Dancing with the Stars Season 32 Episode 10: Semi-Finals

Who needs rules, anyway?

Dancing with the Stars Season 32 Episode 10, “Semi-Finals,” left the audience with plenty of questions (and I’m guessing the judges too.) I’ll get to that to later, but up until the end, the Semi-Finals were right on track with what the end of this competition should look like. 

There was no guest judge this week. Instead, each couple danced two full routines — a ballroom dance and a Latin Dance. This meant that total scores were out of 60 this week, and the competition was the most demanding that it’s been all season.

Here are the highlights from the competition this week:

Ariana and Pasha kicked off the night with an energetic jive that Derek said was a fantastic way to start the night. Bruno and Carrie Ann also praised the routine and Ariana’s skill at this point in the competition. They earned a score of 28/30.

Their second routine ended the night: a Foxtrot that Derek called “smooth,” “silky,” “sensual,” and “sensational.” Bruno praised the quality of movement,

And Carrie Ann started her comments by simply announcing, “She’s back!” They earned a score of 30/30, giving them a total of 58/60 for the night.

Jason and Daniella’s first dance was a Viennese Waltz to Mraz’s own song, “I Won’t Give Up.” Bruno said it was a proper waltz and that Jason danced “like a gentleman.” Carrie Ann agreed that it was very refined, but she wanted to see more emotional freedom. They earned a score of 27/30.

Their second routine was a Paso Doble that inspired Carrie Ann to ask if she could give Jason a hug. Derek said it was a “proper Paso Doble,” and that it was the way to make it to the finals.

Bruno was enthusiastic as well and noted the difficulty of the routine. For this dance, they earned a score of 30/27. This gave them a total of 57/60 for the night.

Xochitl and Val’s first dance was a killer Samba that Carrie Ann said was “spectacular” and that the “content was off the charts.” Derek also praised the quality of movement. They earned a perfect score, 30/30.

For their second routine, Xochitl and Val performed a waltz. It was one that had Derek choked up, because he said it was a waltz that Len Goodman would have loved. And this season, he said, was so important because it was the first time someone would win “The Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.”

Once again, they earned a perfect score, which made their total for the night a 60/60.

Charity and Artem danced a Rumba for their first routine. The judges praised it for being beautiful and emotional. In particular, Carrie Ann said this one was a breakthrough for Charity. They earned a 29/30.

For their second dance of the night, Charity and Artem danced an upbeat quickstep that Bruno says had a lot of “sass and pizzazz” that he hadn’t seen from Charity before.

Carrie Ann also noted how much content was in this routine. Derek said it was a difficult quickstep that Charity made look fun and easy. They earned a score of 30/30, making their score for the night a total of 59/60.

Alyson and Sasha’s first routine was a Jive to “Footloose.”  It was plenty of fun to watch, and though Bruno noted there were a few errors, Alyson has improved significantly since Week 1. Derek called her “an absolute fighter,” and Carrie Ann was pleased by how much content the routine included. They earned a 25/30.

For their second routine, they performed a waltz that Derek called her best dance yet. He also praised her good attitude and hard work throughout the competition, saying that she was an example of what the show was really about. Carrie Ann said she was proud of Alyson and how far she’d come. 

They earned a score of 26/30, which gave them a total of 51/60 for the night.

The Elimination…

As for this week’s elimination, it looked for a moment like one of the highest scoring dancers was about to be sent him, until, plot twist, Alberto and Julianne announced that no one was going home this week. For the first time ever, there will be five couples competing in the finale. 

What’s unclear is why this is the case. They didn’t say it was a tie, necessarily, but everyone, including the judges, seemed surprised at the lack of elimination.

If it was due to a tie, that should have been announced clearly.

Alberto and Julianne also confirmed that the scores from tonight and tonight’s viewer votes would carry over to the finale next week. 

It feels like a stunt, really, and not in a good way. It makes it feel like the rules of this show can be thrown out the window at any time. Still, it’s exciting to know that we’ll see all five couples dance again. So there’s that.

Here are this week’s final scores, which include the scores from each round:

• Xochitl Gomez and Val: 60
• Charity Lawson and Artem: 59
• Ariana Madix and Pasha: 58
• Jason Mraz and Daniella: 57
• Alyson Hannigan and Sasha: 51

What did you think of this episode of Dancing with the Stars? Who was your favorite dancer? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Dancing with the Stars airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on ABC and Disney+. Viewers can stream the series on Hulu the following day. 

 Follow us on Twitter and on  Instagram!

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!