DWTS Week 7 Results Show

We started out with flashbacks of the last night’s show. We see that Jason did well, Kristi a “bump in the road” with a couple lower-than-usual scores from the judges, and Cristian de la Fuente got hurt. Then we see the credits roll. Half the people who started out dancing have since left the ballroom. (I miss Steve Guttenberg and Anna Trebunskaya.) After tonight, less than half will remain. We see more recaps of all the dances from last night and on Cristian hurting his arm. Then we hear Kristi say that sometimes one gets lower scores than one might think were coming but one has to keep going. (That used to be sort of infamous in Olympic skating, actually. Even in the post cold war days there was a controversy with Ice Dancing scores a couple years back involving a French Judge and the Russians.) Interviewed soon after Cristian was hurt, his partner Cheryl says she heard a pop and she fears a possible dislocation in his arm.

We hear that Def Leppard will be performing tonight, but first we have an encore dance from last night. Len says that the one they have picked from the “thrills and spills” night will be Jason and Edyta’s Quickstep. Jason and Edyta come out and once more they do awesome, though there aren’t any scoring notes for them to toss tonight. As always it is nice to see a couple come out without the scoring pressure and be able to just have fun with it. Jason and Edyta seem to be having a ball in that ballroom. Then Len has an announcement.

Len announces that the remaining competitors will be allowed to do one lift only next week in each of their dances, after the controversies earlier, but each lift must be in the character of the dance. We also hear that the first couple safe to advance through to next week will be Kristi and Mark. Given their dancing the past weeks, that’s nice to see. I especially respected their cool after Cristian was hurt and they came out and were able to do it as the following act.

After this we have a “Dance Center” spot with past contestant and NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, Head Judge Len Goodman, and eye-glittered past contestant Kenny Mayne. They are talking about the remaining contestants. They talk about R&B singer Mario, who “Has a brother named Luigi.” Jerry Rice says the guy’s in shape, and Len says he just needs finesse. Mayne calls him “Mario McCheese.”

After this, it is time for the first Def Leppard song of the night. It is their most famous song. “Pour Some Sugar on Me.” Six pros come out to dance. I believe they were Louis Van Amstel, Cheryl Burke, Mark Ballas, Karina Smirnoff, Anna Trebunskaya and Jonathan Roberts. It’s interesting to see that contrast of styles. Def Leppard is going to do another song, and I will have more commentary on this interesting fusion when I cover that one.

After they perform, host Tom Bergeron talks about their pyrotechnics, saying they’re the “only people who blow more smoke in the ballroom than the judges.” We also hear that the show’s 100th episode celebration will begin next Tuesday at 8 with looks at some of the show’s top dances of all time and musical guest Rascal Flatts. Then they interview one couple that is safe and one that is still waiting for their results: Kristi Yamaguchi & Mark Ballas and Jason Taylor & Edyta Sliwinska. Asked about their scores and results so far both were friendly. Kristi said that it was no surprise Jason surpassed her in scores last week as he has danced well for some time. Jason joked he was waiting to the final stretch to pass her but then said that seriously he was just happy to come out and dance and do it in the ballroom. Then they have another Dance Center segment and talk about Kristi and fellow competitor, Broadway Actress Marissa Winokur. Kenny Mayne said that Kristi had been considered a “China Doll” until the routine where Mark took a ribbon out of her hair, and said “Here Mark starts undressing her on the dance floor in front of her husband” and drew little hearts on the picture with his pen. He also mentioned “She’s a robot” when discussing facts about Kristi. Marissa’s facts included that she is the “loudest competitor” and “has big hair.” Come to think of it, maybe having recaps of the best dances ever on the results shows instead of this isn’t such a bad idea.

Then Mayne said that competitor Jason Taylor had a flatulence problem in training as well as dancing on the show, and showed clips of Jason dancing dubbed in with fart sounds. Len said he thought it was Carrie Ann all this time. Jerry Rice said “I can still smell something, in this booth.” 

We then hear the names of the second couple who will definitely be safe to come back for next week. They are Mario and his partner Karina Smirnoff.

Then it is time for Def Leppard to play again, with the song “Nine Lives” from their newest album. Two American Rhythm champs come out as guest dancers to dance while they play.

We then see a very nice segment with our remaining dancers about the time they have, in about 5 days, to learn their new dances and to go through the roller coaster from one show to the next. With them now having to learn two dances every week the pressure is only increased. They track couples through each of the days. We see that 34 hours before the show begins, they have to have their routines down to go in front of the cameras in an empty ballroom for camera blocking, so the camera people will know the best positions to shoot each dance from. We also hear that the couples can see each other do this and can get an idea of how well along the other couples are on their dances at this point. By day six, that’s show day and it is time to go again. We have heard that people are drained, they fight through the week to train and get ready, then Cristian says that on the show they have all the adrenaline and then they are ready to do it all again.

After this, we hear that one couple won’t be doing that this week, because we will be going on to the elimination. Marissa & Tony, Cristian & Cheryl, Jason & Edyta, and Shannon & Derek remain. We go to a break, and our hosts say we will find out after the break which couple will be going.

When we come back, we talk to Cristian and Cheryl. Cristian tells us that he ruptured the biceps tendon in his arm. He hung in and kept fighting in the dance, but he got an MRI this morning and the doctors have told him he needs surgery to repair the damage to his arm. However, he also tells us that his doctors have told him they can delay surgery if need be and he says he can keep fighting in the competition. Cristian says he is willing to take that risk even with the injury if the viewers voted to keep him in.

Soon after, we hear that the votes have come in and that Cristian and Cheryl are safe. He celebrates by embracing her and lifting her off the floor with his one good arm around her.

We then hear that Marissa Winokur and Tony Dovolani will be the first couple in this week’s bottom two.

Jason Taylor and Edyta Sliwinska are also safe.

This leaves actress Shannon Elizabeth and her partner Derek Hough as the second couple in the bottom two.

Shannon and Derek were eliminated. As the show wound down, Shannon said that the show has been amazing and that she has made a friend for life. (Derek.) She then says she’s made a bunch of friends for life. Derek says that as a dance partner, she’s been great and that she was a great person who kept him entertained all the time. He said that Shannon is a big dork and he loves that, and that he is sad they have to leave. Then they hugged and did their last dance together. Mark and Kristi were the first couple to come over to see them off and everyone else followed as we faded out.

Until next week, your friend in New Jersey, David.