bunt sign live

Locked down in the partnership
There’s no question that the quality of the performers on this season of So You Think You Can Dance is very high, but I finally figured out what the difference is from last year. It’s that I haven’t had total 100% confidence in any of the couples, the way I did in Katee and Joshua last season. After tonight, I’m one step closer to being a true believer in Janette and Brandon, though. They have been consistent in every genre, and their cha cha was outstanding, overloaded with sure, confident steps.

Kayla is the one dancer I never had any doubts about, and I think she’s made Kupono better since they’ve been partnered. I didn’t quite buy into his vampire character as much as the judges did, but the movement by both of them in Sonya’s contemporary routine was outstanding, really stretching their abilities as it stretched their bodies.

The choreographers who like to tell a story (which seems to be the case with most of them) must love Randi and Evan, because they are unmatched in creating and maintaining character throughout a dance. The “Sweet Charity” routine they did tonight was hard-hitting and fun, and I was cheering at the end, even if the judges’ enthusiasm was a little muted.

Caitlin and Jason are such a good-looking couple that it was a bit of a disappointment to see her covered up in a weird alien costume. But the pop jazz piece Brian Friedman designed for them was weird and fun, and it included movements that required precise timing, and steps that were intricately complex to pull off, and yet they did. I had a hard time figuring out what the judges were complaining about.

As much as I admire Napoleon and Tabitha, I was so distracted by the chain prop that I couldn’t really concentrate on Jeanine and Phillip. I had pretty much the same reaction Mia Michaels did; during the dance I jotted down two words: “worried” and “distracting.” I had to watch the routine a second time to get the impact, which was amazing. This is the show’s fun couple, when they get a genre that Phillip can do comfortably. Jeanine is a terrific dancer, and Phillip is great in his own style, or something close to it. The were really good tonight, the second time I watched them. (But how have they managed to pull hip hop twice in four weeks?)

The pas de deux danced by Melissa and Ade was two things: a clever use of the presence of a true ballerina on the show, and a leap of faith in what to expect from these dancers. I found myself wondering what would have happened if one of the other couples had pulled ballet out of the hat. Do they really think anyone on the show should be capable of pulling off a classical dance? Fortunately, the right couple got it, and they danced it beautifully.

The quickstep is a minefield, and throwing a newly minted partnership into a minefield seems a little reckless. Karla and Vitolio were in the bottom three last week, and they might be again, because somebody has to be. But they pulled off a difficult dance, and I wasn’t even looking at their feet because their upper bodies (especially his) were so majestic as they skated across the floor. Whoever goes home this week will not deserve it.

Somebody to drag us out of the depression
It’s hard to believe that some of the acts on tonight’s America’s Got Talent spent time planning and rehearsing without ever realizing how terrible they are. I can sort of understand it with individuals like Franklin Sane, the judge from Detroit who thought he could sing. He probably never had anybody dare to tell him the truth. But when you get large groups like Witches in Bikinis or Samba Samba Samba, they have to spend so much time perfecting their moves that they must know they’re so far from perfect that they shouldn’t even be trying out.

Sometimes, though, I wonder if it isn’t the judges who have lost their minds. Coney Island Chris, the light bulb eater, doesn’t really have an act, yet they put him through to Las Vegas. Carol Lugo, the supermarket checker, probably got through only because she’s 62 and has a lot of energy, because the dancing itself wasn’t enough to win a show with “talent” in the title.

For me, the top three acts tonight were Jay Mattioli, the rock and roll magician from Virginia, Thia Megia, the 14-year-old girl from California with the big voice, and Kevin Skinner, the chicken catcher from Kentucky. The biggest impact he made wasn’t necessarily his singing, which was indeed emotional and powerful, but the shattering of expectations, Susan Boyle style. When you bring that much personality to the stage and then perform with such heart, it brings the audience to its feet. That’s really what we watch this show for, I think: the acts that make the crowd go crazy, as if they want to carry the performer to Vegas on their backs.

What a difference Ade makes
The judges on So You Think You Can Dance obviously know more about dance technique than I do, but they can’t tell me what I enjoy and what I don’t. Tonight’s first three couples, despite mostly praise from the judges, all made me uncomfortable. It wasn’t until Janette and Brandon danced fourth that I started having fun with the show. Their Dave Scott hip hop vs. rock and roll routine was inspired, and they brought such energy to it that I was thoroughly entertained.

