With a title like that, I almost expected our survivor friends to wind up in Oz, not their home towns! This was the set up for the big finale, and I’m presuming we’ll get more answers (and plenty of questions) about how the Oceanic Six became the only ones off the island. My observations (and questions, of course) about the show are after the jump. If you missed the show, go here to watch it online.

Since the show starts in the present, I’ll start the recap there (sparing you of the back and forth).

The survivors are on a cargo plane, with a pilot rubbing a rabbit’s foot. He says, “We need this thing. With the cargo we got back there? Bad mojo.” Then, a woman goes to talk to the survivors. She tells them they’ll land at a military facility near Honolulu. She tells them the press have named them the Oceanic 6. She tells them reporters will want to ask them questions, but they don’t have to answer. Jack says they’ll talk. He says, “We all agreed.” They’re all cleaned up and nice looking. So the Oceanic people gave them a chance to get all traces of island off themselves! Jack gives instructions to everyone.

JACK: We all know the story. If we get any questions that we don’t wanna answer, or that we can’t answer, let’s just keep our mouths shut. It’s okay. They’ll–they’ll think that we’re in shock.

SUN: We are in shock, Jack.

JACK: Well… then this should be easy.

Then, they get off the plane, greeted by loved ones. Jack’s mother is there to see him. Hurley’s parents are there for him. Sun’s parents are there. Is it weird that no one’s there to greet Sayid and Kate? I mean, didn’t SOMEONE miss those two? It was sad to see them standing there, watching these reunions.

Then it’s on to the press conference. An Oceanic woman is explaining what happened. I’m guessing she goes into all this detail to make sure the survivors have their stories straight - or hoping if she gives enough information the reporters won’t ask a lot of questions. Here’s her story:

Based on the location of the wreckage, our best estimate of the crash site is… here. From there, the survivors were carried by the ocean’s current to… here–an uninhabited island in the Lesser Sunda Islands known as Membata. As you’ve all read in your briefing books, on day 103… a typhoon washed up the remnants of an Indonesian fishing boat, including basic supplies and a survival raft. On day 108, the remaining six survivors, including Ms. Austen’s baby which she gave birth to on the island of Membata, used this raft to journey here– an island called Sumba. They then came ashore near a village called Manukangga. This photo was taken by the local fisherman who found them. WHAT?!?! How did they get THAT? Once it was discovered who they were, they were transported to Honolulu by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Then, a series of questions for the Oceanic 6:

REPORTER: Dr. Shephard! Can you tell us what it was like when the plane hit the ocean? How you survived.

JACK: It–it all happened really fast. I remember the impact. I remember the–the plane filling up with water. A group of us got to the emergency door, and, um… got out before it went down.

REPORTER: And those of you who survived–you swam to the island?

JACK: No. We had, uh, cushions. We had some life jackets. We were in the water for over a day before the current took us in. By then, there was only eight of us left.

REPORTER: Considering the ordeal that you’ve all been through, you look pretty healthy having been on an island for more than a hundred days.

HURLEY: Was that directed at me, Dude?

REPORTER: Well, actually, Mr. Reyes, you were worth more than $150 million at the time of your… death. How does it feel to know you’re going to get all that money back?

HURLEY: I don’t want it back, any of it. That money was bad luck.

REPORTER: (Speaking Korean)

REPORTER: What did she say?

SUN: She asked if my husband was one of the people who died on the island.

SUN: The answer is no. He never made it off the plane.

REPORTER: Ms. Austen… What was it like giving birth othe island?

KATE: Scary.

REPORTER: Your son–uh, Aaron? How old is he now?

KATE: He’s just a little over 5 weeks. Now, if he’s five weeks old, that would put their rescue in early January.

REPORTER: So that would’ve made you about six months pregnant when the U.S. Marshal service apprehended you in Australia for an outstanding murder warrant. Is that correct?

OCEANIC WOMAN: I’m afraid Ms. Austen’s legal issue is off the table. Next question.

REPORTER: Mr. Jarrah, given the amazing circumstances surrounding the survival of you six, is it possible there are any other survivors from the crash yet to be discovered?

SAYID: No. Absolutely not.

Wow! That’s definite! Or is it? I guess we may not know until the finale!

After the press conference, Sayid is told there’s someone to see him. It’s Nadia! Yay! They embrace and shed some tears.

Pregnant Sun goes back to Korea. She goes to her father’s office. She interrupts him in the middle of one of his shouting sessions. That breaks everything up. They’re alone. He asks about her baby.

SUN: Don’t pretend to be interested in my baby. We both know you hated my husband.

MR. PAIK: What did you say?

SUN: You heard me. You hated Jin.

MR. PAIK: Who do you think you are? I am your father. You will respect me!

SUN: Oceanic paid us our settlement for the crash. It was very significant. This morning, I bought a controlling interest in your company. So you will no respect me.

MR. PAIK: Why… would you do this?

SUN: You ruined my husband’s life. It is because of you we were on that plane. Two people are responsible for his death. You are one of them.

