Season 25 of "Dancing With The Stars" has come a long way since episode 1! After an exciting Halloween episode, there's a lot to review! From spooky costumes to a shocking double elimination, this episode definitely kept everyone on the edge of their seats.
Dance and score review
First up were partners Victoria Arlen and Val Chmerkovskiy. They chose the Viennese Waltz to go with the song "The Night We Met" by Lord Huron (side note: this is the theme song for "13 Reasons Why", which gave the song a whole new dimension of eeriness). The two dressed as a couple who rose from the grave and engaged in an amorous dance that reminisced on the love they had while alive.
Victoria wore a beautiful, flowy white dress, and Val was clad in an all-white tuxedo. They executed the dance wonderfully, and the judges rewarded them with three scores of nine for a result of 27 points.
Next to dance were partners Jordan Fisher and Lindsay Arnold. Choosing a much more upbeat route, the couple performed the Paso Doble to the song "Animals" by Martin Garrix. The costumes, song choice, and dance were impeccable. Jordan dressed as a werewolf, and he, along with a group of other werewolves, began the dance on an elevated stage. Once they jumped down, Lindsay was revealed in a Little Red Riding costume. After an intense "Thriller"-like dance-off between Lindsay and the wolves, she was stripped of her red hood and revealed as a werewolf.
Once the dance was completed, the applause made it clear that the audience was very impressed. Luckily for Jordan and Lindsay, so were the judges; they received a perfect score of 30.
Third to the stage was Nikki Bella and her partner Artem Chigvintsev. To accompany the song "I Put a Spell on You" by Bette Midler, they chose the jive.
The dance opened to Artem drinking a coffee in a store called "Spellbucks", a reference to the popular chain known as "Starbucks", only for the coffee to have been charmed by Nikki the witch. Spell-bound, Artem followed Nikki around the stage while she controlled many of his motions. The dance, while fun and creative, had obvious mistakes and was a bit boring.
The judges gave them three scores of eight, resulting in a score of 24.
Vanessa Lachey and Maksim Chmerkovskiy were up next. They performed the second Paso Doble of the night to the song "Game of Survival" by Ruelle. Vanessa, dressed in a white gown, found herself surrounded by zombies, one of whom was her partner Maskim. He and his group overtook Vanessa, turning her into a zombie as well. The dance was exciting, but not enough to impress the judges. They ended with a result of 24 points.
Terrell Owens and Cheryl Burke took the stage and mixed things up with a Tango to "Super Freak" by Rick James. Terrell, dressed as a nerd/vampire, approached Cheryl's door while he was trick-or-treating. Cheryl, dressed as a witch, invited him into her home.
The two of them seductively tangoed all over the room. The dance was well-executed but a little dull, so they received a score of 25.
Performing the third Paso Doble of the night was couple Lindsey Stirling and Mark Ballas. They danced to Lindsey's beautiful violin recording of "Roundtable Rivals". Dressed as wanted skeleton bandits, the two had an intense dance-off. Despite Lindsey's rib injury, she performed wonderfully, and the two ended with a score of 27.
Following them was the pair Frankie Muniz and Witney Carson. They chose a contemporary dance to accompany the song "Every Breath You Take" by Chase Holfelder. Frankie, dressed as a stalker, watched Witney through her window and proceeded to enter her house.
The two battled each other as Frankie attempted to attack Witney, and the result was haunting, yet beautiful. The dance closed with Witney unsure of whether she had just imagined the scene, but with Frankie still lurking outside her window. The raw emotion and intensity of the dance won them a perfect score of 30 points.
Last to take the stage was Drew Scott and Emma Slater. They performed the Charleston to the song "Remains of the Day" by Danny Elfman. The two wore costumes that perfectly matched the song and dance. The dance was adorable, and Tim Burton surely would have been proud! Despite a minor slip-up, the judges loved the endearing dance and awarded it 27 points.
Team dances
Team Monster Mash, comprising of Nikki, Terrell, Jordan, and Lindsey, took the stage first.
The group was lost in a corn maze, and monsters entered to dance with them throughout the performance. The dance was upbeat, fun, and extremely cute. The judges, however, were not thrilled with the dance and gave the team a score of 24.
Next up was Team Phantom of the Opera, which included Frankie, Vanessa, Drew, and Victoria. Dressed in elegant clothing and masks, the team owned the stage with dramatic movements and skilled stunts. The judges were much happier with this performance and gave them a perfect score of 30.
The shocking ending
At the end, four pairs faced elimination. While the contestants were all hoping for treats, all of them received a trick: a double elimination!!! Sent home was Nikki Bella and Vanessa Lachey.
Terrell and Drew stayed on to see another week!
Episode 9 sneak peeks
Like the Halloween episode, the contestants must learn two dances. One dance must be in a style that the contestant has never learned before, and the other dance involves a third person in the dance who previously starred on "Dancing with the Stars". These special guests have been revealed! Joining the contestants on Episode 9 are Kelly Monaco, Corbin Bleu, Kristi Yamaguchi, Alfonso Ribeiro, Rashad Jennings, and Laurie Hernandez! If you loved these contestants, be sure to tune in on October 6th!
If you haven't been watching this season and want to start now, here's everything you need to know!