"Dancing With the Stars" recap: Drama, drama and more drama!

At this point in the "Dancing With the Stars" competition, things get dramatic, and that showed this week. Everybody's pre-dance package was full of controversy, injuries and, of course, tons of drama! That's what happens, I guess, when D-listers have been dancing for this many weeks in a row.

(Photo Credit)

So let's not wait another minute! Onto the DRAMA:

• Elizabeth Berkeley & Val Chmerkovskiy were up first with a quickstep to "Dance Apocalyptic." Their dance was very adorable with a lot of personality. Val had an adorable nerd look going on. They danced incredibly well, too - I couldn't find any real problems with their dance. Elizabeth was always one of the strongest dancers, and she really did a great job this week. The dance was sharp and fun. Len said the dance was "utterly full on," and complimented them for the content and the fun. Bruno and Carrie Ann also really liked the dance, and Carrie Ann was glad that Elizabeth is becoming a true ballroom dancer. Scores: Carrie Ann: 9; Len: 9; Bruno: 9. Total: 27.
• Brant Daugherty & Peta Murgatroyd were next with a jive to "Tutti Frutti." Brant has a perfect "aww-shucks" sensibility that works well for their '50s style jive. There were a few moments when he wasn't quite getting his extensions and was a little rubbery on his kicks, instead of being super precise, and he also slid on Peta's skirt once (but recovered very well). Overall, though, it was a really adorable, fun dance, and Brant really seemed confident and happy during his dance. Bruno liked the dance, even though he lost his timing, and Carrie Ann agreed that the routine was a little tough for him, but said he did every step. Len complimented him for dancing "right on the edge," and coming right out and dancing with energy, attack and enthusiasm. Scores: Carrie Ann: 9; Len: 9; Bruno: 9. Total: 27.
• Leah Remini & Tony Dovolani danced a salsa to "I Know You Want Me." Leah has a wonderful sexiness that makes her a perfect one to dance a salsa. Her dance moves were a little frantic and a couple of the lifts were momentarily terrifying, although she has definitely improved quite a bit, but it's the sex appeal that makes her a lot of fun for salsa. She was really working the dance floor, and it was a lot of fun to watch! Carrie Ann, after a fit of giggles, said they were very hot. Len said that the mix of steps was great and he was entertained the whole time, even though he didn't think all the lifts were great. Bruno said the dance was "salsa-licious." Scores: Carrie Ann: 9; Len: 8; Bruno: 9. Total: 26.
• Jack Osbourne & Cheryl Burke were up next with a jive to "Going Up the Country." Jack still kind of does weird things with his hands, but his jive was very cute and pretty clean. I was impressed with how light on his feet he is, because it's kind of a stocky guy who doesn't look like he should be as graceful as he is. Yes, he kind of looks like a dork sometimes when he's dancing, but it was a really fun, entertaining dance and he remains one of my favorite contestants. Len likes Jack's musicality and how natural he is, but he did think that the dance wasn't as sharp as it needed to be. Still, he said it was great to watch. Bruno said he likes Jack's ease of movement and charm, as well as his sense of character, but that he needs not to go flat-footed. Carrie Ann thought it was a special dance, and liked it better than Brant's. Scores: Carrie Ann: 10; Len: 8; Bruno: 9. Total: 27.
• Amber Riley & Derek Hough danced a paso doble next, and, let me say, it was really, really fabulous. I really felt their passion, and they really went all out. Usually Amber and Derek focus on a lot of crazy gimmicks and silly things like that for their dances, and while that is always fun to watch, it's nice to watch a more pure, traditional dance. They had a lot of passion and a lot of energy, and this week more than any other, I felt a real connection between them. Bruno praised their attack, although he said she needs to keep her shoulders back. Carrie Ann was just about crazy in her love of the dance - there was a lot of gesticulating. Len even loved it, despite not liking their last few dances, and said that they are back in the game. Scores: Carrie Ann: 10; Len: 10; Bruno: 9. Total: 29. 
• Bill Engvall and Emma Slater were up next with a quickstep to "Viva Las Vegas." Bill has such wonderful character when he's dancing, and that's what always saves him. This wasn't his best dance, because he lost the beat several times, but he really did his best to keep up and, best of all, he had a lot of fun. I still love watching him. Carrie Ann said that his hold was a little loose, but he didn't lose any steps, so she was impressed. Len said he lost his technique sometimes, but would give him a 10 if he judged with his heart. Bruno said it was a "good go," but he dinged him for some missed steps and a few other problems. Scores: Carrie Ann: 8; Len: 7; Bruno: 8. Total: 23. 
• Snooki & Sasha Farber danced next, with a samba to "Hey Mama." What Snooki has going for her is her tiny stature and energy, which makes her kind of hilarious to watch even if she doesn't do as great of a dance. I liked her dance, but it felt a little flat to me. I don't know if it's because the singers sounded kind of horrible during this dance, or because there just wasn't a lot of connection between Snooki & Sasha, but this dance didn't really do it for me. It was just a little bit dull and unimpressive. Len thought the dance was good, even though she got screwed up a little bit at the beginning. Bruno said it took her a while to get into it, but she had a nice samba groove. Carrie Ann told Snooki to extend her movements, but otherwise said it was a good dance. Scores: Carrie Ann: 9; Len: 9; Bruno: 9. Total: 27.
• Corbin Bleu & Karina Smirnoff were up next with a cha-cha to "Pumpin' Blood." I really liked their connection, and I liked that, because they seemed to have some choreography issues, their dance was less gimmicky than they can be. They did have an extended little sequence in the middle when they weren't in hold, but they really did have a nice dance. It was fun and peppy, and I felt like they had a lot of fun and were connected very well throughout the dance. It wasn't their best, but it was still good. Bruno thought it was "immaculate" and "brilliant," and Carrie Ann thought it was a tight cha-cha with great posture, and added that it was "hot." Len thought it was a crisp dance, though he didn't love the gyrating in the middle of the dance. He thought it wasn't too long and that it was a great dance. Scores: Carrie Ann: 10; Len: 9; Bruno: 10. Total: 29.