Then, she tells him they’ll talk about their business after she has the baby.

Hurley is back home. He appears to be alone. Then, he hears whispering. There’s a coconut on the floor, he kicks it. Then, he slowly walks through the house, grabbing a Jesus statue. He opens a door, and his family and friends are there. It’s a surprise party. His mother asks why he’s holding the statue. Hurley says he thought there might be a burglar. His mother says, “Jesus Christ is not a weapon.” Ha!

His parents have no clue what he’s been through. The birthday party theme: luau. I don’t remember seeing Sun at this gathering, but Jack, Kate, Aaron and Sayid are there. Did you notice Sayid had on a wedding ring on his finger? Did he and Nadia marry immediately?

Hurley’s dad has a gift for him. It’s that Camaro he had before he left for the island. It’s the same one we saw Hurley driving in the first episode of the season during a police chase. You remember it? He crashed it, ran into a store and saw Charlie!

Hurley looks panicked.

HURLEY: Is this some kind of joke?

DAD: What are you talking about?

HURLEY: 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42. Did you do this?

DAD: Do what?

HURLEY: Those are the numbers! Right there! The numbers I won the lottery with!

DAD: Wow. What a coincidence.

HURLEY: No. No, not a coincidence. I don’t want this. I don’t want any of it!

Then, he runs off.

The next time we see them together, it’s at Jack’s dad’s funeral. He says a few words. “Goodbye dad. I loved you. I miss you.” Does he say that because he means it - or because he thinks it’s what people want him to hear. Then, a woman approaches him.

JACK: How did you know my father?

CAROLE: I believe I’m the reason he was in Australia when he died.

JACK: I’m sorry. I don’t understand. Why would he have come to see you?

CAROLE: Oh, he… he didn’t come to see me. I was still in the hospital. I never saw him. He came to see his daughter. My daughter, Mr. Shephard.

JACK: My father didn’t have a daughter–

CAROLE: Yes. He did. If you don’t believe me, check his phone records. That’s a weird thing to say. Would you like to know the–the strangest thing about all this, Mr. Shephard? My daughter was on your plane, too. She was on flight 8-1-5. You were in the air for six hours, probably just a few rows from her and you never even knew she was your sister. she was one of the ones who died when your plane hit the water. Her name was… Claire.

On her way out, she says to Kate, “Your son is beautiful.” Awkward. But, now Jack knows what we’ve known for a while. So, is this why he doesn’t want to see Aaron at first? Clearly, it’s the reason why he told Kate a few weeks ago, “You’re not even related to him!”

Back on the island…

Rose assumes it was Sayid and Desmond on the helicopter. She asks, “Why else would they have dropped that thingamabob right over us?” LOVE Rose!

Then, they hear the people on the helicopter on that GPS/phone thing saying they’re headed to The Orchid. Jack asks Juliet is she knows about The Orchid and she says she doesn’t know where it is. Jack says he has to go after them. Kate volunteers and their jungle adventure begins.

Once they go, Faraday gets this stressed look on his face.

FARADAY: Charlotte, did you hear what he said? They’re going to the Orchid. They’re using the secondary protocol.

CHARLOTTE: What are you talking about?

(He looks at his book, sees The Orchid logo - presumably from Future Faraday)

FARADAY: We have to get off this island. Right now.

Next, we see Kate and Jack walking in the jungle, that thing beeping. Then, a dazed Miles appears, followed by Sawyer holding Aaron. Kate asks about Claire.

SAWYER: We lost her.

JACK: You what?

SAWYER: She just walked off in the middle of the night. We looked for her for a day, but she was just gone. I was hopin’ maybe she went back to the beach.

JACK: She didn’t.

He asks about the GPS thing, Jack says Sayid must have tossed it out of the helicopter to them. Then, classic Sawyer returns. He says, “you better hope it ain’t Sayid, ’cause if he’s with those animals that just blew up half of New Otherton, you do not wanna tussle with ‘em.” New Otherton? HA! After a little more verbal sparring, Jack sends Miles, Kate and Aaron back to the beach so he and Sawyer can go after Locke, Ben and Hurley - apparently to just save Hurley. As they walk off, Sawyer tells Jack, “You don’t get to die alone.”

We see Sayid on the raft, approaching the beach. He tells them he plans to take them back to the freighter, in groups of six. He explains the guys on the chopper plan to kill everyone. Julie tells him Kate and Jack went after them. Faraday offers to take them back to the freighter so Sayid can go after Jack and Kate. Sayid says he trusts Faraday (did Desmond tell him about Faraday being his constant - or does Faraday just have that “”I’m not going to kill your friends” look about him?) Kate, Aaron and Miles show up and she decides to go with Sayid. She gives Aaron to Sun, who then get in the raft. Jin says to Sun, “I told you I’d get you off the island.”

Ben, Locke and Hurley are in some jungle area. Ben tells them they’re going to the greenhouse to move the island. Does this make you think of the greenhouse from another season, in a Locke flashback? Ben says they’re going there so they can move the island.

