'Dancing with the Stars' recap: Week 9 (Semi-Finals)

It's a busy night for the celebrities as they all vie for only three spots in the finals. The contestants had to dance to three songs including the Relay, which was last seen during Season 9. Sadly this probably means that the Salsa won't be seen this season since the contestants are finishing either the Paso Doble or Samba, and all dancing the Argentine Tango.

With our former score leader JR with a bad injury. How will his injury play out in the episode?

Round One - Unfinished Business

Hope & Maks - Paso Doble - After having positive feedback from Len, Hope was under the pressure of the three dances this week. Maks and Hope started with “learning” the Argentine Tango as the two worked on frame. She was in pain because of her anchored shoulder, and her doctor arrived for injections with a huge shot. The two then went to the Paso and Maks thought the emotion would work. She began the performance chained to the stairs and she had the right emotion of the song. They wasted time walking in the beginning but the two were good in hold. They had a lot of unnecessary time with Hope on the floor. Maks still looked like he was dragging Hope around and I wished that Hope would have more grace, but she's improving on her personal level.

Len thought the dance had attitude and aggression, but it lacked in some control and finesse. Bruno agreed, the untamed nature was good, but the artistry suffered. Carrie Ann thought the character was good, but the hold was lacking. Score: 21 (7,7,7)

J.R. & Karina - Paso Doble - After having a perfect week last week, Karina realized that the bar has been set even higher. Both dances have to have aggression this week. During practice, Karina struggled with keeping herself strong and fell often. For the Paso Doble, the two decided to channel the movie theme. During practice, J.R. twisted his ankle and limped around. He had to put the ankle on ice. The two started the Paso without any drama walking and stepping, so I'm assuming that he's good. His cape work was strong, but his leap looked unsure. Karina looked amazing during the dance and I couldn't keep my eyes off of her. Something about the side-by-side choreography was off, where I saw some hesitation in JR. In the end, he had to do a knee slam because of his weakened ankle.

Bruno could feel the acting of the dance, but the posture was off. Carrie Ann loved the pressure of the dance, but JR's performance level suffered. She also saw the uncertainty of the dance. Len thought the dance didn't suit him; he needed to look proud. Score: 23 (8,7,8).

Rob & Cheryl - Samba -Rob continued to inch up the ladder, but he suffered a bad jive last week. Rob was worried about the lifts of the Argentine Tango. Rob wanted to make sure that he could compete with JR during the Argentine Tango. With the Samba, Rob was encouraged to shake everything he's got. The two started on a float and he had the spirit of the dance. He genuinely was smiling with Cheryl and that was half of the battle. Maybe he knew that with JR injured, there was a wide door open. I appreciate that the two tried Samba Rolls, even though they looked a bit rusty. The dance was energetic and finished with a blast.

Carrie Ann thought that the float was weird, but the performance was great. He had flow and fluidity. Len agreed: he was won over. Bruno thought that he exceeded all expectations. Score: 28 (10,9,9).

Ricki & Derek - Samba - While Ricki had a great Waltz, she had a weak Jive. She started the week disappointed by how she didn't do well. The two emphasized enjoying themselves, even with the hard work. Derek was positive with Ricki, but she was self-conscious about her weight issues. They switched to the Samba and she managed to get the choreography quickly. The two started and their choreography was really good for emphasizing Ricki's strengths. There were times where I wished the dancing was a bit faster and Ricki didn't pause, but it was fun to watch.

Len thought that Ricki did a fabulous job and inched herself closer to the finals. Bruno thought the dance was sizzling hot. Carrie Ann knew she tried to keep the shoulders down the whole time and it helped her posture. Score: 30 (10,10,10).

Round Two - Argentine Tango

We started the round with the DWTS Troupe, Pros, and special guests Sandor & Parissa doing an amazing sequence of what a true Argentine Tango looks like. There were flicks and legs everywhere. The lifts were effortless and Sandor and Parissa were amazing. They were so confident in the choreography that they actually had a foot shot. Then there was that amazing helicopter finish. Basically, they made anything that the celebrities will do look stupid.

Hope & Maks - Hope grew up in Washington State and had the competitive drive ever since she was a kid. She suffered from her parents getting a divorce at a young age and she was technically "kidnapped" by her father, along with her brother. Her determination came from her family issues. She was in the World Cup in 2007 and spiraled into a bit of depression, but got her gold medal in 2008. Hope began the dance on the judges table with an interesting lift sequence. The routine worked in Hope's favor with the emotions and the physicality. There were moments, like always, where I wished her grace was better. The choices of lifts were very original from what we normally saw and I was happy.

