Skating with Celebrities, Episode 4: The Next Time I Fall…

It’s down to the final four this week! Last week, Tai Babilonia and Bruce Jenner shocked everyone, themselves included, with the highest score of the week!

Summer and Scott found lots of things shocking about last week that I didn’t so we’ll skip the frothy intro they give us and get on with the show. This week’s music theme, Top 40 hits (of whenever, I guess) and this week’s trick – a jump! That is, of course, with all of the other tricks they’ve learned over the weeks.

Lloyd Eisler and the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Kristy Swanson, spend a lot of practice time trying to figure out how to slay the judges. Kristy spends most of her time looking grim, as she and Lloyd toil under the choreography of equally grim-looking Rene Rocca (she was so beautiful when she skated with Gorsha Sur; what happened?).

Kristy and Lloyd skate to Tal Bachmann’s “She’s So High” and the first part of the program goes well. Nice waltz jump sequence, Kristy’s stroking is noticeably stronger than when she started. Then come the complicated handholds and lifts and there are just too many stops and starts.

Dorothy loves it and notes that Kristy is getting so much better, and they have “hotness.” John says they were pretty good. He liked the combined spin and the death spiral. He adds that Lloyd’s known for his aggression and appreciates the way he’s helped Kristy. Kristy and Lloyd seem to be waiting for his famous “however,” but it never comes. Mark says it was wonderful, and also notes Kristy’s growing confidence. He adds the waltz jump and combination was very difficult and Kristy did it well.

Technical scores. John 9.3, Dorothy 9.3 , Mark 9.1 = 27.7
Artistic impression scores, John 9.5, Dorothy 9.4, Mark 9.3 = 28.2
Their total is 55.9

That is the highest score so far in the competition! And I didn’t like it. Guess that’s why I’m here and they are there!

When we first saw Jillian Barberie, she was flinging herself into the air like a woman possessed, trying to do an axel. Now she is a series of bruises, injuries, and complaints. The latest one being her ribs, which results in a trip to hospital. Good news – x-rays negative. Bad news – back to the ice! Can Jillian survive her injuries and make it to the end of the competition.

Skating to Pink’s “Trouble,” Jillian and John are searching for flirtatious and hot. They mostly find it. However, it does seem like Jillian is affected by those ribs… she’s just not… her. They accomplish every trick, every lift, every hold, in fact, it looks like Jillian and John do single jumps, not just waltzes. Still, the fire seems to be missing from them tonight.

Mark says they look hot together and notes that they worked on their collective timing as he suggested. Dorothy says it was fantastic, their skating is incredible, and she’s seen pros who aren’t as good as them. John says the other judges seem carried away. He says it was good, there was a lot of confidence, but he thought the throw jumps were “unnecessary repetition.” He adds ominously that though they are the favorites to win, they are “going to have to get something very special to win this thing.” Ouch.

Technical scores. John 8.9 , Dorothy 9.5 , Mark 9.2 = 27.6
Artistic impression scores, John 9.4 , Dorothy 9.5 , Mark 9.4 = 28.3
Their total is 55.9

It’s a tie! Now, Kristy and Lloyd and Jillian and John are ALL on the hotseat! They don’t tell us how that tie would be broken (probably because there is no way those scores are going to be beat tonight).

Dave Coulier and Nancy Kerrigan realized they had to step up the difficulty in their program, but Dave was dreading the jump. Even the waltz. Why? We learn he has had a laundry list of injuries, including five concussions, several broken bones, and a fractured skull! (I’ve heard that “comedy is pain” but jeez!) Will he manage his nerves and do the required elements in his program?

Skating to Outkast’s “Hey Ya,” Nancy and Dave do a program full of glides and pair holds. With this song, which is begging for dance elements, they shake their butts for awhile, but that’s mostly it. And, uh, I don’t see a jump. Scott asks the audience if Dave’s jump was great. I must have missed it. [Editor’s Note: It was early in the program, very small, and easy to miss.]