So You Think You Can Dance Rundown: The Top 14

Maybe the producers heard all the complaints that last week's So You Think You Can Dance was too slow, because this week's performance episode was jam-packed. I'm not sure that we've ever seen 14 performances in a night before, plus there was an extra body at the judges' table (though maybe Tabitha and Napoleon only count as one brain?). It was a lot to take in.

No couple utterly bombed, but very few managed to be stellar in both performances. That said, I have to give the Couple of the Night Award to Kherington and Twitch. It's not even really fair to praise Twitch for dancing out of his element at this point; his "element" is so small that nearly everything will be outside of it. But he had to run the emotional gamut on Wednesday, being a tough, fiery matador one minute and a tender, brokenhearted ex-boyfriend the next, and he pulled both off admirably. Kherington impressed me, too, for getting through two routines with nary a smile and for holding up better overall than I would have guessed from her auditions. Plus, they had a routine where they got to jump on a bed! Unfair advantage!

Couple of the Night Runners-Up: Chelsie and Mark. Chelsie is one of those people who could literally be given any dance and pull it off well. She's not just a dancer, she's a spunky little actress, and the way she gets into character can make up for anything she lacks on the technical side. Mark, meanwhile, has gone from "that goofy Queen guy" to one of my favorites on the show; he's the perfect foil for Chelsie.

That leaves the other five, so to see who I think could find themselves in the bottom and to see pictures of all the dances, just read more.

Also strong: Katee and Joshua (which I feel, at this point, should be followed by a "duh") and Courtney and Gev. Katee and Joshua are this season's storytellers, and that ability coupled with a Mia Michaels routine was predictably powerful. Their West Coast Swing was a little less impressive, but maybe that's cause I'm used to seeing it on the likes of Benji and Lacey. Meanwhile, Courtney and Gev — especially Courtney — had a few standout moments on Wednesday. I wouldn't have guessed she could overshadow Gev in hip hop, but I guess an NBA dance background will do that for ya.

On the other hand, I don't know why Kourtni and Matt aren't clicking. I feel bad for Matt, who really seems to be on Nigel's bad side over and over again; that puts the burden on Kourtni, and she doesn't seem to be able to pull them both out of a slump. I enjoyed their mambo but agree it could have been spicier; the hip hop, meanwhile, just wasn't tough enough. It's like they're afraid to dance big.

Jessica and Will, meanwhile, have sort of the opposite problem of Kourtni and Matt: The judges love Will so much that Jessica is never going to get out of his shadow. They rave about Will's body and Will's movement and Will's leap that goes over Jessica's head — and then they slam Jessica for lacking confidence. Well, no wonder! Their second routine really worked for me, though; maybe I was swayed by my insane love for Heart, but I thought they finally matched each other's passion.

And then there's Thayne and Comfort, who had the tough luck of a) being paired together suddenly and b) pulling two dances — a slowed-down Broadway and a waltz — that would make it hard fto motivate people to vote. The Broadway was bumbling (Nigel was harsh, but right, to say they'd never cut it on an actual Broadway stage); the waltz, meanwhile, was much better, but who votes on the basis of a waltz?

I suspect those three couples will be in the bottom tonight, though I wouldn't be surprised to see Courtney and Gev or one of the other presumed favorites get a bottom-three scare. What do you think? Who ruled the night? And how much do you want to go jump on your bed now?