Disney/Eric McCandless
It’s the semi-finals, and man, does it feel like ages ago when poor Matt Walsh crashed and burned himself in the ballroom after just one night? Imagine if he had stayed and Harry Jowsey had quit early instead! Oh, how many laughs we would have had from the goofy Veep star.
There’s no point in crying over spilled milk (especially when the golden bachelor seems to do that in every promo). This is Xochitl Gomez’s competition to lose, right? Let’s see if anyone came close to stealing her spotlight tonight.
Actress Alyson Hannigan (How I Met Your Mother) with partner Sasha Farber. Farber paid Hannigan the ultimate compliment by calling her “the true definition of Dancing with the Stars.” She’s the non-dancing celebrity who actually improves as the show goes on. She’s living on borrowed time now, of course, and even the underdogs have to make an effort – and not just stomp around while doing the jive to “Footloose.” “Darling, free and free, relax and have fun! I love the country-western feel,” said Bruno Tonioli. “There were some concerns. This is the semi-final. You’ve improved so much from week one.” score: 25 out of 30
Singer-songwriter Jason Mraz with partner Daniella Karagach. Mraz was allowed to perform a Viennese waltz to his song “I Won’t Give Up,” even though it made him sick! The singer-songwriter got a little dizzy during rehearsals as he practiced the dance, which, according to his partner, is all about rotation, rotation, rotation. But he did some magic in the ballroom and even choked up while chatting with co-host Julianne Hough afterwards. “Beautiful song, beautiful waltz. Right, right, you really danced like a gentleman,” Tonioli said. “A little more drive on rotation.” Score: 27 out of 30
Ariana Madix (Vanderpump Rules) with partner Pasha Pashkov. The reality star accessorized with her rainbow fringe as she performed a tireless jive to Bruno Mars’ “Runaway Baby” at the start of the show. Apparently her back hurts because she can’t extend her arms quite as perfectly as Inaba would like, but the judges were still impressed with her performance. “You’re not a runaway, baby,” Derek Hough said. “With this dance you are running towards the finale. That was solid. The twists, the turns… it got a little difficult in places, but that was a fantastic start to the semi-final.” Score: 28 out of 30
ARIANA MADIX, PASHA PASHKOV (Disney/Eric McCandless)
Charity Lawson (The Bachelorette) with partner Artem Chigvintsev. Lawson’s partner admitted that it is difficult for a non-singer and non-actress like her to express emotions, which is the first task when performing rumba. But Lawson, who is technically near perfect, finally showed some passion under the mirror ball. “Rumba is a deceptively difficult dance, but you made it look effortless,” Hough said. “The way you articulate your feet. So fantastic!” Score: 29 out of 30
Actress Xochitl Gomez (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) with partner Val Chmerkovskiy. The top contender actually thought she would be eliminated from this competition in Week 5. As if. Tonight Tonioli called her a “samba diva” because she played Gloria Estefan’s “Samba” impeccably with her “brother” Val Gloria. “That was spectacular! The content was extraordinary, perhaps one of the most difficult exercises we have ever seen,” said Carrie Ann Inaba. “Your flexibility, the bounce, so smooth… you’re a star!” Perfect score
XOCHITL GOMEZ, VAL CHMERKOVSKY (Disney/Eric McCandless)
Second dance.
Mraz and Karagach. Mraz apparently found it difficult to learn the Paso Doble. But his mobility went through the roof; I challenge you all to kneel on cue. Just looking at it caused my menisci to tear! “It’s not always about perfection,” Inaba said after asking for a hug. “I’m looking for magic. That was magical!” Perfect result
Gomez and Chmerkovskiy. This is what Chigvintsev meant when he explained to Lawson the importance of adding color to a dance. Gomez not only danced the waltz, she also dramatized it. Their artistry is a sight to behold. It also brought Inaba to tears, but that’s actually not a huge development since the old girl seems to bawl every season. But we’re not laughing at you, Carrie Ann! “You know, I’ve been thinking about how important this season is,” Hough said. “This is the first time we have the Len Goodman Trophy. I’m telling you now, Len would have loved that dance. “It was absolutely perfect.” He’s right. Perfect result
Lawson and Chigvintsev. How terrible to have to do the quickstep after Gomez’s extraordinary waltz. But Lawson was full of joy as he shuffled along to Fifth Harmony’s “BO$$” and Michelle Obama’s explosive lyrics. “You showed too much sass and pizzazz that I’ve never seen before,” Tonioli said. “Work on it, because you’ve got it!” Perfect result
Hannigan and Dyer. Farber made his partner proud by creating a sweet waltz that Hough declared her best dance yet. Hannigan seemed to know it was her last appearance of the season, so she was especially grateful for the opportunity to come out with a good result. “I’m just proud of you,” Inaba added. “You have the ability to make us feel so much. The way you dance with such vulnerability.” Score: 26 out of 30
Madix and Pashkov. A vision in the sea foam! Madix always surprises. This reality star, whose day job involves screaming at her ex-boyfriend, does foxtrots like a real, graceful lady. “It was smooth, it was silky, it was sensual. It was sensational!” said Hough. “It was a packed foxtrot.” Perfect result
What a shocking ending. We all expected Hannigan to go home, right?
Not so fast.
After host Alfonso Ribeiro declared Hannigan SAFE along with Mraz and Lawson, he left Madix and Gomez as the last two on the dance floor. Madix started to cry. She thought she was dead until Ribeiro said EVERYONE was safe. WOW. So mean, Conrad Green!
Five couples in the final! Good for Hannigan; She has dinner party conversation pieces that will stay with her for decades. Until next week, fringe fans…