Can it be? Are the semi-finals here already? Afraid so, guys. The season is almost over! Our pros do a little dance on their own before the stars come out to join them, and the first thing we notice is that Tamar is not among them. Tom tells us that after last week’s performance, she’d gone back to the hospital and got a diagnosis that was more serious than they’d originally thought. We’ll get more of an update later on in the show. But for now, the stars! They each have to perform three dances this week, so we’ve got a lot to get through tonight. So let’s get started!

Bindi and Derek (Salsa)

This season’s highest scoring star is filled with enthusiasm and positivity. No one can doubt that. Her little brother assures us that this is not an act. This is the true Bindi. Her family talks about what it’s like to live at the zoo, and they confide that her father’s passing was hard, but afterward, Bindi just wanted to continue on in his footsteps and continue his work. I don’t think anyone can deny that this girl is amazing. The dance is very upbeat and fast, and so bright. Bindi almost looks like a pro by now. Julianne and Carrie Ann both love the dance, commenting that her moves were clean and clear, but they both want to see her with a little more edge. Bruno says she’s gotten the celebration started.

Score: 27

Alek and Lindsay (Waltz)

Alek has always had a sense of justice, so it’s no wonder that he joined the National Guard after high school. He’s been best friends with Spencer and Anthony for most of his life, so these two guys have had his back the whole way. All three of their lives changed that day on the train, but it doesn’t seem to have changed them, except now they may be even closer than they were before. His friends and his whole family are cheering him on, though I don’t think he needs it. Their dance tonight is beautiful. It’s smooth and elegant, and his moves are on point as always, though this week, he actually looks comfortable being on stage. It’s all the change he needs to get a perfect score. Bruno says he embodied the smoothness of a gliding eagle. Carrie Ann says he was steadfast and noble.

Score: 30

Carlos and Witney (Contemporary)

Last week was really difficult for Carlos, since his wife was eliminated from the show, but now he’s even more determined to win the competition, because now he’s dancing for her as well. His family reveals that Carlos has always been a very dramatic kid. He was a favourite of his drama teacher, and he was very close with his family, though things shattered when his parents divorced. He says he hasn’t spoken to his mother in four years. Now his marriage is his safety net. Their dance tonight represents some of the struggles he’s worked through in his life, and I think it’s really good. The unison dancing is right on point, and contrary to what the female judges believe, I think he and Witney are even more connected now than ever before. He really gives it his all tonight, and I’m amazed when he swings around and around on the rope at the end. The girls aren’t too impressed with the dance—they think his connection to Witney has lessened a little, though Bruno says he looked like Tarzan dancing Cirque Du Soleil.

Score: 28

Nick and Sharna (Tango)

Part of Nick’s problem is that he builds walls around himself and doesn’t let people in, and this has largely stemmed from a rough childhood with parents who were always fighting. He’d joined the Backstreet Boys partially to get away from the fighting, but his troubles didn’t end there. He’d gotten into drinking and drugs, partially to hurt himself and partially to get away from inner turmoil. And then his sister passed away from a drug overdose, and he blamed himself because he feels like he led her down that path. So he got his life back on track. He kicked the habit and started taking care of himself, and now he’s doing a lot better. His bandmates think that this show has really given him confidence, and I definitely agree. He’s really grown on this show. Unfortunately for him, there were a few mishaps in the beginning of his tango, but after a mid-dance pep talk from Sharna, it definitely gets better, thankfully. But those missed steps don’t fool the judges, and though they’re all very encouraging, telling him to learn from his mistakes and do better in the next two rounds, his score suffers. Here’s hoping he’ll be able to make up for this first dance.

Score: 24

Now we get an update on Tamar. There were a lot of fans who were very suspicious about how things went down last week. A lot of people thought it was staged, so Tom shows us a time line of what happened. After her performance, she went back to the hospital, and we’ve since found out that she’s got blood clots in her lungs. As in multiple. The condition is called Showering Blood Clots, and she apparently got them from flying so much. Who knew that flying causes swelled ankles which leads to the blood clots? So Tamar has had to withdraw from the competition. Obviously getting better is most important, and we wish her well.

