by Kylene Hamulak

 

Part one of the Dancing With the Stars finale extravaganza - seems like just yesterday I was predicting Bill's early ouster, and look at him now! Competing for that coveted Mirror Ball Trophy! Yeah, I've never been much of a betting woman.

 

Here's this week's recap:

 

Round One: Judge's Pick

 

Bill Engvall and Emma (Viennese Waltz) - Len is checking in with Bill and Emma at rehearsal, hoping to help him improve on his Viennese Waltz. Bill's just happy to have made it this far and has exceeded all expectations. The dance is sweet and a beautiful tribute to the pair's growth as a dancing couple. Len notes the improvement in his fluidity, but also noticed some that some parts just stayed the same. Bruno loves the honesty he brings to his routines, even with the timing issues. "I always love watching you...you're irresistible." Carrie Ann lovingly points out that, while all the other pairs are operating at a different level, Bill has stayed true to 100% effort, the same warmth, and no improvement on the musicality.

SCORES: 8 (Carrie Ann) - 8 (Len) - 8 (Bruno) = 24

Corbin Bleu and Karina (Quick Step) - Len believes that Corbin is a better dancer than the 8's and 9's of his last Quick Step indicate. Their challenge is to make the routine less manic than their original dance. Len saw far more control and felt it was calmer, though he does note some problems with his arm. Bruno agrees that there was more control, but he calls them for going out of sync. Carrie Ann is disappointed - she didn't see any improvement over last time they performed this routine, but it wasn't worse either.

SCORES: 9 (C) - 9 (L) - 9 (B) = 27

Jack Osborne and Cheryl (Jive) - If not for Bill, Jack's survival would be the talk of this competition. He has been, as Bruno says, "a revelation." The judges want to see him improve on his flicks and kicks for this routine, and I think he mostly did, but at the expense of everything else. Bruno agrees with me - "The flicks and kicks were good - the TIMING went out the window!" He does note, however, that his transformation has been incredible. Carrie Ann thought his first time dancing this routine was better, and Len notes that he came out on the wrong foot and then never really got it back.

SCORES: 8 (C) - 8 (L) - 8 (B) = 24

Amber Riley and Derek (Charleston) - Visiting Amber and Derek at rehearsal, Carrie Ann tells them that their synchronicity could make or break them - small changes can make a big difference. The crowd is loving this routine from start to finish, and Carrie Ann is happy with what she sees too. Carrie Ann is giggling with pride, "you completely outdid yourself, you were WAY more in sync!" Len believes this couple was the most improved of this round of dances, and Bruno says her footwork was "as sharp as a razor blade."

SCORES: 10 (C) - 10 (L) - 10 (B) =30

 

Round Two: Samba Relay

 

All five couples are challenged to dance in the Samba Relay as TLC performs "No Scrubs" live in the ballroom. Jack and Cheryl are the first couple, and while Cheryl tries to up the ante, it's nothing overly impressive. Are Amber and Derek any better? A little, as they throw in a Samba roll that works well. Bill and Emma look cute, but I mean...it's Bill. Corbin and Karina finish the relay strong - extra style points for those two.

 

Len calls it a "WHAMBA!" instead of Samba, noting that one was careful, one lacked rhythm, one was "close but not quite" and one "absolutely nailed it." Bruno gives a little TLC shout out, describing it as "Crazy, Sexy, Cool" and hot. Carrie Ann was impressed by Corbin and Amber, applauded Jack's comeback, and praised Bill's transition as his best dancing of the season.

 

Rankings:

4^th Place (2 pts): Bill and Emma

3^rd Place (3 pts): Jack and Cheryl

2^nd Place (4 pts): Amber and Derek

1^st Place (5 pts): Corbin and Karina

 

Round Three: Freestyle

 

Bill Engvall and Emma - Bill's channeling Indiana Jones for his freestyle routine, and he believes having a character to play is one of his strengths. It feels a little like Bill has been doing freestyles all season, as his best dances have been very much in character. It's so much fun to see them play out the Indiana Jones theme, and Bill uses this final routine as his last chance to strip off his shirt, sending the ballroom into a frenzy. Len, once again, praises his ability to entertain. "Well done," he tells them. Bruno calls it "insanely good fun." Carrie Ann says, "You are the every man's man who's become a dancing hero."

SCORES: 8 (C) - 9 (L) - 8 (B) = 25

Corbin Bleu and Karina - I'm not shocked that Corbin and Karina want to channel Michael Jackson for this freestyle, and they're bringing in additional dancers in order to pull off all the tricks they want to include. I'm never convinced when the dancers tell us how death-defying their tricks in the ballroom are - I feel like DWTS isn't going to let anyone die on live tv, but maybe that's just be being cynical. It's a cool dance, but for all the hype, I'm not THAT impressed - except for the part where they defied gravity with the lean. That was neat. Bruno thought it was an amazing combination of iconic Michael Jackson moves with ballroom touches, calling it "magic." Carrie Ann says they nailed it, and Len responds with a standing ovation.

SCORES: 10 (C) - 10 (L) - 10 (B) = 30

Jack Osborne and Cheryl - Jack's freestyle is intended to show his growth from a non-dancer to a mirror ball contender. Tristan's one of the extra dancers in his routine, so it's pretty much my favorite already. It's a grand Hollywood spectacle with top hats and tails in the tradition of a Busby Berkeley musical, and in a lot of ways, I like it better than Corbin's. Jack does a great job demonstrating his new skills, and it really showcases the dancing. Carrie Ann calls it a "showstopper...the best fairy tale ending to anybody's story!" Len is proud of him and calls it brilliant. "Hooray for Hollywood and hooray for Jack," says Bruno, before stealing my comparison to a Busby Berkeley musical.

SCORES: 10 (C) - 10 (L) - 10 (B) = 30

Amber Riley and Derek - Several weeks back, Amber demonstrated some step skills that impressed Derek enough for him to bring back the moves for their freestyle. This puts Amber in the role of teacher for Derek and the background dancers, fusing country western with Step. It's a cool concept, and it totally works. Again, there's a big show involved, and Amber is at the center of every move. Len agrees. "You're there with six pro guys, and I only watched you. You're class, fast, and built to last." Bruno calls her a leading lady, noting her star power. Carrie Ann says she was in control of the number the whole time, calling her "a diva dancing James Brown!"

SCORES: 10 (C) - 10 (L) - 10 (B) = 30

 

Finale Fusions:

 

On tomorrow's finale, the remaining contestants will be performing "fusion" dances that combine two styles selected by the competition. The assignments are:

 

Bill and Emma choose Quick Step-Samba for Amber and Derek

Jack and Cheryl choose ChaCha-FoxTrot for Corbin and Karina

Corbin and Karina choose Paso-Salsa for Jack and Cheryl

And the final fusion - Jive-Quick Step - is assigned to Bill and Emma

 

Elimination Recap:

 

Amber and Derek are the first couple to learn they'll be dancing for the trophy tomorrow night, followed by Corbin and Karina. The final couple dancing tomorrow is Jack and Cheryl.

 

Every other week of this season, I was surprised when Bill and Emma didn't get eliminated. Tonight? Tonight I'm actually kind of surprised when they do. It seemed like his run would never end, but it's really the right time for him to leave.

 

Now let's go back and look at our predictions from the first week of competition - did anyone guess this would be our final three? Whose encore do you want to see tomorrow night? And which pair will be dancing home with the Mirror Ball Trophy?

 

Catch the Dancing With the Stars Finale tomorrow night at 9/8c on ABC!

 

(Image Courtesy of ABC)