Dancing with the Stars: The Final 3 Perform for Your Votes

Nov 24, 2008: The finale of dancing with the stars kicked off with a reminder of where the final 3 have been. It definitely was a treat to see a flashback of some of their favorite previous dances and see just how much they can do. For a quick recap on where Brooke, Lance and Warren stood last week - click here.

The pros also reminded us why they think their star is the one to take it all in the end. We are reminded that Brooke has almost always been at the top of the leader board, being the only contestant to receive a perfect score. Lacey says Lance has a great chance because he went into the finals with an 8 point lead going into the finals which is the biggest lead in history. Finally, Warren's partner reminds us that he is a real crowd pleaser who has made it into second place many times on the show, which isn't that far from first!

Junior Champions

Before we got to see any of the finalists perform, it was time for the Junior Champion to strut their stuff. While they were very cute and very good, it worries me that they might be practicing a little too much. Dancing is a fun sport for kids, but please don't go overboard!

Group Samba Smackdown!

They may have done in the past, it was time for the three finalists to show what they can do and put it all out there for the final votes! The finalist started the show decked out in matching yellow outfits for a "Group Samba Smackdown" where each team would show off their moves in the midst of dancing as a group. Although it was a group dance, it's also a very competitive performance. Brooke started out the group dance, and I felt right off the bat that she seemed hesitant as if she wasn't giving her all. So when Lance and Lacey came out with their great personalities and tricks, it definitely seemed like they stole the show. Warren came out with a cartwheel that surprised everyone, and showed that he can hang with the rest of them. When they got together as a group at the end, it was fun and nice to see these competitors working together.

Final Performances - Freestyle!

The last performances of the night allowed the contestants to go Freestyle and basically do whatever they wanted in a rule free dance. Brooke came out to prove that she can keep her top spot - with plans for lots of tricks and lifts. Brooke definitely showed more confidence in this final performance; I guess having a lot of tricks can do that to you. However their Grease performance didn't have much other content besides all the tricks, and some of them were a little too weird for me. Even though I was hoping for more from Lance, the judges loved Brooke's performance and seemed to have already chosen their winner. Brooke is not the one that I want to win!!

Lance brought out some of his own hip hop moves and even taught Lacey a thing or two! This team surprisingly decided to do no lifts since there are none in hip hop, would that hurt them in the end? Not only did he not do any lifts, they also did not many tricks. They scored three 9's, but left me wondering if their performance would be enough for the fans. I would have liked to see them put more special moves into it, but I voted for Lance anyway based on his previous performances.

Finally, Warren came out with a slower pace than the others, but soon speed it up to show he can go just as fast as Lance and Brooke. This routine was the first of the three to really showcase ballroom type content making it the most appropriate for this show. The duo did a few lifts and a few tricks, but the dance seemed short to me. Maybe it was just because the other two performances were a little long. Warren kept his fun personality the whole time and definitely kept the audience going. Can he steal away the trophy in the end?

My Prediction

Warren may be the most improved, but he just doesn't have what it takes to grab the title in the end. His personality has brought him far, and he has certainly put in a good amount of effort, however it's just not as natural for him as it is with the other two. Even though Brooke is the judges obvious favorite, and she's been doing well for weeks, I predict Lance will take it in the end. He's got personality, showmanship, and he's even got the technical aspect down lately. Most importantly, Lance has fans like me that are voting for him! Tune in to the Finale to see who wins the coveted Mirror Ball trophy on this season of Dancing with the Stars!

Schedule on ABC

Dancing with the Stars 2 Hour Finale (winner announced): Tues, Nov 25 @ 9 PM