And actually, the rest of the show was fun, too, especially Jeanine and Phillip’s Tyce Diorio Broadway routine with the couch and the feathers. Maybe Phillip missed some steps; I don’t know about that. What I do know is that the pair of them are actors, and they brought their characters alive. So did Randi and Evan, who danced Mia Michaels’ contemporary number with such commitment. It was impossible to look away from, and that was partly the imaginative choreography and partly the performance.

I was afraid for Kayla and Kupono. Both were in the bottom three last week, and this was their first week together. But they took the Viennese waltz and made me keep watching as they glided smoothly over the stage. It was enchanting. I can’t use that word about the paso doble done by Caitlin and Jason. I’m sure it was danced well, and I love this couple, but for me the fire and passion overwhelmed the dancing.

Karla and Jonathan started the show with a hip hop number that seemed a little soft and a bit cartoonish to me. It had a lot of steps and a few neat tricks, but I wasn’t buying it. Nor did I buy Mandy Moore’s jazz routine as danced by Asuka and Vitolio. It was out of synch, as the judges noted, but worse than that, there was no drama to the number.

Melissa and Ade are beautiful together, and their rumba was designed to show off their connection, but it looked to me as if Ade was thinking too much about the steps. The judges loved it, so maybe I’m wrong, but I couldn’t get comfortable watching them because he didn’t seem comfortable doing it.

I started out with an ice pick
When it comes to talent shows, all I care about is being entertained. I don’t even know if I’ll last to the end of the season, but the premiere of America’s Got Talent entertained me tonight. I’m not sure it was two full hours of entertainment, but it was fun, and at times moving, and at times excruciating. Take Brad Byers, for example. Please. Sticking sharp things up your nose is indeed a talent; I won’t deny that. But this guy is proof that you can have talent and still not be entertaining. (But apparently that’s just me. And Sharon Osbourne.)

David Johnson, on the other hand, is proof that you don’t have to have very much talent to be truly entertaining. He’s the guy who sang his original song, “David Hasselhoff” (which I still have buzzing through my head like a fishhook, thanks so much). I’m happy for him that he was put through to the next round, but I have my doubts that he has enough of an act to get very far. But it’s not about the competition, is it? It didn’t seem to be for him, thank goodness.

The most pleasant surprise tonight was Tony Hoard and his dog Rockin’ Rory. I wasn’t expecting much, especially at the end of a series of lame animal acts, but this was the coolest dog act ever. It was just so fast and so fluid, without a misstep by either dog or owner.

My two favorite acts of the night both involved siblings, and I can’t decide which one I liked more. The EriAm Sisters, who sang “I Want You Back” with such charm (and such charming harmony) were terrific and adorable. The Voices of Glory shamelessly gave us “God Bless America,” and they really soared, but it was their story about singing to their mother, who had been in a coma, that helped illuminate the talent they undoubtedly have. I’ll be happy to see what both of these families do in the Las Vegas rounds.

The serenity inside the chaos
When you don’t really want any of the couples on So You Think You Can Dance to go home, is it the right thing not to vote for any of them? Some of them were a little off, or out of their elements, on tonight’s top 18 performance show, but I still applaud the producers for pairing them up so well. There isn’t a single mismatch in the group.

The most disappointing performance tonight came from last week’s favorite couple, Jeanine and Phillip. When they were doing their awkward tango, I wrote “awkward tango” in my notes. I also wrote “slow,” and “kind of weird.” But Phillip was clearly the very essence of being out of his element, and I would hate so see him cut for doing an awkward tango. On the other hand, bottom three would mean a solo, and we know he would nail that.

As usual, there were a few couples the judges were too hard on (in my uninformed opinion). When Caitlin and Jason were doing their Shane Sparks number, I thought they really sold the characters and brought the relationship vividly to life. Lil C was perplexed and Mary was shocked. (Or is it that Mary should be shocked?) What’s weird is that they gave Vitolio credit for his portrayal of the emotion in the waltz he did with Asuka, even though he looked a bit stiff and awkward. So what do the judges want, steps or performance? They seemed to contradict themselves.

When Randi and Evan led off the show with the jive, I was thoroughly entertained and didn’t know they weren’t great until the judges told me so. But I was kind of bored with Brian Friedman’s pop jazz routine for Kayla and Max, even though I loved his power (and her body). The judges were more impressed than I was with the choreography. It was the same with Karla and Jonathan’s contemporary number, which had more mood (and lifts) than steps. This is an irresistible couple, but I didn’t see the technique the judges enjoyed so much.

