ABC/KELSEY McNEALNine jived and waltzed last week and the same nine tangoed and samba'd tonight thanks to the nonelimination of Rocco DiSpirito that went down after Misty May-Treanor was forced to drop out of Dancing With the Stars with an injury.
We'd like to say that it was a pleasure to watch all nine, but...
Check out what went down Monday to find out who pleasantly surprised—and who painfully (for us) pressed on.
Maurice Greene: Would dancing a saucy, uptempo samba provide give the unpolished track star another pass? Not exactly. Cheryl Burke provided the good-time choreography, but Greene's continued inattention to details cast a shadow over what otherwise was a fun, funky performance and what we think was his best dance to date.
Judges said: 20. "Well, that's sort of the way I like it—no, I totally liked it," Len Goodman said.
Cody Linley: Latin sauciness isn't really Cody's thing...or is it? The 18-year-old can't help not being a brooding type, but he certainly tried to make up for it by steering Julianne Hough across the floor like a conquistador in heat. They didn't break hold, which the judges should really love, and the Hannah Montana star tackled Hough's fancy footwork like a man-child on a mission.
Judges said: 23. "The little boy turned into the boy wonder tonight!" Len marveled.
Toni Braxton: Is it just us, or was there something sluggish about this samba? Points for Braxton for making the beads on her outfit (which she filled out to perfection) swing as much as they did, but the singer came out looking a bit unsure and stumbled partway through. But samba rolls are always much appreciated, so thanks to Alec Mazo for those! And, according to Braxton, her doc has said all this dancing is helping her heart.
Judges said: 22. "It all went a bit funny for awhile, but then you got back in again and carried on beautifully," the ever-observant Len said.
Cloris Leachman: Tango, being one of the most theatrical, character-driven dances, seems like a good fit for the Oscar winner. Thank goodness, Leachman left the wigs backstage and went au naturel for this one, clad in a teal-blue sequined gown that flattered rather than poked fun. And guess what else? This was her best dance of the season. Not only because she actually danced this one, either.
Judges said: 22. "The grandma from hell has become the grand duchess in lust," Bruno Tonioli growled. "If I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't have believed it," Len added, while Carrie Ann Inaba apologized to the 82-year-old grandmother for underestimating her.
Rocco DiSpirito: Not even Warren Sapp could pull off that rosy, ruffly samba shirt. Happily, Karina yanked those puffy sleeves off of the celebrity chef's shirt midway through the number, but that may have been the most watchable part of the whole thing. This definitely isn't the performance that Rocco needed to stave off elimination for yet another week.
Judges said: 18. "I like you very much, but all the ruffles in the world can't disguise the fact that you haven't got a musical bone in your body," Bruno said ruefully.
Susan Lucci: Another actress, another well-acted tango. Lucci dipped into her soap-star bag of tricks and pulled out an icy, manipulative vixen. It certainly didn't hurt that the 62-year-old (played tonight by Lesley Ann Warren in a bun, eh?) could outsmoke any Spanish señora in that red dress. Do you think it was a tango that Erica Kane could be proud of?
Judges said: 24. Lucci's highest score of the season. "I always knew that under that polished appearance there was a tough broad," Bruno said.
Brooke Burke: Oh, we're sorry—were you concerned that Burke and Derek Hough would turn in anything less than a supersexy samba? Since the former model was already a cut above, look at tonight's performance as less of her separating herself from the pack and more of the beginning of a Honey, where should we put the disco ball? discussion.
Judges said: 26. "It was slightly too erotic as a dance," Len began, only to have Bruno swiftly cut in: "Either you're not getting enough or you're getting too much, because this would please anybody!" A "sex bomb," Bruno later called her, while Carrie Ann suggested that Burke's blend of athleticism, grace and sensuality makes her a "perfect candidate to maybe go all the way on this one."
Lance Bass: Sporting matching eyeliner, he and Lacey Schwimmer put a gothic, Tim Burtonesque twist on their tango—and never broke hold, yay! We always expected Bass to be a frontrunner, and this dance could just do it for him. Remember Joey Fatone? That's what we want to see from the former boy bander.
Judges said: 26, including an 8 from Len (finally!). "You've got what it takes to get to the final," Bruno said. Again, finally!
Warren Sapp: And he sambas, too! The retired football star was as light on his feet as ever but…he could use some polish around the edges as well. We'd love for the big guy to be around for weeks to come, so it's time for Sapp to focus on technique, technique, technique!
Judges said: 22. They weren't as impressed as in past weeks. "Too much gyrating with Kym [Johnson] sort of dancing around," Len complained.
After seemingly ages without a good booting, someone's going home Tuesday. All scores and votes from tonight will be added to whatever the celebs scored last week. Who's it gonna be, who do you think it should be, and who should it never be? Did Cloris Leachman do enough to quiet the naysayers? Do you think Brooke Burke's samba was all that, or do you get the feeling that she's resting on her laurels a little bit?
Plus, Ne-Yo performs before tomorrow's elimination and, next week, the remaining eight contestants will be doing one of four, never-before-seen-on-this-show dances—the jitterbug, the hustle, the salsa or the West Coast swing.