There’s no previously-announced uniting theme for tonight’s episode, an unusual gesture for the show, which means we might be seeing anything from a dance marathon to a simple night of swing dances to a simple series of ballroom dances leading to a single elimination.
After last week’s episode—which featured Carrie Ann Inaba falling out of her chair, Disney characters coming out of the woodwork, and Sean Spicer crawling toward the top of the leader board—anything’s possible.
8:12 p.m: Tonight’s episode is generally supposed to celebrate the halfway point of the season, and looks-wise seemed to be disco-themed, judging from the costuming of the contestants. But the music was eclectic.
Last week—as she did the three previous weeks—Ally Brooke topped the leaderboard. This week, Brooke and Sasha Farber danced first. Farber had balloons for her at rehearsal, which she seemed to have a phobia for. Farber brought in her mom, and Brooke announced that they were going to quickstep to “Take on Me” by A-Ha.
The set was inventive—with Farber beginning in an all-orange room and Brooke in an all seafoam green one. The dance was as high quality as we’ve come to expect from Farber and Brooke.
Goodman—brandishing the “Len Goodman book of quickstep” - said “first out, first class.” Tonioli called her “tweety pie” and said it was “So bright he needed to wear sunglasses” but pointed out that the speed of the dance was so quick that they blew the synchronicity of their footwork. Inaba praised the concept of the dance and said the duel rooms contributed to them being out of sync—a notion that Len Goodman pooh-poohs—the audience boos. Carrie Ann Inaba joked that she wasn’t going to move her chair to kiss Goodman, but that she loved him.
Ally Brooke made a joke about being on speed during the dance, which went over awkwardly.
Scores: 25 out of 30.
8:25 p.m.: Kate Flannery’s Mary Poppins performance was a big hit—and Carrie Ann Inaba took a big hit when she fell out of her chair after Kate danced last week (Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews grab a health update from Inaba before going to the clip package—she’s fine!).
Kate Flannery has never done the Viennese waltz before, but she’s taken back to her days of waiting tables. She dedicated the dance to anyone who’s working hard to make their dreams come true—“If it can happen for me, it can happen for you.”
Kate Flannery and Pasha Pashkov danced to “I Have Nothing” a la Whitney Houston—she was a hair stompy. She also messed up one of the transitions but she was committed and did a great job. There was a standing ovation from the performance.
“I don’t know if I’ve asked you this season, but who are you?” Bergeron asked Flannery before they went to the judge’s scores.
Tonioli said he loved what Flannery did with the dance “always with the best of taste.” Carrie Ann Inaba said that it was the most victorious Viennese waltz she’s ever seen. Len Goodman said he was very happy that Pashkov put in a turning step that he never sees in a choreographed Viennese waltz.
Erin Andrews pointed out Kate Flannery’s boyfriend in the audience and talked about Kate Flannery’s vertigo—an attack of which she suffered from during rehearsals. Kate Flannery praised Pashkov for knowing what he was doing.
Scores: 27 out of 30
8:37 p.m.: Last week, Kel Mitchell got his first nines of the season. Witney Carson and Mitchell were getting to know one another, and they were going to dance to “Part Time Lover” by Stevie Wonder. They tried to bond by playing dodge ball in the studio with the other teams—Mitchell’s posture and speed were up to snuff apparently.
Their outfits were polka-dot heavy and their footwork and character were fun—but they did break hold so Goodman was going to give them the business.
Inaba praised the dance as “ridiculously amazing” and the charleston break. Goodman praised the dance but pointed out the problem—Carson said she tripped on her own dress and blamed herself.
“If the jockey was on the horse and the horse falls, the team suffers”, he said to boos. He told the audience to “talk to his hand” for that. He added that the dance was quick and clean. Tonioli said that aside from the “little misunderstanding,” it was great.
Backstage, Mitchell and Carson blame themselves. Carson was crying, and Andrews called Goodman “a little jerk” because of it.
Scores: 26 out of 30
8:50 p.m. : After dedicating last week’s dance to his son, Karamo Brown talked about how his coming out effected his family and resulted in a few troubled years in his relationship with his dad. His dad reached out to make amends, and they’re back in touch. His dad came to America for the first time to be there this week, and was there to watch him dance. Brown’s dad met his fiance.
Brown and Jenna Johnson danced a contemporary dance to “Summer We Lost”, which was graceful and intense and, to be honest, his best dance ever. Ally Brooke was so moved by it she was crying in the waiting area.
Bergeron asked Brown how it was for him, and he said it was great and he was tying not to cry on camera two weeks in a row.
Goodman described the dance as “fluid” and said the lifts were great. Inaba said that he didn’t miss one step and she could “Feel” it when he did that one contraction.