Ashley and Kupono closed the show with another Shane Sparks routine, and while I found it fun and entertaining, even I could see it wasn’t danced very well. The judges were underwhelmed by them, as they were overwhelmed by Melissa and Ade’s jazz number, choreographed by Sonya. I loved how those two moved together, and I had to agree it was a great routine.

Finally, we’re going to have to retire the “kiss of death” label for disco on SYTYCD, because Doriana gave Janette and Brandon the best showcase their talents could have had. They did every step, and there were a million of them, with conviction and flair. The number had some great tricks, all nailed to perfection, and Brandon’s strength was a revelation. And oh boy, did these two look great. It was my favorite routine of the night.

Creativity and a little bit of passion
Most of what I know about dance I learned from So You Think You Can Dance. While my knowledge of the craft is limited, I have a strong sense of knowing when I’m being entertained, and when I’m not. Plus, I admit to some prejudices. I prefer jazz and contemporary to ballroom, and I have a love-hate relationship with hip hop. I think it can be absolutely riveting or nauseatingly indulgent, depending on the choreography and the performance.

With that said, I have to admit I didn’t always agree with the judges about the performances on tonight’s top 20 show. They loved Randi and Evan’s jazz routine, but I found it lifeless and labored, and I didn’t see the chemistry. I thought Janette and Brandon’s fox trot was a bit stiff, but I must be wrong, because all three judges praised them lavishly.

On the other hand, the judges didn’t seem to care for the hip hop number performed by Paris and Tony. They were distracted by the costumes and called it not memorable. Well, I remember it, and it worked for me. Plus: I don’t care a bit about Tony’s facial expression, whether it’s true hip hop or not. He doesn’t have to be all gangsta for me to enjoy his dancing.

By the end of the show, I ended up voting for no less than half of the couples (which was still fewer than the number that made Mary scream). Jeanine and Phillip’s hip hop number: entertaining and enchanting; I love this couple. Karla and Jonathan’s cha cha: full of personality and chemistry. Caitlin and Jason’s Bollywood: a lot of fun (though not as good as Katee and Joshua last year, sorry). Melissa and Ade doing Mandy Moore’s contemporary dance: full of passion, believable (and he’s so strong!).

My favorite number of the night, and the one that seemed to divide the judges based not on performance but on choreography, was Wade Robson’s crash-test dummies jazz routine, danced by Ashley and Kupono. It was a great concept, beautifully choreographed and perfectly executed. Even the costumes and the props were memorable and added to the fun.

It’s funny that some of the dancers we fell in love with during the auditions can fade into the chorus once we get to see them all dancing on a level stage. I would never have thought that the worst routine of the night would include the beautiful Asuka, but she and Vitolio almost disappeared amid the flashing lights of Tyce’s Broadway number. I found the whole bit awkward and lacking in anything compelling.

Finally (and I know I haven’t mentioned Kayla and Max, but the judges poured enough sugar and honey on them to keep them around, although I was just “eh”)...

Where was I? Oh, yeah. Finally, Mary Murphy is crazy. And more than a little annoying.

You’re not as good as you thought you were
Before I put my years of watching So You Think You Can Dance behind who I think will make the top twenty, let’s spend some time lamenting the cuts that cut the deepest. And let’s start with Natalie Reid, who could not possibly have been bad enough in Vegas to undo everything she did in her outstanding audition. Sonya was her biggest fan and even used her as an example for the other dancers, but it was Sonya’s jazz choreography that took her out of the competition. I don’t really get it.

Bianca Revels also probably deserved another chance, after getting as far as she did. I didn’t see what there was in Tice DiOrio’s “West Side Story” routine that disqualified her, especially after all the wonderful performances she had given already throughout the week. She’s too beautiful and too elegant to lose before the final solos, at least. I was disappointed in that decision.

Even though we didn’t get to see much of their dancing tonight, I’m sorry to see coach’s son Travis Prokop and wrestler Sammy Ramirez go home. I don’t know that they were strong enough dancers to make the top twenty, but I would like to have seen more of them, because they both had appealing personalities on stage. I felt the same about Gabi Rojas and Arielle Coker after their auditions, but their weaknesses became apparent during Vegas Week. At least we got to see them on the show tonight.

As for the top twenty: You can’t ask Phillip Chbeeb to dance a solo and then not put him through, because we already know what he can do. He’s a dancer you can’t take your eyes off when he’s performing, and I’ll be shocked if he doesn’t make it. And I’m sure Nigel will never let Asuka Kondoh miss her chance to make the show. He made it quite clear in the Los Angeles auditions how strongly he felt about her appeal and her dancing. Even though she’s a ballroom dancer and solos might not be her strong suit, I don’t see how she can be cut now.