HURLEY: Well, if you could move the island whenever you wanted, why didn’t you just move it before the psychos with guns got here?

BEN: Because doing it is both dangerous and unpredictable. It’s a measure of last resort.

HURLEY: Awesome.

Then, Ben finds a trunk that was buried beneath some rocks, Locke opens it. Inside a tin are some crackers, which Hurley eats, only to be told by Ben that they’re 12 years old (is that a clue??) Then, Ben gets a mirror and starts shining it up to the mountains.

HURLEY: What are you doing, Dude?

BEN: Communicating.

HURLEY: Communicating with who?

BEN: Who do you think? All right. Now we can go.

LOCKE: Wait. What was that? What did you tell them?

BEN: None of your business, John.

Then, they set off for The Orchid. Now, if you go back and look at the episode where Ben was wearing that parka, it has The Orchid logo on it. Once they get there, Hurley brings up the fact that if they move the island, the guys with the guns will move, too. Then, Hurley says he wants to get off the island. Ben tells him it’s too late for that. They hide behind some trees.

LOCKE: What are we waitin’ for?

BEN: We’re waiting, John, because Charles Widmore, the man who’s trying to capture me and kill all the rest of you, knows about this place and knows that what we need is inside.

LOCKE: I thought you said you had no idea why he was trying to find he island.

BEN: I wasn’t being entirely truthful.

LOCKE: Yeah. When are you ever entirely truthful?

Busted! That’s what I want to know!

Back on the freighter, Sun and Jin spy Michael. He has a look of shame on his face when he sees them. He has fixed the engines. Sun and Jin go to Michael.

SUN: I don’t understand. How’d you get back to New York?

MICHAEL: We took Ben’s boat and we followed his bearing. A couple of days, we came to an island, you know, with people. I sold the boat… we hopped a cargo ferry back to the States. Didn’t tell anybody who we were.

SUN: And now you’re working for Ben?

MICHAEL: I do not work for Ben. I’m trying to make up for what I did. I’m trying to help you out here.

Desmond goes to the Captain and they fire up the freighter and intend to head to the island. However, since they need to be on that specific “305″ heading, they power down. Something is jamming the transmission and it’s not safe for them to go. They later find the boat is rigged with explosives!

In the jungle, Jack and Sawyer find the helicopter. The pilot is handcuffed to it. Sawyer calls him a “Yahoo,” and Lapidus tells them he’s the one who dropped the phone thingy. He also says he’s there to take them off the island. Is he rebelling against Widmore’s plan? He asks them to get a toolbox from the back of the chopper, to which Sawyer replies, “Can I get you boys a nice, cold glass of lemonade while I’m back there? Lapidus tells Jack that Sayid and Desmond stayed on the freighter, “because right now that’s the safest place to be. Because when the boys that I brought over here come stompin’ out of this jungle, you’re gonna wanna be long gone.” Then, he tells them where the bad dudes are and that they’re there to get Ben.

SAWYER: Hang on, Shaggy. Old Sawyer - LOVE him! You said the hit squad’s gonna grab Ben Linus?

LAPIDUS: Well, I don’t see what’s gonna stop ‘em.

SAWYER: What are they gonna do with the people that are with ‘em?

LAPIDUS: Nothin’ good.

SAWYER: Hugo’s with Ben.

Jack and Sawyer go off in the jungle, back on their mission to get Hurley.

Kate and Sayid come across some tracks, which she says are not Jack and Sawyers. Then, they hear someone. It’s Richard Alpert! This dude is everywhere! He tries to get Kate and Sayid to drop their guns, then some others appear, all wearing brown, and they take Kate and Sayid for a walk. To where, I have no idea!

Ben tells Locke his plan - kind of. He says Locke will go in the greenhouse. He says he’ll take care of the armed guys, then leaves Locke and Hurley. Ben walks up to The Orchid. Then, he’s surrounded by guys with guns, which are all pointed at him. He says, “My name is Benjamin Linus. I believe you’re looking for me.” Then, even though Keamy clearly wants to shoot Ben, he whacks him in the head with his gun.

OK. Not as many questions as in weeks past. But this was the big set up for the two hour finale. Don’t look for it next week (Ugly Betty and Grey’s Anatomy will have their long goodbyes). Lost will be back in two weeks. Shout out to Lostpedia for helping me with some of the quotes! If you can’t wait for the finale, they have spoilers for that. Click at your own risk! I’m not brave enough!

By Samantha Hayes - Washington, D.C.

Senator Hillary Clinton had one day to celebrate her landslide victory in the West Virginia Democratic primary before the headlines changed. And they changed in her opponents favor.
Clinton’s campaign had been saying her win in West Virginia proved a deficiency in Barack Obama. That his message doesn’t connect with rural, white, working class voters.

Senator John Edwards disagrees. Both Obama and Clinton had been courting their former rival for months, hoping that his nod would sway the race in their favor. It took a while for Edwards to weigh in, but Wednesday in Grand Rapids, Michigan, he made his choice clear. “There is one man who knows and understands that this is a time for bold leadership,” said Edwards, “There is one man who knows in his heart that it is time to create one America, not two. and that man is Barack Obama.”

