If someone had told us early on that James Van Der Beek would miss the finale of “Dancing with the Stars” and Kel Mitchell would be the last man standing, we wouldn’t have believed it.
And while Lauren Alaina and Hannah Brown were early favorites thanks to their strength and growth — with Lauren growing in confidence spectacularly — we would have never expected the Fifth Harmony member mocked for being unable to dance to come in with the highest score.
And yet, Ally Brooke was arguably the favorite heading into this remarkable season finale filled with genuine dancing talent and finalists worthy of that Mirrorball trophy. Well, the favorite with the judges anyway. She is the girl who got perfect scores and landed in the bottom two.
It was also a night filled with three professional dancers who’ve never won it yet; Kel’s partner Witney Carson is the lone champion (from Season 19 with Alfonso Ribeiro). So there were nerves and anxiety enough for everyone.
There were also a few guest stars sprinkled throughout the night, with show-stopping performances by Cher and Pitbull, featuring Ne-Yo. The latter featured our only glimpse of this season’s eliminated dancers, and for our money it wasn’t enough.
Who do I think I am? you ask. Well, I spent nearly a decade of my life sweating and bleeding to the music as a dancer. From a young boy learning a shuffle-ball-change to performing with the St. Louis Ballet Company, I experienced the ups and downs of one of the most difficult physically demanding sports on the planet. During this time, I was also a member of the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra, as well as a gymnast, writer and cartoonist. I had a lot more energy in my younger years. And I’ve spent the last seventeen years analyzing and critiquing reality competition shows for various media publications. I’ve got this.
Fair warning, since I’m safe at home, I’m probably going to be a little harsher than my colleagues Carrie-Ann Inaba, Len Goodman, and Bruno Tonioli. But I might be nicer, too. Maybe.
FILLER
Pitbull & Ne-Yo
The biggest drawback to a one-night-a-week format is we don’t really get to enjoy the returns of some of our season’s favorites on the final night. Intead, the rejected cast was relegated to cameos throughout this performance, and while it was great to see them for a few beats, we really wanted to better spotlight all of the stars who made this season fun (and a little scary at times).
Cher
Honestly, what needs to be said about the age-defying icon? She performed a duet with video footage of Sonny Bono on “The Beat Goes On” and she sounded as divine and amazing as ever. Sure, Cher may not move quite the way she used to, but she remains an incredible entertainer and that voice has never wavered. Truly an icon still at the top of her game.
REPEAT ROUND
Ally Brooke & Sasha Farber
(Jive) Ally has had a wild ride to this finale, scoring the season’s first perfect score before falling into the bottom two for what would be one of three times total throughout the season. She seems to have grown the most technically, but hasn’t connected with audiences at home. The jive was her turning point once, could it be again?
A little overenthusiastic and a little sloppy at the end, this was nevertheless an incredibly confident and powerful performance. She channeled every bit of Tina Turner’s strength as a woman and a powerhouse performer and really gave some strong jive energy, quick flicks, high kicks and lots of fun.
Judges Scores: 10, 10, 10
My Score: 9
Lauren Alaina & Gleb Savchenko
(Foxtrot) Always with that spark of talent and ability, Lauren has grown the most as a person, perhaps even more than a dancer. The conservative country music star has grown more confident inside her own skin, her body and her sensuality, embracing the strength in her femininity.
And as her confidence as a person grew, her abilities as a dancer just soared. And she delivered again with this elegant and graceful foxtrot that was just pure magic across the dance floor. Her lines are so exquisite and her connection with Gleb so strong, they looked like one throughout this piece. We didn’t quite see the lack of commitment the judges did, as she looked really connected to the piece.
Judges Scores: 9, 9, 9
My Score: 9
Kel Mitchell & Witney Carson
(Jazz) Kel recently revealed that he was basically a standby replacement on the show, and while he knew how to get down and groove, these styles were totally alien to him. And yet, he’s absolutely settled into them, reined in his manic energy and found himself a leading man in a way that surprised him as well. He has had such a remarkable journey.
He went back to high school for this one, the first time he really showed how serious of a contender he could be. We had no idea what greatness lie still ahead. Unfortunately, he was a little ahead of the music in the opening bars, but he quickly found his pocket and upped his energy (perhaps shaking off nerves?) as the high-energy dance progressed. By the end, he was in it and a blast to watch.