Obviously, no matter what Mia Michaels keeps saying about how disappointed she’s been in Brandon Bryant in Vegas, it would be a travesty if he doesn’t make the top twenty. I’m a little torn on Tony Bellissimo. Did they show so much of him tonight because it’s the end of the line for him, or because he’ll be competing for votes next week? He showed more personality than steps, but personality has to count for something on a TV show. I won’t try to predict this one.

Finally, the Kasprzak brothers. I wish they hadn’t shown the two of them standing in front of the judges together, because that means that one of them is staying and one is going. My prediction is that although Ryan is the choreographer who designed Evan’s winning audition, and although he is an accomplished dancer in his own right, it will be Evan in the top twenty, because his audition was one of the most memorable of anyone we saw. I could be completely wrong about this, but that’s my prediction.

Apparently it looks a lot better in my head
The overall lack of quality in tonight’s So You Think You Can Dance auditions from Los Angeles and Seattle only served to highlight the few dancers worth remembering. There was so much bad dancing that even a marginally good performer like Kelsea Taylor, who has very little technique and a frantic style on the stage, was allowed through to Las Vegas. She represented the best of Seattle, which isn’t saying much, but it seems to me that whenever American Idol goes to that city, things get weird, also.

The entire show could have been focused on the ballroom couple Asuka Kondoh and Ricky Sun, and it would have been more entertaining. They were incredible and charismatic and a joy to watch. The other memorable Los Angeles auditions were by tap dancer Bianca Revels, who nearly made it to the top twenty last season, and wrestler-popper Sammy Ramirez, who brought more charm to the stage than anyone.

Oh, and let’s not forget 17-year-old Nathan Trasoras, who won’t make it to Las Vegas until next season, and Phillip Chbeeb, who would have made it last season but for pneumonia. Both were standouts. And I couldn’t stop laughing at Adam Shankman’s audition antics. More of that, please, and less “Shakiro.”

Otherwise, it was a forgettable episode, made more so by allowing yet more airtime to David Soller, and by allowing him to call himself Sex. No entertainment value whatsoever.

Like a hamster in a giraffe’s body
Why do some people still think they can go on So You Think You Can Dance with a style they invented and impress the judges other than to make them cringe? And that’s especially true for someone like Tony from Miami, whose style he called “the Tony style” (and who claimed to move like a rubber band). Then there was the ridiculous Chris Carrozza in Memphis, whose “electric” style he described as a blend of every kind of dance you ever heard of. And then he came out and jumped up and down for a minute.

There were some good dancers in tonight’s show, but my favorites are Erik “Silky” Moore, the tap dancer with a strong hip hop streak; and Evan Kasprzak, whose jazz routine was choreographed by his older brother (who also made it to Las Vegas). His performance was the most polished of the night, and one of the most entertaining. His brother Ryan, by the way, was also entertaining, although I would have voted for choreography rather than a straight ticket. The only one I watched twice was Caitlin Kinney, who overcame hip reconstruction to give us a lyrical performance that might have been the purest contemporary dance of the night.

As usual, we had some inspiring stories. I’m not sure how far Travis Prokop, the football coach’s son, will go, because he’s not as strong a dancer as most of his competitors, but his courage and the strong family support might carry him through. And Anna Dunn, whose father took his own life a year ago, showed more passion than technique, although I think she might have the potential to do well. At least she was impossible to take your eyes off.

Still, my favorite part of tonight’s show was listening to the comments of Tice DiOrio. Samples: “It looked like you were smelling your armpit.” “If you’re gonna do drag, drag it up on the stage and do it right.” “It was like, who let you out today?” “Part of that was like a milkshake full of Tylenol.” (But it was Lil’ C’s comment to Travis Prokop that gave me the title for this entry.)

Do you do something better than that?
What I like about the So You Think You Can Dance audition shows is that they don’t waste time on the really bad dancers. We get a smattering of their worst moments, but the only time we see the whole audition is when they’re at least different enough to stand out (like Allison Moist, the light saber girl). We also get a few noble attempts, like Tiffany Geigel, the dancer with the spinal condition who gave such an inspired performance.

And then we have Misha and Mitchel, whose same-sex ballroom routine thoroughly confused the judges, despite showing some technical ability. They were given a chance at choreography and couldn’t quite measure up when attempting mixed doubles.

