DTWS S025, Finals, Night 2: Winter Wonderland at the Grove

Our Christmas fable begins with Santa Len telling us a bedtime story, as visions of the Chmerkovskiy brothers go dancing in our heads... (OK, maybe that’s just me...) AHEM...

”Twas the night of the Final,” reads he... It turns out that he’s reading to the six finalists (three couples). They get up, and dance out of the gingerbread house (on the grounds of the Grove, and I was so proud, cause a friend of mine worked on that house...). It now says: “Len’s cottage.” Oh, and they are now flanked by audience members and big red ropes. Oh wait, there is Maksim Chmerkovskiy! Dreams do come true! Heh Oh, hi Peta...

Nice wide shot of the Grove, all decked out for Christmas. So beautiful. And they pan to the other side of the Grove, where the Dancing with the Stars dancers are already dancing.  To “Dancin’ in the Street.” Nice.

Then, the lovely women pros (and troupe) go away, and we are left with the hot DWTS guys, tossing around silver packages. And then we have all the people from the season, coming back out.

Then we have some recaps from yesterday. At this moment, the two Lindsays (Lindsey Stirling and Lindsay Arnold) are fighting it out for the top spot. Both teams (with Mark Ballas and Jordan Fisher, respectively) have a score of 80 from two dances. (Perfect!) And, at this moment, I am rooting very strongly for Mark Ballas and Lindsey Stirling to win.

Tom Bergeron drives the sleigh taking Jordan and Frankie and Lindsey back to the studio (very nearby). Erin (looking stunning) keeps dancing onstage.

Then we have this bit of loveliness.

And this.

Then, since this finale is all about killing time, we have each of the dancers do a repeat of a dance from the season. Lindsey and Mark are first with that so-memorable jive (where it looks like they are in bed in the beginning). So great.

But first, in her package, she talks about her depression, in a time when she gave up the violin. And then, they show a clip of these horrible people on America’s Got Talent, where they just brutalize her, and crush her dreams (this is a show? Horrible stuff.) “I didn’t know if I could ever step on a stage again after that... but that’s right around the same time that I discovered YouTube.”

God, I love them so much. This dance is phenomenal.

Oh my! They are scoring these. Ugh.

JUDGES’ SCORES: 30 (out of 30)

Oooh. Frankie and Witney chose their Argentine tango from Disney Night (one of my favorites as well).

JUDGES’ SCORES: 30 (out of 30)

Then, back to the Grove stage, for a truly magical dance by Gleb and Britt.

Then Kelsey Ballerini performs a song of hers, and Val and Jenna do their magical dance.

On a screen behind her, in black and white, you can see scenes from the season. (Very nice effect.)

Incredible contemporary dance by Val and Jenna.

Then Jordan and Lindsay dance one of their favorites.

JUDGES’ SCORES: 30 (out of 30)

Then they do a bit where Val is driving the tram back to the Grove, and Alan is late, so he’s chasing it. Funny.  Tom intones, “That’s why you don’t miss rehearsal.”

A really great edit of a lot of the season’s previous competition. They show the first few who are voted off, and one of Jordan and Lindsay’s worst dances. Well, at least according to Len.

Then Derek and Sharna reprise a dance.

Then we have the hottie men from #DWTS dance for us. Shirts do come off. We are not complaining.

Oh yes. That was wonderful.

Then a wonderful number from the troupe. Although I’m not sure why Britt is wearing Jenna’s dress (remember THAT number? *swoon*)...

A reminiscence to the middle weeks of competition.

Then Maks and Vanessa perform.

Then violinist Lindsey Stirling performs with Becky G. “Christmas Come On”

Beautiful shot of the Grove to come back to.

Then Debbie Gibson and Jordan Fisher perform.

The best thing about this is that they aren’t making us suffer through bad dancers anymore. If they are singers, they are just having them SING. Wonderful. Every single contestant doesn’t need to dance again.

Tom and some cast members delivered some holiday cheer at Children’s Hospital, and they showed some of that.

Nice work, guys.

Val and his partner dance. Some wonderful troupe members. It’s always nice to see Maks and Peta dance together.

Then, all three couples are performing a fusion challenge.

They show the last three weeks of competition.

Emma and Drew reprise the dance where brother Jonathan had a few moments. (Loved that dance too.) Anything to give both Property Brothers more screen time, I say!

