What a difference a night makes. Monday night Cat looked incredible; tonight she looked a little rough. The lipstick: oh honey, no. That fire-engine red looks ghastly on your pasty flesh. She reiterated that due to the baseball playoffs, the judges would decide one guy and one girl to send home at the end of the episode. That's bullshit. Also bullshit: Billy Bell is out of the competition due to illness, replaced by Brandon Dumlao, who is a hip-hopper. His intro solo was seriously underwhelming. Also notable from the intros: Mollee got like zero crowd support, which makes me think America is already as sick of her as I am. And also, when the tappers came on the producers switched to the foot mics. This is a terrible idea, as it sounds awful, and it adds nothing to their actual dancing. I hope that they abandon that practice soon. Nigel again did the Paula Abdul stump. Boy, she better show up at some point, or it will reflect poorly on both him and the show.

And the hits just came on coming: in addition to Billy's leaving, contemporary dancer Noelle jacked up her leg significantly, which meant she was sidelined for the episode, and Melanie would be dancing in her place, like she did with Pasha when Jesse fell ill during S3. What is going ON with this season? It's like it's cursed or something! Actually, I think that may be exactly what's happening. The whole thing just feels so forced and unpolished this time around. I hope they move it back to summer once this season ends.

First pairing: Channing and Phillip, so a contemporary and a tapper. Interesting mix.  Channing revealed that she's a tomboy, while Phillip admitted that he likes to write poetry. Ugh. Losing points with me all the time, Phillip. They pulled the jive, choreographed by Jason Gilkison to "Rockin' Robin" by the Jackson 5. It's such a goofy song that it's hard to take any number set to it seriously The pair of them were not on in the beginning. Channing's outfit was so hoochie it distracted me, and she seemed very stiff in the beginning. There was a between-the-legs move that I don't think was executed as smoothly as either of them hoped it would be. For such an upbeat style I found this terribly boring, and remarkably lacking in energy, especially Phillip by the end. Adam thought he was fantastic, and that Channing danced with elegance, but did note that they totally dropped character in that one lift I mentioned. Mary was less excited, noting that the legs were a bit lazy, although Channing got it together more at the end, while Phillip seemed to run out of energy. Nigel told Channing that she lacked bounce, and that both of them lacked spring in their retractions. And he also noted the complete lack of chemistry. Right on.

Next couple: Ashleigh and Jakob, so a Latin ballroomer with a contemporary dancer. Ashleigh revealed that she was sidelined from dancing for six years due to illness and injury. Jakob talked about leaving his small-town past and heading to the big city. They pulled Broadway by Tyce DiOrio. Tyce said that they needed to find their "man/woman thing." Was that a sly commentary on Jakob's sexuality? Because: duh, Tyce. The piece was set to "Hit Me With a Hot Note" from "Sophisticated Ladies." Jakob was leaping and spinning all over that stage. He really can move incredibly well. I was barely noticing Ashleigh- and Jakob seemed to forget she was there sometimes too. But when she wasn't hanging around in the back she was very sexy and seductive; I just don't think she had a hell of a lot to do during the routine. Adam said that Jakob was put on this earth to spread the gospel of dance - I agree. He was brilliant. He said Ashleigh did not finish her lines, and didn't work her hands, something I noticed a lot Monday too. Nigel told Ashleigh that she showed why the judges have faith in her (clever rewriting of history, since initially she didn't make the Top 20, and only got in once Paula dropped out), and he said Jakob is one of the most gifted dancers he's ever seen, and is a real performer. All the judges basically said that Ashleigh was lucky to have been hitched to that wagon.

Ariana and Peter, contemporary plus a tapper. Ariana is a country girl from a farm. They pulled hip-hop by Tabitha and Napoleon, who dreamed up an android couple that spark when they're near each other. It was set to "Black & Gold" by Sam Sparro. LOVE THAT SONG. The costuming didn't make them look like androids. Ariana looked like a Solid Gold dancer and Peter looked like a mugger. The beginning was very slow and I was worried. But then the melody kicked in, and it got fierce fast. There were some great tricks - some booty shaking, a head slide by Peter. They hit it hard and were mostly together. Very cute routine. I don't think their chemistry was where I wanted it to be, but I still went along with the story. Adam said that they weren't dancing like one another, which is interesting. And then he made fun of Lil C, and I am always about making fun of Lil C. Mary thought the middle was sloppy. Nigel was lukewarm about the whole thing, and said point blank that he was disappointed. Huh, I didn't think it was bad.

