Dancing with the Stars Recap Season 34, Episode 2: One-Hit Wonders, Two Eliminations

The pressure was on for the likes of Corey Feldman, Dylan Efron, Andy Richter, Danielle Fishel, and Jordan Chiles after struggling in their first week, while Robert Irwin, Hilaria Baldwin, and Whitney Leavitt were hoping to keep riding high.

The theme for this second night of competition was “One-Hit Wonders,” but thanks to last week, none of these celebs would be one-dance wonders. Tonight’s competition definitely put them through it for their second night with both the brutal samba and quickstep making appearances.

Carrie Ann also returned to the judges’ desk, where there were still some struggles to find scoring paddles during the live broadcast — but at least all of the scores were tabulated and entered correctly, unlike what happened with Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ Leavitt last week. That error landed her in a tie for first place with Irwin, so this week she wanted to earn top marks for real!

For the most part, though, with 14 couples again taking the stage, there was very little time for much of anything but wall-to-wall dancing, and we got some very impressive performances.

With the music of Lou Bega, The Weather Girls, Toni Basil, and even Sir Mix-a-Lot, you know it was a good time, too!

Fair warning, since I’m safe at home, I’m probably going to be a little harsher than my colleagues Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli. But I might be nicer, too. Maybe.

(Jive – “Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit Of…),” Lou Bega) After a solid opening week, Val didn’t hold back in putting Alix through the wringer with this uptempo jive that did not let go until the final beat — which they were just behind. Nevertheless, Alix was giving us everything when it comes to character and personality throughout this piece. We loved her playful energy and the sass she brought. The footwork could have been a bit more precise, but her timing was pretty good throughout and she got through all of those steps with a great overall posture and presence.

Judges Scores: 7, 7, 7

My Score: 6

(Cha-cha-cha – “The Rhythm of the Night,” Corona) This track came out as Danielle was just starting on Boy Meets World so it represents a turning point in her life. That’s the good news. The bad news is a hamstring tear she got during the show, meaning she had to dance through the pain. Unfortunately, she danced like someone who was hesitant to commit fully. The moves were there, but they were cautious and that came across as a bit lethargic. They also totally blew the last slide through, but these things happen. Danielle knew this dance, she just looked like she wasn’t fully confident she did or could pull it off. Her issues appear to be more mental then physical capability — which is hard to say when someone is injured. Don’t hurt yourself, but we’d argue she’s stronger than she thinks she is.

Judges Scores: 7, 6, 6

My Score: 5

(Tango – “It’s Raining Men,” The Weather Girls) Andy got emotional in rehearsal, saying, “I feel like my heart has been cracked open, what a beautiful experience this is.” He’s really getting the most out of his time on DWTS, and surprising himself by how meaningful it’s already become for him — something he absolutely did not expect. This was a very slo-o-o-ow tango, but Andy has a natural charm and sweetness about him. He’s also playful, but all the play in this short number didn’t leave much room for dance. And what we got was more him walking through the steps than gliding with frame and grace. If he were lighter on his feet, this could have had more elegance, so we’re not sure how this will fare on a double-elimination night.

Judges Scores: 6, 5, 5

My Score: 3

(Foxtrot – “Lovefool,” The Cardigans) Lauren channeled her abuela for this one, as they used to watch this show together when she was younger. They would have both been on their feet for this one as it was beauty and elegance thorough. The delicate rise-and-fall element was there, as were her beautiful extensions, flowing as much as her dress did. The pivots were lovely and she nailed the performance aspect of it, leaving us smiling and melting at the same time. She took to this style perhaps even better than last week’s — a natural performer!

Judges Scores: 7, 7, 7

My Score: 7

(Jive – “Maniac,” Michael Sombello) The frantic energy of this dance suited Jordan much better than last week’s salsa as she stayed bouncing and light on her feet throughout. There was some athleticism on display, as well, with that jump over Ezra’s head, but this was a bit of a redemption for Jordan, who showed that she can transition from floor routines to the more beat-driven dance styles. Overall, she had a great stage presence that commanded our attention from start to finish.

Judges Scores: 8, 7, 7

My Score: 7

(Cha-cha-cha – “Baby Got Back,” Sir Mix-a-Lot) Corey was very unhappy with his scores, immediately asking, “Coach, tell me what I can do to make things spicy this week.” He declared that the comeback king was going to come right back, while Jenna thought they might go viral for this one. Unfortunately, this looked like a piece that was choreographed to be a good time, but Corey was just too stiff to really pull that off. He danced like baby had a back brace on the whole time, with even his arm gestures just too tight and forced. Nothing felt comfortable or joyful about Corey in this piece, and with this song, how could it be anything but?

Judges Scores: 5, 5, 5

My Score: 2

(Quickstep – “Take on Me,” a-ha) A great momentum from the cute beginning with Jen showing a lot of trust by leaping into Jan’s arms and then going right into the quick movements of the quickstep. Her timing was great throughout this, as was her partnering and positioning. Jen looked really confident and strong out there, which is not easy with a Week 2 quickstep. There was great hop and synchronicity with Jan. Carrie Ann is right about the lifts, and we’d argue he doesn’t need to rely on stunts as much, as Jen has great potential. This is a partnership that should continue to grow nicely.

