This from the wacky opening number, choreographed by the ever-amazing Mandy Moore. This show is dedicated to the family and friends of those lost in the horrific Las Vegas shooting, which just happened before this was filmed.
Tonight, ladies and gentlemen, is Guilty Pleasures night. And there will be no eliminations tonight.
Our Property Brothers contractor kicks off the evening with a wonderful Argentine tango to “Red Right Hand.” (Loved the music.) And it included this incredible overhead lift. Emma Slater’s choreography continues to be stunning.
I really thought this dude couldn't dance. I really liked this number.
I started the season thinking they would be going home early, but by this dance, they have certainly become a couple to watch.
I also loved Emma's outfit so very much.
Len says that Drew is “on a roll.” Carrie Anne: “How amazing was that Argentine tango?”
JUDGES’ SCORES: 23 (out of 30)
Team: Sharna and Derek Guilty Pleasure: Fresh Prince reruns
I pretty much hated the music of this. Sharna Burgess can make anything look good, but this cha cha was certainly my least favorite dance of the night.
Len: “One of the secrets of Dancing with the Stars, if you like the music, you perform better. I could see you were right into that dance. You were into the music, it was something you enjoyed, and in turn, I enjoyed.”
JUDGES’ SCORES: 21 (out of 30)
Tom, in introducing this segment says: “Yes, a grown man in a suit just said, ‘Chumbawumba’s Tubthumping.’” (Cracked me up.)
Team: Val and Victoria Guilty Pleasure: um... Chumbawumba
It is a sign of Val’s dancing/choreography genius that he can make an incredible quickstep out of a song he hates.
My guilty pleasure? “Tumthumping” makes me feel all warm and fuzzy all over.
Len: “Nice amount of content, great amount of entertainment and fun.” Bruno: “I love what you put into it.”
Tom addresses the audience, “If you see a kid who’s different, don’t be an ass.”
JUDGES’ SCORES: 22 (out of 30)
Then, there was this really funny bit of “Guilty Pleasures: Host Edition,” where Tom mocks Mark Ballas for his use of hair-care products, and talks about how he has to “go full mime” to fundraise for more. (Envision Tom Bergeron as a mime here.) Damn funny. Sasha was in the video, too.
Erin, after: “Did you make much money?”
Tom: “About $4 and a half bucks.”
Guilty Pleasure: Girls Night Out
Sorry, but when Maks isn’t there, the dances just aren’t as good. Alan is great, fine, but he’s no Maks.
Vanessa is a real star, though. She hogs that spotlight. And they danced to “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” always a great song. Lovely Jenna (former pro) was among the troupe dancers helping out.
Len: “In that first section, it would’ve been difficult to know which one was the celebrity. I thoroughly enjoyed watching it.”
Bruno: “It had that timeless elegance of a Motown girl band, and yet it was so up-to-date. I absolutely loved it.”
Carrie Anne: “Girls Night at your house for sure, next time.”
JUDGES’ SCORES: 23 (out of 30)
Team: Artem and Nikki Guilty Pleasure: “Romance novels”
Romance novels like “Fifty Shades of Gray,” she says, winking.
After this steamy Viennese waltz, Tom Bergeron pulls Nikki’s SO out onto the floor to stand next to her during the judging. They try to explain to him the concept of character.
Bruno: “It really worked.” Carrie Anne: “I love that you just go for it.... I wanna see your softness come back.” Len liked some of the turns, but “I wasn’t exactly transported to old Vienna.” (audience laughs)
JUDGES’ SCORES: 21 (out of 30)
Then, they have “Guilty Pleasures: Judges Edition,” where Carrie Anne goes on about her love of nachos (with pumped cheese). Bruno (sitting next to Sasha and being fanned, while Jenna stretches her legs over Sasha): “I go for hot fashion models, fried food and fast cars.” Len: “My guilty pleasure is sitting in the California sun, eating bacon and eggs. Naked.” As he says this, the camera pulls back to reveal a giant... Mirror Ball over his naughty bits. With a rooster sound... Oh my.
When they return from break, each judge is eating their Guilty Pleasure. Tom thanks Len “for dressing for dinner.”
Whoever you thought Frankie Muniz was before, he is sure different on this show. So, here he is, in full boy band mode (I love that Sasha is in so many of these things, here, he's another one of the boy band members). They show him getting advised by Nick Lachey and Joey Fatone.
Finally, Witney and Frankie get their boy band on with a samba. With help from Sasha and the troupe.
Carrie Anne liked his “boy band stuff,” not his samba so much. Len just says: “Frankie, I really like you.” (After telling him he “needed more hip action.”) Bruno (on their double denim): “I never thought I was gonna see that again.”
