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Showdown at the Ballroom Corral

The stakes increased this week as each contestant was trying to make it to the second part of the season and the "double dance shows." Much like this season has hit the halfway point - my enthusiasm has hit a plateau. Fear not, this usually happens every year because I've come off the high of a new season and have settled in with the celebs. However, as we start picking off the decent dancers and get down to the end I know I'll get excited. Did that sound convincing? I think part of the problem is that no one seems to be improving that much and I feel we see the same dances every week. I'm looking for someone to turn it on and start making Kristi quake in her boots. Luckily, I have the real life drama of Shannon and Derek totally caught being all smoochy-smoochy on the beach to keep me invested. More on that later. It's time to add a twist of lemon to this D-List martini we call Dancing with the Stars.

Jason - I still think he has a lot of loosening up to do, but I'd say his cha-cha was pretty good. My husband (who I promised to credit and not pass off his thought as my own, like usual) made a great point about my girl Edyta - every week she manages to wear next to nothing yet never looks trampy. She's freakin' magic.
Cha-Cha 24

Shannon - Just when I thought her biggest concern must be the anxiety of everyone in the world having seen her lady bits, she goes and makes out with her 22 year old dance partner. He's hot, I'll give her that, but it's a bit weird. Click here for that story! Samantha definitely put them on the spot, but they did a great job of dodging any question about their off-screen shenanigans. But on to the dancing! Her rumba was beautiful and a big improvement over samba last week.
Rumba 24

Marlee - I like the Fonz just as much as the next guy, but I don't know what he has to do with dancing. Sometimes I wonder if these "visits" from "friends" are some sort of bit. Anywho, while I enjoyed her mambo, I can't say it was much better than last week. I'm a bit worried she's on a downhill spiral and this is not the time in the competition for it.
Mambo 21

Cristián - If he ends up in the bottom two again, I'll be upset. His fox trot was very smooth and boy does he look good in a suit. He switches well between a ballroom and a Latin dance. It's almost like he has two separate personalities!
Fox Trot 27

Marissa - Could it be? Could Marissa be the contestant who is actually getting better? Dare I say this was a decent waltz! I can't say I'm on the Winokur Wave yet (gag!), but I'm actually looking forward to seeing if she can keep it up.
Viennese Waltz 26

Kristi - This was a very entertaining jive, despite Mark operating at a few levels over Kristi on the energy scale. If he's going to distract me, I want it to be because of his good looks. It's not a bad quality; I just think he might want to be a bit mindful of her level so they can blend better.
Jive 30 First of the season!

Paula Abdul was in the ballroom tonight. I've heard rumors that she may be a contestant or thinking about it, but that can't be true. She's a definite ringer! Although she is pure comedy which will give me some great material, so maybe I can get on board. And I'm sure they'd get Simon to come on and rip her to shreds. That would be fun! Would you root for her or want to see her voted off first?

Mario - By far that was the sexiest rumba of the season! Usually this dance is all about the woman, but I couldn't take my eyes off him. He is my favorite to root for, but I'm starting to feel like I'm on my own island! Len definitely lost his head on that one. It was not raunchy at all! Grrrr!
Rumba 28

Cowboy dance - It was a bit fast and chaotic for me to pick an absolute favorite, but I thought Jason and Edyta had the best lift. I definitely think it ended the show on a high note. It's good to see the celebs goofing around and enjoying themselves, especially with the competition getting tougher. The song "Cotton Eye Joe" was a perfect fit. I almost got up and did the line dance for old time's sake. Almost.

Although Kristi is still on top, Mario and Cristián are only slightly behind. Marissa is turning it on, so who is going home this week? It may be Marlee. She's just not getting it done lately. For the first time this season, I don't have a clue as to who is really in danger! What are your thoughts? Who has the most to worry about going into tomorrow night's eviction? And why? What about Shannon and Derek - sweet or strange? Let's chat below and be sure to check back here for the scoop on the next celeb to get the bad news.

For more Dancing with the Stars, check out our Online Video Guide.
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