We’ve reached the finals of Dancing with the Stars season 25. Four couples remain and will perform their Freestyles and Redemption Dances, but only three will move on to the last night of competition with a chance to win the Mirror Ball Trophy.
There’s Jordan Fisher, the clear frontrunner from the first night who’s been on top of the leaderboard more than anyone else. Lindsey Stirling has been his closest competition, anchored by the amazing choreography of Mark Ballas. Frankie Muniz was the surprise dark horse, someone whose dedication and positive attitude are infectious. And then there’s Drew Scott, who is also in the finals by the grace of God.
Will the Freestyles help to crystallize who will be the winner? And who will go home?
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Drew Scott and Emma Slater: Paso Doble
Bruno Tonioli wants them to redeem their Action film Paso that was a total mess. He wants better artistry and timing. It’s definitely a huge improvement as he’s not wild and out of control. He does a great job with the shaping, though it doesn’t quite have enough attitude for me. Still, it’s much better than anything else he’s done. The judges call it his best dance, but there was a small foot fault.
Judges’ Scores: 9+9+9+9=36
He has still yet to get a 10.
Frankie Muniz and Witney Carson: Foxtrot
Carrie Ann Inaba wants them to redo their very first dance, with a solo to test Frankie’s confidence. It’s a cute and charming performance that captures their adorable debonair style. He’s still not on par with Jordan or Lindsey, technically, but he’s a delightful joy to watch. The judges love his essence and Julianne Hough praises his transformation into a manly man.
Judges’ Scores: 10+9+10+9=38
The female judges love Frankie.
Jordan Fisher and Lindsay Arnold: Charleston
Len Goodman wants them to redo their Guilty Pleasures dance that got 9s from the other two judges, but a 7 from Len. Len wants them to do more traditional Charleston moves. Hot damn, this routine had everything. Fast footwork, tons of bounce and smooth, sexy swagger. He’s definitely bringing his best for the finale. The judges rave about how amazing it was, as they should.
Judges’ Scores: 10+10+10+10=40
Jordan has now joined Nick Carter as the only male stars to earn six perfect scores in a single season.
Lindsey Stirling and Mark Ballas: Quickstep
Julianne Hough wants them to redo their style from Ballroom Night in week 2, their only routine to get less than an 8 from Len all season long. The routine is inspired by Swing music and it’s fine, but it doesn’t quite have the same distinctive personality as the other dances we’ve seen. The dancing was very good, technically, but I wanted to see more of who Lindsey is. The judges love her control and speed, with Len calling it “awesome.”
Judges’ Scores: 10+10+10+10=40
I’m pretty sure Mark thanked the judges for the 10s before the scores were actually revealed. That was weird.
Drew and Emma’s Freestyle
Emma wants to do something different and celebrate Drew’s quirkiness and his journey. Neither one of them can believe that they’re in the finals, and Emma wants a second Mirror Ball to make them kiss and force Sasha Farber to walk by them every day. It’s a big group Swing dance with a lot of troupe members to hide Drew’s lack of dance ability. There’s a very funny moment where they stop in the middle for a break. It’s kind of fun, but his dancing isn’t great, even if the routine itself kind of points that out. There are also some ugly lifts. The judges love the entertainment, but Carrie Ann points out that he wasn’t in sync with the big group.
Judges’ Scores: 9+10+10+0=39
Over the past six seasons, Drew joins Jana Kramer as the only star who failed to get a perfect score for his Freestyle. But at least he finally got some 10s.
Frankie and Witney’s Freestyle
She originally wanted to do something powerful, but the producers urged her to embrace Frankie’s fun side. She stuck with her gut and ignored the producers. Good for her. It’s an intense, Paso-inspired routine that is very strong. I get the producers’ concerns because it’s a different, darker side of him, but it works. He has the power and it embraces the manly side of him, not the boyish fun. The judges appreciate that it was out of the box and very dramatic and moody, though Carrie Ann says he lost some steam.
Judges’ Scores: 9+9+10+10=38
Wow, another non-perfect Freestyle. But this routine and Frankie’s story stands out and it might be enough to push him to the win. Viewers may not like the idea that the producers were trying to tell them what to do.
Jordan and Lindsay’s Freestyle
Lindsay knows that Jordan is her best partner, so she wants to put everything into it with flips, tricks, stunts and lighting cues. The routine is certainly jam-packed with content and there are a lot of solos for Jordan to show off his moves. This Freestyle truly is a celebration of Jordan’s immense talent and Lindsay really put the spotlight on him. The judges are in awe of what he can do.
Judges’ Scores: 10+10+10+10=40
That makes seven perfect scores for him, just one away from the all-time record of eight held by Bindi Irwin and Laurie Hernandez.
Lindsey and Mark’s Freestyle
They are playing conductors of an orchestra with a quirky spin, showing off her love of music. The routine is powerful and intense, a better version of what Frankie and Witney were going for. There’s a brilliant segment where she plays the violin while dancing, even while being lifted. This is hands-down the Freestyle of the Night! If this round really does decide everything, she could’ve just won.
Judges’ Scores: 10+10+10+10=40
A well-deserved perfect score.
THE RESULTS
Only three will move on to the last night of the competition, getting the chance to perform two more routines for more points, more votes and the Mirror Ball Trophy.
The first couple IN THE FINALS is…Jordan and Lindsay!
The second couple IN THE FINALS is…Lindsey and Mark!
The third couple IN THE FINALS is…Frankie and Witney!
Drew Scott and Emma Slater ARE ELIMINATED!
That’s the correct decision. They were fine, but making it this far is amazing for them. And now we’re heading into a finale where I genuinely believe anyone can win. Seriously, all three of them have an excellent case for victory.
THE LEADERBOARD
80: Jordan Fisher, Lindsey Stirling
76: Frankie Muniz
Who had your favorite Freestyle?
The Dancing with the Stars season 25 finale airs Tuesday at 9/8c on ABC.
(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.