For the most part, though, the audition shows are the time we get to be surprised, by the likes of Philly tap artist Peter Sabasino, who charmed the judges so much they didn’t even make him do choreography. We get a peek at Chimezie Nwosu, who seemed to be three hip hop dancers instead of just one, the way he used the stage and commanded attention with his creativity and variety of moves. And we get another look at favorites from last season Natalie Reid, who almost took Katee’s place in the top twenty and is even better this year, and Brandon Bryant, who made Mary cry.

My favorite was easily Kellen Stancil, the young man who danced so lyrically with the umbrella in honor of his late aunt. It was the kind of emotionally powerful performance that I expect to see in the late stages of the season, not in the first auditions.

I see some great possibilities for this season, but really, all you have to do is show me a bunch of unknown kids on the verge of fame because of their talent, and I’m ready to watch them dance their way to Las Vegas and beyond. That other dancing show doesn’t interest me much, and it doesn’t inspire me the way this one does.

Adjectives can't express
First of all, let’s get this out of the way: That awful song that Kara DioGuardi wrote for the finale of American Idol? Kris Allen sang it way better than Adam Lambert, but it was hard to get past how much the song sounded like something three guys wrote in their bedroom.

Both singers did very well with their first songs, and pretty well with their second ones. Adam’s strength is the power in his voice, which has a purity and clarity that no one can touch. Kris sings with passion and commitment, and his vocal tone is so pleasing to the ear that he’s the one I would prefer hearing sing the phone book. They both worked out unique arrangements for their opening songs, Adam making “Mad World” an eerie anthem and Kris turning “Ain’t No Sunshine” into a heartfelt lament that gave me chills.

Simon Fuller asked the two of them to stretch a little with the songs he chose for them. They were outside the genres we know they’re comfortable with. Adam was asked to show his soulful side on “Change Is Gonna Come,” and although it was a bit of a reach for him, it must have been an incredible performance to witness live. Even though he was out of his element, he still did something interesting with the song.

And Kris did something interesting with “What’s Going On,” even if Cowell didn’t appreciate it. He took a difficult song and made it comfortable and familiar, both with the performance and with the quality of his voice. He’s so easy to listen to it almost seemed that he wasn’t competing, just because he wasn’t being theatrical. That’s not who he is, and he wouldn’t have represented the song as well if he’d pretended to be someone else.

All in all, both of them gave riveting performances, but both had difficult moments, and either would be a worthy winner. It’s hard to vote for one, because it’s a vote against the other. I believe the judges will have their way, and Adam will be the winner, and that’s okay with me. He did change the game, and he brought a new credibility to the competition. He might even be responsible for lifting his fellow competitors, including Kris, to new heights of creativity.

The Wizard and the Warrior
In the end, for all his education and eloquence, Stephen didn’t really have an argument for why he should win Survivor Tocantins over J.T. That’s one reason J.T. won. The other reasons are the reasons I was hoping he’d win: he was likable throughout, he dominated physically and he helped engineer the ouster of everyone on the jury who voted (unanimously) for him to win a million dollars. It’s not that Stephen wouldn’t have been a worthy winner. It’s just that he was a distant second (or maybe third, if you think Taj should deserved a better shot).

Going back a way, I thought it was a huge mistake for the boys to vote out Taj over Erinn. First of all, Erinn had just barely lost the Immunity Challenge to J.T., and it was a challenge that was both physical and mental, so there was little justification for the argument that she would be easier to beat in the final Immunity Challenge. Also, everyone on the jury at the time was a member of Erinn’s original Timbira tribe. Finally, there’s the same reason J.T. took Stephen over Erinn to the final two: it would have been the honorable thing to do and would have gained respect from the jury.

Besides, as J.T. pointed out, Erinn was “the most annoying person in the world.” He regretted his vote as soon as they got back to camp.

Later, at final three, when Stephen and J.T. were both considering taking Erinn to the jury, they would both have been wrong to do so. The most strategic thing Stephen did in the game was lose the final Immunity Challenge, because I believe he would have taken Erinn, and I believe he would have lost. At that point, Stephen was a lock for final two, but he was also a lock for second place.

Last time, when Coach was voted out, I was happy. Then I was sad, because I thought the show would lose something without him. But after watching the finale, I have to say I’m glad he wasn’t in it, because it would have been all about him. Instead, it was about the interplay of the final four, the friendships, the strategies, and the agonizing over who deserved what. I’m satisfied with the finale, and with the result, and looking forward to Survivor Samoa. Back to the South Pacific!