“Welcome to Dancing with the Stars, where we cry like a baby every week,” said Andrews as they waited for their scores.
Scores: 25 out of 30. That provoked tears from Brown, who was visibly delighted.
9:05 p.m.: After a pause for a pro performance set to Lizzo’s “Good as Hell,” Hannah Brown recalled her stellar Disney Week performance. She explored her southern roots thanks to homesickness, and her parents came by to drop her some home made dessert and tell the audience more about her. Her own dad described her as “quirky and fun to be around.”
Brown and Alan Bersten performed a samba that was quick and fluid.
“From Brazil to Nashville, and what a party!” said Tonioli, who told Brown that she “danced too high.” Inaba said that she was definitely a dancer. Goodman praised Bersten for the content, because he’s been “balling him out for weeks” over the lack of it.
Scores: 24 out of 30.
9:15 p.m.: Sailor Brinkley-Cook got her highest scores ever during Disney week for her Cinderella dance, and she’s nervous about topping it. Talking to Val Chmerkovskiy about her anxiety, she was worried about standing in her mom’s shadow. Chmerkovskiy’s advice got her out dancing in the middle of a crosswalk in Los Angeles.
Dancing to “Wake me Up Before You Go-Go” by Wham!, it took them awhile to finally get into the dance and get into hold.
Inaba said she had a blast watching Brinkley-Cook do jive and “her thing is to be animated.” Goodman said it was “full of taste and flavor”.
“You seem to be enjoying yourself!” said Goodman to Chmerkovskiy, who snarked right back. “She was playing it! Look at me, I’m the star! I know what I’m doing!” said Tonioli.
Scores: 27 out of 30
9:28 p.m: It’s Sean Spicer time and this week he had a Viennese waltz. Spicer points out they’ve never been in the bottom two, and the judges pointed out he had a lot of things to smooth over. They would be dancing to “Somebody to Love” by Queen, and Spicer said he thought he was a pretty romantic guy as he recalled his marriage.
“Somebody to Love” was slowed down to a dirge to fit waltz time. Spencer had some pretty good timing.
Goodman said he respected Spicer for giving it his go every week. Tonioli said it’s the “smartest” Spicer had ever looked, but pointed out his lack of cohesive speed. Inaba pointed out the awkward footwork, but said the audience loved him.
Andrews asked Spicer if he’d ever watched the video packages and apparently his partner told him not to.
Scores: 21 out of 30—Tonioli mentioned his 7 was “for effort”.
9:39 p.m.: James van der Beek loved electronic dance music, so he was excited to dance the samba to Diplo, whom he calls “the Frank Sinatra of dance music.” He even played Diplo in a movie once. Emma tried various equipment to make sure he was going to keep his booty in gear. And his booty stayed in gear during the wiggly dance.
Tonioli praised the “rhythmical” quality of the dance.
“Your hips were in motion during the whole thing! It was ridiculous!” said Ianaba, but she told him not to make his motions so big that it got out of proportion to his body.
“Tootie Fruity, what a booty!” said Goodman.
Scores: 27 out of 30, Van der Beek’s best dance and top score, putting him at the top of the leaderboard.
9:52 p.m.: Our final dancer was Lauren Alaina, who debuted her new single, “The Other Side” along with the dance. The song was about her stepfather, who described heaven to the family with his last breaths as he passed away, and the dance fell on the anniversary of his passing. She was understandably emotional while discussing the situation with Gleb Savchenko.
There was much rolling on the floor and a lot of showery glitter during the modern dance. Some great lifts. She ran to hug her mom right after she finished dancing and Savchenko had to gently peel her away.
“You’re a brave woman,” said Inaba, who also praised the choreography and said there were “angels all over her.”
Len spoke of the beauty of the dance. Len said it was a great thing to do, to “come out and dance with so much emotion.”
“Bless you, my love,” said Tonioli, who praised Alaina’s honesty. She continued to sob throughout the judging.
Scores: 26 out of 30
Results: The bottom two were Brinkley-Cook and Chmerkovskiy and Brooke and Farber, with many tears.
Inaba said she was “shocked” by the result but picked Brooke and Farber—so did Tonioni.
Eliminated: Sailor Brinkley-Cook.
title: " Dancing With The Stars Season 28 Live Recap Results Who Was Voted Off Monday Night " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-13” author: “Betty Reed”
Standouts included James Van Der Beek’s romantic waltz to “I Put a Spell on You”, Ally Brookes’ Harley Quinn-inspired dance to “Sweet But a Psycho,” and Kel Mitchell and Witney Carson’s wild jive to “The Time Warp.” Meanwhile, Sean Spicer fell back a step with his dance to the “Monster Mash,” which received his lowest scores yet.
