Dancing With the Stars S29E02: First Elimination

DWTS has its first drama of the season during Week Two
by Kim Krober

With the first elimination of the season lurking just around the corner, the celebrities and their pro partners were justifiably starting to feel the pressure. Drama unfolded as it was revealed The Bachelorette star Kaitlyn Bristowe sustained an ankle injury before the show went live and producers were unsure if she would dance (she inevitably did, but it was drawn out to the surprise of no one). Carole Baskin's blubbering was understandable due to the controversy surrounding the commercial that aired during last week's premiere. Derek and Bruno looked pretty in pink, but Tyra failed to impress me again in a hideous sparkly black-and-gold ensemble. However, my interest was piqued when Tyra let it slip that next week is Disney Night. I can't wait to see everyone's costumes!

Let's take a look at how your favorites did on this second week of competition:

Nev Schulman & Jenna Johnson, Cha-Cha

I admire that Nev was able to turn the most embarrassing experience in his life into something rewarding. Equally rewarding was his colorful, dynamite-fueled Cha-Cha. Derek called it a solid performance to open the show. Bruno teased him about his lack of manscaping but admired his nimble footwork and mind-boggling gyrations. Carrie Ann commended him for the placement of his hands and arms. Tyra made things awkward when she said if it wasn't for social distancing guidelines, she'd be touching his manscaping.

Score: 21

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Skai Jackson & Alan Bersten, Samba

Skai channeled her inner strength and outer beauty with a Samba set to Ne-Yo's "Miss Independent". What started out smoothly ended up with several missteps. Bruno told her she's precise with plenty of talent and to pluck up her spirits for next week. Carrie Ann admired her confidence but cautioned her about being too "salutish" with her arms. Derek said a setback only sets you up for a comeback. Hopefully, Skai comes back even stronger next week.

Score: 15

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Johnny Weir & Britt Stewart, Tango

A Johnny Tango set to Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" was not quite as perfect as it sounds, although I loved their costumes and his intensity. Carrie Ann praised him for being so into the dance, but she noted his footwork isn't as polished as it could be. Derek loves Johnny Gaga but cautioned him about his frame. Bruno said he needs to get more staccato in his dance.

Score: 18

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Justina Machado & Sasha Farber, Foxtrot

Justina continued to impress with her stunning Foxtrot set to The Prince of Egypt's "When You Believe." Derek gushed about her natural beauty and fluid movements. Bruno admired her honest quality, saying she dances from the heart and embraces everybody watching. Carrie Ann complimented her for transporting her to a happy place and Sasha for such great choreography. I was a little surprised she ended up with three 7's after so much praise.

Score: 21

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Monica Aldama & Val Chmerkovskiy, Jive

The Jive is a tough dance because of the amount of energy required, but Monica was in good form with a swinging bubble gum Jive set to Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off." Bruno said her cheerleading qualities benefited her this week but noted the timing wasn't quite right. Carrie Ann loved seeing her more relaxed but pointed out a lift that subtracted a point from her score. Derek said he enjoyed it, calling it playful and bubbly. With two 5's and a 6, the judges certainly can't be accused of giving out high scores too early this season.

Score: 16

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AJ McLean & Cheryl Burke, Foxtrot

I know I threw a little N*SYNC shade at AJ last week, but he is one of the stronger competitors this season. I liked his sultry Foxtrot to Dean Martin's "Ain't That a Kick in the Head." He looked very debonair in his ultra-shiny suit. Carrie Ann said he was smooth as silk, while Derek called him a showman bringing so much joy to the stage. Bruno said the Rat Pack would be proud of AJ's pizzazz, although he thought parts of it were a bit choppy.

Score: 19

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Anne Heche & Keo Motsepe, Foxtrot

Anne made me laugh when she talked about not embarrassing her kids live on TV. She may be more than a little odd, but her Foxtrot to OneRepublic's "Counting Stars" was an admirable effort for week two. Derek enjoys the relationship between Anne and Keo but thought the energy up top didn't quite translate to her legs. Bruno was swept away by their connection and content. Carrie Ann loved the trust in Anne's eyes, saying she sees true performance growth.

Score: 18

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Nelly & Daniella Karagach, Cha-Cha

Nelly is 45!? I guess that makes sense, but it makes me feel old. He didn't look it as he Cha-Chaed to Earth, Wind & Fire's "Let's Groove." Bruno complimented his natural musicality, although he said he needed to articulate the Cuban motion through his feet better. Carrie Ann could tell he practiced his routine a lot, but she noted he needs to drop his shoulders more. Derek admired his impeccable timing and attention to detail. I loved that he had custom dance shoes made to look like sneakers after the judge's comments about his footwear last week.

