Dancing with the Stars Season 33 Episode 2 Recap: Oscars Night

The celebrity dancers offered plenty of memorable routines on Dancing with the Stars Season 33 Episode 2, “Oscars Night.”

Every couple remained in the game from Week 1, as there were no eliminations on the season premiere. And gone are the days of having a separate episode altogether dedicated to eliminations (which is too bad, if you ask me).

Giving everyone the opportunity to dance for two weeks of the competition allowed us a chance to see the dancers improve, which almost everyone was able to do. Really, that was a theme of the night, where contestants including Tori Spelling, Danny Amendola, and Phaedra Parks were praised for how much they had improved. 

Here are a few of the highlights from the competition this week:

Jenna and Sasha kicked off the night with a fun, upbeat tango to a song from The Great Gatsby. There was apparently an issue with the music that threw Jenna off a bit, but they still did well and earned a score of 19/30.

Danny and Witney’s Top Gun routine blew the judges away and was one of the most memorable routines of the night. Carrie Ann praised his growth, in particular from Week 1, and said this performance was “on fire.” They earned a score of 21/30.

The best dance of the night came from Chandler and Brandon, who once again topped the leaderboard. Their rumba was one of my personal favorites of the night, and after seeing it, Bruno told Chandler that she was “made for dancing.” They earned a score of 24/30.

Another memorable routine was the one that was dedicated to Bruce Willis. Reginald and Emma danced a Paso Doble that paid homage to Reginald’s role on the iconic film Die Hard — even bringing a police car out onto the stage. While Reginald struggled a bit with the routine, the judges praised his commitment and enthusiasm.

Likability will go a long way when it comes to votes for Reginald, I think. When Derek called him an “American Treasure,” Reginald even seemed to tear up a bit. They earned a score of 15/30.

Dwight and Daniella continued to struggle with their drastic height difference but yet again shined. It’s really interesting to see how they continue to work with the height difference as a factor, and they’re energy together also makes them fun to watch. They earned a score of 22/30.

Brooks and Gleb had a memorable routine as well, perhaps largely because of their obvious flirtation. It’s no secret that romances tend to occur on Dancing with the Stars between celebrities and their partners from time to time, and these two clearly hit it off immediately. Bruno even commented that they had put in “a lot of overtime” together.

It’s cute, and their routine was definitely strong. They earned a score of 20/30. 

Ilona and Alan ended the night with the routine everyone will surely be talking about. Aside from being well done in general, they flipped the script a bit by flipping each other instead of having that be something only the male partner does. It’s great for their dynamic, and it was a joy to watch. They earned a score of 21/30.

The bad news about a double elimination, of course, is saying goodbye to two couples at once. The couples eliminated this week were Tori and Pasha, and Anna and Ezra.

Anna’s presence on the show has caused quite a stir, and tonight she talked a bit about how difficult it was to see so many negative comments. The judges encouraged her to focus on the dancing instead, and she did have some improvement from Week 1.

Yet, what most will probably remember is her final words on the show when Julianne asked her what she’d take away from the experience. Her response? “Nothing.”

Of course, this means the two underdogs of the competition are still in it: Eric Roberts and Reginald VelJohnson. I’m looking forward to seeing both of them dance again.

Here are this week’s scores:

• Chandler Kinney and Brandon: 24 
• Dwight Howard and Daniella: 22
• Joey Graziadei and Jenna: 22 
• Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee: 22 
• Danny Amendola and Witney: 21 
• Phaedra Parks and Val: 21 
• Ilona Maher and Alan: 21 
• Brooks Nader and Gleb:  20
• Jenn Tran and Sasha: 19 
• Tori Spelling and Pasha: 19 — ELIMINATED
• Anna Delvey and Ezra: 17 — ELIMINATED
• Reginald VelJohnson and Emma: 15
• Eric Roberts and Britt: 15

What did you think of this episode of Dancing with the Stars? How did you feel about the double elimination? 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.

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