For maybe the first time ever, this Dancing with the Stars Halloween opening number really seemed like a bunch of people at a Halloween party, in different costumes, dancing with each other. As such, it was really, really fun. Also, bowing to the amazing choreographer extraordinaire Mandy Moore. They were dancing to the “Purple People Eater” song. trippy. Even Tom and Erin got in on the action. Carrie Ann is dressed as Morticia. And Val kissses Bruno. LOL Then, all the couples dance out (not announced). And Milo is on the floor. Crazy. So fun.
After that fun, funny, great number, they take the energy down, down, down. They don’t even start with the normal package. They cut to a sanitorium. But Witney is talking to Milo about Week Six. Milo talks about how much he loves Halloween. Uh oh. Witney says that she “doesn’t really get scared.” (Although we have seen MANY Halloween episodes now, where Sasha jumps out from behind things, and Witney jumps very high... but maybe that’s not really scared... just startled... OK...)
Anyway, they are doing a contemporary. Witney calls it “the creepiest dance she’s ever choreographed” (as visions of her creepy dance with Frankie Munoz goes rumbling through my brain...). They end the package with Witney locking Milo in the asylum.
There are just no words for this dance. Pretty amazing choreography, though.
Tom mentions that he didn’t think that Len “is a big fan of contemporary.” Len: “But, for some bizarre reason, I thought this was spellbinding. It was terrific.” Len says he thinks Milo is “going to be the first one back next week.” Bruno: “It was mind-bending, and insanely good. It was impeccably acted. It was superb.” Tom calls her “Scary Ann Inaba”: “It was impressive, and all the things they say, but it was such a beautifully nuanced, mature performance. What I so respect about you is how you were absolutely in control. The partnering! You guys are such a dynamic duo. We take it for granted how well you work together. It’s beautifully executed.”
Milo comes up the stairs and has some blood pack in his mouth or something, and Erin is REALLY not happy about that.
JUDGES’ SCORES: 30 (out of 30)
Back from commercial, the overhead shot shows us a graveyard (with kinda too many graves). Tom is talking about all the Halloween puns that are going to be coming at us.
Just look at everything about this! The costumes! The sets! The lighting! The makeup. Stunning stuff. But then, the dance! A paso doble.
The whole package, she’s talking about Anne Bolelyn, and he took her head off, and this dance is her revenge, or something. So, even though she’s dead, she’s going to try to take his head off now. John talks about how he barely understands most of the stuff Emma says “at the beginning of a dance.” John: “There’s a lot of steps, and hand placement, and shapes, but I’m not going to lose my head over it.” So, here we go.
Emma is so beautiful, and so fierce. And so damn good.
And, at the end... well, no spoilers. But it was fun. (No neck-breaking in this one.)
Tom: “Bruno, whatcha think?”
Bruno: “Oh my god. That really was an historical tragedy, on an epic scale, ending in carnage.” (Ooops. Bruno spoiled...) “I appreciate the fact that you attacked it like a war horse. I appreciate that you put so much in, but you’ve lost the refinement and the timing.” Carrie Ann: “My heart breaks, because I see how much effort you’ve put into it. It was filled with content, filled with lots of shaping. You pushed yourself really hard. I feel like you never quite got your feet under you. The paso, of all dances, you need to have that strength and the gravitas, in your posture, especially. This was maybe one of your roughest performances.” Len: “Everything you did in hold, I thought was terrific.”
JUDGES’ SCORES: 19 (out of 30)
A beautiful bumper from Gleb and Hayley. With singers and everything...
DeMarcus and Lindsay are doing a salsa. Lindsay’s concept is also that she is dead. She died as a bridesmaid. The troupe spices up this dance (love seeing Brit).
There was a lift in the middle of this dance that just made me gasp.
Carrie Ann: “For such a somber topic, you definitely lit up the ballroom with that. You guys were very clear, every dance step was executed with clarity. Normally, I’m the lift police, but with you, I’m becoming the lift fanatic, cause your lifts are out of this world.” (I’m still shaking from watching that one lift.)