Russell and Noelle, a krumper and a contemporary. Noelle talked about growing up in Boston. Noelle is a Southern belle and tried to justify her use of y'all. I find her annoying. They pulled a foxtrot choreographed by Tony and Melanie. Noelle had no idea what a foxtrot was. How do you not know that? This show has been on five years, and you're an aspiring professional dancer. That's either laziness, ignorance, or both. Of course, Noelle was injured, and so Melanie had to fill her place. The routine was to "Vagabond Shoes" by Vic Damone. I love it when Melanie dances. First of all, she's fantastic, and second, she's like 20 years older than everyone else on this show. She proves that anybody can be a brilliant dancer if they work at it. But more importantly, we have Russell. It was so hard to judge, since he was working with a professional, but he looked like a pro himself. His high kicks, his smoothness and grace, his overall strength and attitude and partner work, was so much more than I would expect of a hip-hop dancer, especially this early in the competition. Adam loved it, Mary thought it was a "respectable" job, but thought Russell was going places. And Nigel used Russell as an example of why kids need to be exposed to dance in schools, because he's growing so quickly.  He pointed out that there were issues with his rise and fall and such, but noted that foxtrot was Fred Astaire's favorite style, and he can't imagine Fred Astaire getting up and krumping. I'm pretty sure Fred's mostly dust now, but I get his meaning.

Bianca and Victor, a tap dancer and a contemporary guy. They pulled contemporary by Travis Wall, who came up with a story about Victor completely ignoring Bianca, as though she's invisible. Set to "Wasted Time" by Me'Shell Ndegeocello. Victor did a good job staying in character, totally stoic, and Bianca did an equally good job coming after him, trying desperately to get his attention. Both of them had very good, clean lines and they were almost perfectly in synch. Some cool strength/tumbling moves, too. A very good piece, and I thought they danced it solidly. Adam said that Bianca is at a disadvantage because of her style, and that she needed to drop her shoulders and stretch out her toes because they weren't finishing. Mary was really impressed by her, and not just her dancing; she respected her passion and the chemistry between the two of them. Nigel said that it was the most connected he'd seen the partners thus far. Totally agree.

Karen and Kevin, a ballroom dancer and a hip-hopper. Karen came from Venezuela; Kevin revealed that he is a model. I...have a difficult time believing that, especially with his ridiculous hair. But whatever. They got cha-cha by Tony and Melanie set to "Push It" by the "Glee" cast. Nice synergy, Fox. Jesus. LOVED Karen's outfit. Kevin's arms were all over the place, he looked manic and oddly lacked masculinity. Given that it was her style, I expected more form Karen. She shook her ass like no tomorrow, but was dead in the face. There was very little connection between them. The tricks seemed sluggish. The whole thing felt awkward and sloppy to me. Adam thought that it was impossible not to watch Karen (I disagree), and thought Kevin did a good job keeping up with her (disagree with that too). Mary praised Karen's work, and put her on the Hot Tamale Train. I guess I missed something; compare that to Kayla's cha-cha from last season, and Karen was nowhere approaching that league. She said that Kevin was not sharp enough for her. Nigel thought he danced it very well. Really? Is nobody going to mention how uncomfortable he looked? Or how nearly vogue-ish his arm movements were? That's like Nigel's big thing, masculine dancing. Irritating.

Ryan and Ellenore, ballroom and jazz. Ryan revealed that he's a workout nut. No shit, Captain Meathead. Ellenore is the daughter of two dancers, so she feels born to do this. They pulled jazz by Sonya Tayeh, who came up with a piece about good and bad angels. Oh, Sonya... The number was set to "Arcadia" by Apparat. The piece started out with Ellenore running on to the stage and whirling her arms through the air. Then Ryan followed her, all jerky movements. She looked like she'd been partially tarred and feathered. Ryan looked like Mr. International Leather 2009. (Note: I am not complaining.) The moves were birdlike, and I got the story, for sure. It was a strange routine, but I liked it. There was a part where it looked like he was biting her back. (I call it the Marv Albert.) So weird! I thought Ellenore outdanced him for most of it, but he held his own, and performed tons of strength moves. Adam said neither of them are the two most technical dancers, but they just became two of the most exciting dancers. I agree with that. Mary loved the chemistry between the two of them, and praised them for not telegraphing their tricks.

