 27, but Len handing out a 10. Their dance was not a perfect 10 by any stretch of the imagination.

After slipping from first to sixth place last week, Helio Castroneves needed a comeback, and after Julianne Hough cracked the whip in rehearsals, he delivered. While no better than his first two performances, Helio certainly improved from the quickstep effort. The only visible weakness from the racer, which Len later pointed out, was a new tendency to keep his head forward in almost a step-watching stance. But other than that small posture issue, he was back in form and the pair continued to display more chemistry than any others in the contest. And the 27 from the judges? That was within a point or two of fairness, so no complaints.

Who's going home on Tuesday night? The obvious picks are Floyd and Mark. Despite his dance floor shortcomings, Mark has had elimination-night luck so far. With only a point separating the two, Floyd could be down for the count.

By Ree Hines

Monday night's performance show was like no other on "Dancing with the Stars." Dancers contended with illnesses, fumbles, and for one, a dramatic drop that wasn't part of any routine. Despite the mix-ups, one thing remained the same - namely that the women are still out-dancing the men in the competition.

Just five weeks in and it's looking more and more like this could be the first season since, well, the first season that sees a woman in the final two. And if the men don't step up their steps, there might not be a male celebrity on finale night at all.

Expect the unexpected
The competition barely got underway before the most dramatic event of the night unfolded. Moments after Marie Osmond and Jonathan Roberts performed a reasonable facsimile of a samba, and before Len Goodman could finish his dissection of the dance, a hyper Marie and her blue bubble dress hit the floor. Hard.

For a split second it seemed as though was just a new selection from Marie's bag of overacting, but after host Tom Bergeron knelt down to check things out, it was clear the lone female of the Osmond clan wasn't okay. (And massive presenter props to Tom for seamlessly going to commercials with a completely limp Marie at his feet.)

When the show returned, Tom informed the audience that Marie returned to consciousness in typical fashion, with the words, "Oh, crap." And a drowsy, smiling Marie stood, with considerable support from her partner and explained that, "this happens sometimes."

Seems in the excitement of the moment, she simply forgot to breathe. And, as ever-helpful Samantha Harris pointed out, "If you thought that would get you 10s, it didn't work." Johnny and Marie earned just 21 out of 30 for their efforts.

With, literally, a tough act to follow, Jane Seymour and Tony Dovolani hit the floor for their rumba. Jane's background in ballet continues to show in her arm lines and leg lifts, and once again the "random" assignment of the dances worked in Jane's favor. From her tango to her Viennese waltz to this week's rumba, the dances that rely on grace and perfect lines - clearly Jane's strong points - keep coming her way.

That's not to take the credit away from Tony and his tough-love training. Jane continues to improve, overall. This time their well-choreographed number earned a 26 from the judges, and only merited slight criticisms for Jane's hesitation in the turns.

A low point for Team Men
Like Wayne Newton and Floyd Mayweather before him, Mark Cuban just isn't getting it. Repeated notices from the judges seem to sail by him, and his "If we get an 18 or a 19, who cares? We want to entertain" attitude in rehearsal footage shows what poor Kym Johnson has to work with. Mark's playing to the crowd the only way he knows how: hammy faces and jazz hands.

In this week's skit-samba, Mark integrated his love of "entertainment" with his difficulty dancing in an "I Dream of Jeannie" themed routine. Up until now, the officials gave him extra credit just for trying, but even they seem to realize that this is as good as it gets from the boisterous billionaire. Just before handing out his 21, Len told him, "Get out that lamp, rub it hard, and hope that genie sorts your feet out."

Of course there were no such comments for this season's golden girl, Sabrina Bryan. In fact Miss Cheetah and Mark Ballas managed to finally show a different side while performing the rumba, or as Mark put it, the "vertical expression of a horizontal desire."

A big plus for the pair is Sabrina's habit of actually listening to advice. (Take note, Cuban.) For instance, this week she finally showed that she could embrace a slower number and not meet every move with intensity.

