Dancing With the Stars Week 5 Recap: Did the Right Couple Go Home?
After putting its viewers on one insanely emotional roller coaster just seven days ago, Dancing With the Stars provided the perfect palate cleanser on Monday in the form of Disney Night.
Hoping to see Mickey Mouse tickle the ivories? Longing for Kermit the Frog’s presence at the judges’ dais? In the mood to watch CGI’d Disney characters flit across your TV screen? As it does every season, Disney Night has all of that, along with some pretty magical performances.
Of course, an unhappy ending awaited one Season 25 pair on Monday — but before we get to the results, let’s recap a few highlights from the Disney Night broadcast:
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BEST OF THE NIGHT CORPORATE SYNERGY
Jordan Fisher and pro Lindsay Arnold (Foxtrot inspired by Moana) — What makes an ABC executive happier than Dancing With the Stars hosting a Disney-themed night of dance? When one of the contestants — a onetime Disney Channel star — performs a flawless foxtrot to his own song from Moana, one of Disney’s most successful films. Needless to say, Jordan and Lindsay are a producer’s dream pairing! But their routine on Monday transcended any cynicism I might have had about favoritism or network influence; their foxtrot hold was picture-perfect, the ballroom elements incredibly graceful and the mid-dance breakdown perfectly synchronized. I won’t deny that it’d be more fun to see a few couples legitimately threatening Jordan and Lindsay’s perch at the top of the leaderboard — but week after week, they’ve consistently earned the high scores they’re receiving. Judges’ Score: 30/30
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
Drew Scott and pro Emma Slater (Viennese Waltz inspired by The Muppets) — Given how awkward Drew was in the Season 25 premiere, his transformation into an elegant, self-assured dancer has been immensely cool to watch. Personally, I thought last week’s jive (which featured Drew’s brother, Jonathan) was goofy and gimmicky, which made Monday’s lovely, tender Viennese waltz all the more satisfying. Judges’ Score: 25/30
BEST CHEMISTRY
Frankie Muniz and pro Witney Carson (Argentine Tango inspired by Pirates of the Caribbean) — Yes, you read that correctly! Even though several of Monday’s performances required a romantic or sexy connection between the dancers, it was Frankie Muniz who, in a shocking turn of events, turned up the heat most convincingly in his Argentine tango with Witney. Frankie’s journey this season has thus far been hit or miss: When you expect him to nail a fast, fun routine, he fumbles — but dance styles that seem like guaranteed failures end up being the strongest in his repertoire. That inconsistency might not earn him the Mirrorball, but it’s a joy to see him nail complex styles like this tango in the meantime. Judges’ Score: 29/30
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WORST OF THE NIGHT
Nick Lachey and pro Peta Murgatroyd (Quickstep inspired by The Jungle Book) — There’s no doubt that Nick has been improving each time he steps into the ballroom, and he deserves credit for taking the judges’ critiques to heart every week. But we’re five weeks into this season — in other words, nearly halfway — and Nick is running out of time to really nail a routine and prove he should stay in the running. Monday’s quickstep still featured clumsy footwork and lazy posture, which he can’t get away with after more than a month of competition. Judges’ Score: 22/30
And now, the results:
COUPLES IN JEOPARDY
Sasha Pieterse and pro Gleb Savchenko
Frankie Muniz and pro Witney Carson
ELIMINATED
Sasha Pieterse and pro Gleb Savchenko
With that, I hand it over to you. Were Sasha and Gleb the right choice for elimination? Hit the comments with your thoughts on Monday’s episode!
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