“Dancing with the Stars” has a strong set of
contenders heading into the finals next week.
On Monday night’s show, the pairs set to compete in the
Season 21 finals were revealed at the end of the night.
(Spoiler alert! This story reveals the results of
“DWTS.”)
Tamar Braxton had to withdraw from the competition last week
due to health reasons, and it paved the way for all four couples who competed
on Monday – Bindi Irwin and Derek Hough, Alek
Skarlatos and Lindsay Arnold, Carlos PenaVega and Witney Carson, and Nick Carter and Sharna Burgess – to
continue on to next week’s two-night finals.
No one learned the news until the end of the night, and so
Monday night’s show, which featured three rounds of competition – one regular
partner dance, a dance off and a trio dance – saw the competitors churning out
strong performances.
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Round 1 belonged to train hero Alek, who danced a moving
waltz with Lindsay to a perfect score from the judges. After his performance,
host Tom Bergeron took a moment to reflect on last Friday’s Paris tragedy. Tom
noted Alek’s connection to the city since he and his friends stopped a gunman
on a Paris-bound train back in August.
“I think it’s safe to say that all of our thoughts and
prayers have been with the people of Paris this weekend, and I couldn’t help
but think that for you and Spencer [Stone] and Anthony [Sadler] that had to be
even more vividly true,” Tom said, mentioning the friends Alek stopped the
gunman with. (Alek’s friends spoke in his video package before his first performance on
Monday night’s “DWTS.”)
“France has had a tough year, ever since Charlie Hebdo,
obviously. … My heart just goes out to everybody in France,” Alek
said.
Carlos and Witney came in second during that first round,
scoring 28 points for their contemporary routine, which judge Bruno Tonioli
said was like “Tarzan doing Cirque du Soleil with a little Thunder from
Down Under.”
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Bindi and Derek were one point behind, netting 27 out of 30
for a salsa Judge Carrie Ann Inaba said was “uplifting” and
“really fun.”
Nick and Sharna finished the opening round with 24 points
for their tango, which Bruno noted had some mistakes. He told the pair to
“just forget about it, come back, and be better.”
The dance off round then took two pairs, and had them each
perform the same dance. Alek and Lindsay, and Carlos and Witney, performed
their own cha cha routines. Carlos and Witney edged out their competitors and
took home an additional 3 points. Bindi and Derek and Nick and Sharna then
tackled the samba, with Bindi and Derek earning the bonus 3.
The leaderboard shook up again in the final round, which
featured trio routines.
Bindi hit the “DWTS” ballroom first, performing a fascinating jazz routine with Derek and his longtime pal Mark Ballas that
earned them a perfect score and the top of the leaderboard. Bruno was so
impressed with their number, he called it “a totally compelling and
intriguing work of genius.”
Alek took to the floor next with Lindsay and Emma Slater for
an Argentine tango that brought them straight 9s from the judges.
“One thing is for sure, it takes three to tango, and
you handled the threesome like an expert,” Bruno said, as Alek and Lindsay
brought their total to 57 for the night.
Alex and Witney tried out the Charleston for their trio
dance with Karina Smirnoff, and managed to add 29 points (only Carrie Ann gave
them a 9) to their score. Their overall total for the evening tied them at the top of the
leaderboard with Bindi and Derek.
It was a strong round too for Nick and Sharna, who did their
trio dance with the help of Peta Murgatroyd. Their salsa impressed the judges,
who gave them a perfect 30.
“You came back,” Carrie Ann said. “This was
the most solid you’ve ever been on your feet.”
Monday night’s leaderboard was:
Bindi & Derek: 60
Alex & Witney: 60
Alek & Lindsay: 57
Nick & Sharna: 54
— Jolie Lash
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