It helps that she came to the competition with a background in dance. That, along with acting and singing, is part of her triple-threat Disney billing. But possible ringer-status aside, Sabrina and Mark delivered again and scored high, with a total of 28.

If Mark got praise for just trying in the past, Jennie Garth deserves her fair share. She takes the judges comments to heart every week and it shows all over her face. Following a particularly impressive hip-shaking samba, especially for a woman with virtually no backside, Jennie put on her lip-quivering brave face on once more.

Even with Derek Hough hanging on to her, Jennie looked like she could cry when Carrie Ann Inaba started out with, "Tonight is a rough night."

But even with the list of nitpicks that followed, the pair scored a decent 25. And if her past performances are any indicator, look for the "90210" alum to comeback big next week.

Not the best from the best of the men
So far, Helio Castroneves has been the one hope for a gent to make it to the finale, but even he was unable to deliver on Monday night. In their worst dance to date, the racing champ and Julianne Hough crashed and burned with what is usually their strong suit, chemistry.

Apparently, Helio felt the rumba required acting to convey seduction. Well, he's not an actor. Not even close. His usual smiles and sweet glances toward Julianne were replaced with creepy glares.

Whether he'll be able to bounce back and lead the men next week remains to be seen, but after only meriting a 23 for the routine that Bruno Tonioli called painful, maybe he'll at least try harder and act less.

One last woman had a chance to show the men how it's done, and despite a bad cold and recuperating partner, Mel B did it. Still smarting from their moment in the red light last week, Mel and Maksim Chmerkovskiy performed, according to Carrie Ann, their best dance of the competition. And all of the judges agreed, it was the finest samba of the night.

Just one point shy of a perfect 30, Mel gave all the props to Maks, for being a great teacher. Even Samantha chimed it to congratulate the duo on a great performance, "for two sick people." (Once again, welcome back, Sam!)

At least the men finished off on a slightly better than expected note from Cameron Mathison. He's still not on par with the ladies, and he relies on cheesy shtick like bringing in daytime legend Susan Lucci to seal the soap fan base, but at least he shows improvement.

In a rumba that sailed past seductive and right into a little pornographic, Cam and Edyta Sliwinska did bring the chemistry. Sure, it looked like they might just stop dancing and get down to business, but, hey, that's something.

Scoring a 26, and a not-so-shabby-for-a-dude third place, Cam accepted some rare praise from the judges. He also made sure to give his wife a shout-out for allowing him to do what he just did. "My wife's watching and I love you for being so supportive about%u2026 this." Ahem.

Given the men's lackluster Latin night performances, Tuesday's results show should see the male exile trend continue. But the fans, or whomever it is voting for Mark, could throw a wrench in that. Mark's inexplicable staying power brought him this far, and after last week's surprise bottom two featuring the competent Mel and Maks, anything could happen. One thing is for certain: Marie has the sympathy vote all locked up.

By Ree Hines

Marie Osmond's unrehearsed drop stole the "Dancing With the Stars" spotlight last week, but given the lackluster performances that followed, it's just as well the focus wasn't on the dancing. That left nearly everyone in need of a comeback routine Monday night. Unfortunately, only a few delivered.

With the deadweight thoroughly cut (so long, Mark Cuban!), the competition should be down to the best of the best. But instead, the loss of the glaring losers (you, too, Wayne Newton!) only highlighted the flaws in some of the remaining pairs.

After head-judge Len Goodman practically proclaimed Sabrina Bryan flawless last week, she and Mark Ballas delivered a foxtrot to showcase just how wrong he was. The normally in-synch Sabrina battled timing problems throughout her routine, and failed to match the form of her partner. But luckily for her, that part sailed by the officials. Instead it was her repeat offense of maximum intensity that drew the nays.

"The one thing you have to have in dance is light and shade. It was all too hard - too aggressive," Len pointed out. Of course he's somehow managed to ignore this in almost all of her other routines. Bruno Tonioli backed Len up, but Carrie Ann Inaba wouldn't hear it. Still, for a criticized dance, the couple earned a good score: 25 out of 30.

