America's Next Top Model Cycle 9 - Go Sees Chinese Style

Top Model 9's ninth episode began with Heather opining about her "terrible" performance during the CoverGirl commercial photo shoot, which she feels led to her being in the bottom two at the previous judging panel. Heather needed to have her lines fed to her during the commercial shoot and thought for sure she'd be booted for it, however the Top Model judges instead decided to send home Lisa Jackson. "I don't think that Lisa should have gone home," said Chantal, a 19-year-old student from Austin, TX. "At the CoverGirl commercial, if I would have had my lines fed to me, I don't think that it would have been acceptable." Jenah, an 18-year-old student from Farmington, CT, also expressed concern about her place in the competition, worried that it was becoming more of a "personality contest." The five remaining runway wannabes then received some Tyra Mail and were absolutely ecstatic to learn it was time to go on their "go sees," where they meet with various clients who may (or may not) decide to book them.

The girls traveled to PT Modeling Shanghai, where they were met by managing director Susan Yang and Chinese model Shan Ji Ya. Susan said each of the girls had six hours to "go see" up to five clients, who would evaluate them on beauty and personality. The girls had to be back at PT by 6PM or be disqualified from the challenge. The challenge commenced, as the girls embarked into Shanghai equipped with directions to the clients' offices, a map and a translator. As soon as the girls started to travel around the city, it started to downpour, making the challenge more difficult. Heather was immediately concerned she'd make a bad first impression on the clients due to her poor social skills, but then immediately got lost trying to find her first client. Chantal found her client but was not wearing the right type of underwear for the shear dress she was modeling. Bianca, an 18-year-old college student from Queens, NY, was complimented for being friendly and having character. Heather was still lost, and the Chinese map she was using wasn't much of a help. "I know Tyra Banks is going to be pissed," said Heather, two-and-a-half hours into the challenge and still unable to find her first client. "I know she's going to be pissed."

Jenah seemed aware that what she described as her "whatever" attitude was hurting her from scoring personality points with the designers. Her runway walk was also characterized as "terrible" by one client, who thought Jenah walked "too much like a model." Heather finally found her first client, who "loved" Heather's look but thought she failed to make eye contact and was awkward on the runway. Bianca and Saleisha, a 21-year-old receptionist from Los Angeles, CA, then found themselves in the same client's office. The next client Bianca was going to see was in the same building, information Saleisha knew but decided not to share with Bianca because "it's a competition." When Bianca returned to her translator -- who informed her she had been in the right spot all along -- Bianca was obviously not pleased. "You bitch!" she commented about Saleisha. "The place is in the same building right up the stairs... and she couldn't tell me that?"

Not surprisingly, Heather got lost trying to find her second client as the hour grew later and later. Deciding it might be best to just head back to PT as to not be late, Heather then failed to locate her cab. While Saleisha and Bianca were both able to make it back to PT by 6PM, Shanghai traffic delayed Jenah and Chantal. Before arriving 15 minutes late, Jenah saw Heather trying to find PT and told Saleisha and Bianca. "Heather is just stumbling around on the sidewalk," said Jenah. Chantal arrived 20 minutes late, and also said she saw Heather lost on the street. Heather was eventually able to find her cab and return to PT, however it was 40 minutes late and she had only seen one client in the six-hour time slot. "I was really disappointed with myself because I didn't make it back in time. This was one of those challenges that really mattered," said Heather. "There was no excuse why I didn't have enough time."

Susan then informed the girls that Jenah, Chantal and Heather were all disqualified. She was going to talk to the clients that Bianca and Saleisha went to see and reveal the winner later that night. On the way back to their Shanghai hotel, Heather personally tortured herself for being late, and the other girls told her to lighten up and realize how far she's made it in the competition. That night the girls went out for dinner and were met by Susan, who informed them that the winner of the "go see" challenge would appear in an ad campaign for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She wasn't kidding, as a massive barge floating in the harbor lit-up and revealed Bianca's face, meaning she had won the challenge. "I'm excited! I freaked out!" said Bianca, who was also hoping to have a good photo shoot. "I want to bring fear over the other girls... I just want to win, and that's that." With Heather realizing she needed an "amazing" photo shoot to make-up for her poor performance in the last two challenges, the girls traveled to their next photo shoot and were met by Top Model art director Jay Manuel and judge Nigel Barker. For their photo, the girls would have to stand-out in a busy crowd complete with brightly colored Chinese dragons in the background. Nigel would be serving as the photographer.

As the girls went through hair, makeup and wardrobe, Nigel approached all of them and told them not to feel added pressure since he's a judge as well as the shoot's photographer. "I feel like fainting Nigel, you're right in-front of me! Oh my goodness," said Jenah right to Nigel's face. "Your sarcasm is rich," commented Nigel, visibly not pleased with Jenah's sense of humor. The other girls thought it was "unprofessional" of Jenah, and Bianca added she seemed "cocky and sarcastic." Saleisha and Bianca both had good shoots, however the same couldn't be said for Jenah, who Nigel thought looked "bored" and wished she'd moved around more. Jay thought Jenah "did not deliver" and lost the energy she seemed to normally have. Chantal also had somewhat of a rocky shoot, as she giggled after every positive comment from Nigel or Jay. Nigel also thought several of Chantal's frames were "looking a bit showgirl" and Jay thought she was "forcing the pose." For her photo shoot, Heather decided she was just going to "wing it" and try not to put too much thought into it. Nigel implored Heather to try a "multitude" of different poses. "Today Heather did not trust herself," said Jay. "The fact is, Heather second-guessed herself. When you saw that greatness as Nigel was shooting it, she'd pull away from it." Heather thought it wasn't her "best shoot" but didn't want to be booted since she was "not ready to stop learning." Jenah was also a "little worried" and chalked it up to having a bad week.

The five remaining aspiring runway walkers then had their ninth individual evaluations, where they would be judged by Tyra; runway expert J. "Ms. J" Alexander; Nigel; former model Twiggy; and Susan. Chantal, Jenah and Heather were all criticized for being late in returning from their "go sees," and Tyra said it should teach them all a valuable lesson in time management. Twiggy "loved" Jenah's shot and thought it was a "really good fashion picture." Nigel agreed -- but there was a "big however." "Your sense of humor... you've got to be careful with it," said Nigel. "You're kind of sarcastic, it comes off as arrogant. Be careful, because you're stepping on a very fine line right now." Tyra said she also noticed Jenah had an "I don't need this, I'm better than this and I'm bored" attitude. She warned her that all that comes across when meeting others. When it was Heather's evaluation, Susan commented how she has an "awkward" runway walk. Ms. J. needed to see it on the spot, so Heather demonstrated her strut. Ms. J said it could be a "little stronger," but nothing a "Top Model ass-wooping" couldn't fix. Twiggy thought Heather's photo was "brilliant" and "so sexy" and didn't know that was in Heather. Susan thought Heather had a "great look" for China because she's mysterious.
Once all the individual evaluations were complete, the judges began to deliberate which girl would be the ninth one eliminated. Nigel thought everyone would appreciate Heather's look, but was quick to add the problem is she "can't communicate very well" and has a "disconnect" with the camera. "She doesn't move for the camera," said Nigel. "It's almost as if the camera just sees this beautiful thing and zones in on it." All the judges were unsure what to make of Jenah, since they knew she was just trying to be funny but were also concerned -- as Twiggy put it -- that it may "upset clients and photographers." "She's not a bad girl, she's a good girl," said Nigel. "Her personality is getting in the way of herself." Tyra then revealed Saleisha, Bianca and Chantal were safe, and would be traveling to Beijing for their next assignment.

Tyra then complimented both Heather and Jenah for taking the "strongest photos" of the five remaining girls before calling them out for not being the "strongest communicators." She said Heather is "fantastic" in-front of the camera -- but if she can't make it to a "go see" -- it will be "nearly impossible" for her to book a job. "Where does Heather stand in this industry?" wondered Tyra. "As beautiful as you are standing in-front of me, that's obviously not enough." Tyra said Jenah takes "amazing photos" but has an attitude that "turns off" the judges. However Jenah would be going to Beijing as Heather was booted from the competition. "You came so far and you have to be so proud of yourself," said Tyra to Heather. "Those clients that you saw don't know Heather -- but the people who have gotten to know and love you watching America's Next Top Model and being a part of your journey -- maybe there's some clients out there that see a little bit more."


until next week when we are down to the final 4.......

bbfanatik

Kid Nation - It's Play Time

This weeks show begins with a recap of last week when a new council was chosen in the form of Greg, Blake, Michael and DK.

