Dancing with the Stars: Mariah Carey Night
It's tiiiiiime…Mariah Carey Night! A night of honoring the legend herself, full of breakthrough dances, stellar improvement from serval couples, and another heartbreaking elimination.
Off the bat, I took a lot of issues with the judges' scores tonight. They opened the season by saying they'd start low to leave room for improvement, and now it feels like they're rationing anything above an 8. With that, I think the scoring scale has become so warped that it is hard to take them just at face value. Ideally, the critiques and notes that come with the scores would provide clarity. Still, when you look at how few stars get legitimate critiques, that does not feel reliable either.
We're starting to see the scoring scales shift in a very intentional way. Every season around this point, the ‘middle of the pack’ becomes the majority of the contestants. This allows select couples to pull away toward either the top or bottom of the leaderboard. We saw this happen last season, where scores slowly pulled away and widened the gap between the majority of contestants and the weakest dancer. It almost seems like a ploy by the judges to push the needle and send home weaker dancers who are being kept afloat by fan votes.
Last week’s elimination had a fiery impact on social media, and I think its impact on some stars was palpable tonight. Some stars shined; some are starting to get left behind. Let's get into my thoughts for tonight.
Ciara & Brandon
Jazz to “Emotions”
Overall, this dance was very cutesy, as expected from jazz. Jazz numbers can be so difficult to compare to more traditional ballroom dances because they lack structured content for us to look for. This dance felt very transition-heavy and lacked the amount of dance content I would like to see. The snippets we got were good in quality, but it had so many cutesy moments took me out of the dance at times.
This was by far Ciara's cleanest performance so far. The transitions in and out of tricks were smooth, and it really came together into a fun-to-watch performance. Better than anything else, Ciara finally seemed to be fully enjoying the dance! For someone who started the season so in her head, it was refreshing to see her relax, and it benefited her dancing tenfold. Every week she was inching closer to full release and tangible improvement. This dance would have been a great launching point for combining performance value and technical improvement.
Judges Score: 7 7 7
My Score: 6.5
Ezra & Daniella
Rumba to “Anytime You Need a Friend”
Gorgeous, phenomenal, no notes. This dance was hot, plain and simple. Ezra reeks of leading man material and week after week stuns me with his dedication to each unique style they have to tackle. I couldn't find a single thing to critique about this dance; I would have to make up issues to have any.
That said, this is where my problem with the judges' scores began for the night. I have a whole video coming out breaking down judges' critique consistency, but this was a prime example of them not justifying their scores. I saw no reason this dance didn't deserve 9s. Did they get even a single one? Nope, and they gave absolutely no justification for it. No criticism was given to explain why their score was lower. This dance was flawless to my, admittedly, untrained eye. If they didn't deserve a higher score, I need to be told why, and that’s the judges’ job!
Judges Score: 8 8 8
My Score: 9
Harry & Jenna
Tango to “It’s Like That”
This was such a rebound from Harry's dance last week that I frankly wasn't wowed by. He dances with so much strength in every movement that every second felt intentional and empowered. At no point in time do I feel like his mind is anywhere but in the dance and in the moment. The judges seem unsure how to feel week by week as Jenna chooses to incorporate Harry's freestyle experience into the different styles. Sometimes it's a miss for me, but not tonight. I think it complemented the dance beautifully in this context. Not to mention, Queen Amber Riley graced us with her presence, and we should all be thankful. I am sure this will not be the last time we see her this season.
I have one issue with this performance: I wanted the lights to be just the slightest bit darker. A tango demands so much intensity, and while I felt it in the movements, I think the impact could have been even stronger with a moodier, sexier vibe in the ballroom to enhance the performance. This is not a knock against Harry or Jenna, but I think it would have benefited the overall impact of the dance.
Judges Score: 8 8 8
My Score: 9
Jenna & Val
Rumba to “My All”
This is the first time this season I feel like I was finally able to see Jenna in her performance. I have struggled so far to feel any connection with her this season, and this is the closest I've gotten. More than anything, I felt her and Val connecting a lot more than they did in the previous weeks. Some people might argue Jenna didn't need a breakthrough dance, but tonight was it. If she can keep opening up, I see a lot more fan support going her way.