In a shock elimination last week, it was fan-favorite Karamo Brown who was removed from the competition, with Kate Flannery joining him in the bottom two. Who will join him this week, as dancers prepare to face off in their first one-on-one dance off?
8:10 p.m.: Sean Spicer was dancing first. Last week he took a step backwards score-wise and he felt somewhat discouraged. Told they will be dancing jazz to “Come Sail Away” by Styx, he waxed about his memories growing up in Rhode Island on the ocean and sailing. Spicer was at one point, Arnold said, a sailor.
In the middle of rehearsals, Sean discovered that Lindsay Arnold’s mother-in-law passed away, and he ended up finishing dancing with Jenna Johnson, Karamo Brown’s former partner.
The sailor-themed jazz number was…a bit clunky. But there was a kickline!
“Well…we keep throwing you out of the boat, and the viewers keep throwing you a life preserver,” said judge Len Goodman, though he said he respected his effort. “The mermaid had better feet than you, actually,” which garnered Goodman some boos.
Bruno Tonioli said that “I think Dory in Finding Nemo has a better sense of direction. I praise your religion.” Goodman spoke up, and Tonioni realized he misspoke, meaning “Resilience.”
“Sometimes it looks like you’re doing the same dance over and over again,” said Carrie Ann Inaba, who praised him for showing “another shade” of himself.
Scores: 20 out of 30
8:22 p.m.: It turned out that Lauren Alaina was working with a broken rib on the right side of her body. Gleb Savchenko helps her rework the choreography, since some of the lifts he’d put in were too painful. They planned a “sassy” number in tribute to Alaina’s mother, to a song by Alaina’s mother’s favorite artist, Elvis Presley: “Hound Dog.”
The jive was definitely high energy, and Alaina did succeed in carrying off a new level of spirit, but she made three clear footwork mistakes.
“You went wrong, my darling—there were three mistakes,” said Tonioni, who was booed. “I can’t undo the mistakes!” he shouted back to the audience.
“You did forget—something went wrong there,” Inaba said, but added that Alaina “had a lot going for her.”
“I hope tonight isn’t going to be Heartbreak Hotel,” said Goodman. “Because you deserve to stay in the competition.”
Scores: 24 out of 30
8:33 p.m.: Kel Mitchell knocked the judge’s socks off last week, and now he’s ready to keep the momentum going. They were going to dance the salsa to “This Is How We Do it” by Montell Jordan, whom Witney Carson didn’t recognize by name and whose name Witney couldn’t pronounce.
Kel Mitchell talked about being on All That. “We were the Beibers of the 90s!” he said. He took Witney to the set of the rebooted All That, and said he was excited to be bringing the show back to the screen—he’s producing the show for Nickelodeon.
The dance was filled with attitude, lifts and slides. The audience ate it up, and gave them a standing ovation.
“I don’t have a paddle,” said Tom Bergeron, “but that was your best dance.”
“You took me way back!” said Carrie Ann Inaba, who pointed out that Kel lead during that dance and was impressed.
“Well, Kel, you old sausage, you’re on a roll!” said Len Goodman, who praised Kel’s hip action. “You were large and in charge!” he added.
“That was a star turn,” said Tonioni.
Scores: 28 out of 30, with Tonioni delivering the first 10 of the season!
8:47 p.m.: Ally Brooke found out she would be dancing the paso doble to her own song, “Higher”, which she said “perfectly” described where she was in her life at that moment. She talked about the producers she met, and how she went about following her dreams.
She and Sasha Faber went to The Sound Academy, a school for underprivileged youth run by the two men who discovered her, and Ally spoke to the students there.
The costuming and attitude of the dance were perfect, and the audience was pumped.
“Is it just me,” Bergeron asked, “or has the energy in the room changed over these last two dances?”
“It was a mix of good technique and high performance,” said Goodman. “And that’s irresistible.”
“Excuse me, Miss Silver Lightning!” said Tonioni. “She was conducting the orchestra! Beauty, power, artistry!”
“Right now, you just proved to me and everyone in this room that you’re a freakin’ superstar!” said Inaba. “My mind is blown, you betta work!”
Erin Andrews pointed out Faber’s choreography, which she said the judges didn’t mention. “the jumps, yes please, so Dirty Dancing!”
Scores: First 30 out of 30 of the season!
8:55 p.m. :Last week, Hannah Brown had some disappointing scores—she admitted she felt disconnected from herself and from her core. Alan Bersten vowed to unlock more of her layers, which meant that they were going to her home in Alabama.
Her family rallied around her, and she held a party for them. She showed Bersten her room and talked about her teen years.
Brown and Bersten danced the quick step to “American Girl” by Tom Petty, which was quick and zesty.