Day 31 begins with Taylor and her crew playing with their chickens. Unbeknownst to them, Laurel is over talking to the council about cooking chickens tonight and not just one or two but 10. Of course Taylor and her crew find out and while the boys are collecting the chickens to kill, Taylor and all come over to stop them. A fight ensues and Taylor begins her pursuit of letting them out of the cages the guys put them in. It is decided that Taylor and her crew will choose which chickens will be killed and cooked. Taylor allows them to kill the ugly ones. What? Are there really pretty chickens?

Day 32 begins with a math lesson on PI and true false questions on the solar system. It's journal time for the town council. And of course this weeks journal suggestion is all about learning and school. Conveniently the old pioneers left study books for the new pioneers to learn from. At the mess hall the council reveals to the rest of the kids that one reason Bonanza City failed was a lack of education. The town council then tells them that each district will get together and study the books. Seems like Taylor is the only one that has a problem with it, or at least the only one to voice her disdain for it. All the other kids are open to the idea of learning some history especially when it is determined that this weeks Showdown may be about the information in the books.

It's study time in the different bunkhouses. First up is the blue district with Alex reading to the others. Unfortunately he reads to fast for the other.s Green district decides to act out the book in the way of a play. Seems Sophia has found a way for them to retain what they are learning. Over at the yellow district, Taylor and Laila decide to skip the study session and hide out in the chicken coup. The town council confronts them and both girls say they came here to get away from studying. The council reminds Taylor that she promised to work harder of she got her letter from home that they threatened to keep. Laila gives in when the council threatens to withhold the reward from them. Finally the council walks away after telling Taylor if she does not study she is out of the reward.

It's Showdown time and after gathering together, our host asks who studied and who didn't. Taylor is revealed to be the only one to not study and DK tells the host that Taylor will be the only one not sharing in the reward. It is revealed that today's Showdown is a pop quiz on the history books they were given. A question will be asked and three answers written on balloons will pop up. They must pop the two balloons that are the wrong answers. First team to 3 will be the upper class.....and so on. To get the reward they must conserve ammo because if the ammo left over totals up to enough to fill a jar, they will win reward.
Green district ends up with the win on the first round.
For the second round, the blue team gets the right answer first.
Round three brings blue another win.
Yellow district wins round four.
Green wins round five. This makes green and blue tied at two points each.
Green wins round six and ultimately wins the game and becomes the upper class.
Red district finally gets a point.
Blue finally gets the third point and will be merchant class.
Red district gets another one and takes the lead over the yellow district but of course yellow comes back and forces a tie. Last question goes to yellow and they become the cooks with the red district being the laborers. Now it's time to see how much ammo is left and if they have filled the jar. Green district filled almost half the jar. Blue did equally as well. Yellow got it almost to the top...very little room left. Time for the red district. And even though the red district wasted a lot of ammo, there was enough left over to over fill the jar. Their reward choices are: 1. a library filled with books and, 2. Video games...you know the big machine kinds found in arcades. Now it's time for the council to make the decision of what to take. The council is split on the choices. Blake and Greg want the video games and DK and Mike want the books. The council decides to choose the arcade after they let it be known that Taylor will not be able to play with any of the games. Of course that won't stop Taylor, she plans to go play in the arcade and says if anyone tries to take her out she will kick them. The council reminds Taylor that she is not allowed in the arcade but tell her if she picks up her work, she may be allowed in

Most of the kids take off to have some fun playing video games. Sophia decides to build a library in the middle of town. It looks like a teepee. She buys all the books in the general store and stocks her library. The red district proceeds to collect water to fill the water tank. But they soon find out it will be a long and hard task and the are bummed that the rest of the kids are having fun in the arcade. So Mike and Jared quit working to have fun in the arcade. DK comes after them, but they both ignore him. We see Hunter from the green district helping out with the cleaning dishes instead of in the arcade. Will this be the week he wins a gold star.

Zach goes looking for Taylor and finds her in the chicken coup. Taylor says if she is treated with respect, then she will give respect and work harder. Zach asks her to help them with the dishes that are piling up. Finally Taylor relents and gets to work washing dishes. It was good to see little miss beauty queen roll up her sleeves and get to work, all the while hearing the other kids laughing and having fun in the arcade. Her work does not go un-noticed. Hunter comes back from getting water to find that Taylor has almost finished washing all the dishes by herself. Greg and Blaine come by later that evening and tell her since she has worked so hard all day, they will let her in the arcade. Greg picks her up and carries her over.

Day 34 Sophia wakes up to find the town deserted. Seems everyone is over at the arcade playing hockey, poker, and video games. Sophia is pissed that she is having to cook breakfast for 37 kids all by herself. She goes over to the arcade to confront Blaine and the yellow district for not cooking breakfast. Blaine tells her he will get breakfast cooked when he finishes his game of pool that he is gambling on. Looks like DK is fed up with the arcade too since everyone wants to just play play play and no work is being done.

It's town hall meeting time again. Seems like only a handful of people don't approve of the arcade due to the lack of work being done. DK says he would not care if a padlock was to be put on it. It is suggested that the council put some kind of restrictions on the use of the arcade. The council decides to padlock the arcade.......until all the work of the town is done. Blaine chooses Sophia as the new town sheriff to enforce that the work is being done in town before they can enjoy the arcade.

It's time for the Gold Star giveaway. This weeks winner is Hunter who is undisputed the hardest worker in the town. Hunter tells the town that the money will help since his dad lost his job a year ago. He is given the key to the only phone in the town and is allowed to call home. His dad answers and when Hunter tells him about the gold star and the money, Dad is excited for him. Dad tells him that he will have to increase Hunters rent at home.....all a joke of course.

At the end of the show, Jared decides to sneak into the arcade since the padlock has not been put on. Seems like he is having withdrawals and decides to get in a quick game on the dance mat. He sneaks out before being caught.

Our last clip is of Taylor and Laila with the holding chickens and Laila gets a whiff of someones breath....ether Taylors or the chicken and she thinks it smells gross.

Next week looks like it will be a good one. When the town council has to leave the town for a little while, they leave Sheriff Sophia is in charge which does not sit well with the others.

until then..................

bbfanatik

Dancing W/Stars - And The Winner Is...........

So tonight's the night when we find out who will be the winner of this seasons Dancing With The Stars. I am just not into this years finale. Why you ask. Well after last nights dismal night of dance, if you can call it that, I just don't think any of the remaining three deserve to be crowned champ. I guess I am still bitter than Sabrina, arguably the best dancer in all 5 seasons, was cut way too early. Just another reason the voting system needs to be changed. On to tonight's recap.

The show begins as all the other Tuesday night elimination shows with a recap of the previous nights dances. Then it's on to our special musical guest, who just so happens to want to do Dancing with the Stars in the future, Celine Dion. Her first song of the night is her ever popular, My Heart Will Go On from The Titantic. Love this song, but I have to tell you a story about this song. I was on an Alaskan Cruise this past summer and the piano player started playing this song and everyone in the area just kinda cringed and said "No, no....stop, don't play that song". It was quite funny. Everyone was looking at each other with that look of what's going on here, and then we all cracked up laughing. I mean if there is one thing you don't want to hear on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean (and an extremely cold one at that) is the song to Titanic.
Back to the show. Anyhow, during her singing of this song, we are treated to what I love the most and wish there was more of, professionals dancing. Alec, Edyta, Tony, Karina, Mark, and Cheryl were the featured performers and man oh man what an awesome dance. I watched it three times. Note to producers---need more professional numbers!!

