For weeks, Dancing With the Stars fans have known that a double elimination was right around the corner, especially considering the large number of contestants still competing with three more weeks to go. That’s why it was especially odd during tonight’s Halloween show that Erin Andrews and Tom Bergeron never mentioned it was coming, even though it was a known thing on social media.
And during the last two minutes of the show—after an unusually large number of couples were declared in jeopardy (four over the typical two)—a crew member dressed as the Grim Reaper handed Tom and Erin two cards with their names printed on them. Tom and Erin declared Drew Scott and Terrell Owens safe, leaving Vanessa Lachey and Nikki Bella as the final two celebs in jeopardy. For the sake of logic, that would mean Vanessa’s name was on one, while Nikki’s name was on the other. Perhaps as a fake out, Tom and Erin made it seem as though they’d only announce one contestant’s name but instead said, “You’re both going home.” It was so awkward and bizarre that Maks (partnered with Vanessa) actually started to laugh, and the entire moment became comical. Vanessa and Nikki didn’t even get to have their moment to say goodbye (or thank their partners), which added to the randomness of the whole thing.
I didn’t expect Vanessa or Nikki to make it to the finals, so their elimination wasn’t really that much of a shocker. Still, it was weird to treat it as such. The bottom line is, the cast had to be trimmed this far into the competition—tonight’s double elimination was the only way to do it. So who has the best change of making it? Check out the dances below.
Victoria Arlen and Val Chmerkovskiy: In rehearsal, Val told Victoria that she’s holding back, which was a hard thing for her to hear given that she’s always had to remain strong in the face of numerous physical challenges. I’m all for Val encouraging his partners to push their limits, but sometimes it feels like he says things just to get an emotional reaction. Anyway, the actual performance went much better than the difficult week in rehearsal, and their Viennese Waltz got three 9s. Score: 27/30
Jordan Fisher and Lindsay Arnold: Lindsay revealed that Mark Ballas taught her as a kid (oh, he’s gotta love that), which felt like the producers’ way of trying to make a potential Mark Ballas (with Lindsey Stirling) vs. Lindsay Arnold (with Jordan Fisher) finale. It’s still too early for that because there’s like, what, 52 contestants still in this competition? As for the actual dance, Jordan and Lindsay performed a flawless Paso Doble, but considering I feel like I’m watching two professional dancers each week, I’m actually starting to lose interest. Score: 30/30
Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvintsev: The hot biker dude (Artem) and the flirty dancer (Nikki) did a fun Jive, but Len Goodman said it lacked punch, though it was “clean and precise.” Bruno said he’s almost positive they’ll be back next week, which was a bold statement to make on the verge of a double elimination. I didn’t expect Nikki to end up in the semi-finals, but I was hoping she stuck around a while longer. Score: 24/30
Vanessa Lachey and Maksim Chmerkovskiy: Maks’ goal for this week was to get 10s, while Vanessa wanted to get to the finals and win the Mirror Ball. They attempted to do this by putting on a frightening zombie-filled Paso Doble, but the judges weren’t wowed. In fact, they were downright disappointed given how strong and talented Vanessa has proven herself to be in past dances. I’m completely over all these fake zombie attack routines, too. Score: 24/30
Terrell Owens and Cheryl Burke: To be honest, I never expected Terrell to still be in this competition. And yet, here he is, and this show is better off for it. Bruno praised their “correct” Tango, which is pretty impressive given Cheryl and Terrell’s difference in height. Len mumbled something, but he must have liked the dance because he gave them an 8. Score: 25/30
Lindsey Stirling and Mark Ballas: Lindsey displaced a rib last week, which made training this week nearly impossible. The injury left her in tears, and Mark worried that they’d have to forfeit. Two seconds later, cut to the ballroom: Lindsey and Mark danced their hearts out to a stunning Paso Doble. Lindsey was clearly in pain, and Carrie Ann said that was the fastest Paso ever. Len thought the fantastic twists and turns saved the dance, and Bruno praised the ambitious nature of the routine. She deserved a 10 just for powering through the thing. Score: 27/30
Frankie Muniz and Witney Carson: The judges praised Witney and Frankie’s “spine-tingling good” Contemporary dance, but no one mentioned the stalker element of the routine that had Frankie playing a creepy predator outside of Witney’s window. Yikes. The whole thing was disturbing, even though it was masked as art. The judges gave it a perfect score; technically, it was flawless, but I wish we would have seen a different visual narrative. Score: 30/30
Drew Scott and Emma Slater: Drew continued to surprise, thanks to an energized Charleston that drew raves from the judges. Carrie Ann called it one of Drew’s best dances so far, and Len loved every minute of it. Usually that’s code for “you’ll be eliminated by the end of the night,” but in this case—as we now know—Drew’s safe for another week. Score: 27/30