Len: “It was full of rhythm, it was full of interesting choreography. You had two professional guys out there with you, you kept right up with them. From Week One, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you reach your potential. I think you had a breakthrough tonight.” Bruno: “You were part of the troupe, you were so in sync with the other dancers. I say, Lindsay, keep it going. He was firing on all cylinders tonight.”
JUDGES’ SCORES: 26 (out of 30)
Evanna says in her package that she is going to stop people-pleasing and just dance for herself. She is doing a tango tonight.
God, she is just fantastic to watch. I love her dancing. (I just keep wishing through the entire thing that she was with another partner.) Loved the other troupe cat women, too.
Len: “Plenty of tango content. Sharp, crisp as a Pringle. You came out and you just sold the whole dance.” Bruno: “I like what I see. She went from tame pussycat to a wild panther. Beautiful and devilish. So strong, so sexy, so in control, so slinky. The lines were absolutely beautiful. You placed it, and I never felt you were trying to keep up with him.” Carrie Ann: “Evanna’s on fire (echoing what Keo said in the package)... You are so fierce tonight. This is you, stepping up to the plate. You nailed that number. You worked hard, and it showed.”
JUDGES’ SCORES: 29 (out of 30)
After the commercial, we had this:
This was really an incredible performance by Jabbawockeez. Quite stunning. (They had been running around through the show, but I thought they were just Halloween flavor...) They are performing in Vegas. Do seek them out.
So, Witney, speaking of that creepy Frankie Munoz dance, really crossed a line when she first did that one. She had this like stalker dance, and it was one of her best (certainly most memorable) dances ever. Here is Sharna’s version of it. Danced to a creepy version of “Mr. Sandman.”
Wow. Creepy and sexy and a great Argentine tango. Lotsa feelings about this one. I also gotta say how much I love the pink poufy pumps. (So LA.) And Sharna is so gorgeous.
Tom: “I don’t know what your over-under is for neck cracks at home, but we’re at three right now.” (We’re actually at four, because Lindsay’s dance had three itself.)
Bruno: “Oh God. That was like an Argentine nightmare. The storytelling and involvement was absolutely chilling.” He basically says there wasn’t enough Argentine tango. Carrie Ann: “This is so bizarre. I wouldn’t expect myself to say this, but that was your best dance so far. You were just so authentically in the moment. You told the story so well. It was a very simple Argentine tango, yes, but that was within your wheelhouse. What you did tonight mesmerized me and drew me completely into the performance.” Len: “It had mood and it had atmosphere. I would’ve liked a bit more Argentine tango. But I liked it, and I liked the feel of the dance throughout.”
Bobby talks about what a great coach Sharna is. How hardworking, etc.
JUDGES’ SCORES: 22 (out of 30)
Can I just say how very much I miss Allison Holker as a pro on this show? Sure, I know, babies are important, and all that, but damn...she was really something special on this show. I have missed her every show since she left, and now, here she is, BACK. Well, ok, maybe only for one dance, but still...
Allison Holker, her husband Twitch, and their dance troupe. So awesome. Something about FREEFORM’s YouTube channel... (is where you can find them).
Mary Lou and Sasha talk about vulnerability in their package. She talks about going through a divorce in February, after 27 years of marriage. I was just starting to bum out, because I hadn’t yet seen any Sasha scares: a beloved feature of every Halloween on DWTS. Ah ha! At last! Here they are.
A very nice tango, with lots of effects and stuff. My favorite move was when teacher Mary Lou pushes away a chair, so that Sasha can jump there. Complicated and clever. They have two bookcases full of books, so that the special effects team can make them drop down. And at the end, Mary Lou gives a demonic laugh. Nice.
Carrie Ann: “You channeled all that energy. But the dance got a little away from you.” Len: “Scary Mary. You needed slightly cleaner feet. The saving grace was it was full of tango content.” Bruno: “I like it, darling. Let it all out. You deliver what’s on the menu. It says: TANGO, and you deliver a tango.”
Tom asks her how hard it’s been, and she talks about how great the people are (on the show) and that they “are my family.” She calls Sasha “a brother for life.” He hugs her.
JUDGES’ SCORES: 24 (out of 30)
The hot men of DWTS—minus the one who just danced... (Val C., Artem, Brandon and Gleb) do another round of Purple People Eater, with their shirts wide open. Am I complaining? HELL no... Thanks, guys.
