Skating with the Stars 2010 Week 2: Diva Sean Young 'Falls' Out of Contention... Twice

Skating with the Stars 2010 week 2 aired Monday night, following last week's lackluster series premiere that ended with rocker Vince Neil occupying the unenviable 'most likely to be eliminated first' slot. But before the big reveal, the six celebs and their pro skater partners were charged with performing one lift-a-fied new routine each. So did the Motley Crue dude get the boot, or was a surprise in store for night's end? Here's a recap of the show.

Skating with the Stars host Vernon Kay and color commentator Tanith Belbin opened the show by introducing the contestants and reviewing last week's judges' leaderboard, which saw soap star Rebecca Budig holding a comfortable lead over the pack. Tanith went on to explain the week's new required elements: A step sequence and a dance lift. Sounds like a breeding ground for some wipeout action!

Up first to tackle the SWTS week 2 challenge were Olympian Jonny Moseley and Brooke Castille, who finished in second place last week. Brooke stressed over being dropped on her head during rehearsals, but hey, the show must go on, so they took to the ice with their Swing routine right on time. Cute and no falls or dropped partners, but a little too much pink in the costuming! Johnny Weir said "I was blown away" and praised their "rotational lift", but asked him to "give us the emotion" when he skates. Dick Button called it "specially good" and said the lifts were "trusting" and "nice". Laurie Ann Gibson said he was "very handsome on the ice" and praised him for having "so much funk in your trunk". Jonny Moseley and Brooke Castille's Skating with the Stars week 2 scores: Technical - 8, 8, 8; Artistic - 7, 6, 7 = 44.

Leader board toliet dweller Vince Neil and partner Jennifer Wester took to the ice next with a red light-bathed Tango that resulted in the first spill of season 1. Nothing terribly dramatic and no blood was shed; it just looked as if Vince took a knee while lifting Jennifer, as if she was just a tad... bit... too... heavy. Dick told Vince to not worry over mistakes, and told him to "spend the next week working on your skating skills". Laurie Ann said she enjoyed that he came out and was "absolutely Tango". Er.... Really? Johnny praised his "aura of intensity" but told him to work on his "basic" skills. Vince Neil and Jennifer Caster's Skating with the Stars week 2 scores: Technical - 6, 3, 4; Artistic - 6, 6, 5 = 30.

Real Housewives of New York's Bethenny Frankel and Ethan Burgess, who wound up just a notch above Neil after week one thanks to "tentative" skating, were up next with their Swing. Okay, so it was a fine little ditty, but girl needs to close her mouth when she skates. Laurie Ann was immediately critical, saying "it still felt stiff" to her. Johnny said he was "impressed" and that her "skating skills have improved". He noted that the performance was "a bit put on". Dick asked if he could "call you polka dot Polly" and reminded her to "bend zee knees" on her way to skating them a "nice creme brulee". Yikes, hard on her much? The judges clearly preferred Jill on RHONY. Bethenny Frankel and Ethan Burgess' Skating with the Stars week 2 scores: Technical - 6, 5, 6; Artistic - 6, 5, 5 = 33.

Competition babyface Brandon Mychal Smith and partner Keauna McLaughlin followed Bethenny and Ethan. The duo delivered a modern Tango infused with loads of crowd-pleasing funk. Johnny called it "amazing, ferocious" and a string of other positive praises, ending with "my head is gonna blow off". Dick agreed with Johnny, but criticized the way he "hovered" over Keauna. Laurie Ann declared "matador you are" and loved their "connection" and musicality throughout. Brandon Mychal Smith and Keauna McLaughlin's Skating with the Stars week 2 scores: Technical - 8, 8, 8; Artistic - 9, 8, 8 = 49.

SWTS season 1 continued with last week's most "tentative" celeb, actress Sean Young and partner Denis Petukhov. The pair performed a fast-paced 'boogie woogie bugle boy' Swing routine. And man alive, it was a fall-fest! The diva took not only one but two different tumbles as she rounded the rink. Ooof. Dick noted "I'm happy to see that the ice cube is thawing" and praised her for "getting some giggle in that jiggle". Laurie Ann lamented the falls, but called the start "amazing". Johnny "loved it" aside from the falls. Sean Young and Denis Petukhov's Skating with the Stars week 2 scores: Technical - 5, 3, 4; Artistic - 5, 7, 6 = 30.

The night's skating action concluded with leader board topper Rebecca Budig and partner Fred Palascak's Tango. Fred called in Dancing with the Stars' Dmitry Chaplin to help the soap star get a grip on the dance aspect of the performance, but Rebecca still stressed over the required lifts. She's so much better than the other five contestants that it's ridiculous. She's expressive, musical, and she can actually skate without falling down. Ding, ding, ding, ringer alert! Laurie Ann deemed it "hot" and "intense" and declared "we have a competition". Between whom?! Brandon? Johnny criticized her for her "bored, malaized" expression but told her to "act the part". Dick enjoyed her technique, but called her Tango "a little bit square". Are they insane? She skated circles around everyone else. Egads. Rebecca Budig and Fred Palascak's Skating with the Stars week 2 scores: Technical - 8, 7, 8; Artistic - 8, 6, 7 = 44.

With the skating (and falling) out of the way, the six couples took to the ice for the season's first elimination. In DWTS style, they were bathed in red light as Vernon and Tanith announced their fates. Rebecca and Fred were first to be declared safe to skate again, followed by Jonny and Brooke. (Duh, really?) Brandon and Keauna followed suit (again, duh), as did Bethenny and Ethan, leaving Sean and Denis and Vince and Jennifer to fight it out for the last slot in week 3. In a surprising moment, diva actress Sean Young and Denis Petukhov became the first couple to be booted from Skating with the Stars season 1.

One week down, five contestants left; will Skating with the Stars make it to its season 1 finale? I don't know. Honestly, it's a pretty awful show. Although cut from the same cloth as its smash hit ABC sister Dancing with the Stars, it's missing a lot of the oomphy elegance that makes DWTS one of the coolest reality shows on TV. I'm not sure why Laurie Ann Gibson is a judge (or why she's allowed to give technical marks), why Dick Button makes such odd comments about girdles, or why Johnn Weir tends to be so hard on the best contestants, but hey, it is what it is.

And you never know: Next week could be better!