Was Dancing with the Stars Season 9 a Set-Up?

Let the record show that I am a great fan of dance-practically all forms of it. While I've not watched every season of Dancing with the Stars (DWTS), I can say that it's interesting to see "non-performers" shaking a tail feather to watered down ballroom music. But let's cut right to the point. Season 9 of DWTS contained its requisite pairs of Two Left Feet, along with some pretty strong contenders. Donny Osmond, Kelly Osbourne, and Mýa were amongst those contenders. Although I have found quite a few of the opinions on the show a bit questionable, I typically agree with most of the sentiments. But DWTS Season 9's finale has left me with a sour taste. I believe many will agree that singer, Mýa outshined all the other dancers on the program. To that effect, Donny Osmond's sweeping glory seems very fishy to me. Here's why...

1. Scoring- Mýa received four perfect scores; Donny only received two. It seems that where general opinion fails, actual scoring should take over.
2. Performance Order- Despite the fact that Mýa and Dmitry ended their Monday night performance on top, Donny Osmond was allowed to perform last in the dance-off challenge. It seems that the dancers would follow a different order, either allowing the highest scoring couple to go first or last. It seems suspect that not only did Donny dance last, but the buildup to his performance included more commentary, and the "suspense" of a commercial break.
3. Forewarning?- The astute eye might have noticed that there were multiple lingering close-up screen shots of Donny Osmond. More than any other dancer that night. Certainly, there were screams of "Kelly! Kelly! Kelly!" from spirited fans in the audience. But the applause for Mýa seemed suspiciously quiet during the finale as opposed to other nights.
4. A Little Extra "Nudging"- Why was Donny Osmond allowed to sing during the program? Is not Mýa a singer also? Even if she was asked, and declined-it sends a message to viewers that one dancer is favored over the others. This too, was suspicious.
5. Contradicting Results-Throughout the show, Mýa has been praised as a front-runner by judges all season long. However, Donny Osmond has been scolded on many occasions for missing routine steps and attempting to cover them up with stage antics. In short, it is hard to deny that Mýa's skills make her look more like a professional ball room dancer than anyone else who danced during Season 9.
   

Ultimately, the public is left to vote for their favorite stars-much like other entertainment reality competitions. But ironically, it is this public "control" that also makes viewers skeptical. In other words, how do we really know that people didn't vote for Mýa and Dmitry? We don't. Just like we don't really have confirmation that other reality show winners were actually selected by viewers. However, in this instance-where obvious skill is measured with scores and through the judges' vocal opinions, something appears to be blatantly "off." Even the final dance-off was suspicious: Mýa's Jive was much more involved and spirited than Osmond's Argentine Tango.

Certainly, all three finalists should be praised for their valiant efforts. But it was obvious that the show's staff favored a win by Donny Osmond over a dancer who better showcased ballroom dancing abilities. Did Osmond's 46 years of pull in the industry provide him that final boost? Perhaps Mýa's smaller fan base wasn't enough to pull scores. Or maybe it was something else...

Will I continue to watch? The jury is still out on that one. Will Season 9's finale results be the program's undoing? Maybe, maybe not. These are merely theories. But in terms of the judges' reception and perception of the finalists' talent, the Season 9 results have left many viewers angry and mistrustful of the Dancing with the Stars' show politics.