Edwards’ endorsement also seemed to be a message of unity, and he spent several minutes beforehand praising Senator Hillary Clinton for her strength and tenacity.

The endorsement from Edwards may also lend support for Obama in the form of delegates. Edwards won 19 during his time in the race and they are now free to choose either Clinton or Obama. Several union endorsements may also be up for grabs. The Pittsburgh-based Steelworkers union had endorsed Edwards, but changed to Obama. The union has 600,000 members and may help Obama attract support from a voting demographic he has been struggling to win.

The next test will come this Tuesday, when Oregon and Kentucky hold primaries. Barack Obama has already said that if he has the majority of delegates after those two contests, he will claim victory and the nomination. While Clinton may be favored to win Kentucky, Obama is hoping Edwards’ support will change that.

Samantha Hayes is a national correspondent for CNN Newsource based in Washington, D.C. She contributes political stories to KSAT-12. You can learn more about her here.

Awww…look at them. All smiles. That was Monday, before they stood in the red light. Before the heart-thumping music. Before Tom Bergeron announced who would not go on to the finals. If you haven’t seen it yet, go here. Ready for the results? Follow the jump.

I’ll get to the elimination shortly. First, I have to tell you how excited I was watching those kids dance! Now, I should tell you I’m not a parent, so usually things like that don’t catch my eye (then again, I never thought millions of people would watch pseudo-celebrities learn to dance on television). Consider me hooked on these kids (Seriously, ABC, you’ve got other networks! With summertime fast approaching, why isn’t there a show for kids like these. I know there are other dance shows meant to appeal to young people, but there’s nothing like what we saw last night!)

If you didn’t watch the kids, humor me on my recap, OK?

Aaron and Rashell did a cha cha. These two are so adorable! Little Aaron did not hide the fact that he loves being on TV (ahem, ABC, call me). Kym came and gave them a few pointers. Then, they performed. They were so good! Len said something that was kinda weird (though, considering the competition, maybe it wasn’t). He said their “little bums were flying everywhere!”

Jaryd and Cara were next with a samba. OMG! These kids are just darling! Maksim gave them some pointers (yay!) and even little Cara was smitten. Once they took the stage, this pair had more hip action than the adults all season (wait, that’s my creepy comment)! Carrie Ann said what I was thinking: “I want to take them home and put them in my pocket.” Then Tom burst our bubbles and said that’s NOT what you do with children. Bummer. Bruno compared them to two little birds floating around the stage.

Brandon and Brittany were the oldest couple. They did a paso doble. WOW! They were ab-fab (that’s absolutely fabulous)! Again, the judges had the same response I had while watching in my PJs on the sofa: jaw on the floor! Len called them the real deal. These two will be pros on this show (assuming it’s around for a few more years)!

Back to the matter at hand…

No surprise, Kristi was first to learn she was safe. Then, Jason was spared. Here’s where I got nervous: Marissa and Cristian were standing there in the red light, side by side. Cheryl looked a little defeated. Marissa appeared sad. And cue the music (thump, thump, thump, thump): Marissa and Tony.

Marissa had these parting words for us all:

“Go out and do something fun…shake what your mama gave you!”

Well, that’s motivating! I’ll stop there before I get myself into trouble.

Kristi, Jason and Cristian will definitely shake it next week. In addition to the ballroom/latin dance, they’ll do their first freestyle! You can bet there will be lifts, hip hop moves and just general the couples will , well, get down with their bad selves. Will the judges be just as stingy with the 10 paddles? You bet! Either way, it will be a fantastic night of dancing!

by Samantha Hayes -Charleston, West Virginia

There’s no lack of enthusiasm inside Hillary Clinton’s Charleston campaign office. They know they are headed for a big win this evening, and even though a West Virginia victory probably won’t change the course of the race, they are reveling in the spotlight, if even for a short while. A young man welcomed me inside the office. Corey is a college student who joined Clinton’s campaign in October. He has worked for Clinton in New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and now West Virginia. “Its great experience, he told me with a smile, “and this is one of those elections tailor made for us, the demographics are really favorable to her here.”

By favorable demographics, I knew Corey meant an older, white, working class population. And they favor Clinton for her experience. On Monday, a woman named Evelyn stopped by the local college where the CNN Election Express was parked. She motioned me over to her red Buick and asked if I would interview her. Evelyn told me she was 90 years old, and was a little unfamiliar with “blogs” such as this one, but nevertheless we talked about her favorite candidate. Evelyn has lived in West Virginia all of her life, and felt that education was a particularly important issue and that Clinton had the experience to improve public schools and help college students manage their education debts. While she talked, Evelyn unwrapped Hillary Clinton’s autobiography, and showed me where the Senator had signed it. She was so enthusiastic about Clinton that I almost hesitated to point out that her chances of winning the nomination were slim to none. “She should stay in the race until the end,” Evelyn insisted, “Until every vote is counted.”

