Here's a plot twist: Nobody went home in Dancing with the Stars' nail-biting semi-finals episode! All five remaining couples will advance to the finale to compete for the coveted Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.
For those who haven't been keeping up with America's favorite celebrity dance competition (where the term "celebrity" is sometimes used more liberally than seasoning at an Italian restaurant), Dancing with the Stars pairs stars with professional dancers to see who can shimmy their way to victory.
This season, named in honor of the beloved late judge Len Goodman, has given us everything from Olympic athletes attempting to transfer their skills to the dance floor to a Bachelor trying to prove he can do more than just hand out roses.
The Dancing With the Stars semi-finals featured two rounds of dancing – Latin and ballroom styles – testing not only the contestants' rhythm but also their ability to maintain camera-ready smiles through increasingly challenging routines.
Dancing with the Stars Season 33 Episode 9: what were the performances of the night?
Disney stars Chandler Kinney and Brandon Armstrong kicked off the night with a mission to unleash her "sexy side" in salsa – because apparently, Disney Channel fame and spicy dance moves are natural progression.
Despite Latin dances being her Achilles' heel, Chandler scored two perfect 10s and matched that success with another 29/30 for her foxtrot, proving that some Disney stars can indeed graduate from the Mickey Mouse Club to the salsa club.
The Bachelorette golden boy Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson delivered a foxtrot so impressive it had judge Derek Hough practically writing poetry about it. They scored a perfect 30, though their paso doble earned "just" a 28 – still better odds than finding true love on The Bachelor if we're being honest.
American rugby player Ilona Maher and Alan's paso doble was powerful enough to make Carrie Ann Inaba cry (though let's be fair, Carrie Ann's tear ducts have a hair trigger). Their Viennese waltz in round two earned more flowery adjectives than a Valentine's Day card, and their highest score yet was 29/30.
Stephen Nedoroscik, an American artistic gymnast, and Rylee Arnold's attempt to channel "sexy Steve" in their cha-cha ended up more "adorable awkward," according to Bruno, who compared him to a kid in a candy shop rather than the intended Ricky Martin vibe.
Their tango featured an unexpected prop removal when Stephen's glasses made a bid for freedom mid-performance, but he recovered like a true Olympian and even snagged a 10 from Carrie Ann on this episode of Dancing With the Stars.
NFL stars Danny Amendola and Witney Carson closed the show with a Viennese waltz that had Bruno fixated on Danny's posterior positioning (classic Bruno). Their salsa featured enough spectacular lifts to qualify as an Olympic sport, but the real showstopper was Danny's bold choice of a leopard print floral shirt and matching hat – because nothing says "take me seriously as a dancer" quite like channeling your inner jungle cat.
The twist reveals no one was expecting
Just when hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough had everyone reaching for their stress balls with elimination teases, they dropped the bombshell: everyone's safe! All five couples will advance to the Dancing With the Stars finale, where they'll perform freestyle routines that promise to be more dramatic than a reality TV show reunion special.
As we head into the finale of Dancing With the Stars, the leaderboard has Chandler and Joey tied at the top with 58/60, followed closely by Ilona with 57/60, while Danny and Stephen bring up the rear with 54 and 53 points respectively. With everyone still in the running, this finale is shaping up to be more packed than Bruno's metaphor collection – and that's saying something.
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The Dancing With the Stars Season 33 finale will air on Tuesday, Nov. 26 on ABC and be available to stream on Disney+.
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