Sabrina blamed her busy "Cheetah Girl" obligations for a lack of rehearsal time that led to the so-so presentation. Honestly, the "busy" card needs to be put away. Cameron Matheson's already worn it out this season with his moans about the jet-setting soap star lifestyle.

The excuses just kept coming
Jennie Garth made her excuses before she even hit the floor. In rehearsal footage the actress oddly claimed, "I'm not a performer." The stage lights gave her the worst of the willies, so Derek Hough suggested she image Len in his underpants. Then they actually cut to a scene of Len in his underpants. Shouldn't there be some kind of viewer warning for that?

As it turned out, in Jennie's case the excuses were hardly necessary. Once again, she listened to last week's comments and incorporated the need for more "puff" in her dance. The only real drawback in the routine was a flubbed hand grasp, and compared to past efforts, that should hardly count. And apparently it didn't, as they raked in all nines.

Jane Seymour and Tony Dovolani's unexpected bottom two result last Tuesday should have inspired a spectacular number, but instead it confirmed what many already suspected. Jane can take an elegant dance like the Viennese waltz or the tango and play to her strengths, but give her a bouncing Jive, and she can't groove to it.

Her miniskirt and ponytail looked the part, but Jane's holding-a-tea-napkin hand poses and slow-bop didn't. Carrie Ann tried to give it a pleasant spin, "Some dances don't bring out the best in people. You're better than this dance." Even Len and Bruno blamed the dance, but ultimately this one showed a lack of range. The 22 from the judges put the pair in the back of the pack.

But things looked up for Cameron, as he continues to improve. He's no longer the stiff-limbed, distracted dancer that started the season. But he and partner Edyta Sliwinska didn't use that upward momentum to best effect Monday night. Prancing around in Native American-themed costumes, which in Edyta's case consisted of a couple of well-adhesed bands of fabric, they performed a competent but unsamba-like samba.

A confused Bruno said he'd "never seen Captain Smith and Pocahontas do the samba," but Carrie Ann insisted he, and everyone else, just didn't get the jungle, primal idea behind the dance. Overall it wasn't so bad, landing the pair with a middle-worthy 25.

A rousing rumba
After Mel B. and Maksim Chmerkovskiy thoroughly explained the love/hate vibe of the rumba, it seemed like an obvious choice for the bickering couple. On the dance floor, they proved it really was a perfect match.

Eschewing the power moves that all the couples have employed so liberally this season, M&M performed a stunning, straightforward rumba with just the right amount of emotion. (And take note Sabrina, they only squeezed in six hours of rehearsal time!) Finally, the pair had a chance to showcase their odd chemistry, and it worked. After ending the number with a judge-perched flirting finish, they scored 10s across the board.

The second perfect score of the season also merited an odd bit of gibberish from Len. "It was perfected, inspected, dissected, and as far as I'm concerned, it won't be rejected." Co-host Samantha Harris wouldn't be outdone, adding, "I knew you should have sat on the judges earlier in the season!"

After yet the second obligatory screening of Marie fainting last Monday, she and Jonathan Roberts performed the paso doble. Or at least tried. They held back, and who can blame them? Jonathan even made a point of incorporating breathing into the number, lest Marie forget about that part again. But a dour-faced Marie suspiring on cue didn't make for a passionate paso.

The most exciting moments for Johnny and Marie awkwardly came from two choreographed drops that looked a little too faint-like for comfort. When it was over, Len, still a little word-loopy, compared Marie to "a gypsy around a campfire cooking (her) sausages." And evidently embodying that was worth 23 points.

Back on track
Following his first roundly panned performance last week, Helio Castroneves ditched the idea of playing a character, and instead embraced his grinning, goofy self. That made for a big stride in this week's cha-cha-cha. Helio's footwork was impeccable - well, what could be seen of it from under the hems of his appalling beige flairs.

