Double elimination goes on amid a packed hour of dancing, but a proposal steals the show!
One hour show tonight with the debate coming up. Two eliminations and whatever filler they can fit into it. As this week’s episode of Dancing with the Stars opens, we just hope it doesn’t include dancers in Kaine and Pence masks doing the tango. They start right away:
- DNCE doing their new single, “Body Move.” Eight pros accompany them on the floor, with not enough dance time, as usual, but neat use of lights.
Calvin & Lindsay and Marilu & Derek line up to have their results announced. That’s a pair where you think the former will be safe and the latter in jeopardy…until Marilu & Derek are the first couple called safe tonight! So Calvin & Lindsay, who surely shouldn’t be in jeopardy…are safe too! Ah, well. Moving on:
- After they dance a really sweet bumper to Bruno Mars’ “Just the Way You Are,” Sasha proposes to Emma! She says yes, and everyone descends onto the floor to hug them. This is officially the best thing to happen tonight.
- A fluff piece of the rituals the celebrities has suffers the misfortune of being right after that. Poor segment, and when it was pretty well put together too, but no one cares anymore.
- But when five hot male pros take the stage to dance to Ray Chew’s live performance of “Ain’t No Sunshine,” they are too sexy and gorgeous to not get our attention and win our appreciation.
As we approach the half-hour mark, three more couples take the stage. They include Babyface & Allison, who with a double elimination seem very likely to be out, and Maureen & Artem, who were too good last night to go tonight, so naturally the first couple safe is…Amber & Maks! Which is a huge relief for them, especially when Tom tells us: we’re having an elimination between the other two couples. Now we can definitely be sure Babyface & Allison are out. Indeed, they are. He says he’s done enough to make his mother happy. Maureen & Artem, as the surviving couple, are also now safe.
- The much anticipated Derek Hough number. Derek choreographed and leads the dancing in it, of course, and his brilliance in both capacities is expected. But he also co-wrote the music, I assume with longtime buddy Mark Ballas, which turns out to be good. As if all that wasn’t enough, he also plays the drums. And if that doesn’t impress you, we get to watch one of him play the drums and another of him dance to his own playing at the same time! That’s a trick, obviously, but it still feels impressive. This is the number of the night, even if it isn’t the moment of it.
The three highest scorers line up next. With one elimination still to go and no one in jeopardy, we know one of these couples has to be. They don’t try to make it Laurie & Val, though; they’re safe. There’s a moment of suspense with Terra & Sasha, but he’s not getting eliminated on his engagement night; they’re safe too. So James & Sharna are in jeopardy.
- Swedish singer Zara Larrson sings a medley of two of her songs put together, with pro accompaniment for both of them.
The last three couples march out. When Ryan & Cheryl are called safe, there’s enough time left one figures both Vanilla Ice & Witney and Jana & Gleb are going to be in jeopardy over the final commercial. Lo and behold, they are.
Then after it, because no one’s going to believe James & Sharna are going anywhere, they’re called safe next. So those two couples are left to see which one of them are joining Babyface & Allison on their way out. Their scores last night were equal, so who got less votes? One’s first thought is that it would be Jana & Gleb. She’s less famous than Vanilla Ice, and he’s been on the show less than Witney. But…we’ve had cases aplenty on this show that some famous name comes on, and gets eliminated early, because being known isn’t the same as attracting votes. Could Vanilla Ice have become yet another case of that?
Looks like he was: he & Witney are out! He goes on about what a “happy experience” the whole thing’s been for him. Witney gives him quite a lot of praise, even calling him the most hard-working man she’s ever met. And when they take their final bows, one becomes aware that his four weeks here probably have been generally good for his image.
Next: PBS Announces Date and Details For Hamilton’s America
Next week is personal stories week, that time in the season when the sentimentality peaks. Brace yourself and have the tissues standing by. We’ll be back Monday at 8.