Wednesday's So You Think You Can Dance was part dance showcase, part comedy show — thanks to Ellen DeGeneres, who joined Mary, Nigel, and Mia on the judging table. Which is not to say she "judged," per se; mostly she raved about the dancers and made jokes about "nailing it." It's obvious she really loves the show, though, and her enthusiasm came through in her goofy comments.

As for the dancing, I'm with Nigel: The first half of the show felt weirdly flat, with routines that were fine but not particularly exciting. The second half of the show was another story, though, with some numbers that could be serious contenders to add to the show's Emmy haul next year. I have no idea how the elimination will shake out tonight — none! What do you think?

View 8 Photos ›

To see my thoughts on the night and check out pictures of the routines, just read more.

Evan and Janette's jazz — This routine from Sonya required a lot of intensity, and I'm not sure either one of them totally got there, but they both fit well into their characters, slapping hands on each other's mouths and pounding the floor hard. Nigel said he was glad to see Evan bring more, Mary said Janette can't make a wrong step, and Mia said that even though Evan will never be dark and twisty, he made a big step — and Janette was her "favorite favorite favorite."

Brandon and Jeanine's waltz — I was so excited to see these two paired together, but this wasn't one of my favorite waltzes ever on the show. It seemed a little too measured, like they both had to think seriously about every move. Nigel trashed the music and said he wanted them to show more control, Mary said even a professional would have struggled with the tempo but called it respectable, and Mia said there were too many hiccups and not enough fairytale.

Melissa and Ade's cha cha — How fun to see these two back together! This cha cha was fun, but it was also one of the only times I think Melissa's revealed herself as a ballerina. She seemed very careful with her movements, executing all the steps but not really adding much slinkiness. I definitely appreciated Ade's "SexyBack walk, though. Nigel said they needed to let their natural sexiness out, Mary wanted them to sink lower into their hips, and Mia said it was Ade's worst of the season.

Jason and Kayla's Broadway — Some fun choreography in this one — I loved the part where Kayla kicked over Jason's head and he kind of popped up off the floor. In terms of the two of them as Broadway dancers, Jason seems more comfortable in the style than Kayla, who's almost too . . . upright? Jason seems to let his body go a little more. Nigel said it showed off their talents well, while Mia totally disagreed with me and said Kayla could take Broadway by storm.

Evan and Janette's rumba — Man, I don't know — I just could not get into this. I was looking forward to seeing fiery Janette (and fiery Janette making Evan get a little sexy himself), but mostly I was a little bored. Maybe I just don't like rumba? Evan could have literally not even been on stage for me; what attention I did pay was entirely to Janette. Nigel wanted to see Evan perform more with his face, Mary thought Evan partnered Janette well, and Mia thought Evan was sexy with a Zoolander face.

Brandon and Jeanine's pop jazz — In terms of tough love, Laurieann Gibson might be giving Mia a run for her money. From the looks of the clip, she was serious about turning Brandon and Jeanine into soldiers. And I think it worked: Jeanine in particular really hit a new level for me, and Brandon got to show his strength. Nigel said it was the first great performance of the night, Mary got all screamy, and Mia praised them for being really inside of the dance.

Melissa and Ade's contemporary — Well, I'm not allowed to be mean about the routine about breast cancer, am I? Not that I would want to, honestly; I thought the two of them danced this routine so well, with power and grace and the kind of trust in each other that can only come from all the weeks they worked together. But am I just horribly callous for feeling weary of the "issue" routines? (Probably.) That said, it's a rare routine that can bring all the judges to tears — even Nigel.

Jason and Kayla's hip hop — This was a great closing number and my favorite Shane Sparks routine of the season by far. It probably shouldn't surprise me at this point that Kayla's good at something, but hip hop seemed like it would be a stretch for her — and nope. She fell straight into the character of the routine. And Jason, with that makeup, was solidly creepy. Nigel said they knocked it out of the park, Mary liked seeing them get creepy, and Mia loved it.

The solos — Highlights for me included Evan, Kayla, and Ade. I was glad to see Janette go outside of her style for her solo — and I'd be curious to see Melissa try the same if she's here another week.

View 8 Photos ›

Best of the night: Brandon and Jeanine's jazz, Jason and Kayla's hip hop . . . and, yes, the cancer dance.

In trouble: Man, Melissa and Ade are probably lucky for getting that last routine; they were having a rough night up till then, but I think that'll save them. I could see Evan being in for a trip to the bottom . . . and maybe Jeanine? This is going to be an interesting night.

Photos courtesy of Fox