JUDGES’ SCORES: 21 (out of 30)
We’ve really gone too long without Sasha, so they give us a Cha Cha bumper. And Jenna too! Fun!
Team: Mark and Lindsey Guilty Pleasure: Staying in Her PJs
Lindsey and her significant other just broke up, so she is sad. Despite that, she does a kickass jive with Mark to “Wake Me Up (Before You Go Go).”
Easily my favorite dance of the night.
Len: “If I'm dreaming, don’t wake me up, because I thought that was great. Lots of jive content, lots of fun, lots of WHAM and energy. That, so far, the dance of the season.” Bruno: “Apart from the incredibly smart creativity of Mark, this guy can jive. He threw everything at her that he had, she was never outdanced. She was just brilliant.” Carrie Anne: “Every number is always so incredibly creative, but tonight—that’s gonna go down as one of my favorite numbers. Of all time. That was brilliant, Mark. Brilliant choreography.”
JUDGES’ SCORES: 27 (out of 30)(the highest score of the season so far)
Team: Gleb and Sasha Guilty Pleasure: Baking
Sasha and Gleb start out with a great Motown song (“Can’t Help Myself”) and dance jazz (which I think some use as a catchall when they don’t want to get dinged for not enough content).
You know when they use a lot of props, the dance is in trouble.
Bruno: “Great fun.” Carrie Anne: “It was not exactly what you would call jazz.... It was very clean, very well-rehearsed.” Len: “As fun as this was, it didn’t really showcase your ability to dance.”
(SIDE NOTE here: Gleb consistently over seasons gets the note, “You’re not showcasing your partner.” Once again makes me wish they had chosen Sasha instead.)
(SIDE NOTE here: Gleb consistently over seasons gets the note, “You’re not showcasing your partner.” Once again makes me wish they had chosen Sasha instead.)
JUDGES’ SCORES: 19 (out of 30)
We come back from the break, and the judges and Tom and Erin are singing along to the Motown song.
Team: Peta and Nick Guilty Pleasure: Watching Rom-Coms
Now THAT’s how you choreograph a jazz dance! Peta did a fantastic number to the song “Jump” (from “Love, Actually”). Bonus points for both Sasha and Jenna being in the dance. (Well, bonus points from ME, not from the judges.)
Carrie Anne starts out commenting about Nick’s unitard, “that takes balls.” (Not remembering that he famously had surgery to remove one of his balls.) So Nick says, “Well, what I have left.” OUCH.
Carrie Anne: “It looked great to watch.” Len: “I loved the Concept, the Commitment and the Confidence that you brought out on the dance floor.” Bruno: “Finally, you got your juices flowing.”
JUDGES’ SCORES: 21 (out of 30)
Jenna and Keo show us how to do the jive.
Team: Cheryl and Terrell Guilty Pleasure: Break dancing
Poor Cheryl. She tries so hard. She puts those steps in there, she creates interesting choreography, but her dances never seem to catch fire like others do. I admit, I didn’t like this song at all. (Think it was “The Breaks” by Curtis Blow.) Doing a salsa to that, ugh.
Len: “It’s not a touchdown, but you’re in the Red Zone.” Bruno: “It wasn’t a traditional salsa.” Carrie Anne has “a meltdown” cause it was “so good.”
JUDGES’ SCORES: 21 (out of 30)
Team: Lindsay and Jordan Guilty Pleasure: Comic books
So they did what Tom calls “a Super Hero Charleston,” but to my eyes, it succeeded the least of their dances. The whole thing just didn’t work. It seemed loud and garish, and didn’t seem to have much Charleston in it (to me, and Charleston is one of my favorite dances here).
Tom whispers to them, “Somewhere Adam West is smiling.”
Bruno likes the “pop art visual flair.” Carrie Anne is dumbfounded, trying to wrap her head around “what I just saw. You’re so amazing. There’s so much going on in that number. You could’ve gotten lost at any point... The fastest Charleston I’ve ever seen in the middle.” Len, however, was dismayed that “it’s a Charleston, and there was virtually no Charleston.”
JUDGES’ SCORES: 25 (out of 30)
No one was eliminated tonight.
Favorite Guilty Pleasures of the Night
1. Mark and Lindsey (jive)
2. Drew and Emma (Argentine tango)
3. Val and Victoria (quickstep)
4. Alan and Vanessa (jazz)
5. Peta and Nick (jazz)
Please Go Home
1. Sasha and Gleb
2. Vanessa and Alan/Maks
3. Nick and Peta
4. Derek and Sharna
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