Val was infamous online over the past week. Why this man thought getting cornrows was a good idea is absolutely beyond me. Not to mention, he kept them all week, then took them out right before the show, and topped it off with a passive aggressive post and fighting in TikTok comments. Was nobody behind the scenes checking him on this? Did production have something to say? A crazy choice to make in the big 2026. I worry more than anything about the impact this has on their fan support for Jenna’s sake.
Judges Score: 8 8 8
My Score: 9
Tyler & Sharna
Foxtrot to “#Beautiful”
Tyler has consistently improved week by week, and tonight was his best dance so far. The way this man adapts to being in frame with such a dramatic height difference is very impressive for an amateur dancer. I truly think that style is where he shines but surprisingly, being a bigger guy, it's not his legs that look clunky; it's his arms! Once he nails the placement and fluidity, he will show drastic improvement. He still seems to be really focusing while he dances and not only do I see it in his face, but he sometimes seems to hesitate to go into the move. It all reads as just overthinking.
My main issue with this dance was the choreography, and that's been my biggest issue with his performances so far this season. Sharna is a legend, no doubt, but I have found the content of these dances lacking. Tonight I wasn't missing content necessarily, but the dance did not feel constructed to really make Tyler shine. Sharna looks incredible, but at the cost of overshadowing her partner, who should be the one really standing out to the audience.
Judges Score: 7 7 7
My Score: 7
Maura & Mark
Waltz to “If It’s Over”
Maura oozes elegance when she dances. There is absolutely no doubt that these classic, in-frame ballroom dances are where she absolutely shines. She is nearly untouchable in these styles compared to the other contestants. I am not upset she received the first 9s of the season. Still, I am disappointed for those who danced earlier in the episode and, I believe, also deserved 9s.
I need Mark to challenge Maura. We know what she is good at, and Mark is smart. He will try to lock down these styles to keep showing Maura at her strongest. I need more, though. I need the fun of a Jive; I need the hip action of a Rumba. I need to know that she can do more before she is the frontrunner in my mind.
Judges Score: 9 8 8
My Score: 9
Guillermo & Witney
Samba to “Obsessed”
I cannot believe I am saying this; I agree with Carrie Anne! Guillermo, with his dancing-for-the-fans shtick, didn't seem like he was dancing for anyone tonight. His premise on this show is his charisma and personality, and none of that came through in this dance tonight. Yeah, they hit the cutesy parts people want to see, but overall, the dance lacked the fun the fans look for from them. This would be an okay shift if the dance were a more serious concept, but it was trying to be sassy and performative and just fell short.
Whitney's take here on the Samba reminded me of Sharna's take on the Salsa. They know that going outside the construct of the dance style might not get them the judges' scores, but if they play the game right, they will still get the fan votes. The Samba is not an easy dance; this was not a Samba. Let's not forget they made knee walks work for this man; where's my samba roll? Fans keep rewarding Guillermo when he improves, and for the first time, I didn't see any improvement tonight. Keeping him around will just be warm and fuzzies from here on out.
Judges Score: 4 4 5
My Score: 4
Jackson & Emma
Waltz to “Without You”
Last week was rough for Jackson, and I think this week's dance was him stepping back on the path of consistent improvement. While I think this dance was technically better, something was missing. Jackson comes off as a gung-ho, joyful guy, and I didn't see that tonight. Not just in his performance but watching him in the background throughout various parts of the episode, something felt off. The man didn't have his sparkle. It wasn't until halfway through his dance that I felt he really woke up and was enjoying the dancing itself.
Jackson was another name floating around online over the last week. It is not unheard of for pros or stars to comment on social media. Still, they rarely directly insult a fellow contestant during the active season. Whether it was meant in good fun or not, it came off as tasteless. I wonder if this negative online reaction contributed to his off-put mood throughout a good chunk of the episode.
Judges Score: 7 7 7
My Score: 6.5
Tatyana & Jan
Jazz to “Fantasy”
Every week so far has had a token cute performance, and this was definitely this week's. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I feel similarly about Ciara's dance as well; it is hard to compare Jazz to the more recognizable and content-driven ballroom dances. For a Jazz dance, I thought this one had some nice dance centric sections, but felt a little slow overall and didn't hit the big pop-out moments I was looking for.
Jan is keeping a good balance of throwing in fan-driven moments, Hello Ladder, and giving us dance content. Watching the two of them, I always feel like Tatyana is the focus. She is being highlighted beautifully, and I think the choreography as a whole does a great job of making her shine as the star within the partnership. Jan knows how to make her look good and construct routines to show her off instead of himself.