Apparently the show must be chock full of stuff, because there is not time to rest once Celine is done. We go straight to the elimination of the third place couple.....Marie and Jonathon. You know as much as I like Marie and thought she did a great job learning the dance, she needed to go. She put her heart and soul and gave 200% but she just was not the best. But then again the best is not in the finales now is she!
For tonight, instead of just swaying back and forth together for their final dance, they actually get to reprise one of their dances. And they choose the tango. I was surprised they danced the tango because Marie was actually dressed in her costume from their pasa doble. Maybe if they had made the final two their last dance would have been the pasa....who knows.

As usual all the previously eliminated stars are back for one last round of dancing, in the order of elimination, but what is different is instead of a quick 20 second dance, they get to actually do a full routine. First up is Josie and although she is pretty and graceful, I can still see why she was eliminated the first week. She does not have the framing and her footwork is terrible.

After some behind the scenes bloopers are shown, we get Anna and Albert Reed doing the cha cha. You know which one I am talking. The dance where he gyrated, pulsated and every other ated that Len could think of. And he still gyrated and pulsated and whatever else!

Our next eliminated couple is Wayne Newton and Cheryl Burke....damn she is still hot! They can't dance tonight because Wayne's doctors have said he needs the rest if he is going to be joining the others on the Live Dancing Tour. So it's an interview only for Wayne.

Floyd and Karina also do not get to dance tonight because Floyd's trainers don't want him hurting something before his big fight next week. Can you imagine him dancing and hurting a foot or something and not being able to fight. Talk about big bucks lost. On another note, what little I did get to see of Karina, her new nose looks nice. Makes her look like a nicer person, not like the ugly wicked witch of the west!

Mark Cuban and Kim are back with their foxtrot to the classic old country song, Trailers for Sale or Rent. I love song. Just a good ole comfort song. One that will get your toes a tapping and your fingers a snapping. And Mark made the song even more enjoyable with his exuberance during the dance. Although he was not the best dancer, he sure made me smile every time he got on the dance floor!

Sabina and Mark are back performing their first dance, the cha cha and arguable their best dance. I love the song Don't Cha from the PussyCat dolls and they rocked it again. Unfortunately Mark suffered and injury during the routine. In case you did not know, he dislocated his shoulder and may have done damage to his rotator cuff during the dance. I did not realize it the first time I watched them dance. But if you go back and watch again, early into the dance when he spins around and drops to the floor, you can see him grab his shoulder and from then on to the end of the dance you can see the change in the use of his left arm. But ever the professional he continued on with a huge smile on his face, covering what had to be excruciating pain. And he did it for Sabrina and her fans! Bravo Mark....class act!!! I wish you a speedy recovery.

Jane Seymore and Tony are back with their controversial Waltz. You know the one that may or may not have had a lift. They still can not for sure say if her foot was off the floor. It looks like it may have been but then again it looks like her heel was still touching, if only slightly. However, this time there was question on if there was a lift, as Tony made sure he lifted her high off the floor. And when the dance was over he made sure Carrie Ann knew he lifted her by pointing our how far off the ground she came. Although done in humor, I think the underlying message here to Carrie Ann is "in your face bitch, this is a lift".

Cameron and Edyta are back with their Superman themed pasa doble and it was just as good as the first time they did it. Samantha reminds him that he said if he made it to the finales he would take his shirt off......so guess what. When the dance was over, he took his shirt off and gave it to Samantha. Right then and there, every woman in that building had to melt just a little. I know I did....lol. Ever the gentleman, Mark Cuban gave Cameron his jacket to put on over his bare chest......damn it Mark!

Our last eliminated couple to dance tonight is Jennie and Derek with their mambo. I think to see how far Jennie developed as not only a dancer but a performer as well, proved why she could have been in the finales. Jennie, be proud of how far you came!

Our musical guest, Celine Dion is back with her new song...sorry I forgot the name. Instead of dancers this time, we get a video montage of the entire season. That was nice.

Next is the introduction of the final two couples: Helio and Julianne and Mel and Maks. And what an introduction. It was done like they were Rocky Balboa and the Russian Guy from Rocky IV.

Time for the final dances by both. Mel and Maks are up with a redo of their mambo. And to tell you the truth, it doesn't really matter what they do, they will for sure get a perfect score. Why? Because the judges are going to score this final dance the same for both that way it will be the American audience that actually determines who wins. They do this every year. The dance was changed just a bit. They were allowed to add lifts if they so choose to.

Helio and Julianne reprise their quickstep. But they choose not to make any changes. Why change a dance they already received a perfect score for. Of course as I predicted, they too received a perfect score. So like I said, it is in the hands of the viewer vote from Monday night.

One last commercial before the announcement of the winners. And actually to my surprise, Helio and Julianne are declared the winners. I was sure Mel and Maks would walk away with the trophy since Sabrina (the best dancer) and Marie (the biggest fan base) were gone. But alas I was wrong. Am I upset at the outcome.....nah! As you all know, I don't like Mel. Love Maks....but don't care for Mel. What are my feelings for Julianne and Helio. Helio is quite charming with his smile....that much I loved. And Julianne....well she had me last year rooting for her and Apollo all the way, but this year she seemed a little cockier and full of herself. So all in all, I had no vested interest in who won after Sabrina, Cameron, Mark and Marie were out. That's the four I was pulling for.

Until next season.......

bbfanatik

Dancing W/Stars - The Finale - Part One

Well this is it. We are down to our final dances of the season. The finale always brings out the best in the celebrities. The much anticipated free-style, where lifts are allowed and the judges pick are the dances of choice tonight. So without further hesitation:

Mel and Maks are up with a cha cha cha. This was the first dance she did when this show started and the judges want to see how far she has come. For me the dance was "eh". Just sort of so so. I was expecting something over the top and spectacular, but it was ho-hum. As usual the judges and I seem to differ on opinion. Of course Bruno only scores Mel B on how much of her boobs are showing. And for this dance, they were showing. She gets 2 9's and or course a 10 from Bruno because she was showing the ta-tas big time tonight.

Marie and Jonathon are back with a Samba. Remember this is the dance that Marie fainted on, so no doubt the judges want her to do it again since they were not able to critic her the first time. Overall a good solid dance. Again, nothing spectacular. Just a good dance. Of course we all know by now, the judges do not want Marie to win, so of course they were going to be critical of her dancing. She got 3 8's. Probably deserved because her Samba seemed a little slow at times.

Helio and Julianne are last with a jive. Although it was a fun dance with a 50's theme, there again was nothing spectacular. Helio made lots of footwork mistakes. I didn't see it until the judges pointed them out and I went back and rewatches his dance and sure enough there were lots of footwork mistakes. I hope this is not par for the course. 8, 8 and 9 for their score.

And now it's time for the much anticipted freestyle where anything goes. This to me is always the best dance because the stars are not bound by rules. Lifts are allowed and if done correctly can be pretty spectacular.

First up in the frestyle is Mel and Maks with a hip hop routine to music from Timbaland. I expected so much more from these two. What with Mel's dance background being a pop star, I fully expected them to bring it. But they didn't. I was underwhelmed. It was not even close to spectacular. Of course what really bothered me is at the end when Maks was on the floor and could not get up because of a hurt back and Mel walked off and left him there to get up on his own. How selfish Mel. I thought you two were partners. I don't remember him ever leaving you laying on the floor. Tisk Tisk......They got 3 9's for their dance.

Next up is Marie and Jonathon with what has to be the most bizzare dance ever on any dancing show. She did some ragdoll type dance to "Start Me Up", where she is suppsed to be a ragdoll and Jonathon has to wind her up to get her dancing. Problem is, she never danced. She moved around the floor like a limp dishrag. The only thing that was maybe good was Marie's performance. She played a ragdoll to a tee. But this is a dance show and there was no dancing. The judges agreed with me, because none of them knew what to say. 8, 7, 7 were her scores. Probably a little high.

Helio and Julianne are last up and I expected something fun and lively. And that's what we got. It was upbeat, fast and very fun. Only problem was Julianne did most of the dancing and by most I mean 80% of it. Helio was basically just there for support on lifts and to turn her around. This dance did not showcase what Helio has learned at all....only thing showcased on Helio was his smile. They did some difficult lifts and unfortunatley even though they succeeded in doing the lifts, they were not clean and polished. 9, 9, 10 were their scores.

