There are only five couples left on Dancing with the Stars season 24, and surprisingly, the men have done pretty well. Less surprising is the fact that four athletes remain in the competition, with Fifth Harmony’s Normani Kordei as the exception. This week the couples will take on two routines each, including the Trio Dances which will be filled with some unfamiliar faces.
Is Bonner Bolton’s time finally up? Can someone other than Normani get a perfect score? Will anyone fart in their partner’s face again?
LIVE…from Hollywood…this is Dancing with the Stars!
The show opens with a preview o the new tour, Hot Summer Nights, and it is definitely hot. And Julianne Hough is back.
Rashad Jennings and Emma Slater: Jive
This is all about Rashad’s happy, positive attitude. Emma really loves having him as a partner, probably because he’s her first real contender. This routine gives him the chance to show off his energy and swag, but his feet are a tad sloppy at times. Also, the dance does that thing I hate where they perform on a stage and a bunch of people are on the ballroom floor cheering them on. The judges all agree that his footwork needs to be sharper.
Judges’ Scores: 9+9+9+9=36
There are only three scores at this point: 8 is bad, 9 is OK, 10 is great.
Normani Kordei and Val Chmerkovskiy: Contemporary
The routine is about how she got bullied on social media with some disgusting racism. The choreography is very literal, with a bunch of other dancers beating down Normani and holding her back while Val helps her to break free. It’s powerful and beautiful as a PSA, but it speaks to my complaint about this style being a part of the show. The judges all talk about the profound message of the dance, but there’s very little talk about dancing. Len Goodman speaks for me (and many others) by saying that he’s not a fan of Contemporary or Jazz either.
Judges’ Scores: 10+10+10+10=40
Yet another perfect score.
Bonner Bolton and Sharna Burgess: Argentine Tango
This dance is all about overcoming adversity, like his near-death experience. He doesn’t like thinking about that stuff, which is understandable, and he starts to get frustrated. But he does it in the most polite way imaginable. He does a better job with the dancing than he has in recent weeks and it plays to his strengths with stilted movements. But he doesn’t excel with the storytelling and character. Bruno Tonioli found it clanky. Len speaks his mind and says Bonner should blame the viewers for keeping him on this show too long. Wow, he’s not even trying to hide the fact that he thinks Bonner stole Nancy’s spot in the Final 5.
Judges’ Scores: 8+7+8+7=30
The female judges saw some improvement.
Simone Biles and Sasha Farber: Foxtrot
She thinks it’s super cheesy that he chose “What Makes You Beautiful” by One Direction, which kind of perfectly sums up their relationship. And there’s a very cute moment where she flirts with the cameraman during rehearsals. It’s another fun and bubbly routine, yet the judges once again criticize her for not having enough connection and performance. The judges are being absurd like when Julianne says that nothing wowed her or disappointed her, it was just really good.
Judges’ Scores: 9+9+9+9=36
These judges want her to be raw and less of a perfect little gymnast. They’re setting impossible and unfair standards for her that they don’t apply to anyone else, and even Simone and Sasha are kind of getting annoyed by it.
David Ross and Lindsay Arnold: Waltz
Lindsay’s song choice is “Humble and Kind” by Tim McGraw, which says it all. She thinks of him as a second dad. It’s a very sweet and tender dance, like a father with his daughter at her wedding. He’s so gosh-darn likable and may have just earned a spot in the finale. There’s a cute part where she stands on his feet. Honest Len applauds him for working hard on the footwork, which most celebrities don’t care about. Damn, Len is fed up tonight.
Judges’ Scores: 9+9+9+9=36
So we have a big tie in the middle of a Normani/Bonner sandwich.
Rashad and Emma with Witney Carson: Argentine Tango
Witney isn’t sure if Fleetwood Mac is a rapper or the name of the song. The two female pros, who are each others’ bridesmaids, are very giggly and excited. It starts with him dancing with each girl separately, then they all do it together and it gets a little loose. I think Rashad was a tad overshadowed, but the double lift was cool. Len complains about his feet again.
Judges’ Scores: 10+9+10+10=39
Really? We’ve reached the overly generous part of the night.
Normani and Val with Alan Bersten: Jive
They’re going for a country theme, and Normani makes it clear that she thinks Bonner is a sexy Southern gentleman. It’s a very fun routine with Val and Alan both ripping off their shirts to impress Normani, but it ends with her going to the pick-up truck where Bonner is waiting for her. Julianne claims Normani owned the stage, but honestly, I was focused entirely on the boys. The judges rave, but Len complains that Normani wasted too much time just standing on the table and not doing much.
Judges’ Scores: 10+9+10+10=39
Len is keeping it real for these Trio dances. Like Maks, Val pimps Alan to be a pro next season, calling him the future of the show.
Bonner and Sharna with Britt Stewart: Jazz
The concept is that Bonner is an oil tycoon and the girls are his two sexy secretaries. So it’s basically the opposite of Normani’s Mulan routine when it comes to feminism. The whole thing looks like a bad porno film, with some lame non-dancing as Bonner just sways around and doesn’t really move. Dear God, this was a disaster. Even Carrie Ann found it too raunchy, and she loves raunch. The judges try to be as polite as possible, but you can tell that they thought it sucked.
Judges’ Scores: 7+7+7+7=28
If he doesn’t go home tonight, this show should be canceled or viewers should NOT be allowed to vote.
Simone and Sasha with Brittany Cherry: Paso Doble
Why is Simone the ONLY star who gets a Trio partner who is the same gender? But Simone actually seems to work better with another girl. Simone blends in nicely, but the gender imbalance definitely draws the focus to Sasha. Carrie Ann liked the mystery but says she’s a little too precise. Len says that she has more 9s from him than anyone and she has his highest scores, but she has yet to crack that 10 ceiling. Wow, the judges are really hating on her for some reason.
Judges’ Scores: 9+9+9+9=36
This poor girl can’t get a 10 to save her life.
David and Lindsay with Hayley Erbert: Paso Doble
The concept is a Gladiator battle set to “Gangsta’s Paradise.” It’s an awesome idea, but David is overwhelmed and it feels very rushed. I wish a better dancer had this routine, because it would’ve been cool. Len didn’t like it at all and saw no dance quality. The judges all criticize the shaping and dancing.
Judges’ Scores: 7+7+8+7=29
Yikes.
THE RESULTS
After a night filled with some very angry and bitter judges, it’s time to find out which four couples will advance to the Semifinals.
The first couple in the SEMIFINALS is…Normani and Val!
The second couple in the SEMIFINALS is…Simone and Sasha!
The third couple in the SEMIFINALS is…David and Lindsay!
Bonner Bolton and Sharna Burgess ARE ELIMINATED!
Whew. I was really worried it was going a different way. As Len said, they made it farther than they should have, so good for them and I hope Sharna gets a super ringer next season so she can FINALLY win.
THE LEADERBOARD
79: Normani Kordei
75: Rashad Jennings
72: Simone Biles
65: David Ross
Dancing with the Stars airs Mondays at 8/7c 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.
