'So You Think You Can Dance' recap: The edge of glory

First of all, I would like to apologize to those I offended Wednesday night by suggesting that Lady Gaga is anything but a genius in anything she does. Might I suggest that you bestow upon me the same gracious point of view that Gagus Christ proffers in her music: God makes no mistakes. Even when it comes to humble TV

critics. 

Anyway, Lady Gaga performed, and those who read me regularly know I’m a fan of anyone who actually sings when they sing and whose talents seem like they’d be evident even without the aid of costumes, intricate lighting and backing tracks. Actually, I was a little surprised that Lady Gaga’s performance was as straightforward as it was. She performed part of "The Edge of Glory" and "You and I" (the song Haley Reinhart debuted on "American Idol") without much ado in terms of gimmickry or unusual props. In fact, I was kind of coveting the bottom half of her leather-studded dress. Lady Gaga's persona may make me roll my eyes sometimes, but when it comes to talent, she’s the real deal.

She was in good company because all the performances were wonderful. I haven’t been loving the group numbers that much this season but I really enjoyed Tyce Diorio’s circus-themed opening number. First, the costumes, makeup and set were gorgeous, but I especially loved that he decided to really show the people in the circus, including their romantic relationships, instead of just making the piece creepy and weird. It was imaginative and romantic and I liked how it ended as if the lid was being gently closed on a music box. 

Can we talk about LXD though? Wow. Their "Bernini’s Angels" dance may have been my favorite guest performance thus far of the season. Everyone was so crisp and cool and I loved how each dancer had something unique to do, from the guys who twined round each other like puzzle pieces to the girl who came out on stage helicoptering her arms. And the flipping! And the guy who slid out across the stage on his head!  It also didn’t hurt that everybody in the group was extraordinarily good-looking. It was an amazing display of talent that just happened to be badass to boot.

When it came to the results, there wasn’t as much drama. It’s no surprise that Melanie and Sasha made the Top 4. I also wasn’t shocked that Marko made it either, although I must be so used to Ricky having to perform a solo that I didn’t expect him to be safe.  

I agreed with Nigel that I wasn’t that impressed by Caitlynn’s or Jordan’s solo (Jordan had to live up to "Nutbush City Limits" from the night before). Both Jess and Tadd’s solos were impressive in their own way, Jess’ for the sheer number of moves he crammed into it and Tadd’s because he somehow hung from a pole, parallel to the floor. 

When it came down to who was eliminated, I think the judges went more with the spirit of the competition than who necessarily "deserved" to be there. I think Jordan and Caitlynn were pretty well-matched in terms of talent, but I see Caitlynn being a bit more of a chameleon and that works better for the show. In terms of ability and training, I think there’s no question that Jess was superior to Tadd, but Tadd’s more of the fan favorite, and the competition is about America’s favorite dancer, lest we forget. 

Did you agree with the decision? And who would you love to see as a guest performer on "SYTYCD"? I’m still holding out hope for Robyn.