Wicked Night Brings Another Shock Elimination

When Dancing with the Stars does a Wicked theme night, they go all in!

The night was also framed to tell the story of the friendship between Elphaba and Galinda across the Broadway musical, and thus representing both films, in chronological order, giving fans a narrative of sorts that ran through the night, with ongoing narration by Erivo, Grande, Jonathan Bailey, and Michelle Yeoh.

The result was a fun evening and a format we’d love to see repeated with other theme nights. It seemed to invigorate the stars to be part of the storytelling, and be part of such a moment as Wicked has been these past two years.

Certainly, we got some of our strongest dances of the season, including the judges handing out their first 10s of the season!

Who defied gravity and who found out no good deed goes unpunished? Will Andy Richter continue to prove the value of being popular with the audience, or was this the night that his Dancing with the Stars journey ended for good? There’s only one way to find out, and that’s to join us on a trip to Oz…

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, Jon M. Chu, and Bruno Tonioli. But I might be nicer, too. Maybe.

(Wicked medley) They really pulled out all the stops for this compelling whirlwind of an opening number choreographed by Christopher Scott — who also choreographed the film, don’t ya know — that incorporated full dance segments from Derek and our hosts, Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough. It was a great way to kick off a packed night of celebration as we got everything from frantic tornadic dancing to elegance, powerful partnering and even some defying gravity, natch! Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande even filmed a pre-taped intro sequence that was both charming and awkward in equal measure.

(Contemporary – “The Wizard and I,” Cynthia Erivo f. Michelle Yeoh) Contemporary usually allows a celerity to immerse themselves in the feeling and let go, but Scott looked more retracted and insecure than ever. He was playing catch-up from the beginning, rushing through his moves and doing the exact opposite of filling the space — the very note he’s supposed to be working on. Everything felt like he was just in a hurry to get to the next part and get through the piece, which killed the throughline of story. It had no sincerity and was a colossal step back for Scott.

Judges Scores: 7, 7 7, 7

My Score: 5

(Jazz – “What Is This Feeling?,” Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande) A great cheeky bit of choreography from Val that would have felt right at home on the Broadway stage. He and Alix were great at staying in character as Glinda and Elphaba sizing one another up as new roommates. The curiosity paired with instant disdain was on full display, as was their incredible chemistry as partners. Alix continues to shine with a professionalism as a dancer that really helps her stand out.

Judges Scores: 9, 9, 8 9

My Score: 9

(Jazz – “Dancing Through Life,” Jonathan Bailey f. Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Ethan Slater & Melissa Bode) Robert continues his upward trajectory begun last week with a very sharp and powerful performance throughout this jazz piece. It was athletic and very fun. He still needs to work on transitioning smoothly from one step to the next while still finishing each of them. We saw him preparing for his next moment by cutting short one hold to set up the next more than once through this piece and that breaks the flow. But clearly he’s a more confident dancer out of hold in styles like these as his enthusiasm and joy was infectious.

Judges Scores: 9, 9, 9, 9

My Score: 8

(Quickstep – “Popular,” Ariana Grande) Whitney had a good note for all the stars, and that’s to try and be more present with the music rather than anticipating the next move. Muscle memory is a beautiful thing and dancers have been relying on it for years to remember dances. The mind doesn’t have to focus so hard on it because the whole body learns it. So focus instead on being present and mindful of the performance side.

She definitely took her own advice this week as this was character first, while not missing a beat along the way. She was light on her feet but looking very smooth (after we saw her hopping in rehearsal) as she and Mark covered a lot of real estate with this quickstep across the floor. Her frame was tight and her footwork concise, which is a lot of moving pieces to keep straight. But she trusted in herself and that muscle memory, clearly, to excel. It was all there!

Judges Scores: 10, 9, 10, 10

My Score: 10

(Rumba – “I’m Not That Girl,” Cynthia Erivo) Dylan has his head in the game, recognizing that despite getting the season’s highest score, he hasn’t been in a Latin dance since Week 2 and it was … not great. As for the dance, first of all, we see you leaning into a dramatic hold while coming down the stairs, Daniella. She brought so much passion to her side, there was no way Dylan was going to be able to match her, but he did an admirable job of being with her step by step. His hips were strong, but we saw a floppy arm during those final turns — he needs to keep his entire body in the intensity of the dance — but this was a fantastic piece and he handled it very well.

Judges Scores: 8, 8, 8, 8

My Score: 8

(Jazz – “One Short Day,” Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Kristin Chenoweth & Idina Menzel f. Michael McCorry Rose) Andy was definitely thinking his way through this walkthrough of what could have been a fun piece. The tempo of the dance was definitely very slow, but he was doing the choreography — even if it was incredibly lackluster. He promised us performance, and this was the least amount of character we’ve ever seen from him. It looks like he’s really trying to focus on getting the dance right, which we applaud, but losing his face in the process. He’s never going to be a great dancer, but at least we see him trying and improving … incrementally.