Judges Score: 6 7 7
My Score: 7
Connor & Rylee
Rumba to “Touch My Body”
Papa relaxed this week! Seeing Connor enjoy the dance this week was refreshing compared to his anxiety-driven previous weeks. He could have benefited from cleaning up his movements overall. Still, the hope is that if he's having more fun now, he'll have a better baseline to refine his movement in the future. Unfortunately, I think as he had more fun as the dance went on, he got sloppier with his movements. Performance-wise, this was night and day from last week; now he needs to step it up with the technique.
What I liked about tonight is that while there were several Rumbas, each one had a very different vibe. It can be such an intimately charged dance, and while it often reads as sexy, their dance felt playful to me while still keeping that sensual vibe. I wish they'd leaned into that even more! This man does not ooze sexy, sorry Connor, but him playing into the fun element of it is what made it sexy!
Judges Score: 6 6 6
My Score: 6.5
Here I would also like to introduce a new part of these blog posts: Quote of the Week. This week it hands down goes to Connor with, "I just need to remember my body is learning, even if I feel like I'm gonna cry."
Julia & Ezra
Viennese Waltz to “Without You”
This dance felt like an absolute breath of fresh air tonight. Julia has such beautiful natural grace, and these dance styles highlight it wonderfully. Last week was such a fun breakout for her, and I think this week really grounded her in her capabilities. I agree that the dance was a little hoppy, and I would have loved to see smoother movement across the floor. Overall, her performance quality has skyrocketed as she shakes off early-season nerves and enjoys the process.
I will praise Ezra week after week for his phenomenal choreography. His dance composition is fascinating every time, and I look forward to it every episode. I think Ezra is going to make the long haul as a pro dancer. I can see him becoming an absolute legend on this show within years. He has taken the challenges thrown at him with grace and consistently proves he deserves his spot.
Judges Score: 7 7 7
My Score: 7.5
Amber & Pasha
Rumba to “Hero”
Amber embodies pure strength in every dance she does. Her movements are so beautifully feminine while simultaneously exuding power. I love seeing her ice-skating skills on the dance floor utilized in truly impressive ways. Beyond the tricks, her dancing holds its own week after week, and I don't think many dancers come close to her ability to execute the technique each episode.
This is where I came back to Earth and disagreed with Carrie Anne. What in the world is she talking about regarding Amber and Pasha's connection? This season has some incredible partner dynamics, and these two have had one of the most captivating connections since week one. They maintain a strong connection with each other, and they project it to the audience in an impressive way. Sorry, Carrie Anne, you were way off the mark with this one. With that, I once again found this couple to be unfortunately underrated in terms of judges scores.
Judges Score: 7 8 8
My Score: 9
The Elimination
I fear we won't see another elimination this season that isn't absolutely heartbreaking. Every week each couple shows so much potential and improvement that it hurts to see anyone go home.
While I do think it would be peeking behind the curtain too much, I am so curious as to what these scores look like on paper. Specifically, I want to know who is actually in the bottom three. They have continuously put Jackson in this 'bottom but not necessarily' bottom three, and I can't help but wonder if this factors into how dejected he seemed this week.
We're seeing a combination of a smaller fan base and improvement not coming fast enough here with Ciara going home. While I do think her dancing was getting better, I don't think the speed was fast enough to satisfy what the fans were looking for.
Would she have been my pick to go home? No. Despite that, I had been worried about her for a few weeks now and figured their time was up soon. With more time, I would have loved to see her blossom and open up more in her performances. Every week, she got closer and closer to what I wanted from her; I wish she'd had more time to reach her full potential.
After social media dissected every inch of everyone's face last week, it felt intentional that the cameras did not linger on the hug huddle right at the end. The vibes were once again much more intense than in previous years. A lot of the pros in particular seem more put off with each elimination. It makes me question what the vibes are behind the scenes if this is what we get to see on camera.
This was a strong week for most of the competitors, and it makes me even more excited for next week: Super Bowl Night! I'll be looking for Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Prince, and I have some secret theories brewing on what this night might entail. Check out The Evening Archive on TikTok over the next few days to hear some of my thoughts on what they might include in next week's episode. Also, a surprise guest judge? My money is on Rashad Jennings!
Come back next week for more dance reviews, behind-the-scenes speculation, and all my thoughts in between. Share your thoughts in the comments on Week Four: Mariah Carey Night!
