Mia Michaels was the guest judge , and there was some nonsense as to whether or not she had changed her mind about any of the dancers since the Top 20 was selected. I assume she was referring to Brandon, but I found the whole exchange highly irritating. They need to scale it down to one hour next week, because they had all the dancers recap the previous three weeks before each number. The show could have easily been done in 90 minutes.
Janette and Brandon, cha-cha by Jean-Marc and France to "Hush Hush; Hush Hush" by the Pussycat Dolls. Janette is fierce. That's all there is to say. This was close to her genre, and she owned the stage. I didn't even notice if Brandon was there for the first half of the song. Her legs were going a million miles an hour; she's just sex on stage. Some really great coupling moves toward the end, and Brandon came alive in the back half. Two first-class tickets on the Hot Tamale Train! Mia tried to act like her vicious attacks on Brandon during the final cut episode were because she was so impressed by him, and wanted to push him harder. Bullshit. I love Mia, but come on. We have that on video. That wasn't maternal pushing, that was straight-up antagonistic.
Kayla and Kupono, contemporary routine by Sonya Tayeh to "Eyes on Fire" by Blue Foundation. The routine was about death; Kayla rejected it, Kupono embraced it. Definitely got the story. It was violent and full of conflict, moody and fascinating. Kayla's legs are just incredible. They're like gigantic pendulums; they have nearly 360 degree mobility. Kayla's costume was really cool; like some kind of macabre Alice in Wonderland. Kupono was oddly understated. Kupono has been dancing a lot more strongly since he got paired up with Kayla; I'm glad. He's growing on me again. They're also on the Hot Tamale Train!
Randi and Evan, Broadway by Joey Dowling to "Rich Man's Frug" from "Sweet Charity." Randi's outfit was terrible, the corsette made her look especially thick this week. I felt like Evan was more present in this routine than he has been in weeks. It's an awesome Broadway number compared to Tyce DiOrio's crap. Lots of attitude. A weird number, but I really liked it. It's interesting; Nigel thought Randi rocked it, but Evan disappointed him a bit. I had the exact opposite take. Maybe because he looked hotter than he ever has. Mia said that the dancing didn't live up to the level they want from the two of them. I can't imagine that number going any better, but whatever. Also: Scott Bakula sighting in the audience! Looking rough!
Caitlin and Jason, jazz routine by Brian Friedman to "Creator" by Santigold. Caitlin looked like a leather-clad dinosaur. She was supposed to be an alien impregnating the last human being on the planet (Jason), but I don't think she really committed to it; I think she thought it was goofy. And, you know, it was. And the costuming really WAS bad. The dancing itself was quite good. But the routine was just...yeah. I don't think it was anywhere near enough to keep these two out of the bottom for a third straight week.
Philip and Jeanine, hip-hop routine by Napoleon and Tabitha to "Love Lockdown" by Kanye West. The routine was a microcosm of the kids' time on the show, with a chain linking them together. Jeanine always amazes me by how well she does in hip-hiop numbers. She's really good. It's some great Tap/Nap choreography - really intricate, lots of sharp movements, and they were totally together. Lots of role reversals. Really cool bit, and they needed it after two iffy weeks in a row.
Melissa and Ade, classical pas de deux by Thordal Christensen to "Rome & Juliet." It was like watching a ballet. Which is precisely what it should have been like, since, like, that's what it IS. We've never had a ballet on this show. Ever. Melissa is amazing. Fucking incredible to watch. I hope this makes younger people appreciate the beauty of ballet. It was very moving. Ade is holding his own, he's really growing on me, I have to say. I just wish he'd lose that damned pick in the interviews... I desperately hope we have more classical dance numbers on this show. Mary said that Melissa makes it all look so easy, and that is the truth.
Karla and Vitolio, quick step by Jean-Marc and France to "Puttin' on the Ritz" by Rufus Wainwright. I initially figured these two were totally fucked. They couldn't have been more fucked if they were Samantha Jones in her prime. New couple. The least popular dancers on the show by far (they're both charisma vacuums). Pulling the "kiss of death" quickstep. But it actually had some great moments. There was a really cool move where Vitolio pulled her dress and it transformed into a totally different gown. Fabulous. They didn't look like they had the technique down at all - the passes looked like they were just hopping across the stage. But I have to say, I loved the choreography. It was the most fun quickstep I've ever seen. The judges really liked it.
Predictions: Boy, this is tough. Nobody completely fucked up. Randi and Evan could be in trouble, given the judges lukewarm reaction to a number I thought was good. Caitlin and Jason are probably in serious danger again. And I assume Karla and Vitolio will be joining them, just because I can't see any of the others not making it through, and ultimately, nobody really cares for Karla or Vitolio. And that's why I sincerely hope they go home. I would be heartbroken to lose any of the others at this point.