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‘Dancing With the Stars’ Recap: Frankie Muniz and Witney Carson Get the Highest Score of the Night, Debbie Gibson Goes Home

Turn up the heat! It was Latin Night on the Tuesday, September 26, episode of Dancing with the Stars, and it seemed that experiencing the first elimination (sorry, Barbara!) had shaken up the couples. Everyone was more focused than ever to prove they deserved to stay in the running for that Mirrorball trophy – but while some made great steps forward, others faltered despite their best of intentions, and then the second couple of the season was sent home. Here’s how it all went down.

Dancing With the Stars
‘Dancing With the Stars’ Season 25 cast

The Good

Jordan Fisher and Lindsay Arnold were tackling the samba, which Lindsay admitted she usually “tries to avoid.” Jordan, however, was pumped for the challenge – and managed to impress the judges with his dance skills again. “There’s a vibrancy and a youth and an energy to you,” Carrie Ann Inaba gushed. Len Goodman complained that Jordan’s feet looked weird in his Cuban heels, which seemed a little nit-picky. Bruno Tonioli called it an “exciting, fresh interpretation” of the samba that was still “totally recognizable.” Despite complaining about the footwear, even Len gave them an 8, landing them near the top of the leaderboard with a 24.

Related: 'Dancing With the Stars' Season 25 Cast Photos!

Tying with them were Lindsey Stirling and Mark Ballas. Lindsey struggled in rehearsals to embrace her sexuality for their samba. “I can be sexy,” she repeatedly told herself during practice as she shook her hips. Bruno said their dance left him “breathless,” and Carrie Ann said she loved how Lindsey became the music when she danced. Even Len admitted he was impressed.

Right on their heels were Vanessa Lachey and Maks Chmerkovskiy, who opted for a throwback salsa reminiscent of Vanessa’s glory days as a 20-something TV host living in New York City. Carrie Ann was very impressed by how in-sync they were, while Len told Vanessa she was a “contender” for the Mirrorball. Bruno called it “juicy” and declared that she outshone Maks. For their effort, they earned a 23. Sasha Pieterse and Gleb Savchenko, Drew Scott and Emma Slater, and Victoria Arlen and Val Chmerkovskiy all showed improvement and landed in the middle.

Related: '90s TV Stars: Then & Now

The Bad

Not everyone killed it, however. Derek Fisher and Sharna Burgess tried to turn the tides with a heart-pumping paso doble, but they didn’t wow the judges and ended up with a 19. Nick Lachey, who had been at the bottom of the board with Peta Murgatroyd, did his best to get into character tonight. Carrie Ann said that they could still tell that his hips were tight, but commended him for working with what he’s got. Len still thought his dancing lacked passion and they too received 19 points. Cheryl Burke and Terrell Owens went with a fireman, semi-stripper-themed routine for their samba, which didn’t quite hit right and also landed them with a 19.

Below them with only 18 points, however, were Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvintsev. In her video package she explained how uncomfortable it was to grind up against a man who isn’t John Cena, but she reiterated her determination to make it work.

The Best

Frankie Muniz and Witney Carson blew it out of the ballroom tonight with their fiery cha-cha that had the judges on their feet. Carrie Ann couldn’t believe how much swagger Frankie had and all three judges couldn’t wipe the smiles off their faces. For their routine, Frankie and Witney earned a 25 and the top spot of the night.

Related: '90s TV Stars: Then & Now

The Gone

Then it was elimination time. Though Debbie Gibson and Alan Bersten had improved a lot with their Argentine Tango tonight over their dance last night, it seemed to be too little too late as they found out they were in jeopardy. Joining them were Nick and Peta.

Ultimately, it was Debbie and Allen who were sent home. “This show in this short amount of time and this guy here, I feel like I got my life back and so I am so thrilled and we’re gonna keep dancing!” she declared. Alan’s face revealed he might not be on board with that plan.

Tell Us: Did the right couple go home?

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