The audience went wild for the dance, and Len was wild for the pants. "When you're done with your trousers, I'd look gorgeous in them!" But the panel thought the Helio's moves were even better than the flairs, scoring him and Julianne Hough 28 points.

The show ended with a rock 'n' roll group dance that went like all group dances do. There was so much going on at the same time, it was impossible to tell the good from the bad. Everyone just looked out of time and jumbled - not to mention, hard to recognize in their "Greasers vs. the Jocks" getups. Jane Seymour decked out as Sandy in the last act of "Grease"? Distracting!

At least there's one big change in store for Tuesday night's results show. It's highly unlikely a guy will leave this week. In fact, if voting shapes up around scoring lines, Marie or Jane will waltz off the stage. But surprises happen, so look out Jennie!

By Ree Hines

After the presumed dancing queen, "Cheetah Girl" Samantha Bryan, was banished from her throne last week, the remaining stars were put on notice: Bring your A game and play to the fans if you want to stick around. On Monday night's performance show, they had two chances to do just that.

In a half classic ballroom/half Latin night, the couples took on challenging, new-to-them dances. While the resulting moves were all over the place, the scores weren't too far apart, with a couple of notable exceptions. Meanwhile, the judges gave everyone an honest earful, and one didn't limit his criticisms to the dancers.

First on the floor, Comeback Kid Helio Castroneves needed another strong routine to continue reestablishing himself as the male celeb to look for on finale night. Luckily for him, in a night of second chances, he did that.

Rehearsal footage showed that Helio wasn't comfortable with the first dance, the tango. He struggled as he maneuvered around his partner, Julianne Hough. Once they hit the dance floor, things improved, but not much.

The first challenge facing the pair was song selection. David Bowie's "Jean Genie" doesn't carry a classic tango beat, and although Helio kept time beautifully, both he and Julianne appeared to work hard around the odd rhythm. When it came to judging, Len Goodman had more complimentary things to say about Helio's black velvet jacket than the dance. Carrie Ann Inaba liked their moves and credited her youthful years to the difference. Brave move, Carrie Ann.

Coming out of the tango with a total of 25 out of 30, Helio found his form in the samba. "The samba is the home dance of my country, Brazil," he beamed. And it was obvious that he was no stranger to the beat. Helio and Julianne recaptured their old chemistry and tackled the hip-swinging moves to near perfection. That's when head judge Len made the most memorable comment of the night.

"Just because you come from Brazil, it doesn't mean you'll dance a good samba," the elder official mused. "Just like, just because you come from Texas, doesn't mean you'll make a good president." The shock and awe effect on the audience left host Tom Bergeron laughing, "Well, luckily, you only annoyed 33 percent of the people!"

That samba earned Helio and Julianne three nines, bringing their total for the night to 52 out of 60.

Starting with their best material
With a tough act to follow, Marie Osmond and Jonathan Roberts presented their quickstep to the tune of "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy." Marie was dressed and styled in the perfect Andrew Sisters getup and, what followed was the best dance the couple has ever performed.

The retro pastiche allowed Marie to use her full-on camp style without distracting from the number. If anything, it only added to the high-energy, high-entertainment factor. The dance ended when she planted a big crimson wet one on Len's cheek. Oh, he loved that. They all did, leading to a score of 28.

But the high Johnny and Marie felt after their early success took a nosedive once they returned for their cha-cha. Marie lost all her early cred for costuming when she debuted her exotic dancer look in black and fuchsia, complete with boa accessory, and that was only a little worse than her footwork.

Len thought is was a good effort, but there was "a little much messing around going on." A blunter Bruno told Marie, "You peaked early on." Ouch. Their total for the night stood at 52.

A perfect repeat
With a perfect score in their back pockets from last week, Mel B and Maksim Chmerkovskiy went into the fox-trot with a little too much confidence. She worked some great arm lines, but as Carrie Ann pointed out, "Last week we saw what perfection looks like from you." And this wasn't it. Len complained, "Every time I was expecting a heel, I saw a toe." And the resulting 24 drove the point home.