Brandon and Pauline, hip-hopper and jazz dancer. Pauline is a photographer in addition to a dancer. Brandon feels as though he's got to play catch-up. Yeah, that must suck. Even more suck: they pulled a smooth waltz by Jason Gilkison to "You Light Up My Life" by Whitney Houston. I was surprised by how well they were doing in the beginning. Pauline especially looked gorgeous. It flowed nicely, and they had beautiful chemistry. And for someone playing catch-up, and dancing wildly outside of his style, I thought Brandon did OK. It was a very sweet, and even more impressive to know that Brandon came in a day and a half before the performance was taped. Adam gave Brandon some tips on opening up his chest. Mary echoed his concerns about Brandon's technical abilities, but said Pauline was quite elegant. Nigel took off the kid's gloves and said they looked like a prom couple. Ouch. He also felt that Pauline did not expand herself enough for him.

Kathryn and Legacy, contemporary and hip-hop. Kathryn is possibly the most boring human being ever, talking about how she likes being outdoors. Amazing. Legacy talked about being a street performer. They got hip-hop by Dave Scott, who devised a caveman piece that was intended to be humorous. Bold choice for a first number. Set to "On & On" by Missy Elliott. They started out crawling around and picking bugs out of their hair. Then the beat kicked in and they came alive. Kathryn impressed the hell out of me. She really hit the piece very strongly. There were some cool ticks by Legacy, and Kathryn kept up with him. I was having a flashback to Jeanine and Phillip's first number last season. Adam called it hot, and praised the chemistry, and implored the two of them to learn from each other. Mary's response: "Yabba Dabba Doo!" Ha! She loved it, of course. Nigel seemed to totally miss the point of the beginning of the routine, but overall he liked it very much and said he was looking forward to seeing how they'll develop over the season.

Last couple: Mollee and Nathan, contemporary and jazz. Ugh. So disappointed he got stuck with her. I'm sure at the time the producers thought they were creating a power couple, but I find her off-putting. Mollee said she's a "goofball." That must be code for "annoying as shit." They got Doriana Sanchez for disco...inspired by Mexican wrestling. I liked the sound of that, but saw absolutely no evidence of it in the actual routine, which was set to "Turn the Beat Around" by Gloria Estefan. They looked like children play-acting; neither of them looked right in their costumes. The tricks were impressive, but you could see the effort on Nathan's face especially. They also looked tired for the middle part of the song. At one point Nathan's face was right in Mollee's cooter. It was wrong, like watching Mickey and Minnie Mouse fucking or something. I was not a fan of this, I'm sorry. Adam said their energy was bright and infectious. I would like it to be! But I felt the energy was lacking for chunks of it. Compare it to any of the discos last season, it was positively sluggish. Mary felt that they two of them pulled off a difficult routine, and called them the "dream team" just chock full of charisma. I don't think either of them is charismatic. Enthusiastic, sure. But not charismatic. Nigel said that they brought the fun to the competition. I thought they brought the creeps.

At that point, the judges had to choose two guys and two girls in danger of elimination. I hate so much that the judges have full control of this, and I believe the same is true for next week. Nigel pointed out that they would be judging them based on everything this season, not just their work that evening. The four: Ariana, Brandon, Pauline, and Russell. RUSSELL?! Are you KIDDING me?! Where the fuck did that come from? That all but guaranteed that Brandon would be going home, because seriously, Russell is a huge threat. Especially if you consider overall performance so far.

Solos: Arianna danced an energetic solo that involved lots of leaping, flipping, and spinning - nothing we haven't seen on this show a million times, but competent enough. Russell threw out a dynamic, energetic krump routine with some very cool tricks. You could feel his aggression. I half wondered if the judges didn't put him in there just to get a solo out of him. Pauline did a...I don't know what you would call it, really. Lots of shaking, but not a lot else. Pretty awful. Brandon chose to go with contemporary instead of hip-hop. I do not understand that decision. It was a very lyrical solo, and interesting, but why not bust out some of those explosive hip-hop moves when you are very likely going home?

Decision time: Nigel said that the decision was unanimous for the girls, and Ariana was cut for a lack of charisma. Really? I thought Pauline's solo was shit, and the woman didn't even finish Vegas Week. I barely even knew Ariana, but I also thought she was pretty good this episode, and great on Monday night's episode. Channing was better? No. The guys: Nigel said they were again unanimous, and Brandon got the shaft. Nigel said that an unfortunate sequence of events brought him to this place, but told him that they're going to try to change the rules so that he could come back next season. Well, that's nice, but after getting jerked around like this, why would he? Seriously, I would tell the show to go fuck itself. Still, at least Russell was safe. Not that he should have been in danger anyway.

All in all, I don't think this Top 20 is as strong as last year's. I'm also feeling like Shankman was a bad choice for the third permanent judge chair. His lack of awareness of other dance styles was showing a bit tonight, and his reflexive need to waste time by praising the choreographers did not escape my notice.