Dancing with the Stars, The Finale: The Night of Nights

Last week on Dancing with the Stars, 18 million viewers watched our final three couples perform the foxtrot and paso doble. Ashly DelGrosso got feisty with the judges, but in the end her passion and zeal weren’t enough to keep celebrity partner Joey McIntyre in the competition as he and Ashly were eliminated. Tonight we are down to two couples. Will Kelly Monaco continue her amazing comeback and take home the grand prize or will John O’Hurley shuffle his way to first place?

Before we find out, I’d like to clarify some information for you. Last week, there were two songs that I was unable to identify; however since then, the names of the songs have been posted on the show’s web site. The song I described as something you would hear at a bullfight or baseball game is called Spanish Gypsy Dance (Espana Cani), while the song I said I could hum for you is Bamboleo. Hopefully, I’ll either recognize the songs the couples use this evening or be able to Google the lyrics.

The introductions are made, our co-hosts Tom Bergeron and Lisa Canning are ready, and the judges, who are dressed to the nines, are in place. Let’s begin!

Tonight, our two final couples will perform their most memorable performance of the show in addition to a freestyle dance, which will not be restricted by any rules. Let the lifts and spins commence. Also, all of our previously-eliminated celebrities and their professional partners will perform one last time for your viewing pleasure.

Our first couple is Charlotte Jorgensen and John O’Hurley. During their practice for the freestyle dance, we see John trying unsuccessfully to lift Charlotte. Since he obviously needs some assistance, he calls on Patrick Swayze, who helps him improve his lifts.

To begin, the couple will do the quickstep to “Let’s Face the Music and Dance.” During the performance, John has excellent posture, and he and Charlotte cover the entire dance floor. The routine can definitely be called classy.

Len Goodman is first with his evaluation. He says that the couple was elegant and the footwork was great. Carrie Ann Inaba says that the routine was crisp. Bruno Tonioli finishes the critique by saying that Charlotte and John remind him of the glory days of Hollywood, and that they are the queen and king of the ballroom. The last time they performed the quickstep, they received a 26. Their scores from the judges tonight are all nines; therefore, they have improved and their total so far is 27 points.

Before going to a commercial break, Tom points out that Kelly is wearing the dress that had America reaching for its pause button. Oh, Tom. What I’ll miss most about this show is your humor and wit.

Our next couple is Kelly Monaco and Alec Mazo. He explains that when they first performed the samba and the strap of her top broke, they had to leave a lot out of the performance; tonight, they will attempt to add back in all of these elements. Also, because she wants to do a lot of lifts and tricks during their freestyle routine, Kelly asks Alec to practice in her pool since he keeps dropping her on her head.

The couple will be doing the samba to “Bailamos.” During the opening, Kelly displays a lot of quick footwork. There is also a lot of hip action throughout the routine. Fortunately (or unfortunately if you are a young man), Kelly’s strap does not break this evening. In fact, it looks like she has an extra one on just in case.

The judges are ready with their evaluations. Bruno tells Kelly, “Cinderella, welcome to the ball!” He also says that she did herself proud. Len says that after one round, the competition is very close. I’m guessing he liked the routine then. At this point, I’m thinking that the grand finale is going to be a lovefest even though the judges were very tough throughout the rest of the competition and I’m disappointed; I want honesty. I don’t need to worry though; Carrie says that she enjoyed the couple’s samba more the first time they performed it. While I feel bad for Kelly and Alec, I am happy that the judges are being honest.

The couple moves backstage in order to receive their scores. Lisa, who is momentarily forgiven for annoying me because I am spellbound by her gorgeous gown, tells Kelly and Alec that the last time they performed this dance they received a 26. Tonight, Carrie gives them a seven, while Len and Bruno both give them a 9. Their total is 25, which means they did not improve on their score for the samba; however, when the judges’ scores are added to the viewers’ scores from last week’s performance, it may not matter. Lisa asks Kelly what she thinks about the score and Kelly says something about losing her top more often. Yikes.

Charlotte and John are ready for their freestyle performance. At this point, we take the obligatory look back on all of their highlights and memorable moments. Charlotte says that her partnership with John was one of the best she ever had. John says they will be friends forever. I am actually choked up at this point.

The couple performs their routine to “I’m So Excited,” and what a performance it is. It starts off very playful; John doesn’t know how to dance, so Charlotte helps him by moving his hips. They also tear away their clothing, or at least parts of it; this is a side of Charlotte and John that we haven’t seen before. The routine is very energetic and features several difficult lifts, which are a bit rough, but it is probably my least favorite of all their performances. I tend to enjoy them more when they are classy and when their routines are polished; this one is a bit uneven. But even though it doesn’t thrill me, they do an excellent job and I give them props for that.