Tonioni pointed out that Brown used the floor to give her lift and spring.
Inaba went in for a hug and told her she was open-hearted. She called it the “comeback of the season.”
Goodman said he “watched her feet a lot and they were on point,” but there was a little bit of gapping.
Scores: 29 out of 30
9:20 p.m.: Kate Flannery and Pasha Pashkov were almost sent home last week. “I’m being judged within an inch of my life by people and I’m dressed like a clown—just one more day in the life of Kate Flannery.”
Flannery’s sister, Nancy’s, favorite song was “Heatwave” by Linda Ronstadt, and Kate got the news she was going to be on the show on the way home from Nancy’s funeral. “No one was ever allowed to touch her stereo,” Kate remembered. Pashkov was lovely and supportive.
Flannery and Pashkov danced the jive in matching plaid pajamas and in a plaid room. The dance was fun and charming.
“I wasn’t watching your feet,” Bergeron said, “I was watching your faces.”
“Dance is a celebration, and I’m sure your sister Nancy is watching and smiling.” Inaba said. She also praised the dance but said they were a little out of hold.
“You two are an absolute joy for me to watch,” said Goodman.
“What is this, The Shining? The Dream is coming out of the wall,” said Tonioni, who characterized the dance as ‘charming’.
Scores: 24 out of 30
9:28 p.m.: James Van Der Beek had the highest cumulative scores, and thus had won immunity from the dance-off and won two extra points to boot.
He and Emma Slater had contemporary. They’re going to be dancing to Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’,” and he said that life as a child actor was tough. He was ridiculed mercilessly as a child actor and he said his kids were there. His parents came to watch him dance, and they were delighted by him.
The dance is set to a slow, emotional version of the song, and moved Van Der Beek’s daughter, partner, wife and mother to tears. He ran over to hug them all before getting judge’s comments.
“It was like a good book…there’s something for everyone,” said Goodman.
“The musicality, the expression, flawless,” said Tonioni.
“We have never, ever seen a lift executed with such beauty,” said Inaba. “I could feel the breeze that you were both riding.
Scores: 30 out of 30, another perfect score!
9:34 p.m.: Dance-off time: engaged! Ally Brooke and Kel Mitchell will be dancing with one another, with the style being jive and the song being “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen.
The judges both spoke about how good the two were at jive and said that Kel in particular had to live up to his previous jive. While the choreography for Ally was very light and airy, there were a lot of kicks and flicks from Kel.
Goodman said he thought it was fantastic and that it was “a jive to survive.”
“You’re going to drive me crazy!” said Tonioni, who thought they were going to dance together.
Inaba, too, said they were both on fire. “You certainly don’t make our job easy.” she lamented having to make a choice.
“We give you choices to make and dangerous chairs to sit in,” confirmed Bergeron.
Scores: Kel wins with two out of three judge votes.
9:41 p.m.: Sean Spicer and Kate Flannery were paired together, and Kate said that it was a bummer because they’d just done the group dance-off together. “And now I’m going to crush you!” said Spicer.
The dance was the cha-cha to “Gonna Make You Sweat” by C+C Music Factory. Spicer began the dance by employing the cabbage patch.
Tonioni said that “one of them has improved and one of them grabbed my attention—and I don’t know if it was for the right reason.”
“Two dances in one night is no joke.” Inaba was favorable to Flannery.
“You both came out and you both really danced proper,” said Len Goodman. “It was a really fun thing to watch.”
“I love it when the audience is so excited I can barely hear Erin at all,” said Bergeron.
Scores: Kate across the board
9:53 p.m.: Coming back from commercial break, Goodman said that they were “all exhausted… Usually by now someone is bleeding, but not so the case tonight.” There was further live banter before Alaina and Brown were paired off.
Alaina said that “Hannah was a great dancer,” and Brown returned the compliment.
They were assigned a salsa to “The Rhythm is Gonna Get You” by Miami Sound Machine, and Tonioni said they should be “snakey, not shaky.”
Definitely shaky was Alaina, who used a lot of hip and booty action, and a twin shirt strip-off by the male dancers.
“Put your shirt on,” demanded Goodman of Savchenko. “I don’t mind, honey!” shouted Tonioni.
“It was illegally hot, I have steam coming out of my ears!” said Tonioni as the crowd went wild.
“Before they went up there, they said ‘Gleb’s not mic’d”, remarked Andrews.
Scores: Hannah across the board
And it’s results time!
Bottom Two: Flannery and Pashkov and Brooke and Farber.
“It’s confusing to me as to why these are the bottom two. I’m confused and a little irritated,” said Inaba. She voted to save Ally and Sasha, as did Tonioni. Goodman admitted he would have saved her too.
Eliminated: Kate Flannery