So after tonights dances the leader board is like this:

Mel & Maks 55
Helio & Julianne 54
Marie & Jonathon 46

So the fans will decide who gets to dance one more dance tonight and then the judges will decide who takes home the coveted mirror ball trophy. Will Marie's fans be able to vote her through after a disasterious freestyle, or will Helio race to the final two after a mediocre jive, or could Mel B be one of the final two, even though her freestyle lacked spice. Guess we will have to wait until tonight to see.

until then.......bbfanatik

Amazing Race - "I just feel like everyone should get their time and they've already had their time two times before this"

Departing the Pit Stop in first place at 7:58am, siblings Azaria & Hendekea opened their clue to learn they had to walk along a marked path to nearby village and find Dakissaga, the tribal chief, who would give them their clue along with a customary gift of generosity. After running along the dirt path to the village, the siblings met Dakissaga, a man dressed in the blue finery of a tribal chief, who warmly welcomed them and extended his hand to introduce their gift: a live chicken. The pair took one of the clucking creatures from the pen and opened their next clue, instructing them to take a taxi 100 miles to the town of Bouda Pelegtanga. As a sign of respect to the tribal chief, Teams also had to keep their newly acquired gift with them at all times to successfully complete the leg.

Still holding a slight lead, siblings Azaria & Hendekea arrived in the small town of Bouda Pelegtanga amid the great expanse of the African Savannah, where a stunned Azaria watched in disbelief as his sister went off in search of a bathroom. This timeout allowed dating couples Nate & Jen and TK & Rachel to run past the siblings to the cluebox, where they found a Detour with the choice of Shake Your Pan or Shake Your Booty. In Shake Your Pan, Teams had to choose a gold mining pit and, using the local panning method, mine at least one ounce of gold. In Shake Your Booty, Teams must learn a local traditional dance and perform it for a panel of local celebrities, but they also had to include their own creative dance moves. If the judges were impressed, they would receive their clue. However, if the judges weren't impressed, the Team would incur a ten-minute penalty.

With Jen being a recent dancer for the LA Clippers basketball team, the choice of Shake Your Booty was an easy one. After watching a local tribesman in full decorative costume demonstrate the dance, Nate & Jen briefly practiced the steps as a crowd and the three celebrity judges waited in anticipation of the performance. While traditional music and drums were played by a band, the dating couple shook, rattled, and rolled to the beat hoping to impress the stern looking judges. After a shaky finish, the pair stood hoping for a positive outcome, but instead the judges deemed that their dance was not creative enough. The Team incurred a 10-minute penalty. The very competitive Jen, embarrassed from losing a dance challenge, became concerned that they may have blown their chance at finally winning a leg.

With dating couple TK & Rachel changing their mind to mine for gold instead, siblings Azaria & Hendekea stepped up to the stage next for their performance. Having had the opportunity to watch Nate & Jen, the siblings put a few creative turns as they completed the steps. While the judges deliberated, the siblings sweated it out nervously, but their anxiety turned to exhilaration when the judges handed them their clue. Opening it, the pair learned they had to walk through the village and find the Pelegtanga Market. Once there, they would find a new twist in the Race, the U-turn, found at the end of a Detour. Teams could use the power of the U-turn to slow down another, Team forcing them to backtrack and perform the other side of the Detour they did not previously complete. Teams can only use this power once in the Race, so they need to decide the best time to use it.

Disappointed at having lost their lead, Nate & Jen finished up their penalty and ran off in pursuit of the siblings and the elusive first place. At the Pelegtanga Market, Azaria & Hendekea opted not to use the U-turn and opened their next clue, instructing them to travel by taxi to the outskirts of Ouagadougou and find the Tampouy Goat Market. Still in a close second place, Nate & Jen also chose not to use the U-turn with Jen explaining, "We're gonna win this Race like frickin' men." As father and daughter Ron & Christina waited 10-minutes after incurring a penalty, dating Goths Kynt & Vyxsin put on a master dance class that delighted the crowd and the judges equally. Later, in their taxi to the goat market, Kynt noted, "Here in Africa, to them we look kind of like aliens that dropped from the sky or something and yet, they've been so warm and smiley and kind."

The decision to switch to mining proved disastrous for dating couple TK & Rachel. While Nick & Don sunk their hands in the mud and sifted for gold with little trouble, the dating couple just couldn't find the shiny nuggets they needed. After arriving at the Detour cluebox in second place, the pair now fell to sixth place with friends Shana & Jennifer closing the gap after learning the dance moves. Once TK realized that he hadn't been digging far enough down in the mud, the gold began to emerge from the ooze and the couple collected their fortune along with the clue. At the same time, Shana & Jennifer shook their moneymakers for the panel of judges and earned their clue. With both Teams unsure where they stood in the competition, the race to the U-turn was on. Shana & Jennifer had intentions of using the U-turn while TK & Rachel hoped to avoid becoming the victims. Stepping onto the U-turn mat, Shana insisted to a very hesitant Jennifer they had no choice but to use it. From a distance, a nervous TK thought Shana & Jennifer might be U-turning him and Rachel, but instead the friends chose to U-turn Lorena & Jason, who hadn't even arrived at Bouda Pelegtanga, because Shana insisted she saw the couple behind them.

The decision to U-turn caused friction between the friends and raised the eyebrow of TK. Defending her choice to Jennifer, Shana said, "It's not about being nice. You want to be out of the game because we were nice? Right now, nobody's our friend. They're our competition." On their decision, TK commented, "I think it was a bad move on the blondes' part strategically. I think the blondes now may have a target on their backs."

Arriving at the Tampouy goat market in a virtual dead heat, Azaria & Hendekea and Nate & Jen opened up their clue to find a Roadblock. In this Roadblock, one Team member had to load a bicycle with an unwieldy amount of supplies including a potentially uncooperative goat. Then they had to ride the bike like traditional local delivery people to the marketplace, where each Team must find a different specified vendor and deliver their supplies.After Azaria and Jen loaded up their bikes, the pair rode off, still neck and neck in a battle for first place. Unable to speak French, both Racers struggled in the crowded marketplace to find the correct vendor to deliver their goods. Azaria narrowly edged out Jen in the delivery, but she ran alongside him back to their waiting partners. With a potential victory hanging in the balance, both Teams instructed their taxis to take them to the Hotel de Ville, the city hall home to the mayor's office and the Pit Stop.

Last place Lorena & Jason arrived at Bouda Pelegtanga and opted to dance for their clue. With Lorena leading the moves and instructing Jason every step of the way, the pair successfully performed for the judges. Believing they had gained some ground on the other Teams, they were shocked to see their faces on the U-turn sign, but instead of giving up, the couple ran to the mining and began to sift through the mud. As Lorena & Jason panned for gold, Rachel and Shana began loading their bikes well behind the other Teams. The two women struggled to fasten the bulky items, while Jennifer worried about the ramifications of their U-turn decision. Jennifer commented, "Strategically, I think this was a grave mistake that we made." With Shana and Rachel still loading up, Lorena & Jason mined the one ounce of gold they needed and ran to the taxi as Jason said, "Let's go catch 'em."

Pulling up to the Hotel de Ville together, Azaria & Hendekea and Nate & Jen ran from their taxis to the mat where Phil waited. Hendekea reached Phil first, but her partner ran in a different direction, allowing Nate & Jen to close the gap. In a photo finish, Azaria hit the mat mere moments before the dating couple to secure a third win in four chances. As Phil awarded the siblings a pair of Yamaha motor scooters, a fuming Jen stood silent. When Phil prompted her, she commented, "I just feel like everyone should get their time and they've already had their time two times before this."

While Christina and Nick delivered their goods to secure third and fourth place for their Teams, Vyxsin encountered some unexpected problems en route to a fifth place finish. During the Roadblock, she noted the extreme conditions around the market, including mountains of garbage and swarms of flies on fish juxtaposed against the smiling helpful children who led her to the vendor. Afterwards in the taxi, she broke down in tears over the experience, crying, "These people are just so wonderful and to grow up and just live and this is it for you, you know?"

