Season 34 of Dancing with the Stars has viewers engaged and tuning in to see all the glittering performances. Judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and Derek Hough are back with their paddles and some feisty opinions. Plus, the DWTS contestants and pros this season are an impressive bunch.
The cast for Season 34 includes Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles, plus Whitney Leavitt and Jen Affleck from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Conservationist Robert Irwin tangoed into the ballroom, along with actresses Elaine Hendrix and Danielle Fishel. There is no shortage of dancing talent.
However, fans have already seen two shocking DWTS eliminations so far this season. The fact that some promising dancers have been eliminated, and other fan-favorites who possess fewer dance chops have stayed, is worrisome. And causing a migraine-inducing flashback to when radio personality Bobby Bones snagged the Mirrorball in Season 27. It was a real low point for the series and resulted in the creation of the judges’ save. Since fans don’t want a repeat of Season 27, this is why the judges’ save should be brought back on DWTS.
Who got eliminated on Dancing with the Stars Season 34 is causing a stir
The premiere episode of Season 34 didn’t feature an elimination. So, the judges’ scores and fan votes carried over to the following week, which was a double elimination. During One-Hit Wonders Night, actor Corey Feldman and his partner, Jenna Johnson, were cut from the competition. They placed last on the leaderboard for both weeks, so this result wasn’t unexpected. And NBA star Baron Davis and his pro, Britt Stewart, were the second contestants to leave the ballroom. Baron’s combined scores landed him in a tie for eleventh place.
However, comedian Andy Richter and Emma Slater scored three points lower than Baron. During TikTok Night, the ballroom nearly fainted when Fifth Harmony member Lauren Jauregui and Brandon Armstrong landed in the bottom three along with Andy and Emma, and Elaine and her dance pro, Alan Bersten. When Lauren was eliminated, the other two couples gasped, like the rest of us.
While Lauren had impressed the judges the first two weeks, she did falter a bit with her cha-cha. She ended up tied with Andy at the bottom of the leaderboard. Still, it was mind-blowing that Lauren, who was improving and learning more technique, was ousted. And Lauren shared our sentiment when asked how she felt about being given the boot. “Pissed,” she remarked. Exactly!
During Disney Night, another promising front-runner was sent home. Hilaria Baldwin and her partner, Gleb Savchenko, were booted despite earning mid-level to high scores. The night that they were eliminated, Hilaria and Gleb tied for fifth place. During Week 2, the duo’s tango earned them a third-place finish. While this duo may have been a bit controversial, Hilaria’s technique was excellent, and she didn’t deserve to go home.
DWTS fans are saving stars who aren’t necessarily the best dancers
While Andy may not be turning in performances packed with technique or making giant improvements each week, he does have a magical quality. His joy, humor, and enthusiasm shine when he dances. I will confess that I do enjoy watching him perform. Plus, Andy has no dance experience and is out of his element. However, I must also confess that I expected Andy would be rooting from the audience by now.
This season, the competition is fierce. Whitney and her partner, Mark Ballas, have been the front-runners since the premiere. And behind them is a shifting pack of couples, also earning high scores. Plus, there is a strong middle-of-the-pack group that also has potential.
Then, we have Andy and some lower-scoring contestants, like Pentatonix member Scott Hoying, who tied for ninth place on Disney Night with his salsa. During TikTok Night, Scott and his pro, Rylee Arnold, tied for fifth place on the leaderboard. However, the dancing duo placed near the bottom of the leaderboard during the other weeks.
In addition, Boy Meets World actress Danielle is in a similar ballroom boat. She has placed in eighth or ninth place on the leaderboard every week. There is no doubt that she is also working on improving, like her fellow competitors. However, at some point, DWTS is becoming more about who has the largest fan base, instead of who is the best dancer.
The judges’ save returning to DWTS could prevent unfair results
During Season 27, Bobby and his partner, Sharna Burgess, made it to the finals despite the radio host consistently racking up low scores. Well, at least his inability to impress the judges was consistent. And Sharna deserved to finally win the Mirrorball, but just not that season. Also, before Season 34 premiered, Bobby dropped the news that he had cheated. How does he still have the Mirrorball?
The judges’ save was created to try and stop a talented contestant from being sent home early in the competition. It began during Season 28, the season after Bobby’s confusing win. What an amazing coincidence (said no one). The judges would determine who, out of the bottom two couples, would rumba out of the ballroom. However, during Season 32, the judges’ save was eliminated.
Of course, it seems like it is time to bring this fail-safe out of retirement. Even if the save is only used until the semi-finals, it can ensure that deserving contestants aren’t sent home over others that aren’t dancing at the same level.
With the DWTS eliminations so far this season, I am concerned that we could end up in Bobby Bones territory again. And the fans, and the contestants, don’t deserve that.
Dancing with the Stars is available to stream on Disney+.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK THE JUDGES’ SAVE SHOULD BE BROUGHT BACK ON DWTS?
