Dancing with the Stars: The Finals (Episode 720)

Tonight's first-round final kicked off with a rundown of each couples' favorite Latin and ballroom routines.  Re-watching these clips brought to light three things for me: 1) Lance is by far the most technically-improved dancer of the season, and Warren has taken the most stylistic strides.  2) Lacey got so much more likable as the season went on and she felt like she didn't have to be the "edgy" one to stick out.  I've found myself rooting for her and Lance in recent weeks, when they were never on the top of my favorites list.  and 3) Poor Warren doesn't stand a chance!

While the big guy is hands down the funnest to watch, the judges have consistently urged for more content and polish.  Meanwhile, they've been singing Brooke's praises since week one and love the idea of Lance sprouting into this great dancer from the shadows.  And speaking of Lance, last week was HIS week.  Turning out two great performances, he shook Brooke and Warren's world and put some fire under their butts going into tonight's two-round face off.

First up, the group samba smackdown gave us the chance to view all the final couples side-by-side. Hitting the floor, Brooke and Derek seemed a hair off throughout their solo.  Brooke jumped the gun in numerous spots and (though the judges would never agree with me) looked slightly less than her usually confident self.  Sandwiched in the middle, Lance and Lacy were the highlight of this group number.  Totally fun and unique choreography, they were on point and enjoying the moment.  Warren closed the solos down with his usual charisma, combating any lack of technique with a smile and trademark wink.

The judges complimented Warren for tackling much more content than we've typically seen, but noted his footwork may never get the polish it needs.  Finesse is one thing Lance has struggled with throughout the competition, and tonight was no different, but he's getting there.  And the final nitpick of the night went to Brooke, who needs to straighten her legs!  Len hate, hate, hates that.  The three couples headed into the freestyle rounds with scores of 28 (Brooke), 26 (Lance) and 25 (Warren).

Shedding her dowdy dress for pink, sparkly spandex, Brooke embraced her inner Sandy as she and Derek delivered a "Grease"-inspired freestyle.  Again, maybe my expectations are too high for Brooke, but I thought she looked off.  She didn't hit the steps with confidence, and constantly seems to be searching for ques from Derek.  But the judges ate it up, handing out a top score and sending Brooke and Derek into tomorrow night's finale one point shy of a perfect 60.

Sporting "Lancey" shirts, L&L decided to go the hip hop route for their freestyle.  A nod to Run DMC, this duo began strong with a cute number at the judges table.  The middle, I'll admit, got a titch iffy.  Surprisingly, Len was the most pleased with L&L's routine.  Bruno was also on board, complimenting their smart choreography choices (gold stars for Lacey!), but Carrie Ann said the cha cha bit in the middle didn't resonate with her and threw the whole thing off.  A score of 27 gave L&L a total of 53, a far cry for their 8-point lead going into the night.

The self-declared "People's Champion" came out in the freestyle round on a mission to become a dancing champion.  With his game face on, Warren twirled, tossed and guided Kym around the floor.  They had the best, most creative lifts of the night, and Kym always manages to hide Warren's shaky areas with smooth, well-suited choreography.  A standing ovation was proof in point that Warren brings the crowd together like no other couple in the competition.  Len was the first to admit that Dancing with the Stars isn't always just about the technique, it's about an entertainment factor that Warren 100% has.

Tomorrow night is it, kids!  I would love to see Warren or Lance take the cake, but I don't think there's any denying Brooke's got this wrapped up from the judges' side.