Score: 18

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Chrishell Stause & Gleb Savchenko, Rumba

Chrishell admitted to America that she still has some work to do, but was it enough to keep her around a third week? I absolutely love The Greatest Showman soundtrack, so I enjoyed the song choice of "This Is Me." It was a well-timed Rumba to capture her raw spirit and energy on the ballroom floor. Carrie Ann and Derek commended her for dancing from her heart with passion. Bruno called her a bombshell, saying she had beautiful lines and shapes. I think she had the biggest comeback of the night.

Score: 18

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Charles Oakley & Emma Slater, Cha-Cha

Charles seemed to be more in his element with a soulful Cha-Cha set to Luther Vandross' "Shine" this week. Derek called his jacket fire, saying it was a huge improvement. Bruno thanked him for bringing the chili this week. Carrie Ann told him to watch his focus and perform like he's dancing for everyone in the audience individually. He went from a trio of 4's to 5's, but was it enough improvement to keep him in this competition?

Score: 15

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Jesse Metcalfe & Sharna Burgess, Foxtrot

Dancing an ethereal Foxtrot to Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams," Jesse and Sharna remain one of my favorite couples to watch on the dance floor. That sparkly moon and starry backdrop were stunning. Bruno called him Mr. Dreamy, but told him to watch his posture, bum, and footwork. Carrie Ann said it was smooth and elegant, while Derek just told him good job (joking about being cut off with his critiques nearly every time throughout the night, which did get annoying).

Score: 20

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Jeannie Mai & Brandon Armstrong, Cha-Cha

I don't know why Jeannie's mother was so harsh about her premiere performance, as I thought she was one of the standouts. Her second-week Cha-Cha sizzled. Carrie Ann and Derek both enjoy her charisma, energy, and wildness. Bruno loves that she's starting to play with her partner, admiring how they work off one another so well.

Score: 18

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Carole Baskin & Pasha Pashkov, Viennese Waltz

Carole opened up about the negative media attention stemming from the Tiger King documentary, saying how much it has affected her relationship with her daughter. I maybe could've taken her Viennese Waltz more seriously if it wasn't set to Tom Jones' "What's New Pussycat?" I know that's a producer's decision and not Carole's, but it further perpetuates the spectacle pageantry feel, especially with that over-the-top rose-studded, cat portrait backdrop and  their glitzy gold costumes befitting of crazy cat lady royalty. Derek noted it was a big improvement from last week, saying he was impressed. Bruno said her performance was shining, while Carrie Ann said it suited her purr-fectly. It was definitely a better effort than week one, and her scores reflected her perseverance.

Score: 16

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Vernon Davis & Peta Murgatroyd, Paso Doble

Vernon's Paso Doble to Rhianna's "We Found Love" was anything but hopeless, although maybe it wasn't perfect. Bruno loved his power, determination, and strength but warned him about working on the shaping. Derek admired the stoic approach, while Carrie Ann told him to tap into a bigger performance quality.

Score: 18

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Kaitlyn Bristowe & Artem Chigvintsev, Foxtrot

It's always hard to gauge how bad an injury is from home, but Kaitlyn seemed okay during her Foxtrot to Lee Ann Womack's "I Hope You Dance." Seriously good pain meds, strong determination, or someone wanting a sympathy vote? Hard to say. Carrie Ann called it an elegant performance. Derek loved to see her reclaiming the dancer from within, saying it was effortless and beautiful. Bruno complimented her on the classical ballerina feel and for being able to fill the space. Injured or not, she topped the leader board this week.

Score: 22

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I was a little confused about how voting works this season. Apparently, it's open during the live show and ends just before the last commercial break (I didn't get to vote because I didn't realize this beforehand, and if you're on the West Coast, you're still out of luck getting your voice heard). The first elimination of the season revealed Carole & Pasha and Charles & Emma were in jeopardy. It was then up to the judges to determine which couple would be going home. Carrie Ann voted to save Carole, while Bruno voted to save Charles. It came down to Derek to quickly break the tie, and he also voted to save Carole. I was sad to see Charles and Emma go home, but I think the right decision was made based on their combined performances from both weeks. How did your favorites fare this week?

Dancing With the Stars airs Mondays at 8:00 PM on ABC.

