Halloween Takes Out One Star Before Night Begins

Unfortunately, one of the celebrities was not in the ballroom, as we learned that Elaine Hendrix had suffered an injury earlier that same day, necessitating a trip to the hospital. She was ultimately cleared to continue in the competition, but would she have a future? 

Per the rules, video of her last full rehearsal with Alan Bersten was judged instead, but can an unpolished rehearsal without full makeup and costume be strong enough to survive the competition? Elaine has been a strong contender, but it’s also a strong season, so one bad week could spell the end for anyone at any time — except maybe Andy Richter.

How long will the comedian continue his unlikely success story on DWTS. He’s certainly not the first subpar dancer to survive way beyond their expiration date on the show, with names like Harry Jowsey, Vinny Guadagnino, Sean Spicer, and Joe Amabile coming to mind, not to mention Season 27 winner Bobby Bones — who rode an audience wave of love to victory. 

We’re not sure Andy can repeat that feat with this competition, but we were pretty confident he would survive this week. It was, after all, happening on his birthday! 

Fair warning, since I’m safe at home, I’m probably going to be a little harsher than my colleagues Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, Cheryl Burke, and Bruno Tonioli. But I might be nicer, too. Maybe.

(“Cancelled!,” Taylor Swift) We’re not sure if this was already planned or something put together in response to the surprise comments from former pro Maks Chmerkovskiy about Jan being part of this cast after touring with Taylor Swift, but it was a definite showcase of what a strong dancer and partner he is as a performer. It doesn’t speak, per se, about his knowledge of the ballroom or Latin styles in their more minute details, but it definitely proves he’s a great dancer, because Jenna is one of the strongest women to ever hit this dance floor, and they slayed this about midway through the show.

(Jazz – “Brain Stew,” Green Day) Overwhelmed with stress and anxiety, Whitney nevertheless gave her all to this routine. We didn’t quite feel that the tone of personality she was bringing quite matched what Mark was doing. She was almost cheerleader perky instead of sinister insanity. It left her movements a little tighter than his and created an unusual — for this pair — disconnect in the partnership and timing. A looser undead type of movement would have helped to sell the piece for us. But as we’re here criticizing her character approach, that’s a testament to the quality of movement and mastery of choreography she always brings. She knew this dance, she just didn’t embody it the way we would have liked.

Judges Scores: 9, 9, 9, 10

My Score: 9

(Contemporary – “Elastic Heart,” Sia) Honestly, we were hoping for a little more with the harness. The side-by-side portion, while very well executed, pulled us out of the story of Ezra as her demons a bit as it might have been more compelling if he was echoing her and then getting in front of her both in the choreography and perhaps physically. Basically, we wanted to see a more conflict between them. Also, they got off on their synchronicity here and there were moments of wobble. Jordan remains, however, a dynamite presence and performer, really selling the mood of the piece, and we continue to love this partnership. That closing pose, too, was a unique visual treat.

Judges Scores: 9, 8, 8, 9

My Score: 8

(Paso doble – “Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67: Allegro con brio,” Ludwig van Beethoven) Bless his heart, Andy really is trying out there. He did a good job of selling the intensity of the character, but his strongest work was walking through the cornfields. We saw the arms going up and him opening his chest to strike those matador moments, but it just wasn’t hitting quite sharp enough, nor were his movements precise and clipped enough. Emma continued to dance beautifully around him, creating moments, and while this was recognizably paso, it was still more passé than passable.

Judges Scores: 7, 7, 7, 7

My Score: 4

(Argentine tango – “Bad to the Bone,” George Thorogood and the Destroyers [as performed by 2WEI & Bri Bryant]) Based on this rehearsal footage, we found ourselves getting emotional just imagining how powerfully this would have hit live. If this is where they were earlier today (we’re guessing based on the outfits they were wearing), Elaine was going to come out something fierce and really deliver the intensity. There was fantastic footwork throughout this with incredible timing and partnering. She is such a dark horse contender in this competition and could be the real heart of it as she’s such a sweetheart and hard worker on top of everything else. This was a stellar rehearsal and it’s a shame we missed it (maybe it could be her redemption dance later in the season). Here’s hoping for a swift recovery and return because the competition still needs her!

Judges Scores: 8, 8, 8, 8

My Score: 8

(Viennese waltz – “Die with a Smile,” Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars) This is the Danielle we’ve been hoping to see all season long. Last week’s breakthrough proved it wasn’t just a fluke as she came in with that confidence and swagger it takes to really sell a dance. The story was a fun twist, but we were impressed with her overall hold and some of the slides across the floor. It was clear that she felt some ownership of this one and her chemistry with Pasha just continues to grow. Finally, Danielle is making a play to stay in the competition!

Judges Scores: 8, 8, 8, 9

My Score: 7

(Argentine tango – “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This),” Eurythmics [as performed by Hampton String Quartet]) Easily the dance of the night to this point, Witney’s choreography was fantastic and Robert continues his upward trajectory, embodying this character and bringing an incredible intensity to the floor. He was fully believable as the strong lead in the dance, with sharp gancho action and a commanding presence. He stumbled just a fraction at one point on camera, but what a powerful performance. He could coast to an easy victory (probably), so we love that he continues to work hard and improve week after week, proving that maybe it is in the genes (after Bindi’s win all those years ago).