Judges Scores: 10, 10, 10
My Score: 9
Hannah Brown & Alan Bersten
(Viennese Waltz) Hannah took this journey to learn about herself and how to shed that protective armor, and protective smile, to really expose her vulnerability and emotional side. She’d always struggled so hard to be the “perfect” cheerleader, but finally allowed herself to be raw and real and it catapulted her into this finale.
Just stunning top to bottom, Hannah proved herself dancing in tandem with other couples and you could not see who was not a professional. She was so elegant and graceful with incredible lines, incredible purpose and all the way through that flawlessly-executed spin move, she gave the dance of the round.
Judges Scores: 10, 9, 9
My Score: 10
FREESTYLE ROUND
Ally Brooke & Sasha Farber
(Freestyle) Ally did not look comfortable in this dance, and she and Sasha really struggled to get into and out of two of those lifts. This was not the kind of performance you wanted to end your “DWTS” journey on as it revealed an area still in need of work. All the other styles incorporated in were handled beautifully, though, which was enough to earn forgiveness from the judges.
Judges Scores: 10, 10, 10
My Score: 9
Lauren Alaina & Gleb Savchenko
(Freestyle) What an absolute blast of a dance Gleb choreographed, incorporating class country line dance (performed impeccably) and southern style bootscootin’ into some of the more Latin flavors. This has to be the most lifts Lauren has done in one dance, and she nailed every single one of those experiences. There was only one small moment toward the end where she didn’t quite hit her hold, but it was so minor on such a fun routine that spoke to her roots.
Judges Scores: 10, 10, 10
My Score: 10
Hannah Brown & Alan Bersten
(Freestyle) With an opening package that will only further fuel dating rumors, And their chemistry was palpable from the top. We loved the silhouettes Alan created at the top of this piece, and the musicality was through the roof. Hannah hit her marks with such precision, she punctuated the beat throughout. And how cool was it that she got a cheerleader-inspired step-infused solo portion after a series of perfectly-executed intricate lifts. This was the story of Hannah and it was really something special.
Judges Scores: 10, 10, 10
My Score: 10
Kel Mitchell & Witney Carson
(Freestyle) First of all, Witney was on fire in hip-hop hitting harder and with more intent than Kel, who inspired this style choice that was all about Chicago. In fact, the faster the music got, the smaller his movements did as if he wasn’t confident he could hit hard and fully and still keep the rhythm. It was a fun piece, if a little lacking in technical complexity overall. And it doesn’t seem like the kind of piece that wins Mirrorballs, but then we also know that these voters are unpredictable at best.
Judges Scores: 10, 9, 10
My Score: 9
RESULTS
At the end of the night, only three points separated all four couples, which basically put it into the hands of America. It’s a testament to how strong this season’s lineup was (aside from a hiccup or two) and just how incredible their finale performances were.
Ally and Kel led all night, but there’s no denying the emotional impact of Hannah’s journey (plus her built-in ABC audience thanks to “The Bachelorette”) or the power of that country music vote, represented by the reigning champ — and not a great dancer — Bobby Bones.
In other words, we had no idea what might happen. Even better, we kind of didn’t care as they were genuinely all fantastic and each of the four would make wonderful ambassadors for the brand and worthy champions.
4th Place: Well, country didn’t come through this time, even though Lauren Alaina had an incredible journey and wrapped her story strong here tonight. Still, she’s grown so much personally that we think this will always be an important chapter of her life’s journey.
3rd Place: Once again, Ally Brooke fans just didn’t show up in big enough numbers after another perfect night. Still, this show has been a proving ground for her to say that not only is she a dancer, but she never need doubt her capabilities. She is anything she wants to be.
And then there were two as Hannah Brown and Kel Mitchell faced off in the final vote. Both have massive support at home and had incredibly uplifting and surprising journeys on the show. Will “Bachelor Nation” prevail or will Kel prove that he’s “All That”?
2nd Place: Well, at least Witney already has a win, because it just wasn’t meant to be for Kel Mitchell, but to go from last-man-standing to second place is not too shabby on a season long-dominated by the women.
1st Place: She may not have found love on her first ABC franchise, but Hannah Brown took home the top prize here with a major victory. Even better, it feels absolutely earned based on merit and hard work, though that “Bachelor” audience surely helped. We’re not sure if she was more excited or Alan Bersten, who scored his first win as a professional, but we couldn’t be happier for both of them on a tough, well-earned victory.
“Dancing With the Stars” returns for its 29th season in fall 2020, more than likely, on ABC.
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