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.

Carrie says that the routine was fantastic and fun, while Bruno exclaims that John has hips. Len says that the performance was fantastic and entertaining. This translates into all nines for the couple. Their score is 27 points, which gives them 54 points total.

Kelly and Alec are ready with their final performance. Kelly says that when she started with the program, it had nothing to do with dancing, but everything to do with leaving her comfort zone. Alec says that he was given the person with the biggest heart. Again, I choke up and I need a moment.

The couple dances their freestyle routine to “Let’s Get Loud.” Again, Kelly and Alec have a lot of hip action in their performance. Kelly also does a back walkover down the steps and a daring jump into a spin. It is a fun, lively routine. My only problem with it is at times, Kelly pauses as if she is waiting for Alec to catch up or can’t remember what to do next. Other than that, I enjoy the performance tremendously.

Len begins the judges’ critiques by saying the dance was the performance of the series. Bruno says that it was hot, hot, hot, hot. Carrie says that it was amazing and fantastic, and that she can’t believe Kelly is the same person she referred to as an awkward mover. Again, I start to worry that we’re going to go soft on the final routine instead of judging it the way all the performances were judged throughout the competition; however, maybe the scores will prove me wrong. Carrie gives the couple a 10. What? Len and Bruno follow suit. Kelly and Alec’s score for the freestyle performance is a perfect 30. Sigh. It was great, but it wasn’t perfect. Where’s my dog? She’s been safe the entire program, but now I need to calm myself. Tom says that if Rocky Balboa were really sexy, he’d be Kelly. I’m sure that’s what she wanted to hear.

At this point, the scoreboard is as follows:

Kelly and Alec – 55

Charlotte and John – 54

After looking back at each week’s highlights and eliminations, it’s time for our eliminated couples to dance part of their favorite routine. Right away I’m annoyed because Trista Sutter and Louis van Amstel perform the rumba, and she said that she was uncomfortable with it when they performed it originally because of the intimacy that’s involved. Come here, puppy. Next, Edyta Sliwinska and Evander Holyfield dance the jive. Hey, what happened to Evander’s moustache? Either way, the man looks good.

Rachel Hunter and Jonathan Roberts perform the tango, and Ashly and Joey finish the performance by doing the cha cha cha.

Tantalizing Tidbits:

According to the show’s website, Rachel always wanted to be a ballerina, but gave up that dream when she began modeling internationally at 17. Also, Jonathan was an athlete in high school, but didn’t become interested in ballroom dancing until he saw the movie Scent of a Woman. The free ballroom dance lesson that he received courtesy of his movie ticket was all it took for him to become captivated with dancing.

It’s now time to name one of our stars as champion. Tom and Lisa do a recap of what just happened this evening. At this point, the dog does not want to be petted any more, people, so let’s get on with the results. The winner of Dancing with the Stars and the trophy that has a disco ball on top of it is… Kelly Monaco and her partner Alec Mazo! Some type of pyrotechnics goes off on stage as Kelly celebrates the win and swears on live television. That’s interesting because there is supposed to be some type of delay in order to catch these things. Oh, well. Kelly says she is thrilled because all of her life, she’s been the underdog. Tom talks to Charlotte and John, who asks if they get to keep their toll-free number. John also thanks his wife for letting him dance with another woman. He is simply adorable. As we end the show, sparkly confetti begins to fall on the couple. (Mental note… pick up sparkly confetti.) Kelly and Alec bask in their win as they dance one last dance to “Simply the Best.”

That’s all, folks! As I said before, at the start of Dancing with the Stars, I was expecting a nightmare; however, I ended up being pleasantly pleased and entertained by the program. I feel that if and when it returns, a lot of fine-tuning won’t be required. The only change that I personally would like to see is in the co-hosts. To me, Tom and Lisa were dreadful and added nothing to an otherwise enjoyable series; however, if they do return, I’ll just make the most of it and focus on what really matters… the stars and the dancing!

Thank you, faithful readers, for your feedback and for the opportunity to recap this show for you. Until we meet again, keep on dancing!

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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