Three remaining couples. All evenly matched.

This season's Dancing with the Stars finale presented as much drama and suspense as any in recent memory. Let's get right to the recapping of each tandem's routines. First, each pairing did the Paso Doble to Pink's "So What." It was a nice way to compare where each is at...

Shawn Johnson and Mark Johnson: Whoa, did Shawn just fall? Guess not. The move appeared to be intentional. Dressed like a French maid, Johnson looks to be trying a bit too hard to be cute for this routine.

Melissa Rycroft and Tony Dovolani: Rycroft looks stunning, almost so beautiful that we can overlook her slight stumble. But the judges likely won't. On the other hand, Melissa looked current, and her height made her lines beautiful. Tony is still abusing the fact that Melissa can perform beautiful kicks. There was a mistake near the end, but the two overcame the problem.

Gilles Marini and Cheryl Burke: Both sides exude the confidence and passion that's needed for the Paso. Definitely the best twosome for this dance, which the judges back up with their round one scores:
Shawn: 28 (9, 9, 10)
Melissa: 29 (10, 9, 10)
Gilles: 30 (10, 10, 10)

On to the freestyle round...

Shawn /Mark – Cool, Shawn goes with a JabbaWockeeZ theme. The beginning sort of plagiarizes the Broadway week from America's Best Dance Crew. From there, Ballas goes back to that Michael Jackson shortened pants/extended sock outfit. We could see how some viewers might tire of Mark's goofiness, but we're not there just yet.

Bruno says Shawn was going for the gold. He loved the performance. Carrie Ann enjoyed how adorable she looked, while Len was a big fan. How big? A perfect score is produced! Score: 30 (10, 10, 10)

Melissa/Tony:Rycroft showed off seriously strong hip action, which helped infuse this performance with a nice Latin flavor. Carrie Ann loved the pair's attitude, though she had issues with the choreography. Len was harsh; he said Tony failed again. Ouch! Score: 27 (9, 9, 9)

Gilles/Cheryl: The lift sequences in this routine were original, while the performance was invigorating to watch. Len embraced the high energy, saying the freestyle displayed that Gilles is a real dancer. Carrie Ann wanted more of Marini (who doesn't?!?), but couldn't argue with the quality. Score: 28 (9, 10, 9)