Back in the season 21 premiere recap, we mentioned that it seemed like the cast of contestants was divided into two tiers. Well, at this, the mid point of the season, everyone who scored 15 or fewer points in the first week is gone and everyone who scored a 21 or better is still here. Which means that this is the first elimination where a real contender was sent home.
For Hayes Grier and Emma Slater, Halloween week definitely wasn’t a treat. Contestants, crowd and judges alike were all slack jawed to learn that the Vine star had to say goodbye. Before hugging his pro partner, Grier called his experience on DWTS “life changing.”
Keep reading to find out how your favorite couples did!
Nick Carter and Sharna Burgess: 24 (54 overall)
While Frankenstein might have two left feet in cinematic portrayals, in the ballroom the Backstreet Boy gave the character some real flare in his Argentine tango. The judges were mostly impressed by the performance, but had some issues with his “booty.” Julianne Hough said “it was a bit clunky” and he left his “booty out” too much during the routine. Bruno Tonioli compared the performance to “watching a silent movie,” but he did think it looked like a Paso doble at times. Carrie Ann Inaba thought Carter was nervous in the beginning, but raved about his performance once the pair moved to the main dance floor.
Hayes Grier and Emma Slater: 26 (56 overall) Eliminated
The 15-year-old grew some facial hair since we last saw him! For his werewolf-style waltz, Grier and Slater went a very traditional route — one that would have made former judge Len Goodman proud — while maintaining the integrity of the theme. Tonioli called his performance “unrecognizable” in the best way possible. Inaba found the most minor of things to critique (the length of his neck at times), but said otherwise “everything else was incredible.” Hough said, among other very positive things, that this routine “gave me chills.”
Alexa PenaVega and Mark Ballas: 27 (55 overall)
Paying homage to the classic Tim Burton film Edward Scissorhands, Alexa and Mark brought that world to life in one of the show’s oddest ever Paso dobles. The judges were unanimous: Alexa is living up to her potential in the ballroom. Inaba said she “danced like there was no tomorrow, I’m so proud of you!” Tonioli thought they “really captured perfectly Tim Burton’s imagination” and was thrilled that it still looked like a true Paso doble.
Tamar Braxton and Val Chmerkovskiy: 24 (54 overall)
The talk show host took inspiration from creepy carnival funhouses for this twisty Foxtrot. Braxton was so in the zone that it was easy to focus on that as a viewer and let everything else fall away. Unfortunately, the judges did pay attention to the whole performance and took notice of some of her mistakes. Hough was the first judge to comment on an issue with the pair’s synchronicity and said, “there is still a disconnect when you dance together.” Tonioli admitted they did miss a few passes, but loves the way she is still “driven and determined.” Inaba rounded out the feedback and said, “there were good moments and there were bad moments.”
Andy Grammer and Allison Holker: 26 (56 overall)
After earning his first perfect score this season, Grammer had to follow it up with a vampire-themed Paso doble. A few rocky rehearsals may have made fans nervous, but the singer removed any doubts with a fierce performance that owned the ballroom from beginning to end. What Tonioli thought were mistakes when Grammer would lose his shape by raising his shoulders during the routine didn’t bother Inaba and Hough who thought it worked for the theme of the dance. Hough called it “weird and awesome” and Inaba said “it totally worked.”
Bindi Irwin and Derek Hough: 30 (58 overall)
How do you top the iconic Dirty Dancing lift? By delivering a vampire-themed Argentine tango. To the untrained eye of a viewer, this routine was the closest thing to flawless we saw all night. Inaba started off the judges’ commentary by saying “all hail the queen of darkness!” She said the routine was “exquisitely danced with passion and sex appeal.” Hough gushed about their performance and said “you guys are on a whole other level together.” Tonioli continued the praise by calling their dance an “Argentine tango master class,” and “spell-binding dance magic.”
Alek Skarlatos and Lindsay Arnold: 25 (53 overall)
Taking tips from Artem Chigvinsev really improved Skarlatos’ performance this week as he gave viewers a strong Viennese waltz. And boy did the judges take notice. Hough said he had “passion and aggression” in his dance. Tonioli called him more “dynamic” than in previous weeks and said he is now “moving in the right direction.” Inaba echoed that feedback and said, “the hero has returned” and called him a real contender now.
Carlos PenaVega and Witney Carson: 28 (56 overall)
In his Phantom of the Opera-inspired Paso doble, Carlos absolutely proved that he deserved high marks and justified the ones he received last week as well. Tonioli “loved the grand operatic feel” and called his capework “masterful.” Inaba said that sometimes he anticipated the beat and missed it with some of his movements, but was otherwise happy with the performance. Hough told Carlos that he “nailed it.”
Team Nightmare: 30
(Nick, Tamar, Andy and Hayes )
Performing a Nightmare Before Christmas-themed freestyle, Team Nightmare was already at a disadvantage by not having Derek Hough on their team. But they used all of their individual strengths to their best advantage to provide a thoroughly spooktacular performance. Hough immediately said she wanted to see it again! She added that “it was honestly one of the best team dances we’ve seen.” Tonioli thought he was watching a Broadway show, not a team number, and thought the “individual routines [were] flawless.”
Team Who You Gonna Call?: 28
(Bindi, Alexa, Alek and Carlos)
With a perfect score to live up to, Team Who You Gonna Call? had their work cut out for them before they even hit the ballroom. The judges were divided on a maybe mistake in the beginning of the number, which cost them a couple points off their score. Tonioli told Team WYGC, “you definitely killed that number” and “captured the fun of the movie.” Inaba also caught the mistake in the routine and said, “the girls were out of sync.” Hough, however, didn’t see a thing! She thought this routine was “a group coming together and having a good time.”
Did the right couple go home?
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