So far, inconsistency is the word for Dancing with the Stars season 5. This being the third competition week, it will decide who is the early front runner, Helio Castroneves or Sabrina Bryan. Of course, it could be neither. If another couple takes the highest score, both could find themselves with a new rival. Of course, another word that has dominated Dancing with the Stars fifth season is tie. Could the two top teams find themselves neck and neck, with the fans on the edge of their seat? Read on for the results.

Sabrina Bryan threw down the gauntlet right from the beginning. She performed a jive, which allowed her to operate in her power zone of precision stepping and big athletic moves. Her partner, Mark Ballas, didn't hold back and didn't overshadow either. Not that it would be an easy task. They scored 9s across the board, which started the night off with a highly competitive tone.

Billionaire Mark Cuban is as determined as ever to bring home some Dancing with the Stars glory. Any notion that this is a rich guy getting his kicks is extinguished the moment you see him at work training. He clearly takes it seriously. The judges are still brutal, though, and his presence in the red light in past weeks makes him vulnerable. He scored a 20 tonight which put him in the lower tier. He needs fan support to get him through.

Jennie Garth came to the floor with something to prove tonight. Last week she fell during her dance and lost the momentum she picked up in week one when she was called one of the frontrunners. Her tango with partner Derek Hough was probably one of the best in Dancing with the Stars history. The duo earned a cool 26, which easily put Garth back in contendership.

Melanie Brown and Maksim Chmerkovskiy ruled the jive category for the evening and tied Sabrina and Mark. This makes Brown, once again, a force to reckon with. Mel B was once favored by oddsmakers to win the contest. She will definitely be climbing those ranks again.

Jane Seymour also scored a 27, but was it a mercy score? Seymour was fantastic, no doubt about it, but the performance was also symbolic of her strength in the face of the recent loss of her mother. I say given the circumstances, this was no mercy score.

Helio Castroneves and partner Julianne Hough had their backs against the wall as the final performers of the evening. A win tonight would make them the early favorites, but even then by a tight margin. The duo chose an appropriately fast paced jive. The number was not without its imperfections though, and in the end Helio not only lost his first place lead, he dropped to third with a 24. It would be a stretch to say Helio is out of the Dancing with the Stars race, particularly when the leader is still so difficult to define.

Marie Osmond and Jonathan Roberts round out the evening with a slower version of the tango.  However, their dance has a very impressive, and that's enough to wow the judges enough to give them a 26.  Another great score this evening.


- Jon Lachonis, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image Courtesy of ABC)