The game is still being played with truth
Thank you, Stephen. You get my vote for fan favorite. However, I’m not really sure why he voted Coach out on Survivor Tocantins tonight, possibly alienating his closest ally, J.T., who looked a little miffed after the vote was read. Was it because he, like Erinn and Taj, thought Coach was overplaying his back problems? Or (and this is what I hope) was it the patronizing and demeaning things Coach said about women at Tribal Council? Men drop a pebble, he says, but women see a boulder crashing. And obviously the vote would be no surprise, because “women have great intuition.”

When J.T. sent Coach to Exile Island, I wondered if he might be slightly less a blowhard there, on his own without a live audience, than he was back in camp. Nope. If anything, he was even more obnoxious with just the cameras as his audience. He declared himself “invincible” (and several other adjectives beginning with the letter “i”), and he asked God to help him forgive Erinn for the sin of calling him out for his martyr complex.

As soon as Erinn got back to camp with Taj, she regretted saying what she did. But Taj reassured her, and the two of them fed each other’s hatred of Coach. There was no doubt how they would vote. J.T. was never likely to break his word, so the swing vote went to Stephen, who has always been a bolder player than J.T. He has strategized one step ahead of his alliance mate since day one, when that alliance was formed. J.T. is a loyal, likable man, and he’s physically strong, but he’s had blinders on regarding Coach since the merge. Stephen might have been right or wrong about voting Coach out, but it was a bold move and he deserves credit for it.

A fresh mind and a fresh heart
I wonder if the judges were embarrassed by their antics on tonight’s American Idol. They should have been. They’ve nursed these three performers along for months to bring them to the point where they’re singing for the big prize, and then tonight they decide to make it all about themselves. And it’s not as if they had anything interesting (or coherent) to say about the top three. If this is what they think the viewers want, I believe they’re wrong.

Not only that, but the judges didn’t serve the contestants very well with their song choices. Paula might have doomed Danny Gokey, in fact, by making him sing “Dance, Little Sister,” which isn’t a great song to show off his ability. (However, I did like the dancing.) It took two judges, Kara and Randy, to saddle Kris Allen with “Apologize,” which then gave them an opening to criticize him for singing “Apologize” instead of something that sounded like “Apologize” but was somehow magically transformed by Kris. And the fact is, he sang it beautifully.

Both Danny and Kris did better with the songs they chose for themselves. Danny’s version of “You Are So Beautiful” was the most emotional performance of the night. This man has a huge heart and he shows it when he sings, but he’s also the most down-to-earth contestant they had on this show all season. Kris is equally likable, but he took a huge risk by tackling “Heartless” and not turning it into a karaoke Kanye. What he did instead was the most inspired, electrifying performance of the whole night.

The judges have anointed Adam Lambert as a lock for the final, and they’re probably right, based on his consistency, and his spot-on vocals, and his overwhelming personality. He’s a star already, and he doesn’t need to win the competition to prove that. He did a nice job with “One,” chosen by Simon for him, and a decent job with “Crying,” but I don’t think he measured up to some of his better performances of the season.

Since this is the second week in a row Adam hasn’t been the best (Allison outsang him last week, and nobody can tell me differently), I don’t believe he is the lock the judges want him to be. They were practically begging us to vote for him, which can backfire, especially after their obnoxious behavior on the show tonight.

I am not their personal concierge
All three of the final teams in The Amazing Race 14 could have won, because of all the equalizing elements. They all made the same flight to Maui, and they were all working on the final Road Block at the same time. Luke had a huge lead, and I really thought he would complete the surfboard fence easily, but when he stumbled, Victor was ready to move ahead.

It’s funny that Luke so easily remembered what happened on the first nine legs of the race, but couldn’t find the symbols for the last two legs that they’d just completed. Victor went methodically through the surfboards, and he recognized all the symbols. Jaime did well, too, once she got there, but she needed help from Luke on one of the legs. Then the miracle of the race happened: she returned the favor and helped Luke complete his fence. By that time their two teams were so far behind Tammy and Victor that there was no longer any question of who would win. They were racing for second.

The huge lead Margie and Luke had came from their strength in the first task, carrying the pig along the beach and preparing it for the luau. They were third to get there, but they passed both of the other teams along the way, and by the time they got to the buoys, where they searched for the next clue, they were far in the lead. It’s too bad they couldn’t close it out, but Tammy and Victor are deserving winners.

