Dancing with the Stars 6, May 6: 100 and Counting

Last night on Dancing with the Stars, the couples performed a ballroom and Latin dance. Cheryl & Cristián finished in first place after the judges' scores were tallied, while Marissa & Tony landed in the bottom. Before we begin this fun-filled hour of filler, let's take care of some housekeeping issues.

First of all, I want to thank Kari for covering the show for me last night. It makes me warm and fuzzy knowing she has my back. Thanks, Kari!

Second, tonight is the show's 100th episode. Hooray. Wee. Yeah. Yes, it is monumental to some, but considering the show has aired two times a week since season two, it isn't that great of a feat to others. Feel free to celebrate this occasion however you see fit (as long as it is legal).

Third, I was able to catch up on last night's show before starting tonight's recap, and I am so disappointed in the hosts and judges. I understand that controversies and disagreements can lead to a boost in ratings, but I've grown tired of it. Both Tom and Samantha said things such as, "The former leaders have fallen," just to hype up the fact that Cheryl & Cristián are now in first place. Good for them. But why can't we just give this couple props without stirring up trouble? People, they're competing for the disco ball trophy and bragging rights over winning a show that is essentially a popularity contest. Let's just have fun and enjoy it.

Also, in my opinion, the judges have been extremely inconsistent with their scoring and critiquing. It's happened before, but not to the degree that it's occurred this season. It makes me wonder what’s going through their minds.

Don't get me wrong; I still enjoy Dancing with the Stars. I just don't want to see it become too much of a joke.

Last, prior to tonight’s episode, ABC showed us the judges’ top ten performances from the first five seasons. Aside from the clips, there wasn’t much to the program. With that in mind, here are the judges’ picks for the ten best performances:

Now that that's out of the way, let's start the show!

Tom, on his birthday, and Samantha, who looks like she was attacked by an ostrich, open the show.

A variety of professionals dance to “Hard to Handle.” It’s fun to see some familiar faces. OK, I’m feeling a bit better.

Next, the co-hosts review last night’s action. I suggest you read Kari’s recap instead.

Samantha bugs the couples backstage. Why doesn’t she ask pertinent questions such as, “Will Jason have dinner with Jill the next time he is in his hometown of Pittsburgh?”

Rascal Flatts performs “Every Day” while Julianne & Apolo dance. It’s nice to see Julianne & Apolo together again… until they roll around on the floor. Don’t they realize it’s dirty?

Tom talks to different stars that have appeared on the show. One thing of interest is that Lisa & MY Louis van Amstel started a cardio ballroom dance class. Perhaps they would like for me to test it out for them.

When Tom finishes with that duty, he moves on to going over the current standings:

Mario (Lopez, that is) performs with the cast of A Chorus Line. They all make dancing seem so effortless. I simply have no rhythm though.

Rascal Flatts returns to sing “Life is a Highway.” Hooray! Mel & Maksim also perform. The show is suddenly sexy again and my mood takes a definite turn for the better.

Ugh! Mel & Maksim also end up on the floor.

Samantha talks to Kelly, Apolo, and Drew backstage. Kelly is as cute as ever. Drew tells Samantha he taught Cheryl everything she knows.

The current celebrities tell us which past stars they can learn from. Kristi selects Joey; Marissa picks Mel; Mario goes with Mario; Jason chooses Emmitt; and Cristián decides upon Helio.

Tom and Samantha reveal the first safe couple. It is Marissa & Tony. They are beyond ecstatic.

The next couple moving on to the semi-finals is Kristi & Mark. I’m worried for Karina & Mario at this point.

With only a few minutes left, we learn that Cheryl & Cristián are also moving on in the competition. That means that either Karina & Mario or Edyta & Jason are leaving the show.

Tom puts us out of our misery and tells us that Karina & Mario’s time on the show has come to an end. That stinks. Mario gave it his all and did a great job. He was robbed!

He puts a smile on my face though when he thanks Len for his comments, and our soldiers for fighting for our freedom. Mario is a wonderful young man who is going out with dignity and class.

What do you think of tonight’s elimination? Do you agree with the judges’ ranking of the top ten performances? E-mail me to let me know how you feel. If there’s one thing that gets me out of a bad mood, it’s mail from my readers and fellow reality TV junkies.

Jill is an east coast mama who loves Michael Kors, Bea Arthur, and Maksim Chmerkovskiy. If she were in a room with the three of them, she might explode. She can be reached at jillcjones@zoominternet.net to discuss these individuals and other topics.

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