Later in the day a younger woman walked over to ask us where she could go to hear Clinton speak. We didn’t catch her name, but she told us she was a teacher, and her little girl was in the car peaking her head out the window at us. “My six year old is a Hillary fan,” she told us, “she said to me, Mommy, has there ever been a girl President before?”

At this point, many supporters are realizing that Clinton may not make history in that way. But they can say that West Virginia did its best to get her there.

Samantha Hayes is a national correspondent for CNN Newsource based in Washington, D.C. She contributes political stories to KSAT-12. You can learn more about her here.

I know, it’s not even summer yet, but ABC has rolled out its fall lineup. There are some familiar friends and some new shows, too. Want to know what’s ahead? Follow the jump!

Monday: This night starts off the same, with Dancing With The Stars and Samantha Who? Then comes the shakeup - Boston Legal at 9:00!

Tuesday: There’s a new gameshow, called Opportunity Knocks. It’s followed by Dancing With The Stars results, and Eli Stone.

Wednesday: No new series here. The lineup goes Pushing Daisies, Private Practice, Dirty Sexy Money.

Thursday: It looks familiar at first. Ugly Betty, followed by Grey’s Anatomy. Then comes the new show: Life on Mars.

Friday: It’s nearly a full night of reality TV! Wife Swap, Supernanny, 20/20.

Saturday: College Football.

Sunday: Ahh, old friends. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives, Brothers and Sisters.

Midseason Shows: Scrubs, According To Jim, Primetime: What Would You Do?

These shows will not return: Men in Trees, Cashmere Mafia, Women’s Murder Club, Miss Guided, Cavemen, October Road, Notes From The Underbelly.

What might show up on ABC: The New Adventures of Old Christine

The spring season is winding down, so you’ll have plenty of time to get back to the tube!

That was Cristian when he did has last samba. Notice the expression on his face? That was pain (real or not, I’m not sure anymore). There was not a hint of that torn tendon in his performances last night! Marissa, well that’s another story. This time, the couples plucked miniature disco balls out of a large disco ball to determine which two dances they’d do. We got to see Len have fun visiting the contestants and teaching them a thing or two. Oh, last night, Carrie Ann almost lost her dress standing up to cheer for one of the couples! If you missed it and want to get caught up, go here. Otherwise, let’s get to the recap!

Jason Taylor & Edyta Sliwinska

Fox Trot: I thought this was fantastic! Watching the two of them move across the stage, I thought if that whole football thing doesn’t work out, Jason could be a professional dancer! Len said it looked like Jason was gliding around the ballroom like a dolphin in the sea. Bruno said he gave showmanship to the dance. Carrie Ann said they did a great job. SCORE: 28

Paso Doble: This was amazing! He really looked like a bullfighter! At the end, I screamed “Ole!” from my sofa (true - I’m kinda sad like that)! Bruno said Jason had the strength and momentum of Ironman. Carrie Ann said it was a nice execution. Len said Jason was like the price of gas, “You’re going up!” SCORE: 27

TOTAL SCORE: 55

Marissa Jaret Winokur & Tony Dovolani

Quick Step: Marissa smiled through this entire dance, which is pretty amazing because this dance always makes me tired. However, something seemed a tad bit off. Bruno cleared that up - he said she missed a step. Carrie Ann called her an unlikely contender. Len said the dance lacked body contact, but it was great. SCORE: 26

Rumba: It was hippy. It was just a smidge romantic. On their way to see the judges, Marissa’s dress was stuck on Tony’s pants - nearly a really bad wardrobe malfunction! After seeing everyone else dance, I was expecting so much more out of Marissa. Carrie Ann and I were on the same page. She said she was not excited by it. Len said she did a very good job. Bruno said she sold it well. SCORE: 26

TOTAL SCORE: 52

Cristian de la Fuente & Cheryl Burke

Vienese Waltz: This was lovely. They were in step. I never noticed Cristian flinching as if in pain (and he was using his left arm a lot more this week than last week). Carrie Ann said it was very sweet. Len said he had better movement. Bruno said they played off each other well. Tom Bergeron made a crack on Cheryl’s shiny aluminum-esque dress (Is anyone missing a weather balloon?) SCORE: 27

Samba: This is the dance where Cristian tore his tendon two weeks ago. He was scared to do this - or so we thought. He came out with an open shirt (worth at least five points if I had a paddle). He relied a lot of his right arm, but he did use that left arm. There was a whole lot of booty shaking going on here. They were really good! Len said it was hotter than a chili pepper. Bruno called it the “Rematch of the Century.” Carrie Ann said Cristian reminded her of Emmitt Smith (a very good thing)! SCORE: 29

