I grew up watching Dancing with the Stars. I would sit on the edge of my parents’ bed and stare at the TV, longing to take the place of one of the stars. I found it an interesting concept that people with minimal or no background were trained and performed the complicated task of dancing on live television. There was something very hopeful and entertaining about the stars facing the challenges that came with dancing, as well as confronting feedback from their coach and judges.
A lot has changed since the show first began. When I started watching the show, the judges were Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba, and Bruno Tonioli. Appearing as a guest judge in previous seasons, Derek Hough has filled Len Goodman’s place after he passed away. This season he offered comments from the perspective of a pro having won the show multiple times. A number of casting changes have been made from announcers, judges, and the group of pros, and this season sets itself apart from the previous. Dealing with the stress of learning and working with a partner, drama and conflict has always been a part of the show. This year though, I felt that tension was frequently present. While keeping the tradition of bringing on a variety of stars, the increased online opinions and change in judges pushed the show to take a different form than I have seen before. Despite the controversy and tension, there were many elements I still love about this season.
Within 33 seasons, the show has had the ability to cast stars–whether they are athletes, reality TV stars, actors, etc.–who create various dynamics within the show. This season was no exception, starring figures from actor Eric Roberts to Olympic medalist Ilona Maher. The variety of professions and personalities within the cast made this season one of the best I have watched. There were so many reasons the stars explained their desire to be on the show, and every week seeing people excited to learn made the show incredibly enjoyable. Although a lot of the show is about dancing, a major reason people vote for someone is because of their story. A stand out for me was Reginald Veljohnson. He was not able to dance as well as some of the other stars, but he was inspiring. He created an infectious energy and when he was eliminated early on, it was just as upsetting, if not more, than when later stars were eliminated.
Something that I believe heavily impacted this season was Tik Tok. Being a platform that can reach millions of people, it was obvious to me that it would have an impact on the dynamics within the ballroom. Something that gives the show its character is the criticism the judges provide. Personally, I love Carrie Ann and her criticism. With the show being about who improves the most, it doesn’t shock me that she criticised stars and pros alike. Despite this I feel as though a lot of the online criticism I saw was mainly targeted towards her. This reflected back into the ballroom, when choruses of boos responded to her comments. Booing is not something new to the show, however I felt that she was often the subject over Derek or Bruno. In a few episodes she seemed a little off, especially the Halloween episode. While sometimes she was a little vague, she was consistently having to rush her comments or had to talk over immediately being booed. The issue with this is that first and foremost the show is about seeing who can learn and grow the most in dancing.
It’s difficult to put aside feelings when you particularly love a certain pair or person–I know I sometimes found myself yelling at the TV the same way my dad does when he watches football–but I think that the criticism towards her was often excessive. I love Derek and Bruno, however oftentimes I believe she took on the role of the bad guy, offering feedback where they did not. Numerous people I saw online sharing their opinions said that this was the first season they were watching and didn’t like how harsh she was being. The issue is if this was the first season you view, you’re not going to know that the comments used to be much harsher. The judges are dancers who have their own opinions, and by sharing them, they are trying to help the contestants improve– which is the entire point of the show.
Numerous viewers voiced that they want her to be replaced, however, a large part of who gets eliminated is dependent on viewer votes. Carrie Ann frequently said that if people didn’t agree with her comments, that’s why there is the option to vote. In the final episode, it was evident how much viewer votes count. Disrupting many of the predictions other viewers and I had, it was amazing how much the votes changed the leaderboard. It solidified how important viewer votes were, and why everyone reminded and asked viewers to vote.
My personal ranking going into the finale was:
5. Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten
4. Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold
3. Danny Amendola and Witney Carson
2. Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson
1. Chandler Kinney and Brandon Armstrong
There was not one of the final five pairs I didn’t like. Throughout the competition they all showed improvement and I thought that it was going to be difficult to determine the ranking. The final ranking in the finale was:
5. Danny Amendola and Witney Carson
4. Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold
3. Chandler Kinney and Brandon Armstrong
2. Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten
1.Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson
Chander, Joey, and Danny all got high scores throughout the competition. The fact that Ilona received second place and Chandler got third shows how much view votes count. Ilona grew immensely throughout the show and having a wide fanbase, it wasn’t that big of a stretch that she was able to place high in the finale. Chandler was probably my favorite dancer on the show. There was a lot of controversy around her because prior to coming on the show, she did have a background in dance. Despite this I believe that because she was invited to participate in the show, in the same way Charlie D’Amelio and Jojo Siwa were, and that she had a right to be there and did display growth throughout the competition.
Stephen and Riley had the best second dance in the finale. I loved watching their partnership and the way they navigated his glasses and his ability. Although he struggled with rhythm, he grew and was able to work well with Riley. Unfortunately, as much as I enjoyed watching Danny and Whitney, I felt in the last two weeks Danny plateaued. As much as I loved him embracing dance and using his competitive attitude in everything he did, it didn’t shock me when they didn’t place as well in the finale.
Joey placing first makes a lot of sense to me. He is a likeable figure who had previously been on another ABC show, The Bachelor. His athletic talent made it so that his partner Jenna Johnson was able to utilize his ability. Although I’m happy Joey won, I am thrilled that Jenna won. It was heartwarming to see her husband Val, who won the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy last year, hand her the trophy. Their Halloween Dance was one of my favorites of the season, and their creative choreography paid off in the end.
The choreography, set design, and casting this season made Dancing with the Stars so much fun to watch. No show is without drama, and some elements surrounding this season made it more complex than others. That being said, I look forward to watching what they have in store next season, and who will be casted.