The end is here once again. Dancing with the Stars season 25 comes to a close with a two-hour finale that features two more rounds of competition before Jordan Fisher, Lindsey Stirling or Frankie Muniz win the Mirror Ball Trophy. The best three definitely made it to the end and they might be one of the best Top 3s of all-time (it’s only the second time in the last 10 seasons that the Final 3 are also the three couples with the highest scores).
As much pressure as there is for the stars, it’s also about the pros. Mark Ballas is looking for his third win, something no one other than his pal Derek Hough has done. Lindsay Arnold wants her first Mirror Ball after finishing in third place in season 23 and second place last season. Meanwhile, Witney wants to join the elite field of pros to win twice (joining Derek, Mark, Val, Peta, Kym, Cheryl, and Julianne).
There are also plenty of special performances, returning celebrities, and the best part of any finale, the rehearsal outtakes featuring the best version of Erin Andrews.
LIVE…from Hollywood…this is my Dancing with the Stars season 25 finale live blog!
Opening Number: The finale begins with Santa Len telling a story to the Final 3. That segues into a huge outdoor Christmas routine from the pros. Santa Len calls Frankie Muniz a little frankfurter, which is adorable.
The competition is kicking off right away with encores of the Final 3’s favorite performances of the season.
Lindsey Stirling and Mark Ballas: Jive
They redo their Guilty Pleasure routine, the one with the bed where they’re in their pajamas. She struggled with self-doubt, but playing the violin helped her focus on her love of music. We get clips of her on America’s Got Talent, with Piers Morgan and Sharon Osbourne saying she’d never succeed. Wow, throwing shade at NBC’s reality show.
The routine is still great, bursting with sunshine and joy. The judges (minus Julianne Hough) love her sparkle and energy.
Judges’ Scores: 10+10+10=30
I never understood the point of adding scores on finale night because they’re almost always perfect. Also, it’s worth noting that in most seasons, the order on the finale can spoil the results. The first to perform usually finishes in second place, the second to perform gets third and the last couple to dance will be the winner.
Frankie Muniz and Witney Carson: Argentine Tango
They redo their Pirates dance from Disney Night. His story is about going from acting to racing cars and he thought he’d do that forever, but an accident ended that career. Being on this show has made him so happy and putting himself out there has given him new confidence.
It’s another great routine. I find it fascinating that, though everyone praises him for his joy, his Freestyle and now this encore performance both emphasize a darker, more mature and serious side. The judges love it even more than the first time because he’s more confident in playing the character.
Judges’ Scores: 10+10+10=30
Seriously, let’s just add 60 points to everyone’s scores from last night and be done with the scoring.
Jordan Fisher and Lindsay Arnold: Samba
They redo their routine from week 2’s Latin Night, which is disappointing because it’s not even one of their eight routines that made my Best Dances of Season 25 list. His story is about going to L.A. when he was 13 and always losing out on roles despite being in the Top 2. I really hope he doesn’t come in second tonight.
The dance is sexy, but this choreography from week 2 seems so simple compared to what he’s been doing in the past few weeks. Like the other couples, the judges rave.
Judges’ Scores: 10+10+10=30
Jordan has now tied the record of Bindi Irwin and Laurie Hernandez by getting eight perfect scores in one season. If he gets another one, he’ll be the all-time leader by himself.
Derek Fisher and Sharna Burgess: After looking back at the first three weeks, these two redo their basketball dance from week 1. I hope Lindsay wins tonight so next season we can focus on getting Sharna the Mirror Ball she desperately needs.
The Male Pros: The male pros do a performance as Santa’s sexy elves and, much to Erin’s delight, they unwrap their presents, so to speak. It’s basically Magic Mike XX-Mas.
Vanessa Lachey and Maksim Chmerkovskiy: After reliving the middle weeks, this talked-about couple performs their Musical dance from A Night at the Movies. I still think, without Maks, she could’ve made it farther, maybe to the finals. If only he stayed gone and Alan Bersten filled in permanently as her replacement partner.
Lindsey and Her Violin: Lindsey does a performance of a Christmas song from her album. I love the violin, but it still feels weird as the lead instrument. Maybe if she performed the theme song to the TV show Angel, I’d feel different.
