Dancing with the Sophie: Halloween Night Edition

By: Sophie Asher, Multimedia Director

Sharing harsh opinions and giving unsolicited advice is what I do best, so you already know it’s time for me to give another “Dancing With the Stars” review! This time, we’re more than halfway through the season, so my opinions have changed quite a bit since last I wrote. 

“In no particular order,” I want to go through the remaining eight couples (plus the most recently eliminated pair) and share my thoughts on where I think each of them stands in the competition as of Halloween night. Buckle up, folks. 

Jen Affleck and Jan Ravnik: I thought I would go ahead and acknowledge this week’s eliminated pair first. By no means do I think these two were bad performers, but with such steep competition and talented pairings, they ultimately fell short in the end. Some might argue that the outcome was influenced by Jen's overbearing husband or that Jan ‘doesn’t deserve to be in the competition,’ but at the end of the day, it was anyone’s game. I overall enjoyed their contemporary dance to “Look What You Made Me Do” by Taylor Swift on Tuesday. 

Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa: Let me just say, I think these two have been on fire recently. Ezra received criticism in week one for his lackluster choreography, but he said “hold my drink,” and turned things around, completely wowing everyone since! Jordan’s prior gymnastics skills and flexibility are really showcased in their performances as well, which is a fun touch. I have this couple in my finals prediction. They’re my underdogs, and they’d be so deserving of the Mirrorball if they won, especially considering Ezra’s traumatic first season. After rewatching their contemporary dance to “Elastic Heart” by Sia, I appreciated it more than I did the first time.

Danielle Fishel and Pasha Pashkov: To be completely honest, I don’t think these two will be long for this competition. Danielle and Pasha are very sweet individuals who are often overshadowed, flying under the radar for much of the season. I’ll even admit – I often forget about them. Despite what the judges may have thought, I enjoyed their Viennese waltz to “Die With A Smile” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars. I remember telling my friends that they did a good job as we watched on Tuesday.

Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas: These two are obnoxiously talented, but nobody is really impressed – let’s be honest. In my opinion, Mark Ballas swoops in and out of the show whenever it benefits him, always landing the top celebrity dancer that season. From heavy online discourse to their embarrassing giveaway failure, they are surely not getting the popular vote; however, their scores from the judges are securing their seat every time. And while I do think Whitney is amazing, her musicality has been off in two dances now. I believe they will make it to the finals, but ultimately won’t have the popularity to win. There was something off about their jazz dance to “Brain Stew” by Green Day, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. 

Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovisky: These two are the “it” couple of the season, let me just say. They are well-liked and ultra-talented. I am almost certain they will not just make it to the finals but will be in the top two. Admittedly, I was underwhelmed by their dance on Wicked night, but they were right back on top with that Argentine tango to “Bury a Friend” by Billie Eilish for Halloween night. 

Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach: While Dylan has been improving, I feel like he could do literally anything and be praised to high heaven. It’s like my baby cousin playing in her pack ‘n play while the whole family “oohs” and “ahhs” over every little thing she does. Daniella is arguably the most talented female pro on the show and could have chemistry with a tree branch, allowing her to effortlessly dance circles around Dylan and captivate the audience. I thought their Viennese waltz this week to “Can’t Help Falling in Love” was pretty good. I believe this pairing will just miss the finals by a week or so.

Andy Richter and Emma Slater: You can hate me if you want, but I am not an Andy apologist. He was cute the first couple weeks, but really? He’s still here? I think it is now unfair that couples like Rylee and Scott and Jen and Jan were eliminated before him. If these two make it to the finals, you will see me rioting. Their paso doble to “Symphony No. 5” was probably their best dance, but boy, was the stage crew sneaky, blowing all that smoke over Andy’s feet to hide his imperfections. Anyways, happy late birthday, king. 

Robert Irwin and Witney Carson: I mean, yeah, Robert is just sunshine in human form. These two will easily be finalists, capturing the hearts of America along the way. I honestly think Robert had a few weeks where his progress seemed to plateau, but after the moving contemporary for his mom on dedication night, he’s been back in business ever since. He and Witney’s Argentine tango to “Sweet Dreams are Made of This” by the Hampton String Quartet was in my top few dances of Halloween night. 

Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten: Alright, I saved my favorite pair for last, so fair warning – this will be a passionate excerpt. I feel so bad for this couple, as something seems to be going wrong for them constantly. From issues with Elaine’s titanium joint to being vastly underscored on dedication night, I figured the odds would be in their favor for the rest of the competition. But nope. Just before the show, Elaine suffered a rib injury and was hospitalized for the rest of the night. As a result, the judges were asked to score their routine based on their rehearsal footage. For being just a rehearsal, the pair did an excellent job with their Argentine tango to “Bad to the Bone” by 2 WEI & Bri Bryant. If this dance was actually performed on show night, it would have received tens. These two are a story of growth, and I would be incredibly proud if they ended the competition with a mirrorball. As a side note – never put poor Alan up on the chopping block alone again (though I’ll admit, it made for good TV).

The Monster-Thon: As somewhat of a new viewer, I was recently introduced to the concept of the “Monster-Thon.” It was essentially a dance marathon bonus round where all the couples danced at the same time, being called off the floor one-by-one until only one finalist remained. The longer a couple stayed on the floor, the more points were added to their final scores. Now that I explained the premise, I can get into why I think it was RIGGED and my overarching theory. I believe the judges foreshadowed the season’s final four: Whitney and Mark, Alix and Val, Robert and Witney and Jordan and Ezra, since they were the last four remaining couples in the Monster-Thon. And of course, Whitney and Mark were crowned as winners. All in all, the results just seemed kind of fishy and unfair.

Overall, I’m really enjoying Season 34 of “Dancing with the Stars,” as it has been full of surprises and plenty of drama. With the popularity of “Dancing with the Stars” on the rise, social media has completely transformed the viewing experience. It has given people the chance to debate performances, argue passionately about eliminations and write heavily opinionated articles for their university’s student newspaper. I’m curious to hear from you: What are your opinions on this season so far, and who do you think deserves the Mirrorball trophy?