One thing that can be said of M&M, they know how to stage a same-night comeback. If the remarkably well-synched paso doble didn't give it away, then the constant clapping from the judges' table throughout the number sure did.

Bruno repeatedly chanted, "Top that!" Len raved that the dance contained everything: "It had the passion and the aggression!" M&M flaunted their Sabrina-supporting cheetah-paw tattoos - Maks', not surprisingly, resided on his pec! - before receiving their second perfect score for the paso. The 54 for the night left them firmly in the lead.

Still stumbling
Now recovered from the food poisoning that kept her from last Tuesday's results show, Jane Seymour decided to dedicate her first dance to her friends, the late Johnny and June Carter Cash. Sadly, dancing a quickstep to "I Walk the Line," she and Tony Dovolani attempted a bouncing number that fell flat early on.

The lack of precision footwork was obvious, not least of all to the judges. Len was the most critical, pointing out "a total lack of body contact and poor footwork," and Bruno had a hard time getting past Jane's distracting dress. The white shredded ensemble was truly awful.

Jane seemed hurt by the criticisms and unhappy with the 24 they earned. But if she hoped to bounce back with the cha-cha, well, that didn't happen.

While no one can deny the 56-year-old actress looked stunning in her gold lame minidress, the dance did not impress. But this time the blame should stay with Tony, as the choreography wasn't up to par. While they scored better than round one, the total of 50 kept them in last place.

Lacking confidence
This week, Jennie Garth was on top of her game, and once again, the primary weakness stood with the pro when it came to their Viennese waltz. Jennie and Derek Hough both moved gracefully and in perfect time, but Len spotted the problem.

"For me that was not enough Viennese waltz," Len said. "Not enough reverse turns and I'm a fan of [Derek's] choreography." Derek accepted that, but once backstage with Samantha Harris, he added, "I thought it was an American-style Viennese waltz, not international style." Still, Jennie didn't suffer too much from the fault, getting two eights and a nine from the gallery.

And that was with their rumba still to go. In rehearsal, Jennie was shy about the sexy dance. But why? Doesn't she remember their ooh la la tango? "Dancing the rumba with Derek was weird, but he says he can dance it with his sister - which is weirder." Well, maybe she had a point.

Nothing looked weird on the dance floor, though. Jennie and Derek delivered a smooth and romantic rumba, prompting Carrie Ann to call it a comeback. For his part, Len kindly pointed out to Jennie, "The only person who isn't convinced you're a really good dancer is you." Adding 28 to their overall score, they waltzed away with 53.

Needs improvement
Cameron Mathison started the night whining about his schedule again. We get it! It's hard to mambo and be Mr. Daytime TV. This time he's playing the "busy" card in response to last week's standings. "Having a hectic schedule makes me worry even more about being in the bottom two."

Then again, after seeing the mad-dash mishmash of fox-trot he and Edyta performed, maybe he has a point. Carrie Ann dutifully mentioned that he missed a step. Actually he missed more than one. The generous 24 Cam and Edyta got for that one made no sense.

With the sloppy and clumsy portion of the evening behind them, at least the jive gave them a chance to redeem themselves. Cameron opened with a giant leap from the stage steps. How many times has he done that move now? It's practically his signature step. But what followed what vast improvement from the faulty fox-trot.

As each of the officials pointed out, the jive isn't a tall man's dance, and Cam is big boy. Somehow he overcame that handicap and highstepped his way to some kudos. Bruno boasted that it had more "kicks than a rodeo!" This time the score, 27, was just about right, but still left them with a higher-than-deserved 51 for the night.

After the two-for-one night of dance ended, the only real question was who's going home Tuesday night. Last week proved it could be a coin toss, but if it's down to dance, Cam and Edyta may see red again, along with the lowest scorers of the night, Jane and Tony. With the numbers so close, it's all down to the fans and their dialing preferences.

Ree Hines is a regular contributor to msnbc.com.

