The Mirrorball Trophy is in sight! With the original 13 couples whittled down to just six, things are getting competitive in the Dancing With the Stars ballroom. This week's quarterfinals were especially fierce, as each couple had to perform an "America's choice" routine voted on by the fans, and a trio with one other DWTS pro. Much to everyone's surprise, last week's lowest-scoring couple, Tommy and Peta, were deemed safe from elimination at the very top of the show, meaning that one of the other five couples would be going home instead. Let's recap!
Alfonso Ribeiro and Witney Carson
Dance No. 1: Foxtrot to "Ain't That a Kick in the Head" by Robbie Williams
The judges loved Alfonso and Witney's first dance. Julianne Hough raved that he was "elegant" and "tall" and "vibrant," while Len Goodman gushed that it was "full of razzamatazz." Only Carrie Ann Inaba thought it was lacking a little something extra to pull her in — but even she gave them a near-perfect score.
Score: 37 out of 40 (10 from Bruno Tonioli, 9 from everyone else)
Dance No. 2: Paso doble with Lindsay Arnold to "Turn Down for What" by DJ Snake and Lil Jon
Alfonso's second dance was a rousing success — the "ride of the night," according to Bruno. Carrie Ann gave it a standing ovation, and even Len said he loved the routine…despite the song that accompanied it.
Score: 40 out of 40 (10 from everyone)
Tommy Chong and Peta Murgatroyd
Dance No. 1: Viennese waltz to "Trouble" by Ray LaMontagne
After the shocking reveal that Tommy and Peta were shoo-ins for the semifinals, he and Peta needed to prove they deserved to be there. And they did. Julianne praised his first dance as a "proper Viennese waltz," while Carrie Ann declared him the "true hero" of the night, for showing everyone that "less is more."
Score: 29 out of 40 (8 from Len, 7 from everyone else)
Dance No. 2: Samba with Sharna Burgess to "Talk Dirty" by Jason Derulo
The judges couldn't stop laughing after Tommy's flight attendant-themed routine. Carrie Ann and Julianne were literally at a loss for words, while Len joked that he was going to switch his flight back to London to "Chong Air." In the end, all four judges agreed it was "great entertainment."
Score: 28 out of 40 (7 from everyone)
Lea Thompson and Artem Chigvintsev
Dance No. 1: Samba to "Animals" by Maroon 5
Lea and Artem had a few tense moments during rehearsal, but they set aside their differences to perform a fierce, sexy first dance. Len praised it as "fantastic," and Carrie Ann noted that Lea's confidence seemed to be back, particularly when she "crotched over" Artem.
Score: 34 out of 40 (9 from Len and Bruno, 8 from Carrie Ann and Julianne)
Dance No. 2: Paso doble with Henry Byalikov to "Black Betty" by Ram Jam
Henry proved to be a good addition to Lea and Artem's partnership. All four judges agreed that she anchored the routine — not an easy thing to do when you're flanked by two shirtless men. "You killed it!" Carrie Ann exclaimed.
Score: 36 out of 40 (9 from everyone)
Bethany Mota and Derek Hough
Dance No. 1: Viennese waltz to "Say You Love Me" by Jessie Ware
Bethany and Derek crowd-sourced the theme of their dance, eventually settling on a story about a couple trying to fix their relationship. Carrie Ann said the routine was "breathtaking" and made her feel "all of the emotions," while Bruno described it as "lyrical, fluid, and honestly emotive."
Score: 36 out of 40 (9 from everyone)
Dance No. 2: Argentine tango with Tony Dovolani to "Jungle" by Jamie N Commons and X Ambassadors
Carrie Ann loved the dance — with one exception. She thought the changes between Tony and Derek were a little "out of control," but Len and Julianne vehemently disagreed. "You just freaking owned those guys," Julianne said excitedly.
Score: 38 out of 40 (10 from Len and Julianne, 9 from Carrie Ann and Bruno)
Sadie Robertson and Mark Ballas
Dance No. 1: Jive to "1, 2, 3, Turnaround" by Christian TV
Mark took the judges' advice to heart this week and stripped away all the gimmicks and props he's usually known for. Len loved the content and humor of the dance, but Julianne said it wasn't her favorite. Bruno, meanwhile, praised Sadie for even attempting such difficult choreography.
Score: 33 out of 40 (9 from Len, 8 from everyone else)
Dance No. 2: Foxtrot with Emma Slater to "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" by Frankie Valli
Mark took a risk by choosing a female pro to dance alongside him and Sadie in the trio, and it paid off. Len said it was the "best trio of the night" and wished he had an "11" paddle — despite Sadie's claim that she messed up the end.
Score: 40 out of 40 (10 from everyone)
Janel Parrish and Val Chmerkovskiy
Dance No. 1: Quickstep to "Hey Boy, Hey Girl" by Louis Prima and Keely Smith
Despite a minor mishap with Val's patent leather shoes, the judges were enthralled by Janel and Val's first dance. Both Carrie Ann and Julianne thought it was the best pair performance of the night.
Score: 38 out of 40 (10 from Len and Julianne, 9 from Carrie Ann and Bruno)
Dance No. 2: Salsa with Keo Motsepe to drum beats
Julianne took some issue with the choreography — it didn't have enough "salsa content" — but she loved it anyway, as did the other three judges. "It was fearless, flawless, and you're a freaking formidable opponent," Carrie Ann told Janel after the performance.
Score: 39 out of 40 (9 from Len, 10 from everyone else)
With Tommy and Peta revealed to be safe at the beginning of the show, Alfonso, Lea, Bethany, Sadie, and Janel were on the chopping block at the end of the show. Alfonso, Bethany, and Janel turned out to be safe, leaving just Lea and Sadie to learn their fates. In the end, Lea and Artem were sent home.
Tell Us: Do you think the right couple was eliminated?
