Dancing with the Stars 4, May 14: Goobernatorial

Tom Bergeron and Samantha Harris welcome us to the show, and introduce the couples. The list is getting shorter and shorter.

Head judge Len Goodman explains that he, Bruno Tonioli, and Carrie Ann Inaba expect to see the dancers at their best tonight. If that happens, the scores will reflect it.

The first performance of the evening is from Julianne Hough and Apolo Anton Ohno. Apolo says that he’s going for it. He and Julianne want a goober from Len for their ballroom dance. In fact, Apolo says that he wants six goobers in one night. The couple performs at Wango Tango.

They’re performing the Quickstep to “Hooray! Hooray!” I think. The choreography is unique and Apolo does a great job; however, he occasionally looks down to check on his placement. I’m sure that won’t bother the judges, though. He and Julianne do some spectacular synchronized jumps.

Len says that the dance was fantastic. Bruno compliments Apolo on his footwork. Carrie Ann thanks the couple for setting the bar so high.

Each judge gives the performance a goober. Julianne and Apolo have 30 points. Samantha announces this very passionately, but she should be careful; her puppies are threatening to run from the kennel.

Cheryl Burke and Ian Ziering are ready to perform. Ian says that he thought he and Cheryl would be in the bottom two last week, but surprise! They weren’t. Ian talks to a coach about his feelings and emotions. He thanks Cheryl for getting him this far in the competition; she gives him the credit.

They’re dancing the tango to “Loose.” Ian looks more relaxed and appears to have fun. The choreography and music go together well. Ian’s moves are crisp and sharp. Overall, I think this is a great performance.

Bruno gives Ian advice on the placement of his feet. Carrie Ann tells Ian that he lost it halfway through the dance. Len tells Ian to forget what the others have said; it was Ian’s best dance. I have to agree with Len on this one.

Carrie Ann and Bruno give the couple a nine; Len gives it a goober. Ian is thrilled to have received his first goober. He and Cheryl have 28 points.

Laila Ali and Maksim Chmerkovskiy are now set with their first dance. Laila talks about the effect her dad has on her. During practice, Laila and Maksim fight. He is so cute when he’s angry! He gives her flowers the next day and she takes him home for a barbeque. He ends up in the pool.

They’re doing the quickstep to “Walk Like an Egyptian.” Laila and Maksim perform some interesting moves. At times, it seems a little slow, but the dance is fun to watch; it’s hard to figure out what Laila and Maksim are going to do next.

Carrie Ann tells Laila that she brings a unique vibe to each dance. Len says that Laila’s dance was more basic than Apolo’s, but equally great. Maksim tells Len that basic is difficult, and Len yells at him. Bruno agrees with the other judges.

All three of the judges give the dance a goober; Laila and Maksim have 30 points so far.

Up next are Kym Johnson and Joey Fatone. Joey says that it hurt to be in the bottom two. He does a lot of jumps during practice. He and Kym go to Disneyland and perform. Oh, and they eat ice cream.

They are performing the foxtrot to “My Guy.” The dance is smooth, polished, and playful. Joey seems to be very light on his feet. He and Kym do several jumps; the moves are amazing.

Len says that the dance was smooth. Bruno tells Kym and Joey that he was enchanted by their performance. Carrie Ann says that Joey won the ballroom round. Um, Apolo and Laila had perfect scores, so how is that possible? Tom wonders the same thing and says that maybe Joey will get an 11.

Once again, the judges all give the dance a goober. Kym and Joey have 30 points out of 30.

Len visits with each star and provides advice. He dances with Ian and looks great while helping out. Next, he explains the idea of “cheeky” to Apolo. When he assists Laila with her arms, he kisses her hand like a true gentleman. Last, he works with Joey on his butt. Please don’t read that the wrong way.

Performing now are Julianne and Apolo. They are doing the cha cha cha to “Push It.” I have never seen anyone work her butt the way Julianne does. Apolo’s moves are crisp and the dance itself is sexy. This is a fun performance.

Bruno tells Apolo that he is a shot of adrenaline. Carrie Ann says that Bruno is right and that she felt dirty watching the dance. Len says that the dance was too raunchy. I don’t think that Apolo is going to get his six goobers tonight.

Carrie Ann and Bruno give the dance a goober while Len gives it a nine. Julianne and Apolo have 59 points out of 60.

Up next with their second dance are Cheryl and Ian. They’re doing the jive to “All Shook Up.” Ian is dressed like Elvis and has fun with the dance. The movements are fast and sharp, and in true fashion, Cheryl choreographs another great routine. Ian even does a round-off at the end of the dance.

Carrie Ann says that this is the Ian she’s been dying to see. Len tells Ian that he finally sold it. Bruno says something about Sanjaya Liberace; it’s actually a compliment.

Carrie Ann, Len, and Bruno give the dance a goober. Cheryl and Ian have 30 points for the Latin round. Ian actually looks like he’s going to cry! Instead, he jumps on Joey.

Laila and Maksim are ready with their Latin dance. They’re doing the cha cha cha to “She’s a Lady.” They perform some sexy moves. Everything happens so smoothly. Laila and Maksim also seem to have fun with the dance; apparently everyone is in a great mood tonight and just enjoying themselves.

Len compliments Laila on her arms. Bruno drools over Laila. Carrie Ann tells Laila that her technique came out during the dance.

Each judge gives the dance a goober. Instead of Apolo having a perfect score for the evening, Laila receives it; she and Maksim have 60 points out of 60.

The final dance is from Kym and Joey. They are dancing the jive to “Jump, Jive, ‘n Wail.” Joey performs moves that some of the other dancers haven’t even tried to perform. The routine is fast, fun, and energetic. It’s also full of showmanship; however, it is my least favorite dance of the evening. It’s a bit too much for me, but that’s just my opinion; I’m expecting goobers from the judges because technically, the dance was fabulous.

Bruno tells Joey that the dance was extraordinary. Carrie Ann thanks Joey for making his way to the judges’ table; usually only the women do that. Len talks about Joey’s big personality and energy. He also says that if Joey isn’t in the finals, the show will be missing a great dancer.

All three of the judges give the dance a goober. Kym and Joey have 30 points. They have 60 points for the night.

Tom and Samantha review the performances and the current standings. Since it’s my recap, I’m throwing my rankings in as well.

Tomorrow night, another couple will leave the show. The scores are so close that no matter what happens, it’s going to be exciting. If you’re one of those people living under a rock, crawl out and join me tomorrow night as we find out who’s going to the finals.

Jill is an east coast mama who loves sharks, zombie movies, and reality television. She welcomes your comments about these and other subjects, and can be reached at jilljones@verizon.net.

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