'Dancing With the Stars' Recap

(ABC)

As you rev up (no pun intended) for Monday’s final performance night of Dancing With the Stars, OK! takes a look back at the largest and most controversial season yet. From unfortunate deaths to shocking upsets, season five left everyone talking, so before you chat about who will win, reminisce on those who didn’t.

Week One: Twelve couples — the largest ensemble yet — hit the floor to kick off the fifth season of the ABC smash. Cheetah Girl Sabrina Bryan and Mark Ballas cha-cha-cha-ed their way to a 26, which goes down in DWTS lore as the highest first-week score ever.

Result: After being described as “deceptively unfit” by partner Alec Mazo, model Josie Maran, who received a 16 for their foxtrot, got the boot, marking the second consecutive season Alec and a model have left first. Here’s hoping Alec doesn’t get a model next season!

Week Two: Helio Castroneves and Julianne Hough pull into first place with a 27 for their mambo, but his achievement was lost amidst all the other talk of the week. OK!’s resident blogger Jennie Garth took a tumble in her quickstep when partner Derek Hough tripped on her gown. “We only had one dress rehearsal and I guess you might say it was a wardrobe malfunction!” she wrote in her blog afterwards. Jane Seymour sat out the results show after her mother, Mieke Frankenberg, passed away.

Result: Abercrombie & Fitch hottie Albert Reed and partner Anna Trebunskaya left to the surprise of the judges and lowest scorer Wayne Newton and Cheryl Burke, proving that models have no fan base.

Week Three: It was tight up top with a three-way tie on the leader board — Melanie Brown, Jane and Sabrina all earned 27s for their dances. But the dance of the night went to Jennie’s spicy tango, earning her “comeback of the season” praise from judge Bruno Tonioli and the encore spot.

Result: After looking resigned to leaving the last week, Wayne and Cheryl finally get the hee-haw.

Week Four: All My Children star Cameron Mathison proved to be super-hot (in more ways than one) with his Superman-inspired Paso Doble, earning a 27. But the highest score of the night went to Sabrina and Mark, who got the first perfect 30 of the season for their own Paso. But trouble brewed when Carrie Ann Inaba criticized Jane and Tony Dovolani and boxer Floyd Mayweather and Karina Smirnoff of executing illegal lifts. “I don't know what she was thinking. People have been flying through the air for weeks [but] I remember my feet touching the ground,” Jane tells OK! afterwards, still feeling the sting.

Result: Stung and down for the count — Floyd and Karina, who exited ahead of surprise bottom two-dwellers Mel and Maksim Chmerkovskiy.

Week Five: Marie faints! What else was there to talk about? The bubbly entertainer passed out while awaiting critique from the judges, forcing the show to cut away to a five-minute commercial. Attributing the tumble to her asthma and allergies, Marie woke up after a few minutes and declared she was “fine!” Elsewhere, Mel and Maks rebounded with a high-scoring 29 for their samba.

Result: The earnest and eager Mark Cuban finally met his end on the show. The billionaire's journey is a testament to his fan devotion — he stayed through five weeks despite dangerously low scores every week.

Week Six: Mel and Maks spiced up the floor again, capturing their first perfect 30 for the season and the highest score of the night, and Jane took another bye on results night due to food poisoning.

Result: Presumed frontrunner Sabrina was eliminated, stunning the contestants, fans and judges. Not all is lost for the Cheetah Girl — a week later she admitted she and partner Mark were officially a couple.

Week Seven: It takes two to tango and two dances to stay in! The remaining couples take the floor twice — with Cheetah paw tattoos in honor of their lost sister — and Mel and Maks once again come out on top with a total of 54. Five weeks after Jane’s mother’s death, Marie loses her father, Osmond patriarch George, and misses the results show as well.

Result: Jane departs after fulfilling a childhood dream of dancing.

Week Eight: After three straight weeks on top, Mel and Maks relinquished first place to Helio and Julianne, who edged them by one point with 57.

Result: Despite a two-point advantage over Marie, Cameron and Edyta Sliwinska said bye-bye — evidence that not even a soap fan base can rival that of the Osmonds.

Week Nine: Locked in first place are Mel and Maks and Helio and Julianne with each couple receiving a perfect 60 for two dances — a show first.

Result: Last season, Ian Ziering was sent back to 90210 at the semifinals and the same was true for his former co-star Jennie. The actress, who received a perfect 30 for her cha-cha-cha and a second encore performance, tearfully left, ensuring Mel, Helio and Marie spots in the final three.