DWTS Semi-Finals: Will the People’s Champion Prevail?

The amazing dancers of DWTS. Note Mark Ballas, Tony Dovolani, Valentin Chmerkovskiy and Tristan McManus.

We are down to five contestants. The final five absolutely amaze me. I would not have picked these five in any scenario.

It strikes me that perhaps there was some fraud happening with the phone method of voting, cause taking that out of the mix this season REALLY seems to leave the winners that the voters want, judges be damned. (Just a theory.)

For this semi-finals, they have an interesting concept. The dancers do two dances, both different varieties of dance, but to the same song. One version electric, one acoustic. There were some very wonderful pairings to this concept. Going from my least favorite to my favorite...

First up, in the electric format, we had:

Tony Dovolani and Leah Remini. Courtesy of ABC/Adam Taylor.

And the “People’s Champion,” (as Bruno called him, and it’s true):

Bill Engvall and Emma Slater.

The absolutely on fire (in both of their dances), Jack Osbourne and Cheryl Burke, dancing to The Police’s “Roxanne.”

Jack Osbourne and Cheryl Burke, dancing to the electric “Roxanne.” Courtesy of ABC.

My favorite of all the electric dances, my only remaining couple from my picks at the beginning, are Amber Riley and Derek Hough. Now, she's had a lot of problems with her knee, and she does go out there like a trouper, however, one must also judge those choices accordingly.

The dance subtitled, “The best we could do, under the circumstances.” Amber Riley and Derek Hough.

Now, I know you’re saying, “Michelle, these are only FOUR couples. Where is the fifth?”

Let me say this about that. I have had trouble all along with Corbin Bleu. He’s a professional DANCER. There’s no getting around that. The only way to get around it, in fact, is to not vote for him. So, in the same degree that my passion for Bill Engvall winning this thing has gone up, my passion for Corbin Bleu NOT winning this thing has also gone up.

Yes, his dances with Karina are fine. Sure. But I'm not participating in one moment of hype for him. Other than this.

Karina Smirnoff and Corbin Bleu.

You may remember, when Corbin did his legendary Game of Thrones dance (really quite wonderful), Karina, in the package, made some comment about “is this too revealing?” (And it wasn’t.) This, however... well, look at it.... Let’s just say it was WAY more revealing, and not a peep about it in this package.

Cause there was also this:

Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Bruno Tonioli

Yes, that’s right. Maksim Chmerkovskiy is back. Well, at least for the semi-finals, anyway. And that would be Karina Smirnoff’s former fiance, Maks. So I’m sure that she was wearing next to nothing in her dance had NOTHING to do at all with the fact that Maks was judging. Ahem... And the fact that she, in her next-to-nothingness insisted upon going up to Maks, and giving him a kiss on the cheek. *sigh*

What Maks said that warranted the kiss was that Karina is “among the top five female dancers.” (I think he said in the world, but he might’ve said on DWTS—kinda the same thing anyway). Personally, I think she is easily the BEST female dancer on DWTS. Although, as Maksim showed us when he danced, that does seem to come concurrent with a hefty dose of ego.

Ugh. The less said about those two (Karina and Corbin), the better.

I would like to see a future where we have Maksim, Carrie Ann and Bruno judging (please, God, put Carrie Ann in the middle for that. Bruno’s inappropriate homoeroticness really bugs me during the show.) I hope they don’t bring back Julianne Hough regularly (she was mean). And DEFINITELY NO CHER.

But let’s get back to the acoustic versions of the dances.

Also in order of how I liked them, from least favorite to most favorite, we had:

Leah Remini and Tony Dovolani. (Leah, sadly, ended up being the one sent home on this night.)

Derek Hough and Amber Riley do a stunning Viennese waltz.

And the acoustic version of “Roxanne” this time:

Cheryl Burke and Jack Osbourne do an incredible Argentine tango to “Roxanne.”

And, no joke, my absolute favorite dance of ALL OF THEM of the night, was this one.

Bill Engvall and Emma Slater do an Argentine tango. Courtesy of ABC/Adam Taylor.

Bill Engvall proved in this dance that old guys are actually pretty darn sexy, and could teach the kids a thing or two. Emma proved in this dance, that for a pro who came from nowhere, she’s really holding her own with the choreography of those who’ve been around the block here before. She is the only one left standing who has not yet won a Mirror Ball. My fingers are crossed that that changes next week.

I have to say, going into the Finals, I am really kinda rooting for Bill and Emma to win it all, but, if not them, my only hope is that it’s not Karina and Corbin. In fact, I really hope that Corbin and Karina get bumped on Monday, and it’s the other three left standing. THAT would be an amazing finals.

The People’s Champion, indeed.

Derek Hough (in back), Val Chmerkovskiy, Tony Dovolani and Tristan McManus. Courtesy of ABC.

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