Judges Scores: 7, 6, 7, 7

My Score: 5

(Contemporary – “Defying Gravity,” Cynthia Erivo f. Ariana Grande) What an incredible — and unexpected — ending to this piece. Elaine had her Elphaba moment and it was spectacular, even if it cost her time on the floor with Alan (who really sold the story leading up to that moment.) Before that, and after lamenting her injuries and challenges with her body during rehearsal, Elaine was transcendent, so elegant and so in sync with her partner. That drop almost to the floor was breathtaking, and through all the lifts and holds, her poise and strength were relentless. She really embodied this gorgeously choreographed piece in a way that was inspiring.

Judges Scores: 9, 9, 9, 9

My Score: 10

(Foxtrot – “As Long As You’re Mine,” Cynthia Erivo & Jonathan Bailey) Jen’s insecurity was eating at her heading into rehearsals this week and we feel she really did push herself harder as she went into this foxtrot. She was a bit hesitant in the early part of this dance, not fully extending before tucking into the next step, but as it progressed, she relaxed into her partnership and we saw some beautiful lines and pictures. She asked Jan to challenge her with tougher choreography and he did. But more importantly, she executed with more control and confidence.

Judges Scores: 8, 8, 8, 8

My Score: 7

(Argentine tango – “No Good Deed,” Cynthia Erivo) Boy, they weren’t kidding when they said they were going to lean into the lifts; Danielle spent as much time in the air as she did on her feet. Most of them were executed very well, with a good intensity throughout from Danielle, but she needed to be stronger in hold, as well. There was a floppiness (slight, but notable) in her carriage as she moved, so her body wasn’t matching the intensity of the dance consistently. That said, she really went for it here and brought us a totally different side of her. With a little more intensity and intention in her motions outside of the lifts (which were probably very much on her mind), this would have been even more powerful. But she is showing the growth we’ve been needing to see from her. And that final hold!?!

Judges Scores: 9, 9, 9, 9

My Score: 8

(Rumba – “For Good,” Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande) Wow, every single moment, line, limb and even finger was used with perfect precision to tell this story. There was nothing wasted in this flawless execution. Jordan moved with so much intention from start to finish, she tackled this like she’s been dancing for years and it was utterly mesmerizing. We drilled down to finger not just in a nod to them giving space but because that’s how specific she was throughout. We could not stop watching her move as every single motion served the dance. This was the best dance of the season so far — and to pull that off with a rumba is no small feat.

Judges Scores: 10, 9, 10, 10

My Score: 10

Nobody was getting a pass tonight after last week’s non-elimination non-surprise, with this week’s show not really changing the overall rankings of this season’s remaining contestants. That means Andy Richter remains in the danger zone — and beloved by viewers. That continues to spell danger for those just above him, including Scott Hoying, Jen Affleck, and Danielle Fishel.

It really does feel like Danielle had a breakthrough week, though, and we know her fanbase is strong. And above her, you’re looking at people who really are contending for this season’s title (is she getting into that conversation?). So for us, it comes down to Scott and Jen this week. 

Overall, Jen has had a stronger season, but she’s also been stagnating, not really giving us the growth we want to be seeing at this midway point of the season. Scott had been showing growth, but took a massive step backwards this week with a very awkward performance. Jen, on the other hand, took a step forward, finally, so we had to give her the edge.

The first couples sent to safety were Danielle & Pasha, who dropped her jaw, and Jordan & Ezra, who recreated their oddly viral reaction from a few weeks ago by flipping the script and having Jordan pick her up. He, of course, echoed her comment that saw people calling her a mean girl, saying, “You can put me down now!”

They were followed out of the ballroom by Whitney & Mark, Alix & Val, Robert & Witney, and Jen & Jan. That left Andy & Emma, Scott & Rylee, Elaine & Alan, and Dylan & Daniella on the floor, with half of that grouping in the middle of the pack and the other at the bottom two, based on judges’ scores. Elaine then continued her remarkable night with good news for her and Alan.

With the not-necessarily-the-Bottom-3 revealed, it felt pretty clear that this would be the end for Scott. Andy will probably ride along until he knocks out at least one strong couple, and then the audience will finally shift their focus on who could actually win — it’s a pattern that repeats year after year.

In the end, it was indeed Scott’s time to go, with the Pentatonix Grammy winner graceful in defeat. With his exit, though, there are fewer and fewer places for Andy to hide. Will he continue to show growth and defy the odds or will Halloween spell his doom?

Dancing with the Stars returns for “Halloween Night” next Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+.