Len thought it was better than the Paso; there were was a lot of content. Bruno loved the sexiness and control. Carrie Ann agreed, there was more fluidity, but the transitions between the lifts were not graceful. Score: 24 (8,8,8).

JR & Karina - JR was brought up in Louisiana with a single parent, who taught him to smile. He joined the army and after an accident, he transformed into the perfect man that he is today. He learned to enjoy life and stay positive. The two danced and JR didn't look too unsure about his ankle. The choreography was good, but you knew that JR could do so much more if he was at perfect health. There were minor moments of struggle and it ended with a final lift that didn't work because of his ankle, leaving him even more upset.

Bruno loved the Latin lover mode and gave him credit for the lifts. Carrie Ann loved the fire and passion, but the transitions of the lifts were much better than Hopes. Len loved the mood and intensity. Score: 27 (9,9,9).

Rob & Cheryl - Rob emphasized that he's the youngest and didn't have his journey like the rest of the celebrities. His background really came from his sisters always poking and prodding him. His father passed at 16 and he changed; he lost confidence. He worked hard to finish at USC, but freaked out about life. He pushed hard to increase his confidence level. As the couple danced, the two had an intense opening sequence and their dance had wonderful moments of strength and cool pauses. I liked Cheryl's choice of choreography throughout the routine and the lifts were used at the right points to emphasize the song. The ending was a bit sloppy, but they didn’t let a minor slip stop them.

Carrie Ann knew that he was a good dancer that didn't involve faking it. Len thought that Rob was finishing strong. Bruno thought he was a leading man. Score: 27 (9,9,9).

Ricki & Derek - Ricki grew up on Hastings-On-Hudson and was brought up with Broadway dreams. Ricki was molested as a child and she turned to food because of it. She emerged in Hairspray, enthused about acting. She gained a lot of weight and then eventually picked herself up. She dropped weight and got on The Ricki Lake Show. After the show ended, she had a divorce and she had to put her life back together. The dance began with a bit of play with their gloves and went into dancing right afterward. The lifts looked effortless, even the interesting table trick. The dance as a whole was wonderful to watch and it hit every beat.

Len loved the contrast of movements and seamless lifts. Bruno was transported into the dance. Carrie Ann loved the development of her core strength. Score: 29 (9,10,10).

Round Three - Cha-Cha-Cha Relay

The couples prepared for their performances and all the contestants worried about how the cha-cha would affect everyone. Maks was freaked out as Hope already forgot the cha-cha. Ricki thought that the attitude was all about the competition. All of the teams were worried about getting the four points.

Ricki & Derek - They started off with as much content as possible, so they didn’t do any shameless walks or anything. Her cha cha-cha was better because of the shoulders than the last time we’ve seen. I thought that it didn't have as much variation in the content, but it was solid.

Hope & Maks - Hope still looked a little wild at points, but her pants were doing a lot of the work for her. They covered a lot of ground and the couple looked like they were having a lot of fun. Maks had a smile on and that was worth the performance.

JR & Karina - JR tried his best to keep calm, but you could see there were stutters in his choreography. His face showed pain and he was just a bit slower than Karina was during the dance.

Rob & Cheryl Maybe it was because they were finishing last, the two looked like they knew what they had to do to get the 10 points. They were in synchronization and were full of smiles.

The judges gave some general information and Len thought the whole performance was great. Bruno appreciated all the dancers and knew that everything was very difficult. Carrie Ann loved that you could see how everyone was fighting.

Relay Ranking
1) Rob & Cheryl
2) Ricki & Derek
3) JR & Karina
4) Hope & Maks

Final Scores

Ricki & Derek - 67(30 + 29 + 8)
Rob & Cheryl - 65 (28 + 27 + 10)

JR & Karina - 56 (23 + 27 + 6)
Hope & Maks - 49 (21 + 24 + 4)

Throughout this whole season, Hope has shown some of the best fan support, but the real question is if she could jump the seven-point gap between her and JR. It's a shame that JR is injured. Will that stop people from voting for him because they don't want to see him get even more injured? What happens if he has to pull out of the show before the finals? Does that allow Hope to come back? We'll all find out with eliminations tomorrow.