Well, after weeks of drama, backbiting, tears, and a few minutes of dancing, we're at the end of the season. Pretty boy Cody, hot Asian chick Michelle, and jovial hottie Nick are the finalists. Oh yeah, and Miguel.

All four dancers show up to rehearse for their big solo dances, which will decide the show's winner, and host Elizabeth Berkley and choreographer Jerry Mitchell are waiting for them, which leads to the episode's greatest moment. Elizabeth announces that Jerry will spend half an hour alone with each dancer to help them prepare, and the camera first pans to Cody, and then immediately switches to Jerry, who's literally licking his lips and leering in anticipation. It instantly reminded me of those old cartoons where a hungry character would look at someone and imagine them turning into a steak.

After Jerry stops drooling, Nick (my favorite) is first to rehearse, and does a very cute story dance, and by the end, he's all hot and sweaty and sexy and ... damn, where's my A1 Sauce? Michelle is next, and she shows up wearing thigh high black leggings and sky blue Underoos, and dances a very elegant but fiery Asian routine. Cody comes out and dances to a very pretty acoustic pop song that I liked so much I had to go in search of. Turns out it's called "It's Over" by the NY based T.J. Moss. Oh yeah, and Miguel danced.

The dancers show up at the theater thinking they'll be rehearsing more, but are in for a shock. They have one more group challenge before they get to their solos. They bring out the guest choreographers, Keith Young and his wife Sharon, who have a long list of Broadway credentials, but I'm distracted by how much Keith looks like Captain Sisko from Star Trek: Deep Space 9. They announce that the group will be dancing to Fergie's song "Labels & Love" from Sex and the City.

They start rehearsing the SATC shopping dance challenge with the Fergie song (which is absolutely atrocious, btw), and Miguel comes up with this howler, which is my second favorite moment of the night, and how I want to remember him:

"Let me break it down, okay. In the Sex and the City challenge, Michelle is Miranda, especially with that haircut ... Cody is totally Charlotte because he's so like prim and proper and like 'I'm Canadian, we do nothing wrong' ... and Nick is totally Samantha, like male slut, right? And I'm curly haired, fashion forward, never has a man ... I'm Carrie Bradshaw!"

No, Miguel, you're more like Carrie - The Musical, but without the cult following and Betty Buckley. But believe it or not, that's not the worst thing he says tonight.

You can find out who wins the $100,000 after the break!

This week the Emmy committee announced that a new award would be given out at the next ceremony: Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program.

Now, while the idea of debating if Jeff Probst or Tom Bergeron adds more to their show sounds like a worthwhile discussion, I initially filed that bit of news aside since I couldn't quickly think of many openly gay men hosting reality shows.

But what about the gay men who do regularly appear on reality shows ... namely, the mentors and sidekicks? Are Heidi Klum's contributions to Project Runway greater than Tim Gunn's? Similarly, we're seeing more of Step It Up & Dance's mentor Jerry Mitchell than host Elizabeth Berkeley in the show's early episodes. Aren't they a major part of why we enjoy a show?

I guess you could make an argument that these mentors could be seen as co-hosts since they perform many host-like duties (like when they take charge of a challenge), but would the Emmy committee see things that way? If not, the awards would risk missing out on a major part of what makes these shows so praiseworthy.

Then again we're talking about the Emmys. Don't they usually miss out on the most praiseworthy parts of television?

Cultural Institution Sir Ian McKellen

In a continued effort to bring you all that is important in the world of gay entertainment and ensure that you are being spoon-fed images of gorgeous, commoditized manflesh, we present the newly-minted AfterElton Briefs. Following the usual assortment of carefully-selected news items, interested readers can find a refreshing pic of a hot man in underwear after the jump. Yes, we're serious.

• A Conversation with Sir Ian has been nominated for a 2008 Webby Award, under the "Cultural Institutions" category. I don't know that I'd put the man out to pasture just yet with that designation, but I suppose we've all probably been called worse things.

• I don't know if anyone has been catching EW's America's Next Top Doll webseries, but this week's makeover episode is just crazy enough reason to start tuning in. (I particularly like the mermaid's makeover, where they cut off her fins so she can be "where the people are".)

• Is He Who Blogs Behind the Rows really cleaning up his act? We'll believe it when the shocking footage of him rescuing a kitten out of a tree surfaces on TMZ.

• Why is Harvey Fierstein serenading Kathie Lee Gifford? Or is MadTV syndicating sketches to The Today Show now?

• Dan Savage, the outspoken gay writer behind Savage Love (I started reading him way back when it was called "Hey, Faggot") and the brilliant Skipping Towards Gomorrah, has lost his mother. His column today is a heartfelt remembrance of her, and our sympathies are with him and his family.

• Jerry Mitchell (whom we recently interviewed about Step It Up & Dance) is publishing a photo-filled book this summer about his other campfest, Broadway Bares, the strip-show that has raised a heck of a lot of money for Broadway Cares Equity Fights AIDS. The racy cover can be found after the break.

And today's Briefs are brought to you by...

Step It Up And Dance premiered on Bravo last night, with 12 contestants, lots of tears, and a fabulous-looking Elizabeth Berkley serving as host. Let's take a quick look at how the four openly gay dancers fared.

First Impression: I'm so excited! I'm so excited! I'm so, so ... scared!

Dammit! Okay, in my own defense, that was not a Nomi Malone reference ... it was a Jesse Spano reference! But I promise, no more!

First up, we have Miguel Zarate.

First Impression: Tim Burton crossed with Jellybean Benetiz (which reminds me, what the hell ever happened to Elisa Fiorillo?)

The 24 year old Miguel is definitely the front runner, not only among the four out dancers, but the entire competition. At the first competition on the show, the other dancers immediately tag him as the man to beat, and he projects an air of invincibility, with a whiff of obnoxiousness. He's not afraid to state his opinion about the other dancers (about Michael, another gay contestant, he says simply "he's not good. I've seen him at other auditions, and he's just not good". MEOW!). He quickly becomes a BFF with another gay dancer, James, and he calls the two of them "the mean girls ... the plastics".

Outcome: Miguel sails through the first show. the only hitch for him was when guest judge Nancy O'Meara told him he needed to "butch it up" in the future. "I don't care if you like boys, girls, giraffes, or monkeys, i just need you to man it up a little more". He asks "did i look like a fag on stage", and she responds simply "yeah, a little bit". (at which point guest Spice Girl Mel B. looks horrified).

Prediction: The eventual champion

See how the three other gay dancers fared after the break!

Okay, who are we kidding? When Unofficial Gay Network Bravo announced the latest addition to their ever-expanding lineup of gay vocation-related reality competitions, we knew to batten down the hatches for a tidal wave of gay once more details became available.

Sure enough, Gay it Up Step It Up & Dance looks to be the heir apparent of Bravo's "gayest ever" crown, which has been passed around amongst Project Runway, Top Chef, Top Design, Shear Genius, and Make Me a Supermodel like ... well, let's just say it's been passed around.

Out choreographer Jerry Mitchell (pictured above in prime lithe form) is the ringmaster, and a few of the contestants are also card-carrying gays. And if that weren't enough, Nomi Malone herself, Elizabeth Berkley, will be the host (please please PLEASE tell me she's going to recreate some of her greatest Showgirls moments! "Thrust! Thrust! Thrust!").

We've gotten a hold of pics of the gay fellas, Michael, Oscar, Miguel and James, and posted them below. The 12 dancers will step it up on Thursday April 3rd, and we'll be there for every step-ball-change.

Michael, 25, Los Angeles

Oscar, 31, New York

James, 23, Charlotte, N.C.

Miguel, 24, Delano, CA