Things definitely got spooky in the ballroom on Tuesday, October 28. It was a personal favorite night of the year – Halloween Night on DWTS! The remaining nine couples danced a Halloween-inspired routine and competed in a heated Dance Monster-thon challenge later on in the night! There was even a guest judge, DWTS vet and 2-time champion, Cheryl Burke! The week leading up to Halloween Night was filled with many unexpected surprises, from injuries to sickness, so it was safe to say that this definitely shook things up.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Whitney Leavitt and her partner Mark Ballas were up first with a Jazz to “Brain Stew” by Green Day. In her pre-recorded package, Leavitt shared she was “very overwhelmed” and is feeling the pressures of juggling her life, family, and the show. Leavitt powered through, and the judges noticed as well. Judge Bruno Tonioli called it a “mind blowing” performance. Burke added that she was “impressed” with their partnership and Ballas’ choreography, but also that they need to “watch their timing” and their peripheral vision. Carrie Ann Inaba agreed and explained they were “slightly” out of sync, but encouraged Leavitt to allow herself to make mistakes. The couple earned themselves a 37 out of 40.
Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles had the next dance with her partner Ezra Sosa. The couple danced a Contemporary to “Elastic Heart.” In her pre-recorded package, Chiles opened up about her experience with depression early on in her gymnastic career and how she really connects to the song “Elastic Heart.” Sosa took a creative risk with the choreography this week by having Chiles in a harness and he used the harness to move her around. After the dance, Tonioli said, “nothing can hold her back, because you believe.” However, the other judges had some critiques. Inaba explained that she loved that she “explored” new movements, but felt that Chiles “struggled” with the prop. Hough added that the execution wasn’t “fully realized.” The couple ended up scoring a 34 out of 40.
Actor Andy Richter and his partner Emma Slater were next with a Paso Doble to “Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67: I. Allegro con brio” by Ludwig van Beethoven. The judges had kind words to share after the routine, Burke calling Richter “the heart of the show,” Inaba telling the actor that he gets “better and better” each week, and Hough snapped his “6” paddle in half. Despite the kind words, Richter is clearly still the bottom of the pack, and the couple only earned themselves a 26 out of 40, landing them, once again, at the bottom of the leaderboard.
It was then time for actress Elaine Hendrix and her partner Alan Bersten to dance their Argentine Tango to “Bad to the Bone” by 2WEI and Bri Bryant. That morning during dress rehearsal, Hendrix felt that her rib was “twisted” and was rushed to the hospital. At the time of the live show, Hendrix was still at the hospital, but the doctors had cleared Hendrix to continue competing in the competition. Since the actress couldn’t perform live that night, the judges had to judge the recorded dress rehearsal footage. Just from the footage alone, it is clear that Hendrix had put in hard work this week and would’ve given a great live performance. The judges had to judge based on what they saw in the video, and the couple earned themselves a 32 out of 40. Hendrix would be able to continue in the competition as long as she survived the elimination happening later in the night.
Actress Danielle Fishel was next with her partner Pasha Pashkov with their Viennese Waltz to “Die with a Smile” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars. In her pre-recorded package, Fishel shared with Pashkov that she wanted the dance to be like a murder mystery, and it be revealed at the end of the dance that she’s been dead the whole time. Pashkov brought Fishel’s dream to life, but the couple got some critiques from the judges. Burke commented that she was happy it was a “proper” Waltz, but she wanted to see more emotion. Inaba agreed and said she had “mixed emotions” about the performance and that Fishel needs to “let her power out.” The routine earned the couple a 33 out of 40.
Wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin and his partner Witney Carson then danced an Argentine Tango to “Sweet Dreams are Made of This” by the Hampton String Quartet. In his pre-recorded package, Irwin explained that this week he didn’t want the judges to think “he can dance,” but think that “he is a dancer.” Irwin clearly achieved his goal, with Tonioli sharing that he “literally killed it. That was deadly hot.” Burke called Irwin “a showman” and Inaba said she “believed” Irwin as a leading man for the Argentine Tango and that he “led” the whole dance. The couple earned themselves a 38 out of 40.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Jen Affleck had the next dance with her partner Jan Ravnik. The couple danced a Contemporary to “Look What You Made Me Do” by Taylor Swift. Since Ravnik was Swift’s backup dancer on the Eras Tour, many believed that this would be a good week for the couple. The couple did experience some hiccups along the way when Ravnik unexpectedly came down with the flu. The pro pushed through and was able to dance on show day. After the dance, Burke shared that the routine was Affleck’s “best dance,” but she wanted the couple to work on their “connection.” Tonioli added that he wants to see Affleck “let the beast out.” The couple earned themselves a 32 out of 40.
Social media influencer Alix Earle was next with her partner Val Chmerkovskiy with a Tango to “Bury A Friend” by Billie Eilish. In her pre-recorded package, Earle shared that she asked Chmerkovskiy to go “harder” on her. Chmerkovskiy did as Earle asked, which left Earle in tears from the stress, but Earle’s dedication to wanting a more challenging dance was worth it since the “ghoulish” routine was a personal favorite of the night. Hough praised the Tango saying, “That was chilling, intense. It was sharp; it was controlled. That was fantastic.” The routine earned the couple 39 out of 40 points, landing them at the top of the leaderboard.
Reality TV star Dylan Efron and his partner Daniella Karagach had the last dance of the night before the Dance Monster-thon. The couple danced a Viennese Waltz to “Can’t Help Falling in Love (DARK)” by Tommee Profitt and brooke. During rehearsal this week, Karagach accidentally elbowed Efron in the face, breaking his nose. The injury didn’t hold the couple back and they gave the dance their all. Their efforts were noticed by the judges, Burke commenting, “”You are the most improved couple of the season” and Hough adding Efron moves “smooth as silk.” The routine earned the couple a 35 out of 40.
It was then time for the Dance Monster-thon! Each couple gets their own spot on the ballroom floor and the goal is to be the last couple still dancing after the judges begin to vote out couples. After the judges began voting couples out, the last two couples standing were Earle and Chmerkovskiy and Leavitt and Ballas. In the end, the judges crowned Leavitt and Ballas the winners and they earned themselves some bonus points.
After the Dance Monster-thon, it was time for the night’s elimination. Co-hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough first announced that over 55 million votes were casted, the most votes in DWTS history! The co-hosts then announced which couples were safe, which left Leavitt and Ballas, Hendrix and Bersten (Bersten going through elimination alone due to Hendrix’s absence), and Affleck and Ravnik as the bottom three couples. It was then announced that Affleck and Ravnik were going home.
Episode eight was Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Night, and it premiered on Tuesday, November 4.