Dancing With the Stars: Wicked Night Recap – A Night of Dramatic Scores and Emotional Performances
The latest episode of "Dancing With the Stars," themed "Wicked Night," brought some unforgettable moments and impressive performances that changed one couple’s trajectory for good. Aired on October 21, this enchanting episode featured acclaimed director John M. Chu as a guest judge, as contestants dazzled the audience with their renditions of iconic songs from the musical "Wicked." Dancers embraced their roles as Elphaba and Glinda, showcasing their talents in captivating routines.
In a thrilling twist, this week’s scores were combined with those from last week’s dedication night. Judge Carrie Ann Inaba, who faced some criticism for her earlier comments, redeemed herself by awarding the first perfect score of the season—a 10—to Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas for their remarkable quickstep. While Derek Hough opted for a score of 9, the other judges were in agreement with Inaba’s assessment.
The evening continued to impress as Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sousa delivered a stunning rumba, earning three 10s and one 9, with Hough reserving his perfect score for a future performance. After Andy Richter and Emma Slater’s jazz routine, Hough noted the stakes, giving Richter a 6, while the other judges were more generous, scoring him 7s.
Inaba had previously critiqued Danielle Fishel and Pasha Pashkov for their seemingly similar performances, but this week, she praised Fishel’s courage, declaring it her breakthrough dance. Bruno Tonioli echoed her sentiments, calling it “the most difficult song to choreograph,” while Hough described the routine as “magnificent,” resulting in a score of four 9s that significantly boosted their position on the leaderboard.
Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten stole the show with their emotional contemporary routine set to “Defying Gravity,” leaving both the audience and the judges in tears. Hendrix’s heartfelt declaration, “I am 54, I am injured, and I just did that,” resonated deeply, earning them four 9s for the powerful performance.
After combining scores from the last two weeks, Andy Richter found himself at the bottom of the leaderboard, while Whitney Leavitt soared to the top. Following the public voting—which amassed an impressive 100 million votes over the past two weeks—Scott Hoying was eliminated from the competition.
Here’s a recap of the scores from Wicked Night:
- Scott Hoying and Rylee Arnold: Contemporary to “The Wizard And I” – Score: 28/40
- Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy: Jazz to “What Is This Feeling?” – Score: 35/40
- Robert Irwin and Witney Carson: Jazz to “Dancing Through Life” – Score: 36/40
- Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas: Quickstep to “Popular” – Score: 39/40
- Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach: Rumba to “I’m Not That Girl” – Score: 32/40
- Andy Richter and Emma Slater: Jazz to “One Short Day” – Score: 27/40
- Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten: Contemporary to “Defying Gravity” – Score: 36/40
- Jen Affleck and Jan Ravnik: Foxtrot to “As Long as You’re Mine” – Score: 32/40
- Danielle Fishel and Pasha Pashkov: Argentine Tango to “No Good Deed” – Score: 36/40
- Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sousa: Rumba to “For Good” – Score: 39/40
Don’t miss the next captivating episode of "Dancing With the Stars" on Halloween night, airing on October 28 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+. You can also catch up on all the performances the following day on Hulu!