Original Article

By Ree Hines

In a night lacking the usual host of personal tragedies and illnesses making up so much of this season, Monday's "Dancing with the Stars" was all about the dance. This performance night showcased why some stars are destined for next week's semifinals, and why a couple of couples could skip it all together.

While the show continues to boast an impressive batch of celebrity talent, the gap is widening. The judges even put away their sunshine pep talks, and took nitpicking to a new level. And, finally, Mel B and Maksim Chmerkovskiy aren't the only obvious pick for the end. Now, it's a serious dance competition.

Last week Jennie Garth's lack of confidence made up the biggest criticism from the judges. In a bizarre effort to deal with that, her partner Derek Hough brought in some self-esteem boosting support from Richard Simmons. Yes, the "Sweatin' to the Oldies" guru worked on Jennie's issues.

When Richard told her she was "worth more than all the pearls in the ocean," she looked like she might laugh, but instead wept. "You have to do that foxtrot and jive and believe in it," he urged her. Somehow his sparkling tank top and fuchsia pompom didn't distract from the message.

It must have worked, as Jennie hit the floor with mounds of confidence for the jive. Maybe a bit too much. It was an overload of energy and gusto, much like Cameron Mathison's crazed foxtrot last week. Her enthusiasm led to some sloppy moves, and Derek couldn't cover for the obvious timing gaps.

Head judge Len Goodman put aside his usual kind words and let the actress take some heat. "Jennie, I've got to be honest; I'm not sure if that jive tonight is deserving of getting in the semifinals." Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba agreed, leading to a score of 24.

For the first time, Jennie looked surprised not to get some praise. She was so wrapped up in believing in herself, she didn't sense it coming. "I thought I did great!"

With a chance to redeem herself in the foxtrot, Jennie, decked out in an old Hollywood glamour gown, improved. The judges considered it a come back, but didn't back down from their overall "needs improvement" message. Still, with a total of 50 out of 60 for the night, Jennie and Derek can't complain.

Not quite perfect
After his mixed showing last week, Cameron promised, "This is my week to bring home a 10!" Then again, he seemed shocked he didn't earn a perfect score for last week's jive, so maybe he's not his own best judge.

Dancing the Viennese waltz to "Hedwig's Theme" from the Harry Potter movies, Cam and Edyta Sliwinska started out strong. Len wasn't wild about Cam's choice to bare his chest in a non-Latin routine, but as the turns and counterturns grew, the routine grew on him, too. The all nines fell short of the soap hunk's goal, but there was still the cha-cha to go.

That's when it went downhill for the couple. Cam made all the right marks, but struggled in the finesse department. Carrie Anne pegged it when she said, "You hit the lines and they're beautiful. It's all the in-between moves you need to work on."

Len simply found it wooden and "dancing by numbers."

When the set of eights were revealed, the disappointment showed on Cameron's face. But he took some solace when the audience booed the judges. And much like Jennie before him, he shrugged it off and exclaimed, "I thought I did alright."

Little bit too much country
Returning to the game following the death of her father, Marie Osmond relied on her dad's "the show must go on" mentality. Rehearsals saw her dancing well and looking good. Really good. Glance back to footage of the first week to see what the ballroom workout can do. Wow!

Unfortunately, that's where the wows ended. She and Jonathan Roberts performed a good-for-her rumba, but didn't deliver a performance to prove last week's spot-on quickstep was more than just a fluke.

Len couldn't articulate the problems with the boring number, as he was too busy putting his foot in his mouth. "I knew this was going to be a tough dance for you; it's meant to be a young couple dance." Ouch. He tried to dig his way out, saying that the oldest woman in the competition and her partner put a "sophisticated tweak on it."

Marie clearly got good marks from her brother Donny Osmond, who clapped and cried for her efforts. Of course, his scores don't count, so it was just eights from the officials.

The take-two dance for Johnny and Marie, the jive, fell flat as well. Kicking up more of a country sidestep line-dance than a jive was the issue. But Marie looked so much more comfortable with the country moves.

