It was the second surprising elimination in a row on Dancing with the Stars. Despite a string of solid performances from each, Vivica and Monique were in the Bottom Two, and Vivica was sent home.

The show opened with a recap of the previous night’s performances. Jerry said he’d relished the chance to prove
his love for his daughter in front of millions of people: “I’ll make a
fool of myself for you, honey. There’s nothing I won’t do for you.”

Joey was emotional, too: “I’m so glad we made Len happy, man!”

And
Mario confessed that the reason he’d seemed so serious after receiving
his high marks was that he was fighting the urge to do the Cabbage
Patch.

After the recap, Len awarded the Judges’ Encore to “Willa the Thrilla and Marvelous Max.”

A
performance by Grammy nominees Los Lonely Boys followed the encore. The
band was accompanied by a few of their own backup dancers, but none of
the DwtS professionals.

After the musical interlude, Samantha
was backstage with questions for a couple of the celebrities. She asked
Jerry if he was nervous about next week’s dances, the Rumba and the
Samba. Jerry said, “I got by on being sexy this week, so I’m gonna be really sexy next week.”

Samantha
stammered as she asked the imposing Vivica if she thought she was in
danger of being sent home. Vivica confidently replied, “I think we’re
good.”

Tom then introduced a package of interview clips with
members of last night’s studio audience. Mario was a big hit with the
fans, including actress Eva Longoria, who wore a “Vote for Mario”
T-shirt. Another woman, far too old for Mario, gushed, “That butt in
those pants? Oh my God!” A number of the parents in the audience were
moved by Jerry’s Waltz. And actress Shannon Elizabeth also had strong
opinions, though I’m not sure she specified on what or whom.

Back
in the ballroom, Tom and Samantha announced the first two couples who
would be moving on to next week’s show. To nobody’s surprise, Mario
& Karina and Jerry & Kym were safe.

Ashly DelGrosso,
fresh off her elimination last week, was back to dance with her five
sisters — all of whom have names that begin with the letter “A”:
Ayatollah, Anaerobic, Anklet, Aspirator, and Antoine. Their performance
to the song “Heat Wave” will make a great halftime show at a Utah Jazz
game this season.

After the DelGrossest performance ever,
Samantha talked to the two safe couples backstage. Jerry said that he’s
earned so many votes because fans frequently mistake him for Mario.

Then
it was time for the weekly update on Slim-Fast Challenge contestant
Tysonia. A vigorous cardio workout, courtesy of the Samba, was part of
what has helped her drop four dress sizes since the program began. She
was nervous about performing in a relatively skimpy dress until she saw
her audience: authentic Samba dancers wearing little more than bikinis.

When
we returned to the dance floor, last season’s winner, Drew Lachey, had
a front row seat for a performance by his brother, Nick. Pros Tony and
Elena danced to Nick’s latest ode to divorce, “I Can’t Hate You
Anymore.”

The women in the audience loved the song. They
screamed so loudly for Nick that Samantha had trouble introducing the
next package of clips, which offered a look at the world of ballroom
from the celebrities’ perspectives.

When the show started, the
celebrities were confounded by the performance costumes — in
particular the shirt-and-underwear combo worn by the men. Jerry
suggested, “If spandex manufacturers go on strike, dancing is finished
as a performance art.”

The liberal administration of spray-on
tan was another point of amusement. Vivica thought that perhaps the men
are trying to achieve George Hamilton’s golden brown hue. Willa and
Monique seemed the most eager to embrace every aspect of ballroom dance
culture. “Even I got a spray-on tan,” Monique said. “I’m a black girl!”

The
celebs marvelled at the painstaking primping the pros undergo on show
day. Willa said that Max gets makeup applied to his chest early in the
day, and then spends the rest of the day topless. Mario said, “I didn’t
realize how much vanity was involved.”

After the clip package, Tom and Samantha announced the next two safe couples: Emmitt & Cheryl and Willa & Max.

Before
revealing which couples were in the Bottom Two, the judges offered some
thoughts on what makes a good partnership. Some of the couples just
look right together, like Joey & Edyta, Mario & Karina, and
Vivica & Nick. The rest of the couples have special relationships
that make their partnership successful.

Carrie Ann said, “Jerry
& Kym obviously care about each other, so it works despite age
difference.” Willa & Max thrive on a “fire and ice” dynamic. Louis
and Cheryl act like coaches for Monique and Emmitt, respectively. And
Tony is a big brother figure for Sara.

Len had the final word on partnership, saying, “Unless they come together and work as one, they’ve got no chance.”

As
Tom prepared to announce the Bottom Two, he asked Len what he thought
of the four couples waiting to learn their fate. Len said, “I’m shocked
to see some of the best couples in competition still standing there.”
Tom announced that Joey & Edyta were safe, and then the sound
briefly cut out as Tony exclaimed, “Holy shit!” when he learned he and
Sara were also moving on.

That left Monique & Louis and
Vivica & Nick in the Bottom Two. Monique fought back tears as the
show went to commercial break. After the break, Tom announced that
Vivica & Nick had been eliminated.

Vivica accepted the
decision gracefully, trying to quiet the booing crowd by saying, “We’re
good. I had a wonderful time.” Tom told her that, during the commercial
break, the judges, and even audience member Lisa Rinna, told him they
were in shock that it had come down to Monique and Vivica.

When
Samatha asked Vivica what she’d take away from the ballroom, Vivica
said, “Nick.” She said she’ll consider him a friend for the rest of
her life. The couple then danced one last time, to “Against All Odds.”

Bonus coverage: Since our ABC affiliate had audio problems last night, we decided to dub in our own music choice for one of the Performance Show dances…