Just as I did last season, a couple of weeks ago, I shared my predictions for the upcoming season of “Dancing With the Stars”, which proved to be a surprisingly challenging task. However, unlike last year, after reaching the halfway mark of the season this week, I felt compelled to write somewhat of a mid-season report, not only to reflect on my terribly inaccurate predictions so far, but also to share my thoughts on some of the highlights so far.
Before I address everything I predicted incorrectly, I would like to note that I was correct about Corey Feldman going home first. However, nearly everything else I anticipated for the season has played out differently. Most notably, while I had put Andy Richter as second to leave the show, he is still safe, now entering the seventh week. I have a hard time sharing my thoughts on this because on one hand, I recognize his improvement and enthusiasm, but it gets significantly harder to watch him stay over other contestants who are performing at a higher level. Namely, Lauren Jauregui was sent home week three despite being a solid contender for the Mirrorball Trophy, while Andy is consistently overscored and receives little to no actual feedback from the judges.
I had also initially predicted that Danielle Fishel and Elaine Hendrix would both be eliminated at this point in the season, and now they are both some of my favorites in the competition. Conversely, while I had expected Jen Affleck to make it to the semi-finals, I am starting to doubt whether she will stay much longer, considering her scoring in the past few weeks. While I am not particularly wowed by her performances, I am somewhat surprised by the feedback and scores she receives from the judges. I would say she is on a similar trajectory as Dylan Efron, but while he receives constant praise and positivity, the judges seem unimpressed with her dances each week.
On a similar note regarding judge feedback, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the discourse surrounding Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas. Whitney, having majored with a focus in dance in college, has a significant advantage over her fellow competitors. While this certainly is not the only time that a contestant has a background in dancing, even on this season alone, what I think sets this particular instance apart is the apparent oversight of this factor in the scoring process. Despite having years of experience with dance, she is seemingly held to the same scoring standard as everyone else. I think it also certainly doesn’t help that the judges blatantly favor the duo; during Dedication Night, Whitney was completely out of sync with Mark for several beats, and still received a nine from Carrie Ann, who notoriously scores others low for much smaller mistakes. What also irritates fans, including me, is that Mark has only returned twice since departing from the show in 2017, both times to be paired with a seasoned dancer with a nearly guaranteed spot in the finale.
I have also been thinking quite a bit about the changes in the show since its earlier seasons. One aspect in particular that stands out is the selection of pro dancers. In the past, it felt like every pro was a world-renowned dancer, and when new pros joined, they started on the troupe and eventually worked their way up to an actual partnership. Now, it seems like the casting process is a direct pipeline of young dancers from Utah with some previous connection to the current cast. I think this was most clear with the pro Rylee Arnold, sister of Lindsay Arnold, who used to be a pro. When she was with Harry Jowsey, his questionable dancing overshadowed her lack of experience with the show, having not spent any time on the troupe, but this season, I think it was much more apparent during her partnership with Scott Hoying.
As of right now, I would say my top picks for the Mirrorball Trophy are Jordan Chiles and Robert Irwin. With Robert, it’s just so difficult not to root for him; he has an infectious personality and has performed so well each week. With his skill and audience support, I think he has a really good chance at winning this season. On a similar note, I’m equally captivated by Jordan Chiles. She has improved so much over the span of just six weeks, scoring one of the first nines of the season just last week. I’m also quite impressed with Ezra’s improvement so far; after the first two weeks, he received criticism from fans regarding his choreography, and since then has adjusted accordingly and highlighted Jordan significantly better.
This season has already proven my initial predictions wildly inaccurate, but the show has been all the more entertaining for it. With several strong competitors, the race for the Mirrorball is wide open. I am certainly excited to see how the final weeks unfold and which couple will ultimately win the coveted trophy.
