Dancing with the Stars Spring 2008: The Eighth Elimination and 100th Episode Gala Celebration

This evening's edition of Dancing with the Stars was a unique one, as the second hour marked the hit reality show's 100th episode and was marked by much fanfare and fun (and of course, the elimination of yet another of this season's celebrity contestants).

The eight o'clock hour featured the judges' picks for the top ten perfect-scoring dances across the first five seasons of Dancing with the Stars. Wondering who made the cut? Wait no longer.

Number ten was season one champion Kelly Monaco's freestyle dance with partner Alec Mazo, introduced by Carrie Ann. I actually missed the first season (I know! Aren't you shocked?), so this was my first experience with Kelly's stylings, and to be honest, I was NOT impressed. How that received a 30 is completely beyond me; how Len could've called it "the performance of the season" is also beyond me. There were awkward pauses and beats missed a-plenty. I guess it goes to show that Dancing with the Stars has come leaps and bounds since its inaugural season.

Bruno then introduced number nine: Sabrina Bryan and Mark Ballas' Paso Doble from season five. I clearly remember this dance and all of its charged fury, and it made me sad to see it again, in a way. Sabrina should have won last season and her premature exit was a travesty. As Bruno said, she was "just incredible tonight".

Len said that although Emmitt Smith wasn't always technically perfect during his tenure on Dancing with the Stars, his Cha Cha Cha with partner Cheryl Burke during week nine of season three was a great dance, and certainly a good choice for dance number eight in the countdown. Thinking back, I clearly remembered being decidedly unimpressed with Emmitt, but watching this perfomance again, I was struck by how much fun he had out on the dance floor, and by how much energy he drew from the audience. His enthusiasm, his smiling face - just a pleasure to watch, even if he's not a perfect dancer.

Season four champ Apolo Anton Ohno and partner Julianne Hough's Quickstep during week nine was deemed dance number seven by Bruno. It was a nice flashback to see Apolo and Julianne out there twirling around and doing their thing. It's always nice to hear Len say that a dance is "fantastic", especially when it really is!

Bruno also introduced dance number six, which belonged to season four's Joey Fatone and partner Kym Johnson. This Jive was cute, fun, fast and spirited, and the audience loved it.

Performance number five was introduced by Len, and was proclaimed to be season five champion and partner Julianne Hough's "banana man" Quickstep. I so loved Helio's energy and enthusiasm last season, and who could ever forget the bright yellow suit? Curious George would be proud. Or that shocking kiss at the conclusion of the routine? I know I couldn't!

Number four belonged to DWTS season two champ Drew Lachey and partner Cheryl Burke. Carrie Ann called their 'Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy' freestyle the "iconic dance of the series". This lift-filled, super fun dance is still my personal favorite, and I was a little disappointed see that it only made number four with the judges! It makes me smile every single time I see it.

Bruno introduced the "sexiest Samba ever": Season two's blonde bombshell Stacy Keibler and partner Tony Dovolani's dance took position number three in the countdown. All I can say after watching this dance again is 'wow, her legs really ARE insanely long and can she ever move 'em'. Oh, and of course it was a great routine.

Carrie Ann said the number two performance "rocked the dance floor like no other", and it was season five's Mel B and Maksim Chmerkovskiy's Paso Doble. This powerhouse couple definitely rocked it. Carrie Ann was right. (It's still not my favorite dance, but hey, we can't get everything we want, right?)

Finally, the number one dance across the first five seasons! The winner of the best-dance crown? According to Len, it was season three's Mario Lopez and partner Karina Smirnoff's second Tango. Mario almost always hit his numbers right-on so it was good to see something of theirs in the top ten. (I was surprised when he didn't end up winning the entire season, incidentally.)

After the excitement of the top-ten countdown died down, it was time to move on to the 100th episode gala. The show featured the return of 30 former celebrity contestants, brand new dances from a handful of those very stars, commentary snippets from former show stars, and of course, the usual elimination ceremony. It began as is typical with an overview of last night's action, including snippets from the celebrity confessionals. Before the break, season five contestant Sabrina Bryan praised Emmitt Smith's MC Hammer number from season three, and credited Cheryl with helping him "break out of his shell".

Samantha interviewed the five remaining celebrities backstage after the break. Marissa admitted that she felt vulnerable, and hoped that she'd be able to move forward. Jason echoed a similar sentiment, while Mario said that he'd like to have placed higher. Kristi said she'd "get back in that studio and work hard" to try to get the top spot back, and Cristian thanked Kristi for letting him take the number one position for the week. Country superstar group Rascal Flatts performed their hit Every Day, and season four champion pair Apolo Anton Ohno and Julianne Hough offered up a romantic complementary dance. Former contestant Lisa Rinna spoke of the unpredictability of the show, and cited Kelly Monaco's wardrobe malfunction during season one.

After the break, Tom interviewed a number of previous stars who were in attendance, including Stacy Keibler, Lisa Rinna, Jerry Springer, Vivica A. Fox, Joey Fatone, Kenny Mayne and Sabrina Bryan. Then Tom and Samantha reviewed the judges' leaderboard from last night, and Tom asked Len to predict who would be going home this evening. Len said that the three couples at the bottom of the board were most vulnerable. Helio Castroneves then revealed that watching friend Apolo Anton Ohno dance during his season on the show inspired him to take part. Next, for the evening's Macy*s Stars of Dance routine, Mario Lopez and the cast of A Chorus Line hit the stage with a performance crafted for Dancing with the Stars.

Rascal Flatts took to the stage once again with their hit Life is a Highway, and last season's runners up Mel B and Maksim Chmerkovskiy shook up the dance floor. Samantha then interviewed past winners Kelly Monaco, Apolo Anton Ohno and Drew Lachey regarding their personal picks for this season's champion. Kelly went for Kristi, Apolo expressed a preference for the athletes (Jason and Kristi), and Drew put his money on Cristian. Then, Drew recalled Marie's fainting episode as a most-dramatic moment in the show's history.

Post-break, a segment featuring the current celebrities' evaluations of previous contestants' performances aired. Kristi praised Joey Fatone's energy and showmanship, while Marissa found inspiration in Mel B's "fierceness". Mario said he relates most to Mario Lopez since he also danced with Karina, and Jason identified with former winner Emmitt Smith and praised his style. Finally, Cristian found kinship with Helio Castroneves since they share a Latin-American connection. He said that he enjoyed Helio's ability to bring something new to the competition every week. Marissa and Tony were the first couple to move forward to next week's semifinals, followed by Kristi and Mark. Samantha then immediately interviewed the excited saved couples backstage. Kelly Monaco cited Sabrina Bryan's early exit from the show last season as one of the most shocking moments in Dancing with the Stars history.

After a long break, Cristian and Cheryl were proclaimed safe, leaving Mario and Karina and Jason and Edyta subject to elimination (although not necessarily the lowest vote-getters, so no red light this evening). After a tense few moments, Mario and Karina were eliminated from the competition. Mario thanked Len for all of his comments throughout the season, and praised the young people fighting overseas as the true heroes out there.

I'm strangely sad to see Mario go. I'd pegged him as a finalist (alongside Kristi) after the first few episodes of the season, so it's odd that he's no longer in the mix. It annoys me that Cristian is still in it, but I can see why the others remain. They all have a legitimate shot at the title, depending on how they do next week. I'm especially happy for Marissa; she brings such a joy and enthusiasm to the show and I was sure she'd be the one to leave tonight, so it was nice to see her stick around.

Tune in to Dancing with the Stars next Monday for semifinal action!