Judges Scores: 8, 7, 7

My Score: 7

(Tango – “Move Your Feet,” Junior Senior) We didn’t need Robert singing along to the track as it distracted from some very sharp moves. He was worried about being able to take on this style after the jive last week put him at the top of the leaderboard, but he’s got a natural ability when it comes to movement (could it be genetics?). Witney is a fierce competitor and great coach, too, making a partnership that is very dangerous on this show. He could be a little more consistent in getting into frame and holding it, but there was definitely a lot ot love here.

Judges Scores: 8, 7, 7

My Score: 8

(Jive – “Hey Mickey!” Toni Basil) In an adorable moment, Toni herself showed up to watch rehearsal and offer some advice. On stage, she missed one transition toward the end and you could see her energy waning a bit as it progressed — we need a little more hop and the knees to come up a bit more, with more control of her arms — but this was overall a vast improvement over last week’s debut. It’s amazing what some self-confidence can do, as Elaine’s body is clearly built to do this kind of movement. She also brought an infectious sense of fun, which had us smiling and cheering her on as she cheered for us.

Judges Scores: 7, 7, 7

My Score: 6

(Samba – “Return of the Mack,” Mark Morrison) Baron’s old coach dropped by to help him nail this week’s routine, and help pump him up. There was a definite improvement but it came in stutters. Baron would remember what he should do and then quickly do it before waiting for the next moment he’d feel comfortable. At one point, though, he got completely lost and never fully recovered. Don’t get us wrong, there was so much more dancing and content from him this week, we have to applaud the effort and the moments that we did get. He still needs to loosen his hips and core, and be more consistent overall.

Judges Scores: 6, 6, 6

My Score: 4

(Cha-cha-cha – “Play That Funky Music,” Wild Cherry) This was a lot of great cha-cha with a few moments that were slight misfires. In other words, this was a very, very strong performance, yet again, from the Mormon Wives star. Whitney’s crouched turn wasn’t as smooth as it could have been and she went wrong at the top of the number, but for the most part we saw a lot of sassy hip movement, turns and great control. She’s in such a great spot for a Week 2 dancer with such a great partner, who is definitely pushing her with challenging choreography, we should get to see her just continue to grow and grow.

Judges Scores: 7, 7, 8

My Score: 7

(Tango – “What Is Love,” Haddaway) Hilaria was enjoying the energy of having her kids watching her perform each week, but balancing rehearsal with being a mother to young kids is also exhausting. Right away, we were loving how dramatic and extended everything was, totally capturing the right spirit of the tango. Hilaria’s leg and arm extensions were lovely, and her partnering work with Gleb in frame was so strong, we could see her commitment and the work they’d put in. There were moments here and there where she fell off, but she quickly recovered, boding well for her future on the show. Attitude and confidence is as important as talent and technique. As soon as we saw that toe come up, though, we knew Carrie Ann would knock the lift.

Judges Scores: 7, 7, 7

My Score: 7

(Samba – “Macarena,” Los Del Rio) Dylan lost all his confidence when he looked like he was worried about falling over during the samba body rolls. Up to that point, he was doing okay keeping up with Daniella and even giving moments of good hip movement. After, though, he looked like he just had no confidence in his own movements, giving us lackluster arms thrown out and retracted just as quickly, hesitant steps and turns. It was a dramatic shift in the wrong direction, but he did get through it and knew this dance better than he thought he did. Believe it and then he’ll better be able to deliver it.

Judges Scores: 7, 6, 7

My Score: 5

(Cha-cha-cha – “Blue (Da Ba Dee),” Eiffel 65) Scott was definitely more confident in the non-cha-cha elements of this dance, but we saw some of those arm movements hitting their marks and his footwork was respectable when he was going there. We’d have honestly liked to see a bit longer of a pure cha-cha segment, as it felt like they leaned into the hamminess of the song out of style more than in. Carrie Ann is right in that Scott just needs to own his physicality more and fully commit to each of these steps, owning his moment.

Judges Scores: 6, 6, 6

My Score: 5

Based on pure numbers alone, there isn’t even a conversation. Corey and Andy are the clear bottom-dwellers, and their performances these past two weeks have earned that. It’s really going to come down to whether or not they have enough of a fanbase to overcome lower scores than some of the lower-middle range dancers like Baron, Scott, Dylan, and Danielle above them.

Honestly, we suspected going into these results that Corey and last season’s champ, Jenna, might get eliminated here because we just haven’t seen any improvement from him and his performances just aren’t working. Andy did some show improvement, and he’s so endearing, we were less sure that he would get eliminated. In fact, we found ourselves a little concerned about Baron, who may not have as much of an overlap fanbase on this show.

The first half-dozen couples safe included Danielle & Pasha, Dylan & Daniella, Elaine & Alan, Scott & Rylee, Jen & Jan, and Robert & Witney. Next off the stage and into next week were Jordan & Ezra, Lauren & Brandon, Alix & Val, Whitney & Mark, and Andy & Emma, proving that heart and a good spirit really connects with fans.

That left Corey & Jenna on the stage with Baron & Britt and Hilaria & Gleb. Two of those are among the lowest scorers of the season while Hilaria and Gleb had the second-highest score across the past two weeks. Both, though, have some controversy surrounding them outside the show. Was that enough to create a seismic shockwave in the first elimination?

Nah, that was just to build drama — or a hint that the fans aren’t really rallying for them, even though we were told that these three couples were not necessarily the Bottom 3. Nevertheless, it was the end of the road for Corey Feldman and Baron Davis, taking Jenna Johnson and Britt Stewart out of the competition with them.

Dancing with the Stars returns for “TikTok Night” next Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+.