RECAP: DANCING's Fantastic Four Transcend Perfection

Forget the mirrorball trophy. Tonight's finale wasn't a competition; it was a master class in movement and expression. No gimmicks necessary, no drama drawn out of thin air (despite Brooke Burke-Charve's best efforts), just really fantastic dancing.

Just how great, you ask? So great that not a single star scored below a 9 on either of their routines and Jacoby left kicking himself for 9s across the board. By the end of the night I was beginning to wonder whether one of the judges was going to break out a makeshift 11 because even a Perfect Score wasn't praise enough for some of these performances.

Admittedly, the first round got off to a slow start. The "judge's pick" routines were technically solid, but they just weren't up to par with the level of star power seen in previous weeks. All the pros were preoccupied with packing in classic content and all the stars were hyper-focused on their forM. Granted, for a group of amateur dancers, it was pretty remarkable. But when you've got this much talent and personality in one space, it's hard not to nitpick.

Also, in defense of Jacoby and Aly, I was a bit put off by the fact that they didn't make Kellie do another paso doble or Zendaya another quickstep. Both Jacoby and Aly were asked to take on styles that they struggled with, while the two ladies who were pretty consistently at the top of the leaderboard were given asked to make tiny tweaks to styles they had knocked out of the park. It's no surprise that that they walked away with perfect scores while their two competitors had to accept 9s for improvement and effort.

Fortunately, there was a bias-free test of talent that followed - a cha-cha relay for bonus judge's points. Each couple was asked to choreograph a 40 second routine to the same song for a comparative critique of their technique. And they all shone. As Len pointed out, regardless of tomorrow's results, they are all winners (normally I'd have to rip a statement like that to shreds, but I can't argue this time around). But only one could take the relay and Zendaya walked away with first place.

It wasn't until the final round of the evening that things got really good. Form and style went out the window completely in favor of big, bold production and personal flare. And, as the stars reiterated every five seconds, the stakes were as high as can be because the supersize freestyle is often what sets the champs apart from the rest. With no boundaries to hold them back, the make or break was strategy - and all the pros did right by their stars but Karina.

She had the right idea, orchestrating a New Orleans-inspired celebration with Jacoby stomping away in the center. But the added dancers and schizophrenic style was too much for Jacoby to tackle in rehearsal, and it was clear that he just have the choreography down as a result. It was fun and wild in all the right ways, but it just didn't do him justice.

The gents, on the other hand, all hit homeruns. Mark tackled his fear of heights to craft a routine for Aly that showcased her strength, both of them climbing poles that put them 25 feet in the air. Val and Zendaya shocked the judges with a routine that strayed from her hip-hop roots, seamlessly meshing cha-cha and contemporary elements to illustrate her versatility. But, for once, Derek was the most valuable pro thanks to his decision to forgo outrageous staging in favor of a stripped-down routine. I won't bother describing what he and Kellie did except to say that it earned a standing ovation from Len and uncontrollable tears from Carrie Ann because there's no way I'll be able to adequately convey the precision, beauty and passion it displayed. Find it. Watch it. You won't regret it.

With the 30s being thrown out left and right, it seems the competition is in the hands of the viewers. But there is still one more component of the judge's score to be decided tomorrow with an impromptu round. During the results show, couples will be assigned a style and asked to put together a routine in the course of an hour. Regardless of the score, it should be an absolutely blast to see what they come up with. And knowing there's something besides done-to-death dance troupe routines to look forward to makes the results show so much less painful. So, be sure to tune in for the last dances and the big mirrorball reveal.

Check out the full breakdown below:

Jacoby Jones & Karina Smirnoff - 27/30 + 27/30 + 2 = 56/60
Jive / "Shake It" by Metro Station
The Judges Say...
"You brought the swagger and you know how to turn the house upside, but your feet were still straight up." - Carrie Ann
BONUS: "Gandalf the great seems to have kind of worked some magic." - Bruno

Supersize Freestyle / "Can't Hold Us" by Macklemore
The Judges Say...
"I kind of felt like you got a little bit lost in the shuffle." - Carrie Ann

Aly Raisman & Mark Ballas - 28/30 + 30/30 + 3 = 62/60
Samba / "Hips Don't Lie" by Shakira
The Judges Say...
"You scrumptious little tease. Prettier than ever, cleaner and slicker than ever." - Bruno

Supersize Freestyle
The Judges Say...
"That was one of the most amazing routines I've seen. You never stop pushing your boundaries. It showcased your strength and your artistry." - Carrie Ann


Kellie Pickler & Derek Hough - 30/30 + 30/30 + 4 = 64/60
Quickstep
The Judges Say...
"Technically, it was really a tour de force. You couldn't have put in more content if you tried." - Bruno

Supersize Freestyle / "Beneath Your Beautiful" by Labrinth
The Judges Say...
"You just bared your soul on the dance floor and it was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen." - Carrie Ann
BONUS: "If he gives you a 7 tonight, I'll kill him myself." - Tom


Zendaya Coleman & Valentin Chmerkovskiy - 30/30 + 30/30 + 5 = 65/60
Samba
The Judges Say...
"You went to the very fast steps and you were stronger than ever into slow, slinky, sexy moves." - Bruno

Supersize Freestyle / "Beauty and a Beat" by Justin Bieber
The Judges Say...
"You showcased why you are such a great role model. You're sassy, you're class, you're fun." - Carrie Ann

Cha-Cha Relay
"Tresure" by Bruno Mars
The Judges Say...
"With respect to our stars, these is the four that deserved to make it into this final. You are all winners." - Len
1^st Place (5 points) - Zendaya & Val
2^nd Place (4 points) - Kellie & Derek
3^rd Place (3 points) - Aly & Mark
4^th Place (2 points) - Jacoby & Karina

Injury Report: Val took an elbow to the eyebrow during dress rehearsal and had to get bandaged up

To post a comment, you must register and login.