Judges Scores: 10, 9, 9, 10

My Score: 9

(Contemporary – “Look What You Made Me Do,” Taylor Swift) There were moments of great dance, but the transitions weren’t always smooth from one to the next. On top of that, Jen didn’t quite bring the amount of attack the choreography was looking for consistently, creating moments where she was giving what looked like a weak “throw” and the other dancers, including Jan, were reacting as if it were stronger than it was. This felt like a very strong late rehearsal of a potentially fun dance, but it was unpolished in places and didn’t have consistent character work throughout. Jen has the capability, as seen here and there, but needs to pull it all together.

Judges Scores: 8, 8, 8, 8

My Score: 6

(Tango – “Bury a Friend,” Billie Eilish) A great piece of storytelling by Val and Alix definitely got what she wished for as he pushed her into the best form of ballroom dancer she’s been yet all season. Those tears of hard work and frustration during rehearsal really paid off in a shar, intense and powerful tango that embodied the season and showcased their work. Alix was very strong in hold, those turns were insane, and he was matching Val hit for hit, which is no easy feat. Alix has always been one of the season’s strongest dancers, but this week proved that even great dancers can continue to grow and evolve.

Judges Scores: 10, 10, 9, 10

My Score: 10

(Viennese waltz – “Can’t Help Falling in Love (Dark),” Elvis Presley [as performed by Tommee Profitt & Brooke) This could have used a little more Viennese waltz, if we’re honest. Dylan was very strong in what was effectively the contemporary portions of this dance, but we’d have liked to see a stronger frame as they moved across the floor. The glide was smooth and graceful, but his tuckus was out in the wind at times, creating a stooped over image that didn’t quite work. We were honestly hoping for something stronger out of this one, Dylan has kind of plateaued after a strong start.

Judges Scores: 9, 9, 8, 9

My Score: 7

A traditional ballroom dance competition marathon format will see all the couples on the dance floor at the same time performing the same dance styles, starting with the hustle in your own square before expanding your movement space with the Lindy Hop. When tapped on the shoulder, you’re out of the dance. The longer you stay in, the more points you earn, so it’s best to either blend in or stand out (for good reasons).

(Hustle & Lindy Hop – “Murder on the Dancefloor,” Sophie Ellis-Bextor / “A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got)”, Fergie, Q-Tip & GoonRock) Unfortunately, with so much going on, we didn’t even get a peek at Andy & Emma before they were eliminated, but we can imagine it was the right decision. They were followed by Jen & Jan, as the camera cut to Danielle & Pasha sneaking a break moments before they were also eliminated. Dylan & Daniella pulled off a massive lift, but it didn’t impress the judges and they were next to go. As we got a stumble from Jordan caught on camera with the Lindy Hop segment kicking off, Robert & Witney got word that their time was done. Unfortunately, Jordan & Ezra didn’t survive much longer, out next, leaving Alix & Val and Whitney & Mark hopping all over the dance floor. The music ended with no winner declared, and as Mark and Val started dancing together, it finally came out that Whitney & Mark took it home — after a pretty long debate and clearly divided panel.

Points:

• Andy & Emma (1)
• Jen & Jan (2)
• Danielle & Pasha (2)
• Dylan & Daniella (3)
• Robert & Witney (3)
• Jordan & Ezra (4)
• Alix & Val (4)
• Whitney & Mark (5)

Look, let’s just start by saying Andy Richter showed some improvement Tuesday night. But also, it was his birthday, so if America need another reason to keep him for another week, there it is. We had a feeling they would do just that as we are still in that mid-season run where a sentimental favorite rides through on viewer sentiment.

As long as there are other subpar dancers who aren’t connecting with viewers, it’s not a huge deal, though we can see it being frustrating. The remaining middle-of-the-pack dancers this season would have to be Jen Affleck and Danielle Fishel toward the bottom followed by Dylan Efron and Jordan Chiles, who are more toward the upper half and fighting hard.

With Elaine out, you might think she’s vulnerable, but that response to her rehearsal — and the sympathy vote itself — tells us she was probably going to be just fine, despite having some of the lowest scores of the night. We all know she would have killed it and been much stronger on the live show had she been there.

Add to that Dylan continuing to grow, Jordan normally being much better than this, and Danielle continuing her own upward journey after last week’s breakthrough, and that left us worried about Jen. Would the recent comments by Maksim Chmerkovskiy about her pro partner Jan Ravnik give her sympathy votes, or could it work against her? It would be one thing if she turned in a stellar contemporary routine this week, but she just didn’t.

For the seventh week in a row, viewers set yet another voting record with more than 55 million votes, showing just how much this season and cast is resonating with America. But what did those voters do? Well, they sent Alix & Val, Jordan & Ezra, Dylan & Daniella, and Robert & Witney. They were followed by a very shocked Danielle & Pasha, with an even more shocked Andy & Emma not having to wait until the final moment to find out they were safe.

That left Whitney & Mark, Jen & Jan, and Alan (without Elaine) on the stage. We know there’s no way Whitney is leaving yet — or at least that would be one epic shock — and we can’t imagine Alan getting eliminated while standing alone. Turns out we read the ballroom right as it was the end of the road for Jen & Jan.

Dancing with the Stars returns for “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Night” next Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+.