This week on Dancing with the Stars, the remaining contenders battled for survival after an emotional, non-elimination effort last time.
Who continued to emerge as contenders? Who was sweating it out as the Dancing with the Stars results loomed at the end of the evening?
Guest judge Pitbull charmed with high scores on Latin night, but there was an elimination on the line, and someone had to go home.
Who would it be? Let’s find out …
Jana Kramer and Gleb Savchenko were so hot, Bruno fell out of his chair and the rest of the judges were nearly at a loss for words.
Real chemistry, people.
Carrie Ann said that they went at it “as if she were going to take that Mirrorball Trophy,” and Pitbull invited Jana to strip out of her dress.
She declined, which was the only blemish in an otherwise perfect night for Jana, who tallied the maximum 40 out of 40 points on Monday.
That 40 was good enough for first place outright; James Hinchcliffe and Sharna Burgess dazzled with a rumba that earned them a 38.
Like Jana, James claimed he had trouble channeling his sexy side, but to deal with this obstacle, he created an alter ego named Ricardo.
As Ricardo, James felt more at ease keeping things hot and heavy, and all we can say is that whatever it takes man. Keep it coming.
Julianne said Hinchcliffe is “hands down the best male dancer” they’ve ever had on the show, which could be a reach … but he was great.
Ryan Lochte? Not as much.
Loch Mess compared learning the fast steps of the salsa to taking the SATs, which we can’t for the life of us picture him studying for.
Maybe that’s his point.
Praised by the judges for how much he committed to the routine artistically, there wasn’t any real musicality … or dancing to be honest.
Terra Jole and Sasha Farber struggled as well on the paso doble, as she couldn’t quite muster the fierce side that really drove it home.
Julianne said it wasn’t her best dance; Carrie Ann said she was “one-dimensional,” Pitbull said may have overthought it, and so forth.
Elsewhere in this week of competition …
Calvin Johnson and Lindsay Arnold, as well as Laurie Hernandez and Val Chmerkovskiy, tied at 37, claiming a share of third place.
Marilu Henner and Derek Hough put up 34 points, while Maureen McCormick and Artem Chigvintsev posted a 31, solidly in the middle.
Amber Rose and Maksim Chmerkovskiy slid down a bit with a 28, and while they weren’t in the bottom two, they were the ones eliminated.
“It was such an amazing experience,” she said.
“People don’t know this about me, but I’m really shy in a lot of ways, and I think that showed on the ballroom floor. I tried my best.”
“Thank you so much for having me here.”
What do you think? Did the judges and the voters get it right in sending Amber home? Or should someone else have been cut loose?
Who do you think is poised to win it all?
Right now, our money is on Jana Kramer, who looks 100 percent locked in, but James could easily give her a run for the top spot too.
The saga continues next Monday!