With Lorena & Jason bearing down on the goat market, Shana and Rachel began to make their delivery, but the language barrier proved difficult for the women. Unable to communicate, the pair wasted valuable time while Lorena & Jason kept the hope alive. Rachel found her vendor first, but quickly became lost trying to return to TK after making a wrong turn. This allowed Shana to complete her delivery and return to Jennifer for a sixth place finish.

The desolate streets of the market confused Rachel as Lorena & Jason continued to keep their fingers crossed in the taxi. Jason promised, "If we don't get eliminated, we are going to screw over the blondes." However, that remained a promise unfulfilled as a flustered Rachel finally found TK and the relieved couple finished the leg in seventh place.After completing the Roadblock, Jason comforted a crying Lorena in the taxi, saying, "We'll make a million dollars another way, okay? Money doesn't make you wealthy." On the mat after being eliminated by Phil, Lorena commented, "Marriage is definitely something that's important to me, but now coming to the Race and seeing other things that are much more valuable, I don't have to do it now. I can take it slower. I don't have to be in a rush all the time." Jason added, "I love Lorena no matter what happens. I just think there's some kind of confinement within a marriage that I think you just can't have when you're free. When two people are both free I think you can experience a deeper love because, I feel like we're in it because we want to stay in it."

Kid Nation - It's Election Time Again

The rain clouds may have cleared over Bonanza City, but the brewing political storm is far from over as the TownsKids face off in surprise elections. The four Council Leaders and their opponents attempt to win over their Districts by making impromptu speeches, followed by immediate voting at the Town Hall Meeting. The first Council seat up for grabs is in the Yellow District. Zach delivers his speech, with an interruption by Taylor heckling him, and promises to continue to work hard and improve upon his leadership skills. Blaine, his opponent, promises to get the Yellow District working: "The Council doesn't motivate enough. I will motivate you guys to get up and get working." The contest for the Red District Council seat is far less heated, as Guylan announces, "Guys! Please vote me off." Next, Laurel and Michael face off for the leadership of the Green District. Laurel emphasizes her great track record as a leader, adding that she truly loves serving Bonanza City. Michael gives a positive campaign speech, telling the Green District, "I really do think that I can make this a better place for you." And finally, Anjay and Greg fight for the leadership of the Blue District. Anjay hopes that his District can look at his track record and give him another chance after the anger caused by redistricting. Greg's speech is directed to everyone in the town, "You know I may have a bad past, but maybe this is a chance to show that I'm not such a bad guy."

The Council members anxiously watch as Kids fill out their ballots. When the votes have been tallied:DK is the new leader of the Red District.Michael is the new leader of the Green District.Blaine is the new leader of the Yellow District.Greg is elected as the new leader of the Blue District

As the new Town Council takes over leadership in Bonanza, some Kids are ecstatic, others are disappointed, and many are fearful of what this new Council will do. Sophia is very worried about having both Greg and Blaine on the Council, "I just feel like someone won the presidential elections with no background check." Sad about his defeat, Zach is hit by a wave of homesickness. He sits in his Bunkhouse, looking at a photo of his parents, wondering if he can continue on as just a normal Pioneer in Bonanza. The Council discusses their plans to create a better Bonanza City. Blaine suggests that the Kids play a communication game that he learned in school that will teach the Kids to stop interrupting each other. Greg and DK think that the communication game is a great idea, and it will help the Kids learn to be more respectful toward each other. Michael listens to the meeting in silence.The next morning, the old Council leaders continue to adjust to life as regular citizens in Bonanza. The shock of the surprise elections has worn off and Laurel realizes just what it means to be a regular citizen in Bonanza, "I have no say in anything! I was a great Council member and I'm mad!" Guylan, on the other hand, feels like a tremendous weight has been lifted off his shoulders and looks forward to having other people take all of the flack that goes along with being in power. Anjay is not overly upset about losing his Council seat, but does admit that it feels "weird."

The Council gathers the TownsKids in the Saloon to play the communication game. Blaine explains the rules: each Kid will stand up, say their name and share where they're from. If someone laughs or makes a comment while another Kid is speaking, then they'll have to start over from the beginning and they'll continue to play the game until all 37 Kids have spoken without interruption. Nathan reflects, "It is sort of strange for Greg and Blaine to be running a meeting about respect. Maybe they should work on it themselves a bit more before they try to teach us about respect."And so the game begins. When Natasha complains while Kelsey is speaking, Greg mockingly thanks her for making them have to start over again. Eric criticizes Greg's behavior, "Clapping because Natasha messed up? I wouldn't say that's the most respectful thing." The Kids continue to play the game with no end in sight as Kids become agitated and interrupt each other. Blaine tells the Kids to follow the rules and just deal with it, and DK tells them they should've learned respect in pre-school. Michael just silently watches the game in progress. The proceedings finally come to an end when Markelle announces, "I think this is pointless and I think you went about this all wrong."

Later that night, Michael apologizes to the members of the Green District, wishing that he'd had the guts to pull them out of the game. The Green Kids gripe about Greg and Blaine's behavior. Outside in the street, Greg and Blaine eavesdrop on their conversation and the two Council leaders do not like a word of what the Green Kids say. The next morning, Greg and Blaine meet with DK and tell him what the Green District said. DK becomes angry as well. So the three boys decide to mockingly do something they overheard Eric suggest the night before: they sit in the middle of town and compliment every Kid that walks by. When the Green Kids ask what the three boys are doing, Greg reveals that he overheard the entire conversation in the Green Bunkhouse and a shouting match erupts. The Green Kids defend themselves, asking the three boys to give them the same respect that they've preached about. Michael admits that he was afraid to stand up against his fellow Council members, but he's no longer going to be intimidated by them, "I will work with you guys, but I'm not going against what my own principles and values are."

The argument between the Green District and the three boys becomes increasingly volatile. Blaine even threatens to give the Gold Star to nobody, and when Greg curses at the Green Kids, Morgan starts to cry. With no possible resolution in sight, the Green Kids walk away, wondering how they'll ever make peace with the new Council. Sophia suggests that they'll be fine, because as a District, they have each other's backs, but Laurel points out that they're supposed to be creating a Town, not just a District. And Campbell adds, "United we stand, divided we fall." Later that day, Michael nervously meets with the other Council members. Greg apologizes to Michael and the rest of his District for eavesdropping on them. With a truce reached, the four boys set about governing the town. Their first task is to get Taylor to work. Taylor refuses the Council's appeals to do work, even when they threaten to deny her the next Town Reward if the Kids win it at the upcoming Showdown. Taylor doesn't care, because she says she's going home anyway.

The Kids head off to the Showdown and each new Council Leader is intent on proving his leadership skills. This Showdown is all about communication. Each District must work together to carry pies through a tricky obstacle course, delivering them to a waiting Council Leader, who will then wipe the pie tins clean to reveal a picture of a communication device, six in all: a telegraph, a telephone, a television, a typewriter, a radio and a phonograph. Then the Leaders must arrange the pictures in the order they were invented. Despite being kicked off the Council Anjay helps Greg get their pie tins in order first and Blue holds onto the Upper Class. Michael and the Green District continue to work together to become the Merchants. Zach continues to be the brains behind the brawn, helping Blaine to correctly order the pie tins, even as the older boy wonders what a 'Po-no-graph" is. And Yellow is once again the town Cooks. DK and his team become Laborers for the second time in a row, but are able to finish just in time to win the reward for the town. The Kids are ecstatic to finally win a reward once again and throw pies at each other in celebration.

But what reward will the Council choose? Real live ponies or letters from home? After a tense meeting, the Council picks the letters from home and the Kids are very pleased with their Council's decision. And even though they threatened not to let her share in the reward, the Council Members feel it would be too cruel a punishment not to let Taylor have her letter from home.The Kids settle down in their Bunkhouses, laughing and crying while they read the letters. Both Zach and Taylor find their letters to be incredibly uplifting, and Taylor vows to stick it out for the final 10 days of Pioneer living. But after reading her letter, Laurel, still upset from being voted out of the Council, wonders whether she'd be better off at home.