As usual, Jaime and Cara struggled with communicating with taxi drivers, and with each other at times. They had problems carrying the pig, but they passed Tammy and Victor at the buoys. That lead didn’t last long, because their driver got them lost on the way to the Road Block. They managed to make up enough time there to finish second, but that was as well as they were ever going to do. I’m still not going to say they were likable, but they did redeem themselves a bit by helping Luke.

If the race had hinged on the first task, carrying the pig, Margie and Luke would have won. If it had depended on the next task, finding the clue among the buoys, Jaime and Cara would have won, because they found theirs more quickly than the other teams. The whole race came down to the surfboard fence, and by that point any of the teams could have come through and won. There’s probably some justice in the fact that Tammy and Victor, who won the most individual legs, won the last one as well.

Cowards, cowards, cowards all around me
There’s always someone who talks too much, and tonight on Survivor Tocantins it was Debbie whose mouth made her a target, when she wouldn’t have been otherwise. The power alliance of J.T., Stephen and Taj (as opposed to the warrior alliance of Coach and nobody) was set to vote out Coach, until Debbie overplayed her hand. The trouble was, she didn’t have a hand to play, much less overplay. All she had was a promise to do something nobody believed she would do.

Debbie might have been sincere in telling J.T. and Stephen that she would accept third place, but saying it brings up questions. J.T., the brains of the outfit (and who would have though that on day one?) said Debbie was a loose cannon, and wondered what other promises she might have made. Result: Debbie is gone, Coach is still in the game to annoy the other four. (And us.)

It was nice to see all the emotion at the Survivor Auction, but they made it way too easy on Taj to decide to go to Exile Island with her husband, in exchange for the others’ being allowed to see their loved ones in camp. She didn’t have to give up anything other than a few comforts, and it wasn’t a hard choice at all.

Stephen finally showed he has something going for him in the game. I never thought he’d win any challenge, but he used his brain and devised a strategy to win Immunity. Even though he fell off the balance beam and could hardly get his skinny body under the bar, he memorized all the symbols at one look and solved the math problem more quickly than J.T., who had made it out and back twice before Stephen made it once.

Coach was livid after the last Tribal Council, over the votes he saw as “cowardly,” which apparently meant that Erinn and Taj didn’t vote the way he told them to. How will he feel after tonight’s Tribal, when everyone told him they were voting out Taj, and then all the votes but his went against Debbie? If they thought he was hard to live with before (and they did), they’re not going to like him any better now.

Like eating ice for lunch
Usually I don’t care what the American Idol judges have to say, but now that we’re down to the final four and their criticism could make a difference, I didn’t like them much tonight. And I really hated what they said to Allison, because I thought she was the best. She chose a great song, “Cry, Baby,” and instead of channeling Janis Joplin, she actually sang the song, as herself. It was a perfect song choice, and (you won’t be surprised to know) it made me cry. I voted for her about a thousand times (I lost count).

The judges trashed everyone but Adam, so it’s pretty obvious they were shaken up by his appearance in the bottom two last week. Surely his fans will rally to the cause and he’ll be safe, but he did a fine job on “Whole Lotta Love.” I didn’t see quite the degree of innovation that the judges did, but the rock attitude and the rock vocal were there, as they always are. He’s still the likely winner, but it wouldn’t be the travesty everyone is predicting if someone else wins.

Kris and Danny were both okay, but they didn’t measure up to the other two. You wouldn’t expect them to, though, during Rock Week. Kris was the weakest performer of the night, and he’s probably in the most danger, but the little girls can be counted on to vote for him. Danny was a little low key during parts of “Dream On,” and then he exploded at the end. It’s not Danny, and it’s definitely not Danny at his best, but neither of these two guys should be penalized for not being rock gods on what is after all a pop music show.

I’ll eat the starfish last
Well, that was disappointing. The wrong team got eliminated on The Amazing Race tonight, and all because Jen wouldn’t pee on herself. That was a million dollar pit stop she had to make before they made it to the Pit Stop. It would have been such a karmic thrill to see Jaime and Cara sent home instead, after all their obnoxious behavior all the way around the world.

For most of this leg, it did seem that Jaime and Cara would be the victims of the Revenge of the Taxi Drivers. They have been so rude in every country, and especially in China, that it was amusing to see them taken to the wrong opera house, despite the fact that they sang for their driver to try to tell him where to go. And then when they tried to reverse course, they couldn’t find a taxi even when they stood in the middle of the street and forced them to stop.

