Reflecting on the First Five Episodes of Dancing with the Stars Season 33

A season that started with 13 couples, now focuses on only eight after the fifth episode. Season 33 of Dancing With The Stars has been filled with laughter and tears. This season has also broken show records with the amount of viewers and voters, as well as getting the most traction on social media platforms. 

Fan favorites seem to have been Stephen Nedoroscik, Olympic gymnast; Anna Delvey, fashion entrepreneur; and Ilona Maher, Olympic rugby player, when the cast was announced. 

Starting with episode one, the show opened with a standout premiere – 7.32 million total viewers turned on their screens to see the 13 couples in action, according to ABC Press. Since it was the first episode, all couples moved on, except a double elimination took place in episode two, Oscar’s Night. Delvey and her pro Ezra Sosa saw an unfortunate end in that second episode, where Delvey stated the iconic line, “Nothing” when asked what she will take away from her performances. Sosa recently announced that he even got the word “nothing” tattooed to remember his first season. The second couple that went home that evening was Tori Spelling, Beverly Hills, 90210 star, and her pro Pasha Pashkov.

Due to the vice presidential debate, the show skipped a week and did a two-night event the following week. Soul Train Night, episode three, featured the first guest judge, Rosie Perez, retired Soul Train Dancer. Chandler Kinney, Disney actress, and her pro Brandon Armstrong had the highest score of the night, 36 out of 40, with a Cha Cha to “It’s Tricky” by Run-DMC. 

A double elimination took place on the Tuesday episode of the two-show week. Fans had to say goodbye to the two celebrities that pulled heart strings: Eric Roberts, notable actor, and his pro Britt Stewart and Reginald Vel Johnson, “Family Matters” star, and his pro Emma Slater.

The first tears of the season were shed when Maher had a misstep during her a jive to “Cum On Feel the Noize” by Quiet Riot.

Guest judge, Gene Simmons, was the real star of the Hair Metal themed episode. Simmons’ judging became very controversial on social media after he tried to award Brooks Nader, Sports Illustrated model, and her pro Gleb Savchenko the first ten of the season, even though he submitted a nine. Simmons also gave Phaedra Parks, reality television legend, and her pro Val Chmerkovskiy a five when the other judges awarded them sevens. 

Episode five featured slight mockery of these actions with Derek Hough, DWTS judge, breaking and throwing the number five paddle after Parks performed her dedication dance and Nader saying she wanted a “real ten.” Ironically, Nader and Savchenko did see an elimination that night after fans believed their showy relationship became too much and it was the couple’s time to go, according to IMDB.com. 

Seeing as it was dedication night, there were a few tear jerkers, including Danny Amendola’s performance for his late football coach that featured a contemporary dance to “Unsteady.” Amendola and his pro Witney Carson scored a 36/40 from the judges, the tied highest score of the night. Joey Graziadei, season 28 bachelor, and his pro Jenna Johnson also scored a 36/40 for their Viennese Waltz to “Lose Control” by Teddy Swims, dedicated to Graziadei’s fiance Kelsey Anderson. 

Dedication Night also featured a beautiful performance by Derek and his wife Haley Hough, to celebrate Haley’s path to recovery after her near-fatal medial emergency, just last December. They tore at heartstrings with their dance to “Beautiful Things” by Benson Boone.

The sixth episode of Season 33, which premieres Tuesday, October 22, will be themed “Disney Night,” and will mark the start to the second half of the season.