Dancing With the Stars S28E02: First Elimination

© ABC

DWTS had its first live elimination during second week of competition
by Kim Krober

The new twists regarding how voting and eliminations will work on this season of Dancing with the Stars were finally revealed. You can still vote on the ABC website, but now you can also text votes until the end of the final dance of the night. What I found most confusing about the voting system was that you're given up to 10 votes per couple now instead of 10 total votes to distribute among all of the couples. The couples' scores from the judges from both weeks were combined with the viewers' votes live to reveal the two couples at risk for elimination. The judges were then able to save one of the two couples in jeopardy. If Carrie Ann and Bruno aren't unanimous, head judge Len Goodman gets to cast the deciding vote. Will the judges play favorites or remain impartial this season? Only time will tell. Let's see how your favorites did during this second week of competition:

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James Van Der Beek & Emma Slater, Cha-Cha
Apparently, a secret desire to be on DWTS inspired James' fake Cha-Cha routine on Don't Trust the B---- in Apt. 23 a few years back. His real-life Cha-Cha set to Lionel Richie's "Dancing on the Ceiling" was fun and flamboyant. He may have come out strong in the premiere, be he seemed to fall from the judges' grace a little this week. Len said it was a solid performance with crisp footwork, though he thought the dance was too gimmicky. (I tend to agree with Erin Andrews' assessment of that statement: this entire show is a gimmick.) Bruno loved the big opening, likening James to a poster boy for Fame and calling it a Broadway Cha-Cha. Carrie Ann and Bruno both saw a misstep in the beginning of the dance but thought the rest of the routine was sharp and precise. All in all, I thought it was a fantastic opening to the show.
Score: 20

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Sailor Brinkley-Cook & Val Chmerkovskiy, Rumba
The Rumba is a very sensual, romantic dance, but Sailor and Val just met a week ago. I think you could tell they don't have all the passion and chemistry there quite yet, but it was a valiant effort. Bruno told her she has everything going for her but he felt like giving her some tough love - she needs to work on carrying the meaning of the dance and staying in character. Carrie Ann agreed with Bruno, saying she lacked an intensity and consistency throughout the entire dance. Len thought it was a nice performance but said she needed to keep her feet on the floor (although he was going to ignore the heel lifts he saw because that's the "nice guy" he is ... hmm.).
Score: 18

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Ray Lewis & Cheryl Burke, Foxtrot
Cheryl may be a little tough on her partners, but she knows what it takes to create a Mirror Ball Champion. Ray needed inspiration about being lighter on his feet, and she delivered in an unconventional method to say the least. Dancing a Foxtrot to Earth, Wind & Fire's "Dancing in September", I could see improvement in his footwork. Carrie Ann commended him for being comfortable in his own skin, but she noted a ton of mistakes in the dance. Len called it flat-footed but loved seeing his personality shine through. Bruno told him he always lights up the room, and even if it doesn't always work out as expected, he sells it anyway. I liked what Ray said while receiving his less-than-stellar scores from the judges: It isn't how you begin a competition, it's how you finish. He's learning!
Score: 15

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Ally Brooke & Sasha Farber, Viennese Waltz
I don't know anything about Fifth Harmony, but I felt bad for Ally. Nobody deserves to be bullied in the spotlight. She's not a bad dancer, as her Viennese Waltz set to the Goo Goo Dolls' "Iris" proved. It had an ethereal quality to it. Len thought it was pretty but wanted to see more rotation and better footwork. Bruno praised her for a compelling, heartfelt performance with some wonderful moments, but said it lacked continuous movement. Carrie Ann hugged her, saying she felt how transformative this dance was for Ally's future in the competition. It wasn't a bad effort.
Score: 20

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Mary Wilson & Brandon Armstrong, Cha-Cha
While there is a generation gap to overcome with these two, Mary continues to steal my heart in this competition. Their Cha-Cha set to Aretha Franklin's "Think" from The Blues Brothers was a winner in my book. Bruno said it was nicely presented, while Carrie Ann commended her for knowing how to work the room and please the judges even with missteps in the routine, which is the sign of a true pro. Len said it was lively and full of freedom, and it's a joy to see her out there.
Score: 15

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Lauren Alaina & Gleb Savchenko, Paso Doble
Set to Demi Lovato's "Confident", Lauren and Gleb oozed aggressive confidence in their Paso Doble. I wasn't wowed by her last week, but she earned my respect this week. Carrie Ann was literally meowing, finally saying she loved seeing her come out of her shell but she could have benefited from more consistency with her character. Len said it had a powerful attack and determination, but it lacked shaping at times. Bruno loved it, saying it was nasty and nasty suits her well. He felt it was very convincing and well-done, although he understood what Len meant about the lack of shaping.
Score: 19