At the Town Hall Meeting, some Kids voice their dissatisfaction with the Council, particularly with what they see as Greg's negative, often disrespectful behavior. Anjay stands up to Greg, defending the Green District's right to talk about whomever they want in the privacy of their own bunk. Greg promises that if more than half the Kids raise their hands for him to go, that he'll leave Bonanza City immediately. The Kids explain that they don't want him to go; they just want him to change. Moved by their words, Greg apologizes to the TownsKids and promises to try.Moments later, Greg delivers some very positive words when he and the other Council members award the 10th Gold Star to Laurel. She joyfully embraces all four boys and thanks them for acknowledging all of her hard work. Laurel's phone call home to her Mom is filled with happy tears. Grasping the Gold Star in her hand, Laurel says, "It was just the best moment of my life and I wouldn't care if this was worth three cents!" Greg meets Laurel after the call to give her a big hug.

The Bachelor - The Final Rose

The Bachelor 11's pre-taped finale broadcast began at Brad's Malibu bachelor pad, where both DeAnna and Jenni had the opportunity to separately meet Brad's mom Pam; his identical twin brother Chad; and his older brother Wesley. DeAnna was the first to arrive and have lunch with Brad's family. Pam thought Brad and DeAnna had an easy time showing their affection for each other. DeAnna then assured Pam that she was "hoping" for a marriage proposal from Brad and was looking for someone to start a family with. "I would totally be crushed if I never get to see them again," said DeAnna about Brad's family. "Every day that goes by makes me fall in love with Brad more. I do feel like Brad and I could get married. I do feel like I could be his wife and that we could live happily ever after."

Jenni then arrived to meet Brad's family, and The Bachelor star said he was "on cloud nine" when she arrived. Pam directly asked Jenni if she had told Brad that she loved him yet -- a question that made Brad gasp because the answer was no. Pam then stole Jenni away and asked if she understood how important family was to Brad, and Jenni answered yes before Pam went in for the kill. "Are you in love with Brad?" asked Pam. "I think that love is a huge thing," answered Jenni. "I'm falling in love with him. Every second I spend with him, I want more." Jenni said she'd welcome a marriage proposal if Brad offered. "I'm ready to be a part of his family," said Jenni.

Brad then consulted his mom as to what she thought, explaining he was worried about breaking hearts, possibly including his own. Pam revealed it was easier for her to talk with DeAnna, but was quick to add that might have just been a result of the fact that she met DeAnna fist. She said both are "sweet, wonderful women" and realized why he was having such a hard decision making a choice. After both girls met with Brad's family, they each had one more chance to impress Brad during a final set of solo dates. DeAnna chose to put everything on the table and cook a homemade lasagna dinner for Brad. "I'll be crushed if he doesn't choose me," said DeAnna. Brad gushed about DeAnna during their date, calling her everything he's ever looked for in a woman and an "incredible wife, an even better mother." DeAnna said the comments were reassuring since she was scared of being dumped. The two then talked a lot about a lot of things, and the situation became real to both of them. "I am falling in love with you and I do see myself marrying you," DeAnna bluntly told Brad. She added she'd been confident throughout the entire competition until the moment she currently found herself in.

"Hopefully in the end it all works out the way that I want it to and the way that I hope it does," said DeAnna. "But I'm still scared." The next day, Brad put DeAnna out of his mind so he could spend time with Jenni one last time before the impending Rose Ceremony -- and Jenni had something rather large she needed to get off her chest before the night was over. "It's never been really easy for me to say I love you," said an emotional Jenni. "I want to say it but I'm scared. It's hard." Jenni said she felt silly being so serious and proceeded to cry -- but then immediately regretted it and apologized to Brad profusely through tears. As she struggled to tell Brad how she felt, Jenni also whipped out a journal she'd been keeping and decided to read one of the entries to Brad. "I'm falling in love with you and I want to share my life with you," Jenni finally told Brad, albeit while reading from the journal. However because she didn't want Brad to think it was "fake" because she was reading it, she also told him while looking him in the eyes. "I love you. I love everything about you," she said. "I wanted to tell you the last time I saw you and I couldn't do it. I was so scared." "After such an incredible night with Jenni, I don't want to think about the fact of telling either her or DeAnna goodbye, I just don't," said Brad.

However despite his personal preference, Brad still faced two big decisions the next day -- picking out an engagement ring and giving one of the women his final Rose Ceremony Rose. "To say it's a big day is a mild understatement," said Brad. "It's huge." Brad said he could see both DeAnna and Jenni being his wife and found himself in quite the quandary. "I never in a million years thought it's be this tough," said Brad. "But I know exactly what I'm going to do today and I am so confident in that decision. I have to follow my heart."

The final Rose Ceremony then commenced and Jenni was the first one to step out of her limousine. Jenni said she'd be the "happiest girl int he whole world" if Brad were to propose. Brad complimented Jenni's beautiful smile; told her she brings out a new side of him; and enjoyed meeting her family. Then came the "but." "I hate to say this," said Brad. "But I want something more that I can't find with us. I never thought I'd tell you goodbye -- I truly didn't -- and here I am telling you goodbye. It breaks my heart to have to tell you that." Brad begged Jenni -- whom he presented his first impression rose to during The Bachelor 11's premiere broadcast -- to look at him as he tried to explain how much the decision was hurting him. "I want to say so many things but I can't get them out," a tearful Jenni told Brad. "This was the reason why it was so hard for me to tell you how I felt, and now I feel embarrassed for telling you."

Brad told Jenni not to feel embarrassed, gave her a hug and held her as she cried. He eventually walked her out to the waiting limo, where she whispered in his ear, "I hope you end up truly happy." "I honestly don't know what went wrong," Jenni said once she was back inside her limo. "My dad told me before I came here, 'There's one person in this life for you and you'll find him.' Obviously it's not Brad... I know there's someone waiting for me. I know that there is." After Jenni left, it was DeAnna's turn to meet with Brad. As she exited the limousine, DeAnna -- similar to Jenni -- also said she'd be the "happiest person in the world" if Brad were to pop the question. Brad complimented DeAnna's beauty and said he'd never met a woman so strong and independent. "Remember when you told me that marriage for you is one time and one time only?" Brad asked DeAnna, who nodded in eager anticipation. "I feel the same exact way, and I just said goodbye to Jenni."

However instead of then telling DeAnna that she was the girl for him, Brad unexpectedly hit the pause button. "Okay, hold on real quick," Brad told a confused DeAnna. Then, after wandering around the yard nervously adjusting his tie and wringing his hands, Brad returned to the final Rose Ceremony altar and revealed his decision to a confused DeAnna. "We always promised each other we'd be completely honest right, no matter how much it could hurt?" Brad asked DeAnna. "I look at you and I see so many things I never thought I would have in my entire life and I'm trying to tell you that I have so, so many feelings for you. And I want so badly to be so confident to pick you up and twirl you around and give you a diamond ring and spend my life with you. But I can't look you in your eye and tell you that I love you. I can't. I can't give you a promise that I can't keep, I refuse to do that... I have to tell you goodbye."

DeAnna and Brad then hugged and cried. "I don't understand," DeAnna -- exhibiting some of the "strong and independent" side that Brad had just complimented -- told Brad. "I just don't understand how you could say goodbye to me. I guess that's maybe because my feelings are different." DeAnna asked if Brad looked at her more as a friend. He said that wasn't the case at all, and instead he just didn't want to offer her the "false promise" of happily ever after because he cares about her too much. "That word 'love' means so much to me, I refuse to give you any false promise because I do care about you so much" Brad told DeAnna. Understandably, Brad's "clarification" seemed to further confuse DeAnna. "It just doesn't sound right to say that you do care about someone so much, but you're willing to watch them walk away" said DeAnna. "I would never want to hurt you," said Brad. "I'm hurting right now," answered DeAnna. "I think the difference is I came here sure, and you're not."

"Do you know how much I care about you?" Brad asked DeAnna. "No I don't. No I don't," said DeAnna. "I thought I did, up until I got here today. Until just now. I thought I had it all figured out. This would explain why I never wear my heart on my sleeve." Brad pleaded with DeAnna not to say something like that before she asked him one last question. "What happens when you regret your decision?" she wondered. "I don't know," answered Brad. "To be so hurt and mad all at the same time," said DeAnna once she was back in her limo. "Half of me is looking at him like I don't give a f**k what he says, than the other half just could not understand. I definitely didn't think he'd be the next person to break my heart. Stupid me." The Bachelor 11's finale broadcast concluded with Brad sitting on the edge of the final Rose Ceremony altar and staring at the unused engagement ring he had selected earlier that day.

