And the Dancing With the Stars season 25 finalists are...
Welcome to the semi-finals, DWTS fans, which ended with four stars learning they had made it to next week's finale...after arguably the toughest week of the competition, filled with injuries and self-doubt. Each remaining celeb had two performances, including the professional partners' picks for their song, and then a recreation of a perfect score-receiving dance from a previous season, aka the Iconic Dance round.
Sadly, one celeb was eliminated just before the finale, with Victorial Arlen and Val Chmerkovskiy, and Frankie Muniz and Witney Carson landing in the bottom two. And the couple sent home at the end of the semi-finals was Victoria and Val.
Victoria was clearly upset after her elimination, crying as Val consoled her, saying he was "so proud" of her. Her parents and the rest of the cast then came out and joined her, proving that DWTS really is all about family.
Here's a rundown of the night's performances:
Drew Scott and Emma Slater: 24/30
The Property Brothers star tapped into his Scottish side for his tango, even wearing a kilt (which he also plans to do for his wedding). A clear underdog, Emma said, "His sheer determination has taken us to where we are now. I'm proud of him for defeating the odds." AS for his performance, Len Goodman did like the routine, saying, "Well done, Braveheart!" But he noted Drew lost his technique. Carrie Ann Inaba said she did find the kilt "revealing." Then it got even more awkward when Drew tried to play the bagpipes and…it did not go well (though he played when he was younger).
Their second dance was a recreation of Corbin Bleu and Karina Smirnoff's Jazz from season 17. "It' a lot," Emma said after hearing the routine they've received. Though Drew said he doesn't have the same ability Corbin has, Emma has added in a risky move that could either "be great...or hospitalizing." No pressure! "I have never been so nervous in 25 seasons," Tom Bergeron admitted of the move, which they pulled off. "It was fun to watch," Len said, comparing it to a pizza. Score: 24/30.
Victoria Arlen and Val Chmerkovskiy: 27/30
For their first dance, a Contemporary number, Val decided to recreate her living room, playing her father and Jenna Johnson, a troupe member, Val's real-life leading lady and a blogger for E! News, playing her mother, just after she was told she would never walk again. "When there was such a storm on the outside, they were an umbrella that protected me," Victoria said of her parents. BRB, we're crying. And don't even get us started when she ran over to her crying parents after the routine. Bruno Tonioli called it "so touching, so poignant," with Carrie Ann praising "all the shades of all the emotional qualities."
For the iconic round, Victoria and Val performed a Charleston originally done by Amber Riley and Derek Hough in season 17, hoping to channel some of the former champ's sass. "This dance made history, and now you have to do the same," Val said to Victoria. Again, no pressure! But the judges loved her take on the iconic dance. "You won on this one," Bruno said, and Carrie Ann said she "forgot about Amber and Derek" while watching it. After their dance, Tom revealed Victoria suffered a leg spasm during rehearsals, concerning the entire DWTS crew, making her performance even more impressive. Score: 29/30.
Jordan Fisher and Lindsay Arnold: 28/30
Though Lindsay seriously injured her leg during rehearsal for their pro number on Sunday, she was able to perform…and try to live up to the pair's perfect night last week. For their Argentine tango, it was a tribute to Jordan's role as a big brother to his two younger siblings (and even to Lindsay). Unfortunately, most of the judges were less than blown away. "That was not your best performance," Carrie Ann said, drawing large boos from the crowd. For Len, it criticized that it was not a proper Argentine tango. "You can boo your head off," Len told the audience.
After the dance, we learned Jordan suffered an eye injury after a nail went in his eye, scratching his cornea. "I wanted this dance to represent the journey we went on together," Lindsay said, tearing up.
Jordan and Lindsay chose to recreate a Jive routine to "Proud Mary" originally done by Paige VanZant and Mark Ballas, which is super fast-paced and energetic. To really stand out, they are going to go for the double cartwheel. And holy moly, did they NAIL this routine. Seriously, it was pretty damn perfect, with the judges even losing their shiz over it. Carrie Ann lost the ability to form sentences for a bit, while Len said Jordan's Jazz is the best that's ever been on the show. We agree! Score: 30/30.
Lindsey Stirling and Mark Ballas: 29/30
Contemporary is Mark's playground, so we were expecting a lot from this one (set to one of Mark's own songs). And they delivered. Len gushed that she "blew" him away, though ended up giving her a 9 instead of a 10. K?
For round two, they ended up recreating the Tango originally performed by Meryl Davis and Maksim Chmerkovskiy, the season 18 champs who sparked romance rumors all season. (They were NOT dating). So, of course, the routine relied on the chemistry between Mark and Lindsey, who have clearly grown close. Len liked the "overall feel of the dance," and Bruno commended Lindsey for "raising her game right at the right time." And Maks even came out to congratulate them! Score: 28/30.
Frankie Muniz and Witney Carson: 25/30
Remember that time Frankie sort of panicked and promised to take off his shirt if they made it to the semi-finals? Well, this was the semi-finals, and along with shedding his shirt, Witney wanted Frankie to shed his self-doubt. And you guys, Malcolm took his shirt off...and twerked! 'Twas a wild and fun ride, one the judges loved the originality and spirit of. But Carrie Ann suggested he stay "in the beat." For Len, it was a little "too much hip hop and not enough hip action."
Oh, and there was another injury, as Witney hurt her leg practicing a split for their second routine, which speaking of...
For their final performance of the night, Frankie and Witney recreated a Paso Doble originally done by Apolo Ohno and Julianne Hough from season four. The major issue for Frankie? He has really bad knees and there are a lot of knee-walks in the routine. And then he has to take her cape off and re-attach it, a harder move than it looks. Oh, and the split that Witney injured herself attempting earlier. Still, they were able to power through! Score: 26/30.
Who do you think will win the mirror ball trophy? Sound off in the comments!
DWTS' finale airs next Monday at 8 p.m. on ABC.