Bruno and Carrie Ann debated whether the dance even was a jive, and Len tried to make up for last time by just saying the jive is fun and "you came out and gave us fun." Must not have been enough fun, as they still landed in last place with a total of 49.

Helio Castroneves and Julianne Hough weren't going to repeat their past missteps. Julianne took Helio through a video of the last dance and pointed out the problems, before bringing in a "pit team" of ballroom heavyweights, including the recently booted Tony Dovolani, to show him how it's done.

Usually, those rehearsal montages just seem like set-up filler, but something must have clicked for the Indy champ. In their first dance, the paso doble, Helio worked the cape like a pro and his footwork was markedly better than it's been in three weeks. He even took on the matador character without making the scary faces he's assumed in past acting attempts. Progress!

The audience loved it; the judges loved it; and with 27 points, no one could have expected things were going to get so much better. But they did.

Jumping from the stage step (Cam style!) in a bright yellow zoot suit, Helio launched into a flawless quickstep. He and Julianne worked in perfect time and gave not only their best performance but possibly the best of the show so far.

After the prolonged cheering and standing ovation, the judges continued clapping as though they were as stunned as the crowd. "I thought you looked like a big dancing banana," Len quipped. "It was fantastic." And if they had any doubt of that, their first perfect 30 of the season should put it to rest.

They can't all be 30s
The only other perfect scoring couple in the game, with two 30s under their belts for past performances, Mel and Maks took the stage next. The passionate and aggressive tango they performed harked back to last week's paso. Once again in all black, they even rehashed a couple of their own steps. The dance was great, but it felt redundant.

Without the eerily similar feel, they might have managed 10s instead of nines for the routine. But there was still time to see some 10s for their mambo. They received two of them, in fact, and a nine for the surprisingly standard interpretation. That's standard in a good way.

The classic, hip thrusting fun and fast mambo was no frills, strictly ballroom material. If Carrie Ann didn't dish that nine, M&M would've tied Helio and Julianne for night. But Carrie Ann did point out one thing that speaks volumes to Mel's success so far. "Maks looks like he's having a great time with you." The usually grumpy pro does seem positively pleased with his partner - a big change from seasons past.

Going into Tuesday night's results show, Jennie and Cameron are both red zone possibilities, but they aren't the ones that need to worry the most. As host Tom Bergeron put it when he announced the standings, "Languishing at the bottom are Marie and Jonathan." The fan base loves Marie, but even if she sticks around one more week, it's clear the competition is beyond her now.

By Ree Hines

Next week the winners of "Dancing with the Stars" walk away with the coveted disco ball trophy, but Monday night was just about getting a chance to compete for it. With the competition down to four couples, the celebs and their pro partners put their best moves forward to stay in the game.

Every dance got a standing O and the judges handed out 10s like candy, but even in the midst of all the ballroom backslapping, some stars managed to outshine the competition. And in a season where the male stars dropped like flies, the last one standing could take it all the way.

The worst of the best
The biggest surprise of the semifinals wasn't part of any routine. It was the fact that Marie Osmond and her partner Jonathan Roberts made it this far at all. After so many lackluster performances, they remain as a perfect example of how much weight the fan votes carry. And, apparently, Marie has a lot of fans.

To her credit, there was one performance this season that stood out and showcased the best of Marie to offer, the quickstep. Just two weeks ago her "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" routine earned a 28 with judges and rare praise from critics. So it's no wonder she chose the quickstep again in the ballroom portion of the night's competition.

The problem for Marie was, after seeing a near-perfect version of the dance before, no amount of playful gestures or move-obscuring costume panels could hide the flaws. The occasional missteps were still evident, leaving the couple with a good, but not great, routine.

Of course, listening to the judges, it sounded like a win. Carrie Ann Inaba thought they were perfect last time, and despite noticing one problem with Marie's footwork, gave Johnny and Marie a 10. Len Goodman followed suit, but Bruno Tonioli broke away from the pack with a nine - earning him boos from the Osmond-loaded crowd.

