"Dancing with the Stars": Jack Wagner eliminated, as controversy reigns
For the whole show needed a little help standing up after reports of a serious altercation between Jaleel White and partner Kym Johnson. It was reported that, at some point in the spat, White had squared up to Katherine Jenkins' partner, Mark Ballas.
"I'll be your friend, I'll help you carry on"? We'll see about that.
Pictures: "Dancing with the Stars" Season 14
It almost seemed, after a night of such personal dances and rumored sequinned bickering, that the elimination of Jack Wagner leaned towards anti-climax.
In between Seal's call for help and Wagner's final dance, we learned that Maria Menounos's laugh still leans towards hyena. We learned that Roshon Fegan hasn't met a camera upon which he wouldn't like to lean his face. We also saw Ballas motivating Jenkins with some very intimate pre-dance leaning.
And then there was Gavin DeGraw. He has been struggling mightily, often vainly and was leaning towards elimination. Despite weeping after his personal dance, he was told he was in jeopardy.
Oddly, despite the reports, we were shown footage of White kissing Johnson on the lips before his performance Monday night. They seemed to be leaning on each other just fine. Not that you can believe everything you see on TV.
Cheryl Burke revealed that she had "almost fallen on my ass," and thanked partner William Levy for saving her from falling. Yes, there was a lot of leaning-on needed that night.
Soon, Levy was told he was safe. So was White.
Gladys Knight was told she was in jeopardy. Again, for anyone recently returned from distant, danceless shores, this didn't necessarily mean she was in the bottom three. It just meant she would be around for the final culling. She did mention that she wanted to reveal her inner Tina Turner next week - where the dancers would be rocking out.
It seemed like everyone had endured quite enough emotion. Sherri Shepherd revealed that she was dehydrated from weeping. She couldn't wait to rock. And she will, as she was told she was safe.
Host Tom Bergeron then revealed that next week - and for three weeks after that - there would be a dance off to decide who goes home. This was tried a few seasons ago, when Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak was one to be put through the torture of dancing for his future.
Clearly, the producers had decided that the judges ought to have more influence. Or perhaps it's merely that they need to be given something to do during the results show.
Rascall Flatts sang some fine new song. Then lead singer Gary LeVox declared himself a committed supporter of DeGraw. Was this because both allow themselves two capital letters in their last name? No, it was because DeGraw is apparently one of the most wonderful, charming and all-around fabulous people in the world. LeVox did suggest, though, that DeGraw might want to drop the pork pie hat, don a fez and wear platform boots. Which would be a fetching look for Rock Week.
We still had time to enjoy Shepherd's post-performance tears, Donald Driver's emotional post-performance silence, Wagner's post-performance confidence, and Melissa Gilbert's pre-performance calm.
Wagner and his partner, Anna Trebunskaya, were told they were in jeopardy. This matched neatly with Wagner's proclamation at the beginning of the show that he was not nervous and Trebunskaya's admission that she was. The producers know how to cut a show together.
So who of Knight, Wagner and DeGraw would be revealing their inner rocker next week? Why, Gladys Knight. This meant DeGraw and Wagner were the real bottom two. DeGraw admitted he wasn't surprised to be there.
Wagner couldn't hear above the din - which was mainly for DeGraw. When Bergeron announced that Wagner would be departing, the actor looked down upon Trebunskaya and asked, incredulous: "We're gone?"
One could understand his surprise. Theirs was certainly not the worst performance of Monday night. In fact, judge Len Goodman had declared it Wagner's best performance so far. But there weren't enough Wagner fans emoting and voting. Asked whether he was surprised, Wagner didn't want to admit it. He avoided the question like a politician. You could tell, though, that he was a touch miffed.
Still, he missed the potential absurdity of Rock Week, for which White has promised to channel his "black Mick Jagger." One can only hope that Johnson has her best Keith Richards wits about her.
