
This week was a first: Cirque du Soleil week! Thinking of how the performers were going to pull this off was really exciting and scary. On the downer side, no Len Goodman around as judge. But, no worries, he’ll be back.

Good news: Carrie Ann gave a pass on lifts since this was Cirque week. Better news: there was a marriage proposal! Not so great news: the dreaded double elimination. Everyone seemed to experience a difficult week in rehearsals, but I feel like every couple ultimately stepped up their game. Who went home? Let’s break it all down:
Calvin Johnson Jr. and Lindsay Arnold
Dance: Charleston
Phone Number: 1-800-868-3403

Calvin gave his best performance so far. His footwork was incredible. His energy was incredible. His lifts were incredible. Everything was incredible. Wow. This guy is really improving every week. He is what this show is all about.
Score: Carrie Ann-8, Julianne-7, Bruno-8; Total: 23
Maureen McCormick and Artem Chigvintsev
Dance: Argentine Tango
Phone Number: 1-800-868-3409

After a difficult week in rehearsal, Maureen was focused, which means she danced beautifully. Her lines were lovely and she worked it. I think her biggest issue is that she whines a little too much but, clearly, it comes from a place of insecurity. Hopefully, after doing well, she will feel more confident in her dancing.
Score: Carrie Ann-8, Julianne-8, Bruno-8; Total: 24
Jana Kramer and Gleb Savchenko
Dance: Foxtrot
Phone Number: 1-800-868-3406

After a busy week, Jana’s performance was simply nice. I agree with the judges. Gleb is doing great choreography. Her biggest issue is that sometimes she tends to come out of the dance, meaning she will be totally into her character and then, suddenly, we will see her break a bit. Julianne and Carrie Ann felt she needed to work on spotting during her turns. But the chemistry between Jana and Gleb is still there.
Score: Carrie Ann-8, Julianne-7, Bruno-8; Total: 23
Marilu Henner and Derek Hough
Dance: Paso Doble
Phone Number: 1-800-868-3408

Derek was worried Marilu would be stuck in her head. Marilu has this condition called Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory. She can remember any day of her life and tell you all the details. Turns out this might actually be holding her back a little bit. I thought their Paso Doble was powerful, but she needs to feel more of the dance.
Score: Carrie Ann-7, Julianne-7, Bruno-7; Total: 21
Amber Rose and Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Dance: Argentine Tango
Phone Number: 1-800-868-3401

Apparently, after the last show, Amber felt Julianne had body shamed her, which wasn’t the case. Amber apologized to Julianne and all was forgiven. Her Argentine Tango with Maks was super sexy. Her energy was up. She really embraced herself.
Score: Carrie Ann-8, Julianne-8, Bruno-8; Total: 24
Ryan Lochte and Cheryl Burke
Dance: Viennese Waltz
Phone Number: 1-800-868-3411

This was definitely Ryan and Cheryl’s best dance. His posture and arms were perfect. He now has to work on his emotions and staying in character.
Score: Carrie Ann-7, Julianne-7, Bruno-8; Total: 22
Kenneth “Babyface†Edmonds and Allison Holker
Dance: Tango
Phone Number: 1-800-868-3402

Unfortunately, he screwed up some of the steps. It wasn’t his best dance but I think the lighting worried him. It was a bit of a bummer.
Score: Carrie Ann-6, Julianne-6, Bruno-6; Total: 18
Terra Jolé and Sasha Farber
Dance: Samba
Phone Number: 1-800-868-3412

I really think that Terra is fantastic. This was the first time she really struggled during practice. But she came out and danced like a pro.
Score: Carrie Ann-9, Julianne-8, Bruno-8; Total: 25
Laurie Hernandez and Valentin Chmerkovskiy
Dance: Jazz
Phone Number: 1-800-868-3407

This was the most spectacular dance of the season. Everyone thought, including myself, that the Olympic gymnast was going to do flips and she didn’t. As Carrie Ann said, Laurie killed it. And she was rewarded with perfect 10s.
Score: Carrie Ann-10, Julianne-10, Bruno-10; Total: 30
Vanilla Ice and Witney Carson
Dance: Viennese Waltz
Phone Number: 1-800-868-3413