OK. FINALLY we get to the Fusion dances. First, we have the judges, ranking the finalists and giving their strengths and weaknesses.

LEN
Frankie: “NO one has worked harder. He’s not going to go down without a fight.”
Lindsey: “The artist. So fluid. Wonderful musicality. A beautiful dancer.”
Jordan: “A natural. He’s the one to beat. A force to be reckoned with.”

Oh, excuse me. I guess Len is the only one who gets to comment. What’s up with that?

This is my favorite part of the finals. After night one, when they go back to rehearse in their studio, and for the first time, see pictures of themselves from throughout the season.

Oh, their package talks about how much they are going to miss it. And I am going to miss them! :-(

They are doing a tango/cha cha fusion. Mark always creates such stunning choreography for these fusion dances. Because it’s very clearly defined, but goes back and forth,
and is just wonderful to watch. Truly.

Len: “What I love: This is what you did, Mark. No messing about. Straight into the routine. Tango, full of attack, full of aggression, then into the cha cha cha. Lots of rhythm, hip action. You (to Lindsey) are a wonderful performer, not only with the old fiddle, but with your feet as well. Well done.”

Bruno: “I really loved, because you could see the contrast: the cheeky cha cha cha, and the controlled intensity of the tango very clearly, but it was seamlessly blended. But then, to top it off, that tendon-snapping extension. Talk about Wow factor!”



Carrie Ann: “You’re making me get emotional. I’m watching you guys, and I can’t believe this is the end. You guys have all become so good. These partnerships have been unbeatable. All of you are so well-matched. Tonight—that was beyond fusion. That was alchemy. That you were able to create, from a cha cha and a tango, something so uniquely yours, with so much freedom of movement. Such great expression. Fantastic.”

Erin tells Mark that “we love when you’re back in the ballroom. You make us so much better.” (True.)

JUDGES’ SCORES: 30 (out of 30) (Perfect score again.)

Witney and Frankie do a foxtrot/tango fusion.

Frankie, in his package, calls it the “most enjoyable experience of his life,” and Witney says how glad she is that she got to do it with him.

Bruno: “Tango never bounces. A very good performance.”

Carrie Ann: “I watch you, and you are so the heart and soul of what this show is based on. You are an OG Dancing with the Stars contestant, and I think you look so elegant, so smooth, so cool.”

Len: “100%, you’re the people’s champion. You really are. You epitomize everything about Dancing with the Stars. No dance background. Your journey’s been up and down. You’ve been knocked down by the judges, yet you picked yourself up, dusted yourself off, and come back stronger. With a little bit of confusion in the fusion, cause I couldn’t really get the foxtrot...” (As Carrie Ann boos him!)

JUDGES’ SCORES:  28 (out of 30)

Then, before Jordan and Lindsay dance, we have this.

Some other dance brings us back from commercial (Peta and Alan and Hayley and Artur). (Oh, that was a Disney ad.)

Lindsay and Jordan have a salsa/paso fusion.

In the package, Jordan gets teary. “Dancing with the Stars, strangely enough, is not all about dancing. It’s about a journey. It’s about letting people get to know more about you, and it’s about you learning more about yourself. And it’s hard to imagine that being over.”

God, was that amazing! Wow.

Carrie Ann: “There’s not much left to say. Your skills are ridiculously out of this world. What’s amazing is that you’re an incredible dancer, an incredible performer, but what I’ve noticed the most is what you’ve done with Lindsay. Lindsay has actually grown as a pro, with you, and that is a testament to you. You are spectacular, and Lindsay, you MADE him spectacular.”

Len: “I think you are the most complete male celebrity ever on Dancing with the Stars.” (Jordan starts crying at that.)

Bruno: “I couldn’t agree more. You’re right up there with the best that we have ever seen on this show. Impeccable.”

JUDGES’ SCORES:  30 (out of 30)

And then, finally, we find out who wins Season 25.

Nick Lachey sings a song as tribute to our three finaalists. They show a video of clips of the three of them from the season. This is really nice. It really was a great season.

Who’s third place? (Just a refresher, Jordan/Lindsay and Lindsey/Mark are both tied with all perfect scores yesterday, and all perfect scores today. Witney/Frankie cannot say the same.)

Oh, it’s Frankie and Witney. And we find out the winners, after this commercial. :-(

Congrats to Lindsay and Jordan, and to all those who competed this season. It was truly wonderful to watch.

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