In the 'Halloween Night'-themed episode of the ABC dancing competition series, two couples were sent home in a shocking double elimination.
- Oct 31, 2017
AceShowbiz - In Monday, October 30 episode, "Dancing with the Stars" celebrated "Halloween Night" with a night full of treats and also tricks. The episode featured what the stars scared the most, a shocking double elimination.
The first couple to take the stage was Victoria Arlen and Valentin Chmerkovskiy. They danced a sweet Viennese Waltz to "The Night We Met" by Lord Huron. Judge Len Goodman praised the former American paralympian swimmer, saying, "I thought the routine was super and you danced with a naturalness that was delightful … It was beautiful." Bruno Tonioli added, "That was fluidly ethereal, beautiful to watch." The pair earned 27 scores out of 30.
Followed it up were Jordan Fisher, who was clad in a werewolf costume, and Lindsay Arnold who danced an intense Paso Doble to Martin Garrix's "Animals". Bruno couldn't hide his admiration as he gushed, "It was the biggest, baddest paso ever! And you are the undisputed leader of the pack. The choreography you managed is insane." Carrie Ann Inaba added, "It's a different side of you … It was aggressive, and you're not normally an aggressive dancer … I thought it worked, and it was really powerful." The judge gave the pair a perfect 30!
Dancing a Jive to "I Put a Spell on You" by Bette Midler, Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvintsev delivered a spellbinding performance. "The footwork was sharp... It was clean and precise, just needed a bit more oomph," Len said. Bruno, meanwhile, noted that although Nikki "started very well, there were a few mishaps." The female pro wrestler got 24 points.
Up next were Vanessa Lachey (formerly known as Vanessa Minnillo) and Maksim Chmerkovskiy. They danced a Paso Doble to "Game of Survival" by Ruelle in "The Walking Dead"-themed performance, and fortunately she didn't lose her skirt like the last episode. It was too theatrical that Len thought that the routine "was lacking a bit in Paso Doble choreography." Carrie Ann added, "You are so powerful … but sometimes you lose your balance." She went on joking, "Was there another wardrobe malfunction tonight?" Vanessa earned 24 points.
Terrell Owens and Cheryl Burke danced a sexy Tango to Rick James's "Super Freak". Carrie Ann gushed, "I think you're better when there's a lot of movement... I want you to be able to create motion even in stillness." Len concluded, "It was a difficult dance for you, but you captured that staccato feel."
Lindsey Stirling later took the stage, dancing a Paso Doble to her own song "Roundtable Rival" with Mark Ballas. Lindsey suffered an intense rib injury during dress rehearsal on "Movie Night", and the pain made her struggle through the training week. Despite battling the injury, Lindsey performed unbelievably well. "I could see the pain you were in the whole time... but I did not see it in the movements," Carrie Ann said. They got 27 points.
Frankie Muniz and Witney Carson danced a Contemporary to Chase Holfelder's "Every Breath You Take". The pair got praised by Bruno for their "spine-tingling" performance, while Carrie Ann said that it was a mesmerizing storytelling. Frankie got 30 points!
Drew Scott and Emma Slater did a Charleston to "Remains of the Day" by Danny Helfman. Their performance was dubbed "quirky" by Carrie Ann, though it worked like a magic. "You're so in sync... I think it was one of your best dances so far," she added. "Last week you were dead and buried. This week you've come back to life," Len concluded. Drew earned 27 points.
And the time for team dances finally came. First to take the stage was Team "Monster Mash", consisting of Lindsey and Mark, Jordan and Lindsay, Nikki and Artem as well as Terrell and Cheryl. Terrell and Cheryl were the team leaders. Len said it was "messy. There was too much wheelin' and dealin'--too broken up." Carrie Ann added, "It didn't engage me as an audience … I don't think it all quite came together." They got 24 points.
Team "Phantom of the Opera" later followed it up. Led by Drew and Emma, Vanessa and Maks, Victoria and Val as well as Frankie and Witney delivered such an epic routine as Bruno dubbed it "splendid, theatrical extravaganza, genius and flawless." Carrie Ann echoed Bruno's remark, saying that it was "the best team dance we have ever had." The got a perfect 30.
Drew and Emma were later announced safe alongside Terrell and Cheryl. With that, Vanessa & Maks and Nikki & Artem were eliminated.
