Season 34 of Dancing with the Stars has taken the internet by storm, but the eighth episode, “Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Night,” proved to be a bit rocky.
Recent Hall of Fame inductee Flavor Flav made the night a bit of a disaster, throwing score paddles and failing to say anything of substance, but he was entertaining nonetheless.
Influencer Dylan Efron, who has spent most of the season in the middle of the pack, danced a jive to Elton John’s “I’m Still Standing.” The dance gave: Awkward white boy tries to dance, but really should stick to anything but that. The judges really only made comments on his abs because his moves were sloppy, but then rewarded him with a 36 out of 40 (with a questionable 10 from Flav).
Social media star Alix Earle, who topped the leaderboard last week, danced the Paso Doble to “Livin’ on a Prayer.” She dazzled in a black leather dress with a fierce performance. Flav, who had just given Efron a 10, gave Earle’s much better dance a nine despite her receiving all 10s from the professional judges.
Comedian Andy Richter performed a contemporary dance to “God Only Knows.” Now you might be asking, why (and how) is Richter still in the show? I wish I knew. Richter, who has found a consistent home at the very bottom of the leaderboard, has been carried through the weeks by votes from fans at home.
The judges have all but given up on giving him real dance advice and instead have taken to pretending to cry over how important it is to give people who can’t dance a platform on the biggest dance show in the world!
Mormon mom influencer Whitney Leavitt also danced the Paso Doble. With lots of edgy skirt flips and twists, she totally slayed pro Mark Ballas’ choreography. Judge Derek Hough even went as far as to call the dance “perfection.” Judge Carrie Ann Inaba, with one of her usual terrible takes, was the only one not to award Leavitt a 10.
Actress Danielle Fishel, who has struggled to achieve a breakthrough dance and is usually awarded mediocre scores, danced contemporary to “Dream On.” Although I adore Fishel’s grit and ability to take criticism, she failed to take her dance to the next level.
A gorgeous Viennese waltz was delivered by the one and only Elaine Hendrix (formerly Meredith Blake in the Parent Trap). Despite being one of the oldest contestants in the competition, she excelled with grace and glam this week — receiving a score of 37 and her first 10 of the season from Flav.
Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles has been one of the more up-and-down performers this season. Her Tina Turner-inspired jazz performance, however, had it all. With flips, tricks and a fabulous wig, she earned a score of 38.
Everyone’s favorite wildlife conservationist, Robert Irwin, also performed a Paso Doble. This was a dance that was slightly too intense at times for the golden retriever in human form. The judges, however, said Irwin is on track to reach the finals, scoring a 38.
The episode capped off with the team round, where the eight contestants were split into two teams to perform alongside live bands. The scores for both teams were added to the final leaderboard of the night.
In a heartbreaking (and in my opinion unfair) elimination, Fishel and her pro partner, Pasha Pashkov, were sent home. Which means Richter, who easily reclaimed his spot on the bottom of the leaderboard, will be on our screens once again next Tuesday for the DWTS 20th birthday party episode.
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