Debbie Gibson and Jordan Fisher: These two contestants perform a pair of Christmas songs. There’s a cute moment where Alan doesn’t have a partner in the routine, so he dances with Debbie. Then Jordan sings and, hot damn, that dude has an amazing and sexy voice. This guy is a natural superstar and I suspect he’ll be way bigger than this show in a few years.
Drew Scott and Emma Slater: After a look back at the last weeks of the competition, the fourth-place couple do their favorite routine, the Most Memorable Year Jive, where they bring in his brother. Good for them, they’re definitely having a good time.
And now it’s time for the last round of the competition, the 24-hour fusion challenge.
Lindsey and Mark: Cha-Cha-Cha/Tango
They reflect on becoming great friends as they prepare for the Cha-Chango. It’s a fun and seamless fusion of the two styles that looks beautiful. The judges love the way that they blended the two styles and nailed bot of them with lots of content.
Judges’ Scores: 10+10+10=30
Five perfect scores is pretty good, even if four of them came in the finals.
Frankie and Witney: Foxtrot/Tango
Witney loves the experience of helping Frankie grow and he’s so grateful for having the most amazing experience of his life. Their Foxango is beautiful and emotional, capturing his heart and dedication. Bruno Tonioli actually points out some flaws. Carrie Ann Inaba calls him an O.G. contestant, a throwback to someone who captures the spirit of the show. Len Goodman calls him the people’s champion.
Judges’ Scores: 10+9+9=28
Not perfect, but only losing 2 points shouldn’t matter that much. They’re only 6 points behind Lindsey, which equals about 1.5 percent of the viewer vote.
Jordan and Lindsay: Salsa/Paso Doble
A Salsa Doble sounds like a delicious meal at Taco Bell. It’s a brilliant dance, so fun, though if I’m being honest, I didn’t see a whole lot of Paso. Carrie Ann praises him for being so good that he helped Lindsay become a better pro. Len and Bruno claim that he’s probably the best male star in the history of the show. They’re not wrong.
Judges’ Scores: 10+10+10=30
Nine perfect scores, a new record! That’s amazing since they only had 17 scored routines, meaning they were perfect more than half the time. And another three of their routines were just 1 or 2 points away from perfection. And in just six seasons, Lindsay has as many perfect routines as Maks.
THE FINAL LEADERBOARD
140: Jordan Fisher, Lindsey Stirling
134: Frankie Muniz
DWTS Live Tour: The show reveals that for the first time, two stars will headline the upcoming live tour: Jordan and Frankie! Wow, that’s a double dose of awesomeness. Either one would’ve been great on their own.
THE FINAL RESULTS
The scores have been combined with the votes from Monday and Tuesday’s five-minute live-voting window. After a song from Nick Lachey, it’s time for results.
The couple in THIRD PLACE is…Frankie and Witney!
Oh well, at least they made it this far and he’s going on the tour. He was an absolute delight, but dance-wise, he didn’t deserve to win.
And now, for the 17th time in 25 seasons, the Top 2 are the two couples who had the best overall average scores from the judges.
The winners of Dancing with the Stars season 25 are…Jordan Fisher and Lindsay Arnold!
Hooray! After getting nine perfect scores, he definitely deserved it. And now Lindsay has a Mirror Ball. This is probably the safest and most expected outcome, but that doesn’t make it any less special. Like the judges said, he’s probably the best male star dancer in the show’s history. If not, he’s definitely in the conversation.
In the final seconds, Tom Bergeron sneaks in that this Spring will be a shortened, 4-week mini-season (probably due to American Idol) and it will feature all athletes. Meh, neither of those things sounds too exciting to me.
Did Jordan deserve to win? Are you excited or disappointed by a 4-weeks all-athlete season?
Dancing with the Stars returns for season 26 in the Spring.
(Image courtesy of ABC)
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
John watches nearly every show on TV, but he specializes in sci-fi/fantasy like The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural and True Blood. However, he can also be found writing about everything from Survivor and Glee to One Tree Hill and Smallville.
