Dancing with the Stars “Season 18 Week 2” 

It’s Week 2 and the first twist:  Double Elimination.  We wouldn’t find out right away. It would happen throughout the show. The first couple safe was Drew and Cheryl — they had to dance first.

Drew Carey and Cheryl Burke

Dance: Jive

• Not only is Cheryl a great teacher but Drew works hard and he feeds off the audience because of his comedian/host background.  He is clearly enjoying himself and even with a few little mistakes he did very well.  He needs to work on his posture and foot work but he is the crowd pleaser.

Score: 7-Carrie Ann, 7- Len, 7-Bruno; Total: 21

Voting number: 800-868-3409

The next 3 couples were brought to the stage:  Billy & Emma, Meryl & Maks, and Danica & Val.

The first couple safe was Billy Dee & Emma. That’s when you knew someone good was going to be going home. Then Meryl and Maks were safe. Were Danica and Val safe? Yes they were and they went next.

Danica McKellar and Valentin Chmerkovskiy

Dance: Samba

• I was a little curious how Danica would do on a Latin dance and she did very well. Bruno called her a “Jangle Cat.” (I think it was actually Jungle Cat but that’s how it sounded!) She does need to work on her arms and not “throwing them away.” But Len said she should keep doing what she is doing. She got the same score as last week and I think that was fair.

Score: 8-Carrie Ann, 8- Len, 8-Bruno; Total: 24

Voting number: 800-868-3403

Billy Dee Williams and Emma Slater

Dance: Tango

• Oh Billy Dee…he got to dance with three ladies but as Carrie Ann said there was not enough dance content for him. The man’s a legend and working hard.

Score: 5-Carrie Ann, 5- Len, 5-Bruno; Total: 15

Voting number: 800-868-3405

Meryl Davis and Maksim Chmerkovskiy 

Dance: Swing

• Could Maks throw her around anymore or higher?  The throws were amazing but, unfortunately, she lost timing a couple of times, which I noticed and was verified by the judges. I think Maks is so excited that he has such a good partner that he is getting a little carried away. But at least he is trying not to be difficult with the judges!

Score: 8-Carrie Ann, 9- Len, 8-Bruno; Total: 25

Voting number: 800-868-3406

The next three couples brought out to the stage were: Amy & Derek, Candace & Mark, and Diana & Henry.  The first couple safe was Amy and Derek. Then Candace and Mark’s names were read and they were safe, too. But unfortunately Diana & Henry were the first couple to be eliminated. As they walked down to Tom and Erin, you could hear Diana asking Henry, “We aren’t going to dance?”  Diana had such a great attitude that they let her and Henry do their Cha Cha. Diana had the best attitude of any eliminated contestant ever!

After the commercial break, Jeremy Miller aka Ben Seaver from “Growing Pains” was in the audience. It was revealed last week that he had dated both Candace and Danica and when he was asked who he was cheering for he said both. That is when girlfriend number one, Candace, did her dance.

Candace Cameron Bure and Mark Ballas

Dance: Rhumba

• Candace discussed how her religious beliefs were really important to her and she wanted this to be a sensual dance, not sexual. The judges said that the dance went too contemporary and there wasn’t enough “rhumba” in the routine. But Carrie Ann discussed how she dances from the heart which is beautiful.

Score: 7-Carrie Ann, 7- Len, 7-Bruno; Total: 21

Voting number: 800-868-3407

Amy Purdy and Derek Hough

Dance: Swing

• This girl really can do anything. It’s amazing to me that it just proves how Derek is so great at making his partners strengths come out. She had one little mistake on an arm pass but otherwise it was amazing. It was a concern that her legs could come off and at the end when she did the splits (yeah!) I thought that might have happened but she was all good.

Score: 8-Carrie Ann, 8- Len, 8-Bruno; Total: 24

Voting number: 800-868-3410

Next — James & Peta and Charlie & Sharna were brought up to the stage. Both couples were safe! James and Peta got to go first.

James Maslow and Peta Murgatroyd

Dance: Salsa

• The man is so good looking but you could tell that he had worked on this dance. He had some minor mistakes but he went for it and can only go up. As Carrie Ann said, “He is part of the Dancing with the Stars Sexy Hall of Fame.” I don’t think that deserves an extra point…oh, who am I kidding, of course it does!!!

Score: 9-Carrie Ann, 8- Len, 8-Bruno; Total: 25

Voting number: 800-868-3402

Charlie White and Sharna Burgess

Dance: Tango

• During rehearsals Sharna sent Charlie over to Maks to teach him how to be a “bad boy.” Talk about going to the right person! Carrie Ann had said that Charlie came out with the confidence and looked like Baryshnikov. (He totally does!) Len being a purist (as my Mom always mentions) pointed out that they broke hold during the dance and you can’t do that. Does that mean he deserves a 7, Len?  I don’t think so.

Score: 9-Carrie Ann, 7- Len, 9-Bruno; Total: 25

Voting number: 800-868-3412

The last three couples left are Nene & Tony, Sean & Karina and Cody & Witney. They wouldn’t find out who was safe until after all of them danced.

Nene Leakes and Tony Dovolani  

Dance: Jive

• Nene didn’t actually pick the Jive, her husband Greg did. And during rehearsals she was starting to think that maybe she shouldn’t have listened to him. She had a couple of minor mistakes but she is so entertaining, it’s insane. After she danced she went in the audience and hugged her husband. Go Nene! Blonk! (If you watch The Real Housewives of Atlanta, you will know what “Blonk” is.)

Score: 7-Carrie Ann, 7- Len, 7-Bruno; Total: 21

Voting number: 800-868-3401

Sean Avery and Karina Smirnoff

Dance: Salsa

• He had great rhythm and actually smiled! The dance was nice but he needs to work on his feet.

Score: 7-Carrie Ann, 7- Len, 7-Bruno; Total: 21

Voting number: 800-868-3404

Cody Simpson and Witney Carson

Dance: Tango

• He wanted to do the Tango because his parents had done it at their wedding. Ahhhhh! He needs to work on his technique some more and making sure he doesn’t lean over too much since his partner is so much shorter. The guy worked in a moonwalk into a Tango. That was impressive. There’s something about him I’m not quite getting and not sure what that is. (Also side note: Did it bother anyone else that they used a Chris Brown song? Maybe it’s just me.)

Score: 7-Carrie Ann, 7- Len, 8-Bruno; Total: 22

Voting number: 800-868-3408

The last three couples then would find out their fate. First saved was Nene and Tony. It came down to Sean & Karina and Cody & Witney. Unfortunately Sean & Karina would be leaving the ballroom, which is a bummer.

My favorite quotes of the evening

Len: “Fly on girl! You’re going to be here for a while.” (Talking to Meryl after her Swing dance with Maks.)

Carrie Ann: “Meryl had Maks working his butt off!”

Amy: “It’s a pretty funny thought to think that my legs could fly off when I’m dancing.”

James: “You kneed me in the b****s.”  (Talking to his partner Peta during rehearsal.)

Bruno: “More of that please.” (Talking to James and Peta after their dance.)

Tom: “We’re going to spend the whole commercial break dragging Carrie Ann out of the sexy hall of fame.” (Referring to the comment that Carrie Ann made to James after his dance.)

Erin: “Tall people problems, I get it.” (Talking to Cody after he and Witney danced and the judges pointed out he was bending over too much.)

In two weeks, the big twist of the season, “Switchup,” is happening. Find out more about how to vote here.

Who should go with who? Nene and Maks? Derek and anyone? Let’s vote for that stuff! See you next week.

Dancing with the Stars airs Mondays at 8/7c on ABC.