TOTAL SCORE: 56

Kristi Yamaguchi & Mark Ballas

Tango: The couple to beat went to a professional tango class to get some critiques and it helped. This dance was incredibly difficult - it was fast and passionate. I was actually sad when it ended :(. Len said Kristi got her drama back, but said the dance was a little bit hectic. Bruno said it had drama, passion and sex appeal. Carrie Ann called her the “Queen of the Dance Floor,” but had to hold on to her dress, which was caught on her chair and nearly came down when she stood up to cheer for Kristi and Mark! SCORE: 29

Jive: Now, the last time these two did the jive, they got a perfect score. This one would have made Tina Turner proud! They danced to “Nutbush City Limits.” It was so fast and there was a lot of kicking going on - a pro-level jive! Bruno said it was the “cherry on the icing of a cake of sweet, sweet delicious jive” (REALLY!). Carrie Ann said it was a difficult routine that was just a bit out of sync, but was otherwise fantastic. Len said she looked a little stiff at times. SCORE: 28

TOTAL SCORE: 57

Len Goodman’s Tips:

It’s always nice to see Len leave the paddle and the comforts of the judges’ table to remind us why he’s on this show - he can dance! YAY! He got Jason all fired up about the paso doble (there was a lot of foot stomping and grunting - a tad weird for me). Len taught Kristi two steps and was so pleased he spanked his own behind (again, weird)! Cristian was excited to dance with Len - once he figured out Len was the female in their dance. Len worked with Marissa on making her Latin dances more “hippy.”

Now, for my prediction: With Kristi back at the top of the leaderboard and Marissa at the bottom, I’m going to choose Marissa to go home tonight (again). Jason and Cristian have stepped it up, Marissa has not. She’s better than she was at the beginning of the show, but, like Marie Osmond, just can’t compete with the other three. Wait. If this goes like it did last time, Marissa will make the finals and someone really good will be cut! I’m telling you now, I have absolutely no say in what will happen. There’s a very good chance I’ll be wrong. Don’t sue me.

If you like watching the younger dancers on the show, make sure you watch the NightBeat at ten! We’ll show you some of San Antonio’s young dancers who just might be pros on that show some day!

The season finale of The Bachelor! It’s the Final Rose … the one where Matt Grant strings one girl along to the very end only to break her heart and propose to the other one. Isn’t that romantic??!

It was down to the final two women, Chelsea, the 24-year-old pharmaceutical sales rep, and Shayne, the 22-year old actress. Matt took each of them home to London to meet his parents.

Chelsea was first to meet the family and Matt’s brother had a test for her.

Matt’s brother: “If you end up with Matt and come and live with us, we would expect you to bring your wellies. Do you know what they are?”

Chelsea: “Sounds like rain boots, maybe?”

Matt’s brother: “Yes! Well done.”

“I was quite taken to be perfectly honest,” Matt’s brother later said in his interview. Matt’s mother also thought she was doing a good “selling job”. They had some bonding time in the kitchen where Chelsea admitted that it was hard to allow herself to be vulnerable because she was deathly afraid Matt would break her heart.

Chelsea thought the visit went better than she could have ever planned. Matt agreed and said goodbye to his “honey” for the evening.

Next, it was Shayne’s turn to impress her possible future in-laws. Matt and Shayne took a tour of London on a double-decker bus before going to the Grant home for lunch.

Shayne admitted she was shaking in her boots about the meeting and things got off to a little bit of a rocky start when Shayne spilled a drink on herself and giggled about it nervously.

Matt’s brother said, “When I first saw Shayne I thought ‘wow. Bleach blonde hair.’ To be honest, I wasn’t sure. I didn’t think this was very Matt at all.”

But Matt’s brother and parents warmed up to Shayne over lunch. His mom told Shayne that she felt really at ease with her from the moment she met her. After she left the home, the family told Matt they felt Shayne was more sincere than Chelsea, but they disagreed who they thought was the better match for him. Matt’s brother thought it was Chelsea. Matt’s dad thought it was Shayne.

Next, Matt and the women spent their final nights together in Barbados. Matt and Chelsea went on a helicopter ride and then had a picnic on the beach. Matt continued to overuse the word “honey” during his time with Chelsea.

(I started to wonder if maybe he used those little pet names so he wouldn’t accidentally slip up and call the women by the wrong name. That sort of thing could happen when you’re dating more than one person.)

At the hotel, Chelsea said she had a present for Matt and gave him a box labeled ‘Matt’s California Survival Kit.’ It had cereal, a map and surf wax. (I’m thinking he liked the last present she gave him on their overnight date a little better.) Matt and Chelsea said they were falling in love with each other and had a difficult time leaving each other after kissing goodbye at the door.

The next day Matt said he was going to put Chelsea out of his head as he met Shayne on the beach. She ran up to him and jumped in his arms, wrapping her legs around him. “Shayne’s a little monkey. When she cuddles me it’s like a monkey holding on,” he said.

The couple went parasailing. Shayne went first, telling Matt, “If I don’t come back, I wish you and Chelsea well.”

When she was up in the air, she said she felt like an angel and daydreamed about being Matt’s wife.

Back at the hotel, Shayne also had a present for him. “This will be the most amazing gift that you’ll ever receive from me in our entire relationship,” she told him.

