A Fallen Star

The samba and romantic rumba refuse to be mastered, surprising performances abound and the return of Len Goodman shine in week three of “Dancing with the Stars.”

Iron Chef chairman Mark Dacascos’ Latin dance was, according to the judges, flat and “difficult to watch.” For once, their scores truly reflected the routine. Derek, as usual, carried his model partner, who Len lavished praise on. It seems that he came back a kinder, gentler Len – then it was Aaron Carter’s turn. The judgment from Len will be sure to leave emotional scars.

The banter that was sorely missing from last week returned, and not just between the judges and Tom Bergeron. This time the contestants joined in on the fun, giving the show several highlight moments. Donny Osmond and Bruno shared an intimate moment that left him questioning whether he’ll be let back into Utah. In the meantime, Mya’s Rumba nearly caused a riot as Len told Bruno that he needs a “checkup from the neck up,” while Bruno retorts that if he wants “calmness” (referring to the sultry rumba) then he should take a Valium. It was this type of laugh-out-loud laughter that was lacking in last week’s episode.

One of the heartwarming parts of the night was Tom Delay’s performance. He danced the samba on two injured feet. As a choreographer, Cheryl has worked wonders with a man who has two stress fractures. Unfortunately, he had to withdraw from the competition, but that doesn’t mean that someone was not eliminated.

Night two was highly entertaining as Queen Latifah and JabbaWockeeZ performed with professional dancers Cheryl, Maksim, Lacy and Mark. It made a usually boring night fun to watch. Yet another star deservedly went home, but it was still unexpected. Some dancers are slowly fading into the woodwork, which is the kiss of death where fans vote. If you don’t make yourself known, then you’re as sure as gone. The same goes for stars who don’t improve – Michael Irvin has a reputation to maintain, as footballers have been highly successful on this show. He needs to step it up (literally).

Next week, some of the contestants will be performing the Lambada – the forbidden dance, bolero, the Texas two-step and the Charleston, which should be interesting to see. Will Aaron Carter recover from Len’s tongue lashing? Will Michael Irvin abandon his dance checklist? More importantly, will Carrie Ann Inaba and Paula Abdul make out? Stay tuned to find out.