There it was, sitting right in front of the judges: the "ultimate symbol of televised ballroom greatness," in host Tom Bergeron's words. It was the splendidly sparkly and tragically tacky disco-ball trophy awarded to the winner of ABC's "Dancing with the Stars," an appropriate prize for a show whose charm lies in its total lack of seriousness. (Except for Samantha Harris, who sometimes seems to think she's on a different show.)
A few highlights and lowlights of Monday night's final:
Paso the salt: The three finalists performed a side-by-side paso doble, complete with long solo segments. By this point, we know everybody's strengths and weaknesses, and the paso illustrated them:
Shawn Johnson, with partner Mark Ballas, had her game face on; she was focused and precise but perhaps a bit careful. Melissa Rycroft, with Tony Dovolani, was limber and graceful. Gilles Marini, with Cheryl Burke, was dramatic and elegant, which is hard to do when you're wearing white pants trimmed with black lace. The judges' rankings: Gilles first, Melissa second, Shawn third.
