ABC/KELSEY McNEALThe seventh season of Dancing With the Stars has flown by, leaving in its wake three contestants with a shot at the championship on next week's finale.
Though this season has largely been missing the "wow" factor (the serious, positive "wow" factor, anyway) and last night's results were mixed for Brooke Burke, Cody Linley, Lance Bass and Warren Sapp, viewership has been consistent and voter support has been strong—so there's plenty of people out there lovin' this group, right?
See whether your favorite three made it through, or whether, once again, you have to admit that you just don't understand the way America thinks...
Many interviews and five musical numbers later, it was the athlete, the boy-bander and the bombshell who were ushered into next week's finale.
Warren, Lance and Brooke were the last ones standing Tuesday, meaning an early graduation for 18-year-old Cody, who, depending on which fan you asked, either should have been gone a long time ago or should've gone all the way.
"Words can't even explain the true, amazing, growing, learning journey that I've had on this show," the Hannah Montana star gushed upon his dismissal. "I can't show my appreciation any more to Julianne [Hough]…I just love her so much and this opportunity has been so amazing…
"Just to know that maybe my dancing can inspire someone to be happy or to want to dance or to bring entertainment to one person."
Cody, of course, was saddled with an extra challenge this season—and we're not just talking about his tender young age. The contender was forced to dance without Julianne for nearly two weeks while the two-time champ recovered from surgery to remove her appendix and endometriosis-related cysts from her reproductive organs.
Edyta Sliwinska stepped in and, as far as the judges were concerned, Cody barely missed a beat—although the quality of all the beats he didn't miss remained up in the air.
Last night had its ups and downs for everyone, least of all for Bass and most of all for Burke. But no matter what, all three finalists are going to have to leave it all on the floor Monday in hopes of hoisting the disco ball on Tuesday because, as Monday's leaderboard switcheroo proved, it's still anybody's game.
Next week, the embargo on lifts will be lifted as each contestant adds a freestyle number to the night's ballroom-Latin lineup (expect Kym Johnson and Warren's buffet of lifts to be mind-boggling) and here's hoping the contestants put in some 30-caliber performances.
On the Nov. 25 finale, Miley Cyrus will perform her single "Fly on the Wall," and DWTS will welcome back all of this season's castoffs, from Cloris to Kim K., and otherwise figure out some way to fill up nearly two hours of air time.