Dancing with the Stars Elimination Night Recap: Week Eight

The couple invited back for this week’s encore was Warren, or, as Bruno calls him, Mr. Big Fun, and Kym to perform their 007 Tango.

Back in the red room, Julianne Hough, recovered from her appendectomy, thanked Edyta for stepping in. “You’ve done an incredible job and I really mean that,” she said, with an underlying air that perhaps the two had some previous tension between them. “We’re all one big family here,” Samantha Harris gushed while Julianne made a face. What’s up with that Lady Bird?

Brad Paisley sang “Ticks” while Lacey and her brother, So You Think You Can Dance champ Benji Schwimmer, performed. Ummm, that’s kind of gross. The song is all sexual innuendo and an incest-is-best dance seemed a little weird but these two bringing the pain side-by-side was incredible to watch. They inspired each other to excel and it’s the best Lacey has been all season.

The first two couples definitely moving onto the semi-finals: Warren and Kym followed by Lance and Lacey. Warren we knew was safe but we had some serious worries about Lance after his atrocious solo. Now the pressure is on for the remaining three couples.

For the Stars of Dance contest, it was the Design-a-Dance, created by the online voters who choose our lover Derek (of course) to dance a Jive to Great Balls of Fire. Out of a flaming piano popped Julianne for her first dance in two weeks. Surgery, schmurgery, Julianne danced with immeasurable gusto while Derek revived all the Dirty Dancing fantasies we’ve had since we were ten. Holla! We likey.

This week each of the couples had a session with Dr. Drew Pinsky. While most of them were unremarkable, Cody actually broke down in tears when Dr. Drew asked how he felt about Julianne going into surgery. “I was…really worried,” he said, looking down, his voice cracking. “You really care about her right?” Dr. Drew asked. “Is it better now that you’re seeing her?” “Yeah. It’s good to see you,” he said as he started to cry. “I have true feelings for you. She’s an amazing person who helped me grow as a person. You know how to bring out the best in people. I owe you so much for everything you’ve done for me and everything you’ve helped me realize about myself.” “That’s what I love about this show,” Julianne, who was now also in tears, replied, “the friendships you make. And that is so much more important than the dance. But you should never feel alone. That’s what I’m here for.” And then they shared the sweetest, most heartfelt, tear-soaked hug as Dr. Drew handed them Kleenex.

Awww.

Our one fear is that this might be Cody’s last week on the show and he’ll only be remembered as “the dude who cried.” This display of such genuine emotion made us a newly minted Cody Linley fan and we’re certainly not alone. If he’s safe, those tears might have been his ticket to the finals. It got our vote. Cynicism aside, it’s wonderful to see an 18-year-old boy so willing to be demonstrative with his feelings. 

Brad Paisley returned after the tears had been mopped up to sing “Let the Good Times Roll” while Karina, Edyta and Kym partnered with Maks (Karina’s new boyfriend), Alec and Tony. When we watch these group dances and recall, with a shudder, the mess of a Cha Cha Cha Susan Lucci and her team inflicted on us, it almost inspires hostility. These pros are so incredible. To quote Dazed and Confused, “I wanna DANCE!”

The next couple heading to the semi-finals is Brooke and Derek. Natch.

Rut roooh, that leaves Cody and Julianne/Edyta and Maurice and Cheryl in jeopardy. Noooo! Not Cody!

And the eighth couple sent home is…

Maurice and Cheryl.

No winner, winner, chicken dinner for them.

Ouch. It hurts. We really liked Maurice and when he brings his daughter down how his last dance we almost pull a Cody and start to whimper.

The cuts are getting deeper and deeper.

Until next week (when we think it’ll be time for Lance and Lacey to go home).