Season 34, Week 8 Results

It appears “Dancing With the Stars” wanted to sprinkle a little chaos on Season 34, so it did what any competition show might do: invite Flavor Flav to be a guest judge.

Despite having no business judging ballroom dancing, the rapper and reality TV personality squeezed in next to Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli on Tuesday night, offering up delightfully incoherent remarks about the performances and equally puzzling scores. When he took out his “10” paddle for the first dance of the night — a just-okay jive from Dylan and Daniella — we suspected Flavor Flav would be the kind of guest judge that gives everyone 10s and simply has a good time. 

But no! Alix and Val’s fantastic paso doble, which earned perfect scores from the real judges? Flav gives it a nine! Andy and Emma’s sweet-but-insubstantial contemporary, which the judges gave sevens? Flav also gives that a nine! You just never knew which number was going to appear in his hand, giving Tuesday’s episode a level of unpredictability fit for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame theme.

Elsewhere in the broadcast, co-hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough joined in for the annual team dances, which offered up bonus points to the remaining contestants. This time around, Team Chicago (made up of Danielle, Whitney, Jordan, Dylan, and Alfonso) received a perfect 40 from the judges, besting Team Kool (Andy, Robert, Alix, Elaine, and Julianne), who earned a 38.

Keep scrolling for our full recap of Tuesday’s performances and results, then drop a comment with your thoughts on the episode!

DANCE STYLE: Jive (to “I’m Still Standing” by Elton John)

Dylan’s confidence on the dance floor has only grown with each passing week, so it was a shame to see him revert to early-season shakiness right before the quarterfinals. He didn’t make any major mistakes with the choreography, but his kicks and flicks weren’t nearly as crisp as Daniella’s were, and his face betrayed a nervous sheepishness that we haven’t seen since Week 1. Also? That hip-hop interlude was weird.

JUDGES’ SCORE: 36 out of 40

DANCE STYLE: Paso Doble (to “Livin’ On a Prayer” by Bon Jovi)

Alix’s massive TikTok following probably would have gotten her far in this competition anyway, but now that we’re seeing what she’s truly capable of, that Mirrorball seems hers to lose. This paso was so deftly handled, nicely toeing that line between compelling intensity and over-the-top seriousness (a tough balance for even the most impressive “Dancing” contestants), and Alix and Val’s side-by-side sections were gorgeously synchronized.

JUDGES’ SCORE: 39 out of 40 (thanks to a baffling nine from Flavor Flav) 

DANCE STYLE: Contemporary (to “God Only Knows” by The Beach Boys)

With nothing but respect for everything Andy and Emma have built together this season, we are now entering “C’mon already” territory with Andy’s longevity in the competition. It’s been genuinely lovely to see Andy experience such love from the home audience all these weeks, and this contemporary was a beautiful encapsulation of his and Emma’s sweet bond. But looking at the other contestants left after Tuesday’s results, next week’s quarterfinals really ought to be the stopping point for Andy’s inspirational, but plateauing, run.

JUDGES’ SCORE: 30 out of 40

DANCE STYLE: Paso Doble (to “No More Tears” by Ozzy Osbourne)

Carrie Ann Inaba catches a lot of flak — some warranted, some not — for her criticism of the female frontrunners every season, but I’ll be honest: I was a little glad to hear her point out Whitney’s wobbly feet in this paso doble, when those imperfections had gone unnoticed by Derek and Bruno. (And Flavor Flav, too, but I’m not sure he knew where he was.) Sure, the small missteps were a result of Whitney committing 110% to the style’s intensity, but she also let that passion affect her usually-incredibly-watchable face, which tended to puff out around the lips this time with Whitney’s big, emphatic exhales. Still rocked, though! No hate!

JUDGES’ SCORE: 39 out of 40

DANCE STYLE: Viennese Waltz (to “What the World Needs Now Is Love” by Dionne Warwick)

What an elegant showing from Elaine here. On the heels of last week’s injury (plus truncated rehearsal time this week), Elaine performed this Viennese waltz with a terrific grasp on the choreography, gliding next to Alan with an airy ease that you’d hardly expect from someone nursing a strained muscle in her torso. The physical demands of the next three weeks do make me wonder if Elaine’s injury will hold her back in the quarterfinals and beyond, but I’m thrilled she’s gotten the opportunity to give it a shot.

JUDGES’ SCORE: 37 out of 40

DANCE STYLE: Jazz (to “River Deep – Mountain High” by Ike and Tina Turner)

Very, very smart of Ezra to pack this jazz with so many tricks, all of which Jordan nailed — though I’ll admit, I did worry she wouldn’t quite land on the judges’ table correctly when she was hoisted over there. In the wake of last week’s so-so contemporary, this routine was the perfect way for Jordan to bounce back and remind us she’s very much a contender, now with even more willingness to showcase her personality in her dances.

JUDGES’ SCORE: 38 out of 40

DANCE STYLE: Paso Doble (to “Icky Thump” by The White Stripes)

Much was made during Tuesday’s episode of the top three couples on the leaderboard all performing paso dobles this week, but I’d argue Robert had a higher mountain to climb than Whitney Leavitt or Alix Earle, having to fill the male leading role. But he really delivered! Unfortunately, yes, that ambitious opening sequence — in which Robert danced for quite a while on his own, minus Witney and plus a cumbersome cape — did include missteps, but his partner work later on was powerful and electric. You can’t not love a knee walk, folks.

JUDGES’ SCORE: 38 out of 40

DANCE STYLE: Contemporary (to “Dream On” by Aerosmith)

Gah. Gah! Listen, I love Danielle. I love ’90s nostalgia. I’ve loved her positive attitude and work ethic all season long. But where was the fire here? Where was the energy behind her moves? The combination of the contemporary style, the fierce Aerosmith soundtrack, and an empowering personal backstory for Danielle seemed like it would yield an unforgettable breakout moment for her; instead, so many of her movements looked half-hearted and flat, like when she punched at Pasha heading into the chorus. Plus, something went awry in that final lift, no? Did her dress get stuck for a second?

It’s possible this routine brought up too much emotion for Danielle, and she responded by drawing herself in a bit, so as not to lose her composure. We’ve seen that before! But if her raw angst had to go somewhere, I would have preferred it spill over the top, rather than get shoved down — and America seemed to have similar feelings, sending her and Pasha home in eighth place.

JUDGES’ SCORE: 34 out of 40

Do you agree with Danielle and Pasha’s elimination? And heading into the quarterfinals, who are you rooting for to take home that Mirrorball? Hit the comments!