Matt unwrapped a double picture frame with photos of Shayne on the beach, with the words ‘I love you’ written in the sand.

(I’m guessing it was the ‘I love you’ part that was so spectacular and not the picture frame itself. Because if that was supposed to be the best present he was ever going to get from her, I was thinking ‘LAME’.)

After his final dates with both women, Matt said he hadn’t made a decision yet. He said he felt “buzzing and excitement” with Chelsea, while Shayne brought out “warmth and sincerity and genuineness.” But after some apparent soul searching, Matt said his choice became quite clear when he considered who would be the best lifelong partner.

Chelsea was the first woman to arrive in the limo. Matt told her that he fell for her early on and listed her good qualities, but …

That’s when Chelsea’s face fell. We’ve all watched enough Bachelor seasons to know that the “but” isn’t a good thing.

“But I came here to find my life partner and when I think about that long and hard I’m thinking I can’t give you everything that you need. I’m sorry you aren’t the one because you are incredible,” he said.

As Matt walked her back to the limo, he tried to soften the blow by reassuring Chelsea about his feelings for her. But at this point, it was more like salt in the wound. “At times I thought you were the one, many times. I think you are amazing and I wish you the best,” he said.

“I don’t understand for me she was the falsest person here. For me to be up against her?” she asked.

“If you think I’d end up with the falsest person here, you don’t know me,” Matt responded.

In the limo, Chelsea cried. “My relationships have been letdown after letdown after letdown. He’s a fool. He is a fool.”

(Maybe she’d have more luck with Matt’s brother. He did say he was quite taken with her!)

Okay, forget about the heartbreak. Now let’s focus on the couple that did work out …

Shayne was feeling anxious and nervous as she stepped out of the limo to meet Matt. “I’ve never had my heart in a man’s hands like this,” she said.

Matt gave his speech to her. “There’s been laughter, there’s been fun, there’s been kisses, there’s been monkey.”

(There’s been monkey??)

Then he got down on one knee and said, “I love you and I have something for you. Monkey will you marry me?”

Of course she said yes and that she loved him too, and when he put the ring on her finger she let out a big “woo hoo”.

After several seconds of kissing Shayne said, “Okay I have one thing to tell you. I will marry you under one condition, that you will never look at another woman for the rest of our lives. Because you have looked at way too many during our relationship.”

Matt promised and gave Shayne the final rose.

Next week “The Bachelorette” starts and DeAnna Pappas is looking for love among 25 eligible bachelors.

(You remember her. She was the outspoken Southern/Greek girl who blinked a lot. She was also the one that got dumped by that tool, Brad who refused to pick either of the women in the finale.)

I will probably be watching but I haven’t decided whether to blog about it or not. I’m also considering blogging about the comeback of The Mole in June. So let me know if you want more of my reality show musings. If enough of you beg, then we’ll see. If not, I will sit on the couch and happily watch TV without having to take copious notes. Ha ha. Until then …

By Samantha Hayes - Charleston, West Virginia

Senator Hillary Clinton is expected to win in West Virginia tomorrow and probably by a large margin. But even a resounding victory here won’t do much to put her campaign back into serious contention with Senator Barack Obama. West Virginia has 18 delegates at stake. Even an unlikely clean sweep by Clinton wouldn’t come close. Obama has built a formidable barrier between himself and Clinton of 168 pledged delegates.

But even though many are already calling Obama the “unofficial” nominee, the race isn’t over, and Clinton is continuing to run full speed ahead. She has been campaigning in West Virginia as tirelessly as she has in all the other states. On Sunday, with daughter Chelsea at her side, Clinton made several campaign stops including the town of Grafton, where she honored Anna Jarvis, who is credited for starting Mother’s Day 100 years ago. Clinton praised Jarvis for her perseverance to create a day of recognition, and how she succeeded against the odds.

While the odds are stacked against Clinton, no matter how the race ends, she is a woman admired by many of her peers. While in Grafton, Clinton read a message from a supporter named Angela who advises Clinton to “Keep strong. It’s not over until the lady in the pant suit says it is.”

And that lady is staying the course. A week from Tuesday, Clinton also expects to win in Kentucky’s Democratic primary and perhaps use the support she’s garnered from working class voters to try and convince super delegates, who could decide the nomination, to support her instead of Obama. But that would be a hard sell, especially if Obama continues to widen his lead in the remaining contests.

But Clinton seemed to answer the calls of her critics while in Eleanor, West Virginia where she quoted the town’s namesake and another First Lady. “One of my favorite sayings of Eleanor Roosevelt is especially appropriate for Mother’s Day. You never know how this saying might come in handy. A woman is like a tea bag you never know how strong she is until she is in hot water.”

Samantha Hayes is a national correspondent for CNN Newsource based in Washington, D.C. She contributes political stories to KSAT-12. You can learn more about her here.