Believe it or not, Vanilla Ice’s Viennese Waltz was really great. It definitely put him out of his comfort zone. He had a crazy workweek but made sure he knew this dance. He has to work on his hands but he is improving.
Score: Carrie Ann-8, Julianne-7, Bruno-8; Total: 23
James Hinchcliffe and Sharna Burgess
Dance: Quickstep
Phone Number: 1-800-868-3405

Racecar driver by day, Fred Astaire at night! It was a showstopper and it was magical. His holds with Sharna were perfect. Apparently, there was a little mistake that Bruno and I didn’t notice. But Carrie Ann and Julianne did.
Score: Carrie Ann-9, Julianne-9, Bruno-10; Total: 28
On the second night there was dancing and singing, but we know what was most important. Marilu and Derek and Calvin and Lindsay were the first couples to find out they were safe.

Before the eliminations started there was a bit of a shocker. Sasha Farber proposed to Emma Slater! I didn’t know they were together.

It was a beautiful moment and the audience cried. As Tom said, “This proves what a family Dancing with the Stars is.â€

Next up: three couples found out their fates: Amber and Maks, Babyface and Allison and Maureen and Artem. Safe: Amber and Maks. Then Maureen and Artem.

Sorry, Babyface. I kind of had a feeling he was on the chopping block, but he took it all in stride. The fact of the matter is he did the show for his mom who passed away last year. This was a nice way to honor her.
Following the first elimination of the evening, Derek did an amazing routine. He danced. Played the drums. And he co-wrote the music. What can’t this man do?
More announcements. Who was safe? Laurie and Val (of course). It wasn’t a surprise to find out Terra and Sasha were safe, too. That meant James and Sharna were in jeopardy.

Now for the last three couples: Jana & Gleb, Ryan & Cheryl and Vanilla Ice & Witney. The next couple that was safe: Ryan & Cheryl. Vanilla Ice & Witney were in jeopardy. Same with Jana and Gleb.
So it came down James & Sharna, Jana & Gleb and Vanilla Ice & Witney. The next safe couple: James and Sharna.

Vanilla Ice and Witney were eliminated while Jana and Gleb were safe.
Favorite Quotes