Then it was time for team dances. 

Team Spooky Bom Bom was Snooki & Sasha, Elizabeth & Val, Leah & Tony and Bill & Emma, and their dance had a Halloween theme (courtesy of Bill Engvall, who had the idea). It was a very cute dance, with a really great theme. I felt Snooki & Sasha's connection much better during their feature. Elizabeth and Val were fantastic, with a lot of grace and connection. Meanwhile, Leah & Tony were very cute and used Leah's great acting skills. Bill was just plain hilarious, and his dancing was much better than it was in his quickstep earlier in the day. I felt like they really used everybody's unique skills to great effect. It was fairly polished and a good dance, but the dance was really entertaining. The judges loved it, and Bruno especially loved the way that they used each couples' strengths. Carrie Ann added that Bill was the glue that held the dance together. Scores: Carrie Ann: 9; Len: 9; Bruno: 9. Total: 27.

Team Foxing Awesome - Amber & Derek, Corbin & Karina, Jack & Cheryl and Brant & Peta danced to "What Does the Fox Say?" They all had a lot of personality, and the whole dance was just plain silly. However, I have to say that they danced really, really well and the moves were also very precise and together. It was probably overall a better dance, but I was still a little bit more amused by Team Spooky Bom Bom. There wasn't quite as much personality in each solo dance as there was in Team Spooky Bom Bom's dance. Bruno thought it was a very inventive dance that really picked out every little bit of the music. Carrie Ann thought it was an acid trip, but she said it was very good, though. Len loved the little touches they put into it, and he was impressed with them, as well as the other teams. Scores: Carrie Ann: 10; Len: 10; Bruno: 10. Total: 30. 


Team Foxing Awesome's members were already declared safe, which means that the bottom four were Snooki, Elizabeth, Leah & Bill. Elizabeth & Val were safe, as was Leah & Tony. Bill & Emma and Nicole & Sasha were on the bottom, and in the end, it was Snooki's time to leave. I am sad to see her go, because she really did a great a job and I was so impressed to see what a graceful, sweet and smart woman she's become. I always thought she was kind of a dolt from her time on "Jersey Shore," but she's really changed my mind. And that's one of the things I love about watching "Dancing With the Stars" - seeing a different side of celebrities that I didn't like before. Snooki, I salute you!

Also, I don't even want to think about who is going to go home next week. *sniff* I LIKE EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!