Dancing With The Stars - The Semi-Finals

Tonight we are down to the final four:
Marie Osmond - The Showbiz Legend,
Jennie Garth - The Yummy Mummy,
Helio Castronevees - Mr. Charisma and
Mel "Scary Spice" B - The PopStar Diva.....I expect we will see some great dancing tonight with these four. Our show begins with a quick video of Cameron's exit :-(

Our dancers again have two dances to perform, one ballroom and one latin. And they will receive pointers from Len for the Latin dance.

First Up is Marie Osmond and Jonathon Roberts with a Quickstep. During their practice footage, we see that Jonathon is intent on adding lots of content and Marie knows they have to up their game. Seems like Jonathon is working on Marie's technique this week...good thing. We already know she is the master showman, now if she gets the techinque she will have a shot at the finale. They perform their Quickstep to "Good Morning, Good Morning". Personally, one of Marie's better dances....light, airy and full of content. She looked absolutely beautiful floating around the dance floor. A well deserved standing ovation from the crowd. Len is up first with lots and lots of praise. He tells her she is the most entertaining of all the celebrities and this quickstep was better than her first, in fact perfect. Bruno is up next telling her she has gone Hollywood Classic and she put all the quickstep steps in. Carrie Ann says she did a wonderful job, uped her game and did not miss one step. Her scores: 10, 10, 9.....?????....what's wrong with Bruno - that was a perfect dance if ever there was one. And Bruno get's boos from the audience, which he deserved!

Next up is Spice Girl Mel B and Maks. During their practice footage we see all the Spice Girls come into practice and give her encouragement. Their ballroom dance is the waltz to the song, Somebody to Love....a beautiful song. I have to say the one thing I liked about her dance was the walking splits across the dance floor...WOW. It was a good dance, I just wish it wasn't her dancing it (lol).....very romantic and fairy tale like. Bruno is up first and we know he will have nothing but good things to say because he loves Mel B. Carrie Ann is next and she too has good things to say. Len is last and he steps in line with the other two and gives good praises. So a score of a perfect 30 is not surprising. The judges want Mel B to win. Don't get me wrong, I love Maks, but just don't care for Scary Spice. I think a lot of Mel's dances have been more walking and prancing across the floor than dancing. Plus I think entertainment is just as important and Mel just doesn't always entertain me.

Next up is The Yummy Mummy, Jennie Garth dancing the tango. During her practice footage we get a repeat of Bruno coming down on Jennie last week and we see how much it hurt and that her lack of confidence is due to the criticism she receives when she tries so hard. Jennie decides to take some time off and takes her kids to Disneyland where she dances with Mickey Mouse and spends time with her fans. This is what Jennie needed, a boost in her confidence. The rest of her practice footage is dedicated to actual practice...lol. Her tango looks like it started off with a hand mistake. If indeed it was, they covered it well and came back to wow the crowd. Such intricate choreography and well done. The third standing ovation of the night. Carrie Ann is up first and gives her great comments but of course she ends it with a but and how she did not see any chemistry. Len is next and totally disagrees with Carrie Ann and says there was tons of chemistry. Bruno calls her Jennie the Red Menance. Praises Derek on the choregraphy. Scores of 9, 10, 9 give Jennie a solid 28. I knew Carrie Ann would not give a 10 to Jennie. You can tell no matter how good Jennie dances, Carrie Ann will not give her a 10.

Last up for the ballroom round is Helio and Julianne with a foxtrot to How Lucky Can One Guy Be. Their practice session is all about how Helio can show Julianne his appreciation of helping him get a perfect score. First up is a room full of balloons and flowers. Second up is a meet and great with Rascal Flatts, one of her favorite bands. Their actual practice footage revelas that Julianne knows that this is the week everyone will bring it and she wants to make sure they do too. From their practice footage, it looks Julianne will do most of the dancing, as usual. During the dance I saw a lift...both of her feet came off the ground with the help of Helio and I don't think it was something she could have done on her own. A lovely dance, light and flowy. Overall a good dance. I think 9's would be the right score for this dance. Len is first and he thinks this foxtrot was just as good as his first dance. Bruno can not believe that Helio has never danced before and will eat his book if Helio doesn't make the finale. Carrie Ann says he looks like a little lucky lephrechan. Great job from all 3 judges. Scores of 10,10,10 give us our second perfect score. Another one the judges want in the finale. And no mention of the lift?????

Next up will be the Latin round and each celebrity gets a lesson from Len. I personally love this part. I think they should have Len give more pointers. Afterall he does have 40 years of dance experience and knows what he is talking about.
First up is Marie and her dance lesson from Len is all about helping Marie improve her hip shaking. He wants to make Marie the Mambo Queen.
Next is Helio and Len wants to work on his feet positioning.
He wants to help Jennie work on her arm extensions and being more cheeky. He teaches Jennie to be flirty. Last up is Mel B and tells her she can improve on her sharpness and keeping her head up. He scares her.....I don't know how, but he does.

So the Latin round begins with Marie and Jonathon doing a Mambo in what looks like a Carmen Miranda take for a costume. Her routine begins with her hips going side to side to side to side. A very cheeky routine. They are really playful. Both loose bits of their costumes, Marie the skirt and Jonathon the sleves of the shirt. Her dance ends with her jumping into the laps of her brothers, well 4 of them. Bruno says it was the most madcap mambo he has ever seen. Tells her it was entertaining as ever but she lost her footing. Carrie Ann loved it but agrees she lost her footage a couple times. Len tells her that her hips were working. He loves her energy and loves watchingn them perform. She gets 9's across the board which gives her a 27 and a 56 for the night. Good job Marie.

Next is Maks and Mel with a pasa doble that could end up backfiring on them since their first one was given a perfect score. Not sure I like the the beginning with the whip and think she went overboard with it. But Maks is definatley staying with her scary persona and making her the domanatrix in these dances. Again walking around the floor is not dancing with me. They fell at the end and it looks like Mel could have possibly hurt something, but won't say anything. Carrie Ann says this was better than their first pasa (I don't agree). Len says he thought it was a mistake to go with the pasa since they got a perfect the first time, but that it was fantastic. Len then sings to Mel B "You can whip me if I misbehave" and the crowd goes nuts. Bruno of course loves the dance and says her precision is perfect and she is a star. Of course she receives a perfect score of 30 for this dance which gives her a perfect score of 60 for the night.

Next up is Jennie Garth and Derek with a cha cha cha to Mustang Sally. Jennie did this song very well. She was Mustang Sally. I thought this was Jennie's best dance to date. She let herself go and had fun and did a great job. I watched this dance twice, it was that good. The team from Home Makeover loved it too. Len starts off with nothing but praise telling her how much she has developed week after week and that she was fantastic. Bruno finally tells Yummy Jennie she has star power and she did it. Carrie Ann gives Jennie the "work it out" finger snaps. She finally loved Jennie's dance - never thought I would hear Carrie Ann give props to Jennie without a butt somewhere in it. Scores of 10, 10, 10 give her a 57 for the night.

Last up is Helio and Julianne with a cha cha cha as well. They start on the stairs to the song Love Roller Coaster. This dance was all about showing what a great dancer Julianne is. From start to finish Julianne is the dancer and Helio is the spotter. A great dance, but I do not think it was his best, maybe Julianne's best. Bruno of course loved it. Carrie Ann of course tells Julianne how mind boggling she is. Len is last with of course nothing but praise for all the couples but tells Helio he is the standout couple of the night.....?????.....I must be watching a different show. He too gets a perfect score of 30 for a perfect score of 60 for the night.

Tomorrow night Kenny Maine is back...ugh...as well as our last Star of the Dance, Michael Flately. Tomorrow also brings us the return of Sabrina and Mark, the couple who should still be in the competition. She got a bum deal.

Until tomorrow night..................when hopefully in my book, Mel B goes home. Make this a true dance competition were the finalist are not professional dancers!!!

