**SPOILERS** for Dancing with the Stars, Week 8.

So, Romeo went home. It should have been inevitable but was just enough uncertain to make me nervous. It has to happen–in a contest like this where two are the obviously snappy dancers (Chelsea Kane and Hines Ward) and two are the nostalgic–extremely nostalgic–favorites and can also dance very credibly and in character (Ralph Macchio and Kirstie Alley), the young kid with fewer fans has to go. But he did a good job.

The trouble is, because of my own nostalgia, he’s the very last of the cannon fodder. I know Chelsea and Hines are the better dancers, but it’s going to hurt to see Ralph or Kirstie go next week. The pluck, alone, that they both are showing is touching and inspiring; the Karate Kid riffs are cute, and Kirstie and Maks just keep bringing it.

A technical plea: Why, oh why, this late in the game, is the show making us watch the dancers mostly in the dark and/or the fog? Bring back the bright lights! I’m old! My eyes are going! How can the judges even see what they’re judging? No dark! No fog!

Plea ended. Good job, Romeo. On to the semifinals!