Erin: “We always have to have a party pooper and that name is Tom.â€
Tom: “I’ve been trying to make a latte with this thing all day and it doesn’t seem to work.â€
Tom: “It’s my opinion but I don’t have a paddle.â€
Tom: “Like outside of a car dealership.â€
Tom: “I bet a lot of people have table envy.â€
James: “I sit for a living.â€
Tom: “To recap, we have a double elimination and one consummation.â€
Dancing with the Stars Season 23 airs at 8/7c central on ABC on Monday nights.
Related posts
Classics
John Griffin and Harold Perrineau Talk From on EPIX Season 1 Finale
[Warning: General spoilers ahead.] How are we doing, #FROMily? In case you missed it this morning, the very good news is that that cliffhanger will be followed by a second season, which was gifted this morning ahead of the linear broadcast of the finale. I always legitimately appreciate when we…
Elizabeth Saunders Talks EPIX’s From
[Warning: General spoilers ahead.] One of the things that makes EPIX’s From such a fun ride is the abundance of Canadian cast members. Elizabeth Saunders, who plays Donna, is a favorite from her turn on the third season of Mary Kills People, which US audiences still have not been able…
Corteon Moore Talks From “Broken Windows, Open Doors”
[Warning: Spoilers for tonight’s episode.] Tonight’s episode of From had us all in our feels as we learned through flashbacks about the Sophie’s Choice Boyd had to make to save his son, and back in the present as Boyd said his piece with Ellis before heading into the woods with…
Pegah Ghafoori Talks From “All Good Things…”
[Warning: Spoilers for tonight’s episode] Tonight on From, Fatima’s anniversary celebration turned into a Colony House of horrors when a misguided Kevin let his monster bae in and she promptly killed him and left the window open for her crew. While the party devolved into terror and sent everyone running,…
Shaun Majumder Talks From “Book 74”
[Warning: Spoilers for tonight’s episode.] Tonight on EPIX’s From, Father Khatri made a bold move, kidnapping Sara instead of turning her in, and then recognizing her as a vessel for some big messages. That startling realization speaks to him on multiple levels–as a man of faith, a man trapped in…
Avery Konrad Talks About Sara’s Struggle in From “Silhouettes”
[Warning: Spoilers for tonight’s episode.] Over the course of the season so far on From, we’ve witnessed Sara’s battle against the voices telling her to to do terrible things, and tonight we saw her unravel further, threatening the Matthews and lashing out in a moment of terror with horrifying results….
Hannah Cheramy Talks From “Choosing Day”
[Warning: Spoilers for tonight’s episode.] Tonight, on EPIX’s From, the Matthews participate in the show’s version of the sorting hat, choosing where to call home–the town or Colony House. At the end of the episode, Julie makes the decision to split from her family and instead settle in with Fatima…
Ricky He Talks From “The Way Things Are Now”
[Warning: Spoilers for episode 102 of EPIX’s From.] Epix’s new series From is two episodes in and it’s already laying the groundwork for a seriously spooky season. Tonight’s episode demonstrated the careful balance of relief and horror that the show hits, with our characters’ worst fears realized, just not when…
Catching Up with Ted Lasso and Previewing Season 2
[Warning: General spoilers ahead.] The not so dirty little secret about how I approach a new series is that I sometimes make a call based on the headspace I’m in at the time. It’s been a minute since I’ve picked up a show after the first season and then binge…
Interview: Henri Esteve on Grown-ish Season 3
An interview with Henri Esteve, who plays Javi on Freeform’s Grown-ish. He talks about his season three experience.
What They Said: Three Revealing Conversations from Survivor’s Remorse “Closure”
WARNING: Spoilers for Survivor’s Remorse “Closure” The latest episode of Starz’s Survivor’s Remorse featured conversations that showed characters really digging deep into their thoughts, emotions and motivations.
Two Takes: The Catch “The Knock-Off”
Who can you trust? If this episode of The Catch was any indication, the answer is just about nobody. Betrayal was running rampant as Felicity (Shivani Ghai) arose from the dead to seduce-con Margot, Gretchen (Maria Thayer, Gotham, The Mindy Project) played gold-hearted Alice 2.0 before swindling Ethan, Tessa jumped…
What They Said: Top 3 Quotable Moments from Preacher “El Valero”
Both Quincannon and Jesse refuse to give up on what they each think is rightfully theirs. While Jesse is struggling to face the consequences of his actions, Quincannon has laid his past demons to rest and is hellbent on moving forward and putting Annville on the map again. Despite a…
What They Said: Favorite Quotes from Supergirl “Worlds Finest”
Oh, Supergirl. That ending was cold. But I can’t hate on you because the latest episode has quickly become one of my favorites.
What They Said: Top 4 Quotable Moments from Black Sails “XXIII”
The dialogue in “XXIII” is phenomenal. It’s always a fun ride when Black Sails carries its viewers along without giving them the chance to catch their breath. When an episode moves at this unforgiving pace, there is no chance for a breather nor is there a respite from the information…
What Lucifer Said: Favorite quotes from Supernatural “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”
Supernatural episodes are almost always funny but thanks to the dialogue and a certain man speaking said dialogue, I laughed a lot during “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” You know, when I wasn’t busy fearing for Sam’s life or wondering what in the world was going on with Dean and…
What They Said: The Flash, “Legends Of Today” and Arrow, “Legends Of Yesterday”
Two nights of Arrow + The Flash = what more could we ask for?! I don’t know what it is about blending these shows, but I can’t help but feel that every time they come together, they somehow become greater than the sum of their parts. And that’s saying a lot…
What they Said: Top 4 Quotable Moments from Graceland “Little Bo Bleep”
Shoot outs. Fake outs. And long-awaited revelations. “Little Bo Bleep” was a jam-packed episode that wrapped up some loose ends and totally frayed others. Â It finally gave us one Sarkissian in jail and pulled back the curtain on Briggs’ master plan, but it also set up Jakes for a world…
What They Said: Favorite Quotes from Poldark “Part 4”
“What have I told you, I don’t require my wife to crochet and sip tea, but I do require her to remember she’s not a beast of burden.†No, I’m not talking about The Rolling Stones! I have to admit though, just for a second, the lyrics popped into my…
3 Moments of Goodness from Brooklyn Nine-Nine “Johnny and Dora”
The most satisfying part of this season’s finale has to the Jake and Amy kiss. Well, they kiss three times but the last one is the best one — and it means something. The Charles and Rosa dynamic was also great. I love how she’s convinced he doesn’t know anything…