"Step It Up & Dance" (1.09): The "Mirror Crack'd" recaplet

In tonight's Step It Up & Dance, it's part one of the finale, and starts with all of the dancers (even the eliminated ones) performing a special tribute to Michael Jackson's video Thriller, and then we get short vignettes of the five remaining dancers as they each go home to prepare for the final round of competition.

We see Michelle back in N.Y.C., where she performs in The Lion King, Janelle cheerleading in something called Jamz, Cody starring in Grease, and talking about the death of his dance partner, the death of his girlfriend, and his house burning down (it looks like we have another Butters on our hands). Nick talks about being in commercials (come to think of it, he does look like the "diarrhea" guy in those Pepto-Bismol ads), and Miguel goes home to his family, who display a remarkable amount of patience and understanding.

All five dancers come back to the studio, and are informed that this week's challenge will include two guest judges, a man and a woman, who Elizabeth Berkley solemnly intones are "two of the most recognizable faces in the dance world ... and ... here ... they ... are!". A curtain is pulled back, and from the darkness emerges...Shields & Yarnell! Okay, it's not Shields & Yarnell, but if it had been, it would have totally redeemed this show in my eyes, and I'd never be able to say another bad thing about it.

Actually, the two super special guest judges are Nancy O'Meara and Vincent Patterson, who are the same judges that have been with the show since the beginning ... which is kind of like having your fiance jump out of the cake at your bachelor party. This competition is all about Vincent, who reveals that he worked with Michael Jackson for 15 years, and was actually one of the zombies in the "Thriller" video (which, I have to admit, is very cool). Tonight's dance will be centered on the Jackson song "The Man in the Mirror", with Nancy helping to choreograph, and watching her at work is liking witnessing Ilsa, She Wolf of the S.S. in action. Soon, almost everyone is in tears, and Janelle delivers this passive-aggressive classic: "Nancy is a hardcore bitch ... but i love her".

Nancy and Cody have a minor dust-up when she tells him not to dance like a "snob", which will have major implications later, and when Vincent comes back to check on their progress, he's so impressed that he starts sobbing. Later that night, it's time for the big dance-off, and the real guest judge for the competition is ... oh ... my ... god ... I'm beside myself. I just can't believe it. They finally got it right.

See who the awesome guest judge is, and find out who was eliminated, after the break!

That's right, the guest judge is none other than Toni Basil, the star of Rockula, Slaughterhouse Rock ... and who sang a little ditty called "Mickey" (which isn't even my favorite Toni song, but then I'm probably the only person on the face of the earth who owns TWO of her albums).

The dancers perform to "Man in the Mirror", and then line up to be judged, and this is where it gets good. Nancy re-iterates her "snob" assessment of Cody, and all hell breaks loose between her and Elizabeth.

Elizabeth: Sorry, i don't think "snobby" is right.

Nancy: That's what i think, though

Elizabeth: I don't at all.

Nancy: Um ... okay.

Elizabeth: I'm just saying, not at all. There's a work ethic here, and a generosity of spirit that is nowhere near the word snobby. I'm sorry, i just have to say it.

Nancy: Okay ... that's completely your opinion, now let me go back to mine.

Vincent: Um ... let me interrupt you. Cody, because you're so physically strong, and technically beautiful, it comes off as a little cold.

Nancy: I've said that...cold and snobby.

Elizabeth: But cold is different than snobby.

Nancy: Just chill for one second...

Elizabeth: I'm allowed to speak here.

Nancy: I know you are, sweetheart, but just let me have my opinion ... you can have yours, i promise.

That was so Nomi Malone and Cristal Connors. From the look on Elizabeth's face, Nancy should have thanked her lucky stars she wasn't standing on a flight of stairs.

Well, after that tense moment (and after the ladies smoothed things over with some Doggie Chow), Nick is named the night's winner (and I'm very happy; Nick is my favorite, and I think he has a real dark horse shot at winning). Even though Cody was torn apart by just about everyone, he survives to compete in the finale (surprise, surprise), and Michelle (my other favorite to win the whole thing) also moves on.

Which leaves us with the bottom two, Janelle and Miguel. I haven't said much about Miguel this week, because he was only slightly annoying. Thankfully, Toni tears into him, which makes me love her even more. She says something about him missing his turns, which is apparently not good, and actually laughs at how bad they were (which made me giggle). Alas, the judges decide that Janelle was worse, and she is given her dancing papers.

That means that the finale is set, and will have Cody, Nick, Michelle, and Miguel fighting it out for the $100,000. Here are my finale predictions: I think Nick is going to come from behind to win it all, followed by Michelle in second place. Pretty boy Cody will come in third, and Miguel will come in last, and shock everyone by maintaining his dignity in defeat.*

* one of these things is unlikely to happen. Be sure and come back next week to see who dances away with the cash!