Then, even though the U-Turn was used by Tammy and Victor on Kisha and Jen, it was Jaime and Cara who took the longest time making their way out of the Detour. All Kisha and Jen had to do was complete both tasks. Jaime and Cara had it harder. They had to try to communicate with the locals and find their way to a place they couldn’t pronounce. So they ran around in circles for three hours before deciding to go back to the opera house, where they started, only to find that was exactly the place they’d been looking for. Classic!

The U-Turn was the saving grace of this episode. The most entertaining thing that happened tonight was Kisha and Jen trying to pronounce the names of the dishes in Mandarin. They gamely kept at it until they had it, making up all the time they’d lost last week at the swimming pool task. It wasn’t the double Detour that cost them the race. It was the fact that Jen couldn’t eat the street delicacies except by taking small bites and washing them down with water. It took too long to eat them that way, and it taxed Jen’s bladder beyond endurance. That’s the reason Jaime and Cara will still be around to abuse taxi drivers for one more week.

As for the top two teams, Margie and Luke can be a little obnoxious, too, but mostly to each other. In the end, they’re a lot like any other mother and teenage son. They argue and roll their eyes at each other, and every so often they act as if they’ve given up. If I were Luke, I think I’d roll my eyes at some of the thing Margie says, too. And if I were Margie, I think I’d back off from the kid a little and let him be himself, instead of trying to control everything the way she does. But when they’re working together, they’re a ruthless, irresistible force, and in the end they always do come back together.

Tammy and Victor won this leg, but they had a huge advantage in China because of their ability to speak the language. Their three weeks in that country are now over, however. If next week is the finale, that means all teams will be heading back to the United States, where even Jaime and Cara speak the language (sort of).

I haven’t watched soap operas in so long
As I suspected when Sierra was spared at the last Tribal Council, she was always going to be the next one voted out of Survivor Tocantins. What I didn’t suspect was how close she would come to saving herself. It was only through Coach’s masterful lying and manipulation, while protesting his innocence and “courage” (whatever that means in his world), that Debbie was spared tonight. I’m not sure Coach even needed the immunity he won, but that win took him out of the conversation and made Sierra the most likely victim.

Sierra told the truth about Coach and Debbie attempting to resurrect the old Timbira, the very thing Stephen was afraid of, and the odd thing was that Stephen and J.T. believed her. But for some reason, they thought that the “drama” created by keeping the one who was telling the truth was more dangerous than keeping the liars who were (in Stephen’s phrase) smiling to their faces and sabotaging them behind their backs. I don’t quite understand the mentality of keeping them around. And anyway, there’s never going to be an absence of drama with this loony group.

Erinn spent half of tonight’s episode cold and wet on Exile Island, and the other half being completely ignored by everybody. Did anybody ask her for a vote, or suggest a vote against her? I don’t think so. Did Jeff even talk to her at Tribal Council? Not that I recall. Did she get any votes on any of the questions at the Reward Challenge? Nope. I don’t quite understand how she’s flying so far under the radar, but it could serve her well at this point in the game, except that nobody told her how to vote (so she was the lone vote against Stephen).

Poor Sierra. They overestimated and underestimated her at the same time. They tried to get rid of her the first day, before they even knew her, and somehow, with no physical skills and little social skill, she lasted long enough to create the big confrontation that exposed Coach for the liar he is, and then paid the price with her own life in the game. I admire the effort and hope the people who chose to send her home to appease Coach will soon realize their mistake.

A little bit wet
After the judges congratulated the other contestants on tonight’s American Idol for showing swagger and confidence, we got a performance from Adam Lambert, who has shown those qualities all season. Somebody who can sing well is going home this week, because they’re all good singers, but Adam is the only one who is everything a star should be.

The other three guys sang well in the genre, but that’s what I expected from them, knowing their talent from the past weeks. Kris Allen’s voice is made for Rat Pack songs, and he’s very much of the era. Danny Gokey showed that he can come up to the best of the bluesy singers of American standards.

Matt Giraud seemed a little off to me tonight, and I think he slightly overperformed a song (“My Funny Valentine”) that is by far the most emotional of the five songs done tonight. It seemed the emotion took second place to the arrangement and the R&B runs he put in. That was really the only disappointment of the show for me (though Simon disagreed).

Allison Iraheta was stunningly brilliant on “Someone to Watch Over Me.” She looked and sang like a ballad singer, which is amazing, because she’s never done anything close to that on the show since she sang “Natural Woman” at the San Francisco auditions. We knew she could rock the stage with the best of them, but the fact that she can sell a classic song like this gives her even more credibility, in my book.

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