Tuesday

Dancing with the Stars' 2010: Kate Gosselin's partner quits, then returns for 'nightmare' March 29



Somewhere in the country, Jon Gosselin is smirking.

After a lukewarm performance during the premiere of "Dancing with the Stars" last week, the reality star's ex-wife, Kate Gosselin, returned Monday only to have her partner quit and the judges call her performance a "nightmare."

During the second go-around of "DWTS," most of the duos improved, while Gosselin only got worse, making it seem increasingly more likely that she will be the first to go home Tuesday.

The problems started in dance rehearsals when Tony Dovolani took his mic off and walked out due to a lack of communication. As Dovolani felt undermined by Gosselin, she felt as though he wasn't taking into consideration how she learned. Alas, Dovolani returned to find Gosselin in tears. She thanked him for coming back, saying, "A lot of people quit on me in life." And like all "DWTS" arguments, this too ended with a hug.

The trainwreck that ensued was too painful to watch. Gosselin's stiff and robotic movements were not nearly as bad as the frightened, frozen look on her face during her jive. She forgot most of the choreography and frequently spoke to Dovolani mid-dance, presumably to ask what the hell she was doing.

Bruno called the performance a "nightmare" and suggested Gosselin take acting lessons in order to portray a character. Carrie Ann applauded her for making it all the way through the routine without giving up. Len said her nerves are breaking her and told her to "go out fighting."

SCORES: Carrie Ann, 5. Len, 5. Bruno, 5. Total: 15

"Beverly Hills, 90210" villainess Shannen Doherty was the first famous face to bust a move with partner Mark Ballas. Following last week's less than stellar Viennese Waltz, she opted to simplify the moves to this week's Jive so she could "relax more on the dance floor." But Ballas wasn't having it. As he said, "no risk, no reward."

Growing frustrated from one too many kick-ball changes during practice, we finally got a glimpse of the sharp-tongue behavior that made Doherty the iconic "bad girl" of the '90s. And as it turns out, the more upset she got, the better she danced.

Dressed in matching black-and-white get-ups, they kicked off the show with a lively number that Doherty appeared to genuinely enjoy doing. Minus a few spastic moves, she showed a great improvement with a sudden burst of energy revealing her more playful side.

Len Goodman said she was "a tad sloppy sometimes," but that it was a "great start." Bruno liked Doherty's "mean girl" jive and appreciated how she engaged with the audience. Carrie Ann Inaba applauded her "very strong, very fiery, very boisterous" performance, but pointed out that she need to work on her "musicality."