ABC/KELSEY MCNEALAs was expected from week one, Melissa Rycroft, Shawn Johnson and Gilles Marini are still here, busting their tails to distinguish themselves as the best.
Ty Murray has already distinguished himself, meanwhile—as the one who stayed while Lil' Kim got away. He's definitely most improved, but if he makes it to the finals, we'll know he's got the entire state of Texas in his pocket—and has probably secured the bovine vote, as well.
Monday's show started off with trips down memory lane for each contestant, as they recounted their turning-point dances before unleashing new ballroom and Latin numbers upon the fans.
First up, the accidental contestant, a certain former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader...
Melissa Rycroft: Nothing to complain about concerning the technicalities of Melissa and Tony Dovolani's quickstep, which was traditional, graceful and a veritable cornucopia of proper hold and dainty little steps. But it was also extraordinarily…safe. Which Len Goodman totally appreciated, calling it "a delight" all the way through. Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba, however, thought it lacking. "It wasn't as exhilarating and twisty and zingy" as it should have been for a semifinal, Bruno lamented.
Score: 28. Len prefers less zing—he gave 'em a 10.
• Wow. Gotta love ABC synergy, which, before their second dance, allowed for yet another rundown of the proposal-to-breakup Bachelor path that brought Melissa to this point. Well, at least the girl can cha-cha. The elevator-music version of the Drifters' "Save the Last Dance for Me" did its best to disguise that, but Mel's hips were twisting, her fringe swinging and her fans cheering. Well, yeah, it was a bit "lackluster" in places, as Len pointed out. But it was the music's fault. "I like my cha-cha full thrust and full on…at moments you were sensational," compensated Bruno.
Score: 27. Attribute the minus-three to the music.
Gilles Marini: His mission for the week may have been to keep Lil' Kim's departed bionic booty alive, but Gilles could have fooled us when he waltzed Cheryl Burke across the floor tonight. Unlike during last week's fox-trot, they kept the Latin love out of this ballroom number, allowing the romance a chance to shine instead. "That is how you start a race for the final!" an increasingly overheated Bruno shouted. "I'm giving you a sitting-down standing ovation," applauded Len.
Score: 30
• Ah, the booty he was talking about was in the second dance. Tightly clad in purple, Gilles was bouncing his pecs and swinging his behind like he was auditioning for Dirty Dancing 3: Cannes Boogie. "That was Gilles Marini at his best!" raved Carrie Ann, who before commenting treated us to a little rah-rah dance of her own. "I wish I had an 11 paddle," added Len, before Bruno topped them all: "Lil' Kim is alive and well, and she's hiding in your pants!"
Score: 30
Shawn Johnson: Sexy isn't Shawn's first language, but—for her—this was a saucy number. Too much rigmarole at the beginning, before Mark Ballas' choreography got into the soul of the Argentine tango. Once that part started, though, it was an exciting mélange of kicks, lifts and fierce angles. "Catherine Zeta-Shawn" was what Bruno tried to say in comparing the routine to Chicago's "Cellblock Tango." "You danced with a maturity I wasn't expecting," said a very pleased Len.
Score: 30. Their first, hopefully not their last.
• Hmmm. Their second number was charming, but there was something Little Miss Sunshiney about Shawn's half of the jive. Was it the polka dots—and Mark's umpteenth pair of distracting socks—that made it look kind of hectic, like the duo weren't dancing the same steps (although they totally were)? The judges thought something was a bit off, too, with Len preferring to have seen more traditional steps and "a bit less slapstick" and Carrie feeling that Shawn looked she was "almost going through mud" toward the end.
Score: 26. An unexpected dip.
Ty Murray: There was good news and bad news. Ty is so freakin' adorable—that's the good news. And his waltz started off fluid and debonair. But then the young-colt aspect of his dancing acumen kicked in and the last 30 seconds featured him racing to catch up with Chelsie Hightower—just in time to barely support her leg during one of the turns. "He nearly dropped her!" Bruno insisted when Len gave the rodeo cowboy a surprising thumbs-up. "I don't think anyone has worked harder," the Brit said appreciatively.
Score: 25
• Aw. If this samba was, in fact, Ty's last dance, at least it was as charming, albeit as determined, as ever. Latin is not his forte, but he still pulled out all the stops, even preening for the booty cam à la Gilles. "You put everything but the kitchen sink in that samba," Bruno commented, though at times it was as if he was "dancing on a tightrope."
Score: 23
So Gilles was perfect tonight, while Shawn and Melissa slipped up a few times but seem like shoo-ins for the finale with still lofty scores. Then there's Ty, who has proved that the Monday-night rankings are not insurmountable.
Here's the rundown of tonight's leaderboard, combining both scores:
Gilles and Cheryl: 60
Shawn and Mark: 56
Melissa and Tony: 55
Ty and Chelsie: 48