This is make or break night for Marissa. The other dancers in the semi-finals are far and above better than Marissa. She’s going to have to pull off one heck of a magic trick in each of her dances to make it to the finals. This week, if I recall correctly, the dancers will draw for their latin and ballroom dances (I assume Cristian will use his GOOD arm). A little bit of insight on the dancers after the jump, as well as what they’ve been up to since we saw them on Tuesday.

Marissa Jaret Winokur & Tony Dovolani

Now, I have to say I’ve been rooting for Marissa (I love an underdog - and I’m not the only one). But now, I’m just torn. I think Cristian, Jason and Kristi belong in the finals. Having Marissa there would be like last season, when Marie made it to the finals and we all knew Marie had no chance to win it all. Let’s hope the most talented dancers make it through this week. I think Marissa will have to get serious about this competition. She’ll have to understand she could win - and MUST perform like she deserves to be there. Sad to say, she still has to prove herself. The others come out every week with the passion to win. She comes out just hoping to get some nice comments from the judges. The good news for Marissa: she has something to fall back on if this dancing thing doesn’t work out.

Jason Taylor & Edyta Sliwinska

Jason is just fantastic! The fact that a guy his size can move the way he does is amazing! Guys, you really should take note - and I don’t just mean checking out the next-to-nothing wardrobe of his partner. Judging by this, his coach would prefer Jason was booted a long time ago. I don’t see him heading to training camp any time soon.

Cristian de la Fuente & Cheryl Burke

WOW! Cristian literally beat the competition last week with ONE ARM! Can you believe there are people out there who actually think Cristian is faking the whole torn tendon thing? He denies it all here. That said, I’m really hoping he can keep the momentum going this week. There’s only so much he can do with that one arm (even though he did some pretty amazing lifts with that good arm). I think it will all depend on the dances he gets.

Kristi Yamaguchi & Mark Ballas

Don’t think that a champion figure skater does not want this dinky little mirror ball trophy! Kristi has had two tough weeks, with Cristian and Jason knocking her out of the top spot. I expect her to dance like she’s never danced before tonight. She’s been hard at work on her two performances, but managed to have a little bit of fun.

Expect the judges to be extra careful who gets to see that “10″ paddle tonight. They’re expecting to see finalists here. Anyone who has the slightest misstep will not get that perfect score. So, Marissa, Jason, Cristian and Kristi (if you’re reading this) you’d better bring it!

By Simon Gutierrez

Saturday night. It’s 98 degrees in San Antonio. For some reason, I find myself drawn to Nelson Wolff Municipal Stadium, to sit in the sweltering, record heat. Why? The Missions’ Will Inman is on the mound, opposite Henry Rodriguez and the Midland Rockhounds.

Rodriguez and Inman are two of the brighter pitching prospects in the Texas League. Baseball America ranks Inman as the 7^th best prospect in the Padres’ system, and Rodriguez the 8^th best prospect in the Oakland A’s system. To me, it looked like an intriguing matchup, and worth a trip to the park, even in the sticky, south Texas heat.

Inman didn’t disappoint. He pounded the strike zone, and kept Midland hitters off balance for five innings, yielding only two hits, and striking out seven. Inman used his fastball, coming in consistently at 90-91 mph, to get ahead of hitters, mixing in a decent curve, and the odd changeup. He showed good control of the strike zone, and worked both sides of the plate, ultimately walking away with his fourth win of the season, and lowering his ERA to 1.85. Scouts and prospect hounds aren’t real big on Inman, because none of his three primary pitches is exceptional, but if he keeps the ball down consistently and works on his changeup a little bit, I could easily see him working his way into a fourth or fifth starter role for the Padres in the next year or two.

Unlike Inman, scouts have been raving about Henry Rodriguez since spring training. He’s a fireballer, touching 98 on the stadium gun Saturday night, and he also has a sharp, tight slider he can throw for a strike. That said, Rodriguez looked nowhere near as sharp as Inman on Saturday. After a quick first, he gave up a home run to Jose Lobaton on a hanging slider in the 2^nd, then fell apart in the third, walking the bases loaded, then giving up three straight singles to fall behind 4-0. Missions hitters seemed to be sitting on his fastball, which averaged around 94 mph, and they chased him from the game after 2 2/3 innings. Rodriguez’ ERA shot up to 7.00, and he’s now walked 22 batters in 18 innings at AA. Still, he’s only 21 years old, and if he stays healthy, there’s a pretty good chance a major league team will find a use for that sizzling fastball. I’d say you could conceivably look for him in the A’s bullpen in the next couple years or so.

As for the rest of the game, the Mission got off the schnide, avoiding the sweep at home, and going on to win 5-0. Kyle Blanks kept up his hot hitting, driving in his 22^nd and 23^rd runs of the year, and upping his average to .314. Next up for the Missions, a home series against the Astros’ AA team, the Corpus Christi Hooks, which will feature top Astros pitching prospects Bud Norris and Brad James, who are in line to pitch on the 13^th and 15^th, respectively.

Simon Gutierrez is a reporter for KSAT. Before coming to Texas, he spent two years at ESPN, working on sports documentaries and Sports Center.