(Spoiler alert: Do not read on if you have not yet seen Monday’s first night of finals week on ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars”)
The toughest week of the competition is upon the remaining contestants as they must perform live on back-to-back nights. It’s finals week on ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars,” and by the end of the show Monday night, just three celebrities remained.
It was also the most unpredictable night in weeks, as all four remaining finalists have proven themselves incredible dancers, and each has earned at least one perfect score from the judges throughout the season.
And so, it really did come down to what they proved during last week’s semifinals, and what they had to offer Monday. Each couple performed twice, offering a freestyle as well as a jive or a samba.
The variance between the four couples was only four points, ranging from 76 to a perfect 80 across both dances, and all four couples earned perfect scores for their freestyle dances.
Alfonso Ribeiro and his partner Witney Carson became the first couple to earn double perfect scores on the season, making him a sure front-runner for the Mirrorball Trophy on Tuesday night. Joining him are Sadie Robertson and Mark Ballas, who earned 78 total points to land in second for the night, and Janel Parrish and Valentin Chmerkovskiy, coming in third with 77 points.
That meant for Bethany Mota, with her professional partner Derek Hough — who has won “DTWS” a record five times — it was time to say goodbye. She earned 76 points and her third perfect score of the season, but it wasn’t enough with such tough competition.
Mota and Hough will have to cheer for their friends and competitors on the “Dancing With the Stars” season finale, Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET on ABC, following a “Dancing With the Stars: Road to the Finals” special at 8 p.m. ET.