Something wicked this way comes… oh wait, that’s just Shirley Ballas as Horror Movie Night’s guest judge!
Dancing With the Stars Week 7 brought the haunts of iconic horror films to the ballroom, and things got scary in more ways than one.
Since there was no elimination following Dedication Night, two couples were axed by the end of the night.
The Recap
But first, let’s highlight the top of the leaderboard, which combined scores from Dedication Night and Horror Movie Night.
Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson’s Saw-inspired contemporary earned them the first perfect score of the season, a standing ovation from Carrie Ann Inaba and the top spot on the combined leaderboard with 76 points.
Jenna beamed in the skybox as she reveled in the high praise from Shirley Ballas, especially given the fallout from “Liftgate.”
Speaking of Liftgate, Val Chmerkovskiy returned to the ballroom following a one-week suspension after making a joke aimed at Carrie Ann that referenced Will Smith’s infamous Oscars slap.
I genuinely appreciated Val taking the time to earnestly apologize to his partner, Jenna Dewan, during their pre-dance package for coloring her experience in the competition.
Jenna and Val earned a 37 for their 28 Weeks Later-inspired Argentine tango, bringing their combined total to 74 and tying Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov, who performed the same dance style to Black Swan.
Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold landed in the middle of the leaderboard with their Annabelle-inspired contemporary, earning their first 10s of the season.
While I’ve come to be a fan of Connor’s personality, I can’t say his dances typically move me. But Horror Movie Night made me eat my words!
Then came the scary part.
The bottom three consisted of Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa, Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik, and Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess.
And while Jackson Olson and Emma Slater’s Joker-inspired contemporary wasn’t the lowest-scoring dance of the night, it still couldn’t save them from America’s axe.
Jackson and Emma were eliminated alongside Tyler and Sharna in the night’s double elimination.
Tyler’s exit came just one week after the emotional Dedication Night episode, where he and fiancée Tate Madden announced they’re expecting a baby girl.
Keep scrolling for the complete Horror Movie Night scoring breakdown:
Julia Stiles & Ezra Sosa
Argentine Tango — The Omen
Bruno Tonioli: 8
Shirley Ballas: 4
Derek Hough: 7
Carrie Ann Inaba: 7
Total: 26/40
Harry Shum Jr. & Jenna Johnson
Contemporary — Saw
Bruno Tonioli: 10
Shirley Ballas: 10
Derek Hough: 10
Carrie Ann Inaba: 10
Total: 40/40
Tatyana Ali & Jan Ravnik
Paso Doble — Sinners
Bruno Tonioli: 8
Shirley Ballas: 4
Derek Hough: 8
Carrie Ann Inaba: 8
Total: 28/40
Editor’s Note: Tatyana and Jan were the only couple to perform a Latin dance with the Queen of Latin herself, Shirley Ballas, sitting on the judging panel.
Jenna Dewan & Val Chmerkovskiy
Argentine Tango — 28 Weeks Later
Bruno Tonioli: 9
Shirley Ballas: 9
Derek Hough: 10
Carrie Ann Inaba: 9
Total: 37/40
Connor Wood & Rylee Arnold
Contemporary — Annabelle
Bruno Tonioli: 9
Shirley Ballas: 8
Derek Hough: 10
Carrie Ann Inaba: 10
Total: 37/40
Ezra Frech & Daniella Karagach
Jazz — The Invisible Man
Bruno Tonioli: 9
Shirley Ballas: 9
Derek Hough: 9
Carrie Ann Inaba: 8
Total: 35/40
Jackson Olson & Emma Slater
Contemporary — Joker
Bruno Tonioli: 9
Shirley Ballas: 8
Derek Hough: 9
Carrie Ann Inaba: 9
Total: 35/40
Tyler Cameron & Sharna Burgess
Viennese Waltz
Bruno Tonioli: 7
Shirley Ballas: 5
Derek Hough: 7
Carrie Ann Inaba: 7
Total: 26/40
Amber Glenn & Pasha Pashkov
Argentine Tango — Black Swan
Bruno Tonioli: 9
Shirley Ballas: 9
Derek Hough: 9
Carrie Ann Inaba: 9
Total: 36/40
Maura Higgins & Mark Ballas
Contemporary — The Lost Boys
Bruno Tonioli: 8
Shirley Ballas: 7
Derek Hough: 8
Carrie Ann Inaba: 9
Total: 32/40
Next week, the eight remaining couples will pivot from something scary to something a little more magical because Disney on Broadway Night is here!
And Cynthia Erivo will bring some extra magic to the ballroom as she joins the judging panel as a guest judge.
