“Dancing with the Stars” - Episode 7 Review

Story posted November 2, 2022 in Arts & Entertainment by Kaitlyn Murphy.

The ballroom was on fire for Episode 7 of “Dancing With the Stars” as the dancers performed numbers set to the sensual music of the iconic crooner, Michael Bublé.

This episode marked the halfway point of the season, and it’s clear that every couple will stop at nothing to get the mirrorball.

Drag queen Shangela and her partner Gleb Savchenko kicked off the evening with an old Hollywood-esque tango, which earned high praise from the judges.

She jokingly asked head judge Len Goodman if her legs were “crispy” enough this week, since he told her in the past she needed to have “crisper” leg extensions. When he said yes, she proceeded to pull two pieces of “crispy” fried chicken out of her dress that co-host Tyra Banks took and ate right on camera.

Another unconventional moment came during Bachelorette star Gabby Windey’s rehearsal package with Val Chmerkovskiy. Val explained that their dance needed heat, but Gabby was struggling to get through the intense close-contact without laughing.

Val brought in his wife and former “DWTS” pro Jenna Johnson-Chmerkovskiy to help improve the couple’s chemistry. It was hilarious to watch Jenna encourage Gabby to be intimate with her husband, and it showed the complexity and trust involved in being a “DWTS” pro couple.

There are a few dark horses slowly creeping their way into 9 territory with scoring, singer-songwriter Jordin Sparks being one of them. She earned 9’s from Carrie Ann, guest judge Michael Bublé, and Bruno this week with a foxtrot to the timeless song, “You Make Me Feel So Young.”

At the midway point of the episode, a rehearsal package was shown for a large group dance to Michael Bublé’s new song “Higher,” featuring a number of current pros and backup dancers. The singer performed live accompanied by the ensemble, with judge Derek Hough choreographing the number and spotlighting in it.

It was honestly one of the most impressive and intricate group dances ever performed on the show, with everything from the sensual black costumes to the visually stunning choreography showcasing Bublé’s song perfectly.

Did Derek look a little silly in a semi see-through black lace top? Yes. But did seeing Val and Gleb in it make it worth it? Also yes.

Of course, the true star of this week was social media star Charli D’Amelio, whose foxtrot scored a perfect 50. Michael Bublé called it “effortless, mesmerizing, and expressively erotic,” and Derek said it was the best foxtrot he ever saw on the show.

Charli is certainly building up her case to win that mirrorball trophy, and it’s hard to picture anyone beating her for skill alone.

On the other hand, Heidi D’Amelio is progressively becoming the most boring dancer to watch on the show. Her performances are objectively “good enough” based on the scores, but it would not be a surprise to see her leave the ballroom in the next week or two.

*Spoilers for the elimination of the episode*

While everyone both in the ballroom and watching at home expected Jersey Shore star Vinny Guadagnino and his partner Koko Iwasaki to be in the bottom two with an abysmal score of 36/50, they survived yet again with the help of loyal Jersey Shore fans' votes.

The bottom two ended up being Jessie and Alan (the winners of last week’s dance marathon) and Trevor and Emma.

After a tie that was up to head judge Len to break, Jessie and Alan were sent home.

Season 31 of “Dancing with the Stars” has never faltered in its entertainment factor, and next week should be even more exciting with a Halloween themed night.

Rating: 5/5

Kaitlyn Murphy is a first-year majoring in digital and print journalism. To contact her, please email kvm6255@psu.edu.