Next up is the dance off! Nick and Bindi will compete against each other, and Carlos will battle Alek. The winner of each round will get an extra three points from the judges.

Alek and Lindsay vs Carlos and Witney (Cha Cha)

Alek and Lindsay go first, and it’s cute, as Alek does show a little more personality in this dance, but his technique is a little off, as the judges point out. Carlos definitely looks more comfortable than his opponent, and the judges seem to like that. Carrie Ann votes for Alek and Lindsay but the other two vote for Carlos and Witney. Carlos and Witney win!

Bindi and Derek vs Nick and Sharna (Samba)

I actually found Bindi’s performance a little bit boring until the very end. Then she and Derek do some really great stunt work. I still think Bindi’s dance looks clean and clear, without much edge, but the judges disagree with me. Nick and Sharna do a great job too. Nick exudes confidence, and the connection between him and Sharna is undeniable. It’s not enough to beat Bindi and Derek though. All three judges choose Bindi.

And finally, we’re on to the trio dances, where our pairs will be joined by another pro for a new performance. Let’s see how the stars do!

Bindi, Derek, and Mark (Jazz)

Alright, we already know that this is going to be an incredible performance. Both Derek and Mark are great choreographers. You know that whatever they come up with, it’s going to be elaborate, and outside the box – literally, in this case. They start off with Bindi in a box, and then the three are dancing together, each move spot on. The rope work Bindi does, swinging a rope around her waist and then around her neck, is incredible. Of course the judges all love it. Julianne says she’s a ninja warrior princess. Bruno says her inner light will never be extinguished. And Carrie Ann says they watched a professional performance.

Score: 30

Alek, Lindsay, and Emma (Argentine Tango)

It’s not surprising that Alek picked Emma for this dance, since he’s definitely got a crush on her. For the Argentine Tango, Alek really has to be sexy and confident, something he’s always struggled with. Making things harder is the fact that he has a hard time concentrating when Emma’s around. I think that’s so adorable. The dance is pretty good, but my eyes are drawn more to the girls than they are to Alek. The dance is sexy, but I find his own moves a little boring, though his lifts are great, as usual. The female judges agree that the dance started off powerful, but that he lost steam towards the end. I agree. Maybe two women are a little much for him, though Bruno says he handled them both expertly.

Score: 27

Carlos, Witney, and Karina (Charleston)

Witney picked Karina for this challenge because Karina had picked Witney in a previous season and got a perfect score. The only problem: neither of them have ever done the Charleston on stage before. It takes them a little bit to get things down, and Witney goes on a bit of a negativity tangent, but they definitely bring it together for the performance. It’s full of energy, and really funky and cool. Where I found Alek a little boring to watch, in this performance, my eyes were glued to Carlos. As Bruno says, he stole the show from the girls. Julianne says he looked like the professional. It was great.

Score: 29

Nick, Sharna, and Peta (Salsa)

And last up is Nick and Sharna, and surprise! Peta’s back! She’d hurt herself before the beginning of the season, so it’s great to see that she’s healed up and ready to perform. We also find out that Peta is also a Backstreet Boys fan, which is just adorable. Nick’s got to think about leading both girls in this dance, so he’s got to get out of his head, a tall order for anyone, I’d think. But he pulls it off really well. The dance is sexy and full of confidence, and the unison work is great. I think it’s safe to say that he succeeds in leading both girls. Julianne says he’s a contender. Bruno says it was full of style and that he hopes Nick stays in the competition. Carrie Ann admits that she was worried for him, but that this was the most solid he’s ever been.

Score: 30

Elimination time! Tom tries to make us nervous by telling us that Carlos and Witney and Alek and Lindsay are both safe, so that means that Nick and Bindi are in jeopardy. But of course, we all know that everyone is safe, since Tamar had to withdraw. So we have our final four!

Who do you think will win it all? Bindi’s the obvious choice, but do you think that one of the others has it in them to reach out and steal that trophy from her? We’ll find out next week in the special two night finale!

– Rebecca