‘Dancing With The Stars’ Week 6: See Who Went Home On Monster Night
It’s monster night on Dancing with the Stars, but I can tell you what wasn’t the least bit freaky in this week 6 episode: that bitchen, skull mirror ball hanging over the ballroom! Also not scary: guest judge Niecy Nash-Betts without a pair of Spanx on her hips; the Emmy-nominated star of Netflix’s Dahmer – Monster (get the connection to Monster Night?) claimed that she made the frightening decision to forgo the Lycra before before dressing up as Jessica Rabbit.
Speaking of which, where was your costume, host Alfonso Ribeiro? Co-host Julianne Hough came gussied up as some hooded widow, but you donned a serious, all-black dress shirt, tie and suit. Were you disguised as a member of the AMPTP negotiating committee? Now that would be scary.
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Time for the tricks and treats!
Reality TV star Harry Jowsey (Too Hot to Handle) with partner Rylee Arnold. Dude has been feeling low because he’s remained low on the leader board, so Arnold invited her older sister Lindsay to boost her partner’s spirits and help with this “comeback” Argentine tango that started inside an upstage corn field. The children of the corn looked pretty terrific in their silver get-ups, but Inaba said Jowsey needs to dance bigger. “I’m proud of you. You went there and you definitely had your moments,” said Carrie Ann Inaba. “Did it feel different to you? At the beginning of the dances, when you did the reaches, it felt smaller. You need to give it a full body experience. You are going the right direction.” Score: 28 out of 40
Actress Alyson Hannigan (American Pie) with partner Sasha Farber. The Buffy the Vampire Slayer actress dressed as a vampire to perform a Paso doble that was chock full of hand claps, karate chops and heavy foot stomps … just the kind of power and attack the judges were apparently looking for. “I thought you could have had a little more grace coming down the steps, but the energy that you brought to this was amazing and when you spun around on this floor, girl I clutched my pearls,” said Nash-Betts. “I loved it.” Score: 29 out of 40
Actor Barry Williams (The Brady Bunch) with partner Peta Murgatroyd. How cute is it that the former Greg Brady shows up to rehearsal looking like he just finished reading the Sunday paper? To perform his Viennese waltz, Williams dressed up as a creepy wolf to Murgatroyd’s Little Red Riding Hood. But Derek Hough thought there was too much drama in their number and too little content. “You have some fans out there Barry. People love you. I love you,” he said. “However, the character of the dance took over a little bit. In the future I want to see a little more Viennese waltz, a little more rise and fall. But I love you Barry.” Score: 31 out of 40
Real estate mogul Mauricio Umansky with partner Emma Slater. Those two had to navigate a whole bunch of gossipy headlines last week over their hand-holding in public and whether that meant they’re canoodling in a romantic sense. In the world of DWTS, that’s a Thursday! Everybody seems like they are canoodling off the dance floor (and to be honest, a lot do). But Umansky insisted it was overblown, and even Slater’s season 31 partner Trevor Donovan came to their defense on X. Still, it couldn’t have been an accident that he and Slater danced their Argentine tango to “Somebody’s Watching Me.” “You have come a long way my friend,” said Hough. “Your lines are so much stronger. For me its the legs, I want to see more resistance in the legs.” Score: 31 out of 40
Social media star/Latin music artist Lele Pons with partner Brandon Armstrong. Pons can definitely move — her Paso doble on Tuesday was fun and energetic — but I just don’t think she has the U.S. fan base to take her to the final three, even if Tonioli found her movement “lethal” (he meant that as a compliment). “Real talk is coming because your spark is so major,” said Inaba. “What’s not happening, you are not finishing your move. We have said this a lot. You need to hit the shapes. They all need to end at the same moment. Take that fire and dump it into the dance.” Score: 33 out of 40
Charity Lawson (The Bachelorette) with partner Artem Chigvintsev. Precious in her skeleton costume, the reality star rocked the jive in her Chucks at the end of the first round. The judges weren’t as generous in their feedback, though. “I want to see a little more power in the dance. You slid through his legs and it was a little clunky,” said Nash-Betts. Score: 35 out of 40
Singer-songwriter Jason Mraz with partner Daniella Karagach. Mraz only lifts guitars or cats, so it gave him pause when Karagach asked him to lift her in their contemporary dance as zombies. Since his partner only appears to weigh about 80 lbs, the lift was effortless — as was the duo’s ability to generate a standing ovation from the audience. “It was some weird monster yoga,” said Hough. “Overall that was a fantastic way to start monster night.” Score: 36 out of 40
Ariana Madix (Vanderpump Rules) with partner Pasha Pashkov. Can’t stress it enough; lucky is the gal that gets partnered with Pashkov, the best choreographer of the lot. Her Argentine tango thrilled the judges and had Inaba declaring that this season is Madix’s to lose. “Terrific, thrilling and so, so hot,” said Bruno Tonioli. “I’m telling you, honestly, thank you for very much for doing an authentic, real, pure Argentine tango. This is how you do it.” Score: 37 out of 40
Actress Xochitl Gomez (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) with partner Val Chmerkovskiy. The pro choreographed a spectacular contemporary that had a mummified Gomez rising from the dead — though it appears she hurt her foot because Chmerkovskiy carried her after the number was over. (The frontrunner maintained her game face and insisted she was okay). “You created a monster Val haven’t you, back from the dead, ready to rule the dance floor,” said Tonioli. “You should pitch it as a movie. Two superheroes fighting for supremacy. I love the martial arts sequences.” Score: 37 out of 40
Second round: the Dance Monster-thon!
All the couples took the stage to dance four minutes worth of the hustle and the Charleston. Just like the classic dance-a-thons, the judges removed the competitors one by one. First to go was Williams (he earned one point), followed by Jowsey (one point), Umansky (two points), Hannigan (two points), Lawson (three points), Mraz (three points), Pons (four points), Madix (four points) and Gomez, who outlasted them all and won five points.
Those points were added to their overall scores for the night.
Bottom three were Jowsey, Umansky and Hannigan.
Umansky scared up the least amount of votes and was sent home. “Oh man it’s been amazing, it’s been so much fun, it’s been an incredible journey,” he said to Ribeiro at the end.
Guest judge next week is Paula Abdul.
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