For the Latin round, Jonathan picked a mambo. The number was filled with typical Marie shtick: goofy faces, exaggerated characters and clumsy dancing. Or, as Carrie Ann put it, "I was waiting for the confetti canons." Despite the kind, but obviously not complimentary comments from the panel, it was all nines all around.

Real contenders
With two perfect 30s in their back pockets, Mel B and Maksim Chmerkovskiy didn't have anything to prove Monday night. They could have simply delivered smooth, quality dances and left it at that. But somehow the two saved some of their best energy for the semifinals.

In week four, the Viennese waltz proved to be one of the lowest scoring routines from Mel and Maks. That made it an even more interesting pick from the duo for the ballroom segment. "I want to prove I can do it better than before," Mel insisted. And they did.

M&M's waltz featured the standard turns and counterturns, while incorporating loads of more advanced variations. The series of three full splits on the move from Mel easily impressed. Bruno called it a "Viennese waltz driven to maximum impact," and Carrie Ann said it gave her chills. It also earned the couple their third 30 of the season.

Given that Mel and Maks' last paso doble was dubbed the best of season by head judge Len, they were expected to wow with it again Monday night. Before hitting the stage, Maks even warned, "If we get a 29, it's going to feel like we failed."

But Mel and Maks didn't fail. The intense paso, complete with whip rather than cape, showed they owned the dance. It racked up yet another 30 for them, and the first combined 60 for anyone. But they didn't hold that record long.

Still holding on
Jennie Garth's crisis of confidence continued, as she said she questioned why she was even going on in the competition "after getting annihilated by the judges last week." But, if clip spots are to be believed, a quick stop to Disneyland and a twirl with Mickey Mouse took care of all of that.

Promising to "go out there and show the judges what I'm made of," Jennie took the floor with smoky eyes and a low-cut red gown for the tango. Back in week three, this was the dance she and Derek Hough performed for the encore. It was easily their best dance of the season, even if the score of 26 didn't reflect that.

This time, they danced what Len might typically call a "by the numbers" tango. All the moves were there, minus the passion and sensuality. Oddly enough, even though Carrie Ann spotted that, Len claimed to see some chemistry. And, with all the big scores floating around anyway, the managed two points higher than their last tango effort.

With a twist for the Latin portion, Jennie and Derek went with the cha-cha, the first dance from them (or anyone) this season. Good move. Nine weeks later, the progress Jennie's made, at least where the cha-cha is concerned, is astounding. It earned the couple their first perfect score - a full nine points more than they got for it last time.

The star of the show
Cameron Mathison's elimination last week left Helio Castroneves as the last hope for the men. Honestly, that comes as no surprise to anyone who saw the men strut their stuff during the first week. The two-time Indy champ was the only guy with anything close to natural talent, and he's only improved since then.

First taking the floor with foxtrot, Helio and Julianne Hough went for classic lines and simplicity, sans any flashy moves. It could have come off as boring, but instead, with skill and finesse, they gave a perfect example of how the foxtrot is done.

Bruno dubbed Helio a wizard, "because it's impossible to believe you've never danced before this competition." He even went so far as to promise to eat his judging book should Helio and Julianne fail to make the finals. But with all 10s for the flawless foxtrot, it's unlikely Bruno will have to resort to that.

The last dance of the night, Helio and Julianne's cha-cha, started out goofy. With a looming locomotive skit to match the "Love Rollercoaster" song, it only worked because Helio does goofy so well. But it wasn't long before the dance evolved into a fast, precision number.

"Tonight the standard has been fantastic," Len boasted. "And you are the standout couple for me for the night." From the round of raves and the matching set of 10s, the other officials felt much the same, leaving Helio and Julianne with 60 overall.

From a purely dance standpoint, it's clear who should be in the finals. But if the last nine weeks have taught us anything, it's that the fans have the final say. And lately, Marie's fans have said a lot. But will they vote to keep her around in the final dance off? And if so, who goes home in her place? Perfect scores are all well and good, but with a thin point spread between all the contestants, even the frontrunners could be eliminated Tuesday night.