Amazing Race - Milk Does a Racer Good

The Amazing Race 12's third episode began with the nine remaining teams leaving Amsterdam's Durgerdam Yacht Club, which served as the Pit Stop for the second leg of the competition. Each of the remaining teams had a mandatory rest period at the Pit Stop, which was good for Ronald Hsu -- who is competing with his daughter Christina. Ronald developed a hernia during the race's second leg, and while it required medical attention and he was in "intense pain," he continued on.

"Dating Couple" Lorena Segura and Jason Widener -- the first team to reach the race's second Pit Stop -- were the first to depart at 4:19AM. Lorena and Jason opened their clue, which instructed them to fly nearly 3,000 miles to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso in West Africa. Once there, they'd have to find the city’s train station, where they'd retrieve their next clue. "Dating Couple" Jennifer Parker and Nathan Hagstrom left the Pit Stop at 4:30AM, and they were followed by "Friends" Shana Hall and Jennifer McCall at 4:31AM; "Dating Goths" Kynt Cothron and Vyxsin Fiala at 5:21AM; and the "Brother/Sister" team of Azaria and Hendekea Azene at 5:22AM. Lorena and Jason; Nate and Jen; and Shana and Jennifer were the first to arrive at Amsterdam's airport, and via the Internet they discovered Air France had the only flight going to Ouagadougou, which left at 8AM, would connect through Paris and land in the West African city at 4:35PM. "Newly Dating Couple" Rachel Rosales and TK Erwin left the Pit Stop at 5:23AM; Marianna and Julia left at 5:46AM; "Grandfather/Grandson" team Donald Jerousek and Nicolas Fulks left at 5:47AM; and Ronald and Christina were the last team to leave the Pit Stop, departing at 6:26AM.

All of the other teams began to arrive at the airport and followed the lead of the first few teams, booking flights on the 8AM flight through Paris. However Nate and Jen were put on the standby list for a fully-booked 7:20AM flight to Paris, which would give them a slight lead over the other teams.

"We just barely made the 7:20AM flight out of Amsterdam to Paris. The other teams are on the 8AM flight, so obviously we have a 40-minute head start," commented Nate as he and Jen boarded the first flight. "Hopefully we can take advantage of that time, because you never know what's going to come next on this race." Ronald and Christina were the last team to arrive at Amsterdam's airport and had to run through the terminal to catch the flight. "My hernia's acting up!" yelled Ronald at his daughter, who verbally pushed her father forward and the two eventually made the 8AM flight. However it didn't take-off on time, as a "mechanical problem" was going to "take a while" to fix. Since there's only one flight from Paris to Ouagadougou a day, the teams were concerned that their delay in Amsterdam would stop them from making their connecting flight in Paris. "Nate and Jen are on the other flight, they could be way in the lead," commented Jason. "We're all screwed basically."


Nate and Jen's flight touched down in Paris and they had plenty of time to make the connecting flight. The other eight teams had to make a mad dash through Paris' airport to make the connecting flight, but they all were on it, much to Nate and Jen's chagrin. "Damn!" said Nate as the plane took-off. The flight landed in Ouagadougou, Burkino Faso, and Marianna and Julia were the first to hail a taxi outside and arrive at the train station, with the other eight teams hot on their heels. They opened their next clue and learned they would be taking a train into the middle of the African Savannah to Bingo. However the ticket window didn't open until 6AM the next morning, so the team's just relaxed. The next morning, all of the teams purchased tickets on the same train and embarked to Bingo. While most of the teams enjoyed the ride -- especially Azaria and Hendekea, who described the opportunity as a "thrill" -- Shana and Jennifer constantly complained about the flies and the train's lack of cleanliness.

The train then dropped the teams in the middle of the savannah, where they scrambled to find their next clue box and learned it was a Roadblock. In this Roadblock, one team member had to milk a camel and extract enough milk to fill a bowl to the designated line. Then they had to drink the milk to receive their next clue. If their camel ran dry, they had to wait for all the other teams to finish milking theirs before using one of their camels. Since all of the teams were on the same train, they all started the Roadblock around the same time, with TK, Lauren, Azaria, Vyxsin, Jennifer, Christina, Don, Nate and Julia all participating in the Roadblock for their respective teams. Not surprisingly, Jen complained about the camel's smell and eventually having to drink the milk. Lorena immediately ran into problems, as she said she was "really stressed out" and wasn't helped by the camel, who kicked her bowl and spilled her milk on more than one occasion.

TK was the first to finish milking his camel, and while he gagged and said the milk tasted "a little grainy, a little sweet and warm," he was still able to chug it down. Opening their next clue, TK and Rachel learned they had to lead four camels across the savannah along a marked path to a group of waiting nomads, where they would receive their next clue. Nicholas and Don; Christina and Ron; Kynt and Vyxsin; and Nate and Jen also finished the Roadblock and simply followed TK and Rachel to try and find the nomads. The plan looked like it would be costly when TK and Rachel led them astray, however all five teams eventually got back on track. Azaria, Jennifer, Julia and Lorena continued to struggle at the Roadblock, however it was clear Lorena was having the most problems, freaking out that her camel had stopped giving milk. As her boyfriend, Jason commented how it was difficult to watch Lorena have such a big breakdown and not be able to help her.

Eventually Azaria and Jennifer switched camels, and Julia and Lorena followed their lead. Azaria and Jennifer finally finished the Roadblock and began to lead their camels. TK and Rachel; Nicholas and Don; Christina and Ron; Kynt and Vyxsin; and Nate and Jen all arrived at the next clue and were met by a Detour, having to choose between "Teach It" or "Learn It." In "Teach It," the teams had to choose a local child who doesn't speak any English and teach them the English words for ten common items. In "Learn It," the teams had to learn Möre -- the primary African language used in this region -- with a local school child as their instructors and teaching them the Möre words for ten common items. TK and Rachel; Nicholas and Don; and Ronald and Christina chose "Teach It," while Nate and Jen and Kynt and Vyxsin chose "Learn It." Apparently deciding which Detour challenge to do was the easy part, as all five of the teams in the lead struggled to find the school in the village. Azaria and Hendekea found a young, local boy who directed them to the school, which allowed them to catch-up. Azaria and Hendekea then approached the "Learn It" challenge systematically, with each memorizing five of the words to lighten their individual load. The plan paid off as they were the first to finish the Detour challenge and receive their next clue, instructing them to travel on foot to the Pit Stop in the outskirts of Bingo.

The siblings left the schoolhouse just as a massive storm started to move across the savannah, kicking up sand and dumping rain. While it was only a small problem for Azaria and Hendekea -- who were the first team to reach the third leg's Pit Stop -- the messy weather hindered Lorena and Julia's attempts to milk their camels. Julia was eventually able to calm both herself and her camel and filled her bowl with milk. Julia and Marianna then started to lead their four camels along the path just as Lorena was finishing up. Alas, the camel she was milking gave a mighty kick and spilled her milk yet again. "Lorena, try the ones that have a baby with them!" yelled Julia as she and her sister departed. It was good advice, as Lorena quickly milked a nursing camel, and she and Jason were the last team to complete the Roadblock. Back at the schoolhouse, Ronald and Christina and TK and Rachel were the next two teams to complete the Detour. However in the horrible weather they were unable to find the path that lead to the Pit Stop. It didn't really matter, as TK and Rachel finished second; Nate and Jen finished third; Kynt and Vyxsin finished fourth; Ronald and Christina came in fifth; Donald and Nicholas finished sixth; and Shana and Jennifer finished seventh, all within minutes of each other.

As Marianna and Julia slowly walked their camels along the path so the animals wouldn't be spooked, Lorena and Jason decided to take the opposite approach and ran with their camels in an attempt to catch up. It worked, as both teams reached the Detour almost simultaneously and both also decided to do "Learn It." The two teams were neck-and-neck as they studied and took the test, however Jason and Lorena were the first to finish the challenge and sprinted out of the schoolhouse in-search of the Pit Stop. While Marianna and Julia were hot on their heels -- it didn't matter -- as Lorena and Jason were the eighth team to reach the Pit Stop, eliminating Marianna and Julia. "It's just like we had this black cloud hovering over us," said Marianna. "We almost never caught a break."