In preparation for their jazz dance to “Candyman,” Alexis and Alan go to the Candy Store in the Grove. Alexis talks in her package about how she’s “developing feelings for Alan.” At the moment, he doesn’t (on camera, at least) reciprocate them. Although he hugs her pretty good.
They have other people coming out, you know, dressed as candy and such. Tom: “I know Hayley was supposed to be a dancing Mirror Ball, but suddenly I’m craving Jiffy Pop.” LOL I swear, Tom makes me laugh so much.
Len: “Candy is dandy, and so was that performance. A lot of content in there. A lot of fun. I enjoyed it so much.” Bruno: “I love a bit of light relief. Enough sugar to last a lifetime. What you do is so effortless. You really are an all-American dancing beauty.” Carrie Ann: “You’re just so adorable. Every time you come on the dance floor, you just light it up in such a sweet way. The partnership you guys have is there. It’s trust. It makes it so easy.”
Erin tries to put Alan on the hot seat about this relationship. Quite fun.
JUDGES’ SCORES: 27 (out of 30)
This was actually to announce that these wonderful people are going on another DWTS Live tour. (So glad they do this. Hope you managed to see it.) The big news is that Val was also joining the tour!
Bats keep flying at us, through the whole show...
Joe notes that he really thought they were going home last week. Everyone seems to need some motivation for their dances. So Jenna gets the idea (or the producers do) of having Jenna and Val go on a double date with Joe and Kendall. To the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride.
OK, can I just say how bizarre it is to see the Bride of Frankenstein do an Argentine tango with Frankenstein? Ok, then.
They are doing this dance to a really trippy version of “Roxanne.” But Jenna is just so fantastic. I actually really love this dance.
It was really good until Joe dropped her at the end. Yikes. (Luckily, she was ok.)
Bruno: “Actually, your tango didn’t scare me. It looked like an Argentine tango.” Carrie Ann: “I am blown away that you learned how to dance from the Halloween Horrors night. Truthfully. What a huge change.” Carrie Ann says she’s going to give him a bonus point for the end, even though he dropped Jenna. “You held it to the end. You didn’t give up, which is what you normally do.” Len: “Sometimes on the darkest days, a ray of sunshine breaks through. For me, Joe, that was your best dance.”
JUDGES’ SCORES: 22 (out of 30)
That is their highest score. Everyone starts chanting: “Joe! Joe! Joe”
Tom: “They are competing against each other, but they are cheering each other on. We love that about this show.”
I just noticed that the judges’ desk is covered in cobwebs. So cool.
Cheryl tells Juan Pablo in the package that they are doing a jive to “Dead Man’s Party.” Juan Pablo: “Oh, I love that song!” Then, he proceeds to draw what he wants for his costume. Cheryl: “Juan Pablo is the first to draw his own costume.”
They do an amazing jive. And once again, I am left thinking at the end of this episode, that for sure Cheryl and Juan Pablo are going to win this thing. They just seem to do this so effortlessly. Their dances are so amazing.
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| Juan Pablo and Cheryl Burke, with an assist from Brit. Courtesy of ABC/Disney. |
Carrie Ann: “I don’t have much to say, that was just sheer perfection. And the costume, also.” Len: “What I liked was that you got the balance right between the theme and the dance. And also, you got the How of the technique, you got the Wow of the performance. I saw nothing I didn’t like.” Bruno: “I bow to thee, your Majesties. That was a triumph for the Pharoah. But apart from that, the jive itself was absolutely spot-on. Perfection all the way through.”
JUDGES’ SCORES: 30 (out of 30)
So, who’s going home tonight?
Mary Lou and Sasha are going home. :-(
Miche’s Favorites of Halloween Night:
1. Juan Pablo and Cheryl (jive)
2. Mary Lou and Sasha (tango)
3. Bobby and Sharna (Argentine tango)
4. Milo and Witney (contemporary)
5. Alexis and Alan (jazz)
6. Evanna and Keo (tango)
7. John and Emma (paso doble)
8. DeMarcus and Lindsay (salsa)
9. Joe and Jenna (Argentine tango)
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