Sabrina’s foxtrot was neither foxy nor trotty but it was nowhere as bad as Len and Bruno made it out to be. But it seemed like Sabrina was lacking both her confidence and sparkle this week. I don’t know if the pressure of a full schedule and practice overwhelmed her but for me, she still hasn’t delivered on her explosive start.

Jennie worked through her confidence issues yet again to deliver a saucy, relaxed mambo. She’s not exactly Ms. Mellow but she, like Cameron, is embracing the show’s ability to stretch her beyond her comfort zone. The difference between her performance week 1 and now is like comparing Beverly Hills to the Valley.

Jane danced a geriatric jitterbug, which was way too slow and careful. The judges were extremely kind with their comments. C’mon, Len, if Dr. Quinn can save a man from a rattlesnake bite, she can take a little criticism.

Mel’s rhumba scores made me question my own vision. I saw a solid performance but nowhere near perfection. Every year the judges have a favorite that they propel ahead and this year Mel is the lucky one. It’s not that I don’t think she’s great, but six hours of practice don’t exactly scream commitment. Call me a dreamer but I’d like the scores to match the performances.

Helio’s cha cha was ch-ch-ch-cheesy. It was disco inferno and sleazy samba in one. And again the judges were showing him love. Hey, handing out 9′s for smiles is sweet but not exactly the point.

Cameron overcame horrible music with great jumps. But the routine and ridiculously tacky costumes sank the performance.

Marie’s passive paso was tame which was fine, given last week. But they had a few great floor moves including a great dramatic ending. This time on purpose.

The group dance was Grease-lite, very 50′s rock around the clock. Forgiving camera angles made everyone look good with Cameron as a standout and a great end (the dance and Cam).

Results

Jane’s AWOL this week because of food poisoning. Interesting because I had some of those symptoms while watching last night’s show yet here I am on results night. Dr. Quinn, get it in gear.

Of course Len gave the encore to the group dance because he delights in torturing the stars.

Tom pointed out LA country firefighters in the audience, who apparently watch ballroom dancing as relaxing antidote to fighting fires. Who knew?

Barry Manilow (I’m not a fanilow) sang while Louis and Cheryl worked it out with a powerful routine full of speedy moves. Barry looks like he and Wayne know the same “facialist.” Or maybe he was wearing his Halloween mask.

We got a sneak preview of Dance Wars: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann, which sounds way more cool than it is. It basically pits teams of singer/dancers against each other – it’s like So You Think You Can Dance and American Idol had a baby reality show. Two huge groups showcased the choreography, with group and individual moves. I’m all for Carrie Ann and Bruno getting paid but it’s tough to compete against the real deal.

Manilow came back with Mandy, while Jonathan and Anna did an gentle waltz.

Then there was a taped segment where the stars asked the judges lame questions and received equally lame responses.

The behind the scenes focused on the love between the stars. Marie’s the mom, Sabrina’s the little sister but gloves are off when it’s competition time.

Finally, bottom 2. It was surprising enough to see Cameron in the bottom 2 but when Sabrina landed there, it blew everybody’s mind. The judges were catatonic, the stars were in shock and Sabrina didn’t look like it registered. Cameron steeled himself to go but it was Sabrina who was out. Carrie Ann started crying (she’s been like a leaky faucet all season), Bruno was speechless and Tom admitted he’d been sure she’d be in the finale. The stars reacted like it was a funeral (seriously, let’s get some perspective).

I’ve been saying for a few weeks that I feel like Sabrina’s been unable to match her early performances. Maybe she got tired, maybe competitiveness isn’t enough, maybe the voters had an off night. Despite the overall response that made it seem like a tragedy, Sabrina didn’t seem heartbroken. I have always felt that Dancing should be about the stars that improve because it’s a show about doing something new that scares you. Jennie, Cameron and Marie embody that. I do feel that the Cheetah Girl got cheated because Jane should have gone home instead. And it’s our loss that we won’t see her in the finals. Maybe the dancing didn’t deliver the drama this week but the results certainly did.

Mali Perl can be reached at mali@realityshack.com. She wonders if Sabrina and Mark’s showmance will continue when the glitter and self-tanner wear off.