'Randy Jackson Presents: America's Best Dance Crew': Cruel to be kind...ish

After getting to go to a Dodgers game yesterday and entertaining the crowd between innings, the final four groups on Randy Jackson Presents: America's Best Dance Crew perform for guest judge Missy Elliot to her songs. And one crew doesn't make it out unscathed.

Spoilers

Tonight's show starts off with Missy performing her new song "Shake Ya Pom Pom" with all four crews. It was really good - I liked it better than the Janet number (it probably helped that the stage was less crowded, it gave them more room to do stuff). Each group got their own moments in the spotlight and made the most of it.

Host Mario Lopez starts with SoReal Cru and Boogie Bots. One is through to next week and the other is in the bottom. Despite a strong performance last week, Boogie Bots failed to secure enough votes to secure safe passage into the Top 3.

And...JC is wearing what looks like a chain mail ascot...type...thing. What? It works yet I am perplexed.

SoReal Cru
Song: "One Minute Man"
The opening is sick. Oops, one guy has a bit of problem taking off his jacket. Really great number. They picked really good moments from the video to incorporate and integrated them masterfully into their own stuff. JC enjoyed it but gets booed because he says that their routine didn't have a high degree of difficulty. And that sparks a dust up with Shane that Mario ends up breaking up in order to hear from Missy. She enjoyed it and complimented them on putting their own twist on her stuff.

Back from the break, Senior Lopez addresses Fanny Pak and Super Cr3w. Who will be in the Bottom Two to face off against Boogie Bots? Fanny Pak will, much to the Cr3w's relief.

Super Cr3w
Song: "We Run This"
Their strategy is to include a lot of their own flavor since the track is really b-boy friendly. They start off with a three-person-high human tower and Do-Knock flipping through it. Ill. They also have a section where they do the hand signs for the other crews in the competition, a nice shout-out, and the work they do on the edge while Ben does a sequence in the center of the stage is great. They even throw in the Fresh Prince "Jump On It" move which gets Lil' Mama on her feet. And they end with more tower flips and a guy hanging off the edge of the stage with some assistance. There was so much awesome I can't stand it. Sick. Sick sick sick. JC called it an amazing performance and Shane says they must have all the b-boys at home standing on their feet. Missy also gives her stamp of approval saying, "Ya'll made my video look whack." High praise.

The Bottom Two
Boogie Bots
Song: "Work It"
They win the coin toss and the pre-performance package features their reaction to Lil' Mama dissing them last week during Supreme Soul's evaluation. According to MTV's ABDC blog, they changed their routine at the last minute because they felt like they weren't being true to themselves which would explain why they weren't as clean as they usually are. It also looked like some of them were slipping on the floor. Maybe some of the pyrotechnic goo from the Missy number spilled? They didn't have many big tricks but I thought they had good moments and incorporated Missy's moves well. Shane wasn't digging it and straight up called them terrible. Lil' Mama apologizes for the bad timing of her comments last week and for not saying to their faces that she doesn't get excited by them. In a simultaneously encouraging yet discouraging fashion, she reiterates that they don't excite her and urges them to capitalize on the exciting moments that they are capable of. She adds that her comments are coming from a place of love. The kind of love that occasionally is accompanied by a stern and loud declaration of, "Shut up when I'm talking to you!" Missy advises them to, in spite of all the off-stage turmoil, get out of their heads and leave it behind them when they perform. Damn. That was rough. I want to give them hugs of reassurance.

Fanny Pak
Song: "Get Your Freak On"
They start out in front of the judging table and move to the stage. They captured the spirit of the video yet did it in their own way. It was animalistic and jungle dance-y and freaky and...just...Sick. Capital "S" Sick. Standing ovation from both the judges and the audience. Shane slo-mos the part where three of them walk in a back-bend. JC slow-mos Glenda's gymnastic pass, and rightly so. Missy called them amazing, both for the dancing and their originality/creativity.

After a commercial break, it's time for the crews to learn the verdict. Um. Yeah. As Mario does his customary over-lengthy recap, the Boogie Bots look like they're resigned to their fates. And, after the most unnecessarily long and un-suspenseful bit of dead air all season (next to Sassx7's elimination), the Bots will be sent home. The crowd chants their name loudly in support. Looking at the goodbye package reminds me of how many cool things they've done this season and there's no direction for them to go but up. Robots are the future.

Your thoughts on the episode? Are you surprised at who are our Top 3? Have any predictions for next week?

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