Sean Spicer & Lindsay Arnold, Tango
Sean thinks he can appeal to the people and earn our sympathy votes with bumper stickers because he can't dance and it's his birthday? Hmm. Let's see how that strategy pays off for you, buddy. Their dance was set to one of my favorite guilty pleasures: Walk the Moon's "Shut Up and Dance". That was about all it had going for it though - it was stiff and awkward to watch. Len felt it was better than last week, while Bruno begrudgingly admitted it resembled a Tango. Carrie Ann called it a sure-footed Tango, saying it didn't have any mistakes and she applauded them for improving and working together. I feel like the judges are being way too easy on him compared to the others. Is it just me?
Score: 16

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Karamo Brown & Jenna Johnson, Quickstep
A Quickstep set to Prince's "Let's Go Crazy" during the second week of competition? Wowsa. Karamo brought in the big guns this week: his soon-to-be mother-in-law who taught ballroom dance for 50 years. He looked like he was having the time of his life with an infectious energy on the dance floor. Bruno admired his panache and flair, though he noted that he lost some of his body contact during the dance. Carrie Ann said it was exactly what she was hoping to see: his electricity and confidence coming through with pizzazz. Len wasn't oversold on the performance, hating the lack of body contact and saying it was a little bit on the hectic side, even for a Quickstep. Two 7's and a 5 aren't bad I guess.
Score: 19

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Kate Flannery & Pasha Pashkov, Foxtrot
I adore Kate and the song choice of "Fly Me to the Moon" by Frank Sinatra for her Foxtrot. Carrie Ann called it amazing, saying she was blown away by how much technique Pasha was able to teach her in a week. Len liked the music, the routine, that she showed improvement, and that Pasha was dressed sensibly compared to other outfits he has to judge week to week. Bruno told her she has entered the correct orbit, praising her for a job well done. Kate was quickly catapulted to the top of the leader board this week!
Score: 21

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Kel Mitchell & Witney Carson, Samba
Kel received some difficult news this week regarding his father's health, but he remained committed to the competition. Dancing a Samba to Bobby Brown's "Every Little Step", Kel scorched on the dance floor. Len felt it had plenty of rhythm and steps, also praising him for his overall likability. Bruno called it a cool Samba with a naturalness about it without over-pushing the musicality. Carrie Ann echoed the sentiments from the gentlemen regarding his smoothness and natural dancing ability, pointing out more sophistication from him this week. However, she did note that some of the bounces of the dance became thrusts. Those thrusts looked good though!
Score: 20

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Lamar Odom & Peta Murgatroyd, Salsa
Their song choice sounded like Snow's "Informer", but it was hard for me to tell because part of it was in Spanish. I loved their colorful costumes, and Lamar looked like he was having a great time on the dance floor. Bruno could tell he enjoyed himself more too, while Carrie Ann didn't see as many mistakes as last week. Len gets that it's difficult for Peta to work out the choreography due to their height difference, but told Lamar that he's on the right track for making improvements in this competition. If I'm going to award extra votes to anyone out of sympathy, it's going to be for this guy because it seems like his heart is in the right place even if his footing and memory may not always be.
Score: 12

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Hannah Brown & Alan Bersten, Viennese Waltz
Hannah took ballet when she was little, so she may have a leg up on the competition. Their Viennese Waltz set to Taylor Swift's "Lover" was a beautiful ending to the show. Carrie Ann was whisked away by the movement and character, while Len liked the lovely musicality of her arms and called it the best dance of the night. Bruno was transported into a romantic dream, saying it was pure American Beauty like the Oscar-winning film. He also thanked her for finishing her lines.
Score: 24

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The Elimination
The look of pure astonishment on Lamar's face when he was revealed to be safe was precious. After the judges' scores and the viewers' votes were tallied, it was revealed that the two couples in jeopardy were Ray & Cheryl and Mary & Brandon. Carrie Ann voted to save Mary, while Bruno voted to save Ray. It was ultimately up to Len to follow his brain - and not his heart - and save Ray and Cheryl. So, Mary and Brandon became the first couple to go home during the newest season of DWTS. I think Sean Spicer should've been the first to go, but I understood Len's decision regarding the two remaining couples. And that's a wrap until next week! How did your favorites fare?

Dancing With the Stars airs Mondays at 8:00 PM on ABC.