Truthfully, no couple should have to go home on Dancing With the Stars‘ tear-induced “most memorable year” week—but then again, no viewer should have to go through this night without a triple pack of tissues and some ice cream either. Nick Lachey and Peta Murgatroyd, along with Derek Fisher and Sharna Burgess, were declared in jeopardy, and by the end of the episode, Tom Bergeron sent Derek and Sharna off to New York. It wasn’t a shocking elimination by any means, but it was Sharna’s earliest elimination since season 19 with Tavis Smiley.
As for Nick Lachey, it was his best dance by far—a memorable routine honoring his relationship with wife, Vanessa. She sweetly teared up throughout the rehearsal package and the performance, which you can watch here. Now, on to what else happened…
The Dances:
Frankie Munez and Witney Carson: Frankie kicked off This Is Us: The Reality Show with a somber revelation that he’s been suffering from severe memory loss over the last few years, in addition to mini strokes, also known as transient ischemic attacks. It’s all the more incredible that he’s able to compete on DWTS and memorize such elaborate routines. He wowed the audience once again with a beautiful Quickstep and three straight 8s. Score: 24/30
Terrell Owens and Cheryl Burke: Terrell opened up about his grandmother’s dementia diagnosis and death; for the first time, viewers saw a different—and welcome—side to the confident former NFL player. He broke down at the end of his Viennese Waltz, simply saying he wouldn’t be who he is today without his grandmother. Bruno said it’s his most accomplished performance to date, and Len said it was a very well-crafted routine and he “just danced great.” Score: 24/30
Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvintsev: Nikki chose 2016 as her most memorable year, citing constant pain and injuries that led to discovering her neck was about to break in half. “I was told my career was over,” she said, but she vowed not to give up. “You can try and keep this girl down, but it won’t happen.” For tonight’s dance, she delivered a stunning contemporary number to Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song.” The only thing that might have upstaged her was Artem’s bulging muscles, which could have given Rocky a run for his money. “That was such a perfect blend of a newfound artistry,” Carrie Ann said. And sexiness, Bruno added. Don’t forget the sexy. Score: 24/30
Nick Lachey and Peta Murgatroyd: Nick said his wife, Vanessa, is his soulmate, life partner, and best friend. Then, two seconds later, bam: Peta, wearing a white dress, walked down the stairs with a bouquet of flowers. Yeah, that’s not weird at all. But once they moved past that odd visual, the rest of their contemporary was strikingly beautiful and sweet. Nick was in tears, and all I can think about is where I can find a guy like that. Len said Nick danced with sensitivity; Carrie Ann said “it’s by far…your best dance, ever.” Score: 22/30
Lindsey Stirling and Mark Ballas: Lindsay revealed she’s the woman she is today because of her father, who passed away after battling cancer in 2016. He helped turn her dream of learning the violin into a reality, and if she could say one more thing to her dad, it would be “thank you.” Naturally, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Len wished there was a little bit more Viennese Waltz to the dance, but ultimately, he “loved it.” As did we all. Score: 26/30
Derek Fisher and Sharna Burgess: I feel for Derek and Sharna, because how on earth do you follow Lindsay’s story? Well, in Derek’s case (and it’s certainly not a competition), he shared the story of his daughter’s battle with retinoblastoma (eye cancer). “We didn’t know if we’d see her alive again after that…I chose to walk away from the remaining years on my contract [with the NBA Utah Jazz] to make sure my daughter was going to be OK. The surgery worked, and she’s doing OK. She’s a miracle.” Opting not to destroy the audience with another tearful dance, Derek and Sharna performed a lively ’60s-inspired Jazz routine to “Move on Up.” Of course, the minute Derek walked over to his daughter in the audience to give her a sunflower, we were a puddle of tears again. Score: 23/30
Jordan Fisher and Lindsay Arnold: Jordan revealed his biological mother had him at the age of 16 and struggled with substance abuse, so his grandparents raised him and eventually adopted him. “It literally saved my life,” he said through tears. His dance was deeply moving and emotional. “That was exquisitely flawless,” Bruno said. “It was a work of art.” You know what else it was? The first dance to receive a “10” this season. Score: 29/30
Sasha Pieterse and Gleb Savchenko: Sasha pointed out that she was 12 years old when she did the pilot for Pretty Little Liars. (12! Let that sink in for a moment before we move on.) Now she’s engaged, competing on DWTS, and about to begin a new chapter on a PLL spin-off with fellow DWTS alum, Janel Parrish. The years in between were incredibly difficult, both from battling Polycistic Ovarian Syndrome, and losing out on acting jobs. That’s a lot to convey in a dance, but Gleb and Sasha performed a solid Foxtrot that earned the judges’ praises. Score: 24/30
Vanessa Lachey and Maksim Chmerkovskiy: Vanessa revealed that her mother left her as a child on her dad’s doorstep and never returned. That alone is heartbreaking enough, but then we also learn the details about her youngest son’s difficult birth earlier this year. (He’s now OK, thank goodness). Vanessa danced a beautiful Rumba as Nick looked on with tears in his eyes, and the rest of the audience was a pile of mush. Carrie Ann said Vanessa had a bit of a wobble at one point, but “that’s real life” and it lent itself to the story. Honestly, who needs scores on a night like this? Everyone should get a 10. Score: 24/30
Drew Scott and Emma Slater: 2007 changed Drew’s life, just not in the way he expected. “My true goal was to be an actor on TV,” he revealed. “I did everything I could possibly do to make it as an actor, but it didn’t pay off.” He then remembered his dad’s advice, which was to never give up, especially on your passion. In this case—performing and real estate—became one, and then the rest as they say is history. But Drew’s story isn’t just about him; it’s also about his twin, Jonathan, who made a surprise appearance at the end of tonight’s dance and proved Drew doesn’t have all the moves in the family. “It’s undoubtedly your best dance,” Len said. Score: 24/30
Victoria Arlen and Val Chmerkovskiy: When Victoria was 11, her body started attacking itself. “I went from being a normal, happy kid to a complete vegetable,” she said. “I was having seizures every two to five minutes.” Her parents were told their daughter would die, but Victoria says “she’d be damned if this is how my story ends.” Miraculously, she recovered and began walking and talking again. And now, even without feeling in her legs, Victoria is a stunning example of what it means to never lose hope. I’m not sure if anyone saw her Foxtrot since tears were streaming down everyone’s eyes, but trust us, it was something else. Score: 27/30