Aside from who will take home the mirrorball trophy, the biggest question of this season of Dancing With the Stars is: what’s really going on between Meryl Davis and Maks Chmerkovskiy?”
Answers, of course, have been cagey at best. When we caught up with Davis recently, all she would say is, “Maks and I have developed a really great friendship. From the first time we met, we were really on the same page, so we’re having a really great time.”
Last night, however, Chermkovskiy finally broke through his steely facade and planted a kiss… on judge Carrie Ann Inaba! Then, he proceeded to kiss everyone on the dance floor except his beautiful partner. Oh well, maybe next week.
Another shocker last night? The elimination surprised just about everyone in the ballroom (and those of us watching at home). During the show, frontrunners Davis, Charlie White, and Amy Purdy found themselves in jeopardy of going home. While they may not have been the real bottom two, ice dancing partners Davis and White had to wait through a painfully long pause before learning who wouldn’t be performing in the finals.
Ultimately happy-go-lucky White and his partner, Sharna Burgess, were sent home. “The thing is, you don’t know if it’s always the bottom two,” White explained to E!. “Honestly to me, that felt contrived. I wasn’t happy that they pitted me against Meryl like that.”
Find out how the rest of the final four performed last night:
Candace Cameron Bure and Mark Ballas: 72 out of 80
Viennese waltz: 34
As the first one out of the gate, Cameron Bure’s Viennese waltz was graceful but got a little clunky at times, and the judges noticed. Head judge Len Goodman noticed that “the pressure got to you” and guest judge Kenny Ortega thought the Full House star “got a little lost.”
Jazz: 38
Like her first dance of the competition, the jazz showcased Cameron Bure’s skill for dancing outside of hold. The judges praised their precise movements and loved seeing a little more attititude from the modest star. Goodman said, “nothing ‘Nasty’ about that” referencing the Janet Jackson song they danced to. Bruno Tonioli excitedly told the Cameron Bure, “I never saw that side of you before” while Ortega was reminded “of the great ladies of Broadway” by their routine.
Charlie White and Sharna Burgess: 76 out of 80 Eliminated
Foxtrot: 40
White and Burgess brought the class with a foxtrot that Ortega called “indescribably delightful.” Their first dance of the evening earned them a perfect score, despite having just been told they’re in jeopardy of going home..
Samba: 36
Though the judges all thought White could have exhibited a little more “funk,” they all agreed that he deserves to be in the finals. Inaba lightened the mood at the judges table when she said “I want to live in Charlie’s world,” prompting the producers to pull up a video of what happens when White is in the rehearsal studio alone (spoiler: he talks to himself in the mirror!).
Amy Purdy and Derek Hough: 78 out of 80
Quickstep: 39
Even though they landed on the top of the leader board last week, Purdy found herself in jeopardy for the first time this season. That didn’t slow down her quickstep with Hough, however. With her running prosthetics on, Purdy proved agile across the dance floor. Tonioli said “my jaw was dropping on the desk” during their routine and Inaba was so blown away by the dance “it took my breath away again.”
Jazz: 39
Their jazz dance to “It’s Too Darn Hot” was like watching a sizzling noir film. Tonioli thought the routine was “too darn good” and called it “classic jazz at its best.” In a rare move this season, Goodman gave Purdy and Hough a standing ovation while Ortega simply described the routine as “extraordinary.”
James Maslow and Peta Murgatroyd: 76 out of 80
Cha cha cha: 40
Maslow paid tribute to Michael Jackson with his stylized cha cha cha. Inaba said “it’s hard to pull of Michael Jackson well,” but “what you did tonight was spectacular.” Ortega praised Maslow’s smooth moves thought “it was obvious that you put your heart and soul into that” and called the number “electrifying.” Tonioli was equally impressed and said, “you managed to make it effortlessly cool yet on fire.”
Rumba: 36
Team Jeta saved their most romantic dance for last and wowed the judges in the process. Inaba said the couple’s “dancing was totally on par” and called Maslow “the smartest competitor we have” because of his ability to take the judges’ feedback and put it into the next weeks’ routine. Goodman, Ortega, and Bruno were all impressed with Maslow and Murgatroyd’s rumba, but would have liked to have seen more expressive hand movements.
Meryl Davis and Maks Chmerkovskiy: 80 out of 80
Jive: 40
For the first time all season, Davis and Chmerkovskiy are in jeopardy, but it didn’t affect their high-energy jive to Elvis Presley’s “Houndog.” More than one judge called their routine “perfect” while other adjectives like “fantastic” and “impeccable” were thrown in, too, for good measure. Ortega said “your kicks and flicks were setting sparks up on the floor” and Inaba called their movements “flawless.”
Viennese waltz: 40
Inaba said Davis and Chmerkovskiy’s Viennese waltz “was like a beautiful explosion.” The judges were all moved by the pair’s connection on the dance floor. “You went for it 100 percent,” Goodman said, adding that he “loved it.” Tonioli called the couple “unbelieveable” and said their routine “had a grand cinematic sweep” and compared them to Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson.
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